Lunchtime Smorgasbord

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Just a few more headlines picked up across the SEC today:

1.  Ron Higgins of The Memphis Commercial-Appeal writes that Mark Ingram is worthy of the growing Heisman hype surrounding him.

2. Mr. Higgins also writes that the SEC will be seriously dissing the Liberty Bowl if speculation that it will pick behind the Gator and Music City Bowls is true.  (I understand civic pride, but this is all about pay-outs and luxury suites at stadiums.  Sorry, Memphis.)

3.  I say it every week, the best weekend preview column always comes from Travis Haney of The Charleston Post & Courier.  (And this week he just happens to agree with the vast majority of you who would like to say bye-bye to white jerseys in college football.)

4.  David Paschall of The Chattanooga Times-Free Press has posted his predictions for the weekend.

5.  This exhaustive SEC notes column points out that Anthony Dixon is just the 12th member of the SEC’s 40-touchdown club.

6.  Mike Herndon of The Mobile Press-Register takes a look at “the SEC is down” talk.

7.  We covered most of the points in this notes column yesterday during our live blog of the SEC’s coaches’ teleconference, but there is one fresh note here — Tommy Tuberville will probably be a hot commodity at year’s end.

8.  Dan Mullen is trying to build Mississippi State on the Florida model.

9.  In this SEC notes column, Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun writes that Ron Zook’s 2004 loss at MSU set the stage for Urban Meyer’s arrival in Gainesville and all of the success that has followed.

10.  Utah Senator Orrin Hatch now wants President Barack Obama to launch a justice department investigation into the BCS.  People of Utah, if this man believes the BCS is the biggest problem facing our nation, please vote his dumb ass out of office.

11.  Andrea Adelson of The Orlando Sentinel wants MORE punishment for the SEC officiating crew that’s been suspended until mid-November.  (Ever notice how most of us want greater punishments for everyone else, but lesser punishments for ourselves when we screw up?)

12.  Andy Staples of SI.com is actually surprised by the swiftness and severity of the SEC’s actions against the crew.

13.  Stewart Mandel of SI.com writes in his mailbag column that Florida is benefiting from a veteran defense… and that there is no conspiracy when it comes to bad calls.

14.  And Chris Low of ESPN.com has posted a few more midseason awards.

15.  Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com writes that Texas is about the only thing standing in the way of back-to-back Alabama-Florida showdowns.

16.  Let me get this straight… when SEC teams beat each other up, it seems to be a sign of weakness to numerous national pundits.  But when Big Ten teams beat each other up, it’s a sign of parity.  Sorry, I’m not buying that one.

17.  Finally, in basketball news, Seth Davis the NCAA needs to leave March Madness alone and ignore talk of expanding the tournament.