Tennessee

Kevin Prince was texting with the enemy. It was Sunday, just as Prince was walking into view game tape, when the message arrived from Knoxville. Chris Thompson , Tennessee's offensive administrative intern, was checking in. "He said he was looking forward to seeing me at the game," Prince said. That usually carries a different meaning when sent by an upcoming opponent. But this went way beyond Saturday's matchup between the Bruins and Volunteers. Thompson was Prince's offensive coordinator at Encino Crespi High and the two have remained close.

In a high-stakes competition, Tennessee and Delaware were awarded $600 million Monday, the only states to win grants in the first phase of "Race to the Top," the Obama administration's $4.35-billion education initiative, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. Duncan said both states showed that they had overwhelming support for their overhaul plans from all stakeholders -- including teachers' unions, parents, and local and state school officials. Such support weighed heavily in the decision.

The gunk on the water had thinned to a gray scrim in front of Mike Thomas' riverfront home -- a small sign of progress one week after one of the worst coal ash spills in American history. But as Thomas drove along the bluff over the Emory River, he pointed to big piles of sludgy, dark gray ash, a byproduct of coal combustion, that had been accidentally disgorged by the nearby electricity plant. The heaps jutted from the water's surface like ugly volcanic islands.

To hear Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover girl Kate Upton tell it, nothing beats a Carl's Jr. burger. But a Tennessee woman is now facing charges after she called 911 to report that the hamburger she received at her local Hardee's (sister chain to Carl's Jr.) was downright "nasty" and she wanted a refund, stat. Actually, Donna Marie Nichols, 50, called 911 twice last week to report her disappointment with the burger. The Smoking Gun website obtained one of the audio calls, which explains why this story has been pinging around the blogosphere this morning.

Renaldo Woolridge, a 6-foot-9 forward who played at Tennessee, said he was transferring to USC and is looking forward to playing in the 2012-13 season with the Trojans. Woolridge, the son of former NBA player Orlando Woolridge, will "walk" as a Tennessee graduate this spring and then complete a few hours of coursework during a mini-term that will enable him to play for the Trojans without having to sit out a season. Woolridge, who played at Studio City Harvard-Westlake High, averaged 4.3 points and 3.3 rebounds last season.

Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed a law that may have made Tennessee the first state to give businesses an incentive for not outsourcing data-entry and call-center work to cheaper offshore locales. The new law asks state procurement officials to give preference in bids for such services to contractors employing workers only in the United States. It was approved overwhelmingly by lawmakers last month and signed into law last week.

It took only a few hours for Lane Kiffin to realize that Tennessee wasn't like Los Angeles or Oakland or any other stop in his coaching career. The day Kiffin was introduced as the Volunteers' coach last December, the Internet buzzed with photos of him standing beside his wife, Layla, and two university officials. Layla, with her long blond hair and bright smile, became an instant sensation among Tennessee fans, the subject of flurried Google searches, a Facebook page called "Our Coach's Wife is Hotter Than Your Coach's Wife" and a web site with a name that cannot be reprinted in the newspaper.

PITTSBURGH (2-2) AT TENNESSEE (1-4) TV: NFL Network, 5:15 p.m. PDT. Line: Steelers by 5. Over/under: 42. Sam Farmer's pick: The Titans are giving up a league-high 36.2 points per game. Even with their defensive problems, the Steelers should be able to take advantage of that. Pittsburgh 35, Tennessee 24.

Tennessee seems to be the gift that keeps on giving to the UCLA football program. A year ago, the Volunteers came to the Rose Bowl and decided to stop running, even though they were averaging five yards per carry. They also decided not to press Bruins receivers, even though their defense was being picked apart. The result was a 27-24 UCLA victory. But the parting gift came after the season, when Tennessee's new coaching staff decided to back off from recruiting tailback Damien Thigpen , allowing an opening for UCLA.

Singer Billy Ray Cyrus wants his daughter's upcoming "Hannah Montana" film to be shot in Tennessee, but state officials say they might not be able to offer the producers enough financial incentives. The film, based on the wildly popular Disney TV series, is scheduled to start shooting in April. In the series, 14-year-old Miley Cyrus plays a high school student, Miley Stewart, who moves from Tennessee to Southern California and lives a secret double life as a pop star.