Could you hear the chattering of teeth from out West last week? That reverberating sound was that of USC fans, who were anxiously awaiting if Football coach would “do the deed” and make the jump back to pro football as either coach of the Atlanta Falcons or of the Washington Redskins.

 Hmmm..now let’s see…have players around me that make more than me or rule the college world..well, if Reggie Bush can make more than me while he’s here, then…..

Carroll was “on vacation” last week and met with the media and his team for the first time since USC’s drubbing of Illinois in the Rose Bowl. When asked about the NFL prospects, he merely declined to answer. This happened after ESPN reported last week that Carroll would not be taking the Atlanta job, and everyone at that point felt that he would not be going anywhere. But how often has it happened that we’ve heard coaches decline to comment and basically focus things elsewhere, and then days later be donning a new hat in a new town? Bill Self left for Kansas from Illinois without even having a meeting with his players, whereby the story goes that he told them over the phone. Rich Rodriguez denied that he was leaving West Virginia and threatened to end a press conference if he was asked about it one more time, and 2 days later was announced as the Michigan head coach. Even before that, the media hounded Les Miles about the Michigan job even though he denied it over and over and even backed out of a supposed deal with the Wolverines. I guess we all just “know” Coachspeak and that is what drives the paranoia around these things.

Of course, with Carroll neither confirming or denying things, there’s no direction to really put on this thing, but one thing is for sure–if he leaves USC, he is leaving behind what could be one of the most rewarding careers a coach could ever have at any university. He’s got the college “spirit”, the name behind the school, and the recruiting power. He’s got an area of the country that is overflowing with talent, and with UCLA being down in the dumps, he’s ruled the city the entire 21st century.

The only likely thing I can see him doing is going to the Redskins because it would be taking over a team that is already decent, being a playoff team this year. It’s a storied franchise, and it’s also got an owner (Dan Snyder) that will certainly pay to have coaches in the NFL (see Steve Spurrier).

But why risk the jump again? Carroll coached the Jets previously and was decent overall, but being at the top of the heap in college football every year can’t be a bad thing. In this case, it’s a no brainer to stay at USC, but then again, I have to wonder why June Jones would leave sunny Hawaii and its “cush” schedule for SMU. Sometimes things just don’t make sense, so USC fans, keep on chomping at the bit…..because your self-fulfilling prophecy may take effect in the form of Carroll walking the sidelines of JFK Stadium next year.