I don't think Ferentz should be fired nor do I want him to be, but an intriguing name no one mentions would be Dave Doren (sp?) at NC St. The guy was fantastic at No Illinois and he's been very good at NC St. I don't know who the Utah St coach is but they are putting up crazy points this year.
That said, it's such a roll of the dice replacing a coach. Go over the hot coaching names from the past few years...how many have panned out? Not many.
--Fleck has been terrible.
--Nebraska looked like a train wreck other than blowing out a few bad teams over the past few weeks. Their coaches before Frost were trash.
--Michigan went through 2 coaches who were big name hires (both disasters) before Harbaugh, who has been mediocre up to this year.
--Brohm has been ok at Purdue...the coach they had before him was a big name and he was terrible there.
USC has went through 3 coaches since Pete Carroll, all big name up and coming coaches, and they were all terrible. They've barely been a top 25 team over the past 6-7 years. Florida is irrelevant, Miami is too. Texas has been nonexistent since Mack brown left. Tennessee, which was a powerhouse under Fullmer, has gone through like 4 coaches since he left, each one a big name hire, and they are pretty much a laughingstock.
It's definitely been a frustrating year. I don't think blowing the whole thing up and hiring some hot young coach, which works out maybe 10% of the time, is the answer.
