{"id":253390,"date":"2025-10-26T21:18:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T21:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/253390\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T21:18:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T21:18:08","slug":"grading-second-year-college-football-coaches-from-mike-elko-to-curt-cignetti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/253390\/","title":{"rendered":"Grading Second-Year College Football Coaches, From Mike Elko to Curt Cignetti"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where counseling is available in the state of Colorado after the Buffaloes<\/a> and Rams lost by a combined 81-7 to neighboring rivals Utah and Wyoming on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Killing It<\/p>\n

Texas A&M (1). Whoever squashed the hiring of Mark Stoops two years ago deserves to have a football facility named after them. Torpedoing that attempted move paved the way for the Aggies to hit the home run that is Mike Elko, who is a mere 16\u20135 on the job\u2014most importantly 8\u20130 this season.<\/p>\n

By comparison, Stoops is 6\u201313 over the same span at Kentucky. Tougher job, sure, but he\u2019s lost his juice and it seems impossible that he would have done anywhere near as well as Elko has in College Station.<\/p>\n

After mauling LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday night<\/a>, A&M has one of the clearest College Football Playoff paths in the nation. The Aggies are 5\u20130 in the Southeastern Conference with remaining league games at Missouri on Saturday, where freshman quarterback Matt Zollers seems assured of making his first start for the Tigers<\/a>; home against South Carolina, which has lost five of its last six; and at Texas, which is experiencing extreme turbulence.<\/p>\n

Even if A&M loses one of those, a 7\u20131 team has a very good chance of making the SEC championship game. And the two teams in that game are definitely making the playoff.<\/p>\n

SI College Football Newsletter. Get SI’s College Football Newsletter. dark. FREE<\/p>\n

How have the Aggies gone from good to great year over year? The offense is much better in its second season under coordinator Collin Klein. Quarterback Marcel Reed is improved and enjoying the transfer portal additions of Mario Craver and KC Concepcion at receiver. Those two speed merchants have combined for 76 catches, 1,261 yards and 12 touchdowns, with Concepcion also housing two punt returns.<\/p>\n

Defensively, A&M is destroying opponents on third down. The Aggies have allowed just a 14.6% conversion rate in SEC games, by far the best in the league. It\u2019s no coincidence that they also lead the SEC in sacks by a wide margin with Cashius Howell racking up 9.5 already.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: Texas is vastly underperforming given preseason expectations, which is making this fall even more enjoyable for A&M fans. Major bonus points awarded.<\/p>\n

Indiana (2). With a 19\u20132 record, Curt Cignetti remains on track to be one of the greatest hires <\/a>in college football history. (We\u2019ll discuss that further in a subsequent Dash quarter.) Like Elko at A&M, Cignetti immediately improved the product, then took it up another level in Year 2.<\/p>\n

The 8\u20130 Hoosiers have excellent road victories over Oregon and Iowa, but they\u2019ve absolutely demolished opponents at home. The combined score of six home games: Indiana 313, Other Guys 49. That says Cignetti has accomplished the previously impossible, transforming Memorial Stadium from mausoleum into snake pit.<\/p>\n

Indiana\u2019s playoff path includes three road games, and it will catch Maryland on Saturday with the Terrapins coming off an open date. But the Hoosiers are likely to be heavily favored in all remaining contests\u2014and even if they finish 8\u20131 in the Big Ten, they are in great position to make the league title game with head-to-head wins over the Ducks and Hawkeyes.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: Purdue hasn\u2019t won a Big Ten game since Cig arrived. His power is unlimited.<\/p>\n

\"Indiana\u2019s<\/p>\n

Curt Cignetti\u2019s success in Bloomington resulted in a massive contract extension this month. \/ Rich Janzaruk\/Herald-Times \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Houston (3). Unlike the two guys above, Willie Fritz was not an instant winner upon arrival last year. But like the two guys above, he\u2019s cranked it up a level in Year 2.<\/p>\n

The Cougars were 4\u20138 in 2024 with a malfunctioning offense that turned the ball over frequently. This year, with quarterback Conner Weigman and other portal arrivals, Houston is 7\u20131 and performing much more efficiently. Points per game have doubled, from 14 last year to 28.8 this year, and turnovers have plummeted from 2.3 per game to 0.5.<\/p>\n

In the fluid Big 12, 4\u20131 Houston is in contention for the championship game but could need some help to get there. Its four remaining opponents have league records of 6\u201313, so winning out is certainly possible. The league\u2019s two unbeatens, BYU and Cincinnati, will face off Nov. 22. Texas Tech (7\u20131, 4\u20131) owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cougars.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: City rival Rice, while improved, still isn\u2019t a threat to win the American Conference.<\/p>\n

Holding Serve<\/p>\n

Second-year coaches who are keeping things moving after inheriting successful programs:<\/p>\n

Alabama (4). Kalen DeBoer\u2019s approval rating was at a perilous point after losing the opener to Florida State<\/a> and dropping to 9\u20135 in his first 14 games on the job. Since then he\u2019s largely doing what Alabama is accustomed to doing\u2014 inning games, rising to the top of the SEC standings and being forwardly placed in the playoff race.<\/p>\n

That said, the performance at South Carolina on Saturday was dicey\u2014the Tide trailed 22\u201314 late in the fourth quarter before a long, game-tying drive, a forced fumble and the winning score in the final minute. Alabama had its first two-turnover game of the season against the Gamecocks and continues to flail in the running game.<\/p>\n

\"Alabama<\/p>\n

Despite a rough start to the season, Alabama is undefeated in the SEC so far. \/ Brianna Paciorka\/News Sentinel \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

But some of that might have been inevitable. Going on the road to take on a proven upset-perpetrator in Shane Beamer after beating four straight ranked opponents is a dangerous script. Just finding a way to survive with a victory keeps the train moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: Auburn is still a mess. Bonus points awarded.<\/p>\n

Washington (5). Jedd Fisch was never going to sustain DeBoer\u2019s 14\u20131 magic of \u201923, not after all the personnel departures to the NFL and other places (like Alabama). But he has continued to tenaciously defend Husky Stadium, with a 10\u20131 record there and the only loss coming against No. 1 Ohio State.<\/p>\n

Fisch and the Huskies got a big home win Saturday over Illinois in a Big Ten ladder game, improving to 3\u20132 in the league and shoving the Illini down to 2\u20133. The next three are all winnable (at Wisconsin, vs. Purdue and at UCLA), which would set up a juicy home finale against Oregon.<\/p>\n

Beat the Ducks to finish 10\u20132? That might be good enough for a backdoor playoff bid. But even a loss and a 9\u20133 record would be a successful year.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: The Huskies should feel more survivor guilt than joy over crippling Washington State by killing the Pac-12.<\/p>\n

Duke (6). The Blue Devils don\u2019t just smoothly replicate past success when a good coach leaves\u2014after Steve Spurrier, they had losing records in 22 of the next 23 years. But after replacing Elko, Manny Diaz is a solid 13\u20137, with a 4\u20133 mark this season.<\/p>\n

Duke spent a lot of money in the quarterback market to bring in Darian Mensah this season, which so far has not elevated the program. The Devils have beaten the teams they should beat convincingly and lost to the better ones, which leaves this season to be largely defined by what happens in November.<\/p>\n

At 3\u20131 in the league, a path to the ACC title game still exists. Duke is at Clemson on Saturday, hosts Virginia on Nov. 15, visits North Carolina and hosts Wake Forest. The entire spectrum of outcomes in those games, from 4\u20130 to 0\u20134, seems possible.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: The Bill Belichick Era has been an enjoyable disaster<\/a> eight miles down Tobacco Road … but there are signs of progress from the Tar Heels. Duke had better be ready for that one.<\/p>\n

\"Duke<\/p>\n

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah is still trying to find his feet since transferring in from Tulane. \/ Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Not the Envisioned Upgrade<\/p>\n

Second-year coaches who were supposed to fix some things but haven\u2019t gotten around to it:<\/p>\n

Michigan State (7). The Spartans already tried one John Smith, and the results were not good (they were 22-\u20136 from 2003\u201306 under John L.). The current one (Jonathan is his preferred appellation) isn\u2019t doing any better. Smith is 8\u201312, on a five-game losing streak and winless this season in the Big Ten. They have surrendered 31 or more points to every power-conference opponent this season.<\/p>\n

There is an opportunity to finish decently, given the schedule, but at 3\u20135 and coming off a fourth straight loss to Michigan, the fan base might be losing its zest for this season. They can hear the basketballs bouncing at the Breslin Center and the puck dropping at Munn Arena.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: The Wolverines aren\u2019t the national championship threat they were under the hated Jim Harbaugh, but they\u2019re still better than Michigan State. No bonus awarded.<\/p>\n

Mississippi State (8). Make no mistake, the Bulldogs are better than in their first year under Jeff Lebby, and better than the lost year of \u201923 under Zach Arnett. They had a field-storming upset of Arizona State in September, and pushed both Tennessee and Texas to the brink in October.<\/p>\n

But the bottom line remains the same: Mississippi State hasn\u2019t won an SEC game since \u201923. Lebby is 0\u201312 in that category, and while Arkansas presents a golden opportunity to end that futility Saturday, three ranked opponents follow. Letting the Longhorns off the hook after taking a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter is the kind of collapse that can leave a mark on the psyche.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: None available, given Mississippi\u2019s success this season. The only hope State fans can entertain is Lane Kiffin possibly jetting off to Florida.<\/p>\n

(We are going to skip right over UCLA, which was so bad under DeShaun Foster that he was fired after 15 games<\/a>. Check back after the next coach is hired.)<\/p>\n

Still Undefined<\/p>\n

The wait for definitive signs that they hired the right guy (or wrong guy) continues:<\/p>\n

Michigan (9). Sherrone Moore isn\u2019t Harbaugh, as his 14\u20137 overall record indicates. But he has an all-time program victory over Ohio State last year on his r\u00e9sum\u00e9, and he should be given the opportunity to maximize freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood\u2019s potential in \u201926 and \u201927. At 6\u20132 with three highly winnable games coming up, Moore is well-positioned to improve Michigan\u2019s win total over last season and ramp up for big expectations next year.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: The bedeviling head-to-head ownership of the Buckeyes is great, but Ohio State\u2019s 11-game winning streak since the last meeting\u2014including the national championship\u2014is a hell of a counterweight.<\/p>\n

\"Michigan<\/p>\n

The Wolverines still own Michigan bragging rights after winning in East Lansing this weekend. \/ Junfu Han \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Syracuse (10). Given the before-and-after his injury, Steve Angeli might be the most deserving Heisman Trophy winner. The Orange were 3\u20131 with the Notre Dame transfer and are 0\u20134 without him. So kudos to Fran Brown for landing Angeli, but he clearly hasn\u2019t been able to figure out what to do without him. Syracuse averaged 38.3 points in games he played and has averaged 12.5 since.<\/p>\n

Brown is entertaining, charismatic and a good recruiter. He\u2019s upgraded the talent level and competitiveness. Closing with four straight wins to go 10\u20133 last season was a great start, and perhaps that would have carried over to this year with better injury luck. But at 3\u20135 with road games against Miami and Notre Dame still on the schedule, a backslide to a losing record seems inevitable.<\/p>\n

Schadenfreude bonus: Pitt is surging while \u2018Cuse is slumping, so none is awarded.<\/p>\n

The latest College Football Playoff Top 12, plus matchups, if today were Selection Sunday. The first CFP selection committee rankings are coming Nov. 4.<\/p>\n

Ranking 4\u201311 is increasingly difficult. Alabama has the most quality wins, but also has an increasingly bad loss to fading Florida State. The Dash is slotting Oregon and Miami ahed of the Crimson Tide for now. In the SEC pecking order, the Tide should be ahead of Georgia, which should be ahead of Mississippi, which is slightly ahead of Vanderbilt after big wins for the Rebels and Commodores.<\/p>\n

BYU and Georgia Tech have done nothing wrong to date. They just haven\u2019t done enough right yet to get ahead of the SEC logjam.<\/p>\n

CFP Seeding<\/p>\n

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Oregon
5. Miami
6. Alabama
7. Georgia
8. Mississippi
9. Vanderbilt
10. BYU
11. Georgia Tech
12. Navy<\/p>\n

Also considered: Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Louisville, Cincinnati, Houston. <\/p>\n

First Round<\/p>\n

No. 12 Navy at No. 5 Miami
No. 11 Georgia Tech at No. 6 Alabama
No. 10 BYU at No. 7 Georgia
No. 9 Vanderbilt ahead of No. 8 Mississippi<\/p>\n

Quarterfinals<\/p>\n

Cotton Bowl: Navy-Miami winner vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl: Georgia Tech-Alabama winner vs. Texas A&M
Orange Bowl: BYU-Georgia winner vs. Indiana
Rose Bowl: Vanderbilt-Mississippi winner vs. Ohio State<\/p>\n

More College Football on Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n

Listen to SI\u2019s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple<\/a> and Spotify<\/a>. Watch the show on SI\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where counseling is available in the state…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253391,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[399,398,396,397,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-253390","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-football","11":"tag-ncaafootball","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}