Sean Keeler, Des Moines Register: Gene Chizik left Iowa State a better place because, well, he left.
Emily Price, KCCI-TV: Alex Giffords, Iowa State's kicker from 1979-82, is the brother of Arizona representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was among the victims of the horrific shooting Saturday in Tucson.
Pete Thamel, New York Times: Auburn has the top-ranked team, but the university's football team has tumbled in the NCAA's most important academic measurement to No. 85. Plus, Auburn booster Bobby Lowder isn't sharing in the Tigers' moment on the big stage.
Roy L. Williams, Birmingham News: With a winter storm moving in, some hotels near the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport have seen a surge of bookings for Sunday night from Auburn fans wanting to make sure they can make it to Monday flights to the Bowl Championship Series title game.
Charles Goldberg, Birmingham News: Auburn has canceled plans to show the BCS title game in the new Auburn Arena because of expected hazardous weather conditions Monday.
Renee Busby, Mobile Press-Register: Auburn has also canceled classes on Monday. The reason? Officials say it's because of the weather and not the BCS title game.
Jon Solomon, Birmingham News: Under Armour vs. Nike. It's the game behind the game. Plus, meet the bowl guys — two friends on a mission to attend every bowl game.
Tim Gayle, Montgomery Advertiser: Cam Newton is a relative unknown in his hometown of College Park, Ga.
Jack Carey, Campus Rivalry: Chizik will make it a point tell game officials that his defense must be given enough time to make substitutions if the Oregon offense has run subs out first. Chip Kelly says its not a problem "because we don't sub."
Allan Brettman, Oregonian: Don't let Portland become another Phoenix.
Sports by Brooks: Did Nick Saban commit a recruiting violation with a visit to an Oklahoma high school?
Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Economics, not emotion, will drive the payday for Michigan's next coach.
Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press: The sense among San Diego State fans is that Brady Hoke is leaving before he even gets really started.
Elliott Almond, San Jose Mercury News: Stanford's coaching search might include Boise State's Chris Petersen.
Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman: Petersen is the one coach Boise State can't afford to lose.
Jon WIlner, San Jose Mercury News: Jim Harbaugh's departure from Stanford is a blow, not a knockout.
Jerry Green, Detroit News: The credibility of Kirk Herbstreit and ESPN has taken a hit on the Harbaugh story.
Hannah Wolfson, Birmingham News: An Auburn professor writes a children's book telling how "War Eagle" originated.
Darren Everson, Wall Street Journal: A proposed bill in the Arkansas legislature is seeking to crack down on agents who provide illegal benefits to college athletes in the state, upgrading the offense to a felony, quintupling the fine to $250,000 and expanding the definition of "agent" to anyone who's trying to get money to or off of an athlete.
Dallas Morning News: The Cotton Bowl drew an overnight rating of 5.8, up from last year's 4.5. It was the most-watched Friday night program on Fox in more than a year.
Miami Herald: After one year on the job, Florida State has given Jimbo Fisher a raise to $2.75 million annually, up from $1.9 million. That makes him the highest-paid coach in the state and second only to Wake Forest's Jim Grobe in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Randy Hollis, Deseret News: The Mountain West Conference has the best winning percentage of any conference in the bowl season.
Tom Brew, Indianapolis Star: The Big Ten's New Year's Day debacle is no barometer for its overall quality.
Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press: The Big Ten's ethical claims are as flimsy as its bowl performances.
Loren Tate, Champaign News-Gazette: Is Illinois' Ron Zook deserving of a contract extension?
Alan Schwarz, New York Times: A Virginia Tech engineer is working on an online database of the protective qualities of every model of helmet.
Adam Himmelsbach, New York Times: A group will announce Monday the creation of the College Football Assistance Fund, a nonprofit foundation that will aid players who have sustained serious injuries.
Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, who suffered a broken left clavicle, which required surgery, a fractured eye socket and rib injuries in a September automobile accident, hopes to start working out again next week.
Tyler Mayforth, San Marcos Record: Wiz reader Dennis Franchione is back in the game. He has been named coach at Texas State. Franchione has a five-year contract with a base salary of $350,000.
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