SIDELINE PASS

Notes from the pregame sideline....

--During the Star-Spangled Banner, the Florida Gator mascot stands at attention. The driver and passenger riding shotgun in Oklahoma's Sooner Schooner, however, remain seated. (That's where the term "shotgun", in terms of riding, originated by the way. With covered wagons. I know. You don't care.)

--There are ten Heisman Trophy winners here--a dozen, if you add the two who are playing--and all ten were honored at midfield during a pregame ceremony. When former Sooner Billy Sims was announced, he went all Mary Catherine Gallagher again and attempted to launch his own cheerfest. I'm wondering if the other Heisman Trophy winners are going to start discussing kicking him out of the club.

--The military flyover occurred about 20 seconds into the national anthem. Prematue ejetuation.

--One of the writers wondered why the BCS game could not follow in the Rose Bowl's footsteps and have Cloris Leachman do the coin toss. "At least you'd think they'd be able to find some 80 year-old down here," one wag mused.

--The Gators are well-represented down here in the press box, and by people who used to work/perform at the games. Andy Staples of SI.com was a walk-on offensive lineman. Jesse Palmer, as you know, was a quarterback. Erin Andrews was a member of the Dazzlers, the dance team. And ESPN mag writer Alyssa Roenigk, she of the superfluous "g", was a Gator cheerleader. I promised Alyssa that I'd mention her website here to drive traffic its way.

"You'll get at least seventeen new readers to your site thanks to my blog," I told her.

"Only sixteen," said G.A., another Gator who is here. "I'm working tonight so I can't read the blog."

--Standing on the sideline an hour before the game, I spotted Drew Rosenhaus, Clarissa Thompson (going blonde), Barry Alvarez (going orange) and Brian Bosworth, who I realized has a very similar profile to Patrick Swayze. "Is that The Boz?" I asked my buddy J.B. Morris, somewhat rhetorically. His answer: "Brian Bosworth, every day, overhears someone asking 'Is that The Boz'?"

Very true.