Reporters' Notebooks

Brian Christopherson, Lincoln Journal Star: Is Tom Osborne set to become Nebraska's athletic director now that Steve Pederson has been fired?

Glenn Guilbeau, Shreveport Times: A week after virtually being canonized as America's greatest coach for making five-of-five fourth-down conversions in a 28-24 win over No. 9 Florida, Louisiana State's Les Miles saw the other end of his profession.

Chris Bahn, Northwest Arkansas Times: Houston Nutt on his future at Arkansas: "The contract they've given me, it's real clear. It says 2012. It doesn't say you're gone 2007, 2008. It says 2012."

Scott Cacciola, Commercial Appeal: The Southeastern Conference says the replay official made the correct call on a controversial decision in the closing seconds of the Alabama-Mississippi game.

Ron Morris, Columbia State: The time has finally come to question whether Tommy Bowden is the right coach to push Clemson to the top.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Despite being 18th in the first BCS standings, Hawaii would likely earn a berth to a BCS game by winning its final five games.

Bob Thomas, Florida Times-Union: For the first time since 1977, Miami and Florida State will meet with neither team nationally ranked.

Kate Hairopoulos, Dallas Morning News: Southern Methodist coach Phil Bennett, whose team is 1-5, says he's not worried about his job.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Washington's Tyrone Willingham is not in danger of losing his job, athletic director Todd Turner says.

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: Seven weeks and six games for the Kansas Jayhawks so far have produced a travel log of about 80 miles. That is about to change.

Rocky Mountain News: Boston College's Matt Ryan has moved to the top of the paper's Heisman Trophy poll.

Brian Dohn, L.A. Daily News: UCLA coach Karl Dorrell plans on Patrick Cowan starting at quarterback Saturday against California.

Bob Dart, Cox News Service: Professors know better than to step in front of the freight train of commercialized sports, a law school dean told the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

Associated Press: The Southeastern Conference fined Kentucky $50,000 for failing to prevent fans from rushing the field after the Wildcats' triple-overtime victory over LSU.