MY HOT SEAT WATCH FOR WEEK 7

5 COLLEGE COACHES FEELING THE HEAT

It’s time for results to be produced. These college football head coaches on the hot seat need to put wins on the board in Week 7.

The first firing of the college football season isn’t far off. With Week 7 having arrived and plenty of coaches living life on the hot seat, there will soon be a head coach or multiple that will end up being fired.

The coaches that are on the hot seat are known by this point but it’s never too late for others to join the list. The great thing about the hot seat is that there is always room for more and there are new names to add to the list.

Over recent weeks, there have been some additions from big programs that aren’t getting the job done right now. They might not be in immediate danger of losing their jobs, but they need to pick up victories soon. Here are the coaches to watch in Week 7.

5. THE ALREADY DOOMED COACHES

At this point, we already know which coaches are doomed and past the point of no return. Miracles can always happen, but it’s safe to say that there are programs likely to go in different directions very soon.

Programs like North Carolina, Rutgers and UConn could soon be finding replacement options for what’s currently in place. We know that those programs are in dire need of change and that it’s probably too late for the coaches in place.

North Carolina hosts Virginia Tech this week, while Rutgers hits the road to take on Maryland. If both of those programs drop yet another game, it could soon be the end for Larry Fedora and Chris Ash.

4. CLAY HELTON: USC

The USC Trojans have a huge opportunity ahead of them this week. After two straight wins over Washington State and Arizona, the Trojans have positioned themselves to make a run at the Pac-12 South.

Those hopes could also take a serious hit with a loss this week. USC will host Colorado at home and a win would put them in the best position to take care of their division and represent in the Pac-12 Championship at the end of the season.

A loss would mean they would need plenty of help the rest of the way and an underwhelming year for the Trojans. While he has a freshman quarterback and two big bowl trips under his belt, Clay Helton can’t afford an underwhelming year.

USC isn’t the type of program to accept mediocrity and will go out and look for help elsewhere. This isn’t to say Helton is in immediate danger of losing his job, but he would do himself plenty of favors with a win.

The Trojans won the Pac-12 last season and while they don’t appear to look like favorites to defend right now, anything can happen if they are able to get there. The road there starts on Saturday when they host Colorado.

3. BOBBY PETRINO: LOUISVILLE

Things have fallen apart for Bobby Petrino and Louisville. They have rolled over in conference play and Georgia Tech just put up 66 points on them on their own field in one of their worst performances yet.

Regardless of whether or not the program can afford a buyout to make Petrino go elsewhere, the coach needs a victory. Dropping every game going forward might just spur the program to find the change to make that change.

The Cardinals hit the road this week when they take on Boston College. Facing a Steve Addazzio program on the road can be a difficult task for a program down on their luck and Louisville might have a tough time this weekend.

Each loss is just going to amplify the noise at this point and Petrino’s best bet right now is to scratch off any win he can get and that the program can’t come up with the money to pay him to go away.

While that’s a ways off, they need to focus on the task at hand and try to take care of business against Boston College. If they can avoid giving up 66 points again, they might just have a shot at a win.

2. PAT NARDUZZI: PITTSBURGH

This might be a bit premature and there might not be much heat on Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi, but he could certainly use a signature victory against Notre Dame this week. Last week, Pittsburgh defeated Syracuse and defeated a program that had been playing good football.

Still, Narduzzi’s program has been up and down this year. After a 5-7 campaign last season, Narduzzi’s program is going the opposite direction of the two eight-win seasons he saw over when he took over in 2015.

Years three and four were supposed to be the growth years for the program and when Narduzzi’s recruits took the program to the next level. Instead, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster for the program.

This week provides a huge opportunity for Pittsburgh. They will go on the road and face No. 5 Notre Dame. While they will be big underdogs in the contest, a top 5 win would almost assuredly validate what he’s trying to build.

A loss to Notre Dame isn’t going to break him by any means either. Still, it would set the program on the track to what feels like another 5-7 season. After two 8-5 seasons to begin his tenure, consecutive five-win seasons would turn the heat up a notch. This is more or less a coach to focus on as the season rolls on.

1. MIKE GUNDY: OKLAHOMA STATE

To many Mike Gundy is beloved in Stillwater. Yet, the Cowboys are having quite the interesting season. After starting out 3-0, Oklahoma State was right where everyone expected them to be as a favorite in the conference.

Instead, they have stumbled out of the gate in Big-12 play and have dropped games to Texas Tech and Iowa State. The latter might be the most unforgivable, with the Cowboys losing to a true freshman third-string quarterback at home.

It would take a lot for the Cowboys to move on from Gundy, and this isn’t saying he’s doomed by any stretch either. It just would be interesting to see how the program reacts to a potentially underwhelming season where the Cowboys fizzle out in conference play. Their next test is perhaps the most intriguing one yet. They travel to Kansas State this week and facing a Bill Snyder coached team is the last program anyone wants to face when they’re trying to get over the hump.

From the outside, 4-2 is not the worst record in the world and a win this week would push them one step away from bowl eligibility.  A loss would push them to 1-3 in conference and almost assuredly a mediocre record at seasons end.