Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Upon Further National Review – Week 9

A National Review of Caleb and Lincoln, Big Game James, Brian and Kirk, The Fatal Attraction of Dan Enos, and more!

Pin
Dec 10
Dec 10

By Rock Westfall

A National Review of Caleb and Lincoln, Big Game James, Brian and Kirk, The Fatal Attraction of Dan Enos, and more!

When Caleb Williams Leaves the Life of Riley Shall Improve

Following USC’s 34-32 gut-shot loss to Utah, there was social media speculation that perhaps QB Caleb Williams should skip the rest of the season to protect himself for the NFL Draft. Traditionalists screamed that he could not quit on his teammates. At this moment, that is true. USC’s season comes down to a November 4 home game against the Washington Huskies on ABC primetime.

If USC can somehow beat Washington, they will immediately climb back into the race for a berth in the Pac-12 championship game. But if the Trojans lose, making the Pac-12 championship game would be improbable. The national championship, already a long shot, would be impossible.

At first glance, Williams has the best QB rating of his career (179.4). But a deeper dive reveals four interceptions on 237 pass attempts, compared to five picks on 500 attempts in 2022. Also, Williams has fumbled four times in 2023 compared to three fumbles all of last year.

More Sports News

The greatness of Williams is undeniable. He was the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. And he did enough to win the game against Utah with an 11-yard TD run to put the Trojans ahead 32-31 with 1:46 to play. It was not Williams’ fault that USC’s defense wilted.

Yet having Williams around has not brought head coach Lincoln Riley near a national championship. In their only season together at Oklahoma, the Sooners went 10-2. Last year at USC, Riley and Williams went 11-3. Worse yet, they were cut to ribbons and mauled in a Pac-12 championship game loss to Utah. Following that was an embarrassing loss to the Tulane Green Wave in the Cotton Bowl.

USC is 6-2 this year, with back-to-back losses at Notre Dame and then to Utah. Wiliams is 3-6 in his career vs. Top 25 opponents.

If Williams were to leave today, Riley has highly touted alternatives in redshirt sophomore Miller Moss and freshman Malachi Nelson. While lacking experience, both would likely thrive for the proven quarterback whisperer Riley.

Caleb Williams has outgrown the college game. And it is reasonable to question if he stays to the end when USC is eliminated from the Pac-12 race, would he really still be “there”?

Williams has come off as distracted and dreaming of the NFL bag this season. Some have even called him selfish. Williams irritated many by stating that he wants to be a part owner of whoever he plays for in the pros. It has all distracted a team struggling to beat championship-level competition.

The day Williams leaves Heritage Hall, USC will feel renewed. Riley can get a new QB up to speed without the current noise. The great irony is that USC is not winning at a championship level with Williams. Perhaps it could without him.

Whenever Williams leaves USC, it will be best for all concerned.

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) reacts in the closing minutes of the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 48-20.

Is Riley a Loaded Lincoln off the Base Kingsbury Model?

At Oklahoma and USC, Lincoln Riley has a career record of 72-15. Oklahoma never finished with a national ranking worse than 10th under Riley. Yet in Norman, Riley never came close to winning a national championship. Humiliating playoff losses to Georgia and LSU are hard to forget. And those losses revealed the one-trick pony nature of Riley.

Riley is one of the most brilliant offensive minds in the game. College and NFL coaches seek him for off-season whiteboard and video sessions. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is said to covet Riley.

But Riley has never fielded a serious defense in seven seasons as an HC. In this, he has much in common with former Texas Tech and Arizona Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury, who now serves on Riley’s staff.

Kingsbury was also celebrated as a QB whisperer and passing game guru. Yet he flopped at Texas Tech (35-40) and Arizona (28-37-1). Kingsbury teams were soft, defenseless, sloppy, and one-dimensional. In that, he is a perfect fit at USC.

https://twitter.com/FieldsSzn69/status/1715932977421541558

Is James Frankin a Luxury Version of the Jimbo Fisher Base Model?

Last week, Penn State lost a 20-12 slobber-knocker at Ohio State. The loss was the latest in a litany of big game disappointments for coach James Franklin. As a result, Nittany Lion fans suffer from a crisis of faith in their coach.

Franklin is a super slick salesman and ace recruiter. His roster is good enough to match up against the best. He has a 5-star QB (Drew Allar) and an elite defense. But at Ohio State, the Nittany Lions offense was rendered helpless and blew numerous opportunities gifted by the Buckeyes. The lack of production also wasted a stellar defensive effort.

Franklin fell to 3-16 in big games with that loss at The Shoe. Franklin is 1-9 against the Scarlet and Gray and 2-12 against Top 25 programs on the road.

Franklin’s reputation as a master recruiter who can’t deliver on game day resembles Texas A&M HC Jimbo Fisher. Fisher is annually celebrated on National Signing Day only to flop with loaded rosters each fall.

On November 11, Penn State hosts the powerhouse Michigan Wolverines. It is a chance for Franklin to redeem himself and change the narrative. Or for another Jimbo-sized disappointment.

Is it Brian or His Pop’s Gun Offense? 

If Iowa fans got their wish and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz was fired, would it matter? Certainly not in the short run, with a plodding offensive roster and his dad’s (head coach Kirk Ferentz) outdated playbook.

Brian Ferentz has no business being a FBS OC. But he is running the offense that his dad demands. Whoever would take over for Brian would inherit that same dusty playbook. And Kirk isn’t about to change at age 68, and now in his 25th season at the helm.

But beyond the playbook is another issue that critics forget about. Iowa had some dynamic teams in the early Ferentz years. From 2002 through 2004, Iowa finished with a final national ranking of 8th each season. In 2009, the Hawkeyes finished 7th in the land.

Ferentz recruited much better talent in those days. But a litany of off-field issues that included criminal offenses made Kirk gun-shy. As a result of the Iowa administration’s annoyance with the bad publicity, Ferentz stopped recruiting as many at-risk elite players in fear of more off-field woes. And Iowa has been a plodding program of defense and kicking teams ever since.

Brian and Kirk will never be mistaken for the late great Bill Walsh. But there is more to the story than meets the eye. Still, the Iowa offense is an inexcusable, disgraceful abomination that should certainly be more productive than it is.

The Fatal Attraction of Dan Enos 

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, now roasting to near well-done in the pig pit, served up offensive coordinator Dan Enos as an appetizer on Sunday after a 7-3 home loss to the beatable Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Arkansas metrics were abysmal and not going to move.

Pittman praised Enos for working long hours, although he left out the part about Enos taking time to get into social media fights with fans on his coffee breaks. But the deeper question is, what about Dan Enos attracts HCs to hire him?

https://twitter.com/RobMason_02/status/1708224590629966227

Bret Bielema failed as the Arkansas HC for many reasons, including his lack of self-discipline and poor relationships with Texas high school coaches that served to damage recruiting. But Bielema also flopped because of his blind spot for Enos.

Bret went 7-6 in 2014, his second season on the job. The Hogs nearly beat playoff-bound Alabama in a 14-13 home loss that gave hope for the future. Arkansas scored what Bielema called an “erotic” Texas Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns.

At that moment, it seemed as if the Wisconsin-style Neanderball system of power running and defense would reshape the SEC. Bret built the largest-sized offensive line in football, college or pro. Arkansas finished 10th for points allowed in 2014, thanks partly to an offense that feasted on the clock.

But shortly after that Big Leap Forward, Bielema put his staff on a plane with him and flew to see Enos, refusing to leave until the then-Central Michigan HC agreed to become the Arkansas offensive coordinator. It was the beginning of the end.

At first, the Enos offense put up some of the best numbers in Arkansas history. But it came at the price of complementary football. Arkansas fell to 68th for points allowed in 2015 with an 8-5 record. In 2016, Arkansas finished 7-6 and ranked 85th for points allowed.

Finally, it all crashed in 2017. Arkansas finished 4-8, ranking 62nd for scoring offense and 115th for points allowed. The big bruising pre-Enos program became a powder puff team. As a result, Bielema and the staff were fired.

While Enos delivered nice numbers at Arkansas, his offense often resembled backyard football, was not physical, and failed to complement the defense.

Next, Enos caught on with Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he is credited with helping Tua Tagovailoa set records. But one year in the joyless Nicktator’s North Korean-style labor camp was enough for Enos. In the middle of the night, he defected without saying goodbye to the warm shores of Miami and the kinder, gentler rookie head coach Manny Diaz.

Poor Manny The Mark never had a chance. Hiring Enos was a catastrophe that ended with a 6-7 record in 2019 and a humiliating 14-0 loss in the Independence Bowl to Louisiana Tech. Enos was fired, and Diaz could not jumpstart his brief failed tenure at what he said was his dream job.

Next, Enos spent a year coaching running backs for Luke Fickell and Cincinnati before catching on with Mike Locksley and Maryland as offensive coordinator and QB coach.

Enos was credited with his tutelage of Tua’s brother, Taulia Tagovailoa, at Maryland. Yet his offense went from ranking 58th for scoring in 2021 to 67th in 2022. But that was good enough for Pittman to hire him away until it wasn’t.

Despite Sunday’s setback, the best bet on the board is that another Power Five HC will fall for Dan Enos. Why?

On the National Radar 

Kansas State has won two straight games to leap into contention for the Big 12 championship game. The two-headed QB monster of Will Howard and Avery Johnson is igniting the resurgence. K-State ranks 4th for rushing offense and 19th for points allowed. The Cats (5-2, 3-1) host struggling Houston (3-4, 1-3) on Saturday.

Washington State is in free fall with a three-game losing streak that has exposed its putrid 127th-ranked rushing attack and helpless 118th-ranked defense. Head coach Jake Dickert’s team has gone from a Pac-12 contender to a pretender that will fight for its minor bowl life the rest of the way. Wazzu (4-3, 1-3) hosts Stanford (1-4, 2-5) in a winnable opportunity to stop the bleeding.

Arizona (4-3, 2-2) is hunting for a bowl game and had near misses against Pac-12 powers Washington and USC. Head coach Jedd Fisch is winning converts after a 44-6 roadkill of Washington State. This week, the Wildcats have a challenging home game opportunity against the Pac-12 contending Oregon State Beavers (6-1, 3-1).

Two years ago, Texas Tech boosters demanded and got the head of coach Matt Wells on a platter. The Big Money guys thought the outsider Wells was too passive. Yet Wells was 5-3 and bowl-bound on the day of his departure. Texas-connected Joey McGuire was hired in 2022 as the reputed recruiting machine that would catapult the Red Raiders into elite status. McGuire went 8-5 with the team he inherited from Wells last year. The Red Raiders (3-5, 2-3) are struggling this year. Texas Tech gets a merciful bye this week.

Speaking of inheritance, TCU coach Sonny Dykes appeared in last year’s national championship game with the roster he inherited from the bitterly departed Gary Patterson. This year, TCU (4-4, 2-3) is struggling and coming off a 41-3 thumping at Kansas State. The Frogs are on a bye this week. Sonny Dykes is now on the clock.

Category: , Tag: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Pin

You’ll Also Like