ESPN College Football

The improvement we expected to see out of the Cincinnati secondary simply was not there in the first half against Tennessee.

The Vols passed at will on the defensive backs. Quarterback Tyler Bray was 21-of-27 for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Da'Rick Rogers had seven receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee racked up 19 first downs and 332 total yards. The Vols used some trickeration, too, recovering an onside kick after tying the score up at 7 early in the game, and converting it for another touchdown.

Isaiah Pead has shown flashes for the Bearcats, with 10 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown. But they hurt themselves on two critical fourth-and-1 situations. Both times, Cincinnati tried to run for it and failed to convert. That has been a huge difference in the game so far.

Tennessee had to like its matchup against the Cincinnati secondary going into the game. The Vols' receivers are much taller, and the Bearcats secondary struggled mightily last season. So what has to happen in the second half for Cincinnati?

• Cincinnati needs to get more pressure on Bray. He has basically had all day to get the ball to his open receivers.
• Stops are critical. Tennessee only had one punt in the first half.
• Bigger plays in the pass game for Cincinnati. Right now, the longest completion Zach Collaros has is for 15 yards.

Three of its games have been decided on the final play. Only one went its way. So how does a team move on from that type of heartbreak?

For UAB coach Neil Callaway, it is all about trying to accentuate the positives. His team has competed hard. It has never given up. The effort has been there. If a few plays had gone differently ... but there are no ifs in college football, of course.

So the Blazers are 1-3 heading into their bye week, before a big game at East Division rival UCF on Oct. 6.

“What we’re going to do is take the high road and try to build off the positive and build off the fact that guys are playing hard,” Callaway said in a phone interview. “There’s some satisfaction in competing and playing hard, but there’s no satisfaction coming up on the short end. If we got into a game where we didn’t compete and we didn’t try, that would be more troublesome.”

The latest setback happened in Knoxville, a 32-29 double-overtime loss that featured five missed field goals from Josh Zahn. Callaway has opened up his kicking competition this week between Zahn and punter Trey Ragland. The two competed for the field goal job in fall camp, but Zahn won it.

Zahn is 3-of-9 on his field goal attempts this season. That also includes a block on a 28-yard attempt that would have won the season opener against FAU. The Owls were able to get penetration, but the kick never got up high enough.

Callaway said Zahn is doing fine, but disappointed over his misses. He pointed out that Zahn was able to make his two field goals in overtime, showing his mettle as a competitor.

Still, it has to be tough to swallow a loss in which you have a school-record 92 plays and outgain the Vols 544-287. The same could be said of the game against the Owls. UAB outgained them 424-347, had more first downs, and quarterback David Isabelle ran for three touchdowns and 214 yards. UAB led the entire way, until FAU scored on a 38-yard run with 2:20 left in the game.

UAB was able to pull out a 34-33 win over Troy when Bryan Ellis threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jackie Williams on the final play of the game to win. The 99-yard drive started with 1:09 left and UAB without timeouts.

The only game that was not close on the scoreboard was a 28-7 loss to SMU, but even then UAB had chances. Trailing 14-7 late in second quarter, UAB drove 75 yards to the SMU 1-yard line but failed to score before the half ended.

Then, UAB opened the second half and drove 74 yards. Isabelle hit Frantrell Forrest for an apparent 50-yard touchdown, but Forrest fumbled at the goal line and SMU recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

“It’s obvious we can compete and play with anybody and we’ve made that statement all along,” Callaway said. “For a team like us, there’s not much room for margin of error. We’re not better than anybody hands down, but we’re good enough to compete and win every ballgame we play. If we continue to play hard, we can win a lot of ballgames.”

One of the biggest positives of the first four games has been the play of Ellis, who has now taken the starting job from Isabelle. Ellis came in off the bench against Troy and threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns. He followed that up with another big game against Tennessee, and has thrown for 733 yards in two games -- earning back-to-back Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Ellis provides a change of pace to what fans have seen out of UAB in recent years behind Joe Webb, a dual-threat quarterback. Isabelle is more in the mold of Webb, but Ellis is a pocket passer.

His story is even more impressive when you consider he did not play his first two seasons because of a shoulder injury. In his only action last season, Ellis went 1-of-4 for 14 yards but injured his hand and was limited the rest of the year.

Callaway will continue to play Isabelle to change up his offense, and likes the 1-2 punch his quarterback gives his team.

“The diversity we have with it creates problems for defenses,” Callaway said.

Now it is just a matter of putting everything together and winning those close games.

There had been some rumblings this offseason that sophomore running back Bryce Brown might be pondering a transfer from Tennessee, possibly to Kansas State to join his brother.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but he's no longer a part of Tennessee's team, and there's no reason to believe at this point that he will return.

“Bryce Brown came to me today and indicated he’s dealing with a lot of personal and family problems right now,” Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said Thursday after the Vols' first practice of the spring. “As of right now, he’s not a part of the team. It doesn’t mean we’ve kicked him off by any means. We want Bryce here, but my focus really is on the 85 guys who are here and who have great spirit about the direction of the program.

“(He has) concerns that I believe stem from -- and he told me stem from -- No.1, some of the reasons why he came here, and No. 2, his experience over the first six months he has been here.”

Brown was one of the top-rated running back prospects in the country last year when he signed with the Vols under then-coach Lane Kiffin. Brown arrived with huge expectations and played behind Montario Hardesty as a freshman. He showed flashes, but also battled injuries.

But with Dooley taking over, he made it clear that it was going to be an open competition this spring at running back, and the thought among many in the program was that Tauren Poole might be the best of the bunch.

Sophomore David Oku and redshirt freshman Toney Williams will also be part of the Vols' running back equation.

Dooley admitted that he was surprised when Brown approached him Thursday morning.

"He went through the entire offseason, but I also think this wasn’t just something from the last three weeks," Dooley said. "This is something that was probably six months, but I’m not here to recruit (players on the team). I’m here to coach."

What a wild end to the regular season with a couple of overtime games, Alabama rallying to beat Auburn with a clutch drive and Georgia taking down No. 7 Georgia Tech.

The helmet sticker decisions this week were tough, but here goes:

Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain: He’s the best defensive player on perhaps the best defense in the country. McClain was a rock for the Crimson Tide on Friday in their 26-21 win over Auburn. He finished with a game-high 12 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. His sack of Chris Todd on third down capped a huge three-and-out for Alabama in the fourth quarter, and McClain was also the one who spiked down Auburn’s last-ditch pass in the end zone on the final play of the game.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow: Talk about going out in style. Tebow bid farewell to the Swamp with three touchdown passes and two touchdown runs. It was an emotional Saturday in Gainesville, and even Tebow had tears in his eyes before the game. But he played one of his most complete games of the season and finished with 311 yards of total offense in the 37-10 rout of Florida State.

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen: His proclamation Saturday that Mississippi State’s program was the one in the state on the rise was more than just bold talk. Mississippi State whipped Ole Miss 41-27 and did so with a bunch of younger players (Chris Relf, Charles Mitchell, Corey Broomfield and Chad Bumphis) all playing key roles. The Bulldogs played a killer schedule this season and just missed becoming bowl eligible. Mullen and his staff did a terrific job of maximizing their talent, and the future certainly looks bright in Starkville.

Georgia’s offensive line: Georgia was looking for something to hang its hat on and found it in an offensive line that played its best football of the season Saturday in a 30-24 upset of No. 7 Georgia Tech on the road. The Bulldogs bullied the Yellow Jackets up front. Washaun Ealey had 183 rushing yards and Caleb King 166 yards in a dominant display of power football.

Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty: It’s been a memorable senior season and a memorable close to his senior season for Hardesty, who established a career high for the second straight week. He had 179 yards rushing on 39 carries and three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime in a 30-24 win over Kentucky. Hardesty now has 1,306 yards for the season, which ranks as the fifth best single-season rushing total in school history. The school record is 1,464 yards, which was set by Travis Stephens in 2001.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Are there genuinely favorites in the SEC when it comes to the getting calls? Do certain teams get more breaks?

Echoing what his head coach hinted at earlier this week, Tennessee assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron thinks so.

Orgeron, who was the head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-07, told the Knoxville Quarterback Club on Monday that something didn't smell right with some of the calls in the Vols' 12-10 loss to Alabama last weekend.

"Seems like some people get the calls and some people don't," Orgeron said, as reported by The Knoxville News-Sentinel. "I've been in this league, and I've been a part of that. Whether that's true or not, you can never prove that.

"I do know this: There were some very questionable calls in that game that could have went either way and they went Alabama's side. There were very questionable calls throughout the season and it seems they go for the better team. Whether that's true or not, we can never prove that but that's what it seems like."

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin has already been reprimanded by the SEC for his public criticism of the officials, his second reprimand since taking the job, and was warned by SEC commissioner Mike Slive in his reprimand letter that any future violation of league policy could result in his suspension.

Clearly, the Vols think they were jobbed last Saturday in what was a bitter loss to Alabama. It was a game in which Tennessee played extremely well and garnered all sorts of respect nationally for how hard it played and how well prepared it was for the No. 2 team in the BCS standings.

And while you always want to stand up for your players, at what point does all this woofing about the officiating become whining?

Kiffin's frustrated, and who could blame him? He's taken lesser talented teams to both Alabama and Florida and gone toe-to-toe with two of the top teams in the country, only to fall a few points short.

This Tennessee team plays hard, is extremely well-coached and would appear to be on its way back to elite status in the SEC somewhere down the road.

But don't ruin all the gains you've made by spouting off pouty things like a "magical flag" might appear or that you're "not going to let the refs lose the game for us."

For one, if you really do believe there's favoritism in the SEC, you think publicly calling into question the officials' integrity is going to win you a lot of breaks the rest of the way?

Probably not.

But, then, Kiffin's probably not going to bite his lip, either. It's not his style.

It's going to be an interesting next few years in this league and even more interesting to see how this whole Slive-Kiffin relationship evolves.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

At this rate, Tennessee is going to lead the country in moral victories.

If the Vols weren't horrible on special teams, they might have a few more real victories.

Special teams let them down again Saturday in their bitter 12-10 loss to Alabama. They've been wretched all season at covering kickoffs, but the kicking part of the equation came back to get them against the Crimson Tide.

Daniel Lincoln had two field goal attempts in the fourth quarter blocked from right up the middle, which just isn't supposed to happen. The one at the end of the game looked low, too. Lincoln also was short on a 50-yard attempt right before halftime.

To be fair, the Vols did recover an onsides kick to give them a chance at the end. But you're rarely going to win any game -- and certainly not a defensive-oriented game -- when you have two field goals blocked in the fourth quarter.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Florida coach Urban Meyer obviously wants no part of a continuing war of words with Tennessee's Lane Kiffin.

Meyer offered several different "no comments" Tuesday when asked about some of Kiffin's most recent barbs. Of course, it was Meyer who fanned the flames following the Gators' 23-13 win when he suggested that Tennessee wasn't trying to win the game and was merely trying to keep it close. Kiffin also took offense to the fact that Meyer brought up how many of the Florida players were battling the flu after the game.

"We're moving on. We're playing Kentucky," Meyer said.

On Wednesday, Meyer was asked on the SEC teleconference how different it was to be coaching this week against a guy, Kentucky's Rich Brooks, who he had a good relationship with and a lot respect for versus what Meyer went through last week with Kiffin.

"The focus has been on our players, and I've never quite experienced anything like that in the past," Meyer said of the buildup to the Tennessee game. "I'd rather stay away from that. I kind of like this, where it's two good teams going against each other. That's what college football is all about."

It's a good thing Meyer likes Brooks. Florida only beat Kentucky 63-5 last season and has scored 45 or more points in three of their four previous meetings against each other in the SEC.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Did you hear the subtle shot Florida coach Urban Meyer sent Tennessee's way following the closer-than-expected 23-13 win over the Vols?

You can bet it's getting some play in the Tennessee coaching offices.

Meyer, in discussing Sunday why the Gators were a bit more conservative on offense in the game, suggested there was really no reason to open it up because the Vols were simply trying to keep the game close.

"I didn't feel like they were going after the win," Meyer said. "They wanted to shorten the game. I think that was the plan. There are 10 minutes to go and they're not in a no-huddle. It's 23-6 and no urgency (on Tennessee's part).

"The way we lose a game there is throw an interception. Why put yourself in that position? Let's find a way to win the game. We're not trying to impress the pollsters. We're trying to win the game. A lot of it had to do with the way they were playing. It made our life a little easier."

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Call it the calm before the storm, one that’s been brewing ever since Lane Kiffin rode into the SEC nine months ago and took direct aim at the guy who’s won two of the last three BCS national championships.

That guy would be Florida’s Urban Meyer. And if you haven’t noticed, he doesn’t always play nice.

Meyer’s been known in the past to run up the score, maybe kick a late field goal, even call a few timeouts in the final seconds just to rub it in.

	Don McPeak-US PRESSWIRE
	Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin has made this weekend's matchup with Florida personal.

But it’s debatable whether it’s ever been as personal for him as it will be Saturday when Kiffin leads his Tennessee team into the Swamp.

We’ve seen the clip ad nauseam this week of Kiffin chortling that he was looking forward to singing "Rocky Top" all night long after beating the Gators in the Swamp.

We’ve also seen the one where Kiffin makes his infamous cheating remark about Meyer.

It’s that last one that got him, the one the Florida players said makes this game personal. Of course, they said that back in March before they were muzzled.

“We’ve got a family bond here, and when somebody attacks somebody in your family like that, it’s on,” Florida cornerback Joe Haden said.

Added Florida center Maurkice Pouncey, “That’s OK, because they’ve got something coming.”

Again, that was back in the spring.

The buildup to the game this week has almost been dull unless you count Kiffin trying to paint the Gators as the second coming of the 1985 Chicago Bears.

Oh yeah, that and Tennessee president Jan Simek throwing Kiffin and the whole university under the bus.

It’s almost as if Kiffin is trying to squeeze that toothpaste back in the tube.

Doesn’t work that way, though.

He said what he said, and now it’s his players who must face the consequences.

Kiffin doesn’t agree that he put his players in a tough spot Saturday with some of the things he’s said. Granted, it’s not as though the Gators have taken it easy on the Vols the last few years. They won by 24 last season in Knoxville and by 39 two years ago in the Swamp.

In that game two years ago, Tim Tebow was still in the game late and still throwing the ball.

The Vols melted in the Swamp that day in one of the more embarrassing performances by a Tennessee team in recent memory.

Could it really be a lot worse than that beatdown two years ago?

We’re going to find out. One thing’s for sure: If the Gators can score 60, they will.

Nonetheless, Kiffin dismisses any role locker-room motivation might play in this game. The thing he’s most concerned about is the team the Gators will put on the field.

“I don’t know that that really works,” Kiffin said. “What works is when you recruit really good players and you coach really well, which they have, and when you have Tim Tebow and throw the ball to Percy Harvin and you hand it to Demps and Rainey.

“That makes motivation work really well, when you recruit great players on defense and coach them as well as Charlie Strong does. That’s how you haven’t given up a touchdown all year.”

Kiffin’s greatest challenge might not be so much what happens Saturday, but rather what happens after Saturday.

How do the Vols recover physically and mentally if it's indeed as ugly as everybody thinks it's going to be?

Moreover, how long will it take for Tennessee to close the obvious talent gap between the two teams?

“We know we’re going to get there. It takes some time,” Kiffin said. “Just like they hadn’t won two national championships in three years four years ago. They didn’t have the depth that they have. It takes a while to build that.

“We were here one month before signing day. We’ve had one signing class. We have to sign a class like we did last year and even better. If you do that for four years in a row, then you have a roster like they do.”

Kiffin has been hesitant to this point to mention a timetable for getting Tennessee’s program back among the elite in the SEC. But he threw out the three-year window Tuesday.

“We need to be rolling by Year 3,” he said.

Merely standing may be the safest goal for this Saturday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin went out of his way during his press conference Tuesday to praise Florida's team, the Gators' talent and the job Urban Meyer has done in Gainesville.

It was a far cry from Kiffin's scorched earth approach soon after taking the Tennessee job back in December. This time, there was no mention of "singing Rocky Top all night long" after beating Florida, nor did Kiffin did accuse Meyer of cheating.

In fact, Kiffin was almost gushing in talking about how good the Gators were and even said they were more talented than the 2004 and 2005 Southern California teams he coached on as an assistant.

"We’re going to play the most talented team in the country, maybe the most talented team ever to play," said Kiffin, adding that all 11 of the Gators' starters on defense were NFL players.

There was one comment by Kiffin, though, that will no doubt get Meyer's attention. In discussing how the Vols were able to pry receiver Nu'Keese Richardson away from the Gators, Kiffin suggested that Florida's spread offense hurt them with some players.

"The only time I really see them lose kids is because kids want to play in a pro-style offense,” Kiffin said. “It’s such a great place to play, and they do such a good job of coaching. But you see some kids that don’t want to play in that system because a lot of times it hurts them going to the next level for their draft status."

A little recruiting gamesmanship, maybe?

Meyer bristled at that notion back in May during the SEC spring meetings when told that one prospect had said he wouldn't be as well prepared for the NFL by playing in the Gators' spread offense.

"We’ve had more receivers drafted in the NFL than any school in America the last four years, and all of them are doing well," Meyer said. "It's just poor advice is what it is."

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Forde

The Southeastern Conference deserves every bit of best-in-show hype it's gotten this preseason. But neither Tennessee nor Kentucky managed to score in the first quarter against Western Kentucky and Miami (Ohio), respectively.

Somewhere Phil Fulmer might have cracked a smile over the Volunteers' interception, fumble and roughing-the-passer penalty that kept alive a Hilltoppers drive. It was not a glorious start to the Lane Kiffin Era.

That said, Western Kentucky is way overmatched up front on both sides of the line. If Tennessee knocks off the errors, that game figures to get ugly quickly.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach

It's finally here, and here are 10 things I can't wait to see on the opening Saturday of the 2009 college football season:

1. Can Alabama's rebuilt offensive line protect quarterback Greg McElroy and open enough holes for the running game? The Crimson Tide looked pretty bad without left tackle Andre Smith against Utah in the Sugar Bowl, and now the All-American is gone for good. Guard Mike Johnson tells me James Carpenter, a JUCO transfer from Augusta, Ga., is going to be pretty good at left tackle. Replacing center Antoine Caldwell is equally important.

2. Can Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor throw it better than last year? If the Hokies are going to live up to their lofty preseason billing -- and win me a 12-pack of adult beverages from ESPN.com ACC blogger Heather Dinich -- than Taylor has to become a more complete quarterback. It will be tough against Bama's stout defense.

3. Will Georgia's defense handle Oklahoma State's three-headed monster? Bulldogs defensive coordinator Willie Martinez told me yesterday that he feels pretty good about his defense. Defensive end Demarcus Dobbs and Roderick Battle had good preseason camps, according to Martinez, and they'll have to get pressure on OSU quarterback Zac Robinson. But Martinez believes the key to stopping OSU's high-octane attack is containing Kendall Hunter to take away the play-action pass.

4. How will Joe Cox play against OSU? The senior waited three seasons for Matthew Stafford to leave and his time is finally here. Cox has been battling flu-like symptoms for a few days, and didn't fly with his teammates to Stillwater, Okla. He arrived at OSU late Friday night and is said to be feeling much better.

5. Will Michigan be any better? Surely, the Wolverines won't be any worse after going 3-9 in coach Rich Rodriguez's first season in Ann Arbor. Western Michigan is going to be a tough opener -- maybe a lot tougher than most people believe -- and the Wolverines have to find some confidence early in the season. Rodriguez will play three quarterbacks -- Tate Forcier, Nick Sheridan and freshman Denard Robinson.

6. Is Notre Dame a legitimate BCS contender? Believe it or not, we'll find out a lot about the Fighting Irish in today's opener against Nevada. Wolf Pack quarterback Colin Kaepernick is very, very good and his ability to scramble and run will present challenges to Notre Dame's defense. I really want to see if the Fighting Irish can run the ball better than they have the last couple of seasons.

7. How good are the new quarterbacks? Matt Barkley, the first freshman to start at quarterback for USC, should have his way against San Jose State. Will Blaine Gabbert fill Chase Daniel's enormous shoes at Missouri? The Tigers' new quarterback faces a stiff test today against Illinois. Cox and Alabama's McElroy won't be the only new quarterbacks in the spotlight.

8. Will there be any upsets in Week 1? How about Western Michigan over Michigan? Central Michigan over Arizona? Ohio over Connecticut? Louisiana Tech over Auburn? I'm sure there will be a couple of surprising results.

9. How good will Oklahoma's offensive line be against BYU? The Sooners have to replace four starters on the line, including All-America guard Duke Robinson. Protecting reigning Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford might not be as easy without them. Converted tight end Brody Eldridge moves to center, and LSU transfer Jarvis Jones takes over at guard. Bradford will need some new targets, too, with Manny Johnson and Juaquin Iglesias moving on. He'll miss tight end Jermaine Gresham, who is out for at least a week with a knee injury.

10. How will Auburn and Tennessee look under new leaders? The Tigers might get a stiff test from Louisiana Tech, so they'll need a good game from quarterback Chris Todd, who was a surprising choice to run Gus Mahlzahn's offense. The Volunteers will probably be pretty vanilla against overmatched Western Kentucky, but they need to get better quickly. The Vols play at defending BCS national champion Florida in two weeks.

Enjoy the games.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Tennessee is trying to make one final plea on behalf of freshman running back Bryce Brown with the hope of keeping him from missing any games this season.

The NCAA has been investigating his amateur status dating back to his high school days in Wichita, Kan., and Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said Wednesday that the NCAA has handed down its initial ruling.

Tennessee isn't saying for sure what that ruling is, but it sounds like Brown could be suspended for a game or two and have to make restitution for any funds or extra benefits he might have received back in high school as part of his relationship with his adviser, Brian Butler.

Tennessee officials have gone out of their way to clarify that the Vols aren't under investigation. This issue deals with Brown's amateur status and goes back to before Tennessee was even recruiting him.

The whole thing has weighed heavily on Brown and angered Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, who feels that Brown is being singled out.

Freshmen have enough distractions just trying to acclimate themselves to practice and college life their first year. But when you start having to answer questions from the NCAA during the middle of camp, it really gets hairy.

Nothing is final in this matter, and Tennessee is still trying to present enough facts and other information to the NCAA that would keep Brown from having to miss any games.

A final verdict should come in the next couple of weeks. The Vols open the season Sept. 5 against Western Kentucky.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

We've examined the villains through the eyes of each team in the SEC. How about the Top 5 villains in all of college football right now? Again, it's important to remember that sometimes the best way to attain villain status is to be exceptionally good at what you do. Here's my list:

1. Notre Dame -- The self-proclaimed greatest and most storied college football program of all-time is pretty mediocre right now (and has been for a while) for a crowd with such a high opinion of itself.

2. Barack Obama -- Granted, the BCS is a flawed system to determine college football's national champion, but the President might be better served to stick to more important matters like, say ... national security.

3. Tim Tebow -- They love him in Florida. And why not? He's the perfect player and a perfect role model. But everywhere else, they're sick of hearing about him and even sicker about him beating up on their teams.

4. Lane Kiffin -- Has there ever been a coach in any sport to stir it up more, say more controversial things or generate more ill will among his future opponents before he even coached in his first game?

5. Jimmy Sexton -- All the coaches he represents -- Nick Saban, Butch Davis, Steve Spurrier, Houston Nutt and Frank Beamer -- swear by him. But Sexton is a hard-nosed negotiator, and he's gotten the best of a few athletic directors over the years.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

After looking back to the past for all-time Big Ten villains, let's turn the focus to the present.

Who are the top five villains in college football right now? These five wouldn't win many public opinion polls. 

1. Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis -- Weis' arrogance was somewhat forgivable in 2005 and 2006, when he led Notre Dame to BCS bowls, but his act has grown tired. He has rubbed people the wrong way both in South Bend and beyond, and there will be quite a contingent rooting against the Irish this fall.

2. Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin -- Children act out to get attention, and Kiffin certainly has gotten it since he took over in Knoxville. Putting Tennessee in the national spotlight could pay off for Kiffin in the long run, but his SEC colleagues are lining up to embarrass the overmatched Vols this fall. 

3. Alabama head coach Nick Saban -- He won't win any Mr. Congeniality contests, and he hasn't made the smoothest exits from Michigan State, LSU and the Miami Dolphins. But Saban wins games, and as long as he keeps things up, he'll be loved in Alabama.

4. The BCS -- The stock market had a better year than the BCS, which rankles a large majority of fans who want a playoff system in college football. Sure, the regular season generates plenty of excitement, but we seek clarity in sports and the BCS rarely provides it.

5. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany -- I enjoy my regular dealings with Delany, but he's not a popular man among college football fans, even those from the Big Ten. The BCS backer is viewed as a main obstacle to a playoff system, and his reluctance to add a 12th team to the Big Ten turns off many fans of his league.