College Football Week 20 – It’s a Fond Farewell, Until August 13
‘Before I fly and wave goodbye’Keep my words safely stored
And I’ll be back, I promise, once moreThe dust has barely settled on the Alabama-LSU national championship game and already there are predictions about who will be playing in next season’s national championship game – USC vs. LSU.
The dust has also barely settled on the Alabama-LSU game and already there is strong and creditable talk for a “4-Team Plus One Playoff.” It won’t happen until the 2014 season at the earliest. The current BCS contract runs through the 2013 season. But it could be coming.
Late last week, NCAA president Mark Emmert said that he supported the “4-Team Plus One Playoff.” In this format, No. 1 would play No. 4 and No. 2 would play No. 3 in bowl games on New Year’s Day. The winners would meet about seven days later in the national championship game. It sounds good to me and it maintains the viability and integrity of the regular season.
Of course it was the rematch of Alabama-LSU in this season’s title game that has generated so much interest in and support for the 4-Team Playoff. But then again, it has always been some controversy that has tweaked the past changes in the BCS format. Be patient and stay tuned.
Before I fly and wave goodbye
I say to you, “Days with you Are the best years of my life”
But if I don’t see you anymore
Keep my words safely stored
And I’ll be back, I promise, once more
Florida finally secured its offensive coordinator and it appears that Alabama has too. Brent Pease, the offensive coordinator for Chris Petersen at Boise State will be the Gators new OC. And now reports say that Washington offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier will be the new OC at Alabama.
New Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez has quite a reunion going in Tucson. Six of Rich Rod’s assistants at West Virginia are back with him at Arizona. And a seventh Rich Rod assistant at West Virginia – Todd Graham – is the head coach of Arizona’s archrival Arizona State. One southern California writer called Arizona “West Virginia Southwest.”
Speaking of West Virginia, Mountaineer coach Dana Holgorsen is still looking for a defensive coordinator to replace Jeff Casteel. Casteel is one of the “six” at Arizona.
Goodbye, goodbye
Till I see you againGoodbye, goodbye
I’ll love and miss you till then
Sadly, we have come to the point where we have to close the door on another college football season. But we will always remember 2011 as:
…the season Nebraska began playing in the Big Ten
…the season without Terrelle Pryor
…the season of Nevin Shapiro
…the season of rain delays
Remember me because I care
Where you are and how you fareGet in touch if the wind blows in your face
I guess it’s been too much fun
We’ve shared and we’ve won
Yes, the best is yet to come
…the season of Maryland’s uniforms
…the season Charlie Weis was a Gator
…the season College GameDay was in Morgantown
…the season Urban Meyer was on ESPN
Goodbye, goodbye
Till I see you againGoodbye, goodbye
I’ll love and miss you till then
…the season Texas A&M and Missouri announced they were leaving the Big 12 for the SEC
…the season West Virginia sued the Big East
…and the season the Big East sued West Virginia
…the season Lee Corso dropped the ‘F’ bomb on TV
…the season Joe Paterno was fired
That one word hurts so bad
You leave the best you’ve hadBut you keep the faith
And pray to return
…the season Craig James announced he was running for the U.S. Senate
…the season Howard Schnellenberger retired
…the season of Honey Badger
Goodbye, goodbye
Till I see you againGoodbye, goodbye
I’ll love and miss you till then
…the season of RG3
…the season Gator fans were chanting, “Urban Liar”
…the season South Carolina first won 11 games
…the season of LSU
…the season of Alabama
If you think the 2011 season was wild, just wait until 2012.
And I’ll be back, I promise, once more
Touchdown Tom
January 16, 2012"Goodbye (Kelly’s Song)” – Alabama
Written by Randy OwenWon/Lost Records of the Conferences
Conference USA: 4-1
Mid-American: 4-1 Big 12: 6-2
SEC: 6-3
Big East: 3-2
Independents: 1-1
Big Ten: 4-6
Mountain West: 2-3
Sun Belt: 1-2
Pac-12: 2-5
Atlantic Coast: 2-6
Western Athletic: 0-3
Rose Bowl (Oregon-Wisconsin) – 91,245
Cotton Bowl (Arkansas-Kansas State) – 80,956 National Championship Bowl (Alabama-LSU) – 78,237
Chick-fil-A Bowl (Auburn-Virginia) – 72,919
Fiesta Bowl (Oklahoma State-Stanford) – 69,927
Meineke Car Care Bowl (Texas A&M-Northwestern) – 68,395
Champs Sports Bowl (Florida State-Notre Dame) – 68,305
Orange Bowl (West Virginia-Clemson) – 67,563
Alamo Bowl (Baylor-Washington) – 65,256
Sugar Bowl (Michigan-Virginia Tech) – 64,512
Capital One Bowl (South Carolina-Nebraska) – 61,351
Gator Bowl (Florida-Ohio State) – 61,312
Belk Bowl (N.C. State-Louisville) – 58,427
Liberty Bowl (Cincinnati-Vanderbilt) – 57,103
Holiday Bowl (Texas-California) – 56,313
Music City Bowl (Mississippi State-Wake Forest) – 55,208
Insight Bowl (Oklahoma-Iowa) – 54,247
Outback Bowl (Michigan State-Wisconsin) – 49,429
Sun Bowl (Utah-Georgia Tech) – 48,123
Ticket City Bowl (Houston-Penn State) – 46,817
Little Caesars Bowl (Purdue-Western Michigan) – 46,177
New Orleans Bowl (Louisiana-Lafayette-San Diego State) – 42,841
Independence Bowl (Missouri-North Carolina) – 41,728
Go Daddy Bowl (Northern Illinois-Arkansas State) – 38,734
Pinstripe bowl (Rutgers-Iowa State) – 38,328
Las Vegas Bowl (Boise State-Arizona State) – 35,720
Hawaii Bowl (Southern Miss-Nevada) – 32,630
Armed Forces Bowl (BYU-Tulsa) – 30,258
Fight Hunger Bowl (Illinois-UCLA) – 29,878
Compass Bowl (SMU-Pitt) – 29,726
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Ohio-Utah State) – 28,076
New Mexico Bowl (Temple-Wyoming) – 25,762
Military Bowl (Toledo-Air force) – 25,042
Poinsettia Bowl (TCU-Louisiana Tech) – 24,607
Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl (Marshall-Florida International) – 20,072
“There is no question that we will be playing a Big 12 schedule in all of our sports for the 2012-13 academic year,” West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck.
“I didn’t know which way to go,” Penn State coach Joe Paterno, on not knowing how to handle the Jerry Sandusky situation.
“I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was. So I backed away and turned it over to some other people – people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did,” Penn State coach Joe Paterno, on blowing the Jerry Sandusky situation.
Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson are off to the NFL, but the Honey Badger is back for the 2012 season. LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu, the only Heisman finalist returning, will enter the season as one of the favorites for the coveted award in 2012.
But Honey Badger, no doubt, will have some competition. That competition may come from Wisconsin’s Montee Ball, Kansas State’s Collin Klein, Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, Texas Tech’s Seth Doege, West Virginia’s Geno Smith, Ohio State’s Braxton Miller, Michigan’s Denard Robinson, USC’s Matt Barkley, Oregon’s Kenjon Barner, Georgia’s Aaron Murray, South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore or Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson. Then again, it could come from someone else. Only time and 11 months will tell.
It’s highly likely the SEC could win its seventh-straight national title. After all, LSU is one of the favorites to be in the championship game. If not LSU, Alabama or Georgia could keep the SEC run going in 2012. But if the SEC streak is broken, it may be USC that snaps the streak. The Trojans will be loaded. Other teams given a chance to win the championship in 2012 are Oregon, Oklahoma, Florida State and Michigan. Then again, it could be some other team – South Carolina, Arkansas, Clemson, Nebraska, Michigan State? In 12 months time, we’ll know.
No fewer than 25 teams will start the 2012 season with a new head coach. That’s 21 percent of the FBS teams. Ten of the 11 conferences will have at least one new head coach. Only the WAC is returning with all of its coaches intact for another season. The four Independents will have each of their coaches back too. Conference USA will have the most new head coaches at five, while the ACC and Big East each will have only one new coach.
As in 2011, there will be a new look to several conferences next season. The SEC expands from 12 to 14 teams, adding Texas A&M and Missouri. There will be two seven-team divisions with the Aggies in the West and the Tigers in the East. Saying goodbye to A&M and Mizzou, the Big 12 Conference replaces them with TCU and West Virginia. However, depending on the outcome of its suit against the Big East, West Virginia may or may not be playing in the Big 12 in 2012. If the Mountaineers lose their suit, they may not be playing in the Big 12 until 2013 or 2014.
If WVU does join the Big 12 next season, then the Big East will be a seven-team conference for a year, before Boise State, Houston, San Diego State, SMU and UCF join in 2013. As a seven-team conference, the Big East would have to get a waiver from the BCS to send its champion to a BCS bowl. The Mountain West Conference loses TCU, but gains Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada, all from the WAC. The WAC picks up Texas State and Texas-San Antonio for 2012 – both teams new to FBS level football.
And finally, the Mid-American Conference adds Massachusetts for the 2012 season, expanding the MAC from 13 to 14 teams in football. The ACC, Big Ten, C-USA, Pac-12, Sun Belt and Independents remain the same in 2012 as they were in 2011. But changes will be coming in 2013 for C-USA and the Sun Belt – along with changes in 2013 or 2014 for the ACC, depending on the timing of departure from the Big East for Pitt and Syracuse.
Looking around the country in 2012, the SEC looks stronger than ever. Except for Alabama, LSU and possibly Arkansas, the SEC was down in 2011. Most teams were young. But the SEC will definitely be a powerhouse in 2012. In the SEC East, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have almost everyone back – offense and defense. Florida does lose Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps, but that’s about it.
Kentucky has its offense back, but the Wildcats will have to totally rebuild their defense. And then there is poor Missouri. The Tigers may have a tough time of it in their first season in the SEC. Mizzou’s offense has departed and the Tiger defense is half gone.
In the SEC West, there is LSU and Alabama. Need I say more? The Tigers do lose several on offense, but the defense will be back, almost intact, stronger than ever. And the offense will just reload. Alabama loses a couple of key players on defense and Trent Richardson on offense. Aside from that, the Tide is back, fiercer than ever.
Arkansas has its offense back, but the Razorbacks will have to rebuild their defense. Auburn will have new coordinators on both sides of the ball, but personnel wise, the Tigers are in good shape. Most, except for Michael Dyer, are back on offense, and the defense remains basically intact. Mississippi State will have a lot of new personnel on offense, but the Bulldogs’ defense should be solid.
The good news for Ole Miss is the entire team basically returns on offense and defense. But the Black Bears will have a new coach – Hugh Freeze. For his sake, he will be hooking up with experience. Then there is Texas A&M. The Aggies also have a new coach – Kevin Sumlin. A&M will have most of its offense back, but most of the starting defense is gone.
Like the SEC, the ACC was down in 2011. But, also like the SEC, that should change in 2012. The ACC should be stronger overall. In the Atlantic Division, Florida State is being touted as a national championship contender. The Seminoles do have some rebuilding, or reloading, to do on offense, but the defense should be awesome – all are returning. Clemson will be a threat too, as the Tigers return their offense and defense, basically intact. They do lose Andre Ellington on offense.
Maryland and N.C. State should be improved. The Terrapins return almost everyone on both sides of the ball. And Randy Edsall has a year under his belt. N.C. State has most of its offense and defense back, including quarterback Mike Glennon. Boston College and Wake Forest should be solid on defense, but both have some work to do on offense. Still, the Eagles and Demon Deacons should be more competitive in 2012.
If there is a downside to the ACC in 2012, it could be the Coastal Division. Virginia Tech, of course, will be tough, but the Hokies have some work to do on offense. Tech’s defense should be solid. Georgia Tech should be vastly improved. The Yellow Jackets have lots of experience returning on offense and defense. Virginia, the surprise team in 2011, will be rebuilding in 2012. The Cavaliers lost a lot on offense and defense.
Miami could be slow getting out of the gates. The Hurricanes have lost a lot on offense and defense. But Al Golden has been recruiting well. So the Canes could pick up steam as the season progresses. North Carolina loses about half of its offense and defense. The Tar Heels have a new coach too – Larry Fedora. Duke could be a surprise in 2012. It could be the team David Cutcliffe has been waiting for. The Blue Devils have almost everyone returning.
The Big Ten should be an exciting conference in 2012. In the Leaders Division, it could be a shootout between Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Buckeyes have to settle into a new coach – Urban Meyer. They also have to live through a season of probation – no bowl game. But pride could give the Bucks some extra incentive. They will be experienced at quarterback with Braxton Miller. Wisconsin has to rebuild half of its offense and defense, but Bret Bielema has established a solid program in Madison.
Purdue could be the most improved team in the Big Ten next season. The Boilermakers return just about everyone. Penn State will be interesting to watch. The Nittany Lions have a new coach – Bill O’Brien. And the fallout from this season’s scandal will be hanging over the team. The Lions return about half of their starters on offense and defense.
Illinois has a new coach – Todd Beckman. He is stepping into a good scene as the Banned Indians have an experienced defense returning and most of their offense. Indiana should be vastly improved. The Hoosiers have most of the 2011 starters returning on both sides of the ball.
The Legends Division of the Big Ten could be a race between Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska. The Wolverines are looking good with Brady Hoke in his second year and Denard Robinson returning. The Wolverine defense looks solid. The defense will be the stronger side at Michigan State as the Spartans return almost everyone. State will have some rebuilding to do on offense. Watch out for Nebraska. The Huskers have a year of the Big Ten under their belt. They also have a good nucleus of their offense and defense returning, including Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead on offense.
Iowa returns a good bit of its offense, but the Hawkeyes will have some work to do on defense. Minnesota should show improvement and could be more dangerous. Northwestern may be hurting some in 2012. The Wildcats lose their defense and only have about half of the offense back.
The Big 12 should be a stronger conference next season. Several teams are returning a good nucleus of their starters. Oklahoma has to be the favorite, as the Sooners return most of their offense and defense, including Landry Jones at quarterback. Except for two key players on offense, Robert Griffin and Terrance Ganaway, Baylor will be loaded in 2012 as most everyone else from a good team in 2011 returns.
Kansas State will be a dangerous team. The Wildcats have a powerful offense returning, including quarterback Collin Klein. The K-State defense is mostly back as well. West Virginia will no doubt be exciting on offense. The Mountaineers return almost everyone, including Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. WVU will have a new coordinator on defense with about half of the starters returning. TCU will have another good team in 2012. The Horned Frogs return most of their starters from a good season in 2011.
Texas has most of its offense and defense back so 2012 should be an exciting year for the Longhorns. They finished 2011 well with a good win in the Holiday Bowl. Texas Tech may be the most improved team in the Big 12. The Red Raiders return an experienced offense and defense. That’s good news for coach Tommy Tuberville, as he will enter the season on the hot seat. But quarterback Set Doege could help to cool the seat.
Mike Gundy has an established program at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys will be tough again too. The defense should be solid. The offense will require some surgery. Like Texas Tech, Iowa State should be vastly improved in 2012. The Cyclones have a good nucleus of their offense and defense returning. And finally, Charlie Weis is walking into a good picture at Kansas. The Jayhawks return basically all of their starters on both sides of the ball.
Rutgers and South Florida may be the teams to beat in the Big East. The Scarlet Knights, a surprise in 2011, are looking real good for 2012 with everyone back – offense and defense. Skip Holtz needs a good year at South Florida and this could be it. The Bulls return almost everyone from 2011, including quarterback B.J. Daniels.
The Scarlet Knights and the Bulls will feel a strong threat from Louisville. Charlie Strong is building a good program and it should definitely show in 2012 on defense. Basically all of the 2011 squad is back. There is some work to be done on offense, but it may be minor. Cincinnati, Connecticut and Syracuse should be tough on defense. All three schools return most of their defenders. The offenses for the Bearcats, Huskies and Orange are the question marks. Pitt has a new coach – Paul Chryst – and the Panthers will have a new defense too. But Chryst does inherit an experienced offense.
The Pac-12 will be interesting next season. USC is a bona fide national title contender and there are four new coaches in the conference. In the South Division, the Trojans are definitely loaded with a solid offense and defense returning, led by quarterback Matt Barkley. Colorado and UCLA should be stronger on defense. But both the Buffaloes and the Bruins could be so-so on offense. UCLA has a new coach – Jim Mora.
Arizona and Utah should be dangerous on offense, as most of their starters are back. But Arizona has a new coach – Rich Rodriguez – and we know how his first years can be as he installs his spread – a little shaky. Both the Wildcats and Utes have some work to be done on defense. Arizona State may be the weakest team in the Pac-12 South. The Sun Devils not only have a new coach – Todd Graham – but also, they lost basically all of their starters on offense and defense.
In the Pac-12 North, Oregon will most likely be the favorite. The Ducks are an established program, but Chip Kelley has some work to do. If Oregon is at a point in its program where it can reload instead of rebuild, we’ll soon know. The Ducks have some veterans returning, but they lost several as well, including LaMichael James and Darron Thomas. Oregon’s strongest threat should come from Washington. The Huskies will be loaded in 2012 as almost everyone returns on offense and defense.
Stanford and California will be good on offense. Yes, the Cardinal did lose Andrew Luck, but just about everybody else on offense is back for 2012. California has a veteran offense returning as well. Both schools have some work to do on defense. Oregon State and Washington State will be mysteries next season. Beavers coach Mike Riley will start the season on the hot seat. He has to rebuild half of his offense and defense. The Cougars have a new coach – Mike Leach. Leach will definitely make things interesting in Pullman. But there is a lot of work to be done offense. If anyone can do it, Leach can. Fortunately for Leach, he has an experienced defense returning.
Conference USA made a run for a BCS bowl spot in 2011 with Houston’s performance. Maybe the conference will finally attain a BCS bowl in 2012. In the C-USA East Division, everyone should be better, except for UAB. The Blazers lose a lot of starters on both sides of the ball and they have a new coach – Garrick McGee. McGee has his work cut out for him.
Memphis will be improved in 2012, but not a contender. The Tigers have a new coach – Justin Fuente. The four contenders for the East Division of C-USA will be UCF, Marshall, East Carolina and Southern Miss. The Knights, Herd and Pirates should be vastly improved. Southern Miss may not be better, but the Eagles may still be dangerous. UCF, Marshall and East Carolina return a lot of veterans. It should be exciting in the East.
Like the East, the West Division of C-USA should be exciting. However, unlike the East, the teams in the West may be down compared to 2011. This could be the year for UTEP in the West. The Miners return a lot of veterans. Tulsa may give UTEP a run for its money. The Golden Hurricane have most of their starters back.
Houston and SMU, typically two of the stronger teams in the West, lose a lot of starters on offense and defense. Houston has a new coach too – Tony Levine. Rice could be a surprise in 2012. Tulane will be improved, but still weak. The Green Wave has a new coach – Curtis Johnson.
The Mountain West Conference is in the process of losing all of its prominent teams. BYU and Utah left last year. TCU is leaving this year. Boise State and San Diego State will leave next year. If it wasn’t for Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada coming in from the WAC, the MWC would be down to five teams.
In its last year in the conference next season, Boise State will be favored to win. But it may not be so easy. The Broncos lose most of their offense and defense, including Kellen Moore and Doug Martin. Next season will be a true test for Chris Petersen and Boise State. The Broncos could be challenged by any of Fresno State, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV or Wyoming – all of whom return most of their starting lineups on offense and defense. Three – Fresno State, Colorado State and New Mexico – will have new coaches in 2012.
Air Force, normally a challenger, loses a lot of its offense and defense. 2012 will be a major rebuilding year for Troy Calhoun. Nevada could go either way next season – up or down. Hawaii could be the cellar dweller in the MWC. The Warriors are losing most all of their experience on offense and defense. And Hawaii will have a new coach – Norm Chow.
There won’t be a dull minute in the Mid-American Conference in 2012. In the MAC East, Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami and Ohio all figure to challenge for the division title. All of those teams have a lot of experienced players returning. Among the five, only Akron has a new coach next season – Terry Bowden. The other four should watch out.
Temple, a power in the MAC East in recent years, may drop a few notches in 2012. The Owls lose a lot of starters on offense and defense. Massachusetts, the new kid on the block, may have a tough time finding its way in the conference next season.
Over in the MAC West, Bowling Green, Ball State, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan should contend for the title. And it should be a good race too. All four of those teams are loaded. The two Michigan schools may be the best of the four. Western Michigan could turn out to be a dangerous team in the MAC West. The Broncos should improve as the season progresses. Northern Illinois and Toledo, two of the traditional powers in the Mac West, could be down in 2012. The Huskies and the Golden Rockets have a lot of rebuilding to do.
What’s left of the WAC should make for an interesting time next season. Louisiana Tech, champions of the WAC in 2011, should be favored to win again in 2012. The Bulldogs are experienced. Either San Jose State or Utah State could challenge Louisiana Tech. Both return a good many starters. Idaho and New Mexico State could be facing long seasons. New members Texas State and Texas-San Antonio could provide a surprise or two next season.
The Sun Belt Conference gets better and better every season. Three teams from the conference played in bowl games in 2011. And a fourth team – Western Kentucky – qualified for a bowl. Western Kentucky and Troy should be the favorites to win the Sun Belt in 2012. Both are loaded. Also looking good for 2012 are the two Florida schools – Florida Atlantic and Florida International. FAU has a new coach – Carl Pelini.
Middle Tennessee, Louisiana-Monroe and North Texas could surprise next season. The potential is there, but some rebuilding is required. Two of the best teams in the Sun Belt in 2011 – Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette – could be two of the worst teams in 2012. Both lose a lot of starters on offense and defense.
Among the Independents, 2012 should be the year for Army. The Cadets are loaded. Army should get its first win over Navy in 10 years and beat Air Force as well. The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy could well be sitting in West Point next December. A bowl game should be in Army’s future as well. Navy, on the other hand, could be suffering in 2012. The forecast is not looking good for the Middies.
BYU and Notre Dame return about half of their starters next season. Both teams should be no better or no worse than they were in 2011. Brian Kelly may have some explaining to do.
The preseason polls for 2012 are already out. ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2012 has (1) LSU, (2) USC, (3) Alabama, (4) Oregon, (5) Oklahoma, (6) Georgia, (7) West Virginia, (8) Florida State, (9) Michigan State, (10) South Carolina, (11) Michigan, (12) Kansas State, (13) Nebraska, (14) Arkansas, (15) TCU, (16) Oklahoma State, (17) Stanford, (18) Virginia Tech, (19) Wisconsin, (20) Boise State, (21) Texas, (22) Clemson, (23) Notre Dame, (24) N.C. State, (25) Louisville.
Sports Illustrated’s Preseason Top 25 for 2012 has (1) LSU, (2), USC, (3) Oregon, (4) Arkansas, (5) Alabama, (6) Michigan State, (7) South Carolina, (8) Oklahoma, (9) Georgia, (10) TCU, (11) Michigan, (12) Wisconsin, (13) West Virginia, (14) Clemson, (15) Kansas State, (16) Nebraska, (17) Florida State, (18) Virginia Tech, (19) Boise State, (20) Stanford, (21) Texas, (22) Notre Dame, (23) Auburn, (24) Oklahoma State, (25) Georgia Tech.
And finally, the Orlando Sentinel’s Preseason Top 25 for 2012 has (1) USC, (2) LSU, (3) Oregon, (4) Alabama, (5) Oklahoma, (6) Georgia, (7) Florida State, (8) Michigan, (9) South Carolina, (10) Ohio State, (11) Kansas State, (12) Michigan State, (13) Arkansas, (14) Nebraska, (15) Clemson, (16) Auburn, (17) Virginia Tech, (18) West Virginia, (19) Texas, (20) TCU, (21) Wisconsin, (22) Texas A&M, (23) Washington, (24) Baylor, (25) Boise State.
The 2012 season begins on Thursday, August 30. Opening weekend runs for five straight days from August 30 to Labor Day night, September 3. Two of the big games on opening weekend are Alabama-Michigan in Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, and Clemson-Auburn playing in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Both games are scheduled for Saturday, September 1.
The 2012 season will come to a close on January 7, 2013, with the BCS National Championship Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida. The other four BCS bowls – Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange – will be played on January 1, 2 and 3, 2013.
Elsewhere around college football . . . Former Arizona coach Mike Stoops has joined his brother Bob as a co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma. That’s the position Mike held at Oklahoma when he left to become the head coach of Arizona after the 2003 season…. Toledo and Cincinnati have scheduled a home-and-home series to be played in 2012 and 2014…. Houston defensive coordinator Brian Stewart is the new defensive coordinator at Maryland…. Alabama assistant head coach and linebackers coach Sal Sunseri is the new defensive coordinator at Tennessee.
And finally, those from the world of football who we lost during this past season included Don Chandler, 76, (NFL player); Pete Pihos, 87, (NFL player); Lee Roy Selmon, 56, (Oklahoma and Tampa Bay Bucs player); Sam DeLuca, 75, (New York Jets guard and NBC sportscaster); Orlando Brown, 40, (NFL offensive tackle), and Mike Heimerdinger, 58, (NFL offensive coordinator).
Also, Al Davis, 82, (Oakland Raiders owner); Kent Hull, 50, (Buffalo Bills center); Gale Gillingham, 67, (Green Bay Packers guard); Greg Gantt, 59, (Alabama punter); Bob Barry, 80, (Voice of the Oklahoma Sooners); Larry Munson, 89, (Voice of the Georgia Bulldogs); Chester McGlockton, 42, (Stanford assistant coach), and Joe Restic, 85, (former Harvard coach).
On the Internet – College Football Week now has a Website and can be read at www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com.
Take care, my friends.
Touchdown Tom
Not directly college football related, but in mid January as college football fans closed the lid on another great season and shifted their attention to college basketball, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1937 was “Pennies from Heaven” by Bing Crosby
…70 years ago this week in 1942 was “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller
…65 years ago this week in 1947 was “The Old Lamplighter” by Sammy Kaye
…60 years ago this week in 1952 was “Cry” by Johnnie Ray & the Four Lads
…55 years ago this week in 1957 was “Singing the Blues” by Guy Mitchell
…50 years ago this week in 1962 was “The Twist” by Chubby Checker
…45 years ago this week in 1967 was “I’m a Believer” by The Monkees
…40 years ago this week in 1972 was “American Pie” by Don McLean
…35 years ago this week in 1977 was “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder
…30 years ago this week in 1982 was “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John
…25 years ago this week in 1987 was “Shake You Down” by Gregory Abbott
…20 years ago this week in 1992 was “Black or White” by Michael Jackson
Also, Roger Christian, 75, (member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic championship hockey team); Charlie Lea, 54, (major league baseball pitcher); Walt Hazzard, 69, (basketball player); Don Mueller, 84, (major league baseball player); Johnny Wilson, 82, (NHL player); Gene Bartow, 81, (college basketball coach), and Andy Carey, 80, (New York Yankees third baseman).
Also, Mary Fickett, 83, (Broadway, film and TV actress); Willa Lee Cooper, 90, (country music singer); Frances Bay, 92, (television actress); Dolores Hope, 102, (Bob Hope’s wife); Johnnie Wright, 97, (country music singer); Marv Tarplin, 70, (Motown guitarist and songwriter); Diane Cilento, 78, (stage and screen actress); Roger Williams, 87, (pianist); Doris Belack, 85, (actress); Patricia Breslin, 80, (television actress), and Paul Leka, 68, (songwriter and record producer).
Also, Liz Anderson, 81, (country music songwriter and singer); Sid Melton, 94, (actor); Lee Pockriss, 87, (songwriter); Harry Morgan, 96, (actor); Dobie Gray, 71, (singer/songwriter); Bob Burnett, 71, (member of the Highwayman); Billie Jo Spears, 73, (country music singer); Dan Frazer, 90, (actor); Ralph MacDonald, 67, (percussionist), and Fred Milano, 72, (member of Dion and the Belmonts).
Also, Dennis Ritchie, 70, (creator of Unix and the C programming language); Robert Pierpoint, 86, (CBS News correspondent); Tom Wicker, 85, (journalist); Christopher Hitchens, 62, (writer); Vaclav Havel, 75, (writer and former Czech president), and Kim Jong Il, 69, (leader of North Korea).
