College Football Hot Seat 2017: 5 coaches who must win in Week 12
3. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Sumlin did help relieve some of the heat as Texas A&M beat up on New Mexico, 55-14, giving the Aggies their sixth win and bowl eligibility. The Aggies offense looked great with quarterback Nick Starkel completing 21 of 30 passes for 416 yards and four touchdowns. Texas A&M’s defense also looked phenomenal, shutting down the Lobos hybrid triple-option attack and only allowing 144 yards of total offense.
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But, in no way can Sumlin and company let up if he’s intent on staying in College Station. The Aggies last two games are road trips to Ole Miss and LSU, and road wins in the SEC are anything but easy. Texas A&M currently sits at 6-4 and with those two wins, would make it the third year in a row they have finished at 8-4. Anything less than that mark could very well land Sumlin in some very hot water in Aggieland.
But there are rumors swirling that Sumlin’s tenure will end regardless of his team’s performance the rest of the season. His buyout is a hefty $10.4 million, but it is looking like the A&M boosters and administrators are willing to pay that for better results.
2. Bret Bielema, Arkansas
The likelihood of Bielema exiting stage right in Fayetteville is looking more and more inevitable after their 33-10 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge. The Razorbacks only manged to muster up 208 yards of total offense as well as benching quarterback Austin Allen in the fourth quarter for backup Cole Kelley. Arkansas is in disarray, and it’s clear to see Bielema is having problems finding the answers.
Believe it or not, there is still a way for Arkansas to salvage the season. That first requires a momentum-swinging upset of Mississippi State at home followed by ending the season with a win over a now-hot Mizzou team. Whether or not that run would save Bielema’s job is a mystery, but it would certainly boost morale. It is unlikely to happen, but to quote Jim Carrey in Dumb & Dumber, “So you’re saying there’s a chance?”. Yes, yes there is, but it’s a very slim chance.