Pac-10 commissioner backs Kiffin's exit from poll
Lane Kiffin removed himself from the voting for the USA Today coaches' poll, and Southern California's coach has the full backing of the Pac-10 commissioner.
Larry Scott told 710-ESPN's "Mason and Ireland Show" that he agrees that coaches have more important priorities than voting in a poll that determines the national champion. Not to mention it being a fundamental conflict of interest.
"I think it's an unfair position to put the coaches in, to supposedly vote objectively when they've got a very natural conflict of interest, No. 1, and, No. 2, I think most coaches are focused on their own games -- let alone breaking down tape afterwards and all that," Scott said, via ESPNLosAngeles.com. "So to expect that coaches could have a good, balanced, well-researched perspective on who the best teams are in any given week is a fallacy."
Kiffin removed himself from the poll after USA Today announced that he had voted for the Trojans as the preseason No. 1 team in the country. The paper revealed Kiffin's vote after he told reporters he would not place USC in the top spot following Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez saying he did. Kiffin claimed he was only saying what he would do if he was in Rodriguez's position.
