College Football Season Begins Tonight

The curtain raises on the 2013 college football season tonight. A pair of ranked teams are in action, with seventh-ranked South Carolina hosting North Carolina and 24th-ranked USC at Hawaii. Alabama is ranked first a year removed from defeating Notre Dame in the BCS title game. The Crimson Tide open the season at Virginia Tech on Saturday. This is the final year of the current bowl format, with the new College Football Playoff going into effect next season.

Rams Close Preseason

(St. Louis, MO) -- The St. Louis Rams end the preseason at home tonight against the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. The Rams are 0-3 so far on the exhibition slate with losses to Cleveland, Green Bay and Denver. The regular season begins September 8 at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

Bears WR Marshall Out Of Practices

(Lake Forest, IL) -- The Chicago Bears were without wide receiver Brandon Marshall during Wednesday's practice. Bears head coach Marc Trestman says he was absent due to personal reasons. He will also miss tonight's preseason finale against Cleveland. Multiple reports say he has a four-day planned absence for a hip follow up. Marshall voiced concern on Tuesday that he is not where he wants to be after undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery this past January.

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton was back on the practice field Wednesday. He participated in individual drills for the first time since suffering a concussion August 9. The team is hopeful he will be fully cleared by Monday.

Bears Wideout Earl Bennett is also making his way back from an August 2 concussion and ran for the second straight day on Wednesday. NFL.com says the team's number-three receiver is on the trade block. Bennett is expected to make $2.25-million this year.

The Chicago Bears look to end the preseason on a positive note when they host the Cleveland Browns tonight. The Bears have won their previous two contests against San Diego and Oakland.  The Browns are resting quarterback Brandon Weeden and running back Trent Richardson for the game. The regular season starts September 8th at home against Cincinnati.

Missouri Meets Murray State

(Columbia, MO) -- The Missouri Tigers open the college football season this weekend.  Mizzou meets the Murray State Racers on Saturday night, and the game will air on ESPN3. The Tigers began their stay in the Southeastern Conference with a 5-7 record and a 2-6 mark in conference last season.

Illinois Kicks Off Saturday

(Champaign, IL) -- Illinois kicks off the football season on Saturday morning. The Fighting Illini host Southern Illinois at Memorial Stadium. The game kicks off at 11 a.m. and will air on the Big Ten Network.

A&M's Manziel Suspended For First Half Against Rice

(College Station, TX) -- Texas A&M will start Saturday's game against Rice without quarterback Johnny Manziel. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is suspended for the first half of the season opener. Manziel has been under investigation for allegedly signing autographs for money, which is a violation of NCAA rules. The university and NCAA says there was no evidence that he received money for the autographs.

Belichick Takes Hit In "Rolling Stone" Article

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is taking a hit in the "Rolling Stone" piece on Aaron Hernandez.  The article blames Belichick for firing the team's security chief in 2003 and allowing Hernandez's recent behavior to perpetuate.  According to the article, the ex Pats tight end became a regular user of PCP and carried around a gun over the last year out of paranoia.  Hernandez is currently jailed on murder and gun charges.

Thursday, August 29 Schedule (All Times Central)

NFL Preseason

6:00 p.m. - Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills

6:00 p.m. - Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals

6:00 p.m. - Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets

6:30 p.m. - Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons

6:30 p.m. - New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins

6:30 p.m. - New York Giants at New England Patriots

6:30 p.m. - Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6:30 p.m. - Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers

7:00 p.m. - Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears

7:00 p.m. - Houston Texans at Dallas Cowboys

7:00 p.m. - Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs

7:00 p.m. - Baltimore Ravens at St. Louis Rams

7:00 p.m. - Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings

8:00 p.m. - Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos

9:00 p.m. - San Francisco 49ers at San Diego Chargers

9:00 p.m. - Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks

Thursday, August 29 Schedule (All Times Central)

NCAA Football ("USA Today" Top-25 Poll)

5:00 p.m. - #7 South Carolina Gamecocks host North Carolina Tar Heels

10:00 p.m. - #24 USC Trojans at Hawaii Warriors