In 2025, the margin for error in college football is thinner than ever. You can expect at least three to four Power 4 upsets every weekend. Just take a look at Week 6: Penn State and James Franklin losing to a 0-4 team led by an interim head coach, Iowa State Cyclones losing to Scott Satterfield’s Bearcats, and the preseason No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns losing to the Florida Gators and getting kicked out of the AP Poll.

Coaches like Scott Satterfield and Billy Napier were this close to getting fired before they pulled an upset and bought themselves a lifeline for a week or two, postponing the inevitable conversations about job security. Upsets come at a great price in the hot seat city. This season, at least four head coaches appear to be teetering on the brink. Virginia Tech already cut ties with Brent Pry after a 0-3 start, and UCLA dismissed DeShaun Foster for the same reason. Even long-tenured veterans aren’t safe; Mike Gundy’s firing proved that experience offers no protection. With Week 6 in the books, it’s becoming increasingly clear: several big-name coaches may not survive the 2025 season. And the most obvious name on that list? James Franklin.

James Franklin (Penn State Nittany Lions)

It’s been over a decade now, and James Franklin is still struggling to win against top-ranked football programs. Many folks have accepted the fate that James Franklin will never beat a top-ranked team. Franklin is 4-21 against top 10 opponents. Losing to Nike-backed Oregon Ducks is understandable; some national analysts cut him some slack for that, but losing to a team like 0-4 UCLA has to be the worst defeat under James Franklin, and it’s not acceptable.

The Penn State Nittany Lions entered the 2025 season with national championship aspirations and as the No. 2-ranked team in the country, one spot behind Ohio State. Fast forward to Week 6, they’re 3-2. With No. 1-ranked Ohio State and Indiana Hoosiers still on the schedule, it’s not going to get any easier for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. However, it’s probably not very likely that Franklin will be fired right away. He signed a huge contract extension in 2021, which means Penn State would have to pay him around $56 million if they fired him. The buyout is only half the battle; Penn State’s real challenge lies in finding the right successor, which might extend Franklin’s tenure for now.

2. Hugh Freeze (Auburn Tigers)

The Auburn Tigers started their 2025 season with a statement win over the Baylor Bears. After beating Ball State and South Alabama in the following weeks, for a split second, it felt like the Auburn Tigers were finally back. Then came the Sooners, who took Arnold Jackson to sack city and put them in their place. A week later, Texas A&M held them to just 10 points in a deflating Week 5 loss.

Hugh Freeze has yet to deliver a winning record, with 6-7 in 2023 and 5-7 in the 2024 season. Hugh Freeze is the only head coach in the last 50 years of Auburn’s history to have back-to-back losing seasons and not get fired, and even that grace period may be expiring.

3. Luke Fickell (Wisconsin Badgers)

The Wisconsin Badgers are sitting at 2-3 in the 2025 season. They have arguably one of the toughest schedules in the country. Their losses this season came against Alabama (in blowout fashion), a home defeat to Maryland, and a road loss to Sherrone Moore’s Michigan Wolverines. Luke Fickell is now 15-15 and hasn’t shown any positive ROI (return on investment) over the last three years. In his first year, he finished 7-6, then went 5-7 in Year 2. The 2024 season was especially painful for Wisconsin fans, as the Badgers missed a bowl game for the first time since 2001 and ended the season with five straight losses.

Fickell’s Bearcats run to the natty feels like a distant memory at this point. Fans were calling for his head with “Fire Fickell” chants during the Maryland game. Some fans are fed up with his in-game decisions, especially his late-game clock management during the loss to No. 15-ranked Michigan. Sadly, Luke Fickell has yet to register a win against ranked teams. The Badgers are 0-7 against ranked opponents. Unless something changes fast, Fickell’s time in Madison could be nearing its end.

4. Billy Napier (Florida Gators)

Don’t let that win over the Texas Longhorns fool you, Billy Napier is still very much on the hot seat. Napier looked like prime Urban Meyer for a moment and gave Gator Nation some much-deserved happiness. Gotta give props to Napier for getting a dub against preseason No. 1-ranked Texas, but we all know Arch Manning and the Longhorns are the most overrated team in the country. That win doesn’t change the fact that he’s 21-22 in four seasons. The only reason Billy Napier is still the head coach is because of DJ Lagway bailing him out last season, winning five out of the last six games. But unfortunately, DJ’s magic has dipped in 2025.

The Gators are still 2-3 in the 2025 season, losing three games in a row against teams like South Florida, LSU, and the Miami Hurricanes. The Gators are entering one of the toughest slates in the country, facing more than five ranked teams — No. 5-ranked undefeated Texas A&M, No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs, No. 12 Tennessee Vols, No. 4 Ole Miss, and No. 25 Florida State. With such a brutal stretch ahead, Napier’s job security will be tested like never before.

5. Bill O’Brien (Boston College Eagles)

Bill O’Brien is the dark horse here. The former NFL coach is facing a lot of pressure right now. After a pretty average 2024 season with a 7-6 record that included a bowl game loss, this season has been much worse. The team is off to a terrible 1-4 start, including 0-3 in ACC games. They’re at the very bottom of the ACC standings. Things hit rock bottom when they got absolutely crushed by Pitt, losing 48-7. Even O’Brien himself has admitted they’re not playing well, saying he hasn’t “gotten it done.”

His overall record at Boston College is 8-10, with a 4-7 record in ACC games. With Clemson, Louisville, Notre Dame, SMU, and No. 13-ranked Georgia Tech still on the schedule, the chances of making a bowl game look very slim for O’Brien. As of now, Boston College’s season, and O’Brien’s legacy there, hangs in the balance.