Fact or Fiction: Liam Coen is a massive loss for Kentucky
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. Liam Coen is a massive loss for Kentucky.
Farrell’s take: FACT. This was a risk that Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops was willing to take when he landed Coen from his mentor, Sean McVay, and the L.A. Rams. Stoops knew he was getting a great offensive mind and a guy who might have more love for the NFL as his next offensive coordinator.
So now Coen is headed back to McVay and the Rams, and the Wildcats need to replace a great offensive mind. The only good thing? Stoops does a great job of picking assistant coach talent - but it might be hard to find an upgrade.
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2. The demand on college football coaches is too much.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Matt Luke is stepping down as the offensive line coach at Georgia for family reasons and now some are saying the burden on coaches in college football is too much. Now we have NIL and the transfer portal, in addition to recruiting, game planning, film work, summer camps and other things. It’s as busy as it’s ever been in college football for coaches, but it’s not too much.
They get paid a ton of money to do a job they love and it’s up to them to figure out the balance. Don’t let Luke stepping down make anyone go too far with this.
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3. We will see fewer than five new teams in the playoff until it’s expanded.
Farrell’s take: FACT. The playoff won’t be expanded by 2025 as we had hoped, so we have at least four seasons of a four-team playoff and we won’t see a ton of new teams added to the fray. Cincinnati and Michigan were new programs this past season as Clemson and Ohio State took a break, but you can bet the Tigers and Buckeyes will be back soon.
Remember that Oregon has already been there, as has Oklahoma, so if they return it’s no big deal — same with Washington and Michigan State. So which new program is going to make it? Texas A&M? Perhaps. Texas? It wishes. USC? Possibly, but the list of new teams out there isn’t crowded, unless you really think programs such as Florida and Miami can make it so soon with new coaches. Who am I missing?