Expect the Unexpected

College Football Week Three – Iowa at Arizona, Clemson at Auburn

Expect the Unexpected

We’re only two weeks into the season and already a trend has been set. You can expect the unexpected.

The first week: Jacksonville State upsets Jeremiah Masoli and Ole Miss in double overtime, 49-48. North Dakota State surprises Kansas, 6-3. LSU, leading a severely crippled North Carolina team 30-10 at the half, struggles in the second half to hang on for a 30-24 win.

Florida stumbles, fumbles and bumbles its way to a sloppy 34-12 win over Miami (Ohio). Underdog Florida Atlantic, trailing throughout most of the game, rallies in the fourth quarter to upset UAB, 32-31. Utah State hangs with Oklahoma throughout the game barely losing to the Sooners, 31-24. And Hawaii puts up 36 points on the board against USC, losing to the Trojans by only 13 points.

The second week: Kansas, a team that lost to North Dakota State the week before, beats Georgia Tech, 28-25. South Dakota, a team that lost to UCF 38-7 the first week, beats Minnesota, 41-38. Gardner-Webb upsets Akron, 38-37.

Marshall, a team that lost to Ohio State 45-7 the week before, leads West Virginia 21-6 with 5:20 left in the game. Then loses the game to WVU in overtime, 24-21. Oklahoma, who barely beat Utah State the first week, throttles Florida State, 47-17. Oklahoma State, who beat Washington State 65-17 the week before, hangs on to barely edge Troy, 41-38.

A sophomore quarterback from Michigan – Denard Robinson – rushes for 258 yards and passes for another 244 yards, accounting for 502 yards of his team’s 532 yards of offense in a 28-24 win against Notre Dame. BYU, a team that beat Washington 23-17 the first week, was blasted by Air Force, 35-14. And perhaps the biggest of all, James Madison beats Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, 21-16. Expect the unexpected.

During the week, a totally unexpected story surfaced out of Knoxville, Tennessee. Volunteer coach Derek Dooley revealed that he and his coaching staff were spending as much time teaching his players how to take showers and wash themselves with soap as they were teaching football skills.

It seems Tennessee players were avoiding the soap and sometimes the showers after practices. The football coaches got concerned that a staph infection could get started, spread and become a major problem. So the coaches decided to teach the players the basic principles of taking a shower and washing oneself with soap. Expect the unexpected.

Following West Virginia’s come-from-behind, overtime win over Marshall Friday night, Houston smashed UTEP, 54-24. But of concern from this game is the status of Houston quarterback Case Keenum, who left the game in the third quarter with an injury.

The Houston quarterback, a Heisman candidate, took a blow to the head. Then a wobbly Keenum made his way unsteadily to the sideline. Keenum has been diagnosed with a concussion is listed as day-to-day. Stay tuned.

If there was a conference that had a rough day on Saturday, it was the ACC. Virginia Tech suffered the embarrassing loss to James Madison, as did Florida State to Oklahoma. Miami (Florida) lost a marquee game to Ohio State, 36-24. In the contest, Miami quarterback Jacory Harris threw four interceptions.

Favored Georgia Tech fell to Kansas, and Virginia lost to USC, 17-14. N.C. State won, but the Wolfpack struggled to hang on to a 28-21 win over UCF.

Alabama looked every bit the No. 1 team it is, as the Crimson Tide stuffed Penn State, 24-3. The Tide defense was exceptional. Steve Spurrier got his first win over Georgia in Columbia. The Gamecocks beat the Dawgs, 17-6. After a rough start, Florida found itself in the second quarter and went on to beat South Florida, 38-14.

On the downside in the SEC, Oregon flattened Tennessee, 48-13. We can only hope that the Tennessee players took showers after the game.

Iowa, appearing to be one of the premier teams in the Big Ten, stomped on intrastate rival Iowa State, 35-7. California had no trouble from Colorado. The Golden Bears beat the Buffalos, 52-7. Washington started slow but picked up steam to beat Syracuse, 41-20. Stanford looked good, beating UCLA, 35-0. And Nevada remained undefeated, beating Colorado State, 51-6.

Just prior to the weekend, Villanova announced that it is evaluating the possibility of elevating its football program from FCS (Division I-AA) up to FBS (Division I-A). The reason being that Villanova is thinking about becoming a football member of the Big East Conference – a conference where all of Villanova’s other sports – basketball, soccer, baseball, etc – already compete. The Wildcats’ football program is currently in the Colonial Conference.

Thursday night, Swamp Mama and I picked up four dozen wings at Coasters and went on to Bootsie and Rockledge Gator’s house where we watched the Auburn-Mississippi State game. Auburn won, 17-14. Bootsie was a happy camper.

What shocks and surprises will we have this week? Expect the unexpected.

Touchdown Tom
September 13, 2010


Weekend Review

GAME OF THE WEEK: No sugar in these Canes – Ohio State 36, Miami (Florida) 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 24, Miami 20). The best player of the game for Ohio State was Miami quarterback Jacory Harris. Harris threw four interceptions, assisting the Buckeyes to their 12-point win. Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor passed for 233 yards (no interceptions) and rushed for another 113 yards. A crowd of 105,454 attended the game in Columbus.

RUNNER UP: Paterno Nitts while Penn State burns – Alabama 24, Penn State 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 24, Penn State 21). Alabama’s defense swarmed all over the Nittany Lions. Penn State never found a running or passing game as hard as it tried. A crowd of 101,821 attended the game in Tuscaloosa.

REST OF THE BEST: Sooners push out the Noles – Oklahoma 47, Florida State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 29, Florida State 27). Bring back Bobby! Bring back Bobby! Do you suppose that is what Noles’ fans are chanting? Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones picked apart the FSU defense. Jones threw for 380 yards. A crowd of 85,630 attended the game in Norman.

Uga chokes on Chicken – South Carolina 17, Georgia 6 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 22, Georgia 16). Steve Spurrier gets his first win over Georgia in Columbia. Dawg fans were selling their Georgia jerseys after the game – autographed or not. A crowd of 80,974 attended the game in Columbia.

B.J. is no Jack – Florida 38, South Florida 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 33, South Florida 14). For the first quarter, Florida looked like the Florida of last week against Miami (Ohio). Fortunately for the Gators, they looked more like the team they should be for the rest of the game. South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels, who wasn’t at all daunted by Doak Campbell Stadium last year, played like a deer caught in the headlights in The Swamp. A crowd of 90,612 attended the game in Gainesville.

Ducks waddle over Rocky Top – Oregon 48, Tennessee 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Tennessee 14). Tennessee played a decent first half. But it was all Oregon after that. It may be a long season for the Vols. But then, that was predicted. No rest for the Duck mascot. Oregon has scored 120 points in its first two games. A crowd of 102,035 attended the game in Knoxville.

Irish looking green – Michigan 28, Notre Dame 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 24, Notre Dame 23). This was more like Denard Robinson 28, Notre Dame 24. Robinson was responsible for 502 of Michigan’s 532 yards of offense. Can you spell Heisman? Brian Kelly is now 0-2 against Rich Rodriguez. A crowd of 80,795 attended the game in South Bend.

Fly Boys strafe the Cougars – Air Force 35, BYU 14 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 30, Air Force 29). Now we know why BYU wants to get out of the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars can’t compete. Watch out for the Falcons. A crowd of 46,692 attended the game in Colorado Springs.

Hawkeyes egg the Cyclones – Iowa 35, Iowa State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Iowa State 17). Hawkeyes win the Salmonella Trophy. Iowa’s Adam Robinson rushed for 154 yards, as the Hawkeyes cruised. A crowd of 70,585 attended the game in Iowa City.

Tigers silence the cowbells – Auburn 17, Mississippi State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 24, Mississippi State 22). In a lack luster game, Auburn held on with just enough to get by the Bulldogs. Something tells me this could be typical of Miss State this season – losing a lot of close games. A crowd of 54,806 attended the game in Starkville.

Joshua couldn’t tear down the walls of Lawrence – Kansas 28, Georgia Tech 25 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 27, Kansas 9). Where was this Kansas team last week? A crowd of 46,907 attended the game in Lawrence.

Bruins had no Luck – Stanford 35, UCLA 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 38, UCLA 24). Rick Neuheisel has to be in some kind of trouble in Westwood. Stanford’s defense is playing better than expected. A crowd of 56,931 attended the game in Pasadena.

You bet your sweet Kiffy – USC 17, Virginia 14 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 30, Virginia 20). Surprisingly close game for the Trojans. A crowd of 81,375 attended the game in Los Angeles.

No music for the Commodores – LSU 27, Vanderbilt 3 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Vanderbilt 19). Tigers came alive in the second half. A crowd of 36,940 attended the game in Nashville.

Bears put Ralphie out to pasture – California 52, Colorado 7 (Touchdown Tom said: California 30, Colorado 19). The Golden Bears are off to an impressive start. Wonder if Dan Hawkins is still asking for a contract extension? I would believe Colorado is thinking about contract extinction. A crowd of 55,440 attended the game in Berkeley.

The big bad Wolf – N.C. State 28, UCF 21 (Touchdown Tom said: N.C. State 28, UCF 26). Bozo O’Brien holds off Clarabell O’Leary in the battle of the Irish clowns. A crowd of 43,020 attended the game in Orlando.

Revenge – Houston 54, UTEP 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 37, UTEP 23). The Cougars poured it on as Case Keenum passed for 279 yards and Bryce Beall rushed for 195. Keenum left the game with an injury. A crowd of 32,119 attended the game in Houston.

It’s not over till it’s over – West Virginia 24, Marshall 21 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Marshall 14). Doc Holliday really did want to beat WVU – perhaps more so than we thought. Holliday feels he should be the coach in Morgantown instead of Bill Stewart. Up until 12 seconds to go in the game Marshall was beating WVU. Trailing 21-6 with about eight minutes left in the 4th quarter – it didn’t look promising for the Mounties. But then WVU decided to play. A crowd of 41,382 attended the game in Huntington.

Locker juices the Orange – Washington 41, Syracuse 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 32, Syracuse 13). Jake Locker had a heck of a game, passing for 289 yards. A crowd of 62,418 attended the game in Seattle.

Night of the Hunter – Oklahoma State 41, Troy 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 35, Troy 17). What a difference from last week when the Cowboys beat Washington State, 65-17. Okie State’s Brandon Weeden passed for 348 yards and Kendall Hunter rushed for 157. A crowd of 48,820 attended the game in Stillwater.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Wolf Pack jams the Rams – Nevada 51, Colorado State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Nevada 29, Colorado State 13). Wolf Pack quarterback Colin Kaepernick was responsible for 402 of Nevada’s 631 yards of offense – 161 rushing and 241 passing. A crowd of 18,098 attended the game in Reno.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Herbie scallops the Potatoes – Nebraska 38, Idaho 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 38, Idaho 15). Together, Husker quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Roy Helu were too much for the Vandals. A crowd of 85,732 attended the game in Lincoln.

Deacons outshoot the Dookies – Wake Forest 54, Duke 48 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 27, Duke 25). I’m not sure but what Wake Forest’s Jeff Bzdelik and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski were coaching this game. If not, they had to be happy with the points produced. But I know Krzyzewski is in Turkey, coaching the USA in the world championships. Still? Four turnovers killed the Doookies’ chances. A crowd of 31,673 attended the game in Winston-Salem.

Bevo fences in the Cowboys – Texas 34, Wyoming 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Wyoming 15). Texas’ defense smothered the Cowboys, holding Wyoming to 58 yards on the ground. A crowd of 101,339 attended the game in Austin.

Boilers turn up the steam – Purdue 31, Western Illinois 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Western Illinois 18). Boilers found the going a little more to their liking this week. Still, the Leathernecks were no pushover. A crowd of 47,301 attended the game in West Lafayette.

Comment: A very good week at 23-2 on the predictions, which brings my season total to 44-8 (84.6 percent).


AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida Atlantic fell to Michigan State, 30-17. A crowd of 36,124 attended the game in Detroit…. Florida International lost to Rutgers, 19-14. A crowd of 19,872 attended the game in Miami.

Florida A&M slipped by Delaware State, 17-14. A crowd of 3,867 attended the game in Dover…. Jacksonville U. lost to Appalachian State, 45-14. A crowd of 28,708 attended the game in Boone.


Superlatives

Weekend’s Best Passers: Arkansas State’s Ryan Aplin – 25-45-1 for 438 yards; Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett – 28-43-1 for 400; Arizona State’s Steven Threet – 33-49-2 for 391; Oklahoma’s Landry Jones – 30-40-0 for 379; Tulsa’s G.J. Kinne – 27-47-1 for 356; Texas A&M’s Jerrod Johnson – 25-38-0 for 349; Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden – 29-39-2 for 348, and Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz – 25-36-0 for 343.

UTEP’s Trevor Vittatoe – 30-54-0 for 340 yards; New Mexico’s B.R. Holbrook – 30-50-2 for 323; West Virginia’s Geno Smith – 32-45-0 for 316; Middle Tennessee’s Jeff Murphy – 23-36-1 for 301; Central Michigan’s Ryan Radcliff – 25-35-2 for 299; Western Michigan’s Alex Carder – 24-33-1 for 298; Baylor’s Robert Griffin – 20-35-1 for 297, and Texas Tech’s Taylor Potts – 22-34-0 for 293.

Memphis’ Ryan Williams – 18-25-0 for 293 yards; Washington’s Jake Locker – 22-33-0 for 289; North Texas’ Nathan Tune – 20-37-1 for 285; Ole Miss’ Jeremiah Masoli – 14-20-1 for 281; Houston’s Case Keenum – 15-24-1 for 279; Notre Dame’s Dayne Crist – 13-25-1 for 277; Pitt’s Tino Sunseri – 24-34-1 for 275; Troy’s Corey Robinson – 28-38-0 for 272; Minnesota’s Adam Weber – 21-31-0 for 258, and Utah State’s Diondre Borel – 21-26-0 for 255.


Weekend’s Best Rushers: Michigan’s Denard Robinson – 258 yards; Houston’s Bryce Beall – 195 yards; Western Kentucky’s Bobby Rainey – 184 yards; Michigan State’s Edwin Baker – 183 yards; South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore – 182 yards; Northern Illinois’ Chandler Harnish – 178 yards; Tennessee’s Tauren Poole – 162 yards; Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick – 161 yards, and LSU’s Stevan Ridley – 159 yards.

Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez – 157 yards; Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter – 157 yards; Iowa’s Adam Robinson – 154 yards; Connecticut’s Jordan Todman – 151 yards; San Diego State’s Ronnie Hillman – 150 yards; Alabama’s Trent Richardson – 144 yards; Florida’s Jeff Demps – 139 yards, and Wisconsin’s John Clay – 137 yards.


Quotes of Last Week

“Don’t burn the Quran, burn Steve Addazio’s playbook,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, on Florida’s offensive coordinator.

“The last time Florida State played for a national title was against Oklahoma (2001 Orange Bowl). The last time Miami played for a national title was against Ohio State (2003 Fiesta Bowl). Both programs lost those games and haven’t been the same since,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, before Saturday’s games.

“FSU coach Jimbo Fisher says he doesn’t like playing non-conference games like the one today against Oklahoma and says he wants to soften the schedule in the future by adding more Division I-AA creampuffs and patty cakes. Who does this guy think he is – Urban Meyer?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“And speaking of Meyer, what was that Keystone Cops routine last week against Miami of Low-hio? It looked like the Gators’ entire offense was suffering from esophageal spasms,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“With Daytona International Speedway in the process of being repaved, track officials buried a time capsule at the start-finish line the other day. Here are the three mementos I would have put in the capsule to remind future generations of what NASCAR used to be like: (1) A naked-lady mud flap, (2) A Confederate flag halter top and (3) A framed photograph of Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossing the finish line in 14th place,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Tim Tebow’s NFL debut: Two yards and a cloud of lust,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“There won’t be any smiling faces around here until we get another win,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Iowa (2-0) at Arizona (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-10) – Good showdown between two teams off to a good start. Hawkeyes will have a tough time in Tucson. Wildcats get their claws clipped – Iowa 17, Arizona 14.

RUNNER UP: 2. Texas (2-0) at Texas Tech (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – Last time the Longhorns went into Lubbock they came out on the short end of the stick. The Red Raiders stuck it to ’em. This time it will be the Horns who do the stickin’. Tuberville can’t stay on the steer – Texas 33, Texas Tech 20.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Nebraska (2-0) at Washington (1-1) – (Big 12 vs. Pac-10) – Huskers face their stiffest competition to date. And a road trip at that. Huskies already have one blemish on their record and they don’t want another one this early in the season. It could be a fight to the finish. Herbie shuts the Locker – Nebraska 26, Washington 22.

4. Clemson (2-0) at Auburn (2-0) – (ACC vs. SEC) – Well, if Miss State is Auburn with a Wal-Mart, Clemson is Auburn with a lake. The latter one according to Lewis Grizard. Another good battle between two undefeated teams. And of course, Clemson’s coach (Dabo Swinney) is an Alabama graduate. More reason for Auburn to want to win. More reason for Dabo to want to win. Auburn has been tested. Clemson hasn’t. Aubie puts Dab in the lab – Auburn 20, Clemson 16.

5. Arkansas (2-0) at Georgia (1-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – The Dawgs come into this encounter, smarting from their loss to South Carolina. The pressure mounts on Mark Richt. But the pressure is on Bobby Petrino too. Hogs’ fans say it’s time they start winning. But winning is never easy in the SEC. Uga licks his chops on baby back ribs – Georgia 22, Arkansas 18.

6. Air Force (2-0) at Oklahoma (2-0) – (MWC vs. Big 12) – The Falcons hope to catch the Sooners celebrating their big win over Florida State. The Sooners will find the Falcons more than they bargained for. But in the end, the Sooners outman the Falcons. Sooners force the air out of the Falcons – Oklahoma 35, Air Force 25.

7. Florida (2-0) at Tennessee (1-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – It’s Gator time on Rocky Top. Time for the Gators to do some chomping in Tennessee. Time for Urban and his boys to silence the Vols. Time for Rocky Top to be turned into Dooley Bottom. Let’s see, how long has it been since Tennessee beat Florida? Well, it’s going to be even longer now. Instead of Rocky Top, the Vols will think they are in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Albert gives the Vols a bath – Florida 30, Tennessee 17.

8. BYU (1-1) at Florida State (1-1) – (MWC vs. ACC) – Both teams got a spanking last week – big time. But only one can bounce back this week. Noles have a better bounce in their step. Seminoles on the warpath – Florida State 27, BYU 16.

9. Georgia Tech (1-1) at North Carolina (0-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – We don’t know which Georgia Tech team will show up. And we don’t know which North Carolina players will show up. We just know somebody will show up. And the Tar Heels will show up better. Tar Heels spray the Bees – North Carolina 24, Georgia Tech 17.

10. Notre Dame (1-1) at Michigan State (2-0) – (Ind. vs. Big Ten) – Brian Kelly goes from one Michigan team to another and it may not be pretty. This one’s on the road. And the Spartans have a score to settle. Although, the Irish are tested and State hasn’t been. Dantonio puts a mark on the Irish – Michigan State 26, Notre Dame 23.

11. Baylor (2-0) at TCU (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. MWC) – TCU only plays two BCS teams all season. The Horned Frogs already beat the first one – Oregon State. Now they face the second one. It’s a must win for the Frogs in their struggle to reach a BCS bowl and possibly the national championship game. The Bears will provide some resistance. Froggies trap a Bear – TCU 27, Baylor 14.

12. Mississippi State (1-1) at LSU (2-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – In Starkville, Miss State could cause some problems. But in Baton Rouge, the Tigers should find the Bulldogs more to their liking. Mikey eats anything – LSU 24, Mississippi State 10.

13. Arizona State (2-0) at Wisconsin (2-0) – (Pac-10 vs. Big Ten) – Second interesting encounter this week between the Pac-10 and Big Ten – both involving Arizona teams. And both games involving undefeated teams. Unless ASU has something we don’t know about, it doesn’t look good for the Sun Devils. The Badgers Clay with the Devils – Wisconsin 30, Arizona State 20.

14. California (2-0) at Nevada (2-0) – (Pac-10 vs. WAC) – Both teams are off to a good start. But Nevada hasn’t really been tested. Still, this could be an exciting game and a high-scoring one too. Bears pack the Wolves – California 30, Nevada 25.

15. Maryland (2-0) at West Virginia (2-0) – (ACC vs. Big East) – If last week wasn’t a wakeup call for the Mounties, I don’t know what is. They better get out of the gate faster this week. Mounties ice up the Fridge – West Virginia 27, Maryland 18.

16. Wake Forest (2-0) at Stanford (2-0) – (ACC vs. Pac-10) – We know the Deacons can score, but we don’t think the Deacons’ defense can stop Andrew Luck and Stanford, especially not in Palo Alto. The Cardinal is looking good. The Deacons have no Luck – Stanford 34, Wake Forest 16.

17. Houston (2-0) at UCLA (0-2) – (C-USA vs. Pac-10) – The big question here is the status of Houston quarterback Case Keenum. He is suffering from a concussion and is listed as day-to-day. And obviously if Keenum doesn’t play it could make a big difference in the game. UCLA sure is off to a rough start. Case settled – Houston 27, UCLA 24.

18. Boise State (1-0) at Wyoming (1-1) – (WAC vs. MWC) – After a week off, the Broncos return to action. It does not look like a pretty scene for Wyoming. The only hope for the Cowboys is the home-field advantage. But that’s little hope. Broncos toss the Cowboys – Boise State 31, Wyoming 20.

19. Cincinnati (1-1) at N.C. State (2-0) – (Big East vs. ACC) – This is the second tough road trip for the Bearcats in three weeks. They didn’t survive the first one and this one may not turn out any better. The Wolfpack are off to a good start and will be looking to keep it going. If the Wolfpack can contain Cincy quarterback Zach Collaros, they can contain the Bearcats. Bearcats can’t hack the Pack – N.C. State 28, Cincinnati 22.

20. Connecticut (1-1) at Temple (2-0) – (Big East vs. MAC) – Possible upset brewing here. Temple would love to knockoff the Huskies and the Owls are capable of doing it. UConn better be on its toes. Owls lose their hoots – Connecticut 25, Temple 19.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

21. Kansas (1-1) at Southern Miss (1-1) – (Big 12 vs. C-USA) – If the Kansas team that beat Georgia Tech shows up, then the Jayhawks should win. But, if the Kansas team that lost to North Dakota State shows up, the Jayhawks will lose. Anybody’s guess. Jayhawks are rude to the Miss – Kansas 27, Southern Miss 22.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Alabama (2-0) at Duke (1-1) – (SEC vs. ACC) – Now you know why Duke sold out its season tickets this year. Alabama fans probably account for half of them. This could be a case of how long can the Dookies hang with the Tide – five minutes, one quarter, two quarters? You gotta figure David Cutcliffe will try every trick in the books. Elephants trample the Dookies – Alabama 38, Duke 15.

Ball State (1-1) at Purdue (1-1) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) – Since the opening loss to Notre Dame, Purdue has taken the easy road out. Boilers deflate the Ball – Purdue 33, Ball State 18.

Comment: A lot of good games this week without any real marquee contests.


AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF (1-1) travels to Buffalo (1-1)…. Florida International (0-1) is on the road at Texas A&M (2-0)…. Florida A&M (1-1) plays at Howard (0-2)…. Bethune-Cookman (1-0) hosts Savannah State (0-2)…. Jacksonville U. (1-1) entertains Weber International (0-1)…. Miami, South Florida (1-1) and Florida Atlantic (1-1) have the week off.


Thursday’s Television Schedule – September 16

Cincinnati at N.C. State – 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPN


Friday’s Television Schedule – September 17

Kansas at Southern Miss – 8:00 p.m. ET – ESPN
California at Nevada – 10:00 p.m. ET – ESPN2


Saturday’s Television Schedule – September 18

Arkansas at Georgia – 12:00 noon ET – ESPN/ESPN2
Georgia Tech at North Carolina – 12:00 noon ET – Raycom (ACC Game of the Week)
Iowa State vs. Kansas State – 12:00 noon ET – Fox Sports Network
Kent State at Penn State – 12:00 noon ET – ESPN/ESPN2
Maryland at West Virginia – 12:00 noon ET – ESPNU
North Texas at Army – 12:00 noon ET – CBS-CSN
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss – 12:20 p.m. ET – SEC Game of the Week
Air Force at Oklahoma – 3:30 p.m. ET – Fox Sports Network
Alabama at Duke – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC
Arizona State at Wisconsin – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
BYU at Florida State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Florida at Tennessee – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS
Nebraska at Washington – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
USC at Minnesota – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
Washington State at SMU – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS-CSN
Baylor at TCU – 4:30 p.m. ET – Versus
Clemson at Auburn – 7:00 p.m. ET – ESPN
Mississippi State at LSU – 7:00 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Boise State at Wyoming – 8:00 p.m. ET – CBS-CSN
Notre Dame at Michigan State – 8:00 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Texas at Texas Tech – 8:00 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Houston at UCLA – 10:30 p.m. ET – Fox Sports Network
Iowa at Arizona – 10:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
UNLV at Idaho – 10:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Wake Forest at Stanford – 11:15 p.m. ET – ESPN2


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football … Hawaii has added Tulane to its 2011 schedule. The game will be played in Honolulu…. South Alabama and Oklahoma State have agreed to a three-game series to be played in 2017 and then in 2019 and 2020. Two games will be played in Stillwater and one game in Mobile.

South Alabama and Southern Miss have signed up to a home-and-home series to be played in 2020 and 2021…. UCF has added BYU to its 2011 and 2014 schedules and Connecticut to its 2014 and 2015 schedules. Both series are home-and-home agreements.


Extra Points

In the latest AP Poll: 1) Alabama; 2) Ohio State; 3) Boise State; 4) TCU; 5) Oregon

In the latest Coaches Poll: 1) Alabama; 2) Ohio State; 3) Boise State; 4) Texas; 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 in mid-September as the college football season was finally underway, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1935 was “I’m In The Mood For Love” by Little Jack Little

…70 years ago this week in 1940 was “I’ll Never Smile Again” by Tommy Dorsey

…65 years ago this week in 1945 was “Till The End Of Time” by Perry Como

…60 years ago this week in 1950 was “Goodnight Irene” by Gordon Jenkins & The Weavers

…55 years ago this week in 1955 was “The Yellow Rose Of Texas” by Mitch Miller

…50 years ago this week in 1960 was “The Twist” by Chubby Checker

…45 years ago this week in 1965 was “Help” by The Beatles

…40 years ago this week in 1970 was “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross

…35 years ago this week in 1975 was “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell

…30 years ago this week in 1980 was “Upside Down” by Diana Ross

…25 years ago this week in 1985 was “St. Elmo’s Fire” by John Parr

…20 years ago this week in 1990 was “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love And Affection” by Nelson


Not directly college football related, but on a sad note, there were two passings of note last week – Ron Kramer and Kevin McCarthy.

Ron Kramer, a two-time All-American at the University of Michigan who became one of the first outstanding tight ends in the National Football League, playing for Coach Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers championship teams of the early 1960s, died last week at his home in Fenton, Michigan. He was 75. Ronald John Kramer was born on June 24, 1935, in Girard, Kansas, but moved with his family to the Detroit area as a youngster. He was an All-American at Michigan in 1955 and 1956, playing end on offense and defense. He was also captain of the basketball team as a senior, when he set Michigan’s career scoring record, which has since been broken, and he was a high jumper for the track team. Kramer joined the Packers as a first-round draft pick in 1957, taken fourth overall, with Paul Hornung having been the No. 1 choice.

Kevin McCarthy, the suave, square-jawed actor who earned accolades in stage and screen productions of “Death of a Salesman” but will always be best known as the star of the 1956 science fiction movie “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” died last week at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts. He was 96 and lived in Sherman Oaks, California. McCarthy, whose sister was the celebrated author Mary McCarthy, was 35 and a veteran of seven Broadway plays when Elia Kazan cast him as Biff, the shallow, elder son of Willy Loman, in the London stage production of “Death of a Salesman.” His portrayal of Biff in the 1951 film version earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. Kevin McCarthy was born on February 15, 1914, in Seattle. Both of his parents died in the influenza epidemic of 1918, and he and his brothers and sisters were sent to live with relatives in Minneapolis. After graduating from high school in Wisconsin, McCarthy studied at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, with an eye toward a diplomatic career. He changed his mind, however, and transferred to the University of Minnesota, where he became interested in acting.