Hot Seat Rankings: Greg Schiano's about to get whacked

For those reading on e-mail: click 'view in browser' to see the full contents of today's post

HOT SEAT GAME OF THE WEEK

Forget Ole Miss-LSU. This is the real matchup everyone needs to have their eyes on tomorrow:

THE RANKINGS

1. Mike Norvell - Florida State (1-1) (Last week: 1)

One of the easiest ways to tell the true temperature of a hot seat situation is by how messy (or not) things are coming off a bye. Florida State's about as messy as it gets right now.

First, Athletic Director Michael Alford was fired on Monday. Alford is the guy who handed Norvell the contract extension in February 2023 holding them back from canning him right now. The thing is, I don't blame Alford for the extension. Norvell had just guided the 'Noles to their first ten-win season in six years, and was about to lead them to a 13-1 mark with an ACC Title (and a controversial Playoff exclusion). Say what you want about Norvell now, but any take that Alford handed him that extension without reason is driven by hindsight. So why is Alford out before Norvell?

The general consensus I get from FSU's fanbase is that Alford's biggest mistake was how he handled NIL and funding for the program. Their estimated spending on this year's roster is above the ACC's average, but nowhere close to what you'd expect from such an established name in the sport. A resurfaced Alford/Norvell presser from January fuels the notion that Norvell himself was just as irked with Alford's efforts in this area as FSU's fans are:

If a fired AD on Monday wasn't enough for you, a post that went viral showing a large truck outside of Norvell's house upped the noise even more on Tuesday:

Naturally, speculation ran rampant all day about Norvell getting a head start on his inevitable coaching fate in Tallahassee. For a situation already off the rails in almost every way possible, the idea of Norvell having to spend his Wednesday presser answering questions about why a big ass truck was outside his house really doesn't seem that far-fetched. In the funniest outcome possible, it turns out it was a desk delivery for his daughter. I genuinely believe Norvell's explanation, and that he had no clue about it for a full day until he was asked in that moment:

Just to recap - In the span of two weeks, Florida State:

• Lost at home after a two-hour power outage delay at their stadium.
• Fired their AD.
• Had the head coach answering questions about why large trucks were outside his house the week they play at Alabama.

Local reporting suggests FSU will do everything they can to not fire Norvell in-season, which I actually believe. For starters, they haven't fired the guy yet, despite the universe spending the past year giving them every sign to do it. Beyond that, firing the athletic director now gives them a legitimate reason to hold off for a bit longer. Who thinks it's a good idea to have an interim AD run a coaching search, even if it's just for a few months until a new AD takes over? Norvell still being the coach makes sense when you think about it that way. It also means Florida State is playing a dangerous game of chicken with an already pissed off fanbase.

Ultimately, I think Florida State's delaying the inevitable, and things are only going to get uglier the longer they keep him. Over the next five weeks, the 'Noles play four ranked opponents in Alabama (road), Virginia, Louisville (road), and Miami (road). It's time to get the moving trucks ready - for real this time.

2. Greg Schiano - Rutgers (0-2) (Last week: 2)

In a world where we're talking about the sanitation business instead of moving trucks, Greg Schiano would be No. 1 this week instead of Norvell. Rutgers followed up their UMass debacle in week zero in the worst way possible, losing 28-21 to Boston College in what was one of the worst games of the 2020s.

The Scarlet Knights threw four interceptions –all in Boston College territory– while also getting stuffed on a crucial fourth-and-short inside BC's 10. Overall, they went 2-4 in the redzone in a seven-point loss. Not wanting his players to outdo him on the mistake front, Schiano made several tactical blunders that directly led to Boston College points.

On the game's opening drive, he opted to go for a fourth-and-one on his own 34. Rutgers' QB sneak was stuffed –just like their third-and-one run up the middle was– and BC scored a touchdown five plays later. It felt like a genius decision compared to having his defense hand the Eagles three free points in a bizzare end-of-half defensive strategy:

It's been a great run for Greg Schiano as the Boss of Rutgers Football. The volume on 'Don't Stop Believin' is getting louder, though, and the screen's about to cut to black.

Subscribe to 2StripesCPD premium to get full access to the Hot Seat Rankings each week🔥🔥🔥

Upgrade to 2StripesCPD Premium

3. Bill Belichick - North Carolina (2-0) (Last week: 3)

I think I'd take Mike Norvell's week over Bill Belichick's, all things considered:

• Two of Belichick's receivers won't play against Clemson after they were pulled over in a traffic stop, with one being arrested and subsequently suspended.
• Already-on-leave Defensive Coordinator Steve Belichick resigned Thursday morning after an internal investigation.
• Said internal investigation determined that "certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina's values and standards of conduct."

Fortunately for Steve's dad, the university came to the conclusion that these actions were "isolated" and not a "systemic failure." Not a bad way to skate off for a guy who's whole lore is building a multi-decade dynasty off the backbone of systemic cohesion and knowing everything that's happening around him. Being 2-0 is probably the only reason Belichick still even has a sliver of support from the university at all. That's about to be tested in a major way over the next month:

4. Bill O'Brien - Boston College (1-1) (Last week: 5)

As horrified as Rutgers throwing four interceptions in Boston College territory and failing to score twice in the redzone made me, I'm just as horrified by Boston College having all that go their way and still only winning by seven. The fact that the game even came down to a final Rutgers drive to potentially tie it isn't a great sign for BC moving forward.

A win is a win on the hot seat, though. O'Brien and BC need to continue to build positive momentum tomorrow with a strong performance against Maine, before diving into ACC play versus Virginia Tech.

5. Fran Brown - Syracuse (1-2) (Last week: NR)