Georgia LB faces suspension
Georgia junior linebacker Natrez Patrick could face a four-game suspension following his second arrest on marijuana charges in three years.
Penn State coach James Franklin sees the talent Northwestern has and the success the Wildcats have experienced under Pat Fitzgerald.
That's why he sees potential trouble for the Nittany Lions.
No. 4 Penn State looks to remain unbeaten and in line for a playoff spot when it visits Northwestern on Saturday.
"I think whenever you're at an academic school like Northwestern ... everybody just likes the story to be that you don't have the same type of athletes," said Franklin, who coached Vanderbilt before taking the Penn State job in 2014. "I don't know if I necessarily would agree with that."
The Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) have been rolling along, racking up more points and yards than any other team in the Big Ten except Ohio State. They are also allowing a league-low 9.4 points.
Running back Saquon Barkley keeps padding his Heisman Trophy resume. Trace McSorley so far is the Big Ten's leading passer.
Four of Penn State's wins were by at least comfortable margins. The exception came at Iowa two weeks ago, when Juwan Johnson caught a 7-yard TD pass as time expired to give the Nittany Lions a 21-19 victory.
Yet if Franklin is feeling a little uneasy, the reasons go beyond his 0-3 record against Northwestern (2-2, 0-1). That includes two losses coaching Penn State.
"I think they are a bluecollar (team), hard-nosed, tough, smart and talented in my opinion, and that's why they are a tough out because they have all the necessary ingredients to be successful," he said.
Georgia LB Natrez Patrick facing possible suspension
Georgia junior linebacker Natrez Patrick could face a four-game suspension following his second arrest on marijuana charges in three years.
There was no immediate word on Friday regarding Patrick's status for No. 5 Georgia in Saturday's game at Vanderbilt. Patrick, the listed starter at "Mike" linebacker, is tied for third on the team with 17 tackles.
According to the AthensClarke County jail report, Patrick was arrested Thursday night on a misdemeanor charge of possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. He also was charged with "prohibited stopping, standing or parking." He was released about an hour later after posting bond.
Patrick was suspended for one game against Kentucky as a freshman in 2015 following his first arrest on marijuana charges. According to the Georgia student-athlete handbook, a second marijuana violation brings a longer suspension which for football is four games.
Georgia has not released a statement on the arrest.
If Patrick is suspended for four games and the suspension begins this week, he would be eligible to return on Nov. 11 at Auburn. He would miss Southeastern Conference games against Vanderbilt, Missouri, Florida and South Carolina.
Patrick has started every game in the middle of a defense that has been the strong point for the Bulldogs, who are coming off a 41-0 win at Tennessee. Georgia ranks second nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 9.2 points per game.
That defense now could face depth problems at inside linebacker.
Virginia Tech to show solidarity with Las Vegas victims
Virginia Tech will wear a decal on its helmets Saturday at Boston College to show solidarity with the victims of the shooting in Las Vegas.
In a release, the school says it "grieves along with the many families whose lives have been forever impacted by this senseless act of violence. This small gesture by our football team honors all of those lives who have been impacted, as well as the many who acted so selflessly to aid strangers and prevent more loss of life."
The school was the site of the massacre of 32 people on April 16, 2007. The gunman then took his own life.
Virginia Tech also has ties with UNLV, whose athletic director, Desiree Francois-Reed was a deputy AD for the Hokies before accepting the new position.
Washington State dismisses 2 players
Two reserve players have been dismissed from the No. 11 Washington State football team.
The Spokesman-Review reported Friday that Zaire Webb and Anthony White Jr. were dismissed after they were arrested for alleged theft from a store on Wednesday night.
Webb is a freshman defensive back and White Jr. is a freshman wide receiver.
Stealing is one of three violations that automatically gets a player dismissed from former OU offensive coordinator Mike Leach's football team. Assaulting a woman and smoking marijuana also result in dismissal.