THE BIG STORY

Will LSU quarterback Matt Flynn start on Saturday against Middle Tennessee or won’t he?

Flynn practiced without a brace on his ankle during the portions of practice available to the media on Wednesday. LSU coach Les Miles said early Wednesday he thought Flynn “would be able to play without question,” but after practrice wasn’t so certain.

“It will be day to day,” Miles said. “If we feel like his rehabilitation, his progress, will be slowed, the choice then is to whether or not he can play at a strong enough level for us to win. If he can, then he plays. If not, then we wait. If he can demonstrate his abilities Thursday, that’s good. Sometimes though — I’ve got to be honest with you — a guy plays a little bit during the week, and then yet it’s not really clear until we get to game time. And it becomes a game day decision. I’ve done both.”

Miles isn’t worried if he has to start backup Ryan Perrilloux. Perrilloux has completed 7-of-8 passes for 105 yards in two games for three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“We’re really confident in Ryan Perrilloux,” Miles said. “He really has a great understanding of the entire offense, and so there will be nothing that we won’t do with Ryan Perrilloux that we would’ve done with Matt. We look forward to the opportunity to play with both guys anyway.”

A look at the league:

ALABAMA

Since starting nose tackle Brian Motley is out after breaking his ankle in the preseason, redshirt sophomore Lorenzo Washington is the first-string nose tackle. Earlier in preseason Alabama coach Nick Saban answered a question about Washington’s practice performance with, “If you look at it as an opportunity to start or are you just struggling to get by? I’m not saying it’s either way, but when you have an opportunity like that, you should have a positive attitude about taking advantage of it.” Washington said he’s “positive” the reason coaches have often prodded him so much is because of his potential, size and strength.

ARKANSAS

The Hogs practiced for a bit inside on Wednesday, cracking up music to create a noise chamber that Arkansas will face on Saturday at Alabama. “We are really trying to anticipate the hostile environment,” Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. “We tried to turn the music up as loud as we can; I don’t if we got to 92,000 people. We are just trying to get them used to the idea of going into a loud place.” This Saturday will also mark Arkansas’ first game against Alabama during the Nick Saban era. Nutt has previously coached against Saban during his tenure at LSU. “I know Coach Saban and I have played against him before,” Nutt said. “I don’t feel like he is a first-year coach. I know what he is bringing to the table. (Alabama) is well coached. They are going to be very disciplined. They are tough and they have a lot of confidence going right now. They are 1-0 in the conference and that’s what we are trying to get to.”

AUBURN

Who’s Auburn’s No. 2 quarterback? Coach Tommy Tuberville said that Blake Field was No. 2 quarterback and true freshman Kodi Burns No. 3. But listen to Tuberville during on SEC’s Wednesday teleconferenceand he wasn’t that clear. “Blake Field is our backup quarterback,” Tuberville said. “We have practiced Kodi with our second team and third team since he’s been here, just trying to get him ready for possibly a game this year, but also to get him enough snaps this fall in terms of practice to go into spring practice really knowing what he’s doing.”. . .Linebacker Tray Blackmon and safety Aairon Savage, both down with ankle injuries, practiced Wednesday.

FLORIDA

Florida players say they are they are playing Saturday’s game against Tennessee for the injured captains Andre Caldwell and Phil Trautwein. Gators’ coach Urban Meyer said that the relationships his players have made go beyond the football field and that his players should play their hearts out for the two seniors. “Those are extremely invested football players (Caldwell and Trautwein),” he said. “It’s not just their buddy. It’s a guy that they know has given a lot to play at Florida and when they’re not there that’s a hard part as a coach and it’s even harder part as a teammate.”

GEORGIA

Georgia’s starting lineup on defense may have some new faces on Saturday against Western Carolina. Starting cornerback Bryan Evans got limited work in Wednesday’s practice after hyperextending his knee on the wet turf in Tuesday’s practice. Safety Kelin Johnson is also still questionable with a ribs injury. Also, redshirt freshman Akeem Dent is getting first-team work at strongside linebacker where senior Brandon Miller has started the first games. Georgia coach Mark Richt said a change of starters is possible at linebacker, where players are rolling in at the position in practice. Junior linebacker Dannell Ellerbe said he split his snaps “pretty much even” between middle linebacker and weakside linebacker against South Carolina. At cornerback, sophomores Prince Miller or Asher Allen could replace Evans in the lineup if needed, Richt said. Meanwhile, starting offensive tackle Chester Adams said he expects to play some guard Saturday as well. Adams started 11 games at guard last season and worked about 40 percent at right guard in Wednesday’s practice when freshman backup Clint Boling got work at tackle.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said the secret to Louisville’s offense, which his team will face on Saturday, is the U of L’s offensive line. “They’re big, physical and athletic,” Brooks said. “They allow all of the things to happen in that offense. They protect (quarterback Brian) Brohm very well, and they establish the running game. You have to start by hopefully not letting them run down your throat with the football. That’s the thing they’ve killed us with the last two or three years, running the ball.” The Louisville front five, led by center Eric Wood and left tackle George Bussey, has not allowed a sack in two games and paved the way for the Cards to pile up 589 yards rushing and 795 passing. The challenge of defending Allen and the U of L run game even tougher for the Cats is the fact that they’ll be short-handed at defensive tackle. Redshirt freshman Ricky Lumpkin is out indefinitely with a hip injury. Junior Myron Pryor is questionable with a strained pectoral muscle but won’t be near 100 percent if he plays.

LSU

Linebacker Derrick Odom’s suspension was lifted by LSU coach Les Miles on Monday, he has been practicing since Tuesday and could play in the game Saturday. Odom practiced with the team on Tuesday for the first time since Miles suspended him indefinitely on Aug. 23 following his arrest on misdemeanor charges involving an altercation with an LSU student and that student’s father. Miles said he decided to lift the suspension based on “research on his specifics and his background and what’s gone on in those incidents that he was involved in.” Odom, a redshirt freshman from Jackson, Miss., is a reserve at outside linebacker.. . .Former LSU running back Alley Broussard, who left the program in July shortly before the start of his senior year, has surfaced at Division II Missouri Southern where he rushed for 110 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown in a 48-20 win over Harding University last Saturday. “It feels so good,” Broussard said. ““Just tell everyone I’m back — everything’s back. My love for football is back. My dreams are back. This is the way it’s supposed to feel.” One of the blue-chippers in Nick Saban’s recruiting class of 2003, Broussard arrived at MSSU the third week of August and sat out the season-opener against Haskell University in Lawrence, Kan., on Aug. 30. The 2004 season — when Broussard led the Tigers in rushing yards (867) and touchdowns (10) — was Saban’s last in Baton Rouge. Les Miles then took over the program. Broussard underwent knee surgery for a torn ACL (and then anorher surgery for an infection) and redshirted in 2005. “After the redshirt, I reported to camp out of shape, still having problems with my knee,” Broussard said. “That was my worst nightmare. (New LSU) Coach Lles) Miles didn’t approve of where I was and that put me in his doghouse. I never got out … and then I just started to hate doing something that I had loved to do since I was 10 years old.”

OLE MISS

Cornerback Cassius Vaughn is getting a chance to start, according to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. Vaughn wore a red, first-team jersey in Wednesday’s practice, in place of junior Terrell Jackson as Ole Miss prepares for its SEC opener at Vanderbilt on Saturday. The sophomore was promoted after Jackson struggled in the 38-25 loss to Missouri.The linebacker situation remains unclear for a group that will play without injured sophomore Jonathan Cornell. Freshman Chris Strong, walk-on Jamie Phillips and junior Ashlee Palmer wore first-team jerseys Wednesday. Palmer wasn’t on the practice field long after limping off with an injury, but Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron said the team’s leading tackler would be fine. Ole Miss will name starters from a group that also includes Brandon Thomas, Lamar Brumfield and Allen Walker.

MISS. STATE

State coach Sylvester Croom will study film of Wednesday’s practice, watch today’s practice and then name a backup quarterback during Saturday’s game at Auburn. The candidates are junior college transfer Josh Riddell and true freshman Wesley Carroll. Carroll has backed up starter Michael Henig in both of Mississippi State’s games this year, playing in the fourth quarter against both LSU and Tulane. Riddell has yet to play. . .Linebacker Jamon Hughes (shoulder) and defensive back Jasper O’Quinn (quad) were limited in Wednesday’s practice. That was an upgrade for O’Quinn, who didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Xavier Littleberry’s comments about what he hopes to do to South Carolina quarterback Blake Mitchell likely will end up on the bulletin board. Littleberry, who transferred to S.C. State after getting kicked off Clemson’s team, told reporters Tuesday he plans to “put on a show” at Mitchell’s expense. “I set a goal for at least four sacks,” Littleberry told The Times & Democrat in Orangeburg. “As long as I beat up Blake Mitchell, that is a perfect game for me. My true, pass-rush skill is going to shine this game. If (Mitchell) wants to have a big game, I don’t think he should hold the ball for more than three or four seconds because I am most definitely coming.” Mitchell didn’t bite on Littleberry’s bait. “That’s fine,” Mitchell said. ” I think that’s what all of our opponents want to do. He’s no different than anybody else, I don’t guess.” Littleberry, listed as a second-team end, is tied for the team lead with two sacks. He was dismissed from Clemson in January 2006 following a pair of off-the-field incidents, including an assault arrest for allegedly grabbing a USC female student and throwing her against a wall.

TENNESSEE

The Vols better keep Erik Ainge healthy on Saturday at Florida. That’s because backup quarterback Jonathan Crompton has an infection in his right leg. Crompton has practiced very little this week, and didn’t workout wearing shoulder pads until Wednesday. He threw passes but was still limited and wearing a long black sleeve that covered his entire leg. Crompton’s only action this season came last Saturday against Southern Miss. He attempted a run on third-and-1 in the first quarter that was stopped for a loss. In relief of Ainge late in the game, Crompton was sacked and fumbled, but did not attempt a pass. Crompton played extensively in two games last season, against LSU and Arkansas, as Ainge recovered from an ankle injury. If Crompton isn’t available on Saturday, redshirt freshman Nick Stephens would backup Ainge.

VANDERBILT

Chris Nickson and Mackenzi Adams virtually split snaps with the Vanderbilt first-team offense during Wednesday’s practice, an indication that Nickson may be sufficiently recovered from a hamstring injury to start Saturday against visiting Ole Miss. “I thought Chris did really well,” Vandy coach Bobby Johnson said of Nickson, who suffered a pulled right hamstring on the second play of Saturday’s 24-10 loss to Alabama. “He looked like he’ll be ready to go by Saturday.” Last year’s Ole Miss game was the only contest Nickson missed significant time in because of an injury since taking over the starting role. The redshirt junior injured his ankle late in the first half of the eventual 17-10 loss, with Adams completing 10 of 20 passes for 176 yards — but committing two of the team’s five turnovers.