Paul Finebaum and Matt Barrie from ESPN connected for their weekly look back at the top stories around college football.

One of the larger stories that is dominating the landscape of the sport is the ongoing Auburn head coaching search. Lane Kiffin, reportedly the top candidate, is remaining at Ole Miss for the foreseeable future. Hugh Freeze, whose own career in Oxford ended in controversy, has resurrected his career at Liberty and is still on the radar of new Auburn AD John Cohen.

That said, could there be another name out there that’s not yet been mentioned? How about, of all people, Dabo Swinney, an Alabama alum? Should Auburn pursue him, Barrie asked Finebaum.

“I don’t think he would be interested,” Finebaum said. “He’s just got such a good situation there (at Clemson) right now…I’ve always wondered if Dabo couldn’t be interested in the NFL, for some reason.”

That NFL point was met with some disagreement by Barrie, considering that Swinney has opposed college football players being paid — despite current NIL regulations. But it’s tough to see the longtime Clemson coach heading to his home state and putting on the headset on the Plains, considering he went to Alabama, and considering that he just signed a 10-year, $115 million contract extension in September.