DEEP SOUTH SPORTS pulls over to get a good look at this billboard:

This roadside message is proudly on display in Monroe, LA - home of the UL Monroe Warhawks. The Sun Belt squad walked into Bryant-Denny Stadium last November 17, and walked out with a 21-14 win over Alabama.

In recognition of the big upset, some ULM alumni pooled together $12,000 to show off their Warhawk pride to Monroe-area motorists.

And the billboard will also greet Crimson Tide fans rolling along to the Independence Bowl. Those Alabama fans driving from Tuscaloosa to Shreveport on I-20 will have to pass by Monroe - and the “Tide Rolled” reminder.

But for many ‘Bama bashers, the 12 grand was money well spent.

WARRIORS WINS HELPING HIKE HAWAII’S HDTV DEMAND: High Definition TV sales in Hawaii have hit the roof, thanks to the success of the Warriors’ football fortunes:

The HONOLULU ADVERTISER tunes in news that the demand for HDTV by Hawaiians has tripled since Colt Brennan & crew started chalking up wins this season. Fans have been flooding Best Buys to bring home a big screen TV to watch their Warriors.In fact, demand has been so high, that the state’s cable provider Oceanic Time Warner has run out of HD boxes. But a Time Warner VP says not to worry, as 5,000 to 6,000 new boxes are scheduled to hit the shore this week.

Hankerings for HDTV in Hawaii is expected to remain high up until the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, when UH is set to face Georgia.But after January 1, what’s there to watch in Waikiki? Well, there’s always season DVDs of “Hawaii Five-0″, or Elvis Presley’s “Aloha From Hawaii” TV special.

And who could forget that exciting two-part episode of “The Brady Bunch” when the family heads for Hawaii, and Bobby uncovers an evil Tiki doll?Now that’s good TV - made even better by HD!

ERIN ANDREWS ONLY SCHEDULED FOR ONE BOWL GAME: AWFUL ANNOUNCING has sad news for all you ESPN football viewers this month - sideline siren Erin Andrews will only be covering one bowl game.

In compiling a list of field reporters for the Worldwide Leader’s bounty of bowls broadcast, Erin will only grace us with her gridiron presence at the Alamo Bowl.

So, no more sideline shots of Erin eating a sandwich:

Or painting noses:

Or just standing there in all her glory:

However, there’s good news for all you Rob Stone groupies out there, as the chili-eating, soccer-snuggling stud is scheduled to show up for 4 bowls - the Poinsettia, Emerald, Outback and GMAC.

Book those tickets for Mobile now!

KU’S MANGINO GORGING ON COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS: Our massive man Mark has done it again. After leading the Jayhawks to an 11-1 record and a trip to the Orange Bowl, king-size Kansas coach Mangino has been named the Home Depot Coach of Year:

The KANSAS CITY STAR grabbed a front-row seat at ESPNU’s 2007 College Football Awards Show down in Disney World Thursday night. In addition to Mangino’s hardware, the Jayhawks football team was honored with the Stanley Tools Breakthrough Of The Year Award.Home Depot? Stanley Tools? Now the team can start on Memorial Stadium renovations when they get back to Lawrence.

Mangino is also licking his chops as one of the eight finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. His competition includes Virginia Tech leader and Orange Bowl nemesis Frank Beamer.And now the Hokies have bulletin board material before their Miami showdown. During the awards show, Kansas OT Anthony Collins remarked, “We’re an up-and-coming team. We’re 11-1, soon to be 12-1, and we need all the recruits we can get so we can get to the national championship.”

Dolphin Stadium is sure to be Rockin’, Chalkin’ & Jayhawkin’ with a Hokie Hokie High come January 3rd.

NO CANADA; BALL ST. RA’s STAYING PUT FOR BOWL GAME: The Ball State faithful are getting ready to take off for the Great White North for the Cardinals’ 4th-ever bowl game appearance. All except for the RAs:

The BALL STATE DAILY NEWS reports that the MAC school’s resident assistants won’t go bowling, because they’re not allowed to.The RAs are contractually obliged to be back on the Muncie, IN, campus on January 4th, in order to help students move back in on the following day. Unfortunately, January 5th is also the same day BSU will be in Toronto to face Rutgers in the International Bowl.

As Rutgers University’s DAILY TARGUM points out, Ball State has come out the loser in each of its three previous bowl appearances, the last coming in 1996’s Las Vegas Bowl with a defeat to Nevada.Maybe the Cards can win one for all those brave RAs left behind in the dorms.

• Don’t forget to pick Kansas King Kong Mark Mangino for DEADSPIN’s Sports Human Of The Year:

• FOOTBALL GAB breaks the leg news of Joe Theismann netting $4 million not to work for ESPN.

• FREE DARKO goes through the mail, and uncovers this 1993 letter from President Bill Clinton to timeout-taker Chris Webber.

• CORN NATION is happy to report that ex-Husker coach Bill Callahan has found his true calling:

• THE SPORTS HERNIA prepares for the hilarity sure to ensue at the Mike & Mike Celebrity Roast.

• The SACRAMENTO BEE pays tribute to Warriors fan and basketball mom Ann Barnes.

• Despite injuries and only one tournament win in 2007, DOWN THE LINE cashes in news that Maria Sharapova is still rollin’ in dough:

• Speaking of green, SIGNAL TO NOISE learns that the Worldwide Leader has a big stake in the college football post-season, since they own five bowls.

• LARRY BROWN SPORTS sticks their beak into the Ravens crowing about bad officiating.

• FOOTBALL JESUS LAS VEGAS has some holiday gift ideas for the frugal female football fan:

• BLOG OF HILARITY needs some words of encouragement, as former UFC champ Chuck Liddell has been hanging with self-helpster Tony Robbins.

• PINSTRIPE POSTS gets a leg up on why Joe Torre isn’t at the Winter Meetings - the Dodgers manager needs a new knee.

MISSOURI DIDN’T SHOW ME THE MONEY TO ORANGE BOWL: Dennis Dodd, an alumnus of the University of Missouri and college football writer for CBSSports.com, writes this about the Orange Bowl stiffing Mizzou in favor of KU (via JOE SPORTS FAN):

“Kansas got into the Orange Bowl ahead of Missouri because the school guaranteed tickets. Attendance is still an issue with the Orange, and KU AD Lew Perkins guaranteeing ticket sales probably put the Jayhawks over the top.“As unseemly as it sounds, Missouri could have bought its way into the BCS. The ticket thing is left over from the old bowl system. It’s clear that Perkins knows how to play the game. Missouri thought everything would work out. Well, it didn’t.”

We love how Tiger fan responsible journalist Dodd smears KU with the claim, but also hedges by saying it “probably” happened. Well if it’s any consolation, at least Mizzou’s Gary Pinkel won’t have to worry about that happening to him again - when he’s “probably” coaching Michigan.

COTTON BOWL TRYING TO SPIN WAY BACK INTO BCS CYCLE: Once a cherished post-season destination, the Cotton Bowl has become an afterthought in the days of the BCS. Now the bowl’s organizers want to be brought back into the big-money fold:

Brian Davis of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS reports how the Cotton Bowl Committee has been trumpeting their future move to the Cowboys’ new stadium in Arlington - hoping to grab the BCS’ attention with the better venue.

Chances for the Cotton Bowl to become part of the BCS depend on if the coalition wants to tweak their bowl formula yet again. Davis believes decisions will be made based on how well New Orleans organizers can handle both the Sugar Bowl and the BCS Championship within the same week.

Davis writes, “If Sugar Bowl officials fall on their faces, BCS commissioners may realize that a fifth game is necessary. If they execute two games in flawless fashion, the Cotton Bowl could be left on the sideline.”

HAWAII HOPING BIG BCS BUCKS HELPS FOOTBALL FUNDS: With a win over Washington on Saturday, Hawaii hopes to land in a BCS bowl spot and get all the BCS money that comes with it - money the financially-strapped program could use:

The HONOLULU ADVERTISER reports that of the top 12 teams in the BCS rankings, Hawaii ranks last in football revenues. While the Warriors netted $7.5 million last year, schools like Ohio State and Georgia brought in over $60 million to help fund their gridiron programs.It doesn’t help that on game days at Aloha Stadium, the only money the Warriors make is on ticket sales. As State Rep. Mark Katai points out, “None of the beer, none of the hot dogs, none of the parking revenue. Many other schools have their own facilities and generate a lot of revenue from that.”

Lack of funds also means lack of upkeep to practice fields. During Friday’s game against Boise State, Hawaii officials were embarrassed when ESPN commentators Sean McDonough and Chris Spielman called the school’s facilities “shabby” and “shameful”.But a BCS trip can help Hawaii soothe some of their money woes. Last year, fellow WAC member Boise State earned $4.5 million for their Fiesta Bowl appearance.

With victory against the Huskies, the green on Oahu will be more than the lush tropical vegetation.

SEMINOLE LB SAYS TEBOW’S TASTING TURF ON SATURDAY: Florida and Florida State renew their rivalry this weekend, and the Seminoles have already slung the first salvo:

MSNBC chops down news that FSU LB Geno Hayes has a little message for the Gators: “Tim Tebow’s going down.”The 235-lb Florida QB and Heisman hopeful will be a big target for the Seminoles when they go at it in Gainesville. Hayes added, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Hopefully we can go out there and shatter his dream.”

The dream could become a nightmare for the Florida State D, as Tebow alone has scored 46 TDs this season (26 pass, 20 run), almost double the output of the whole FSU offense.But Hayes isn’t backing down from his words: “He’s a great quarterback, but it’s not like we’re going to go in there and just give up because he’s bigger and more agile.”

When asked if he had a plan to stop Tebow, FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews replied, “Yeah, but you get put into jail for it.”

What are the Seminoles’ chances of backing up Hayes’ claims? Let’s just say, “Emerald Bowl, here we come!”

Again.