Yahoo Sports discloses a four-month investigation they held into the financial ties involving NFL agent Gary Wichard, former North Carolina assistant coach John Blake, Tar Heels defensive tackle Marvin Austin and current Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer.

Their investigation uncovers a money trail into financial ties between Wichard and Blake as early as 2007. Yahoo Sports also uncovers benefits received by Austin in 2009 that might violate NCAA and NFLPA rules.

The entire article can be read here, with supporting documents shown here.

***
Once Colorado and Nebraska depart the Big XII, it has been announced the conference will adopt a round-robin nine-game conference schedule.

Future conference schedules will be released soon. It looks like the divisional format will be abandoned now that there will only be ten teams in the conference.

***
The Bryan-College Station Eagle breaks down tonight's Big XII matchup between Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, that has become a bigger game than originally anticipated.

Both schools are 3-0, and are in the South division of the conference that has seen Texas stumble against UCLA, and Oklahoma eke out narrow victories in three of its four game thus far.

The matchup is scheduled for tonight at 7:30pm ET in Stillwater, Okla.

- Fred Sakai

If you are an avid Facebook user, you probably have heard of social games such as FarmVille, FrontierVille, Mafia Wars and Vampire Wars.

Well ESPN (through Playdom) has joined this arena, creating the new ESPNU College Town social gaming app.

(image courtesy of Playdom through espn.com)

The app is now available through Facebook.

- Fred Sakai

Whether credible or not, the New York Post is reporting that according to two sources, the Big East is considering adding TCU as a member.

TCU is currently in the Mountain West Conference. While the MWC will soon add Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada, it will lose Utah to the Pac-10.

If these rumors are true, the move would be a big step up for the Horned Frogs, as the Big East has an automatic BCS bowl berth.

***
Saturday's matchup in Los Angeles between Washington and USC will pit two coaches that were assistants under current Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

The two coaches involved, UW's Steve Sarkisian and USC's Lane Kiffin, will face each other for the first time. And while Sarkisian states that he has a good relationship with Kiffin, such as bouncing thoughts and ideas at each other, he keeps the relationship in perspective.

"Lane and I aren't going to be blocking or tackling or running or catching or throwing Saturday, so we're all OK there," said the Huskies coach.

- Fred Sakai

Florida's Trey Burton swtiched his jersey number to 8 last week, and it paid big dividends.

Burton rushed for a school record six touchdowns and led the Gators to a romp over Kentucky. The young Florida team still seems overmatched going into Alabama this week, but it at least gave Nick Saban something to watch on film.

Previous No. 8s have done well at Florida as well. In the 2000 season, now-ESPN commentator Jesse Palmer and erstwhile NFL scrub Brock Berlin were locked in a classic quarterback controversy as the year starter. As both struggled, an unknown kid from Indiana took over at QB - Rex Grossman - and the Gators won the SEC title. Grossman went on to be runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and was the AP National Player of the Year in 2001.

(Yes, we know him today as Turnoversaurus Rex, but he was terrific in college. Well, almost all the time.)



Percy Harvin also wore No. 8 as a freshman, when he basically carried the Florida offense by himself on the way to the 2006 national title.

Florida-Alabama could be a classic battle of defenses, with turnovers making the difference. It's hard not to like the Tide to pull this one out, but I wouldn't rule out a rematch in the SEC title game.

OK, enough about Florida - for now.

* Stanford is playing some great football right now. I loved the Cardnial giving 4 1/2 points to Notre Dame and if I was a betting man (remember, my picks are for entertainment purposes), I would have gone digging for the old car title on that one.

Now they take on Oregon, a team I have been equally impressed with. I can't wait for this game, and it's a good thing I'm a night owl. It starts at 11:15 eastern time Saturday night.

*Michigan's Denard Robinson got injured last week, causing him to lose ground as the purported Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Right now, the race is led in my mind by a four-headed quarterback - Robinson, Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State, Kellen Moore of Boise State and Andrew Luck of Stanford - and the re-emerging Mark Ingram. I originally thought the two missed games would hurt him a lot in the race, but he has two big games since and he has Florida this week.

If Ingram has another big game in prime time, someone better get Archie Griffin on the phone after all.

Still, I like all the aforementioned quarterbacks as well. Luck has a big chance to make a name for himself at Oregon, while the other three will likely be piling up stats against nobodies, as the Big 10 and WAC are fairly weak.

If I end up voting for Luck when December rolls around, I'll be 2-for-2 in voting for Stanford players after I tapped runner-up Toby Gerhart last year.

* Just asking this, andit's probably a dumb question, but if Nevada beats Boise State and goes undefeated, do the Wolf Pack play for the national title?

They've beaten Brigham Young (on the road) and Cal so far, and those will have to stand for their non-conference quality wins. But are those any weaker than Virginia Tech and Oregon State right now? We'll see how the Beavers do in the Pac-10 when compared to Cal, but I guarantee there is no way on this Earth that Nevada plays for the BCS title.

Boise State might, though, sadly, but it has to get through Reno first.

* The Big East is a disgrace. I am not sure that comment requires any more analysis, but I'll give a little anyway.

Rutgers, even looking pretty mediocre as it as, actually is just as viable a contender as a handful of other teams in there right now. If the Knights can straighten out their offensive woes, who knows? It's wide open. Even Syracuse has BCS wishes and caviar dreams.

* I was 4-4 last week on my picks right after someone called me to tell me, using colorful metaphors, that I was not such a terrific handicapper. That be as it may, I am not ready to give up, even after I was again victimized by a cheap, meaningless touchdown that covered the spread late for my opponent. (Thank you, Northwestern.)

There are a lot of road favorites this week, and I do love teams at home with points, but most of them are terrible, hence the points. Touch choices all, but I will have some picks in a day or two.

While no specific reason was given, Georgia and Oregon have mutually agreed to cancel a two-game home-and-home series that was scheduled for 2015 and 2016.

***
Illinois offensive lineman Hugh Thornton was arrested over the weekend following a bar fight, and his status for this weekend's game against Ohio State is questionable.

While he is practicing, coach Ron Zook has not officially declared Thornton's availability for the game against the Buckeyes.

Champaign County State's Attorney has not charged Thornton in the fight. However, since he used someone else's ID to gain entrance into the bar, paperwork has been filed to revoke court supervision of a previous arrest for unlawful alcohol consumption by a minor.

***
Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage insists the rib injury he sustained in the previous game at North Carolina will not hamper him in the upcoming game against Tulane, writes Steven Miller.

***
In our companion Full Court Press blog, Ben Doody writes about Rider embracing lowered expectations for the upcoming season.

- Fred Sakai

This week's edition of the Trentonian U Top 25 Rankings
(September 27, 2010)

1. Alabama (3) 75  [1]
2. Ohio State 72  [2]
3. Oregon 67  [3]
4. Boise State 65  [5]
5. TCU 64  [4]
t6. Nebraska 55  [7]
t6. Oklahoma 55  [8]
t6. Florida 55  [t11]
9. Wisconsin 47  [10]
t10. Stanford 45  [15]
t10. Auburn 45  [17]
12. Arkansas 43  [9]
13. LSU 39  [t13]
14. Miami 37  [18]
15. Utah 35  [t13]
16. Michigan 31  [19]
17. Arizona 28  [16]
18. Iowa 25  [20]
19. NC State 16  [NR]
20. South Carolina 14  [t11]
21. USC 11  [23]
22. Michigan State 10  [t25]
t23. Penn State 9  [22]
t23. Nevada 9  [NR]
25. Air Force 8  [t25]

Dropped Out: No. 6 Texas, No. 21 West Virginia, No. 24 Oregon State
Also Receiving Votes: Oklahoma State 7, Texas 4, West Virginia 2, Missouri 1, UCLA 1
PANEL: Ben Doody (Assistant Sports Editor), Matthew Osborne (Sports Editor), and Fred Sakai (contributor)
First-place votes in (parantheses), last week's rankings in [brackets].

In the most recent edition of the AP top 25 rankings, some wolf packs made noticeable appearances.

NC State moved into the poll at number 23. It was the first time since 2003 that the Wolfpack appeared in the poll.

Meanwhile, Nevada entered the poll at number 25. The Wolf Pack were in the poll for the first time since 1948.

On Saturday, NC State hosts Virginia Tech, while Nevada will play at in-state rival UNLV.

***
Georgia freshman linebacker Demetre Baker was dismissed by the program yesterday, following a DUI arrest early Sunday in Athens, Ga.

Coach Mark Richt was generally known to only suspend players for first offenses. However, it seems he may be closing in on a zero-tolerance policy for player arrests.

Richt was quoted as saying, "(Baker) was fully aware of the possible consequences that resulted from this type of decision."

Baker is the 10th Bulldog player to be arrested this year.

Through a prepared statement from the school, Richt says that Georgia will help him in "finding a place to continue his education and football career and hope that he's learned a valuable lesson from this mistake."

A spokesman for the school states that Baker is expected to remain enrolled at Georgia through the fall semester.

***
George O'Gorman writes about the key roles Rutgers products Kenny Britt and Jason McCourty played in the Tennessee Titans' victory over the Giants Sunday.

The piece also has video interviews of both players.

- Fred Sakai

While not formally announced, Alabama coach Nick Saban stated Thursday that his Crimson Tide will play Michigan at Cowboys Stadium in 2012.

Alabama last played Michigan in the 2000 Orange Bowl. The Wolverines won that game in overtime, 35-34.

***
New York Times' Jere Longman writes about the turnaround Al Golden is orchestrating at Temple.

Longman also writes about Temple's transformation from a commuter school, to a school where more than a quarter of the enrollment lives on or near campus.

The Owls face Penn State Saturday in Happy Valley. Temple has not beaten the Nittany Lions since 1941.

***
Considering USC's lackluster success rate of two-point conversions this season, one would think the coaching staff would change their approach.

Trojans special teams coordinator John Baxter is defending the two-point approach. He states, "it's pushing the pace, pushing the envelope and forcing our opponents to prepare for the Trojans in a multifaceted way...even if they (two-point conversions) don't work, they work."

***
Steven Miller writes on Rutgers' defensive end Jonathan Freeny's adjustment to his new role as an every-down player.

***
Matthew Osborne writes about "that week" of his last week, and looks to get back on the winning side of the ledger.

- Fred Sakai

The AP has an exclusive on a political action committee's challenge to the tax-exempt status of the BCS

According to the AP article, Playoff PAC is planning to file a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service today. The complaint is to be lodged against three of the five BCS bowls, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange. The Rose Bowl was found to be free of irregularities.

Ultimately the PAC aims to change the current BCS system, if the irregularities to be brought up in the complaint, are successful.

***
The Idaho-Statesman has posted some commentary from the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel's Pete DiPrimio, who for two consecutive weeks, is the only AP voter to rank Boise State first.

Among DiPrimio's arguments for ranking the Broncos first include, Boise State being in every one's top-5 preseason rankings, and not penalizing them for Virginia Tech's loss to James Madison.

- Fred Sakai

This is a tad late, but this week's rankings are below:
(September 20, 2010)

1. Alabama (3) 75  [1]
2. Ohio St 72  [2]
3. Oregon 66  [3]
4. TCU 65  [4]
5. Boise St 61  [5]
6. Texas 60  [6]
7. Nebraska 57  [9]
8. Oklahoma 56  [7]
9. Arkansas 48  [11]
10. Wisconsin 46  [10]
t11. South Carolina 42  [12]
t11. Florida 42  [13]
t13. LSU 35  [t14]
t13. Utah 35  [t14]
15. Stanford 33  [19]
16. Arizona 31  [23]
17. Auburn 29  [16]
18. Miami 25  [t17]
19. Michigan 21  [t17]
20. Iowa 19  [8]
21. West Virginia 17  [t20]
22. Penn State 11  [22]
23. USC 7  [24]
24. Oregon St 6  [t25]
t25. Air Force 5  [NR]
t25. Michigan St 5  [NR]

Also receiving votes: Oklahoma St 4, Pittsburgh 1, Temple 1
PANEL: Ben Doody (Assistant Sports Editor), Matthew Osborne (Sports Editor), and Fred Sakai (contributor)
First-place votes in (parantheses), last week's rankings in [brackets].

Michigan State tight end Dion Sims is among ten men charged in the thefts of over 100 laptop computers from Detroit public schools.

The stolen computers have been tracked coast-to-coast, as well as internationally as far away as the United Arab Emirates. The stolen goods were valued at $158,000.

According to the school, Sims has been suspended. Sims has been charged with receiving and concealing stolen property.

***
In what ends up being an exit fee, Nebraska and the Big XII have settled on a dollar amount for the Cornhuskers departure from the conference.

While the conference was looking for up to $19.4 million, the two parties have settled at $9.255 million. The money will be withheld from scheduled conference distributions instead of the school having to pay an actual fee.

If Nebraska is one of two Big XII teams to play a BCS bowl, the settlement figure drops to $8.755 million.

In related news, Colorado and the Big XII have also settled on a dollar amount for the Buffaloes to depart the conference.

Colorado will have $6.863 million withheld from scheduled conference distributions.

The above withholdings will allow Nebraska and Colorado to join the Big Ten and Pac-10 respectively, undeterred on July 1, 2011.

- Fred Sakai

When Colorado announced their move to the Pac-10, it seemed like the earliest they could leave the Big XII was 2012.

Sources say that the Buffaloes are now eyeing a move to the Pac-10 for the 2011 season. The exit fee paid to the Big XII had been a sticking point for Colorado's departure to the Pac-10

Utah is scheduled to join the Pac-10 in 2011 as well.

***
Don Treadwell, offensive coordinator for Michigan State, says that head coach Mark Dantonio is "doing better and better" following a heart attack after last Saturday's victory over Notre Dame.

Dantonio's release from the hospital has not yet been set. Treadwell will be coaching the team Saturday when the Spartans host Northern Colorado.

- Fred Sakai

This past week is a perfecet example of why my college picks are for entertainment purposes only. Come with me as I relive this journey.

About 2:30 p.m., things were looking terrific for my picks. East Carolina (19 1/2 point dogs) had a six-point lead late third quarter over Virginia Tech. Troy had a solid two-score lead on UAB only laying three and things were off to a strong start.

Then it started to unravel.

In order for the Hokies to beat my cover on ECU, they had to score four unanswered touchdowns to finish the game, a feat that would make even the most reckless gambler think twice about betting on. But they did it, and as soon as I saw that score, I knew my day was about to unravel.

And it did. Troy was leading by five points with 1:09 left and UAB had the ball at its own 1-yard line. Somehow, the Blazers got off the 1 and eventually won the game on a Hail Mary.

Hawaii was looking great to cover 11 1/2 points, staying close to Colorado in the fourth quarter before giving up two bad scores.

Then came USC who, thanks to Lane Kiffin's irresponsible and wanton misuse of the two-point conversion, lost the cover against Minnesota when the Gophers scored a meaningless TD with 11 seconds left in the game.

So, if you're keeping track, that's four games that went south in the final plays.

I was 1-1-1 in my other games, all of which ended in fairly predictable fashion. My loss was SMU, a longshot anyway laying 23 points, and Florida managed to push Tennessee. Stanford embarrassed Wake Forest and could have won by 100 if that was its desire.

I am not explaining all this to justify my 1-5-1 week. I am doing it to show that even when things look like a lock, they're not, so the best bet is not to bet at all.

Soapbox tirade over, I WILL continue to make picks and battle back from this humiliating week.

Other notes from this week:
* Alabama is looking awfully good so far, but the Tide get two straight tests coming up against Arkansas and Florida. I still like Bama to win those, but they have their hands full.

* If Ohio State gets beat in the regular season this year, I would be really surprised. Feel free to book that if you need to for throw-it-my-face purposes, but I'll stick by it.

* If Temple beats Penn State this week (you heard me), the Owls might go undefeated too. Would that make them a better BCS title game contender than Boise? (Again, if you think that's a dumb question, you're not paying attention.)
I'm going to make the Owls win first before I start breaking down the possibilities, but if they do, you can count on all the analysis of its ramifications here.

* At this point, I think it's Denard Robinson's Heisman to lose. Or is it Terrelle Pryor's? Well, at least they play each other.

In what will surely change the Heisman race, Houston has lost star quarterback Case Keenum for the season. Keenum suffered a torn ACL in the UCLA game Saturday.

To add insult to injury, the Cougars also lost backup quarterback Cotton Turner with a broken collar bone.

Terrance Broadway seems to be the leading candidate to be the next starter at quarterback for Houston.

***
This month's Hemispheres Magazine, United Airlines' inflight magazine, has a feature on Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.

More specifically, the article goes deep into Rodriguez's disastrous first two years at Michigan, and the high expectations surrounding the coach's third season at the helm.

Rodriguez had a successful seven-year tenure prior to moving on to Michigan.

***
Joe O'Gorman writes on Princeton losing linebacker Steven Cody for the season.

Also check out the College Notebook here.

- Fred Sakai

The trial for the man charged with the stabbing death last fall of University of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard, will most like not be held this fall.

Howard was fatally stabbed last October 18 during an on-campus fight. John Lomax III of Bloomfield, Conn., charged with the killing, remains held on $2 million bail.

The delay is due to the time it is taking the prosecution to hand over the evidence to the defense.

***
With Chris Rainey's arrest this week, it marked a feat coach Urban Meyer surely is not satisfied with.

Rainey became the 27th student-athlete arrested (30th arrest overall) under Meyer's tenure at Florida.

Understandingly upset at those numbers, Meyer declared Thursday that Florida "is not a dirty program. We follow the rules and some guys make mistakes and we've got to correct those mistakes. We follow the rules. We do it the right way at Florida and we have to do a better job with correcting some of the people making mistakes."

Rainey's status with the team remains in limbo, as coach Meyer has not officially declared what he plans to do with the wide receiver.

***
Joe O'Gorman writes about how TCNJ is looking to improve from last week's performance.

The Lions face FDU-Florham. Read the Gameday here.

***
After a 4-4 week last week, Matthew Osborne is back with more picks of the week.

- Fred Sakai

It is looking like Jason Douglas has played his final game with Pittsburgh.

Douglas, 19, faces an assortment of charges stemming from hitting a pedestrian while drunk driving early morning Sunday. Another Pittsburgh player, linebacker Dan Mason, was a passenger in the car. Mason was not charged, but the Panthers did drop him to the second team.

A preliminary hearing is set for today.

The Douglas incident is the second involving a Panther player in the past three months. Defensive end Jabaal Sheard plead guilty to disorderly conduct, after throwing a man through a Pittsburgh art galley's glass door during a July 18 fight.

***
When USC travels to Minnesota this weekend, it will be a homecoming of sorts for Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin.

As a result of his father, Monte Kiffin, and his numerous stops as a coach in the college and pro ranks, Minnesota was home for Lane during his high school days.

Lane Kiffin played three sports at Bloomington Jefferson High.

***
Michigan's Denard Robinson has opened many eyes in the first two weeks, and many now consider him to be the early front-runner for the Heisman.

So who will be the next Denard Robinson? MaxPreps puts the spotlight on four high school athletes who might be the next college football sensation.

Athletes highlighted are from all corners of the country.

***
Steve Miller writes on Rutgers captain Howard Barbieri taking responsibility for early offensive struggles.

- Fred Sakai

In light of Reggie Bush declaring his intentions to return the 2005 Heisman Trophy, the Heisman Trust has stated that there will be no winner for 2005.

Excerpt of the statement is below:

"As a result of Reggie Bush's decision to forfeit his title as Heisman winner of 2005, the Trustees have determined that there will be no Heisman Trophy winner for the year 2005."

ESPN has the full statement here.

- Fred Sakai

So how was it to be sitting (or standing) in the James Madison section at Lane Stadium this past Saturday?

YouTube user PatrickWiggins8 posted a video, counting down the seconds to victory.

While YouTube user CollegeYears posted this video of the excitement on campus and at Bridgeforth Stadium after the game.

***
It's time once again to take a peek at the mid-week spreads.

Many games have seen rather substantial changes from their opening lines. Some line changed dramatically within hours of open, but have remained consistent since. Those games are not reflected below.

Despite losing at home to FCS team-James Madison, Virginia Tech continues to be a solid favorite over visiting FBS team-East Carolina. The spread opened at 17 points, but is has now crept up to as much as 20 points.

Nebraska began as a 6 point favorite against Washington, but that has now dropped to 3 points, in their matchup Saturday in the Emerald State.

Oregon State began as a 14 point favorite over visiting Louisville, and that has now ballooned to as high as 20 points.

TCU opened as a 17.5 point favorite over visiting Baylor, and the Horned Frogs are now favored by as much as 22 points.

Marshall and Bowling Green opened as a "Pick 'em" game, but the spread now favors the Thundering Herd, now a 3 point favorite on the road.

Visiting Central Florida began as an 11.5 point favorite over Buffalo, but that has now dropped to as low as 7.5 points.

The Ohio Bobcats are the current big dogs of the week. Ohio State is a 30 point favorite at home, down modestly from the 31 points at open.

***
Steve Miller writes how Tom Savage is only looking forward after Rutgers' slow start.

***
While not a football movie, to cure the mid-week blues and to get over hump day, I dedicate this scene this from "Old School".

Follow me on Twitter @TrenUWest.

- Fred Sakai

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans has published a statement from Reggie Bush in regard to the return.

An excerpt is below:

"I have made the difficult decision to forfeit my title as Heisman winner of 2005. The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at USC has been both painful and distracting. In no way should the storm around these allegations reflect in any way on the dignity of this award, nor on any other institutions or individuals. Nor should it distract from outstanding performances and hard-earned achievements either in the past, present or future."

- Fred Sakai

Florida wide receiver Chris Rainey has been charged with aggravated stalking after allegedly sending out a text message that read, "time to die" to a woman he had dated on and off the last three years.

Rainey is scheduled to make an appearance in court Tuesday.

***
A New York Times article address how the suicide of a Penn player in April may have been caused by a trauma-induced disease.

A brain autopsy conducted by doctors at Boston University revealed that Owen Thomas may have been suffering from early stages of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease linked to depression and impulse control issues.

Symptoms of CTE have been found in at least 20 deceased NFL players.

Doctors were quick to point out that CTE may not have been the sole cause of his committing suicide. Thomas had no previous history of depression, but was observed to have had a "sudden and uncharacteristic emotional collapse" prior to taking his life.

Thomas was the second Penn player in five years to commit suicide. Kyle Ambrogi committed suicide in 2005.

***
While LSU coach Les Miles may be displeased with the offensive output from his quarterback, for the time being he is sticking with Jordan Jefferson.

In the win Saturday against Vanderbilt, Jefferson went 8-for-20 for 96 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

The tigers relied heavily on their ground game against the Commodores, collecting 280 rushing yards on route to the win.

***
(ADDED 12:10PM ET) The new FCS Coaches Poll was released yesterday, and Appalachian State is the new No. 1.

James Madison, fresh off the victory at Virginia Tech, jumped eight spots to third.

Rounding out the top five are Villanova, Jacksonville State, and Southern Illinois, ranked second, fourth, and fifth respectively.

- Fred Sakai

We're adding a new feature to our blog. We hope to bring you a ranking of the Top 25 teams in college football, each week as voted on by Trentonian U writers/contributors.

Here is this week's Trentonian U Football Top 25 Rankings
(September 13, 2010)

1. Alabama (3) 75
2. Ohio State 72
3. Oregon 66
4. TCU 64
5. Boise State 60
6. Texas 59
7. Oklahoma 58
8. Iowa 56
9. Nebraska 54
10. Wisconsin 47
11. Arkansas 42
12. South Carolina 41
13. Florida 39
t14. LSU 30
t14. Utah 30
16. Auburn 28
t17. Miami 27
t17. Michigan 27
19. Stanford 25
t20. Houston 14
t20. West Virginia 14
22. Penn State 11
23. Arizona 9
24. USC 7
t25. Georgia 6
t25. Oregon State 6

Also receiving votes: Air Force 3, East Carolina 2, California 1, North Carolina 1, Pittsburgh 1
PANEL: Ben Doody (Assistant Sports Editor), Matthew Osborne (Sports Editor), and Fred Sakai (contributor)

In the chaos caused this weekend when four FCS teams beat FBS teams, Boise State on the surface, almost scathed cleanly through their bye week.

The Broncos were seen as vulnerable after then No. 13-Virginia Tech lost Saturday at home to FCS team-James Madison, 21-16.

Boise State retained the number three ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls, albeit the Broncos received only one first-place AP vote after receiving eight last week.

Surprisingly, the lone first-place vote was not from Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman. Rather, the first-place vote came from Pete DiPrimio of the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel.

DiPrimio interestingly had Boise State ranked third in his previous week's poll, so in essence the Broncos did lose all eight first-place votes it had last week.

James Madison received 11 points in the AP poll, more than East Carolina, Nevada, NC State, Boston College, Northwestern and Baylor combined.

Amazingly, the Dukes got their 11 points from two voters...in California. Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News voted them 19th (7 pts), while Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle voted them 22nd (4 pts).

It will be interesting to see how long James Madison remains in these two voters' rankings as the season progresses.

When Appalachian State shocked then No. 5-Michigan at the Big House on September 1, 2007, FCS teams were not allowed to be voted into the AP poll.

The other FCS winners over FBS teams this past weekend were, Liberty (27-23 at Ball State), Gardner-Webb (38-37 OT at Akron), and South Dakota (41-38 at Minnesota).

***
Perhaps there is a new name in the Heisman picture.

Michigan's Denard Robinson finished with 502 total yards, including the game-winning two-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left, in the Wolverines' 28-24 victory at Notre Dame Saturday.

The quarterback passed for 244 yards (24-for-40), and ran 28 times for 258 yards.

***
Joe O'Gorman highlights Hamilton's Jayson DiManche and his impact with the Salukis of Southern Illinois.

Follow me on Twitter @TrenUWest.

- Fred Sakai

I'm sad to say it's time for a funeral.

It's time for the funeral of the "Big 3."

In Florida, everyone knows what I am talking about, but I'll break it down for the other 49 states.

The Big 3 are Miami, Florida State and Florida, so named for their total dominance of college football for most of the last 30 years.

They combined for 10 of the last 30 national titles, meaning that every third year someone from the Big 3 wins it all over a generation or so.

And in the years they didn't win, they almost did. The three combined to lose six other national title games (not counting the one when FSU and Florida played each other) and Miami was undoubtedly the best team in 1990 but did not win the title.

(Argue it anytime you want. I'll be here.)

The Hurricanes also got hosed on bad calls at Notre Dame in 1988 and against Ohio State in 2002, so if you consider that, the Big 3 could have had 19 of those 30 titles with a break or two.



Not bad.

Anyone my age who grew up in Florida knows this and accepts that football played anywhere else was for nancy boys.

Those days are dead.

Sure, Florida has had a good recent run, but they are showing that even the Mighty Gators have to rebuild. I'd be shocked if they win nine games this season.

Florida State hasn't been nationally relevant in a decade, and Miami has been mostly dormant since the aforementioned PI call against the Buckeyes.

In the old days, these teams never rebuilt. They just kicked your ... well, you get the idea.

Now things have changed.

The talent is more spread out now, and there are too many good athletes to keep dominating for that length of time.

USC took up the mantle of the dominant team in the country for a time, but look what happened to the Trojans.

I am writing this to say one thing - I am moving on. There is no Big 3, not anymore.
Florida, Florida State and Miami, as they were, are no more. They are all strong programs, but never the same again.

And now, for other non-Florida based observations:

* Alabama and Ohio State proved themselves worthy of the top two spots in the country for now. We'll see how their conference seasons go, but I predict at least one of them will fall somewhere. Which leads me to Boise State.

Can the "No. 3" Broncos actually play for a national title now? When their big win over Virginia Tech is stained by James Madison's matching victory?

College poll tradition is to elevate teams behind a squad that loses. If Alabama or Ohio State lose, can they possibly drop below a team that will be whooping up on chumps all season?

This is the central question of the BCS, but despite all the bluster from people like Orrin Hatch, Boise State and Utah do NOT want a playoff.

Seriously, they don't. Not an eight-team playoff anyway.

Boise State's best chance at winning a national title is right here, right now, by winning enough to impress the computers and somehow keep the voters happy.
If there were an eight-team playoff, there is no way Boise is winning three straight against top teams.

No chance in hell.

Boise can pull off one win (see Oklahoma, 2006) over a good team, but not three.
Utah from 2008 would have been in the same boat. The Utes beat a depleted and broken Alabama team that had two freshman offensive tackles who had never played, but they couldn't have won three straight games over elite teams.

No way, Mr. Hatch.

Now a plus-one might be doable for them, but not likely to work either. If Boise or Utah think a true playoff will lead them to a national title, they are fooling themselves.

No, believe it or not, Boise State is probably the BCS system's biggest supporter right now. It's folly is their only chance.

* By the way, same applies for Boise coach Chris Peterson. Stay at Boise, keep doing what you're doing and be the Bobby Bowden of the northwest. Don't pull a Dan Hawkins, who is not long for his Colorado gig after a 52-7 blowout loss to Cal and more defeats on the horizon.

* Houston scored 54 points without Case Keenum throwing a touchdown. What were the odds of that going into the season?

* How does Minnesota lose at home to South Dakota? Either these I-AA teams are getting better or the I-As are getting worse.

You never know what to make of these games, though. Kansas lost 6-3 to North Dakota State, then beat a ranked Georgia Tech team.

* Is Rutgers the worst 2-0 team in the country? From what I can see, yes. At least San Diego State knocked the crap out of two bad opponents.

Maryland comes close here, but Rutgers is the pick. (Maryland beat Navy, albeit in lucky fashion, but Navy would throttle Norfolk State or FIU.)

* My boys from East Carolina came through again last week. Now they tell me Virginia Tech (ahem, JMU) is a 17-point favorite against the Pirates. Want to doubt them again?

I am already checking the spreads for Week 3. It will be another interesting week.

What I am watching heading into the second college Saturday of the season:

* Normally I pick obscure Sun Belt games for my weekly handicapping efforts, but I went out hunting big game this week. I've got Alabam (minus-12), Miami (plus-8), Florida State (plus-8) and Michigan (plus-4) in the mega games of the day. Louisiana-Lafayette and friends will just have to take a back seat today. Check out the rest of my picks here.

* Steve Spurrier was a childhood hero of mine, and yet I've written at least twice that he should hang it up, if for no other reason that he has no shot at winning the SEC title ever again at South Carolina. Well, here is his last - seriously - shot at it now since he didn't listen to me then.

South Carolina must beat Georgia today or The Ol' Ball Coach might as well drop his visor at midfield Ted Williams style and walk out of the building for good.




Georgia is a little down, Florida looked like crap last week and Tennessee is rebuilding. It's now or never for the Gamecocks.

* Boise State's Kellen Moore jumped out in front of the Heisman race last Monday. Hopefully, Mark Ingram isn't thinking about that when he decides whether to play today or not.

Ingram is not needed against Penn State. If Alabama is going to beat Penn State, it will do it with or without him. He does not need to risk the rest of his season by coming back too soon.

The ONLY reason he could possibly be thinking about coming back is because he wants a second Heisman. But like Sam Bradford last year, he may be trapped between a rock (losing the Heisman for missing games) and a hard place (reinjuring himself in a vain attempt to get back in the race).

* Oh yeah, one other thing I'm watching. Can Florida get better? If the Gators lose to South Florida, the season could tailspin out of control. Will there be any mystery suspensions this week?

That's all I've got for now. Enjoy your Saturday.

Amidst the conversation that Boise State has a soft non-conference schedule, an interesting tidbit has popped up from Nebraska.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska Assistant Athletic Director Jeff Jamrog passed up an opportunity to host a game in Lincoln, due to Boise State’s outrageous request of a $1 million payout.

Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymeier in the past is reported to have said that a payout of $900,000 to $1 million to the Broncos, is fair market for such a matchup.

***

Grand Valley State reclaimed the top spot in the AFCA Division II poll after Texas A&M-Kingsville stunned then No. 1-Northwest Missouri State last week.

The Lakers will have some added motivation when facing No. 11 Hillsdale tomorrow.

In addition to being ranked No. 1 for the 80^th time since 2001, the Lakers will look to avenge a 27-24 loss at the hands of Hillsdale last year. That Chargers victory was Grand Valley State’s first regular season loss in five years.

Minnesota-Duluth is ranked second in the poll while North Alabama, California (Pa.), and Abilene Christian, round out the top five. Last week’s No. 1 Northwest Missouri State dropped to eighth.

***

The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that the Big East Conference has invited Villanova to make the jump from FCS to FBS.

Football, Villanova’s only team not to compete in Big East play, is currently a part of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Several factors that will weigh in Villanova’s decision, include finding a venue suitable to meet FBS attendance requirements, training facilities upgrades, increasing the number of football scholarships, and funding additional women’s sports scholarships in accordance with Title IX.

The Big East supposedly would like a decision by year end.

***

A recent rash of staph infections within the Tennessee football team prompted coach Derek Dooley and staff to conduct a clinic this week on “proper shower technique”.

It is unknown whether this clip from “Seinfeld” was used as part of the clinic.

Or this one...

***
After going 5-3 last week, Matthew Osborne is back with more of his picks of the week.

***
Steven Miller writes that Antonio Lowery and other Florida natives on the Scarlet Knights' team are looking forward to this trip to FIU.

***

Let’s have fun watching the games tomorrow, but let’s also take a moment to reflect that it has been nine years since the events of September 11, 2001.

Follow me all season long @TrenUWest.

- Fred Sakai

Wyoming linebacker Ruben Narcisse, killed in an automobile accident Monday, will be honored by Texas in Saturday's game in Austin, Tex.

Meanwhile, Wyoming will be honoring the memory of Narcisse in many ways throughout the season, including designating a different player each week to wear Narcisse's No. 12 jersey.

Sophomore safety Shamiel Gary will be wearing the No. 12 on Saturday.

***
It seems unlikely that Alabama's Mark Ingram will play in Saturday's game against Penn State.

ESPN's Joe Schad also notes that with Duke being next on the Alabama schedule, it is foreseeable that the reigning Heisman winner will not be back until the Crimson Tide's conference opener at Arkansas on September 25th.

***
(ADDED 1:40PM ET) Averaging 7,252,000 households, Monday night's Boise State-Virginia Tech game has been called ESPN's most-watched college football game.

***
On a lighter note, while Bubba Sparxxx's "Back in the Mud" was featured in the NFL game, Madden '04, this music video feels appropriate for college football.

Follow me all season long on Twitter @TrenUWest.

- Fred Sakai

The Pac-10 has quite a few early Heisman candidates, and ESPN's Ted Miller reviews week one performances from Jacquizz Rodgers, Jake Locker, Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley and more.

According to Miller, seven candidates are trending down or treading water, while three are trending up.

***
Just to prove that it is not all work when flying out to Hawaii to play a game, USC Rips It Blog has pictures of the team having a little fun in Hawaii.

They named the segment, "Trojan Baywatch".

***
A mid-week glance at the spreads show noticeable movement in some games.

Mississippi State began the week as a 3.5 point underdog to Auburn, but that has gone down to 1.5 to 2 points for tomorrow's game.

Air Force was getting 1.5 points at the open, but it now anywhere from a "pick 'em" to a 1 point favorite over visiting BYU.

Ohio opened as a 10 point favorite, but that is now down to only 7.5 points against visiting Toledo.

San Diego State began as a 10.5 point favorite and is now up to a 13.5 point favorite at New Mexico State.

San Jose State is the current big dog (as in, big underdog) of the week. Wisconsin began as a 35 point favorite, and now sits as a 38.5 point favorite in their home opener against the Spartans Saturday.

Follow me all season long on Twitter @TrenUWest.

- Fred Sakai

In sad news, a single-car crash on a highway between Fort Collins, Colo. and Laramie, Wyo. has resulted in the death of one Wyoming football player and injuries to three others.

A car driven by cornerback Trey Fox drifted off northbound U.S. 287 and crashed. Fox, wide receiver C.J. Morgan and linebacker J.J. Quinlan were injured and taken to area hospitals.

Linebacker Ruben Narcisse was killed in the accident. Fox and Quinlan have been released from the hospital but Morgan remains hospitalized.

Drugs and/or alcohol do not seem to be involved in the accident. Fox is believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel, losing control of the car.

***
Highly-touted quarterback Brett Hundley (Chandler, Ariz.) has committed to UCLA.

While crosstown rival USC has seen very good quarterbacks come and go through the program, UCLA has not had much success at the position the past decade. Hundley is currently ranked sixth at quarterback by scout.com.

***
Per AP twitter, this week's Top 25 rankings are due out approximately 2:00pm ET.

- Fred Sakai

So, you're going to forget about Tim Tebow, are you?

I've watched Florida for a long time, and I've had a lot of people ask me "Hey, what happened to the Gators?" this weekend.

Simply put, it was the worst performance I have seen from a Gator football team in more than 25 years. I would have to go back in my archives to try and remember a worse one, and I think I will. But for now, it's the worst I can remember.

I said it on Twitter, and I'll say it here. John Brantley IV can't hold Tom Savage's jock strap right now. He has a long climb ahead of him.

The Gators can forget about competing with Alabama and Ohio State, because they need to worry about beating USF first.

Or how about completing a center snap? Mike Pouncey had a nightmare of a game, and any time people are talking about a center, it's bad news.

Here's what else is on my mind as I wait for Boise State and Virginia Tech to get it on:

* Oklahoma had its hands full with Utah State, looking very Florida-like, and yet the Sooners opened as 10-point favorites over Florida State.

With this week coming up slated as the armageddon week for college powers, a lot of these big clashes sure have big spreads. Miami is a 10-point dog to Ohio State, and Oregon is a 13 1/2-point favorite at Tennessee.

(It wasn't that long ago that, if FSU and Miami were 10-point dogs, they must have been facing the San Francisco 49ers.)

Alabama is a 9 1/2-point favorite against Penn State as well, meaning the bookies don't agree with the hype mongers at the Disney Corp. who are telling us how great these games are going to be.

At least Notre Dame is only a 6-point favorite over Michigan, but my early instinct is to stick with the Wolverines.

* Going back one last time to OU and Florida scuffling around with inferior foes, I offer this - Oregon 72, New Mexico 0. That is how you take care of business in Week 1. I am not sure that translates to a two-touchdown margin in Knoxville, but we'll see.

* Jeremiah Masoli got his wishes to play for Ole Miss, but the gods didn't care for his treachery, as Jacksonville State upset the Rebels on Saturday.

They can't pin this one on Masoli, though, as the team scored 48 points. How do you give up 49 to Jax State? The Gamecocks are a solid FCS program (hung with Florida State to the bitter end last year), but that result was ridiculous.

Still, can't help but smile.

* North Carolina played tough against LSU Saturday night despite missing 13 players, including key starters on both sides.

I am thinking by the time the Tar Heels play Rutgers, they could be nasty if they get some of those guys back.

And yes, I think it was pass interference at the end of the game.

* Turner Gill turned Buffalo from a joke into a MAC champion. Sadly, his first game at Kansas didn't go as well in a 6-3 loss to North Dakota State. To me, that gets the "Was That a Misprint?" Award for this week.

* I haven't saved much love for Lane Kiffin in my Christmas prayers each year, but part of me admires his approach at USC.

With the team getting slapped with severe probation and having nothing tangible to play for, the Trojans are going to do things their way.

They're going for fourth downs. They're attempting unnecessary two-point conversions. And you know what? I'd do the same thing if it were me.

So kudos, Kiffin, but I don't want you to think we're friends or anything.

* If you don't love watching triple option football, find another sport. It's like the crane kick - if it's done right, you can't defend it. Thank you, Navy, for keeping it alive.

* Last week, I went 5-3 on my column picks, thanks to big over covers from East Carolina-Tulsa and SMU-Texas Tech.

* Speaking of big numbers, here's four to watch out of nowhere for the Heisman:

1. Denard Robinson, Michigan - 197 yards on the ground and huge win. Love to watch this kid, I just hope he stays upright for 12 games.

2. Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State - 257 yards and four touchdowns against Washington State. Yes, it was Wazzu, but holy cow. He reminds me of that other OSU running back...

3. Dominique Davis, East Carolina - 383 yards and six total touchdowns. The Pirates can't stop anyone, but maybe they don't have to.

4. Kenjon Barner, Oregon - If he scores five touchdowns on Rocky Top, watch this kid. And he hasn't even punched anyone.

5. Tyler Russell, Mississippi State - 256 yards and four touchdowns. Dan Mullen has already coached one Heisman winner.

Of course, Kellen Moore shoots right to the top with a big game tonight, and then we wonder who will knock him off if America's love affair with Boise State continues.

Then again, the boys from VPI are pretty tough, too.

- Matthew Osborne

Five things to think about on Friday night when you go to sleep dreaming of college football:

• What changed in two days regarding Jeremiah Masoli? This is one of those times where you wonder if someone went into a pocketbook and got a deal done. The NCAA took a bold stance on abusing the graduate studies waiver, then burned it and blew away the ashes 48 hours hence. Ridiculous and disgraceful.
• UNC is ravaged. College Gameday is in Atlanta for LSU-North Carolina. Maybe they should have gone to UConn-Michigan or Oregon State-TCU. The Tar Heels are going to get stomped, and if they don't, LSU has bigger problems than we know.
• Speaking of TCU... Even though the Horned Frogs are ranked No. 6, I am concerned they may have their hands full with Oregon State. Definitely worth tuning in for tomorrow night.
• Give me a Heisman frontrunner. Anyone? Yeah it's only the day before the first Saturday, but I've already lost two of my three Heisman picks from this very space (Mark Ingram and Bernard Pierce). If you didn't hear, Pierce got shut down by Villanova as the Owls escaped with a win Friday night. Case Keenum, I need you, babe.
• Michigan. Enough said. Get a win or get a new coach.

- Matthew Osborne

In case you had not heard (or noticed), today is National College Colors Day. This is the sixth year that people are encouraged to wear their college colors.

***
While most had known there would be a number of North Carolina players who would not be eligible to play this weekend against LSU, it seems we finally know how many will miss the game.

ESPN's Joe Schad had previously tweeted that up to 16 Tar Heels players might not play in the game due to the ongoing investigations of inappropriate benefits and academic misconduct.

We now find that six players are indeed ineligible, and that an additional nine players are being held back from making the trip to Atlanta, pending results of the investigation.

Included in the six ineligible is Marvin Austin, already being suspended by the program on Wednesday.

***
When Virginia Tech plays Boise State Monday in Landover, MD., the Hokies will look to end a six-game losing streak against AP top-five teams.

The Hokies are 1-9 in their last 10 against top-five teams. The Broncos are currently ranked third in the AP poll.

***
Read Steven Miller's article about the Scarlet Knights' 31-0 victory last night over Norfolk State here.

Matthew Osborne has his college football picks for this weekend here.

- Fred Sakai

Had Rutgers pulverized Norfolk State on Thursday night, it would have been more than a bit premature for Knights fans to start booking tickets for the Fiesta Bowl.

With that in mind, that the Knights' season-opening win over an undermanned FCS opponent was somewhere in between unconvincing and downright embarrassing doesn't mean fans ought to declare the season over and start counting the days until Mike Rice holds his first formal practice.

After Rutgers turned in a fairly impressive second half, outscoring Norfolk State 25-0, I feel only slightly different about this team than I did before the game began.

This team is young. It has talent in certain areas but huge question marks in others. In the opener, the areas of question were a lot more clear than the areas of certainty.

The offensive line, for instance, was a mess, allowing Norfolk State to put constant pressure on Tom Savage, even shaking him up once on a late second-quarter sack. The kicking game was similarly shaky, with San San Te missing two of his first three field goal attempts.

Savage -- even when considering his line hung him out to dry on multiple occasions -- was far from great -- a key reason the Knights finished with 154 passing yards, only 23 more than Norfolk State.

The Knights freshmen? Neither Jordan Thomas nor Jeremy Deering did anything particularly memorable. But that merely means it's too early to cast a verdict on how good they'll be this year, whereas monster performances would have lent credence to the optimistic theory that they'll be bigtime players right away.

But this wasn't all ugly. The defense allowed Norfolk State to threaten on several occasions in the first half but didn't break. Brandon Bing blocked two punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Joe Lefeged.

Joe Martinek still isn't going to make anyone's Heisman watch list, but he plowed through the Norfolk defense when Rutgers desperately needed to start moving the ball in the third quarter.

So after what was, in essence, a glorified scrimmage, perhaps this is the most important thing:

No one got hurt.

- BD

Here's my three for Thursday night. More to come later:
UTAH (minus-3) over Pitt
UAB (minus-14) over Fla Atlantic
USC (minus-21) over Hawaii

That is all.

- Matthew Osborne

It doesn't take much of a dare devil to predict that Rutgers is going to beat Norfolk State tonight quite convincingly. My prediction was 52-3. It might be more lopsided or slightly less lopsided, but the Knights could play their worst game of the year and still win by several touchdowns.

Even some individual statistics can be misleading given the level of competition -- and that's not even really a knock on Norfolk State. The Spartans, as a handful of people have pointed out, are more than respectable by MEAC standards. They're just not good enough to compete against a team from the Big East.

So other than the fact that football is finally upon is, what can fans take from tonight's game?

Here are three areas that could provide glimpses of what's to come:

1. Rutgers' true freshmen. 

We know what Tom Savave and Mohamed Sanu can do -- and we know what we've seen from players like Joe Martinek, who have been steady but far from spectacular over the course of a full season.

But a pair of scrimmages are the most formal settings in which people have gotten a chance to watch players like wideout Jeremy Deering and tailback Jordan Thomas, both of whom should see action tonight.

Deering is listed on the 2 deep behind Sanu and Mark Harrison, while Thomas -- who entered camp as a wideout -- moved to running back and is listed as Martinek's top backup.

Though Norfolk State is hardly Pitt, the setting will be more telling than a Rutgers-on-Rutgers scrimmage. That means big games from Deering and Thomas -- even if they don't break any records -- would be reasons for optimism.

On the same note, it'll be at least somewhat telling if those guys find it hard to get going.

2. Special teams 

Though punter Teddy Dellaganna is coming off an impressive season, the same can't be said about place kicker San San Te, who has fallen short of the expectations that confronted him when he took over for Jeremy Ito in 2008.

Greg Schiano has repeatedly said he's expecting big things from Te, who's leg strenth has never been in doubt but who hasn't always met the challenges that games have presented him with. Booting a couple long field goals could be the start of something very encouraging.

Meanwhile, this will be the Knights' first game without Devin McCourty, who's on a very short list of the best special teams player in school history. I'm interested to see how Joe Lefeged and Co. do attempting to fill his shoes.

3. The offensive line. 

If Martinek, Thomas and Co. can drive a Hummer through the holes being plowed tonight, that doesn't mean there's no reason at all to be concerned about the Knights having zero starters in the same spots they occupied last year.

But getting through the game without allowing a sack is an achievable -- and meaningful -- goal.

When I moved to Manhattan last year and began dealing with the hassle of finding ways and places to ditch my car, the area immediately in front of the Gugenheim Museum -- on Fifth Avenue a block away from a busy entrance to Central Park -- didn't strike me as a crime-ravaged area.

But sure enough, that was the sight where, early this afternoon -- just when I was getting ready to leave for Rutgers Stadium -- I was christened as a New Yorker, when a passer-by smashed the passenger side window of my car and ran off with the one thing of any perceived value in my car: A hand-me-down cell phone (girlfriend gave it to me when she bought an iPhone, just in case I could put it to use) that isn't even connected to a plan.

The guy got two blocks before the NYPD came to the rescue, arrested him and took the aforementioned phone.

Rough day for the thief, who will be spending the night in jail, be unable to take part in our Rutgers football chat, and not even have the crappy old cell phone to show for it.

As for me, I'm trying to look at the bright side. I'll still be able to host the chat, with our intrepid intern and de facto RU beat writer Steve Miller, chiming in with updates from the stadium while I watch on ESPN3.com and listen to Chris Carlin and Co. on the radio broadcast.

While that's going on, I'll get the unexpected perk of being on the couch for what promises to be a fun opening night of college football. South Carolina and Southern Miss kick off the night at 7:30 on ESPN, and what promises to be a good one between Big East frontrunner Pitt and home favorite Utah kicks an hour later on Versus.

Steve will provide the game coverage on Trentonian.com, while I'll chime in with my view from the couch here on the blog.

Not exactly how I planned to spend the night. But hey, it sure beats getting arrested and not being able to do so much as send a text message.

- BD

Independence is the craze, and nobody is immune from it.

While new USC athletic director Pat Haden states the school is a "happy member of the Pac-10", in light of the current trend of conference realignment, he would "consider every alternative" including independence.

These comments--reported in an Orange County Register blog entry--are on the heels of the conference's expansion from the Pac-10 to Pac-12 after Utah and Colorado join the conference in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

***
The path to becoming a starter in college football is not easy, and it's even more difficult for a walk-on.

So when Washington guard Gregory Christine snapped his fibula last October, it was natural to think his career might be over.

Eleven months later, Christine will be the starting right guard for the Huskies season opener Saturday against BYU.

Seattle Times' Steve Kelley details Christine's comeback.

***
Although TCU was more than capable of putting up points last season, the Horned Frogs were mainly known for their defense.

While that may still be the case this season, TCU coach Gary Patterson acknowledges that Oregon State's offense is good enough to where he "doesn't expect this game to be low-scoring.

The TCU-Oregon State matchup will feature a home-state return for the Beavers' Rodgers brothers, both graduates of Lamar Consolidated, outside of Houston. Senior James Rodgers led the Beavers last season in touchdown receptions (nine), while Junior Jacquizz Rodgers scored 21 of the team's 26 rushing touchdowns last year.

The game will be played Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium.

***
Lastly, Ben Doody and Steve Miller will host a live chat during tonight's Rutgers/Norfolk State game. The live chat is scheduled to start at 7pm here at Trentonian U.

Here is a closer look at tonight's matchup.

Follow me all season long on Twitter @TrenUWest.

- Fred Sakai

The prolonged battle of words involving a content carriage agreement renewal between ABC/Disney and Time Warner Cable, apparently is coming to an end.

Several outlets are reporting that while a formal agreement has not been signed, enough progress has been made so that Time Warner Cable will continue carrying ABC/Disney content after the current agreement expires tomorrow.

The first major college football game to have been potentially impacted by a failure to reach an agreement would have been the USC/Hawaii matchup tomorrow.

Both sides had gone to the airwaves and internet (ABC/Disney with "I Have Choices" and Time Warner with "Roll Over or Get Tough" campaigns) to state their case.

***
The University of Miami is reportedly in negotiations with the New York Yankees to play a game at Yankee Stadium in 2013.

The Hurricanes have a large alumni base in the northeast, as stated by head coach Randy Shannon.

Of course Miami would not be the first college football team playing at Yankee Stadium. Army will host Notre Dame on November 20, and the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl (a scheduled matchup between Big East and Big XII teams) will take place on December 30. The Black Knights have five games scheduled at Yankee Stadium through 2015, including tilts against Rutgers in 2011 and 2015.

***
Filed under "In Case You Missed It", Eastern Washington has joined the seemingly northwestern trend of college football programs sporting non-traditional colored turf. As seen on Deadspin, the Eagles' will sport red Sprinturf at Woodward Field.

The change to red was made possible due to a donor contribution, and thus the field will be renamed shortly to Roos Field.

The well known blue turf at Boise's Bronco Stadium was first installed in 1986 and new FieldTurf was installed this offseason after glare/reflection complaints.

Follow me all season long on Twitter @TrenUWest.

- Fred Sakai