Reporters Notebooks

Paul Gattis, Huntsville Times: The nonconference schedules of Southeastern Conference teams are an absolute joke. Ten of the 12 teams scheduled at least one Division I-AA opponent and Mississippi scheduled two. Of the 48 nonconference games, only six are against teams ranked in the coaches top 25 preseason poll, and three of those six are against Georgia Tech.

David Paschall, Chattanooga Times Free Press: Last season, 54.2% of games involving SEC teams (52 of 96) had morning or afternoon kickoffs. This season, only 39.6% (38 of 96) are projected as daytime starts.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Conflicting reports on how much money Jake Locker received for signing with the Angels. The L.A. Times reports that Locker received a bonus of about $300,000. Baseball America reports Locker received $150,000.

Jeremy Fowler, Orlando Sentinel: Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes says the Oklahoma Sooners are dirtier than SEC teams. "Compared to Oklahoma, you won't find anyone [as dirty],"  he said. Plus, Tim Tebow lets his guard down and explains what it's like to be ... Tim Tebow!

Randy Beard, Evansville Courier & Press: Is Ron Zook on the hot seat? Entering his fifth season at Illinois, he has an 18-30 record. Half of his wins came during one magical 9-4 season in 2007. But last season's 5-7 record has ratcheted up the pressure on Zook. Thanks to Ben Maller

Brandon Chatmon, Oklahoman: T. Boone Pickens lifted weights and did some cardio in the new strength and conditioning center of the Oklahoma State stadium that bears his name.

Jon Wilner, College Sports Hotline: The five toughest schedules among Bowl Championship Series teams.

Vince Grippi, Spokesman-Review: Sophomore quarterback J.T. Levenseller has left the Washington State team, telling coaches he intends to transfer.

Scott Nulph, Stillwater News-Press: Oklahoma State's season could ride on the health of quarterback Zac Robinson, who has been bothered by a leg injury during fall camp.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida junior running back Mike Ford has been suspended for the first two games because he violated team rules.

Columbia State: Kyle Parker was named Clemson's starting quarterback.

Conference USA: The league, which discontinued publishing print media guides, has unveiled an interactive media guide complete with videos on each team.

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami defensive end Adewale Ojomo could miss the opener against Florida State after injuring himself "horsing around" in the locker room Sunday night.

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin seniors Shane Carter and Aubrey Pleasant intend to fight their indefinite suspensions, which were announced Saturday by coach Bret Bielema.

Sports By Brooks: New Mexico coach Mike Locksley is facing a civil lawsuit after he allegedly fired an administrative assistant because she was not a "young gal" who could entice recruits.

Paul Buker, Oregonian: Oregon State receiver Darrell Catchings suffered a hand injury and will be sidelined for about a month.

Centre Daily Times: Penn State linebacker Michael Mauti will miss the season after injuring a knee in practice.

Northwest Arkansas Times: Arkansas cornerback Isaac Madison suffered a tear of the ACL in his left knee and will miss the season.

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Comments

[Rob H]

Paul Gattis: Who are Mississippi State's two I-AA games?

[Coach]

In order to get out from under the opinion that a team has played too soft a schedule (and opinions count a lot, as it is opinion that plays the key part of the BCS ranking that determines the Championship game participants), in order to get out from under such an opinion, a team should maybe schedule a really big non-conference tilt, maybe even two, against a top ten caliber program if they can, along the lines of facing a team like Florida or Georgia or LSU or Alabama...

Every single SEC team already has at least two of those four teams scheduled (plus Ole Miss and/or Tennessee too), and so therefore no SEC team can be accused of playing too soft a schedule.

It doesn't get much simpler than that.

[Coach]

I don't think the injury to Oregon State receiver Darrell Catchings should have too much effect on OSU's offense...

But if they should lose their QB, Thyme Passings, to injury...

Or their tailback, Brooks Runnings...

If Passings and Runnings should also be sidelined along with Catchings, I don't know what the heck the OSU offense will do...

They'd probably have to give the ball a lot to Puntings.

[Goberry]

The first comment is nothing but circular logic. The SEC is ranked highly (I'm not arguing that they shouldn't be.) However, they don't play ANYBODY other then themselves. If they were a bad conference, the claim that "we're the best, so we shouldn't play anyone else" couldn't be debunked until they actually play decent non conference teams.
In the meanwhile, we'll just have to use the Utah/Alabama games to infer that the SEC may not, in fact, be as superior as its fans believe.

[Adam]

I believe that Brandon Spikes plays for Florida, not Oklahoma. Could be wrong :-}

[The Wiz]

Nice catch on that one, Adam. It has been corrected.