College Football Week Seven – Tyler Bray out with broken thumb
Those Midseason SurprisesIt’s hard to believe, but we have entered the midseason period of college football – this week and next. Where did the first part of the season go? That’s what Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher would like to know.
We’ve certainly had our share of surprises. Saturday, Wake Forest, picked to finish last in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, beat Florida State, 35-30. The Seminoles were picked to finish first in the Atlantic Division.
In fact, Florida State, ranked 6th, or thereabouts, in the preseason polls, is not even ranked in the AP or Coaches Top-25 polls this week. Not only is FSU not in the Top 25, but neither is Florida or Miami (Florida). No Florida team is in the Top 25. That is a first since December 6, 1982.
Back in the ACC, how about Clemson and Georgia Tech? Surprise, surprise! The Tigers and the Yellow Jackets are both 6-0. Clemson was supposed to be pretty good, but Georgia Tech was picked to finish 4th in the ACC’s Coastal Division.
The Big 12 Conference has had its share of surprises. First, since the season began, Texas A&M has been accepted into the Southeastern Conference. The Aggies are playing their last season in the Big 12. Effective July 1, 2012, Texas A&M will be a full-fledged member of the SEC.
Second, we have learned more recently that Missouri may leave the Big 12 for the SEC as well. Stay tuned. Third and fourth – Kansas State and Baylor. Kansas State, picked to finish 8th in the 10-team Big 12, is 5-0, with wins over Baylor and Missouri. And Baylor, picked to finish 7th in the Big 12, is 4-1, including a win over TCU. Not only is Baylor playing well, but the Bears have a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in Robert Griffin III.
The Big Ten has a couple of real surprises – Michigan and Illinois. The Wolverines, picked to finish 5th in the Legends Division of the Big Ten, are 6-0. Likewise, Illinois, picked to finish 4th in the Leaders Division of the conference, is 6-0. Both teams are bowl eligible already. But each is facing a big challenge this week. Michigan plays at Michigan State, while Illinois hosts a wounded, but very dangerous, Ohio State.
So far, the teams in the Big East Conference are playing pretty much as predicted. However, the Big East got a shocking surprise recently when Pitt and Syracuse announced they had applied to join the ACC and were subsequently accepted by the ACC. Pitt and Syracuse’s departure from the Big East most likely will not occur until the summer of 2013.
There are no real surprises in the Pac-12 so far, but the SEC has a mild surprise – Auburn. The Tigers, picked to finish 5th in the SEC West, are 4-2, with an impressive win over South Carolina.
Everything to date is pretty much status quo in the non-BCS conferences, with one exception. That exception being Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference. At preseason, the Rajin’ Cajuns were picked to finish 9th, dead last, in the Sun Belt. ULL is 5-1 and sitting atop the Sun Belt, with impressive wins over Florida International and Troy. The Rajin’ Cajuns lone loss this season was to a very respectable Oklahoma State.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier surprised us last week when he announced he was benching quarterback Stephen Garcia for sophomore Connor Shaw. Shaw and the Gamecocks proceeded to beat Kentucky, 54-3. Shaw was 26-39-0 for 311 yards passing.
Last week, I wrote that Florida got its clock cleaned by Alabama. Well, the Gators got their clock cleaned again Saturday by LSU, 41-11. Florida was 2-11 on third down conversions against the Tigers. That makes the Gators 6-25 on third down conversions in their last two games. Meanwhile, Alabama, Florida’s other clock cleaner, beat Vanderbilt, 34-0. Also in the SEC, Arkansas pounded Auburn, 38-14, and Georgia continued its rebound. The Dawgs beat Tennessee, 20-12.
Oklahoma won the Red River Rivalry game, beating Texas, 55-17. In the game, the Longhorns had five turnovers. The Sooners held Texas to 36 yards rushing, while the Longhorns held Oklahoma to 86 yards rushing. But OU (Landry Jones) passed for 367 yards.
Elsewhere in the Big 12, Texas A&M got by Texas Tech, 45-40. Kansas State downed Missouri, 24-17, and Baylor beat Iowa State, 49-26. RG3 passed for 212 yards and rushed for 107. In a big game in the ACC, Virginia Tech outlasted Miami, 38-35.
One of the weekend’s best games took place in the Big Ten, where Nebraska rallied to beat Ohio State, 34-27. Midway through the third quarter, the Huskers were trailing the Buckeyes, 27-6. That’s when Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez, booed by Husker fans in the first half, went to work. He along with running back Rex Burkhead and the Nebraska defense. The Huskers scored 28 unanswered points to come from behind and beat Ohio State.
Also in the Big Ten, Penn State improved to 5-1, beating Iowa, 13-3. In the Pac-12, Oregon beat California, 43-15, and Arizona State downed Utah, 35-14. Also, Stanford pounded Colorado, 48-7. Andrew Luck passed for 371 yards.
West Virginia won its first Big East Conference game of the season. The Mountaineers beat Connecticut, 43-16. Geno Smith passed for 450 yards. In some other contests, two of the service academies took it on the chin. Southern Miss topped Navy, 63-35, and Notre Dame blasted Air Force, 59-33. In the Mountain West, TCU bested San Diego State, 27-14. And in Conference USA, UCF got by Marshall, 16-6.
Six teams appear to be going in opposite directions. Georgia and Notre Dame, who each started the season 0-2, now have won four straight. It is certainly possible that the Dawgs and Irish could both finish the rest of the season undefeated, with 10-2 records. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, going the other way are Florida State, Northwestern and Navy. The Seminoles, Wildcats and Middies each began the season at 2-0, but have now lost three straight, falling to 2-3. Ohio State, who also began the season at 2-0, has lost three of its last four games and sits at 3-3.
Back to surprises, there were reports last week that Ohio State and Penn State have both made contact with Urban Meyer to potentially be their football coach next year. Stay tuned.
The Texas A&M football team found a surprise after its game against Texas Tech Saturday night. The Aggie team buses had been vandalized, apparently by some Texas Tech fans. All three buses had excrement smeared inside and outside and vulgarities were spray painted on the buses.
So after six weeks of college football, 13 teams remain undefeated. All 13 are in this week’s Top 25. Two teams, Texas and Texas Tech, lost for the first time Saturday. Undefeated Wisconsin had the week off.
I still have Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Wisconsin in a “league-of-their-own.” This week Alabama is at Ole Miss, LSU is at Tennessee, Oklahoma is at Kansas and Wisconsin hosts Indiana.
By the way, Saturday was the first time since 2004 that Florida, Florida State and Miami all lost on the same Saturday.
My favorite quarterbacks Saturday were West Virginia’s Geno Smith, Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Oklahoma’s Landry Jones. My favorite running backs were Oregon’s LaMichael James and Baylor’s Terrance Ganaway.
Rockledge Gator and Bootsie are off to the Florida-Auburn game Saturday. That is if Rockledge hasn’t sold his tickets. The four of us, and our children, were together at the Florida-Auburn game in Auburn in 1991. It was Steve Spurrier’s second season with the Gators and Pat Dye’s last at Auburn. The Gators won, 31-10.
Excrement on Texas A&M’s buses? I didn’t think Bobby Knight lived in Lubbock anymore.
Touchdown Tom
October 10, 2011 GAME OF THE WEEK: Fried Bevo – Oklahoma 55, Texas 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 28, Texas 19). They have fried everything else at the Texas State Fair – fried butter, fried bubblegum, fried this and fried that. This year they had fried Bevo. Well, that’s what the Oklahoma fans had. I’m not sure what the Texas fans had….maybe fried tears. Do they have those? One thing is for sure. Texas fans may want to start thinking about frying Mack Brown….if they haven’t already. A crowd of 96,009 attended the game in Dallas.
RUNNER UP: Pork rules - Arkansas 38, Auburn 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 28, Auburn 24). A good game in the first quarter. After that, it was all Arkansas. A crowd of 74,191 attended the game in Fayetteville.
REST OF THE BEST: Gator gumbo - LSU 41, Florida 11 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 29, Florida 13). LSU led 24-0 halfway through the second quarter. I’m not sure the Gators knew what hit them. At times, Florida looked like last year’s Gators, with Trey Burton playing quarterback. A crowd of 93,022 attended the game in Baton Rouge.
Boo Martinez, Yea Martinez – Nebraska 34, Ohio State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 26, Ohio State 15). Husker quarterback Taylor Martinez was the most unpopular player on the field in the first half. In the second half, Martinez was the most popular player on the field. Nebraska, down 27-6 midway through the third quarter, rallied to win. A crowd of 85,426 attended the game in Lincoln.
Beary good – Baylor 49, Iowa State 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 34, Iowa State 23). Iowa State began the season 3-0, but has now lost two games – both conference games. Baylor bounced back from its one-point loss last week. The Bears are tough. A crowd of 35,625 attended the game in Waco.
Is Derek on the hot seat? – Georgia 20, Tennessee 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 27, Georgia 22). If he is, don’t tell Mama Dooley. She’ll whop you up the side of the head. But that’s what the Dawgs did to the Vols. They whopped them up the side of the head. Georgia held the Vols to -20 yards rushing. A crowd of 102,455 attended the game in Knoxville.
No Mo – Kansas State 24, Missouri 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 32, Kansas State 29). K-State built up a 24-3 lead and then held off a Missouri rally. The Wildcats are still undefeated. A crowd of 48,435 attended the game in Manhattan.
Tie me Golden Bear down, Duck – Oregon 43, California 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 33, California 19). Good first half. No California in the second half – all Ducks. LaMichael James rushed for 239 yards, but also dislocated his elbow. A crowd of 58,796 attended the game in Eugene.
Aggies tip the Bus Boys – Texas A&M 45, Texas Tech 40 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 35, Texas A&M 34). The Red Raiders suffer their first loss. The Aggies bounce back from two-straight defeats. A crowd of 58,416 attended the game in Lubbock.
Playing Vandy is like eating candy – Alabama 34, Vanderbilt 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Vanderbilt 12). Bama’s defense held Vandy to 41 yards rushing and 190 yards total. “Morning Joe” was at the game – Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough and Willie Geist. A crowd of 101,821 attended the game in Tuscaloosa.
The Brady Bunch – Michigan 42, Northwestern 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 32, Northwestern 17). The Wolverines kept the Wildcats scoreless in the second half. A crowd of 47,330 attended the game in Evanston.
Frequent flyer points – Virginia Tech 38, Miami (Florida) 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 25, Miami 18). Two teams that lost their defense, but found their offense. The Hokies had a good one-two punch in Logan Thomas and David Wilson. A crowd of 66,233 attended the game in Blacksburg.
Boise the boss – Boise State 57, Fresno State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 29, Fresno State 19). The Fiesta Bowl might as well go ahead and invite Boise State now. Why put off the inevitable? A crowd of 33,871 attended the game in Fresno.
Bedeviled in Salt Lake City – Arizona State 35, Utah 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 27, Utah 18). The Utes suffered five turnovers. A crowd of 45,089 attended the game in Salt Lake City.
These Frogs have legs – TCU 27, San Diego State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 28, TCU 27). TCU rushed for 234 yards, including Ed Wesley’s 146 yards. TCU also won its 19th-consecutive Mountain West Conference game. A crowd of 44,248 attended the game in San Diego.
Irish caught the Flacons on their radar – Notre Dame 59, Air Force 33 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Air Force 19). The Irish are on a mission. The two teams combined for 1,125 yards of offense. A crowd of 80,795 attended the game in South Bend.
Bees give the Terps hives – Georgia Tech 21, Maryland 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 35, Maryland 16). October 8 and the Yellow Jackets are bowl eligible. Who would have thunk it? A crowd of 45,905 attended the game in Atlanta.
Start me up – West Virginia 43, Connecticut 16 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 38, Connecticut 15). First halves for the Mountaineers are like Monday mornings for most people. The Eers just can’t get started. WVU led UConn, 10-9 at the half. A crowd of 56,179 attended the game in Morgantown.
Eagles strip the Middies down to their skivvies – Southern Miss 63, Navy 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 29, Southern Miss 26). Talk about getting sunk. Where was the flotilla? A crowd of 33,462 attended the game in Annapolis.
Oh Jimbo, Jimbo, Jimbo – Wake Forest 35, Florida State 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 29, Wake Forest 23). The Demon Deacon gave ol’ Sammy Seminole a little taste of firewater. And Sammy couldn’t handle it. A crowd of 33,116 attended the game in Winston-Salem.
A new king in the Sun Belt – Louisiana-Lafayette 31, Troy 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Troy 37, Louisiana-Lafayette 35). Throw a Mardi Gras party…..the Rajin’ Cajuns are 5-1. They haven’t had this much fun in Lafayette since gumbo was created. A crowd of 29,775 attended the game in Lafayette.
The Golden Girl was happy – Purdue 45, Minnesota 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Minnesota 23). Who’s playing for Minnesota, anyway – the majorettes? When you lose to Purdue by 28 points, you’ve got real problems. A crowd of 38,207 attended the game in West Lafayette.
An improvement over last week at 15-7 this week. That brings my season total to 108-36 (75 percent).
UCF downed Marshall, 16-6. A crowd of 24,750 attended the game in Orlando…. Florida International beat Akron, 27-17. A crowd of 16,016 attended the game in Akron…. Florida Atlantic lost to North Texas, 31-17. A crowd of 13,142 attended the game in Denton.
Florida A&M fell to Howard, 29-28. A crowd of 23,400 attended the game in Tallahassee…. Bethune-Cookman lost to North Carolina A&T, 22-3. A crowd of 10,352 attended the game in Greensboro…. Jacksonville U. downed Dayton, 34-26. A crowd of 2,837 attended the game in Jacksonville.
Impressive Passers: West Virginia’s Geno Smith – 27-45-0 for 450 yards; Texas Tech’s Seth Doege – 44-66-0-391; Arizona’s Nick Foles – 31-45-2-378; Stanford’s Andrew Luck – 26-33-1-371; Texas’ Landry Jones – 31-50-0-367; Nevada’s Tyler Lantrip – 18-29-1-366; Buffalo’s Chazz Anderson – 23-39-0-343, and Miami of Ohio’s Zac Dysert – 24-37-0-342.
Also, Northwestern’s Dan Persa – 32-44-1 for 331 yards; Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler – 25-41-0-325; Troy’s Corey Robinson – 38-53-1-322; Tulane’s Ryan Griffin – 24-30-0-320; Kansas’ Jordan Webb – 25-36-2-316; South Carolina’s Connor Shaw – 26-39-0-311, and Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas – 23-25-0-310.
Also, Florida International’s Wesley Carroll – 26-38-1 for 308 yards; Houston’s Case Keenum – 30-37-0-304; Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden – 24-28-0-288; Florida State’s E.J. Manuel – 19-35-2-286; Clemson’s Tajh Boyd – 16-26-0-283, and Southern Miss’ Austin Davis – 21-23-0-283.
Also, Florida Atlantic’s Alfred Morris – 162 yards; Central Michigan’s Paris Cotton – 158 yards; Iowa State’s James White – 148 yards; TCU’s Ed Wesley – 146 yards; Western Kentucky’s Bobby Rainey – 146 yards, and Penn State’s Silas Redd – 142 yards.
“Since Ohio State repeatedly has not taken a stand for its own integrity, its punishment from the NCAA needs to reflect that. And it needs to bring the Buckeyes to their knees,” Fox Sports writer Thayer Evans.
“It wasn’t that hard a call,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, on ditching Stephen Garcia for Connor Shaw.
“Let me say this. Derek Dooley walked into kind of a mess. Florida coach Will Muschamp walks into talent just oozing out of their ears. Jimbo Fisher walks into FSU with talent. And y’all are telling me that Derek Dooley is on the damn hot seat? Are you crazy? You’ve got Mama’s rile up now, buddy,” Barbara Dooley, mother of Tennessee coach Derek Dooley, when she heard a Knoxville News-Sentinel writer say that her son was on the hot seat if Tennessee doesn’t beat Georgia.
“Barbara Dooley doesn’t need no wacky tobaccy to have fun. Don’t hit me Babs. I’m on your side. I don’t want Mama Dooley mad at me,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on picking Tennessee to beat Georgia.
“The Nittany Lions are no longer at that level and they don’t look like they’ll be headed back to that level anytime soon,” CBSSports.com columnist Bruce Feldman, on Penn State no longer being a national power.
“No offense to West Virginia. The Mountaineers deserve better than to be in such a weakened league, but that’s where West Virginia is. Surrounded by mediocre, at best, football schools,” CBSSports.com columnist Gregg Doyell.
“Gomer Pyle over Hank Williams Jr. by 20 (IQ points),” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
“It was an excellent day,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, after the Texas game.
“Classy,” Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne, on the vandalizing of the A&M buses by some Texas Tech fans.
“We want Bama,” LSU fans chanting at the end of the Florida game.
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Michigan (6-0) at Michigan State (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – Michigan beat Notre Dame and Michigan State was clobbered by Notre Dame. But that doesn’t mean anything? Not in this game. Both are undefeated in Big Ten play. If anything, Michigan State’s defense wins this game for the Spartans. The Wolverines’ defense is suspect. But both should score. Sparty has a party – Michigan State 30, Michigan 26.
RUNNER UP: 2. Oklahoma State (5-0) at Texas (4-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – Now it’s Okie State’s turn to complete the state of Oklahoma’s domination of Texas. Granted, the Cowboys are going to run into an angry bunch of Cows. But it is the Cowboys’ job to round up the Cows – Bevo included. Look for lots of points on the scoreboard. Weeden brands Bevo – Oklahoma State 41, Texas 27.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Arizona State (5-1) at Oregon (4-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Is anybody in the Pac-12 going to beat Oregon. The Sun Devils certainly have a chance. It appears that Oregon running back LaMichael James will not be playing against ASU – dislocated elbow. But the chances are few and far between. Look for lots of points on the scoreboard in this one too. Ducks crock Brock – Oregon 32, Arizona State 24.
4. Florida (4-2) at Auburn (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – No rest for the weary. After playing Alabama and LSU on back-to-back weekends, the Gators get to take on the Tigers up at Auburn. Joy. Granted, Auburn is no Alabama or LSU. But still, the Tigers can be a nasty bunch in Jordan-Hare. And at this stage of the game, who knows what kind of bunch the Gators will be. Nothing would surprise me. You just know the Gators are hungry for a win. But after last week in Fayetteville, so are the Tigers – Auburn 27, Florida 24.
5. LSU (6-0) at Tennessee (3-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Uh oh! I have a feeling somebody’s going to be feeling Mama Dooley’s wrath this week. You just know someone is going to be talking about her baby-boy Derek being on the hot seat. But surely they don’t expect the Vols to beat LSU. I’m not sure half of the NFL teams could beat LSU. The Vols’ defense is getting better. But the Vols’ offense is sad. It will be sadder against the Tigers without Tyler Bray – LSU 27, Tennessee 10.
6. Kansas State (5-0) at Texas Tech (4-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – Is K-State’s luck about to run out? Or do the Wildcats have nine lives? Let’s just hope K-State keeps its team buses guarded during the game. The Wildcats are no longer purr-fect – Texas Tech 31, Kansas State 29.
7. Virginia Tech (5-1) at Wake Forest (4-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – Wake Forest is 4-0 after losing its opener in overtime at Syracuse. Can the Deacons keep it going? Not likely. Unlike Florida State, the Hokies have a running game. But the Deacs won’t go down without a fight. Hokies hold a Wake for the Forest – Virginia Tech 31, Wake Forest 26.
8. Stanford (5-0) at Washington State (3-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Strangely enough, this will be Stanford’s toughest conference game to date. The Cougars are a much improved team this year, especially on offense. They could give the Cardinal defense some problems. And the game is in Pullman. But the Cougars’ defense is weak. Stanford’s offense should march up-and-down the field. Luck-y strikes – Stanford 34, Washington State 19.
9. Ohio State (3-3) at Illinois (6-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – The Buckeyes are already 0-2 in Big Ten play. They may be 0-3 after Saturday. And 3-4 overall. But after watching the Buckeyes play tough against Michigan State and Nebraska, I’m convinced Illinois better be playing at its peak. Else, the Buckeyes will find a way to beat them. The Banned Indians could go to 7-0. And to think Ron Zook entered the season on the hot seat. The Zooker is sitting on a block of ice – Illinois 25, Ohio State 22.
10. South Carolina (5-1) at Mississippi State (3-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Steve Spurrier has himself a new quarterback – Connor Shaw. No more Stephen Garcia? Shaw didn’t throw any interceptions against Kentucky. But then again the Little Sisters of the Poor don’t throw interceptions against Kentucky. And look at Miss State. Dan Mullen has a new quarterback too – Tyler Russell. No more Chris Relf? Russell looked good against UAB. But then again everybody looks good against UAB. The Cocks should win, but then again they often have a knack for losing a game like this one. Bulldogs choke on Chicken bones – South Carolina 26, Mississippi State 19.
11. Baylor (4-1) at Texas A&M (3-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – The Aggies have had a tough ride lately – Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Texas Tech all in a row. Two close losses and a five-point win over Texas Tech. And now Baylor. At least the Aggies are home. There shouldn’t be any excrement on their team buses this week. Everyone in the Big 12 is out to get the Aggies during their last run through the conference. Aggies tree RG3 – Texas A&M 39, Baylor 34.
12. Clemson (6-0) at Maryland (2-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – What a surprise – Clemson is 6-0. But it doesn’t take much to stub your toe. Maryland is a strange team – streaky. If the Turtles ever put it all together, they could be dangerous. Tigers Dab the Turtles – Clemson 24, Maryland 18.
13. Georgia (4-2) at Vanderbilt (3-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Vandy started out hot. But the Commodores have fallen onto hard times lately. They ran out of steam. Conversely, the Dawgs started out cold. Now they are one of the hottest teams in the country. Vandy won’t cool off the Dawgs – Georgia 26, Vanderbilt 15.
14. Utah (2-3) at Pitt (3-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Big East) – Pitt will be looking to revenge last year’s loss to the Utes. The Panthers shouldn’t have to look too hard. Panthers track the Utes – Pitt 31, Utah 22.
15. UCF (3-2) at SMU (4-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – Both teams are in the running to win their respective divisions in C-USA. In fact, they could meet again in the conference championship game. SMU is 4-0 after losing its opener to Texas A&M. It won’t be easy for the Knights. Ponies toss the Knights – SMU 24, UCF 20.
16. Miami (Florida) (2-3) at North Carolina (5-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – If not for a seven-point loss to Georgia Tech, the Tar Heels would be 6-0. I think the Heels are out to prove something this year. Miami will face a tougher defense this week than the Canes did last week against Virginia Tech. This could be a tight game. Canes can’t spike the Heels – North Carolina 24, Miami 22.
17. Northwestern (2-3) at Iowa (3-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – The Hawkeyes never seem to play well against Northwestern’s offense. It definitely gives the Hawkeyes problems. The Wildcats have had problems with injuries. Northwestern is often tough in the first half, but runs out of steam in the second half. Hawks eye a win – Iowa 23, Northwestern 19.
18. San Diego State (3-2) at Air Force (3-2) – (MWC vs. MWC) – A good MWC game between two second-level teams in the conference. When they are hot, both teams are on and can be dangerous. Both are even on defense, but the Falcons have the edge on offense. Falcons soar – Air Force 34, San Diego State 33.
19. Florida State (2-3) at Duke (3-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – If Wake Forest can beat Florida State, why can’t Duke? Because I suspect Jimbo Fisher is going to have the Seminoles mad – fighting mad. Practice won’t be fun in Tallahassee this week. And one thing is for sure. Fisher doesn’t want to have the Seminole fans mad. So I don’t think this is going to be a good time for Duke to be playing the Noles. Fear the spear – Florida State 33, Duke 19.
20. USC (4-1) at California (3-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – A Matt Barkley-led offense is more than Cal can handle. Period. It could be a tough season for Jeff Tedford. The Bears can’t step on the Matt – USC 30, California 24.
21. Iowa State (3-2) at Missouri (2-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – Mizzou has had some tough losses this season. One in overtime, one by seven-points and a 10-point loss to Oklahoma. The Tigers have a good quarterback in James Franklin. You’re just expecting the Tigers to explode on someone. It could be this week against the Cyclones. Mo psyches the Cyclones – Missouri 32, Iowa State 23.
Purdue (3-2) at Penn State (5-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – I hope the Boilers enjoyed their big win over Minnesota last week. Because, there is no hope for them this week. Not that the Nittany Lions are that good. But they are better than the Boilers. Hope doesn’t float – Penn State 21, Purdue 12.
West Virginia (5-1) and Nebraska (5-1) are off this week.
South Florida (4-1) visits Connecticut (2-4)…. Florida Atlantic (0-5) entertains Western Kentucky (1-4)…. Florida A&M (3-3) travels to Savannah State (1-5)…. Bethune-Cookman (2-3) hosts Fort Valley State (1-5)…. Jacksonville U. (4-2) is hosting Morehead State (2-4)…. Florida International (4-2) is off this week.
Texas Southern at Alabama A&M – 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
San Diego State at Air Force – 8 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports NetworkUSC at California – 9 p.m. ET – ESPN
Hawaii at San Jose State – 9 p.m. ET – ESPN
Baylor at Texas A&M – 12 noon ET – FX
Indiana at Wisconsin – 12 noon ET – ESPN2Michigan at Michigan State – 12 noon ET – ESPN
Utah at Pitt – 12 noon ET – ESPNU
South Carolina at Mississippi State – 12:20 p.m. ET – SEC Game of the Week
Miami (Florida) at North Carolina – 12:30 p.m. ET – ACC Game of the Week
Georgia Tech at Virginia – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
LSU at Tennessee – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS
Ohio State at Illinois – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN
Oklahoma State at Texas – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN
Penn at Columbia – 3:30 p.m. ET – Versus
UCF at SMU – 3:30 p.m. ET – Fox Sports Network
Alabama at Ole Miss – 6 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Clemson at Maryland – 7 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Florida at Auburn – 7 p.m. ET – ESPN
Stanford at Washington State – 7:30 p.m. ET – Versus
UAB at Tulsa – 8 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Oklahoma at Kansas – 9:15 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Arizona State at Oregon – 10:15 p.m. ET – ESPN
Elsewhere around college football . . . Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who lost his starting job after two games and then had season-ending shoulder surgery, will transfer to another college…. Just four games into the season and Louisville coach Charlie Strong fired his offensive coordinator, Mike Sanford. Strong named quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson the new offensive coordinator.
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 in the autumn of October as the college football season approached its halfway point, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1936 was “When Did You Leave Heaven” by Guy Lombardo
…70 years ago this week in 1941 was “Piano Concerto in B Flat” by Freddy Martin
…65 years ago this week in 1946 was “To Each His Own” by Eddy Howard
…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 “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles
…45 years ago this week in 1966 was “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by The Four Tops
…40 years ago this week in 1971 was “Maggie May/Reason to Believe” by Rod Stewart
…35 years ago this week in 1976 was “Disco Duck (Part 1)” by Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots
…30 years ago this week in 1981 was “Endless Love” by Diana Ross & Lionel Ritchie
…25 years ago this week in 1986 was “When I Think of You” by Janet Jackson
…20 years ago this week in 1991 was “Emotions” by Mariah Carey
Marv Tarplin, the Motown guitarist and songwriter who shaped the sound of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and was a co-writer of “The Tracks of My Tears” and other hits, died last week at his home in Las Vegas. He was 70. Tarplin wrote much of the music for several other Miracles hits, including “My Girl Has Gone,” “Going to a Go-Go” and “The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage.” He also collaborated on several songs that Marvin Gaye recorded. Tarplin continued to contribute music to many of Smokey Robinson’s most memorable songs as a solo artist, including the hit “Crusin’” in 1979. He continued touring with Robinson until he retired in 2008. Marv Tarplin was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 13, 1941. His family later moved to Detroit. In the late 1950s, he was a guitar player for the Primettes, a teenage girl group that later became the Supremes.
Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple, died last week. He was 56. Jobs once said that taking LSD was one of the two or three most important things he ever did in his life. Steven Paul Jobs was born in San Francisco on February 24, 1955, and was put up for adoption by his biological parents. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. Prior to his marriage, Jobs had a number of well-publicized romantic relationships, including one with Joan Baez when he was in his 20s. His philosophy on life – “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” That’s what he always wished for himself.
Diane Cilento, whose stage and screen career included an Oscar nominated performance in the 1963 movie “Tom Jones,” highlighted by a memorably sensuous eating scene, died in Queensland, Australia, last week. She was 78. On screen, she appeared with Charlton Heston in “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” with Paul Newman in “Hombre,” as well as with Albert Finney in “Tom Jones.” She was nominated for a Tony Award in 1956 for her Broadway performance in “Tiger at the Gates.” Diane Cilento was born in Queensland on October 5, 1933.
Roger Williams, the pianist whose lush versions of familiar tunes like “Autumn Leaves” and “Born Free” became hit recordings in the 1950s and 1960s and who continued to perform in concerts into his 80s, died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 87. The cause was pancreatic cancer. Seven singles by Williams made it onto the Billboard Top 40 chart. He was born Louis Jacob Weertz in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 1, 1924, and grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. He changed his name in 1954 when he signed a record contract. Williams graduated from Idaho State University in 1949, and earned a master’s degree in music from Drake University in Des Moines. He competed on Arthur Godfrey’s “Talent Scouts” in 1952 and won.
Al Davis, the controversial and combative owner of the Oakland Raiders, died Saturday. He was 82. Allen Davis was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1929. He grew up in New York City. He graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in English.
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