Franklin Ranked Top 10 Coach... CBS Sports

[anacreon3]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...ge-football-coaches-entering-the-2018-season/

10

PENN ST.
James Franklin: The Penn State coach leaps into the top 10 this season, climbing eight spots from No. 18 last year. That's what happens when you follow up an 11-3 season and Big Ten title in 2016 with another 11-2 season. Franklin's Penn State team fell four points shy of an undefeated record and a College Football Playoff berth last season. Eyes will be on Franklin in 2018 as he must replace Saquon Barkley as well as offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. 2017 rank: 18 (+8)

9

UCLA
Chip Kelly: Welcome back, Chip. It's been awhile. Kelly hasn't coached at the college level since 2012, but his lack of NFL success didn't do much harm to how he's viewed in the college world. A 46-7 run at Oregon over a four-year span will give you that benefit of the doubt. The question is whether or not Kelly can stay ahead of his competitors like he had been before. 2017 rank: n/a

8

GEORGIA
Kirby Smart: No coach climbed higher in the rankings this year than Smart, who was at 54 last year because he was 8-5 at Georgia and had no track record. Well, winning the SEC and nearly winning a national title will go a long way to boosting your reputation. Some of us are more convinced than others, however, as Patterson and Palm have Smart ranked fifth, while Barrett Sallee has him at 22. I'm in the middle at 13. 2017 rank: 54 (+46)

7

STANFORD
David Shaw: He remains in the top 10 this year, climbing a spot, but I believe he should be even higher. Harbaugh gets credit for rebuilding Stanford, but Shaw has not only maintained the program, but improved it. Even in a "down" year, the Cardinal managed to go 7-2 in the Pac-12 last season. 2017 rank: 8 (+1)

6

TCU
Gary Patterson: The Horned Frogs bounced back from a disappointing 6-7 season in 2016 to go 11-3 last season. It was the third time in the last four years the Frogs won at least 11 games (and the 10th time in his 18 seasons). Thanks to Patterson, many consider TCU to be the No. 2 program in the Big 12, which is quite the accomplishment seeing as how it's only been in the conference for six years. 2017 rank: 10 (+4)

5

WASHINGTON
Chris Petersen: I did a few radio interviews last season in which the hosts asked me if Petersen was losing his touch. These questions came in the midst of a season in which the Huskies went 10-3, won a division title and earned a Fiesta Bowl berth. Sure, it was a step back from 2016's playoff berth, but the fact people believe that kind of season is a sign of Petersen "losing his touch" tells you everything you need to know about what he's done in his career. 2017 rank: 7 (+2)

4

TEXAS A&M
Jimbo Fisher: If these rankings were based on guaranteed money in your brand new contract, there's no question Jimbo would be at No. 1. I guess the new Aggies coach will have to settle at No. 4 for now. He helped restore the pride to the Florida State program, winning a national title, but now he's charged with taking an A&M program to the heights its fans have yearned for. And he'll have to do it in the SEC West. 2017 rank: 4

3

CLEMSON
Dabo Swinney: Dabo remains at No. 3, but he's gained some ground. In last year's rankings, he didn't finish higher than third on anybody's ballot, as the top two were unanimous. This season, both Sallee and Palm had him at No. 2. It isn't hard to blame them considering he's gone 40-4 with a national title and three playoff berths in the last three years. 2017 rank: 3

2

OHIO ST.
Urban Meyer: In his six seasons at Ohio State, Meyer's Buckeyes have gone 73-8 and 47-3 in the Big Ten (during the regular season). He won a national title in 2014, but last season's conference title was his first since that 2014 season. That's a reason why we're seeing his lead on Swinney shrink despite the fact he's won three national titles between Florida and Ohio State. 2017 rank: 2

1

ALABAMA
Nick Saban: The king stays the king, man. I mean, this guy is so good that he just won a national title despite not winning his conference for the second time. That's remarkable in and of itself, but then you realize those two national titles constitute only a third of the national titles he's won overall. He's the greatest college football coach of all time, and it's hard to imagine him not finishing at No. 1 in these rankings every year until he retires. 2017 rank: 1

 

[BobPSU92]

Not bad for a used car salesman who is a bad game-day coach.

 

[ga.lion]

Not bad for a used car salesman who is a bad game-day coach.

Sure shows the value Michigan is getting for Jimmy H.........

 

[PSUoh90]

Sure shows the value Michigan is getting for Jimmy H.........

I want to believe that Harbaugh is as overrated as everyone claims, but I still can't sleep on him. I think he's already proven himself both at Stanford and in the NFL, and the state of the UM program really wasn't great when he took over. The poor QB play over the past few years is really the only thing I see that has kept Michigan from being very good. If Patterson performs to his potential, or even close to it, I think they're very dangerous. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[phillybillyreprise]

Not bad for a used car salesman who is a bad game-day coach.

On the hot seat.

 

[Agoodnap]

I see Nardouche was also on the list. LoL. They actually pay this guy. BTW, there are only 65 P5 schools and therefore 65 P5 Head Coaches, yet they think number 51 is their savior!

51

Pittsburgh
Pat Narduzzi: After two eight-win seasons to start his tenure, Narduzzi's Panthers fell to 5-7 last season and his ranking suffered because of it. 2017 rank: 43 (-8)

 

[NittPicker]

It'll be interesting to see how Chip Kelly transitions back into the college game. USC gets a majority of the attention in SoCal. Can Kelly wrest the popularity crown from the Trojans and make UCLA the top dog in its own city? The Bruins' last Rose Bowl Game appearance was after the 1998 season. The last time they won the Rose Bowl Game was after the 1985 season.

Oh, and at #51 Narduzzi is comically overrated.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Hmmph... maybe top ten coaches on the hot seat!

 

[Madsol]

I want to believe that Harbaugh is as overrated as everyone claims, but I still can't sleep on him. I think he's already proven himself both at Stanford and in the NFL, and the state of the UM program really wasn't great when he took over. The poor QB play over the past few years is really the only thing I see that has kept Michigan from being very good. If Patterson performs to his potential, or even close to it, I think they're very dangerous. I hope I'm wrong.

I'm firmly on board with the "Harbaugh's overrated" camp. The state of the UM program when he took over was nothing like the state of our program when Franklin took over. Compare the relative results of each coach's 3rd year. And it's stunning to me that Harbaugh simply can't develop a player at the position at which he played in the NFL. And it doesn't seem like he even wants to try, as he keeps going the rent-a-QB route.

And I think it's fair to take a closer look at what he did at Stanford before heaping too much praise on him. He deserves credit for them taking the next step (how much of that was the result of Andrew Luck is debatable) but look at the job David Shaw has done in maintaining it. Frankly, I think Shaw's job has been much more impressive.

Harbaugh's a big name and a wacko and gets lot of attention for UM. But going into year 4 at UM he's shown nothing to counter the claim that he is overrated.

 

[BobPSU92]

On the hot seat.

Yes, thank you. How could I forget that?

 

[Obliviax]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...ge-football-coaches-entering-the-2018-season/

10

PENN ST.
James Franklin: The Penn State coach leaps into the top 10 this season, climbing eight spots from No. 18 last year. That's what happens when you follow up an 11-3 season and Big Ten title in 2016 with another 11-2 season. Franklin's Penn State team fell four points shy of an undefeated record and a College Football Playoff berth last season. Eyes will be on Franklin in 2018 as he must replace Saquon Barkley as well as offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. 2017 rank: 18 (+8)

9

UCLA
Chip Kelly: Welcome back, Chip. It's been awhile. Kelly hasn't coached at the college level since 2012, but his lack of NFL success didn't do much harm to how he's viewed in the college world. A 46-7 run at Oregon over a four-year span will give you that benefit of the doubt. The question is whether or not Kelly can stay ahead of his competitors like he had been before. 2017 rank: n/a

8

GEORGIA
Kirby Smart: No coach climbed higher in the rankings this year than Smart, who was at 54 last year because he was 8-5 at Georgia and had no track record. Well, winning the SEC and nearly winning a national title will go a long way to boosting your reputation. Some of us are more convinced than others, however, as Patterson and Palm have Smart ranked fifth, while Barrett Sallee has him at 22. I'm in the middle at 13. 2017 rank: 54 (+46)

7

STANFORD
David Shaw: He remains in the top 10 this year, climbing a spot, but I believe he should be even higher. Harbaugh gets credit for rebuilding Stanford, but Shaw has not only maintained the program, but improved it. Even in a "down" year, the Cardinal managed to go 7-2 in the Pac-12 last season. 2017 rank: 8 (+1)

6

TCU
Gary Patterson: The Horned Frogs bounced back from a disappointing 6-7 season in 2016 to go 11-3 last season. It was the third time in the last four years the Frogs won at least 11 games (and the 10th time in his 18 seasons). Thanks to Patterson, many consider TCU to be the No. 2 program in the Big 12, which is quite the accomplishment seeing as how it's only been in the conference for six years. 2017 rank: 10 (+4)

5

WASHINGTON
Chris Petersen: I did a few radio interviews last season in which the hosts asked me if Petersen was losing his touch. These questions came in the midst of a season in which the Huskies went 10-3, won a division title and earned a Fiesta Bowl berth. Sure, it was a step back from 2016's playoff berth, but the fact people believe that kind of season is a sign of Petersen "losing his touch" tells you everything you need to know about what he's done in his career. 2017 rank: 7 (+2)

4

TEXAS A&M
Jimbo Fisher: If these rankings were based on guaranteed money in your brand new contract, there's no question Jimbo would be at No. 1. I guess the new Aggies coach will have to settle at No. 4 for now. He helped restore the pride to the Florida State program, winning a national title, but now he's charged with taking an A&M program to the heights its fans have yearned for. And he'll have to do it in the SEC West. 2017 rank: 4

3

CLEMSON
Dabo Swinney: Dabo remains at No. 3, but he's gained some ground. In last year's rankings, he didn't finish higher than third on anybody's ballot, as the top two were unanimous. This season, both Sallee and Palm had him at No. 2. It isn't hard to blame them considering he's gone 40-4 with a national title and three playoff berths in the last three years. 2017 rank: 3

2

OHIO ST.
Urban Meyer: In his six seasons at Ohio State, Meyer's Buckeyes have gone 73-8 and 47-3 in the Big Ten (during the regular season). He won a national title in 2014, but last season's conference title was his first since that 2014 season. That's a reason why we're seeing his lead on Swinney shrink despite the fact he's won three national titles between Florida and Ohio State. 2017 rank: 2

1

ALABAMA
Nick Saban: The king stays the king, man. I mean, this guy is so good that he just won a national title despite not winning his conference for the second time. That's remarkable in and of itself, but then you realize those two national titles constitute only a third of the national titles he's won overall. He's the greatest college football coach of all time, and it's hard to imagine him not finishing at No. 1 in these rankings every year until he retires. 2017 rank: 1

Obviously, Saban/Meyer/Dabo/Jimbo/Smart have earned their stripes. But you've got to question guys like Patterson, Peterson, and Kelly.

 

[Art]

Obviously, Saban/Meyer/Dabo/Jimbo/Smart have earned their stripes. But you've got to question guys like Patterson, Peterson, and Kelly.

Kirby Smart has been a head coach for all of two years. Granted he took his team to a national championship game, but so did Kelly.

 

[michnittlion]

Obviously, Saban/Meyer/Dabo/Jimbo/Smart have earned their stripes. But you've got to question guys like Patterson, Peterson, and Kelly.

I presume you're joking:

(1) Patterson has a 18-year track record now at TCU ---- TCU!!!!! ---- moving them all the way from a mid-tier WAC team to an occasional National Title contender.

(2) Petersen picked up a good Boise program and made them a GREAT Boise program. And then, unlike most other coaches (e.g., Koetter, Hawkins) who had coached at Boise, he's left Idaho and gone on to be very good somewhere else.

(3) Kelly had a run at Oregon where they played in 4 consecutive BCS Bowl games - and in one of them came within a minute of winning the National Title.

If anything, Kirby Smart is the one who needs to be questioned. I'm not saying he won't be great, but he still only has 2 years under the belt thus far.

 

[Obliviax]

Kirby Smart has been a head coach for all of two years. Granted he took his team to a national championship game, but so did Kelly.

Agree...but Kelly did that in several years ago and there is also the matter or Oregon going on probation with an 18 month show/cause penalty (then Kelly left for the NFL). He didn't leave that program in good shape.

 

[Judge Smails]

 

[Obliviax]

I presume you're joking:

(1) Patterson has a 18-year track record now at TCU ---- TCU!!!!! ---- moving them all the way from a mid-tier WAC team to an occasional National Title contender.

(2) Petersen picked up a good Boise program and made them a GREAT Boise program. And then, unlike most other coaches (e.g., Koetter, Hawkins) who had coached at Boise, he's left Idaho and gone on to be very good somewhere else.

(3) Kelly had a run at Oregon where they played in 4 consecutive BCS Bowl games - and in one of them came within a minute of winning the National Title.

If anything, Kirby Smart is the one who needs to be questioned. I'm not saying he won't be great, but he still only has 2 years under the belt thus far.

Not joking at all...didn't say they were bad coaches, but we are talking top ten. Patterson and Pettersen, IMHO, haven't accomplished much...beating up weak teams. We throttled a Washington team that had a lot of talent. Kelly left the O program in a tatters, probation, and they have still to recover despite a ton of investment from Nike. Smart won a championship in those two years. Again, IMHO, things change so fast. We'll see if Smart can maintain, but he was the championship last year...hard to argue for NOT putting him in the top ten.

 

[Raffycorn]

I think the smartest way to look at it is to group coaches in tiers: there’s the king of the class (Saban) who is in a class of his own. Then, there’s coaches who have both won at least one title AND have established consistent competitiveness at the highest level over multiple years - that’s Meyer, Dabo, and Jimbo (though Meyer is above the other two).

Then, you have a group of coaches who have established consistently competitive programs that have knocked on the door of a national title and appear to have the recruiting and development to one day lead their programs to that point. This is where Franklin, Petersen, Patterson, Kelly, Chryst, Smart, Shaw, and I’d argue Harbaugh, Dantonio, and Richt fit in, too. Where you rank coaches in that tier comes down to personal preference more than anything, IMO.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

The state of the Michigan program when Harbaugh took over?? Brady Hoke couldn't coach, but he recruited his a** off. Harbaugh walked into a roster full of 4* and 5* recruits. His outdated offensive schemes are what have costed them wins over the past couple of seasons.

 

[Art]

Agree...but Kelly did that in several years ago and there is also the matter or Oregon going on probation with an 18 month show/cause penalty (then Kelly left for the NFL). He didn't leave that program in good shape.

Don't think that Kelly forgot how to coach in the years he was away from college football.. And, yes, he did get into hot water with the NCAA, but the violations didn't yield him an advantage and that's history.

My question re Kelly would be motivation. Coaches who've been through what he has for the last five years or so often give up when they encounter a lot of the crap that comes with the territory.

 

[Obliviax]

Don't think that Kelly forgot how to coach in the years he was away from college football.. And, yes, he did get into hot water with the NCAA, but the violations didn't yield him an advantage and that's history.

My question re Kelly would be motivation. Coaches who've been through what he has for the last five years or so often give up when they encounter a lot of the crap that comes with the territory.

I would disagree...pretty serious violation, IMHO. Program he left was a mess. And, he hasn't coached a college game in what, six years? If I am making that list in 2012, I get it. Personally, I'd have Malzahn or Bill Snyder above Kelly. I'd even have Pat Fitzgerald there.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

I want to believe that Harbaugh is as overrated as everyone claims, but I still can't sleep on him. I think he's already proven himself both at Stanford and in the NFL, and the state of the UM program really wasn't great when he took over. The poor QB play over the past few years is really the only thing I see that has kept Michigan from being very good. If Patterson performs to his potential, or even close to it, I think they're very dangerous. I hope I'm wrong.

He has the talent on the roster and he's an excellent coach. Michigan is dangerous. Problem for the folks in Ann's Arboretum is he's more dangerous ... to relatives while playing a family pickup game of basketball involving young children. What a nutcase.

 

[Judge Smails]

The state of the Michigan program when Harbaugh took over?? Brady Hoke couldn't coach, but he recruited his a** off. Harbaugh walked into a roster full of 4* and 5* recruits. His outdated offensive schemes are what have costed them wins over the past couple of seasons.

Yeah, 11 Hoke recruits off that 2016 team were drafted iirc. Wasn't exactly the same situation as Franklin walking in on the remains of two ~50th ranked recruiting classes from the scandal years.

Patterson is a spread QB and Harbaugh is running a pro style offense complete with a fullback. Should be interesting to see how that works out.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

Obviously, Saban/Meyer/Dabo/Jimbo/Smart have earned their stripes. But you've got to question guys like Patterson, Peterson, and Kelly.

Respectfully disagree on Patterson, Peterson and Kelly. Completely.

 

[LionJim]

I want to believe that Harbaugh is as overrated as everyone claims, but I still can't sleep on him. I think he's already proven himself both at Stanford and in the NFL, and the state of the UM program really wasn't great when he took over. The poor QB play over the past few years is really the only thing I see that has kept Michigan from being very good. If Patterson performs to his potential, or even close to it, I think they're very dangerous. I hope I'm wrong.

I suspect a big issue is that he doesn't like recruiting. You have to have a certain mindset to be a successful recruiter and you've got to be on your game 24/7/365. It's a hard thing to keep up. Alabama and, to a lesser extent, Ohio State recruit on autopilot, seemingly, but you've got to have an energetic, enthusiastic man in charge. It's not all about the X's and O's.

 

[joeparules]

I'm firmly on board with the "Harbaugh's overrated" camp. The state of the UM program when he took over was nothing like the state of our program when Franklin took over. Compare the relative results of each coach's 3rd year. And it's stunning to me that Harbaugh simply can't develop a player at the position at which he played in the NFL. And it doesn't seem like he even wants to try, as he keeps going the rent-a-QB route.

It will be interesting to see how his QB recruiting goes the next few years. If I'm the parent of a blue chip QB prospect, UM is last on my list of places to visit. If Patterson stays healthy, he will be the third transfer QB (along with Rudock and O'Korn) to lead the team in passing in Hairball's four years at UM. Why waste time on the bench while Jimmy brings in the latest golden child transfer to start ahead of you? He obviously can't develop his own recruits at his position.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

It will be interesting to see how his QB recruiting goes the next few years. If I'm the parent of a blue chip QB prospect, UM is last on my list of places to visit. If Patterson stays healthy, he will be the third transfer QB (along with Rudock and O'Korn) to lead the team in passing in Hairball's four years at UM. Why waste time on the bench while Jimmy brings in the latest golden child transfer to start ahead of you? He obviously can't develop his own recruits at his position.

Probably a little overboard to say "he obviously can't develop his own recruits." His starting QBs at UM weren't lighting the world on fire before they arrived in Ann's. Maybe they got enough of a boost elsewhere and that made them more serviceable on arrival.

I agree I wouldn't want my hypothetical college-aged QB kid playing for Harbaugh (UM under LLLoyd, maybe ... depending). But respectfully, your eval sounds more like rival program fan-talk.

Before Harbaugh loses his mind and goes World War Z on somebody, I expect Pep Hamilton will make a difference in his team's QB situation. Harbaugh is Harbaugh's (and UM's) problem. With the exception of Harbaugh's ability to control Harbaugh (a total wild-card), I don't think there's an issue re: Harbaugh's ability.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

The state of the Michigan program when Harbaugh took over?? Brady Hoke couldn't coach, but he recruited his a** off. Harbaugh walked into a roster full of 4* and 5* recruits. His outdated offensive schemes are what have costed them wins over the past couple of seasons.

And don't forget the sideline penalty for being an A$$ during the tOSU game. That penalty hurt his team. And I suspect his behavior before and after that penalty influenced certain other calls.

Hoke was a great recruiter. Harbaugh has a way with people ... ahem.

EDIT: and to get back to the original post, it's nice to see him OUTSIDE the top ten coaches where he belongs. Now, if we could just get him off the front page of ESPN every week during the season....

 

[Obliviax]

Probably a little overboard to say "he obviously can't develop his own recruits." His starting QBs at UM weren't lighting the world on fire before they arrived in Ann's. Maybe they got enough of a boost elsewhere and that made them more serviceable on arrival.

I agree I wouldn't want my hypothetical college-aged QB kid playing for Harbaugh (UM under LLLoyd, maybe ... depending). But respectfully, your eval sounds more like rival program fan-talk.

Before Harbaugh loses his mind and goes World War Z on somebody, I expect Pep Hamilton will make a difference in his team's QB situation. Harbaugh is Harbaugh's (and UM's) problem. With the exception of Harbaugh's ability to control Harbaugh (a total wild-card), I don't think there's an issue re: Harbaugh's ability.

Agree. the biggest concern I'd have with him is that his resume shows his best years are early before he spins out of control and gets fired/quits. If that trend continues, the long UM drought will get worse instead of better. 2018 is a pivotal year for him and that program. They cannot get beat by tOSU, PSU and Sparty and expect him to survive.

 

[LurkerLazarus]

I'm not on the Harbaugh bandwagon at all. I see a guy who had one good year at Stanford. His best years were at D-2 or whatever U of San Diego. He's been serviceable at Michigan, but everybody knows he has massively underachieved. He was handed a roster full of good recruits.

Not sure at all why everybody just assumes this guy is a great coach. Good, yes. Great? Not there yet.

 

[michnittlion]

Agree. the biggest concern I'd have with him is that his resume shows his best years are early before he spins out of control and gets fired/quits. If that trend continues, the long UM drought will get worse instead of better. 2018 is a pivotal year for him and that program. They cannot get beat by tOSU, PSU and Sparty and expect him to survive.

Is that really true?

Harbaugh went 12-1 in his last year at Stanford.

University of San Diego was FCS, so arguably that's a little bit less of a data point (less "big-time football"), but his last year there he was 11-1.

Even his last 49ers team was 7-4 until that Thanksgiving Night debacle against Seattle (which sent the rest of the season into a tailspin).

 

[LafayetteBear]

1. No surprise that CJF is listed in the Top Ten. Is there any doubt?

2. David Shaw and Chip Kelly. LOL. Let's see what they do this year.

 

[SLion]

Harbaugh certainly creates alot of distractions for his team with the Europe trips, Amazon series and general antics. He seems to want the media attention but falling to the third or fourth program behind OSU, PSU, MSU, UW is not lost on recruits. Winning matters. I think he assumed it would happen and all these other outlets would simply boost UMs profile. It might become a crutch now.

There are also moments that define careers and that loss at Iowa created that chink in the armor from which program has not recovered. He has not won any tough games since. I don't count Florida 2017 as they were so depleted it was a joke.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

Agree. the biggest concern I'd have with him is that his resume shows his best years are early before he spins out of control and gets fired/quits. If that trend continues, the long UM drought will get worse instead of better. 2018 is a pivotal year for him and that program. They cannot get beat by tOSU, PSU and Sparty and expect him to survive.

Agree to a T, except for the survive part. Remember UM wanted him years before they finally landed him and he was critical of UM in those years before he arrived. This year seems a pivotal year in terms of carte blanche excitement around the program (and I regretfully suspect they'll be good this year), but UM sold out to get Harbaugh.

Looking at the landscape and how over-invested they seem to be, it won't be easy to fire him even if it's a mediocre season or even in the few seasons to follow. He'd have to really make some important internal enemies for that to be on the table anytime soon. But I could see UM tightening the reigns (and budget) a bit.
EDIT: If you think he's hitting his tipping point for moving on and the possibility that a lack of success might cause him to exit, that's intriguing.... You might be on to something there...

 

[Nitt1300]

notably absent is Charlie Weis- he of the "decided schematic advantage"

 

[Obliviax]

Agree to a T, except for the survive part. Remember UM wanted him years before they finally landed him and he was critical of UM in those years before he arrived. This year seems a pivotal year in terms of carte blanche excitement around the program (and I regretfully suspect they'll be good this year), but UM sold out to get Harbaugh.

Looking at the landscape and how over-invested they seem to be, it won't be easy to fire him even if it's a mediocre season or even in the few seasons to follow. He'd have to really make some important internal enemies for that to be on the table anytime soon. But I could see UM tightening the reigns (and budget) a bit.
EDIT: If you think he's hitting his tipping point for moving on and the possibility that a lack of success might cause him to exit, that's intriguing.... You might be on to something there...

well, who knows. UM has talent, and they have had talent. They need to step it up this year. IMHO, the best talent in the East is Sparty. Hard to say about tOSU as they reload with kids that end up first round draft picks but you never heard of them the year before.

Regardless, there is only one measuring stick for UM and that is their record against tOSU. Harbaugh is 0-3. And that goes with 0-6, 1-9, 1-13, 2-15 against Ohio State. They are approaching the "definition of insanity". Not sure how much longer the faithful will take it. This year, Harbaugh is in complete control with all of his own recruits. Make or break year, IMHO.

 

[Nit16]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...ge-football-coaches-entering-the-2018-season/

10

PENN ST.
James Franklin: The Penn State coach leaps into the top 10 this season, climbing eight spots from No. 18 last year. That's what happens when you follow up an 11-3 season and Big Ten title in 2016 with another 11-2 season. Franklin's Penn State team fell four points shy of an undefeated record and a College Football Playoff berth last season. Eyes will be on Franklin in 2018 as he must replace Saquon Barkley as well as offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. 2017 rank: 18 (+8)

9

UCLA
Chip Kelly: Welcome back, Chip. It's been awhile. Kelly hasn't coached at the college level since 2012, but his lack of NFL success didn't do much harm to how he's viewed in the college world. A 46-7 run at Oregon over a four-year span will give you that benefit of the doubt. The question is whether or not Kelly can stay ahead of his competitors like he had been before. 2017 rank: n/a

8

GEORGIA
Kirby Smart: No coach climbed higher in the rankings this year than Smart, who was at 54 last year because he was 8-5 at Georgia and had no track record. Well, winning the SEC and nearly winning a national title will go a long way to boosting your reputation. Some of us are more convinced than others, however, as Patterson and Palm have Smart ranked fifth, while Barrett Sallee has him at 22. I'm in the middle at 13. 2017 rank: 54 (+46)

7

STANFORD
David Shaw: He remains in the top 10 this year, climbing a spot, but I believe he should be even higher. Harbaugh gets credit for rebuilding Stanford, but Shaw has not only maintained the program, but improved it. Even in a "down" year, the Cardinal managed to go 7-2 in the Pac-12 last season. 2017 rank: 8 (+1)

6

TCU
Gary Patterson: The Horned Frogs bounced back from a disappointing 6-7 season in 2016 to go 11-3 last season. It was the third time in the last four years the Frogs won at least 11 games (and the 10th time in his 18 seasons). Thanks to Patterson, many consider TCU to be the No. 2 program in the Big 12, which is quite the accomplishment seeing as how it's only been in the conference for six years. 2017 rank: 10 (+4)

5

WASHINGTON
Chris Petersen: I did a few radio interviews last season in which the hosts asked me if Petersen was losing his touch. These questions came in the midst of a season in which the Huskies went 10-3, won a division title and earned a Fiesta Bowl berth. Sure, it was a step back from 2016's playoff berth, but the fact people believe that kind of season is a sign of Petersen "losing his touch" tells you everything you need to know about what he's done in his career. 2017 rank: 7 (+2)

4

TEXAS A&M
Jimbo Fisher: If these rankings were based on guaranteed money in your brand new contract, there's no question Jimbo would be at No. 1. I guess the new Aggies coach will have to settle at No. 4 for now. He helped restore the pride to the Florida State program, winning a national title, but now he's charged with taking an A&M program to the heights its fans have yearned for. And he'll have to do it in the SEC West. 2017 rank: 4

3

CLEMSON
Dabo Swinney: Dabo remains at No. 3, but he's gained some ground. In last year's rankings, he didn't finish higher than third on anybody's ballot, as the top two were unanimous. This season, both Sallee and Palm had him at No. 2. It isn't hard to blame them considering he's gone 40-4 with a national title and three playoff berths in the last three years. 2017 rank: 3

2

OHIO ST.
Urban Meyer: In his six seasons at Ohio State, Meyer's Buckeyes have gone 73-8 and 47-3 in the Big Ten (during the regular season). He won a national title in 2014, but last season's conference title was his first since that 2014 season. That's a reason why we're seeing his lead on Swinney shrink despite the fact he's won three national titles between Florida and Ohio State. 2017 rank: 2

1

ALABAMA
Nick Saban: The king stays the king, man. I mean, this guy is so good that he just won a national title despite not winning his conference for the second time. That's remarkable in and of itself, but then you realize those two national titles constitute only a third of the national titles he's won overall. He's the greatest college football coach of all time, and it's hard to imagine him not finishing at No. 1 in these rankings every year until he retires. 2017 rank: 1

Out at Fisher at 4. 8 of 10 is obvious. I’d kick Fisher out and put kid from Oklahoma or the kid from Texas in.

 

[joeparules]

Probably a little overboard to say "he obviously can't develop his own recruits." His starting QBs at UM weren't lighting the world on fire before they arrived in Ann's. Maybe they got enough of a boost elsewhere and that made them more serviceable on arrival.

I agree I wouldn't want my hypothetical college-aged QB kid playing for Harbaugh (UM under LLLoyd, maybe ... depending). But respectfully, your eval sounds more like rival program fan-talk.

Before Harbaugh loses his mind and goes World War Z on somebody, I expect Pep Hamilton will make a difference in his team's QB situation. Harbaugh is Harbaugh's (and UM's) problem. With the exception of Harbaugh's ability to control Harbaugh (a total wild-card), I don't think there's an issue re: Harbaugh's ability.

Probably a little overboard to bash his QB development based on a small sample size (3 years) and all of the transferring into (Rudock, O'Korn, Patterson) and out of (Speight, Morris) the program. But all of this leads to my original point about how UM is now perceived by high level QB recruits. They are still a big name and getting their one pro-style QB a year (McCaffrey 2017, Milton 2018, McNamara 2019) so I guess we will find out ... provided one of them actually gets to start.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

Probably a little overboard to bash his QB development based on a small sample size (3 years) and all of the transferring into (Rudock, O'Korn, Patterson) and out of (Speight, Morris) the program. But all of this leads to my original point about how UM is now perceived by high level QB recruits. They are still a big name and getting their one pro-style QB a year (McCaffrey 2017, Milton 2018, McNamara 2019) so I guess we will find out ... provided one of them actually gets to start.

Yeah. We'll see. And can't disagree with your point. If I were a highly recruited QB, I wouldn't consider UM at all this year. They've got an enviable QB talent stockpile (McNamara, DUH).

Whoever plays, they'd better be impressive. If none of the guys you named starts over the next two years,I'd expect major discomfort on the QB recruiting trail going forward--that is, unless they win a boatload of games.

I expect a solid season out of them this year. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

Patterson is a spread QB and Harbaugh is running a pro style offense complete with a fullback. Should be interesting to see how that works out.

Indeed...my hunch is it works out something like this....

 

[Judge Smails]

Indeed...my hunch is it works out something like this....

The funny thing is Michigan practice reports had him getting 2nd string reps in spring practices, yet I saw a recent Heisman favorites list where he was #3.

That is peak Michigan right there.