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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Review of the Bowls (so far)

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

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

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


Superlatives

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


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


Week 16 Review

FCS Semifinals

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


Division II Championship

Valdosta State 35, Winston-Salem State 7


Division III Championship

Mount Union 28, St. Thomas 10


Quotes of the Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


In the Huddle

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

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

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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