Hayes' Hot Seat: Five Under Pressure

Matt Hayes - SportingNews.com

The hottest spots entering Week 2.

1. Oregon coach Chip Kelly

Let's look at Kelly's first game as Ducks coach, shall we?

One of his best players does more with his fists than his feet, and Kelly's boss, athletic director Mike Bellotti -- who just happens to be the team's former legendary coach -- strolled the sidelines during the game to, presumably, get a better view of his former product that never looked worse.

Thankfully, LeGarrette Blount went Mike Tyson on anything and everything standing between him and the end of his career moments after a humiliating loss to Boise State. You remember that, don't you?

That was SN's preseason No. 7 Oregon, with a couple of Heisman Trophy candidates and enough talent to finally overtake USC in the Pac-10, imploding in Kelly's debut -- a fact that has been widely overlooked because of Blount's behavior.

This game against Purdue will be the biggest game Kelly ever coaches. Because it's here where Kelly can lose a team -- lose a program -- with another confounding loss. It's here where he will be defined as a coach and a leader. It's the home opener, it's a middling Big Ten team, it's a chance to prove that last week's program-wide humiliation was an aberration.

Or a trend.

2. Georgia quarterback Joe Cox

I'm willing to give Joey C. (no relation to Joey T.) another game after last week's H1N1 (or whatever they're calling it these days)-induced performance against Oklahoma State.

Frankly, I'm pretty sure UGA coach Mark Richt, who has won a few games in Athens, knows what he's doing. Maybe a fully-rested, completely healthy Cox plays big against South Carolina's athletic defense.

But if Cox struggles again this week at home, it's time to break out freshman Aaron Murray. Richt did the same thing in 2006 when career backup/good guy (ring a bell?) Joe Tereshinski struggled early in his I've-waited-four-years-to-finally-start season, and the Bulldogs went to Matthew Stafford.

I'm not saying Murray -- a heralded recruit -- is at the same level as Stafford (he's clearly not), but he has the physical tools to stretch the offense beyond short to intermediate throws. If you can't throw it deep, you take away your best threat on offense (WR A.J. Green) and allow defenses to sit on pass routes -- and, just as important, allow defenses to play closer to the line of scrimmage and limit play calls.

3. USC quarterback Matt Barkley and coach Pete Carroll

Are there two guys more made for each other? Barkley, USC's plucky freshman, was asked about his season opener against San Jose State, and said "I was born to do this." He's asked about the big crowd and hostile road environment at Ohio State and says, "Bring it on."

Either he's channeling his inner Pete, or this thing is getting a little freaky. The coach and the quarterback: one ego and the same.

Know this: They'll thrive together -- or they'll dive together.

USC has been so successful under Carroll in nonconference games, you almost expect Barkley to play well. But this is a freshman who hasn't played on the road yet, who hasn't experienced adversity, who hasn't seen rotating coverages and zone blitzes from a fast, athletic defense.

4. The Big Ten

I don't get the Big Ten. I mean, it has terrific coaches and many of its teams are consistently among the top 25 in recruiting rankings every February.

Yet we get unthinkable results like Week 1. Don't let that 10-1 record fool you; it was beyond bad and better not be an indicator of things to come.

As ugly as it looked in coulda/shoulda losses that ended up victories for Iowa (Northern Iowa), Ohio State (Navy), Wisconsin (Northern Illinois), Indiana (Eastern Kentucky) and Minnesota (Syracuse), and the horrific loss by Illinois, look what Week 2 brings for those teams:

Iowa at Iowa State: Hawkeyes are 4-6 vs. Cyclones under Kirk Ferentz.

Ohio State vs. USC: Buckeyes are 0-5 in their last five games against the top 5.

Wisconsin vs. Fresno State: Badgers lost to Fresno State in Madison in 2001, and two wins over FSU since were by a combined five points.

Indiana vs. Western Michigan: As bad as MAC favorite Western Michigan played last week vs. Michigan, Indiana played worse against EKU.

Minnesota vs. Air Force: Falcons are -- minimum -- three touchdowns better than Syracuse.

Illinois vs. Illinois State: Don't think the Illini couldn't produce another Zooktastic failure.

5. Virginia coach Al Groh

Quick disclosure: I like Al Groh, knowing full well I'm in the minority. A good man, tough guy, terrific role model for college kids. But I also fully realize he's in trouble.

The sign of a program in turmoil: it loses and wins games it shouldn't. The loss last week to William & Mary was Zooktastic in its own right. Now here comes TCU, which despite what we've seen from Boise State and BYU, could be the best non-BCS team.

This game is a beatdown if there ever was one, right? These are also the type of games Groh's teams have won in the past, including upsets of West Virginia (2002), Virginia Tech (2003), Florida State (2005) and Georgia Tech (2008).

Lose Saturday, and the Cavs may not win again until October -- and by that time, Richmond coach and former UVa defensive coordinator Mike London, will be the clear favorite for the job.

Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.

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