College football hot seat watch: 5 coaches in need of a win in Week 12

Will Muschamp was the first coach to fall victim to the hot seat. Will any coaches be joining Muschamp after Week 12 of the college football season?

The first program cleansing has come to fruition in college football. South Carolina has parted ways with Will Muschamp. As expected around this time of year, a coach that was a mainstay on the hot seat watch has been let go.

Misery loves company and Muschamp won’t be the only head coach to be let go. He could very well end up having company as soon as this weekend. With the season winding down heading into Week 12, programs will now begin shifting their efforts toward beginning a search for their next head coach.

Time is valuable and getting the jump on the opposition is critical in a coaching search. By Week 12, you can justify firing your coach and starting the search for another. It’s also a time where high profile coaches who might not be in danger of getting fired should feel a bit uncomfortable. If it’s a down year and it’s near the end, heat will be had regardless. Here’s who needs a win in Week 12.

These college football coaches need a win in the worst way

5. Ed Orgeron – LSU

It’s been a while since we’ve seen LSU take the field.  The Tigers last played when they were crushed 48-11 by Auburn on Halloween. Since then, they’ve had to battle a COVID-19 outbreak and are scheduled to return to action at Arkansas on Saturday.

After the amount of talent that departed, LSU is off to a 2-3 start in an incredibly up and down season. Still, the Tigers reek of a one-year wonder and not the consistent giant of an Alabama or Clemson.

Ed Orgeron is not in imminent danger of losing his job but he should feel pressure to begin a turnaround and try to end the season on a high note. Arkansas isn’t an easy task either. The Razorbacks have shown the ability to trip programs up and LSU will have to be ready to go on the road against an opponent that quite frankly might be better than them. After the layoff, this is going to be a telling game for LSU.

4. James Franklin – Penn State

James Franklin has to be off to the worst start any coach has ever had after inking a brand new extension. The Nittany Lions have dropped to 0-4 after falling on the road to Nebraska and now they appear headed for rock bottom this season.

Chalk it up to a weird loss to open the season against Indiana, or perhaps the unusual feel to 2020, but whatever you blame it on it’s a poor start for Franklin on a new deal. It’s going to be interesting when 2021 rolls around to see if some of these under-performing programs really just did not put everything they had into a truncated season.

There was a time when Penn State didn’t even believe they were going to play this year. Still, this is embarrassing by their standards and they need to show some life soon. The Nittany Lions host Iowa on Saturday. A loss would guarantee a losing record on the season.

3. Mike Gundy – Oklahoma State

Two weeks removed from a close win over Kansas State, Oklahoma State returns to action for Bedlam on Saturday. The Cowboys will visit Norman to take on the rival Oklahoma Sooners. While the Big 12 won’t have a playoff participant this year, this is a big chance for Mike Gundy as the program tries to capture a Big 12 crown.

One way to wash out the disappointing loss to Texas that ended a perfect season would be to defeat the Sooners. The Cowboys have to be careful here. Once left for dead to begin the season, the Sooners have been on a tear recently and are back in the Big 12 mix.

A win over the Cowboys would vault Oklahoma ahead of State and suddenly, there might be a sense of normalcy within the conference limits again. It would also be a similar played out tune for Gundy. He needs to string together something new to avoid his program thinking it’s time for a fresh face at the helm.

2. Jeremy Pruitt – Tennessee

Tennessee also returns to action this week after time away due to the coronavirus. There’s not really much to say here other than Jeremy Pruitt needs a miracle to keep his job. His miracle tour starts with a road contest against Auburn. After two weeks off following a loss to Arkansas, this could be another contest where the Volunteers get blasted. Tennessee has already made personnel changes and that usually leaves the head coach as next. Will Pruitt join Will Muschamp in the unemployment line soon?

1. Jim Harbaugh – Michigan

No coach is going out with more of a thud in what’s likely their last year than Jim Harbaugh. It’s honestly sad watching the Wolverines roll over as what was once an optimistic tenure has turned into anything but.

After getting blasted by Wisconsin, the conclusion has felt foregone and the only thing left to figure out is if Harbaugh will be a head coach in the NFL next season. The Wolverines are looking to avoid a fourth-straight loss at Rutgers on Saturday.

In years past, this would be a layup. This year, it’s anything but and Michigan falling on the road in New Jersey would be a depressing ending for the man in khakis.

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