A Jersey Guy: Rattler-Kelly Combo would work

As we switch from a coaching carousel mind set to the transfer portal period, we were just wondering about some of the current trends in the crazy CFB world.

With almost all of the coaching openings now filled, the only uncertainty is Oregon and, perhaps, UCLA.

The current topic of the day is will UCLA coach Chip Kelly return to Oregon where he developed his reputation as an offensive genius.

Sources at Oregon say Kelly is now at the top of an ever changing wish list.

Kelly, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Bruins, has not said No yet, as he ponders whether to leave a project which has finally produced some success--8-4 this season.

The key may be Rattler, the soon to be former Oklahoma QB, who began this season as a Heisman Trophy favorite and concluded it in the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-0, 210 pound QB is shopping his skills and getting only marginal interest--although watch out for Nebraska--which is a direct consequence for a QB who gets benched in mid-season.

What seems obvious is the pairing of Kelly and Rattler, whose styles meld, so much so that Rattler focused his search on UCLA.

But thus far no news.

Kelly and Rattler would be good at UCLA.

But Kelly and Rattler at Oregon would be better.

Why not make an announcement this week--maybe on Tuesday just before the early signing day--that a package deal of Coach and QB are coming to Eugene?

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Speaking of the early signing date--Dec. 15-,it is clear that experiment, started three years ago, needs to end.

The chaos in the coaching carousel, the early firings and frenzy hirings are direct result of the early signing period, forcing administrators to make raid and often expensive moves.

Either switch it back to the first Wed in February, which remains as a secondary signing date, or make it the middle of January.

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The first back of college football awards were announced this week, including Coach of the Year, which was won by Michigan's Jim Harbaugh.

You could look in a lot of parts of the country this week--Luke Fickell at Cincinnati, Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, Dave Arenda at Baylor, Mel Tucker at :Michigan State, Billy Napier at Louisiana and find good coaching choices.

But when you factor in pre-season expectations--the Wolverines were unranked--pressure and level of competition, with overall success...Harbaugh was and should be a runaway winner.

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If you wanted to do a 2022 Top 10 based entirely on changes in leadership and expectations (you can call it sleeper picks in some cases), he's what you might see.

1. USC. 2 Florida 3. Miami 4. LSU 5. Oklahoma 6. Nebraska 7. Notre Dame 8. Oregon 9. Clemson.

I will say it now just based on faith in new Nebraska offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, Nebraska will be this year's version of Michigan in the Big 10.