The Football Writers Association of America, in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl, has announced eight finalists for the 2015 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, whose winner will be revealed on Wed., Dec. 16.

In alphabetical order, the finalists are: Michigan State's Mark Dantonio, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Houston's Tom Herman, Notre Dame's Brian Kelly, Temple's Matt Ruhle, Stanford's David Shaw, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Clemson's Dabo Swinney.

Herman is a first-year head coach who is headed to a New Year's Six bowl, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, where his Cougars will take on Florida State. The Cougars, playing in a New Year's Day bowl for the first time in 30 years, are 12-1 and champions of the American Athletic Conference. They defeated Temple in the inaugural American title game and have dropped only a 20-17 decision at UConn in which they played without starting quarterback Greg Ward Jr. Explosive offensively, the Cougars also have shown a stern defensive side despite Herman's reputation as an offensive whiz. Herman is just the second Eddie Robinson Award finalist from Houston, following Art Briles in 2006.

Rhule has done wonders with a Temple program that is a top-25 team in 2015. The Owls have been nationally ranked for the first time since 1980. The former Penn State linebacker is in his third season on North Broad Street and could register the first 11-victory season in school history with a victory over Toledo in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. The Owls took Notre Dame down to the wire before losing and won the American Athletic Conference's East Division before falling at Houston in the conference title game. He is the first finalist from Temple.