3 Big Ten coaches on the hot seat protected by super expensive buyouts ft. Sherrone Moore

After being one of the Big Ten coaches on the hot seat for a few weeks, James Franklin was fired by Penn State on Sunday after the Nittany Lions were beaten by the Northwestern Wildcats in Week 7. Several other Big Ten coaches are on the hot seat after several upsets in college football.

Big Ten coaches on the hot seat

Below, we take a look at three Big Ten coaches on the hot seat ahead of Week 8 of college football action.

#3. Sherrone Moore on the hot seat

Michigan Sherrone Moore is one of the Big Ten coaches on the hot seat after the Wolverines were beaten 31-13 by the USC Trojans in Week 7. The loss dropped them to 4-2 for the season and with a clash against the Ohio State Buckeyes yet to come, their season hangs in the balance.

During Monday's segment of "Pate State," CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate placed Moore firmly on the Big Ten coaches on the hot seat list (1:28:40).

"Michigan is sort of in a weird spot, are they not? Michigan is 4-2—they could go 9-3, they could go 8-4," Pate said. "I don't think that's where Michigan's head's at. I think there are some people around the Michigan program that would look at 9-3 and certainly would look at 8-4 and say 'we're making a change.' And I'm telling you that if that happens not to be too surprised by it."

Were he to be fired without cause, Moore would be owed $13.9 million, which is the No. 14 biggest buyout in the Big Ten.

#2. Jonathan Smith on the hot seat

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith's Spartans were beaten 38-13 by the UCLA Bruins in Week 7. It was the Spartans' third consecutive loss and dropped them to a 3-3 record this season.

Smith is 8-10 since he replaced Mel Tucker in East Lansing and would be owed $31.5 million, payable through December 2031, were he to be fired by Michigan State. During his weekly news conference, he addressed calls for his termination by Spartans fans.

“I don’t call it disappointment. I do feel like I live in the realities of the thing,” Smith said. “And so when you (have) a couple of tough losses and whatnot, and you come in at home on homecoming and you get beat like that? I know, I think, it comes with the territory. That’s what we signed up for.”

#1. Luke Fickell on the hot seat

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell tops the Big Ten coaches on the hot seat list after the Badgers were blown out 37-0 by the Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 7 action. The loss dropped the Badgers to a 2-4 record this season, with a brutal conference schedule still to come, including clashes against the ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks and the Indiana Hoosiers.

After his contract extension last year, Fickell has a massive $28 million buyout clause.

Luke Fickell will preside over a huge Big Ten clash against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 8 that will further put his plight with the Badgers in the spotlight.

Edited by Cabral Opiyo