College Football Week Two – Jeff Driskel to start against Texas A&M
All right now, baby, it’s all right now,
But Isaac gave some teams the Shaft
Yes, it’s all right now.  College football has begun.  Baby, it’s all right now.

Rich Rodriguez, Bob Davie, John L. Smith, Charlie Weis and Jim Mora proved there is life after death – at least for one weekend.  But Terry Bowden and Mike Leach haven’t risen as yet.  Arizona, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kansas and UCLA all won their openers, while Akron and Washington State were losers.

Alabama left no doubt.  In thrashing Michigan, the Tide picked up where they left off last year – at the top.  And leave no doubt, in losing to Colorado State, Colorado picked up where the Buffaloes left off last year – at the bottom.

We were surprised by Duke and disappointed in Oklahoma and Stanford.  We were stunned by Nevada and Texas State and fooled by Pitt.  The Panthers were impersonating an FBS team.  We were blown away by Le’Veon Bell, Devin Smith, Andre Ellington and Geno Smith, while disappointed with Mike Glennon, Denard Robinson and Jeff Tuel.

But most of all, we were glad that 76 football games involving FBS teams were played.  I must admit, we were worried for awhile about several of the games.  During the week, Hurricane Isaac played havoc in the Gulf, before slowly moving up the Mississippi as a rainy tropical storm.  It forced several teams to cancel practices.  Some even abandoned their campuses. 

In the end, only two games (Texas A&M at Louisiana Tech and Nichols State at Oregon State) were postponed to later in the season.  One game (UT San Antonio at South Alabama) was moved from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon.  Shades of last season on opening weekend when numerous heavy rain storms with severe lightning caused lengthy delays to several games and even caused a couple of games to be called in the second half.

Before we got to Saturday, I thought 17-13 was going to be the norm.  Thursday night, South Carolina beat Vanderbilt, 17-13.  The very next night, Michigan State edged Boise State, 17-13.  But as it turned out, that was to be it for 17-13 games.

Don’t judge South Carolina by its opening game.  Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks often look sloppy in their openers.  Up in East Lansing, there was nothing sloppy about Le’Veon Bell in the Spartans close win.  Bell put on an impressive show, racking up 210 yards rushing and another 55 yards receiving.

It was not a happy scene in Unhappy Valley.  Ohio beat Penn State, 24-14, spoiling Bill O’Brien’s debut.  And will there ever be an end to Penn State’s messy scandal.  After a summer full of some pretty crude and crass Penn State jokes on the Internet, the folks in Columbus, Ohio, were adding their two cents to the brouhaha last week.

T-shirts were being sold around the Ohio State campus that said, “I’d rather shower at Penn State than cheer for the Wolverines.”  Then Penn State contributed to the never-ending debacle itself, when a university official put his foot in his mouth.  The school announced that “Sweet Caroline” would be removed from the game-day playlist at Beaver Stadium, because of the song’s lyrics.  School officials were leery of the boozed-up Penn State students and fans singing the lyrics, “touchin’ me, touchin’ you.”  Yet, another tradition dies at Penn State.

And speaking of putting your foot in your mouth, how about Notre Dame football commentator Allen Pinkett?  Pinkett, a former player for the Irish, in a radio interview last week, said that in order to be a top team in college football today you had to have a few criminals on your team.  He said that’s why Notre Dame isn’t a top team.

Of course, Pinkett failed to mention that four Notre Dame players had been suspended for the Navy game.  After his comments, Pinkett was suspended too – from the radio broadcast team.  Notre Dame beat Navy, 50-10.  The game was played in Dublin, Ireland.   

Only three of the weekend’s 76 FBS games went into overtime.  Thursday night, it took Minnesota three overtimes to put away UNLV, 30-27.  Saturday night, Arizona slipped by Toledo, 24-17, in overtime.  And Monday night, Virginia Tech beat Georgia Tech, 20-17, in overtime. 
  
And what was it about the Northern’s?  Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa scared the daylights out of Iowa and Wisconsin.  Northern Illinois fell to Iowa, 18-17, and Northern Iowa lost to Wisconsin, 26-21.  However, Northern Colorado didn’t scare anybody.  Utah beat the Bears, 41-0.

From one extreme to another, Oklahoma State scored 84 points, beating Savannah State, 84-0, while Maryland only scored seven points, beating William & Mary, 7-6, and Florida Atlantic did the same, beating Wagner, 7-3.

For excitement, it was hard to beat the Northwestern-Syracuse game.  Late in the third quarter, the Wildcats led the Orange, 35-13.  But Syracuse quickly scored 28 unanswered points and led Northwestern, 41-35, with 2:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.  The Wildcats bounced back, scoring on a 9-yard pass play with 0:44 left on the clock.  Northwestern held on and beat Syracuse, 42-41.

Another exciting game took place in Berkeley, California.  Nevada scored with 0:36 remaining in the game and held on to beat California, 31-24. 

The Big 12 is the only undefeated conference after the first weekend.  Big 12 teams finished 9-0.  TCU did not play.  The worst conference was C-USA at 2-10.  The only winners in C-USA were UCF and East Carolina.  In addition to TCU, the only other teams that were not scheduled to play opening weekend were Army, Cincinnati and Louisiana-Monroe.  All play this weekend, along with the three teams whose games were postponed because of Isaac – Louisiana Tech, Oregon State and Texas A&M.

Just a week or so ago, LSU’s Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu transferred to Rehab U.  Now, he’s back enrolled at LSU.  That’s the fastest rehab job I’ve ever seen.  But he still won’t be playing football for the Tigers this fall.

At least six coaches need to think about putting up “For Sale” signs in their front yards – Middle Tennessee’s Rick “Standstill” Stockstill, NC State’s Tom O’Brien, Rice’s David Bailiff, Idaho’s Robb Akey, California’s Jeff Tedford and Boston College’s Frank Spaziani.  Meanwhile, Pitt coach Paul Chryst is lucky this is just his first year with the Panthers.  Pitt lost to Youngstown State, 31-17.

Talk about a short time on the job, following Houston’s 30-13 loss to FBS newcomer Texas State, Cougar coach Tony Levine fired his offensive coordinator – Mike Nesbitt.  This was just Nesbitt’s first year as offensive coordinator at Houston.  And he didn’t make it through one season.   

Rockledge Gator is lucky that Bootsie puts up with him.  The two of them went out to dinner the other night.  At the restaurant, Bootsie looked down at Rockledge Gator’s feet and realized he didn’t have the same pair of shoes on – the shoe on his left foot didn’t match the one on his right foot.  Rockledge looked at Bootsie and said, “I have another pair just like these at home.”

A few days later, the two of them were at lunch when Rockledge Gator had to go to the bathroom.  He walked into the men’s room, up to the urinal and unzipped.  That’s when Rockledge Gator discovered he had his underpants on backwards.  Bootsie will be checking into Circles of Care any day now.

Reading the newspaper Saturday morning, I saw where Melbourne Central Catholic lost to Cocoa Beach.  I told Swamp Mama that MCC is not as good now that Michael Sharpe has graduated.             

And one more thing about Rockledge Gator, he benched Erin Andrews.  Yeah, he threw Erin under the bus for Samantha Steele.  He’s like that.  Rockledge Gator threw Britney Spears under the bus for Fergie, and then threw Fergie under the bus for Lady Gaga.

All right now, baby, it’s all right now.

Touchdown Tom
September 4, 2012
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


Weekend Review

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Denard was denied – Alabama 41, Michigan 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 18, Michigan 16).  Bama looked better than predicted – downright scary.  Michigan looked overrated, but Brady Hoke looked downright scary – still.  Bama always manages to have a new running back star up its sleeve – T.J. Yeldon.  A crowd of 90,413 attended the game in Arlington.

RUNNER-UP:  Broncos couldn’t ring the Bell – Michigan State 17, Boise State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 30, Boise State 19).  Boise State is a better team than we thought they would be.  Never underestimate Chris Petersen.  Never underestimate Le’Veon Bell either.  The Spartan running back looks good – 210 yards.  A crowd of 78,709 attended the game in East Lansing.

REST OF THE BEST:  Andre the Giant – Clemson 26, Auburn 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 26, Auburn 24).  Andre Ellington – 231 yards – was too much for Auburn.  A crowd of 75,211 attended the game in Atlanta.

Hokies get the honey – Virginia Tech 20, Georgia Tech 17 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 27, Georgia Tech 22).  Virginia Tech beat Georgia Tech for the sixth time in the past eight years.  A crowd of 66,233 attended the game in Blacksburg.

Nashville Cocks – South Carolina 17, Vanderbilt 13 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, Vanderbilt 22).  I got the spread right, but the score wrong.  Jordan ain’t no Aaron, not yet at least…..probably never.  Marcus Lattimore rushed for 110 yards and scored two touchdowns.  The SEC refs wanted South Carolina to win.  That was a blatant, missed pass interference call near the end of the game.  Any decent ref would have flagged the Cocks.  A crowd of 38,393 attended the game in Nashville.

Cougars bleach the Leach – BYU 30, Washington State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 32, Washington State 26).  BYU quarterback Riley Nelson was the star of the game, passing for 285 yards, completing 69.5 percent of his throws.  Wazzu was a typical Mike Leach team.  The Cougars threw 45 passes, but only rushed for -7 yards.  It was only the third time that a Leach-coached team failed to score a touchdown in a game.  A crowd of 57,045 attended the game in Provo.

Mama Dooley’s Happy – Tennessee 35, NC State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, Tennessee 27).  Either Tennessee is better than we thought, or NC State is worse.  Maybe both.  Tyler Bray passed for 333 yards.  Mike Glennon looked like the most uncoordinated and spastic quarterback in college football.  And it may be time for Tom O’Brien to pack his bags.  A crowd of 55,529 attended the game in Atlanta.

No drought for this Corn – Nebraska 49, Southern Miss 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 38, Southern Miss 16).  This was still a good game at halftime.  Huskers didn’t put it away until the third quarter.  Taylor Martinez had a great game passing for 354 yards, five TDs, completing 76.5 percent of his passes.  A crowd of 85,425 attended the game in Lincoln.

Hurricane Isaac won the Texas A&M-Louisiana Tech game.  The contest was postponed to October 13. 

Football, not basketball – West Virginia 69, Marshall 34 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 35, Marshall 14).  WVU’s offense looks scary good.  I’m still wondering about the defense – although, Marshall’s Rakeem Cato is a darn good quarterback.  Geno Smith completed 89 percent of his passes, throwing for 323 yards and four TDs.  He also ran one in for a touchdown.  Shawne Alston – 123 yards – was a pleasant surprise.   A crowd of 59,120 attended the game in Morgantown.

Wildcats don’t know how to play Cards – Louisville 32, Kentucky 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 27, Kentucky 21).  I’m sure after the game Kentucky’s athletic director told Joker Phillips that losing was okay.  After all, they don’t care about football in Lexington.  Louisville can run and pass.  We’re not sure what Kentucky can do.  A crowd of 55,386 attended the game in Louisville.

Bears Nick the Mustangs – Baylor 59, SMU 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 34, SMU 24).  I’m not sure Baylor will miss RG3.  Nick Florence looked pretty good.  Then again, the Bears were only playing SMU.  If June Jones is making any progress at SMU, you could fool me.  Garrett Gilbert (remember him – former Texas QB) quarterbacked the Mustangs.  A crowd of 43,514 attended the game in Waco.

We were Penn State – Ohio 24, Penn State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 24, Ohio 19).  Is there a song called “Sour Caroline?”  If so, they could have sung that in Beaver Stadium Saturday.  Yes, it’s going to be a long season for Penn State.  But the good news is, except for two or three teams, the Big Ten is really bad this year.  So the season may not be so terrible for the Nitts after all.  A crowd of 97,186 attended the game in State College.

Irish out-criminal the Middies – Notre Dame 50, Navy 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Navy 15).  Navy was never in this game.  The Irish were too good, or as Allen Pinkett would say – Notre Dame had too many criminals.  Navy needs to dump Ken Niumatalolo.  He has destroyed everything that Paul Johnson built in Annapolis.  A crowd of 48,820 attended the game in Dublin.

Urban resumes – Ohio State 56, Miami (Ohio) 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 38, Miami 14).  Before the game, Urban Meyer said that Braxton Miller is the best athlete he has ever coached (better than Alex Smith, Chris Leak and Tim Tebow).  Saturday, Miller passed for 207 yards and ran for 161.  But Devin Smith made the catch (one-handed) of the day – maybe the season.  A crowd of 105,039 attended the game in Columbus.

The Canes were Golden – Miami (Florida) 41, Boston College 32 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 22, Miami 20).  Interesting game.  BC was leading halfway through the third quarter.  Then Miami scored 20 unanswered points and put the game away.  Both teams could pass, but Miami had a running game and BC didn’t.  That was the difference.  A crowd of 39,262 attended the game in Chestnut Hill.

Rich Rod’s alive and well – Arizona 24, Toledo 17 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 30, Toledo 20).  I thought Toledo would give Arizona problems and the Rockets did.  The Wildcats couldn’t put the game away until overtime.  Arizona racked up 624 yards on offense.  A crowd of 48,670 attended the game in Tucson.

Who would have thunk it – Duke 46, Florida International 26 (Touchdown Tom said: FIU 25, Duke 19).  Are you kidding me?  If Alabama hadn’t been playing Michigan, I would have said this was Alabama dressed in the Duke uniforms.  I mean, the Dookies scored 30 points in the second quarter alone.  That’s more points than they normally score in a game.  The two teams combined for 638 yards passing.  A crowd of 31,117 attended the game in Durham.

Where was Skippy? – UCF 56, Akron 14 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 32, Akron 17).  Or is it Zippy?  Terry Bowden waddled onto the field.  And Terry Bowden waddled off of the field.  That was about as exciting as it ever got for the Zips.  They could have used a Skip in their bounce.  The Zips weren’t very Zippy.  It’s going to be a long, long season for Terry.  It may be a very good season for UCF.  But no bowl?  A crowd of 12,616 attended the game in Akron.

What a debut – Texas State 30, Houston 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 42, Texas State 17).  For its first game as a FBS team, Texas State made a statement – a big statement.  Houston has egg all over its face.  A crowd of 32,207 attended the game in Houston.

 
…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Roadrunners were mobile in Mobile – UT San Antonio 33, South Alabama 31 (Touchdown Tom said: South Alabama 26, UTSA 23).  Hurricane Isaac moved game from Thursday to Saturday.  That may have been to the Roadrunners advantage.  Four turnovers didn’t help South Alabama any.  A crowd of 17,144 attended the game in Mobile.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Murky swamp – Florida 27, Bowling Green 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 38, Bowling Green 12).  Will Mustake….I mean…..Muschamp isn’t going to improve his image any with wins like this one.  He’s already being called RZ2 – Ron Zook II.  This contest was tied 14-14 halfway through the third quarter.  After platooning Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett in the first half (each played a quarter), Muschamp went with Driskel in the second half.  But after the game, Muschamp said he still isn’t sure which one is the better quarterback.  On the positive side, Mike Gillislee rushed for 148 yards.  A crowd of 84,704 attended the game in Gainesville.

Old-man football – Georgia 45, Buffalo 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 49, Buffalo 9).  Georgia only led 24-16 at the half.  The Dawgs were holding back in preparation for Missouri.  From a mistake perspective, this was about as clean of a game as you will ever see – few penalties and no turnovers.  A crowd of 92,446 attended the game in Athens.

Boiler up – Purdue 48, Eastern Kentucky 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 33, Eastern Kentucky 16).  Robert Marve (remember him – former Miami QB) stepped in at quarterback for Caleb TerBush when Purdue coach Danny Hope suspended TerBush prior to the game.  Marve proceeded to pass for 295 yards, completing 79 percent of his lobs.  He may be the new starter.  A crowd of 40,572 attended the game in West Lafayette.

Ash Saturday – Texas 37, Wyoming 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 37, Wyoming 12).  David Ash did all the quarterbacking for the Horns.  Case McCoy was not to be seen.  Texas held Wyoming to 69 yards rushing.  A crowd of 101,142 attended the game in Austin.

Opening Weekend’s Picks:  18 correct, 6 wrong  (75 percent)


AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State dumped Murray State, 69-3.  A crowd of 70,047 attended the game in Tallahassee….  South Florida downed Chattanooga, 34-13.  A crowd of 41,285 attended the game in Tampa….  Florida Atlantic edged Wagner, 7-3.  A crowd of 14,510 attended the game in Boca Raton.

Florida A&M lost to Tennessee State, 17-14.  A crowd of 15,652 attended the game in Nashville….  Bethune-Cookman beat Alabama State, 38-28.  A crowd of 17,410 attended the game in Orlando….  Jacksonville U. fell to Georgia Southern, 58-0.  A crowd of 20,132 attended the game in Statesboro. 


Superlatives

Weekend’s Best Passers:  Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib – 44-65-1-470 yards; Boston College’s Chase Rettig – 32-51-1-441; Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 38-54-1-413; Arizona’s Matt Scott – 30-46-1-387; USC’s Matt Barkley – 23-38-0-372; Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson – 19-27-0-367; New Mexico State’s Andrew Manley – 14-22-0-367; Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez – 26-34-0-354, and FIU’s Jake Medlock – 27-46-0-354.

Also, Baylor’s Nick Florence – 21-30-0-347 yards; Tennessee’s Tyler Bray – 27-41-0-333; Ohio’s Tyler Tettleton – 31-41-0-324; West Virginia’s Geno Smith – 32-36-0-323; UAB’s Jonathan Perry – 18-33-1-317; Virginia’s Michael Rocco – 25-37-0-311; Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton – 22-26-1-304; Arkansas State’s Ryan Aplin – 29-44-1-304, and Miami of Ohio’s Zac Dysert – 31-53-2-303.

Also, Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 20-25-0-298 yards; Western Kentucky’s Kawaun Jakes – 18-23-1-296; Purdue’s Robert Marve – 30-38-1-295; Duke’s Sean Renfree – 21-30-1-290; SMU’s Garrett Gilbert – 34-59-2-289; BYU’s Riley Nelson – 25-36-0-285; Iowa State’s Steele Jantz – 32-45-1-281; Indiana’s Tre Roberson – 26-36-0-280, and Kentucky’s Maxwell Smith – 35-50-0-280.


Weekend’s Best Rushers:  Minnesota’s MarQueis Gray – 269 yards; Clemson’s Andre Ellington – 231 yards; Air Force’s Cody Getz – 218 yards; UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin – 214 yards; Michigan State’s Le’Veon Bell – 210 yards; Troy’s Shawn Southward – 204 yards; Ball State’s Jahwan Edwards – 200 yards; Central Michigan’s Zurlon Tipton – 180 yards, and Ohio State’s Braxton Miller – 161 yards.


Quotes of Last Week

“If you grew up around here, the excitement is one of those things you often think back to, like significant holidays.  You remember where you were for certain games.  I still remember listening to Georgia Tech and Tennessee on the radio in 1956.  This is my 58th time doing this as a player, coach or broadcaster.  I think the last time I had Labor Day off was in 1954.  I was in the seventh grade,” Georgia State coach Bill Curry.

“I’ve lived in Atlanta for 23 years.  I never truly had a sense for how important college football was in these parts until moving here from a distant galaxy (California) in 1989.  I remember sitting on a MARTA train, leaving the airport one Sunday morning after returning from an assignment, thinking, ‘Why are people talking about the Tennessee game?  And Auburn?  And who cares about Clemson?’  I don’t wonder anymore,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.
  
“Save your money.  The only insight the book offers is into the author’s ego,” Fox Sports writer Jason Whitlock, on the book “Paterno” by Joe Posnanski.

“As long as the likes of Spanier have any affiliation with Penn State, the rest of us have every right to wonder if the school still doesn’t truly appreciate the magnitude of what happened there.  Penn State is now the most notorious and most watched campus on earth.  Let’s hope school officials start acting like they know it,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, on Penn State’s continued botched handling of the Sandusky/Paterno scandal.

“With all due respect to the 123 other schools that play major-college football, the sport’s foreseeable future boils down to one question: Can anyone stop Alabama?”, Wall Street Journal writers Rachel Bachman and Ben Cohen.

“Cooper Bateman, a top-ranked quarterback from Utah, took a tour of SEC schools in the spring before he committed to Alabama.  What stood out to his family during his visit?  All of Alabama’s players made sure they took off their hats when meeting his mother,” from the Wall Street Journal article “How Saban Turned the Tide” by Rachel Bateman and Ben Cohen.

“I’ve always felt like, to have a successful team, you gotta have a few bad citizens on the team.  I mean that’s how Ohio State used to win all the time.  They would have two or three guys that were criminals.  That just adds to the chemistry of the team.  You can’t have a football team full of choir boys.  You get your butt kicked if you have a team full of choir boys,” Notre Dame radio football commentator Allen Pinkett.

“I don’t understand how the NCAA can justify this.  I don’t understand why Penn State has to spend four years in the NCAA’s intensive-care-unit for the abhorrent actions of a few former employees, while North Carolina gets a pass for its rampant academic fraud,” SI.com writer Michael Rosenberg.

“That was a wow moment,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, on the one-handed catch by Devin Smith. 


This Week’s 20 Hottest and Most Intriguing Games.…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Washington (1-0) at LSU (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 pm ET, Saturday) – It gets tougher this week for the Tigers.  It gets tougher for the Huskies too.  Most likely, too tough for the Huskies – LSU 27, Washington 16.

RUNNER-UP:  2. Georgia (1-0) at Missouri (1-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN2, 7:45 pm ET, Saturday) – Gary Pinkel was worried that Georgia was spying on his practices during preseason.  I have a feeling the Dawgs are just as worried about Missouri as the Tigers are of Georgia.  That is except for Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson who said Georgia plays “old-man football.”  Missouri’s baptism into the SEC – Georgia 26, Missouri 24.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Florida (1-0) at Texas A&M (0-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Hurricane Isaac postponed the Aggies’ opener.  So A&M is still a mystery to the Gators.  The way Florida played in its opener I’d say the Gators are a mystery to the Aggies.  Welcome to the SEC, A&M – Florida 23, Texas A&M 21.

4. Oklahoma State (1-0) at Arizona (1-0) – (Big 12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: P12N, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Rich Rod escaped with a win last week.  There are no escape routes for the Wildcats this week.  Desert Cowboys – Oklahoma State 29, Arizona 17.

5. Nebraska (1-0) at UCLA (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) (TV: FOX, 7:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Jim Mora has an offense at UCLA, but I’m not sure he has a defense.  Both will get tested this week.  The Bruins are still in childhood.  The Huskers are past puberty, with or without Rex Burkhead.  Herbie does Hollywood – Nebraska 30, UCLA 24.

6. Miami (Florida) (1-0) at Kansas State (1-0) – (ACC vs. Big 12) (TV: FX, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – The Canes will be looking for revenge, but they won’t get it.  Midwest tornadoes are more powerful than Hurricanes – Kansas State 33, Miami 26.

7. Auburn (0-1) at Mississippi State (1-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Could Auburn possibly start the season at 0-2?  Maybe.  The thought of last year’s close loss at Auburn should be enough to give bite to the Bulldogs’ bark.  A long ride home from Starkville for the Tigers – Miss State 19, Auburn 14.

8. Purdue (1-0) at Notre Dame (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Ind.) (TV: NBC, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Who will quarterback the Boilers this week – TerBush or Marve?  It may not matter.  Purdue doesn’t beat the Irish very often.  And it won’t happen this year either – Notre Dame 30, Purdue 27.

9. USC (1-0) vs. Syracuse (0-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Big East) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Matt Barkley gets to show off on Mark Sanchez’s field.  The game is at MetLife Stadium.  Sanchez should be at the game cheering on his old team.  Maybe he will bring his buddy, Tim, along.  Barkley peels an Orange – USC 40, Syracuse 17.

10. Penn State (0-1) at Virginia (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. ACC) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – It only gets tougher for the Nitts.  Ohio was a good team but Virginia is better.  O’Brien falls to 0-2 – Virginia 27, Penn State 13.

11. Air Force (1-0) at Michigan (0-1) – (MWC vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – The poor Wolverines got the daylights knocked out of them last week.  Well, it gets easier this week.  Air Force ain’t no Bama – Michigan 30, Air Force 20.

12. Wisconsin (1-0) at Oregon State (0-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) (TV: FX, 4 pm ET, Saturday) – Oregon State had its opener postponed due to Isaac.  So the Badgers are facing a stranger in Corvallis.  But it’s a weak stranger – Wisconsin 28, Oregon State 25.

13. North Carolina (1-0) at Wake Forest (1-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: FSN, 3 pm ET, Saturday) – Now, I’m wondering if any of the Tar Heel players have ever taken a class at North Carolina.  I mean, why make them go to class when you can just give them a grade.  There is no such thing as a student athlete in Chapel Hill.  Meanwhile, Wake struggled against Liberty last week.  But I’m sure the Deacons aren’t that bad.  Just bad enough to lose to the Fraud Heels – North Carolina 24, Wake Forest 16.

14. Pitt (0-1) at Cincinnati (0-0) – (Big East vs. Big East) (TV: ESPN, 8 pm ET, Thursday) – It may be a long season for the Panthers.  They lost to Youngstown State last week.  They’ll lose to another school from Ohio this week – Cincinnati 26, Pitt 15.

15. Fresno State (1-0) at Oregon (1-0) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) (TV: P12N, 6:30 pm ET, Saturday) – I sure hope the Duck is in good shape this season.  He’ll be piling on the push-ups again this week.  Another pond party in Eugene – Oregon 44, Fresno State 25.

16. NC State (0-1) at Connecticut (1-0) – (ACC vs. Big East) (TV: BEN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – It may be a rough start for the Wolfpack.  They didn’t look good in their opener against Tennessee.  UConn won’t be as tough, but the Huskies won’t be pushovers either.  Dogs run in packs too – Connecticut 26, NC State 22.

17. Vanderbilt (0-1) at Northwestern (1-0) – (SEC vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 8 pm ET, Saturday) – Vandy almost pulled it off against South Carolina.  Darn those SEC refs.  Things should get a little easier for the Commodores this week.  Anchor down – Vanderbilt 22, Northwestern 20.

18. Iowa State (1-0) at Iowa (1-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Last year Iowa won this game in three overtimes.  It may be like that this year, regardless of who wins.  Cyclones knock the wind out of the Hawkeyes – Iowa State 24, Iowa 23.

19. Utah (1-0) at Utah State (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. WAC) (TV: ESPN2, 8 pm ET, Friday) – Both won big last week.  But neither one played anybody worth talking about.  The Aggies are definitely playing somebody this week.  Utah may or may not be.  The Utes conduct a scalping party – Utah 32, Utah State 18.

20. Illinois (1-0) at Arizona State (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Both looked pretty good in their openers, but the competition wasn’t all that great.  Both teams have new coaches too.  The advantage goes to the Sun Devils – Arizona State 33, Illinois 21.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

21. Army (0-0) at San Diego State (0-1) – (Ind. vs. MWC) (TV: NBCSN, 7:30 pm ET, Saturday) – This could be a make or break season for Army coach Rich Ellerson.  The Aztecs make it a painful start for the Cadets – San Diego State 28, Army 16.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Duke (1-0) at Stanford (1-0) – (ACC vs. Pac-12) (TV: P12N, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Do I dare go against the Dookies this week?  After all, they could be the surprise team of the season.  Is there a bowl game on the horizon?  Maybe, but they won’t surprise the Cardinal – Stanford 28, Duke 21.

New Mexico (1-0) at Texas (1-0) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) (TV: LHN, 8 pm ET, Saturday) – Bevo is still hanging out with MWC teams – Wyoming last week, New Mexico this week.  The Horns hang a few on the Lobos – Texas 40, New Mexico 12.

West Virginia (1-0) is off.


AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State (1-0) hosts Savannah State (0-1) (TV: None, 6 pm ET, Saturday)….  South Florida (1-0) visits Nevada (1-0) (TV: CBSSN, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday)….  UCF (1-0) travels to Ohio State (1-0) (TV: ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday)….  Florida Atlantic (1-0) is at Middle Tennessee (0-1) (TV: None, 7 pm ET, Saturday).

Florida International (0-1) is home against Akron (0-1) (TV: None, 6 pm ET, Saturday)….  Florida A&M (0-1) is away at Oklahoma (1-0) (TV: PPV, 7 pm ET, Saturday)….  Bethune-Cookman (1-0) is on the road at South Carolina State (1-0) (TV: None, 6 pm ET, Saturday)….  Jacksonville (0-1) visits Charleston Southern (0-1) (TV: None, 1:30 pm ET, Saturday).    


In the Huddle

Arkansas and Texas A&M have agreed to play their yearly series in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, from 2014 through 2024.  This year’s game is in College Station and next year’s contest will be played in Fayetteville….  Former Colorado, Washington and UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel is a commentator on the Pac-12 Network….  Florida coach Will Muschamp has named Jeff Driskel the starter for the Texas A&M game.

Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint has been reinstated, following his one-game suspension for the Alabama game….  The Big 12 Conference is signing TV contracts this week with ESPN and Fox worth a combined $2.6 billion to be paid over 13 years.  The deals guarantee $200 million annually for the conference through 2025.   

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there were three passings of note last week – Art Heyman, Hal David and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Art Heyman, a 6-foot-5 scoring force drafted No. 1 overall by the New York Knicks after leading Duke to its first Final Four in 1963, winning national player of the year, died last week in Florida.  He was 71.  Out of high school, Heyman originally committed to North Carolina, but at the last minute, he chose to go to Duke.  Arthur Bruce Heyman was born in New York City on June 24, 1941.  At his death, he was living in Groveland, Florida. 

Hal David, the Oscar and Grammy-winning lyricist who in the 1960s and 1970s gave pop music vernacular the questions “What’s It All About?,” “What’s New Pussycat?,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose? And “What Do You Get When You Fall in Love?,” died last week in Los Angeles.  He was 91.  His first Top 10 hit was “Magic Moments,” recorded by Perry Como in 1958.  Harold Lane David was born in New York City on May 25, 1921. 

Michael Clarke Duncan, the character actor whose dozens of films included an Oscar-nominated performance as a death row inmate in “The Green Mile” and such other box office hits as “Armageddon,” “Planet of the Apes” and “Kung Fu Panda,” died on Monday.  He was 54.  Duncan was born in Chicago in 1957.