College Football: 3 first-year head coaches who could win national title

College Football: 3 first-year head coaches who could win national title in 2022

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cowboys defeated the Fighting Irish 37-35. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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Nov 29, 2021; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Lincoln Riley poses with Fight on sign during a press conference to introduce Riley as Southern California Trojans head coach. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Lincoln Riley, USC

The only guy on this list who isn’t brand new to the whole head coaching thing comes in at No. 1 because, well, I think USC needed a coach like Lincoln Riley to really get back to being a national presence.

Riley was plenty successful at Oklahoma, winning four Big 12 titles and making the College Football Playoff three times. Unfortunately, he was never able to get over the hump and actually win a playoff game which brings some doubt into the equation in Los Angeles.

What Riley did show, however, is that he can make the playoff. He’s come close to winning playoff games, but just never quite had the defense to get his teams over the top.

Riley will have Caleb Williams to help him make a playoff push in year one and he already has a roster filled with former blue-chip recruits so the talent isn’t lacking at USC. A coach who went 55-10 at Oklahoma should absolutely have a chance to make a playoff push in Los Angeles.

Wouldn’t it be fun to see a playoff semifinal between USC and Oklahoma?

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