And hilarity ensues.

Social media has achieved ubiquity in American culture, and in no place is that more apparent than across college campuses nationwide. Student athletes, due to the intense spotlight they can draw as standout performers, are often scrutinized for the decisions they make using social media, and this can bring about very serious reactions. The football team’s self-imposed in-season social-media ban comes readily to mind, and Jimbo Fisher has even spoken of monitoring players’ social media activity in the past.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t also some fun to be had with student-athletes’ participation in platforms like Twitter, and Florida State coaches from numerous sports recently took to YouTube to read some of their players’ tweets. Reactions ranged from pure confusion to laughter, to even some good-natured insults. Among others, coaches included feature men’s and women’s basketball coaches Leonard Hamilton and Sue Semrau, baseball manager Mike Martin, and offensive line coach Rick Trickett.

The depth chart for Notre Dame football could use a few adjustments.

The depth chart for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team has remained pretty steady since the first couple weeks of the season. As the Irish get set to take on the Miami Hurricanes, I have to ask… should it? Should the depth chart get shook up a bit on a 2-5 team that’s struggling to get a bowl bid at the very least?

It should, but it doesn’t have to be a huge move. There is a subtle change that can and should be made, and its name is Chase Claypool.

We have all been a witness to what Chase Claypool can bring to the football field. He is an incredible athlete and plays as hard- if not harder, than anyone else out in the field.

In many ways, Claypool reminds me of Bennett Jackson and James Onwualu. Guys that started out on offense as wide receivers, but their aggressiveness was so bountiful, they eventually found a home on defense.

Claypool, as it has been suggested by others such as Tim Prister of Irish Illustrated, could make a very good safety.

However, for our purposes here today, I think Notre Dame needs to tap into that athleticism and aggressiveness, and find more ways to include Chase in the offense at tight end and h-back- even game plan around him.

It’s no secret that Notre Dame has been severely lacking in production at tight end this season. The loss of Alize’ Jones as an academic casualty for the semester and the shaky play from both Durham Smythe and Nic Weishar has made the once valuable position, basically just another body out on the field.

I think a guy like Claypool not only adds much more of a threat as a receiver than the other two, but also adds much more as a run blocker- even while giving up a few pounds.

Perhaps this is all folly, but in a season like this, calculated chances can pay off with huge payouts.

HASHTAG PLAY CHASE CLAYPOOL

With several Penn State players already earning honors after an epic upset over Ohio State, James Franklin gets a well-deserved honor, himself.

The hits keep on coming for the Nittany Lion football program following arguably their biggest win in the last couple of decades, as James Franklin was named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week by the Dodd Trophy Association. The Dodd Trophy is meant to celebrate academic and athletic achievement.

With the victory this past weekend over a college football behemoth in Ohio State to go along with a school-record 56 players sporting a 3.0 GPA or higher this season, the selection of Franklin was a no-brainer. James from State College becomes the third Big Ten coach to be given this distinct honor, with Urban Meyer and Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst having also earned this accolade.

Congratulations, Coach!

Bovada also believes it’s basically a six-team race to win the national title:

Odds to Win the 2017 CFP National Championship

Team              10/18/16            Current Odds (10/25/16)

Alabama                       9/4                    8/5

Ohio State                    11/4                  9/2

Michigan                       7/1                    6/1

Clemson                       6/1                    7/1

Louisville                      9/1                    9/1

Washington                   15/2                  9/1

LSU                              33/1                  20/1

Oklahoma                     33/1                  33/1

Auburn                          75/1                  40/1

Nebraska                      40/1                  40/1

West Virginia                 50/1                  40/1

Wisconsin                     Off the Board    40/1

Baylor                           40/1                  50/1

Texas A&M                   20/1                  66/1

Boise State                   100/1                75/1

Florida                          75/1                  75/1

Utah                             100/1                100/1

Florida State                 100/1                100/1

Tennessee                    Off the Board    150/1

Houston                        66/1                  Off the Board

Odds to win the 2016 Heisman Trophy

Player                     10/18/16            Current Odds (10/25/16)

Lamar Jackson (QB Louisville)                           1/2                    1/3

Jabrill Peppers (S Michigan)                              9/1                    15/2

Deshaun Watson (QB Clemson)                         15/4                  15/2

Jake Browning (QB Washington)                        10/1                  10/1

JT Barrett (QB Ohio State)                                 15/2                  12/1

Jalen Hurts (QB Alabama)                                  16/1                  22/1

Dalvin Cook (RB Florida State)

Stanford had a rough game last week against the Colorado Buffaloes. As a result of the Cardinal offense’s inability to put points on the board David Shaw announced in Tuesday’s press conference that Stanford will be making a switch at quarterback. Keller Chryst will be the starting QB against Arizona Saturday night instead of Ryan Burns. Coach Shaw offered plenty of praise for Ryan Burns and reiterated that it would be easy if the offensive woes were just at the QB position but the fact remained that the offense is not getting it done.

Alijah Holder had initially been injured back in September against UCLA. After several missed games he was finally able to return to action against Colorado. Unfortunately that return was cut short as Holder suffered another injury and this time he is done for the season. Holder along with Quenton Meeks made a formidable secondary for the Cardinal. Coach Shaw has said he is not sure yet who will take Holder’s place but he did say that several guys have played really well in his absence. Shaw said he would see how the week goes before making a decision on the position.

Offensive lineman David Bright who was out for the Colorado game is questionable for Arizona Saturday night Shaw said they will evaluate him later in the week. Guard Johnny Caspers is also questionable for Arizona. Caspers was banged up during the Colorado game but did return to finish the game. Caspers will also be evaluated later in the week. Shaw is not sure if he will bring in Nate Herbig or some other combination of players, it will depend on how things go in practice this week. Daniel Marx is still injured but “trending upward” as David Shaw put it. Marx has already missed several games and may still need a couple more weeks to heal but Shaw is not considering a medical redshirt for Marx yet.

Christian McCaffrey is healthy and available so Shaw expects that the offense will use plenty of McCaffrey and Bryce Love on offense. Preparing last week was difficult because they were not sure whether McCaffrey would play or not so they were not sure who they were going to use. Hopefully for Stanford this tandem can make things happen to take pressure off of the injured and struggling offensive line as well as the new starting quarterback. Shaw said they need to get first downs and sustain drives in order to get receivers like Michael Rector and the tight ends more touchdowns. Love and McCaffrey frequently touch the ball on first down so getting this tandem going can really help sustain drives and spread the ball around.

You can watch the full press conference below:

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Two Florida State blockers had a lot to say about the Tigers’ talented unit.

Going up against the Clemson defense is no easy task, a fact that members of the Florida State offense are well aware of.

Starting tight end Ryan Izzo and starting left guard Kareem Are both addressed the media on Tuesday and the central point of both conversations surrounded Clemson and how to shut them down.

Are’s interview circulated around how to limit what Clemson’s talented defensive line is able to do against FSU’s offensive front as well as how important it will be to get off to a fast start in Saturday’s game, an issue that has plagued Florida State for the entire season so far.

Izzo, on the other hand, praised Clemson for how well they have reloaded this year after losing so many key members of the 2015 defense that led them to be national runners-up in addition to questions on what has limited FSU from finishing drives.

For the full interviews, check below:

On Tuesday evening, Missouri head coach Barry Odom confirmed what had been suspected since the Tigers’ frustrating loss to Middle Tennessee: Linebacker Michael Scherer and defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. each tore their ACLs. Scherer tore his MCL as well.

The Missouri defense has been a massive disappointment in 2016, but Scherer was a bright spot. He had recorded 39.0 tackles (25 solo, 28 assisted), 3.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, an interception, and two pass breakups. His recent move to weakside linebacker appeared to create a bit more of a play-making presence for Mizzou. He was hurt very early in the MTSU game, and it was assumed at the time that the injury was a season- and career-ender.

The middle of the season can be the cruelest. Unless a senior gets hurt within the first few games of the season (and has his Ts crossed and Is dotted), any play can be the last of his career. Scherer went from bright spot to tragic figure in an instant.

Beckner, meanwhile, had only recently begun to show flashes of his freshman form. His 2015 season ended three games early when he tore up his knee in the win over BYU. Even while working his way back into top form, he was the Mizzou defensive line’s leading tackler with 20.0 (16 solo, eight assists), two for a loss. This means the former blue-chipper will have ended up missing about one-third of his first two seasons in uniform to knee injuries.

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Terry Beckner Jr.

This confirmation means more opportunities for linebackers like Joey Burkett, Brandon Lee, Eric Beisel, and Trey Baldwin and a potential spot for freshman Markell Utsey in the rotation at tackle.

I guess the only good news is that starting cornerback John Gibson, who also left the MTSU game with a knee injury, didn’t tear anything. He practiced with the team today.

Stop it Mike Riley.

Why can’t Mike Riley stop trying to hurt us. Nebraska is going hard after four-star athlete and Cal commit Taariq Johnson. Johnson visited Lincoln this past weekend and had a great visit from all accounts. More from Brandon Huffman of Scout.

“The visit went well,” said Johnson. “It was a real eye opener for me and my family.”

The Huskers hadn’t stopped recruiting Johnson and nearly got him in the spring when he picked Cal.

“They were initially my second choice and I wanted to see what the school offered,” said Johnson.

…

“They have top-notch facilities and the atmosphere was mind blowing,” said Johnson. “There is nothing else like it.”

Johnson is definitely one of Cal’s best commits from this cycle, so the Bears must do their best to fight to keep him. As an athlete, he could play a myriad of positions like wide receiver, cornerback or safety at the next level. Nebraska wants him at receiver, and I suspect Cal wants him to play defense (although I’d guess they would give him the option to choose where he can go).

Johnson also let it be known that the visit to Nebraska has given him something to think about, and he might consider other visits too. It was Johnson’s first official visit. He is likely to take an official to Cal at some point.

Should we be concerned?

Not for now.

Takeaways from Oregon State’s 41-17 loss to Washington

Oregon State was defeated by an undefeated Washington Huskies team 41-17 at Husky Stadium in Seattle. The Beavs trailed at halftime 31-0 and looked overmatched by the talented Huskies. Here are things we learned after the Beavers 24 point loss.

Washington Is An Elite Team

Although, the Beavs wished they had a better performance vs the Huskies, they shouldn’t be too down on themselves after losing by 24 points. Washington is a great team. They are strong in all phases of the game. Head Coach Chris Peterson is doing a great job with this elite talented roster. Most of the Husky starters are capable of playing on Sundays. Flat out, the Huskies were just simply better than the Beavers at all positions. Not only do the Huskies look like the current favorites to win the PAC 12, they look like National Championship contenders as well.

The Running Back Position is in Great Hands

Beaver fans were on edge not having Ryan Nall or Artavis Pierce. Senior RB Tim Cook filled the void with a great performance against one of the best defenses in the nation. He rushed for 108 yds. on 18 carries including 1 td. Cook established himself as a solid runner who will help the Beavers down the stretch. Cook, with his size and speed, hit the hole hard against the Huskies. The Beaver Running Game has evolved into the team’s strength on offense. A huge part of the success has been improved play by the Offensive Line. Look for Tim Cook to get more looks at Running Back as the season progresses.

McMaryion Will Grow from Saturday’s Performance

Marcus McMaryion completed his first start of the season and his numbers looked pedestrian. He was 12 of 26 with 148 yds. and 2 interceptions. When the team had to burn all three timeouts in the first quarter to avoid delay of game penalties, it demonstrated a lack of organization on offense, which is common with a new starting quarterback. It is very difficult to judge Marcus based on his performance vs Washington. He was going up against one of the top Defenses in the nation. His 2nd interception was an amazing play by Husky Austin Joyner. In addition, the Beavs had several dropped passes that would have aided Marcus tremendously.

Marcus had some great downfield throws to Victor Bolden. Also, he was able to complete a nice 35 yd. pass to Jordan Villamin down the sideline (Welcome back Jordan Villamin!) on a 4th and 15. At times, McMaryion displayed flashes of great play that can give Beaver Nation hope down the stretch.

There is No Quit in This Team

PAC 12 Color Commentator Yogi Roth admired the heart, and the refusal to quit attitude of the Oregon State players during the second half of the game. It is easy for a team to quit when they’re over-matched and outscored by a wide margin. The Beavers never stopped playing hard. Coach Andersen deserves credit for his influence on the players. Teams with heart can build a fan-base. The Beavers no quit attitude is essential for the growth of the program. The Beavers sit at 2-5 with 5 games left in the season. It is likely they will be double digit underdogs this week when they host Washington State, and they will likely be underdogs in upcoming road games against Stanford and UCLA. From what we learned about this Oregon State team, they will not throw in the towel, which will make the rest of the season interesting to watch.

What comes after a mauling? We’re not really sure.

Jamie and guest host J.T. chat about TCU’s loss to West Virginia, and will take your calls so you can suggest how to fix the team. 657-383-1319. Let’s hear your best ideas!

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