Davis: I’m Staying at Miami

Butch Davis, who has the Miami Hurricanes in contention for a national championship, reportedly has no plans to go elsewhere.

“To be honest with you, my intent today is to stay at the University of Miami,” Davis told two Houston TV stations as he was preparing to leave Bush Intercontinental Airport on Tuesday after meeting with officials of the Houston Texans, the next NFL expansion team.

Davis said he agreed to meet with the Texans because several people, including NFL types and church friends from Dallas, told him the opening was worth investigating because of owner Bob McNair.

“He really is what they said he was,” Davis said of the Houston billionaire.

When asked if he was considering coaching at Alabama, Davis was blunt: “I’m staying at Miami.”

Davis met with McNair and General Manager Charley Casserley to discuss coaching the Texans, who will begin play in 2002.

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Auburn has found motivation for its rematch against Florida in the Southeastern Conference title game Saturday.

After a great performance against Auburn on Oct. 14, freshman Florida quarterback Rex Grossman cracked that the Gator scout team sometimes had better luck stopping the Florida offense than Auburn did.

“I think our scout team stops us at least once every five times,” he said after Florida scored touchdowns on its first five drives in a 38-7 victory.

Now, it’s bulletin-board time, as No. 18 Auburn prepares for a rematch with No. 7 Florida.

Said Auburn linebacker Alex Lincoln: “We’re extremely motivated and excited about getting another opportunity at Florida and getting a little redemption. Revenge is a large part of this game.”

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Virginia (6-5) and Boston College (6-5) accepted invitations to play in bowl games in Hawaii, but who they will play remains a mystery.

The teams will play in either the Oahu Bowl on Dec. 24 or the Aloha Bowl on Dec. 25 as part of the Christmas Football Classics. The games will be played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu and the exact matchups will be announced next week.

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No. 12 Texas (9-2) is expected to be invited to play in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 29, against either Oregon State or Oregon.

No. 5 Oregon State (10-1) remains in the bowl championship series picture. If Oregon State goes to a BCS game, the Pacific 10 Conference’s berth in the Holiday Bowl will go to No. 9 Oregon (9-2).

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Clemson promoted tight ends coach Brad Scott to offensive coordinator to replace Rich Rodriguez, who left to become West Virginia coach on Sunday. Scott has worked with Clemson’s tight ends the past two seasons and was head coach at South Carolina from 1994-98. . . . Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel and Coach Bob Stoops won the Walter Camp player and coach of the year awards. It marked only the third time a player and coach from the same school were honored in the same year. . . . High rates for hotel rooms in the New Orleans area may force organizers of the Bayou Classic to move the annual game out of the Louisiana Superdome. Grambling State and Southern have one year left on their contract with the Superdome.