Kirk Herbstreit names top coaches from Week 9

On the eve of the 2021 season’s first College Football Playoff rankings, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit gave a shoutout to nine coaches across college football that impressed him in Week 9. 

1. Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker: The clear winner from last week’s performances, Tucker pulled off his second victory over Michigan in as many years. Michigan State overcame a 30-14 second-half deficit to remain undefeated and potentially set up a de facto Big Ten Championship play-in game in a few weeks with Ohio State. Running back Kenneth Walker III firmly cemented his name in the Heisman conversation, amassing five rushing touchdowns, the most scored by any player ever against Michigan. Tucker not only won the week, he is atop the conversation for coach of the year.
2. Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin: Auburn notched its second-consecutive ranked win on Saturday, and the 6-2 Tigers have only fallen to Georgia and Penn State. Auburn bottled up an explosive Ole Miss offense, holding them to the fewest points (20) they have scored this season. Bo Nix had another productive outing, posting 276 yards and three total touchdowns. Auburn heads to College Station next week for the top game of the Week 10 slate, and all of a sudden, the Iron Bowl could have some extra shine.
3. Miami head coach Manny Diaz: For the second-straight week, Diaz finds himself among Herbstreit’s top performers. The Hurricanes pulled off a win over a ranked Pittsburgh team eyeing a potential shot at the College Football Playoff. Miami jumped out to an early 21-7 lead and held on to win 38-34 in Pittsburgh. At one point late in the first quarter, Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke had a passer rating of 456.4 against a Pittsburgh defense that had previously been rather highly touted. 
4. Mississippi State defensive coordinator Zach Arnett: The Mississippi State defense posted a masterful performance in an upset victory over No. 12 Kentucky on Saturday. Arnett’s defense held the Wildcats to 216 yards and 13 first downs and forced four turnovers. Excluding their game against Alabama, the Bulldogs are holding their SEC opponents to 18.3 points per game. They’ll look to continue that trend as they finish out the season against three conference opponents in Arkansas, Auburn and Ole Miss. All three have shown offensive vulnerabilities that could be exploitable. 
5. Washington State interim head coach Jake Dickert: Dickert inherited a messy situation in Pullman after taking over for the terminated Nick Rolovich, and to date, he has done a pretty great job. On Saturday, the Cougars stomped Arizona State as 16.5-point underdogs. They forced five turnovers and led 34-7 in the fourth quarter. Washington State has won four-straight conference games, sits in second place in the Pac-12 North, and has a date with Oregon on Nov. 13.
6. Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck: The Gophers have one of the more inexplicable losses this year against Bowling Green. But after Saturday, they also sit atop the Big Ten West. Minnesota annihilated Northwestern 41-14, dominating the line of scrimmage with 308 rushing yards. The Gophers are not in the playoff mix, but they control their own destiny when it comes to getting to Indianapolis. It could be another dream season for Fleck. 
7. Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen: The Cougars entered Saturday’s game against undefeated SMU on a six-game winning streak, and they continued that run in a 44-37 upset sealed by Marcus Jones’ 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 17 second remaining in the game. Quarterback Clayton Tune had a career day with 412 yards, four touchdowns and a passer rating of 202.2. The remaining schedule is relatively easy, so as long as Holgorsen’s team accomplishes what is expected, they will likely meet future Big 12 conference mate Cincinnati for a shot at the AAC title. 
8. West Virginia head coach Neal Brown: The Mountaineers got their second ranked win of the season on Saturday, a 38-31 upset over Iowa State. A back-and-forth game with five ties, the Mountaineers ultimately came out on top thanks to a three-touchdown performance from quarterback Jarret Doege and an additional two scores from running back Leddie Brown. While their record may not show it, West Virginia has proven they can play with anyone in the Big 12.
9. Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer: The Bulldogs toppled previously undefeated No. 21 San Diego State on Saturday 30-20. They are 2-0 in Southern California against ranked opponents this season after beating then-No. 13 UCLA in September. Fresno State climbed back into the rankings at No. 25, they have the best record in the Mountain West, and their remaining opponents have a combined 12-13 record.