College Football's New #1 Coach Made History With An Unprecedented Leap, And The Power Four Rankings Are Pure Chaos

Alright, Seattle, buckle up! You know we live for the drama, whether it's the Mariners pulling off a late-inning comeback or the Seahawks making a fourth-quarter stand. Well, get ready, because the college football world just dropped its 2026 Power Four coach rankings, and let me tell you, it's a *shake-up* of epic proportions! CBS Sports just unveiled their 11th annual list, and folks, we've got a brand-new king at No. 1, a guy who pulled off something truly wild. This isn't just a slight bump, we're talking about the FIRST coach in history to jump from outside the top 20 one year all the way to the top spot the next. If that doesn't scream chaos, I don't know what does!

The Power Four Is Getting Wild: Coaches Flying Up, And Out!

Seriously, this year's rankings have the most year-over-year changes since these things even started. We're talking four coaches who climbed at least 15 spots, with three of those absolute meteors vaulting 20 or more spots! But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. The cutthroat nature of college ball means two of our top 10 coaches from 2025 actually got fired during the 2025 season. Ouch! One of those guys managed to cling to a spot in the 2026 top 25, but he's out of the top 10, no surprise there. In fact, a full *four* of last year's top 10 are nowhere near the elite tier anymore. It just shows you how fast things can change, right? This isn't some predictable march to the finish line, it's a full-on brawl for supremacy!

Early Look: Who's Making Moves (And Who's Not)

While we don't have all 25 names right now, even the ones at the bottom of the list are telling a story. Take **Joey McGuire** at Texas Tech, for example. The guy finished 12-2, won his conference, and snagged a College Football Playoff spot thanks to an "incredible transfer class." Our voters rewarded him big-time, sending him up a whopping 27 spots to No. 21. That's a serious climb, and if you ask me, that program is about to be a Big 12 powerhouse. Then there's **Kenny Dillingham** at Arizona State, whose team went 8-5 overall and 6-3 in the Big 12. He only slipped a bit after a massive 46-spot climb last year. Losing his quarterback to the portal stings, but his track record with signal-callers means "bigger" jobs are already sniffing around him. You love to see Seattle guys doing their thing, even if he's not one of *ours*, you know the ambition! But not everyone's flying high. **Jeff Brohm** at Louisville has been consistent with four-loss seasons, sure, but his ACC record has slid from 7-1 in his first year to 5-3, and then 4-4 last year. That kind of backslide is why he's dropping on the ballots. And **Eli Drinkwitz** at Mizzou took a step back, going 8-5 after a 21-5 run the prior two seasons. Quarterback injuries are a beast, but he needs to start beating those top-tier SEC teams if he wants to move up from No. 23. Even **Kirk Ferentz** at Iowa fell a spot, though it sounds like it was just one "rogue voter" trying to stir the pot, putting him outside their top 25. Man, these voters are tough! Meanwhile, **Bret Bielema** at Illinois is showing real consistency, responsible for three of Illinois' five seasons with eight or more wins this century in the last four years alone. His Illini finished 9-4 last year, going 11-7 in the Big Ten and a perfect 4-0 against other Power Four leagues over the last two seasons. This is just a taste of the wild ride that is the 2026 college football season, and if these rankings are any indication, we're in for some serious fireworks. The landscape is shifting, new blood is rising, and established names are fighting to stay relevant. You know we'll be watching every snap, ready to react to every shocking upset and incredible performance. Who's gonna prove these rankings wrong? Who's gonna make another massive jump next year? We can't wait to find out! Go Hawks (always!).

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.