All times EST
1. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Nick Saban received a huge roar from the Mobile, Ala., crowd when he discussed his future at a speaking engagement Monday night. “There’s no better place to coach than Alabama,” he said. “There’s no better place to be than Alabama. When we do this the right way, then I’m going to stay as long as we want to stay.” He did not discuss much of the past against Auburn. “If someone can prove to me that what happened in the last six years is going to have any effect on this game,” he said, “then we’ll talk about it.”
This week: Off
2. FLORIDA GATORS
President-elect Barack Obama repeated on “60 Minutes” last Sunday that he wants a playoff, and he’s got the full support of Gators coach Urban Meyer. “I think he needs to go meet with (Florida AD) Jeremy Foley,” Meyer joked, then turned serious. “I’m glad to see he’s interested. Any time a president-elect or any (people of influence) place the value on athletics like we all do, I think that’s good. I think that’s good for our country.”
This week: vs. The Citadel, 1:30 p.m.
3. GEORGIA BULLDOGS
There doesn’t seem to be much correlation between the number of wins and number of penalties. Ball State and Penn State, the two least penalized teams in the country, are a combined 20-1. TCU and Georgia, the two most penalized teams in the country, are a combined 18-4. Syracuse and Washington, considered two of America’s worst teams, are among the least-penalized schools. Texas Tech and Florida are tied for 107th in penalty yards.
This week: Off
4. LSU TIGERS
Coach Les Miles wouldn’t be critical of the fans who left Tiger Stadium after LSU fell behind 31-3 to Troy last Saturday. The Tigers completed the greatest comeback in school history in front of a sparse crowd. “I’m not going to question the motives of those people who had to get up and go. That’s their call,” Miles said. “The only thing I know is that the guys who stayed, we enjoyed them. That was one heck of a game. We had a lot of folks who wanted to see the television replay.”
This week: vs. Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
5. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
The Chick-fil-A Bowl continues to scout South Carolina even though Steve Spurrier’s team still appears bound for the Outback Bowl, possibly against Michigan State. Chick-fil-A Bowl president Gary Stokan said his bowl and the Outback are targeting Kentucky and South Carolina. “As they’re appealing to us, they have to be appealing to the Outback Bowl as well, I would think,” Stokan said. Bowl scouts say the Outback will take the conference team with the better record.
This week: Off
6. OLE MISS REBELS
Greg Hardy is back. The mercurial but talented defensive end recorded a sack and returned an interception 22 yards in his return to the field last Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe. Hardy has been criticized by coaches for not giving a full effort, but the 6-foot-5 junior said he aggravated a foot injury against Alabama and could play only a few snaps against Arkansas. “It’s still not perfect,” Hardy said. “Probably about 85 percent. But I feel myself getting faster out there every day.”
This week: at No. 18 LSU, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
7. VANDERBILT COMMODORES
Fans aren’t exactly ready to celebrate Vanderbilt’s first six-win season since 1982. They want more. “Probably the common message I get on my phone or my answering machine is, ‘Great job getting six; let’s get eight.’ Well, thank you very much,” coach Bobby Johnson said with a smile. “That’s what everybody is thinking right here at Vanderbilt. We’re still not finished. Six was our minimum, not our maximum. Don’t think we’re going to vacation or play 36 holes this week.”
This week: vs. Tennessee, 12:30 p.m. (Raycom)
8. KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon underwent arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to correct a cartilage tear in his right knee and is doubtful for the regular-season finale against Tennessee, according to coach Rich Brooks. The junior from Collierville, Tenn., has 33 tackles this season, including nine lost yardage and 3.5 sacks. Senior free safety Marcus McClinton (leg) and defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin (ankle) also are unlikely to play against the Vols.
This week: Off
9. AUBURN TIGERS
Tight end Tommy Trott, Auburn’s third-leading receiver with 20 catches for 201 yards, tore his ACL against Georgia and will undergo surgery Thursday. Gabe McKenzie will move from defensive end back to his old position of tight end to replace Trott. McKenzie had spent the past two seasons at tight end and caught two passes for 27 yards, including a 21-yard reception, in place of Trott against the Bulldogs.
This week: Off
10. ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
Little brother might be taking big brother’s job. Redshirt freshman quarterback Nathan Dick took all the first-team snaps during the Razorbacks’ off week as his older brother, Casey, recovered from a concussion. Nathan Dick led Arkansas on a scoring drive against South Carolina. Bobby Petrino said he’ll wait until later in the week to name a starter. “We want to make sure Casey’s healthy, but we did like the way Nathan played when he came in,” Petrino said. “It wasn’t Casey’s best game of the year against South Carolina.”
This week: at Mississippi State, 2:30 p.m.
11. MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
Senior linebacker Jamar Chaney, lost for the year with a leg injury in the season opener, announced he’ll return for the 2009 season instead of exploring pro possibilities. Chaney is expected to get a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA. “That really strengthens our linebacker corps immediately, having him back,” coach Sylvester Croom said. Chaney led Mississippi State in tackles last season and had started 27 of the team’s last 29 games.
This week: vs. Arkansas, 2:30 p.m.
12. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
A good gauge of a disappointing season is a team’s record against the spread. And Tennessee certainly fits the description, going 3-7 against the spread this year, including a 1-5 mark at home. A Vols game has topped the over/under only once. Auburn is 2-8 against the spread. Georgia is 3-7 and LSU is 2-7. Michigan is 2-9 and Fresno State and Washington each is 1-9. Among the better records: Florida (8-2), Oklahoma State (8-2), Alabama (8-3) and Texas (8-3).
This week: at Vanderbilt, 12:30 p.m. (Raycom)
