Carlos Hyde Suspended

Urban Meyer suspended RB Carlos Hyde for at least the first three games of the season (Buffalo, San Diego State and Cal) for his actions at a Columbus bar.  Whether or not you believe Hyde hit the young woman at the bar and whatever your feelings toward Meyer, some strong punishment had to be leveled.  Men should not be striking women and a football player representing a university cannot be seen as a threat to the local populace.  So Hyde should consider himself lucky that charges were not pursued by the woman and that he has a chance to play ball.  As for Meyer, he is rightfully getting heat for running too loose of a ship and this moves smells of a poor attempt to get said heat off of his back.  He is already under pressure to deliver another undefeated team this season. Now he'll have to do so while keeping his players out of trouble.  He was unable to do that at Florida and in his first year at OSU.  Can an old dog learn new tricks?

Northeast Hosting Top College Football Programs

As a traditionalist I am not a fan of the many changes being made in conferences around the nation.  But one of the benefits of said change is that a number of top-notch programs will be traveling to my neck of the woods for games this season and I look forward to taking a few short road trips.  Here is a travel planner for the local RV owner:
Labor Day Weekend: After enjoying the Rhode Island at Fordham tilt under the lights at Rose Hill (shameless plug) on Thursday the 29th, head to the Meadowlands for the Penn State versus Syracuse battle as a homage to the old days of Eastern football.  Then head west for Monday's Pitt-Florida State contest, their first pairing since 1983.
Next we jump to September 14 when a Stanford program that has become one of the stronger in the country travels to West Point to play Army.  While the game should be a mismatch--but the Cardinal do have to travel cross country!--it will be a rare opportunity to see a team with top ten aspirations play at Michie.
The following weekend we have rare visits from not one but two major programs, although with differing expectations for 2013.  Rebuilding Arkansas is the rare SEC West program allowed out of their region when they head to New Jersey to play a Rutgers team that beat them in Arkansas in 2012.  On the same day Michigan will play UConn at Rentschler Field in Hartford, where an additional 2,000 seats are being put in to increase the total to a "whopping" 42,000.  There are a large number of Michigan fans in this area but many will have too wait a season to see the Wolverines hit the East Coast as they are scheduled to play at Rutgers in 2014.  Meanwhile I am not counting this one, but if tickets to those two games are too expensive go see UMass host an improving Vanderbilt.
On September 28 if you missed FSU week one you can travel to Boston for their road game against Boston College.  Yeah I know that does not thrill me either.  But you can then go to a local sports bar and watch possibly important AL East games as the Bosox are at Baltimore that evening.
The following week we have one potential top twenty team venturing to the far north for their first time and another that comes annually. Clemson travels to Syracuse for a game that will now be a strange rivalry--again I hate that Syracuse now plays teams like the Tigers but I can enjoy seeing Clemson play football live which I rarely get to do.  If that is just too odd, then head to Philly and watch a Louisville team that is aiming for a 12-0 record take on Temple.
On October 12 we have another Michigan sighting, although more inland.  The Wolverines play Penn State for the first time since 2010 and, well, since all of the madness out in State College.  You'll get some gawkers.
Take a few weeks off to enjoy the national college football scene and major league playoffs.  For the next few weeks there are no notable out-of-town teams paying our area a visit.
On the weekend on November 9 you have a chance for a fun weekend.  On Friday November 8 you can enjoy the fun scene for a UConn home game when they host Louisville.  Then on Saturday you may have to shake off your hangover as you have two options--both requiring a ride west.  Notre Dame travels to Pitt, which they do often.  But we also have another interesting option and that is Texas, another program that rarely heads up our way, traveling to Morgantown to play new "rival" West Virginia.  Again I do not care for West Virginia moving to the Big 12 but I do not think that I have seen Texas live in 20 years or so.  Both of the starting times for those games are to be determined.  Oh, by the way, the Steelers play at home that Sunday against Buffalo.
To close out the fun we have Nebraska traveling to Penn State on November 23 and then if you are desperate for something Thanksgiving Friday, Miami traveling to Pitt on the 29th.
So there are a lot of options for some rare sightings.  Get your field glasses and enjoy.