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.