HOT SEAT WATCH: Oregon probably won’t fire Mark Helfrich, right? Right?

While it doesn’t help that the Scarlet Knights are under .500, on-field performance has little to do with Flood’s predicament. Flood just returned from a three-game suspension. Five players were arrested and dismissed earlier this year, and things weren’t exactly stable before that. Athletic director Julie Hermann has issued the obligatory statement of support.

Hazell had the resume Purdue wanted: Ohio State assistant, success in the MAC, experience recruiting the Big Ten footprint. But three losing years in, there are few signs of improvement. The Boilermakers are 5-26 and have won just one Big Ten game (at Illinois, meaning Purdue fans have not witnessed a conference win in Ross-Ade Stadium during his tenure).

Athletic director Morgan Burke hired Joe Tiller 18 years ago, but he also fired Danny Hope for far more success than Hazell has had. With ticket sales plummeting in 2014 and staying low in 2015, Burke might be forced to make a change.

Let’s look at the last 96 hours for Paul Rhoads. His team lost, albeit respectably, at Baylor. He came back to Ames, looked at the schedule and saw he faces Texas, Oklahoma and undefeated Oklahoma State in the next three weeks. He replaced his quarterback and fired offensive coordinator Mark Mangino. And he told the press before personally telling his players, creating an awkward circumstance as players found out their coordinator had been fired over social media.

And that, in microcosm, is the last three years at Iowa State: an impossible schedule made worse by poorly timed decisions.

It feels like London’s six-year tenure might be finally coming to an end. When athletic director Craig Littlepage shockingly retained London after last season’s 5-7 campaign, he based it on improved recruiting and an improved record from 2013’s disastrous 2-10.

Ten months later, the recruiting has dried up and further on-field improvement looks unlikely. London’s Cavaliers would have to win four games out of a schedule that includes Georgia Tech, Miami, Louisville, Duke and Virginia Tech. And while only Duke has met expectations, they all have better records than Virginia.

Beamer’s the longest-tenured coach in the country, having been at Virginia Tech since 1987. He took the Hokies to a BCS Championship game in 1999, won seven conference titles and coached in eight BCS bowls. In a 19-season stretch, Virginia Tech finished in the top 25 17 times.

Unfortunately, the January bowls faded away after 2011. Beamer’s squad has already lost more games than it did in any season between 2004 and 2011, and a fourth consecutive five-loss season is already certain. Beamer turned 69 years old two weeks ago, and the time to pass the torch might come soon.

You might remember Coker from his days at Miami. Since he left in 2006, he has been building a program from scratch at Texas-San Antonio. The Roadrunners played their first game in 2011, jumped to Conference USA in 2013 and immediately looked like a contender, finishing 6-2 in the conference.

Coker’s team regressed last year, finishing 4-8, and might get just one win in 2015. This isn’t Beamer at Tech. This is Howard Schnellenberger at Florida Atlantic, and Schnelly knew it was time to go when he went 1-11, too.

Helfrich’s future is in question at Oregon, just one season after taking the Ducks to the College Football Playoff Championship. There’s a question of whether he can keep Oregon at the top of college football without Chip Kelly.

And, at the heart of it all, there’s a question of how Oregon responds to its first disappointing season in a long time. Will Phil Knight be patient, or does he have no tolerance for mediocrity at his showcase program? Without knowing that, we can’t say that Helfrich’s position is safe.

Vegas expects the Ducks to fall to 4-4 on Thursday night at Arizona State, which would mean already as many losses as Kelly’s last three years combined, with three tough games still to go. And if Oregon were to open up, this list of the best college jobs for Kelly would need an update.

Bielema has carved out some breathing room by beating Tennessee and Auburn (and playing Alabama tougher than expected), and could still make something of the season by beating Tennessee-Martin and Mizzou and stealing one from the Mississippi schools. But Bielema’s bombast does not pair well with losing to Toledo and Texas Tech.

Could Nebraska really fire its new head coach after just one year? It’s not going to happen, even for a program known for having a quick axe. But Riley’s first season, already guaranteed to be worse than any by his predecessor, the fired Bo Pelini, has done little to quiet those skeptical of his hiring. Nebraska’s late losses have been excruciating, but they have not been solely bad luck. Clock management and preparation issues have plagued the Cornhuskers.