By BRAD SENKIW, Scripps Howard News Service

Hanging out a birthday party last Saturday, I kept wandering over to the television to see the highlight over and over.

I'm not talking about Robert Griffin III holding up the Heisman Trophy or that everything-that's-right-with-sports contest between Army and Navy or even the buzzer-beating shot Indiana used to knock off No. 1 Kentucky in hoops.

When South Carolina's Head Ball Coach was questioned this week about why fifth-year quarterback Stephen Garcia was struggling enough to be benched in favor of sophomore Connor Shaw for this week, Steve Spurrier wouldn't "get into all that."

I love the NFL.

The precision of plays, the familiarity of teams, the larger-than-life superstars making super plays. I could go on and on.

The biggest and best pro league in America is so popular because it contains the highest quality of athletes -- who work their tails off to execute every play to the fullest.

If the season on the field resembles anything like the wild and crazy offseason, this will be one of the most memorable years of football ever.

From Miami's scandal to LSU's bar fight to Texas A&M's attempts to flee from the Big 12, I've been floored by something nearly every week the last three months.

However, a lot of talk will die down as the season officially begins.

I'm starting to believe that there's a lot more going on in Steve Spurrier's head than usual.

South Carolina's Head Ball Coach has always been careful with the media. Sure, he's personally as open as a book and candidly answers about anything you ask him.

However, he heavily protects his team -- and to a certain degree, some may even call it paranoia.

Georgia coach Mark Richt was asked a question at last week's SEC media days about a budding quarterback rivalry between redshirt sophomore Aaron Murray, Richt's signal caller, and Tennessee sophomore Tyler Bray.

"You probably do have two young quarterbacks that will make a lot of headlines in the next few years," Richt said.

A report came out of Columbia on Wednesday morning saying that state senators are going to ask the University of South Carolina board of trustees to rename Carolina Stadium after baseball coach Ray Tanner.

That's not a bad start.

You see, a back-to-back national champion head baseball coach deserves more.

And by more, I'm talking cash.

It doesn't look good for Jim Tressel.

The Ohio State football coach is knee deep in NCAA violations stemming from apparent lies about the fact that his players were selling merchandise for profit. That's a very strict NCAA policy.

So is lying.

For the second time in a month, South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia has been suspended from the Gamecock football team -- this time indefinitely.

The decision was announced Wednesday by athletic director Eric Hyman, and head coach Steve Spurrier said after practice that Garcia "will be suspended from football activities the rest of the semester."

The Sweet 16 can sometimes be even sweeter for coaches.

Just ask Darrin Horn.

A month after leading Western Kentucky past the first weekend of the 2008 NCAA tourney, Horn took over at South Carolina -- thanks in large part to that two-game winning streak.