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NCAA Football Betting Online: Lane Kiffin is back to entertain us all. This time, Kiffin is the head coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls and some of the stories coming out of Boca Raton are already entertaining. There’s no doubt that he can recruit and make an offense productive, but the off the field distractions have plagued Kiffin throughout his coaching career. He has been given one last chance to prove he can be a coach and not just a coordinator and will need to take advantage of it if he wants to coach a power conference school again.
Kiffin wasted no time generating controversy in his new role at Florida Atlantic. The Owls signed De’Andre Johnson from East Mississippi Community College in December. He is expected to step in and be the team’s immediate starter.
Johnson was originally a Florida State recruit who was booted from the team after video surfaced of him punching a woman at a bar. The situation around him became so toxic that he wasn’t able to just join another team and had to go the JUCO route instead.
Unlike incumbent quarterback Jason Driskel, Johnson has a lot of raw talent. That was the reason Kiffin is willing to take a chance on him despite the deplorable incident. He is a dynamic runner and has the chance to put up huge numbers in the offense of another questionable character, offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.
There are some concerns at the wide receiver position too. This was supposed to be a position of strength, but that changed with the announcement that Kalib Woods had been charged with two felony battery counts. He has been indefinitely suspended from the team and his status is up in the air. Woods was the team’s leading receiver last season and without him the offense will lose a huge weapon.
Defensively, the secondary will be the strength of the team. That’s a good thing considering how many spread offenses operate in Conference USA. Raekwon Williams and Shelton Lewis should be one of the best corner duos in the conference and will limit many receiving duos.
The first two games are almost certainly losses for the Owls. They just don’t have the size in the front seven to match up against either Navy or Wisconsin and won’t be able to stop either of their ground games. Florida Atlantic has an outside shot at a bowl bid and could contend for a division title if Johnson emerges quickly.
2017 Florida Atlantic Owls Schedule
September 1: Florida Atlantic vs. Navy
September 9: Florida Atlantic at Wisconsin
September 16: Florida Atlantic vs. Bethune-Cookman
September 23: Florida Atlantic at Buffalo
September 30: Florida Atlantic vs. Middle Tennessee State
October 7: Florida Atlantic at Old Dominion
October 21: Florida Atlantic vs. North Texas
October 28: Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky
November 3: Florida Atlantic vs. Marshall
November 11: Florida Atlantic at Louisiana Tech
November 18: Florida Atlantic vs. Florida International
November 25: Florida Atlantic at Charlotte
List of Florida Atlantic Owls Seasons
| Year |
Record |
Bowl Game |
| 2016 |
3-9 |
|
| 2015 |
3-9 |
|
| 2014 |
3-9 |
|
| 2013 |
6-6 |
|
| 2012 |
3-9 |
|
| 2011 |
1-11 |
|
| 2010 |
4-8 |
|
| 2009 |
5-7 |
|
| 2008 |
7-6 |
W – Motor City Bowl |
| 2007 |
8-5 |
W – New Orleans Bowl |
| 2006 |
5-7 |
|
| 2005 |
2-9 |
|
| 2004 |
9-3 |
|
Howard Schnellenberger will forever be known as the father of this program. He brought the program off the ground back in 2004 and led the Owls to their only two bowl games. He has the best record of any coach in program history.
Since Schnellenberger, the coaching situation has been a mess. FAU hired Carl Pelini, who lasted for a year-and-a-half before being fired after allegations of drug use emerged. After that, the Owls hired Charlie Partridge who went a nondescript 3-9 in three straight seasons in Boca Raton.
Kiffin is unlikely to be long for the school no matter what. If he wins, he will try to get a better job the first chance he gets and if he loses the school won’t hesitate to terminate him after a season or two. He should do better than 3-9 in his first year, but the question is how much better?
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