I can’t remember what the last coaching cycle was like

Welcome to silly season.

Just enjoy the ride. Every time is a little different, but still the same crests and troughs.

always like this.

Basically you probably have some actual insiders on the board but nobody knows for sure which are for real. Until the guy is on the podium, anything can change though and the internet doesn't like that fact. You probably also have people who think they have sources, but really don't. This would be a guy who knows the OC for some high school football team in New Orleans who says so and so is the new coach. So the friend of the friend hears this and goes straight to the message boards to feel important. So people latch on to whatever internet trolls are the most confident about the favorite pick, in this case Kiffin.

Someone comes on here and says it is a done deal happening today or tomorrow, then 5 other trolls pretend to have sources and say the same thing, then it takes off like yesterday. Nothing happens, and we move on to the next surge until things are announced.

Just think, person A tells you we offered Kiffin, we like our chances and he will decide hopefully in the next week.. Sounds legit, but nothing definitive.

Person B tells you, its signed and done, Kiffin announcement tomorrow. Everyone loves person B, and it gets 1000 internet points. But they are also full of shite.

2021 was close