College Football Week 18 – Big Ten finishes 1-4 on New Year’s Day
Who was naughty and who was nice?
A fortnight of Holiday adventures
When I posted my last blog (CFW 17) on December 17, there were only five schools still looking for a football coach.  Later that same day, three of the schools – Kent State, San Jose State and Western Michigan – ended their searches.  By the next day, a fourth – Wisconsin – found its new man.

Former Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Haynes was named the new coach at Kent State, while San Jose State chose University of San Diego coach Ron Caragher.  Caragher, by the way, became the coach at San Diego when Jim Harbaugh left to become the coach at Stanford after the 2006 season. 

Western Michigan went to the NFL to find its new coach.  The Broncos hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck.  And Wisconsin named Utah State coach Gary Andersen its new coach.  The Wisconsin hire created a new opening, but Utah State quickly filled the void, naming Matt Wells the Aggies new coach.  Wells was the offensive coordinator at Utah State under Andersen. 

Western Michigan’s Fleck, who just turned 32 in November, is now the youngest coach in FBS football.  That title was held by Toledo coach Matt Campbell, who is 11 months older than Fleck.  New Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury is the third youngest coach in FBS.  At 33, Kingsbury is just a few months older than Campbell.

By the end of the day on December 18, the only FBS school still looking for a coach was Florida International.  They don’t move too fast in Miami.  They have that Latin America attitude – mañana.  That’s why FIU doesn’t win many football games.  They’ll score a touchdown mañana.

Well, both can’t be right and maybe neither one is.  I’m talking about South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk.  Clowney and Seastrunk came out and said they would win the Heisman Trophy next year.  Clowney was first to make the prediction.  Stay tuned!

Speaking of Florida International, on December 19, Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz announced that he was withdrawing his name from consideration for the FIU coaching job.  What that means is that Diaz found out he wasn’t going to be selected.  So to save face, he announced his withdrawal.  Maybe FIU is getting close to naming someone. 

The USA Today reported that the average pay for assistant coaches in college football is now $200,000.  Not bad.  I can remember when that was the average for head coaches.

The third bowl game of the season was played on December 20.  BYU beat San Diego State 23-6 in the Poinsettia Bowl.  The offenses of both teams were bad.  Most of the points were scored, or set up, by the defenses.  It’s beyond me how San Diego State ever won a game this season.  And the Aztecs were playing on their home field.

The following night, UCF won the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl beating Ball State, 38-17.  David Letterman must have been sad.   

December 22, I read where Cincinnati and Connecticut officials are convinced the Big Ten will soon acquire Georgia Tech and Virginia or Georgia Tech and North Carolina.  Once that happens, Cincinnati and Connecticut are convinced they will then be invited to join the ACC.  Along with this story, I read that Boise State is seriously reconsidering its plans to join the Big East on July 1, 2013.  The Broncos may renege and remain in the Mountain West Conference.

The two bowl games on December 22 were both thrillers.  Louisiana-Lafayette outscored East Carolina, 43-34, in the New Orleans Bowl.  Then, in the Las Vegas Bowl, Boise State kicked a late field goal to beat Washington, 28-26.  Steve Sarkisian doesn’t seem to be getting the job done in Seattle.  He’ll be on the hot seat next season.  Is there a job out there Chris Petersen would leave Boise State for?

Two days before Christmas, it was time for Swamp Mama and me to drive up to the Florida panhandle to spend the Holidays with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe.  We left the shores of east-central Florida on a chilly morning, driving West on 192, North on the Florida Turnpike, North on I-75 and West on I-10.

The next night – Christmas Eve – SMU clobbered Fresno State, 43-10, in the Hawaii Bowl.  The Mountain West Conference isn’t looking good in the bowl games.  Fresno State was the third MWC team to lose.  Only Boise State has held up the conference’s honor.    

A visit to the Florida panhandle is always interesting and this time was no exception.  I have to tell you I heard two Christmas songs I’ve never heard before.  Maybe they are new songs?  Or maybe you just don’t hear them outside of North Florida?  On Christmas Eve I head “Santa Got Lost in Texas.”  Then on Christmas Day, I heard “Leroy the Redneck Reindeer.” 

So, I’m reading where Chip Kelly might pull a Pete Carroll and leave Oregon for the NFL.  Word is the NCAA is investigating Oregon for violations.  And rumor is Kelly may run off for a head coaching job in the NFL.  Carroll left the Trojans for the NFL as USC was about to be put on probation.

The day after Christmas, we went to see “Parental Guidance.”  Every grandparent needs to see this movie.  That night, Central Michigan beat Western Kentucky, 24-21, in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.  The game was played in Detroit.  I can’t imagine anybody going to Detroit in the summer, much less in December.  I thought bowls were supposed to be rewards for the players. 
   
On December 27, Swamp Mama and I bid farewell to North Florida and Leroy.  We said our goodbyes to Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe and made our way to the sands of east-central Florida.  The traffic was much heavier on the return trip than it was going up.  Seems everyone heads to Florida after Christmas.

Three games were awaiting me upon arrival at home.  San Jose State won the Military Bowl, beating Bowling Green, 29-20.  Cincinnati outlasted Duke in the Belk Bowl, 48-34.  And in the nightcap, Baylor stunned UCLA, 49-26, in the Holiday Bowl.

Florida International still hasn’t hired a new coach, but now we know why.  We know why it has been mañana.  We know why Manny Diaz withdrew his name.  FIU has been waiting all along to hire Butch Davis.

But it seems that Davis is hung up in contract issues with his former employer – North Carolina.  If Davis accepts the FIU offer, he relinquishes the money still owed to him by UNC.  At least, that’s what UNC says.  Davis doesn’t agree.  Stay tuned!

Three more bowls were the highlight of December 28.  Ohio surprised Louisiana-Monroe in the Independence Bowl, 45-14.  This was the same UL Monroe team that beat Arkansas at the first of the season, lost to Auburn in overtime and lost to Baylor by five points in a thriller.  Obviously, UL Monroe wasn’t the same team at the end of the season.

Next, Virginia Tech and Rutgers treated us to what has to be the most boring bowl game so far.  And what may be the most boring bowl game of the bunch when it’s all over.  It was the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando.  The Hokies beat Rutgers, 13-10 (OT).  If this game didn’t put you to sleep, I don’t know what would.  Tech only had 196 yards of offense.  To make matters worse, the Scarlet Knights only had 196 yards of offense.  It was like the offenses were singing to each other, “Anything you can do, I can do worse.” 

It all changed in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.  Texas Tech won a thriller over Minnesota, 34-31.  The Red Raiders scored the winning points as time expired.  Texas Tech and Minnesota scored more points in the first nine minutes of their game than Virginia Tech and Rutgers did in all four quarters, plus an overtime of their game. 

At times in the first half, the Texas Tech-Minnesota game looked more like a prize fight than football.  It was a real slugfest.  Personal fouls were being called like crazy.  Fortunately, the two teams settled down in the second half.           

News out of Reno says that Chris Ault is stepping down at Nevada after 28 years.  Under Ault, the Wolf Pack went from Division II to I-AA to I-A, winning at every level.  The 66-year-old Ault took the Wolf Pack to 10 bowl games in 12 FBS seasons.  He finished with a record of 233-109-1. 

Ault is the inventor of the Pistol offense, a scheme now employed by several teams at every level of football.  The Pistol has the quarterback in a short shot-gun formation with a running back lined up directly behind him.

Ault’s 40-year career with Nevada began when he played quarterback for the Wolf Pack from 1965 to 1967.  As coach, his best season was in 2010 when Ault led Nevada to a 13-1 record and a win against Boston College in the Fight Hunger Bowl.  That team, under quarterback Colin Kaepernick, also beat Boise State and won the WAC championship.  They were ranked 13th in the polls at the end of the season. 
  
Five games were on tap on December 29.  In the first one, Rice got its second bowl win in 57 years, as the Owls shot down the Air Force, 33-14, in the Armed Forces Bowl.  In the Bronx, in the snow, in Yankee Stadium, Syracuse downed West Virginia, 38-14, in the Pinstripe Bowl.  Out in the City by the Bay, Arizona State decked Navy in the Fight Hunger Bowl, 62-28.  I’ve said all season that Navy really needs to find a new football coach.

In the Alamo Bowl, Texas rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Oregon State, 31-27.  Oregon State’s offensive line was totally worthless in the fourth quarter.  But Mike Riley remains one of my favorite, if not the favorite, coaches in college football.  Michigan State and TCU had the honor of closing out the day in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.  The Spartans won a defensive battle, 17-16. 

Watching the Pinstripe Bowl, I had to laugh every time ESPN’s broadcast team of Chris Fowler and Jesse Palmer said that Syracuse wanted to hold onto the ball as long as it could to keep WVU’s Geno Smith off the field.  Au contraire, mon ami.  Smith, as it turned out, was Syracuse’s biggest asset in the game.  Whenever he had the ball, Smith was always turning it over to Syracuse. 

During the season, Geno Smith was like a box of chocolates.  You never knew what you were going to get.  Sometimes, he was really, really good.  Sometimes, he was really, really bad.  Sadly, in the Pinstripe Bowl, Smith ended his career really, really bad.  And sadly, West Virginia lost six of its last eight games, after beginning the season 5-0.

Sunday, December 30, provided a welcome break in the bowl games.  Following the five bowls on the 29th, the next games weren’t scheduled until New Year’s Eve – eight consecutive days of bowl games from December 31 to January 7.

Nineteen bowls were history and 16 were waiting to be played.  After getting off to a good start with my predictions at 7-3, I predicted wrong in five of the last nine games.  So at the midway-Sunday break, I’m sitting at 11 right and 8 wrong.  

At the halfway break, the WAC (2-0), C-USA (3-1), Big East (2-1) and the Big 12 (3-2) are looking the best so far, while the MWC (1-4), Sun Belt (1-2), MAC (2-3) and Pac-12 (2-3) are in the worst shape in bowl play.  The ACC, Big Ten and Independents are each 1-1.  The SEC has yet to play in a bowl game.  That changes New Year’s Eve when Vanderbilt and LSU are in action.         

Well Butch Davis’ lawyer released a statement, saying that Davis would not become the coach at Florida International.  Mañana.

Out in Idaho, Boise State announced it was not going to join the Big East Conference after all.  The Broncos will remain in the Mountain West Conference.  Now what will San Diego State do – the same thing?  And word has it the MWC may go after Houston and SMU, two other schools who are scheduled to join the Big East in July.  Stay tuned.

The first bowl game on New Year’s Eve was the Music City Bowl.  Vanderbilt beat NC State, 38-24.  In NC State’s opening game of the season against Tennessee, quarterback Mike Glennon threw four interceptions.  In the Wolfpack’s final game of the season, Glennon threw three interceptions.  Hopefully Glennon has an appointment scheduled soon with the eye doctor.   

Georgia Tech stunned USC in the Sun Bowl, 21-7.  This the USC team that many thought back in August would be playing in the BCS Championship Bowl.  Something tells me Lane Kiffin isn’t long for Troy.  Then in another surprise, Tulsa ran over Iowa State, 31-17, in the Liberty Bowl.  Paul Rhoads will definitely enter next season on the hot seat.

Seven NFL coaches are fired on New Year’s Eve.  Many are speculating that at least two of those seven openings in the NFL will be filled by current college coaches.  Can you spell Nick Saban and Chip Kelly?  Stay tuned.

Well, Clemson won its first game of the season in Atlanta in the Georgia Dome, beating a SEC team called the Tigers.  And Clemson won its last game of the season in Atlanta in the Georgia Dome, beating a SEC team called the Tigers.  Coincidence?  In its opening game on September 1, Clemson beat Auburn, 26-19.  In its final game on New Year’s Eve, Clemson beat LSU, 25-24.  In beating LSU, Clemson won the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Actually, it was strange that LSU was winning this game until the very end.  The Cajun Tigers had no offense, no defense and no coaching from the Mad Hatter.  It’s the second-straight year that LSU has looked flat in a bowl game.    

New Year’s Day – the busiest bowl day of the season, with six games on the lineup.  I made the best pot of Hoppin’ John.  It was so good with my rosemary, lemon and honey-mustard marinated chicken thighs.  Swamp Mama and I had Betty “The Duchess of Indialantic” Pappas over for a midday champagne dinner and to watch some football.

The day began with the Gator and Heart of Dallas Bowls and ended with the Orange Bowl.  In the Gator Bowl, Mississippi State embarrassed the SEC big time, losing to a Big Ten team.  Northwestern downed the Bulldogs, 34-20.  But don’t feel too bad Bulldogs, LSU was a bigger embarrassment the night before, losing to an ACC team.

Friends Karlene and John Tuttle attended the Gator Bowl.  They went to see Miss State cornerback Corey Broomfield play.  Broomfield played his school football at Bayside High in south Brevard County when John was the principal at Bayside.

Purdue had no business being in a bowl game, much less in a bowl game playing Oklahoma State.  In the Heart of Dallas Bowl, the Cowpokes booted the Boilermakers, 58-14.  Georgia and South Carolina made up for Miss State’s hiccup.  In the Capital One Bowl, Georgia wore down Nebraska, beating the Huskers, 45-31.  And South Carolina scored late – very late – to beat Michigan, 33-28, in the Outback Bowl.

In its last two games of the season, Nebraska’s defense gave up a total of 115 points – 70 to Wisconsin and 45 to Georgia.  Some heads could be rolling on the Husker coaching staff.  And I’m wondering if Nebraska fans think the football program is deteriorating in the Big Ten Conference.  I read an article during the season that said a number of Husker fans were missing the Big 12, while having second thoughts about the Big Ten.

Maybe it won’t be Nick Saban and Chip Kelly leaving for an NFL job.  Maybe it will be Chip Kelly and……Bill O’Brien.  Reports say Penn State coach O’Brien is open to leaving the Nittany Lions for one of the seven NFL openings.  Stay tuned.

In the greatest of all bowls – the Rose – Stanford and Wisconsin gave us an exciting and tightly contested performance.  Although it wasn’t high-scoring, there was never a dull moment.  At the end of the game, Stanford came out on top, 20-14.  Stanford’s celebrity fans at the game included Jim Plunkett, Condoleezza Rice and Tiger Woods.  And you know Andrew Luck would have been there if the Colts weren’t in the playoffs.

In the nightcap on New Year’s Day, Northern Illinois made it a game for three quarters.  But it was all Florida State after that.  FSU beat NIU in the Orange Bowl, 31-10.  The Noles extended a 7-point lead to a 21-point lead in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.  Then it was boring after that.   

The best game on New Year’s Day:  South Carolina and Michigan in the Outback Bowl.  Runner-up:  Stanford and Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.  Worst game on New Year’s Day:  Oklahoma State and Purdue in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.  Runner-up:  Florida State and Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl.
    
So, I’m thinking the next time I make my Hoppin’ John it will be accompanied by ribs and corn on the cob.  Can’t wait.

The next College Football Week – CFW19 – will be posted on Tuesday, January 8, the morning after the BCS Championship game.

Jadeveon Clowney for Heisman in 2013?  I’d say he’s off to a good start. 
 
Happy New Year!

Touchdown Tom
January 2, 2013
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


Review of the Bowls (most of them)

B-O-R-I-N-G (in the Poinsettia Bowl) – BYU 23, San Diego State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 28, BYU 26).  The score was 6-3 in favor of San Diego State at the end of the third quarter.  Two of BYU’s three touchdowns in the fourth quarter were scored by the defense – a fumble recovery in the end zone and an interception returned for a TD.  Neither team could get its offense flowing and there were eight turnovers in the game.  It was a painful game to watch – about as exciting as watching grass grow or chrome rust on a car.  A crowd of 35,442 attended the game in San Diego.

The Knights were no vegetarians (in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl) – UCF 38, Ball State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 30, Ball State 28).  UCF quarterback Blake Bortles had a great game, passing for 272 yards and rushing for another 80.  The Knights had a balanced attack, rushing for 222 yards and passing for 272.  UCF’s defense held the Cardinals to 71 yards rushing.  A crowd of 21,759 attended the game in St. Petersburg.

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway (in the New Orleans Bowl) – Louisiana-Lafayette 43, East Carolina 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisiana-Lafayette 35, East Carolina 33).  UL Lafayette quarterback Terrance Broadway passed for 316 yards and ran for another 108.  The Rajin’ Cajuns amassed 591 total yards in the game.  Midway through the second quarter, UL Lafayette led 28-7.  Midway through the third quarter, East Carolina had tied the score 31-31.  But the Pirates could never grab the lead.  A crowd of 48,828 attended the game in New Orleans.

Kicks are for Broncos – (in the Las Vegas Bowl) – Boise State 28, Washington 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 19, Washington 16).  Late in the second quarter, Boise State led, 18-3.  Late in the fourth quarter, Washington led, 26-25.  The Broncos kicked a 27-yard field goal with 1:16 on the clock to retake the lead, hold on and win the game.  The two teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats.  Boise State was the better passing team, while Washington was the better rushing team.  The Broncos finished another good season at 11-2.  A crowd of 33,217 attended the game in Las Vegas.

Ponies ride the big wave (in the Hawaii Bowl) – SMU 43, Fresno State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Fresno State 37, SMU 26).  SMU coach June Jones found out you can go home again.  The underdog Ponies let Fresno State’s Derek Carr pass all he wanted, but they totally shut down the Bulldog running game.  SMU held Fresno State to -16 yards rushing.  The Ponies led the Bulldogs 22-0 at the half and continued to outscore them in the second half.  Fresno State was hampered by four turnovers.  A crowd of 30,024 attended the game in Honolulu.

These Chipps weren’t down (in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl) – Central Michigan 24, Western Michigan 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Western Kentucky 27, Central Michigan 22).  Western Kentucky gambled and failed.  With 51 seconds left in the game, the Hilltoppers had a 4th-and-2 on the Central Michigan 19.  Instead of kicking a field goal to tie the game, WKU went for the first down.  But the attempted pass fell incomplete.  A crowd of 23,310 attended the game in Detroit.

Spartans court martial the Falcons (in the Military Bowl) – San Jose State 29, Bowling Green 20 (Touchdown Tom said: San Jose State 27 Bowling Green 18).  San Jose State was -15 yards rushing, but the Spartans’ passing made up for the difference.  David Fales threw for 395 yards.  The lead changed hands four times in the game.  San Jose State took the lead with about 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter and never gave it up.  The Spartans had an excellent season, finishing at 11-2.  A crowd of 17,835 attended the game in Washington.

Bearcats went on a shopping spree (in the Belk Bowl) – Cincinnati 48, Duke 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 36, Duke 25).  Wild game – Duke jumped out to a 16-0 lead with about 5 minutes left on the first quarter.  Then Cincinnati proceeded to score 27 unanswered points and led 27-16 about halfway through the third quarter.  Duke scored the next 15 points and led 31-27 early in the fourth quarter.  The Bearcats retook the lead, but the Blue Devils tied it up, 34-34, halfway through the fourth quarter.  In a wild finish, Cincinnati scored two touchdowns in the final 44 seconds of the game to win by 14 points.  The teams combined for 1,114 yards of offense.  Four turnovers really hurt the Dookies.  Cincinnati ended its season at a respectable 10-3.  A crowd of 48,128 attended the game in Charlotte.

Bears are festive (in the Holiday Bowl) – Baylor 49, UCLA 26 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 44, Baylor 40).  Baylor jumped out to a 35-7 lead late in the second quarter and it was all over but the shouting.  The two teams went tit-for-tat in the second half.  The Baylor defense shut down the running of Johnathan Franklin, holding the Bruins to 33 yards rushing.  The Bears Lache Seastrunk rushed for 138 yards.  Baylor did not suffer from its three turnovers.  A crowd of 55,507 attended the game in San Diego.

The green, green Cat comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ along (in the Independence Bowl) – Ohio 45, Louisiana-Monroe 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisiana-Monroe 30, Ohio 29).  Ohio built up a 38-7 lead halfway through the third quarter.  ULM just couldn’t do anything right.  The Bobcats had 556 yards of offense and held the Warhawks to 95 yards rushing.  ULM quarterback Kolton Browning threw three interceptions.  The game marked Louisiana-Monroe’s first appearance in a bowl.  A crowd of 41,853 attended the game in Shreveport.

An offensive disaster (in the Russell Athletic Bowl) – Virginia Tech 13, Rutgers 10 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 20, Rutgers 18).  Rutgers jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and never scored another point.  The Scarlet Knights held the lead until about 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, when the Hokies tied it up at 10-10.  Neither team mustered as much as 200 yards of offense in the game.  The defenses of both teams were good, but it was more of a case of terrible offenses.  Rutgers rushed for 67 yards, while the Hokies rushed for 3 yards.  Both quarterbacks completed less than 50 percent of their passes.  The teams combined for five turnovers.  A crowd of 48,127 attended the game in Orlando.

It ain’t over until it’s over (in the Meineke Car Care Bowl) – Texas Tech 34, Minnesota 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 35, Minnesota 17).  Texas Tech scored 10 points in the final 1:10 of the game to pull out the victory.  With just 70 seconds left in the game and trailing 31-24, the Red Raiders scored a touchdown on a 35-yard pass play to tie the score at 31-31.  On the ensuing series, Minnesota quarterback Phil Nelson was intercepted by Texas Tech’s D.J. Johnson.  Then, Texas Tech kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired to win the game.  A crowd of 50,386 attended the game in Houston.

Birds of Prey Clash: Owls down Falcons (in the Armed Forces Bowl) – Rice 33, Air Force 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Rice 23, Air Force 21).  The score was 14-14 early in the third quarter.  Then the Owls went on a rampage, scoring 19 unanswered points.  Rice had a balanced attack – 295 yards passing and 208 rushing for 503 total yards.  Air Force had no attack.  A crowd of 40,754 attended the game in Fort Worth.

The abominable Orangeman (in the Pinstripe Bowl) – Syracuse 38, West Virginia 14 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 38, Syracuse 33).  It was snowing in Yankee Stadium, but instead of the abominable snowman, West Virginia was plowed by the abominable Orangeman – Prince-Tyson Gulley.  Gulley rushed for 208 yards and his partner in crime – Jerome Smith – added another 157 yards rushing.  Syracuse had 369 yards rushing to WVU’s 88 yards.  The Mounties were 0-10 on third-down efficiency and 0-2 on fourth-down efficiency.  A crowd of 39,098 attended the game in New York City.

Sun Devils strip the Middies to their skivvies (in the Fight Hunger Bowl) – Arizona State 62, Navy 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 33, Navy 20).  This game was never a contest.  The Sun Devils led 48-7 halfway through the third quarter and 62-14 by the end of the quarter.  Navy never knew what sunk them.  ASU racked up 648 yards of offense.  A crowd of 34,172 attended the game in San Francisco.

Horns toot, Beavers scoot (in the Alamo Bowl) – Texas 31, Oregon State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 28, Texas 27).  Oregon State never trailed in this game until 2:24 left in the fourth quarter when Texas took the lead and held it to win.  Trailing by 10 points, 27-17, Texas scored two touchdowns in the last eight minutes of the game.  Three turnovers hurt the Beavers.  A crowd of 65,277 attended the game in San Antonio.

Where was Miss Piggy when Kermit needed her? (in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl) – Michigan State 17, TCU 16 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 17, Michigan State 14).  Neither team had much of an offense, but Michigan State had Le’Veon Bell.  He was the difference in the game.  Bell rushed for 145 yards.  As a team, TCU only rushed for 83 yards.  The Frogs led 13-0 at the half, but were outscored 17-3 in the second half.  Two turnovers didn’t help TCU any.  Trailing 16-14, the Spartans kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:01 on the clock to take the lead and win.  A crowd of 44,617 attended the game in Tempe.

The Dores were singing – (in the Music City Bowl) – Vanderbilt 38, NC State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Vanderbilt 26, NC State 22).  Vandy jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back.  NC State had five turnovers, including three interceptions, all thrown by Mike Glennon.  Otherwise, the Wolfpack outgained the Dores in total yardage 424 to 225.  However, NC State only had 41 yards rushing.  Vandy finished the season at 9-4 – the first time the Dores have won nine games since 1915.  A crowd of 55,801 attended the game in Nashville.

Kiffin gets stung (in the Sun Bowl) – Georgia Tech 21, USC 7 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 27, Georgia Tech 17).  Georgia Tech’s defense held the Trojans to just 205 yards of total offense – 107 passing and 98 rushing.  USC only had 10 first downs.  The game was marred by six turnovers – three for each team.  A crowd of 47,922 attended the game in El Paso.

Colossus of Rhoads destroyed (in the Liberty Bowl) – Tulsa 31, Iowa State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa State 33, Tulsa 24).  Iowa State led 17-7 at the end of the first quarter and never scored another point the rest of the game.  The Golden Hurricane held the Cyclones to 98 yards rushing.  ISU was hampered by three turnovers.  Tulsa finished its season at an impressive 11-3.  A crowd of 55,687 attended the game in Memphis.

Mad Hatless (in the Chick-fil-A Bowl) – Clemson 25, LSU 24 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Clemson 18).  LSU never trailed in this game until time expired.  That’s when Clemson kicked a 37-yard field goal to win.  Actually it’s hard to figure how LSU was ever in this game.  LSU had 9 first downs to Clemson’s 32.  LSU had 219 yards of offense to Clemson’s 445.  Neither team had a running game, but Clemson had a passing game – 346 yards.  A crowd of 68,027 attended the game in Atlanta.

Cats scratch Bully (in the Gator Bowl) – Northwestern 34, Mississippi State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 32, Northwestern 22).  It’s hard to win a game when your quarterback goes 12-for-28 for only 106 yards and throws four interceptions along the way.  That’s exactly what Tyler Wilson did for Miss State.  The game was marred by seven turnovers.  Northwestern won its first bowl game since 1949.  A crowd of 48,612 attended the game in Jacksonville.

Mismatch! (in the Heart of Dallas Bowl) – Oklahoma State 58, Purdue 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 35, Purdue 20).  The score was 45-0 before Purdue managed to score with 0:18 left in the third quarter.  Then the score was 58-7 before Purdue scored its only other touchdown with less than three minutes left in the game.  Five turnovers didn’t help the Boilermakers any.  Okie State had 524 yards of offense.  A crowd of 48,313 attended the game in Dallas.

What a finish and what a hit! (in the Outback Bowl) – South Carolina 33, Michigan 28 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, Michigan 19).  The Gamecocks scored on a 32-yard touchdown pass with 0:11 remaining in the game to retake the lead and win.  Late in the second quarter, South Carolina led 21-10.  With 0:02 remaining in the third quarter, Michigan took its first lead in the game at 22-21.  Each team retook the lead in the fourth quarter before the Gamecocks took it for the final time.  South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw passed for 224 yards and rushed for 96 before leaving the game on the final drive in the fourth quarter.  The winning touchdown pass was thrown by backup quarterback Dylan Thompson.  A crowd of 54,527 attended the game in Tampa.

Uga chews the Corn off the Cob (in the Capital One Bowl) – Georgia 45, Nebraska 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 30, Nebraska 20).  Trailing Nebraska 31-23 midway through the third quarter, Georgia proceeded to score 22 unanswered points to win the game – a game in which the lead changed hands four times.  Nebraska never scored another point after the 9:42 mark in the third quarter.  The Huskers had nothing left in them.  They were totally pooped.  The teams combined for 1,032 yards of offense.  Aaron Murray passed for 427 yards.  A crowd of 59,712 attended the game in Orlando.

It must have been the Stanford band (in the Rose Bowl) – Stanford 20, Wisconsin 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 26, Wisconsin 25).  In a tightly played game, 31 of the 34 points were scored in the first half.  A Stanford field goal with 4:23 left in the game was the only score in the second half.  The teams were pretty evenly matched.  Both had 17 first downs.  Wisconsin had 301 yards of offense and Stanford had 344 yards.  The Badgers were the better rushing team, while the Cardinal was the better passing team.  Stanford won the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1972.  A crowd of 93,359 attended the game in Pasadena.

Kirk Herbstreit was right (in the Orange Bowl) – Florida State 31, Northern Illinois 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, Northern Illinois 25).  Northern Illinois had no business in the Orange Bowl.  Yeah, even those it was fairly close for three quarters you never had a doubt about who was going to win.  FSU controlled the game.  The Noles led 17-10 at the end of the third quarter, but quickly made it 31-10 early in the fourth quarter.  FSU had 534 yards of offense to NIU’s 259 yards.  The Noles totally shut down Jordan Lynch.  A crowd of 72,073 attended the game in Miami Gardens.

Last Two Week’s Bowl Picks:    15 Correct,    12 Wrong   (55.6 percent)
Running Bowl Game Picks:       17 Correct,   12 Wrong   (58.6 percent)


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  Georgia’s Aaron Murray – 18-33-2-427 yards; San Jose State’s David Fales – 33-43-0-395; Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 33-54-2-362; Duke’s Sean Renfree – 37-49-2-358; Clemson’s Tajh Boyd – 36-50-0-346; Cincinnati’s Brendon Kay – 17-25-0-332; Ohio’s Tyler Tettleton – 14-22-1-331, and UCLA’s Brett Hundley – 26-50-0-329.

Also, Louisiana-Lafayette’s Terrance Broadway – 21-32-1-316 yards; Florida State’s E.J. Manuel – 26-38-0-291; East Carolina’s Shane Carden – 25-42-1-278; UCF’s Blake Bortles – 22-33-0-272; Texas Tech’s Seth Doege – 31-45-2-271; Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly – 17-19-0-268; Boise State’s Joe Southwick – 26-38-0-264, and Rice’s Driphus Jackson – 15-21-0-264.


Impressive Rushers:  Syracuse’s Prince-Tyson Gulley – 208 yards; Washington’s Bishop Sankey – 205 yards; Arizona State’s Marion Grice – 159 yards, and Syracuse’s Jerome Smith – 157 yards.

Also, Tulsa’s Trey Watts – 149 yards; Michigan State’s Le’Veon Bell – 145 yards; Nebraska’s Rex Burkhead – 140 yards; Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk – 138 yards, and Florida State’s Lonnie Pryor – 134 yards.


Quotes of the Past Two Weeks

“He’s expressed to me on several occasions that he’s happy here.  He feels very comfortable and I believe him,” Alabama athletic director Mal Moore, on rumors that Nick Saban is leaving for the NFL.

“I can’t see him coming to the NFL.  I would be very shocked,” former Alabama running back Trent Richardson, on Nick Saban.

“I believe a defensive player can win the Heisman next year.  That’s my next thing – New York,” South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, believing he can win the Heisman next year.

“I’m going to win the Heisman.  I’m going to win it in 2013,” Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk.

“This was not an athletic scandal.  It was an academic scandal,” former North Carolina governor Jim Martin, on the latest investigation into the athletic-academic scandal at North Carolina.

“Athletic or academic?  Please.  UNC would like you to believe you can have one without the other.  It is determined not to look like some Jock Factory that cares more about dunking than microbiology,” AOL FanHouse columnist David Whitley.

“He’s extremely phony, untalented and now, reportedly, a bad team player.  His career will continue to be a comedy to people with an objective opinion who don’t love him just because he believes the same myths as themselves,” Joshua Mulligan, commenting on Tim Tebow in USA Today. 

“They’re fast.  They’re physical.  But they haven’t seen anything like our offense.  We plan on wearing them down.  In the fourth quarter, we plan to have them on their knees – and then just keep pounding away,” Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch, on the Florida State defense prior to the Orange Bowl.

“For all its success, LSU can sometimes outsmart itself, which is to say that LSU can leave you wondering if it knows what it’s doing.  So why, nearly everyone wondered, would a team that runs better than it throws try to make Zach Mettenberger into Matt Ryan?,” Atlanta-Journal Constitution columnist Mark Bradley, after the Chick-fil-A Bowl.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Nebraska and Northern Illinois have agreed to a three-game series to be played in 2016, 2017 and 2019.  The 2016 game, hosted by NIU, will be played at Chicago’s Soldier Field.  The remaining two games will be played in Lincoln….  Former California running game coordinator Ron Gould has been hired as the new football coach at UC Davis.

Nick Montana, the son of Joe Montana, is transferring to Tulane after a year at Mount San Antonio Community College in Southern California.  The younger Montana originally signed with Washington in 2010 and spent two years with the Huskies in Seattle as a backup quarterback.  He transferred to Mount San Antonio after the 2011 season….  Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel was named the Associated Press college football player of the year.

Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke won the Walter Payton Award, given to the best offensive player in FCS football….  South Alabama defensive coordinator Bill Clark is the new football coach at Jacksonville State….  Connecticut defensive coordinator Dan Brown is the new DC at Boston College….  Kansas State coach Bill Snyder won the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. 

For auld lang syne, my friend,

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but with college football fans still hung over from the bowl games and the New Year’s Eve celebrations, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1943 was “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby

…65 years ago this week in 1948 was “Ballerina” by Vaughn Monroe

…60 years ago this week in 1953 was “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by Jimmy Boyd

…55 years ago this week in 1958 was “At the Hop” by Danny & The Juniors

…50 years ago this week in 1963 was “Go Away Little Girl” by Steve Lawrence

…45 years ago this week in 1968 was “Hello Goodbye” by The Beatles

…40 years ago this week in 1973 was “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul

…35 years ago this week in 1978 was “How Deep is Your Love” by The Bee Gees

…30 years ago this week in 1983 was “Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John Oates

…25 years ago this week in 1988 was “So Emotional” by Whitney Houston

…20 years ago this week in 1993 was “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston


Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there were 10 passings of note during the last two weeks – Daniel Inouye, Jimmy McCracklin, Lee Dorman, Jack Klugman, Charles Durning, Ray Collins, Joe Krivak, Fontella Bass, Larry Morris and Norman Schwarzkopf. 

Senator Daniel Inouye, the U.S. Senator from Hawaii who went to Washington at the birth of his state in 1959, died two weeks ago in Bethesda, Maryland.  He was 88.  A hero of World War II who lost his right arm in combat in Europe, Inouye, a Democrat, served two terms in the House and was first elected to the Senate in 1962.  He was the first Japanese-American elected to both the House and the Senate.  Daniel Ken Inouye was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 7, 1924. 

Jimmy McCracklin, a blues singer and pianist who wrote and recorded several songs, including the 1950s hit “The Walk,” died two weeks ago in San Paulo, California.  He was 91.  McCracklin’s best known record is “The Walk,” a jubilant dance number.  It reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in 1958.  He performed the song on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand.”  Considered a rock ‘n‘ roll classic, “The Walk” was recorded by a number of musicians, including The Beatles.  McCracklin also wrote and recorded “Think,” “Just Got to Know,” “Shame, Shame, Shame” and “My Answer.”  He co-wrote “Tramp,” which was a hit for Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.  McCracklin was born James David Walker on August 13, 1921, in Helena, Arkansas.  His family later moved to St. Louis.

Lee Dorman, the bass guitarist for the psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, died two weeks ago in Laguna Niguel, California.  He was 70.  Iron butterfly was a four-man band out of San Diego.  The band released “In-a-Gadda-da-Vida” in July 1968.  It went platinum and stayed on the national sales charts for two years.  The track has been featured in a number of movies and television shows. 

Jack Klugman, the three-time Emmy Award-winning actor best known for his roles on TV’s “The Odd Couple” and “Quincy, M.E.”, died two weeks ago at his home in Woodland Hills, California.  He was 90.  Klugman was the last surviving member of the cast that played the jury in the 1957 movie “12 Angry Men.”  He appeared on several episodes of “Twilight Zone.”  He won his first Emmy in 1964 for a guest appearance on “The Defenders.”  He was also a veteran of Broadway.  Klugman was born in Philadelphia in 1922 and began his acting career in college at Carnegie Tech.  He served in the Army during World War II.

Charles Durning, who overcame poverty, battlefield trauma and self-doubt to become an acclaimed character actor, died two weeks ago at his home in New York City.  He was 89.  Durning was a familiar presence on television, in the movies and on Broadway.  Some of his movies included “The Sting” (1973), “North Dallas Forty” (1979), “True Confessions” (1981), “Tootsie” (1982) and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982).  On television, Durning received nine Emmy Award nominations, although he never won.  Charles Edward Durning was born on February 23, 1923, in Highland Falls, New York.  He served in the Army during World War II where he was among the first wave of troops to land on Omaha Beach on D-Day  

Ray Collins, a singer whose dispute with one guitarist led him to hire another – Frank Zappa – with whom he would go on to form the avant-garde rock group The Mothers of Invention, of which Collins was the lead singer, died two weeks ago.  He was in his middle 70s.  Collins eventually grew tired of Zappa’s emphasis on satire and left the band.  Collins grew up in Pasadena, California. 

Joe Krivak, Maryland’s football coach from 1987 to 1991, died two weeks ago.  He was 77.  Maryland went 20-34-2 under Krivak, who resigned after the 1991 season.  His best year was in 1990 when the Terrapins were 6-5-1, tying Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl.  The next season, Maryland was 2-9. 

Fontella Bass, a St. Louis-born soul singer who hit the top of the R&B charts with “Rescue Me” in 1965, died last week.  She was 72.  “Rescue Me” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  “Rescue Me” has been covered by several top artists, including Linda Rondstadt, Cher, Melissa Manchester and Pat Benatar.

Larry Morris, the Chicago Bears star linebacker who was named the most valuable player of the 1963 National Football League championship game, died last week in Austell, Georgia.  He was 79.  Known as the Brahma Bull for his bruising play, Morris was an All-American at Georgia Tech and played 11 years in the NFL.  Larry Cleo Morris was born on December 10, 1933, in Atlanta.  He played on two unbeaten teams at Georgia Tech under legendary coach Bobby Dodd.  In the NFL, Morris played three years for the Los Angeles Rams, seven for the Chicago Bears and a final season for the Atlanta Falcons. 

Norman Schwarzkopf, the retired general who topped an illustrious military career by commanding the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait in 1991, died last week.  He was 78.  Schwarzkopf died in Tampa, Florida, where he lived.  He was known as “Stormin’ Norman” for his notoriously explosive temper.  Although he kept a low profile, he was known to be against the second war with Iraq, along with the tactics and approach used in the war.  He sharply criticized Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield.  Schwarzkopf was born on August 24, 1934, in Trenton, New Jersey.  He graduated from West Point in 1956.  Schwarzkopf later earned a master’s degree at the University of Southern California.  He called General William Westmoreland, the U.S. commander in Vietnam a “horse’s ass.”