With a multitude of names being mentioned as potential head coaching candidates and a number of interviews continuing to be conducted by athletic director Rick George, it seems feasible to speculate that by the end of the week, Colorado will have named its new head coach.

The question is, who are the finalists? We're thinking it's going to be down to two.

In terms of an outside head coach that could come in, maintain this year's class and hit the ground running in terms of recruiting, I think he's the best bet.

Sarkisian has proven to be an accomplished recruiter, both at UW and USC. The way I see it, Sarkisian effectively laid the groundwork for Chris Petersen to come in at Washington and elevate the program to truly great levels.

His final season at Washington in 2013, the Huskies had the No. 18 overall recruiting class in the nation. Keep in mind that the year before he took the helm in Seattle, UW went 0-12. By the time UW was beating up on Colorado in the 2016 Pac-12 Championship, it was a healthy chunk of Sarkisian's former recruits responsible for it.

When he wrapped up his inaugural class at USC in 2014, the Trojans came in at 10th overall in terms of the nation's best.

At the end of the day, you can't talk about Sarkisian without using the phrase "rolling the dice" when it comes to the documented abuse of alcohol, in general and on the job, that's clouded his head coaching career. You just can't.

After UW and USC, Sarkisian has bounced around with brief stints as Alabama's OC during the National Championship in 2017 (for the 2016 season he served as an offensive analyst) and then OC with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017-2018, before he was ultimately fired on New Year's Eve, 2018.

But what sticks out to me is how Nick Saban re-hired him as the Crimson Tide's OC in early 2019. Given that it was Saban, who as a hired consultant for MSU's coaching search committee, recommended the Spartans pursue Mel Tucker, I think it's fair to say that he's a guy who possesses a pretty firm grasp on coaching ability and character.You can't really imagine either of Sarkisian's interviews with Saban (for the 2016 analyst role and 2019 OC position) which didn't feature a no-BS, eye-to-eye conversation about alcohol.

I'm not willing to believe Saban on his end rolled the dice and just made a move. Thus, if he was willing to give Sarkisian a chance in terms of forgiving his past sins on that note, so should Rick George.

Now, I'm not in Sarkisian's head obviously, but when I look at a guy like him, giving his ungraceful exit from his past head coaching position, that's a man I sense a hunger in to get another chance at the top. And I might go as far to say that for Sarkisian, loyalty (to a reasonable extent) for the man (George) who takes that chance on you and gives you the keys to the car comes with the territory of accepting a head coaching position.

And let's not forget the precarious QB situation Colorado is in. A guy like Sarkisian could at the minimum help groom Brendon Lewis and most definitely (if not this immediate season then no doubt soon enough) be a magnet as a recruiter of QBs.

He's high on my list without a doubt and I'm hearing from some folks down in Alabama that he's a big horse in the race.

***UPDATE: Effective Thursday afternoon, ESPN's Chris Low reported that Sarkisian will stay put in Tuscaloosa. Additionally, he is expected to rake in a hefty raise as Alabama's offensive coordinator, one that will make him among college football's highest paid assistants.

Pulling for Chiaverini to be named next head coach is not a copout or something to be looked down upon.

In terms of keeping this current class tight (the man recruited nearly 35% of the signees in 2020 personally), Chiaverini is probably the best option. In other words, retaining Chiaverini presents the Buffaloes with their best chance to keep the overall structure and style of this incoming class, which is Colorado's best in years.

His loyalty is not to be questioned. With the Buffs needing stability and consistency desperately in the coming year(s), Chiaverini provides security in that regard and also brings enough experience to the job title of head coach to where I'd be comfortable letting him go to work.

Say what you want about his play calling in 2016, but let's not forget he was co-offensive coordinator with Brian Lindgren. I doubt it's possible to go back to the records that season and see which guy called exactly what play and what their overall dynamic was, but sending Chev to the play calling leper colony is unfair.

Great coaches know how to surround themselves with talented guys that can plug the holes and fill the gaps in areas where the said head coach may not be overly proficient. Chiaverini would need some talented guys around him, and he already has some (Darian Hagan, Ross Els, Brian Michalowski).

Immediate stability among the recruits and current players obviously is a major selling point with Chiaverini. But I don't believe that he's getting a full fair shake from folks who call him inexperienced or the easy option.

He might be in-house, but he is certainly not unqualified. He'd be stepping into a bigger pair of shoes. I personally think he could fit in them.

Calhoun has served as head coach of the Air Force Academy (his alma mater, Class of 1989) since 2007. He's not been a guy demanding raises every year, and has turned down his fair share of coaching offers through the 13 years at the helm in Colorado Springs.

With Colorado's fan base still nursing bruises in the aftermath of Tucker's hasty departure from town after only 14 months, a guy like Calhoun should do much to settle everyone's stomach. In other words, he doesn't seem like the guy who will Irish Exit out of town in the middle of the night.

From 1989-1994, Calhoun was a G.A. / assistant coach for Air Force, bringing his total time as coach with the Falcons to 19 years.

It is ever too easy to disparage Group of Five schools as inferior institutions to the almighty Power Five conferences. However, not even considering Air Force beat CU on its own turf in 2019, the Falcons' two losses last season — No. 20 Boise State and Navy, had a combined record of 23-4.

Calhoun owns three of the seven 10-plus win seasons in Falcons program history and is the winningest Air Force coach in non-conference games.

The Mountain West is not the Pac-12, but given that Calhoun just recently took Air Force to a postseason win over Mike Leach and Washington State in the 2019 Cheez-It Bowl, it turns out (as the Buffaloes learned in September) that good MWC teams can give Pac-12 teams a solid shot.

Overall, Calhoun's record at the head of the Air Force Academy was 98-69.

As head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers from 2006-2012, Bielema compiled a record of 68-24. The Badgers made it to a postseason bowl every season he was in charge and failed to end a year not ranked in the AP or coaches' poll just one time.

IN 2006, he was named the Big 10 Coach of the Year.

Bielema (50), from 2010-2012 led Wisconsin to three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances. The Badgers every year won Big 10 Conference titles; in 2010 Wisconsin finished the season as the No. 8 team in the nation, while in 2011 the Badgers were No. 11.

The 2010 Rose Bowl saw TCU win a close one over Wisconsin, 21-19, while in 2011, the Badgers fell short again, losing another tight affair, 45-38 to Oregon.

But in 2012 Wisconsin finally prevailed in the Rose Bowl, beating Stanford, 20-14.

He was less successful during his tenure as Arkansas' head coach, going 29-34 over five seasons (2013-17). Bielema was fired shortly after the conclusion of the 2017 season, when the Hogs finished 4-8.

Since then, he won a Super Bowl LIII ring with New England as the Patriots' defensive line coach.

In early 220, the New York Giants brought him aboard to coach outside linebackers.