ESPN College Football

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- As brothers growing up in California, the Atkinson twins competed in everything. Races, video games, school grades -- all was fair game for Josh Atkinson and George Atkinson III, who, much to their dismay, found themselves locked in stalemates more often than not.

"They would try to get me in that conversation that you've got me in now," their father, George Jr., said with a laugh. "But I've become quite elusive, as you see."

An all-pro defensive back for the Oakland Raiders three decades ago, George Jr. remains a busy man, broadcasting Raiders games on the radio and re-joining the AFL's San Jose Sabercats this season to coach the secondary. (He was on their staff from 2000-08.)

He talks with rising sophomores Josh and George III, the youngest of his nine kids, roughly three times a week. And though the father is careful to encourage and not place expectations on his sons' Notre Dame careers after coaching them in high school, the twins have a thorough vetting process that keeps them on their heels and their old man updated on their progress.

Josh goes to cornerbacks coach Kerry Cooks for a weekly letter-grade evaluation to pass along to his dad. George III, a running back, never needs to ask his position coach for one.

"He knows how he's doing because I let him know -- he doesn't have to come and ask," running backs/slot receivers coach Tony Alford quipped. "I'm pretty boisterous as far as what my expectations are."

For George III, the challenge this season is building off a freshman campaign that featured two kickoff returns for touchdowns, the first Irish newcomer to pull off that feat since Raghib Ismail. For Josh, it is becoming a regular in the secondary after seeing spot duty on an experienced unit last season.

"We always praise each other when we make plays and we get on each other when we don't make plays," Josh said of his brother. "And we give each other opinions on, 'Hey, if you do this, you'll get better at that.' Also we push each other all the time. If one of us has a bad practice or one of us is not catching the ball or things of that aspect, we're always on each other and making sure we get better each and every day."

Cooks called Josh a "level-1" corner, meaning he is making his way from the scout team to the two-deep while adapting to complex coverage schemes. Josh played just one coverage in high school, but, by Cooks' measure, has taken a proactive approach to learning the Irish's playbook.

"You definitely can tell that he's been coached hard, definitely can tell that his dad has instilled hard work, effort, energy, 100 percent, yes-or-no-sir-type of kid -- you can see that in both his sons," Cooks said. "So you can see some of those characteristics of having an NFL dad and then having that background, and now it's translating into his play on the field."

George III is focusing on dropping his pads to run the ball lower, and he is hoping he will have the opportunity to help an Irish punt-return unit that averaged an abysmal 0.3 yards per return last season before their bowl game.

"I ran the fastest 40," he claimed of team testing, saying he clocked in at 4.43. "But 40s don't really mean much if you can't put it on the field, so that's what I'm working on first, using my speed on the field."

The identical twins ran on Notre Dame's track and field team this spring.

In May 2010, one month after winning the 100-meter event at the Arcadia Invitational in 10.61 seconds, George III suffered a season-ending hamstring injury trying to win the 100-meter event at the East Bay Athletic League championships. His second-place time of 10.70 seconds may have been more admirable had the first place winner not been Josh, who finished the event in 10.66 seconds.

Josh won the 100-meter event the next year at the Stanford Invitational, completing it in 10.85 seconds.

"It became controversial, I guess you could say," their father, George Jr., said. "George never won at Stanford and Josh did, and Josh never won at Arcadia and George did."

Whatever tension existed then soon evaporated, as it always has, before another fraternal clash eventually resumed.

"They compete. Those guys compete," Alford said. "And they come from a house where that was push, competition. That brotherly love, they got that, but boy they will compete with one another now. In track, in football. When we were recruiting they were talking about who could play 1-on-1 basketball, get out in the street and go run. They were talking about it [at practice] -- who was gonna win on the kickoff cover drill, who was gonna be the first to get down the field. So they compete, and that's a good thing."

If Lane Kiffin keeps this up, he's in danger of becoming "coach Lane Kiffin," not "Lane @#%$@ Kiffin" or "%&@# Kiffin" or just "@#$%@," for short.

You say "Lane Kiffin" to a college football fan -- a football fan, really -- and you get many reactions. Most of the bad. Dude has some baggage. He's best known for off-field controversies in large part because he's not done much -- good or even bad -- on the field.

Off the field? Well, take your pick of controversies. Kiffin was involved in a coup at USC that led to legendary offensive coordinator Norm Chow getting pushed aside. Kiffin fell afoul of team owner Al Davis as the Oakland Raiders coach and was fired after 20 games. At Tennessee, he trashed talked most of the league, infuriating commissioner Mike Slive, got in trouble with the NCAA and bolted after just a single season for USC.

This is old news, of course. And Kiffin has mostly behaved and avoided controversy at USC.

But we were left with an important question: Can he coach?

An 8-5 finish in 2010 didn't reveal much. It was adequate but hardly impressive. A 7-3 start was greeted by mostly positive reviews, then he lost consecutive games to Notre Dame and Oregon State.

So that was the question in 2011. Hate Kiffin. Love Kiffin. But, again, can he coach?

The 38-35 win at Oregon on Saturday hinted that, yes, he can. That he might be growing into the job. That he's matured as a leader and motivator. At 9-2 and ranked 10th in the AP Poll as well as the ESPN.com Power Rankings, he's a win over rival UCLA away from what would unquestionably be considered a successful season: a "true" South Division championship, 10 wins, a top-10 ranking, a win over top-five team (Oregon) and wins over rivals Notre Dame and UCLA.

There's always been some substance to the Kiffin dislike, even beyond the off-field issues. For one, more than a few folks saw him as born with a silver coaching spoon in his mouth, a guy had successfully conned his way into big-time jobs before he deserved them or was ready.

When he got hired at USC in 2001, three years after graduating Fresno State, he'd never been a position coach -- anywhere. He got the job because his dad, Monte Kiffin, was Pete Carroll's defensive mentor. Four years after arriving, Chow was pushed aside for him -- just in time for Kiffin to coach the 2005 Trojans, one of the most talented offenses in college football history. After two seasons, at age 31, he was hired by the Raiders.

When that didn't work out he immediately got hired by Tennessee, an SEC power. One year later, he took over USC, among the top-five programs in the nation. All that after going 5-15 (Raiders) and 7-6 (Tennessee).

The point is there wasn't much you could finger to justify why so many seemingly smart people kept hiring Kiffin.

Until Saturday in Eugene, though the performance at Notre Dame in a 31-17 win was pretty darn good, too.

The Trojans had effective plans on both sides of the ball against the Ducks, which got them a 38-14 lead. Sure, Oregon stormed back but Oregon does that. And, sure, if that 37-yard field goal to tie the game on the final play of regulation had been good, most money would have been on the Ducks in overtime.

Details and what might have beens. The W is what matters.

With no hope for a conference or national title or even the postseason, Kiffin has the Trojans playing their best football. They started slowly against a weak schedule but have steadily improved. He's kept the team motivated and focused, even though he's got plenty of underclassmen eyeballing the NFL.

Now, of course, comes the tough part: Losing 30 scholarships over three years will challenge the Trojans as they try to remain competitive at the top of the conference. We'll see how Kiffin and USC weather circumstances that would try Bear Bryant.

Still, Kiffin has started to push back against his critics with evidence of his skill. All the snarking about his past is backgrounded by his present, by what he created last weekend and this season.

But, Lane, make sure you take care of UCLA on Saturday. Don't make me come back next week with a "Never Mind."

A quick look at the two new coaches in the Pac-12: Colorado's Jon Embree and Stanford's David Shaw.

Embree and Shaw share some similarities. Both are first-time head coaches. Both played for the program they now coach. Both coached in the NFL. Both say they want to retire in their present job instead of climbing the coaching ladder. And, yes, both are black, the fourth and fifth black head football coaches in conference -- Pac-8 to Pac-10 to Pac-12 -- history.

Here's a quick look at the new guys.

Jon Embree, Colorado

Replaces? Dan Hawkins, who never posted a winning season in five years in Boulder.

Where was Embree last year? He was the tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins.

What's he bring to the table that's different? Embree is a hardnosed old school coach -- Hawkins was decidedly new school -- who is from the area and played for Colorado under the revered Bill McCartney. He's spent 10 of his 18 seasons in coaching at Colorado, working from 1993-2002 as a Buffs assistant under three different head coaches: Bill McCartney (1993-94), Rick Neuheisel (1995-98) and Gary Barnett (1999-2002). He has repeatedly said that Colorado is his dream job, not a stepping stone. His singular focus is restoring a program that was once a national power.

What else? Embree, 45, is the first black head football coach at Colorado and the fourth black head coach in Pac-12 history (Stanford's Dennis Green (1989-91), Stanford's Tyrone Willingham (1995-2001), UCLA's Karl Dorrell (2003-07) and Willingham at Washington (2004-08). Shaw became the fifth in January)... Embree earned a communications degree from Colorado in 1988... He was a member of McCartney's first recruiting class... In 1984, he earned first-team All-Big 8 honors and set school single-season records for receptions (51) and receiving yards (680)... He was a sixth-round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in 1987. He played two seasons with the Rams before suffering a career-ending elbow injury in 1989 while a member of the Seattle Seahawks... His original plan after the NFL was to get into TV news, but he took a job as a volunteer assistant with McCartney and was immediately bitten by the coaching bug... He is married to the former Natalyn Grubb and they have three children, a daughter and two sons. Eldest son Taylor, is a receiver at UCLA, while Connor is a receiver at UNLV.

David Shaw, Stanford

Replaces: Jim Harbaugh, who rebuilt the program into a national power before being hired away by the San Francisco 49ers.

Where was Shaw last year: He was Stanford's offensive coordinator.

What's he bring to the table that's different: Where Harbaugh was boisterous, often eccentric and sometimes prickly, Shaw is mellow, polished and accommodating. That said, he's repeatedly insisted that doesn't mean the competitive fire doesn't burn just as hot. He certainly knows Stanford. His father coached there and he's a 1984 graduate. He returned to Stanford in 2007 when Harbaugh arrived -- they were together at San Diego -- so he's seen the Cardinal renaissance firsthand. And, just like Embree, he says that Stanford is his destination job and that he's not looking to move on or up in the coaching profession.

What else? Shaw is the fifth Stanford alum to become head football coach, joining Charles Fickert (1901), Carl Clemans (1902), Chuck Taylor (1951-57) and Paul Wiggin (1980-83)... He was a member of Stanford's 1991 Aloha Bowl team coached by Dennis Green that finished 8-4. He was also on the Cardinal's 1992 Blockbuster Bowl-winning squad coached by Bill Walsh that went 10-3. He finished his Stanford career with 57 receptions for 664 yards and five touchdowns... He started his coaching career in 1995 at Western Washington. He's also coached for the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens... He's coached quarterbacks, receivers and running backs in his career... Shaw's offense ranked ninth in the nation in scoring last fall (40.3 ppg) and it amassed a school-record 6,142 yards, averaging a notably balanced 213.8 on the ground and 258.7 yards through the air... His father, Willie, had two separate coaching stints at Stanford (1974-76; 1989-91) during his 33-year coaching career, which was mostly spent in the NFL... His bachelor's degree from Stanford is in sociology... He was born in San Diego. He and his wife Kori have three children, Keegan, Carter and Gavin.

There are two types of "new" coaches. First, there are new-new coaches, those who are entering their first season with no track record at their present destination, which allows fans to invest in them their wildest hopes and dreams.

Then their are second-year coaches, who have a single season under their belts, a small and typically unrevealing sample size that allows everyone to make premature judgments about said coach's ultimate prospects.

Not many coaches go to a Rose Bowl their first year as head coach, as Oregon's Chip Kelly did. And sometimes fast starts are deceiving about what's ahead, see Arizona State going 10-3 in Dennis Erickson's first season. And did many folks think Iowa's Kirk Ferentz would be around for 13 seasons after he went 1-10 in 1999?

So we have the only second-year coach in the Pac-12: USC's Lane Kiffin.

While Kiffin's name might inspire more than a few folks to immediately spit, particularly those in a certain part of the country where spitting is less frowned upon, that's more about his abrupt departure from Tennessee and his sometimes cocky statements and behavior while he was there -- a side of himself, by the way, he hasn't shown much of of inside Heritage Hall.

As a coach, we only know he went 5-15 with the Oakland Raiders, 7-6 in one season at Tennessee and 8-5 at USC last fall.

What did we learn about Kiffin last season? Well, he's clearly a good recruiter, see another touted class that should help the Trojans better weather harsh NCAA sanctions.

Also, at 4-0 and then 7-3, it seemed as though he'd done a good job of keeping his team focused, even though it didn't have the postseason as a possible reward.

Then the Trojans got blistered at Oregon State and lost at home to a middling Notre Dame team. Sure, quarterback Matt Barkley got hurt in Corvallis, and even then the Trojans would have beaten the Irish if Ronald Johnson hadn't dropped a sure touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. Still, "scoreboard," you know?

A loss to UCLA to end the season would have cast a dark shadow over Kiffin's first season, but the Trojans prevailed and then they rolled in recruiting. The momentum at present seems relatively positive.

So what can we say about Kiffin after a year?

It appears he's matured since his brief, bombastic tenure in Knoxville. It seemed like he did a good job working with Barkley, helping him mature as a QB, though the true test of the relationships will be this season, likely Barkley's last before heading to the NFL.

In fact, you could say that his dad, legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, should be more on the hot seat in 2011. The Trojans defense let leads slip away in the fourth quarter and gave up way too many big plays in 2010.

Further complicating an evaluation of Kiffin are the NCAA sanctions, particularly 30-scholarship reduction over the next three years that could be crippling, even for a program of USC's stature.

It would be fair to say that USC, which has the talent to win nine or 10 games this season, needs to live up to reasonable expectations this fall before the real pain sets in for Kiffin to place himself in good standing with athletic director Pat Haden and the Trojans fan base.

If he wins 10 games and the first South Division title, it would be enough of a vindication of his coaching ability that he could survive an inevitable step back over the next three to five years.

But if the Trojans take another step toward mediocrity, it's likely that the honeymoon would abruptly end and he'd find his coaching stool fairly toasty heading into 2012.

ESPN.com has been doing a series on great college players who didn't pan out in the NFL -- "Simply Saturday," -- which has featured a number of Pac-10 players, including Washington's Steve Emtman and USC's Matt Leinart.

Interesting stuff.

But ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman, who is always working the angles, decided to take a look at NFL stars with so-so college careers, and his list also includes some Pac-12 guys: USC linebacker Clay Matthews, Oregon State wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and California cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

He ranks Matthews No. 2. Notes Feldman:

No NFL player has better bloodlines than Matthews, but when he was coming up as a recruit he was a wiry, undersized, off-the-radar prospect who reportedly only weighed 166 pounds as a backup LB-TE for Agoura (Calif.) High. Matthews stared to sprout in his senior year, yet still only had one scholarship offer -- from former USC assistant Nick Holt at Idaho.

Sure, Matthews blossomed as a junior and senior. But he never really was seen as the brightest star in the constellation that was the Trojans' 2008 defense.

Still, Oregon's Nick Reed and Oregon State's Victor Butler were the first-team All-Pac-10 defensive ends. Matthews proceeded to wow scouts with his explosiveness and determination. Green Bay drafted the one-time walk-on 26th overall, and he has rewarded them with two spectacular seasons, going to back-to-back Pro Bowls and winning NFC Defensive Player of the Year honors, while helping lead Green Bay to a Super Bowl victory.

Ochocinco rates No. 4.

The Miami native didn't spend much time in the Pac-10 -- just one season at Oregon State. The receiver, then known as Chad Johnson, did flash some big-play potential during his time in Corvallis, catching 33 passes for 713 yards. He also flashed a lot of personality on his way to the draft, as you can tell if you read this old Q&A he did with Mel Kiper Jr., who at one point asks: "When all is said and done, how do you want people to remember Chad Johnson?"

Johnson's response: "As a very humble, nice person who had no off-the-field problems."

I'm not sure how many will recall the Cincinnati Bengals star as "humble," but he certainly has produced, notching seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons and going to six Pro Bowls. In truth, he'd be even higher on this list, but at 33, he has dipped some in the last three years.

Asomugha is No. 5.

Oakland certainly didn't whiff on this pick. Asomugha has emerged as a true shutdown corner, earning trips to the past three Pro Bowls. He's also as good as they come off the field, winning NFL Man of the Year honors, too.

He had a good but not great career for the Bears, getting chosen as an honorable mention All-Pac-10 pick as a senior. Some great individual workouts took a guy who some touted as a fifth-rounder all the way up into the first round when the Raiders selected him 31st overall.

On a personal note, I covered Asomugha's coming-out game: a 34-27 Cal win at Washington in 2002, which ended a 19-game Huskies winning streak in the series. In that game, Cal matched Asomugha, previously a safety, on All-American receiver Reggie Williams. Asomugha's physical style -- read here to see what Williams thought of it -- threw the Huskies' passing game out of sync.

Bet more than a few Cal fans remember that game fondly.

The Pac-12 provided 37 players to the NFL draft over the weekend, one fewer than the SEC, which led all conferences.

If the six combined picks from Colorado and Utah are taken away from the conference, the old Pac-10 provided NFL teams 3.1 draft picks per team, also just behind the SEC at 3.17.

Here's where the Pac-12 players went:

First round
No. 8 Jake Locker, QB, Washington: Tennessee
No. 9 Tyron Smith., OT, USC: Dallas
No. 17 Nate Solder, OT, Colorado: New England
No. 24 Cameron Jordan, DE, California: New Orleans
No. 27 Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado: Baltimore

Second round
7. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA: Tennessee
10. Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona: Houston
13. Rahim Moore, FS, UCLA: Denver
21. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State: Chicago
24. Shane Vereen, RB, California: New England

Third round
13. Jurrell Casey, DT, USC: Tennessee
20. Mason Foster, LB, Washington: Tampa Bay
25. Shareece Wright, CB, USC: San Diego
29. Christopher Conte, S, California: Chicago
33. Sione Fua, DT, Stanford: Carolina

Fourth round
5. Jordan Cameron, TE, USC: Cleveland
19. Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon: Philadelphia
21. Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado: Kansas City
27. Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford: Cleveland

Fifth round
8. Brandon Burton, CB, Utah: Minnesota
9. Gabe Miller, DE, Oregon State: Kansas City
14. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State: Atlanta
23. Richard Sherman, CB, Stanford: Seattle

Sixth round
2. Ryan Whalen, WR, Stanford: Cincinnati
14. Caleb Schlauderaff, OG, Utah: Green Bay
17. Ronald Johnson, WR, USC: San Francisco
19. David Carter, DT, UCLA: Arizona
22. Allen Bradford, RB, USC: Tampa Bay
24. Mike Mohamed, LB, California: Denver
32. Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona: Green Bay
38. Zach Williams, C, Washington State: Carolina

Seventh round
12. D'Aundre Reed, DE, Arizona: Minnesota
24. Scotty McKnight, WR, Colorado: New York Jets
30. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State: Green Bay
37. Stanley Havili, FB, USC: Philadelphia
38. David Ausberry, WR, USC: Oakland
39. Malcolm Smith, LB, USC: Seattle

By Pac-12 school:
Arizona (3)
Arizona State (1)
California (4)
Colorado (4)
Oregon (1)
Oregon State (3)
Stanford (4)
UCLA (3)
USC (9)
Utah (2)
Washington (2)
Washington State (1)

The final tally by automatic qualifying conferences:
SEC... 38
Pac-12... 37
Big Ten... 36
ACC... 35
Big East 22
Big 12...19

Nebraska was a big swing to the Big Ten from the Big 12 with seven picks. With Colorado and Nebraska, the Big 12 provided 30 selections.

This was the tally through three rounds:
SEC: 20
ACC: 19
Pac-12: 15
Big Ten: 13
Big 12: 9
Big East: 4

LOS ANGELES -- The nominee for "Worst Person in the World" from the state of Tennessee has been a bit of a letdown on the West Coast. When he wore bright orange, Lane Kiffin was as loud as the Volunteers' uniforms. He was a controversy not waiting to happen. He called people out. He trashed-talked. He immediately started beeping loudly on the NCAA's radar.

But since he arrived in Los Angeles, ascending to what he called his "dream job" at USC, he's been mostly an all-business, old school, grumpy football coach.

"You been bored?" Kiffin quips. "You were all excited when I got hired here."

Yes and no. Things have been pretty hectic around USC for the past year or so. While reporters often enjoy a little drama, there are limits. Typing fingers do cramp up, after all. The Reggie Bush mess. Pete Carroll leaving. Kiffin getting hired and the ensuing hullabaloo in Knoxville. NCAA sanctions. The comings and goings of scores of players. The comings and goings of athletic directors and school presidents. A five-loss season for a program that had grown accustomed to the number five representing a disappointing final AP ranking. Highly-rated recruiting classes, despite sanctions. Tennessee shipping its NCAA problems to Kiffin's new address. A seemingly endless wait for the NCAA to rule on USC's appeal of sanctions.

A notable void, however, has been controversy arising due to Kiffin's conduct at USC. Oh, he took a shot at rival UCLA after signing his 2010 recruiting class, but that was more a tempest in a thimble than a teapot. He sometimes provides assessments of players' shortcomings that can seem too honest. But, really, the only big story this spring at USC is injuries, which means there are plenty of stifled yawns by observers at practices. Who saw that coming?

"Sometimes I get people here that actually want to see that brash side," Kiffin said.

Just not many over the age of 21.

On the one hand, this is a good thing. It's possible that Kiffin shortly will be judged on substance, on whether he can coach or not, on whether he can lead the Trojans back to the top of the Pac-12 or not. His oft-noted limited résumé -- a 5-15 record coaching the Oakland Raiders and a 15-11 mark in two college seasons -- reveals little.

What is revealing is five losses a year after the Trojans, in their final season under Carroll, were unceremoniously smacked out of the conference's top spot by Oregon. What is revealing is watching practice and wondering, "Where did all the NFL-looking dudes go?" Just three years ago, USC looked better getting off the bus than any team in the country. No longer. Now they look like just about everyone else.

Part of that is injuries. Twelve members of the two-deep depth chart have practiced little or not at all this spring. The Trojans numbers were already down, which convinced Kiffin to sign a handful of early-enrollees who weren't up to previous standards just to get more available warm bodies.

Still, there are plenty of old school USC guys, starting with quarterback Matt Barkley and his top target, Robert Woods. They are a potentially dynamic pass-catch combination. Left tackle Matt Kalil, defensive end Nick Perry, safety T.J. McDonald and cornerback Nickell Robey are going to be playing on Sundays. D-tackle George Uko has been impressive this spring. But there are obvious holes -- for one, the offensive line is perilously thin and unproven -- and the backups don't look like the next generation.

"We got guys running with our twos that weren't even going to play football, but we found them in science class after a tryout," Kiffin said.

A touted recruiting class of 23 arrives in the fall, and many of those freshmen are going to immediately be in the mix for playing time. Toss in the expected return of the injured players, and the reinforcements will number 35.

But will they win? It may be nice that the hyperventilating from critics is trending down, but the bottom line is there is a bottom line, of which Kiffin is well aware: Winning.

Kiffin said he feels more comfortable this spring, and it's clear his players share that sentiment. Understand: The transition to Kiffin was challenging for many. Carroll had become an icon at USC. All those five-star players he signed did so in large part in order to join Carroll's "win forever" cult of personality. Carroll was all about bottomless enthusiasm and optimism. Kiffin is a different bird. For some veteran players, his approach, which often included unvarnished criticism, was tough to take.

"First spring, it was rough with getting guys to buy-in and accept that we didn't have Coach Carroll -- the 'there's a new coach, just deal with it,'" Barkley said. "Some guys were holding back and didn't like the way things were going."

Barkley said Kiffin has loosened up a bit. "Even this year, Coach Kiffin has given in a little bit, making it more fun for us, that competition style we were kind of used to before," Barkley said.

The person at USC who knows Kiffin best waves away the criticism that has dogged him. "It's basically one state," said USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Lane's pop.

"I know him. I've known him for 35 years. I feel I've got a pretty good feel for him," Monte Kiffin said. "If I thought he was a smart alec or wasn't a good head coach, first I wouldn't have gone to Tennessee or I would have taken opportunities to go back to the NFL [instead of going to USC]. They don't know him."

That's fair. An ill-fated tenure working under Al Davis and a single year at an SEC school shouldn't define Kiffin as a coach. And, ultimately, it won't. Kiffin knows what will, though.

"If you are worried about what people are writing about you, win games," he said.

Or else those negative assessments will begin to develop a foundation built on incontrovertible fact.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- California coach Jeff Tedford hears the negative chatter but he's trying not to listen. The operative word there being "trying." He also understands why some Bears fans are grumbling, but such talk nonetheless frustrates him.

Tedford rebuilt a lousy program and created a high standard to which Cal fans happily became accustomed. Yet over the past few seasons, he has not consistently met that high standard.

"All of a sudden, you have an eight-win season and it's not good enough," Tedford said. "Then, all of the sudden, you have a [losing season] and it's, 'Wow, what happened here?'"

Things turned sour in Berkeley in 2010, a 5-7 finish that was Tedford's first losing season -- first season with fewer than seven wins -- in nine years leading the program. Meanwhile, on the south side of the Bay Area equation, archrival Stanford won a BCS bowl game and appears poised to start 2011 ranked in the top 10. That juxtaposition doesn't sit well with the Old Blues.

It no longer matters where Tedford started, taking over a 1-10 program in 2002 that won seven or more games just four times in the 24 previous seasons. Forget that from 1978 to 2001, Cal won three or fewer games nine times. Sure, back then, a couple of seven-win seasons -- heck, even 5-7 -- would have seemed pretty nice.

No longer.

But it's more than that, Tedford's critics will tell you.

What happened to Tedford, the quarterback guru? Tedford transformed Kyle Boller from a five-star recruiting bust into a first-round NFL draft pick. He then discovered Aaron Rodgers out of nowhere and made him into a first-round pick. Nate Longshore appeared poised to join them when he led the Bears to a 5-0 start and No. 2 national ranking in 2007. But, really, since Longshore sprained his ankle during a marquee win at Oregon on Sept. 29, 2007 -- Cal fans just fainted recalling the memory of what happened next -- the Bears haven't benefited from consistent play at quarterback.

It's not just losing, either: It's the nature of the defeats. In Tedford's first seven seasons, the Bears suffered only two defeats by more than two touchdowns. Over the past two seasons, they've lost eight games by 17 or more points and six by 27 or more.

Further, the staff turnover, particularly at offensive coordinator, has been notable. Not including himself, Tedford has gone through four offensive coordinators before arriving at his present, complicated configuration, with offensive line coach Jim Michalczik returning as coordinator, running backs coach Ron Gould set as running game coordinator, receivers coach Eric Kiesau set as passing game coordinator and Tedford (again) helping with the quarterbacks and (again) calling plays.

A couple of years ago, Tedford listened to the nattering nabobs of negativism and he wanted to smack them. Now, he's trying to be philosophical about criticism. Trying.

"I have it back in focus now not to worry about the external things," he said. "That one year [2009] we went [8-5] and it felt like we went [5-8], it felt like people were real irritable about that. I was irritable, too. About their reaction to [8-5]. Now, I'm just back to focusing on what it takes to get us back on the upward trend again."

If you're the sort who prefers optimism, there's grounds for that, too. For one, Michalczik and Kiesau were both with Tedford during the "glory years." There's history and comfort there. And Michalczik is widely considered an elite line coach, perhaps the best in the Pac-12. The play of the Bears' O-line hasn't been as good the past two seasons while Michalczik was with the Oakland Raiders.

Further, Tedford is re-engaging on the offensive side, and not only by calling plays, as he did during his early years at Cal. He's also working extensively with the quarterbacks, even to the point of sitting in all QB meetings.

"Consistency at quarterback has been something that has hurt us at times," Tedford said.

Another big-picture item for Cal fans to be upbeat about: An uptick in recruiting that, perhaps not coincidentally, began when stadium and facilities renovation projects began in earnest after protesters -- old school Berkeley! -- were forced out of the trees. The Bears are nomads this spring, traveling from site to site in search of good grass to practice on, and they will play "home" games in AT&T Park this year. But when Memorial Stadium re-opens in 2012, the structure will match the grandeur of its Strawberry Canyon home.

As for hot-seat talk -- it's probably more accurate to call Tedford's chair lukewarm -- the players are aware of said chatter. They don't live in a protective bubble. And they are aware that pointed observations about the blowout defeats also fall on them, whether those embarrassments are about poor preparation, a lack of mental toughness in the face of adversity or -- gulp -- a propensity to quit when an opponent asserts itself.

"We all love Coach," offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. "His past record of success, that's why we are all here. There's no grumbling [in the locker room]. We're more disappointed in ourselves. We feel like we let the coaching staff down."

And, of late, Cal fans feel let down. When the Bears were controversially blocked from playing in their first Rose Bowl since 1959 by Texas and the BCS computers following the 2004 season -- Cal fans just fainted for a second time while reading this story -- the consolation was a confident belief that it was just a matter of time before a Tedford squad ended that lengthy, painful Rose-less run.

The clock is still ticking -- 52 years and counting -- on that one, though.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- California has something sort of old and something sort of new this spring on both sides of the ball.

On defense, Clancy Pendergast is back for his second season coordinating the Bears defense. On offense, Jim Michalczik is back in town after spending a couple of years with the Oakland Raiders. Pendergast turned in a successful first campaign, with his more aggressive version of a 3-4 scheme ending up ranked third in the Pac-10 in scoring and first in total defense. And from 2002-2008, Michalczik might have been the best offensive line coach in the conference.

Here are some notes from chats with both coordinators as well as head coach Jeff Tedford.

• Other than a blowout loss to Stanford, the Bears defense turned in its best work in November, most notably holding Oregon to just one offensive touchdown in a 15-13 Ducks win. Pendergast didn't think that was a coincidence: "I think our guys trusted the system, trusted each other. Had better eyes. All those things." As for year two, the longtime NFL coach, probably has a better grasp on some of the quirky offenses he'll face in the conference. "Anytime you go into a second year, you're going to be more comfortable," he said.
• Pendergast on former defensive end Cameron Jordan, who is expected to be a first-round NFL draft pick on April 28: "He'll be solid, consistent player at next level who can do a lot of different things."
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Chris Morrison/US PRESSWIRECal's Clancy Pendergast expects to be more comfortable coaching against Pac-12 offenses in his second season.
• Pendergast is clearly high on the incoming freshmen. He repeatedly mentions them -- first and last names -- when talking about his potential depth chart. When asked if he expects a handful to play, he said, "No question." Names he -- and later Tedford -- mention: defensive tackle Todd Barr, defensive tackle Viliami Moala, defensive end Brennan Scarlett, and cornerbacks Stefan McClure, Joel Willis and Kameron Jackson.
• The top three defensive ends are Trevor Guyton, Deandre Coleman and Ernest Owusu. At nose tackle, both Aaron Tipoti and Kendrick Payne are out with shoulder injuries. Guyton has had a good spring, while Tedford said, Coleman "should be much better this year."
• The inside 'backers are Mychal Kendricks, who put up huge numbers last fall playing outside, and D.J. Holt, also a returning starter. As for Kendricks move inside, Pendergast said, "He's probably a better fit as a stack inside linebacker than an outside linebacker."
• There will be two new starters at outside linebacker. At present, Ryan Davis and David Wilkerson (strongside) are with the ones, with Chris McCain, Cecil Whiteside and Lucas King providing depth.
• In the secondary, Marc Anthony and Steve Williams are the corners. The depth appears unsettled -- see Pendergast and Tedford both listing three freshmen who are not on campus yet as being in the mix. Pendergast seemed most pleased with Anthony, whom he said was playing physically and with a lot of confidence. At safety, there's Sean Cattouse and D.J. Campbell, with Adrian Lee, C.J. Moncrease, Alex Logan and Michael Coley earning note. It's hard to say if true freshman Avery Walls, who's participating in spring practices, will get into the mix.
• On offense, Michalczik is mostly focused on the offensive line. Tedford will call plays this fall and is working with the quarterbacks as well, while receivers coach Eric Kiesau is the passing game coordinator and running backs coach Ron Gould is the running game coordinator. So there will be plenty of input on offense.
• Michalczik wouldn't commit too much on the offensive line: "We've got some young guys and we've got some time," he said. Left tackle Mitchell Schwartz and center Dominic Galas are likely starters, but both are sitting out with injuries. Matt Summers-Gavin has bounced from guard to right tackle. Brian Schwenke and Justin Cheadle are the No. 1 guards at present. Youngsters to watch include Chris Adcock and Mark Brazinski at center, as well as Alejandro Crosthwaite, Bill Tyndall and Tyler Rigsbee.
• Marvin Jones and Keenan Allen are set at receiver, but the No. 3, 4 and 5 options are not. Michael Calvin -- yes, him again -- Coleman Edmond and Kaelin Clay earned note from Tedford, who said of Clay, "He's been very good, very fast, brings big-play potential."
• Tedford isn't very happy at running back behind Isi Sofele. His highest praise goes to walk-on Mike Manuel, who was impressive in the scrimmage Saturday. Injuries are a big issue at the position, but it seems as though Tedford isn't happy with the group, which includes a number of touted recruits. "As of right now, it looks like to me we are going to have to rely on younger guys who are coming in," he said.
• Quarterbacks? It's still wide open, but it shows how serious Zach Maynard's candidacy is that Tedford said he doesn't expect to announce a starter until well into fall camp, specifically because he wants to give Maynard, who transferred from Buffalo last year, as much time as possible to digest the offense. Said Tedford, "He does have some athleticism. He can make plays with his legs. He throws the ball accurately. He can throw all the balls on the field. He's a lefty. He can throw the deep ball. He's got zip on the ball. His main thing is just going to be the mental part of understanding our offense and understanding what we're looking for."
• As for Brock Mansion, who started the final four games after Kevin Riley went down, Tedford said, "You can tell that Brock is better because of the experience he had last year. He's more comfortable. And he's even learned some things physically. You can see the maturity there a little bit. Still not where we need to be."
• As for Allan Bridgford, the question might be athleticism. Said Tedford, "Smart guy. Can throw the ball. He can throw all the balls on the field. Escape dimension? Haven't seen that yet. That's a concern, but he's not a led-foot by any means."
• One problem for the Bears this spring is injuries. There are a lot of them, which makes it more difficult to give the QBs full-tilt, looks. "That's a challenge, to get QB's enought reps without beating up the whole team," Tedford said.

Jim Harbaugh led Stanford football out of the Pac-10 basement into the nation's elite. Now it's David Shaw's job to maintain that growth.

Stanford announced Thursday that Shaw, the Cardinal's offensive coordinator since 2007, will replace Harbaugh as the Cardinal's head coach.

A news conference is scheduled today for 4:30 p.m. ET.

Hiring Shaw won't generate much national sizzle, particularly after Harbaugh, who bolted for the San Francisco 49ers, became a skyrocketing national figure over the past two seasons. But it will be a popular choice among Stanford players, administrators and top boosters.

Further, it insures continuity for a team that is likely to be ranked in the preseason top 10, largely because of the return of quarterback Andrew Luck.

“David Shaw is exactly the right person to lead our football program at this time,” athletic director Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. “David has the experience, intellect, coaching skills and organizational abilities to be a tremendous head coach. He understands and embraces the combination of world class academics and world class athletics that is required at Stanford.

“David has made a substantial contribution to the recent success of our program and our team has great confidence in him. I could not be more excited to work with David and to assist him and his staff in leading our football program to high achievement in the years ahead.”

Shaw, 38, played receiver at Stanford from 1991-94 and is the son of a former Cardinal assistant, Willie Shaw. He was picked over two other members of Harbaugh's former staff: associate head coach Greg Roman and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Stanford also interviewed Yale coach Tom Williams, a former Stanford linebacker, and pursued Boise State coach Chris Petersen, who opted to stay in Boise.

The first big question for today: Which members of Harbaugh's staff will remain and coach under Shaw? Roman and Fangio will not return, ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel has learned. They will have numerous opportunities elsewhere, particularly in the NFL. Either or both could follow Harbaugh to the 49ers. So who does Shaw have in mind to fill the considerable voids left behind? Both Roman and Fangio did brilliant jobs this past season.

Of immediate concern for Shaw is a major on-campus recruiting weekend. Stanford's class is ranked 17th by ESPN recruiting, and Shaw must reassure previously committed players and get the class signed intact on Feb. 2, national signing day.

Shaw has extensive NFL and college experience. He coached with Harbaugh at San Diego in 2006, but from 1997-2005 he served stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.

In 2006, Stanford's offense stank: It ranked 118th in the nation -- second to last -- in both scoring (10.6 ppg) and total offense (232 yards per game).

The past two seasons, Stanford's offense has been outstanding. It ranked first in the Pac-10 in 2009 in total offense (427.6 ypg) and second in scoring (35.5 ppg). This year, despite the loss of running back Toby Gerhart, the 2009 Heisman Trophy runner up, it ranked 14th in the nation in total offense (472.5 ypg) and ninth in scoring (40.3 ppg).

Of course, deciding who deserves credit for that is difficult. Harbaugh officially called plays, but the scuttlebutt around the program was that Roman was the architect of many creative formations and blocking schemes the Cardinal used over the past two seasons. Harbaugh was always intentionally vague about how the offensive coaching functioned.

Beyond sophisticated X's and O's, Harbaugh established a tough-guy, blue-collar culture. Shaw was a part of that and surely will try to retain that culture. His first task, other than recruiting, is surrounding himself with a staff that connects with the current players.

Shaw's hiring won't reverberate nationally. The leading response will be, "Who?" Heading into the first season of the Pac-12, the general reaction from other teams is likely this: "Yahoo! No more Harbaugh!" More than a few folks will wonder if a safe, internal promotion won't lead Stanford back down in the conference pecking order.

Shaw's marching orders, therefore, are simple: Maintain the program's growth and make sure that the 12-1 finish this year does not become a one-and-done historical anomaly.

There are lots of reasons to check out the Pac-10 this fall, but here are five hot topics that top the list.

Elite quarterbacks: Jake Locker or Andrew Luck? Andrew Luck or Jake Locker? Who gets picked first in the NFL draft this spring (if, of course, Luck opts to enter the draft after his redshirt sophomore season). Neither has put up spectacular numbers -- yet -- but both have NFL scouts drooling over their talent. Do both, or either, live up to their considerable preseason hype? Or maybe you prefer USC's Matt Barkley or Arizona's Nick Foles. Both have NFL talent and both have good supporting casts on offense. Oh, and Cal's Kevin Riley, UCLA's Kevin Prince and Washington State's Jeff Tuel are returning starters with plenty of capability. The competition for All-Pac-10 quarterback figures to be heated.

Quarterback questions: Two of the top three teams in the preseason media poll -- No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State -- are breaking in new quarterbacks. The Ducks said an early goodbye to potential Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiah Masoli, who's now at Ole Miss, and it's still not clear if senior Nate Costa or sophomore Darron Thomas will replace him. The Beavers are fired up about the big arm and athletic ability of Ryan Katz, but it's not easy playing TCU in Cowboys Stadium and at Boise State in two of your first three starts. Finally, Arizona State also hasn't figured out who will be its starting quarterback between Brock Osweiler and Steven Threet.

Is there a Heisman Trophy contender here? The Heisman Trophy hunt starts with Locker and Luck, and could include Barkley and Foles. But what about the running backs? Both Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers and Oregon's LaMichael James are All-American candidates and potential Doak Walker Award winners. And, you know, Rodgers' big brother, James, is a pretty fancy receiver, too. Or is there someone else, a dark horse who might emerge as Toby Gerhart did last year?

Is there a BCS title contender here? The Pac-10 hasn't played for a national championship since USC's bid to win three in a row fell just short in the 2005 title game. Based on the preseason rankings, it's not likely to happen in 2010: No conference team will begin the season ranked in the top 10. Oregon would have been viewed as a contender if Masoli were still around. And USC probably would have earned some mention -- mostly out of habit -- if it were eligible for the postseason. Based on how deep the Pac-10 is this year, it's going to be hard to lose just once -- much less go undefeated -- in conference play. So the conference champion might just have to settle on playing in the Rose Bowl once again.

After all the hullabaloo, can Lane Kiffin coach? Seems like everyone's got an opinion on Lane Kiffin, and most of them aren't too positive, to say the least. Even his defenders can't cite much from his body of work: a 5-15 record with the Oakland Raiders and a 7-6 mark in one season in Knoxville. But at some point there will be an accurate measure: wins and losses. If Kiffin wins, then he's a good coach. End of story. Further, if he leads USC out of major NCAA sanctions -- keeping his team motivated and competitive in the process -- then he will have accomplished something even a lot of good coaches couldn't. What to watch this season? Let's see how USC reacts after its first loss. If the Trojans fight all year -- unlike 2009 -- and win nine or 10 (or more?) games, then it might be time for Kiffin's critics to put a sock in it.

Extra credit: Pac-12 business? Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott and the conference athletic directors have plenty of off-field concerns to discuss this offseason, from how to split up the conference into divisions when Utah and Colorado join, to where to play a conference championship game, to how revenue will be distributed. Firm answers likely won't be revealed until October. Oh, and once they are answered, then Scott can focus all his attention at the A-No. 1 item on the agenda: A new broadcast deal and/or Pac-10 network, contracts that need to keep the conference competitive with the mega-money the Big Ten and SEC are raking in.

SEATTLE -- Washington's Steve Sarkisian beat his mentor, USC coach Pete Carroll, last year. But can he beat his good friend?

Sarkisian's tenure at USC will again be a story next fall when the Huskies visit USC, which is now coached by his old buddy Lane Kiffin. "Sark" and "Kiff" coached at USC for five years together and ran the Trojans offense together in 2005 and 2006 before Kiffin took an ill-fated jump to the Oakland Raiders.

The question, as it was with Carroll and Sarkisian, is can the two remain tight when they find themselves at such cross-purposes, particularly with the Huskies seemingly rising in the Pac-10 pecking order.

"I think you can," Sarkisian said. "Part of the beauty of the profession is developing friendships and relationships as you move along. We'll be great friends all the way through this -- realistically, even the week of that game. It will be a lot of fun."

The Huskies, by the way, haven't won in LA since 1996.

Back in the day when both worked for Carroll, there was plenty of competition, including intense pick-up basketball games.

"Something we learned from Pete is that sometimes the best times are when you compete with people you like, against your friends because that mind game, that chess game of really trying to figure out what they're thinking and that back-and-forth, those are the best ones to be in," Sarkisian said. "It will be fun with Kiff and I."

The competition will be just as feisty in recruiting. While USC will always have an advantage tapping into the fertile soil of Southern California recruiting, Sarkisian has made substantial in-roads. As the Huskies rise, Sark and Kiff figure to butt heads over prospects.

"Hopefully, he saves us a couple of players in LA we can recruit," Sarkisian said.

Boy, who have thought hiring a football coach could inspire such... feeling?

USC fans mourn Pete Carroll's departure with a candlelight vigil. Tennessee fans mourn the loss of Lane Kiffin with a, er, near-riot.

It makes sense that Tennessee fans feel jilted. But the reaction most everywhere else, including LA, also is mostly negative.

The pessimists think all those people who are saying bad things about Kiffin are way too generous.

The optimists can't understand this. They think Kiffin is a great hire.

In the interest of making everyone happy -- or, in the case of the pessimists, justified -- the Pac-10 blog will present talking points for each position.

The Kiffin Pessimist

• Kiffin is bailing on Tennessee after only one season. He showed zero loyalty to the school that entrusted him, at just 33, with its cherished football program.
• Kiffin was fired from his previous head coaching job, the Oakland Raiders, before the end of his second season. His record? 5-15. Said owner Al Davis, "I think he conned me like he conned all you people."
• USC is entrusting its tradition-rich program to a coach whose career record is 12-21.
• He's an immature, attention-seeking loudmouth. He popped off at Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier. His mouth earned a reprimand from the SEC.
• In just one season, he committed at least six secondary NCAA violations.
• Tennessee faces at least two more violations as the NCAA continues an ongoing inquiry into other infractions, including the possible misuse of recruiting hostesses and impermissible visits.
• That's the NCAA baggage he brings to USC, a school facing its own NCAA inquiry. That hammering you hear outside? That's the NCAA building a gallows.
• Three Vols freshmen were involved in a robbery on November 12. Two were later kicked off the team.
• That's the sort of discipline he inspires.
• Kiffin is trying to hire Norm Chow as his offensive coordinator. Recall that Kiffin was part of the palace coup that convinced a suddenly marginalized Chow to bolt USC for the Tennessee Titans. Sure they'll be swell together.
• With Chow gone, Kiffin was USC's offensive coordinator when UCLA beat the Trojans 13-9 in 2006, costing them a berth in the BCS national title game.
• Kiffin lost 19-15 at home this season to UCLA, which went 3-6 in Pac-10 play.

The Kiffin Optimist

• One word: Recruiting.
• Make that two words and a sentence: Recruiting, recruiting. Kiffin and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron will be the nation's best recruiting tandem, and nothing in college football is more important than great recruiting.
• Xs and Os? The defense goes to Monte Kiffin, one of the great coaching legends on that side of the ball. The offense -- hopefully! -- goes to Norm Chow, one of the great coaching legends on that side of the ball.
• So, great recruiting plus great schemes: We could stop there.
• Lack of loyalty? Wait, phone's ringing. Hello. You want to offer Mr. Pessimist his dream job? Sorry. He's not going to take it. He's loyal.
• Maybe the reason Kiffin has been hired for his third head coaching job in 17 months -- before he turned 35 -- is because everybody knows he's got loads of talent? It's not like the Raiders, Volunteers and Trojans hired him because they felt sorry for him.
• The loudmouth stuff? Overblown. But he's been told to tone it down. He will.
• The secondary NCAA violations? Randomly audit 10 other elite BCS programs. How do they compare to Kiffin? No, we don't know why those other schools didn't get as much publicity for their peccadillos.
• Look, fans and media who don't understand the nature of NCAA violations and sanctions can prattle on about how horribly the Trojans will get hammered, but, please, just make sure they're around when the actual penalties are handed out. We want photos of the chagrined expressions.
• When you oversee 85 young men, ages 18 to 23, the odds of going a year without any of them getting into trouble aren't great. That's just the way things go.
• Chow's a pro. He and Kiffin, if reunited, will work fine together.
• Kiffin took over a Vols team that went 5-7 in 2008 and lost to Florida by 24, Georgia by 12 and Alabama by 20. He went 7-6, beat Georgia 45-19 and lost to Florida and Alabama by a combined 12 points. Where did the Gators and Tide finish in the final polls?
• Anyone recall the uproar when USC hired Carroll? Who thought that was an inspired decision in 2000?
• When the pessimists unanimously back a position, always bet against them (Carroll taught us that).

Seemingly every big-name coach in the country had been connected to the USC vacancy. Lane Kiffin's was included in some reports, but almost as an afterthought.

And yet Kiffin, Tennessee's head coach for just one year, is coming back west to coach the Trojans and replace his mentor Pete Carroll.

It's a stunning, splashy decision that few saw coming, but will inspire a lot of "Really?" from media and fans.

Kiffin's head coaching career has been spotty. He was 7-6 in one season at Tennessee and had an acrimonious split in 2008 with the Oakland Raiders, where he went 5-15.

Kiffin, who coached under Carroll from 2001-2006, has been known to be outspoken. Almost immediately after he was hired at Tennessee, he got in trouble with the SEC for making comments about other coaches and other programs, particularly Alabama and Florida. During his brief tenure in Knoxville, Kiffin had some issues with the NCAA, and his players had some off-field trouble.

Yet hiring Kiffin also might turn out to be a home run, particularly when you consider the staff he is putting together.

Kiffin, 34, will bring his father and defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, as well as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron with him to USC.

The elder Kiffin is one of the country's mostly highly regarded defensive minds. Orgeron is considered one of the nation's best recruiters. He was the Trojans recruiting coordinator from 2001 to 2004, when USC multiple times landed the nation's No. 1 class.

A source told the Pac-10 blog that USC also is expected to pursue Norm Chow as offensive coordinator. Chow is presently the offensive coordinator at UCLA, but he was Carroll's coordinator when the Trojans won consecutive national titles in 2003 and 2004.

"Lane Kiffin is a great get," said USC offensive lineman Jeff Byers, a sixth-year senior who played for Kiffin for three seasons. "He learned under coach Carroll. He's a guy who's been there. He's a great recruiter. I think it's a great hire -- I think [athletic director] Mike Garrett pulled a great one out of his hat. I don't think anybody was thinking Lane Kiffin."

Nope.

The recruiting skill is significant. Kiffin and Orgeron are leaving behind a class at Tennessee that presently ranks sixth in the nation, according to ESPN.com's Scouts Inc. His first class with the Vols ranked 15th.

One of the major worries when Carroll bolted for the Seattle Seahawks was that the Trojans recruiting class, presently ranked 11th, would fall apart. Odds are pretty good that won't happen now. Orgeron is a force of nature in recruiting.

And let's face it: While USC was always well-coached under Carroll, the secret of his success was recruiting the best players.

As far as Xs and Os, if Kiffin is able to pair his dad and Chow, he will have as good a pair of coordinators as any program in the nation.

“It’s great news," quarterback Matt Barkley told ESPNLosAngeles. "I remember meeting Kiff way back on the recruiting trail when I was a freshman in high school. I liked him when I met him. I like that he knows how to live and breathe the Trojan way.”

Barkley also pointed out that the Kiffin combination -- and potentially Chow -- will mean significant continuity in terms of scheme on both sides of the ball. The elder Kiffin was one of Carroll's defensive mentors, and they share many of the same philosophies.

"It’s comforting to know that not a lot is going to change,” Barkley said. “Kiff will have his own way of doing things, but I’m glad the offense isn’t going to be a whole lot different."

"Kiff" does have his own way of doing things, that's for sure. His hiring will generate national buzz, good and bad.

Now all he needs to do is duplicate Carroll's 83.6 percent winning percentage.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller 

Responding to speculation he's a candidate for several NFL head coaching jobs, Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh released a statement late Tuesday saying, "I would like to unequivocally state that I am 100 percent committed to Stanford and I look forward to leading this football program for years to come."

It concluded, "I have no desire to coach anywhere besides Stanford at this time."

Harbaugh has been connected to vacancies with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets.

It was reported in November that Harbaugh and Stanford had come to terms on a contract extension, but the contract apparently remains unsigned amid the coaching rumors.

Harbaugh's statement didn't address his contract situation with Stanford.

The statement also included a note that, "Coach Harbaugh is not available for further comment on this issue at this time."

What does this mean?

First, there's plenty of gray area here: "...at this time" does not address tomorrow.

Second, until the new contract is signed, there will be speculation that Harbaugh might end up elsewhere.

Third, the odds are fairly good Harbaugh will be coaching Stanford next fall.