CFB Newsletter: Is the Lane Kiffin Saga a Blueprint for CFB's Future?

Or, was James Franklin's early hire by Virginia Tech? Let's discuss it.

Welcome to the College Football Newsletter, where we’d never give you an ultimatum. However, we’d appreciate it if you’d read this before the Egg Bowl.

Can you believe the season is almost wrapping up? And can you believe the next season has already started for some like Virginia Tech, which hired James Franklin as its next head coach? The former Penn State coach already had his introductory press conference with the Hokies. Lane Kiffin is also pondering a mid-playoff run move from Ole Miss to LSU or Florida, which is making the leadup to that Egg Bowl — and the College Football Playoff — awkward for Oxford.

Because of the portal and NIL, I understand why these moves are happening sooner than usual. With a new coach installed, players can better assess a situation and transfer to or from a school. You don’t want to be caught flat-footed when a coach leaves for what he thinks are greener pastures. But is an early hiring like Franklin’s a sign that college football as a whole is expediting its preparedness for the next year? Or, is this mostly a manifestation of the coaching carousel where we saw a huge number of coaches get canned so early?

I asked Alex:

I find this so interesting. It’s not completely unheard of for teams to hire new coaches with multiple regular season games left. A listener pointed out after we recorded an episode this week that Joey McGuire took the Texas Tech job on November 8, 2021, a week and a half earlier than this Franklin deal came together. Granted, McGuire was a Baylor assistant and not the head coach, and his team wasn’t on the verge of hosting a home playoff game. But I also thought it was telling that, as early as Franklin signed with Tech, he indicated in his press conference that the Hokies were actually hoping to make this official weeks ago. Clearly, the school saw value in moving quickly.

I would expect more athletic directors and search committees to push for early agreements going forward. The more time before what’s now an early-December high school signing period and an early-January transfer portal opening, the better. For someone like Franklin who wasn’t already employed, getting a deal done early was good for everyone. But this will always have to be circumstantial, because I really don’t think that even the most ladder-climbing of sitting head coaches are going to be leaving jobs in Week 11, 12, or 13 with any regularity. It’s just too far beyond the pale and would come with too high a reputational cost.

Then again, I might be the most naive guy in the world for saying this as Lane Kiffin considers leaving Ole Miss before or during a literal playoff run.

© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Here’s what the SZD crew dropped into your podcast feeds this week:

• Everyone congratulate Richard on his first game as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports during Air Force-UConn! For subscribers, RJ walks you through the entire process of researching and working for the cameras in preparation. It’s a very interesting behind-the-scenes look at what we take for granted while watching the games on Saturdays.You think it’s a minute or so of TV time, but there is an entire week’s worth of work behind that.

• ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti joined Alex and Richard for the Main Course presented by Modelo to talk about USC-Oregon. Paolo has spent the last few years of his career covering both teams, so he’s a tremendous resource to figure out if USC has a chance against the Ducks in Autzen. There might also be one weird factor that is undermining the Trojan’s success— they’re kinda boring? And of course, they talk about Lincoln Riley and his future with the team. You can watch the segment over at our YouTube channel.

• Godfrey’s back for a subscriber episode, and it’s a good one. He joined Alex and Richard to break down how James Franklin to Virginia Tech is going to work out. And you know he’s explained the diverging paths for Lane Kiffin and the wider world of college football. We’re laying out all the pieces of the puzzle on the table for us (and also maybe for Lane).

If you’re not a paid subscriber yet, we’d be really excited to have you!

You get a lot of extra episodes. Roughly twice as many as you’d otherwise get! You also help us make the show and keep it sustainable and independent. Thank you so much to everyone who’s joined up to date.

It costs $10 a month, or you can get a month free by signing up for a year. As a “dollars per hour of entertainment and knowledge gained” math problem, we think it’s a great deal.

SZD Social Fun of the Week

Like many of you, I thought Oklahoma defensive lineman Taylor Wein’s leap to block a kick at Alabama last week was impressive, but I didn’t know how that was legal. Surely if you can do that, then more college players would attempt it. But Alex knows ball and the rulebook, so he explained how that’s a perfectly legal move with one big caveat: you have to be athletic enough to leap without a head start. (It also helps to hit a gap!)

@splitzoneduoOklahoma knew the rulebook and beat Alabama as a result #sooners #collegefootball #TaylorWein

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Come hang with us!

Alex and Richard will be in New York on Saturday December 6 for a Championship Saturday watch party at Mason Jar in Manhattan at noon. Drop by if you’re in the area. Entry is free. RSVP here just so we can get a head count. It’s a standard Resy link, so just add your party in.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the games this Saturday. Also, safe travels if you’re visiting friends or family this upcoming thanksgiving weekend. We got you covered for your trip with more fun episodes in the coming days. We also have a little extra something for you next week. Subscribe to the YouTube channel to be the first to know.