I'll be back with more later, but here's how tomorrow's story starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Gene Chizik was as confident as anyone that his Auburn Tigers would respond Saturday against Ole Miss and put an end to a skid that was beginning to bear an eerie resemblance to last season's second-half slide.

A gritty 33-20 upset against No. 24 Ole Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium only reassured that belief.

"They willed that win," Chizik said. "It doesn't surprise anybody in our locker room that that's who they are. I thought tonight proved to a lot of people that we were going to contend and fight."

Auburn (6-3, 3-3 SEC) scored 23 points in a roller-coaster third quarter, making plays in all phases of the game to halt a three-game losing streak. It was the Tigers' sixth victory, guaranteeing them bowl eligibility after missing out on the postseason last year for the first time in nearly a decade.

"We could have gone in the tank and gotten down on ourselves," said running back Ben Tate, who ran for 144 yards. "We didn't. We led ourselves to this win. This is a big deal for us today."

Here are some quick notes and quotes from the game ...

• First things first. Safety Zac Etheridge sounds like he's doing OK after suffering a neck injury and being carted off the field in the first quarter. Chizik said he'll know more about Etheridge's condition tomorrow, but early reports are that he has feeling in all of his extremities. "You just hope and pray that he's OK," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "That's the most important thing. That's more important than a football game." Chizik added: "He is one tough, tough guy. He will rebound."

• A lot of redemption out there today:

• Gus Malzahn showed his former employer, Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, that his offense can work in the SEC, as Auburn broke out of a three-game funk with 401 yards, seven more than Nutt's Rebels. "I really believe in this offense and knew they were capable of what we did today," Malzahn said.

• Quarterback Chris Todd, who got a vote of confidence as the starter after three sub-par games, answered his critics with a 12-for-22, 212-yard day that included one touchdown pass. He connected with receiver Terrell Zachery on two deep passes, a component that had been lacking from the offense the last few weeks. "That's what we've been waiting on for the last three weeks," Tate said. "You can run the ball, pound it, pound it, pound it. That doesn't matter. You need the wide receivers. Our offense is at its best when they're making plays."

• Auburn's much-maligned defense stood tall against a potent group from Ole Miss (5-3, 2-3 SEC), harassing quarterback Jevan Snead, forcing three turnovers and scoring nine points. Snead, who had thrown for 572 yards and five touchdowns the previous two weeks, was 16-for-35 for 175 yards with two picks Saturday. "As a unit, as an overall defense, I think this is the best game we've played all year," defensive end Antonio Coleman said.

• Tate's 144-yard rushing day put him among some of Auburn's greats, as he became the fifth player in school history to top 3,000 career rushing yards. Tate's total of 3,026 trails only Bo Jackson (4,303), Carnell Williams (3,831), James Brooks (3,523) and Joe Cribbs (3,368). "It was just another day at the office," Tate said. "I try to come out and run hard week in and week out — no matter what the score is. I just love the game of football and I try to play it as hard as I can on every play. You never know when it'll be over."
  

• Antonio Coleman had a huge day, with four tackles for a loss, two sacks and four quarterback hurries. "It's been a long time coming," said Coleman, who had only 3½ sacks the first eight games while battling through wrist and leg injuries. "I just got out there and had fun and just flew around and made plays."

• Walt McFadden got in on the fun with two interceptions, one he returned 29 yards for a touchdown. He has three picks this year and six for his career. "There is nobody on a football team that deserves good things to happen to him (more than Walt)," Chizik said. "He makes them happen. ... I was just proud to see him get two clutch ones today."

• The most points Ole Miss had allowed this year was 22. Auburn scored 23 in the third quarter.

• McFadden summed up the day with this quote: 'We needed this. Maybe some of us were feeling sorry for ourselves. Today we showed that we believe in each other, we know we can play. This is not last year. We're not fixing to give up, we're not going to point fingers, we're not fixing to say we need a new quarterback, we need a new running back. We're not fixing to say anything. We're just going to go out every week and play how we always play."

• Auburn, as mentioned before, is bowl eligible with six victories. "Obviously, it was a great feeling," Chizik said. "We have a lot of football left to play. So, we are going to try to take everything one week at a time, and try to win a game. Obviously, that's a big deal for us and is something that will excite our fans as well as our coaches and players. We just have to take it week by week and keep winning."

Greetings from a soggy Jordan-Hare Stadium, where, as you can see, the Navy Nightmare promotion isn't exactly going to plan.

I'll be updating information until the game. We just got a lineup update sheet. There are no changes for Auburn.

So I guess I'll straight to the rundown of facts you need to know:

• Auburn leads the series 24-9 and is 11-2 in games at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

• The Tigers are still seventh nationally in rushing offense (230.4 ypg), 19th in total offense (430.9) and tied for 26th in scoring offense (31.8). You wouldn't have guessed it after the last three games, however.

• Auburn has allowed only nine sacks in eight games. That's tied for 20th nationally.

• Ole Miss has 21 sacks this year. That's second in the SEC.

• Ben Tate is 11th nationally in rushing (115.4 ypg), with five 100-yard games to his credit this season. He ranks fifth in school history with 2,882 rushing yards and needs 77 more to be the 18th player in Auburn history to reach 1,000 yards in a season.

• Despite underachieving slightly, Ole Miss (5-2) is off to its best start since 2003.

• The Rebels are averaging 527.0 yards their last two games.

• Ole Miss is third in the nation in pass defense efficiency and ninth in scoring (13.6 ppg). It's also 20th in overall defense (300.0 ypg).

10:50 update: DL Zach Clayton (ankle) is not dressed. Neither is DE Nosa Eguae. I would imagine he is a redshirt guy at this point.

10:57 update: It's raining. I know this because CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is playing. Also, there's a drizzle out there. The radar makes it seem like this won't last long, though.

Here's how my advance for today's Auburn-Ole Miss game starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Catch an Ole Miss highlight sometime, and it’s sure to feature plenty of quarterback Jevan Snead and running back Dexter McCluster, two of the better offensive players in the conference.

But don’t sleep on the Rebels’ defense, Auburn’s coaches warn. It might be the best one the Tigers have played this season.

“It’s comparable to LSU, but I think they may be a little more athletic,” said running backs coach Curtis Luper, lofty praise considering it comes a week after LSU held Auburn to season lows in points (10) and yards (193).

As if the Tigers (5-3, 2-3 SEC) don’t have enough to worry about today, trying to contain Snead and McCluster — Snead had 332 passing yards and two touchdowns last week against Arkansas; McCluster broke out for 260 combined yards and a score — the Tigers’ suddenly clueless offense will have to find ways to move the ball against one of the stingiest defenses in the country.

No. 24 Ole Miss (5-2, 2-2) quietly has put up stats comparable to SEC powerhouse defenses like Florida, Alabama and LSU.

The Rebels are ninth nationally in scoring defense (13.6 ppg) and 20th in yards allowed (300.0 ypg). A secondary that was expected to struggle has instead been a strength, giving up 166.9 yards per game, a mark that ranks 14th in the country.

Read the rest here. And follow the blog on Twitter to get updates leading up to today's game.

I'll be at a high-stakes showdown between Carver and LaGrange tonight in Columbus, Ga., but I know everyone needs their Auburn fix. So here is tomorrow's breakdown:

No. 24 Ole Miss (5-2, 2-2 SEC) at Auburn (5-3, 2-3 SEC)

• Where: Auburn, Ala.
• When: 12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network
• Last meeting: Ole Miss 17, Auburn 7, Nov. 1, 2008, in Oxford, Miss.

Offense:

Ole Miss: Running back Dexter McCluster came to life last week against Arkansas, becoming the first Rebel in the modern era to top 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game. Quarterback Jevan Snead has 572 passing yards and five touchdown passes the last two weeks, suggesting he’s over his early-season struggles.

Auburn: The Tigers hit new lows last week at LSU, finishing with 10 points and only 193 yards of total offense. Quarterback Chris Todd might be making his last stand. Since starting the season on fire, the senior has thrown for only 260 yards the last three games, with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

EDGE: Ole Miss

Defense:

Ole Miss: Overshadowed by the Rebels’ offensive talents is a defense that is ninth nationally in points allowed (13.6 ppg) and 20th in yards allowed (300.0 ypg). Defensive end Kentrell Lockett and linebacker Patrick Trahan, a former Auburn player, are tied for the team lead with four sacks apiece. Ole Miss has 21 as a team, second in the SEC.

Auburn: The Tigers shored up their run defense at LSU, giving up just 122 yards. But the pass defense was suspect, allowing 254 yards as quarterback Jordan Jefferson had a career-best effort. Auburn is hurting on the turnover front. The Tigers have forced only two turnovers the last three games after forcing 13 the first five games.

EDGE: Ole Miss

Special teams:

Ole Miss: Joshua Shene is the only SEC kicker without a miss this season, perfect on eight attempts. Ole Miss is solid across the board on special teams, ranking third in the league on kick returns, sixth on punt returns and fourth in punting.

Auburn: The Tigers’ punt returner position might be open again after Philip Pierre-Louis muffed a punt last week at LSU. Anthony Gulley, Quindarius Carr and Travante Stallworth all remain options. Auburn is lagging in the return game, 11th in the SEC at taking back both punts (3.8 yards per return) and kicks (21.2).

EDGE: Ole Miss

Prediction: The edges don't lie. The Rebels are simply a better football team right now. And there's no way in good conscience I can pick a team that seems to be slumping to new lows against a team that appears to be hitting on all cylinders. I think Auburn finds it very difficult to move the ball against Ole Miss' defense. And if that means some early struggles, it would not surprise me if Neil Caudle took the field in relief of Todd. Final score: Ole Miss 27, Auburn 20.

The SEC's had enough of the whining about the officials. The latest decree aims to end the endless complaining by coaches about bad calls, which seem to increase by the week. Should we just call this the "Kiffin Rule" from now on?

This release just came across the e-mail today:

PENALTIES FOR SEC BYLAW 10.5.4 VIOLATIONS STRENGTHENED

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Oct. 30, 2009) - In a unanimous vote of the Southeastern Conference’s Athletic Directors and with the full support of the Conference’s twelve Presidents and Chancellors, all violations of SEC Bylaw 10.5.4 will be enforced by suspensions and fines, effective immediately.

The length of the suspension and the amount of the fine will be at the discretion of the Commissioner.

SEC Bylaw 10.5.4 requires that coaches, assistant coaches, players, support personnel and others associated with the institution’s athletics program refrain from public criticism of officials.

Head coaches are advised that suspensions and fines for violations of Bylaw 10.5.4 made by assistant coaches or other support personnel will be enforced against the head coach.

“There are proper channels available for head coaches to use when communicating officiating concerns to the Conference office,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive.

As is customary practice, the conference office will continue to address reviews of officiating calls on specific plays with each institution’s head coach and no public comments will be made concerning these communications.

It's the last links of the week, so let's not waste any time and get right to them:

• Ole Miss finished last year with six straight wins. Can the Rebels do it again after winning last week's game against Arkansas? David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., has the article.

• Rebels offensive lineman Rishaw Johnson remains on suspension after a meeting with coach Houston Nutt, writes Brandt in this notebook.

• Little Rock, Ark., running back Michael Dyer's commitment to Auburn sounds all but official according to this report at VYPE.com. He's going to announce next Friday. But what does that really mean for the five-star recruit? Check out this passage:

• Dyer, who broke the state’s all-time rushing record last week, has ranked Auburn at the top of his list since last summer. However, the 5-foot-9, 205-pounder said he still plans take official visits to Arkansas, Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU following the season. He will also visit Auburn, rounding out his five official visits. "If a coach wants me to come on a visit, I will," Dyer said. "I’m going to commit to Auburn, but the recruiting process will continue."

• ESPN's Wright Thompson has a lengthy piece about former LSU Hall of Famer Billy Cannon, who hit his high with a Halloween punt return for a touchdown against Ole Miss 50 years ago and his low many years later he was convicted in a money counterfeiting ring.

• ESPN's Chris Low takes a Halloween-themed look at the SEC, including this line about Chris Todd:

• "Jack-o-lantern: Auburn quarterback Chris Todd could use a light going off in his head, and for that matter, so could the entire Auburn offense after a brutal last three weeks. The Tigers started the season as one of the most balanced offenses in the league. They’ve looked like one of the worst during their three-game losing streak."

• He's also got a long Did You Know? list about teams from the SEC.

• Certain Auburn players aren't allowed to talk to the media, writes colleague Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register. Unfortunately, that's a pretty normal thing at the college level, where coaches unilaterally decide who can talk and who can't.

• Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News writes that recruiting misses have hurt Auburn's depleted defense.

• Jerry Hinnen of the War Eagle Reader recaps the first and second halves of the LSU game.

• The War Eagle Reader also has a Q&A with an Ole Miss blogger who runs the site Red Cup Rebellion.

• Nick Saban says it's "disconcerting" that people are criticizing the play of an Alabama team that's won 20 of its last 22 games, writes Tommy Hicks of the Mobile Press-Register.

• Georgia has slipped from the top tier of SEC teams, writes Paul Newberry of the Associated Press.

• The Bulldogs' running game got a much-needed confidence boost in the second half of the Vanderbilt game, writes David Hale of the Macon Telegraph.

• Considering the economy, Jacksonville's had a surprisingly good turnout for the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, or whatever watered-down PC name they're calling it these days. This seems like an event you have to get to at some point in your life.

• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that Florida State coach Bobby Bowden didn't not say he would be interested in being the UAB coach.

• Terry Bowden is 9-0 at North Alabama, meaning he could be a hot commodity in coaching circles this offseason, writes Jeff McIntyre of the Times Daily.

• The NCAA misused its power in suspending Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant, writes Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman.

• Dave Kindred writes that gambling has no place in sports or in a newspaper. Pardon me, but this is just a dumb argument. The vast betting system set up in this country actually prevents shady dealings behind the scenes. If something's afoot in a game (say, too many bettors are waging on one side), Vegas knows it and exposes it. Take that away and it pushes it back into the shadows, where nobody knows what's going on. And that could lead to the competitive integrity of sports being challenged. And to say point spreads shouldn't be in a newspaper is just one more example of newspapers being out of touch with what their readers want. It's information. People want to know it. It should be in there. End of rant.

I wrote a notebook for today's newspaper. Here's how the first item starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn cornerback Walt McFadden was set to be Patrick Trahan’s roommate a few years ago, back before the linebacker fell into poor academic standing and had to transfer away from the Plains.

“I’m still pretty upset with that because he left me with all the rent,” McFadden said with a grin. “And I had to pay a fine for that. So hopefully I can try to get that back this weekend.”

Trahan, now a 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior at Ole Miss, will make his first trip back to Auburn since leaving prior to his sophomore season.

The linebacker redshirted at Auburn in 2005 before playing in 12 games in 2006, making 11 tackles. He earned the nickname “The Gator” from teammates for the way he clapped his hands after making a tackle. But he was ruled academically ineligible prior to his sophomore season and left the program angry with the coaching staff.

“I just didn’t think it was right,” Trahan told the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. “I didn’t think they treated my family right or me right.”

Read the rest here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

I've put together a new video from Wednesday's round of interviews with coaches. It's got head coach Gene Chizik, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor, special teams coordinator Jay Boulware and graduate assistant Travis Williams answering questions leading into the Ole Miss game.

Enjoy.

We had a successful hour-long run on the chat today. Read the replay below. Thanks again to all who participated.

Reminder, I have a live chat today at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT. See you there. Now for the links ...

• Houston Nutt says he's not bringing any bad blood to this Saturday's game with Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn on the opposite sideline, writes David Brandt of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

• Brandt also has a practice update from Wednesday.

• Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster has caught a second wind, writes Jim Mashek of the Sun Herald.

• ESPN.com blogger Chris Low has his weekly SEC picks up. He likes Ole Miss over Auburn 27-17:

• "Ole Miss 27, Auburn 17: The game within the game is Houston Nutt and Gus Malzahn meeting for the first time since their well-chronicled split following the 2006 season. The two teams appear to be headed in different directions. Auburn is trying to hang on after losing its last three, and Ole Miss is looking to take off after winning its last two. The difference will be Tyrone Nix’s Ole Miss defense, which has been outstanding all season."

• He also gives us some things to watch. Auburn comes in at No. 10, with what Low says could be Chris Todd's last stand:

• "10. Todd’s final chance? It’s not a coincidence that Chris Todd’s three worst games of the season have all resulted in Auburn losses. He hasn’t thrown for more than 133 yards in any of his last three games, and Auburn heads into Saturday’s home contest with Ole Miss riding a three-game losing streak. This may be Todd’s final chance to hold onto his starting spot. There was a lot of chatter earlier this week that the Tigers might go with junior Neil Caudle after Todd completed just eight passes for 47 yards and an interception in the 31-10 loss to LSU. Auburn coach Gene Chizik, though, said Todd still gives the Tigers the best chance to win despite his recent struggles. That vote of confidence will only go so far. Todd has to find a way to regain the form that saw him throw 12 touchdown passes and only one interception in his first five games."

• Low also had a list of the SEC's top Heisman contenders. Auburn RB Ben Tate came in at No. 8.

• Jerry Hinnen of the War Eagle Reader chimes in with why this year's Auburn group is not like last year's, which lost six of its last seven.

• Georgia, like Auburn, has had plenty of tackling problems, writes David Hale of the Macon Telegraph. Maybe it's something in the water down here.

• Alabama coach Nick Saban said the bye week came at the perfect time for his team, writes Michael Casagrande of the Decatur Daily.

• Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy regained some of his command after a few shaky games, writes Casagrande.

• Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger writes about the mysterious replay room in all football stadiums and the mysterious rulings they sometimes provide.

• David Ching of the Athens Banner-Herald says it's time for the SEC to start getting serious about its referees and hold them to higher standards.

• Saban defended the SEC refs, saying they do a "marvelous job," writes Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register.

• The SEC will get in on the Gator Bowl fun next season, but that means trouble for the lower-tiered SEC bowls -- particularly the ones in Memphis, Birmingham and Nashville -- writes Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News.

• Florida State coach Bobby Bowden laughed off rumors that he's going to UAB to coach next year.

• The blog Calling All Sports Information Directors raises some good questions about the supposed Heisman candidates at the top of the list right now. Like, for instance, the fact that Tim Tebow has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in SEC play right now.

• Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel wrote his weekly college mailbag, in which he compares this year's Iowa to the 2002 Ohio State "Luckeyes" and touches on some more SEC officiating nonsense.

• I know you've been waiting on Tommy Tuberville's silver screen debut. Here's a trailer for "The Blind Side," the story about the recruitment of former Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher.

I wrote a story for today's newspaper about linebacker Eltoro Freeman. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — The game film left Eltoro Freeman mystified.

The Auburn linebacker didn’t recognize the impostor wearing the No. 21 jersey, the uptight one fearful of making a mistake, lacking the confidence and bravado that had served him so well all his life.

“I’d say, ‘That’s not me at all,’” Freeman said. “I can’t even explain it. Things just weren’t clicking for me.”

All Freeman had heard since transferring to Auburn from junior college was that he’d be a star, a fact he never doubted until the season began and the sophomore struggled through a rash of injuries, inconsistent play and personal issues that left him lost.

“I felt like I was letting myself down, my fans down, my teammates down,” Freeman said. “They were really looking forward to me coming in and making an impact and I felt like I wasn’t doing that. That was just really frustrating for me.”

Read the rest here.

And follow the blog on Twitter.

And don't forget today's live chat at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT.

Of course after I had already turned in my story yesterday, we got an interview with former Auburn linebacker and current graduate assistant Travis Williams, who has played a major role in helping Freeman get everything in order. Here's some quotes from Williams on the subject:

(On what he did with Eltoro)

"Toro is a very, very passionate player. Very passionate. He has a lot of talent and with me being here, coach (Ted) Roof and coach (Gene) Chizik kind of wanted me to spend a lot of time with him and just go over football and, a lot of the times, just life. Just talking with him. Football-wise, all I do is reiterate what coach Roof is telling him. Coach Roof is trying to run the defense. I wouldn't say he doesn't have time to sit down with a player, but that's what I'm here for. I love talking linebacker and football, so it just kind of worked out well. "

(On watching Freeman's performance at LSU)

"Oh man, it was like a father watching a son. Just because watching his hard work during the week, him calling me in the morning, us meeting in the morning and then we'd meet at night, and just his passion to be great and wanting to be great, it was amazing to see him. He didn't do everything right, but it's just his speed to the ball. When he got to the ball, it was just being violent, just getting there, it was fun watching him."

(On Freeman's passion for the game)

"That's why I took him under my wing and just kind of worked with him. He's passionate. He wants to be great. He told me, 'Man, when I leave and they bring recruits in, I want them to say, "He reminds me of Eltoro Freeman."' I was like, well we've got to work at it. He's just so passionate. I was trying to figure out a word to say how passionate he is, but he's exactly what Auburn's looking for in a linebacker as far as passion goes."

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn wide receiver DeAngelo Benton has yet to catch a pass this season, prompting many to wonder if all the hubbub about the freshman’s talent was overblown.

Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor says don’t give up hope yet.

“I promise you he will light the record books up,” Taylor said. “You can write that down, before he gets out of here, because he has that type of ability.”

Of Auburn’s four freshman receivers, Benton, a former five-star recruit who is two years removed from high school, has done the least this year. He’s had a number of chances to get that elusive first catch but has been plagued by a series of drops, including one at LSU.

Taylor hasn’t seen the 6-foot-2, 192-pound receiver get down on himself.

“Not one bit of drop-off or change,” he said. “The big deal for him is the speed of the game coming back. His last game was two years ago in high school. Those things take a little time.

“What you don’t want to do is put him out there and him get overwhelmed and think he can’t play. The physical tools are there. Now we just have to get the mental side of it and the temperament part of it back.”

Taylor has been pleased with the freshman’s progress off the field, especially academically. He doesn’t know how long it will take for things to click on the field, but he is positive they will.
“The kid is talented,” Taylor said. “I think we’re going to be real excited we got him.”

It's Wednesday. You know what that means. A three-prong set of instructions:

1. Follow the blog on Twitter.
2. Join in tomorrow's live chat at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT.
3. Read these other notes.

• (Let the blog first go on the record as saying it is skeptical Benton will "light the record books up." Just wanted to get that out there. OK, proceed with your reading.)

• Running back Onterio McCalebb is still on the mend with an ankle injury, meaning H-back Mario Fannin might have a larger role as a tailback this week as a complement to starter Ben Tate. Fannin, who has played a utility role all season, got six carries against LSU last week in a classic tailback role. He gained 56 yards. “We envision that role expanding,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “We’ll see how exactly the game unfolds. But certainly he’s prepared to do that.”

• Fannin emerged as a tailback at the end of last season, averaging 4.5 yards per carry in the Tigers’ final three games. But those handoffs have been few and far between this year. The junior has 19 rushes for 162 yards, although he’s been a strong receiving threat, with 24 catches for 255 yards.

• McCalebb remains day-to-day with an ankle injury that dates back to the Ball State game. He has 48 rushing yards the last three games. “He’s nicked and bruised with that ankle a little bit,” Chizik said. “You know it’s those ankles when you’re a running back. It’s just a slow process.” That doesn't sound positive for his chances of being 100 percent this week.

• Auburn’s season-long punt return nightmare continued last Saturday when Philip Pierre-Louis muffed a punt just before halftime. LSU recovered and kicked a field goal to lead 17-0. The Tigers have auditioned other returners this week, including Anthony Gulley, who returned punts earlier this year before getting dinged up, Quindarius Carr and Travante Stallworth. But that doesn’t mean Pierre-Louis won’t get another shot. After dropping the punt, he came back and had no problems the rest of the game. “The thing you did see is when I brought Philip back, he was able to catch the football and do exactly what he was told with guys in his face,” said Taylor, who coaches the returners. “That’s a tough job.”

• Special teams coordinator Jay Boulware said catching the ball in traffic is an occupational hazard at punt returner, so he didn't have much sympathy for the drop (although he did say that he thought LSU got too close to PPL before he caught it). "They're going to be in his face every return," he said. "Every one's not going to be perfect, especially if the punter puts it up there 4.5 seconds and it's 40 yards. You're not going to be able to hold guys off for that long. You've just got to catch the football. If not, be a great actor and fall forward if they don't give you enough room. Because they really didn't, in my opinion, have enough room."

• Boulware seemed pleased at Auburn's ability to keep the ball away from Trindon Holliday last week, a strategy that included pooch kickoffs and directional punting. "Did you hear Trindon Holliday's name called once on a return Saturday?" Boulware said. "The head coach said don't kick it to him, so we didn't. We didn't want them to beat us on the return game. Our game plan was simple: punt away from them and kick away from them. We didn't do a good job on kickoffs. We wanted to put it outside the numbers and ended up dropping inside the numbers with short hang time on both of them. We didn't execute either one of those kicks very well and obviously that hurt us. But the punter (Clinton Durst) did a great job. I kept hearing the fans [gasping sound] every time, thought he shanked it, but he was punting it out of bounds. He wasn't shanking it, he was punting over there. I thought he did a good job."

• Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn turned 44 on Wednesday, so coaches and players razzed him throughout practice. The coach barely noticed. “His mind is elsewhere. Always,” running backs coach Curtis Luper said. “There could be a birthday cake sitting on the table and he wouldn’t know.” A reporter suggested putting the cake on a playbook. “Yeah,” Luper said. “He’d move it.”

• Chizik said DL Zach Clayton is "day-by-day" with an ankle injury. He played briefly at LSU but hobbled off the field early in the game after re-aggravating it.

• Chizik seemed oblivious that the World Series started tonight. Asked if he was for the Yankees or the Phillies, he said, "Is there a World Series going on?"

• Taylor said the wide receivers' problems haven't been an inability to get off of press coverage. "For my guys, I think we have to make plays when we get an opportunity to," he said. "When it’s close we’ve got to go make that play regardless."

• He told his receivers to be aware of Ole Miss safety Kendrick Lewis. "He will bed check you in a heartbeat," Taylor said. "He covers some ground. I pointed it out to the wideouts. You better know where he is at all times because he can put you to sleep in a heartbeat."

• Running backs coach Curtis Luper has been extremely impressed with Ole Miss' defense. He said it might be better than LSU's. "It's comparable to LSU, but I think they may be a little more athletic," he said.

• Trooper thinks a fast start would help the offense gain confidence: "The thing we’ve got to stop doing is shooting ourselves in the foot. We’re a penalty magnet right now. We’ve got to stop putting ourselves behind the chains because when you watch defenses, as soon as you get off schedule, they pin their ears back and bring as many as they can. That speeds everything up for the quarterback, for everybody. Those are the things we have to get better at."

• Luper knows Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt well. He was a running back at Oklahoma State from 1984-87 when Nutt was an assistant coach. "He always promised to hire me," Luper said. "'Aww, I'm going to hire you every chance I get. I'm going to hire you, Lupe. I'm going to hire you.' But it never worked out. Good friend of mine. Great man. He's the epitome of a player's coach." We reporters joked with Luper that he should mediate a mid-field hug between Nutt and Malzahn before the game.

I put together a new video from Tuesday's round of interviews. It's got offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, tight end Tommy Trott, cornerback Walt McFadden and linebacker Eltoro Freeman answering questions leading into the Ole Miss game.

Enjoy. I'll be back tonight with a practice update.

After a slow start, Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead has turned it on in recent weeks, putting up the kind of numbers that made him a sleeper Heisman candidate before the season.

Auburn is certainly aware.

"Jevan's a great quarterback and obviously we're going to have to be very sound with what we do coverage wise," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said during Wednesday's SEC teleconference. "They do a great job of protecting him. And obviously they have some really, really talented receivers, so it's going to be a great challenge for us, there's no question about it."

Snead , who threw for 2,762 yards and 26 touchdowns last year, struggled early in the SEC season. Against Vanderbilt and Alabama, he was intercepted seven times.

But he regained his form last week against Arkansas, throwing for 332 yards with a pair of touchdowns (although he still had two picks). For the year, he has 1,108 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

"Early on with a brand new line to break in, I think there were some times where he thought he had to make a play and force some things, and interceptions mounted up," Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. "But I think he's handled everything right. He's in a little uncharted waters having so much press before the year, and I think he's handled it right. The last three weeks, we've been very proud of him."

Auburn will have to pressure him. The Tigers have been average in that department this year, with 15 sacks in eight games, seventh in the SEC.

"I don't think you can stop any quarterback in this league without getting some pressure on him," Chizik said. "I think that's going to be the key."

Chizik didn't have much new to say during the teleconference, but here are things Nutt said ...

• Nutt's been in the SEC for a while, since 1998 to be exact. He thinks defenses have always been strong in the league since then, but says things have evolved. "I think the biggest thing is that defenses have always been so good. It just seems like now a little bit more mixture of zone blitzes, corner fires. I mean, the packages to me have grown. A little bit more complicated than in '98. But they're still very, very fast. The defensive linemen, cover corners, backers are so athletic."

• He thinks the quality of defenses is a big reason some offenses don't look so hot. "I think when you look at Alabama and South Carolina and look at our defense -- these defenses are good. These are good, solid defenses that can run and all 11 players are usually very good but then the standouts ... it's hard to move the ball."

• Nutt didn't have much to say about Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who he hired as his offensive coordinator for one rocky year in 2006. "No I haven't talked to him," Nutt said. "We don't really look at it like that. We're facing Auburn, a very good team. We know how fast they came out of the gate 5-0. We know there's good athletes there. And we don't look at it so much going against Gus as much as going against a good Auburn team."

• Nutt didn't think it was much of an advantage having coached with Malzahn and knowing how he thinks. "It helps when you have a little knowledge of players and you feel like you know a little bit," he said. "But just like any other game, you're really concentrating on putting players in the best positions, giving them the best plan, so you're studying that film. And whatever extra we get is a little bonus."

• As for where Snead stacks up in the league, Nutt said this: "I think he's right there. He's a good leader for us, good arm, very accurate. And just want him to continue to take care of the ball, and when he does that he can be one of the best in the league."

It's Wednesday. That's a day away from Thursday, when I'll be doing a live chat at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT. Here's a link. I'll also embed it on the blog tomorrow to make it easy to log on. Hope you can make it. In the meantime, here's some links for your lunch hour:

• Quarterback Jevan Snead and running back Dexter McCluster are taking flight for Ole Miss, writes ESPN.com blogger Chris Low.

• A quick Ole Miss practice update from Tuesday by David Brandt of the Jackson Clarion Ledger.

• The Rebels' backfield hadn't fumbled all season until Cordera Eason coughed one up against Arkansas, writes Brandt in this notebook.

• Rick Cleveland of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger takes a look back at the 1959 Ole Miss team, one of the greatest of all-time.

• Who's had a better year as a head coach, Gene Chizik at Auburn or Paul Rhoads at Iowa State? Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News says the latter.

• Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com writes that the SEC is overrated.

• It's Forde Yard Dash time again. ESPN's Pat Forde takes a look at the top eight contenders for the national championship.

• Alabama place-kicker Leigh Tiffin is no longer using tape to mark his spots after Steve Spurrier called him out for it. It doesn't bother him, writes Michael Casagrande of the Decatur Daily.

• Tim Tebow's recent struggles aren't luring Georgia into a false sense of security, writes David Hale of the Macon Telegraph.

• Three have been arrested in the slaying of UConn cornerback Jasper Howard, write David Owens, Dave Altimari and Christine Dempsey of the Hartford Courant.

• Some professors at Cal are asking the university to stop subsidizing college athletics during these hard economic times, writes Nanette Asimov of the San Francisco Chronicle.

• For you fans of "Friday Night Lights" the TV show, The Onion gives a humorous Strong Side/Weak Side take on Dillon, err ... East Dillon coach Eric Taylor.

I wrote a story for today's newspaper about Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt's rocky one-year relationship at Arkansas back in 2006. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — The subject came up, just as expected.

Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn tiptoed around it, just as expected.

The topic was Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, the man who plucked Malzahn from the high school ranks to be Arkansas’ offensive coordinator in 2006, marginalized his play-calling duties during one tumultuous year (depending on who you believe) and watched him bolt to Tulsa in an acrimonious split neither one is necessarily thrilled to talk about these days.

“I hadn’t gotten a chance to visit with him since then,” Malzahn said diplomatically, “but he gave me an opportunity to get in the college game … and … you know …”

He trailed off nervously, turning his head and hoping for a different line of questioning. It’s clearly still a touchy subject.

Nutt and Malzahn’s one-year working — or non-working — relationship still piques interest in SEC circles. Although neither side goes into many specifics about the one-year failed experiment in Fayetteville, a general consensus of what happened has emerged over time.

Read the rest by clicking here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

AUBURN, Ala. — Running back Onterio McCalebb’s ankle hasn’t been the same since he had it rolled against Ball State. Neither has Auburn’s offense.

The Tigers have struggled without their speediest back, who has been less than 100 percent since originally injuring his right ankle on a fake punt Sept. 26.

“He would give us a shot in the arm,” offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said.

McCalebb, a true freshman from Fort Meade, Fla., via Hargrave Military Academy, averaged 91.3 rushing yards the first four games and earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after finishing with 204 all-purpose yards against Tennessee.

But he re-injured the ankle on a kickoff return at Arkansas. He’s played a limited role since, unable to run to the left side without feeling pain.

Auburn misses his speed, especially in the Wildcat formation, where he is the option on the sweep and forces a defense to cover the width of the field. Auburn also hasn’t had a running back to complement senior Ben Tate, whose workload has increased in McCalebb’s absence.

The offense, meanwhile, has struggled, watching its total yardage and points decrease each of the last five weeks, bottoming out with season lows of 10 points and 193 yards against LSU last Saturday.

“Sometimes I’ll be on the sidelines thinking about, ‘What if I was in the game?’ or stuff like that,” McCalebb said. “It kind of hurts me watching my teammates and I have to be keeping them up and telling them it’s going to be all right, it’s going to be all right. We’ll make it through this.”

McCalebb is hopeful that he’ll be 100 percent for Ole Miss this Saturday.

Follow the blog on Twitter. And read some of these other notes if you're so inclined ...

• Color everyone on Auburn extremely impressed with Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster, a speedster who won SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors after finishing with 123 rushing yards, 137 receiving yards and a touchdown against Arkansas last week. Defensive end Antonio Coleman compared the 5-foot-9, 170-pound McCluster to another diminutive back, West Virginia’s Noel Devine. That’s a high compliment, considering Devine ran for 128 yards against Auburn this year and 207 last season. “If he hits a crease, he’s gone,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “He plays on a whole different speed now. If you watch the film, his speed on the field is a little different than everybody else, so that is a challenge.”

• Malzahn said the offense needs to produce more yards in the passing game. The Tigers have thrown for only 309 yards the last three weeks, although Malzahn said they haven’t done anything fancy. “Matter of fact, a lot of teams are being a little more basic,” he said. “Like I said a couple weeks ago, they’re making us earn it, and we need to do a little better job of execution, and we need to keep them off balance. We’ve been one-dimensional, and in this league, if you’re one-dimensional, it’s extremely tough.” Ole Miss presents a challenge. The Rebels have the 14th ranked pass defense in the nation, giving up 166.9 yards per game.

• We finally got to talk to Eltoro tonight! But since I'll be writing about him for Thursday's paper, I don't want to put too many of the quotes up now. OK, here's one: "Really, just settle down and just relax more and play my game and just have confidence and whatever. It wasn't about I didn't know the plays, I didn't know what I was doing or it was hard for me to adjust. I was just trying to play not to make a mistake and when I talked to (defensive graduate assistant) Travis (Williams) or whatever and he was just telling me to go out there and relax -- everybody makes mistakes. Just go out there and play my game. That's what I did against LSU."

• OK, one more. Freeman on his absence from the team: "I felt like I was letting myself down, my fans down, my teammates down. They were really looking forward to me coming in and making an impact and I felt like I wasn't doing that. That was just really frustrating for me."

• Malzahn liked what he saw out of Mario Fannin as a tailback at the end of the LSU game, when the junior ran six times for 56 yards. "He's a versatile guy, and we do ask him to do a lot of different things," Malzahn said. "I was very impressed with the way he finished the game and took some reps in some different areas. He's one of our play-makers, and we're continually trying to find ways to get him the ball."

• Malzahn is convinced Chris Todd can turn things around. " I've got confidence in him. He's the same quarterback that played extremely well early on. There's a lot of variables that go into when your offense struggles. I know when the offense struggles, the focus is on the quarterback. There's a lot of variables. I feel like he's a good quarterback and he gives us the best chance to win."

• Center Ryan Pugh's confidence in Todd isn't shaken. "He hasn’t changed as a person. He’s still the same quarterback we named as a starter Day One, and he’s still our quarterback. Someone told me today that coach Chizik said he was our starting quarterback. I don’t think anyone on the team knew he wasn’t going to be our quarterback. Everyone is behind him. He’s a great player. He’s going through the same thing we’re all going through right now. It’s tough on him because when you’re the quarterback you’re going to get a lot of the blame. But it doesn’t is surely doesn’t need to be on him. There are 11 positions on offense, and I think you can go down the list and put some blame on everybody."

• Malzahn on TE Philip Lutzenkirchen, who caught a touchdown pass at LSU: "I think so. He's an extremely talented pass catcher. He's gotten better at blocking and the things we're asking him to do and he's practicing well, getting more confidence. It was a really nice play he made at the end of the game and there are some other younger guys on that drive that we were happy that made some plays against a good defense. Hopefully that'll help us with those younger guys create more depth and give them more confidence."

• Cornerback Walt McFadden knows defensive end Antoine Carter's knee if feeling better based on the amount of smack talk he's dishing out. "When he knee wasn't as healthy, the first couple games he came back he wasn't talking on the field," McFadden said. "He wasn't saying too much because he knew he was limited to what he can do. But lately he's been talking. Basically he's been telling people what he's going to do because he can do it now that his leg is healthy. ... He's like, 'I'm going to speed rush you. I'm going to bull rush you.' Sometimes he trick 'em. But you can tell that he's getting back into it."

• More good stuff out there on Carter, which I plan to use later in the week as well, but he commented on his smack-talking ways Tuesday: "You have to get out there and have fun. You can’t just be out there going through the motions because you’re body gets tired of it so you have to do something to make you keep going."

• Chizik commented on the general state of the team in the midst of this three-game losing streak. He seemed to say that what happened last year, when the team fell off a cliff, won't happen this year. (I'm not sure I believe him, but it's what he said.) Here is his comment on that subject: "If there was any finger pointing or anything like that going on, well I just don’t think that they want to go there. It’s like all of us, you’re a product of the past. Do you want to be like the past, or do you want to be different from the past? That’s everybody sitting in this room. You can choose to be like it or you can choose to be different. When I’m saying that I am proud of the football team, there is absolutely zero of that going on and there won’t be. So, if that was the case, well I don’t know, because I wasn’t here. If that was the case, then they have chose to go in another direction. That’s who they are right now, and that makes me happy. As long as we continue to do that, then we will have a chance to win every game we play if we execute, and it’s that simple.”

Gene Chizik is at the podium. Here's what he's had to say:

• "We're excited to get back to Jordan-Hare in front of our fans."

• "Ole Miss is a great football team. Probably the most balanced team we've played up to date, as far as being able to run the ball, throw the ball. Same thing defensively."

• On the team's mental state: "They're great. Just what I expected. I'm just really proud of this group and getting to know them as you go through some difficult times that we've embarked on these last few weeks. They're true personalities, the mark of the men is coming out."

• Chizik doesn't think there's one thing he can pinpoint on offense that's not going well right now.

• "It's a little breakdown here and a little breakdown there that causes things to get exposed."

• "The level of competition has gone up. And we've got to be better at what we do."

• He wasn't sure how DE Antoine Carter would come back from a knee injury but has been pleasantly surprised. "I thought he really came to play Saturday night," Chizik said. "We need him for this home stretch."

• The team hadn't had a day off for three months before Sunday. The Tigers did more work with the film and mental stuff instead of being physical. "I thought the timing was really good," Chizik said. "And they were great. Their response was great."

• Doesn't know how much fatigue has played into the slide. Says execution is a bigger factor. "This is the time of the year where everybody is tired," he said.

• On QB Chris Todd: "I think you have to be tough to be a quarterback anywhere." He said people like to pin too much good and too much bad stuff on the quarterback everywhere. "Common sense would tell you, there's a bunch of pressure on those guys," he said. "But that's what makes football great."

• Chizik said the struggles aren't necessarily all Todd's fault. "Chris Todd is a quarterback, but when it's third-and-7 and he's got five guys in his lap, that's not Chris Todd. That's different people."

• Chizik thought it was important to say Todd was still the starter on Sunday, just from a confidence issue.

• "Quarterback's got to be a tough-minded position. It all comes with the territory and they have to be mentally prepared for it. ... No different than coaching, right?"

• Chiziks Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster is a difference maker. "His speed on the field is a little different than everybody else."

Women's basketball coach Nell Fortner is speaking before Gene Chizik. Here's what she's had to say:

• Reneisha Hobbs tore her ACL. She'll miss the season. That's two ACL tears for Auburn already this year. Morgan Jennings injured herself in the summer.

• Fortner says the team is still going to run, even with the injuries and losing point guard Whitney Boddie to graduation.

• KeKe Carrier and Pascale West will be the big players in the post. They stand 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8.

• Fortner says this year's freshman class is outstanding.

• Alli Smalley is going to be asked to score more this year. Fortner said her leadership has improved tremendously.

• She said there's a lot more teaching this year than last year with all the freshmen. "But they're picking up things fast," she said.

• Jordan Greenleaf is back after injuring her knee last year. "We missed her last year," Fortner said. "She has a presence about her when she's on the floor."

• Freshman Morgan Toles will be the point guard. Fortner is pleased with her progress but says she has a long ways to go. She said Toles is highly fit and can go all the time like Boddie used to be able to.

• Smalley is the backup point guard.

• She thinks the league is wide open. If she had to pick a favorite, she said she'd go with Mississippi State, which returns eight seniors. "Outside of that, it's up for grabs," Fortner said.

• Fortner thinks Carrier is as close to being in the best physical shape of her career. "KeKe has to decide what Keke wants to do," she said. "A kid has to decide in her heart how good she wants to be."

• Last year's disappointing finish still lingers for the returning members of the team. "You're looking at a team that's ready to prove themselves."

It's a busy day here at the Auburn athletic complex. Start it off with some college football links:

• It will be an odd homecoming for Ole Miss LB Patrick Trahan, who played at Auburn for two seasons before being academically ineligible, writes David Brandt of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

• Ole Miss DE Kentrell Lockett has a hurt knee and RB Dexter McCluster won SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors, writes Brandt in this notebook.

• Brandt calls senior OL Brandon Green and DE LaMark Armour "glue guys" in this blog post.

• More useful Ole Miss stuff in this blog post too, including a note on Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's icy relationship with current Rebels coach Houston Nutt.

• Bad coaching is the reason for Auburn's recent slide, writes Paul Finebaum.

• There are no shortage of SEC officiating stories out on the web today. We'll start in Tennessee, where coach Lane Kiffin got a reprimand from the SEC after criticizing officials after the Vols' loss to Alabama, writes Austin Ward of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

• Kiffin claims he didn't want to run another play at the end of the Alabama game because he feared Tennessee would get flagged and pushed out of field goal range, writes Beth Rucker of the Associated Press.

• Vols assistant Ed Orgeron said favoritism is a reality in the SEC while speaking to a quarterback club, writes Dave Hooker of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

• Kiffin is adding to the SEC conspiracy flames, writes ESPN.com blogger Chris Low.

• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that the SEC should suspend Kiffin.

• Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is crying foul after the refs botched a replay call against Florida, writes Kyle Veazey of the Jackson Clarion Ledger. The SEC also had a reprimand for him. (Is this kind of like going on a permanent record? When does this stuff ever come into play?)

• Hey, Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson wants to get in on the fun too, writes Low.

• There's a human side to all these complaints. Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News writes about one of the officials who has had to deal with harassing calls since making an erroneous personal foul call against Arkansas in the Florida game.

• Here's an SEC Hot/Not list from Low. Chris Todd is not hot:

• "Auburn quarterback Chris Todd: After watching him play so well the first month of the season, it’s hard to believe that Todd has fallen this far this fast. He finished with 47 passing yards and an interception in the 31-10 loss to Auburn and is in danger of losing his job if he doesn’t regain his form."
  

• Georgia safety Bryan Evans will be returning home when the Bulldogs take on the Gators in Jacksonville this week, writes Fletcher Page.

• Urban Meyer says it's Florida against the world, writes David Jones on this blog post.

• Things haven't worked out so well for the three Heisman frontrunners this season, writes ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

• Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, as he always does, has plenty of good stuff in this College Football Overtime notebook.

• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wonders if Tommy Tuberville might have his eye on the Central Florida job should George O'Leary get fired.

• Think Iowa State was pumped to have beaten Nebraska? You've got to feel good for Paul Rhoads here.

I continued the quarterback theme in Tuesday's newspaper with a story about backup Neil Caudle and the way he's handled still being second fiddle to starter Chris Todd. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — There is a picture that circulates on Internet message boards every time Auburn’s quarterback situation gets dicey.

It’s a lineup from an Elite 11 quarterback camp in 2005 featuring several of the nation’s top high school recruits.

Current NFL players Josh Freeman and Matthew Stafford, who broke records at Kansas State and Georgia, respectively, flank the group. Current college stars such as Florida’s Tim Tebow, Mississippi’s Jevan Snead and even Delaware’s Pat Devlin, a former Penn State player, stand between them.

Smack dab in the middle are the unmistakable, well-coiffed bangs of Neil Caudle, who continues to wait his turn at Auburn.

Caudle gave his full support to Chris Todd after coaches told him Sunday that they will stick with the struggling starter despite Auburn’s three-game losing streak. Todd has completed only 50 percent of his passes the past three weeks for 260 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

“We’re handling it the right way,” Caudle said. “We believe in Chris. We believe he’s a good player. He’s shown that numerous times. Things aren’t clicking on offense right now but we’re going to get it fixed and we know Chris is going to do a good job for us.”

Read the rest here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

Here's the Elite 11 picture mentioned above:

I put together a new video from Sunday's round of interviews. It's got quarterback Chris Todd, defensive coordinator Ted Roof and defensive end Antonio Coleman answering questions looking back at the LSU game and forward to the Ole Miss game.

Enjoy.

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn running back Eric Smith was granted youthful offender status last week on a charge of third-degree assault stemming from an Aug. 21 incident outside of an area hotel, an Auburn court clerk confirmed Monday.

Smith applied for the status Oct. 20. It effectively seals the case from the public, much like a juvenile file.

Youthful offender status is generally granted in Alabama to people under the age of 21 who have little or no criminal history. If the offender meets certain requirements set by the court, charges can be dismissed.

The 19-year-old Smith was arrested in the parking lot of the Lexington Hotel in the early morning hours of Aug. 21 after police say they saw him punch another Auburn student, Decari Jenkins, in the back of the head.

Smith was originally arrested for disorderly conduct but surrendered to police again days later after charges were upgraded to third-degree assault.

On Aug. 31, Smith filed a harassment claim against Jenkins, alleging that Jenkins had punched him earlier in the night. Those charges have been dropped, the clerk said.

Smith, a sophomore from Seffner, Fla., was suspended by Auburn coach Gene Chizik for 2½ weeks after the incident. The running back missed the season opener but has played in every game since, starting four times at H-back. He has 10 carries for 55 yards and 12 catches for 174 yards.

Smith has not been made available to reporters this season despite repeated requests. Chizik has been hesitant to comment specifically on Smith’s situation.

“He loves football and he loves Auburn,” Chizik said Oct. 4. “As I said, he’ll be a better Auburn man if you see him back and he’s a better Auburn man than he was then. I still believe that.”

A busy day of links. Let's get straight to them:

• Ole Miss got its offensive humming against Arkansas, thanks to quarterback Jevan Snead and running back Dexter McCluster, writes David Brandt of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

• Ole Miss' defense had a strong effort in a 30-17 victory against Arkansas last week, writes Brandt.

• As Snead's numbers rise so do the Rebels, Brandt writes.

• Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that Ole Miss had the solution to its offensive problems all along. Just give the ball to McCluster.

• After a slow start, the Rebels are back in the national rankings, writes Jim Mashek of the South Mississippi Sun-Herald.

• Jerry Hinnen of the War Eagle Reader has some knee-jerk reactions from Auburn's loss to LSU last weekend.

• The wheels have fallen off the Gus (Malzahn) Bus, especially after Saturday's ugly performance at LSU, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.

• Kentucky was no aberration for the Auburn offense, writes Bill Bryant of the Huntsville Times.

• Auburn was exposed as a pretender, writes Josh Moon of the Montgomery Advertiser.

• Auburn didn't drop any lower in ESPN.com blogger Chris Low's SEC power rankings, but it's still 10th:

• "10. Auburn: The ship appears to be taking on water by the second on the Plains. The Tigers (5-3, 2-3) have lost three in a row after falling 31-10 to LSU on Saturday and will be hard-pressed to win another SEC game at this rate. Their defense isn’t stopping anybody, and now Gus Malzahn’s offense has bogged down in the last two games. Gene Chizik said he’s sticking with Chris Todd at quarterback."

• And what did Low learn about Auburn this week? Auburn is a mess.

• "3. Auburn is teetering: The Tigers’ bubble hasn’t just burst. It’s completely evaporated. After starting the season 5-0, they’ve now lost three in a row after dropping a 31-10 decision to LSU on Saturday, and if you look at their remaining SEC schedule, it’s difficult to see them winning another game in the conference. They’ve got Ole Miss at home next week, travel to Georgia on Nov. 14 and then end the season at home against Alabama on Nov. 27. It’s a little bit of everything right now for Gene Chizik, too. Quarterback Chris Todd all of a sudden looks like he did last year before he had shoulder surgery, and the defense has been spotty all season. That’s not a good combination. If Gus Malzahn and the Auburn offense, which looked like one of the most balanced units in the country during its five-game winning streak, can’t get back to scoring points and moving the ball, then it’s really going to get ugly on the Plains the rest of the way."

• It's the Music City Bowl or the PapaJohns.com Bowl for Auburn in ESPN's latest projections.

• LSU, even though it is ranked No. 9, can make some waves in the BCS rankings if it continues to win, writes Brad Edwards of ESPN.com.

• Ray Melick of the Birmingham News wonders if Alabama is suddenly vulnerable after a tight one against Tennessee.

• Nick Saban is concerned about the mental state of his team, writes Michael Casagrande of the Decatur Daily.

• Saban also wants his offense to take some risks, writes John Zenor of the Associated Press.

• Georgia is well-rested and ready for one more shot against Florida's Tim Tebow, writes Tyler Estep.

• Tebow declined to talk to the media after a close win against Mississippi State last week in which he threw for only 127 yards and had two interceptions returned for touchdowns by the Bulldogs. That's weak. Say what you will about Chris Todd, but I can't recall a time he's ever ducked the media. Very stand up guy.

• Did Florida get another gift call at MSU? It looks like it.

• I want to see Auburn try this play in the next game. It will provide comical results whether if it goes well and comic results if it goes bad.