Year three is a crucial time for any college football coach—especially as expectations appear to remain high and the timetable to turn around a program appears to get shorter and shorter. Last year, several Football Bowl Subdivision coaches were dismissed after only two seasons on the job, an unprecedented short amount of time.

Even though Marshall did win its final three games last season, including a bowl, in 2011, there's plenty of room for the Thundering Herd to improve under current coach Doc Holliday. Critics can point to Marshall's cumulative record under Holiday—12-13, still below the .500 mark. They also can cite an offense that ranked among the worst in the entire Football Bowl Subdivision in multiple statistical categories.

Still, there is strong ...More