COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : Goff Reportedly Fired at Georgia

Georgia Coach Ray Goff, under fire from alumni the last two years, was fired a week before the Bulldogs’ season finale against archrival Georgia Tech, a source close to the athletic department told the Associated Press on Friday.

The source said Goff, 40, was fired after practice Wednesday in Athens, Ga., after a long meeting with Athletic Director Vince Dooley. Goff, nearly fired last year after a 6-4-1 record, wanted to know his status before the Thanksgiving Day game against Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs are 5-5 overall and 3-5 in the Southeastern Conference.

The university scheduled a news conference for today “to address the future.”

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No. 16 Oregon will be invited to play in the Cotton Bowl if the Ducks defeat Oregon State today, the university announced. If Oregon loses, Washington presumably would get the bid, if it defeats Washington State.

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Gary Barnett of Northwestern, John Cooper of Ohio State and Steve Spurrier of Florida were among six finalists for the Bear Bryant coach-of-the-year award. The other finalists were Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech, Glen Mason of Kansas and Bill Snyder of Kansas State. The winner will be announced Dec. 14. . . . Tennessee offensive guard and co-captain Bubba Miller was declared ineligible by the university for violations of the NCAA extra benefits rule. Coach Phillip Fulmer said the violations occurred during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 school years. Miller may be reinstated for next week’s game against Vanderbilt.