Mazeppa
8/16/2015, 08:47 PM
Jon Solomon
National College Football Writer
Best, worst college football coaches in close games from each conference
August 15, 2015 3:15 pm ET
Big 12
Best: Gary Patterson, TCU (23-16, .590). Patterson is an interesting example of how winning close games isn't the end-all, be-all if you can blow teams out. He has the best body of work in the Big 12 for close games given a large sample size, but he's 7-8 in games decided by four points or less since 2010 (three of those losses are against Baylor). Patterson went a combined 4-1 in close games during TCU's two seasons when it won the Rose Bowl and nearly made the College Football Playoff.
Worst: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma (13-15, .464). Since 2001, Big Game Bob ranks last in the Big 12 for games decided by four points or less. That's an unsettling stat for a past national championship coach. The other five active Power Five coaches who have won a national title -- Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher, Urban Meyer, Les Miles and Steve Spurrier -- are a combined .623 in games decided by four points or less. All of them reside at .548 or higher.
The rest: Kansas State's Bill Snyder was 28-26-1 (.518) in one-possession games during his first stint in Manhattan. Since returning, he's 19-9 (.679). … West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen is 7-4 (.636) in games decided by four points or less and 21-19 (.525) in all other games. … Get Baylor's Art Briles and his prolific offense in a close game and your chances increase of winning. Briles is 12-11 (.522) in games decided by four points or less and 25-26 (.490) in one-possession games.
National College Football Writer
Best, worst college football coaches in close games from each conference
August 15, 2015 3:15 pm ET
Big 12
Best: Gary Patterson, TCU (23-16, .590). Patterson is an interesting example of how winning close games isn't the end-all, be-all if you can blow teams out. He has the best body of work in the Big 12 for close games given a large sample size, but he's 7-8 in games decided by four points or less since 2010 (three of those losses are against Baylor). Patterson went a combined 4-1 in close games during TCU's two seasons when it won the Rose Bowl and nearly made the College Football Playoff.
Worst: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma (13-15, .464). Since 2001, Big Game Bob ranks last in the Big 12 for games decided by four points or less. That's an unsettling stat for a past national championship coach. The other five active Power Five coaches who have won a national title -- Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher, Urban Meyer, Les Miles and Steve Spurrier -- are a combined .623 in games decided by four points or less. All of them reside at .548 or higher.
The rest: Kansas State's Bill Snyder was 28-26-1 (.518) in one-possession games during his first stint in Manhattan. Since returning, he's 19-9 (.679). … West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen is 7-4 (.636) in games decided by four points or less and 21-19 (.525) in all other games. … Get Baylor's Art Briles and his prolific offense in a close game and your chances increase of winning. Briles is 12-11 (.522) in games decided by four points or less and 25-26 (.490) in one-possession games.