College football currently finds itself at a crossroads. To say it’s going through an internal and external change is an accurate and fair statement. Now, as we enter conference championship and bowl season, here are three reasons why the sport is changing and could have long-term impacts.
New Coaching Hires
As of this writing (November 30), there are at least nine head coaching jobs available. The most notable coaching hires are Lincoln Riley to USC, Brian Kelly to LSU, and Billy Napier to Florida. Here is what makes each of those moves interesting and where teams with openings go from here.
The Trojans hiring Riley is significant for college football. First, this is the most notable PAC-12 hiring since Chip Kelly, which isn’t even close to the level of impact Riley has in college football. Second, it puts a face to USC football, which makes recruiting and TV ratings better. Finally, Riley is going to upgrade USC’s offense with an enhanced run game, improved passing concepts, and stronger team chemistry. Overall, it’s a great hire.
LSU is in a different world from USC. The Tigers are still reeling from winning the national championship in 2019 with current Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow. However, their 2021 recruiting class is ranked third in the country according to 24/7 Sports. With Brian Kelly joining the Tigers, there is a possibility that they contend for a championship next season. If not, at least two or three years down the road.
For Florida, there is no clear direction moving forward. That’s because Dan Mullen was the savor. Mullen was the guy who would fix the Gators. Now, in the fourth year of his six-year, $6.1 million annual contract, he’s gone. So, best of luck to Napier, who’s entering one of the toughest Power 5 jobs.
Other Notable Coaching Jobs
If you want to win now, go to Notre Dame. Their offensive line will be great next season, and Drew Pyne is the name to know as he is looking like the starting QB next season. Oklahoma is going to be reeling after losing Lincoln Riley. All eyes should be towards entering the SEC in 2025 with an established coach to lead the way. It would be silly to only look three years down the line from a purely Big 12 sense since the school is moving conferences shortly.
The state of Washington is changing with its head coaches. After beating the Huskies in the Apple Cup on Friday, the Washington State Cougars removed the interim tag from Jake Dickert and named him full-time head coach. He is 3-2 since taking over from Nick Rolovich, leading Wazzu to second place in the Pac-12 North. For Washington, former Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer is taking over the Huskies. He went 12-6 in his last two seasons with Fresno Stae, going 9-3 this year.
Finally, Louisiana is one job that hasn’t got as much buzz as I was expecting. The Ragin’ Cajuns are consistently competitive, winning the last four Sun Belt West Division championships. As far as Group of 5 jobs goes, Louisiana is one of the best, and it’s going to be fascinating to see who gets the gig.
A Potential non-Alabama College Football Champion
I’m not saying that I want Alabama to miss the playoff. I’m indifferent about it, to be honest. However, I know there’s a not-insignificant portion of college football fans who are sick of Bama’s success. The Crimson Tide have made the National Championship five of the last six years, losing two to Clemson. Would a new champion provide a spark to college football? Well, that depends.
The last team to win the championship that wasn’t in the south was Ohio State in 2014. That same year, Oregon smoked Florida State and reached the national championship, the only PAC-12 team to make it in the College Football Playoffs. Since then, only one northern team has made the championship (Ohio State in 2021), with seven teams making the playoffs. Those seven teams include:
- 2015-16: Michigan State
- 2016-17: Ohio State and Washington (The Huskies are the last PAC-12 team to make the CFP)
- 2018-19: Notre Dame
- 2019-20: Ohio State
- 2020-21: Ohio State and Notre Dame
I don’t know if having another team from the south winning the championship adds much to college football. The powers are still the powers, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. However, if someone like Cincinnati, Michigan, even Notre Dame wins the national championship, it could be a much-needed breath of fresh air for the sport. Don’t tell me it wouldn’t be exciting seeing Jim Harbaugh and his khakis win a championship.
Possible College Football Playoff Expansion
I believe the College Football Playoffs should be similar to March Madness. There should be 64 teams while playing the games at current bowl cities and everyone gets a chance to win the national championship. Plus, Alabama doesn’t have to schedule a buy-game against Mercer when they play Syracuse in the first round.
However, it appears the CFP committee is not going as hardcore as I am. They’re currently looking at proposals featuring eight and, or 12 teams, which is more realistic. A new playoff format would not take place until 2024 because apparently, it takes three years to figure out how to add teams.
Expansion is always going to be a talking point until it happens. I can’t see how this helps college football outside of adding revenue to the sport. However, it will get more fanbases interested for longer, which is going the NHL way of false parity. If the CFP expands, it is going to change college football forever.
Conclusion
Changes lie ahead for college football. It’s just a matter of how the impact is. Between new coaches, a potential new champion, and playoff expansion, there’s a lot in store. It’s a great time to be a college football fan, and we can’t wait to celebrate a Harbaugh championship in his khakis like the next person.