The pressure is on for a handful of Power Four coaches heading into 2026, and for some of them, the margin for error is basically gone.
After a 2025 season that saw nearly 20 Power Four programs move on from their previous head coaches at different points during the year, the coaching carousel figures to slow down in the 2027 offseason. But that doesn’t mean the hot-seat conversation is over. A few coaches cannot afford another step backward in 2026 if they want to keep their jobs secure.
Bill O'Brien is one of them at Boston College. A seven-win debut quickly gave way to a two-win follow-up, and that kind of drop-off has put him in a vulnerable spot.
The frustration around him has only grown because of testy press conference interactions, and Eagles fans are openly wondering whether he is the right fit. Boston College also faces a roster with major turnover beyond the defensive backfield, and the likely quarterback is Mason McKenzie, a Division II transfer from Saginaw Valley State.
The schedule does him no favors, either, with three Power Four non-conference games and a slate that includes several upper-echelon ACC opponents.
Luke Fickell is in a similar bind at Wisconsin, where steady decline across his first three seasons has pushed him onto the hot seat. The Badgers spent 2024 and 2025 trying an air raid offense, a move that never really matched Wisconsin’s identity or Fickell’s background, and the results never followed.
Wisconsin is now hoping Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph can stabilize the quarterback position after a long run of turnover there. The stakes are obvious: the Badgers are trying to avoid a third straight losing season for the first time since the early 1990s.
At USC, Lincoln Riley’s seat is hot for a different reason - expectations. The Trojans bring back 15 starters from a 2025 team that won nine games, and Riley has said this is the best shape his roster has been in to make a College Football Playoff run during his time in Los Angeles.
But the path is brutal. USC has to face all three of the Big Ten’s 2025 College Football Playoff teams, plus Washington and Penn State, two programs trying to break into the playoff picture.
If the Trojans again finish one or two losses short of a playoff berth, the questions around Riley’s long-term future at USC will only get louder.
North Carolina made a bold move in the 2025 offseason by replacing Mack Brown with Bill Belichick, but the switch from one older coach to another hasn’t produced the kind of stability the Tar Heels wanted. Brown never missed a bowl game in his later run, while Belichick’s first season was enjoyable for about one possession before things unraveled against TCU and then continued to slide through ACC play. The Tar Heels are turning to new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who has a reputation as a strong play caller, though he also has the unfortunate distinction of being unable to save the last two coaches he worked under from getting fired.
Mike Norvell enters 2026 with the least goodwill of the group at Florida State. The shine from his perfect regular season is long gone after the Seminoles followed it with a 2-10 collapse in 2024, and fans never really got over it.
Florida State opened 2025 with a win over Alabama, but the follow-up against Power Four competition was a disappointing 2-7. Even reaching bowl eligibility in 2026 would not be enough to satisfy Seminoles fans.
In Other News...
Badgers Suddenly Have A Real Concern About Owen Foxwell
The Badgers have spent the early stretch of the season sorting out roles, minutes and the usual college basketball growing pains, but Owen Foxwell has suddenly become part of a very different kind of conversation. The 23-year-old guard is now caught up in a new eligibility wrinkle involving NCAA rules and NBA draft mechanics, a rare overlap that can create complications for players with overseas backgrounds.
What makes the situation worth watching from Wisconsins side is not just the paperwork, but the possibility that it could affect Foxwells availability while the season is still going. The rule combination is unusual enough to keep the door open, even if the chance of anything dramatic is considered slim, and it gives the Badgers one more roster issue to monitor as they move through the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Jon Kamara Could Unlock Something Different In Wisconsin's Defense
Jon Jon Kamara arrived in Madison with a reputation for athleticism and versatility, and Wisconsin appears ready to use that in a role that asks a little more of its linebackers than the usual downhill work. The transfer is expected to fit as the STAR inside linebacker in 2026, a spot that can give the Badgers more flexibility in the middle of the defense while still keeping one of their more intriguing newcomers on the field in meaningful situations.
Kamara is not walking into an easy path for snaps, but he is already viewed as an important piece of the defensive plan and a key backup behind Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano. If he settles into that package role the way Wisconsin hopes, the Badgers could get a bigger front without giving up coverage or pressure ability, which is exactly the kind of optionality that can matter once the season starts to tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Has Wisconsin On Verge Of Another 2028 Recruiting Win
Wisconsins 2028 recruiting class could be getting another early boost, this time up front. Brock Barrows, a three-star offensive lineman from Lees Summit West in Missouri, has become a name to watch after drawing interest from several programs and showing enough pull toward Madison to put the Badgers in a strong position.
If Barrows follows through, he would join linebacker Cale Britt as the second commitment in the class and give Luke Fickell another building block in a cycle that already has Wisconsin sitting near the top of the early national picture. For a program trying to stack talent well before signing day becomes a real conversation, landing an offensive lineman this early would be another sign the Badgers are making themselves a serious factor with 2028 prospects. [Read more 🡒]