Talking Predictions, Tom’s Successor

On occasion I’m asked to chime in on the trending topics on Twitter and other sites. Today, I was sent two requests: one on the findings of a website called predictionmachine.com and the other about the possible successor to Tom Coughlin.

On predictionmachine.com, a site that uses data culled from playing the NFL schedule 50,000 times before releasing their findings, the Giants are ranked 11th in their power rankings section. No problem with that, except that Carolina is ranked ninth….

The Giants over/under win total is nine, which is the average number of games they have won over the past four seasons. Ralph looked into this further and uncovered the following:

The Giants averaged 8 1/2 wins, won the division 37 percent of the time, won the wild card 11.8 percent of the time, and won the Super Bowl 2.8 percent of the time.  

I’m ok with these findings, including the playoff scenario where the Giants earn the #3 seed and go on to lose to the Packers in the Divisional round. The only thing “The Predictilator” can’t predict is the human element and which way a football will bounce when it hits the ground – the two things that usually decide NFL games.

The talk of Tom Coughlin’s successor is pure speculation. No one knows how long Tom plans on staying. We do know he has one more year on his contract after this. The telltale will come next year.

Let’s say the Giants win the Super Bowl this season. Does Tom pack it in and go out a winner? Or does he sign another extension since the team does not like to play the season with a ‘lame duck’ coach?

If the Giants don’t win the Super Bowl, or miss the playoffs altogether, does the front office look to the future? And who will be part of that future?

Many are pushing for former Steelers’ coach Bill Cowher. I personally don’t see it. He’s comfortable doing the analyst and endorsement thing. Plus he’ll be about 58 by the time the Giants are faced with this decision, so I’m saying he’s not the guy…

Of the coaches in-house, OC Kevin Gilbride and DC Perry Fewell both have head coaching experience, but I don’t see either as serious candidates. There could be another assistant they are grooming for a promotion, but it’s hard to tell which one.

One possibility is Mike Sullivan, the former QB coach who left to become OC of the Bucs. The Giants may be keeping him in the wings and give him the call when Tom is ready to go.

On the college level, you can forget Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, the two best in the business. Les Myles would probably not be interested in going pro. Brian Kelly might listen, however.

The best bet here is that Coughlin stays a few more years.