UConn football, college coaching Mount Rushmore: A Blitz Podcast

The Huskies’ move to the Big East has big ramifications on the UConn football program, and the nation as a whole could be headed toward more realignment.

UConn is headed back to the Big East for all sports other than football, leaving the future up in the air for an embattled program on the gridiron. The Huskies were one of college football’s worst teams in 2018, and the foreseeable future doesn’t look much brighter going forward. Could the move to the Big East ultimately signal the beginning of the end for UConn as an FBS program?

That’s the first topic that John and Zach discuss in the 14th edition of the Saturday Blitz Podcast.

The Huskies are probably going to end up going the independent route as there isn’t likely another FBS conference that would be willing to take them on as a football-only member. Currently, UConn has little to offer a conference with their struggles to even feign mediocrity.

Zach and John both make the pitch for the Huskies to drop back to the FCS level, but it all comes down to what the program aspires to. Are they content with the occasional bowl eligibility and the flare up eight or nine win season, or would they garner more support from their fanbase by potentially competing for national championships at a lower level?

That’s a question that other FBS programs might be staring right in the face in the near future.

After a discussion on UConn, our co-hosts shift their focus toward the Mount Rushmore of college football head coaches. It’s a bit of a spirited debate, with a focus on some current coaches and many from yesteryear. Does an active coach like Alabama’s Nick Saban already have a spot reserved among the greatest few coaches of all time, or does he have to wait until retirement to cement his place among the legends of the sport?

What about a coach like Urban Meyer, who recently “retired” for the second-time. Meyer boasts the third highest winning percentage of all-time among FBS coaches, but there’s been plenty of off-the-field controversies that have made his overall resume cloudy.

Regardless, while there are certainly some names on each list that are obvious, there’s also a surprise or two in store. It was a fun topic, and we would love to hear your thoughts on the greatest college football coaches of all time. Comparing coaches from different eras is nearly impossible, but subjective arguments are what make sports banter so fun.

Our attention will now shift almost entirely toward the 2019 college football season. We will begin our conference previews next week with a broad look at the FCS, breaking down the contenders to snag the national championship, along with other fun topics surrounding college football’s middleweight division.

The Saturday Blitz Podcast is part of the FanSided Radio Network on Spreaker. The show goes live every Wednesday morning. You can reach John Mitchell at @jlmitchell93 and Zach Bigalke at @zbigalke on Twitter.