Lincoln Riley says he's 'not going to be the next head coach at LSU'

STILLWATER — The coaching carousel is a ride that stops for no one.

Oklahoma suffered a 37-33 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, and with the defeat came several repercussions. The Sooners were eliminated from the Big 12 Championship Game race, and their hopes of making the College Football Playoff also came to an end.

The defeat also couldn't stop the whirlwind of rumors surrounding Riley.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron agreed to part ways with the program at the end of this season, and Riley has been connected to the Tigers' coaching vacancy throughout the past few days. in a number of creative – albeit curious – ways.

From tracking various LSU commits who now follow Riley on Twitter to monitoring flights from Norman to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tigers fans have been relentless in the pursuit of their top coaching target.

Then-OU coach Lincoln Riley talks with quarterback Caleb Williams (13) during a 37-33 loss at OSU on Nov. 27.

When asked about the LSU opening after the game on Saturday, Riley did his best to put the rustling rumors to rest.

"I'm not going to be the next head coach at LSU," Riley said.

Riley's response holds the same sentiment as the one he gave earlier in the week. When asked about the rumors during his weekly media session on Tuesday, Riley reinforced his allegiance to OU.

"There's nothing to handle," Riley said. "It's pretty easy. I coach the University of Oklahoma football team. You guys know how I feel about this place and this program. We've all been down this road many times before. You guys know where I stand on that, and that hasn't changed."

Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to The Oklahoman to stay up to date with all local sports.