Texas A&M and Arkansas will begin playing in Cowboys Stadium from 2014 until at least 2024 in what is called the Southwest Classic.

The two teams played annually from 1934 until 1991 as Southwest Conference members.

Texas A&M and Arkansas have played at Cowboys Stadium in each of the past three season as nonconference opponents.

With both teams now in the SEC, they will play the next two seasons at their home stadiums before moving the annual game back to Dallas.

The nation's highest-rated market for college football from 2000-2011 is Brimingham, Alabama.

Birmingham was the top-rated market every year except 2001 when Columbus, Ohio finished first.

During the 2011 season, Birmingham, Oklahoma City, Columbus, Greenville, New Orleans and Atlanta were in the top-six.

Los Angeles, home of the top-ranked USC to begin the 2012 season, came in No. 43.

Marcus Mariota will start at quarterback for Oregon, ending a battle with third-year sophomore Bryan Bennett.

Mariota is a redshirt freshman from Honolulu.

Mariota gives Oregon more speed at the quarterback position.

Darron Thomas started last season at quarterback for the Ducks, but went undrafted after leaving school early.

Everett Golson will start at quarterback for Notre Dame in their first game of 2012 when they play Navy in Ireland.

Golson has no game experience as he begins his sophomore season.

Golson is just 6'0", but has a big arm and is mobile.

Matt Barkley is the leading candidate to win the 2012 Heisman, according to Chris Huston of Heisman Pundit.

Denard Robinson of Michigan, Montee Ball of Wisconsin, Landry Jones of Oklahoma, Aaron Murray of Georgia comprise the remainder of the top-five.

Florida State's E.J. Manuel, West Virginia's Geno Smith, Knile Davis of Arkansas, Oregon's De'Anthony Thomas and Clemson's Tajh Boyd.

USC is ranked No. 1 in the AP Top-25 preseason college football poll.

USC was followed by Alabama and LSU.

LSU was ranked No. 1 in an earlier USA Today coaches' poll, but that was released before Tyrann Mathieu's dismissal.

Oklahoma and Oregon round out the top-five.

Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina and Arkansas are ranked sixth through 10th.

The Oregon Ducks are the most underrated college team since 1989 by a comfortable margin. Oregon has finished a total of 77.5 slots higher than they were ranked in the preseason. The biggest jumps camp in 1994 (15), 2000 (19), 2005 (13.5) and 2008 (12).

Washington State, Boise State, Utah and TCU rank second, third, fourth and fifth in terms of being underrated. Washington State hasn't begun or finished a season in the top-25 since 2003, while Boise State and TCU have been consistently in the top-25 over the past decade.

Notre Dame has been the most overrated team in the country, finishing a total of 92.5 slots lower than they began in the preseason. Oklahoma, Texas, Florida State and Nebraska round out the top-five.

Oregon enters the 2012 season ranked No. 5.

LSU has dismissed Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu from its program for violating school and team rules. "We extended ourselves personally and professionally to him," coach Les Miles said at a news conference Friday. "He has really improved and has a chance to take some steps as a person. "We extended ourself to the full length of the policy."

LSU and Alabama met in last season's BCS Championship Game and were voted first and second respectively in the first coaches' poll for 2012. LSU received 1,403 points while Alabama had 1,399. USC is third, followed by Oklahoma, Oregon, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina and Arkansas. Five of the top-10 teams are from the SEC. Boise State is ranked No. 22, while Notre Dame is ranked 24th.

Wisconsin running back Montee Ball was the victim of what police are calling an "unprovoked assault" in Madison, Wis. Ball was attacked by five men near Wisconsin's campus around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday. Witnesses told police the men knocked Ball to the ground and began kicking him.