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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Review of the Bowls (so far)

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

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

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

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

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


Superlatives

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


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


Weekend Recap

FCS Semifinals

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


Division II Championship

NW Missouri State 43, Lenoir-Rhyne 28


Division III Championship:

UW-Whitewater 52, Mount Union 14


Quotes of the Week

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

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


In the Huddle

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

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

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S.

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

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

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

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