Directly from the 2020 PLAYBOOK Football Preview Guide magazine, national college football guru Joe Lisi presents his College Football Coaches on the Hot Seat for the 2020 Season. Enjoy.

1: Clay Helton-USC Trojans

Helton lucked out last season when starting quarterback J.T Daniels went down with an injury in week one against Fresno State. Not only did the injury by Helton time, it led to the emergence of freshman Kedon Slovis who became the PAC-12 Freshman Offensive player of the year.

Slovis broke out completing 71% of his passes for over 3,500 yards with 30 TD’s and 9 interceptions last year.

USC ended the season with an 8-5 overall record and was blown out in the Holiday Bowl by Iowa 49-24 and all eyes will be on Helton to lead the Trojans to a PAC-12 title this year.

Since taking over the program, Helton has accumulated a 40-22 (.645%) overall record in Los Angeles but is just 13-12 (.520%) the past two seasons. Since 2017, USC is 11-7 (.611%) inside the PAC-12 and will need a much better effort this year for Helton to keep his job.

More importantly, is the fact that the Trojans are 6-7 or .461% on the road or on a neutral field the past two seasons. USC lost their four road games by a total score of 137-92 or 11.2 ppg.

2: Derek Mason-Vanderbilt

Mason is 27-47 overall (.364%) since taking over for James Franklin in 2014 and is just 10-38 or .208% against SEC opponents during this span.

Since 2016, Mason is 5-19 against SEC East opponents and has lost those 19 games by a total score of 616-275 or 17.9 ppg. The Commodores have defeated Tennessee three times during this span along with Georgia (17-16) and Missouri (21-14) once.

Last year, the Commodores were 1-7 within the SEC and lost those seven games by a total score of 273-81 or 27.4 ppg.

Vanderbilt is 0-4 vs. Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky since the 2016 season.

Vanderbilt lost the four games to the Gators by a total score of 144-57 or 21.7 ppg.

Vanderbilt lost the four games to the Gamecocks by a total score of 108-58 or 12.5 ppg.

Vanderbilt lost the four games to the Wildcats by a total score of 116-55 or 15.2 ppg.

Mason has not won more than three games within the SEC since being named head coach and will need a herculean effort in 2020 to keep his job after the season.

3: Kevin Sumlin-Arizona

Sumlin is 95-58 overall as a head coach in his career, but has struggled to take the Wildcats to the next level within the PAC-12.

Arizona is just 9-15 (.375%) overall with him at the helm and is 6-12 (.333%) within PAC-12 play during the past two years.

While expectations are not at the elite level, fans expect the Wildcats to get to a bowl game and challenge some of the better teams within the conference.

Last year, the team was 2-7 within the PAC-12 and lost seven straight games to end the 2019 season.

The Wildcats lost those seven games by a total score of 282-137 or 20.7 ppg. Those teams had a combined overall record of 56-35 or .615%.

If the Wildcats cannot crack .500 and get back to a bowl game, expect Sumlin to be looking for work in the 2021 season.

4: Gary Patterson-TCU

Patterson is entering his 20th season in 2020 and has accumulated a 172-70 overall (.710%) record in Fort Worth.

However, since 2012 Patterson is 63-40 overall or .611% and since 2016 is just 18-19 overall (.486%) within the Big 12.

More importantly, the Horned Frogs have lost the last five meetings against Oklahoma by a total score of 211-134 or 15.4 ppg.

The Big 12 has recruited much younger coaches over the past two seasons (Matt Campbell, Lincoln Riley, Matt Wells and Neal Brown) and Patterson along with Kansas head coach Les Miles are at the top of the list in terms of age.

Father time could be catching up with Patterson if the team has another mediocre season and fails to make it to a bowl game this year.

6: Will Muschamp-South Carolina

Since taking over the program in 2016, Muschamp is 26-25 (.509%) overall and 15-17 (.468%) against SEC opponents during his tenure in Columbia.

Two years ago, the Gamecocks exceeded expectations with a 9-4 overall record and had many fans believing they could challenge for an SEC East crown. Over the past two years, South Carolina has regressed with a 7-6 record in 2018 followed up with last year’s 4-8 overall mark.

In 2018 and 2019, South Carolina is 7-9 (.437%) within the SEC and was 3-5 within the conference last year. The Gamecocks lost those five games by a total score of 190-91 or 19.8 ppg.

Road performance is a concern as well entering the 2020 campaign.

Over the past two years, the Gamecocks are just 3-8 (.272%) overall on the road or on a neutral field and will need to get back to a bowl game this season in order for Muschamp to keep his job in Columbia.

7: Jim Harbaugh-Michigan

“No Urban Meyer, No problem”- Right?

That was the rallying cry for many Michigan fans entering the 2019 season. With Ohio State head coach Ryan Day at the helm, Harbaugh and the Wolverines would be poised for a breakout year after finishing with a 10-3 overall mark the year before.

However, once again the team failed to live up to expectations and their season ended with another blowout loss to the Buckeyes followed by a bowl loss to Alabama.

Since taking over in Ann Arbor in 2015, Harbaugh has compiled a 47-18 (.723%) overall record with a 32-12 (.727%) mark within the Big 10.

However, a major problem for the team has been their inability to win on the road or on a neutral field in critical contests.

Since 2016, Michigan is just 12-12 (.500%) overall and lost their three road games in 2019 by a total score of 98-51 or 15.6 ppg.

Since 2017, Michigan has been outscored by a margin of 149-86 or 21.0 ppg against the Buckeyes.

Unless the Wolverines can knock off the Buckeyes and capture a Big 10 title this year, Harbaugh could be out in Ann Arbor.

8: Chip Kelly-UCLA

Kelly has recorded a 7-17 (.291%) mark since taking over the program a couple of seasons ago. During that span, the Bruins are 7-11 (.388%) within the PAC-12 and have failed to live up to expectations for many fans.

UCLA has struggled winning big games on the road as well with a 3-8 mark (.272%) over the past two seasons.

The Bruins lost their eleven PAC-12 games (2018 & 2019) by a total score of 429-245 or 16.7 ppg.

UCLA lost their last three games in 2019 against Utah, USC and CAL by a combined score of 129-56 or 24.3 ppg. Those teams had a combined overall record of 27-13 or .675%.

In order to keep Kelly off of the hot seas, UCLA will need to eclipse the .500% mark this year and earn a bowl berth.