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Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Count on Brooks to always be a class act

Random notes:

■ First thing Rich Brooks did after Kentucky beat Auburn on Saturday night was voluntarily explain to the media why he had been slightly less than forthcoming about UK's quarterback "competition" the week before.

His admission showed the measure of the man. Most coaches think it's in their job description to deceive the media. You could tell that Brooks was bothered that he had been a little less than forthright. You don't find that too often.

■ Kansas guard Sherron Collins isn't too crazy about all the national love thrown John Wall's way. Collins told CBS Sportsline's Gary Parrish, "I think I've established myself, and he's coming out of high school with a lot of hype. But I'm the old guy, and I ain't gonna let no young boy get the best of me."

■ Great story by FanHouse (ncaafootball.fanhouse.com) columnist Clay Travis, who missed an entire Saturday of college football to be an usher in a wedding that featured a groom who was a Kentucky graduate and a bride who was an Auburn graduate. No televisions were allowed, but Travis does report that by the end of the reception, there was loud chanting of "C-A-T-S, CATS, CATS, CATS."

■ A season and a half into his college career, Randall Cobb has scored 16 touchdowns. Ten have come by rushing. Six have come by receiving. At that pace, the sophomore from Tennessee will obliterate Craig Yeast's school record of 32 scores.

■ I wasn't at Big Blue Madness — traveling to Auburn — but from what I understand the only thing it lacked was Gene Simmons breathing fire.

■ Why would Jon Gruden go to Louisville? Can't see it.

■ OK, before the season started, I did pick Kentucky to beat Auburn on the way to an 8-4 season. However, if you had asked me to confirm that pick last week, I probably would have denied having ever written such a thing.

■ I think it's about time to shut down those NFL throwback uniforms.

■ After briefly talking to DeMarcus Cousins on UK basketball's media day, I'm going to hazard a guess that covering "Big Cuz" is going to be a trip. (I mean that in a good way.)

■ Did you see where Alabama denied Tennessee's request to wear orange jerseys this Saturday? Nick Saban isn't going to let Lane Kiffin get what he wants. And that includes victories.

■ Before the season, you wondered if Kentucky had one quarterback. Now, you wonder if it might not have four.

■ West Virginia's Mountaineer Maniacs pulled out all the stops with signs, banners and T-shirts to welcome highly recruited Dayton big man Adreian Payne to Mountaineer Madness last Friday. (The school is investigating to make sure no NCAA rules were broken.) The best sign depicted Rocky Balboa yelling, "Yo Adreian/Come to WVU."

■ John Calipari failed to mention Rick Pitino at Big Blue Madness the same way Pitino always failed to mention Adolph Rupp.

■ Calipari didn't mention the most recent UK basketball coach, either, and no one got upset over that.

■ Trying to get the jump on the next Florida game, an SEC official just threw a flag on Mississippi State.

■ Speaking of Florida, the SEC media picked the basketball Gators to finish fifth in the Eastern Division. Billy Donovan rebuilt the Gators' program once. Looks like he's going to have to do it again.

■ Huge Bengals game Sunday. Chicago comes to Paul Brown Stadium. A loss, and Cincinnati drops to 4-3. Momentum will officially be gone. And Baltimore comes to town after that on Nov. 8.

■ Were I to send in my Heisman vote today, Alabama's Mark Ingram would be on the top line.