Insider notebook: New CFP may delay coaching carousel, opposing coach says Manning ‘even better’ than Ewers

A final offering of news and notes you need to know as Week 4’s action-packed, star-studded slate gets underway in earnest. Topics we cover in this week’s college football insider notebook:

• The impact the expanded College Football Playoff will have on the coaching carousel and what that means for Florida as it potentially pursues big names like Lane Kiffin, Eli Drinkwitz and James Franklin, who could all be in the CFP. 
• There is immense respect for what Quinn Ewers has done at Texas, but there’s also undeniable buzz about Arch Manning … even the way he carries himself in warmups.
• USC’s defensive improvements in the spotlight Saturday against Michigan. 
• What Tennessee, Ole Miss have in common with title hopes soaring
• Three questions with internet sensation (and ULM QB) General Booty, who faces Manning on Saturday
• Why Washington State and Colorado coaches have drawn positive buzz
• Updates on athletic director searches at South Carolina, Rutgers and Pitt

Expanded CFP likely to delay carousel

Ahead of a wild coaching carousel in late 2021, Luke Fickell looked poised to have his pick. 

Fickell was one of the hottest names in the country in a year where premier jobs such as LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oklahoma and USC all opened up. Notre Dame, specifically, was a serious possibility as a potential next step for him.

Yet, at the end, Fickell was still coaching his Cincinnati Bearcats. 

The reason was that Cincinnati made the four-team College Football Playoff that year, the first Group of Five team to do so, and Fickell had no interest in leaving his program in the middle of a playoff run. That desire to wait until after his season didn’t line up with the timelines of those hiring schools, even if some would have loved to hire Fickell. 

One Power Four athletic director referenced the Fickell situation to CBS Sports this week as a preview of what could come in this hiring cycle, especially heading into this first season of the expanded 12-team CFP. Due to the college football calendar, the transfer portal and an accelerated recruiting timeline, it’s even harder now for ADs to wait on a top candidate, which has led to questions around the industry about the possible impact of expanded playoff on the coaching cycle. The early signing period is two weeks earlier this year, starting on Dec. 4. Then the transfer portal window opens the following week on Dec. 9. 

There will be real pressure to have your head coach in place before then, which would make it difficult to wait on one of the 12 head coaches with a team in the College Football Playoff that begins Dec. 20 this year. 

“People don’t give you any time any more because of how the transfer portal works and playing immediately,” a Group of Five AD told CBS Sports. “People think like the NFL you ought to be able to go from awful to great in a year.”

The majority of the industry sources CBS Sports surveyed, including agents and athletic directors, believe schools won’t be able to wait for a head coach that has a team in the playoff. To be clear, this won’t impact most of the jobs that could come open this cycle but is going to increasingly be a discussion point if/when Florida fires head coach Billy Napier.

The names getting the most industry talk with a potential Florida opening are Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Penn State’s James Franklin. They could all make the CFP this season. Do you wait for them? Can you afford to? No coach is going to leave his program while it is still in the playoff hunt. One Power Four AD said for higher-end schools it could be similar to what college basketball programs deal with conducting a search during the NCAA Tournament. 

It’s one reason why, for as much building pressure there is from the Florida fanbase to see a coaching change, there is little incentive for Florida AD Scott Stricklin to make a move right now. It could take until mid-November for Stricklin to have a real sense of who might be available and who might be facing timeline issues associated with a playoff run. There is value in getting a headstart on your coaching search, but if you’ve determined you really want one of those big names, you’ll likely have to wait and see how their seasons play out. 

“I think you’ve got to take your time to get the right person,” a second Power Four AD told CBS Sports. “I don’t think you go to plan B or C just because somebody’s in the playoff. I think you’ve got to just take your time and do it right. It’s too important.”

Opposing coach on Arch Manning: ‘Even better than Ewers?’

Back in 2022, Colorado State opened the season against the pre-national championship Michigan team that eventually lost to TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

After facing Texas in this year’s season-opener, there was an element of the Longhorns that reminded a Rams defensive staffer of that 2022 Michigan squad.

“The Michigan team that we played and the Texas team we played, I thought both of the best quarterbacks were sitting on the sideline,” that Colorado State defensive staffer told CBS Sports after the game vs. Texas.

In 2022, the quarterback on the sideline for Michigan was JJ McCarthy, who ended up overtaking Cade McNamara as the Wolverines’ starter one game later. For Texas, the QB he was referencing is the well-known redshirt freshman now set to make his career start tomorrow against Louisiana-Monroe in place of an injured Quinn Ewers: Arch Manning. 

Even before Manning’s ridiculous five touchdown performance vs. UTSA last week, it was clear to that Colorado State defensive staffer that Manning is, simply put, a big-time talent. While his comment may come across as a slight towards Ewers, a Heisman candidate with a chance to be the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it more speaks to the special and unique characteristics Manning possesses that were apparent to this Colorado State staffer even during pre-game warm-ups.

“When you see him throw the ball, you could see him throw it in warm-ups and it’s like: Oh my God, that’s different,” the Colorado State defensive staffer said. “I think the arm strength is probably different. I think also the running ability and the savviness. There’s also a way guys carry themselves that it’s just like, yeah, he’s a little bit different. Ewers carries himself kind of like a regular dude. That dude (Manning) carries himself like: I’m the best thing since sliced bread. And the way he warms up and his arm strength and he can run and he’s bigger and his frame, I think it’s all of it. Just being around football for so long, you kind of have a feel for like, man, that dude is not like everybody else and I think that dude is even better than Ewers.”

Against Colorado State, Manning completed five of six passes for 95 yards and a touchdown and added another touchdown via QB sneak. 

To be clear, this isn’t going to be a repeat of 2022 Michigan. Ewers will be back as the starter for Texas once he’s back healthy. However, opposing coaches are realizing more and more each week that Texas is in great shape at the QB position beyond just this season and that this other Longhorns QB is deserving of the hype thanks to much more than just his last name.

Texas two-step: Comparing Ewers, Manning 

How D’Anton Lynn has transformed USC’s defense

It would be hard to find an offseason assistant coach hire that’s been more immediately impactful than USC’s addition of D’Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator.

Lynn is not only emerging as an early Broyles Award contender but he’s helping to change the outlook for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans following USC’s disappointing 8-5 finish last season. After the Trojans ranked 121st nationally in defense last year while allowing 34.4 points per game, this new-look group led by Lynn has allowed just 20 total points through USC’s 2-0 start. The Trojans got their first shutout since 2011 in their most recent game, a 48-0 win over Utah State in Week 2, which was after USC allowed only two touchdowns in a 27-20 season-opening victory over then-No. 13 LSU.

It was the fewest points given up by the Trojans vs. a top-15 opponent since 2018.

“The defense through the first two games plays with a lot of awareness and they seem to have more aggression than what was seen in years past,” an opposing team staffer said. “I’d say the secondary is also playing at a really high level too. A lot of talented athletes back there.”

It comes after Lynn, who worked in the NFL from 2014 through 2022, improved UCLA from 90th nationally in scoring defense in 2022 to 14th last season during his one season with the Bruins. Now Lynn, a former Penn State defensive back and the son of longtime NFL coach Anthony Lynn, is making an immediate impact for a different LA team heading into USC’s top-20 road showdown against No. 18 Michigan (3:30 p.m., CBS). 

USC’s defensive points per game decrease from 34.4 to 10 in one season is the second-largest decrease in college football the last two seasons (-24.4). 

Trojans’ trajectory under new DC

“D’Anton is incredibly composed. Doesn’t get too high or too low,” a USC source said. “Puts personnel in the best possible position to be effective. The guys really believe in him and play hard for him.”

While USC does enter Saturday’s matchup against Michigan allowing an average of six yards per play on first-and-10s, the Trojans are ranked 10th nationally on defense in the EPA advanced metric that factors in criteria such as down-and-distance, field position and time remaining in the game.

One of the notable improvements has been on third downs. After ranking 109th nationally in third-down defense last year with an opponent success rate of 44 percent, USC ranks 31st this season with an opponent success rate of just 29 percent.

The next test now will be a one-dimensional Wolverines offense breaking in a new starting quarterback and averaging only 21 points per game on offense despite two of their first three games being against Group of Five opponents.

3 questions with Louisiana Monroe QB General Booty

A transfer from OU, Booty and the Warhawks play at No. 1 Texas on Saturday

1. What was it like being in that Oklahoma quarterback room with Dillon Gabriel and Jackson Arnold, and how competitive was it?

Booty: “It was a great time. I’m still super close and talk to those guys every week and try to watch their games when I can. Dillon was obviously the vet in the room, and me and Jackson learned a ton from him in how he approached the game, how he prepared and even on gameday. It was very cool to be around him and learn all that. 

“Jackson came in a year after me so we had a really good relationship and were closer in age. We had a really close, tight room. Obviously a lot of competition when we stepped onto the field and went to practice, but we were all still super close and that’s probably not true about a lot of quarterback rooms.”

2. The Internet is obsessed with you. How has that translated to NIL and what’s it like to be on the receiving end of that on social media?

Booty: “I try not to be on social media too much during the season but definitely some different stuff *laughs* being said there when I do look. It’s pretty cool to be a part of something and not just for my play on the field, but for my unique name and being able to use that as well. 

“We talk about guys getting NIL deals and stuff you see on social media all the time – Lamborghini and car companies – but there’s also a lot of guys out there who don’t get the recognition who have given a lot back to the community they’re from or even where they’re at in college. I had the chance to do that while I was in Norman, Oklahoma and it was really cool to see how many people we could affect and bring the community together. That was something that was really fun for me and could also help them out.”

3. You and Arch Manning both come from famous Louisiana sports families. It’s not head-to-head but what’s it like to go up against Arch this weekend knowing the long ties between the families?

Booty: “It’s cool. My uncle, Josh, came out the same time as Peyton (Manning) and was actually ranked higher coming out of high school as a quarterback. My dad being the only receiver in the family and Arch’s dad being the only receiver in his family with great quarterbacks. Being from Louisiana and both having a name known for football is cool. I’ve seen him coming up and think it’s pretty cool we get to play him for his first start. I’m sure his family will be there, my family will be there. 

“Like you said it’s not me versus him, it’s ULM versus UT, but it’ll be fun.” 

The game-changing commonality with Tennessee, Ole Miss

During Lane Kiffin’s first season at Ole Miss in 2020, there were two separate games during which the Rebels scored 48 points and yet still lost, including one against Nick Saban and Alabama.

A lot’s changed since then. Not just for Kiffin and Ole Miss but also in a similar way for one of his SEC head coach counterparts, Tennessee’s Josh Heupel. Both still have offenses that rank among the best in the nation — in fact, the Vols and Rebels are currently No. 1 and No. 2 nationally in scoring offense — but industry sources mentioned a common theme with both this week that make each more capable of competing for a national title this season compared to a few years ago: Significantly improved defenses that are now paired with those high-powered offenses.

Under former Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding, Ole Miss improved to sixth in the SEC in scoring defense last season. Now, the Rebels — as crazy as this may have been to project back in 2020 — are tied with Ohio State for No. 1 nationally in scoring defense. Ole Miss is yet to allow a touchdown and held fellow Power Four opponent Wake Forest to just two field goals in a 40-6 victory last week.

As for Tennessee, defensive coordinator Tim Banks has improved the Vols from 12th in the SEC in scoring defense during Heupel’s first season in Knoxville in 2021 to sixth in 2022, third last year and now second behind only the Rebels this season. Heading into its top-15 matchup against Oklahoma, the Vols’ defense — like Ole Miss — has yet to surrender a touchdown this year. The only TD given up by Tennessee came on a pick-six during the Vols’ 51-10 win over NC State in Week 2. Tennessee shut out Kent State during a 71-0 victory last week.

Two coaching units who have impressed observers

Washington State’s entire staff, led by HC Jake Dickert

Washington State may not be a power conference team anymore, but that hasn’t stopped the Cougars from holding their own against power conference opponents.

During Washington State’s 3-0 start, the two most recent wins have come against P4 opponents, including a 24-19 victory against rival Washington and a 37-16 win over Texas Tech. The work being done by head coach Jake Dickert and his staff isn’t going unnoticed among peers around the coaching world.

Dickert started to emerge as a hot name in the coaching space early last year before a 1-7 finish for the Cougars. Now, that buzz is starting to pick up again for the Wisconsin native, who was Washington State’s defensive coordinator in 2020 and early 2021 before getting bumped up to interim head coach and eventually landing the job on a full-time basis.

“He’s cut from that North Dakota State tree, man,” an opposing team official said. “That tree, if you were a part of that staff that was under Craig Bohl and Chris Kleiman, you know how to f—– coach ball. … That tree was the FCS version of Nick Saban’s tree at Alabama that had Kirby (Smart) and all them on it. If anybody’s from around that tree, they’re f—— elite ball coaches and they can do it and win in obscure places with not a lot of resources.”

Dickert’s coordinators, OC Ben Arbuckle and DC Jeff Schmedding, have both drawn unprompted praise from opposing team staffers as well.

Texas Tech expected to create issues for Arbuckle, who helped current Miami star QB Cam Ward rank fourth nationally in passing last season at Washington State, by dropping eight players into coverage. Instead, he adjusted his approach and produced five touchdowns and 301 rushing yards, including 197 from quarterback John Mateer.

“This guy who’s a natural-born diehard Air Raid guy said: ‘OK, they’re dropping eight. I’m not just going to be stubborn and die and lose this game. We’re going to go QB run and zone-read and RPO the rest of the game and we’re going to win this football game,’” a Texas Tech source said. “And that’s what they did and won the game. He adapted. He made a change before our defensive coordinator caught on and made a change.”

As for Schmedding, who was the defensive coordinator at Auburn prior to Washington State, he not only held Texas Tech to 16 points but essentially left the Red Raiders with eight turnovers in that game (two interceptions, two lost fumbles and four fourth-down stops). He then led the way for a Cougars’ defensive effort that was key in the win over Washington, holding the Huskies without a touchdown during the game’s final 53 minutes and securing a late stop on fourth-and-goal from Washington State’s 2-yard line that essentially sealed the win.

Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston

While the main Colorado headlines are about a combination of Deion Sanders, his sons and Travis Hunter, the work of new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston has been encouraging for people around the Buffaloes program. 

Sanders made a splash when he hired Livingston this past season after he spent the last eight seasons as a defensive backs coach with the Cincinnati Bengals and he shared strong public praise on Livingston multiple times during the buildup to the season. And while NFL scouts view Hunter as the only surefire draft pick on this Colorado defense, there’s been clear improvement under Livingston these past couple weeks, which is key for Colorado as it gets set for its Big 12 opener vs. Baylor tomorrow.

The Buffaloes held Colorado State to just three points through 50 minutes of a 28-9 win over the Rams last week, just a year after Colorado State scored 35 points in its near-upset of Colorado. While Nebraska did score 28 points in a 28-10 win over Colorado in Week 2, one of those touchdowns came from the Cornhuskers’ defense. Nebraska finished with a modest 334 yards and without a point in the second half.

“Thought they were more sound this year and more aggressive,” an opposing coach said. “Linebackers play very well and play downhill. Secondary is very aggressive in their man coverage.”

Updates on the Power Four athletic director openings

Gamecocks not lacking options

Long-time South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner announced a week ago he’d be stepping down and transitioning into a new “senior advisor” university role once his successor is hired. 

It’s very early in the process but there’s considerable interest in the position. The candidate pool will depend on how much South Carolina is willing to spend, but industry sources told CBS Sports to expect both Power Four and Group of Five athletic directors to be interested in guiding the SEC school’s athletic department.

At the Group of Five level, there are a number of highly-regarded ADs with ties to the state that’d make sense. Toledo AD Bryan Blair, fresh off his football program’s win over Mississippi State, is a popular name and previously worked there. Army AD Mike Buddie, a former Wake Forest baseball player, is well thought of within the industry and previously worked as Furman‘s AD. 

Other options with SEC experience include Arkansas State AD Jeff Purinton, Florida Atlantic AD Brian White, Georgia Southern AD Jared Benko, Texas-Arlington AD Jon Fagg, Tennessee deputy AD/CRO Ryan Alpert (a school alumnus) and LSU executive deputy AD Keli Zinn. 

The last three SEC AD jobs that opened up show the different directions South Carolina can go. Missouri went the Group of Five AD route (Memphis‘ Laird Veatch), Mississippi State went the rising Power Four deputy AD (Oklahoma’s Zac Selmon) and Auburn swiped an AD from within the conference when it hired Mississippi State’s John Cohen. 

If South Carolina wanted to follow Auburn’s lead, multiple sources suggested Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek as a name that’d make sense. Yurachek has been in the mix for a couple SEC jobs while at Arkansas — he turned down Auburn and was mentioned with Texas A&M — and has ties to the area as a former Coastal Carolina AD. Yurachek is respected nationally and earned major kudos for landing John Calipari to replace Eric Musselman. It’d take a significant financial commitment to make it worth Yurachek’s while, but a fresh start at a new school could be appealing. It’d also reunite him with his son, Ryan, who serves as an assistant tight ends coach under Shane Beamer. 

“If I’m Hunter, I 100 percent do it,” one industry source said. 

If South Carolina is willing to spend big money and run a targeted search, there are multiple ACC and Big 12 ADs with SEC experience that could make sense, too. 

Rutgers won’t move quickly

Rutgers president Jonathan Holloway’s decision to step down at the end of the year is expected to slow down the school’s AD search. The feeling within the industry is that this could help interim AD Ryan Pisarri’s chances at landing the permanent job, though the school has promised to run a national search for both its president and AD vacancies. Previous AD Pat Hobbs resigned unexpectedly before the football season began. 

What’s next for Pitt

Pittsburgh has hired a search firm to help it find a replacement for Heather Lyke. Among the names that could make sense is Western Michigan AD Dan Bartholomae, who previously worked as a deputy AD at Pitt under previous AD Scott Barnes. It was a surprise to many when Pitt fired Lyke a few weeks ago, citing the need for a new vision.