Save Rice for political posts

SO, IT HAS BEEN reported that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to be on the 12-to-18-member College Football Playoff selection committee being put together by conference commissioners for next season's new playoff format.

Some of the other names supposedly in play are those of former Mississippi quarterback Archie Manning, former Big East commish Mike Tranghese, Nebraska legend Tom Osborne, former Notre Dame/Stanford/Washington coach Tyrone Willingham and current athletic directors Pat Haden (Southern Cal) and Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin).

What, no Lou Holtz?

Anyway, ESPN analyst David Pollack, the onetime Georgia linebacker, suggested that a woman shouldn't serve on the panel. To which former ESPN sideline reporter and current Fox studio host Erin Andrews understandably retorted, "I'm a female. Thanks for having me in college football."

Gender, of course, shouldn't be an issue. Go ahead and put Andrews on the list. Or any other woman who brings a certain degree of local knowledge to the equation. I figure there's no shortage of candidates who are more than worthy. But Rice? I've checked out her bio on Wikipedia, and unless I'm not digging hard enough I can't find anything that makes her a prime suspect. Other than maybe a brief engagement to football player Rick Upchurch in the 1970s or the fact that her father was a longtime football and basketball coach.

Maybe she's a big fan. And maybe so is Al Gore. I'm not saying Rice can't handle the responsibility. But I do think if someone wants women to serve, then they could have come up with a better choice. Yet if you question the inclusion of Rice, then somehow you are questioning the legitimacy of half the population.

If I was looking for someone to go to bat for me on an international platform, Rice might indeed be my first call. But all that counts in such an inexact science is getting it as right as possible. Because the first time a team claims it has been hosed, the CFP's credibility is going to get scrutinized. Just as the poll voters and the computer rankings do now when a controversy arises.

I'd rather save Rice for the really important stuff.

The first standings of the last season of the BCS era will come out next week.

Consider yourself warned.

Georgia's Aaron Murray just became the SEC's all-time leader in passing yardage. Whose record did he break? Hint: It happened in the early 2000s. See Answer Man.

For the first time, Rutgers has scored 28 or more points in its first five games.

* Louisville has outscored its opponents in the first half, 127-3.

* Houston leads the country in turnover margin (plus-2.8).

* Memphis (1-3) has had the lead or been tied in the fourth quarter of all four of its games.

* Oregon, which hasn't given up more 16 points in a game, is second in the nation in scoring defense with an 11.8 average.

* Baylor has 39 TDs, one more than Notre Dame scored all last season.

* Missouri is the fourth ranked team that Georgia has played in its first six games. All were unbeaten, and Clemson still is. The Dawgs gave South Carolina and LSU their lone losses.

* Nebraska is finally on the road, in Game 6. How is that possible?

Georgia's David Greene (11,528 from 2001-04).