Three-Point Stance: Potential LSU hires, a bad trend, star power

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with a look at LSU's potential coaching hires, Charles Walker's decision to quit the Oklahoma football team and how star power impacts the College Football Playoff.

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Florida State's Jimbo Fisher, Houston's Tom Herman, North Carolina's Larry Fedora and interim coach Ed Orgeron are reportedly at the top of the LSU's list to replace Les Miles. Here’s how I would grade each potential hire...

Jimbo Fisher - A-plus -Fisher is a proven winner, has won a national title, has recruited in the SEC and has experience with the LSU culture. He’s also an offensive-minded coach, something that is a must for the Tigers' new hire. You can’t get much better than this if LSU can pull it off.

Tom Herman - B-plus - Herman is a tremendous offensive mind. He proved that he can handle big-time athletes at Ohio State and he’s done an amazing job at Houston. While he lacks SEC experience, Herman has recruited the target areas for LSU well in his short time with the Cougars. He’s a notch below Fisher, but not too far. The question is, does he want the Texas job more?

Larry Fedora - B - Fedora, like Fisher and Herman, is an offensive-minded coach and very well-respected for his offensive game-planning ability. He has SEC experience, albeit brief, and his ties to the Texas area are huge when it comes to recruiting. He’s a winner at a high level and has been good as a head coach at two stops.

Ed Orgeron - C - Orgeron is a great recruiter and a Louisiana native so he has that going for him. It must also be noted that the current LSU team has responded well to his interim stint. However, he’s a defensive coach, was a big-time failure at Ole Miss and is too risky for such an elite job.

I told you earlier this season that in-season decommitments in college football would become a thing. First it was Alabama quarterback Blake Barnett bolting on his teammates after he lost the starting job to Jalen Hurts. Then it was Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd quitting on his teammates when things got tough after a loss to South Carolina. Now Oklahoma defensive lineman Charles Walker, who started four games this year before being sidelined with a concussion, has quit.

I’m thrilled with what Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops told reporters at practice on Tuesday regarding the situation: “Quitting on your teammates is hard to take as a coach.”

Stoops is exactly right. Walker, who decided to immediately leave the team to prepare for the NFL Draft, is quitting.

And, prepare yourself because this trend is going to continue. I expect that we will eventually see players sitting out bowl games to avoid an injury that could impact their draft stock (e.g. Jaylon Smith). I suspect that at some point a player will opt to skip his junior year to protect his draft status. And if the NFL executives reward such behavior and take players like Walker high in the draft, it will only get worse.

College football is essentially a minor-league feeder for the NFL and if the pros want to nip this trend in the bud they will bypass these quitters.

There is no doubt in my mind that NFL talent and big-name college coaches impact the playoff committee. It’s a big reason why Ohio State jumped ahead of Baylor and TCU in 2014 and it will impact this year’s selections as well.

Don't be stunned when Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson or Louisville are included while Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Penn State get left out even if they win their respective conferences.

Watch what happens if Penn State runs the table and Ohio State beats Michigan. Do you think Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes will get left out despite not winning their division and losing to Penn State head-to-head? The committee, barring something crazy, will go with the Meyers and Jim Harbaughs and Deshaun Watsons and Lamar Jacksons over the others if they can justify it at all.

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