USC football fans can finally put Urban Meyer link to bed

USC football fans, it's time to let Urban Meyer go.

The former Florida and Ohio State head coach who was linked with the Trojan job as a potential replacement if Clay Helton were to be let go is no longer on the market.

According to multiple reports on Thursday, Meyer is on the cusp of becoming the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Urban Meyer won't be USC football's savior

For USC, that means an end to speculation over whether the Trojans could, should or already have made a run at one of the biggest names in coaching.

In the grand scheme of things, Meyer taking a job in the NFL is good news for USC. There will be no what-ifs like the ones that would have reigned if he had taken the Texas job (there will be enough of those to deal with regarding Steve Sarkisian).

He won't be there recruiting Southern California for another program. He won't be winning conference or national titles in a different state. He'll make or break his legacy in the pro ranks.

The fact that Meyer chose to get back into coaching at that level is proof enough that the rumor mills connecting him to USC and Texas were all smoke and no fire. Believe what you want, but if Meyer had wanted a prestigious college job, he could have had one.

Meanwhile, USC can get on with life in the world of college football. The Trojans have a head coach in place. While speculation will still run rampant regarding potential replacements, the object of USC fans' desire won't be an inescapable talking head on TV anymore.

The Meyer pipe dream is gone. Reality is what confronts USC going forward. There is no magic bullet sitting there waiting to make the Trojans relevant. There is just the gamble involved in every coaching contract. It'll take savvy football decisions from everyone in the program to build Troy back into a powerhouse.