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Hot Seat Watch: 5 college football coaches desperate for Week 2 win

By Charles Rahrig V

Sep 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles looks to the scoreboard surrounded by players during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles looks to the scoreboard surrounded by players during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; USC Trojans head coach Clay Helton reacts during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; USC Trojans head coach Clay Helton reacts during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Clay Helton – USC Trojans

Clay Helton did a valiant job as the guy that took over as the interim at USC. He finally got his shot when the team made him the head coach and in his first outing, his Trojans got absolutely embarrassed by the Alabama Crimson Tide. While a lot of teams get destroyed by Alabama, USC isn’t just any normal job.

There is a high bar to reach for Helton and although he’s only had one game as a head coach in his career, if it becomes clear right away that he isn’t more than a guy that’s an interim option, then USC can’t be afraid to pull the trigger. The Trojans can’t let it affect their recruiting and they are a school that can land almost any coach they want.

Helton deserves all the time in the world to do what he needs to do, but this season should be pretty telling for him. He’s got the talent to succeed, but if he isn’t the guy for the job either, the Trojans are going to figure that out right away. The best thing the Trojans can do is start strong in conference play and forget the Alabama game was ever a thing.

It’s not an easy task for a coach to have his first official game as the guy against Nick Saban. He was put in a tough spot and he fell flat. The good news is he has more games to show that he’s worthy of being their guy for the long run.

Next: 3. Gus Malzahn

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