On the Docket - Armed Forces Bowl: Houston (10-3) vs. Air Force (7-5)

Synopsis:

Case Keenum will almost undoubtedly break Timmy Chang’s all-time passing yardage record for a career should he return to school next season. The Cougar quarterback has thrown for 5,449 yards and 43 touchdowns this season. Despite some disappointing losses to Central Florida and East Carolina late in the season, the Cougars are still one of the most entertaining teams in the country.

The Falcons’ strength lies in their defense, allowing only 15 points per game, including two shutouts. Their offense lacks the firepower of Houston’s, but their defense makes up for much of the lost ground.

Player to watch: This may be a little bland, but it’s Keenum. The guy throws the ball nearly 70 times a game, and completes nearly 50 of those passes every week. He threw for over 400 yards in seven games, and over 500 yards three times. The most amazing statistic about Keenum is that only nine of his 659 passes have been intercepted.

Who has the edge?

Houston laid a couple of eggs late in the season, leaving doubt that the Cougars are really as dominant as we thought they were. However, Air Force in no way, shape, or form has an offense to keep up with Houston. This game could be the most lopsided of the bowl season.

Prediction:

Houston 52, Air Force 28

Leach ousted, logical replacement nearby

As of 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Mike Leach was no longer the head football coach at Texas Tech. The school fired leach after ten seasons amid allegations he mistreated a player who was suffering from a concussion.

Adam James, son of Craig James and a wide receiver for the Red Raiders, accused Leach of forcing him to stay in a dark closet during a three-hour practice after sustaining a concussion.

Leach was the face of Texas Tech football, taking the program to unprecedented heights during his tenure. He compiled a record of 84-45 in Lubbock, including a 5-4 record in bowl games.

During his time as head coach, the Red Raiders produced future NFL stars including Wes Welker and Michael Crabtree, who was a two-time Biletnikoff winner as the nation's best wide receiver.

Despite his success with the Red Raiders, his relationship with the administration at the school was strenuous to say the least. Over the past several years, Leach has either flirted with other head coaching jobs that did not seem to be any better jobs than the one at Texas Tech, leading people to believe he never felt wanted by the powers that be in Lubbock.

However, Leach leaves a program in great shape, and with the right hire, Texas Tech could not skip a beat in its quest to compete with Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12 South.

The no-brainer leading candidate for this job is Houston's Kevin Sumlin. The Cougars are 10-3 this season, including a win earlier this season over Leach and the Red Raiders.

Sumlin's offense is very similar to what Leach implemented at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders attempted 615 passes this season, while the Cougars threw the ball 706 in 13 games, one more game Tech.

Leach made a name for himself by developing unheralded quarterback prospects into some of the nation's leading passers. Kliff Kingsbury, Sonny Cumbie, and Graham Harrell are a few examples of players who lead the nation in passing yardage as the Red Raiders' quarterback this decade.

In 2009, Sumlin accomplished a similar feat with Case Keenum, who leads the nation with 5,449 passing yards this season. Second place in that category is Levi Brown from Troy, with 3,868.

Sumlin has turned Houston into an offensive juggernaut in only his second season on the job. With his ties to the state of Texas and his immediate success with the Cougars, the Red Raiders would be very wise to throw quite a lump sum Sumlin's way (no pun intended), to pull him from Houston.