Curt Cignetti's Staggering 20-Spot Surge And The Power Four Isn't Ready For What's Next
Alright, Seattle On Tap fam, the new CBS Sports' Power Four coach rankings just dropped, and let me tell you, it's a total shake-up! Everyone knew there'd be some movement, but nobody saw Curt Cignetti's absolutely insane jump coming. The dude rocketed up the list, landing at #3 overall and getting tagged as the top coach in the league for the rapid turnaround he engineered. The college football landscape is totally reshuffled, and it feels like the whole sport just got put on notice.
The Rising Stars Redefining the Game
You wanna talk about making moves? Cignetti's story is straight-up wild. He went from 21st last year all the way to 3rd this season, turning Indiana into a national champion within just two seasons. Seriously! He delivered landmark wins over Oregon and Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, then added dominant postseason victories against Alabama, Oregon, and Miami. Analysts are crediting his system, discipline, and seriously aggressive game planning for that total control and resilience he showed last year. The man is on fire!
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Then we've got Dan Lanning down at Oregon, holding strong at #4. Four seasons, a ridiculous 48-8 overall record and 32-4 in conference across two different leagues. He snagged a Big Ten title in his first season and led Oregon to multiple playoff wins, including their first since the inaugural CFP era against Florida State. Yeah, they missed the conference title game last year, but Lanning is still chasing that national title breakthrough. Analysts have him ranked fifth overall and see him as a future national champion contender, no doubt.
And don't forget Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame, coming in at #5. There were some doubts after a controversial season end, but the voters kept him highly ranked. He's built on Brian Kelly's foundation, evolving that program into a national title contender with stronger performances and a better identity on both sides of the ball. He was 6th last year, hit a high of 4th, a low of 7th, but Notre Dame is rising and the approval for Freeman is steady.
The Elite Still Grinding, But With New Challenges
Even at the very top, there's drama. Kirby Smart at Georgia is still considered CFB elite, but get this: he dropped a spot to #1. The man has two national championships, and Georgia expects titles every single season. They even claimed the SEC crown last year. But they couldn't secure a playoff win, no playoff victory since the 2022 College Football title. That's gotta sting, even for the best. Smart still collected four first-place votes, including one from the author of the original article, proving his status remains high despite the late-season frustrations.
And then there's Ryan Day at Ohio State, sitting at #2. He led the Buckeyes through a 2025 season that fell short of another national title. They ended 12-2, going 9-0 in conference before losing to eventual champion Indiana in the title game. The big news? Day finally cleared Michigan! Huge for that rivalry. But ending the season on a two-game losing streak? Ouch. He didn't get any first-place votes and dropped a spot, but nobody on the panel ranked him below third overall. Still an elite program, but the ultimate prize slipped away.
Man, these rankings have totally set the stage for the next college football season, haven't they? The top dogs are still there, but Cignetti's explosive rise is the absolute story to watch. It's gonna be wild to see if these coaches can live up to the hype or if someone else is about to make their own shocking jump. Get ready, Seattle, college football is gonna be electric!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.