Blank comments on investigation of fake crowd noise in Atlanta

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday he has seen enough of the NFL’s investigation of fake crowd noise at Atlanta’s home games to acknowledge wrongdoing.

The NFL is trying to determine if the Falcons pumped artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome for home games the last two years. Apparently, the answer is yes.

Blank had a quick response when asked if there was a fine line for crowd noise not allowed by the league.

"It’s not really a fine line," Blank told The Associated Press. "I think what we’ve done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong. Anything that affects the competitive balance and fairness on the field, we’re opposed to, as a league, as a club and as an owner. It’s obviously embarrassing but beyond embarrassing it doesn’t represent our culture and what we’re about."

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Blank comments on investigation of fake crowd noise in Atlanta

Watch Saturday's games on NFL Network and NFL Mobile

For the first time this season we’ll have a slate of Saturday games. Fortunately, both will be televised nationally on NFL Network. But if you’re not by your TV, you can still catch the games.

Verizon customers on The MORE Everything plan or with a Premium Subscription have access to both games via the NFL Mobile app.

The Philadelphia Eagles takes on the Washington Redskins at 4:30 p.m. ET and the San Diego Chargers faces the San Francisco 49ers at 8:25 p.m. ET in a game that carries playoff implications. 

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Watch Saturday"s games on NFL Network and NFL Mobile

2014 college football bowl game predictions

CFB 24/7 experts Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Bryan Fischer, Chase Goodbread and Mike Huguenin have provided their predictions for all 38 major college football bowl games.

Season records entering bowl season:
Brooks: 104-46
Huguenin: 104-46
Goodbread: 102-48
Jeremiah: 101-49
Fischer: 100-50
Brandt: 98-52

» For more, go to NFL.com/CFB 24/7

Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter @NFL_CFB.

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2014 college football bowl game predictions

Pitt's James Conner, Miami's Duke Johnson establish school records

The match itself did not mean all that much — though Pitt did become bowl-eligible by defeating Miami 35-23 — but running backs for each team set remarkable school records.

Pitt sophomore James Conner ran for 2 touchdowns, giving him 24 for the season. The record of 22 have been held by Tony Dorsett, when he was a senior as well as the Heisman winner in 1976. Additionally, Conner raised his ACC single-season touchdown record.

Conner also rushed for 75 yards, giving him 1,675 for the season, which leads the ACC.

Meanwhile, Miami junior Duke Johnson ran for 89 yards, pushing his season total to 1,520 and his career total to a school-record 3,387 yards. The previous record holder was Ottis Anderson, who totaled 3,331 from 1975 78. Johnson has rushed for at least 88 yards in every single match this season and has had six 100-yard games.

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Pitt"s James Conner, Miami"s Duke Johnson establish school records

Winners and losers from Week 14 college football matches

Week 14 of the college football season brought us emphasizes galore as well as several surprises that nobody could have called earlier in 2013. While we understand who won and who lost the matches in the box scores, who actually came out of Saturday competent to hold their heads high?

TCU: Saturday could not have been scripted considerably better for the Horned Frogs, who found Mississippi State go down in front of the box and Ohio State lose their starting quarterback. Combination in Baylor fighting against lowly Texas Tech and TCU is in far better standing to reach the College Football Playoff.

Memphis: The Tigers won seven matches united in 2012 and 2013 but continued their extraordinary turn around under trainer Justin Fuente with their ninth victory of the season on Saturday over UConn. That gave the team a share of the AAC tournament and made the boxscores coach an even hotter commodity this offseason.

Georgia Tech: It was not pretty but the Yellow Jackets stormed back to defeat their instate competition in wild way and send themselves into the ACC Championship Game next week on a high.

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Winners and losers from Week 14 college football matches

Scouting the scouts: Six clubs credentialed for Notre Dame-USC

Which school games will NFL teams send scouts to Saturday? College Football 24/7 brings you a glance at the teams that are credentialed to attend a few of the most important matches in college football. NFL Media analyst and former NFL scout Bucky Brooks adds comment for every match. Which positions might your NFL team be scouting? NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt supplies his main draft needs for every team.

Scouting the scouts: Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 | Oct. 18 | Oct. 25 | Oct. 31 | Nov. 7 | Nov. 14 | Nov. 21

Notre Dame at USC

Club attending: Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks.

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Scouting the scouts: Six clubs credentialed for Notre Dame-USC

Mississippi State"s Justin Cox arrested, suspended indefinitely

Mississippi State defensive back Justin Cox has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest on suspicion of burglary of a dwelling and aggravated domestic violence.

The off-campus incident occurred early Friday morning at an apartment complex, where Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department officers responded to a call at about 3 a.m. and discovered a female victim with a head injury, according to the Starkville Daily News. Cox was arrested at the scene and booked into the Oktibbeha County Jail, per the report.

Cox, a junior college transfer in his second year at MSU, has appeared in nine games this season, making 21 tackles, an interception and four pass breakups. It remains unclear who might fill in for Cox when the Bulldogs host Vanderbilt on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

Mississippi State remains in contention for an SEC title and a College Football Playoff berth. The Bulldogs must beat Vanderbilt and rival Ole Miss next week, plus get help in the form of an Auburn win over Alabama, to reach the SEC Championship Game. MSU is currently ranked No. 4 in the CFP rankings.

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Mississippi State"s Justin Cox arrested, suspended indefinitely

Star prospect Hroniss Grasu expected to miss couple of games

Oregon finds itself in an enviable spot, entering a bye week as the No. 2-ranked team by the College Football Playoff selection committee.

That doesn’t mean all is well in Eugene, though.

Offensive line woes have been one of the few things hampering the Ducks this season, and those issues will apparently stretch out even longer, as starting guard Hamani Stevens said star center Hroniss Grasu is expected to miss the next couple games after suffering an injury against Utah last week.

» Sources Tell Us: Scout compares Grasu to Pro Bowl center

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Star prospect Hroniss Grasu expected to miss couple of games

Top Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning games

Following a 43-21 rout of the Denver Broncos in Week 9 of the 2014 season, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady owns an 11-5 edge in his matchups against Peyton Manning. Both passers will one day be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the two have also had a number of memorable showdowns. Here are the finest of those games:

For more great NFL video, NFL NOW is here. Follow your favorite players and teams around the clock with video personalized to you on all of your devices. Start using it now!

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Top Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning games

Ohio State"s Joey Bosa raises season sack total to 10

Ohio State sophomore defensive end Joey Bosa recorded two sacks Saturday to get to be the very first Big Ten player this season with 10 sacks as the Buckeyes tuned up for next week’s showdown with Michigan State by hammering Illinois, 55-14.

Ohio State’s single-season sack record is 14, by Vernon Gholston in 2007.

Bosa (6-foot-5, 278 pounds) had sacks in the first and third quarters and now has 18.5 in his 22-game school career. He’s 6.5 sacks in the previous three matches, and his one on one matchup with Michigan State left tackle Jack Conklin next week will be possibly the most interesting individual challenge of the match.

Illinois came in having permitted a league-high 25 sacks. Michigan State has allowed a league-low five.

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Ohio State"s Joey Bosa raises season sack total to 10

Ohio State"s J.T. Barrett glow in thriller vs. Penn State

Redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett had a huge overtime and sophomore defensive end Joey Bosa had a big game to lead Ohio State past Penn State, 31-24, in double overtime Saturday night and stay in the playoff hunt.

» Winners and losers from Week 9 in CFB

Barrett scored both of Ohio State’s overtime touchdowns and also threw a TD pass for the Buckeyes, who led 17-0 at halftime. Bosa wreaked havoc all night and had 2.5 sacks, including one that stopped the match in the second overtime.

While Ohio State (6-1) dominated the first half, the Buckeyes’ offense bogged down in the 2nd half. Penn State, which scored its first TD on a pick-six, forced overtime using a 31-yard field goal with nine seconds left. But Barrett took over in overtime.

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Ohio State"s J.T. Barrett glow in thriller vs. Penn State

Eleven things you should learn from Week 9 in college football

proceed and mark Ameer Abdullah down as the largest non-quarterback risk to win the Heisman Trophy.

only at that point, the Nebraska running back has to move ahead of Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, Alabama’s Amari Cooper, and anyone else who does not throw the ball in his play for the top individual honor in college football. On Saturday, Rutgers’ defense was more of a witness than the usual opposition to Abdullah’s latest exploits, enabling the Cornhuskers senior 225 yards and three touchdowns in the floor as well as a school-record 341 all-purpose yards as Nebraska improved to 7-1, 42-24.

» Can Not-miss Minutes: Top plays of Week 9 in CFB

With five games remaining, including a bowl, a 2,000-yard season is not out of reach for Abdullah.

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Eleven things you should learn from Week 9 in college football

Five things you should learn from Week 9 in college football

proceed and mark Ameer Abdullah down as the largest non-quarterback risk to win the Heisman Trophy.

only at that point, the Nebraska running back has to move ahead of Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, Alabama’s Amari Cooper, and anyone else who does not throw the ball in his play for the top individual honor in college football. On Saturday, Rutgers’ defense was more of a witness than the usual opposition to Abdullah’s latest exploits, enabling the Cornhuskers senior 225 yards and three touchdowns in the floor as well as a school-record 341 all-purpose yards as Nebraska improved to 7-1.

» Can Not-miss Minutes: Top plays of Week 9 in CFB

With five games remaining, including a bowl, a 2,000-yard season is not out of reach for Abdullah.

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Five things you should learn from Week 9 in college football

Arkansas pulls off lineman-to-long snapper TD pass

Arkansas pulled off the kind of craziness normally allowed for backyard football matches among the bros.

Arkansas’ 350-pound offensive guard Sebastian Tretola lined up at quarterback in a unbalanced line shotgun configuration and completed a six-yard TD pass to Alan D’Appollonio. D’Appollonio, it needs to be said, is the Razorbacks’ long snapper. The effect is an offensive lineman-to-long snapper, fat-man-throws-TD, once in a lifetime occasion.

In the 2nd quarter of its own match against Alabama-Birmingham, Arkansas confronted a fourth-and-goal in the UAB 6-yard line. That is when the Razorbacks dialed up the magic.

Now, have a look at the insanity from a different perspective.

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Arkansas pulls off lineman-to-long snapper TD pass

West Virginia"s Kevin White drawing NFL comparisons

The senior who might function as the country’s greatest wide receiver is going from the Big 12’s worst pass defense this Saturday. That may cause a significant day for West Virginia’s Kevin White, who continues to be compared to both Steve Smith and Larry Fitzgerald.

White (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) leads the country in receptions (69) and receiving yards (1,020) and has seven TD grabs. He and WVU play at Oklahoma State on Saturday, as well as the Cowboys are conceding 288.4 passing yards per game.

Analyzing West Virginia WR Kevin White and I Have already had about 5 wow minutes in 2 matches. Quite unique gift.

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West Virginia"s Kevin White drawing NFL comparisons

One Preview: Two of game"s greatest QBs square off in primetime

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One trusted preview. One crucial variable to decide the match. It is that straightforward.

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC) — All indications point to an offensive shootout Sunday night in the Superdome.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is on an impressive three-match run. In four straight matches, Rodgers has thrown for three or more touchdowns and not been intercepted (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the only other quarterbacks in NFL history to complete that). If Rodgers continues that run through Sunday night, he’ll function as the primary quarterback in NFL history to do this. Additionally, Rodgers is the sole player in NFL history with at least 18 touchdown passes and one or no interceptions through his team’s first seven games of a season.

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One Preview: Two of game"s greatest QBs square off in primetime

Seahawks or 49ers: Who"s prone to miss the NFL playoffs?

nfl.use(“nfl-video”, function (Y) (!supportsFlashVideo && !supportsHTML5)), srcId = “v0ap3000000414969″, srcNodeId = “#”+srcId, srcNode = Y.one(srcNodeId), width = Number(“615″), height = Number(“346″), vp, w, rsH, orH, updateSize; if(requireSizeAdjustment) updateSize = function() w = srcNode.get(‘offsetWidth’); vp.get(“boundingBox”).setStyles( width: w + ‘px’, height: Math.round(w*(9/16)) + ‘px’ ); ; width = srcNode.get(‘offsetWidth’); height = Math.round(width*(9/16)); rsH = Y.on(“resize”, updateSize, window); orH = Y.on(“orientationchange”, updateSize, window); nfl.videoplayers = nfl.videoplayers );

The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks faced off in a epic NFC Championship Game last January, with the ‘Hawks reigning supreme and carrying on to demolish the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Naturally, both NFC West powers entered this season with great expectations. Seven weeks in, though, things are not going as intended for either squad. The Seahawks only lost their second straight match (to lowly St. Louis, no less), dropping the defending champs to 3-3. Meanwhile, San Francisco was blown off the field in Denver, leaving the 4-3 49ers 1.5 matches off the Arizona Cardinals’ first place tempo. In case the season ended today, neither the ‘Hawks nor the Niners would make the postseason. This begs a simple question …

Which purported NFC West juggernaut is prone to miss the playoffs: Seattle or San Francisco?

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Seahawks or 49ers: Who"s prone to miss the NFL playoffs?

Ray Rice"s appeal hearing on suspension set for Nov. 5-6

Ray Rice may have his appeal on his indefinite suspension heard in just over a couple of weeks.

NFL Media’s Albert Breer reported Tuesday that the former Baltimore Ravens running back’s hearing is set for Nov. 5 and 6, according to a union source.

Rice was initially suspended two games to get a domestic violence incident involving his then-fiancee at an Atlantic City casino in February. The suspension became indefinite in September after TMZ posted a video that revealed Rice eye-catching Janay Rice in a Revel Casino lift, causing her to hit her head on a railing and get rid of consciousness.

Prior to the release of the TMZ footage, the NFL announced far-reaching developments to the league’s Individual Actions Policy. In a letter to league owners, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized for his first choice in the Rice case.

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Ray Rice"s appeal hearing on suspension set for Nov. 5-6

Notre Dame"s Everett Golson throws for 300 yards, 3 TDs

Notre Dame’s Everett Golson threw for 300 yards for the second time in three weeks to lead the Irish to a wild 50-43 win over North Carolina.

The win sets up a gigantic game for the Irish next week at Florida State.

Golson was 21-of-38 and threw three TD passes as the Irish hit the 50-point mark for the first time since the 2012 opener (50-10 over Navy). It was his third career 300-yard outing, and he also ran for 71 yards. Golson has attempted at least 34 passes in each of the past five games and at least 38 in four consecutive games.

» What you need to know from Week 7 in CFB

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Notre Dame"s Everett Golson throws for 300 yards, 3 TDs

Oklahoma holds on to beat Texas in Red River Rivalry

It wasn’t pretty, but Bob Stoops walked out of the Cotton Bowl a winner once again on Saturday.

Oklahoma’s offense was slowed to a halt most of the day by a feisty Texas defense, but, thanks to a few special-teams plays, the Sooners held on 31-26.

» 14 for ’14: Red River Shootout among top college rivalries

Quarterback Trevor Knight was largely ineffective most of the game, throwing for just 129 yards and a touchdown while the team failed to convert a third down until its final drive of the fourth quarter. Tailback Samaje Perine was held in check as well, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry after the true freshman had been running over the competition in Oklahoma’s previous games.

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Oklahoma holds on to beat Texas in Red River Rivalry