National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance, ranking the Big Ten top tier linebackers for next season, some coaches who could easily be $100 million contract guys with a huge 2023 and which coach needs a better season — James Franklin or Kirk Ferentz.
Top Big Ten Linebacker Rooms
— We move on to the linebacker groups in the Power Five with the Big Ten led by Michigan’s elite tacklers.
1. Michigan
— Junior Colson leads a strong group helped by transfer Ernest Hausmann as this will be arguably the strength of the Michigan defense.
2. Ohio State
— Tommy Eichenberg is the best LB in the conference, but they don’t have the depth across the line that Michigan has.
3. Penn State
— Abdul Carter is a bad man, and this group runs to the ball with the best of them. Carter’s ability to rush the passer is a plus, and he was outstanding as a freshman.
More Sports News
4. Wisconsin
— Maema Njongmeta should easily surpass 100 tackles with Nick Herbig off to the NFL, and he has a chance to lead the conference overall. Jordan Turner showed flashes in his first year as a starter in 2022 as well.
5. Iowa
— Nick Jackson comes in from Virginia as a tackling machine, and Iowa just keeps churning out smart, heady, and athletic linebackers.
Coaches in Line for a Pay Day
— Wanna make big money? Have a big season. Just ask Mel Tucker. These guys are on the cusp of a Tucker-like $100 million guaranteed deal if they can just have a massive season.
1. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
— Just win the Big 12, man. That’s all it takes. It doesn’t matter if it’s 11-1 or 9-3, just give Texas a Big 12 title on the way out to the SEC, and you’ll be rewarded ridiculously. That’s how badly they want to win. Sark makes a bit over $5 million a year and could double that with a breakout season. Or he could get fired if things go south. He’s on the cusp.
2. Mike Norvell, Florida State
— Norvell is like Sark, just north of $5 million a year. Just win the ACC, and FSU will open up the coffers, even with the recent mistake of Willie Taggart and all that wasted money. They won’t want Norvell to be poached like Jimbo Fisher.
3. Ryan Day, Ohio State
— Day makes over $8 million a year and all, but if he can beat Michigan, win the Big Ten, and win it all, he’ll be a $120 million deal guy. Just watch.
4. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
— Heupel makes the most of any coach on here at $9 million annually and is paid through 2028, so maybe it’s dumb to have him on here? Nah. Win the SEC somehow, and watch what guarantees he gets. The Vols are as desperate to find a long-term coach as anyone.
5. Billy Napier, Florida
— Sounds dumb right? The Gators are projected to finish near the bottom of the SEC East. But that’s exactly why I have him here. Surprise everyone with a 9-3 season, and you go from $7 million a year to a fat, bloated, guaranteed deal. He’s locked in through 2029, so it’s unlikely they would change much, but I’ll tell you this. The Florida fan base and boosters can fire a coach, and they can also overcompensate him heavily.
Under the Microscope: James Franklin vs. Kirk Ferentz
— And finally, who needs a better season? James Franklin or Kirk Ferentz?
James Franklin has the difficult task of being in the same division as two of the strongest programs in the country in Ohio State and Michigan, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Nittany Lion faithful expect a division title every year. And while Penn State has finished with double-digit wins in four of the past six seasons, he has yet to overcome the two-headed monster that is the Buckeyes and Wolverines.
In 2023, however, expectations seem even higher than normal. A lot of that rides on the back (and arm) of Drew Allar, who showed flashes as a true freshman in 2022. Between Allar, two outstanding backs in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and a defense that brings back some of the top players in the conference, there is an argument to be made that this is his best team since arriving in Happy Valley. Should they fall flat, there will be big questions about his future in Beaver Stadium.
Kirk Ferentz, the dean of Big Ten coaches, has had one of the steadiest and most successful careers of any coach in the history of the Iowa program. The Hawkeyes’ defense under DC Phil Parker has routinely been among the top units in the nation, allowing them to compete with anyone on any given Saturday.
That being said, he hasn’t been without his controversies. The most recent of these is his insistence on having his son Brian as the offensive coordinator. The younger Ferentz’s offenses have been nothing short of disastrous, yet he still remains at the helm of the offense. With the additions of Cade McNamara and Erick All from the portal, expectations are higher this year than they have been in a while. But should the Hawkeyes again struggle to move the ball, it would more than likely end up with a pink slip for not just Brian but Kirk as well.
Because Kirk Ferentz has tied his fate to his son’s (lacking) abilities as an OC, the pressure is on him more than Franklin this season. Another underperforming offense for Ferentz should lead to the end of his 20+ year tenure in Iowa City. Even if Franklin loses to Michigan and Ohio State again this season, he’ll have more of a leash considering how well the Nittany Lions have been recruiting and the fact that when the Big Ten goes division-less in 2024, they’ll have a better shot at making the conference title game.
