Blogging from Gainesville - it's good to be home

Florida should beat South Carolina comfortably Saturday. The Gators are the better team by far at two of the three phases of the game, and the defenses are close but certainly not a big enough edge for the Gamecocks to make up the other gaps. It's interesting to note that Chris Fowler has been told by the Wynn Las Vegas sports book that UF would be favored in the title game over everyone but Southern Cal, with Okalahoma a pick 'em game. The Trojans are good, but I think that stems from the enormous amount of southern California money that flows into Vegas affecting the numbers. USC's done little this season to merit being ahead of the Big 12's best.

The FSU brawl investigation continues, and there's clearly going to be fallout for the Seminole football team. Whoever threw the chair which hit a woman in the head and severely injured her - and there's a football name out there, but we'll see if the investigation confirms it - is going to get hammered. Anyone charged with a felony can't play, as Bobby so memorably joked about in the Peter Warrick case. My guess is this a big enough fiasco that FSU plays poorly against a strong Boston College defense Saturday night. BC will be motivated after blowing it at home against FSU last season - if their offense can muster a little energy I think they win.

I don't understand the wave of enthusiasm that a lot of commentators and media across the country have for Lane Kiffin. Kiffin has interviewed for the Clemson job already and his name is thrown around for Tennessee, Washington and Syracuse whenever they're discussed. Am I missing something? Kiffin wasn't considered a red hot college head coaching prospect when he left USC for the nuthouse in Oakland after the 2006 season. He went 5-15 in the pros, admittedly in a disastrous situation. I believe Kiffin is a great coach - Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, that is. Just because the dad was doesn't mean the son is, as the Shula boys proved so well. Most observers of the USC program thought the offense got worse under Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian once Pete Carroll and Norm Chow parted ways. Know how many national championships the Trojans have won under Carroll without Norm Chow as OC? That'd be zero. Maybe Kiffin is the next Bill Walsh, but I sure haven't seen any evidence that he's ready for a high level BCS head coaching job at 33.

I wish tonight's UF-Toledo basketball game started at seven rather than six, but as soon as I wrap up my live show at Mother's Pub I'm going to race over there for the second half. I'm definitely going to enjoy being in Gainesville this weekend - hopefully you'll have a good one as well.