Lions ride Matt Prater"s leg to win vs. Vikings

DETROIT — It was the type of kick that always seems to go through the uprights against the Detroit Lions.

Nobody has ever made a field goal from 68 yards in an NFL game, but when Minnesota’s Blair Walsh lined up at that distance on the final play Sunday, there were some nervous folks at Ford Field.

"Stranger things have happened to us," Detroit offensive lineman Rob Sims said. "But maybe this is our time. Maybe things are changing."

Walsh’s kick came up short and wide to the left, and Detroit held on for a 16-14 victory over Minnesota.

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Lions ride Matt Prater"s leg to win vs. Vikings

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

TCU stumbles, but escapes trip to Kansas behind Trevone Boykin

For three quarters, Kansas played like they were Baylor.

In the final quarter however, they reverted to form and looked like Kansas.

TCU survived a trip to Lawrence and tough winter conditions by a nose in a 34-30 win over a Jayhawks team that was thinking upset from the start.

The Horned Frogs looked as though they were going to put on another offensive show when they started the game with an opening drive touchdown on a quick, seven-play drive that took just over two minutes. Kansas responded right away with a 17-play, 76 yard drive for a score that showed they would be no push over on Saturday however.

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TCU stumbles, but escapes trip to Kansas behind Trevone Boykin

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

Ben Roethlisberger set out to construct Steelers into attacking power

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Judy Battista emphasizes the storylines and elements to pay attention to in Week 10, beginning with Large Ben’s recent offensive explosion and continuing below with 10 more items to observe.

Only before training camp started this summer, Ben Roethlisberger spoke up within an offensive assembly. The Pittsburgh Steelers were understood for his or her vaunted defense for such a long time, he started. But, he asked those around him, why can not the Steelers be understood for offense, also?

It hit some in attendance as a curious second in Roethlisberger’s career, the day that — even with two Super Bowl titles already to his name — he began to take a more vocal part together with the offense and started chiseling a fresh identity because of his team.

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Ben Roethlisberger set out to construct Steelers into attacking power

South Carolina"s Mike Davis anticipated to go through "Senior Day"

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Tuesday night he anticipates several juniors, including star tailback Mike Davis, to take part in this season’s "Senior Day."

While a junior participating in a Senior Day event is not always a certain indication that the player is turning professional, it usually is a great index.

"I believe (tailbacks) Mike Davis and Brandon Wilds and, possibly, (offensive tackle) Brandon Shell, I’m not certain, perhaps some of the defensive men," Spurrier told The State newspaper of Columbia after the Gamecocks’ practice Tuesday. & quot;We will have several juniors do the senior walk, and then they’re going to make the choice after whether to go or come back. When they would like to walk twice, that is good, also. We have had several men do that."

South Carolina’s "Senior Day" is Nov. 22, against South Alabama.

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South Carolina"s Mike Davis anticipated to go through "Senior Day"

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

Political advertisement compares Lane Kiffin to state representative

College football at its worst can be a dirty match.

But never quite as filthy as politics.

>> Where’s Alabama in CFB 24/7’s Top 25 Power Rankings?

As Alabama travels to Tennessee this weekend, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is likely to make his first return to the Knoxville, Tenn., campus since unceremoniously bolting the Volunteers’ head coaching job after only one season for the same function at Southern Cal.

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Political advertisement compares Lane Kiffin to state representative

Jameis Winston rallies Florida State past Notre Dame

A masterful second-half performance by Jameis Winston led Florida State to a 31-27 victory Saturday night over Notre Dame and moved the Seminoles a giant step closer to a playoff bid.

» Things you need to know from CFB Week 8

The Seminoles held on for the victory after an Irish TD on fourth down with 13 seconds left was waved off for offensive interference.

The recent distractions for Winston, including a school investigation into whether he received money for autographs, seemed to bother him in the first half. But not in the second, when he torched the Irish secondary.

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Jameis Winston rallies Florida State past Notre Dame

Nick Chubb replaces Todd Gurley with 143 yards

It took about twice the carries that Todd Gurley would normally need, but Georgia freshman running back Nick Chubb led the Bulldogs to a 34-0 rout of Missouri Saturday as the nation’s top running back missed his first game while on indefinite suspension.

Chubb carried 38 times for 143 yards and a touchdown and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo maintained the Bulldogs’ identity as a run-first offense, despite the absence of not only Gurley, but injured running backs Keith Marshall and Sony Michel, as well.

Georgia coach Mark Richt told CBS he asked Chubb before the game how much he carried the ball in high school, and Chubb told him 35 carries. "I told him we might get him that," Richt said.

He did that plus three, and the 5-foot-10, 230-pound power back became more effective as the game wore on.

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Nick Chubb replaces Todd Gurley with 143 yards

Dak Prescott compared to Cam Newton by Auburn coach

Auburn plays at Mississippi State on Saturday in a huge SEC West showdown, and Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said the opposing quarterback conjures memories of a recent Auburn star.

On his weekly "Tiger Talk" radio show Monday night, Malzahn was asked to compare Mississippi State star Dak Prescott to former Auburn Heisman winner Cam Newton, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft and now plays for the Carolina Panthers.

"He’s got some similarities," Malzahn said, as per al.com writer Brandon Marcello "He’s a big, physical guy. A lot of times in short yardage, he’ll find a way to get it."

Malzahn was the offensive coordinator on the 2010 Auburn team quarterbacked by Newton that won the national title.

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Dak Prescott compared to Cam Newton by Auburn coach

Rashad Greene, Karlos Williams could miss Syracuse game

Florida State could be without three offensive starters Saturday when it plays at Syracuse.

Center Austin Barron for sure will miss the game with an arm injury, while tailback Karlos Williams (ankle) and wide receiver Rashad Greene (concussion) could miss the contest.

"If I had to give a percentage, I would say yes (he’ll miss the game)," coach Jimbo Fisher said of Williams at his weekly news conference. "But it’s how guys heal and where they’re at."

Fisher said Greene was having no lingering effects from his concussion, "but he still has to go through a protocol to come back."

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Rashad Greene, Karlos Williams could miss Syracuse game

Bryce Petty has off day as Baylor narrowly moves past Texas

A win is a win for Baylor, but Saturday’s outing at Texas wasn’t pretty.

In Charlie Strong’s first meeting with offensive guru Art Briles, the Longhorns made life difficult for the normally high-flying Bears offense, limiting it to just a single touchdown in three quarters of action as Baylor eked out a 28-7 win in Austin.

Quarterback Bryce Petty, who came into the day with a chance to make a big statement in the Heisman Trophy race, was mediocre at best and looked out of rhythm all afternoon. He found Antwan Goodley with a nice touch pass for a score in the third quarter, but otherwise couldn’t find much consistency in the passing game.

The senior finished the game just 7-of-22 for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

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Bryce Petty has off day as Baylor narrowly moves past Texas

Oregon State assistant Mark Banker upset with USC"s linemen

Two Oregon State defensive tackles suffered knee injuries in last Saturday’s loss to USC, and Beavers defensive coordinator Mark Banker has questioned USC’s blocking techniques.

Starter Jalen Grimble will miss up to a month and backup Noke Tago is out for the season because of injuries they sustained against the Trojans. Banker said both of the injuries occurred on chop blocks that weren’t called; Grimble was injured on USC’s first offensive play of the second half and Tago was lost on USC’s second possession of the half.

"You don’t know if it was done on purpose or not," Banker told The Oregonian, "but I just think the technique was questionable."

Banker said that when Oregon State coaches scouted USC, they didn’t notice a tendency for the Trojans to chop block.

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Oregon State assistant Mark Banker upset with USC"s linemen

Report: Jimbo Fisher no help to Jameis Winston"s stock

Not that Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston wanted any aid in damaging his standing with NFL scouts as a draft prospect, but FSU coach Jimbo Fisher will seemingly be a detriment to Winston’s scouting assessment at the same time.

» Bills QB Manuel mentoring Winston

NFL personnel guys possess a definite memory of Fisher supplying them having a enthusiastic recommendation of former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell when Fisher was the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, and given Russell’s swift ouster in the league, scouts are unlikely to be purchasing what Fisher might be selling regarding Winston, according to Sports Illustrated.

"He told the whole NFL that JaMarcus Russell was an excellent child," a source familiar with the situation told SI. & quot;He was a [expletive] then."

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Report: Jimbo Fisher no help to Jameis Winston"s stock

Jimbo Fisher takes issue with Dave Doeren"s criticisms

It may not be wise to get trainers Jimbo Fisher of Florida State and Dave Doeren of North Carolina State in a room together anytime soon.

Doeren took several shots at FSU in the aftermath of the Seminoles’ 56-41 win over the Wolfpack on Saturday:

1. & quot;There was some incredible keeping by their offensive line that seemingly is invisible."

2. & quot;The rate we’d (in the first quarter) was operating until all of the wild drop-down things were going on as well as the clock kept stopping. You know the refs can not do anything about that, but it is terrible the way the pace gets slowed down by these harms. We went quickly in the first quarter; I estimate there were no imitation injuries."

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Jimbo Fisher takes issue with Dave Doeren"s criticisms

Can not-miss Minutes: Top plays of Week 4 in college football

Saturdays during school football season consistently deliver a bevy of "Can Not-miss Moments." College Football 24/7 is here to make sure you’ve access to all the plays fans will be raving about.

Utah’s Kaelin Clay returns a punt 66 yards for a touchdown against Michigan, and after that hits a Heisman pose for the Big House bunch. Desmond Howard, your ideas?

Quarterback Blake Sims throws a long bomb to jogging back Kenyan Drake for an 87-yard score on Alabama’s first offensive play from scrimmage against Florida.

View this trendy small forgery by Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon as he goes 50 yards for a touchdown.

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Can not-miss Minutes: Top plays of Week 4 in college football

Christian Hackenberg is "going to function as the primary player decided"

Massachusetts coach Mark Whipple is a former NFL assistant — a former NFL quarterback trainer, to be exact — and he’s got a higher view of Penn State sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

Whipple and UMass play at Penn State on Saturday, and he was asked his opinion of Hackenberg during Monday’s MAC coaches’ teleconference.

"He Is likely to function as the primary player decided. If he could come out this year, he had be the first player decided," Whipple said, after adding that Hackenberg "only can make every throw. … He is only got it all."

Whipple was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback coach from 200406, meaning his first three seasons in the NFL coincided with Ben Roethlisberger’s first three seasons in the league. Whipple also has been an offensive assistant with all the Philadelphia Eagles (2008) and Cleveland Browns (2011 12).

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Christian Hackenberg is "going to function as the primary player decided"

Boston College stuns USC behind strong running attack

USC was riding high after last week’s huge upset of Pac 12 competition Stanford.

On Saturday yet, the Trojans came crashing back to reality as they were run over — actually — by Boston College in a vast cross country upset, 37-31.

Eagles quarterback Tyler Murphy was nothing to write home about as a passer — 5-of-13 for 54 yards — but gashed USC in the earth for 191 yards and also a score. Boston College wound up with 452 yards to the floor as the Trojans defense just could not stop them.

Offensive line woes harassed USC much of the night time. The team simply had 20 yards to the earth (on 29 attempts) and went just 5-of-16 on third down. Quarterback Cody Kessler threw four touchdowns and had strong numbers but was harassed all night long by an impressive front seven.

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Boston College stuns USC behind strong running attack