The five coaches most in need of a win this week whether its to save their job or to cool the jets on an angry fan base. For purposes of this exercise, Mike Locksley at New Mexico and Paul Wulff at Washington St. are considered beyond reclamation while Dan Hawkins at Colorado, Todd Dodge at North Texas and Tim Brewster at Minnesota have already been shown the door. Note that the hyper-competitive and cutthroat SEC appears here in many of the entries. That is, of course, because the schools in that league have fans on the lunatic fringe that actually have some power unlike in the rest of the country.
5. Bill Stewart, West Virginia – Stewart stepped into a great situation inheriting one of the best offenses in college football along with an above average defense from Rich Rodriguez (more on him later). He promptly turned that national title contending team into a 9-4 outfit while looking generally clueless on the sideline at various points. While recruiting has been strong by Big East standards, the team has suffered this season, the first without a Rodriguez recruited quarterback. This week, the Mountaineers play Cincinnati, a team that quickly lapped West Virginia once Rodriguez left under Brian Kelly but has fallen back to Earth without him. I wouldn't want to be Mr. Stewart if I lost this game as it would show just how far everything has slipped and it would help if the offense showed a pulse, something they haven't all season with the exception of the last gasp against Marshall and the first half against Maryland.
4. Derek Dooley, Tennessee – Tennessee hosts struggling Ole Miss this week at home and Jeremiah Masoli may not play. This seems made for the Volunteers to pick up their first SEC win of the season and build some momentum heading into the Vanderbilt-Kentucky finish. Considering the blowout of Memphis looked very Tennessee like, maybe this team is turning a corner and since that is the case, Dooley had better hope so.
3. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan – There is lots of goodwill towards Rodriguez and at least his offensive staff right now. That said, everyone seems to be assuming a win over Purdue meaning a loss would be devastating and with the defense Michigan has, a loss is always possible at any time (as is a win). Losing to Purdue would make winning one of the final two games against Wisconsin or Ohio St. necessary and since Rodriguez is still likely coaching for his job with a new athletic director, he would be best served by winning this one on the road.
2. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina – Its now or never for Spurrier in South Carolina. All of the late-season collapses at the hands of the Orange Crush (Tennessee, Florida, Clemson), the chicken curse, the sense that Spurrier has lost it is all on the line. All he has to is win this one game. No pressure. Too bad South Carolina's mental issues might get in the way and the game is in the Swamp. Last week's ugly non-effort against Arkansas complicates matters more because we are a loss to Florida and another to Clemson (entirely possible) from the Gamecocks being right back to 7-5, right where they always are, after another November collapse (only with Arkansas replacing Tennessee in the line). This is a must win for the Spurrier coaching tenure at South Carolina.
1. Mark Richt, Georgia – Richt has had an awful season thus far and still needs a win to go to a bowl game. This week brings a major rival of the Bulldogs that Richt's teams have owned recently winning the last four. Of course the team is second-ranked Auburn and nobody is talking about this game. For Richt and Georgia its very simple: win this game, spoil Auburn's national title season, get bowl eligible and everything is fine looking to next season when the Bulldogs should be back to their normal level after a couple of down seasons. Lose and its 5-6 with a must win against Georgia Tech to reach a bowl game and possibly a new coach considering Richt has been under some fire and there is a new athletic director at Georgia.
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