Spanning the globe on a Monday Morning. …
From Fayetteville, as Ole Miss prepares to face Arkansas in Little Rock this Saturday, both teams are coming off bye weeks. Razorbacks coach John L. Smith says he’s satisfied with the work his team put in during the open date. He describes a defense growing by “leaps and bounds” but says the Ole Miss offense will test Arkansas newcomers who have been forced into action because of injuries. …
From Newark, N.J., columnist Tom Luicci writes that we should know a lot more about the national college football picture in the next two weeks, and that the SEC should still expect to see its champion — whoever that is — in the BCS championship game. Speaking of the SEC and the national picture, Alabama has been No. 1 for eight straight weeks now, something that even Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide teams never accomplished. …
And speaking of the national picture, Florida coach Will Muschamp is working to keep the unbeaten Gators focused after the run-away win against South Carolina. Florida is No. 2 in the BCS rankings — behind Alabama — and faces another East Division rival this week … Georgia.
From Knoxville, Tennessee is the latest Alabama victim, and the numbers are piling up against Vols coach Derek Dooley. …
From College Station, in his last two games Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has been a play-making machine … for both the Aggies and the opponent. Manziel was able to survive the turnovers against Ole Miss, not against LSU. The Aggies have committed 11 turnovers — not all of them Manziel’s — in their last two SEC games. Texas A&M came out with a big statistical edge but not a scoreboard edge in a 24-19 loss to LSU. …
Denham Springs, La., native, Mississippian since 1989 with a stop in Meridian before arriving in Tupelo. Daily Journal beat writer since 1996, covering Ole Miss since 2002. Proud Northeast Louisiana alum. Follow me on Twitter @parrishalford and listen to Kory Keys and myself daily with The Ole Miss Beat on Rebel Sports Radio.
