The state of Michigan will have ties in the BCS National Championship with both coaches having experience here in the state.  Nick Saban coached at Michigan State from 1995-1999 before moving on to LSU while Brian Kelly coached the Chips from 2004-2006.

But the Central Michigan coaching tree doesn’t end there, the man to replace Kelly has now landed a SEC coaching job.  Butch Jones took over in 2007 at CMU and compiled a 27-13 record including 20-3 in the MAC.

In Jones’s final season CMU went 11-2 and finished with its first undefeated season in the MAC at 8-0.  Jones then replaced Kelly at Cincinnati and ended up going 23-14 with two Big East championships before accepting the head coaching position at Tennessee to become the fourth coach in Knoxville in six seasons.

Now going to Tennessee isn’t the best school in the SEC, as they went 5-7 this season, but being in the SEC and having the background of recruiting in the Midwest will be assets for him.  Time will tell if he is able to succeed like Brian Kelly at Notre Dame, but he has all of the tools to return Tennessee towards the top of the SEC.