• Swinney's a keeper. Clemson won four of its last five under Dabo Swinney and put a foot in South Carolina Saturday to finish 7-5, so it's no surprise given the smoking crater left by Tommy Bowden's midseason liquidation that Swinney will have the 'interim' title removed as early as today. Staff assembly is already under way.

With some of the names flying around at the time, it didn't seem conceivable that an obscure wide receivers coach who immediately came off as trying way too hard could hold down this job -- the Tigers fancy themselves a major destination for a proven coach, after all, or a hot up-and-comer -- but Swinney's record down the stretch now makes him a bit of both. It helps that C.J. Spiller vowed to stick around another year for the man.

The happiest man in media is Tim "Baby Schwam" Brando, who gets to add "A Dabo'll Do Ya" to "The Fighting Manginos," "Fly In the Ointment" and "Aaaaaaaaalabehma!" in the stable of unbelievably irritating catchphrases he's compelled to break out every time he's on camera.

• Percy, no! After kicking off the Gator rout by scoring the game's first touchdown, Percy Harvin spent the last few minutes of Saturday's win over Florida State wearing a boot on the sideline, the casualty of a sprained ankle that might keep him out of the SEC Championship game this week. Other than the Tebow Child, Harvin is the one player on Florida's offense whose absence raises and eyebrow: As Nick Saban notes, UF has a bottomless well of versatile offensive speed that can run and catch, Harvin touches the ball more often than anyone on the offense except Tebow and has been one of the engines that makes Meyer's system go since about the middle of his freshman year, when healthy. He might be worth a touchdown a game, and if he's not going to play against Alabama, a steep drop in the 10-point opening line in the Gators' favor, as well.

Florida could also be without a pair of defensive linemen, Matt Patchan and Brandon Antwine, which could force some shuffling, including SEC co-sack leader Carlos Dunlap moving to tackle.

• The Fast Lane. Lane Kiffin's not set to be introduced as boss at Tennessee until this afternoon, but the boy wonder was already getting recruits out of bed on Sunday morning and met his new team on Sunday night.

Kiffin also looks set to confirm the longstanding rumor by naming his dad, Monte, as defensive coordinator. Monte is 68 years old and entrenched in the NFL game -- who knows what kind of recruiter he can be -- but as a Saints fan who had to watch the elder Kiffin's vaunted "Tampa Two" befuddle New Orleans for the umpteenth time Sunday, I wholeheartedly endorse the hire. And if Lane wants to confirm another rumor and take defensive line coach Ed Orgeron off the Saints' hands while he's at it, I endorse that, too. Coach O brings 'em in, Monte actually coaches them: It's a wining combination.

Quickly ... Tommy Tuberville is committed to returning to Auburn but might shake up his longstanding staff on offense if it means landing a better coordinator. ... Tuberville's old defensive coordinator, Gene Chizik, is cleaning house at Iowa State, firing both coordinators in preparation for a make-or-break 2009. ... Besides losing to Cincinnati, Syracuse spent part of last week interviewing a pair of offensive coordinators: Oregon's Chip Kelly and Illinois' Mike Locksley. ... Fresno State's Pat Hill had "a great conversation" with Washington a day after his team was trounced 61-10 at Boise State. ... Steve Spurrier fired his offensive line coach, John Hunt, and quarterbacks coach David Reaves resigned. ... Sam Bradford has torn ligaments in his non-throwing hand. ... Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell underwent surgery Sunday on his non-throwing hand but should be fine for (probably) the Cotton Bowl. ... Hawaii's going to the Hawaii Bowl after a win over Washington State. ... And the woman in the bathroom sex sendoff to the Metrodome is suggesting she may have been the victim of foul play.