WASHINGTON (AP) — A hurricane is menacing the Gulf Coast, but President Donald Trump remains eager to attend a big college football game in Alabama on Saturday night. Trump hopes to visit Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Top 10 Alabama-Georgia matchup. Officials are still discussing how the storm might affect the game. Trump said on Wednesday that he doesn't want to do anything to strain resources. His love of sports and large crowds are often key factors in his travel plans, even close to the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The White House sees the games as a way to energize Republicans, but others say mixing sports and politics can be risky.
PROVO, Utah (AP) — BYU running back LJ Martin could be sidelined for four to six weeks after suffering a lower-body injury against TCU. He had two carries for 16 yards in the Cougars’ 17-10 win over the Horned Frogs before leaving the game. Martin’s absence is a significant blow to BYU’s offense. He was the Big 12’s leading rusher last season, tallying 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Cougars mustered just 216 total yards against the Horned Frogs in his absence. With Martin unavailable, the Cougars will rely on multiple backs to shoulder the load in the backfield. Preston Rex and Journee Tonga should both see increased carries.
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Oklahoma State has been picked by league coaches as the favorite to win the Big 12 this season. The Cowgirls added top transfers Audi Crooks and Liv McGill to their roster this offseason. The preseason poll released Thursday had Oklahoma State with a slight edge over two-time defending league champion TCU. The Cowgirls got seven of 16 first-place votes from the league's 16 head coaches, while TCU got six. Baylor, West Virginia, and Kansas rounded out the top five. Crooks was named the preseason Big 12 player, and McGill was named the newcomer of the year.
UNDATED (AP) — BYU is 4-0 for the third season in a row, a first in school history. The eighth-ranked Cougars now try to become the first Big 12 team with three conference wins this season. They host 3-2 Iowa State on Friday night. No. 12 Utah is going for its 11th win in a row overall when hosting Kansas in one of the five games Saturday involving Big 12 teams. No. 22 Houston is at 3-1 Kansas State, and No. 18 Oklahoma State hosts UCF.
UNDATED (AP) — No. 2 Georgia at No. 6 Alabama and No. 21 UCLA at No. 13 Oregon are the top games in Week 6 of the college football season. The stakes have been high whenever the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide meet the last dozen or so years and this year is no different. This is only the fourth regular-season game between the teams since 2007. Seven other meetings were at neutral sites for SEC or national championship games. UCLA is 4-0 in Bob Chesney’s first season. The Bruins have one more win than a year ago.
