Back in the summer when South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier looked at his '05 schedule and saw a Sept. 18 game scheduled against Alabama, he thought heat might play a factor since CBS said months ago it would televise the game with a 2:30 p.m. CDT kickoff.

Spurrier told the SEC in the summer that he wanted Carolina to wear its white road jerseys, figuring they'd be cooler. On Saturday, the temperature was in the mid 90s, but the way Alabama pounded Carolina, 37-14, light or dark jerseys didn't really matter. ... Georgia seems to be coasting through games lately, mainly because of an uninteresting non-conference schedule.

The Bulldogs put a 44-7 beatdown on Louisiana-Monroe, but led just 17-7 early in the second half. Georgia had 11 penalties and allowed Louisiana-Monroe to run 72 plays and hold the ball 36:49. "We can't be out there playing around," Georgia defensive tackle Kedric Golston said, "no matter who we are playing." Maybe so. But it's had to get pumped for such a pathetic opponent. Senior center Russ Tanner said it best. "You can't have artificial enthusiasm."

Gee whiz

In the midst of Vanderbilt's 3-0 start comes this statement from Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee, the Don Quixote of SEC chancellors: "What has gratified me the most is the enthusiasm I have witnessed this week on campus and among our alumni and friends. No doubt that a winning team brings great credit to the university -- especially when our team is also winning off the field and in the classroom."

Memo to Gordo: Your team has won for years off the field and in the classroom, and nobody went to your games. ... Raise your hand if you think Kentucky is done for the year. The 1-2 Cats, with 21 injured players missing a Sunday practice following a loss at Indiana, might be ready to play out the string.

Even the coaches aren't agreeing. After UK coach Rich Brooks called for a reverse to open the Indiana game -- which got stuffed for an 8-yard loss -- offensive coordinator Joker Phillips said the offense was "too fancy" with the play-calling. Brooks's reply: "I didn't think we were that fancy. Amazingly, in my coaching career, every time I've opened a game with a reverse, it's almost always worked."