Football Week 6 – Look for an even wilder weekend in the SEC
The calm before the storm

This past weekend was another wild one in college football, but it was particularly wild in the SEC – Georgia 35, Tennessee 32; Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 28 (OT) and Missouri 21, South Carolina 20.

But as wild as it was, it won’t hold a candle to the weekend we have ahead of us in the SEC and elsewhere in college football. Last weekend was the calm before storm. This weekend is the perfect storm – Texas A&M at Mississippi State, Florida at Tennessee, Alabama at Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn and South Carolina at Kentucky. Fasten your seat belts college football fans. The turbulence could be severe.

On their own, each of those five games has the potential to be heavy-duty barnburners – real donnybrooks. Each has the potential to have fans sitting on the edge of their seats, screaming on every play; not to mention the potential to have fans cursing officials, cursing coaches, cursing players and throwing objects at the TV screen. (Something I hear Rockledge Gator does every week.)

The impact of the results of those five games will be significant. Two of the games – Texas A&M-Miss State and Alabama-Ole Miss – involve four undefeated teams. One of the games – LSU-Auburn – contains an undefeated team – Auburn. Those three games alone involve six teams ranked in the Top 15 – each one a potential playoff contender. Not necessarily if they lose.

The outcome of one of the games – Florida-Tennessee – could determine the employment status of the Florida coach – Will Muschamp. Tennessee is an improving team and the game is in Knoxville. South Carolina, meanwhile, is playing a vastly improved Kentucky team and that game is in Lexington. Should the Gamecocks lose, it would be a devastating third conference loss for South Carolina. The Gamecocks could kiss all SEC East title hopes goodbye.

Outside the SEC, eight other games this weekend will feed the storm. Each will add to the thrills and excitement of a college football weekend. That is if you consider turbulence to be thrilling and exciting. Two of the games – Arizona at Oregon and Oklahoma at TCU – involve four undefeated teams. But two of the teams won’t be undefeated after the weekend. Arizona knocked off the Ducks last year, and Oklahoma just edged TCU by three points last season.

In the Big Ten, undefeated Nebraska plays at 10th-ranked Michigan State. The Spartans won last year in Lincoln. Then Ohio State tangles with Big Ten newcomer Maryland in College Park. Both teams have one loss. Maryland has been a surprise so far.

In the Pac-12, one-loss Utah plays at undefeated UCLA, and 16th-ranked USC entertains 24th-ranked Arizona State. There’s never a dull moment in the Pac-12. And speaking of the Pac-12, 13th-ranked Stanford steps out of the conference to play 8th-ranked and undefeated Notre Dame. The game is in South Bend. And finally, for some excitement in the ACC, the featured thriller takes place in Atlanta, where undefeated Georgia Tech hosts always dangerous Miami (Florida).

Those eight games – Arizona-Oregon, Oklahoma-TCU, Nebraska-Michigan State, Ohio State-Maryland, Utah-UCLA, Arizona State-USC, Stanford-Notre Dame, Miami (Florida)-Georgia Tech – coupled with the five SEC games – Texas A&M-Miss State, Florida-Tennessee, Alabama-Ole Miss, LSU-Auburn, South Carolina-Kentucky – make for a thrill-packed upcoming weekend in college football. Stay tuned!

Last weekend may have been the calm before the big storm, but it had its share of exciting and interesting outcomes. Tennessee was a surprise, giving Georgia all it could handle before falling to the Dawgs, 35-32. I’m convinced if Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley had played the entire game, the Vols probably would have won. Worley sat out three possessions in the third quarter with an injured elbow.

Arkansas gave Texas A&M all the Aggies could handle, before the Hogs lost to A&M in overtime, 35-28. Arkansas is definitely an improving ballclub. But against the Aggies, the Hogs just seemed to run out of steam in the fourth quarter.

South Carolina was having its way with Missouri until the final six or seven minutes of the fourth quarter. That’s when the Gamecocks defense went home. The Tigers rallied for two touchdowns in the closing minutes to beat South Carolina, 21-20. The “Head Ball Coach” can’t be a happy camper.

The weekend had its share of stunners and surprises. Akron, who lost 48-17 to Marshall the previous week, shocked Pitt, 21-10. Wow! Two undefeated teams suffered their first losses over the weekend. In State College, Northwestern upset Penn State, 29-6. In Salt Lake City, Washington State rallied in the fourth quarter to upset previously unbeaten Utah, 28-27.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke became “a dead man walking” when Minnesota blasted the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, 30-14. In Colorado Springs, Air Force surprised favored Boise State. The Falcons beat the Broncos, 28-14. In a thriller in the Pac-12, California beat Colorado 59-56 in two overtimes. The game was played in Berkeley. In the third overtime game of the weekend, Texas State outlasted Tulsa in three overtimes, 37-34.

Poor SMU suffered its fourth embarrassing loss of the season. The Mustangs lost to TCU, 56-0. Previously this season, SMU lost to Baylor 45-0, to North Texas 43-6 and to Texas A&M 58-6. SMU coach June Jones resigned, under pressure, following the North Texas loss.

And speaking of gone, Kansas fired Charlie Weis yesterday, the day after the Jayhawks 23-0 loss to Texas. Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen was named the Jayhawks interim head coach. Just five weeks into the season and already two coaches are out.

Rumors have former Ole Miss coach and USC interim coach Ed Orgeron as the possible replacement for Weis at Kansas. Stay tuned!

College football’s two top running backs this season – Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah and Georgia’s Todd Gurley – each rushed for 208 yards Saturday. Nebraska beat Illinois, 45-14 and Georgia downed Tennessee.

Florida coach Will Muschamp continues to add to his many nicknames. Already known as Will Mustake, Rockledge Gator now calls him Dawgchump and Swamp Mama’s friend Patti Maggiore calls Muschamp – Baby Fat.

Then we learned last week that during home football weekends in Tallahassee this season, Florida State is serving crab legs to the visiting high school recruits. They’ve always had a strange sense of humor in Tallahassee.

And speaking of food, not necessarily crab legs, don’t forget to stock up before this weekend’s big storm. It’s going to be a doozy!

Touchdown Tom
September 29, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Pour it on – UCLA 62, Arizona State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Arizona State 33). UCLA must have found itself. Up to now, the Bruins have just been barely getting by, eking out victories by the slimmest of margins. Actually, four turnovers by ASU (to none for UCLA) was a big difference in the game. The Sun Devils lost by 35 points, but they outgained the Bruins 626 yards to 580. ASU had 38 first downs to UCLA’s 19. Attendance in Tempe: 60,876

RUNNER UP: It’s not over until the Tiger growls – Missouri 21, South Carolina 20 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 30, Missouri 22). Mizzou scored 14 of its 21 points in the final 6:49 of the game. Trailing 20-7, the Tigers scored two touchdowns in the closing minutes to hand the Gamecocks their second SEC loss of the season. South Carolina scored a touchdown with 7:25 remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 13 point lead. Then the Gamecock defense quit – never to be seen again. Mizzou quarterback Maty Mauk looked awful until the Tigers final two drives of the game. Attendance in Columbia, SC: 83,493

REST OF THE BEST: FSU’s alarm clock didn’t go off until the second quarter – Florida State 56, NC State 41 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, NC State 16). Trailing 24-7 at the end of the first quarter, FSU outscored the Wolf Pack 49-17 in the remaining three quarters. The Seminoles never led in the game until they took a 42-38 lead with 3:24 on the clock in the third quarter. But once they grabbed the lead, the Noles never looked back. The teams were evenly matched in rushing, passing and first downs. But the Noles had four turnovers to the Pack’s two. Attendance in Raleigh: 57,583

Aggies had a spare rib – Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 28 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 28, Arkansas 24). Trailing 28-14 at the end of the third quarter, the Aggies rallied with two touchdowns in the fourth to tie the score and then went on to beat the Hogs in overtime. Arkansas is getting better each week, but the Hogs definitely ran out of steam after three quarters. As expected, A&M had the passing game and the Hogs had the running game. Attendance in Arlington, TX: 68,113

Tree fort – Stanford 20, Washington 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 19, Stanford 18). Stanford’s defense totally dominated the game, holding the Huskies to 98 yards passing and 81 yards rushing. The score would have been worse had it not been for three turnovers by the Cardinal. Attendance in Seattle: 66,512

Ohio State is a man; Cincinnati is a kid – Ohio State 50, Cincinnati 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 32, Cincinnati 18). Not a bad game for three and a half quarters. Halfway through the third, the Buckeyes led, but only by five points – 33-28. But then it was all Bucks, as Ohio State scored 17 unanswered points to finish the game. The Buckeyes dominated the game, racking up 710 total yards and 45 first downs to only 15 for the Bearcats. Ohio State’s defense held Cincy to 70 yards rushing. The Bearcats Gunner Kiel passed for 352 yards; while the Bucks Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 182 yards. Attendance in Columbus: 108,362

Trojans hang the pelts on their belts – USC 35, Oregon State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 34, Oregon State 27). This was a good game until USC scored on a Hail-Mary pass as time expired to end the first half. That put the Trojans up 21-10 at the break. Stunned by that play, the Beavers never scored for the rest of the game. The Trojans defense held the Beavers to 181 total yards – just 58 rushing. Attendance in Los Angeles: 74,521

Juiced – Notre Dame 31, Syracuse 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Syracuse 13). After a tight first quarter, the Irish took a 7-0 lead with 10:56 to go in the second quarter and never looked back. The score probably would have been worse had it not been for five turnovers by the Irish. ND’s Everett Golson passed for 362 yards, completing 82 percent of his passes. Attendance in East Rutherford, NJ: 76,802

Rubbed – Ole Miss 24, Memphis 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 34, Memphis 21). A defensive battle for three quarters, Ole Miss only led 7-3 until early in the fourth. The Rebel Bears scored 17 points in the final period. The Ole Miss defense held Memphis to 104 total yards – 81 passing and 23 rushing. Attendance in Oxford: 61,291

Uga gets a scare – Georgia 35, Tennessee 32 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 28, Tennessee 19). If Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley didn’t have to sit out part of the game, due to an elbow injury, the outcome might have been different. The Vols were definitely a different team when Worley was in the game. The teams were evenly matched in the stats, with Tennessee better at passing and Georgia better at running. The Dawgs Todd Gurley rushed for 208 yards. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Todd Gurley has nothing on me – Nebraska 45, Illinois 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 36, Illinois 15). Not to be outdone by Todd Gurley, Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah also rushed for 208 yards. The Huskers dominated the game, outdistancing the Banned Indians 624 total yards to 339, and 35 first downs to 16. The Banned Indians were held to 78 yards rushing. Attendance in Lincoln: 91,255

Red Raiders looking blue – Oklahoma State 45, Texas Tech 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, Texas Tech 25). This could be a long season for second-year Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury. The Red Raiders have some offense, but nothing on defense. On the other end of the spectrum, this could be a charming season for the Cowboys. Attendance in Stillwater: 55,958

The Canes turned the Devils into eggs (or was it cake?) – Miami (Florida) 22, Duke 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Miami 30). Primarily a defensive battle, Miami led 9-7 at the half. Duke only managed three points in the second half. The Canes Duke Johnson rushed for 155 yards. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 44,559

Ram tough in Beantown – Colorado State 24, Boston College 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 32, Colorado State 22). Boston College goes from beating USC one week to losing to Colorado State the next. BC jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the Rams outscored the Eagles 17-7 in the second half – 10-0 in the final quarter. The teams were evenly matched in the stats, with Colorado State the better passing team and BC the better team on the ground. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 33,632

Tigers rebound – Clemson 50, North Carolina 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 33, North Carolina 19). Clemson built up a 22-7 first half lead and then the teams played even-steven in the second half, scoring 28 points each. It was a passing game for both teams – 830 yards through the air combined. Neither team could run the ball – 176 yards on the ground combined. Attendance in Clemson: 79,155


….AND ONE WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON:

What a debut! – Maryland 37, Indiana 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Maryland 32, Indiana 28). This was a good game until halfway through the second quarter. Then the Terps outscored the Hoosiers 24-3 and led 34-9 early in the fourth quarter. It was Maryland’s debut Big Ten game. Attendance in Bloomington: 44,313


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Ho-hum – Texas 23, Kansas 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Kansas 9). Believe it or not, the teams were evenly matched – 329 total yards for Texas to 313 for Kansas and each team had 19 first downs. But the Jayhawks had four turnovers. Attendance in Lawrence: 36,904

Boiler breakdown – Iowa 24, Purdue 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Purdue 17). The Boilers began their Big Ten play this year the way they ended it last year – losing. Purdue only had nine first downs and just 156 total yards – 72 passing and 84 rushing. Attendance in West Lafayette: 36,603


Week 5 Pick Results: 14 correct, 4 wrong (77.8 percent)
On the Season: 73 correct, 23 wrong (76 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Wisconsin 27, South Florida 10 – Attendance in Madison: 78,111 …. Florida Atlantic 41, UTSA 37 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 13,928 …. Florida International 34, UAB 20 – Attendance in Birmingham: 16,133.

Tennessee State 27, Florida A&M 7 – Attendance in Nashville: 29,225 …. Bethune-Cookman 34, Florida Tech 33 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 8,431 …. Jacksonville 35, Butler 7 – Attendance in Indianapolis: 3,188


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Massachusetts’ Blake Frohnapfel – 36-61-1 for 589 yards; Arizona State’s Mike Bercovici – 42-68-2-488; Colorado’s Sefo Liufau – 46-67-1-461; California’s Jared Goff – 23-41-1-446; Clemson’s Deshaun Watson – 27-36-1-435; Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 39-60-2-417; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 38-54-1-390, and Texas A&M’s Kenny Hill – 20-40-1-382.

Also, Texas Tech’s Davis Webb – 35-54-2 for 374 yards; Oklahoma State’s Daxx Garman – 17-31-2-370; Florida State’s Jameis Winston – 26-39-2-365; Notre Dame’s Everett Golson – 32-39-2-362; UCLA’s Brett Hundley – 18-23-0-355; NC State’s Jacoby Brissett – 32-48-0-355; Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel – 21-32-0-352; UNLV’s Blake Decker – 18-31-2-346, and North Carolina’s Marquise Williams – 24-38-1-345.

Also, Toledo’s Logan Woodside – 23-34-1 for 339 yards; Baylor’s Bryce Petty – 30-44-1-336; Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett – 26-36-0-330; Louisiana-Monroe’s Pete Thomas – 28-43-1-328; Fresno State’s Brian Burrell – 27-39-1-318; Florida Atlantic’s Jaquez Johnson – 24-34-0-295; Syracuse’s Terrel Hunt – 22-38-1-294; Rutgers’ Gary Nova – 14-21-1-291, and Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 24-31-1-291.


Impressive Rushers:

Buffalo’s Anthone Taylor – 222 yards; Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah – 208 yards; Georgia’s Todd Gurley – 208 yards; Minnesota’s David Cobb – 183 yards; Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott – 182 yards; Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon – 181 yards, and Utah’s Devontae Booker – 178 yards.

Also, San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 167 yards; New Mexico’s Crusoe Gongbay – 163 yards; Middle Tennessee’s Jordan Parker – 158 yards; Miami of Florida’s Duke Johnson – 155 yards; Georgia Southern’s Kevin Ellison – 151 yards, and Akron’s Connor Hundley – 148 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“The joke’s on FSU. Jameis Winston and embarrassment for Florida State go hand in hand now, but the school’s refusal to reel in the Heisman winner has reached a new low,” CBSSports.com national columnist Gregg Doyel.

“The school is a joke. Jameis runs that school, not the other way around. He’ll play Saturday against North Carolina State because Jameis is in charge,” CBSSports.com national columnist Gregg Doyel, on Florida State and Jameis Winston.

“There’s a lot of different reasons why I took this job, but I wasn’t walking into a perennial SEC power. I understand that. But I took the job with the expectation to get there. That’s never been brighter than it is today,” Arkansas coach Bret Bielema.

“Michigan football is not going in the right direction. The leadership is bad. There are many more issues on and off the field than I care to talk about. It’s just sad. I’m not here to say whether Hoke is going to be fired. I don’t make that call. All I do know is that Dave Brandon should not be allowed to make another decision at Michigan. Period,” former Michigan quarterback Michael Taylor, on the Wolverines athletic director.

“He’s a man without a clue,” Florida Gator fan on Will Muschamp, calling into the Paul Finebaum Show.

“If you look at all the potential hires out there, Lane Kiffin could be the best hire at the end of the season,” ESPN’s Mark May, on head coach hires at the end of the season.

“You never judge or evaluate a program based on one game or one season. That’s just not how we do things here. We’re going to evaluate where we’re headed, where the players are, how is recruiting going, what type of staff we have and are we a better program? That’s going to be plain for all of us to see, but it’s also going to be played out over the course of 11 games and we’ll see where we are when we get to the end of the season,” Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, on the status of Will Muschamp.

“I normally do not favor changing coaches at mid-season. But I believe we have talented coaches and players in this program, and I think this decision gives our players the best chance to begin making progress right away, Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger, on the firing of football coach Charlie Weis.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Alabama (4-0) at Ole Miss (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Alabama has dominated this series and has won the last 10 games. Ole Miss last beat the Tide in 2003. That game was in Oxford. So many times, the Rebel Bears have come into this game with high hopes only to end up disappointed. The Tide certainly has some vulnerable spots. But can Ole Miss find them? And if they find them, can Ole Miss penetrate them? Ole Miss is undefeated and the Rebel Bears appear to have a good defense. But has their defense been tested. We’ll find out. Another disappointment for the Rebel Bears – Alabama 28, Ole Miss 20.

RUNNER UP: 2. Texas A&M (5-0) at Mississippi State (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Miss State shocked the SEC when the Bulldogs beat LSU in Baton Rouge two weeks ago. They’ll do some more shocking if they beat the Aggies in Starkville. I say the Bulldogs are for real. Prepare to be shocked – Mississippi State 26, Texas A&M 25.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Arizona (4-0) at Oregon (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET, Thursday) – The Wildcats handed the Ducks a big surprise last year to the tune of 42-16. But that was in Tucson. This one is in Eugene. The Wildcats are undefeated but three of their wins were oh-so-close against mediocre teams. Oregon is no mediocre team. Marcus Mariota has his sights on the Heisman – Oregon 33, Arizona 24.

4. Oklahoma (4-0) at TCU (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This was a close one last year. The Sooners won by three points in Norman. The Frogs already have a good win this season – 30-7 over Minnesota. This one won’t be a good win for the Frogs. OU has its sights on the playoff – Oklahoma 31, TCU 23.

5. LSU (4-1) at Auburn (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This game was Auburn’s only loss during the regular season last year. Auburn didn’t lose again until the national championship game. I would think Auburn will be out for revenge – big time. LSU is tough but not that tough – Auburn 30, LSU 27.

6. Nebraska (5-0) at Michigan State (3-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Nebraska led this series 7-0 until the Spartans won last year for the first time. State won that game in Lincoln. It should be a little easier winning in East Lansing. But the Spartans must stop Ameer Abdullah. That’s easier said than done. Spartans beat Nebraska for only the second time – Michigan State 26, Nebraska 22.

7. Stanford (3-1) at Notre Dame (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) (TV: NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – These two have had some good games. Stanford won last year 27-20. The Cardinal offense is still shaky, but their defense is second to none. The Cardinal had a test against USC and lost. I’m not sure the Irish have been tested yet. The Cardinal wins this test – Stanford 18, Notre Dame 17.

8. Utah (3-1) at UCLA (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac 12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Utes were undefeated until they got knocked off by Washington State last week. Surely they must have been looking ahead to this game. The Utes are still looking in the wrong place – UCLA 34, Utah 26.

9. Ohio State (3-1) at Maryland (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Maryland can score. The Terps have proven that. It’s the defense that is questionable. But Ohio State still has a lot of questions. The Bucks make their second trip to Maryland this season. In the other trip, they beat Navy in the season opener. They weren’t that impressive in that game. They may not be in this one, but impressive enough to win – Ohio State 31, Maryland 24.

10. Miami (Florida) (3-2) at Georgia Tech (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Both coaches entered the season with their seats a little warm – nothing real serious, but some warmth. Tech’s Paul Johnson is in the clear as of now, but there are still a lot of games to be played. The Jackets have a good win over Virginia Tech. Miami’s Al Golden is in a little more precarious position. He didn’t have a good win until the Canes beat Duke. Both teams are still finding themselves. Miami has had quarterback issues, but Brad Kaaya seems to be settling in. Buzz stings Sebastian – Georgia Tech 21, Miami 20.

11. Marshall (4-0) at Old Dominion (3-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: FSN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Marshall is off to a great start and no one may stop them. Old Dominion showed potential until the Monarchs took it on the chin from Middle Tennessee. That one hurt. But that might be enough to fire up the Monarchs. Great quarterback battle in this one – MU’s Rakeem Cato and OD’s Tyler Heinicke. Cato wins the battle – Marshall 34, Old Dominion 25.

12. Arizona State (3-1) at USC (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – ASU had some kind of hurtin’ put on them by UCLA. Of course they were without their starting quarterback. You gotta figure the Sun Devils won’t be that bad two weeks in a row. But they are bad enough – USC 33, Arizona State 24.

13. Baylor (4-0) at Texas (2-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Charlie Strong may not have enough players left by the time the season is over. They keep falling by the wayside. Gotta wonder what Mack Brown was recruiting. Baylor is good but untested. The Horns aren’t that strong of a test – Baylor 24, Texas 17.

14. South Carolina (3-2) at Kentucky (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Gamecocks bounced back from the loss to Texas A&M to win three in a row. They need to bounce back from the loss to Missouri. This Kentucky team isn’t your grandmother’s Kentucky. It’s not your mother’s Kentucky either. Mark Stoops has made the Wildcats competitive. Close but no banana for the Wildcats – South Carolina 22, Kentucky 19.

15. NC State (4-1) at Clemson (2-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – With two losses this early, Clemson is on a crusade. The Tigers can score, but their defense is porous. This could be a high-scoring affair. But the Wolf Pack won’t score high enough – Clemson 34, NC State 22.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. Texas Tech (2-2) at Kansas State (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPNU, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Something tells me Kliff Kingsbury is not on the bandwagon he was on when the season began last year. It has been a rough start for the young Texas Tech coach. It’s going to get a lot rougher – Kansas State 33, Texas Tech 23.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Kansas (2-2) at West Virginia (2-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: FSN, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Well, one thing is for sure. Charlie Weis won’t be around when the Jayhawks come to Morgantown. Good time Charlie will have to watch the game on television. The Mountaineers give him a good show – West Virginia 34, Kansas 17.

Florida (2-1) at Tennessee (2-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – A loss to Tennessee and that’s it for Will Mustake…..I mean…..Dawgchump…..I mean…..Baby Fat. No, he won’t be fired right away. But the decision will be made to dump him at or near the end of the season. A win over the Vols and there is still some hope for…..the Mustake. The Vols may start believing in themselves after the close loss to Georgia. The Gators have won nine-straight against Tennessee. The Vols last won in 2004. Make it 10-straight – Florida 28, Tennessee 27.

Vanderbilt (1-4) at Georgia (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Vandy was competitive for a couple or so years under James Franklin. But the Dores are back to being the jokes of the SEC. Uga likes jokes – Georgia 30, Vanderbilt 16.

Purdue (2-3) at Illinois (3-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – The Banned Indians aren’t much better than the Boilers. But they’re just better enough to beat the Boilers – Illinois 25, Purdue 23.

Duke (4-1) is off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Wake Forest (2-3) at Florida State (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. UCF (1-2) at Houston (2-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Thursday) …. Florida Atlantic (2-3) at Florida International (2-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: FSN, 7 p.m. ET, Thursday).

Morgan State (2-3) at Florida A&M (0-4) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 5 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Delaware State (1-4) at Bethune-Cookman (3-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Drake (2-2) at Jacksonville U. (3-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Butler (2-2) at Stetson (2-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Delta State (3-0) at Florida Tech (3-1) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) (TV: None, 7 p.m. ET, Thursday).

South Florida (2-3) is off.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Texas A&M and Notre Dame have agreed to a home-and-home series to be played in 2024 and 2025…. Tennessee Tech’s Watson Brown became the first coach in NCAA football history to lose 200 games. Northern Iowa defeated Tennessee Tech 50-7 on Saturday, dropping Brown’s career coaching record to 128-200-1. Brown is the older brother of former Texas coach Mack Brown. He has coached at UAB, Vanderbilt, Rice, Cincinnati and Austin-Peay. Brown, 64, played quarterback for Vanderbilt from 1969-1972.

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly there was one passing of note last week – Don Keefer,

Don Keefer, a well-known character actor, passed away last week in Sherman Oaks, California. He was 98. Keefer played many distinctive roles in a long acting career, including Willy Loman’s neighbor in the original Broadway cast of “Death of a Salesman.” But he may best be remembered for his role in a classic 1959 episode of “The Twilight Zone.” The episode was “It’s a Good Life.” Keefer is transformed into a jack-in-the-box by a mean little boy with strange powers. Donald Hood Keefer was born on August 18, 1916, in Highspire, Pennsylvania. Some of his movie credits include “Hellcats of the Navy” (1957), with Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis, “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” (1966) and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969). He also appeared in numerous television shows, including “Gunsmoke,” “The Munsters,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Mission Impossible,” “Barnaby Jones” and “The Waltons.”