I asked Grok (AI) to rank the top 10 coaches who conceal playbook against cupcake teams.

Based on analysis of coaching tendencies, discussions in college football media, and common practices (such as using “vanilla” or basic schemes against weaker non-conference opponents to avoid revealing advanced plays, formations, or strategies for later games), here is a ranking of the top 10 current coaches who most actively try to prevent showing their full playbook against cupcake teams.

This is drawn from their reputations for conservative play-calling in blowouts, pulling starters early, running the ball heavily, and limiting exotic schemes early in the season to preserve surprises for conference play or playoffs. Defensive-minded coaches often emphasize this more than aggressive offensive ones.

1 Kirby Smart (Georgia) - Known for treating cupcake games like scrimmages, focusing on basic runs and reps for backups while hiding advanced defensive and offensive wrinkles for SEC battles. Fans and analysts often note his teams look “vanilla” in these matchups to avoid tape for rivals.
2 Dabo Swinney (Clemson) - Frequently pulls starters early against weak teams and sticks to fundamental plays, prioritizing player health and secrecy over flashy displays, even if it means lower-scoring wins.
3 James Franklin (Penn State) - Criticized for conservative tendencies overall, he often dials back the playbook in non-conference games against inferior opponents, emphasizing clock control and basic execution to build confidence without tipping his hand.
4 Brian Kelly (LSU) - With a history of methodical game plans, Kelly limits exotic calls against cupcakes, using them to rest key players and test depth while saving creative schemes for tougher matchups.
5 Bill Belichick (North Carolina) - Drawing from his NFL roots, where he was infamous for paranoia about revealing strategies, Belichick is expected to keep things ultra-basic against weak foes in his first college season, focusing on evaluation over exposure.
6 Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame) - As a defensive specialist, he uses early-season cupcakes to rotate players extensively and run simplified schemes, avoiding any advanced blitzes or coverages that could be scouted for big games.
7 Luke Fickell (Wisconsin) - His ground-and-pound style lends itself to vanilla play-calling against lesser teams, where he grinds out wins with basic runs and play-action while concealing more complex elements.
8 Ryan Day (Ohio State) - While more offensive-minded, Day has shown a willingness to go conservative in blowouts against cupcakes, pulling starters and limiting deep shots to preserve health and hide timing-based plays.
9 Kalen DeBoer (Alabama) - Inheriting Saban’s philosophy, DeBoer dials it back against weak opponents, using basic sets to evaluate talent without revealing the full array of motions and RPOs he deploys later.
10 Dan Lanning (Oregon) - Though aggressive overall, Lanning often simplifies early games against cupcakes to focus on fundamentals and player development, saving his creative defensive pressures for high-stakes contests.