Hot seat: Coaches in need of big wins
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Recruiting: London has recruited well, landing three five-stars in Taquan Mizzell, Andrew Brown and Quin Blanding and a host of important four-stars such as Demetrious Nicholson and Canaan Severin. But the concern is only limited success on the field. Virginia currently has no four-stars in this class but is ranked seventh in the ACC.
How he's done: Through his first five seasons at Virginia, London was 23-38 and hardly turning the program around after two excellent years at Richmond where he went 24-5. After some close losses last season, the Cavaliers showed signs of turning the corner but they've lost three of their first four (albeit to No. 7 UCLA, No. 6 Notre Dame and Boise State) and they had the Irish on the ropes. The ACC schedule offers some opportunities and London will have to capitalize.
Farrell's take: There was a feeling coming into this season that eight wins were needed and a run at the ACC championship. He went 5-7 last year and 2-10 the year before that. He's well-liked and he's a good recruiter, so you never know and the rest of the schedule isn't exactly murderer's row.
Recruiting: Miami has the seventh-best class nationally and it's second in the ACC behind only Florida State. Golden has done a tremendous job recruiting this cycle landing seven four-stars but is the class going to fizzle with losses or more talk about Golden being let go? The Hurricanes also have 11 commits from 2017 and five in the 2018 class, but some see that as an attempt by Golden to keep his job by proving he is getting top players and he needs more time.
How he's done: Golden has had winning seasons with the Hurricanes, especially in 2013, but really only marginal success and he has not returned Miami to a national championship contender yet. The Hurricanes are off to a 3-0 start, but the middle of October will be telling with games against Florida State, Virginia Tech and Clemson. And there's this whole banner issue of people flying "Fire Al Golden" banners over home games.
Farrell's take: Signs flying above the stadium are never a good sign for your job security. They are currently undefeated and it's really weird to have a guy on the hot seat with an undefeated record, and he inherited a mess so he gets a little more time for that. If they don't win the ACC this year, his time might be up.
Recruiting: Rhoads has only landed two four-star commits in the last few classes including receiver Allen Lazard, who could be a star in the making. Other than that, though, Iowa State has been at or near the bottom of the Big 12 rankings in recent years. The Cyclones are currently last in the conference at this point.
How he's done: Rhoads, who was born 10 minutes from Iowa State's stadium, had his first and only winning season in his first year, 2009. Since then the Cyclones have not done much especially in the 2013 and 2014 seasons when they were a combined 5-19. Iowa State is more competitive this season with close losses to Iowa and a tough Toledo team, but after Kansas this weekend it wouldn't be surprising to see the Cyclones lose out.
Farrell's take: He has Lazard and the offense has been serviceable, but he has just not been able to figure out that defense. He has been a defensive coach at Pittsburgh and Auburn and as a defensive coach, he hasn't been able to figure things out. This would be his sixth-straight losing season, so if that happens, he's got to be gone.
Recruiting: Arkansas is currently ninth in the SEC but has landed two four-star defensive line commits led by Hope (Ark.) Hope Senior's McTelvin Agim, the top prospect in the state. The other four-star commit is Metairie (La.) Rummel DT Briston Guidry. However, only Mississippi State and Vanderbilt have fewer four-stars in the SEC (Missouri is tied with two).
How he's done: For all the attention Bielema receives at Arkansas, the Razorbacks are not exactly crushing it on the field into his third season. In Year 1, Arkansas finished 3-9 and lost its final nine games. Last season, the Razorbacks were significantly better, finishing 7-6 and lost a bunch of close games, including to Alabama and Texas A&M. But Arkansas is struggling again this season with three straight losses to Toledo, Texas Tech and Texas A&M, and Bielema can't seem to keep his mouth closed. He criticized Ohio State's easy schedule earlier this season and then lost to Toledo that weekend. Then he and Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury got in a public spat over critical comments Bielema made at a Texas high school coaches convention last summer.
Farrell's take: The mouth is going to get him. They finished strong last year and a lot of people were high on them to compete this season. He has two out-of-conference losses, bad play-calling against Texas A&M and he just is ticking off the world.
Recruiting: Edsall has done an admirable job of locking up some of the top talent in the DMV area during his stint at Maryland, including five-stars Stefon Diggs, Deon Long, Damian Prince and others. With Penn State and others constantly hitting that area, it's important for Edsall to win those battles. The Terrapins are ranked seventh in the Big Ten with four four-star pledges, all from the state of Maryland.
How he's done: In Edsall's first season, the Terrapins were 1-10. That's starting at the ground floor and he has gone up. From that record to 4-8 and then Maryland has been 7-6 the last two seasons, but things will continue to stay difficult in the Big Ten. There has been progress during his tenure (and he shepherded the UConn program to relevancy in his years there) but when will the Terrapins become a legitimate threat in a conference that is getting even more top heavy?
Farrell's take: Mediocrity comes to mind when it comes to Maryland football. Heading into the Big Ten, the Terrapins wanted to take a bigger step forward and this is not a great football team this year. Some good things have to happen for people to be excited about what's going on there.
Recruiting: Mason locked up three four-star recruits in the 2014 class, just about a month after he was hired. The Commodores landed three four-stars last recruiting cycle as well including two in-state recruits. It is still early but Vanderbilt is the only team in the SEC without a four-star yet and it finds itself last in the conference.
How he's done: Mason is only embarking on his second season but it has been a major challenge so far. Vanderbilt went 3-9 in his first season with double-digit losses in every SEC game except the season finale against Tennessee and it was just not good at all in Nashville. So far this season, the Commodores are 1-3 with losses to Western Kentucky, Georgia and Vanderbilt. He's only in year two so Mason needs time but the SEC waits for no team (and usually crushes weak opponents) and before Mason got there the Commodores had back-to-back nine-win seasons.
Farrell's take: He might be over his head but it's probably too soon. It's hard to say that for a coach and defensively, he was a defensive coach at Stanford, they've started to put it together a little bit. But based on what his predecessor (Penn State's James Franklin) did at Vanderbilt, he has not come close to living up to those expectations on the recruiting trail or on the football field.
Recruiting: In his first three recruiting classes, Hazell has landed two four-star prospects in QB Danny Etling and DE Gelen Robinson, but Purdue has languished toward the bottom of the Big Ten rankings in recent years. The Boilermakers have nine commits in the 2016 class but no four-stars yet and are currently No. 13 in the conference standings.
How he's done: Hazell, who had a successful stint at Kent State before coming to the Big Ten, has made marginal progress into his third year at Purdue but it's been pretty ugly in West Lafayette, Ind. In 2013, the Boilermakers were 1-11 with their only win being a 20-14 decision over Indiana State. Last season, Purdue won three games but only one conference matchup against Illinois. So far, Purdue is 1-3 with its only victory over Indiana State again and an incredibly challenging Big Ten schedule ahead.
Farrell's take: It's probably too soon. Just like at Vanderbilt, I don't think this is the year Hazell gets fired, but people are looking for progress. Next year is going to be extremely important for these guys and how they finish the season.
Recruiting: About a month after he was hired in January 2014, Strong secured the No. 20 recruiting class nationally with six four-stars in that group, good for second in the Big 12. Last recruiting cycle, the Longhorns had the top-rated class in the conference with five-star LB Malik Jefferson and 14 four-stars leading the way. Texas is not doing as well so far early in the 2016 class with only nine pledges. The Longhorns are currently No. 56 in the country and seventh in the Big 12.
How he's done: In his first season, Strong went 6-7 with close losses to UCLA and Oklahoma. This season has been different - and much more tense. After a 38-3 thrashing at Notre Dame to start the year, Strong switched play-callers. Then after beating Rice, the Longhorns lost on a missed extra point that would have tied the game late. Last week, the Texas punter couldn't handle the snap and then shanked a punt for a loss of six yards, which set up Oklahoma State's winning field goal. The pressure is definitely on Strong only starting his second season and with games against TCU and Oklahoma in the next two weeks it will be ramped up in Austin if things go south.
Farrell's take: I think he's going to get two more years, but a lot depends on who they hire as the athletic director and how much patience they're going to have with historical losing. There is no way they're going to fire him this year. Next year is going to be very important.
Recruiting: Slow out of the gates this recruiting cycle, Auburn currently has the No. 40 class led by five-star DE Marlon Davidson and 11 total pledges but the Tigers rarely have issues in recruiting. In the 2015 class, Auburn landed five-star recruits Byron Cowart, the top-rated overall prospect, and JUCO RB Jovon Robinson. In 2014, the Tigers finished with three five-stars and No. 9 in the team rankings.
How he's done: Is there any possible way, any chance at all, that Malzahn follows the same path of the coach he replaced at Auburn, Gene Chizik, who was fired two seasons after leading the Tigers to the national title game? It's highly unlikely, but Auburn certainly has issues this season especially at QB after Jeremy Johnson flopped and the jury is still out on replacement Sean White. One wonders if the heat would be even higher if Auburn lost to Jacksonville State, which looked like a real possibility late. Still, Malzahn is a genius offensive mind and Auburn has time to right this thing. So far it's been ugly.
Farrell's take: The only reason he is on this list is because of Gene Chizik. Chizik was two years removed from the national championship and went winless in the SEC and that killed him. If Auburn goes winless in the SEC, which is a distinct possibility, after being a top-six preseason team, then there's a chance they can make a move. I don't think they will though. The SEC is cut-throat, though, and winless in the SEC at Auburn is unacceptable.
Adam Gorney
West Recruiting Analyst
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