College football’s hot-seat conversation has started to move, and Mike Norvell is no longer the name drawing all the heat.
That doesn’t mean Florida State’s coach is out of the woods. After back-to-back disappointing seasons that added up to only seven combined wins, Norvell opened this year with plenty of pressure already on him.
A 2-2 start didn’t help. But after Week 4, his name was off USA Today’s list of coaches who could lose their jobs first, and the focus has shifted elsewhere.
There are at least some signs Norvell can point to. The Seminoles’ passing game has shown life, throwing for 377 yards against Alabama and 238 against Central Arkansas.
Texas transfer running back Quintrevion Wisner, who didn’t get a carry against SMU and had just one against Alabama, delivered his most productive game in Week 4. If that keeps building, it could validate Florida State’s decision to spend resources bringing him in.
The bigger question around Norvell is whether Florida State can get to the number it reportedly needs to keep him for another season. With Saturday’s game against Virginia looking more manageable than it did a few weeks ago, and oddsmakers listing Florida State as a 2.5-to-3.5-point underdog, a 7- or 8-win season is still in play.
That’s a different kind of pressure than what’s hanging over USC’s Lincoln Riley, who now appears to be sitting on one of the hottest seats in the country. Even the part of Riley’s résumé that once sold the whole package - the offense - is no longer enough to calm things down, with Urban Meyer saying they “don’t even want to hear about anymore,”
The frustration is easy to trace. Riley hasn’t beaten Notre Dame since his first season in Los Angeles.
He is 5-15 against top-25 teams and 2-6 against ranked Big Ten teams. Norvell’s last two seasons have been rough, but he still gave Florida State a conference championship.
Riley, by comparison, has left USC fans with false hope and failed expectations.
That latest disappointment came in a 41-27 loss to Oregon, and now the Trojans may be weighing an expensive exit. Riley is making roughly $11.8 million a year, and Matt Zenitz reported, “Despite a buyout believed to be around $70 million,” Matt Zenitz wrote. “Industry sources have told CBS Sports that the Trojans could part ways with Riley depending on how the rest of the season unfolds.”
Shane Beamer has also surged into the conversation after a rough SEC opening for South Carolina.
The Gamecocks are 2-2, and the losses have been ugly. Alabama had the game effectively under control by halftime, when South Carolina trailed 34-10 on the way to a 49-18 defeat.
That came a week after a 41-34 loss to Mississippi State, the Bulldogs’ first win over the Gamecocks in 28 years. Unlike the Alabama game, South Carolina led 23-14 at halftime before being outscored 27-11 after the break.
Those results have only added to the pressure around Beamer, who entered the season on one of the hottest seats in the SEC. South Carolina is now 9-15 in SEC play since the start of the 2023 season and 20-21 overall. Of those 21 losses, 57.1 percent have come by 10 or more points, and 23.8 percent have come by 20 or more.
The Gamecocks are also 3-14 against top-25 teams in that span. Their last win came on Nov. 30, 2024, against No. 12 Clemson, 17-14.
At this point, the question around Beamer is less about whether South Carolina will move on and more about when. The school would owe $27.9 million to fire him before the end of the year, or $22.1 million if it waits until Jan. 1.
Norvell still has pressure to win, but for now, the spotlight has swung toward Riley and Beamer, both of whom are dealing with mounting problems of their own.
In Other News...
Peyton Bowen Sees One Big Issue Holding Back Oklahomas Quarterback
Peyton Bowen has seen enough from John Mateer in practice to know the Oklahoma quarterback has the tools to handle this stretch, even if the games have not matched the weekly work. Bowen pointed to the challenge Mateer has faced after recent turnovers, a familiar kind of pressure for a Sooners offense trying to settle in behind a talented but scrutinized quarterback. The safety said Mateer has shown leadership and plenty of ability, but the gap between what he does during the week and what shows up on Saturdays has become the central issue.
Bowen also framed it as more than a mechanical problem, noting the mental side of playing through criticism can wear on a quarterback. He compared the situation to what former teammate Jackson Arnold went through and said Mateer needs his confidence back to get rolling again when the lights come on. For now, Bowen has kept supporting him personally, a small but telling sign that Oklahomas locker room knows this is as much about belief as it is about performance. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas QB Situation Just Put Brent Venables In A Tough Spot
Brent Venables spent the week trying to steady the conversation around Oklahomas quarterback room, and he did not shy away from the fact that John Mateers recent play has prompted real internal discussion. Even with the turnovers and uneven production piling up, Venables said Mateer remains the starter as the Sooners head into their next game against Texas, a decision that keeps the spotlight squarely on a position that has become one of the teams biggest pressure points.
The safety net behind Mateer is thin, which only adds to the challenge. Venables said he has confidence in Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley, but Newbauers experience has mostly come at the FCS level and Bentley has yet to make his college debut, leaving Oklahoma with little proven depth if the situation changes. For now, the Sooners are sticking with the veteran answer at quarterback, even as the margin for patience keeps getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offensive Line Battle Just Took A Meaningful Turn
Oklahomas offensive line got a little more encouraging feedback coming out of the recent game against Georgia, and it came from an unexpected source. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables pointed to the groups incremental improvement in pass protection and noted that the unit committed only one false start, a small but meaningful sign for a front that has been trying to settle in while the Sooners keep sorting out the best combination up front.
The development picture remains just as important as the short-term results, with Oklahoma continuing to look for more reliable depth and getting increased playing time for Peyton Joseph as part of that effort. Venables also said injured offensive tackle Michael Fasusi is making progress, though he stopped well short of offering any timetable for a return, leaving the Sooners still waiting for the next piece of clarity on an offensive line that is trending the right way, even if the full picture is not yet in place. [Read more 🡒]