Tiger Talk: It's players' way of staying focused

"They called their own meeting," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said during Sunday's teleconference. "They just want to make sure the younger guys stay focused on the game at hand."

The game at hand for the third-ranked Tigers is Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford. The Rebels (3-4) had Saturday off while Auburn was hammering Kentucky 42-14.

The victory was typical of Auburn's season. While many teams in the conference have gone up and down from one week to the next, the Tigers have been remarkably consistent.

"The coaches have done a good job of talking to players and convincing them to prepare themselves and not worry about the other team," Tuberville said. "The other thing is the seniors.

"This is a good group, a very close-knit group. They've had some success. They've also tasted failure. And they've learned from it."

The Tigers are third in the Associated Pres poll, fourth in the USA Today/ESPN poll, and fourth in the Bowl Championship Series standings - behind Southern California, Miami and Oklahoma. But if they finish undefeated, Tuberville said he expects to play for a national championship.

"I'd be shocked if (a team in the SEC) could go through its schedule 12-0 and not have a shot to win a national championship," he said when asked about Auburn's chances. "I don't think there would be much doubt we would have an opportunity."

Brooks Not Quitting: Florida coach Ron Zook apparently isn't the only SEC coach in trouble. A report on ESPN.com last week stated that Louisville defensive coordinator Mike Cassity would replace Rich Brooks as Kentucky's head coach at the end of the season.

Asked about the report after a 42-14 loss to Auburn, Brooks told the Lexington Herald-Leader: "Somebody is trying to get my job, I guess. But the only way they're going to get me out of here is run my (rear end) out of town."

In his second season as the Wildcats coach, Brooks is 5-14. He has two victories over Indiana; the other three wins are against Murray State, Ohio University and Mississippi State.

His defense took a hit in the loss to Auburn. Defensive end Vincent Burns suffered a high-ankle sprain and is expected to be out from two to four weeks.

No Cheap Shot: Alabama coach Mike Shula was asked on Sunday's teleconference if he thought the tackle on fullback Tim Castille was dirty football. Castille was injured when Tennessee cornerback Jonathan Hefney hit him directly on his knee in the final minutes of UT's hard-fought 17-13 victory.

"They were in a good defense for (the play)," Shula said. "It wasn't a dirty play at all."

It's not surprising that Hefney went low to make the tackle. The 230-pound Castille outweighs him by almost 60 pounds.

Castille limped off the field after the tackle and was expected to have an MRI on his right knee.

Comparatively Speaking: If you believe comparative scores are a valid way of evaluating teams, you probably don't believe what happened in Tiger Stadium. LSU needed a late fourth-quarter drive to overtake Troy 24-20.

Comparative scores suggested a slightly different outcome.

In its second game of the season, LSU beat Arkansas State 53-3. Nine days ago, Arkansas State beat Troy 13-9.

Ranked teams bring out the best in Troy, which knocked Missouri out of the top 25 with a 24-14 victory. It also played South Carolina tough in a 17-7 loss.

Randall All The Way: After rotating quarterbacks throughout the season, LSU coach Nick Saban stuck with senior Marcus Randall for the entire game against Troy. Randall completed 24 of 37 passes for a career-best 328 yards but threw three interceptions.

Randall said Saban's decision gave him more confidence.

"That took a lot of pressure off me," Randall told the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. "Knowing that I made a mistake, I just went to the sideline, talked to (LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher) and ironed things out and went back out and played."

Saban's decision to go with the senior quarterback over redshirt freshman JaMarcus Russell is a curious one. The Tigers have virtually no chance of winning the SEC West. Russell, who has demonstrated a powerful throwing arm and athleticism, is expected to be LSU's starting quarterback next season.

Top 25: My AP vote looked like this: 1. Auburn, 2. Southern California, 3. Oklahoma, 4. Miami, 5. Utah, 6. California, 7. Wisconsin, 8. Florida State, 9. Tennessee, 10. Georgia, 11. Texas, 12. Michigan, 13. Louisville, 14. Boise State, 15. Texas A&M, 16. Arizona State, 17. Oklahoma State, 18. Virginia, 19. Purdue, 20. Virginia Tech, 21. West Virginia, 22. LSU, 23. Iowa, 24. South Carolina, 25. Southern Mississippi.