CFW Week 7 Results - CFP expanding to 24 teams

 CFW Week 7 Results – CFP expanding to 24 teams

Florida 27, Texas 24; Tennessee 26, Alabama 10; Auburn 27, Georgia 24

 

Throw in BYU 28, Notre Dame 24. Saturday had some kind of strange going on, some kind of weird going on. There had to be something in the air. After all, Florida State took Miami to two overtimes – Miami 43, Florida State 35 (2OT). How weird was that?

 

When Saturday was over, five of the Top 7 teams had lost and a sixth (Miami) was taken to two overtimes. In all, eight Top 20 teams lost. The madness began at 11 a.m. in Austin, Texas, and by midnight, it had spread around the country.

 

Last year, when Texas came to Gainesville to play Florida, the Gators had lost three-straight games to South Florida, LSU and Miami. Florida was 1-3 and Texas was 3-1. Florida shocked Texas 29-21. Saturday, when Florida went to Austin to play Texas, the Gators were coming off two-straight losses – 45-17 to Missouri and 38-19 to South Carolina. Seventh-ranked Texas was a 14-point favorite to beat unranked Florida. Florida shocked Texas, 27-24.

 

Later Saturday, 14^th-ranked Tennessee hosted 6^th-ranked Alabama. Alabama was an eight-point favorite. The previous week, Alabama lost to Georgia, 20-17. Tennessee struggled to beat Arkansas, 24-17. The Vols scored their winning touchdown with 1:57 left in the game. Saturday, in Knoxville, Tennessee shocked Alabama, 26-10.

 

While Tennessee was beating Alabama, another upset was in the works in Athens, Georgia. A 3-2 and unranked Auburn was taking on undefeated and No. 1-ranked Georgia. The Dawgs were 20-point favorites to beat the Tigers. Georgia had won nine-straight games over Auburn and 18 of the last 21 meetings. Saturday, Auburn shocked Georgia, 27-24.

 

Even later Saturday, 2^nd-ranked Notre Dame visited 8^th-ranked BYU in Provo, Utah. The Irish were 11-point favorites to beat the Cougars. Both teams were undefeated. Notre Dame is no longer undefeated. Saturday, BYU shocked Notre Dame, 28-24.

 

The same evening, No. 3 Miami hosted unranked Florida State. Miami was undefeated, while Florida State was 3-3. The Seminoles were coming off a 44-20 loss to Louisville. Miami was a 21-point favorite to beat FSU. In the first half, Miami couldn’t shake the Noles. The Hurricanes had two leads at 7-0 and 14-7. Each time Miami took a lead, FSU came back to tie the Canes at 7-7 and 14-14.

 

Early in the third quarter, FSU took its first lead at 21-14. Then Miami scored back-to-back touchdowns to take a 28-21 lead with 2:49 remaining in the game. Ten seconds later, the Noles scored on a 75-yard touchdown pass. The game was tied 28-28 and that’s how it ended in regulation.

 

In the first overtime, both teams scored. The game was tied at 35-35. In the second overtime, Miami scored and was successful on its two-point conversion. FSU got the ball but failed to score. Miami escaped Florida State, 43-35. Miami came that close to being the sixth of the Top-7 teams to lose.

 

Saturday wasn’t a good day for most of the top-ranked teams. There wasn’t a full moon. The stars weren’t in any kind of unusual alignment. Halloween is two weeks away. But there was definitely something in the air. There was something going on.

 

The other Top 7 team to lose was 5^th-ranked Indiana, who lost to 4^th-ranked Ohio State, 19-15. But even that game went down to the wire. Indiana almost pulled it out near the end. The other three ranked teams to lose were Missouri, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State. No. 13 Missouri lost to 9^th-ranked Ole Miss, 31-3. No. 16 Mississippi State lost to 22^nd-ranked LSU, 31-0, and No. 18 Oklahoma State lost to 18^th-ranked Houston, 35-32.

 

Week 7 provided another early start for college football with two games on Tuesday evening. In the first affair, Middle Tennessee downed Delaware, 33-30. MTSU quarterback Roman Gagliano passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns. In the second game, Jacksonville State beat FIU, 27-24. FIU quarterback J.J. Kohl passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns. FIU receiver Maguire Anderson had 8 receptions for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jax State quarterback Caden Creel passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Creel rushed for 95 yards.

 

Wednesday night had two more C-USA games. Missouri State beat Kennesaw State, 24-21. Missouri State quarterback Henry Belin passed for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mo State receiver Isaiah Meyers had 7 catches for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kennesaw State receiver Dylan Gary had 10 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown. In the second game, Western Kentucky downed Sam Houston, 16-3. This game was hard to watch. It was the epitome of boring football. Both offenses were totally flat. Together, the teams combined for only 453 total yards.

 

Three games were on the docket Thursday night. The first of the three games ended in a rare overtime situation. UAB beat East Carolina, 30-17 (OT). The overtime itself wasn’t rare. But winning an overtime by two touchdowns was. UAB scored first in the overtime and went up 24-17. Then, on East Carolina’s attempt to score, UAB intercepted an errant pass and returned it for a touchdown.

 

In the second contest, Georgia Southern downed Old Dominion, 23-15. Georgia Southern had 405 total yards and held Old Dominion to 65 yards rushing. The finale Thursday night saw Texas State clobber Colorado State, 66-27. Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson passed for 213 yards and one touchdown. Jackson also 181 yards and three more touchdowns. Texas State running back Torrance Burgess ran for 224 yards and four touch downs. Texas State racked up 716 total yards – 503 of those yards were from rushing. The teams combined for 1,153 total yards.

 

College football’s version of Friday night lights had three games. Tulane stunned Memphis, 31-7. There were eight turnovers in the game. Memphis had six of them. In Conway, South Carolina, Appalachian State beat Coastal Carolina, 35-32. Trailing Coastal 24-14 midway through the third quarter, App State scored 21 unanswered points. The teams combined for 953 total yards. App State had 516 of those yards.

 

Lastly Friday night, Washington topped Purdue, 38-26. There were seven turnovers in the game – five by Washington. Washington had 488 total yards and limited Purdue to 98 yards rushing.

 

The four Cinderellas – the “Darlings” of their respective conferences, all won Saturday. In the ACC, Wake Forest, 6-1 (4-1 in ACC play), beat California, 41-7. In the SEC, Kentucky, 6-1 (4-1 in SEC play), beat Oklahoma, 21-13. In the Big Ten, UCLA, 6-0 (4-0 in Big Ten play), beat Wisconsin, 17-7, and Northwestern, 5-1 (2-1 in Big Ten play), downed Michigan State, 24-21. There was some irony in the Northwestern-Michigan State game. In beating the Spartans, the Wildcats beat their former coach Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, in his first-year at Michigan State, was fired by Northwestern just prior to the 2023 season.

 

Two of the three service academies won. Army downed Florida Atlantic, 56-24. Cadet quarterback Cale Hellums rushed for 195 yards and five touchdowns. Air Force beat UNLV, 41-31. Air Force  quarterback Evan Medders rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Navy lost to UTSA, 38-34. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown passed for 359 yards and three touchdowns.

 

While you were asleep Saturday night, Utah beat Colorado 27-24 and Oregon edged Nebraska, 17-14. In the stats, Utah and Colorado fought on even terms. Both teams even had two turnovers and all four of the turnovers were interceptions. In Eugene, former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola threw a 4-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left to give Oregon the win.

 

I hope you survived the weekend.

 

There will be no more SEC championship game or Big Ten championship game after this season. The College Football Playoff is expanding to 24 teams next season. In order to fit the increased number of playoff games into the calendar, the conference championship games will be eliminated. Under the new playoff scheme, teams ranked 1 through 8 in the final CFP rankings will receive a first-round bye. Teams ranked 9 through 16 will host the first-round games. First and second-round games will be played on the home field of the higher-ranked team. The New Year’s Six bowls (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar) will continue to host the quarterfinal and semifinal games. ESPN will carry all the playoff games.

 

Personally, I’m against the 24-team playoff. I was okay with it expanding to 16 teams. But not 24 teams. I think the 24-team playoff will destroy college football. People aren’t going to be interested in teams ranked 17^th through 24^th playing in a playoff. Too many boring games. The 24-team playoff also detracts from the importance of games during the season. If you lose, it doesn’t matter. You are still going to make the playoff. Of course it is all being driven by ESPN and being done for the money.

 

Maryland coach Mike Locksley fired his defensive coordinator Ted Monachino on Sunday. Saturday, Maryland (2-5) lost to Rutgers, 37-30.

 

The Top 12 teams in this week’s Top 25 AP Poll are 1. Miami (6-0), 2. BYU (6-0), 3. Ohio State (6-1), 4. Notre Dame (6-1), 5. Georgia (6-1), 6. Indiana (6-1), 7. Ole Miss (5-1), 8. Texas Tech (6-0), 9. UCLA (6-0), 10. Utah (6-0), 11. Tennessee (6-1), and 12. Kentucky (6-1).

 

We’re halfway through the 2026 college football season – seven weeks down and six weeks to go. After Week One, I went out on a limb and made some predictions. First, I said that LSU would play Miami in the CFP National Championship game. After seven weeks, I figure Miami is still a good choice. LSU, with two losses, is a bit iffy. But, for the time being, I will stick with them. Second, I said that both Miami quarterback Darian Mensah and Miami receiver Malachi Toney would both be finalists at the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York City. Mensah is still looking good to be a Heisman finalist. Like LSU, Toney is a bit iffy. He needs to step up and put together some good games.

 

Former NBA player Cliff Hagan died on October 15. A small forward, Hagan excelled with the hook shot. Nicknamed “Li’l Abner,” Hagan played his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks (1956-1966). He was also a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals in the first two years of the ABA (1967-1969). In college, Hagan won the NCAA basketball championship in 1951 as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats and an NBA championship with the Hawks in 1958. He played for Kentucky from 1950 to 1954. After college and before he started his NBA career, Hagan served in the U.S. Air Force for two years. A native of Owensboro, Kentucky, Clifford Oldham Hagan was 94.

 

Swamp Mama and I fly out to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday. It’s that time of the year when I get together with some of my U.S. Navy buddies from our days in Edzell, Scotland. We’ll be there for the rest of the week, taking in some of the sights, sounds and food of Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

 

Touchdown Tom

October 19, 2026

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Oh so close – Ohio State 19, Indiana 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Indiana 24). This game could have gone either way. Indiana receiver Nick Marsh caught what probably would have been the game winning pass in the endzone with 1:02 to go, but his left foot came down just out of bounds. Indiana’s only lead in the game was at 7-3 in the second quarter. Ohio State retook the lead 10-7 just before halftime. The Buckeyes extended their lead to 19-7 early in the fourth quarter. Two minutes later, Indiana closed the gap to 19-15 at the 10:30 mark in the fourth quarter. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin left the game early in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury. He will be sidelined for several weeks. Sayin passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover passed for 296 yards and one touchdown. Indiana receiver Charlie Becker had 9 catches for 165 yards. Neither team had a ground game. Ohio State rushed for 78 yards and Indiana rushed for 73 yards. Both teams had two turnovers. Indiana’s 22-game win streak came to an end. It was also Indiana’s first loss at home since Curt Cignetti has been at Indiana. Attendance in Bloomington: 54,532

 

RUNNER-UP: Wild one in Provo – BYU 28, Notre Dame 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, BYU 28). Trailing Notre Dame 24-21 in the fourth quarter, BYU scored a touchdown on a Bear Bachmeier pass with 1:47 remaining on the clock. Notre Dame took over and moved down the field on C.J. Carr’s precise passing. The Irish got inside BYU’s 10-yard line, but time expired on one final pass attempt into the end zone. The game ended. However, the officials later learned there was actually one second left on the clock. Notre Dame could and should have had one more attempt to score. The lead in the game changed four times. BYU led in the first quarter at 7-0 and 7-3. Notre Dame took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. BYU took at 14-10 lead and extended it to 21-10 just before the second quarter ended. In the third quarter, the Irish cut the Cougars lead to 21-16. Then at the 9:41 mark in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame went up 24-21. C.J. Carr passed for 261 yards. Bear Bachmeier passed for 224 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception. Irish receiver Jaden Greathouse had 8 receptions for 125 yards. The teams were very closely matched in the stats. Attendance in Provo: 65,179

 

REST OF THE BEST: It got rocky for the Tide – Tennessee 26, Alabama 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Tennessee 23). Tennessee took a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game. Alabama kept it close in the first half, trailing 9-7 in the second quarter and 12-10 at halftime. Tennessee extended its lead in the second half to 19-10 in the third quarter. Late in the fourth quarter, the Vols made it 26-10. Tennessee’s defense all but shut down Alabama. Tide quarterback Keelon Russell passed for 147 yards and threw two interceptions. Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop rushed for 159 yards  and two touchdowns. The Vols defense held Alabama to 54 yards rushing and 201 total yards. The Tide had four turnovers. Attendance in Knoxville: 101,915

 

The Tigers were clawless – Ole Miss 31, Missouri 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 30, Missouri 27). Missouri hasn’t looked this bad all season. Ole Miss hasn’t looked this good. The Magnolias led 21-3 at halftime and added another 10 points in the second half. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Kewan Lacy rushed for 122 yards. Along the way Ole Miss racked up 498 total yards – well balanced between passing and rushing. The Ole Miss defense held Mizzou to 39 yards rushing. Attendance in Oxford: 67,510

 

The Cougars get it done – Houston 35, Oklahoma State 32 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 33, Oklahoma State 31). Near the end of the first quarter, Houston went up 7-3 and never trailed for the remainder of the game. But Oklahoma State kept things close. The Cowboys trailed by just 4 points (14-10) early in the third quarter and late in the third quarter (21-17). Early in the fourth quarter, Okie State just trailed by 3 points (28-25). Okie State quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns. He threw one interception. Okie State running back Caleb Hawkins had 7 catches for 125 yards. And one touchdown. Houston quarterback Conner Weighman passed for 343 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also threw an  interception. Houston receiver Amare Thomas had 7 receptions for 126 yards. Just as the score was close, the teams were close in the stats. They combined for 1,004 total yards. Attendance in Houston: 42,544

 

The Bruins keep winning – UCLA 17, Wisconsin 7 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 24, Wisconsin 20). UCLA scored early and late. Midway through the second quarter, the Bruins led 10-0. Then they did not score again until the fourth quarter. Wisconsin contributed its 7 points in the third quarter. UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach passed for 264 yards. He tossed one interception. The Bruins held Wisconsin to 66 yards passing. The score  may have been worse had UCLA not had two turnovers. Attendance in Pasadena: 36,045

 

Without Kamario Taylor, the Bulldogs don’t score – LSU 31, Mississippi State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Mississippi State 21). LSU got back in its groove this week. The Tigers scored all 31 of their points in the first three quarters. They went into cruise control in the fourth quarter. LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt passed for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Tigers just had 90 yards rushing. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,321

 

Déjà vu – Florida 27, Texas 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Florida 17). This game looked like it was going to get away from Florida. Early in the second quarter, Texas led 17-3. But the Longhorns wouldn’t score again until the 4:21 mark in the fourth quarter. From midway through the second quarter to midway through the fourth quarter, Florida scored 24 unanswered points. Last week against Oklahoma, Texas quarterback Arch Manning threw an interception which set up OU’s winning field goal. This week against the Gators, Manning fumbled which iced the game for Florida. With Aaron Philo injured, Florida was quarterbacked by Tramell Jones. Jones passed for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. Gators running back Jadan Baugh rushed for 91 yards and one touchdown. Manning passed for 187 yards and one touchdown. Florida held Texas to 99 rushing yards. I never understood Texas hiring Steve Sarkisian in the first place. He was a good coach at Washington, but far from a great coach. He was a good coach at USC, but far from a great coach. He’ll be facing the heat this week. Attendance in Austin: 103,989

 

And the wildcats win again – Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 21, Kentucky 20). Will Stein and Kentucky are amazing. Kentucky scored first. The Oklahoma went up 10-7 in the second quarter. OU extended its lead to 13-7 in the third quarter. Kentucky rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring back-to-back touchdowns. Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey passed for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns. OU quarterback John Mateer is back to being worthless again. He threw three interceptions. Neither team could run the ball. Kentucky had 72 yards rushing and OU had 76. The Sooners had four turnovers. Attendance in Norman: 83,218

 

Raiola rallies the Ducks in the fourth – Oregon 17, Nebraska 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Nebraska 24). Nebraska never trailed in the game until Oregon scored its winning touchdown with 0:28 left in the fourth quarter. That put the Ducks up 17-14. Former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola entered the game in the fourth quarter to rally the Ducks. The first half was a defensive battle with the Huskers leading 7-0 at the break. Oregon added a couple of field goals in the third quarter. Before the third quarter ended, Nebraska added a touchdown and led 14-6. Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea passed for 164 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception. Colandrea rushed for 38 yards and another touchdown. Both teams had 242 total yards. Nebraska only had 78 yards rushing. Attendance in Eugene: 58,391

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Washington 38, Purdue 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 33, Washington 30). Purdue was lucky that Washington had five turnovers. Otherwise, the score would have been worse. Purdue’s defense couldn’t stop Washington. The Huskies scored at will, except when they had the five turnovers – 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles. Washington never trailed in the game, although the score was tied 10-10 and 17-17 in the second quarter. Washington quarterback Elijah Brown was 21-27-3, passing for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns. Huskies receiver Chris Lawson had 6 receptions for 103 yards. Purdue receiver Asaad Waseem had 9 catches for 116 yards. Washington ended a three-game losing skid. Attendance in West Lafayette: 50,941

 

If you love offense – West Virginia 45, Cincinnati 42 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Cincinnati 31). Would you believe these two teams combined for 1,220 total yards? Believe it. It was one of those all offense no defense games. The game was tied six times from 7-7 to 42-42. Cincinnati scored then West Virginia scored and so it went. Finally, near the end WVU’s defense actually held the Bearcats. That enabled the Mountaineers to kick a 35-yard field goal as time expired. Cincy quarterback J.C. French passed for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bearcats running back Cole Tabb rushed for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. WVU quarterback Michael Hawkins passed for 464 yards and 3 touchdowns. Hawkins also rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns. WVU receiver D.J. Epps had 8 catches for 163 yards. The teams combined for 55 first downs. With all the offense, there were no turnovers in the game. Attendance in Morgantown: 48,106

 

Uga was shocked – Auburn 27, Georgia 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 35, Auburn 24). Of all the upsets on Saturday, this had to be the most surprising. Georgis led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. Auburn led 17-14 at the half. Auburn increased its lead to 24-14 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Georgia scored 10 unanswered points to tie things up, 24-24. Auburn kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to pull off the upset. Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown passed for 150 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 115 yards and another touchdown. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton passed for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. Georgia had 3 turnovers. Georgia was the better passing team. Auburn was the better running team. After the game, Auburn coach Alex Golesh was so happy and emotional, he could hardly hold back the tears when he was being interviewed by the ESPN reporter. Attendance in Athens:  93,033

 

Dookies collapse again – North Carolina 24, Duke 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 21, North Carolina 20). Like recent Duke teams, the Dookies start the season off great and then seem to fall apart. After a 4-0 start, Duke lost its second-straight game. North Carolina began strong and led 17-0 early in the second quarter. Duke then scored 20 unanswered points and led 20-17 early in the fourth quarter. But like the Georgia Tech game last week, Duke couldn’t hold onto its lead near the end of the game. North Carolina scored a touchdown with 1:53 remaining and held on to win. Tar Heels quarterback Billy Edwards assed for 191 yards and one touchdown. Duke quarterback Walker Eget passed for 249 yards and one touchdown. Eget also threw an interception. The teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats. Attendance in Durham: 35,018

 

Week 7 Results:   7 winners, 7 fumbles (50 percent)

For the Season:   71 winners, 33 fumbles (68.3 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUBND FLORIDA:

 

Jacksonville State 27, FIU 24 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 17,224

Army 56, Florida Atlantic 24 – Attendance in West Point: 28,537

 

Presbyterian 47, Stetson 43 – Attendance in Deland: 2,253

Bethune-Cookman 34, Mississippi Valley State 14 – Attendance in Itta Bena: 5,732

 

Jackson State 27, Florida A&M 17 – Attendance in Jackson: 44,173

West Florida 37, West Alabama 3 – Attendance in Pensacola: 3,554

 

Miami 43, Florida State 35 (OT) – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 66,790

South Florida 29, Kent State 2 – Attendance in Tampa: 31,384

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins – 25-33-0 for 464 yards (3TDs); Cincinnati’s J.C. French – 22-30-0-389 (3TDs); Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker – 22-34-1-365 (3TDs); UTSA’s Owen McCown – 28-38-0-359 (3TDs); Houston’s Conner Weighman – 24-33-1-343 (5TDs); Florida Atlantic’s Caden Veltkamp – 33-48-1-318 (3TDs); Missouri State’s Henry Belin – 28-39-1-300 (2TDs), and Florida State’s Ashton Daniels – 15-28-1-298 (4TDs).

 

Also, Rutgers Dylan Lonergan – 23-35-1 for 291 yards (3TDs); Middle Tennessee’s Roman Gagliano – 22-32-1-291 (3TDs); LSIU’s Sam Leavitt – 31-38-0-289 (4TDs); Colorado State’s K’sam Farrar – 26-41-0-289 (2TDs); Toledo’s John Alan Richter – 24-30-0-288 yards (1TD); Charlotte’s Conner Harrell – 23-31-0-281 (2TDs); Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez – 16-23-0-267 (4TDs); Arizona State’s Mikey Keene – 25-34-0-256 (2TDs), and Virginia Tech’s Ethan Grunkemeyer – 15-22-0-250 (3TDs).

 

Also, Tulsa’s Baylor Hayes – 20-27-0 for 249 yards (3TDs); Oregon State’s Braden Atkinson – 23-38-0-247 (3TDs); SMU’s Kevin Jennings – 23-36-0-246 (2TDs); Texas Tech’s Will Hammond – 18-26-0-232 (1); FIU’s J.J. Kohl – 24-38-0-218 (2TDs); Texas State’s Brad Jackson – 14-19-0-213 (1TD); James Madison’s Camden Coleman – 13-19-0-185 (2TDs); Louisiana Tech’s Blake Baker – 15-21-0-178 (2TDs), and Ohio’s Nick Poulos – 11-14-0-165 (1TD);

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Texas State’s Torrance Burgess – 224 yards (4TDs); Army’s Cale Hellums – 195 yards (5TDs); Wyoming’s Tyler Hughes – 183 yards (4TDs); Texas State’s Brad Jackson – 181 yards (3TDs); Stanford’s Micah Ford – 179 yards (4TDs); Buffalo’s Messiah Burch – 172 yards, and Texas Tech’s J’Koby Williams – 165 yards (2TDs).

 

Also, Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop – 159 yards (2TDs); San Jose State’s Viliami Teu – 156 yards (2TDs); Rice’s Jacurri Brown – 154 yards (2TDs); Kent State’s Joe Jackson – 154 yards (1TD); Air Force’s Evan Medders – 152 yards (3TDs), and Western Michigan’s Jalen Buckley – 150 yards (2TDs).

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

We’re not playing to lose, so we put our balls on the chopping block and we’re going to be aggressive,” BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, after the win over Notre Dame.

 

“Out of high school, Notre Dame disrespected me and my family pretty badly. There’s no way I was going to lose to those guys,” BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, after the win over Notre Dame.

 

“Only in Auburn does everybody know where you live. I guess it beats a for-sale sign, right?” Auburn coach Alex Golesh, after the win over Georgia.

 

“Forget Texas and Alabama. Think UCLA and Kentucky in the CFP,” USA Today sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

The next CFW – Week 8 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, October 22.

CFW Week 7 Forecast - The SEC is still angry with LSU

 CFW Week 7 Forecast – The SEC is still angry with LSU

Marquee games: Ohio State-Indiana,

Notre Dame-BYU, Alabama-Tennessee

 

Supporting cast: Missouri-Ole Miss, Oklahoma State-Houston, Wisconsin-UCLA

 

The Big Ten has three games in the Top-10 games of the week, including the “Game of the Week” – Ohio State at Indiana. I suspect this is the biggest game in Bloomington, Indiana, in years – maybe ever. And I suspect the winner of the game will be on their way to the Big Ten championship game and most likely the College Football Playoff. The loser of the game may be too. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if these two teams meet again this season in the Big Ten title game.

 

The next top Big Ten game is Wisconsin at UCLA. Like Wake Forest in the ACC and Kentucky in the SEC, UCLA is not only a surprise, but the Bruins have become the “darlings” of their conference. Bruins coach Bob Chesney could be in the running for one of the “Coach of the Year” awards. However, like all Cinderellas and “darlings”, the bubble could burst at any time. Will the Badgers do any bursting?

 

The third and final big game in the Big Ten is Nebraska at Oregon. Oregon can’t afford another loss – not with seven games remaining. Nebraska doesn’t need another loss at this point in the season either. Both teams will be playing desperate football. If Dylan Raiola is the quarterback for the Ducks, then that brings an interesting perspective to the game.

 

The SEC doesn’t have the “Game of the Week” this week, nor does the conference have the “Runner-Up Game.” But the SEC does have five games in the Top-10 games. First up is Alabama at Tennessee. Alabama enters the game wounded. Tennessee enters breathing a sigh of relief. What does Josh Heupel have cooking?

 

Next, the SEC gives us Missouri at Ole Miss. Like the Nebraska-Oregon game, the Missouri quarterback brings an interesting perspective to the game. Austin Simmons used to be the Ole Miss quarterback – until Trinidad Chambliss came along.

 

How about Mississippi State at LSU? Following the loss to Kentucky, LSU can’t afford to lose again. It would be the Tigers’ third loss. Miss State will have to play inspired football to win. The Bulldogs can.

 

A fourth big SEC game is Florida at Texas. Florida has already revealed itself as a pretender. Texas has revealed itself to be mistake prone. Something tells me the Longhorns will be mad. Something tells me Jon Sumrall just hopes to keep it close. Florida may be without quarterback Aaron Philo, who has been suffering this week with a shoulder injury.

 

And finally in the SEC, we have Kentucky at Oklahoma. Before the Texas game, OU had been declared dead for the season. The Sooners found life against Texas. Did they ever! Kentucky is a feisty bunch. Maybe too feisty for OU after the win over Texas.

 

The “Runner-Up” game this week is a non-conference affair – Notre Dame at BYU. What a fun game this has the potential to be. Notre Dame has been impressive, but the competition hasn’t been. BYU will be competitive. But the Irish could be overwhelming. Look for BYU coach Kalani Sitake to have a few tricks up his sleeve. The Irish better be equipped with Bear spray.

 

There is one Big 12 game in the Top 10 – Oklahoma State at Houston. Two good quarterbacks will be on display in this affair – the experienced Houston quarterback Connor Weighman and the young, up-and-coming Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker. I’m thinking Weighman must be glad he transferred out of Texas A&M two years ago. He’s playing for a winner at Houston.

 

There are seven other games worth keeping your eye on this weekend. Their outcomes should be interesting: Virginia at SMU, Georgia State at James Madison, UNLV at Air Force, Penn State at Michigan, Florida State at Miami, Wake Forest at California and North Carolina at Duke.

 

James Madison announced this week that it will leave the Sun Belt Conference and join the American Conference. The change will take place at the earliest on July 1, 2027, or at the latest on July 1, 2028.

 

The SEC revealed this week that a live controversy still exists between the conference and LSU. The SEC said its lawsuit against LSU is still an open matter. The SEC said that LSU lacks institutional control over its athletic programs and that LSU defies the conference’s professionalism and rules. As a result, the SEC said that the possibility of terminating LSU’s membership still exists. The SEC said this week, “The dispute between the SEC and LSU remains alive.”

 

Sounds like LSU is the “rogue school” that Paul Finebaum said it was. Back when there were 10 and even 12 schools in the SEC, I think the loss of LSU as a member would have been significant – tough on the conference. Today, with 16 schools in the SEC and the possibility of increasing to 20 members with the likes of Florida State, Miami, Clemson, North Carolina, etc., the loss of LSU would be insignificant – no one would notice or be bothered by the termination of LSU.

 

The Top-12 teams in this week’s FCS Coaches Top-25 Poll are 1. South Dakota State (5-1), 2. Tarleton State (6-0), 3. Stephen F. Austin (6-0), 4. Lehigh (6-0), 5. Montana State (5-1), 6. Youngstown State (5-2), 7. Montana (5-2), 8. Lamar (5-1), 9. South Dakota (5-2); 10. Northern Arizona (5-2), 11. Austin Peay (5-2), and 12. UC Davis (4-2).

 

This week’s Saturday morning pregame shows: ESPN’s College GameDay is in Provo, Utah, for the Notre Dame-BYU game. FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff is in Bloomington, Indiana, for the Ohio State-Indiana game. SECN’s SEC Nation is in Knoxville, Tennessee, for the Alabama-Tennessee. And ACCN’s ACC Huddle is in Coral Gables, Florida, for the Florida State-Miami game.

 

Enjoy your games. The weekend is gonna be another good one.

 

Touchdown Tom

October 15, 2026

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

Week Seven’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. #4 Ohio State (5-1) at #5 Indiana (6-0) – Big Ten vs. Big Ten – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – This could be the game of the year in the Big Ten. Indiana is not as good as last year’s team. But the Hoosiers are a good team. We’ll find out how good the Hoosiers are on Saturday. Ohio State is a good team. But how good are the Buckeyes really? We know receiver Jeremiah Smith is good, probably the best player in college football. The rest of the Ohio State team is still an unknown. We’ll find out how good the Buckeyes are on Saturday. Indiana plays the better defense. Ohio State has the stronger offense. It will be interesting to see how the Hoosiers defend Jeremiah Smith. Iowa tripled teamed Smith. He still caught passes and ran away from the Hawkeyes defenders. Brutus is brutal on the Hoosiers – Ohio State 28, Indiana 24.

 

RUNNER-UP: 2. #2 Notre Dame (6-0) at #8 BYU (5-0) – Ind. vs. Big 12 – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Notre Dame won’t get many tests this season – two, possibly three. BYU is one of those two, possibly three tests. To be selected for the CFP, the Irish can’t afford many losses. A loss to BYU would require that the Irish beat Miami later in the season. That’s a pretty good incentive for ND. The Irish haven’t been challenged this season. Their victories have been convincing. On the other hand, BYU has had to scrap in some of its games. But those were conference games. Conference games are always tougher. That’s where ND has it easier. The Irish aren’t in a conference. Both teams have played good defense. They may be equal there. Both have played good offense. But the Irish have played better offense. I’m thinking this will be an exciting game in Provo. The Irish are more excited – Notre Dame 30, BYU 28.

 

REST OF THE BEST: 3. #6 Alabama (5-1) at #14 Tennessee (5-1) – SEC vs. SEC – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Tennessee was definitely slacking last week against Arkansas. The Vols were already thinking about Alabama. This is Tennessee’s second big test of the season in Knoxville. A few weeks ago it was Texas. Texas was a big game, but the Longhorns aren’t really rivals. Alabama is not only a big game. The Tide are rivals. Now, after that loss to Georgia, how will Bama play? Will the Tide be in a funk? Or will they be fired up. Something tells me Kellen DeBoer will have them fired up. It looks like Alabama receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams may miss the game due to injuries. The difference in this game may be the play of the quarterbacks. Alabama seems to have the more talented and dangerous QB. But I said this game is a rivalry. Actually, it is uncertain who will start at QB for the Vols – George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon. Big Al cracks a smile – Alabama 28, Tennessee 23.

 

4. #13 Missouri (5-1) at #9 Ole Miss (4-1) – SEC vs. SEC – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – I’m not really sure what to make of these two teams yet. Missouri looked terrible in its loss to Mississippi State. But the Tigers looked great in their win over Florida. Ole Miss looked terrible in its loss to Florida. But the Magnolias looked great in their win over LSU. There was one difference. Ole Miss had running back Kewan Lacy in their win over LSU. They did not have him in their loss to Florida. He’s expected back for Missouri. Mizzou’s quarterback – Austin Simmons – has some incentive in this game. Simmons is a former Ole Miss quarterback. He lost his starting job to Trinidad Chambliss and later transferred to Missouri. This could be a donnybrook. Truman loses his stripes – Ole Miss 30, Missouri 27.

 

5. #18 Oklahoma State (4-1) at #20 Houston (5-1) – Big 12 vs. Big 12 – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Oklahoma State is a surprise team this year. The Cowboys got a real surprise in their opener. They lost to Tulsa. Since then they have won four-straight games, including a win over Oregon. They were a new team under a new coach when they lost to Tulsa. Since then they have grown up real fast. Leading that growth is quarterback Drew Mestemaker. He has become one of the leading passers in the country. On the contrary, Houston is not a surprise. The Cougars were supposed to be good. And they have been. Their only loss was by 2 points on the road against undefeated Texas Tech. Houston quarterback Connor Weighman gets better and better each week. Cowboys can’t lasso Cougars – Houston 33, Oklahoma State 31.

 

6. #26 Wisconsin (4-1) at #12 UCLA (6-0) – Big Ten vs. Big Ten – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – UCLA’s bubble hasn’t burst yet. But Wisconsin will be trying to pop it. Five and a half of UCLA’s six wins were led by quarterback Nico Iamaleava. But Nico is out. Out for the rest of the season Luke Fickell. He suffered a leg injury at the end of the second quarter against Oregon last week. Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach played the second half and handled things pretty well. Wisconsin coach, who was on the hot seat when the season began (and may still be), has the Badgers off to a good start. But the Badgers may not be good enough to take care of the Bruins. Bucky gets a Bear hug – UCLA 24, Wisconsin 20.

 

7. #16 Mississippi State (4-1) at #22 LSU (4-2) – SEC vs. SEC – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Mississippi State was a hot team and quarterback Kamario Taylor was a hot topic until the Bulldogs and Taylor ran into Alabama a couple weeks ago. They’ve had a week to get over that loss. Now the Bulldogs and Taylor are facing LSU. (Taylor may miss the game due to a foot injury.) And Mike is a wounded Tiger – two losses. You know what they say about wounded animals – they are dangerous. Yeah, Lane Kiffin can’t afford anymore losses. Otherwise, he can kiss the CFP goodbye. And that’s what he was hired for – the CFP. The game is in Baton Rouge. Bully retreats to the Doghouse – LSU 33, Mississippi State 21.

 

8. #32 Florida (4-2) at #7 Texas (4-1) – SEC vs. SEC – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Bevo has a good memory. He remembers what Florida did to Texas last year. That will fire up the Longhorns. And that is only part of it. Following the Texas loss to Oklahoma last Saturday, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Arch Manning have been facing criticism all week. You know that will only have Sark and Arch fired up. It may not be pretty for Albert and the Gators. As it is, Texas is mad enough from the loss to Oklahoma. Add the other factors and it could be over for the Gators before the game starts. Florida coach Jon Sumrall better find a remedy for his defensive problems quickly. And the Gators offense needs to get back on track. Away from The Swamp, the Gators flounder – Texas 33, Florida 17.

 

9. #15 Kentucky (5-1) at #30 Oklahoma (3-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – The amazing Wildcats are up against another challenge this week. But they could catch Oklahoma still hungover, following the Sooners win over Texas. That would be to Kentucky’s advantage. On the other hand, Oklahoma may be recharged after the win over Texas. Regardless, Kentucky will face a tough OU defense. The Sooners offense hasn’t been that strong. But Kentucky’s defense isn’t all that good. This should be an interesting matchup. If nothing else, you know Will Stein will have the Wildcats fired up. Boomer kicks the boom out of the Wildcats – Oklahoma 21, Kentucky 20.

 

10. #29 Nebraska (5-1) at #27 Oregon (3-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 11 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Nebraska  could be facing its former quarterback this week. If Dante Moore doesn’t return to action then Dylan Raiola could well be Oregon’s starting quarterback against Nebraska. Raiola transferred to Oregon from Nebraska during the offseason. Oregon has been a bit out of sync this season. Without Moore, the Ducks are even more out of sync. No pun intended. Three preseason polls had Oregon ranked No. 1. A consensus of all the preseason polls had the Ducks ranked No. 2. After six weeks of football, Oregon is nowhere near those rankings. Nebraska darn near beat Indiana last week. The Huskers could easily beat Oregon. They are capable of doing it. But it is hard to see Oregon losing two-straight games in Eugene. Puddles likes his corn on the cob – Oregon 27, Nebraska 24.

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Washington (3-3) at Purdue (3-3) – Big Ten vs. Big Ten – 8 pm ET, Friday, FOX – All of a sudden, Purdue has gotten hot. The Boilers have won two-straight games. And over Big Ten teams at that. Wonders never cease. How about three-straight wins? Washington will be without quarterback Demond Williams. He’s out with an injury. But sometimes it is dangerous facing an unknown quarterback. Still, the Boilers have definitely been improving. Coach Barry Odom may have turned the corner. Washington has been going downhill. The Huskies have lost three-straight games. The Boilers get it done at home – Purdue 33, Washington 30.

 

Cincinnati (4-1) at West Virginia (3-3) – Big 12 vs. Big 12 – 12 noon ET, Saturday, TNT –On the positive side, West Virginia has one of the best offenses in the country. On the negative side, WVU has one of the worst defenses in the country. In order to win, the offense has to outscore the defense. Lately, that hasn’t happened. The Mounties have lost three-straight games, while averaging 32.3 points in those games. Cincinnati is 4-1, but a shaky 4-1. Both teams lost to Arizona. The Bearcats lost 34-7. The Mounties lost 52-31. Against Cincinnati, it looks like WVU’s offense has a chance of outscoring its defense. Mountaineers skin the Cats – West Virginia 34, Cincinnati 31.

 

Auburn (3-2) at #1 Georgia (6-0) – SEC vs. SEC – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Auburn can only hope that they catch Georgia still hungover from the win over Alabama. And even at that, I don’t think the Tigers could handle Georgia. The Dawgs are too much for Auburn. Alex Golesh is still building his program. Kirby Smart’s program is not only built, but Kirby is adding reinforcements to it. Auburn standout linebacker Xavier Atkins will miss the game due to an undisclosed injury. Uga bites Aubie – Georgia 35, Auburn 24.

 

North Carolina (3-2) at #33 Duke (4-1) – ACC vs. ACC – 3:30 pm ET, ESPN2 – Duke stumbled last week. The Dookies must have had their minds on North Carolina. The Tar Heels were focused last week. They handed Pitt its first loss. One thing about Bill Belichick, he definitely has the Tar Heels playing better. This is going to be a tough ball game for both teams. Duke running back Nate Sheppard may be the difference. The Dookies hope so. Belichick feels the pitch fork – Duke 21, North Carolina 20.

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

FIU (3-2) at Jacksonville State (4-2) – C-USA vs. C-USA – 8 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPNU….

Florida Atlantic (4-1) at Army (3-2) – AC vs. AC – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN….

 

Presbyterian (3-3) at Stetson (1-5) – Pioneer vs. Pioneer – 2 pm ET, Saturday, YouTube….

Bethune-Cookman (3-3) at Mississippi Valley St. (3-4) – SWAC vs. SWAC – 3 pm ET, Saturday….

 

Florida A&M (2-4) at Jackson State (5-1) – SWAC vs. SWAC – 3 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

West Alabama (5-1) at West Florida (3-2) – Gulf South vs. UAC – 5 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

 

Florida State (3-3) at #3 Miami (5-0) – ACC vs. ACC – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN….

Kent State (2-4) at South Florida (4-2) – MAC vs. AC – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Forget Lane Kiffin, toast no-name coaching hires Will Stein and Bob Chesney,” USA Today sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer, on the success of the first-year Kentucky and UCLA coaches.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

The next CFW – Week 7 Results – will be posted Monday morning, October 19.