College football notebook: Rodriguez won't lobby publicly to keep his job
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon might ask Rich Rodriguez why he should keep his job in a private conversation soon after the Gator Bowl.
Publicly, Rodriguez doesn't want to say what his answer would be.
"It would sound like I'm lobbying," Rodriguez said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I've got a great job and we're looking forward to finishing it."
Brandon might not give Rodriguez that chance with three years left on his six-season contract that pays him about $2.5 million annually.
The first-year AD has steadfastly stuck by his plan to evaluate Rodriguez after the season, which closes against No. 21 Mississippi State on New Year's Day.
Brandon has refused to waver from that plan while speculation swirls that he's going to fire Rodriguez and try to hire Stanford coach and former Wolverines quarterback Jim Harbaugh to lead college football's winningest program.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he doesn't know what his brother is going to do.
"I'm just assuming he's going to stay at Stanford," he said. "He really likes it there, he loves those players, but you just have to see.
"I don't think there's any other jobs that are open right now anyways," he added.
Not yet.
Rodriguez is 15-21 overall, 6-18 in the Big Ten and 1-10 against ranked teams in three seasons at Michigan.
Brandon has said the NCAA violations - related to practices and offseason workouts - committed under Rodriguez didn't give him cause to terminate his contract. If Brandon and school officials decide to fire Rodriguez without cause on or after Jan. 1, the buyout drops from $4 million to $2.5 million.
Perhaps showing signs of cracking under the intense scrutiny, Rodriguez broke down at last month's team banquet - tearing up about the affect his job has had on his family - quoted the Bible and Josh Groban, then played a song from the musician.
Otherwise, though, Rodriguez's players have said their coach has looked and sounded the same as he had for three seasons.
"He's still an upbeat guy - yelling and screaming at us during practice - because
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