Kiffin to USC (!)

I'm probably not going to be able to give you any insight on USC hiring Lane Kiffin that you can't get anywhere else, other than it's totally shocking to me.

Obviously, 'SC wanted to move quickly to name Pete Carroll's successor, and Kiffin, Coach O and Norm Chow definitely preserves some semblance of continuity from the previous regime. While Kiffin's name had been bandied about in some of the wild media speculation this week, he appeared to be relatively far down the Trojans' wish list. Sounds like at least Mike Riley, Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio passed on the job, though, so I guess it's not completely shocking from that standpoint.

This raises some important questions:

-Is this a panic move?

I get the need to move quickly to save the recruiting class, but did 'SC act too hastily? Preserving a recruiting class should be secondary to finding a good fit for the job.

-Who controlled the decision process?

This seems like it has Mike Garrett's fingerprints on it, based on the statement he issued earlier. If so, that suggests he still has the backing of the school's administration.

-Does this say anything about the status of the NCAA's investigation into the USC athletic department?

Kiffin just left a pretty plum gig for Troy. This could be a signal that he thinks 'SC gets off lightly.

-Is Kiffin the right guy for the job?

With potential NCAA sanctions looming, Kiffin makes for an interesting choice. He has drawn some heat from the Association for some of his recruiting tactics in his one year at Tennessee. Also, despite all the headlines that have been written about Kiffin, he doesn't exactly have a distinguished resume. Lastly, having just been jilted by Pete Carroll, are the Trojans concerned Kiffin may soon long to return to the NFL?

Anyway, given all the other rumors that have already circulated about him this offseason, I guess I'll go ahead and get it over with: Bob Stoops to Tennessee?

(Absolutely not.)