GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Southeastern Conference has played significant games every week for the last six seasons.
This weekend might be bigger than any of the others.
In addition to Arkansas-LSU, which will help determine the Western Division race, the league has renowned rivalries on tap, long winning streaks at stake and plenty of postseason implications on the line.
The No. 3 Razorbacks and top-ranked Tigers get the weekend started Friday with a game that has turned out to be relevant to the conference and national championship pictures.
NCAA: Twenty-nine assistant college football coaches have been announced as nominees for the 2011 Broyles Award.
The list released Wednesday includes Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee and Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The winner will be announced Dec. 6.
Mississippi: This wasn't the end Houston Nutt envisioned for his SEC career.
Nutt has always relished coaching in what he often calls the "toughest conference in America." But the brutal SEC has a habit of chewing up coaches, and Nutt is its latest victim.
Nutt, 54, will coach his final game at Ole Miss (2-9, 0-7 SEC) on Saturday, when the Rebels travel to face Mississippi State.
Oregon State: The Beavers understand that hardly anyone gives them a chance against No. 9 Oregon on Saturday.
"Wow, 29-point underdogs?" defensive end Scott Crichton said. "Well, we were underdogs last week and we just blew them out."
That was the Beavers' 38-21 win over Washington, probably the brightest moment so far in a dismal 3-8 (3-5 Pac-12) season.
Tennessee: The Vols have suspended four players indefinitely for violating unspecified team rules.
Sophomore receiver Matt Milton, senior defensive back C.J. Fleming, sophomore defensive back Nick Branum and sophomore linebacker Robert Nelson had been suspended.
Wisconsin: With a spot in the Big Ten title game at stake, there are signs of uncertainty in No. 15 Wisconsin's big, bad offensive line.
Starting center Peter Konz missed last week's game after dislocating his ankle against Minnesota. The Badgers are likely to be without Konz again for Saturday's home game against No. 20 Penn State.
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There have been some wild, crazy endings to North Carolina-Duke games over the 233-game history of the rivalry, and Duke's 85-84 victory Wednesday night at the Smith Center will take its place as one of the craziest and most memorable of all - if not the most. 
Right about the time the Smith Center crowd was mouthing "O'er the ramparts we watched," 700 miles away, Jordan Daniels was sinking the free throw that changed what the game would mean entirely. 
The Wolfpack cannot lose this game and still harbor serious hopes of earning an NCAA bid based on its regular-season resume. 
Virginia coach Tony Bennett didn't need to call a single timeout. 
Maybe 20 minutes after he knocked down a shot that will forever be associated with his Duke career, Austin Rivers walked back out onto the same Smith Center court for a post-game interview with television reporters. 
Shenise Johnson scored 19 points and Riquna Williams added 17 to lead No. 6 Miami to a 61-37 win over No. 22 North Carolina on Wednesday night. Keep up with the latest sports stories with our free e-mail newsletters, delivered to your inbox!
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