The Associated Press

ATLANTA - The Southeastern Conference won't be embarrassing itself with a vote. If there's a three-way tie in the East, it will be broken the old-fashioned way - on the field.

Well, sort of.

The SEC hastily adopted a new tiebreaking formula Friday that would use, if needed, the Bowl Championship Series standings to determine who plays in the league's Dec. 6 title game.

During a conference call, SEC athletic directors unanimously adopted the new rule so they wouldn't be put in the position of voting on which SEC East team - Florida, Georgia or Tennessee - goes to Atlanta.

In the event of a three-way tie, the highest team in the BCS standings would represent the East, with one caveat. If the top two teams are within five places of each other in the BCS, the head-to-head winner would go to the title game.

"Subjectivity in a decision of this magnitude was not in the best interest of the league," commissioner Mike Slive said of the change. "Whenever you have a league like ours - so competitive, so strong, with some parity - you really want to have an objective standard."

PENN STATE: Receiver Tony Johnson waived his right to a preliminary hearing on an Oct. 17 charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Johnson registered a 0.136 percent blood alcohol level. Pennsylvania's limit is 0.08.

Paperwork filed in Centre County Court this week indicates Johnson plans to plead innocent to the DUI charge. His arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 1.

Coach Joe Paterno said he expects Johnson, who served a two-game suspension, to play in Saturday's game at Northwestern.

OLE MISS: Mississippi and the NCAA are investigating how tailback Ronald McClendon paid for a car he purchased several weeks ago.

Salesman Ralph Pinner, contacted at Prestige Auto where he works, said Friday that he had been interviewed by Ole Miss compliance director David Wells.

Coach David Cutcliffe announced Oct. 30 that the university was looking into "potential rules violations" by McClendon. He did not elaborate.