The hot seat in college football depends on who’s looking at it.
At some Big 12 schools, it’s all about the coach’s job security. At others, the heat comes from the game sitting right in front of you - the one that suddenly feels like it has to be won.
Each week, there are four Big 12 coaches worth watching for that kind of pressure. Here’s who’s feeling it heading into Week 3.
Texas Tech has a lot riding on Friday night, and that puts Joey McGuire in the spotlight. This isn’t a warning sign about his job.
It’s more about the moment. Houston is the opponent, and there’s plenty at stake for the Red Raiders.
Willie Fritz’s program has its own motivations, but McGuire is the one carrying the bigger burden here. Texas Tech has become a team plenty of people outside Lubbock want to see lose, and that kind of attention brings a different sort of heat. The Red Raiders want to shut that down with a win, especially with the fan base having dragged its heels about playing on Friday night in the first place.
Lance Leipold is in a different kind of pressure cooker at Kansas. The Jayhawks just dropped the Border War game to Missouri, and now they’re headed to London to face Arizona State at Wembley Stadium. That’s a big stage, and it’s the kind of game Leipold needs to win.
He deserves credit for getting Kansas on steadier footing, but the program hasn’t done much since the nine-win 2023 season. There’s momentum around the school thanks to the stadium renovation and the Gateway Project, and that helps raise the profile.
It also raises expectations. If Kansas loses again and starts Big 12 play slowly, the temperature under Leipold only goes up.
Scott Satterfield has pressure of a more familiar kind at Cincinnati. The Bearcats face Miami (OH) in the Victory Bell game, and if you know Cincinnati football, you know that’s not just another date on the schedule. The rivalry has been around for decades, even though they didn’t play it last year.
Miami has plenty to point to, too. The RedHawks reached the MAC championship game last season, and they’ve got a grudge after Cincinnati beat them in the 2024 game, 27-16.
That came after Miami won the 2023 meeting, 31-24, in overtime during Satterfield’s first season. Cincinnati had won the game 17 straight times before he arrived, so dropping this one again would land hard with the fan base.
Kalani Sitake and BYU handled business last week by beating Arizona at home, and now the Cougars head to Fort Collins to face Colorado State. Credit BYU for taking a Group of Six road game - not many programs do that.
Still, this has the feel of a trap. Colorado State has offensive talent, especially quarterback Hauss Hejny, who has thrown nine touchdown passes in two games this season.
BYU is coming off a tough conference opener, and this is the kind of road game that can get messy fast. Sitake and his staff will feel the heat here, because this is not a game BYU wants to lose.
In Other News...
Arizona State Brings A Big 12 Problem Kansas Can't Ignore
The Jayhawks head to Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday for a matchup with Arizona State in the inaugural Union Jack Classic, a historic setting for the first college football game ever played at the venue. For Kansas, it is more than a novelty trip. It is an early test against a Sun Devils team that has already shown enough through two games to look like a real Big 12 issue, with head coach Kenny Dillingham bringing an aggressive edge and a defense up front that can make life difficult.
Arizona State also has enough on the perimeter to stress a Kansas defense that will have to stay sharp from the opening series. The Sun Devils have playmakers in the passing game and a quarterback in Cutter Boley who has already put together a productive start, which means this is not the kind of overseas showcase where the Jayhawks can afford a slow beginning. If Kansas wants to leave London with momentum instead of questions, it will have to deal with a team that looks built to keep this one uncomfortable deep into Saturday. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans Wanted After Missouri
Kansas came out of the Missouri loss with more than a sour taste, as the coaching staff spent part of the week sorting through what went wrong and what needs to look cleaner going forward. A big piece of that conversation centered on Isaiah Marshall, whose development remains a priority, along with the broader need for the offense and the team as a whole to show more consistency as the schedule tightens up.
Arizona State is next, and the early read from the Kansas side is that this is no ordinary bounce-back spot. The staff pointed to the Sun Devils talent, a strong coaching setup and a few players who can tilt the game quickly, which makes the margin for error feel small before kickoff even arrives. A prediction was already laid down on the game, and it leans toward Arizona State, which only adds to the sense that Kansas is heading into a tougher test than many fans probably wanted right after the Missouri game. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Depth Test Ahead Of Crucial Arizona State Game
Kansas heads into its matchup with Arizona State already dealing with a thin margin for error, and the injury report only adds to the uncertainty. Linebacker Bam Crouch, wide receiver Cam Pickett and tight end Carson Bruhn are all listed as questionable, leaving the Jayhawks to sort through depth issues on both sides of the ball as they prepare for a crucial conference game.
The quarterback situation is even more precarious, with Cole Ballard doubtful because of a shoulder injury. If he cannot go, freshman Chase Jenkins would likely be next in line, a scenario that would put even more pressure on Kansas to manage the game cleanly while navigating an offense already short on healthy options. [Read more 🡒]