Georgia Bulldogs: Live Coverage of National Signing Day 2011

CFB Rumor Mill: Kill The Noise, Mark Richt Isn't Headed to Miami Either

Here we go again, more rumors surrounding the head coach at the University of Georgia. You know, for a guy who no one really likes all that much, Mark Richt sure seems to be on a lot of "wish lists" lately.

First he was tabbed as a possibility at Colorado. However, his big salary at Georgia nipped that rumor quickly in the bud.

Now, his name is being floated about for the, newly vacated, Miami Hurricanes coaching position. Randy Shannon was fired late yesterday—shortly after the Canes' lost to South Florida in overtime.

Richt is a Miami alumnus. He played quarterback there from 1979-82, backing up future NFL Hall of Famer, Jim Kelly.

Some feel he is the perfect guy to get Miami back to it's winning ways, but someone needs to let Georgia AD, Greg McGarity, in on the conversation because, as far as he's concerned, Richt will be calling Athens home through, at least, the 2011 football season.

These rumors are just that—rumors. Mark Richt is still the coach at Georgia, and he isn't assumed to be going anywhere. He's planning on being in Athens for as long as the university will have him and he's made it very clear that Georgia is his "home".

So, why all the speculation and rumor-mongering about him being lured to go elsewhere? Well, that's easy, teams will try to go after the best out there, regardless of their current situation. Tommy Tuberville's name has also surfaced as a possibility, and he's only been at Texas Tech for one season.

This is a lot less about Richt's job at Georgia being in jeopardy, than it is about a school (Miami) planning for its future.

Don't believe the hype, folks, there's simply not much to it. 

*Photo courtesy of webshots.com/canesunited—click photo for more info.

CFB Rumor Mill: Randy Shannon Out At Miami, Is Rich Rodriguez Next At Michigan?

It's not even December yet, but the Grinch has already made his annual appearance in college football's coal-giving department. There are reports that both Randy Shannon of Miami and Rich Rodriguez of Michigan will be fired from their respective posts after this season.

Shannon's fate seems a lot less surprising, if indeed true, as he stood to have the most to lose if he finished the 2010 season in poor fashion. The Hurricanes were favored by many to be the front-runners for an ACC Championship berth and, quite possibly, a sleeper candidate in the BCS.

Instead, the Cane's finished the season 7-5 overall—suffering embarrassing conference losses to both Florida State (45-17) and Virginia Tech (31-17). Adding more insult to injury, they lost their final home game to South Florida, in overtime, with Jacory Harris looking as pedestrian as ever.

There was simply no room for error this season, and Shannon's regime played too conservative a hand again.

As for Rodriguez, the verdict is still out on him, but there are just as many who would be for his demise as are for giving him another season.  His offense proved explosive through the first five games, but as Denard Robinson fizzled, and the Michigan defense exposed, the good times ended—Michigan ended the year 2-5, and finish 7-5 on the season.

On the bright side, they're bowl eligible, the spread has proven it can be effective with the right personnel, and Denard Robinson, when healthy, is a legitimate weapon. That said, how many fans and boosters in Ann Arbor can stand to give Rodriguez one more season?

The swirling rumor is they might have their eye on Jim Harbaugh.

The young coach, and Michigan alumnus, has turned Stanford football into a force in the Pac-10. The Cardinals are 10-1, in the BCS Top 10, and, possibly, on their way to a BCS berth. However, he did have some rather unsavory comments about his alma mater in 2007:

"...the athletic department has ways to get borderline guys in and, when they’re in, they steer them to courses in sports communications. They’re adulated when they’re playing, but when they get out, the people who adulated them won’t hire them."

Hmmm, don't know that too many Michigan fans have forgotten that one.

Either way, it's looking like the maize and blue might be looking for another change in the big house—we'll just have to wait and see what happens in this developing story.