The coaching carousel continued to turn at the college football level this past offseason and while there were significant changes across the board there were still a number of head coaches that managed to keep their jobs. However, that doesn’t mean those coaches will feel comfortable heading in to the 2016 season as they are all still on the “hot seat” with an expectation they can produce better results next season. The coaches on the hot seat will need to win more than just one game in order to keep their job, but some games are more important than others and there is at least one game in particularly that every coach fighting for his job absolutely must win in 2016. Here is a breakdown of those must-win games for the five coaches on the hot seat.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
September 17th @ Auburn Tigers
The pressure is on Sumlin following last year’s disappointment and another two quarterback transfers out of the program this past offseason. Sumlin will spend the spring and preseason practices trying to find his next starting quarterback and whoever wins the job will face a tough slate out of the gate. The Aggies will open the season against UCLA and then visit Auburn two weeks later and they might not be able to afford anything less than a pair of victories. A road win over an SEC rival could help takes some of the pressure off of Sumlin so that matchup with Auburn is definitely circled on the calendar right now.
Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia Mountaineers
October 1st vs. Kansas State
Holgorsen is coming off his third losing Big 12 record in four seasons at West Virginia. He survived another offseason thanks in big part to a tough travel schedule and injuries that hurt the Mountaineers a year ago, but a lighter schedule and increased expectations mean he is expected to produce results in 2016. No one game will be bigger for Holgorsen than West Virginia’s Big 12 opener against Kansas State in October. The Wildcats have won the last two meetings between these teams, but they were close games and the Mountaineers have the talent to come out on top at home in this year’s matchup. West Virginia hasn’t won its Big 12 opener since its first season in the conference and a big win out of the gates could work wonders for a Mountaineers’ side that needs to take a step forward if Holgorsen is going to keep his job beyond 2016.
Charlie Strong, Texas Longhorns
November 5th @ Texas Tech
Texas missed out on a bowl game in 2015 and there will be an immense amount of pressure on Strong to turn things around with his job potentially on the line this season. Strong might need eight or nine wins to stay on with the Longhorns passed this season and November will be a very important month. Texas will open November at Texas Tech followed by a home game against West Virginia, a visit to Kansas and then another home game with TCU. That will be a difficult stretch and it will be that much more important to set the tone for the month with a victory. It also matters that it will be another in-state clash that will influence the ongoing recruiting battle between the Longhorns and Red Raiders so this game looks like a definite must-win for Strong and his staff.
James Franklin, Penn State Nittany Lions
November 5th vs. Iowa
The Nittany Lions have posted consecutive 7-5 seasons in Franklin’s first two seasons with the program, but the expectation is that the program will take another step forward in 2016. Franklin has two new coordinators and will have a new starting quarterback, but the time is ticking for him to record that signature win he is lacking and the best bet appears to be a November 5th meeting with Iowa. Penn State will represent the toughest road environment for Iowa all season and Franklin’s team needs to take advantage. The Nittany Lions simply have to be better in 2016 and a win over a Big Ten contender in Iowa could go a long way to help Franklin keep his job for at least one more season.
Gus Malzahn, Auburn Tigers
November 12th @ Georgia
Malzahn has followed up a dream debut season at Auburn with a 15-11 combined mark over the past two years including a 6-10 record in the SEC. He has done a tremendous job on the recruiting trail, but the Tigers have failed to live up to the hype over the last two seasons and suddenly Malzahn is facing some pressure to produce results. Auburn won’t have it easy in the SEC West, but they have enough talent to win eight or nine games and the key to Malzahn’s survival will likely be critical games against other top SEC programs. A trip to Georgia in November could be the perfect opportunity for the Tigers to earn that signature win that helps cool the hot seat Malzahn is sitting on right now so this game should definitely be circled on the calendar for Bulldogs’ football fans as a must-win.
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