National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance, ranking the Big Ten top tier defensive lines for next season, some SEC coaches under pressure and the coaching debate — Brian Kelly vs. Jim Harbaugh.
Best Big Ten Defensive Lines
— We move on to the defensive lines in the Power Five and rank the best in the Big Ten.
1. Ohio State
— There are so many potential NFL standouts on this line that it simply has to come together next season. JT Tuimoloau leads the way, but Michael Hall Jr. and Jack Sawyer aren’t far behind. This is elite-level talent.
2. Michigan
— Mazi Smith is gone, but Kris Jenkins should have a huge year, and transfer Josiah Stewart could be one of the best additions in the Big Ten.
3. Penn State
— Chop Robinson is one of the most gifted pass rushers in the country and Adisa Isaac and others should help one of the league’s most dangerous pass rushes.
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4. Illinois
— Never heard of Jer’Zhan Newton? You will as the NFL loves him. This group will be sneaky good.
5. Iowa
— As usual Phil Parker will have his defense ready, and this is a veteran unit led by Deontae Craig and Joe Evans.
SEC Coaches Under Pressure
— We move to the SEC to look at three coaches who will be under serious scrutiny this season and why.
1. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
— This is obvious as the 5-7 season last year was an embarrassment, and his contract is way too big to expect seasons like that. If he has another season anything like it, he’s gone, and I don’t care how much it costs.
2. Billy Napier, Florida
— He’s recruiting well, but a rough season one with a loss to Vanderbilt despite having a first-round QB is an issue. With a brutal schedule looming in 2024, he needs a big bridge year next season.
3. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
— 17-19 isn’t horrible in the SEC, but Barry Odom did better, and they ran him out of town. He needs a winning season this year, and eight wins could be the number.
The Coach Debate: Jim Harbaugh vs. Brian Kelly
— And finally, we continue the national coaching comparisons with Brian Kelly at LSU and Jim Harbaugh at Michigan.
The case for Harbaugh:
Everyone’s favorite khaki pants aficionado has turned a corner in Ann Arbor, making it to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. And perhaps even more importantly to the Maize and Blue, he has beaten Ohio State in consecutive seasons as well. This has also served the program well on the recruiting trail, as they have picked up a lot of steam, most notably five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis. The offensive line continues to be excellent, and they can bully almost everyone they play against.
The case against Harbaugh:
This man is still batting his eyes at the NFL every offseason, and it’s tiring. Additionally, the Wolverines have had a ton of staff turnover, some of which have been because of some more than questionable off-the-field problems. It hasn’t come back to bite them yet, but it more than likely will.
The case for Kelly:
Kelly wins everywhere he goes – from Grand Valley State to Central Michigan to Cincinnati to Notre Dame to LSU. He’s got a recipe that works no matter where he is. Now he has the most talented athletes he’s ever coached in Baton Rouge. But he even surprised even the most ardent Tigers fans by going 10-4 and beating Alabama in his inaugural season. LSU looks primed for an even bigger 2023 as well.
The case against Kelly:
A lot of Kelly’s schtick is, for lack of a better term, awkward. The Irish-Catholic Bostonian still doesn’t seem like the right cultural fight in Baton Rouge. And while he’s been doing a great job in the portal, the program as a whole still needs to prove that they can recruit year in and year out with the likes of Georgia and Alabama if they’re going to be a serious contender on an annual basis.
The verdict:
Kelly proved a ton during his first year at LSU – while the cupboard wasn’t bare by any means, it was not that of a 10-win team in the SEC West. So while Harbaugh has made huge strides in the past couple of seasons, the upside of Kelly’s Tigers teams is undoubtedly higher, so because of that, I’ll take Kelly by a nose here.
