Five coaches who need a win this week to calm the natives.
5. Dennis Erickson, Arizona St. - Before the season, speculation was Dennis Erickson was on the hot seat. Then came two easy wins over FCS opponents and challenging Wisconsin and Oregon in four quarter games. Last week's loss to Oregon St. was more of the same but it left Erickson with a big problem: the Sun Devils need to reach seven wins to be bowl eligible because of the two FCS wins (only one of which counts towards bowl eligibility). That makes a win against Washington Saturday paramount. 2-4 with four straight losses and needing seven for bowl eligibility with Arizona, Stanford, Cal, UCLA and USC still left on the schedule equals a fired Erickson. 3-3 with a win to turn things around leaves seven wins possible, especially with Washington St. on the schedule to get win number four.
4. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M – After the 4th quarter meltdown to blow the Oklahoma St. game and an unimpressive victory over Florida International that needed a 4th quarter comeback, Texas A&M has some problems. Considering that Aggie fans didn't like the hire in the first place and Sherman didn't endear himself to the locals when he lost his first game against Arkansas St. a couple of years ago, he is likely on a short leash in year three. This week comes Arkansas, entrenched in the top 25 after a nice rebuilding job done by third year coach Bobby Petrino. Lose this week, and Sherman falls further behind a rival that the Aggies are scheduled to play for each of the next eight seasons.
3. Bronco Mendenhall, BYU – Mendenhall's job isn't on the line like our top two coaches, but he needs a win to calm BYU's rabid fanbase down as they move towards independence. The 1-4 start is bad enough, but a loss to San Diego St. to fall to 1-5 with TCU and Utah left on the schedule would be beyond disastrous. This team should, at the very least, make a bowl game every single year and that is in great doubt right now.
2. Mark Richt, Georgia – Normally, a coach as successful as Richt wouldn't appear this high even if his job was in jeopardy, at least at this point in the season. If this existed in 2008, Tommy Tuberville wouldn't have appeared this high on the list until the Alabama game because of his past success and the realization that Auburn wouldn't do anything to him until after the season. Georgia is another story now though. The Bulldogs have a new athletic director who came from Florida where the philosophy is what must be done eventually should be done immediately. Losing to the worst Tennessee team in a very long time to extend the Georgia losing streak to five might be the tipping point in the new AD's mind that Richt can't get it done and its time to get rid of him now.
1. Mike Locksley, New Mexico – As any who have read this blog over the last month know, I think Locksley is one the biggest disasters and worst coaching hires of all time. He is nearly certain to be fired after the season, just his second in Albuquerque. Whether he lasts through the season or not depends on this week's game though. Losing to equally bad cross state rival New Mexico St. for the second consecutive year just might be unforgivable.
Normally Washington St. coach Paul Wulff will be able to be found here. This week he is not because there is no chance of him and Washington St. beating Oregon at all, hence there was no need to include him.
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