THE BIG STORY

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville hears the rumors that he’ll be coaching somewhere else next year, maybe Texas A&M or Arkansas if those schools have openings.

But Tuberville, in his ninth year as Auburn’s head coach and the the third winningest coach in the country since 2000, said he really doesn’t want to go anywhere. He recently he moved into a new multi-million-dollar home.

“We like it here,” Tuberville told syndicated radio show The Sports Tap on Wednesday. “I just built a new home and we’ve got two kids in school, and moving is very tough on families. This is a great place, and we’ve worked very hard to get the program where it is.

“Our coaches love it here, that’s the main thing. If people want us here, sure we want to be here and be part of the program.”

A look at the league:

ALABAMA

While describing that his confidence in quarterback John Parker Wilson is “good,” Alabama coach Nick Saban added “he’s not doing as bad as everybody thinks” with expectations he considers “unrealistic.” After all, the junior from Hoover High did set the program’s single-season marks for passing yards, touchdown passes, completions and attempts in 2006. While he desires improvement and so does Saban, is it fair for fans to want the same? Wilson understands this is life for an Alabama quarterback. “It comes with the territory,” said Wilson, whose Crimson Tide (4-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) plays Ole Miss (2-4, 0-3) Saturday in Oxford. “I knew it coming into the season, and I knew it when I came here. I don’t put any extra pressure on myself. I knew there would be more expectations, and that’s fine.” Saban’s analysis of Wilson goes beyond stats. He doesn’t consider that through six games, Wilson has thrown more times for fewer yards than he did in 2006, while completing a smaller percentage of his passes. He is 10th in the SEC in passing efficiency.

ARKANSAS

Arkansas running back Darren McFadden’s bruised ribs remain sore, but the Heisman Trophy candidate isn’t planning to let it slow him down or change his style when the Razorbacks play 22nd-ranked Auburn on Saturday. “It’s real important for me (to play),” McFadden said. “I want to be out there to help my team get these victories. So I feel like with me being on the field it will help us out a whole lot more.” McFadden left the Tennessee-Chattanooga game early because of the injury and had his ribs scanned as a precautionary measure this week. McFadden was held out of Sunday’s practice, but has been on the field the past two days and coach Houston Nutt said he is doing well. The junior will wear a protective vest to help soften the blow to his ribcage and showed it off after Wednesday’s practice. McFadden said he’s getting used to the extra equipment and won’t know how effective it is until he takes a hit Saturday.

AUBURN

Redshirt freshman running back Mario Fannin, who had a very brief stint as a receiver in 2006, may get a chance to catch more passes this season. Fannin lined up in the slot a couple of times last week against Vanderbilt. Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges said that experiment could continue. “We’re going to try to expand that a little bit,” Borges said. “Every week, we try to get a little something. Now that Brad (Lester) is back, we still have to find a way to manufacture touches for all the backs. We’re going to play Brad, so we’re trying to figure out things that we can do with Mario.”

FLORIDA

Florida’s senior strong safety Tony Joiner spoke to reporters for the first time since being arrested Oct. 2 on felony burglary charges. Joiner expressed remorse for actions that let down his team. “I’m ashamed of myself,” Joiner said. “Especially going through that with a big game coming up and having the focus on me and not on my team was extremely tough on me.” Joiner was arrested after removing his girlfriend’s car from an impound lot before paying the fee.”Patience,” Joiner said of the incident. “I just wish I had more patience.” After leaving jail, Joiner addressed the team about the situation. “Their reaction was a relief,” he said. “They didn’t know what the situation was. They were kind of upset. When they learned of the situation, they were happy that I came back.” Joiner said his punishment from coach Urban Meyer during the week involved getting up early on several mornings. The toughest part of Meyer’s punishment, Joiner said, was losing his status as a team captain. Joiner said Meyer stripped him of his captaincy immediately. “That was the worst thing in the world to be stripped of my captaincy,” Joiner said. “Just to know how hard I worked to get where I was and to lose it all on a bonehead decision was tough on me.” Charges against Joiner were dropped on Friday, in time for him to travel with the team to Baton Rouge. Joiner started the game on the kickoff team, but did not enter the game on defense until the second series of the game. He finished with two tackles and a sack. Still, what transpired earlier in the week left a lasting mark. “I disappointed my team, having a big distraction heading into the biggest game of the season,” Joiner said.

GEORGIA

Georgia likely is to be without punt returner/receiver Mikey Henderson on Saturday against Vanderbilt because of a hamstring injury. Henderson joined starting strongside linebacker Brandon Miller as “doubtful” for the game, Richt said. Miller injured his left calf during agility drills on Monday. Thomas Flowers, who hasn’t returned a punt since the third game of last season against UAB, would replace Henderson. “Even though I haven’t done it in a long time in a game, I’ve done it long enough to know just catch the ball and run,” said Flowers, who returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee in 2005. Henderson is second in the SEC with an average of 13.5 per return. He’s also second on the Bulldogs with 14 catches for 136 yards. Receivers coach John Eason said Michael Moore and Kenneth Harris would get a chance for more playing time in Henderson’s absence.

KENTUCKY

As far as Joker Phillips is concerned, lining up across from the LSU defensive line is similar to going toe-to-toe with Muhammad Ali in his prime or one-on-one with Michael Jordan during the Chicago Bulls’ championship years. “Their front four is as good as any I’ve ever seen in college football,” Phillips told the Lexington Herald-Leader. “All four players are no-doubt NFL guys, and they’ve got two other guys coming off the bench who’ll play in the league, also.” The Cats will likely have to double-team LSU all-American tackle Glenn Dorsey at times on Saturday, but that’s not an end-all, be-all solution. “First of all, he’s good enough to beat double teams,” Phillips said. “And I don’t know if you can game plan around (Dorsey) anyway because the other guys can dominate the game also.”

LSU

The familiar No. 9 of star LSU wide receiver Early Doucet was back in full view at the media portion of LSU’s football practice Wednesday for the first time since the week of the Middle Tennessee game last month. Doucet, who has missed LSU’s last four games with a serious groin injury, was catching passes and stretching his legs during the early portion of practice that the media is allowed to see after LSU held a rare closed practice Tuesday. Doucet practiced in spots last week for the first time since the injury, according to LSU coach Les Miles, who continues to be optimistic about Doucet playing Saturday when No. 1 LSU (6-0) plays at No. 17 Kentucky (5-1) at 2:30 p.m. on CBS. “It was nice to see Early Doucet out there,” Miles said after practice. “He took some snaps in the team period, and he caught some balls. I liked what I saw. If he does play, I don’t know how many plays.” Miles said Doucet also practiced on Tuesday. “I don’t think there’s any pain,” Miles said. “It’s a strength and conditioning issue. But he’s a strong guy.” Doucet, a senior from St. Martinville who caught 15 passes in LSU’s first two games for 143 yards and two touchdowns, is also an anxious guy. “He’s itching to get back,” Miles said. “He’s dying to play ball. It’s fun to see. I think our entire team looks forward to Early’s return. It’s a lift to this team that he’s involved.”. . .Miles explained why he closed Tuesday’s practice. “I apologize for closing practice,” he said. “I just didn’t want any more patting on the back and peripheral smiling. I wanted the players to be focused on Tuesday’s practice. We got a good practice Tuesday and today. I like where we’re at. I like what’s going on. Our team’s working hard. I think our attention to detail is good.”

OLE MISS

Even through quarterback-in-waiting Jevan Snead can’t play in a real game this season because of NCAA transfer rules, Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron has been impressed with the sophomore’s practices. “He’s competitive,” Orgeron told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “…(He) really has a tight spiral and a quick release. (He) makes the right reads and makes it quick on our linebackers on defense. He scrambles. He’s fun to work with.” Snead transferred to Ole Miss after his freshman season at Texas when he was beat out at quarterback by fellow freshman Colt McCoy. His most extensive action was against Kansas State when he threw for 190 yards and a touchdown. Snead will have three years of eligibility remaining for the Rebels.

MISS. STATE

First-year Mississippi State wide receivers coach Pat Washington said there’s not much to his first meeting with Tennessee since he and the program parted ways after the 2005 season. “Aw, it’s just an SEC game,” he told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “We’re just trying to improve this team here so really the focus is on Mississippi State right now, making sure we get better.” Washington, whose 47th birthday will be today, spent 11 years at Tennessee coaching wide receivers from 1995 to 2005. There, he coached names such as Donte Stallworth and Peerless Price. But Washington wasn’t retained on the UT coaching staff after the Vols went 5-6 in 2005. He spent a year at Kansas State before arriving in Starkville during the offseason. Washington, an Auburn alum, said he still keeps in contact with many family friends from his time in east Tennessee. “It was really hard,” UT coach Phillip Fulmer said. “Pat’s a good coach and friend, we were just in a situation and position that we needed some new action, some new people.”

SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina cornerback Carlos Thomas was walking around in a neck brace Wednesday, a day after being carted off the practice field and transported to a Columbia hospital after experiencing numbness following a collision. Thomas is not expected to play against North Carolina, although Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said the junior from College Park, Ga., could return next week. “He sort of said he went numb a little bit. But he was never immobile. He was always moving a little bit,” Spurrier said. “But it could have been serious. Somehow or another he got his head caught in a funny position.” Addison Williams, a freshman from Atlanta who has played in four games, will get his first start against the Tar Heels. “He’s not real big … but he knows his stuff,” Spurrier said of the 5-foot-8, 176-pound Williams. “He can play.”

TENNESSEE

Defensive tackle J.T. Mapu, who lost his starting job after the season-opening loss to California, was back in the lineup for last Saturday’s win over Georgia, and he’ll start again Saturday against Mississippi State. “He took it to heart some things that we talked about during the open date,” defensive tackles Coach Dan Brooks said of UT’s bye two weeks ago. “We felt like he had some really good work during our off week and he deserved that opportunity (to start). And I think he went out, played fast and tried to take advantage of that opportunity.” Added Fulmer: “J.T. earned the starting job during the open date and last week, and he hasn’t done anything to lose it.”

VANDERBILT

With Chris Nickson — the Commodores starting quarterback since the beginning of the 2006 season — coming off back-to-back subpar outings against Eastern Michigan and Auburn, Johnson and the coaching staff intend to give Mackenzi Adams a long look before naming a starter for this weekend. Adams could earn his first career start after coming off the bench for the past year and a half. Having watched the two quarterbacks work side-by-side for the last three years, Johnson said this week there’s not a whole lot of differerence between the two in terms of skill sets. “I think they’re very similar,” he said. “I think Mackenzi is just as mobile as Chris; Chris can throw just as well as Mackenzi. I think they’re a lot alike, which is a very good thing. If somebody is not right on par with what they usually are or if they’re having a bad day or whatever, you don’t have to change your game plan; you can just continue on with it as before. Johnson said the continuity that comes with having two quarterbacks of similar talents can be a plus during the course of a game. “It really helps your other players,” he said. “It helps your coaches continue to make calls during the game. If you had a mobile quarterback or one you run the zone read or option with, then you bring in one that’s totally different, it’s harder to keep things consistent.” So when will Johnson name a starting QB? “I’ll know when I know,” he said on Wednesday.