Boss Banter

Air Force Did Well: One head coach hire that got little publicity, but may work out very well is Troy Calhoun being hired by Air Force. He has the rare combination of being a former cadet and having NFL coaching experience. He coached under Jim Grobe at Wake Forest so he has seen a model of how to win in a difficult environment.

Karl Dorrell will get his man: UCLA's head coach has shown that he is very committed to surrounding himself with top flight coordinators. His fourth offensive coordinator in five years will be former Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell - a guy rumored for some head coaching jobs. Dorrell got his man for his defense in DeWayne Walker. If Norvell is not the guy, and he may not be, Dorrell will try again. If he gets his guy before Walker becomes a head coach, UCLA will be in for a hell of a run.

Arizona is on the way up: Very little was made of Arizona hiring Texas Tech co-offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. Mike Stoops hasn't had the instant success many had hoped, but with the strong finish that included wins over Washington State, Cal, and Oregon coupled with the hiring of Dykes, Arizona will be bowling in '07. Look for Stoops, Dykes, and experience QB Willie Tuitama to have 'Zona competing with the upper class of the Pac 10 right away.

Nick Saban - A Man of Many Colors: Recently I was browsing the college football section at my local bookstore. Two books I found interesting: Nick Saban's "How Good Do You Want To Be?" with a sharp picture of Saban in an Alabama crimson polo and Nick Saban's "How Good Do You Want To Be?" with a sharp picture of Saban in a LSU purple polo.