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.

Youth movement hits SEC basketball coaches; vote 'Governor Charles' in 2014

(10/30) Georgia State is serious about this football stuff. After announcing it will field a Division I-AA football team in 2010 and hiring Bill Curry as head coach, the Panther brass is purchasing almost four acres within blocks of the downtown school to build a football complex.

The Most Valuable Player to his team at this point in the college football season might belong to Virginia backup-backup quarterback Marc Verica, who was forced into action after the two players ahead of him fell by the wayside. Verica has led the Cavs to four straight wins and passed for more than 200 yards in each victory.

Unfortunately for SMU, the June Jones era hasn’t begun well. The Mustangs are 1-8 for the season and SI.Com rates them 117th out of 119 Division I teams.

Here’s what the NBA is doing to college basketball. Of Rivals.com’s Top 13 prospects from the 2007 class, only two remain in college - Arizona State’s James Harden and Duke’s Kyle Singler.

And get this: Billy ‘The Kid’ Donovan at Florida, at 43, isn’t even The Kid among SEC coaches. There are four coaches in the league younger than Donovan: Arkansas’ John Pelphrey, South Carolina’s Darrin Horn, Ole Miss’ Andy Kennedy and Auburn’s Jeff Lebo.

Sad news that former Clemson and Chicago Bear lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry is suffering from Guillain-Barr syndrome, a life-threatening disease that affects the nervous system and causes progressive weakness. Perry was hospitalized for five months and is now in a wheelchair.

How tough are the Philadelphia Phillies’ fans? They heckled a baby in the stands for the World Series against Tampa Bay.

And finally, former Auburn and NBA star Charles Barkley says he’s going to run for governor of Alabama in 2014. When asked if he was serious, Barkley said, "I am. I can’t screw up Alabama."

Is Viagra next on the list of illegal drugs in sports? Will O'Leary be moving again?

(10-29) Now that the University of Washington has fired Tyrone Willingham, what’s keeping Syracuse from doing the same to Greg Robinson? An aside - one of the names mentioned as a possible replacement for Willingham is former Falcon coach Jim Mora. And a name mentioned for the upcoming Syracuse vacancy is former Georgia Tech and now Central Florida coach George O’Leary.

And another aside: Washington President Mark Emmert will likely enlist the advice of Alabama head coach Nick Saban in his search to find a new coach. Emmert was president at LSU when he hired Saban there.

And keeping with that theme, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports that even if Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer should win his final four games, giving the Vols a 7-5 record, he still wouldn’t be assured of keeping his job.

Looks like the new athletics director for the troubled Indiana program will be attorney Fred Glass, an alum. Perhaps all ADs should be lawyers. Think of all the money they could save on attorney fees getting the athletes out of jail.

Georgia Tech’s 6-2 record is remarkable considering the Yellow Jackets lead the ACC with 26 fumbles and are tied for second in the nation having lost 14 of them. In fact, only once this season has Tech not fumbled at least three times and that was last weekend in its loss to Virginia.

Remember how big the Georgia versus Arizona State game was billed to be in pre-season. The Sun Devils have now lost five straight, which ties a school record. Four of the five have been in double digits.

The World Anti-Doping Agency is taking a hard look at Viagra to see if it gives athletes who take it an advantage over their opponents. I don’t even have a smart comment to make on that one.

Here’s a complaint you don’t often hear in sports. Florida Today reports that Jimmie Johnson is too nice for NASCAR. . . And another Sign of the (financial) Times - Kodak has pulled out of NASCAR and will take its advertising dollars to the pro golf tour.

San Francisco 49ers might offer Rice front office job: Condoleezza, not Jerry

(10/28) It’s hard to say which has been the most remarkable turnaround this college football season. Some would vote for Virginia, which lost 52-7 to Southern Cal, 45-10 to UConn and 31-3 to Duke. Then, just as it seemed the Wahoos were out, the Cavs have won four straight and are atop the ACC Coastal Division standings. Or maybe you like what Minnesota has done. After finishing 1-11 last season, the Gophers are 7-1 this year.

Strange but true: The San Francisco 49ers have said they would be interested in talking to Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State, about a high-level job when she leaves her current post. Perhaps the way the 49ers play, it would be better to talk to the Secretary of Defense.

How big is the Georgia-Florida game this Saturday? Both coach Mark Richt and Urban Meyer have basically issued moratoriums (or is it moratoria?) to their players which prevent them from talking to the media. Of course, any player who would need bulletin board fodder for this one should stay home anyway.

North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest were picked as the top three basketball teams during the ACC’s annual basketball media day held in Atlanta. Georgia Tech was voted the No. 8 team in the league. The pre-season all conference first team included UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough, BC’s Tyrese Rice, Duke’s Gerald Henderson, Jack McClinton of Miami and Ty Lawson of North Carolina. Georgia Tech combo-guard Iman Shumpert was picked on the All-Freshman team.

Mike Hugenin of Rivals.Com says there are only four teams who have a legitimate shot at the mythical BCS title game. He picks Southern Cal, Penn State and the winners of the SEC and Big 12. That didn’t take any giant leap. That’s basically all the teams that had a shot before the season began.

And finally, the schizoid league of the year - The ACC. Rivals.com points out that Boston College beat Virginia Tech which beat North Carolina - but UNC beat BC Saturday. Georgia Tech beat Duke which beat Virginia but Virginia beat Tech Saturday and Wake Forest beat Florida State which beat Miami but Miami beat Wake. Got all that? I sure didn't.

Going to UGA v. Florida? Leave now. This game should live up to preseason hype

(Oct. 27) Now that No. 3 Penn State has gotten past its biggest hurdle on its way to an undefeated season by beating Ohio State in Columbus over the weekend, let’s look at what’s ahead. Let’s assume that No. 2 Alabama and No. 1 Texas also finish undefeated. Then what? It could mean that Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions would be on the outside looking in. It wouldn’t be the first time. Penn State sported undefeated teams in 1968, 1969, 1973 and 1994 and didn’t wind up being ranked No. 1. The Lions are guilty by association. Are the voters going to allow a Big 10 team in the championship game again after its last two showings? Doubtful.

HERE & THERE: Not only has David Cutcliffe turned things around for Duke on the field, the new Blue Devil football coach already has 25 verbal commitments for next season -- two of them four-star players. . . Navy became the first team in 11 years to win without throwing a pass when the Middies beat SMU, 34-7 over the weekend -- 77 plays, 77 runs. . . Nothing like winning to get you out of trouble. When Virginia was 1-3 coming off of an embarrassing loss to Duke, Al Groh’s tenure in Charlottesville didn’t look to be long. Now the Cavs are 5-3 - Voila! Groh’s a genius. . . Keep your eyes on Knoxville this week. The Vols are 3-5 with a game coming up against South Carolina. How much longer will the Big Orange put up with Big Phil Fulmer?

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh says he’s interested in owning an NFL franchise -- maybe St. Louis in his home state. Wonder if all the plays would be to the right side? And field goal attempts wide right?

No surprise that only five to seven NBA teams are profitable as reported by Newsday. The league might think about improving their product with an anti-thug policy.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach offered a roster spot to Matt Williams last week after the student came out of the stands and kicked a 30-year field goal during a halftime contest. Williams rewarded Leach for his gamble by kicking all nine extra points in Tech’s win over Kansas this weekend.

And finally, the Georgia-Florida game this week in Jacksonville looks like it will match the early season billing as one of the top two games in the college ranks this season. Both seem to be peaking. If you’re planning on going, maybe you should leave right now.

An upset special guaranteed to stun Ohio State fans (right Paul, Don?)

(10-24) This is Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last week I was 11-4, 88-32 for the year (73.3 percent). Lots of games still to go.

GEORGIA at LSU - Bulldogs need to go into Baton Rouge and come away with a win. Tigers never let anyone come into their den and leave happy. Georgia does this time. NO-NO. This loss does away with national aspirations for the Dawgs; UGA loses, 17-10.

VIRGINIA at GEORGIA TECH - Ramblin’ Wreck needs to take care of the ball. Cavaliers are an enigma, lose to Duke, beat Maryland and North Carolina. Add Yellow Jackets to that list. NO-NO. Tech goes to 7-1, leaves UVA in its wake, Wahoos run over, 27-14.

OLE MISS at ARKANSAS - Razorbacks got rid of Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt. Ole Miss doesn’t appreciate their coach being mistreated. Too Bad. Hogs go wild against Rebs. NO-NO. Houston is no nut, Arkansas bombed by Reb quarterback Jevan Sneed, 24-7.

BOSTON COLLEGE at NORTH CAROLINA - Eagles may be the most underrated team in the league. Carolina has proved it can’t stand prosperity - beating Notre Dame and losing to Virginia. BC stands strong. NO-NO, Eagles don’t sore, lose 24-21.

OKLAHOMA STATE at TEXAS - T. Boone Pickens spent millions building this Cowboy team. Texas is operating with the probably Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback. Okies not impressed, upset the Longhorns. NO-NO. Don’t mess with Texas, OSU goes down 35-28.

VIRGINIA TECH at FLORIDA STATE - Hokies have been a disappointment this year. Seminoles have been a disappointment for several years. Tech regains its composure. NO-NO. Bowdenites are back, Techsters whipped, 27-24.

Upset Special PENN STATE at OHIO STATE - Nittany Lions have national aspirations. Ohio State is looking to redeeming its reputation after the Southern Cal debacle. Joe Paterno can’t be denied, Buckeyes go down. NO-NO. Lions can’t stop Bucs' Terrell Pryor, toppled 28-21.

Other losers:

-Michigan State to Michigan

-N.C. State to Maryland

-Miami to Wake Forest

-Duke to Vanderbilt

-Rutgers to Pitt

-Tennessee to Alabama

-Louisville to South Florida

-and (upset special II) Texas Tech to Kansas.

A little white-line fever at Auburn's expense; ACC, SEC title game winners picked

(10-22) Alert reader Joey Mac points out that the last three coaches at Notre Dame will all gather in Seattle for the Washington-Notre Dame match up Saturday. Husky coach Ty Willingham replaced TV analyst Bob Davie as coach in South Bend before current Irish coach Charlie Weis replaced Willingham.

A new book is out, The Maisel Report: College Football’s Most Overrated and Underrated Players, Coaches, Teams, and Traditions, by Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com. He says Miami has the most overrated program — Penn State and Alabama come in at Nos. 4 and 5; while Boston College has the most underrated. The most overrated conference? The Big Ten. Maisel chooses Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson as the most overrated Heisman Trophy winner; his choice for the most overrated coach is Charlie Weis

Mark Schlabach, an ESPN.com writer, has picked Florida to meet Alabama in the SEC title game with The Tide winning and Florida State to meet Georgia Tech in the ACC title game with the Seminoles winning.

No doubt the Hurricanes are looking down the road as seven first-year players have scored touchdowns for Miami thus far and five true freshmen scored last week against Duke. You have to wonder if coach Randy Shannon will be around to enjoy his recruiting bonanza.

Even thought Georgia Tech has been ultra-successful at 6-1 with new coach Paul Johnson, you know things still aren’t right on The Flats when Johnson has to plead with Tech fans to show up for the Virginia game. More than 11,000 tickets remain.

Auburn football practice was delayed two hours after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Head coach Tommy Tuberville suspended practice while federal agents investigated. After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined the white substance, unknown to the players, was the goal line. Practice resumed after the FBI decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.

Sorry, I just had to share that.

Colleges punt on naming rights for stadiums; racer selling sponsorship on eBay

(10-22) The SEC just held its annual basketball media day and Tennessee was picked over Florida in the East while Alabama finished ahead of LSU to win the West. Georgia and Arkansas were picked last in their divisions.

The pre-season SEC first team consisted of Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson, Tennessee’s Tyler Smith, Florida’s Nick Calathes, Devan Downey of South Carolina and Vanderbilt’s A.J. Ogilvy.

Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, says he would vote for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy if the voting took place today. As a past winner, Tebow does have a vote.

SI.Com’s Bill Trocchi picked Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer as the ACC’s most valuable player during the first half of the season in that league and Alabama’s Terrence Cody in the SEC.

In an article in The Journal of Sports Economics magazine, college football fans are more than twice as likely to vote in the presidential election as those who are less fanatical.

Say It Ain’t So, Joe - Seems to make sense to me that the now infamous "Joe The Plumber" of presidential debate fame is an Ohio State fan.

Sad news that Atlanta Braves’ broadcaster Pete Van Wieren. a 33-year veteran behind the microphone, decided to retire. This follows the death of Skip Caray in mid-summer. It won’t be the same listening to Braves’ games.

Refreshing that both Oklahoma and Ohio State had big offers for naming rights for their stadia and both turned it down. Also there is no credence to the rumors that Budweiser may seek the rights for Georgia’s stadium.

NASCAR driver J.J. Yeley is attempting to sell a sponsorship for his racing team on eBay.

And speaking of NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson could become only the second driver in history to win three consecutive titles. Cale Yarborough was the first. Yarborough was offered a football scholarship to play at Clemson but then-Tiger coach Frank Howard told him he had to choose between racing and football. The rest, as they say, is history.

B-list World Series could see ratings slide; is the Super Bowl worth a grand a ticket?

(10-21) With two more football players charged over the weekend, the University of Georgia has now had 10 players arrested since January. Doesn’t that lead the Cincinnati Bengals in police blotter time?

I’m sorry but I’m still trying to get my head around Falcon owner Arthur Blank’s statement that he hopes jailed quarterback Michael Vick will be able to come back and play in the NFL. Blank said everyone is entitled to a second and third chance. Not Vick. He’s had at least four chances and if the league should allow him to play, I will take a pledge never to watch another NFL game. Of course, that’s not a real stretch since I don’t anyway.

How can you take the first BCS poll of the season seriously when Utah, Boise State, TCU, Tulsa, Ball State, Northwestern, Minnesota and Florida State all made the Top 25?

Here’s a hot rumor. Former Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr was spotted on the Syracuse campus last week. Word is Syracuse had brought him in as a consultant to help find a replacement for the upcoming dismissal of Greg Robinson.

International financier T. Boone Pickens is realizing a quick payback of one large investment. Pickers gave his alma mater, Oklahoma State, more than $200 million for improvements to its athletic facilities. The Cowboys are currently 7-0 and ranked No. 7 in the polls.

Remember the agony of watching ex-Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn’s stock drop in the NFL draft two years ago until he was finally chosen 21st by the Cleveland Browns? The Minnesota Vikings just offered the Browns a No. 1 draft choice in 2009 and a No. 1 in 2010 for Quinn. What has improved his stock riding the bench in Cleveland?

Fox NFL commentator Terry Bradshaw slammed the league for upping the ticket prices for next year’s Super Bowl to $1,000 each.

Don’t you know MLB television executives are pulling their hair today with a Philadelphia-Tampa Bay match up for the World Series?

And finally, just a question but do the BCS rules state that the ACC and the Big East are absolutely positively required to send their champions to a BCS bowl?

Trivia question to decide who buys lunch: Name the ACC's top-ranked AP team

(10/20) Who would have believed that Georgia Tech and Georgia would have identical 6-1 records and that the Yellow Jackets would be the highest-ranked ACC team in the AP poll (no. 21)? There really isn’t a solid football team in the ACC is there, when No. 17 Virginia Tech, No. 18 North Carolina and No. 21 Wake Forest all lost over the weekend?

Don’t take the first BCS standings too seriously. Last year’s first edition showed Ohio State, South Florida and Boston College holding down the top three spots.

Was it really necessary for Rivals.Com columnist Terry Bowden to write that his brother Tommy deserved to be fired by Clemson?

And speaking of family, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz suspended his son James, an offensive lineman, for a alcohol-related campus incident. AND, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins benched his quarterback son, Cody, in favor of freshman Tyler Hansen.

What was Lou Holtz thinking (or not thinking) when he used a Hitler reference when discussing Rich Rodriguez’ leadership at Michigan?

ESPN.com writer Mark Schlabach is of the opinion that Texas hasn’t played a team yet that has any kind of defense. I don’t disagree.

Two quick thoughts. Washington State is the worst team in all of Division I college football. Texas Tech is the most overrated team in the country. By the way, Washington State’s last four defeats came by scores of 69-0, 66-3, 66-24 and 63-14.

Is there a more puzzling team out there than Maryland? Ralph Freidgen’s Terps barely beat Delaware, lost to Middle Tennessee, were embarrassed by Virginia but whipped Clemson, Cal and now Wake Forest.

One week after beating Michigan in the Big House, Toledo lost to Northern Illinois, 38-7.

When Georgia visits LSU this week, it’ll pit the two teams with the most wins in the SEC for the past five seasons. LSU’s overall records is tops at 66-11(84.7 percent) while Georgia is second at 57-15 (79.2 percent).

And finally in the first BCS standings released Sunday, Texas was easily No. 1 while Alabama was second. Georgia was No. 7 and Florida tenth.

It's a scary week for college football across the board; watch for upsets galore

(Oct. 17) This is Norman’s No-Nos where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last week, I was 10-5; 77-28 for the year (73.3 percent) . Halloween is still two weeks away but there are a lot of scary games on the docket this weekend.

GEORGIA TECH at CLEMSON - Scary for Tech because Clemson has a new coach and a new quarterback. Tigers could win. NO-NO. Clemson is the one playing scared, loses 35-10.

VANDERBILT at GEORGIA - Scary for the Bulldogs because it’s a no-win situation against a much better team than many realize. ‘Dogs play scared. NO-NO. Vandy loses, 24-17.

OHIO STATE at MICHIGAN STATE - Scary for Buckeyes because this game wasn’t on the radar six weeks ago. OSU dominates. NO-NO. Ohio State wasn’t scared enough, upset 27-21.

WAKE FOREST at MARYLAND - Scary for Deacons because Maryland is a Jekyll & Hyde puzzle. Terps are Jekyll this weekend. NO-NO. Maryland loses in a scary fashion, 42-7.

NORTH CAROLINA at VIRGINIA - Scary for Tar Heels since they haven’t won at Virginia since 1981. Carolina loses a tough one. NO-NO. Al Groh is scared for his job, loses 24-10.

LSU at SOUTH CAROLINA- LSU scared ‘cause ‘Cocks’ Steve Spurrier has found his QB in Stephen Garcia. Tigers defense too good. NO-NO. SC’s defense is scary, LSU upset 17-14.

VIRGINIA TECH at BOSTON COLLEGE - Hokies are scared because UNC and Georgia Tech are pulling hard against them. VPI wins anyway. NO-NO. Hokies lose to Eagles, 24-22.

MISSOURI at TEXAS - Mizzou’s Chase Daniel, a Heisman leader, scares ‘Horns. Tigers need to find Daniel’s passing lanes again. They do. NO-NO. Texas retains No. 1, 31-28.

MISSISSIPPI STATE at TENNESSEE - Both teams are scared because neither is competent. Vols less competent than Bulldogs. NO-NO. Bulldogs lose in triple overtime, 7-3.

MIAMI at DUKE.- Miami is scared because it doesn’t know what to expect. Blue Devils weren’t worried and upset the ‘Canes. NO-NO. Duke isn’t all that scary, Devils lose 21-7.

Other scary losers:

-Memphis to East Carolina

-Ole Miss to Alabama

-Navy to Pitt

-Michigan to Penn State

-and Arkansas to Kentucky.

Knight: If coaches cheat, shoot 'em; just how academic are UGA, Georgia Tech?

(10-16) New NCAA figures show Georgia and Georgia Tech, along with Arizona and Oklahoma, graduated less of their football players than any others schools in the nation for players who enrolled from 1998-2001. Both Tech and Georgia graduated 48 percent while Arizona was 41 percent and Oklahoma was 46 percent. The study also showed Georgia graduated just 23 percent in men’s basketball while Tech was at 50 percent. In a word -- unacceptable.

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt led the way in graduating athletes with 91 percent while Wake Forest was second at 83 percent. Amazingly, Texas Tech finished No. 3.

Falcon owner Arthur Blank told ESPN.com that he would support the return of quarterback Michael Vick to the NFL after he successfully completes his prison term but not with the Atlanta team. I’ve always admired Blank but we part ways on this one unless, of course, he’s thinking along the lines of employing Vick as a dish washer in the team’s practice facility lunch room.

Whoa, now! The 12 presidents of the SEC schools met in Atlanta this week and decided they would take some of the $2 billion that CBS and ESPN are paying for SEC athletic rights to fund academic programs at their respective schools.

SportingNewsToday.com says the five college football programs which are the biggest busts through half of the season are Clemson, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Auburn and Tennessee.

With college basketball practice opening this week, there’s no better way to start off the season than with an interview with former Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight. Knight admitted he might come back if the right opportunity presented it self. He also said any coach caught cheating should be shot because "he’s too dumb to live." Great stuff! . . . College basketball is definitely here because I just purchased three magazines this week. The overwhelming No. 1 pick in all three is North Carolina. Most believe Connecticut and Duke belong in the Top 5. And the overwhelming choice for Player-of-the-year is the Tar Heels’ Tyler Hansbrough. Unfortunately for the state, neither Georgia Tech nor Georgia are expected to be competitive this season.

Change that title to head football coach and chief executive officer

(10/15) College coaching changes I don’t want to see: Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe to Clemson. Not a good fit; Grobe is perfect in Winston-Salem and I hope he stays there. Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson to Clemson. Johnson fits Vandy’s academics-first mode and is very involved with the community. The draw will be strong but I hope he forgoes it.

Duke’s David Cutcliffe to Tennessee. Cutcliffe is in his first year of rejuvenating the once-proud Blue Devil program but would be hard-pressed to resist the draw of big-time college football in Knoxville.

One thing about a college coaching search is that teams looking for a new head coach aren’t looking at coaches who are dissatisfied. They looking for coaches who are firmly entrenched and loved by their school and fan base. Jobs aren’t filled by one athletic director calling another and asking for recommendations. Search firms are now employed with regularity because the search is for a CEO to take over a multimillion-dollar business.

Here & There: The leading state for starting quarterbacks in Division I-A is Texas with 22 while California is second with 15, says the Dallas Morning News. . . The first fallout from Clemson’s firing of coach Tommy Bowden is two recruits for next year have bailed out and a third is considering it. . . Don’t be surprised if Texas has a short tenure at the No. 1 spot. The Longhorns must play No. 11 Missouri, No. 8 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Texas Tech in their next three outings. . . In USA Today’s Top 10 college football stadiums, Georgia’s Sanford Stadium wasn’t mentioned.

A suggestion to the ownership of the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers, whomever that might be. Have you considered a U.S. government take-over? It seems everyone else has. . . And along those lines, the arrogant NBA isn’t immune to the economic flattening in this country. The league laid off 80 employees this week.

Folks are comparing what Rich Rodriguez is going through at Michigan (loss to Toledo) to what Nick Saban went through last year (loss to Louisiana-Monroe). I gather folks are expecting Michigan to take the same path as Alabama has this year. Maybe, maybe not.

And finally, how entertaining will the Georgia vs. Vanderbilt game and the Georgia Tech vs. Clemson games be this week? Vandy lost to Mississippi State last week and Clemson lost to Wake Forest plus saw their coach fired. Things change fast.

After Clemson fires Tommy Bowden, what's to keep him from taking over at UT?

(10/14) When Clemson fired Tommy Bowden Monday, I had to ask myself who they might get who is better. The Tigers didn’t like Tommy West and got rid of him. They didn’t like Ken Hatfield and he was gone. Bowden compiled a record of 72-45 and went to eight bowl games. He never had a losing season at Clemson. I think the real problem is that none of the past coaches have been named Danny Ford, who still is a beloved figure at the school. Of course, the Tigers play Georgia Tech this weekend and have named assistant Dabo Swinney as interim head coach. Wonder if red shirt freshman Willie Korn will still replace quarterback Cullen Harper as the starter against the Jackets? Perhaps Bowden would be a good fit at Tennessee?

After watching the Falcons come back to beat the Bears on a last-second field goal, the most amazing thing I saw was the team celebrating -- honestly excited. Smiling. Hugging. Mike Smith has brought a whole new mind-set to Arthur Blank’s most unsuccessful investment.

Here & There: How bad is Michigan? The Detroit Free Press points out that the Wolverines are 109th in total offense, 100th in scoring offense and fifth in turnovers given up. . . How dumb is Pacman Jones, who was in more hot water this week after a scuffle with his Cowboy-provided body guard? "He’s not as smart as a fifth-grader," said former NFL great Terry Bradshaw. . . NASCAR reports that ticket sales are down 10 percent because of the failing economy. . . Yahoo Sports reports that NASCAR officials are contemplating cutting the Cup series starting field from 43 to 36 cars.

Talk about desperate. Seven games into the season and Auburn still doesn’t have a quarterback. The Tigers will look at Barrett Trotter (whom they hope to red shirt), little-used reserve Neil Caudle, as well as previous starters Kodi Burns and Chris Todd.

And speaking of quarterbacks, at long last, red shirt freshman Stephen Garcia will start his first game for Steve Spurrier’s 5-2 South Carolina team. The talented player will face none other than a very mad LSU team in his starting debut.

Two huge injuries over the weekend. Georgia lost left tackle Vince Vance for the season after losing left tackle starter Trenton Sturdivant before the season started. Kiante Tripp, who had filled in at left tackle before moving to tight end, will move back. Clint Boling, a right guard, may move to left tackle. . . North Carolina wide receiver Brandon Tate, who led the ACC in total offensive yards, is lost for the season with a knee injury.

Who's No. 1? Actually, who's really qualified to rank college football at this point?

>Latest polls: CBS  and USA TODAY

(10-13) I believe we have proven beyond any doubt that we as humans and those computers aren’t qualified to attach a numerical value to teams. I mean, who’s really No. 1 or No. 25, for that matter?

Over this weekend, No. 1 lost, as did Nos. 3 and 4, and No. 7 needed an extra period to retain its dignity. Texas, with perhaps the weakest head coach of them all, has some sense of entitlement for the top spot. Alabama, which didn’t even play, could be atop the standings or Joe Paterno could lay claim to being the fairest in the land.

The point is, it really doesn’t make any difference. We’re headed to what is commonly known as the mystical college title game in January and how two teams will arrive there also is mystical. Let’s just enjoy what’s going on and not worry about rankings.

For instance, Texas beat Oklahoma 45-35 in a fun game that many are already calling a classic. On the other end of the spectrum, Arkansas stopped Auburn, 25-22 -- two truly horrible teams but a fairly entertaining game.

Michigan State probably can lay claim to being the second best team in the Big 10 behind Penn State and that one will be settled on the last day of the Big 10 season. You want to argue Ohio State’s case -- fine, they play the Spartans Saturday.

Of particular interest was North Carolina’s arrival on the national stage with a come-from-behind win over a 4-1 Notre Dame team -- some of the worst officiating I’ve seen on a major stage. The Tar Heels will move into the Top 20 but even if they should win out, they probably won’t be playing in the ACC championship game because of a loss to Virginia Tech.

Don’t mention LSU to me. The Bayou persons had 51 points laid on them by Florida and went back to Baton Rouge with a 30-point loss. What happened to that awesome defense? It’s gurgling somewhere in The Swamp.

Chase Daniel and Missouri lost to Oklahoma State - the team who has the coach who is more noted for his rave against the media last year than for any excellence in Xs and Os.

Poor Vanderbilt. The Commodores simply couldn’t enjoy prosperity and went to Starkville and lost to a very poor Mississippi State team. Now we know why they haven’t been to a bowl since the dark ages.

Holy Toledo. Not very original but the mighty Big Blue of Michigan have no business losing to Toledo ever -- and this just a year removed from losing to Appalachian State.

And last, and deservedly so, Georgia Tech, now 5-1 and gripping about not being included in the national rankings, had to hold on to beat Division I-AA Gardner-Webb, 10-7. This is the same Bulldog team that lost to Tennessee Tech, Sam Houston State and Charleston Southern.

As for Georgia’s 26-14 win over the Volunteers, I was totally unimpressed.

No-nos Friday: After Georgia game, Tennessee might just have its Phil of Fulmer

(10/9) Here are my Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last week, I was a brilliant 14-1, missing only the Maryland-Virginia game. Now 67-23 for the year (74.4 percent).

TENNESSEE at GEORGIA - Vols have one-game win streak after pasting Northern Illinois, 13-9. Bulldogs mustn’t look ahead to Vanderbilt. Phat Phil may lose his job if he can’t turn it around. Vols win one for The Toledo Tipper. NO-NO. Vols slapped, 42-14.

EAST CAROLINA at VIRGINIA - Nobody picked the Cavaliers to beat Maryland last week. Pirates were ranked after topping West Virginia and Virginia Tech but now are no where. Wahoos win another. NO-NO. Skip Holtz out schemes Al Groh, Cavs go down, 21-10.

OKLAHOMA vs. TEXAS - Ho-Hum. Another Game of the Century, the second this season. Sam Bradford will lead No. 1-ranked Sooners to a win. NO-NO. I’m picking Colt McCoy to take the Longhorns to the top of the polls. Okies no longer No.1, jolted 28-24.

SOUTH CAROLINA at KENTUCKY- Gamecocks’ Chris Smelley played like a Steve Spurrier-coached quarterback last week vs. Ole Miss. Wildcats took Alabama to the wire. I see more Wildcat heroics. NO-NO. Can’t vote against a Smelley-Spurrier combo, ‘Cats lose, 20-17.

VANDERBILT at MISS. STATE - Bulldogs have one win in five tries. Commodores are unbeaten, untied and unbelievable. Sylvester Croom is fresh off of a coach-of-the-year award. Staters pull huge upset. NO-NO. Vandy isn’t to be denied in Starkville, ‘Dogs downed, 20-14.

LSU at FLORIDA - Bayou Bengals are prowling again, reigning SEC and National champs. Florida lost to Ole Miss for goodness sakes. LSU isn’t intimidated by The Swamp, takes a win back to Baton Rouge. NO-NO. Tim Tebow rallies the Gators, LSU slinks home, 27-24.

NOTRE DAME at NORTH CAROLINA - I love this game. Irish are 4-1 with a loss to Michigan State. Tar Heels are 4-1 with a loss to Virginia Tech. Domers’ Jimmy Clausen is the better quarterback. UNC is the better team. Irish go down, but not without a fight, 21-14.

Others losers:

Arkansas to Auburn

Nebraska to Texas Tech

Upset Special Penn State to Wisconsin

Colorado to Kansas

Rutgers to Cincinnati

Oklahoma State to Missouri

UCLA to Oregon

and Colorado State to TCU.

Vandy vs. UGA looks better than that other Tennessee team heading to Athens

(10/9) The AJC’s Mark Bradley wrote a column extolling the many talents of Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford. That’s his opinion and he says the NFL feels the same way. Here’s my opinion: Stafford is an adequate quarterback. Not great, just good enough. If you don’t agree, that’s fine but ask yourself this: Could he start for Southern Cal, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas Tech, Missouri, Kansas or even Clemson, Kansas State or Wake Forest? I think not, which would make him no better than the 11th best college quarterback in the land.

In pre-season, this was scheduled to be a big weekend for the Georgia Bulldogs as they entertained the mighty Tennessee Volunteers and then an easy week next Saturday when they play poor old Vanderbilt. My how things have changed. . . And speaking of Tennessee, FoxSports interviewed a group of UT students and were told that Vol football games are no longer a priority on the students' to-do list.

You might watch the Clemson-Wake Forest game tonight on ESPN. The word from Sporting News Today is that the Tigers have spent their week off installing a series of trick plays featuring running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Of course, if we know it, surely so do the Deacons.

The Big 12 held its basketball media days last week and Oklahoma, coached by Jeff Capel, was picked No. 1 in the league followed closely by Texas. Last year’s NCAA champion Kansas was third.

Here & There: Florida could be without one of its two most powerful weapons when LSU comes calling this weekend as wide receiver Percy Harvin missed his second practice this week with a sprained ankle. . . I don’t know if this is healthy, you decide. LSU defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois told the Orlando Sentinel: "If we get a good shot on (Florida quarterback Tim Tebow), we’re going to try our best to take him out of the game." . .

Business Week’s list of the Top 100 persons in sports started off with Tiger Woods at No. 1, had racer Danica Patrick at No. 50 and finished with Serena Williams at No. 100.

How popular is former Green Bay and now New York Jet quarterbacks Brett Favre? The New York team’s television ratings are up 39 percent this year over last.

And finally, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville fired offensive coordinator Tony Franklin late Wednesday. The Tigers' offense ranked in the bottom 10 percent in the country. Franklin had been hired in December to install the spread offense.

Auburn coach unavailable for comment; Va. Tech the Bengals of college football?

(10/8) Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville declined to have his offensive coordinator, Tony Franklin, do interviews this week. Good reason. The Tiger offense is one of the biggest busts in college football.

It was reported just last week that Arkansas transfer quarterback Mitch Mustain was No. 4 on the Southern Cal depth chart. Now, with starter Mark Sanchez banged up, Mustain may start for the Trojans against Arizona State this weekend.

With wide receiver Ike Whitaker scheduled to appear in court on misdemeanor charges, he is just another in a long line of Virginia Tech players appearing on the Blacksburg police blotter. What is it about the Hokies?. They’re becoming the Cincinnati Bengals of college football.

The speculation is so widespread that Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer may not make it through this season, more than 15 names have been bandied about the Internet. Perhaps the most ambitious was the possibility of hiring Tampa Bay Buccaneer coach Jon Gruden.

Remember the haka dance as performed by the University of Hawaii last year? The pre-game dance was supposedly taken from some ancient Polynesian religious custom by the islanders. Last week, I watched in disbelief as Brigham Young performed the haka -- this, the bastion of the Mormon religion.

I don’t know, I found this semi-interesting. Five of the eight division leaders in the NFL -- Chicago, Denver, Arizona, Buffalo and Carolina -- weren’t in the playoffs last season.

The Texas-Oklahoma game this weekend is being billed as the Game of the (pick one) Year, Decade, Century. Remember the last Game of the Whatever we had earlier this season - Southern Cal embarrassed Ohio State, 35-3.

And finally, a question for which I have no answer. Fired Oakland Raider coach Lane Kiffin is being mentioned as a possible replacement from coast-to-coast for every head college job about to come open. Why? He was an absolute, complete disaster with the Raiders.

The conference with the most whiners? The SEC, with Spurrier leading the list

FoxSports listed its top 10 whiners in college football. Not surprisingly, six of the 10 reside in the SEC, led by (who else) Steve Spurrier. LSU’s Les Miles was No. 3, Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville No. 4, Alabama’s Nick Saban No. 6, Florida’s Urban Meyer No. 9 and Kentucky’s Rich Brooks was 10th. Somebody will probably whine that they weren’t listed.

Here & there: I’m not a Notre Dame fan, never have been and never will be, but even I am shocked that the Irish aren’t ranked in any of the polls. With only one loss this season, shouldn’t they be mentioned somewhere? And speaking of the Golden Domers, they play North Carolina this weekend and the Tar Heels are ranked. Who would have thought it?. . . Two other tidbits on Vanderbilt: The Commodores play Mississippi State Saturday in Starkville. If the Nashvillians should win, and they certainly are favored to do that, they would become bowl-eligible and it’s only the second week of October. The Philadelphia Daily News points out that the last time Vandy was 5-0, it was 1943 and D-Day was still eight months away. . . The New York Post reports that a sequel to the movie Bull Durham is in the works. . . Trailblazers’ center Greg Oden endorses Barack Obama for president, even though he admits that with the tax bracket he’s in, he should be voting Republican.

Looking Ahead: Big weekend coming up with No. 1 Oklahoma playing No. 5 Texas. Missouri, ranked third, hosts No. 17 Oklahoma State and fourth-rated LSU travels to the Swamp to meet No. 11 Florida. And let us not forget the bruised Bulldogs of Georgia who entertain an underachieving Tennessee team in Athens. And speaking of Texas, the Longhorns are the only team in the country that has yet to allow a rushing touchdown.

There are still 15 undefeated Division I college teams out there and five of them are in the Big 12 and none in the ACC.

And finally, I got a kick out of seeing a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution asking if there might be a quarterback controversy brewing at Georgia Tech between Jaybo Shaw and Josh Nesbitt. When’s the last time the Jackets found themselves involved in a positive controversy? They must be doing something right.

Vandy rules the east; Vols should be ashamed. And can FSU be relevant again?

(Oct. 6) How about this past weekend in college football? We went a whopping 24 hours without an earth-shattering result. Nine of the top 10 teams won and only No. 10 South Florida bit the dust.

That’s not to say there were no surprises.

How about those Commodores and those Volunteers. The state of Tennessee can be both proud and embarrassed at the same time. Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way. Tennessee was tied 3-3 at the half with Northern Illinois, a 2-3 team out of the MAC. The Orange finally squeezed out a 13-9 win. Everyone impressed hold up your hand.

Oh but those sweet, sweet Commodores. Vanderbilt ran its season record to 5-0 for the first time in recorded history in beating Auburn of all teams. The final was 14-13 and maybe these Tigers aren’t the standard issue War Eagle brand but still, what a great win. Got news for you. Vanderbilt sits atop the SEC East. Take that Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

And speaking of Carolina, let’s look at the North variety. The Tar Heels whaled the daylights out of No. 24 UConn and should be ranked somewhere in the top 25 this week for the first time since 2001.

And the home boys didn’t do too bad, either. Georgia Tech beat up on Duke 27-0 and is looking to go to 5-1 if they beat Gardner-Webb next week.

A mild disappointment was the trouble Alabama had with Kentucky, winning 17-14 but its still a win but maybe not the kind of win you would expect from a nationally ranked No. 2 team.

Man, things are tough up in Madison, Wisc. The 300-member Wisconsin band has been suspended after reports of hazing, alcohol consumption and sexual misconduct surfaced. Perhaps some football coaches should take note of this.

A Personal note: I picked 14 of 15 losers correctly in Norman’s No-Nos last week. My long miss was picking Virginia to lose to Maryland.   The most entertaining game was the Florida State at Miami meeting. I’m not sure if the result will make any real difference in the long run. The Seminoles hung on for a 41-39 win. Was this just a game between two bad teams or are either capable of making some national noise? I guess I’m asking can FSU be relevant this season?

Tech rolls over Duke; upset special: Vandy over Auburn; USC wins one for Spurrier?

(Oct. 3) This is Norman’s No-Nos where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last week, I was 8-7 but 53-22 for the season. Is that 71 percent?

DUKE at GEORGIA TECH - Yellow Jackets’ fancy wishbone is tough to defend. The Blue Devils beat the wishbone two weeks ago in taking down Navy. Advantage Dukesters. NO-NO. Duke was 1-4 against Johnson when he was in Annapolis. Devils egged, 28-17.

BOSTON COLLEGE at N.C. STATE - Wolfpack’s Tom O’Brien must wish he was still at the BC helm. Eagles wish they could entice Falcons’ Matt Ryan back for a few snaps. Neither is a world-beater. State in an upset. NO-NO. ‘Pack isn’t back, lose 31-10.

CONNECTICUT at NORTH CAROLINA - Interesting game. Neither team has its starting quarterback. Huskies are undefeated and boss of the Big East. Tar Heels are fresh from an upset of Miami. I like UCONN. NO-NO. Tar Heels’ supporting staff is better, UCONN loses, 21-17.

Upset Alert AUBURN at VANDERBILT - Ordinarily the Tigers would be a big favorite. This is no ordinary Vandy team. Dores could go 5-0. War Eagles need to show some offensive life. Tigers get well in Nashville. NO-NO. Auburn is singing the Nashville Blues, lose 14-10.

SOUTH CAROLINA at OLE MISS - Gamecocks have no quarterback. Rebels do in Jevan Snead. Spurrier-ites do have one tough defense. Rebs can score on anybody. NO-NO. Can’t pick against Spurrier with his back against the wall. Ole Miss goes down, 24-21.

FLORIDA STATE at MIAMI - Daggumit, what to make of this game? Seminoles beat a fair Colorado team. Hurricanes had no swagger in losing to a fair North Carolina team. Miami rights its ship. NO-NO. Chief Osceola sets the Swaggers on fire, Miami loses 31-24.

OHIO STATE at WISCONSIN - This game looked a lot better before last week as the Badgers got pounded by Penn State. Buckeyes have a freshman quarterback and a tender Beanie Wells. Badgers prevail. NO-NO. I hate it but Wisconsin loses, 35-21.

OTHER LOSERS:

Rutgers to West Virginia

Virginia to Maryland

Iowa to Michigan State

Nebraska to Missouri

Stanford to Notre Dame

Arkansas to Florida

Kentucky to Alabama

and Colorado to Texas.

Enough already of heavenly pointing, smoking tunnels, pre-game shows

(10/2) Southern Sports Mailbag: Alert Alabama reader Phil Ray points out that Alabama has outscored opponents 74-0 in the first quarter, not the first half as I had written and owns a 133-20 halftime advantage. . . Gracious reader Mike Pennington points out that my win-lost percentage wouldn’t be quite so high if I’d pick tougher games in my Norman’s No-Nos. After going 8-7 last week, I’m not bragging.

After I wrote that we need to have a moratorium on White-Outs, Black-Outs, Orange-Outs, etc., on Tuesday, I started thinking about other things in sports I’d like to see go away.

NATION: I’m sick of hearing about the Bulldog Nation, Gator Nation, Tide Nation, Tiger Nation, even the United Nation. College students are smart. Come up with something else.

POINTING: No more pointing to the heavens when a player makes a play, especially when his team is losing and it’s midway through a blowout. You’re supposed to make plays. The penalty should be to break their stupid arms and fingers.

TEAM INTRODUCTIONS: No more dry ice smoke billowing out of the tunnel as the players pour onto the field. It always makes me think there were 100 players in the tunnel toking away before the game. And a special note to the NBA: Leave the lights on, call the players by their given names.

THE WAVE: The late Skip Caray hated it, so do I.

TOMAHAWK CHOP: That really belongs to the Braves of the early '90s. Not these Braves.

Of course some will argue it never belonged to the Braves, but to FSU. I agree. I still think Chief Osceola riding his horse out with the flaming spear before an FSU game is a sports highlight.

TURNING THE CORNER: Unless you’re a race car driver, don’t use that phrase.

STEPPING UP: Everyone can’t step up every week but that’s what you hear.

HIGH FIVES, LOW FIVES: Perhaps a simple nod of the head would do for a greeting.

MOMS AND DADS: Players should be banner from thanking their moms and dads. The parents are just glad to get them out of the house.

GATOR CHOMP, BULLDOG BARK, TIGER ROAR, et. al. -NO MORE! The Northern Arizona Community College mascot is a Fighting Artichoke. Come up with something for the ‘Chokes.

And finally, please deliver me from the pre-game shows in both college and pro sports. Does anyone really want to hear a three and one-half hour pre-game show before Georgia finally plays Alabama? And even though I like Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw and Tiki Barber (kind of), get the rest of those bozos off my screen and off my radio station.

Ole Miss players went a bit Nutts with that bloody Gatorade dousing of their coach

(10-1) When former Notre Dame and Washington Redskins’ quarterback Joe Theismann was asked who was the greatest player in the history of the National Football League, his pick was none other than Deion Sanders.

Remember when the image of the Big 10 as a conference was old school, lumbering, slow and unathletic? Eight of the 11 teams now employ some version of the spread with only Iowa, Michigan State and Wisconsin sticking to the old tried and true conventional offense.

Everything went well enough at first as the Ole Miss players doused coach Houston Nutt after the Rebels upset Florida Saturday. But the Rebel players need more practice at this stuff as they also hit their coach in the nose with the Gatorade container and bloodied it.

And this from sports cynic Jamie May in North Carolina: "Next coach at Tennessee? David Cutcliffe. Sorry, Duke, but if he keeps winning and Phat Phil keeps losing everything but weight, Peyton (Manning) will endorse his guy for Top Vol."

In the Let’s Not Get Excited venue, Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson predicts the Yellow Jackets could finish 11-1, saying the only team that can beat Georgia Tech is Georgia Tech. . . One thing of note for the Jackets - starting quarterback Josh Nesbitt still isn’t practicing after a pulled hamstring muscle against Mississippi State.

Hiring a new offensive coordinator isn’t always the answer for a struggling team. Just ask Auburn, Notre Dame, California, South Carolina and Florida State. But Maryland’s James Franklin has been a success. Franklin, from Kansas State, came back to relieve Ralph Friedgen of the offensive reigns and has moved the Terps more than 30 spots up the national offensive list.

It’s certainly not breaking news that Major League Baseball players are overpaid but the year Mickey Mantle won baseball’s Triple Crown, he made $30,000. Willie Mays was paid $100,000 in 1966.

And finally, how is this for a statistic? Alabama, ranked No. 2 this week, has outscored its opponents 74-0 in the first half and is one of four team that have four non-offensive touchdowns.