Saturday Blitz 2014 College Football Awards: Marcus Mariota, Scooby Wright Lead the Pack
Dec 6, 2014; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson before the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Most Outstanding Head Coach: Gary Patterson*, TCU Horned Frogs- 11-1
Awards: Home Depot Coach of the Year Award
Among the candidates at least, this is another obvious one. Gary Patterson’s turnaround this year to prove that the TCU Horned Frogs belong among the elite powers in college football is a testament to him. TCU is now no longer just considered a mid-major power. They are an all-out powerhouse that came very close to playing for the national championship.
That’s a tribute to Patterson after his team was 4-8 last year. And his class-act responses to not making the College Football Playoff shows that he’s not going to make any excuses, which is another major testament to how great he is.
Other Finalists:
Urban Meyer, Ohio State Buckeyes- 12-1
Going through three quarterbacks to still make the College Football Playoff made Urban Meyer a legitimate choice for coach of the year. But Patterson’s accomplishments were just too much.
Jimbo Fisher, Florida State Seminoles- 13-0
Going undefeated for a second straight year is one thing, but doing it with all the distractions is why Jimbo Fisher is on this list. Still, this was expected. Patterson’s performance was not.
Rich Rodriguez, Arizona Wildcats- 10-3
Rich Rodriguez is definitely the Pac-12 Coach of the Year and had a case to move up, but the Wildcats just didn’t win enough for that to be the case.
Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide- 12-1
This season might be Nick Saban’s overall best coaching job, but while he still is the best at running a program, the talent he had once again shows that the Tide had no business not being in the College Football Playoff. So really, they just did what they should have done.
*Winner of Home Depot Coach of the Year Award
Next: Most Outstanding Defensive Player