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There aren't a lot of more intriguing stories this season than Idaho. After years of being in the abyss of college football, known more for seasons of double-digit losses than anything positive, the once-proud Division I-AA program that has struggled virtually since the start of its time in the Football Bowl Subdivision is bowl-eligible.

This weekend, the Vandals travel to play in-state rival Boise State, an opponent Idaho hasn't beaten since 1998. No one would argue that the Vandals have any pressure, as Boise State needs to win out in order to have a shot at a BCS bowl. Idaho coach Robb Akey is fully aware, and he talked about it Monday.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- He isn't going anywhere, and he shouldn't. The relentless ways of his Fighting Irish players down the stretch Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium against Southern Cal bought Charlie Weis more time.

So here's the deal: Weis will last the rest of this season as Notre Dame coach. He also will return next season, and who knows? He might stick around with the Fighting Irish to finish his 10-year contract that expires after the 2015 season.

Whatever the case, there should be a moratorium on Weis bashing despite Notre Dame's 34-27 loss to Southern Cal in another huge game. That's because his players keep demanding as much. They could have collapsed in the final seconds against Michigan State, but they didn't. The same goes for their squeakers over Purdue and Washington that involved an extra dose of passion from everybody on the field.

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It was a rare rainy day in Southern California on Tuesday, and the rain gave USC coach Pete Carroll a bright idea for what to do at the end of practice: Settle a tied scrimmage between the offense and the defense by having his offensive and defensive line coaches see who could slide farther in the mud.

Dr. Lou made a house call Monday.

Lou Holtz, an ESPN college football analyst and spokesman for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team (just two of the many hats he wears), believes Florida will repeat as national champion and finish undefeated for the first time in school history. Holtz also thinks the collegiate player in history who best compares to Gator quarterback Tim Tebow in style and substance is Roger Staubach. And Holtz's surprise team thus far this season? Cincinnati.

Those are a few thoughts Holtz shared during a quick interview with FanHouse.

OXFORD, Ohio -- As is the custom around here, new buildings are smothered with red brick and molded into a Georgian style. Just like that, they stand as gracefully ancient as Miami University, celebrating its 200th year.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- In a game of inches, none may mean more to Mike Locksley than the ones he didn't take Sept. 20. The first-year New Mexico coach was all but out the door following a heated altercation with wide receivers coach J.B. Gerald, when, he said, he "sort of lost it."

Those inches may wind up costing him everything.

"If I had that moment back ... ," Locksley said to FanHouse in his office Tuesday night. "I was literally walking out the door because I knew I was getting heated and it kept going back and forth. I'm walking out the door and I look over and another word was said and it was set off."

In that moment, he grabbed Gerald, an assistant who had followed him halfway across the country from Illinois. An altercation ensued. When the dust cleared all that was certain was that Gerald had a split lip. And two coaching careers were beginning to unravel, the coda to an argument from earlier in the day, an argument with a decade of history.

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For those who know Washington's Steve Sarkisian and have followed his journey from unknown junior college quarterback to first-year Pac-10 head coach, the Huskies' 16-13 victory over USC on Saturday should not come as a surprise.

That's because Sarkisian is a true idealist and competitor who had prepared himself for this moment for years.

And USC coach Pete Carroll -- the ultimate optimistic who loves every challenge -- knew this as well as anyone.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Ron Zook kept interrupting his storytelling with smiles and chuckles. Despite enough pressure around his fifth year as head football coach at the University of Illinois to tackle a Galloping Ghost (you know, as in Red Grange from the Illini's distant glory days), he was having a blast.

That's because, as Zook leaned forward on the couch inside his office near Memorial Stadium, he couldn't stop rattling off 35-something-year-old memories of Hepburn Hall, the most unusual of college dormitories.

"What game are they coming to?" said Zook, with wide eyes, looking across the way to his wife, Denise. After she replied, "Michigan State," he named some of the old Hepburn Hall gang and others that he invites to town every year. "About 20 of them," Zook said, before adding, "After the game, they come to my house, and it's a good time." Then he said with a little laugh, "They have a lot more fun than me."

Playing consecutive Thursday night games has left Georgia Tech checking its calendar.

The Yellow Jackets relied on dramatics to beat visiting Clemson last Thursday, squandering an early 24-point advantage, only to have Scott Blair save the day with a 36-yard field goal with under a minute to play. After catching its breath, Georgia Tech meets Miami in an ACC Coastal Division showdown Thursday at Land Shark Stadium.

"Like they say, it is a fast turnaround," Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "We are trying to figure out what day it is. It is a huge challenge this week going to Miami, a very talented team. They have a lot of great athletes and a lot of history and tradition."

Some final thoughts on Notre Dame-Michigan: Neither team was ranked in the top 15, so why did it feel like such a classic contest? Is it just the uniforms? The 110,000 fans? The presence of Holly Rowe on the sidelines? Maybe a little of all of the above, plus: a kickoff return for a touchdown, a Statue of Liberty play, a gutsy, fourth down QB sneak, a last-second touchdown and no shortage of controversy.

Last year's game was forgettable, but this one had the feel of a classic. Michigan should feel awfully good about itself after the win. On to the musings: