1. Clay Helton, USC...Helton may not make it to the Notre Dame game on 10/12. USC opens with Fresno State and Stanford at home, goes to BYU, hosts Utah, and goes to Washington. Three losses is certainly possible, and that will be enough to fire him. If he somehow makes it to the Irish game, he will last the season, but not any longer. It will take a minor miracle for this team win 9 games and that is what it will take to save his job. Too bad, because this team only loses 1 player on their offensive starting 11 and just 3 on the defensive side in 2020.
2. Gus Malzahn, Auburn...He would be gone by now if not for the ridiculous amount of money Auburn is paying him, but his buyout is doable after this season. The truth of the matter is that Auburn has lost 5 or more games in 5 out of their last 6 seasons and 4 in the one season they managed to escape with less than 5 losses. Games against Oregon, at Texas A&M, Florida and LSU, and home to Georgia and Alabama just about guarantee another 5 loss season in a year when 3 losses may be too many. With 5 seniors starting on both offense and defense, the news does not get any better for Auburn next season.
3. Tony Sanchez, UNLV...Sanchez was suppose to be the High School phenom that would lead the Reb's back to respectability in the Mountain West Conference. Instead, he has failed to produce a winning season and has won just 15 games in his 4 season as head coach. Last years losses include New Mexico, who won 3 games, and San Jose State, who won just 1. Sanchez must win 6 games to save his job, and with games at Northwestern, Vandy, Fresno State and Nevada, plus home games against San Diego State and Sun Belt West favorite Arkansas State, UNLV does not have room for error.
4. Lovie Smith, Illinois...Why is this man still coaching? I guess that the administration must love him, because that is the only possible reason he is still there. He has won 9 games in 3 years, and 5 of those were non-con games, all coming against Group of 5 or FCS teams. Two of his 4 conference wins have come against Rutgers. Lovie has not been a successful recruiter. This season he has three very easy non-on games and hosts Rutgers. That means that Illinois will have to find two more games to finally become bowl eligible. The other two cross over games are against the Michigan schools. Good luck with that.
5. Randy Edsall, UConn...Edsall has won 4 games in two season in round 2 of his coaching tenure at UConn. His one win last season, a 56-49 shootout, came against FCS Rhode Island. The good news. Last season his defense started 9 underclassmen. The bad news. They were the worst defense in the FBS, losing 8 games by 30 or more points. Unless there is massive improvement on the defense, and Edsall can find a stable offense, it is hard to see UConn winning more than 2 games.
2. Gus Malzahn, Auburn...He would be gone by now if not for the ridiculous amount of money Auburn is paying him, but his buyout is doable after this season. The truth of the matter is that Auburn has lost 5 or more games in 5 out of their last 6 seasons and 4 in the one season they managed to escape with less than 5 losses. Games against Oregon, at Texas A&M, Florida and LSU, and home to Georgia and Alabama just about guarantee another 5 loss season in a year when 3 losses may be too many. With 5 seniors starting on both offense and defense, the news does not get any better for Auburn next season.
3. Tony Sanchez, UNLV...Sanchez was suppose to be the High School phenom that would lead the Reb's back to respectability in the Mountain West Conference. Instead, he has failed to produce a winning season and has won just 15 games in his 4 season as head coach. Last years losses include New Mexico, who won 3 games, and San Jose State, who won just 1. Sanchez must win 6 games to save his job, and with games at Northwestern, Vandy, Fresno State and Nevada, plus home games against San Diego State and Sun Belt West favorite Arkansas State, UNLV does not have room for error.
4. Lovie Smith, Illinois...Why is this man still coaching? I guess that the administration must love him, because that is the only possible reason he is still there. He has won 9 games in 3 years, and 5 of those were non-con games, all coming against Group of 5 or FCS teams. Two of his 4 conference wins have come against Rutgers. Lovie has not been a successful recruiter. This season he has three very easy non-on games and hosts Rutgers. That means that Illinois will have to find two more games to finally become bowl eligible. The other two cross over games are against the Michigan schools. Good luck with that.
5. Randy Edsall, UConn...Edsall has won 4 games in two season in round 2 of his coaching tenure at UConn. His one win last season, a 56-49 shootout, came against FCS Rhode Island. The good news. Last season his defense started 9 underclassmen. The bad news. They were the worst defense in the FBS, losing 8 games by 30 or more points. Unless there is massive improvement on the defense, and Edsall can find a stable offense, it is hard to see UConn winning more than 2 games.
