College Football Rankings: 10 Hot Seat Coaches Who Need Week 5 Win Most

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College Football Week 5 marks the start of conference play for many teams and signals the beginning of the critical stretch for coaches on the hot seat around the country.

This week, a handful of coaches in hot water go head-to-head while several others face huge obstacles against superior opponents.

Here's a look at 10 college football coaches on the hot seat and how they could fare in Week 5.

No. 10: Houston Nutt, Ole Miss

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How He Got There: Ole Miss was without question one of the most disappointing teams in college football in 2009, and the rebuilding Rebels started the 2010 season off with a shocking loss to Jacksonville State.  As if that alone wasn't bad enough, the 28-14 loss in Oxford at the hands of an awful Vanderbilt team made Nutt's program look even worse.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: Run, Rebels, Run.  Ole Miss racked up well over 450 yards rushing in last week's win over Fresno State, including 228 from Robert Bolden, who scored three total touchdowns in a 55-38 thrashing over the Bulldogs.

Week Five Forecast: Nutt has a chance to lead his team to a home win against Kentucky, who hasn't been great against the run this season.  If the Rebels regroup and somehow manage to win four games while playing the most difficult conference schedule in the SEC, Nutt won't be on the hot seat any longer.

No. 9: Mike Sherman, Texas A&M

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How He Got There: It hasn't been a great run for the former Packers coach in College Station, but at least he has avoided an early-season loss in the traditional cupcake-intensive early season schedule for the Aggies.  Texas A&M has boasted one of the best offenses in college football with Jerrod Johnson running the show, but Sherman's defensive unit has been the team's undoing.  The pressure is on to win in the Big 12, starting this week against Oklahoma State.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat:Texas A&M has high standards, meaning Sherman probably needs at least seven or eight wins this season to retain his job.  Another 3-5 season in Big 12 play won't be acceptable, especially in this year's mediocre conference field.

Week 5 Forecast: Oklahoma State's lethal passing attack is exactly the kind of offense that has led to losses during Sherman's reign.  A win in Stillwater is unlikely, meaning the seat will grow hotter.

No. 8: Bill Lynch, Indiana

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How He Got There: Indiana rarely plays with a full deck when it comes to recruiting in football, so Lynch has done his best to build his defense through the JUCO ranks.  Meanwhile, his offense has emerged as one of the better units in the Big Ten, with speed on the outside and senior quarterback Ben Chappell.  The problem is wins haven't followed, as the Hoosiers blew numerous late leads last season to finish 1-7 in conference play.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: Just win, and win now.  With Michigan coming to town Saturday, Lynch's Hoosiers are in position to pull off an upset over a ranked team.  Beyond that, a manageable conference slate should have Indiana staring at the postseason.

Week 5 Forecast: Indiana has enough firepower to hang with Denard Robinson and Michigan's offense, including the weapons to exploit the vulnerable Wolverine secondary.  An upset is very possible, and would go a long way to securing Lynch's future.

No. 7: Rich Rodriguez, Michigan

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How He Got There: The saying, "what a difference a year makes" may or may not apply to Rich Rod's 2010 Michigan team.  Last year, the Wolverines were flying high after a 4-0 start, and Tate Forcier was anointed as the chosen one after shredding a horrendous Notre Dame defense.  The rest of the season was nothing short of a disaster on both sides of the ball.  This season, Denard Robinson has put up eye-popping numbers to produce four wins, including his gem against the Irish, but the efforts have come against four weak defenses.  How much has really changed?

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: It's time for Rodriguez to start winning in the Big Ten, something he has struggled to do at Michigan.  If the Wolverines are able to rely on Shoelace throughout conference play, three or four wins seems likely.  Assuming he keeps the program out of trouble with the NCAA, Rodriguez would have a good chance to save his job.

Week 5 Forecast: The Wolverines should win Saturday, but don't rule out an upset by the Hoosiers.

No. 6: Dan Hawkins, Colorado

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How He Got There: NCAA rules violations are never a good thing for a coach, especially when his team is losing on a consistent basis.  It's difficult to remember Dan Hawkins as the architect of the Boise State program after what he has done in Boulder.  His Zen approach to coaching hasn't led to anything but turmoil with the Buffs' preparing to move to the Pac-10.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: Colorado rallied against Hawaii to win going away September 18 after being destroyed by Cal in Week 2.  The jury is still out on the Buffs' this year, but a win over Georgia Saturday would be huge for Hawkins.

Week 5 Forecast: Colorado needs a marquee win in the worst way, and Aaron Murray and the Bulldogs are vulnerable even with A.J. Green returning to action. Ultimately, it might be too much to ask given Georgia's huge advantage on the defensive side of the ball.

No. 5: Mark Richt, Georgia

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How He Got There: The recent past years have started a slow but obvious trend of downward success for Richt's Georgia program.  Now, a difficult schedule and the absence of suspended star A.J. Green has the Bulldogs reeling after three losses.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: Green is back, and Georgia's defense is still among the more talent units in the SEC.  With three winnable SEC games leading up to the October 30 bout with Florida, all hope isn't lost just yet.

Week 5 Forecast: Georgia has much more talent than Colorado, and maybe the long journey away from SEC country will do the Bulldogs some good.

No. 4: Ron Zook, Illinois

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How He Got There: Years of underachieving finally killed off the Zookster's reputation as a great recruiter, and the lack of talent on the Illini this year is obvious.  Despite all of his shortcomings as a coach, the administration has remained committed to him...for now.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: The easiest way to get off the hot seat would be to upset one of the best teams in the Big Ten.  With Ohio State coming to town this week, Zook could point to Purdue's stunning upset of the Buckeyes last season to give his team hope of pulling off a miracle win.

Week 5 Forecast: Nathan Scheelhasse and Mikel LeShoure are exciting players, but Ohio State is likely to rout Illinois Saturday.  The upset will have to wait.

 

No. 3: Mike Locksley, New Mexico

How He Got There: A 1-11 season in 2009 is the biggest reason for Locksley's flaming seat, and a pathetic start to 2010 isn't lessening the inferno one bit.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: Aside from simply quitting, Locksley could start by fixing his defense.  UNLV has struggled on offense all season, then promptly put up 45 points on the Lobos.  New Mexico has assumed its position at the basement of the Mountain West and will be there for the long haul.

Week 5 Forecast: UTEP is a talented but underachieving team, and playing at home could give New Mexico at least a little boost.  Ultimately, another loss is likely.

No. 2: Paul Wulff, Washington State

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How He Got There: Washington State has been at the bottom of the Pac-10 for years and there is no end in sight.  A lack of talent is the biggest problem, and it appears Wulff is in over his head.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: Washington State does have a win this season, using a furious rally to defeat Montana State in Week 2.  The Pac-10 schedule doesn't offer much hope, but a win over Washington at the end of the season could provide a fitting end to Wulff's run.

Week 5 Forecast: Coming off the huge win over Texas, will UCLA suffer a hangover this weekend against the Cougars?  Even if the Bruins struggle, they should still be able to coast past Washington State.

No. 1: Tim Brewster, Minnesota

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How He Got There: After Glen Mason and a host of other former Gophers' head coaches pointed to being stuck in the Metrodome for shortcomings in recruiting and on the field, Brewster no longer has the comfort of that excuse with Minnesota enjoying its new outdoor stadium.  A horrendous start to a must-win season has Brewster's seat burning up.

How to Get Off the Hot Seat: At least Minnesota won't have to worry about losing to less-talented opponents anymore with conference play beginning.  The Gophers allowed 223 yards rushing to NIU star Chad Spann last week and still haven't developed a consistent running game this season, which would make winning in the Big Ten much easier.

Week 5 Forecast: The Gophers have already lost three games at TCF Bank Stadium this year and will most likely drop a fourth.  The only question now is whether or not Brewster will make it through the season without being fired.