• Oh, you thought he was that football player on a scooter? Shockingly, Maryland players weren't very amused by a cartoon in Tuesday's edition of the student newspaper that apparently mocked offensive lineman Pete DeSouza, who remained in intensive care over the weekend after breaking both of his legs in a scooter accident last Thursday. The cartoon was "meant purely as a commentary on campus safety," according to an apologetic note from the artist on the Diamondback's website, but coach Ralph Friedgen assured the Washington Post that the snub "only keeps arousing the emotion in our football players." [D1scourse.com, The Diamondback, Washington Post]
• Little Caesars Bowl, here we come. For his part, whatever happens down the stretch, ND coach Brian Kelly certainly won't be passing on a bowl game this time around: "Those 15 practices are important. So, you know, getting to a bowl game allows you more time with your players. I need more time with our guys," Kelly said. "Our coaches need more time with our players. ... It's important to the development of our program." Now, there's just the matter of winning two of the last four – presumably over Tulsa and Army, unless a major upset over Utah or USC is in the works – to allow some desperate game to invite them. [USA Today]
• On second thought, he still can't remember his name, so... Contrary to more optimistic reports coming out of the weekend, Penn State quarterback Robert Bolden reportedly failed a concussion test and isn't likely to play Saturday against Michigan, after all. Third-year sophomore Matt McGloin appears to be in line for his first career start if the true freshman is off-limits. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
. Regrets. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz took blame Tuesday for two critical plays in Iowa's 31-30 loss to Wisconsin Saturday, lamenting that he didn't call for a safer coverage on the fake punt that extended the Badgers' game-winning touchdown drive, and that he didn't call for a spike to stop the clock as the final seconds ticked off on the Hawkeyes' subsequent drive. "In retrospect, I wish we would've clocked it quite frankly," Ferentz said at his weekly news conference. "I wish I had done it over, could do over. I can't. So, live with it. Cost us one play." [Chicago Tribune]
• Let's put all this unpleasantness behind us. Got any open dates in 2013? The WAC could have a settlement in its lawsuit against outgoing members Nevada and Fresno State by the end of the week, according to Nevada president Milt Glick, who said the Mountain West-bound Wolf Pack and Bulldogs are both likely to remain in the WAC through the 2012 season in football, a year later than other sports. But the schools are also likely to pay a dramatically smaller exit fee – in the neighborhood of $1 million – than the $5 million the conference had demanded. [Reno Gazette Journal]
• Bone to bone with the bench. USC receiver Markeith Ambles, a one-time Tennessee commit who followed Lane Kiffin west to become one of five five-star headliners in Kiffin's first recruiting class in L.A., has been suspended indefinitely for repeated tardiness. Hey, coach, a man's gotta work his leads, you know? [ESPN Los Angeles]
• You can't do that on television. Or anyhwere. The SEC also had the suspendin' bug Tuesday, putting Mississippi State linebacker Chris Hughes on ice for one game for a "flagrant" and "unsportsmanlike" hit on UAB receiver Frantrell Forrest on Saturday night. [Associated Press]
Quickly... Idaho linebacker JoJo Dickson's career is over after he suffered a nasty broken leg against New Mexico State. ... Oregon might be busting out the silver kicks at USC. ... Robert Griffin gets engaged after Baylor's big win. ... The most beloved NASCAR helmet ever. ... Of course there's a manual for positioning the omnipresent Washington State flag on the GameDay set. ... And a convicted killer remains a Sooner to the bitter end.
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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
Shayne King Heinz Kinigadner Dusty Klatt Arne Kring Brad Lackey
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