Terry Bowden insists this isn't a mid-life crisis.

After nine years away from coaching, the former Auburn coach wants back in the game. Bowden has stayed close to college football and been making a nice living as an analyst for ABC, Westwood One Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Lately, however, something's been tugging at him. He wants to coach again and if all goes according to his plan he'll be back on the sideline at some major college next season.

"It's not something profound," Bowden, 51, said in a recent telephone interview. "But you say to yourself, 'Is this really what I want to do the rest of my life?' [What's] been missing to me only comes down on that field."

For a while Bowden, the son of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, was at the top of his profession. He took over an Auburn program in 1993 that was strapped with NCAA sanctions and won his first 20 games. His 1993 Tigers went undefeated but because of the sanctions could not play in the postseason.

By the middle of the 1998 season, things had turned sour for Bowden. The Tigers started 1-5 and Bowden was convinced he would be fired at the end of the season. So he quit. He finished with a 47-17-1 record at Auburn. His overall record, which includes stints at Salem College and Samford, is 111-53-2.

Bowden had been toying with the idea of trying to make a comeback, but realized he needed to get serious about it last year when West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez was being wooed by Alabama.

Bowden grew up in West Virginia and played for the Mountaineers. If that job had come open, how could he not make a play for it?

Bowden figured, "I better be ready to at least throw my name in the hat."

Rodriguez turned down the Crimson Tide and Bowden was relieved.

"Rich stayed and I got about a year to be ready to make a decision of what I want to do," he said.

Wisconsin

Running back Lance Smith, who is facing battery charges, will not be allowed to play in away games this season. Smith will miss the game at UNLV Saturday and games at Illinois, Penn State, Ohio State and Minnesota.

Tulsa

Running back Courtney Tennial will miss the entire season because of an ankle injury sustained in preseason drills.

Troy

Junior defensive end Kenny Mainor has been suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules, coach Larry Blakeney said. He has started since his redshirt freshman year when he replaced NFL first-round draft pick Demarcus Ware.