Monte Kiffin has stepped down as defensive coordinator of USC, effective after the school's bowl game.

Kiffin, who was the longtime coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will seek a return to the NFL.

Tyrann Mathieu will announce that he is entering the 2013 NFL Draft, according to a source.

Mathieu, nicknamed Honey Badger, was dismissed from LSU in August and entered a drug rehabilitation program.

Mathieu was arrested on October on a drug charge.

Mathieu had previously been considered one of the top cornerback prospects in college football and was a finalist for the 2011 Heisman Trophy.

Notre Dame defeated USC 22-13 to secure a spot in the BCS Championship Game, finishing their regular season undefeated.

Notre Dame will almost certainly play the winner of the SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia.

The Fighting Irish last went undefeated in the regular season in 1988.

Notre Dame needed five field goals from Kyle Brindza in their win over USC.

Brian Kelly is in his third season as head coach of Notre Dame.

Jeff Tedford was fired on Tuesday after 11 seasons as head coach of California.

The decision was announced by AD Sandy Barbour at a news conference Tuesday.

"This was an extraordinarily difficult decision, one that required a thorough and thoughtful analysis of a complex set of factors," Barbour said. "Ultimately, I believed that we needed a change in direction to get our program back on the right track."

With losses by Oregon and Kansas State, Notre Dame has ascended to the top slot in the latest AP NCAA football rankings.

Notre Dame received all 60 first place votes.

Ohio State is the only other undefeated team and is ranked fourth behind one-loss SEC schools Alabama and Georgia.

Oregon dropped to fifth and is trailed by Florida, Kansas State, LSU, Texas A&M and Florida State.

Notre Dame will have to beat USC in order to qualify for the BCS National Championship Game.

Chip Kelly turned down a job offer last season from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but former Oregon coach Mike Bellott said that it is "inevitable" that he eventually leaves for the NFL.

“There are nine chances in 10 if he wins out [this season] he's gone,” said another source who did not want to be identified.

Kelly has led Oregon to consecutive Pac-12 titles and a berth in the national championship.

“It's just inevitable that he will eventually be in the NFL,” Bellotti said. “Chip is one of the ultimate competitors and he sees that. It actually surprised me he changed his mind [with the Bucs] last year.

“Whether they get to the national championship and whether they win the national championship, I don't know. To think he'll stay there when ultimately his idea of top jobs is to get to the Super Bowl, it won't happen, unfortunately, at the college level.”

Darrell K Royal has passed away at the age of 88.

Royal was head coach at Texas from 1957 until 1976. Texas had the best record in the nation over that period.

In 1968, Royal installed the wishbone, with the fullback lined up 2 yards behind the quarterback and a step up in front of the other two backs.

Bobby Hebert was escorted out of the Tiger Stadium press box for excessive cheering during LSU's 21-17 loss to Alabama.

Hebert berated LSU coach Les Miles in the postgame press conference after LSU's 21-0 loss to the Crimson Tide last January in the BCS Championship Game.

Hebert was warned repeatedly about cheering for LSU throughout the game.

Hebert is a talk show radio host in Louisiana.

Tyrann Mathieu has moved from Baton Rouge to Broward County, Florida.

Mathieu is living with the family of Patrick Peterson.

Peterson was a junior at LSU during Mathieu's freshman season.

Mathieu was arrested last week on a marijuana possession charge.

Coach Steve Spurrier says Nick Saban and college powerhouse Alabama have what it takes to compete at the highest level.

"Alabama, gosh, they look like they could beat a couple of those NFL teams that I've watched on Sundays," Spurrier said Wednesday on "The Dan Patrick Show." "I think a lot of the oddsmakers out there that usually know what's going on, I'd guess Alabama would be favored by a little bit."