OU Commit Backs Off His Pledge

Norman, OK - In another strange story in the world of recruiting, 5-star HB Kyle Ryan has backed out of his firm commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners. Rivals.com reporter Brent Hubbs caught up with "Rough 'n Ragged" Kyle Ryan on his family's ranch to discuss the situation.

BH: Kyle, why the sudden change?

KR: Well, howdy to you too Mr. Hubbs....

BH: Ok, honestly....

KR: Sorry, just being a polite cowboy. See what happened was while I was tending to my horsey and hitting my tackling dummy in the pasture, I thought of something. I was like, "Wait a second, there are teams out there with the nickname 'Cowboys.'" So I should consider them guys. So now I'm looking at Oklahoma State and Wyoming, since they are the Cowboys and all.

BH: Oh, so it's all about the nickname?

KR: Well, sir, it just fits my personality. I treat ladies with respect, call them my darling, and tend my horses all while running circles against those other high school defenses...it's all part of the cowboy way. So I figured I'd invest some time to research these other schools. I hear at Wyoming they may let me be an actual cowboy while I'm still on scholarship....That would be swell as Momma's home-cookin'!

BH: So what about Oklahoma?

KR: Well, they're still in the hunt. I just need some time to think things over. In the meantime, me and my horse Apples (seen above) are going to get ready for my senior season at James Dean High by running wind sprints in the meadow. Dadgum if he always beats me, too! It sure was a'pleasure speakin' to ya Mr. Hubbs, but the dinner bell's a'ringin and I gotta go eat supper. See ya partner!

Top Recruit Picks Oklahoma

Norman, OK - Rivals.com learned today that 5-Star HB Kyle Ryan committed to Oklahoma. "I really like that coach utvol27 used to coach the Cowboys. See, I'm a cowboy myself. I've been hard at work on the farm, and hard at work at football. Football and farming are a lot alike, they both take hard work. I think that since coach used to be a cowboy, that really must understand that like most coaches can't."

Rumors had been swirling about this commitment for a while. There had been no secret of the Sooner coaches desire for the back after seeing him play at the recent Adidas camp. In fact, some recruiting bloggers labeled it as a "done deal" following a recent photo from the camp.

"Coach introduced me to his buddies coach Fulmer, Coach ccut and Big Snacks. I was very impressed." Former RUTS coach ccut described Ryan as "sort of the 'rough-tough' cowboy type." When asked to address rumors that Kyle Ryan had once lived with OU Bagman "Big Snacks" both coaches utvol27 and ccut had no comment.

Kyle Ryan(Front Row 3rd from Left) Poses with coaches
utvol27 (Back-Left), ccut (Back-2nd from Left)
Former coach Phillip Fulmer (Back Center), and OU Booster
"Big Snacks"

Star Defensive End Recruit Takes RUTS, Nation By Storm

Portland, Tenn - As RUTS season 4 kicks off tonight, college football fans, and RUTS coaches alike, are finding themselves distracted by an 18 year old high school student. Star Defensive End Thomas Smith (pronounced "Smiff") has taken the country by storm.

Smith, a senior at Portland High School, in Portland, Tennessee is the top rated defensive end in the country, so logically, he's on the radar of every college team. But, what makes his case so unique is that he was coached last season by former Portland Head Coach, and new Florida Gators Coach Gump.

Coach Gump's PHS mugshot

Gump has a great relationship with Smith. He illegally recruited him out of the mean streets of Cottontown, TN to attend Portland HS, where he immediately starred for the Panthers team. Although the team won only 1 game his first 3 seasons at the school, he set state records galore for sacks, tackles for loss, excuses to get out of running wind sprints, and back-talking his head coach.

Now, with his former coach at the helm of one of the most prolific college teams, will Smith follow Gump to Gainesville? "Don't count on it," said Smith's father, Cecil Smith, a baptist minister in Cottontown. "Tommy and Coach Gump had quite a relationship, and Tommy's play over the past 3 seasons speaks for itself. We credit Coach Gump for the huge strides that Tommy has made over the past 3 years, but he doesn't appreciate jorts or bingo wings, both of which are rampant in Gainesville. Honestly, it scares him a little bit that Coach Gump is risking his career and safety living in such a sketchy place."

That said, Cecil implied that his son will likely be recruited hard by Florida and to never count out Coach Gump. "We know he will work tirelessly to recruit Tommy, and we'll see what happens."

Smith's attributes are many, but according to Rivals, his top schools currently include:

Smith's rating (listed above) show his versatility. Obviously, being from Portland, his awareness and smarts are lacking, but what he misses out on in the cranium, he certainly makes up for in his great jumping skills, Stamina, and power moves. Coach Gump, after his last game as Head Coach at Portland credited Smith's moves for earning him a win in his final game. "DID Y'ALL SEE THOSE POWER MOVES!!??" Gump yelled to an ecstatic Portland Panther fan base after the game. "Those are the best darn power moves I have ever seen...and man, how bout those mad hops too? Tommy...you sure can jump!"

So, as the season kicks off tonight, as the ball sails through the air to launch RUTS3's 4th season, everyone, in the back of their minds will have Thomas Smith on their brains. It will be a huge recruiting battle! May the best team win.

Season 4 Team Schedules

Click on the image to increase the size

RUTS3 Season 4 Preview - "The BEAT BAMA Edition"

Two-a-days are complete and game plans are being installed as we near kickoff for season 4 of RUTS! Season 4 marks a dramatic shift for all teams this year as most of the starters come from the recruiting classes assembled over the past 3 offseasons. Will all the 5 stars that Bama, LSU, and Ohio State racked up play up to their potential as many take over starting positions, or will they be high-profile busts? Now is when we see the effects of all the hard work the teams of RUTS3 have put into recruiting and if it has paid off.

One thing is for sure, Alabama is the team with the target on its back this year. Having played in the national title game in the past 3 seasons (and winning twice), Bama will have to break in new starters across the board, and they may even struggle to survive the SEC West this season (and half-man, half-god Trent Richardson has graduated!!!). That's right...LSU has been on the verge, but has struggled to clear the Bama hurdle. This could be the Tigers' year, however. Can they take advantage of Bama's youth and unseat the 3-time SEC champions? We think now is the time....LSU claims the SEC West!

Bama and LSU fans are hungry (literally) for the SEC West crown!

In the SEC East, newcomer Coach_Gump takes the reigns at Florida in hopes of bringing the Gators back to national prominence. Defending East champion North Carolina, as well as Tennessee, look to hold off the Gators. Something tells us Coach_Gump has some tricks up his sleeve. He has a talented roster thanks to the fertile recruiting landscape in Florida, it's just a matter of motivation. We predict he pulls it off. The Tar Heels and Vols pose a formidable challenge, but the uncertainty Coach_Gump brings to the table will prove an even greater challenge....Gators take the SEC East!
In the SEC title game, it's anybody's game...but LSU's talent and experience in RUTS cannot be duplicated, resulting in a thrilling SEC Championship Game victory for LSU!

In the Big 12, one question looms....who can unseat Oklahoma and Ohio State? Oklahoma has won back-to-back Big 12 titles, and Ohio State has been in the Big 12 title game each season (winning it vs. Miami in season 1).

Miami looks to make a splash in the Big 12 South to upend the Sooners. Miami has a veteran squad and a coach Stinvol knows what must be done to beat the Sooners. Oklahoma is breaking in a new quarterback after the departure of "Dirty 'Stache" - Landry Jones. Also gone is Heisman winner Jaz "I really don't mind if you call me Yaz, just don't call me Jazz" Reynolds.

Landry "Dirty 'Stache" Jones - how does OU replace him?

Oklahoma could face some struggles as they face a tough schedule out of the gate and as they try to find an offensive identity. Miami is poised to take control, but Oklahoma has the talent in place and will have several weeks to find itself before the epic battle with Miami. Perhaps a pre-game pep talk by the Lingerie Football League's Miami Caliente will do the trick to get the Canes ready for the game....

However, we feel Oklahoma still has what it takes. Sooners win the Big 12 South!

In the Big 12 North, Ohio State has a young and talented team that is hungry for a Big 12 Championship. After 2 straight years of infuriating losses in the title game to Oklahoma, Ohio State won't settle for anything less. Despite having a more talented roster, the Buckeyes have struggled in clutch games vs. the Sooners and have missed out on chances at the national title as a result. But will the Buckeyes even make it out of the Big 12 North? Notre Dame and coach zeejaydee think so. Coach zeejaydee's comments before the season..."We will beat those dadgum Buckeyes, I have no doubt!!! Coach utvol27 at Oklahoma visited with us over the summer and gave us a complete rundown of what drives the Buckeyes bonkers, and we plan to use it! It's time the Golden Domers kick those Butt-eyes out of the Big 12 North perch!"

Despite the strong words, on paper the Buckeyes appear too strong. And they are hungry. Ohio State claims the Big 12 North!

In the Big 12 title game, old foes and bros meet again. Coach UTVOL54 at OSU has the talent, but Coach utvol27 at Oklahoma has the wits. The Sooners have pulled out dramatic wins vs. Ohio State the past two years and have a legend on the sidelines. Ohio State will be foaming at the mouth for this game. Can they control that emotion and get the victory? It will be a knock-down, drag-out, tooth-and-nail game coming down to the final seconds as always....

And we feel Ohio State clears the hurdle! The talent on that team is just too much to deny and OU is replacing their key players who beat OSU the past 2 seasons. Coach utvol27 will pull out all the stops, but it will come up just short this time...Big 12 champs....OHIO STATE!

We feel that the SEC and Big 12 champions will meet in the BCS national title...LSU vs. Ohio State! Two teams bursting at the seams with talent and coaching experience. Both playing for their first RUTS3 national title after close calls before. Ohio State could suffer an emotional hangover after finally beating Oklahoma, but don't count on it. In what's sure to be an instant classic....Ohio State claims victory and the national title!

PREDICTIONS RECAP:

BIG 12 CHAMP - Ohio State

SEC CHAMP - LSU

NATIONAL CHAMP - Ohio State

It's sure to be an entertaining season 4 of RUTS with many twists and turns along the way! Getcha popcorn ready!

Congress Investigates RUTS Oversigning

Washington, DC - Congress concluded its investigation today into NCAA Bowl Subdivision scholarship practices. Online media has criticized the practice of "oversigning" since it became common practice in the SEC for Nick Saban led schools. Congress specifically targeted RUTS coaches as Stubucksman, cjohnchavis and UTVOL54 where all subpoenaed for their testimony.

LSU coach cjohnchavis was the main focus of the questioning. LSU recently signed 16 players over the RUTS scholarship limits of 70. LSU has typical signed the season limit of 25 players even with graduating classes of 9 and 8 in the past 3 seasons. "We are competing within the rules, and we are going as far as we can within the set of rules that we have been given. The NCAA is free to change the rules, but until they do so, we will take advantage of every avenue that we can within those guidelines." said coach cjohnchavis.

Buckeyes coach UTVOL54 caught attention by "dressing down" in a sweater and mocking the congress member's questions. At one point, coach UTVOL54 stated "What has two thumbs and always pulls in 5-Stars? This guy."

Former Representative and football star Steve Largent urged the NCAA to address the practice in its next rules meeting. However, it is unclear if the issue has even been placed on the agenda.

Nike Announces New Pro Combat Uniforms for RUTS3 Teams

As season 4 is set to get cranked up in a matter of days, today Nike held a public press conference to announce its new lineup of Pro Combat alternate uniforms. The company shocked onlookers as they even released uniforms for Tennessee and Notre Dame, who are sponsored by Adidas.

After looking at the uniforms, be sure to vote on your favorite on the blog poll to the right --------->

"Buckeye Stealth" - the Ohio State uniforms highlight bring a logo to the helmet and a darker gray is featured on the uniforms. The away uniform features a light silver color, rather than traditional white.

'Boomer' - Oklahoma's new Pro Combat uniforms are built for Boomer Sooner wagon riding. The bright red home uniforms are sure make opposing teams see blood red.

Checkerboard - Tennessee's orange and white checkerboard take a front seat here, along with an oversized Power T on just 1 side of the pearl white helmet.

"His Airness" - Michael Jordan, himself, helped design these crisp uniforms. These feature two new helmet colors for UNC.

'Rammer Jammer" - Alabama rarely strays from tradition. But Coach Stu allowed Nike to incorporate some Bear Bryant houndstooth, white helmets, and a one-sided logo in this design. At the coach's request, Nike even worked with Keds to keep Alabama's newest tradition...the all white shoes.

"Swamp Chomp" - New Florida Coach Gump likes black uniforms and orange socks. Lucky for him, Nike read his mind. Look for the Gators to break these uniforms out early and often.

"Old Gold" - LSU's new unis were inspired by Mardi Gras, as old gold and purple reign supreme here. The gold socks should stand out nicely as Cameron Treangen glides across the Eye of the Tiger this season.

"I Love The 80s" - The Canes unis were inspired by the glory days of Miami football and Michael Ervin's tenure in South Beach. A classic look.

"The Heisman" - Notre Dame's all-gold look was inspired by the Heisman trophy and the school's 7 Heisman Trophy winners.

(Editor's note--It's too bad these are just for fun and not really on the game! I was just having a little fun with photoshop.)

National Signing Day

Today is the day that college football fanatics long for. NATIONAL SIGNING DAY! Incoming freshmen made it official today, inking their names on National Letters of Intent to play football at their chosen school. Here are the final recruiting rankings for RUTS3 teams:

1. LSU (11 five-star signees---new RUTS3 record)
2. Alabama (10 five-star signees)
3. Ohio State (9 five-star signees)
4. North Carolina

7. Florida

9. Oklahoma

10.  Miami

12. Tennessee

27. Notre Dame

The Tide Rolls! Bama Claims 2nd RUTS3 National Championship

The game was in hand, the clock ticked down, and the RUTS3 Season 3 was coming to an end. But, in fitting fashion, Alabama All-Star running back Trent Richardson found time for one more heroic run. As the Rb sprinted 16 yards to paydirt in the game's closing seconds, Tide fans celebrated their team's perfect 14-0 National Championship season. Alabama stormed ahead early, taking a 28-7 lead into halftime, before holding off a furious Sooner rally to win the game 35-21.

In case there was any doubt, Alabama Coach StuBucksman made it known where this win should rank him among the game's elite coaches. "Just look at the numbers," said the flamboyant coach in the locker room after the game, drenched in celebratory Gatorade and Scrumpy's Cider. "I just don't lose anymore. I've won 3 of RUTS's last 6 Super Bowls/BCS National titles...so yeah, I'm kind of a big deal.And, I'm going on record to say that Stu is coming back to Bama next season...so let's end these rumors of me leaving for Iowa State, mmmkay?"

Alabama's defense held Heisman winner Jaz Reynolds to 3 receptions on the night, and forced QB Landry Jones into throwing 2 INTs. 

ESPN announcers Kirk Herbstriet and Brent Musberger named Alabama RB Trent Richardson the game's "Most Valuable Player" as well as the prestigious "Player to be most likely to be linked to an agent and cause his team to vacate this title" award. Richardson finished the game with 31 carries for 253 yards and 2 TDs...capping off one of the most prolific rushing seasons since Chris Johnson and Adrian Petersen's rushing battles in RUTS2.

"I will now ride off into the sunset," said Trent. "Yeah, I'll probably be drafted by a sub par NFL team, take a slight pay cut, and be able to quit wearing these Keds cleats for games, but I will always have fond memories of Tuscaloosa and all the great times I shared with Coach StuBucksman, or "Stuart" as I call him...we always had a very formal relationship."

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how the face of Alabama football will change. The Tide lose a plethora of talented players on both sides of the ball. Can RB Eddie Lacy step up to the challenge and fill the shoes of Trent Richardson? Will Coach Stu turn to a passing attack? How will the Tide revamp its defense after losing a boatload of 90s rated studs? Tune in to season 4 to find out. For now, life is good in T-Town, and Coach Stu wouldn't have it any other way!

Bowl Week & Quality Time With Mascots

BCS National Title Game: #1 Alabama vs. #2 Oklahoma
"The Rematch of the Rematch!!" The Tide and the Sooners meet once again for the national title. In week 3 of this season, Alabama defeated the Sooners 24-16 in a rematch of last season's National Championship Game, which the Sooners won 34-31.

Bowl week has allowed for some much needed R&R for both coaches. While their players are busy enjoying luxurious bowl gifts such as Vera Bradley luggage and Origins hand cremes, the two title game coaches got to spend a romantic week on South Beach with their respective mascots, Big Al (Alabama) and Boomer (Oklahoma). Among other things, the coaches enjoyed walks on the beach, carriage rides through Little Havana, and even danced the night away at a party hosted at LeBron James's beachside bungalow. 

This is anyone's game, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone outside of Norman, Okla. who would put their money on the Sooners. You have to think that Alabama runs the table to finish undefeated, gets a hard fought win, and sends Trent Richardson off into the sunset (to the overjoyed merriment of RUTS coaches everywhere!).

Other Bowl Matchups:

Sugar Bowl: #3 LSU vs. #8 South Florida

Fiesta Bowl: #7 Ohio State vs. #9 Maryland

Capital One Bowl: #11 North Carolina vs. Iowa

Cotton Bowl: #12 Tennessee vs. #15 Miami

Alamo Bowl: #18 Notre Dame vs. #16 Stanford

Gator Bowl: Florida vs. Michigan State 

Bart Scott Gives Tarheels Pre-Game Pep Talk Before SEC Title Game

"CAN'T WAIT!!" exclaimed Coach ChrisHicks21.

Sooners Prevail, Earn Chance to Defend National Title

In a game that can be only described as physical, heated, and intense, the #2 Oklahoma Sooners used a "3 plays in the playbook" 4 WR passing attack, two key defensive stops, and a 43 yard field goal as time expired to defeat the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes 27-24 in the Big XII Championship Game.

Guiton scores on an 18 yd TD scamper

After falling behind 7-3 early, the Sooners scored back to back TDs to jump ahead 17-7 in the 2nd quarter. The Buckeyes' rushing attack, which proved to be just as dominant as the Sooners' passing game, march OSU back down the field. And, QB Kenny Guiton sprinted to the end zone for an 18 yard TD run with under a minute left in the 1st half.

With the score 17-14 Oklahoma, the Sooners were able to march inside the Ohio State 15 yard line, but an Andy Williams interception halted the drive and kept the score 17-14 at halftime. The Buckeyes defense forced two turnovers on the night, but missed out on recovering two additional Oklahoma fumbles, as well as a handful of dropped interceptions on the night.

"Landry obviously has a cannon for an arm," said Sooner Coach utvol27. "Our WRs are used to catching his passes. On several errant, 'should-have-been-intercepted' throws tonight, I think Landry's arm strength and ball velocity caused Ohio State's defenders to drop some easy balls."

Entering the 4th quarter, the score was deadlocked at 17-17, and fans were on the edge of their seats. This hard hitting game was shaping up to be one of the very best in the Coach UTVOL54/Coach utvol27 series.

Even with Ohio State's unique zone defense look, Oklahoma QB Landry Jones (27/36 passing, 386 yds) continued to prove why he is one of the nation's best QBs. With just under 5 minutes left in the game,Oklahoma RB Brennan Clay shimmied into the end zone on a 4 yard run to put the Sooners up 24-17. On the ensuing drive, Ohio State QB Kenny Guiton, who attempted only 6 passes on the night (none to WRs), hit RB Jamaal Berry for a 36 yard pass, and right away, the Buckeyes were knocking on the door.

Guiton is sacked on the game's first play by an unblocked DE

"With the exception of two drives, we moved the ball at-will on the ground all night," said OSU Coach UTVOL54. "When we picked up that first down to get into Oklahoma territory, we knew were going to score a TD and tie the game, we just needed to eat the clock and run the football."

The Buckeyes did just that, as Jamaal Berry (15 carries, 172 yards) got OSU inside the 5 yard line with 1 minute left in the game. Buckeye FB Zach Boren pounded his way into the end zone from 3 yards out, and with 59 seconds left in the game, the score was knotted at 24-24.

"Tippy Toes" Stills makes a controversial catch late in the game

With two timeouts at their disposal, Oklahoma went back to the air to try to get into FG range. On 1st down, Jones completed a pass to WR Kenny "Tippy Toes" Stills (11 rec, 142 yds) along the Buckeyes sideline. The Buckeye fans, players, coaches, and cheerleaders went irate, as Stills clearly did not have a foot in bounds on the catch. However, the booth did not challenge the catch, and Oklahoma got to the line, snapped the ball and ran the exact same play. Again, Stills caught the ball and this time had room to turn up the sideline for a 30+ yard gain before being tackled at the Ohio State 36 yard line. From there, it was a matter of setting up for a field goal.

Sooner kicker Patrick "Don't Call Me Scarlett" O'Hara drilled a 43 yard FG and the Sooners raced to midfield to celebrate. Ironically, this ending was eerily similar to Coach UTVOL54's loss to Coach utvol27's Dallas Cowboys team in RUTS2's Super Bowl II. It happened on this exact same field at Cowboys Stadium and through the same uprights...as Dallas kicker Nick Folk drilled a FG in overtime to win the Super Bowl for Dallas.

The disappointed Buckeyes sat in disbelief on the sidelines as Coach utvol27 and the Oklahoma team lead the Sooner fans in the "Hip Hop Hooray" dance.

The Bucks' physical defense wasn't enough to get the win

"We executed well, delivered big hits all game, ran the ball to perfection...but in the end, they had the ball last and made the plays to get in field goal range to win," said a dejected Coach UTVOL54. "They were who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook! We've got to find a way to get stops at the end of the half/game, that, and figure out a way to quit dropping so many #*&^%*^#*&%*&@%$*^ interceptions!"

The win sends the Sooners back to the National Championship Game to defend last season's title. Their opponent will likely be #1 Alabama, a rematch of last season's title game and a rematch from this season's Week 3 game, where Alabama defeated Okla 24-16. However, if the Tide are upset by #5 North Carolina in the SEC title game, current #4 LSU Tigers will likely vault to #2 in the BCS poll and get a shot at the title.

"Right now, we're not worried about who we play," said coach utvol27. "We're going to enjoy this win, enjoy Jaz Reynolds winning the Heisman Trophy at next week's ceremony, and relish in the thought of being able to nude sun bathe on the beaches of Miami."

Conference Title Games To Determine BCS Title Game Teams

SEC Championship Game
#1 Alabama vs. #5 North Carolina

As usual, the RUTS Conference title games will decide the national championship matchup. In the SEC title game, #1 Alabama looks to defeat the #5 Tarheels and earn a 4th consecutive trip to the BCS title game. The undefeated Crimson Tide look nearly invincible, and it will take a monumental effort on the part of Coach ChrisHick21's squad in order to thwart Bama's title game bid. Look for Alabama to jump ahead early, build a sizeable lead, then empty the bench in order to rest its starters for the National Championship Game.








Big XII Championship Game
#2 Oklahoma vs. #3 Ohio State

One of RUTS' biggest rivalries is renewed again the Big XII title game, as #2 Oklahoma faces off against #3 Ohio State. The winner is almost guaranteed a trip to South Beach. The defending national champion Sooners have jumped on board the Landry Jones train, riding the senior signal caller's arm to an 11-1 record. The Buckeyes and Sooners did not meet in the regular season, so it may take both teams a series or two to get a feel for the other's gameplan. Look for this game to be an intense game that comes down the wire. With Buckeyes' QB Kenny Guiton questionable for the game, and with the experienced Landry Jones and a great defense to keep the scoring low, we look for Oklahoma to win this game...giving the Sooners a chance to avenge its only loss of the season against #1 Alabama.

RUTS Bowl Projections

(these projections are as of week 13)

BCS National Championship Game: Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Maryland

Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Cal

Orange Bowl: South Florida vs. Clemson/Boston College

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State

Capital One Bowl: North Carolina/Tennessee vs. Nebraska

Outback Bowl: North Carolina/Tennessee vs. Michigan State

Cotton Bowl: Miami vs. Ole Miss

Alamo Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Stanford

Music City Bowl: Florida vs. Virginia Tech

Could a player named Jheranie win the Heisman, and other thought provoking RUTS questions and rumors

Today's random RUTS thoughts and mullings:

- Could a player named Jheranie win the Heisman? The UNC wide receiver continues to dominate the Heisman polls.

- Will Tennessee Head Coach EBDial lock up the "Coach of the Year" award by knocking off UNC this week and sending the Vols back to the SEC title game for the first time since 2007?

- Will new Florida head-ball Coach Gump be able to bring the Gators back to prominence? He needs to win his final game to send the team to a bowl game this season.

- How ticked off will Mike the Tiger be if a 1-loss LSU team gets snubbed for a national title birth by a 1-loss Ohio State team...after the Tigers defeated Ohio State 27-24 in week 2?

- Will injured Ohio State QB Kenny Guiton (strained pectoral muscle) be back in time for the Buckeyes' clash with Oklahoma in the Big XII title game. Listed as out 2 weeks, all signs point to him being back after injuring the 'pec' in the Bucks' 50-7 victory over Michigan, but could the cold weather in Columbus hamper his healing?

- Can anyone hold Trent Richardson to less than 200 yards rushing in a game?

- Aint it funny how previously undefeated Clemson, South Florida, and Central Michigan all lost over the course of the last three weeks?

- Is there any truth to the rumor that Oregon has made overtures to Alabama Head Coach StuBucksman? Coach Stu's agent and official spokesperson has denied the rumors. However, RUTS has learned through a source that is said to have connections to someone close to Coach Stu that he is indeed interested in moving his family to Eugene, Oregon if a) Alabama doesn't meet his high contract salary demands, b) the NCAA doesn't grant RB Trent Richardson "eligibility for life," or c) Nike owner Phil Knight would be willing to let Coach Stu wear his traditional game-day Keds on the Oregon sidelines.

- Does the fact that Oklahoma's recruiting is sagging behind in the current Rivals rankings mean that recruits were scared off after last season's NCAA investigation into coach utvol27's program?

- Can we officially deem Miami Coach stinvol the unluckiest coach in RUTS history, as far as injuries go? In addition to losing his top 2 RBs for the season, Coach stinvol lost his starting QB AJ Highsmith for the season thanks to a pesky dislocated elbow.

- What the heck is up with everyone wearing the all-white Keds cleats this season? Bama started the trend in season 2 and everyone must be using the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" philosophy.