Sam Pittman‘s firing didn’t come as a huge surprise. The decision was inevitable, even though he was not entirely to blame for Arkansas’ performance. Now, it seems like the move has inspired other teams, possibly resulting in the axing of another HC. Hold on, it is not Billy Napier.

It seems like a domino effect is taking place in the college football world. Sam Pittman was the first to go, and now reports suggest Mark Stoops is next in line. Kentucky has not been performing well under Stoops this season, going 0-2 against SEC opponents. A lopsided 13-35 loss against South Carolina gave an overview of Kentucky struggling against ranked teams. The performance certainly put Stoops in the hot seat, and it begs the question: How long does he get to keep his chair? Taylor Zarzour shared his thoughts on Jox 94.5 on Tuesday, where he was joined by Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic.

Speaking on the podcast, Zarzour questioned Stoops’ future as the HC. “I don’t know what the future of Kentucky football is with him,” said Zarzour. Kentucky has a 2-2 start this season; their only wins came against Eastern Michigan and Toledo. Whenever they faced a ranked opposition, they faltered. South Carolina exposed them on Sunday, and neither their offense nor defense could make an impact. It is quite clear to see that Stoops is not able to call tactical plays during the game. Zarzour compared Stoops’ reign to the ex-Wake Forest HC Jim Gro, who also, with time, was not able to adjust his tactics according to the play. Gro had a lot of success with Wake Forest, but the results eventually declined with each passing year.

Zarzour quoted Gro saying, “You never want to stay at a place like this too long where they forget about all the great things you’ve done.” Something that Mark Stoops can relate to, given his current situation. He built the Wildcats into an SEC contender, won the Citrus Bowl in 2018, and led them to multiple bowl appearances. But last season, Kentucky had a record 4-8, the lowest since Stoops took charge in 2013. Inconsistent passing attacks, O-line faults, and injuries spoiled their chances of making the playoffs. And it looks like their problem continues this season.

While it’s only five weeks into the season, the Kentucky fans demand a change at the helm. But it isn’t that easy to fire Mark Stoops. The complications arise when it comes to Stoops’ buyout clause, which is $40.5 million to be exact. He still has six years left on his contract, and he earns $9 million per year. If Kentucky fires him this season, they will have to pay out 75% of his remaining salary. That is also not the only complication of this deal. If Kentucky fires Stoops, the school must pay his buyout in full within 60 days. It remains to be seen whether Kentucky will follow Arkansas or decide to stick with Stoops.

Mark Stoops is walking on Sam Pittman’s path

A 2-2 start this season was not what the Wildcats faithful had in their minds. Zarzour called Kentucky “the worst team in the league to me by a significant margin” and said that the Wildcats might only win “three games by the end of the year.” Well, it isn’t really outlandish to think that. They got outplayed by Ole Miss despite taking the lead and controlling the game in the early stages. Kewan Lacy and Austin Simmons ran through the Wildcats’ defense and won 30-23.

Against South Carolina, Seth McGowan’s 20-yard TD was the only positive sign for the Wildcats. After that, it all went downhill. QB Cutter Boley got a taste of what it feels like to play against SEC defense. He was sacked six times and turned the ball over three times, which essentially sealed Kentucky’s fate. So, it’s fair to say that Kentucky cannot deal with SEC opponents as of now.

Now comes the biggest concern. If they end up firing Stoops after paying him 40.5 million, what are the chances that they go back to playing well? Shifting blame to a particular individual is easy, but what if the problem lies in the team itself? Also, who would replace Stoops for the job? If the Kentucky management can provide answers to these questions, then firing Stoops would make more sense.