College Football Week 19 – Tebow signs multi-year contract with ESPN
‘If you’re traveling to the north country fair
Please say hello to the one who lives there’

Swamp Mama and I hit the road for north Florida on December 23 – not quite as far north as Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash were singing about.  But here in Florida, we were definitely traveling to the ‘north country.’

If there is one thing that is certain, it is Swamp Mama and I driving to the panhandle every December 23 to spend Christmas with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe.

Normally, we take 192 west to the Turnpike; the Turnpike north to I-75; I-75 north to I-10, and I-10 west through Seminole country.  But sometimes we meander.  We like taking the back roads.  Maybe I should rephrase that statement.  I like taking the back roads.  I’m a back road kind of guy.  I can’t always say that about Swamp Mama.   

Monday, last week, the trip began as usual – 192 west to the Turnpike and the Turnpike north to I-75.  But we no sooner hit I-75 and I exited to take Highway 44 west through Inverness to Crystal River.  I didn’t hear any complaints from the shotgun seat.  I figured I was safe.

At Crystal River, I turned right and took U.S. 19 north to I-10.  Between Crystal River and I-10, we stopped for lunch at the Cypress Inn in Shamrock, Florida.  Shamrock appears to be a suburb of Cross City.  Swamp Mama and I walked in the restaurant just in time.  Shortly after we were seated, the place filled up with patrons – all of whom looked like they were straight out of “Duck Dynasty” – camo, beards (men, not the women), tattoos, you name it. 

Swamp Mama and I just smiled at our fellow eaters, ate our lunch and were on our way.  Actually, the food was pretty good.  Swamp Mama had the buffet and I had a sandwich.

The sky had been gray and cloudy since we left home.  The clouds were full of moisture and you just knew it was going to fall.  As we got onto I-10, the rain came.  It came, and it came and it came – pretty hard at times. 

I was worried about driving through Seminole Country in the heavy rain.  Visibility was low.  The rain created a thick, misty fog.  It would have been easy for the Noles to sneak up on us.  But we managed to dodge the spears and arrows as we drove through Chief Osceola’s village.  In the distance, I could vaguely see many of the Seminole braves practicing their Tiger catching techniques. 

The rain remained with us until we reached the Apalachicola River.  As we crossed the river, the rain stopped.  Once on the other side of the Apalachicola, I figured we were out of Seminole country.  Go Gators!  There was no more rain for the remainder of the drive – just gray, cloudy skies.

We arrived at our destination just in time for me to take the stress off a long-day’s drive, by watching a football game.  East Carolina was playing Ohio in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl.  My friend Steve Salaga, an East Carolina graduate, was supposed to be at the game.  Steve should have been happy.  The Pirates beat the Bobcats, 37-20.
 
Swamp Mama and I awoke to a beautiful, but cold, morning on Christmas Eve day.  The sky was clear, blue and sunny – not a cloud in sight.  But it was 35 degrees, warming up to 57 that afternoon.

I saw where Army hired Jeff Monken to replace Rich Ellerson as head coach.  Monken was the coach at Georgia Southern, where he was 38-16 in four seasons.  Previously, he was an assistant coach at Navy and Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson. 

Then I got the news out of Gainesville.  Will Muschamp named Kurt Roper his new offensive coordinator.  Roper was the offensive coordinator at Duke under David Cutcliffe.

That evening, Oregon State beat Boise State, 38-23 in the Hawaii Bowl.  Prior to the game, Bronco quarterback Joe Southwick was sent home for urinating off of a balcony at the team’s hotel.  Southwick was upset, denying he was the culprit.  So much so, that he took a lie detector test when he got home.  He passed the test.  But three of his teammates swore up-and-down that Southwick was guilty.  Either Southwick was lying or his teammates didn’t want him to quarterback the team in the game.  Dissension on the team?  Sounds like Chris Petersen pulled out of Boise State at the right time.  The program appears to be going downhill. 

Christmas Day and it was only appropriate that there were no bowl games.  Watching grandkids open presents is more exciting than listening to Lou Holtz and Rece Davis.  The day was pretty, but cold – 31 degrees in the morning; 59 in the afternoon.

The day after Christmas, known as ‘Boxing Day’ to some, Swamp Mama and I drove to Panama City.  Swamp Mama thinks it’s a day for purchasing more things in boxes.  Somehow, I don’t think that’s what it quite means.  But far be it for me to spoil her fantasy.

We cruised around.  Swamp Mama cruised for shops to spend money in, while I cruised for ‘husband chairs’ in or near the shops.  Before smart phones, I used to take a book with me to read.  Now I spend time on the phone – playing games, checking on sports news, Facebook, whatever.  I think there is a misnomer there somewhere.  Isn’t reading books smarter than playing on phones?

Boxing Day was another pretty day and not as cold – 39 in the morning and 62 in the afternoon.  But the skies did turn cloudy late in the day.  We went to a party that night. 

I read where South Carolina defensive lineman Jeremy Clowney got his second speeding ticket in three weeks.  This time, he was going 84 in a 55mph zone.  The first time – December 7 – he was doing 110 in a 70mph zone.  The cops seemed more interested in getting their picture taken with Clowney than giving him a ticket. 

The day after Christmas, Bowling Green beat Pitt, 30-27, in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, and Utah State beat Northern Illinois, 21-14, in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Friday morning, Swamp Mama and I left the ‘north country’ for our drive back to east-central Florida.  We followed the same route that we took up, but we stopped for lunch in Inverness.  Like the drive up, the skies were cloudy during the entire trip, but there was little rain – just some light, drizzling moisture.

Once home, Marshall vs. Maryland in the Military Bowl was my stress reliever.  The Herd beat the Terrapins, 31-20.  Does Maryland really want to keep Randy Edsall?

Recently, I had read where Tim Tebow’s agent was negotiating with ESPN, Fox and CBS to secure a college football analyst/commentator job for Tebow next season.  The reports said that ESPN had the inside track. 

Sure enough, they did.  Tebow signed a multi-year contract with ESPN.  He will be on the sports network next season, primarily as an SEC analyst.  Tebow will have a weekly Saturday show broadcast from a different SEC campus each week.  He also will provide SEC commentary during the week.  His first appearance is January 6, prior to the Florida State-Auburn game.

Let’s hope Tebow does better than Rocket Ismail and Doug Flutie.  Their contracts with ESPN were short-lived due to their functional illiteracy and verbal disabilities.  Former Florida quarterback Jesse Palmer and Georgia linebacker David Pollack have done well on ESPN.      

Still on Friday, that evening and night, Syracuse beat Minnesota, 21-17, in the Texas Bowl, and Washington, under an interim coach, beat BYU, 31-16, in the Fight Hunger Bowl.

Notre Dame got Saturday off to a start with a 29-16 win over Rutgers in the Pinstripe bowl.  Then North Carolina beat Cincinnati, 39-17, in the Belk Bowl.  During those games, I began reading reports that Penn State coach Bill O’Brien was pretty much a sure thing to be the Houston Texans coach next season in the NFL.  But others said don’t count on it.

Then I read if O’Brien does go to the Texans, Penn State most likely will go after Tampa Bay Bucs coach Greg Schiano.  The assumption being that Tampa will fire Schiano on Monday – December 30.      

Saturday night, there were two big-time whippings.  First Louisville took Miami (Florida) out behind the woodshed and beat the Hurricanes, 36-9.  It was an impressive night for Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.  He may have played his best game of the season, passing for 447 yards.  Miami president Donna Shalala should have self-imposed a bowl ban on Miami again this year.  Is Al Golden overrated? 

Then, Kansas State took Michigan out behind the woodshed and beat the Wolverines to the tune of 31-14.  Is Michigan any better under Brady Hoke that it was under Rich Rodriguez?

As expected, Greg Schiano was fired yesterday. 

Then I read about an Alabama couple who named their newest son Krimson Tyde – Krimson Tyde Steele.  Krimson Tyde, who was born on December 17, has two older brothers – Trenton and Dawson.  Wonder if Krimson learns to roll before he crawls?  Roll Tyde!

In the first of four games yesterday, Navy beat Middle Tennessee, 24-6, in the Armed Forces Bowl.  Last year, Middle Tennessee was spurned by the bowls – failing to get an invite.  The Blue Raiders shouldn’t have been invited to a bowl this year.  Their defense played like a bunch of cheap thugs.

Next up, Ole Miss downed Georgia Tech, 25-17, in the Music City Bowl.  I should have known better than to pick an ACC team over an SEC team.

As the Alamo Bowl began between Texas and Oregon, new Longhorn athletic director Steve Patterson said he wants to have a new coach named at Texas by January 15 at the latest.  Oregon beat the Longhorns, 30-7.  It was a sad finale to Mack Brown’s career, but the score indicates why Brown was ousted.  The Texas band gave a nice ‘shout out’ to Mack Brown at halftime.  The Longhorn band spelled out “Mack Brown” on the field and the crowd of nearly 66,000 responded with a standing ovation.

In the nightcap last night, Texas Tech, who finished the season losing five-straight games, pulled a big-time surprise on Arizona State, beating the Sun Devils, 37-23, in the Holiday Bowl.  Red Raider quarterback Davis Webb was an accurate passer, throwing for 403 yards.

I have to make an admission.  I couldn’t make it through the Texas Tech-Arizona State game.  I went to bed at the end of the first quarter.  But you know who watched the entire game.  And you know why.  Normally, she is in bed long before I am.  In fact, as I got up to go to bed, she said, “Leave the TV on.  I know how to turn it off.”

I’m sure Swamp Mama had sweet dreams last night.

Well, I’m sitting at a precarious position in my bowl game picks at 10-9.  Four more games today and 12 in the New Year.  Keep on bowling, my friends – 19 down, 16 to go. 

“Many times I’ve often prayed
In the darkness of my night
In the brightness of my day”

Have a Hoppin’ John day!  Happy New Year!

Touchdown Tom
December 31, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Review of the Bowls (15 of them)

Pirates fillet the Bobcats (in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl) – East Carolina 37, Ohio 20 (Touchdown Tom said: East Carolina 34, Ohio 21).  This was a tight game until midway through the fourth quarter, when Ohio ran out of steam and ECU ran away with the game.  The teams combined for 1,003 yards of offense, but the Bobcats had no running game – only 107 yards rushing.  The Pirates’ Vintavious Cooper, alone, had 198 yards rushing.  Three turnovers – all interceptions – didn’t help Ohio any.  Most of those came in the latter half of the fourth quarter.  A crowd of 20,053 attended the game in St. Petersburg. 

Beavs sharpen their teeth (in the Hawaii Bowl) – Oregon State 38, Boise State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 38, Boise State 31).  This game was over in the first half.  Oregon State led 17-3 at the end of the first quarter and 31-6 at halftime.  Boise State rallied late, scoring the last 17 points of the game.  But it was too little too late.  The Beavers Sean Mannion completed 73 percent of his passes.  In a losing effort, the Broncos Grant Hedrick passed for 382 yards.  A crowd of 29,106 attended the game in Honolulu.

The moon hit Pitt in the eye (in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl) – Pitt 30, Bowling Green 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 28, Pitt 21).  Pitt’s Chris Blewitt kicked a 39-yard field goal with 01:17 remaining in the game and the Panthers held on to win.  A tight contest throughout, the game was tied at three different times and each team held the lead at least once during the game.  The surprise was Pitt’s James Conner who rushed for 229 yards.  Meanwhile, rushing was the Falcons’ weakness.  BG only managed 10 yards rushing.  There were no turnovers in the game.  A crowd of 26,259 attended the game in Detroit.

Lynch gets pinned (in the Poinsettia Bowl) – Utah State 21, Northern Illinois 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 30, Northern Illinois 29).  The key to Utah State’s win was the Aggies ability to contain the running of NIU’s Jordan Lynch.  Lynch, normally a dangerous runner, only had 39 yards rushing.  As a team, the Huskies only had 99 yards rushing.  A crowd of 23,408 attended the game in San Diego.

Marco pulls rank (in the Military Bowl) – Marshall 31, Maryland 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Maryland 28, Marshall 24).  Marshall led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and 17-13 at the half.  Neither team scored in the third quarter.  Maryland took a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter.  It was all Marshall after that.  Herd quarterback Rakeem Cato was the star of the game, passing for 337 yards and no interceptions.  Maryland was a measly 2-for-14 on third down conversions.  A crowd of 30,163 attended the game in Annapolis.

Gettin’ juicy with it (in the Texas Bowl) – Syracuse 21, Minnesota 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 33, Syracuse 27).  Trailing 17-14, Syracuse scored on a 12-yard run by Terrel Hunt with 01:14 remaining in the game and the Orange held on to win.  The touchdown was setup by 70-yard punt return.  A low-scoring game in the first half, Syracuse led 7-3 at the break.  The Orange built the lead to 14-3 in the third quarter.  But Minnesota scored two unanswered touchdowns early in the fourth to grab a 17-14 lead.  A crowd of 32,327 attended the game in Houston. 

Huskies raid the food bank (in the Fight Hunger Bowl) – Washington 31, BYU 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 35, BYU 26).  A tight game in the first half, Washington led 21-16 at the break.  Thirty of the game’s 47 points were scored in the second quarter.  The defenses took control in the second half.  The Huskies shutout the Cougars, while only scoring 10 points themselves.  In a losing effort, BYU quarterback Taysom Hill passed for 293 yards and rushed for 133.  A crowd of 34,136 attended the game in San Francisco.

Irish cover the bases (in the Pinstripe Bowl) – Notre Dame 29, Rutgers 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 26, Rutgers 18).  This was a tight game until late in the fourth quarter when Notre Dame scored 10 points in the final four minutes to put the game out of reach.  The score was tied on three different occasions.  The Irish dominated in the stats – 31 first downs to 16 for Rutgers and 494 yards of offense to 236 for Rutgers.  The Irish held the Knights to only 80 yards rushing.  ND’s Tommy Rees passed for 319 yards.  Four turnovers didn’t help Rutgers any.  A crowd of 47,122 attended the game in New York City.

High Heels spike the Bearcats (in the Belk Bowl) – North Carolina 39, Cincinnati 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 32, North Carolina 24).  North Carolina led Cincinnati 16-0 at the half, 29-3 early in the third quarter and 36-10 late in the third quarter.  In spite of the score, the two teams were evenly matched in the stats – 23-20 UNC in first downs; 349 to 345 Cincinnati in total yards; 181 to 171 Cincinnati in passing yards and 174 to 168 UNC in rushing yards.  A crowd of 45,211 attended the game in Charlotte. 

Like a Bridge over troubled water, Teddy laid the Canes down (in the Russell Athletic Bowl) – Louisville 36, Miami 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Louisville 28).  Miami scored first and Miami scored last.  In between, it was all Louisville.  The Cardinals totally dominated the game in all accounts.  Louisville had 554 yards of offense to Miami’s 174.  The Canes only had 14 yards rushing.  The Cardinals Teddy Bridgewater was the star of the game, passing for 447 yards, completing 78 percent of his passes.  A crowd of 51,098 attended the game in Orlando.

The Wildcats were the Victors Valiant and the Conqu’ring Heroes (in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl) – Kansas State 31, Michigan 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, Michigan 26).  Midway through the second quarter, Michigan was still in the game.  Kansas State led 14-6.  Then the Wildcats went to work, scoring 17 unanswered points to build a 31-6 lead by late in the fourth quarter.  Michigan scored a “who cares” touchdown with 01:15 left in the game.  K-State’s defense held the Wolverines to 65 yards rushing.  The Wildcats quarterback Jake Waters passed for 271 yards, completing 78 percent of his passes.  A crowd of 53,284 attended the game in Tempe. 

Middies float, Raiders sink (in the Armed Forces Bowl) – Navy 24, Middle Tennessee 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 35, Middle Tennessee 25).  This was anybody’s ballgame until the fourth quarter when Navy took control and left the Blue Raiders in their wake.  The Middies led 10-6 at the half.  Neither team scored in the third quarter.  In the final period, Navy added 14 points to their score.  The Middies only passed for 19 yards, but that’s all the passing you need to do when you rush for 366 yards.  Middle Tennessee was held to 91 yards rushing.  A crowd of 39,246 attended the game in Fort Worth.

Rebels break out the bug spray (in the Music City Bowl) – Ole Miss 25, Georgia Tech 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 27, Ole Miss 24).  Ole Miss led 23-7 at the end of the third quarter.  Then Georgia Tech rallied to pull within 23-17 early in the fourth quarter.  After the rally, it was a stalemate for the rest of the game, with the Rebels getting a safety with 04:22 left on the clock.  Ole Miss dominated the Yellow Jackets in the statistics.  A crowd of 52,125 attended the game in Nashville.

The Quack puts Mack in the sack (in the Alamo Bowl) – Oregon 30, Texas 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 37, Texas 30).  Oregon took control of this game from the get go.  Although the Ducks only led 13-7 late in the second quarter, there was no doubt about who was going to win this game.  Oregon was so much superior to Texas.  The Ducks had 24 first downs to 13 for Texas, and 469 total yards to 236 for Texas.  Oregon had a balanced attack with 253 yards passing and 216 yards rushing.  Texas only had 56 yards passing.  Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota put on a real show, passing for 253 yards and rushing for another 133 yards.  A crowd of 65,918 attended the game in San Antonio.

The Kingsbury doughboy is back on the throne again (in the Holiday Bowl) – Texas Tech 37, Arizona State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 40, Texas Tech 29).  Texas Tech got the jump on Arizona State from the start and held off the Sun Devils rallies to win the game.  The Red Raiders never trailed in the game and led by as much as 27-6 midway through the second quarter.  An ASU rally pulled the Sun Devils to within seven points at 27-20 in the third quarter.  Still in the third, Texas Tech added 10-straight points to rebuild its lead.  With 13:39 to go in the game, Tech led 37-23.  There was still plenty of time for the Sun Devils to tie or go ahead in the game.  But neither team scored in the final 13:39 minutes.  ASU quarterback Taylor Kelly passed for 125 yards and rushed for another 135.  Tech quarterback Davis Webb passed for 403 yards, completing 68 percent of his passes.  A crowd of 52,930 attended the game in San Diego.  

Last Week’s Bowl Picks:        2 Correct, 2 Wrong (50.0 percent)
Running Bowl Game Picks: 10 Correct, 9 Wrong (52.6 percent)


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater – 35-45-0 for 447 yards; Texas Tech’s Davis Webb – 28-41-0-403; Boise State’s Grant Hedrick – 32-44-0-382; Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 28-44-0-337; Notre Dame’s Tommy Rees – 27-47-0-319, and BYU’s Taysom Hill – 25-48-1-293.


Impressive Rushers:  Pitt’s James Conner – 229 yards, and East Carolina’s Vintavious Cooper – 198 yards. 


Quotes of the Week

“Gee, why am I not surprised?,” ESPN analyst Mark May, responding to Lou Holtz, when Holtz said, “None of my teams ever gave me a standing ovation.”

“Never before needed a Heimlich at halftime.  Or any time!  Thanks Jesse Palmer!  He saved me from death by dry chicken sandwich.  Really,” ESPN’s Chris Fowler who was saved from choking by Jesse Palmer at halftime of the Pinstripe Bowl.

“Well, the Ducks look presentable tonight,” Swamp Mama, on Oregon’s uniforms in the Alamo Bowl. 

“That’s for you to decide.  I don’t think in those terms.  I think of how we can prepare and what’s next,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, after the Alamo Bowl win, when asked if he thought this season was a success.  (The Ducks finished 11-2.)

“I think it’s best for Texas.  It’s best for me.  It’s best for the players.  We need to win more than eight games.  I really thought we had a chance to win all the games this year.  It didn’t work.  It’s my job to make that work,” Texas coach Mack Brown, after his final game with the Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl.

“I’m very embarrassed for our program,” Arizona State coach Todd Graham, after the loss to Texas Tech in the Holiday bowl.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Southern Illinois assistant coach Kyle Schweigert was named the new coach at North Dakota…. Auburn’s Gus Malzahn was named the AP coach of the year.

Florida State’s Jameis Winston was named the AP player of the year….  Arizona State and Texas Tech have agreed to a two-game, home-and-home series to be played in 2016 and 2017….  New York Jets assistant coach Brian VanGorder is Bryan Kelly’s new defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but on New Year’s Eve as the bowl season was peaking and college football fans were ready to celebrate, ringing in the New Year, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1943 was “Paper Doll” by The Mills Brothers

…65 years ago this week in 1948 was “Buttons and Bows” by Dinah Shore

…60 years ago this week in 1953 was “Rags to Riches” by Tony Bennett

…55 years ago this week in 1958 was “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” by David Seville and the Chipmunks

…50 years ago this week in 1963 was “Dominque” by The Singing Nun

…45 years ago this week in 1968 was “I Heard It through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye

…40 years ago this week in 1973 was “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce

…35 years ago this week in 1978 was “Le Freak” by Chic

…30 years ago this week in 1983 was “Say Say Say” by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson

…25 years ago this week in 1988 was “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison

…20 years ago this week in 1993 was “Hero” by Mariah Carey


Not directly college football related, but sadly there were three passings of note last week – Mike Hegan, Paul Blair and Andy Granatelli.

Mike Hegan, the scion of a Cleveland baseball family who played a dozen seasons elsewhere in the big leagues, but returned to his hometown as a long-time broadcaster for the Indians, died last week in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  He was 71.  From 1964 to 1977, Hegan had two stints with the New York Yankees and two with the Milwaukee Brewers.  He also played for the Seattle Pilots and the Oakland A’s.  Hegan, a first baseman and outfielder, played in one All-Star game and two World Series.  James Michael Hegan was born in Cleveland on July 21, 1942, and grew up there, in Lynn, Massachusetts and in Lakewood, Ohio.  He was the son of Jim Hegan, the starting catcher for the Cleveland Indians from 1946 to 1956.  After graduating from high school in Cleveland, Hegan played football and baseball one year for Holy Cross, before signing with the Yankees in 1961.  After retiring from the Brewers in 1977, Hegan became the television color commentator for the team.  He returned to Cleveland in 1989 and broadcast the Indians games on TV and radio for 23 seasons.           

Paul Blair, a center fielder for four World Series champions – the Baltimore Orioles twice and the New York Yankees twice – died last week in Baltimore.  He was 69.  Blair was known for his speed and grace.  Blair won eight Gold Glove awards.  He was the Orioles starting center fielder from 1965 to 1976.  Blair was a reserve outfielder for the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.  He played the 1979 season with the Cincinnati Reds.  Blair returned to the Yankees in 1980, but was released from the team at mid-season.   Paul L. D. Blair was born on February 1, 1944, in Cushing, Oklahoma.  When he was young, his family moved to Los Angeles where Blair played high school basketball, baseball and was a high jumper.  After his baseball playing days were over, Blair had a number of jobs in the sport, including as a college coach at Fordham and Coppin State.

Andy Granatelli, a colorful entrepreneur who turned STP oil treatment into a national institution and built racecars that won the Indianapolis 500 in 1969 and 1973, died last week in Santa Barbara, California.  He was 90.  Granatelli last entered a car in Indianapolis in 1974.  He sponsored Richard Petty in NASCAR races from 1972 to 1981.  Anthony Granatelli was born March 18, 1923, in Dallas and grew up in Chicago.  He dropped out of school at 14.  After working in a grocery store, Granatelli and his two brothers became auto mechanics. 

College Football Week 18 – Four bowls down, 31 to go
Nursing a hot toddy or 2,
while waiting for Santa

I wish.  But it’s too warm in central Florida to be nursing a hot toddy.  That, however, will change soon, as Swamp Mama and I are about to head up to north Florida where the temps are considerably cooler – and forecast to become colder than cooler.  I better pack the woolies.

Meanwhile, I’m still here in east-central Florida with the air conditioner running.  And I’ve been doing my share of running – running around caught up in last minute Christmas shopping. 

Out and about, I just can’t believe all the vehicles I’ve seen, bearing Florida State banners and flags.  Where did all these Seminole fans come from?  Where have you been for the past several years? 

FSU fans are crawling out of the woodwork.  They are coming out of the closet – no pun intended.  They are showing up on the Internet – on Facebook.  Many of them don’t know the difference between a baseball and a football.  But they are waving the Seminole flag – fanning the smoke signals.

It’s amazing what an undefeated season and a spot in the national championship game will do to some people – even those who don’t know the difference between a quarterback and a linebacker – much less, a placekicker and a punter.  Talking about the upcoming title game, I’ve heard some of these FSU people say, “I don’t think I can stand it if the game goes into extra innings.”  Or, “I hope the game doesn’t come down to penalty kicks.”

Speaking of kicks, my hygienist got her kicks in the other day.  In the midst of getting my teeth cleaned, Monica, an FSU grad of all things, flippantly says, “So what happened to the Gators this year?”  As much as I wanted to utter something nasty in response, I restrained myself, since Monica was standing over me, holding a sharp object in my mouth.

Had I responded, I could just hear Monica saying, “Oh, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to jab you in the gum.  Does it hurt?  Oh, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to jab you again.”

You know how vindictive those Noles can be?  Actually, Monica is a sweetheart.  And a funny thing that is even funnier now – for the longest time, I thought Monica was an Auburn graduate.  Glad I found out sooner than later.

Monica is like our nurse friend down the street – Jane Sharpe, who is also an FSU grad.  Jane is a sweetheart.  Well, most of the time.  Just not during some football seasons – like this football season.  But Swamp Mama and I will always be Jane’s two favorite Gators.  Well, most of the time.

Speaking of most, most of the schools – 13 – that fired or lost their football coaches have hired replacements.  Only two, the most recent to dump their coaches, are still searching – Army and Texas.  The Longhorns may take a while, as the school has formed an eight-man search committee to assist with the hiring of a new coach.  Texas wants to make sure it gets the right man.

Speaking of “the right man” I’ve seen several names suggested as candidates for the Texas job.  They are San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, UCLA coach Jim Mora, Miami (Florida) coach Al Golden, Vanderbilt coach James Franklin, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, LSU coach Les Miles, Stanford coach David Shaw and former NFL coach and current NFL analyst for ESPN John Gruden.  But then, Gruden’s name pops up with every big opening.

To me, the most curious names on that list are Jimbo Fisher and Les Miles.  As is often the case, probably no one on that list will end up with the job.  It’s never the obvious ones.  It will be someone nobody expected. 

Nine schools fired their coaches this season – Army, Connecticut, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Miami (Ohio), Texas, USC, Wake Forest and Wyoming.  Four other schools lost their coaches to some of the openings created above – Arkansas State, Boise State, Bowling Green and Washington.  Unless Army and Texas hire someone away from another school, that should be all the openings for the season.  Army is not likely too, but from the names mentioned above and others not mentioned Texas could well create another opening.  Stay tuned.

Speaking of openings at a school, Arkansas State is on its fifth coach in five seasons.  Steve Roberts, who coached the Red Wolves for nine seasons, was fired following the 2010 season.  After just one season (2011) Hugh Freeze left Arkansas State for Ole Miss.  Then after one season (2012), Gus Malzahn left for Auburn.  This year, after one season (2013), Bryan Harsin left for Boise State.  Former North Carolina offensive coordinator Blake Anderson is the latest hire to coach the Red Wolves.    They used to call Miami (Ohio) the “Cradle of Coaches.”  Arkansas State may have replaced Miami with that designation.  

And speaking of a blast from the past, I read last week where former Miami (Florida), Cleveland Browns and North Carolina coach Butch Davis put his name in the hat for some of the 13 openings this season.  Apparently to no avail.  But Army still remains open.  Last week, Army fired Rich Ellerson who was 20-41 in five seasons at West Point – 3-9 this season.  Most damaging to Ellerson, he was 0-5 against Navy and 1-4 against Air Force. 

I still can’t believe Johnny Manziel was a Heisman finalist.  The 30 voters who placed Manziel first on their ballot should be banned from Heisman voting.  Baylor’s Bryce Petty should have been a finalist.  Petty’s passing numbers and Baylor’s record (11-1) were better this season than Robert Griffin III’s and Baylor’s (10-3) when RG3 won the Heisman.  Nuff said.

A Big Ten crew will officiate the last BCS National Championship game between Auburn and Florida State on January 6 in Pasadena.  And for future reference, the first three National Playoff Championship Games will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (January 12, 2015), the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (January 11, 2016) and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa (January 9, 2017). 

Florida Gator fans are still waiting to hear who Will Muschamp will hire as his new offensive coordinator.  Three often mentioned for the job – Mike Norvell, Blake Anderson and Clay Helton – are no longer available.  Norvell is remaining at Arizona State where he was promoted to deputy head coach.  Anderson was named the new coach at Arkansas State, and Helton is remaining at USC as offensive coordinator under new coach Steve Sarkisian.    

The bowl season began Saturday with four games – two were exciting and/or close and two weren’t.  Colorado State surprised Washington State, 48-45, in the New Mexico Bowl.  The Rams pulled off a big rally to win.  USC played well under interim coach Clay Helton, rocking Fresno State 45-20.  New Trojan coach Steve Sarkisian watched from the press box.

San Diego State blasted Buffalo, 49-24, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.  And in the nightcap, Louisiana-Lafayette won its third-straight New Orleans Bowl, edging Tulane, 24-21.

As mentioned above Swamp Mama and I are off to north Florida to spend Christmas with Princes Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe.  On the way, we’ll be driving through Meggsville – sometimes known as Willie Town.  We won’t have to worry about driving over the speed limit through the town.  The cops there never have enough evidence to charge you. 

I can’t say that when I’m sitting in the chair getting my teeth cleaned.

Season’s Greetings…….………..Merry Christmas………………Happy Holidays

Touchdown Tom
December 22, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Review of the Bowls (so far)

Second half ended same as the first, but for Washington State it was much worse (in the New Mexico Bowl) – Colorado State 48, Washington State 45 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 36, Colorado State 31).  Down 35-13 near the end of the first half, Colorado State scored a touchdown with 59 seconds remaining and a field goal as time expired to pull with 35-23 at halftime.  Trailing 45-37 near the end of the game, Colorado State scored a touchdown with 33 seconds remaining and a field goal as time expired to win the game 48-45.  Two fumbles at the wrong time and the lack of a running game destroyed Washington State.  The Cougars finished with -10 yards rushing.  A crowd of 27,104 attended the game in Albuquerque.  

Third coach was a charm (in the Las Vegas Bowl) – USC 45, Fresno State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, Fresno State 27).  Playing under its third head coach – and second interim coach (Clay Helton) – of the season, USC came out strong, rattling Fresno State, as the Trojans built up a 35-6 halftime lead.  Trojan quarterback Cody Kessler had one of his best games of the season, while Bulldogs quarterback Derek Carr had one of his worst.  The USC defense held Fresno State to 37 yards rushing.  A crowd of 42,178 attended the game in Las Vegas.

The Bulls got scalloped (in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) – San Diego State 49, Buffalo 24 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 32, Buffalo 25).  The weather should have been more to Buffalo’s liking, but it was the Aztecs who gave the Bulls a chill.  With the running of Adam Muema – 229 yards – San Diego State built up a 42-10 lead by the start of the fourth quarter.  The Aztecs played their best game of the season.  Buffalo may have played its worst.  A crowd of 21,951 attended the game in Boise.

Two mules fighting over a turnip (in the New Orleans Bowl) – Louisiana-Lafayette 24, Tulane 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulane 24, Louisiana-Monroe 21).  What began as an offensive thriller, ended as a defensive dud.  ULL led Tulane 21-14 at the half, but the two teams only managed a total of 10 points in the second half.  The defenses played well.  The offenses – running and passing – were uninspiring.  Tied 21-21 early in the fourth quarter, the Ragin’ Cajuns kicked a game-deciding field goal.  Neither team scored in the final 10 minutes of the game.  ULL won its third-straight New Orleans Bowl.  A crowd of 54,728 attended the game in New Orleans. 

Last Week’s Bowl Picks:   2 Correct, 2 Wrong (50.0 percent)
Total Bowl Game Picks:    2 Correct, 2 Wrong (50.0 percent)


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 37-58-1 for 410 yards; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 31-50-1-369, and USC’s Cody Kessler – 22-30-1-344 


Impressive Rushers:  San Diego State’s Adam Muema – 229 yards and Colorado State’s Kapri Bibbs – 169 yards.


Weekend Recap

FCS Semifinals

North Dakota State 52, New Hampshire 14
Towson 35, Eastern Washington 31


Division II Championship

NW Missouri State 43, Lenoir-Rhyne 28


Division III Championship:

UW-Whitewater 52, Mount Union 14


Quotes of the Week

“You don’t write scripts like this,” Colorado State coach Jim McElwain, after the Rams come from behind win over Washington State.

“This is a team that hopefully will be remember forever in USC history,” USC quarterback Cody Kessler, after the Trojans win over Fresno State.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Georgia State and UAB have scheduled a two-game, home-and-home series for 2015 and 2016….  Utah State’s non-conference schedule for the 2014 season consists of Wake Forest, Tennessee, BYU, Idaho State and Arkansas State.

The 2014 meeting between Notre Dame and Purdue will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis….  Notre Dame and Boston College will play their 2015 game in Fenway Park….  James Madison hired Ohio state assistant coach Everett Withers as its football coach.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly there were three passings of note last week – Tom Laughlin, Ray Price and Audrey Totter.  

Tom Laughlin, the actor, writer, director and producer who created the “Billy Jack” movie series of the 1970s, died last week in Los Angeles.  He was 82.  There were four movies in the series.  Thomas Robert Laughlin Jr. was born in Milwaukee on August 10, 1931.  He played football at Marquette University and the University of South Dakota. 

Ray Price, who was at the forefront of two revolutions in country music and was one of its finest ballad singers and hit makers, died last week at his home in Mount Pleasant, Texas.  He was 87.  Over a career that began in the early 1950s, Price placed more than 100 singles on the country charts, including Top 10 hits like “Crazy Arms,” “City Lights,” “Heartaches by the Number” and “Make the World Go Away.”  He hired future country stars to play in his band, including Roger Miller, Willie Nelson and Johnny Paycheck.  Price was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996.  In 1970, his recording of Kris Kristofferson’s “For the Good Times” was a No. 1 country hit and made it to No. 11 on the Billboard pop charts.  It also won a Grammy Award for best male vocal country performance.  Noble Ray Price was born on January 12, 1926, in Perryville, Texas.  His parents divorced and Price was raised in Dallas by his mother, but spent his summers on his father’s farm.  He served in the Marines from 1944 to 1946.  After the Marines, Price enrolled at North Texas State and planned to study veterinary medicine.  He began singing in college and signed with Columbia Records in 1951.  Then Price moved to Nashville at the urging of Hank Williams.  By the mid-1980s, he faded off the country charts, but he continued to record and tour.  For decades, Price maintained a working ranch in Texas.  In 2007, he released the album “Last of the Breed,” a collaboration with Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.  It won a Grammy.  

Audrey Totter, 95, a star of Hollywood’s noir films of the 1940s, died last week in West Hills, California.  She was 95.  Totter’s films included “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1946), “Lady in the Lake” (1947), “The Unsuspected” (1947), “High Wall” (1947), “The Set-Up” (1949) and “Tension” (1950).  Audrey Mary Totter was born on December 20, 1917, in Joliet, Illinois.  Totter’s film career largely ended in the 1950s, but she had several recurring roles on television in the 1960s and 1970s, including as Nurse Wilcox on “Medical Center.”

College Football Week 17 – Mack Brown ousted
Where the bowl games glisten
and the football fans listen
to hear Lee Corso in the snow

Said Touchdown Tom to the football fans:
“Do you see what I see?”

Touchdown Tom’s Annual Bowl Game Forecast: 

New Mexico Bowl – Albuquerque, New Mexico
(University Stadium)
2 pm ET, December 21 – ESPN
Cougars dodge the Rams
Washington State 36, Colorado State 31

Las Vegas Bowl – Las Vegas, Nevada
(Sam Boyd Stadium)
3:30 pm ET, December 21 – ABC
Trojans sing “Danke Schoen” to the Bulldogs
USC 33, Fresno State 27   

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Boise, Idaho
(Bronco Stadium)
5:30 pm ET, December 21 – ESPN
Aztecs sear the Bulls
and mash their potatoes
San Diego State 32, Buffalo 25

New Orleans Bowl – New Orleans, Louisiana
(Mercedes-Benz Superdome)
9 pm ET, December 21 – ESPN
The Wave has Boudreaux looking Green
Tulane 24, Louisiana-Lafayette 21

Beef O’Brady’s Bowl – St. Petersburg, Florida
(Tropicana Field)
2 pm ET, December 23 – ESPN
Pirates feast on Bobcat burgers
East Carolina 34, Ohio 21

Hawaii Bowl – Honolulu, Hawaii
(Aloha Stadium)
8 pm ET, December 24 – ESPN
He’s got electric boots, a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
Benny and the Beavers
Oregon State 38, Boise State 31

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl – Detroit, Michigan
(Ford Field)
6 pm ET, December 26 – ESPN
The Falcons like Panther on their pizza
Bowling Green 28, Pitt 21   

Poinsettia Bowl – San Diego, California
(Qualcomm Stadium)
9:30 pm ET, December 26 – ESPN
The Aggies gush
As the Huskies fail to mush
Utah State 30, Northern Illinois 29  

Military Bowl – Annapolis, Maryland
(Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)
2:30 pm ET, December 27 – ESPN
Marco caught napping
As Testudo goes snapping 
Maryland 28, Marshall 24 

Texas Bowl – Houston, Texas
(Reliant Stadium)
6 pm ET, December 27 – ESPN
Goldy squeezes Otto to a pulp
Minnesota 33, Syracuse 27

Fight Hunger Bowl – San Francisco, California
(AT&T Park)
9:30 pm ET, December 27 – ESPN2
The Huskies book the Mormons
Washington 35, BYU 26

Pinstripe Bowl – Bronx, New York
(Yankee Stadium)
12 noon ET, December 28 – ESPN
The Irish take the Knights on a pub crawl
Notre Dame 26, Rutgers 18   

Belk Bowl – Charlotte, North Carolina
(Bank of America Stadium)
3:20 pm ET, December 28 – ESPN
Bearcats rub the Tar off the Heels
Cincinnati 32, North Carolina 24

Russell Athletic Bowl – Orlando, Florida
(Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium)
6:45 pm ET, December 28 – ESPN
The Cardinals can’t grind the Canes
Miami 30, Louisville 28

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl – Tempe, Arizona
(Sun Devil Stadium)
10:15 pm ET, December 28 – ESPN
The Wildcats sing
As Hoke chokes on a wing
Kansas State 27, Michigan 26

Armed Forces Bowl – Fort Worth, Texas
(Amon G. Carter Stadium)
11:45 am ET, December 30 – ESPN
Raiders can’t get through the Naval blockade
Navy 35, Middle Tennessee 25   

Music City Bowl – Nashville, Tennessee
(LP Field)
3:15 pm ET, December 30 – ESPN
Buzz makes the music
Georgia Tech 27, Ole Miss 24

Alamo Bowl – San Antonio, Texas
(Alamodome)
6:45 pm ET, December 30 – ESPN
Longhorns suffer a Brown out
Oregon 37, Texas 30

Holiday Bowl – San Diego, California
(Qualcomm Stadium)
10:15 pm ET, December 30 – ESPN
Ain’t no Holiday for Kliffy
Arizona State 40, Texas Tech 29

AdvoCare Bowl – Shreveport, Louisiana
(Independence Stadium)
12:30 pm ET, December 31 – ESPN2
Wildcats cream the Jesuits,
But with Care
Arizona 30, Boston College 26

Sun Bowl – El Paso, Texas
(Sun Bowl)
2 pm ET, December 31 – CBS
Bruins drive the Beamer
UCLA 24, Virginia Tech 17

Liberty Bowl – Memphis, Tennessee
(Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium)
4 pm ET, December 31 – ESPN
Bully likes it fried
Mississippi State 26, Rice 23

Chick-fil-A – Atlanta, Georgia
(Georgia Dome)
8 pm ET, December 31 – ESPN
Manziel’s a Devil in disguise
Texas A&M 39, Duke 29

Gator Bowl – Jacksonville, Florida
(EverBank Field)
12 noon ET, January 1 – ESPN2
Uga’s no Corn Dawg
Georgia 30, Nebraska 20

Heart of Dallas Bowl – Dallas, Texas
(Cotton Bowl)
12 noon ET, January 1 – ESPNU
Runnin’ Rebels get to the Heart of the Matter
UNLV 21, North Texas 20

Capital One Bowl – Orlando, Florida
(Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium)
1 pm ET, January 1 – ABC
Cocky comes home to roost
South Carolina 26, Wisconsin 22

Outback Bowl – Tampa, Florida
(Raymond James Stadium)
1 pm ET, January 1 – ESPN
Down came a Hawkeye to drink at the billabong
Up jumps the Tiger and grabs him with glee
And the Mad Hatter sang as he shoved that bird in his tucker bag
You’ll come a waltzing Herky with me
LSU 27, Iowa 23

Rose Bowl – Pasadena, California
(Rose Bowl)
5 pm ET, January 1 – ESPN
The picture tells the story:
The Cardinal get the Rose
The Spartans get tattooed
Stanford 22, Michigan State 20

Fiesta Bowl – Glendale, Arizona
(University of Phoenix Stadium)
8:30 pm EST, January 1 – ESPN
O’Leary doesn’t appreciate Art,
As the Knights take a siesta in the Fiesta
Baylor 40, UCF 30 

Sugar Bowl – New Orleans, Louisiana
(Mercedes-Benz Superdome)
8:30 pm ET, January 2 – ESPN
Up in the press box click, click, click
Down on the football field Ole Saint Nick
Ho, Ho, Ho, Saban won’t go
Ho, ho, ho, Sooners eat crow
Alabama 28, Oklahoma 21

Cotton Bowl – Arlington, Texas
(AT&T Stadium)
7:30 pm ET, January 3 – Fox
Blazing saddles: Cowboys rope the Tigers
Oklahoma State 31, Missouri 30

Orange Bowl – Miami Gardens, Florida
(Sun Life Stadium)
8:30 pm ET, January 3 – ESPN
O-H-Uh-O
Clemson 30, Ohio State 28 

Compass Bowl – Birmingham, Alabama
(Legion Field)
1 pm ET, January 4 – ESPN
Vandy crack O’Korn
Vanderbilt 29, Houston 22

Go Daddy Bowl – Mobile Alabama
(Ladd-Peebles Stadium)
9 pm ET, January 5 – ESPN
Red Wolves can’t bounce the Ball
Ball State 32, Arkansas State 24

BCS National Championship Bowl – Pasadena, California
(Rose Bowl)
8:30 pm ET, January 6 – ESPN
Willie Meggs can’t find enough evidence
To charge Aubie
Auburn 34, Florida State 33  

Touchdown Tom
December 16, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

Week 16 Review

Rivalry? What rivalry – Navy 34, Army 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 31, Army 18).  In the annual Navy game (Army no longer participates), the Middies cleaned up on the Cadets again – for the 12th-straight time.  Navy’s defense held Army to only 10 first downs and 207 yards of offense.  The Middies rushed for 343 yards.  Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds rushed for 136 yards.  The Middies finish the season at 8-4.  (A crowd of 65,612 attended the game in Philadelphia).     

Week 16 Pick:    1 Correct, 0 Wrong (100 percent)
On the Season:   205 Correct, 73 Wrong (73.7 percent)


Heisman Trophy Presentation:

Florida State redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston was the overwhelming winner of the Heisman Trophy.  Alabama senior quarterback A.J. McCarron was second in the voting and Northern Illinois senior quarterback Jordan Lynch was third.  Lynch was followed by Boston College senior running back Andre Williams, Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Johnny Manziel and Auburn junior running back Tre Mason respectively, in the voting.  


FCS Quarterfinals:

Towson 49, Eastern Illinois 39
North Dakota State 48, Coastal Carolina 14
Eastern Washington 35, Jacksonville State 24
New Hampshire 20, SE Louisiana 17


Division II Semifinals:

Lenoir-Rhyne 42, West Chester 14
Northwest Missouri State 27, Grand Valley State 13


Division III Semifinals:  

Mount Union 41, North Central 40
UW-Whitewater 16, Mary Hardin-Baylor 15


Quotes of the Week

“Are you trying to be funny,” San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh when asked if he was going to be the new coach of Texas.

“I didn’t know that Jadeveon’s car could go that fast.  He doesn’t have a pretty car like those FSU guys used to drive,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, on Jadeveon Clowney’s speeding ticket.

“Somebody told me the Gators are staying home for the Holidays.  Maybe we can get a bunch of Gators to come to our game,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, whose team will be playing in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.

“I never considered going to Texas,” Alabama coach Nick Saban.

“It’s been a wonderful ride,” Texas coach Mack Brown. 

“I sincerely want what’s best for the University of Texas.  There’s just too many distractions, too many negatives out there,” Texas coach Mack Brown.

   
In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Wake Forest has hired Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson as its new coach.  In five seasons with the Falcons, Clawson was 32-31.  He was previously a head coach at Fordham and Richmond and an offensive coordinator for Tennessee….  Arkansas State head coach Bryan Harsin is the new coach at Boise State.  Harsin, a former quarterback at Boise State, finished his first season at Arkansas State at 7-5.

Washington junior tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end….  Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi won the Frank Broyles Award, given to the nation’s best coordinator….  Narduzzi also turned down an offer from Connecticut to be the Huskies new head coach….  Pitt senior defensive tackle Aaron Donald won the Bronco Nagurski Award as college football’s best defensive player.  Donald also won the Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player), Outland Trophy (best interior lineman and the Lombardi Award (best lineman).

Colorado State has added Boston College and UC Davis to its 2014 schedule.  UC Davis is a home game for the Rams, while Boston College will be an away game….  Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is the new head coach at Connecticut….  Eastern Michigan hired Drake head coach Chris Creighton as its new coach.  Creighton was 44-22 in six seasons at Drake.

Utah assistant coach Jay Hill was named the new head coach at Weber State….  Arkansas associate head coach Charlie Partridge is the new coach of Florida Atlantic…. Oregon State’s Brandin Crooks won the Biletnikoff Award (best receiver)….  Florida State’s Roberto Aguayo won the Lou Groza Award (best place-kicker)….  Memphis’ Tom Hornsey won the Ray Guy Award (best punter).

Alabama’s A.J. McCarron won the Maxwell Award (player of the year)….  Florida State’s Jameis Winston won the Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback)….  Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard won the Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)….  Boston College’s Andre Williams won the Doak Walker Award (best running back)….  Florida State’s Bryan Stark won the Rimington Trophy (best center)….  Penn State’s John Urschel won the Campbell Trophy (best academic success). 

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 1943 was “Paper Doll” by The Mills Brothers

…65 years ago this week in 1948 was “Buttons And Bows” by Dinah Shore

…60 years ago this week in 1953 was “Rags To Riches” by Tony Bennett

…55 years ago this week in 1958 was “To Know Him Is To Love Him” by The Teddy Bears

…50 years ago this week in 1963 was “Dominique” by The Singing Nun

…45 years ago this week in 1968 was “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye

…40 years ago this week in 1973 was “The Most Beautiful Girl” by Charlie Rich

…35 years ago this week in 1978 was “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” by Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond

…30 years ago this week in 1983 was “Say Say Say” by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson

…25 years ago this week in 1988 was “Look Away” by Chicago

…20 years ago this week in 1993 was “Again” by Janet Jackson


Not directly college football related, but sadly there were four passings of note last week – Eleanor Parker, Don Mitchell, Peter O’Toole and Joan Fontaine.

Eleanor Parker, who was nominated three times for a best actress Oscar, died last week in Palm Springs, California.  She was 91.  Parker was nominated for an Oscar for her dramatic roles as a wrongly convicted young prisoner in “Caged” (1950), a police officer’s neglected wife in “Detective Story” (1951) and an opera star with polio in “Interrupted Melody (1955).  She also received an Emmy Award nomination in 1963 for an episode of “The Eleventh Hour,” an NBC series.  Some of Parker’s other movies included “Between Two Worlds” 1944, “Pride of the Marines” (1945), “Of Human Bondage” (1946), “The Voice of the Turtle” 1947, “The Man with the Golden Arm” (1955), “The King and Four Queens” (1956) and “A Hole in the Head” (1959).  Then in 1965, she played the marriage-minded baroness in “The Sound of Music.”  Eleanor Jean Parker was on born June 26, 1922, in Cedarville, Ohio.  Her father was a math teacher.  She appeared in several television movies and as a guest on numerous TV series, mostly in the 1960s and 1970s.  Parker was a regular on the NBC series “Bracken’s World” (1969-70). 

Don Mitchell, an actor best-known for playing Raymond Burr’s assistant on the NBC police drama “Ironside” in the 1960s and 1970s died Sunday at his home in Encino, California.  He was 70.  Mitchell also appeared on TV shows like “I Dream of Jeannie,” “The Fugitive” and “The Virginian.”  Donald Michael Mitchell was born on March 17, 1943, in Houston.  He studied acting at UCLA.  

Peter O’Toole, whose performance in the 1962 epic film “Lawrence of Arabia” earned him overnight fame, died Saturday in London.  He was 81.  O’Toole became one of his generation’s most accomplished actors.  The performance in “Lawrence of Arabia” brought O’Toole the first of eight Academy Award nominations.  Other nominations came from “Beckett” (1964), “The Lion in Winter” (1968), “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (1970) and “The Ruling Class” (1973) – all for best actor.  Some of his other films included “Lord Jim” (1965), “What’s New Pussycat” (1965), “Night of the Generals” (1967), “Man of La Mancha” (1972), and “The Last Emperor” (1987).  Peter Seamus O’Toole was born was born on August 2, 1932, in the Connemara region of west Ireland.  When O’Toole was a baby, the family moved to Leeds in England.  His first movie was “The Day They Robbed the Bank of England” (1960).  “The Stunt Man” brought him his sixth Oscar nomination in 1981 and “My Favorite Year” a seventh nomination in 1983.  O’Toole earned his eighth Best Actor nomination for “Venus” (2006).   

Joan Fontaine, the actress who rose to stardom as the second wife in the Alfred Hitchcock film “Rebecca” in 1940 and won an Academy Award for her role in Hitchcock’s “Suspicion,” died Sunday at her home in Carmel, California.  She was 96.  Fontaine, who was only 24 when she won the Oscar, was the younger sister of Olivia de Havilland, also an Oscar nominee that year.  Some of her other movies included “Maid’s Nigh Out” (1937), “The Man Who Found Himself” (1938), “Gunga Din” (1939), “The Women” (1939), “The Constant Nymph” (1943), “Jane Eyre” (1944), “Letter From an Unknown Woman” (1948), “Ivanhoe” (1952) and “Island in the Sun” (1957).  Fontaine received her second Oscar nomination for “The Constant Nymph.”  She made her Broadway debut in 1954, replacing Deborah Kerr in “Tea and Sympathy.”  She returned to Broadway in the late 1960s, replacing Julie Harris in “Forty Carats.”  Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland was born to British parents on October 22, 1917, in Tokyo, where her father was a lawyer.  In 1919, her mother moved with Joan and her sister Olivia to Saratoga, California.  Fontaine moved back to Japan at age 15 to live with her father and attend the American School there.  She returned to America in 1934, moving to Los Angeles to pursue a film career.  Her final movies were “Tender is the Night” (1962) and “The Devil’s Own” (1966).  Fontaine appeared on television in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and did theater in the United States and England, but never returned to film.       

College Football Extra – Touchdown Tom’s Bowl Game Preview
It’s the most wonderful time of the year;
It’s the hap-happiest season of all

There’ll be parties for hosting
Victories for toasting
And fight songs out in the snow
There’ll be scary Hail Mary’s
And tales of the glories of
Bowl games long, long ago


2013 Bowl Game Preview

Get your favorite snacks, pull up your comfy chair, kick off your shoes and settle in to watch some football.  Thirty-five bowl games will be played over a 17-day stretch from December 21 to January 6.  College football’s season-ending extravaganza begins in the southwest with the New Mexico Bowl and ends in California with the BCS Championship Bowl. 

We have the same 35 bowls as last season, however, two bowls have changed their names and one moved to a new location.  The Meineke Car Care Bowl in Houston is now the Texas Bowl, which is what it was originally called before it was the Meineke Car Care Bowl.  The Independence Bowl in Shreveport is now the AdvoCare Bowl.
And the Military Bowl has moved 32 miles east from RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, DC, to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

New Year’s Day remains the busiest day.  Six bowl games will be played on January 1.  The busiest period is a five-day stretch from December 28 to January 1 when 18 of the 35 bowls will be played.  That could be intoxicating.

The 2013 bowl season premieres on December 21 with no less than four games.  The first of the four is the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque between Colorado State (7-6) of the MWC and Washington State (6-6) from the Pac-12.  Colorado State got off to a rough start in 2013.  Six games into the season, the Rams were 2-4.  But they finished strong, going 5-2 in their final seven games.  CSU is strong on offense, averaging 35.3 points per game (29th in the country).  The Rams average 202.7 yards rushing and 258.5 yards passing-per-game.  Junior quarterback Garrett Grayson (3,327 yards passing) became an exciting player during the season for CSU.  The Rams are coached by Jim McElwain in his second season with CSU.  Meanwhile, in his second season in Pullman, Mike Leach has Washington State in a bowl game.  The Cougars began the season at 3-1, including a 10-7 win over USC and a close 31-24 loss at Auburn.  Then they lost four of their next five games.  Wazzu finished strong at 2-1, which included at 24-17 win over Arizona in Tucson.  The Cougars were fourth in the country in passing, averaging 364.5 yards per game.  But they were 92nd in points against, giving up 31.3 points a game.  Wazzu is led by junior quarterback Connor Halliday (4,187 yards passing).  If you like games with lots of offense, this one should satisfy.

Next up is the Las Vegas Bowl, pitting Fresno State (11-1) from the MWC against USC (9-4) of the Pac-12.  Under first-year coach Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State was sitting at 10-0 and positioned to play in a BCS bowl.  But in the Bulldogs final game of the season, they lost to San Jose State in a shootout, 62-52.  They went on to win the MWC, beating Utah State in the conference championship game.  The Bulldogs are first in the country in passing, averaging 409.8 yards-per-game.  They are fifth in scoring, averaging 45.3 points a game.  But Fresno State is giving up 29.1 points a game.  The Bulldogs are led by their star quarterback senior Derek Carr (4,866 yards passing).  Carr was considered to be a finalist for the Heisman, until the Bulldogs lost to San Jose State.  Then there is USC who will play the bowl game under its third coach this season.  Lane Kiffin was fired after the fifth game when the Trojans were 3-2.  Ed Orgeron then coached USC under an interim basis to a 6-2 record, including a big win over Stanford, 20-17.  But Orgeron abruptly quit when Washington’s Steve Sarkisian was named the new coach at USC.  Offensive coordinator Clay Helton, who is a strong candidate for the OC job at Florida, will coach the Trojans in the bowl game.  USC has a good defense, holding opponents to 21.3 points a game.  But how will the Trojans play under their third coach this season?

The third game on December 21 is the Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise between Buffalo (8-4) of the MAC and San Diego State (7-5) from the MWC.  After starting the season 0-2, Buffalo finished the season 8-2 – not bad.  This was Jeff Quinn’s fourth year coaching the Bulls and after three rough seasons, his progress and rebuilding paid off this year.  Buffalo has a respectable defense – only giving up 22.3 points per game.  The Bulls have a decent quarterback in sophomore Joe Licata (2,628 yards passing) and a powerful running back in senior Branden Oliver (1,421 yards rushing).  Third-year coach Rocky Long has maintained a stable and solid program at San Diego State that Brady Hoke started before he left for Michigan.  Seven games into the season, the Aztecs were 3-4.  But they finished strong at 4-1, including good wins over San Jose State (34-30) and Boise State (34-31 OT).  On the down side, San Diego State is giving up 32.3 points a game.  The Aztecs offensive threat is junior running back Adam Muema (1015 yards rushing).  The weather in Boise may be more suitable to the players from Buffalo.                   

The final game on the opening day of bowl season is the New Orleans Bowl, matching Tulane (7-5) from C-USA against Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) of the Sun Belt.  Tulane finds itself in a bowl game in Curtis Johnson’s second season coaching the Green Wave.  That’s a lot better than recent Tulane coaches have done.  The Green Wave are quarterbacked by junior Nick Montana, the son of Joe Montana.  Tulane was 6-2 after eight games, but the Green Wave lost three of their last four games.  Their best win was over East Carolina (36-33 OT).  Tulane’s had a weak offense, but its defense held opponents to 21.2 points a game – 19th best in the country.  Louisiana-Lafayette had a rough start and a rough finish to the season.  But in between, ULL was very good.  The Rajin’ Cajuns lost their first two games, won eight-straight games and then lost their last two games.  Under third-year coach Mark Hudspeth, this is ULL’s third-straight appearance in the New Orleans Bowl.  The Cajuns beat San Diego State (2011) and East Carolina (2012).  On offense, ULL is averaging 34.6 points a game.  The Cajuns have an exciting quarterback in junior Terrance Broadway (2,276 yards passing).  With a home-town team and a team from only two hours away, playing in an indoor stadium, the attendance should be excellent at the New Orleans Bowl.               

Two days later – December 23 – is the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Florida, between Ohio (7-5) from the MAC and East Carolina (9-3) of C-USA.  In nine seasons coaching Ohio, former Nebraska coach Frank Solich has the Bobcats in their fifth-straight bowl and sixth overall.  Eight games into the season, Ohio was 6-2.  But the Bobcats lost three of their last four games.  Their best win was over Marshall (34-31).  Ohio is led by senior quarterback Tyler Tettleton (2,623 yards passing).  The Bobcats were weak in rushing, averaging only 136.3 yards per game.  Coached by Ruffin McNeill, in his fourth season, East Carolina was 10th in the country in passing (331.5 yards per game) and 11th in the country in scoring (40.4 points a game).  But the Pirates were terrible in rushing – 128.3 yards per game.  The Pirates are led by an outstanding quarterback in junior Shane Carden (3,866 yards passing).  ECU’s best win was over North Carolina (55-31).  Look for a lot of passing and not much rushing in this bowl.         

Christmas Eve, Oregon State (6-6) of the Pac-12 plays Boise State (8-4) from the MWC in the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu.  After a season-opening loss to Eastern Michigan, the Beavers won six-straight games.  Junior quarterback Sean Mannion (4,403 yards passing) was a Heisman contender.  Then bedlam set in.  Oregon State lost its last five games – the final game a one-point, heartbreaking loss to arch rival Oregon.  For a contrast, the Beavers were third in the country in passing (382.1 yards per game), but 118th in rushing (86.0 yards per game).  Scoring, Oregon State averages 34.5 points a game.  The Beavers are coached by Mike Riley, in his 13th season in Corvallis.  This wasn’t one of Boise State’s better seasons.  And to make matters worse, head coach Chris Petersen left the program after eight seasons to become the coach at Washington.  The Broncos were 17th in the country in scoring – averaging 38.8 points a game.  They are led by sophomore running back Jay Ajayi (1,328 yards rushing).  This game has the makings for a high-scoring, shootout affair.    

Two games are on tap for December 26.  First up is the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, matching Bowling Green (10-3) from the MAC against Pitt (6-6) of the ACC.  Bowling Green was the champions of the MAC, beating Northern Illinois, 47-27, in the title game.  In addition to NIU, the Falcons’ best wins were over Ohio (49-0) and Buffalo (24-7).  BG comes into the bowl on a five-game winning streak.  The Falcons were fifth in the country in defensive scoring, giving up only 14.8 points a game.  They were 28th in scoring, averaging 35.4 points a game.  BG is well-balanced – passing and rushing.  The Falcons will be playing under an interim coach, as head coach Dave Clawson left to take the job at Wake Forest.  Pitt, under second-year coach Paul Chryst, had an up-and-down season.  The Panthers best wins were over Duke (58-55) and Notre Dame (28-21).  Pitt was one of the worst teams in the country in rushing – 114.9 yards per game.  The Panthers are led by senior quarterback Tom Savage (2,834 yards passing).  Detroit in late December – it’s a good thing the game is played indoors.

The second game on December 26 is the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, pitting Northern Illinois (12-1) of the MAC against Utah State (8-5) from the MWC.  Both teams were runner-ups in their respective conferences.  NIU was headed for its second-straight BCS bowl until the Huskies lost to Bowling Green in the MAC title game.  Under first-year coach Rod Carey, NIU picked up where it left off under Dave Doeren.  The Huskies finished their regular season undefeated, with good wins over Iowa (30-27), Ball State (48-27) and Toledo (35-17).  They are led by senior quarterback and Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch (2,676 yards passing; 1,881 yards rushing).  NIU is fifth in the country in rushing yards (312.5 yards per game), and ninth in scoring (41.6 points per game).  After a shaky 3-4 start, Utah State finished strong, going 5-1 in its final six games.  Under first-year coach Matt Wells, the Aggies best wins were over San Jose State (40-12), UNLV (28-24) and Colorado State (13-0).  Utah State was seventh in the country in points against, holding its opponents to 17.3 points a game.  NIU will be a challenge for Utah State’s defense. 

Three games brighten the day on December 27.  First among the trio is the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, between Marshall (9-4) from C-USA and Maryland (7-5) of the ACC.  Marshall had a so-so start.  The Herd was 2-2 after four games and 4-3 after seven games.  Then they went 5-1 in their final six games.  Marshall’s best wins were over UTSA (34-10), Florida Atlantic (24-23) and East Carolina (59-28).  The Herd is led by an exciting quarterback, junior Rakeem Cato (3,579 passing yards).  Marshall was 21st in the country in passing yards (291.2 yards per game) and 22nd in rushing yards (211.2 per game).  The Herd averaged scoring 43.0 points a game – seventh best on the country.  Marshall is coached by Doc Holliday, in his fourth season.  Maryland began the season hot, winning five of its first six games.  Then the Terps only won two of their final six games.  The Terps best win was over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg (27-24 OT).  Third-year coach Randy Edsall entered the season on the hot seat but apparently has survived.  Marshall should have all the incentive in this game.

Next is the Texas Bowl in Houston, matching Minnesota (8-4) of the Big Ten and Syracuse (6-6) from the ACC.  Minnesota was one of the surprise teams of 2013, finishing better than anyone imagined.  The Gophers were a team of streaks, winning four, losing two, winning four and losing two.  Their best wins were over San Jose State (43-24), Penn State (24-10) and Nebraska (34-23).  Minnesota is coached by third-year coach Jerry Kill, who is an amazing story in his own right.  Like Minnesota, Syracuse was a surprise in 2013 too.  The Orange finished tied for third in the Atlantic Division of the ACC, after being forecast to finish at or near the bottom of the division.  Under first-year coach Scott Shafer, Syracuse’s best wins were over Tulane (52-17), Maryland (20-3) and Boston College (34-31).  Which team will surprise in the Texas Bowl?

The final game on December 27 is the Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco between BYU (8-4) an Independent and Washington (8-4) of the Pac-12.  BYU got out of the blocks, going 6-1 in its first seven games.  Then the Cougars finished at 2-2.  BYU had several impressive wins, including victories over Texas (40-21), Middle Tennessee (37-10), Utah State (31-14), Georgia Tech (38-20), Houston (47-46) and Boise State (37-20).  The Cougars have an exciting sophomore quarterback in Taysom Hill (2,645 yards passing; 1,211 yards rushing).  Under ninth-year coach Bronco Mendenhall, BYU was 10th in the country in rushing – 274.6 yards per game.  The Cougars were 23rd in points against, holding their opponents to 21.3 points a game.  Washington won its first four games of the season, lost the next three and then won four of the final five.  The Huskies best wins were over Boise State (38-6), Arizona (31-13), Oregon State at Corvallis (69-27) and Washington State (27-17).  The Huskies have a good quarterback in senior Keith Price (2,843 yards passing), and an excellent running back in junior Bishop Sankey (1,775yards rushing).  Washington was 14th in the country passing (243.1 yards per game) and 30th in rushing (271.3 yards per game).  Scoring, the Huskies average 38.5 points a game – 19th best in the country.  Washington will be coached by an interim coach in the bowl, as Steve Sarkisian has left to become the new coach at USC.

December 28 begins the busy stretch for bowl games.  The first of four bowls on the 28th is the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City, pitting Notre Dame (8-4) an Independent against Rutgers (6-6) of the AAC.  Notre Dame fell off the pedestal, going from the BCS Championship Bowl last season to the Pinstripe Bowl this season.  The Irish got off to a wobbly start, going 3-2.  Then they won four in a row, before losing two of their last three games.  Along the way, there were some good – some very good – wins over Michigan State (17-13), Arizona State (37-34), USC (14-10), Navy (38-34) and BYU (23-13).  Senior quarterback Tommy Rees passed for 2,938 yards.  But overall, the Irish, under fourth-year coach Brian Kelly, weren’t very impressive offensively.  Rutgers on the other hand was one of the more disappointing teams in the country in 2013.  The Scarlet Knights were supposed to be contenders for the AAC crown.  Instead, they ended up contending for the AAC cellar.  Rutgers got off on the right foot, going 4-1 in their first five games.  But then the Knights went 2-5 in their remaining seven games.  There were no good wins.  In his second year, Rutgers coach Kyle Flood fired several of his assistants after the last game.  The Knights were one of the worst teams in the country in rushing (133.7 yards per game), and one of the worst in points against, giving up 29.8 points a game.  The Irish should have a happy time in New York.

Then there’s the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, matching Cincinnati (9-3) from the AAC against North Carolina (6-6) of the ACC.  As the season played out, Cincinnati was one of the most improved teams in the country.  It was a good year for first-year coach Tommy Tuberville.  The Bearcats had a solid quarterback in senior Brendon Kay (3,121 yards passing).  Cincinnati was 15th in the country in passing yards (313.8 yards per game), and 12th in the nation in defensive scoring, holding its opponents to 19.5 points per game.  The Bearcats had a good win over Houston at Houston (24-17).  They suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss in the final game of the season to Louisville.  It’s Cincinnati’s second-straight Belk Bowl.  Last year, the Bearcats beat Duke.  North Carolina was disappointing in 2013.  The Tar Hills fell short of expectations.  They got off to a dismal start, going 1-5 in their first six games.  But they were strong down the stretch, going 5-1 in their final six games.  Under second-year coach Larry Fedora, North Carolina had good wins over Middle Tennessee, Boston College and Pitt.  The Tar Heels finished 23rd in the country in passing with 286.3 yards per game.  This one should be an excellent matchup.

The action moves to Florida for the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando between Miami (9-3) of the ACC and Louisville (11-1) from the AAC.  Miami got the season off to a great start, going 6-0.  Then the Hurricanes dropped three in a row before winning their final two.  The Canes had good wins over Florida Atlantic, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Pitt.  Senior quarterback Stephen Morris passed for 2,868 yards.  Under third-year coach Al Golden, Miami was 25th in the country in offensive scoring – averaging 35.9 points a game.  Louisville quietly went through an 11-1 season.  Hardly anyone noticed the Cardinals’ accomplishments.  Junior quarterback Terry Bridgewater was a hot item at preseason, but hardly mentioned once the season got going.  Yet Bridgewater passed for 3,523 yards.  The Cardinals were 18th in the country in passing (302.9 yards per game).  Even more impressive, Louisville was third in the country in points allowed, giving up only 12.4 points per game.  Under fourth-year coach Charlie Strong, Louisville had good wins over Ohio (49-7), Rutgers (24-10), Houston (20-13) and Cincinnati (31-24 OT).  This game should be an ideal matchup.

The nightcap on December 28 is the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, pitting Kansas State (7-5) from the Big 12 against Michigan (7-5) of the Big Ten.  This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Kansas State and that’s exactly what it was.  The Wildcats got off to a 2-4 start, but finished strong winning five of their last six games.  Junior quarterback Jake Waters passed for 2,198 yards.  Under 22nd-year coach Bill Snyder, the Wildcats had a good win over Texas Tech (49-26).  Michigan was one of 2013’s most disappointing teams.  The Wolverines were hot at the start, winning their first five games.  Then they went downhill, winning only two of their last seven games.  Under third-year coach Brady Hoke, Michigan was one of the worst rushing teams in the country – 130.8 yards per game.  Junior quarterback Devin Gardner passed for 2,960 yards.  The Wolverines had good wins over Notre Dame (41-30) and Minnesota (42-13) – both early in the season.  I’ve never had a Buffalo Wild Wing.  I’ve never been to a Buffalo Wild Wings.  I’ve never seen a Buffalo Wild Wings.  Do they really exist?      

The first of four games on December 30 is the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, pitting Middle Tennessee (8-4) from C-USA against Navy (7-4) an Independent.  Middle Tennessee began the season on an uneven path, losing four of their first seven games.  But the Blue Raiders finished strong, winning their final five games.  The Raiders had good wins over Florida Atlantic (42-35 OT) and Marshall (51-49).  The Raiders were a good rushing team, averaging 208.3 yards per game.  Senior quarterback Logan Kilgore passed for 2,289 yards.  The Blue Raiders are under eighth-year coach Rick Stockstill.  Navy had another good season and still has a game to play against Army on December 14.  The Middies are currently on a three-game winning streak.  Sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds is the leading rusher on the team with 1,124 yards and a game remaining.  Under coach Ken Niumatalolo in his sixth season, Navy had good wins over Pitt (24-21) and San Jose State (58-52 3OT).  The Middies are third in the nation in rushing (320.1 yards per game), and they are averaging 34.4 points a game.  Barring an upset, Navy should be 8-4 going into the bowl.

Next is the Music City Bowl in Nashville between Ole Miss (7-5) of the SEC and Georgia Tech (7-5) from the ACC.  Like Rutgers and North Carolina, Ole Miss was another of those disappointing teams in 2013 that failed to meet expectations.  Still, like Rutgers and North Carolina, the Rebels managed to get into a bowl.  Ten games into the season, the Rebels were 7-3, but they lost their last two games.  Ole Miss is led by junior quarterback Bo Wallace (3,090 yards passing).  The Rebels averaged 285.6 passing yards per game.  Under second-year coach Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss had good wins over Vanderbilt (39-35), Texas (44-23) and LSU (27-24).  Georgia Tech was streaky – win three, lose three, win three, etc. etc.  It was an interesting year for the Yellow Jackets.  Tech is a strong rushing team averaging 311.7 yards per game.  The Jackets also averaged scoring 36.6 points a game.  As expected with Tech’s offense, sophomore quarterback Vad Lee led the team in rushing with 1,414 yards.  Under six-year coach Paul Johnson, Tech had good wins over Duke (38-14), North Carolina (28-20), Syracuse (56-0) and Pitt (21-10).  It’s up to Ole Miss’ defense. 

Third on December 30 is the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, with Oregon (10-2) of the Pac-12 going up against Texas (8-4) from the Big 12.  Through most of the season, Oregon was the hot team in the country and sophomore Marcus Mariota was the hot quarterback.  Mariota was a Heisman contender.  The Ducks began the season 8-0, but then went 2-2 in their final four games.  Mariota passed for 3,412 yards.  Oregon was third in the country in offensive scoring (46.8 points a game), ninth in the country in rushing yards (278.3 yards per game) and 20th in the country in passing yards (294.7 yards per game).  That’s not bad.  The Ducks defense also held opponents to 21.6 points a game.  Oregon had good wins over Washington (45-24), Washington State (62-38), UCLA (42-14) and Oregon State (36-35).  The Ducks were under first-year coach Mark Helfrich.  Texas, who may or may not have a new coach after the bowl game, had a strange season.  After embarrassing losses to BYU and Ole Miss early in the season, coach Mack Brown (in his 16th year) fired his defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.  The Longhorns then won six-straight games and were 7-2.  Then they fell back down, losing two of their final three games.  Texas had good wins over Kansas State (31-21), Oklahoma (36-20) and Texas Tech (41-16).  Will this be Mack Brown’s last game coaching Texas?

The final game on December 30 is the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, pitting Arizona State (10-3) from the Pac-12 against Texas Tech (7-5) of the Big 12.  Arizona State was the runner-up in the Pac-12 Conference, losing to Stanford in the title game.  Led by junior quarterback Taylor Kelly (3,510 yards passing), the Sun Devils had an amazing season.  They had good wins over Wisconsin (32-30), USC (62-41), Washington (53-24), Washington State (55-21) Oregon State (30-17), UCLA (38-33) and Arizona (58-21).  That’s an impressive list.  The Devils, under second-year coach Todd Graham, were 10th in the country in scoring – 41.0 points a game.  Talk about a strange season, Texas Tech proceeded to win its first seven games, then lose its final five games.  But when you go back and look at it.  The Red Raiders really didn’t beat anybody in those first seven games.  The five best teams on their schedule were the last five teams on their schedule.  Tech bounced around between two quarterbacks freshman Davis Webb (2,315 yards passing) and freshman walk-on Baker Mayfield (2,315 yards passing).  Now Mayfield says he is transferring out.  Under first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury, supposedly the hottest looking coach in college football, Tech was second in the country in passing yards (392.0 yards per game).  But the Raiders were one of the worst teams in rushing (121.3 yards a game) and points against (31.2 points a game).  If Texas Tech beats Arizona State, it will be the Red Raiders first good win this season. 

There are four games to close out the year with on New Year’s Eve.  First among the four is the AdvoCare Bowl in Shreveport, matching Arizona (7-5) from the Pac-12 against Boston College (7-5) of the ACC.  Arizona had a streaky season – win three, lose two, win three, lose two, etc.  Under second-year coach Rich Rodriguez, the Wildcats best wins were over UNLV (58-13), Texas-San Antonio (38-13) and Oregon (42-16).  The Oregon win was a biggie.  The Wildcats have one of the best running backs in the country in junior Ka’Deem Carey (1,716 yards rushing).  Arizona was 11th in rushing yardage – 265.8 yards per game.  The Wildcats were one of the worst in the country in passing.  Boston College was another one of those surprise teams in 2013 – exceeding expectations.  A big hand in exceeding those expectations was senior running back Andre Williams (2,102 yards rushing).  Under first-year coach Steve Addazio, BC had good wins over Virginia Tech (34-27) and Maryland (29-26).  The Eagles are similar to Arizona in that they were strong in running – 218.1 yards per game rushing (20th best in the country), but one of the country’s worst passing teams.  If you like ground attacks, this should be a good game.  But don’t expect much passing.

Up next on December 31 is the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, between Virginia Tech (8-4) of the ACC and UCLA (9-3) from the Pac-12.  Seven games into the season, Virginia Tech was 6-1.  In their final five games, the Hokies were only 2-3.  Tech finished the season 110th in the country in rushing (117.8 yards per game).  But the Hokies defense was strong, holding opponents to 17.4 points per game – eighth best in the country.  Tech was led by senior quarterback Logan Thomas (2,861 yards passing).  The Hokies best wins were over East Carolina (15-10), Marshall (29-21 3OT), Georgia Tech (17-10), North Carolina (27-17), Pitt (19-9) and Miami (42-24).  The veteran Frank Beamer is in his 27th year coaching the Hokies.  UCLA began the season 5-0, then settled down, finishing 4-3 in its final seven games.  The Bruins were led by sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley (2,845 yards passing).  UCLA averaged 36.5 points a game on offense.  Under second-year coach Jim Mora, the Bruins best wins were over Nebraska (41-21), Arizona (31-26), Washington (41-31) and USC (35-14).  Both teams play pretty good defense, but the Bruins have a better offense. 

The third game on New Year’s Eve is the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, matching Rice (10-3) from C-USA against Mississippi State (6-6) of the SEC.  Rice was a surprise team in 2013.  The Owls won the Conference USA championship.  Rice was very stable team down the stretch, winning nine of its last 10 games.  The Owls are led by senior quarterback Taylor McHargue (2,261 yards passing).  McHargue can do some running too.  Under seventh-year coach David Bailiff, the Owls had good wins over Florida Atlantic (18-14), Texas-San Antonio (27-21), Tulane (17-13) and Marshall (41-24).  Rice was 16th in the country in rushing – 240.2 yards per game.  Miss State was a young team in 2013.  The Bulldogs should be vastly improved next season.  The experience they got this season should pay off in the bowl game.  Under fifth-year coach Dan Mullen, Miss State had good wins over Troy (62-7), Bowling Green (21-20) and Ole Miss in the finale (17-10 OT).  With good weather, the Liberty Bowl should be well attended. 

The last college football game of 2013 takes place in Atlanta at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, matching Texas A&M (8-4) of the SEC against Duke (10-3) from the ACC.  With Johnny Manziel at control, Texas A&M was supposed to be one of the hottest teams of 2013.  But instead, the Aggies lost every big game they played.  They did have good wins over Rice (52-31), Ole Miss (41-38), Vanderbilt (56-24) and Miss State (51-41).  Under second-year coach Kevin Sumlin, the Aggies were the sixth-best team in the country in scoring (43.6 points a game) and the seventh-best team in the country in passing (350.9 yards per game).  And there’s Duke.  The Dookies were everyone’s favorite surprise team in 2013.  Duke was the runner-up in the ACC, losing the conference title game to Florida State.  The Dookies weren’t particularly good in any statistic, but they weren’t particularly bad in any stat either.  They were generally aggressive and played well as a team.  Under sixth-year coach David Cutcliffe, Duke had solid wins over Troy (38-31), Navy (35-7), Virginia Tech (13-10), Miami 48-30) and North Carolina (27-25).  Texas A&M will be a good challenge for Duke.                                                    

Two games are the first college football games to be played in 2014.  One of the two is the Heart of Dallas Bowl between UNLV (7-5) from the MWC and North Texas (8-4) of C-USA.  UNLV coach Bobby Hauck, in his fourth year, began the season on the hot seat.  At the end of the season, Hauck’s contract was extended and his seat was cool.  Picked to finish last in the West Division of the MWC, the Rebels finished tied for third with a bowl bid.  Senior running back Tim Cornett (1,251 yards rushing) led the Rebels this season.  UNLV had good wins over Central Michigan (31-21) and San Diego State (41-19).  North Texas, also a bit of a surprise in 2013, began the season a little shaky at 2-3.  Then the Mean Green won six of their final seven games.  Under third-year coach Dan McCarney, North Texas was the ninth-best team in the country in defensive scoring, holding its opponents to 18.1 points a game.  The Mean Green has a sharp quarterback in senior Derek Thompson (2,640 yards passing).  North Texas had good wins over Ball State (34-27), Middle Tennessee (34-7) and Rice (28-16).  This game has the potential for a good matchup.

The other first game of 2014 is the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, pitting Nebraska (8-4) of the Big Ten and Georgia (8-4) from the SEC.  This is a rematch of last year’s Capital One Bowl – Georgia beat Nebraska, 45-31.  The Huskers are hoping for revenge.  Nebraska has a strong running game with junior running back Ameer Abdullah (1,568 yards rushing).  The Huskers were 19th in the country in rushing – 221.7 yards per game.  Under sixth-year coach Bo Pelini, who had his moments with Huskers fans this season,  Nebraska had two good wins over Michigan (17-13) and Penn State (23-20 OT).  Georgia had a tough time this year with injuries, including the season-ending injuries to sophomore running back Keith Marshall (early in the season) and to star senior quarterback Aaron Murray (late in the season).  And at times, sophomore running back Todd Gurley was hobbled.  Still the Dawgs managed good wins over South Carolina (41-30), North Texas (45-21), LSU (44-41) and Georgia Tech (41-34 2OT).  Under coach Mark Richt, in his 13th season, Georgia was 16th in the country in passing (313.8 yards per game).  But the Dawgs were one of the worst teams in defense.  Georgia returns to Jacksonville, but not against Florida this time.

An hour later on January 1, two more games start at the same time.  One if the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, matching Wisconsin (9-3) from the Big Ten against South Carolina (10-2) of the SEC.  Wisconsin has a powerful ground game with a slew of good backs, including sophomore Melvin Gordon (1,466 yards rushing) and senior James White (1,377 yards rushing).  The Badgers were eighth in the country in rushing, averaging 283.0 yards per game.  Wisconsin plays good defense too, holding opponents to 14.8 points per game – sixth-best in the country.  Under first-year coach Gary Andersen, the Badgers had good wins over Iowa (28-9), BYU (27-17) and Minnesota (20-7).  Wisconsin finished the season winning six of its final seven games.  South Carolina is a well-balanced running and passing team that plays good defense.  The Gamecocks won nine of their last 10 games.  Under ninth-year coach Steve Spurrier, South Carolina had good wins over North Carolina (27-10), Vanderbilt (35-25), UCF (28-25), Missouri (27-24 2OT), Miss State (34-16) and Clemson (31-17) – the fifth in a row over the Tigers.  The Gamecocks had good production from senior quarterback Connor Shaw (2,135 yards passing) and sophomore running back Mike Davis (1,134 yards rushing).  South Carolina was 14th in the country in defense, holding opponents to 20.0 points a game.  Stop Wisconsin’s running game and you stop the Badgers. 

And the other second game on New Year’s Day is the Outback Bowl in Tampa, pitting Iowa (8-4) from the Big Ten against LSU (9-3) of the SEC.  The last time these two got together was the 2004 season Capital One Bowl when Iowa beat LSU 30-25 on a touchdown pass as time expired.  Iowa was a surprise team this year.  The Hawkeyes finished tied for second in the Legends Division of the Big Ten.  Most had the Hawkeyes picked to finish last.  Iowa was a solid team that played good defense – 11th best in the country, holding opponents to 18.8 points a game.  Under 15th-year coach Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes had good wins over Minnesota (23-7), Michigan (24-21) and Nebraska (38-17).  LSU is one of those teams that’s not particularly great at anything, but the Tigers are good at everything.  They averaged scoring 37.0 points a game on offense – not bad.  Senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger led the Tigers through the season (3,082 yards passing).  But Mettenberger was injured in the last game of the season and won’t play in the bowl game.  Under Les Miles, in his ninth season, LSU had good wins over Auburn (35-21), Miss State (39-26) and Texas A&M (34-10).  What does the Mad Hatter have up his sleeve?      

Next on New Year’s Day, the action moves out West for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena between Stanford (11-2) of the Pac-12 and Michigan State (12-1) from the Big Ten.  They say this game is going to be a slugfest – smash mouth, knock ’em down, drag ’em out football.  I hope there are players still standing on the field when the game is over.  This is Stanford’s fourth-straight BCS bowl.  Under third-year coach David Shaw, the Cardinal had more quality wins than any other team in the country – good wins over San Jose State (34-13), Arizona State (42-28), Washington State (55-17), Washington (31-28), UCLA (24-10), Oregon State (20-12), Oregon (26-20), Notre Dame (27-20) and Arizona State, again (38-14).  Stanford’s strength is the running of senior back Tyler Gaffney (1,618 yards rushing).  The Cardinal is the 10th-best team in defense, holding opponents to 18.6 points a game.  The other smash-mouth team is no slouch either.  Michigan State held its opponents to 12.7 points a game – fourth-best in the country.  And the Spartans have a solid running back in junior Jeremy Langford (1,338 yards rushing).  Under seventh-year coach Mark Dantonio, Michigan State had good wins over Iowa (26-14), Michigan (29-6), Nebraska (41-28), Minnesota (14-3) and Ohio State (34-24).  Expect a bruiser of a game.

The nightcap on New Year’s Day is the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, between Baylor (11-1) of the Big 12 and UCF (11-1) from the AAC.  Baylor was pretty amazing.  The Bears were first in the country in scoring (53.3 points a game), fifth in the country in passing yards (359.3 yards per game), 12th in the country in rushing yards (265.2 yards per game) and 19th in the country in points against (21.2 points a game).  That’s pretty impressive.  Baylor is led by junior quarterback Bryce Petty (3,844 yards passing).  Under sixth-year coach Art Briles, the Bears had good wins over Buffalo (70-13), Kansas State (35-25), Oklahoma (41-12), Texas Tech (63-34) and Texas (30-10).  UCF has the most underrated quarterback in the country – junior Blake Bortles (3,280 yards passing).  You should be seeing Bortles on Sunday’s before long.  UCF was the 19th-best team in defense – holding opponents to 19.6 points a game.  Under 10th-year coach George O’Leary, the Knights had good wins over Penn State (34-31), Louisville (38-35), Houston (19-14) and Rutgers (41-17).  This game has me curious. 

The next day – January 2 – is the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, pitting Alabama (11-1) of the SEC against Oklahoma (10-2) from the Big 12.  These two teams were supposed to win their conferences.  They came close.  Alabama, of course, was the No. 1 team in the country throughout the season – until the Tide was beaten by Auburn in the final game of the season.  The Tide is led by senior quarterback A.J. McCarron (2,676 yards passing) and sophomore running back T.J. Yeldon (1,163 yards rushing).  The Tide’s defense is pretty impressive – second in the country, holding opponents to 11.3 points a game.  On the offense, Alabama is averaging 38.8 points a game.  Under seventh-year coach Nick Saban, Alabama had good wins over Virginia Tech (35-10), Texas A&M (49-42), Colorado State (31-6), Ole Miss (25-0), LSU (38-17) and Miss State (20-7).  Oklahoma is a solid, all-around football team with no single exceptional player.  When the Sooners are clicking, they are good.  The running game is the strongest, averaging 235.8 yards a game – 18th-best in the country.  Under Bob Stoops, in his 15th year, OU had good wins over Notre Dame (35-21), Texas Tech (38-30), Kansas State (41-31) and Oklahoma State (33-24).  The win over Okie State, in Stillwater, kept the Cowboys from winning the Big 12 Conference.  Nick Saban is not going to Texas.

The first of two games on January 3 is the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas between Missouri (11-2) from the SEC and Oklahoma State of the Big 12.  Two old Big 12 rivals getting back together again.  Speaking of surprise teams in 2013, how about Missouri?  The Tigers sure surprised the SEC, winning the East Division.  Missouri averaged 39.0 points a game on offense and rushed for 236.5 yards per games.  That’s not bad.  The Tigers key man is senior quarterback Tony Franklin.  Under 13th-year coach Gary Pinkel, Missouri had good wins over Toledo (38-23), Vanderbilt (51-28), Georgia (41-26), Ole Miss (24-10) and Texas A&M (28-21).  Oklahoma State can play some offense and defense, outscoring opponents on average 39.8 to 20.0.  During the season, Cowboys quarterbacks senior Clint Chelf (1,792 yards passing) and sophomore J.W. Walsh (1,333 yards passing) shared the passing.  Under ninth-year coach Mike Gundy, Okie State had good wins over Miss State (21-3), Texas-San Antonio (56-35), Kansas State (33-29), Texas Tech (52-34), Texas (38-13) and Baylor (49-17).  These two teams matchup well.             

The second game on January 3 is the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, matching Ohio State (12-1) from the Big Ten against Clemson (10-2) of the ACC.  Entering the final weekend of the season, we thought it was going to be Florida State and Ohio State in the BCS Championship Bowl.  But Michigan State changed Ohio State’s plane tickets.  The Buckeyes are an impressive fourth in the country in scoring (46.3 points a game) and fourth in the country in rushing (317.5 yards a game).  The rushing game comes with a double threat from senior running back Carlos Hyde (1,408 yards rushing) and junior quarterback Braxton Miller (1,033 yards rushing).  Miller also can throw the ball – 1,860 yards passing.  Under second-year coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State had good wins over Buffalo (40-20), San Diego State (42-7), Wisconsin (31-24), Iowa (34-24), Penn State (63-14) and Michigan (42-41).  Clemson won six games, then lost to Florida State, won 10 games, then lost to South Carolina.  The Tigers looked good in their 10 wins and bad in their two losses.  The Tigers are 12th in the country in scoring (40.2 points a game) and 12th in the country in passing (329.3 yards per game).  They are also holding their opponents to 21.1 points a game.  Not bad credentials.  Clemson is led by senior quarterback Tajh Boyd (3,473 yards passing).  Under fifth-year coach Dabo Swinney, Clemson had good wins over Georgia (38-35), Syracuse (49-14), Boston College (24-14), Maryland (40-27) and Georgia Tech (55-21).  If the Tigers have a weakness, it’s the running game.  This is Boyd’s last chance to win a “big” game this season.  He failed in the other two.    

January 4 brings us the Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama, pitting Vanderbilt (8-4) from the SEC against Houston (8-4) of the AAC.  Vanderbilt is appearing in its third-straight bowl game and fourth in six years.  Must be global warming.  The Commodores were a strong team coming down the stretch.  They finished on a four-game winning streak.  But the last two games – wins over Tennessee and Wake Forest – came down to the wire.  Vandy survived those games in the final seconds.  In his third-season, Coach James Franklin has turned Vandy into a winner.  The Dores had a good win over Georgia (31-27).  Houston started out like a house on fire.  The Cougars won seven of their first eight games.  Then they went through some tough times, losing three of their last four games.  All four of Houston’s losses were by seven points or less.  The Cougars had a young quarterback in freshman John O’Korn (2,889 yards passing).  They average 33.9 points a game, while holding their opponents to 20.2 points.  Under second-year coach Tony Levine, Houston had good wins over Rice (31-26), Texas-San Antonio (59-28) and Rutgers (49-14).  The Cougars suffered a one-point loss to BYU.  Vanderbilt has won its last three bowl games.              

The next day is the Go Daddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, matching Arkansas State (7-5) of the Sun Belt against Ball State (10-2) from the MAC.  Arkansas State has had three coaches the past three years.  But the Red Wolves are appearing in their third-straight bowl game.  Ark State began the season shaky at 3-4.  Then the Red Wolves got hot and won four of their last five games.  They tied Louisiana-Lafayette for the Sun Belt Conference crown.  Under first-year coach Bryan Harsin, the Red Wolves had good wins over Troy (41-34), South Alabama (17-16), Louisiana-Monroe (42-14) and Texas State (38-21).  Ark State will be coached by an interim coach in the bowl game as Harsin has left to take the head coaching job at Boise State.  Ball State is led by senior quarterback Keith Wenning (3,933 yards passing).  The Cardinals are ninth in the country in passing (333.3 yards per game), and 14th in the country in offensive scoring – averaging 40.1 points a game.  Under third-year coach Pete Lembo, the Cardinals had good wins over Toledo (31-24) and Central Michigan (44-24).  They also beat Virginia (48-27).  So now Arkansas State will have its fourth coach in four years.     

And finally, the bowl-game extravaganza concludes on January 6 with the BCS Championship Bowl in Pasadena between Florida State (13-0) from the ACC and Auburn (12-1) of the SEC.  Florida State is back in the BCS title game for the first time since the 2000 season.  FSU played in the first three BCS Championship Bowls, losing to Tennessee (1998 season), beating Virginia Tech (1999 season) and losing to Oklahoma (2000 season).  The Seminoles have had an amazing season.  They are first in the country in points against, holding their opponents to 10.7 points a game.  And they are second in the country in points for – averaging 53.0 points a game on offense.  In racking up a 13-0 record, no one really came close to the Noles all season.  Their closest victory was by 14 points over Boston College.  Under fourth-year coach Jimbo Fisher, FSU had good wins over Pitt (41-13), Boston College (48-34), Maryland (63-0), Clemson (51-14), Miami (41-14), Syracuse (59-3) and Duke (45-7).  Of course, Florida State is led by its star quarterback redshirt freshman Jameis Winston (3,820 yards passing).  Winston is a Heisman finalist.  The Noles average 322.0 passing yards a game.  From last year to this year, Auburn literally rose from rags to riches.  The Tigers were 3-9 last season – 0-8 in the SEC.  And in Auburn’s last two regular season games, the Tigers literally had some miracle finishes – just unbelievable.  Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better.  The Tigers are led by a duo in junior quarterback Nick Marshall (1,023 yards rushing) and junior running back Tre Mason (1,621 yards rushing).  Mason is a Heisman finalist.  Under first-year coach Gus Malzahn, Auburn had good wins over Washington State (31-24), Arkansas State (38-9), Miss State (24-20), Ole Miss (30-22), Texas A&M (45-41), Florida Atlantic (45-10), Georgia (43-38), Alabama (34-28) and Missouri (59-42).  The Tigers were first in the country in rushing (335.7 yards per game), and average scoring 40.2 points a game.  Auburn’s weakness is its defense.  Auburn appeared in the 2010 season BCS Championship Bowl, beating Oregon.  With FSU averaging 53 points and Auburn averaging 40 points, this should be one hell of a ball game.  Both defensive coordinators have to be scratching their heads and wondering, “How do I stop them.”  Fasten your seat belts.                                                                                       
                                   
That’s the lineup.  Now you can plan your Holiday schedule.

From a conference perspective, the ACC has the most teams in bowl games with nine.  The ACC is followed by the SEC with 10 teams and the Pac-12 with nine teams playing in bowl games.  The Big Ten is represented with six teams.  Three conferences – the Big 12, C-USA and Mountain West – have six teams each in bowl games.  Then two conferences – the AAC and the Mid-American – are represented with five teams each.  The Sun Belt has two teams playing in bowls.  The Independents are represented by three teams – BYU, Navy and Notre Dame. 

Four conferences had qualifying teams that failed to get bowl bids – C-USA (two teams), the MAC (two teams), the MWC (one team) and the Sun Belt (five teams). 
The C-USA teams were Florida Atlantic (6-6) and Texas-San Antonio (7-5).  The MAC teams were Central Michigan (6-6) and Toledo (7-5).  The MWC team was San Jose State (6-6).  And the Sun Belt teams were Louisiana-Monroe (6-6), South Alabama (6-6), Texas State (6-6), Troy (6-6), and Western Kentucky (8-4).  The athletic directors from those schools must really feel good.

Penn State of the Big Ten finished with a bowl qualifying record at 7-5.  But the Nittany Lions are in the second and last year of their bowl probation.

My predictions for each of the 35 bowl games will be posted Monday, December 16 in College Football Week 17 – CFW Week 17.

Touchdown Tom
December 13, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com