Just some random thoughts about the Southeastern Conference that might make sense. Yes, this is how my mind works:

A HALLOWEEN ANNIVERSARY:

Saturday is Halloween and the 56th anniversary of Billy Cannon’s run.

For those who did not pay attention in SEC football history class, Cannon was the star at LSU in 1959. In fact, he won the Heisman Trophy that year. On Halloween 1959, Cannon returned a punt 89 yards to lead the top-ranked Tigers to a 7-3 win over No. 3 Ole Miss.

It is still considered the one of the greatest plays ever at Tiger Stadium.

Years later, Cannon went to prison for his connection to a counterfeiting scheme. Although he spent 2 1/2 years in federal lockup, he retained his Heisman vote as a former winner. How much could he have followed college football behind bars?

Then again, how can O.J.?

AN ANNOYING CHEER, PLEASE STOP SEC:

About 10 years ago, I had to cover a game at Kansas State. The Wildcats were ranked in the Top 5 and featured Darrell Sproles at running back. The team I was covering had just moved into the FBS.

In the fourth quarter as I went to the field to make my way to the locker room for postgame interviews, I noticed the KSU fans had a strange tradition. Each time the Wildcats got a first down, the public address announcer would say something like, “Sproles with a gain of 15 for a Kansas State…” and the crowd would scream, “first down!”

It was the first time I’d ever heard that and my thought was how bad did your team used to suck to cheer a first down?

Then again, I stopped by a convenience store in Manhattan to buy a pack of gum for the flight home. In the checkout line, a man behind me saw my press credential from the state of Alabama.

He told me, “We’re going to show you southern boys how its done.” I was thinking that KSU would probably win easily, but the man continued. “It is a 7 o’clock kickoff so we will start tailgating at about 3.”

I replied, “Where I’m from, we start tailgating on Wednesday.”

They can keep the first down cheer.

PAGING MR. BLACKWELL:

The fashion designer is famous for his annual “Worst Dressed List” in Hollywood. He should try coming to Dixie.

When did traditional uniforms become something to change on a whim?

Mississippi State in black jerseys? LSU in white helmets? Kentucky in chrome helmets?

The conference office should mandate that uniforms must stay classy and not emulate Oregon.

Can anyone imagine Alabama in a helmet with an elephant on it?

Georgia needs to always wear silver britches. Tennessee needs to always keep the orange “T” on the helmets. Auburn has to have the orange and white stripes on the blue jersey sleeves.

Still others should make a comeback. Ole Miss needs Colonel Rebel back on the helmet. Florida could go back to the interlocked “UF” logo.

Please, don’t mess with tradition.

ATTENTION OLE MISS BAND:

The Ole Miss defense is nicknamed the Landsharks. It is a cool moniker for a predatory group. In fact, before the university put that bear on the sidelines, one of the possible new mascots was a shark. Should have gone with that one, guys.

I have an idea for the Ole Miss band. Yes, I admit I semi-stole this from LSU because the Tigers’ band plays something called “The Chinese Bandits” when the defense makes a big stand. It is really cool.

Rebels, why not have the band play the chorus from Jimmy Buffett’s song, “Fins”?

The chorus is, “You’ve got fins to the left, fins to the right and you’re the only bait in town.”

That sounds like a suffocating defense to me.

By the way, Buffett was born in Mississippi.

SOMETHING I HATE HEARING:

I have been getting paid for writing sports for a quarter of a century now and there are actually two things I hate. First, don’t ask me who is going to win the Alabama-LSU game. If I could correctly predict the outcome of a sporting event before it happens, I would not be a sportswriter. I would own the largest house in Las Vegas.

But the one thing I hate to be asked is about recruiting. I have no idea where a kid is going to play college football and, chances are, neither does the kid.

Trent Richardson told me he was going to sign with Texas because when he played video games, he was always Ricky Williams. On videotape, T.J. Yeldon told me there was no way he would change his commitment to Auburn.

Both signed with Alabama.

These are 17-year old kids. They change their minds. So please stop bragging about your school’s verbal commitments. You can talk when the ink dries on the paperwork.

By the way, wait five years before you rank a signing class. Ron Pawlus was supposed to win three Heismans and lead Notre Dame to four national titles.

DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora both played at Auburn High School and Auburn University offered neither a scholarship.

It is an inexact science.