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Posted 12/19/2006 at 11:29 PM
Several tidbits from the bowl scene while watching TCU absolutely manhandle Northern Illinois…
From the Auburn camp:
Lots of teams complain about the amount of time that passes between the end of the regular season and the bowl game. However, you won't hear a peep this year from Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville. Why? The forty-three days between games has given Tigers QB Brandon Cox time to heal.
The Auburn signal caller sprained his left knee and ankle against LSU and then suffered a broken bursa sac on his right knee later in the season against Mississippi. Having the junior at 100% will certainly help the Tigers in their quest to become the fourth team in school history to win 11 games when they face Nebraska on January 1 in the Cotton Bowl.
Just across the state, another team is making good use of the lull before the bowl game. While Alabama looks for a permanent replacement for the fired Mike Shula - more on that below - interim head coach Joe Kines is prepping the Crimson Tide for the Independence Bowl and a date against Oklahoma State.
Leading WR DJ Hall (shoulder) and junior WR Keith Brown (knee) are both feeling better and their improved status should really benefit freshman QB John Parker Wilson.
One piece of bad news is that RB Jimmy Johns, the main backup to Kenneth Darby, suffered a wrist injury during a bowl practice and his status for the game is now up in the air.
As far as that Bama coaching search: A source tells me that Tide officials have been told by Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban that if they can wait until January 1 - the end of the NFL regular season - that Saban will return to the SEC as the top man in Tuscaloosa. Stay tuned to see whether that tidbit turns out to be truth or just another rumor.
Speaking of South Florida. Word on the street at South Florida is that coach Jim Leavitt is preparing to lose stud CB Mike Jenkins to the NFL after the PapaJohns.com bowl game against East Carolina. Jenkins will test the waters by submitting his name to the NFL's advisory board for underclassmen considering early entry to the draft in April 2007 and chances are he will be gone.
In the opposite corner of the United States, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti has his best poker face on when it comes to who will start for the Ducks at QB on Thursday against BYU. Which is kind of appropriate considering it's the Las Vegas Bowl.
After Brady Leaf turned in a nice game against Oregon State to end the regular season, it seemed the QB issue was settled. However, Leaf hurt his ankle in practice on December 2nd and now former starter Dennis Dixon is getting most of the reps with the first team in practice.
Bellotti did tip his hand a bit by saying, "My gut feeling is that they'll both play".
By the way, for those out in the lovely land of sin, look for the Oregon team at the swank Venetian - maybe Nike CEO Phil Knight is picking up that tab? - while the Cougars are going old school by staying down off the strip at the Golden Nugget.
Turning to the weather, the National Weather Service is calling for "a significant winter storm" to hit Albuquerque, New Mexico any minute now. While that system will probably be gone by the time the Lobos and San Jose State tee it up in the inaugural New Mexico Bowl on December 23, conditions for that game should be plenty chilly and there is some chance of snow.
By the way, VegasInsider has a very handy link for all bowl game weather reports: CLICK HERE
Speaking of New Mexico, the Lobos will be without the services of starting DE Michael Tuohy, backup TE Clayton Cardenas and backup LB Justin Clayton as they were recently suspended for taking a recruit to a strip club and getting in an altercation that eventually resulted in the recruit getting shot.
Uh, guys, great idea on the naked women - not so much on the flying bullets.
Finally, UNM offensive coordinator Bob Toledo just took the top job at Tulane and while he has agreed to stay on for the bowl, the Lobos will have to learn their fourth offensive scheme in four years when they get together for practice in the spring.
While we're on the subject of the coaching carousel…
Boston College has reached up to the "next level" and tabbed Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski to replace Tom O'Brien, who left to coach at North Carolina State. Jagodzinski's "in" for the BC job stemmed from the fact that he was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles from 1997 to '98.
Elsewhere, Georgia offensive coordinator Neil Callaway has left Mark Richt's staff to become the top man at UAB. Richt quickly moved to fill the role by promoting quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo to the OC.
A little mouse told me…
Steve Spurrier is thrilled with the practices he is getting out of South Carolina as the Gamecocks prep for a December 29 meeting with Houston in the Liberty Bowl. SC has a chance to be the first team in school history to finish with three straight victories since 1973.
At the other end of the spectrum, apparently the Wisconsin scout team is doing too good of a job of imitating Darren McFadden and the electric Arkansas offense in preparation for the Capital One Bowl on New Years Day. Sources indicate the Badgers defense has not looked sharp and the coaches are already sweating about having to contain an offense that has generated 59 plays of 20 yards or longer.
Backup QB issues
Virginia Tech's backup quarterback against Georgia in the Chick-fil-A bowl on December 30 will be Cory Holt - not Ike Whitaker.
Whitaker, the usual backup to starter Sean Glennon, is entering an alcohol rehab program and will miss the game.
Texas has a similar issue but it has nothing to do with alcohol.
Should anything happen to starting QB Colt McCoy in the Alamo Bowl against Iowa, coach Mack Brown will turn to walk-on Matt McCoy - no relation. That's because Colt's usual backup, Jevan Snead is in the middle of transferring to Mississippi.
And don't forget, Colt McCoy still isn't 100% after sustaining a shoulder injury and beating against Kansas State and Texas A&M to end the regular season.
Seen it all
Not a bad career for eight fifth-year seniors at Oklahoma. On New Year's Day, the Sooners will become the second team to have played in all four Bowl Championship Series games - the Miami Hurricanes being the first. Oklahoma played Washington State in the 2002-03 Rose Bowl, LSU in the 2003-04 Sugar Bowl, Southern Cal in the 2004-05 Orange Bowl and will face undefeated Boise State in this years Fiesta Bowl.
Stay tuned for more and remember, my bowl package contains analysis and picks on ALL 32 games - with several plays containing a side AND total - it comes out to something ridiculous like $8 per pick.
The good news is I'm already off to a 1-0 start with an EASY winner as the Horned Frogs (-12) destroyed Northern Illinois 37-7 in the Poinsettia Bowl.
Hopefully I'll keep it going Thursday when the action moves to Vegas.
Any questions? Just drop me a note at christian@vegasinsider.com
And finally, remember that serious players only deal with the best: SPORTS.COM
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