Week 1 tests for new head coaches Marcus Freeman, Billy Napier, Dan Lanning and Brian Kelly

Of the 14 head coaches at new jobs in the Power 5 (plus Notre Dame), four coaches in particular face tough tests to open the 2022 season. 

Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, LSU’s Brian Kelly, Florida’s Billy Napier and Oregon’s Dan Lanning all have marquee matchups this weekend, presenting each with a different opportunity to make a statement. 

While there are storylines galore for each game, here’s one key question for the four head coaches in new roles at prestige programs to kick off Week 1. 

Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame at Ohio State)

Q: Is Freeman more comfortable making in-game decisions as a head coach?

The last time Freeman roamed the sidelines as the guy in charge of Notre Dame, the Irish squandered a 21-point lead in the Fiesta Bowl, getting gashed in the second half by Oklahoma State. 

They lost the third quarter 17-0, and by the end of the fourth quarter, there was a little deer-in-the-headlights look with Freeman on the sidelines calling all the shots.

After the game, Freeman was questioned about his lack of aggressiveness and adjustments.

For those who might’ve forgotten: Notre Dame’s offense was humming in the first half, but the Irish’s recently promoted defensive coordinator opted to forgo several opportunities facing short 4th downs to continue extending drives. The Irish also entered halftime with all three timeouts, as Freeman chose to sit on the football after the Cowboys cut the deficit to 28-14 with 40 seconds left in the half — and Oklahoma State was set the receive the opening kickoff in the third quarter. 

It was a poor decision, as were some other questionable second-half choices. The 35-year-old head coach had a tough debut as a head coach, but that’s not unexpected in a such a big spot

So what all did Freeman learn from that experience and how will those lessons be deployed in-game against Ohio State?

No one really expects Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame to go to Columbus and beat the Buckeyes.

Ironically, Freeman could actually walk away a winner if Notre Dame loses a close battle — especially when compared to his boss Brian Kelly, who was routinely criticized for falling short in big games. 

But if Freeman is aggressive and makes in-game decisions that give the Irish a fighting chance, it would be a promising sign Notre Dame’s coach isn’t over his head as a head coach.

Billy Napier (Florida vs. Utah)

Q: Will Napier turn quarterback Anthony Richardson loose vs. the Utes?

Florida is a slight home-underdog against reigning Pac-12 champ Utah on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN), as former Louisiana-Lafayette coach Billy Napier is hoping to make a splash debut in The Swamp. 

The Utes have a deeper roster (17 returning starters) and a dynamic 1-2 punch in quarterback Cam Rising (26 total touchdowns in 2021) and tailback Tavion Thomas (1100 yards, 21 touchdowns), but the Gators have the complete element of surprise. That could be good or bad. 

We have little idea what Billy Napier’s Florida Gators will look like to open the 2022 season. Unknowns include will they play with more effort? Has Napier already eliminated the program’s recent penalty problems? Does UF’s defense play with sounder fundamentals?

But those are macro issues that won’t be officially answered after Week 1. 

But what about quarterback Anthony Richardson‘s role in Napier’s offense? Richardson just might be the ultimate eraser — a transcendent athlete capable of masking the rest of Florida’s offensive issues, but while Napier has never hesitated to run his QBs, the Gators have next-to-no depth behind Richardson, who has already been plagued by various injuries during his UF career. 

Ohio State transfer Jack Miller injured his wrist in fall camp, so will that deter Napier from unleashing his 6-4, 235-pound battering ram?

Napier is on record saying he plans to let “Anthony Richardson be Anthony Richardson,” and we’ll find out quickly how true that sentiment actually is on Saturday night.

Again, depth is not in UF’s favor, but it does have Richardson’s all-world potential and home-field advantage, including the weather, on its side. 

So if Napier lets him loose, can Utah handle tackling Richardson for four quarters in the heat and humidity inside The Swamp? It just might be the difference between Florida starting the season 1-0 versus 0-1. 

Dan Lanning (Oregon vs. Georgia, Atlanta)

Q: Has Lanning picked a quarterback?

The former Bulldogs defensive coordinator has taken Kirby Smart’s blueprint across the country with him from Athens to Eugene, and that includes being coy about his plans at quarterback. 

With linebacker Noah Sewell leading the way, Oregon projects to have a stingy defense all season under Lanning. But there are real questions about what a Kenny Dillingham offense looks like in Year 1, and now specifically, who will be under center for the Ducks in Week 1 against Georgia?

Dillingham, a former OC at Auburn and Florida State, has never called plays, and while he has previous ties to Tigers quarterback transfer Bo Nix, Lanning maintained throughout fall camp that neither Nix nor Jay Butterfield and Ty Thompson had “separated themselves” in the quarterback competition.

Following both of Oregon’s preseason scrimmages, Lanning lamented turnover woes from his QBs — a bug Nix struggled with at Auburn, especially in 2020 and 2019 (13 interceptions). 

That obviously could spell disaster against even-a-reloading Georgia defense, but Lanning’s decision at quarterback is less about Week 1 and more about the direction the Ducks opt to take leaving Atlanta. 

The Ducks are heavy underdogs against the Bulldogs, and few anticipate Lanning beating his former boss. And if first-year hasn’t settled on a QB1, playing multiple guys Saturday isn’t out of the question. But with a veteran offensive line (plus 5-star signee Josh Conerly Jr.), a deep tight end room and some intriguing receivers, there’s enough talent around whoever is Oregon’s quarterback for the offense to be successful in 2022. 

Even after Georgia, Oregon doesn’t really ease into the rest of its schedule (Week 3 vs. BYU, Week 4 at Washington State), so whoever Lanning tabs (and the safe bet remains Nix) has an early chance to sink or swim. 

Brian Kelly (LSU vs. Florida State, New Orleans)

Q: Has Kelly done anything to jumpstart an anemic Tigers’ rushing attack?

While there remains intrigue surrounding LSU’s quarterback situation entering Brian Kelly’s debut, the Tigers’ opener against the Seminoles presents a good opportunity to see if their run game has any new juice in a new offense.

Kelly, as well as offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, believe in a strong offensive line and a power running game as the foundation of an offensive attack, so while LSU has some of the best perimeter playmakers in the SEC this year, I expect Kelly to see if his remade rushing attack can establish some physicality against a solid FSU defense. 

The Seminoles return the second-most production the country this fall, and they were solid against the run in 2021, ranking 30th nationally by allowing just 3.6 yards per play.

Meanwhile, outside of its outlier performance against Florida (321 yards) LSU was abominable at running the football last season, ranking next-to-last in the SEC in yards, average per rush and touchdowns. 

Kelly brought in multiple transfer offensive linemen, as well as signing 5-star freshman Will Campbell, who is expected to start at left tackle. The Tigers will reportedly be without tailback John Emery, who is suspended the first two games of the season, so Kelly will lean on Penn State transfer Noah Cain and speedster Armoni Goodwin. Arizona State transfer quarterback Jayden Daniels is also likely to be featured as an element of LSU’s rushing attack. 

Considering Saturday’s game in New Orleans projects as ugly and low-scoring, it’s a perfect opportunity to see what the Tigers’ ground game looks like against a decent defense.