Jeff Fisher could replace Lane Kiffin at USC, according to ESPN

September is a little early for head coach rumors. Nevertheless, we may have one on our hands in the wake of Lane Kiffin's inability to stop the meltdown at USC. ESPN's Pac-12 reporter, Ted Miller, told Paul Finebaum that current St. Louis Rams head coach and Trojan alum Jeff Fisher "would likely" be the favorite to replace Kiffin.

Ted Miller of ESPN said Jeff Fisher would likely be favorite to replace Lane Kiffin. Also, Bobby Petrino might be considered.

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) September 9, 2013

That's a name I heard in Aug in LA. MT @finebaum: Ted Miller of ESPN said Jeff Fisher would likely be favorite to replace Lane Kiffin.

— Travis Haney (@TravHaneyESPN) September 9, 2013

Does this sound at all familiar to you? It should. It's basically the same dance the NFL world goes through every offseason with Jon Gruden.

Both Miller and Haney are well respected in the college football world. They're not some rumormongering knockoffs. And Finebaum, well, PAWWL is PAWWL, but this isn't his "Nick Saban visiting Texas" joke that got the internet fired up on Monday morning.

Some of the donors or suits in the athletic department at USC may well fancy the idea of Fisher, one of their own, coming back to coach the program after Kiffin burned it to the ground. Which is what makes this thing smell like the Gruden rumors we get every January.

Either way, with the Trojans struggling and likely not going anywhere this season, you can expect a few more months of Fisher-USC whispers.