The college football hot seat has some of the biggest names in college football in need of a big win in Week 5, including Lincoln Riley and Kirby Smart.
A week of SEC football is finally under everyone’s belt. College football is starting to feel almost whole again and eventually, the rest of the conferences will begin to play and the sport will be back at inner peace. For those on the hot seat, inner peace is a must right now.
This week’s rendition of the hot seat focuses on coaches that aren’t in imminent danger of being fired but need wins in Week 5 to avoid starting a trek down a road they probably don’t want to travel down.
At the very least, each of these coaches would like to not feel any extra heat when they have the potential to make a run at the College Football Playoff in 2020. Others need to prove they’re worth the money they’ve been given from their respective programs. Here’s how this week shakes out.
Some of college football’s most notable head coaches may not be in any imminent danger of losing their jobs, but they sure need a win in Week 5.
Jimbo Fisher – Texas A&M
No. 13 Texas A&M left their first game with a 17-12 win over Vanderbilt at home. A Top 25 team and one with the expectations the Aggies have for their program should not struggle to play at home against Vanderbilt.
Mind you, the Commodores head coach is dealing with hot seat issues of his own. That type of effort won’t do Jimbo Fisher any favors this week when he guises his program to a battle on the road in Tuscaloosa.
Fisher doesn’t need a win this week because that’s highly unlikely, but rather to show progress. Getting blown out on the road and taking all wind out of the sails would likely lead to some uncomfortable dialogue. Instead, a competitive effort on the road is what the Aggies need.
Lincoln Riley – Oklahoma Sooners
No, Lincoln Riley isn’t getting fired. Stop dreaming about your favorite program landing him. That being said, Riley certainly can and should feel some heat for his top-five program once again falling to Kansas State for the second year in a row.
Spencer Rattler wasn’t his best and in a year where losses are more impactful than ever, that could certainly be it for the Sooners’ playoff hopes. Riley is going to see first-hand how the No. 18 Sooners respond to their first taste of adversity this season.
Oklahoma visits Iowa State this Saturday, which we all know is a trap in itself. It’s time for Oklahoma to exorcise some demons and give their head coach the bounce-back effort he wants from his programs.
Gus Malzahn – Auburn Tigers
There is a pivotal battle in the SEC this weekend between Auburn and Georgia. Both programs with playoff aspirations in a shortened season need a win in Week 5. The loser might very well end up not having a shot at the playoff should a couple of programs run the table.
Gus Malzahn persevered in the first game when his program took down Kentucky. Now, they face a stiffer challenge against the Bulldogs in Athens. The elder statesman of the hot seat watch seems to find a way to come through in these moments and this could be a jumping-off point for the program toward a big year if they find a way to win.
Normally, both of these programs could survive a loss this early in the year. However, the stakes are so high in this one that’s it going to be must-see football.
Kirby Smart – Georgia Bulldogs
The same applies here for Kirby Smart. He’s not going to lose his job this year, but a win here firmly puts his program on track toward a playoff spot and would provide a boost toward staying ahead of Florida and Tennessee.
What Georgia needs against Auburn is stability on offense. The 37-10 win over Arkansas doesn’t do justice the slow start the Bulldogs got off to. They had just five points at the half before rolling off 32 in the second half.
A lot of that might have been rust in the first game of their season. That being said, they can’t afford a slow start at home. They need stability from the quarterback position and Stetson Bennett.
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