College Football Week 14 – Turkey Week: 3 Days of Football
A day of peace, a time to reflect

I love Saturdays during college football season. Granted some are better than others. Some are worse than others. I’m frequently on the edge of my seat. My moods can swing from extremely high one minute to extremely low the next. The games can be tense, they can be nerve racking, they can be thrilling and they can be frustrating – all in the same day.

This past Saturday, however, was one of those rare Saturdays during the season when I was totally relaxed and calm. I was as cool as a cucumber. West Virginia played Thursday night. By Saturday, all my Mountaineer frustrations had faded into oblivion. Granted, it took a while for them to fade.

Florida played Eastern Kentucky Saturday. I had no worries about the Gators. Yes, I know, that’s what I thought last year when they played Georgia Southern on the pre-Thanksgiving Saturday. But Eastern Kentucky? I didn’t even watch the Gators.

Yeah, Saturday was called “Cupcake Saturday.” I didn’t watch any of the cupcake games – Charleston Southern at Georgia, South Alabama at South Carolina, Georgia State at Clemson, Samford at Auburn, Western Carolina at Alabama, etc. Sounds like Florida State’s schedule, doesn’t it? The visiting teams, not the home teams.

I watched teams I don’t often get to see. I watched the games from a different perspective. It was very relaxing. It was a day of peace, a time to reflect.

Two of the games that drew my interest in the afternoon were Minnesota-Nebraska and Wisconsin-Iowa. Both were similar in some respects but they ended differently. In the Minnesota-Nebraska game, the Huskers dominated early and led 21-7 at the half. In the Wisconsin-Iowa game, the Badgers dominated early and led 16-3 at the half.

In both games, the losing teams rallied in the second half. But that’s where the similarities ended. In Lincoln, Minnesota rallied and went on to beat Nebraska, 28-24. The Gophers contained Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah in the second half.

In Iowa City, the Hawkeyes rallied to close the gap against Wisconsin. But Iowa never could surpass the Badgers, falling to Wisconsin, 26-24. The Hawkeyes were not able to contain Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon in the second half.

Both games followed similar paths and both ended with similar scores. This week, the four teams trade partners. Minnesota plays Wisconsin in Madison for the Big Ten West Division title and the right to play Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Nebraska and Iowa play for respect and pride. The game is in Iowa City.

After the Nebraska loss, I got to thinking about my Husker friends, of which there are several. I was wondering how they felt about Bo Pelini. Earlier in the week I had exchanged emails with one of them. He had this to say about Pelini:

“So I will admit that I do get a little (more than a little) frustrated with Bo. But do you go hire a new coach with less success? We did that with Frankie (he also had a number of 9 win seasons) and you remember what NU got after that. We just need to get Bo to take a few anger control classes. I do think Bo’s anger has a net effect on the team during games sometimes. I remember the days when Dr. Tom was on the hot seat when he could not beat OK for a few years in a row.”

The Dr. Tom, of course, is former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, who never lost more than three games in any of his 25 seasons coaching the Huskers. It did take Osborne 22 seasons before he won his first national championship (he won three). But he did win his first of several conference championships (Big Eight and Big 12) in his third season.

Following Nebraska’s loss to Minnesota Saturday another one of my Husker friends posted this comment on Facebook:

“We have enough talent. It’s coaching.”

Two other games Saturday had a number of similarities. Both games were big rivalries and the players were playing football for the pure fun of it – Yale-Harvard and Lafayette-Lehigh. The talent wasn’t as good as the Power 5 conference teams, but the players’ desire and aggressiveness was just as good. And their attitude was probably better.

Harvard and Yale met for the 131st time in their long series. The game was played at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Stadium is one of only four stadiums in the country that is designated a National Historic Landmark. Before a standing room only crowd of 31,062, Harvard beat Yale, 31-24.

In the other game, played in Yankee Stadium, Lafayette and Lehigh met for the 150th time. A sellout crowd of 48,256 saw Lafayette beat Lehigh, 27-7.

None of the Harvard, Yale, Lafayette and Lehigh players are on athletic scholarships. Their scholarships are based on academics and need. Some of the players are walk-ons. The emotion and the exuberant and happy looks on the faces of the Harvard and Lafayette players after their wins made you feel good about watching football in its simplest and purest form. By the way, there were a handful of Power 5 conference games Saturday that drew less than 31,000.

In two other Big Ten games Saturday that paralleled the Minnesota-Nebraska and Wisconsin-Iowa games respectively, Illinois knocked off Penn State, 16-14, on a 36-yard field goal with 0:08 on the clock. And in Ann Arbor, Maryland beat Michigan, 23-16. That should just about do it for the Brady Bunch. Ohio State will put the final nail in Hoke’s coffin this week.

In his first two years, Hoke did well with Rich Rodriguez’s recruits. He failed with his own recruits – or lack thereof.

Records were made to be broken – but that fast? Last week, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon set the NCAA single-game rushing record, chalking up 408 yards against Nebraska. Saturday, Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine broke Gordon’s record, rushing for 427 yards against Kansas. The Sooners beat the Jayhawks, 44-7. Elsewhere in the Big 12, playoff contender Baylor pounded Oklahoma State, 49-28.

In a strange game in the ACC, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest played to a 0-0 tie after four quarters. The Demon Deacons beat the Hokies 6-3 in two overtimes. It was Wake’s first conference win of the season. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech needs a win over Virginia this week to become bowl eligible.

In other ACC action, Duke lost to North Carolina on Thursday night, 45-20. The Dookies’ loss gives the ACC Coastal Division title to Georgia Tech. Duke is the Ole Miss of the ACC. The Blue Devils started the season hot at 8-1, but have lost their last two games to fall to 8-3.

And speaking of Ole Miss, the Rebel Bears lost again on Saturday. Arkansas spanked the Hotty Toddies, 30-0. After starting 7-0, Ole Miss has dropped three of its last four games. Meanwhile, the Razorbacks improved to 6-5, winning three of their last four games. The Hogs last loss was only by 7 points to Miss State in Starkville. In another good SEC game, Missouri kept its SEC East Division title hopes alive, beating Tennessee in Knoxville, 29-21.

In the race for the Pac-12 South Division title, Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA all won. The Wildcats stunned Utah in Salt Lake City, 42-10. The Sun Devils outscored Washington State, 52-31. And UCLA beat cross-town rival USC, 38-20. In “The Big Game,” Stanford beat California, 38-17.

Speaking of the downfalls of Duke and Ole Miss, add Notre Dame to that list. The Irish fell again this time to Louisville, 31-28. After starting the season 6-0, Notre Dame has lost four of its last five games. Saturday, the Irish play USC in Los Angeles. After that, Brian Kelly may leave for Florida. That’s what some say.

Among the better Group of Five conference teams, Marshall remained undefeated, but just barely. The Herd edged UAB, 23-18. Colorado State (10-1) beat New Mexico, 58-20. Boise State (9-2) downed Wyoming, 63-14, and Utah State (9-3) flattened San Jose State, 41-7. Will one or more of those four teams crack the Playoff rankings?

None of the “cupcakes” won Saturday, but Florida State did squeak by Boston College on a last second field goal, 20-17.

Speculation remains hot on who will be the new Florida coach. No new names have popped up. I’m still big on Doc Holliday, Rich Rodriguez and Gary Patterson. And I’m still betting that Will Muschamp will be Steve Spurrier’s defensive coordinator next year.

Speaking of Florida, Muschamp and Spurrier, Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi commented on Will Muschamp’s downfall, saying that after Steve Spurrier’s “Fun and Gun” offense, Muschamp’s “Grunt and Punt” offense didn’t make it.

Michigan and Ohio State play this week and the Wolverines most likely will lose. The Buckeyes have already won another contest against Michigan. The Wolverines have led the nation in football attendance for 39 of the past 40 years. But Michigan will surrender that crown to Ohio State this year.

After seven home games, Michigan averaged 104,909 per game this season. Michigan stadium seats 109,901. Ohio State on the other hand is averaging 105,910 a game this year after six home games. Ohio Stadium seats 104,944. The Michigan-Ohio State game this week is in Columbus. No doubt, there will be a greater than capacity crowd at the game.

I have to give a “shout-out” to Dan Kleinbeck and the Big Red Meat Wagon tailgate guys in Lincoln, Nebraska. I swear I’m going to make it to one of their tailgates one of these years. Did you hear that Dave Brolhorst and Rory Zink?

Bootsie and Rockledge Gator are off to Georgia for Thanksgiving. Swamp Mama and I are heading down to Punta Gorda. It will be our first Thanksgiving away from home in many a year. Usually, we are hosting a large gathering of family and friends on Turkey Day. Our record is 19 guests for dinner. That was about six or seven years ago.

Yes, it was a peaceful weekend. Now I’m ready to reflect on some turkey and the trimmings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Touchdown Tom
November 24, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Go Hundley, go Hundley, go, go, go – UCLA 38, USC 20 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, USC 33). The Trojans were in this game until early in the second quarter. That’s when the score was 14-14. After that, the Bruins scored 24 unanswered points to turn the game into a rout. USC scored a “who cares” touchdown with three minutes left in the game. The Trojans only had 62 yards rushing, while UCLA’s Brett Hundley passed for 326 yards. Attendance in Pasadena: 82,431

RUNNER UP: The wildcats went into Salt Lake City with a fishing Rod – Arizona 42, Utah 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 22, Arizona 17). The fourth quarter belonged to Arizona. That’s when the Wildcats scored 21 unanswered points to increase their lead from 11 to 32 points. Four turnovers didn’t help the Utes any. Arizona’s Nick Wilson had 218 yards rushing. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 45,824

BEST OF THE REST: Flash Gordon – Wisconsin 26, Iowa 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Iowa 23). It looked like Wisconsin was going to run away with the game, as the Badgers held a 19-3 lead in the third quarter. But then Iowa put on quite a rally, closing the 16-point gap to 2 points – 19-17 – by early in the fourth quarter. The Badgers Melvin Gordon rushed for 200 yards. The Hawkeyes Jake Rudock passed for 311 yards. Attendance in Iowa City: 68,610

Bo Fiddley – Minnesota 28, Nebraska 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Minnesota 27). Nebraska led 21-7 at the half, and 24-14 late in the third quarter. But the Huskers never could shake the Gophers. Minnesota scored 14 unanswered points in the final 17 minutes of the game. Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner passed for 135 yards and rushed for 110 yards. Attendance in Lincoln: 91,186

Holes in the Noles? – Florida State 20, Boston College 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 37, Boston College 18). The Seminoles remain undefeated, but they also remain unimpressive in most of their wins. FSU’s Roberto Aguayo kicked a 26-yard field goal with 0:03 left in the game to give the Noles the win. BC tied the score at 17-17 midway through the third quarter, where the score remained until Aquayo’s field goal in the fading seconds. Attendance in Tallahassee: 82,300

This won’t impress the Playoff Committee – Marshall 23, UAB 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Marshall 32, UAB 19). Averaging more than 47 points a game, Marshall was held to its lowest output of the season. It was only the second game this year where the Herd was held below 40 points. UAB trailed 17-6 at the half. But the Blazers rallied to take an 18-17 lead early in the fourth quarter. Marshall retook the lead midway through the fourth and held on to win. The Herd’s Devon Johnson rushed for 171 yards. UAB’s Jordan Howard rushed for 168 yards. Attendance in Birmingham: 28,355

The Birds flock the Irish – Louisville 31, Notre Dame 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Louisville 17). Louisville led 17-6 at the half. Then the Irish scored two touchdowns early in the third quarter to take a 20-17 lead. The Cardinals scored back-to-back touchdowns to retake the lead at 31-20 early in the fourth quarter. The Irish responded quickly to pull within three points at 31-28. Neither team managed a score in the final 11 minutes of the game. The Irish missed a field goal attempt that would have tied the score. The Cardinals held Notre Dame to 99 yards rushing. Attendance in South Bend: 80,795

Silent Knight – Michigan State 45, Rutgers 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 30, Rutgers 18). The Spartans built up a 35-0 halftime lead and then went into cruise control. Michigan State outdistanced the Knights 520 yards to 234 and 26 first downs to 15. Rutgers only had 95 yards rushing. Attendance in East Lansing: 70,902

Shootin’ blanks – Kansas State 26, West Virginia 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, West Virginia 24). The WVU defense held K-State to 1 yard rushing. But they allowed the Wildcats 400 yards passing. The Mountaineers won the stats, but they also won the turnovers – four. K-State receiver Tyler Lockett had 10 receptions for 196 yards. Attendance in Morgantown: 47,683

Saddle sores – Baylor 49, Oklahoma State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 37, Oklahoma State 19). The Bears racked up 579 total yards – 262 passing and 317 rushing. Two Bears rushed for more than 100 yards each – Shock Linwood (113) and Devin Chafin (106). Attendance in Waco: 47,179

The Ark isn’t lost anymore – Arkansas 30, Ole Miss 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 20, Arkansas 14). Ole Miss has gone from a good team to a mediocre team, dropping its third straight against an FBS team. The Rebels only had 63 yards rushing. Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace threw two interceptions. Arkansas is the best 6-5 team in the country. Attendance in Fayetteville: 64,510

Sorry Georgia – Missouri 29, Tennessee 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 27, Missouri 22). Tied 13-13 at the half, Mizzou scored 16 unanswered points by midway through the fourth quarter to grab a 29-13 lead. The Vols weren’t able to score again until 1:52 left in the game. The Tigers held the Vols to just 53 yards rushing. Attendance in Knoxville: 95,821

Bucking Broncos – Western Michigan 32, Central Michigan 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Western Michigan 29, Central Michigan 26). Trailing 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, WMU outscored CMU 32-6 over the final three quarters. The Broncos held the Chippewas to 70 yards rushing. The game was marred by seven turnovers – three by WMU and four by CMU. Attendance in Mount Pleasant: 17,265

Lift off – Toledo 27, Bowling Green 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 28, Toledo 25). Toledo had three turnovers and only 63 yards passing, but the Golden Rockets still managed to hold off Bowling Green. Toledo did have Kareem Hunt who rushed for 265 yards. Early in the fourth quarter, the score was tied 20-20. The Rockets scored with 10:45 left and held on to win. Attendance in Toledo: 17,486

Fly Boys grounded – San Diego State 30, Air Force 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Air Force 32, San Diego State 27). Air Force led 14-13 at the half. But it was all Aztecs in the second half. State had 502 total yards, mostly on Quinn Kaehler’s 326 yards passing. Surprisingly, Air Force had more yards passing (189) than rushing (140) – an unusual event for the Falcons. The Aztecs’ Donnel Pumphrey rushed for 131 yards. Attendance in San Diego: 28,626


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Huskies get a bite of Kush tush – Northern Illinois 21, Ohio 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 31, Ohio 24). Tied 14-14 midway through the fourth quarter, NIU scored with 6 minutes remaining and held on to win. Huskies quarterback Drew Hare passed for 178 yards and rushed for 67. Ohio quarterback Derrius Vick passed for 141 yards and rushed for 80. Attendance in Athens: 15,118


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

No Georgia Southern – Florida 52, Eastern Kentucky 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 40, Eastern Kentucky 15). Florida took out its frustrations on the Colonels, limiting EKU to 63 yards passing and 79 yards rushing. Gator quarterbacks Treon Harris and Jeff Driskel shared duties throughout the game. Attendance in Gainesville: 83,399

Spiked Heels – North Carolina 45, Duke 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, North Carolina 30). It wasn’t a night for the Dookies. By midway through the third quarter, the Tar Heels led 38-7. The Dookie defense was a no-show, giving up 592 yards to North Carolina. Attendance in Durham: 33,941

Dawg day afternoon – Georgia 55, Charleston Southern 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 42, Charleston Southern 19). The Dawgs won the first half 38-3 and the second half 17-6. The Buccaneers were limited to only 21 yards passing. Georgia racked up 580 totals yards. Nick Chubb rushed for 113 of those yards. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Cats sizzle, Boilers fizzle – Northwestern 38, Purdue 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 29, Purdue 27). In the first half, Northwestern scored 24 unanswered points. Then Purdue scored a touchdown with 0:37 left in the half. In the second half, the Wildcats scored 14 unanswered points. Then the Boilers scored a touchdown with 0:54 left in the game. The Boilers, held to 61 yards rushing, suffered from five turnovers. Northwestern’s Justin Jackson rushed for 147 yards. Attendance in West Lafayette: 30,117

Week 13 Pick Results: 12 correct, 8 wrong (60 percent)
On the Season: 174 correct, 67 wrong (72.2 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA

UCF 53, SMU 7 – Attendance in Orlando: 30,920 …. Memphis 31, South Florida 20 – Attendance in Memphis: 34,635 …. Middle Tennessee 35, Florida Atlantic 34 – Attendance in Murfreesboro: 12,243.

North Texas 17, Florida International 14 – Attendance in Denton: 14,824 …. Bethune-Cookman 18, Florida A&M 17 (OT) – Attendance in Orlando: 41,126 …. Drake 27, Stetson 15 – Attendance in Deland: 2,900


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Eastern Michigan’s Reginald Bell – 36-49-0 for 409 yards; Kansas State’s Jake Waters – 22-34-1-400; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 23-29-0-389; Arkansas State’s Fredi Knighten – 31-57-1-366; East Carolina’s Shane Carden – 31-44-0-358, and Louisiana-Monroe’s Pete Thomas – 35-50-1-350.

Also, Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 26-35-0 for 346 yards; Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 23-35-1-328; UCLA’s Brett Hundley – 22-31-1-326; San Diego State’s Quinn Kaehler – 17-30-1-326; Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – 25-32-0-322, and Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 30-46-1-314.

Also, Fresno State’s Brian Burrell – 25-46-1 for 313 yards; Iowa’s Jake Rudock – 2031-0-311; Iowa State’s Sam Richardson – 24-38-0-304; Florida Atlantic’s Jaquez Johnson – 21-33-2-304; Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett – 25-35-2-302; Old Dominion’s Taylor Heinicke – 29-38-2-302, and Tulane’s Tanner Lee – 25-43-1-301.


Impressive Rushers:

Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine – 427 yards; Toledo’s Kareem Hunt – 265 yards; Texas State’s Robert Lowe – 236 yards; Colorado State’s Dee Hart – 230 yards; New Mexico State’s Larry Rose – 229 yards; Indiana’s Tevin Coleman – 228 yards; Hawaii’s Joey Iosefa – 219 yards; Arizona’s Nick Wilson – 218 yards, and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon – 200 yards.

Also, Middle Tennessee’s Reggie Whatley – 190 yards; Memphis’ Brandon Hayes – 189 yards; Texas Tech’s DeAndre Washington – 186 yards; Marshall’s Devon Johnson – 171 yards; UAB’s Jordan Howard – 168 yards; Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 165 yards; Army’s Larry Dixon – 158 yards; Appalachian State’s Marcus Cox – 151 yards, and Northwestern’s Justin Jackson – 147 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Nebraska deserves better than Bo Pelini,” Paul Finebaum.

“Sadly, from the day he was hired four years ago until the day he was fired on Sunday, Will Muschamp never could excite the Gator Nation with his boring, snoring, bashing, bludgeoning style of football,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“I came in with Champ. I’m leaving with him. Simple as that,” Florida junior defensive end Dante Fowler, announcing he’ll leave early for the NFL draft.

“If he wants to coach again next year, I’m sure a lot of people will be after him,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, on Will Muschamp.

“We don’t need a frickin’ fire to get it f-cking turned up,” UCLA coach Jim Mora to the Bruins students when the annual ‘Beat SC’ bonfire was called off.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Auburn (8-3) at Alabama (10-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:45 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN) – Auburn has not played well in its last two SEC games. In fact, the Tigers have lost three of their last five SEC games. Make it four of their last six – Alabama 31, Auburn 24.

RUNNER UP: 2. Arizona State (9-2) at Arizona (9-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Friday, Fox) – There is a lot riding on this game. A possible chance to play Oregon for the Pac-12 championship. The Wildcats get that chance – Arizona 34, Arizona State 33.

BEST OF THE REST: 3. Georgia Tech (9-2) at Georgia (9-2) – (ACC vs. SEC) (12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN) – The Yellow Jackets are a hot team. They have a four-game winning streak going. Uga ruins the streak – Georgia 26, Georgia Tech 25.

4. Mississippi State (10-1) at Ole Miss (8-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS) – And to think both of these teams will be fighting over an egg. Ole Miss hasn’t been fighting over anything recently. Cold Toddies – Mississippi State 19, Ole Miss 18.

5. Colorado State (10-1) at Air Force (8-3) – (MWC vs. MWC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Friday, CBSSN) – Do you know that some think the Colorado State coach – Jim McElwain – will be the next coach at Florida? He has a great offensive mind. The Rams also are hoping to get the Golden Ticket berth. They will be one step closer after Saturday – Colorado State 35, Air Force 25.

6. Utah State (9-3) at Boise State (9-2) – (MWC vs. MWC) (10:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN2) – After a slow start, by Bronco standards, Boise State has a six-game winning streak going. But Utah State has a five-game winning streak going. Make it seven for the Broncos – Boise State 29, Utah State 26.

7. Florida (6-4) at Florida State (11-0) – (SEC vs. ACC) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPNU) – Now if the Gators can only figure out what they did to beat Georgia, they need to do it again. The Gators should get the early lead over the Noles. That’s the way FSU plays. But Jameis does know how to spell “rally” – Florida State 27, Florida 24.

8. Minnesota (8-3) at Wisconsin (9-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, BTN) – This one is for the Big Ten West title. Melvin Gordon wins the title – Wisconsin 28, Minnesota 27.

9. Western Kentucky (6-5) at Marshall (11-0) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (12 noon ET, Friday, FS1) – Marshall should have no trouble ending its season at 12-0. But where will the Playoff Committee end the Herd? Their odds are looking better – Marshall 34, Western Kentucky 22.

10. Northern Illinois (9-2) at Western Michigan (8-3) – (MAC vs. MAC) (11 a.m. ET, Friday, ESPNU) – A hot one for the MAC West title. Speaking of hot, that defines both teams. WMU has won six straight and NIU has won five straight. Make it seven for the Broncos – Western Michigan 30, Northern Illinois 29.

11. TCU (9-1) at Texas (6-5) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, FS1) – The Frogs are a playoff contender. The Horns are vastly improved. The contender wins – TCU 19, Texas 17.

12. Nebraska (8-3) at Iowa (7-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Friday, ABC) – Lose to Iowa and Bo Pelini may not survive. Bo’s hurting – Iowa 27, Nebraska 26.

13. Arkansas (6-5) at Missouri (9-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (2:30 p.m. ET, Friday, CBS) – Mizzou is an amazing team. The Tigers just keep winning. And how did they ever lose to Indiana? See you in Atlanta, Mizzou – Missouri 22, Arkansas 18.

14. Stanford (6-5) at UCLA (9-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (3:30 p.m. ET, Friday, ABC) – The Bruins are fighting for the Pac-12 South title. The Trees are improved and playing better. But their roots aren’t deep enough – UCLA 24, Stanford 18.

15. Michigan State (9-2) at Penn State (6-5) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2) – The Spartans could be the best 9-2 team in the country. After Saturday, they could be the best 10-2 team – Michigan State 30, Penn State 21.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. LSU (7-4) at Texas A&M (7-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) (7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, ESPN) – When was the last time LSU lost five games in a season? The Tigers have lost their last two. Make it three – Texas A&M 29, LSU 27.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

West Virginia (6-5) at Iowa State (2-8) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1) – Well, the Mounties may be starting a new quarterback this week – Skyler Howard. He showed some spark and some spunk against K-State. More spark and spunk – West Virginia 33, Iowa State 23.

Wake Forest (3-8) at Duke (8-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPNU) – This used to look like a sure win for the Dookies. But after two losses and Wake’s win over Virginia Tech, nothing is for certain. The Dookies rebound – Duke 21, Wake Forest 17.

Purdue (3-8) at Indiana (3-8) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN) – Talk about the cellar, Purdue only has one win in Big Ten games this season and Indiana has none. How ’bout both ending up with only one win – Indiana 32, Purdue 27.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Pitt (5-6) at Miami (6-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN2) .... UCF (7-3) at South Florida (4-7) – (AAC vs. AAC) (12 noon ET, Friday, ESPN2) .... Old Dominion (5-6) at Florida Atlantic (3-8) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (12 noon ET, Saturday, Local).

Florida International (4-8), Florida A&M (3-9), Bethune-Cookman (9-3) and Stetson (5-7) have completed their schedules.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football. . . Thaddeus Moss, the son of former NFL receiver Randy Moss, has scholarship offers from Boston College, Duke and NC State. Six-foot-4, 240 pound Thaddeus is a tight end for Victory Christian High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a junior at Victory Christian.

Louisiana-Lafayette assistant Tim Rebowe has been hired as the new head coach at Nichols State…. Florida named its defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin to be the interim head coach for the Gators bowl game…. Missouri State fired football coach Terry Allen. Allen coached the Bears for nine seasons, compiling a 37-64 record.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly there were two passings of note last week – Jimmy Ruffin and Mike Nichols,

Jimmy Ruffin, a soul singer best known for his 1966 Top 10 hit “What Becomes of the Broken Heated,” died last week in Las Vegas. He was 78. His brother David Ruffin was the lead singer of the Temptations. Ruffin followed up “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” with “I’ve Passed This Way Before” (1966), “Gonna Give Her All the Love I’ve Got” (1967) and “Hold On to My Love” (1980). “Hold On to My Love” was written and produced by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. Ruffin moved to England in 1981 and settled there for many years. Jimmy Lee Ruffin was born in Collinsville, Mississippi, on May 7, 1936.

Mike Nichols, one of America’s most celebrated film and stage directors, died last week in New York City. He was 83. Nichols was married to ABC news broadcaster Diane Sawyer. Early in his career he was part of the comedy team Nichols and May (Elaine May). He directed a number of movies, including “The Graduate,” “Carnal Knowledge,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf,” “Catch 22,” “Silkwood” and “Charlie Wilson’s War,” among others. He is one of only 12 people to have won an Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy. He directed a number of Broadway productions, including “Barefoot in the Park,” “The Odd Couple” and “Spamalot,” among others. Nichols was born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky in Berlin, Germany, on November 6, 1931. His family fled to America in 1938.