[lawrence-newsletter]
CBS Sports national college football writer and 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons ranked the top 25 coaches in college football earlier today and had Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst No. 11 on his list.
“One of the most underrated coaches in the elite tier of the Big Ten, Chryst has finished inside the Top 15 three times in six seasons and his worst year was an 8-5 finish,” Simmons’ analysis reads. “Not only have the Badgers been consistent against nationally-ranked competition under his watch, but in turn they’ve won their side of the conference three times and are 52-16 overall under his watch. That mark includes a 34-10 record in conference play. Chryst doesn’t get enough credit for the work he’s done in Madison from those outside of the program, but perhaps that will change if Wisconsin can win a conference championship during his tenure.”
Of the 25 names on the list seven currently reside in the Big Ten, with Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald landing at No. 22, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz at No. 19, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh at No. 18, Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck at No. 16, Chryst again at No. 11, Ohio State’s Ryan Day at No. 7 and Penn State’s James Franklin at No. 6.
2020 will be a big year for Chryst and the Wisconsin program, if the season is able to happen, as for the first time since 2016’s Week 1 matchup against LSU the program has a big-time out-of-conference matchup scheduled in Week 5’s contest at Lambeau Field against Notre Dame.
The game is scheduled as a night game, one likely to be on national television, and a win could earn respect for Chryst and the program in the eyes of those not closely affiliated with Big Ten football.
Nevertheless, the hurdle of winning a Big Ten Championship still exists for coach Chryst and it is unlikely he continues to rise in the coaching rankings until the Badgers are able to come out of Indianapolis with a victory, as they’ve lost each of the three times they’ve made it to the conference championship since Chryst took over for Gary Andersen in 2015.
2020 may be that year for the Madison native as when you pair a talented senior quarterback with an elite, star-studded defense you have a recipe for success, even when Justin Fields and the Ohio State Buckeyes are likely to be on the opposing sideline come conference championship time.