Kirk Herbstreit ranks top 7 coaches of college football Week 14

Week 14 hosted some of the most heated rivalries throughout college football, which made victory taste a bit sweeter this past weekend.

To celebrate, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit decided to recognize a few coaches for their displays over the weekend. He named his top-performing coaches across seven programs after Week 14 of the 2024 season.

Sherrone Moore/Wink Martindale – Michigan

Michigan’s win over Ohio State on Saturday changed the outlook of Sherrone Moore’s first season as head coach of the Wolverines. He did in one try what it took Jim Harbaugh six to do, leaving many optimistic of the direction of the program heading into the postseason and beyond.

His defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, saw their defense star in their role against the Buckeyes. Holding Ohio State to a season-low 10 points, Michigan kept Ohio State 6-for-16 on third down and just 77 yards rushing on the afternoon.

Fran Brown – Syracuse

If Ohio State losing wasn’t enough, Fran Brown’s Syracuse squad downed Cam Ward and No. 6 Miami 42-38 to shake Week 14 up even more.

Trailing 21-0, Brown’s team came back to score 35 points between the second and third quarters to help the Orange improve to 9-3 on the season and knock the ‘Canes out of the ACC Championship game. Syracuse now has the opportunity to win its 10th game of the season in whichever bowl game they appear in.

Pete Kwiatkowski DC – Texas

Texas outgained Texas A&M 461-248 in total offensive production as Pete Kwiatkowski’s defensive unit forced two turnovers — which included a game-sealing fumble recovery with under two minutes left in regulation.

The win pushes the Longhorns into the SEC Championship game, and likely solidified their College Football Playoff berth. A similar defensive performance will be needed if Texas wants to down the Bulldogs and earn back their loss from earlier in the year.

Brent Key – Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech almost pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the season when they took Georgia to eight overtimes during Week 14. While they didn’t emerge victorious, you wouldn’t be able to tell based on the stat sheet.

Brent Key’s Yellow Jackets outgained Georgia 563 yards to 405, threw for six more yards than the Bulldogs and was outgained by over 150 yards on the ground during the contest. Georgia Tech was better on third downs and won the possession battle by nearly 15 minutes. It’s a promising performance for the Yellow Jackets, who still have a bowl game to play this postseason.

Clayton White DC – South Carolina

For the first time since they played Georgia in the season opener, Clemson was held to under 20 points during the Tigers’ 17-14 loss to South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl.

While Clemson still found success gaining yards throwing the ball, the Tigers were held well short of its rushing average (190 yards per game), totaling 139 yards during the contest. South Carolina’s potential playoff hopes remain alive thanks to that victory.

Matt Campbell – Iowa State

Iowa State earned its way into the Big 12 Championship game against Arizona State with a chance to play in the College Football Playoff on the line this weekend.

The Cyclones secured its spot in the by defeating a ranked Kansas State squad 29-21. It was Iowa State’s 10th win of the regular season — the first time that has ever happened in Ames.

Aaron Bohl DC – Wyoming

Wyoming had lost five out of six games coming into Week 14, but emerged victorious with a 15-14 win over Washington State on the road.

They were able to beat the Cougars on a touchdown pass from Evan Svoboda to John Michael Gyllenborg with 24 seconds left in regulation. While Wyoming finished the season well short of bowl eligibility, Wyoming heads into the offseason on a high note.