FLORIDA: Coach Urban Meyer stirred up some Miami fans last week with his comments at a booster club meeting in Coral Gables when he called some Cane boosters in attendance “Gator fan wannabes”. He went on to say that support from Gator fans was superior to other schools that Florida plays. Florida has asked Southern Miss to considering delaying its 2006 opener in Gainesville to another year. If the game is played, Southern Miss would receive $600,000. If Florida asks USM to drop the game, then a $300,000 buyout comes into play. Reggie Nelson (6-0, 189), a safety from Coffeyville Community College, is back home in Melbourne, but he is still a math course credit shy of qualifying. He is taking the class via a correspondence course. Nelson will have one more chance to do well on the test. Linebacker Todd McCullough has taken the challenge from coach Urban Meyer to heart after the Gator head coach called him a “nice guy” in referring to his injury situation. Sporting News preseason magazine has Florida ranked No. 12, Lindy’s ranks them No. 4 and Athlon places them at No. 13. Daytona Beach Mainland tight end signee Brian Ellis has graduated from high school with a 2.4 grade point average and passed the FCAT. He still needs to raise his SAT score. He could end up at a junior college. (Gatorbait.net and Clarion-Ledger)

TENNESSEE: ATHLON preseason magazine has selected Tennessee to win the Eastern Division with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt rounding out the rest of the group. The magazine ranks Tennessee No. 2 nationally. Lindy’s ranks the Vols at No. 6. At least three of Tennessee’s games are scheduled for CBS TV: Florida, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m., Georgia, Oct. 8 at 3:30 P.M. and Alabama, Oct. 22 at 3:30 p.m. Former Tennessee receiver James Banks, who was suspended three times before being dismissed in December, asked if he could return. After meeting with Coach Phil Fulmer, it was decided that Banks would not come back. Banks, the team’s leading receiver in 2003, missed most of last season after having knee surgery in the preseason. He admitted that he tried to dilute a drug test. (Volquest.com and Tennessean)

OLE MISS: Rebel officials are close to making a deal with three opponents for future schedules. One of those opponents, Wake Forest, is set for the 2006 schedule. Wake would come to Oxford in 2006 and Ole Miss would travel to Winston-Salem in 2009. Last month, Ole Miss signed a deal with Georgia Tech for a home game in 2011 and a trip to Atlanta in 2010. (Clarion-Ledger)

MISSISSIPPI STATE: For the first time in school history, State will play West Virginia in a home-and-home series beginning in 2006. (Clarion-Ledger)

LSU: Backup fullback Shawn Jordan has been suspended from the football team because of charges that he had possession of steroids (a controlled substance) in his hometown of El Paso, Texas that he had received in Mexico. (ESPN.com)

AUBURN: Tiger coaches were surprised that offensive lineman signee Mike Harness (6-2, 281) will attend a prep school instead of joining the other freshmen this summer. He will attend Hargrave Military Academy, resign with the Tigers in December and join the team for the spring semester in January. (AuburnSports.com)

SOUTH CAROLINA: Fullback Antonio Lamar has been declared academically ineligible for the upcoming season. He was considered the top fullback prospect in the Southeast in 2004. According to other sources, receivers Syvelle Newton and Noah Whiteside must pass all their summer courses in order to be eligible. Whiteside has had his cast removed from a dislocated ankle and should be able to play in the opener against UCF on Sept. 1. Coach Steve Spurrier told the Richland County Gamecock Club that he would play several freshmen this season. He is excited over the speed of Florida signee O. J. Murdock and Georgia signee Carlos Thomas. (Gamecockcentral.com and The State)

ALABAMA: Tremayne Coger (6-0, 185), a defensive back from Central High in Columbia, Tenn., has committed to the Tide. Bamaonline.com’s Western Division preseason predictions are LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State Alabama coach Mike Shula said quarterback Brodie Croyle is fully recovered from his knee injury and fullback Tim Castille is about a month away from rehabbing a sports hernia. (Bamaonline.com and Al.com)

SEC SPORTING NEWS PREDICTIONS: Eastern Division-Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Western Division-LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

MIAMI: Josh Holmes (6-1, 262), a defensive tackle from San Diego Point Loma, has verbally committed to the Canes. Colorado, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Washington, UCLA, Utah, Oregon, have offered him. He has a 325-pound bench and a 450-pound squat. (Canseport.com)

FLORIDA STATE: The biggest news coming from Coach Bobby Bowden’s visit to Orange Park, Florida was that defensive tackle Clifton Dickson could miss the upcoming season. Bowden would not elaborate why, but it is known that Dickson is enrolled in a junior college to raise his academic standing. Sporting News preseason magazine has FSU ranked No. 12; Lindy’s has the Noles at No. 8 and Athlon at No. 5. (Warchant.com)

NORTH CAROLINA: Nebraska quarterback Joe Dailey said he plans on transferring to North Carolina. He must sit out this upcoming season before having two more seasons to play. Dailey started all 11 games last year during Nebraska’s 5-6 season, the worst record since 1961. Dailey completed less than 50% of his passes and threw 17 scores and 19 picks. (SI.com)

CLEMSON: Former Tennessee quarterback Brent Schaeffer was scheduled to visit Clemson this week. He is permitted to make five visits. Clemson has three quarterbacks on scholarship for 2006, when Schaeffer would have three years of eligibility left. Coach Tommy Bowden took a ride in a F-16 jet fighter Wednesday. (The State)

ACC SPORTING NEWS PREDICTIONS: Atlantic Division: FSU, N C State, Maryland, Boston College, Clemson and Wake Forest. Coastal Division: Virginia Tech, Miami, Virginia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Duke.

LINDY’S: National picks top ten: USC, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida State, LSU and Virginia Tech. In the SEC East: Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. In the SEC West: LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Miss State.

THE SPORTING NEWS: National top ten: Southern California, Tennessee, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Texas, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Iowa. Second ten: Florida, FSU, Georgia, Texas A & M, Cal, Auburn, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Boise State.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE CLAY COUNTY LINE IN ORANGE PARK, FL.
HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM AND SAMSPORTSLINE.COM.