To look at the question more seriously than my previous post, it's really hard to say. The main reason why I'd lean toward Will over Dan is that Will's two seasons took place before Grodner got completely obvious with her interference in the game itself. It's why Jordan can't really be taken seriously despite matching Will's placements because she benefited from the coup, Pandora letting Rachel play POV to save them both, etc.
In Dan's case, a legit argument could be made that the coach twist was merely used to give the returning players a few free weeks of safety -- I mean, with the way that the coaches were brought into the game as players, i.e. the America vote combined with only one of the four needing to hit the reset button, it was pretty fucking obvious that there's no way it wouldn't have happened. Let's see how far he goes, though. To get to the end and win a second time is a big deal no matter how much luck was on your side, since you're still viewed as a threat before the final two and you still have to have a favorable enough ending scenario that people will vote for you despite your previous winner status. Only Queen Sandra has done it so far.
I don't think Grodner's manipulation puts any kind of asterisk next to a potential Dan win. When the coaches entered the game, the whole thing was reset, they started over with 12 players and Frank's eviction was canceled. So to me, it all balances out. Whoever wins will have done so under a semi-normal format, and since a newbie eviction was canceled, they can't really cry foul. At least this cast of newbies had the good sense to knock out two vets before jury unlike the morons who played last year.
Dan started off this season losing TWO of his three players by the end of week one. The other coaches may have benefited from safety but he was always in danger if Danielle had been evicted. He was seemingly dead in the water
just like he was during Season 10 when Brian went home. But he managed to keep both himself and Danielle in the game until the reset, and now this week his power move could save them both. Dr. Will tried to do that on his second go-around -- play the same game he played in Season 2 but get both himself and Boogie to F2 -- but he failed. If Dan gets past F4 or gets both himself and Danielle to F2, he would essentially have achieved what Dr. Will couldn't.
Also, I know people like to use the "Dan played with idiots" card so let me dismiss that inherently silly argument right away by reminding everyone that on Season 2 Will played against the likes of Nicole, Monica, Bunky, Kent, Shannon, Hardy and Boogie. Next exactly a MENSA meeting.
Finally, if Dan wins this season, that would mean he pulled through when his eviction was imminent whereas Dr Will didn't (at F4). And I mean, Dan convinced Frank (his arch nemesis) and Jenn (a floater who didn't like him) to use the POV on him and not Danielle (whom Jenn was in love with). Whereas Will couldn't convince Janelle (his game girlfriend) to keep him over Erika (a woman she hated). In that comparison, Dan had the greater degree of difficulty and succeeded; Will had the lesser degree of difficulty and failed.
And I haven't even gotten to the part where Dan remains the only BB winner to get every single vote from the jury which is pretty much what this game is all about.
