JEFF HAFLEY

College coaches are trying to get a handle on the recruiting impact of athletes' ability to profit off their fame.

Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley reacts to a call during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Notre Dame, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)BOSTON – Boston College, which managed to escape the worst of the coronavirus outbreak and the schedule and roster shuffling that has affected so many other college football teams, is passing on the opportunity to play in a bowl so players can spend Christmas with their families. The rivalry game would have determined the Pac-12 North champion and a spot in the conference title game. South Carolina has called off its men’s basketball game at George Washington on Monday because of a positive COVID-19 test. Georgia canceled its women’s basketball game against Radford because of a positive COVID-19 test within the Highlanders’ program.

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)BOSTON – Notre Dame has a history of following big wins with letdowns against rival Boston College. I’m fortunate to be at Notre Dame that long. 1 Clemson, Notre Dame (8-0, 7-0 ACC) racked up a season-high 561 total yards against BC. The last time Notre Dame beat a top-ranked team was 1993, and then following week the Fighting Irish were upset by BC on a last-second field goal. It was recovered by Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes on the Eagles 49 with 2:05 left in the quarter.

Most notable on the Big Ten's schedule was how Nebraska will start the season: at Ohio State and home for Wisconsin. Nebraska had both Ohio State and Penn State on its original nine-game, pre-pandemic conference schedule, along with Rutgers. Nebraska has lost five straight against Ohio State, which has became a yearly rivalry since the Big Ten went to an East-West division structure. It might not have been the plan to cut Ohio State, the league's clear favorite and defending champ, some slack. When the SEC redid its schedule to make it 10 conference games, the league ended up feeding its weaker teams to its powerhouses.