The Baylor Bears, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Purdue Boilermakers have caught Pete Thamel’s eye for all the wrong reasons. Each team has struggled in 2024, starting off 0-3 in conference play as they head into Week 8.
Purdue nearly ended its losing streak in its last matchup but fell to the Illinois Fighting Illini, 50-49 in overtime. Meanwhile, the North Carolina Tar Heels suffered a disappointing 41-34 defeat, allowing a last-minute 68-yard rushing touchdown to the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets as they tried to run down the clock. Baylor, on the other hand, recently faced a tough loss, losing 43-21 to the Iowa State Cyclones.
In a recent episode of the “College GameDay Podcast,” Thamel expressed his belief that Baylor, North Carolina, and Purdue are on the path to dismissing their head coaches.
“…The Baylor position is clearly moving toward being vacant,” Thamel stated. “The two that may not have been on the radar at the start of the season but are now potential openings are North Carolina and Purdue. North Carolina appears to be in a more precarious situation; they’ve lost four straight games, including allowing 70 points to James Madison.”
Mack Brown has led North Carolina to a 3-4 record, which includes a significant 70-50 defeat against James Madison. The Tar Heels are currently on a four-game losing streak as they approach Week 8. Since returning as head coach in 2019, Brown has an overall record of 41-31, having previously coached the team from 1988 to 1997.
Meanwhile, Purdue head coach Ryan Walters has struggled to adjust after moving from his position as the defensive coordinator at Illinois (2021-2022). He has a record of 5-13 at Purdue since 2022 and faces a challenging matchup against the Oregon Ducks, entering the game as a 28.5-point underdog, according to ESPN BET.
Baylor head coach Dave Aranda guided the Bears to the Big 12 Championship Game in 2021, but the situation has changed significantly since then. The program has struggled to achieve a winning season since that time and currently sits at 2-4 after six games in 2024.
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