We all knew it was inevitable. You can't turn the 70th best offense in the nation into the 2nd best in one year and not turn heads. Well plenty of heads have turned and it would seem the biggest head is in our own backyard. In case anyone missed it, Texas has fired Greg Davis as their offensive coordinator. He still remains on staff but will no longer be calling plays. What happened next can only be classified as thousands of messageboard nerds lining up to fellate OSU's current offensive coordinator.
So will he stay or will he go? This is the million dollar question (perhaps literally). Let's take a look at the possibilities after the jump.
Why Holgorsen Will Go
Dolla Dolla Billz, Ya'llz. Seriously, if money is what Holgorsen is after, Texas has it. Truckloads, in fact. While Greg Davis didn't make much more as an OC as Holgorsen does here at OSU, the Longhorns' DC Will Muschamp makes around $900,000 a year. Obviously this is because he is the head coach in waiting but it still goes to show that if Texas wants to throw around money, they certainly can.
Upgrade in Program Status. While many OSU fans hate to hear it (myself included), having the OC title at Texas is much more presitgious than the OC title at OSU. The competition is the same regardless, but still, for some reason having the Longhorn emblem on your jacket adds something to the resume. Can Holgorsen get just as great of a head coaching position by staying at OSU another year? Sure. But with all things equal, would he be more likely to land that head coaching job as the Texas OC? More than likely.
Creating a Texas turnaround. The Longhorns finished their 2010 season ranked 59th in the nation and 8th in the Big 12 in Toal Offense--not exactly what they're used to down in Austin. If Holgorsen is able to right the ship in one year's time like he did in Stillwater, it would make his resume that much more impressive to the big time schools looking to fill a head coaching vacancy the following year.
Why Holgorsen Will Stay
Returning Talent. OSU is bringing back everybody on offense besides Kendall Hunter. Behind Hunter, OSU has two talented and proven running backs ready to take the reins. On top of that, add 5 star commitment Herschel Sims to the mix and the backfield is stacked. If OSU's offense looked good in 2010, how is it going to look in 2011 with another year's experience? Scary. Holgorsen knows what type of year is possible next season with Brandon Weeden, Justin Blackmon, and company on the field. I know the saying goes "the grass is always greener..." but I don't see the grass getting much greener than this.
Why Take The Chance? As said above, Holgorsen knows exactly what he is getting next year in Stillwater. What does he have to work with in Austin? A shakey quarterback in which most fans wanted benched midway through the season, a muddled picture of receivers with unknown talent, and a barely visible running game. What happens if he can't perform a miracle with the Longhorns? What if he takes the job, the offense continues to sputter, and his stock drops? Is it really worth leaving a sure thing for a school that may not have the personnel to achieve the same results?
Boone Pickens. The ace up the sleeve. If Texas thinks they are going to outbid OSU without a fight, the billionaire begs to differ (Begs? Probably demands.). I guarantee OSU's offensive success this season has saved Pickens thousands of dollars on Viagra (erection joke) and that money will certainly be used to convince Holgorsen that OSU is where he needs to stay. Even if Texas ponies up a little more than OSU can afford, I think the previous points could make up for the monetary difference.
Personally, I think Holgorsen will stay. If he planned on being an offensive coordinator for another five years I could see him leaving for Texas but I don't think that is the case. I think everyone knows he will be a head coach somewhere as early as 2012 and therefore only has a small window left to work in the OC role. OSU will be a preseason top 15 team--perhaps top 10--next year. He is getting back all of his weapons save one. He will be paid very handsomely for his decision to stay. With only one more year as a coordinator, why would anyone pass that up?