Back in the High Life Again
Sitting at my PC, on a slow Friday afternoon at work some 18 years ago, I began to write.  If memory serves me correct, it was the Friday before Labor Day weekend.  Hit with a crazy inspiration, I wrote a brief commentary on seven college football games to be played that weekend.  Each game commentary was sprinkled with dose of humor. 

Having completed my composition, I e-mailed the commentary to 12 acquaintances – mostly fellow workers.  The 12 recipients, along with myself, represented fans of Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, Duke, Purdue and West Virginia – hence the seven games.

On that slow Friday afternoon, I didn’t have the slightest inkling that what I wrote then would become the start of a weekly labor of love for the remainder of that football season – thanks to the encouragement of those 12 original recipients.  Nor, in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined that what I started 18 years ago still would be going today.  It was even more unthinkable that my weekly writings would grow from about a page and a half of text to several pages, and from 12 e-mail recipients in 1995 to more than 700 recipients (and countless, unknown others that it was forwarded, and forwarded and forwarded to) by 2009.  Since 2010, several thousand more readers have jumped aboard via my on-line blog – www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com.

Along the way, what began in 1995, eventually took on the name “College Football Week.”  My wife became Swamp Mama and Swamp Mama gave me the name Touchdown Tom.  For 13 years, beginning in 1998, Touchdown Tom had a weekly, 30-minute radio show on WMMB (Melbourne, Florida).  Originally working for six years with radio host Larry Brewer, the show continued for another seven years with radio host Bill Mick.
 
And, as College Football Week grew, it developed into an established format – a format that has remained basically the same for several years.  The seven teams of the 12 original recipients became “Ye Olde Stomping Grounds.” 
  
A week from today – August 12 – College Football Week will begin its 19th season.  For the next 23 weeks, you can take a thrilling trip through the college football season as seen from the eyes of Touchdown Tom and his accomplices Swamp Mama, Rockledge Gator and Bootsie.  CFW is simply everything college football and then some.  You can follow it all each week at www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com.

“We’ll have ourselves a time
And we’ll dance till the morning sun
And we’ll let the good times come in
And we won’t stop till we’re done
We’ll be back in the high life again.”

College football and CFW are back – back in the high life again.

Touchdown Tom
August 5, 2013 

For the long-time readers who need to reminisce, and for the first-time readers who need an introduction, below is a much-abridged, weekly summary of the 2012 season as recorded by CFW.

College Football Week – Preseason and the livin’ is easy
The unappealing off-season
that culminated with appeals
(August 13, 2012) It was preseason and Penn State fans were anxious to get the off-season behind them and a new season begun.  To say the least, the off-season was very unappealing for the Nittany Lions and their fans.  The Jerry Sandusky scandal dominated the college football scene from January to August 2012.  Touchdown Tom measured in with his two cents on the matter.  But by August, what had been unappealing for so long spawned a ration of challenges, as Joe Paterno’s family, a Penn State trustee and a group of former Penn State players all filed appeals against the sanctions that had been levied on Penn State.

Meanwhile, Bootsie banned Rockledge Gator from their kitchen after he started a fire in the microwave – something about a tea bag.  And Swamp Mama was still having sweet dreams from the Olympics – something about Ryan Lochte.    

Some of the best Quotes of the 2012 Off-Season

“Ohio State has a new coach and it’s different.  I would say it’s pretty unethical,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, accusing Urban Meyer of dirty recruiting.

“They have prettier girls, the air is fresher and the toilet paper is thicker,” Missouri wide receiver T.J. Moe, on the benefits of the SEC over the Big 12.

“The SEC Media Days have turned into an absurd 72-hour circus,” SI.com blogger Lars Anderson.

“Penn State should donate Joe Paterno’s statue to the Vatican,” TheSkunk.org.

“As to the Penn State students seen crying as the news was announced, I would like to offer some motherly advice: Don’t pick your college on the basis of its football team,” Susie Madrak of Orange County, Florida.

“Now the world knows that lovable ol’ JoePa wasn’t the only cold-blooded Paterno.  Turns out, it runs in the family,” CBSSports.com writer Gregg Doyel.


College Football Week – Preseason 2, suffering Olympics withdrawal
From LSU to North Carolina
Another side of the off-season
(August 20, 2012) The Olympics had just ended and many folks were already suffering from withdrawal.  The start of college football season was still about two weeks off.  Touchdown Tom used the time to review another side of the off-season – everything but Penn State.  It began with LSU topping the news – reports of locker room clashes at the national championship game and losing the commitment of a top-rated high school quarterback.  And it ended with an academic scandal at North Carolina.

In-between, Johnny Otis and Whitney Houston died.  TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” tried to land Tim Tebow, and Memphis, Navy and Temple announced they were joining the Big East Conference – Navy as a football only member.  Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema and Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio accused new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer of dirty recruiting, and everyone had a touch of Linsanity.  Gary Carter, Davy Jones and Alex Webster died.  Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino went on a motorcycle ride he’ll never forget, and a Bulldog named Bubba won the Masters.  Sports Illustrated trashed Urban Meyer and sadly Levon Helm lost his long battle to cancer. 

Former West Virginia coach Bill Stewart passed away.  The commissioners of the 11 FBS conferences, along with the Notre Dame athletic director, agreed there would be a four-team playoff for the national championship, starting with the 2014 season.  Meanwhile, the girls at the Starbucks drive-through window dubbed Rockledge Gator – “Big Truck.”  And Swamp Mama was suffering from Ryan Lochte withdrawal. 

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“He is permanently ineligible to play football at LSU.  That’s definite,” LSU associate athletic director Bo Bahnsen, on Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu.

“North Carolina cheated and prospered and now it’s time for reckoning.  This may be the ugliest academic scandal in NCAA history,” CBSSports.com writer Gregg Doyel, on the developing academic scandal at North Carolina. 

“And did you see where former Georgia football coach Jim Donnan was charged in a Ponzi scheme?  What, did he convince investors that he could beat the Gators?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.


College Football Week One – Mama mia, here we go again!
Swan song for the WAC,
WVU to the Heartland,
Can it get any wackier?
(August 27, 2012) Kickoff of the 2012 season was just a few days away.  Touchdown Tom reminisced about the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) founded in 1962 and playing its last season as a football conference in 2012.  West Virginia and TCU were about to begin their first season in the Big 12, while Missouri and Texas A&M were about to play their first season in the SEC.

Rockledge Gator was placed on the disabled list – something about an injury suffered while trying to fold up his grandson’s stroller.  To add insult to injury, Rockledge Gator was banned from the kitchen again – something about oatmeal in the microwave this time.  Meantime, West Virginia was named the No. 1 party school again.  

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“Joe Paterno comes across as sort of a stuffed mascot, monstrously indifferent to all around him.  The former Penn State coach comes across as a self-mythologizing monster, consumed by his legacy of winning on the football field,” Wall Street Journal writer Tim Marchman, reviewing the book ‘Paterno’ by Joe Posnanski.

“Do you expect anyone to take you seriously, Graham Spanier?,” CBSSports.com writer Gregg Doyel, on the former Penn State president.

“The Dolphins have named rookie Ryan Tannehill as their starting quarterback.  Is this a reward or a sentence?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.


College Football Week Two – Jeff Driskel to start against Texas A&M
All right now, baby, it’s all right now,
But Isaac gave some teams the shaft
(September 4, 2012)  The college football season had begun and borrowing from the song by Free, Touchdown Tom said, “Baby, it’s all right now.”  But the start of the season had a couple of glitches.  Hurricane Isaac played havoc in the Gulf and then moved up the Mississippi as a tropical storm.  Isaac forced several teams to cancel practices – some even abandoned their campuses.  Two games were postponed. 

Rockledge Gator made an attempt to become a trendsetter.  Out to dinner one evening with
Bootsie, he not only discovered that he that he wasn’t wearing the same pair of shoes, but also, during a trip to the bathroom, he learned that he had his underpants on backwards.     

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“I’ve lived in Atlanta for 23 years.  I never truly had a sense for how important college football was in these parts until moving here from a distant galaxy (California) in 1989.  I remember sitting on a MARTA train, leaving the airport one Sunday morning after returning from an assignment, thinking, ‘Why are people talking about the Tennessee game?  And Auburn?  And who cares about Clemson?’  I don’t wonder anymore,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

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

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

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

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

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


College Football Week Three – USC-Stanford, ND-MSU, UF-Tenn
Bankruptcy, initiation in the SEC,
The best and the worst of the Pac-12
(September 10, 2012) Arkansas coach John L. Smith filed for bankruptcy.  His football team played like they were bankrupt.  The Razorbacks lost to Louisiana-Monroe, 34-31 in overtime.  Texas A&M and Missouri played their first SEC games.  In College Station, The Florida Gators baptized the Aggies to the tune of 20-17, while in Columbia, Georgia initiated Mizzou into the SEC, downing the Tigers, 41-20.   In the Pac-12, Oregon and USC looked good, while Colorado and Utah looked bad – really bad.  Colorado moved to 0-2 on the season, losing to Sacramento State. 

Meanwhile, Rockledge Gator ditched Lady Gaga for Honey Boo Boo. 

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“My mom said I need to watch my mouth,” Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease.

“This week, I’m going to be the biggest, most obnoxious UCF fan you’ve ever seen in your entire life.  Urban Meyer is the man you dated and the ending went so bad, you have an unhealthy hatred for him.  He’s the ex-boyfriend you hope gets fat, gets divorced five times and his last wife leaves him for Rachel Maddow.  I want UCF to embarrass Urban Meyer.  Stomp him!”, a Gator fan named Mandy, calling into the Mike Bianchi radio show.

“Kiss your date on first downs.  You won’t have any touchdowns today,” ESPN’s David Pollock, to the Texas A&M students.


College Football Week 4 – Clemson-Florida State
Notre Dame and $50 million solidify
The Atlantic Coast Conference
(September 17, 2012) The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents unanimously voted to accept Notre Dame into the conference as a member in all sports except football.  The Irish remain an Independent in football, but agreed to schedule five football games with ACC teams each season.  Additionally, the ACC Council of Presidents voted to up its exit fee from $20 million to $50 million.  This vote wasn’t unanimous, as Florida State and Maryland voted against raising the exit fee.

Meanwhile, just two seasons after winning the national championship, Auburn fans were calling for the termination of Gene Chizik. 

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“The NCAA continues to hover over Auburn.  Now, it’s about a recruit (Javon Robinson) having his high school transcript altered, which led to him being declared academically ineligible.  I’m not declaring guilt or innocence here.  But given the amount of time NCAA investigators spend in Auburn, wouldn’t buying a condo save on hotel costs?,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Shultz.

“After losing to Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas coach John L. Smith needed a rallying cry.  He settled on: ‘We’re still undefeated in the league.’  Now there’s a statement with a limited shelf life,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Getting Notre Dame in everything but football?  Isn’t that sort of like going to Hooters for everything but the waitresses?”, Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“There was talk before the game that Tennessee fans were making plans to storm the field and rip down the goal posts if they won.  Instead, they stormed the exits midway through the fourth quarter and undoubtedly ripped coach Derek Dooley on their way out,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, on the Florida-Tennessee game.


College Football Week Five – WVU’s first Big 12 game
Kentucky should drop football,
Florida should downsize its stadium
(September 24, 2012) Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and Touchdown
Tom attended the Kentucky-Florida game.  It was a hot day and while sitting in the heat of the sun, Touchdown Tom had a few reflections.  First, after losing to Florida, 38-0, and after losing to Florida for the 26th straight year, Kentucky should drop football.  Second, Touchdown Tom got to thinking he hasn’t seen Ben Hill Griffin Stadium full since Steve Spurrier left after the 2001 season.  For the past 11 seasons, the only games that fill the stadium are when Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Tennessee come to Gainesville.  Maybe Auburn.  And South Carolina, but only since Spurrier has been the coach of the Gamecocks.  At all other games, there are lots of empty seats.

Meanwhile, Rockledge Gator went hip-hopping during the week.  He went out for his early morning walk without his belt.  Not long into his walk, his pants were falling down below his underwear.  He had to walk with his hand in his crotch to keep his pants up.    

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“Arkansas put a motorcycle and a cardboard cutout of a blonde in John L. Smith’s office, hoping he’d take the bait.  It didn’t work.  They’re stuck with him,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Shultz.

“They ain’t what people think.  They’re good and everything, but they can be beat,” Florida Atlantic defensive end Cory Henry, on Alabama prior to the FAU-Alabama game.


Football Week Six – Uga-Cocks, LSU-Florida, WVU-Texas
‘Oh, but ain’t that America’
(October 1, 2012) There was something exciting to see in college football all across America.  West Virginia beat Baylor, 70-63.  The two quarterbacks – Geno Smith and Nick Florence – combined for 1,237 yards passing.  In Michie Stadium in West Point, New York, little Stony Brook upset Army, 23-3.  In the Big Ten, Northwestern moved to 5-0 on the season, beating Indiana, 44-29.  The Wildcats set a school record with 704 yards of offense.  In Athens, Georgia, Derek Dooley brought his Vols into town to take on the Dawgs – the school that Dooley’s father Vince used to coach.  Mama Barbara attended the game dressed in Orange.  But papa Vince stayed home, watching the game on TV.  Georgia won a thriller, 51-44.

Back in the Big Ten, Ohio State edged Michigan State, 17-16.  In Charlottesville, Louisiana Tech improved to 4-0, beating Virginia, 44-38.  Back in the Big 12, Texas beat Oklahoma State in a thriller, 41-36. In Lincoln, Wisconsin led Nebraska by 17 points halfway through the third quarter.  But the Huskers rallied and beat the Badgers, 30-27.  In the Pac-12, Oregon State scored late in the fourth quarter to beat Arizona, 38-35.  Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion passed for 433 yards.  But for the first time in the 2012 season, there were no overtime games.  

Meanwhile, Rockledge Gator ran into a rattlesnake.

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“That’s my baby and I’m pulling for Tennessee.  If the Georgia people don’t understand that then I just don’t get it,” Barbara Dooley, mother of Tennessee coach Derek Dooley and wife of former Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley.

“Of course I’m worried.  I was worried when Vince was coaching.  Are you kidding? Come on, I’ve been there,” Barbara Dooley on the status of her son at Tennessee.

“I remember Vince once saying, ‘Keep a suitcase ready because we never know when they’re going to throw us out of here.’  So I didn’t clean house for 25 years,” Barbara Dooley.

“I have to pull for my son because if I don’t I won’t stay married much longer,” former Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley, on the Tennessee-Georgia game.

“John L. Smith, the gift that keeps on giving, mistakenly referred to Arkansas as Alabama in a speech this week.  Hey, he was only talking to Razorbacks fans.  For a moment they all thought they had died and gone to heaven,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Just landed in East Lansing.  Damn, I hate the smell of this state,” Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, prior to the Michigan State game.

“Huggins would hope for a score like this,” Sally Kirk Adkins, on West Virginia’s 70-63 win over Baylor.


College Football Week Seven – South Carolina at LSU
‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’
(October 8, 2012) The Top 25 got shaken up, as 10 ranked-teams lost over the weekend – seven of the 10 teams losing for the first time.  LSU, Florida State and Georgia all lost.  The Tigers and the Seminoles lost close ones to Florida and N.C. State respectively, while Georgia got clobbered by South Carolina.  Texas, TCU, Nebraska, Northwestern and Texas Tech all lost.  Before a record attendance in Austin, the Longhorns lost a thriller to West Virginia, 48-45, while Nebraska was embarrassed by Ohio State, 63-38.  And finally, Washington and UCLA, both ranked in the Top 25, lost too. 

Meanwhile, rumor had it that Bootsie put Rockledge Gator in a straight jacket.  

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“A bankruptcy filing shows John L. Smith is $40.7 million in debt.  He should open a lemonade stand with Jim Donnan,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play football?  We ain’t come to play school.  Classes are pointless,” Ohio State back-up quarterback Cardale Jones.

“This was Urban Meyer’s statement game and it wasn’t a very pleasant statement for Nebraska,” CBSSports.com writer Gregg Doyel, on the Nebraska-Ohio State game.

“Apparently, you can mess with Texas after all,” Charleston Gazette columnist Mitch Vingle, after the WVU-Texas game.

“The ‘N’ on Nebraska’s helmets stands for ‘no defense’,” ESPN analyst Rece Davis, after the Nebraska-Ohio State game.


College Football Week 8 – Cocks-Gators, Wildcats-Eers, Ducks-Devils
‘Whoa, we’re half way there,
Whoa-oh, we’re livin’ on a prayer’
(October 15, 2012) Halfway through the season there were 12 undefeated teams.  All, except for Alabama, were living on a prayer.  Touchdown Tom predicted the SEC would have four new coaches in 2013.  Tennessee’s Derek Dooley, Arkansas’ John L. Smith, Auburn’s Gene Chizik and Kentucky’s Joker Phillips were all living on a prayer.  He also reported that South Florida’s Skip Holtz was in trouble too. 

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“Al Groh was a mistake.  He was Paul Johnson’s mistake.  It took about two and a half years for the Georgia Tech head coach to realize that,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on the firing of Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator.

“He was one of a kind.  There never was and never will be another Beano.  His combination of humor, passion, love of college football and his engaging personality left an indelible mark on the sport and touched anyone who knew him,” ESPN executive chairman George Bodenheimer, on the passing of Beano Cook.

“R.I.P. to one of the only Pitt guys I like,” former West Virginia coach Don Nehlen, on the death of Beano Cook.

“Nothing like a call from Beano Cook to make you smile,” West Virginia grad and Auburn assistant athletic director Shelly Poe.

“Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson was in an accident last week.  But he was in a car, not on a motorcycle.  So when you think about it, the program is making tremendous progress,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz. 


College Football Week 9 – Irish-OU, Uga-Gators, Bulldogs-Bama
Geno Smith can forget the Heisman,
Dana Holgorsen has major problems
(October 22, 2012) After averaging 52 points a game in its first five outings, West Virginia’s offense sputtered to a halt in its last two games, losing to Texas Tech 49-14 and to Kansas State 55-14.  Going into the Texas Tech encounter, WVU quarterback Geno Smith was the No. 1 candidate for the Heisman.  In spite of still being listed as a candidate, although no longer No. 1, Touchdown Tom said Smith can forget about the Heisman.  With a sputtering offense and a defense that has been pathetic since the first game, Touchdown Tom also wrote that WVU coach Dana Holgorsen had some major problems on his hands.

Meanwhile, Rockledge Gator said, “Bring on Uga.  We ain’t scared of them Dawgs.”  And he wasn’t talking about the Georgia cheerleaders.  

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“Florida State and Miami were supposed to elevate ACC football, but instead ACC football has dragged down the Noles and Canes to their mundane, mediocre level.  You are who you hang out with,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“If you hang out with a bunch of turkeys, you’re going to get cooked.  And, so, that gobbling sound you hear is the ACC getting ready for another week of nationally meaningless games.  The ACC’s record in BCs bowl games is 2-13.  So far this season, the ACC has fewer teams ranked in the Top 25 than any of the other BCS leagues,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, on how the lack of significance and legitimacy of the ACC has hurt football at Florida State and Miami.

“Steve Spurrier is not the ‘fun and gun’ anymore; he’s the ‘ground and pound’,” ESPN analyst David Pollack.
 
“I went to Florida State.  I know I’m stupid, but I’m not that stupid.  The Gators are going to win,” ESPN analyst Lee Corso, picking Florida to beat South Carolina on College GameDay.


College Football Week 10 – Bama-LSU and Ducks-USC
When does that 4-team playoff start?
(October 29, 2012) Touchdown Tom wrote, “If ever we needed the four-team playoff, which will begin in two years, we may need it now.  The possibility of Alabama, Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame finishing the season undefeated is very real.  And if that happens, I can hear the noise now.  It will be loud.”  Louisville and Ohio State also remained undefeated, but neither were a threat to compete for the BCS title.  Ohio State was on probation and Louisville’s schedule wasn’t strong enough.

Meanwhile, Rockledge Gator was singing “Bernadine” in his sleep, and my former N.C. State neighbor Brent Stancil reported that his 3½-year-old son was calling the North Carolina Tar Heels “the Stinky Poo-Poos.” 

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

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


College Football Week 11 – Kentucky fires Joker Phillips
Tailgating under the hanging moss
On a misty, foggy morning
(November 5, 2012) Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and Touchdown Tom spent the weekend in Gainesville, tailgating and attending the Missouri-Florida game.  The foursome chose a spot under the moss-laden trees on the Florida campus for their tailgating location.  Fortunately the mist and fog cleared before the game started.  Florida beat Missouri, 14-7.  At dinner Saturday evening following the game, Rockledge Gator began singing, “I’m a Lonely Little Petunia in an Onion Patch.”  He said his mother used to sing that song to him.  Bootsie rolled her eyes.  Swamp Mama was enamored.  And so it began.

Meanwhile, Swamp Mama has since serenaded me on the guitar, singing “I’m a Lonely Little Petunia in an Onion Patch.”  I may never forgive Rockledge Gator. 

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“Steve Spurrier is right.  The Tide could roll NFL teams,” Orlando Sentinel blogger Jerry Greene.

“Unless Auburn fires Gene Chizik today and hires Bobby Petrino, Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher to replace him, the Doggies are almost certainly heading to Atlanta in December,” Gainesville Sun columnist Pat Dooley, on Auburn’s chances of upsetting Georgia. 


College Football Week 12 – Dooley out; Is Chizik next?
‘We sang in the sunshine,
You know we laughed everyday
(November 12, 2012) In his annual “What Year Was It,” Touchdown Tom reminisced about college football, the events and the music of 1964.  Meanwhile, Alabama and Louisville suffered their first loss of the season.  Oregon, Kansas State, Notre Dame and Ohio State remain undefeated.

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“Too bad.  It would have been amusing seeing John Calipari and Bobby Petrino trying to co-exist in the same athletic department,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on word that Petrino is not a candidate for the Kentucky job.

“Jimmy Johnson actually said Arkansas should rehire Bobby Petrino.  Question: Is he willing to bankroll the university for all future sexual-harassment lawsuits?,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz. 

“Back to Gene Chizik.  I’m generally not a proponent of firing coaches two years after winning national championships.  But this guy is now 9-29 in SEC and Big 12 conference games in which he didn’t have the luxury of telling Cam Newton, ‘Here’s the ball.  Go do anything you want’,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“The disingenuous Nick Saban says no-huddle, spread offenses like Texas A&M’s are a danger to player safety.  Let me translate: ‘If they go too fast and I can’t rotate my three-deep, five-star, winded front seven, there’s a chance I might lose’,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Les Miles is a great coach when he’s not trying to pull a moose out of a hat,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“In 23 years of living in Atlanta, I’ve never seen a home crowd for a major college football team – let alone a team that won a national championship just two years ago – bolt from a game so quickly,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on the Auburn crowd at the Georgia-Auburn game in Auburn.

“Boos started to rain down in the second quarter when Georgia built its lead to 21-0.  When Keith Marshall ran 62 yards for a score to make it 31-0 in the third quarter, it was like somebody yelled, ‘Fire,’ in the stadium and thousands of fans streamed out.  Georgia had more fans in the stadium than Auburn in the fourth quarter.  That might be the worst sign of all for coach Gene Chizik,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.


Week 13 – Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Ten
Jon Gruden in Orange Pants?
(November 19, 2012) Tennessee fired Derek Dooley.  Kansas State and Oregon lost for the first time – Baylor shocked K-State 52-24, and Stanford downed Oregon, 17-14.  Notre Dame and Ohio State remain undefeated. 

Meanwhile Swamp Mama and Touchdown Tom attended a wedding in Ponte Vedra Beach.  Waiting for the wedding precession to start, I was following college football games on my iPhone.  Swamp Mama wasn’t happy with me.  Oklahoma and West Virginia put on a thriller in Morgantown.  The Sooners came out on top, 50-49.

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“I wasn’t old enough to completely understand how important college football was to people.  But what I remember is that when people left the stadium and headed back to their cars, they were either very happy or very sad.  What I eventually learned was that in the South, college football was not just a game.  It’s who we are,” former Georgia Tech, Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia State coach Bill Curry, who retired last week at age 70.

“He’s terrible,” New York Jets players, when asked about Tim Tebow.

“John L. Smith said he is ‘optimistic’ about his chances to keep the Arkansas coaching job.  He’s 4-6, in bankruptcy and lost to Louisiana-Monroe.  Dude, your next job is handing out happy face stickers at Wal-Mart,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Did you see where Hostess, the makers of Twinkies and Ding Dongs, is going out of business?  Somewhere, Phil Fulmer is weeping uncontrollably, and Charlie Weis is flying his flag at half-staff,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

  
College Football Week 14 – Eight coaches fired
Well, Bite My Tongue
(November 26, 2012)  Touchdown Tom wrote, “Thanksgiving Week is generally an exciting week every year in college football and this year was no exception.  You name it; we had it – conference expansion, retirements, firings, terminations, extensions and some pretty darn good and exciting games.”  Maryland announced it was leaving the ACC for the Big Ten.  This after Touchdown Tom figured that Notre Dame and $50 million would keep anyone from leaving the ACC.  Cincinnati, Connecticut and Louisville are chomping at the bit to replace Maryland in the ACC. 

Meanwhile, Swamp Mama was still playing “I’m a Lonely Little Petunia in an Onion Patch” on her guitar.  Did I say I’m never going to forgive Rockledge Gator?

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“We don’t win sexy.  But my wife says I’m sexy,” Florida coach Will Muschamp, prior to the Florida State game.

“Question for Tennessee fans: If your job is so attractive then why did Derek Dooley have it in the first place?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“The only things certain in life: (1) Death, (2) Taxes, (3) Auburn being investigated by the NCAA,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.


College Football Week 15 – Northern Illinois crashes the BCS party
Three coaches hired, two more fired,
Bowl slots filled, some fans thrilled,
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
(December 3, 2012) Touchdown Tom was about to headline this blog “How ‘bout them Dawgs.”  But along came Mark Richt and let the clock expire.  Georgia had a good opportunity to upset Alabama in the SEC championship game, but Richt’s poor clock management at the end of the game blew the Dawgs’ chances.  Alabama won 32-28.  Anything was better than the Big Ten title game where Wisconsin beat Nebraska, 70-31.  Bo Pelini has a problem beating a team for the second time in the same season.  And Northern Illinois will play Florida State in the Orange Bowl. 

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“Any candidate willing to take the Auburn job should be crossed off the list, because he must be a moron,” CBSSports.com writer Gregg Doyel.

“How can Nick ‘The Hypocrite’ Saban say the Gators don’t belong in the Sugar Bowl?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Alabama coach Nick Saban thinks it’s okay for his team, which didn’t even play for the SEC Championship last season, to have gained a spot in the BCS national title game, but he doesn’t think it’s okay for the Florida Gators to gain a spot in the Sugar Bowl.  What a self-serving hypocrite,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Tickets for Saturday’s ACC title game between Florida State and Georgia Tech are selling online for as low as $3, which is no surprise considering what a punch line the ACC has become as a football league.  And the joke became even more laughable Wednesday when the ACC and its shortsighted leadership added Louisville to its stable of mules, donkeys and Shetland ponies,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“John Swofford and his ACC colleagues have absolutely no vision when it comes to the future of their football league.  It’s no wonder so many Florida State fans and boosters want out of the ACC.  FSU is a football school hopelessly trapped in a league being run by a bunch of basketball boneheads,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.


College Football Extra – Touchdown Tom’s Bowl Game Preview
In the air there’s a feeling of bowl games
(December 7, 2012)  Touchdown Tom provided his annual look at the upcoming bowl games.


College Football Week 16 – Bobby Petrino to Arkansas State?
God rest ye merry football fans
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Alabama and Notre Dame
Play after New Year’s Day

Oh predictions of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
Oh predictions f comfort and joy
(December 10, 2012) Touchdown Tom provided his forecast for all the bowl games.  Meanwhile, Navy beat Army for the 11th-straight year.  The Middies won, 17-13.  Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy.

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“Every time I hear talking heads referring to the fiscal cliff, three words pop into my head: Big East’s future,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“He looks like the Stanford mascot,” ESPN’s Desmond Howard, on Manti Te’o at the Heisman Trophy presentation.


College Football Week 17 – Two bowls down, 33 to go
A few stocking stuffers for Christmas
(December 17, 2012) Christmas was near and Touchdown Tom reflected on a number of things.   

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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
(January 2, 2013) Touchdown Tom reviewed the happenings in college football during the two-week Holiday period. 

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“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. 

“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.


College Football Week 19 – Backup Florida QB Brissett transferring
First the Tide rushes in,
Plants the Irish on the turf
(January 8, 2013) Alabama won its second-straight national championship, clobbering Notre Dame, 42-14, in the BCS Championship Bowl.  The most exciting part of the game was Brent Musberger drooling over A.J. McCarron’s girlfriend – Miss Alabama Katherine Webb.  

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“There have been a lot of embarrassing days for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and, by association, Penn State, but Wednesday was the worst of all,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, on the announcement by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett that the state was suing the NCAA over sanctions levied against Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

“Has no one in Pennsylvania learned anything over the past 14 months, since the news of the Sandusky horrors broke?,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan.

“Florida fans clearly didn’t want to be here and their team responded in kind,” Fox Sports writer Steve Eubanks, on the Sugar Bowl.

“If 50,000 people saw the Sugar Bowl in person (counting the bands), I’ll eat a fried gator,” Fox Sports writer Steve Eubanks. 

“The Gator Nation has become the Gator Neighborhood,” Fox Sports writer Steve Eubanks, on the Sugar Bowl.


College Football Week 20 – 227 days until the next kickoff
‘The moon just went behind a cloud’
(January 14, 2013) The college football season was over and Touchdown Tom was so lonesome he could cry.  TT bid farewell to one season and looked ahead to another.

Some of the best Quotes of the Week

“It’s okay Notre Dame this happened to the Jets every week,” model Kate Upton on Twitter.

“We always try to capture interesting story lines and the relationship between an Auburn grad who is Miss Alabama and the current Alabama quarterback certainly met that test.  However, we apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far, and Brent understands that,” ESPN, apologizing for Brent Musberger’s comments during the Alabama-Notre Dame game.

“Rob Chudzinski being named the new coach of the Cleveland Browns is what I like to call a Nancy Pelosi hire – not very sexy,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“And isn’t it time we started referring to A.J. McCarron as Katherine Webb’s boyfriend,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.