UNDATED (AP) — Sometimes a team just has another team’s number until it doesn’t. That’s part of what makes college football so fun. Several matchups Saturday pit teams that had seasons ruined by an upset loss to opponents they otherwise dominated throughout history. Sometimes the loss fueled the fire for the future. Ohio State's playoff hopes died when it got blown out by Iowa in 2017. A loss to Vanderbilt launched Georgia's run to the national championship game the following year. A loss to North Carolina in 2008 was the beginning of the end for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame.
UNDATED (AP) — The ability of No. 8 Florida, No. 14 Iowa and No. 16 Mississippi State to avoid letdowns after emotional victories will be put to the test. Florida goes to No. 25 Missouri off a win over Mississippi. The Gators are in the same position as Ole Miss a week ago when the Rebels were coming off a win against LSU and former coach Lane Kiffin. Iowa beat Michigan on the last play on the road and now hosts No. 5 Ohio State. Mississippi State rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Missouri and now host No. 7 Alabama.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — They were together in Boston College’s backfield last season and on Saturday, Indiana running back Turbo Richard and Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan will reunite when the No. 6 Hoosiers (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) visit New Jersey. Their paths have taken a very different turn after transferring over the offseason. Richard is an integral part of the defending national champions running attack, while Lonergan has struggled for Rutgers (1-3, 0-1 Big Ten), throwing five interceptions and completing just 56.1 percent (46-of-82) of his passes. Richard is expected back Saturday after leaving last week's win over Northwestern with an undisclosed injury.
UNDATED (AP) — The Senate has passed a bill aimed at controlling spending and addressing issues in college sports. The bill, which took over four months to pass, faces challenges in the House. Sen. Ted Cruz hopes the House will pass it within four weeks, but the House isn't scheduled to return until after the midterm elections. Some Republicans and Democrats have concerns about the bill, including antitrust protections and the employment status of student-athletes. The bill offers lawsuit protections to the NCAA and increases revenue-sharing with athletes. If the bill doesn't pass, conferences may consider self-governance models.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin showcased how it could respond to adversity when it erased a 17-point deficit at then-No. 13 Penn State, delivering the signature victory of coach Luke Fickell’s tenure. Now the Badgers must prove they can handle prosperity, something they generally hadn’t needed to worry about the last couple of years. Wisconsin’s 24-20 triumph moved the Badgers on the verge of the Top 25 and raised their potential ceiling as they try to bounce back from consecutive losing seasons. First the Badgers must avoid a letdown as they prepare to host Michigan State on Saturday.
UNDATED (AP) — The Senate passed a bill that would bring new rules to college sports covering a wide range of issues including how colleges pay their players, what those players can and cannot go to court to fight and how many transfers between schools the players can make. Senators voted 77-22 to pass The Protect College Sports Act, which sends it over to the House where supporters are hoping the large margin and bipartisan nature of the bill will give it momentum to pass before the end of the year.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa quarterback Hank Brown wasn’t just working to win the Hawkeyes’ starting job in the offseason. He was also working on building trust with his wide receivers. That trust showed in his 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee as time ran out to give Iowa a 20-19 win at Michigan last Saturday. It was Brown’s fourth start with the 14th-ranked Hawkeyes but the first since becoming the clear-cut starter following his competition with Jeremy Hecklinski.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — College football coaches have one thing off their overflowing plate. In an era that has added revenue sharing, NIL and the transfer portal to day-to-day duties, coaches no longer need to decide if seldom-used players should appear in four or fewer games to redshirt and gain an extra year of eligibility. The NCAA approved a new eligibility model for Division I athletes in June, permitting five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with student-athletes’ full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.
