Football Week 6 – Five games into season, USC fires Kiffin
A couch potato in paradise

Saturday was the perfect day for watching college football on TV.  From 12 noon to the wee hours of Sunday morning there was never a dull minute.  As soon as one exciting game ended, there was another one starting.  If not starting, another one in progress to switch to.  What a fix!

The day’s action began at noon with two games to choose from – South Carolina at UCF or Oklahoma State at West Virginia.  Both provided enough thrills and excitement for ideal TV watching.  Both began with an upset in the making.  But only one ended in an upset.

With a touchdown in the first quarter and a field goal in the second quarter, UCF jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead over South Carolina.  The Knights had the Gamecocks on the ropes.  UCF fans were giddy.

Then, all within an 18-minute span transcending the third and fourth quarters, the Knights’ fortunes changed.  South Carolina scored 28 unanswered points and led 28-10.  But there was still 10:31 left in the game – enough time for UCF to recover.  The Knights almost did, scoring 15 points.

In the end, South Carolina held on to win, 28-25.  Throughout the game, both teams provided their share of fireworks.  UCF’s Blake Bortles passed for 358 yards, while South Carolina’s Mike Davis rushed for 167 yards.  The teams combined for 917 yards of offense.

If you weren’t watching the South Carolina-UCF game, then you should have been watching (or switching back-and-forth to) the Oklahoma State-West Virginia game.  West Virginia, a 19 to 21 point underdog, jumped out to an early lead over the Cowboys.  The Mountaineers led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and 24-14 at the half.

Oklahoma State scored early in the third quarter.  You could just see it all unraveling for the Mountaineers.  The Cowboys were going to get their act together, come back and win.  The WVU offense stalled in the third quarter.  The West Virginia lead was just three points – 24-21 – going into the fourth quarter. 

But the Mountaineer defense was at its best in the fourth quarter.  Oklahoma State’s offense was repelled time and time again.  Meanwhile, the WVU offense showed some signs of life.  In his first start for WVU, injured quarterback Clint Trickett rallied his troops.  The Mountaineers mustered two field goals, both kicked in the final four minutes of the game.  West Virginia hung on to upset the Cowboys, 30-21.

With apologies to Jimmy Buffett:

Heaven on earth with a cold beer on ice
Not too particular, not too precise
I’m just a couch potato in paradise

At 3:30, the game of the day got underway – LSU at Georgia.  It lived up to its billing – never disappointing, never lacking for excitement.  The lead changed hands four times.  The score was tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.  Georgia led 24-17 at the half.  The Dawgs led 34-27 at the end of the third quarter.  With 4:14 to go in the game, LSU took a 41-37 lead.  Georgia won the game 44-41, scoring with 1:47 on the clock.

Both quarterbacks – Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray – were precisionists.  In the end, the teams combined for 943 yards of offense.

And if LSU-Georgia wasn’t enough to keep you glued to the screen, Florida State at Boston College and Oklahoma at Notre Dame were pretty good shows in their own right.  In the first quarter, Boston College jumped out to a 14-3 lead over Florida State.  The Eagles’ lead grew to 17-3 in the second quarter.

But the Noles scored three touchdowns to grab a 24-17 halftime lead.  Early in the third quarter, BC kicked a field goal to pull within four – 24-20.  Then, FSU began to dominate play, building on its lead.  The Eagles trailed by 14 points with 9:44 remaining in the game.  Neither team scored again.  Florida State won 48-34.  The Noles survived a scare.

In South Bend, Indiana, Oklahoma was out to revenge its 30-13 loss to Notre Dame last year.  The Sooners were inspired, jumping out to a 14-0 lead.  But the Irish closed the gap to 14-7.  Early in the third quarter, OU led 21-14, and early in the fourth, the Sooners led 27-21.  Two minutes later, OU added to its lead.  The Sooners led, 35-21.  Neither team scored in the final 12:24 of the game. 

At 7:00, it was Johnny Manziel time – Texas A&M at Arkansas.  The Aggies and the Razorbacks didn’t disappoint.  A&M led throughout, but the Hogs kept it close.  At the half, the Aggies led, 24-20.  As the final quarter began, A&M led, 38-33.  The fourth quarter was the quietist of all, with only one score.  Texas A&M added a touchdown with 10:08 to go.  The Aggies beat Arkansas, 45-33.  The teams combined for 1,006 yards of offense.

An hour into the Texas A&M-Arkansas contest, the biggest game of the night began – Wisconsin at Ohio State.  It lived up to its billing as well.  Although the Buckeyes led throughout, the Badgers kept it close.  Ohio State led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.  The score was 17-14 late in the second quarter.  Clinging to a three-point lead, the Bucks scored a touchdown with one second to go before the half. 

In the third quarter, Ohio State jumped out to a 17-point lead – 31-14.  But the Bucks never scored again.  The Badgers scored twice in the fourth quarter to pull within seven – 31-24.  The Buckeyes hung on to win.

At the same time, in Reno, Air Force and Nevada were putting on what may have been the most exciting game of the day.  Nevada scored first to take a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.  But the Wolf Pack’s lead was short-lived.  Not only was it short-lived, but Nevada never led again until the final 1:45 of the game.

Air Force led 21-17 at halftime.  The Falcons increased their lead to 35-24 at the end of the third quarter.  With 7:44 left in the fourth quarter, Air Force led 42-30.  It was looking good for the Falcons.  Then Cody Fajardo, Colin Kaepernick’s heir, threw a nine-yard touchdown pass and scored on a two-yard touchdown run – all in the final six minutes.  Nevada beat Air Force, 45-42.  The teams combined for 1,052 yards of offense.

And if the Air Force-Nevada game didn’t wear you out, the best was yet to come.  In the final game of the day – the game that cost Lane Kiffin his job – USC and Arizona State combined for 1,154 yards of offense.

USC actually led 14-7 early in the second quarter.  Arizona State led 20-14 at the half.  Then the explosion began.  The Sun Devils outscored the Trojans 28-7 in the third quarter.  The Trojans rallied, but not enough, outscoring ASU 20-14 in the fourth quarter.  After only scoring a combined 34 points in the first half, the teams scored 69 points in the second half.  Arizona State won, 62-41.

2:15 a.m. – bed time.  Sleep at last.

For the first weekend this season, there were no overtime games.  And only two teams made the “60-plus” club – Arizona State and Boise State.  Boise State beat Southern Miss, 60-7.

News broke Sunday morning that USC fired Lane Kiffin, following the Trojans 62-41 loss to Arizona State.  Kiffin, in his fourth year with the Trojans, had a record of 28-15.  But USC lost seven of its last 11 games, and was 0-2 in Pac-12 play this season.  Kiffin coached Tennessee to a 7-6 record in 2009, but ran out on the Vols after only one season to take the job at USC.  

Candidates being mentioned as potential replacements for Kiffin are Boise State’s Chris Petersen, Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin, Vanderbilt’s James Franklin, Washington’s Steve Sarkisian, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Fresno State’s Tim DeRuyter from the college ranks.  From the NFL ranks are St Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman.  Stay tuned.  

College football lost a legend last week.  Former LSU, Army and South Carolina coach Paul Dietzel died.  Dietzel was famous for his “Chinese Bandits” defense.  You can read the full obituary in “Not Directly College Football Related” below.

Florida State fans have been so giddy over quarterback Jameis Winston that some think he is Jesus Christ.  Or is it Jameis Christ?  A group in Tallahassee has been selling t-shirts that depict Winston as Jesus.  The shirts call him “The Chosen One.” 

Fortunately, Florida State is distancing itself from the shirts.  FSU has banned the sale of the shirts on campus.   

Texas Tech was off this past weekend.  The Red Raiders didn’t play.  In further news, Swamp Mama was in a state of depression over the weekend. 

Back on top again:  Well, they fell from first to fourth in Princeton Review’s top party school list, released in August.  But they are back on top again.  West Virginia was the No. 1 party school in Playboy Magazine’s list just released last week.  Playboy’s Top 10 are:  (1) West Virginia; (2) Wisconsin; (3) Colorado; (4) USC; (5) Florida State; (6) Texas; (7) LSU; (8) Georgia; (9) Arizona State, and (10) Maryland.
  
Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I are off to Gainesville for three days this weekend.  We’ll be attending the Arkansas-Florida game Saturday evening.  No telling what we’ll be doing the rest of the time we’re there.  I’m sure the girls will come up with something.

Now, here’s a good one – I read last week where Kennesaw State, a college in Georgia (near Atlanta), is starting a football team next season.  Of interest, Kennesaw State, which has a student enrollment of 24,300, will be playing football in a stadium that seats 8,300.  Go figure.  Stay tuned!

Touchdown Tom
September 30, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Uga’s not ugly – Georgia 44, LSU 41 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Georgia 30).  Terrific game that lived up to its expectations.  Georgia won because LSU didn’t have two things – a defense and a running game.  A crowd of 92,746 attended the game in Athens.  

RUNNER UP:  Complacent, my foot – Alabama 25, Ole Miss 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 30, Ole Miss 21).  This was supposed to be a big game.  Some of the ESPN College GameDay crew picked Ole Miss in an upset.  Alabama was supposed to be complacent.  But it was Ole Miss who was complacent.  The Rebels were a no show.  Ole Miss only had 46 yards rushing.  A crowd of 101,821 attended the game in Tuscaloosa.  

REST OF THE BEST:  Brutus puts holes in the cheese – Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 22).  An evenly matched game in the stats – about as close as you can get.  But surprisingly, Wisconsin didn’t have much of a running game.  With Melvin Gordon and James White, who would have thought the Badgers wouldn’t have a running game?  A crowd of 105,826 attended the game in Columbus.  

Revenge – Oklahoma 35, Notre Dame 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 23, Oklahoma 21).  Irish quarterback Tommy Rees was downright terrible.  OU took advantage.  A crowd of 80,795 attended the game in South Bend.  

Cocky spoils the Knights celebration – South Carolina 28, UCF 25 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 30, UCF 26).  UCF had no ground game – only 69 yards rushing.  A crowd of 47,605 attended the game in Orlando.  

Wildcats melt in the rain – Washington 31, Arizona 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Arizona 24).  Rich Rod needs a quarterback.  Ka’Deem Carey and Bishop Sankey put on a rushing show for both teams.  I think Washington is for real.  A crowd of 65,815 attended the game in Seattle.  

Leachless – Stanford 55, Washington State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 34, Washington State 22).  The teams were even in the passing game.  Wazzu had no rushing – only 51 yards.  The Cardinal is looking good – very good.  A crowd of 40,095 attended the game in Seattle.  

The LT Express – Virginia Tech 17, Georgia Tech 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 23, Virginia Tech 20).  A tenacious defense by the Hokies and three turnovers by the Jackets were the keys to Virginia Tech’s win.  Georgia Tech suffered its first loss of the season.  Actually the Jackets played pretty good defense too, but not good enough.  The Hokies only had 55 yards rushing.  A crowd of 50,214 attended the game in Atlanta.  

Aggies squeeze the sausage – Texas A&M 45, Arkansas 33 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 26).  Johnny Manziel had 261 yards passing and 59 yards rushing.  A crowd of 72,613 attended the game in Fayetteville.  

Kiffin’s swan song – Arizona State 62, USC 41 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 27, USC 23).  Four turnovers didn’t help the Trojans.  A crowd of 64,987 attended the game in Tempe.

Hawkeyes get the Pig – Iowa 23, Minnesota 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 29, Minnesota 27).  Minnesota only had 165 yards of offense – only 30 rushing.  Iowa’s getting better and better.  A crowd of 51,383 attended the game in Minneapolis.

Cowboys can’t shoot straight – West Virginia 30, Oklahoma State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, West Virginia 23).  I think the Eers have found a new signal caller.  Clint Trickett is one gutsy quarterback.  A crowd of 57,280 attended the game in Morgantown.  

Ralphie didn’t wear his Duluth Trading Pants – Oregon State 44, Colorado 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 33, Colorado 26).  Beavers had 540 yards of offense.  A crowd of 44,279 attended the game in Corvallis.  

London bridge is falling down – Pitt 14, Virginia 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Pitt 21, Virginia 20).  I don’t think Pitt or Virginia wanted to win this game.  Neither team managed to muster 200 yards of offense.  Virginia only had 65 yards rushing and Pitt only had eight – yes eight.  A crowd of 48,425 attended the game in Pittsburgh.

Houston didn’t have a problem – Houston 59, UT-San Antonio 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 32, UTSA 26).  Teams combined for 984 yards of offense.  A crowd of 32,487 attended the game in Houston.


….AND ONE WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON: 

Flat heels – East Carolina 55, North Carolina 31 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 24, East Carolina 20).  ECU had 603 yards of offense.  UNC only had 67 yards rushing.  Tar Heels miss Giovani Bernard.  They also miss a defense.  A crowd of 60,000 attended the game in Chapel Hill.  


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

27 – Florida 24, Kentucky 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Kentucky 19).  Gators beat Kentucky for the 27th-straight time.  Florida held the Wildcats to 173 yards of offense – only 48 rushing.  A crowd of 62,076 attended the game in Lexington.

Sacked – Duke 38, Troy 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 35, Troy 27).  Teams combined for 1,026 yards of offense.  A crowd of 30,126 attended the game in Durham.

Lynched – Northern Illinois 55, Purdue 24(Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 27, Purdue 25).  Boilers turned over the ball five times.  A crowd of 54,258 attended the game in West Lafayette.    

Week 5 Picks:    14 Correct, 5 Wrong (73.7 percent)
On the Season:   75 Correct, 21 Wrong (78.1 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State defeated Boston College, 48-34.  A crowd of 40,129 attended the game in Chestnut Hill….  Miami dumped South Florida, 49-21.  A crowd of 47,562 attended the game in Tampa….  Florida Atlantic lost to Rice, 18-14.  A crowd of 14,380 attended the game in Houston.

Butler downed Jacksonville U, 45-7.  A crowd of 1,172 attended the game in Jacksonville….  San Diego blasted Stetson, 59-0.  A crowd of 5,874 attended the game in Deland….   Florida Tech fell to Delta State, 52-31.  A crowd of 8,012 attended the game in Cleveland.
  

Superlatives

Impressive Passers: Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 27-52-1 for 414 yards; Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 38-54-0-389; East Carolina’s Shane Carden – 32-47-1-376; LSU’s Zach Mettenberger – 23-37-0-372; North Carolina’s Bryn Renner – 28-46-1-366; UTEP’s Jameill Showers – 26-43-0-365; UCF’s Blake Bortles – 25-36-2-358; Troy’s Corey Robinson – 35-45-1-354, and Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly – 23-34-1-351.

Also, Ball State’s Keith Wenning – 27-38-1 for 335 yards; Vanderbilt’s Austyn Carta-Samuels – 23-29-1-334; Florida State’s Jameis Winston – 17-27-1-330; Duke’s Brandon Connette – 20-28-1-324; Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 33-47-2-324; Hawaii’s Sean Schroeder – 17-27-1-321; Louisiana Tech’s Ryan Higgins – 20-36-1-320, and San Jose State’s David Fales – 25-48-2-314.

Also, Houston’s John O’Korn – 24-36-0 for 312 yards; Clemson’s Tajh Boyd – 17-24-0-311; Idaho’s Chad Chalich – 26-43-0-310; Arkansas State’s Adam Kennedy – 37-46-1-308; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 17-28-0-307; Georgia’s Aaron Murray – 20-34-1-298; Wisconsin’s Joel Stave – 20-34-1-295; USC’s Cody Kessler – 20-29-2-295; UNLV’s Caleb Herring – 24-34-0-293, and Wyoming’s Brett Smith – 25-48-1-292.     


Impressive Rushers: New Mexico’s Kasey Carrier – 192 yards; East Carolina’s Vintavious Cooper – 186 yards; Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews – 182 yards; UNLV’s Tim Cornett – 179 yards; Florida’s Matt Jones – 176 yards, and Tennessee’s Rajion Neal – 169 yards.

Also, South Carolina’s Mike Davis – 167 yards; San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 167 yards; BYU’s Taysom Hill – 165 yards; Washington’s Bishop Sankey – 161 yards; Air Force’s Karson Roberts – 161 yards, and Kent State’s Trayion Durham – 154 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I work in the business of getting it fixed.  I take it as a challenge right now to get this thing fixed.  We’ll find the right combination and we’ll find a way.  I’ve always been able to do that.  I feel confident we’re going to be able to do that.  I’ll get this fixed.  Trust me there,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, on his team’s defensive problems.

“I can’t tell you the NBA and NFL are going to start minor leagues.  I think they should.  I think it takes more pressure off us.  It lets us be who we are.  Why is it our job to be minor leagues for professional sports,” Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

“Maybe, just maybe, it would work better in football and basketball if more kids had the opportunity to go directly to the professional ranks.  Let the minor leagues flourish,” Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

“Would you rather be in the D-League in the Dakotas or would you rather play here?  I would say some kids would rather be in the D-League.  We’d be better off in a lot of cases if that were the case,” Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

“The Hokies tonight will unveil their new “stone” design helmet, which looks like a backsplash we were considering for our kitchen.  You know, this whole crazy college uniform thing passed stupid about seven blocks ago,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“South Florida is a dirty team to say the least.  They’re dirty.  It’s what it is.  I wanted to score 70 points on them,” Miami (Florida) quarterback Stephen Morris, after the game against USF.


Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 15 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Ohio State (5-0) at Northwestern (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 8 pm ET, Saturday).  Northwestern has to be hoping that the Buckeyes have a letdown after the Wisconsin game.  Wonder if Pat Fitzgerald is thinking about the USC job?  College GameDay is in Evanston.  Buckeyes keep rolling through the Big Ten – Ohio State 30, Northwestern 22.

RUNNER UP:  2. Washington (4-0) at Stanford (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday).  Now, the Cardinal gets the tougher team from Washington.  But at least this one is at home.  Washington upset Stanford last year.  Not this year – Stanford 30, Washington 26.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Maryland (4-0) at Florida State (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  Who would have thought the Terps would be 4-0.  Are they for real?  We’ll soon find out.  Noles better get out to a faster start this week.  They will – Florida State 33, Maryland 18.

4. Georgia (3-1) at Tennessee (3-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  After Clemson, South Carolina and LSU, the Vols have to be hoping that Uga has a big letdown.  It would need to be a big letdown.  Uga chases down Smokey – Georgia 28, Tennessee 20.

5. UCLA (3-0) at Utah (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 10 pm ET, Thursday).  After dominating the Mountain West Conference for years, Utah has had a rough time of it in the Pac-12 since joining in 2011.  But things are looking up for the Utes this season – at least so far.  They may start looking down after UCLA visits this weekend.  Things have been looking up for the Bruins too since Jim Mora became coach last year.  The Bruins find a salt lick – UCLA 34, Utah 28.  

6. TCU (2-2) at Oklahoma (4-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  OU is looking more and more like the team to beat in the Big 12.  TCU has been disappointing.  Frogs croak – Oklahoma 29, TCU 14.

7. LSU (4-1) at Mississippi State (2-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  Cats are in another dog fight this week, but this Bulldog isn’t as mean as last week’s.  Tigers get their stripes back – LSU 27, Miss State 19.

8. Notre Dame (3-2) vs. Arizona State (3-1) – (Ind. vs. Pac-12) (TV: NBC, 7:30 pm ET, Saturday).  The Irish are hurting.  They aren’t the team they were last year.  ASU is looking good, but has holes on defense.  Irish in a stew – Arizona State 33, Notre Dame 24.

9. Georgia Tech (3-1) at Miami (Florida) (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  The Bees finally ran into some real competition last week.  They are up against it again this week.  The Canes are for real.  Can the Canes defend Tech’s offense?  They do – Miami 30, Georgia Tech 27.

10. West Virginia (3-2) at Baylor (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 8 pm ET, Saturday).  Baylor is the No. 1 passing team in the country and the No. 5 rushing team.  The Bears also are averaging 70 points a game.  Doesn’t sound good for the Eers.  Clint runs out of flint – Baylor 34, West Virginia 24.

11. Minnesota (4-1) at Michigan (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  The Gophers were looking good until they ran into Iowa last week.  It could be worse this week.  The Wolverines will be chugging from the Little Brown Jug – Michigan 30, Minnesota 17.

 12. Arkansas (3-2) at Florida (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN2, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  Brett Bielema makes his first trip to the Swamp.  He won’t like it – Florida 27, Arkansas 18.

13. Ole Miss (3-1) at Auburn (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPNU, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  The Rebels were skunked last week.  But it’s Auburn who will be smelling like a skunk this week – Ole Miss 26, Auburn 20.

14. Illinois (3-1) at Nebraska (3-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPNU, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  The Banned Indians definitely have an offense.  That could be a problem for the Huskers.  But to equalize things, the Banned Indians don’t have a defense.  This could be a shootout.  Herbie is the better shot – Nebraska 36, Illinois 29.

15. Missouri (4-0) at Vanderbilt (3-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: Local, 7:30 pm ET, Saturday).  Mizzou is out to a 4-0 start, but the competition has been weak.  Vandy won’t be so weak.  Tigers find the anchor – Missouri 30, Vanderbilt 29.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

16. Michigan State (3-1) at Iowa (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  After a week off, this could be a new Michigan State team.  The Spartans need something new.  Hawkeyes flying high – Iowa 17, Michigan State 16.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Texas (2-2) at Iowa State (1-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 pm ET, Thursday).  Now, here’s an easy one for ole Mack Brown.  And the win will put Texas above the 500 mark.  Maybe firing Manny Diaz was a good thing.  What can Brown do for you? – Texas 27, Iowa State 23.

Duke (3-2) and Purdue (1-4) are off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

UCF (3-1) travels to Memphis (1-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) (TV: None, 4:30 pm ET, Saturday). ….  South Florida (0-4) hosts Cincinnati (3-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) (TV: None, 7 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Florida Atlantic (1-4) is away at UAB (1-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: None, 3 pm ET, Saturday).

Florida International (0-4) is on the road at Southern Miss (0-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: Local, 4 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Florida A&M (1-3) visits Morgan State (0-5) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 1 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Bethune-Cookman (3-1) is at Delaware State (1-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 2 pm ET, Saturday).

Jacksonville U. (2-3) travels to Drake (1-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 2 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Stetson (1-3) plays at Butler (3-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 1 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Florida Tech (1-3) is away at Valdosta State (3-0) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) (TV: None, 3 pm ET, Saturday).


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Rutgers and Temple have scheduled a four-game, home-and-home series beginning in 2020….  Northwestern has added Northern Illinois to its 2014 schedule.  The game will be played in Evanston….  North Carolina and Illinois have agreed to a two-game, home-and-home series to be played in 2015 and 2016. 

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly there were five passings of note last week – Paul Dietzel, Christopher Koch, Jane Connell, Marta Heflin and Gates Brown.

Paul Dietzel, who coached LSU to its first national championship in 1958, using a platoon system famous for a scrappy defensive unit – the “Chinese Bandits,” – died last week at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  He was 89.  He coached LSU for seven years (1955-1961), Army for four years (1962-1965) and South Carolina for nine years (1966-1974).  The “Chinese Bandits” defensive unit became cult heroes to LSU fans.  A song was written about them and Sports Illustrated published a detailed article about them.  The 1958 team went 10-0 during the regular season and beat Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.  Dietzel was named coach of the year and Billy Cannon won the Heisman Trophy.  Paul Franklin Dietzel was born on September 5, 1924, in Fremont, Ohio.  After his sophomore football season at Duke, he joined the Army Air Corps and was a bomber pilot during World War II.  After the war, he continued his education at Miami (Ohio) where he played football and earned his degree.  He then was an assistant coach at Army, Cincinnati and Kentucky, before going to LSU.  After his coaching career ended, Dietzel was the Commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference (1975), athletic director at Indiana (1976-1978) and athletic director at LSU (1979 to 1982).  He came out of retirement in 1985 to establish an athletic department at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.  He retired again in 1987.

Christopher Koch, the Australian novelist best known for the book “The Year of Living Dangerously,” died last week in Hobart, Tasmania.  He was 81.  “The Year of Living Dangerously” was set in Indonesia during the breakdown of President Sukarno’s rule.  In 1982, it was made into a successful film, starring Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hunt.  Christopher Koch was born in 1932 in Hobart, Tasmania.  He was educated at the University of Tasmania.  As a young man, he lived for a time in England.  In the early 1960s, he was a member of Stanford University’s Writer’s Workshop in California.     

Jane Connell, a character actress best known for her portrayal of Agnes Gooch, the mousy secretary to the title character in the musical “Mame,” died last week in Englewood, New Jersey.  She was 87.  Connell played Gooch in both the Broadway (with Angela Lansbury) and movie (with Lucille Ball) versions of “Mame.”  She appeared in a dozen Broadway shows and on several television shows, including “All in the Family,” “M*A*S*H,” “Bewitched” and “Law & Order.”  Jane Sperry Bennett was born on October 27, 1925, in Oakland, California. 

Marta Heflin, an actress who appeared in several Broadway shows, including “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Hair” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” in the 1960s and 1970s, and later in several Robert Altman movies, died last week in New York City.  She was 68.  In addition to the Altman films, Heflin had supporting roles in “A Star is Born” (1976) and “King of Comedy” (1982) among others.  She also appeared on the NBC soap opera “The Doctors” and in several made-for-television movies.  Marta Michelle Heflin was born on March 29, 1945, in Washington, DC.  Her father was the brother of Van Heflin. 

Gates Brown, an outfielder who played his entire 13-year major league baseball career with the Detroit Tigers, died last week.  He was 74.  Brown played on the Tigers’ 1968 team that won the World Series.  His career with the Tigers began in 1963.  Brown was the Tigers’ hitting coach when the team won the 1984 World Series.  Gates Brown was born in Crestline, Ohio. 

College Football Week 5 – Dogs and Cats fight in Athens
Pelini’s cussing, Saban’s fussing,
That was the week that was

Not to mention, there were some pretty exciting games too.

You betcha!

It was supposed to have been a dull week for college football – ho hum.  Following the Alabama-Texas A&M game (and a few other biggies) the previous week, and preceding the LSU-Georgia game (and a few other biggies) this week, last week just didn’t have any “marquee” games – or game.

The weekend’s slate of games was so bad that ESPN College GameDay went to, of all places, Fargo, North Dakota, don’t cha know.  More on that later.  Even Johnny Manziel was quiet as a mouse all week.  Maybe Alabama had something to do with that.

Heading into the weekend, news surrounding Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and Alabama coach Nick Saban was anything but dull.

Already under fire for the Huskers’ poor performance against UCLA, Pelini drew additional ire from Nebraska fans for his comment about former Husker quarterback and icon Tommie Frazier, “We don’t need him.”  Pelini was responding to Frazier’s statement that a change needed to be made at Nebraska.

As if that wasn’t enough, an audio recording of Pelini ranting about Nebraska fans was released to the public.  In the rant, recorded two years ago after an Ohio State-Nebraska game, Pelini uses the F-word nine times in eight sentences, attacking Huskers fans.

By the end of the week, Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman and athletic director Shawn Eichorst said they are “putting the matter to rest.  There will be no disciplinary actions against Bo.”  Translation:  “We’ll wait and fire his ass at the end of the season.”  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, in Tuscaloosa, word leaked that one current and one former regent for the University of Texas had contacted Nick Saban’s agent about Saban replacing Mack Brown at Texas.  The news was enough to raise the eyebrows of Tide fans. 

Well, it raised more than that with Saban.  At a press conference he was fed up.  Saban vented his displeasure about this kind of gossip surfacing again this year.  Last season, the rumors had him leaving for an NFL team – possibly the Cleveland Browns.

Maybe if Saban didn’t have such a nomadic past – Michigan State, LSU, Miami Dolphins, Alabama – these rumors wouldn’t persist.  Stay tuned.   

So you can imagine what a typical classroom conversation might have been like in a Lincoln, Nebraska, elementary school last week:

The teacher says, “Okay class, answer this question and you will get free tickets to this week’s Husker game.  What is Coach Pelini’s favorite word?”

Class, “The F-Word, teacher.”

“Congratulations, class.  Here’s free tickets to the Nebraska game.  Nobody else wants to go.”

And you can imagine what a typical classroom quiz might have been like in a Tuscaloosa, Alabama, elementary school last week:

The teacher says, “Okay class, we’re going to play ‘Name Saban’s Next School.’  Here’s a clue: Their colors are orange and white.”

Bobby raises his hand and says, “Tennessee!”

“No Bobby, that’s not the one.  Here’s another clue: They are horned.”

Susie raises her hand and says, “TCU!”

“No Susie, that’s not it either.  Here’s another clue: They are unhappy with their coach.”

Billy raises his hand and says, “USC!” 

“No Billy, not that school.  Here’s another clue: Their mascot goes ‘moo’ and dumps pies on the football field.”

Sally raises her hand and says, “Coach Saban wouldn’t go to an udder school.” 

Meanwhile, Nebraska and Texas bounced back Saturday.  The Huskers beat South Dakota State, 59-20, while the Longhorns beat Kansas State, 31-21.  All is well in Lincoln and Austin – for the time being.  Alabama beat Colorado State, 31-6.  All is quiet in Tuscaloosa – for the time being.

Speaking of Dakota, as mentioned above, ESPN College GameDay was broadcast from Fargo, North Dakota Saturday morning – the home of North Dakota State.  But I felt sorry for North Dakota State.  Instead of setting up on campus like they always do, the GameDay crew broadcast from downtown Fargo – smack dab in the middle of the city.

They never even showed the campus.  I couldn’t help but wonder: Is North Dakota State’s campus some kind of ugly?  Maybe the school doesn’t have a campus.  Maybe downtown Fargo is the campus. 

No, there weren’t any “marquee” games Saturday, but there sure were plenty of exciting games.  And while the games in the Midwest were played in the sunshine, the games in the South (all except Florida) and the East were played in the rain.   

Trailing 13-0 at the end of the first quarter and 20-7 until late in the second quarter, Georgia Tech rallied to score three unanswered touchdowns (two in the second half) to down North Carolina, 28-20.  In Blacksburg, Marshall took a 21-14 lead over Virginia Tech in the second quarter and held the lead until 3:09 left in the game when the Hokies tied the score.  It took three overtimes for Virginia Tech to finally beat Marshall, 29-21.

In a wild one in Durham, Pitt outlasted Duke, 58-55.  Pitt led 27-7 early in the second quarter and 30-14 later in the quarter.  Duke pulled within two at 30-28, but trailed at the half 37-28.  The Panthers jumped out fast in the second half and built up a 51-28 lead late in the third quarter.  Trailing 58-41 in the fourth quarter, Duke scored twice to pull within three at 58-55 with 3:43 left in the game.  Neither team scored again.  Four turnovers were damaging to the Devils.  The two teams combined for 1,130 yards of offense.

In a close game throughout, Notre Dame held on to beat Michigan State, 17-13.  Trailing 24-7 late in the third quarter, Rutgers scored 21 unanswered points to beat Arkansas, 28-24.  Tied 14-14 early in the fourth quarter, USC kicked a field goal and then hung on to beat Utah State, 17-14.

Finally, in one of the day’s best games Connecticut led Michigan 21-7 halfway through the third quarter.  Then the Wolverines scored 17 unanswered points, 10 in the fourth quarter, to rally and beat UConn, 24-21.  Michigan has been living on the edge the past two weeks. 

In addition to Virginia Tech-Marshall, there were two other overtime games – both settled in the first OT.  Middle Tennessee beat Florida Atlantic, 42-35 (OT), and Jacksonville State downed Georgia State, 32-26 (OT).

Five teams made the “60-plus club” Saturday – Miss State 62 (against Troy 7), Baylor 70 (against Louisiana-Monroe 7), Louisville 72 (against Florida International 0), Ohio State 76 (against Florida A&M 0) and Miami (Florida) 77 (against Savannah State 7).  Three teams – Nebraska, Iowa and UCLA – just missed the club, scoring 59 each.

Swamp Mama was a happy camper Saturday night.  The Texas State-Texas Tech game was on TV.  I can’t say it was a high-priority game on my watch list, but when Swamp Mama found out it was on – need I say more.  She got her Kliff Kingsbury high for the night.  At least she went to bed happy.

If I was a good husband, I would go on StubHub and purchase tickets to the Texas Tech-West Virginia game in Morgantown.

Don’t be surprised if you hear that we’ve moved to Lubbock.

Touchdown Tom
September 23, 2013      
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  The Trees had too many limbs – Stanford 42, Arizona State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 32, Arizona State 27).  Stanford had the running game; ASU had the passing game.  The Sun Devils only had 50 yards rushing.  The Cardinal led 29-0 at the half and 39-7 at the end of the third quarter.  The Sun Devils went wild in the fourth quarter.  A crowd of 50,424 attended the game in Palo Alto.

RUNNER UP:  No ouzo – Notre Dame 17, Michigan State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 26, Michigan State 24).  On College GameDay, Kirk Herbstreit said the first team to 14 points wins.  He was right.  A crowd of 80,795 attended the game in South Bend.  

REST OF THE BEST:  Blurred Lines – Clemson 26, NC State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 33, NC State 18).  Or was it blurred vision?  Stat wise, this was a pretty close game, except that the Pack had two turnovers to none for the Tigers and the Pack had a touchdown called back that shouldn’t have been.  The Pack was terrible on third down conversions too (3-for-16).  A crowd of 57,583 attended the game in Raleigh.  

Death in the Valley – LSU 35, Auburn 21 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 30, Auburn 19).  The two teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats – not in the score.  Jeremy Hill (183 yards rushing) was the difference for LSU.  A crowd of 92,368 attended the game in Baton Rouge.

Smokey has no bark – Florida 31, Tennessee 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 30, Tennessee 17).  Sloppy game – the two teams combined for nine turnovers (6 for Tennessee).  Gator quarterback Jeff Driskel broke his leg early in the game and is out for the season.  Fortunately, Tyler Murphy looked better against Tennessee than he did in spring practice.  Gators held the Vols to 66 yards rushing.  Kris Hansen took his son Alex to his first Gator game.  How was your Gator chomp, Alex?  A crowd of 90,074 attended the game in Gainesville.

Makin’ bacon – Rutgers 28, Arkansas 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Rutgers 28, Arkansas 26).  One of the day’s better games.  Turnovers hurt the Knights early.  Knights only had 54 yards rushing, but Gary Nova passed for 346 yards.  Bret Bielema loses his first at Arkansas.  A crowd of 51,969 attended the game in Piscataway.

INEPT – Maryland 37, West Virginia 0 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 24, Maryland 20).  Do I have to talk about this game?  Six turnovers, only 62 yards passing and only 175 yards total – what more do I have to say.  Dana Holgorsen has problems, but WVU can’t afford to fire him.  I can’t figure out why Clint Trickett isn’t playing.  A crowd of 55,677 attended the game in Baltimore.  

Carr corrals the Horses – Fresno State 41, Boise State 40 (Touchdown Tom said: Fresno State 40, Boise State 39).  Trailing 40-34, Derek Carr led the Bulldogs down the field late in the fourth quarter for a game-tying touchdown, scored with 2:14 on the clock.  The extra-point conversion gave Fresno State a one-point lead.  It was all passing for the Bulldogs – 460 yards to 62 rushing.  The Broncos had a better balanced attack, but two turnovers didn’t help their cause any.  A crowd of 41,301 attended the game in Fresno.  

Trojans are barely reliable – USC 17, Utah State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 30, Utah State 28).  Lane Kiffin may have a defense, but he certainly doesn’t have an offense.  A crowd of 63,482 attended the game in Los Angeles.

No spike in these Heels – Georgia Tech 28, North Carolina 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 33, North Carolina 24).  Bees got off to a slow start, but once they got their running game going, the Tar Heels couldn’t stop them.  Tech rushed for 324 yards.  A crowd of 49,445 attended the game in Atlanta.  

The Mo show – Missouri 45, Indiana 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 32, Indiana 28).  Tied 14-14 midway through the second quarter, Mizzou took control and never gave it up.  James Franklin passed for 343 yards.  A crowd of 49,149 attended the game in Bloomington.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda – Virginia Tech 29, Marshall 21 (3OT) Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 27, Marshall 20).  Marshall could have won this game and should have won this game.  Tech was 2-for-16 on third down conversions.  A crowd of 64,060 attended the game in Blacksburg. 

A secular win – Utah 20, BYU 13 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 32, Utah 30).  Utah jumped out to a 3-0 lead and never trailed.  Both teams were awful on third down conversions.  A crowd of 63,470 attended the game in Provo.

Has Mack Brown righted the ship? – Texas 31, Kansas State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 29, Texas 27).  Turnovers (3) killed K-State’s chances.  Jonathan Gray rushed for 143 yards.  A crowd of 95,248 attended the game in Austin.

Nothing Stark about the Bulldogs – Mississippi State 62, Troy 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Miss State 29, Troy 27).  Big night for the Bulldogs – 551 yards of offense to 186 for Troy.  A crowd of 55,096 attended the game in Starkville.


.…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Cowboys dig in their spurs – Wyoming 56, Air Force 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Wyoming 32, Air Force 21).  Brett Smith completed 85.4 percent of his passes.  It’s going to be a long season for the Falcons.  Cowboys had 622 yards of offense.  A crowd of 35,389 attended the game in Colorado Springs.  


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

F’ing fans – Nebraska 59, South Dakota State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 36, South Dakota State 25).  Husker fans must have been wondering, “What the heck,” when the Jack Rabbits were leading 17-14 at the end of the first quarter.  No sweat – Nebraska racked up 38 unanswered points.  Huskers had good results from two backup quarterbacks.  Taylor Martinez did not play.  Well-balanced attack for Nebraska – 335 rushing, 310 passing.  Bo Pelini still has some mending to do.  A crowd of 90,614 attended the game in Lincoln.  

A defense would help – Pitt 58, Duke 55 (Touchdown Tom said: Pitt 29, Duke 21).  Take away their four turnovers and the Dookies would have won this game.  Pitt had 174 yards rushing and James Conner had 173 of those yards.  A crowd of 22,714 attended the game in Durham.

Uga was almost caught Tiger dreamin’ – Georgia 45, North Texas 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 36, North Texas 16).  The Dawgs must have started thinking about LSU a little too early.  The game was tied 21-21 midway through the third quarter.  Then Georgia scored 24 unanswered points.  Aaron Murray passed for 408 yards.  A crowd of 92,746 attended the game in Athens.  

Wisconsin 41, Purdue 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 35, Purdue 23).  The Boilers scored all 10 of their points early in the second quarter.  Then they were never heard from again.  Wisconsin had 546 yards of offense to the Boilers 180.  Melvin Gordon rushed for 147 yards and James White for 145 yards.  A crowd of 80,772 attended the game in Madison.

Week 4 Picks:    17 Correct, 3 Wrong (85.0 percent)
On the Season:   61 Correct, 16 Wrong (79.2 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State crushed Bethune-Cookman, 54-6.  A crowd of 74,841 attended the game in Tallahassee….  Miami smashed Savannah State, 77-7.  A crowd of 42,571 attended the game in Miami Gardens….  Florida International was clobbered by Louisville, 72-0.  A crowd of 51,586 attended the game in Louisville….  Florida Atlantic lost to Middle Tennessee, 42-35 (OT).  A crowd of 13,911 attended the game in Boca Raton.

Florida A&M was smothered by Ohio State, 76-0.  A crowd of 103,595 attended the game in Columbus….   Jacksonville U. dumped Warner, 69-16.  A crowd of 2,207 attended the game in Jacksonville….  Stetson lost to Birmingham Southern, 49-34.  A crowd of 6,104 attended the game in Deland….  Florida Tech was hacked by West Alabama, 45-3.  A crowd of 4,459 attended the game in Melbourne.    


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 39-60-0 for 460 yards; San Jose State’s David Fales – 22-35-2-439; Pitt’s Tom Savage – 23-33-0-424; Georgia’s Aaron Murray – 22-30-1-408; Wyoming’s Brett Smith – 35-41-0-373; Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 38-55-0-367; Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly – 30-55-2-367; Baylor’s Bryce Petty – 18-27-0-351, and Rutgers’ Gary Nova – 22-43-1-346.

Also, Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 31-43-2 for 346 yards; Missouri’s James Franklin – 32-47-2-343; Akron’s Kyle Pohl – 27-43-2-321; Florida Atlantic’s Jaquez Johnson – 31-50-2-321; Ball State’s Keith Wenning – 17-28-0-317; Boise State’s Joe Southwick – 31-45-1-313; SMU’s Garrett Gilbert – 37-62-1-310, and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Terrance Broadway – 25-37-1-305.    


Impressive Rushers:  Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews – 213 yards; Toledo’s David Fluellen – 197 yards; Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch – 189 yards; LSU’s Jeremy Hill – 183 yards, and UAB’s Darrin Reaves – 178 yards.

Also, Pitt’s James Conner – 173 yards; Memphis’ Marquis Warford – 173 yards; UCLA’s Jordan James – 164 yards; Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott – 162 yards; Middle Tennessee’s Reggie Whatley – 154 yards, and Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner – 151 yards.  


Quotes of the Week

“It’s time for change,” former Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier, on the defensive coaching staff at Nebraska.

“If he feels that way, so be it.  We don’t need him,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, responding to Tommie Frazier’s comment.

“They don’t really accept me.  Those guys kicked me out of school after all those things I did for them,” former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, on his former school.

“I’m aware of the publication of coach Pelini’s comments.  I am disappointed and in discussion with Shawn Eichorst (Nebraska AD) about addressing the issue,” Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman, on Bo Pelini’s recently revealed use of the F-Word (nine times in eight sentences) to describe Nebraska fans.

“I’m the head football coach until someone says different,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini.

“I don’t know about any of this stuff.  Every year it’s something.  Last year it was the Cleveland Browns.  Terry and I are very happy here in Tuscaloosa.  We really love the University of Alabama.  We feel like a part of the community here and we have lots of good friends here.  And quite frankly, I’m just too damn old to start over somewhere else,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, on rumors that he and Texas are talking.

“Auburn already has one more SEC win than a year ago.  After the next three conference games against LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, they’ll still have one more SEC win than a year ago,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“When I was at Tennessee, the football players ate better than anybody else,” ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum, on former Vols running back Arian Foster saying he accepted money on the side at Tennessee in order not to starve.


Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 15 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. LSU (4-0) at Georgia (2-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  Uga has been tested – twice; not sure the Tigers have been tested yet.  If not, they will be after this week.  The teams match up well – good quarterbacks and running backs each.  LSU may be the better on the defense.  Will the Mad Hatter have a tea party?  Yes – LSU 33, Georgia 30.

RUNNER UP:  2. Ole Miss (3-0) at Alabama (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 6:30 pm ET, Saturday).  Ole Miss doesn’t have the offense of Texas A&M, but the Rebels probably play better defense than the Aggies.  Bama is lucky to have this one in Tuscaloosa.  The Rebels might be more fired up in Oxford.  If Bama gets past the Rebels, it should be smooth sailing for the Tide until November 9 – LSU.  So the Tide shouldn’t get caught looking ahead to anyone.  Rebels can’t bide the Tide – Alabama 30, Ole Miss 21.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Wisconsin (3-1) at Ohio State (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 8 pm ET, Saturday).  The Badgers will test the Buckeyes rush defense.  But if Arizona State could stand up to it, so should Ohio State.  Buckeyes have the Badgers seeing red – Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 22.

4. Oklahoma (3-0) at Notre Dame (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Ind.) (TV: NBC, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  OU was a big disappointment when these two met last year in Norman.  The Sooners owe the Irish a few paybacks.  Not this year – Notre Dame 23, Oklahoma 21.

5. South Carolina (2-1) at UCF (3-0) – (SEC vs. AAC) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  This was just another game on South Carolina’s schedule until UCF up and beat Penn State in State College.  Now, it’s a concern for the Gamecocks – a major concern.  No doubt about it the Knights will be fired up for this one.  A victory for UCF would vault the Knights into the Top 25.  In the current polls, they are just barely out of the Top 25.  Fear the Chicken – South Carolina 30, UCF 26.    

6. Arizona (3-0) at Washington (3-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  Arizona is undefeated and untested.  Rich Rodriguez best have studied well for this test.  It’s a toughie.  Too tough – Washington 30, Arizona 24.

7. Stanford (3-0) vs. Washington State (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN, 10:00 pm ET, Saturday).  Possible trap game for the Cardinal.  Stanford is lucky the game is on a neutral field in Seattle and not in Pullman.  The Cougars won’t stop the Cardinal, but they may keep up with them on offense.  Trees bud – Stanford 34, Washington State 22.

8. Virginia Tech (3-1) at Georgia Tech (3-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 pm ET, Thursday).  The Hokies have had two close wins.  They are due for a close loss.  But they are better at stopping the running game.  And that’s all Tech has.  Bees escape the hive – Georgia Tech 23, Virginia Tech 20.

9. Texas A&M (3-1) at Arkansas (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN2, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  Arkansas is 3-1 but the Hogs shouldn’t be too much trouble for Johnny Football.  Bret Bielema’s running game fell apart on him last week.  The Hogs will need it against the Aggies.  Aggies lead the Hogs to slaughter – Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 26.

10. USC (3-1) at Arizona State (2-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN2, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday).  Lane Kiffin was lucky against Utah State.  He won’t be so lucky this week.  Devils have a hot time – Arizona State 27, USC 23.

11. Iowa (3-1) at Minnesota (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  The Hawkeyes have improved considerably since their first game.  The Gophers have been getting better too.  This could be a donnybrook.  Those dirty birds – Iowa 29, Minnesota 27.

12. Oklahoma State (3-0) at West Virginia (2-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  The Mounties better get their act together real fast.  Okie State is better than Maryland.  If the WVU offense is as inept as it was last week, this one will be over before it starts.  It may already be over.  The Mounties need to find a quarterback, a running back and an offensive line.  Okie State doesn’t need to find anything – Oklahoma State 31, West Virginia 23.

13. Colorado (2-0) at Oregon State (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Pac-12 Network, 3 pm ET, Saturday).  Colorado could be a little rusty after having its game against Fresno State canceled.  It’s been a few weeks since the Buffs last played.  I can see the Beavers passing all over the Buffs.  Beavers make Ralphie dizzy – Oregon State 33, Colorado 26.

14. Virginia (2-1) at Pitt (2-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: Fox Sports Network, 12:30 pm ET, Saturday).  Pitt looks to have the better offense; the Cavs look to have the better defense.  Offense wins – Pitt 21, Virginia 20.

15. UT-San Antonio (2-2) at Houston (3-0) – (C-USA vs. AAC) (TV: Fox Sports Network, 4 pm ET, Saturday).  Houston still has thoughts of being a BCS buster.  But if the Cougars don’t watch out, they’ll be the ones getting busted.  Not this week – Houston 32, UTSA 26.


.…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

16. East Carolina (2-1) at North Carolina (1-2) – (C-USA vs. ACC) (TV: ACC Network, 12:30 pm ET, Saturday).  This has the potential to be a good battle.  But the Tar Heels have the edge on offense and defense.  Heels get pumped – North Carolina 24, East Carolina 20.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Florida (2-1) at Kentucky (1-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPNU, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  Florida just simply does not lose to Kentucky – plain and simple.  It won’t happen.  It can’t happen.  Wildcats suffer from Murphy’s law – Florida 27, Kentucky 19.

Troy (2-2) at Duke (2-2) – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) (TV: None, 3 pm ET, Saturday).  Let’s see, the Dookies put up 55 points on Pitt last week, and Troy gave up 62 points to Miss State.  Sounds like this is the kind of party the Dookies like.  What a party! – Duke 35, Troy 27.

Northern Illinois (3-0) at Purdue (1-3) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  NIU has already knocked off one Big Ten team – Iowa.  The Boilers look to be number 2.  Huskies still hoping to bust the BCS party again this year.  Boilers down – Northern Illinois 27, Purdue 25.

Nebraska (3-1) and Texas (2-2) are off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State (3-0) travels to Boston College (2-1) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  ….  Miami (3-0) visits South Florida (0-3) (TV: ESPNU, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  ….  Florida Atlantic (1-3) is away at Rice (1-2) (TV: Local, 7 pm ET, Saturday).

Jacksonville U. (2-2) hosts Butler (2-2) (TV: None, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  ….  Stetson (1-2) entertains San Diego (1-2) (TV: None, 1 pm ET, Saturday).  ….  Florida Tech (1-2) is on the road at Delta State (2-1) (TV: None, 7 pm ET, Saturday).

Florida International (0-4), Florida A&M (1-3) and Bethune-Cookman (3-1) are off.
 

In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Mike Dunbar, a former head coach at Northern Iowa, and a former offensive coordinator for Northern Illinois, Toledo, California, Minnesota, Northwestern and New Mexico State, died last week.  Dunbar was 64….  Utah and BYU have agreed to continue their annual home-and-home series through the 2018 season….  Louisville and Notre Dame have agreed to a two-game, home-and-home series to be played in 2017 and 2020.  The 2017 game will be in Louisville.

Oklahoma and Tennessee will meet next year for the first time since the two schools played each other in the 1968 Orange Bowl.  Next year’s game will be in Norman.  The Sooners and Vols will play in Knoxville in 2015….  West Virginia and Penn State have agreed to a two-game, home-and-home series to be played in 2023 and 2024.  The two schools, who used to play annually, have not met since 1992. 

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but at the end of September as the college football season was about to move into its second month, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1943 was “Sunday, Monday or Always” by Bing Crosby

…65 years ago this week in 1948 was “Twelfth Street Rag” by Pee Wee Hunt

…60 years ago this week in 1953 was “Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)” by Les Paul and Mary Ford

…55 years ago this week in 1958 was “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)” by Domenico Modugno

…50 years ago this week in 1963 was “Blue Velvet” by Bobby Vinton

…45 years ago this week in 1968 was “Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley

…40 years ago this week in 1973 was “Delta Dawn” by Helen Reddy

…35 years ago this week in 1978 was “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste Of Honey

…30 years ago this week in 1983 was “Tell Her About It” by Billy Joel

…25 years ago this week in 1988 was “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin

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


Not directly college football related, but sadly there were three passings of note last week – Rick Casares, Ken Norton and Marvin Rainwater.

Rick Casares, a fullback for the Chicago Bears in the 1950s and 1960s who became the leading rusher in team history and who once led the NFL in rushing, died last week at his home in Tampa, Florida.  He was 82.  Casares played 10 seasons for the Bears from 1955 to 1964.  He was traded to the Washington Redskins where he played sparingly in the 1965 season.  He played for the Miami Dolphins in 1966, the team’s first year in existence.  Richard Jose Casares was born on July 4, 1931, in Tampa, Florida.  He played college football for the University of Florida and led the Gators to victory in the 1953 Gator Bowl.  After his playing days, Casares opened a nightclub in Tampa, the Huddle Lounge.  He also sold real estate.

Ken Norton, who fought three memorable fights with Muhammad Ali, winning the first bout, then losing twice, died last week in Henderson, Nevada.  He was 70.  Kenneth Howard Norton was born on August 9, 1943, in Jacksonville, Illinois.  In high school, he starred in football, basketball and track.  Norton briefly attended Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman University) on a football scholarship, but enlisted in the Marine Corps after two seasons.  He started boxing while he was in the Marines.  Norton acted in several movies, the most notably the
1975 film “Mandingo.”

Marvin Rainwater, a classically trained pianist who turned to country music, then wrote and recorded the hit songs “Gonna Find Me a Bluebird” and “Whole Lotta Woman,” died last week in Minneapolis.  He was 88.  Rainwater was a regular on country music television shows in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  He also appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “American Bandstand.”  “Gonna Find Me a Bluebird” was released in 1957 and reached No. 18 on the Billboard pop chart.  “Whole Lotta Woman,” a rockabilly number, reached No. 1 in Britain in 1958.  It was sung by Lynn Redgrave in the 1966 film “Georgy Girl.”  Among his other hit records were “The Majesty of Love,” a duet with Connie Francis, released in 1957.  Marvin Karlton Rainwater was born in Wichita, Kansas, on July 2, 1925.  He continued releasing music until the early 1980s and toured until 2011.  

College Football Week 4 – Florida Tech on TV Thursday night
Alabama is good, very good
But the Tide is vulnerable

Twice vulnerable.

Virginia Tech exposed one of those vulnerabilities on August 31.  That’s when the Hokies all but shut down the Bama offense.  Yes, Virginia Tech lost to Alabama, 35-10.  But 21 of the Tide’s 35 points were scored by its special teams and defense.

In that game, Virginia Tech held Alabama to 206 yards of offense – 96 rushing and 110 passing.  A.J. McCarron was only 10-of-23 passing, and the Tide was only 6-of-17 on third down conversions.  

Saturday, in College Station, Texas A&M exposed the other vulnerability – the Tide defense.  A&M scored six offensive touchdowns on Alabama in the Aggies 49-42 loss to the Tide. 

In Saturday’s game, the Aggies racked up 628 yards of offense on the Bama defense.  A&M accumulated 31 first downs, averaged 5.1 yards per rush and Johnny Manziel completed 72 percent of his passes. 

If Virginia Tech had Texas A&M’s offense to go with its defense, the Hokies would have beaten Alabama on August 31.  If Texas A&M had Virginia Tech’s defense to go with its offense, the Aggies would have beaten Alabama Saturday. 

It will take a team with the combination of a good offense and defense to beat Alabama.  That’s why the Tide is good, very good.  But Alabama does have its vulnerabilities.  However, to take advantage of those vulnerabilities, it will take a team with talent on both sides of the ball.

Not many of those teams exist.  I’m not sure there is anyone remaining on Alabama’s schedule that meets those requirements.  But I’m sure there’s a team (or teams) somewhere around the country that does.  Stay tuned!

Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be Cowboys.  If everything Sports Illustrated says is true, and most likely, much of it probably is, then Oklahoma State is about to become the latest poster child for NCAA discretions.

Sex, drugs, illegal payments, academic fraud, you name it, the Oklahoma State football program has it, according to SI.  It is shades of so many scandals we have been through recently in college football.  About the only thing missing from the Okie State soap opera is a Jerry Sandusky type character.  

In recent years, it has been USC (the Reggie Bush scandal), Miami (the Nevin Shapiro scandal), Ohio State (the Tattoo scandal), North Carolina (the academic scandal) and Penn State (the Jerry Sandusky scandal).  We’ve seen it all. 

The USC, Ohio State, North Carolina and Penn State transgressions all resulted in some severe penalties and probations, not to mention, a number of firings – coaches, presidents, athletic directors, etc.  Miami is still waiting to learn its punishment from the NCAA.  The school, acting on its own, enacted a self-imposed bowl ban each of the past two seasons.  

If the Sports Illustrated accusations hold up, the resulting actions on Oklahoma State won’t be pretty.  But the NCAA’s investigation into the Cowboys’ program may take eons.  In the meantime, a lot of those mamas out there won’t want their babies to sign with the Cowboys.

Not to be outdone by Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports has reported that four former SEC players and one current SEC player received improper benefits in the form of financial payments from an NFL agent.

The former players are Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker, Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray, Miss State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and Miss State receiver Chad Bumphis.  The current player is Tennessee defensive lineman Maurice Couch.  According to Yahoo, the agent’s runner (go-between) who gave the money to the players was former Alabama player Luther Davis.  The payments totaled $45,550. 

Stay tuned.  Okie State may have some company in the dog house.    
 
There were four games Saturday involving teams from the Pac-12 against teams from the Big Ten.  The Pac-12 won 3-1.  UCLA beat Nebraska, 41-21, Washington downed Illinois, 34-24 and Arizona State edged Wisconsin, 32-30.  The lone Big Ten winner was Ohio State.  The Buckeyes outscored California, 52-34.

One team’s luck ended, while another team’s luck continued and both against Big Ten teams.  After a hot start, Bowling Green dropped its first game of the season.  The Falcons lost to Indiana, 42-10.  Meanwhile, UCF remained hot, beating Penn State, 34-31. 

Virginia Tech is still playing good defense.  The Hokies held a high-scoring East Carolina team to 10 points and 204 yards of offense.  Virginia Tech beat the Pirates, 15-10.

How do you go from beating Notre Dame one week to almost losing to woeful Akron the next?  Just ask Michigan.  The Wolverines had to hold on until the final play of the game before they could breathe a sigh of relief, beating Akron, 28-24.  Then there was little FCS Fordham beating Temple, 30-29, on a 29-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left in the game.       

There were two overtime games Saturday – one a five overtimer.  It took Buffalo five overtimes to subdue Stony Brook, 26-23.  Oddly, neither team scored in both the third and fourth overtimes.  Then, in a wild one, Oregon State beat Utah, 51-48, in overtime. 

Four teams made the “60-plus” club Saturday – Florida State 62 (against Nevada’s 7), Cincinnati 66 (against Northwestern State’s 9), Louisiana-Lafayette’s 70 (against Nichol State’s 7) and Utah State’s 70 (against Weber State’s 6).  Oregon and Oklahoma State just missed the club, each scoring 59 points.

Last week, Grambling State fired coach Doug Williams.  The Tigers were off to an 0-2 start, losing their first two games by a combined score of 71-19.  Williams, the former NFL quarterback, became the head coach at Grambling prior to the 2011 season.     

Among all the hoopla leading up to the Alabama-Texas A&M game, I read where a bar, Otey’s Tavern, in Mountain Brook, Alabama, made a piñata in the likeness of Johnny Manziel.  It was called the Johnny Piñata.  Apparently, patrons of Otey’s Tavern could take a whack at it.

Dan Kleinbeck and my Big Red Meet Wagon friends in Lincoln, Nebraska, are going through a busy time.  You might call it a tailgate marathon.  The Big Red Meet Wagon, a converted ambulance, is the all-purpose, all-service vehicle for their tailgates prior to Nebraska football games.  The Huskers are in the midst of a five-game home stand – three down and two to go.  You can check them out at www.bigredmeetwagon.com.

Watching the TCU-Texas Tech game Thursday night, I noticed that Swamp Mama was taking an unusual interest in the game.  Granted, Swamp Mama likes football, but she doesn’t usually get into TCU and Texas Tech.  And she doesn’t usually stay up and watch the entire Thursday night game with me.

At some point, it became obvious to me that Swamp Mama wasn’t so much interested in the game.  It was the Texas Tech coach – Kliff Kingsbury – she was interested in.  “What’s his name?”  “How old is he?”  “He’s cute.”  “He’s hot.”  She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

She really liked the shirt he was wearing.  She said not many coaches could wear a shirt like that.  I said I definitely wouldn’t want to see Charlie Weis in a shirt like that. 

I went through this once before with Swamp Mama.  It was 2003 through 2006.  Then, it was Mike Shula when he was the coach of Alabama.  Swamp Mama watched every Alabama game that was on TV.  Not to see the game, but to see Mike Shula.  She was smitten.  I feared for the worst the day I heard Alabama fired Shula.  I thought she would never get over it. 

Yes, Alabama is good – with Saban, not Shula – but weaknesses have been exposed.

Meanwhile, I’m thinkin’.  We’re going to be watching a lot of Texas Tech games.

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


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Good night John Boy – Alabama 49, Texas A&M 42 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 34, Texas A&M 29).  This was a game of swings.  The Aggies swung first, jumping out to a 14-0 lead.  Then Bama tied things up, 14-14.  It was tense.  It was exciting.  Then Bama scored three-straight touchdowns and led 35-14.  The game was no longer exciting.  It wasn’t living up to its billing.  After trading touchdowns for a while, A&M scored two-straight TDs and pulled within 42-35.  All of a sudden, it was exciting again.  Both teams added another score.  It was a well-played game.  Both quarterbacks were extremely good.  T.J. Yeldon made the difference for Bama.  A crowd of 87,596 attended the game in College Station.  

RUNNER UP:  Thumbless in Lincoln – UCLA 41, Nebraska 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 38, UCLA 34).  I’m not sure the Huskers are in shape this year.  They definitely ran out of steam about halfway through the second quarter – offense and defense.  They just haven’t been a second-half team.  I have to believe some shakeups are coming.  But it’s still early.  A crowd of 91,471 attended the game in Lincoln. 

REST OF THE BEST:  Taylored for the Devils – Arizona State 32, Wisconsin 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Arizona State 27).  Wisconsin only had one runner, instead of three, rush for more than 100 yards this week.  But Melvin Gordon rushed for a lot – 193 yards.  It was a wild game with a wilder ending.  After falling behind early, 3-0, the Badgers took the lead and led until early in the fourth quarter.  A crowd of 66,155 attended the game in Tempe. 

Blame it on Derek Dooley – Oregon 59, Tennessee 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 40, Tennessee 23).  Tennessee scored first and last.  In between, the Vols were never heard from, nor seen.  The Ducks amassed 687 yards of offense, with Marcus Mariota passing for 456 yards.  A crowd of 57,895 attended the game in Eugene.

The Price is right – Washington 34, Illinois 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Illinois 29).  Nathan Scheelhaase was a disappointment.  Keith Price (342 yards) and Bishop Sankey (208 yards) were not.  A crowd of 47,312 attended the game in Chicago.  

A Knight of a night – UCF 34, Penn State 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 22, UCF 20).  UCF got off to a great start, building up an early lead.  Then the Knights hung on to hold off the Lions in the fourth quarter.  Both quarterbacks – Blake Bortles and Christian Hackenberg – played well.  A crowd of 92,855 attended the game in State College.

Fresno State at Colorado (postponed)

Bees make some honey – Georgia Tech 38, Duke 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 27, Duke 21).  After a good start, the Dookies finally ran into the wall – a big wall.  Meanwhile, the Bumble Bees ran all over the Dookies.  Tech had 344 yards rushing.  A crowd of 21,267 attended the game in Durham. 

Trojans in the passing Lane – USC 35, Boston College 7 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 24, Boston College 16).  Lane Kiffin rebounds.  The Trojans held the Eagles to 183 yards of offense – just 83 passing.  A crowd of 62,006 attended the game in Los Angeles.  

Mack takes a smack – Ole Miss 44, Texas 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 30, Texas 27).  Teams are just running all over Texas.  Ole Miss rushed for 272 yards.  A crowd of 101,474 attended the game in Austin.

Kings-bury the Frogs – Texas Tech 20, TCU 10 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 31, Texas Tech 29).  Holding Texas Tech to 43 yards rushing wasn’t good enough to keep the Red Raiders from winning.  Three turnovers and bad calls from the officials didn’t help TCU any.  This one has to go down as the worst officiated game to date in the 2013 season.  A crowd of 58,702 attended the game in Lubbock.

Bucks are California dreamin’ – Ohio State 52, California 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 34, California 26).  The Buckeyes jumped out to a 21-0 lead and then the teams just traded touchdowns back-and-forth after that.  The teams combined for 1,111 yards of offence.  A crowd of 62,467 attended the game in Berkeley.  

Drunken Pirates – Virginia Tech 15, East Carolina 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 32, East Carolina 24).  The Hokies play damn good defense.  Problem is, they don’t have much of an offense.  VT only had 53 yards rushing and ECU only had 46.  This was the lowest scoring game of the weekend.  A crowd of 50,096 attended the game in Greenville.  

Bubble burst – Indiana 42, Bowling Green 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 37, Indiana 36).  It all came crashing down for Bowling Green.  Indiana has a great offense.  And the Hoosiers found a defense in this game.  A crowd of 41,869 attended the game in Bloomington.  

Stubborn as a Mule – Stanford 34, Army 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, Army 12).  Army gave Stanford a great fight.  The Cadets led 6-0 early.  Then they just trailed Stanford, 17-13, late in the second quarter.  A crowd of 39,644 attended the game in West Point.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Was The State covering the game? – South Carolina 35, Vanderbilt 25 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 32, Vanderbilt 20).  The Gamecocks jumped out to a 28-0 lead and then hung on to win by 10.  But the Cocks dominated the game – 31 first downs to 14 for Vandy.  A crowd of 81,371 attended the game in Columbia.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Dana has something to smile about – West Virginia 41, Georgia State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 52, Georgia State 9).  Mountaineers may have found a new quarterback.  Ford Childress started and played throughout, passing for 359 yards.  Eers had 604 yards of offense.  A crowd of 57,440 attended the game in Morgantown.  

Irish almost get steamed – Notre Dame 31, Purdue 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 38, Purdue 13).  Got to give it those Boilers.  They gave the Irish a scare.  Purdue just didn’t have a running game – 38 yards rushing.  A crowd of 61,127 attended the game in West Lafayette.  

Week 3 Picks:    12 Correct, 5 Wrong (70.6 percent)
On the Season:   44 Correct, 13 Wrong (77.2 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State trampled Nevada, 62-7.  A crowd of 73,847 attended the game in Tallahassee….  Florida Atlantic beat South Florida, 28-10.  A crowd of 33,792 attended the game in Tampa….  Bethune-Cookman downed Florida International, 34-13.  A crowd of 14,957 attended the game in Miami.

Florida A&M lost to Samford, 27-20.  A crowd of 10,034 attended the game in Tallahassee….  Jacksonville U. clobbered Morehead State, 69-19.  A crowd of 3,813 attended the game in Jacksonville….  Florida Tech fell to Newberry, 23-19.  A crowd of 2,544 attended the game in Newberry.  


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  Texas A&M’s Johnny  Manziel – 28-39-2 for 464 yards; Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – 23-33-0-456; Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 27-44-0-443; Oklahoma’s Blake Bell – 27-37-0-413; Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 32-41-1-383, and California’s Jarred Goff – 31-53-1-371.

Also, Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 30-45-1 for 366 yards; West Virginia’s Ford Childress – 25-41-1-359; Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly – 29-51-1-352; Connecticut’s Chandler Whitmer – 29-46-2-349; Washington’s Keith Price – 28-35-0-342; Auburn’s Nick Marshall – 23-34-2-339; Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 17-26-0-335, and Eastern Michigan’s Tyler Benz – 24-40-1-335.

Also, Alabama’s A.J. McCarron – 20-29-0 for 334 yards; Ball State’s Keith Wenning – 27-46-2-333; Louisiana-Monroe’s Kolton Browning – 43-68-2-315; Wake Forest’s Tanner Price – 28-47-0-310; Notre Dame’s Tommy Rees – 20-33-0-309; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 21-30-0-297, and UCLA’s Brett Hundley – 16-24-1-294.  


Impressive Rushers:  Washington’s Bishop Sankey – 208 yards; Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon – 193 yards; Rutgers’ Paul James – 192 yards; Ohio State’s Jordan Hall – 168 yards, Ole Miss’ Jeff Scott – 164 yards.

Also, Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch – 159 yards; South Florida’s Marcus Shaw – 159 yards; Northwestern’s Treyvon Green – 158 yards; Rice’s Charles Ross – 157 yards, and Indiana’s Stephen Houston – 155 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I apologize to all the athletic directors in the conference for what’s about to happen, for what’s about to be said about a member institution.  That reflects on everyone, all our brothers and peers, we’re very remorseful about that,” Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder, apologizing to  his fellow athletic directors around the Big 12 Conference for the scathing expose of the Cowboys football program by Sports Illustrated.

“Johnny Manziel, he’s doing something I never thought was possible.  He’s going to make me root for Alabama this weekend.  I never thought I would say those words.  I am so close to saying, ‘Roll Tide.’  Johnny Manziel is annoying me so much.  I really close to saying, ‘Roll Tide.’  Auburn fans are not going to be happy, but let me tell you something.  Johnny Manziel, oh my God, the only thing saving Manziel is Miley Cyrus.  I just think that Johnny Manziel has done a lot of stupid stuff in the last three or four months,” Charles Barkley. 

“And if there’s anybody who knows about doing a lot of stupid stuff when they were younger, it’s Charles Barkley, CBSSports.com college football writer Tom Fornelli.

“If I were going to plan an empire built on depravity and debauchery it would not be in Stillwater.  I’ve been to Stillwater.  Even the cows have that, ‘Can you believe this place?’ look in their eyes,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on the Oklahoma State accusations.

"Meanwhile, the NCAA continues to affirm its commitment to academic reform and amateurism and repurposes its rulebook for a screenplay that it plans to sell to Pixar, 'Finding Nemo in Stillwater.  He Flushes Himself,'" Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Yahoo reported five SEC players received improper benefits.  I know what you’re thinking: Only five?,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Mississippi State at Auburn: Dan Mullen liked it better when people were talking about him for other jobs,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Lane Kiffin heard chants of “Fire Kiffin” in the final minutes of a 10-7 loss to Washington State.  Still better than what they chanted in Knoxville,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“Barbara and I are Aggies to the core,” former president George H.W. Bush.

“They definitely can’t have a sign like that in Lawrence, Kansas, or Ann Arbor, Michigan,” ESPN’s Reece Davis, commenting on a sign at Texas Tech that said, “Our coach is hotter than yours.”


Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 15 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Arizona State (3-0) at Stanford (2-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Some picked these two to win their respective divisions in the Pac-12.  That could happen.  The Sun Devils have a good passing attack.  Stanford is well-balanced – good running and passing.  Will these two meet again in the Pac-12 championship game?  The Trees put the Devils in their Trunks – Stanford 32, Arizona State 27.

RUNNER UP:  2. Michigan State (3-0) at Notre Dame (2-1) – (Big Ten vs. Ind.) (TV: NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Didn’t the Irish get enough of Michigan two weeks ago?  Nothing like a double dose.  The Spartans are 3-0, but they haven’t played anybody.  They are an unknown.  They remain unknown – Notre Dame 26, Michigan State 24.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Clemson (2-0) at NC State (2-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday) – Two years ago, the Pack surprised the Tigers in Raleigh – big time.  Last year, the Tigers won in a shoot out – 62-48.  New Pack coach Dave Doeren is good, but he doesn’t have a lot to work with this year.  Clemson takes advantage of Doeren’s bare cabinet.  No surprises in Raleigh this year – Clemson 33, NC State 18.  

4. Auburn (3-0) at LSU (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7:45 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Mad Hatter has a lot on his mind these days.  After all, he was the head coach at Okie State when all the bad things supposedly started.  And some think he might be continuing those practices at LSU.  No?  Never?  Not Les.  Under Chizik, Auburn would probably be 0-3.  Under Malzahn, Auburn will be 3-1 after this game – LSU 30, Auburn 19.

5. Tennessee (2-1) at Florida (1-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Wonder if Brent Pease can run up 59 points on Tennessee like Oregon did?  Sometimes, it’s hard imagining Pease running up 7 points on someone.  The Gators have had an extra week to get their offensive woes fixed.  The Gator Nation is sitting on the edge of their seats.  Tennessee looked good until the Vols played Oregon.  They’ll still look bad after playing the Gators – Florida 30, Tennessee 17.

6. Arkansas (3-0) at Rutgers (2-1) – (SEC vs. AAC) (TV: ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Bret Bielema had two runners rushing for more than 100 yards each until last week when only one Hog exceeded 100 yards on the ground.  But Arkansas still won.  Rutgers has potential.  The Knights chop the Pork – Rutgers 28, Arkansas 26. 

7. West Virginia (2-1) vs. Maryland (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – WVU may, or may not, have finally found a quarterback.  Chances are we’ll know for sure after the Maryland game.  The last time Maryland beat WVU the players on these teams were in grade school – 2003.  Will the streak continue?  The Terpies have Herpes – West Virginia 24, Maryland 20.

8. Boise State (2-1) at Fresno State (2-0) – (MWC vs. MWC) (TV: ESPN, 9 p.m. ET, Friday) – The favorites to win their respective divisions in the MWC hook up in an early season encounter.  Both have offenses that can move the ball.  Both have defenses that are a little weak, especially the Bulldogs.  But the Dogs make up for their weakness with a desire to win.  They shoot horses, don’t they? – Fresno State 40, Boise State 39.    

9. Utah State (2-1) at USC (2-1) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Utah State is capable of giving Lane Kiffin fits.  The Aggies should have no trouble moving the ball.  Question is: Can the Aggies stop the Trojans from moving the ball?  Could be an interesting afternoon in the Coliseum.  Life’s a holiday in Kiffin’s Lane – USC 30, Utah State 28.

10. North Carolina (1-1) at Georgia Tech (2-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Tech had no problem disposing of Duke.  The Bees will find Duke’s neighbor a little more troublesome.  As usual, the Bees are looking good on the ground.  The Heels had the week off for extra preparation.  That’s reason to give the Bees a little angst.  Bees get a Buzz on – Georgia Tech 33, North Carolina 24.

11. Missouri (2-0) at Indiana (2-1) – (SEC vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – After looking bad against Navy, the Hoosiers came back and looked good against Bowling Green.  Mizzou is 2-0, but an untested 2-0.  Indiana will definitely put some points on the board.  Will the Hoosiers put enough on the board?  Happy Cats – Missouri 32, Indiana 28.

12. Marshall (2-1) at Virginia Tech (2-1) – (C-USA vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  Can Rakeem Cato handle the Hokie defense?  Even Alabama had problems with the Hokie defense.  How well Cato performs is key for the Herd.  The Green aren’t mean…..enough – Virginia Tech 27, Marshall 20.

13. Utah (2-1) at BYU (1-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) (TV: ESPN2, 10:15 p.m. ET, Saturday) – After losing 51-48 in overtime last week, the Utes may not have anything left for this game.  But it shouldn’t take much to get them fired up for the Cougars.  This is the Book of Mormon….I mean….the battle of the Mormons.  Mendenhall has a ball – BYU 32, Utah 30.

14. Kansas State (2-1) at Texas (1-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ABC, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Mack Brown may be up a creek without a paddle.  He’s changed defensive coordinators.  He says he has faith in this team.  He may not know what to do next.  He won’t have to worry about that if the Horns lose to K-State.  Brown can’t mount a Mack attack – Kansas State 29, Texas 27.

15. Troy (2-1) at Mississippi State (1-2) – (Sun Belt vs. SEC) (TV: Fox Sports Network, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Things haven’t been going so well for Dan Mullen at Miss State.  It was supposed to be better than this in Starkville.  Dan arrived with a lot of hullabaloo.  But lately, it has all been boohoo.  Troy has the potential to make things miserable.  Trojans get Bullied – Miss State 29, Troy 27.

…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

16. Wyoming (2-1) at Air Force (1-2) – (MWC vs. MWC) (TV: ESPNU, 10:15 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Wyoming is a team on the up-and-up.  Air Force is a team on the way down.  Cowboys give the Falcons the boot – Wyoming 32, Air Force 21.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

South Dakota State (3-0) at Nebraska (2-1) – (MVC vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The way the Huskers have been playing lately, especially in the second half, these Jack Rabbits could be a problem.  This could be another North Dakota State-Kansas State affair.  This was supposed to be one of those games where Nebraska gets everything worked out before moving into Big Ten play.  But the Huskers may be pulling out all stops to win this game.  Herb puts the Rabbit on a spit –   Nebraska 36, South Dakota State 25.

Pitt (1-1) at Duke (2-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ACC Network, 12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Reality set in last week for the Dookies.  They realized they aren’t going to have an undefeated season…..again.  So now the goal is to have a winning season.  That bowl tasted good last year.  Pitt’s no Georgia Tech, but the Panthers won’t help the Dookies any.  Devils get egged – Pitt 29, Duke 21.

North Texas (2-1) at Georgia (1-1) – (C-USA vs. SEC) (TV: SEC Network, 12:20 p.m. ET, Saturday) – After Clemson, South Carolina and a week off, the Dawgs get a breather with North Texas…..is this like North Dallas 40?  North Texas is easier than the week off.  The Dawgs go North and Texas goes South – Georgia 36, North Texas 16.

Purdue (1-2) at Wisconsin (2-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – After putting up that fight against the Irish, the Boilers probably don’t have anything left in them to cope with the Badgers.  And the Badger is going to be mad after the two-point loss at Arizona State.  The frustration could be taken out on the Boilers.  I think you get the picture.  It doesn’t look pretty for the Boilers.  But the beer is good in Wisconsin.  Badgers have an Oktoberfest – Wisconsin 35, Purdue 23.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State (2-0) hosts Bethune-Cookman (3-0) (TV: None, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Miami (2-0) entertains Savannah State (1-2) (TV: None, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Florida International (0-3) visits Louisville (3-0) (TV: Local, 12 noon ET, Saturday) ….  Florida Atlantic (1-2) is home to Middle Tennessee (2-1) (TV: Local, 12 noon ET, Saturday).

Florida A&M (1-2) travels to Ohio State (3-0) (TV: BTN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) ….  Jacksonville U. (1-2) is home against Warner (0-3) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Stetson (1-1) hosts Birmingham Southern (2-0) (TV: None, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Florida Tech (1-1) entertains West Alabama (1-1) (TV: CBSSN, 8 p.m. ET, Thursday) ….  UCF (3-0) and South Florida (0-3) are off.   


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football … FIU and UCF have scheduled their annual home-and-home series to continue through the 2016 season….  Troy will play LSU in Baton Rouge in 2017 and Nebraska in Lincoln in 2018. 

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Not directly college football related, but sadly there were two passings of note last week – Zelmo Beaty and Frank Tripucka.

Zelmo Beaty, a star center in the NBA, who left the league to play in the upstart ABA, died in Bellevue, Washington.  He was 73.  In eight seasons in the NBA, Beaty played the first seven for the Hawks (first in St. Louis, then in Atlanta) and the eighth, after his time in the ABA, for the Los Angeles Lakers.  In the ABA, Beaty played for the Utah Stars.  He was with the Hawks from 1962-1969.  Beaty played in two NBA All-Star games.  His last season in the NBA (with the Lakers) was 1974-75.  Beaty coached the ABA Virginia Squires during the 1975-76 season.  Zelmo Beaty was born in Hillister, Texas, on October 25, 1939.  He played college ball at Prairie View A&M University. 

Frank Tripucka, a star quarterback for Notre Dame’s unbeaten 1948 team and one of the leading passers in the early years of the American Football League with the Denver Broncos, died last week in Woodland Park, New Jersey.  He was 85.  His son, Kelly Tripucka, was an All-American basketball forward at Notre Dame and played for 10 seasons in the NBA.  Francis Joseph Tripucka was born on December 8, 1927, in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

College Football Week 3 – A.J. McCarron vs. Johnny Manziel
You go your way baby, I’ll go mine

All week, I had Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan and Carole King on my mind.

Well, actually, I had their songs on my mind.  More specifically, I had the lyrics of Holly’s “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” Dylan’s “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)” and King’s “You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine,” on my mind.

I couldn’t shake it.  I was singing pieces of the lyrics all week.  I couldn’t get the words out of my mind – “You go your way, I’ll go mine.”

It all began a several weeks ago.  Swamp Mama and I had plans to go to Florida Tech’s inaugural football game against Stetson on September 7.  All was fine until it dawned on me that the West Virginia-Oklahoma game and the Stetson-Florida Tech game were scheduled to start at the same time – 7 p.m.  And, the WVU-OU game was being televised.

“Swamp Mama, we have a problem.”

Swamp Mama was insistent that “we” go to the Florida Tech game.  I was insistent that “I” stay home and watch the WVU game.  Now, you have the picture, “I just can’t fight your willful mind.  You go your way, I’ll go mine.”

Then Swamp Mama decided to take things one step further.  If I wasn’t going to go to the Florida Tech game, she was going to go to the game with her boss.  Her boss is a man – a younger man.  “And who’s been left behind when you go your way and I go mine.” 

And I’m thinking, “Well, maybe I’ll just go watch the West Virginia game at Hooters.”  But of course, I wouldn’t.

To add insult to injury, her boss said he would pick her up.  They would have dinner before the game.  Dinner at Hardee’s (across the street from the stadium).  Swamp Mama was thrilled.  Now, if I told Swamp Mama I was taking her to dinner at Hardee’s, I would never hear the end of it.  She would be anything but thrilled.

A few years ago, I took Swamp Mama to dinner at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s on her birthday.  I’m still hearing about that today.  I mean, Rockledge Gator takes Bootsie to dinner at Long Doggers and she doesn’t complain.  Well, he doesn’t take her to Long Doggers on her birthday.

Early Saturday evening, Swamp Mama’s boss arrived at the house.  As the two of them left for the game….excuse me….for dinner at Hardee’s, I said to Alex, “You make sure you have her back before midnight.”        

“There you go baby, here I am
Well you left me here so I could sit and cry (over the Mountaineers)
Golly gee what have you done to me?
Well I guess it doesn’t matter anymore”

“Do you remember baby last September?
How you held me tight each and every night”

During the games, Swamp Mama and I texted the respective scores to each other.  Florida Tech was losing to Stetson, 13-6.  West Virginia was leading Oklahoma, 7-0.  Trailing 13-6, Florida Tech rallied to score two touchdowns in the final six and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to beat Stetson, 20-13.  WVU failed to score again, while Oklahoma put up 16 points to beat the Mountaineers, 16-7.  I’m such a masochist – a glutton for punishment.

Soon, Swamp Mama was home from the game.  Alex had her back before midnight.  As she came through the door, I said, “How was your Thickburger?”  I’m such a masochist – a glutton for punishment. 

Michigan, Miami (Florida) and Georgia weren’t gluttons for punishment on Saturday.  In the weekend’s three marquee games, the Wolverines, Hurricanes and Bulldogs all won.  Michigan rode the passing (294 yards) and rushing (82 yards) of Devin Gardner to down Notre Dame, 41-30, before the largest crowd in college football history – 115,109.

Miami took advantage of five Florida turnovers (three fumbles and two interceptions) to stymie the Gators, 21-16.  Well-balanced with the passing of Aaron Murray (309 yards and four touchdowns) and the running of Todd Gurley (134 yards) and Keith Marshall (58 yards), Georgia wore down South Carolina, 41-30.  The Dawgs outscored the Gamecocks, 17-6, in the second half.

Speaking of worn down and outscored, that must be how Lane Kiffin and Mack Brown feel.  Kiffin’s USC Trojans were stunned by Washington State, 10-7, while Brown’s Texas Longhorns were blitzed by BYU, 41-20.  Kiffin and Brown are definitely feeling the heat.  The Texas defense gave up 679 yards to BYU, while USC only managed 193 yards of offense against Wazzu.  Sunday, Brown fired his defensive coordinator Many Diaz.

Add Army coach Rich Ellerson to the heat list.  The Cadets lost to Ball State, 40-14. 

The weekend’s best basketball-football game took place in College Station.  Texas A&M subdued Sam Houston State, 65-28.  Johnny Manziel passed for 403 yards and three touchdowns.  Five other teams scored more than 60 points – Utah (70), Baylor (70), Troy (66) Boise State (63) and Texas Tech (61).  Baylor has scored 139 points in two games, averaging 69.5 points per game.  Oregon just missed the club this week, scoring 59 points.  The Ducks are averaging 62.5 points per game.

The two lowest scoring contests were Washington State’s 10-7 upset of USC and Oklahoma’s 16-7 win over West Virginia.  There was only one overtime game.  New Mexico beat UTEP, 42-35 (OT).  Perhaps the most exciting finish took place Dallas.  SMU, trailing Montana State, 30-19, midway through the third quarter, rallied to beat the Bobcats, 31-30.  The Mustangs final score came with 12 seconds left in the game – a four-yard pass from Garrett Gilbert to Darius Joseph.  

At the Bret Bielema factories, past and present, Wisconsin had three backs rush for more than 100 yards each again, while Arkansas had two runners accomplish the same task for the second week.  Corey Clement (149 yards), Melvin Gordon (140) and James White (109) exceeded the century mark for the Badgers, while Alex Collins (172 yards) and Jonathan Williams (126) surpassed 100 yards rushing for the Razorbacks.  Wisconsin beat Tennessee Tech, 48-0, and Arkansas beat Samford, 31-21.    

UCF and Bowling Green are off to good starts – both at 2-0.  But both have tough outings coming up this week.  UCF takes on Penn State in State College, and Bowling Green is on the road at Indiana. 

Colorado and Fresno State, both 2-0 out of the gate, face off against each other in Boulder on Saturday.  Illinois, 2-0, is a bit of a surprise early in the season.  The Banned Indians beat Cincinnati, 45-17.  Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase had another good game, passing for 312 yards and four touchdowns.     

Enema…..I mean…..Eminem made an appearance in the broadcast booth during the Notre Dame-Michigan game on ESPN with Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musberger.  While chatting with Kirk and Brent, Eminem looked like someone was giving him an enema. 

Back in Athens at the South Carolina-Georgia game, Clarabell the Clowney was a no-show again this week.  Maybe Jadeveon should consider trying out for the Howdy Doody Show.  He might find it more to his liking.  It was anything but the Howdy Doody Show on the South Carolina sidelines when two of Steve Spurrier’s defensive coaches got in a shoving and shouting match with each other.  The game went downhill for the Gamecocks after that.      

Getting sloppy with it:  In Western Kentucky’s 52-20 loss to Tennessee, the Hilltoppers had seven turnovers.  Five of the turnovers occurred in six plays.  Georgia State lost for the second consecutive week to an FCS team.  Saturday, the Panthers fell to Chattanooga, 42-14.      

Sunday, Swamp Mama asked me who the Gators are playing this week.

I said, “They’re off.”

She said, “They were off yesterday.”

“Now, you go your way baby and I’ll go mine.”

(Note:  Buddy Holly’s hit “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” was written by Paul Anka.)

Touchdown Tom
September 9, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Irish wake – Michigan 41, Notre Dame 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 24, Notre Dame 23) – The Irish lacked a running game and Tommy Rees threw two interceptions.  A crowd of 115,109 attended the game in Ann Arbor.

RUNNER UP:  Gators still searching for an offense – Miami (Florida) 21, Florida 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 23, Miami 16) – Florida dominated the stats – 22 first downs to Miami’s 10, and 413 yards of offense to Miami’s 212.  But the Gators also dominated the turnovers – five miscues to Miami’s one.  In his third year at Florida, Will Muschamp is still trying to establish an offense.  A crowd of 76,968 attended the game in Miami Gardens.

REST OF THE BEST:  Murray the A – Georgia 41, South Carolina 30 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, Georgia 22) – Actually it should be an A+.  That’s the kind of game Aaron Murray played – near perfect.  Or was it perfect?  Murray got the monkey off his back as the Dawgs beat the Gamecocks for the first time in four years.  A crowd of 92,746 attended the game in Athens.

Just Ducky – Oregon 59, Virginia 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 33, Virginia 19) – Marcus Mariota passed for 199 yards and rushed for another 122.  The Cavaliers never saw the end zone in the second half.  A crowd of 58,502 attended the game in Charlottesville.

Bevo, that’s what’s for dinner – BYU 41, Texas 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, BYU 18) – BYU had 679 yards of offense – 550 rushing.  The heat is on Mack Brown.  So much so that Brown fired Many Diaz his defensive coordinator the next day.  A crowd of 63,197 attended the game in Provo.

Budding Trees – Stanford 34, San Jose State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, San Jose State 17) – Stanford picked up where it left off last year.  The Cardinal defense held the Spartans to 35 yards rushing.  A crowd of 50,424 attended the game in Palo Alto.

OUch – Oklahoma 16, West Virginia 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 29, West Virginia 14) – Either it was an anomaly or West Virginia has a defense this year.  If you told me before the game that the Eers would hold OU to 16 points, I would have said you were lying.  But while the WVU defense appears to be better, the offense is a train wreck.  WVU scored halfway through the first quarter and never saw the end zone again for the rest of the game.  The Eers only have scored 31 points in two games.  Ultimately, Oklahoma’s running game made the difference for the Sooners.  A crowd of 84,692 attended the game in Norman.

Tuberville gets tumbled – Illinois 45, Cincinnati 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 39, Illinois 31) – What a turnaround?  Cincinnati kills Purdue the previous week, then gets killed by Illinois on Saturday.  The Banned Indians may be a better team this year than expected.  We’ll know this week when Illinois plays Washington.  But one thing is certain – Nathan Scheelhaase is the real thing.  A crowd of 43,031 attended the game in Champaign.

Malzahn’s Tigers already look better than Chizik’s Tigers – Auburn 38, Arkansas State 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 30, Arkansas State 20) – The running game made the difference for the Tigers.  Auburn rushed for 301 yards.  Gus Malzahn had no problems with his former team.  A crowd of 83,246 attended the game in Auburn.

Motorcycle wreck – Tennessee 52, Western Kentucky 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 30, Western Kentucky 19) – The Hilltoppers actually had more yards than Tennessee – 393 yards to 382.  But WKU couldn’t hold onto the ball – seven turnovers.  A crowd of 86,783 attended the game in Knoxville.

Eagles lower the Price – Boston College 24, Wake Forest 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 22, Wake Forest 20) – Wake had no running game.  BC held the Deacons to 55 yards rushing.  BC’s Andre Williams rushed for 204 yards.  With Chase Rettig and Williams, the Eagles are a feisty little team.  A crowd of 32,465 attended the game in Chestnut Hill.

The BGs are stayin’ alive – Bowling Green 41, Kent State 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 28, Kent State 23) – BG is off to a great start – 75 points in two games.  Matt Johnson passed for 357 yards and Travis Greene rushed for 145.  A crowd of 22,758 attended the game in Kent.

Blue on Blue – North Carolina 40, Middle Tennessee 20 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 29, Middle Tennessee 20) – The Blue Raiders outscored the Tar Heels 20-17 in the second half.  But it was too little too late.  UNC’s Bryn Renner passed for 339 yards.  A crowd of 48,000 attended the game in Chapel Hill.

“Fire Kiffin, Fire Kiffin” – Washington State 10, USC 7 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, Washington State 22) – That’s what USC fans were chanting during the game.  The Trojans only had 54 yards passing – unbelievable.  Wazzu only had seven yards rushing – unbelievable.  I never thought I would see a Mike Leach-coached team hold an opponent to seven points.  I have to believe Lane Kiffin won’t be coaching the Trojans next year.  A crowd of 77,823 attended the game in Los Angeles

Spartans slow out of the gates – Michigan State 21, South Florida 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 36, South Florida 15) – The Spartans held USF to 155 yards of offense – 66 passing, 89 rushing.  But the Spartans didn’t look that much better themselves – especially when you consider that McNeese State put 53 points on the board against the Bulls the previous week.  A crowd of 70,401 attended the game in East Lansing.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Aggies do the flying – Utah State 52, Air Force 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 30, Air Force 25) – The Aggies racked of 577 yards of offense.  Chuckie Keeton passed for 360 yards and rushed for another 77.  The Aggies are a threat in the MWC.  A crowd of 32,716 attended the game in Colorado Springs.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Herb’s breathing a little easier – Nebraska 56, Southern Miss 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 40, Southern Miss 10) – Hey, the Huskers have a defense after all.  Actually, Nebraska’s cheerleaders could have kept Southern Miss from scoring.  A balanced attack helped the Huskers.  Turnovers hampered the Eagles.  A crowd of 90,466 attended the game in Lincoln.

The Devils get some barbecue – Duke 28, Memphis 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Memphis 16) – The Dookies go on the road and come away with a win.  Tied 14-14 early in the fourth, the Dookies got tough in the final 10 minutes of the game, outscoring Memphis 14-0.  A crowd of 44,237 attended the game in Memphis.

Back on track – Purdue 20, Indiana State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 40, Indiana State 26) – This is the same Indiana State team that gave up 73 points the previous week.  I’m not sure what that says about Purdue.  The Sycamores had more total yards than the Boilers – 295 to 284.  But Purdue held Indiana State to 39 yards rushing.  A crowd of 50,165 attended the game in West Lafayette.

Week 2 Picks:    14 correct; 5 wrong (73.7 percent)
On the Season:   32 correct; 8 wrong (80.0 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

UCF clobbered Florida International, 38-0.  A crowd of 15,823 attended the game in Miami….  Florida Atlantic lost to East Carolina, 31-13.  A crowd of 37,533 attended the game in Greenville….  Florida A&M lost to Tennessee State, 27-7.  A crowd of 14,237 attended the game in Tallahassee.

Bethune-Cookman beat Virginia Union, 66-7.  A crowd of 6,478 attended the game in Daytona Beach….  Jacksonville U. lost to Jacksonville State, 48-13.  A crowd of 17,592 attended the game in Jacksonville, AL….  Florida Tech downed Stetson, 20-13.  A crowd of 5,000 attended the game in Melbourne.         


Superlatives

Weekend’s Best Passers:  California’s Jared Goff – 33-51-0-485; Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel – 28-41-1-403; Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater – 22-33-0-397; Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 31-43-1-372; Texas Tech’s Baker Mayfield – 21-30-0-367; Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 41-42-1-363; Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton – 32-40-1-360, and Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson – 19-25-0-357.

Also, Colorado’s Connor Wood – 23-36-2-341; North Carolina’s Bryn Renner – 23-34-1-339; Baylor’s Bryce Petty – 13-16-0-338; Tulane’s Nick Montana – 29-47-1-327; Oklahoma State’s J.W. Walsh – 2427-0-326; Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 19-32-0-326; Ball State’s Keith Wenning – 23-32-0-325; SMU’s Garrett Gilbert – 35-48-0-317, and Notre Dame’s Tommy Rees – 29-51-2-314.

Also, Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase – 26-37-0-312; Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg – 23-33-1-311; Kentucky’s Maxwell Smith – 15-23-0-310; Georgia’s Aaron Murray – 17-23-0-309; UTSA’s Eric Soza – 24-41-2-308; Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly – 23-31-0-300; Wyoming’s Brett Smith – 22-38-1-295; Michigan’s Devin Gardner – 21-33-1-294; Florida’s Jeff Driskel – 22-33-2-291, and South Alabama’s Ross Metheny – 19-30-2-290.


Weekend’s Best Rushers:  New Mexico’s Kasey Carrier – 291 yards; BYU’s Taysom Hill – 259 yards; Boston College’s Andre Williams – 204 yards; BYU’s Jamaal Williams – 182 yards; Louisiana Tech’s Tevin King – 182 yards, and Iowa’s Mark Weisman – 180 yards.

Also, Arkansas’ Alex Collins – 172 yards; Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey – 171 yards; Oklahoma’s Brennan Clay – 170 yards; Tulsa’s Trey Watts – 152 yards; Marshall’s Steward Butler – 151 yards; USC’s Tre Madden – 151 yards, and Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk – 150 yards.    


Quotes of the Week

“First off, I don’t know what vanilla – I’ve heard the word vanilla – I don’t know what vanilla is.  I’ve never made a game plan with vanilla,” Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease, responding to critics who say his offensive game plans are too vanilla. 

“One of the things I love about him is that he’s very critical of himself, very tough on himself,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, on his quarterback Jameis Winston.

“I wanted to grab his facemask and I wanted to grab him up,” former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer, reacting to Johnny Manziel’s antics in the A&M-Rice game.

“Brian Bosworth was a bigger jerk than Johnny Manziel,” Former Oklahoma and NFL lineman Tony Casillas, on his ex-teammate.

“You’ve got to realize, it’s hard for Georgia to really get mad at South Carolina.   They’ve got so many teams their mad at or are mad at them,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.

“I think he played the game of his life,” Georgia wide receiver Michael Bennett, on his teammate quarterback Aaron Murray.

“As far as USC fans are concerned, Lane Kiffin can keep on running right out of LA and never come back,” CBSSports.com columnist Gregg Doyel.


Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 15 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games.…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Alabama (1-0) at Texas A&M (2-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Tide will be looking for paybacks – big time.  The Aggies were the only blemish on Bama’s record in 2012.  Johnny Manziel won’t have time to sign any autographs.  The Tide defense won’t let him rest for a moment.    Revenge – Alabama 34, Texas A&M 29.

RUNNER UP:  2. UCLA (1-0) at Nebraska (2-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Talk about paybacks, that’s what the Huskers will be looking for too.  The Bruins put 36 on the board last year on their way to a 36-30 win over the Huskers.  And this is a better Bruin team than last season.  It’ll be a real test for the Husker defense.  Herbie wins by a thumb – Nebraska 38, UCLA 34.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Wisconsin (2-0) at Arizona State (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Wisconsin’s running game against ASU’s passing game – it should be interesting.  The defenses will make the difference.  These Badgers can run – Wisconsin 28, Arizona State 27.

4. Tennessee (2-0) at Oregon (2-0) – (SEC vs. Pac-12) (TV: ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Ducks are averaging 62.5 points a game.  But Tennessee will be the best defense Oregon has met so far.  Sadly, the Vols defense isn’t that good – Oregon 40, Tennessee 23.

5. Washington (1-0) vs. Illinois (2-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) – It’s a shame this game isn’t on national TV.  Both teams are off to a good start.  Both have exciting quarterbacks.  The Huskies running back Bishop Sankey makes the difference – Washington 30, Illinois 29.

6. UCF (2-0) at Penn State (2-0) – (AAC vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This is the first real test for UCF.  Are the Knights for real or not?  It may be the Lions first real test.  Not sure Syracuse is as good as UCF.  Regardless, the contest has the makings for a good one – maybe a barnburner, maybe a donnybrook.  The Cats purr – Penn State 22, UCF 20.

7. Fresno State (2-0) at Colorado (2-0) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) (TV: Pac-12 Network, 2 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Another battle of the unbeatens.  Fresno State has been tested; Colorado hasn’t.  It pays off for the Bulldogs.  Ralphie’s luck runs out – Fresno State 35, Colorado 32.

8. Georgia Tech (1-0) at Duke (2-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This is a big opportunity for the Dookies.  A win over Georgia Tech might make the students forget about basketball.  At least for a few days.  When does basketball season start? – Georgia Tech 27, Duke 21.

9. Boston College (2-0) at USC (1-1) – ACC vs. Pac-12) (TV: Pac-12 Network, 3 p.m. ET, Saturday) – If Washington State can beat USC in the Coliseum, there’s no reason why BC can’t.  Lane Kiffin will be toast if the Trojans lose to the Eagles.  Kiffin survives a scare – USC 24, Boston College 16.

10. Ole Miss (2-0) at Texas (1-1) – (SEC vs. Big 12) (TV: LHN, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Last year, Texas went into Oxford and blasted the Rebels, 66-31.  It was an awful sight.  So you have Ole Miss thinking paybacks and Texas thinking comeback.  The Horns were embarrassed by BYU last week.  Brown and out – Ole Miss 30, Texas 27.

11. TCU (1-1) at Texas Tech (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday) – Good early season battle in the Big 12.  Texas Tech may be a better team than expected.  TCU needs a good win after the loss to LSU.  Frogmen escape Lubbock – TCU 31, Texas Tech 29.

12. Ohio State (2-0) at California (1-1) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – It may get a little tougher for the Bucks this week.  Cal can score, but the Bears can’t stop the Bucks from scoring.  Bucks find gold in California – Ohio State 34, California 26.

13. Virginia Tech (1-1) at East Carolina (2-0) – (ACC vs. C-USA) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – East Carolina will be out to stun the Hokies.  The Pirates have done it before.  And they can be tough in Greenville.  Hokies have a battle on their hands, but they win the war – Virginia Tech 32, East Carolina 24.

14. Bowling Green (2-0) at Indiana (1-1) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPNU, 12 noon ET, ESPNU) – Off to a good start, BG will be tested in Bloomington.  Indiana knows how to score, but the Hoosiers don’t have a defense.  MAC attack – Bowling Green 37, Indiana 36.

15. Stanford (1-0) at Army (1-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) (TV: CBSSN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Army is just the type of team that might give Stanford some problems for a while.  But Stanford is just the type of team that will give Army some problems all day.  The Cardinal parties on the Hudson – Stanford 28, Army 12.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

16. Vanderbilt (1-1) at South Carolina (1-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Gamecocks better get that Georgia loss out of their system.  Vandy will be out to give the Cocks a battle.  The Commodores lost a close one to Ole Miss.  They have something to prove.  The loser will be 0-2 in SEC play.  Who will be playing the role of Jadeveon Clowney this week?  And will the Gamecock coaches behave?  The drama builds.  Cocks rebound – South Carolina 32, Vanderbilt 20.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Georgia State (0-2) at West Virginia (1-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Big 12) (TV: Local, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – If WVU’s offense can’t get going against Georgia State, then Dana “Hal Mumme” Holgorsen really does have a problem on his hands.  The Panthers bite off more than they can chew – West Virginia 52, Georgia State 9.

Notre Dame (1-1) at Purdue (1-1) – (Ind. vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Boilers just plain don’t have much luck against the Irish.  It must be the brogue – Notre Dame 38, Purdue 13.

Florida (1-1) and Georgia (1-1) are off this week.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State (1-0) entertains Nevada (1-1) (TV: ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  South Florida (0-2) hosts Florida Atlantic (0-2) (TV: None, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Florida International (0-2) is home against Bethune-Cookman (2-0) (TV: None, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Florida A&M (1-1) entertains Samford (1-1) (TV: None, 2 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Jacksonville U. (0-2) hosts Morehead State (0-2) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Florida Tech (1-0) visits Newberry (1-0) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Miami (2-0) and Stetson (1-1) are off this week.
 

In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football … Auburn and Louisville will open the 2015 season against each other in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome….  South Florida has signed two-game, home-and-home series agreements with Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Maryland.  All eight games will be played between 2014 and 2018. 


Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but in mid-September as the college football season was finally underway, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1943 was “In The Blue Of The Evening” by Tommy Dorsey

…65 years ago this week in 1948 was “Twelfth Street Rag” by Pee Wee Hunt

…60 years ago this week in 1953 was “Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)” by Les Paul and Mary Ford

…55 years ago this week in 1958 was “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)” by Domenico Modugno

…50 years ago this week in 1963 was “My Boyfriend’s Back” by The Angels

…45 years ago this week in 1968 was “People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals

…40 years ago this week in 1973 was “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye

…35 years ago this week in 1978 was “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste Of Honey

…30 years ago this week in 1983 was “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by The Eurythmics

…25 years ago this week in 1988 was “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses

…20 years ago this week in 1993 was “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by UB40


Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there was one passing of note last week – William C. Campbell

William C. Campbell, a champion of golf’s amateur era who later led his sports two most prestigious governing organizations, died recently at his home in Lewisburg, West Virginia.  Campbell was president of the United States Golf Association in 1982-83.  In 1987, he was named captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland.  Campbell won scores of tournaments as an amateur, including the United States Amateur championship in 1964.  He competed as an amateur in 18 Masters and 15 United States Opens.  Campbell won the United States Senior amateur championship in 1979 and 1980.  William Cammack Campbell was born on May 5, 1923, in Huntington, West Virginia.  He served in the Army in World War II and graduated from Princeton in 1947.  Throughout his playing career, he ran an insurance business in Huntington, a few blocks from the house where he was born.