College football pressure index: Three coaches, two QBs and one coordinator under the gun in Week 4

September is supposed to be the forgiving month in college football. Many of the schedules are soft, as work-in-progress teams come into their own and correct mistakes from week to week. 

That grace period is over. Several coaches are already on the hot seat after continuing troubling trends at their schools, and some star players from a year ago have regressed, putting more pressure on them as they enter the tougher stretch of the schedule.

While some top players maintain their elite standing and several coaches hold secure positions, pressure affects everyone differently. What they share is the prospect of facing their most difficult challenges in the near future and playing up to -- and exceeding -- expectations. Some have struggled to meet those expectations of late, while others have wavered from their path or faced challenges in shedding their past labels.

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This is the Pressure Index: a look at the coaches and players whose margins are thinning. Some have more runway left to correct course. Others may only have one Saturday to prove it.

Arch Manning, Texas QB

What happened: 17 for 33 passing, 164 yards in a 30-6 win against UTSA.

What didn't work: Arch Manning does just enough to win games, but he's still erratic. He missed several throws, sailing the first pass of the game, scrambled far more than he should have and finished with the third-worst quarterback rating of his career (30.6) Saturday against UTSA.

What's next: All eyes will be on the Manning Family again as Texas heads to Rocky Top to face Tennessee, where Uncle Peyton Manning played. He faces a Jim Knowles-led defense that may sit in three-high coverage and dare Manning to go through his progressions. Other than last year's Ohio State game, this is the toughest road trip of Manning's career so far.

What we think: The win against Ohio State feels like a long time ago after everything Manning has been through since then -- his controversy with ESPN's Holly Rowe and the lackluster performance against UTSA. Which Arch shows up at Tennessee?

Mike Locksley, Maryland coach

What happened: 35-26 loss at home vs. Virginia Tech, snapping a 20-game non-conference winning streak

What didn't work: Everything. Mike Locksley really needed this one after eight years, and losing to James Franklin, a former Maryland assistant and head coach-in-waiting, only reinforces the uncertainty surrounding the Terps coach. The defense couldn't stop QB Ethan Grunkemeyer, who completed 31 of 39 passes for 314 yards, and they allowed a tight end to catch 12 passes. The Terps trailed by double digits most of the night.

What's next: Maryland hosts resurgent UCLA, coached by first-year coach Bob Chesney, to open Big Ten play. The Terps have lost their last eight conference games.

What we think: We all knew this was a critical year for Locksley. The athletics department has raised record money ($43.7 million) to give him everything he needs to be successful. After eight years, he's still searching for a huge win, and time is ticking. Back-to-back losses to coaches in their first year rebuilding programs would be a horrible look, and possibly signal the end in the DMV.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina coach

What happened: South Carolina blew a 16-0 lead, and Mississippi State dominated the second half to win 41-34 in the Gamecocks' nest. It's only MSU's second SEC win since 2024. Frustrated South Carolina fans reacted by chanting "Fire Beamer!" in the stands.

What didn't work: LaNorris Sellers was, once again, inconsistent and unpredictable. He forced too many passes, threw two interceptions, and lost the head-to-head battle against superstar Kamario Taylor, the Mississippi State quarterback phenom who is already on the Heisman Trophy betting charts. Sellers reportedly turned down as much as $8 million to return to South Carolina.

What's next: The Gamecocks travel to Alabama this week. The Tide's offense has been on fire, and after struggling to contain a quarterback like Taylor, the Gamecocks could find Keelon Russell to be another terrible matchup.  

What we think: Time is running out. Shane Beamer has lost 10 of his last 12 games against Power Four opponents. He once again painted the media with a broad brush as he faced more questions Saturday, saying this year's team is not like his team a year ago, though the common denominator has been the head coach.

"I know you guys and the articles y'all write and narratives and all that, you're going to try and define this team based on what just happened tonight, and that's not the case. We'll be defined, this team will, by how we respond from this night," Beamer said.

Ben Arbuckle, Oklahoma OC

What happened: Oklahoma scored 14 points in an eight-point win against New Mexico.

What didn't work: Oklahoma's ground game remains broken, showing even more dysfunction than last season. When offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer arrived from Washington State, they were expected to ignite an explosive SEC offense. Instead, Arbuckle's unit has stalled out in frustration. In an eight-point victory over New Mexico, the Sooners managed a dismal 1.9 yards per carry. Mateer added two interceptions and was underthrowing receivers -- including a second touchdown pass where a completely wide-open target had to stop and wait for the underthrown ball.

What's next: Buckle up, Sooners. No. 2 Georgia and the nation's highest-scoring offense (59.3 points) await you in Athens.

What we think: Oklahoma's defense better be up to the challenge Saturday between the hedges. Does anyone have any confidence that Ben Arbuckle's offense can keep pace with Georgia's blistering offense, which is capable of lulling you to sleep on the ground (36 of its first 42 plays last week were runs) before taking the top off downfield?

Fans and media are already asking about Arbuckle's future. "I'm not going to talk about confidence. He's our offensive coordinator. We have to be better," coach Brent Venables said Saturday.

Those questions will be difficult to ignore if the Sooners' offense stumbles at Georgia. Arbuckle's group has scored a combined 24 points in the last two games.

Marcel Reed, Texas A&M QB

What happened: Unranked Kentucky dominated a top-10 Texas A&M squad for a 31-21 win.

What didn't work: Marcel Reed either misread coverages, didn't care, or simply hurried his progression because the two interceptions he threw Saturday were egregious. He practically threw both picks straight to Kentucky defenders as if they were his own receivers. For a quarterback some considered a Heisman Trophy candidate, who even had a strong campaign a year ago, the regression is shocking. He's still putting up big numbers (236 yards passing, 80 yards rushing), but the decision-making is among the worst in the SEC.

What's next: Texas A&M travels to Baton Rouge to face an angry Lane Kiffin and LSU, reeling from a 32-24 loss at Ole Miss, Kiffin's old home.

What we think: Texas A&M is not making the CFP this year. The Aggies have lost three of their last five games dating back to last season, and something just seems off about this year's team. Reed certainly has more pressure on him this season, with several pieces missing from last season's 11-win team, but that's where he should step in to mask deficiencies. Instead, he has regressed. His numbers compared to a year ago have declined; he's completing fewer than 60% of his passes, and turnovers are piling up. His teammates need to step up.

Lincoln Riley, USC coach

What happened: USC (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) traveled across the country and remained undefeated with a hard-fought 42-35 win at winless Rutgers, a team that lost its season opener at home to UMass.

What didn't work: Listen, a win is a win. Riley's teams have struggled on the road in the Big Ten, but he's now 3-6 in Big Ten road games. We projected Rutgers, no matter how bad it has been, would cover the gigantic spread because of the effects of a long flight from the West Coast to the East Coast, but that doesn't quite explain why the defense's performance a week ago, when it gave up 30 points to Louisiana. 

Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson had seemingly transformed the defense, shutting out Fresno State in Week 2 and forcing a load of turnovers, but the pass defense has struggled, ranking 97th nationally in efficiency, and the ease at which teams have scored of late is concerning.

What's next: Pressure reaches a critical point this week as Oregon visits Los Angeles. The early-season stumble at Oklahoma State derailed the Ducks' preseason narrative, but their roster remains capable of making a playoff push. It makes this matchup feel like an early CFP elimination game. A marquee Big Ten victory is crucial for Riley at this stage, and hosting a vulnerable Oregon squad provides an ideal opportunity. Should USC fall short, expect intense criticism to follow.

What we think: USC is outscoring opponents by an average of three touchdowns, which is to be expected. Riley always struggles on the road, so we're not reading too much into the close win at Rutgers, but his big bet on a Hall of Famer to correct his defense must prove itself in the next few weeks, after the last two defensive coordinators failed.