# Lane Kiffin is going to USC **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 13, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739 "2010-01-13T01:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/1 "2010-01-13T01:52:01Z")
Story [here](http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=4820737). I have to say I find this very surprising. Kiffin for all his publicity is still very unproven and seems to be a lightning rod for chaos and controversy. It seems likely that USC will be taking some serious sanctions so perhaps Kiffin is the best they could hope for, and perhaps Kiffin is the only one cavalier enough to not care. Supposedly his dad will be tagging along for a second time. Presumably the USC defense will continue to be very stiff. Bad times for Tennessee though, they are getting rode hard and put away wet in this fiasco. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/2 "2010-01-13T02:01:46Z")
Wow. I’d pulled for USC in the past, but Kiffin and this program deserve each other. He’s an arrogant jerk and he seemed to be on his way to breaking some NCAA rules at Tennessee, so I guess this is a big step up for him. Is he going to sing “Rocky Top” after beating Florida? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/3 "2010-01-13T02:24:41Z")
Interesting. Kiffen really didn’t have much of a chance for greatness in the SEC with Saban, and (sort-of)Meyer around. But I am kind of surprised that arrogant ass realized it. Now he can be a big fish in the little pond of the Pac-10. I bet Tennessee open the wallet really freakin wide now to pull in someone with a name to save face. Maybe they’ll Poach Rodriguez from Michigan, and we can snag Harbaugh. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/4 "2010-01-13T02:48:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Maybe they’ll Poach Rodriguez from Michigan, and we can snag Harbaugh. That is not as crazy as it sounds. Harbaugh is destined for Michigan, and Stanford can’t keep him forever. Rich Rod doesn’t seem to be all that firmly entrenched, either. I don’t think there’d be hard feelings anywhere. (Except Stanford, but who cares about them?) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/5 "2010-01-13T02:59:35Z")
Holy Shit. Bad move by Kiffin. Not only is he accepting a demotion to a largely overrated program, he’s pretty much admitting he can’t cut it in the SEC. Really hoping the NCAA lays down heavy sanctions on USC. That would serve Kiffin right. Tennessee is getting screwed here. He was only there a year, and now he’s taking several of his staff with him. Tennessee has to name an interim coach right as recruiting season is about to heat up. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/6 "2010-01-13T03:03:01Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Holy Shit. > > Bad move by Kiffin. Not only is he accepting a demotion to a largely overrated program, he’s pretty much admitting he can’t cut it in the SEC. Really hoping the NCAA lays down heavy sanctions on USC. That would serve Kiffin right. > > Tennessee is getting screwed here. He was only there a year, and now he’s taking several of his staff with him. Tennessee has to name an interim coach right as recruiting season is about to heat up. Um. A demotion? I don’t see this anything else other than a promotion. It’s a lateral move at worst. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/7 "2010-01-13T03:07:12Z")
It’s not a demotion . It could be rough for a few years based on NCAA problems but in general USC is a top 5 to top 10 job in the country. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/8 "2010-01-13T03:09:39Z")
Leaving the SEC for an inferior conference counts as a demotion in my book. Then again, I’m a proud, perhaps even arrogant, SEC homer. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/9 "2010-01-13T03:17:32Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Leaving the SEC for an inferior conference counts as a demotion in my book. Then again, I’m a proud, perhaps even arrogant, SEC homer. The Pac 10 is in no way inferior to the SEC. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/10 "2010-01-13T03:22:04Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Leaving the SEC for an inferior conference counts as a demotion in my book. He’s not leaving the SEC - he’s leaving Tennessee. He’s not joining another conference - he’s joining USC. It’s ridiculous to look at it only at the conference level. If the coach at Vanderbilt were offered the USC job, he’d crap his pants. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/11 "2010-01-13T03:23:35Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > The Pac 10 is in no way inferior to the SEC. Oh yeah? How many consecutive SEC/BCS titles do they have? Most years, how many teams that matter do they have? In both cases, the answer is “less than the SEC”. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/12 "2010-01-13T03:27:04Z")
I went to grad school at UT , there isn’t much in Knoxville beyond UT. On the plus side around 95% of the people there are UT fans compared to LA where you also have fans of UCLA, Cal, plus fans of the pro teams in various sports. USC is not just a PAC 10 school, they are a long time national power. They are not Oregon State, Wash State, Arizona, etc. It’s really bizarre to say he’s taking a lesser job. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/13 "2010-01-13T03:34:00Z")
Kiffin is a G%&damn schmuck and a hypocrite. He accused Florida and Urban Meyer of cheating, but it’s Kiffin’s program that is being investigated. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/14 "2010-01-13T03:35:41Z")
Well, the SEC is clearly #1 in getting teams on probation. In fact right now Alabama FB is still on probation. It did not impact their ability to be in the BCS but it’s still probation. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/15 "2010-01-13T03:45:49Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > It’s really bizarre to say he’s taking a lesser job. Note that I am sometimes known to indulge in a bit of semi-comedic hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/16 "2010-01-13T04:47:00Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Note that I am sometimes known to indulge in a bit of semi-comedic hyperbole. It’d be comedic if it were funny. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/17 "2010-01-13T04:58:05Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > It’d be comedic if it were funny. Yeah, yeah. Like you never told a joke that bombed.😛 ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/18 "2010-01-13T05:00:15Z")
Rumors are that David Cutcliffe may be heading back to Knoxville to fill the job on a more permanent basis, which would be a mistake IMO. True, he’s a Fulmer guy, but he bombed as a head coach in the SEC to the point he came back as Fulmer’s OC because it was the only job he could get. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/19 "2010-01-13T05:08:23Z")
WTF?! That’s absolutely insane. Like, Dennis-Franchione-I’ve-just-torpedoed-my-career-and-no-program-will-ever-trust-me-again insane. Lame, Kiffin. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739/20 "2010-01-13T05:13:46Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Yeah, yeah. Like you never told a joke that bombed.😛 Nope. The microphone is always on for me and nobody ever forgets to try the veal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lane-kiffin-is-going-to-usc/524739.md?page=2)