Will UGA make it eight straight over Tech? Can FSU chop it to the Gators? No-No

(Nov. 28) This is Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 games. Last week, I was 10-5, 138-57 for the season (70.7 percent) and this is the final full weekend of games.

Auburn at Alabama - Could be Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville’s last hurrah for the Tigers. Come on. The guy has won six of these in a row. John Parker Wilson has too many names. Auburn pulls off upset. NO-NO. Not even close. JPW undoes War Eagles, 35-14.

Virginia at Virginia Tech - Never have the Cavaliers had so many Georgia Tech fans. A Wahoo win and the Yellow Jackets go to the ACC title game. Tech wins! NO-NO, not that Tech. Hokies put it to in-state rivals, UVA goes down with a thud, 31-10.

North Carolina at Duke - These two shades of blue really hate each other. Tar Heels haven’t been able to enjoy prosperity, up one week, down the next. Duke actually played well the first half of the year. Devils in an upset. NO-NO. Carolina is due an up week. Duke downed, 28-19.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State - This one looked like a dynamite game until the Sooners absolutely annihilated No. 2 Texas Tech last week. Cowboys are no pushover and pull a surprise. NO-NO. OSU is the one who’ll be surprised - by the final score, lose 49-20.

Florida at FSU - Seminoles have been licking their tomahawk chops waiting to get the Gators at home. Florida’s Tim Tebow can play anywhere, anytime, any place. FSU defense is stalwart. NO-NO. Gators are the best team anywhere, FSU takes licks, falls 49-21.

South Carolina at Clemson - Steve Spurrier isn’t going to lose three straight to these guys. The 6-5 Tigers need it to go to a bowl. Dabo Swinney going against the Evil Genius? It’s his chance to remove "interim" from his title. NO-NO. Dabo can’t beat Steve, Tigers drop it, 28-14.

Georgia Tech at Georgia - Is it, can it be, will it be the year, finally, for the Yellow Jackets to win one? Is Matt Stafford playing his last game in Athens? Can the struggling Dawg defense stop the wishbone? NO-NO. Too many questions Here’s an answer. Bulldogs upended, 24-21.

Others losers:

-Notre Dame to Southern Cal

-Kansas to Missouri

-Syracuse to Cincinnati

-Oregon to Oregon State

-Kentucky to Tennessee

-Maryland to Boston College

-Vanderbilt to Wake Forest

-N.C. State to Miami.

Gators outscore opponents 146-7 -- just in the first quarter; Seminoles next

No column Thursday; No-Nos set for Friday

(11/26) Former Falcon quarterback Michael Vick has declared bankruptcy but that doesn’t stop the IRS. The tax folks say the former Virginia Tech star owes $1.2 million. The IRS documents show Vick has gone through more than $17 million in just 24 months, which qualifies him for the Dumber Than GM, Ford and Chrysler Award. Guess he could appear before Congress to ask for a bailout. Wait. No. He already had that chance and stood them up.

Bloomberg News Service says PGA star Tiger Woods made $122.7 million last year in on- course winnings and endorsements. They also point out that GM lost $73 billion since 2004. Are they suggesting a loan?

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has become the official airline of the New York Yankees and will sponsor seven sections of the team’s new stadium. Turncoats! Fly American.

If there’s any question about whether Florida is the hottest team in the nation, consider this: The 10-1 Gators have outscored their opponents 146-7 in the first quarter, have won each of their past seven games by 28 points or more and Jonathan Phillips hasn’t attempted a field goal since Oct. 11. The last time the Gators ran their two-minute offense was September 27.

Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, whose Seminoles take on Florida this weekend, says he knows how to beat the Gators. He says his team needs to score at least 50 points. Note to Bowden: I’m not sure that would be enough.

Rivals.com reports that University of Cincinnati head football coach Brian Kelly will emerge at the top of Tennessee’s coaching list. I think they’re aiming too low. Steve Spurrier would look great in Orange.

When the Atlanta Falcons visit the San Diego Chargers this Sunday, running back Michael Turner will be facing his old team for the first time. LaDainian Tomlinson has 1,099 yards from scrimmage. Turner has 1,099 yards from scrimmage. If you remember, Tomlinson is the man who Turner played behind for four years before coming to Atlanta.

Have a great Thanksgiving and my Norman’s No-Nos will be right here early Friday morning.

Which team, Notre Dame or Michigan, is in the most trouble? Terry Bowden says ...

(11/25) And they are in Division I, right? Ole Miss, with future NFL quarterback Jevan Snead, handily beat defending national champion LSU over the weekend. But get this. To save a few bucks, athletics director Pete Boone had the team take busses to Baton Rouge. And by the way, what was Arkansas’s hurry to get now-Rebels coach Houston Nutt out of town?

Penn State coach Joe Paterno underwent successful hip replacement surgery Sunday, a day after the Nittany Lions clinched a Rose Bowl berth by beating Michigan State. The win was Paterno’s 383rd career victory.

Amazing but true. Yahoo!Sports.com ran a story pointing out that Northwestern University is the only school in the big six conferences which has never been to the NCAA basketball tournament since it started in 1939.

It’s no accident that University of Cincinnati football coach Brian Kelly is on just about everyone’s list to take over their program. Kelly is one win away from having the Bearcats win the Big East and taking Cincy to a BCS bowl. And he’s done it by going to No. 6 on the quarterback depth list. I didn’t know there was room enough on any depth chart for six players.

After firing football coach Chuck Long over the weekend, the first name to pop up as a replacement was that of former Auburn coach Terry Bowden. Although he hasn’t coached since 1998, I’d love to see him get the job just to see what he could do. . . And here’s a coaching change I don’t like. Kansas State has hired 70-year-old Bill Snyder to come back to coach after he walked away three years ago. I don’t mind his age but the way he controls his team with the media is a turn-off.

And speaking of Bowden, he was asked which team is in the most trouble - Notre Dame or Michigan. He said Notre Dame, hands down.

And finally, this is rivals weekend - Clemson vs. South Carolina, Florida vs. FSU, Auburn vs. Alabama,Georgia vs. Georgia Tech. The best game should be the Yellow Jackets -Bulldogs game. For the first time since George O’Leary, Tech has a chance. And if the Jackets should win, both teams would finish 9-3. Now that’s purely amazing.

Highs & lows: FSU's Rolle wins Rhodes Scholarship; Irish loss to Syracuse

(11/24) Enough is enough. When Northwestern beat Illinois over the weekend, the Wildcats took home the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk. It’s a framed tomahawk that’s been part of the instate rivalry for 61 years. Here’s the kicker: The trophy is being retired because Illinois is under pressure from the NCAA to phase out American Indian imagery. ‘Taint right.

It was nice, if you’re a Florida State fan, that the Seminoles beat up on Maryland in College Park over the weekend. But the really big news was that FSU safety Myron Rolle won the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Rolle interviewed for the award in Birmingham, flew to Maryland and arrived at the game before halftime. What a day!

And do you know the last college football player to win the Rhodes Scholarship? It was Army quarterback Pete Dawkins, who also won the Heisman Trophy in 1958.

Notre Dame has had some bad losses under coach Charlie Weis but Saturday the Irish capped Weis’ most unmemorable career with a 24-23 loss to Syracuse after leading 23-10 after three quarters. This one can’t be explained away by Weis’ apologists. The Irish roster is loaded with top talent and yet they will end up 6-6 after next week’s whipping by Southern Cal. Weis is simply not a coach who can develop talent in the college game.

The Notre Dame fans have grown so sick of Weis’ act that they pelted their own players with snowballs during Saturday’s game.

Division II Abilene Christian beat West Texas A&M 93-68 in a college football playoff game.

DeMarcus Cousins is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound high school basketball player ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation for the class of 2009. Cousins wants to play at UAB but has refused to sign a letter-of-intent unless the school gives him a letter promising that coach Mike Davis will be there next year. So far, the school has refused.

And finally, Oklahoma created quite a mess by pounding Texas Tech Saturday night. Now the Sooners, the Red Raiders and the Longhorns of Texas are all tied for the lead in the South Division of the Big 12. Who’ll play Missouri in the league’s title game? Nobody knows yet.

Upset special of the week: LSU over Ole Miss? No-No, says Norman

(11/21) This is Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 games. Last week I was 11-4, 128-52 for the year, 71 percent.

Boston College at Wake Forest - The Eagles have hung around and posted a 7-3 overall mark, and can make the title game. Of course, who can’t in this league? Wake lost its offensive touch along the way. Eagles are strong. NO-NO. Deacons are stronger. BC goes down, 24-21.

Michigan at Ohio State - Remember when this was one of the biggest games? Buckeyes have one league loss. Michigan has five. The only mystery is whether senior QB Todd Boeckman will play in OSU’s final regular season game. Wolverines can win. NO-NO. Big Blue hurt, 35-7.

Florida State at Maryland - The Terps are the league’s most confusing team. FSU isn’t much better. It boils down to who wants it the most. I like Terps’ quarterback Chris Turner. I like FSU’s Christian Ponder. Turner wins. NO-NO. Seminoles have an uprising, Terps fall, 27-20.

N.C. State at North Carolina - Wolfpack has shown life signs the last few weeks. Time for the Butch Davis bunch to show its better. State’s Russell Wilson can throw and run. Tar Heels’ have a quarterback quandry. ‘Pack takes it. NO-NO. Wilson contained, ‘Pack doused, 28-18.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt - Ordinarily a no-brainer but this is no ordinary Vandy team or an ordinary UT team. Vols triumph for the ousted Phil Fulmer. NO-NO. Bobby Johnson for SEC coach of the year. Big Orange turns blue in 27-10 embarrassment.

Texas Tech at Oklahoma- It’s tempting to go with the Red Raiders with Heisman candidate Graham Harrell. Sooners just don’t lose to the Techs of the world. Okies’ Sam Bradford leads team to victory. NO-NO. Harrell passes ‘em silly, OU is OUT, down and out, 49-42.

Upset Special Ole Miss at LSU - Could it be the Rebs’ year with Jevan Snead, best on campus since Eli Manning? Game’s in Baton Rouge and the Tigers are primed and take it easily. NO-NO. I’ve just got a feeling, despite the game being in Louisiana. Bengals tamed, 24-23.

Others losers:

-Washington State to Washington

-Arizona to Oregon State

-Pitt to Cincinnati

-Illinois to Northwestern

-Louisville to West Virginia

-Duke to Virginia Tech

-Virginia to Clemson

-and Michigan State to Penn State.

Top two Heisman candidates go head-to-head this weekend; Spurrier staying put

(11/20) No doubt about it, Florida State set a trend in motion when it named Jimbo Fisher head-coach-in-waiting when Bobby Bowden retires. Purdue and Kentucky quickly followed suit and now Texas. The Longhorns announced that defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will be coach-in-waiting until Mack Brown retires. Oh, they also bumped his salary to $900,000, making him the highest paid assistant in the nation.

Evidently South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is staying right where he is. Spurrier was quoted as saying he’s got four or five good years left in him. He also denied rumors that he’s trying to get the Gamecocks to name wide receiver coach Steve Jr. as Coach-in-Waiting.

Probably not going to be a big year for the SEC in basketball. The league has already dropped games to Loyola (Ill.), Mercer, VMI and Arkansas needed overtime to get past Southeastern Louisiana.

Florida football coach Urban Meyer is on the way to Georgia Tech but not as a coach. He’ll be in attendance from time to time to watch his daughter, Nicki, play volleyball for the Lady Jackets. She signed a letter-of-intent with Tech this week. . . And speaking of Meyer, he boasted when he arrived in Gainesville that he was going to create the fastest football team in America. The Gators currently have eight to 10 guys who can run a 40-yard dash in 4.3 or less.

The hot rumor concerning the upcoming NFL draft next year is that the Detroit Lions have their eye on Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford if he chooses to leave Athens a year early. A word of caution to Stafford. The Lions haven’t had great luck with their past No. 1 pick quarterbacks - Chuck Long in ‘86, Andrew Ware in ‘90 and Joey Harrington in 2002.

Rarely do we get a chance to see the No. 1 and No. 2 Heisman Trophy favorites go head-to-head in a game, but that’s what’s going to happen when No. 2 Texas Tech and Graham Harrell take on Oklahoma and Sam Bradford in Norman this weekend. I pick Harrell.

And a reminder that Norman’s No-Nos will be available first thing Friday morning.

Leach a lock for Vols' coach? Meyer says UF assistants probably on someone's list

(Nov. 19) Here’s just a catch-all of sports tidbits and rumors from around the sporting world . . .

Davidson College basketball phenom Stephen Curry moved from shooting guard to point guard this season and folks were eager to see how the move would affect the junior. Curry scored 33 points, had nine assists and four steals in his season-opening win against James Madison.

A few housekeeping things: There are now 60 bowl-eligible teams with 68 spots to fill. . . There are plans in Tuscaloosa for Alabama to expand its Bryant-Denney Stadium to 101,000 seats, which would make it the fifth largest in the U.S. and the second largest in the South. Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium officially holds 102,037. . .

Charlotte (formerly UNC-Charlotte) has approved plans for a football program to begin no later than 2013. . .

Marietta native T.J. Yates, the sophomore starting quarterback at North Carolina until he broke his ankle against Virginia Tech in September, will compete for the job with Cameron Sexton for the start against N.C. State this weekend.

The Vince Dooley Athletic Complex, complete with a statue of the man himself, will be dedicated before the Georgia-Georgia Tech game on Nov. 29. Seems only fair since Dooley made his living beating the Yellow Jackets.

WDEF-TV in Austin, Texas is reporting that Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has been offered the Tennessee job but it has not been confirmed by either side. There have been several articles in the last week pointing out that the Vol job may not be all that desirable. It’s one where you have to play Florida, Georgia and Alabama every year and although the facilities are top notch, can any coach win consistently?

Televised sporting events, once thought to be recession-proof, are finding out the reality of economic life today. Sports advertising is reporting losses of as much as 15 percent in revenue. Think about it. Financial services and domestic automobiles provide a lot of advertising dollars.

Add Texas coach Mack Brown to President-elect Barack Obama’s growing list of supporters for an eight-team college football playoff. The only problem is, the television contracts run through 2014 and Obama could be out of office by then.

Florida football coach Urban Meyer told the Orlando Sentinel that he wouldn’t be surprised if offensive coordinator Dan Mullen and defensive coordinator Charlie Strong are candidates for the growing list of head coaching vacancies around the country.

Consider it the $4.5 million game between Utah, BYU

(11/18) Remember several weeks ago when the Southeastern Conference claimed bragging rights for having the top league in the country in college football? There were six, or maybe seven or eight, SEC teams ranked in somebody’s poll. Now there are Florida and Alabama, and everybody else. Auburn has completely fallen apart. Ditto Tennessee. LSU and Georgia certainly aren’t what we expected. South Carolina was beaten by 50. Looking for bright sports - Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. Not much else left to say.

And speaking of the Gators, Florida has outscored its opponents 299-63 since it was upset by Ole Miss in late September.

The ACC isn’t bad but it isn’t good either. Nine of the 12 teams still has a chance, at least mathematically, to win a spot in the title game. Sometimes not great football but pretty exciting and it’ll be able to fill all of its bowl slots.

The AP reported that Florida basketball star Nick Calathes ran up a debt of $600 by playing on-line poker but the school has determined he violated no NCAA rules. Good to know he doesn’t have a poker face for opponents.

Syracuse finally fired football coach Greg Robinson, but you know what? I don’t really care who it hires.

No pressure, but Utah is playing for roughly $4.5 million when its takes on BYU this weekend. That’s what the Utes would take home from a BCS bowl as opposed to roughly $750,000 from the Poinsettia Bowl says the Salt Lake Tribune.

Jimmied Johnson won seven times, six poles, had 15-top five finishes and 22 top-10 endings, which translated to $7.3 million in winnings. Funny thing, which Johnson was winning his record-tying third straight NASCAR title, the man who did it the first time, Caleb Yarborough, wasn’t in attendance. Seems NASCAR didn’t invite him.

Just a note but the two winningest (that’s not really a word) college basketball teams in the history of the game meet tonight when Kentucky travels to take on the No. 1-ranked Tar Heels of North Carolina. You wouldn’t think it’d be much of a game since Kentucky lost to VMI last week. Carolina may or may not have National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough in the lineup. Shouldn’t matter though.

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Will any team step up to win the ACC title this season? Tech's still in the hunt

(11/17) A few thoughts about college football games played this weekend:

-Does anyone want to win the ACC? North Carolina had a chance to go to Tampa and blew it at Maryland. Florida State had a chance and blew it to Boston College. Wake Forest failed at N.C. State.

-Will Steve Spurrier be eager to stay through his contract after seeing his team lose by 50?

-Georgia is an undisciplined team and certainly doesn’t deserve a top 10 ranking. Six personal foul penalties against Auburn? Unbelievable.

When Michigan dropped a 21-14 game to Northwestern over the weekend, it marked the first time in the Wolverines’ 129-year history that they have lost eight games in one season.

Just wondering if its occurred to the Kentucky administrators that perhaps they acted hastily in replacing Tubby Smith with Billy Gillespie to lead their men’s basketball program. If you remember, in just his second game at the helm last year, the Wildcats lost to Gardner-Webb. Last Friday, Gillespie opened his second season in Lexington with a 111-103 loss to VMI. The 111 points marked the most given up by the Mildcats in 19 years. VMI hasn’t had a winning season since 1997-98. Something is wrong in the Blue Grass State and it needs to be straightened out quickly.

The Chicago Tribune writes that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is arrogant and foul-mouthed. In fact, Weis once referred to himself as an obnoxious, sarcastic guy from New Jersey. "Weis is not a special coach and certainly hasn't seemed worthy of walking in the footsteps of Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian and Holtz," the newspaper wrote. "The sooner Notre Dame admits its colossal mistake and sends Weis back to New Jersey, the better."

Let’s not overlook Georgia Tech. The Jackets, currently second in the Coastal Division, meet division-leading Miami Thursday. A win and the Techsters may go to the title game against the winner of the Florida State-Maryland game this weekend.

There are no ACC teams ranked in anybody’s Top 20, yet one will go to a BCS bowl. This must rankle No. 8 Utah and No. 9 Boise State, who must remain perfect even to be considered for a decent bowl invitation.

Auburn ready for Dogs' no-bite defense? Happy homecoming for Spurrier? No-no

(11/14) This is Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last week, I was 11-4, 117-48 for the season.

GEORGIA at AUBURN - Once thought to be the Bulldogs' last step to the SEC title game is now just a game. Tigers have tumbled even worse than the Dawgs. Kentucky embarrassed the UGA defense last week. Auburn will again. NO-NO. Dogs have some pride, Tigers lose 28-14. .

SOUTH CAROLINA at FLORIDA - Gators love the Evil Genius as he brings his Gamecocks to town. Florida’s Urban Meyer is still a little shaky in the presence of greatness. Spurrier works his magic. NO-NO. Just too much talent in Gainesville, SC goes down, 35-21.

NORTH CAROLINA at MARYLAND - Both Terps and Tar Heels are in the running for a league title. Maryland is a little schizoid. Carolina is coming on as a contender. Look for UNC to start T.J. Yates at quarterback. Terps are game. NO-NO. They are second in this race, 27-24.

WAKE FOREST at N.C. STATE - Wolfpack isn’t impressive but it did rally to whip up on Duke. Demon Deacons lost their offense somewhere along the way. Tom O’Brien’s charges win two in a row. NO-NO. Riley Skinner directs the Deacs, ‘Pack loses its way, 24-10

BOSTON COLLEGE at FLORIDA STATE - On paper, a good game. Bobby Bowden wants this one to stay close to Joe Paterno. Eagles are still in the hunt and surprise the Seminole faithful. NO-NO. Eagles are chopped by the Tomahawk persons, 27-21.

VANDERBILT at KENTUCKY - Hey, don’t laugh, this is a big game. Vandy won its first five, lost its last four. Wildcats won their first four, are now 6-4. Commodores must have it to go to a bowl. Kentucky has its sights set on eight wins. NO-NO. ‘Cats are de-clawed, 21-17.

NOTRE DAME vs. NAVY - Surely the beleaguered Irish can sink the Middies, or will they lose two straight to the Academy? No worry. Charlie Weis is back calling the offensive signals. His signals have been offensive so far and Navy wins. NO-NO. Sailors all wet, 35-19.

Others losers:

-Purdue to Iowa

-Duke to Clemson

-Air Force to BYU

-Kansas State to Nebraska

-Illinois to Ohio State

-Rutgers to South Florida

-Kansas to Texas

-and Syracuse to UConn.

Rumors abound: Fulmer to Clemson; Butch Davis offered $3M to come to Tenn.

(11/13) With the college basketball season under way (Duke is already 2-0), I’m anxious to see how the three-point line extension is going to effect the game. The line has been moved back a foot to 20 feet, 9 inches. I predict we’re going to see more zone defenses. I would imagine there will be fewer attempts from marginal shooters but the great three-pointers didn’t respect the line anyway.

The AJC’s Jeff Schultz points out that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis played mostly with Ty Willingham’s players for two years. He went 19-6 with Fiesta and Sugar Bowl appearances. He has played with mostly his own players in the last two seasons. He is 8-13

And another thing. Weis announced that he was reclaiming the title of offensive coordinator from Mike Haywood this week when the Irish play the mighty Navy Midshipmen and possibly keep it when they take on the wham-a-jamma Orange of Syracuse. Bet he hands it back before they meet Southern Cal in three weeks.

ESPN has expanded former Indiana/Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight’s broadcasting role this year. Knight will work the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 20-21. He’ll team with Dan Shulman and Doris Burke. Knight working with a female reporter? Gadzooks!

New York Jets’ quarterback Brett Favre’s nephew, Dylan Favre, just set a Mississippi high school record for touchdown passes in a season with 45. The younger Favre is relatively small (5-foot-10) and has received little attention from major colleges.

From the Baltimore Sun comes this: Maryland linebacker Rick Costa has been suspended from the team after punching a police officer. Costa is a senior criminology major.

Believe It Or Not, and I don’t. WVLT-TV in Knoxville mentioned that deposed Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer may end up as the head coach at Clemson. Why would the Tigers want him? . . Meanwhile, the Tennessean.com is reporting that the Vols have offered North Carolina’s Butch Davis a $3 million annual contract

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Good news everywhere. Georgia is no longer the most penalized team in the nation. TCU now holds that honor at 9.45 flags per outings while the Bulldogs have only 8.9.

Just a reminder that Norman’s No-Nos will be available first thing Friday morning.

Georgia to Capital One Bowl; Tech to Chick-fil-A; UF vs. Texas Tech in title match

(11/12) There currently are five college football teams yet to lose a game -- Texas Tech, Alabama, Utah, Boise State and Ball State. There are 52 bowl-eligible teams and 12 more need only one win to qualify for one of the 34 bowls. The question is, with three of the undefeated teams from non-BCS conferences, will any or all qualify for a BCS bowl?

And for what it’s worth, SI.Com’s Stewart Mandel predicts Georgia will meet Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl while Georgia Tech takes on Kentucky in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. The Mythical Title Game - Florida meets Texas Tech.

With Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and Mike Stoops at Arizona, it looks likely that there will be three brothers coaching Division I football next season. Mark Stoops is at the head of Toledo’s wish list.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Tennessee should give serious consideration to Texas Tech coach Mike Leach to replace the fired Phillip Fulmer. The newspaper says Leach’s innovative offense is about as far removed from the present Vol offense as the horse and buggy is from a space shuttle.

The good news is that there are only three teams in the ACC under .500. The bad news is the league could qualify as many as nine teams who are eligible to play in bowls.

South Carolina receiver Kenny McKinley from Mableton has broken two more Gamecock receiving record, shattering Sterling Sharpe’s mark for career receiving yards. McKinley has 188 catches for 2,602 yards. That’s doubly impressive understanding that he never knew who his quarterback was going to be week-to-week.

Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com points out the long climb for Alabama to the top of the college heap. It’s been nine years since The Tide won the division title. Remember the 2000 season when Alabama began the year No. 3 and finished with three wins, the firing of coach Mike DuBose, the NCAA near-death penalty, the leaving of Dennis Franchione for Texas A&M, the five-month tenure of Mark Price, the thrashings of Mike Shula and finally the arrival of Nick Saban. Quite a journey in a short period of time.

Florida vs. Alabama could be the semifinal before a mythical national championship

(11/11) OK. All you folks who’ve been begging for a college football playoff, here we go. Assuming that both Florida and Alabama win the rest of their games, there will be a national college semifinal playoff game called the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta the first weekend in December. I would imagine the winner will play whomever comes out of the Big 12 for the mythical title.

So 46-year-old Evander Holyfield is going to fight some 7-foot Russian in Switzerland for the WBA boxing title? And you wonder why boxing is losing its appeal.

The Knoxville newspapers are reporting that North Carolina football coach Butch Davis is the choice of the Volunteer brass to take over the head job there, despite the fact that Davis has said twice that he’s not looking to leave Chapel Hill. The problem as far as Carolina is concerned is money. If they get in a bidding war with Tennessee, they’ll lose. If the Tar Heels give Davis say, $3 million a year, they must up Roy Williams’ basketball contract $1 more than Davis makes. Then there’s the women’s basketball coach who would surely get a bump and a baseball coach who’s been to three straight College World Series. It’ll be interesting to watch over the next month.

Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage said emphatically that football coach Al Groh will return as the head coach next year, even if the Cavaliers lose their remaining two games.

One question after the Georgia Tech loss to North Carolina. Is there a problem between Jacket head coach Paul Johnson and Carolina’s Butch Davis? How else to explain the Tar Heels still throwing the ball with only three minutes left while leading by 21 points.

Go to the Bulldog chat room on the Internet and there’s more than a few folks calling for the firing of defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. Please. The Georgia fans need to get a grip.

Here’s why people either love or hate Notre Dame. If the Irish beat Navy, Syracuse and lose to Southern Cal as they are expected to do, Notre Dame would be 7-4 and be invited to the Cotton, Gator or Sun bowls, says the New York Post. Four losses and they go to Dallas or Jacksonville? Ridiculous. And by the way, here’s a note on the Irish. They are 1-15 against teams with winning records over the past two seasons.

And finally, just so you’ll know that I’m committed to giving you all the sports news, Texas A&M is having a real problem with ... bat guano at its football stadium.

Norman's No-Nos smells an upset brewing  in Tigers vs. Tide game

(11/7) This is Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 games. Last week, I was 12-3, 106-44 for the season (70.7 percent).

GEORGIA TECH at NORTH CAROLINA - Jackets have proved they can’t handle prosperity. Butch Davis has Tar Heels poised for a run. Rambling Wreck will ramble on the ‘Heel defense. NO-NO. Yellow Jackets choke when going gets tough, Tech wrecked, 28-24.

GEORGIA at KENTUCKY - How demoralized are the Dawgs after their annual adjustment in Jacksonville? Mildcats have been up and down, and they’re up this weekend. NO-NO. Bulldogs don’t mess around, Kentucky goes down hard, 38-14.

VIRGINIA at WAKE FOREST - Cavaliers have surprised more than their share this year. Demon Deacons have been anything but Demons on offense of late. Wahoos rally late and win. NO-NO. Riley Skinner leads Wake, UVA is exposed, takes the fall, 21-16.

OKLAHOMA STATE at TEXAS TECH - I like the way both teams play and smell an upset of the No. 2-ranked Red Raiders. Mike Gundy browbeats his troops to stun the Raiders. NO-NO. Gundy no match for attorney/coach Mike Leach. Cowboys ridden hard, put up wet, 42-28.

ARKANSAS at SOUTH CAROLINA - Ex- Falcon coach Bobby Petrino quits at halftime. Just kidding. Razorbacks prove they can play, win in Columbia. NO-NO. USC’s Steve Spurrier leaves quarterback Stephen Garcia alone long enough for a win. Hogs slaughtered, 28-3.

CLEMSON at FLORIDA STATE - Tigers have no fear going into Bobby Bowden’s den and takes mild upset. NO-NO. Wait. Remember when Auburn fired Terry Bowden and then canceled upcoming game against FSU? Clemson should have followed suit, loses 30-17.

Upset Special ALABAMA at LSU - Last stumbling block for The Tide to go to the SEC title game unbeaten. Bengal Tigers aren’t used to be manhandled at home twice in a row. ‘Bama does just that. NO-NO. Upset brewing, Overrated Tide falls from No. 1 perch, 23-21.

Others losers:

-Purdue to Michigan State

-Iowa State to Colorado

-Iowa to Penn State

-Notre Dame to Boston College

-UCLA to Oregon State

-Cincinnati to West Virginia

-N.C. State to Duke

-and Louisville to Pitt.

The 2008-09 Hot Bottoms List: Basketball coaches in need of rebound seasons

(11/6) Just for the record, Duke football coach David Cutcliffe says the Tennessee job isn’t in his thought processes and he’s staying with the Blue Devils. Of course, we’ve all heard that one before. Cutcliffe was offensive coordinator with the Vols twice during his career.

Having covered the hot seats in college football coaching exhaustively, it might be interesting to see who’s on the college basketball hot seat before the season even starts. According to Rivals.Com, both Georgia’s Dennis Felton and Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt are suffering from hot bottoms. Others on the list of 10 in the South include Auburn’s Jeff Lebo, Mark Gottfried at Alabama, Sidney Lowe at N.C. State, Leonard Hamilton at Florida State.

Youth is obviously being served at Georgia Tech as 16 of the 22 starters for the Yellow Jackets against North Carolina this weekend are either freshmen or sophomores. . . Tech also will play the rest of the season without former All-ACC offensive lineman Andrew Gardner, who is undergoing surgery on an injured shoulder.

If it makes any difference, and I don’t think it does, both Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Southern Cal mentor Pete Carroll have come out strong against the BCS and for a college playoff.

Can you name the last college basketball Player Of The Year to return the following season before North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough did it this season? The year was 1991 and the player was LSU’s Shaq O’Neill. . . Another basketball note -- it’s shocking to see how far Kentucky basketball has fallen. The Wildcats aren’t mentioned in anybody’s Top 25 poll. Ditto for the formerly great Hoosier of Indiana, personally destroyed by Kelvin Sampson. Things are so bad for new IU coach Tom Crean, he introduced assistant coach and former Duke player Rowshon McLeod as his best player.

Is there any question that there’s over-saturation with college football and television. There is a game on Tuesday through Saturday of this week.

And finally, I don’t disagree with The Sporting News’ Matt Hayes’ assessment that Alabama is rated too high at No. 1. Writes Hayes: The Tide is living off the rout at Georgia. But what has this team done since? Struggled against Kentucky and Ole Miss. Then there were wins over a bad Tennessee team and Arkansas State.

Strange but true: UGA gave up 128 points in games against Florida, Alabama, LSU

(11-5) A couple of short notes: The Adidas shoe company made a special Election Day pair of shoes for NBA superstars Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady. . . The Cleveland Browns will give former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn his first start of the season this weekend, benching Derek Anderson.

Boston College will unveil a life-sized bronze statue of former quarterback Doug Flutie outside of their football stadium. The Eagles saved a few bucks on the statue since it doesn’t have to be very tall.

There is a possibility, strong or otherwise, that Ohio State could meet Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl. Since the Rose Bowl, the Pac-10 and the Big Ten are three of the reasons we don’t have a playoff, it would serve them right. Remember the September meeting between the two? USC 35, Ohio State 3.

And speaking of Southern Cal, the 7-1 Trojans have outscored their last five opponents 214-20. There’s a story on Rivals.Com claiming since coach Pete Carroll has been so successful recruiting, it’s hurting his team. The story says USC gets all the great players in California, thus depriving the other Pac-10 schools of talent, giving USC a weak league schedule because all the talent is sitting on Carroll’s bench. Amazing.

I hadn’t thought about it until I read it in the AJC, but Georgia’s defense is 10th in the SEC in giving up points. Against the three top teams on its schedule, Alabama, LSU and Florida, the Bulldogs have allowed 128 points - 42.6 per game.

If I tried to mention all the names on the Internet who are rumored to take over at Tennessee, it would take up the entire commentary. The odd one is North Carolina’s Butch Davis, who is only in his second year in Chapel Hill.

And speaking of the Tar Heels, when Georgia Tech plays there Saturday, it will feature the two top-ranked ACC teams in the polls - the ‘Heels are 19th in the BCS standings while the Yellow Jackets are 20th.

Fulmer joins exclusive club with Clemson's Bowden and Washington's Willingham

(11/4) Tennessee won’t retain Phil Fulmer after this season. Fulmer becomes the first coach to win a national title at a school and then have to leave under pressure.

How wild and insane was this past weekend in college football? Four games were decided in overtime and seven others saw the winning team score in the last minute to take the win.

SEC news: Both divisional races could be clinched this weekend. An Alabama win over LSU and a Florida win over Vanderbilt would clinch a spot for the two in the league championship game. . . Alabama’s appearance as the No. 1 team in the polls is the first for the Crimson Tide during the regular season since 1980. . . Gator quarterback Tim Tebow has moved into fifth place in SEC history for touchdown responsibility with 90 -- 51 passing and 39 rushing.

How ridiculous are the BCS standings? Southern Cal must be scratching its head. The Trojans whacked Washington 56-0 and dropped from No. 5 to No. 7. Pete Carroll said, "The more we win, the worse we get."

Interesting to note that the top three teams in this week’s BCS standings -- Alabama, Texas Tech and Penn State -- began the year ranked 24th, 12th and 22nd, respectively.

And speaking of Texas Tech, coach Mike Leach has been mentioned as a leading candidate at both the University of Washington and Clemson.

Stewart Mandel of SI.Com points out that in all 10 previous seasons of the BCS’ existence, either or both the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the preseason AP poll have reached the title game. This year’s top two were Georgia and Ohio State, and obviously neither is going anywhere close to the game.

And speaking of Clemson, do you think there might be a little extra pressure on the Tigers this weekend when they visit Tallahassee to take on Florida State? It will be the first meeting of the two since Clemson fired FSU coach Bobby Bowden’s son, Tommy.

And finally, the AP pre-season All-America college basketball team was released with North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough leading the way. Others on the first team included Davidson’s Stephen Curry, Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, UCLA’s Darren Collison and Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin.

This is Norman Arey on my way to vote.

Another lopsided defeat knocks out Georgia's chances of running with the elite

(11-3) Seriously, is the game Florida plays the same as the one Georgia plays? I think not. Once and for all, the Bulldogs don’t belong in anyone’s Top 10. You don’t suffer a 31-0 first half lapse as Georgia did against Alabamanor a 49-10 beat down as the Dawgs did against the Gators and hope to be regarded as an elite program. The Outback Bowl seems about right for the Classic City boys.

Strange that the Texas Tech administration isn’t making a move to keep Mike Leach in place for the future. Leach’s contract is up in 2010 and Tech has made no move to give their head football coach any security. Leach’s contract is the shortest of any coach in the Big 12. By the way, the Red Raiders’ 9-0 start is its best since 1938.

The puzzle that is Georgia Tech grew even more puzzling as the Yellow Jackets stopped an up-and-coming Florida State team for its first win over the Seminoles since FSU joined the ACC. Beat Florida State this week, lose to Virginia last week. Are the Jackets good or just strange? And did I mention that Tech is now atop the Coastal Division of the ACC? If the season ended today, the Jackets would play Maryland in the league’s title game. Now that’s strange.

And an aside on the ACC. There currently are eight teams who have a legitimate shot at playing in the conference title match up.

And let us not forget amidst all the excitement of the weekend about a little dust-up down in Columbia, S.C., where the Gamecocks of Steve Spurrier badly whipped Phil Fulmer’s Tennessee team. Is there any victory sweeter for the Evil Genius than dispatching Fulmer yet again? With the Vols doomed to a non-winning season, was this the final curtain on Fulmer’s tenure?

And finally, SI.Com points out that the big college football rivalries of yesterday are going away. Aside from the Georgia-Florida blowout, this year’s Ohio State-Michigan game doesn’t look to hold any mystery, the UCLA-Southern Cal clash is sure to bomb, same with the Southern Cal-Notre Dame classic and the Auburn-Alabama match up. Of course, Georgia-Georgia Tech hasn’t been truly competitive in decades. Oh well, we’ve always got Army-Navy and Harvard-Yale.

A double dose of Georgia wins over Gators, Seminoles this Saturday? No-no

(Oct. 31) This is Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 college games. After three years, I had my first losing week: 6 of 9 last week, 94-41 for the year. Happy Halloween.

GEORGIA vs. FLORIDA - What A Game! Two of the top four quarterbacks in the U.S. on one field. Dogs’ Matt Stafford was scary against LSU. UGA wins this one. NO-NO. Tim Tebow leads Gators to victory in World Largest Outdoor Halloween Drunk, 31-21.

FSU at GEORGIA TECH - This is a game to show Who’s Back and Who Isn’t. Jackets won’t let a second straight game get away, finally beat the Seminoles. NO-NO. Ghosts of FSU past are roaming Grant Field, Christian Ponder haunts Wreck secondary, Tech boiled 31-24.

MIAMI at VIRGINIA - Time for Wahoos’ bubble to burst after four straight wins. ‘Canes are better than the Cavs on both sides of the ball. The U. takes it easily. NO-NO. UVA continues to be the surprise of the ACC, Miami tricks turn into Virginia treats, ‘Canes bumped 21-9.

DUKE at WAKE FOREST - Believe it or not, one of the best games of the weekend. Demon Deacs can’t find offense, Blue Devils take advantage for fifth win. NO-NO. Demons take out frustrations on Devils, Happy Days Are Here Again for Wake, Duke haunted 31-21.

AUBURN at OLE MISS - Does anyone remember Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville left the Ole Misses high and dry 10 Halloweens ago? Auburn is a mere shadow of its former self. Tigers upset Rebs. NO-NO. Jevan Snead bewitches War Eagles, Auburn falls, 21-13.

TENNESSEE at SOUTH CAROLINA - There’s trouble in Knoxville with Phil Fulmer’s days numbered. Gamecocks may have their quarterback in Stephen Garcia, or do they? No matter, UT wins. NO-NO. Evil Genius dislikes Fulmer, works his black magic, UT ends up in caldron, 35-12.

TEXAS at TEXAS TECH - Texas is No. 1. I thought Texas Tech was overrated until last week’s beatdown of Kansas. Colt McCoy leads ‘Horns to big win. NO-NO. Mac Brown’s nightmares come true, Longhorns go down in Galactic Clash, 42- 39.

Other losers:

-Army to Air Force

-UConn to West Virginia

-Notre Dame to Pitt

-Nebraska to Oklahoma

-Clemson to Boston College

-Mississippi State to Kentucky

-New Mexico to Utah

-and Arizona State to Oregon State.