College Football Week 10 – First Playoff Poll out Tuesday
Playoff poll, ‘hot seat’ coaches,
and another wild weekend –
Ain’t college football fun!

Starting Tuesday, you can all but forget the AP and Coaches polls. At 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, October 28 on ESPN, the first Top 25 poll from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will be released – the Playoff poll. The top 4 teams in the final poll (December 7) will compete for the national championship – No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in the semifinals.

Yes, there still will be an AP and Coaches poll released every week until after the last bowl game is played. But except for the personal pride of being ranked, those two polls are basically meaningless. They’ve been neutered.

Hence forward, the College Football Playoff poll is the supreme poll in college football. The rankings of the Playoff poll determine who will play in the six top-tier New Year’s Bowls – Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar – two of which will be the semifinal bowls for the four-team playoff.

On an annual rotating basis, two of those six bowls will host the semifinals of the four-team playoff (Rose and Sugar this season), and the other four bowls will be filled based on the rankings in the final Top 25 Playoff poll as determined by the 13-member Playoff Selection Committee. (Currently 12 members, as Archie Manning has taken a temporary medical leave of absence from the committee.)

The Top 25 Playoff poll will be released every Tuesday evening from October 28 through December 2 on ESPN. The final Top 25 poll, along with the playoff and bowl pairings will be released by the Selection Committee around mid-day on Sunday, December 7, on ESPN.

By chance, should the Playoff poll mimic the AP and Coaches polls, and based on how those polls rank the teams today, we would have (1) Mississippi State vs. (4) Auburn and (2) Florida State vs. (3) Alabama playing in the semifinals. However, I suspect there will be changes, maybe several, by December 7. We have a lot of football to be played yet. Stay tuned!

Ain’t college football fun?

Back during preseason, in my first CFW newsletter, I wrote about the coaches on the hot seat entering the 2014 season. “Problems, problems, problems all day long. Will my problems work out right or wrong?”

I said the two coaches on the hottest seat, with the most problems, were Florida’s Will Muschamp and West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen. Well, it looks like one of those coaches has worked out right and the other one has worked out wrong.

As of Saturday, West Virginia is sitting at 6-1, bowl eligible and ranked No. 20 in the AP poll. I said that Holgorsen needed to get seven wins and a bowl bid to save his job. I’d say he is safe.

On the other hand, it’s not looking good for Muschamp. As of Saturday, Florida is 3-3. I said Muschamp needed to get eight wins and one of those eight wins needed to be over Georgia. With only five games remaining, Florida would have to win all five to obtain eight wins, or four of the five plus a bowl game win. What are the odds?

Personally, I think Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley has already made the decision to fire Muschamp at the end of the season. But there is a small possibility of doubt. This Saturday, Florida plays Georgia. Stay tuned!

Ain’t college football fun?

The other five coaches on my hot seat list were Virginia’s Mike London, Kansas’ Charlie Weis, Hawaii’s Norm Chow, Illinois’ Tim Beckman and Indiana’s Kevin Wilson. Weis has already been fired. I’d say it is not looking favorable for the other four. However, Beckman got a boost with Illinois’ 28-24 upset of Minnesota on Saturday.

Then I had five coaches on the bubble, entering the 2014 season – Maryland’s Randy Edsall, Iowa State’s Paul Rhoads, Central Michigan’s Dan Enos, UNLV’s Bobby Hauck and Memphis’ Justin Fuente. Of those five, Fuente is safe, Hauck is a gonner and Edsall, Rhoads and Enos remain on the bubble.

Then I said there are six coaches …..“well, you just don’t know for sure. They could be in trouble. Then again, they may not be.” Those six were Michigan’s Brady Hoke, Nebraska’s Bo Pelini, Minnesota’s Jerry Kill, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson and Tulsa’s Bill Blankenship.

Of those six, Hoke is in the same situation as Muschamp. The decision has already been made to fire him. Blankenship is a gonner too. But Pelini, Kill, Whittingham and Johnson are safe. Stay tuned!

Speaking of departures, as reported last week, SEC commissioner Mike Slive announced his retirement, effective the end of July 2015. Look for Greg Sankey to be the next commissioner of the SEC. Sankey has been the associate commissioner, Slive’s right-hand man, since 2002.

Interestingly, Florida’s Jeremy Foley reportedly expressed interest in the SEC position. But, as we know, Foley has more important things on his plate right now – finding a new football coach. There also was a contingency of folks who championed Condoleezza Rice to be the new commissioner of the SEC.

And speaking of coaches, sources out of Dallas say that former Texas coach Mack Brown has been offered the SMU job with an eight-year contract, paying $4 million annually. Stay tuned!

Ain’t college football fun?

Speaking of fun, actually this is more funny than fun, maybe dumber than dumb, Marshall has hired a PR firm to promote the Thundering Herd to the Playoff Selection Committee in hopes of getting Marshall ranked in the Top 4 of the Playoff poll. What a waste of money!

Granted Marshall (8-0) is undefeated and playing well this season. But the Herd have not played one Power Five Conference team nor has the Herd played anyone who came anywhere near being ranked all season. Only one – Middle Tennessee (5-3) – of Marshall’s eight opponents to date has a winning record, and only one – Rice (4-3) – of the Herd’s remaining four opponents has a winning record.

Now Marshall does have a shot of being selected by the Playoff Committee for what is referred to as the “Golden Ticket” berth. The team from one of the non-Power Five Conferences (Group of Five) that is highest ranked in the final Top 25 Playoff poll will get a berth in one of the non-semifinal New Year’s Six bowls – Cotton, Fiesta, Orange and Peach.

Currently one-loss East Carolina (6-1) is the highest ranked non-Power Five team in the AP and Coaches polls. Whether the Pirates will be the highest ranked in the Playoff poll remains to be seen (Tuesday night). To its credit, East Carolina has wins over Virginia Tech and North Carolina. The one loss was to South Carolina. Stay tuned!

Marshall’s best shot is to remain undefeated and hope that East Carolina suffers another loss. The way the Pirates played against Connecticut Thursday night that could happen. East Carolina had to rally late in the game to beat UConn, 31-21. East Carolina has games remaining against Temple, Cincinnati, Tulane, Tulsa and UCF. There is a possible team or two there who could well trip up the Pirates.

Should both Marshall and East Carolina lose down the stretch, then there is the possibility that Colorado State (7-1) could be chosen for the Golden Ticket berth. But the Rams must win out. Colorado State has wins over Colorado and Boston College.

Up until recently, 39 bowls were on tap for the end of this season – four more than last season. Last week a 40th bowl – the Auto Nation Cure Bowl – was added to the list. The Cure Bowl, to be played on December 19 in Orlando, will match a team from the AAC against a team from the Sun Belt Conference.

Ain’t college football fun! Well, I’m not sure we really needed another bowl game.

But speaking of fun, Will Muschamp’s job was listed on Craigslist last week. Some of the requirements: You cannot be a graduate of Georgia and you cannot have the last name of Zook. Stay tuned!

And speaking of Florida, Tim Tebow criticized the Gators’ lack of leadership on offense, while Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan said Will Muschamp was the hardest working man he knew.

You’ve probably never heard of Fredi Knighten before, I hadn’t, but Thursday night, the Arkansas State junior quarterback passed for 344 yards and rushed for another 61 for a total of 405 yards in the Red Wolves 55-40 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette.

With Ole Miss’ 10-7 loss to LSU Saturday night, there are only three undefeated teams left – Mississippi State, Florida State and Marshall. SMU is the sole winless team at 0-7.

Along with our neighbors Dieter and Deb Gum, Swamp Mama and I went to Florida Tech’s game Saturday. The Panthers beat Mississippi College, 44-9. I called Mississippi College – Lil Miss. It was Florida Tech’s homecoming game. Dieter and Deb are both graduates of Florida Tech. We had a good time. The weather was perfect.

Mississippi College is the Choctaws. I don’t know how Lil Miss gets to keep Choctaws for a mascot. Maybe all of the Choctaws are dead, or something.

The homecoming activities began Thursday night with the Florida Tech Homecoming 5k run/walk in downtown Melbourne. The 5k began and ended behind Meg O’Malley’s. Swamp Mama participated in the 5k, while I sat with her boss – Alex Vamosi – at one of Meg O’Malley’s outside tables. Swamp Mama exercised her legs while Alex and I exercised our arms. Ain’t Irish beer good!

Speaking of beer, now why would I say that, ESPN College GameDay is in Morgantown this week on the campus of WVU. That will be fun!

Playoff polls, hot seat coaches, rumors – ain’t college football fun? Last week, I said to my friend Tim Muth, “Ain’t college football fun?” He responded, “That’s why I like it better than the NFL.”

Lil Miss, I kind of like that.

Touchdown Tom
October 27, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Hurtin’ on offense – LSU 10, Ole Miss 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 28, LSU 23). The Rebel Bears (or the Hotty Toddies, or the Landsharks or the Sweet Magnolias) play good defense, but their offense has been suspect all season. Pure and simple, Beauregard (Hold my Magnolia) Wallace is overrated. And aside from Bo, there ain’t nobody else on offense. The Mad Hatter and his Tigers took advantage of that. Wallace only completed 42 percent of his passes. LSU even turned over the ball four times to the Rebel Bears and Ole Miss still lost. Yeah, the Tigers weren’t much better on offense. But they showed Ole Miss that they could play defense too. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,321

RUNNER UP: Bully, Bully – Mississippi State 45, Kentucky 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 29, Kentucky 19). Miss State never trailed in the game, but the Bulldogs could never shake Kentucky either. The Wildcats hung in there with their claws. Kentucky out-passed Miss State (401 yards to 216), but the Bulldogs out-rushed the Wildcats (326 yards to 103). State’s Dak Prescott passed for 216 yards and ran for another 98. Teammate Josh Robinson rushed for 198 yards. Kentucky’s Patrick Towles passed for 390 yards. Attendance in Lexington: 64,791

REST OF THE BEST: The Knights in rusty armor – Nebraska 42, Rutgers 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 42, Rutgers 28). This was pretty much a one-man show. Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah rushed for 225 yards, almost single handedly defeating Rutgers. Abdullah averaged 11.8 yards per carry. Attendance in Lincoln: 91,088

Cuttin’ it close – Utah 24, USC 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 20, USC 17). Talk about exciting finishes, trailing 21-17, Utah scored with 8 seconds left in the game to beat USC, 24-21. The Utes scored on a one-yard pass play from Travis Wilson to Kaelin Clay, as the seconds were winding down. The game was a tossup throughout, as the lead changed hands four times. Except for a 7-point lead by Utah early in the first quarter, neither team led by more than four points for the rest of the game, after USC tied the score at 7-7, just four minutes following the Utes’ opening score. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 47,619

Devils leash the Dogs – Arizona State 24, Washington 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Arizona State 27). Tied 10-10 late in the fourth quarter, ASU scored 14 unanswered points in the final three minutes of the game. Three turnovers hurt the Huskies. Attendance in Seattle: 64,666

Cowboys slow on the draw – West Virginia 34, Oklahoma State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Oklahoma State 29). WVU won the first quarter 14-0. Okie State won the second quarter 10-0. Then it was all Mountaineers in the second half. WVU outscored the Cowboys 20-0 in the final two quarters. The Mounties’ Wendell Smallwood rushed for 132 yards. Attendance in Stillwater: 59,124

The Ducks breached the Dykes – Oregon 59, California 41 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 43, California 26). A close game at the half, Oregon blew away from Cal in the third quarter, building up a 24-point lead – 52-28. The teams combined for 1,150 yards of offense. Marcus Mariota passed for 326 yards. Attendance in Berkeley: 55,575

Bucks apply the white out – Ohio State 31, Penn State 24 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State28, Penn State 21). Strange game. Ohio State won the first half 17-0. Penn State won the second half 17-0. It appeared the momentum was on the side of the Nitts going into overtime. But in the two overtime periods, it was the Buckeyes who had the momentum. Penn State was gassed. The Nitts were hurting for a running game – only 16 yards rushing. Ohio State wasn’t much better passing – only 74 yards. Attendance in State College: 107,895

Plucked again – Auburn 42, South Carolina 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 30, South Carolina 22). Tied 35-35 at the end of the third quarter, Auburn scored the lone touchdown in the fourth and that was the difference. South Carolina looked good in the first half. The Tigers were the better team in the second half. The teams combined for 1,086 yards of offense – mostly passing for the Gamecocks (416 yards); mostly rushing for Auburn (395 yards). South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson threw three interceptions. Attendance in Auburn: 87,451

Boxed – Wisconsin 52, Maryland 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 30, Maryland 28). Wisconsin totally dominated Maryland. The Badgers racked up 527 total yards to only 175 for the Terps. Maryland’s leading rusher only had 22 yards. Wisconsin played three quarterbacks in the game. Melvin Gordon rushed for 122 yards. Attendance in Madison: 80,336

Little Kiffy survives – Alabama 34, Tennessee 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Tennessee 13). Early in the second quarter, Alabama had a 27-0 lead. Then the Tide let the Vols into the game. With 5:52 to go in the third quarter, Tennessee had pulled within 27-17. Bama’s Blake Sims and Amari Cooper were the difference in the game. Sims passed for 286 yards. Cooper had nine receptions for 224 yards. Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs passed for 192 yards and ran for another 75 yards. Attendance in Knoxville: 102,455

Talk about getting’ stung – Georgia Tech 56, Pitt 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 27, Pitt 24). Pitt turned the ball over six times – all fumbles – and that was pretty much the difference in the game. Georgia Tech jumped out to a 28-0 first quarter lead and the Panthers couldn’t catch up. The teams combined for 1,138 yards of offense. Pitt was the passing team – 328 yards; Tech was the running team – 465 yards. Attendance in Pittsburgh: 44,734

On a roll – Colorado State 45, Wyoming 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Colorado State 31, Wyoming 20). Wyoming scored two touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the game to make it appear closer than it was. Colorado State was leading 45-17 before the Cowboys’ two last minute scores. It was the Rams sixth-straight win since a 13-point loss to Boise State on September 6. Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson passed for 390 yards, completing 86 percent of his tosses. Attendance in Fort Collins: 32,529

Stallions – Boise State 55, BYU 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 32, BYU 22). The Broncos built up a 41-16 halftime lead and went into cruise control during the second half. Boise State racked up 637 yards of offense. Broncos’ quarterback Grant Hedrick passed for 410 of those yards. Attendance in Boise: 36,752

The first of back-to-back Oregon’s – Stanford 38, Oregon State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 22, Oregon State 13). Stanford’s defense was dominant again, and the Trees’ offense wasn’t bad. Stanford held Oregon State to 12 yards rushing. The Trees’ Kevin Hogan passed for 277 yards. Attendance in Palo Alto: 48,401


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Another Bobby Bowden/Mack Brown – Miami 30, Virginia Tech 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 25, Miami (Florida) 24). That’s what Frank Beamer has become. Another coach who was once good and now just stands on the sideline and collects a welfare check – a hefty one at that. Sadly, these guys don’t know when it is time to move on. The Canes ran all over the Hokies, with Duke Johnson rushing for 249 yards and Gus Edwards 115 yards. Miami’s defense held Tech to 262 total yards. The Hokies lone score in the game came with 1:30 on the clock in the fourth quarter. Tech suffered from three fumbles. Attendance in Blacksburg: 64,007


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Snyder was in the house – Kansas State 23, Texas 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 33, Texas 23). K-State held Texas to 196 total yards – 106 passing and 90 rushing. The Wildcats scored in every quarter, while shutting out the Horns. Attendance in Manhattan: 52,879


Week 9 Pick Results: 14 correct, 3 wrong (82.4 percent)
On the Season: 125 correct, 40 wrong (75.8 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF 34, Temple 14 – Attendance in Orlando: 39,554 …. Cincinnati 34, South Florida 17 – Attendance in Cincinnati: 30,024 …. Marshall 35, Florida Atlantic 16 – Attendance in Huntington: 27,236.

North Carolina A&T 40, Florida A&M 21 – Attendance in Greensboro: 21,500 …. South Carolina State 20, Bethune-Cookman 14 – Attendance in Orangeburg: 11,043.

Jacksonville U. 61, Limestone 10 – Attendance in Gaffney: 2,753 …. Stetson 40, Davidson 34 – Attendance in Davidson: 3,614 …. Florida Tech 44, Mississippi College 9 – Attendance in Melbourne: 3,200


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 55-79-2 for 490 yards; Old Dominion’s Taylor Heinicke – 27-40-2-471; East Carolina’s Shane Carden – 38-64-1-445; Blake Frohnapfel – 28-55-2-438; TCU’s Trevone Boykin – 22-39-0-433; Louisiana Tech’s Cody Sokol – 27-46-0-423; Boise State’s Grant Hedrick – 24-31-1-410, and Georgia State’s Nick Arbuckle – 24-38-1-408.

Also, Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 18-21-0 for 390 yards; Kentucky’s Patrick Towles – 24-43-0-389; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 23-26-0-371; California’s Jared Goff – 32-52-0-360; Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell – 22-28-2-344; Arkansas State’s Fredi Knighten – 26-37-1-344, and Southern Miss’ Cole Weeks – 28-45-2-338.

Also, UCF’s Justin Holman – 25-39-0 for 336 yards; Wyoming’s Colby Kirkegaard – 24-38-0-335; Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – 18-30-1-326; San Jose State’s Joe Gray – 33-46-1-322; Memphis’ Paxton Lynch – 17-23-0-307; Connecticut’s Chandler Whitmer – 18-30-1-303; Texas Tech’s Davis Webb – 15-30-1-300, and Arizona’s Anu Solomon – 26-39-0-294.


Impressive Rushers:

Marshall’s Devon Johnson – 272 yards; Louisiana-Lafayette’s Elijah McGuire – 265 yards; Navy’s Keenan Reynolds – 251 yards; Miami of Florida’s Duke Johnson – 249 yards; Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah – 225 yards; Cincinnati’s Mike Boone – 212 yards; Georgia Southern’s Matt Breida – 201 yards; Toledo’s Kareem Hunt – 198 yards, and Mississippi State’s Josh Robinson – 197 yards.

Also, Western Kentucky’s Leon Allen – 182 yards; UCLA’s Paul Perkins – 180 yards; South Alabama’s Kendall Houston – 178 yards; Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford – 169 yards; Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne – 167 yards; Northern Illinois’ Drew Hare – 166 yards; Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin – 156 yards; Arkansas’ Jonathan Williams – 153 yards, and Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry – 148 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I tell everyone my next move is going to be to Crescent Beach, Florida. That’s where my next move is going to be to,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, laughing off rumors that he will return to coach Florida again, replacing Will Muschamp.

“College football is full of emotion. It’s all about passion. The players play with passion,” former Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth, on the difference between college and pro football.

“A top college football school always dreads the possibility of its star leaving early for the NFL. Always. Exception to the rule: Florida State ought to be welcoming the idea of Jameis Winston going pro after the season – and taking his tarnished Heisman Trophy with him. Florida State has been a national punch line, with Winston as its most visible campus personality,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Brian Schmitz.

“It ain’t gonna be a hoedown. It’s gonna be a beat down,” Alabama fan on the Paul Finebaum Show, commenting on the Bama-Tennessee game.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Auburn (6-1) at Ole Miss (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Ole Miss has a good defense, but it really will be tested this week. Auburn has a good offense. If the Rebel Bears are to win, they need to get a spark in their offense – something they have been lacking. The Landsharks find a spark – Ole Miss 24, Auburn 17.

RUNNER UP: 2. Florida State (7-0) at Louisville (6-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, ESPN) – Some think Louisville can beat Florida State. Some – Rick Pitino – think the Cardinals will be the Noles. What does Pitino know about football? – Florida State 27, Louisville 23.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Utah (6-1) at Arizona State (6-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (11 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1) – Utah has been the surprise of the Pac-12. The Utes have some good wins over UCLA and USC. But the Utes get surprised this week – Arizona State 27, Utah 26.

4. TCU (6-1) at West Virginia (6-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2) – TCU has been putting the points on the board – 82 last week against Texas Tech. But the Frogs defense has been lapse at times, while WVU’s defense has been playing better. This has the makings of a good one. Plus ESPN College GameDay in Morgantown – “We’re coming to your city.” As much as I want the Mounties to win, I think Dana will have warts when this one is over – TCU 37, West Virginia 34.

5. Arizona (6-1) at UCLA (6-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Arizona has been hot. The Wildcats are explosive. Conversely, UCLA has had some problems. The Wildcats remain hot – Arizona 34, UCLA 32.

6. Stanford (5-3) at Oregon (7-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Fox) – Stanford has been a thorn in Oregon’s side in recent years. The Trees can play defense. But they are questionable on offense. No thorns this year – Oregon 20, Stanford 12.

7. Oklahoma State (5-3) at Kansas State (6-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (8 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC) – Talk about two teams going in opposite directions. But the Cowboys can be dangerous. Not in Manhattan – Kansas State 33, Oklahoma State 13.

8. Arkansas (4-4) at Mississippi State (7-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – You just keep thinking Arkansas is going to surprise somebody one of these weeks. It may happen, but not this week – Mississippi State 30, Arkansas 18.

9. Kentucky (5-3) at Missouri (6-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (4 p.m. ET, Saturday, SECN) – Kentucky is an up-and-down team. The Wildcats gave Miss State all it could handle. Mizzou is up-and-down too. This week, the Cats are down and the Tigers are up – Missouri 26, Kentucky 25.

10. East Carolina (6-1) at Temple (4-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNNews) – Temple at Temple could cause some problems for East Carolina. The Owls have a way of scaring teams. And it is Halloween. But the Pirates got their scare last week. No problems this week – East Carolina 30, Temple 19.

11. Wisconsin (5-2) at Rutgers (5-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Last week Rutgers couldn’t stop Ameer Abdullah. This week the Scarlet Knights won’t stop Melvin Gordon – Wisconsin 38, Rutgers 26.

12. Virginia (4-4) at Georgia Tech (6-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPNU) – Virginia is no pushover. The Cavs are a dangerous team. But Georgia Tech is no pushover either. The Bees are dangerous too – Georgia Tech 29, Virginia 25.

13. Florida (3-3) vs. Georgia (6-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS) – Actually, isn’t this game Georgia vs. Georgia. After all, Will Muschamp is a Dawg. A dirty Dawg according to some. But look for the Gators to make it a game, just not enough of a game – Georgia 26, Florida 17.

14. Maryland (5-3) at Penn State (4-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – Some Big Ten teams – Ohio State and Wisconsin – have taken some real pot shots at Maryland. The Nitts may have exhausted themselves against Ohio State last week. But they still have enough left to take care of the Terps – Penn State 30, Maryland 20.

15. Boston College (5-3) at Virginia Tech (4-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) (12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ACCN) – Both of these teams have been a surprise – Boston College surprisingly good and Virginia Tech surprisingly bad. No changes – Boston College 22, Virginia Tech 19.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. Northwestern (3-4) at Iowa (5-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN) – Northwestern may be hungrier in this game. The Wildcats need the win. But the Hawkeyes starve the Wildcats – Iowa 27, Northwestern 20.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS

Purdue (3-5) at Nebraska (7-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2) – Purdue shouldn’t give the Huskers any more trouble than Rutgers did. The Boilers are not stable on defense and won’t contain Ameer Abdullah. But the Boilers could be troubling at times. Not many times – Nebraska 38, Purdue 23.

Duke (6-1) at Pitt (4-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU) – The Dookies should pick up where Georgia Tech left off against the Panthers. Pitt appears to be a hurtin’ team. The Dookies make the Panthers hurt some more – Duke 31, Pitt 21.

Texas (3-5) at Texas Tech (3-5) – (Big 12. Vs. Big 12) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1) – Talk about two teams having their share of problems this season. Even Swamp Mama has dumped Kliff Kingsbury. And that’s saying something. The Longhorns dump Kingsbury too – Texas 27, Texas Tech 20.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

North Carolina (4-4) at Miami (5-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) (12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ACCN) …. UCF (5-2) at Connecticut (1-6) – (AAC vs. AAC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN) …. Houston (4-3) at South Florida (3-5) – (AAC vs. AAC) (4 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPNNews).

UAB (4-4) at Florida Atlantic (3-5) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) …. Rice (4-3) at Florida International (3-5) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (12 noon ET, Saturday, Local) …. Norfolk State (3-5) at Florida A&M (2-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (3 p.m. ET, Saturday).

North Carolina Central (4-4) at Bethune-Cookman (6-2) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (4 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Marist (2-6) at Jacksonville U. (7-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Stetson (3-5) at Campbell (4-4) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) …. Florida Tech (5-3) at Shorter (3-4) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) (12 noon ET, Saturday).


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Retired Florida Supreme Court chief justice Major Harding has been selected to serve as the independent observer who will conduct Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston’s upcoming student conduct code hearing…. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon announced that student football ticket prices will be significantly lower next year. This year, the season student ticket pass at Michigan was $280. Next season the price for student season tickets will be $175. This season, Michigan had the most expensive student season tickets ahead of Ohio State ($252), Penn State ($218) and Wisconsin ($188). Iowa and Michigan State charged students $175.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly there were six passings of note last week – Oscar de la Renta, Paul Craft, Ben Bradlee, Frank Mankiewicz, Jack Bruce and Marcia Strassman.

Oscar de la Renta, the doyen of American fashion, whose career began in the 1950s in Franco’s Spain and sprawled across the better living rooms of Paris and New York, and who was the last survivor of that generation of bold, all-seeing tastemakers, died last week at his home in Kent, Connecticut. He was 82. Oscar Aristedes de la Renta was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on July 22, 1932. At age 19, after graduating from high school, he left home for Madrid.

Paul Craft, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer, whose sparkling wordplay was a reflection of his intelligent, irony-drenched, amiable personality, died last week in Nashville. He was 76. Of Craft’s hundreds of compositions, his favorite was “Walking Home in the Rain.” In 1976, country artists released seven of his songs and two of those – Hank Williams’ “You Wrote My Life” and “Dropkick Me Jesus (Though the Goalposts of Life)” – earned Grammy nominations. His “Brother Jukebox” was a No. 1 hit for Mark Chestnut in 1991. Craft also wrote Top 10 songs for T. Graham Brown (“Come as You Were”), Gail Davies (“Blue Heartache”) and Moe Bandy’s recording of “You Wrote My Life.” Ray Stevens charted with his “It’s Me Again, Margaret.” The Eagles recorded Craft’s “Midnight Flyer,” and Linda Ronstadt recorded his “Keep Me from Blowing Away.” Craft’s songs were also recorded by Alison Krauss, the Osborne Brothers, Charlie Sizemore and the group The Seldom Scene. Paul Craft was born in Memphis and raised in Arkansas. He graduated from the University of Virginia. Some of Craft’s other songs were “Teardrops Will Kiss the Morning Dew,” “Fastest Grass Alive,” “Nothing Happening Every Minute,” “Raised by the Railroad Line” and “Through the Bottom of the Glass.” Skeeter Davis recorded his “Somewhere with Me Sometime.”

Ben Bradlee, who presided over the Washington Post’s exposure of the Watergate scandal that led to the fall of President Richard M. Nixon and that stamped Bradlee in American culture as the quintessential newspaper editor of his era – gruff, charming and tenacious – died last week. He was 93. Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee was born in Boston on August 26, 1921. He graduated from Harvard and served in the U.S. Navy.

Frank Mankiewicz, 90, a writer and Democratic political strategist who was Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s press secretary, directed Senator George S. McGovern’s losing 1972 presidential campaign and was a former president of National Public Radio, died last week in Washington, DC. He was 90. Frank Fabian Mankiewicz was born in New York City on May 16, 1924. He served in the Army during World War II and graduated from UCLA. Then he earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia. He later earned a law degree from the University of California.

Jack Bruce, whose melodic bass lines helped power the British rock trio Cream, died Saturday at his home in Suffolk, England. He was 71. Often called rock’s first super group because its members were already experienced players, Cream featured Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. Cream’s hits included “White Room” and “Sunshine of Your Love,” among others. Bruce was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 14, 1943. He played in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers before forming Cream.

Marcia Strassman, known for her roles in TV’s “Welcome Back Kotter” and film’s “Honey I Shrunk the Kids,” died last week. She was 66. She had roles in other movies and TV shows, including “M*A*S*H.” Strassman was born in New York City, on April 28, 1948.

College Football Week 9 – Ole Miss at LSU; USC at Utah
Questions, questions abound
It must be midseason madness

This is the time of the year college basketball fans celebrate midnight madness. Or as I used to call it – madnight midness. It used to be the time of the year Duke fans couldn’t wait for. At the beginning of football season, the Dookies used to say, “Is it basketball season yet?”

But the Dookies don’t say that anymore. Charlie Cutcliffe has changed all that in Durham. Last season the Blue Devils played in the ACC championship game and the Chick-fil-A Bowl – their second-straight bowl game. Saturday, the Dookies beat Virginia 20-13 to improve their record to 6-1 on the season. They are sitting atop the Coastal Division of the ACC. With six wins, the Blue Devils are already bowl eligible this season.

Knowing the way Duke used to play football, some might say that’s just, “midseason madness.” Not to be confused with midnight madness. But so much for the Dookies. The Blue Devils are off this week before they start their final stretch against Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest – all winnable games, very winnable. Question: Will Duke win the ACC Coastal Division again this year?

Saturday night, along with Swamp Mama, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator and 80 thousand or so others, I sat in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and watched Florida put on the most miserable display of football I have even seen from the Gators. It was a performance so bad that Gainesville Sun columnist Pat Dooley said the Gators smelled like “rotten milk and burnt hair poured into a dirty diaper and left in the sun for a month.”

Midway through the third quarter, Gator fans began leaving so fast you would have thought Apple was giving away free iPhones outside the stadium. Those who were left inside began chanting, “Fire Muschamp, fire Muschamp.” The chant was loudest in the section just behind the Florida football team – just behind Muschamp.

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley may wait until the end of the season to satisfy the fans’ request. It appears an end of the season termination will save the athletic department several million. But it is all too obvious now he will fire Muschamp – come hither or yon.

More midseason madness, this time in Gainesville. And the madness surrounding Muschamp’s situation begs the question: Who will Foley hire to replace Muschamp? And will he get his first choice? Foley and Gator fans have been through this before when Ron Zook was hired. There were the refusals from Bob Stoops and Mike Shanahan. Foley seems to have learned from that faux pas. He got his first choice in the two hires since Zook was fired.

The possibilities being bandied around on the Internet are interesting to say the least – some even humorous. They run the gamut from the obvious – Dan Mullen, Hugh Freeze, Mark Stoops, Bob Stoops, Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, among others – to the not so obvious – Rich Rodriguez, Dana Holgorsen, Butch Davis, Mack Brown, Lane Kiffin, Doc Holliday, Gary Patterson, Mike Gundy, Art Briles, Bobby Petrino, among others. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, in what some call the toughest conference in the country – the SEC West – midseason madness is breaking all barriers. It’s like the peak of the leaf season in Vermont, and the leaves are going to be falling soon – at least some of them. Some already have.

This week, four of the Top 5 teams in AP’s Top 25 poll are from the SEC West – (1) Mississippi State, (3) Ole Miss, (4) Alabama and (5) Auburn. Then you have LSU sitting at No. 24. Only Texas A&M and Arkansas have fallen.

Now, you talk about midseason madness, Miss State and Ole Miss are still undefeated. They meet on November 29. Alabama and Auburn each have one loss. They meet on November 29. Miss State still has to play Alabama – in Tuscaloosa. Ole Miss still has to play Auburn.

Meanwhile, LSU is just waiting to play the spoiler role. The Tigers have Ole Miss and Alabama at home. Who is going to win the SEC West and play for the SEC championship? And, will the SEC West have two teams in the playoff? Or will Georgia from the SEC East have something to say about that? It will drive you mad. It’s midseason madness.

Now that undefeated Florida State is over the hump, with Notre Dame out of the way, will the Seminoles coast through the rest of their schedule – Louisville, Virginia, Miami, Boston College and Florida? Louisville and Miami are on the road. Can the Cardinals? Can the Canes?

So, if Florida State and two teams from the SEC are selected for the four-team playoff, where will the fourth team come from – the Big 12, the Big Ten or the Pac-12? Let’s look at some more midseason madness.

In the Big Ten, Michigan State (6-1) is the highest-ranked team in the conference. Ohio State (5-1) is next. The Spartans and the Buckeyes meet on November 8 in East Lansing. Strike one of the teams. Which one? Then, if Nebraska (6-1) runs the table in the SEC West and wins the Big Ten championship game, will be the Huskers be selected for the playoff?

In the Big 12, can Kansas State (5-1), TCU (5-1) or Baylor (6-1) win out? K-State is undefeated in Big 12 play. TCU’s and Baylor’s one loss is in the conference. K-State plays TCU on November 8 and Baylor on December 6. If the Wildcats win out, they are the Big 12 champs. But will they be selected for the playoffs? If Baylor wins out, the Bears are the Big 12 champs. If TCU wins out, the Horned Frogs have to hope Baylor loses again. TCU’s one loss is to Baylor. There’s some good midseason madness going on here. Stay tuned.

And finally, there is the madness in the Pac-12. Oregon (6-1), Arizona State (5-1), Arizona (5-1) and Utah (5-1) are the only teams in the conference with one loss. And that one loss for each team is a conference loss. Oregon appears on the way to win the North Division. But the Ducks play at Utah on November 8.

Arizona State and Arizona meet on November 28. Plus the Sun Devils also have to play Utah (November 1) and non-conference Notre Dame (November 8). Arizona and Utah meet November 22 in Salt Lake City. The possibilities in the Pac-12 are maddening to think about. Can the Pac-12 get a team in the playoff?

But wait. What if Notre Dame (6-1) wins out? Even with the loss to Florida State, can the Irish climb back into playoff possibilities? Of their five remaining games, Arizona State, Louisville and USC could pose problems. But if Notre Dame finishes 11-1, the Irish could be back in the picture. Stranger things have happened.

Last, but not least, East Carolina (5-1) and Marshall (7-0) have their own midseason madness going. The highest-ranked team, from a non-Power 5 conference, in the Playoff Selection Committee’s final poll will be chosen to play in one of the top tier “New Year’s Six” bowl games.

Marshall most likely will finish the season undefeated. There are no tough teams on the Herd’s schedule. However, if East Carolina wins out, the Pirates, with one loss, most likely will be higher ranked than Marshall. East Carolina has played a tougher schedule than the Herd. But the Pirates have to get by UCF on December 4. Should both Marshall and East Carolina falter, then Colorado State (6-1) has a good chance of being selected. The midseason madness is endless.

Will Muschamp is still treading water, but another coach was canned last week. Buffalo coach Jeff Quinn received his pink slip. Quinn was 20-36 in four plus seasons at Buffalo, including 3-4 this year. Quinn’s undoing was Buffalo’s 37-27 loss to Eastern Michigan a week ago.

Quinn becomes the third coach who has been terminated already this season. SMU’s June Jones and Kansas’s Charlie Weis were the other two. Plus Troy coach Larry Blakeney has announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season.

Bootsie, Swamp Mama, Rockledge Gator and I had a fun time in Gainesville over the weekend – even though the Gators were the worst I have ever seen them play. It’s a good thing we don’t take our football too seriously. Unfortunately, the guy who was sitting in front of us at the game does. But we won’t talk about him.

Friday night, the four of us had an enjoyable dinner at The Embers, along with Bonnie and Robert Pippen. We had another great weekend, staying at the Laurel Oak Inn (www.laureloakinn.com), and visiting with the inn’s hosts Peggy and Monta Burt. We shared in a number of good football conversations with the other guests at the inn over the weekend – what a fun group. Looking forward to seeing some of them again when we stay at the Laurel Oak for the South Carolina-Florida game on the third weekend of November.

During the day Saturday, we visited a few spots in Trenton, Florida, which made for an interesting time. On the way back, we picked up some bar-be-cue in Newberry for our tailgate meal.

This Saturday, Swamp Mama and I will be attending Florida Tech’s homecoming football game. The Panthers are hosting Mississippi College. Florida Tech, in only its second season of football, is off to a 4-3 start. Two of the Panthers’ three losses were by 3 points or less.

If it is midseason in college football – it’s madness. Not midnight madness, but midseason madness.

Touchdown Tom
October 20, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: BINGO! Aren’t those ACC officials wonderful? – Florida State 31, Notre Dame 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 23, Notre Dame 22). Notre Dame dominated Florida State in total yards (470 to 323), dominated FSU in passing yards (313 to 273) and dominated the Noles in rushing yards (157 to 50). But the Irish did not dominate FSU in points scored. In a game in which the Noles never led until the fourth quarter, FSU finally took the lead with 7:39 left in the fourth. Trailing by 4 points, Notre Dame couldn’t respond to the Noles’ lead until the end of the game when the Irish appeared to have scored. But the touchdown was called back due to offensive holding on ND. Or that’s what the ACC officials say. But when FSU’s P.J. Williams took his helmet off to celebrate the call, the ACC officials didn’t say anything about that. Hmm! The Irish had one more chance, but they couldn’t pull it off. Attendance in Tallahassee: 82,431

RUNNER UP: No feather beds for the Huskies – Oregon 45, Washington 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Washington 19). Washington scored first with a 33-yard field goal, but it was pretty much all Ducks after that. Oregon scored five touchdowns to take a 35-6 lead over Washington early in the third quarter. The Ducks piled up 554 total yards, including Marcus Mariota’s 336 yards passing. Attendance in Eugene: 57,858

REST OF THE BEST: The Bears were looking Petty – West Virginia 41, Baylor 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 39, West Virginia 34). A close game until late in the fourth quarter, the lead changed hands 4 times. The game was tied at the end of the third quarter. WVU got the game’s biggest lead at 14 points when the Mounties scored with 7:35 remaining on the clock. WVU shutout the Bears in the fourth quarter 14-0. The Mountaineers dominated Baylor in total yards (456 to 318), in passing yards (322 to 223) and in rushing yards (134 to 95). The Eers even dominated in turnovers (3 to 0). The game was marred by 32 penalties – 18 on Baylor and 14 on WVU. Attendance in Morgantown: 60,758

The Sooners didn’t get their kicks – Kansas State 31, Oklahoma 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 25, Kansas state 23). Oklahoma had its chances, but a missed extra point kick and a missed field goal in the fourth quarter doomed the Sooners. OU’s only lead in the game was 7-0 in the first quarter. The Wildcats were up 14-7 early in the second quarter and K-State never trailed again. The best the Sooners could do after that was tie the score at 14-14 in the second quarter and 24-24 in the third quarter. OU dominated the Wildcats in total yards (533 to 385), in passing yards (335 to 225) and in rushing yards (198 to 160). But the Sooners also had two turnovers to none for K-State. Attendance in Norman: 85,019

Cowboys taken on Mr. Toad’s wild ride – TCU 42, Oklahoma State 9 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 27, Oklahoma State 22). The Cowpokes never scored a touchdown in the game. TCU held Okie State to 3 field goals. The Frogs took a 21-3 halftime lead and added 21 more points in the second half. TCU tallied 676 total yards. The Frogs Trevone Boykin passed for 410 yards. Attendance in Fort Worth: 43,214

Scarlet & Gray over the Scarlet & White – Ohio State 56, Rutgers 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 32, Rutgers 20). The Buckeyes dominated Rutgers in all phases of the game, racking up 585 total yards. Ohio State’s quarterback J.T. Barrett passed for 261 yards and rushed for another 107 yards. At the end of the third quarter, the Bucks led 56-10. Rutgers suffered from 3 turnovers. Attendance in Columbus: 106,795

Utes hang the pelts on their belts – Utah 29, Oregon State 23 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, Oregon State 25). In a contest that was just about as close as you can get, Utah won the game on the running of Devontae Booker – 229 yards. The Utes sure didn’t win it on their passing – only 62 yards. Attendance in Corvallis: 40,479

Humiliation – Alabama 59, Texas A&M 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 32, Texas A&M 22). Now, you wanna talk about domination, more like humiliation, Bama had 602 total yards to 172 for the Aggies. A&M only had 32 yards rushing. The score was 45-0 at the half. Nick Saban called off the horses in the second half. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 101,821

So much for the Wildcats – LSU 41, Kentucky 3 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Kentucky 19). Neither team passed that well, but LSU ran all over the Wildcats. The Tigers piled up 303 yards rushing to 71 for Kentucky. LSU’s Terrence Magee rushed for 127 yards, averaging 14.1 yards-per-carry. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 101,581

Nothing offensive about the Trees – Arizona State 26, Stanford 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 26, Arizona State 23). Two turnovers and only 76 yards rushing doomed the Cardinal. Stanford has no offense, especially no rushing offense. The Cardinal has a defense, but without an offense, the defense can only hang in there for so long. Attendance in Tempe: 59,012

The Vols are a zero – Ole Miss 34, Tennessee 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 28, Tennessee 17). Zero – that’s how many yards rushing Tennessee had against Ole Miss. Vols quarterback Justin Worley was a zero too. Worley threw 3 interceptions. About two minutes into the game, Tennessee got a field goal. After that, the Vols were never heard from again. Attendance in Oxford: 62,081

No soup for the Hawkeyes – Maryland 38, Iowa 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 30, Maryland 28). Iowa jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Terps then scored 24 unanswered points and the Hawkeyes could never catch up after that. Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock passed for 317 yards. Maryland handed Iowa its first loss this season in Big Ten play. Attendance in College Park: 48,373

The Dawgs went Pig pickin’ – Georgia 45, Arkansas 32 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 28, Georgia 26). The Hogs were hampered by four turnovers. The Dawgs took advantage and jumped out to a 38-6 lead at halftime. Then the Hogs learned to hang onto the ball and outscored Georgia 26-7 in the second half. But it was too little too late. Georgia’s defense held the Arkansas running attack to 126 yards. The Dawgs Nick Chubb rushed for 202 yards. Attendance in Little Rock: 54,959

So close! – UCLA 36, California 34 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, California 24). What a game! The lead changed hands no less than 7 times. The Bruins took the last lead on a 26-yard field goal with 3:40 left in the game. Then the Bruins held on to win. Cal had 310 yards passing, but only 56 yards rushing. Therein was the difference in the game. UCLA rushed for 237 yards. UCLA’s Brett Hundley passed for 330 yards and rushed for another 94. Cal has been in five games this season where the difference in the score was seven points or less. Attendance in Berkeley: 49,257

Dabo breathes a sigh of relief – Clemson 17, Boston College 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 33, Boston College 22). With less than 10 minutes to go in the game, BC led 13-10. Soon after, Clemson scored on a 32-yard touchdown run by C.J. Davidson and the Tigers held on to win. Neither team could run the ball, but Clemson could pass it. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 42,038


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Louisville 30, NC State 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 27, NC State 18). Louisville got the early lead and the Wolf Pack were playing catch up throughout the game. The teams were evenly matched in the stats. The Cardinals Michael Dyer rushed for 173 yards. Attendance in Louisville: 50,227


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Some homecoming – Missouri 42, Florida 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 24, Missouri 22). With 17 first downs to 7 for Mizzou, with 283 total yards to 119 for the Tigers, with 148 yards passing to 20 for Mizzou and with 135 yards rushing to 99 for the Tigers, you would have thought that Florida won the game. That’s how dismal it was for the Gators. Mizzou got 29 points on a kickoff return, a punt return, a fumble return and an interception return – each for a touchdown. With less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Mizzou led 42-0. The Gators suffered 6 turnovers – 3 fumbles and 3 interceptions. Attendance in Gainesville: 89,117

Some tug of war – Duke 20, Virginia 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 21, Virginia 20). The Dookies won the first quarter 10-0. The Cavs won the second quarter 10-0. The teams tied in the third quarter 3-3. That’s the kind of game it was. The Dookies scored the difference with 7:23 remaining in the fourth quarter and then held on to win. Attendance in Durham: 28,131

Wildcats got lost in the Maze – Nebraska 38, Northwestern 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Northwestern 20). A tight game at halftime, Northwestern led 17-14. But the Wildcats were skunked in the second half, while the Huskers scored 24 points. Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah rushed for 146 yards. Husker quarterback Tommy Armstrong passed for 221 yards and rushed for another 55. Attendance in Evanston: 47,330

It must have been the lutefisk – Minnesota 39, Purdue 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 33, Purdue 27). Purdue won the first half, 31-20. The Gophers won the second half 19-7. Trailing 38-36 at the end of the third quarter, a 52-yard field goal by Minnesota’s Ryan Santoso with 4:59 on the clock was the game decider. Just as the score was almost evenly matched, the teams were evenly matched in the stats as well. Both teams were stronger on the ground than through the air. Minnesota’s David Cobb rushed for 194 yards. Attendance in Minneapolis: 51,241

The scores are big in Texas – Texas 48, Iowa State 45 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 30, Iowa State 23). Tied 28-28 at the half and 31-31 at the end of the third quarter, the game was close throughout. And it was 45-45 with 0:03 on the clock in the fourth when Texas’ Nick Rose kicked a 21-yard field goal. The teams combined for 1,036 yards of offense. Both quarterbacks passed for more than 320 yards each. Attendance in Austin: 92,017


Week 8 Pick Results: 15 correct, 6 wrong (71.4 percent)
On the Season: 111 correct, 37 wrong (75 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF 20, Tulane 13 – Attendance in Orlando: 30,015 …. South Florida 38, Tulsa 30 – Attendance in Tulsa: 18,744 …. Florida Atlantic 45, Western Kentucky 38 …. Attendance in Boca Raton: Marshall 45, Florida International 13 – Attendance in Miami: 13,163.

Florida A&M 31, Howard 28 – Attendance in Washington, DC: 7,177 …. Bethune-Cookman 48, Savannah State 20 – Attendance in Savannah: 1,271 …. Jacksonville U. 30, Stetson 7 – Attendance in Deland: 3,641 …. North Alabama 34, Florida Tech 31 – Attendance in Melbourne: 3,250.


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

TCU’s Trevone Boykin – 26-39-1 for 410 yards; BYU’s Christian Stewart – 39-63-0-408; North Carolina’s Marquise Williams – 38-47-1-390; Kent State’s Colin Reardon – 27-40-1-360; Miami of Ohio’s Andrew Hendrix – 23-42-0-346; Iowa State’s Sam Richardson – 36-55-2-345, and Massachusetts’ Blake Frohnapfel – 28-51-1-337.

Also, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – 24-33-0 for 336 yards; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 28-44-1-335; Michigan State’s Connor Cook – 24-32-1-332; UCLA’s Brett Hundley – 31-42-1-330; Florida Atlantic’s Jaquez Johnson – 23-34-0-325; West Virginia’s Clint Trickett – 23-35-1-322; San Jose State’s Joe Gray – 33-45-0-322, and Texas’ Tyrone Swoopes – 24-36-1-321.

Also, USC’s Cody Kessler – 19-26-0 for 319 yards; Oklahoma’s Trevor Knight – 26-32-1-318; Iowa’s Jake Rudock – 32-56-1-317; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 22-34-0-314; Notre Dame’s Everett Golson – 31-52-2-313; Georgia State’s Nick Arbuckle – 23-40-0-311; Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens – 27-41-2-305; California’s Jared Goff – 25-41-1-303, and Arkansas’ Brandon Allen – 28-45-2-296.


Impressive Rushers:

Utah’s Devontae Booker – 229 yards; Georgia’s Nick Chubb – 202 yards; Minnesota’s David Cobb – 194 yards; San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 182 yards; Northern Illinois’ Drew Hare – 180 yards; Michigan State’s Nick Hill – 178 yards; Louisville’s Michael Dyer – 173 yards; Oregon’s Royce Freeman – 169 yards, and Central Michigan’s Thomas Rawls – 167 yards.

Also, Texas Tech’s DeAndre Washington – 164 yards; Fresno State’s Marteze Waller – 164 yards; Boise State’s Jay Ajayi – 158 yards; New Mexico State’s Larry Rose – 155 yards; Idaho’s Jerrel Brown – 151 yards; Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin – 149 yards; New Mexico’s Jhurell Pressley – 148 yards, and Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah – 146 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“The truth is I’m having a ball. Really, I don’t miss it,” former Texas coach and current ABC football analyst Mack Brown.

“If Jameis Winston was the quarterback at Georgia, he wouldn’t be playing Saturday. But Georgia has different standards than Florida State,” Paul Finebaum.

“I feel very confident right now. He’s never taken a dime from anything,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, on his quarterback Jameis Winston.

“The embarrassment continues at Florida State, a school that has put the need to win football games above all else,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan.

“It must be so much fun to be a Florida State fan right now, living inside that morality-free bubble that fits so smugly over the campus,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan.

“Jimbo Fisher believes every single word Winston has to say about signing autographs, because Jameis is just so, well, so incredibly believable,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan.

“Free Shoes University, meet Jameis State,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan.

“Jimbo Fisher continues to enable Jameis Winston,” Paul Finebaum.

“Fire Muschamp,” Florida fans chanting during the Missouri game.

“Actually, I have less clarity. I guess it was actually called on Will Fuller, not C.J. Prosise. So it just adds more uncertainty as to the final play. But again, the play itself, in terms of what we ask our kids to do, it was pretty clear what happened on the play. Florida State blew the coverage and they got rewarded for it. It’s unfortunate,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, disputing the call at the end of the game that wiped-out the winning touchdown for the Irish.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Ole Miss (7-0) at LSU (6-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – You gotta figure Ole Miss is feeling the pressure. And in this game, the pressure is definitely on the Rebel Bears. The heat is off LSU. The Tigers can play it cool. The Landsharks handle the pressure – Ole Miss 28, LSU 23.

RUNNER UP: 2. Mississippi State (6-0) at Kentucky (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS) – Miss State has to be feeling some pressure too. In spite of getting blown out by LSU last week, Kentucky could surprise the Bulldogs. Mark Stoops’ Wildcats play well in Lexington. But Dan Mullens’ Bulldogs play better – Mississippi State 29, Kentucky 19.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Rutgers (5-2) at Nebraska (6-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – The Scarlet Knights fell apart against Ohio State. Nebraska isn’t going to be any easier. But strange things do happen. Nothing strange about this one – Nebraska 42, Rutgers 28.

4. USC (5-2) at Utah (5-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (10 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1) – The Utes are in the running for the Pac-12 South title. The Trojans would like to change that. They could, but they won’t – Utah 20, USC 17.

5. Arizona State (5-1) at Washington (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (10:45 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Boy, the Huskies just fell apart against Oregon. Then again, a lot of teams fall apart to the Ducks. ASU is in the hunt for the Pac-12 South title. But the hunt may be over. Chris Petersen has the Huskies prepared for the Sun Devils – Washington 30, Arizona State 27.

6. West Virginia (5-2) at Oklahoma State (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – The Mounties pulled off the big upset last week against Baylor. Okie State took it on the chin from TCU. The Cowboys will be angry and out for revenge after last year’s loss to WVU. Revenge won’t be a factor – West Virginia 30, Oklahoma State 29.

7. Oregon (6-1) at California (4-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (10 p.m. ET, Friday, FS1) – Cal has been in so many close games this season. The Bears have won some and they have lost some. They’ll lose this one and it won’t be close – Oregon 43, California 26.

8. Ohio State (5-1) at Penn State (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (8 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC) – The Buckeyes are on their march towards the meeting with Michigan State. But they have to get by Penn State first. The Nitts won’t make it easy for the Bucks in State College. But the Buckeyes take care of business – Ohio State 28, Penn State 21.

9. South Carolina (4-3) at Auburn (5-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, SECN) – The Gamecocks are out to get any win they can get now. They are no longer a contender. They are a spoiler. But they can’t spoil things for the Tigers – Auburn 30, South Carolina 22.

10. Maryland (5-2) at Wisconsin (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN) – The Terps got a good win over Iowa last week. It won’t be so good for the Turtles this week. The Badgers get their grove back – Wisconsin 30, Maryland 28.

11. Alabama (6-1) at Tennessee (3-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – The best thing about this game will be the reception Lane Kiffin gets in Knoxville. It could be fun. But Bama won’t make it fun for the Vols – Alabama 28, Tennessee 13.

12. Georgia Tech (5-2) at Pitt (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPNU) – Other than FSU, these ACC teams are hard to figure. They don’t play with any consistency. The Jackets are more consistent in this encounter – Georgia Tech 27, Pitt 24.

13. Wyoming (3-4) at Colorado State (6-1) – (MWC vs. MWC) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) – The Rams have their sights set on winning the MWC now. Maybe even slipping by East Carolina and Marshall for that Top Tier bowl spot. It’s a big challenge. The Rams have no problem here – Colorado State 31, Wyoming 20.

14. BYU (4-3) at Boise State (5-2) – (Ind. vs. MWC) (9 p.m. ET, Friday, ESPN) – Here’s two teams who are used to having better seasons than the way things are going this year. It’s not been the best year for either. But the season isn’t over yet. Not for the Broncos at least – Boise State 32, BYU 22.

15. Oregon State (4-2) at Stanford (4-3) – Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – The Trees have a great defense, but an awful offense. That means the Beavers have a chance to fell the Trees. But this bark is too tough for the Beavers – Stanford 22, Oregon State 13.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. Miami (Florida) (4-3) at Virginia Tech (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) (8 p.m. ET, Thursday, ESPN) – Two more ACC teams who have been up and down. Whatever happened to the Hokie team that beat Ohio State? Al Golden needs a win here. The pressure is on him at Miami. The pressure gets stronger – Virginia Tech 25, Miami 24.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Texas (3-4) at Kansas State (5-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN) – K-State is undefeated in Big 12 play. The Horns aren’t going to change that. Bill Snyder rules again – Kansas State 33, Texas 23.

Florida (3-3), Duke (6-1), Georgia (6-1) and Purdue (3-5) are off this week.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Temple (4-2) at UCF (4-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) (5 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBSSN) – …. South Florida (3-4) at Cincinnati (3-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) (7 p.m. ET, Friday, ESPN2).

Florida Atlantic (3-4) at Marshall (7-0) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1) …. Florida A&M (2-5) at North Carolina A&T (6-2) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Bethune Cookman (6-1) at South Carolina State (4-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (1:30 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Jacksonville U. (6-1) at Limestone (2-5) – (Pioneer vs. Ind.) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Stetson (2-5) at Davidson (1-7) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Mississippi College (1-5) at Florida Tech (4-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Florida State (7-0) and Florida International (3-5) are off this week.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . SEC commissioner Mike Slive will retire at the end of July in 2015. Slive has led the SEC since 2002…. LSU and Miami (Florida) will open the 2018 season in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. LSU also announced it has signed a home-and-home series with Texas to be played in 2019 and 2020.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting colder, the leaves were falling, the frost was on the pumpkins, and Halloween was just around the corner, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1944 was “I’ll Walk Alone” by Dinah Shore

…65 years ago this week in 1949 was “That Lucky Old Sun” by Frankie Laine

…60 years ago this week in 1954 was “Hey There” by Rosemary Clooney

…55 years ago this week in 1959 was “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin

…50 years ago this week in 1964 was “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” by Manfred Mann

…45 years ago this week in 1969 was “I Can’t Get Next to You” by The Temptations

…40 years ago this week in 1974 was “Nothing from Nothing” by Billy Preston

…35 years ago this week in 1979 was “Rise” by Herb Alpert

…30 years ago this week in 1984 was “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder

…25 years ago this week in 1989 was “Miss You Much” by Janet Jackson

…20 years ago this week in 1994 was “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men


Not directly college football related, but sadly there were two passings of note last week – Tommy Lewis and Tim Hauser.

Tommy Lewis, a former Alabama football player who gained fame for making a tackle when he was not supposed to be on the field, died last week in Huntsville, Alabama. He was 83. Lewis, a fullback for the Crimson Tide, came off the sideline in the 1954 Cotton Bowl and tackled All-American Rice halfback Dicky Moegle on the 50-yard line. Moegle had eluded Alabama’s Bart Starr and was clearly on his way to a 95-yard touchdown run when Lewis ran off the sideline and brought him down. Rice (and Moegle) was credited with the touchdown. Rice won the game 28-6. The two players appeared on Ed Sullivan’s CBS Variety Show two days later. Thomas Edison Lewis was born on October 7, 1931, in Greenville, Alabama. He was captain of the 1953 Alabama football team. After college, he served in the Army, played in the Canadian Football League and later became a high school football coach and insurance agent.

Tim Hauser, a singer who founded the Manhattan Transfer, a Grammy-winning vocal group that brought four-part harmonies to several decades’ worth of American popular songs, died last week in Sayre, Pennsylvania. He was 72. Begun in 1972, the Manhattan Transfer became known for a jazzy treatment of a wide spectrum of musical styles. The group had a razzle-dazzle stage presence, featuring slick costuming and choreography. Some of the group’s popular numbers were “Tuxedo Junction,” “Route 66,” “Operator,” “Groovin’” and “The Boy from New York City.” The years between 1979 and 1992 were the group’s heyday. Timothy DuPron Hauser was born in Troy, New York, on December 12, 1941, and grew up on the Jersey Shore in Ocean Township and Asbury Park. He studied economics at Villanova University, where he graduated in 1963.

College Football Week 8 – Irish-Noles; Big Week in Big 12
One Mississippi, two Mississippi

Counting down the seconds.

Well, I guess technically we should say, “One Mississippi State, three Ole Miss.”

That’s right. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Miss State is the No. 1 team in the country in, not one, but both polls – AP and Coaches. And Ole Miss is the No. 3 team in the country in both polls.

Saturday, the two teams were almost like twins. Both jumped out to early 21-0 leads on their respective opponents and both ended up winning by 15 points. Miss State beat Auburn 38-23 and Ole Miss beat Texas A&M 35-20.

It has been an amazing season for both schools. Last week, ESPN College GameDay was in Oxford for the first time. Saturday the popular pregame show made its first appearance in Starkville. And it could be back in Oxford on November 29 when Miss State and Ole Miss tangle in the Egg Bowl. That’s right. The Miss State-Ole Miss game could be bigger than the Auburn-Alabama game this year.

Then you have to wonder if both teams can hold onto their coaches after this season. In his sixth season with Miss State, Dan Mullen is 42-28. Hugh Freeze is 21-11 in his third season at Ole Miss.

It’s all but a done deal that Florida will dispose of Will Muschamp at the end of the season. The Bulldogs Dan Mullen is a former offensive coordinator at Florida under Urban Meyer. Mullen is also popular with the Gator Nation. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze doesn’t have any direct Gator ties, but I’m sure Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley wouldn’t give second thought about going after Freeze.

Of the two coaches, Mullen is the most likely to leave. Freeze is a Mississippi native. He was born in Oxford and grew up in Independence, Mississippi. His ties to the state of Mississippi are pretty strong. It may be easier to move a mountain than to get Freeze to leave Ole Miss for another school. But stranger things have happened.

Miss State would do everything in its power to hang onto Mullen. They know they have a gem of a coach in Mullen. It isn’t likely they could land someone else as good. But I’m sure if Foley decided he wanted Mullen, he would do everything in his power to secure him. But, Foley was once turned down by Bob Stoops and Mike Shanahan. Then again, Miss State isn’t Oklahoma or the Denver Broncos. Stay tuned.

Miss State and Ole Miss both have some tough games ahead on their schedules. It won’t be easy hanging onto their lofty spots in the polls. The SEC West is loaded for bear, especially this year. There’s not a bad team in the bunch.

After a break this week, Miss State needs to get by Kentucky and Alabama on the road and Arkansas at home before the Bulldogs finish up with Ole Miss in Oxford. Ole Miss has stiff encounters with Tennessee and Auburn at home and LSU and Arkansas on the road before the season finale against Miss State. It won’t be easy.

Speaking of several tough games in a row, how would you like to be Texas A&M? The Aggies just came off of back-to-back games against Miss State and Ole Miss. This week, they play Alabama in Tuscaloosa. After starting the season at 5-0, I think the Aggies will be 5-3 after Saturday. Fortunately, they have the week off next week.

If you didn’t catch it, we went from 10 to six undefeated teams over the weekend. Four previous unbeatens – Auburn, TCU, Georgia Tech and Arizona – fell for the first time this season. Auburn lost to Miss State, 38-23. TCU lost a heartbreaker to Baylor, 61-58. Georgia Tech fell to Duke for the first time in 10 years, 31-25. And Arizona lost a donnybrook to USC, 28-26.

Five of the six remaining undefeated teams are the Top 5 teams in the polls – Miss State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Baylor and Notre Dame. The sixth undefeated team is Marshall. The Herd entered the Top 25 this week for the first time this season. At the most, there will only be five undefeated teams this time next week. Notre Dame and Florida State tangle in Tallahassee. Miss State is off this week and Ole Miss, Baylor and Marshall appear to be safe. Stay tuned!

At the other end of the spectrum, three teams remain winless – Idaho (0-6), Kent State (0-6) and SMU (0-5).

If a ground game is your thing and you admire the efforts of good running backs, you should have been in Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, Saturday. In beating Illinois, 38-28, Wisconsin had 401 yards rushing. Two Badger running backs each rushed for more than 100 yards – Melvin Gordon 175 yards and Corey Clement 164 yards.

Conversely, in a game with the likes of T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry, and Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins when you would have expected to see a lot of yards piled up on the ground, you didn’t. In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Alabama beat Arkansas, 14-13. The Tide had a total of 66 yards rushing and Arkansas only 89 yards. Combined, Alabama’s Yeldon and Henry rushed for 70 yards. Combined, Arkansas’ Williams and Collins rushed for 96 yards.

I don’t know what it is this season. I don’t know if the coaches and athletic directors are on a short fuse. I don’t know if the game officials are becoming as corrupt as our politicians. Maybe it is a little of both. But there sure have been a slew of complaints about the officiating this year from several coaches and athletic directors.

Earlier in the season, USC athletic director Pat Haden uncharacteristically rushed down to the field from the press box to argue with officials over a call. This occurred in USC’s game against Stanford in Palo Alto – a game the Trojans won, 13-10. For his performance, the Pac-12 Conference fined Haden $25,000.

NC State coach Dave Doeren complained about the officiating in the Florida State-NC State game a few weeks back – a game the Seminoles won after the Wolf Pack had an early lead. Doeren said the ACC officials were blind to the blatant offensive holding of FSU. He also accused Florida State of faking injuries in the game to slow down the Wolf Pack. Afterwards, Doeren was forced to make an apology, half hearted as it was, to keep from being fined by the ACC.

Then Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard was fined $25,000 and reprimanded by the Big 12 Conference for ripping the officials after Iowa State’s loss to Oklahoma State. It was the largest fine ever doled out by the Big 12 against an AD or coach.

Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre chased down the officials after the Oregon State-Colorado game to complain about their efforts, or lack thereof – a game the Buffalos lost 36-31. MacIntyre had to be separated from the officials by security. He was fined $10,000 and reprimanded by the Pac-12.

Last week, the Pac-12 Conference’s coordinator of officials – Tony Corrente – resigned. Corrente has been on the hot seat all season. Officiating in a number of Pac-12 games has been questioned.

After NC State’s Doeren voiced his complaints, a conspiracy theory circulated throughout the ACC. According to the conspiracy, ACC officials have been ordered to go easy on Florida State since the Seminoles are the conference’s only hope of getting a team into the playoffs at the end of the season. Stay tuned!

Among the conferences, the SEC is the highest paying for officials – around $1,600 per game, plus expenses. The Sun Belt Conference pays the lowest – around $800 per game, plus expenses.

Speaking of money, after the Alabama-Ole Miss game, Ole Miss fans tore down both goal posts at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The goal posts cost $10,000 each to replace. In addition, Ole Miss was fined $50,000 by the SEC for letting the fans rush the field after the game. Ole Miss set up a website asking fans to donate to a fund to help pay for the charges. The athletic department hoped to collect $75,000. Late last week, Ole Miss fans had committed $102,000 to the fund. Not bad.

Remember former Northwestern and Colorado coach Gary Barnett? Well, add Barnett’s name to the openings at Kansas and SMU. He says he’s interested.

Friday, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I are off to Gainesville for the weekend. We’ll be attending the Missouri-Florida game Saturday. Staying at our favorite spot – the Laurel Oak Inn (www.Laureloakinn.com).

And, come next week, it just may be, “One Mississippi State, two Ole Miss.” Something about Notre Dame at Florida State. Stay tuned!

Touchdown Tom
October 13, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: A (Ko)Dak moment – Mississippi State 38, Auburn 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 34, Mississippi State 32). The Miss State quarterback, Dak Prescott, accounted for 367 of the Bulldogs 469 yards – 246 passing and 121 running. Prescott also jumped to No. 1 (with a bullet) on the Heisman pop charts. Miss State also was helped by Josh Robinson’s 97 yards rushing. The game was marred by turnovers. Early miscues by Auburn contributed to the Bulldogs’ 21-0 first quarter lead. There were eight turnovers in all – four by each team. Attendance in Starkville: 62,945

RUNNER UP: Bears Shock the Frogs – Baylor 61, TCU 58 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 34, TCU 27). Trailing 58-37 early in the fourth quarter, Baylor scored 24 unanswered points to rally and beat the Frogs. The Bears’ winning points came on a 28-yard field goal as time expired. Until the end, Baylor dominated TCU in everything but the score. The Bears had 39 first downs to 23 for TCU, 782 total yards to 485 for TCU, 510 yards passing to 346 for TCU, and 272 yards rushing to 139 for TCU. But the Bears also had three turnovers. The game was marred by 20 penalties – eight (110 yards) on TCU and 12 (117 yards) on Baylor. Baylor’s Shock Linwood rushed for 178 yards. Attendance in Waco: 45,034

REST OF THE BEST: That’s 0-2 against the teams from Mississippi – Ole Miss 35, Texas A&M 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 21, Ole Miss 20). Except for rushing, the Aggies dominated the statistics, including turnovers – three miscues for A&M to none for the Rebel Bears. Like their partners in crime from Starkville, the Rebel Bears also jumped out to an early 21-0 lead. A lead Ole Miss eventually built up to 35-7. The Aggies Kenny Hill passed for 401 yards. But A&M was lacking in a running game – only 54 yards on the ground. Attendance in College Station: 110,633

Raid! – Duke 31, Georgia Tech 25 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 31, Duke 21). The Dookies snapped a 10-year losing streak against Georgia Tech. The Jackets suffered from three turnovers to none for the Dookies. Attendance in Atlanta: 44,281

Marco takes the Middle – Marshall 49, Middle Tennessee 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Marshall 39, Middle Tennessee 20). Marshall racked up 589 total yards against the Blue Raiders, improving their record to 6-0. Rakeem Cato passed for 337 yards and Devon Johnson rushed for 134 yards. Attendance in Huntington: 30,210

We don’t need no Gurley – Georgia 34, Missouri 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 32, Georgia 30). Georgia’s Nick Chubb rushed for 143 yards. The Dawgs took advantage of five Missouri turnovers. Mizzou only had 147 total yards – 97 passing and 50 rushing. Georgia’s Hutson Mason completed 79 percent of his passes. Attendance in Columbia: 71,168

The rubber Duckies bounce back – Oregon 42, UCLA 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 33, UCLA 24). A reasonably close game, Oregon scored 21 unanswered points – midway through the third quarter to early in the fourth quarter – to take a commanding 42-10 lead. In an effort to catch up, UCLA scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. But it was too little too late. The Bruins dominated the stats, but not the final score. UCLA’s Paul Perkins rushed for 187 yards. Attendance in Pasadena: 80,139

Huskies catch the Bears hibernating – Washington 31, California 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 36, California 34). Cal looked promising until the Huskies came to town. But three turnovers to none for Washington doomed the Golden Bears. The Huskies led 28-0 at halftime. Attendance in Berkeley: 44,449

The sword is bigger than the Rod – USC 28, Arizona 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 30, USC 27). Trailing 28-13 in the fourth quarter, Arizona rallied, scoring two touchdowns, but the Wildcats’ two-point conversion attempt failed after the second touchdown. Had it succeeded, Arizona would have tied the score with 1:07 remaining. The Wildcats’ Anu Solomon passed for 395 yards, but Arizona only had 77 yards rushing. USC’s Javorius Allen rushed for 205 yards. Attendance in Tucson: 56,754

A Cardinal in the Paw is worth two in the bush – Clemson 23, Louisville 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 26, Louisville 17). Tied 17-17 late in the third quarter, two field goals (one in the third and one in the fourth) by Clemson was the difference in the game. The game was a defensive battle – only 12 first downs for the Tigers to 10 for the Cardinals. Clemson had 72 yards rushing to only 52 by Louisville. Attendance in Clemson: 81,500

Hog tied – Alabama 14, Arkansas 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 32, Arkansas 24). A defensive battle that was dominated by Arkansas, except for the final score. A blocked kick on an extra point attempt was the Hogs downfall. Arkansas had 18 first downs to 10 by Alabama, 335 total yards to 227 for Alabama, 246 yards passing to 161 for the Tide and 89 yards rushing to 66 for Bama. Attendance in Fayetteville: 72,337

Muschamp’s coup de grace – LSU 30, Florida 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 24, LSU 23). With less than two minutes left in the game, Florida had a first down on the LSU goal line and the Gators couldn’t punch it in. Instead, Florida had to settle for a field goal that tied the score at 27-27. The Tigers took advantage of the final 1:49. Three turnovers didn’t help the Gators any. Leonard Fournette finally stepped up for LSU, rushing for 140 yards. If he hadn’t already, I would suspect that Jeremy Foley made up his mind to fire Will Mustake by season’s end. Attendance in Gainesville: 88,014

The Birds – Iowa 45, Indiana 29 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Indiana 26). The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead, only to have the Hoosiers come back and make it an interesting game in the second quarter. Indiana trailed 28-21. But then Iowa scored 17 unanswered points and led 45-21 in the fourth quarter. Indiana’s Tevin Coleman rushed for 219 yards. Attendance in Iowa City: 68,590

Knights work overtime – UCF 31, BYU 24 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 29, BYU 27). UCF jumped out to a 10-0 first quarter lead and led 10-3 at the half. The third quarter belonged to the Cougars, thanks to turnovers by the Knights. BYU scored 21 unanswered points and led 24-10 with 9 minutes to go in the third. UCF held onto the ball and bounced back to tie the score at 24-24 by early in the fourth quarter. The Knights went on to win in overtime. UCF’s Justin Holman passed for 326 yards, but the Knights only had 63 yards rushing. Attendance in Orlando: 41,547

The Sooners made the River Red – Oklahoma 31, Texas 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, Texas 17). OU couldn’t shake the Horns. The Sooners had a 17-3 second quarter lead only to have Texas pull within four at 17-13 at the break. Then the Sooners built up a 31-13 lead by early in the fourth quarter. But the Horns pulled within five points at 31-26 with five minutes left in the game. Texas dominated the stats – 24 first downs to 11 for OU, 482 total yards to 232 for OU, 334 yards passing to 129 for OU and 148 yards rushing to 103 for OU. Texas also had 11 penalties to only three for OU. Attendance in Dallas: 92,100


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Yet another bummer coach for the Wolf Pack? – Boston College 30, NC State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, Boston College 26). This was a game of two former Florida quarterbacks competing against each other and Tyler Murphy beat Jacoby Brissett. Murphy accounted for 233 yards, while Brissett only managed 152 yards. BC had 411 total yards to 217 for the Wolf Pack. NC State only had 43 yards rushing. Attendance in Raleigh: 49,125


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Déjà vu Lambert – West Virginia 37, Texas Tech 34 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Texas Tech 29). Finally, the Mountaineers played ball in the second half – offense and defense. After looking so pathetic in second-half play all season, WVU scored 27 of its 37 points in the second half, and the Mounties outscored Tech 27-13 in the second half. Two WVU running backs rushed for more than 100 yards each – 123 yards for Wendell Smallwood and 110 yards for Rushel Shell. Tech’s DeAndre Washington rushed for 132 yards. Both quarterbacks – Clint Trickett and Davis Webb – passed for more than 300 yards. Trailing 34-20, with less than six minutes left in the game, the Mounties rallied with 17 unanswered points. WVU’s Josh Lambert (from Garland, Texas) kicked a 55-yard field goal as time expired to win the game for the Mountaineers. It’s the second time this season Lambert has kicked the winning field goal on an expiring clock. Attendance in Lubbock: 58,502

A game of spurts – Michigan State 45, Purdue 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 32, Purdue 19). The Spartans built up a 21-3 second quarter lead. Purdue closed the gap to 24-17 by the half. State then scored 14 points to increase its lead to 38-17. Purdue answered with two touchdowns to cut State’s lead to 38-31 with a little more than six minutes left in the game. Attendance in West Lafayette: 40,217


Week 7 Pick Results: 11 correct, 7 wrong (61.1 percent)
On the Season: 96 correct, 31 wrong (75.6 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida State 38, Syracuse 20 – Attendance in Syracuse: 43,295 …. Miami 55, Cincinnati 34 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 43,953 …. East Carolina 28, South Florida 17 – Attendance in Tampa: 31,567.

UTSA 16, Florida International 13 – Attendance in San Antonio: 25,318 …. Florida A&M 24, Savannah State 14 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 9,868 …. Bethune-Cookman 49, Howard 12 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 10,247.

Jacksonville U. 45, Morehead State 26 – Attendance in Morehead: 3,755 …. San Diego 31, Stetson 23 – Attendance in San Diego: 3,405 …. Florida Tech 33, West Alabama 32 – Attendance in Livingston: 3,250


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Baylor’s Bryce Petty – 28-55-2 for 510 yards; Texas A&M’s Kenny Hill – 42-53-2-401; Appalachian State’s Taylor Lamb – 20-31-2-397; Arizona’s Anu Solomon – 43-72-0-395; Buffalo’s Joe Licata – 27-44-2-383; Miami of Ohio’s Andrew Hendrix – 24-41-1-352; Texas Tech’s Davis Webb – 28-46-1-348, and Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 17-33-1-337.

Also, Texas’ Tyrone Swoopes – 27-44-1 for 334 yards; UNLV’s Blake Decker – 29-40-1-332; UCF’s Justin Holman – 30-51-2-326; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 26-36-0-326; Ball State’s Jack Milas – 26-42-0-326; UAB’s Cody Clements – 17-22-0-316; Florida State’s Jameis Winston – 29-36-0-313, and California’s Jared Goff – 35-51-0-304.

Also, North Carolina’s Marquise Williams – 24-41-1 for 303 yards; Fresno State’s Brian Burrell – 25-44-2-302; West Virginia’s Clint Trickett – 28-44-0-301; Notre Dame’s Everett Golson – 21-38-1-300; Utah State’s Darrel Garretson – 20-29-0-298; Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 27-50-1-297; Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 42-69-1-292, and Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell – 20-29-1-290.


Impressive Rushers:

Central Michigan’s Thomas Rawls – 270 yards; San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 246 yards; Indiana’s Tevin Coleman – 219 yards; USC’s Javorius Allen – 205 yards; Eastern Michigan’s Reggie Bell – 202 yards; UCLA’s Paul Perkins – 190 yards, and Arkansas State’s Michael Gordon – 188 yards.

Also, Baylor’s Shock Linwood – 178 yards; Troy’s Brandon Burks – 176 yards; Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon – 175 yards; Wisconsin’s Corey Clement – 164 yards; Miami of Florida’s Duke Johnson – 162 yards; Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin – 161 yards; Georgia Southern’s Matt Breida – 155 yards, and Temple’s Jahad Thomas – 152 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Alabama’s dynasty is over. I predicted Gus Malzahn was going to own Nick Saban. He’s going to own him,” ESPN’s Colin Cowherd, after Alabama’s loss to Ole Miss.

“I don’t know if that’s Lane doing that or if coach Saban is kind of putting the hand cuffs on Lane like I’ve known coach to do in the past on his offensive coordinator. It’s going to be interesting to see how they bounce back against Arkansas this week and what kind of offense comes out,” former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, on Nick Saban overriding his offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.

“I don’t know how A.J. would know, but I don’t think that’s the case,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, responding after former Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron said that this year’s Alabama team is lacking in leadership.

“Oh gosh. A.J. McCarron. Did he go to class? I mean, really. Did he make the league or not. I mean, really. He needs to be quiet. He was so fortunate to play in that program. He’s an average quarterback at best. He couldn’t have played anywhere else but Alabama, and to make any kind of comment is just disrespectful. He should keep his mouth shut and praise Saban and Alabama for the rest of his life,” former quarterback Fran Tarkington, on A.J. McCarron’s comments about Nick Saban and the Alabama team.

“Who are the two best coaches in college football? Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. What have they done in their last seven games? Both are 4-3,” former New Mexico, TCU, Alabama, Texas A&M and current Texas State coach Dennis Franchione.

“They should bitch about the way we perform. When we can’t cover kickoffs and we can’t do this, that and the other, it’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed at times the way we play,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.

“And speaking of disgraceful, do you know what is disgraceful? Florida State University – 22 months after the fact – breaking its silence and sending a letter to fans Friday trying to explain away why it totally dropped the ball on the Jameis Winston sexual assault investigation. The Seminoles pretty much blamed the entire ordeal on “media misinformation.” Question for FSU leaders (if there are any): If there is so much media information, why don’t you have a news conference and let the media ask you some questions,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Just what LSU’s defense needs – Jeff Driskel. LSU over Florida,” ESPN’s Desmond Howard.

“The NFL announced possible sites for next year’s draft have been narrowed to two locations. It’s either Rikers Island or San Quentin,” Conan O’Brien.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Notre Dame (6-0) at Florida State (6-0) – (Ind. vs. ACC) (8 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC) – The Noles have fallen from No. 1 to No. 2 in the polls. But a win over the Irish will most likely boost the Noles back into the No. 1 spot, especially since Miss State is idle this week. Chances are, the Irish will make FSU work for its win – assuming the Noles do win. It should be a good one in Tallahassee. My friend Tim Muth may not wear any underwear during this game. Or he may be changing his underwear frequently. Noles smoke the Irish – Florida State 23, Notre Dame 22.

RUNNER UP: 2. Washington (5-1) at Oregon (5-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (8 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1) – The Huskies aren’t big scorers, but they can play defense. Washington’s defense is capable of bottling up the Ducks offense. After the loss to Arizona, Oregon will be leery of teams like Washington. Puddles splashes the Huskies – Oregon 27, Washington 19.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Baylor (6-0) at West Virginia (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1) – Two years ago in Morgantown, this game was a classic – an epic contest. WVU won 70-63. The teams combined for almost 1,500 yards of total offense. It could be similar to that again this year. Baylor beat TCU last week, 61-58. The Bears can pass with Bryce Petty and run with Shock Linwood. No Bear skins for the Mountaineers – Baylor 39, West Virginia 34.

4. Kansas State (4-1) at Oklahoma (5-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Bill Snyder against Bob Stoops is generally a classic meeting of the minds. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be this year. Both have a loss, but only OU’s is a conference loss. The Sooners can’t afford another one. By the way, did Trevor Knight ever call Katy Perry? Trevor makes Katy proud – Oklahoma 25, Kansas State 23.

5. Oklahoma State (5-1) at TCU (4-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (4 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1) – TCU knocked off Oklahoma, then lost a doozy to Baylor. Okie State will be another doozy for the Frogs. But the Horny ones survive this doozy – TCU 27, Oklahoma State 22.

6. Rutgers (5-1) at Ohio State (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2) – A couple weeks ago, the Buckeyes belted Big Ten newcomer Maryland. And that was on the road. This week the Bucks belt the other Big Ten newcomer. And this one is in Columbus. It could be a long game for Rutgers. The Buckeyes scare the Scarlet out of the Knights – Ohio State 32, Rutgers 20.

7. Utah (4-1) at Oregon State (4-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (10 p.m. ET, Thursday, FS1) – After a couple of frustrating seasons in the Pac-12, the Utes are making some noise in the conference this season. The noise gets louder – Utah 28, Oregon State 25.

8. Texas A&M (5-2) at Alabama (5-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS) – After Miss State and Ole Miss, I’m not sure if the Aggies have anything left in them to battle Bama. Get to Kenny Hill and you get to the Aggies. A&M hasn’t shown much of a running game. Bama is due to explode after being held to 14 points last week. The Aggies get Trunked – Alabama 32, Texas A&M 22.

9. Kentucky (5-1) at LSU (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, SECN) – Kentucky is definitely playing better ball this season – no doubt about that. Question is: are the Wildcats playing good enough to handle LSU – and in Baton Rouge? It’s doubtful – LSU 27, Kentucky 19.

10. Stanford (4-2) at Arizona State (4-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Stanford’s defense can stop the Sun Devils. But can the Trees’ offense put points on the board against ASU. Stanford’s offense showed some promise last week against Washington State. The Sun Devils are confined to a Tree fort – Stanford 26, Arizona State 23.

11. Tennessee (3-3) at Ole Miss (6-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Tennessee has had a number of opportunities to knock off some big teams. So far, the Vols have not succeeded. They have another opportunity this week. Again they fail to succeed – Ole Miss 28, Tennessee 17.

12. Iowa (5-1) at Maryland (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – The Hawkeyes are 5-1, but most of the wins have been close – very close. And then there was the strange loss to Iowa State. Oh well, the Hawkeyes have another close win – Iowa 30, Maryland 28.

13. Georgia (5-1) at Arkansas (3-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) (4 p.m. ET, Saturday, SECN) – Georgia surprised everyone last week – blowing out Missouri and without Todd Gurley. Meanwhile, the Hogs have been oh so close in their last two losses. The Dawgs luck runs out – Arkansas 28, Georgia 26.

14. UCLA (4-2) at California (4-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2) – Brett Hundley is due for a good game. He looked terrible in the loss to Oregon. But then, most do. Hundley makes the Golden Bears look like Olden Bears – UCLA 34, California 24.

15. Clemson (4-2) at Boston College (4-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPNU) – Boston College doesn’t look like the same team from week-to-week – good one week, bad another. After looking good last week, it’s time for the Eagles to look bad – Clemson 33, Boston College 22.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. NC State (4-3) at Louisville (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, FSN) – The Cardinals gave Clemson a scare. The Wolf Pack didn’t. Cardinals do more than scaring this week – Louisville 27, NC State 18.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Missouri (4-2) at Florida (3-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – Most likely, Treon Harris returns to the field for the Gators this week. Jeff Driskel has been banned to the low lying areas of The Swamp. Gator fans should be happy. Let’s just hope Harris doesn’t celebrate too wildly after this week’s game. Albert tanks the Tigers – Florida 24, Missouri 22.

Virginia (4-2) at Duke (5-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) (12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ACCN) – I’d be leery of the Cavaliers. They can sneak up on you. And the Dookies may be caught celebrating the win over Georgia Tech. The Dookies celebrate some more – Duke 21, Virginia 20.

Nebraska (5-1) at Northwestern (3-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, BTN) – Last year, Nebraska needed a Hail-Mary to beat the Wildcats. This year, a Bloody Mary should do. Wildcats can’t pop the Corn – Nebraska 28, Northwestern 20.

Purdue (3-4) at Minnesota (5-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN) – Did you notice what happened last week. The Boilers gave Michigan State a scare – well, a bit of one. Still, it showed signs of promise. The Gophers break the Boilers promise – Minnesota 33, Purdue 27.

Iowa State (2-4) at Texas (2-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (8 p.m. ET, Saturday, LHN) – The Horns definitely gave Oklahoma a scare. So that means the Horns will probably get a scare from the Cyclones this week. One thing about Texas – there is no consistency. But just enough consistency to beat the Cyclones – Texas 30, Iowa State 23.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Tulane (2-4) at UCF (3-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU) …. South Florida (2-4) at Tulsa (1-5) – (AAC vs. AAC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNews) …. Western Kentucky (2-3) at Florida Atlantic (2-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (12 noon ET, Saturday, Local).

Marshall (6-0) at Florida International (3-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (6 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) …. Florida A&M (1-5) at Howard (1-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Bethune-Cookman (5-1) at Savannah State (0-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (6 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Jacksonville U. (5-1) at Stetson (2-4) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (6 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. North Alabama (5-0) at Florida Tech (4-2) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) (6 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Miami (4-3) is off.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Harley Clark, the former Texas cheerleader credited with starting the “Hook ’em Horns” hand signal used by tens of thousands of Longhorns faithful over the past six decades, died last week at his farm outside of Austin. He was 78.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly, there were three passings of note last week – Paul Revere, Jimmy Feix and Jan Hooks.

Paul Revere, the keyboardist who founded Paul Revere & the Raiders, a band whose Top 10 hits were staples of the 1960s, died last weekend at his home in Garden Valley, Idaho. He was 76. The band’s hits, with Mark Lindsay on lead vocals, were upbeat 1960s pop-rock, including “Just Like Me” (1965), “Kicks” (1966), “Good Thing” (1966), “Him or Me – What’s It Gonna Be” (1967), “I Had a Dream” (1967), “Too Much Talk” (1968), “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” (1969), “Let Me” (1969), among others. The band’s biggest hit, “Indian Reservation,” reached No. 1 in 1971 and sold more than a million copies. Paul Revere Dick was born on January 7, 1938, in Harvard, Nebraska. He decided on a career in music as a teenager. He formed a band called the Downbeats and renamed it the Raiders in 1960. Lindsay joined in 1958. The group appeared regularly on “Where the Action Is,” the ABC spinoff of “American Bandstand.”

Jimmy Feix, Western Kentucky’s winningest football coach and former athletic director, died last week. He was 83. A former Hilltopper player, Feix coached Western Kentucky to a 106-56-6 record as head coach from 1968 to 1983. He was then the school’s director of alumni affairs and athletic director until he retired in 1990. Jimmy Feix was born and raised in Henderson, Kentucky.

Jan Hooks, whose flair for comedy was showcased on “Saturday Night Live” for five years, died last week in New York City. She was 57. Hooks joined “SNL” in 1986. She left the show in 1991, but returned several times for special appearances. After “SNL,” Hooks joined the cast of TV’s “Designing Women.” She later had a recurring role on “3rd Rock from the Sun” and more recently on “30 Rock.” Hooks was born in Decatur, Georgia, on April 23, 1957 and grew up in Atlanta.