• I've got an idea: What if we went with that kid from Florida? Tiresome S-E-C! bravado receives yet another testosterone shot courtesy of Sports Illustrated, which comes out this week with its seventh Tebow cover and a feature by former LSU player John Ed Bradley on "the nation's toughest conference." An odd conclusion to reach after a weekend in which the cover boy had a pedestrian night, the home team in both of the conference's biggest games failed to score a touchdown and another high-profile team entered full-fledged meltdown mode. But it's their magazine.

• Stafon is free! (Just don't speak, swallow, hum or take a deep breath, OK?) USC running back Stafon Johnson looked good Wednesday, emerging from the hospital looking fit and in good spirits, with only his silence and a plastic breathing tube around his neck as a reminder that he was nearly killed when a barbell crushed his throat during a weightlifting accident two weeks ago. Doctors are "happy with the progress" Johnson has made since then, but reemphasized just how dire the injury was in the beginning:

"When I initially evaluated him, I was surprised that he had made it even to the hospital at all," [Dr. Jason S.] Hamilton said. "I think that's a testament that he's been fighting from the beginning and his recovery is following suit with that and that's why he's made such progress."

Hamilton was also noncommittal about Johnson's prospects of returning to the field: "I don't think any physician can tell a player if they're going to play again." Johnson's own statement, read by his mother: "Beat the Irish."

• It's tough out there for a Bronco. Boise State won in efficient, non-sketchy fashion on the road, 28-21, but even coach Chris Petersen recognized his team did itself no favors in terms of public perception by failing to grind Tulsa into dust on national television less than three weeks after Oklahoma blasted the Golden Hurricane 45-0 with Sam Bradford watching in street clothes. Boise will be on ESPN again for a couple more school-night games down the stretch, but after the Broncos dispatched Oregon in the opener, Tulsa was widely regarded as the toughest remaining test on BSU's schedule and the best chance for voters to come away suitably impressed enough to keep the smurfy upstarts in the national championship picture; the lingering image instead seems to be three 75-plus-yard touchdown drives -- including two long touchdown passes -- by the team that was shut out by a real powerhouse, with Rece Davis and Lou Holtz intoning their skepticism in the closing seconds about the Broncos' prospects of rising in the polls.

Odds now are they're not going anywhere, and may even begin to fall as the more high-profile teams immediately behind them at the moment (USC, Ohio State, Miami, Iowa) begin their ascent in conference play, unless the rest of the top five starts dropping in an unthinkable bloodbath over the next month-and-a-half.

• San Diego State, ladies and gentlemen. When last we left the smoking remnants of the Chuck Long administration in San Diego, the fired coach was still hanging around on campus, Costanza style, drawing a full salary for "projects and analysis" while the university wracked its brain figuring out how to get rid of him. Long is still there more than three months after SDSU hired a consultant to negotiate his exit, and yet another reminder of his lamentable tenure popped up this week, when former Aztec lineman Lance Louis -- now a rookie with the Chicago Bears -- was charged with misdemeanor assault almost a full year after allegedly leaving teammate Nick Sandford with a concussion, broken eardrum and fractured cheekbone in a locker room fracas last November. But it didn't seem to bother Long much at the time (emphasis added):

The case drew the ire of Sandford's father and others because it wasn't reported to SDSU police for more than two weeks and because Louis apparently wasn't disciplined by then-head coach Chuck Long. Sandford's father, Paul, had said Long told him last year that he was “concerned about his quarterback” if Louis, one of the team's best blockers, were suspended. Sandford also said Long told him he "didn't want to upset" Louis' chances of getting drafted by an NFL team.

Sandford started seven games last year before the incident and didn't play in the three games afterward. Louis started all but one of SDSU's 12 games last year, including the three after the incident.

The pressing question from SDSU's perspective is whether Long's failure to report the incident, or his statement that Sandford suffered the concussion in practice, amounted to "material dishonesty," which would give the university grounds to finally terminate his contract.

Quickly ... The Lombardi Award's list of the best dozen offensive and defensive linemen of the first half of the season includes only one offensive lineman, Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung. ... More signs of the economic times: Cal will bus six hours to Los Angeles for its game with UCLA, and Miami will bus it to Orlando to play Central Florida. ... The 'Canes will be without defensive starters Eric Moncur and Randy Phillips for the trip due to lingering injuries. ... Injured Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski may go straight to the NFL rather than return to Arizona for his senior season if he's projected as a first-rounder. ... Injured Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin underwent "very successful" surgery on his knee. ... While the star receiver lobbies for his reinstatement, meet the man filling Dez Bryant's considerable shoes at Oklahoma State. ... New Mexico receiver Ty Kirk was suspended for two games for an unspecified violation of team rules, joining his head coach for the first one. ... Southern Miss' best defensive end, Roshaad Byrd, is out for the season with an ankle injury, adding to the Eagles' long list of injury woes. ... Boss Lane Kiffin gets his travel plans from recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron during Tennessee's bye week. ... Michigan comes to grips with its midseason reality, and Rich Rodriguez publicly backed off his oft-repeated claim that Michigan posted a record team-wide GPA during his first season, thanks to a records request from (three guesses, Blue fans) the Detroit Free Press. ... Terrelle Pryor thinks Ohio State's offense is ready to roll, a good prediction when its next opponent is Purdue, while Buckeye fans are getting into the Halloween spirit. ... Auburn is promoting its Halloween game against Ole Miss as the "Navy Nightmare." ... The South Bend Tribune says Matt Barkley has grown up fast, and USC beat reporters wholeheartedly agree. ... For some reason, Tim Brewster is failing to get his Twitter on during Penn State week. ... And I have no idea what he's addressing, specifically, but I sincerely hope Eric Berry never views me as one of these people.