By Ryan Evan Schroat
Bret Bielema
Bret Bielema took over a floundering product from Lovie Smith in 2020. While Illinois has been competitive in all three seasons with Bielema at the helm, Illinois has missed a bowl game in two of them. Finishing 5-7 in 2021 and 2023 with a very good 8-5 season in 2022, being very close has haunted his tenure. Speaking as someone from Central Illinois, I have witnessed all of this up close and personal. This isn’t a jab at the man or coach Bielema is, I have seen the belief and buy-in of the program since he took the job.
Season tickets have gone up every year and the talent level has as well, but you can’t miss bowl games in three of your first four seasons and expect the 2025 season to be a safe one. Athletic director Josh Whitman loves the program too much to settle for close, remember this isn’t horseshoes. Bielema has the talent and schedule to win seven games this year, he should be expected to make that happen in year four.
PJ Fleck
Minnesota fans have very mixed opinions on coach PJ Fleck, for good reason. Any coach who tries to leave the program to pursue a “better” college job in conference (UCLA) should ruffle some feathers. He didn’t get that job, and regardless if he ever admits if he talked to UCLA or not, the info is out there if you dig for it. Add that to a 5-7 season in 2023 that was awarded a bowl game because not enough teams won 6 games. Anytime a coach goes through coordinators like he changes socks, the blame is never on him.
The “row the boat” schtick has worn out many in that fan base and if he can’t produce a winning 2024 campaign, his boat will be on the chopping block for 2025.
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Lincoln Riley
Coming off a disappointing 8-5 season where USC’s defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed, let’s just say this season is a big one for Lincoln Riley. Wasting Heisman-trophy winning and first-overall draft pick Caleb Williams and all the other talent falls directly on Riley and the coaches he hired.
Riley achieved resounding success at Oklahoma, but never got over the hump and willingly left to join the Trojans. His salary and the tradition of the program won’t tolerate back-to-back five-loss seasons, and lets be honest here, even going 8-4 with a Mayo Bowl victory and having Mayonnaise dumped on his head won’t satisfy the fan base or its donors. Riley assured USC fans at Big Ten media days that his team is one to watch with the exact words of “we’re comin”. If that doesn’t hold true, 2025 could be his last in college, before he jumps ship to the NFL or gets a pink slip.
Ryan Day
As wild as it is to fathom for 99% of the fan bases around the country, 11 wins just ain’t cutting it. Ryan Day runs one of the top five programs financially in the country. But at Ohio State, finishing inside the top 10 isn’t celebrated, college football playoffs are expected along with winning the Big Ten. Oh yeah, losing three straight to bitter rival and the team up north doesn’t help either.
Day understands that and embraces it, his team is loaded again this season and is expected to be the favorite to win the national title in many odds books. As wild as it is to say, Anything less than beating Michigan along with winning the Big ten and at least playing for a national title will be considered a failure. It is time for Ryan Day to cash in.
James Franklin
James Franklin has done a great job at Penn State. Finishing inside the top 10-15 regularly and really rejuvenating a fan base to big-time football again. The problem? PSU can’t get over the hump and shadow of Michigan or Ohio State. Franklin will tell you that the program isn’t elite yet. Year after year they have their shot and continue to fall flat in those big matchups.
There is no shame in being the third or fourth best team in your conference but that’s not what Franklin is paid to do or accept. Adding Oregon who Dan Lanning has as a juggernaut at the moment, furthers that point. The Nittany Lions bring back tons of talent and depth from last years team, easily good enough to finish in the top 12 and finally make a college football playoff. If Franklin can’t take this team to the CFP, I think the plateau has arrived. Franklin making the final 12 is a necessity, the talent is there to deliver this fall.
