The Auburn/Oregon shootout in the BCS

ESPN analyst Brad Edwards projected last night this will be the top 5 later today: 1. Auburn; 2. Oregon; 3. TCU; 4. Boise State; 5. Alabama. The Michigan State and Missouri losses help idle Alabama, but Edwards stopped short of saying the Crimson Tide controls its own destiny ahead, as Auburn does.

"I think it's too early to say for certain Alabama would pass a Boise or TCU," Edwards said. "There are two things Alabama really needs above all else in order to rank as high as they can in the computers. Number one, they need Auburn to be undefeated coming to Tuscaloosa. No. 2, the ideal situation would be for South Carolina to win out. Not only would Alabama play the best possible team in the East. But it would give them a chance to avenge their only loss, which is something teams rarely have the opportunity to do and would leave a favorable impression on voters."

The BCS race is much clearer for Auburn, which knows if it doesn't lose it's playing for the national title in Glendale, Ariz. Edwards believes an undefeated Oregon will eventually jump an undefeated Auburn in the BCS due to the Ducks' computer strength improving in the coming weeks.

Kicker helps Florida Gators top Georgia, end losing streak

As 84,444 locked in on the ball, Florida placekicker Chas Henry looked down, the way he was taught by his special teams coach, when the ball left his right foot. But the wait became unbearable, Henry told himself ``it's been long enough, I have to see how this turned out,'' and he looked up just in time to see his kick split the uprights for a game-winning field goal that ended four weeks of frustration for the Gators. Henry's 37-yard field goal not only lifted the Gators to a 34-31 victory over Georgia, but also lifted the spirits of a team that had fallen on hard times. Florida coach Urban Meyer dropped to his knees, Henry was hoisted on his teammates' shoulders, and winded safety Will Hill was finally able to exhale after his 89-yard interception return moments before nearly ended the affair then and there. "We needed that," Meyer said of his longest losing streak at Florida. The Gators brought a three-game losing streak into their annual hoedown with the Bulldogs and, for the first time since 1979, the two rivals entered the game unranked.

Vols Simms upset over benching in loss to Gamecocks

Starter Matt Simms was benched in the 3rd quarter of a loss to South Carolina in favor of Tyler Bray and did not return to the playing field. A big part of the reason Simms didn't return was the fact that the freshman performed relatively well after taking over for the starter. "Nothing much I can do about getting hit in the back and the guy stripping the ball from me," Simms said. "That's one of the better defensive lines in the conference and you know, hey, if you get hit a lot, sometimes the ball comes out. Other than that, I thought I played really well. Didn't turn the ball over besides those. It wasn't like I dropped back and threw it to the other team."
Bray's first possession resulted in an interception that was returned for a touchdown by the Gamecocks. He came back from that pick, though, and played pretty well.
"I wish I could say that I'm definitely the starting quarterback," Simms said. "It's unfortunate they took me out. I felt like I played really well. I feel like I could have made all those throws, because we had guys wide open down the middle of the field. I feel like I'm a good enough quarterback to make those plays, and I'm just still upset that I got taken out like that."

Razorback Ryan Mallett breaks his own single game mark with 409 yds in 49-14 win over Vandy

Ryan Mallett passed for a new University of Arkansas school record 409 yards to pace the 19th-ranked Razorbacks to a dominant 49-14 victory over Vanderbilt University for the 2010 Homecoming game. Mallett moved to second on the all-time career passing list tonight also as he threw a personal best 44 times for three touchdowns. Arkansas racked up 555 yards of total offense while holding Vanderbilt to only 153. It was a night of double trouble for Vanderbilt as several Razorbacks had two scores each. A slow start allowed the Commodores, 2-6, 1-4 in Southeastern Conference play, to take an early lead, 14-6. Then Mallett and the Arkansas offense dropped into gear, reeling off 43 unanswered points to take command of the game. The 49 total points is the most for a Bobby Petrino coached team at Arkansas in SEC play, and the third most for Petrino's Arkansas tenure. It is the most this season. Mallett's first TD was to D.J. Williams in the first half. Williams went on to receive the media's Crip Hall Award for the outstanding senior player on Homecoming night. Mallett's other scores were to Jarius Wright, both 15-yard touchdowns. It was the first two-touchdown game for Wright. Zach Hocker picked up a pair of second half field goals, one for 26 and a second for 27 yards. Touchdown runs by Knile Davis of 2-yards each accounted for the two other offensive touchdowns. Defense turned in nine points starting with a safety, the second of the season for Arkansas. Jerico Nelson's 39-yard interception return for a touchdown capped the night's scoring.

Auburn overpowers Ole Miss, 51-31

Cam Newton caught a touchdown pass and threw two scoring passes, and Mike Dyer ran for 180 yards, helping No. 3 Auburn power past Mississippi 51-31 on Saturday night. The Tigers (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference), who are ranked atop the BCS standings for the first time, easily sidestepped the string of upsets that had struck No. 1 teams in each of the past three weeks. Ole Miss fell to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the league in front of 61,474, the fifth-largest crowd in school history. Quarterback Cam Newton, who came in leading the SEC in rushing, surprised Ole Miss with passing in the first half. He increased his stats by throwing a 24-yard TD pass to Darvin Adams and a 10-yard TD pass to Terrell Zachery, rushing more in the second half and even catching a 20-yard touchdown pass from Kodi Burns to kick things off. Demond Washington returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, Onterio McCalebb scored on a 68-yard run and Mike Dyer scored from 30 yards out. Wes Byrum kicked three field goals for the Tigers.

State Picks Up 24-17 Win Over Kentucky

Vick Ballard rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, and No. 23 Mississippi State relied on its running game and defense to beat Kentucky 24-17 on Saturday.
The Wildcats threatened to tie the game in the final minute, but quarterback Mike Hartline's pass was intercepted by Johnthan Banks at the goal line to seal a sixth straight victory for Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) – its longest streak since 1999.
Kentucky (4-5, 1-5) hasn't beaten a ranked team on the road since 1998. Randall Cobb caught 12 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, but Kentucky clawed its way back, tying the game at 17 late in the third quarter on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Hartline to Moncell Allen.
Mississippi State scored the go-ahead touchdown on Chris Relf's 5-yard run midway through the fourth quarter.

Chas Henry's field goal in OT lifts Florida over Georgia

Chas Henry kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Florida Gators a 34-31 overtime victory over their rival Georgia Bulldogs today in Jacksonville. The Gators' Will Hill intercepted a pass by Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray on the first possession of overtime and nearly returned it for a touchdown. The Gators (5-3, 3-3 SEC) used an up-tempo offense to jump on the Bulldogs (4-5, 3-4) early, building a 21-7 halftime lead with three second-quarter touchdowns. Georgia hung around, cutting the lead to 21-16 before a Henry field goal put Florida ahead by eight at 24-16 with 10:48 left in the game. Murray responded by leading the Bulldogs down the field and hitting former Plant High teammate Orson Charles for a 29-yard score. Murray ran in the two-point conversion to even the score at 24. The teams then traded touchdowns with Trey Burton scoring on a 51-yard run for the Gators and the Bulldogs marching down to answer on a 15-yard Murray scoring pass to A.J. Green, tying the score at 31 with 4:36 remaining, which lead to the overtime.

No. 17 South Carolina Downs Tennessee, 38-24

Alshon Jeffery's 70-yard touchdown catch broke a fourth-quarter tie and kept No. 17 South Carolina in control of the SEC East with a 38-24 victory over Tennessee on Saturday.
The Vols (2-6, 0-5 Southeastern Conference) had rallied back from a 14-point deficit on a pair of touchdown passes from backup quarterback Tyler Bray to tie the game 24-24.
That's when Stephen Garcia found Jeffery in the middle of the field and the SEC's leading receiver outraced three defenders to the end zone with 12:17 to go.
Garcia sealed the win for South Carolina (6-2, 4-2) with his second rushing touchdown, this one from 1-yard out with 3:28 left.
The Gamecocks are the East's only two-loss team. They can clinch their first berth in the SEC title game with wins over Arkansas and Florida in the next two weeks.
South Carolina freshman Marcus Lattimore had a career-high 184 yards and his 11th rushing touchdown in his first start since spraining an ankle in a 31-28 loss at Kentucky two weeks ago.

SEC Football Online free Sport Book...Gators vs Bulldogs

The struggling Florida Gators take on the suddenly resurgent Georgia Bulldogs as 2 ½ point underdogs on Oct. 30th. The Gators go into their Saturday game versus Georgia having lost 3 games in a row. After starting out the season 4 and 0 and ranked in the Top 10, Florida has dropped games to Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State. Luckily, the Gators were on a bye last week. Did coach Urban Meyer right the wrongs that have befallen the once mighty Florida Gators?

Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL

When: Oct. 30th at 3:30 pm EST

TV: CBS

Florida Gators +2 ½ -110 O 47 ½ -110

Georgia Bulldogs -2 ½ -110 U 47 ½ -110

Gamecocks Lanning Nominated for Ray Guy Award

University of South Carolina senior punter Spencer Lanning is one of 51 athletes nominated for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, as announced today by the Augusta Sports Council. Lanning, a 5-11, 192-pounder, from Rock Hill, S.C. (York Comprehensive H.S.), is averaging 44.7 yards per punt this season on 26 kicks with a long of 58 yards. Seven of his 26 kicks have been inside the 20. This is his third season as the Gamecocks' punter. He has averaged 42.5 yards per punt throughout his Carolina career. The Ray Guy Award list will be narrowed to ten semi-finalists to be named on November 12. Following the semi-finalists announcement, a national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, coaches, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the top three finalists, who will be identified on November 22. The voting body will then cast ballots to select the winner.

Arkansas gets good news, bad news on receiving front

Quarterback Ryan Mallett should have one of his top two targets back on the field when the 19th-ranked Arkansas (5-2, 2-2 in Southeastern Conference) plays Vanderbilt (2-5, 1-3) in Razorback Stadium on Saturday. Junior Greg Childs, who suffered an ankle injury against Ole Miss and did not finish the game, is expected to play after practicing the past two days. But Childs’ teammate, receiver Joe Adams won’t be in uniform after missing practice all week because of the ankle injury he also sustained against Ole Miss. "Greg did good," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. "He came out Wednesday night and practiced the entire practice, which surprised me a little bit. I didn’t think he’d go out the entire practice. He came out Thursday, he feels good. He’s bouncing around." Childs ranks first on the team in receiving with 41 catches for 572 yards and six touchdowns. Adams is second with 30 catches for 544 yards and four scores.The two have been key components of Arkansas’ passing offense, which ranks second in the nation (352.1 yards). Adams also has been valuable on special teams for the Razorbacks. He set a school record with a 97-yard return for a touchdown in the first half against the Rebels. Without Adams, Arkansas will count on more from a group that also includes Jarius Wright, Cobi Hamilton, Julian Horton and Javontee Herndon. In addition, Wright will fill in for Adams as Arkansas’ punt returner Saturday. Wright returned a punt for 24 yards after Adams left the game last week.

Chizik Nominated for Bobby Dodd Coach of the year award

Auburn football head coach Gene Chizik has been named to the watch list for the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation has announced. Chizik was one of seven coaches listed on the watch list by the Foundation, joining Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, Boise State's Chris Peterson, Michigan State's Mark Dantonio, Oregon's Chip Kelly, Arizona's Mike Stoops and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz. Chizik has led Auburn to an 8-0 record and a No. 1 ranking in the Oct. 24 BCS standings. He has guided Auburn to a 5-0 record in Southeastern Conference games and helped the Tigers remain as the only undefeated team in the SEC. Auburn has defeated four teams that are currently ranked in the Top 25 by the Associated Press under Chizik's command, while no other ranked team has beaten more than two. He has also guided Auburn to five come-from-behind victories this season, and helped Auburn win five games that were decided by single digits, including three victories by three points each.

Pot bust leads to suspension for Arkansas defensive starter

Arkansas will be without at least two starters Saturday when it hosts Vanderbilt, Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino said Thursday. Defensive tackle DeQuinta Jones is suspended for the game, Petrino said, following an arrest for possession of marijuana early Wednesday. The coach declined to say how long the suspension would last. "He’s suspended," Petrino said. "That’s just how it is." Junior Lavunce Askew will get the start in Jones’ absence, Petrino said. Jones had started all seven games this season. The No. 19 Razorbacks will also be without receiver Joe Adams, who has missed all three practices this week with an ankle injury suffered in the third quarter of last weekend’s win over Ole Miss. Petrino said you might see more of freshman Julian Horton with Adams not able to play. "Julian has had a very good week of practice," Petrino said. "He plays the position Joe plays, so he’ll step in there. I think Javontee Herndon has also had a real good week." Petrino said fellow receiver Greg Childs (ankle) is probable for the game after suffering an injury against the Rebels. Childs is Arkansas’ leading receiver this season with 41 receptions for 572 yards and 6 touchdowns. "Greg looked good today," Petrino said. "He came out and practiced the entire time last night, which kind of surprised me. He looks good, feels good, is bouncing around catching balls." Ryan Mallett, who left last weekend’s contest early with a shoulder injury, has had a good week of practice, Petrino said. He will start ahead of blossoming back-up Tyler Wilson, who has combined for 403 passing yards and 4 touchdowns in relief work over the past two weeks.

Tide makes offer to former UGA QB Mettenberger

Butler Community College QB Zach Mettenberger told kelinjohnson.com exclusively today that Nick Saban at the University of Alabama has just extended an offer for him to play for the Crimson Tide with a full scholarship. The offer comes just over a month after he received a full ride to play for Louisiana State University, and this weekend, Zach is taking a visit to Texas A & M.
Things have been looking better and better for Mettenberger since his departure from the University of Georgia back in April, after he ran into some legal problems.
Mettenberger was arrested and hit with several charges following a spring break incident back in March, but participated in UGA's spring practice and was in a battle for the starting job with current starter Aaron Murray throughout. Shortly after the end of spring practice, however, Mettenberger was abruptly dismissed from the football program.

Vols suspends starter for Saturday's game

Tennessee senior fullback Kevin Cooper will not play Saturday against South Carolina because of a one-game suspension for academic reasons. Coach Derek Dooley did not provide specifics about Cooper’s violation, and added Cooper would have to rectify whatever was wrong if he hopes to play Nov. 6 at Memphis. "Everybody’s on the same academic accountability policy," Dooley said. "Team hurts, team suffers." Freshman Channing Fugate will take Cooper’s place in the lineup, Dooley said. He has appeared in all seven games, primarily on special teams.

Gamecock's Lattimore says he's '100 percent'

Slumping Tennessee probably doesn't want to hear this, but South Carolina freshman running back Marcus Lattimore has pronounced himself ready to return from the ankle sprain that kept him out a week ago. "I feel really good," Lattimore said after practice Wednesday. "I feel 100 percent now." Lattimore was pretty close to it Saturday at Vanderbilt, going through pregame warm-ups without any sort of noticeable limp, but his coaches opted to hold him out, as a precaution. "It was tough," said Lattimore, who added it was the first game he'd ever missed due to injury. "But we won, so I was happy." Senior Brian Maddox rushed for a career-high 146 yards in his absence. But Lattimore, who has 752 total yards and 12 touchdowns, gives the offense another dimension. "We can throw him little screen routes and down-the-field passes and he'll come down with them," junior quarterback Stephen Garcia said. Tennessee, meanwhile, is dealing with all sorts of depth issues. The 2-5 Vols could be without another player, safety Marsalis Teague, who is dealing with turf toe. Saturday's game will mark the reunion of two former Byrnes High teammates, Lattimore and Tennessee freshman defensive lineman Corey Miller. Lattimore said there's been quite a bit of friendly chatter going on the past few days. "I can't wait," Lattimore said, "to run him over."

Vandy DB's season likely over

Jamie Graham fought through a preseason groin injury in order to be able to return for the start of the 2010 season. Now he'll have to battle through yet another injury in order to finish it.

Graham suffered a torn meniscus in Vanderbilt's loss to Kentucky and underwent surgery Wednesday to repair the damage. The early prognosis is that the junior will be out for anywhere from three to upwards of six weeks.

"Just like anything else, it makes you thinner," Coach Robbie Caldwell said. "But he'd been hurt before, so we had to make these preparations. We certainly miss him, miss his leadership and effort."

Gator's Rainey, Bulldog's King expected to return after suspensions

Florida’s Chris Rainey and Georgia’s Caleb King made headlines for all the wrong reasons earlier this season. Arrested, then suspended. They could be back in the spotlight Saturday, this time playing staring roles for the Gators and Bulldogs in what essentially will be an elimination game in the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division. Rainey, suspended the last five games after he was arrested for allegedly sending a threatening text message to a former girlfriend, is expected to be fully reinstated following practice Thursday. King is coming off a two-game suspension for failing to take care of a speeding ticket.

Kentucky to be out of Locke yet again

Kentucky will be without their leading rusher this weekend.

Derrick Locke has missed the past two games for the Wildcats due to a stinger issue, and will hit the injury trifecta against Mississippi State as head coach Joker Phillips announced that the senior is not traveling with the team.

Phillips made the decision known after practice Thursday.

Locke, who tops SEC RBs with just under 96 yards per game, suffered a pair of stingers in the close loss to Auburn Oct. 9, and has been, obviously, hampered by them ever since.

True freshman Raymond Sanders is expected to start in Locke's place against the Bulldogs.

Arkansas DT Jones arrested on pot charge

Arkansas defensive tackle Dequinta Jones was arrested and charged with marijuana possession early Wednesday. The 19-year-old Jones was arrested by Fayetteville police after an officer smelled marijuana coming from his vehicle during a traffic stop for no vehicle license lights. According to the preliminary police report, Jones had a plastic bag with 8.7 grams of marijuana in his pocket.

Coach Bobby Petrino said he was aware of the arrest, but he hadn’t talked to Jones yet. Petrino said the arrest would "certainly be addressed." "I’m very disappointed," Petrino said. "It’s something we certainly don’t want to see happen, particularly during the week of a game." The charge of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail. The sophomore has started all seven games this season for the No. 19 Razorbacks and has 22 tackles. He played in 12 games last season as a freshman, starting three games.

No. 19 Arkansas hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Georgia Bulldogs defense will be put to the test against the Gators

The Florida Gators are fresh off a bye week. The Bulldogs just won their third game in a row while scoring 40 plus in each. The Bulldogs have great confidence and momentum heading down to Jacksonville.
Georgia has only won three times in the last two decades against the Gators. This year is their best opportunity to steal a victory from them.
Neither team is ranked in the AP top 25 for the first time since 1979. Georgia crushed Florida 33-10 that year and went on to win the National Championship the following year.

This game will come down to who can control the clock. And with that, the Georgia defense will face its toughest opponent in weeks.

The 3-4 Georgia D will need to bring their A game and confuse John Brantley and Trey Burton.

Ingram 'wouldn't have no problem' giving Heisman vote to Cam

As the reigning Heisman winner, Mark Ingram will be allowed to vote for the award this year. As the starting running back for Alabama, Ingram will also be on the same field as Newton Nov. 26 when the Tide squares off with the Tigers in the Iron Bowl.

Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show Wednesday, Ingram was asked if he'll use his vote on Newton.

"We'll see what happens," Ingram said. "We'll see how the rest of the season plays out and who keeps playing the best football. They're definitely playing the best football out of everybody right now.

"If he's the best and has been the best so far, I wouldn't have no problem. I'm a real person and I can't hate on the man."

If Newton continues through the remaining third of the season the way he's played through the first two-thirds, any real person won't be able to hate on the man when it comes to the Heisman.

Vanderbilt football changes offensive coordinators

Vanderbilt has changed offensive coordinators, handing the play-calling duties to running back coach Des Kitchings.

Kitchings, 32, entering his third year on the staff, takes over for Jimmy Kiser, who remains on as the QB coach."I sat down and evaluated where we are, what we want to accompilish and where we’re headed," Coach Robbie Caldwell said today at his weekly press conference.
"I've made the decision to make Des Kitchings our offensive coordinator so Jimmy Kiser can concentrate on helping our quarterbacks be the best they can be.
"Kitchings is a great coach, a student of the game. He has paid his dues here. Never seen a young man take to it as quickly, moving into a new setting as he has. He’s excited. Our staff is excited. I think our players will be refreshed and ready to go."
Vanderbilt (2-5, 1-3) travels to Arkansas (5-2, 2-2) this weekend. The Commodores rank last in the SEC in scoring offense (18.9) and total offense (305.9).

Spurrier respects Vols defense

Few teams have inflicted more misery on South Carolina in the last two decades than Tennessee.
Although this time, the Volunteers will enter Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday in a condition they haven’t experienced in that time frame. "Tennessee is a little bit in a down slump as several teams are, but we can’t worry about that much," Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. "They may not be a down slump when they come in here at 12:20." Tennessee beat South Carolina 15 of the last 17 times they played. Saturday’s game will be televised by the SEC Network. The Gamecocks are ranked No. 17 and lead the SEC’s Eastern Division with a record of 5-2 overall and 3-2 in the conference. The Volunteers "have looked good at times," Spurrier said. "Their personnel on defense looks as good as anybody we have played, better than some teams."

Auburn’s Fairley wreaking havoc on defense...and a Headache to QB's

Auburn coach Gene Chizik said anybody who doubts Fairley should be a candidate for national honors like the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy just needs to watch last weekend’s LSU game. "I don’t think there’s any way you can say he isn’t," Chizik said. "Anybody that watched the game would have a hard time denying the fact that he’s one of the best defensive linemen in the country. Does he play like that every play? I don’t know about that. But I know that he makes an impact on a lot of games. And he has been doing that consistently all year. It is what it is. The facts are the facts."
Fairley had 2 1/2 sacks, one body slam and one quarterback casualty in Auburn’s 24-17 victory against previously unbeaten LSU. Overshadowed by other SEC defensive linemen like LSU’s Drake Nevis and Alabama’s Marcell Dareus before the season, the 6-foot-5, 298-pound Fairley has been the league’s most productive tackle statistically. His 7 1/2 sacks trails only Georgia linebacker Justin Houston in the SEC (9.0). Fairley is first in the league and third nationally with 17 tackles for loss, one of only three defensive tackles ranked among the top 14. "He’s at the top in my book because he’s athletic,” said Mississippi’s Houston Nutt, whose Rebels host the Tigers on Saturday. "He’s not just a plugger. There’s been a lot of great linemen who can fill up gaps and let your linebacker make the play. But this guy is different. He’s very quick and athletic. He has receiver moves, he can give you a head and shoulder fake." "I know he played basketball somewhere down the line because he’s nimble and quick. He’s always disruptive in every ballgame."

Head shot earns Miss. St. LB Hughes a one-game break

Mississippi State linebacker Chris Hughes has been suspended for one game for going to the head and neck area of a defenseless player in the Bulldogs' win over UAB Saturday. Hughes will be held out of this weekend's night game with Kentucky.

Both Hughes and head coach Dan Mullen released statements addressing the suspension.

"We coach our players on these situations, how to lead with your shoulder, make sure you wrap up and see the front of the jersey, not only to avoid pointless penalties, but to make sure everyone is safe on the field," the coach said. "This is a teachable moment for Chris and our entire team. He'll face the consequences for his actions and learn from it."

"It was a silly mistake, and one that I should not have made," Hughes said. "Now I have to pay the price for my actions. Our coaches teach us and warn us about those types of plays, and I just need to learn from this and make sure it doesn't happen in the future."

Georgia looking for that complete 60 minute game

Georgia heads into Week 9 on a three game winning streak pulling their record up to 4-4 (3-3 in conference play). It seems as if UGA is putting the pieces together at the right time as Saturday showcases a battle of rivals fighting for positioning in the SEC east standings. The Georgia-Florida game won’t feature top 25 teams fighting for national title hopes, but rather feature two teams hoping to represent their division in the conference championship. One group that can keep UGA from continuing to have a successful second half of the season it is the Georgia secondary. Gator's John Brantley will be ready for this especially after Florida’s bye week. The confidence of the team has shown with better defensive efforts and now what seems like an unstoppable offense. Georgia has yet to play a complete game but they’re coming around to it. Saturday Georgia goes to Jacksonville looking for that complete game.

Dooley on current state of Vols: 'We're like the Germans in WWII'

It's been a rough first year for the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, Derek Dooley. They have lost games by 35, 31 and 27 points this year, and one of their two wins came by three points over UAB in overtime. Vol's Derek Dooley compares his young, inexperienced team's struggles to the German forces during the Allies' invasion of Normandy during World War II. In an attempt to convey the current state of the Vols, Dooley went off on a tangent, comparing the Vols with the likes of the World War II Germans, No S--t!

"Right now we're like the Germans in World War II. Here comes the boats, they're coming. You have the binoculars, and it's like, 'Oh, my God, the invasion is coming.' That's what they did, they were in the bunkers. It's coming, they call Rommel -- they can't find Rommel. (Pretending to speak into a radio.) 'What do we do? I'm not doing anything until I get orders.' (Pretends to look through binoculars.) 'Have you gotten Rommel yet?'

"All right, and the Americans were the exact opposite. We hit the beach, and we were on the wrong spot. 'What do we do? I don't know, but these guys are firing and we better hide over there and blow some stuff up to get up there.' They weren't looking for (help). That's where we've got to make that transition.

"I don't want the German people to get upset at me. I'm not attacking them, but that's what happened. You had one group, they weren't worried about what the plan was and orders and all that. When the war hits, things change. You've got to go. You had the other group, and they go, 'Wait a minute. They told us the invasion was way further north' where we had the empty tanks and we were hiding Patton out. 'We weren't ready for this, now what do we do?' 'We better wait until Rommel tells us what to do."

Well, there you have it, Dooley the damage is done, now what do you compare the Gamecock's to!
Don't tell us... the Viet Cong?

Gator's Coach Meyer, players preview matchup vs. Georgia

Head coach Urban Meyer and several members of the Gator Football team met with the media on Monday to discuss what the team worked on during the bye week, preparations for the Georgia game

Head Coach Urban Meyer, on any modifications that have been made to the offense."Yes, I’m not going to share much with you, but we have modified quite a bit. I’m obviously not going to say, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do,’ but things are modified and the injury issue, the personnel issue, is real so that’s going to help, I’m thinking. I’m going to let you know later this week and see how it goes, but it doesn’t look like us out there. It doesn’t look like BANG. I want to have the thud. We all want that. How do you get that? You recruit it. You develop it. You coach it. You make sure you’re practicing the mess out of it. That’s kind of where we’re at. “ On if he saw what he was looking to see from the team last week: “I think 18- to 22-year-olds are all motivated differently. Obviously differently than maybe a grownup or a coach or a parent or something like that. I think the moment I put the standings of the SEC East and they see what’s going on, because I didn’t think that. Someone handed it to me last week and I didn’t know that, so it lifted my spirits and I think it lifted a lot of guys’ spirits around here. We had three really hard days now. We went Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday as hard as we’ve ever gone. More contact than we’ve ever had for development. But we had them in this morning at 7 a.m. and we’re ready to go.”

Junior QB John Brantley, on how excited he is to get back out on the field and work towards trying to get a win:

“Really excited. We had a great short practice week last week and a great bye weekend to get everyone a little healthy and just to get our minds right for the second half of the football season. We’re real hungry to get back out on the practice field and have another great week of practice and carry that over to Saturday.”

Kentucky receiver hit with drunk-driving charge

Kentucky will be without one of their wide receivers this Saturday following a weekend arrest, the Louisville Courier-Journal is reporting.

Matt Roark was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with DUI and failure to maintain insurance. Head coach Joker Phillips announced Monday afternoon that the junior has been suspended and will not play this weekend against Mississippi State.

Roark has 11 receptions and 163 yards this season. He's played in all eight games, starting one.

South Carolina finally gets SEC road victory

Only 33,425 people showed up Saturday to see South Carolina play Vanderbilt, and the Gamecocks have to be happy there weren’t any more witnesses for the first half. South Carolina held off the Commodores 21-7 to retain the top spot in the SEC East, but it didn’t come easy — or pretty. "We’re happy to get out of Vandy alive," Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said. "Vandy plays us tough all the time. It’s always a struggle against these guys." With star freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore on the bench with a sprained ankle, the offense limped through the first half. Even with career performances from senior tailback Brian Maddox and sophomore wide receiver Tori Gurley, the Gamecocks were sweating well into the fourth quarter. South Carolina didn’t put the game away until a scrambling Stephen Garcia found Alshon Jeffery down the right sideline for a 72-yard touchdown with 6:41 to go in the game. "Coach Spurrier told us at halftime we are always a first-half team, so we have to start something new and be a second-half team," Jeffery said. The smallest crowd to see the Gamecocks play in more than a decade watched as they won their first SEC road game since Oct. 11, 2008, and improved to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC. Vanderbilt fell to 2-5 and 1-3.

Georgia Bulldogs vs Kentucky Wildcats game Update

Tailback Washaun Ealey, whose fumbles cost him a spot in Georgia’s starting lineup earlier this season, claimed a spot in the Bulldogs’ record book here Saturday night. Ealey scored five touchdowns as resurgent Georgia extended its winning streak to three games and evened its record at .500 with a 44-31 victory over Kentucky in Commonwealth Stadium. Ealey’s touchdowns, all on runs of 3 yards or less, set a UGA single-game record for most rushing touchdowns and tied the school’s single-game record for most overall touchdowns. Ealey called the record "a great honor" but gave the credit to the offensive line and fullback Shaun Chapas. "They blocked hard all night and were more physical than Kentucky was," he said. As for his own performance: "I feel like I played up to my potential, and I have to keep doing it." Justin Houston had a look about him before the game. Georgia coach Mark Richt noticed it right away. "You could just see it in his eyes that he was ready, that he was ready to play hard and make some noise," Richt said of his junior linebacker. "“Justin was fired up and ready to play. He knew there was a good chance to get some sacks today." Houston was part of a defense that forced UK into nearly as many fumbles in the first half Saturday night (three) as it’s had all season. In all, the Georgia defense scored 21 points off of four Kentucky miscues.

"We’re very, very excited about winning a game somewhere besides Athens. It’s good to get three victories in a row. It’s good to even up our record in league play and overall. We’ve caught a good little bit of momentum, and I was really proud of how we came out ready to play again."

Auburn jumps 2 spots in the Top 25

The other team from Alabama surged toward the top of the AP poll while another set of Tigers has emerged as the Big 12's unexpected national title contender. Auburn jumped two spots to No. 3 behind top-ranked Oregon and Boise State in the media poll Sunday, and Missouri vaulted 11 spots to No. 7. Oregon, which moved to No. 1 for the first time last week and followed up with a 60-13 victory against UCLA on Thursday night, received 44 first-place votes. Boise State had 11, Auburn received three and No. 4 TCU received two. Auburn has its highest ranking since the Tigers were No. 2 in 2006 after beating LSU 24-17 on Saturday in a matchup of the Southeastern Conference's last unbeaten teams. Quarterback Cameron Newton ran for 217 yards, cementing himself as the Heisman Trophy front-runner. The Tigers started the season No. 22 and have been climbing steadily since.

Update of Arkansas vs Ole Miss game

The Razorbacks improved to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Southeastern Conference with the win, and notched their first win against former coach Houston Nutt. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said quarterback Ryan Mallett suffered a shoulder injury in the third quarter and that’s why he didn’t return following the first of two rain delays. Petrino said the injury isn’t serious and Mallett should be ready to play next Saturday against Vanderbilt here in Fayetteville. Petrino said receivers Joe Adams and Greg Childs both suffered ankle injuries in the win. The extents of those injuries are unknown. Knile Davis rushed 22 times for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns. All three are career-highs for the sophomore running back. Saturday marked the first time this season an Arkansas quarterback hasn’t passed for more than 300 yards. Mallett finished with 196 and 1 touchdown, while Wilson passed for 71 yards.

Georgia Bulldogs still in the Hunt...gets past Kentucky Wildcats 44-31

Wayshaun Ealey set a school record with five rushing touchdowns as surging Georgia pounded Kentucky 44-31 on Saturday. The Bulldogs (4-4, 3-3 SEC) forced the mistake-prone Wildcats into four turnovers - converting them into 17 points, to win their third straight. Ealey finished with a season-high 157 yards on 28 carries before getting banged up late in the fourth quarter. His five rushing scores broke the school record of four, set most recently by former Georgia running back Robert Edwards in 1997. Ealey also matched Edwards' record for total touchdowns in a game set in 1995 against South Carolina. Kentucky (4-4, 1-4) outgained Georgia 423-290 but couldn't overcome another shaky first half. Mike Hartline threw for 353 yards and four touchdowns but Kentucky's mistakes often set the Bulldogs up with a short field. Only once did the Bulldogs start a touchdown drive on their side of midfield. They didn't have to as the Wildcats kept finding ways to self-destruct.

UAB Upset Bid Falls Short Against No. 24 Mississippi State, Lose 29-24

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Freshman LaDarius Perkins rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown as No. 24 Mississippi State survived an upset scare to beat Alabama-Birmingham 29-24 on Saturday night.

Playing as a nationally ranked team for the first time since 2001, the Bulldogs won their fifth straight game, which is the program's longest streak since 1999. They also earned bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons and only the second time in decade.

But it wasn't easy.

UAB (2-5) pushed Mississippi State (6-2) all night, rallying to take a 24-23 lead with 10:16 remaining in the game after quarterback Bryan Ellis rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. Ellis also completed 23 of 45 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown.

But MSU's Derek DePasquale responded with two field goals - his fourth and fifth of the night - as the Bulldogs hung on for the victory.

By: uabsports.cstv.com

Scoring drives from USC vs. Vanderbilt

SOUTH CAROLINA 21, VANDERBILT 7

SECOND QUARTER

Vanderbilt 7, South Carolina 0

Scoring play: Larry Smith 3 run (Ryan Fowler kick)

Key play: Another week and another coverage breakdown by Gamecocks. Left John Cole alone for a 34-yard gain to set up first-and-goal at the USC 6.

Drive: Twelve plays, 83 yards, 3:45

Time: 10:24

South Carolina 7, Vanderbilt 7

Scoring play: Tori Gurley 15 pass from Stephen Garcia (Spencer Lanning kick)

Key play: Garcia wanted Alshon Jeffery out to the right, but Gurley came open to the left. The points, just before the half, were huge.

Drive: Seven plays, 59 yards, 0:51

Time: 0:12

THIRD QUARTER

South Carolina 14, Vanderbilt 7

Scoring play: Brian Maddox 2 run (Lanning kick)

Key play: Maddox finally provided a punch in the running game, with seven carries for 48 yards on the drive.

Drive: Twelve plays, 93 yards, 4:59

Time: 3:17

FOURTH QUARTER

South Carolina 21, Vanderbilt 7

Scoring play: Jeffery 72 pass from Garcia (Lanning kick)

Key play: Garcia avoided pressure and scrambled to his right, lobbing the ball over the defender to Jeffery. He raced to the end zone to allow for a sigh of relief on the USC sideline.

Drive: Two plays, 72 yards, 0:53

Time: 6:41

by: www.postandcourier.com

Alabama 41, Tennessee 10... Tide blows Vols away with big second half

Despite dominating the first half statistically, Alabama led only 13-10 at halftime, but it struck for three touchdowns in the third quarter to start pulling away. The Tide's big-name players made big plays. Julio Jones made catches of 47, 42 and 38 yards and finished with 12 catches for a single-game school-record 221 yards. Trent Richardson ran 65 yards for a third-quarter touchdown and finished with 119 yards rushing on 12 carries. He also caught a 5-yard pass for the Tide's final touchdown. Mark Ingram ran 42 yards on a second-quarter play, scored two third-quarter touchdowns on 1-yard runs and finished with 88 yards rushing on 14 carries. Greg McElroy completed 21 of 32 passes for 264 yards. The big negative was the fact that Alabama's streak of 41 consecutive games in which it did not allow an individual opponent to rush for 100 or more yards ended. The Vols' Tauren Poole ran 14 times for 117 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown run for the first score of the game.

Auburn beats LSU, now SEC's only unbeaten team

Auburn rode big TD runs and an electric crowd to emerge as the SEC's only unbeaten team this Saturday.

The Tigers got a long TD run from quarterback Cam Newton and a 70-yard TD sprint from Onterio McCalebb to beat LSU 24-17 in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

The Tigers are the only unbeaten team in the league, improving to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in conference play.
Newton rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns, and threw for 86 more. Mike Dyer ran for 100 yards on the button.

The Tigers piled up 526 yards, including 440 rushing , against the SEC's top defense.

Arkansas Tops Ole Miss 38-24

Knile Davis ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 21 Arkansas weathered two delays to beat former coach Houston Nutt and Mississippi 38-24 on Saturday.
The Razorbacks (5-2, 2-2 SEC) also got a 97-yard punt return for a touchdown from Joe Adams in rebounding from a loss to Auburn last week. The game was delayed twice by lightning that sent fans and both teams scurrying for cover.
Arkansas led throughout the game, but the Rebels (3-4, 1-3) twice pulled within a touchdown in the fourth quarter after a two scoring passes from Jeremiah Masoli to Markeith Summers.
Both times, however, Davis answered with touchdown runs for the Razorbacks - the first from 71 yards out and the second from 22.
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, returning from a concussion sustained last week, finished 13-of-24 passing for 196 yards before leaving the game in the second half.

SEC Football Online's Free sportbook...Auburn vs LSU

#6 LSU Tigers (7-0) vs. #5 Auburn Tigers (7-0) (Jordan-Hare Stadium - Auburn, AL)

Saturday October 23rd – 3:30 PM ET

TV: CBS

Yes folks, it’s a good old fashion SEC showdown between two of the top teams in the country this year. Auburn is going off as a 6-point favorite, and the majority of the betting public is backing them with 61% of the money coming in on the home team. LSU does have some big wins on the year, as they just went into Florida and beat the Gators in their own building, but they also just squeaked by Tennessee at home, and didn’t look overly impressive against McNeese State last week.

Football Odds:

LSU – PS +6 (-110) ML +180

Auburn – PS -6 (-110) ML -220

Total – 51

In a way, Auburn hasn’t totally dominated the competition they’ve faced, but they are coming off a much more impressive performance as they won an absolute shootout against the then 12th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks last week, 65-43. Auburn also doesn’t have as many question marks with their team as LSU and they still can’t decide on a full time quarterback.

Alabama vs Tennessee series numbers

Alabama owns a 47-38-7 edge in the series, including a 21-20-1 advantage in Knoxville and a 26-18-6 lead in the state of Alabama...Alabama has won three consecutive meetings in the series, but the Vols have won five of the last seven in Knoxville since a 20-13 win in 1996...UT has scored 17 or fewer points in the last six meetings...Since 1995, Tennessee has a 10-5 edge in the series...UT won seven in a row from 1995-2001, while Alabama has won five of eight since 2002.

Mallett 'good to go' for Razorbacks

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino put any questions about his quarterback status to rest Thursday, saying Ryan Mallett will start against Ole Miss this weekend. Mallett, who suffered a concussion last Saturday at Auburn, has practiced all week with Tyler Wilson serving as a back-up. Wilson passed for 332 yards and four touchdowns in Mallett’s absence last weekend. "He’s practiced well, his focus is good, he’s had zero headaches," Petrino said of Mallett. "Everything points to we’re good to go.""We’re just going into the game with Ryan as the starting quarterback and not doing anything different than we ever have."

LSU defense eager to test itself vs. Auburn

LSU defensive coordinator John "Chief" Chavis has spent the past two decades stifling some of the best offenses in the Southeastern Conference. Chavis concedes that his SEC-leading defense hasn’t faced anyone quite like quarterback Cam Newton this season. The veteran coach adds that his unit looks forward to proving it can stop him and No. 5 Auburn on Saturday. "We’re going to try to put more defenders close to the line of scrimmage than they can block," Chavis said. "I don’t know if it’s going to be possible this week, but that’s what we’re going to try to do. Hopefully we’ll dare them to throw it. Maybe we can get them to throw it about 50 times." "We can’t worry about what they did to another team," LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson said, just before sighing as he reflected on Auburn’s point total. "I mean, 65 points, that’s crazy, but it’s going to be a fun matchup. We just got to go out there and play sound football." "He waits for holes to be open. Our job is just to sit there, control the line of scrimmage and just be patient," LSU defensive tackle Lazarius "Pep" Levingston said. "He’s a patient runner, so we just got to stay in our gaps at all times."

Last of SEC’s unbeatens meet...Auburn vs LSU

I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s a lucky undefeated team because there’s nothing lucky about wins in the SEC,” LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson said. "You get them or you don’t." Indeed, the league that has produced the last four national champions will only have one remaining unbeaten by dinnertime Saturday. Both Tigers are 7-0 with four SEC wins. Auburn has reached this point behind quarterback Cam Newton, perhaps the Heisman Trophy front-runner, and three comeback victories. Newton’s Tigers also had two touchdowns survive replay reviews in last weekend’s 65-43 shootout with Arkansas. LSU has thrived behind the SEC’s top defense and the running of Stevan Ridley. Not to mention a fortuitous bounce on a fake field goal called by coach Les Miles against Florida and that infamous second-chance touchdown against Tennessee. "That says they must be a close team like we are if they’ve been winning like we have," Auburn left tackle Lee Ziemba said. "They must be as willing to fight for each other as the guys are here. It’s a testament to the guys they have there and the coaches."

LSU defense gives them the edge over Auburn

In the LSU-Auburn case we are going with the Bayou Bengals on the grounds that, as odd as it sounds, LSU is a more complete football team. While Auburn is a better team offensively, in fact one of the best teams in the nation, this LSU squad is far and away the best defensive test that Cam Newton and Co. will have seen.

The Tigers have more speed, a better front seven and a secondary that is capable of being left on an island to allow an extra safety to get into the mix against Newton running the football.
A newly-energized LSU offensive attack fueled by a resurgent Jarrett Lee, the emergence of Stevan Ridley, a more expansive Gary Crowton offense and a receiving group that has tons of speed and talent. This Bayou Bengals attack pounded the Florida defense, a unit that is better than Auburn's, on the road and we expect this offense to have plenty of success on Saturday.

Georgia Bulldogs favored by 3 over Kentucky Wildcats

This Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs will look for their third straight win when they go on the road against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Bulldogs have looked really good in their last two games, beating Tennessee 41-14 and then shutting out Vanderbilt 43-0. After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Auburn, the Wildcats pulled off their biggest win of the year, taking down No. 10 South Carolina 31-28 just one week after the Gamecocks beat No. 1 Alabama. The Bulldogs are 16-3 against Kentucky since 1991, but the Wildcats have won two of the last three, including a 34-27 win at Georgia last season.

UK to again be without top RB Derrick Locke

Derrick Locke suffered a pair of stingers and a bruised elbow in the Wildcats' three-point loss to Auburn Oct. 9, then sat out UK's upset win over South Carolina last weekend. Two days from now against Georgia, the running back will once again find himself on the sidelines instead of the field.

"Locke will not play this week," head coach Joker Phillips said following practice Thursday. "Hopefully, we will get him back next week. He should start back (at practice) on Sunday, just running around with it, and then we will go from there."

As they did last week, sophomore Donald Russell and freshman Raymond Sanders will attempt to take up the running game slack in Locke's absence.

It wasn't all bad news on the UK injury front, however. Starting defensive end DeQuin Evans, who sat out last weekend's win with a sprained ankle, is expected to play against the Bulldogs.

Why the Bulldogs Won't Win the SEC East

Sunday morning the Bulldog Nation woke up believing they could actually win the SEC East. Thanks to a little help from Kentucky and Mississippi State, Georgia is tied for second in their division. A few weeks ago, everyone had written Georgia off. Now there is a chance for them to go to the Georgia Dome representing the East, however a couple things will need to happen in their favor. First, they must win out. Not an easy task. Second, they’ll need South Carolina to lose two more SEC games. Possible, yes. Realistic, no. Winning on the road in Lexington won’t be easy. The Wildcats just hung 31 on the Gamecocks. Georgia couldn’t even score a touchdown against South Carolina. Not to mention the Bulldogs have lost all three road games this year. Then there’s attempting to win in Jacksonville, something Georgia has struggled with the past 20 years. The Bulldogs have beaten the Gators three times in the past two decades. They have to go to Jacksonville and try to beat a Gator team fresh off a bye. And if you believe Georgia has any chance against a Gator squad that just lost three in a row, had a week off to cope and prepare for the game they love to win the most, you are blind. Georgia has a chance to win the SEC East. There is no denying that. But they won’t seize their opportunity because they are not a better football team than Florida or Auburn. Winning out is too hard of a goal for the Bulldogs to accomplish.

by Eric Bowman

NFL coordinator calls Razorback's head coach Bobby Petrino 'a gutless bastard'

Zimmer, currently the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, served as the coordinator on Petrino's Atlanta Falcons coaching staff in 2007. Petrino infamously pulled one of the biggest punk, below-the-belt coaching moves in the history of of the game, leaving the Falcons with three games remaining in the season ,-- with barely a word in parting said to his staff or anyone in the organization, to take the head coaching job at the University of Arkansas.
Zimmer was asked about returning to the city for the first time since Petrino stabbed an entire organization in the back.

Well here is a sampling of Zimmer's quotes, courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"I was never even there. As far as I am concerned. I never even was there. When a coach quits in the middle of the year and ruins a bunch of people's families and doesn't' have enough guts to at least finish out the year. I am not a part of that."

"He is a coward. Put that in quotes. He ruined a bunch of people's lives, a bunch of people's families, kids, because he didn't have enough nuts to stay there and finish the job. That's the truth."

"He came in and said he resigned, he would talk to us all at a later date, walked out of the office and no one has ever talked to him since. Not that anybody wanted to.

"He's a gutless b---d. Quote that. I don't give a s--."

When told that we might might not be able to use the B word, Zimmer went one better: "How about this, gutless MF. You can use that."

LSU's Nevis has the numbers that top Suh and Dorsey thru 7 games

LSU defensive tackle Drake Nevis is having one of those year’s most players can only dream about. For starters, he’s one of the standouts on an LSU football team that is 7-0 overall and ranked No. 6 in the BCS Standings. LSU will get a chance to improve its ranking on Saturday when the Tigers head to The Plains to take on fourth-ranked Auburn at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
Nevis has been one of the big reasons for LSU’s dominance on the defensive side of the ball this year as he’s third on the team with 38 tackles, and ranks second in the SEC in both tackles for losses (11.5) and sacks (5.0). He’s also added an interception, forced two fumbles, recorded a safety and had a quarterback hurry.
Nevis’ numbers are in line through seven games with the two most dominant defensive lineman in college football in recent history; LSU’s Glenn Dorsey in 2007 and Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh in 2009.
Player Tackles TFL Sacks Other
Nevis (2010) 38 11.5-47 yards 5.0-35 yards 1 int., 2 forced fumbles, 1 safety
Suh (2009) 44 10.0-42 yards 4.0-30 yards
Dorsey (2007) 37 5.5.-35 yards 4.0-32 yards 1 fumble recovery, 2 QB hurries

Wildcat's Hartline finally flourishing at Kentucky

Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline laid on the ground, the roars of Commonwealth Stadium rattling around his helmet as teammate Randall Cobb celebrated the game-winning touchdown with 75 seconds remaining against South Carolina last Saturday. Then the normally reserved QB did something very un-Hartlinelike: He let loose. For a good 10 seconds the senior pumped his arms and legs in the air, as three seasons of criticism, second-guessing and consternation drifted away. Hartline blushes at the memory. More than one friend has grabbed him in the last few days to show him the video.

"It’s just a momentary thing, sometimes stuff happens you wish you didn’t do," he said with a laugh. "It looks a little childish and everything, in the end I’m happy that it happened."

"I was taking some heat for naming him the quarterback," Phillips said. "It’s gratifying to me, that’s for sure. I’m happy for him though. All the things that he’s been through here, for him to keep working, keep his confidence, and the thing is the team believed in him."

USC Spurrier says Miles to start for Gamecock's RB Lattimore

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier says backup tailback Kenny Miles will start for the 19th-ranked Gamecocks on Saturday against Vanderbilt in place of injured freshman Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore sprained his left ankle early in the second half of South Carolina's 31-28 loss to Kentucky. The Gamecocks (4-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) were ahead 28-10 when Lattimore got hurt. Spurrier said Wednesday that Lattimore had not practiced this week and was doubtful to face the Commodores (2-4, 1-2). "Kenny's a very good back who just hasn't had the opportunity to play much this year. So he's going to start the game and hopefully go a long way," Spurrier said. "If Marcus has a miraculous recovery and says he feels fine, we'll see about getting him in there."

Gator players prepared to fight adversity

In his sixth season at Florida and 10th as a head coach, Meyer walked off Florida Field following the Gators’ 10-7 loss to Mississippi State burdened by a fact he had never experienced: three consecutive losses. Meyer didn’t mince words once he arrived at the podium underneath the south end zone stands at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. “We just have to get better,’’ he said. “We’re not very good.’’ The Gators never quit against the Bulldogs, but they also never led in Mississippi State’s first win in Gainesville in 45 years. In the final seconds, the Gators had a chance to tie and force overtime. However, punter Chas Henry, filling in for regular kicker Caleb Sturgis (back injury) for the third consecutive game, missed a 42-yard field goal attempt with four seconds left. On one sideline, former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen and his players – Mullen is in his second season as Mississippi State’s head coach – celebrated wildly. Across the field, Meyer and the Gators struggled to come to terms with their third consecutive defeat since the calendar flipped to October. Adding to the disbelief, the loss marked the first time the Gators lost on Homecoming since 1988, snapping a 21-game win streak. Florida will also fall out of the polls when they come out Sunday morning, the first time that has happened under Meyer. “My mindset the whole time was that we were going to come back and win,’’ said senior center Mike Pouncey. “Around here at Florida, we’re so used to winning … the only thing we can do right now is go out and practice hard.’’

Trio of Ole Miss Rebels earn midseason All-SEC Honors

Three Ole Miss Rebels were recognized by Phil Steele in his midseason All-SEC team, which was announced Tuesday. Senior linebacker Jonathan Cornell and defensive lineman Jerrell Powe were named to the All-SEC second team, while junior running back Brandon Bolden was honored on the All-SEC third team. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is one of the nation’s most informative preseason football magazines and releases preseason, midseason and postseason All-America as well as All-Conference teams.

Kentucky's Randall Cobb sorry for blasting fans

Kentucky wide receiver Randall Cobb apologized Tuesday for using Twitter to lash out at fans following an upset of South Carolina last weekend. Cobb sent out a series of tweets following the game in which he chastised fans for coming late, leaving early and being more concerned about the school's basketball team. He said it took him "two or three minutes" after sending the tweets to realize he had spoken irresponsibly. He almost immediately removed the messages. Cobb, who scored the game-winning touchdown with just over a minute to go, says "99.9 percent" of the fans are great and that he made a mistake. "I just took a small chunk and made it something big," Cobb said. "I can't do that. I made a mistake. I'm a man, I admit my mistake, and I want to come out and let everybody know that I'm sorry. I hope the fans can forgive me."

Georgia, SEC Champions... Don't Get Ahead of Yourself, Bulldog Fans

After routing the Vanderbilt Commodores 43-0 on Saturday, and Tennessee the previous weekend, Georgia fans are in joy over something they have yet to experience in this young decade, a winning streak. Three weeks ago, after losing four straight games, the season seemed lost in the minds of many people in the Peach State, and the job status of Mark Richt became a hot topic in the media. Winning the last two games will eliminate some the calls to fire Mark Richt, but the two-game streak has not assured him of job security beyond this year. Many Georgia fans feel that Mark Richt is too nice of a guy to lead the team anymore, and that he has lost control of the program. Georgia has already had 11 players arrested during 2010. That’s enough to for a starting lineup on either side of the ball. Winning the SEC, let alone the SEC East, would assure Mark Richt of his job going in to 2011. However, either achievement seems far-fetched at the moment. Florida’s three-game losing streak has put Georgia back in contention in the SEC East race, but Bulldog fans are getting ahead of themselves right now with SEC Championship speculation.

Arkansas eye doctors offer free Lasik procedure to SEC officials

A pair of questionable calls, one that allowed a Tiger touchdown to stand despite seemingly indisputable evidence that the runner had fumbled before crossing the goal line, the other on an Arkansas fumble that was returned for another TD, left Razorback fans in an uproar following the 65-43 loss. Fans weren't the only ones questioning the calls, however; the Arkansas football program itself petitioned the SEC regarding the very questionable rulings.

Wait, the best is yet to come, then there's the McDonald's Eye Associates.

"The officiating of the game has come under much scrutiny among Arkansas fans because of two controversial calls that went against the Razorbacks. Both plays directly led to Auburn touchdowns.

"Errors and incorrect calls from the game could have possibly been avoided with better vision. McDonald Eye Associates believes that a laser vision correction procedure will result in fewer mistakes in the future."

Yes, you guessed it, the group is offering free Lasik procedures to the officials involved in the calls.

Another tough break for Auburn's Aairon Savage

Auburn will be juggling its defensive backfield in Saturday's game against LSU after losing Aairon Savage to an ankle/leg injury and possibly T'Sharvan Bell to a hamstring injury.

Coach Gene Chizik said Sunday the tough-luck Savage will have surgery Monday.

"He's going to be out for awhile depending on how that goes,'' Chizik said.

Savage missed the 2008 season with a knee injury and missed the 2009 season with an Achilles injury.

"Seeing him last night, talking him today, your heart goes out to him. But he's a tough guy and he'll move past this like other things. Our team is sensitive to that because how much he means to the team,'' Chizik said.

Chizik said Bell is "going to be a day-by-day situation."

"I don't know how fast we'll be able to proceed with his injury. There'll be a lot of rehab before Saturday,'' Chizik said.

Chizik said sometimes-wide receiver Anthony Morgan and true freshman Chris Davis will see more time at cornerback. Walk-on Ikeem Means and Drew Cole will see more time at safety. True freshmen Demetruce McNeal and Ryan Smith will at least receive more practice time.

"We'll have to insert in there and keep working repetition-wise," Chizik said.

USC Gamecocks left wondering: 'What's the problem?'

As badly as Saturday ended here for South Carolina, and, yeah, it was bad, the Gamecocks still woke up Sunday leading the SEC's Eastern Division. Pretty much any other year, a mid-October loss against a division opponent like Kentucky would cripple a team's chances of getting to Atlanta. But 2010, as you've seen already, isn't your typical year in the SEC East.
"It is unusual, but that's where we are right now," said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who had never lost to Kentucky before in his career (17-1). "Somebody's going to represent the East in Atlanta. We don't know who it is yet, but they're not going to take two from the West. "The league should consider it. The West currently has five of its six teams ranked in the AP poll, a switcheroo from the recent norm of the East having the more formidable division. South Carolina holds the East lead at 2-2, just ahead of 2-3 Florida and Georgia. The Gamecocks, who have now lost seven consecutive SEC road games, play at Vanderbilt this week. The Commodores were clobbered, 43-0, by a Georgia team that appears to be coming around. "We're still in the hunt," Spurrier said. "Now, if we fall on our face again, we won't be in the hunt. But the Eastern Division is a little down this year, so we're still in the hunt." A 28-10 halftime lead for the Gamecocks turned, stunningly, into a 31-28 Kentucky win , thanks to a stagnant offense that looked a lot like 2009 and a soft defense that resembled the end of 2007. It was a meltdown that didn't get any easier to explain Sunday afternoon than Saturday night. "Certainly we're down a little bit right now today. We'll be a little bit tomorrow," Spurrier said Sunday. "But it's a long season. It's one game. We're still leading the Eastern Division after four conference games. "It's going to depend on our guys and how badly we want to go play, and do things that winners do. It turned out we didn't do those things yesterday." By Travis Haney

LSU's Offense will be more aggressive vs. Auburn

The Tigers play at No. 5 Auburn Saturday after being grounded last weekend. But the coach said just because sixth-ranked LSU only managed 103 yards passing and no TDs through the air against a team from the Football Championship Subdivision doesn’t mean they won’t be able to throw against Auburn."I see us throw the ball well in practice," Miles said Monday. "It just needs to show up in the game."

LSU (7-0, 4-0 SEC) eventually pulled away for a 32-10 victory over McNeese last Saturday, but the offense seemed to take a step backward. Using a two-quarterback system with Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee for the third straight game, the Tigers had only two touchdowns and led by only six points until Michael Ford’s scoring run late in the third quarter. The fourth and last touchdown didn’t come until LSU was running out the clock in the final 90 seconds. Miles said Jefferson and Lee should have performed better but were hampered in part by a game plan aimed at ball control and emphasizing the run. "We had a want to manage the game and control the game on the ground," Miles said. "I would have liked to have thrown the football better." Now LSU faces its toughest test yet at Auburn (7-0, 4-0), which scored 65 points against Arkansas, averages 40 points a game and has one of college football’s most productive dual-threat quarterbacks in Cameron Newton. Although LSU has been carried primarily by dominant defense, Miles figures his offense needs to be more productive this weekend.

Despite loss to Kentucky, Gamecocks still in SEC East hunt

South Carolina, fresh off a loss to Kentucky, still leads the SEC East at 4-2. In fact, the Gamecocks are the only team in the East with a conference record of .500 (2-2). Compare that to the SEC West, who has three teams in the BCS Top-10.

"Somebody's going to represent the East in Atlanta. We don't know who it is yet, but they're not going to take two from the West," said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.

And the Winner is...Number One and the Top 25 BCS ranking College Teams

Oklahoma sits atop the first set of standings. The Sooners (6-0) are ranked fourth in the Harris Poll and third according to the USA Today, but are first in the computer rankings. No. 2 is Oregon, who ranks first in Harris, AP and USA Today polls, but falls to eighth according to the computer rankings. We can only assume the computer (nicknamed HAL) hasn't seen Oregon completely dominate its competition this year. BCS busters Boise State and TCU are No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, and the undefeated Auburn Tigers are No. 4.
LSU, Michigan State, Alabama, Utah and Ohio State, who was upset by then No. 18 Wisconsin last night, round out the BCS Top-10.

BCS RANKINGS
1 Oklahoma 6-0
2 Oregon 6-0
3 Boise State 6-0
4 Auburn 7-0
5 TCU 7-0
6 LSU 7-0
7 Michigan State 7-0
8 Alabama 6-1
9 Utah 6-0
10 Ohio State 6-1
11 Missouri 6-0
12 Stanford 5-1
13 Wisconsin 6-1
14 Oklahoma State 6-0
15 Iowa 5-1
16 Nebraska 5-1
17 Florida State 6-1
18 Arizona 5-1
19 Texas 4-2
20 West Virginia 5-1
21 South Carolina 4-2
22 Kansas State 5-1
23 Arkansas 4-2
24 Mississippi State 5-2
25 Virginia Tech 5-2

Auburn's Newton Named Walter Camp Foundation's National Offensive Player Of The Week

Auburn junior quarterback Cam Newton has been named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, it was announced Sunday. Newton was honored for his performance in Auburn's 65-43 victory over Arkansas Saturday. Newton rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 10-of-14 passes for 140 yards and another score. Newton scored on touchdown runs of 5, 1 and 3 yards, and threw a 15-yard scoring strike to Emory Blake to give Auburn the lead for good in the fourth quarter. He had four rushes of more than 20 yards during the contest. Newton currently ranks second nationally in passing efficiency (180.53) and 11th in rushing (122.9) and total offense (305.4). He leads the SEC in each of those categories.

QB Heisman hopefuls go down in a heap, while one rises to the top

The hopes of those that were crushed:

-- Mallett suffered a concussion in the second quarter of Arkansas' game with Auburn and did not return. After hanging and even leading the Tigers into the fourth quarter, the Razorbacks ultimately succumbed to The Plains onslaught 65-43 in the highest-scoring regular-season SEC game in history.

-- Robinson had his second-straight subpar statistical game, although this one was due in part to injury. The sophomore was hurt in the third quarter and, while he returned for a bit in that period, was basically out for the remainder of what turned out to be a 38-28 loss.

Now for the Tight End that plays the QB position for Auburn, Cam Newton, cream rises to the top, and that is where he is waiting. All the Florida transfer did in Auburn's win was rush for 188 yards, pass for another 140, and account for four touchdowns. The offensive leader of an unbeaten SEC team? Yeah, here's your Heisman front-runner.

Alabama 23, Ole Miss 10...Yeah, a win is a win

It wasn't awful. It wasn't awesome. Alabama's 23-10 victory over Ole Miss fits somewhere in-between. A team that was coming off its first loss in several seasons just needed a victory. It scored enough points to win. So what if it didn't score style points? The Tide (6-1, 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference) didn't cover the 21-point spread, but that spread should have been more in the 14-point range. The Rebels (3-3, 1-2) are better than the team that lost to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt early in the season. Greg McElroy completed 17 of 25 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He did not have a pass intercepted. He was sacked four times. Of course, 85 of his yards came on a short pass that Trent Richardson turned into a long dash for a touchdown. A lack of big gains on downfield passes is a concern. This was an average performance by a quarterback who came into the game averaging 216 yards passing per game. He is on track to become the first 3,000-yard passer in Alabama history. Alabama's defense suffocated a good Ole Miss offense for the first 30 minutes. It wasn't as dominating in the second half, but the Tide sure was better than it was the previous week when it allowed five touchdowns in a 35-21 loss at South Carolina.

No. 9 LSU Runs Past McNeese St., 32-10

The Golden Band from Tigerland added the rap hit "All I Do Is Win" to the Tiger Stadium repertoire on Saturday night, which was fitting for the still-undefeated and ninth-ranked LSU football team. Though not an instant classic, the Tigers' improved to 7-0 with a 32-10 victory over McNeese State and setup a Top-10 matchup with the Auburn Tigers next weekend on The Plains (2:30 p.m. CT, CBS). Head coach Les Miles improved to 26-1 in non-conference games at LSU and 42-4 at night -- though this night was a bit longer than Miles hoped. LSU (7-0, 4-0 SEC) overcame two first-half turnovers in its that led the all of the Cowboys' points, while using a conservative offensive attack to grind out a victory over the Football Championship Subdivision school. McNeese State fell to 2-4. LSU runningbacks Stevan Ridley and Michael Ford each scored twice, the first time multiple Tigers have scored multiple touchdowns rushing since 2007 (vs. Tulane). The two-touchdown effort was also the first for both Tigers, as Ford led the way with 86 yards and Ridley added 46 after playing into the third quarter. Spencer Ware and Russell Shepard added 31 and 25 yards, respectively. LSU ran 41 times for 179 yards. Quarterbacks Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson continued to share time, with Lee coming off the bench to complete 9-of-14 passes for 75 yards. Jefferson was 5-of-8 for 28 yards and was sacked twice. LSU attempted only seven passes in the second half. Shepard led the Tigers receivers with career-bests of seven catches for 53 yards. Terrence Toliver added two catches for 27 yards. For McNeese State, starting quarterback Cody Stroud was 15-of-32 passing for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Andre Anderson led the Cowboys on the ground with 79 yards on 23 carries. LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard had a game-high 10 tackles and recovered a fumble that he forced. Fellow linebacker Ryan Baker added nine tackles including two sacks.