College football’s hot-seat conversation has started to move, and Mike Norvell is no longer the name sitting at the center of it.
Norvell opened the season under major pressure at Florida State after back-to-back disappointing years that produced just seven combined wins. A 2-2 start only turned up the noise.
Still, his spot appears to have cooled compared with where it was a few weeks ago. After Week 4, Norvell was no longer listed by USA Today among the coaches most likely to lose their jobs first, and with the coaching carousel beginning to spin, it would not be surprising if he stays off that ride for now.
There are at least some signs Florida State may be moving in the right direction. The passing game has shown life, with 377 yards through the air against Alabama and 238 against Central Arkansas.
Texas transfer running back Quintrevion Wisner also had his most productive game in Week 4 after getting no carries against SMU and just one against Alabama. If that trend continues, it could validate the resources Florida State used to bring him in.
Saturday’s matchup with Virginia now looks more manageable than it did earlier in the season, with oddsmakers making Florida State a 2.5-to-3.5-point underdog. A 7- or 8-win season is still in play, and seven is reportedly the number Florida State needs to keep Norvell for another year.
While Norvell’s situation has eased somewhat, USC’s Lincoln Riley has moved into a much hotter spotlight. Riley is on one of, if not the hottest seat in the country, and even the one thing he was once known for - explosive offense - has lost its shine. As Urban Meyer put it, they “don’t even want to hear about anymore.”
The frustration around Riley is tied to the results. He has not 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 also fallen short, but he at least delivered a conference championship.
Riley, on the other hand, has given USC fans false hope and failed expectations.
That has become a costly problem for the Trojans, who pay him roughly $11.8 million a year. After a 41-27 loss to Oregon, the possibility of a split is no longer far-fetched.
“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 is also seeing the heat rise after a rough SEC opening stretch at South Carolina. The Gamecocks are 2-2, and the losses have been ugly.
Alabama had the game essentially wrapped by halftime, leading 34-10 before rolling to a 49-18 win. That result came a week after a 41-34 loss to Mississippi State, the Bulldogs’ first win over South Carolina in 28 years.
Unlike the Alabama game, South Carolina actually led at halftime against Mississippi State, 23-14, before getting outscored 27-11 after the break.
Beamer entered the year with serious pressure already hanging over him, and dropping the first two SEC games this way is not helping. South Carolina is 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 over that stretch.
Their last win over a ranked opponent came on Nov. 30, 2024, against No. 12 Clemson, 17-14.
The bigger question now is not whether South Carolina will make a change, but when. The school would reportedly owe $27.9 million to move on from Beamer before the end of the year, or $22.1 million if it waits until Jan. 1.
Norvell still has plenty of pressure on him to keep winning. But for the moment, the hottest part of the conversation has shifted to Riley and Beamer.
In Other News...
Virginia Techs Pitt Uniform Reveal Carries A Familiar Unbeaten Vibe
Virginia Tech has settled on a familiar look for its Week 5 matchup with Pitt, unveiling a maroon-helmet, maroon-jersey, white-pants combination for the Oct. 2 game at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. It is a clean, traditional set the Hokies have turned to often over the years, and it arrives with the sort of old-school feel that tends to suit a night game in Blacksburg.
The uniform choice adds another layer of familiarity to a meeting that already has a decent amount of history attached to it, and the Hokies will once again get a chance to lean into one of their standard home looks. Whether the color combo brings any extra edge on the field is another matter, but it does give the game a polished backdrop as Virginia Tech and Pitt line up under the lights. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Brings One ACC Test Virginia Tech Can Finally Exploit
Pitts first road trip of the 2026 season now arrives with plenty riding on it, and Virginia Tech gets the kind of ACC matchup that can tell the Hokies a lot about where they really stand. Both teams are undefeated and tied for first in the conference, which gives Saturdays meeting in Blacksburg a little extra weight even before kickoff, especially with Pitt bringing an offense that has looked far more convincing against non-Power Four opponents than it has in the tougher games on its schedule.
For Virginia Tech, that split matters because it suggests a clear opening if the Hokies can force Pitt into a more ordinary rhythm away from home. Quarterback Mason Heintschel, running back Damon Ferguson Jr. and wide receiver Cataurus Hicks remain the names to track, but there is also some uncertainty around the availability of running back Ja'Kyrian Turner and other receivers, which could shape how much explosiveness Pitt brings with it. In a game where both records still look perfect, the details may matter just as much as the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech's Fast Start Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against Pitt
Four games into James Franklins tenure at Virginia Tech, the Hokies have yet to give back a win, and the early stretch has offered a little of everything. Theyve shown they can respond when games turn uneasy, including a second-half rally against Boston College, and they also handled a nonconference test at Maryland, signs that the programs coaching changes and strategic tweaks are already having an effect.
Pitt now looms as the clearest measuring stick yet for how real this start might be. Virginia Tech has looked more composed and resilient than it has in recent seasons, but the next step is proving it can keep that momentum against a team that will ask different questions than the first four did, especially after the Hokies have already shown they can survive pressure and still find a way to win. [Read more 🡒]