USC coaching search heat check: These are the hottest — and coldest — candidates

Penn State coach James Franklin celebrates with fans following a 44-13 victory over Ball State on Sept. 11 in State College, Pa.

(Barry Reeger / Associated Press)

James Franklin, Penn State head coach: Each offseason as Clay Helton’s ouster loomed, Franklin’s name came up as a natural fit for USC, and, sure enough, within two days of Helton’s firing, radio host Dan Patrick said he has a source that says there is mutual interest between Franklin and USC. Franklin did nothing to dispel the report, going out of his way to not confirm or deny it.

“I’ve tracked this over time, that really no matter what you say, people aren’t happy with, so I’ve decided I will handle this internally, talk to our team,” Franklin said. “I’m not worried about distractions in the media, and with the fans, I’m worried about my team.”

Whatever Franklin said to his team worked, as the Nittany Lions beat Auburn 28-20 Saturday. They’re now ranked No. 6, so a trip to the playoff is on the table, although Penn State has trips looming to No. 5 Iowa and No. 10 Ohio State in October.

As I said in my weekly review of Saturday’s action, Franklin has the most to lose of any USC candidate. But there’s certainly plenty of reason for Trojans to pay attention.

Luke Fickell, Cincinnati head coach: Last week at his weekly press conference, Fickell addressed the USC opening.

“Look, I don’t talk to anybody. I barely talk to my own family during the season,” Fickell said. “So I wouldn’t ever talk about it nor would I even answer a phone call or anything like that. It’s not a big deal. It’s nothing but distractions, and for us, it can’t be. I also want to say: This is the greatest thing that can happen for us; it’s a reflection of what these guys have done on the football field. It has nothing to do with me.

“It’s a crazy world. I think this does nothing more than show a lot of us that stability is great in this business. The grass is not always greener.”

Fickell is an Ohio guy with an Ohio wife, and the assumption is it would take a lot for him to move across the country. But due to the connection between him and USC athletic director Mike Bohn, who hired Fickell at Cincinnati, he’s going to be perceived as a serious candidate up until the moment Bohn says it’s someone else.

Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator: A day after Helton was fired, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted, “League sources believe Chiefs’ OC Eric Bieniemy will emerge as a head-coaching candidate for USC. Bieniemy is from Southern California and has told confidantes in the past that USC is one of the only college jobs that might interest him.”

Asked about USC later in the week, Bieniemy said, “Well you know me — you guys know me. I am where my feet are. So when it’s all said and done with, I am focused on the task at hand. I’m not worried about anything where my name is being mentioned.”

Bieniemy has been in the running for numerous NFL head coach openings the last few years but has struck out for some reason. He has coached in college before, with an assistant stint at UCLA from 2003-05, and Bohn hired him to be Colorado’s offensive coordinator in 2010, so there’s a relationship there. This doesn’t feel likely, but there is definitely buzz that can’t be ignored.