National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance, ranking the ACC top-tier defensive lines for next season, some Big 12 coaches under pressure, and the coaching debate — Kirby Smart vs. Dabo Swinney.
Best ACC Defensive Lines
— We roll onto the ACC for top-tier defensive lines and there aren’t a ton of surprises here.
1. Florida State
— Jared Verse is the best rush end in the conference and there is solid depth up front. This should be a strength for the Seminoles.
2. Clemson
— Ruke Orhorhoro and Tyler Davis are one of the best DT duos in the nation and they just need an EDGE to emerge (Xavier Thomas finally?).
3. Miami
— Leonard Taylor is elite and Akheem Mesidor should have a breakout season.
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4. Pitt
— They lose a lot but I’m not betting against them as they’ve produced linemen consistently and are always near the top in sacks.
5. Louisville
— Jermayne Lole is a nice addition and Ashton Gillotte is a name many don’t know but soon will.
Big XII Coaches Under Pressure
— Hot Seats in the Big 12? There’s only one. But coaches under pressure? There are some names beyond Neal Brown.
1. Neal Brown, West Virginia
— I’m surprised he survived another season and it probably wasn’t the smart choice as this leads to a bad situation. If he surprises and goes 8-4 they stick with him and then what? And when he doesn’t he’s gone. He’s a dead man walking.
2. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
— 6-7 isn’t acceptable in Norman at all. He won’t be fired with another bad year but trust me he’s under a big microscope internally. Is he over his head?
3. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
— Sark is close to breaking through and that’s a big deal the year before the SEC move. But what now? After a 8-5 season the fans and boosters now want a Big 12 title.
The Coach Debate: Kirby Smart vs. Dabo Swinney
— And we continue the coaching debate with a big one. Kirby vs. Dabo.
The case for Smart:
The Dawgs just became the first team to win back-to-back titles in nearly 30 years, and they did it with relative ease. And at this point, it’s hard to argue that Smart isn’t the best recruiter in the country, especially when it comes to stocking linemen on both sides of the ball. If UGA wins three of the next five titles – which is not too far of a stretch of the imagination – we could be talking about Smart’s Georgia squads as one of the greatest runs of all time.
The case against Smart:
UGA has had effectively zero competition in the East over the past handful of seasons. So although Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina have made more than a little progress, we haven’t truly seen the Dawgs tested in a few years outside of when they meet Alabama.
The case for Swinney:
Simply put, after Nick Saban, you can make a case that Swinney is the best coach of the past 15 years. He’s made six CFP appearances, four title games, and won two championships in the nine years of the College Football Playoff’s existence. Swinney has produced a litany of All-Americans on both sides of the ball, and they became one of the most dominant teams in college football under his guidance.
The case against Swinney:
His stubbornness to stick with DJ Uiagalelei the past two seasons despite mediocre at best results is a bit puzzling. A very vocal critic of the portal, Swinney is also losing out on opportunities to improve his team every year because of his refusal to truly engage with the new norm of college football.
The verdict:
Right now, there’s not a better coach in college football than Kirby Smart. So even though Swinney is a top-3 coach in his own right, Kirby’s recent success and superiority on the recruiting trail make him the pick.
