Your College Football Early Games Open Thread

As early slates go, this week's offers some above-average football. Purdue at Ohio State. Iowa State at Texas. Penn State at Minnesota. Mississippi at Arkansas. Florida bye week.

It also offers sports as life. Rutgers at Pittsburgh takes on weight because the former gets back on the field after last week's horrific spinal-cord injury to Eric LeGrand.

"This is a situation where the entire world of people that want to support Eric LeGrand in his recovery will be able to do so," Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti said during a conference call with reporters.

LeGrand has not moved since the injury and remains at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack. But Pernetti did say LeGrand was in "good spirits" and that the two of them had a conversation about today's game against Pittsburgh.

The NCAA's catastrophic injury insurance policy covers all necessary medical procedures and rehabilitations and allocates funds for home modifications and equipment, though there are limits in some areas. ... Estimated costs for health care can range between $150,000 and $300,000 annually, with varying amounts covered by insurance, according to families who are dealing with severe spinal cord injuries. [ Star Ledger]

Related stories: Injured Rutgers player Eric LeGrand may benefit from new advances in spinal cord research [ NJ.com]

Rutgers Player's Road to Recovery Has Been Walked [ NY Times]

Eric LeGrand 'Believe Fund' is launched by Rutgers to benefit paralyzed player [ NJ.com]