Burns discusses a crazy rivalry week and an even wilder coaching carousel

Key notes from Peter Burns interview

• How in the world did LSU win that game? I’m still trying to figure out how that happened. It’s just part of the magic that is Tiger Stadium and the Ed Orgeron effect for the last time. For Max Johnson to stay in the pocket on that final play, knowing he was going to get absolutely crushed, was impressive. He redeemed himself with that last pass to Jaray Jenkins, which could have been offensive pass interference. You’re probably not going to get that call on any opposing field through college football.
   
• A&M was rebuilding stuff on the offensive line and lost your starting quarterback this season. They had to adjust. I never thought this would be a national championship year for A&M, but 8-4 is certainly disappointing. You’re not seeing any signs of recruiting going elsewhere, so that’s a positive. You want to finish the season with a bowl victory. It is not a ‘sky is falling’ feeling. If they can figure it out next year, things will be just fine.
   
• Postgame, Lincoln Riley is asked about LSU, and he said he wasn’t taking that job. Technically, that was not a lie. Nobody asked if he was going anywhere else. It makes perfect sense. Do you want to play in that SEC West Division, or would you rather play in the Pac-12? Being a head coach in the SEC West is like playing Bethpage Black. He can go to the Pac-12, crush recruiting and have an easier path to the playoff. The question now is how much this hurts Oklahoma as they prepare to join the toughest conference in football.
   
• Scott Woodward is one of the more confident guys who gets things done. Nobody thought he’d get Kim Mulkey from Baylor. Jay Johnson in baseball was a good hire. Woodward has an ‘it’ factor about him. If he never even met with Billy Napier, it makes me think that he has had his guy all along. It tells me that he’s not worried about it. Other than rumors, we haven’t heard who LSU has met with. That makes me think they have a big name, but I just want to know who it is.
   
• I said about a month ago that I’d make Brian Kelly tell me no five times. When Lincoln Riley said no about LSU, it reminded me of when Kelly was asked about the USC job a few weeks ago. Maybe Kelly to LSU is in play right now. There has to be something brewing there, and I’d be shocked if LSU does not hire a big name in the next couple of days.
   
• Oklahoma will not turn to Josh Heupel at Tennessee. He is loyal to his athletic director, and there is some bad blood from when Heupel was fired as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator. Mark Stoops is an interesting candidate. He’s a good coach, but I’m not sure he wants to sit in his brother’s shadow. Matt Campbell and Brent Venables are names I’d watch. A couple of years ago, Venables said he never wanted to be a head coach, but maybe now this is a marquee job that he could get.
   
• Buster Douglass had a chance against Mike Tyson. If Alabama beat Georgia, it wouldn’t be that big of an upset. Michigan had a huge hump to get over with Ohio State. That was the same with Oklahoma State over Oklahoma. Georgia has to get over the Alabama hump. If you have an elite team, you have an elite team. Georgia has an elite team. With Brian Robinson not playing this week, I’d be surprised if Alabama scores 13 points against that Georgia defense.
   
• There is something to say about the resiliency of Alabama. They have a good, solid team. There is something to say about gutting out wins like they did in the Iron Bowl. Seeing how happy Nick Saban was after that win and after going to bat for them was different. He told his guys to have fun at halftime when they were down 10-0. When has Saban ever said to “have fun”? He knows they’re not that good. What he thinks about this team will come to fruition on Saturday, which is why I think it’ll be a big-time Georgia win.
   
• Michigan was impressive vs. Michigan State, and I’m still surprised they lost that game. This shows how Jim Harbaugh has been able to adapt and build this. He hired Josh Gattis and a younger staff to help with recruiting. We whipped Harbaugh for the longest time, but he changed. If Nick Saban can hire Lane Kiffin, other coaches can change too. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Michigan can win it all this year. They’re a little cheaper version of what Georgia is right now.
   
• I think Lane Kiffin will be at Ole Miss next year. If Miami opens up, that will be something to watch. If they don’t fire Manny Diaz, I see him sticking around in Oxford. I don’t see him going for any other job than Miami, and I’m not sure they fire Diaz.