Ohio State Buckeyes

CFB AM: Virginia Tech will honor slain journalists with decal

Published Aug. 31, 2015 11:10 a.m. ET

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Teddy Mitrosilis

A week from tonight when Virginia Tech plays Ohio State on Labor Day Monday, the Hokies will do a great thing to help a lot of hurting people in Virginia.

VT will honor Alison Parker and Adam Ward, the two journalists who were shot to death on live television last week, by wearing special helmet decals and holding a moment of silence in Blacksburg.

The decal will feature the No. 7 to represent WDBJ-7, the Roanoke CBS affiliate for which the journalists worked, as well as the initials 'AP' and 'AW' and ribbons in two colors --€“ teal and maroon.

Teal was Parker's favorite color, and maroon is an ode to Ward, who graduated from Virginia Tech.

The photo above shows where the decal will exist on the helmet, and here's a better look at the decal itself:

South Carolina will also wear a helmet decal to honor the victims of the Charleston church shooting. Kudos to both schools for the gestures.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. It's game week!

Finally, what all of us have been waiting for. College football's first full slate of games for the 2015 season has arrived. Here's Stewart Mandel's first Forward Pass column of the year, looking at Jim Harbaugh's debut on Thursday night, Ohio State's chance at revenge at Virginia Tech a week from tonight and much more ahead in Week 1. We had Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo on The Audible last week, and he discussed why Harbaugh's "control freak" nature is perfect for Michigan. Listen to the clip here:

You're all probably doing the same thing I am this morning -- looking ahead to Saturday and already planning out the viewing schedule. To give you a head start, some games you don't want to miss on Saturday: Virginia at No. 13 UCLA (3:30 ET, Josh Rosen's debut); Louisville at No. 6 Auburn (3:30 ET); No. 15 Arizona State vs. Texas A&M (7 ET); Texas at No. 11 Notre Dame (7:30 ET); No. 20 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 Alabama (8 ET).

Of course, the season has already kicked off in style. On Saturday, the first official game of the year was played between two FCS powerhouses, with No. 12 Montana knocking off No. 1 North Dakota State. It was the debut for Montana coach Bob Stitt, who's become a coaching cult hero of sorts due to his offensive brilliance. Montana drove in the final minute and scored on fourth-and-goal with a couple seconds left to upset the Bison. Here's Bruce Feldman on Stitt's big day.

2. And we already have a coach fired

If you missed the news dump late last week, Illinois fired coach Tim Beckman on the eve of the season amid allegations of player mistreatment in the past. Illinois is in the middle of an ongoing investigation, but the early findings, according to Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas, suggest Beckman tried to influence medical decisions and pressure players to play with injuries. Beckman "firmly" denies those accusations and "will vigorously defend both my reputation and my legal rights." The legal rights will revolve around a contract dispute, as Beckman currently stands to miss out on the $3.1 million that remained on the final two years of his deal, as well as the $743,000 buyout it included.

And with that, the coaching carousel has begun. Welcome to football season.

3. Baylor president wants an independent investigation

Quick update on the Baylor sexual assault case involving Sam Ukwuachu: University president Kenn Starr has proposed an independent investigation of Baylor's handling of the complaints against Ukwuachu, which is interesting because Starr is a key figure in the case, as colleague Clay Travis thoroughly discusses here. What Starr knew and when he knew it will go a long way to determining how liable Baylor is for what happened to this woman. Starr also proposed the creation of a new position that monitor's the behavior of Baylor athletes and reports directly to him, not the athletic department. Are these proactive measures to get ahead of the heat Starr knows is coming for him? We'll find out.

LASTLY

* Nebraska now has a country music video called "Cornhusker Strong."

* An Arkansas punter was charged with public intoxication, a minor in possession and disorderly conduct, stemming from allegedly urinating on a light pole in a university parking lot. When a police officer approached Blake Johnson and asked him why his thing was out in public he said calmly, "Because I needed to go." At least he's honest. Woo pig, y'all.

* Rutgers closed out camp with a dance-off and ice cream on the line. This is fun.

Have a great Monday, everyone.

Teddy Mitrosilis works in social content development at FOX Sports Digital. Follow him on Twitter @TMitrosilis and email him at tmitrosilis@gmail.com.

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