Jennifer Floyd Engle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: In tiny print, under the USA Today coaches’ poll, it reads: "The AFCA prohibits coaches from voting for schools on major NCAA probation." So why, exactly, is Alabama No. 1 with 54 first-place votes when the NCAA Division I Committee on Infraction penalized the Crimson Tide "for major violations" in June?
Jon Solomon, Birmingham News: How college football killed New Year's Day.
Jeremy Fowler, Orlando Sentinel: Florida players are fast on the field and in their cars. Twelve Gators have seven or more tickets, and there are 251 citations team-wide.
Jordan Blum, Baton Rouge Advocate: Emails from Louisiana State leaders dating to early September shed no new light on the substance of possible NCAA violations involving the Tigers, but they do trace a chronology involving outside legal experts and other internal investigatory challenges.
Rachel Bachman, Oregonian: Since 1920, Rose Bowl tickets have increased in price at more than 10 times the rate of inflation.
Sports Media Watch: Solid numbers for telecasts of the early bowl games. ESPN averaged a 1.7 U.S. rating and 2.6 million viewers for its first telecasts, up 6% in ratings and 10% in viewership from the comparable four games last year (1.6, 2.4 million).
Curt McKeever, Lincoln Journal Star: The Big 12's bowl lineup beginning with the 2010-11 season is underwhelming.
David Jones, Florida Today: Florida will tighten security for its trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. One of the reasons is the attention Tim Tebow draws when he is in town.
Bob Asmussen, Champaign News-Gazette: What a 16-team playoff would look like.
Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Houston Nutt thought his love affair with Arkansas would last forever, but when it ended, he was glad to go and Razorback fans were glad he went.
William Wilkerson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Randy Rodgers, a former Texas assistant coach, has turned recruiting into a full-time business.
Kate Hairopoulos, Dallas Morning News: June Jones says turning around Southern Methodist "was a little harder than what we did here in Hawaii."
Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette-Journal: Should Nevada have seen its Hawaii Bowl loss coming?
Scott Wolf, Los Angeles Daily News: Is USC showing signs of fatigue? "It's been a long season," Pete Carroll said. "We've had some rough spots. I'm ready to get started on the next one."
Tim May, Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State will be without receiver/returner Ray Small and defensive lineman Rob Rose for Friday's Rose Bowl. They were suspended for a violation of team rules. Earlier, receiver Duron Carter was ruled academically ineligible.
Ken Tysiac, ACC Now: North Carolina State offensive coordinator Dana Bible is home for the holidays after spending about a month in the hospital undergoing treatment for cancer.
KNBR: Listen to the Wiz's appearance earlier this week on San Francisco's sports leader.
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