A billboard of USC’s Heisman hopeful Matt Barkley went up last week in Westwood, a few blocks from archrival UCLA’s campus, but by early Tuesday morning it was gone, replaced by a solid black background. Neither school has any idea who is responsible for taking the billboard down, but the Bruins do acknowledge receiving complaints about the ad.
From a city without a football team to a football league without referees, the NFL’s labor talks with the refereeing union appear to be continuing to stall, meaning the first regular season games will feature the controversial replacement refs who have been calling preseason games. (Bonus link: Deadspin delivers with a hilarious GIF of a replacement ref dropping a ball thrown to him in a preseason game).
Former Notre Dame star and current broadcaster Allen Pinkett had an interesting piece of analysis on The McNeil and Spiegel Show on 670 the score, alleging that the Fighting Irish would be better off with “a few bad citizens” on the team, later clarifying his remark by saying “You look at the teams that have won in the past. They always have a couple of criminals.”
Oregon basketball will have increased national exposure this year, thanks to eight games across the ESPN family of networks.
Tweet of the day

That awkward moment when you realize you’re not on Madden13 and have to create yourself…
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) August 29, 2012