Week 8 Gameday News & Notes

Navy QB Dobbs has a small crack in his kneecap from a prior inj in HS that will have to be repaired, but he is hoping to play thru the injury and have it fixed after the season….

Michigan’s Rich Brooks isn’t hiding his quarterback decision this week.  He’s said true frosh Morgan Newton will start….

S Carolina is looking to avenge last year’s loss to Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is coming off a 34-10 loss to Georgia and South Carolina’s 20-6 loss at Alabama….

Tennessee asked for and received permission from the SEC to wear orange jerseys but Alabama rejected the request….

Vanderbilt could be without both of their starting OT’s, RT James Williams suffered a season-ending broken ankle and  LT Thomas Welch has a sprained ankle….

If LSU can win out, it will make it to the SEC Championship Game….

Houston Nutt thinks Ole Miss can still make it to the SEC Championship Game. If they lose this game, not only will that dream be gone, but so might the dream of a New Year’s Day bowl…..

Both Irish losses this season have come vs true frosh QB’s….

Penn St has scored just 69 pts in their 5 game losing streak in Ann Arbor. Paterno on Michigan Stadium: “I don’t think it’s a particularly tough place to play.” ….

Indiana hasn’t won in Evanston in 16 years, and the Hoosiers haven’t won back-to-back Big Ten games in October since the 2006 season….

The second straight road game for the Hawkeyes, who have won seven of the last 11 meetings in this series….

Michigan State has won three straight in the Big Ten after starting the season 1-3….

The Buckeyes have won the last six meetings vs Minnesota….

Pittsburgh is trying to go 7-1 for the first time since 1982, when Dan Marino was the QB. To do that, Wannstedt said the Panthers must contain Daniels….

“It was refreshing to get back,” USF coach Leavitt said. “We practiced hard and we’ll put this behind us. I like the way we practiced and we’ll be ready for Pittsburgh.” Leavitt is 59-46 on television, including 11-1 on ESPN Regional, and 2-3 in weather 50 degrees or lower….

West Virginia will honor Connecticut CB Jasper Howard with #6 on their helmets and the 2 teams will have a moment of silence at midfield. Stewart said the gameplan will not change with Smith at QB, Smith did miss 6-8 weeks from June 10 with foot injury. “This is all about Jasper Howard, about having a fallen brother, about his successful and youthful life.” — WVU Coach Bill Stewart….

Connecticut HC Edsall said one of my sons was taken away, nothing in my job description says i have to identify bodies. Edsall not prepared with how to deal with the death, spoke to USF Leavitt who has had 3 players death since 2001…

Cincinnati’s # 5 ranking in the BCS standings is the highest for a Big East team since West Virginia was ranked #2 on Nov. 25, 2007….

Louisville had won five consecutive games in the series before Cincinnati 28-20 victory last year….

Questions have risen if Cincinnati runs the table, should they be held out of title game. Kelly says if our name was WV, Syracuse or Pitt we wouldn’t be having this conversation….

After a 2-2 start, Syracuse can be found in the conference cellar…

All but guaranteed a losing season, Akron HC Brookhart will not take the RS off anymore players…

Toledo takes on  Temple, the first MAC meeting and Temple, looking for their fifth straight victory and another step toward its first bowl game in 30 years, come in as a 3 pt dog….

Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour and Bowling Green’s Tyler Sheehan have thrown for over 4,800 yards with 28 TD’s already this season and rushed for 12 scores….

Buffalo is looking for its first ever win over Western Michigan. The Bulls are 0-4 all time against the Broncos….

Kent State can move into a 1st place tie in the MAC East with a win if Buffalo loses to Toledo….

The RedHawks are home for only the second time this year and have been outscored 248-71 in dropping the first seven games….

Central Michigan has trouble winning at Bowling Green, losing 8 of their last 9 games at Doyt Perry Stadium….

Western Michigan lost its top two WR’s in the game against Central Michigan. Juan Nunez and Jordan White both suffered sprained ankles and are questionable….

The Eagles have won the last six meetings vs Notre Dame….

Georgia Tech has lost eight straight times in Charlottesville….

This is the first time Maryland has faced Duke since 2004, and the first time the teams have met since the ACC expanded to 12 teams before the 2005 season…..

Miami and Clemson have met twice since UM joined the ACC, with CU winning in Miami in overtime in 2004 and UM returning the favor in triple overtime in 2005….

Baylor needs to get a jump on a ranked team playing on the road in the homecoming game at Waco. A slow start by the home team would likely mean disaster….

This is the Sooners’ first since 2001 to Memorial Stadium….

Historically, Colorado has dominated this series vs Kansas St 44-19-1, but the teams have split the last 6 games. CU’s last win in Manhattan came in 2005, 23-20….

A Big 12 North Title is still very much in Nebraska’s picture, but the Huskers can’t stumble at home against the Cyclones….

Without QB Robert Griffin, Baylor stands 0-2 in the Big 12 after allowing Iowa State to snap an 11-game losing streak….

The Longhorns have won the last five meetings by an average of 23.4 points, including a 56-31 romp last season vs Missouri….

Texas Tech has not lost at home against Texas A&M since 1993….

Arizona QB Foles set a program mark with his completion % last week vs Stanford as he hit on 40 of 51 passes (78%). He has completed 76% of his passes this year, no other Arizona QB has finished higher than 69% for a season….

UCLA has allowed only 15 fourth-quarter points in six games this year….

Arizona St HC Erickson commented that he didn’t use QB Osweiler at all in last week’s game as Sullivan was playing to well to remove for any possession….

The Cougars –54 yds rushing was their record worst, at least since 1957, which is when WSU began keeping the statistic….

Oregon St’s Mike Riley likes how his team is playing, but isn’t worried about lost momentum with the break. He’s confident because of the way the players practice hard and are able to focus on each game….

Oregon has held 3 straight opponents to 10 points or fewer for the first time since 1980….

Tulsa has allowed 23 sacks through 6 gms, which is 4th worst in NCAA….

UAB’s defensive gameplan is going to focus on stopping Darius Marshall & TE Cody Slate…..

UCF has 4 scoring drives of 80+ yds in the last 3 games & have 16 pass plays of 20+ yds on the season after having just 12 all of last year….

Houston HC Sumlin isn’t sure who will handle the placekicking duties this week. Both Ben Bell & Jordan Mannisto missed PAT’s & Bell also missed a 25 yd FG. Sumlin said they would battle it out during practice & a decision may not be made until after pre-game warm-ups….

Boise St HC Chris Petersen continues to field questions week after week as to where his Broncos should be rated & ranked, and every week he responds with the same thing in a calm voice. “I know there’s a lot of talk out there, it’s something we don’t concern ourselves with, “ Petersen said….

Hawaii starting WR Rodney Bradley is out for the year with a broken leg he suffered against Idaho….

Idado currently has the nation’s best turnaround so far this season (6-1) from last year (2-10)….

Utah State has lost back-to-back games by just three points falling 20-17 at New Mexico State and 35-32 to Nevada last week….

Florida Atlantic has just one victory but haven’t lost in the state of Louisiana in five visits….

Louisiana is 3-0 at home this season….

Troy has won four straight games and three league games in a row.

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Here are my computer’s average individual game ratings for the year for each team and they are ranked in order.