College Football Week 9 – West Virginia headed to the Big 12?
Save the Best for LastThat’s what college football did Saturday. It saved two of the day’s best games for last – Wisconsin-Michigan State and Texas Tech-Oklahoma. Or in the case of the Red Raiders-Sooners, you could say, better late than never. Their game, originally scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET, was weather-delayed for a good 95 minutes or so.
Both games resulted in two undefeated, Top-5 teams getting beat on the same Saturday for the first time this season. The Wisconsin-Michigan State game, which began at 8 p.m. ET as scheduled, started out in favor of the Badgers. At the end of the first quarter, Wisconsin was up 14-0.
Just when you thought Michigan State could be out of it, the Spartans came storming back in the second quarter, scoring 23 unanswered points. State led the Badgers at the half, 23-14. The third quarter was pretty much a stalemate between the two. Wisconsin added a field goal and closed the gap to 23-17.
Then it got chaotic in the fourth quarter. Michigan State scored first and increased its lead to 31-17 with 10:58 remaining. Wisconsin countered with back-to-back touchdowns, the second one coming with 01:26 remaining. The score was tied 31-31 and by all appearances the game was headed to overtime.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Spartans moved the ball to the Wisconsin 44-yardline with about 00:04 remaining. Overtime was still in the foreseeable future. On the last play, Kirk Cousin rolled out to his right and threw a Hail Mary pass to the end zone. The ball bounced off the facemask of a Michigan State player in the end zone and into the hands of the Spartans’ Keith Nichol. Nichol caught the ball outside of the end zone, but fought two Wisconsin defenders to get the ball across the goal line.
The officials ruled the ball did not cross the goal line. Game over. Overtime. But the officials' call was challenged. The play was reviewed. Upon further review, the officials ruled, “touchdown.” Game over. Michigan State wins, 37-31. Bedlam broke out in Spartan Stadium.
The Texas Tech-Oklahoma game finally got underway around 9:45 p.m. ET. Tech scored first, but the Sooners responded with a touchdown. The score was 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. It was in the second quarter that you got the feeling it might be a strange night. The Red Raiders scored 17 unanswered points – two touchdowns and a field goal. Tech was up at the half, 24-7.
But hey, Oklahoma has been down before and rallied to win. Early in the third quarter, the Red Raiders scored again and led, 31-7. Now you’re thinking you really could be viewing an upset in the making.
Then the Sooners scored 17 unanswered points. With 14:55 remaining in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma trailed Texas Tech, 31-24. And just when you are thinking the Sooners are coming back, the Red Raiders add another 10 points. With 07:38 remaining in the game, Tech is now up, 41-24. Not looking good for OU.
But in the next six minutes, Oklahoma scored two touchdowns. With 01:10 remaining, the Sooners had closed the gap to 41-38. OU attempted an on-side kick. Tech recovered and ran out the clock. For the second time within a couple hours an undefeated, Top-5 team lost. First Wisconsin, then Oklahoma. Unbelievable.
In the Tech-OU game, the two quarterbacks – Seth Doege and Landry Jones – combined for 853 yards passing. About the only difference between the two – Jones threw one interception, Doege threw none.
Saturday was a record-setting day for Penn State coach Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions 34-24 win over Northwestern gave Paterno his 408th career victory. That ties Paterno with former Grambling coach Eddie Robinson – most wins by a Division I coach. The only coach with more wins is Division III St. John’s (Minnesota) University coach John Gagliardi. Gagliardi has 481 wins.
Northwestern, as it turns out, is the ideal opponent for Penn State whenever Paterno is going for a record. When Paterno got his 323rd win to tie Bear Bryant, the Nittany Lions beat Northwestern. Then, last year when Paterno got his 400th victory, Penn State beat Northwestern.
Eight teams remain undefeated going into Week Nine – Alabama, Boise State, Clemson, Houston, Kansas State, LSU, Oklahoma State and Stanford. Two teams remain winless – Florida Atlantic and New Mexico. UAB was removed from the winless list. The Blazers got their first win of the season Thursday night, beating UCF, 26-24.
Tulane coach Bob Toledo was fired last week. Toledo, a former coach of UCLA, was in his fifth season with the Green Wave. His overall record at Tulane was 15-40, including 2-5 this season. The firing didn’t seem to help the Green Wave any. Saturday, Tulane lost to Memphis, 33-17.
Toledo is the third coach to be fired this season. Earlier, New Mexico’s Mike Locksley and Arizona’s Mike Stoops were terminated from their schools. Stoops departure seemed to fire up Arizona. Thursday night, the Wildcats beat UCLA, 48-12. It was Arizona’s first win over a FBS team this season.
A coach doing a remarkable job turning around a program is Ron English at Eastern Michigan. For many years EMU has been the doormat of the Mid-American Conference. English, in his third year at EMU, has the Eagles off to a 5-3 start.
Included in the five wins are two impressive victories over EMU’s intrastate rivals Central Michigan and Western Michigan. English is a former defensive coordinator at Michigan and Louisville.
Newspapers out of Texas, Missouri and other Midwest states are reporting that Missouri will announce today it is leaving the Big 12 Conference to join the SEC. The same newspapers report the Big 12 will replace Missouri in the conference with West Virginia. Stay tuned!
My favorite quarterbacks over the weekend were East Carolina’s Dominique Davis, Houston’s Case Keenum, Arkansas State’s Ryan Alpin, Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib, Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins and Clemson’s Tajh Boyd.
My favorite running backs were Western Kentucky’s Bobby Rainey, Vanderbilt’s Zac Stacy, Nevada’s Mike Ball and Penn State’s Silas Redd.
Saturday, Swamp Mama and I attended the Suntree/Viera Lightning-Rockledge Raider football game at Rockledge Park. The game was between two Brevard Youth League football teams. We were there to see David Stein who plays defense and does the placekicking and kickoffs for Suntree/Viera.
David, age 10, kicked three PAT’s and a 30-yard field goal, as Suntree/Viera beat Rockledge, 40-0. Obviously you can tell from the score that David played good defense. David is the son of Neal and Stephanie Stein. His sister Julia is a star soccer player.
This coming Saturday, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I are going to a rather large cocktail party. The party is an annual affair and is held outdoors. The four of us will be at the Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville, cheering on the Gators. Or then again, we could be booing Charlie Weis. Let’s hope not.
Swamp Mama and I haven’t been to a Florida-Georgia game since the 1970s. We went to the 1977 game when Florida won, 22-17, and the 1978 game when Georgia won, 24-22. Both thrillers. This will be Bootsie’s and Rockledge Gator’s first Florida-Georgia game. I’ll do my best to make sure Rockledge Gator behaves.
Touchdown Tom
October 24, 2011GAME OF THE WEEK: Full of grace – Michigan State 37, Wisconsin 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Michigan State 24). Kirk Cousins’ 44-yard Hail Mary pass as time expires wins the game for the Spartans – a game that had overtime written all over it. Now, it’s quite possible that these two could meet again in the Big Ten championship game. Stay tuned! A crowd of 76,405 attended the game in East Lansing.
RUNNER UP: More than Luck – Stanford 65, Washington 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 34, Washington 16). Stanford is more than just a passing team. The Cardinal rushed for 446 yards. A crowd of 50,360 attended the game in Palo Alto.
REST OF THE BEST: And Florida lost to Auburn – LSU 45, Auburn 10 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Auburn 14). Not that Florida is that good, but Auburn just doesn’t look like the same team from one week to the next, going all the way back to the Utah State game. Of course, nobody looks like the same team against LSU. A crowd of 93,098 attended the game in Baton Rouge.
Hurtin’ Heels – Clemson 59, North Carolina 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 32, North Carolina 21). Good game until the third quarter. That’s when the Tigers outscored the Heels, 35-7. Clemson won the game with only 77 yards rushing. But Tajh Boyd had a great day passing. The Heels had six turnovers. A crowd of 79,000 attended the game in Clemson.
O’Kiffin – USC 31, Notre Dame 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, USC 23). Trojans hold the Irish to 41 yards rushing. Lane Kiffin calls it his biggest win since he has been at USC. A crowd of 80,795 attended the game in South Bend.
Eagles pin a loss on the Pony – Southern Miss 27, SMU 3 (Touchdown Tom said: SMU 34, Southern Miss 32). The Eagles handed SMU its first C-USA loss of the season. The Southern Miss defense shut down a talented SMU offense. A crowd of 32,685 attended the game in Hattiesburg.
Boomer….I mean…Bummer for OU – Texas Tech 41, Oklahoma 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 49, Texas Tech 25). The Red Raiders led 31-7 with 12:00 remaining in the third quarter and then held off the Sooner rally. It was only OU’s third loss at home in 78 games since Bob Stoops has been with the Sooners. A crowd of 85,204 attended the game in Norman.
This Tide isn’t ebbing – Alabama 37, Tennessee 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 36, Tennessee 9). Good game until the second half. Alabama scored 31 of its 37 points after the intermission. Tennessee was held to six first downs and 155 yards of offense. A crowd of 101,821 attended the game in Tuscaloosa.
Falcons can’t bust the Broncos – Boise State 37, Air Force 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 42, Air Force 19). The Falcons hung tough with the Broncos. A crowd of 34,196 attended the game in Boise.
Bang, bang – Oklahoma State 45, Missouri 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, Missouri 22). The Cowboys ended Missouri’s 10-game home winning streak. Good game in the first half. Okie State ran away from Mizzou in the second half. Four turnovers didn’t help the Tigers. A crowd of 64,202 attended the game in Columbia.
Swat – Miami (Florida) 24, Georgia Tech 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 27, Miami 24). After a 6-0 start, the Yellow Jackets have now dropped two straight. A crowd of 43,716 attended the game in Miami Gardens.
Syracuse 49, West Virginia 23 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 33, Syracuse 17). Dana! Dana! Dana! I know it’s your first year as a head coach, but in order to have a successful season, you have to play defense and you have to have good special teams. Your offense won’t always win games for you. Didn’t you learn anything from the LSU loss? Oh, and by the way, it helps to recruit too. Nuff said. A crowd of 45,265 attended the game in Syracuse.
Looking like the Zooker – Purdue 21, Illinois 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Illinois 29, Purdue 20). Two weeks ago when the Banned Indians were 6-0, you couldn’t believe this was a Ron Zook-coached team. Now that Illinois has lost two-straight games, the Banned Indians are looking more like a Zooker team. Purdue scored all 21 of its points in the first half. Illinois scored all of its points in the fourth quarter. A crowd of 45,146 attended the game in West Lafayette.
Aggies bid farewell to the Cyclones – Texas A&M 33, Iowa State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 35, Iowa State 17). The Aggies’ Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray rushed for a combined 267 yards. After opening the season at 3-0, Iowa State has lost four straight. A crowd of 51,131 attended the game in Ames.
Flying Cougars – Houston 63, Marshall 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 35, Marshall 20). The Cougars’ Case Keenum eclipsed the NCAA career passing record of 16,910 yards. Keenum has now passed for 17,173 in his career. The Cougars are making a statement to the pollsters. A crowd of 32,107 attended the game in Houston.
408 wins for JoePa – Penn State 34, Northwestern 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 25, Northwestern 22). I think these two ran out of energy by halftime. Fifty-one of the combined 58 points scored were scored in the first half. The Nittany Lions led at the half, 27-24. After a 2-0 start, Northwestern has lost five straight. A crowd of 40,004 attended the game in Evanston.
Bearcats hit the Bullseye – Cincinnati 37, South Florida 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 26, South Florida 21). Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros scored on a two-yard run with 00:12 on the clock to rally the Bearcats. Cincinnati outscored USF 20-7 in the fourth quarter. A crowd of 44,246 attended the game in Tampa.
The Price is right – Wake Forest 24, Duke 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 28, Duke 19). The Deacons beat the Dookies for the 12th-straight time. Strange game – Wake scored the first 17 points. Then Duke scored 23 unanswered points and led 23-17. The Deacs scored with 6:52 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 66-yard pass from Tanner Price to Chris Givens. A crowd of 22,258 attended the game in Durham.
The Knights are for the Birds – Louisville 16, Rutgers 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Rutgers 28, Louisville 22). Louisville is looking more and more like a Charlie Strong team – good defense. A crowd of 48,435 attended the game in Louisville.
Bears come out of hibernation – California 34, Utah 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, California 24). Cal wins its first Pac-12 game, but a different story for the Utes. At 0-4 in conference play, Utah is off to a rough start in its first year in the Pac-12. The Utes are averaging only 13-points-a-game against Pac-12 opponents. A crowd of 35,182 attended the game in San Francisco.
Leave it to Beaver – Oregon State 44, Washington State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 32, Oregon State 27). Both coaches are fighting to hold onto their jobs. Mike Riley needed the win more than Paul Wulff. A crowd of 49,219 attended the game in Seattle.
Gophers can’t pop the Corn – Nebraska 41, Minnesota 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 48, Minnesota 10). The Huskers led 34-0 at halftime. A crowd of 49,187 attended the game in Minneapolis.
Comment: Two top-ten, undefeated teams fall – Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Notre Dame lost, after winning four straight. Illinois lost its second-straight game, after starting out 6-0.
A disastrous week at 12-10 on my picks. That brings my season total to 137-51 (72.9 percent).
Florida State beat Maryland, 41-16. A crowd of 72,697 attended the game in Tallahassee…. UCF lost to UAB, 26-24. A crowd of 8,872 attended the game in Birmingham…. Florida International fell to Arkansas State, 34-16. A crowd of 15,573 attended the game in Jonesboro…. Florida Atlantic lost to Middle Tennessee, 38-14. A crowd of 16,344 attended the game in Boca Raton.
Bethune-Cookman downed Norfolk State, 14-6. A crowd of 10,053 attended the game in Norfolk…. Florida A&M edged South Carolina State, 27-24. A crowd of 17,153 attended the game in Orangeburg…. Jacksonville U. smothered Davidson, 56-13. A crowd of 4,214 attended the game in Jacksonville.
Impressive Passers: Texas Tech’s Seth Doege – 33-52-0 for 448 yards; Central Michigan’s Ryan Radcliff – 30-44-1-436; Louisiana-Lafayette’s Blaine Gauthier – 32-51-1-419; Oklahoma’s Landry Jones – 30-55-1-412; South Florida’s B.J. Daniels – 31-47-0-409; Buffalo’s Chazz Anderson – 35-53-2-404; Cincinnati’s Zach Collaros – 26-41-2-389; Tulane’s Ryan Griffin – 31-50-0-377, and Houston’s Case Keenum – 24-28-0-376.
Also, Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 26-34-1 for 376 yards; East Carolina’s Dominique Davis – 40-45-0-372; Clemson’s Tajh Boyd – 27-46-0-367; Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden – 33-49-1-338; West Virginia’s Geno Smith – 24-41-2-338; Miami of Ohio’s Zac Dysert – 24-37-2-333; North Texas’ Derek Thompson – 23-39-0-332; Ohio’s Tyler Tettleton – 21-29-1-328, and UAB’s Jonathan Perry – 31-42-2-327.
Also, Ball State’s Keith Wenning – 28-37-1 for 325 yards; Tulsa’s G.J. Kinne – 21-34-0-318; Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 20-37-0-315; Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 19-27-0-313; Northwestern’s Dan Persa – 26-34-1-294; Arizona’s Nick Foles – 26-39-1-291; Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins – 22-31-0-290; Alabama’s A.J. McCarron – 17-26-1-286, and Boise State’s Kellen Moore – 23-29-1-281.
Also, Arkansas State’s Ryan Alpin – 164 yards; SMU’s Zach Line – 163 yards; Arkansas’ Dennis Johnson – 160 yards; Florida Atlantic’s Alfred Morris – 153 yards; Kentucky’s CoShik Williams – 148 yards; Washington’s Chris Polk – 144 yards, and Texas A&M’s Christine Michael – 142 yards.
Quotes of Last Week
“In my opinion there are three teams in the country – Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma – that are really, really good,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.
“I’ve been blessed to be around some great quarterbacks,” Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles, on breaking the NCAA career reception record. Broyles was referring to Landry Jones and Sam Bradford.
“Worst idea: Steve Spurrier allowing Stephen Garcia a second chance, much less a fifth,” CBSSports.com writer Dennis Dodd.
“It’s hard when you’ve got a six-year-old and a 10-year-old at home and you’ve got to go home and explain to them what you said. So that’s not good and that’s not how we’re going to run our program. That’s it. Again, as far as the sideline stuff’s concerned, we’re going to be who we are. I’m just apologizing for the language, nothing else,” Florida coach Will Muschamp, on his sideline outbursts during the Florida-Auburn game.
“I don’t think they know where my window is,” Georgia State coach Bill Curry, when asked if anyone had thrown a brick through his window yet. Georgia State is 1-5.
“As inaugurals go, Tim Tebow couldn’t have it any softer. Not only are his Denver Broncos coming off a bye week, but they get to play the horrific Miami Dolphins, who will have limited prep time after Monday night’s debacle vs. the New York Jets. Plus, Tebow might have the home-field advantage in Miami. Fans there could be a lot more willing to cheer a Heisman Trophy-winning former Florida Gator than a collection of Dolphins who are 0-5. Maybe somebody up there simply likes Tebow,” USA Today writer Tom Weir.
“So the SEC suspends Georgia and Vanderbilt players, but not even a reprimand for the coaches. The conference hasn’t been this whipped since it was taking orders from Urban Meyer,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.
“Nick Saban responded to questions about conference expansion and the Heisman race with something from Bartletts’ Quotations: ‘I could give a s--- about all that. Excuse my French.’ Why do we blame the French every time we swear? And hey, if Saban thinks he has problems, Derek Dooley can look at Tennessee game film and give you an entire dissertation in French,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.
“Three LSU players have been suspended, reportedly for ‘synthetic’ marijuana, which further magnifies the tragedy of today’s youth because they don’t know the first thing about planting seeds, putting a grow light in your closet, and….wait, where was I” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.
“Rick is my coach. I don’t know who is talking about him being relieved early, but it’s certainly not me. He’s a great Bruin. I want to see him succeed,” UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, on Rick Neuheisel, after the Bruins 48-12 loss to Arizona.
“Moammar Gadhafi’s last words: ‘But I just picked up Tebow on my fantasy team,’” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
“Did you see where Will Muschamp apologized for his profanity-laced tirade against SEC officials last week? My question: When is Charlie Weis going to apologize for the Gators’ pathetic offense?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
“Something we’re doing ain’t right,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, after the Miami game.
“A sobering truth revealed: Georgia Tech just isn’t very good,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Mark Bradley, after the Tech-Miami game.
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oklahoma (6-1) at Kansas State (7-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – If Texas Tech can beat Oklahoma in Norman, you got to figure that Kansas State can beat OU in Manhattan. The Wildcats sure will try. And with the magic of Bill Snyder, K-State might succeed. Never underestimate the Wildcats. But look for the Sooners to rebound – Oklahoma 31, Kansas State 27.
RUNNER UP: 2. Stanford (7-0) at USC (6-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Both teams are coming into this game at their peaks – Stanford on the huge win over Washington and USC on the big win over Notre Dame. Both teams can pass – Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley. And Stanford can run. Therein lies the difference – Stanford 33, USC 27.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Michigan State (6-1) at Nebraska (6-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – The Spartans pulled it out against Michigan and Wisconsin, handing each team its first loss. But those games were in East Lansing. This one is in Lincoln. The Huskers can’t afford to let the Spartans get an early lead like Ohio State did against Nebraska. The Spartans’ defense won’t let the Huskers rally like they did against the Buckeyes. If Michigan State loses, the Spartans are still in the race for the Legends Division title. If Nebraska loses, the Huskers are most likely out of the race. Herbie stays in the race – Nebraska 22, Michigan State 20.
4. Clemson (8-0) at Georgia Tech (6-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – The Tigers are on the rise, while the Jackets are in a funk. Two weeks ago, both of these teams were 6-0. Then Tech fell onto hard times. The Jackets can’t pull out of their dive – Clemson 26, Georgia Tech 19.
5. Baylor (4-2) at Oklahoma State (7-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – If RG3 is hot, Baylor could be trouble for the Cowboys. He and the Bears have had an extra week to prepare for Okie State. But Baylor needs more than an extra week to prepare for the Cowboys – Oklahoma State 41, Baylor 24.
6. Illinois (6-2) at Penn State (7-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – Penn State is 7-1 and I’m not sure anybody knows it. The problem is the Lions really haven’t made a big impression with their wins. The scores have been close and the opponents haven’t been that strong. The Lions win another close one – Penn State 19, Illinois 15.
7. Wisconsin (6-1) at Ohio State (4-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – We know the Buckeyes can play defense. It’s the offense that is questionable. But the offense has had two weeks to prepare for the Badgers, while the Badgers had to deal with Michigan State last week. And how well will Wisconsin respond to the loss to the Spartans? The Badgers are facing a challenge. They put on a good face – Wisconsin 26, Ohio State 25.
8. West Virginia (5-2) at Rutgers (5-2) – (Big East vs. Big East) – Both teams were upset last week – West Virginia big time. So which one gets its act together and bounces back this week? Mountaineers take advantage of ‘The Situation’ – West Virginia 28, Rutgers 21.
9. BYU (6-2) vs. TCU (5-2) – (Ind. vs. MWC) – Well, this used to be a big Mountain West Conference game. Not any more since BYU pulled out of the MWC last summer. Now it’s just a big game for pride. The Horned Frogs wear the pride well – TCU 27, BYU 20.
10. Arkansas (6-1) at Vanderbilt (4-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – You would think this is an easy game for the Hogs. And it may be. But it is at Vandy and the Commodores have played very well at times this season. Meaning, Vandy can be dangerous. And the Hogs had a tough time against a poor Ole Miss team last week. The Ole Miss scare was a wakeup call for the Hogs – Arkansas 30, Vanderbilt 20.
11. Purdue (4-3) at Michigan (6-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – Granted, Purdue is playing better these days, but not good enough to beat the Wolverines. Still, the Boilers could make it interesting. But the Wolverines take the interest out of interesting – Michigan 30, Purdue 27.
12. Florida (4-3) vs. Georgia (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – More so than any Florida-Georgia game in recent years, this is a make or break game for both teams – and Georgia’s coach. If Florida loses, the Gators are potentially facing their worst season since 1989 when the Gators went 7-5, and possibly 1987 when the Gators finished 6-6. That’s assuming Florida beats Furman and Vanderbilt. And the Commodores are no assumption. Or it could be their worst since 1979 when Florida was, heavens forbid, 0-10-1. If Georgia loses, it could mean Mark Richt’s extinction in Athens. It also severely damages Georgia’s chances for winning the SEC East. South Carolina would have to lose two more conference games. Florida needs to bounce back from three-straight losses. Georgia needs to keep its winning streak going after an 0-2 start. The pressure is on. But the big question of the day is Todd Grantham, Georgia’s defensive coordinator. Will Grantham be contained in a cage, behind bars, on Georgia’s sideline during the game? What else do you do with a wild animal? Tame him? The second big question: Will Florida require Will Muschamp to wear a muzzle during the game? Albert makes Grantham rabid and plays taps for Richt – Florida 30, Georgia 29.
13. South Carolina (6-1) at Tennessee (3-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) – So, can the Gamecocks come up with a running back to replace Marcus Lattimore? Not likely. Running backs as good as Lattimore aren’t easy to find. And is Connor Shaw improving? The Gamecocks have a lot of questions. And you get the feeling that Tennessee is on the brink of surprising someone. The Gamecocks aren’t that someone – South Carolina 26, Tennessee 23.
14. Missouri (3-4) at Texas A&M (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – It’s been a tough season for Mizzou. And it may be their last in the Big 12. In fact, this could be an SEC Conference game next year. We know the Aggies will be in the SEC. We’ll know soon about Mizzou – very soon. The Tigers are capable of pulling the upset, but not likely. The Aggies are on a mission – Texas A&M 31, Missouri 26.
15. Wake Forest (5-2) at North Carolina (5-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – Wow! Did the Heels ever get spanked last week? That loss to Clemson had to hurt. And the Deacs barely beat Duke. Kind of makes you wonder what these two teams are up to. The Heels are up to winning – North Carolina 29, Wake Forest 20.
16. N.C. State (4-3) at Florida State (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – Both teams are on the rebound – each has won two straight. And we know when these two get together, it’s often a tight game, regardless of who wins. This time, the Noles win a tight one – Florida State 30, N.C. State 22.
17. Virginia (4-3) at Miami (Florida) (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – The Canes are on a roll with back-to-back wins over North Carolina and Georgia Tech. We’re not sure what the Cavs are on. The Canes continue rolling – Miami 26, Virginia 20.
18. Washington State (3-4) at Oregon (6-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – The Ducks continue their waddle through the Pac-12, beating everyone in sight – all leading up to the encounter with Stanford. This week, the Ducks have Washington State in their sight. The Cougars can’t hide – Oregon 42, Washington State 16.
19. Iowa State (3-4) at Texas Tech (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – The best thing the Cyclones can hope for is that the Red Raiders are still celebrating their win over Oklahoma. Still celebrating or not, the Cyclones won’t win – Texas Tech 35, Iowa State 18.
20. California (4-3) at UCLA (3-4) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Rick Neuheisel still has his job, but he has to be living on the fault line – a fault line that is about to shift. A big win over Cal may help some. But Cal’s Jeff Tedford is on shaky ground too. Something’s got to give. The Bears cause tremors on the Neuheisel fault – California 26, UCLA 24.
21. Connecticut (3-4) at Pitt (3-4) – (Big East vs. Big East) – This was supposed to be a big season for Pitt. So far, it hasn’t gone well for the Panthers. Following a big win over South Florida, Pitt stumbled badly to Rutgers and Utah. Now, it’s a matter of trying to salvage something decent out of what has been a disappointing season. Connecticut, on the other hand, wasn’t supposed to have a big season. There was a bleak outlook for the offense. But some hope for the defense. So far, the Huskies have met expectations. But a win, in their last game, over South Florida has sparked some hope – hope for salvaging a decent season. Panthers get out of the pink – Pitt 21, Connecticut 20.
Virginia Tech (7-1) at Duke (3-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – The only good thing about the Dookies is they are playing at home. That means the loss to the Hokies may not be quite as bad. But it won’t be good – Virginia Tech 32, Duke 15.
Kansas (2-5) at Texas (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – After a couple of rough weeks, Bevo gets a team he can handle – Kansas. The Jayhawks really are sad. Bevo makes them sadder – Texas 39, Kansas 17.
Comment: The Big 12, Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC each have a key matchup – Oklahoma-Kansas State, Stanford-USC, Michigan State-Nebraska and Clemson-Georgia Tech. It should be interesting – very interesting. Throw in Illinois-Penn State, Wisconsin-Ohio State and Florida-Georgia and it’s going to be a fun week. But, isn’t it always?
UCF (3-4) hosts Memphis (2-6)…. Florida International (4-3) entertains Troy (2-4)…. Bethune-Cookman (4-3) travels to North Carolina Central (1-6)…. South Florida (4-3), Florida Atlantic (0-7), Florida A&M (5-3) and Jacksonville U. (6-2) have the week off.
Troy at Florida International – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Connecticut at Pitt – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
Virginia at Miami (Florida) – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
BYU vs. TCU – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
Lehigh at Colgate – 12 noon ET – CBS College Sports Network
Missouri at Texas A&M – 12 noon ET – FXMichigan State at Nebraska – 12 noon ET – ESPN
N.C. State at Florida State – 12 noon ET – ESPNU
Purdue at Michigan – 12 noon ET – ESPN2
Arkansas at Vanderbilt – 12:20 p.m. ET – SEC Game of the Week
Virginia Tech at Duke – 12:30 p.m. ET – ACC Game of the Week
West Virginia at Rutgers – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC
Baylor at Oklahoma State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Illinois at Penn State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Florida vs. Georgia – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS
Fordham at Army – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Navy at Notre Dame – 3:30 p.m. ET – NBC
Oklahoma at Kansas State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
Wake Forest at North Carolina – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Ole Miss at Auburn – 7 p.m. ET – ESPNU
South Carolina at Tennessee – 7:15 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Clemson at Georgia Tech – 8 p.m. ET – ABC
Southern Miss at UTEP – 8 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Stanford at USC – 8 p.m. ET – ABC
Wisconsin at Ohio State – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
Elsewhere around college football . . . BYU and Washington State have agreed to a two-game home-and-home series for 2012 and 2013…. Arkansas unveiled a 30-year $300 million plan to upgrade its athletic facilities. The plan affects each of the school’s 19 athletic programs.
Second BCS Standings: 1. LSU, 2. Alabama, 3. Oklahoma State, 4. Boise State,
5. Clemson, 6. Stanford, 7. Oregon, 8. Kansas State, 9. Oklahoma, 10. Arkansas On the Internet – College Football Week now has a Website and can be found at www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com.
Touchdown Tom
Not directly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting colder, the leaves were on the ground, the frost was on the pumpkins, and Halloween was just around the corner, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1936 was “The Way You Look Tonight” by Fred Astaire
…70 years ago this week in 1941 was “Piano Concerto in B Flat” by Freddy Martin
…65 years ago this week in 1946 was “Rumors Are Flying” by Frankie Carle
…60 years ago this week in 1951 was “Because of You” by Tony Bennett
…55 years ago this week in 1956 was “Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley
…50 years ago this week in 1961 was “Runaround Sue” by Dion
…45 years ago this week in 1966 was “96 Tears” by ? & The Mysterians
…40 years ago this week in 1971 was “Maggie May/Reason to Believe” by Rod Stewart
…35 years ago this week in 1976 was “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago
…30 years ago this week in 1981 was “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” by Christopher Cross
…25 years ago this week in 1986 was “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper
…20 years ago this week in 1991 was “Emotions” by Mariah Carey
Kent Hull, a former center for the Buffalo Bills, died last week. He was 50. Hull played for the Bills from 1986 to 1996. He played college football for Mississippi State. After his playing days, Hull worked his cattle farm in northeastern Mississippi.
Gale Gillingham, an All-Pro guard for the Green Bay Packers, died last week at his home in Little Falls, Minnesota. He was 67. Gillingham became the Packers’ starting left guard during the 1967 season and moved to right guard in 1969. He made the Pro Bowl five times. Gillingham was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1944. He played college football at Minnesota.
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