Never believed the Grumors in 2012.  In hindsight, it appears that a conversation was had, and a deal was almost in place.
This time, I had info from a friend early on that Coach Jones was out after the UGA loss, and that an "NFL vet" was the top target, but that Gruden was a smokescreen.  I trusted what I was told.
As the days and weeks have passed, I have come to the conclusion that the decision to move on from Coach Jones was, in fact, likely made after the UGA game.  For whatever reason, he will almost certainly finish the season, but he's gone, and that's that.
And I have to believe that Gruden is not a smokescreen.  Said it before, but he's not deaf to the rising chorus amongst the Vol faithful.  He knows what's happening here. He's seen it, and he's heard it.  If he was not interested in, or at least tentatively offered the job, he would have said something by now.  He's a VFL.  He would not let this fanbase go on for this long if it were false hope.  This is what I believe.
It might or might not get done.  He might or might not be the next head football coach at UT.  Time will tell.
But it's not a fantasy, or the collective delusion of desperate Volunteer fans.
Beaver might or might not be a troll.  The VN insiders might or might not know more than my dog.  But the Gruden rumors are not just rumors.  They're for real.
Go Vols.