I just can't get on board with the Kiffin criticism. Overall he did a superb job last year, and he's one of our biggest concerns now -- all because he was too rigid in one game where we piled up 35 points and 400+ yards of offense against the eventual national champion, despite three ugly INTs and generally bad QB play on third down? Not to say that he is perfect by any stretch, but if he's one of our biggest concerns for this season, I'd wager we are in for one hell of a year. With all due respect, I'll dissent on this one.
Do think Jess is spot-on about the QBs. Regardless of who wins the job, for the most part it's the same type of player who will be running the same system. And considering that Saban isn't usually the one to engage in wasteful, unnecessary subterfuge, I think the only reasonable conclusion is just that none of the three have been able to meaningfully separate from the other two. Not to say all three aren't decent enough to get the job done, but if there was any significant separation, we would have named a starter by now.
I think Dabo would be an absolute disaster at Alabama. Him at the helm strikes me as being Dubose all over again... i.e. a hometown guy whose emotions would probably get the best of him under pressure, someone who wouldn't be strong enough to lead the program and would instead find himself caught powerless and spinning amidst a fractured program, and a guy who would basically turn to recruiting to hopefully bail everything out. That's a recipe for disaster. On a personal level I like Dabo a lot and would love to see one of our own lead the program to great success, but, rationally speaking, I cannot see him ever surviving at UA. I can only hope that the PTB respectfully declines on him once the time comes, because unless he truly fizzles at Clemson -- which probably isn't too likely in the ACC -- he will be a candidate.
Idea on Muschamp at Auburn is that the exposure to Malzahn's offensive operation will allow him (1) a quick rebound with success as a defensive guru, and (2) give him the skills he needs to put together a competent offensive attack, which -- in theory, put together with his defense -- would yield a strong team/program at his next head coaching destination. I think it's all wishful thinking on his end. You don't tank at a top program and then later get a head coaching job at another top program, just doesn't work that way. He'll do well at Auburn, and he'll either end up back in the NFL as a DC or he'll end up as a head coach as a middling P5 program in CFB. He's kidding himself thinking that he'll either get another top CFB head coaching job, or that he can use Auburn as a trampoline to bounce right back into that type of a job.
Richt ought to be fired if he doesn't get to Atlanta this year, but he won't be. The overall weakness of the SEC the past several years has really allowed him to survive (obviously internal UGA dynamics, which still make no sense to me, have played a big part too). Eventually he will go out like Fulmer did. Other East programs will finally get it together and raise the level of play in the division, and Richt won't be able to rise up with them and UGA will feel forced to make a change as they descend down the divisional ladder. That's exactly what happened with Fulmer and UT -- that program was running on empty by '03, but didn't come to a stop until '08. For Richt and UGA, though, I figure that's probably at least two or three years down the road.
