How did Gene Chizik and his staff land perhaps the school's best class ever? By shooting for the stars, in direct contrast to Tommy Tuberville's philosophy in his final years on the Plain.

But the sports world didn't begin and end with football recruiting this week. Mike Davis faced his personal white whale and got eaten again by Memphis. What does that loss mean for UAB's NCAA Tournament hopes.

Listen in as columnists Kevin Scarbinsky and Ray Melick discuss it in this week's Birmingham News sports podcast.

Is Derek Dooley the right choice for the Tennessee Volunteers? How will the Lane Kiffin experiment affect UT Athletics Director Mike Hamilton?

UAB is on a hot streak on the basketball court. Mike Davis has his Blazers off to a school-best 16-2 start. Who would have thought that after he lost prize recuit DeMarcus Cousins to Kentucky and flirted with Washington State for the Cougars' vacant job that UAB would be in this position?

Meanwhile, Alabama and Auburn basketball are plodding along in the SEC. Auburn got a much-needed win last night at LSU, but the Tigers' RPI as of yesterday was 173, which was even behind Troy. Alabama, coming off a tight loss to Tennessee, was at No. 90. Is this another lost season for the state's two major programs?

Some fans and sports writers say the Crimson Tide's title is tainted because Colt McCoy went down with an injury on the game's first series. Is that fair?

Did Kiffin owe the players and fans in Knoxville anything after just one season at Tennessee or should they understand business is business?

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Kevin wrote a column this week talking with Barkley about his feelings on his school's football program. That column sparked a lot of talk and a lot of heat from readers and from Barkley. Kevin explains why some may have been upset with the column.

With all the attention Alabama is receiving in the postseason -- Mark Ingram's Heisman Trophy, Rolando McClain's two trophies as a top defensive player and six AP All-Americans -- will the Tide be affected by the hype headed into a tough game against Texas?

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Let's start with the Heisman Trophy. Both Kevin and Ray have Heisman votes. Ray voted for Mark Ingram. Kevin voted for Rolando McClain. What have the reactions been like from Alabama fans to your votes?

Did the BCS get this matchup right? Are we certain that Texas is better than TCU, or that Texas is better than Cincinnati? Because I'm not sold Texas is better than TCU. It's possible Texas is. But I think it's possible Texas isn't, and to me that's the unfair flaw in the BCS process. The highest-ranked team Texas beat in the final BCS standings is Oklahoma State. There was no statement victory for Texas like Alabama had against No. 11 Virginia Tech, No. 12 LSU and No. 5 Florida.

Did Auburn outmaneuver the other SEC schools with 7-5 records to get the Outback Bowl bid? If so, how did they manage it?

Auburn is off this week after a crushing loss to Georgia. Very few people will give Auburn a chance of beating Alabama. What does

How about the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers? They are 5-5, within one game of being bowl eligible, and two

>> Tigers travel to Georgia this week for a key game for both teams. Auburn is 7-3 and could be looking at a pretty solid bowl with another win. Georgia is 5-4 and the fans are howling. Who needs this game more? Auburn's got to do what to win?

>> Let's turn to SEC officiating -- again, unfortunately. Another week, another controversy. LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson appeared to intercept a pass late in the game vs. Alabama, but was ruled out of bounds and instant replay didn't change the call. Did the officials miss the call?