COACHING CAROUSEL 2010
Baltimore Sun: No deal yet
Because the other local newspaper has apparently decided to take the message board approach to coaching change reporting -- take what you hear might happen and state it as fact so you can say you were first -- we turn to another College Park-area outlet for our news from Maryland. Baltimore Sun, what are you hearing about James Franklin?
Officials -- who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the process -- cautioned that a deal was not done.
Vanderbilt said only that the process of bringing a new football coach to the Southeastern Conference school was continuing. "There are no plans for an announcement," said Vanderbilt athletics spokesman Rod Williamson. Franklin did not return text and phone messages Tuesday afternoon.
There's a background to all of this that the Sun lays out that goes beyond the normal head-coach-in-waiting agreement: Apparently, the athletics director who signed that agreement is gone, and the new guy has made it clear that he's "not a fan" of the idea.
Which is why Franklin is considering the deal, but apparently hasn't yet signed.
Why are we relying on anonymous sources?
Apparently, David Williams will tell you anything you want to know.
Vanderbilt Vice Chancellor of Athletics David Williams was asked via text message if there has been an offer or an agreement with Franklin as of late Tuesday afternoon.
"Has not," Williams texted.
Most people conducting such searches would say, "No comment." It's interesting to watch, if nothing else, and makes it one of the easier head coaching searches to follow.
I would like to play poker with Ralph Friedgen
You could win in two or three hands.
"I'm anticipating [Franklin being hired]," Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen told ESPN.com on Tuesday night. "I talked to him this morning, but it hadn't been finalized. Life goes on. I wish him the best of luck. I think he did a great job for us. I congratulated him."
Um, okay. That makes it slightly less clear why Joe Schad needs "a source" to tell him that Franklin is going to take the offer, since Friedgen pretty much said as much, but there's also that.
At this point, it would be stunning if Franklin said no. But we've all been surprised before when it comes to coaching searches.
Details of Will Muschamp's contract
It's $2.7 million a year, which doesn't seem either outrageous or a low-ball number for a coordinator taking over a high-profile school.
John Brantley would have been a better offensive coordinator than Steve Addazio
How do I know that? Brantley's thoughts on Muschamp's plan to bring in a pro-style offense.
"It's what I'm fit for more," Brantley said. "I'm not the running type, and it was definitely better to hear more pocket passing (in the offense)."
Of course, everyone except Steve Addazio seemed to realize that John Brantley wasn't a running quarterback, but there had to be a play to replace TEBOW SMASH. In any case, Brantley said he still hasn't decided yet whether he wants to transfer.
BOWLNANZA 2010
Please tell me one of our fans wasn't this stupid
Please, please tell me that even if a fan believes that the SEC is better than the Up North Conference, they didn't actually write this e-mail, and that it was just an Ohio State fan trying to get players fired up.
Tressel produced a fan's e-mail the other day that said Ohio State couldn't compete with and didn't belong on the same field with an SEC team. That's timely since the Buckeyes take on Arkansas of the SEC in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4.
Actually, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the "fan" was in fact Jim Tressel. Because surely anyone in this conference knows not to give the other side bulletin-board material.
UNC might have fewer players for Tennessee than for LSU
Two starters are out for the bowl game after surgery.
Florida's bowl uniforms are not terrible
With the changes Nike makes, that's always encouraging. Actually, there's not too much new to this outfit, though it's hard to tell whether the helmet has that alligator effect.
Can Georgia win a blackout game if it's the other team?
UCF is going to wear black jerseys for the Liberty Bowl.
Oregon uniforms designed to burn your retinas
This is actually one of the least hideous uniforms Oregon has donned in quite some time, but wow are those neon socks bright.
OTHER NEWS
Tori Gurley considering the NFL
I don't think that he's quite ready for the League yet, but he'll find out when the evaluation committee brings back its report. However, like Gamecock Man, I think he should go if he'll be drafted highly -- this is Alshon Jeffery's team when it comes to receivers, and that's not going to change next year.
It's Holgorsen at West Virginia. And Stewart
The head-coach-in-waiting agreement is not dead! Why any school would agree to it after what we've seen this year is anyone's guess, but it's not dead yet.