College Football Top 25 Capsules: Buckeyes vow they won't look past Herd
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Call it "The Marshall Plan" for Thursday's season-opening game at No. 2 Ohio State.
In his head-coaching debut, Doc Holliday wants his Thundering Herd to play error-free on offense, force turnovers on defense, to not get rattled by the crowd — and for Ohio State to be thinking ahead to its showdown nine days later against No. 13 Miami.
Much as he hopes the Buckeyes are looking past his team, Holliday realizes the Ohio State coaching staff will take measures to make sure that doesn't happen in their season opener.
"I don't know if there's a perfect time to play them," Holliday said. "Everywhere I've been, at the University of Florida and all those stops we've made, (in the) first game the kids were excited about going and playing. And I'm sure Ohio State will be excited about playing us. I'm sure they're not looking ahead. They're looking to play us Thursday night."
Ohio State counterpart Jim Tressel acknowledged that, tempting though it may be for many 20-year-olds, the Buckeyes cannot afford to let their thoughts wander to the Hurricanes on Sept. 11 in the Horseshoe.
"It's human nature when you think, 'OK, I've got this situation under control, I'm going to think about the next situation,'" said Tressel, who carries a 94-21 record into his 10th Ohio State opener. "This group, we're a little older. There's 25 seniors. But it still comes down to each and every day you have to try to stay focused on that task and no matter what's going on, good or bad, that's the great challenge."
It's a perennial problem for a team that's been ballyhooed the way the Buckeyes have been this preseason. Many coaches say there are only so many games that players can get excited about. Catch them with their thoughts on the next big game instead of the current one against a mediocre opponent and surprising things happen.
How else to explain what happened just last season?
The Buckeyes had won five of their first six games, the lone loss to then-No. 3 Southern California, which scored eight points in the fourth quarter to win 18-15. Ohio State steamrolled the next four opponents to climb back into the national championship landscape at No. 7. Big games against Penn State, Iowa and Michigan were coming up.
Purdue had lost five of its first six and was 0-2 in the Big Ten. Yet the Boilermakers outplayed the Buckeyes, leading 23-7 heading into the final quarter and winning 26-18.
Ohio State linebacker Ross Homan concedes there have been times when the Buckeyes may have overlooked a team.
"A time like that could have been last year against Purdue," he said. "We always look back anytime there's a game we lose, to see if we learned a lesson. We learned the lesson that we're not doing that this year. We're all on Marshall. It's one game at a time."
Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward proposed that it might be better if the schedule came out one game at a time.
"Marshall is coming in with the mindset that they're going to beat us. And if we don't take care of business, they might beat us," he said. "We haven't even thought about the next week. We just need to keep a schedule where we only have the first game."
It'll be quite a setting for that first game.
More than 105,000 are expected at Ohio Stadium for Ohio State's 121st season-opening game. The Buckeyes, who have won at least a share of the last five Big Ten titles, are stocked with plenty of experience and talent. The Thundering Herd want to get off on the right foot in the debut of Holliday, who was the associate head coach at rival West Virginia the past two seasons.
On the kickoff, the sound in the massive gray hulk on the banks of the Olentangy will be similar to a Stealth bomber flying a few feet over the players' heads.
"It will be a great stage for us and get us a lot of exposure," Marshall quarterback Brian Anderson said. "The Horseshoe, it's a place that everybody knows if they know anything about college football. It has a lot of history."
Just as teams have been known to look past an opponent, visiting teams have a propensity for wilting before a raucous, partisan crowd in Columbus. Might that be a problem for the Herd?
Defensive lineman Michael Janac will be more pumped up than nervous.
"I think of 105,000 people, very loud, very intense," he said. "It makes me more excited."
The Buckeyes say there's plenty of time to stew over what lies ahead in a season of promise and possibility.
"That (Miami) week's going to bring it's own worries," Ohio State linebacker Brian Rolle said. "We're going to worry about Marshall because if we for one second look to the Miami game, then we'll end up in the situation last year with Purdue — you know, overlooking those guys and come away with a loss."
Holliday won't have to do a whole lot of inspirational speaking.
"I was asked a couple of days ago if I was going to give a big speech prior to the game," he said. "If their tails aren't ready to play by the time I walk in that locker room, we have some major problems."
Offense to lead Hokies into opener vs. Boise St.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — When Virginia Tech takes the field Monday night against No. 3 Boise State in a huge opening game, the 10th-ranked Hokies' offense will be in a new role.
For the first time in recent memory, it's the unquestioned strength of the team, the unit being leaned on to help defensive coordinator Bud Foster groom a young defense.
The Hokies' defense routinely ranks among the best in the country, but there are seven new starters on Foster's side of the ball — and lots of experienced playmakers on the offensive side.
"We're playing against an offense that, I believe, is running on all cylinders and I'm excited about that because it's been awhile since we had an offense like that," Foster said.
The team's final scrimmage heading into game week certainly backed him up.
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the Hokies' most important player in yet another season of great expectations, completed 16 of 17 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns.
Having Taylor behind center allows coach Frank Beamer to sleep a little easier.
"I feel the same way with him out there as I did when Michael Vick was out there," he said, speaking of the dual-threat quarterback who led the Hokies to the 1999 national championship game against Florida State. "Any play has a chance of going a long ways."
But it's not just Taylor who has game-breaking skills.
Andre Smith took a reception 95 yards for a touchdown in the scrimmage. And he's a tight end.
Jarrett Boykin caught seven for 134 yards. He's the team's best go-up-and-get-it receiver. He led the Hokies with five touchdown catches last season.
Star tailbacks Ryan Williams and Darren Evans got limited work, as planned, but sophomore David Wilson ran for 61 yards on 11 carries and returned a kickoff 43 yards. Beamer was considering allowing him to redshirt this season, but since decided that he's too valuable.
"I think you need to get your best players on the football field," he said.
This year, the Hokies' best can be more explosive than any team in school history, and Boykin thinks having grown up together will help the offense live up to its expectations.
"We feel like eveything's starting to come along even more," the 6-foot-2 junior said. "Last year, it was getting there. This year, we're just going to try to keep it rolling."
Boise State coach Chris Petersen said it was rolling by the time the Hokies finished 10-3 and averaged 31.8 points last year. Taylor threw for 13 touchdowns and only five interceptions, and Williams, a redshirt freshman, ran for 1,655 yards and 21 touchdowns.
This year, Williams will give up some carries to Darren Evans, who set Atlantic Coast Conference freshman records with 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2008 before Williams shattered them.
Evans is returning from left knee surgery, but said he's back to 100 percent.
"They are so physical to start with," Petersen said. "A big physical offensive line, then you put the two running backs back there. And so that's a tremendous concern for anyone, anytime, anyhow. When you worry about the running game and can't stop the running game, that's a problem. Now you throw in a fifth-year senior (quarterback) with a couple of big, good receivers, that's another element now that we've got to concern ourselves with."
Taylor also can run, or scramble behind the line to buy time, and Petersen recalled his 9-second escape act last year that led to him throwing a winning TD pass against Nebraska. The 11-yard strike came with 21 seconds to go, lifting the Hokies to a 16-15 victory.
"You've got a fifth year senior who knows the offense inside and out. He can throw very well and he's got this God-given athleticism that makes it really, really scary," he said.
Scarier still, the Hokies used the offensive game plan they drew up for Monday night's game in Landover, Md., in their final scrimmage. Taylor said he thinks his unit is ready.
"I believe so," he said. "I believe this offense is prepared to play a game."
-- Hank Kurz Jr.
No. 13 Miami not tempting fate by overlooking FAMU
MIAMI (AP) — Damien Berry simply could not keep a straight face.
Miami's starting running back was sitting in the Hurricanes' football meeting room earlier this week, insisting that Thursday night's season-opener against Florida A&M was forefront in his team's mind, and nothing — not even the fast-approaching Sept. 11 meeting at No. 2 Ohio State — could disrupt that focus.
"We don't look over nobody. We just go out there and play to the best of our ability," Berry was saying, his smirk turning into a grin, the grin turning into a giggle, the giggle turning into all-out laughter.
"Had to try," Berry said.
Not looking ahead to Week 2 might be the toughest task the 13th-ranked Hurricanes face in Week 1 against the Rattlers, who have played Miami seven times since 1980 and lost them all by a combined 355-49 count.
Miami rolled past Florida A&M 48-16 a year ago, and clearly has a huge edge in size, speed and talent over the Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
"I think one of the challenges you have to have when playing a team like Florida A&M is making sure that your guys understand that part of the preparations, what we've done in August and throughout camp, (means you) have to go through the process of playing this team," Miami coach Randy Shannon said. "And staying focused."
The Hurricanes were 9-4 a year ago, and believe they're one of the teams capable of winning the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. While whatever happens Thursday night won't help or hinder those plans, Miami knows not getting off to a fast start in 2010 would be considered a colossal disappointment.
"I know they're going to come out there and play us like its their Super Bowl," Miami left tackle Orlando Franklin said. "They're going to come out here and play us hard. This is their biggest game of the season, probably. So we've got to go out there and take care of all the little things ... and get us prepared for what we're going to see later on in the season."
Miami has plenty of talent returning on both sides of the ball, most notably quarterback Jacory Harris, who threw for 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in his first season as Miami's starter. And he's already convinced that the Hurricanes' fan base has skipped past the opener and turned all its attention to the Ohio State showdown.
"You hear it all the time," Harris said. "You hear it on Twitter. No matter where you go, 'OSU this, OSU that.' Right now, we're just concentrating on FAMU. And once the FAMU game is over, that's when OSU will be something, will be our main focus."
If Miami wants to overlook Florida A&M, that would be fine with the Rattlers.
Florida A&M went 8-3 last season, and took away plenty of lessons from their matchup with Miami. The Rattlers jumped ahead 3-0 in that game, then quickly fell apart, giving up the next 31 points in a span of only 17 minutes.
"I think us playing Miami, in the end, it was good for us," Rattlers defensive back Curtis Holcomb said. "It allowed us to see the speed and strength of Division I. It's different from our league. But we adjusted to it well. The score at the end looked funny, but I think we did handle it well. We know how they play now. So us playing them, it has to help us."
Miami's initial depth chart of the season came with few surprises.
Running back Graig Cooper, who badly hurt his right knee during Miami's loss in the Champs Sports Bowl to Wisconsin, made it through training camp without any setbacks — and without any hitting, either. Cooper did not play in any of Miami's three scrimmages, but is listed as the first-string punt returner for Miami's opener.
"Hopefully we'll be able to get him some plays in, see how he feels and go from there," Shannon said.
Another key for the Hurricanes will be the play of the offensive line, which returns some veterans like Franklin and Joel Figueroa, but will open the season with five players essentially starting in new roles. Franklin and Figueroa have primarily been guards during their careers; the seniors are now Miami's starting tackles.
"I'm pretty sure everybody's been focused on FAMU," Franklin said. "It's been so long since we've played a game. I don't really think that'll be a problem."
-- Tim Reynolds
No. 14 USC faces Hawaii in 1st post-sanctions game
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz is doing everything possible to get a good look at Southern California — he's even gone virtual.
Besides taking snaps in practice, Moniz has been taking on the Trojans regularly on his PlayStation 3 in hopes of getting a feel for the USC defense he'll face in real life Thursday night. So who wins in the video game?
"Last one, we lost by seven," Moniz said. "But I'm a rookie at the game. I'm not a rookie on the field. So it'll be different."
No. 14 USC opens as three-touchdown favorites in the Trojans' first game under NCAA sanctions and new coach Lane Kiffin, who isn't ready to hit Waikiki just yet.
"This is not a vacation. This is not a pleasure trip," Kiffin said. "We have not won one game. We don't deserve a vacation right now. Win a bunch of games, and then we can start talking about days at the beach."
Kiffin, who succeeded Pete Carroll, rejoined the program after a year with Tennessee and 20 games with the Oakland Raiders. Before that, he served as a USC assistant from 2001-06, the last two years as offensive coordinator.
The game was put in question when the NCAA hit USC with crippling penalties that included a two-year bowl ban, four years of probation and scholarship losses. The NCAA also banned USC from playing a 13th game this and next season, but later delayed the penalty to avoid forcing Hawaii to cancel this game.
"It feels great to finally get going after everything that went on this offseason," Kiffin said. "There are a lot of question marks about this team, and I have a lot of questions personally, but now is the time to go out there and start figuring out where we are as a team."
The Trojans have had tremendous success in the islands. They opened the season here in 1999 and 2005, winning by a combined score of 125-24.
In the last matchup, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush led USC to a 63-17 victory. The sanctions, in part, stemmed from improper benefits for Bush, a Heisman Trophy-winning tailback. The NCAA said Bush received lavish gifts from two sports marketers hoping to sign him.
Despite the penalties and distractions, the Warriors are expecting the Trojans to be focused.
"Even though they can't go to a bowl, they're not going to give up. They want to make a name for themselves," Moniz said. "They're going to bring their 'A' game and I don't think the sanctions or anything else is going to affect them really. ... I'm sure they just want to show people that 'Hey, we still can play.'"
USC has won its last 12 openers, 16 straight non-conference games and is 29-1 against the Western Athletic Conference.
With the Rose Bowl out of the picture, USC has hopes of finishing the season 13-0. Last year, USC went 9-4, the most losses since 2001, and beat Boston College in the Emerald Bowl. The Trojans finished fifth in the Pac-10.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley, who begins his highly anticipated sophomore campaign, said the Trojans have "prepared hard and well." And he's ready to start the season.
"It seemed like the offseason was about two years long," said Barkley, who threw for 2,735 yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as a freshman. "We really need to play another team right now. Guys are ready to hit. Guys are ready to pop some helmets."
Barkley has a talented running back corps to help him. Marc Tyler was recently named the first-string tailback and fullback Stanley Havili provides versatility. One of Barkley's top targets is receiver Ronald Johnson.
"Everybody is committed," Tyler said. "Everybody has bought into what the coaching staff is doing. When we go out there, it's about everybody being committed to show that SC is still SC, no matter what happened off the field during the offseason."
USC's defense is anchored by defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and defensive end Armond Armstead, who could have their way against a young Hawaii line that lost four starters.
The Warriors are eyeing a return to a bowl game after finishing 6-7 and missing the postseason for the first time since 2005. But they've also been dealing with off-field distractions with the shake up of the WAC.
Moniz will be key for the Warriors, who ranked third in the nation in passing last year.
"We just have to play within ourselves," Moniz said. "Just throw the ball and catch. Just keep the chains moving and get down to the red zone and put points on the board."
The former walk-on and pizza delivery driver began deep on the bench last season, but ended up starting eight of the final nine games. He threw for 2,396 yards and 14 touchdowns while breaking 300 yards in three games.
Hawaii has several speedy receivers, but the biggest offensive threat is 6-foot-2 receiver Greg Salas, who led the team with 106 catches for 1,590 yards.
Hawaii coach Greg McMackin said Salas is a more complete player this year.
USC is 6-0 against Hawaii, but the Warriors say they are not intimidated by the success and aura of USC.
"To me, it's just a name," Hawaii linebacker Corey Parades said. "We're all human. We all work hard. We work just as hard as them in the offseason. ... On the field, it's just man against man, whoever is better."
-- Jaymes Song
Utah hosts No. 15 Pitt in '04 Fiesta rematch
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah was still a bit of a novelty the last time it played Pittsburgh.
In fact, it was the only time. The Utes celebrated their status as the first "BCS Busters" and an unbeaten 2004 season with a 35-7 victory over the Panthers in the Fiesta Bowl.
The BCS has been busted plenty in the years since, including another run by Utah in 2004, and the Utes are well enough established in college football that they're actually favored over the higher-ranked Panthers in the season opener for both teams Thursday night.
"We've been pointing to this game for a lot of months now," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
Utah has won 17 straight at home and every ticket for Thursday night — even standing room — was gone by early in the week. Utah fans are anxious to begin the three-month farewell to the Mountain West Conference and get to the Pac-10.
Whittingham is officially 1-0 against Pitt, although he was sharing "co-head coach" duties with Urban Meyer in his final game at Utah before taking over Florida. The NCAA credited both coaches with the victory, a distant memory for Whittingham as he opens his sixth season as coach.
No. 15 Pitt is now coached by former Panther Dave Wannstedt, who appears to have his alma mater headed back toward the level it once occupied.
"He has done a great job with personnel," Whittingham said. "This team is much more talented than the 2004 team in the Fiesta Bowl. He has done an excellent job in recruiting."
The Panthers were almost a unanimous pick to win the Big East in a preseason media poll and their AP ranking is Pitt's highest since opening the 2003 season at No. 10. All this praise despite bringing in a new quarterback in Tino Sunseri, who has thrown all of 17 passes in his career.
Wannstedt said he reassured Sunseri with some guidance last week and tried to keep him from getting overwhelmed thinking about the opener.
"He came into my office and I gave him a few stories of other quarterbacks, both on this level and the NFL that were starting off their careers for the first time," Wannstedt said. "I really wanted to make the point to him that he's one of 11 players on offense. We're not the type of offense where Tino's the only one who needs to make plays."
Sunseri's inexperience and three new offensive linemen seem to be getting overshadowed by running back Dion Lewis, who in just one season has Pitt fans buzzing about the 5-foot-8 sparkplug whose 1,799 rushing yards were the second-most in school history.
Only Tony Dorsett ran for more in a season, gaining 2,150 yards when he won the Heisman Trophy in 1976. Having Lewis as the main option will give Sunseri and the other newcomers on offense a little room to develop, although not much. Utah is deeper on the defensive line than anywhere else and will pressure Sunseri while trying to contain Lewis.
The Panthers will rely on Lewis to offset inexperience up front and at quarterback and have colossal defensive end Greg Romeus (6-foot-6, 270 pounds) to anchor the defense. Romeus is one of just nine senior scholarship players on the Panthers' roster.
"You try to practice things in camp with these younger players by pressing them physically, and then putting them in situations on the field where they have to compete at full speed," Wannstedt said. "While we did those things in camp, there's nothing like being out there on your own, with the lights on you and you get hit in the mouth. Everybody has a good plan until you get hit in the mouth."
Utah opened last season after a tough quarterback battle in training camp, won by junior college transfer Terrance Cain. Cain went 7-1 in eight starts, but Whittingham and his staff were impressed enough by what freshman Jordan Wynn was doing in practice that he took over the starting job midway through the season.
In six games, Wynn completed 58 percent of his passes and threw for 1,329 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He finished the season with 338 passing yards and three touchdowns in the Utes' win over California in the Poinsettia Bowl.
-- Doug Alden
Groh wants quick reactions from Ga. Tech defense
ATLANTA (AP) — Al Groh is waiting for the phone to ring for his Georgia Tech defense.
Groh, the former Virginia coach, has installed a 3-4 defense at No. 16 Georgia Tech, which opens its season on Saturday against South Carolina State.
The first-year defensive coordinator says the Yellow Jackets understand the defense and provide all the correct answers when asked about assignments in a classroom setting.
But he wants more.
Groh says he's looking forward to the time when his players prove they have mastered the 3-4 scheme with instinctive play on the field.
"Sometimes a player can show up well in the drills and develop a technique that is not showing up in the scrimmages," Groh said. "So I asked them, 'When your phone rings, how much do you have to think about what you need to do? You've just done it so many times. When we tell you what the drill is and what the read should be, you do very well. When you have to react to it, it's still not quite there.'"
Groh said it takes time for a defense to become so comfortable in a new scheme that its play becomes instinctive. His defenses usually need a year to master the 3-4 scheme, he said.
"We're trying to speed the process up," Groh said. "Every time we have done this installation, we do a lot better the second year than the first."
A makeover on defense was needed even after Georgia Tech finished 11-3 and won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2009. Coach Paul Johnson fired defensive coordinator Dave Wommack three days after the Yellow Jackets' 24-14 Orange Bowl loss to Iowa.
Georgia Tech gave up 30 or more points in six games last season, including a 30-24 home loss to in-state rival Georgia to end the regular season.
While some fans called for a new defensive scheme, Johnson said he just wanted better results, no matter the scheme.
"The one thing we want to hang our hat on and we've tried to establish here is that we play hard and we're tough," Johnson said Tuesday. "If we do that, we'll be OK."
Johnson had a blunt assessment of the 2009 defense.
"We weren't very good," he said. "Sometimes when you're not playing good everybody wants to blame the scheme. Sometimes you're just not real good. They might be better than you. So we need to play better."
Georgia Tech ranked 58th in the nation with its average of 24.8 points allowed last season.
"Sometimes the frustration level set on them last year," Johnson said. "We'll find out how they handle that the first time somebody makes a few first downs and drives it down the field. Does their head go down or does somebody get ticked off and say, 'We've got to stop them. This is not happening.' That's what we need."
Groh, 66, was 59-53 in nine years as Virginia's coach and was fired after a 3-9 record in 2009. He was 26-40 as Wake Forest's coach in the 1980s and was 9-7 as the New York Jets' coach in 2000, his only year as an NFL head coach.
Groh was an NFL assistant under Bill Parcells with the New York Giants and New England Patriots.
South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough said Groh's Georgia Tech defense "is a bit of a mystery for us."
Pough said he knows Groh as "a 50 guy since he was with the Giants."
The 50 defense featured five defensive linemen and two linebackers. The 3-4 can provide a similar look when the two outside linebackers line up close to the three linemen.
"He's always been that kind of style guy," Pough said. "You never know how he's changed over the years as he's been a head coach, and how he'll go about implementing his style of defense with the type of guys he has with Georgia Tech. We may have to adjust on the fly."
Georgia Tech linebacker Brad Jefferson, voted a team captain, said the defense is close to feeling comfortable in the new scheme.
"We're getting to that point. We're still working on it," Jefferson said last week. "We're going to have to clutch up and get down to it. But we're getting the feel of it."
-- Charles Odum
6 for 3: Linebacker U's new math
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Linebacker U. will have a new look this year.
Sean Lee, Navorro Bowman and Josh Hull have left Penn State for the NFL. But unlike the drama this preseason over the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions' starting quarterback job, there hasn't been nearly as much fuss about the linebackers. It may take twice the number of players to fill the jobs performed by last season's trio — for good reason, in coach Joe Paterno's mind.
"We've got at least five, maybe six kids that are good athletes who can be good linebackers," the Hall of Fame coach said this week. "I think (the) linebacker situation should be one of our stronger spots."
The depth chart lists Nathan Stupar, Chris Colasanti and Bany Gbadyu as the starters for the season opener Saturday versus Youngstown State. All three have had extensive playing time as backups, especially Stupar and Gbadyu.
But they may be looking over their shoulders all year to check when they'll be replaced.
Sophomore Michael Mauti, thought to be the next big-time 'backer at Penn State, is back at 100 percent after missing 2009 with a right knee injury. He's behind Stupar on the depth chart at strongside linebacker.
Another touted sophomore, converted safety Gerald Hodges, backs up Gbadyu at the other outside position, with redshirt freshman Michael Yancich the second-stringer behind Colasanti in the middle.
It's made for fierce competition for playing time.
"I think the real big difference is the depth that we have. ... We have about five or six linebackers that could be starters at any time during the season," Gbadyu said Wednesday. "Everybody has to show that they are able to play, and able to play at a high level."
For Gbadyu, it's a chance to shine after coming close earlier in his career to transferring, in large part because of family reasons. A native of war-torn Liberia who moved to the United States when he was 10, Gbadyu and his father and brother ended up settling in Gaithersburg, Md.
Stupar is a homegrown talent, having gone to high school in State College and attending Penn State games as a fan. He has played an important role on special teams.
Colasanti competed for the middle linebacker job with Hull two years ago, then sat behind him for two seasons. He would have redshirted last season, but stepped back into rotation after early season injuries to Lee and Bowman.
"Honestly, I was disappointed having to redshirt. Things happen, people get hurt," Colasanti said. "There were moments when I was upset, but in the whole scheme of things ... I'm playing college football" at Penn State.
And playing one of the glamour positions at a school with a recent middle linebacking lineage that has included Jack Ham, Shane Conlan, Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor.
"I'm not trying to over-think about it, or get emotional," Colasanti said, "but it's going to be an unreal feeling running out of the tunnel (Saturday) and knowing I'll be out there making plays."
Yet, without a down having been played, there are still nagging questions about just how the new-look linebacker corps will perform.
It's unclear what kind of plans the coaches have for rotating linebackers, whether as a unit by series, or individually by down-and-distance situations. When asked, Colasanti likened it to how Penn State rotates players on the defensive line.
And what happens up front may also affect how well the linebackers play. While two starters and five others who were part of the defensive line rotation are back, there's one big missing piece in havoc-wreaking tackle Jared Odrick, now with the Miami Dolphins.
Defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu, newly named a team captain this week, was confident the D-line would help keep blockers off the 'backers.
"You want to go out there and clog holes for your linebackers ... but you also want to make plays, too," Ogbu said. "Either (way) isn't bad."
-- Genaro C. Armas
Frosh Bolden tabbed No. 19 Penn St starting QB
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — It's a Bolden move for No. 19 Penn State.
Coach Joe Paterno tabbed freshman Robert Bolden the starter for the Nittany Lions' opener Saturday against Youngstown State.
In Paterno's 45 years as head coach, even this is a novelty.
A team spokesman said this is the first time Penn State will open the season with a true freshman as the starting quarterback. It's also the first start for a true freshman quarterback under Paterno for any game since Wally Richardson in 1992.
Bolden barely beat out returning sophomores Matt McGloin and Kevin Newsome an impressive feat given that the touted freshman only joined the team this summer. All three quarterbacks still have a chance to earn the starting nod on a regular basis, Paterno said Wednesday night in a statement.
"Based on what we have seen to this point, Bolden has a slight edge right now, but we are confident all three quarterbacks are ready to go and hope to give them an opportunity to play until we settle on the one that gives us the best chance to win," Paterno said.
Paul Jones, another highly-recruited freshman quarterback, will likely redshirt this season.
Paterno said Tuesday that at least two, and possibly all three quarterback candidates could play Saturday. Paterno called Bolden "1A" on the depth chart, with McGloin as "1B" and Newsome "1C."
For Saturday anyway, Bolden will be No. 1, just like his jersey number.
The four-star recruit from Orchard Lake, Mich., had been ranked the second-best dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com. The 6-foot-3 Bolden was 72 of 152 passing for 1,013 yards and seven touchdowns his senior year for St. Mary's Prep. He also ran for 535 yards and nine scores.
Bolden had more than 2,000 yards passing and 14 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,000 yards and 16 scores in his final two high school seasons.
Wednesday's announcement temporarily ends what had been one of the biggest storylines of the summer in Happy Valley. It was such a tough decision for the coaching staff that Paterno decided to scrub naming a starter in advance of his regular Tuesday media availability, choosing instead to wait two more practices before making a decision.
"We're just as clueless as all you guys out there," receiver Derek Moye said Wednesday morning. "My mom just asked me the other day, I told her honestly, I had no clue."
Bolden will follow Daryll Clark, the two-year starter who set Penn State quarterback records guiding the "spread HD" offense. Newsome was the top backup last year as a freshman, while McGloin, a former walk-on, was the third-stringer.
"I don't think the offense will change at all. We'll go out there and stick to our game plan," Moye said.
-- Genaro C. Armas
Jimbo Fisher anxious as coaching debut draws near
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Jimbo Fisher's last play on a football field was for Samford. His first play as a college coach will be against the same small Alabama school.
After more than two decades as an assistant coach at a handful of southeastern schools, Fisher debuts as Florida State's head coach Saturday when the 20th-ranked Seminoles open their season against the small Baptist-affiliated school in Birmingham where he claims to have enjoyed some of his happiest years.
"That was a great time in my life," said Fisher, who played one season for the Bulldogs before joining Terry Bowden's Samford coaching staff. "Maybe one of the most fun times I've ever had, developing as a person, developing as a coach, building a program. A lot of my roots are there."
Fisher was the Division III Player of the Year at Samford in 1987 when he threw 34 touchdown passes. He spent the next 11 years on Bowden's staffs at Samford and Auburn, establishing a connection with the coaching family that resulted two decades later in Fisher being the choice to replace Bobby Bowden at Florida State.
Fisher, 44, is not only stepping in behind one of the most successful and revered college coaches of all time, but Saturday marks the first time he'll be in charge of a game as the head coach.
"It's really starting to dawn on me right now," Fisher said during Wednesday's Atlantic Coast Conference coaches teleconference, acknowledging he was getting jittery as Saturday's noon kickoff draws nearer. "Anxious butterflies."
Fisher, however, can achieve something Bowden failed to do — win his first game at Florida State. Memphis State defeated the Seminoles 21-12 in Bowden's Florida State debut in 1976.
After a 5-6 start in his initial season at Florida State, Bowden finished with a pair of national titles during 33 straight winning seasons.
Samford, which is also Bobby Bowden's alma mater, was known as Howard on its last trip to Tallahassee — 60 years ago with the elder Bowden starting at quarterback.
"It's a banner day for Samford in that it starts off with coach Bowden, playing on a field that's named after a Samford graduate ... a legend," Samford coach Pat Sullivan said. "Then he's been replaced by another Samford graduate. For us to be able to be there, I think it's tremendous for us."
Fisher knows his Seminoles are a prohibitive favorite against the Football Championship Subdivision school, but he invokes the long-standing coaching standard of saying only nice things about an outgunned opponent.
"You've got to expect a great game," he said. "We've got to stay aggressive."
After two years as coach in waiting to the iconic Bowden, Fisher was named head coach less than 72 hours after archrival Florida throttled the Seminoles for the sixth straight time, leaving Florida State with a 6-6 regular season record for the second time in four years. A win over West Virginia in the Gator Bowl in Bowden's coaching finale left the Seminoles with a 7-6 record for the third time in the last four years.
Bowden will not attend Fisher's debut Saturday. He has said for years that he wanted to give his successor plenty of space and avoid any second-guessing. Bowden will, however, be in town the previous day for a book signing.
Samford, which is in the Southern Conference, finished 5-6 last year under Sullivan, the former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Auburn.
Fisher, a West Virginia native, said earlier this week that he'd prayed for years that one day he'd get an opportunity to coach at a major university. Now that day is here.
-- Brent Kallestad
LSU CB Peterson relishing role as returner
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Now that Patrick Peterson is getting his shot to return kicks and punts for LSU, he's scoring touchdowns in his sleep.
Recently, Peterson said, he woke from a dream in which he'd brought back "two kick returns and a punt return against North Carolina in the Georgia Dome — all the way."
That would have been an impossible dream last year, when Peterson focused primarily on his role as the top cornerback on the team, covering opponents' best receivers one-on-one.
This year, coach Les Miles figured Peterson needed the ball more, so he'll debut in his newly added role when the Tigers and North Carolina open their seasons against one other in Atlanta on Saturday night.
"I can't wait," Peterson said. "I just told my guys, as long as they (block) their man, do their responsibility, we'll have fun out there. I promised them that. I'm not going to break my promises. I just can't wait for the real deal to happen so I can get that kickoff under the lights and see how we're going to respond."
Peterson will now be more exposed to high-speed, head-on collisions during his returns, elevating his risk of injury.
Last year at Alabama, LSU learned how painful it could be to lose Peterson, even briefly, from the defensive backfield. When Peterson went to the sideline with leg cramps, receiver Julio Jones scored a game-breaking 73-yard touchdown in the Crimson Tide's 24-15 win.
"You have a great player and you want to give him the opportunity to have a great football play," Miles said of his decision to put Peterson on returns. "To say getting an interception is more important than returning a punt for a touchdown, I don't know which great play potentially you want to limit."
Peterson has already established his reputation as one of the top pass defenders in college football. Many quarterbacks avoided throwing his way last season, and when they did, they didn't have much success. Peterson had 13 pass breakups and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. He also had what replays appeared to show was another interception at Alabama, but officials controversially ruled Peterson out of bounds.
"He's obviously one of the premier cornerbacks in the entire country and obviously a gifted athlete that's got a lot of speed," North Carolina coach Butch Davis said. "He's got that shut-down corner mentality that he challenges everybody and he loves to go against the other team's best receiver. I think the other aspect that makes him a little bit unique over a lot of corners that you see is his size."
Peterson, a junior who turned 20 in July, said he has put on 10 pounds this year and weighs close to 220.
"But I feel great. I'm faster than last year," he said, noting that he recently ran his fastest ever 40-yard dashes, one timed at 4.37 seconds electronically and one at 4.2 seconds with a handheld stopwatch.
Davis said giving Peterson his chance as a return man "is probably a wise and smart move."
As a kid in south Florida, Peterson revered former Florida State and NFL star Deion Sanders. Although Peterson was too young to remember seeing much of Sanders' career, he scoured the Internet for Sanders' highlights, many of them touchdowns on interception or punt returns, ending with a distinctive end zone dance.
"He had so much fun, coming up with his own celebration," said Peterson, who last year memorably rotated his arm like a windmill as he led the way down field on Chad Jones' punt return for a score at Mississippi State.
"I guess that could be my own celebration with the windmill," Peterson said. "Going out there and having fun is the whole key to playing football."
Miles, a former Cowboys assistant while Sanders played cornerback in Dallas, brought up his memories of Sanders' talent with the ball while explaining his decision to add kick and punt returns to Peterson's plate.
"When Deion lined up back there for punts, he returned some for touchdowns, so we're trying as best we can to allow Patrick that opportunity," Miles said.
Peterson had one special teams touchdown last year, coming when he scooped up a blocked field goal at Ole Miss and returned it 53 yards.
He is a good bet to enter the NFL draft next spring, although he said he would carefully consider his decision with family, and factor in the chances of an NFL lockout in 2011, before deciding whether to leave LSU.
In the meantime, he's not worried about taking an increased pounding on special teams. If he does as well as he hopes, his opportunities to touch the ball may decrease as the season wears on anyway.
"If teams don't start kicking it away from me by the sixth game, I haven't done my job," Peterson said. "So that's my main goal, to do my job early in the season."
His first chance is only days way.
-- Brett Martel
Georgia QB Murray needs to keep emotions intact
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray will need to check his emotions before Georgia's opener Saturday.
Here's his plan: Slow country music on the headphones. Maybe add in a few quiet jam songs, but nothing over-the-top before he goes on the field.
"I get extremely pumped up," Murray said. "It'd be a great thing if I was on defense and I was trying to take someone's head off, but offensive-wise, you want to be a little more mellow."
Murray knows his eager tendencies will hardly serve the No. 23 Bulldogs well. Louisiana-Lafayette might seem like a pushover to most Georgia fans, but Murray hasn't taken a snap in a game since helping Plant High School of Tampa, Fla., win a 2008 state title.
The Bulldogs and Ragin' Cajuns kick off at 12:21 p.m. as Sanford Stadium hosts its 58th consecutive sellout under coach Mark Richt.
For Murray to succeed, he likely will need to get the ball out of the pocket quickly and avoid contact. After Zach Mettenberger behaved his way off the team in April, Murray moved to No. 1 at a position that has a true freshman, Hutson Mason, listed No. 2 and a quarterback-turned-receiver-turned-swingman in Logan Gray at No. 3.
Depth is a major concern, but Mettenberger's dismissal forced Murray to mature quickly.
"It made me step up and take that leadership role," Murray said. "Logan had moved to receiver. Zach was gone. The young guys hadn't come in yet. I was really the only guy. It was my job. I had to step up and make sure I was doing all the right things."
Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo will help Murray manage his first game by keeping the play-calling simple.
That plan worked well in 2001 when David Greene was a redshirt freshman quarterback with no college experience. Four years later, Greene left Georgia as the NCAA's career leader in wins with 42.
"You are better off starting slow and repping him over and over and over with (a) smaller package," Richt said. "And then hopefully he'll have success and you can kind of grow as you go. That's what I've learned and tried to help him understand."
Murray has watched abundant film of Greene's freshman season. Greene was a left-hander and tended to scramble to the left side when avoiding pressure. Murray will run the other way most likely, but he doesn't resemble a hard-throwing gunslinger like Matthew Stafford, who left Georgia after his junior year to become the NFL's No. 1 overall draft pick.
As Richt says, the temptation for inexperienced quarterbacks is to attempt a completion at all costs. Doing so often leads to mistakes.
Stafford's unpredictability as a freshman often made Richt cringe. Like Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears, Stafford seemed to think his arm strength could fit a pass into any spot, regardless of tight coverage.
"Greene was really the only one who went through it unscathed, or close to unscathed" as a freshman, Richt said. "He was very disciplined in what he did. Stafford wanted to make plays. He was about doing great things. Guys with that kind of arm strength and that kind of ability can't help themselves sometimes. If you look at Stafford, we struggled with him. At the end of (his freshman) year, when he quit turning it over, we won."
It appears Murray has more football skills and athleticism than his predecessor, Joe Cox, who had the flu last year when Georgia lost at Oklahoma State and dropped to 8-1 in openers under Richt.
Cox was a senior and a decent leader, but he struggled at times to connect with All-SEC receiver A.J. Green and never benefited from a consistently strong running game.
Green is still one of the nation's best threats, but starting tailback Washaun Ealey is suspended for the opener, which leaves Caleb King as the top option in the backfield.
Murray just wants to be even-keel emotionally.
"I wouldn't say that I get nervous," he said. "I would say that I get more juiced up. I get really excited, and I need to take that down a notch."
-- George Henry
Optimism reigns in ACC, will tries to make it last
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Things are finally looking up for the Atlantic Coast Conference with a league-record five football teams ranked 20th or higher in the preseason poll and some traditional powers poised for breakout years.
Or maybe it's merely another chance for the beaten-down conference to disappoint. The ACC is at a crossroads.
The league is in great position to generate some positive buzz about its football prowess. However, to start changing the perception that it is nowhere near as tough as the Southeastern Conference, Big 12, Pac-10 or Big Ten, the ACC needs to get off to a fast start.
Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer says the ACC is legit.
"I think the league is for real. I think the coaching, the play, it's for real," said Beamer, who's Hokies are No. 10 in the preseason poll. "If we play enough games, I think we'll win our share. ... You don't base a league particularly on one ball game or a couple of ball games. I think you base a league over a period of time, but I don't think there's any question the ACC's for real.
"It's a very competitive, very good football league."
Beamer is right, there seems to be no shortage of ACC teams capable of competing on the national stage — at least on paper.
"We're all starting to get a lot of big games starting off early, in the beginning of the year," North Carolina linebacker Bruce Carter said. "I think our conference is rising, and guys are starting to rise to the occasion.
"It gives us a chance to say we can compete with anybody in the country, rather than just playing ACC contenders throughout the season."
Maybe, but one bad weekend will generate more of that "same old ACC" chatter.
To avoid that, ACC teams need to win more than a few of those early interconference matchups, beginning with the Top 25 matchups between No. 18 North Carolina and No. 21 LSU on Saturday in Atlanta and Monday when Virginia Tech meets No. 3 Boise State.
It won't be easy. It hardly ever is for ACC teams.
The Tar Heels have been dealing with the distraction of an NCAA investigation: A dual-pronged investigation into possible improprieties concerning agent-player benefits and potential academic misconduct. Then, key defensive tackle Marvin Austin was suspended indefinitely for violating undisclosed team rules.
In the coming weeks, nearly every ACC team plays a marquee matchup against a big-name nonconference opponent, from Miami vs. Ohio State to Duke vs. Alabama. But if North Carolina and Virginia Tech can't set a strong tone early, the big games that follow might wind up being viewed as less attractive merely by association.
Perhaps that's one reason why Maryland quarterback Jamarr Robinson is pulling hard for the Hokies. "I feel like they're an extension of us," he said.
Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder feels the same way.
"There's always an argument over what conference is the best in the nation. Every year is a different year, and there's been the argument the ACC hasn't been as strong as the SEC and the Big 12," said Ponder, whose Seminoles visit Oklahoma next week. "That's a big thing for us. It is important for all of us to be able to compete outside our league and play well."
The ACC's perception seems to suffer most when standard-bearers Miami and Florida State are considered to be down. That's what happened in 2006, when the Hurricanes and Seminoles took a step backwards, allowing Wake Forest to win its only championship since 1970. There were justifiable questions about strength of the ACC last year.
Perennially lowly Duke entered November with a chance to win the Coastal Division. The same Blue Devil team that opened 2009 with a loss to a Championship Subdivision team, Richmond.
The ACC can't afford any more of those early slip-ups and there are several potential potholes this week with Presbyterian-Wake Forest, Elon-Duke and Richmond-Virginia among the eight matchups with FCS teams.
But not all of the coaches take the ACC talk seriously.
"I know that North Carolina and LSU are playing here and Virginia Tech and Boise State are playing. What else are the spotlight games? Maryland and Navy, I guess," Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson, the former Midshipmen coach, said laughing.
"It's big up there. State championship."
All joking aside, early losses to those lower-level schools would raise serious questions about the depth of a league that is seeking respect.
Since the BCS was formed in 1998, the ACC is a combined 2-10 in those games — the worst among leagues with automatic access to the big-money bowls. The ACC has only one major bowl victory since the 2000 season. By comparison, Boise State needed just four years to rack up that many wins in the BCS.
"A lot of people don't give the ACC much credit in football, always saying it's a basketball conference and the SEC is the dominant conference," North Carolina tight end Zack Pianalto said. "So to be able to get a chance to go out there against LSU and show what we have is something we're really excited for.
"Obviously the Boise State-Virginia Tech thing is on the same level. If Virginia Tech can go out there and do something well ... that just speaks volumes about where this conference is heading in football."
-- Joedy McCreary
Picks
A bowl game to start season for LSU-UNC
It’s sort of like starting the season with a bowl game.
For the third straight year, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta is the site for one of the biggest games of college football’s long opening weekend.
No. 21 LSU faces No. 18 North Carolina on Saturday night, making the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game 3 for 3 in matching teams ranked in the Top 25.
It seems like a great idea: Find two good teams, one from the Southeastern Conference and one from the Atlantic Coast Conference — both schools located a reasonable drive or short plane ride from Atlanta — and have them start the season against each other while most of the other top programs are playing patsies. Add in events such as a cook-off, tailgates and a fanfest, and — bingo! — you’ve got that (minor) bowl game atmosphere.
"Let’s do the Daytona 500 of college football," said Gary Stokan, CEO and president of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, recalling what he was shooting for after officials in Atlanta had their efforts to get in on the Bowl Championship Series rebuffed. "We have created that BCS experience at the front side of the season."
That might be a stretch, but they do make a tempting pitch to the schools playing the game.
Organizers lure teams with the promise of a payout of around $2 million — Stokan said North Carolina should pocket around $1.75 million, which is more than the Tar Heels would make for a home game — and some prime time television exposure.
Still, it’s not easy to lock up attractive matchups. Top teams from tough conferences tend to be cautious about loading up their nonconference schedules, even though an early loss to a good team is usually not a season-killer.
Stokan said next year’s matchup has not been made. In 2012, North Carolina State and Tennessee will start the season in the Georgia Dome. Maybe by then both programs will be on the upswing. Stokan said the game is working on a "blockbuster" team for 2013. He also said organizers might step outside the SEC-ACC model in the future and bring in teams from other conferences.
As for Saturday night’s game, the most intriguing story line is who plays and who sits for North Carolina, which is dealing with a two-pronged investigation of possible NCAA violations.
The Tar Heels’ problems have no doubt left some of their fans feeling not quite as pumped for their trip to Atlanta as they thought they would be. The picks:
Thursday
Marshall (plus 28½) at No. 2 Ohio State
Thursday night opener for the Buckeyes! What’s next, playing Michigan in October? ... OHIO STATE 42-10.
Florida A&M (no line) at No. 13 Miami
Easy start to tough schedule for Hurricanes ... MIAMI 55-14.
No. 14 Southern California (minus 21½) at Hawaii
It’s sort of like starting season with a bowl game for Trojans ... USC 36-17.
No. 15 Pittsburgh (plus 3) at Utah
Tough place or Pitt to break in new QB ... UTAH 27-21.
Saturday
San Jose State (plus 37½) at No. 1 Alabama
Mark Ingram will not be missed — yet ... ALABAMA 48-7.
Miami of Ohio (plus 35) at No. 4 Florida
Tim Tebow will not be missed — yet ... FLORIDA 50-14.
No. 5 Texas (minus 30½) at Rice
Longhorns get that running game going ... TEXAS 45-10.
No. 6 TCU (minus 13½) vs. Oregon State at Arlington, Texas
Beavers never pass up a tough game, though they might want to now and then ... TCU 28-17.
Utah State (plus 34) at No. 7 Oklahoma
Sooners starters get half day ... OKLAHOMA 56-17.
Western Kentucky (plus 37) at No. 8 Nebraska
Hilltoppers have lost 20 straight ... NEBRASKA 40-7.
Eastern Illinois (no line) at No. 9 Iowa
Hawkeyes needed great escape in last year’s opener against FCS team ... IOWA 35-10.
New Mexico (plus 34) at No. 11 Oregon
Jeremiah Masoli will not be missed — maybe at all ... OREGON 52-14.
No. 12 Wisconsin (minus 20½) at UNLV
Another dicey trip to Vegas for Badgers ... WISCONSIN 31-17.
South Carolina State (no line) at No. 16 Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets run it up ... GEORGIA TECH 48-10.
Tennessee Tech (no line) at No. 17 Arkansas
Pass-happy hogs ... ARKANSAS 55-14.
No. 18 North Carolina (plus 1½) vs. No. 21 LSU at Atlanta
How can Heels possibly be prepared to play ... LSU 24-14.
Youngstown State (no line) at No. 19 Penn State
Lions roar ... PENN STATE 45-7.
Samford (no line) at No. 20 Florida State
Seminoles bounce Bobby Bowden’s alma mater ... FLORIDA STATE 50-14.
Arkansas State (plus 31) at No. 22 Auburn
Cameron Newton era starts for Auburn ... AUBURN 42-17.
Louisiana-Lafayette (plus 28) at No. 23 Georgia
Aaron Murray era starts for Bulldogs ... GEORGIA 44-14.
Coastal Carolina (no line) at No. 25 West Virginia
Cue John Denver ... WEST VIRGINIA 42-13.
Monday
No. 3 Boise State (minus 2½) vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech at Landover, Md.
All that talk about Boise State making national title run, done ... VIRGINIA TECH 34-21.
Last season’s bowls 17-17 (straight); 18-16 (vs. points); Last season total: 233-77 (straight); 151-139-4 (vs. points).
-- Ralph D. Russo
Notes
UNC suspends DT Marvin Austin indefinitely
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina coach Butch Davis suspended defensive tackle Marvin Austin indefinitely on Wednesday for violating unspecified team rules.
"This decision is not a result of the ongoing NCAA review," Davis said in a brief statement issued by the school. "Marvin has violated team rules and has neglected his responsibilities to the team."
Austin, a senior, has been projected as a possible NFL first-round pick. He will not play Saturday night when the No. 18 Tar Heels face No. 21 LSU in Atlanta.
The suspension marks the latest twist during a turbulent summer for North Carolina.
The NCAA made two trips to Chapel Hill this summer to look into whether Austin and receiver Greg Little received improper benefits from agents. Wednesday's announcement did not address Little's status. Both players had been working with the second team for much of training camp and haven't spoken with reporters.
South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders, who also has been at the center of NCAA inquiries for possible improper agent contact, has been suspended by the Gamecocks. Saunders will not play Thursday night against Southern Mississippi, though South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Saunders' suspension was not connected to the NCAA probe.
The investigation at North Carolina expanded last week to include possible academic misconduct, with school officials saying it involved an unknown number of players and a woman who previously worked as a tutor for Davis' son. The school has declined to specify how many players could be involved or are in jeopardy of missing the LSU game.
The NCAA also has looked at a cross-country trip involving Austin and former Tar Heels player Cam Thomas, and the friendship between assistant coach John Blake and California-based agent Gary Wichard.
The investigation led to disruptions in game preparations for the opener. The team did not issue a depth chart earlier this week, a break from customary game-week protocol, and Davis said he has used using a "fluid" informal depth chart during practice.
Earlier Wednesday, Davis said during the Atlantic Coast Conference's weekly coaches' teleconference that the Tar Heels were "in a holding mode." Team officials canceled all scheduled media availability with players in advance of the LSU game. Players had been scheduled to talk with reporters Wednesday afternoon.
Saban: Ingram was playing best football of career
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama coach Nick Saban says Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram was playing the best football of his Crimson Tide career before his injury.
Top-ranked Alabama's tailback injured his left knee in Monday's practice and had an arthroscopic procedure.
Saban didn't shed much light Wednesday on his timetable for a return to the top-ranked Tide. But he says the injury is "not a serious thing" and "he'll be back soon."
Sophomore Trent Richardson will start in Ingram's place Saturday night against San Jose State.
Saban says Alabama won't have to change what it does offensively without Ingram.
He says it's important for the coaches and teammates to help Ingram keep a positive attitude during the rehab process.
Oden, Stumon suspended for No. 17 Arkansas' opener
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas offensive lineman Anthony Oden and fullback Van Stumon are suspended for the No. 17 Razorbacks' season opener against Tennessee Tech.
Coach Bobby Petrino didn't say why the two are being held out for Saturday's game. Each was arrested during the offseason on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Petrino said as of Wednesday, the plan was to sideline the two for one game.
Oden, a sophomore, started one game last year. Stumon, a senior, started two.
Iowa OL Hundertmark leaves Hawkeyes
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa junior offensive lineman Cody Hundertmark has left the team to focus on his schoolwork.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced Hundertmark's departure Wednesday. Hundertmark, a 6-foot-4, 285-pounder from Humboldt, Iowa, played sparingly as a defensive lineman from 2007-09.
He moved to the offensive line in preparations for last season's Orange Bowl but wasn't listed on the depth chart for Saturday's opener against Eastern Illinois.
