Lots of hot seat games in Pac-12

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By Ted Miller

There are a lot of hot seats in the Pac-12 this year. In no particularly order, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State, Jeff Tedford at California, Rick Neuheisel at UCLA and Paul Wulff at Washington State.And coaches on the hot seat play hot*seat games, and ESPN.com's Ryan McGee sees a handful for the conference.Here's what he has to say.UCLA Bruins at Houston Cougars, Sept. 3
On the Seat of Heat: Rick NeuheiselThe Sweater Vest of the West hasn't been able to get his alma mater up to speed as quickly as he did conference foes Colorado and Washington. In the 2008 season opener, the former Bruins QB led his team to a then-stunning OT win over Tennessee, but he has posted a record of 13-23 since. The lone high point during that time was last year's win at Texas, which, like the Tennessee win, wasn't all that impressive in retrospect.Last year UCLA romped Houston at home, the game in which Cougars QB Case Keenum tore his ACL in the second quarter. Now Keenum is back and playing on his home turf. If he lights up UCLA with the same kind of offense that Neuheisel was supposed to have brought to Westwood, then the sharks shall begin circling, especially with Texas, Oregon State and Stanford coming up in the following four weeks.Missouri Tigers at Arizona State Sun Devils, Sept. 9
On the Seat of Heat: Dennis EricksonErickson's first year in Tempe was a nice one: 10-3 and a trip to the Holiday Bowl to face Texas. Since then, the Sun Devils have yet to make a bowl game, posting an overall record of 15-21 and a Pac-10 record of 10-17. Last year they came close to beating Wisconsin ... and Oregon State ... and USC ... and Stanford. But they lost all four of those games.This year brings the highest preseason expectations since that first season, as the Sun Devils missed the preseason coaches' Top 25 poll by only three votes. The good news? ASU was 4-0 against nonconference opponents last year. The bad news? The Sun Devils haven't hosted a nonconference BCS school since 2008, a 27-10 thrashing by Georgia.Washington State Cougars at Colorado Buffaloes, Oct. 1
On the Seat of Heat: Paul WulffWulff keeps trying to convince us that the Cougars are getting better, but their record surely has not. They backed up 2009's 1-11 record with a 2-10 mark last year. In three seasons he has won exactly two conference games. If they go to Boulder for Colorado's first home Pac-12 game and lay an egg vs. a team with a new head coach, it's likely going to make the folks in Pullman want to look for a new coach of their own.USC Trojans at California Golden Bears, Oct. 13
On The (Potential) Seat of Heat: Jeff TedfordThe promise of Tedford's early days in Berkeley has started to fade, thanks to a 17-19 conference record over the last four years. If the Bears stumble against what should be a very motivated Fresno State squad on Sept. 3 at Candlestick Park, things could get a little dicey. October 6 brings a trip to Oregon, which figures to be a loss. USC has beaten Cal in seven straight. If the Trojans roll again like they have the last two seasons (48-14 and 30-3), patience with Tedford will have officially worn thin.

Originally posted by ESPN.com - Pac-10 Blog
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[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

How about Mike Stoops at Arizona? I think the game against OSU in early September is going to be pretty big for him.

 

[sackman]

I still can't believe Tedford is on a hot seat. That's absurd. The guy has won more games at Cal than... anybody, I think. You don't fire the most successful coach you've ever had.

 

[The Guest]

I still can't believe Tedford is on a hot seat. That's absurd. The guy has won more games at Cal than... anybody, I think. You don't fire the most successful coach you've ever had.

Signed,

Iowa State

 

[sackman]

Signed,

Iowa State

Great example. I bet they wish they had Dan McCarney back. I can't understand why he never got hired as a HC anywhere else.

 

[CUFan]

"The Sweater Vest of the West hasn't been able to get his alma mater up to speed as quickly as he did conference foes Colorado and Washington."

I must be reading this wrong. Revisionist history. Two good years with Mac's players and then garbage. Why people hire Tricky Ricky is a mystery to me.

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

Great example. I bet they wish they had Dan McCarney back. I can't understand why he never got hired as a HC anywhere else.

If I recall correctly, there are some issues off the field which have always followed him. I seem to recall some issues of domestic abuse once upon a time.

 

[sackman]

If I recall correctly, there are some issues off the field which have always followed him. I seem to recall some issues of domestic abuse once upon a time.

That's true. He did have some stuff like that. However, it was a really long time ago - like 15 years IIRC. If the guy has been a good citizen since then I would tend to think he'd be judged by his coaching credentials.

 

[Mick Ronson]

If I recall correctly, there are some issues off the field which have always followed him. I seem to recall some issues of domestic abuse once upon a time.

yup. he landed on his feet, wasn't he a DC at UFla for the NC? he recruited Texas well for ISU, makes sense when he took the North Texas job. McCarney got into Texas for the "2's" that weren't getting UT, ATM, OU offers first in the Big XII. now, Mizzou has that foothold.

you think any game tapes will be traded in the U of A/Okie State game on the Stoops side?

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

"The Sweater Vest of the West hasn't been able to get his alma mater up to speed as quickly as he did conference foes Colorado and Washington."

I must be reading this wrong. Revisionist history. Two good years with Mac's players and then garbage. Why people hire Tricky Ricky is a mystery to me.

I think the point is -- he went 20-4 in his first two seasons at CU, and he went 18-6 in his first two seasons at UW.

He could only muster 11-14 in his first two seasons at UCLA, and then dropped to 4-8 last year.

 

[sackman]

yup. he landed on his feet, wasn't he a DC at UFla for the NC? he recruited Texas well for ISU, makes sense when he took the North Texas job.

He's at UNT? I did not know that. Good for him. I suspect he'll do well there and probably wind up at a BCS school again before too long.

 

[Mick Ronson]

oops. sorry some kind of weird stuff here on the CU connection.

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

He's at UNT? I did not know that. Good for him. I suspect he'll do well there and probably wind up at a BCS school again before too long.

Yes. They have a pretty favorable schedule this year. Would not surprise me to see them bowling.

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

he landed on his feet, wasn't he a DC at UFla for the NC? &nbsp;he recruited Texas well for ISU, makes sense when he took the North Texas job. &nbsp;<br><br>you think any game tapes will be traded in the U of A/Okie State game on the Stoops side?

i like OSU to win that one, still.

I think OSU wins that game in a landslide.

I think Mike Stoops is one of those guys who is a great coordinator, but not a great head coach.

 

[Mick Ronson]

Yes. They have a pretty favorable schedule this year. Would not surprise me to see them bowling.

interesting, that McCarney is a basically a 2nd chance guy who lost his job by the expectations he created among the ISU fan base.....and then is replacing Todd Dodge who was the hornfans/ornagebloods heir apparent as OC at UT if not more after whipping the world at Westlake Carroll. Dodge won like 7 games at UNT in 3-4 years.

 

[Mick Ronson]

I think OSU wins that game in a landslide.

I think Mike Stoops is one of those guys who is a great coordinator, but not a great head coach.

agree. Mike has always seemed like the dumb brother. my step-dad says the carousing stories about Mikey around Norman as the OU DC are not pretty. now, i'm no enemy of carousing, but also not a public figure.