SEC East notebook

FLORIDA: Senior safety Tony Joiner could be reinstated as a team captain before Saturday's home finale against rival Florida State.

Joiner was stripped of his captaincy following his Oct. 2 arrest on a felony burglary charge. The charge was dropped three days later, clearing the way for Joiner to play in Florida's 28-24 loss at LSU.

But coach Urban Meyer's punishment for Joiner stuck. Meyer felt Joiner shouldn't have been out so late at night. It didn't matter that he was trying to get his girlfriend's car out of a towing impound lot.

Joiner had to do a few early morning workout sessions, but the toughest penalty was losing his leadership status.

``That was the worst thing in the world, to be stripped of my captaincy and just knowing how hard I worked to get where I was and to lose it on a boneheaded mistake and a boneheaded decision,'' Joiner said. ``It was tough for me.''

But with Joiner facing his final home game Saturday, when the 12th-ranked Gators (8-3) host the Seminoles (7-4), Meyer said he could be reinstated for ``Senior Day.''

``There's a chance,'' Meyer said, adding that Joiner helped keep Florida together following back-to-back losses to Auburn and LSU. ``His best two games were the two after those losses.''

GEORGIA: The No. 6 Bulldogs never lose sight of their rivalry with Florida, even when asked an innocent question about who should win the Heisman Trophy.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford and safety Kelin Johnson both leaned toward Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, who is out for the year after tearing up his left knee.

``If he had stayed healthy, I would think Dennis Dixon,'' Stafford said. ``I don't know. ... There's no one else.''

Not even Florida's Tim Tebow, the first quarterback in major college history to rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season?

``Nope, I can't think of anybody,'' Stafford said, trying to suppress a grin.

Johnson also went with Dixon, saying he thought the Oregon quarterback did enough before his late-season injury to still win the Heisman.

``Everybody is loving Tebow, but it's one of those things,'' Johnson said. ``Tebow is a great quarterback and a great guy, but for Heisman?''

Clearly, the Bulldogs can't bring themselves to say a Florida player is worthy of college football's top individual award, especially since they handed Tebow and the Gators a 42-30 loss last month.

``It is biased,'' Johnson finally conceded. ``Nope, he doesn't have my vote.''

KENTUCKY: Coach Rich Brooks acknowledges saying goodbye to this year's crop of seniors will be even tougher than usual.

Four years ago, the Wildcats were riddled by probation and stuck at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference. That's when hotly recruited quarterback Andre Woodson, linebacker Wesley Woodyard, receiver Keenan Burton and others decided to spurn offers from more established programs for a chance to turn this one around.

``Obviously they came in when it was very difficult,'' Brooks said.

Now, Kentucky (7-4, 3-4) will end a second straight season with a bowl appearance. First, it will try to improve its bowl draw by ending Tennessee's 22-game winning streak against the Wildcats Saturday.

Burton says Brooks may have the most tears Saturday on Senior Day, and the coach says he might be right.

``I've had some tears in my time,'' Brooks said. ``It's a special group of young men. They've done some significant things.''

Burton, who decided last year to put off his NFL dreams to build on last season's Music City Bowl victory, now ranks near the top of most Kentucky receiving records.

``Being on a team that is changing everything for the better is more special to me than all that,'' he said. ``I'm just happy to help the team in any way possible.''

SOUTH CAROLINA: A conference title or a win over your rival? For Steve Spurrier, the choice is easy.

``It's the conference championship,'' South Carolina's coach said.

Beating your chief rival is good for fans and boosters, but the benefits don't last, Spurrier says. A league crown is something you can cherish forever, he said.

``If you win the conference championship, you order a ring and your name is in the history books forever,'' Spurrier said.

Spurrier would know.

He won an Atlantic Coast Conference championship at Duke in 1989, then won six Southeastern Conference titles and the 1996 national championship with Florida.

Spurrier had a harder time mastering his instate rival during 12 seasons with the Gators, going 5-8-1 against Florida State. The Gators and Seminoles twice met in a bowl game during Spurrier's years.

``When you beat your instate rival, you've got bragging rights for that year but the next year you start all over again,'' Spurrier says. ``But when it's for a ring, or it's for a championship, those are memories of a lifetime.''

South Carolina (6-5) closes its season against Palmetto State rival Clemson (8-3) at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday.

TENNESSEE: When it comes to ways of winning a football game, Tennessee has tried it all this season.

``This team, we've won when we've had a lead. We've protected it and handled it. We've won in overtime. And now we've won a game when we had to come back,'' coach Phillip Fulmer said.

In a four-game home stand, the No. 19 Vols beat South Carolina in overtime, routed Louisiana-Lafayette, had a solid win over Arkansas and overcame a 15-point deficit to beat Vanderbilt.

The various methods of winning have kept Tennessee (8-3, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) in control of the SEC Eastern Division heading into the final game of the season against Kentucky (7-4, 3-4) on Saturday.

``I think all of those experiences make you a better team as you go along,'' Fulmer said. ``I told the team there's not much that's going to happen in this ballgame that you haven't experienced to this point.''

Offensive guard Anthony Parker prefers the method where the Vols blow out their opponent.

``I like to win in better fashion, but I'll take them how they come,'' he said.

VANDERBILT: Starting tight end Brad Allen is among four fourth-year juniors who have chosen to bypass their senior seasons and will make their final home appearance Saturday when the Commodores (5-6) play Wake Forest (7-4).

Others are reserve defensive tackles David Whittington and Brandon Holmes and reserve wide receiver Bryant Anderson.

Allen, a native of Venice, Fla., arrived in 2004 as a highly recruited prep standout. Clemson, Michigan, Georgia Tech and Virginia were among the schools to offer him a scholarship.

Allen has only six career receptions and caught his first touchdown pass last week in Vanderbilt's 25-24 loss at Tennessee.

``Brad is going to have a double major in four years,'' coach Bobby Johnson said. ``I think he's ready to move on with his life and his career.''

Whittington has served as a No. 2 tackle this season and has five tackles. Anderson has caught three passes for 18 yards. Holmes has one tackle.