►"SEC ON CBS" RATINGS ROAR WITH NO. 2 AUBURN'S WIN OVER GEORGIA, UP 15%

CBS Sports' coverage of the SEC ON CBS on Saturday, Nov. 13, which saw No. 2-ranked Auburn's 49-31 win over Georgia, earned an overnight household rating/share of 5.4/11, up 15% from last year's 4.7/10 (No. 1 Florida-South Carolina).  Yesterday's 5.4/11 ties as the highest rating for a regular-season college football game on a broadcast network this season in the metered markets (Alabama-Arkansas, CBS; Oregon-USC/Ohio St.-Minnesota, ABC).   

► QUICK HITS

(On Minnesota)

BOOMER ESIASON:  I think the word of the day is respect in the NFL.  Can Jason Garrett garner it from his own team and can Brad Childress rekindle the respect?  I've never seen anything like this coming out of the Minnesota locker room this week.  We know that Childress does not have our backs, so why should we have his?  Coach, I don't know if you've ever dealt with anything quite like this.  There is a lack of respect in the locker room.

BILL COWHER: They're playing hard now.  Now Brett Favre willed that team to victory.  The question is when they get out of playoff contention and they lose today, which they could, are they still playing hard?

DAN MARINO:  It's not a popularity contest being a coach.  The quarterback and coach don't always have to get along.  They have to believe in the plan and what you're selling as a head coach will give you a chance to win each and every week.  The problem I have is he's brought in great players like you mentioned.  He's one play away from getting to the Super Bowl.  Now they've struggled early, but they're still in it.

SHANNON SHARPE:  I look at the Vikings as Zenyatta.  They spotted the field entirely too much. They'll make up some ground, but it will be too late.  I'm looking at Randy Moss who the Vikings released and he's in Tennessee.  In his first game with his new team, he always shows up big....Randy Moss is coming to the realization kind of like T.O. (Terrell Owens) did.  This is probably my last stop.  I need to put my best foot forward and realize my shenanigans no longer play in the National Football League.  My play is not top level, so my tolerance level will not be top level.

►SECOND HALF PREDICTIONS

(On Philip Rivers breaking Dan Marino's season passing yards record)

MARINO: In the fourth quarter, Week 17, Philip Rivers is going to throw for more than 5,084 yards (Marino's record).  But in the first quarter of Week 12, he's going to pass your (Boomer) best year.

(On AFC Picture)

BOOMER:  The best team in the AFC has a losing record and they're not even playing this week, that is the San Diego Chargers, led by Philip Rivers who will do something you (Marino) didn't do, which is win a Super Bowl this year...I'm telling you right now.  You watch them closely.  They're one of the best teams out there.  They're going to get healthy coming off this bye.  They're going to get Vincent Jackson back. Watch out for the San Diego Chargers. 

COWHER:  The Oakland Raiders are going to come back.  They're 5‑3 right now, 3‑0 in division.  They're going to win the AFC West.  Jason Campbell, with the season he's going to have, the best quarterback for Washington might have been the one that they got rid of. 

(On Randy Moss)

SHARPE:  Second half of the season, he (Randy Moss) will score six touchdowns.  This team, the Tennessee Titans, win the AFC South.

(On Bill Cowher)

MARINO:  I also predict that Coach Cowher will be sitting right here next year.  He's not going anywhere.

► "INSIDE THE GAME" WITH "NFL TODAY GENERAL MANAGER" CHARLEY CASSERLY

(On Commissioner putting together Injury Safety Committee)

CASSERLY:  I talked to Commissioner Goodell and he told me he's in the process of forming an injury safety committee.  This is something he's been working on for the last few months and I know that for a fact because we've talked about it before. Now some of the people he's considering for the committee, John Madden, Willie Lanier, Ronnie Lott, Derrick Brooks, Anthony Munoz, and perhaps a game official on this too.  Now this committee would make recommendations to him and the competition committee.  Some of the areas that he's going to have to talk about, for example, how do we get better consistency with the game officials calling the rules?  What is the best way to educate players on applying the rules as they play?  How about this one? Making hip pads, thigh pads, knee pads mandatory.  Consult them on the field discipline.  And the most interesting concept was this, how about widening the field and widening the hash marks, opening up the middle of the field.  Does that make the game safer?  Also, one more thing, there is going to be a meeting of all the helmet manufacturers and league personnel, medical personnel, scientists, what can we do more with the helmet?  Two ideas you might see talked about, you make the helmet lighter.  And padding on the outside of the helmet.  That has been used in the past.

(On what it will take for Cowboys' interim coach Jason Garrett to secure job)

CASSERLY: I talked to Jerry Jones about that.  The two most successful coaches he had, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, he knew them best.  He puts Garrett in that category of knowing him the best...There is no question in my mind, he has a lot of confidence in the potential of Jason Garrett as a head coach and he is really rooting for him to succeed. 

► SHANNON SHARPE VISITS CLEVELAND

(On Mangini losing weight)

MANGINI: I think I'm half the man, but twice the coach.  I've gotten thinner, and gotten better as a coach.

(On perception of Bill Belichick's understudies come off as being a bit arrogant)

 MANGINI: There's been so much success in that (New England) system, you end up mimicking a lot of things that they do.  What I've learned as a coach is you can take all those good things, but you've got to say it in your voice and you've got to do it your way.  I think that comes with maturity, it comes with growth, and it comes with experience. And that's something that I've learned more and more over the years. 

REACTION TO MANGINI

SHARPE: You look at Eric Mangini, he's lost weight, but I think he's gained respect of his team because he was not being himself.  He was being Coach Parcells.  He was being Coach Belichick.  That wasn't him.  He was not allowing the players to get close to him.  Now you see the emotional fallout when he beat the New England Patriots on the sideline. The dumping and the Gatorade bath, he is a different coach.

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