Subscribe
Follow Us
College football is back in full force, and Week 1 was filled with a lot of results that met expectations. Powerhouse programs like the Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes and Alabama Crimson Tide won handily, while the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes and NC State Wolfpack also captured victories in their matchups.
Even though many teams were victorious, there's always a flip side to that coin. Florida State narrowly lost to Georgia Tech in Dublin during Week 0 and will look to rebound Monday night against Boston College. North Dakota State almost beat Colorado on the road and is still very much in the hunt to capture another Division II national championship. Florida Atlantic lost a heartbreaker to Michigan State in East Lansing. All of their coaches should be pretty safe though.
However, there are quite a few coaches on the hot seat after disappointing, if not downright embarrassing, performances. Two of college football's biggest programs in the Florida Gators and Clemson Tigers have major issues. Other strong Power 4 schools like Minnesota and West Virginia likely need to do some soul searching and figure themselves out, fast. Fresno State lost their head coach in Jeff Tedford shortly before the season began, and his interim replacement might not make it through the entirety of the campaign. How hot are the seats of these programs' head coaches? For Florida and Billy Napier, the seat might be even hotter than the typical weather this time of year in Gainesville.
1. Florida football's Billy Napier might not make it through season
Making $7.1 million dollars a year to bring the Gators back to respectability, Napier is now 11-15 through his first two seasons plus this past Saturday's loss to the in-state rival Miami Hurricanes. Yes, the Hurricanes is nationally ranked, but it doesn't excuse just how overmatched UF was during the 41-17 loss Saturday afternoon. On paper, it looked like both teams were pretty evenly matched across the board. However, once the game began, it was apparent that Napier's program was nowhere near the level of his counterpart Mario Cristobal's.
Five-stars DJ Lagway and LJ McCray stayed with Napier's Class of 2024 recruiting haul, but the class fell apart following a string of losses on the back half of last season. It doesn't matter how well he recruits: if the team doesn't coach up the players they have effectively, or game plan in a way that utilizes the excellent talent they have on hand, then they won't win. Especially in the SEC, which has been long regarded as the best conference in college football. If Napier and his team don't decisively beat a visiting Samford Bulldogs team next Saturday, then things don't look good for his future in the Swamp.
2. Clemson's Dabo Swinney needs to adjust to new era
Heading into his 17th year in charge of the Tigers, Swinney's team looked to be one of the favorites to win the ACC. Alongside Miami and Florida State, Clemson is looking to win their conference to clinch an automatic bid to the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Swinney has won two CFP national championships during his time in charge of the Tigers, as well as eight ACC titles and ten ACC Atlantic Division crowns as well. So, why did his program look incredibly outmatched against top ranked Georgia on Saturday during their 34-3 season-opening loss?
Simply put, the lack of focus on the transfer portal. Every other serious CFP contender, including conference rivals Miami and Florida State, have used the portal to their advantage. They've added numerous impact contributors, including their starting quarterbacks in Cam Ward (the Hurricanes) and DJ Uiagalelei (the Seminoles).
Numerous top end high school recruits have seen the Tigers struggle on the field and in the portal, so they won't commit to Clemson. If this lack of recruiting transfers continues, then it would behoove the Tigers' athletic department to possibly move on from Swinney. Finding a new head coach that would recruit all over the country in both the high school and transfer fields would let the Tigers get back to where they've been the past few years: winning ACC titles and competing for national championships.
3. Fresno State should start searching for Tim Skipper's replacement
The Bulldogs have long been one of the top Group of 5 teams in the nation. It might be a matter of time before they make the move up to one of the Power 4 conferences. However, they might need to hire a new head coach in the process. Skipper is the current interim coach, taking over for Jeff Tedford after the latter retired once again due to health problems. That transition happened right before the regular season, so the program is in a tough spot. It's up to Skipper to prove if he deserves the full-time gig once this season ends.
Skipper played for the program from 1997 to 2000, so he obviously cares about its future. He would likely prefer to be the man in charge of it when it's all said and done. Yet, the 30-10 season-opening loss to the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines likely wasn't the best showcase for Skipper and his team. The Wolverines looked like they were miles ahead of the Bulldogs, and it showed after they played Michigan in Ann Arbor.
If they want to win a Mountain West conference title and get on the radar of Power 4 schools, then bringing in a younger head coach committed to a building a long-term winner might be a smart choice for the school's brass once this season ends. Maybe even sooner than that.
4. Will Neal Brown finish season up as head coach of West Virginia?
Heading into this season, there was a lot of hype for the Mountaineers. Brown is currently in his sixth season at the helm in West Virginia, and after a 9-4 season and win in the Duke's Mayo Bowl, they've been touted as potential Big 12 contenders. After their showing in the season opener against the Penn State Nittany Lions, it looks like those dreams might be of the pipe variety. Even though Penn State was ranked eighth entering the matchup, the 34-12 loss at home was not in the cards for Brown or his program.
Things have always been tougher in Morgantown, as the program isn't in the most hospitable location. However, with the right coach, they've shown that they can win. Rich Rodriguez and Bill Stewart have taken West Virginia towards the top of the sport, and they've had plenty of star players throughout the team's history as well. Is Brown the right coach to help the Mountaineers get back to the top of the College Football Playoff mountain? Based on Saturday's performance, he might not be. If the downslide continues, he might not get the chance to do just that.
5. It might be time for Minnesota, P.J Fleck to part ways
In his eighth season in charge of the Golden Gophers, Fleck has had a strong hand in guiding the program to a new level of stability. As nice as stability is, competing for championships is even better. After strong seasons in 2019, 2021 and 2022, they slipped to 6-7 last season. Their season-opening loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels at home wasn't a good look either. The 19-17 final score showed that there are issues on both sides of the ball, particularly on offense.
When Minnesota played well earlier in Fleck's tenure, they had an excellent offensive attack. They featured stars like wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson, as well as running back Mohamed Ibrahim. Recruiting was strong, and the coaching staff developed a number of stars. Yet, since the advent of the transfer portal, the Gophers haven't made the same impact.
A collegiate head coach needs to focus on recruiting both high schoolers and transfers in today's landscape, and it feels as if Fleck has sort of ignored the latter. Furthermore, his program has had a few players transfer out each season. Keeping talent is another key to success, and it feels like that hasn't happened as often as it did in years past. It might be time for Minnesota to have a new voice in charge of their locker room. In a new look Big Ten, the sooner they make a potential change at head coach, the better their long-term outlook may look.
