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.
*****
THE FARRELL AWARDS: Handing out hardware after another week in CFB
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
RIVALS TRANSFER TRACKER: Stories/coverage | Message board
RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info/coverage on 2021 camp series
*****
1. Dan Mullen is firmly on the hot seat.
Farrell's Take: FACT. The Gators are 4-5 now and the blowout loss to South Carolina is simply unacceptable. This is a Gamecocks team that lost to Georgia by 27, Tennessee by 25, Texas A&M by 30 and barely beat an awful Vanderbilt team.
For the Gamecocks to dominate the Gators in the fashion they did last weekend shows that Florida is headed in the wrong direction under Dan Mullen and a change will need to come after next season if he doesn’t right the ship.
*****
2. Alabama should drop out of the top four.
Farrell's Take: FACT. Alabama was ranked No. 2 based on its brand and after an unimpressive win over a depleted LSU team with a lame duck coach, the Crimson Tide should be dropped because of their brand. How so? This version of Alabama football does not live up to previous versions based on the loss to Texas A&M and narrow wins over bad Florida and LSU teams.
Drop the Tide behind Oregon and Ohio State and I’d even put Cincinnati and Oklahoma ahead of them.
What's Alabama’s best win? Ole Miss? C’mon now.
*****
3. Big Ten parity is coming.
Farrell's Take: FICTION. While I would really like to think this with Michigan State on the come up and Illinois and Purdue puling off some great upsets, it all comes down to the same thing once again. Ohio State rules the roost and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Yes the Buckeyes struggled with Nebraska last weekend but let’s be honest — if you name three teams that can win the national title every season, Ohio State will always be one of them.
Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin and maybe Iowa can make a nice run here and there but the Big Ten is Ohio State and everyone else.
