Week 12 of the college football season is here. As the conference races around the country really heat up, there was no shortage of news on Friday. Here’s a look back on everything that made headlines in the hours leading up to kickoff.
College football news: USC could spend $6 million on coach, UCLA tops Washington
The Trojans are willing to spend big to land their next head coach, while Michigan appears to have a handle on its top recruit for 2014 ... for now.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
USC could pay next football coach $6 million
According to a report, the USC Trojans could open up their wallets and pay their next head coach upwards $6 million a year. If that's the case, the newest head coach in SoCal would be the highest paid college coach in the country, surpassing Nick Saban and his annual salary of just under $5.4 million.
USC’s athletic department has really worked to keep the coaching search rumors to a minimum over the last month. Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin is reportedly the top target for the job, though it’s unclear if he has any interest in leaving College Station. A handful of current or former NFL coaches have also been tied to the job, most notably Jon Gruden.
QB allegedly beaten by opponents, conference title game canceled
The CIAA conference championship game has been cancelled after Winston Salem State quarterback Rudy Johnson was allegedly attacked in a bathroom by Virginia State running back Lamont Britt. Johnson suffered a swollen eye and laceration above his eye while Britt has been charged with misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury. Virginia State coach Latrell Scott and a few players have denied reports of the attack.
Five-star Jabrill Peppers not planning on following Hand to Alabama
The Crimson Tide secured a huge commitment earlier in the week from five-star defensive end Da’Shawn Hand. Hand was also considering Michigan, among other schools.
As National Signing Day continues to draw closer, some thought five-star defensive back Jabrill Peppers, a current Michigan commit, could flip his pledge to Alabama. On Friday,his high school coach shot down the rumors. With the Wolverines struggling this season, it’ll be interesting to see if they’re able to hang onto Peppers or if the Crimson Tide swoop in and steal him sometime in the next couple months.
Keith Price injures shoulder, leaves UCLA game early
Price injured his shoulder on Friday night and was forced to leave the game early. It was unclear how he got hurt, though he was shown in obvious pain while trying to warm up prior to the second half. Freshman QB Cyler Miles replaced him to begin the third quarter.
Price, a senior, has thrown for 2,662 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. It is unclear if he will be able to play next weekend as UW takes on Oregon State.
On the field, it was UCLA linebacker (yes, linebacker) Myles Jack who led the Bruins with four rushing touchdowns in a 41-31 win over Washington.
Virginia Tech cornerbacks Kyle Fuller, Antone Exum out against Maryland
The Hokies will need a couple of their backups to step up this weekend as they face Maryland. Starting cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Antone Exum have been ruled out for Saturday, which would seem to mean serious trouble Frank Beamer and the coaching staff.
While they won't be quite as deep, freshmen corners Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson have combined for nine interceptions this season and should be able to handle an iffy Terps passing attack.
Barry Switzer congratulates Bob Stoops for beating Iowa State (before the game is played)
Bob Stoops tends to run a pretty tight ship at Oklahoma. In the hours leading up to an important Big 12 game with Iowa State, former OU coach Barry Switzer tweeted out some confident words for Stoops and the Sooners.
Since everyone beats ISU at home, I want to be the first to congratulate @OU_CoachStoops on tying the record of 157 wins! #coachescabana
— Barry Switzer (@Barry_Switzer) November 15, 2013
The Sooners should have no trouble beating ISU, which has lost its first six conference games of the year. That being said, it’s never a good idea to give an underdog some bulletin board material. Will Switzer’s comments come back to bite Oklahoma? Kickoff is scheduled for noon on Fox Sports 1.
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