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Ben Maller's college sports rumors
by FOXSports.com
Gary Pinkel takes blame for Missouri's problems
When it comes to Missouri losing four of its last five games -- including, of all things, to Baylor 40-32 last Saturday -- the resurrected bottom-line reaction of Missouri coach Gary Pinkel leads to such consternation. "I accept that responsibility," Pinkel said in his weekly media conference on Monday afternoon. "I'm responsible for that," Pinkel said later. "Our fans have a better expectation level than what they're seeing," Pinkel said on still another occasion. "They should. That's my job. I deserve to be criticized for it." -- KC Star
Memphis looking at Okie State's Gunter Brewer?
Several names have surfaced as possible candidates to become the next Memphis coach, among them Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, LSU assistant head coach Larry Porter, Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill and Oklahoma State co-offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer. In addition to the Memphis opening, Malzahn has been mentioned as a candidate at Western Kentucky, which also fired its head coach this week. -- Memphis Commercial Appeal
Gators to wear 'futuristic' uniforms with alligator scales
Brace yourself, Gator fans. Florida will wear an alternate "futuristic" uniform for one of its remaining two home games this season. Florida was one of 10 schools from throughout the country selected to wear the Nike "Pro Combat" uniform. The others were Miami, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Texas, TCU, LSU, Missouri and Oklahoma. "We have an agreement with Nike to wear an alternate uniform for one of our remaining home football games, but we have no additional details at this time," Florida football spokesman Steve McClain said. "We will have a future announcement and unveiling of the uniforms at a later date." Nike spokesman Rodney Knox also said in an e-mail that uniform illustrations were planned to be released later. But the Web site freindsoftheprogram.net leaked the uniforms of all 10 schools. The Florida uniform features blue pants on blue jerseys with no stripes on the pants. The helmets are white. In addition, Florida will wear futuristic gloves designed with alligator scales and the Gator logo. -- Gainesville Sun
Kiffin sought out Archie Manning before taking UT job
Lane Kiffin sought advice about Tennessee's football program from former Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning before becoming the Vols' head coach. "I knew he knew a lot about the job and the school," Kiffin said. "I just wanted to get his thoughts and feelings on what needed to happen here to make Tennessee able to make a run at a bunch of championships." Manning's son, quarterback Peyton Manning, starred at UT from 1994 to 1997. The elder Manning said he was more than willing to help Kiffin. "There wasn't any doubt when I saw the staff that Lane was putting together (they'd be successful)," Archie Manning said this week on the News Sentinel's radio show, The Sports Page. "I know a little something about what it takes at Tennessee. "It's a little different as far as recruiting. I can remember when Peyton went there. That freshman class he went with, there wasn't many kids from Tennessee in that class." -- Knoxville News
Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor to play with ankle pain
His left ankle still hurts, but Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor expects to push through the pain again this week. Pryor suffered the injury near the end of the first half Oct. 31 against New Mexico State. With a 28-0 halftime lead, he sat out the second half. Last week at Penn State, he gutted his way through the game, throwing for two touchdowns and running for a third in Ohio State's 24-7 victory. "I'm getting better day to day," he said yesterday. "Some of the cuts, no matter where you're at on the field, going left or right, it's hurting. But there's always something in the back of the head saying, 'Just keep going.' "It's still hurting, but there's nothing I can do about it." He said he has been sitting out a few practice snaps to be ready for a game Saturday against Iowa. -- Columbus Dispatch
Irish may return to courtship of Urban Meyer
True, Urban Meyer has signed a contract extension. And yes, he has a good chance to win a third national championship in the last four years. But if Notre Dame fires Charlie Weis -- and they probably should -- the Fighting Irish will likely make another run at Meyer, their first choice five years ago who instead cast his lot with the Gators. I think Meyer would be crazy to go to Notre Dame, and leave the best high school recruiting base in America. But I can also understand it -- Tim Tebow finally graduates, and that's like Linus losing his blanket. Also, what more can Meyer do? He's discovering why Steve Spurrier walked away from the Florida job after 12 seasons, a national championship and six league titles. If you don't win enough games, or don't win those games by enough points, people want to know what's wrong. -- Memphis Commercial Appeal
Michigan's Rodriguez sees progress with Denard Robinson
From the moment he stepped on campus, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson was a hot topic. His legend only grew when he scored a rushing touchdown when he entered the game at quarterback in the opening game. But he has steadily committed turnovers in the Big Ten season and his playing time has diminished accordingly with him not even getting in at quarterback against Purdue last week. U-M coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday he told Robinson he wished he played him more in the game, saying the coaches intended to get him in at QB but Tate Forcier was in a rhythm. Rodriguez said Robinson said he understood. -- Detroit Free-Press
Utah's Whittingham silent about BCS bowl implications
Don't ask Utah coach Kyle Whittingham about it, because he's just focused on one thing -- winning the game. However, if the Utes should upset TCU, which is a 20-point favorite in the latest lines from Las Vegas, they could find themselves talking about going to another BCS bowl game for the second straight year and third time in six seasons. Of course there would have to be a few other things line up for the Utes after Saturday if they happen to win, including wins over San Diego State and BYU the following two weeks and a Boise State loss. But the first step would be knocking off the mighty Horned Frogs, undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the nation. Right now, Utah is ranked No. 16 in the BCS standings, down two spots from a week earlier, thanks mostly to the fact that they had to play 0-8 New Mexico. -- Deseret News
Ohio State defense plans to attack Iowa QB
The medical report states that Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who led the Hawkeyes to a 9-0 start this season - the best in school history - had minor surgery on his injured ankle Tuesday and will not be able to play on Saturday when Ohio State hosts Iowa. A trip to the Rose Bowl and a guaranteed share of a Big Ten title goes to the winner. Without Stanzi, the Hawkeyes will have to rely on a seldom-used 19-year-old redshirt freshman named James Vandenberg, but Ohio State coach Jim Tressel insists that change won't alter the approach taken by the Buckeyes. They want to be up in his grill, no matter who it is taking the snaps. "We go into every game with the primary objective of our defense is to make sure we affect the quarterback," Tressel said. "Affect him with his decision-making ... affect him with his ability to throw the ball ... and affect him from a physical standpoint. You want to get to the quarterback and you want to get after him." -- Toledo Blade
Florida State's Bowden: Christian Ponder shouldn't let emotions take o
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said the play against Clemson last week that resulted in a season-ending shoulder injury for junior quarterback Christian Ponder "defines him." Bowden hopes that if Ponder comes back for his senior year, the Texas native writes a bit of a different definition. Ponder separated his throwing shoulder while knocking DeAndre McDaniel out of bounds after Ponder threw his fourth interception of the night in Clemson's 40-24 victory. Ponder said he made the forceful tackle "out of frustration" for a tough night, but he earned respect for one more example of being a football player first and a quarterback second. Bowden hopes Ponder learned that most of the time, it needs to be the other way around. The injury is Ponder's third of the season - he's also hurt his knee and ribs - and the first that will cost him playing time. "He did go all out, and it was a pretty good tackle," Bowden said Wednesday during the weekly ACC football coaches teleconference. "It's who he is, but sometimes we would not like it to be who he is. He can't just throw his body around like that. The one guy who can't afford that is the quarterback. He's one of the smartest kids we've got, but emotions take over from that sometimes. I'm sure he learned a lesson." -- Florida Times-Union
RB Derrick Coleman will get first start of season for UCLA
UCLA is headed in a different, bigger direction with its running game this week. Derrick Coleman, a 6-foot, 230-pound sophomore, will get his first start of the season when the Bruins play at Washington State. UCLA has struggled with its running game in recent weeks, and the number of fumbles has become a concern. That has brought the focus to Coleman, who had seven carries in five games before he gained 49 yards in 13 carries against Washington on Saturday. "We need to see more yards after contact and we obviously need to see more security with the ball," running backs coach Wayne Moses said. "We just need some tough, hard-nosed, old-fashioned football." -- LA Times
WRs Get No Love From Heisman Voters
Receivers have developed a bizarre public-relations problem. While their production is up--the median passing yardage and points per game in major-college football have risen 4% and 5.6%, respectively, since 2000--quarterbacks are getting virtually all of the credit. Eight of the nine Heisman winners this decade were quarterbacks, while the last receiver to win was Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991. The last wideout to come close was Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald, who was the runner-up to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White in 2003. This season, the biggest problem facing college football's receiving contingent is that several of its best-known players aren't playing, and others just aren't producing the numbers. Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant, considered the best receiver going into the season, is headed to the NFL after being ruled ineligible for the rest of the season. Notre Dame's Michael Floyd has accumulated at least 130 receiving yards in the three full games he has played, but he has missed five others because of injury. And Alabama's stand-out wide receiver, Julio Jones, has been banged up and has caught only two touchdowns so far. -- Wall Street Journal
Top 10 Highest-Paid SEC Assistants (counting total compensation)
1. Monte Kiffin, Tennessee Defensive Coordinator: $1.2 million
2. Ed Orgeron, Tennessee Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line: $650,000
3. Gary Crowton, LSU Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks: $469,917
4. John Chavis, Tennessee Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: $450,000
5. Joe Pendry, Alabama Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line: $390,000
6. Jim Chaney, Tennessee Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends: $380,000
7. Willy Robinson, Arkansas Defensive Coordinator/Secondary: $378,238
8. Ted Roof, Auburn Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: $370,000
9. Kirby Smart, Alabama Defensive Coordinator/Secondary: $369,350
10. Tyrone Nix, Ole Miss Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: $365,500 -- Birmingham News
Boise State athletic department hopes stock offering raises $20M
The Boise State athletic department is selling stock. Athletics director Gene Bleymaier unveiled the fundraising program Wednesday in hopes of bringing in $20 million for renovating and upgrading sports facilities. Shares are $100 apiece. -- USA Today
Who Knew?
Temple, Villanova and Penn are a combined 21-5. The last time all three had winning seasons was 1986, when they went 24-6. But Temple forfeited its six victories for using an ineligible player (Paul Palmer, the Heisman Trophy runner-up). Before that you have to go back to 1951, when Temple finished 6-4, 'Nova 5-3 and Penn 5-4. -- Philadelphia Daily News
Caldwell makes surprise visit to Bama
Alabama's football team received a surprise visitor to practice on Wednesday as former center Antoine Caldwell took in his first practice of the 2009 season. The Montgomery native, a rookie guard with the Houston Texans, has an open date this week and spent the day in Tuscaloosa watching the third-ranked Crimson Tide. He's still good friends with several of the starters on the offensive line this year. "I had no doubt in my mind about the talent they had here," Caldwell said. "With what (offensive line) coach (Joe) Pendry brings to the table, I knew those guys were going to be able to come together, and that's what they did. They've been dominating all year. I felt like it wasn't going to be much of a dropoff at all from the guys we had. I'm just proud they've been playing the way they've been playing." -- Montgomery Advertiser
USC ranked 106th in third sound situations
USC rarely breaks from routine in its practice format. But continuing problems converting third downs have forced the 11th-ranked Trojans to double their emphasis this week as they prepare for Saturday's game against No. 25 Stanford at the Coliseum. "It calls for at least that amount of attention at this point," Coach Pete Carroll said after Wednesday's workout. The Trojans' 32% conversion rate though nine games ranks 106th among 120 major college teams. In last week's 14-9 victory at Arizona State, USC was two for 13 on third down and the offense produced only one touchdown. "That starts with me," said Jeremy Bates, the Trojans' first-year quarterbacks coach and play-caller. -- LA Times
Did You Know?
Since the BCS came into being in 1998, no unbeaten team from one of the six automatic-qualifying conferences has been left out of the title game in favor of somebody with one loss. Just in case Cincinnati goes and-0 and two of the three teams ahead of it doesn't. -- Philadelphia Daily News
Gophers mascot game
The University of Minnesota's "Goldy Gopher" isn't the only gopher mascot in football. The mascot for the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders at home games in Mosaic Stadium is "Gainer the Gopher," who looks like a real gopher, not Minnesota's animated version. -- Pioneer Press
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