Contrite Kiffin speaks, cops to making mistakes

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For those looking for Lane Kiffin to lob potshots at USC in general and Pat Haden specifically in his first public comments since his canning two weeks ago, you came away sorely disappointed.

In a one-on-one interview with Chris Fowler on ESPN‘s College GameDay pregame show, Kiffin came off as, well, the anti-Kiffin most people had come to know and loathe: contrite, introspective and damn-near human.  Yes, it was the first PR step in the Rehab Kiffin’s Image Tour, but the former Trojans head coach seemed like a man who had been humbled, and one who intimated he may have needed the humbling the messy divorce brought about.

“Different things that I’ve done that I wouldn’t do again have followed me,” Kiffin said when asked about the missteps in his coaching past, from the vitriolic way he was fired by Al Davis in Oakland to the one-and-done at Tennessee to his three-plus years at USC. “I’ve made a bunch of (mistakes). … It fell apart there toward the end and obviously I’m to blame as the head coach,” Kiffin added.

Perhaps the most poignant moment of the interview came when Kiffin was asked about watching Thursday night’s USC-Arizona game with Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian.

“It was hard.  It was like watching someone else remain your kids,” the 38-year-old Kiffin said.

Of course, there were still some Kiffin-esque moments that slipped through the carefully-crafted PR image.  He mentioned the NCAA sanctions that have hamstrung the football program as well as curiously stating that Haden “has a lot of people to answer to,” intimating that the athletic director’s hands were tied and that the final decision came from boosters; that, though — at least the latter part — might actually be the case.

Kiffin also deftly sidestepped questions about the circumstances surrounding the details of his firing, dancing around the speculation that he was pulled off the bus and fired in the parking of a private terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.

It’s hard to tell what the future holds for Kiffin after voluntarily or involuntarily leaving three high-profile jobs the past five years, leaving each situation worse off than it was when he got there.  As Kevin Harvick once said of Jimmie Johnson, though, Kiffin seems to have a lucky horseshoe crammed up his backside and always lands on his feet with a seemingly better job.

This time around feels different, however, and Kiffin’s best course of action might be to take a coordinator job somewhere while he revamps and retools and rebuilds an image that’s been battered and tattered over the past half decade.  Or he’ll become the next POTUS.  One of the two.

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If this is the last Keg of Nails game for a long stretch of time, at least it is going out in style. No. 19 Louisville (11-1, 7-1 AAC) and Cincinnati (9-3, 6-2 AAC) exchanged scores in the fourth quarter, and the two rivals needed to settle the score in overtime. Louisville scored first in overtime and then held Cincinnati out of the end zone for a 31-24 victory. With the result, UCF clinched a spot in a BCS bowl game. Louisville has already accepted a spot in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando.

Louisville saw an early 10-0 lead slip away midway through the third quarter when Cincinnati quarterback Brendon Kay pushed forward just enough to pick up a short touchdown run, his second of the game, to give Cincinnati a 14-10 lead. That lead would hold in to the fourth quarter. Midway through the fourth quarter the fun got started. Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, one play after being taken down shy of a first down, worked some magic to escape would-be-tacklers to extend a 4th and 12 play for a first down and later tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Damian Copeland to cap a 13-play, 86-yard drive to regain the lead, 17-14. The play was a thing of beauty with Bridgewater again avoiding defenders to keep a play alive before heaving a rainbow to the right corner of the end zone for Copeland. Cincinnati wasted little time in striking back.

Kay completed a 57-yard pass to Mekale McKay to quickly enter the red zone, and one play later Ralph Abernathy rushed right up the middle for a 15-yard touchdown to take a 21-17 lead. As was the theme for the fourth quarter, this was not the end of the scoring. Bridgewater again drove Louisville’s offense down field, and he put Louisville back in front with a short touchdown pass to DeVante Parker on a play that appeared to have pass interference on both sides with no call. Up 24-21, Louisville could not hold on to the lead, with Cincinnati stretching the field in similar fashion to the way UCF defeated Louisville with a late score. This time Louisville managed to hold Cincinnati to a field goal, which led the game in to overtime tied at 24-24.

Louisville running back Dominique Brown scored a short touchdown run in the first overtime possession for a 31-24 lead, and Cincinnati’s final attempt on a fourth and long attempt fell incomplete to seal the fate of the game, and for UCF’s bowl plans.

UCF is now guaranteed the top spot in the American this season. No matter what happens at SMU on Saturday, UCF can do no worse than tie with Louisville for the conference crown. Thanks to an earlier head-to-head victory over the Cardinals, UCF wins the tiebreaker for the conference’s automatic BCS berth. UCF will play in their first BCS bowl game in bowl history.

Louisville finishes the regular season with a respectable 11-1 record but will not be in the BCS at-large conversation considering all of the teams still in front of them and the likelihood of Northern Illinois advancing to a BCS bowl game. Still, the success of the Cardinals this season will provide some momentum as they begin to shift conference affiliations from the AAC to the ACC next year. The big question left to answer for now is whether or not Bridgewater will be there or playing Sundays.

Bridgewater’s final game of the 2013 season may not have been overly impressive just by looking at the numbers, but he had his moments that make you say “wow.” Considering the shallow depth of the NFL’s quarterback class of 2014, Bridgewater could be a certain high draft pick.

Cincinnati had their shot to win a share of the conference championship, but the 10 wins achieved this season suggest this program will remain one of the top teams in the American in 2014.

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Some good defenses have shown up for some Thursday night football, but what else would you expect from a rivalry that awards an actual keg of nails to the winning team? Louisville jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but a late touchdown by Cincinnati cut the Cardinals’ lead to 10-7 at the half.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has had a bit of a rough first half, completing just six of 14 pass attempts, but his 36-yard touchdown pass to Davante Parker in the first quarter gave Louisville an early 7-0 lead. Cincinnati quarterback Brendon Kay has also had some forgettable moments in the first half, thanks to two interceptions, but his push forward on the goal line late in the half got the home team on the scoreboard and cut in to Louisville’s lead. Kay headed to the locker room just a little earlier than the rest of the team with members of the medical staff after a physical half. A late drive by Louisville ended with Bridgewater being intercepted along the left sideline, although it appeared it may have actually been an incomplete pass.

A Louisville win will give UCF the American’s automatic BCS bid regardless of what happens in Saturday’s game between the Knights and SMU. A Cincinnati win would earn the Bearcats at least a share of the conference’s title, leaving the BCS bid to be determined by highest BCS ranking. As it stands now, that advantage would go to UCF. However, a Cincinnati win and a UCF loss on Saturday would give Cincinnati the conference championship, as UCF would likely potentially below Cincinnati in the BCS standings.

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Two North Carolina State  football players are facing misdemeanor drug charges. Running back Shadrach Thornton and former safety J.J. Jones were both charged by N.C. State University police with simple possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

Police were following up on a sexual battery case that has targeted Thornton as a possible suspect. No charges have been filed in the sexual battery case at this time, but Thornton has been indefinitely suspended by head coach Dave Doeren while the legal process plays out. Jones was already set to transfer to another program.

Thornton played 11 games this season and eld the Wolfpack with 768 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season. He was also the team’s leading rusher in 2012 with 694 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman.

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For the past few years I have often said to people “If Chris Petersen doesn’t leave Boise State now, he may never do it.” Well, if Petersen does not leave the Boise State program now, he may very well never clean out his office in Boise and set up shop at another program.

The Broncos head coach apparently is showing a willingness to discuss a new opportunity. Adam Jude, who covers the Washington Huskies for The Seattle Times, reports (via Twitter) Petersen is set to interview for the head coaching vacancy with Washington’s football program. Another report by The Idaho Statesman reporter Brian Murphy says Petersen has been in his Boise office all day Thursday and intends to be there all day Friday. Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports reported Petersen was having a meeting with Washington AD Scott Woodward Thursday night.

The Huskies lost Steve Sarkisian to USC earlier this week. Petersen, who has been at the top of the coaching wish lists for a number of top-notch programs in recent years has always been relatively quick to withdraw his name from consideration. If Petersen is going to interview for the job at Washington, that would not appear to be the case this time around, which means Boise State fans may be a bit more nervous than usual this go-around on the coaching carousel.

From everything we know about Petersen, he is a bit of a laid back guy who enjoys the relative quiet atmosphere. Not that he could not handle the pressure of a high-profile job with a bright spotlight shining on it year round (USC, for example), but he prefers not to be under that type of microscope. His family concerns and reasons play in to this as well. A move from Boise State to Washington would seem to fit the kind of situation and environment Petersen has come to feel comfortable in, and success at Washington would certainly be attainable if he were to fill the vacancy.

Petersen is about as well-regarded as any coach in the country, and it is believed he would be successful anywhere he wanted to be. Sarkisian did a good job of turning Washington around after a dreadful stretch of football, but Sarkisian never was able to get the Huskies over the hump. Petersen could be that guy to finish the work started y Sarkisian.

If Boise state has peaked as a program, something worth considering at this moment, the next great challenge for Petersen could be at Washington. He would not have to rebuild a program. Washington has the talent and the facilities to compete right away in the Pac 12 North. Oregon and Stanford are still on top, but the Ducks have shown some cracks in the system this season without Chip Kelly, and Stanford is not exactly an immovable object. If Washington can manage to lure Petersen away from Boise, the Huskies would make the biggest coaching change this off-season.

It may really be now or never for Petersen.

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Recently suspended freshman running back Jeryl Brazil is no longer a part of the LSU football program. The school announced the roster change Thursday after head coach Les Miles confirmed the decision.

Brazil had a warrant issued for his arrest for an alleged simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, according to The Daily Reveille. The charge is a felony offense, and the incident occurred in November. It is not Brazil’s first apparent run in with the law either. Brazil was indefinitely suspended in October after being issued a misdemeanor summons for simple battery and simple criminal damage to property. He did not return to the field for the remainder of the season for LSU.

Brazil had just two carries this season for a total of 10 rushing yards. He played in just one game this season.

Photo: LSU Athletics

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Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston avoided having charges form a state attorney’s office levied against him Thursday, but this was not at all a surprise for his attorney. Tim Jansen, speaking with the media outside a Florida courthouse, said he knew from the beginning his client, the Heisman Trophy leader guiding his team to a potential ACC championship and a spot in the BCS championship, would not be charged with any crime.

“I believed from day one, in December, that this was an act on consensual act between Mr. Winston and a young woman” Jansen said. “We believed it in December, we believed it in February and we believe it today.”

According to Jansen, Winston maintained all along he had done nothing wrong, at least in the legal sense. Being exonerated of charges at this point in time allows Winston to avoid a suspension. Winston and Florida State take on Duke in the ACC Championship Game this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. A win likely lock up a spot in the BCS Championship Game in January. Had Winston been charged, he would have likely been suspended until the legal process played out in full.

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From a football standpoint, the impact of Jameis Winston not being charged with sexual assault is a secondary-at-best concern. As Willie Meggs cracked wise during a press conference Thursday announcing the findings of his investigation, though, three things became clear:

– Jameis Winston will not be charged with sexual assault.

– Jameis Winston will almost certainly win the Heisman Trophy.

– Florida State will almost certainly go to the BCS Championship.

CBS Sports’ Jeremy Fowler may have put it best: “Winston probably wins Heisman, but nobody won here. At all.”

Whether Winston is innocent wasn’t Meggs’ job to decide, and it’s only known by two people: Winston and the accuser. For the purposes of this space, though, we’ll delve into the less-meaningful stuff — bullet points two and three.

The general consensus is that, because Winston won’t be charged with a crime, he’ll win the Heisman Trophy. There’s little question Winston has been the best football player at the college level this year. He’s averaged 290 passing yards per game with 35 touchdowns to eight interceptions, powering Florida State to the brink of a BCS Championship berth.

The elite quarterback of an undefeated team? That guy wins the Heisman just about every time.

Perhaps Jordan Lynch gets a swell of support from the Midwest, where his MAC exploits have been on full display. But it probably won’t be enough, and there’s not another serious challenger out there.

Then there’s the matter of the ACC Championship, in which Florida State faces No. 20 Duke. Florida State is a four-touchdown favorite and has won 11 of its 12 games by at least 27 points. Duke’s best wins are over mid-level ACC teams in Miami and Virginia Tech, and none of the 10 teams it beat currently rank in the BCS top 25.

It would take an absolutely monumental effort for Duke to beat Florida State on Saturday in Charlotte. Just because it’s a conference championship doesn’t preclude scores like this.

Come Saturday, Florida State will likely secure a place in the BCS Championship. A week later, Jameis Winston will likely hoist the Heisman Trophy.

But, again, those are secondary impacts to everything else stemming from Thursday’s announcement.

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After Jameis Winston was not charged with sexual assault, the Florida State quarterback and his accuser’s family both released statements on Willie Meggs’ decision.

The statement from the accuser’s family:

“The victim and her family appreciate the State Attorney’s efforts in attempting to conduct a proper investigation after an inordinate delay by the Tallahassee Police Department.

“The victim in this case had the courage to immediately report her rape to the police and she relied upon them to seek justice.

“The victim has grave concerns that her experience, as it unfolded in the public eye and through social media, will discourage other victims of rape from coming forward and reporting.”

The statement from Jameis Winston:

“I want to thank my family, friends, coaches and teammates for standing by me during a difficult time. I also want to thank the State’s Attorney’s office for examining all the facts and reaching a decision in a conclusive manner. It’s been difficult to stay silent through this process, but I never lost faith in the truth and in who I am. I’m very relieved I’ll be able to continue my education at Florida State and I’m excited I can now get back to helping our team achieve its goals.”

Florida State president Dr. Eric Barron and football coach Jimbo Fisher also released statements, which you can read at the bottom of this point.

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Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston will not be charged with sexual assault, state attorney Willie Meggs announced Thursday.

“We have a duty as prosecution to only file those charges if we have a reasonable likelihood of a conviction,” Meggs said Thursday. “After reviewing all the events we did not feel we could meet that burden.”

Meggs’ investigation concluded three weeks after reports surfaced that a woman told police she was raped by Winston last winter. A sexual encounter did occur, Meggs said, though he said his investigation didn’t find enough evidence to prove it was not consensual.

Winston’s DNA matched evidence from the day of the incident, though Winston’s Tallahassee-based attorney, Tim Jansen, has argued the encounter between the FSU quarterback and the accuser was consensual. The accuser’s family has denied that claim, and in a statement released last month said the accuser was told by Tallahassee police she would be “raked over the coals” for accusing an FSU player of rape.

Meggs stopped short of criticizing the Tallahassee Police Department for not initially pursuing the case, though said some things would’ve been easier for him had he been able to conduct his investigation last December or January, as opposed to a year after the incident.

“Obviously it would’ve been better if it had been handled a little different, a little earlier,” Meggs said. “But hindsight’s always 20/20.”

A search warrant was released to the public prior to Meggs’ announcement, in which details of the accusation are revealed (via the Associated Press):

In the warrant, the alleged victim told police she and friends had five to six shots at Potbellys and her “memory is very broken from that point forward.” She said she remembered being in a cab with a “non-descript” black man and going into an apartment where she was raped.

The alleged assault took place about a year ago. The woman didn’t identify Winston, who is black, until about a month later.

The warrant said she tried to fight the man off, and at some point, another man came into the room and told him to stop. But the two went into a bathroom “where he completed the act.”

Her next memory was of the suspect dressing her, putting her on a scooter and dropping her off at a campus intersection. She said she had no idea where the alleged assault took place.

Meggs said the accuser had some trouble remembering the events of the evening, though her BAC was only .04 when it was taken and no evidence of drugs were found in the accuser’s system.

Meggs’ investigation took so long because some unknown DNA was found, later discovered to be from the accuser’s boyfriend. That DNA was not associated with the accuser’s complaint. Meggs also added he never considered charging the accuser with filing a false report.

As for the timeline of Meggs’ investigation, it came to a conclusion two days before Winston and FSU play in the ACC Championship and four days before Heisman ballots are due. Meggs, though, said he never felt compelled to conclude his investigation to fit a timeline for Florida State football.

“There was no pressure,” Meggs said. “I have not consulted with the football schedule or who the starting quarterback might be or might not be.”

UPDATE: Florida State, Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher and the accuser’s family released statements after Meggs’ press conference, and are both below.

From the accuser’s family and attorney, Patricia Carroll of Dade City, Fla.:

“The victim and her family appreciate the State Attorney’s efforts in attempting to conduct a proper investigation after an inordinate delay by the Tallahassee Police Department.

“The victim in this case had the courage to immediately report her rape to the police and she relied upon them to seek justice.

“The victim has grave concerns that her experience, as it unfolded in the public eye and through social media, will discourage other victims of rape from coming forward and reporting.”

From Florida State president Dr. Eric Barron:

“Recent weeks have provided a painful lesson, as we have witnessed harmful speculation and inappropriate conjecture about this situation and the individuals involved. As a result, we have all been hurt. A respect for the principle of due process is essential to the integrity of our community. Our commitment to each and every one of our students is unwavering and will remain our priority.”

From Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher:

“As you might imagine, I was pleased to hear that the State’s Attorney’s Office exonerated Jameis in the matter. I’m not going to answer any questions about the situation, but I would like to point out that our community and our university are blessed to have really good people in place to review matters like this. I know Jameis is pleased he can focus on being a student at a great university and he’s excited about helping our team achieve its goals this year. Right now, we’re all looking forward to what we have in front of us on Saturday.

Note: Winston was not actually exonerated, as Fisher’s statement reads. Meggs only determined there was not enough evidence to pursue a trial against him.

Winston’s attorney, Tim Jansen, said he was confident from “day one” that his client would not be charged:

AP

Bryce Petty and his ridiculous touchdown-to-interception ratio are returning to Baylor next fall.

Petty told a Waco-area TV station on Thursday he plans to come back for his senior season, ending any speculation he may bolt for the NFL after a fantastic junior year.

With one more regular season game left and then a bowl game, Petty has thrown 28 touchdowns to just two interceptions. His 323.4 passing yards per game rank seventh among FBS quarterbacks, and he’s No. 1 nationally with 11.2 yards per attempt.

Petty wasn’t projected as a first-round pick in CBS Sports’ latest mock draft.

Louisville, Cincinnati and UCF enter the final week of the 2013 season with a shot at a BCS bowl, the final refuge of power held by the American Athletic Conference. That’ll go away in 2014 as the AAC is absorbed into a grouping with FBS’ other non-power conferences: the MAC, Sun Belt, Mountain West and Conference USA.

The highest-ranked conference champion from that group, if not playing in the four-team college football playoff, will earn a bid to a prestigious bowl beginning next year. But gone is the AAC’s automatic-qualifier status.

On Thursday, the conference announced the rest of its bowl tie-ins through the end of the decade, including three new bowls for next year: The Miami Beach Bowl, Boca Raton Bowl and Bahamas Bowl. The AAC also has secondary partnerships with the Liberty Bowl, Independence Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl.

The complete list of tie-ins, via the AAC’s website:

2014 Season
BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Ala. – vs. SEC
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla. – vs. ACC
Miami Beach Bowl, Miami, Fla. – vs. Conference USA
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md. – vs. ACC
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, Texas – vs. Army/Big 12
Bahamas Bowl, Nassau, Bahamas – vs. MAC

2015 Season
BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Ala. – vs. SEC
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla. – vs. Conference USA
Miami Beach Bowl, Miami, Fla. – vs. Conference USA
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md. – vs. ACC
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii – vs. Mountain West
Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, Fla. – vs. MAC

2016 Season
BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Ala. – vs. SEC
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla. – vs. ACC
Miami Beach Bowl, Miami, Fla. – vs. MAC
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md. – vs. ACC
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, Texas – vs. Big 12
Bahamas Bowl, Nassau Bahamas – vs. MAC
Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, Fla. – vs. Conference USA

2017 Season
BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Ala. – vs. SEC
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla. – vs. Conference USA
Miami Beach Bowl, Miami, Fla. – vs. Sun Belt
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md. – vs. ACC
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii – vs. Mountain West
Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, Fla. – vs. Conference USA

2018 Season
BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Ala. – vs. SEC
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla. – ACC
Miami Beach Bowl, Miami, Fla. – vs. MAC
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md. – vs. ACC
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, Texas – vs. Big 12
Bahamas Bowl, Nassau, Bahamas – vs. Conference USA
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, New Orleans, La. – vs. Sun Belt

2019 Season
BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Ala. – vs. SEC
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla. – vs. Conference USA
Miami Beach Bowl, Miami, Fla. – vs. Sun Belt
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md. – vs. ACC
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii – vs. Mountain West
Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, Fla. – vs. MAC
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, New Orleans, La. – vs. Conference USA

AP

As expected, the resurrection of the Duke football program has landed David Cutcliffe the first of what should be multiple postseason honors.

Late Thursday morning, the Walter Camp Foundation announced that Cutcliffe has been named as its 2013 Coach of the Year.  Cutcliffe is the first Duke head coach to be accorded Camp honors since the award was first handed out in 1967, and the first ACC coach since Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen in 2001.

In his sixth season with the football program, Cutcliffe and his Blue Devils set a school record for wins in a season with 10 and earned its first-ever Coastal division title.  Duke will face top-ranked Florida State in the conference championship game Saturday, and will play in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the program’s 92-year history.

In the six years with Cutcliffe on the sidelines, the Blue Devils have won 31 games; in the 15 seasons prior to Cutcliffe’s arrival and dating back to 1993, Duke won a combined 33 games.  Eight of those wins came in 1994.

Cutcliffe, along with Auburn’s Gus Malzahn and Missouri’s Gary Pinkel, were named finalists for the Maxwell Award Coach of the Year.

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As Gary Pinkel spent 13 of the first 17 years of his coaching career at Washington, it was only natural he would be connected to the job when it came open earlier this week.  Pinkel waxed eloquently upon the passing of Don James about what the legendary UW head coach and his time with the Huskies meant to him and his career, leading some to connect further Columbia-to-Seattle dots.

At least publicly, though, the Missouri head coach maintains he’s going to remain just that.

Appearing on ESPN‘s Mike & Mike radio show Thursday morning, Pinkel was asked about the speculation that he could leave the Tigers and head back “home” to the Huskies.  Unequivocally, the coach said he’s staying put.

Pinkel on Washington job: I'm staying at the University Missouri. I'm a Missouri Tiger. (On Mike & Mike ESPN radio show)—
Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) December 05, 2013

Gary Pinkel on @MikeAndMike about Washington job: "I'll be quite frank, I'm staying at Missouri"—
Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 05, 2013

Pinkel is in his 13th season at Mizzou.  After a rough first season in the SEC last year that had some placing him firmly on the hot seat entering 2013, Pinkel has the Tigers ranked fifth in the country and playing for a conference championship this weekend against Auburn.

In 2008, Pinkel reportedly turned down an opportunity to interview for the Huskies vacancy in 2008.  The job ultimately went to Steve Sarkisian, who left earlier this week to take over as the head coach at USC.

Late Wednesday night, the Seattle Times reported that UW’s top two targets to replace Sarkisian are Boise State’s Chris Petersen and Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.

Petersen was long considered one of the Trojans’ top targets to permanently replace Lane Kiffin — perhaps even the top target — before reportedly withdrawing his name from consideration.  Prior to spending 2012 and 2013 as the Tide’s coordinator, Nussmeier held the same job for three years under Sarkisian with the Huskies.

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Reports surfaced Wednesday evening that the investigation into the complaint of an alleged sexual assault made against Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston last December is complete and a press conference would be held this afternoon to reveal the results.

Both the Tallahassee Democrat and Yahoo! Sports spoke to local attorneys ahead of the announcement and, based on their experience, the fact that state’s attorney Willie Meggs, whose office is handling the investigation, has scheduled a press conference appears to indicate that no charges will be filed against Winston.

From Yahoo!:

“It sends a strong signal that Jameis Winston will not be charged and Mr. Meggs will use the press conference to explain the results of the thorough investigation that his office completed over the past few weeks,” Chuck Hobbs, a defense attorney who previously worked for Meggs in the state attorney’s office, told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday evening.

From the Democrat:

“I don’t think they would hold a press conference to announce an arrest,” said Tallahassee defense attorney John Leace, who helped to successfully defend former FSU player Travis Johnson against a rape allegation in 2003.

The Heisman front-runner’s attorney, Tim Jansen, told the Democrat that standard protocol would be for Meggs or his office to contact him prior to charges being filed.  Jansen has not spoken to Meggs or anyone from his office as of late Wednesday night regarding potential charges, but hopes to hear from them prior to the 2 p.m. ET press conference.

Jansen has spoken to FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher and Winston’s parents regarding the development, and will, along with the player, hold a press conference at around 6:30 p.m. ET this evening to discuss Meggs’ announcement.  The top-ranked Seminoles are scheduled to fly to Charlotte at 7:45 this evening ahead of Saturday’s ACC championship game.

“We are glad it is hopefully going to come to a conclusion [today]. We thank Mr. Meggs for conducting a thorough investigation and, whatever his decision, that the public will accept his decision and will move forward either way,” Jansen told the Democrat. “Either we are going to gear up for a trial or the cloud is going to be lifted and people can move on to their everyday lives.”

AP

Kennedy Polamalu has gone over to “The Dark Side.”

Back in February, Polamalu was fired by then-USC head coach Lane Kiffin as the Trojans offensive coordinator.  After sitting out the 2013 season, Polamalu is reportedly back in the coaching game.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Polamalu has been hired by USC’s crosstown rival UCLA as running backs coach.  Polamalu would replace Steve Broussard, who was fired by head coach Jim Mora earlier this week.

An official announcement from the football program on Polamalu’s hiring could come as early as today.

Polamalu played his college football at USC, and spent two stints at his alma mater as an assistant.  He did, though, begin his coaching career with the Bruins as a grad assistant in 1992 and 1993.