Lane Change

Before everyone decides to crucify Lane Kiffin for taking the USC job, ask yourself this...would you have hung up the phone without accepting what you deem a better career opportunity? So where is this "he's a traitor/he betrayed us" talk is coming from?

When news came down of Lane Kiffin shockingly leaving Tennessee last night there was the immediate overreaction by the populous. "How could he do this 3 weeks before National Signing Day?" Easy...by answering the phone & saying "I accept your job offer USC." I can understand being upset, but lets not make it sound like this is a Jesus & Judas situation & that Kiffin sold out Tennessee for 30 silver pieces. He left "Rocky Top" the #6 recruiting class, when Tennessee hasn't been part of the relevant college landscape for the majority of the decade. In other words, an improvement.

Sure you'll lose some recruits, but you aren't losing them all. One recruit they are losing is Brandon Willis. Willis, a top 50 high school recruit (according Rivals.com), was expected to start school early, but upon hearing the news said, "I am not going to Tennessee, I am not sure what I am going to do now. I am going to sit down with my dad and talk about it." However, Willis' high school teammate, Corey Miller (who is a higher rated prospect than Willis) is still headed to UT. & before you react & say "Kiffin left them high & dry." think about it this for a second...aren't these recruits going to leave college (in some cases early) to pursue better career opportunities in the NFL? So stop the hypocritical outrage.

Even though I would have thought twice about taking over head coaching duties in a school that may face NCAA probabtion (like USC may face), Kiffin thinks he has a better opportunity in Southern Cal than in Tennessee. & let's face it, location is a big deal to recruits. If someone is trying to get you to commit to their school, who do you think will have an easier time doing so? Tennessee or Southern California? It's not even a contest.

Of course if USC is sanctioned, Kiffin will have a lot of egg on his face. Steve Spurrier once said "you can spell Citrus (as in the Citrus Bowl) without the UT." Maybe Lane Kiffin thought you couldn't spell success, without USC.