Live football has almost returned. Until it arrives again, take a few spins on the coaching carousel.
The Wisconsin Way: Continuity should be back at Wisconsin, and the program made it clear that it won’t be compromising anything it proudly stands for to keep it. By sticking inside the family on Wednesday and officially bringing Paul Chryst back home, the Badgers have somebody who knows exactly what the job entails and a coach who almost certainly won’t be making a lateral move at any point in the future. Maybe the Badgers will start spending more money on assistants down the road, so there’s some flexibility there in regards to an issue that turned off Bret Bielema. But in terms of knowing the kind of recruits it can expect to land and clearly laying out the academic requirements moving forward, not to mention bringing in an existing relationship with the university and the boss, Chryst couldn’t be any better suited to provide stability for Wisconsin after a rough stretch of losing Bielema and then Gary Andersen after two short years.
Down to one: Wisconsin moving quickly leaves only Michigan active on the job market, and while there’s no telling when that search will end, it is effectively the only one that still has a chance of connecting on a true home-run hire. No offense to Chryst or new Nebraska coach Mike Riley, because those were smart, sensible hires that made perfect sense for each program -- but they certainly don’t qualify as splashy or scream that championships are on the way. If Les Miles is definitively out of the picture, it really seems as though Jim Harbaugh is going to have to come through for the Wolverines once his commitments to San Francisco are over at the end of the NFL season. And it seems like Michigan is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to deliver him. Maybe there’s another huge name secretly looming out there for Michigan, but if there was, wouldn’t there have been some indication of that by now? The Big Ten is down to one job, and there really only seems to be one guy who should claim it.
Coordinator corner: Just below those headline vacancies leading Big Ten programs, the chance to replace Tom Herman as Ohio State’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator will be up there as a highly-coveted position this offseason as the coaching carousel spins. The odds are strong that Ed Warinner will receive something of a promotion from his co-coordinator duties and take on more responsibility as a play-caller, though he was already somewhat active in that regard in his current role. Warinner not only deserves a raise for the incredible job he’s done with the Ohio State offensive line, he has earned more credit than he currently receives for that work, which is perhaps why he hasn’t landed an opportunity to lead his own program yet despite a couple interviews over the last two years. The Buckeyes are actually fortunate that they don’t have to replace both Herman and Warinner simultaneously, but either way there will be no shortage of candidates lining up for the shot to potentially work with J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller at quarterback.
East Division
Michigan State isn't begging for the playoff field to expand, even though it would have qualified for an eight-team format.
Another Dave Brandon hire is heading out the door at Michigan.
Where might Koa Farmer wind up playing for Penn State defensively in the future?
Tickets are selling well for the Quick Lane Bowl, though a donation program might be boosting the numbers for Rutgers.
Stefon Diggs has not made a decision yet about his senior season with Maryland.
Once a touted recruit, Kyle Dodson's career with Ohio State is over due to a neck injury.
Sorting through the highs and lows at Indiana.
West Division
Wisconsin revealed its horribly-kept secret.
Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams has entered his name with the NFL's college advisory committee to get feedback on his status for the 2015 draft.
Bo Pelini napalmed the bridges when he left Nebraska.
Purdue will have four mid-year enrollees joining the program.
Who would be on Northwestern's football Mount Rushmore?
Houston Bates is getting an unexpected reunion with Illinois in the postseason.
Iowa and Kirk Ferentz are going to be under the microscope in 2015.