Thursday, July 31, 2014

Air Force unveils new alternate uniform (Photos)



With less than one month to go until the 2014 college football season kicks off, a number of programs have begun to roll out alternate uniforms that will be worn at some point during the season.


Air Force is one of these programs, and the new alternate uniform the Falcons unveiled today is one of the best we’ve seen this offseason.


Take a look:



More pictures of the new 2014 Alternate Football Uniform! http://ift.tt/Xlf922


— Air Force Football (@AFFootball) July 31, 2014


Check out the new 2014 Alternate Football Uniform! Which game do you hope to see them this season? http://ift.tt/1u572kM


— Air Force Football (@AFFootball) July 31, 2014

The light blue helmets with the lightning bolt logo make for an especially sharp look. Per Air Force’s Twitter, the team will wear the new uniforms for at least one game in the upcoming season.


Coming off a disappointing 2-10 season, the Falcons’ season opens up at home against Nicholls State on August 30.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!


Follow @SamDCooper


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Air Force unveils new alternate uniform (Photos)


#tbt Here’s What Weed Cost 40 Years Ago in the Ivy League


Student journalism and service journalism have long been one in the same. Today’s case in point is the Yale Daily News (where, disclosure, I sometimes write and used to edit), which covered the marijuana beat fastidiously during the 70s—long before the New York Times said pot was cool. Back in 1971, the YDN went so […] From IvyGate - #tbt Here’s What Weed Cost 40 Years Ago in the Ivy League


Jayde Pierce Should Be On Your Radar [PHOTOS]


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Former Heisman winner Lujack recovering


Johnny Lujack, the star quarterback who led Notre Dame to three national championships and won the Heisman Trophy in 1947, is recovering after spinal surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. From ESPN.com - College Football - Former Heisman winner Lujack recovering


Stuff The Intern Forgot: Germany Drank This Much World Cup Beer [Links]


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Preseason polls are devolving into talking points instead of credible ways to rank teams



It’s not easy being No. 1.


Florida State, last year’s national champion, sits atop the recently released coaches poll in an unenviable position. No preseason No. 1 in the coaches poll has gone on to finish with that ranking since USC in 2004, and five of the past six preseason No. 1s have finished their season ranked No. 8 or lower.


There are just too many things that happen during the year that can change the outcome of the season. From injuries to disciplinary issues, the composition of a team can change in an instant and any hope of winning a national title can go down the drain with it.


That’s not to say I disagree with ranking Florida State at No. 1. It is, after all, coming off an undefeated season and does have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, who was far-and-away the best player on the field a year ago.


But to understand my dismay with preseason polls, one only has to look back to the top five that started last season and the top five that ended it.


Here’s what the 2013 preseason coaches poll looked like (with each team’s poll finish in parentheses):



  1. Alabama (8)

  2. Ohio State (t-10)

  3. Oregon (9)

  4. Stanford (t-10)

  5. Georgia (unranked)


And here’s what the coaches poll looked like at the end of the season (with each team’s preseason ranking in parentheses)



  1. Florida State (12)

  2. Auburn (unranked)

  3. Michigan State (unranked)

  4. South Carolina (7)

  5. Missouri (unranked)


No one could fault the coaches for leaving Auburn, Michigan State and Missouri out of the rankings. Of the three, only Michigan State had a winning record (7-6) after the 2012 season. But it speaks to the point that you never know what you’re going to get until you play the game.


That’s why haters of preseason polls should be encouraged by the College Football Playoff. The coaches poll and the AP poll, which will be released Aug. 17, have nothing to do with who will play for a national championship this year (and for years to come). Of course, there’s no doubt the voting committee in the College Football Playoff will look at these rankings to get a good jumping-off point, but those committee members don’t release their poll until Oct. 28, and then every Tuesday for five weeks afterward until we get our four-team playoff. It’s a complex system that you can read all about here, but it seems to be the fairest way to choose a champion.


So does that mean college football preseason polls will eventually become obsolete?


Not necessarily.


We as a society love to be able to quantify things and until the poll that actually matters comes out in October, we need a way to distinguish the top teams from the riff-raff. We want to be able to call our team No. 1 even if it might not be the top team in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee.


And that is where the true mettle of polls such as the coaches and AP will prove their worth.


Perhaps both polls will have Florida State as their No. 1 team, but what if, say, Arkansas, a preseason unranked team, is undefeated as well? According to the NCAA, Arkansas has the nation’s toughest schedule and it plays in what many consider to be the nation’s toughest conference. In the coaches and AP polls, an undefeated Florida State would stay No. 1 because that’s where it started, however, Arkansas could rise to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff because of what it’s achieved regardless of how it was perceived prior to the season.


That’s because, according to the College Football Playoff website, the committee “will emphasize obvious factors like win-loss records, strength of schedule, conference championships won, head-to-head results and results against common opponents.”


With the strength of schedule coming back into play, a team like Florida State, which has the NCAA’s 47th-best schedule, might not be as highly rated in the eyes of the committee because its conference isn’t doing it any favors.


That’s not to say an undefeated Florida State team wouldn’t make the playoff — any team that manages to go undefeated in a major conference should make the playoff — but it might not command the top spot over an undefeated team from a better league.


While all of this is hypothetical, it goes to show that preseason polls could devolve into talking points instead of credible ways to rank teams. And the teams that have good seasons aren’t going to be locked out of a possible national championship because of where they started in the preseason rankings.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday


And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Preseason polls are devolving into talking points instead of credible ways to rank teams


OK State’s Phi Delta Theta Suspended Two Years For Drinking, Hazing, And Yelling At Intramural Ref


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Hautelinks: Week of 7/31/14


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The 7 Best Things About Not Being In College Anymore

Wake Forest suspends top returning RB Dominique Gibson



Wake Forest’s running game took a hit Thursday when the school announced that running back Dominique Gibson had been indefinitely suspended from the team.


An undisclosed violation of team rules was the only reason given for the discipline.


Gibson was the team’s top returning rusher with 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He and senior Orville Reynolds, who returned to running back after spending the past two seasons as a flanker, were in line to either battle for the starting role or become a two-back tandem as Wake Forest tried to resuscitate one of the nation’s more anemic offenses.


Wake Forest ranked 118th nationally in total offense last season and 116th in rushing offense with just 94.1 yards per game. The offense had just two games with more than 124 yards rushing and those games came against Presbyterian and Army. Of the Demon Deacons’ 24 offensive touchdown, 11 came on the ground.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday


And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Wake Forest suspends top returning RB Dominique Gibson


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Noles' Wilson pleads no contest in scooter case

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Florida State is tops in preseason Coaches Poll ahead of Alabama and Oklahoma



Florida State is starting 2014 where it ended the 2013 season: atop the Coaches Poll.


The 2014 preseason Amway Coaches Poll was released on Wednesday and the Seminoles are No. 1 ahead of Alabama and Oklahoma, last year's participants in the Sugar Bowl. Oregon is No. 4 while the team that FSU beat in the BCS Championship Game, Auburn, is No. 5.


Florida State garnered the vast majority of first-place votes with 56 of the 62 available. Oklahoma received 3, while No. 6 Ohio State, Oregon and No. 9 South Carolina each received one. It's the first time since 2009 that Alabama has not received a first-place vote in the preseason Coaches Poll.


In what's likely a mere coincidence, or a sign that college football coaches can't accurately predict a season, the top team in the preseason poll hasn't ended the year in the top spot for 10 seasons.


The SEC has three teams in the top 10 and seven teams in the top 25, the most of any conference. However, it's curious why Texas A&M is the final SEC team in the poll. A&M needs to replace Johnny Manziel and have a vastly improved defense to live up to this ranking. Oh, and should we mention that the Aggies also have to face other teams in the preseason top 25 including road games at No. 9 South Carolina, No. 2 Alabama and No. 5 Auburn.


One of the SEC teams not ranked is Missouri, who is first among all other teams receiving votes. Mizzou is behind not only Texas A&M, but Texas, which is somehow ranked 24th. (Though Missouri fans should take heart. If A&M loses its season-opener to South Carolina and the Tigers beat South Dakota State, Missouri will be in the rankings for week 2.)


The Pac-12 has six teams in the top 25, including UCLA in the top 10. The Big 12 and Big 10 have four apiece while Clemson and North Carolina are the two other ACC teams in the poll. Notre Dame is the lone independent.


The full poll is below. What stands out to you? If we were the sole deciders of the poll, we'd move Oklahoma down a couple spots and do the same with Georgia. In addition to removing Texas A&M from the ballot, we'd also leave off Texas.


1. Florida State, 1543 (56)

2. Alabama, 1455

3. Oklahoma, 1382 (3)

4. Oregon, 1314 (1)

5. Auburn, 1271

6. Ohio State, 1267 (1)

7. UCLA, 1085

8. Michigan State, 1050

9. South Carolina, 1009

10. Baylor, 965

11. Stanford, 955

12. Georgia, 905

13. LSU, 833

14. Wisconsin, 654

15. Southern Cal, 627

16. Clemson, 535

17. Notre Dame, 509

18. Arizona State, 358

19. Ole Miss, 346

20. Texas A&M, 266

21. Kansas State, 257

22. Nebraska, 228

23. North Carolina, 175

24. Texas, 143

25. Washington, 142

Others receiving votes: Missouri, Florida, Central Florida, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


Follow @NickBromberg


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Florida State is tops in preseason Coaches Poll ahead of Alabama and Oklahoma


Report: Oklahoma has not filed waiver request for Dorial Green-Beckham, waiting on 'paperwork' from Mizzou



When the news came out that former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham was transferring to Oklahoma, it was also reported that Oklahoma intended to pursue a waiver that would grant the star wideout immediate eligibility to suit up for the Sooners, instead of sitting out for a season per normal transfer rules.


At Big 12 Media Days, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said that the program was awaiting word from the NCAA on Green-Beckham’s status, but Guerin Emig of the Tulsa World reported Thursday that the school has not yet been able to file the waiver request.


Per Emig, the Sooners are waiting on “one last bit of paperwork from Missouri.” Emig also notes that Mizzou has been generally “cooperative” with Green-Beckham’s transfer to this point, but now OU needs more from the Tigers, and it needs more quickly.


Since he was booted from Mizzou following multiple drug-related arrests and a “physical altercation” where he allegedly pushed a female, Green-Beckham’s appeal case being approved doesn’t seem likely in the first place. But any hopes of having him for the season opener – which is just a month away – depends on the Sooners filing an appeal in a timely matter.


At this point, a decision from the NCAA might not even come until several games have already been played. Green-Beckham potentially joining Oklahoma’s offense would provide an immense boost for the Sooners, a team that is considered a favorite to compete in the first four-team College Football Playoff.


The 6-foot-6. 225-pound Green-Beckham was the top-rated recruit in the nation in the 2012 class. In two seasons with Missouri, he caught 87 passes for 1,278 yards and 17 touchdowns.


If Green-Beckham does have to sit out in 2014, there is always the chance he enters the NFL draft without ever playing a down for the Sooners, too.


This is definitely a situation to keep an eye on moving forward.


For more Oklahoma news, visit SoonerScoop.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!


Follow @SamDCooper


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Report: Oklahoma has not filed waiver request for Dorial Green-Beckham, waiting on 'paperwork' from Mizzou


Florida State No. 1 in preseason coaches poll

My Future Bae And Scientist Invents Color-Changing Ice Cream

Iowa's free tuition program suspended because of state raffle law concerns



Iowa's offer of free tuition to five students who bought football season tickets may be too good to be true.


The program was suspended Wednesday evening as it's unclear if the promotion complies with state raffle laws.


"I have suspended the promotion temporarily as we determine how to make sure that this promotion is in complete compliance," Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said in a statement. "In the end, our goal is to do everything possible to make sure that the student experience at Hawkeye football games is as fun and exciting as possible."


The deadline for students to purchase season tickets was Friday, and in an attempt to boost sales, the school said five students who purchased season tickets would be eligible to win free tuition.


From the Des Moines Register:



David Werning, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, said Wednesday that the promotion raised "a lot of issues." Werning said the university has a license to hold gambling contests as a "social and charitable" organization. However, it must abide by laws regulating raffles, he said.




For one thing, state law says charitable raffle tickets may only be bought with cash, Werning said. They may not be purchased with credit cards.



The credit card issue may be a big hurdle, as many ticket sales are through Iowa's online ticketing system.


There's another compliance issue as well. Iowa has six and seven-game ticket packages that obviously have different price points. According to Iowa state law, all entries must be the same price.


Over the past two seasons, Iowa's student ticket base has fallen from 10,000 to 7,000. In addition to the free tuition promotion, the school also said it would add special gameday events for students.


For more Iowa news, visit Hawkeye Report.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


Follow @NickBromberg


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Iowa's free tuition program suspended because of state raffle law concerns


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Texas Tech fans take out full-page ad to ask Tech pay Leach his 2009 salary



Some Texas Tech fans believe former coach Mike Leach still needs to be paid approximately $2 million from Texas Tech.


On Wednesday, anonymous Texas Tech fans took out a full-page ad in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal to demand that Tech pay Leach the balance of his 2009 salary.


Leach, now the coach of Washington State, was fired from Texas Tech in 2009 after the Adam James kerfuffle in which the son of former SMU player Craig James claimed to have been locked in an electrical closet after suffering a concussion while Leach said he was not treated wrongly.


Earlier that season, Leach had signed a new five-year contract with the school worth $12.7 million. After Leach's termination, the school had paid him $300,000, which was his base salary.


Leach was hired as coach of Washington State in 2012 and last year the Cougars went to the New Mexico Bowl. As part of the letter, those responsible for it say that it "would help to finally erase any negatives associated with the University and would bring fans, alumni, and the people of Lubbock and the state firmly behind this new leadership of Texas Tech."


Here's what the ad says in full:


Chancellor Robert Duncan, President Duane Nellis, and Texas Tech Regents Mickey long, Nancy Neal, John Walker, Larry Anders, Debbie Montford, John Steinmetz, John Esparaza, Rick Francis, and Tim Lancaster


The purpose of this letter is to respectfully request that the Chancellor, the President and the Regents of Texas Tech University consider the full payment of the salary for 2009 to Mike Leach. Leach was paid $300,000 of the $2.6 million 2009 salary which includes the $800,000 bonus that would have been due him for his ten-year career.


Texas Tech has a new Chancellor, four new regents, a new football coach, athletic director, and president; all who were not involved in the firing of Mike Leach. This request is not being made just because it is the right thing to do. This payment for 2009 to Leach would help to finally erase any negatives associated with the University and would bring fans, alumni, and the people of Lubbock and the state firmly behind this new leadership of Texas Tech.


Regardless of the opinion that the firing was or was not justified, the majority of fans and citizens believe this situation was handled poorly.


A previous basketball coach who was accused of player mistreatment over an extended period of time was paid over $486,000 as a buy-out for time left on his contract; time that he did not even work. Leach fulfilled all but thirty-six hours of his contact. It is the belief of this group that had there been a basis for the firing before the bowl game, there would have been a basis after the bowl game when the ten-year contact would have been completed.


The courts never decided for either party. The courts decided to uphold sovereign immunity which prevented Leach from having his case heard. Nevertheless, the truth from Adam and Craig James came out in the March 2010 depositions as follows:


Q. Did Leach ever tell you “I don’t believe you have a concussion”?


A. No, sir, he didn’t.


Q. You weren’t locked in an electrical closet for three hours, were you?


A. No.


Craig James emailed Kent Hance claiming his son was forced to stand for three hours in the cold without sitting.


Q. When you wrote this email of 12/26, you did not believe Adam had been confined to the electrical closet for a total of three hours, fair?


A. Yes.


Texas has pride in honest and integrity. Our word is our bond. Texas Tech signed a contract with Mike Leach and up to this point has refused to fulfill this contract.


Let’s do the right thing, the honorable thing.


Don’t hide behind sovereign immunity.


Pay Mike Leach his entire salary for 2009.


(Signed)


Alumni and fans of Texas Tech University


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


Follow @NickBromberg


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Texas Tech fans take out full-page ad to ask Tech pay Leach his 2009 salary


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2014 season preview: Five games to watch in week 9



The college football offseason is long and arduous, but its end is almost in sight. We’re going to take a look at five games you have to look forward to for every weekend of the season. (This is also a handy guide to decide how to RSVP for any autumn weddings.)


All times are Eastern and all games are played on Saturday unless otherwise noted.


These games take place the weekend of October 25. This is also not a particularly compelling week, so if you need a Saturday off, perhaps consider this one.


Previously: Week One (August 30) ~ Week Two (September 6) ~ Week Three (September 13) ~ Week Four (September 20) ~ Week Five (September 27) ~ Week Six (October 4) ~ Week Seven (October 11) ~ Week Eight (October 18)


Michigan at Michigan State (TBD)


Despite their supposed “little brother” standing in this rivalry, Sparty has won five of the last six and completed a near-perfect immolation of the Wolverine offense last year, sacking them seven times and holding them to -48 (yes, that’s negative 48) yards rushing in a 29-6 victory. Due in no small part to that game, Michigan has swapped out offensive coordinators, bringing Doug Nussmeier in from Alabama to replace Al Borges’. (Nussmeier was also quarterback coach for Michigan State from 2003 to 2005.) Michigan loses top receiver Jeremy Gallon but brings in five-star freshman Drake Harris at wideout, and with the Michigan State defense losing six starters (including stars Denicos Allen, Max Bullough and Darqueze Dennard) there might be some holes to exploit. The imperative word there is “might,” as defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi has put together a system that plugs in three and four-star talent and churns out five-star results (top-six defensive efficiency the last three years). This is the first in a Michigan/Michigan State/Ohio State round robin to decide the fate of the Big Ten East. It might not be pretty but it will be fun.


Ole Miss at LSU (TBD)


We’ve talked a bit in this series about teams who look good in a vacuum until you see the schedule they have to play. The Rebels are one of those teams, but they’re blessed with relatively light crossover games (they play Vanderbilt and Tennessee from the East, missing Georgia and South Carolina) and home games against Alabama and Auburn. This is their most formidable road test, a possible night game in Death Valley against an LSU team that will have likely found a quarterback (sophomores Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris were neck-and-neck throughout the spring) to go with its veteran offensive line and deep well of talent at tailback. Hugh Freeze has collected talent and wins, but he’ll need to put some sort of dent into the Alabama/Auburn/LSU triumvirate if he wants a shot at the division crown.


Auburn receiver D'haquille Williams. (John Reed/USA TODAY Sports) South Carolina at Auburn (TBD)


The SEC East may be decided by how the two top contenders fare against the Tigers, who travel to Georgia in November after this date with the Gamecocks. Auburn has won seven in a row in the series, including Cam Newton’s 56-17 drubbing in the 2010 SEC title game. In his coaching history, this will be the first time Gus Malzahn returns his starting quarterback, allowing him to teach Nick Marshall even more wrinkles in his spread attack. Another benefit for Marshall will be the addition of JUCO transfer D’Haquille Williams, a 6’2”, 216-pound wide receiver who played very well in the spring. South Carolina is riding three consecutive 11-2 seasons, but is dealing with issues in getting their latest recruiting class into the fold. South Carolina will be coming off a bye and a home date with Fuman while Auburn is coming off a bye.


Miami (FL) at Virginia Tech (7:30 p.m., Thursday)


The media voted the Hurricanes as the Coastal favorite, but Virginia Tech has represented that division in five of the nine ACC title games. Also working against Al Golden and Miami is the fact they’ve never won the division and need to find a quarterback after fifth-year senior Ryan Williams went down with an ACL injury in April. (Williams is planning on a late September return, but that seems like a best-case scenario.) Other options include BYU transfer Jake Heaps (the former five-star recruit and early favorite), redshirt freshman Kevin Olsen (who started the spring game), sophomore Gray Crow (who backed him up) and true freshman Brad Kaaya. Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer is the likely replacement for departed Hokie quarterback Logan Thomas, but Brendan Motley had a strong spring and senior Mark Leal was the backup last season. They’ve alternated victories the last three years, all coming by double digits, including Virginia Tech’s 42-24 win in south Florida last year.


Arizona State at Washington


Two teams projected to be in the second tiers of their respective divisions, neither capable of affording a loss here if they want to compete with the favorites. While Todd Graham returns Taylor Kelly to orchestrate his offense, the Huskies have to replace Keith Price, the second-leading passer in school history. They have a pretty solid option to go with in sophomore Cyler Miles, one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in his class. (Miles was suspended for the spring after a fight, but has been reinstated.) The PAC-12 is just unrelentingly brutal this season with too many good coaches and too much talent. In all likelihood there won’t be a conference champion as much as a conference survivor.


Other games to consider:


Arkansas State at LA-Lafayette (8:00 p.m., Tuesday)


Weeknight Sun Belt action! The Ragin’ Cajuns are your preseason conference favorite coming off a 9-4 season, league title and New Orleans Bowl win. Arkansas State – runner-up last season after consecutive titles in 2011 and 2012 – moves on to former North Carolina offensive coordinator Blake Anderson to run the show, their fifth head coach in as many seasons (Steve Roberts, Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin, previously).


BYU at Boise State (9:00 p.m., Friday)


When BYU went independent in football, they needed a few big name schools to step up and stabilize the schedule. The Broncos obliged, and the two teams will play through 2023. The first game in their series was a profoundly weird 7-6 Boise win in 2012, while the Cougars took round two 37-20 last season.


Maryland at Wisconsin (12:00 p.m.)


Maryland’s been devastated by injuries the last two years, but those tribulations have allowed them to establish some nice depth in addition to their seven returning starters. Wisconsin is a conference favorite, coming off a bye and playing on homecoming, but as I’ve said in previous Terp discussions, they have a thrower’s chance.


Oregon at Cal (in Santa Clara, 10:00 p.m., Friday)


Following a 15-13 escape in 2010, Oregon has averaged 52.3 points per game in their last three against the Bears. The game is being played at Levi’s Stadium, new home of the 49ers and PAC-12 championship game.


USC at Utah (TBD)


A bit of a trap game for the Trojans. The Utes took down Stanford at home last year and return their leading passer, rusher and receiver. USC won 19-3 last year in the Coliseum.


Ohio State at Penn State (8:00 p.m.)


The Buckeyes cruised 63-14 last year, but it’s a night game at Beaver Stadium and if nothing else you can expect lots of fans, white shirts and “Zombie Nation.”


Texas at Kansas State (TBD)


Two teams projected in the center of the Big 12, this comes in the middle of a brutal stretch for the Wildcats (at Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, at TCU). The Horns won last year, but Kansas State has dominated this series since the late 90s, winning seven of ten since the two became conference mates.


Oregon State at Stanford (TBD)


The Cardinal needed a goal line stand to escape Corvallis with a win last year and had to come back from a 23-14 second half deficit to prevail 27-23 two years ago. This is homecoming for Stanford, a brief home respite between trips to Arizona State and Oregon.


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - 2014 season preview: Five games to watch in week 9


Ex-Bama RB Hart transferring to Colorado St.

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Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald wants to overhaul the recruiting process



Pat Fitzgerald wants to get rid of the current recruiting system.


It's been overshadowed by players' rights discussions, but recruiting reform has been a big topic of the 2014 offseason. Some coaches want to move to a system similar to basketball with an early signing period while others are against it. Currently, players who have made verbal commitments to schools can't sign with their school of choice until National Signing Day.


Fitzgerald thinks that process is archaic.


"I'd blow it up and start over," Fitzgerald said at Big Ten media days (via WildcatReport.com). "I think it's really antiquated. Put integrity back in it."


How would Fitzgerald put integrity back in the recruiting process? Here's his plan, courtesy of Wildcat Report:



Fitzgerald proposes doing away with offers and verbal commitments, too. In his system, once a school makes "a legitimate scholarship offer," the prospect is free to sign it after a 48-hour "cooling off period," which, in Fitzgerald's mind, would ensure that college coaches don't put pressure or "strong-arm kids" to sign.




Fitzgerald would then employ better technology to improve the process of signing a national letter of intent. The coach would "click the mouse" to send the prospect a .pdf file of the LOI. The prospect signs it, sends it back in, and "we're done." It would all be tracked in a database for everyone to see.




There would be two instances in which a signed LOI could be voided: if the program gets put on probation for NCAA rules violations or the coach who signed him gets fired or leaves for another job.



Northwestern already has 16 commitments for the 2015 recruiting class according to Rivals, even though according to NCAA rules, a scholarship can't formally be offered until Aug. 1 of a recruit's senior year. (Which is Friday.)


"We technically, in the eyes of the NCAA, have not offered a kid a scholarship yet because we can't do it until August 1," Fitzgerald said. "And we have double-digit commitments. Give me a break. What are we doing? What are we doing here? It's a joke.


"It's an antiquated system. It needs to be looked at. It needs to be evaluated. What's best for the student athletes and their families, what's best for us so that we have some balance in our lives, and obviously what's best to protect the schools. But get rid of the nonsense that goes on. It's a bunch of nonsense, on both sides."


Even as Fitzgerald may want to get rid of verbal commitments altogether and considers the current recruiting system a bunch of nonsense, he's still sticking to his thoughts that a verbal commitment is like an engagement. Fitzgerald used the relationship analogy again to describe his current recruiting philosophy, saying that if players want to date someone else (look at other schools while being verbally committed) "there is no more getting married."


And while he's not a fan of the recruiting process because it hasn't changed since he was a player, neither has the relationship between schools and scholarship players. And Fitzgerald didn't take a pro-change stance in that debate. As Northwestern's players voted to unionize this spring, Fitzgerald testified against the union movement on behalf of the school.


For more Northwestern news, visit WildcatReport.com.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


Follow @NickBromberg


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald wants to overhaul the recruiting process


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#CFBRank 30-21 -- college football's top 100 players


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Former Alabama RB Dee Hart transferring to Colorado State



Dee Hart, a former five-star RB recruit, is transferring from Alabama to Colorado State.


Hart told the Orlando Sentinel of his intentions on Wednesday and will play for former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, who is the Rams head coach. Hart, who graduated high school in December 2011, never actually played for McElwain at Alabama, whose first year at Colorado State was in 2012. However, he's undoubtedly familiar with him from the recruiting process.


Hart suffered a knee injury before his first preseason camp at Alabama in 2011 and in 2012 had another one after he caught a punt against Ole Miss. In parts of 2012 and 2013, he had 43 carries for 164 yards. He'll be immediately eligible to play at Colorado State after he graduated from Alabama. Out of high school, Hart was listed as the No. 19 player in the country and the top RB according to Rivals.


It's good news for Colorado State too, as they have a canyon-sized hole in the backfield to fill. Kapri Bibbs ran for 1,741 yards and 30 touchdowns as a sophomore last season and declared for the NFL draft. (He went undrafted.) And Donnell Alexander, the likely successor to Bibbs, was granted his release from the program in March.


Hart will likely compete for playing time with Purdue transfer Dalyn Dawkins.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


Follow @NickBromberg


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Former Alabama RB Dee Hart transferring to Colorado State


Oklahoma K Michael Hunnicutt says he has a simple iPad playbook (Photo)



Welcome to our Dr. Saturday feature titled "Random offseason tweet of the day." With real games still weeks away, coaches and players will be tweeting about non-football-related things as the season approaches. In this space, we'll try to find the funniest and goofiest tweets of the day. If you see something, don't hesitate to send it to us.


A kicker's job can be complicated when it comes to technique. But the overall objective is pretty simple, especially when it comes to kicking field goals and extra points.


Oklahoma K Michael Hunnicutt tried to convey that simplicity Wednesday night.



We got iPads for our playbooks today. Here's the only play loaded on mine.. http://ift.tt/1nV40jt


— S. M. Hunnicutt (@Hunnicutt08) July 31, 2014

Yes, Hunnicutt has more responsibilities than that. He's got to know all of the fake kick plays Oklahoma has. Need proof? He caught a six-yard touchdown pass off a fake field goal in the third quarter of Oklahoma's game against Oklahoma State in 2013. The touchdown tied the game and Oklahoma went on to win and go to the Sugar Bowl.


But if a kicker can't put the ball through the uprights, a fake is pretty worthless.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


Follow @NickBromberg


From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Oklahoma K Michael Hunnicutt says he has a simple iPad playbook (Photo)


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