Georgia, Florida set up for 2008
Random notes:
• Top five college football teams for 2008:
1. Georgia: Bulldogs will have 17 starters back from 11-2 team that whipped Hawaii in Sugar Bowl. Knowshon Moreno could be Tim Tebow's top competition for Heisman.
2. Southern California: Trojans must replace John David Booty at quarterback, but backup Mark Sanchez has experience, and Pete Carroll has plenty of everything else.
3. Florida: Gators have a ton of talent returning, but Urban Meyer must improve his defense to overtake Georgia.
4. Ohio State: Some say young Buckeyes actually got to the national title game a year early, but they probably have to beat non-conference foe Southern Cal to get there again next year.
5. Texas: Carry-over from big Holiday Bowl win over Arizona State could carry loaded Longhorns back to the top.
• Let's see, Kentucky beat national champ Louisiana State in overtime, defeated Arkansas, lost in overtime to Tennessee, lost at Georgia by 11, won its bowl game, yet did not finish in the top 25. Rich Brooks is right. It is going to take three straight bowl trips for national validation.
• Kentucky, by the way, finished 18th in the final Sagarin computer rankings.
• Turn on the tube Wednesday night to see whether unbeaten Mississippi is for real. The Rebels invade Knoxville to take on Bruce Pearl and Tennessee's deep orange.
• My NFL playoff picks: Patriots over Jaguars (in a squeaker); Colts over Chargers; Packers over Seahawks; Giants over Cowboys.
• E-mailer suggests that this Kentucky basketball team be nicknamed "The Unavailables."
• Did you see the Bob Knight video in which he brought his 21-month-old grandson to a news conference, asked him questions himself, counseled him on how to handle the media, then cursed in front of him? Bet Bob has one of those "If I'd known grandkids were this much fun, I'd have had them first" bumper stickers.
• Roger Clemens nearly had me believing his denials until he said he had no idea that friend and teammate Andy Pettitte had used HGH.
• I'm going to say that the Kentucky men will go 7-9 in the Southeastern Conference. (That might be optimistic.)• Savannah State scored four second-half points in its 85-25 loss to Kansas State the other night. And you thought Kentucky looked bad in the second half against Louisville.
• Whoops, Kentucky did look bad in that second half against Louisville.
• Herb Sendek won eight games in his first year at Arizona State last season. His Sun Devils are 12-2 this season.
• Maybe every NHL game should be played outside.
• Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune: "Does everyone in the SEC get an Ohio State welcome mat?"
• Were it not for Lloyd Carr retiring from Michigan and Houston Nutt leaving Arkansas for Mississippi, the SEC might have been 9-0 in bowl games.
• A comment to my blog got it right: The Ohio State Buckeyes are the Washington Generals of the BCS title game.• So Kentucky lost by 19 to Indiana without Eric Gordon and 14 to Louisville without Earl Clark.
• I think June Jones left Hawaii for SMU just so he won't have to wear that lei during games.
• Good for Goose Gossage, but Jim Rice should be in the Hall of Fame as well.
• Were I running the Atlanta Falcons or Baltimore Ravens, I'd hire Marty Schottenheimer.
• The final minutes, and overtime, of North Carolina's dramatic 90-88 win at Clemson on Sunday night were about as good as it gets.
• Chris Lofton is still shooting just 34.4 percent from the floor.
• Was I the only one who wondered why everyone got a Gatorade bath but Louisiana State Coach Les Miles?
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