Saban, Payton among Colts candidates

So much for preseason predictions.
Back in August, the Indianapolis Colts were a hot Super Bowl pick. They had played in the AFC Championship in January and had added veterans like Frank Gore and Andre Johnson.
With Andrew Luck at the helm, what could go wrong?
Well, as it turns out, plenty. The Colts haven’t been eliminated yet, but they need nine things — wins by themselves, Denver, Miami and Pittsburgh and losses by Houston, Cincinnati, Kansas City, New Orleans and the New York Jets — to happen Sunday in order to make the playoffs.
Given that, many fans have already turned their attention to the offseason. And that’s where we start our questions this week.
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Who are the most realistic candidates for the soon-to-be open Indianapolis Colts coaching job?
—Adam Gray,
Fort Wayne
There has been some noise about Jim Irsay looking to bring in a “big name” coach, like Nick Saban.
I just don’t see that happening. Saban has a great job at Alabama, and his last stint in the NFL didn’t go so well. The only reason for him to make a move would be to prove that he can succeed at the professional level.
If the Colts are going to get a big name, I’d bet on Sean Payton. It’s been a rough few years in New Orleans, but Indianapolis fans surely remember that he’s a Super Bowl winning coach.
Payton also has a strong history with quarterbacks, having coached Tony Romo in his early days in Dallas before teaming up with Drew Brees.
If the big names fall through, I’d consider Adam Gase a top candidate. He’s been a good offensive coordinator for both Denver and Chicago.
Others I’d like to see the Colts consider include Josh McDaniels (New England offensive coordinator), Steve Wilks (Carolina assistant head coach) and Hue Jackson (Cincinnati offensive coordinator).
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Why is it that NFL coaches leave their starting quarterbacks in even when it is obvious the game has been decided?
—Jerry Sullivan,
Portland

Fear.
NFL coaches are perpetually scared that even when it seems like it’s obvious a game is over, it’s actually not.
Take the Carolina Panthers’ game Dec. 20 against the New York Giants as an example. Leading by 28 with less than two minutes to play in the third quarter, that game seemed finished.
It wasn’t.
New York scored four touchdowns to pull even before the Panthers made a game-winning field goal at the buzzer.
In the NFL, it’s almost as if unless a team has a three-score lead with three seconds left on the clock, nothing is secure.
Still, I think coaches at all levels tempt fate when they leave star players in games during blowouts. Is it worth risking an injury in order to win by five TDs instead of four, 10 goals instead of nine, 45 points instead of 35?
I say no.
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Who is on your “Mount Rushmore” of local athletes?
—Dusty Guggenbiller, Fort Recovery

Dusty gave me the option of selecting athletes from all through history or just in the time I’ve covered sports in the area. I’m going to choose the latter, given that it’s difficult for me to compare the likes of Pete Brewster, Lynn Bihn and so many others given that I never saw them compete.
Even limiting the question to the last 15 years makes the answer difficult. I don’t want to leave anyone off the very short list.
That said, here are the faces that would go on my mountain:
Greg Kahlig, Fort Recovery boys basketball — He’s the best basketball player I’ve seen in my time here. No one else has had his combination of skills.
Hannah Williams, Jay County gymnastics — A three-time state qualifier and two-time state medalist on the balance beam. She was the state runner-up in 2005.
Joscie Kaup, Fort Recovery all-around — There have been better volleyball, basketball and softball players, but she excelled at all three. It doesn’t hurt that she went on to a stand-out career as a libero for Syracuse.
Josh Ludy, Jay County baseball — He made the most of his abilities, starting for the Patriots from day one and going on to become a consensus All-American at Baylor.