The heat is turning up for some coaches on the hot seat in college football. What will Week 8 have in store?
It’s a B1G weekend in college football as the Big Ten makes its return to action. Things are starting to finally feel whole again. Even the Mountain West will get underway with its schedule and in a couple of weeks, the Pac-12 will bring its wacky, crazy fun-loving self into the mix. It also means more coaches are joining the college football hot seat watch.
At the conclusion of Week 7, some of the biggest names on the hot seat watch further turned up the heat on themselves with disappointing efforts. Confidence isn’t exactly at an all-time high for a couple of coaches in the SEC.
This week, two Big Ten coaches each need wins for different reasons to begin the season. They aren’t in immediate jeopardy, but in this weird, truncated season, a loss to kick things off could derail things before they even start.
And lastly, one head coach has to go back to a house of horrors for personal redemption. Here’s this week’s hot seat watch.
The Big Ten makes its return to action on Saturday. A couple of coaches in the conference along with others are in need of a big win in Week 8.
Gus Malzahn – Auburn
You could see it coming a mile away last week. There was this weird feeling in the air the South Carolina Gamecocks would upset the Auburn Tigers and sure enough, they did. After barely escaping an upstart Arkansas program the week prior, the Tigers were at their watershed moment.
Were they going to handle the team they were supposed to? They did not and instead, it appears Auburn is heading up for an up-and-down season in the SEC. For someone that has more miles on the hot seat than anyone else probably at this point, Malzahn needs a fast turnaround because each ensuing loss might be his undoing.
The Tigers are once again on the road this weekend as they travel to Ole Miss. The Rebels haven’t exactly figured out the defensive playbook yet or perhaps it’s gone missing, so no excuses for the Tigers or Malzahn in this one.
Jim Harbaugh – Michigan
Jim Harbaugh and Michigan are in a really weird spot. If you fire the guy, who are you really going to get at this point that is better and is going to beat Ohio State? That’s enough wiggle room to probably keep Harbaugh around for some time.
That being said, losing to Ohio State is one thing and a very bad thing for the Michigan faithful, but losing to other programs is another. Harbaugh’s program begins its season away from The Big House and at No. 21 Minnesota on Saturday.
This is one of those cases where he just needs a win to build a little momentum to what could be a great year for the program. Minnesota however is no slouch and has a ton of confidence as they continue to rise in the Big Ten under the watchful eye of P.J. Fleck.
Mike Gundy – Oklahoma State
It wouldn’t be Halloween season without Mike Gundy having to return to a house of horrors. Back in 2011, the Cowboys were No. 2 in the nation and had dreams of reaching the National Championship Game.
Instead, they were stunned in double overtime at Iowa State and those dreams became a nightmare. Mike Gundy’s program returns to Iowa State again this week and he needs to not let his house of horrors do him in once more.
So far the No. 6 Cowboys are 3-0 on the season. For as much as has been made about Gundy and his program, they’ve done what they’re supposed to so far. They haven’t played in three weeks so they can’t afford to let rust get to them in this one. With Oklahoma and Texas not at their best to begin the year, this is Oklahoma State’s chance once again to make a run at something big. Gundy just can’t let Iowa State undo it again.
Scott Frost – Nebraska
Scott Frost is entering a pivotal season with Nebraska. He definitely wishes it could be under normal circumstances because he has a lot on his plate in a year that is far from normal.
The Cornhuskers are beginning the season at Ohio State. This isn’t a situation where Nebraska has to win, but they have to be competitive and not be embarrassed in the process. That’s where things will not look their best for Frost.
This same philosophy applies to many programs facing powerhouses. In this case, Frost has a lot of growth he needs his program to show this year. Hanging in there against the Buckeyes would create some optimism. Getting bludgeoned would do the complete opposite.
Jeremy Pruitt – Tennessee
The same concept that applies to Frost applies to Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee this weekend. A week after getting bashed at home by Kentucky, the Volunteers now get the unfortunate task of facing Alabama.
After the Crimson Tide dismantled Georgia, the Volunteers can only hope and pray Alabama shows a semblance of mercy. It’s going to be a bloodbath in all likelihood and Pruitt’s going to have a bad couple of weeks. To make matters worse, fans already want the head coach canned.
Tennessee already fired its defensive line coach ahead of this week as they were eighth in the SEC in rush defense. They better hope that leads to results quickly against Alabama.
The Volunteers need to come out with some fire and intensity at home. Pruitt needs a complete effort against his former boss and for the Volunteers to show a lot more than they did in the game prior.
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