A Week of One Liners and Some Excellent Football Too

College Football Week 4 – Mark Dantonio suffers a mild heart attack

A Week of One Liners, and
Some Excellent Football Too

It was the week of one liners – from “Home of the Sooners,” to “Jeter’s a cheater,” to “Jeter’s not a cheater,” to “Time to Die,” to “Enough’s enough,” to “53 men’s packages.” We also had some excellent football games.

Two weeks ago, Tennessee coach Derek Dooley was playing the team hygienist, teaching Volunteer players how to take showers and apply soap. Well, last week, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was playing Mitch Miller, teaching Sooners’ fans how to follow the bouncing ball.

At OU football games, when the National Anthem is played prior to the start of the game, Sooner fans sing – in a raised voice – “home of the Sooners” instead of “home of the brave” at the conclusion of the song. Interestingly, that has never bothered Stoops in the past. But Saturday, OU played Air Force and Stoops finally felt that OU fans should sing the National Anthem correctly.

Talk about following the bouncing ball, during one of my preseason blogs, I wrote how badly soccer needs instant replay. Well, baseball needs replay too – badly. The calls of the Major League Baseball umpires this summer have been atrocious – about as bad, if not worse, than those of the officials during World Cup.

If you saw the New York Yankees-Tampa Bay Rays game last Wednesday night you know what I’m talking about. The Yankees’ Derek Jeter put on quite an act pretending that the ball hit him, instead of the bat. Jeter should get an Oscar nomination for his performance. He fooled the umpire. The next couple of days, the print and Web site media said, “Jeter’s a cheater” or “Jeter’s not a cheater.” Your call.

Baseball does need instant replay. But the problem is baseball commissioner Bud Selig is like soccer’s FIFA. He lives in the 19th century. Baseball may never see replay as long as Selig is around.

And speaking of baseball, to prove it is almost as boring as soccer, I saw fans blowing Vuvuzelas at a Tampa Bay Rays-Oakland Athletics game in Oakland on TV a few weeks ago. Granted they were Athletics’ fans – why am I not surprised. But Major League Baseball should have the sense to ban Vuvuzelas at its games.

Speaking of banned, Florida receiver Chris Rainey was arrested in Gainesville last week for aggravated stalking of his girlfriend. According to Gainesville police, Rainey sent a text message to the girl, reading “Time to die.”

Naturally, with Florida about to play Tennessee, that prompted folks up in Knoxville to sell “Time to Die” t-shirts for the Tennessee fans to wear to the game. The t-shirts were orange with “Time to Die” in white.

Rainey, as it turns out, was the 30th Gator football player to be arrested since Urban Meyer has been the coach at Florida. After Rainey’s arrest, Meyer addressed the issue and the number of Gator football players who have been arrested by saying, “Enough’s enough.”

Meyer used to blame the problem on Ron Zook. But now that he is in his sixth season coaching the Gators, Meyer really can’t use the Zook excuse anymore. Regarding Rainey, several columnists around the state of Florida and outside of the state wrote that Meyer must dismiss Rainey from the team. We’ll see what happens.

And finally, I learned a new meaning for the word “packages” last week. Washington Redskins’ running back Clinton Portis provided the definition. Commenting on the much discussed appearance of female Mexican TV (Azteca Network) reporter Ines Sainz in the New York Jets locker room, Portis said, “If you go to look at 53 men’s packages, somebody got to spark her interest.”

After the NFL came down on Portis, he apologized for his comments. But it sounds to me like the guy was only speaking the truth. Why else would Ms. Sainz be in the locker room? It wasn’t Cinco de Mayo.

Did we have a full moon last week? Thursday night, the N.C. State Wolfpack beat Cincinnati, 30-19. Then on Friday night, the Nevada Wolf Pack pummeled California, 52-31. It was a great week, or should I say two nights, to be a Wolf. And speaking of the Wolves, both N.C. State and Nevada are off to 3-0 starts. That’s a howler.

There was a lot of good football on Saturday, but three of the best games were that night – Clemson at Auburn, Notre Dame at Michigan State and Iowa at Arizona. The Tigers vs. Tigers game began at 7 p.m. Clemson jumped out to a 17-0 lead over Auburn in the first half. Auburn kicked a field goal as the half expired to pull within, 17-3.

Auburn caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 21 points and taking a 24-17 lead. In the fourth quarter, Clemson scored to tie the game at 24 all. The contest went into overtime with Auburn winning on a field goal, 27-24.

The Notre Dame-Michigan State game kicked off at 8 p.m. The game remained even throughout. The score was tied 7-7 at the half and 21-21 at the end of the third quarter. Irish quarterback Dayne Crist and Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins were having good games. At the end of regulation, what else, the score was tied 28-28.

In overtime, Notre Dame kicked a field goal and led 31-28. The Irish held the Spartans for three plays and Michigan State lined up to kick a field goal. But the Spartans faked the field goal attempt and threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to win the game, 34-31. Early Sunday morning after the game, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio was hospitalized, suffering from a mild heart attack. A full recovery is expected.

And finally Saturday night, Iowa at Arizona kicked off at 10:30 p.m. The Wildcats were hot and jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and held a 27-7 lead over Iowa at the half. Then the Hawkeyes came storming back and tied the game at 27-27 in the fourth quarter. It looked like we were headed for a third overtime game. But Arizona scored with 3:57 remaining and held on to upset Iowa, 34-27.

Earlier in the day Saturday, the other Michigan team – the Wolverines – had a crazy game with Massachusetts. UMass jumped out to a 17-7 lead in the second quarter. The Wolverines came back and took what appeared to be a commanding lead – 35-17 at the end of the third quarter and 42-24 in the fourth quarter. Then the Minutemen started to rally and pulled within 5 points. Michigan hung on to win, 42-37. Wolverine quarterback Denard Robinson had 345 yards of total offense – 241 passing and 104 rushing.

Wisconsin got a scare from Arizona State. The Badgers beat the Sun Devils 20-19 on a missed extra point by Arizona State. USC beat Minnesota, 32-21.

In Morgantown, West Virginia jumped out to a quick start and went on to beat Maryland, 31-17. Mountaineer quarterback Geno Smith passed for 268 yards. Georgia Tech handed North Carolina its second-straight 30-24 loss of the season. In Tallahassee, Florida State bounced back and took care of BYU, 34-10.

Two weeks ago, Oklahoma had a close call, beating Utah State, 31-24. Saturday the Sooners barely beat Air Force, 27-24. TCU slammed Baylor, 45-10. And in Lubbock, Texas held off Texas Tech, beating the Red Raiders, 24-14.

Nebraska made a strong statement in Seattle, beating Washington, 56-21. Husker quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Roy Helu combined for 247 rushing yards. Stanford remained undefeated. The Cardinal blasted Wake Forest, 68-24.

The most exciting game during the day Saturday took place in Athens, Georgia, between the Dawgs and Arkansas. The Razorbacks took control early and led 17-7 at the half and 24-10 at the end of the third quarter. Georgia came back to tie the game at 24-24 with 3:55 remaining in the fourth. But Arkansas scored with 0:15 remaining on a 40-yard pass from Ryan Mallett to Greg Childs to win the game, 31-24.

Florida played well enough to beat Tennessee, 31-17. The big surprise in the SEC was Vanderbilt’s 28-14 win over Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.

Temple served notice that it is competitive. The Owls beat Connecticut, 30-16. Alabama, Ohio State and Boise State each won, and Virginia Tech got its first win of the season. The Hokies downed East Carolina, 49-27. UCLA got its first victory, handing Houston its first loss. The Bruins beat the Cougars, 31-13. Houston quarterback Case Keenum injured his knee and is out for the season.

Swamp Mama and I are leaving Friday for a football weekend in Gainesville – the Kentucky-Florida game. We’ll be joined by Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe.

Bootsie and Rockledge Gator were scheduled to be with us. But Bootsie’s high school reunion – I won’t say which one – got scheduled for the same weekend. So they are off to North Carolina. Bootsie went to Griffith High School in Winston-Salem. The four of us still have a football weekend together in Gainesville coming up in November.

So, after all these years, now I know what Rockledge Gator means when he tells Bootsie that big surprises come in small packages.

Touchdown Tom
September 20, 2010


Weekend Review

GAME OF THE WEEK: Wildcats crack the Eggs – Arizona 34, Iowa 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 17, Arizona 14). Looks like the Wildcats are for real. Arizona led 27-7 at the half only to see Iowa come back and tie the game at 27-27 with 8:12 remaining in the fourth. Then the Wildcats scored with 3:57 remaining and hung on to win the game. A crowd of 57,864 attended the game in Tucson.

RUNNER UP: Mack attack – Texas 24, Texas Tech 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Texas Tech 20). This time Texas gets out of Lubbock with a win, sloppy though it was. Five interceptions were thrown in the game – three by Garrett Gilbert and by for Taylor Potts. A crowd of 60,454 attended the game in Lubbock.

REST OF THE BEST: Huskers give Locker a shocker – Nebraska 56, Washington 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 26, Washington 22). Nebraska had 533 yards of offense and quarterback Taylor Martinez was responsible for 287 of those yards. Meanwhile, it’s looking more and more like Jake Locker should have entered the NFL last spring. Locker’s NFL stock is falling fast. A crowd of 72,876 attended the game in Seattle.

Aubie moves Clemson off center – Auburn 27, Clemson 24 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 20, Clemson 16). Clemson center Dalton Freeman was the best player on Auburn’s team. Trailing by three in overtime, Freeman double-clutched the ball prior to his snap for Clemson’s field goal attempt to tie the score. The kick was good, but an illegal procedure penalty was called on Freeman. The do-over kick was no good. A crowd of 87,451 attended the game in Auburn.

Uga gets Ribbed – Arkansas 31, Georgia 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 22, Arkansas 18). Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett throws for 380 yards as Bobby Petrino has a successful return to Georgia. Meanwhile, Mark Richt’s seat rose 100 degrees. A crowd of 92,746 attended the game in Athens.

Almost Home of the Falcons – Oklahoma 27, Air Force 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Air Force 25). Oklahoma led 24-10 at the beginning of the fourth quarter – shades of Utah State. Air Force outgained the Sooners 458 yards to 367. OU’s Landry Jones was 26-42-0 for 254 yards. A crowd of 84,332 attended the game in Norman.

Gators scour the Vols – Florida 31, Tennessee 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 30, Tennessee 17). Florida got its sixth consecutive win over Tennessee. But the Gators had a tough time shaking the Vols. Tennessee kept hanging on through most of the game. After three games this season, Florida has yet to score in the first quarter. Backup Gator freshman quarterback Trey Burton – the mini Tim Tebow – made his first appearance of the season, scoring a two-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. A crowd of 102,455 attended the game in Knoxville.

Noles collect Mormon scalps – Florida State 34, BYU 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 27, BYU 16). Will this be an up-and-down season for FSU? The Noles were up Saturday. Looks like a down season for BYU. A crowd of 68,795 attended the game in Tallahassee.

Techies shear the Sheep – Georgia Tech 30, North Carolina 24 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 24, Georgia Tech 17). The Tar Heels have played two games this season and lost both by 30-24. A crowd of 58,500 attended the game in Chapel Hill.

Irish get Marked – Michigan State 34, Notre Dame 31 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 26, Notre Dame 23). You gotta give Mark Dantonio credit – the guy has guts. Trailing by three in overtime, the Spartans lined up to kick a 46-yard field goal to tie the score and put the game into a second overtime. But instead, Michigan State faked the field goal attempt and threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to win the game. Spartan coach Mark Dantonio suffered a mild heart attack after the game. A crowd of 78,411 attended the game in East Lansing.

Frogs wart the Wackos – TCU 45, Baylor 10 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 27, Baylor 14). The Frogs’ Andy Dalton passes for 267 yards and Ed Wesley rushes for 165 yards. A crowd of 47,493 attended the game in Fort Worth.

Dog catchers – LSU 29, Mississippi State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 24, Mississippi State 10). LSU beats Miss State for the 11th-straight time. The Bulldogs fall to 0-2 in SEC play. A crowd of 92,538 attended the game in Baton Rouge.

Devils freeze in Madison – Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 30, Arizona State 20). ASU scores with 4:09 remaining in the game, but the Badgers block the Sun Devils’ PAT kick. A crowd of 81,332 attended the game in Madison.

It was a howler – Nevada 52, California 31 (Touchdown Tom said: California 30, Nevada 25). Wow! Is Nevada for real? The Wolf Pack looked awful good to me. Vai Taua and Colin Kaepernick rushed for a combined 299 yards. Cal’s Kevin Riley threw three INTs. A crowd of 28,809 attended the game in Reno.

Mounties wax the Turtles – West Virginia 31, Maryland 17 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Maryland 18). WVU started out the way it ended up against Marshall the week before – hot. The Mounties jumped out to a 28-0 lead over the Terps. Then a couple of long touchdown passes put Maryland back into the game. WVU quarterback Geno Smith passed for 268 yards. A crowd of 60,122 attended the game in Morgantown.

Deacons run into a Tree – Stanford 68, Wake Forest 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 34, Wake Forest 16). Stanford may be the surprise team of the year. But we know Wake Forest has no defense. The Deacons gave up 48 points to Duke the week before. Stanford’s Andrew Luck was 17-23-0 for 207 yards passing. A crowd of 39,061 attended the game in Palo Alto.

Bruins dismiss the Case – UCLA 31, Houston 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 27, UCLA 24). Houston lost quarterback Case Keenum for the second-straight game – this week with a knee injury. Now he’s out for the season. The Bruins won their first game of the season. A crowd of 54,407 attended the game in Pasadena.

Cowboys shaken out of their boots – Boise State 51, Wyoming 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, Wyoming 20). Wyoming was supposed to provide a little resistance. Boise State racked up 648 yards of offense. Quarterback Kellen Moore had 370 yards passing. A crowd of 29,014 attended the game in Laramie.

The big bad Wolf – N.C. State 30, Cincinnati 19 (Touchdown Tom said: N.C. State 28, Cincinnati 22). Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson looked like the player he was two years ago when he was first-team All-ACC. Wilson passed for 333 yards. State moves out to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2002. The Bearcats fall to 1-2 with Oklahoma looming this week. A crowd of 55,934 attended the game in Raleigh.

The Owls were the wiser – Temple 30, Connecticut 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Connecticut 25, Temple 19). Watch out for the Owls. Temple moves out to a 3-0 start. This one was fairly easy, after close wins over Villanova and Central Michigan. A crowd of 18,702 attended the game in Philadelphia.


AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Jayhawks look pink in the Gills – Southern Miss 31, Kansas 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas 27, Southern Miss 22). Yes, me thinks Turner Gill has a lot of work on his hands in Lawrence – big time rebuilding. Southern Miss didn’t look anything at all like the team that lost to South Carolina. A crowd of 30,211 attended the game in Hattiesburg.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Dooks were no spooks – Alabama 62, Duke 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 38, Duke 15). This one was over when Alabama got off the bus at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Crimson Tide amassed 626 yards of offense. Bama’s Greg McElroy was 14-20-1 for 258 yards passing. A crowd of 39,042 attended the game in Durham.

Birds get steamed – Purdue 24, Ball State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 33, Ball State 18). The Boilers won, but they better get their act together before Big Ten play starts. A crowd of 54,124 attended the game in West Lafayette.

Comment: A rough 16-7 for the week brings my season total to 60-15 (80.0 percent).


AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF beat Buffalo, 24-10. A crowd of 14,312 attended the game in Buffalo…. Florida International fell to Texas A&M, 27-20. A crowd of 79,069 attended the game in College Station.

Florida A&M flattened Howard, 50-7. A crowd of 5,286 attended the game in Washington, DC…. Bethune-Cookman crushed Savannah State, 42-7. A crowd of 2,510 attended the game in Daytona Beach…. Jacksonville U. defeated Webber International, 41-0. A crowd of 4,130 attended the game in Jacksonville.


Superlatives

Impressive Passers: Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden – 23-32-0 for 409 yards; Troy’s Corey Robinson – 26-44-0 for 404; Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett – 21-33-0 for 380; Boise State’s Kellen Moore – 20-30-1 for 370; Notre Dame’s Dayne Crist – 32-55-1 for 369; Indiana’s Ben Chappell – 32-42-0 for 366; UAB’s Bryan Ellis – 23-37-2 for 360; Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert – 28-51-2 for 351; N.C. State’s Russell Wilson – 26-40-0 for 333; Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz – 27-41-1 for 330, and Cincinnati’s Zach Collaros – 19-31-0 for 310.

Also, Northwestern’s Dan Persa – 24-32-0 for 307 yards; Colorado State’s Pete Thomas – 26-40-2 for 305; Arizona’s Nick Foles – 28-39-1 for 303; Louisville’s Adam Froman – 22-38-1 for 288; Washington State’s Jeff Tuel – 18-33-0 for 284; SMU’s Kyle Padron – 19-34-0 for 280; Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi – 18-33-1 for 278; West Virginia’s Geno Smith – 19-29-0 for 268; TCU’s Andy Dalton – 21-23-0 for 267; Louisiana-Monroe’s Kolton Browning – 19-32-2 for 267, and Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib – 19-28-0 for 260.


Impressive Rushers: San Diego State’s Ronnie Hillman – 228 yards; Oregon’s LaMichael James – 227 yards; Central Michigan’s Paris Cotton – 209 yards; California’s Shane Vereen – 198 yards; Connecticut’s Jordan Todman – 192 yards; Kansas State’s Daniel Thomas – 181 yards; Illinois’ Mikel Leshoure – 180 yards; Temple’s Bernard Pierce – 169 yards; Kentucky’s Derrick Locke – 166 yards, and TCU’s Ed Wesley – 165 yards.

Also, Fresno State’s A.J. Ellis – 165 yards; UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin – 158 yards; Nevada’s Vai Taua – 151 yards; Alabama’s Mark Ingram – 151 yards; Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick – 148 yards; Clemson’s Andre Ellington – 140 yards; Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez – 137 yards; Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers – 132 yards; West Virginia’s Noel Devine – 131 yards, and USC’s Allen Bradford – 131 yards.


Quotes of Last Week

“Whenever I meet people, I want to make them smile. I love to smile. I want to be nice to everybody, even people who don’t want to be nice to me,” Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.

“The ACC should cancel its championship game. There’s not a team in the league good enough to play in it. If you thought nobody came to the ACC (Almost Competitive Conference) title game when it was held in the State of Florida, what’s it going to be like this year in Charlotte?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Looks like we’re just going to have to play old-timey football. That’s okay. Georgia used to win a bunch of football games doing that,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, on his team.

“ ‘Time to die.’ Those three words should make Florida coach Urban Meyer’s decision simple. If star wide receiver Chris Rainey indeed sent that three-word death threat to a girlfriend, Meyer must boot him off the team. Meyer has said in the past that he has daughters and therefore he does not tolerate crimes against women. If he is serious about such a stance — and I believe he is — then he has no choice. Chris Rainey allegedly threatened to kill a woman. End of story. End of college career,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Question: Does Urban Meyer need to check the Gators’ schedule first to see how long he thinks they can do without one of their starting receivers? Because it seems to me when a football program is accumulating arrests and one player admits to police that he sent a text message to his (ex-)girlfriend with an assumed death threat, reading, ‘Time to Die Bitch,’ the case is fairly cut and dried. Chris Rainey should be gone,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Even though I was not always a Tennessee Volunteer, even when I was younger, for some reason, I always rooted for Tennessee because I didn’t like Florida very much. So I guess it was just fate that I ended up here,” Tennessee quarterback Matt Simms, on his dislike of Florida.

“It’s not a dirty program,” Florida coach Urban Meyer, on the Gator football program after the 30th arrest under his tenure.

“He had a chance to apologize, look like the good guy. But in giving it back and not apologizing, he just looks like an idiot again,” Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, on Reggie Bush.

“Ultimately, a football team’s season is not defined by one player. A.J. Green will not be a cure-all when he returns, any more than his absence was the reason the Bulldogs lost in Columbia last week,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on the suspended Georgia receiver.

“Florida’s Urban Meyer will be coaching against Tennessee’s Derek Dooley today, which should be the biggest mismatch since ‘American Idol’ went head-to-head with ‘Better Off Ted’. Seriously, this is like pitting ‘The Little Red Caboose’ against ‘The Great Gatsby’ for the Nobel. It’s like Chef Boyardee in a cook-off against Chef Emeril. It’s like Insane Clown Posse in a Battle of the Bands with U2,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“If the Vols knew then what they know now, would they have ever fired Phil Fulmer? Certainly not. Think about it: They stupidly hired Lane Kiffin, who bolted after one season, leaving a trail of lies, hard feelings and NCAA violations behind him. And then who does Tennessee name to replace Lil Laney — none other than Derek Dooley, who was 4-8 at Luzianna Whatchamacallit last season,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“There will soon be a monument unveiled in South Carolina honoring the band Hootie and the Blowfish. Wow, they must really be hard up for monuments in South Carolina. What next – a statue commemorating Sparky Woods’ 3-6-2 season at the University of South Carolina in 1991?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Now that Reggie Bush has given back his Heisman Trophy, what about Eric Crouch and Gino Torretta?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a few days ago when opening the Middle East peace talks: ‘People with a history of conflict can learn to live together.’ My question: Was she talking about Israel and Palestine or Butch Van Gundy and Pat Riley? But, seriously, I don't know about you, but I think this war of words between Van Gundy and Riley is the best thing to happen to the NBA since the Laker Girls. But Van Gundy better be careful: Riley's already run him out of one job,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“I just don’t get scared or nervous at all,” Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez, prior to the Huskers win over Washington.

“That’s the best Alabama team that I’ve seen,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe, after the Devils’ loss to the Tide.


The 20 Hottest and Most Intriguing Games of the Week…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Alabama (3-0) at Arkansas (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Alabama’s first SEC game of the young season and it’s a tough one. Both teams have been tested once – Alabama at home against Penn State and Arkansas on the road at Georgia. Both survived. Both teams have a good offense – Bama the better. We know Bama has a good defense; not sure Arkansas does. We’ll know Saturday. Bama smokes the Squealers – Alabama 30, Arkansas 28.

RUNNER UP: 2. Oregon State (1-1) at Boise State (2-0) – (Pac-10 vs. WAC) – This may be Boise State’s last test of the season, if indeed Oregon State is a test. But the Beavers should be. Pac-10 pride is on the line here. The Broncos are Oregon State’s second Top10 opponent in three weeks – both on the road. The Beavers lost to TCU. No Life of Riley for the Beavers – Boise State 35, Oregon State 32.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. West Virginia (3-0) at LSU (3-0) – (Big East vs. SEC) – Both teams have struggled on offense, but WVU seems to have found itself behind quarterback Geno Smith. This game could boil down to the defenses and the heat in Baton Rouge and the pressure in Tiger Stadium. It could be a wild night. Cajun spices give the Mounties heartburn – LSU 23, West Virginia 20.

4. South Carolina (3-0) at Auburn (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – After last week’s overtime thriller, Auburn may be too pooped for South Carolina. The Clemson game had to take a lot out of them – physically and emotionally. The winner of this game will definitely be a team to watch out for in the SEC. Aubie feasts on Wings – Auburn 24, South Carolina 22.

5. Kentucky (3-0) at Florida (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – In three games, Florida has failed to score a point in the first quarter. In three games, Florida has trailed at the end of the first quarter. Maybe the Gators should continue that streak if they want to win. It could be scary if Florida is winning at the end of the first quarter. The Gators may not know how to act for the remaining three quarters. Kentucky is 3-0, but it’s a weak 3-0. Wildcats can’t arrest the Gators – Florida 33, Kentucky 15.

6. Miami (Florida) (1-1) at Pitt (1-1) – (ACC vs. Big East) – Both of these teams have already been sidelined this season – Pitt by Utah and Miami by Ohio State. Both were on the road. Now Miami is on the road again. Both had the week off to prepare. If Jacory Harris gets his act back together, Miami has the advantage. Canes jump over the Pitt – Miami 30, Pitt 25.

7. Oklahoma (3-0) at Cincinnati (1-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big East) – Oklahoma has been a hard team to figure out this season. The Sooners looked good against Florida State – not so good against Utah State and Air Force. But still, that’s better than Cincinnati has looked. The Bearcats haven’t looked good at all. Which one will look good this week? These Cats don’t have nine lives – Oklahoma 31, Cincinnati 22.

8. UCLA (1-2) at Texas (3-0) – (Pac-10 vs. Big 12) – For a Top-10 team, Texas’ offense sure has struggled this season. Quarterback Garrett Gilbert is still looking for that breakout game. Maybe it will come against the Bruins. After an awful start, UCLA may have found itself last week. But the Bruins need to find a lot more to beat Texas. These Cows eat mor Bruins – Texas 33, UCLA 14.

9. Virginia Tech (1-2) at Boston College (2-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – BC is 2-0, but an unknown 2-0, a weak 2-0. But at least the Eagles are 2-0. That’s better than the Hokies can say. Did Tech finally find itself last week against East Carolina? I guess we’ll find out. They will too. Turkeys stuff the Eagles – Virginia Tech 27, Boston College 22.

10. Stanford (3-0) at Notre Dame (1-2) – (Pac-10 vs. Ind.) – The Irish may be 1-2, but the two losses have been by a total of seven points. Plus, the Irish are at home. You have to wonder if Stanford has been too good to be true. Is Stanford’s band still banned from Notre Dame Stadium? If Stanford has its band in South Bend, the Trees win for sure. The Irish have no Luck – Stanford 28, Notre Dame 27.

11. California (2-1) at Arizona (3-0) – (Pac-10 vs. Pac-10) – So now all eyes are on Arizona. The Wildcats looked good in their win over Iowa. Cal started out good, but then looked downright awful against Nevada. Cal hopes to catch the Wildcats still celebrating. Wildcats too wooly for the Bears – Arizona 37, California 26.

12. TCU (3-0) at SMU (2-1) – (MWC vs. C-USA) – A few years ago, a terrible SMU team knocked off a very good TCU team. No way it can happen this year. The Horned Frogs are on a mission. And they are about three positions away in the Top 10. No stoppin’ the Frogs’ hoppin’ – TCU 37, SMU 20.

13. Temple (3-0) at Penn State (2-1) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) – Wonder if Betsy Barefoot is going to be at this game? It could be a lot more exciting than last week’s game. Temple is undefeated and, let me tell you, the Owls are worth more than two hoots. They could give the Lions some trouble. After all, Penn State travels to Iowa next week and that’s what the Lions might be thinking about already. Lions take the Screech out of the Owls – Penn State 29, Temple 20.

14. Oregon (3-0) at Arizona State (2-1) – (Pac-10 vs. Pac-10) – Is anybody going to stop the Ducks? They keep waddlin’ along – big time. That poor mascot has to be in better shape than the other mascots – doing all those pushups. But Arizona State did almost beat Wisconsin in Madison – only lost by one point. And the Sun Devils are home this week. Ducks take the Sun out of the Devils – Oregon 38, Arizona State 23.

15. N.C. State (3-0) at Georgia Tech (2-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – Now we’ll find out how good N.C. State is. The Wolfpack are off to a 3-0 start, but it’s a so-so 3-0. A win over Tech in Atlanta would make it a solid 4-0. It also would most likely put the Pack in the Top 25. Pack runs into Killer Bees – Georgia Tech 27, N.C. State 22.

16. North Carolina (0-2) at Rutgers (2-0) – (ACC vs. Big East) – One team struggling to stay undefeated against another team trying to find its first win. The 0-2 team has had tough competition, while the 2-0 team has played no one. One of these two has to step up in this game. The Knights get Rammed – North Carolina 24, Rutgers 22.

17. Georgia (1-2) at Mississippi State (1-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – If Georgia falls to 0-3 in the SEC, Mark Richt can hang it up. He can retire to Acapulco and dive off the cliffs. He’s used to taking a dive. Miss State gave Auburn a battle in Starkville. You have a feeling the Bulldogs are ready to pop one. The Mutts from Georgia win the Dog fight – Georgia 22, Mississippi State 19.

18. Nevada (3-0) at BYU (1-2) – (WAC vs. MWC) – Nevada is off to a great start. The Wolf Pack are a fun team to watch too – lots of offensive fireworks. They have their teeth full this week. BYU is a wounded animal – dangerous. The Pack runs down a Cougar – Nevada 32, BYU 28.

19. UCF (2-1) at Kansas State (3-0) – (C-USA vs. Big 12) – The Wildcats are another team off to a good start. K-State has a decent offense, but a questionable defense. UCF could test that defense. The Knights are a feisty bunch. Wildcats knock the lights out of the Knights – Kansas State 30, UCF 20.

20. Fresno State (2-0) at Ole Miss (1-2) – (WAC vs. SEC) – Ole Miss was supposed to be bad this year, but not this bad – not after they heisted Jeremiah Masoli. But Mr. Masoli has been a disappointment – big time. Meanwhile, Fresno State could be a better team than expected. A road game against an SEC opponent will be a good test for the Bulldogs. Still looking for a team and a mascot in Oxford – Fresno State 27, Ole Miss 24.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

21. Air Force (2-1) at Wyoming (1-2) – (MWC vs. MWC) – Air Force is four points from being 3-0. The Falcons aren’t much through the air, but they sure are tough on the ground – more like Ground Force than Air Force. Birdboys saddle the Cowboys – Air Force 39, Wyoming 22.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

South Dakota State (0-2) at Nebraska (3-0) – (MVC vs. Big 12) – After the big win over Washington, how do you get excited about South Dakota State? What do the fans do? – yell “our silos are better than your silos.” I mean, we know who has the better football team. And Nebraska is off next week. So the Huskers can’t be caught looking ahead. Herbie gets a Bunny – Nebraska 48, South Dakota State 6.

Army (2-1) at Duke (1-2) – (Ind. vs. ACC) – All right, I think we found an opponent the Dookies can beat. That is if there are any Dookies left standing after the Tide ripped through Durham. This Army has no artillery – Duke 35, Army 26.

Toledo (2-1) at Purdue (2-1) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) – Boilers could have their hands full with Toledo. The Rockets have been playing well since their opening loss. And Purdue has had a hard time building up steam. Boilers ground the Rockets – Purdue 23, Toledo 19.

Comment: Four games between eight 3-0 teams (Alabama-Arkansas, West Virginia-LSU, South Carolina-Auburn and Kentucky-Florida). Something’s gotta give. Plus four more 3-0 teams (Stanford, Temple, N.C. State and Nevada) have tough encounters. Something’s likely to give. And six more 3-0 teams (Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, TCU, Oregon and Kansas State) are upset candidates. Something could give.


AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida State (2-1) hosts Wake Forest (2-1) …. South Florida (1-1) entertains Western Kentucky (0-3)…. Florida Atlantic (1-1) is home against North Texas (0-3)…. Florida International (0-2) travels to Maryland (2-1)…. Florida A&M (2-1) plays Tennessee State (1-2) in Atlanta…. Bethune-Cookman (2-0) is home, playing Norfolk State (2-1)…. Jacksonville U. (2-1) is on the road at Davidson (1-2).


Thursday’s Television Schedule – September 23

Miami (Florida) at Pitt – 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPN


Friday’s Television Schedule – September 24

TCU at SMU – 8:00 p.m. ET – ESPN


Saturday’s Television Schedule – September 25

Bowling Green at Michigan – 12:00 noon ET – ESPN2
N.C. State at Georgia Tech – 12:00 noon ET – ESPN
Florida International at Maryland – 12:00 noon ET – ESPNU
UAB at Tennessee – 12:20 p.m. ET – SEC Game of the Week
UCF at Kansas State – 12:30 p.m. ET – Fox Sports Network
Alabama at Arkansas – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS
Florida A&M vs. Tennessee State – 3:30 p.m. ET – Versus
Stanford at Notre Dame – 3:30 p.m. ET – NBC
Tulane at Houston – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS-CSN
UCLA at Texas – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN
Eastern Michigan at Ohio State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN
Wake Forest at Florida State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC
North Carolina at Rutgers – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Oklahoma at Cincinnati – 6:00 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Kentucky at Florida – 7:00 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Georgia at Mississippi State – 7:00 p.m. ET – SUN Sports Network
South Carolina at Auburn – 7:45 p.m. ET – ESPN
Baylor at Rice – 8:00 p.m. ET – CBS-CSN
Oregon State at Boise State – 8:00 p.m. ET – ABC
West Virginia at LSU – 9:00 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Oregon at Arizona State – 10:30 p.m. ET – Fox Sports Network


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football … Florida Atlantic received unanimous approval from the Florida Board of Governors to build an on-campus 30,000-seat football stadium at a cost of $69.8 million. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida. Construction will begin next month and the stadium is scheduled to be ready at a lower capacity for most of the 2011 season and at full capacity for the 2012 season. FAU currently plays most of its home games at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Usually one or two games a season are played at the Miami Dolphins’ Sun Life Stadium.

Oklahoma State and UT San Antonio have scheduled a three-game series to be played in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Two games will be played in Stillwater and one game in San Antonio. UTSA begins playing football for the first time in 2011. The Roadrunners will be coached by former Miami (Florida) coach Larry Coker…. Mississippi State’s non-conference games in 2011 will consist of Memphis, Louisiana Tech, UAB and UT Martin.

The University of Michigan has decided to spend $1.8 million to add permanent lights to the Big House – Michigan Stadium. The school’s board of regents approved the project last week…. South Alabama and Tulane have agreed to a three-game series for 2013, 2019 and 2020. Two games will be played in New Orleans and one game in Mobile…. Oklahoma State and Arizona have contracted to play a two-game home-and-home series in 2011 and 2012.


Extra Points

In the AP Poll – 1) Alabama, 2) Ohio State, 3) Boise State, 4) TCU, and 5) Oregon.

In the Coaches Poll – 1) Alabama, 2) Ohio State, 3) Boise State, 4) Texas, and 5) TCU.


On the Internet – College Football Week now has a Website and can be found at www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com.

On the Radio – Listen live to Touchdown Tom every Friday morning from 8:05 to 8:40 ET on the Bill Mick Live show, talking college football with Bill Mick on NEWS TALK 1240 and 1350 WMMB AM. The show streams on http://www.wmmbam.com/. To listen, go to the Web site and click on “Listen Live.”

Touchdown Tom


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but on a sad note, there were four passings of note last week – Harold Gould, Edwin Newman, James Bacon and Wallace Turner.

Harold Gould, a widely recognizable character actor in film and television who specialized, especially late in his career, in playing suave, well-dressed gentlemen in popular sitcoms and other TV shows, died last week in Woodland Hills, California. He was 86. In the 1970s, on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and later on its spinoff, “Rhoda,” he played Martin Morgenstern, the father of Rhoda Morgenstern.

Edwin Newman, the genteelly rumpled, genially grumpy NBC newsman who was equally famous as a stalwart defender of the honor of English, died in Oxford, England. He was 91. Newman began his association with NBC in the early 1950s and was variously a correspondent, anchor and critic there before retiring in 1984. He was an anchor on the “Today” show in the early 1960s and a familiar presence on the program for many years afterward. Newman also appeared regularly on “Meet the Press.” Edwin Harold Newman was born in New York City on January 25, 1919. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1940 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was briefly a graduate student in American government at Louisiana State University before finding work in print journalism.

James Bacon, who spent six decades chronicling Hollywood’s biggest stars as a reporter, author and syndicated columnist, died last week at his home in the Northridge section of Los Angeles. He was 96. As a reporter for The Associated Press for 23 years and later as a columnist for The Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Bacon had a knack for befriending A-list celebrities. He palled around with John Wayne, shared whiskey with Frank Sinatra, was a confidant of Marilyn Monroe and met eight United States presidents. James Richard Hughes Bacon was born on May 12, 1914, in Buffalo, New York.

Wallace Turner, who shared a Pulitzer Prize for exposing corruption in Portland, Oregon, as a reporter there, and who later illuminated the inner workings of the Mormon Church while covering the American West for The New York Times, died last week in Springfield, Oregon. He was 89 and lived in Eugene, Oregon. Wallace Turner was born on March 15, 1921, in Titusville, Florida. Turner graduated from the University of Missouri in 1943 with a degree in journalism. He worked for The Springfield Daily News in Missouri before being hired by The Oregonian.