The Bowl Games

1. If Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame squad looks like an SEC team, it’s no accident.  ”For us to move Notre Dame back into a national prominence, we had to begin with our defense.”

2. Nick Saban on Notre Dame: “Defensively, they probably have the best front seven in the country.”

3. Statistical breakdown of Alabama and Notre Dame - Crimson Tide offense averages almost 12 points more per game.

4. Bruce Feldman: “Bama’s biggest edge over Notre Dame won’t be size or strength, it’ll be experience.”

5. Georgia’s headed to the Capital One Bowl against Nebraska, but the bitterness lingers: Georgia A.D. Greg McGarity: “There’s absolutely no question that we are deserving of a BCS bid, and Florida finished third, and by way of them finishing third in the BCS, that locked out us, without any further discussion.”

6. Only two teams per conference in BCS bowls.  Kirk Herbstreit: “Who came up with this rule?” (BCS cap on conferences will come off when college football goes to the playoff system following the 2014 season.)

7. The Coaches’ Poll factors into the BCS calculations.  Steve Spurrier says he votes differently when his name is on the ballot.  ”If it was anonymous, I would have changed it a little bit, to be honest with you.” James Franklin’s ballot.

8. Texas A&M and Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl – best bowl outside of the BCS games?

9. Seven Heisman winners have played in the Cotton Bowl the year they won the award.  Johnny Manziel could be the eighth. A Heisman straw poll that’s been incredibly accurate says it’s Manziel’s to lose.

10. Florida will face their old defensive coordinator in Louisville coach Charlie Strong.  Will Muschamp: “He’s one of the good guys in this profession.”

11. LSU is back in the Chik-fil-A Bowl, where it played  in 2000, 2005, and 2008. They won all three.

12. Mississippi State will face Northwestern in the Gator Bowl and head coaches Dan Mullen and Pat Fitzgerald have known each other for years.  “Dan’s one of those guys that I’m going to reach out to and do some research and just bounce some ideas off of.”

13. With Ole Miss headed to the Compass Bowl against Pittsburgh, Rebels coach Hugh Freeze conducted his Sunday night teleconference from a recruit’s home.

14. Vanderbilt meets North Carolina State in the Music City Bowl – the two teams haven’t met since 1946.

15. Pat Forde says championship game and Fiesta Bowl are great.  ”But after that?  It’s a joke.”

SEC/College News

16. Expect Hugh Freeze’s contract at Ole Miss to get re-worked.  A.D. Ross Bjork already working on it.

17. Former Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch had a big role in getting Mark Stoops to Kentucky. “I really liked Mark from the get-go, I really did,”

18. AD Mitch Barnhart on Stoops: “He has a plan and his recruiting ties were very, very important.”

19. They’re rearranging the furniture at Auburn.  Photos of Gene Chizik are being removed.

20. Steve Spurrier reportedly getting a contract extension.

21. Alabama center Barrett Jones injured his foot against Georgia – but should be ready for bowl game practice in two weeks. Jones will be in four states in four days for awards banquets.

22. Junior linebacker C.J. Mosley named Alabama’s most valuable player.

23. One writer’s All-SEC ballot.

24. USA Today ranks every FBS team – from 1 to 124, Notre Dame to Southern Mississippi.

25.  Hurry-up offenses and their impact – on the school band.

SEC Basketball

26. Clemson 64 – South Carolina 55.  First home game this year for Bruce Ellington. Three days after being taken off court in stretcher, Brenton Williams led Gamecocks with 16 points.

27. CBS Sports rankings have Florida, Missouri, and Alabama in its top 25 – no Kentucky.

28.  LSU’s Shavon Coleman and Florida’s Michael Frazier II – SEC Players of the Week.

Extras

29. RIP Rick Majerus.  Memorable quotes from one of college basketball’s memorable coaches.  ”Some guys smoke. Some guys drink. Some guys chase women. I’m a big barbecue-sauce guy.”..

30. $50 8-team parlay would have paid $18,500 until a last-minute touchdown by the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday night wrecked the bet.

31. The New Yorker on Paul Finebaum – King Of The South.

South Carolina has signed Brenton Williams to give the Gamecocks immediate help at point guard next season.

Williams has signed with South Carolina after playing last season at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Fla. Williams, who is originally from Kissimmee, Fla., averaged nearly 12 points and two assists per game last season.

South Carolina is in need of help at point guard because of Bruce Ellington’s decision to play football this fall. Ellington plans to rejoin the South Carolina basketball team after the football season ends.

Williams is the third signee for South Carolina’s 2011 class.

The Gamecocks have to replace more than just Ellington at the start of next season as several players have decided to transfer out of the program since the end of last season.