The 2024 regular college football season can be called a coach’s nightmare collectively. The season didn’t spare a lot of veteran coaches to have a moment of unwinding amidst the constant brickbats. Be it Ryan Day’s unforgivable Michigan loss, Kalen DeBoer’s lackluster Bama season, or Lincoln Riley’s another insignificant year in South Carolina, there are plenty of instances to mention. Every time, fans exploded on social media, calling for them to be fired right away. But can a swap between two underwhelming coaches this year get the job done?

Kalen DeBoer knows all along what he invites into his life. When the former Washington coach headed to Tuscaloosa, he took on a big challenge. But he was somewhat confident that he could do the impossible: that is, to retain the Nick Saban era that set quite an unreal standard of having the most national titles, most SEC championships, most college football playoff appearances, most bowl appearances, and whatnot. The first-year HC had a tumultuous time, even going closer to these lofty records. At the end of the disappointing season, Bama received their last reality check from the Wolverines through a 19-13 loss. This marked their third fall to an unranked team! There is no excuse left to conceal the shortcomings of this newbie SEC coach.

The South Dakota native has a lot to prove going forward. But the question is, will he get to do it in Tuscaloosa? Well, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg neither said it’s impossible nor did he say DeBoer was on the hot seat like Paul Finebaum. All he said was that DeBoer could give it a shot in a Big 10 team like USC. ”After missing the CFP and losing to undermanned Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, DeBoer will need to deliver more in Year 2, even with an athletic director (Greg Byrne) firmly in his corner. He ultimately might be a better fit elsewhere, such as USC, but certainly wants to show he can win in the SEC first,” the veteran analyst remarked.

To judge the statement on a fair note, it’s way too early to pitch him to a different school. After all, a single season is too short to judge a coach’s full potential. DeBoer is totally foreign to the spotlight he is receiving at Alabama. And maybe, just maybe, the constant media exposure and the extended scrutiny made him a little off the place to execute his work with full attention and perfection. It doesn’t mean he can’t do it in a year or two.

If DeBoer misses the playoff again this year, it’ll raise some serious questions about whether he’s the right fit for Alabama’s high standards. Another disappointing season won’t exactly improve his job security. And let’s not forget that DeBoer has a massive $70 million buyout, so he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. But regardless of DeBoer’s USC arrival rumors, the Trojans certainly have reasons to move on from Riley.

Lincoln Riley faces mounting pressure on and off the field

The Trojans’ first year at the Big 10 has miserably been a flop. Not only did they fail to produce a decent season, but also they are messing up in the portal. A .500 season, losing 19-plus players hurt the roster and the reputation like anything. They’ve lost the likes of QB Malachi Nelson and corner Domani Jackson, among a plethora of other pieces. On the top, they didn’t yet recruit enough talents for the year. The entire situation looked bleak, and any football intellectual had no option left but to put the beleaguered coach on notice.

”I don’t think it’s guaranteed Lincoln Riley is going to flame out. It’s certainly not a guarantee right now that he’s going to pull [USC] out of the ditch and they’ll be fine. But if you’re leaning one way or the other, man, I got to lean the way that USC feels a little cooked right now,” Josh Pate showed little to no confidence in Riley.

In his previous job at the Oklahoma Sooners, Lincoln Riley was phenomenal in his craft. Then 34-year-old took the Sooners to an unprecedented height with four conference championships in 5 years. He was widely viewed as a QB whisper, as most of his QBs shine in the pros. But all these records are just outdated history today. He took the Trojans from 11 wins, to 8 and now to 6.

If DeBoer comes to South Carolina hypothetically, he would have a chip in his shoulder to get rid of the Riley effect as soon as possible.