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Vanderbilt coach James Franklin during the Commodores' upset of No. 15-ranked Georgia in October.

(AP/Mark Humphrey)

Even before Bill O'Brien left University Park to officially become the Houston Texans' third head coach Friday afternoon, it was clear that Miami's Al Golden, Vanderbilt's James Franklin, and the Tennessee Titans' Mike Munchak would be heavy favorites to lead the charge of candidates seeking to become Penn State's 16th head coach. As of Friday, that hasn't changed.

, none of the three listed have met with Penn State officials, the network's Brent McMurphy wrote Friday afternoon, citing a source. He added later in the same report that Munchak, a Penn State graduate, was slated to meet with Titans' brass Friday for what he coined an "organization evaluation" which could well lead to Munchak's dismissal. He's 23-26 in three seasons at the helm of the Tennessee's organization.

As for Franklin, Pete Roussell of Coachingsearch.com

, citing a source, that the Vanderbilt head coach will interview with the Lions Sunday, likely following his team's clash with Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. There is no update yet on Golden, who has been "quiet" a

earlier Friday. Current Penn State interim head coach Larry Johnson told reporters Friday that he too plans t

, responding "Why not Larry Johnson?" when asked why he decided to throw his hat into the ring.

Penn State Director of Athletics Dave Joyner told reporters Thursday that he expects the university's search, which he chairs and is a part of with five other members, to be finished in days rather than weeks. The search that brought O'Brien to University Park lasted 40 days, but there is no indication that will happen again. The NCAA dead period ends Jan. 15.