Big Ten Football Head Coach Hot Seat Index After Week 11

As the season nears its end, every game becomes more important for these coaches.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Welcome back to the Big Ten Head Coach Hot Seat Index.

Week 11 was lacking in excitement, but the top teams in the conference looked the part. The Big Ten is dominating the polls lately and has four of the top five spots in the latest AP Poll. Let's take the temperature of every head coach in the Big Ten after Week 11’s results.

Scorching: Ryan Walters (Purdue)

Walters and Purdue cannot stop the bleeding during this disastrous 2024 season. The Boilermakers were just defeated by Ohio State 45–0 to bring their overall record to 1-8. Their next game is against Penn State, which is likely to be another blowout. Walters is testing the limits of how much losing is acceptable at Purdue, or any school.

Hot: Lincoln Riley (USC), Sherrone Moore (Michigan)

Riley’s Trojans were on a bye after being beaten by Washington. USC will take on Nebraska at home this week in a game that both teams desperately need to win. This will be the first start for Jayden Maiava since he was named the starting quarterback after the benching of Miller Moss. The Huskers’ defense has been solid all season long. Riley will need to have a great game plan to help his new quarterback against a defense like this. 

Moore’s Wolverines have now lost two games in a row, after being beaten narrowly by undefeated Indiana. Michigan almost came back and won the game, and their defense did an admirable job of slowing down the Hoosiers’ offense. However, the defending national champions are now 5–5, which is unacceptable for a program with standards as high as Michigan’s.

Warm: Greg Schiano (Rutgers), Mike Locksley (Maryland), DeShaun Foster (UCLA)

Schiano picked up a much-needed victory over Minnesota on Saturday to put an end to a four-game losing streak. The Scarlet Knights are one win away from clinching bowl eligibility. They have an opportunity to get their sixth victory this week at Maryland. 

Speaking of Maryland, they had the unfortunate honor of facing Oregon last week. Locksley’s team was completely outmatched, just like most of the Ducks’ opponents. It is hard to hold this loss against Locksley, considering no one has come close to beating the Ducks in several weeks. This next game against Rutgers is important for Maryland’s chances to go bowling. 

Foster and the Bruins have now won three games in a row after knocking off Iowa. If they can beat Washington on Friday night, Foster may move down the index again after spending a few weeks in the hot section. 

Room temperature: P.J. Fleck (Minnesota), David Braun (Northwestern), Matt Rhule (Nebraska), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), James Franklin (Penn State), Bret Bielema (Illinois)

Fleck’s Golden Gophers were beaten by Rutgers on Saturday, which stopped some momentum Minnesota had been building. Northwestern had a bye week and now awaits a home matchup with Ohio State on Saturday. If the Wildcats could pull off that upset, it would be a program-changing win. 

Rhule and the Huskers had a busy bye week. They hired Dana Holgorsen as an offensive assistant and then promoted him to offensive coordinator. He could seriously change the way their offense operates. The first look at the Huskers’ offense under his guidance will come this week against USC.

Ferentz's Hawkeyes lost a close game to UCLA 20–17. It was a game where the offense came back down to earth after scoring 40+ points the previous two games. Meanwhile, Bielema and the Fighting Illini were on a bye while they prepare for Michigan State.

Franklin’s loss to Ohio State was a tough pill to swallow, but his team bounced back by destroying Washington 35-6. Next up, they have a game against Purdue. Look for the Nittany Lions to cruise to 9-1 after this game, which keeps them in the hunt for the playoffs. 

Ice cold: Dan Lanning (Oregon), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Ryan Day (Ohio State), Jonathan Smith (Michigan State), Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), Jedd Fisch (Washington)

These coaches occupy the most comfortable spot on this index.

Lanning, Day and Cignetti all lead playoff-contending teams that are also in a great position to compete for the Big Ten title. The Hoosiers are off this week as they prepare for what could be the biggest game in the history of their program, against Ohio State. Meanwhile, the Ducks travel to Wisconsin for another road test, while Ohio State will face Northwestern on the road.

Smith and Michigan State were on a bye week as they await a game with Illinois. A win over the Fighting Illini would improve the Spartans’ record to 5-5 and give them a better shot at reaching a bowl game. Fisch and the Huskies were destroyed by Penn State but have a chance to clinch bowl eligibility with a win on Friday over UCLA. Fickell’s Badgers face the biggest test of all Saturday when they host Oregon. Wisconsin will be playing with house money in this game, as they are huge underdogs at home.

The Big Ten Head Coach Hot Seat Index will continue to change as the season progresses. Some seats will get hotter, while some seats may cool down. Stay tuned for an update next week.

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