Hate to be Denny Downer, but since we most recently fired up the hot seat griddle last month, Bryan Harsin (Auburn) and Jeff Scott (South Florida) have become alumni. And not in a good way. Since the preseason Hot Seat Rankings, four of the eight coaches listed in the hottest seats have been ousted from their positions.

Unfortunately, there will be more. With four weeks left in the season, there are now eight FBS openings, including six at Power Five programs. More than ever, it seems that athletic directors have reacted to positioning their programs to strike fast, largely amid the emergence of the early signing period in December each year. But recruiting has been almost overshadowed by the transfer portal and NIL hustle. Those coaches who jump in with both feet are the most successful (see: Tennessee, USC).

Since we last met, Harsin's was almost a mercy firing. His situation at Auburn had become untenable. He was a coach out of his natural region (West) who couldn't win in the cutthroat SEC. Never mind being undermined on his own campus.