What a mess.
The search for a new football coach at Ohio State is more than two weeks old and it’s getting out of control.
Names being considered for the job are getting passed around like batons in a relay race. Minnesota coach Glen Mason is one of those batons.
Several reports out of Columbus, Ohio, state Mason will travel to Ohio State on Wednesday for a meeting with Buckeyes athletic director Andy Geiger.
The two are said to be meeting to discuss the possibility of Mason being offered the position which opened Jan. 2 when John Cooper was fired.
Minnesota men’s athletic director Tom Moe said he couldn’t confirm Mason’s scheduled visit to Ohio State on Wednesday.
“He’s waiting to hear further (from the school), but I don’t think he has,” Moe said.
Mason is among three presumed candidates.
The others are Youngstown State’s Jim Tressel and the Oakland Raiders’ Jon Gruden.
Geiger declined comment on how serious a candidate Gruden was.
“It would be silly for me to comment on that right now, wouldn’t it?” Gruden reportedly said.
Both Tressel and Gruden, who led the Raiders to the AFC championship game last Sunday, were believed to be in Columbus on Tuesday to meet with Geiger.
Gruden is rumored to be Geiger’s top choice, although whether or not the Sandusky, Ohio native will leave the NFL is unclear.
Oregon’s Mike Bellotti, who met with Geiger on Monday and appeared to be the favorite, withdrew his name from consideration Tuesday.
Mason was unavailable for comment yesterday.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

John R. Carter welcomes comments at [email protected].