THE SCOOP
Former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, now at Cincinnati, has a vote in the coaches’ poll, but he told ESPN that Ohio State gets the nod over Auburn on his ballot … for now. “That’s my vote,” Tuberville said. “But, again, your vote only counts to the last (poll). I’ll watch the games next weekend and look at it. I tell you: Ohio State has their hands full against a very good Michigan State team. I’m not so sure Missouri is not the No. 2 team in the country, along with Auburn. Auburn has got to work through their third miracle, so to speak.”
SEW IT UP
Midway through the final quarter of Alabama’s staggering loss to Auburn, a Tigers trainer spotted a rip in defensive end LaDarius Owens’ jersey. Owens peeled off the jersey, and equipment manager Dana Marquez went to work on a Viking Emerald Series 116 sewing machine.
It took 30 seconds to repair the jersey and the sewing machine became a star thanks to CBS.
Not long after its TV debut, the sewing machine had its own Twitter account, @ausewingmachine, with 1,400 followers as of Tuesday. Its tweets advocate AU Sewing Machine for Heisman and play host to sewing puns like, “I’m not gonna let this fame get to my thread.”
Marquez said the Tigers have four sewing machines; a different color thread in each — orange, blue, white and multifaceted for those wondering.
One sewing machine even travels with the team to away games. They usually hand stitch problem jerseys, but the Owens’ rip was too large.
MONEY
Former Tennessee defensive lineman Maurice Couch said family obligations led him to accept benefits, which caused him to lose his eligibility.
“As a father, I had to do what I had to (do) to take care of my family,” Couch said. He said that he feared his wife and daughter would have to return to her family in Kansas if he didn’t get the money. Couch played two games for Tennessee this season before Yahoo Sports reported in September that he received four payments totaling $1,350 from Luther Davis, who acted as a go-between for the players with agents and financial advisers. Tennessee announced last month that the NCAA declared Couch permanently ineligible. Couch says he’s on track to graduate later this month.
ACCIDENT
A construction accident at Texas A&M’s under-renovation football stadium, Kyle Field, has left a 25-year-old worker hurt after he fell about four stories. His condition is unknown. Kyle Field is undergoing $450 million in upgrades to put in new grass and expand seating from 82,600 to 102,500, making it the largest stadium in the SEC.
HE SAID IT
“When we first got here, we asked them, ‘Don’t worry about anything that’s happened in the past.’ Don’t care whose fault it was as far as last year, all that. Everybody has a fresh start.’” — Auburn coach Gus Malzahn on the Tigers’ turnaround from 3-9 a year ago to 11-1.
