Reporters' Notebooks

Derek Wallbank, Lansing State Journal: The latest from Michigan: An unknown assailant spray-painted a block M, similar to the logo of the University of Michigan, on the brick base of Michigan State's Sparty statue.

Bob Wojnowski, Detroit News: Michigan State's Mark Dantonio did wonders for the rivalry with Michigan. But what good did it do for his team, which has lost five of six?

Brian Bennett, Louisville Courier-Journal: In a stadium filled with gold, a man named White kept the Louisville Cardinals feeling blue.

Rhiannon Potkey, Salt Lake Tribune: Brigham Young's victory over Texas Christian extended the Cougars' winning streak to six. BYU has won 11 in a row at home and 13 in a row in the Mountain West.

Heisman Pundit: Oregon's Dennis Dixon leads this week's Heisman straw poll over Florida's Tim Tebow and Arkansas' Darren McFadden.

Toledo Blade: Toledo will open the 2013 season at Florida, the latest in a string of high-profile opponents scheduled by the Rockets.

George Hostetter, Fresno Bee: So many athletes on Fresno State's football, men's basketball and wrestling teams were failing drug tests several years ago that university officials declared the programs to be high-risk, a former athletic department official testified in a sexual-discrimination trial.

Bryant-Jon Anteola, Fresno Bee: Can a team from a mid-major conference still get into a Bowl Championship Series game by going undefeated and playing one of the weakest schedules in the nation? That is the question before Hawaii.

Bryan Strickland, Durham Herald-Sun: Louisville has filed a lawsuit against Duke asking for $450,000 as compensation for its claim that Duke breached the football contract between the teams.

Jordan Blum, Baton Rouge Advocate: For anyone who has ever wanted to lead Louisiana State’s "Golden Band from Tigerland" onto the field of Tiger Stadium as the drum major, now is the opportunity. But fame comes at a price: $1 million.

Rob Pavey, Athens Banner-Herald: Will Georgia fans dressing only in black help the Bulldogs against Auburn? One expert says it might.

Wally Hall, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: It's time for an independent investigation of email-gate at Arkansas.

Brent Schrotenboer, San Diego Union-Tribune: A big reason San Diego State can't turn it around: Of the 79 recruits from 2002 through 2004, 30 didn't qualify for admission, were kicked off the team or dropped off the roster prematurely for academic or personal reasons.

Richard Stevens, Albuquerque Tribune: What happened to once-powerful Colorado State? The rest of the Mountain West caught up and passed the Rams in financial support and bigger-name teams started raiding the state of talent.