The Wiz of Odds

Terry Bowden Is a Hot Name in Coaching Circles

A name from the past is expected to get a lot of attention in the coming weeks as Division I-A coaching jobs begin to open.

Terry Bowden, who spent 10 years out of the profession after his divorce from Auburn in 1998, got back into the business last January when he was hired as coach of North Alabama.

The Lions are 9-0 and ranked No. 1 in Division II, and that has put Bowden back on the coaching map.

His name has already been linked to possible openings at Virginia, Memphis and Central Florida.

Bowden is 53 and says he's "very happy here at UNA." But he adds: "Can anyone say what they would do if they were offered a job that paid a million and a half or two million dollars a year? I want to be here and coach here. If that situation were to come up, then we'll address it.

Reporters Notebooks

Dave Kindred, National Sports Journalism Center: Gambling has no place in the games, no place in the newspaper. It has corrupted games and the people around them in ways we know, in ways we suspect, and in ways we will never know.

Kyle Veazey, Clarion Ledger: A look inside the replay booth at Mississippi State's Scott Field. It has a low ceiling, two high chairs and three monitors — all in a space that can't be any larger than the average cell at Parchman State Penitentiary.

Alan Schwarz, New York Times: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell faced heated questioning from a House Judiciary Committee over the league's handling of active and retired players with head injuries. Evidence is mounting of a link between playing football and cognitive impairment in later life.

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: USC safety Taylor Mays' name came up during the House hearing. Representative Dan Lungren, a Notre Dame graduate, said he "saw a headhunter on the field" tear off the helmet of FIghting Irish receiver Robby Parris two weeks ago.

Gordon Jackson, Florida Times-Union: What recession? Fans are already starting to arrive in Jacksonville and the surrounding area for Saturday's Florida-Georgia game.

Kirk Bohls, Austin American Statesman: Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant may have just become a symbol for the NCAA's ultimate — if unchecked and borderline unreasonable — power.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: The Rose Bowl's dream scenario is as easy as 1-2-3-4. The top four ranked teams in the final Bowl Championship Series standings could end up playing in the Rose Bowl in January.

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Reporters Notebooks

Pablo Villa, Turn Up the Orange: About those Bobby Bowden-to-Alabama Birmingham rumors. The Florida State coach never denied it was a possibility, did he?

Jennifer Floyd Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Anybody who does not think Texas Christian can play with the best teams in the country and beat them is not paying attention or has an agenda in ignoring this reality. If the Horned Frogs finish undefeated, they deserve to play for a national championship. Anything less is embarrassing for a system which already has plenty to be embarrassed about.

Jan Hubbard, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: TCU is undefeated and likely headed to a BCS bowl, but the team can't sell out its home games. TCU is averaging fewer than 35,000 fans in its 44,088 stadium. In its last home game against Colorado State, only 31,156 fans were in attendance.

Chelsi Moy, Missoulian: Montana coach Bobby Hauck has ended his boycott against student reporters from the Kaimin. When asked what spurred this change of opinion, Hauck said it was personal and would not elaborate.

National Sports Journalism Center: Sports Illustrated is bracing for layoffs. The moves reportedly will occur before Thanksgiving.

Steve Campbell, Houston Chronicle: A year ago today, Houston receiver Patrick Edwards suffered a gruesome fracture to his right leg in a game against Marshall. Last Saturday against Southern Methodist, he caught nine passes for 122 yards and a touchdown. Video of injury.

Mark Blaudschun, Boston Globe: Boston College receiver Rich Gunnell calls Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen a "phony."

Heisman Pundit: What's this? Heisman candidate Tim Tebow has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in SEC play?

The Postgame Tailgate: Week Eight

What do Lee Corso, Terrence Cody, Bob Griese and Jimmy Clausen have in common? They're all featured in this week's edition of Dan Rubenstein's Postgame Tailgate.

Hear Dan and Ty Hildenbrandt each week on the Solid Verbal Podcast. This week's guest is Matt Sanderson of Playoff PAC, the political action committee lobbying Congress to reform the way college football crowns a national champion.

The Southeastern Conference Fix Is In

America loves an underdog, so where is the love for Texas Christian and Boise State? Barring upsets, the Horned Frogs and Broncos will finish the regular season with unblemished records, but at least one of these teams is likely to be cast aside by the Bowl Championship Series.

Meanwhile, Florida and Alabama are on a collision course to meet in the Southeastern Conference title game. The Gators and Crimson Tide have such a sizable lead in the Bowl Championship Series standings, it's entirely possible the loser of the SEC title game could get a rematch in the BCS championship game. But are these the two best teams in the country?

For the past two weeks, Florida has been playing like a team that wants to lose, and Alabama needed every ounce of energy last Saturday to get past lowly Tennessee.

And when the Gators and Crimson Tide have had a moment of need, all that was needed was a friendly wink toward an official.

Yes, if you subscribe to conspiracy theories, the SEC fix is in. It's the topic of my column this week for Covers.com. Head on over and give it a read.

Covers is second to none in coverage of industry news, statistics and advice. Be sure to check Covers' excellent matchups page for this week's games, featuring previews, trends and line moves.