Tuesdays with Gorney: Midseason look at hot – and not – coaches

Now that we’re into the second half of the regular season, there is no better time to look at some hot – and not-so-hot – coaches as we pick one coach each from the four Power Four conferences:

HOT: Mario Cristobal, Miami

In his first two seasons at Miami, Cristobal was a disappointing 13-13 but things have changed dramatically in Year 3 – oftentimes when they do change for the better – as the Hurricanes are 7-0 and three-touchdown favorites over rival Florida State this weekend.

There have been some scares along the way especially in last-second nailbiters against Virginia Tech and Cal but the Hurricanes answered the bell this past weekend with a 52-45 win at Louisville. There is a very solid path for Miami to end up undefeated heading into the ACC championship game.

Through a great portal addition in quarterback Cam Ward and elite high school recruiting over the last few seasons, Cristobal has Miami among the nation’s elite.

NOT: Mike Norvell, Florida State

At the time it was a stunning loss when Georgia Tech topped Florida State in Ireland to start the season. Looking back, it might have been the Seminoles’ best performance all season.

After a year where FSU went undefeated during the regular season only to be left out of the College Football Playoff after star quarterback Jordan Travis’ untimely injury, the Seminoles have completely collapsed.

They’re averaging only 15 points per game. Only 2.5 yards per carry. They’ve scored only 10 offensive touchdowns in seven games. They have only one win, a 14-9 squeaker over Cal. No team in the ACC has a worse record.

After two poor seasons to start for Norvell in Tallahassee, things look like they had returned to normal at FSU: Winning a lot. But now Norvell is 20-18 in ACC play during his time with the Seminoles as they’re 21-point underdogs heading into the rivalry game this weekend.

HOT: Matt Campbell, Iowa State

After a nine-win season in 2020, Iowa State hit some lulls over the last few seasons but this could be Campbell’s best team. The offense is firing on all cylinders and the defense remains a major strength of the team.

There have been some nailbiters against Iowa and UCF in a thriller last weekend but the Cyclones remain undefeated and they’re ranked No. 10 nationally. Iowa State and BYU are the only unbeaten teams left in the Big 12 and the Cyclones’ schedule shapes up that they could be undefeated heading into a late November showdown against Kansas State.

Prior to Campbell’s arrival in Ames, Iowa State suffered through nine of 10 losing seasons. The Cyclones are now pacing to the College Football Playoff with an offense that’s filled with exciting players.

NOT: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

The only team in the Big 12 without a conference win is Oklahoma State as the Cowboys looked better in a close loss to BYU last week but they were downright bad in blowout losses to West Virginia and Kansas State in recent weeks. Oklahoma State also lost to Utah, 22-19, as the Utes had a freshman QB in Isaac Wilson and the offense has been so bad for them this season that OC Andy Ludwig resigned over the weekend.

Gundy is desperately trying to figure out a tough quarterback situation because Alan Bowman throws too many interceptions – he has nine this season – and the coach went to Garret Rangel last week but he got hurt against BYU. The Cowboys also have had a tough time stopping the run giving up 5.7 yards per carry.

Oklahoma State is good enough – and Gundy is a good enough coach – to win out with games against Baylor, Arizona State, TCU, Texas Tech and Colorado left. But the Cowboys have been inconsistent so it could be a tough finish as well.

HOT: Curt Cignetti, Indiana

The Big Ten is having a pretty good run to start the season if the coach with the No. 1 team (Oregon) is not the hottest coach. But Cignetti has been incredible, almost unbelievable, so far at Indiana.

With so many smart and elite transfer portal additions, the Hoosiers have completely revitalized their roster and Cignetti has been on genius level of running a program. Indiana not only has seven wins but seven double-digit wins, seven blowouts basically including a 56-7 decision against Nebraska over the weekend.

The schedule has been on the light side and does get tougher but this is a program that not counting the COVID year had one winning season in the last 15, two in the last 28. Cignetti has been by far the Coach of the Year, Indiana football is the story of the year and who would have thought?

NOT: Lincoln Riley, USC

Leading Minnesota by a touchdown heading into the fourth quarter, USC lost by seven to the Golden Gophers a few weeks ago. The Trojans were up 20-6 at halftime against Penn State only to lose, 33-30, in overtime. USC was up 21-7 on Maryland at half only to lose, 29-28, to the Terrapins last weekend.

Asked why his team cannot finish a game after the Maryland loss, Riley said: “I don’t know.”

Here’s what we do know: USC is a disappointing 3-4 and now Riley is 22-12 overall, 14-9 in conference games. In five seasons at Oklahoma, Riley lost a total of 10 games.

HOT: Mike Elko, Texas A&M

The only time former coach Jimbo Fisher started 6-1 was in the COVID year of 2020. Other than that, it was one disappointment after another in College Station as the Aggies had everything to succeed but couldn’t get over the hump.

Elko’s first game at Texas A&M ended up being a flop – a 23-13 loss to Notre Dame – but since then the Aggies are undefeated and rolling into a huge matchup against LSU this weekend. Kyle Field should be rocking. They thumped previously unbeaten Missouri a few weeks ago and the Aggies are giving up fewer than 18 points per game.

NOT: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

Only in the first year of the Nick Saban era did Alabama lose two games this quickly into a season. Last year, the Crimson Tide’s second loss didn’t come until the College Football Playoff to eventual champion Michigan. Saban had two undefeated seasons and six others with only one loss.

In his first season, DeBoer’s team lost to Tennessee this past weekend in which Alabama – Alabama! – couldn’t run the ball. The Crimson Tide also had an inexcusable, unforgivable loss to Vanderbilt a few weeks ago and then survived against South Carolina in a stretch Tide fans are not accustomed to.

DeBoer has been a massive winner his entire coaching career whether at Sioux Falls, Fresno State or Washington. But the Tide have Missouri and LSU in the coming weeks and Alabama all of a sudden looks very beatable.