The coaching hot seat is already burning in college football, and a few names on this list are getting uncomfortable fast. Some of these jobs could survive the month. Others feel like they’re just waiting for the paperwork.
At the top of the danger list sits Maryland’s Mike Locksley, who somehow still has a job even with Ohio State looming this week and Rutgers next. That matchup with Rutgers could end up being the deciding game for Locksley and/or Greg Schiano, depending on how things shake out.
Right behind him is Florida State’s Mike Norvell, who is still being viewed as a sitting duck even after back-to-back wins. The schedule is about to get tougher, and the feeling around Tallahassee is that Florida State may simply be waiting for the buyout to get cheaper.
Greg Schiano lands at No. 3, and Rutgers’ season has turned into a nightmare. The Scarlet Knights are 1-4 with losses to UMASS and Boston College, and they’ve become the laughingstock of the Big Ten this year. Rutgers gets Maryland in two weeks, and that game could carry serious consequences for both programs.
South Carolina’s Shane Beamer checks in at No. 4 after another missed opportunity. The Gamecocks needed a win over Kentucky and didn’t get it, and that’s becoming a pattern.
The schedule doesn’t do him any favors either, with Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M still ahead. He’s one of the coaches who may not make it through the season.
NC State’s Dave Doeren sits at No. 5 after beating Louisville and buying himself some time. There are still plenty of questions about where things go from here, but for now, he’s safe from an immediate move.
Deion Sanders is No. 6, and the situation at Colorado has turned into a mess of its own. The Buffs are on a three-game losing streak, and the leash in Boulder has to be getting shorter. His tenure has been mostly frustrating for Buffalo fans.
TCU’s Sonny Dykes comes in at No. 7, and the results just haven’t been there. The Horned Frogs have only two wins, over Arkansas State and Grambling, and every real test has ended in a loss. That kind of run can’t keep going.
Luke Fickell is No. 8, but his situation has improved a lot from where it started. Wisconsin opened with plenty of heat around him, but a 4-1 record and a 2-0 Big Ten start have cooled things off.
He’s also getting wins on the recruiting trail, and more money is flowing into the program. Still, he has to produce this season, and like Lincoln Riley, he’ll be judged at the end of the year.
Riley lands at No. 9.
USC is ranked and just beat Washington on Saturday, but the pressure hasn’t gone anywhere. Trojans fans want playoff football, and being a ranked team that keeps missing the College Football Playoff won’t satisfy them for long.
He’ll get the full season before anyone makes a final call, but the seat is warm.
And at No. 10 is Bill Belichick, the strangest name on the board and maybe the messiest situation too. North Carolina fans are not enjoying what he’s brought to Chapel Hill, from the circus around his girlfriend to his now-fired son. The Tar Heels are 2-2 with two straight losses, and while it would be hard to imagine the school moving on right now, the end of the season could bring a “we agreed to part ways” notice.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Just Said What Wisconsin Fans Wanted To Hear
After Wisconsins 31-3 win over Michigan State, the Badgers headed into their bye week at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play with a little more clarity than they had a few weeks ago. One of the biggest takeaways from the victory was the offensive line shuffle, and Luke Fickell pointed to Ryan Corys work at center in place of the injured Austin Kawecki as a promising sign for a group that has been trying to settle in and protect the offenses rhythm.
Fickell also made it clear the Badgers are treating the run of recent success as more than just a couple of good Saturdays. He talked about the teams focus, leadership and momentum, the kind of language fans want to hear in early October when the season starts to show who is ready to separate from the pack. With the bye week here, Wisconsin has a chance to build on that momentum, but the bigger question is how much of this sharpened identity carries forward once the games resume. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickells Bold O-Line Shakeup May Have Fixed Wisconsins Run Game
Luke Fickells decision to shake up the offensive line paid off in a way Wisconsin has been waiting to see. By moving Kevin Heywood into the starting left tackle spot and benching PJ Wilkins, the Badgers got their best five linemen on the field for a unit that looked far more settled against Michigan State, protecting the quarterback without allowing a sack and opening enough space for a rushing attack that finally found some rhythm.
The move was about more than one game, too. Fickell framed it as a push for Wilkins as much as a reward for Heywood, a reminder that competition still matters up front for a program built around physical football. If the new alignment can hold up, Wisconsin may have found a cleaner path to the kind of run game it wants, even if the long-term answer at left tackle still leaves one important question hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Just Framed Wisconsins Fast Start The Way Fans Needed
Wisconsins 4-1 start has given the program some early breathing room, and Luke Fickell sounded like a coach who knows it. The Badgers have already flashed the kind of convincing performance that can steady a season, including a 31-3 win over Michigan State, but Fickell made clear he views the first month as more of a checkpoint than a destination. With a bye week in hand before UCLA, the timing gives Wisconsin a chance to reset while still carrying momentum into the Big Ten stretch ahead.
Fickell also pointed to the bigger picture inside the program, where the culture change he has been pushing remains a work in progress. Part of that next step involves continued growth from quarterback Colton Joseph, whose development matters as the schedule tightens and the stakes rise. The Badgers have reason to feel good about where they stand, but the message coming out of Madison is that the real test is still in front of them. [Read more 🡒]