What’s next for Texas A&M Football? A long week of speculation.

After several disappointing season finishes and another rough night in Baton Rouge, Texas A&M finally fired Kevin Sumlin yesterday. (Don’t worry, we weren’t the only ones to fire a coach with a winning record.) Step one towards turning another corner has been taken, etc. etc. But we’re not finished with the drama yet.

So what happens next?

• Reports are indicating that Jimbo Fisher will be offered a massive contract to become Texas A&M’s head coach.
• However, many sources close to the Florida State program remain very skeptical that he will leave, and think he’s using this as a negotiating tool.
• So basically, there is a stalemate with both schools claiming everything is “a done deal” in their favor and that is a guarantee, “as far as I know.”

Therein lies the problem in trying to figure out coaching change: no one really knows shit. Certain entities know tiny slices of the story and try to fill in the rest with hedged language, innuendo and speculation. People love to claim they know things, and imply that they have highly-confidential proprietary information to tease the Internet. It’s a ludicrous game of bluffing and chest-puffing that just fills up empty space in the final cycle of the coaching carousel before the finality is achieved. It’s grossly ridiculous condescension, guessing, and power-tripping. If you want to know who to believe on the Internet when it comes to the intricate and nuanced details of contracts and timing, the answer is no one. Wealthy boosters leak whatever tidbits of information they have to eager journalists, who instantly suffer the lashback from opposing fanbases, who have been spurred on by pay site rumors that become instantly contradicted for free a few moments later on Twitter. It’s a bizarre circus of posturing and a clamor of empty statements. We’ll find out whenever we find out, and in the meantime you may as well do something else that’s actually useful. Put up your Christmas lights. Find some Cyber Monday sales. Maybe even do some actual work if you’re really industrious. Marshal your online patience; it’s going to be a very long December.