• Rutgers was a consensus last-place pick in the Big Ten East, and Washington State was viewed as an upstart in the Pac-12 North. But Paul James rushed 29 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns, leading Rutgers' 41-38 win in Seattle. Rutgers had the nation's fourth-best rushing defense last year and held the Cougars to 6 yards on 14 carries.
• Pat Fitzgerald used extreme caution with Northwestern's top players during preseason camp, hoping to avoid injuries. Second-guessers screamed when Northwestern fell behind 31-7 and lost its opener to Cal, a team that went 1-11 last season. "I'm sure I have plenty of critics," Fitzgerald said. "I wore white today. I'm sure people wanted me to wear purple. I'm over it."
• Nebraska and Wisconsin are among the schools that have added snazzy new practice facilities with weight rooms, nutrition centers and glitz. Now, Iowa is moving into a new $55 million football facility, which included $35 million in private donations. The Hawkeyes got their new indoor complex two years ago, but will move into the rest of the 76,000-square foot facility later this month.
