College Football Week 13 – Will Muschamp fired
A terrible game; a great weekend

“Gary Patterson, Doc Holliday, Rich Rodriguez?”

“South Carolina?”

Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I were in Gainesville over the weekend for our second and final Gator football game of the season. Instead of driving up to Gainesville together as we usually do, we arrived separately this time and from different directions.

Swamp Mama and I left Brevard County on Tuesday morning, driving up to Florida’s panhandle for a few days visit with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. Bootsie and Rockledge Gator left Brevard County Thursday morning, meandering their way through the back roads of Florida, south of Gainesville.

Friday, the four of us rendezvoused for a late lunch in Trenton, Florida. Trenton is about 35 miles west of Gainesville. Swamp Mama and I arrived from the north; Bootsie and Rockledge Gator from the south. Following lunch, we convoyed over to Gainesville – more specifically, to the Laurel Oak Inn in Gainesville.

The Laurel Oak Inn was our headquarters – yet again – for another Gator football weekend. We were just hoping it would be a better weekend than the previous one. That was in October when the Gators lost to Missouri, 42-13. Oh, the agony of that miserable game.

Actually, I should say a better game than the previous one. The weekends in Gainesville are never bad, regardless of how the game turns out. That’s because whoever wins or loses the game, no one ever loses at the Laurel Oak Inn. It’s guaranteed to be a winner – a weekend of enjoyment, fun and relaxation.

Prior to the weekend, Peggy and Monta Burt, innkeepers at the Laurel Oak, notified the 14 guests that they were going to host a buffet dinner for us on Saturday evening. There would be wine and food and we could all gather around and talk about the outcome of the game and college football in general, while enjoying good food and drink.

The 14 of us, from various locations in Florida, have been frequent guests at the Laurel Oak Inn for football games and other occasions over the recent years. Some of us have even gotten to know each other from our times at the Inn. This was Peggy’s and Monta’s way of saying thank you.

It was a perfect weekend for football – sunny, blue skies. The temperature got down in the low 40s Friday night. A high in the upper 60s was the forecast for Saturday afternoon. The South Carolina-Florida game was a 12 noon start. You couldn’t ask for better weather conditions. But you could ask for a better outcome to the game. It had its highs and lows, but in the end, it was pretty low.

South Carolina jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead. We thought, here we go again. Then the Gator defense dug in and the Gamecock offense ran out of steam. By halftime, the Gators had tied the score, 10-10. In the third quarter, Florida went up 17-10.

In the fourth quarter, it was beginning to look like a 17-10 win for the Gators – maybe 20-10. But a blocked field goal and a blocked punt changed everything. South Carolina scored a touchdown with 0:12 on the clock. Overtime!

In the first overtime, Florida kicked a field goal, but the Gamecocks countered with a touchdown. Game over – 23-20 (OT) win for South Carolina. I tried to get a “Fire Muschamp” chant going as we walked out of the stadium. Swamp Mama wasn’t happy with me.

Later, at the Laurel Oak Inn, the guests gradually gathered back together over some wine, beer and cheese. Along with Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and myself, there were Tom and Carol Stewart, Bob and Fern Musselwhite, Jeff and Christy Brigman, Dan and Brenda Brown, Steve Kaplan and Todd Bingham.

We watched the Mississippi State-Alabama game. As we watched, we talked. You can imagine what the main topic of our conversation was “Who’s going to be the be the next coach of the Gators?” There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Will Muschamp was a gonner.

Tom Stewart was keen on Lane Kiffin. Or was he just trying to get a reaction out of the group? Hugh Freeze, Dan Mullen, Art Briles. It went on. Mike Gundy, Charlie Strong and Kliff Kingsbury came up.

Jim Mora, Kevin Sumlin, Butch Jones. There was no end to it. Tommy Tuberville, Dabo Swinney. Christy Brigman mentioned Bobby Petrino. Or was she just trying to get a rise out of us?

The conversations continued through Peggy’s and Monta’s wonderful dinner and Steve’s and Todd’s tasty desserts – and long afterward. We watched the Auburn-Georgia, Florida State-Miami and LSU-Arkansas games. And we talked some more, “Who’s the right guy to be the next coach of Florida?” And, “Where will Muschamp be next year?”

Following a good night of sleep, we gathered for breakfast Sunday morning. I think we came to a consensus. Well, there were three possibilities we seemed to agree on. “Who’s going to be the next coach of the Gators?”

“Gary Patterson, Doc Holliday, Rich Rodriguez?”

“And where will Muschamp be next year?”

“South Carolina.” He’ll be Steve Spurrier’s defensive coordinator.

Driving home Sunday, Swamp Mama and I heard that Muschamp had been relieved of his job, effective at the end of the season. We called Rockledge Gator and Bootsie to tell them.

It’s official. Stay tuned!

Last week I couldn’t believe how the Florida State and Alabama fans were crying after the Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday evening. Florida State was leap frogged by Oregon, falling from two to three. Alabama was only No. 5 behind No. 4 TCU.

I thought those teams were exactly where they should be based on who they had played so far. There should be no tears shed this week. Alabama beat No. 1 Mississippi State and Florida State beat a respectable Miami (Florida). Meanwhile, Oregon was idle and TCU looked bad, getting by Kansas, 34-30. I’m thinking Florida State, Oregon, Alabama and TCU in that order this week. Or maybe Miss State will be No. 4. Stay tuned!

Hey, is Bo Pelini going to survive at Nebraska? It seems like every time the Huskers play a crucial game in the Big Ten they get clobbered. Saturday, Wisconsin ran over the Huskers, 59-24. Talk about a mauling.

Georgia Tech improved its chances of playing Florida State in the ACC championship game. The Yellow Jackets beat Clemson, 28-6, improving their ACC record to 6-2. Duke, sitting at 4-2 after a 17-16 loss to Virginia Tech, still has two ACC games to play. Win-out and the Dookies win the Coastal Division, having beaten Georgia Tech 31-25 earlier in the season.

Georgia is still on a rampage after losing to Florida two weeks ago. Last week, the Dawgs blasted Kentucky 63-31. Saturday, the Dawgs clobbered Auburn 34-7. Georgia is 6-2 in SEC play, but needs Missouri (5-1) to lose one of its two remaining conference games. Georgia has finished its conference slate. Missouri still has to play Tennessee and Arkansas. Saturday, Missouri beat Texas A&M 34-27.

Arkansas won its first SEC game of the season (and in two years), beating LSU 17-0.

Texas continues to improve, beating Oklahoma State 28-7. The Longhorns are 6-5. Out West, Arizona State was upset by Oregon State 35-27. Meanwhile, Utah beat Stanford in overtime 20-17.

In a big upset, Northwestern surprised Notre Dame 43-40 (OT).

Marshall remained undefeated at 10-0, beating Rice 41-14. But it remains to be seen if the Herd can crack the Playoff Top 25. Perhaps this week. If not Marshall from the Group of Five, it could be Colorado State (9-1). The Rams were idle Saturday.

It’s looking like an Ohio State-Wisconsin matchup in the Big Ten championship game. In the Pac-12 championship game, it will be Oregon against anyone of four teams from a wide open South Division – USC, UCLA, Arizona State and Arizona.

Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott can forget the Heisman. Prescott threw three interceptions in the Bulldogs’ loss to Alabama. With Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin rushing for 408 yards against Nebraska, he may jump ahead of Oregon’s Marcus Mariota in the Heisman race. Oregon was idle Saturday. Alabama’s Amari Cooper is still a strong contender for the Heisman. TCU’s Trevone Boykin probably slipped a little bit after the Frogs close call with Kansas.

There are three historic rivalry games this week. In “The Rivalry,” Lafayette (4-6) and Lehigh (3-7) meet for the 150th time in the most-played and longest uninterrupted annual rivalry series. Lafayette and Lehigh first met in 1884. Lafayette leads the series 77-67-5. This year’s game, played in Yankee Stadium, will be televised at 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday on CBS Sports Network

In “The Game,” Harvard (9-0) and Yale (8-1) get together for the 131st time. The two Ivy League schools first met in 1875. Yale leads the series 65-57-8. ESPN College GameDay will be broadcast from the Harvard campus Saturday morning. The game will be televised at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

And finally, out West, California and Stanford get together in “The Big Game.” The Golden Bears and the Cardinal are meeting for the 116th time. The two Pac-12 schools first met in 1892. Stanford leads in the series 59-46-11. Who can forget the 1982 game when Cal beat Stanford 25-20 on a kickoff return when the Cal player ran through the Stanford trombone player as time expired? Saturday’s game at Berkeley will be televised at 4 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.

Do Doc Holliday, Rich Rodriguez and Gary Patterson look good in Orange and Blue?

Does Will Muschamp look good in Garnet and Black?

Swamp Mama says Kliff Kingsbury looks good in anything.

Thanks again, Peggy and Monta! Saturday night was special.

Touchdown Tom
November 17, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Tusk, Tusk – Alabama 25, Mississippi State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 26, Mississippi State 20). Miss State dominated Alabama in the stats, but the Bulldogs dominated in turnovers too – three for Miss State and none for the Tide. That made the difference in the game. Bama jumped out to a 19-0 lead with 5:32 left in the second quarter and the Bulldogs couldn’t catch up. One final touchdown for the Tide in the fourth quarter was the killer for Miss State. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 101,821

RUNNER UP: Somebody got shucked – Wisconsin 59, Nebraska 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Wisconsin 22). Early in the second quarter, Nebraska led 17-3. That was it for the Huskers. Wisconsin went on the rampage, scoring 56 unanswered points. Nebraska’s only other score came with 2:54 left in the game. Badger running back Melvin Gordon had more yards rushing than Nebraska had total. Gordon rushed for 408 yards. The Huskers had 180 total yards – 62 passing, 118 rushing. Wisconsin racked up 627 total yards. The game was marred by turnovers – 5 by Nebraska and 4 by Wisconsin. Gordon averaged 16.3 yards per carry. Attendance in Madison: 80,539

REST OF THE BEST: Goldie gone – Ohio State 31, Minnesota 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Minnesota 23). A tight game in the first half – 17-14 in favor of Ohio State – the Buckeyes opened up a 17-point lead in the second half. Then they held on to beat the Gophers. The Buckeyes J.T. Barrett passed for 200 yards and rushed for 189 yards. Attendance in Minneapolis: 45,778

Nine lives – Florida State 30, Miami (Florida) 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 30, Miami 23). The first half belonged to the Canes – 23-10. The second half belonged to the Noles – 20-3. The teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats, right down to the turnovers – three each. Both quarterbacks passed for more than 300 yards. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 76,530

Fried – Marshall 41, Rice 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Marshall 34, Rice 20). Marshall outgained Rice 581 to 180 in total yards. The Owls were held to 99 yards passing and 81 rushing. The Herd’s Rakeem Cato passed for 297 yards and Devon Johnson rushed for 199 yards. Attendance in Huntington: 30,680

The Tigers aren’t Bee keepers – Georgia Tech 28, Clemson 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 25, Clemson 23). Clemson played three quarterbacks in an attempt to find some offense. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson went out with a knee injury in the first quarter. The Tigers’ Cole Stoudt was 3-for-11 passing, including 3 interceptions. Clemson only had 65 yards passing. Attendance in Atlanta: 49,378

Mad Dawg – Georgia 34, Auburn 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 34, Georgia 32). Four minutes into the game, Auburn scored the opening touchdown. But that was it for the Tigers. They were never heard from again. Georgia, meanwhile, went on to score 34 unanswered points. The Dawgs’ running back duo of Nick Chubb and Todd Gurley rushed for 144 and 138 yards respectively. Three turnovers hampered Auburn. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Hangin’ in there – Missouri 34, Texas A&M 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 27, Missouri 22). Early in the third quarter, Texas A&M led 20-13. But Missouri scored 21 unanswered points and held on to beat the Aggies. Mizzou racked up 587 yards on offense – 252 passing, 335 rushing. The Tigers Russell Hansbrough rushed for 199 yards. Attendance in College Station: 104,756

Twerps – Michigan State 37, Maryland 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 34, Maryland 20). Michigan State’s defense held the Terps to only 6 yards rushing and just 11 first downs. Maryland had four turnovers to none for the Spartans. Attendance in College Park: 51,802

Zoom – Air Force 45, Nevada 38 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Air Force 29, Nevada 27). The game was tight throughout. Neither team led by more than 7 points. The score was tied 5 times. Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo passed for 275 yards and rushed for 100. Air Force quarterback Kale Pearson passed for 129 yards and rushed for 109. Attendance in Colorado Springs: 11,519

Rockets don’t rock – Northern Illinois 27, Toledo 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 31, Toledo 29). An evenly matched game in the stats all the way down to the time of possession (46 seconds difference) and in turnovers (none by either team). Toledo never led in the game, but the Golden Rockets tied the score at 10-10 midway through the second quarter. Attendance in DeKalb: 8,462

Wildcats by a whisker – Arizona 27, Washington 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 33, Washington 26). The lead changed hands four times in the game. Arizona kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired to win. Washington actually dominated Arizona in passing and rushing yards. The Huskies Dwayne Washington rushed for 148 yards. Attendance in Tucson: 47,757

Too cool for the Devils – Virginia Tech 17, Duke 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 21, Virginia Tech 17). The Dookies led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. Then their offense went into reverse for the rest of the game. Tech outscored Duke 17-6 in the final three quarters. Neither team demonstrated much offense. The Hokies were 2-for-15 on third down conversions. Attendance in Durham: 30,107

Leave it to Beaver – Oregon State 35, Arizona State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 37, Oregon State 25). Arizona State led 24-14 at the half, but the Sun Devils were outscored 21-3 in the second half. Oregon State tallied 498 total yards with a surprising 247 of those yards rushing. The Beavers Terron Ward and Storm Woods rushed for 148 and 125 yards respectively. Oregon State won in spite of being 1-for-12 in third down efficiency. Attendance in Corvallis: 40,525

Wild Horses – Boise State 38, San Diego State 29 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, San Diego State 23). The Aztecs led 20-10 at the half, but were outscored 28-9 in the second half. San Diego State Donnel Pumphrey rushed for 147 yards. Boise State’s Jay Ajayi rushed for 134 yards. Attendance in Boise: 27,478


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

So much for a Pirate’s life – Cincinnati 54, East Carolina 46 (Touchdown Tom said: East Carolina 27, Cincinnati 26). Cincinnati led throughout most of the game. East Carolina grabbed a 20-17 midway through the second quarter and held it for about two minutes before Cincinnati retook the lead. Then the Pirates went ahead 46-45 with 1:02 left in the game, but only held that lead for about 45 seconds. The teams combined for 1,158 total yards. They were about as evenly matched as you can get in the stats – passing, rushing, first downs and time of possession. Attendance in Cincinnati: 19,113


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

That Ole Ball Coach – South Carolina 23, Florida 20 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 30, South Carolina 26). South Carolina led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Gators rallied and led 17-10 early in the third quarter. The Gamecocks tied the score with 0:12 left in the game on a strange play – a fumble recovery in the end zone. Late in the fourth quarter, Florida had a chance to go up 20-10, but the Gators field goal attempt was blocked. Florida only had 60 yards passing in the game. Attendance in Gainesville: 85,088

Prime Beef – Texas 28, Oklahoma State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 29, Oklahoma State 21). Texas outgained Oklahoma State in total yards 430 to 192, limiting the Cowboys to only 34 yards rushing. The Longhorns Tyrone Swoopes passed for 305 yards. The Cowboys were a miserable 2-for-13 in third down efficiency. Attendance in Stillwater: 52,495


Week 12 Pick Results: 11 correct, 7 wrong (61.1 percent)
On the Season: 162 correct, 59 wrong (73.3 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF 31, Tulsa 7 – Attendance in Orlando: 35,323 …. South Florida 14, SMU 13 – Attendance in Dallas: 19,463 …. Florida International 38, Middle Tennessee 28 – Attendance in Miami: 12,917 …. Florida A&M 41, Delaware State 7 – Attendance in Dover: 2,237.

Hampton 40, Bethune-Cookman 35 – Attendance in Hampton: 6,000 …. Jacksonville U. 45, Campbell 19 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 2,437 …. Morehead State 41, Stetson 18 – Attendance in Morehead: 4,658 …. Valdosta State 31, Florida Tech 29 – Attendance in Melbourne: 4,126


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Louisiana-Monroe’s Pete Thomas – 38-54-0 for 472 yards; Massachusetts’ Blake Frohnapfel – 28-44-2-424; East Carolina’s Shane Carden – 35-61-0-418; Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 27-50-0-393; USC’s Cody Kessler – 31-42-1-371; Miami of Ohio’s Andrew Hendrix – 24-41-0-369; Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell – 17-19-0-357; Kansas’ Mike Cummings – 19-37-1-332, and TCU’s Trevone Boykin – 26-37-1-330.

Also, BYU’s Christian Stewart – 18-32-0 for 325 yards; Bowling Green’s James Knapke – 22-37-1-315; Texas’ Tyrone Swoopes – 24-33-0-305; San Jose State’s Joe Gray – 25-45-1-305; Florida State’s Jameis Winston – 25-42-1-304; Texas State’s Tyler Jones – 25-43-0-300; Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 23-37-1-297; Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs – 19-27-0-297, and UCF’s Justin Holman – 16-27-0-291.


Impressive Rushers:

Melvin Gordon – 408 yards; Western Kentucky’s Leon Allen 345 yards; Indiana’s Tevin Coleman – 307 yards; Navy’s Keenan Reynolds – 277 yards; Appalachian State’s Marcus Cox – 229 yards; Pitt’s James Conner – 220 yards, and Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine – 213 yards.

Also, Georgia Southern’s Matt Breida – 210 yards; Marshall’s Devon Johnson – 199 yards; Missouri’s – Russell Hansbrough – 199 yards; Troy’s Jordan Chunn – 193 yards; Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett – 189 yards; Buffalo’s Anthone Taylor – 178 yards; UTEP’s Aaron Jones – 177 yards, and Bowling Green’s Andre Givens – 157 yards.

Also, Northwestern’s Justin Jackson – 149 yards; Oregon State’s Terron Ward – 148 yards; Washington’s Dwayne Washington – 148 yards; Central Michigan’s Devon Spalding – 147 yards; San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 147 yards, and Minnesota’s David Cobb –145 yards.


Quotes of the Week:

“You wanna know how bad Auburn’s defense is? Auburn’s defense is so bad they are calling their secondary the tertiary,” Reed Lochamy, of the ‘Paul Finebaum Show.’

“Muschamp is inevitably doomed by clunky, conservative play,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, on Florida coach Will Muschamp.

“I must be getting a little old when I start feeling sorry for the other coach,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier after the Florida game.

“Muschamp was done in by his own stubborn conservatism because, once again, he didn’t trust his offense to make a play,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. USC (7-3) at UCLA (8-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (8 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC) – The winner stays in contention for the Pac-12 South Division title. The loser is most likely out. Brett Hundley and Cody Kessler could both put on a show in this game. The Bruins give the Trojans a horse – UCLA 34, USC 33.

RUNNER UP: 2. Arizona (8-2) at Utah (7-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – The last time Rich Rod had his mind on another school (Michigan) instead of the game, he lost – WVU lost to Pitt. Is Rich Rod preparing for Utah while thinking about Florida? Yes – Utah 22, Arizona 17.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Wisconsin (8-2) at Iowa (7-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2) – The Badgers have their sights set on Ohio State. They have to get by Iowa first. They do – Wisconsin 28, Iowa 23.

4. Minnesota (7-3) at Nebraska (8-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN) – The Huskers took it on the chin last week. The Gophers lost too. One has to bounce back. The Huskers do – Nebraska 28, Minnesota 27.

5. Boston College (6-4) at Florida State (10-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2) – It doesn’t look like anybody is going to stop the Noles now. The Eagles sure won’t – Florida State 37, Boston College 18.

6. Marshall (10-0) at UAB (5-5) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) – Marshall keeps plugging along. The competition is weak. The Blazers are victim No. 11 – Marshall 32, UAB 19.

7. Louisville (7-3) at Notre Dame (7-3) – (ACC vs. Ind.) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, NBC) – The Irish have been burned two weeks in a row. I don’t think they will get burned the third week in a row. Petrino’s no Danny Boy – Notre Dame 30, Louisville 17.

8. Rutgers (6-4) at Michigan State (8-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN) – The Spartans continue to rebound after the loss to Ohio State. The Knights continue to wander aimlessly. The Spartans bring out the Green in the Scarlet – Michigan State 30, Rutgers 18.

9. Kansas State (7-2) at West Virginia (6-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (7 p.m. ET, Thursday, FS1) – The Mountaineers have dropped two in a row. Make it three – Kansas State 27, West Virginia 24.

10. Oklahoma State (5-5) at Baylor (8-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Fox) – The Bears still have a shot at the Playoffs. The Cowpokes won’t stop them. Cowboys get booted – Baylor 37, Oklahoma State 19.

11. Ole Miss (8-2) at Arkansas (5-5) – (SEC vs. SEC) (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS, Saturday) – The Hogs are in heaven. They got their first SEC win. Ole Miss brings them back down to earth. Makin’ bacon – Ole Miss 20, Arkansas 14.

12. Missouri (8-2) at Tennessee (5-5) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Mizzou is living on the edge. The Tigers can’t afford another loss. The Vols have nothing to lose. They don’t – Tennessee 27, Missouri 22.

13. Western Michigan (7-3) at Central Michigan (7-4) – (MAC vs. MAC) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday) – We don’t often talk about the MAC. But the conference has three good games this week. This is one of them. The two little Michigans go at each other. The Western one gets the better of the Central one – Western Michigan 29, Central Michigan 26.

14. Bowling Green (7-3) at Toledo (6-4) – (MAC vs. MAC) (8 p.m. ET, Wednesday, ESPN2) – BG has won the MAC East Division. Toledo still has a shot at winning the MAC West. The Falcons ruin it for the Rockets – Bowling Green 28, Toledo 25.

15. Air Force (8-2) at San Diego State (5-5) – (MWC vs. MWC) (9:30 p.m. ET, Friday, CBSSN) – Air Force is much improved over last season. San Diego State is much worse. Well, maybe somewhat worse. The Fly Boys get it done on the ground – Air Force 32, San Diego State 27.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. Northern Illinois (8-2) at Ohio (5-5) – (MAC vs. MAC) (8 p.m. ET, Tuesday, ESPNU) – The Huskies are in the running for the MAC West. The Bobcats are running for a bowl. One more win and they are eligible. They don’t get it – Northern Illinois 31, Ohio 24.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Eastern Kentucky (9-2) at Florida (5-4) – (Ohio Valley vs. SEC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN) – Remember Georgia Southern last year? That’s what Eastern Kentucky could be to the Gators this year. A win makes Florida bowl eligible. Muschamp’s last game in The Swamp is a win – Florida 40, Eastern Kentucky 15.

North Carolina (5-5) at Duke (8-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, ESPN) – The Dookies can’t afford to lose. If they do, no trip to the ACC title game this year. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are looking to become bowl eligible. The Dookies keep them looking – Duke 31, North Carolina 30.

Charleston Southern (8-3) at Georgia (8-2) – (Big South vs. SEC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN) – The Dawgs were looking for a breather between Auburn and Georgia Tech. They got one. Uga takes a big breath – Georgia 42, Charleston Southern 19.

Northwestern (4-6) at Purdue (3-7) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU) – The Wildcats might have a “big head” after knocking off Notre Dame last week. The Boilers could be catching them at the right time. But no time is right for the Boilers – Northwestern 29, Purdue 27.

Texas (6-5) is off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

SMU (0-9) at UCF (6-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN News) …. South Florida (4-6) at Memphis (7-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) (4 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN News) …. Florida Atlantic (3-7) at Middle Tennessee (5-5) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local).

Florida International (4-7) at North Texas (3-7) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Local) …. Florida A&M (3-8) vs. Bethune-Cookman (8-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (2 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN Classic) …. Drake (6-4) at Stetson (5-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (1 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Jacksonville U. (9-2) and Florida Tech (6-5) have completed their seasons.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Florida State and Ole Miss will open the 2016 season in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl…. Missouri and BYU have scheduled a home-and-home series to be played in 2015 and 2020.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but as the regular season was coming to a climax and Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkin pies were almost in the oven, 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 “I Need You Now” by Eddie Fisher

…55 years ago this week in 1959 was “Mr. Blue” by The Fleetwoods

…50 years ago this week in 1964 was “Baby Love” by The Supremes

…45 years ago this week in 1969 was “Wedding Bell Blues” by The 5th Dimension

…40 years ago this week in 1974 was “Whatever Gets You thru the Night” by John Lennon

…35 years ago this week in 1979 was “Still” by The Commodores

…30 years ago this week in 1984 was “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham

…25 years ago this week in 1989 was “When I See You Smile” by Bad English

…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 – Carol Ann Susi and Alvin Dark,

Carol Ann Susi, who played the always off-screen mother of Howard Wolowitz on TV’s “The Big Bang Theory,” died last week in Las Angeles. She was 62. Susi was born in New York City on February 2, 1952. She played an office intern in “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” in 1974. Later, she appeared on “Seinfeld,” “Cheers,” “Six Feet Under” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” She also appeared in several Los Angeles stage productions.

Alvin Dark, who was an All-Star shortstop and captain of the New York Giants’ pennant winning teams in the 1950s and later managed the team to a pennant in San Francisco, died last week at his home in Easley, South Carolina. He was 92. Dark played in three World Series with the Boston Braves (1948) and the Giants (1951 and 1954). He was the National League’s rookie of the year in 1948. He managed the Giants to the 1962 pennant in their fifth year in San Francisco. Twelve years later he managed the Oakland A’s to a World Series championship. Alvin Ralph Dark was born in Comanche, Oklahoma, on January 7, 1922. He grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and went to LSU where he played baseball, basketball and football. He was in the Marines in World War II. Dark also managed the Kansas City Athletics and the Cleveland Indians.