Kerry Murphy (6-5, 315), a Hoover (Ala.) High defensive tackle, who is in Fort Lauderdale for the Offense-Defensive All-American game, said he is interested in Alabama after the hiring of Saban. Alabama, Auburn and Miami are at the top of his list. Michael McNeil (6-2, 197), a defensive back from Davidson (Ala), Mobile has visited Tennessee. He will visit Auburn Jan. 12, FSU on Jan. 19 and Alabama on Jan. 26.

LSU beat Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on its speed and athleticism. Tiger quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who was 21- of- 34 for 331 yards and two scores, had two 58-yard bombs against the Irish secondary. Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, who was 15 -of -35 for 148 yards with two scores and two picks, completed 43% of his passes, 20% lower than his average. LSU had 31 first downs to Notre Dames 17. They gained 577 yards to 271. LSU had 332 yards passing and 245 rushing. LSU was 3- of- 10 on third down along with nine penalties. Notre Dame’s Darius Walker ran 128 yards on 22 carries. Receiver Jeff Samardzija caught eight passes for only 59 yards. LSU tailback Keiland Williams gained 107 yards on 14 carries. Tailback Justin Vincent had 71 yards on 12 carries. Tiger receiver Early Doucet caught eight passes for 115 yards. Luther Davis (6-4, 255), a defensive lineman from West Monroe, La., said he will decide during the All-American bowl game between LSU and Oklahoma.

Florida running backs coach Stan Drayton might be drawing some interest from new BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski. He is also rumored to going to the NFL one day. The two worked together at Green Bay. Coach Urban Meyer reported no academic casualties.

Gator recruiting: Brandon Hicks (6-3, 205), a linebacker from Forrest High in Jacksonville, Florida said he is favoring Florida over Miami for his final decision. Lorenzo Edwards (6-2, 220), a safety from Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater, might be leading to Florida instead of Notre Dame. Major Wright (6-1, 200), a safety from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, said he is down to Florida, Notre Dame, Miami and Ohio State. Wright admitted that Ohio State is ahead of the pack. Deonte Thompson (6-0, 180), a receiver from Belle Glades (Fla.) Glade, is down to Miami, Florida, Ohio State and Southern Cal. He said if he had to sign today then he would sign with Southern Cal.

Terrance Toliver (6-4, 190), a receiver from Hempstead, Texas said he will not make a decision in the Army All-American game. He is down to Florida and LSU. Sidell Corley (6-4, 250), a strongside defensive end from Mobile (Ala.) McGill-Toolen, said he is firm to Florida even though Oklahoma is pushing hard. Alabama is expected to join the hunt.

BCS National Title game: Total offense: Florida No. 21-398 ypg, Ohio State No. 15-409 ypg; Total defense: Florida No. 10-268 ypg, Ohio State No. 13-273 ypg; scoring offense Florida No. 32-28 ppg, Ohio State No. 7-36 ppg; scoring defense: Florida No. 6-13 ppg

No. 2-10 ppg; turnover margin Florida-No. 47 and Ohio State No. 9.

Ohio State keys: Quarterback Troy Smith (67% passing completion for 30 touchdowns and five picks) having enough time to find second and third receivers (Ted Ginn, Jr. 57 catches for 781 yards and Anthony Gonzales 49 catches of 723 yards). Can Florida cover all the deep Ohio State receiving corps? When Smith has the time he is very accurate. Even with a pass rush, Smith is accurate on the run, but he is the most dangerous in the pocket. Tailback Chris Wells (102 carries for 567 yards) is a speedy back behind Antonio Pittman (232 carries for 1171 yards). Florida must slow down the backs to put pressure on Smith. The Buckeyes had to replace nine starters on defense, but the pass rush is formidable and the emergence of linebacker James Laurinaitis has helped. Ginn is dangerous as a kick returner. Aaron Pettrey is a competent kicker as a freshman, but has not had to make a pressure kick. Coach Jim Tressel is 4-1 in bowl games.

Florida keys: The Gators might not be able to run the ball (Deshawn Wynn-124 carries for 630 yards) so quarterback Chris Leak (62% completion, 22 touchdowns and 13 picks) must be accurate to receivers such as Dallas Baker (56 c for 897 yards and Andre Caldwell 55 catches for 571 yards) who will battle Buckeye defensive backs Malcolm Jenkins and Antonio Smith. If the running game is going to be limited then Percy Harvin is going to have to make big plays. Can Florida block defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock, maybe the nation’s best DL? The Gator run defense (74 ypg) is solid. UF leads the SEC with 20 picks and are fourth in the league with 29 sacks.

Tennessee lost to Penn State after the Nittany Lions scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. The back breaker was an 88-yard fumble return by cornerback Tony Davis. Vol quarterback Erik Ainge was 25- of- 37 for 267 yards and one pick. Receiver Jayson Swain caught seven passes for 84 yards and Chris Brown caught seven passes for 66 yards. Tennessee was 6- of -13 on third down. The Vols ran for only 83 yards. Tennessee committed three turnovers that led to 10 points and seven penalties. The Vols allowed Penn State 183 yards rushing including 158 yards from tailback Tony Hunt. Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli was 14- of- 25 for 197 yards, perhaps his most accurate game. Vol receiver Bret Smith was ineligible for the bowl game due to academics. Penn State picked up cornerback Antwan Stewart, who was moved from safety after the injury to Inky Johnson, all day. Tennessee’s offensive line struggled when David Ligon was injured and taken to the locker room. Ainge had some undisciplined plays according to Fulmer. Tennessee had too many 2nd and 3rd and long situations. Receiver Robert Meachem had two drops, a pass interference penalty and four catches for 33 yards. He is considering his NFL future.

Tennessee has lost three straight bowl games to Penn State. The Vols could end the season unranked for the second straight year, which has not happened since the 1975-82 seasons. Penn State has won 22- of- it’s last 27 games. Coach Joe Paterno is 7-4 against SEC teams. Seven plays were reviewed and two overturned. Vol coaches are angry about the bowl performance including silly penalties, a lack of intensity, and turnovers despite a good bowl practice with two scrimmages. The team took a step backwards in terms of attention to the details. Chris Donald (6-2, 220), an inside linebacker from Huntingdon, Tenn., might choose Notre Dame over Tennessee this weekend in the Army All-American game

Arkansas running back Felix Jones ran for 150 yards on 14 carries in the loss to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl. Tailback Darren McFadden had 89 yards on 19 carries. Quarterback Casey Dick was 9- of -21 for 98 yards and quarterback Mitch Mustain was 5 –of- 10 for 41 yards. Arkansas had been averaging 20 passes per game. The Hogs were 3- of- 14 on third down. Arkansas outgained Wisconsin 368 yards to 201. Arkansas had 232 yard rushing compared to (-5) for Wisconsin. The Hogs had 12 penalties for 123 yards. McFadden was stopped short of the goal line on his first carry, but Jeremy Thomas missed a 30-yard field goal. Receiver Damian Williams is transferring to USC.

Auburn beat Nebraska by three points to win the Cotton Bowl. Tailback Kenny Irons gained 72 yards. Quarterback Brandon Cox was 10- of- 21 for 111 yards with one touchdown. Receiver Courtney Taylor, who caught six passes for 70 yards, set a Tiger record with 153 catches passing Karsten Bailey’s 150 from 1995-98. Auburn gained only 178 total yards including 67 yards rushing. Nebraska had 104 yards rushing and 126 yards passing for 230 total yards, the second lowest output of the season. The Tiger offense managed just two plays over 20 yards. Auburn won 11 games for only the fourth time in school history. The Tigers have to replace four starters on the offensive line and Taylor. Receivers Tim Hawthorne, Alex Rose and Terrell Zachery have a chance to step in and play.

South Carolina finished the season with three straight wins for the first time since 1973. After giving up 327 yards and 28 points in the first half, USC’s defense held Houston to only 200 yards in the second half. Middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley had 11 tackles. Mitchell was 19- of- 29 for 323 yards and a pair of scores each to receivers Sidney Rice (139 yards receiving) and Kenny McKinley. Mitchell has 4,245 yards, No. 7 in USC history. Rice had 72 catches, a single season Gamecock record. Todd Ellis has the record with nearly 10,000 yards. Tailback Cory Boyd ran for 94 yards. Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb was 26- of- 39 for 386 yards and three scores. USC’s last four games averaged 490 yards.

Carlos Dunlap (6-6, 240), a defensive end from North Charleston (SC), said he is down to Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina. He is going to visit Florida on Jan. 19. Chris Culliver (6-1, 190), a safety from Garner, N. C., is deciding between South Carolina and Florida. He is visiting Florida on Jan. 12 and South Carolina on Jan. 19.

Kentucky forced four turnovers against Clemson in their first bowl win in 22 years. The Tigers scored only twice in five trips to the red zone. Wildcat free safety Marcus McClinton forced five fumbles this season. He had another in the bowl game. Kentucky had 16 freshmen and sophomores in the two-deep depth chart. Eight starters return on defense. Quarterback Andre Woodson won the MVP award after throwing for 299 yards and three scores. Receiver Keenan Burton is considering leaving early for the NFL.

Georgia outscored Virginia Tech 28-3 in the second half to win the Peach Bowl. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was 9- of- 21 for 129 yards. Georgia was 3- of- 14 on third down. The Bulldogs had 71 yards rushing and 129 yards passing. Linebacker Tony Taylor had two picks and free safety Kelin Johnson had another. The Bulldog defense held Tech to only 189 total yards including 42 yards rushing. Georgia forced four turnovers. Kicker Brandon Coutu had three field goals. The Bulldogs also pulled off a successful onside kick. Defensive end Charles Johnson, who led Georgia with 7.5 sacks, and tailback Danny Ware, who had 302 yards, have declared for the NFL draft. Junior cornerback Paul Oliver is also looking at an early jump to the NFL.

Bulldog defensive back Paul Oliver said he will return for his senior season after meeting with Mark Richt. Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez denied any rumors that he was being looked at for the vacant Central Michigan job. Clemson assistant Brad Scott has entered the mix for Georgia’s offensive line coach. Antwane Greenlee (6-6, 302), an offensive tackle from Columbus (Ga.) Hardaway, is sticking with his Bulldog commitment even though he has shown some interest in FSU. Former Miami commitment Orlando Franklin (6-6, 290) is looking at Georgia after Cane assistant Mario Cristobal left for FIU. Franklin, who was denied admission last year by the NCAA Clearinghouse, said he will visit Georgia Jan. 19.

Miami quarterback Kirby Freeman was 11- of- 19 for 272 yards with two scores and a pick in the one- point bowl game win over Nevada. They only gained 28 yards rushing. Receiver Sam Shields had four catches for 101 yards. Ryan Moore had two catches for 96 yards. Miami had only 13 first downs and were 3- of- 10 on third down. Defensive back Chavez Grant made a game saving pick with 18 second remaining. Dirk Koetter, the former Arizona State head coach, attended one of Miami’s bowl practices. He interviewed in Coral Gables this week. Cane tight end Greg Olsen has declared for the NFL draft. The Canes have 21 returning starters with six games or more of experience. Coach Randy Shannon has hired a new offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, formerly of Michigan State.

The Canes have a commitment from Graig Cooper (6-0, 195), a running back from New Berlin Milford Academy in N. Y. He recommitted to Miami Sunday. Cooper said his decision came down to Oklahoma State or Miami. Robert Marve (6-2, 190), a quarterback from Tampa (Fla.) Plant High, visited Miami Thursday. The Alabama commitment couldn’t talk to coaches since it is a dead period.

Maryland beat Purdue on the strength of quarterback Sam Hollenbach’s 15- of- 24 for 223 yards and two scores performance. The Terps ran for 206 yards on 50 rushers. Tailback Lance Ball ran for 98 yards on 18 carries and Keon Lattimore added 85 on 20 carries. Hollenbach was not sacked and only hurried twice. Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey caught four passes for 81 yards.

Boston College beat Navy by one point on a field goal on the last play of the game to win the Car Care Bowl. BC recovered a fumble at the Navy 40 with less than two minutes left. Quarterback Matt Ryan was 20- of- 29 for 242 yards with one score and two picks. Navy had 322 yards rushing and BC gained only 73. Steve Logan, the former East Carolina coach, has been hired as the offensive coordinator.

Clemson offensive lineman Dustin Fry said his team seemed to play an eight games season and just quit afterwards as the Tigers lost four of their last five games. Clemson committed four turnovers—three lost fumbles and one pick in the bowl loss to Kentucky. Jad Dean missed a pair of field goals. Kentucky, who led 28-6 early in the fourth quarter, gained 409 yards of offense. South Carolina gained 492 yards on Clemson. Coach Tommy Bowden is assured of being back on the hot seat in 2007. Amazingly, tailbacks James Davis and C J Spiller ran only 13 times for 77 yards. Quarterback Will Proctor was 23- of- 39 for 272 yards and three scores and a pick. The team suffered this season from a lack of leadership, the ability to throw deep thus becoming one-dimensional and the ability to pressure the passer.

West Virginia outscored Georgia Tech 21-7 in the third quarter to win the Gator Bowl for the first time. The Mountaineers outscored Tech 28-7 to win the game. Tech running back Tashard Choice ran 27 times for 169 yards. Quarterback Taylor Bennett was 19- of-- 29 for 326 yard with three scores and one pick. Receiver Calvin Johnson caught nine passes for 186 yards. West Virginia quarterback Patrick White ran 22 time for 145 yards. Running back Owen Schmitt ran 13 times for 109 yards. White was 9- of -15 for 131 yards with two scores. Tech gained 486 yards compared to 442.

Florida State linebacker Lawrence Timmons said he is going to the NFL. FSU is undergoing several staff change. There are many rumors that QB coach Daryl Dickey and OL coach Mark McHale are gone. Former West Virginia offensive line coach Rick Trickett and Lawrence Dawsey have been hired. Former N C State head coach and FSU assistant Chuck Amato’s name is still out there as a replacement for Steele. Amato’s name also mentioned for the vacant Minnesota job. Alabama’s Joe Kines name has been mentioned. Fisher and Bobby Bowden were going to talk on Thursday.

Chad Jones (6-2, 220), a safety from Baton Rouge (La.) Southern Lab, has set a visit date with FSU on Jan. 12. He also visits LSU on Jan. 26. Brandon Paul (5-10, 185), an athlete from Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln High, is down to Tennessee, FSU and Auburn.

North Carolina has hired Chuck Pagano as the new defensive coordinator. He was previously with the Oakland Raider defensive staff.

Wake Forest vs. Louisville in the Orange Bowl: Louisville outscored Wake Forest 14-3 in the fourth quarter to win the Orange Bowl. Wake quarterback Riley Skinner was 21- of -33 for 271 yards with one pick and one touchdown. Tailback Kenneth Moore ran for 73 yards on 12 carries. Receiver Willie Idelette caught six passes for 91 yards. Louisville gained 457 yards and Wake totaled 382. Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm was 24- of- 34 for 311 yards. Tailback Kolby Smith ran 12 times for 82 yards. Receiver Harry Douglas caught 10 passes for 165 yards.

USC’s ground game came to a halt in the second half as the Trojan offensive coaches went to the pass in the win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Trojans only had three points in the first half and scored 29 in the second half. Quarterback John David Booty was 27- of- 45 with 391 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Dewayne Jarrett caught 11 passes for 205 yards. Steve Smith caught seven passes for 108 yards. Michigan quarterback Chad Henne was 26- of- 41 for 309 yards with two touchdowns and one pick. Receiver Steve Breaston caught seven passes for 115 yards. The two teams combined for 60 yards rushing.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE CLAY COUNTY LINE IN ORANGE PARK, FLA., HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON ESPN 1460 ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY AFTERNOONS ON THE RUMBLE WITH MIKE DEMPSEY AND TOM MCMANUS.