The first (official) week of the 2024 college football season is now in the books, and while it may be a little too early to make any sweeping generalizations about how things are going to play out this year, we were still treated to plenty of insight that makes that task slightly easier after being forced to rely on months of speculation in the offseason.
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There’s still plenty of time for college football coaches who suffered setbacks in Week 1 to redeem themselves (just like there’s plenty of time for those who got off to a solid start to implode), and while I’d argue there are currently only a couple guys who are firmly on the hot seat this early in the season, there are a few other notable names who have to feel their backsides warming up a bit thanks to what transpired during the most recent slate of games.
On the flip side of the coin, there are also a few coaches who were surrounded by a fair amount of uncertainty heading into the season and were able to kick things off by making a bit of a statement.
Without further ado…
Mike Norvell—FSU
Florida State understandably felt like it was robbed of a spot in the College Football Playoff last season, and while they headed into the 2024 campaign with high hopes and a shot a redemption, you’d be hard-pressed to find many fans who are still feeling optimistic.
The Seminoles suffered a major setback after losing to Georgia Tech to kick off the season in Ireland, but it was easy to argue it was a fluke the team would be able to brush off after turning its attention to a Boston College squad that seemed to be an easy opponent on paper.
However, FSU dropped to 0-2 on the season after ending up on the wrong end of a 28-13 upset at the hands of the Eagles—a loss that has seemingly extinguished the team’s CFP dreams as Norvell suddenly finds himself enduring a hurricane of scrutiny.
The fact that Norvell’s buyout is currently $26 million means FSU will have to think long and hard about making a change, but if things keep trending in the same unfortunate direction, the school might feel the urge to bite the bullet.
Billy Napier—Florida
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Billy Napier was already firmly on the hot seat before the Florida Gators kicked off a daunting season defined by one of the toughest schedules in the country, and his position has not improved thanks to what unfolded against Miami in Week 1.
The Hurricanes were slight favorites heading into the rivalry game that transpired in The Swamp on Saturday, and they didn’t have any trouble covering the spread while dominating Florida in a 41-17 rout.
At this point, Napier has to know he’s coaching to keep his job, but if that showing is any indication of what’s in store, it’s hard to imagine he’ll still have it by the time the season wraps up.
Brian Kelly—LSU
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Brian Kelly has fared pretty well since taking over for Ed Orgeron at LSU, as the former Notre Dame skipper went 10-4 in his first season at the helm before following it up with a 10-3 campaign last year.
However, the Tigers have had trouble starting things on the right foot, and Kelly was hoping to avoid losing the first game of the year for the third consecutive time heading into Sunday’s matchup with USC in Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, he was unable to skirt that fate, as the Trojans walked away with the 27-20 victory thanks to a touchdown in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter before Kelly threw a bit of a temper tantrum during his postgame press conference.
If the past two years are any indication, LSU should be able to overcome the setback and finish with a respectable record, but Kelly is going to need to figure out a way to take the program to the next level sooner rather than later to appease a fanbase with very high expectations.
Dabo Swinney—Clemson
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Dabo Swinney has amassed plenty of goodwill thanks to what he’s been able to achieve since taking over at Clemson 15 years ago, and even though the Tigers have faded a bit recently compared to their impressive performance in the 2010s, the program is still in pretty good hands.
Clemson knew they were facing an uphill battle when they headed to Athens to kick off their season against a Georgia squad that’s the odds-on favorite to win a title this year, but I think most people were expecting them to put up more than a fight then they did in a 34-3 loss where the Bulldogs simply dominated them into submission.
Again, Swinney is on a pretty loose leash at Clemson as things currently stand. However, the team’s 9-4 record last year was the worst since the early part of his tenure (it also snapped a 12-year streak of double-digit win totals), and a similar showing will undoubtedly lead to some murmurings about the trajectory of the program and his questionable approach to the transfer portal.
Clark Lea—Vanderbilt
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Clark Lea hasn’t exactly dazzled during his time at Vanderbilt, and he headed into 2024 dealing with a fair amount of pressure after the Commodores finished with a 2-10 record for the second time in his three-year tenure.
With that said, the team took a big step in the right direction with a 34-27 upset win over Virginia Tech in overtime on Saturday.
It was definitely a bit of a roller coaster ride (Vanderbilt had to battle back after blowing a 17-point lead), but QB Diego Pavia showed plenty of promise while leading his squad to their first win over a P4 opponent during the Lea Era.
There’s a chance it’s all downhill from there, but it was still a promising start for a man who definitely needed one.
Mario Cristobal—Miami
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The setback Billy Napier and Florida suffered in Week 1 came courtesy of the University of Miami, and it’s hard to resist the urge to declare the Hurricanes are officially Back after Mario Cristobal kicked off his third season at the helm with a bang.
I’m a bit hesitant to definitively state that’s the case when there’s plenty of evidence that suggests the Gators might just be a bad football team, but Cristobal still has a golden opportunity to prove he’s managed to put things together after posting a combined record of 12-13 in his first two seasons.
Sam Pittman—Arkansas
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Sam Pittman openly acknowledged his Hot Seat status while speaking with the media in July, and while it would be a bit foolish to draw any overarching conclusions from his team’s 70-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff given the quality of their opponent, the fact that Bobby Petrino’s offense scored a touchdown on every single drive has to inspire a bit of confidence moving forward.
The Razorbacks will be facing a true test when they take on Oklahoma State in Week 2, but if they’re able to keep things clicking like they did in the season opener, Pittman will have to feel much better about his prospects this year.