COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: UCLA'S NEUHEISEL TALKS WITH NORTON.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel spoke with USC assistant and former Bruins All-American linebacker Ken Norton Jr. about a return to Westwood, sources said, while UCLA linebackers coach Chuck Bullough met with Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Norton was an All-American in 1987, and his status as a strong recruiter and as the linebackers coach at rival USC serves as a constant source of consternation for UCLA fans.

Where Norton fits into the landscape of Neuheisel's staff is uncertain, but it could be contingent on what happens with Bullough. Fitzgerald received permission from Neuheisel to speak with Bullough, and the two met during the ongoing coaches convention in Anaheim.

Northwestern has an opening for a defensive coordinator, but Bullough said that was not part of his conversation with Fitzgerald.

"I don't see that happening at all," Bullough said. "I'm excited to be at UCLA."

Bullough was born in East Lansing, Mich., and played at hometown Michigan State. When DeWayne Walker agreed to remain as UCLA's defensive coordinator last week, keeping Bullough was part of the agreement, and he was given a raise.

However, sources close to Bullough said he has a desire to return to the Midwest.

One possible scenario is for Bullough to leave and Norton Jr. to move back to his alma mater to be UCLA's linebackers coach and assistant head coach.

Norton has had past dalliances with UCLA. When former coach Karl Dorrell was hired, Norton wanted a position on staff, but was denied because of a lack of experience. And prior to Walker being hired as the defensive coordinator after the 2005 season, Norton declined a job offer from Dorrell.

-- Brian Dohn and Scott Wolf

BCS ratings

Fox estimates 52 million Americans watched Monday's LSU victory over Ohio State in the BCS title game, but the 14.4 Nielsen fast rating and 22 share translates into a 17 percent drop from last year's Florida-Ohio State BCS championship.

The Los Angeles market registered an 11.7 rating and 19 share of the game on KTTV-Channel 11 between 5 and 8:30 p.m. Monday.

Fox did have the most-viewed overall TV program of the night, with NBC (6.4/10) finishing in second place.

At its peak, the game did a 16.2 rating/24 share at 9 p.m. EDT, when the score was tied at 10.

New Orleans (52.3 rating) and Columbus, Ohio (51.7), the home market of both schools, were the highest-rated TV markets.

Overall, the four BCS games on Fox averaged 9.0 rating, down 13 percent from last year.

-- Tom Hoffarth

Going, going ...

The University of Hawaii fired athletics director Herman Frazier after he failed to re-sign football coach June Jones. Associate athletics director Carl Clapp will serve as acting director. ... Rutgers running back Ray Rice and Auburn defensive tackle Pat Sims said they will skip their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft.

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USC assistant coach Ken Norton Jr., a standout at UCLA as a linebacker, could be returning to Westwood.