By Dan Zealley
1. Ryan Day-Ohio State (Entering his 7th year at OSU)
Overall Record: 70-10
Ryan Day spent time at Temple and Boston College as an assistant before going to the NFL as a QB coach
at Philadelphia and San Francisco. He returned to college as co-offensive coordinator at Ohio State in
2017. When Urban Meyer retired after the 2018 season, Day was named his successor. The Buckeyes
went 12-0 in his first year and made the college football playoff, but lost to Clemson in the semi-finals.
Day had taken Ohio State to the CFP three times in five years under his tenure before 2024. Even though
they lost to the team up north, the Buckeyes made the expanded CFP in 2024. They beat Tennessee,
Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame and Day finally got his national championship.
2. Dan Lanning-Oregon (Entering his 4th year at Oregon)
Overall Record: 35-6
Dan Lanning spent time as an assistant at Pittsburgh, Arizona State, Sam Houston State, Alabama, and
Memphis before going to Georgia. Lanning came to Eugene in 2022 after three years as Georgia’s
defensive coordinator. He led the Bulldog defense to the 2021 national championship in his final year in
Athens. Oregon went 22-5 in his first two seasons before they moved to the Big Ten in 2024. The Ducks
are coming off an undefeated 2024 regular season, a Big Ten championship, and a college football
playoff berth. They entered the playoff as the number one seed before falling to eventual national
champion Ohio State.
3. James Franklin-Penn State (Entering 12th year at PSU)
Overall Record: 125–57
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James Franklin came to Penn State in 2014 after three seasons as head coach at Vanderbilt. The
Commodores went 9-4 each of his last two years there and won a bowl game each of those years. Penn
State is 101–42 in 11 seasons under the direction of Franklin. The Nittany Lions have made a bowl game
in every one of those seasons. The expanded playoff couldn’t come soon enough for Franklin and Penn
State. They had spent seasons just missing out on the CFP. In 2024, Penn State went 11-1 in the regular
season and made it to the Big Ten championship. They were selected as an at-large team to the CFP and
had wins against SMU and Boise State before losing to Notre Dame in the semi-finals.
4. Kirk Ferentz-Iowa (Entering his 27th year at Iowa)
Overall Record: 216–145
Kirk Ferentz is the longest-tenured head coach in college football. He was head coach at Maine from
1990–1992, before spending six seasons as an assistant in the NFL with Cleveland and Baltimore. Ferentz
was named Iowa’s head coach in 1999. The Hawkeye’s are 204–124 since he took over and have won
the Big Ten twice. They have a 10-11 record in bowls. In 2015, Iowa went 12-0 in the regular season but
lost their final two games to finish ninth in the AP poll. 2009 was their most successful season under
Ferentz. They went 11-2, won the Orange Bowl, and finished seventh in the AP Poll. In 2024, Iowa went
6-3 in the now 18-team, division-less Big Ten and finished fifth in the conference.
5. Lincoln Riley-USC (Entering his 4th year at USC)
Overall Record: 81–24
Lincoln Riley had a very successful head coaching stint at Oklahoma from 2017–2021. During that time
he led the Sooners to three Big 12 championships and three college football playoff berths. Riley
shocked the college football world in 2022 by accepting the job at USC and bringing his quarterback,
Caleb Williams with him. The Trojans went 8-1 in the regular season and finished first in the Pac-12
South in his first year. Riley is 26–14 at USC in three seasons. The Trojans are coming off a
disappointing 2024 season where they went 4-5 in their first year in the Big Ten, but they did end the
year on a high note and a Las Vegas Bowl victory.
