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1. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has a new contract that will pay him $30 million through 2019, and it makes me hope more than ever that Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops stays in Norman. Given Gundy's reverence for his alma mater in Stillwater, and given the way he has taken the resources provided him by sugar daddy T. Boone Pickens and turned the Cowboys into a national presence, the longer Stoops sticks around, Bedlam may catch up to the Iron Bowl and Ohio State-Michigan just yet.

2. From his portrait of the last “Big Thursday” game in 1959 between Clemson and South Carolina, to his feud with Alabama coach Bear Bryant, to his coverage of football Between the Hedges (Georgia) and on the Flats (Ga. Tech), Furman Bisher served as the preeminent voice of Southern sports journalism for decade upon decade. Bisher died Sunday at age 93, and it’s hard to believe that the Masters will tee off without him.

3. Here’s Bisher’s lead on Big Thursday, when the Tigers and Gamecocks played at midweek during the State Fair in Columbia for the final time:

As streaks of eastern light cracked the skies of South Carolina this Thursday morning, many a Sandlapper arose from his bed and dressed in his garish best while in the kitchen his bride packed the picnic basket. Flasks were filled with tonic water, in case venomous snakes were encountered on this hazardous journey, and shortly they set out, hardy pioneers advancing on the state capital.

From Wampee to Walhalla, from Yemassee to Tamassee this little drama of the dawn was enacted. Fathers, mothers, daughters and sons, alumni, alumnae and spiritual affiliates, politicians, storekeepers and bankers, doctors, lawyers, bakers and thieves, alcoholics, teetotalers, preachers and bartenders all were going the same way.

There was a funeral to attend.

Michael Floyd held steady on both Mel Kiper Jr.'s and Todd McShay's draft boards this week, at No. 20 and No. 18, respectively. But a couple of new lists from Kiper may better evaluate where Floyd stacks up heading into the draft, and where he may ultimately end up.

Kiper released his top five by every position today , and Floyd comes in at No. 2 among wide receivers, behind only Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. Also among the top five in his position group is former Notre Dame captain Harrison Smith, who comes in as the fourth-best safety, behind Mark Barron (Alabama), Antonio Allen (South Carolina) and Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State).

And, perhaps most importantly, Kiper has Floyd being taken 19th overall by the Chicago Bears in his first mock draft, writing:

If the Bears learned anything when Jay Cutler went down this season, it was that the offense wasn't very pretty without him. But Cutler also needs help. Last year, Chicago had to start up front because the offensive line was such a weakness. But as the Bears anticipate getting some healthy bodies back up front to start 2012, they now must find some help for Cutler at wide receiver. The current group has some speed, but he could use a big target, and Floyd can be that guy. He has a big frame, but Floyd actually dropped some weight for the 2011 season, and he managed to look quicker and more explosive in and out of his breaks without giving up much as a physical receiver. He'd be a nice option in this offense and a threat in the red zone.

It's important to note that the mock draft is different from the Big Board in that it factors in the drafting teams' needs and doesn't necessarily rank players in order of skill or potential.

The last time Nebraska played a Steve Spurrier-coached team, the Huskers steamrolled Florida 62-24 for the national title. The stakes won't be as high when the Huskers meet Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks in the Capital One Bowl, and the scoring doesn't figure to reach anywhere near those heights, either.

WHO TO WATCH: Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez and I-back Rex Burkhead. The ball is almost always in one of these two Huskers' hands. They combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns, including some option work between the pair. When we last saw Burkhead, he carried a school-record 38 times for 160 yards in a win over Iowa. The month off should really help him get his legs back after a heavy workload this season. Martinez made great strides as a game manager and leader this year but remains an inconsistent passer, as his 55.9 completion percentage attests. Martinez and Burkhead are a formidable pair, but they'll have to be at their best to counter an impressive South Carolina defense that allowed fewer than 270 total yards per game this season. Can either one of them turn the corner on the edge, especially with top-flight defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Jadeveon Clowney in pursuit?

WHAT TO WATCH: Can the Nebraska defense match South Carolina's? The Huskers thought they would have the same kind of disruptive defensive line as the Gamecocks boast this season, but an injury to star Jared Crick and underwhelming performances by others made this an average group. Lavonte David had an All-America season at linebacker, but much of the rest of the front seven was inconsistent during the year. This isn't a typical Spurrier team, especially with quarterback Connor Shaw posing as much of a threat running as he does passing. Star receiver Alshon Jeffery has been all but ignored and should be neutralized by Nebraska stud cornerback Alfonzo Dennard. So it will probably be up to the Huskers' front to make plays and disrupt South Carolina's timing in what could be a low-scoring affair. Do they have a Blackshirt-worthy performance in them?

WHY TO WATCH: Neither of these teams won a conference championship or even a division title, but this still has a chance to be one of the best non-BCS matchups. Both teams have a lot of talent and speed and spent some time hanging around the Top 10 this season. Nebraska has a chance to clinch its third straight 10-win season and will play its first postseason game as a Big Ten member. What better way for the Huskers to ingratiate themselves into their new league then by winning a bowl game against the SEC?

PREDICTION: South Carolina 20, Nebraska 17. It will be a defensive grinder, and the Huskers will struggle to move the ball down the field as the Gamecocks force Martinez to beat them with his arm. South Carolina's defense is just too good, and its speed helps contain Burkhead and the Nebraska option game.

1. As ugly as it was, Florida State’s 18-14 win over Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl made the Seminoles 9-4. That looks a lot better than the Fighting Irish’s 8-5, especially given that Florida State and Notre Dame began the season ranked Nos. 6 and 16, respectively. The Florida State defense held up its end of the deal. In the past eight games of the season, the Seminoles allowed an average of 11.5 points per game. That includes the defensive touchdown the Irish scored Thursday night.

2. Just like Florida State, Texas’s 8-5 record sounds so much better than 7-6, especially after the Longhorns went 5-7 in 2010. Texas made great strides on defense and smaller ones on offense, which had to muddle through the inexperience of quarterbacks David Ash and Case McCoy. The Longhorn offense can’t afford to sputter next season, not with the Oklahoma schools atop the Big 12 and TCU entering the league. Even a head coach like Mack Brown, armed with a new contract extension, has to keep progressing from 8-5.

3. It’s good to see that Steve Spurrier handed over the South Carolina defense to Lorenzo Ward, who will be promoted from defensive coordinator to assistant head coach, the title that Ellis Johnson had before leaving Columbia to become head coach at Southern Mississippi. He is well-respected in the coaching fraternity because he has made secondaries better wherever he has coached, from Alabama to Virginia Tech to Arkansas to the Gamecocks. The easy answer for Spurrier is the right answer.

Anytime the SEC and the Big Ten square off, conference pride is at stake. Most of those matchups usually occur in bowl season, and this year is no different. The two leagues will face each other in three Jan. 2 bowls, with South Carolina playing Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl, Michigan State taking on Georgia in the Outback Bowl and Florida and Ohio State staging a 2007 national title game rematch in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.

So which league will come out on top this year? SEC blogger Chris Low and Big Ten blogger Brian Bennett debate that topic:

Brian Bennett: Well, Chris, it's bowl season again, which means some more SEC vs. Big Ten showdowns. I think I read somewhere that the SEC has had a little bit of success in the postseason, especially against the Big Ten. So I suppose you want to brag a little bit about your league. Let's go ahead and get that out of the way first, shall we?

Chris Low: Brag? Coming from SEC Country? We don't need to brag. We just flash our jewelry in these parts, and that usually suffices. Sure, it's been another banner year in the SEC with Alabama and LSU set to play for the BCS national championship and three other SEC teams ranked among the top 16 in the final BCS standings. But you've got to prove it every year, and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida all have tough matchups with Big Ten teams in the bowls. Speaking of the three bowl showdowns matching the SEC and Big Ten, which one do you think is the worst matchup for the Big Ten?

BB: Very restrained of you not to bring up last New Year's Day, Chris. I actually think all three Big Ten/SEC showdowns this year are good matchups that could go either way. If I had to pick the toughest one for the Big Ten, I'd probably go with the Capital One Bowl. While Nebraska had a nice season at 9-3, it has a challenging assignment in trying to solve South Carolina's defense. Especially up front, the Gamecocks can cause serious problems for the Huskers' run game, and I don't think the option is going to work well against all that speed. Taylor Martinez will have to have one of his best games, and when Nebraska has to rely on the pass, it doesn't always look pretty. Then again, South Carolina isn't exactly a juggernaut of an offensive club, either.

What's your take on that one?

CL: Couldn't agree more about South Carolina's defensive line. Those guys have played lights-out all season, and you're going to see three or four of them playing in the NFL at some point. They've made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks this season, and other than the Arkansas game, didn't give up much of anything the last nine games of the season. They're not the kind of dynamic pocket passing team you're used to seeing under Steve Spurrier, but sophomore quarterback Connor Shaw is tough as nails and isn't afraid to take off and run. They'll also run the zone read play with him. Honestly, the big concern with the Gamecocks is that they've been so wretched in bowl games. They've lost their past three and haven't played well in any of them. I want to see them break that drought before I get too high about their chances in the postseason.

Speaking of poor bowl performances, can Michigan State rebound from last year's debacle?

BB: I think so. The Spartans ran into an Alabama buzz saw last year, and I don't see Georgia being nearly as talented or as angry as the Crimson Tide were a year ago. This Michigan State team was playing extremely well down the stretch and came within a play or two of going to the Rose Bowl. The Spartans can dominate defensively, especially up front with All-America tackle Jerel Worthy, and they can knock a quarterback off his rhythm with their blitz schemes. But I think the biggest difference between this year's Michigan State and the one that got manhandled last year is a more productive, diverse offense. Kirk Cousins was very sharp in the second half of the season, and the offensive line continued to improve. Both teams have top-five defenses, but Georgia may have a harder time scoring.

Motivation will be a key for both teams, though, as they each lost in their conference title game. How good are these Dawgs, really?

CL: Motivation shouldn't be a problem for Georgia. At least, it better not be. The Bulldogs have a chance to win 11 games and really set themselves up nicely going into next season. Georgia has a chance to be a top-10 team in 2012 and build the kind of momentum this program hasn't had in the offseason since its Sugar Bowl victory over Hawaii to cap the 2007 season. How good are these Dawgs? They're a good team, not a great team. Defensively, they should be the best test the Spartans have faced all season. Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree are an exceptional linebacker tandem. Jones was the SEC's best big-play defender this season, and the Bulldogs didn't give up much in the secondary, either. I wouldn't underestimate Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray. He spreads the ball around and threw 33 touchdown passes this season.

What's your take on the Urban Meyer Bowl?

BB: The Meyer angle adds intrigue, but I'd be more interested to see these teams play next season. As is, we have a pair of 6-6 teams who had all kinds of offensive issues this year. Ohio State lost its final three games after looking like it might have turned things around. But at least the Buckeyes will be motivated to audition for Meyer, and they're a young team that should benefit from the extra bowl practices. Plus, the Buckeyes have a blossoming star at quarterback in freshman Braxton Miller. Maybe a new offensive coordinator can jump-start the Gators' attack, but we could be looking at a low-scoring game in Jacksonville. A 6-6 tie in regulation seems appropriate.

Can Florida finally put it all together?

CL: Florida could use anything remotely resembling a quality win this season. Of course, I don't know that you could call Ohio State a quality win. One of these days, the Buckeyes are going to beat an SEC team in a bowl game and have that win stick. The win over Arkansas last season was vacated thanks to tattoo-gate, so technically Ohio State is still 0-9 against the SEC. The Gators were hard to watch on offense this season, and there's no reason to think they will be significantly better in the bowl game. I agree that a 6-6 tie sounds about right with somebody winning in overtime on a field goal. The Gators are good enough on defense to get it done, so I'm predicting an SEC sweep.

That's right, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida will all come out victorious. And not only that, but something tells me the SEC stands a pretty good chance of winning the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, too. Call it a hunch.

BB: OK, so Ohio State's win over Arkansas may not count, but I was there and I know it did happen. So the Big Ten can actually beat the big boys from the SEC. I may be naive, but I think the Big Ten gets a little revenge this bowl season. All three games are winnable, and I predict the league I cover takes two out of three from your southern friends. And maybe someday soon the Big Ten will be back in the national championship debate.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2)

Jan. 2, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Nebraska take by Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg: After having very different results in the same bowl (Holiday) the past two seasons, Nebraska heads to a new destination looking for its 10th victory.

The Big Ten’s newest member endured some ups and downs in its first season in the conference. Nebraska had two really bad days, getting blown out by both Wisconsin and Michigan on the road, but the Huskers also crushed Legends Division champion Michigan State and looked good in their regular-season finale against Iowa. In many ways, Nebraska has been two different teams in 2011.

If the defense plays to its potential, Nebraska is very tough to beat. Linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard are two of the best in the country at their respective positions. But depth has been an issue at times, and Nebraska struggled to contain Big Ten offensive stars like Russell Wilson, Montee Ball and Denard Robinson. The Blackshirts will need a strong effort against a South Carolina team that plays a little defense of its own.

Nebraska’s young offensive line will be tested by Gamecocks star defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Jadeveon Clowney, although a run-heavy scheme will limit their pass-rushing prowess. While South Carolina ranks fourth nationally in total defense, it ranks just 45th nationally against the run, an area Nebraska will try to exploit with junior I-back Rex Burkhead, one of the nation’s most consistent ball carriers, and sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez.

A victory gives Nebraska its third consecutive 10-win season, something the Huskers haven’t done since 1999-2001.

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South Carolina take from SEC blogger Chris Low: The Gamecocks and bowl games have historically not mixed very well. They’ve lost four of their past five bowl games, including their past three. They’re just 4-12 all time in bowl games.

This season, though, South Carolina heads into the postseason with some real momentum. They ended the regular season winning six of their final seven games and saved their most complete performance for the finale, a 34-13 beatdown of archrival Clemson.

It’s a season that could have easily gone the other way when you consider that star running back Marcus Lattimore went down with a season-ending knee injury in the seventh game and fifth-year senior quarterback Stephen Garcia was booted from the team a couple of weeks earlier.

The Gamecocks, though, persevered, and won 10 games for only the second time in school history. They were edged out by Georgia for the Eastern Division championship.

Sophomore Connor Shaw took over at quarterback in Week 6, and South Carolina adjusted its offense to Shaw’s dual-purpose talents. The defense has been a force for most of the season. The Gamecocks are ranked fourth nationally in total defense, holding opponents to an average of 268.9 yards per game, and gave up more than 13 points only twice in their final nine contests.

Here are 10 things I’ll be watching in college football this weekend:

1. Will Oklahoma bounce back against Kansas State?

The No. 9 Sooners were stunned by unranked Texas Tech 41-38 last week, ending their 39-game home winning streak. OU hasn’t lost consecutive conference games since a four-game slide in 1998. The Wildcats are off to a 7-0 start but haven’t beaten OU since the 2003 Big 12 championship game. Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein ran for 10 touchdowns in the past three games, but the Cats are averaging only 153.9 passing yards per game. The Red Raiders were able to expose OU’s secondary while totaling 572 yards of offense last week.

2. Should Clemson be on upset alert?

Heading into Saturday night’s game at Georgia Tech, the Tigers are aiming for their first 9-0 start since 1981, when they finished 12-0 and won a national championship. Georgia Tech has dropped two games in a row, scoring only 28 points and averaging only 253 yards of offense in losses to Virginia and Miami. But Tech’s triple-option offense might pose problems for Clemson’s defense, which surrendered 83 points in victories over Maryland and North Carolina. The Tigers scored 115 points and had 1,026 yards of offense in their last two games.

3. What does USC have to do to upset Stanford?

The No. 6 Cardinal will be going for their 16th consecutive victory in Saturday night’s trip to USC. The Trojans will have to slow down Stanford’s running game, which ran for a school-record 446 yards in last week’s 65-21 rout of Washington. The Trojans will need another big game from receiver Robert Woods, who had 12 catches for 224 yards with three touchdowns in last season’s 37-35 loss to Stanford. USC quarterback Matt Barkley has thrown nine touchdowns with only one interception during a three-game winning streak.

4. Who starts at quarterback for Florida?

Gators coach Will Muschamp said senior John Brantley is ready to go for Saturday’s game against No. 22 Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla. But Brantley hasn’t played since injuring his ankle early in the Gators’ 38-10 loss to Alabama on Oct. 1 and hasn’t practiced much over the past three weeks. Brantley might get a chance to play against the Bulldogs, but don’t be surprised if freshmen Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett take most of the snaps. Georgia has to do a better job of taking care of the football -- it has had 12 turnovers in its three consecutive losses to UF.

5. Who’s going to run the ball for South Carolina?

The No. 13 Gamecocks begin life without star tailback Marcus Lattimore, who will miss the rest of the season after tearing knee ligaments in a 14-12 victory over Mississippi State on Oct. 15. Freshman Brandon Wilds will get the start in Saturday’s game at Tennessee, after running for 75 yards on 13 carries so far this season. Quarterback Connor Shaw will have to carry a bigger load on offense, and former USC basketball player Bruce Ellington might get some snaps out of “Wildcats" plays. Volunteers freshman quarterback Justin Worley makes his first start after senior Matt Simms was benched last week.

6. Should Oklahoma State be worried about Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III?

The No. 3 Cowboys’ defense has held up so far this season but will be tested by Griffin, who has thrown 22 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Baylor’s defense has been exposed by strong passing attacks, giving up 681 yards of offense in a 55-28 loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 15. The Bears allowed 725 yards in a 55-28 loss to OSU last season. Griffin played very well against the Aggies, throwing for a school-record 430 yards with three touchdowns. Baylor has lost five straight and 14 of 15 games to the Pokes.

7. Can Michigan State get up for another big game?

The No. 11 Spartans just completed a trifecta of emotional victories, defeating Ohio State (17-7), Michigan (28-14) and Wisconsin (37-31). The Spartans defeated the then-No. 6 Badgers on quarterback Kirk Cousins’ 44-yard touchdown pass to Keith Nichol on a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game. Now Michigan State has to regroup to play at No. 14 Nebraska on Saturday. MSU’s defense, which allowed 220 rushing yards to the Badgers, will have to slow down Cornhuskers quarterback Taylor Martinez and I-back Rex Burkhead. The winner gets the inside track to winning the Big Ten’s Legends division.

8. Will Wisconsin rebound to beat Ohio State?

The Badgers saw their BCS national championship hopes all but end with last week’s loss at Michigan State. But Wisconsin can still win the Big Ten’s Leaders division and play in the inaugural Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis on Dec. 3. The Buckeyes had an extra week to prepare, after upsetting Illinois 17-7 on Oct. 15. Ohio State completed only one pass for 17 yards against the Illini, but tailback Dan “Boom” Herron ran for 91 yards with two touchdowns in his first action of the season.

9. Can Texas A&M’s defense shut down another opponent?

Missouri’s trip to Texas A&M on Saturday night will be a matchup of potential future SEC teams. The No. 16 Aggies have struggled defending the pass all season, but they were much better in last week’s 33-17 victory over Iowa State, allowing only 305 yards of offense. Missouri has won four of its last five games against Texas A&M. Tigers quarterback James Franklin struggled in last week’s 45-24 loss to Oklahoma State, completing only 14 of 27 passes for 184 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

10. Can Penn State do it again?

The Nittany Lions have won six games in a row heading into Saturday’s game against Illinois, and they’ve done it with a menacing defense and mediocre offense. Penn State tailback Silas Redd has been very good lately, with four straight 100-yard games. But the Nittany Lions remain unsettled at quarterback, although Matt McGloin played well in last week’s 34-24 victory at Northwestern. The Illini have lost two straight games after a 6-0 start.

1. Blaming commissioner Dan Beebe for the downfall of the Big 12 is convenient but has nothing to do with reality, save for besmirching a guy who tried to save the league’s members from themselves twice in the past 18 months. Beebe cut a deal Thursday to leave. Who would want to replace him? If nothing else, think of all the tailoring that has to be done, retrofitting business suits so that they conceal the puppet strings.

2. Among the many attributes of Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden is his maturity. At the age of 27, hardened by his minor-league baseball career, Weeden supposedly has the even keel that’s so difficult for college-aged players to establish. How, then, to explain that through three games Weeden has thrown six interceptions, tied for the FBS lead with true freshman Rakeem Cato of Marshall? Cato, by the way, is eight years younger than Weeden.

3. Marcus Lattimore is built for the long haul. That’s why South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier has loaded up the sophomore to move the chains. Lattimore leads the FBS not only in rushing yards (178-yard average) but in carries (29 per game). If that sounds like a lot, it is. Alabama has two tailbacks who each average more than 100 yards per game. Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy together have nine fewer carries than Lattimore.

1. So this is the state of intercollegiate athletics in the Big 12: the regents and the presidents at Texas and Oklahoma are telling each other how great it will be to join the Pac-12 while Longhorns coach Mack Brown is describing the price that move will extract from the players and their families. Remember Brown’s words when the move happens, and Oklahoma president David Boren and Texas president Bill Powers describe how their student-athletes will benefit from a league that spans three time zones.

2. After reading the allegations that the NCAA delivered Monday to South Carolina, it’s difficult to decide what’s more problematic: a) the athletic department allowed 12 student-athletes to receive some $47,000 in extra benefits; or b) the benefits, in the form of housing the players in a hotel at a rate of $14.59 per night, didn’t set off an NCAA alarm in any athletic official’s head. That rate may work for a cheap apartment -- it works out to about $450 per month -- but the Whitney Hotel (AAA rate: $99) is no apartment.

3. Once it became clear that the weather delay at the Oklahoma State-Tulsa game would last hours instead of minutes, how do you keep your 160 athletes, coaches, managers and others fueled? One of coach Mike Gundy’s state trooper escorts took assistant strength coach Tyler Buckminster to a local grocery, where they picked up 8-10 loaves of bread, and a shopping cart full of peanut butter and several flavors of jelly. “I guess if you are hungry enough, you’ll eat whatever is available,” Gundy said Monday.

1. It is sounding as if Texas A&M’s departure from the Big 12 will bring to an end the Thanksgiving rivalry game against Texas. The Aggies and the Longhorns would join Nebraska-Oklahoma and Pittsburgh-Penn State on the list of great rivalries left on the side of the road to riches. Do the Aggies change their fight song? If not, “So goodbye to texas university” will join Alabama’s “Send the (Georgia Tech) Yellow Jackets to a watery grave” as lyrics that have outlived their relevance.

2. On his “Hey, Coach!” statewide radio show Thursday night, Alabama coach Nick Saban revealed that quarterbacks AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims will play three series at a time against Kent State. “I hate to say it publicly,” Saban said, “but it is a bit of an audition.” He reiterated that he has no problem playing both of them in perpetuity if one doesn’t separate from the other (and don’t forget tailback Trent Richardson in the Wildcat).

3. And then there’s South Carolina, where head coach Steve Spurrier announced on his radio show that sophomore Connor Shaw, not troubled fifth-year senior Stephen Garcia, will start against East Carolina. Garcia, who goes through opportunities as if they were lottery tickets, got outplayed by Shaw. Spurrier, who once rotated quarterbacks every other play, said each guy would get a quarter. If Shaw’s good enough to hold onto the job, South Carolina would be better off.

1. South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia has been painted as a tall, strapping mess of trouble almost from the day he arrived in Columbia four years ago. Head coach Steve Spurrier reinstated Garcia on Monday after the university suspended him for the fifth time in the spring. Garcia, despite his reputation, already has earned an undergraduate degree in sociology. He’s also started 28 consecutive games. Imagine what he might achieve this season if he truly matures.

2. South Florida guard Jeremiah Warren is not only the anchor of the Bulls’ offensive line, he’s also plays tuba in the USF Concert Band. He said there are similarities between reading music and reading a playbook. “If it’s Bach or Beethoven, it’s a lot harder than Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” he said. “If the play is an Iso, that’s no problem. But you get into a counter or a reverse, man…..” By the way, Warren ate seven lobsters at the Big East clambake on Monday night. Last I saw him, he was on the prowl for No. 8.

3. It turns out Stanford will not have a bushy-bearded Heisman candidate this fall after all. Quarterback Andrew Luck, who appeared at Pac-12 Media Day last week looking vaguely Amish, shaved his summer-long growth on Monday. Took a little off the top, too. “Shave and a haircut -- almost didn’t recognize him,” head coach David Shaw said. Luck cleaned up in preparation for the start of practice next Monday, a full seven weeks before classes begin. Stanford is one of the few FBS schools still on the quarter system.

1. Which offense has the best rusher-receiver combination in the nation? I’ll take South Carolina sophomore tailback Marcus Lattimore and junior wideout Alshon Jeffery. Lattimore, despite being a freshman, withstood physical SEC defenses to rush for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jeffery’s imposing size (6-4, 233) and sticky hands got him 88 catches for 1,517 yards and nine scores.

2. Runners-up: Washington tailback Chris Polk’s (1,415 yards, nine touchdowns) emergence as an every-down back in the second half of last season boosted the Huskies to their season-ending four-game winning streak. Polk’s work in the middle of the field got defenses to stop cracking down on junior wideout Jermaine Kearse (63 catches, 1,005 yards, 12 scores). Together, they makes defenses work.

3. The other quality that the Gamecocks and Huskies share is a question at quarterback. South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier cracked open the door this month for the return of troubled, suspended senior Stephen Garcia. Behind him is sophomore Connor Shaw. Washington sophomore Keith Price, who won the starting job this spring to replace the beloved Jake Locker, has one career start. If either team can get its quarterback position gels -- or even just stay out of the way -- these offenses will flourish.

It's not often that NC State has something to offer the Pac-12, but more than a few of you apparently think the Wolfpack and coach Tom O'Brien have a gift for the Conference of Quarterbacks: Russell Wilson.

Some of you say, "Who?" Others exclaim, "Go west Russell! Go west!"

Wilson, as ESPN.com's Ryan McGee points out , is presently the second baseman for the Class A Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League. But in a previous incarnation he was a dual-threat quarterback for the Wolfpack, one who led the ACC in total offense (3,563 yards passing, 435 rushing).

And O'Brien has released him from his scholarship, which means he can play anywhere free-and-clear next fall (other than another ACC team or NC State nonconference foe).

Hey, California and UCLA: Is that something you might be interested in?

Sure, it might make sense for Wilson to remain in the region, which means the SEC. And South Carolina and Auburn are two schools that might be interested in Wilson. But what about a sense of adventure? Los Angeles or the Bay Area would broaden your horizons, Russell.

There is a catch: baseball. Wilson is under contract with the Colorado Rockies and, as McGee points out, they don't seem terribly flexible about allowing Wilson to skip off this summer for a preseason camp, on the East or West Coast.

[Rockies senior director of player development Marc] Gustafson said he had read the stories and the comments made by Wilson. Asked if he expected Wilson to play for the Tourists until the season ends Sept. 5, he said, "Absolutely."

Sept. 5, obviously, means that Wilson wouldn't be available for the opening of the season on Sept. 3. Would any team be willing to bring him to town, despite missing fall camp and the first game? Well, stranger things have happened but it's not a great formula for locker room chemistry.

Of course, desperate times at quarterback call for desperate measures. And there are always loopholes and politicking that could get Wilson aboard sooner. If Wilson really wants to play football, he will.

The odds, though, seem remote, particularly of him ending up in the Pac-12. But in January 2010, who would have thought that Jeremiah Masoli would end up the starting quarterback at Ole Miss and not Oregon?

1. It’s not a surprise that South Carolina has suspended indefinitely quarterback Stephen Garcia, and that may be the saddest aspect of it. Five suspensions since his arrival show remarkable immaturity, and Steve Spurrier hasn’t been able to coax him to grow up. Garcia looks more and more like another in what has become a long line of disappointing passers for the Head Ball Coach. Your turn, Connor Shaw.

2. Houston quarterback Case Keenum’s return from tearing his right ACL is proceeding on schedule. The 2010 Heisman candidate, who suffered the injury while trying to make a tackle after throwing a pick at UCLA in the third game of the season, has participated in some individual drills and thrown to Cougar receivers this spring. But he won’t be on the field for the spring game on Saturday. Houston, which has three All-Conference USA returnees on offense plus Keenum, should be a defensive nightmare in the fall.

3. If Kansas State isn’t the last FBS team to begin spring practice, they had to be close. The Wildcats bring back a decent amount of experience, including their top five tacklers, from the 7-6 team that lost that controversial Pinstripe Bowl to Syracuse. The good news for Bill Snyder is that his team won’t play Nebraska for the first time since 1922. The bad news is the ‘Cats pick up Big 12 favorites Oklahoma and Texas A&M, which they wouldn’t have played this fall had the league remained at 12 teams.