COLLEGE GIG FOR GRUDEN?

With the news of a looming vacancy at one of the higher-profile college gigs (CFT has the info), it’s now time to begin pondering the possibility that Bucs coach Jon Gruden could decide that the time is right to get out of the NFL. It’s a job to which Gruden has been linked in the past, but typically only at a time when his Buccaneers have been struggling. There’s no reason to believe as of right now that Gruden could be inclined to make the leap. The current problem is that, even if Gruden is interested, the college in question would have to wait until January (or possibly February) before hiring him. Alternatively, Gruden could pull a Petrino and leave before the 2008 NFL season has ended. Either way, we expect Gruden to soon declare, “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”