Tennessee Volunteers

Blame Alabama and Georgia. Point fingers at Auburn, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, too. The Southeastern Conference, once the most dominant league in the land, lost its stranglehold on college football over the last three years.

Alabama's Charles Bediako had four dunks, two steals and two blocks in his first college action in nearly three years Saturday night against Tennessee. Playing two days after a Tuscaloosa judge temporarily reinstated his college eligibility and blocked the NCAA from retaliating for his return, the 7-footer finished with 13 points and three rebounds in 25 minutes in a 79-73 loss to the Volunteers.

Alabama's season may have aged coach Nick Saban a bit, but he's not complaining. Nothing has come easy so far for the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide.

Alabama players surged back onto the field happily puffing on celebratory cigars. The 11th-ranked Crimson Tide had plenty to celebrate minutes after producing an utterly dominant second half to keep their national championship hopes from going up in smoke.

Jeb Bush is getting a jump on the so-called SEC primary by visiting campuses in Southern states that vote for the GOP's presidential nominee on March…