re: Was Riley offered or not is the key question

No, several folks in the media said they had reputable information that there was a strong interest from LSU. Now as far as the smoke that he was coming here and it was a done deal, I can see the argument that started here. However, it is not uncommon for things to be bounced around here prior to "reputable" media outlets reporting it. Mulky for example was rumored here long before the talking heads confirmed it.