Alabama is back in the College Football Playoff — and while Kalen DeBoer readies the Tide for a massive showdown at Oklahoma, a fresh round of Michigan-fueled coaching rumors threatens to steal the spotlight once again.
DeBoer’s squad is facing a massive challenge on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners next Friday night. The game will be the decider for the face off against the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl.
But, as was the case during Iron Bowl week, distractions could be hanging over the team.
The Michigan Wolverines parted with head coach Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, after an investigation into an inappropriate relationship between him and a female staffer, leaving one of the biggest jobs in college football open.
Even after DeBoer squashed rumors leading up to the SEC title game about the Penn State job, DeBoer’s name was pitched as a potential candidate for Michigan.
During an appearance Thursday morning with Yellowhammer’s “Longshore and McKnight” show, Paul Finebaum — prominent SEC analyst — was asked about the possibility, and did not shut it down.
“I don’t have any doubt that [Michigan] will [go after DeBoer], the question is, does he take it?” Finebaum said. “I think I might wait a week from tomorrow night and see how that game goes in Norman. I say that halfway jokingly, but if Alabama loses that game, it wouldn’t be a bad move…everyone in Michigan would likely want him and I couldn’t be able to say that about Alabama fans.”
Longshore jokingly asked Finebaum if new LSU coach Lane Kiffin had actually signed his contract in Baton Rouge, to which Finebaum laughed and posed a wild scenario.
“Wouldn’t that be the greatest deal in the world if Kiffin had 3 SEC jobs in a matter of three or four weeks?” Finebaum posed somewhat sarcastically. “I guarantee that when he heard the news about Sherrone Moore and Kalen DeBoer, he’s calling Jimmy Sexton going ‘are we definitely here? Is there any wiggle room?’”
In all likelihood, DeBoer is going to stay put at Alabama and Kiffin at LSU, but in a coaching carousel which has already seen some wild twists and turns, who knows what might happen next?
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
