Vannini: This group is largely made up of the coaches who have made the four-team CFP but not won a national title, plus coaches who have come very close to the CFP, like Kyle Whittingham. Kalen DeBoer moves up into this tier after reaching last year’s national championship game. Mike Norvell moves up after an undefeated regular season at FSU, only to be spurned by the committee. I still believe FSU should’ve made the field. The Seminoles’ Week 0 upset loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland leaves Norvell with work to do to keep his 2024 group in the hunt.
Ryan Day, Brian Kelly and Lincoln Riley all have multiple CFP appearances, while Luke Fickell took Cincinnati into the four-team field and reached another New Year’s Six bowl at Cincinnati. Day took over a very good situation, and Riley slipped this past year at USC, but both remain in Tier 2. Lance Leipold’s turnaround at Kansas is remarkable, and while his accomplishments at the Power 5 level don’t match the others, he also won six Division III national titles at Wisconsin-Whitewater and rebuilt Buffalointo a two-time MAC division champion.
Feldman: I’m glad we’re bumping up Leipold, DeBoer and Norvell (all Tier 3 in 2023). I think Bama just made a great hire. DeBoer took over a Washington roster that had just gone 4-8, added in his old quarterback from Indiana Michael Penix Jr. and then went 25-3 and a staggering 10-1 against Top 25 teams. DeBoer is 12-2 all-time against ranked opponents. Leipold is working miracles at Kansas. The Jayhawks were abysmal before he arrived and then reached the Top 25 for the first time in 13 years during his second season. Last year, Kansas finished ranked for the first time in 16 seasons. I think you could make a compelling case for him to be in with Kirby and Dabo. Norvell has as strong of a claim to the Portal King crown as anyone, based on how he’s mined the transfer market to turn the Noles back into a powerhouse.
Ryan Day, Brian Kelly and Lincoln Riley all have multiple CFP appearances, while Luke Fickell took Cincinnati into the four-team field and reached another New Year’s Six bowl at Cincinnati. Day took over a very good situation, and Riley slipped this past year at USC, but both remain in Tier 2. Lance Leipold’s turnaround at Kansas is remarkable, and while his accomplishments at the Power 5 level don’t match the others, he also won six Division III national titles at Wisconsin-Whitewater and rebuilt Buffalointo a two-time MAC division champion.
Feldman: I’m glad we’re bumping up Leipold, DeBoer and Norvell (all Tier 3 in 2023). I think Bama just made a great hire. DeBoer took over a Washington roster that had just gone 4-8, added in his old quarterback from Indiana Michael Penix Jr. and then went 25-3 and a staggering 10-1 against Top 25 teams. DeBoer is 12-2 all-time against ranked opponents. Leipold is working miracles at Kansas. The Jayhawks were abysmal before he arrived and then reached the Top 25 for the first time in 13 years during his second season. Last year, Kansas finished ranked for the first time in 16 seasons. I think you could make a compelling case for him to be in with Kirby and Dabo. Norvell has as strong of a claim to the Portal King crown as anyone, based on how he’s mined the transfer market to turn the Noles back into a powerhouse.
