The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast - 10 Head Coaches under Pressure for the 2026 Season

Episode Date: July 27, 2026

Fox Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt evaluates 10 Head Coaches and establishes how much pressure they are under going into the season. From Coaches coming off disappointing seasons like Clemson’s Dabo Swinney to Coaches with fanbases expecting a major breakthrough this year like USC’s Lincoln Riley and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, Klatt breaks down each situation and points out which game on the schedule could really ratchet up the pressure if things go sideways. What kind of pressure is Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer under this year as he goes into Year 3 with the Crimson Tide after 2 years which have had some successes but also some disappointments. How are Nebraska fans feeling about Matt Rhule as their HC enters Year 4 of his rebuild? How much pressure is on Lane Kiffin in Year 1 at LSU? Chapters 🏈0:00-2:00 2026 CFB coaching pressure index2:01-5:17 Kalen DeBoer5:18-7:18 Steve Sarkisian7:19-10:22 Matt Rhule10:23-12:20 Dabo Swinney10:21-14:38 Lane Kiffin14:39-17:21 Lincoln Riley17:22-18:53 Kyle Whittingham18:54-20:18 Shane Beamer20:19-21:47 Bill Belichick21:48-25:15 Dan Lanning Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are we doing with Davo? After your boy sitting in this chair last year, crowned them as my preseason national champ. What a bonehead. It's time. It's time to win the SEC. It's time to really play for that national championship. Where's the pressure point game this year?

I don't think it happens until the CFP. I don't think you can pump the brakes on the expectations. Hey, what's up, everybody? It is the Joel Clad Show. I'm Joel Clatt. This show is brought to you by Graduate by Hilton. We thank them for their support as always as we roll on here in the, off season. Getting you all set for 2026 in college football, I cannot wait,

although there are some coaches that we need to talk about and just the pressure index. Let's get right into it. I'm going to have 10 names here today. I'm going to put them into five categories. And basically, these categories are what the fan bases are either asking themselves or thinking at this point. We had the same categories last year. I thought it worked out really well. And so we're going to bring it back. In fact, if you go back to last year's episode. Three of our 10 guys actually lost their job, fired mid-season, including two of the guys in one category, Brian Kelly and James Franklin. Here are the categories. All right, here we go. This is, again, what fan bases are thinking to themselves and or asking

themselves. One, just happy you're here. How about fan bases that are thinking to themselves? We like you, but others are just trying to be patient. There are other fan bases that are asking themselves, is this going to work? And there are some fan bases that are thinking, hey, it's time. By the way, the it's time category last year was lethal. Brian Kelly and James Franklin, both in the it's time category, both ended up getting fired. These aren't necessarily the hottest seats. These are just like the coaches, highly prominent coaches in college football that fall into these categories.

Again, 10 names, five categories. Here we go. How restless are these fan bases? Let's start with Kalyn DeBoer at Alabama. Okay, so they made the SEC championship game. They won a playoff game, but they did get hammered in that championship game by Georgia and then got absolutely crushed by Indiana. Indiana didn't even have to throw passes in the second half.

In fact, I've been told that on the sideline, they were saying to each other, hey, we don't even have to throw the ball. We can just run it. They ran it 50 times at Alabama. Not great. Meanwhile, Alabama could not run the football. I think Kalyn took the hardest job in America at maybe the most difficult time ever following Nick Sabin. He did get a two-year extension in April through the 20-32 season, and he's gone 20 and 8.

Listen, it has been bad, and I still really like Kalin DeBoer. In his first two seasons, 20 and 8's not terrible, but four losses in each season, we haven't seen four losses from Alabama since Sabin's first year in 2007. Going into this season, I think the pressure's on him. with a quarterback who hasn't started a game in his career, whether it's Austin Mack or Keelon Russell. The schedule is not terrible, but the first five games are very winnable,

and then they've got this critical four-game stretch in the middle of the season, and that's where I'm going to focus here, because there's always a pressure point with all of these coaches in the pressure index. Where is the pressure point in the year, in the schedule? And I'm falling on this October 24th game against Texas A&M. Here's that four-game stretch that I was talking about.

If you're watching on YouTube, congratulations, go subscribe if you haven't. This four game stretch is October 10, Georgia, October 17 at Tennessee, October 24th, A&M, then they have an open date, and then November 7th at LSU. That's really difficult. And so the pressure point for me is A&M. I think that DeBore could even explain away a loss to Georgia and certainly even at LSU. I think LSU is going to have an incredibly talented roster.

But that pressure point is where the face. fan base is going to really be asking themselves what's going on. So right now, this fan base is just trying to be patient. They're trying to be patient because their expectations are so high, so high. And he's falling a touch short. Even though he's been wildly successful, he's 20 and 8 and I get that. He's been to the CFP. They won a CFP game on the road, no less against Oklahoma. But there is a sense still that these Bama fans are just trying to be patient with Kaylin DeBore. There is a question in the back of their head. They're trying to see if this is going to work out,

and now they're going to go out there with an inexperienced quarterback. So that's going to be very difficult for them. A loss at home to A&M would be a loss against one of those teams that's trying to knock them from their perch atop the SEC. Right now, Georgia runs the conference, but clearly Alabama has been right there. I've given you the stats in previous shows just about the domination that Georgia and Alabama have had in the SEC.

And if you lose to that A&M team, now all of a sudden you've got to go a couple weeks later to LSU, that's not good. And Lane Kiffin will be waiting there for you. So that's the pressure point game. DeBoer and that fan base, I think that fan base is just trying to be patient right now. If you disagree, by the way, and you're a Alabama fan. Get in the comments below and tell me what you think about just trying to be patient. How about Steve Sarkeesian?

Year 6 in Austin for Sark. And they've been to the semifinal twice. Texas opened last season as the number one team in the country. missed the playoff. He does have three straight 10-win seasons, but he's got Archmanning, and they just spent a lot of money, and he's been doing some talking in this off-season. They loaded up with weapons around. They've got that huge game against Ohio State and a really difficult schedule, one of the most difficult schedules in the country. And yet, don't you get the sense that after those two semifinal appearances, and last year maybe an underwhelming performance

from the Texas Longhorns, I think it's time. I think that this fan base looks at Sark and looks at Texas and they say, all right, it's time. It's time to win the SEC. It's time to really play for that national championship. But here's the pressure point game. And this is what gets very interesting. The pressure point game is actually basically out of the gate week two against Ohio

State. Because if Ohio State rolls into your building and beat you, it is a severe uphill climb to get yourself back in the playoff. I think it might be difficult for them to get to the playoff, even if they beat Ohio State. Their schedule is brutal. Check out all of these games. September 12th, Week 2, Ohio State.

Also in September, a trip to Neeland in Tennessee. They've got Red River, of course. You've got Ole Miss at home. You've got to go to LSU. You've got to go to Texas A&M. That doesn't even include. Those six don't even include, by the way. Tricky games like Florida or at Missouri.

So again, really difficult schedule. The pressure point comes early. If they lose that game early, that fan base is going to be upset because, in their minds, I believe they're thinking to themselves, it's time. It's time. So Sark falls into that category. Steve Sarkesian, year 6 in Austin, great team,

great roster, great quarterback. It's time. How about Matt Ruhl at Nebraska? Where are we going to go with Matt Ruhl at Nebraska? Let me just start with this before I start describing it. Let's put them in the category right away. Is this going to work? I know that they're trying to preach patience with their fan base.

But I hear from Cornhusker fans. Great fans, by the way. Some of the best. Great fans. And they all wonder to themselves, is this going to work? year three for Rule in his history has always been a huge bump, Temple and Baylor. Last year was year three, this year, year four.

He's gone 19 and 19. He's 500. Rule was known for that year three pop. And they did win seven in the regular season. That's the first time they've won at least seven in the regular season since 2016. You can say it was a step forward. But the way that they finished, it doesn't feel like that. He did get a two-year contract extension through 2032.

that was primarily because that Penn State job came open and he obviously has ties to Penn State so he got that extension. But then they lost four of their last five. And to be fair, they lost their quarterback. Royola got hurt. Wasn't the same after he got hurt. He inherited a program that hadn't been to a bowl game in six seasons and he's taken them to two straight bowl games.

So, again, they are moving forward, but there is a question for this fan base. it going to work? Troy Dan, and their AD has made comments preaching patience. The schedule sets up for a hot start, really hot start. A really good shot at being 5 and O for the Cornhuskers. Nobody is expecting them, at least in my estimation, to beat Indiana or Oregon. I know they would love to, but both of those games are in October. The pressure point game for me is Washington. Washington, October 31st. That Washington, that's the one that could send the entire season in a different direction, even if they were to lose to Indiana and Oregon. Let's

And listen, no fault in that. All right, tip your cap and you're like, okay, those programs, I think likely at that point will be sitting in the top four or three in the country. But then Washington comes in, and Washington's one of those teams that are like, you know, we've got to run the middle of this conference. You know, Washington wants to do that with Jed Fish and Matt Ruhle wants to do that with Nebraska. And so that one kicks off this stretch where all of a sudden, then they go at Illinois. They still have Ohio State on the schedule.

They've got Iowa. If they lose to Washington, you could see another one of those downward spirals. And that's not, listen, no amount of patience is going to help a downward spiral at the end of the year. I think starting out hot is going to be really, really important for them. If they pick up that sixth win against Washington, you could be looking at a seventh win against Illinois. They've got Rutgers on the schedule. That could be an eighth win before you play Ohio State. That's, I think, what they need to do.

But for him personally, the question is, is this going to work? Again, you've got to have a hot start pressure point. That Washington game, I think that one is a big one. Let's move to the ACC. How about Davo Sweeney? What are we doing with Davo? What are we doing with dabbo after your boy sitting in this chair last year, crowned them as my preseason national champ.

How about that for a pick? What a bonehead. My goodness, rethink everything about myself. I know that makes some of you happy. Others, you don't care. What are we doing with dabble? didn't go well last year. Started number four in the preseason.

I wasn't the only one hot on Clemson. They started number four. Finished seven and six. Guys, what are we doing? They had all those draft picks, experienced quarterback. Clemson has not finished in the top ten since Trevor Lawrence. That was five seasons. Dabo's in his 18th full year at Clemson.

He's been heavily criticized for not a DAPS. to the new world of college football, he has slowly come around. I think Clemson fans at this point are saying to themselves, We like you, but. So that's the category he falls into. We like you, but. There is a huge pressure point for Dabo, Miami in their fifth game. Now, they've got LSU.

It could be LSU. You might be right. But Miami's in conference, and Clemson has run the ACC, run it. They have dominated the ACC. Now it seems like Miami's conference, and you start to wonder to yourself, what's the gap? What's the margin?

How wide is it? Is Miami head and shoulders above Clemson? They were a year ago. They were a year ago. Miami's going to be loaded again. Again, Miami's going to be fantastic. They open with LSU. That's going to be tough.

If that goes poorly and then Miami goes poorly, we like you, but turns into something very different. very, very different. We move on. How about Lane Kiffin? Excuse me, Lane Kiffin, all in. LSU has gone, not only on the roster but with Lane, right? I mean, we saw that in that ridiculous coaching search. I know they're in a honeymoon phase right now after Brian Kelly. As long as Lane doesn't have some fake accent, I think he's going to be just fine. LSU always has high expectations. They spent plenty of money right away,

but the pressure is not really there. I think they're just happy he's there. Just happy you're here. LSU is just happy. Lane Kiffin is there. And I think that that is a realization of what LSU has been recently. You see,

they have only finished in the top 25 two times since they won a national championship in 2019. That was their only college football playoff appearance. The only one, 2019. So then you start thinking about their pressure point game. Like, when are people going to go from just happier here to maybe something else?

And again, not that he's on a hot seat by no means. But again, this is just the pressure index, pressure for these coaches. And Lane's going to be under pressure November 7th against Alabama. I think that one is going to be the pressure point. The first month of the season is very tough. Clemson, that one's at home. Ole Miss and the return. That one's going to be wild.

You've got A&M at home. The schedule lets up a little bit through the middle, so there's some time to pile up some wins. I think they're going to be able to do that. But a loss against Alabama at home, November 7th, that would crank up a little bit of the, hey, wait a second, this is not why you're here. They've got their next two games after that Bama game, Texas,

and a trip to Neeland. So again, not an easy schedule. I do have this sneaky feeling, though, that Lane and LSU are going to roll out against Clemson, and we're going to all open our eyes and be like, oh, that's one of the best rosters in all of college football. They've certainly spent enough money on it. That roster is north of $40 million, by all accounts.

Again, I don't know that officially, but speculated to be north of $40 million. And so they might just be really, really good. We know they're going to be good on offense. I think one of the questions I would have, and it would go into this pressure index, is Blake Baker and the relationship Lane has with Blake Baker. We'll see how that goes. How about Lincoln Riley at USC? Ooh, okay, okay.

I think there's some pressure here. There is some pressure. And I'm a big fan of this USC team. I know people, listen, I live around a lot of Trojan fans, and a lot of them listen. And they come out and they're like, do you really think, you really think USC could be something special this year? My answer is yes.

My answer is yes. This is year five with Lincoln at USC after he signed that 10-year, $110 million contract to leave Oklahoma. The Trojans fans, I think they expect. expected a start that a start that they got in almost getting to the playoff and then sustaining that. And they obviously took a couple of steps back in their next couple of years. He went to the four-team playoff, three years as a head coach at Oklahoma, one other trip as an offensive coordinator. And now you look up and you're like, 27 teams have made the playoff and USC is not one of them.

I mean, they should be better than this. We know that. They were a game away that first year from going. He got, Caleb Williams got hurt against Utah in the Pac-12 championship game. They ended up losing that one. I think the mood of Trojan fans about Riley is that it's time. It's time. I think it's time for Lincoln Riley.

I think it's time for this roster. I think it's time for USC. There's a real opportunity to make a mark this season with this team. This is a team that went 9 and 3 last year in the regular season. This is a team that beat Michigan physically on their home field. This is a team that made some bonehead mistakes against Notre Dame, but otherwise played pretty strong in that game. The only game that they were, I thought, overmatched was actually Oregon on the road.

The other game that they lost was Illinois. And let's face it, like, they should have beaten Illinois. They go down and score. I thought they scored too early. I understand. I've texted with Lincoln about that. I felt like they scored too early, but it's like, hey, you know, like you got to put the ball in the end zone.

I understand that and their defense didn't hold up. The pressure point game for Lincoln and USC, I don't think it's Oregon at home. I really don't. I don't. I think it comes off the back-to-back home games. They've got Oregon and Washington, but then it's really a crucial three-game stretch, not a two-game stretch. I think you've got at least split at home, Oregon and Washington, but then they go to Penn State. That's the pressure point game right there. That's likely going to be a wide-out Saturday, October 10th. And Penn State's schedule is not difficult, not difficult at all. I think Matt Campbell has a

good chance to win 10 games. But this would be a monumentous win for you. It really would. Winning a road trip across the country would show things are totally different that Lincoln Riley has built them up at the line of scrimmage, that they can compete for a playoff spot. And if they win that game, they might just go to the playoff. It's time. It's time for USC. It's time for Lincoln Riley. How about Kyle Whittingham at Michigan? I think he falls into the same category as Lane Kiffin. At this point for Michigan fans, it went so off the rails for the Wolverines that you look up and you're like, you're just happy that Kyle Whittingham is here, aren't you? I think you are. I think you are. Kyle's one of the best head coaches in the entire sport,

and you're just happy he's there. I think that there is, as I would categorize it, kind of like the football adult in the room, he comes in. And let's be honest, the way the things that ended with Sharon Moore, I mean, things could have gone south in a hurry from Michigan, in particular with the timing of everything that happened. Where were they going to go coaching-wise? And they get Kyle Whittingham of all guys. We thought he was retiring, and he's not. Instead, they bring I think one of the best coaches in America. Michigan got a full offseason with winning ham in charge, so they should be in good shape

to hit the ground running this year and build off of the nine wins. By the way, that was a nine-win team. In the middle of all that dysfunction, they still won nine games with a true freshman quarterback. Now, the pressure point game from Michigan, I think, is a home game against Penn State October 17th. Now, they would still have

games against Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State after that game. So if you don't beat Penn State, it becomes very problematic. Very problematic. So Whittingham, that's the pressure point game. I know Ohio State is always a huge one. I think Oklahoma is going to be a monster one. Gus Jenny and I will be there for Oklahoma.

But that's what Kyle Whittingham is. I think Michigan fans are just happy that he's there. How about Shane Beamer in South Carolina? Year 6 for Beamer at South Carolina. He's 33 and 30. I think they wanted more out of Beamer. They gave him an extension after that 2020. season finished with nine wins.

He had more wins than any other South Carolina coach through four years. But then last year went really poorly, really poorly, right? Last year they started the season in the top 15, got as high as 10 before the wheels absolutely came off. They finished four and eight. Four and eight. He needs to get things stabilized. Otherwise, I think things could get uncomfortable for him.

They do have Lenore Sellers. They do have Dylan Stewart cornerstones to build around for this roster. There's no doubt. The schedule doesn't do Beamer any favors. And I think that their fans are looking around and they're asking themselves, is this going to work? I think he's in the Matt Rule category. I really do.

I think the pressure point game is Tennessee at home October 24th as the first game in a brutal six game end to their schedule. You lose that one and yikes. Yikes. Because they're going to have at Oklahoma, Texas A&M, at Arkansas, Georgia at Clemson. Hello. Hello. Things could go south in a hurry,

and they're already asking themselves, is this going to work? That Tennessee game, that becomes a vital game right there. So I think Shane Beamer needs to win that one. There's no doubt. Keep the fan base happy. Because right now, they're asking themselves, is this going to work?

Speaking of, is this going to work? Let's go to Bill Belichick at North Carolina. Let's just put them in the category right away. Bill Belichick, is this going to work? I think the fans are wondering that about North Carolina. Belichick going to Carolina was one of the biggest surprises. that I had on my bingo board that we've seen in recent years. First year four and eight, those four wins were against Charlotte, Richmond,

Syracuse, who was terrible, and Stanford. We didn't see a buttoned up fundamentally sound team that we are accustomed to seeing from Belichick. That's a big adjustment to move from coaching pros and men to 19-year-olds. UNC is paying Belichick $10 million per year, five for 50. This time last year, we were talking about the $1 million out in his contract if he decided to leave. Belichick made one major change in the offseason. He did bring in Bobby Petrino to be the offensive coordinator, and Bobby's a very good offensive coach. But is this going to work?

I think the pressure point game is right out of the gate. Week zero, TCU in Dublin. If that doesn't go well, I mean, TCU hammered them last year, hammered them. That wasn't even close. and so they've got to show at least some margin of improvement. Week Zero, TCU in Dublin. That was a blowout last year. After TCU, they'll face Clemson in the third game,

Notre Dame in the fourth game. Again, those aren't measuring sticks for me for North Carolina and Bill Belichick. For me, it's more TCU Week Zero in Dublin. And Dan Lannning at Oregon. Let's talk about Dan. I think he's one of the best coaches in America. I really do. every single year, Oregon has taken a step forward under Dan Lannie.

They were good his first year. Then in his second year, they won the Big Ten. They were the number one seed and got beat by the eventual national champ, Ohio State Buckeyes. Then he goes to the semifinal. So he wins a playoff game. Goes to the semifinal. Remember, they beat up on Texas Tech. And what was it, the Orange Bowl?

And then Indiana housed him and scored over 50 points. He's averaged 12 wins per year in his first four years as a head coach. Landing has a group that is built to win it all this year. I really believe that. Stud experienced quarterback, talented defensive line also experienced. Could have gone to the National Football League came back. They've got a ton of talent at wide receiver, running back. A lot of those guys were young.

The secondary was young. At 40 years old, he'd be the youngest. coach to win a title since Bob Stoops did it in 2000 at Oklahoma, if he's able to win a title. But I get the sense that Oregon fans are thinking to themselves. Not it's time too. It's our time. It's our time. Truth be told, I saw Dan this offseason and he was like, hey, you know, like, pump the brakes a little bit on the expectations. That's not good for anybody. And I'm like, well, you know, I don't think you can pump the brakes on the expectations. Taking a step forward every single year. That's a huge deal, a huge deal. Then you come into this season with all of that

experience and you look up and you're like, where's the pressure point? Where's the pressure point game this year? I don't think it happens until the CFP. You look at their schedule, their toughest games are going to be going to USC, who's very good at home, going to Ohio State, obviously going to be a monster, Michigan at home, Washington at home. Those are all decently difficult games, one of them being a rivalry game. There's no doubt. But the question isn't about whether Oregon going to go to the CFP or not. In my mind, the question is, what do they do once they're there? So the pressure index really heats up for Dan Lannning once they're in the CFP.

That's when we can finally evaluate what Dan has built at Oregon and his tenure there as a head coach, one of the youngest in America. I think it's their time. And so it's time for Dan Lannning at Oregon. That's going to be a remarkable story for them. I think it really will be. And they're going to be very good. They're going to be very good.

There you go. Ten names, five categories. There you have it. The coaching pressure index for 2026. Again, remember, three of these guys last year got fired. Let's hope that doesn't happen. I don't want to root for anybody to lose their job. I certainly don't. Let's hope that they all have success. But not everybody can have success, as we know. You can have success. You can do that by leaving a comment down below in the YouTube page. It's fun. It's a nice community down there. Throw a comment down below. Do you agree? Do you disagree with some of these? Are there other coaches that I miss that you have. like to put, you know, heavy pressure on. Throw those down in the comments. If you haven't subscribed to the YouTube channel, please do that. That would be awesome. Wherever you're listening, please rate and review us, wherever you get your podcast. And then wherever you, social media, we're there. You can follow us at Joel Clash Show.

We're here every Monday during the offseason, getting you all set for the college football season. Until then, have a great week.