Lane Kiffin

Kiffin asked for it Andrea Adelson Orlando Sentinel If this were any other coach, the Tennessee Titans would be making too much over the way USC hired Kennedy Pola. But we are talking about Lane Kiffin, a man who has shown a complete disregard for decorum, ethics and professionalism to his fellow coaches. Kiffin took one potshot after another at SEC coaches during his brief tenure at Tennessee, incorrectly accusing several of cheating. When he and assistant Ed Orgeron left for USC, Orgeron allegedly called their Tennessee recruits and asked them to come along to Los Angeles — just weeks before signing day. This is simply karma coming back at Kiffin.

You snooze, you lose in the rankings — unless you're LSU coach Les Miles, who somehow snoozes and wins. This week, the lower quadrant changed in a major way — five out, five in. We'll miss PBS-like, teachable-moment odes to former No. 25 James Madison, and it's a rare week when you have to prepare parting gifts for Texas, USC and Penn State. In Mack Brown, Lane Kiffin and Joe Paterno, the poll is losing two legends and a Boy Scout, along with enough comment material to fill the space beneath an LSU coach's cap. 1. Boise State 4-0 (1)

The Titans are suing Southern California and coach Lane Kiffin for "maliciously" luring away assistant running backs coach Kennedy Pola a week before training camp opens. Tennessee Football Inc., the company that owns the Titans, filed the lawsuit Monday in Davidson County (Tenn.) Chancery Court against both the university and Kiffin. The lawsuit accuses Southern California and Kiffin of violating Pola's contract that required him to have written permission to discuss a job with anyone other than the Titans.

We're looking at a potential national title game-changer weekend if Boise State holds off Oregon State and Arkansas upsets everybody else's No. 1, Alabama, in Fayetteville. We were waiting for the Iowa game to make a call on Arizona, and its victory in Tucson sent the Wildcats from unranked to lucky No. 13. Surprising Temple (3-0) is now one victory over JoePa State from crashing the poll gates. 1. Boise State 2-0 (1): Lee Corso steals blue wig from retirement home to wear on "GameDay" set. 2. Ohio State 3-0 (2)

A really bad idea Andrea Adelson Orlando Sentinel Lane Kiffin is no Pete Carroll, no matter how many years the two spent working together. Giving Kiffin the keys to the USC dynasty is like turning over the keys to your Bentley to a 2-year-old. Really bad idea. There is no question Kiffin can recruit, and he has an excellent staff already in place with his father, Monte, and recruiter extraordinaire Ed Orgeron. The problem is we have no idea whether Kiffin can coach.

Defending national champion Alabama is still at the top of the college football world as the top- ranked team in the preseason Associated Press poll, which was released Saturday. Alabama received 54 of 60 first-place votes and a total of 1,491 points, while Ohio State checked in at No. 2 with three first-place votes and 1,400 points. Boise State received its highest ranking ever in the polls in the third slot and garnered a single first-place vote. Also receiving a single first-place vote was fifth-ranked Texas, which lost to the Tide in last year's national championship game, and seventh-ranked Oklahoma.

Tennessee turned down a chance to face USC and coach Lane Kiffin in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Volunteers athletic director Mike Hamilton said Wednesday he's been approached several times by Chick-fil-A Bowl president Gary Stokan about a potential matchup in Atlanta. Hamilton said it would be too much for the Vols' schedule, which already includes games with Cincinnati and North Carolina in addition to their Southeastern Conference opponents. Hamilton said the decision wasn't related to any hard feelings toward Kiffin, who left Tennessee abruptly in January after one season as head coach to take the USC job. The two schools have a verbal agreement to play each other in Los Angeles in 2021.

Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson spent a third straight day in Oakland interviewing with the Raiders for a coaching position Thursday. Despite media reports that Raiders owner Al Davis has recently been interviewing candidates for an assistant coaching position, it should not come as a surprise if Raiders coach Tom Cable is fired and Jackson replaces him, according to a source. The Raiders could not be reached for comment. The Raiders like Jackson, 45, because he played a major part in the development of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, and Oakland also likes what he has done working with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco the past two seasons.

Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson spent a third straight day in Oakland interviewing with the Raiders for a coaching position Thursday. Despite media reports that Raiders owner Al Davis has recently been interviewing candidates for an assistant coaching position, it should not come as a surprise if Raiders coach Tom Cable is fired and Jackson replaces him, according to a source. The Raiders could not be reached for comment. The Raiders like Jackson, 45, because he played a major part in the development of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, and Oakland also likes what he has done working with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco the past two seasons.

The season is just two months old and already the firing line is working overtime. Coaches fired so far: Scott Linehan (Rams), Lane Kiffin (Raiders) and, last week, Mike Nolan (49ers). On deck: * Rod Marinelli, Lions: Unless Detroit can beat the Vikings on Dec. 7 at home, he has an excellent chance to achieve 0-16 infamy. Really. * Brad Childress, Vikings: He whiffed on personnel decisions, and the owner wanted a playoff team to help get a new stadium. Look for a new coach instead. * Romeo Crennel, Browns: Not much has gone right in his fourth year of great expectations.

USC's quest to capture the media poll flag is going the way of Wrong Way Roy Riegels. The Trojans keep winning and retreating, losing six poll spots since debuting at No. 14. It seems like every time coach Lane Kiffin goes for two, the Trojans drop two, sliding from No. 14, to 16, to 18, to 20. Two more victories and USC may end up in the NAIA poll. Could it be backlash for the NCAA sanctions levied against USC last June? Or, perhaps, a bad aftertaste resonating from Reggie Bush, who recently became the first player in history to magnanimously return the Heisman Trophy before it was ignominiously ripped from his hands.

Defending national champion Alabama is still at the top of the college football world as the top- ranked team in the preseason Associated Press poll, which was released Saturday. Alabama received 54 of 60 first-place votes and a total of 1,491 points, while Ohio State checked in at No. 2 with three first-place votes and 1,400 points. Boise State received its highest ranking ever in the polls in the third slot and garnered a single first-place vote. Also receiving a single first-place vote was fifth-ranked Texas, which lost to the Tide in last year's national championship game, and seventh-ranked Oklahoma.

Kiffin asked for it Andrea Adelson Orlando Sentinel If this were any other coach, the Tennessee Titans would be making too much over the way USC hired Kennedy Pola. But we are talking about Lane Kiffin, a man who has shown a complete disregard for decorum, ethics and professionalism to his fellow coaches. Kiffin took one potshot after another at SEC coaches during his brief tenure at Tennessee, incorrectly accusing several of cheating. When he and assistant Ed Orgeron left for USC, Orgeron allegedly called their Tennessee recruits and asked them to come along to Los Angeles — just weeks before signing day. This is simply karma coming back at Kiffin.

The Titans are suing Southern California and coach Lane Kiffin for "maliciously" luring away assistant running backs coach Kennedy Pola a week before training camp opens. Tennessee Football Inc., the company that owns the Titans, filed the lawsuit Monday in Davidson County (Tenn.) Chancery Court against both the university and Kiffin. The lawsuit accuses Southern California and Kiffin of violating Pola's contract that required him to have written permission to discuss a job with anyone other than the Titans.

Tennessee turned down a chance to face USC and coach Lane Kiffin in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Volunteers athletic director Mike Hamilton said Wednesday he's been approached several times by Chick-fil-A Bowl president Gary Stokan about a potential matchup in Atlanta. Hamilton said it would be too much for the Vols' schedule, which already includes games with Cincinnati and North Carolina in addition to their Southeastern Conference opponents. Hamilton said the decision wasn't related to any hard feelings toward Kiffin, who left Tennessee abruptly in January after one season as head coach to take the USC job. The two schools have a verbal agreement to play each other in Los Angeles in 2021.

Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson spent a third straight day in Oakland interviewing with the Raiders for a coaching position Thursday. Despite media reports that Raiders owner Al Davis has recently been interviewing candidates for an assistant coaching position, it should not come as a surprise if Raiders coach Tom Cable is fired and Jackson replaces him, according to a source. The Raiders could not be reached for comment. The Raiders like Jackson, 45, because he played a major part in the development of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, and Oakland also likes what he has done working with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco the past two seasons.

You snooze, you lose in the rankings — unless you're LSU coach Les Miles, who somehow snoozes and wins. This week, the lower quadrant changed in a major way — five out, five in. We'll miss PBS-like, teachable-moment odes to former No. 25 James Madison, and it's a rare week when you have to prepare parting gifts for Texas, USC and Penn State. In Mack Brown, Lane Kiffin and Joe Paterno, the poll is losing two legends and a Boy Scout, along with enough comment material to fill the space beneath an LSU coach's cap. 1. Boise State 4-0 (1)

Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson spent a third straight day in Oakland interviewing with the Raiders for a coaching position Thursday. Despite media reports that Raiders owner Al Davis has recently been interviewing candidates for an assistant coaching position, it should not come as a surprise if Raiders coach Tom Cable is fired and Jackson replaces him, according to a source. The Raiders could not be reached for comment. The Raiders like Jackson, 45, because he played a major part in the development of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, and Oakland also likes what he has done working with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco the past two seasons.