National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance, ranking the Pac-12 top-tier defensive lines for next season, some coaches who could easily be in trouble for 2024, and which coach needs a better season — Mario Cristobal or Billy Napier.
Top Pac-12 Defensive Lines
— We round out the defensive line rankings in the Power Five with the PAC 12.
1. Washington
— Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Bralen Trice are just a nasty combination and no other team really comes close to a similar 1-2 punch.
2. Utah
— Junior Tafuna is elite and they have a couple of budding stars as well like Van Fillinger.
3. Oregon
— Brandon Dorlus is elite and there is a bit of depth here. Can transfer Jordan Burch reach his potential? If he does, watch out.
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4. UCLA
— Laiatu Latu could be the best lineman in the conference and the Murphy brothers — Gabriel and Grayson — are solid.
5. USC
— A lot depends on how good Bear Alexander can be out of the portal.
Coaches Under Scrutiny in 2024
— Silly thought right? I mean how could these guys possibly receive any fan scrutiny in 2024 since they are so beloved now? Call this the Sam Pittman factor.
1. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
— 11 wins was amazing, especially after the awful hire of Jeremy Pruitt and having to dig out of his mess. But what if he has an 8-4 year? I mean Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Kentucky are no slouches. He’d still be fine but would the fans accept a step back?
2. Shane Beamer, South Carolina
— Beating the Vols and Clemson has the Gamecock faithful excited. But what if he has a 7-5 season? UNC is no joke to open with and Clemson won’t be happy losing again. And the SEC schedule isn’t easy. Fans could be pulling a Pittman on him — still loving but also wondering.
3. Mike Norvell, Florida State
— An ACC title is expected after last season. That’s the bar. If he doesn’t get over it he’ll be okay but what if he slumps to 8-4 or something?
4. Sonny Dykes, TCU
— Dykes should probably have a job for life for his one season at TCU and would never come under fire. But what if he follows it with 6-6? It’s not out of the question with some of the offensive losses.
5. Dan Lanning, Oregon
— Mario who they say. But Lanning is expected to come close to a PAC 12 title this year after a very good 2022. But Washington, USC, Utah, and Oregon State are all good and Texas Tech is a tough out-of-conference game.
6. Deion Sanders, Colorado
— I’ll throw Deion in here and why not? Will the fan base still be excited if he goes 3-9 which is honestly very likely?
Under the Microscope: Cristobal vs. Napier
— And finally, who’s under more pressure — Mario or Billy?
Mario Cristobal‘s debut at his alma mater did not entirely go as planned. The former Hurricane offensive lineman and recruiting guru fell flat on his face time and again in a forgettable 2022, which included a humiliating loss at home to MTSU, where they let the Blue Raiders hang 45 points.
But despite the obvious setbacks on the field and lack of making it to the postseason, Cristobal was able to recruit strongly, finishing with a top-10 class in the nation. With that being said, one of the biggest criticisms of Cristobal is that despite the fact that he is able to bring elite talent into the building, his approach is archaic at times, and he’s not able to translate that into something special on the field.
Former Louisiana coach Billy Napier started his time in Gainesville with a bang by knocking off a top-10 Utah team at home in their opening weekend tilt, and it looked like Anthony Richardson was going to be a true Heisman contender. But they limped to the finish line, losing five of their final seven games, including against a sadsack Vanderbilt team that had no business being within two touchdowns of the Gators.
Napier also did a good job on the trial, landing a top-15 class littered with four stars despite the messy Jaden Rashada situation, and has the Gators poised for a very strong 2024 class behind five-star quarterback DJ Lagway.
Yet, the Gators’ starting quarterback this fall is more than likely going to be Graham Mertz, and if you ask anyone who watched the Wisconsin Badgers over the past three years, they’ll tell you that it’s going to be a rollercoaster at best. Because of the lack of a true option behind center, it’s far more likely that Napier ends up with a losing record in 2023 than Cristobal.
But even if they had similar quarterbacks this fall, I still think that Napier is under more pressure. Cristobal is the prodigal son, and he will get more benefit of the doubt than Napier will this year. Throw in Napier’s lack of aplomb with the local media, and there’s a much larger chance that Napier is looking for a new gig at the end of the season than Cristobal.
