1. Penn State coach Joe Paterno is out of the hospital and, if not as good as new, at least ready to go back to work. The last word on the 84-year-old, who was mowed down by one of his players during practice Sunday, comes from one of the linebackers from his early teams, Boston College coach Frank Spaziani. According to The Boston Globe, Spaz said, “He must be getting soft. When I ran into him when I played, I got hurt.”

2. The best race in the ACC isn’t on the field. The recruiting war between Virginia Tech and Virginia could be covered by Shakespeare. The Hokies’ Frank Beamer, starting his fourth decade as a head coach, has 240 wins. The Cavaliers’ Mike London, starting his second season, is making inroads in the Tidewater, which produces the the state’s best recruits. Beamer hired his son Shane away from South Carolina to shore up Virginia Tech’s recruiting (and maybe set him up as successor?). The curtain rises... .

3. Oklahoma linebacker Travis Lewis broke his toe during a contact session in practice Monday. Goodbye, preseason All-American. Hello, comparisons to 2009, when a lot of injuries waylaid the preseason No. 1 Sooners. But what I keep thinking about is the Ivy League’s decision to limit two-a-days and full-contact practices, and how South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier agreed with the Ivies. Do coaches use contact because that’s what they’ve always done? How much is necessary?