Fact or Fiction: Dan Mullen acted inappropriately vs. Missouri
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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1. Dan Mullen acted inappropriately during the brawl before halftime against Missouri.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Ok you could argue that Mullen actually started the brawl by running out on the field and confronting a Missouri player after a late hit on Kyle Trask, but I don’t mind. Here’s a coach who loves his players and will stand by them and teams love that. He then gestured to the crowd to get louder and downplayed his actions later. That’s all fine by me. He didn’t lay hands on anyone and he showed his team what kind of leader he is.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Look, I’m not going to clutch my pearls and act holier than thou, but of course Mullen acted inappropriately throughout that entire unfortunate situation.
Yes, Trask took a cheap shot and there should have been a flag if not an ejection, but that doesn’t give Florida’s coach - who is a 48-year-old man by the way - the right to go on the field and basically incite a brawl between the two teams. Then he comes back out of the tunnel to get the fans going and then he shows up in his post-game press conference in a Darth Vader outfit.
Is this a serious college football program or Monday Night Raw? Mullen’s actions were below him as a coach and as a person who should hold up the highest standards. Not to mention, his inability to control himself ran the risk of costing him players for the Georgia game this week. The entire incident was regrettable and embarrassing.
2. The shine has worn off P.J. Fleck at Minnesota.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Minnesota is off to a horrible start so far with losses to Michigan and Maryland and those who hate Fleck are piling on. But the special teams issues are glaring and Tanner Morgan has regressed.
I am chalking it up to a lack of preparation for the season because I still think he’s one of the best young coaches in the game. Heck, two dozen schools would probably kill to have him and he’s a smart guy who will get the Gophers out of this hole sooner than later.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Anybody jumping all over Fleck must have forgotten that Minnesota won 11 games last season, the most wins for the Golden Gophers since going 13-0 in… wait for it… 1904. Fleck is a phenomenal coach and a terrific motivator who has stumbled out of the blocks so far this season but there is still a lot of talent on this team.
Let’s also not forget that top offensive linemen Curtis Dunlap and Daniel Faalele have been sidelined. It’s a weird season and Minnesota has not delivered as expected, but athletic directors across the country would be beating down the door for Fleck and should be because he’s a tremendous coach.
3. Penn State is better off than Michigan at this stage.
Farrell’s take: FACT. This is an interesting question no? Penn State is 0-2 and coming off a bad loss to Indiana and another loss to Ohio State. Michigan is 1-1 coming off a bad loss to Michigan State and they can never beat Ohio State. So who’s in better shape, James Franklin or Jim Harbaugh?
I say Penn State because at least they’ve broken through and won the Big Ten and recruiting in 2022 is off to a great start. Michigan’s recruiting strategy of focusing on New England and New Jersey still puzzles me and if Franklin can keep some key pieces in state, he’ll have his program better off.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Both programs are in pretty decent shape not withstanding the start for both teams this season, but I would give the Nittany Lions the edge in terms of being better off and set up for the future.
High four-star OL Landon Tengwall will be an anchor on the offensive line, 2022 is going well for Penn State and, unlike Michigan, it’s not a program that gets in its own way. The Wolverines should have hammered Michigan State and instead wasted that game away and lost in an embarrassing fashion.
The problem with both, though, is that Ohio State is just playing on an entirely different level, and so that continues to be a major issue as both Penn State and Michigan try to become even more nationally relevant. It still feels like Ohio State and then everybody else in the Big Ten.