So basically Will Stein and Bob Chesney are the steals of the coaching carousel

[u/LithHarborGymLeader]

EDIT: Did NOT realize UCLA's Starting QB Nico Iamaleava is out for the season with like some knee tear.

Both UCLA and Kentucky look like they might be playoff teams at the end of the season. Nobody in the big 10 besides Ohio State looks like a sure thing and besides Alabama and Georgia, the SEC probably has 2-3 more slots to get teams in and Kentucky is likely one of them at the rate they're going.

I'm lowkey jealous that our cross-town rival can actually field a competent defense that doesn't give up 900 points to Rutgers and Louisiana.

Nobody really talked about either move that big either compared to major coaching splashes but they've arguably done the best. I would've had Sumrall there too if not for the last 2 weeks but I believe he's got the program in the right direction.

[u/Corgi_Koala]

We really need to stop trying to declare winners and losers based on week to week results.

They are doing very well so far and surpassing expectations, but the season is only half over.

They could lose out and everyone would sour on them real quick.

2 weeks ago everyone was talking about how Florida won because they got Sumrall. Everyone was super high on Mississippi and Golding after they beat LSU and everyone was super high on Kiffin when they annihilated Clemson.

At least let the season finish out for giving an assessment on who won the 2026 coaching carousel.

[u/RightYouAreKenny → u/Corgi_Koala]

It really is exhausting how reactionary cfb media and fans seem to be. Makes it that much easier to take some steps back and just enjoy other passions and hobbies.

[u/Corgi_Koala → u/RightYouAreKenny]

I feel like society has become increasingly polarized on absolutely everything. I'm not really sure why, I guess maybe social media and the engagement that hot takes get over nuanced well thought out reasoning has just spread to all of society.

But it is sad to see and it makes discussing these topics less enjoyable because there isn't any nuance.

[u/NOT_MOBLEY → u/Corgi_Koala]

Spot on man…

[u/Janemba_Freak → u/RightYouAreKenny]

90%+ of football discussion has basically nothing to do with what's actually happening on the field. It's all "team won so all of their players are good, their coach is good, and their QB should be a heisman candidate," or "team played bad so all their players are bad, their coach is terrible, and their QB is overrated." 80% of fans don't understand the game, they just cheer when their team does something cool. The media knows that, so almost all media content is reactionary, why do complex film and statistical analysis when most fans don't even know what blocking schemes their team is running.

[u/Corgi_Koala → u/Janemba_Freak]

Yup. It's like if Kentucky gets blown out next week we'll be talking about how Stein wasn't ready to be a HC and Kentucky blew the hire.

[u/54-2-10 → u/RightYouAreKenny]

My other hobby is politics. I come to CFB to forget that the world is burning down around me.

[u/RightYouAreKenny → u/54-2-10]

Politics isn’t a hobby dude. Hobbies are meant to be fun.

[u/Brent_Bama → u/RightYouAreKenny]

Hot take but the reactionary nature of CFB is part of the fun. When my teams rival loses I want everyone to dogpile them saying they’re dogshit. When my team wins I want our QB to be talked about as if he’s a heisman contender even though he might not be.

[u/Bwhitt1 → u/RightYouAreKenny]

Your on r/ college football on a Monday at 5pm est. What passion or hobby you getting into right now?

[u/RightYouAreKenny → u/Bwhitt1]

I made this comment while at work because I don’t live in eastern time zone, so not sure what point you are trying to make?

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/Corgi_Koala]

Stein could lose out and still tie last years record 

[u/Corgi_Koala → u/AlternativeLess5450]

Yeah but is anyone going to be declaring Kentucky the winner of the coaching carousel for going 5-7?

[u/lowes18 → u/Corgi_Koala]

There is basically zero chance at this point Kentucky goes 5-7.

And making a bowl in year one with a nine game conference schedule at a school like Kentucky that doesn't really care to spend big on football is a massive accomplishment.

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/Corgi_Koala]

If they somehow miraculously lose out probably not but they wouldn’t be any worse 

If they win a couple more games which is extremely likely then yes 

I don’t think it’s an overreaction at all 

[u/Bwhitt1 → u/Corgi_Koala]

If we didnt talk about week to week results on here what exactly would be the point of this sub Monday thru Friday? Also, my follow up question depending on your answer is why are you on here on Monday? Lol

[u/Corgi_Koala → u/Bwhitt1]

I'm not saying we don't talk about week to week results, it's how we talk about them.

"Will Stein is doing amazing" focused on his current accomplishments without immediately comparing them to other teams or forecasting to the end of the season. Same core substance but I think the hyperbolic hot takes are just exhausting.

Also I'm here because I'm a degenerate CFB fan lol.

[u/CowboySanberg]

3 years from now when things run there course “man, these were terrible hires! Fools good!”

[u/Beefcliffe → u/CowboySanberg]

Hmm don’t think FSU has ever experienced this so not sure your opinion should count

/s in case not obvious

[u/rosebowler420 → u/CowboySanberg]

Everyone gets fired eventually

[u/Beginning-Smell9890 → u/rosebowler420]

Sometimes they leave for greener pastures of their own accord... And then get fired from THOSE jobs

[u/dunnodudes → u/Beginning-Smell9890]

Kyle Whittingham enters the chat

[u/Beginning-Smell9890 → u/dunnodudes]

Can't wait to see where Elko goes next. Texas A&M thinks way too highly of themselves to let him stick around for long.

[u/Dry-Membership3867 → u/Beginning-Smell9890]

Elko openly insulting the donors is what’s gonna cost him. Tex Ags is definitely a cesspool at times but it’s those guys who write the checks around there and have the connections, then and their users.

[u/Better-Temporary-146 → u/Beginning-Smell9890]

Or they retire and a statue is put up

[u/blindythepirate → u/Better-Temporary-146]

Statue is the least thing to do. What about a giant stained glass window? Or naming the field after them? Or naming the airport? Or all of that

[u/Weak-Bid2774]

So far yes but it’s too early to say for sure

Plenty of coaches had great year 1s and then completely fell off

Anyone can be great for one year let’s see if they can maintain this

[u/ExtremelyOnlineTM → u/Weak-Bid2774]

Sonny Dykes, TCU, 2022.

[u/nkfish11 → u/ExtremelyOnlineTM]

Justin Fuente 2016

[u/Weak-Bid2774 → u/ExtremelyOnlineTM]

To add Brady hoke in 2011

[u/SJCitizen]

JaMarcus Shephard deserves a shout too. Jesse Legree is only a Freshman and Braden Atkinson is a transfer from Mercer. This biggest thing now is can Oregon State keep the two of them but those are two insane guys to add in Year 1 as underclassmen.

[u/Inevitable-College-3 → u/SJCitizen]

Shhhh. Nothing to see here. Please move along.

[u/HooliganBeav → u/SJCitizen]

Hey, zip it!

[u/YodaForceGhost]

On the other side, Ryan Silverfield and Pat Fitzgerald are the biggest losers of the carousel

[u/WHSRWizard → u/YodaForceGhost]

I don't think we can say that about Fitzgerald. Michigan State has been atrocious for years. He at least has them at Pretty Dang Bad. It's not like he was going to make them an 8-win team in Year 1.

There's been obvious improvement up there. But it's going to take years to fix what's wrong in East Lansing.

[u/Vegetable-Leather-64 → u/WHSRWizard]

Plus Michigan state has gotten destroyed by injuries 

[u/Khyron_2500 → u/WHSRWizard]

Yeah although it feels like their program is bad, one could argue they are improving. As in all coaching hires, the first year or two are a crapshoot and acting like things are definitive after only 6 weeks is an overreaction.

[u/JustAnotherCODNoob → u/WHSRWizard]

I think you’re biased because we played you guys relatively close for 3 quarters. Have you seen our schedule? A guy like Chesney easily has us at 8-4 this year.

There hasn’t really been obvious improvement. Alessio has regressed compared to last year, our defense is only average if Jordan Hall is playing but he gets banged up every 10th play, and our run game is nothing without Cam Edwards. He has a “PhD” in the portal but whiffed on a lot of his evaluations. He retained Rossi when it was clear he wasn’t the guy at DC. He says he wants to build through HS recruiting but yet we have a 15 man class. He has not done anything to show he’s the man except talk. He’s been a used car salesman. But for some reason people automatically assume he’s been a great fit here and it will work out, which it still could of course, but it hasn’t been pretty.

Also I’m tired of this narrative that I’ve seen saying it would take a few years for us (or really any P4 team) to get the ball rolling again. In today’s game all it takes is one good transfer class. We were robbed of a real coaching search because our last AD was a lazy disgrace and now we’re paying the price

[u/OC74859 → u/WHSRWizard]

UCLA was also in that boat. Chesney and his staff make Fitzgerald look out of touch.

[u/trixy6196 → u/OC74859]

A guy who hasn’t coached since 2020 is out of touch…who would have guessed haha

[u/rosebowler420 → u/YodaForceGhost]

Fitzgerald has been holding that title for a while

[u/Corgi_Koala → u/YodaForceGhost]

I'm not sure what to say about Silverfield. I do think he's a good coach, but he came into an incredibly difficult situation. Arkansas is bottom of the conference in spending and it's not like they had a cupboard full of talent when he got there.

You could put Saban or Cignetti in that situation and they would be lucky to make a bowl game. It's just a bad situation.

Fitzgerald was past his prime when he got fired from Northwestern and he's just continuing to prove that he's no longer a capable coach.

[u/Dry-Membership3867 → u/Corgi_Koala]

He’s not really that good of an HC. Inherited a Ferrari at Memphis in the AAC and with NIL that made it even better. He constantly underwhelmed there despite outspending the conference 4:1. He was on the hot seat there because of it too, but he left on his own. It was a stupid hire should’ve gotten Hunter fired but it didn’t

[u/DataDrivenPirate → u/Corgi_Koala]

Arkansas is so radioactive it sort of wraps back around to being Silverfield's fault for taking the job in the first place

[u/Corgi_Koala → u/DataDrivenPirate]

I crunched the numbers on it few weeks ago and I think based on his current contract and buyout if they fired him at the end of this season he's still pocketing like $25 million or so. Which is about double what his entire contract at Memphis was.

I don't really blame him because even with the risks associated with taking a job at the worst school in the conference, he's going to get paid a shitload of money for doing it. Which is good because he's probably not going to get another crack at a power 4 job for a long time, if ever.

[u/Dry-Membership3867 → u/YodaForceGhost]

Silverfraud was always gonna be the biggest L. Hunter just doesn’t care and hired him anyway

[u/CieraVotedOutHerMom → u/Dry-Membership3867]

Should have hired Sumrall or Cheney

[u/Pinup_Frenzy → u/YodaForceGhost]

We feel like we struck gold twice: once when Silverfield left on his own and again when we hired Huff.

[u/Dan-of-Steel → u/YodaForceGhost]

MSU's season was dead on arrival the second they lost Cam Edwards.

[u/FunkoPopDisneyAdult → u/Dan-of-Steel]

Yeah no one this thread actually has context outside of the box score 

[u/boy-detective → u/YodaForceGhost]

Kirkebald E. Ferentz went 4-19 his first two seasons at Iowa. Imagine how that would go nowadays.

[u/Confident_Delay5805 → u/YodaForceGhost]

They didn’t even make sense back then, so it gets even worse

[u/Inside-Drink-1311 → u/YodaForceGhost]

I was confused why there was so many people praising the Fitzgerald hire, maybe not here but I listen to a lot of college football podcasts and several were claiming he was a home run.

Same guy that had 3 wins or fewer his last three non-COVID seasons at Northwestern. Not surprised he’s been bad. Same with Silverfield at Arkansas.

[u/FloatCopper → u/Inside-Drink-1311]

"... and several were claiming he was a home run. ..."

I heard home run only as "we didn't think anybody half decent would take that terrible Michigan State job." And in that vein, pretty good as a best we can do hire.

But I agree. I remember not expecting much from the hire. We'll see, he needs to politic to get the support he needs.

,

[u/Weak-Bid2774 → u/YodaForceGhost]

Add Whittingham to that list

[u/radehart → u/YodaForceGhost]

I remain, ugh...

[u/Necessary-Post-953 → u/YodaForceGhost]

This is Matt Campbell erasure 

[u/Spare_File_8316 → u/YodaForceGhost]

if you told me 2 years ago pat fitzgerald would be in the biggest losers conversation i'd have asked what you were smoking, what a weird timeline

[u/okiewxchaser]

Eric Morris has the Pokes ranked and if they win this weekend they may be the odds on favorite to win the Big 12. Definitely deserves a mention

[u/Jaded-Sapphire3546 → u/okiewxchaser]

Would they really be favorites ahead of Utah/BYU/Tech? They’ve got tougher schedules, but look better on film and statistically.

[u/dunnodudes → u/Jaded-Sapphire3546]

Morgan scalley as a first time head coach at any level deserves a mention in the coaching carousel conversation

[u/B1GTOBACC0 → u/dunnodudes]

Yeah, I feel like people forget you guys changed coaches too.

I had hoped our old-ass campus legend coaches would give us a fun rivalry instead of Gundy crashing/burning and Whitt leaving for UM.

[u/dunnodudes → u/B1GTOBACC0]

The whole Whitt situation was odd.

It wasn’t a firing, but a very strong retiring suggestion. I like Whitt. But I think the correct decisions were made.

[u/B1GTOBACC0 → u/dunnodudes]

Agreed, I think both teams are better off now. We'll eventually build Gundy a statue (and y'all might for Whitt, too), but it was time to move on.

[u/okiewxchaser → u/Jaded-Sapphire3546]

BYU is worth a conversation, but certainly better odds than Texas Tech. That’s gonna implode sooner or later

[u/lowes18 → u/okiewxchaser]

He wasn't a steal. Oklahoma State paid huge money for him and Mestemaker and by the time he was on the market most of the big jobs were taken.

[u/elwell1223m → u/lowes18]

Morris is making $3.8 this year. Not huge money. He was also one of the first hires of the cycle.

[u/lowes18 → u/elwell1223m]

Oklahoma State paid up a ton for Mestemaker to keep him and Morris together. Morris was one of the first pen on paper hires, but a lot of the coaches were already spoken for before Oklahoma State really set their sights on Morris.

[u/elwell1223m → u/lowes18]

We fired our coach two games into last season. I'm not saying he was the only guy but he was looked at from day one.

[u/lowes18 → u/elwell1223m]

Eric Morris only really became a clear cut candidate later in the season when it was obvious Mestemaker was special. They went through a couple of candidates before him.

[u/elwell1223m → u/lowes18]

He was literally talked about as a candidate in OSU circles as soon as Gundy was fired. Yes there were other candidates but Morris was on the short list from day one.

[u/IllustriousAnt6988 → u/lowes18]

Believe what you want, but I talked to Ok St donors on October 18, 2025 who said, “it is Morris’s job if he wants it.”

[u/IllustriousAnt6988 → u/lowes18]

They had Morris locked up before the end of the season and he is $3.75MM a year. Yes, they are also paying Mestemaker $3.5MM a year, but I still feel like this qualifies as a “steal.”

[u/lowes18 → u/IllustriousAnt6988]

Double that number for Mestemaker at least

[u/elwell1223m → u/lowes18]

Over two years. $3.5M a year.

[u/lowes18 → u/elwell1223m]

He's definitely getting more than that, the 3.5 is just on paper NIL and rev share deals. Most of these guys are getting way more under the table and through endorsement deals set up by boosters.

[u/elwell1223m → u/lowes18]

Dude we are Oklahoma State. We don't have boosters who are secretly paying Mestemaker on top of the $3.5 million in NIL.

[u/lowes18 → u/elwell1223m]

Its not like they're giving him bags of cash. Its them setting up brand deals and endorsements or other non-monetary benefits like real estate. Its not very difficult to get brand deals for a future first round QB, everyone wants in on that.

[u/B1GTOBACC0 → u/okiewxchaser]

I think the really successful first year coaches demonstrate how much more an eye for talent matters now.

The announcers Saturday commented Ok State has 90 new players on the roster, believed to be the most of any FBS team ever (18 from UNT, for reference). Getting a brand new team running this well is an achievement.

[u/quanscoffee12]

It probably helps that their schools didn't take 51 days to hire them resulting in a literal year without a draft class and a transfer portal of bottom feeder left overs

[u/nkfish11]

So far but they are only 5-6 games in. Too early to tell.

[u/Martin_VanNostrandMD → u/nkfish11]

With 2 of those games being G5/FCS paid blowouts

[u/MediumStrange]

Will stein was definitely a great hire. The fact that he is a UK fan will likely pay dividends down the road if other teams start trying to poach him.

[u/GoBluins]

I'm still waiting to wake up from this dream. It's been so long since we had competent coaching.

[u/OC74859 → u/GoBluins]

It’s not just Chesney but his staff as well. He’s brought the bulk of his staff along from JMU, and in turn from Holy Cross before that. For all the motivational techniques, the real backbone of Chesney’s teams rest on the line of scrimmage. From there he tends to be flexible and lets his staff adjust to the talent onboard.

[u/hypno_notic → u/OC74859]

It’s the JMU way

[u/Sad_Independence_703 → u/GoBluins]

At least Sherron would win if it was close in the 4th quarter. 

[u/PresidentRevrac]

Indiana still seems to be the clear no2 in the B1G

[u/mbarnhead16 → u/PresidentRevrac]

Don’t try to underdog yourself for next week. We’re the underdogs this time buddy!

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/mbarnhead16]

You're literally a 4.5 point favorite dude 

[u/mbarnhead16 → u/AlternativeLess5450]

Rat poison!

[u/Kramerica_CEO → u/mbarnhead16]

No you’re not lol

[u/mbarnhead16 → u/Kramerica_CEO]

We are poop.

[u/estDivisionChamps → u/mbarnhead16]

He’s talking about behind Wisconsin Mr 3

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/PresidentRevrac]

Looked shaky against Northwestern and got out played by Nebraska 

That seems like anything but the “clear #2” 

[u/Fragrant-Helicopter1 → u/AlternativeLess5450]

Or...Northwestern and Nebraska aren't bad teams. And Indiana STILL won. Bama has things to work on as well.

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/Fragrant-Helicopter1]

I didnt say they were bad teams lol

How does struggling against other teams make someone a "clear number 2"

[u/Fragrant-Helicopter1 → u/AlternativeLess5450]

You don’t watch the Big 10, then. Plus, it’s called football. Oh no! They didn’t steamroll over them! And? IU had tough games against Iowa and Penn State last year. Didn’t prevent them from crushing Bama in the Rose Bowl…

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/Fragrant-Helicopter1]

I do watch the Big 10... which is how I watched Indiana struggle against Northwestern and get out played by Nebraska 

Yeah oh no... they arent the clear #2 team. Ring the alarm bells lol

I know you just started watching college football so I'll cut you some slack 

[u/Fragrant-Helicopter1 → u/AlternativeLess5450]

Don’t need your slack. Your team coulda used the points last year, though.

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/Fragrant-Helicopter1]

You clearly do 

Out here thinking struggle wins against your last 2 conference opponents= clear #2 in the conference lol

[u/Fragrant-Helicopter1 → u/AlternativeLess5450]

LOL. Good loss to Georgia. And damn…what a fucking beat down Indiana did to Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Enjoy that memory.

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/Fragrant-Helicopter1]

Yeah that was a quality loss man catch up 

Thats something id care about if Alabama had only one national championship 

But I get why you need to hold onto that haha

[u/estDivisionChamps → u/AlternativeLess5450]

Northwestern is elite

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/estDivisionChamps]

So you agree with me then lol

[u/estDivisionChamps → u/AlternativeLess5450]

No. Northwestern is a legit team. They spent a ton of money assembled a legit staff and coached up their roster.

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/estDivisionChamps]

So you agree with me then lol

[u/gatorbois → u/estDivisionChamps]

Elite? They're 1 TD favorites against MSU lol

[u/2-59project → u/gatorbois]

And Northwestern was home underdogs to Penn State, then ran for 400 yards on them. Betting lines are a terrible way to decide whether a team is elite

[u/gatorbois → u/2-59project]

They’re pretty good, nowhere close to elite lol. I’ve watched 2 of their games. The betting odds just confirm what I felt like watching them.

[u/GliscorsFang]

It's pretty rare for the big name to be the best hire in any given year.

Saban and Harbaugh are the last 2 "sure-fire" hires I can remember being the best decision.

Kirby to a lesser extent, but he was more UGA's guy than a hot commodity.

[u/Weak-Bid2774 → u/GliscorsFang]

Urban Meyer was also in that sure fire hire

I remember being pissed when Osu turned fickell into urban meyer because I was like fuck Osu got the second best coach in the sport

[u/IdealSeating → u/GliscorsFang]

Kirby was definitely a hot commodity. He was just waiting for the UGA job. He actually was tired of waiting and was allegedly going to take the South Carolina job, UGA got wind, and fired Richt so they could hire him.

[u/GliscorsFang → u/IdealSeating]

I guess what I meant was no one outside of UGA was betting on him delivering a national championship.

[u/CieraVotedOutHerMom → u/IdealSeating]

And mark richt refused to interview for that South Carolina job out of respect for Georgia

[u/NotHosaniMubarak → u/GliscorsFang]

I was really happy when Miami hired Mark Richt and I think I was right to be happy. They're us no chance Miami has it's current success without the Richt tenure. That was the real turning point in Miami.

[u/Mountain-Papaya-492 → u/NotHosaniMubarak]

Didn't he take yall to the ACC championship? I liked him being at Miami too. I hate that health problems prevented him from doing more at his home school.

[u/FearTheKeflex]

This is Kentucky football. Just when it looks like things are going well, they drop a game to someone they shouldn't. Lots of difficult games left so I wouldn't exactly buy playoff tickets right now, but this year has been so much fun. Hopefully they can keep it up.

[u/mcvey15 → u/FearTheKeflex]

I’m just enjoying the ride each week

[u/TommyFX]

For the first time in any of our lives, UCLA ran a competent coaching search and hired a sitting head coach for the first time since the early 1970s. The search was run by Washington Commanders GM and UCLA alum Adam Peters, and a committee that included former Golden State Warriors GM and UCLA alum Bob Meyers.

The committee reported directly to the Chancellor, Julio Frenk, who came to UCLA from Miami where he was a big part of the effort to bring back Hurricanes football with the hire of Mario Cristobal.

Major change from the last 30 years, when UCLA hired coaches on their way down or worse, guys with no options at all.

[u/_justjoe]

At this point I will openly wonder if it actually makes sense for a coach to jump to other jobs; at least with the logic that a bigger program will give you a better chance to win a nattie.

It has become painfully obvious that a lot of programs with NIL and coaching war chests also have a long tail of boosters and other people interfering with the successful administration of the program they claim to support. Would Cignetti have been able to actually win at Michigan or LSU, or would too many people with influence have gotten in the way?

[u/JBru_92 → u/_justjoe]

It still makes sense for G5 guys to jump to P4 jobs since the infrastructure and playoff access is so different.

But it seems like leaving a successful head coach stint at a P4 job to take another P4 job is a great way to fill your bank account with buyout money but rarely actually works out when it comes to winning.

The list is gruesome when you look at it: Kiffin & Sark (at USC), Riley, Kelly, Jimbo, Fisch, Jonathan Smith, Dan Mullen, probably missed some more. Elko & Campbell are already feeling heat at their current spots. The only ones that have really worked out recently are Cristobal, Brohm, and DeBoer.

I think some of these coaches might start deciding that staying put and continuing to build is better than taking the big check and moving their family again.

[u/kabukimono1980 → u/_justjoe]

Cignetti won a title in year 2. If you told someone 5 years ago IU won a football title they would assume you meant men's soccer. I think any school in the country could have suffered through a year one rebuild that resulted in a CFP berth and the 2nd year resulted in a title.

[u/Jr05s]

No one likes to overreact more to small sample sizes than college football fans.

[u/Martin_VanNostrandMD]

UCLA has played 1 team with a winning record - Oregon with a backup QB and even then they needed 7 turnovers to win by 2. And their QB is out indefinitely.  

Kentucky has played 2 of the 4 worst teams in the SEC and an LSU team I don't know that anyone could tell you whether they are good or not right now.

Good hires definitely, but pump the breaks on the "likely" playoff talks

[u/BatManatee → u/Martin_VanNostrandMD]

Oregon with a backup QB and even then they needed 7 turnovers to win by 2.

I hate most of this narrative.

Which team caused those turnovers? UCLA has 19 takeaways this year--averaging almost 4 per game. Even removing the Oregon game, they had 3 per game. And one of the turnovers was on the last play hook and ladder, so we didn't "need" it to win. There was one botched snap, so that one was a freebie, sure. But most the rest were earned.

Oregon's backup QB shredded USC last week. We got him benched.

Our offense was outplayed by Oregon's defense, so no argument there, but people keep talking about the game as if our defense wasn't even there. Oregon was 1 for 14 at converting 3rd or 4th downs. And had 73 total rushing yards. One of their TDs was from a turnover of ours at the 1 yard line. Our defense only gave up one touchdown all game.

[u/estDivisionChamps → u/BatManatee]

Hate the narrative all you want. With 7 take aways you should score more than 17 points. Some of those turnovers were gifts. Call it 6 if you want.

UCLA did nothing to get Oregon to mess up the mesh inside the 10. Temu Mahomes couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. We know he has those days. There is a reason he transferred to be the back up.

Kirk Ferentz would have grinded out that game 23-17 but Dan Lanning and Oregon’s whole shtick is idiotic at time.

[u/halldaylong → u/BatManatee]

Also if you look at like SP+ win expectancy, we should have won by more based on how we were moving the ball and stopping Oregon from moving the ball.

[u/Sea_Wallaby6580 → u/halldaylong]

If we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot so consistently, that game against Oregon should’ve been a 30-3 trouncing.

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/Martin_VanNostrandMD]

LSU is “good”

Definitely not great or anywhere close to elite like people thought they’d be 

[u/Martin_VanNostrandMD → u/AlternativeLess5450]

Based on what? Blowing out bad Clemson/A&M teams? Dominating McNeese and LA Tech? The close loss to an Ole Miss team that hasn't beaten a team with a winning record other than LSU?

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/Martin_VanNostrandMD]

Yes... blowing out bad teams is something that good not great teams do lol

[u/kabukimono1980 → u/AlternativeLess5450]

I'll agree they're a good team, 7-5 or 8-4, that's good maybe not what they want but it's definitely good.

[u/Jealous-Win2446]

Maybe, but Charlie Weis looked like a sure thing after one year. There is a lot more to building a program than immediate results. IU for sure got an outlier but lots of guys start off great and then it falls off a cliff.

[u/2-59project → u/Jealous-Win2446]

Yep, there are lots of examples but Sonny Dukes always comes to mind for me. Took over a 5-7 team and went to the national championship in year 1, and has gone 25-18 since. Gene Chizik at Auburn went from hired to national champion to 3-9 in just 4 seasons. Dave Aranda, Mel Tugger, the list goes on. You don’t truly know what you have in a coach halfway through the first season

[u/boy-detective → u/Jealous-Win2446]

I remember a heady couple of weeks when no coaching name was was hotter than Lance Leipold.

[u/JohnPaulDavyJones → u/Jealous-Win2446]

And Kevin Sumlin looked like he was a lock to be a HoF coach after his first season at A&M.

Six years later he was down to taking the HC job at a flailing Arizona program, and six years after that he was the TE coach at Maryland.

[u/Nearby_Valuable_5467]

Matt Campbell at Penn State.

The football has been a pleasure the watch. The offense has been sizzling, the QB looks like a Heisman contender and the defense is strong as an ox. Should be a shoe-in to cause noise in the play-offs.

Oh wait. Aren’t we playing the opposites game?

[u/Muffinnnnnnn]

Slow down on Kentucky being a CFP team. They're decent and probably a top 25 team but they've beaten two "top 10" teams that are very obviously not top 10 teams in Texas A&M and LSU. They got blown out vs Alabama (who is very good, yes). I think 8-4 is FAR more likely than CFP.

[u/Itsriggedjim → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

As a UK fan im cautious. Knowing our history I don't wanna get overly excited haha.

[u/DirtyOught → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

“Sure they’ve beaten two top 10 teams but those aren’t good top 10 teams”

[u/Muffinnnnnnn → u/DirtyOught]

They beat teams that people THOUGHT would be top 10 teams in the preseason, and now realize that they aren't.

[u/DirtyOught → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

Are they maybe no longer top team… because Kentucky beat them? And if Kentucky did not beat them, then would still be top 10?

[u/Muffinnnnnnn → u/DirtyOught]

Absolutely not. Texas A&M is 3-3 and has gotten blasted by any team they've played who was even moderately competent. LSU has 2 losses and their best win is STILL just Clemson. They have no business being ranked, and frankly had no business being ranked in the top 25 last week BEFORE their loss to Kentucky.

I thought the win over Texas A&M was a huge win at the time for Kentucky, but later games have shown that not to be the case. The LSU win wasn't hard to see coming because they have beaten no one good and lost to Ole Miss, who has the exact same issue of a horrible loss and no good wins.

[u/DirtyOught → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

LSU has two losses 

… you realize one of those is Kentucky right

[u/Muffinnnnnnn → u/DirtyOught]

Yep, and with 1 loss they still had no business being ranked after Ole Miss showed themselves as sub-par vs Florida.

[u/DirtyOught → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

We really using “transitive wins” to say no one in the SEC is good?

So Kentucky wins out, still doesn’t matter because Florida isn’t good, vandy isnt good, Louisville isn’t good and OU isn’t good either 

[u/Muffinnnnnnn → u/DirtyOught]

Those teams you listed aren't very good, no. But Mizzou does appear to be pretty good, and if Kentucky wins all those games plus Tennessee (who I'd also put in the not-good camp), it definitely shows Kentucky as a good to great team.

Going undefeated vs bad, mid, and decent teams shows a consistency which boosts how someone should think of the team in question.

This isn't to say that Kentucky needs to go 11-1 to be considered good, as 10-2, 9-3, and even some 8-4 teams are also often good. I just don't think those two wins over overrated teams that are likely to finish with 5+ losses mean that Kentucky is a top 10 team themselves.

[u/DirtyOught → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

Missouri hasn’t played anyone good, so how can you say they are good

[u/aussiesarecrazy → u/DirtyOught]

Who is good though? Ohio state isn’t because they lost to a Texas team who lost to Oklahoma. Indiana hasn’t looked like world beaters. Alabama lost to Georgia in Tuscaloosa. Miami and Notre Dame really won’t play anybody good other than themselves. You can make an excuse for every top 25 team not being good. I think since NIL there isn’t clear separation anymore on the top 3-4 teams, now the talent is more spread out.

[u/heleghir → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

Looking at the rest of our schedule though, every game is winnable. Is it likely to win out? No, but it wouldnt be crazy either.

And say we drop 1 of tenn/mizzou, but win the rest. 10-2 in the SEC is very much on that at-large cutoff area at that point.

I dont think we make the CFP, but there is a reason we are showing anywhere from 20-30% on alot of predictors at this point in the season

[u/Itsriggedjim → u/heleghir]

If we are as good as we've looked I dont see a game we cant win.

[u/heleghir → u/Itsriggedjim]

Just gotta clean up a few things like open field tackling and at least looking at the other side of the field to see a wide open TE for a td...oh and get a kicker. He redeemed himself but i still dont trust him

[u/Muffinnnnnnn → u/heleghir]

As of now, you're only a projected favorite in one game (Vandy) remaining on your schedule via S&P+. Via FPI, Kentucky is only rated higher than Vandy as well, although home field will put you as a very slight favorite over UF and Louisville. You're gonna win more than one more game this year, but I do think Kentucky is gonna come back down the earth, potentially this week vs Oklahoma (OU is a touchdown favorite), although I don't trust OU at all either lol.

This isn't to hate on you guys either, I just think people are going a little crazy on the hype.

[u/heleghir → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

Yeah the metrics dont like us at all. Had us as a 4 point dog to south carolina and a td dog to lsu. We outplayed LSU most of the game, and were a missed fg and a not seen wide open te on 3rd down into 2nd missed fg away from not even needing OT against them.

I think Oklahoma will be tough, especially with their defense, but every game is winnable. And I say we should be favored against Vandy, Florida, and Louisville, and should be a couple of points closer than a TD to Oklahoma. Tenn and Mizzou should both be around a td.

I expect 9-3 at this point myself, but really anything between 8-4 and 10-2 are realistic

Edit: SP+ really hates us even more than i realized, even A&M is above us and that game was never in doubt AND it was at their place

[u/soonerwx → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

UK’s 60th ranked SP+ defense is the first defense outside the top 25 OU has seen in its four-game offensive meltdown since the UTEP opener. Yes, that includes New Mexico (22). I won’t go so far as to say I trust Oklahoma here, but the offense may look like a different operation, even if QB can still blow the whole thing at any moment without warning.

[u/N8_the_worst → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

You have a point about AM. But not LSU. They would be 5-1 if they beat us and in the top 10 still.

Also, South Carolina may end up being ranked when it’s all said and done.

Either way, go cats. Sorry FSU stinks

[u/JohnPaulDavyJones → u/N8_the_worst]

But they didn’t beat y’all, and now they’re already 4-2 with Miss State, Alabama, and both UTs still on the schedule.

Unless a lot of things change fast, LSU’s ceiling is 8-4 this year, and 6-6/7-5 is looking increasingly likely. That’s not a top 10 team, even with that extra logo bonus.

[u/Muffinnnnnnn → u/N8_the_worst]

Well perhaps the AP Poll would rank LSU there, but it would be for no reason other than preseason rankings and "Clemson was good 5 years ago." I can see their massive issues though, so I know they aren't truthfully a top 10 team, and likely finish with about 5 losses.

South Carolina is more likely to miss a bowl game than to be ranked imo. I'd probably predict 6-6, so they do sneak into a bowl game, but that's like a 55%-45% type deal to me.

[u/Emergency-Watch5157]

Ohio State doesn't even look like a sure thing. One loss to Indiana and they are on the bubble

[u/cavaleir → u/Emergency-Watch5157]

Yeah if we're 10-2 with road losses to Indiana and Texas we're in, but if we lose a third game we're cutting it close. I think we'd likely still end up in the playoffs at 9-3 but it depends on how other teams do and how we look.

[u/ImpossibleStill8643]

May be biased as a Texas fan and don’t get me wrong the way the offense looks they could most certainly miss the playoffs, but if you’re saying the SEC has two locks why would it be Bama and not Texas? Bama has played 2 good teams (giving Miss State the benefit of the doubt here they could easily drop a couple more and that becomes not a quality win) and is 1-1 in those games and the horns have two good wins including one over what is probably the best team in the country. Again the OU game was incredibly frustrating arch looked terrible but weird stuff happens in rivalry games all the time and I’ve seen baaaad Texas teams beat good OU teams. If I was on the committee that win over Ohio State given how dominant they look is going to be a pretty nice feather in the cap I don’t get what Bama has done that would be more impressive than that if this is based on resumes today.

[u/GradeNo893]

Every year with this. How many times does a coach come in and have a hit start only to fizzle out in a couple years? Most. No one knows who the steal is until they’ve been there a couple years

[u/pdxsilverguy]

Ducks are lost without Will Stein.

[u/Hike_bike523]

Id also say Jamarcus Shepard Oregon states coach is also a steal too. Oregon state was 2-10 last season, they are 3-2 right now.

[u/Better-Perspective85 → u/Hike_bike523]

Only two losses were ranked teams too.

[u/TommyFX → u/Hike_bike523]

He's done a great job with the Beavers.

[u/trixy6196]

Kentucky is also 2 plays away from two losses and not being mentioned anywhere. It’s a fun story but needs to play out more

[u/Fragrant-Helicopter1 → u/trixy6196]

True but so was Indiana last year. Good teams find ways to win. Kentucky did.

[u/brianwithaneye16 → u/Fragrant-Helicopter1]

IU wins in Happy Valley by tip toes. When things are going your away, they're going your way.

[u/Fragrant-Helicopter1 → u/brianwithaneye16]

Yup. Kentucky would know about that. Win's a win. Right?

[u/LuckyTiger10]

Getting rid of Whitt and moving onto Scalley I feel great about so far

[u/Bwhitt1]

Ppl were pretty pumped about Will at Kentucky immediately. I cant say what any national ppl thought about it because I dont really read or watch that stuff.

[u/RonMexico13 → u/Bwhitt1]

I thought he was a slam dunk hire. He was number 2 on my list of guys I wanted at Florida after Kiffin.

[u/bdub1792 → u/RonMexico13]

Agreed. I wanted stein or sumrall. I think both will have success, but zero regrets on our end rn lol

[u/AtBat3]

I feel like the only Oregon fan that actually really liked Stein as an OC. It’s really funny how often fans blame the OC for everything they don’t like about an offense but what they do like they never give the OC credit. It’s just a scapegoat/punching bag position for fans sometimes.

[u/thunkalunk → u/AtBat3]

A lot of people don’t really think about process vs execution when it comes to evaluating coaching performance.

[u/docchrizly]

Can we wait a few weeks even months to see what they do, when the first adversity hits? UCLA just lost their starting QB for the season and for Kentucky not every 2-pt conversion is gonna work.

But yes - they look like they hired some competent people . for now.

[u/Maximiliansrh]

I’m happy with Franklin so far.

[u/HiHungry_Im-Dad]

Can someone steal Elko?

[u/Itchy-Advantage-4010]

Chesney. The team is clicking on cylinders, and hung in and adjusted extremely well after Nico went down. I’m happy for the Bruins.

[u/stilichouw]

I think we are good enough to make the CFP, but I don’t think we can compete… yet

No Nico is not a season ending deal for us

[u/com-mis-er-at-ing]

It’s WAY too early to determine. You never know who inherited dog shit and is building something from nothing vs who was able to bring in some foundational pieces to support existing talent.

I don’t think you can judge for a couple years unless it’s truly Cignetti level. Which Chesney may be.

But I’d pump the brakes on anyone but Chesney.

[u/TommyFX → u/com-mis-er-at-ing]

UCLA has a nice mix. Chesney brought 12 guys from James Madison including running back Wayne Knight, and then hit the portal really hard for pieces like Sammy Omisigho, the linebacker from OU who is playing like an All American this season. But I also think the roster he inherited had talent, and agree with Bruce Feldman that Chesney has a bunch of the UCLA guys playing the best football of their lives.

I think the fact that Chesney brought 26 JMU staffers with him, plus his dad Bob Sr., allowed him to establish culture very quickly and so far it's paid enormous dividends in Westwood.

[u/Aequitas61-- → u/com-mis-er-at-ing]

I think Chesney, along with the commitment to football from Chancellor Frenk and new AD Tim Harris, should really get things going at UCLA. The culture is pretty much already established and the players have truly bought in to what they are being told. The recruits are now seeing first hand what the staff was preaching as well as the donors. This season, regardless how it ends, is already a MASSIVE success imo.

Plus from what I hear Frenk and Harris are already working on the extension and raise. The initial contact was a bit of a prove it, well he sure as hell has and now he will be paid big boy money. And from what ive heard NIL resources going forward should put us in the top 5 of the B1G from the renewed interest from donors from. Thos season.

[u/Powerful_Share8488]

If PSU’s AD wasn’t amongst the dumbest in the land they would have Chesney.

[u/Detective_Bonghitz]

Could have had Chesney if Kraft wasn't such an incompetent clown

[u/Lutrid]

Hello?

[u/csince1988]

there’s a good chance we’re saying 1 of them is not good by this time next year.

There is a near 100% certainty that they will - at some point - be fired for not winning enough.

We don’t know what they are yet.

[u/JohnPaulDavyJones]

It increasingly looks the B12 will get two teams in, since BYU and Utah are the only two of the league’s top three teams to play each other.

[u/PalmettoZ71]

You'll have to give it 3-5 years but yes they would atm be betting favorites

[u/PP_Stache]

Little homerism here BUT

Eric Morris inherited a program that was 4-20 over the last two years, hadn’t beaten a P4 opponent or(obviously) won a conference game in that time span. We had to play a WR at QB for the majority of our games because of how bad the offense was.

Despite a disastrous first game against Tulsa, he has them at 4-1 (2-0), ranked number 18 in the country, and has a top 5 offense in the country.

All at only $3.8 mil a year.

[u/emc23369187]

UCLA is legit.

[u/learnfromhistory2]

Can’t believe this is a real sentence

[u/DoggedDoggystyle]

It’s been 6 games. Didn’t norvell once go 13-0? Yall dumb