3 College Football Coaches on the Early Hot Seat:

Fall means comfort for the college football faithful. The lazy days of summer become oppressive, desolate deserts, May to August a seemingly endless journey to quench their thirst for hard hitting NCAA action. For them, opening weekend in September is a mighty river.

For some coaches, though, these life giving streams quickly become deadly onrushing whitewater, threatening to wash them downstream, all the while dashing them against the rocks. These are the coaches in year 2-4 of their tenure, whose teams have shown little discernible improvement or worse, regression. These three coaches are on the clock.

Dan Hawkins, Colorado. Leaving a successful mid-major for a wobbling traditional power is not a lock. For every Urban Meyer, there is a Hawkins. Just two weeks in, he is looking the least likely to make it home before the clock strikes 12. In two games of year 4, they've been outscored and mind boggling 43-6 in the first half. It's hard for fire hydrants to give up that much offense. That was against Toledo and Colorado St. With road dates with West Virginia, Texas, and Oklahoma St, the Buffs appear headed for their fourth straight losing season, giving Hawkins the ignonimous quinella. This is one Cinderella story that won't end happily

Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville. After last year's 0-5 collapse down the stretch, two losing seasons, a second straight loss to in state rival Kentucky, and a 1-6 2008 conference record the chirping of Cardinals faithful threatens to rise to a cacophonous Siren Scream. The opening 30-10 win against FCS Indiana State didn't help matters any, as the Cardinals struggled to score well into the second quarter against a team that has lost 54 of 55. With 14 penalties for 128 yards, seemed poised to pass Cincinnati and South Florida for most penalty yards per game-but those teams win. What is most galling to Louisville fans is that Petrino left the pantry fully-stocked, with 54 lettermen returning from a 12-1 Orange Bowl Champ. But Kragthorpe's recruiting has been abysmal, even for a place that is tough to recruit to. Should things not turn around quickly, the Bluegrass will be Kragthorpe's burial ground.

Paul Wulff, Washington State. Washington State has never competed for national titles, but in 2008, it got downright macabre. Wulff is only in his second season, but is not the losses themselves, but how they've lost. In year one, they gave up at least 39 points EIGHT times. Pac-10 contenders outscored them 257-45 . . .at Pullman. The One that could always be counted on is the Cougars being pesky in the Paloose. And try this one on for size. In four seasons under Bill Doba, the Cougars never surrendered 60 points. In 2008, four teams lit them up for that number, and two others scored 50+.

The first two games of 2009 don't give much hope.

The Cougars opened with two home games and gave up 39 and 38 points. Should Wulff survive this year, he may be forced to make CO-Defensive Coordinators Chris Ball and Jody Sears walk the plank.

Some Wulff advocates say it's hard to recruit there, but that's always been the case. Of course, Chris Petersen at Boise State isn't making it any easier.

Keep an eye on these coaches, and see if they star in their own version of "Swept Away."

Sources:

DeLassus, David; College football data warehouse; www.cfbdatawarehouse.com

College football stats, www.cfbstats.com