College Football Week 10 – Bama-LSU and Ducks-USC
When does that 4-team playoff start?

If ever we needed the four-team playoff, which will begin in two years, we may need it now.  The possibility of Alabama, Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame finishing the season undefeated is very real.  And if that happens, I can hear the noise now.  It will be loud.

The list of undefeated teams took a big hit over the weekend.  Five of the 11 unbeatens lost – Florida, Mississippi State, Oregon State, Rutgers, and Ohio.  Florida gave up six turnovers to Georgia, losing to the Dawgs, 17-9.  Miss State finally played a tough team.  The Bulldogs fell to Alabama, 38-7.

Like the Gators, Oregon State and Rutgers were extremely generous to their opponents also.  The Beavers had four turnovers, losing to Washington, 20-17.  The Scarlet Knights had an unbelievable seven turnovers, falling to Kent State, 35-23.  And Ohio got off to a slow start and couldn’t catch up, losing to Miami (Ohio), 23-20.

That leaves six teams without a blemish on their records – Alabama, Oregon, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Louisville and Ohio State.  Like the other four, Louisville and Ohio State could finish the season unbeaten.  But the Cardinals and the Buckeyes aren’t contenders. 

Louisville’s weaker schedule won’t boost the Cardinals into a Top-2 spot even if they are the only undefeated team come December 9.  Several teams with one loss on their record would finish above Louisville in the BCS rankings.  And Ohio State is on probation.  The Buckeyes can’t play in a title game no matter what their record is – not this season.

But Alabama, Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame are contenders.  If all four of them should finish undefeated, prepare for madness.  It would cause the biggest controversy in the history of college football.

What are the odds?  Alabama still has to play LSU (away), Texas A&M, Western Carolina and Auburn – all home.  Then the Tide would have the SEC title game – most likely against Georgia.  Oregon has games remaining against USC (away), California (away), Stanford (home) and Oregon State (away).  Then the Ducks would play the Pac-12 title game – most likely against USC or UCLA, or possibly Arizona State or Arizona.

Kansas State will finish its season against Oklahoma State (home), TCU (away), Baylor (away) and Texas (home).  The Wildcats are not faced with a conference title game.  The Big 12 doesn’t have one.  And finally, Notre Dame’s remaining foes are Pitt (home), Boston College (away), Wake Forest (home) and USC (away).  As an Independent, the Irish don’t play a conference title game.

Wouldn’t it be something if both Alabama and Oregon suffered their first loss in their conference title game?  Then most likely Kansas State and Notre Dame would meet for the national championship.      

There are an infinite number of possibilities and scenarios that we could be faced with as college football plays out the final five weekends of its season.  As easy as some of the opponents may appear, the pressure on an undefeated team gets stronger and stronger as the team remains unbeaten. 

It’s possible that none of the teams could finish undefeated.  We could end up with a slew of one-loss teams.  Then imagine the controversy.

As bad as the situation always looks around this time of the season each year, everything generally pans out.  We end up with two logical teams for the national championship.  But there is always the first time it doesn’t pan out.  Stay tuned!

Five of the six undefeated teams had an easy day on Saturday.  Alabama, as mentioned above, put down Mississippi State, 38-7.  Oregon embarrassed Colorado, 70-14.  Kansas State dispatched Texas Tech, 55-24.  Notre Dame demolished Oklahoma, 30-13, and Ohio State upended Penn State, 35-23.  Only Louisville struggled.  The Cardinals were taken to overtime by Cincinnati, before they put away the Bearcats, 34-31 (OT).

In the only other overtime game Saturday, Michigan State stunned Wisconsin in Madison.  The Spartans beat the Badgers, 16-13 (OT).  In a barnburner in Tampa, Syracuse scored a touchdown with 0:03 left in the game to beat South Florida, 37-36.  The Orange trailed the Bulls 23-3 at halftime.  South Florida coach Skip Holtz could see a pink slip soon.

Speaking of pink slips, the first firing occurred last week.  Idaho fired its coach Robb Akey.  In his sixth season with the Vandals, Akey was 1-7 this year and 20-50 overall at Idaho. 

Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I are off to Gainesville for the upcoming weekend.  We’ll be attending the Missouri-Florida game on Saturday.  The game is a 12 noon start so it sounds like another Bloody Mary tailgate is on tap. 

Speaking of tailgates, I’ve been remiss this season for not giving a shout-out to Dan Kleinbeck and the Big Red Meat Wagon crew in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The BRMW gang throws the best tailgate parties before all Nebraska home games in Lincoln.

And speaking of shout-outs, Rockledge Gator was singing in his sleep the other night.  He was dreaming about Pat Boone and started singing “Bernadine” in his sleep.  Bootsie woke up and started hitting Rockledge Gator with her pillow, but she couldn’t get him to stop. “Oh, oh, oh Bernadine.”

Just before the start of Saturday’s NC State-North Carolina game, my former Wolfpack neighbor Brent Stancil reported that his 3½-year-old son was calling the Tar Heels – “the Stinky Poo-Poos.”  Sounds like Brent has been training his son.               

Touchdown Tom
October 29, 2012
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)

     
Week Nine Review

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Stoops poops – Notre Dame 30, Oklahoma 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 25, Notre Dame 23).  It seems like Bob Stoops can’t win the big game anymore.  His Sooners couldn’t win a yard on the ground.  The stingy Irish defense held OU to a mere 15 yards rushing.  The Sooners won the passing game.  Landry Jones had 374 yards.  The Irish won the rushing game.  But ultimately the Notre Dame defense won the game.  A crowd of 86,031 attended the game in Norman.

RUNNER UP:  That dirty old egg-suckin’ Dawg – Georgia 17, Florida 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Georgia 26).  No, I’m not talking about Georgia.  I’m talking about Will Mustake – the first Florida coach in 23 years to lose two straight to Georgia.  Yeah, Will is back to being a Mustake, while the Gator offense was a mistake – six of them.  Now the Gators know how South Carolina felt last week when the Gamecocks had four turnovers.  Florida’s six turnovers against Georgia were a reminder of how shaky the Gator offense is.  They had been making good progress each week, but the turnovers were a reflection of their carelessness.  And it wasn’t as if Aaron Murray didn’t try to help out the Gators.  Murray was guilty of throwing three interceptions himself.  He only passed for 150 yards and only completed half of his throws.  But the Gator offense couldn’t take advantage of Murray’s kindness.  The Gator defense played good.  In fact, both defenses played good.  A crowd of 84,644 attended the game in Jacksonville.

REST OF THE BEST:  Dismantled – Alabama 38, Mississippi State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Mississippi State 16).  Before the game, we had our doubts about Miss State.  The Bulldogs were undefeated, but they hadn’t beaten anybody.  Well, they played somebody Saturday and they are no longer undefeated.  Then again, Alabama isn’t just somebody.  The Tide are “the” body.  Alabama just seems to take its opponents apart one piece at a time.  And they never miss a step, or a piece, along the way.  The Tide does it on defense and the Tide does it on offense.  Like a precision marching band, Alabama is a precision playing football team.  A crowd of 101,821 attended the game in Tuscaloosa.

Cats leave the Raiders in their litter – Kansas State 55, Texas Tech 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 33, Texas Tech 21).  K-State is definitely the better team, but three turnovers didn’t help Texas Tech’s cause any.  Tech led 10-3 early in the second quarter and only trailed 27-17 halfway through the third quarter.  That’s when the Wildcats scored 28 unanswered points.  Collin Klein passed for 233 yards and rushed for another 83.  A crowd of 50,766 attended the game in Manhattan.

Time out – Louisville 34 Cincinnati 31 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 32, Cincinnati 30).  Louisville scored with 1:56 left in the game to take a 31-24 lead.  But then Cincinnati scored with 1:03 remaining to tie it up again, 31-31.  The Cardinals survived in the first overtime with a 30-yard field goal, after the Bearcats had failed to score.  On fourth down, Louisville flubbed the snap on its first field goal attempt and the game appeared to be headed to a second overtime.  But wait, Cincinnati coach Butch Jones called a timeout just before the snap.  So the Cardinals got to kick again.  A crowd of 53,271 attended the game in Louisville.

The bubble burst – Ohio State 35, Penn State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 24, Ohio State 22).  Braxton Miller couldn’t pass worth a darn, but he could still run with the ball.  Miller was 7-for-19 and one interception passing, but he rushed for 134 yards.  Speaking of rushing, Penn State didn’t know what it was.  The Nittany Lions only had 32 yards on the ground.  Matt McGloin made up for the difference, passing for 327 yards.  But it wasn’t enough to make a big difference.  Leading by only 14-10 late in the third quarter, the Buckeyes put the game away with two quick scores before the quarter ended.  A crowd of 107,818 attended the game in State College.

Devils melt – Florida State 48, Duke 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 37, Duke 25).  This one was over before it began.  Just 19 minutes into the game, the Noles led 31-0.  The Dookies never knew what hit them.  FSU was too balanced, passing for 299 yards and rushing for 261.  A crowd of 71,467 attended the game in Tallahassee.

Ears poppin’ – Nebraska 23, Michigan 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 22, Michigan 20).  Much maligned after the Ohio State game, the Nebraska defense rose to the occasion against Michigan.  The Husker “D” held the Wolverines to 188 total yards – 93 passing and 95 rushing.  While the Nebraska defense was doing its job, the Husker offense held up its end of the bargain.  The “O” had 326 total yards, 166 passing and 160 rushing.  A crowd of 86,160 attended the game in Lincoln.

Wild one – UCLA 45, Arizona State 43 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Arizona State 33).  In what may have been the most exciting game of the weekend, Arizona State took a 43-42 lead over UCLA with 1:33 left in the game.  But as time expired, UCLA kicked a 33-yard field goal to win the game.  The Sun Devils jumped out to a kick 14-0 lead in the first quarter.  ASU never trailed in the game until UCLA first took the lead at 21-17 just before the half.  The Bruins held onto the lead until near the end when ASU went up 43-42, brief as it was.  The two teams combined for 1,021 yards of offense.  A crowd of 55,672 attended the game in Tempe.

Wolves get Tar on their paws – North Carolina 43, NC State 35 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, North Carolina 24).  In another wild game, North Carolina led 25-7 late in the first quarter.  Then NC State woke up and scored 28 unanswered points to take a 35-25 lead at the end of the third quarter.  At that point, the Wolves retired to their den and the Heels scored 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win the game.  In all, the two teams amassed 1,104 yards of offense.  But the Wolfpack only had 67 yards rushing.  A crowd of 62,000 attended the game in Chapel Hill.

Frogs get Poked – Oklahoma State 36, TCU 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 26, TCU 23).  TCU scored the first 14 points and Okie State scored the next 36 points.  It was as simple as that.  A crowd of 57,183 attended the game in Stillwater.

Beaver pelts – Washington 20, Oregon State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 27, Washington 19).  The Huskies kicked a 30-yard field goal with 1:20 on the clock and held on to win.  Four turnovers killed the Beavers.  A crowd of 60,842 attended the game in Seattle.

Look what Rich Rod did – Arizona 39, USC 36 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 34, Arizona 24).  The Trojans led 28-13 early in the third quarter.  Then Arizona scored 26 unanswered points to take a 39-28 lead.  USC never made it back.  The two teams combined for 1,206 yards.  The Trojans were victims of five turnovers.  A crowd of 47,822 attended the game in Tucson.

Cats don’t give up – Northwestern 28, Iowa 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 29, Iowa 27).  Northwestern has this habit of jumping out early and getting a good lead on its opponents.  Then late in the game, the Wildcats often lose the lead and lose the game.  It almost happened again against Iowa.  Northwestern led the Hawkeyes 28-3 throughout most of the third quarter.  By midway through the fourth quarter, Iowa cut the lead to 11 points – 28-17.  But the Hawkeyes got no closer.  A crowd of 44,121 attended the game in Evanston.

Mad in Madison – Michigan State 16, Wisconsin 13 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 22, Michigan State 14).  A real defensive battle, neither team could run the ball.  State had 61 yards rushing to only 19 for Wisconsin.  Did you ever think the Badgers would have a game where they only rush for 19 yards?  Tied 10-10 at the end of regulation, the Spartans won in the first overtime.  A crowd of 80,538 attended the game in Madison.

Wolves on the run – Air Force 48, Nevada 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Nevada 32, Air Force 29).  Nevada’s defense didn’t have an answer for Air Force’s running game.  The Falcons racked up 36 first downs and 600 yards of offense – 461 of the yards rushing.  A crowd of 24,277 attended the game in Colorado Springs.

Cluck, cluck – South Carolina 38, Tennessee 35 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 30, Tennessee 20).  As hard as they tried, the Gamecocks couldn’t shake Tennessee.  The Vols kept hanging in there.  In a passing duel, Tyler Bray tossed for 368 yards and Connor Shaw passed for 356.  A crowd of 80,250 attended the game in Columbia.

Dirty Birdies – Iowa State 35, Baylor 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 35, Iowa State 33).  Baylor had the early lead, but Iowa State took control midway through the second quarter and never looked back.  The game became a passing battle between Nick Florence (426 yards) and Steele Jantz (381 yards).  The Bears suffered four turnovers.  A crowd of 54,877 attended the game in Ames.

Cougars take the Bumble out of the Bees – BYU 47, Georgia Tech 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 19, BYU 18).  BYU held Georgia Tech to 157 yards – 40 passing and 117 rushing.  The Tech defense couldn’t stop the Cougars.  A crowd of 50,103 attended the game in Atlanta.

Is the moving van at Chizik’s house yet? – Texas A&M 63, Auburn 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 25, Auburn 20).  What a massacre.  Early in the third quarter, A&M led 49-7.  If a decision hadn’t been made already to fire Gene Chizik before the game, I’m sure that decision was made after the game.  The Aggies racked up 671 yards of offense on the Tigers.  A crowd of 85,119 attended the game in Auburn.


AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Aggies get a rose – Utah State 48, Texas-San Antonio 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 36, UTSA 15).  The Aggies Chuckie Keeton had another good day, passing for 340 yards.  Utah State held the Roadrunners to 51 yards rushing.  A crowd of 23,519 attended the game in San Antonio.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Bevo’s living on the edge – Texas 21, Kansas 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 35, Kansas 17).  Texas was lucky to win.  The Horns scored on a one-yard touchdown pass with 0:12 left in the game to pull it out.  Neither team could develop a passing game – the Jayhawks least of the two, passing for only 39 yards.  A crowd of 40,097 attended the game in Lawrence.

Boilers shut down – Minnesota 44, Purdue 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Minnesota 23).  Early in the third quarter, the Gophers led 44-7.  Then Purdue decided to get into the game.  But it was too late for the Boilers.  Minnesota had a balanced attack – 246 yards passing and 212 rushing.  A crowd of 41,062 attended the game in Minneapolis.

Week 9 Picks:    12 Correct,    11 Wrong   (52.2 percent)
On the Season:  147 Correct,   59 Wrong   (71.4 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

UCF plastered Marshall, 54-17.  A crowd of 22,563 attended the game in Huntington….  South Florida lost to Syracuse, 37-36.  A crowd of 38,562 attended the game in Tampa….  Florida Atlantic beat Troy, 34-27.  A crowd of 11,968 attended the game in Boca Raton.

Florida International fell to Western Kentucky, 14-6.  A crowd of 12,842 attended the game in Miami….  Bethune-Cookman downed North Carolina Central, 42-17.  A crowd of 5,738 attended the game in Daytona Beach.


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  USC’s Matt Barkley – 31-49-2-493 yards; NC State’s Mike Glennon – 29-52-2-467; Tulane’s Ryan Griffin – 34-42-1-466; Clemson’s Tajh Boyd – 27-38-0-438; Baylor’s Nick Florence – 31-51-1-426; Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater – 24-41-1-416; Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 31-44-1-416, and Washington State’s Jeff Tuel – 43-60-1-401.

Also, Iowa State’s Steele Jantz – 36-52-1-381 yards; San Jose State’s David Fales – 26-38-2-376; Arizona’s Matt Scott – 27-50-1-369; Tennessee’s Tyler Bray – 27-43-1-368; North Carolina’s Bryn Renner – 30-47-1-358; South Carolina’s Connor Shaw – 22-32-1-356; Oklahoma’s Landry Jones – 35-51-1-356, and SMU’s Garrett Gilbert – 25-35-0-353.

Also, Middle Tennessee’s Logan Kilgore – 20-30-0-349 yards; Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton – 27-36-1-340; Western Michigan’s Tyler Van Tubbergen – 32-51-1-333; Texas Tech’s Seth Doege – 35-50-1-331; Akron’s Dalton Williams – 31-51-2-329; Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib – 27-40-0-328; Penn State’s Matt McGloin – 27-45-1-327; Oklahoma State’s Wes Lunt – 18-33-1-324; Pitt’s Tino Sunseri – 20-28-0-321, and Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly – 25-35-1-315.

Also, Miami of Ohio’s Zac Dysert – 21-36-1-311 yards; Ohio’s Tyler Tettleton – 23-38-0-302; Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 35-62-0-298; Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson – 24-43-2-297; Louisiana Tech’s Colby Cameron – 29-44-0-292; California’s Zach Maynard – 20-32-1-288; Boston College’s Chase Rettig – 21-39-0-287; New Mexico State’s Andrew Manley – 18-34-1-283, and Florida State’s E.J. Manuel – 8-16-0-282.      


Impressive Rushers:  Central Michigan’s Zurlon Tipton – 243 yards; Toledo’s David Fluellen – 228 yards; Northwestern’s Kain Colter – 166 yards; UAB’s Darrin Reaves – 166 yards; UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin – 164 yards; Arkansas’ Dennis Johnson – 161 yards; Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews – 158 yards; UCF’s Latavius Murray – 156 yards, and Air Force’s Wes Cobb – 152 yards. 


Quotes of Last Week

“Sorry, Doggies, Gators look too good,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, prior to the Florida-Georgia game.

“Duke coach David Cutcliffe should push for his raise now because he might lose the next four (Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami),” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Tennessee loses today, but wins its last four games and goes to a bowl game,” ESPN analyst Lee Corso, prior to the Tennessee-South Carolina game.


The 20 Hottest and Most Intriguing Games of Week 10…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Alabama (8-0) at LSU (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 8 pm ET, Saturday) – Finally, Alabama meets someone who may be able to match up against them.  But LSU will have to play a mistake-free game, if the Tigers expect to hang around with Bama.  The home field should be some advantage to LSU.  I really can’t see the Tigers scoring on the Tide.  But the Tiger defense may be able to contain Bama.  Then the Tigers will need some luck.  LSU looks for Bama mistakes and can’t find them – Alabama 24, LSU 14.

RUNNER UP:  2. Oregon (8-0) at USC (6-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 7 pm ET, Saturday) – There is no way USC can stop Oregon.  The Trojans have to hope they can keep scoring with the Ducks.  And they could.  But Matt Barkley needs to have an almost perfect game.  The Ducks have a horse – Oregon 40, USC 30.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Texas A&M (6-2) at Mississippi State (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Miss State is in the tougher part of its schedule.  The wins, if at all, won’t come very easily.  But at least the Bulldogs are bowl-eligible.  During their first year in the conference, the Aggies, unlike Missouri, have made an impact on the SEC.  The Collie gets the best of the Bulldog – Texas A&M 25, Mississippi State 19.

4. Oklahoma State (5-2) at Kansas State (8-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ABC, 8 pm ET, Saturday) – The Wildcats are the class of the Big 12 and Collin Klein is the class of the Heisman contenders.  Okie State would like to disrupt those classes.  Cowpokes lose their spurs – Kansas State 43, Oklahoma State 29.

5. Texas (6-2) at Texas Tech (6-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – When the season began, Tommy Tuberville was on the hot seat.  Tuberville has turned-down the heat on his seat.  When the season began Mack Brown was not on the hot seat.  Brown is now feeling the heat.  Tuberville stays cool – Texas Tech 42, Texas 23.

6. Arizona State (5-3) at Oregon State (6-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN2, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Oregon State stumbled last week.  Arizona State lost a heartbreaker.  The Beavers bounce back – Oregon State 32, Arizona State 30.

7. Ole Miss (5-3) at Georgia (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Ole Miss has to be hoping that Georgia is still slap-happy drunk from its win over Florida.  That’s the only way the Rebel Bears can expect to win.  They may find Athens to their liking.  But Uga finds a way to win – Georgia 28, Ole Miss 20.

8. Missouri (4-4) at Florida (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Mizzou has to be hoping it catches Florida down from its loss to Georgia.  If the Tigers do, they could pull off the upset.  But Mustake becomes Muschamp again – Florida 30, Missouri 22.

9. Pitt (4-4) at Notre Dame (8-0) – (Big East vs. Ind.) (TV: NBC, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – The Irish are rolling after the win over Oklahoma.  And the schedule doesn’t pose any threats for the next three games.  The Panthers are the first of three non-threats – Notre Dame 28, Pitt 11.

10. Oklahoma (5-2) at Iowa State (5-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Frustrated from the loss to Notre Dame, the Sooners could run into some problems in Ames.  After all, the Cyclones have nothing to lose.  The Sooners survive – Oklahoma 31, Iowa State 27.

11. Clemson (7-1) at Duke (6-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN2, 7 pm ET, Saturday) – The Dookies are bowl eligible and that’s a good thing.  They may not win any more.  For starters, the Dookies won’t beat the Tigers – Clemson 33, Duke 19.

12. TCU (5-3) at West Virginia (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox, 3 pm ET, Saturday) – The Mountaineers have had two weeks to get rid of their demons and take care of their problems – some obvious, some not.  Now it’s time to get back on the field.  TCU is a wounded animal.  The Frogs could be dangerous.  Kermit gets drunk on moonshine – West Virginia 34, TCU 27.

13. Arizona (5-3) at UCLA (6-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: P12N, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Having just gone through a donnybrook with one team from Arizona, UCLA is about to go through another one with the other team from Arizona.  This one could be wilder.  The Wildcats could still be high from their win over USC.  Expect the unexpected, but the Bruins pull it out – UCLA 34, Arizona 33.

14. San Diego State (6-3) at Boise State (7-1) – (MWC vs. MWC) (TV: CBSSN, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday) – The Aztecs are capable of giving the Broncos some problems.  But in Boise, the problems won’t be as severe – Boise State 35, San Diego State 23.

15. Nebraska (6-2) at Michigan State (5-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – The Huskers had their way with the other Michigan team.  It won’t be so easy with this one.  If there is one thing that can be said about the Spartans: They know how to play defense – with a capital D.  The Spartans are only giving up 12 points-a-game – less than that in regulation.  Two of their games went into overtime.  In spite of the excellent defensive play, it’s been a disappointing year for the Spartans.  Their offense has rarely made an appearance.  Look for a dog fight.  Sparty pops the Corn – Michigan State 19, Nebraska 16.

16. Temple (3-4) at Louisville (8-0) – (Big East vs. Big East) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – The Cardinals have an excellent chance of finishing the season undefeated.  But with each remaining game comes the added pressure.  And the thought that Charlie Strong may not be around next year.  The Cardinals don’t give a hoot for the Owls – Louisville 32, Temple 16.

17. Penn State (5-3) at Purdue (3-5) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – The Nitts’ five-game winning streak came to an end last week.  Now they start a new winning streak – Penn State 31, Purdue 17.

18. Tulsa (7-1) at Arkansas (3-5) – (C-USA vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 12:20 pm ET, Saturday) – Tulsa may be the best team in C-USA.  But are the Golden Hurricane good enough to beat Arkansas?  The Bacon sizzles – Arkansas 33, Tulsa 27.

19. Louisiana-Lafayette (4-3) at Louisiana-Monroe (6-2) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) (TV: SBN, 4 pm ET, Saturday) – Here’s that Louisiana-Hayride team again.  They beat Arkansas and scared the daylights out of Auburn and Baylor.  They’re on a five-game winning streak.  The winning streak continues – Louisiana-Monroe 42, Louisiana-Lafayette 21.

20. Virginia Tech (4-4) at Miami (Florida) (4-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 pm ET, Thursday) – It’s been a disappointing season for both teams.  Eight games into the season, the Hokies aren’t used to be sitting at 4-4.  Tech’s defense, usually its mainstay, has been missing.  And the Hokies offense has been up-and-down.  The Canes were hoping this would be a coming out year, but instead, it has been a frustrating year.  Miami’s offense and defense have shined at times and sputtered at times – no consistency.  Hurricanes surge for the occasion – Miami 30, Virginia Tech 27.     


AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

21. Georgia Tech (3-5) at Maryland (4-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ACCN, 12:30 pm ET, Saturday) – These two teams are struggling to become bowl eligible.  One won’t and the other one may.  And the Terps are struggling to find a quarterback.  But then again, so is Tech.  Turtles box the Bees (even without a quarterback) – Maryland 24, Georgia Tech 23.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

UCF (6-2) hosts SMU (4-4) (TV: CBSSN, 7 pm ET, Saturday)….   South Florida (2-6) entertains Connecticut (3-5) (TV: ESPNU, 7 pm ET, Saturday) ….  Florida Atlantic (2-6) visits Navy (5-3) (TV: CBSSN, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) ….  Florida International (1-8) travels to South Alabama (2-6) (TV: ).

Florida A&M (3-5) is at North Carolina A&T (4-4) (TV: None, 1:30 pm ET, Saturday)….  Bethune-Cookman (6-2) plays at Morgan State (3-5) (TV: None, 1 pm ET, Saturday)….  Jacksonville U. (6-2) is on the road at Butler (7-2) (TV: None, 12 noon ET, Saturday)….  Florida State (8-1) is off.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . UCF and Maryland have announced a two-game, home-and-home series to be played in 2016 and 2017….  Ohio State and Oregon have announced a two-game, home-and-home series to be played in 2020 and 2021.

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there were two passings of note last week – Russell Means and Margaret Osborne duPont.

Russell Means, the charismatic Oglala Sioux who helped revive the warrior image of the American Indian in the 1970s with protests that called attention to the nation’s history of injustices against its indigenous peoples, died last week at his ranch in Porcupine, South Dakota.  He was 72.  In 1987, Means ran for president.  He sought the Libertarian Party nomination, but lost to Ron Paul.  He retired from the American Indian Movement in 1988.  In the 1990s, he appeared in more than 30 movies and television shows, including “The Last of the Mohicans.”  Russell Charles Means was born on the Pine Ridge, South Dakota, reservation on November 10, 1939.  

Margaret Osborne duPont, an American tennis champion who won six Grand Slam singles titles in the middle decades of the 20th century while becoming one of the most dominant doubles players of her era, died last week at her home in El Paso, Texas.  She was 94.  duPont won 37 Grand Slam titles, her last, in mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1962, came at the age of 44.  She was ranked No. 1 in the world among women from 1947 to 1950.  Her son William is a former owner of the Orlando Magic.  Margaret Evelyn Osborne was born on March 4, 1918 in Joseph, Oregon.  By age nine, her family moved to Spokane, Washington.  Two years later, they moved to San Francisco.