The USC is not open as of this writing, but it's widely expected to become open soon -- especially if the Trojans do not spring an upset of undefeated and third-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday night.
James Franklin was asked about his interest in that possible opening on Tuesday and what he said was.... interesting.
"It's that time of year where all this stuff happens," Franklin said. "As you guys know, like always we're focused on Maryland completely, 100 percent. I don't even think it's fair or right to be talking about that with everything I understand about it. We're completely focused on Maryland."
Notice what Franklin does not say: "I'm going to be at Penn State in 2019."
This is Franklin purposely leaving the door open to the possibility he could leave for USC.
The USC job is a completely different landscape than Penn State -- and not just in terms of climate. Rather than battle annually with Ohio State and Michigan, Franklin would have the top brand in a talent-rich environment, all while living in Los Angeles.
Whether or not Franklin even hops at prospective USC offer remains to be seen, but he's definitely leaving the door open.