Alabama does not have its season on the line against South Carolina, but Saturday night still carries real weight for Kalen DeBoer. A home loss would be another ugly one for the Crimson Tide coach, yet it would not rise to the level of a must-win. Plenty of Alabama fans won’t love hearing that.
The must-win label usually gets a pass for first-year head coaches. Even when the honeymoon is brief, those coaches are often assumed to have time to reach year two. This list breaks that pattern, though, because three of the four coaches in question are new hires.
The one exception is South Carolina’s Shane Beamer. Gamecock fans, by all appearances, are finished with him. Barring a miracle - and that won’t happen - every game is a must-win from here on out.
Arkansas’ Ryan Silverfield also lands in that category, even if a loss to Tulsa would not get him fired on the spot. The problem is bigger than job security.
SEC programs, even one in rough shape like Arkansas, are not supposed to lose to Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane are 3-0, but Brian Fremeau’s FEI Ratings place their offense at No.
Auburn’s Alex Golesh is in a similar spot. A home loss to Vanderbilt would not immediately put his job in jeopardy, but it would be a brutal early hit.
It would also mean a possible 0-2 SEC start and three straight losses to Vanderbilt. Auburn fans do not accept losses to Vandy in Jordan-Hare.
If Golesh drops this one, the Auburn honeymoon is over, and the conversation turns quickly to whether the Tigers are staring at the possibility of missing even the Birmingham Bowl, or any bowl at all.
LSU presents a different kind of pressure. Recent estimates put the cost of firing Brian Kelly and Matt McMahon, Lane Kiffin’s contract, outgoing and incoming assistant contracts, Will Wade’s contract, and reportedly about $50 million for LSU’s football roster at close to a quarter of a billion dollars.
That kind of investment was not made so LSU could miss the Playoff this season. The SEC’s lawsuit against LSU could also add millions more to the bill.
If LSU loses to Texas A&M, ESPN’s current playoff projection of 27.2% would take a serious hit.
And if things keep going sideways, the blame game will start. LSU fans may begin looking at Lane Kiffin.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry may need a fall guy. Predicting Landry is never easy, but one thing seems certain: he will find a way to push the blame elsewhere if LSU spirals.
In Other News...
UAB Just Delivered The Kind Of Moment Alabama Fans Notice
UABs 24-20 win over Navy at Protective Stadium was the kind of result that reverberates a little louder around Alabama football circles, even with the Crimson Tide not on the field. It was UABs first-ever victory against Navy, a meaningful marker for a program still trying to carve out more moments that register beyond its own fan base.
Afterward, the scene in the press conference room added to the nights feel-good edge. Marlin Dean, Bam McReynolds and Ty Mims took time to thank every reporter by shaking hands, while coach Alex Mortensen praised the team and the importance of the win. The defensive effort also stood out, with Todd Granthams influence on that side of the ball drawing attention as UAB enjoyed a breakthrough that felt bigger than one November result. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Reopened Alabamas Favorite Tennessee Rivalry Wound
Nick Saban didnt need much time at College GameDay in Knoxville to remind Tennessee fans of one of the most lopsided chapters in recent rivalry history. By pointing to his record against the Vols and joking that his teams had smoked 16 of 17 cigars in those matchups, he brought an old sore spot right back to the surface, and the crowd let him know exactly how it felt about the reminder.
Saban kept going from there, backing Texas to beat Tennessee in the teams upcoming game and nodding to a past Vols celebration involving goalposts. For Alabama fans, it was the kind of familiar swagger that comes with years of dominance, but for Tennessee, it was another public reopening of a wound that never seems to fully close. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Familiar Problem In Another South Carolina Test
Alabama has opened the season 3-0, stacking up wins over Kentucky and Florida State and carrying the kind of early momentum that usually quiets questions in September. Still, the next stretch offers a different sort of examination, with South Carolina on deck for the third straight year and the Crimson Tide looking for a cleaner, more convincing performance on both sides of the ball. The conversation around this matchup naturally turns to whether Alabama can set the tone earlier and back up the standard it has tried to establish through the first three games.
South Carolina has become a familiar test, and that familiarity tends to sharpen the focus on Alabamas defensive execution and overall urgency. The buildup also comes with the usual supporting cast of key players and betting lines, but the bigger issue is whether the Tide can avoid the kind of slow start that can turn a supposedly manageable SEC game into a longer afternoon than expected. [Read more 🡒]