College Football Week 11 – K-State at TCU; Buckeyes at Spartans
Knock, knock – you’re out

That’s what Auburn said to Ole Miss.

Fourteen teams – two undefeated and 12 with one-loss – are still standing after the first round of knockout games over the weekend. Knockout Round 1 is over.

The first of the weekly playoff rankings from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee was released last Tuesday evening. Each weekend through December 6, the so-called knockout games will whittle the list of contending teams down to four. The Top 4 teams in the final playoff rankings will go on to compete in the four-team playoff for the national championship.

After the competition over the weekend, there was no change in the number of undefeated teams – two. But the list of one-loss teams in the playoff rankings was reduced from 17 to 12. Five of the one-loss teams – Ole Miss, Georgia, Arizona, Utah and East Carolina – were knocked out.

In the biggest knockout game of the weekend, No. 3 Auburn (7-1) beat No. 4 Ole Miss (7-2), 35-31, all but knocking the Rebel Bears out of any possibility for the playoffs. It was Ole Miss’ second-straight loss, after beginning the season 7-0.

Unheralded Florida stunned No. 11 Georgia (6-2) in perhaps what was the weekend’s biggest shocker. The Gators knocked out the Dawgs to the tune of 38-20. And in another shocker, No. 23 East Carolina (6-2), a contender for the Golden Ticket berth, fell to Temple, 20-10. The Pirates can all but forget that berth now.

East Carolina was the highest-ranked Group of 5 team in the playoff rankings. That ranking had the Pirates headed for a spot in one of the Top Tier bowls on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Marshall, at 8-0, most likely will replace East Carolina as the highest-ranked Group of 5 team. But don’t count out Colorado State (8-1) or Boise State (6-2). Stay tuned!

No. 12 Arizona (6-2) had its hopes doused by No. 22 UCLA (7-2). The Bruins shut down the Wildcats high-powered offense, beating Arizona, 17-7. In another knockout game out West, No. 17 Utah (6-2) lost to No. 14 Arizona State (7-1), 19-16 in overtime.

In addition to Auburn and Arizona State, other big survivors over the weekend were Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn, TCU and Duke. No. 1 Miss State (8-0) hung on to beat Arkansas, 17-10. No. 2 Florida State (8-0) rallied to beat No. 25 Louisville (6-3), 42-31.

Thanks to a 37-yard field goal as time expired, No. 7 TCU (7-1) knocked out No. 20 West Virginia (6-3), 31-30. Thanks to a missed field goal, No. 24 Duke (7-1) escaped to beat Pitt 51-48 in two overtimes.

Other winners among the contenders were Oregon, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Baylor, Nebraska and Ohio State – all survived. No. 5 Oregon (7-1) had no problem with Stanford, beating the Cardinal, 45-16. No. 9 Kansas State (7-1) spanked Oklahoma State, 48-14. No. 10 Notre Dame (7-1) struggled at times before downing Navy, 49-39.

No. 13 Baylor (7-1) slaughtered Kansas, 60-14. No. 15 Nebraska (8-1) lost running back Ameer Abdullah to injury, but easily handled Purdue 35-14, and No. 16 Ohio State (7-1) had no trouble with Illinois, beating the Banned Indians, 55-14.

Another winner, No. 18 Oklahoma (6-2), blasted Iowa State, 59-14. No. 6 Alabama (7-1) and No. 8 Michigan State (7-1) did not play. No. 19 LSU (7-2) and No. 21 Clemson (6-2) also had the week off.

With the losses by Ole Miss, Georgia and Arizona, and with Alabama and Michigan State being idle, look for Oregon, TCU, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Baylor, Arizona State, Nebraska and Ohio State to make big moves in the playoff rankings when they are released Tuesday night. Oklahoma, UCLA and Duke should show improvement too.

There are five huge knockout games this week – Kansas State at TCU, Ohio State at Michigan State, Notre Dame at Arizona State, Alabama at LSU and Baylor at Oklahoma. The loser in those five games can kiss their chances goodbye.

In addition, two high-ranked teams in the playoff poll – Oregon and UCLA are facing some stiff challenges. The Ducks visit Salt Lake City to take on an always dangerous Utah. Meanwhile, the Bruins travel up the coast to Seattle for an encounter at Washington.

Barring major upsets, Mississippi State (UT-Martin), Florida State (Virginia), Auburn (Texas A&M), Clemson (Wake Forest), and Duke (Syracuse) should have little to no trouble. Nebraska has the week off.

Marshall, as mentioned earlier, may replace East Carolina in the playoff rankings this week as the Golden Ticket berth team. Marshall should have no trouble improving to 9-0 on Saturday. The Herd plays Southern Miss on the road.

Well, after all the shenanigans over the weekend, seven new candidates popped up on various “hot seat” lists out Sunday. Some of them are interesting too. How about Mark Richt for starters? Yeah, after the loss to Florida, some Dawg fans are calling for Richt’s head. Richt does have problems putting it all together.

Three other coaches joining some hot seat lists are Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer, North Carolina’s Larry Fedora and Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald. The Hokies lost to Boston College, 33-31, falling to 4-5 on the season (1-4 in the ACC). The Tar Heels lost to Miami (Florida), 47-20, giving them a 4-5 mark overall. North Carolina fans, in general, are in a funk right now with all the problems going on in Chapel Hill.

Meanwhile, in Evanston, a better season was expected for Fitzgerald’s Wildcats (3-5). Northwestern lost to Iowa, 48-7.

And last, but not least, three more names surfacing on hot seat lists after Saturday were Mike Leach, Mike Gundy and – drum roll – Steve Spurrier. Leach is making no progress in Pullman. Washington State, 2-7 (1-5 in the Pac-12) lost to USC, 44-17. In Stillwater, Gundy’s Cowboys lost their third-straight game by a big score. Oklahoma State fell to Kansas State, 48-14.

Finally, Gamecock fans are not happy. Picked to win the SEC East Division, South Carolina is 4-5 (2-5 in the SEC). Saturday, the Gamecocks lost at home to Tennessee, 45-42 in overtime.

Stay tuned!

Another coach apologized Sunday for his team’s actions – or lack thereof. Prior to the start of the Maryland-Penn State game in State College, the Maryland captains refused to shake hands with the Penn State captains after the coin toss ceremony.

“That’s not who we are. I apologize for that,” Maryland coach Randy Edsall.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Penn State coach James Franklin.

Last week, Michigan coach Brady Hoke apologized to Michigan State. Prior to the Wolverines game against the Spartans in East Lansing, a Michigan player drove a stake into the field at Spartan Stadium.

Speaking of the Wolverines, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon resigned last week. Brandon has been under fire from Michigan students, faculty and fans. His resignation was readily accepted, without hesitation, from Michigan president Mark Schlissel.

Michigan should have known better than to bring in someone from a tacky pizza company to run their athletic department. Promoting an athletic program at a major university requires more class than selling pepperoni and extra cheese on pizzas. Marketing, public relations and finances, not to mention Michigan’s football team, were all going downhill during Brandon’s tenure in Ann Arbor. Michigan coach Brady Hoke most likely will be fired next.

Somebody in the media was impressed by the Gators win over Georgia. Florida got one point in the AP poll. And Steve Spurrier doesn’t vote in the AP poll.

And then there was the sign at College GameDay in Morgantown: “North Carolina: Where getting a college degree is easier than Marshall’s schedule.”

Are you ready for the knockout games this week? Knockout Round 2 is coming. Knock, knock – you’re out! Who’s it going to be?

If you haven’t voted already, make sure you get out and vote on Tuesday!

Touchdown Tom
November 3, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Down and out – Auburn 35, Ole Miss 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 24, Auburn 17). The lead changed hands four times in the game. It almost changed hands five times. It did for a while. But on review, it was determined that Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell fumbled the ball inches before he crossed the goal line. That “almost touchdown” would have given the Rebel Bears the lead with only 1:30 left in the game. It was an unusual game for Auburn – unusual in that the Tigers had more yards passing – 254 – than they did running – 253. Well, one more yard. The lack of a running game continued to be a problem for Ole Miss. Bo Wallace passed for 341 yards. He was also the Rebel Bears leading rusher with 61 yards. Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne rushed for 143 yards. Attendance in Oxford: 62,090

RUNNER UP: Wakeup call – Florida State 42, Louisville 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 27, Louisville 23). With less than a minute to go in the first half, Louisville had a 21-0 lead over Florida State. But it was all Noles after that. FSU outscored the Cardinals 42-10, with the first 7 of those 42 points coming with 33 seconds left before the half. Louisville had the ability to score against FSU, but the Cardinals had no defense to contain the Noles. FSU had 574 yards on offense. Louisville, in turn, was 1-for-11 on third down conversions. Attendance in Louisville: 55,414

REST OF THE BEST: Devils get their kicks – Arizona State 19, Utah 16 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 27, Utah 26). Late in the fourth quarter, Arizona State’s Zane Gonzalez kicked a 30-yard field goal to tie the score. In the first overtime period, Gonzalez kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Sun Devils the victory. ASU dominated the game, outgaining Utah 444 yards to 241. The Utes only had 57 yards passing. Devontae Booker’s 146 yards rushing and two turnovers by the Sun Devils kept Utah in the game. Attendance in Tempe: 53,754

It came down to a Frog’s leg – TCU 31, West Virginia 30 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 37, West Virginia 34). Five turnovers and the lack of an offense in the fourth quarter doomed the Mountaineers. WVU led 27-14 late in the third quarter. West Virginia’s defense played an excellent game until TCU’s final drive in the closing seconds. All five of WVU’s turnovers were in their own territory. Clint Trickett is a good quarterback, but he is a careless quarterback. He’s a good-careless quarterback. Or is he a careless-good quarterback? TCU’s Jaden Oberkrom kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired. Attendance in Morgantown: 61,190

Where’s the offense? – UCLA 17, Arizona 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 34, UCLA 32). It’s not often a Rich Rod team only scores 7 points. UCLA outgained the Arizona 460 yards to 255. The Wildcats only had 80 yards rushing. Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon only completed 37 percent of his passes. Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley passed for 189 yards and rushed for another 131 yards. What was expected to be an offensive extravaganza ended up a defensive battle. Attendance in Pasadena: 80,246

A pond of a day – Oregon 45, Stanford 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 20, Stanford 12). Oregon made up for its recent losses to Stanford. The Ducks’ Marcus Mariota passed for 258 yards and ran for another 85. Stanford’s defense, which has been the only good thing about the Trees all season, fell apart against Oregon. The Ducks had 525 total yards – 258 passing and 267 rushing. Attendance in Eugene: 58,794

Purple pride – Kansas State 48, Oklahoma State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 33, Oklahoma State 13). Kansas State remains the only undefeated team in Big 12 Conference play. Early in the fourth quarter, K-State had a 45-7 lead over the Cowboys. Attendance in Manhattan: 53,746

The Bulldogs by a Pork rind – Mississippi State 17, Arkansas 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 30, Arkansas 18). Arkansas came to play and the Hogs almost beat Miss State. State’s Dak Prescott passed for 331 yards and rushed for 61. But he also threw three interceptions. In the waning seconds of the game, Arkansas, near the Bulldogs’ goal line, was poised to score until quarterback Brandon Allen threw his only interception of the game. Attendance in Starkville: 63,207

Mizzou’s on top in the SEC East – Missouri 20, Kentucky 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 26, Kentucky 25). A lot of defense; not much offense. Mizzou’s Maty Mauk passed for 164 yards and rushed for another 75. Kentucky only had 102 yards rushing. Attendance in Columbia: 62,004

Walked the gang plank – Temple 20, East Carolina 10 (Touchdown Tom said: East Carolina 30, Temple 19). Five turnovers – all fumbles – doomed the Pirates. Temple grabbed a 14-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back. ECU dominated the Owls with 428 total yards to 135 for Temple. The Owls only had 70 yards passing and 65 rushing. Attendance in Philadelphia: 22,130

On Badgers – Wisconsin 37, Rutgers 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 38, Rutgers 26). Wisconsin put on a running show with 298 yards rushing – 131 for Corey Clement and 128 for Melvin Gordon. Clement averaged 9.4 yards per carry. The Badgers held Rutgers to 63 yards passing and 76 rushing. Attendance in Piscataway: 52,797

Buzz – Georgia Tech 35, Virginia 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 29, Virginia 25). Tech’s Synjyn Days rushed for 147 yards, while the Yellow Jackets’ defense held Virginia to 22 yards rushing. Attendance in Atlanta: 46,657

I’m shocked – Florida 38, Georgia 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Florida 17). I’m flabbergasted. I figured the Gators would play inspired football and that Will Muschamp would pull out all stops – Florida’s first touchdown was on a fake field goal attempt. But I didn’t figure that would be enough to conquer the Dawgs. The game was worse than the score indicates. Georgia scored its last touchdown with 0:03 remaining in the game. Florida only had 27 yards passing, but Georgia couldn’t stop the run. The Gators had 418 yards rushing. Florida’s Kelvin Taylor rushed for 197 yards and Matt Jones added another 192 on the ground. Attendance in Jacksonville: 83,004

Turtles by a hare – Maryland 20, Penn State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 30, Maryland 20). Entering the fourth quarter, Penn State led 16-7. But Maryland outscored the Nitts 13-3 in the final period. Neither team played inspired football. Maryland only had 33 yards rushing and Penn State only had 42. Both had less than 200 yards passing. Maryland’s winning field goal came with 0:51 left in the game. Attendance in State College: 103,969

The slide continues in Blacksburg – Boston College 33, Virginia Tech 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 22, Virginia Tech 19). Tech’s Max Brewer passed for 345 yards, but the Hokies only had 69 yards rushing. Most of the action was in the fourth quarter. The teams scored 24 points in the final 7 minutes of the game. Attendance in Blacksburg: 55,729


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

The Birds – Iowa 48, Northwestern 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Northwestern 20). Iowa dominated the game with 483 total yards to only 180 for Northwestern. The Hawkeyes remain a contender for the Big Ten West crown. Attendance in Iowa City: 66,887


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Damaged Corn – Nebraska 35, Purdue 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 38, Purdue 23). Nebraska played most of the game without running back Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah sprained and bruised his knee on the Huskers’ second possession and sat out the rest of the game. Purdue outgained the Huskers 340 yards to 297. But the game was never really in doubt. Attendance in Lincoln: 91,107

Devils pull out another one – Duke 51, Pitt 48 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Pitt 21). No defense in this game. The teams combined for 1,036 total yards. Pitt had 37 first downs to 25 for Duke. Pitt’s James Conner rushed for 263 yards; while Duke’s Anthony Boone passed for 266 yards. The Panthers were 9-for-13 in third-down efficiency. Attendance in Pittsburgh: 39,293

No Kliff-hanger – Texas 34, Texas Tech 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Texas Tech 20). Late in the second quarter, Texas Tech led 13-10. But the Red Raiders never scored again. Texas went on to score 24 unanswered points. Tech is 1-6 in its last seven games. Attendance in Lubbock: 60,961


Week 10 Pick Results: 14 correct, 5 wrong (73.7 percent)
On the Season: 139 correct, 45 wrong (75.5 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Miami 47, North Carolina 20 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 51,702 …. Connecticut 37, UCF 29 – Attendance in East Hartford: 28,751 …. Houston 27, South Florida 3 – Attendance in Tampa: 29,782.

UAB 31, Florida Atlantic 28 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 17,724 …. Rice 31, Florida International 17 – Attendance in Miami: 12,097 …. Norfolk State 12, Florida A&M 10 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 18,663.

Bethune-Cookman 34, North Carolina Central 20 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 3,661 …. Marist 17, Jacksonville U. 16 – Attendance in Poughkeepsie: 914 …. Stetson 28, Campbell 24 – Attendance in Buies Creek: 2,878 …. Florida Tech 34, Shorter 30 – Attendance in Rome: 2,250


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

New Mexico State’s Tyler Rogers – 36-52-2 for 404 yards; USC’s Cody Kessler – 21-32-0-400; Washington State’s Lucas Falk – 38-57-1-370; Ole Miss’ Bo Wallace – 27-39-0-361; Hawaii’s Ikaika Woolsey – 26-46-2-356; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 28-54-0-349, and South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson – 20-32-1-347.

Also, Virginia Tech’s Max Brewer – 31-48-0 for 345 yards; Louisiana Tech’s Cody Sokol – 30-42-1-335; State’s Dak Prescott – 18-27-2-331; Louisville’s Will Gardner – 20-38-1-330; Wyoming’s Colby Kirkegaard – 19-28-0-320; Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 30-45-1-320, and Georgia’s Hutson Mason – 26-42-0-319.

Also, BYU’s Christian Stewart – 28-45-0 for 316 yards; Notre Dame’s Everett Golson – 18-25-1-315; Colorado’s Sefo Liufau – 36-52-1-314; San Jose State’s Joe Gray – 26-51-2-308; Syracuse’s A.J. Long – 22-42-2-307; Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs – 23-40-1-301; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 22-28-0-290, and Old Dominion’s Taylor Heinicke – 22-37-1-290;


Impressive Rushers:

Wyoming’s Brian Hill – 281 yards; Pitt’s James Conner – 263 yards; Appalachian State’s Marcus Cox – 250 yards; Florida’s Kelvin Taylor – 197 yards; Memphis’ Brandon Hayes – 197 yards; Florida’s Matt Jones – 192 yards; California’s Daniel Lasco – 188 yards, and Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin – 182 yards.

Also, New Mexico State’s Larry Rose – 181 yards; Miami of Florida’s Duke Johnson – 177 yards; Washington’s Shaq Thompson – 174 yards; UAB’s Jordan Howard – 167 yards; Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs – 166 yards; Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb – 166 yards, and Central Michigan’s Devon Spalding – 154 yards.

Also, East Carolina’s Chris Hairston – 153 yards; Utah State’s Lajuan Hunt – 150 yards; Notre Dame’s Tarean Folston – 149 yards; San Jose State’s Tyler Ervin – 149 yards; Georgia Tech’s Synjyn Days – 147 yards; Oklahoma’s Trevor Knight – 146 yards, and Utah’s Devontae Booker – 146 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Well, you’ve got to get home and explain to your 9-year-old why they’re chanting to fire your dad. That’s not very fun,” Florida coach Will Muschamp.

“When you drive to the hoop in the Big 12, you’ll draw a foul. When you drove to the hoop in the Big East, you would draw blood,” West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins.

“Muschamp is going to get fired; it just hasn’t been announced yet. I suspect the official announcement will come Sunday after the Gators get destroyed by the Dawgs,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“In my opinion, Muschamp made two fatal errors: He hired the wrong coordinators and he chose the wrong quarterback,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“In short, Muschamp either hindered the development of the offense over four years or he chose the wrong people to coordinate it and quarterback it. I guess it doesn’t really matter. Either way, it’s his fault,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“We’ve had about three or four like this, this year. So, I guess I should be getting used to it by now. But I have a tough time getting used to these kind of things. So I don’t need to take any questions. You guys watched it, and I need to just get out of here,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, after the Gamecocks loss to Tennessee.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Kansas State (7-1) at TCU (7-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Fox) – K-State is undefeated in Big 12 play. Their one loss was to Auburn. TCU’s lone loss was to Baylor in the Big 12. Both teams have explosive offenses. The Wildcats have the better defense. The winner has a good chance of making the four-team playoff. I like the Wildcats’ chances – Kansas State 33, TCU 30.

RUNNER UP: 2. Ohio State (7-1) at Michigan State (7-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (8 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC) – The Spartans have a quality win (Nebraska) and a good loss (Oregon). Ohio State, on the other hand, has no quality wins and a bad loss (Virginia Tech). The winner has a good chance of making the playoffs. The loser can forget it. Spartans are tougher – Michigan State 26, Ohio State 25.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Notre Dame (7-1)) at Arizona State (7-1) – (Ind. vs. Pac-12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC) – The Irish are not respected in the playoff rankings because they have no quality wins. They do have a good loss (Florida State). Beating the Sun devils will give the Irish a quality win and more respect in the rankings. But ASU has visions of sugar plums too – Arizona State 30, Notre Dame 28.

4. Alabama (7-1) at LSU (7-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (8 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS) – This is a different LSU team than the one that began the season. The Tigers are better. But this is a different Alabama team since the one that lost to Ole Miss. The Tide is better too – Alabama 28, LSU 27.

5. Oregon (8-1) at Utah (6-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (10 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Utah was looking good until Arizona State came along. And how did the Utes ever lose to Washington State? Oregon has been on a mission since the loss to Arizona. The Ducks are serious playoff contenders too. The Lake isn’t too salty for the Ducks – Oregon 27, Utah 18.

6. Baylor (7-1) at Oklahoma (6-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1) – Baylor has a shot at the playoffs. And OU isn’t entirely out of it yet. The Bears are the only team that has beaten TCU. The Sooners are looking for another good win. Baylor’s just the team – Oklahoma 35, Baylor 27.

7. Texas A&M (6-3) at Auburn (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS) – Remember back at the beginning of the season when we all thought Texas A&M was going to be good? And Kenny Hill became Kenny Trill? Well, the Trill is gone – literally. And the Aggies aren’t good. After a couple tough games, Aubie has an easy time of it – Auburn 39, Texas A&M 20.

8. UCLA (7-2) at Washington (6-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1) – Slim as they are, the Bruins are still hanging onto hopes. They may be pipe dreams. But the Bruins can still win the Pac-12. It has been a tough inaugural season for Chris Petersen at Washington. It gets tougher – UCLA 24, Washington 22.

9. Iowa (6-2) at Minnesota (6-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – Both teams are still in the running for the Big Ten West title. After Saturday, the Gophers will be in the running for the hole – Iowa 27, Minnesota 24.

10. Virginia (4-5) at Florida State (8-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (6:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Most teams would give a fortune to have FSU’s schedule – Knitting Society State College one week; Baptist Preachers State U. the next week. And we all know Virginia is for lovers – not football. The Noles are lovin’ it – Florida State 33, Virginia 15.

11. Louisville (6-3) at Boston College (6-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) (7:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – What a surprise BC has been this season – surprisingly good. And Louisville ain’t bad either. This should be a good one. More good for the Eagles – Boston College 26, Louisville 23.

12. Georgia Tech (7-2) at NC State (5-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) (12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ACCN) – Typically, just when Tech is about to convince you it really is a pretty good team, the Jackets up and lose. That could happen Saturday. But it won’t – Georgia Tech 29, NC State 22.

13. Georgia (6-2) at Kentucky (5-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN) – So, how will the Dawgs respond, following the loss to Florida? Will they be in a funk? The Wildcats hope so. But they shouldn’t get their hopes up. The Dawgs rebound – Georgia 30, Kentucky 25.

14. Marshall (8-0) at Southern Miss (3-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) – Southern Miss isn’t even a trap game. This won’t do anything for Marshall’s credibility in the playoff poll. The Herd can’t lose – Marshall 36, Southern Miss 19.

15. West Virginia (6-3) at Texas (4-5) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1) – How will the Eers respond to the heartbreaking loss to TCU? They can’t afford to get in a funk. Texas is a winnable game. The Horns are out of tune – West Virginia 27, Texas 23.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. Louisiana Tech (6-3) at UAB (5-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (12 noon ET, Saturday, Local) – UAB could be looking ahead to Marshall; while La Tech is looking to win the C-USA West. The Bulldogs get to play Marshall too – Louisiana Tech 29, UAB 26.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Florida (4-3) at Vanderbilt (3-6) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, SECN) – Vandy is all excited. The Dores think they are catching Florida at the right time – still celebrating the Georgia victory. Guess what Vandy? – The Gators can multi-task – Florida 24, Vanderbilt 12.

Duke (7-1) at Syracuse (3-6) – (ACC vs. ACC) (12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) – The Dookies are looking forward to knocking off FSU in the ACC title game. But they have to win the Coastal Division first. The Cuse are another notch in the Dookies’ pitch fork – Duke 29, Syracuse 23.

Wisconsin (6-2) at Purdue (3-6) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU) – The Badgers still have a shot at winning the Big Ten west. And the Boilers won’t stop them – Wisconsin 30, Purdue 17.

Nebraska (8-1) is off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida Atlantic (3-6) at North Texas (2-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) …. Florida International (3-6) at Old Dominion (3-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local).

South Carolina State (6-3) at Florida A&M (2-7) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (3 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Bethune-Cookman (7-2) at Norfolk State (4-5) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, ESPNU).

Jacksonville U. (7-2) at Davidson (1-8) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Marist (3-6) at Stetson (4-5) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (3 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Florida Tech (6-3) at West Georgia (7-2) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) (2 p.m. ET, Saturday)

Miami (6-3), UCF (5-3) and South Florida (3-6) are off.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Florida A&M fired football coach Earl Holmes. Holmes overall record at FAMU was 6-16…. Former Iowa State football coach and Florida State and Vanderbilt athletic director Clay Stapleton died in Missouri City, Missouri. He was 93. Stapleton was the coach of the Cyclones from 1958 to 1967. He was raised in Fleming, Kentucky, and played football at Tennessee. Stapleton began his coaching career at Wofford College.

John Kadlec, a University of Missouri sports icon whose Tiger career spanned more than a half-century as player, coach, administrator and broadcaster, died. He was 86. Kadlec, known as “Mr. Mizzou,” played football under coach Don Faurot in the 1940s and served as an assistant coach under Dan Devine and Al Onofrio. He was the radio game analyst for 16 seasons and was a longtime director of the Tiger Scholarship Fund.

Georgia Tech and South Florida have scheduled a home-and-home football series for 2021 and 2022…. The Big Ten begins playing a nine-game conference schedule in 2016. The Big Ten joins the Big 12 and Pac-12 who also play a nine-game conference schedule.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but in early November as the college football season began its final stretch, 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 “This Ole House” 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 “Baby Love” by The Supremes

…45 years ago this week in 1969 was “Suspicious Minds” by Elvis Presley

…40 years ago this week in 1974 was “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

…35 years ago this week in 1979 was “Pop Muzik” by M

…30 years ago this week in 1984 was “Caribbean Queen” by Billy Ocean

…25 years ago this week in 1989 was “Listen to Your Heart” by Roxette

…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 – Oscar Taveras and Thomas Menino.

Oscar Taveras, the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder, died last week in the Dominican Republic. He was 22. Taveras was killed in a car wreck. He made his major league debut on May 31 of this season and played 80 games for the Cardinals. Taveras batted .239 with three homeruns. Oscar Taveras was born in July 1992.

Thomas Menino, Boston’s longest-serving mayor, died last week in Boston. He was 71. Menino was Boston’s first Italian-American mayor and its first mayor not of Irish descent since 1930. Thomas Michael Menino was born on December 27, 1942, in the Hyde Park area of Boston. He was first elected to city council in 1983. He became mayor in 1993 and held the office to 2013.