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

2015 first round draft order: Buccaneers now on the clock

Following is the 2015 NFL Draft first round order. The first round will start on Thursday, April 30 with the second and third rounds on Friday, May 1, followed by rounds four through seven on Saturday, May 2. The 2015 draft will be held at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago.

The order below does not include trades; the Cleveland Browns own the Buffalo Bills‘ No. 19 overall selection.

Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter @NFL_CFB.

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2015 first round draft order: Buccaneers now on the clock

National Signing Day: NFL draft history for five-star recruits

National Signing Day is Wednesday, and the hoopla surrounding it makes it seem like Christmas in February for college football fans.

Signing lists will be perused, and there will be crowing about the great players each coaching staff reeled in. There will be especially loud crowing about five-star recruits who signed.

But being a five-star recruit is no sure thing when it comes to college stardom, much less NFL stardom. We went back and looked at each Rivals.com five-star recruit from 2002 (when their rankings started) through the 2011 class.

Here’s what we found:

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National Signing Day: NFL draft history for five-star recruits

Memphis" win over BYU in Miami Beach Bowl marred by brawl

The inaugural Miami Beach Bowl on Monday was memorable. What happened afterward was, too, just not in a good way.

A brawl broke out, complete with sucker punches and swinging helmets, after Memphis beat BYU, 55-48, in two overtimes.

ESPN cameras captured BYU starting safety Kai Nucua throwing a sucker punch at Memphis tight end Alan Cross, who wasn’t wearing a helmet. Nucua, a sophomore, already was bloodied as fights between players had broken out all over the field.

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Memphis" win over BYU in Miami Beach Bowl marred by brawl

Who can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17?

As the regular season wanes, each week brings with it a fresh opportunity for some teams to clinch playoff spots. Check out every possible scenario for each conference below, and predict the playoffs here:

CLINCHED: Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks

ELIMINATED: New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles

The Cowboys clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with: a win plus a Cardinals loss or tie and a Lions-Packers tie.

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Who can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17?

Former NFL exec looks forward to reunion at Super Bowl

TEMPE, Ariz. — The last time the Super Bowl was in Arizona, Ray Anderson was the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL.

Seven years later, the Super Bowl is heading to Arizona but Anderson won’t have to make the long haul again from NFL headquarters in New York.

Anderson is in his first year as Vice President for University Athletics and Athletic Director at Arizona State University and is relishing the reunion in his new backyard.

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Former NFL exec looks forward to reunion at Super Bowl

Bowl viewer"s guide: Previewing Saturday"s slate of CFB action

College bowl season officially kicks off Saturday, and College Football 24/7 is providing a daily glimpse at the best players in each game and predictions from writers Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Bryan Fischer, Chase Goodbread and Mike Huguenin.

Site: New Orleans
Date: Dec. 20
Time/TV: 11 a.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) vs. Nevada (7-5)
NFL teams attending: Buffalo Bills
Top players to watch: Nevada (QB Cody Fajardo, DE Brock Hekking, WR Hasaan Henderson, DE/LB Ian Seau); Louisiana-Lafayette (RB Alonzo Harris, WR Jamal Robinson).
Why NFL fans should tune in: Why not get your bowl season started out right with an intriguing matchup between an up-and-down Wolf Pack team taking on one of the most impressive Sun Belt teams over the years in ULL? Fajardo has put up comparable numbers to Colin Kaepernick during his time in Reno and is among the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. The team’s pistol offense gets a lot of the press, but it’s the defense you’ll really want to keep an eye out for with Ian Seau (Junior’s nephew) and wild man Brock Hekking, who might have the best hair in college football and is an equally fearsome pass rusher. As for the Ragin Cajuns, they feature a number of playmakers on the offensive side that could wind up being late Day Three selections.
Game predictions:
Brandt: UL-Lafayette, 24-21
Brooks: UL-Lafayette, 33-30
Jeremiah: Nevada, 28-24
Fischer: UL-Lafayette, 33-23
Goodbread: Nevada, 30-21
Huguenin: UL-Lafayette, 27-24

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Bowl viewer"s guide: Previewing Saturday"s slate of CFB action

Like/Dislike: Worst week ever for Jay Cutler

One last chance to do it

Dude, too little, too late

Who will he face at ‘Mania?

Adam Rank is disappointed that he won’t get to see Lizzy Caplan shine in a starring role in "The Interview" on account of current events. Sort of the same way that Alshon Jeffery might not shine with Jimmy Clausen under center in Chicago. But he thinks both Caplan and Jeffery will have the chance to rebound.

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Like/Dislike: Worst week ever for Jay Cutler

Aaron Rodgers "baffled" by Kromer"s Jay Cutler comments

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler are rivals on the field, but they are also friends who happen to be members of a relatively small fraternity. And as a franchise quarterback who credits a supportive and open environment for helping him thrive with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers was appalled by what Cutler, his beleaguered Chicago Bears counterpart, had to endure last week.

Reacting to reports that Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer admitted last Monday to his players that he’d been an anonymous source in a report by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport in which Cutler’s game-management skills were criticized, Rodgers strongly denounced Kromer’s behavior, saying he was "baffled" by the situation.

"I would have a major problem if somebody said something like that," Rodgers said Tuesday during an interview at Lambeau Field. "I think anybody that plays the position, you can’t help but empathize with Jay for that situation. You talk all the time about being connected, being a unit, believing in each other. But if you have unnamed sources, people out there cutting you down, and then you find out it’s the person calling the plays — that would be really hard to deal with, to look at him the same way."

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Aaron Rodgers "baffled" by Kromer"s Jay Cutler comments

Arizona Cardinals can beat Seattle Seahawks with elite defense

The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks are out to prove that stellar defense can win championships in today’s NFL. While the ‘Hawks are aiming for their second Lombardi Trophy in as many seasons, the Cards are poised to make a deep postseason run despite a spate of injuries at the quarterback position (and elsewhere).

Arizona can actually clinch the NFC West — and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs — with a win in front of the home crowd on Sunday night. Of course, the naysayers doubt the Cardinals can beat the Seahawks with third-string QB Ryan Lindley under center. Seattle did beat Arizona 19-3 last month in the madhouse that is CenturyLink Field. But with the game shifting to University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Cardinals are a perfect 7-0, I believe Bruce Arians‘ squad can win behind a monster defensive effort.

After watching the All-22 Coaches Film of the Week 12 battle, I’ve come up with a game plan. Here’s how Arizona needs to approach Seattle in order to pull off the victory:

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Arizona Cardinals can beat Seattle Seahawks with elite defense

Cardinals, Colts, Lions among least convincing winning teams

Fifteen weeks into the 2014 NFL campaign, eight teams boast double-digit win totals:

» Arizona Cardinals (11-3)
» Denver Broncos (11-3)
» New England Patriots (11-3)
» Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
» Detroit Lions (10-4)
» Green Bay Packers (10-4)
» Indianapolis Colts (10-4)
» Seattle Seahawks (10-4)

But of course, not all double-digit winners are created equal. Which is the least-convincing team with 10-plus wins?

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Cardinals, Colts, Lions among least convincing winning teams

Road win over Eagles puts Cowboys into NFC East driver"s seat

This is the backstory to one of the great moments of Week 15, the Dallas Cowboys‘ refusal to crumble on the road in a pivotal NFC East showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys‘ rebound after blowing a 21-point lead, as well as the Arizona Cardinals clinching a playoff spot with a win over the St. Louis Rams despite numerous key injuries and the Buffalo Bills‘ upset of the Green Bay Packers are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Moments of Week 15.

Tony Romo

Just two weeks ago, the Cowboys suffered a humiliating 33-10 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in front of a turkey-stuffed national-television audience on Thanksgiving Day. Facing the daunting task of collecting an essential road win against the Eagles, the Cowboys stormed out to a 21-0 lead, allowed 24 unaswered points, managed to recapture momentum for a 38-27 win. That was huge, pushing the Cowboys from "In the hunt" status in the NFC playoff picture to in the driver’s seat for the NFC East title and a potential candidate to attain home-field advantage in the playoffs.

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Road win over Eagles puts Cowboys into NFC East driver"s seat

Which teams can clinch a playoff spot during Week 16?

As the regular season wanes, each week brings with it a fresh opportunity for some teams to clinch playoff spots. Check out every possible scenario for each conference below, and predict the playoffs here:

CLINCHED: Arizona Cardinals

ELIMINATED: New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers 

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Which teams can clinch a playoff spot during Week 16?

Will Muschamp hired as Auburn"s defensive coordinator

Will Muschamp, who was fired as Florida’s coach last month, will remain in the SEC as Auburn’s new defensive coordinator.

"He’s one of the best in the business, if not the best in the business," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said of Muschamp at Saturday’s introductory news conference.

Muschamp’s last official day at Florida was Nov. 29, when he coached the Gators in their loss to Florida State, which means he spent less than two weeks out of work. Numerous reports indicate his salary will be $1.6 million, meaning he will be the highest-paid assistant in college football. He reportedly also was a candidate for the Houston head-coaching job.

"We’ve been pretty good where we’ve been, but we’ve also had a bunch of good players," Muschamp said Saturday of the defenses he has coordinated.

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Will Muschamp hired as Auburn"s defensive coordinator

Will Muschamp hired as Auburn"s new defensive coordinator

Will Muschamp, who was fired as Florida’s coach last month, will remain in the SEC as Auburn’s new defensive coordinator.

BOOM! Welcome back @CoachWMuschamp to the Auburn Family! #WarEagle

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Will Muschamp hired as Auburn"s new defensive coordinator

Brandt: Duke"s David Cutcliffe says "no" to Michigan

Michigan is seeking for a fresh trainer after firing Brady Hoke last week, also it seems Wolverines officials already have missed on a single nominee.

Was told tonight #Michigan officials offered David Cutcliffe their job but the #Duke trainer turned it down. Times sure have changed.

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Brandt: Duke"s David Cutcliffe says "no" to Michigan

Seahawks, Cardinals among roughest teams to confront at home

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Fourteen weeks in the 2014 NFL effort, four teams remain perfect at home:

» New England Patriots (6-0) » Denver Broncos (7-0) » Arizona Cardinals (7-0) » Green Bay Packers (7-0)

Hey, whaddya know: Those just so happen to be the top two seeds for every conference in the upgraded playoff image. One team that’s not on this list: the tremendously unsatisfactory New Orleans Saints, who have inexplicably dropped four in a row in the Superdome, which had been a house of horrors for competitors prior to the season.

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Seahawks, Cardinals among roughest teams to confront at home

Houston fires head coach Tony Levine after only three seasons

Houston trainer Tony Levine was fired Monday after three seasons in the institution, including two that featured winning records.

Levine was hired following the 2011 season, when Kevin Sumlin left to coach Texas A&M. Levine had been the Cougars’ receivers coach. Houston was 21-17 in three seasons under Levine, including 7-5 this season and 8-5 last season; the Cougars were 5-7 in 2012.

The Cougars will meet Pittsburgh in the Jan. 2 Armed Forces Bowl with defensive coordinator David Gibbs — the son of longtime NFL offensive line coach Alex Gibbs — as the interim coach.

Houston becomes the 12th FBS school which is going to have coaching change this year.

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Houston fires head coach Tony Levine after only three seasons

Lane Kiffin early again, and right again, with touchdown call

ATLANTA — Only weekly after Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin observed a touchdown pass to star receiver Amari Cooper before the pass was even thrown, the mastermind of the Crimson Tide’s record-setting offense was at it again.

But this time, his assurance was just as high in Alabama’s No. 2 receiver, DeAndrew White.

Seemingly enjoying the coverage he saw in the catch of the ball yet again, Kiffin lifted his arms only before this 58-yard touchdown pass from Blake Sims to White (see Kiffin, bottom right):

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Lane Kiffin early again, and right again, with touchdown call

Scout compares Baylor"s Bryce Petty to Matt Flynn, Drew Stanton

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Getting past Kansas State and possibly into the College Football Playoff is the immediate challenge for Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. But another challenge — getting past the stereotype the Bears’ shotgun offense has not prepared him well for the NFL — could be even more demanding.

"He puts up monster numbers in a offense that does not have a history of creating successful pro style quarterbacks," an AFC place scout told NFL Media’s Albert Breer. & quot;He Is a bright, high character player. Respectable sportsman, having a powerful lower body, but I personally do not see him as a top prospect."

That scout compared Petty to the Green Bay Packers’ Matt Flynn as well as the Arizona Cardinals’ Drew Stanton — not just household names.

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Scout compares Baylor"s Bryce Petty to Matt Flynn, Drew Stanton