This might not be going away until Oregon actually hires their next coach.
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Florida head coach Jim McElwain has been trying to fan the flames on rumors about him being interested in the Oregon head coaching job. That included taking time to address the issue at press conferences before Saturday's SEC Championship Game, where McElwain tried again to distance himself from the rumors.
McElwain on coaching rumors: "People can do whatever they want and say whatever they want. I know how excited I am to be a Gator."
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) December 2, 2016
Related: Lane Kiffin to pick between two job offers following SEC title game
McElwain did say earlier in the week that he planned to stay at Florida, but many in the college football media are skeptical about how McElwain is avoiding saying directly that he wasn't going to Oregon.
Once again, perfect opportunity to say “I will not be going to Oregon. I plan to coach at Florida for a long, long time.” https://t.co/YLLrtEh6tz
— FootballScoop (@FootballScoop) December 2, 2016
Except he didn't say that, and to my knowledge still hasn't said that https://t.co/57qsE0MgT9
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 2, 2016
Related: No. 2 ILB Anthony Hines passes on Ohio State, Florida to announcement in-state commitment
This may just be semantics, but there is a point there. If McElwain is addressing the rumors at all, why doesn't he just say "I'm not going to Oregon"? It's similar to what Tom Herman did at Houston before going to Texas; Herman said he was "focused on Memphis" — Houston's last opponents — and would never really say "No, I'm not going to Texas."
This will definitely be something to keep an eye on as Florida plays their last game before bowl season on Saturday.
