National Title-Winning Coaches Update

First off, I commend Bob Stoops for identifying when the time was right for him to leave and congratulate him on an outstanding career with Oklahoma. He’s taken a few “character chances” in the last 3-4 years, but he’s generally been one of the good guys in the sport. Best of wishes moving forward, Big Game Bob!

That being said, we are down to 4 active coaches who have won a national title. Back in January, I promised I would break down the head-to-head history. With Bob’s retirement, my job just got a little easier 😊.

And so, here it goes:

The breakdown of games should be pretty clear. As of this post:

• 16 games have been played among these coaches.
• Nearly half of them (7) came from the annual Florida State-Clemson game in the ACC.
• 2 others were regular season tilts stemming from Urban Meyer’s time at Florida – both wins in 2010 by the opposition.
• Another 2 come from the SEC Championship Game – split 1-1 by Saban and Meyer.
• 5 happened to occur in bowl games – 4 of those involved Dabo Swinney who is an impressive 3-1. The other bowl game was another Saban-Meyer classic – Ohio State’s big upset in the first CFP Sugar Bowl.
  
• The number of wins-losses by each of the four coaches:

o   Swinney: 6-5

o   Fisher: 5-3

o   Saban: 3-3

o   Meyer: 2-5

• Saban (5) and Meyer (3) have multiple national titles, as opposed to one apiece by the ACC “-bo” pair. But Dabo and Jimbo do lead the pack in the head-to-head, thanks in large part to their annual clash.
  
• Only two such matchups are guaranteed in 2017. Both involve Florida State.

o   The FSU-Bama opener in Atlanta; and

o   The FSU at Clemson game in November.