jon grudenbrian-kellylou_holtz_and_skip_holtzFrom left to right: Skip Holtz (East Carolina), Brian Kelly (Cincinnati) and Jon Gruden (Monday Night Football).

Not pictured, which is not to be confused with “eliminated:” Urban Meyer and his paltry $500k buyout. For the record, we do not (yet) think Charlie Weis is on his way out. But the suspect play-calling in the 4th quarter in the Big House was enough to have more than a handful of restless ND alumni email us that the South Bend natives are restless. Weis has no room for error, meaning he beat Michigan State and Purdue prior to the USC game.

Skip Holtz: We hadn’t thought of Skip Holtz until this tweet from Pete Thamel of the NYT: “I think Lou Holtz’s insane NDame national title prediction was made to increase pressure on Weis to help Holt’s son, Skip, get the ND job.” Was he joking? Perhaps. But for a brief moment early last year, Skip Holtz was a hot name after knocking off Top 25 teams Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He signed a six-year extension last September. His buyout is a mere $100,000.

Brian Kelly: Went 10-3 in 2007 in Cincy; followed that up with an 11-3 record last year including a BCS berth. Started this season with an impressive blasting of supposedly-decent Rutgers on the road. Signed a lucrative 5-year deal in January. His buyout is odd: “… is tied to the University securing an on-campus indoor facility and practice fields in the next two years to by used by all of Cincinnati’s athletics teams.” According to a variety of reports, Tennessee and Washington were interested earlier this year.

Jon Gruden: Works on Monday Night Football. If we had to guess, he’ll be coaching in either the college ranks or the pros next year. (We wouldn’t put the mortgage on it yet because we’ve got to see what jobs become open.) The way people are beating down Lovie Smith in Chicago, you have to wonder what happens if the Bears start 1-4 and don’t rebound to make the playoffs. Is the Bears job more attractive to Gruden than the Notre Dame gig?