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Athlon Sports' top candidates to replace Missouri coach Gary Pinkel

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Missouri coach Gary Pinkel is resigning due to health reasons effective at the end of the 2015 season. Pinkel was one of the nation’s most underrated coaches during his 15-year run in Columbia. During his tenure with the Tigers, Pinkel went 118-71 and claimed back-to-back SEC East titles in 2013-14. Pinkel also went 73-37-3 at Toledo from 1991-00.

Pinkel was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in May and had treatments during May and June. According to a release from the school, Pinkel is “not doing poorly and that this is a manageable disease.”

There’s no question Pinkel will be missed at Missouri. This job isn’t easy. In a recent expert poll by Athlon Sports, Missouri ranked as the No. 11 job in the SEC. There’s plenty of potential though, as Pinkel went 23-5 overall from 2013-14 and guided the program to three seasons of at least 10 wins from 2007-10. Needless to say, Pinkel set the bar high for the next coach.

Who might be the next coach at Missouri? Here are seven names to watch:

Dino Babers, head coach, Bowling Green

Babers was a long-time assistant that finally got his chance to be a head coach in 2012 at Eastern Illinois. Over the last four years, Babers has emerged as one of the nation’s top offensive minds and is a coach poised to make the jump into the Power 5 ranks. After recording a 19-7 mark at Eastern Illinois from 2012-13, Babers has led Bowling Green to a 16-8 record in two seasons. The Falcons won the MAC East in 2014 despite losing star quarterback Matt Johnson to a season-ending hip injury in the opener. And with Johnson back at the controls this year, Bowling Green is a perfect 6-0 in the MAC, defeated Purdue and Maryland in non-conference games and ranks fourth nationally with an average of 45.4 points per game. Babers is a former assistant under Art Briles, which helped to shape his background on offense, as well as stops as an assistant at Texas A&M, UCLA, Arizona and Pittsburgh.

Related: 10 Coaching Candidates to Replace Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech

Matt Campbell, head coach, Toledo

Hiring a coach from Toledo worked out well for Missouri when it brought Pinkel to Columbia in 2001. Could the school turn to another Toledo coach in this coaching search? Campbell is 34-14 with the Rockets and is poised for his best season after an 8-1 start in 2015. Toledo also picked up victories against Power 5 opponents in Arkansas and Iowa State this year. The 35-year-old coach also has stops on his resume from stints as an assistant at Bowling Green and Mount Union. Campbell is ready for the chance to run a Power 5 program. 

P.J. Fleck, head coach, Western Michigan

Fleck is 15-20 in his third season at Western Michigan, but the former Northern Illinois’ receiver has brought marked improvement to the Kalamazoo program. After a 1-11 mark in Fleck’s first season (2013), the Broncos are 14-9 over the last two years and have a chance to win the MAC’s West Division in 2015. Fleck is also regarded as an excellent recruiter and also has stops on his resume from stints with the Buccaneers and Rutgers. At 34-years-old, Fleck is the nation’s youngest coach.

Related: 10 Amazing College Football Stats from Week 11

Justin Fuente, head coach, Memphis

Fuente is expected to generate interest from several schools this offseason. Virginia Tech, South Carolina and Miami are three schools expected to gauge Fuente’s interest and other top 25-30 jobs could open by December. Fuente has transformed Memphis into a top 25 program after inheriting a team that won three games under Larry Porter’s direction from 2010-11. Fuente’s first team showed marked improvement (4-8) in 2012 and finished 3-9 in the program’s debut in the American Athletic Conference. The Tigers took a huge step forward in 2014, finishing 10-3 with a No. 25 rank in the final Associated Press poll. Memphis is 8-2 this season and spent four weeks as a ranked team in the Associated Press poll before losing to Navy in Week 10. Current Missouri defensive coordinator Barry Odom worked for three years under Fuente at Memphis.

Tom Herman, head coach, Houston

Similar to Memphis’ Justin Fuente, Herman will be contacted by several schools this offseason to gauge his interest in an opening at a Power 5 job. Herman is 10-0 in his first season as Houston’s head coach, guiding the Cougars to a No. 13 ranking in the latest Associated Press poll. Prior to taking the top spot in Houston, Herman worked as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator from 2012-14 and held the same position at Iowa State (2009-11), Rice (2007-08) and Texas State (2005-06). Herman also has ties to the program, as he was hired at Houston by current Missouri athletic director Mack Rhoades.

Related: 15 Best College Football Players No One is Talking About

Barry Odom, defensive coordinator, Missouri

Odom is a former Missouri player and rejoined Gary Pinkel’s staff after a three-year stint at Memphis calling the defensive signals for Justin Fuente from 2012-14. The Tigers showed significant improvement on defense under Odom’s direction, limiting opponents to just 4.7 yards per play in 2014. While Missouri is likely to finish 2015 with a losing record, Odom’s defense certainly isn’t the problem. The Tigers rank second in the SEC in scoring defense and are holding opponents to 4.3 yards per play. Odom worked from 2009-11 under Pinkel as an assistant coach and also worked on the staff from 2003-08 as a football operations assistant. Odom does not have any previous head coaching experience. 

 

Matt Rhule, head coach, Temple

Rhule played under Joe Paterno at Penn State from 1994-97 and has spent most of his coaching career on the East Coast. Would the Pennsylvania native be interested in a SEC job or could he hold out for an opening in the Big Ten or ACC? Although Rhule is content at Temple, Power 5 programs will come calling. The Owls are 16-18 under his watch, including an 8-2 mark in 2015. Temple is the frontrunner to win the American Athletic Conference’s East Division and nearly knocked off Notre Dame on Oct. 31 this season. If the Owls win their remaining regular season games (two) and claim the conference championship or a bowl victory, Rhule’s team will surpass the program’s highest win total mark (10 in 1979).

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Watch for more rankings, previews and predictions from the good folks at Athlon here on Dr. Saturday. And don't forget to follow @YahooDrSaturday and @AthlonSports for all your college football information.


TCU QB Trevone Boykin and WR Josh Doctson questionable against Oklahoma

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TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver Josh Doctson are questionable for this weekend’s game against Oklahoma.

Doctson suffered a wrist injury during the first half of the loss to Oklahoma State on Nov. 7. He missed the second half of that game and saw limited snaps in last week’s win against Kansas.

Boykin was injured early in the contest against Kansas and was ultimately forced out toward the end of the first quarter after his right ankle bent awkwardly.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Monday his team will prepare as if Boykin is going to play. Patterson said he would have more information about his two star players when he holds his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.

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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!

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

Arizona State DB Jordan Simone out for season

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(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)The career of Arizona State safety Jordan Simone is over.

Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham confirmed Monday that Simone will miss the rest of the year due to a knee injury he suffered in the first half Saturday’s win over Washington.

Simone, a fifth-year senior, went from a walk-on to one of the team’s best defensive players. In 10 games this season, Simone totaled 91 tackles (second in the Pac-12), nine tackles for loss and two interceptions.

Simone started his career at Washington State and ended up working his way into the starting lineup in 2014 after working on the scout team in 2013. He earned a scholarship before the 2014 season began and emerged as an honorable mention all-Pac-12 selection with 100 tackles and two interceptions.

The Sun Devils, now 5-5, snapped a three-game losing streak with the win over Washington. ASU hosts in-state rival Arizona (6-5) on Saturday in the annual Territorial Cup game.

For more Arizona State news, visit ASUDevils.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!

Cal coach Sonny Dykes says he's not interested in other jobs

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Cal coach Sonny Dykes said he no plans to look at other jobs should they come calling in the next couple months.

"This is where I want to be," Dykes told the San Jose Mercury News last week. "It's where I am. I came here and it's where I want to be."

The newspaper cited reports that Dykes was unhappy since he didn’t have a contract extension offer. It also noted that Dykes was frustrated by the tough academic standards at Cal and his $2 million paycheck, which was among the lowest in the Pac-12. Athletic director Mike Williams told the paper, "It's my intention to keep him here."

Cal defeated Oregon State 54-24 last Saturday to earn the Bears’ bowl eligibility for the first time since 2011. The win broke a four-game losing streak for Cal.

Dykes remarked that while the Bears are losing a lot of good players, which might include junior quarterback Jared Goff, he was excited about the future of the program.

"We're going to lose some good players (after this season), but we're going to replace them with some good players," he said. "Our young guys are good. We're recruiting well. I'm excited about the future."

Both ESPN and Gridironnow reported that Dykes would be willing to take a job that’s perhaps considered a step lower than Cal if that job was in his home state of Texas.

Williams told the Mercury News that discussions with Dykes’ representative were ongoing and that he expected the coach to be in Berkeley next season.

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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!

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

Missouri DT Terry Beckner Jr., to undergo MRI for knee injury

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(via Missouri athletics)Missouri star defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr., will undergo an MRI on his right knee and will miss Saturday’s home finale against Tennessee, coach Gary Pinkel announced Monday.

Beckner suffered the injury during the first defensive play against BYU last weekend when left guard Ryker Mathews went to cut block him. Beckner’s foot got caught in the turf and his knee bent awkwardly.

Beckner was able to walk off the field, but ultimately had to be carted to the locker room after his knee was placed in a brace.

Pinkel said after the game that he feared Beckner injured his medial collateral ligament.

"It could be more (than a sprain)," Pinkel said. "He's had such a great year."

Beckner has made five starts this season, including the last two games. He’s made three sacks and eight tackles for loss.

For more Missouri news, visit PowerMizzou.com.

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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!

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

Arizona QB Anu Solomon day-to-day, LB Jake Matthews out for season

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(Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)The status of Arizona (6-5) quarterback Anu Solomon is up in the air headed into Saturday’s Territorial Cup game against Arizona State (5-5).

Solomon suffered a concussion late in the win over Utah over the weekend when he took a helmet-to-helmet hit on a slide. Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday that Solomon “felt good” on Sunday, but his availability is up to the training staff.

“He felt good yesterday. The trainers were optimistic. He will be day-to-day,” Rodriguez said. “We have a great medical staff, a great training staff, and they know proper protocol with all injuries. They make the determination whether a guy can go in and play. If they tell Anu he can play then we will let him play.”

Rodriguez said the school would send a complaint to the Pac-12 offices about the hit, which occurred midway through the fourth quarter. Utah’s Jason Fanaika hit Solomon as he slid feet-first to the turf and it looked like Fanaika led with his helmet, but targeting was not called.

At the very least, Rodriguez said, the officials could have initially ruled it a targeting foul so the hit could be further examined via replay.

“At the heat of the moment it's hard. If you don't call a flag initially, you can't review it and say, 'oh it is a penalty'. If you do call a penalty then you can review and obviously see whether it’s right or not. That is what makes it more difficult from an official’s standpoint at the time,” Rodriguez said.

“From where I was sitting from, it looked like it could have been helmet to helmet. The pictures show that it could have been a possible target. We are going to send it to the league. I don't know what they will do about it right now, but they will at least talk to the officials about it whether they agree with us or not.”

Even with Solomon out of action for the rest of the game, Arizona was able to pull out a win in double-overtime behind a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Jerrard Randall to Nate Phillips.

In other injury news, Rodriguez announced Monday that linebacker Jake Matthews will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury. Rodriguez said Matthews is scheduled to have surgery on Friday.

Matthews, a junior, is sixth on the team with 43 tackles in 10 games. He also has two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. A former walk-on, Matthews played mainly outside linebacker and special teams during his first two seasons with the Wildcats, but moved inside due to a bevy of injuries at the position this season.

“Jake is a really good athlete and he has earned his scholarship,” Rodriguez said. “I am really proud of him. He was playing really well then his injury happened. He will have surgery Friday. It will be a process, he will be out for the spring but he should be good to go for next fall.”

For more Arizona news, visit GOAZCats.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!

Waffle House to give free food to winning city in Clemson-South Carolina game

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(Photo by Tyler Smith/Getty Images)Waffle House is raising the stakes for the Nov. 28 rivalry matchup between No. 1 Clemson and South Carolina.

The restaurant chain, along with restaurant suppliers Basic American Foods, C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc., and Royal Cup, Inc., announced Tuesday that it will give out free food – waffles, hashbrowns and coffee – to fans at a Waffle House location in the city of the winning school, Clemson, S.C., or Columbia, S.C.

On top of the “Waffle Wager,” Waffle House will also donate $10,000 to the general scholarship fund of the winning university.

The Tigers-Gamecocks matchup is the third edition of the Waffle Wager. Last year, it centered around the Auburn-Georgia game, which Georgia won 34-7. After UGA’s win, “more than $24,000 in free waffles, hashbrowns and coffee” were provided to fans and students in Athens, Ga.

The first Waffle Wager was based on the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game in 2013. Alabama won 49-42 and fans in Tuscaloosa were treated to free food – “nearly 2,000 free waffles and 1,500 cups of free coffee.”

Clemson snapped a five-game South Carolina winning streak in the series by beating the Gamecocks 35-17 at home last season. The top-ranked Tigers are 10-0 this season while South Carolina is 3-7.

For more Clemson news, visit TigerIllustrated.com.

For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.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!

Police investigating rape claim at home of Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong

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Lincoln police are investigating a claim by a woman, who says she was raped early Sunday morning at the home of Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong.

From Omaha.com:

Lincoln police spokeswoman Katie Flood said Tuesday that a 20-year-old woman arrived at a Lincoln hospital about 2:30 p.m. Sunday and reported the alleged assault. The woman said she knows the suspect. Flood said the suspect has been contacted. No arrests have been made, Flood said.
According to police, the alleged assault occurred between 2:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Sunday at 5411 N. 11th St.

The police have not named the alleged suspect and it is unclear whether the alleged victim was at the house at all.

Armstrong told the Omaha World-Herald that he, roommate Jordan Westerkamp and tight end Trey Foster were interviewed by police regarding the incident. Armstrong said he and teammates were at the house partying around 12:30 a.m. after the team came home following Saturday’s game against Rutgers.

“After talking to us, (the police) said you guys should be fine,” Armstrong told the Omaha World-Herald.

“I don’t know why that person said that,” Armstrong said, referring to the alleged victim. “We’re confused about the whole situation. From what we’re hearing, everything was consensual.”

Nebraska released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying it was aware of the allegations.

For more Nebraska news, visit HuskerOnline.com.

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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!

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


Charlie Strong, Tyrone Swoopes could testify in Joe Wickline v. Oklahoma State trial

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(AP Photo/Michael Thomas)The lawsuit involving Texas offensive coordinator Joe Wickline and his former employer, Oklahoma State, rages on. And now it could require testimony from Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong and quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, too. 

Wickline left Oklahoma State before the 2014 season to take a position on Charlie Strong’s staff at Texas. Oklahoma State says Wickline breached his contract by making the move because he didn’t take a promotion with “play-calling duties.” As part of his contract at OSU, Wickline had to be the primary play-caller at his new employer, otherwise he’d owe OSU a buyout.

According to the Associated Press, Oklahoma State "filed formal notice" that it wants Strong, Swoopes, former UT athletic director Steve Patterson, plus “a host of other assistant coaches and officals” as witnesses in the $600,000 lawsuit. Trial is currently scheduled for May 2016.

Wickline, Strong and Longhorns assistant head coach Shawn Watson previously testified that Wickline and Watson both called plays during the 2014 season. This season, Strong moved the play-calling responsibilities over to wide receivers coach Jay Norvell.

From the AP:

According to court documents, Strong, Watson and new play caller Jay Norvell would be subject to new questions about Strong's September decision to strip play-calling from Watson and Wickline and give it Norvell.

Swoopes, who Oklahoma State attorneys also want to depose before a trial, will be asked about his interaction with the coaching staff the last two seasons and "who actually calls the plays for the (Texas) offense."

According to an October report, Texas tried to reach a settlement in the case in October, but that has not come to fruition.

For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.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!

Report: NCAA unsure how teams with 5-7 record will fill bowl slots

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(Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)With the addition of bowl games in Orlando and Tucson, there will be a record 41 bowl games played in 2015.

Typically, it takes six wins to clinch bowl eligibility. But with the need for a whopping 80 teams to fill those bowl slots this season, there’s a chance there will not be enough teams that reach the six-win mark.

So what will the NCAA do in that situation? Some 5-7 teams will fill the void, but according to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy, there is no established plan to choose one 5-7 team over another.

This could be a mess.

From ESPN:

So with the bowl invitations to be extended in less than three weeks on Dec. 6, there remains one small issue with determining how to select the 5-7 teams: No one has any idea how the teams will be selected.

Keith Martin, the NCAA’s managing director, said the final tiebreaker (Bylaw 18.7.2.1.4) indicates that if 5-7 teams are needed, the top five teams in the FBS with the best APR would be selected. Those five teams -- Wisconsin, Northwestern, Duke, Michigan and Stanford -- have already reached six wins.

Bowl and conference sources told ESPN that their understanding of the APR rule is that it’s supposed to rank the available 5-7 teams by APR. The NCAA disagrees.

As of now, 62 teams are eligible for postseason play with 32 others that could potentially reach six wins. So there is a chance that this situation will not come to a head.

If it does, there are a bevy of scenarios to consider.

From ESPN:

If two bowls need 5-7 teams, do the No. 1 and No. 2 best APR teams automatically get the bids or does the bowl have the option of selecting any team among the top five APR teams?

If more than one bowl needs a 5-7 team, how do you decide which bowl picks first? The Big Ten, Big 12 and American are among the conferences that may not have enough six win teams to fill their bowl commitments, so does a 5-7 team from their league with the best APR automatically fill one of their slots -- even if they’re not among the top five available APR teams?

“You tell me,” a source said when asked how the teams would be selected. “No one knows.”

NCAA managing director Keith Martin told ESPN that the NCAA and conferences will “eventually” decide a way to choose from the available 5-7 teams. The two sides don’t have a whole lot of time to figure this one out.

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

Reports: UCF to hire Danny White as athletic director

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Central Florida has reportedly found its new athletic director.

Per the Orlando Sentinel and UCFSports.com, UCF is set to announce that Danny White is the school's new AD. White, 35, is currently the athletic director at Buffalo.

Former football coach George O'Leary had been the school's interim athletic director until he resigned that role in October. Two weeks after he resigned as the school's interim AD, O'Leary retired from coaching. UCF is currently 0-10 and plays East Carolina on Thursday.

O'Leary had been the interim AD after athletic director Todd Stansbury became Oregon State's athletic director. According to UCFSports.com, White is set to be introduced on Thursday and was the "clear frontrunner" after UCF interviewed multiple candidates for the position.

White, who is the brother of new Florida basketball coach Mike White, will hire a new football coach in his first months on the job. Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett is currently UCF's interim coach. White recently made a hire at Buffalo, where he picked Lance Leipold for the Bulls' head coaching job. Leipold was the coach at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater. Buffalo is currently 5-5 and plays Akron on Saturday.

For more UCF news, visit UCFSports.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!

Duke dismisses WR Johnell Barnes, 2 others

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Duke announced Tuesday that three players had been dismissed from the team.

Wide receivers Johnell Barnes and Terrance Alls and linebacker Chris Holmes were kicked off the team for what he termed was a violation of program standards. Duke coach David Cutcliffe said in a team statement that the dismissal did not come as a result of a recent incident.

“This is, without doubt, the most difficult thing teams and coaches face. This is not a reaction to anything that has occurred during the last couple weeks. This has been something that we have worked very hard with these young men to continue to understand what's expected of them," Cutcliffe said. "We have standards in this program that we’re committed to."

"With this circumstance, it had reached a point where it was in their best interest, and certainly the program’s best interest, to move forward somewhere else. We appreciate and thank them for their contributions to the program. We wish them well in whatever they choose to do. I will not go into any other details about this issue.”

Barnes, a junior starter at wide receiver, has 34 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns. He's second to WR Max McCaffrey in all three categories. Alls, a redshirt sophomore, has six catches for 56 yards. Holmes, also a redshirt sophomore, has four tackles, including one for a loss, in six games.

For more Duke news, visit DevilsIllustrated.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!

Bowling Green's Gehrig Dieter makes great one-handed TD catch (Video)

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Bowling Green WR Gehrig Dieter's second-quarter touchdown was thanks to instant replay.

OK, it was a product of an incredible catch too. But Dieter was only granted the catch against Toledo on Tuesday thanks to the freeze-frame ability of replay. Here's how it looked in slow motion. Even at a reduced rate of speed the completion is borderline.

But when you really slow it down you can see that Dieter gained possession right as his toe was still on the ground. The pass was initially ruled incomplete on the field and reversed to a touchdown after it was examined by officials.

The touchdown brought Bowling Green, 8-3, to within 30-14 at halftime. Toledo, 9-1, ended up winning the game 44-28 to keep pace in the MAC West. The Rockets entered the game in a three-way tie with Western Michigan and Northern Illinois for first-place in the division. All have one loss but NIU beat Toledo and has the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Rockets play Western Michigan next week. WMU plays Northern Illinois on Wednesday.

Bowling Green clinched the MAC East last week.

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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!

CFP rankings: Top 4 teams unchanged from the previous week

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The third week of the College Football Playoff rankings looks a lot like the second week. At least at the top.

The top four teams were unchanged in the latest edition of the rankings. Clemson stayed at No. 1, Alabama at No. 2, Ohio State at No. 3 and Notre Dame at No. 4. The first two teams out of the four-team playoff field were Iowa at No. 5 and Oklahoma State at No. 6. The Cowboys replaced Baylor in the top six.

Alabama and Notre Dame each have a loss. Clemson, Ohio State, Iowa and Oklahoma State are undefeated. It's clear the committee currently values the way Alabama is playing after losing to Ole Miss at home and the closeness of Notre Dame's loss at Clemson.

Oklahoma, which beat Baylor last Saturday, is at No. 7. Outside of possibly Iowa, Oklahoma is in the best position of any team with a loss currently outside the top four to move in. The Sooners play TCU in Week 12 and also still have to play Oklahoma State. However, TCU fell three spots in the rankings to No. 18 after narrowly beating Kansas without the services of QB Trevone Boykin for much of the game.

The remaining members of the top 10 (in order) were Florida, Michigan State and Baylor. Michigan State plays Ohio State on Saturday. The team outside the top 10 with the biggest impact could be Stanford. The Cardinal fell from No. 7 after losing to Oregon in Week 11 but are high enough to give Notre Dame a perhaps-needed boost at the end of the season. The Fighting Irish and the Cardinal play each other on November 28. If Notre Dame wins, the game could solidify the Irish's status inside the top four.

North Carolina, which has looked incredibly impressive as of late, jumped from No. 23 to No. 17. You can argue that the Tar Heels should be ranked higher at 9-1, but UNC's schedule strength isn't the best. The Tar Heels have played two FCS teams in 2015 and lost to South Carolina to open the season.

The highest non-power five team was Navy. The Midshipmen are at No. 16.

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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!

Report: Les Miles could be coaching for his job over final 2 games

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As if the college coaching carousel wasn't crazy enough, there's apparently a chance another Power Five team could have an opening at the end of the season.

According to Scott Rabalais at the Baton Rouge Advocate, there are "strong indications" LSU coach Les Miles' future could depend on the Tigers' performances against Ole Miss and Texas A&M in the final two games of the season. Yes, the same Les Miles whose team was No. 2 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

Since that No. 2 ranking, the Tigers have lost at Alabama and at home to Arkansas.

From the Advocate:

It’s early yet, relatively speaking, and as can be expected, no one is eager to go public regarding Miles’ future at this point. But 25 years of covering LSU, cultivating a variety of knowledgeable sources, have led this writer to believe that there is a serious threat to Miles’ tenure here.

It's a crazy thought, isn't it? Miles is 110-31 in his career at LSU and has won a national title. Because of his success with the school, he has a massive buyout. Really massive. It's $15 million. The Advocate mentions the buyout and the fact that it may not be big enough to dissuade LSU boosters from chipping in to pay it if there's enough sentiment for a coaching change.

If Miles is terminated without cause before Jan. 1, he would be owed $15 million, payable over eight years (twice the time remaining on his current contract). His assistants would have to be paid roughly an additional $2 million for six months salary (thanks to the “Les Miles clause” in their contracts) for a total buyout of $17 million.

It’s a staggering sum, but apparently not a deal breaker.

Will these whispers come to fruition? We'll see over the next two weeks. But given that this is being discussed is further proof that there can always be a surprise looming around the corner in college football.

For more LSU news, visit Tigerbait.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!


Georgia RB Keith Marshall not returning in 2016

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Georgia running back Keith Marshall won't be back with the Bulldogs next season.

Marshall is eligible for a fifth season in 2016. But coach Mark Richt said Tuesday that Marshall wanted to move on from the team at the end of 2015. Marshall will participate in Georgia's senior day ceremonies on Saturday.

"Keith came to me a few weeks back and mentioned that he's going to be graduating. He thought that he'd like to declare this his senior season, to which I said that's fine. I blessed it," Georgia coach Mark Richt said via UGASports.com. "He just wants to move on and take his shot at the NFL when the season is over. He wants to finish strong like the rest of the seniors, but he'll be in the ceremony."

[Check out Dr. Saturday on Tumblr for things you won’t see on the blog]

Marshall's career at Georgia has been plagued by injuries, including a serious knee injury he suffered against Tennessee in 2013.

He ran for 759 yards as a freshman in 2012 while splitting time with Todd Gurley, who had 1,385 yards. Since his freshman season, Marshall has rushed for 525 yards on 117 carries. The same number of carries he had in all of 2012.

Marshall has 255 yards and three touchdowns in 2015. He had 13 carries for 60 yards in Georgia's win over Kentucky two weeks ago and missed the Bulldogs' win over Auburn because of knee and ankle issues.

For more Georgia news, visit UGASports.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!

North Dakota's new nickname will be 'Fighting Hawks'

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North Dakota has a new nickname.

The school announced the results of the voting process to pick a new name to replace "Fighting Sioux." Over 27,000 people voted in the poll, which was conducted from November 12-16. Fighting Hawks won with 15,670 votes. It defeated Roughriders.

“We are pleased to be able to announce the selection of a new nickname — Fighting Hawks — and bring this process, in which so many people have participated, to a successful conclusion," North Dakota president Robert Kelley said in a statement. "We especially appreciate the two nickname committees who worked so hard during this past year to make this a transparent, inclusive process that led to a short list of potential nicknames. Now, the voters have spoken, and they have told us that Fighting Hawks should be that new nickname. This is an appropriate choice, as Fighting Hawks symbolizes the competitive spirit of our athletes, the perseverance of the North Dakota spirit, and the continual ascendancy of the University and the state.”

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The two choices were the finalists from a submission period that encompassed all of May. The school released the candidates for the nickname – as well as the non-candidates – in May. Now that the new nickname has been chosen, the school is starting the process to find a logo to go with it. The logo is expected to be unveiled sometime in the summer.

According to the school, the new nickname immediately goes into effect for all sports teams, including the football team, on the school's website and all team broadcasts. North Dakota, 6-4, plays Cal Poly on Saturday in its final regular season game of the year.

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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!

TCU WR Josh Doctson to miss rest of regular season with wrist injury

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TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson (9) goes through warm-ups before TCU takes on Kansas in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)The season of star TCU receiver Josh Doctson is over — for now.

Coach Gary Patterson announced Wednesday that Doctson, who suffered an arm injury against Oklahoma State two weeks ago, will miss the final two games of the regular season against Oklahoma and Baylor.

Doctson might be available for a bowl game.

Patterson also said quarterback Trevone Boykin was a “maybe” for Saturday’s pivotal contest against the Sooners.

Doctson was injured in the first half against the Cowboys when, after making a catch, he used his hand to brace himself on the turf and a defender crashed into his planted arm, injuring his wrist. Doctson was scheduled to see a specialist this week and ultimately will need surgery on his wrist.

Doctson was on his way to a potential Biletnikoff Award-winning season before his injury. He’ll finish the regular season with 79 catches for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The timing is unfortunate, especially with the Horned Frogs slipping in the College Football Playoff rankings and its two toughest opponents ahead.

If Boykin can’t go, Foster Sawyer would get the nod. He stepped in against Kansas after Bram Kohlhausen struggled. Neither quarterback played very well. Kohlhausen completed 13 of 19 passes for 112 yards and Sawyer completed just 1 of 7, but the completion was a 42-yard touchdown to Shaun Nixon.

For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.

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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!

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

Report: Ole Miss LB Denzel Nkemdiche in ICU since Monday

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Ole Miss senior linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche is currently in the intensive care unit of Baptist Memorial Hospital - North Mississippi where he has been staying since Monday, according to RebelGrove.com.

It is unclear why Nkemdiche was in the hospital, but according to the report, he did not check in with teammates on Monday following the team’s open date. He was found Monday.

"We are going to walk through it with him," said coach Hugh Freeze, who noted that Nkemdiche was dealing with a personal matter. “When issues come up that you need to get through that involve one of our players and anything with their family, we just want to support them and help them through it."

Nkemdiche leads Ole Miss with 53 tackles coming into Saturday's game against No. 17 LSU.

For more Ole Miss news, visit RebelGrove.com.

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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!

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

Nick Saban compares 2011 game to human waste going through a tin horn

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Here's the new Nick Saban catchphrase.

The Alabama coach went on a bit of a diatribe during his Wednesday press conference. The Tide play FCS school Charleston Southern on Saturday before playing Auburn for the final game of the regular season. Saban didn't want anyone in the room looking ahead to the Auburn game so he invoked a 2011 game against Georgia Southern as proof why everyone should pay attention on Saturday.

Listen for yourself. Yes, he cusses. So cover up the sensitive ears.

In case you don't have audio, Saban said Georgia Southern ran through his team like a human waste product through a tin horn. The entire rant is worth the listen, but here's the good stuff.

Y'all don't remember the Georgia Southern game, do you. I don't think we had a guy on that field that didn't play in the NFL and about four or five of them were first round draft picks. And I think that team won a national championship but I'm not sure. And they run through our ass like **** through a tin horn man. And we couldn't stop them. Could not stop them because we couldn't get a look in practice. We didn't practice it right and everybody said the same thing in that game.

Alabama beat Georgia Southern 45-21 in the game Saban is referencing. The Eagles ran 39 times for 302 yards.

Will 9-1 Charleston Southern do the same? No matter if Alabama stops CSU or not, what Saban said Wednesday will live in infamy. If Charleston Southern has success, it may be the funniest quote of the 2015 season.

For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.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!

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