COLLEGE FOOTBALL : DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NATION : Majors Returns to Tennessee

Tennessee Coach Johnny Majors, 57, returned to practice for the first time since heart bypass surgery last month, just as the undefeated Volunteers broke into the top 10.

Majors bristled at the suggestion that his return had anything to do with how well the team is doing.

“This decision was made before the third ballgame, regardless of the outcome,” he said.

Tennessee, which improved to 3-0 with a 31-14 victory over Florida on Saturday, is ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll and No. 9 in the CNN/USA Today poll.

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Arizona State quarterback Garrick McGee was cleared to return to the football team after being suspended twice.

McGee’s first suspension was because of a series of burglaries at campus-area stores last October and December. He has pleaded guilty to theft.

The second was imposed last Friday because of an inquiry into an on-campus shooting. Police found that McGee was riding in a car from which a Phoenix College student was shot last March 7.

It was not immediately known if McGee, who won the starting job in training camp but has not taken a snap this season, would start Saturday night against No. 15 Nebraska.

If so, McGee would be the third consecutive redshirt freshman with no game experience to start for the Sun Devils (1-1).

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Five Rutgers football players have been suspended indefinitely for undisclosed reasons.

Coach Doug Graber suspended the players for “violation of the team code of conduct,” the school said in a news release.

Graber said defensive backs Jay Bellamy, Tim Geckeler and Malik Jackson, defensive end Jim Guarnera and guard Kareem Williams will sit out at least this Saturday’s game at Navy.

“The suspension will be reviewed on a weekly basis,” said Graber, who would not elaborate on the suspensions.