If there's an ironic upside for ECU's fans to the team's disappointing performances in a narrow win over Appalachian State and pair of sobering losses at West Virginia and North Carolina, it has to be that Skip Holtz's lamp has dimmed.

Had the Pirates done as some pundits expected and opened 3-0, Holtz by now would be Topic-A among the thousands of disgruntled Virginia who are sizing up Al Groh's office for a new occupant, with more schools in similar situations to soon follow.

News of Urban Meyer's six-year contract, worth a tidy $24 million, should reverberate in Greenville.

Despite his protestations to the contrary, Meyer has been rumored to be leaving Florida for Notre Dame, his "dream job," since winning his first national title with the Gators in '06. This gargantuan contract should end any plausible notion that Meyer's going anywhere any time soon (right?).

ECU could go 0-4 against its nonconference schedule. With App State, UNC, West Virginia and Virginia Tech there is no guaranteed win on the Pirates' schedule.

Almost every college football team plays at least one gimme (most play two). Not ECU.

• From Sunday's college football column

East Carolina played the second half of the 2008 season without two of its best playmakers. Receiver Jamar Bryant was suspended after five games and running back Jonathan Williams after seven for violating team policies. (In Williams’ case, the suspension was related to charges of assault and resisting arrest.)

Pirates coach Skip Holtz said both Bryant and Williams are on track to return to the team for the upcoming season.

ECU athletic director Terry Holland issued the following statement on Sunday night, in response to reports by the Boston Globe and ESPN that ECU football coach Skip Holtz was scheduled to interview for the opening at Boston College, without mentioning Holtz or BC: 

"Given the fact that the media now reports what other media report, sometimes even with headlines on the sports page and/or the announcement of press conferences that were obviously not scheduled, I am going to comment one time and one time only.

No one has asked to speak to any ECU head coach.

Frank Spaziani is the favorite to replace Jeff Jagodzinski as Boston College's football coach, the Boston Globe reports, but ECU's Skip Holtz is one of two outside candidates expected to interview for the job.

Holtz led ECU to the Conference USA title and a 9-5 record in his fourth season with the Pirates. He flirted with Syracuse during the break between the Pirates' C-USA title game win and the Liberty Bowl loss to Kentucky.

East Carolina coach Skip Holtz has withdrawn his name from consideration as Syracuse's head coach and declined further discussions regarding the topic.

"While it is always flattering for others to have interest in your abilities," Holtz said in a statement issued by the school, "I simply am too focused on our preparations for the bowl game and many other of our short and long-term goals to fairly evaluate what I feel is a promising situation at Syracuse."

Is Skip Holtz ditching ECU for Syracuse? Will the Tar Heels and Wolfpack win their bowl games? Caulton Tudor and J.P. Giglio have the answers. ... more

Updated 5:20 p.m.

ECU football coach Skip Holtz, in Charlotte on Sunday afternoon, called reports that he has agreed to become the next coach at Syracuse “inaccurate.”

Holtz, who does not have an agent, said he had not spoken with anyone at Syracuse about the job but did not rule the possibility of meeting with Orange athletics director Daryl Gross on Monday in New York. ESPN, on its ticker, reported Sunday that Holtz’ father, Lou, said there would be a meeting between his son and Orange officials.

"I have not met with them at this point, from a formal standpoint," Skip Holtz said Sunday. "The reports are inaccurate."

Tommy Bowden is in trouble at Clemson. Thursday’s loss at Wake Forest left no doubt about that. The fact that Bowden actually is still a good coach is no longer relevant.

He’ll land on his feet, assuming he still has an inner compass that will move him back to the offensive systems that made him such a hot target at Tulane in the mid 1990s.

But at this rate, the Tigers will be looking for a new football coach at season’s end. Here are 10 guys to keep an eye on: