The 2024 season is upon us. The giant floating duck in the White River means the Big Ten teams are in Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days. While it still may take some time to get used to Oregon, USC, UCLA, and Washington as part of the Big Ten, we’re here to provide a ranking of the top Big Ten coaches. These coaches will need to help the Big Ten seize their momentum from the 2023 season.
The Big Ten is coming off a banner year in 2023. Michigan won the national championship. The conference secured the two biggest name brands in the Pac-12, Oregon, and Washington, after the “Conference of Champions” went belly up. Biggest of all, they secured a bag with the richest TV contract among the college football conferences.
But, you are only as good as your last game. With an expanded playoff, the Big Ten coaches have a prime opportunity to cement themselves and the conference atop college football and affirm their place among the new “Big 2.”
The Big Ten has as many as probably three or four potential bids in the College Football Playoff. One for the conference champion and probably two more at-large bids. With Jim Harbaugh keeping it classy in San Diego, it will be up to these five coaches to make sure the Big Ten secures as many bids as possible. That is the lens we will use to rank our Big Ten coaches for 2024.
Time to Step Up: The Top Big Ten Coaches
5. Lincoln Riley USC
Hats off to the reporter who asked Riley about his brisket at Big Ten Media Days this week. Riley has been a disappointment since he took his talents to Los Angeles two years ago. There is no doubt that Riley is a quarterback whisper, but his teams, and especially his defenses have lacked that “Figh On” spirit. Riley made plenty of noise at Oklahoma taking the Sooners to multiple playoff appearances. D’Anton Lynn appears to be an upgrade of Alex Grinch as defensive coordinator. Can Riley get enough out of new quarterback Miller Moss or will the Trojans continue to be cooked?
4. James Franklin Penn State
Out of all the Big Ten coaches, nobody is happier about an expanded playoff than Franklin. Franklin has yet to lead the Nittany Lions to a playoff appearance, despite winning the Big Ten in 2016. With Harbaugh gone, this is Franklin’s opportunity to shine and finally prove that he belongs in the conversation among the upper echelon of college football coaches. Happy Valley has not been so happy for Nittany Lion offensive coordinators under Franklin. Andy Kotelnicki comes in from Kansas and will be Franklin’s sixth offensive coordinator in ten seasons. Let’s be honest, we all want to see a whiteout at Beaver Stadium for the first round of a College Football Playoff game. We deserve it.
3. Kirk Ferentz Iowa
How many teams could win ten games and still not score 325 points? The answer is not many. Ferentz has done it his way in Iowa City. Sure, it cost his son, Brian, the offensive coordinator job in 2023, but the Hawkeyes still won 10 games. Ferentz is consistent and he wins. It is not sexy. It is not always pleasing to watch, but it works. The question for Ferentz and the Hawkeyes is, will it still work without divisions and the additions of the Pac-4 teams? It’s easy to say Iowa will be left in the dust, but we won’t be surprised here at Last Word to see the Hawkeye Wave during the first couple weeks in December.
2. Dan Lanning Oregon
Has Phil Knight finally found “his guy”? Many college football coaches have treated the Oregon job as a stepping stone. After Nick Saban retired in January, many speculated that Lanning would do the same and leave Eugene for Tuscaloosa. With one tweet, Lanning and Duck Nation fired up their cigars and set their sights on the Big Ten. While he has yet to actually win a conference championship, Lanning has shown an adept ability to recruit high-end high school talent and to use the Transfer Portal to fortify his roster. There will be many high expectations for the Duck in Eugene in 2024. Lanning has shown a keen ability to not only fight for clicks but also win. He will need to elevate to continue the trend in the Big Ten.
1. Ryan Day Ohio State
40-0. That is Day’s record against Big Ten programs not named Michigan. You aren’t graded against everyone else in Columbus, instead, you are graded against how you fair against that team “Up North.” Day is 1-3 as head coach of the Buckeyes against the Wolverines. He was 1-2 against Harbaurgh and lost to interim and now head coach Sherrone Moore last season. It is time for Day and the Buckeyes to make noise in 2024. They reportedly went all in, spending north of $20 million to use the Transfer Portal to reinforce the roster for this season. Day hired his good friend Chip Kelly to run and fix his offense. The Buckeyes no doubt will be ranked #1 or #2 to start the season. They have the talent to win a Big Ten Championship and to go head-to-head with Georgia, Texas, or Alabama for a national championship. Enough with the excuses, it’s time for Day and the Buckeyes to step up.
