Penn State fans are getting restless. They want a savior. How about Dan Mullen? Yes, seriously.
Dan Mullen had one bad season at Florida. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad coach. He’s not.
Dan Mullen’s UNLV team leads Mountain West in offense. He could develop the quarterbacks James Franklin couldn’t.

The then-Tennessee athletic director swapped texts with Dan Mullen, a sizable catch who would have placated Vols’ fans desires for a big fish. Mullen texted Currie to wish him “good luck” as Tennessee prepared to play its season finale.

“Hope the cold ones are good!’ Currie replied to Mullen, before messaging Mullen’s agent to have him get deal terms to Mullen.

Currie nearly had his catch in the boat. Then, Mullen wriggled off the hook.

Mullen accepted the Florida job instead of Tennessee. Currie’s search promptly jumped the rails. Tennessee became a punchline. It fired Currie and got stuck with Jeremy Pruitt as coach. Major faceplant.

Tennessee’s derailment comes to mind after Penn State’s sizable catch, Kalani Sitake, slipped off the hook. Sitake is staying at Brigham Young, and athletic director Pat Kraft’s search drags on.

Nittany Lions fans are getting restless. It’s been 52 days since Kraft served up James Franklin’s head, but the euphoria of a firing placates rabid fans for just a day or two. Then, they want a savior.

How about Mullen?

I’m serious.

Swallow your pride, Penn State. Dial Dan.

Mullen’s twist toward Florida once served as a pivot point for Tennessee’s disastrous coaching search, but he can become the solution to Kraft’s problems.

Dan Mullen could save Penn State football coaching search

Mullen might be a better fit for Penn State than Sitake anyway. He’s a native of Pennsylvania.

Sitake’s team is 11-1. He’s a good coach. He’s a great coach for BYU. Mullen’s UNLV team is 10-2. He’s a good coach, too.

Mullen crushed it at Mississippi State. He produced one bad season at Florida. That cost him his job. Fair enough, but that doesn’t make him a bad coach. He’s not. He’d be a good solution for Penn State’s predicament. Unlike eight years ago, Mullen doesn’t have a better offer on the other line.

As other potential targets come off the market — Jeff Brohm reportedly has decided to stay at Louisville — Penn State needs to move Mullen to the top of the board, especially at this late hour.

Naysayers would remind you Mullen got fired from his last big-boy job. Sure, he did, but guess what. Mullen’s Florida tenure looked better with every Billy Napier loss.

Of the six guys to coach Florida since Steve Spurrier, Mullen remains the best one not named Urban Meyer. He’s won at least 10 games in three of his past five seasons.

“Offensive genius,” Adam Breneman, a former Penn State tight end turned podcaster, wrote of Mullen on X.

Genius. Guru. Mastermind.

All words that have been used to describe Mullen.

Everyone’s a genius until they get punched in the face by Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs, but Mullen’s offense did once hang 46 points on Nick Saban’s defense.

How to sell Dan Mullen hire? Talk quarterbacks

The narrative Mullen is a poor recruiter is exaggerated. He signed a pair of top-10 classes at Florida. Three of his four classes at Florida outranked Penn State’s haul in those years.

Mullen didn’t recruit well in his final season at Florida. Also, the Gators didn’t have their NIL house in order. Seems relevant.

Mullen develops talent well, and we’ve never seen him cook from a perch like Penn State in the transfer era. Forget outdated in-home visits, where Mullen seems like he’d be a pickle out of its jar. The portal seems made for someone like Mullen, and Penn State will need plenty of transfers after this wasted recruiting cycle.

You could say Mullen has an inferior coaching record than Franklin. Well, it’s time to face reality. Someone with a better resume than Franklin isn’t walking through that door.

Anyway, that doesn’t mean Mullen wouldn’t get Penn State back to the playoff — and quickly. He would’ve qualified both Mississippi State and Florida for the 12-team playoff, if it had existed during his tenures.

He possesses a sharp mind for offense. He’s an excellent quarterback developer. UNLV leads the Mountain West in offense. Think Penn State could use that? That’s how you sell this hire.

Introductory news conference: “We’re pleased to announce we’ve hired a coach who developed Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott and Kyle Trask. The days of plodding offenses at Penn State are over. Pair Penn State’s resources with Dan’s record of quarterback development, and we can’t wait to see Dan coach Penn State’s first Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Look out, Ryan Day. We are coming.”

Then, crack a cold one. Toast the hire of a good coach who played a role in a coaching search gone haywire years ago, but now can pull Penn State’s search out of the ditch.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

OXFORD, MS – Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter’s account of coach Lane Kiffin’s departure for LSU is different from how Kiffin described it.

Carter spoke publicly for the first time Dec. 3 since Kiffin left for LSU. Carter did a wide-ranging radio interview with Richard Cross on SuperTalk Mississippi.

Kiffin left on Nov. 30. He said in a statement he found out he would not be allowed to coach Ole Miss (11-1) in the College Football Playoff that day.

‘There’s been a lot of things he’s said publicly that I’m not sure have been totally accurate,’ Carter said. ‘I think that both coach and his representation knew several weeks ago that coaching in the playoffs was not an option if he was not going to be the Ole Miss head coach.’

Carter confirmed Kiffin was part of a meeting with team leaders on the Ole Miss football roster on Nov. 30. Kiffin said players wanted him to stay at Ole Miss.

Like center Brycen Sanders and linebacker Suntarine Perkins, who posted to the contrary on social media, Carter disputed Kiffin’s account.

‘I’ll let them kind of tweet out what they want to tweet out and give information that they want to give, but I don’t think the way that he portrayed that meeting was accurate,’ Carter said. ‘There was a lot of pushback to him leaving … I think begging for him to stay is certainly an overstatement.’

Why Pete Golding was promoted to Ole Miss football coach

Carter said he and Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce decided together a coaching search was not necessary.

Shortly after Kiffin announced he was leaving, Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to be head coach.

‘That was an option, to name an interim, but the more myself and the Chancellor thought about it, why do that when we have the guy we know is the guy right in front of us? We decided to go ahead and make the move, make Pete the permanent coach,’ Carter said.

Carter said Golding would have received consideration in a coaching search regardless, and he brings stability back to the locker room.

Before joining Ole Miss in 2023, Golding was the defensive coordinator at Alabama from 2018-22

‘Pete Golding was a guy who always was in the mix with us,’ Carter said. ‘He’s a guy that’s been here for three years. He’s got a great track record, coaching at Alabama and winning national championships. Pete’s a guy in that building that everybody respects. Not just the defense.’

How Ole Miss AD ensured Rebels wouldn’t slide in CFP rankings

The Rebels were No. 6 in the CFP rankings released Dec. 2. It likely means Ole Miss will host a CFP game on either Dec. 19 or Dec. 20.

Ole Miss announced which coaches would be staying through the CFP that morning. That was intentional. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr, who is following Kiffin to LSU after season, will stay through the playoffs.

‘We were doing a ton of work behind the scenes, working with committee members,’ Carter said. ‘Making sure that they had all the information on who was going to coach our team … couldn’t be more excited about coach Golding and him leading the way.’

The final CFP rankings and bracket will be released Dec. 7.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

Our latest 2026 NFL mock draft takes a look at how the first round could pan out if QBs Dante Moore and Ty Simpson don’t declare.
In that scenario, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza might be the only signal-caller to be selected on Day 1.
Several defensive players could be pushed into the top five if there’s a QB shortage.

With more than a month left until the first round order is set and the underclassman declaration deadline passes, any 2026 NFL mock draft compiled in December typically will skew closer to a thought experiment rather than a full-on projection.

That means that there’s no better time to reconsider the most popular schools of thought surrounding the draft. While most of these early exercises have counted on quarterbacks Dante Moore (of Oregon) and Ty Simpson (Alabama) to declare, what happens if neither one joins the fray for next April’s event? Each passer is short on the experience that NFL teams traditionally value from signal-callers, and either could opt to return to school and position himself to be a top choice in 2027.

That, of course, might throw the upcoming draft for a loop. There are few assurances at quarterback in the coming class, with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza – a junior who has little reason to stick around after becoming the front-runner to be the first passer selected – the lone player at the position who looks to be on somewhat solid ground. And if both Moore and Simpson stay back, that could leave teams to look elsewhere this offseason to fill voids behind center.

With that in mind, here’s our latest mock draft that outlines how the first round could pan out if Moore and Simpson don’t declare:

2026 NFL mock draft

1. Tennessee Titans – Arvell Reese, DE/LB, Ohio State

In a class lacking a consensus top prospect, Reese has as strong a case as anyone to be the No. 1 pick. No defensive player can match his ceiling, and the best chance for him to reach it might entail a move from linebacker to full-time edge rusher. The 6-4, 243-pounder has stretches where he looks unstoppable when working downhill, as he can easily toss aside would-be blockers before closing in on quarterbacks and ball carriers. Tennessee’s defense can pick up a foundational piece to operate alongside Jeffery Simmons before using the rest of the draft to focus on the effort to support Cam Ward.

2. New York Giants – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

The odds of a safety being selected this high are vanishingly small. But Downs might test the bounds of his position given how valuable he can be as a do-everything defender, and the Giants don’t have many compelling alternatives here. With New York’s defense short on leadership and figures who can stand up to repair the league’s worst run defense, Downs can come in and lead the charge on both fronts.

3. New Orleans Saints – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)

Can the Saints muster enough faith in 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough to stave off another quarterback pick? A half-season might not yield a sufficient sample size to render a judgment, but the early returns have been largely promising. Edge rusher might not be the biggest hole on a roster littered with them, but Bain has entrenched himself as the most consistently disruptive figure in this class with his persistent pressure.

4. Las Vegas Raiders – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

The quarterback siren song will be strong for Las Vegas, which yet again looks directionless despite an expansive offseason reset. But the Raiders can’t expect a young signal-caller to thrive in the same conditions that have fazed Geno Smith, so any attempt at fast-tracking a turnaround might need to begin in the trenches. Without an offensive lineman worthy of this slot, the Raiders maximize their value with Faulk, who could help ease the burden on Maxx Crosby while simultaneously learning some all-important pass-rushing tips from the four-time Pro Bowl selection.

5. Cleveland Browns – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

Shedeur Sanders’ turn steering an unmoored Browns offense says next to nothing about the team’s plans for 2026, and it’s unlikely that anything will change in the final five weeks. Armed with two first-round picks, Cleveland has the flexibility to maneuver for a quarterback, but instead finds a suitable new signal-caller here in Mendoza. The composed, rhythmic passer sizes up as the kind of discerning and precise triggerman that Kevin Stefanski would covet behind center.

6. Washington Commanders – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

There’s little left to be done for Washington in a lost season other than try to glean a few insights that could prove helpful in returning the team to the contender ranks in 2026. One takeaway that’s already impossible to ignore is that Jayden Daniels’ receiving corps is in dire need of upgrading. The Commanders can double down on talented former Buckeye wideouts by taking the ascendant Tate to pair with Terry McLaurin to give the offense two imposing perimeter threats.

7. New York Jets – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

One of the potential losers in a scenario in which the quarterback crop thins considerably would be the Jets, who might find themselves further back in the draft order than many expected after their 0-7 start. While Gang Green would have ample ammo to move up for someone like Mendoza, the team could also choose to stay put and take a different route to assist the offense. Tyson has continued to be plagued by injury this season, but he’s a dynamic playmaker at all three levels when healthy.

8. Arizona Cardinals – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Maybe a top-10 running back is a luxury for a team that has as many deficiencies as Arizona, which could also be facing a changing of the guard at quarterback if it opts to move Kyler Murray in the offseason. But the Cardinals can’t pass up the opportunity to reshape their backfield with a singular talent, especially with with James Conner coming off a season-ending ankle injury and entering the final year of his deal. Love is the kind of figure capable of reconfiguring the offense with his explosiveness, and he can either elevate the existing setup or carry a new group.

9. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

What’s better than being in contention for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs? Having a potential top-10 pick waiting for you whenever the postseason run comes to an end. The Rams are poised to cash in on the Falcons’ lack of foresight in April’s first-round trade, and their prize could be Fano, a leading candidate for the top offensive tackle in this class and a blocker whose athleticism would make him a natural fit for Sean McVay’s scheme.

10. Cincinnati Bengals – Francis Mauigoa, G/T, Miami (Fla.)

A decrepit defense that has shown some late signs of life still warrants a major investment in the draft, but the top prospects are spoken for in this scenario. Instead, Cincinnati turns to the stout Mauigoa, who could move to guard and boost the Bengals’ interior protection to levels that Joe Burrow hasn’t previously enjoyed.

11. Minnesota Vikings – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

The offensive cratering that has coincided with the pivot to J.J. McCarthy can’t be repaired in a single pick, with a more holistic approach likely necessary for Minnesota’s offseason. Though McCoy’s stock could be in flux after he missed the entire season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in January, he still has a strong argument to be the top player selected at his position if teams are satisfied with his pre-draft medical checks.

12. Miami Dolphins – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

With Chris Grier out and Mike McDaniel’s fate still unknown, there’s still plenty for Miami to sort out before a sensible offseason path for the franchise emerges. No matter what happens in the next month or so, the longstanding problems at cornerback require some kind of solution. Delane’s pedestrian physical attributes might prevent him from landing in the top half of the first round, but his coverage skills and acumen are everything a team could ask of a top cornerback.

13. Kansas City Chiefs – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

A typical Chiefs season would leave the team out of position to land the type of defensive linemen who could provide the kind of pass-rush help that the defense sorely needs. But this is no ordinary campaign for Kansas City, and franchise leadership might find itself in a spot where it can actually make a splash with the front four. Woods hasn’t met expectations on the field to cement his preseason standing as a potential top-five pick, but he’d be a bargain here as someone who could hone his craft next to Chris Jones to become a more consistently disruptive force.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers – Makai Lemon, WR, USC

The modestly built Biletnikoff Award finalist isn’t what many would picture as the receiver Pittsburgh is seeking to invigorate the dormant downfield passing attack. But Lemon can still open the offense up by racking up yards after the catch and thriving in the short-to-intermediate area.

15. Carolina Panthers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

Two first-round pass catchers in successive drafts have produced wildly disparate results for Carolina, but an offense that has shown promise still looks short on difference-makers. Sadiq can create mismatches in the passing game while also aiding the rushing attack with his punishing blows as a blocker.

16. Dallas Cowboys – David Bailey, OLB, Texas Tech

Quinnen Williams’ arrival and the deployment of five-man fronts have unlocked new capabilities for Dallas’ defense. But there’s more work to be done to remake this unit and allow the Cowboys to move on from the Micah Parsons saga. Bailey will have to be utilized creatively given his 6-3, 250-pound frame, but the Football Bowl Subdivision leader in sacks (12 ½) would provide an unmatched jolt to the edge rush.

17. Detroit Lions – T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard openly acknowledged Monday that the Lions aren’t doing nearly enough to throw opposing quarterbacks out of rhythm. With three sacks against South Carolina, Parker is starting to serve up reminders of his first-round toolkit. A well-rounded approach that includes an admirable approach against the run should help him catch the eye of Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell as the long-sought running mate for Aidan Hutchinson.

18. Houston Texans – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

A workable starting front for Houston has finally emerged after plenty of tinkering throughout the early season. That shouldn’t prevent the team from continuing to address its peskiest problem, however, and Ioane’s reliability in both limiting interior pressure and creating a push in the run game should be a major draw for the Texans.

19. Baltimore Ravens – Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State

The Ravens’ resurgence can’t obscure the defensive line’s shortcomings with Nnamdi Madubuike sidelined. McDonald should have no trouble helping Baltimore better command the line of scrimmage with his 6-3, 330-pound frame, which he can also use to push the pocket.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

The Buccaneers’ defense showed concerning signs coming out of the bye, with the team surrendering 106 points over a three-game losing skid. Allen can help the unit chart a new course with his consistency, particularly in coverage for a linebacker group that has seldom been up to the task in that area this season.

21. Buffalo Bills – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

Josh Allen sure could use a 6-4, 210-pound target with a knack for securing deep heaves downfield. If the Bills have been properly humbled about the composition of their receiving corps, they should find Boston plenty alluring, so long as they end up within striking distance of him in the draft.

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

Last year’s incredible draft haul should have solved things in Philadelphia’s secondary for some time, but the second outside cornerback spot has remained a problem area. Terrell can lock down the role with savvy yet aggressive play that makes him well-suited for Vic Fangio’s scheme.

23. Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

Moving on from Sauce Gardner won’t be easy for the Jets’ secondary, but Gang Green now has a blank slate and plenty of resources to build up on the back end. Cisse is a strong candidate to rise throughout the pre-draft process thanks to his superlative athleticism, and his tenacity could make him a fast favorite of Aaron Glenn.

24. San Francisco 49ers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

Regardless of whether Trent Williams plays beyond this season, it’s time for San Francisco to start enacting a succession plan at left tackle. Proctor’s inconsistency and truly unique physical make-up (6-7, 366 pounds) could leave him with a wider range of draft outcomes than many of his peers in the first-round mix, but Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers might present the right setting for him to flourish as a pro.

25. Los Angeles Chargers – A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon

Getting trampled by the Jaguars for nearly 200 yards and four touchdowns on the ground should stick with Jim Harbaugh for a while given how the Chargers haven’t been able to play his desired brand of football this season. Stopping the ground game before it gets going is one of Washington’s specialties, and one that should land him in the late portion of the first round.

26. Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

Whoever takes the starting reins for the Browns at quarterback in 2026 will likely need next year’s rookie class for Cleveland to find a comparable level of success to this year’s impressive crew. Lomu figures to be more of a long-term project, but the fleet-footed redshirt sophomore has exciting upside the Browns could tap into if they’re patient enough to bring him along.

27. Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers) – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

He won’t receive the same pre-draft spotlight as former Toledo teammate Quinyon Mitchell, but keep an eye on McNeil-Warren as someone who could be a surprise on Day 1. His comfort in handling an expansive coverage range would make him a natural fit in Dallas, though he also has the size and versatility to work downhill and handle an array of matchups.

28. Seattle Seahawks – Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon

Things have gotten considerably more difficult in recent weeks for the Seahawks’ explosive offense, with much of the trouble once again tracing back to the front. Pregnon’s power could allow Seattle to embody something closer to Mike Macdonald’s vision of a hard-charging run-powered attack.

29. Rams – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

The ideal scenario for the Rams and their well-stocked roster would be to find another team eager to move into the back end of the first round here for a disproportionate price. If Los Angeles holds onto the second of its two Day 1 selections, however, it could find a solid asset for its up-and-down secondary in Hood, who would stand out in the right ways with his ability to hold up against bigger receivers.

30. Denver Broncos – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

Solidifying the second level might be one of the few tasks remaining for a defense that looks poised to be one of the league’s dominant units for years to come. At 6-4 and 243 pounds, Styles would give coordinator Vance Joseph another formidable threat on blitzes, though the former safety’s best work might come in coverage and in chasing down ball carriers.

31. Chicago Bears – Quincy Rhodes Jr., DE, Arkansas

When Chicago’s defense hasn’t been able to generate takeaways, it often can only go as far as its pass rush can take it – and that’s not a great distance. Rhodes offers inside-outside versatility with his 6-6, 275-pound frame and substantial strength, and his game could take off with additional refinement.

32. New England Patriots – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M

The Patriots cobbled together an edge rush with Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson, and they somehow have notched 14 sacks between the two castoffs. To hang with the best in the AFC, however, more firepower will be required. Howell doesn’t have the physical make-up of a first-round pass rusher, but his process and results (11 ½ sacks) are hard to argue with.

The NFL’s two biggest draws combined with the Thanksgiving holiday netted the league a new regular-season viewership record.

By a lot.

The Dallas Cowboys’ 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, Nov. 27 pulled in 57.2 million viewers on CBS, the network announced.

The previous record for most-watched regular season game was 42.1 million from a Thanksgiving matchup in 2022 between the Cowboys and New York Giants.

The early-window game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving drew 47.7 million viewers, according to FOX, which also broke the previous record and is now the second most-watched regular-season game

Going into the season, NFL officials recognized the significance of putting the Chiefs-Cowboys game on Thanksgiving, a holiday synonymous with football.

Nielsen revamped its ratings reporting prior to the start of the 2025 NFL season to account for more fans who watch on smartphones or smart TVs, in addition to its continuing enhancement of out-of-home viewing data.

From international games to ‘Thursday Night Football’ to the traditional Sunday afternoon windows, NFL ratings are up in 2025 and following the upward trajectory from the nadir of the 2020 season.

Jerry Jeudy and Shedeur Sanders don’t plan on allowing their heated sideline exchange to fester.

Speaking Wednesday for the first time since a clip of his clash with Sanders during the Cleveland Browns’ 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday went viral, Jeudy said he and the quarterback were ‘good’ and that there was no lingering issues to be sorted out.

‘Stuff like that happens,’ Jeudy said in a news conference. ‘Y’all gonna make it bigger than what it is because the media, you know, that’s what y’all feed off of – negativity. … We move on from it.

‘I live in real life. What happens in this locker room, it’s real, not what’s going on on social media and everything.’

At the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday, the CBS broadcast showed Jeudy getting animated with Sanders while the two reviewed a play. The receiver clapped his hands multiple times while offering his own take. Sanders shook his head before center Ethan Pocic stepped in two separate the two.

Jeudy offered scant details about the argument, saying only it was regarding ‘a play’ and that he wished he had spoken with Sanders ‘off camera.’

‘It’s an emotional sport,’ Jeudy said. ‘Things like that happen. It’s football.’

Sanders echoed Jeudy’s sentiments.

‘We resolved that,’ Sanders said Wednesday. ‘(We’re) not gonna speak on that.’

Sanders finished with 149 yards and one touchdown on 16-of-25 passing in his first home start. Jeudy had 26 yards on three catches, with Sanders overshooting the receiver on a deep throw in the first quarter.

After the game, Sanders said fostering a proper connection with Jeudy would take time.

‘We’re going to have sparks here and there, but it’s going to take time to be able to develop that chemistry with everybody, to be on the same page with Jerry,’ Sanders said. ‘Of course you want to be able to get him the ball, but you got to understand it takes time. I’m more of a trust person, and that’s just what it boils down to. So, we have to spend time on task with all those guys, and be able to trust and be able to see things at the same lens.’

‘Football is an emotional sport,’ Stefanski said. ‘Certainly, when you’re a family like we are, you can have your disagreements. Sometimes they’re for everybody to see. Sometimes it’s behind closed doors. Like a family, we move on, we talk about it, so not worried about it.’

The Browns host the 1-11 Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

One of college football’s most heralded assistants has gotten his first head-coaching job.

He’ll replace Alex Golesh, who left the Bulls to become the head coach at Auburn three days earlier.

Hartline has been at Ohio State since 2017 and has been instrumental in the Buckeyes’ rise as an offensive powerhouse centered around college-turned-NFL stars at wide receiver. Among the players Hartline has coached are Jeremiah Smith, Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka and Garrett Wilson. Over the past four years, five wide receivers that Hartline coached have been taken in the first round of the NFL draft.

A former Ohio State wide receiver himself, the 37-year-old Hartline is in his third season as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator. He shared the title last season with Chip Kelly when Ohio State won the national championship.

This season, with Hartline as the sole offensive coordinator, the No. 1 Buckeyes are averaging 37 points per game heading into Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against No. 2 Indiana. It’s the 13th-highest mark among 136 FBS programs.

South Florida is 9-3 this season and went 23-15 in three seasons under Golesh. Given the size of the school, the program’s location in a talent-rich state and the opening of a new stadium in the next few years, South Florida is widely considered one of the best jobs outside of the Power Four conferences.

Lane Kiffin followed Nick Saban’s footsteps, trading the postseason for LSU.
College football calendar not to blame for Lane Kiffin taking LSU job, not coaching Ole Miss in playoff.
Nick Saban left Michigan State for LSU. Would have have stayed with Spartans if 12-team playoff existed? Hmm.

BATON ROUGE, LA – Imagine a college sports world in which the transfer portal didn’t exist and national signing day didn’t occur until after the season.

Now, imagine LSU had a coaching vacancy in that world.

When would LSU make the hire? Would LSU wait until after the season, and would its top target wait to accept?

We know that wouldn’t happen, because we’ve lived in the world I asked you to imagine. We saw what happened.

In 1999, the college football calendar looked much different. The transfer portal didn’t exist. Neither did a December signing period. The lone signing period occurred in February, after the season.

And what happened in 1999?

Well, on Nov. 30 that year, LSU announced it had poached a gentleman named Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. from Michigan State to be its coach.

This fella named Saban — have you heard of him? — accepted the job, quit on his 10th-ranked Michigan State team, and vamoosed to Baton Rouge before the postseason.

“I mean, what about the bowl game?” one Michigan State student said to ESPN after Saban’s exit.

Pfft. You think Saban cared about the Citrus Bowl? He had a better job on the line. Adios!

Fast-forward 26 years to the day, and LSU hired a gentleman named Lane Kiffin on Nov. 30. Heard of him?

Kiffin, like his mentor Saban before him, hopped on a plane instead of staying put and coaching in the postseason.

So, when Saban and Kiffin blame the college football calendar for this situation of a coach bolting for a new job rather than staying put and coaching in the postseason, you must realize they’re absolutely full of it.

Only a sheep would believe the GOAT that the calendar is responsible and that some magical coaching carousel ethics would leap out of the weeds, if only the portal dates got shifted and the signing period got bumped back.

If the calendar was constructed differently, do you know when the Tigers would have hired Kiffin to replace Brian Kelly, whom LSU fired on Oct. 26?

“I would anticipate they would be making the hire in virtually this exact same time frame,” said one Power Four athletic director, granted anonymity to speak on the realities of the hiring cycle. “I do agree the calendar is a problem, but, even with a change, it wouldn’t impact the hiring time frame.”

Bingo.

We can debate the pros and cons of a December signing period or whether shifting the portal from January to May would be a good idea.

But, don’t kid yourself that making any of those changes would have stopped LSU from hiring Kiffin ASAP or stopped Kiffin from choosing the Tigers instead of Ole Miss and the playoff.

Don’t let yourself be distracted by Saban trying to provide Kiffin some cover by blaming this on the mean, mean calendar that coaches and their bosses helped create.

“We shouldn’t have an early signing date that conflicts with people wanting to hire an early coach, a portal situation where you’ve got to hire an early coach, fire your coach early,” Saban said recently on ESPN, while ignoring his history of leaving Michigan State for LSU in November.

“So, if we did all that in May, … we wouldn’t have all these issues.”

You’ve got to be kidding me, right? I’d like to meet this magical genie who will suddenly appear and solve college football’s bankruptcy of ethics, if only the portal window and signing period shifted to May.

Other pundits parroted Saban’s messaging faulting the calendar. Kiffin latched onto the propaganda, too.

“It’s a bad scheduling system of how it’s set up,” Kiffin said at his LSU introduction.

Do you really believe if the calendar was different, LSU would have let interim coach Frank Wilson ply his trade for three months while waiting until after the season to hire Kiffin, and risk someone else swooping in first?

Not a chance.

You could change the calendar, and sure as the sun rises on the Bayou, schools would keep trying to hire their next coach as swiftly as possible after firing their last coach, even if it means trampling on Michigan State’s 1999 bowl team or Mississippi’s playoff squad.

The Spartans, by the way, won the Citrus Bowl without Saban.

Just in case Kiffin was wondering.

The real change inside college football since Saban’s heel turn is not the calendar, but rather the creation of a 12-team College Football Playoff.

Coaches used to accept new jobs and skip out on bowls. Now, Kiffin has become the first coach to swap the playoff for a step up the perceived food chain.

If the 12-team playoff had been in place in 1999, I wonder whether Kiffin would be making this history. Or, would history of a playoff-skipping coach already have been made?

The 1999 Spartans would have qualified for a 12-team playoff, and when Saban boarded a plane bound for LSU, he would’ve been fast at work engineering a scapegoat to blame for the predicament his ego and ambitions created.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.