Making the morning rounds. • The facial expressions alone are worth $1.3 million. Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt traveled to Tampa Tuesday to meet Wednesday with ex-NFL coach turned talking head Jon Gruden, who demurred from The U's initial overtures but is reportedly warming up to the prospect of replacing Randy Shannon as Hurricane head coach. Gruden "definitely is still in play," according to sources in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and CaneSport.com reports that, "barring a last-minute glitch," Gruden could be announced by the end of the week. [Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, CaneSport.com]
In the meantime, ex-Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is openly stumping for the job in his new hometown paper, the Palm Beach Post: "It's a great job and I think it would be a great fit," Leach said. "We'd have an exciting brand of football. We'll fill the seats and we'll win games and we'll win ACC championships. ... They could hire me and we'd have one decade after another of success with students that graduate and don't get into trouble, or they can hire somebody else." Why is the Pirate Coach swinging his sword so wildly in the press? Because Miami is clearly leaning toward "somebody else": Leach admitted he's only heard "little mutterings" about his candidacy, and nothing from the university. [Palm Beach Post]
• We have ways of making you talk. SEC rules require that Auburn make all players, including quarterback Cam Newton, available to the media after Saturday's SEC Championship Game, or otherwise risk being fined by the conference. Newton hasn't spoken publicly since Nov. 9, less than a week after his dream season was picked by a tornado of allegations that his father solicited six-figure payments for Cam's services during his recruitment last year. If Newton does appear in front of a microphone after the game, all he has to do is follow the university's lead: "No comment." [Associated Press, Birmingham News]
One person who will be talking: Confessed middleman Kenny Rogers, the former Mississippi State player turned quasi-agent who has admitted on multiple occasions to soliciting money from his alma mater on Cecil Newton's behalf, and who plans to meet with the Mississippi Secretary of State's office next week. [Associated Press]
• Will he, or won't he? USC coach Lane Kiffin initially told reporters Tuesday that quarterback Matt Barkley would definitely play Saturday against UCLA after being knocked out of the loss to Oregon State and sitting out the loss against Notre Dame with a bum ankle. After practice, though, Kiffin had downgraded Barkley's prospects to "hopefully," and Mitch Mustain still looks like the starter in the Rose Bowl. [L.A. Times, L.A. Daily News]
• Welcome back. Texas A&M is going back to the Cotton Bowl for the 13th time, the first since 2005, the last time the Aggies were in any traditional January game. This time they'll take their five-game winning streak to close the season against either LSU or Alabama on Jan. 7 in Jerry Jones' Texas space palace. Yes, you read that right: Jan. 7. [Dallas Morning News]
Army is also going bowling, officially ending a 14-year postseason drought Tuesday by accepting a bid to the Armed Forces Bowl in SMU's Ford Stadium on Dec. 30. The Black Knights' last bid: The 1996 Independence Bowl, against Auburn. [Associated Press]
Quickly… Alabama's rogue P.A. staffer wasn't alone in choosing pregame music intended to taunt Cam Newton. … I-AA/FCS power UMass may be looking to take a step up to the MAC. … Alabama cornerback B.J. Scott is looking to transfer. … USC players haven't even noticed the departure of high-profile recruit Markeith Ambles. … Ronald Johnson is looking for redemption from UCLA. … A Texas dad abandons his drunken daughter for "being an Aggie." … The original Dawgfather assesses Steve Sarkisian's fourth-down gamble to beat Cal. … Even Paul Wulff isn't sure if Paul Wulff will be back for a fourth year at Washington State. … And no, Florida didn't trash Florida State's locker room. Stop emailing me.
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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
Tami Donaldson Padma Lakshmi Sarah Mutch Gabrielle Union Alessandra Ambrosio
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