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SAN DIEGO — College football’s current landscape resembles a Hunger Games-esque setting where players and coaches look to maximize their earnings. Once the calendar turns to December, most begin thinking about their future instead of finishing the year by preparing for a bowl game.

Washington State is the perfect example. The Cougars have seen over 30 players enter the transfer portal, most notably quarterback John Mateer, who transferred to Oklahoma. The signal-caller revealed his decision to his teammates in a players-only chat, which was leaked online, citing, “It was best to take one of the opportunities that’s been offered to me from another school.”

Mateer’s decision came after WSU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski took the same jobs with the Sooners. Two days after Mateer’s exit, head coach Jake Dickert bolted for Wake Forest’s gig after three years with the Cougars. Despite Washington State’s best season since 2018, the program is in significantly worse shape than it was to begin the year because of college football’s new landscape.

The same can’t be said for Syracuse, which will face the Cougars in the Holiday Bowl. Under first-year head coach Fran Brown, the Orange are primed to win their first bowl game since 2018 and notch their third 10-win season since 2001. Because Brown embraces college football’s new era and now has a stellar first season on his resume, SU is well-positioned to become a College Football Playoff contender.

“I think right now, the NIL state and the transfer portal, I’m comfortable with it,” Brown said ahead of the Holiday Bowl. “Whatever comes, we going to adapt to it.”

Fran Brown’s embracement for college football’s new era and Year 1 success have SU well-positioned to become a College Football Playoff contender. Lars Jendruschewitz | Senior Staff Photographer

In college football’s new era, not all coaches hold the same viewpoint as Brown. Nick Saban retired after Alabama reached the CFP last year because of it. According to ESPN, Saban felt the job was getting “more difficult” following the 2022 season and said he’d start evaluating his job status on a year-to-year basis. He lasted one more year.

Being a college football head coach used to be about the Xs and Os and recruiting high schoolers. While those are still major parts of the job, they are significantly trumped by managing the transfer portal and name, image and likeness deals. Additionally, committing to a college football team is no longer just about joining a program. It’s about choosing a brand.

It’s why Deion Sanders has been so successful in just his second year helming Colorado. Before his arrival, the Buffaloes had a 1-11 campaign and were an afterthought. Once Sanders took over, Colorado all of a sudden had a brand. Eyes from all over the country were on Boulder.

And Sanders embraced it. Though CU went 4-8 in 2023, players in the portal lined up to play for Colorado. With talent surrounding stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, the Buffaloes had their best season since 2016. Though Sheduer and Hunter will leave for the NFL, Colorado will be relevant so long as Coach Prime is on the sidelines.

While Brown’s background differs drastically from Sanders, the basis of what he’s doing falls on the same path. He’s hitting the portal hard, prioritizing NIL and building a program from nothing to something. But how does a first-time head coach who played sparingly in the NFL get his program in the same conversation as one of the all-time greats? Relationships.

As a head coaching candidate with no experience in the position or as a coordinator, being 247Sports’ top recruiter sat atop Brown’s resume last year. His uncanny ability to create genuine relationships spurred his success.

Today, a head coach’s relationship building could be just as, if not more, important than their in-game coaching ability. Washington State interim head coach Pete Kaligis said college football is a “whole different game,” first noting how important relationships are. Without Brown’s prior bonds before taking SU’s job, who knows where the program is?

Kyle McCord doesn’t give the Orange their best-ever single-season production under center. Fadil Diggs transfers to another SEC school. LeQuint Allen Jr., Marlowe Wax, Justin Barron and Oronde Gadsden II likely would’ve left the program. Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon and defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson wouldn’t be at Syracuse.

Relationships, along with NIL support, helped Brown build Syracuse’s best roster this century. But without on-field success, which Brown never had on his resume, none of it would matter. If SU remained mediocre despite all of the additions Browns brought in, it wouldn’t make a difference toward helping the program return to college football’s upper echelon.

Syracuse hasn’t played in a National Championship game since defeating Texas in the 1959 Cotton Bowl. Brown’s first year at the helm has the program well-positioned toward returning to national prominence. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer

For Brown, that started with unapologetically being himself. He preached to anyone who’d listen that he wanted Syracuse to be D.A.R.T — detailed, accountable, relentless and tough. Above all were his national championship aspirations. The combination resulted in an unbreakable culture. Once the season started, it turned into an unbreakable winning culture.

“We have an opportunity of winning 10 games, which means you’re starting to become a successful program, right?” Brown said.

With Bob Chesney or Dan Mullen at the helm, Syracuse wouldn’t have reached the success it did this year. It also likely wouldn’t be positioned toward making a run to the CFP anytime soon. The Orange’s only route to get there was hiring a contrarian who embraced college football’s new ways. In his first year, Brown was that and more. Though SU doesn’t have the strongest NIL, it has enough to convince players to join Brown.

“There are going to be a lot of places that offer a whole bunch of money. I think there’s a lot of kids that are looking for relationships,” Brown said. “The relationships mean more because long-term they’ll make more, right? You may have a kid that has an opportunity to make $200,000. Once you’re able to explain to them that 200 won’t mean as much as your signing bonus may be, the relationship you’ll have, and you already knowing and understanding that you’ll have a job. The 200 won’t mean as much as getting a degree from Syracuse, which is what you’re going to college to really do.”

It’s impossible to have a basis behind this remark for schools like Washington State, which can’t adapt to college football’s new landscape. But it’s something Brown deeply believes and now has prime examples of.

Without Brown having a precedent for his claims, it’d be hard to attract similar-caliber players in the portal. His Year 1 success gives him a much-needed pitch to pair with his recruiting prowess. Thus, the Orange are in the best imaginable spot they can be — even if Brown’s path toward becoming a national contender isn’t linear.

Justin Girshon is the Sports Editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at justingirshon@gmail.com or on X @JustinGirshon.

Published on December 27, 2024 at 1:38 am