Spanning the globe on a Wednesday morning. ...

From Memphis, Ron Higgins writes about the new and improved Vanderbilt and how Commodores' coach James Franklin used a fan's harrassment as motivation last week in a 24-21 comeback win against UConn.

People say this isn't the same old Vanderbilt, but Ole Miss has struggled with the old Vanderbilt recently, losing two of the last three and four of the last six.

I like the Rebels' chances Saturday if they continue to stay clear of interceptions thrown by the quarterbacks and continue to grab a couple with their defensive backs. Need to show improvement on the offensive line too.

Looks like both teams in Nashville will be stronger in the backfield. Vanderbilt is expected to have tailback Warren Norman -- whose 80-yard TD run was a game-changer in Oxford last year -- for the first time.

For Ole Miss, Brandon Bolden and Enrique Davis were both at practice yesterday and appear on track to play Saturday. ...

From Athens, Georgia coach Mark Richt is upbeat in spite of his team's 0-2 start. The Bulldogs have lost to two ranked opponents. They are at home Saturday against Coastal Carolina before facing Ole Miss in Oxford next week. ...

From Baton Rouge, LSU coach Les Miles says his defense will look forward to playing physical with the Mississippi State offense Thursday night in Starkville. ...

On the expansion front, Oklahoma leadership is leaning to a move to the PAC-12, but it's not a done deal. ...