Which College Football Teams Move Up If Alabama and Michigan Move Down?

If Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban are both soon gone from college football, which coaches and programs step up?

There are varying opinions about which program(s) will advance with Alabama's roster being bludgeoned by the Transfer Portal and Michigan's likely heading in the same direction once Harbaugh signs with the Los Angeles Chargers or another NFL franchise.

Do not believe Bama will fall? According to Clay Travis of Outkick, he does not expect newly hired head coach Kalen DeBoer to last long, which is fitting for college football history.

"Zero, that is the answer because Kalen DeBoer will be fired in about four years."

That take came from The Next Round podcast. The full context from Travis is a good listen and one that brings up a great point. It's the head coach, not the program, that leads teams to titles. Here's a specific quote from Travis that speaks to that point.

"Alabama didn't have a dynasty. Nick Saban had a dynasty." That quote leads to the next coach who's probably exiting the college game.

The number of rumors about Harbaugh's next contract are all over the map, and there are the NCAA sanctions that are a part of it. Of course, those same sanctions are why many believe Harbaugh is done at the college level, as CBS Sports writer Dennis Dodd brought up yesterday.

With Saban gone, Harbaugh likely leaving, and the notion that Travis brought up about a head coach being the prime reason a program will win big, ask yourself the following question.

Which college football coaches does one trust to help a respective program rise to the top of the college football kingdom?

There are some interesting possibilities for teams not recently in the title hunt to now gain an opportunity, as well as a couple that could come back around. Here are five coaches, among several, who may or may not make it happen, with their strengths and flaws being openly brought up.

No specific order.

Mario Cristobal - Miami Hurricanes

Cristobal is an elite recruiter and a person who people gravitate towards, i.e. players, coaches, parents of recruits, etc. He's also passionate about bringing The U back to glory. Few coaches could have brought in as much talent to one program, in just two years, as what's been done in Coral Gables under Cristobal.

His downside is believed to be big game-day coaching decisions. Can Cristobal and Miami get past that prevailing thought with an elite roster and top-notch assistant coaching staff or will Cristobal have to improve his game-day coaching for the Canes to be a true college football contender?

James Franklin - Penn State Nittany Lions

Franklin's strengths mirror Cristobal's. He's a tireless recruiter and has done a good job of keeping PSU in the top 10 during several of his years in Happy Valley. He's 88-39 as the leader of the Nittany Lions.

He does struggle with Ohio State and Michigan, and big games overall. PSU fans commonly discuss their displeasure whenever and wherever they can about it. With UM now going through a massive shift, it's go time for PSU. If not now, when?

Dabo Swinney - Clemson Tigers

The Tigers hold two national titles under Swinney and he's done it with team chemistry and two truly elite quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence. He's not a fan of the Transfer Portal or NIL and Clemson's program is slipping, however.

Will Swinney adapt and at least use the Transfer Portal a little bit, and similarly with NIL? If not, it's hard to see Clemson being a consistent title contender moving forward. Out of this list of five, Clemson might be the most intriguing.

Steve Sarkisian - Texas Longhorns

The Horns were close this past season. It took Sarkisian and his Texas program a couple of years to get the program trending in the proper direction. Now there's belief in Austin that his overall program is ready to win at least one national title because of a combination of his leadership and top-notch recruiting.

He's still not a coach with a track record of consistently winning big. Will Sarkisian figure out the missing category to get Texas over the hump, perhaps as soon as 2024? The Longhorns will have a top-five roster next season.

Ryan Day - Ohio State

Known as a top offensive mind and quarterback coach, Day has a tremendous 56-8 record in Columbus, but no national titles. One would assume that with the continued recruiting and Transfer Portal success, the Buckeyes are a strong possibility to break through and get a ring in 2024 or soon after.

Then again, OSU fans are livid about Michigan winning the 2023 title and OSU losing three in a row to their hated rivals. If Day were to lose to UM next fall, it could be his undoing. Day is about as close to a colossal triumph or failure scenario as any college head coach could be.