(John F. Rhodes/AP)

In official "take that Rose Bowl" fashion, the SEC and Big 12 announced Friday they are forming their own postseason bowl alliance following the 2014 season.

The champions of the two conferences will play in the bowl game — site and date undetermined — unless they are among the four teams chosen for the potential playoff to determine the national champion.

If the conference champions are not available, the next best teams would participate.

"A new January bowl tradition is born," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said in a statement released by the Big 12. "This new game will provide a great matchup between the two most successful conferences in the BCS era and will complement the exciting postseason atmosphere created by the new four-team model. Most importantly, it will provide our student-athletes, coaches and fans with an outstanding bowl experience."

(Courtesy of the New Orleans Times-Picayune)

The Alabama fan infamously caught on film sexually assaulting a passed out LSU fan in a Krystal restaurant on Bourbon Street following the BCS National Championship, has been indicted on sexual battery and obscenity charges by a grand jury.

Brian Downing, 32, was one of many Alabama fans taunting the LSU fan, who had had too much to drink and was left incapacitated with his head on a counter at the burger establishment. But once Downing unzipped his pants, exposed himself and began rubbing himself against the LSU fan's neck, that's when the taunting went too far.

Downing turned himself in on Jan. 19 after Heath Taylor, the sheriff of Russell County, Ala., recognized the then-unidentified assailant as his cousin, Downing.

(Courtesy of Mike Pawlawski)

Mike Leach is not only a swashbuckling master of the high seas, apparently he's also quite the marksman in the deep woods of Alberta, Canada.

Leach tweeted he was going bear hunting with former Cal quarterback and outdoor sports enthusiast Mike Pawlawski and on Thursday he reported that he captured a trophy — a 7-foot, 350-pound black bear.

Of course, there are no pictures. Pawlawski posted a shot on his Twitter page from his scope as they were looking for black bears (see above), but no images of the downed bear itself. Perhaps Leach didn't want PETA knocking on his door or perhaps it's a fish (bear) tale.

(Courtesy of nikeblog.com)

As Arkansas tries to move on from former coach Bobby Petrino, it might be doing so with some new threads.

Nikeblog.com released a somewhat grainy photo of potential uniforms. If these are Arkansas new duds, gotta say I like the direction. The Razorbacks keep the traditional Cardinal and white uniforms, but add a black, which could be a great motivational/intimidation uniform during some of those tough SEC home games. And really, who doesn't enjoy a good black uniform? I also like the white helmet, though I have mixed feelings about the white Razorback on the side. I think a better photo might provide better perspective. I like the gradient look to the numbers, which is similar to what Arizona State wears.

(Greg Bartram/US Presswire)While many Big Ten athletic directors are trying to stick with commissioner Jim Delany in a crusade for a four-team playoff that rewards conference champions, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer isn't quite on board with the rest of his conference.

Meyer, who spent nearly 30 minutes speaking to reporters on a variety of subjects, said he wasn't sold on the different playoff scenarios being floated out there and that the two-time national championship-winning coach preferred the current BCS method.

"You play in one of the bowl games and then it's [teams seeded] 4 vs. 1 and 2 vs. 3 and then you go play the championship game," he said. "I can only imagine the workload that's going to be on that coaching staff and those players. I can't even fathom that you're trying to get ready for a national championship in two days -- because that's what you've got because of travel.

"I'll probably get in trouble for saying this, but I think the ideal setup is what's happened the last decade of football. I think we've had a true national champion."

(Kim Klement/US Presswire)Texas A&M's inaugural SEC game against Florida will be will be a joyous occasion for those in College Station, Texas, but not so much for Florida head coach Will Muschamp.

Muschamp, who was the defensive coordinator at Texas from 2008-10, knows College Station well. Well enough, that he knows it's not one of his favorite places to visit.

"You ever been to College Station?" Muschamp asked a group at the Polk County Gator Club this week. "It'll be the only time you go."

Com'on Will. There's a Denny's, The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, a Raising Cane's Chicken Finger restaurant, what more do you need?

ACC commissioner John Swofford isn't going to indulge in speculation of Florida State leaving the ACC for the Big 12. Instead, he said he believes FSU and the conference have a good working relationship and he doesn't expect that to change any time soon.

"I don't deal in hypotheticals, I deal with what's tangible," Swofford told media Wednesday during the ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla. "It's what we're doing as a league with the current 12, soon to be 14 membership league, and we're moving ahead on the basis of that full membership."

Rumors of Florida State's defection to the Big 12 have been rampant for the past week ever since Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com, laid out the reasons why a move would be beneficial for the Seminoles. Since then, everyone from Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher to members of the board of trustees has weighed in on the move.

[Dan Wetzel: FSU trustee may have lit the fuse on a move to the Big 12]

Wednesday, former linebacker Derrick Brooks told the

(Courtesy of USC Athletics)

When Matt Barkley decided to come back for his senior season at USC, he wanted a last hurrah with his close friends and to leave a legacy for younger players to carry on.

And neither goal had anything to do with the football field.

Earlier this year, Barkley, punter Kyle Negrete and center Khaled Holmes started planning a trip to Haiti to help build homes for the victims of the 2010 earthquake. But once word got out, more people wanted to join and soon, 16 USC football players were headed on a trip that could potentially change their outlook heading into one of the most anticipated USC football seasons in almost a decade.

[USCFootball.com: Trojans coach Lane Kiffin coming of age]

"This is an opportunity to serve as well for our teammates to kind of grow and gain perspective and try to do one last thing before my life gets crazy, before all of our lives kind of separate after USC and this is like the perfect opportunity," Barkley told Yahoo! Sports.

"It's going to be a neat opportunity for these guys to have their eyes opened to true poverty and true struggle that's going on in the world rather than the so-called struggles that we have here in Southern California. I think seeing the young guys hop on board and guys you wouldn't expect go on a mission trip like this and want to go full force, it's encouraging to know that you might be having an impact on them."