College Football Week 10 – The Game: LSU-Alabama
You can’t take the Mountain out of the EersWest Virginia will begin play in the Big 12 Conference. The announcement was made last week by Chuck Neinas, interim commissioner of the Big 12. The conference presidents voted unanimously to accept the Mountaineers as the Big 12’s 10th member, replacing Missouri.
Missouri is departing the Big 12 for the SEC, effective July 1, 2012. Previously, Texas A&M announced its departure from the Big 12 for the SEC, also effective July 1, 2012. The Aggies were replaced in the conference with TCU.
With the move to the Big 12, it may seem appropriate for the Mountaineers to become the Plainseers (Plains-eers). After all, there are no mountains in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. But Plainseers just doesn’t sound right. You might put West Virginia in the Big 12, but you can’t take the Mountain out of the Eers.
But when will the Mountaineers’ membership in the Big 12 become effective? That is the big question. The Big 12 says July 1, 2012. West Virginia says July 1, 2012. Big East commissioner John Marinatto begs to differ. He points to the Big East bylaws that state members planning to leave the conference must remain in the Big East for 27 months after their announced departure. If so, West Virginia can’t legally leave the Big East until January 2014.
Obviously, West Virginia plans to challenge the Big East on this issue. Apparently, WVU believes it has the wherewithal to get around the 27-month requirement. West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck, a former quarterback at WVU, has a law degree from the University of Texas. So one would assume that Luck knows what he is doing when he says West Virginia will be a member of the Big 12 on July 1, 2012. Stay tuned!
The impact on the Big East is its qualification as a BCS conference. The rules state that BCS designated conferences must have a membership of eight or more schools. With West Virginia’s planned departure next summer that would leave the Big East with only seven members for the 2012 football season. The Big East would no longer be a BCS conference and its champion would not receive an automatic bid to a BCS bowl.
Reports have the Big East inviting Boise State, Air Force, Navy, Houston, SMU and UCF to join the conference. Boise State, Air Force and Navy would join as football members only. Those invites and possibly some acceptances could be announced this week. But it is unknown if any of those schools would join by next summer.
Interestingly, in this week’s BCS rankings, the Big East only has one team represented in the Top 25 – West Virginia. Conference USA, of which Houston, SMU and UCF are members, has two teams in the Top 25 – Houston and Southern Miss. Boise State, of the Mountain West Conference, is No. 5 in the BCS rankings.
Earlier in the season, Pitt and Syracuse, of the Big East, announced they were leaving the conference to join the ACC. But Pitt and Syracuse aren’t expected to leave the Big East until 2013 or 2014. However, Texas A&M and Missouri are leaving the Big 12 and joining the SEC next year, as will TCU who is leaving the Mountain West to join the Big 12. Actually, TCU was going to join the Big East until the Big 12 opportunity came along.
And so, conference realignment remains a hot topic. One can only imagine what the next moves will be. Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville and Rutgers have all made it known they want out of the Big East. Notre Dame insists it will remain an Independent in football. But depending on what happens to the Big East, the Irish may be forced to join a conference, if they feel the Big East is no longer a good spot for their basketball and Olympic sports programs. The ACC and the Big Ten who would love to have Notre Dame, have said they would only take the Irish as an all-sports member. Stay tuned!
Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I spent Saturday in Jacksonville at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. We drove up I-95 to Jacksonville in the morning, arriving around 10:30. It rained off and on most of the way, but fortunately, the rain stopped by the time we hit Jacksonville and the sun eventually came out.
We parked in a garage downtown and walked over to the Landings where we checked out the scene and had lunch on the St. John’s River. A Georgia fan even took our picture. All Dawgs aren’t bad.
As the game time approached, we caught the shuttle bus out to the stadium. We walked around the grounds, checking out some of the tailgaters and other pre-game activities that were going on outside the stadium. One Georgia sign read: “Our bark is bigger than your bite!”
Yeah, but our bite hurts more than your bark.
Rockledge Gator had ordered our tickets from one of the Websites – Stubhub, etc. We didn’t know where our seats would be. But wouldn’t you know it, we were smack dab in the middle of the Georgia section. There we were in our Orange and Blue surrounded by all those Dawgs in their Red and Black.
Talk about being in the Dawg pound or the Dawg kennel. That’s how we felt. And none of the Dawgs were on a leash either. It was woof, woof this and woof, woof that. U-G-A this and U-G-A that. I don’t ever want to hear a Dawg bark again. And to make matters worse, those Dawgs won the dang game. Do you know how it feels to be a Gator fan sitting in the midst of 42,000 Dawg fans when Georgia beats Florida? I do. And I don’t ever want to experience that feeling again.
Then after the game, as we walked down the winding ramp, exiting the stadium (it seemed like it took forever), we were surrounded by Dawgs. They were happy. And happy people make a lot of noise. They don’t shut up. And we didn’t dare say a thing. As hard as we tried, it was all we could do to keep a smile on our faces. And it was all we could do to keep from doing the Gator chomp.
But we survived. Actually, the Dawg fans were mostly good natured. However, the next time we go to the Florida-Georgia game, we’ll make sure our tickets are among the 42,000 Gator fans.
We caught the shuttle bus back downtown, got to our car and headed out of Jacksonville on I-95 South. About halfway home, we stopped for a late dinner. As we were eating, the four of us commented that we couldn’t wait to get home and take a shower to get that Dawg washed off of us.
Aren’t football rivalries fun?
My favorite quarterbacks over the weekend were Houston’s Case Keenum, Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, Pitt’s Tino Sunseri, Stanford’s Andrew Luck, Wyoming’s Brett Smith and North Carolina’s Bryn Renner.
My favorite running backs were Boston College’s Rolandan Finch, Utah’s John White, Louisiana-Lafayette’s Alonzo Harris, Auburn’s Michael Dyer and Georgia Tech’s Tevin Washington.
No rest for the weary. This weekend, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I are off to Gainesville for the Vanderbilt-Florida game, where we will hook up with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe, who will be coming down from the north – north Florida.
The game has a 12:30 kickoff so that means tailgating will be a brunch – with Bloody Mary’s and Mimosa’s. Or if you prefer, straight vodka or straight champagne. But I wouldn’t mix the two. You might miss the game. How about cold pizza and chili dogs with a few cold ones? Nothing like a little diversity.
There should be time for a nap after the game. Then we will all gather at the hotel to watch the LSU-Alabama game on TV. More pizza and cold ones. Oh boy! Now let’s see. Who will be cheering for LSU and who will be cheering for Alabama? I won’t tell.
Woof, woof…..I mean…..Go Gators!
Touchdown Tom
October 31, 2011GAME OF THE WEEK: The Landry Express – Oklahoma 58, Kansas State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, Kansas State 27). Landry Jones passed for 505 yards, and the Oklahoma defense held K-State to 58 yards passing. The Wildcats actually held a brief lead in the game at 17-14 early in the second quarter. K-State never scored another point after that. A crowd of 51,004 attended the game in Manhattan.
RUNNER UP: It’s not over until it’s over – Stanford 56, USC 48 (3OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 33, USC 27). This game lived up to its billing – three overtimes. Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley both had good games, passing for 330 and 284 yards respectively. A crowd of 93,607 attended the game in Los Angeles.
REST OF THE BEST: Welcome to the Big 12, Spartans – Nebraska 24, Michigan State 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 22, Michigan State 20). I know, Nebraska is no longer in the Big 12. But the Huskers are still playing like a Big 12 team. And the Spartans generally are bad against good teams from outside the Big Ten. Nebraska is 6-0 all-time against Michigan State and has outscored the Spartans 205-37. The Husker defense held Kirk Cousins to 86 yards passing. A crowd of 85,641 attended the game in Lincoln.
Stung! – Georgia Tech 31, Clemson 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 26, Georgia Tech 19). Georgia Tech literally ran all over Clemson. The Jackets had 383 yards rushing – 176 by Tevin Washington. Clemson’s Tajh Boyd passed for 295 yards, but threw two interceptions. A crowd of 55,646 attended the game in Atlanta.
These boots were made for running – Oklahoma State 59, Baylor 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 41, Baylor 24). Okie State led 42-0 early in the third quarter. Then the Cowboys decided to let Baylor score some points. The two teams combined for 1,223 yards of offense. A crowd of 58,274 attended the game in Stillwater.
409! – Penn State 10, Illinois 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 19, Illinois 15). Joe Paterno now has 409 wins – the most of any Division I coach. The Lions play good defense. Can’t say much about their offense. The Banned Indians play like a Zooker team – losers. This one was 0-0 at the half. Illinois scored in the third quarter and Penn State scored all 10 of its points in the fourth. A crowd of 97,828 attended the game in State College.
These Bucks are no greenbacks – Ohio State 33, Wisconsin 29 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 26, Ohio State 25). After a hot start this season, Wisconsin has lost two straight. The Badgers often seem to have troubles on the road against good teams. The Buckeyes’ defense shut down Wisconsin’s running game. A crowd of 105,511 attended the game in Columbus.
Snowball – West Virginia 41, Rutgers 31 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 28, Rutgers 21). Trailing Rutgers 31-21 at the half, the Mounties outscored the Knights 20-0 in the second half. The game was played in horrible conditions – blowing winds with a mixed rain and snow falling throughout the contest. A crowd of 47,303 attended the game in Piscataway.
Purple power – TCU 38, BYU 28 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 27, BYU 20). As an independent, I can see BYU getting worse and worse. As a member of the Big 12, TCU will remain tough, especially with coach Gary Patterson. A crowd of 50,094 attended the game in Arlington.
Oink! – Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 30, Vanderbilt 20). Two weeks ago, the Commodores almost beat Georgia. Saturday, they almost beat Arkansas. Vandy led 28-17 late in the third quarter. And the Commodores held Arkansas to 72 yards rushing. The Hogs Tyler Wilson passed for 316 yards and no interceptions. A crowd of 33,247 attended the game in Nashville.
Wolverines blow some steam – Michigan 36, Purdue 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 30, Purdue 27). Michigan’s magic number was 170. Denard Robinson passed for 170 yards and Fitzgerald Toussaint rushed for 170 yards. Purdue scored first and last in the game. A crowd of 112,115 attended the game in Ann Arbor.
Dogma – Georgia 24, Florida 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 30, Georgia 29). The Gators were an offensive disaster – -19 yards rushing and John Brantley was a miserable 12-34 passing. Brantley couldn’t hit the broad side of a blue barn. Actually Aaron Murray wasn’t much better passing – 15-34. And Murray tossed an interception. Florida has no running game. In the second half, Florida only managed 32 yards and one first down. Both teams looked bad, but Florida definitely looked worse. Both teams’ scores were set up on miscues, turnovers, and special teams play. You figure that Mark Richt saved his job with the win. Meanwhile, Florida fans are wondering if Will Muschamp will last as long as Ron Zook. The writing team of Muschamp/Weis hasn’t had any hits so far. And the Gators remain the most penalized team in the country. A crowd of 84,524 attended the game in Jacksonville.
Defense! – South Carolina 14, Tennessee 3 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, Tennessee 23). The Gamecocks’ defense held the Vols to only 35 yards rushing, 186 yards total. A crowd of 96,651 attended the game in Knoxville.
SEC! SEC! – Missouri 38, Texas A&M 31 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 31, Missouri 26). For the third time this season, the Aggies blew a halftime lead. A&M led 28-17 at the half, only to be outscored 14-3 by the Tigers in the second half. A crowd of 86,934 attended the game in College Station.
Heels exorcise the Demons – North Carolina 49, Wake Forest 24 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 29, Wake Forest 20). The Heels had too much offense – passing and running. Bryn Renner threw for 338 yards and Giovani Bernard rushed for another 154. The game was close well into the third quarter when UNC only led, 21-17. A crowd of 57,000 attended the game in Chapel Hill.
Jimbo isn’t Dumbo anymore – Florida State 34, N.C. State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 30, N.C. State 22). And Stoops isn’t Oops. FSU’s defense held the Wolfpack to only 36 yards rushing and just 166 total. The Noles’ E.J. Manuel passed for 321 yards. A crowd of 80,849 attended the game in Tallahassee.
Tie died – Virginia 28, Miami (Florida) 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 26, Virginia 20). Jacory Harris showed up, but none of the other Canes did. Virginia can play some defense. And not bad on offense either. Maybe it’s time for Al Golden to change ties. A crowd of 40,403 attended the game in Miami Gardens.
Cougars caught in a Web – Oregon 43, Washington State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 42, Washington State 16). Closer than expected. The Cougars actually outgained the Ducks in yardage – 462 to 454. Cougars quarterback Marshall Lobbestael passed for 337 yards. A crowd of 59,126 attended the game in Eugene.
Shock! – Iowa State 41, Texas Tech 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 35, Iowa State 18). The Red Raiders must have been suffering a hangover from last week’s win over Oklahoma. Either that, or they were caught looking ahead to Texas. How else do you explain it? A crowd of 59,260 attended the game in Lubbock.
Neuheisel breathes a sigh of relief – UCLA 31, California 14 (Touchdown Tom said: California 26, UCLA 24). Cal had five turnovers – four interceptions and one fumble. A crowd of 55,604 attended the game in Pasadena.
Tino’s Sun shined – Pitt 35, Connecticut 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Pitt 21, Connecticut 20). Pitt lost running back Ray Graham early in the contest. He left the game with a season-ending knee injury. But that didn’t matter for the Panthers. Tino Sunseri passed for 419 yards. But the game took its toll on Pitt. In addition to Graham, the Panthers lost two other players – a receiver and offensive lineman – to season-ending injuries. A crowd of 40,219 attended the game in Pittsburgh.
A squeamer for Beamer – Virginia Tech 14, Duke 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 32, Duke 15). And 14-10 was the score at the end of the third quarter. Neither team could muster a point in the fourth. A crowd of 27,392 attended the game in Durham.
Sharp Horns – Texas 43, Kansas 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 39, Kansas 17). Hey, Bevo finally found a team he can beat. Actually, the Longhorn defense played tough, limiting the Jayhawks to 46 yards of offense – 48 passing and -2 rushing. Turner Gill has to be on shaky ground in Lawrence. A crowd of 99,211 attended the game in Austin.
Comment: Routs in the Big 12, shockers in the ACC and Big Ten and a triple-overtime thriller in the Pac-12. How appropriate for Halloween.
A so-so week at 16-7 on my picks. That brings my season total to 153-58 (72.5 percent).
UCF beat Memphis, 41-0. A crowd of 37,683 attended the game in Orlando…. Florida International edged Troy, 23-20. A crowd of 15,852 attended the game in Miami…. Bethune-Cookman downed North Carolina Central, 34-6. A crowd of 12,516 attended the game in Durham.
Impressive Passers: Houston’s Case Keenum – 24-37-1 for 534 yards; Oklahoma’s Landry Jones – 35-47-2-505; Baylor’s Robert Griffin – 33-50-2-425; Pitt’s Tino Sunseri – 29-42-0-419; Bowling Green’s Matt Schliz – 29-49-2-400; Wyoming’s Brett Smith – 25-36-0-341; North Carolina’s Bryn Renner – 21-28-0-338; Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz – 32-53-1-338, and Washington State’s Marshall Lobbestael – 28-48-2-337.
Also, Ball State’s Keith Wenning – 35-50-2 for 335 yards; Stanford’s Andrew Luck – 29-40-1-330; East Carolina’s Dominique Davis – 29-46-1-329; Arkansas State’s Ryan Alpin – 28-42-1-322; Florida’s E.J. Manuel – 25-34-1-321; Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill – 35-53-1-317; Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson – 27-43-0-316; Miami of Ohio’s Zac Dysert – 20-25-1-313, and Miami of Florida’s Jacory Harris – 21-30-0-311.
Also, Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler – 18-28-0 for 307 yards; Clemson’s Tajh Boyd – 23-40-2-295; Florida International’s Wes Carroll – 20-37-1-285; Colorado’s Tyler Hansen – 22-35-2-285; USC’s Matt Barkley – 28-45-1-284; Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 19-29-0-283; Buffalo’s Chazz Anderson – 24-41-2-281; Tulsa’s G.J. Kinne – 24-36-1-274, and Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden – 24-36-0-274.
Also, Georgia Tech’s Tevin Washington – 176 yards; Florida International’s Kedrick Rhodes – 172 yards; Michigan’s Fitzgerald Toussaint – 170 yards; Rice’s Tyler Smith – 170 yards; UCLA’s Kevin Prince – 163 yards; Missouri’s Henry Josey – 162 yards; Ohio State’s Daniel Herron – 160 yards, and Army’s Raymond Maples – 159 yards.
Also, Colorado State’s Chris Nwoke – 156 yards; North Carolina’s Giovani Bernard – 154; Oklahoma State’s Joseph Randle – 152 yards; Indiana’s Stephen Houston – 151 yards; Virginia Tech’s David Wilson – 148 yards; USC’s Christian McNeal – 145 yards; Washington’s Chris Polk – 144 yards; Central Michigan’s Anthony Garland – 141 yards, and Rice’s Turner Petersen – 140 yards.
“Here we go again. Does I-95 morph into Georgia’s ‘Trail of Tears’ again?,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, before the Florida-Georgia game.
“Blowing another Cocktail Party would be the last straw for Richt,” CBSSports.com writer Tony Barnhart, before the Florida-Georgia game.
“And what’s going on with Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential bid? He’s dropped further in the polls during the last month than Florida State,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
“Chazz Bono was voted off ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ And if Mark Richt loses again today, Georgia fans will vote him off the SEC’s ‘Coaching With the Stars,’” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
“If Charlie Weis is a genius, then Steve Addazio was a mastermind,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
“Believe me, there’s nobody more disappointed or impatient than I am. We have to evaluate ourselves, starting with me,” Florida coach Will Muschamp, after the Georgia game.
“At least our offense isn’t that bad,” Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio, on Florida’s offense.
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. LSU (8-0) at Alabama (8-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Or as some are calling it, “the semifinals to the national championship game.” Or, could these two possibly meet again in the national championship game? That would be a first. When LSU is on offense, I figure it would be wise for the officials to check the ball. It could be a synthetic football. Nick Saban can’t lose. If LSU wins, Saban can always say that he was the one responsible for rebuilding the Tiger program. If Alabama wins, well, that’s obvious. He’s the winning coach. The defenses are so good there won’t be any touchdowns – only field goals. The Tigers get one more field goal than the Tide – LSU 9, Alabama 6.
RUNNER UP: 2. Kansas State (7-1) at Oklahoma State (8-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – Texas lost back-to-back games to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Looks like it is K-State’s turn now. But the Wildcats may make this one more exciting than last week’s loss to OU. Cowboys stay in the saddle – Oklahoma State 41, Kansas State 27.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. South Carolina (7-1) at Arkansas (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – The Gamecocks’ defense won the game for South Carolina against Tennessee. They may have to win this one too. But, unlike Tennessee, Arkansas has a potent offense. South Carolina better find an offense. The Gamecocks don’t – Arkansas 23, South Carolina 20.
4. Oregon (7-1) at Washington (6-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Washington State proved that a Pac-12 team can stay in the game with the Ducks. And that game was in Eugene. Now the Huskies hope to stay in the game with the Ducks. And this one is in Seattle. The Huskies can score. But they don’t have a defense – Oregon 37, Washington 26.
5. Texas A&M (5-3) at Oklahoma (7-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – Think the Sooners have revenge on their minds? Last year the Aggies handed OU one of its two losses. So I think OU has a bone to pick with A&M. Plus, this is the last time the two teams will be playing – at least for a while, if not longer. So the Sooners don’t want their last Big 12 game with A&M to be a loss. The odds aren’t good for the Aggies – Oklahoma 35, Texas A&M 25.
6. Texas Tech (5-3) at Texas (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – The Red Raiders had to be looking ahead to this game when they lost to Iowa State last week. All for naught. Tech may have beat Oklahoma in Norman, but the Red Raiders won’t beat Texas in Austin – Texas 33, Texas Tech 22.
7. Michigan (7-1) at Iowa (5-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – This is not a good year for Iowa. The Hawkeyes can play some defense, but they have no offense. And the Hawkeye defense isn’t good enough to stop Michigan. The Brady bunch rolls – Michigan 26, Iowa 17.
8. Southern Miss (7-1) at East Carolina (4-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – Key game in C-USA. Both are tied for the lead of the East Division. Southern Miss has to contain the Pirates’ quarterback Dominique Davis. ECU has to stop the Eagles’ balanced attack. They don’t – Southern Miss 36, East Carolina 34.
9. Louisville (4-4) at West Virginia (6-2) – (Big East vs. Big East) – Louisville has been winning games on its defense, which is what you would expect from a Charlie Strong team. WVU will definitely test the Cardinals’ defense. Look for Louisville to attack the West Virginia offense like Syracuse did. The Orange succeeded. The Cardinals won’t – West Virginia 27, Louisville 13.
10. Purdue (4-4) at Wisconsin (6-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – Wisconsin doesn’t play well on the road. But the Badgers are back home this week. Much to Purdue’s chagrin. The Boilers don’t play well on the road either – Wisconsin 30, Purdue 17.
11. Arizona State (6-2) at UCLA (4-4) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Rick Neuheisel is fighting for his survival in Westwood. That makes the Bruins a dangerous team for the Sun Devils, especially in the Rose Bowl. But the Bruins aren’t dangerous enough – Arizona State 40, UCLA 24.
12. Cincinnati (6-1) at Pitt (4-4) – (Big East vs. Big East) – Cincinnati’s offense has looked good in just about every game except for one – Tennessee. The defense has looked good in every game except for two – Tennessee and South Florida. That says the Bearcats are basically stable and solid on both sides of the ball. Pitt’s offense and defense have been all over the place from one game to another – very unstable and certainly not solid. Stable as a Bearcat – Cincinnati 28, Pitt 19.
13. North Carolina (6-3) at N.C. State (4-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – The Tar Heels have a potent offense. At times, they can play some decent defense. The Wolfpack have been up-and-down and all over the place on offense and defense. And now there are reports that Tom O’Brien could be in trouble. He may be after this game – North Carolina 29, N.C. State 22.
14. Notre Dame (5-3) at Wake Forest (5-3) – (Ind. vs. ACC) – Some think this could be a trap game for the Irish. I don’t think so – Notre Dame 33, Wake Forest 23.
15. Missouri (4-4) at Baylor (4-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – Beware Baylor. Down-and-out Mizzou woke up last week and knocked off Texas A&M. The Tigers may still be awake. If so they can be dangerous. But the Bears can be dangerous too – Baylor 30, Missouri 29.
16. South Florida (4-3) at Rutgers (5-3) – (Big East vs. Big East) – Except for the Notre Dame game, South Florida hasn’t played well on the road. Guess what? The Bulls are on the road this week. The Bulls get homesick – Rutgers 28, South Florida 20.
17. Tulsa (5-3) at UCF (4-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – Another key game in C-USA. Tulsa is undefeated in conference play. The Golden Hurricane are tied with Houston for first in the West Division. Although looking grim, UCF still has a shot at winning the East Division. Plus the Knights are anxious to become bowl eligible. The Knights know how to handle Hurricanes – UCF 26, Tulsa 25.
18. Vanderbilt (4-4) at Florida (4-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Vandy is no slouch. The Commodores almost beat Georgia and Arkansas. They are two wins shy of becoming bowl eligible. They have incentive. The Gators are playing like a team without any incentive. The Gators are playing like a team that can’t wait for the season to end – the sooner, the better. Like Vandy, the Gators are two wins away from becoming bowl eligible. A loss to Vandy and the Gators won’t go bowling. The Commodores navigate through The Swamp – Vanderbilt 29, Florida 24.
19. Northwestern (3-5) at Nebraska (7-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – Northwestern can score, but the Wildcats’ defense couldn’t stop the Victoria’s Secret Lingerie team. That says the Huskers’ offense should have a hay day….I mean….heyday. Generally, Northwestern’s offense can play tough for two or three quarters. But they typically run out of steam at some point in the second half. The Huskers just can’t be looking ahead to Penn State. Wildcats get lost in a Corn maze – Nebraska 34, Northwestern 19.
20. Stanford (8-0) at Oregon State (2-6) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – This should be a no brainer for the Cardinal. Except that – and it’s a big exception – strange things can happen in Corvallis – just ask USC, and next up for Stanford is Oregon. Think the Cardinal won’t be looking ahead? Beavers can’t fell the Trees – Stanford 31, Oregon State 13.
21. Syracuse (5-3) at Connecticut (3-5) – (Big East vs. Big East) – Both are 1-2 in Big East Conference play. The loser will be out of any contention for the conference title. Syracuse is close to bowl eligibility, while UConn has its work cut out if the Huskies are going to make it to a bowl. UConn’s coach – Paul Pasqualoni – is a former head coach at Syracuse. The Huskies have the home-field advantage, but the momentum is with the Orange – Syracuse 23, Connecticut 16.
Duke (3-5) at Miami (Florida) (4-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – The season has been disappointing for the Canes. Now it is a case of salvaging something good out of it. With the Dookies coming to town, the salvaging looks good. However, three of the Devils’ five losses were by a combined seven points. But those losses were at home. South Beach doesn’t look like Durham – Miami 30, Duke 19.
New Mexico State (3-5) at Georgia (6-2) – (WAC vs. SEC) – Chalk this up as a win for the Dawgs even if Uga has to play quarterback. The Aggies from Las Cruces are no match for the boys from Athens. The Dawgs practice for Auburn – Georgia 39, New Mexico State 18.
Florida State (5-3) visits Boston College (2-6)…. Florida International (5-3) travels to Western Kentucky (4-4)…. Florida Atlantic (0-7) hosts Arkansas State (6-2)…. Bethune-Cookman (5-3) entertains Morgan State (5-3)…. Florida A&M (5-3) is home against North Carolina A&T (4-4)…. Jacksonville U. (6-2) is away at Drake (7-2).
Northern Illinois at Toledo – 7 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Temple at Ohio – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
Akron at Miami (Ohio) – 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Florida State at Boston College – 8 p.m. ET – ESPNTulsa at UCF – 8 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Central Michigan at Kent State – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN2
USC at Colorado – 9 p.m. ET – ESPN Michigan at Iowa – 12 noon ET – ESPN
Louisville at West Virginia – 12 noon ET – Big East Game of the WeekSyracuse at Connecticut – 12 noon ET – ESPNU
Texas Tech at Texas – 12 noon ET – FX
Vanderbilt at Florida – 12:20 p.m. ET – SEC Game of the Week
North Carolina at N.C. State – 12:30 p.m. ET – ACC Game of the Week
Virginia at Maryland – 12:30 p.m. ET – ACC Game of the Week
Army at Air Force – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS
Ole Miss at Kentucky – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Purdue at Wisconsin – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Stanford at Oregon State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC
Texas A&M at Oklahoma – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC
Troy at Navy – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Cincinnati at Pitt – 7 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Houston at UAB – 7 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Notre Dame at Wake Forest – 7 p.m. ET – ESPN2
South Carolina at Arkansas – 7:15 p.m. ET – ESPN
Arizona State at UCLA – 7:30 p.m. ET – Versus
LSU at Alabama – 8 p.m. ET – CBS
Kansas State at Oklahoma State – 8 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Notre Dame at Wake Forest – 8 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Boise State at UNLV – 10:30 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Louisiana Tech at Fresno State – 10:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Elsewhere around college football . . . Oregon has added Tennessee Tech to its 2012 schedule.
Third BCS Standings: 1. LSU, 2. Alabama, 3. Oklahoma State, 4. Stanford, 5. Boise State, 6. Oklahoma, 7. Arkansas, 8. Oregon, 9. South Carolina, 10. Nebraska
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 on a sad comment, there were four passings of note last week – Paul Leka, Robert Pierpoint, Greg Gantt and Bob Barry.
Paul Leka, a songwriter and record producer who worked with many recording stars, but who was best-known for writing the song “Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye),” a No. 1 hit in 1969, died last week in Sharon, Connecticut. He was 68. The cause was lung cancer. Leka wrote “Green Tambourine” a No. 1 hit in 1967 for the Lemon Pipers; signed REO Speedwagon to its first record contract, and produced four of Happy Chapin’s albums. Paul Theodore Leka was born on February 20, 1943, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His parents were immigrants from Albania.
Robert Pierpoint, a CBS News correspondent who covered the Korean War and reported on six presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Jimmy Carter, died last week in Santa Barbara, California. He was 86. In more than 40 years with CBS radio and television, Pierpoint covered the major news stories of his time from Korea to the Kennedy assassination to Watergate. Robert Charles Pierpoint was born on May 16, 1925, in Redondo Beach, California. After naval service in World War II, he graduated from the University of the Redlands. Pierpont went to work for CBS News in 1949. He retired in 1990.
Greg Gantt, a former punter for Alabama and the New York Jets, died last week. He was 59. The cause was heart disease and diabetes. Gantt led the SEC in punting for three seasons. He also kicked long field goals for the Tide. Gantt may be best known for having two of his punts blocked in Alabama’s 17-16 loss to Auburn in 1972. Both were returned for touchdowns in the “Punt, Bama, Punt” game. Gantt punted two seasons for the Jets.
Bob Barry, the longtime radio voice of the Oklahoma Sooners, who was handpicked by Bud Wilkinson, died Saturday. He was 80. Barry was the “Voice of the Sooners” from 1961 to 1972, then from 1991 to 2010. He retired last spring. He called Oklahoma State games from 1973 to 1990 before coming back to OU. Barry’s broadcasting career began in 1956 at a Norman, Oklahoma, radio station where he was a salesman, disc jockey and sportscaster for the Norman High School football games. Wilkinson asked Barry to try out for the OU play-by-play job in 1961.
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