You can relax now

With Urban Meyer's change of heart today that he'll just take a leave of absence as head man at UF, there are fans at many other places who are much more at ease today than just the Gator Nation.

These are the programs who can breathe a sigh of relief that their coach won't be shopping for a new home in Gainesville.

1. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State. Mullen may have only went 5-7 in his first year in Starkville, but he's Meyer bred, has a great offensive mind and could complete a near seamless transition. The Bulldogs can relax for now that Mullen will be back in 2010.

2. Kyle Whittingham, Utah. This would likely be Meyer's choice to replace him, but AD Jeremy Foley knows this is his call. Still, Whittingham would be a great pick and he's proven he can beat Alabama.

3. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas. This just feels like a horrible fit, but Petrino can flat out coach. He's slimy and no one can trust him (just ask the fans at Louisville). Just imagine what he could do with the talent in Gainesville. It's kind of scary.

4. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma. I don't really think he'd leave Norman for this job, but he'd have to give it some serious consideration. Sooner fans just have to get tired of hearing his name come up so often. The funny thing about this one is some ESPN talking head (I think it was Dr. Lou Holtz) who said they should consider his brother Mike at Arizona. That could possibly be the worst suggestion ever (surprised he didn't suggest Skip Holtz from East Carolina).

5. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford. I still think he's waiting to take over at Michigan after next year, but it would be hard for someone as competitive as Harbaugh to not consider going to Florida. Stanford fans want to remind everyone that Harbaugh just signed an extension, but what does that really mean today? The Gators would love this guy's moxie.

6. Kevin Sumlin, Houston. If this had happened there would have been a lot of surprised Florida fans. But Sumlin is well respected and many think he'll get a big-time job in the next year or two. His offensive mind may be better than Meyer's and Mullen's. Houston knows it can't keep Sumlin forever.

7. Chris Petersen, Boise State. Rumor is Petersen is not looking to upgrade from his gig in Idaho, but could he really turn down a choice job like UF? I think not. If you can win the way he has in Boise imagine what he'd do with the talent you can attract in Florida? However, Boise fans can relax because Petersen loves right where he is.

8. Gary Patterson, TCU. Both the 'Eye and the 'Eer are big Patterson fans, so we think this would have been one of the top three options for Foley. The Horned Frogs have been highly competitive during Patterson's tenure, and they play some of the best defense in the nation. He'd also be a great fit in the SEC.

9. Charlie Strong, Louisville. There's probably no one more pleased to hear Meyer will probably be back for 2010. Strong, who has taken the Louisville job, has remained in Gainesville to coach the defense in the Sugar Bowl. If not for the new job, Strong could have been a legitimate inside candidate. Now Strong doesn't have to consider reneging on Louisville.

10. Bill Stewart, West Virginia. I can dream right? He would give the Gators a chance to see what it would be like to have Bobby Bowden coach at UF. Stewart would also coach the superbly talented Gators to a second- or third-place finish and confuse the fans with random, unintelligible post-game comments.

Picks of the Week: No. 4

Guess I'm wimping out this week. I like Bowling Green to cover against Boise State, and Iowa to cover at Penn State. Heck, I even like TCU to cover at Clemson, but I'm not taking any of those games. Forgive me, but I need to improve on my record.

Here's my shot at a better record.

Miami (-2.0) over Virginia Tech
Miami is not back yet. The Hurricanes are much better than most expected, but championship UM teams are better than this squad. However, Randy Shannon's team is oozing confidence and they are more talented than the Hokies. Force Tyrod Taylor to throw and it's an easy win for Miami.
Pick: Miami 33, Virginia Tech 22

Florida Sate (-14.0) over South Florida
A week ago I would have taken the Bulls and the points. Matt Grothe and his ACL tear changes things a bit. Now Christian Ponder will be the best quarterback in this game. Hell, E.J. Manuel may be the second-best QB in Tallahassee. The Noles are rolling into this game following last week's win at BYU. The Bulls are just reeling.
Pick: FSU 34, South Florida 14

Ohio State (-14.0) over Illinois
Been reading all week how Illinois upset OSU two years ago in The Shoe. It's not going to happen, and the Illini won't even cover. The Buckeyes are still the best team in the Big Ten and they'll prove that again this week with a stout defensive performance.
Pick: Ohio State 28, Illinois 13

Alabama (-17.5) over Arkansas
Did you see all of those points the Razorbacks scored against Georgia? Sure, but Arkansas lost. Now Bobby Petrino must get his offense ready to play a much more aggressive and speedy defense. Bama will roll easily.
Pick: Alabama 48, Arkansas 21

Upset of the Week Texas Tech (+1.0) over Houston
The Red Raiders surprised me in a close loss to Texas last week in Austin. Houston had its moment at Oklahoma State. QB Taylor Potts fits well into Mike Leach's system and he'll pick apart the Cougars defense.
Pick: Texas Tech 42, Houston 30

Last Week: 3-2
Season Record: 8-7

Podcast: Episode 41

We have a special guest this week on An 'Eye and an 'Eer: College Football Podcast. We welcome Mike Eisenberg from Eisentower30.com and big-time Miami Hurricanes' fan. Eisenberg, a former minor-league baseball player, is now a film student in Chicago. He provides us a little insight into UM's big road test in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech. The 'Eye and the 'Eer take a look at last week's interesting outcomes, as well as look into our crystal balls as we consider some of the possibilities this weekend. We also discuss Pete Carroll, Bobby Petrino, the lackluster Florida Gators, Matt Grothe and Penn State.

Don't overlook Arkansas with Mallett at QB

It felt like I was at the SEC Media Day today. Following a number of outlets on Twitter I learned some valuable insight into the conference. But nothing was more clear than this simple fact:

SEC coaches love Tim Tebow (except one unidentified coach who didn't vote for him as the preseason SEC quarterback). Did you see new Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen wants his daughter to marry Tebow (who doesn't?).

However, the most interesting nugget I gleaned from this annual slap on the back for being the greatest conference in college football was the status of Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.

Mallett, who sat out last season after transferring from Michigan and Rich Rodriguez' spread offense, has impressed many folks with his arm strength. He's a big dude at 6-foot-6, 240-pounds, and Razorback fans are hoping he has broad shoulders as he tries to lift Arkansas up from a down 5-7 season.

According to a quote in the Orlando Sentinel, Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams said, "He has the strongest arm in college football. I'd have to take my gloves off because he ripped off the sticky stuff."

Put Mallett's unquestionable talent with coach Bobby Petrino's knack for devising tough-to-stop offensive schemes could mean a breakout season for the quarterback.

It also means one more talented SEC team, and a dangerous game for anyone in the conference.