Davis tops wish list at Tennessee

North Carolina Coach Butch Davis, who grew up in Springdale and was a defensive lineman at Arkansas, is Tennessee’s No. 1 choice to be its next coach, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported, citing multiple sources.

Tennessee’s interest in Davis, 56, is understandable.

Davis has led North Carolina to a 7-2 record and No. 16 spot in the Bowl Championship Series standings in his second season after a 4-8 finish in 2007.

In the nine seasons before Davis’ arrival, the Tar Heels were a combined 44-63.

Davis also rebuilt Miami’s program, coaching the Hurricanes to a 51-20 record from 1995-2000 — before going to the NFL as the Cleveland Browns’ coach — and assembling much of the talent that won the 2001 national title under Larry Coker.

After last season, Davis declined to become a candidate for the Arkansas job, citing his commitment to North Carolina and his family’s happiness, and he reiterated those feelings last week when asked about the Tennessee job, which will become open at this season’s end with Phillip Fulmer’s forced resignation.

“The long and short of it is that the administration and I are completely, firmly committed to building a championship football program at North Carolina,” Davis said. “And my family and I are very happy in Chapel Hill.”

Davis said it’s flattering to be mentioned as a leading candidate for other jobs, but it also can be distracting.

“It’s kind of an unfortunate thing, all the speculation and stuff, for any coach,” he said. “There’s lots of coaches that deal with that.... I think coaches today, you just kind of grin and bear it.”

Assuming Tennessee isn’t able to lure Davis from North Carolina, other names be mentioned as top candidates include Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach, Cincinnati Coach Brian Kelly and Minnesota Coach Tim Brewster.

Davis said he’s never seen a coach successfully avoid having his name linked with other jobs.

“You just gut it out until they hurry up and name somebody, hire somebody at the other place,” he said. “And in the case of Arkansas last year, the sooner the better.” Search firm for Vols

Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said Neinas Sports Services of Boulder, Colo., has been hired to assist in the hiring of a new coach.

It’s the same search firm Arkansas used in hiring Bobby Petrino.

Hamilton said he doesn’t have a timetable for hiring a coach.

“I think it’s more important that you hire the right person than you put a time frame on it,” Hamilton said. “I do think that we’ll efficiently and expeditiously tie it up as quickly as possible, but I’m more concerned about the who than how long.”

Bottom line Tennessee could have to pay as much as $ 9. 36 million for making its coaching change, depending on whether the assistants land other jobs. Phillip Fulmer, who is out as head coach when this season ends, will receive a $ 6 million buyout regardless of whether he coaches again. The assistants are due $ 3. 6 million if they don’t accept other jobs before their Tennessee contracts expire. The Volunteers’ two coordinators have contracts through 2011, and the other seven assistants have contracts through 2010. If the coordinators and assistants are hired for jobs at less pay than their contracts with the Vols, then Tennessee must make up the difference.

Where’s the D ? Georgia is 8-2, but has fallen to 11 th in the SEC in scoring defense, with opponents averaging 24. 9 points a game. That number has shot up the past three weeks with the Bulldogs beating LSU 52-38, losing to Florida 49-10 and beating Kentucky 42-38. Georgia hadn’t allowed so many points in three consecutive games since 1900, when the Bulldogs lost to Clemson (39-5 ), North Carolina (55-0 ) and Auburn (44-0 ). “We’ve had some special teams issues that have put these guys in a bind, and we’ve had turnover issues that have put these guys in a bind,” Georgia Coach Mark Richt said in defense of his defense. “It is a team game, and it’s going to take the entire team to get the point total down.” Tebow back in race

Florida junior quarterback Tim Tebow is back among the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy after accounting for 10 touchdowns passing and rushing the past two weeks in leading the Gators to victories over Georgia (49-10 ) and Vanderbilt (42-14 ).

Tebow, who won the Heisman Trophy last season, has passed for 1, 740 yards and 17 touchdowns with 2 interceptions and has rushed for 354 yards and 10 touchdowns. “It was an honor to win it and it’d be an honor to go again,” Tebow said. “Obviously, as a player it’s really cool and I’d love it, but it’s not a focus at all.”

More to do Florida clinched the East title and a matchup with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game by beating Vanderbilt 42-14, but the Gators didn’t go crazy after the game. As usual, the Gators gathered at midfield for a prayer, then ran toward the Florida pep band and sang the school fight song. Gators middle linebacker Brandon Spikes said “there was a little celebration” in the locker room. “We expected to win and we came out and got it done,” Spikes said, “Basically we’re focusing on beating South Carolina right now.” Talking BCS Some coaches, publicly at least, downplay the BCS standings. But Florida Coach Urban Meyer, whose Gators are No. 4 in this week’s BCS rankings, said it’s best not to avoid the subject and that he addressed it with his players on Sunday. “I’ll go through that all with them because they’re going to hear it,” Meyer said. “And instead of from Uncle Jim or someone like that, they’re going to hear exactly what’s going on with the BCS. “ We’re going to be talking about it, so let’s talk about it, and then it’s over, done.” Can’t have Utopia

At 6-3, defending national champion LSU is out of the SEC West title race and will play in a non-BCS bowl for the first time in three years. Tigers senior linebacker Darry Beckwith tried to take a philosophical approach after playing on teams that were a combined 34-6 from 2005-2007. “You’re not going to have a Utopian career,” Beckwith said. “You can’t have that great year every year. “ It’s not going to be all peaches and cream. Now we play for pride and for the university and for our coaches and ourselves.” A strong finish against Troy, Ole Miss and Arkansas likely would land LSU in the Cotton Bowl.

Dialing it up Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he pretended to be talking on a phone after scoring a touchdown at LSU last week.

Parker’s gesture was directed toward the LSU students, who called his cell phone during the week.

Previously, LSU students also have gotten the cell phone number for Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno.

The penalty against Wilson forced Alabama to kick off from its 15-yard line, and after a long return, LSU began a drive at its 46. The Tigers scored six plays later to tie the score at 7-7.

“It wasn’t a very smart thing to do,” Wilson said after Alabama won 27-21 in overtime. “I kind of let my emotions get the best of me.”

Wilson said he received “a couple” of calls from LSU fans during the week and then turned his phone off.

Tebow and Moreno did similar phone gestures to LSU students after scores, but were not penalized.

The LSU students might want to stop calling players on opposing teams, considering the Tigers are 0-3 against Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

Old news ? South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier said his return to Florida for Saturday’s game shouldn’t be a big deal considering it’s his second time around. Two years ago, the Gators held on to beat South Carolina 17-16 at Gainesville, thanks to a blocked field goal attempt. That was Spurrier’s first game at Florida since he coached the Gators for 12 seasons from 1990-2001, and naturally it drew the focus of pregame coverage. “I think that’s pretty old news now,” Spurrier said. “I don’t think it will be a big deal.

“ It will just be the Gamecocks against the Gators.”

Spurrier is 1-2 against Florida since going to South Carolina.

“I think it is a rivalry game,” Florida Coach Urban Meyer said. “First of all, South Carolina is a very good team, and then you have the built-in rivalry with Coach Spurrier coming back to town.

“ So I think you’ll have a rivalry atmosphere around here.” Beware of Bulldogs

Alabama is 10-0 and ranked atop the BCS standings and national polls, but the Crimson Tide shouldn’t have any trouble getting focused for 3-6 Mississippi State on Saturday.

The Bulldogs have beaten Alabama the past two years, 24-16 in 2006 and 17-12 last year.

“It definitely gives us confidence because we beat them two years in a row,” Mississippi State junior tailback Anthony Dixon said.

QB issues Alabama Coach Nick Saban wasn’t the only guy who got booed last Saturday at Tiger Stadium. LSU redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee also heard boos after throwing four interceptions in the Tigers’ 27-21 overtime loss. Lee has thrown 14 interceptions this season, six of which have been returned for touchdowns. That’s twice as many interception returns for touchdowns as any other SEC team. Arkansas is second with three.

“We’re going through some quarterback issues,” LSU Coach Les Miles said. “We’ll stay the course and fight like hell. We have work to do, things to get fixed.”

Look for freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson to get more snaps in the next three games. He has a total of 10 plays in three games this season.

“I think we have to prepare him to play,” Miles said. “I just think that he needs to have some playing time.” Junior Andrew Hatch, a transfer from Harvard, was getting some playing time at quarterback earlier this season, but has missed the past two games because of a leg injury he suffered against Georgia. Miles said Hatch isn’t likely to be ready to play until the Nov. 28 game against Arkansas.

Winning streak Alabama Coach Nick Saban has a 12-game winning streak at Tiger Stadium. That includes his last 10 games as LSU’s coach, a victory over the New Orleans Saints when he was the Miami Dolphin’s coach and the Crimson Tide’s victory over the Tigers last week.

Perspective Georgia began the season as the No. 1 team in the national polls, but is No. 10 in the latest BCS standings. “If you look at the overall picture, we’re 8-2, which is not bad,” Bulldogs Coach Mark Richt said, pointing out that Georgia has lost to BCS No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida. “You don’t want to lose any games. But if you lose them, at least you’re losing to some quality opponents.” Two-minute drill LSU center Brett Helms, a senior from Stuttgart, didn’t play in the second half against Alabama after suffering an apparent concussion, but he’s expected back for Saturday’s game against Troy. South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier said last week’s 34-21 victory over Arkansas was the first time he could remember one of his teams not being called for any penalties on offense. Georgia junior quarterback Matthew Stafford had a careerhigh 376 passing yards at Kentucky.

Information for this report was contributed by SEC beat writers. GAME OF THE WEEK NO. 25 SOUTH CAROLINA AT NO. 4 FLORIDA

2: 30 P. M. SATURDAY, CBS South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier will try and ruin his alma mater’s national title hopes by winning at Florida, where he’s still held in high regard for being the 1966 Heisman Trophy winner and coaching the Gators to six SEC titles and the 1996 national championship. The Gamecocks lead the SEC in total defense and have won six of their past seven games, while Florida leads the SEC in total offense and has been steamrolling opponents since suffering a 31-30 home loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 27.

BY THE NUMBERS 80-0 Margin by which Florida has outscored Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky, Georgia and Vanderbilt in the first quarter of its past five games. 1977 Only other season Tennessee has lost seven games OVERHEARD “You name it, I heard it.” Alabama Coach Nick Saban on the reaction from LSU fans on his return to Tiger

Stadium. “It’s fun to be in the spotlight.... You can’t watch them without watching us.” Mississippi State Coach Sylvester Croom on playing No. 1 Alabama Saturday night on ESPN.