As far as the Florida football rumor mills were concerned, Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy went from being disinterested in the Gators head coaching job, to actively "pursuing" it, to now being ruled out of contention for it.

Is Mike Gundy 'Pursuing' The Florida Coaching Job?

Gundy seemed such a perfect fit for Florida that even Vegas bookmakers were listing him as the odds-on favorite for over a week. The Gators are desperately searching for an offensive-minded coach after four years of middling offensive efficiency under soon-to-departed coach Will Muschamp. Gundy's Cowboys teams are heralded annually for their high-octane offenses.

Pat Dooley of GatorSports was credited with first breaking the news that Gundy's candidacy had run its course.

The Best & Worst of the College Gridiron Season

With speculation no longer swirling around Gundy, one prominent ex-Gator offered some other suggestions earlier this week. Former UF running back and NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith named Texas' Charlie Strong and LSU's Les Miles as two figures he'd like to see pursued, in an interview with NFL.com.

It was announced this month that current coach Will Muschamp would be stepping down at season's end. University of Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley has said that he hopes to fill the head coaching vacancy by Christmas.