College Football Week 14 – Can Auburn do it?
Coaching with the Stars

Thirteen weeks into the season and this is as good a time as any to check the status of the contestants on Coaching with the Stars.  Who’s been eliminated?  Who’s in jeopardy?  And who’s safe to coach again next season.

To bring you up to date, after 13 weeks of competition, five coaches have been eliminated and won’t go on to coach again next year.  They are USC’s Lane Kiffin, Connecticut’s Paul Pasqualoni, Miami of Ohio’s Don Treadwell, Florida Atlantic’s Carl Pelini and Eastern Michigan’s Ron English.

Kiffin was the first coaching contestant to be eliminated.  It happened after Week 5 of the competition.  Although he had a winning routine – 28-15 (3-2 this season), Kiffin primarily was voted off because he was a jerk. 

In a dual elimination, Pasqualoni and Treadwell were both knocked out of the competition the following week.  Like Kiffin, Pasqualoni and Treadwell were each in their third year of the competition.  Pasqualoni not only had a losing routine – 10-18 (0-4 this season), but also he was booted out for what else – Passing the Baloney.

Treadwell, another loser with an 8-21 routine (0-5 this season), was eliminated for his overall lack of coaching abilities and knowledge. 

After the tenth week of competition, Pelini was voted off for taking performance enhancing drugs.  Some said he was a victim of the culture that is south Florida.  Just ask U.S. congressman Trey Radel.  Unfortunately for Pelini, the performance enhancing drugs weren’t helping him any.  In his second year, he was 5-15 (2-6 this season).

The following week, English was removed from the competition.  English, in his fifth season, suffered from a couple problems.  First, he had a bad routine going – 11-46 (1-8 this season).  But EMU officials said he wasn’t terminated for his record.  They said he was voted off for being a potty mouth.  Potty mouth?  What, was he wiping his tongue around the inside of a toilet bowl?  No wonder he had a losing record.  Actually, English had trouble speaking English – in an appropriate manner.

Five down and 120 still in the competition.  Of the remaining contestants, at least six are in jeopardy.  There may be more.  Those known to be in jeopardy are Virginia’s Mike London, Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe, Iowa State’s Paul Rhoads, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, Wyoming’s Dave Christensen and Army’s Rich Ellerson. 

Two contestants, Texas’ Mack Brown and Nebraska’s Bo Pelini, have teetered on elimination this season.  At one time they were in serious trouble.  But they now appear to be safe to move on to next season.

Then there are Florida’s Will Muschamp and West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen.  Boy, would the fans love to vote them off.  But the judges continue to give them high marks.  Some think Muschamp has video of Jeremy Foley performing lewd sexual acts.  And Holgorsen – the judges can’t afford to give him low marks.  They owe him too much money.

Coaching with the Stars is in its final two weeks – 14 and 15.  After Week 15 we should know the final cast of coaches who will be around to compete next year and those who will be gone.  And those who will make a move to represent someone else on the coaching floor next season.  But not Nick Saban.  Stay tuned.

Speaking of making a move, there were some big time moves being made on the football field over the weekend – moves so big that the scoreboards and the statisticians had trouble keeping up with them.

Two teams racked up 80 points each, one team racked up 820 total yards, two games combined for 110 or more points, three backs on the same team rushed for a combined 486 yards, one quarterback passed for 527 yards, but Boston College’s Andre Williams only rushed for 263 yards.  The 263 yards seems like peanuts compared to Williams’ 339 yards last week.

Saturday, Williams’ Eagles beat Maryland, 29-26, on a 52-yard field goal as time expired.  At 7-4, BC is one of the surprise teams this season.  And at 2,073 yards rushing, Williams has been one of the surprise running backs.

And how about the Carolinas – North and South.  They must have had something good in their Wheaties Saturday morning.  The Tar Heels beat Old Dominion, 80-20.  No, Roy Williams wasn’t coaching the Tar Heel football team.  Or was he?  Meanwhile, the Gamecocks beat Coastal Carolina, 70-10.

Speaking of 80, North Carolina didn’t have an exclusive on that number.  Florida State matched the Tar Heels, beating Idaho, 80-14.  Out in California, Fresno State amassed 820 yards of offense – all in one game.  The Bulldogs remained undefeated, beating New Mexico, 69-28.

And Fresno State’s quarterback – Derek Carr – passed for 527 yards in the win over the Lobos.  The Mountain West Conference had all the action Saturday.  In addition to Fresno State’s and Derek Carr’s impressive numbers, there were three overtime games in the conference. 

As time expired, San Jose State tied Navy, 38-38 in regulation.  The two teams played three overtimes before the Midshipmen survived, 58-52.  Hawaii scored a touchdown and made a two-point conversion in the final minute of the game to tie Wyoming, 56-56 in regulation.  But the Cowboys won in the first overtime, 59-56.  And finally, on a 41-yard punt return for a touchdown in the final four minutes of the game, San Diego State tied Boise State, 28-28 in regulation.  The Aztecs went on to upset the Broncos in the first overtime, 34-31.

But the MWC didn’t have an exclusive on overtimes and thrillers Saturday.  UAB kicked a 37-yard field goal in the closing seconds to tie Rice, 31-31 in regulation.  But the Blazers fell short in the first overtime, losing to the Owls, 37-34.  Trailing Tennessee for most of the second half, Vanderbilt scored on a 5-yard run with 0:16 on the clock and beat the Volunteers, 14-10. 

Connecticut won its first game of the season, but it wasn’t easy.  Trailing Temple, 21-0, at halftime, the Huskies scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Owls, 28-21.  And finally in the great Northwest, Washington had three backs rush for a combined 486 yards (Bishop Sankey – 179 yards; Deontae Cooper – 166 yards, and Dwayne Washington – 141 yards), as the Huskies downed Oregon State, 69-27.  Washington finished with a total of 530 yards rushing on the night.

In one more overtime game, Mississippi State downed Arkansas, 24-17, in OT.

Previously undefeated Baylor lost for the first time Saturday.  Oklahoma State beat the Bears, 49-17.  After week 13, only five teams remain perfect – Alabama (11-0), Florida State (11-0), Fresno State (10-0), Northern Illinois (11-0) and Ohio State (11-0).

In the latest BCS poll, Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State remain 1, 2 and 3 respectively.  Auburn (10-1) jumps into the No. 4 spot, while Missouri (10-1) moves into fifth place.

Word is if Auburn should beat Alabama and then Missouri or South Carolina in the SEC title game, the one-loss Tigers could jump over an undefeated Ohio State and play Florida State in the BCS championship game.  Likewise, if Missouri beats Texas A&M and then beats Alabama or Auburn in the SEC title game, a one-loss Mizzou could leap frog over Ohio State.  Stay tuned.

With Florida losing to Georgia Southern, it was a tough weekend for Swamp Mama.  If you talk to her, be kind.  But at least Texas Tech and Kliff Kingsbury didn’t lose.  They didn’t play. 

Touchdown Tom
November 25, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  The Bears are no longer perfect – Oklahoma State 49, Baylor 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 41, Baylor 40).  Okie State came out and put a beating on the Bears.  The Cowboys led Baylor, 35-3, at the end of the third quarter.  Okie State’s Clint Chelf passed for 370 yards.  Baylor’s Bryce Petty passed for 359 yards, but most of Petty’s numbers came in the fourth quarter.  Three turnovers – all fumbles – didn’t help Baylor any.  A crowd of 60,218 attended the game in Stillwater.
 
RUNNER UP:  Mizzou can play some defense – Missouri 24, Ole Miss 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 26, Ole Miss 24).  Mizzou is determined to win the SEC East and the Tigers played like a determined team against Ole Miss.  James Franklin returned at quarterback for Mizzou.  A crowd of 61,168 attended the game in Oxford.

BEST OF THE REST:  Pac-12 South champs – Arizona State 38, UCLA 33 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Arizona State 33).  The Sun Devils came into the Rose Bowl and put it to the Bruins.  ASU led UCLA, 35-13, at the half.  The Bruins rallied in the second half, but the Devils held on.  A crowd of 70,131 attended the game in Pasadena.

Can we play Ohio State again? – Wisconsin 20, Minnesota 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Minnesota 27).  The Badgers held the Gophers to only 182 total yards – 83 yards passing, 102 rushing.  Three turnovers – all fumbles – didn’t help the Gophers any either.  A crowd of 53,090 attended the game in Minneapolis.

No Heisman repeat – LSU 34, Texas A&M 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 35, LSU 33).  It wasn’t Johnny Manziel’s day.  The Aggie quarterback completed less than 50 percent of his passes, throwing two interceptions.  He can kiss the Heisman Trophy goodbye.  The Tigers played an aggressive game.  A crowd of 92,949 attended the game in Baton Rouge.

MAC West Champs – Northern Illinois 35, Toledo 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 35, Toledo 29).  The score was 10-7 at halftime, in favor of Toledo.  Then NIU came out and poured it on in the second half, outscoring the Rockets 28-7.  But this is how NIU seems to play every week.  The Huskies don’t get charged up until the second half.  Jordan Lynch passed for 202 yards and ran for 161.  A crowd of 21,974 attended the game in Toledo.

Wow! What a surprise – Arizona 42, Oregon 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 40, Arizona 24).  The Wildcats had a rushing game – Ka’Deem Carey (206 yards) and B.J. Denker (102 yards).  The Ducks had three turnovers – two were interceptions by Marcus Mariota.  The Wildcats were fired up.  A crowd of 45,777 attended the game in Tucson.

Mitt Romney loses again – Notre Dame 23, BYU 13 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 22, Notre Dame 20).  Tommy Rees won the battle of the quarterbacks.  Notre Dame’s defense was too much for the Cougars.  A crowd of 80,795 attended the game in South Bend.

The Sooners are OK – Oklahoma 41, Kansas State 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, Kansas State 23).  This was anybody’s ball game throughout most of the contest.  The Sooners couldn’t shake the Wildcats.  The OU defense did hold K-State to 24 yards rushing.  A crowd of 52,773 attended the game in Manhattan.

Kay is okay – Cincinnati 24, Houston 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 29, Cincinnati 26).  And still I’m wondering, how did Cincinnati ever lose to South Florida earlier in the season?  The Bearcats are still in the chase for the AAC title.  The Bearcat defense held Houston to 33 yards rushing.  The Bearcats Brendon Kay has become a darn good quarterback.  A crowd of 20,197 attended the game in Houston.

Improving Spartans – Michigan State 30, Northwestern 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 29, Northwestern 22).  The Spartans seem to be getting better and better every week.  Maybe, just maybe, they can give Ohio State a battle.  We’ll see.  Northwestern suffered from three turnovers – all interceptions.  A crowd of 40,013 attended the game in Evanston.

Herbie escapes – Nebraska 23, Penn State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 30, Penn State 25).  These two were about as evenly matched as you can get.  It all came down to an overtime.  A crowd of 98,517 attended the game in State College.

Hoke could be in trouble – Iowa 24, Michigan 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 23, Michigan 20).  Iowa held Michigan to 158 total yards – 98 yards passing, 60 rushing.  The score would have been worse if the Hawkeyes didn’t commit four turnovers.  A crowd of 65,708 attended the game in Iowa City.

No close calls this week – UCF 41, Rutgers 17 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 32, Rutgers 18).  UCF took command of the game early, opening up a 21-0 lead.  The Orlando Knights never looked back.  The UCF defense held Rutgers to 69 yards rushing.  A crowd of 41,244 attended the game in Orlando.

Aztecs sacrifice the Broncos – San Diego State 34, Boise State 31 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, San Diego State 28).  When was the last time Boise State suffered two conference losses in one season?  And when was the last time the Broncos’ record was as bad as 7-4?  A crowd of 33,161 attended the game in San Diego. 


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Is Randy Edsall safe? – Boston College 29, Maryland 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 32, Maryland 26).  BC had three turnovers and still won the game.  Nate Freese kicked a 52-yard field goal as time expired to win it for the Eagles.  A crowd of 32,147 attended the game in College Park.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Is there a team from Georgia that Florida can beat? – Georgia Southern 26, Florida 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 30, Georgia Southern 16).  What an embarrassment for the Gators.  Georgia Southern had 429 yards of offense – all rushing, none passing.  The Eagles beat Florida without completing a single pass.  They also held Florida to 279 yards of offense.  The Gators even had a 2-0 edge in turnovers and still couldn’t pull it out.  You would have thought this would result in Will Mustake’s downfall.  But apparently not.  I hope the Gators don’t schedule Valdosta State.  A crowd of 82,459 attended the game in Gainesville.

Dookies move to 9-2 – Duke 28, Wake Forest 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Wake Forest 27).  The Dookies are amazing.  They were down 14-0 halfway through the second quarter and rallied.  They were down 21-14 in the third quarter and rallied.  Anthony Boone was 24-29-0, passing for 256 yards.  David Cutcliffe has done a heck of a job in Durham.  A crowd of 28,463 attended the game in Winston-Salem.

A win, but a loss – Georgia 59, Kentucky 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 32, Kentucky 15).  The Dawgs outgained the Wildcats 602 yards to 211.  Sadly, Aaron Murray suffered a torn ACL in the game and is out for the rest of the season – a real tragedy.  Murray is one of the good guys in college football.  A crowd of 92,746 attended the game in Athens.

Tough year for the Boilers – Illinois 20, Purdue 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Illinois 35, Purdue 30).  Illinois had four turnovers and still won the game.  Obviously, this season was a rebuilding one for the Boilers.  I don’t know how much building they got done.  It was almost like one step forward and two steps backwards.  Not sure I saw any progress.  A crowd of 37,459 attended the game in West Lafayette.

Week 13 Picks:   13 Correct, 7 Wrong (65.0 percent)
On the Season:    184 Correct, 62 Wrong (74.8 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA 

Florida State mashed Idaho, 80-14.  A crowd of 65,061 attended the game in Tallahassee….  Miami spanked Virginia, 45-26.  A crowd of 44,732 attended the game in Miami Gardens….  South Florida lost to SMU, 16-6.  A crowd of 28,397 attended the game in Tampa….  Florida Atlantic pounded New Mexico State, 55-10.  A crowd of 12,253 attended the game in Boca Raton.

Florida International was clobbered by Marshall, 48-10.  A crowd of 15,891 attended the game in Miami….  Bethune-Cookman downed Florida A&M, 29-10. A crowd of 45,321 attended the game in Orlando….  Stetson fell to Mercer, 41-14.  A crowd of 12,027 attended the game in Macon….  Florida Tech beat Alderson-Broaddus, 32-20.  A crowd of 1,002 attended the game in Philippi.


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 27-37-0 for 527 yards; Hawaii’s Sean Schroeder – 37-50-1-499; Wyoming’s Brett Smith – 29-48-0-498; Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 39-62-0-488; San Jose State’s David Fales – 42-56-1-440; North Carolina’s Marquise Williams – 20-27-0-409; Cincinnati’s Brendon Kay – 29-50-2-386, and Oklahoma State’s Clint Chelf – 19-25-0-370.

Also, Baylor’s Bryce Petty – 28-48-0 for 359 yards; Kansas State’s Jake Waters – 17-29-2-348; UCF’s Blake Bortles – 21-30-0-335; Stanford’s Kevin Hogan – 17-26-0-329; Florida Atlantic’s Jaquez Johnson – 15-22-1-321; NC State’s Brandon Mitchell – 28-44-0-312; Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – 27-41-2-308; Iowa State’s Grant Rohach – 15-20-1-300, and Michigan State’s Connor Cook – 16-23-0-293.  


Impressive Rushers:  Boston College’s Andre Williams – 263 yards; Navy’s Keenan Reynolds – 240 yards; UNLV’s Tim Cornett – 220 yards; Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey – 206 yards; Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews – 204 yards, and Oklahoma’s Brennan Clay – 200 yards.

Also, Tulsa’s Trey Watts – 189 yards; Washington’s Bishop Sankey – 179 yards; Washington’s Deontae Cooper – 166 yards; Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch – 161 yards; Buffalo’s Anthone Taylor – 154 yards; Buffalo’s Branden Oliver – 150 yards, and Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford – 150 yards.  


Quotes of the Week

“I don’t know what’s going on in the world.  I watch the Weather Channel for 10 minutes in the morning,” Alabama coach Nick Saban.

“I don’t know what the hell’s going on.  I don’t know why this wasn’t a police matter last December.  It makes Tallahassee look like a Podunk town,” Florida State merchandise seller Guy Moore, on the Tallahassee police mishandling the Jameis Winston situation.

“In the big picture, I really think UCF’s a program that is on the rise.  It’s a program that’s steadily gaining more traction nationally.  It doesn’t stop after this season,” ESPN college football analyst Jesse Palmer.

“I think Blake Bortles is an NFL quarterback.  He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country that nobody talks about,” ESPN college football analyst Jesse Palmer, on the UCF quarterback. 

“I’m very disappointed for our program, and an embarrassment to be in this situation.  It’s all disappointing.  It’s hard to measure at this point.  We’re going to get it fixed,” Florida coach Will Muschamp, after the loss to Georgia Southern.

“Say it after me: ‘Florida coach Ed Orgeron,’” Bobby Big Wheel, a blogger on SI.com.

“You mean they lost to Wofford?,” Rockledge Gator, upon hearing that Georgia Southern lost to Wofford this season.  (Note: Georgia Southern also lost to Furman and Stamford this season). 


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

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Alabama (11-0) at Auburn (10-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – The only team that came close to Alabama all season was Texas A&M.  The Aggies lost by seven points.  Auburn beat Texas A&M.  Do the Tigers have it in them to beat Alabama?  Or will Bama’s defense shutdown the Tigers?  Bama will definitely score on Auburn.  But can the Tigers keep up.  The game is in Auburn.  That should be a plus for the Tigers.  Close, but no cigar for Aubie – Alabama 32, Auburn 27.

RUNNER UP:  2. Clemson (10-1) at South Carolina (9-2) – (ACC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN2, 7 pm ET, Saturday) – This is the game where Jadeveon Clowney says that he can see the fear in Tajh Boyd’s eyes.  The Gamecocks have had their way with Clemson for four years.  Will they make it five straight?  There is no conference pressure on the teams in this game.  It’s all for pride – state pride.  Cocky’s proud again – South Carolina 26, Clemson 24.

BEST OF THE REST:  3. Texas A&M (8-3) at Missouri (10-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7:45 pm ET, Saturday) – Mizzou needs this win to claim the SEC East title.  Lose and South Carolina goes to the SEC title game.  Johnny Manziel needs a win and good game after his poor performance against LSU last week.  The Tigers play better defense – Missouri 32, Texas A&M 29.

4. Minnesota (8-3) at Michigan State (10-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Michigan State doesn’t need the win.  But I’m sure the Spartans would like to be 11-1 when they meet Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.  The Gophers have had an outstanding year.  But they don’t have the muscle to handle the Spartans.  Sparty tackles Goldy – Michigan State 24, Minnesota 13.

5. Ohio State (11-0) at Michigan (7-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – I know it’s a rivalry, but I can’t imagine this is going to be much of a game.  The Wolverines are the most disappointing team in the Big Ten.  A bad loss and it could be curtains for Brady Hoke.  The Buckeyes improve to 12-0 – Ohio State 35, Michigan 20.

6. UCLA (8-3) at USC (9-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ABC, 8 pm ET, Saturday) – Remember when the USC-UCLA games used to be donnybrooks?  I think those days have returned.  Either team could win this game.  Ed Orgeron was a magic potion for the Trojans – just what they needed.  But Jim Mora has been good for the Bruins too – UCLA 34, USC 33.

7. Notre Dame (8-3) at Stanford (9-2) – (Ind. vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 7 pm ET, Saturday) – The Trees are back in the Pac-12 title game.  But first they have to take care of a little non-conference business.  This could boil down to the defenses.  This Cardinal isn’t Catholic – Stanford 20, Notre Dame 16.

8. East Carolina (9-2) at Marshall (8-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: CBSSN, 12 noon ET, Friday) – This has the makings for an exciting and high-scoring game.  Both teams are playing well.  It could come down to whoever has the ball last wins.  Two good quarterbacks – Shane Carden (East Carolina) and Rakeem Cato (Marshall) will be competing.  And it’s for the C-USA East title.  No treasure for the Pirates – Marshall 35, East Carolina 34.

9. Bowling Green (8-3) at Buffalo (8-3) – (MAC vs. MAC) (TV: ESPNU, 1:30 pm ET, Friday) – This one is for the MAC East title.  If it were played in Bowling Green, the Falcons would win.  But it is in Buffalo.  The Bulls win – Buffalo 29, Bowling Green 26.

10. Arizona (7-4) at Arizona State (9-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Pac-12 Network, 9:30 pm ET, Saturday) – You just know that Arizona is going to be sky high after beating Oregon last week.  So sky high that the Wildcats will lose to ASU.  The Sun Devils are talented – Arizona State 37, Arizona 34.

11. Iowa (7-4) at Nebraska (8-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Friday) – Iowa has been playing well late in the season.  However, not well enough to beat the Huskers in Lincoln.  But Nebraska has to keep a handle on those turnovers.  After the game, Bo celebrates with his brother, and his brother’s new friend – Trey Radel.  It’s bird hunting season in Nebraska – Nebraska 28, Iowa 27.

12. Tulane (7-4) at Rice (8-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: Local Cable, 3 pm ET, Saturday) – Here’s a couple of surprise teams in 2013.  Both have played better than expected.  Tulane’s quarterback – Nick Montana – is the son of Joe Montana.  Looking krispie in Houston – Rice 31, Tulane 24.

13. Oregon State (6-5) at Oregon (9-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 7 pm ET, Friday) – The Beavers were a hot team earlier in the season.  But my how they have fallen on hard times.  The Ducks have suffered a couple losses late in the season.  One of these teams needs to finish strong.  The Quacks do – Oregon 44, Oregon State 25.

14. Penn State (6-5) at Wisconsin (9-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPN, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – The Badgers are about to put a cap on another fine season.  And under a first-year coach too – Gary Andersen.  Wisconsin has one of the best ground attacks in the country.  The Nitts are about to find out – Wisconsin 28, Penn State 15.

15. Duke (9-2) at North Carolina (6-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – The Dookies need this win for the ACC Coastal Division title.  But beating the Tar Heels is never easy.  And the Heels have been playing well lately.  But so have the Dookies.  And the Dookies really want to play Florida State.  They will – Duke 31, North Carolina 30.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

16. Texas Tech (7-4) at Texas (7-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 7:30 pm ET, Thursday) – The Longhorns used to play the Aggies on Thanksgiving, but the Aggies have been replaced by the Red Raiders.  The Horns and Aggies were rivals, but they shared some mutual respect.  I don’t think Texas and Texas Tech share any mutual respect.  Tech comes into the contest riding a four-game losing streak.  Sorry Swamp Mama.  Make it a five-game losing streak – Texas 33, Texas Tech 25.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Iowa State (2-9) at West Virginia (4-7) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 4 pm ET, Saturday) – It was looking bad for the Cyclones until they beat Kansas last week.  And the Eers just lost to Kansas the week before.  Neither team is going to a bowl.  Not much to celebrate here, even for the winner.  Iowa State has lost some close games.  They are better than the 2-9 reflects.  But they lose another close one – West Virginia 24, Iowa State 23.

Florida State (11-0) at Florida (4-7) – (ACC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – I have a feeling The Swamp is going to be dominated by FSU fans.  Florida fans haven’t had much to cheer about.  Not in the past six games.  The Gators have lost six straight.  Make it seven straight – Florida State 33, Florida 17.

Georgia (7-4) at Georgia Tech (7-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ABC, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Tech doesn’t seem to beat the Dawgs very often.  The Jackets have an advantage since Aaron Murray won’t be playing for the Dawgs.  But Hutson Mason looked pretty good against Kentucky.  Good enough to beat the Bees – Georgia 30, Georgia Tech 23.

Purdue (1-10) at Indiana (4-7) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday) – Seems like Purdue usually always beats Indiana.  But I wouldn’t bet on it this year.  Both teams had an awful season.  The Hoosiers will definitely score on the Boilers.  Indiana has a good offense.  But the Hoosiers don’t play defense.  That may not be a problem since the Boilers don’t play offense – Indiana 38, Purdue 27.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Miami (8-3) travels to Pitt (6-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ABC, 3:30 pm ET, Friday). ....  UCF (9-1) hosts South Florida (2-8) – (AAC vs. AAC) (TV: ESPN, 8 pm ET, Friday). ....  Florida Atlantic (5-6) entertains Florida International (1-10) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 3 pm ET, Friday). 

Bethune-Cookman (10-2), Florida A&M (3-9), Jacksonville U. (5-6), Stetson (2-9) and Florida Tech (5-7) have completed their seasons.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football. . .  Texas A&M and Arizona State will open their seasons against each other on September 5, 2015 in Houston’s Reliant Stadium.  Texas A&M’s non-conference schedule in 2014 consists of Lamar, Rice, SMU and Louisiana-Monroe….  Alabama’s non-conference schedule in 2014 consists of West Virginia, Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss and Western Carolina….  Boise State and Ole Miss will open their seasons against each other on August 30, 2014.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly there was one passing of note last week – Vern Mikkelson.

Vern Mikkelson, who helped lead the Minneapolis Lakers to four NBA championships in the early 1950s, died last week at his home in Wayzata, Minnesota.  He was 85.  Mikkelson played 10 seasons for the Lakers.  He was a six-time All Star and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.  Arild Verner Agerskov Mikkelson was born on October 21, 1928, in Parlier, California – a suburb of Fresno.  His father was an immigrant from Denmark and a Lutheran minister.  The family moved to Askov, Minnesota, when Mikkelson was a youngster.  He played college ball for Hamline University in St. Paul.  Hamline won the NAIA national championship in 1949 – Mikkelson’s senior year.  He played for the Lakers from 1949 to 1959.