2025 College Football Thread

[MU82]

The Athletic says Matt Rhule is the #1 candidate for the Penn State opening.

He played linebacker at Penn State in the 1990s and has always loved his alma mater. He also worked under Kraft at Temple, where Rhule went from two wins to 10 wins in three years. Then at Baylor, Rhule turned a one-win team into 11 wins and went to the NFL. Things didn't go well with the Carolina Panthers, but Rhule appears to be turning the corner at Nebraska too, as he's 5-1 in his third season. Rhule and Kraft still vacation together. He's the top name to watch for many obvious reasons.

They also mention Cignetti, Kelly, Iowa State's Campbell, Kiffin, Mizzou's Drinkwitz, SMU's Lashlee, Tulane's Sumrall, Duke's Diaz, Minnesota's Fleck, Syracuse's Brown, Kansas' Leipold and TAMU's Elko. That's a lot of mentions!

[The Sultan]

I forgot that Rhule played there...

That makes a lot of sense. Someone who knows the place and all its quirks, but who has also been a lot of places where he can see how it works.

Hopefully he won't get dragged into the great Joe Pa bronze statue debate.

[WhiteTrash]

You have to put in a call to Billy Donovan, don't you?

Also, it feels like Buzz has been at Maryland forever for him; you have to ask, right?

[Pakuni]

Also, it feels like Buzz has been at Maryland forever for him; you have to ask, right?

Buzz will be at Maryland for as long as they'll have him.

[cheebs09]

Buzz will be at Maryland for as long as they'll have him.

Like Dwight Schrute, Buzz values loyalty. If there's a place that values his loyalty more than anywhere else, he will be there.

[WhiteTrash]

Like Dwight Schrute, Buzz values loyalty. If there's a place that values his loyalty more than anywhere else, he will be there.

"Get busy leaving, or get busy dying."

[MU82]

In The Athletic's "hot seat" check, here's what they said about Fickell:

Things have gotten much worse in Madison. After winning the first two games against Group of 5 opponents, the Badgers have lost four in a row to Alabama, Maryland, Michigan and Iowa by at least two touchdowns. Iowa brutalized the Badgers 37-0 at Camp Randall Stadium after Fickell played the revenge card following last year's blowout loss against the Hawkeyes. It was their first home shutout loss in 45 years.

After the game, Fickell said, "That's as low as it can be. I apologize," adding that he was "dumbfounded." The Badgers have been outscored 74-7 in the first halves of the past four games. Fickell, who did an excellent job at Cincinnati, is 15-17 at a program where Paul Chryst was fired after going 67-26 overall and 43-18 in the Big Ten. And it's likely to get uglier. Wisconsin's next two games are vs. No. 1 Ohio State and then at No. 8 Oregon. They also visit No. 3 Indiana. The combined record of the Badgers' remaining six opponents is 31-6. His buyout is around $28 million. That's a lot, but it's hard to see Wisconsin giving him much more time.

Temperature check: White hot

[JWags85]

I have zero sadness about Badger football falling on his face, but its probably a very accurate and concerning parallel for Penn State's current situation, assuming they don't knock the next hire out of the park.  Chryst wasn't gonna win at Natty or reliably knock off the best of the B10 East, but that was likely more on Wisconsin's limitations as a program than the coach.  So they moved on and it got much worse.

Meanwhile, Franklin was much more successful and had a higher ceiling, but Penn St thought they needed more.

[The Sultan]

As I said before, Wisconsin has to figure out what to do with McIntosh first. I don't think anyone trusts him to do the next hire.

[RJax55]

As I said before, Wisconsin has to figure out what to do with McIntosh first. I don't think anyone trusts him to do the next hire.

Would have to imagine he's gone given that Fickell was his move. It will be a miracle if the Badgers win four games.

[The Sultan]

It comes down to a few things. Can UW afford both payouts? Can they afford NOT to pay them out? Does the Chancellor want Mac gone? Are donors putting pressure on her?

It isn't an exaggeration that UW athletics right now is at their greatest inflection point since Donna Shalala fired Ade Sponberg and hired Pat Richter back in 1989.

[Uncle Rico]

It comes down to a few things. Can UW afford both payouts? Can they afford NOT to pay them out? Does the Chancellor want Mac gone? Are donors putting pressure on her?

It isn't an exaggeration that UW athletics right now is at their greatest inflection point since Donna Shalala fired Ade Sponberg and hired Pat Richter back in 1989.

They just don't have the money!  Wanking motion

[The Lens]

1) Every program should take a long look at Lance Leipold, including Penn State

2) Fickell was a homerun hire, no one was complaining when he was brought in.  You can certainly question his offense but at the press conference Badger Nation thought McIntosh got the guy. What needs to be determined is why he failed?  Something tells me the athletic department has more holes then they want to admit. They have been known to be cheap with assistant pay --- where does the rest of the program rank with regards to recruiting, recruit experience, facilities, culture, routines, the NIL collective etc. I am of the opinion it is not just Fickell to blame.

[CreightonWarrior]

Horrible luck with QB injuries didn't help him. The Longo hire in hindsight was also terrible.

[The Sultan]

1) Every program should take a long look at Lance Leipold, including Penn State

2) Fickell was a homerun hire, no one was complaining when he was brought in.  You can certainly question his offense but at the press conference Badger Nation thought McIntosh got the guy. What needs to be determined is why he failed?  Something tells me the athletic department has more holes then they want to admit. They have been known to be cheap with assistant pay --- where does the rest of the program rank with regards to recruiting, recruit experience, facilities, culture, routines, the NIL collective etc. I am of the opinion it is not just Fickell to blame.

1. I think Leipold has topped out at Kansas. The last couple seasons have been pretty mediocre. I know it's Kansas, but schools like Penn State are going to want a better track record than that.

2. They are cheap with assistant pay and their NIL is way lower than it should be.

[Uncle Rico]

Horrible luck with QB injuries didn't help him. The Longo hire in hindsight was also terrible.

It was a terrible hire at the time.  The air raid was never going to work at Wisconsin.  Wisconsin built its program on winning in the trenches.  The offensive line required to run the air raid is a completely different type of lineman.  Instead of road graders, you needed lighter on your feet and agile o-linemen.  It's a subtle difference but one that meant an overhaul of the type of linemen you had on campus.  That's 2-3 years to flip your recruiting to get old on the line.  You can use the portal but even that has limited options for that type of offense.

Secondly, the state of Wisconsin is not developing those type of linemen at the high school level.  Wisconsin sealed the state largely and kept their best linemen home.  Those type of linemen no longer fit the Badgers offense.  It was the decision that set this whole debacle in motion.

Modernizing the offense was fine in the sense what you needed was a legit dual threat QB, something Wisconsin just could never recruit.  A threat at QB to run with the backs they annually had and that line would have modernized the offense.  I'm not talking Kyler Murray here but someone with at least a whiff of running capability.

Include in that finding receivers with NFL potential.  Wisconsin annually had dudes that fit the bill going back to Barry.  Chryst whiffed there.  A lot of the modernizing complaints dry up if you recruit some good wideouts.

Fickell was doomed the day he hired Longo and if McIntosh knew this was the plan, it's so blindingly stupid, I wouldn't let him anywhere near the next hire.

[JWags85]

1. I think Leipold has topped out at Kansas. The last couple seasons have been pretty mediocre. I know it's Kansas, but schools like Penn State are going to want a better track record than that.

He's a very good coach, but I agree.  And he's on the wrong side of 60 to not be an his apex.  Cignetti was in his early 60s as well when he got hired at Indiana, but he was white hot at JMU.

I think Leipold got screwed a bit by Jalon Daniels, but his recruiting also hasn't been good enough.

Then again, Wisconsin could do way worse if he wanted to come back to the state.

[Pakuni]

Horrible luck with QB injuries didn't help him. The Longo hire in hindsight was also terrible.

Horrible ability to recruit more than one quarterback or develop a capable backup didn't help him either.

[PointWarrior]

Fickell won pre-NIL with great assistants (Marcus Freeman among others), a weak conference schedule, a very good QB (Desmond Ridder) and Sauce Gardner on D.


He has none of those with him at Bucky, including NIL money apparently. 

[Hards Alumni]

1) Every program should take a long look at Lance Leipold, including Penn State

2) Fickell was a homerun hire, no one was complaining when he was brought in.  You can certainly question his offense but at the press conference Badger Nation thought McIntosh got the guy. What needs to be determined is why he failed?  Something tells me the athletic department has more holes then they want to admit. They have been known to be cheap with assistant pay --- where does the rest of the program rank with regards to recruiting, recruit experience, facilities, culture, routines, the NIL collective etc. I am of the opinion it is not just Fickell to blame.

100%  and that is on the AD.

[Billy Hoyle]

cross Cignetti off PSU's list. It's a good thing IU laid off all of those athletic staffers:

https://x.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1978919517087764486

[Pakuni]

cross Cignetti off PSU's list. It's a good thing IU laid off all of those athletic staffers:

https://x.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1978919517087764486

Zero chance they come to regret this.
Signed,
Texas A&M
Michigan State

(He is a good coach, but I'd be surprised if the current run of success is sustainable. That's a big pay day for a guy who's beaten two ranked teams ever, one of which is no longer ranked.)

[tower912]

Google him.

[Billy Hoyle]

Zero chance they come to regret this.
Signed,
Texas A&M
Michigan State

(He is a good coach, but I'd be surprised if the current run of success is sustainable. That's a big pay day for a guy who's beaten two ranked teams ever, one of which is no longer ranked.)

It's Indiana. It's Indiana.

Mark Cuban made his first major donation to IU athletics and "bonded with Cignetti." My guess is all of the contract is being funded by Cuban.

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/mark-cuban-told-cbs-sports-he-gave-big-number-donation-to-iu-athletics/

[wadesworld]

Why not if you're Cuban?  And if you're Indiana and Cuban is funding it, even more why not?