Rob's Rankings: Power Five coaching debuts from first to worst

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Of the 13 head coaches hired by Power Five programs this offseason, 12 made their debuts over the weekend, so this week’s Rob Rankings subject was an obvious choice. Today, we have a look at how the most notable (non-interim) head coaches fared in their first games, with the coach that drew the most offseason skepticism checking in at No. 1.

Note: While new Nebraska head coach Scott Frost took a loss against a thunderstorm on Saturday, the actual football game was cancelled. Because of this, he was left off of this list.

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The result: 49-7 victory over UTSA

Those who enjoy making jokes about ASU’s hiring of Edwards will have to wait to showcase their craft, as the Sun Devils looked impressive over the weekend. Sure, UTSA isn’t exactly the 1972 Dolphins, but a 49-7 win over an improving program with a decent level of talent counts for something. Edwards’ offensive line gave up no sacks, and the defense recorded nine of its own in Saturday’s game.

All things considered, game No. 1 couldn’t have gone much better for Edwards and the Sun Devils. Laugh at the hire all you want, but ASU appears to have a talented roster and a coach that hasn’t totally forgotten what he’s doing. No one knows how the Edwards Era in Tempe will unfold, but Saturday was a resounding success.

The result: 47-27 win over Texas Tech

We got a taste of what Luke could do as an interim last season, when he coached the Rebels to a 6-6 record despite a mountain of controversy. Saturday was technically his debut as the program's full-time head coach, and the result was more of the same. Luke was the only new head coach to defeat a Power Five opponent on Saturday. And while Texas Tech limped to a bowl game a year ago and is not thought to be on steady footing this year, a 20-point victory over a team that went to a bowl game in 2017 is nothing to scoff at.

Luke lost his starting quarterback this offseason, when Shea Patterson transferred to Michigan, and he is coaching team with no hope of a postseason berth because of sanctions and still the squad looks as motivated and cohesive as ever. Ole Miss may have the nation’s best wide receiver group, and Luke is certainly getting the most out of them.

The result: 53-6 victory over Charleston Southern

The victory itself isn’t why Mullen’s debut ranks so high on this list. A beatdown of an FCS opponent is no crowning achievement. Instead, the fact that the offense looked like a cohesive unit capable of scoring on any number of Power Five teams earns Mullen the No. 3 spot.

UF’s new head coach was brought in to score points. And while they won’t give him a trophy for drilling Charleston Southern, it’s impossible for Florida fans to avoid being encouraged by what they saw when the Gators had the ball. The fact that both Miami and Florida State got drilled over the weekend also factors into the equation, as the Gators needed something to spark recruiting in the state. If things continue on this trajectory, they may have found just that. It was good to be Mullen this weekend.

The result: 63-6 victory over Stephen F. Austin

Moorhead used his Mississippi State debut to do exactly what was expected. The program’s new head coach took his talented roster and mercilessly pounded an FCS opponent despite being without star quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. The Bulldogs' defensive front looked incredible for the game’s entirety, which is also encouraging. Stephen F. Austin is a bad football team, but good teams smash bad ones, and Moorhead’s program did just that.

The result: 58-24 victory over Bowling Green

You can only beat the teams on your schedule and, so far, Cristobal has done just that. Oregon wasn’t perfect in Saturday’s victory, but Cristobal certainly had a more enjoyable weekend than Willie Taggart, the man he replaced in Eugene. The performance was uneven, as quarterback Justin Herbert struggled to find consistency and the defense had its lapses. Still, the good far outweighed the bad. The Ducks are 1-0 and taking some level of additional pleasure in what happened on Monday in Tallahassee.

The result: 59-7 victory over Northwestern State

Fisher’s offense is different than the one A&M fans got used to under the previous regime, as he turned to his tight end in the opener. Sophomore Kellen Mond looked sharp under the leadership of Fisher, who carries the reputation of being a quarterback whisperer. All of that yielded a 59-7 victory over a downright bad Northwestern State team. The game didn’t tell us much about the future of A&M’s new era, but nobody in College Station is worried.

The result: 55-20 victory over Eastern Illinois

Pounding a mediocre FCS team isn’t going earn you the top spot on any list, but it’s enough to keep Morris well off the bottom. There really isn’t a ton to say here. The Arkansas running game left plenty to be desired, but a win is a win. Morris didn’t embarrass himself and that counts for something.

The result: 28-23 loss to BYU

The talking point about Sumlin being armed with a Johnny Manziel-like Heisman contender took a hit when the Wildcats fell to BYU in Tucson on Saturday. Quarterback Khalil Tate, who was one of the more dynamic players in the country a year ago, attempted just eight rushes, and the offensive line had an uneven night as well. Arizona fans will blame the coaching staff for not utilizing Tate correctly and Sumlin should certainly take some of the blame, but adjustments on that front are likely forthcoming. Still, 0-1 is 0-1, and a loss at home stings.

The result: 77-31 loss to Ohio State

There’s no shame is losing to Ohio State, but there’s at least a little shame in giving up 77 points to anyone. Smith had a long rebuild in front of him, as the Beavers were 7-29 in the three seasons leading up to Smith taking over the program. This is the most difficult job in the Pac-12, so Smith stays out of the bottom three despite the blowout loss. Smith’s offense, led by running back Artavis Pierce, showed signs despite the final score.

The result: 26-17 loss to Cincinnati

Anyone expecting Kelly to be a human magic wand capable of fixing a broken program by simply showing up had a long Saturday. The Bruins spent week one losing to a Cincinnati team that went 4-8 a season ago and made a quarterback change in the process. It’s clear this rebuild will take time. It’s also clear that Kelly’s offense isn’t a cure-all. This could be a rough season for UCLA, as the schedule is about to show its teeth.

The result: 40-14 loss to West Virginia

Molding Tennessee into anything resembling a contender was always going to take time, so only the most optimistic Vol fans expected to beat a West Virginia team that was favored by 10 points. But 40-14 is a little discouraging for a coach with a strong defensive background. The talent level at Tennessee isn’t ideal and that’s been clear for some time, but this still stings. Losing your debut by 26 points at a neutral site is always going to put you near the bottom of the list.

The result: 24-3 loss to Virginia Tech

Taggart’s offense completely failed him in his debut, so while the defense put forth a solid effort the result was, at best, less than desirable and, at worst, a nuclear disaster. Taggart spent the offseason promoting his style of offense as “lethal simplicity” and the fact that it mustered just three points was lethal all right.

According to ESPN stats and info, 35 of Florida State’s 63 offense plays went for zero or negative yards. One game, no matter how poor, is never an indication of how a coach’s tenure will unfold, and the Virginia Tech team that pounded Taggart is no slouch. Still, a three-touchdown loss at home is a rocky way to introduce yourself to a fan base.