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The College Football Playoff just hired Justin Fuente as its new football senior advisor, and honestly, this might be the smartest move they've made in years.

Fuente brings real coaching experience from Virginia Tech and Memphis to a role that desperately needs someone who understands what happens on the field, not just in boardrooms. While everyone else is debating playoff formats and revenue splits, the CFP finally decided to hire someone who has called plays and managed a roster.

The position reports directly to CFP Executive Director Rich Clark, which means Fuente will have real influence on how college football's biggest stage operates.

[Read the full CBS Sports report on Justin Fuente's CFP hire here]

College football just became ESPN's money-printing machine, and the numbers prove it.

ESPN now pulls 40% of its total sports advertising revenue from college football, with advertisers fighting to throw money at anything with a helmet and shoulder pads. Disney's Jim Minnich says they're already 90% sold for the regular season and 85% sold for the College Football Playoff, with companies literally begging to add more money to their packages.

The network added 34 new advertisers this season alone, including toy stores and crypto companies, proving that college football's reach extends far beyond traditional sports demographics.

[Read the full Sports Business Journal report here]

Biff Poggi is about to get his biggest coaching audition in years, and the Targeting Winners podcast crew will undoubtedly be watching closely as their favorite coaching storyline unfolds.

Poggi will serve as Michigan's interim head coach for two games while Sherrone Moore serves his self-imposed suspension, giving the former Charlotte coach a chance to prove he can handle more than a 6-16 record over two seasons. Michigan faces Central Michigan and Nebraska with Poggi calling the shots, which means we're about to find out if his Charlotte disaster was a learning experience or a preview of things to come.

Many of the Michigan faithful expected either offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey or defensive coordinator Wink Martindale to lead the Wolverines in Moore’s absence.

[Read the full On3 report here]

COACHES HOT SEAT RANKINGS - WEEK 3

Why Billy Napier's 39-Point Offensive Collapse Against South Florida Just Put Him at #2 on the Hot Seat Rankings

Billy Napier's Florida Gators scored 55 points against LIU in Week 1.

Then they scored 16 points and lost to South Florida at home, launching Napier to #2 on the hot seat rankings with one program-defining disaster.

The 39-Point Collapse

This wasn't just a bad loss.

The systematic breakdown:

• Week 1: Florida 55, LIU 0 (dominant vs FCS competition)

• Week 2: Florida 16, South Florida 18 (upset loss at home)

• Two touchdowns were wiped out by penalties (holding and offensive PI)

• Clock management disaster with the lead late in the game

• Over 100 penalty yards in a single game

When your offense disappears against G5 competition after dominating FCS, you've proven that coaching matters more than talent.

The Preparation Disaster

Florida looked like they never game-planned for South Florida.

The coaching malpractice:

• Defense couldn't contain USF QB Byrum Brown (50 rushing yards in first half)

• Player spat on USF opponent, giving them 15 yards on game-winning drive

• The team "thought it would roll over the Bulls" instead of preparing properly

• Nine explosive plays of 15+ yards, but only 16 points scored

Napier had all week to prepare and delivered a team that looked completely unprepared.

The Brutal Schedule Reality

Now comes the impossible part.

The upcoming gauntlet:

• @ #3 LSU (this weekend)

• @ #5 Miami FL (Sept 20)

• vs #7 Texas (Oct 4)

• @ #16 Texas A&M (Oct 11)

• Neutral vs #6 Georgia (Nov 1)

Napier lost the winnable game before facing five ranked teams in a row.

The Press Conference of Survival

After the loss, Napier's accountability felt more like resignation.

"Not good enough, and it's my responsibility," he said, taking full blame for the coaching failure. When asked if he was still the right man for the job, his pause said everything: "Yeah... I'm consumed with doing the best job I can do."

The fan reaction told the complete story: Sellout crowd packed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with belief, left with "Fire Napier!" chants echoing through the Swamp.

Napier went from 55 points to 16 points in one week.

Now he faces five ranked teams while his own fans are calling for his job after losing to a G5 team at home.

Brent Pry Lost 44-20 to Vanderbilt at Home. His Defense Allowed Nearly the Same Points as Charleston Southern (FCS)

Brent Pry's Virginia Tech Hokies are 0-2 to start the season.

But it's not the record that has him at #5 on the hot seat rankings, it's how they got there: a 44-20 home blowout loss to Vanderbilt that may have defined his coaching tenure.

The 24-Point Home Disaster

Vanderbilt might be improved, but allowing 44 points at home crosses into inexcusable territory.

The complete breakdown:

• Week 1: VT 11, #13 South Carolina 24 (respectable loss to a ranked team)

• Week 2: VT 20, Vanderbilt 44 (24-point HOME blowout)

• Total points scored: 31 in 2 games (15.5 per game)

• Total points allowed: 68 in 2 games (34.0 per game)

• Point differential: -37 through two games

When your defense allows 44 points at home, you've proven that fundamental problems exist.

Why the Vanderbilt Loss Is Career-Defining

This wasn't just a bad game; it was a complete defensive breakdown at the worst possible time.

The context that makes it catastrophic:

• Vanderbilt is a respectable SEC program that's clearly improved under Clark Lea

• VT gave up 44 points at home to an SEC team that's finding its identity

• The 24-point margin showed VT wasn't competitive in their own building

• Vanderbilt dominated on the road at Lane Stadium

• Clark Lea out-coached Pry in his own building

When you can't compete at home against a quality SEC opponent, your ACC prospects look grim.

The Pressure Cooker Ahead

Pry's season now depends entirely on beating teams he absolutely must beat.

The upcoming must-wins:

• vs Old Dominion (G5 team) - must win or crisis deepens

• vs Wofford (FCS team) - must win or job in serious jeopardy

• ACC play starts with 0-2 record and zero momentum

Why This Puts Pry at #5

The defensive collapse creates a crisis that demands immediate results.

The numbers that matter:

• 0-2 start with a 37-point deficit through two games

• 44 points allowed at home to an SEC opponent

• Must beat Old Dominion and Wofford to avoid total collapse

• ACC play begins with zero momentum and major defensive questions

Virginia Tech fans expect ACC championship contention, not defensive breakdowns at home.

Bubbling Under Spotlight

Mike Gundy Took a Salary Cut in December, Talked Trash in September, Then Lost 69-3 to Oregon

Mike Gundy's Oklahoma State Cowboys lost 69-3 to Oregon in Week 2.

That 66-point blowout was so historically bad that it helped Oregon jump from #6 to #4 in the national rankings while launching Gundy into hot-seat conversations.

The Comparison That Kills Coaching Careers

Oregon played an FCS team the week before Oklahoma State, creating the most damaging comparison possible.

The devastating numbers:

• Montana State (FCS): Lost 59-13 to Oregon (46-point loss)

• Oklahoma State (Big 12): Lost 69-3 to Oregon (66-point loss)

• Oregon scored MORE against Oklahoma State than against FCS competition

• Oklahoma State lost by 20 more points than Montana State

When your Power 5 program performs worse than FCS competition against the same opponent, you've created a crisis.

Why This Goes Beyond a Bad Loss

This wasn't just getting beaten by a better team; it was a complete systematic failure.

The context that makes it catastrophic:

• Only scored 3 points against elite competition

• 66-point loss ranks among the worst in Oklahoma State history

• Oregon used this blowout to gain ranking momentum (#6 to #4)

• Veteran coach with no excuses for this level of failure

The trash talk turned a bad loss into a coaching disaster that went viral.

The Immediate Response Test

Gundy now faces the ultimate coaching pressure test with his next game.

The upcoming schedule:

• vs Tulsa (Sep 19) - must win convincingly or crisis deepens

• vs Baylor (Big 12 play begins) - conference championship hopes on line

• The remaining Big 12 schedule will determine if this was an aberration or a trend

Why This Puts Gundy at #11 Bubbling Under

The 69-3 loss alone would justify top 10 hot seat status, but Gundy's veteran status and program resources give him short-term protection.

The bubble factors:

• $15 million buyout still provides some protection

• Oklahoma State finished 3-9 in 2024 and hired a new coaching staff

• One more disaster could override financial considerations

• 3-9 season plus 69-3 blowout creates an undeniable pattern

Gundy went from salary cuts to trash talk to historic humiliation in nine months.

Now he has to prove the 69-3 disaster was an aberration, not a preview of what Oklahoma State's investment is buying.

Derek Mason Lost to FCS Austin Peay by 20 Points at Home, Then Scored 10 Points vs Wisconsin

Derek Mason left Vanderbilt's SEC pressure cooker for Middle Tennessee's supposed fresh start.

Two games later, he's managed to lose to FCS competition at home and score fewer points than a high school JV team, proving that sometimes a change of scenery reveals the same problems.

When FCS Teams Beat You at Your Own House

Mason's Middle Tennessee debut was supposed to be a confidence builder against Austin Peay.

Instead, it became a coaching nightmare:

• Lost 34-14 to FCS Austin Peay at home

• Gave up 34 points to a team that probably spends less on scholarships than MTSU spends on Gatorade

• Only scored 14 points against competition that shouldn't be able to stop a decent high school offense.

• Set the tone for what would become an offensive disaster tour

Here's the brutal truth: if you can't beat FCS teams at home, you're not rebuilding, you're free-falling.

The Wisconsin Beatdown Made It Official

The road trip to Wisconsin wasn't supposed to be competitive, but it wasn't supposed to be a complete embarrassment either.

The offensive meltdown continued:

• Lost 42-10 in a game that felt more lopsided than the score suggests

• Managed only 10 points against a Wisconsin team that was treating this like a scrimmage

• Proved the Austin Peay disaster wasn't a fluke, it was a preview

Wisconsin scored 42 points without breaking a sweat, while Mason's offense looked like they were playing a different sport entirely.

The Real Problem Nobody Wants to Say

Mason isn't dealing with talent issues or recruiting problems.

He's dealing with basic football competency:

• 24 total points in 2 games (12 per game average)

• No visible improvement between FCS and Big Ten competition

• Point differential of -52 through two games

• An offense that looks equally lost against every level of competition

The Nevada Desperation Game

Mason's immediate future depends entirely on beating Nevada on the road.

The reality check:

• Must win in Nevada or face 0-3 start and complete a crisis

• The Marshall game at home becomes season-defining if Nevada goes poorly

• CUSA play begins with zero confidence and mounting pressure

Middle Tennessee fans signed up for G5 competitiveness, not FCS-level embarrassment at home.

Mason escaped SEC expectations only to discover that losing to Austin Peay at home creates its own special kind of pressure.

Now he gets to find out if coaching at a lower level means the problems get easier, or if the problems just become more obvious.

The Rankings - Week 3

Week 3 proved that some losses are so catastrophic they can rewrite entire coaching narratives in a single afternoon.

The latest hot seat rankings reflect a brutal reality: the margin for error has never been smaller, and the consequences for failure have never been more immediate.

The Week That Changed Everything

This week delivered the kind of disasters that college football coaches have nightmares about.

The seismic shifts:

• Billy Napier rocketed to #2 after Florida's stunning 18-16 home loss to South Florida

• Brent Pry crashed into the top 5 at #5 following Virginia Tech's 44-20 home blowout to Vanderbilt

• Kalen DeBoer dropped to #9 despite Alabama's win, as concerns about consistency and team leadership persist

• Mike Gundy landed at #11 after Oklahoma State's historic 69-3 humiliation at Oregon

When ranked programs lose to unranked opponents at home, hot seat temperatures don't just rise; they explode.

New Faces in Crisis Mode

The top 10 welcomed some familiar names facing unfamiliar pressure.

Fresh additions to the danger zone: Brent Pry moves up to #5 after his Virginia Tech defense allowed 44 points to Vanderbilt at Lane Stadium, proving that ACC programs aren't immune to SEC-level embarrassment.

Steady climbers gaining momentum: Billy Napier's jump to #2 represents the fastest ascent we've seen, driven by a loss so damaging that it has program supporters and fans calling for change while Florida administrators remain notably silent.

The Usual Suspects Holding Serve

Some coaches maintained their precarious positions through sheer consistency.

Still clinging to top spots:

• Sonny Cumbie remains #1 at Louisiana Tech, where minimal expectations somehow create maximum pressure

• Joe Moorhead holds #3 at Akron, proving that statistical improvement without wins remains coaching purgatory

Notable drops despite staying in top 10: Scott Satterfield fell from #2 to #6 at Cincinnati after finally breaking a 322-day win drought with a 34-20 victory over Bowling Green, but concerns remain about the program's overall trajectory.

THAT’S A WRAP

Week 3's hot seat rankings prove that college football coaching has become a weekly survival game where one catastrophic loss can instantly rewrite your entire narrative. From Billy Napier's rocket to #2 after Florida's South Florida disaster to Brent Pry's climb to #5 following Virginia Tech's Vanderbilt collapse, these rankings capture coaches who are one more disaster away from updating their resumes.

The pressure only intensifies from here. Friday, we'll preview three key games that could dramatically reshape next week's rankings, identifying which coaches are facing potential season-defining moments and which programs are one upset away from complete crisis mode.

Make sure to tune into the Targeting Winners podcast for their sharp analysis on betting lines and team performance metrics that often reveal which coaches are in more trouble than the headlines suggest. In today's college football landscape, every Saturday is a referendum on coaching competence, and these rankings will continue tracking which coaches survive the weekly trial by fire.

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