5 high-profile coaches with a lot on the line in 2014

Over the next few weeks, we will be taking an in-depth look at the upcoming college football season. Want more? Read our full preview. 

There hasn't been a play run in the 2014 college football season, yet some coaches already find themselves facing more pressure than others.

For some, the pressure is on because they have failed to perform up to expectations in recent years, while others may be getting their final kick at the can.

Here are five college football coaches with a lot on the line entering the 2014 season:

Will Muschamp, Florida

No coach in the country has more riding on this upcoming season than Florida's Will Muschamp. After the team came apart at the seams last season, the former Georgia Bulldog is coaching for his job.

Known for having a great defensive mind, Muschamp will finally open things up on the other side of the ball, bringing in former Duke offensive coordinator Kurt Roper to run the offense. Muschamp, and Gators fans alike, will be hoping Roper can help quarterback Jeff Driskel deliver on some of the promise he showed upon his arrival in Gainesville.

Injuries played a major part in the team's unraveling last season, so a bounce back could be in order with a healthy roster.

Charlie Strong, Texas

Charlie Strong comes to Austin after helping Louisville to a 23-3 record in his final two years with the program.

Even still, he's viewed by many in Austin as a consolation prize after the team missed the mark in its rumored pursuit of Alabama head coach Nick Saban. For that reason he'll likely be given a short leash by the Austin faithful.

Strong has taken a hard line stance with the team's misfits for the long-term good of the program, but for his own sake he'll need to get the players on his side before the Longhorns fans turn on him.

Brady Hoke, Michigan

Michigan's 2013 season was a roller coaster ride for all the wrong reasons.

The team went right down to the wire with lesser opponents like Akron and Connecticut, and closed the year with losses in five of their final six games.

Brady Hoke has continued to bring talent to Ann Arbor, but the team has disappointed in back-to-back seasons. As the rest of the conference continues to get better, Michigan can't wait much longer to turn things around.

Charlie Weis, Kansas

Charlie Weis and the Jayhawks haven't had much success over the last two seasons.

The team is a combined 4-20 overall, and 1-17 in Big 12 play over the last two seasons. The team's win over West Virginia this past season was its first in the Big 12 since 2010.

The team was far more competitive last season than it was a year ago, but with improvement comes increased expectations. Weis will need to ensure the program continues to steadily improve, because another 0-fer in conference play would be devastating for the Lawrence faithful.

Lane Kiffin, Alabama

Lane Kiffin may not be a head coach at the moment, but he can't afford to mess things up in Tuscaloosa if he ever hopes to be one again.

Kiffin was gifted a second chance by Nick Saban after making a mess of things at USC, right after doing the same in Oakland and Tennessee. He was hostile with the media, guided the team to a 4-7 record on his way out the door, and was fired in dramatic fashion.

Kiffin has some work to do, replacing departing starting quarterback AJ McCarron and working in unproven senior Jacob Coker or Blake Sims. The expectations are always high in Tuscaloosa, so there won't be room for any growing pains.