College Football Week 17 – Two bowls down, 33 to go
A few stocking stuffers for Christmas
This is the time of the year when college football takes a pause between the regular season and the upcoming bowl games.  The time of the year when coaches are fired and coaches are hired.  It’s the time of the year when awards are handed out.  And this year, it’s a time when conference expansion and conference changes are on the agenda.

Recently, Missouri athletic director Mike Alden said, “I don’t think conference realignment is over.”  And Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said, “There are some advantages to 16 teams compared to 14.  Fourteen is clumsy.”

So how much longer will the Big Ten be clumsy?  The latest word has it that when the conference decides to make that jump from 14 to 16, and it may be soon, the Big Ten will invade the ACC to acquire Virginia and Georgia Tech.

And, if that happens, it only means that the ACC will invade the Big East again to acquire, perhaps Connecticut and Cincinnati – or Connecticut and South Florida.  Then the Big East will invade Conference USA again to acquire two teams.  Then C-USA will invade the Sun Belt Conference again to acquire two teams.  And the Sun Belt will pray that two more teams move up from FCS to FBS so it can add two teams.

So if that happens, you end up with the ACC looking like the Big East and the Big East looking like C-USA and C-USA looking like the Sun Belt.  One can only imagine what the Sun Belt will look like.  They have terms for this process.  It’s called survival of the fittest, natural selection, evolution.     

And, of course, all of the above might stir the Big 12 to take Florida State and Clemson from the ACC.  It might stir the SEC to take Virginia Tech and NC State from the ACC.  And it might stir the Pac-12 to take Boise State and San Diego State.  And Lord only knows what the ACC and the Big East would do and look like then.  Stay tuned!

But you don’t have to stay tuned long to know that the Big East has changed yet again already.  Or should I say will be changing soon.  The so-called basketball schools of the Big East – those that don’t play FBS level football – announced over the weekend that they will be leaving the conference.  Or maybe they will be staying in the conference and the FBS football schools will be leaving. 

Simply put, the two groups will be separating.  It’s not known yet which group will retain the Big East name.  The basketball group – DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova – is pulling away to form a new conference that may or may not be known as the Big East.  Also unknown at this time is the date of separation.  It could occur as early as June 30, 2013 or as late as June 30, 2015.  Then again, it could be June 30, 2014.     

Meanwhile, the football group – Boise State, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, San Diego State, SMU, South Florida, Temple, Tulane and UCF – intends, for the current time at least, to stay together as a football conference – maybe known as the Big East, maybe not.

But how long the football group stays together is anybody’s guess.  It’s no secret that Cincinnati and Connecticut are chomping at the bit to get out – all but begging for another conference to take them.  Boise State and San Diego State could easily go back to the Mountain West Conference, from where they came.  Or, as mentioned above, they could be grabbed up by the Pac-12.  Stay tuned!   

All the conference changes and potential changes has to have many of the coaches scratching their heads, especially several of those who have taken, or are thinking about, a job at another school.  As it stands now, 26 schools will have new coaches next season.  All but five of those 26 schools have named their new coaches.  Still searching for the right guy are Florida International, Kent State, San Jose State, Western Michigan and Wisconsin.

I’m not so sure but what Wisconsin may be replacing Tennessee as the school everybody turns down.  So far, the Badgers have been turned down by Miami’s Al Golden and Oregon State’s Mike Riley.  Latest reports have Wisconsin going after the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.

At least Tennessee didn’t have to suffer through as many refusals this year as the Vols did three years ago when they eventually hired Derek Dooley.  Dooley was their fifth or sixth choice.  This year, Tennessee hired Cincinnati coach Butch Jones – the fourth choice.  Before getting around to Jones, the Vols were turned down by ESPN’s Jon Gruden, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Louisville’s Charlie Strong.      

Most coaches that get fired have to retire, sit out a year or step down to an assistant coach position.  Not so for Skip Holtz.  Holtz, fired by South Florida, was named the new head coach at Louisiana Tech.  La Tech lost its coach when Sonny Dykes left to fill the opening at California.

Just when you think you have a handle on all the coaching changes going on around the country, two more coaches up and jump to another school.  It’s been like musical chairs.  But it all should be over with now.  I can’t imagine anymore firings.  And Florida International, Kent State, San Jose State and Western Michigan aren’t likely to hire an existing head coach from another FBS school.  Only Wisconsin could potentially create another opening, depending on who the Badgers hire.

Speaking of coaching changes, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen did not hesitate to address his defensive problems.  Holgorsen fired his cornerbacks coach Daron Roberts.  Then he demoted Joe DeForest, his defensive coordinator.  DeForest is now the special teams coach.  Keith Patterson, who was the assistant defensive coordinator, is Holgorsen’s new DC.  Makes sense to me.  DeForest never had been a defensive coordinator prior to West Virginia, while Patterson was once the DC at Pitt.

And finally, this is a time when awards are in the air – the Heisman, the Walter Camp, the Maxwell, the Lombardi, this award, that award.  I must admit, I think the winners of most awards are deserving of the praise and award they won.  They were the best – or the best achievers – in their category.

But there is one award that left me a little like, “WHAT?”  Are you kidding me?  It was the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award.  The award was won by Kansas State quarterback Colin Klein.  Granted, Klein is a good quarterback – but Johnny Unitas Golden Arm?  Klein was 15th in passing efficiency.  He didn’t even make the Top 40 in passing yardage.  Makes you wonder about the folks who voted for this one.

And speaking of the Heisman, did you see Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o at the Heisman Award ceremony on TV?  I think he must have trashed a Florist shop or had a run in with a bush on his way to the presentation.  I was expecting to see ferns or celery sprout out of his ears during the Heisman show.    

College Football Week will take a break over the Holidays.  The next CFW – CFW 18 – will be posted on the morning of Wednesday, January 2.  Meanwhile, I leave you with some words from John and Yoko:

“So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Another year over, a new one just begun.

And so Happy Christmas, I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young.

A very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.”

Happy Holidays!....Merry Christmas!....Season’s Greetings!....Happy New Year!

Touchdown Tom
December 17, 2012
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


Review of the Bowls (so far)

It’s not over until the fat man sings – (in the New Mexico Bowl) – Arizona 49, Nevada 48 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 34, Nevada 27).  Well, maybe Rich Rod isn’t that fat.  But he sure went from crying to singing all in the matter of 46 seconds – the last 46 seconds of the game.  In that amount of time, Arizona went from trailing Nevada, 48-35, to beating Nevada, 49-48.  As the fourth quarter began, the Wildcats actually trailed the Wolf Pack by 17 points, 45-28.  Then they proceeded to outscore Nevada, 21-3 in the final quarter.  But the final 46 seconds was the most amazing.  Arizona scored 14 of those 21 fourth-quarter points in less than a minute.  Nevada coach Chris Ault actually blew the game for his Wolf Pack when in the final two minutes on the Arizona goal line he played for a field goal and not a touchdown.  The teams combined for 70 first downs and 1,237 yards of offense.  Nevada had the rushing (403 yards) and Arizona had the passing (382 yards).  A crowd of 24,610 attended the game in Albuquerque.

Chuckie Cheese (in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) – Utah State 41, Toledo 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 32, Toledo 29).  Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton is an exciting player.  He passed for 229 yards and rushed for 92, including a 62 yard touchdown run.  In what began as a defensive battle, the Aggies only led the Rockets 10-6 at the half and 13-6 at the end of the third quarter, became a wide open game in the fourth quarter.  Thirty-seven of the game’s 56 points were scored in the final period.  Utah State’s Kerwynn Williams rushed for 235 yards.  Utah State finished its season with an impressive 11-2 record.  The Aggies’ two losses were by a combined five points – two points to Wisconsin and three points to BYU.  A crowd of 29,243 attended the game in Boise.  

Last Week’s Bowl Picks:   2 Correct,   0 Wrong   (100.0 percent)
Total Bowl Game Picks:    2 Correct,   0 Wrong   (100.0 percent)


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  Arizona’s Matt Scott – 28-47-2-382 yards, and Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 22-31-2-256.  


Impressive Rushers:  Utah State’s Kerwynn Williams – 235 yards; Nevada’s Stefphon Jefferson – 180 yards; Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey – 172 yards, and Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 140 yards.


Week 16 Review

FCS Semifinals

North Dakota State 23, Georgia Southern 20
Sam Houston State 45, Eastern Washington 42


Division II Championship

Valdosta State 35, Winston-Salem State 7


Division III Championship

Mount Union 28, St. Thomas 10


Quotes of the Week

“He takes no joy in winning anymore,” Terry Saban, on her husband Nick.

“Bobby Petrino finds a school willing to sell its soul,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on Western Kentucky hiring Bobby Petrino.

“Petrino, of course, hasn’t made one mistake.  He has made several lifetimes’ worth.  He is deeply flawed and, frankly, a bad person,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on Bobby Petrino. 

“Spokesperson for ancient Mayans: ‘What we meant to say was the Big East apocalypse will come on December 21, 2012’,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“What is this nonsense about Nick Saban leaving Alabama to coach the Cleveland Browns?  Seriously, why would he take a demotion?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Did you see the footage of that giant whale that washed up on a California beach a few days ago?  Now we know what became of Phil Fulmer,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“The problem is that the SEC is sending mixed messages about how much it really cares about head injuries in football.  Or are hits to the head only important when it’s convenient?  Here’s the problem: A conference either sets the bar on helmet hits and head injuries or it doesn’t.  This looks fishy, especially given the proximity to the BCS championship game,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on the SEC failing to suspend Alabama’s Quinton Dial from playing in the BCS championship game.

“Christian Ponder is the worst quarterback in the NFL.  I didn’t like him at Florida State,” former Miami Hurricane and Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson.

“Away from class, anything you can think of I did in my 13 months at Ohio State.  I was living the NFL life in college.  I got paid more in college than I do now in the UFL,” former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Carey is the new offensive coordinator at Arkansas….  The 2014 Notre Dame-Navy game will be played at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland….  Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly won the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award….  Florida State running backs coach and special teams coordinator Eddie Gran is the new offensive coordinator at Cincinnati.

Colorado State and Alabama have agreed to a two-game series, both of which will be played in Tuscaloosa.  The first game will be played in 2013 and the second game will be played two or three years later….  Alabama defensive backs coach Jeremy Pruitt is the new defensive coordinator at Florida State….  Former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Matt Canada is the new OC at NC State….  Zach Azzanni is the new wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Tennessee.  Azzanni was the wide receivers coach at Wisconsin.  He was on Urban Meyer’s staff at Florida in 2010.

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but during the pre-Christmas days of December as college football fans were drinking eggnog and eating fruitcake with visions of what ifs, bowl games and Santa Claus dancing in their heads, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1942 was “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby

…65 years ago this week in 1947 was “Ballerina” by Vaughn Monroe

…60 years ago this week in 1952 was “Why Don’t You Believe Me?” by Joni James

…55 years ago this week in 1957 was “April Love” by Pat Boone

…50 years ago this week in 1962 was “Telstar” by The Tornadoes

…45 years ago this week in 1967 was “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees

…40 years ago this week in 1972 was “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy

…35 years ago this week in 1977 was “How Deep Is Your Love” by The Bee Gees

…30 years ago this week in 1982 was “Mickey” by Toni Basil

…25 years ago this week in 1987 was “Faith” by George Michael

…20 years ago this week in 1992 was “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston


Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there were two passings of note last week – Ravi Shankar and Colleen Walker.

Ravi Shankar, the Indian sitarist and composer whose collaborations with Western classical and rock musicians, including the Beatles, helped foster a worldwide appreciation for India’s traditional music, died last week.  He was 92.

Colleen Walker, a nine-time winner on the LPGA Tour, including the 1997 du Maurier Classic, died last week in Valrico, Florida.  She was 56.  Colleen Walker was born on August 16, 1956, in Jacksonville, Florida.  She grew up in Palm Beach, Florida, where she began playing golf at age 14.  Walker was a graduate of Florida State University, where she was an outstanding golfer. 

College Football Week 16 – Bobby Petrino to Arkansas State?
God rest you merry football fans
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Alabama and Notre Dame
Play after New Year’s Day

Oh predictions of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
Oh predictions of comfort and joy

Touchdown Tom’s Annual Bowl Game Forecast: 

New Mexico Bowl – Albuquerque, New Mexico
(University Stadium)
1 pm ET, December 15 – ESPN
Little Rod Riding Hood escapes the Big Bad Wolf
Arizona 34, Nevada 27

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Boise, Idaho
(Bronco Stadium)
4:30 pm ET, December 15 – ESPN
Aggies mash the Rockets
Utah State 32, Toledo 29

Poinsettia Bowl – San Diego, California
(Qualcomm Stadium)
8 pm ET, December 20 – ESPN
Aztecs sacrifice a Cougar
San Diego State 28, BYU 26 

Beef O’Brady’s Bowl – St. Petersburg, Florida
(Tropicana Field)
7:30 pm ET, December 21 – ESPN
Knights to Ball State, “Where’s the Beef?”
UCF 30, Ball State 28

New Orleans Bowl – New Orleans, Louisiana
(Mercedes-Benz Superdome)
12 noon ET, December 22 – ESPN
Boudreaux stuffs the Pirates into a boudin
Louisiana-Lafayette 35, East Carolina 33

Las Vegas Bowl – Las Vegas, Nevada
(Sam Boyd Stadium)
3:30 pm ET, December 22 – ESPN
Huskies say, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Boise State 19, Washington 16  

Hawaii Bowl – Honolulu, Hawaii
(Aloha Stadium)
8 pm ET, December 24 – ESPN
Bulldogs pin the poi on the Ponies
Fresno State 37, SMU 26

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl – Detroit, Michigan
(Ford Field)
7:30 pm ET, December 26 – ESPN
Hilltoppers dip the Chipps
Western Kentucky 27, Central Michigan 22  

Military Bowl – Washington, DC
(RFK Memorial Stadium)
3 pm ET, December 27 – ESPN
Spartans practice Falconry 
San Jose State 27, Bowling Green 18

Belk Bowl – Charlotte, North Carolina
(Bank of America Stadium)
6:30 pm ET, December 27 – ESPN
Bearcats egg the Devils
Cincinnati 36, Duke 25

Holiday Bowl – San Diego, California
(Qualcomm Stadium)
9:45 pm ET, December 27 – ESPN
Mora’s Bears are grizzlies; Briles Bears are teddies
UCLA 44, Baylor 40

Independence Bowl – Shreveport, Louisiana
(Independence Stadium)
2 pm ET, December 28 – ESPN2
Monroe doctrines the Bobcats
Louisiana-Monroe 30, Ohio 29

Russell Athletic Bowl – Orlando, Florida
(Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium)
5:30 pm ET, December 28 – ESPN
Beamer commands the round table
Virginia Tech 20, Rutgers 18

Meineke Car Care Bowl – Houston, Texas
(Reliant Stadium)
9 pm ET, December 28 – ESPN
Red Raiders say, “You betcha”
Texas Tech 35, Minnesota 17

Armed Forces Bowl – Fort Worth, Texas
(Amon G. Carter Stadium)
11:45 am ET, December 29 – ESPN
Falcons snap; Owls crack and pop
Rice 23, Air Force 21  

Pinstripe Bowl – Bronx, New York
(Yankee Stadium)
3:15 pm ET, December 29 – ESPN
Geno pins blue stripes on the Orange
West Virginia 38, Syracuse 33  

Fight Hunger Bowl – San Francisco, California
(AT&T Park)
4 pm ET, December 29 – ESPN2
Sun Devils are no Skylarkers
Arizona State 33, Navy 20

Alamo Bowl – San Antonio, Texas
(Alamodome)
6:45 pm ET, December 29 – ESPN
Beware of Beavers that fall out of trees
Oregon State 28, Texas 27

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl – Tempe, Arizona
(Sun Devil Stadium)
10:15 pm ET, December 29 – ESPN
Spartans mistake Frog legs for Wild Wings,
A mistake they regret
TCU 17, Michigan State 14

Music City Bowl – Nashville, Tennessee
(LP Field)
12 noon ET, December 31 – ESPN
Commodores sack the Pack
Vanderbilt 26, NC State 22

Sun Bowl – El Paso, Texas
(Sun Bowl)
2 pm ET, December 31 – CBS
Trojans mute the Buzzers
USC 27, Georgia Tech 17

Liberty Bowl – Memphis, Tennessee
(Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium)
3:30 pm ET, December 31 – ESPN
Cyclones stronger than Hurricanes
Iowa State 33, Tulsa 24

Chick-fil-A – Atlanta, Georgia
(Georgia Dome)
7:30 pm ET, December 31 – ESPN
The Mad Hatter takes the Clemson Cheshires to a tea party
LSU 33, Clemson 18

Gator Bowl – Jacksonville, Florida
(EverBank Field)
12 noon ET, January 1 – ESPN2
Bulldogs growl, Cats meow
Mississippi State 32, Northwestern 22

Heart of Dallas Bowl – Dallas, Texas
(Cotton Bowl Stadium)
12 noon ET, January 1 – ESPNU
The Boilers bawl
And bawl and bawl
Deep in the Heart of Dallas
Oklahoma State 35, Purdue 20

Outback Bowl – Tampa, Florida
(Raymond James Stadium)
1 pm ET, January 1 – ESPN
Cocky sings, “Tie me Wolverine down, sport
Tie me Wolverine down”
South Carolina 26, Michigan 19

Capital One Bowl – Orlando, Florida
(Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium)
1 pm ET, January 1 – ABC
“Who’s the loser of the game
That Uga came to play?
P-E-L……I-N-I
M-O-U-S-E
Pelini Mouse…Pelini Mouse….”
Uga knows how to use a Corn Cob
Georgia 30, Nebraska 20

Rose Bowl – Pasadena, California
(Rose Bowl)
5 pm ET, January 1 – ESPN
Shaw Trees a Badger
Stanford 26, Wisconsin 25

Orange Bowl – Miami Gardens, Florida
(Sun Life Stadium)
8:30 pm ET, January 1 – ESPN
Sammy Seminole uncovers Northern Exposure
Florida State 33, Northern Illinois 25

Sugar Bowl – New Orleans, Louisiana
(Mercedes-Benz Superdome)
8:30 pm ET, January 2 – ESPN
Albert sprinkles sugar on a Cardinal
Chomp!...Chomp!
Florida 34, Louisville 23

Fiesta Bowl – Glendale, Arizona
(University of Phoenix Stadium)
8:30 pm EST, January 3 – ESPN
Wildcats take a siesta in the Fiesta
Oregon 44, Kansas State 43

Cotton Bowl – Arlington, Texas
(Cowboys Stadium)
8 pm ET, January 4 – Fox
Johnny comes marching home again
Texas A&M 35, Oklahoma 31

Compass Bowl – Birmingham, Alabama
(Legion Field)
1 pm ET, January 5 – ESPN
The Ole Miss dines on Patty Pitt’s Porch
Ole Miss 24, Pitt 19

Go Daddy Bowl – Mobile Alabama
(Ladd-Peebles Stadium)
9 pm ET, January 6 – ESPN
Kent’s Flash didn’t go off
Unfortunately, Danica Patrick’s didn’t either
Arkansas State 33, Kent State 27

BCS National Championship Bowl – Miami Gardens, Florida
(Sun Life Stadium)
8:30 pm ET, January 7 – ESPN
Bubba takes the brogue out of the Irish
Alabama 20, Notre Dame 13 

Touchdown Tom
December 10, 2012
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


Week 15 Review

The Middies catch Army skylarking again – Navy 17, Army 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 29, Army 26).  Neither team looked good.  Trailing 13-10, Navy scored a touchdown with 4:41 remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter and held on to beat the Black Knights.  Army dominated the stats.  The Cadets had 418 yards of offense to Navy’s 297.  Army running back Raymond Maples rushed for 156 yards.  Navy’s win was its 11th straight over the Black Knights, and its 13th win in the last 14 games.  The victory awards Navy the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.  A crowd of 69,607 attended the game in Philadelphia.

Week 15 Pick:    1 Correct,    0 Wrong   (100.0 percent)
On the Season:    231 Correct,   87 Wrong   (72.6 percent)


Heisman Trophy Presentation:

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny “Football” Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.  Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o came in second in the voting and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein was third.  Manziel drew 474 first place votes and 2,029 points.  Te’o had 321 first place votes and 1,706 points, while Klein received 60 first place votes and 894 points.  USC receiver Marqise Lee came in fourth and Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller was fifth. 


FCS Quarterfinals:

Sam Houston State 34, Montana State 16
Georgia Southern 49, Old Dominion 35
North Dakota State 14, Wofford 7
Eastern Washington 51, Illinois State 35


Division II Semifinals:

Valdosta State 35, Minnesota State 19
Winston-Salem State 41, West Texas A&M 18


Division III Semifinals:  

Mount Union 48, Mary Hardin-Baylor 35
St. Thomas 28, UW-Oshkosh 14


SWAC Championship Game:   

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 24, Jackson State 21


Quotes of the Week

“I don’t think conference realignment is over.  There’s more coming,” Missouri athletic director Mike Alden.

“There are some advantages to 16 teams compared to 14.  Fourteen is clumsy,” Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis, on the Big Ten expanding from 14 to 16 teams.

“Maybe it’s time to give your coach the credit and support he has earned.  Who would you get that’s better than Jimbo Fisher?,”  Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, to Florida State fans who have been complaining about Fisher.

“He and I don’t agree on everything, but it’s a lot better than what people say,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, on the rocky relationship with his athletic director Mike Holder.

“Every time I hear talking heads referring to the fiscal cliff, three words pop into my head: Big East’s future,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“This is a smart young man from West Virginia who did nothing wrong, who was celebrating who he is.  If you’re from West Virginia and you love the outdoors, or if you hunt or don’t hunt, or if you fish or don’t fish, it is a celebration of this state.  As a former WVU graduate, I’m thrilled to death with him.  Happy as can be,” Robert Hickman of Fairmont, West Virginia, who holds two degrees from WVU, on WVU’s Mountaineer mascot Jonathan Kimble being reprimanded by the school for using his University issued rifle to shoot a black bear on a recent hunting excursion in the West Virginia woods.

“He looks like the Stanford mascot,” ESPN’s Desmond Howard, on Manti Te’o at the Heisman Trophy presentation.

   
In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Northern Illinois named Rod Carey its new football coach.  Carey had been the offensive line coach under Dave Doeren at NIU….  Florida hired former Kentucky coach Joker Phillips as its wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator….  Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel was named the SEC offensive players of the year….  Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o won the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player and the Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker.

Former coaches Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee), Jimmy Johnson (Miami of Florida) and R.C. Slocum (Texas A&M) were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last week….  Kansas State’s Collin Klein won the Johnny Unitas Award, given to the nation’s top senior quarterback…  South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney has won the Ted Hendricks Award, becoming the first sophomore chosen as the nation’s best defensive end.

Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o won the Lombardi Award as college football’s best lineman/linebacker….  Fired Southern Miss coach Ellis Johnson was hired by Gus Malzahn as the new defensive coordinator at Auburn….  Pitt and Penn State have announced a four-game home-and-home series to be played from 2016 to 2019….  New Auburn coach Gus Malzahn named Rhett Lashlee as his offensive coordinator.  Lashlee was on Malzahn’s staff at Arkansas State.

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there was one passing of note last week – Dave Brubeck. 

Dave Brubeck, the pianist and composer who helped make jazz popular again in the 1950s and 1960s with recordings like “Time Out,” the first jazz album to sell a million copies, and “Take Five,” the hit single from the album, died last week in Norwalk, Connecticut.  He was 91, just one day short of turning 92.  David Warren Brubeck was born December 6, 1920, in Concord, California.  When he was 11, his family moved to Ione, California.  He graduated from the College of Pacific (now the University of the Pacific) in Stockton, California, in 1942.  He then spent three years in the Army, during World War II. 

College Football Extra – Touchdown Tom’s Bowl Game Preview
In the air there’s a feeling of bowl games

2012 Bowl Game Preview

For the second-consecutive year we have the same number of bowls – 35.  There are no new ones and none ceased operation.  However, three of the bowls have changed their name since last season.  The Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando is now the Russell Athletic Bowl, the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, is now the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl and the Ticket City Bowl in Dallas is now the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

All 35 bowls are in the same location as last season, except for the BCS National Championship Bowl.  Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, will host the title game.  Last season, the championship bowl took place in the Superdome in New Orleans.

With 35 bowls, that means that 70 teams needed to qualify to fill all the bowl slots.  Well, 72 qualified.  Then a 73rd, Georgia Tech, got a waiver from the NCAA to become bowl eligible.  The Yellow Jackets finished the season at 6-6.  That made them bowl eligible.  Then they lost the ACC Championship game to Florida State.

At 6-7 Georgia Tech was no longer eligible.  However, the Yellow Jackets requested a waiver from the NCAA on the basis that they finished their regular season (6-6) bowl eligible.  The waiver was granted.  Last year, UCLA received an identical waiver.  The Bruins finished the regular season at 6-6, but then lost to Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game.      

Then one of the qualifying teams – Miami (Florida) – took themselves out of qualification.  For the second-consecutive year, Miami enforced a self-imposed bowl ban.  The school is punishing itself in hopes the NCAA will be kind when probation measures are handed down soon.  Stay tuned! 

So, when it was all over and done, we ended up with 72 teams eligible to be picked for 35 bowl games.  With only 70 slots available, that meant that two teams were going to come out on the short end of the stick.  Those two teams were Louisiana Tech (9-3) and Middle Tennessee (8-4).

I’d say La Tech and Middle Tennessee need to hire new marketing managers.  But the fact is La Tech got screwed.  The Bulldogs deserve to be in a bowl.  Meanwhile the omission of Middle Tennessee coupled with the granting of a waiver to Georgia Tech is full of irony.  During the season, Middle Tennessee beat Georgia Tech, 49-28.

The Big 12 and the SEC have the most teams in a bowl at nine each.  Right behind those two conferences is the Pac-12 with eight.  The Big Ten and the MAC are each represented with seven teams in a bowl.  That’s a record for the MAC.  The ACC comes in with six teams.  Next, the Big East, C-USA and the MWC each have five teams playing in bowl games.  The Sun Belt has four teams.  There are three Independents in bowls, and two teams from the WAC.    
   
The 35 bowl games are played over a 24-day span from December 15 to January 7.  Two bowls – the New Mexico and the Famous Idaho Potato (no comment) – kick off the bowl season on December 15.  The finale on January 7 is the BCS National Championship Bowl, this year in Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. 

The busiest period is December 27 to January 1 when 21 of the 35 bowls will be played over five days (There are no bowl games on Sunday, December 30).  The busiest day is January 1 with six bowls. 

Three weeks and three days of bowl games – almost a month.  What a high for bowl junkies!  Time to stock up on your favorite munchies and brew.  I’m stocking up now on pecan pie, bourbon balls, buckeyes (chocolate covered peanut balls) and cherry peppers stuffed with prosciutto ham and provolone cheese.  Make sure you get enough to last you 24 days.  And leave a note to be checked into the Betty Ford Center on January 8.  Do they treat bowlaholics? 

Oh there’s no place like a bowl game for the holidays
Cause no matter how far away you roam
When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly bowl
For the holidays you can’t beat the Sugar or the Rose

The New Mexico Bowl has the honor of kicking off the 2012 bowl season.  This year the Albuquerque classic pits Arizona (7-5) of the Pac-12 against Nevada (7-5) from the MWC.  In his first year at West Virginia and at Michigan, Rich Rodriguez didn’t succeed in getting the Mountaineers or the Wolverines into a bowl game.  However, in his first year at Arizona, Rodriguez has overcome that obstacle.  The Wildcats biggest win this season was over USC, 39-36.  Arizona sophomore running back Ka’Deem Carey came on strong towards the end of the season.  Nevada was hot early in the season.  The Wolf Pack got off to a 6-1 start.  Then the tough part of the schedule hit and Nevada lost four of its last five games.  The Wolf Pack has a decent quarterback in sophomore Cody Fajardo and a good running back in junior Stefphon Jefferson.  Nevada is 7th in the country rushing, averaging 260 yards per game.  Both teams can score and score a lot, while neither has much of a defense.  It should be a fun, high-scoring affair.     

Next up on the opening day of bowl season is the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl located in Boise.  The spud classic features Toledo (9-3) from the MAC against Utah State (10-2) from the WAC.  After nine games this season, Toledo was 8-1.  Then the Rockets dropped two of their last three games.  Their best win was a 29-23 decision over Cincinnati.  Toledo has a respectful running back in junior David Fluellen.  Utah State had a strong finish this season, winning its final six games.  The Aggies have an exciting quarterback in sophomore Chuckie Keeton.  Look for lots of points to be scored in this game.

After a five-day break, the bowl action resumes on December 20, in San Diego.  BYU (7-5) an Independent goes up against San Diego State (9-3) from the MWC in the Poinsettia Bowl.  BYU’s best win this season was over Georgia Tech, 41-17.  The Cougars played Notre Dame close, losing to the Irish, 17-14.  San Diego State comes into the Poinsettia Bowl riding a seven-game winning streak.  The Aztecs last lost on September 29.  Their best win was over Boise State, 21-19.  BYU can play extremely good defense so this one might be a low-scorer.

The next day is the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Florida, between Ball State (9-3) of the MAC and UCF (9-4) from C-USA.  Ball State comes into the game with a six-game winning streak.  The Cardinals last lost on October 6.  Ball State’s best win this season was a 34-27 decision over Toledo.  The Cardinals also beat Indiana and South Florida.  They have a decent running back in sophomore Jahwan Edwards.  UCF began the season at 2-2, before going on a six-game winning streak.  The Knights finished the season losing two of their final three games.  UCF’s best win was against East Carolina, 40-20.  The Knights have a good running back in senior Latavius Murray.

The first of two games the following day, December 22, is the New Orleans Bowl in the Crescent City, featuring Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) from the Sun Belt against East Carolina (7-5) of C-USA.  ULL is sitting on a three-game winning streak.  The Ragin’ Cajuns best win during the season came over Louisiana-Monroe, 40-24.  ULL came darn near beating Florida in Gainesville, losing to the Gators, 27-20.  The Cajuns have a dependable quarterback in sophomore Terrance Broadway and a decent running back in sophomore Alonzo Harris.  East Carolina has a three-game winning streak going.  In their final game of the season, the Pirates outlasted Marshall, 65-59 (2OT).  The Pirates are strong passing and weak running.  East Carolina has an exciting quarterback in sophomore Shane Carden.

The second game pits Washington (7-5) of the Pac-12 against Boise State (10-2) from the MWC in the Las Vegas Bowl.  At the end of the season, Washington put together a four-game winning streak, before losing its final game to Washington State, 31-28 (OT).  The Huskies best wins were over Stanford, 17-13, and Oregon State, 20-17.  Washington can play some good defense, but its offense generally stinks.  Boise State enters the game with a three-game winning streak on the line.  The Broncos best wins in 2012 were over BYU, Fresno State and Nevada.  Unlike past Bronco teams, Boise State’s offense was hurtin’ this season.  However, the Broncos were the sixth best defense in the country in points against.  They held their opponents to an average of 15 points a game.  Boise State has a reliable quarterback in junior Joe Southwick.  This game could be a defensible battle.

On Christmas Eve, SMU (6-6) of C-USA takes on Fresno State (9-3) from the MWC in the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu.  SMU’s best win of the season came in its last game.  The Mustangs beat Tulsa, 35-27.  Fresno State had an outstanding season under first-year coach Tim DeRuyter.  The Bulldogs best two wins came against San Diego State, 52-40, and Nevada, 52-36.  Fresno State is 12th in the country in scoring, averaging 40 points a game.  The Bulldogs have a super quarterback in junior Derek Carr.  Derek is the younger brother of David Carr.  Fresno State will definitely put some points on the board in this game.       
              
The day after Christmas, the bowl activity resumes in Detroit where Central Michigan (6-6) of the MAC plays Western Kentucky (7-5) from the Sun Belt in the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl.  Central Michigan in a bowl game is a bit of a surprise.  The Chippewas weren’t supposed to do much this year.  They did finish the season with a three-game winning streak.  CMU’s best win was over Iowa, 32-31.  The Chippewas have an outstanding quarterback in senior Ryan Radcliff.  He made their season.  Last year Western Kentucky qualified for a bowl, but was overlooked.  This year the Hilltoppers made it.  WKU started strong, winning five of its first six games.  The Hilltoppers were just 2-4 in the second half of the season.  WKU’s had two good wins – 32-31 (OT) over Kentucky and 26-13 over Arkansas State. 

The first of three games on December 27 is the Military Bowl in Washington DC.  The bowl features Bowling Green (8-4) from the MAC against San Jose State (10-2) of the WAC.  Bowling Green got off to a shaky start, winning only one of its first four games.  Then the Falcons got hot and took seven of their final eight games.  Bowling Green’s best win was a 26-14 victory over Ohio.  The Falcons have a good defense.  They are ninth in the nation in points scored against them.  Bowling Green held its opponents to about 16 points a game.  The Falcons have a decent quarterback in junior Matt Schilz.  San Jose State had an outstanding season.  The Spartans come into the bowl, riding a six-game winning streak.  They had good wins over San Diego State, Navy and BYU.  San Jose State only lost to Stanford by three points, 20-17.  The Spartans are good on offense and defense.  They have an exciting quarterback in David Fales.       

The Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina is next on the bowl agenda.  The Queen City bowl matches Duke (6-6) of the ACC against Cincinnati (9-3) from the Big East.  Duke, yes the Dookies, is in a bowl game.  It’s the Blue Devils first bowl appearance since 1995.  The Dookies got off to a hot start.  They were 6-2 after eight games.  Then the tough part of the schedule came and the Devils finished 0-4.  The Dookies’ best win was a 33-30 decision over North Carolina.  Duke’s problem is its defense.  They gave up 35 points a game.  The Devils have a good quarterback in senior Sean Renfree.  Like Duke, Cincinnati got off to a good start too – 5-0.  The Bearcats best wins were over Virginia Tech and Syracuse.  Unlike Duke, Cincinnati has a good defense.  The Bearcats held their opponents to 17 points a game.   

The day winds up out west in San Diego, where UCLA (9-4) from the Pac-12 meets Baylor (7-5) of the Big 12 in the Holiday Bowl.  First-year coach Jim Mora turned around the Bruins this season.  The team’s best wins were over Nebraska, 36-30, and USC, 38-28.  Freshman quarterback Brett Hundley had a surprisingly good season.  Senior running back Johnathan Franklin was solid.  The Bruins came close to playing in the Rose Bowl.  Baylor began the season 3-4, but then won four of its last five games.  The Bears are averaging 44 points a game (5th best in the country), but their defense is giving up 38 points a game (117th in the country).  The Bears best wins all came at the end of the season over Kansas State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.  Baylor has a good quarterback in senior Nick Florence and a reliable running back in sophomore Lache Seastrunk.  Look for a high-scoring game.

The first of three bowls on December 28 takes place in Shreveport, Louisiana.  It’s the Independence Bowl, featuring Louisiana-Monroe (8-4) of the Sun Belt and Ohio (8-4) from the MAC.  Louisiana-Monroe was one of the most talked about teams in the country early in the season.  In their opening game, the Warhawks beat Arkansas, 34-31 (OT).  Then they took Auburn to overtime, before losing, 31-28 (OT).  After eight games, ULM was 6-2.  The Warhawks split their last four games.  They also had good wins over Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky.  Ohio was also a hot team early in the season.  The Bobcats started out 7-0.  Then they fell on hard times and lost four of their last five games.  Ohio’s best win was over Penn State, 24-14. 

The second game of the day pits Rutgers (9-3) from the Big East against Virginia Tech (6-6) of the ACC.  It’s the Russell Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida.  Rutgers began the season at 7-0.  The Scarlet Knights then lost three of their last five games.  Rutgers had good wins over Syracuse, 23-15, and Cincinnati, 10-3.  The Knights defense held its opponents to 14 points a game – fourth best in the country.  Rutgers has a decent quarterback in sophomore Gary Nova.  Virginia Tech had a strange and disappointing season.  The Hokies didn’t even qualify for a bowl until their last game of the season.  Their best win was in their opener, a 20-17 (OT) victory over Georgia Tech.  Virginia Tech has a decent quarterback in junior Logan Thomas.  This one could be low scoring. 

The nightcap on the 28th is the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Houston, Texas, between Minnesota (6-6) of the Big Ten and Texas Tech (7-5) from the Big 12.  Minnesota became bowl eligible, winning four of its six games against weak non-conference competition.  The Gophers were 2-6 in Big Ten play.  Minnesota’s best wins were over Syracuse, 17-10, and Purdue, 44-28.  Texas Tech began the season 4-0, then lost five of its last eight games.  The Red Raiders had their best wins against West Virginia, 49-14, and TCU, 56-53 (3OT).  Texas Tech was the second best passing team in the country, averaging 362 yards per game.  The Red Raiders have an excellent quarterback in senior Seth Doege. 

December 29, a four-bowl day, begins in Fort Worth, Texas, where Rice (6-6) from C-USA battles Air Force (6-6) of the MWC in the Armed Forces Bowl.  Rice ended its season on a four-game winning streak.  It’s a good thing.  The Owls started out a dismal 2-6.  Their best win came over SMU, 36-14.  Rice has an interesting quarterback in Taylor McHargue.  Air Force had a disappointing season.  The Falcons lost to both Army and Navy.  Their best win was a 48-31 decision over Nevada.  The Falcons are the second best rushing team in the country, averaging 329 yards per game. 

Next, Arizona State (7-5) of the Pac-12 tangles with Navy (7-4) an Independent in San Francisco in the Fight Hunger Bowl.  Arizona State, under first-year coach Todd Graham, began the season at 5-1.  Then the Sun Devils lost four consecutive games.  They finished strong winning their last two games, including a 41-34 victory over Arizona, the Devils best win.  Navy got off to a rough start, losing three of its first four games.  Then the Middies won five straight.  Navy averages 286 yards per game rushing.  The Middies’ best wins were over Air Force, 28-21 (OT), and East Carolina, 56-28.  Navy plays its final game of the season against Army on Saturday, December 8. 

Together again.  Old rivals West Virginia (7-5) of the Big 12 and Syracuse (7-5) from the Big East hook up in the Bronx in the Pinstripe Bowl.  Just when West Virginia thought it was done with the Big East, the Mountaineers find themselves playing a Big East team in a bowl game.  WVU began the season hot, winning its first five games.  Then disaster struck – the Eers lost five consecutive games.  West Virginia’s best wins were over Baylor, 70-63, and Texas, 48-45.  During the five-game losing skid, the Eers lost to TCU by one point, 39-38 (2OT) and to Oklahoma by one point, 50-49.  West Virginia is averaging 341 yards a game passing and 42 points a game scoring.  But they are also giving up 38 points a game.  WVU has some outstanding players on offense:  senior quarterback Geno Smith, senior all-purpose player Tavon Austin, junior receiver Stedman Bailey and senior center Joe Madsen.  The game will be WVU’s sixth playing in Yankee Stadium.  On October 27, 1923, West Virginia tied Penn State, 13-13, in the second ever college football game played in Yankee Stadium.  WVU also played Fordham twice and Manhattan once in the stadium.  The last time WVU played in Yankee Stadium was in 1947.  WVU beat NYU, 40-0.  Syracuse comes into the game on a three-game winning streak.  But the Orange got off to a rough start.  They were 1-3 after four games and 2-4 after six games.  Then they won five of their last six games.  Their best wins were over Pitt, 14-13, and Louisville, 45-26.  Syracuse has a quality quarterback in senior Ryan Nassib.                                          

Next on the itinerary is the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, matching Texas (8-4) of the Big 12 and Oregon State (9-3) from the Pac-12.  Remember the Alamo!  If Texas doesn’t win this game, Longhorn fans may be saying, “Remember Mack Brown?”  No, Mack’s okay, but he’s teetering on shaky ground.  Texas had a strange season.  The Horns won their first four games and then lost two.  Then Texas won its next four games and finished losing two.  The Horns’ best wins were over Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas Tech.  They took a shellacking from Oklahoma, 63-21.  Lately, Texas has been bouncing back and forth between sophomore quarterback David Ash and junior quarterback Case McCoy.  Oregon State had a remarkable season.  Picked by most to finish near the bottom of the Pac-12, the Beavers finished third in the Pac-12 North.  Only Stanford and Oregon had better conference records than Oregon State in the Pac-12.  Mike Riley has always been one of my favorite coaches.  Any coach that rides his bicycle to work has to be okay.  Oregon State began the season hot.  The Beavers won their first six games.  Then they split their remaining six games.  The Beavs best wins were over Wisconsin, UCLA, Arizona, BYU and Arizona State.  Oregon State had most of its success under sophomore quarterback Sean Mannion.  But Mannion was injured some of the time and redshirt-freshman Cody Vaz was a stable replacement.

The last game on December 29 is an encounter between TCU (7-5) from the Big 12 and Michigan State (6-6) of the Big Ten.  It’s the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Arizona.  TCU began the season 4-0.  Then the Horned Frogs lost five of their last eight games.  The Frogs’ best wins were over Baylor, West Virginia and Texas.  TCU has a developing quarterback in redshirt-freshman Trevone Boykin.  Michigan State was a major disappointment this season, as have been so many of Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State teams.  Many thought the Spartans would win the Legends Division of the Big Ten.  But it wasn’t to be.  The Spartans finished fourth in the division and barely qualified for a bowl game.  Michigan State began the season okay.  The Spartans were 4-2 after six games.  Then they only won two of their last six games.  The Spartan defense is good, holding opponents to 16 points a game.  That’s the tenth best in the country.  But the Michigan State offense is awful.  The Spartans do have an outstanding running back in Le’Veon Bell.  It should be an interesting game, as TCU prides itself on its defense too.                 

New Year’s Eve and the first of four games is the Music City Bowl in Nashville between Vanderbilt (8-4) of the SEC and NC State (7-5) from the ACC.  Vanderbilt had an amazing season, but the Commodores started out shaky.  They were just 2-4 after six games.  Then Vanderbilt won six-straight games.  The Commodores best win was over Ole Miss, 27-26.  They only lost to South Carolina by four points, 17-13.  Vandy has a pretty good defense.  The Commodores hold their opponents to 18 points a game.  Vandy has a decent quarterback in senior Jordan Rodgers and a good running back in senior Zac Stacy.  NC State went back-and-forth all season.  The Wolfpack would look good, they’d look bad.  They would win, they’d lose.  It was one of those seasons.  And in the end, head coach Tom O’Brien was fired.  NC State’s best win was over Florida State, 17-16.  The Wolfpack have a reliable quarterback in senior Mike Glennon.

Then we move to El Paso, Texas, for the Sun Bowl between Georgia Tech (6-7) of the ACC and Southern California (7-5) from the Pac-12.  Not sure Georgia Tech belongs in a bowl – 6-7 just doesn’t feel right.  And let’s face it; the Yellow Jackets are only in a bowl because of a probation and a self-imposed bowl ban.  What a cowardly way to back into a bowl.  Tech’s best wins were over North Carolina, 68-50, and Duke, 42-24.  Tech was the fourth best rushing team in the country, averaging 313 yards per game on the ground.  USC was probably the most disappointing team in the country.  Thought by many at preseason to be the favorite for the national champions, the Trojans fell far short of that.  They started off pretty good.  USC was 6-1 after seven games.  Then disaster hit and the Trojans only won one of their last five games.  Their best wins were over Washington, 24-14, and Arizona State, 38-17.  USC has a top-notch quarterback in senior Matt Barkley, and a solid receiver in sophomore Marqise Lee.

Next, it’s the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, between Tulsa (10-3) from C-USA and Iowa State (6-6) of the Big 12.  Tulsa was a hot commodity early in the season.  The Golden Hurricane were 7-1 after eight games.  Then reality set in and Tulsa finished 3-2.  Tulsa’s best wins were over Fresno State, Rice and UCF twice.  Tulsa averages 240 yards a game rushing.  That’s the 11th best in the country.  Iowa State was looking pretty good early in the season.  The Cyclones started out 3-0.  Then they lost six of their next nine games.  The Cyclones’ best wins were over Tulsa, TCU and Baylor.  Yes, this game is a rematch.  Iowa State beat Tulsa on September 1, 38-23. 

While partying on New Year’s Eve, you can watch the Chick-fil-A Bowl from Atlanta, between Clemson (10-2) of the ACC and LSU (10-2) from the SEC.  Clemson is a good team, but a question mark.  The Tigers really didn’t beat anybody, and they lost to the only two good teams they played – Florida State and South Carolina.  Clemson’s best wins were over Ball State, Duke and NC State.  The Tigers are averaging 42 points a game – sixth best in the country.  Clemson has a good quarterback in junior Tajh Boyd and a quality runner in senior Andre Ellington.  LSU had another good season.  The
Tigers’ two losses were to two of the best teams in the country – Florida and Alabama.  LSU’s best wins were over South Carolina, Texas A&M, Miss State and Ole Miss.  The Tigers held their opponents to an average of 17 points a game – 11th best in the country.

You can start the New Year toasting your champagne and drinking your Bloody Mary’s while watching Northwestern (9-3) out of the Big Ten take on Mississippi State (8-4) from the SEC.  It’s the Gator Bowl from Jacksonville, Florida.  Northwestern started out strong at 5-0.  Then the Wildcats mixed it up some, winning four of their final seven games.  Northwestern’s best wins were over Vanderbilt, Minnesota and Michigan State.  The Wildcats average 231 yards a game rushing.  Miss State had a great start to the season, going 7-0.  However, the Bulldogs didn’t play anybody during those seven games.  Then Miss State started playing some decent teams and the Bulldogs finished 1-4.  State’s best win was over Middle Tennessee, 45-3.  That’s not saying much. 

Still hung over?  Maybe the Heart of Dallas Bowl will cure your hang over.  The bowl features Purdue (6-6) from the Big Ten against Oklahoma State (7-5) of the Big 12.  Purdue comes into the game, riding a three-game winning streak.  Before that, it was looking bleak for the Boilermakers.  Purdue started out 3-6.  But even the healthy finish couldn’t save Danny Hope.  Purdue fired its coach after the season.  Oklahoma State had an up-and-down season.  The Cowboys would win and then they would lose, and so it went.  But they finished on the positive side.  Okie State’s best wins were over Louisiana-Lafayette, West Virginia, TCU and Texas Tech.  The Cowboys are seventh in the country in passing yardage – 333 per game, and fourth in the country in scoring – 45 points per game. 

We’ll come back to Florida – Tampa this time – for the Outback Bowl, casting Michigan (8-4) of the Big Ten against South Carolina (10-2) from the SEC.  Michigan lost its opener and lost its finale, but in between the Wolverines were 8-2.  Their best wins came over Air Force, Purdue, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern.  Michigan’s defense is not bad, holding its opponents to 19 points a game.  The Wolverines have an exciting quarterback in senior Denard Robinson.  South Carolina comes into the bowl on a four-game winning streak.  The Gamecocks had a good start, winning their first six games.  Then they stubbed their foot a couple times.  South Carolina’s best wins were over Vanderbilt, East Carolina, Georgia and Clemson, especially the latter two.  The Gamecocks handed Georgia its only loss during the regular season.  South Carolina has a good defense, holding teams to 17 points a game.  The Gamecocks have a star defensive end in sophomore Jadeveon Clowney.

Still in Florida, it’s Nebraska (10-3) from the Big Ten taking on Georgia (11-2) of the SEC in the Capital One Bowl from Orlando.  After a 4-2 start, Nebraska went on the rampage and won its next six games.  Then the Huskers fell to Wisconsin (a team they beat earlier in the season) in the Big Ten Championship game.  Nebraska’s best wins were over Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State.  The Huskers are eighth in the country in rushing, averaging 255 yards per game.  Nebraska has a good quarterback in junior Taylor Martinez.  Georgia won its first five games, stumbled and then won its last six in the regular season.  The loss at the very end came at the hands of Alabama in the SEC Championship game.  The Dawgs best wins were over Vanderbilt, Florida and Ole Miss.  Georgia averages 37 points a game, while holding its opponents to 19 points a game.  The Dawgs have a good quarterback in junior Aaron Murray. 

On to the granddaddy of all bowls – the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  The game pits Stanford (11-2) of the Pac-12 against Wisconsin (8-5) from the Big Ten.  Stanford picked up where it left off last year, having another great season.  The Cardinal come into the Rose Bowl with a seven-game winning streak.  Stanford’s best wins were over USC, Oregon State, Oregon and UCLA twice.  The two losses were by four points to Washington and an overtime loss to Notre Dame – both on the road.  Stanford’s defense is holding its opponents to 18 points a game.  The Cardinal have an excellent running back in senior Stepfan Taylor.  Wisconsin was up-and-down all season.  The Badgers lost three of their last five games.  Their best win wasn’t until the end – a Big Ten Championship victory over Nebraska, 70-31.  Wisconsin is averaging 238 yards a game, running the ball.  The Badgers have a solid running back in Montee Ball.

After a long day on January 1, it all comes to an end in Miami Gardens, Florida, at the Orange Bowl.  The game features Florida State (11-2) out of the ACC against Northern Illinois (12-1) from the MAC.  Some thought Florida State might make it to the championship game, but the Seminoles didn’t quite get there.  They were derailed at mid-season by NC State and then again at the end of the season by Florida.  FSU’s best wins were over Clemson, 49-37, and Miami (Florida), 33-20.  The Noles are averaging 40 points a game on offense, while holding their opponents to 15 points a game.  FSU has a good quarterback in senior E.J. Manuel.  Northern Illinois is this year’s bowl busters.  The Huskies won the MAC Championship and finished 15th in the final BCS standings.  NIU is currently on a 12-game winning streak.  The Huskies’ one and only loss came on the opening weekend of the season.  Iowa beat them by one point, 18-17.  NIU’s best wins were over Central Michigan, Ball State, Toledo and Kent State.  The Huskies average 250 yards a game rushing.  They score on average 41 points a game, and their defense holds the opponents to 19 points a game.  NIU has a phenomenal quarterback in junior Jordan Lynch.  He’s a Heisman-type player.

Two days into the New Year and it’s time for the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans between Florida (11-1) of the SEC and Louisville (10-2) from the Big East.  Florida comes into the game riding a four-game winning streak.  The Gators began the season winning seven straight.  Then along came Georgia.  Florida’s best wins were over Texas A&M, LSU, South Carolina and Florida State.  Throughout the season, the Florida offense stumbled and bumbled its way along.  It finally came to life in the Florida State game at the end of the season.  On the other hand, Florida’s defense played well all season – from start to finish.  The Gator defense held the opponents to 13 points a game.  Florida has a young but reliable quarterback in sophomore Jeff Driskel; a good running back in senior Mike Gillislee; a good all-purpose player in junior Trey Burton, and a good tight end in junior Jordan Reed.  Louisville began the season winning its first nine games.  Then came back-to-back losses to Syracuse and Connecticut.  The Cardinals bounced back in their finale.  Louisville’s best wins were over North Carolina, Cincinnati and Rutgers.  A passing team, the Cardinals are averaging 299 yards a game through the air.  Louisville has a good quarterback in sophomore Teddy Bridgewater.

The following day, Kansas State (11-1) of the Big 12 and Oregon (11-1) from the Pac-12 clash in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.  Kansas State appeared headed for the BCS National Championship game.  The Wildcats won their first 10 games.  Then came Baylor and spoiled K-State’s plans.  The Wildcats are averaging 41 points a game.  Their best wins were over Oklahoma and Texas.  Kansas State has an outstanding quarterback in senior Collin Klein.  Like K-State, Oregon appeared headed for the national title game too.  The Ducks won their first 10 games.  Then, on the same weekend that K-State suffered its only loss, Oregon also lost.  The Ducks fell to Stanford.  Oregon is third in the country in rushing yards, averaging 323 yards a game, and second in the country in scoring, averaging 51 points a game.  Oregon’s best wins came over Fresno State, USC and Oregon State.  The Ducks are stable at quarterback in redshirt-freshman Marcus Mariota and at running back in senior Kenjon Barner.  Where it once looked like these two would play each other for the national championship, they come together in the Fiesta Bowl. 

On January 4, the action moves to Arlington, Texas, for the Cotton Bowl, featuring Texas A&M (10-2) from the SEC against Oklahoma (10-2) of the Big 12.  Texas A&M, led by the phenomenal redshirt-freshman quarterback Johnny “Football” Manziel, is an offensive powerhouse.  The Aggies average 317 yards a game passing and 235 yards rushing.  They are third in the country in scoring, averaging 45 points a game.  A&M lost its first game to Florida, then won five straight.  The Aggies lost to LSU and proceeded to win their last five games.  The Aggies best wins were over Miss State, 38-13, and Alabama, 29-24.  Oklahoma finished the season strong, winning its last five games.  The Sooners average 341 yards a game passing, and 40 points a game scoring.  Their best wins were over Texas, West Virginia and Oklahoma State.  OU has an experienced quarterback in senior Landry Jones.

Birmingham, Alabama, is the scene the next day for the Compass Bowl between Pitt (6-6) of the Big East and Ole Miss (6-6) from the SEC.  Pitt came on strong, winning its last two games of the season.  The final win made the Panthers bowl eligible.  Pitt’s best wins were over Virginia Tech, 35-17, and Rutgers, 27-6.  This is Pitt’s third-straight appearance in the Compass Bowl.  The Panthers have a good quarterback in senior Tino Sunseri and a solid running back in Ray Graham.  Ole Miss was looking pretty good at 5-3, but then the Rebels lost three-straight games.  They had to win their final game against Miss State to become bowl eligible.  That game was also Ole Miss’ best win.  They beat Miss State, 41-24.  The Rebels have a decent quarterback in junior Bo Wallace. 

The bowl action picks up on January 6 at the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.  The game matches Kent State (11-2) from the MAC with Arkansas State (9-3) of the Sun Belt.  Starting the season at 1-1, Kent State then won 10 straight games, before losing to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship game.  The Golden Flashes are 17th in the country in rushing yards, averaging 228 per game.  Kent’s best wins were over Ball State, Rutgers, Bowling Green and Ohio.  Arkansas State was a hot team in the latter part of the season.  The Red Wolves come into the bowl with a seven-game winning streak.  They are averaging 36 points a game.  Ark State’s best wins were over Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and Middle Tennessee.  The Red Wolves have a good quarterback in senior Ryan Aplin.

And last but not least, the bowl season and college football season all comes to an end on January 7 in Miami Gardens, Florida.  Notre Dame (12-0) an Independent plays Alabama (12-1) of the SEC in the BCS National Championship Bowl.  Notre Dame wasn’t supposed to be in this game – at least not at the beginning of the season.  But the Irish methodically worked their way through the season game-by-game to reach Miami Gardens.  Notre Dame had its share of close calls along the way: 20-17 over Purdue, 13-6 over Michigan, 20-13 (OT) over Stanford, 17-14 over BYU and 29-26 (3OT) over Pitt.  You can’t get much closer than that.  Notre Dame’s defense got the Irish where they are.  The Irish are first in the country in giving up points, holding their opponents to 10 points a game.  Notre Dame had several good wins along the way, beating Michigan State, Miami (Florida), Oklahoma and USC by healthy margins.  But the Irish offense has its weaknesses.  Notre Dame is led by its outstanding senior linebacker Manti Te’o.  Alabama is back in familiar territory.  The Crimson Tide is playing for its third national championship in four seasons, having won in the 2009 season and last year.  Alabama began this season hot, winning its first nine games before losing to Texas A&M.  The Tide picked back up and won its last three games.  Alabama’s best wins were over Michigan, LSU and Georgia.  Where Notre Dame is first in giving up points, The Tide is second.  Alabama’s opponents averaged no more than 11 points a game.  The Tide has a good quarterback in junior A.J. McCarron, and two excellent running backs – junior Eddie Lacy and freshman T.J. Yeldon.  Both teams have awesome defenses; Alabama has the better offense.  But figure it’s going to be a low-scoring game.
  
WARNING!: After 24 days of 35 bowls, withdrawal can be painful.

I met a man who lives in Nebraska
And he was headin’ for
Orlando, Florida, and some sunny blue sky
From Michigan folks are travelin’ down
To Tampa’s sunny shore
From Atlantic to Pacific
Gee, the bowl games are terrific

So, that’s your college football lineup for the Holidays and then some.  The six days from December 27 to January 1 (21 games) should be awesome.  I hope my pecan pie, bourbon balls, buckeyes and stuffed cherry peppers hold out.  I’d hate to be running on empty come January 7.                                          
 
Have a good weekend college football fans!  Enjoy the Army-Navy game (Go Navy!), and the Heisman Trophy presentation.  See you Monday with my predictions for all 35 bowl games. 

Touchdown Tom
December 7, 2012
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)

College Football Week 15 – Northern Illinois crashes the BCS party
Three coaches hired, two more fired,
bowl slots filled, some fans thrilled,
it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go.

Sometime in the early evening on Saturday I had this blog headlined, “How ’bout them Dawgs.”  And then….and then, along came Jones….I mean….along came Richt and let the clock expire.

On the final drive of the SEC Championship game, trailing Alabama, 32-28, and with no timeouts, Georgia continually let precious seconds elapse on the clock just waiting to get the ball snapped.  Then with a first-and-ten on the Alabama 8 with just 15 seconds remaining, Georgia failed to spike the ball.  Strange, very strange.

Oh well, clock management never was one of Mark Richt’s virtues.  He’s had a history of clock management problems.  Richt was two French fries short of a happy meal again.

But at least Georgia played a good game.  It went down to the wire.  The Dawgs have nothing to be ashamed of.  That’s more than you can say about Nebraska.  The Huskers should be ashamed – big time.  In the Big Ten Championship game, Nebraska lost to Wisconsin, 70-31.  The same Wisconsin team the Huskers beat during the season, 30-27.

But then Bo Pelini has a problem beating a team for the second time in the same season.  Two years ago, Nebraska beat Washington, 56-21.  Then in a rematch against the Huskies in the Holiday Bowl, the Huskers proceeded to lose to Washington, 19-7.

Nebraska’s thrashing from Wisconsin was reminiscent of the beating the Huskers took from Ohio State during the season.  In that game, the Buckeyes beat Nebraska, 63-38.  I have to believe the “Cornfield Biggies” in Lincoln aren’t going to put up with those kinds of losses.  I’d say Bo better have a darn good year in 2013 or he may become his brother’s defensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic.   

For a while in the ACC Championship game, I thought it was going to become a repeat performance for Florida State.  A repeat of the performance FSU had against NC State on October 6.  In that game, the Noles led at the half, 16-0.  Then FSU was held scoreless in the second half and lost to NC State, 17-16.

Saturday night, Florida State led Georgia Tech at the half, 21-3.  Lo and behold, in the second half, the Yellow Jackets held the Noles scoreless.  I thought maybe Paul Johnson had called Tom O’Brien on his way out of Raleigh and gotten the skinny on how to keep FSU from scoring in the second half. 

While holding the Noles scoreless in the second half, Georgia Tech scored 12 points and trailed FSU, 21-15.  But unlike NC State, the Yellow Jackets couldn’t manage a last second score to beat the Noles, 22-21.

Well, it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas last week.  Every year, the firing and hiring of coaches is a tradition of the season.  Two more coaches were fired – Southern Miss’ Ellis Johnson and South Florida’s Skip Holtz.

Johnson’s firing may be a record.  He was canned after only one season at Southern Miss.  Of course the Eagles were 0-12 this season.  That’s pretty bad considering that Southern Miss had not had a losing season since 1993.  And the Eagles have been to a bowl game every year since 1997.  That is until this year.

Johnson was a well-known defensive coordinator throughout the South before he became head coach at Southern Miss.  I’ve always felt that some coordinators are not meant to be head coaches.  A few days after Johnson’s firing, Southern Miss announced it was moving next year’s game with Nebraska from Hattiesburg to Lincoln.  Nebraska is guaranteeing Southern Miss a $2.12 million payout for the game in Lincoln.  Southern Miss needs the money to buyout Johnson’s contract.

Holtz just finished his third season at South Florida.  The Bulls lost to Pitt, 27-3, Saturday.  South Florida was 3-9 (1-6 in the Big East) this season and 16-21 over three years under Holtz.        

Sunday, Virginia coach Mike London fired his defensive coordinator, defensive line coach, running backs coach and tight ends coach.  Next year, I suspect London will get fired if the Cavaliers don’t improve.  After three years in Charlottesville, London is 16-21 – 4-8 this season.  And speaking of firing several assistant coaches, I would expect West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen to do something similar.  But maybe not until after the bowl game.  Stay tuned!

Three schools hired new coaches last week.  Kentucky named Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops its new coach.  Stoops replaces Joker Phillips at Kentucky.  Then NC State announced that Northern Illinois head coach Dave Doeren has been hired to coach the Wolfpack.  He replaces Tom O’Brien at NC State.  Doeren was 23-4 in two years at NIU.  This year, the Huskies finished high enough in the BCS standings to qualify for a BCS bowl from a non-AQ conference.  NIU will play Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

And finally, Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino was named the new coach at Idaho, where he replaces Robb Akey.  Petrino, brother of former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, would most likely have lost his coordinator position at Arkansas when the new coach replacing John L. Smith is named.  Jon Gruden told Tennessee last week that he is not interested in coaching the Vols.  Scratch one candidate off Tennessee’s list.

In addition to Tennessee, 10 schools are still looking for their new coach – Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, California, Colorado, Purdue, Southern Miss, South Florida, UTEP and Western Michigan.  I suspect most of those school will announce their new coach sometime this week.  Cincinnati coach Butch Jones has interviewed for the Purdue opening.

The Mad Hatter was at it again last week.  LSU coach Les Miles pulled-off another trick play.  Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long, a good friend of Miles from their Michigan days, put out word that he was offering Miles $27.5 over five years to become the coach at Arkansas.  Miles, of course, had no interest or intention of taking the job at Arkansas.  But LSU took the bait and that’s what he was hoping for.  LSU upped Miles’ salary from $3.8 million annually to $4.3 million.     

In the on-going, never-ending conference expansion drama, the ACC announced that Louisville had been voted into the conference as the replacement for Maryland.  That announcement came as a bit of a surprise as the thinking had been that the ACC would bring in Connecticut.  Just as Les Miles pulled a trick play on LSU, Louisville outmaneuvered UConn for membership in the ACC.

The Big East announced the addition of Tulane and East Carolina.  The two schools are replacing Rutgers and Louisville.  East Carolina is joining the Big East as a football only member.  Meanwhile, two schools said “no” to the Big East – BYU and Air Force.  

Upon losing Tulane and East Carolina, Conference USA announced the addition of Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic – both currently Sun Belt Conference members.  Subsequently, the Sun Belt Conference announced it is considering the addition of New Mexico State and Idaho.  The Sun Belt also is considering Georgia Southern, currently an FCS school.  But Georgia Southern has plans to move up to the FBS.  

Confused yet?  Stay tuned, it’s probably going to get more confusing before it’s over.  Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said his conference is not interested in expanding yet, but if they do expand, Boise State and San Diego State are the likely candidates. 

Well, the bowl pairings were announced Sunday evening.  Some schools are happy, some aren’t.  Some fans are happy, some aren’t.  As expected, Alabama will be playing Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Bowl.  And, as expected, Stanford will play Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, and Oregon will meet Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. 

However, unexpected are Florida State vs. Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl and Florida vs. Louisville in the Sugar Bowl.  It was supposed to be Florida State vs. Louisville in the Orange Bowl and Florida vs. Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.  Northern Illinois’ qualification for a BCS bowl altered the landscape.  Oklahoma came out the loser.  And FSU is not thrilled about playing Northern Illinois.

The pairings for the other 30 bowls were announced too.  I will release my annual bowl game preview on Friday, December 7. 

I’m worried about Rockledge Gator.  I haven’t heard from him in a while.  I sent him a text message during the Georgia-Alabama game, asking if he was watching.  But he didn’t respond.  I hope Bootsie hasn’t done him in.  She may have him in the penalty box.  

Touchdown Tom
December 3, 2012
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


Week 14 Review

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Spikeless in Atlanta – Alabama 32, Georgia 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Georgia 26).  Why, why, why?  With the ball on the Alabama eight-yard line, first down, 15 seconds on the clock, no timeouts and trailing 32-28, why didn’t Aaron Murray spike the ball?  Had Murray spiked the ball, Georgia would have had time to execute at least two and possibly three more passing plays.  Instead, Murray took the snap and then, instead of throwing the ball into the end zone, he threw a supposed fade pass that was tipped into the hands of a Georgia receiver on the five-yard line – a receiver who had defenders all over him and had no chance of scoring a touchdown.  The receiver was tackled and the clock ran down as Georgia couldn’t stop it.  A pass into the end zone would have given Murray and Georgia another chance of scoring.  Some people think fast on their feet, some people don’t.  Obviously Aaron Murray and Mark Richt don’t.  Alabama won the game on the ground.  The running of Eddie Lacy (181 yards) and T.J. Yeldon (153 yards) was incredible.  The two running backs just bowled their way through the Georgia defensive line time-after-time, again and again.  Alabama had 350 yards rushing to Georgia’s 113.  The lead changed hands in the game no less than five times.  A crowd of 75,624 attended the game in Atlanta.

RUNNER UP:  Trees bud – Stanford 27, UCLA 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, UCLA 24).  Stanford took the lead on a 36-yard field goal by Jordan Williamson with 6:49 left in the game and held on for the win.  The lead changed hands four times in this game.  The Cardinal couldn’t stop Johnathan Franklin (194 yards rushing), but they stopped the rest of the Bruins.  The game was played in a steady rain throughout.  Stanford’s next game is the Rose Bowl.  A crowd of 31,622 attended the game in Palo Alto.

BEST OF THE REST:  “We own Texas” – Kansas State 42, Texas 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, Texas 23).  That’s what the K-State fans were chanting.  The Wildcats beat the Horns for the fifth year in a row.  Late in the third quarter, Texas led 17-14.  That must be when Mack Brown had to take his nap.  K-State proceeded to score four unanswered touchdowns to take a 42-17 lead late in the fourth quarter.  Texas’ Case McCoy had 314 yards passing, but again, the lack of a running game hurt the Horns.  Collin Klein passed for 184 yards and rushed for 103.  A crowd of 50,912 attended the game in Manhattan.

Cards deck the Knights – Louisville 20, Rutgers 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 29, Rutgers 26).  John Wallace kicked a 29-yard field goal with 1:41 remaining in the game to give Louisville the lead and the win.  The teams combined for 606 yards passing, but only had 96 yards rushing – 42 for Louisville and 54 for Rutgers.  Three turnovers hampered the Knights.  The Cardinals are headed to the Sugar Bowl.  A crowd of 52,798 attended the game in Piscataway.

Flashes in a pan – Northern Illinois 44, Kent State 37 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 29, Kent State 23).  NIU held Kent State to just 70 yards rushing, while outgaining the Golden Flashes in total yards 524 to 260.  The Huskies’ Jordan Lynch passed for 212 yards and rushed for another 160.  NIU has won 12 straight.  A crowd of 18,132 attended the game in Detroit.

Kermit held at bay – Oklahoma 24, TCU 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, TCU 26).  Oklahoma dominated the game, but the Sooners couldn’t quite shake the Horned Frogs.  TCU was persistent.  The Frogs never led, but they never let the game get away from them.  A crowd of 47,501 attended the game in Fort Worth.

Badgers feed on Corn – Wisconsin 70, Nebraska 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Wisconsin 25).  Late in the first quarter, the Huskers only trailed the Badgers, 14-10.  But that’s when the Badgers turned the Corn into fodder.  Wisconsin reeled off 35 unanswered points and led Nebraska, 49-10, by early in the third quarter.  By the start of the fourth quarter, Wisconsin led 63-17.  The Badgers only had 101 yards passing.  However, they made up for that with an amazing 539 yards rushing.  Three Wisconsin backs rushed for more than 100 yards each – Melvin Gordon 216, Montee Ball – 202 and James White – 109.  The Huskers can’t spell “defense” much less play it.  A crowd of 41,260 attended the game in Indianapolis.

O’Leary blows it again – Tulsa 33, UCF 27 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 26, Tulsa 24).  Tulsa’s ground game was too much for UCF’s defense.  The Golden Hurricane had 290 yards rushing, with two backs running for 100 yards or more – Trey Watts – 134 and Alex Singleton – 100.  It was Tulsa’s second win over the Knights.  Two weeks earlier, Tulsa beat UCF, 23-21.  A crowd of 17,635 attended the game in Tulsa.

Sammy spears an insect – Florida State 21, Georgia Tech 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, Georgia Tech 19).  The Noles’ offense was hush, hush in sweet Charlotte.  FSU led 21-3 late in the second quarter and like the NC State game earlier in the season, the Noles’ offense up and quit.  The Jackets held the Noles scoreless in the second half.  Tech whittled away at FSU’s lead and the Jackets pulled within six points, 21-15, about half way through the fourth quarter.  A crowd of 64,778 attended the game in Charlotte.

Bears stampede the Cowboys – Baylor 41, Oklahoma State 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 39, Baylor 37).  Okie State briefly lead, 3-0, early in the game, but it was mostly all Baylor after that.  The Bears led the Cowpokes, 24-3, early in the second quarter.  The teams combined for 1,175 yards of offense – passing as well as rushing.  Baylor’s Nick Florence passed for 296 yards and the Bears’ Lache Seastrunk rushed for 178 yards.  A crowd of 39,203 attended the game in Waco.

Raiders looking blue – Arkansas State 45, Middle Tennessee 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas State 30, Middle Tennessee 25).  Ark State showed up and Middle Tennessee didn’t.  Ryan Aplin was 19-for-21 passing for 238 yards.  He rushed for another 64 yards.  Gus Malzahn had a great first season with the Red Wolves.  But will he stay?  A crowd of 31,243 attended the game in Jonesboro.

Horse sense – Boise State 27, Nevada 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 39, Nevada 22).  The teams were about as equal as you can get in stats.  Boise State had 22 first downs, Nevada had 23.  Boise State had 434 yards of offense, Nevada had 430.  Boise State had 219 yards passing, Nevada had 203.  Boise State has 215 yards rushing, Nevada had 227.  Boise State won the game by six points.  A crowd of 30,017 attended the game in Reno.

No bowl for the Huskies – Cincinnati 34, Connecticut 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 26, Connecticut 25).  UConn only trailed Cincinnati, 21-17 at the start of the fourth quarter.  But the Huskies were outscored 13-0 in the final period.  Neither team could run the ball.  Cincinnati had 72 yards rushing and UConn only 36.  The win gives the Bearcats a share of the Big East crown.  A crowd of 33,112 attended the game in East Hartford.

The firm of Austin, Bailey, Smith and Woods – West Virginia 59, Kansas 10 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 35, Kansas 23).  The Mountaineers ended the season the way they began it.  In their opening game, the Eers beat Marshall, 69-34.  Geno Smith was 32-for-36 passing.  Saturday, the Eers beat Kansas, 59-10 and Geno Smith was 23-for-24 passing.  Now, if it only could have been like that throughout the season.  WVU had 647 yards of offense – 407 passing and 240 rushing.  The Mounties handed the Jayhawks their worst loss of the season.  A crowd of 51,112 attended the game in Morgantown.

Skippy fired – Pitt 27, South Florida 3 (Touchdown Tom said: South Florida 24, Pitt 21).  How pathetic, South Florida had 117 yards of offense – 109 passing and 8 rushing.  The Bulls also suffered four turnovers.  No wonder they fired Skippy.  A crowd of 35,141 attended the game in Tampa.

AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

On Broadway – Louisiana-Lafayette 35, Florida Atlantic 21 (Touchdown Tom said: ULL 31, Florida Atlantic 24).  Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Terrance Broadway passed for 168 yards and rushed for another 123 yards.  ULL’s Alonzo Harris rushed for 127 yards.  FAU’s Graham Wilbert passed for 379 yards.  The Owls were hurt by three turnovers.  A crowd of 11,522 attended the game in Boca Raton.

Week 14 Picks:    12 Correct,    4 Wrong   (75.0 percent)
On the Season:    230 Correct,   87 Wrong   (72.6 percent)

In the only three other games played Saturday, Texas State blasted New Mexico State, 66-28; Oregon State humiliated Nichols State, 77-3, and Hawaii downed South Alabama, 23-7.


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  West Virginia’s Geno Smith – 23-24-1-407; Florida Atlantic’s Graham Wilbert – 25-38-2-379; Oklahoma State’s Clint Chelf – 30-51-2-333; Texas’ Case McCoy – 26-34-2-314, and Baylor’s Nick Florence – 23-39-0-296. 


Impressive Rushers:  Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon – 216 yards; Wisconsin’s Montee Ball – 202 yards; UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin – 194 yards; Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk – 178 yards, and Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch – 160 yards. 


TT’s Annual Picks 

My choice for “Coach of the Year” from each of the FBS Conferences:

ACC:  Al Golden – Miami; Runner-up:  David Cutcliffe – Duke  
Big 12:  Bill Snyder – Kansas State; Runner-up:  Art Briles – Baylor
Big East: Doug Marrone – Syracuse; Runner-up:  Kyle Flood – Rutgers
Big Ten:  Bill O’Brien – Penn State; Runner-up:  Pat Fitzgerald – Northwestern
C-USA:  David Bailiff – Rice; Runner-up:  Bill Blankenship – Tulsa
MAC:  Dave Doeren – Northern Illinois; Runner-up: Darrell Hazel – Kent State
MWC:  Rocky Long – San Diego State; Runner-up:  Tim DeRuyter – Fresno State
Pac-12:  David Shaw – Stanford; Runner-up:  Mike Riley – Oregon State
SEC:  Kevin Sumlin – Texas A&M; Runner-up:  James Franklin – Vanderbilt
Sun Belt:  Gus Malzahn – Arkansas State; Runner-up:  Rick Stockstill – Middle Tennessee  
WAC:  Mike MacIntyre – San Jose State; Runner-up:  Larry Coker – Texas-San Antonio
Ind:  Brian Kelly – Notre Dame; Runner-up:  Ken Niumatalolo – Navy  


My choice for national “Coach of the Year”:

1. Brian Kelly – Notre Dame
2. Bill Snyder – Kansas State
3. Bill O’Brien – Penn State


If I had a vote for the Heisman, my ballot would be cast as follows:

1. Johnny Manziel – Texas A&M
2. Manti Te’o – Notre Dame
3. Collin Klein – Kansas State


My choice for the most disappointing team of the year in each of the FBS conferences:

ACC:  Virginia Tech
Big 12:  West Virginia
Big East:  South Florida
Big Ten:  Michigan State
C-USA:  Southern Miss
MAC:  Western Michigan
MWC:  Wyoming
Pac-12:  (tie) USC and Utah
SEC:  (tie) Arkansas and Auburn
Sun Belt:  Florida International
WAC:  New Mexico State
Ind:  Army


Quotes of the Week

“It just doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t matter what they do.  It doesn’t matter where the ball is.  If we do our job, if we play to the best of our ability, then it really doesn’t matter,” Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, on the mentality of the Notre Dame football team.

“Any candidate willing to take the Auburn job should be crossed off the list, because he must be a moron,” CBSSports.com writer Gregg Doyel.

“This season has been incredibly surreal.  It’s been beyond my wildest imagination,” Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

“How can Nick ‘The Hypocrite’ Saban say the Gators don’t belong in the Sugar Bowl?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Alabama coach Nick Saban thinks it’s okay for his team, which didn’t even play for the SEC Championship last season, to have gained a spot in the BCS national title game, but he doesn’t think it’s okay for the Florida Gators to gain a spot in the Sugar Bowl.  What a self-serving hypocrite,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
   
The odds are against Georgia winning.  I know this because I keep hearing analysts break down the Alabama-Notre Dame game,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, prior to the Georgia-Alabama game. 

John Swofford dreamed the other night that he was eaten by 12,000 tarantulas.  Unfortunately, he woke up to the real nightmare of his deteriorating conference title game,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on the ACC championship game.

“Tickets for Saturday’s ACC title game between Florida State and Georgia Tech are selling online for as low as $3, which is no surprise considering what a punch line the ACC has become as a football league.  And the joke became even more laughable Wednesday when the ACC and its shortsighted leadership added Louisville to its stable of mules, donkeys and Shetland ponies,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“John Swofford and his ACC colleagues have absolutely no vision when it comes to the future of their football league.  It’s no wonder so many Florida State fans and boosters want out of the ACC.  FSU is a football school hopelessly trapped in a league being run by a bunch of basketball boneheads,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
 
“We had that ‘I will not be denied attitude today’,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, after the Georgia game.

“I’m a defensive guy.  This is the SEC.  It’s a physical conference.  I realize that.  I want to be tough and I want to be physical.  We have to build this foundation with great defense.  There’s no way around it.  If you don’t play great defense, you’re not going to win consistently,” new Kentucky coach Mark Stoops at his introduction in Lexington.


The One Hottest and Most Intriguing Game of the Week…and then none

Army (2-9) vs. Navy (7-4) – (Ind. vs. Ind.) (TV: CBS, 3 pm ET, Saturday) – This so-called rivalry has become a major embarrassment for Army.  Navy has won the past 10 games and 12 of the last 13.  Army wasn’t even close in its last 11 losses to Navy except for last year – Navy won, 27-21.  Both teams started the season bad.  After four games, Navy was 1-3 and Army was 0-4.  But the Middies seemed to get their act together, winning five in a row to improve to 6-3.  They split their last two games.  Army on the other hand mostly continued to lose, going 2-5 in their last seven games.  Army coach Rich Ellerson’s fate may depend on the outcome of this game.  An Army win and Ellerson is back for sure.  An Army loss and he could well be gone from West Point.  Both teams beat Air Force, so the winner here grabs the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.  Interestingly, Army looked good in its two wins over Boston College and Air Force.  But the Cadets looked bad in their nine losses.  Army definitely has the incentive.  Navy is going to a bowl game and the Cadets aren’t.  So this is Army’s bowl game.  And its Army’s chance to beat Navy for the first time since 2001.  Anything could happen, but I say the Goat gets the Mule – Navy 29, Army 26.          


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football … The 2012 finalists for the Broyles Award, honoring college football’s top coordinator, are Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason.

USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, father of Trojan head coach Lane Kiffin, announced he was resigning from his son’s staff, effective after USC’s bowl game….  Former LSU star Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu announced he will enter the NFL draft this spring….  Indiana State coach Trent Miles was named the new coach of Georgia State.  Miles replaces Bill Curry, who retired at the end of this season….  Jacksonville State football coach Jack Crowe was fired.  In 13 seasons with the Gamecocks, Crowe was 87-57.  J-State finished this season at 6-5. 


2011 Conference Champions

ACC:  Florida State
Big 12:  (tie) Kansas State and Oklahoma
Big East:  (tie) Cincinnati, Louisville, Rutgers and Syracuse
Big Ten:  Wisconsin
C-USA: Tulsa
MAC:  Northern Illinois
MWC:  (tie) Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State
Pac-12:  Stanford
SEC:  Alabama
Sun Belt: Arkansas State
WAC:  Utah State

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but with the gray skies of early December upon us, the college football season was fading fast.  As the fans were talking about new coaches, bowl games and the Heisman Trophy, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1942 was “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby

…65 years ago this week in 1947 was “Near You” by Francis Craig

…60 years ago this week in 1952 was “Why Don’t You Believe Me” by Joni James

…55 years ago this week in 1957 was “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke

…50 years ago this week in 1962 was “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by The 4 Seasons

…45 years ago this week in 1967 was “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees

…40 years ago this week in 1972 was “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations

…35 years ago this week in 1977 was “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone

…30 years ago this week in 1982 was “Truly” by Lionel Richie

…25 years ago this week in 1987 was “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” by Belinda Carlisle

…20 years ago this week in 1992 was “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston


Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there were two passings of note last week – Earl “Speedo” Campbell and Rick Majerus. 

Earl “Speedo” Campbell, the lead singer of the 1950s doo-wop group the Cadillacs, died last week in New York City.  He was 75.  The Cadillacs were the first of the singing groups to incorporate rigorously choreographed dance moves into their performances.  The group, which flourished for about a decade starting in the early 1950s, had hits with “Gloria,” “Speedoo” and “Peek-A-Boo.”  Carroll later spent two decades with the Coasters.  Earl Carroll was born in New York City in 1937. 

Rick Majerus, a longtime, men’s college basketball coach who led Utah to the NCAA final in 1998, died Saturday.  He was 64.  Majerus recently left St. Louis University, where he had coached for the past five years, for health reasons.  In 25 years, Majerus coached at four schools, taking 12 teams to the NCAA tournament.  He only had one losing season.  Majerus’ record was 517-216.  His record includes two 30-win seasons and 15 20-win seasons.  Rick Majerus was born February 17, 1948, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.  He grew up in Milwaukee and graduated from Marquette.