College football coaches are always feeling the pressure, and CBS Sports have revealed the six coaches who have the most to lose this fall. The sport has seen some big changes over the years, specifically the expansion of the College Football Playoff, meaning that coaches are expected to win quickly.

Of the six coaches who are on the list, one is entering his first year with the team. The other five have had time to have success but have fallen short of expectations.

So who are the six college football coaches who have the most to lose in 2026? Here’s a look at the list compiled by CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford.

Lincoln Riley is entering his fifth season at USC, and has a lot of momentum. With the top signing class in the country and the return of quarterback Jayden Maiava, the Trojans have an opportunity to improve on their 9-4 record from last year.

USC hired Riley to get the team back to competing for national titles consistently. If the Trojans falter in 2026 with the resources Riley has, his future with the program will be in question.

Mike Norvell needs to win at Florida State this fall to keep his job. In his six seasons with the Seminoles, he has just two winning seasons: 2022 and 2023.

After winning the first three games of the 2025 season, including an upset victory over Alabama, Florida State won just two of the next nine games. In the last two seasons, the Seminoles have won just seven games, so Norvell has to turn things around now.

Crawford said this isn’t about being on the hot seat because Lane Kiffin is entering his first season at LSU. But after Kiffin led Ole Miss to a College Football Playoff berth, he will be expected to do the same with the Tigers, or the 2026 season will be a failure.

Kiffin has a lot of talent on the roster and is expected to have success in his first year. The schedule will be challenging, as the Tigers will face Clemson to start the year, then travel to Ole Miss in their third game before hosting Texas A&M the following week.

When Luke Fickell was hired to be Wisconsin’s head coach, he was coming off a successful run at Cincinnati that included two conference titles and top-10 finishes in 2020 and 2021. But in three full seasons with the Badgers, Fickell has struggled to get things going.

Crawford mentioned that Wisconsin has transitioned to more of a spread attack than being the physical team it has been for years. It has led to the Badgers going 5-7 in 2025 and 4-8 last season.

Mike Locksley isn’t expected to have Maryland be a national title contender, but things don’t seem to be heading in the right direction. After going to three consecutive bowl games from 2021 to 2023, Maryland has finished 4-8 in the last two seasons.

Locksley should have a more experienced squad in 2026, which should help them get to the six-win mark. But if that doesn’t happen, the school could move on from Locksley, who has been at Maryland since 2019.

2026 will be a make-or-break year for Shane Beamer after South Carolina had a disappointing 2025 season. After being one win away from reaching the playoffs in 2024, the Gamecocks took a huge step back last year, finishing 4-8 and 1-7 in SEC play.

The Gamecocks have the talent to improve on their 4-8 record. But if they are not competitive in the SEC, there will be a lot of questions about Beamer’s future in Columbia.