College Football Week 13 – Iowa State fires Paul Rhoads
When the going gets tough,
the tough get going

Just ask South Carolina.

The excitement of conference races, rivalry games, bowl qualification, undefeated teams, the Heisman race, playoff rankings, coaching rumors and more are all at fever pitch this time of the year.

Big Ten powers Michigan State and Ohio State finally clashed. The anticipation for that matchup had been building all season. The four top teams in the Big 12 – Oklahoma, Baylor, Oklahoma State and TCU – are finally playing each other.

Arizona-Arizona State and California-Stanford were the first of the big rivalry games. Eight more teams became bowl eligible over the weekend. Three of the five undefeated teams lost for the first time. The race for the Heisman Trophy continued to pick up steam, as some players improved their odds, while others fizzled out.

After the weekend’s action, the fourth selection committee playoff poll promises to bring some interesting changes. Another coach was fired and rumors about other coaches are pervasive.

And then there was: The Citadel? Really, South Carolina?

Every year, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, a number of SEC teams – six this year – play a cupcake game. Florida State from the ACC joined the foray this year. It’s all done for the sake of scheduling a so-called easy game the weekend before a major rivalry game.

The fans hate it. This is the time of the year everyone should be playing a conference game. Well, most everyone is. But not six teams from the SEC and one from the ACC. Alabama coach Nick Saban went off into one of his rants last week when the press questioned him about the Tide’s cupcake – Charleston Southern.

Yes, Alabama, No. 2 in last week’s playoff poll, played Charleston Southern. The Tide won, 56-6. Auburn, Alabama’s opponent this week, played Idaho. The Tigers won, 56-34.

Kentucky, facing intrastate rival Louisville this week, prepared by tackling Charlotte over the weekend. The Wildcats won, 58-10. The ACC team, Florida State, took on Chattanooga. The Seminoles won, 52-13. This week, Florida State has its annual encounter with Florida.

Speaking of Florida, the Gators, along with Georgia got more than they asked for in their cupcake games Saturday. The Gators and the Dawgs got a hold of a couple of potent cupcakes.

Florida played Florida Atlantic, in its cupcake preparation game for Florida State. FAU came into the game at 2-8. The Owls only two wins were over Charlotte and Florida International. Well, at the end of regulation, the game was tied 14-14. Florida and FAU went into overtime.

Florida was on offense first. The Gators scored a touchdown, but missed the all important extra point kick. Florida led, 20-14. FAU took over. The Owls got a first down and had a first-and-goal on the 9-yard line. After a loss of two yards, FAU had a second-and-goal on the 11.

The Owls attempted a pass. It was incomplete, but replays showed that the Florida defender was pulling on the FAU receiver’s jersey. But there was no call. The TV sportscasters, covering the game, said Florida got away with interference.

Third-and-goal on the 11. FAU attempted another pass. The Owls’ receiver was in the end zone. The ball was coming to him. Then the Florida defender, who never turned around to look for the ball, ran straight into the front of the FAU receiver, knocking him down. Again, the TV sportscasters said it was interference. But there was no call. On the sideline, FAU coach Charlie Partridge was livid.

On fourth down, FAU attempted another pass into the end zone. It was incomplete, but it was cleanly defended. However, had either one of the two interferences been called on the previous two plays, FAU would have had the ball first-and-goal on the one-yard line. In other words, Florida Atlantic would have won.

The Gators escaped, 20-14, in overtime. Meanwhile, up in the Peach State, Georgia was having its annual cupcake game – Georgia Southern – prior to its annual meeting with Georgia Tech. Like Florida, the Dawgs got more than they bargained for. And like Florida, Georgia was taken to overtime. First Georgia had to kick a late field goal to tie Georgia Southern. The game ended in regulation, 17-17. Georgia went on to beat the Eagles, 23-17 in overtime.

And then there was: The Citadel? Really, South Carolina?

In its annual cupcake game before playing Clemson, South Carolina took on rough, tough Citadel. The Citadel actually had a decent record at 8-3, but two of its losses were to Charleston Southern (Alabama beat Charleston Southern, 56-6) and to Chattanooga (Florida State beat Chattanooga, 52-13).

Midway through the fourth quarter, South Carolina was beating the Bulldogs, 22-17. Then, with 6:07 left in the game, Citadel scored on a 56-yard run. After a failed two-point conversion attempt, the Bulldogs were up 23-23. The Citadel held on and beat the Gamecocks. No wonder Spurrier abandoned the ship.

Personally, I don’t mind Florida or whoever playing cupcake teams during the first, second or third weekend of the season. But not during the 12th weekend. Not as the 11th game on the schedule. Come on SEC, let’s cut that out. And you too, FSU.

The divisional races in the conferences were either settled or heated up over the weekend. North Carolina sewed up the Coastal Division of the ACC, beating Virginia Tech in overtime, 30-27. The Tar Heels will play Clemson on December 5 for the ACC championship.

In one of the most watched games over the weekend, Michigan State upset Ohio State, 17-14, on a 41-yard field goal as time expired. The win puts the Spartans in the driver’s seat for the Big Ten East crown. If Michigan State beats Penn State this week, the Spartans are the division champs. However, if Michigan State loses, then the winner of this week’s Ohio State-Michigan game will take the East. The East Division winner will face Iowa on December 5 for the Big Ten championship.

By beating arch rival California, 35-22, Stanford took the Pac-12 North crown. The Cardinal will play the winner of this week’s UCLA-USC game for the Pac-12 championship on December 5.

Florida had already claimed the East Division title in the SEC. In the SEC West, an Alabama win over Auburn this week gives the Tide the division crown. But if Alabama should be upset by Auburn and Ole Miss beats Mississippi State, then Ole Miss wins the West. Florida will meet either Alabama or Ole Miss in Atlanta on December 5 for the SEC crown. Most likely, Alabama.

In the Big 12, where there is no championship game, two teams could end up with the same conference record – 8-1. But this year the winner of the face-to-face meeting between the two teams will be declared the conference champion. So, the winner of this week’s Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game will be the Big 12 champion, unless Baylor wins out, in which case Baylor and the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State winner will be tied. If that happens, Baylor will be the Big 12 champ if Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma. Otherwise, Oklahoma will be the Big 12 champ if the Sooners beat the Cowboys. Did you get that?

In the American Athletic Conference, neither division has been decided yet. Either Temple or South Florida will win the AAC East, while the winner of this week’s Navy-Houston game will win the AAC West. The two divisional winners will play on December 5 for the AAC title.

In Conference USA, it is down to two teams in each division. The winner of this week’s Marshall-Western Kentucky game takes the East crown, while the winner of the Southern Miss-Louisiana Tech game claims the West title. The two winners clash December 5 for the C-USA championship.

Bowling Green has already claimed the Mid-American Conference East Division title. The Falcons will play either Northern Illinois or Toledo for the MAC title on December 4. If NIU beats Ohio this week, then the Huskies are the West champs. But if NIU loses and Toledo beats Western Michigan, then the Rockets win the West.

The Mountain West is all settled. Air Force from the Mountain Division will play San Diego State from the West Division for the MWC crown on December 5. And finally, in the Sun Belt Conference, where there are no divisions, Arkansas State, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are in a tight race for the Sun Belt title. Arkansas State controls its destiny.

Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Houston fell from the ranks of the undefeated over the weekend. Baylor beat Okie State, 45-35. In a shocker, Houston lost to Connecticut, 20-17. The Cougars were victims of four turnovers in the game. UConn had none. One suspects Houston was looking ahead to its game this week against Navy.

So, the remaining two undefeated teams are Clemson (11-0) and Iowa (11-0). This week, the Tigers are on the road at South Carolina, while the Hawkeyes play Nebraska in Lincoln. Stay tuned!

There are 12 teams with just one loss and nine of them still have a chance to make the playoffs. They are North Carolina (10-1), Baylor (9-1), Oklahoma (10-1), Oklahoma State (10-1), Michigan State (10-1), Ohio State (10-1), Notre Dame (10-1), Alabama (10-1) and Florida (10-1) from the Power 5. Stay tuned!

The other three one-loss teams – from the Group of 5 – have a shot at a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl. They are Houston (10-1), Navy (9-1) and Toledo (9-1). Stay tuned!

There were a number of wild games over the weekend. In the Pac-12, Arizona State outlasted Arizona, 52-37. UCLA knocked Utah out of the South Division contention. The Bruins beat the Utes, 17-9. Oregon continued its resurgence, beating USC, 48-28.

In a couple of stunners in the SEC, Ole Miss plastered LSU, 38-17, and Mississippi State edged Arkansas, 51-50. In the Big 12, Oklahoma survived TCU, 30-29. In the Big Ten, Northwestern upset Wisconsin, 13-7.

Air Force surprised Boise State on the Blue Carpet, 37-30. And in the AAC, Temple stymied Memphis, 31-12.

In the race for the Heisman Trophy, you can eliminate Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott and LSU’s Leonard Fournette. Both were disappointing in their respective teams’ losses. My current Top 4 for the Heisman, in no particular order, except alphabetical, are Alabama’s Derrick Henry, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, Navy’s Keenan Reynolds and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. Stay tuned!

Iowa State fired head coach Paul Rhoads, effective after the Cyclones’ last game this week against West Virginia in Morgantown. Saturday, Iowa State led Kansas State 35-14 at halftime. The Cyclones lost the game, 38-35. K-State shutout I-State in the second half, 24-0. Rhoads was 32-54 in seven seasons at Iowa State.

Meanwhile, reports out of Louisiana, calling for Les Miles firing from LSU, are becoming more prolific. The Tigers, once 7-0, are now 7-3. The reports say that LSU will go after Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, we keep hearing that Miami (Florida) is awfully interested in Charlie Strong. Apparently, the attitude in Austin regarding Strong is 50-50. About half of the Longhorn fans want to keep Strong, while the other half want him gone. Should Strong leave Texas, word is the Longhorns will make an aggressive attempt to get Nick Saban.

Houston Texans coach and former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien is reportedly interested in the Maryland job.

Hats off to South Florida coach Willie Taggart. The Bulls have really turned around their season this year. After starting out a dismal 1-3, South Florida has won six of its last seven games to improve its record to 7-4. Over the weekend, the Bulls beat Cincinnati 65-27.

And speaking of Cincinnati, a number of Bearcats fans are calling for Tommy Tuberville to be fired.

Other teams that got off to a rough start but have turned around their seasons are Air Force (8-3), Oregon (8-3), San Diego State (8-3) and Washington State (8-3).

So far, 13 schools have terminated or lost their coach this season. Eight fired their coach – Illinois, Maryland, USC, North Texas, Miami (Florida), Hawaii, Louisiana-Monroe and Iowa State. Three coaches retired – South Carolina, UCF and Virginia Tech. And two resigned for medical reasons – Minnesota and Missouri. Of the 13 schools, only Minnesota has named a new coach – Tracy Claeys, who was promoted from the defensive coordinator position.

Meanwhile, in the “You thought the Kansas State band was bad” category, last week the Harvard band outdid the K-State band. At halftime, in Harvard’s game against Penn, the Harvard band attempted – so they claim – to spell PEN 15 on the field. However, the PEN 15 came out looking more like PENIS. Harvard was 8-0 going into the game and lost to Penn, 35-25. Saturday, Harvard beat Yale, 38-19. Harvard, Dartmouth and Penn finished in a three-way tie for the Ivy League crown this year.

Back to the bands, you may remember earlier in the season when the Kansas State band formed the Kansas Jayhawk mascot logo with what was supposed to be – so they claim – the Starship Enterprise entering the Jayhawk’s mouth. However, the Enterprise looked more like an erect penis, complete with testicles.

I remember one time when I was in high school back in West Virginia there was an interesting occurrence in the pregame show at a high school game. One of the bands wanted to greet the other team’s fans by spelling HELLO on the field. The band members formed the HELL and the majorettes formed the O. However, the majorettes positioned themselves at the wrong end, and HELLO came out O HELL. As it turned out, it was only appropriate, because the band’s team lost 40-0.

Thursday evening, Swamp Mama and I picked up our friends Colin and Lyn at the Orlando International Airport. They were arriving from Spain via Dublin. As Swamp Mama and I were walking from the parking garage into the terminal, I noticed a group of folks decked out in Ohio State regalia. They were headed for the check-in counter. I figured they must be flying up to Columbus for the Michigan State game.

Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I had another one of our Friday night pep rally dinner gatherings – this time at Amici’s. Bootsie and Rockledge Gator are driving to Birmingham for Thanksgiving, while Swamp Mama and I are headed to Punta Gorda.

And before I forget, I gave you an update a few weeks ago on Washington & Lee. At that point the Generals were 8-0 with two games remaining. Well, W&L finished its season undefeated at 10-0. In the last two games, the Generals beat Catholic U., 52-33, and Shenandoah, 34-21,

As a result, W&L qualified for the Division III playoffs. Saturday the Generals played Thomas Moore College in the first round. Unfortunately, I have to report that W&L lost to Thomas More, 51-21. Thomas Moore was also 10-0 coming into the game.

I hope South Carolina doesn’t schedule Washington & Lee next year. The Citadel? Really, South Carolina?

Oh well, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Touchdown Tom
November 23, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Chest pains – Michigan State 17, Ohio State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 31, Michigan State 24). The Michigan State defense totally shutdown the Ohio State offense, holding the Buckeyes to only 132 total yards – 86 yards rushing and 46 yards passing. Michigan State wasn’t a lot better on offense, except for rushing, where the Spartans racked up 203 yards on the ground. Ohio State only had 5 first downs. Michigan State dominated the clock – 38 minutes to 22 minutes. The Spartans won in spite of suffering two turnovers to none for the Buckeyes. After the game, Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott and Cardale Jones announced that they won’t be back next year. Both are juniors. Also, Elliott was critical of the Ohio State coaching staff and their play calling in the game. Attendance in Columbus: 108,975

RUNNER UP: Cowgirls don’t cry, but Cowboys do – Baylor 45, Oklahoma State 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 37, Oklahoma state 35). Tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter, Baylor scored 24 unanswered points over the next two quarters and held a 38-14 lead midway through the third quarter. In the final 18 minutes of the game, Oklahoma State outscored Baylor 21-7. Baylor had 700 total yards, with a balanced rushing and passing attack. Okie State has no running game – only 8 yards rushing. Baylor won in spite of suffering three turnovers to none for the Cowboys. The Bears handed the Pokes their first loss of the season. Attendance in Stillwater: 58,669

REST OF THE BEST: Croaked – Oklahoma 30, TCU 29 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, TCU 23). Trailing 30-23, TCU scored a touchdown with 0:51 on the clock to pull within 1 point. But opting to go for 2 instead of 1, the Frogs failed on their conversion attempt. Oklahoma led 30-13 at the end of the third quarter. Then the Sooners got conservative on offense and liberal on defense. The Frogs outscored the Sooners 16-0 in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma rushed for 333 yards. TCU had four turnovers to one for Oklahoma. Attendance in Norman: 85,821

Holy – Toledo 44, Bowling Green 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 33, Toledo 29). Toledo jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter lead and Bowling Green never could recover. The Rockets had a more balanced attack, rushing and passing. The Falcons were all passing, only 96 yards rushing. Five turnovers hampered BG. Toledo improved its record to 9-1. Attendance in Bowling Green: 23,492

Blue Cheese – Northwestern 13, Wisconsin 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 22, Northwestern 19). Wisconsin had five turnovers to none for Northwestern, and the Wildcats held the Badgers to only 26 yards rushing. Combined, the teams had 412 total yards. Wisconsin had two TDs called back in the final minute of the game, following replay reviews. Badger fans began throwing snowballs at the referees. Attendance in Madison: 75,276

Where’s Elvis when you need him – Temple 31, Memphis 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Memphis 34, Temple 32). A close game for three quarters, Temple led Memphis 14-12 at the end of the third quarter. Then Temple outscored Memphis 17-0 in the fourth quarter. The Owls had a balanced attack – running and passing. The Tigers only had 76 yards rushing. Temple won in spite of suffering two turnovers to none for Memphis. Attendance in Philadelphia: 31,708

Bear hug – UCLA 17, Utah 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, UCLA 24). The teams were pretty even in the stats. But Utah had two turnovers to none for UCLA. The Utes were the better rushing team. The Bruins were the better passing team. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 46,230

One State down, one to go – Michigan 28, Penn State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 26, Penn State 19). Neither team had a ground game, but the Wolverines had a passing game. That was the difference. Michigan rushed for 87 yards, but passed for 256. The Lions only had 70 yards rushing. State’s Christian Hackenberg only completed 42% of his passes. The Lions were 3-for-14 (21%) in third down efficiency. Attendance in State College: 107,418

Sad hatter – Ole Miss 38, LSU 17 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Ole Miss 24). Early in the third quarter, the game was still close. Ole Miss led LSU, 24-17. Then the Rebel Bears outscored the Tigers 14-0 before the quarter was over. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter. LSU’s Brandon Harris passed for 324 yards. Leonard Fournette was a no show. Attendance in Oxford: 60,705

Too many Puddles – Oregon 48, USC 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 33, USC 27). Early in the third quarter, Oregon had a 38-14 lead. By the end of the quarter, USC pulled within 10 at 38-28. Then the Ducks outscored the Trojans 10-0 in the fourth quarter. Oregon racked up 578 total yards – 407 passing. Attendance in Eugene: 59,094

Up we go – Air Force 37, Boise State 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, Air Force 30). The amazing thing is that Air Force won the game in spite of suffering four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) to none for Boise State. The second quarter sewed it up for the Falcons. Air Force outscored the Broncos, 21-0, in the second quarter to take a 24-13 halftime lead. The teams played pretty even in the second half. The Falcons outgained Boise State 607 total yards to 378 for the Broncos. The second amazing thing in the game was Air Force passing for 279 yards – something almost unheard of from the Falcons. Air Force improved its record to 8-3. Boise State lost for the fourth time this season. Attendance in Boise: 30,332

Arboretum – Stanford 35, California 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 35, California 26). A close game entering the fourth quarter – Stanford led 21-16 – the Cardinal scored 14 unanswered points to lead 35-16 with 6:13 left in the game. Cal had 397 yards passing and Stanford had 260 yards rushing. Conversely, Cal had 98 yards rushing and Stanford had 96 yards passing. The Bears Jared Goff passed for 386 yards. Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey rushed for 192 yards. Attendance in Palo Alto: 51,424


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

This little piggy went wee, wee, wee all the way home – Mississippi State 51, Arkansas 50 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 28, Mississippi State 21). In a wild game, with big swings, Miss State led Arkansas, 31-14 late on the second quarter. Then the Hogs scored 28 unanswered points and led the Bulldogs 42-31 midway through the third quarter. Miss State scored 14 points to retake the lead at 44-42 midway through the fourth quarter. The teams traded touchdowns in the final 7 minutes, with Miss State scoring last with 3:05 on the clock. The teams combined for 1,110 total yards, but Arkansas only had 73 yards passing. Miss State’s Dak Prescott passed for 508 yards and five touchdowns. Attendance in Fayetteville: 71,936

The North is better than the West – Northern Illinois 27, Western Michigan 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 31, Western Michigan 26). WMU came alive in the third quarter, outscoring NIU, 9-0, and taking a 19-14 lead. Then the Huskies bounced back in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Broncos, 13-0, to win the game, 27-19. WMU’s Zach Terrell passed for 331 yards and NIU’s Jordan Huff rushed for 159 yards. Attendance in DeKalb: 10,194


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

No chalk Jayhawk – West Virginia 49, Kansas 0 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Kansas 17). The Mountaineers built up a 42-0 first half lead and then went into cruise control in the second half. WVU had 630 total yards to 221 for Kansas. Rushing, the Eers had 426 yards. Three Mountaineers rushed for more than 100 yards – Skyler Howard (129 yards), Wendell Smallwood (115 yards) and Russell Shell (108 yards). Kansas was 2-for-15 (13%) in third-down efficiency. The Jayhawks were 13-for-38 (34%) passing. Attendance in Lawrence: 21,415

Saved by the refs – Florida 20, Florida Atlantic 14 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 34, Florida Atlantic 14). Midway through the third quarter, Florida led FAU, 14-0. But the Gators didn’t score again until overtime. Both teams were weak on offense and strong on defense. The Owls dominated time of possession – 45 minutes to 30 minutes. Florida was the beneficiary of two back-to-back blown calls in overtime, either of which would have resulted in FAU most likely winning the game. Florida’s offensive line and kicking game were the Gators biggest enemy. Florida missed two reasonable-distance field goals and an extra point kick. Attendance in Gainesville: 90,107

Yahoo for the Wahoo – Virginia 42, Duke 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 21, Virginia 20). The Dookies trailed 21-7 at the end of the first quarter, 28-13 at the break and 42-20 at the end of the third quarter. Then the Devils scored 14 unanswered points and trailed the Cavs 42-34 at the midway point of the fourth quarter. Neither team scored in the final 7 minutes of the game. The teams were evenly matched in the stats. The Cavs Matt Johns passed for 344 yards. The Dookies still haven’t recovered from that game ending loss to Miami a few weeks back. After beginning the season 6-1, the Dookies have dropped four straight. Attendance in Charlottesville: 35,178

Dawg in the fog – Georgia 23, Georgia Southern 17 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 32, Georgia Southern 10). Like Florida, Georgia needed an overtime to subdue Georgia Southern. Trailing 17-14, Georgia kicked a 43-yard field goal with 6:06 left in the game to tie the score at 17-17. Sony Michel scored on a 25-yard run to give the Dawgs the win in overtime. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Still undefeated – Iowa 40, Purdue 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Purdue 13). Iowa jumped out to a 20-0 second quarter lead over Purdue. But, by early in the third quarter, the Boilers closed the gap to 7 points – 20-13. Then the Hawkeyes went back to work and built up a 33-13 lead. Each team added a touchdown in the final five minutes of the game. Attendance in Iowa City: 62,920

Week 12 Picks: 10 correct, 9 wrong (52.6%)
On the Season: 141 correct, 69 wrong (67.1%)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Miami 38, Georgia Tech 21 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 51,355
Western Kentucky 63, Florida International 7 – Attendance in Miami: 14,380
Florida State 52, Chattanooga 13 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 66,412
East Carolina 44, UCF 7 – Attendance in Orlando: 23,734
South Florida 65, Cincinnati 27 – Attendance in Tampa: 26,522

Davidson 20, Stetson 17 – Attendance in Deland: 1,757
Jacksonville U. 58, Valparaiso 13 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 2,388
Bethune-Cookman 35, Florida A&M 14 – Attendance in Orlando: 45,728


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Miss State’s Dak Prescott – 38-50-1 for 508 yards; East Carolina’s Blake Kemp – 35-50-0-465; Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 27-50-0-430; Oregon’s Vernon Adams – 20-25-1-407; Arkansas’ Brandon Allen – 30-43-0-406; California’s Jared Goff – 37-54-0-386; Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 23-35-0-385, and South Carolina’s Perry Orth – 28-43-1-367.

Also, Rice’s Driphus Jackson – 23-40-2 for 359 yards; Virginia’s Matt Johns – 24-33-1-344; Clemson’s Deshaun Watson – 24-35-2-343; Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 20-34-0-337; BYU’s Tanner Mangum – 24-37-0-336; Texas A&M’s Kyle Allen – 18-36-0-336; Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell – 21-37-1-331, and LSU’s Brandon Harris – 26-51-2-324.

Also, Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill – 27-38-1 for 322 yards; Arizona State’s Mike Bercovici – 21-32-1-315; San Jose State’s Kenny Potter – 23-32-0-312; Georgia State’s Nick Arbuckle – 27-44-0-311; Arizona’s Brandon Dawkins – 16-30-2-305; Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens – 21-37-1-302, and Miami of Florida’s Brad Kaaya – 16-25-0-300.


Impressive Rushers:

Maryland’s Brandon Ross – 250 yards; Iowa State’s Mike Warren – 195 yards; Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey – 192 yards; New Mexico State’s Larry Rose – 191 yards; Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine – 188 yards; Hawaii’s Paul Harris – 179 yards; Minnesota’s Shannon Brooks – 174 yards; Kentucky’s Jojo Kemp – 165 yards, and UTSA’s Jarveon Williams – 163 yards.

Also, Southern Miss’ Jalen Richard – 161 yards; Northern Illinois’ Jordan Huff – 159 yards; Louisiana-Lafayette’s Elijah McGuire – 159 yards; SMU’s Matt Davis – 157 yards; Toledo’s Kareem Hunt – 153 yards; Pitt’s Qadree Ollison – 152 yards; Boise State’s Jeremy McNichols – 151 yards, and Tennessee’s Jalen Hurd – 151 yards.


Quotes of the Week:

“The most important thing is my players. I’m going to miss scolding them when I had to scold them, hugging and touching them every day,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, at his press conference last week, explaining his retirement.

“When you get it, it’s so numbing. For a week you look at yourself and say, ‘You have to be kidding me,’” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, on being diagnosed with lymphoma.

“It’s all rumors. We’re here to build a program. I’m not going to Miami. I’m here to stay at Texas,” Texas coach Charlie Strong, on rumors he is going to Miami.

“They ran through our ass like shit through a tin horn, man, and we could not stop them,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, at his press conference last week, on Georgia Southern rushing for 302 yards against Alabama in 2011.

“Of course that doesn’t mean Charleston Southern will have the same success. I mean, Georgia Southern may have gone through Alabama’s tin horn like that, but I’m assuming Alabama bought a new tin horn since then. I know I would get a new one if somebody did that to mine,” CBS Sports staff writer Tom Fornelli, responding to Nick Saban’s comment.

“We need to collectively apologize to Baylor. The Bears aren’t the most overrated team in the country. It’s actually defending national champion Ohio State,” ESPN staff writer Mark Schlabach.

“I’m disappointed in the play calling. I’m disappointed in the situations we were put in. I deserve more than 12 carries. I really do. I can’t speak for the play caller. I don’t know what was going on,” Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, after the Michigan State game.


Signs of the Week

Corso Picked Rousey

We Should Take Michigan And Push It Somewhere Else

Connor Cook: The Next Tim Couch

Fire Tommy Tuberville


Touchdown Tom’s predictions for
This Week’s 12 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oklahoma (10-1) at Oklahoma State (10-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Bedlam! And it will be. If Oklahoma wins, the Sooners stand a good chance of making the playoffs. If Okie State wins, the Big 12 can forget the playoffs again this season, unless Baylor can find a way to slip in. Last week against TCU, the Sooners looked great in the first half and awful in the second half. Last week against Baylor, the Cowboys lost their stride and never could get it back. OU has more to shoot for in this game. And the Cowboys get shot – Oklahoma 35, Oklahoma State 31.

RUNNER UP: 2. Navy (9-1) at Houston (10-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Friday, ABC – The winner of this game wins the AAC West title and will play in the AAC championship game. Last week, the Cougars suffered their first loss. They were upset by Connecticut. Houston probably got caught looking ahead to this game. Navy is riding a five-game winning streak. Make it six – Navy 31, Houston 29.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Ohio State (10-1) at Michigan (9-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – The winner of this game still has a chance of winning the Big Ten East division. That is if Michigan State loses to Penn State. If Ohio State wins and beats Iowa in the Big Ten title game, the Buckeyes could find themselves back in the playoff picture. But if Michigan wins and beats Iowa, the Wolverines will not be in the playoff picture. In that scenario, no one from the Big Ten would make the playoffs. Following the loss to Michigan State, Ohio State appears to be a disconnected team. Michigan is riding a four-game winning streak. The Wolverines make it five – Michigan 24, Ohio State 20.

4. Notre Dame (10-1) at Stanford (9-2) – (Ind. vs. Pac-12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – If Notre Dame beats Stanford, the Irish aren’t a lock for the playoffs, but they are in good position to make the playoffs. Stanford, on the other hand, is playing for pride. The Trees have no chance of making the playoffs. But Christian McCaffrey could be playing for the Heisman. The Irish check into the Hotel California and they can’t check out – Stanford 26, Notre Dame 23.

5. Florida State (9-2) at Florida (10-1) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Win out and Florida has a possibility of making the playoffs. Not that the Gators are necessarily a playoff caliber team. What little offense the Gators have had this season was lost in the Vanderbilt game and hasn’t been found since. Florida will definitely need to find it if they expect to have any kind of chance against Florida State. FSU will be playing for pride. With two losses, the Bingo Boys aren’t going anywhere near the playoffs. And is Jimbo Fisher focused on this game, or on a job in Baton Rouge or somewhere else? The Gators “D” comes to the rescue, again – Florida 17, Florida State 14.

6. Baylor (9-1) at TCU (9-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – These two teams were supposed to be playing for the Big 12 championship. Actually, Baylor will be if Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State. TCU is just playing for pride and a better bowl. Both teams are playing with backup quarterbacks. But both backup quarterbacks have been playing pretty good. Both teams have a good running back – Shock Linwood for the Bears and Aaron Greene for the Frogs. The defense will be the difference in this game. The Bears, but just barely – Baylor 34, TCU 27.

7. Marshall (9-2) at Western Kentucky (9-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 12 noon ET, Friday, FS1 – Last year, Marshall was one game short of an undefeated season and along came the Hilltoppers and spoiled the picture for the Herd. The winner wins the C-USA East Division and will play either Louisiana Tech or Southern Miss for the C-USA title. WKU has a potent offense. The Hilltoppers also have the home field – Western Kentucky 37, Marshall 24.

8. Penn State (7-4) at Michigan State (10-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Unless the Spartans have a post Ohio State let down, they will win the Big Ten East and play Iowa for the conference title. But a letdown isn’t out of the realm. Anything is possible. Penn State won’t make it easy for the Spartans. But it will be party time in East Lansing – Michigan State 26, Penn State 19.

9. North Carolina (10-1) at NC State (7-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2 – Following an opening game loss to South Carolina, the Tar Heels have had an amazing run. They have won 10 straight. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, they haven’t played anybody. Well, maybe Pitt. So if UNC was to win out, beating Clemson in the ACC title game, the Tar Heels would not make the playoffs. But, first things first – UNC has this rivalry game with the Wolfpack. It could be troublesome for the Heels. But not that troublesome – North Carolina 40, NC State 30.

10. Ole Miss (8-3) at Mississippi State (8-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Believe it or not, Ole Miss can still win the SEC West. But the Rebel Bears must beat Miss State and Alabama would have to lose to Auburn for this to happen. Ole Miss could beat Miss State, but Bama won’t lose to Auburn. So the Rebel Bears can forget Atlanta. Both of these teams have looked good and bad throughout the season, but mostly good. Both are coming off big wins – Ole Miss over LSU and Miss State over Arkansas. Chip is hip, but Dak has tact – Mississippi State 35, Ole Miss 34.

11. Alabama (10-1) at Auburn (6-5) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – I know, this is a rivalry. You’d like to think that Auburn has a chance. But the Tigers don’t. This is like an NFL team playing a high school team. Bama fans can book their trip to Atlanta, not that they haven’t already. Auburn fans can book their trip to Shreveport, not that any will bother to go. It’s been a tough year for the Tigers. It will be tougher after this game – Alabama 34, Auburn 17.

12. Southern Miss (8-3) at Louisiana Tech (8-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FSN – The winner of this game gets to play Western Kentucky for the C-USA championship. That’s assuming WKU beats Marshall. Southern Miss is riding a five-game winning streak. Louisiana Tech is on a four-game winning streak. One of these winning streaks comes to an end. And it won’t be the Bulldogs’ – Louisiana Tech 35, Southern Miss 30.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Texas A&M (8-3) at LSU (7-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Both coaches are on the hot seat, but Les Miles’ seat is hotter – much hotter. If the Tigers lose, figure Miles is a gonner. He won’t survive four losses in a row. The game will be interesting. A&M is playing with LSU’s old defensive coordinator – John Chavis. That adds to the intrigue. The Mad Hatter pulls a trick out of his hat – LSU 27, Texas A&M 20.

14. UCLA (8-3) at USC (7-4) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2 – The winner of this game wins the Pac-12 South Division. The winner will play Stanford for the Pac-12 championship. Anything could happen. This is a big rivalry. But in the end, the Bruins have the better defense. Josh is posh; Cody is grody – UCLA 34, USC 23.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Iowa State (3-8) at West Virginia (6-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Following the four games from hell – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and TCU – West Virginia has found success again, beating Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas. It’s like a whole new season for the Mounties. The success should continue against the Cyclones. But Iowa State will be fired up, as it will be Paul Rhoads last game coaching the Cyclones. Rhoads was fired on Sunday, effective after the West Virginia game. Cy gets baked in a pie – West Virginia 34, Iowa State 18.

Iowa (11-0) at Nebraska (5-6) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, ABC – All right! This is my upset of the week. It may have been a tough year for the Huskers, but when it is over, Nebraska can say it beat both the Big Ten East champ and the Big Ten West champ. Not bad. Iowa can’t handle the pressure of staying undefeated. Herbie gets his Bird – Nebraska 28, Iowa 27.

Duke (6-5) at Wake Forest (3-8) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – The Dookies have dropped four-straight games. Of course, Wake has lost five-straight games. Neither team has looked good lately. The Demon Deacons continue to look bad – Duke 25, Wake Forest 18.

Georgia (8-3) at Georgia Tech (3-8) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Unless Georgia pulls a Florida State against Tech, the Dawgs shouldn’t have anything to worry about. The Jackets are 1-8 in their last nine games. They are hopeless. Make it 1-9 in their last 10 games – Georgia 22, Georgia Tech 12.

Texas Tech (6-5) at Texas (4-6) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, FS1 – It’s been a tough season for both teams, especially for the Longhorns. A loss to the Red Raiders could be curtains for Charlie Strong. It also means Texas wouldn’t qualify for a bowl game. Tech has actually performed pretty much to its expectations this season. The Red Raiders weren’t expected to be any better than 7-5 or 6-6. But Tech would love to cap its season with a win over the Longhorns. A lot probably depends on the passing of Patrick Mahomes. The Horns are silenced – Texas Tech 35, Texas 33.

Indiana (5-6) at Purdue (2-9) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – Indiana needs a win to become bowl eligible. Purdue would love to keep the Hoosiers out of a bowl. The Boilers would love to do a lot of things, but the problem is they have only done anything two times all season. Indiana is hungry. The Hoosiers go looking for a bowl. And the Boilers can’t stop them – Indiana 38, Purdue 29.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Miami (7-4) at Pitt (8-3)– (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Friday, ESPN2....
FAU (2-9) at Old Dominion (5-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ASN….
South Florida (7-4) at UCF (0-11) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN….
Florida International (5-7) has completed its season.

Bethune-Cookman (9-2), Florida A&M (1-10), Jacksonville U. (9-2) and Stetson (3-8) have completed their seasons.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Thirty-five-year-old Danny White was named the new athletic director at UCF. White is currently the athletic director at Buffalo. White’s father – Kevin White – is the AD at Duke. A brother – Mike White – is the basketball coach at Florida and his other brother – Brian White – is the senior associate AD at Missouri. White’s first duty will be to find a new football coach for UCF…. Miami (Florida) has named former players Vinny Testaverde and Jonathan Vilma to its search committee for a new coach.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the regular season was coming to a climax and Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkin pies were almost in the oven the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1940 was “Only Forever” by Bing Crosby

…70 years ago this week in 1945 was “It’s Been A Long, Long Time” by Harry James and His Orchestra

…65 years ago this week in 1950 was “Harbor Lights” by Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra

…60 years ago this week in 1955 was “Autumn Leaves” by Roger Williams

…55 years ago this week in 1960 was “Stay” by Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs

…50 years ago this week in 1965 was “I Hear A Symphony” by The Supremes

…45 years ago this week in 1970 was “I Think I Love You” by The Partridge Family

…40 years ago this week in 1975 was “That’s The Way (I Like It)” by KC and The Sunshine Band

…35 years ago this week in 1980 was “Lady” by Kenny Rogers

…30 years ago this week in 1985 was “We Built This City” by Starship

…25 years ago this week in 1990 was “Love Takes Time” by Mariah Carey


Not exactly college football related, but there were two passings of note last week – P.F. Sloan and Bert Olmstead.

P.F. Sloan, a singer-songwriter whose apocalyptic anthem “Eve of Destruction,” written when he was 19, was a seminal protest song of the 1960s and a No. 1 hit for singer Barry McGuire, died last week at his home in Los Angeles. He was 70. In the 1960s, Sloan was a prominent figure in the pop music world. He and co-writer Steve Barri wrote several songs, including “I Found a Girl” (Jan and Dean), “Let Me Be” (Turtles), “A Must to Avoid” (Herman’s Hermits) and “Secret Agent Man” (Johnny Rivers). “Eve of Destruction” was clearly influenced by Bob Dylan and different from anything else Sloan had written before. In 1968, Sloan recorded an album, “Measure of Pleasure.” Shortly after that, he retreated from the music business and into seclusion. Early in the 1970s, songwriter Jimmy Webb wrote and published a song “P.F. Sloan,” lionizing Sloan’s musical spirit. Later, Sloan battled drug abuse and mental illness. Philip Gary Schlein was born in New York City in 1945 and grew up there and on Long Island. His family moved to Los Angles in 1956-57 and changed their name to Sloan. The F in P.F. came from the nickname, Flip. His first song with Barri was “Kick That Little Foot, Sally Ann,” a hit in 1964 by Round Robin. Sloan released three more albums between 1993 and 2014.

Bert Olmstead, who played on five Stanley Cup championship teams, four times with the Montreal Canadiens of the 1950s, died last week in High River, Alberta. He was 89. Olmstead played in the NHL for 14 seasons. After four titles with the Canadiens, he led the Toronto Maple Leafs to the championship in 1961-62, his final season. Murray Albert Olmstead was born on September 4, 1926, in the town of Sceptre, Saskatchewan. He made his NHL debut in the 1948-49 season.