When you look at the Big Ten football recruiting rankings at the start of the early signing period, a lot of different details jump out. If you follow the Big Ten closely enough to know which coaches are in good situations (Jim Harbaugh at Michigan), you also know which coaches are in precarious positions.
Ryan Day of Ohio State wins 11 games per year … and that’s not good enough for the Buckeyes, given that they recruit so well every year and are expected to win Big Ten championships and College Football Playoff games. Ohio State has failed to win the Big Ten each of the past two years. The Buckeyes have lost two straight times to Michigan and Harbaugh. That will get Day on the hot seat if it continues. Day is under fire in Columbus, despite all the wins and a place in the 2022 College Football Playoff. He needs a good showing against Georgia to quiet the critics and reduce the noise in the program.
Mel Tucker of Michigan State has a ton to prove after a losing season in 2022. Tucker delivered a great 2021 campaign but failed to build on it this year. Michigan State invested a ton of money in Tucker, and in 2023, the coach needs to justify the investment.
James Franklin is expected to compete well with Ohio State and Michigan in his spot at Penn State, but the Nittany Lions were clearly outclassed by those two schools in 2022. Franklin needs a big 2023 season in Happy Valley.
Mike Locksley is not making the grade at Maryland. Kirk Ferentz was under fire a lot at Iowa this past season. There are a lot of embattled coaches in the Big Ten.
All of them landed in the upper half of Big Ten football recruiting rankings at the start of the early signing period, as shown by our friends at Buckeyes Wire.
Ferentz and Iowa: No. 7.
Locksley and Maryland: No. 6.
Tucker and Michigan State: No. 4.
Franklin and Penn State: No. 2.
Day and Ohio State: No. 1.
The recruiting rankings are there. Now these guys have to coach ’em up on Saturdays in 2023.
[mm-video type=video id=01gm9qwfp301nx1fxmsa playlist_id=none player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gm9qwfp301nx1fxmsa/01gm9qwfp301nx1fxmsa-5f1ce800029f353b16aab280fdc8f9aa.jpg]
[listicle id=54742]