Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: The Football Writers Association of American has stripped USC of the 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy, awarded to the nation's top team since 1954. The title will be left vacant.
Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: The decision of the Football Writers to take the 2004 title from USC but keep it vacant is unique because it demonstrates an utter lack of guts and brains. Clearly, Auburn deserved the title.
Paul Cloos, Mobile Press-Register: Insurance regulators accuse a Tennessee couple of using $2.6 million in ill-gotten gains from a bogus insurance scheme to fund a lavish lifestyle that included a suite and ticket package to Alabama games. The alleged price tag for the Bryant-Denny suite: $138,000. Bart Posey also is alleged to have donated money from the company bank account to Alabama's Tide Pride boosters organization, including a check for $38,000 in February.
Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado's Dan Hawkins, 16-33 in four seasons at Boulder, asked for a contract extension this summer. He has three years left on his current deal.
George Vecsey, New York Times: To enjoy college football, don't think too much.
Natalie Meisler, Denver Post: Brigham Young will likely remain in the Mountain West Conference. Still to be worked out are issues surrounding BYU-TV.
Daniel Lyght, Fresno Bee: Fresno State could be off the hook for a $5 million penalty for leaving the Western Athletic Conference if the league can't salvage its deal to add BYU in the next week.
Kurt Kragthorpe, Salt Lake Tribune: Utah State is taking a hit for trying to help out BYU.
Tony Jones, Salt Lake Tribune: Utah State president Stan Albrecht is defending his actions as criticism mounts.
Dave Reardon, Honolulu Advertiser: There's nothing left in the WAC for Hawaii.
Cami Joner, The Columbian: Former Penn State running back Curt Warner's Chevrolet dealership in Washington state is about to close. Thanks to Lost Lettermen.
University of Maryland: The university has posted online video of the 1950 game between Maryland and Navy. The university is currently working to preserve more than 400 reels of game films, dating from 1946 to 1989, that are facing a relentless enemy — Father Time. Sixty-eight percent of the football film collection is in an advanced state of chemical deterioration.
Associated Press: A northwest Arkansas radio station has hired former Razorbacks running back Michael Smith to replace Renee Gork, the reporter who was fired after she wore a Florida Gators hat to a Bobby Petrino post-scrimmage news conference.
John Walters, FanHouse: Michelle Beadle's star is rising at ESPN. Why? "SportsNation" has the youngest and most male audience of any regular-aired program on the network.
Rick Bozich, Louisville Courier-Journal: The combined record of the 13 teams that Kentucky, Louisville and Indiana will play out of conference this season: 48-107 (Kentucky 13-34; Louisville 26-35, Indiana 9-38).
Detroit News: After a flood of complaints, Michigan has given in and will offer free bottles of water to fans attending the opener against Connecticut.
J.P. Giglio, Raleigh News & Observer: An NCAA investigator asked South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders about his friendship with North Carolina senior defensive tackle Marvin Austin, his online interaction with Austin via the social media site Twitter and a May trip to Washington D.C., according to Saunders' father.
Joesph Person, Columbia State: Some South Carolina players owed the Whitney Hotel several thousand dollars after receiving reduced room rates during extended stays that have come under NCAA scrutiny. Multiple sources said some players had been living at the Whitney since the spring while paying a rate of $450 per month. But officials determined players should have been paying about $1,200 a month, and players were told by school officials to pay the difference to the hotel. Some players owe the hotel close to $5,000.
Greg Barnes, Inside Carolina: North Carolina has uncovered academic fraud involving several players and has self-reported the findings to the NCAA.
Andy Baggot, Wisconsin State Journal: Another piece of the Big Ten divisional structure is in place. Iowa and Wisconsin will be in different divisions. The league will also adopt a nine-game league schedule, but it won't go into effect until 2015, according to Badger athletic director Barry Alvarez.
Dayton Daily News: Ohio State president Gordon Gee supports a plan that would put Ohio State and Michigan in separate divisions of a reorganized Big Ten. He also endorsed a schedule that wouldn’t have the longtime rivals play in the final game of the regular season.
Bill Haisten, Tulsa World: Is Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy on the hot seat? Athletic director Mike Holder says no.
Associated Press: Florida State has asked Bradenton's Southeast High to stop using the nickname "Seminoles" and the university's logos.
Mike DeArmond, Campus Corner: Missouri has suspended starting tailback and team captain Derrick Washington indefinitely.
Sports By Brooks: Urban Meyer's policy of closed practices brings chaos after a player mutiny.
Mike Carmin, Lafayette Courier & Journal: Purdue backup quarterback Caleb TerBush was ruled academically ineligible.
Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers will retire at the end of the school year.
Associated Press: One day after being passed over as New Mexico State’s starting quarterback, Jeff Fleming has decided to transfer.
Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune: Jay Mariotti has been suspended by AOL's FanHouse and will not appear next week on ESPN's "Around the Horn," a move that could last longer.
Don Walker, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marketing officials say a Big East Network could generate $80 million a year in revenue.
Brian Lowry, Fox Sports: The Disney-Time Warner Cable dispute is "a classic game of chicken" over the worth of ESPN. Thanks to the National Sports Journalism Center.
Paul Myerberg, Pre-Snap Read: A look at No. 8 Oregon.
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