With ESPN calling us the "biggest losers" in all of this, it's actually making me form another crazy theory to go along with all of this.
We appear desperate, and unless this really all is a master plan by Hart/Boosters, we ARE desperate. Meaning, we're not only willing to pay, but OVERPAY for a quality coach - hence, why Charlie Strong and the 4 million dollar number was thrown around. As a result, we come to Gruden one last time, after being scorned by all of the other coaches, and we simply make him an offer he can't refuse.
Boom, there's his excuse to ESPN and an apology of sorts to the NFL jobs he's refused over the years (remember, he's friends with a lot of folks who might feel scorned if he takes a college job). It kills two birds with one stone, gives us the guy we've wanted all along, and gets him out of his current job with no one able to blame him because of the huge payday he's walking into.