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  • TCU knew of Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing prior to CFP meeting, used ‘dummy signals’ in game, per reports

    TCU knew of Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing prior to CFP meeting, used ‘dummy signals’ in game, per reports

    Getty Images

    TCU reportedly had knowledge of Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing scheme when the two teams met in the 2022 College Football Playoff semifinal, Yahoo Sports reports. According to the report, the Horned Frogs staff used “dummy signals” in the team’s stunning 51-45 upset win over the Wolverines after they were tipped off to suspicious activity from the Michigan coaching staff.  

    An anonymous TCU coach told Yahoo Sports that Sonny Dykes’ staff used outdated play-call signals at various points in the game. TCU players were instructed to ignore the signals and run the plays as originally called. The Horned Frogs, who entered the contest as roughly a touchdown underdog, never trailed in the game. They built a 21-3 lead in the first half before ultimately hanging on for a six-point victory and advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship against Georgia. 

    “Sometimes we froze a play before the snap,” the coach told Yahoo! Sports. “We’d call a play and then we’d signal in another play with an old signal but we told players to run the original play.”

    Suspended Wolverines analyst Connor Stalions allegedly spearheaded an operation that saw more than 30 tickets bought over a three-year period with the purpose of filming and decoding play-call signals. Included were games to a dozen Big Ten venues and four games involving non-Big Ten CFP contenders that Michigan suspected it might face. While sign-stealing itself is not a NCAA violation, in-person scouting and recording of opponents…

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  • ‘Wish I could take it back’

    ‘Wish I could take it back’

    San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks addressed a ‘MNF’ call as he prepares to take on the Bengals. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

    San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks fielded questions about his Week 8 game plan on Thursday. But first, he chose to address a call that stood out in the team’s 22-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on “Monday Night Football.”

    The 54-year-old called an all-out blitz with Minnesota facing a third-and-6 at its 40 with no timeouts left late in the second half. It backfired as Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins found receiver Jordan Addison for a 60-yard touchdown to gain a 16-7 lead.

    Wilks expressed regret in his opening statement Thursday, saying that he would’ve addressed it sooner but wanted to move on immediately after the game.

    “I take full responsibility for that call,” he said. “I have to do a better job in putting the guys in a better position. We have good players. I know that and can’t really press the issue and with that moving forward, it’s my responsibility to do that. So I wish I could take it back, but again, I’ve got to do better.”

    “I have to do a better job.”

    Steve Wilks takes full responsibility for the zero-blitz call at the end of the first half against the Vikings pic.twitter.com/UIKRoNnI10

    — 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 26, 2023

    There are multiple reasons the call came under intense scrutiny. It came just after the Niners cut the lead from 10-0 to 10-7 with roughly a minute remaining in the half.

    Wilks sent seven players in Cousin’s direction with single coverage on three receivers. Linebacker Fred Warner was dropping from the line to seemingly cover tight end T.J. Hockenson. But Hockenson was never a threat. Cousins clocked the incoming pressure before the snap went for the deep shot, he said.

    It was the first time since Week 11 of the 2020 season that a team ran a all-out blitz with less than 30 seconds in a half on the opponent’s side of the 50, according to the…

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  • What Nick Saban said on his weekly radio show during bye week

    What Nick Saban said on his weekly radio show during bye week

    Nick Saban and the Alabama football team are currently in the midst of their annual bye week before the team prepares for its Week 10 opponent, SEC West rival LSU.

    Even with the Crimson Tide enjoying the week off from game preparation, that hasn’t slowed down Coach Saban and his weekly obligations with the media.

    One such obligation is his weekly radio show called “Hey Coach” where he joins Eli Gold to answer questions from the fans.

    With Coach Saban at his lake house in Georgia, the Crimson Tide’s head man would join over the phone and spend around 15 minutes with Gold.

    Here is everything Coach Saban had to say!

    On former Alabama players in the NFL, NBA

    Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images

    “I thought it was really interesting that – I don’t get to see many NFL games, but lots of people asked me if I was going to watch the Tua (Tagovailoa)-Jalen Hurts matchup on (Sunday) night, and I actually did watch the game. And I think we had (12) players from Alabama on those two teams. So that really makes you proud, and I know it makes Nate (Oats) proud that he’s been able to recruit and develop some of these guys and to see those guys do well in the NBA really makes you feel good as a coach.”

    On his assessment of the offense in the second half against Tennessee

    Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

    “I think the key to the game was the fact that we got the ball in the second half and had an explosive run on the first play and an explosive pass for a touchdown on the second play. The electricity in the stadium went off the charts. And from that time on, we were pretty much able to dominate the game. So I was really pleased with the way we played in the second half. But you kind of experience is an accumulation of your mess-ups in life. That’s what helps you learn and gain experience, and I used that analogy with our…

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  • Bills’ Josh Allen ties Steve Young for second-most rushing touchdowns in NFL history by a QB in win over Bucs

    Bills’ Josh Allen ties Steve Young for second-most rushing touchdowns in NFL history by a QB in win over Bucs

    USATSI

    Move over, Steve Young. With his 13-yard scamper in the second quarter of the Bills’ 24-18 win against the Buccaneers, Josh Allen knotted himself with the Pro Football Hall of Famer for the second-most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history. The Bills quarterback came into this matchup with 42 career rushing touchdowns, and he now finds himself aligned with Young and only looking up to the all-time leader, former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. 

    This score came one drive after the Bills were unable to punch it in with the ball sitting at the 1-yard line. Despite Allen’s nose for the end zone, he didn’t receive a rushing attempt on that drive, but made up for it and then some on the ensuing possession. He dropped back from the Tampa Bay 13-yard line and scrambled up the middle of the field to edge his way through for the touchdown and align himself with Young in the history books. 

    Young finished his career as the all-time leading touchdown rusher back in 1999 and held that record until Week 1 of the 2016 season when Newton surpassed him. The ex-Panthers quarterback, who last played in the NFL in 2021, created some distance between Young and Allen as he currently has the record set at 75 rushing touchdowns.

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  • Penn State vs. Indiana prediction, pick, spread, football game odds, live stream, watch online, TV channel

    Penn State vs. Indiana prediction, pick, spread, football game odds, live stream, watch online, TV channel

    No. 10 Penn State might be working through some pent-up frustration Saturday when it hosts Indiana in a Big Ten East battle. A week after falling 20-12 at Ohio State, the Nittany Lions will be looking to get back on the impressive trajectory they enjoyed during a 6-0 start — when they outscored opponents by an average margin of 36.3 points.

    Playing the Buckeyes exposed some of Penn State’s offensive shortcomings, but a game against the Hoosiers should help get things back on track. IU’s only victories are against Indiana State and Akron, and it has lost its four Big Ten games by an average of 27.3 points. Most recently, the Hoosiers fell 31-14 against Rutgers after failing to score after halftime. 

    The visit from Indiana also marks a reprieve for the Nittany Lions before the schedule picks up again with a trip to Maryland and a visit from No. 2 Michigan in the coming weeks. If Penn State wants to have any choice when Wolverines roll into town, it must show that it can be more explosive offensively. 

    On the other side of this matchup, the Hoosiers should enter motivated for one final chance to slay one of the Big Ten’s big boys before entering a November schedule featuring four opponents that are currently unranked. Seventh-year coach Tom Allen is on the hot seat, and an upset of Penn State would go a long way toward changing the narrative around a program that is just 2-20 in the Big Ten over the past three seasons.

    Penn State vs. Indiana: Need to know

    Moving on: Penn State coach James Franklin said Tuesday that the Nittany Lions “haven’t gotten a whole lot of sleep” since the Ohio State game “for a number of reasons.” Franklin’s team squandered a chance to shine on the national stage, failing to score a touchdown until the final…

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  • Brian Burns added to Panthers injury report with elbow injury

    Brian Burns added to Panthers injury report with elbow injury

    The Panthers added a defensive starter to their injury report on Thursday.

    Edge rusher Brian Burns was listed as a limited participant because of an elbow injury. Burns leads the team with four sacks, so his absence would be a big loss for the Carolina defense even if they didn’t put Yetur Gross-Matos on injured reserve earlier this week.

    Friday will bring another practice and a better sense of Burns’ outlook for Sunday’s game against the Texans.

    Safety Vonn Bell (quadriceps) and wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (ankle) were out of practice for the second day in a row while right tackle Taylor Moton (knee, rest) got Thursday off. Guard Austin Corbett (knee), linebacker Frankie Luvu (hip), and safety Xavier Woods (hamstring) were the team’s other limited participants.

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  • Urban Meyer names the best coach in college football

    Urban Meyer names the best coach in college football

    Nick Saban is widely regarded as the greatest college football coach of all-time as he’s led an Alabama dynasty that has lasted the last 15 years.  He’s not the best coach in college football according to Urban Meyer however.

    Nor is Kirby Smart, leader of the Georgia Bulldogs and winner of the last two national championships.

    Nor is Dabo Swinney, who has won a pair of titles while falling on a bit more difficult of times of late.

    So who does the three-time national championship winning head coach Urban Meyer see as the best head coach in college football?

    The man that replaced him at Utah, Kyle Whittingham.

    Urban Meyer believes Kyle Whittingham is the best coach in college football:

    “I’ve said many times Kyle Whittingham’s one of the best coaches in college football. Now he’s the best. He’s the best coach in college football.”

    More: https://t.co/Y5R31dqe2e pic.twitter.com/hUNFn88WuI

    — On3 (@On3sports) October 25, 2023

    Whittingham and Utah, like Notre Dame won their last time out which both happened to come against USC.

    I don’t know if Whittingham is the best but he has the Utes vying for yet another Pac-12 championship and seemingly gets as much out of his team annually as any coach in the nation.

     

    Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire

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  • Buffalo Bills vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: How to watch live stream, TV channel, NFL start time

    Buffalo Bills vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: How to watch live stream, TV channel, NFL start time

    Who’s Playing

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills

    Current Records: Tampa Bay 3-3, Buffalo 4-3

    How To Watch

    When: Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. ETWhere: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, New YorkTV: Amazon Prime VideoFollow: CBS Sports App

    What to Know

    The Buffalo Bills will be playing in front of their home fans against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday at Highmark Stadium. Both of these teams will be coming in off a loss in a game they were expected to win.

    Last Sunday, the Bills were within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap as they fell 29-25 to the Patriots.

    Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Josh Allen, who threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. James Cook brought some help for the Bills off the bench as he gained 102 total yards and a touchdown.

    Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s game on Sunday was all tied up 10-10 at the half, but sadly for them it didn’t stay that way. They fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 16-13. Tampa Bay has now taken an ‘L’ in back-to-back games.

    Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Baker Mayfield, who threw for 275 yards and a touchdown.

    Buffalo’s defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Tampa Bay, their loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their overall record down to 3-3.

    Looking ahead, the Bills are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by eight points. This contest will be their eighth straight as the favorites (so far over this stretch they are 3-4 against the spread).

    Here’s a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday’ match: The Bills command a daunting offense this season, having averaged 3.4 touchdowns per game. It’s a different story for…

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