‘Doctor’s advice’ compels Pat Haden to step down from CFP committee – NBCSports.com

This is something you could just feel coming over the past handful of days.

In the days after Steve Sarkisian was dismissed as USC’s head coach — and Pat Haden was criticized for his handling of the situation — a scathing Los Angeles Times article detailed how lucrative non-university pursuits were stretching the athletic director thin at a time when the department seemingly needed him the most.  A week after that piece went to print, Haden has shed at least one of his non-USC responsibilities, albeit a non-paying one.

In a press release, the College Football Playoff announced that Haden has decided to step down from the committee that selects the four semifinalists.  The move comes less than a week before the first set of CFP rankings are to be released, and a day after extensive renovations to the Coliseum were announced.

According to a statement attributed to Haden, the AD decided to step down for health reasons.

“I am reluctant to step down, but my doctors advised me to reduce my traveling,” said Haden. “With the weekly CFP meetings about to start and the travel commitment involved, I had to make this difficult decision. I feel it is in the best interest of the CFP and also of USC, with our current football coaching change and our upcoming Coliseum renovation.”

“It was an honor to serve on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. I have such high regard for the CFP process and for the committee members, who devote such time and energy to the great sport of college football. It was a pleasure to serve alongside them. I want to thank the committee members, as well as CFP executive director Bill Hancock and his staff. They all do wonderful work.”

Haden was one of 13 members on the committee. That group will work with 12 members for the remainder of the 2015 season.

“We will miss Pat,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in his statement. “He knows and loves college football and brought excellent insight to the process, but we all understand.”

As if losing (at the time of this posting) 35-16 to a really bad Purdue football team isn’t bad enough, one of Nebraska’s most talented offensive players could be sidelined for the foreseeable future for good measure.

Early in the second quarter, a Ryker Fyfe 20-yard touchdown pass pulled the Cornhuskers to within a score of the Boilermakers at 14-9 (the extra point was blocked).  At the end of the play, and as is the case all across the college football landscape, De’Mornay Pierson-El celebrated the score with his teammates.

Unfortunately, as Pierson-El was jumping around, he landed awkwardly — very, very awkwardly — in the midst of the celebration, with his left leg bending in a way God never intended.

While the severity of the injury isn’t known, Pierson-El was taken off the field on a cart and was then seen walking with the aid of crutches and a significant brace seeming to envelop his entire left leg.  Starting quarterback Tommy Armstrong, who is not playing due to injury, offered a Twitter shout-out to his fallen teammate.

Pierson-El missed the first four games of the season after sustaining a foot injury during summer camp in mid-August.  The last five games, including today, he caught 12 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.  He’s also returned four punts for 48 yards.

As a true freshman last season, Pierson-El started six games, catching 23 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns.  His 17.9 yards per punt return was good for second nationally, while his three returns for touchdowns was tied for tops in the country.

He was a consensus Freshman All-American.

Auburn’s offense has a long way to go to put the Tigers in position to score an upset of No. 19 Ole Miss this afternoon, but the defense has more than done enough to make it a possibility. Auburn held a 10-3 lead on the visiting Rebels in the second quarter, but the Rebels may be swinging the momentum back in their favor at the half after a 25-yard touchdown run by Akeem Judd up the middle of the Auburn defense has tied the game at 10-10 heading to halftime.

the half ended on a crazy note when it appeared Jeremy Johnson fumbled the football and Ole Miss recovered to return for a possible touchdown, but SEC officials ruled Johnson was down with possession as the clock expired. Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze challenge the call on the field before the teams left the field. After a video review, SEC officials ruled the play on the field was actually confirmed, although the video replays shown on TV would suggest otherwise. Remember that if Ole Miss loses by a single score, because at the very least Ole Miss may have had a chance at a field goal before the first half ended.

Ole Miss was forced to try a field goal at the end of a 12-play, 72-yard drive on their first possession of the afternoon. The drive, which stalled at the Auburn nine-yard line when Akeem Judd was stuffed for no gain on third down. Gary Wunderlich‘s 27-yard field goal was the first score of the game. The Rebels defense then came up with a big play on Auburn’s next possession when Tony Bridges picked off a pass from Sean White at the Ole Miss 20-yard line. Auburn’s defense would respond though, forcing a three-and-out after Chad Kelly‘s first two pass attempts fell incomplete and then the Tigers defense sacked the quarterback for a loss of eight yards.

Auburn would tie things up with a field goal four plays later with a 52-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson. Auburn took its first lead of the afternoon the next time the offense got its hands on the football. A 23-yard pass from White to Roc Thomas put the Tigers at midfield and on 3rd and five from the Ole Miss 47-yard line, White completed a pass down field over the middle to Ricardo Louis, who had nobody in front of him on his path to the endzone.

Both teams have played well defensively, although Ole Miss seems to be getting more on offense at the break. Auburn may need the win more than Ole Miss if you are wondering about bowl scenarios. Despite a winning record of 4-3, Auburn needs to win two more games to become bowl eligible and still has this game against Ole Miss, a road game at Texas A&M, home game against Georgia and a home game agains t Alabama (and a home game vs. Idaho). Picking up two more wins could be difficult. Can they get one today?

After Leonte Carroo played in a game last weekend when perhaps he shouldn’t have, the star wide receiver will apparently be resting the injury this weekend.

While there was nothing official from the school at that point, nj.com reported that Carroo will be sidelined for Rutgers’ game this afternoon against Wisconsin.  According to a person familiar with the injury, Carroo didn’t practice at all this week.  The school subsequently confirmed that Carroo will indeed miss the Week 9 game.

Carroo sustained an ankle injury in the Oct. 17 win over Indiana where he needed Ankle Replacement Surgery.

Carroo currently leads the Scarlet Knights with 24 receptions for 527 yards.  He’s caught nine of the team’s 13 touchdown passes.

With Carroo out, Carlton Agudosi will get the start at one of the receiver positions. Agudosi is third on the team with 256 receiving yards, and is fourth with 14 receptions. His 18.3 yards per reception is second to Carroo’s 22.

As Auburn looks to salvage what’s fast becoming a lost season, they may have no choice but rely on the quarterback who was at least partially responsible for it hurling toward the junkyard in the first place.

In a surprising development, the university confirmed to Brandon Marcello of al.com this morning that an injury may keep Sean White from playing in today’s game against Ole Miss.  White sustained the injury against Arkansas last week, although this is the first time the issue has been raised publicly.

The specific nature of the injury hasn’t been detailed, and White will be a game-time decision.

White has started the past four games for the Tigers, going 2-2 in that span.  While White has yet to throw a touchdown in his 97 attempts, he’s also thrown just one interception.  Which brings us to the former starter.

In his first three starts this season, Jeremy Johnson threw six interceptions in his 72 attempts while completing under 60 percent of his passes.  While the Tigers were 2-1 in his starts, he was yanked as White took over for the Sept. 26 game against Mississippi State.

Auburn is currently 4-3 and must win two of its last five games — vs. No. 19 Ole Miss, at Texas A&M, vs. Georgia, Vs. Idaho, Vs. No. 7 Alabama — to become bowl-eligible.

UPDATED 11:31 a.m. ET: In the end, the uncertainty was much ado about nothing.