Fact or Fiction: Auburn will fire Bryan Harsin
In today’s Fact or Fiction national columnist Mike Farrell looks at three big recent topics in college football and decides whether each statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.
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1. Bryan Harsin will be fired at Auburn.
Farrell's Take: FACT. It seems that the ousting of the second-year coach is imminent. While this appears to be a firing for cause, which will therefore save the school from buying out Bryan Harsin's contract, it will also set the program back at least five years. A new president is in place, the athletic director is on his way out and any hire made this late won’t have the support needed to survive as long as Gus Malzahn did.
As someone told me this is the “old heads” at Auburn trying to keep control of the program and not move it forward and some sources say it’s been like this forever. With Alabama in-state, Auburn is in danger of being forgotten for a bit on the local and national level.
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2. Josh Gattis can take Miami to the next level on offense.
Farrell's Take: FACT. This was a surprising move and apparently a result of Jim Harbaugh’s decision to interview for the Minnesota Vikings job. As Harbaugh was rumored to be a lock for the NFL, internally assistant coach Mike Hart was apparently getting more consideration as a replacement than Josh Gattis, the Broyles Award winner as the best assistant in the country in 2021.
Whatever the real reason, the timing certainly makes you believe that Harbaugh’s intention to leave (he was apparently not offered the job in Minnesota) has led to consequences that benefit Miami and hurt Michigan. Gattis led this team to more than 35 points per game in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year and without a marquee quarterback. He will be a great fit with the talent Miami will recruit under Mario Cristobal.
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3. Jimbo Fisher’s rant about NIL and his signing class was foolish.
Farrell's Take: FACT. I should have addressed this last week but Harbaugh and others stole some of the thunder. But let’s be clear — Jimbo Fisher’s rant about “clowns” saying his No. 1 signing class was bought was just ill advised. Name, Image and Likeness is here and boosters and others will help lure prospects to schools with deep pockets. That’s life. And it happened this year with Texas A&M as the Aggies won some serious recruiting battles and landed five different five-stars and 20 four-stars in their best class ever.
Keep in mind this is a team coming off a 8-4 season and no bowl game so a historic class seems odd barring some NIL magic. And NIL magic is fine, it’s the way of the world now so why fight it?
Ego? Perhaps. But of the people I spoke to in college football about his rant, not one of them was in support of such a stance and felt it was a puzzling response from the head coach.