Seven college football coaches with more pressure to win than Kalen DeBoer

Ryan Day - Ohio State Buckeyes

Ryan Day is an amazing 56-8 at Ohio State. Each of his last three teams have gone 11-2. But going into his seventh season in Columbus, Day might be the most Playoff-or-bust coach. Day's 2020 team made the National Championship Game but was destroyed by the Alabama Crimson Tide. Day hasn't beaten Michigan since the 2019 season. Adding insult to injury, the Buckeyes lost their last game to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

James Franklin - Penn State Nittany Lions

Going into his 11th season in State College, James Franklin is 88-39. Winning 69.3% of games is far from great. Making it worse is how often the Nittany Lions have lost to top teams. Under Franklin, Penn State is 4-16 against Ohio State and Michigan. The record against Top 10 teams is 3-17. Like Day, Franklin's team lost its last game to an SEC team, being soundly defeated by Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.

Lincoln Riley - Southern Cal Trojans

Lincoln Riley was a presumed college football wizard. The clock is ticking on him proving it. An 11-3 start in his first USC season was promising. There was plenty of Playoff buzz about the Trojans after a 6-0 start last season. What followed was a 1-5 finish to the regular season. Wizards are not supposed to go 8-5, particularly in a lesser conference. The going will be tougher in the Big Ten. Riley can probably survive one more non-Playoff season, but just one.

Dabo Swinney - Clemson Tigers

Clemon slumped to 9-4 last season. Swinney's job is secure, but not forever. If Clemson fails to make the Playoff, Dabo will be questioned differently than the other coaches. The question will be, has his reluctance to change with the times, damaged the Clemson program? Dabo has stubbornly tried to fend off the Transfer Portal and NIL. It has not served him well. He needs a reversal in the 2024 season, and that will take a Playoff berth.