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Rodriguez unfazed by speculation about his job

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon might ask Rich Rodriguez why he should keep his job in a private conversation soon after the Gator Bowl.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon might ask Rich Rodriguez why he should keep his job in a private conversation soon after the Gator Bowl.

Publicly, Rodriguez doesn't want to say what his answer would be.

"It would sound like I'm lobbying," Rodriguez said Friday in an interview with the Associated Press. "I've got a great job and we're looking forward to finishing it."

Brandon might not give Rodriguez that chance, with three years remaining on his six-season contract that pays him about $2.5 million annually.

The first-year athletic director steadfastly has stuck by his plan to evaluate Rodriguez after the season, which ends on New Year's Day against No. 21 Mississippi State.

Brandon has refused to waver from that plan while speculation swirls that he will fire Rodriguez and try to hire Stanford coach and former Wolverines quarterback Jim Harbaugh to lead college football's winningest program.

Rodriguez is 15-21 overall, 6-18 in the Big Ten Conference, and 1-10 against ranked teams in three seasons at Michigan.

Brandon has said that NCAA violations - related to practices and off-season workouts - committed under Rodriguez didn't give him cause to terminate his contract. If Brandon and school officials decide to fire Rodriguez without cause on or after Jan. 1, the buyout drops from $4 million to $2.5 million.

Rodriguez shrugged off the suggestion that the pressure he faces isn't showing.

"You just do your job," he said.

No bowl for 4 Yellow Jackets. Four Georgia Tech players, including starters Stephen Hill and Mario Edwards, will not play in Monday's Independence Bowl against Air Force because of academic problems.

Hill is a sophomore receiver who leads the Yellow Jackets with 15 catches for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Edwards is a senior safety who ranks third on the team with 68 tackles. Both were declared ineligible Thursday for failing to meet school requirements in the classroom.

The school also said that senior defensive end Robert Hall and senior linebacker Anthony Barnes are ineligible to play.

Poinsettia Bowl. Once workers pumped away 1.5 million gallons of rainwater that had flooded San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, it was smooth sailing for freshman Ronnie Hillman and San Diego State on Thursday night.

Hillman scored four touchdowns and matched his career best with 228 yards rushing on 28 carries to lead the Aztecs to their first bowl victory since 1969, a 35-14 win over Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl.

The only thing that slowed Hillman was a wet sock. One of his cleats came off late in the third quarter and he hopped off the field, trying to keep that foot dry.