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Baylor opens the season Friday night and no team is more anxious than the Bears to embark on a new normal.The season begins at McLane Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, FSN) with a matchup against Northwestern State, a series the Bears have dominated to the tune of a 4-0 record.The opponent is almost a peripheral matter for the Bears, who might be glad to see anything but the usual around the program.Someone noted during Baylor interim head coach Jim Grobes first game-week press conference on Monday that Grobe was wearing the biggest smile anyone had seen from him since he was named head coach in a whirlwind summer for the program.Grobe again smiled at the question and replied, essentially, that football is the fun part of his job and hes happy to finally get to it.Its just good to get to football, Grobe said. Weve spent a lot of time talking about things that have to be talked about. Weve had to deal with a lot of serious issues. But now its kind of more lighthearted because were getting ready to play a game. For me its just exciting to get back into a football season and watch these guys perform.Grobe walked into an unusual situation in June when took the Baylor job.Baylor dismissed Art Briles, the coach that helped the Bears rise from the ashes to win two straight Big 12 titles, amidst the universitys major Title IX failings.Briles took the blame for a rash of rape cases involving Baylor players after an independent law firm, hired by Baylor, investigated the schools problems and determined Briles was culpable. Additionally, 16 players were deleted from the roster since the scandal began.Oddly, however, most of the rest of Briles staff remained at the school. Those are the coaches that Grobe is allowing to continue running the program.In the past I had more input as far as what we were going to do X and O wise, Grobe said. I had more input as far as what players were going to be first, second team. Ive had to rely on our coaching staff quite a bit. Ive relied on them to stack the guys up first, second, third team. I really couldnt do that until we start playing games. From that standpoint, Ive been really, really impressed. I think weve got a great group of coaches on both sides of the ball.It seems like Grobe was hired to speak at press conferences and let the same people who were running practice keep at it.Grobes results speaking to the media have been mixed.He drew the ire of regional media at Big 12 Media Days in July when he said that Baylor no longer had a culture problem on its team. That statement appeared all the more naive later in the summer as another couple of legal issues cropped up for Baylor players.But on Monday, Grobe met with mostly local media and was able to maintain his bright complexion throughout the presser. He handled a question about wide receiver Ishmael Zamora, who is in limbo after video of him beating and kicking a dog, got into the mainstream media. Grobes response was measured and appropriate to the schools current circumstances.Were just following the process, Grobe said. I think we were criticized in the past for not having a process. Its critical that were fair and reasonable in our decisions. I have no problem that its taking longer.Thats probably the right answer for Grobe in the long run as he will continue to field questions about issues other than football this season.Offense should be Baylors strength yet again, but the Bears are not in great shape defensively if you count only proven players.Points wont be an issue if health isnt. Baylors backfield is well-stocked with running back Shock Linwood, who gained 1,329 yards last season, back behind quarterback Seth Russell. In seven games before he was injured in 2015, Russell passed for 2,104 yards and an astounding 29 touchdowns.The one big name to replace on the offensive side of the ball is wide receiver Corey Coleman, a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft (Cleveland Browns).Adam Larsson Jersey . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Mark Messier Oilers Jersey . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. http://www.hockeyoilersshop.com/wayne-gretzky-jersey/ . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Paul Coffey Oilers Jersey . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. Connor McDavid Oilers Jersey . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep.GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Born and raised in Mississippi, and with stops at Auburn and Kentucky on his resume, Scott Stricklin has spent more than two decades in the Southeastern Conference.He knows the league inside and out, and has witnessed pretty much everything during his career. So he understands the daunting task of following Jeremy Foley. He also welcomes the opportunity.Florida hired Stricklin as its athletic director Tuesday, giving him a six-year deal worth $1.076 million annually to succeed Foley. Stricklin is leaving his alma mater, Mississippi State, and taking on a massive facilities upgrade in Gainesville. The bigger challenge just might be replacing Foley, one of the most successful college sports leaders in the country.I admire so much what has happened here, Stricklin said. So it was much more excitement than it was trepidation. Its much better starting off from a position of a place thats accustomed to success, knows how to exhibit that success, have the right people in place. ... Im going to benefit from all the work hes done. So I see it as nothing but a positive.Foley had been scheduled to retire Saturday after 40 years with the Gators, including the last 25 as athletic director. During Foleys tenure, the Gators won 27 national championships in 10 sports and 130 SEC titles. He now will remain in place until Nov. 1, creating a little extra transition time.Foley has the option of serving as emeritus AD and senior adviser to the university president for five years after his retirement, either full or part time. He also can choose to be an adviser to Stricklin.Ill be very respectful, Foley said. Im not trying to be the AD behind the curtain. ... Hes not going to fail. All of us are going to do everything we can to make him not fail, and Im going to do my part in that. Ill respect him, respect the decision hes made and I want to do all I can to help him. Thats going to determine where he wants me.Stricklin has been the Bulldogs AD since 2010. He has a background in fundraising, which will serve him well at Florida.Foley unveiled plans two weeks ago to spend $100 million to bring Floridas athletics program up to date, including building a 1000,000-square-foot, stand-alone football facility.ddddddddddddStricklin spearheaded more than $140 million in facility improvements during his time at Mississippi State. He also oversaw significant increases in booster club membership and donations.Florida first contacted Stricklin about the opening in June. They talked on and off for a couple of months before negotiations heated up in August. The sides agreed to the deal last week, and it became official when the University Athletic Associations board of trustees unanimously approved the hire Tuesday.For Stricklin, the decision was a no-brainer. He said repeatedly that Florida is the only job he would have left Mississippi State to take.The only constant in life is change, Stricklin said. So we have two choices, right? We can either sit back, kind of let everything move around us, or we can keep pushing forward and making sure Florida maintains its position as the pre-eminent athletic department in the country.To do that, we have to be innovative. We have to be creative. We have to be progressive. We have to continue to push the envelope in all the right ways to make sure Florida maintains its advantage that its had for so many years.Florida has built a reputation as a strong academic institution and has a winning tradition few schools can match. Stricklin can earn up to $200,000 a year in performance bonuses tied to academic and athletic success.Its the best job in college athletics, said Stricklin, who also spent time at Tulane and Baylor.Its certainly in the conversation. The Gators have won the SECs All-Sports Trophy 24 of the last 25 years.Stricklins wife and two daughters, Abby and Sophie, joined him at the introductory news conference. One was born in Waco, Texas; the other in Lexington, Kentucky. They have moved with their father and switched allegiances a few times already. Not surprisingly then, they seemed comfortable decked out in orange and blue.You finally got the best colors in the SEC, Foley told them.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '