Speaking of miracles, Kentucky justbeat an SEC opponent by 31 points. Oy vey,Florida Gators. Oh, and Wisconsin won a Big Ten game in which its punter totaled as many passing yards as the three quarterbacks the Badgers tried.
7 years: Tyson Helton has been head coach at Western Kentucky since 2019 with a 55-34 record (.618) and six bowl appearances.
(Helen Comer/The Daily News Journal)
7 years: Chris Klieman has been head coach at Kansas State since 2019 with a 52-33 record (.612) and five bowl appearances.
(Patrick Mulligan, Getty Images)
7 years: Mike Locksley has been head coach at Maryland since 2019 with a 36-40 record (.474), not including his 1-5 stint as interim coach in 2015. He's lead the Terrapins to three bowl games.
(Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images)
8 years: Ryan Day has been head coach at Ohio State since 2018 with a 78-10 record (.886), six postseason berths, including the 2024 national championship.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)
9 years: Justin Wilcox has been head coach at Cal since 2017 with a 47-54 record (.465) and four bowl appearances.
(D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images)
9 years: P.J. Fleck has been head coach at Minnesota since 2017 with a 64-42 record (.604) and a 6-0 record in bowl games with the Gophers.
(Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)
10 years: Kelani Sitake has been head coach at BYU since 2016 with an 80-43 record (.650) and seven bowl appearances.
(Christian Petersen, Getty Images)
10 years: Kirby Smart has been head coach at Georgia since 2016 with a 112-20 record (.848), 10 postseason appearances and back-to-back national championships (2021-22).
(Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
10 years: Matt Campbell has been head coach at Iowa State since 2016 with a 69-55 record (.556) and seven bowl appearances.
(David Purdy, Getty Images)
10 years: Jason Candle has been head coach at Toledo since 2016 (he coached the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl) with a 77-44 record (.636) and seven bowl appearances (excluding the 2015 game as interim).
(Jordan Prather, Jordan Prather-Imagn Images)
11 years: Pat Narduzzi has been head coach at Pitt since 2015 with a 79-58 record and seven bowl appearances.
(James Gilbert, Getty Images)
12 years: Jeff Monken has been head coach at Army since 2014 with an 86-61 record (.585) with six bowl appearances.
(Danny Wild-Imagn Images)
12 years: Chris Creighton has been head coach at Eastern Michigan since 2014 with a 59-82 record (.418) and six bowl appearances.
(Jordan Prather-Imagn Images)
12 years: Chuck Martin has been head coach at Miami (Ohio) since 2014 with a 70-71 record (.496) and six bowl appearances.
(Chris Coduto, Getty Images)
13 years: Dave Doeren has been NC State head coach since 2013 with a 115-73 record (.612) and nine bowl appearances.
(Michael Caterina-Imagn Images)
13 years: Mark Stoops has been head coach at Kentucky since 2013 with an 80-78 record (.506) and eight bowl appearances.
(Jordan Prather-Imagn Images)
18 years: Dabo Swinney has been Clemson head coach since 2008 with a 183-52 record (.779), 17 postseason appearances, including 2016 and 2018 national championships.
(Ken Ruinard / Greenville News)
19 years: Troy Calhoun has been Air Force head coach since 2007 with a 137-95 record (.591) with 13 bowl appearances.
(Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)
22 years: Kyle Whittingham has been Utah's head coach since 2004 and has a 174-88 record (.664) with 17 bowl appearances.
(Ben Queen-Imagn Images)
27 years: Kirk Ferentz has been Iowa's head coach since 1999 with a 210-126 record (.625) and 22 bowl appearances.
(Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen)
1/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
7 years: Tyson Helton has been head coach at Western Kentucky since 2019 with a 55-34 record (.618) and six bowl appearances.
(Helen Comer/The Daily News Journal)
1/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
7 years: Tyson Helton has been head coach at Western Kentucky since 2019 with a 55-34 record (.618) and six bowl appearances.
(Helen Comer/The Daily News Journal)
2/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
7 years: Chris Klieman has been head coach at Kansas State since 2019 with a 52-33 record (.612) and five bowl appearances.
(Patrick Mulligan, Getty Images)
3/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
7 years: Mike Locksley has been head coach at Maryland since 2019 with a 36-40 record (.474), not including his 1-5 stint as interim coach in 2015. He's lead the Terrapins to three bowl games.
(Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images)
4/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
8 years: Ryan Day has been head coach at Ohio State since 2018 with a 78-10 record (.886), six postseason berths, including the 2024 national championship.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)
5/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
9 years: Justin Wilcox has been head coach at Cal since 2017 with a 47-54 record (.465) and four bowl appearances.
(D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images)
6/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
9 years: P.J. Fleck has been head coach at Minnesota since 2017 with a 64-42 record (.604) and a 6-0 record in bowl games with the Gophers.
(Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)
7/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
10 years: Kelani Sitake has been head coach at BYU since 2016 with an 80-43 record (.650) and seven bowl appearances.
(Christian Petersen, Getty Images)
8/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
10 years: Kirby Smart has been head coach at Georgia since 2016 with a 112-20 record (.848), 10 postseason appearances and back-to-back national championships (2021-22).
(Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
9/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
10 years: Matt Campbell has been head coach at Iowa State since 2016 with a 69-55 record (.556) and seven bowl appearances.
(David Purdy, Getty Images)
10/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
10 years: Jason Candle has been head coach at Toledo since 2016 (he coached the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl) with a 77-44 record (.636) and seven bowl appearances (excluding the 2015 game as interim).
(Jordan Prather, Jordan Prather-Imagn Images)
11/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
11 years: Pat Narduzzi has been head coach at Pitt since 2015 with a 79-58 record and seven bowl appearances.
(James Gilbert, Getty Images)
12/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
12 years: Jeff Monken has been head coach at Army since 2014 with an 86-61 record (.585) with six bowl appearances.
(Danny Wild-Imagn Images)
13/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
12 years: Chris Creighton has been head coach at Eastern Michigan since 2014 with a 59-82 record (.418) and six bowl appearances.
(Jordan Prather-Imagn Images)
14/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
12 years: Chuck Martin has been head coach at Miami (Ohio) since 2014 with a 70-71 record (.496) and six bowl appearances.
(Chris Coduto, Getty Images)
15/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
13 years: Dave Doeren has been NC State head coach since 2013 with a 115-73 record (.612) and nine bowl appearances.
(Michael Caterina-Imagn Images)
16/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
13 years: Mark Stoops has been head coach at Kentucky since 2013 with an 80-78 record (.506) and eight bowl appearances.
(Jordan Prather-Imagn Images)
17/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
18 years: Dabo Swinney has been Clemson head coach since 2008 with a 183-52 record (.779), 17 postseason appearances, including 2016 and 2018 national championships.
(Ken Ruinard / Greenville News)
18/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
19 years: Troy Calhoun has been Air Force head coach since 2007 with a 137-95 record (.591) with 13 bowl appearances.
(Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)
19/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
22 years: Kyle Whittingham has been Utah's head coach since 2004 and has a 174-88 record (.664) with 17 bowl appearances.
(Ben Queen-Imagn Images)
20/20
Who are the longest-tenured college football coaches? Take a look at the top 20
27 years: Kirk Ferentz has been Iowa's head coach since 1999 with a 210-126 record (.625) and 22 bowl appearances.
(Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen)
Is LSU still the best job on the market?
The fact this is even a question tells you how things are going on the bayou. Last week, an embarrassing round of "Who's on first?" unfolded asLSU President Wade Rousse struggled to explainwhether Verge Ausberry was or wasn't the Tigers athletic director.
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Ausberry went from interim AD to having theinterim tag removedto "acting AD" to, heck, I don't even know. He's running the coaching search, anyway.
"He's the best player in the country," Fisher said.
Totally appropriate for Fisher to stump for his quarterback, but Mendoza did not secure the Heisman by passing for 218 yards against woebegone Penn State.
Mendoza starred in Indiana's game-winning drive. Part of the reason Indiana needed a game-winning drive was because Mendoza struggled up to that point. His fourth-quarter interception allowed Penn State to take the lead, creating the need for a rally.
Meanwhile, at Ohio State, quarterback Julian Sayin is completing 80.9% of his passes. Calling that a video game completion rate overrates video gamers.
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Mendoza and Sayin remain top contenders for the Heisman, but the award is not won on the second Saturday in November. These teams are on a collision course for the Big Ten championship game. How Mendoza and Sayin fare head-to-head in that game — and how Sayin plays against Michigan the week before — will be particularly influential.
Also in the Heisman hunt are Vanderbilt's Pavia, Alabama'sTy Simpson, Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Texas A&M's Marcel Reed.
Can the Group of Five qualify two playoff teams?
Highly unlikely, but not impossible.
Remember, the playoff selection committee is not required to select each of the Power Four conference champions. It's only required to pick five conference champions. In other words, the committee could reject the ACC's champion in favor of a second Group of Five conference champion.
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Why would the committee reject the ACC's champion? Well, because four-loss Duke is very much alive in the ACC race for the conference title. The Blue Devils have losses to UConn, Tulane and Illinois but just one conference loss.
The American conference's champion retains the best track for a playoff spot from the Group of Five. If Duke emerges atop the ACC's stinking pile, theSunBelt's James Madison (8-1) could build a case for a second G5 spot at the expense of Duke.
The likelier outcome: A team other than Duke will win the ACC and secure the bid.
