College Football Week 1 – Many Quarterback battles still unsettled
Play on, play on autumn game

In the stadium
I ain’t had no football
Since January, February, June or July

But that’s about to change. In just three days’ time, it’s the beginning of a new season – four-plus months of football. Hallelujah!

However, for Tim Beckman, the season ended before it began. Can you believe it? The season hasn’t even started and already the first coach has been fired. Late last week, Illinois fired Beckman for alleged mistreatment of players.

Frankly, I think Illinois was just getting a head-start on finding a new coach. Beckman, in all likelihood, was going to get fired at the end of the season anyway. He was on the hot seat – 12-25 in three years with the Banned Indians.

And the prospects for this season weren’t bright – picked to finish 6th in the Big Ten West. Maybe the alleged mistreatment of players made it opportune for Illinois to go ahead and get rid of Beckman now. Why wait for the inevitable?

Bill Cubit, Beckman’s offensive coordinator, was named the interim coach for the season at Illinois. Cubit is a former head coach at Western Michigan. Ironically, one of the two names that have been mentioned as Beckman’s replacement is the current coach at Western Michigan – P.J. Fleck. The other name is Greg Schiano, the former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach.

Yeah, the season hasn’t even begun and already the fireworks are popping. Or in Steve Sarkisian’s case, the beer cans (or was it champagne bottles) are popping. Play on, play on autumn game.

Before we can play on, there are a few rules changes in college football this season you need to know about:

1. An eight-person officiating crew will be allowed if a conference or school chooses.

2. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty will be called on players who push or pull opponents off piles, typically seen after fumbles.

3. Instant replay reviews will be allowed to see if a kicking team player blocked the receiving team before the ball traveled 10 yards on onside kick plays.

4. Non-standard/overbuilt facemasks will be prohibited.

I ain’t had no football since January, February, June or July. Yeah, but there’s going to be more football this year – one more bowl game, that is. What?

Can you believe it? The last thing we need is another bowl game, but we got one. The Cure Bowl will be played December 19 in Orlando, Florida, matching an American Athletic Conference team against a team from the Sun Belt Conference. That’s three bowl games (Cure, Russell Athletic and Citrus) in Orlando.

So the Cure Bowl gives us a total of 40 bowls (39 plus the championship bowl) for the 2015 season – 78 of the 128 FBS teams will be going bowling at the end of the season. And speaking of the championship bowl, it will be played in Glendale, Arizona, on January 12, 2016.

The two bowls serving as the semi-final games in the playoffs this season are the Cotton and Orange Bowls, both played on December 31. In addition to the four playoff teams, the participants in the Sugar, Rose, Fiesta and Peach bowls also will be chosen by the playoff selection committee.

Speaking of the playoffs, the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be announced at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 3 on ESPN. Then, the rankings will be announced weekly, every Tuesday evening through December 1. The final rankings and bowl pairings will be announced on Sunday, December 6.

There are no membership changes in the Power Five conferences this season. The Power Five consists of 65 teams – the ACC (14), Big 12 (10), Big Ten (14), Pac-12 (12), SEC (14) and independent Notre Dame.

There are three changes in the Group of Five conferences. The Group of Five consists of 63 teams – the AAC (12), C-USA (13), MAC (13), MWC (12), Sun Belt (11) and independents BYU and Army.

The changes in the Group of Five are in the AAC (one) and C-USA (two). For the first time in history, Navy gives up its status as an Independent in football. The Middies begin competing in the AAC this season. Meanwhile, in C-USA, UAB is out and Charlotte is in. UAB terminated its football program, while Charlotte moved up from FCS to FBS. Note: Since terminating football, UAB has since announced that it will revive the program in 2017, resuming play in C-USA.

Here’s a rundown of the conferences, revealing the favorites, the contenders and the dark horses.

Among the Power Five conferences:

In the ACC, it’s a tossup between Florida State and Clemson for the conference championship. Both will have to first battle it out for the Atlantic Division title. Also in the Atlantic, Louisville is a contender and NC State the dark horse. In the Coastal Division, it’s a tossup between Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. Duke and North Carolina are contenders, while Miami and Pitt dark horses. Wake Forest and Virginia are picked to finish last in the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions respectively.

TCU is the solid favorite in the Big 12. Baylor is a serious contender and Oklahoma is the dark horse. Iowa State and Kansas are forecast to finish at the bottom.

It’s all Ohio State in the Big Ten – hands down. In the Buckeyes’ division – East – Michigan State is a contender and Penn State and Michigan are the dark horses. Indiana will finish last. In the Big Ten’s West Division, Wisconsin is the solid favorite. Nebraska is the contender, while Minnesota and Iowa are the dark horses. Purdue should finish at the bottom.

In the Pac-12, it’s a tossup between Oregon and USC, as both are picked to win their divisions – Oregon in the North and USC in the South. Elsewhere in the North, Stanford is the contender and California and Washington are dark horses. Arizona State and UCLA are the contenders in the South and Arizona is the dark horse. Oregon State and Colorado should be the last place finishers in the North and South respectively.

Alabama is the pick to beat Georgia for the SEC championship. But the SEC West will be the wild, wild west again – crazy. Auburn and LSU are contenders and Arkansas, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, all three, are dark horses. There’s not much hope for Miss State. In the East, Tennessee and Missouri could challenge Georgia, while South Carolina and Florida are weak dark horses. Vanderbilt is the bottom feeder.

Among the Group of Five conferences:

Cincinnati is the favorite to win its division – East – and the conference title in the AAC. Temple and UCF could challenge the Bearcats and East Carolina is the dark horse. In the AAC West, Memphis is the general favorite and Houston is a serious contender. Navy is the dark horse. Connecticut will be the big loser in the East, and in the West, it’s a tossup between SMU and Tulsa for the worst team.

Western Kentucky is forecast to beat Louisiana Tech for the C-USA championship. Challenging the Hilltoppers in the East will be Marshall and Middle Tennessee is the dark horse. Newcomer Charlotte will finish at the bottom. In the West, Rice is the contender, while UTEP and Southern Miss are weak dark horses. UT-San Antonio will sit at the bottom.

In the MAC, Toledo and Northern Illinois are equally favored to win the conference title. But first, they must battle one another to win their division – the West. Western Michigan is a contender, while Ball State and Central Michigan are dark horses in the West. Bowling Green is the solid favorite to win the MAC East crown. Ohio and Akron will contend. Massachusetts and Buffalo are dark horses. Miami in the East and Eastern Michigan in the West are the bottom feeders.

Boise State is the clear favorite to win its division – Mountain – and take the MWC championship. Utah State is the contender and Colorado State is the dark horse in the Mountain Division. New Mexico is the loser. In the MWC West, San Diego State is the favorite for the division crown. Fresno State is the contender and Nevada and San Jose State are dark horses. It’s a tossup between Hawaii and UNLV for the worst of the West.

And finally, in the Sun Belt, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are expected to battle it out for the conference crown. Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette are serious challengers. Texas State and South Alabama are dark horses. Georgia State will finish at the bottom.

That’s the conference rundown. You have everything you need to know. Now you can sit back and see if the forecasters are right. Perhaps, you hope they are wrong. It’s going to be fun.

As the Rolling Stones sang, “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away. Wild, wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

Five-straight days of football begin Thursday evening. North Carolina-South Carolina from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte kicks off the season. The game is basically a tossup. Before the night is over, there are two more games worth viewing – Michigan at Utah and TCU at Minnesota. Jim Harbaugh makes his debut with the Wolverines. Can TCU run the table this season?

The best game Friday night is Washington at Boise State. Huskies coach Chris Petersen returns to his old stomping grounds.

Five games top the fare on Saturday – Louisville-Auburn from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, BYU at Nebraska (Mike Riley’s debut with the Huskers), Arizona State-Texas A&M from NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas at Notre Dame (Charlie Strong’s second season with the Longhorns) and Wisconsin-Alabama from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Sunday, check out Purdue at Marshall. Marshall’s offense is never dull.

Then the five-day weekend comes to an end on Labor Day night – Ohio State at Virginia Tech. Can the Hokies beat the Buckeyes again?

Bootsie and Rockledge Gator will be at the Louisville-Auburn game, along with grandson Connor Yawn. Everybody has at least one vice. For Bootsie, it’s cheering for Auburn – her only weakness. I’m not sure where she went wrong. But we’ll let it pass for this game.

After the game, Bootsie and Rockledge will meander their way up to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for Bootsie’s high school reunion. I won’t say which one, Bootsie.

Our friend Tim Muth wanted to take Swamp Mama to a Florida State kickoff party. But there was one stipulation. Swamp Mama had to dress up like a Seminole. There are some things Swamp Mama won’t do – ever. Tim has a strange sense of humor. Don’t all Noles?

Yeah, play on, play on autumn game.

As the Rolling Stones sang, “I’m just waiting on a friend.”

Touchdown Tom
August 31, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Quotes of the Week

“I don’t think Pat Haden has a clue about being an athletic director,” Paul Finebaum, on the USC athletic director.

“The way I acted was irresponsible. There are things we are going to work on for me, moving forward,” USC football coach Steve Sarkisian, on his behavior and inappropriate language at a kickoff event for USC boosters.

“You’re not going to change my heart to make me love Michigan, are you?,” 10-year-old Ivan Applin to the doctors at the University of Michigan Hospital before surgery to repair his heart. Ivan is a big Ohio State fan.

“Beckman’s firing was a long time coming. His antics might have been entertaining to outsiders, but he was simply an embarrassment for the Fighting Illini,” ESPN Staff Writer Josh Moyer, on the firing of Illinois coach Tim Beckman.

“Probably doesn’t need to be said how much I hate Auburn,” Arkansas coach Bret Bielema.

“Football is different. It’s not like Fortune 500 companies that don’t tell their secrets. We share ideas, probably too much,” Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, on college coaches discussing offenses and defenses with each other.

“When I hear ‘spread offense’ I kind of chuckle a little bit. It means evolving. To me, that’s what ‘spread offense’ means. The days of the spread offense 100% of the time are long, long gone,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen.

“The spread offense in college, which is one back and four receivers, and the pro-style offense, that you used to see in the NFL, have merged,” West Virginia coach Dan Holgorsen.

“Good news was I didn’t pull a Sark after dark,” Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, tweeting with a reference to USC coach Steve Sarkisian’s intoxicated behavior.


Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
Opening Weekend’s 12 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games.…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Wisconsin vs. Alabama – (Big Ten vs. SEC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – The last time Alabama went up against a Big Ten team, you know what happened. It wasn’t pretty. Not for Alabama, it wasn’t. So the Tide will be out to make amends for that game. There will be a sort of revenge factor against the Big Ten. That says Wisconsin could be in trouble. And the Badgers have a brand new coach too. It may not be a pretty debut for Paul Chryst. In fact, it could be a downright ugly debut. The game is being played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. If there is any battle at all, it could be between the two running backs – Alabama’s Derrick Henry and Wisconsin’s Corey Clement. Alabama finished last season against a Big Ten team. The Tide opens this season against a Big Ten team. Instead of On Wisconsin, it will be Poor Wisconsin – Alabama 28, Wisconsin 20.

RUNNER UP: 2. Ohio State at Virginia Tech – (Big Ten vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Monday, ESPN – What more could you ask for to top off the Labor Day weekend? It’s the perfect scenario – the reigning national champions going up against the only team that beat them 2014. Ohio State finished last season 14-1. That one loss was to Virginia Tech – 35-21 – in Columbus. This year, the game is in Blacksburg. It’s the only tough road game the Buckeyes have all season. Virginia Tech is the toughest game Ohio State will play until the Buckeyes meet Michigan State on November 21. And that game is in Columbus. Frank Beamer is in his 29th year, coaching the Hokies. Some Hokie fans think Beamer should be thinking about retirement. They’re getting impatient. Some think next year will be Beamer’s final one in Blacksburg. Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller lost to Virginia Tech last year. This year, Miller is a receiver. Quarterbacks J.T. Barrett or Cardale Jones or both will not lose to the Hokies. But it will be close – Ohio State 28, Virginia Tech 17.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Louisville vs. Auburn – (ACC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – During his first stint at Louisville, way before his Steve McQueen days in Arkansas, Bobby Petrino almost became the coach at Auburn – in a back-handed way. Remember that? Tommy Tuberville does. It was called Jetgate. Now Petrino is in his second stint at Louisville. Gus Malzahn is in his third year at Auburn. And Malzahn might finally have a defense this year. Auburn fans are giddy singing Muschamp Love. Yes, the same Will Muschamp, who was Will Mustake at Florida, is Auburn’s new defensive coordinator. That’s why Auburn fans are singing Muschamp Love. It’s been a while since Auburn knew what a defense was. The game is being played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Just as it is Petrino’s second stint at Louisville, it is Muschamp’s second stint at Auburn. Will was the defensive coordinator for the Tigers in 2006 and 2007. And, of course, Petrino was offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2002. It’s a small world, isn’t it? And it will be a smaller world for Louisville when Auburn gets through with the Cardinals – Auburn 34, Louisville 17.

4. Arizona State vs. Texas A&M – (Pac-12 vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Like Auburn, Texas A&M has been another one of those schools with a good offense and a bad defense. And like Gus Malzahn, Kevin Sumlin got himself a defensive guru. Enter John Chavis at College Station. Sumlin went out and hired Chavis away from LSU. Chavis first established himself as a defensive guru under Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee. Some say Arizona State could be one of the most underrated teams in the country. And the Sun Devils are ranked in the Top 20. The game is being played in NRG Stadium in Houston. That means it will be a home game for the Aggies. But the visitors win – Arizona State 33, Texas A&M 32.

5. TCU at Minnesota – (Big 12 vs. Big Ten) – 9 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Is this the year of the Frog? Or is TCU overrated? The Frogs ended last season (42-3 over Ole Miss) with a bang. They could get this season started with a bang against Minnesota. TCU has the nation’s premier quarterback – Trevone Boykin. He’s one of the favorites for the Heisman. Minnesota is coming off back-to-back 8-5 seasons. That’s almost unheard of in the land of lutefisk. Usually, the Gophers are coming off back-to-back 5-8 seasons. The Gophers are diggers, not giggers – TCU 27, Minnesota 13.

6. Texas at Notre Dame – (Big 12 vs. Ind.) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – This is Charlie Strong’s second season at Texas. It’s still a rebuilding one. Regardless, the pressure is already on Charlie. After all, it is Texas. In South Bend, Notre Dame is sporting a new offensive coordinator this season. Mike Sanford, the former OC at Boise State, will be running the Irish offense. And Sanford’s offense is likely to run through Texas’ defense. Sorry Charlie – Notre Dame 30, Texas 20.

7. Michigan at Utah – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) – 8:30 pm ET, Thursday, FS1 – The wait is over for Wolverine fans. The Harbaugh era begins at Michigan. Jim Harbaugh makes his long awaited debut. This is Harbaugh’s second stint at Michigan. The first stint was at the quarterback position. This stint is at the coaching position. Harbaugh may need a stint, or two, when this one is done. Yeah, the wait is over for Wolverine fans, but they may have to wait another week before they have a win. Utah beat Michigan in Ann Arbor last year and looks to make it two in a row this year. Jim is no gem – Utah 28, Michigan 24.

8. Virginia at UCLA – (ACC vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, Fox – Talk about a hot seat, that’s what Virginia coach Mike London is sitting on. And when UCLA gets done with the Cavaliers, London’s seat will be hotter. And if you notice Penn State fans cheering for the Bruins, that’s because Tom Bradley is the new defensive coordinator at UCLA this season. London’s bridge is falling down – UCLA 34, Virginia 17.

9. BYU at Nebraska – (Ind. vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, ABC – The Mike Riley era begins in Lincoln. Believe me, it won’t be anything like the Bo Pelini era. Not that Mike will necessarily win, or lose, any more games than Bo. That remains to be seen. It’s just that Mike’s disposition is somewhat different than Bo’s – completely different. Mike is more like Clark Kent – mild mannered. I’m not sure that you could label Bo as mild mannered. Mike will be more like Tom Osborne in that respect. Regardless, Mike still has to win games if he wants to reside in Lincoln for any length of time. BYU is a dangerous opener for Mike. The Cougar duo of quarterback Taysom Hill and running back Jamaal Williams can be scary. But the Huskers Riley….I mean….rally – Nebraska 32, BYU 30.

10. Washington at Boise State – (Pac-12 vs. MWC) – 10:15 pm ET, Friday, ESPN –
Washington coach Chris Petersen returns to his old stomping grounds. At Boise State, Petersen would have looked forward to this game with great anticipation. At Washington, Petersen is dreading this game. And rightfully so. The Broncos are loaded. The Huskies aren’t. Petersen gets no respect on his return. The Broncos are rude to him – Boise State 29, Washington 22.

11. Stanford at Northwestern – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – So, I’m wondering. When the Northwestern players take the field, will they be singing, “Look for the union label?” Or maybe the Strawbs’ “I’m a Union Man.” But alas, the Wildcats weren’t awarded the right to unionize by the NLRB. The players aren’t employees of Northwestern. Still, when Justin Jackson is running with the ball, he may be singing to the Stanford defenders, “Oh, you don’t get me, I’m part of the union….you don’t get me, I’m part of the union.” Stanford is a right to work team – Stanford 28, Northwestern 16.

12. North Carolina vs. South Carolina – (ACC vs. SEC) – 6 p.m. ET, Thursday, ESPN – So Steve Spurrier has a Twitter account now and come this time next year, North Carolina may have a probation account – big time. Yeah, Spurrier got on Twitter and then got upset when everyone referred to him as the “Old Ball Coach.” He quickly reminded everyone that he is the “Head Ball Coach” – not the “Old Ball Coach.” Spurrier even related that at his recent physical, the doctor said he was a 70-year-old man in a 55-year-old body. Fifty-five….that’s how many years probation North Carolina might get. No….it won’t be that bad. The game is being played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Both teams are question marks. Tar Heel coach Larry Fedora is on the hot seat. North Carolina has a potentially hot quarterback – Marquise Williams. But if Williams is going to have a breakout season, this is the game where he needs to breakout. Never underestimate the Old….I mean….Head Ball Coach – South Carolina 26, North Carolina 24.


…AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Penn State at Temple – (Big Ten vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – This is always a curious little affair. Temple never beats Penn State. Where is Rocky when they need him? But the Owls often come pretty damn close. And this is one of those times the Owls could come close again. Or they could come more than close. They could win. Penn State is still technically rebuilding. And Temple is a challenger for the East Division title in the American Athletic Conference. But with Christian Hackenberg quarterbacking the Nittany Lions, it is hard to see Penn State losing. The Lions put the cheese on the steaks – Penn State 30, Temple 20.

14. Purdue at Marshall – (Big Ten vs. C-USA) – 3 pm ET, Sunday, FS1 –
Last year, Marshall was one loss away from an undefeated season. The Herd was also one loss away from representing the Group of Five conferences in the Selection Committee’s New Year’s Day bowls. Boise State got that spot when Marshall lost to Western Kentucky 67-66 (OT) in the final game of the regular season. A win over Purdue would get Marshall back on track for that goal this season. Purdue coach Darrell Hazell is on the hot seat. A season opening loss at Marshall would be devastating for Hazell. The Boilers are considered to be the worst team in the Big Ten. That means they are 14th out of 14. Where are Bob Griese and Drew Brees when they need them? – Marshall 24, Purdue 17.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Georgia Southern at West Virginia – (Sun Belt vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, FSN – Yes, I know….Georgia Southern is supposed to be a patsy. This is supposed to be a cupcake game for WVU. Well last year, Georgia Southern darn near beat NC State and Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack had to stage a fourth quarter rally to win 24-23. The Yellow Jackets had to stage a fourth quarter rally to win 42-38. And that was the Eagles only two losses all season. Two years ago, Georgia Southern beat Florida. Yeah, I know….everybody beat Will Muschamp – everybody that is except Tennessee and Kentucky. But I digress. The danger of Georgia Southern lies in its offense. The Eagles run a spread-option. WVU’s defense will be challenged. The Eagles have a crafty little running back in Matt Breida. He can drive a defense crazy. So what was supposed to be a cupcake could spread icing all over Dana Holgorsen’s face. On the upside, WVU’s offense should have no trouble scoring on Georgia Southern. So this could be a high-scoring game. We’ll see how improved the WVU defense is. Mountaineers do better than a birdie; they get an Eagle – West Virginia 41, Georgia Southern 25.

New Mexico State at Florida – (Sun Belt vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Last year, Florida’s opener was a washout – literally. And Florida was opening then against a Sun Belt Conference team from the West – Idaho. After two failed attempts to get the game going and what seemed like several inches of rain, the game was eventually called around midnight. So Florida and Idaho never got to play. Let’s hope this one doesn’t get rained out. After all, it’s Jim McElwain’s debut. And McElwain needs to see who performs better at quarterback – Will Grier or Treon Harris. Problem is – they’ll both look good against a team like New Mexico State. It may take another week for McElwain to decide. Albert gives the Aggies a bath – Florida 49, New Mexico State 3.

Duke at Tulane – (ACC vs. AAC) – 9:30 pm ET, Thursday, CBSSN – The days of making fun of the Dookies are over. It has been for a few years now. David Cutcliffe has turned the Dookies into a legitimate and competitive team. Now Tulane is a different story. The Green Wave haven’t seen a decent season since Tommy Bowden and Rich Rodriguez left Tulane for Clemson several years ago. The Dookies are on a streetcar named Desire – Duke 31, Tulane 17.

Louisiana-Monroe at Georgia – (Sun Belt vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN – A few years ago, ULM was scaring big teams right and left. The Warhawks beat Arkansas and darn near beat Auburn. But that was a few years ago. The Warhawks haven’t done that in a while. They aren’t about to start it again either. Not against Georgia, they’re not. The Dawgs will score at will on the Warhawks. Uga will be bored. He may not even bother to come out of the doghouse. After all, isn’t the doghouse air conditioned? Chubb feasts on Warhawk grub – Georgia 52, Louisiana-Monroe 10.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida International at UCF – (C-USA vs. AAC) – 6 pm ET, Thursday, CBSSN....
Florida Atlantic at Tulsa – (C-USA vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN....
Bethune-Cookman at Miami – (MEAC vs. ACC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3....
Florida A&M at South Florida – (MEAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3
Texas State at Florida State – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNEWS….

Jacksonville U. at Delaware – (Pioneer vs. Colonial) – 7 pm ET, Friday....
Webber International at Stetson – (Sun vs. Pioneer) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3....
Newberry at Florida Tech – (South Atlantic vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Louisville announced a $55 million stadium expansion that will add 10,000 seats to 17-year-old Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. The expansion will bring the stadium’s capacity to approximately 65,000…. Colorado State and Florida have contracted for a game to be played in Gainesville in 2018…. LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron revealed last week that he was treated for prostate cancer but plans to coach this season….

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the Labor Day weekend approached and college football fans were stoked for the start of another great season, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1940 was “I’ll Never Smile Again” by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

…70 years ago this week in 1945 was “On The Atchison, Topeka and The Santa Fe” by Johnny Mercer

…65 years ago this week in 1950 was “Goodnight, Irene” by Gordon Jenkins and The Weavers

…60 years ago this week in 1955 was “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets

…55 years ago this week in 1960 was “It’s Now Or Never” by Elvis Presley

…50 years ago this week in 1965 was “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

…45 years ago this week in 1970 was “War” by Edwin Star

…40 years ago this week in 1975 was “Get Down Tonight” by KC and The Sunshine Band

…35 years ago this week in 1980 was “Sailing” by Christopher Cross

…30 years ago this week in 1985 was “The Power Of Love” by Huey Lewis and The News

…25 years ago this week in 1990 was “If Wishes Came True” by Sweet Sensation


Not exactly college football related, but there were six passings of note last week – Charlie Coffey, Justin Wilson, Melody Patterson, Daryl Dawkins, Lou Tsioropoulos and Marvin Mandell.

Charlie Coffey, who brought a potent passing attack to Virginia Tech during his three seasons as the Hokies’ coach in the early 1970s (1971-73), died last week. He was 81. In the three years guiding the Hokies, Coffey led them to a 12-20-1 record. His 1972 team was quarterbacked by Don Strock. Prior to Virginia Tech, Coffey was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas for five seasons and was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 1963 to 1965. Coffey played football at Tennessee where he was an offensive guard and a defensive tackle. Following his last year at Virginia Tech, Coffey entered the trucking industry. In 1981 he founded Nationwide Express, a trucking company his two sons run today.

Justin Wilson, an Indy Car driver died last week after he sustained a head injury during a crash at the Pocono Raceway. He was 37. Known as the “Gentle Giant” of racing (he was 6ft-4), Wilson got his start racing Go-Karts at the age of nine at his home in England. He raced in the European Formula One series in 2003 and then moved to the United States, where he raced in the Champ Car and Indy Car circuits. Wilson was born in Sheffield, England, and brought up in Woodall, a village in South Yorkshire.

Melody Patterson, an actress best-known for playing Wrangler Jane on the sitcom “F Troop” in the 1960s, died last week in Hollister, Missouri. She was 66. “F Troop,” a comedy set in the Old West that was seen on ABC from 1965 to 1967, Patterson played a feisty postmistress and storekeeper at Fort Courage. Her character was the love interest of the fort’s captain, played by Ken Berry. “F Troop” also starred Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch. After “F Troop” ended, Patterson appeared on “The Monkees,” “Green Acres” and other TV shows. She met actor James MacArthur when they were cast in the movie “The Angry Breed” and they later married. She appeared in a few episodes of the CBS crime drama “Hawaii 5-0,” on which MacArthur played detective Danny Williams. Melody Patricia Patterson was born on April 16, 1949, in Inglewood, California.

Daryl Dawkins, who arrived in the NBA as a teenager and became one of the games fiercest dunkers known to fans as Chocolate Thunder from Lovetron, died last week in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He was 58. In the 1975 NBA draft, Dawkins was selected 5th in the first round and first by the Philadelphia 76ers. He became the first NBA player drafted straight out of high school. Dawkins played a total of 15 years in the NBA – the first seven with the 76ers. He also played for the New Jersey Nets, the Utah Jazz and the Detroit Pistons. Daryl Dawkins was born in Orlando, Florida, on January 11, 1957. After his NBA career ended, Dawkins played professionally Italy and spent a year with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Lou Tsioropoulos, who played on Kentucky’s 1951 NCAA basketball championship team and two Boston Celtics squads that went on to win NBA titles, died last week in Louisville, Kentucky. He was 84. Tsioropoulos played three seasons at Kentucky under Adolph Rupp. The 1951 team included Frank Ramsey and Cliff Hagan. After graduating from Kentucky in 1953, Tsioropoulos spent three years in the Air Force before joining the Celtics in 1956, where he played for three seasons. Louis Charles Tsioropoulos was born on August 30, 1930, in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Marvin Mandel, a former governor of Maryland whose record of modernizing the state’s government was overshadowed by a messy divorce and a fraud conviction for helping associates profit from a racetrack deal, died yesterday in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. He was 95. Mandell was born in Baltimore on April 19, 1920 and grew up in the city. He served in the U.S. Army after graduating from the University of Maryland Law School in 1942.

College Football Week – Preseason 2: Ten days and counting
The odds are against Ohio State

Ten days and counting. Yes, 10 days to the first kickoff. Ten days and another season begins. Little-by-little, the questions will be answered. The mysteries will be solved. The unknown will be known.

The good news at this point: Every team is undefeated. Everybody has a right to believe their team will be No. 1 at the end of the season. That’s one of the beauties of college football – at preseason, everybody thinks their team will go undefeated. That is until reality sets in – when the first games are played.

But even with one loss, everybody thinks their team can still make the playoffs. That is until reality sets in again – when the second loss occurs.

If you follow the preseason polls, then you know that some people – Ohio State fans in particular – have more reason than others to believe their team will be No. 1 at the end of the season. The last of the preseason polls – AP – was released yesterday. Again, Ohio State was No. 1 – just as the Buckeyes have been in all the other preseason polls this season.

But wait. Maybe Buckeyes fans should be concerned – really concerned. Only two times in the past 20 years has the No. 1 team at preseason been the No. 1 team at the end of the season – Florida State in 1999 and USC in 2004. And the Trojans later had to vacate that 2004 title due to violations.

So the odds aren’t good for Ohio State. The Buckeyes only have a 10 percent chance of finishing the season at No. 1. Based on the past 20 years, Ohio State only has a 10 percent chance of winning the national championship again this season. But time will tell. The unknown will be known.

The preseason polls have revealed a few interesting things. TCU and Baylor have their highest-ever preseason rankings. Michigan State has its highest preseason ranking since 1967. And, this year is the first time since 1957 that the preseason polls are without Florida, Nebraska or Texas in the Top 25. Imagine that.

Yes, the AP preseason poll was released yesterday. And today, my annual preseason Consensus Top 40 poll is posted below.

All the preseason polls are out, but all the coaches don’t know yet who their starting quarterback is going to be. If they do, they aren’t letting on. Not yet at least. Quarterback battles are still going on at several schools, including Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, South Carolina and UCLA, among others.

Florida coach Jim McElwain said the competition between Will Greer and Treon Harris is so tight that he just may rotate the quarterbacks in the first couple of games to determine which one should become the starter.

At Ohio State, quarterbacks Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett both said they are against the rotation system. They would rather Urban Meyer pick and start with one as opposed to rotating them.

When the decision is made in Tallahassee, Everett Golson may have wished he transferred somewhere else other than Florida State. Then again, maybe not.

Oh well, the questions will soon be answered. The unknown will be known.

Speaking of Florida State, my Seminole friend Tim Muth said he hopes Jimbo Fisher keeps his players out of bars and jails this fall. And Swamp Mama reminded Tim that Jimbo better keep them out of Publix too.

Swamp Mama and I went out to dinner with Bootsie and Rockledge Gator Friday night. Rockledge Gator is chomping at the bit for the season to start. At dinner he was chomping on a plate full of wings. He was chomping so aggressively on those wings you would have thought Florida was on the eve of playing South Carolina.

But then what do you eat when you’re about to play a team called the Aggies – cabbage, carrots, corn? Somehow, I can picture Rockledge Gator chomping on that. Hell, he won’t even chomp on tomatoes. He saves those for me – tomatoes, onions, cucumbers.

Meanwhile, Bootsie and Swamp Mama have been busy buying their new Gator glitter, garb and paraphernalia for the fall. Just call them the glitterazzi. Or the glam Gators.

Yes, 10 days. Ten days and counting!

Touchdown Tom
August 24, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Quotes of the Week

“We didn’t score touchdowns in the red zone. We should have put 60 on them, and we didn’t. That was the most disappointing thing, when you have a chance to do something special, and don’t, and then we gave up all those fourth quarter points. We let them off the hook, but we’ve got them at home this year,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, on last year’s Alabama game.

“I don’t think it would be as efficient. I don’t think it would be the best idea,” Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett on a rotating quarterback system.

“I don’t think it’s a great idea. I don’t think you could get in a rhythm. Only one of us can play,” Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones on a rotating quarterback system.

“I definitely believe I am the best corner in the Big 12,” Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez.

“We still got a whole bunch of coachin’ to do. A whole bunch of coachin’,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, after practice on Wednesday.

“History could be against Ohio State. Of the six previous teams to get 90% or more of the AP preseason No. 1 votes, none won titles, including Alabama in 2013 and Florida State in 2014,” ESPN’s Chris Fowler.


The Teams – 2015 (Touchdown Tom’s Consensus Top 40)

Who’s No. 1? Who’s No. 2? And will those teams be the top two teams at the end of the season? Only time will tell – 20 weeks of time.

The preseason polls are all out. The last one – AP – was posted yesterday. That means Touchdown Tom has come up with his annual preseason Top 40 poll. Every year, I combine the results of all the legitimate preseason polls – 14 this year – to come up with my Top 40.

After doing the math, this year’s preseason Consensus Top 40 has 1 – Ohio State and 2 – TCU as the top two teams in the country. The remainder of the Top 10 consists of 3 – Alabama, 4 – Baylor, 5 – Oregon, 6 – Auburn, 7 – Michigan State, 8 – USC, 9 – Florida State and 10 – Georgia.

Ohio State is a unanimous No. 1. The Buckeyes were ranked first in all 14 of the preseason polls. TCU was ranked 2nd in 12 of the 14 polls. Sports Illustrated ranked the Horned Frogs 3rd and Athlon ranked them 5th.

Each of the Power Five conferences is represented in the Top 10. The SEC has three teams, the Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 have two each and there is one team form the ACC – Florida State.

Continuing down the Top 40, the second 10 consists of 11 – Notre Dame, 12 – Clemson, 12 – LSU, 14 – UCLA, 15 – Ole Miss, 16 – Arizona State, 17 – Stanford, 18 – Arkansas, 19 – Georgia Tech and 20 – Wisconsin.

The Top 20 is made up of six teams from the SEC (five from the SEC West), five teams from the Pac-12, three teams each from the Big Ten and ACC two teams from the Big 12 and one Independent – Notre Dame.

The next 10 is made up of 21 – Oklahoma, 22 – Boise State, 23 – Tennessee, 24 – Arizona, 25 – Missouri, 26 – Texas A&M, 27 – Oklahoma State, 28 – Virginia Tech, 29 – Mississippi State and 30 – Utah.

The Top 30 reflects 10 teams from the SEC (seven from the SEC West), seven teams from the Pac-12 (five from the Pac-12 South), four teams each from the ACC and Big 12, three teams from the Big Ten, one Independent and one team from the Mountain West – Boise State.

The final 10 teams in the Consensus Top 40 include 31 – Penn State, 32 – Nebraska, 33 – Louisville, 34 – Texas, 35 – Kansas State, 36 – West Virginia, 37 – Miami (Florida), 38 – Michigan, 39 – NC State and 40 – Florida. Just missing the Top 40 was Minnesota.

The Consensus Top 40 consists of 11 teams from the SEC, seven teams each from the ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12, six teams from the Big Ten (four from the Big Ten East), one team from the Mountain West and one Independent. Boise State is the only team from a Group of Five conference ranked in the Top 40.

The highest ranked teams from the other four Group of Five conferences are Cincinnati (42nd) from the American Athletic, Marshall (53rd) from Conference USA, Northern Illinois (54th) from the Mid-American and Georgia Southern (79th) from the Sun Belt.

Last year, the Top 5 teams in the preseason Consensus Top 40 were 1 – Florida State, 2 – Alabama, 3 – Oregon, 4 – Oklahoma and 5 – Ohio State. At the end of the regular season, the Top 4 playoff teams were 1 – Alabama, 2 – Oregon, 3 – Florida State and 4 – Ohio State.

Ohio State won the national championship, beating Oregon in the title game. In the final polls, it was 1 – Ohio State, 2 – Oregon, 3 – TCU and 4 – Alabama. TCU was ranked 33rd in the preseason Consensus Top 40. Florida State finished the season ranked 6th and Oklahoma was not even ranked in the Top 25 at the end of the season.


The Running Backs – 2015

Running backs don’t rule in college football. Or at least they haven’t for 13 of the past 14 years. Since 2000, only one running back has won the Heisman. (Note: The Trophy was vacated in 2005).

However, there was a time when the running backs ruled. There were two times. From 1940 to 1961 a running back won the Heisman 18 of those 22 years. Then from 1972 to 1988 a running back won the Heisman 14 of those 17 years.

Maybe a running back will start a new streak in 2015. Like the quarterbacks this preseason, there are five running backs who are leading the pack – two juniors and three sophomores. And like the quarterbacks, two of the five are way out in front of the pack – Ohio State junior Ezekiel Elliott (6-0, 225) and Georgia sophomore Nick Chubb (5-10, 220).

Along with TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, the Buckeyes’ Elliott is the other favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this year. Last year, Elliott rushed for 1,878 yards, scored 18 touchdowns and averaged 6.9 yards-per-carry. Ohio State won the National Championship and finished with a 14-1 record.

Should Elliott win the Heisman, he would become the eighth player from Ohio State to win the Trophy – the last being quarterback Troy Smith in 2006.

Meanwhile, down in the Peach State, Georgia’s hopes are running high with the return of Nick Chubb. In 2014, Chubb rushed for 1,547 yards and scored 14 touchdowns, while averaging 7.1 yards-a-carry.

The other three running backs attracting major attention at preseason are LSU sophomore Leonard Fournette (6-1, 230), Alabama junior Derrick Henry (6-3, 242) and Pitt sophomore James Conner (6-2, 250).

Last season Fournette averaged 5.5 yards-per-carry, as he rushed for 1,034 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Henry scored 11 touchdowns, as he rushed for 990, averaging 5.5 yards-a-carry. In Pittsburgh, Conner rushed for 1,765 yards, averaging 5.9 yards-a carry and scoring 26 touchdowns.

Elliott, Chubb, Fournette, Henry and Conner are pegged at preseason to be the five best running backs in the country. But the conferences are loaded with a ton of good running backs.

Although Chubb, Fournette and Henry are the cream of the crop in the SEC, the league has some other good runners. Arkansas was looking good with the returning tandem of senior Jonathan Williams (6-0, 224) and junior Alex Collins (5-11, 224). But last week, Williams suffered a foot injury that will keep him out for the season. Collins, who rushed for 1,100 yards last year, will have to pick up the slack.

Tennessee is hanging its hopes on sophomore Jalen Hurd (6-3, 230), as is Florida with junior Kelvin Taylor (5-10, 209). Taylor had 899 yards rushing last season.

Oklahoma has one of the country’s most outstanding backs in sophomore Samaje Perine (5-11, 237). Last year, Perine rushed for 1,713 yards, scored 21 touchdowns and averaged 6.5 yards-a-carry. Elsewhere in the Big 12, Baylor junior Shock Linwood (5-9, 195), Texas Tech senior DeAndre Washington (5-8, 198) and TCU senior Aaron Green (5-11, 202) are among the best.

Last season, Linwood rushed for 1,252 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Washington averaged 5.9 yards-per-carry, rushing for 1,103 yards. Green rushed for 922 yards, averaging 7.1 yards-a-carry.

Texas hopes that senior Johnathan Gray (5-11, 208) has a marquis season. He’s capable. West Virginia is looking for a dual threat at the running back position with junior Rushel Shell (5-10, 221) and junior Wendell Smallwood (5-11, 201). Both rushed for more than 700 yards each last season.

The Pac-12, always known for its quarterbacks, has a slew of good running backs this season. The top two at preseason are Utah senior Devontae Booker (5-11, 212) and Oregon sophomore Royce Freeman (5-11, 230). In 2014, Booker rushed for 1,512 yards. Freeman rushed for 1,365 yards, scoring 18 touchdowns. Another Duck, junior Thomas Tyner (5-11, 215), makes Oregon a bigger threat at the running back position.

UCLA is looking strong with junior Paul Perkins (5-11, 198). Last year Perkins rushed for 1,575 yards. Two more Pac-12 backs to keep an eye on are Arizona sophomore Nick Wilson (5-10, 199) and Oregon State senior Storm Woods (6-0, 205). Wilson tallied 1,375 yards rushing in 2014.

Outside of Pitt’s James Conner, the ACC is not looking strong at preseason at the running back position. The best of the rest may be Florida State sophomore Dalvin Cook (6-0, 203). Cook, currently suspended from the Florida State team, rushed for 1,008 yards last season.

Two others in the ACC who could break through in 2015 are NC State senior Shadrach Thornton (6-1, 205) and Boston College sophomore Jon Hilliman (6-0, 215). Thornton racked up 907 yards rushing last year.

Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott rules the field in the Big Ten, but Wisconsin junior Corey Clement (5-11, 217) is not far behind. Clement rushed for 949 yards in 2014. Two others in the Big Ten to watch out for are Northwestern sophomore Justin Jackson (5-11, 185) and Illinois senior Josh Ferguson (5-10, 195). Jackson had 1,187 yards rushing last season.

Among the Group of Five conferences, Marshall senior Devon Johnson (6-1, 243) is one of the best and possibly the best in Conference USA. Last year, Johnson averaged 8.6 yards-a-carry, rushing for 1,767 yards and scoring 17 touchdowns.

But C-USA is loaded with good running backs, including Western Kentucky senior Leon Allen (6-0, 235) and Louisiana Tech senior Kenneth Dixon (5-10, 212). Last year Allen rushed for 1,542 yards and scored 13 touchdowns, while Dixon rushed for 1,299 yards, scoring 22 touchdowns.

And we’re not finished. Yet, two more good backs in C-USA are UTEP junior Aaron Jones (5-10, 185) and Rice junior Jowan Davis (5-7, 200). In 2014, Jones rushed for 1,321 yards and Davis tallied 956 yards.

The Mid-American is in good shape at the running back position. The MAC is led by Western Michigan sophomore Jarvion Franklin (6-0, 220) and Toledo junior Kareem Hunt (5-11, 215). Franklin rushed for 1,551 yards and scored 24 touchdowns last season, while Hunt averaged 8.0 yards-per-carry, rushing for 1,631 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Two more good backs in the MAC are Buffalo senior Anthone Taylor (5-10, 207) and Bowling Green senior Travis Greene (5-10, 183). Last year, Taylor rushed for 1,403 yards, while Greene grounded-out 949 yards.

The Mountain West Conference has one of the country’s top running backs in San Diego State junior Donnel Pumphrey (5-9, 170). In 2014, Pumphrey scored 20 touchdowns, rushing for 1,867 yards and averaging 6.8 yards-a-carry. Another star back in the MWC is Fresno State senior Marteze Waller (5-11, 209). Last season, Waller rushed for 1,368 yards, averaging 6.1 yards-per-carry.

UCF junior William Stanback (6-1, 225) is the only star running back in the American Athletic Conference at preseason. Likewise for the Sun Belt Conference with Georgia Southern junior Matt Breida (5-10, 185) being the sole leader at preseason. Last year, Breida rushed for 1,485 yards, averaging 8.7 yards-a-carry and scoring 17 touchdowns.

Among the Independents, the best running back is BYU senior Jamaal Williams (6-0, 206).


TT’s Top Ten Favorite Running Backs at Preseason:

1. Ezekiel Elliott – Ohio State
2. Nick Chubb – Georgia
3. Samaje Perine – Oklahoma
4. Derrick Henry – Alabama
5. Royce Freeman – Oregon
6. Shock Linwood – Baylor
7. James Conner – Pitt
8. Devon Johnson – Marshall
9. Donnel Pumphrey – San Diego State
10. Marteze Waller – Fresno State


And keep an eye on:

Corey Clement – Wisconsin; Nick Wilson – Arizona; Matt Breida – Georgia Southern; Leonard Fournette – LSU; Devontae Booker – Utah; Kenneth Dixon – Louisiana Tech, and Jamaal Williams – BYU.


The Other Positions – 2015

Wide Receivers

They say the wide receiver has become the most popular position in college football, maybe all of football. Baylor is the most envied school at preseason with a pair of outstanding receivers – junior Corey Coleman (5-11, 190) and sophomore K.D. Cannon (6-0, 175). Elsewhere in the Big 12, watch out for Oklahoma senior Sterling Shepard (5-10, 191) and TCU senior Josh Doctson (6-3, 195).

The SEC has three clutch receivers in Ole Miss junior Lequon Treadwell (6-2, 229), South Carolina junior Pharoh Cooper (5-11, 208) and Auburn senior Duke Williams (6-2, 224).

In the Big Ten, Ohio already had a good receiver in junior Michael Thomas (6-3, 210). Now the Buckeyes may have another one in former quarterback and senior Braxton Miller (6-2, 215). Rutgers had a top-notch receiver in senior Leonte Carroo (6-1, 205).

Out West, the Pac-12 is in good shape with Colorado senior Nelson Spruce (6-1, 195), USC sophomore Juju Smith (6-2, 215) and Arizona State senior D.J. Foster (5-11, 195). The ACC’s two best receivers are looking to be Pitt junior Tyler Boyd (6-2, 190) and Clemson junior Mike Williams (6-4, 210).

One of the best receivers in the country is Colorado State junior Rashard Higgins (6-2, 188). Two more top receivers are Notre Dame junior Will Fuller (6-0, 180) and Western Michigan junior Corey Davis (6-3, 205).


Tight Ends

Four of the nation’s six best tight ends are from the SEC. They are Ole Miss junior Evan Engram (6-3, 227), Arkansas junior Hunter Henry (6-5, 250), Vanderbilt senior Steven Scheu (6-5, 245) and Alabama junior O.J. Howard (6-6, 242).

The other two are Stanford sophomore Austin Hooper (6-4, 249) and Virginia Tech Bucky Hodges (6-6, 249).


Centers

The SEC has three of the top eight centers in the country. They are Missouri senior Evan Boehm (6-3, 320), Alabama senior Ryan Kelly (6-5, 297) and Texas A&M senior Mike Mathews (6-2, 290).

The Big Ten and the Pac-12 combine for four of the top centers. From the Big Ten are Michigan State senior Jack Allen (6-2, 295) and Wisconsin junior Dan Voltz (6-3, 311). The two from the Pac-12 are USC senior Max Tuerk (6-6, 285) and UCLA senior Jake Brendel (6-4, 290).

And finally, Notre Dame has an outstanding center in senior Nick Martin (6-4, 301).


Offensive Guards

Three conferences each have two of the best seven offensive guards. From the Big Ten are Ohio State junior Pat Elflein (6-3, 300) and Indiana junior Dan Feeney (6-4, 305). Representing the Pac-12 are Arizona State senior Christian Westerman (6-4, 301) and Stanford senior Joshua Garnett (6-5, 325).

From the SEC are Georgia junior Greg Pyke (6-6, 313) and Auburn junior Alex Kozan (6-4, 300). The remaining top guard is North Carolina senior Landon Turner (6-4, 325).


Offensive Tackles

The SEC has five of the top offensive tackles in the country. They are Ole Miss junior Laremy Tunsil (6-5, 305), Alabama sophomore Cam Robinson (6-6, 326) and LSU senior Vadal Alexander (6-6, 320). Also from the SEC are Arkansas junior Denver Kirkland (6-5, 320), Auburn junior Avery Young (6-6, 305).

Two of the top tackles are from the Big 12. They are Baylor senior Spencer Drango (6-6, 310) and Texas Tech senior Le’Raven Clark (6-6, 316). The Big Ten also has two top tackles. They are Ohio State senior Taylor Decker (6-8, 315) and Michigan State junior Jack Conklin (6-6, 317).

Two other top tackles are Notre Dame senior Ronnie Stanley (6-5, 315) and Oregon senior Tyler Johnstone senior (6-6, 295).


Defensive Ends

The SEC has four of the top defensive ends on the country. They are Texas A&M sophomore Myles Garrett (6-5, 255), Auburn sophomore Carl Lawson (6-2, 257), Tennessee senior Curt Maggitt (6-3, 248) and Tennessee sophomore Derek Barnett (6-3, 268).

The Big 12 is represented with three of the top defensive ends. They are Baylor senior Shawn Oakman (6-9, 280), Oklahoma State junior Emmanuel Ogbah (6-4, 275) and Texas Tech senior Pete Robertson (6-3, 238).

From the Big Ten are Ohio State junior Joey Bosa (6-6, 275) and Michigan State senior Shilique Calhoun (6-5, 250). The remaining two on the top defensive end list are Oregon senior DeForest Buckner (6-7, 290) and Virginia Tech senior Dadi Nicolas senior (6-4, 236).


Defensive Tackles

Among the best defensive tackles, the SEC has four. They are Ole Miss junior Robert Nkemdiche (6-4, 280), Alabama junior A’Shawn Robinson (6-4, 312), Missouri junior Harold Brantley (6-3, 280) and Mississippi State junior Chris Jones (6-5, 308).

The Big Ten has three of the best in Ohio State senior Adolphus Washington (6-4, 230), Penn State senior Anthony Zettel (6-4, 278) and Nebraska junior Maliek Collins (6-2, 300). The Big 12 has one of the best in Baylor junior Andrew Billings (6-2, 300).

The remaining three top defensive tackles are Notre Dame senior Sheldon Day (6-2, 285), UCLA junior Kenny Clark (6-3, 308) and Louisiana-Monroe senior Gerrand Johnson (6-1, 290).


Linebackers

There are several top linebackers, including six out of the SEC. They are Alabama senior Reggie Ragland (6-2, 252), Florida senior Antonio Morrison (6-1, 225) and Georgia junior Leonard Floyd (6-4, 231). Also, Georgia senior Jordan Jenkins (6-3. 253), Auburn senior Casanova McKinzy (6-3, 253) and LSU junior Kendell Beckwith (6-2, 245).

Ohio State is “Linebacker U.” this season with three of the best. They are sophomore Raekwon McMillan (6-2, 240), sophomore Darron Lee (6-2, 235) and senior Joshua Perry (6-4, 254). The Pac-12 has four of the top linebackers. They are Arizona junior Scooby Wright (6-1, 246), UCLA junior Myles Jack (6-1,232), USC junior Su’a Cravens (6-1, 225) and Stanford senior Blake Martinez (6-2, 247).

The Big 12 has three of the best in Oklahoma junior Dominique Alexander (6-0, 229), Oklahoma senior Eric Striker (6-0, 223) and West Virginia senior Nick Kwiatkoski (6-2, 235).

Two more top linebackers are form the ACC. They are Duke senior Kelby Brown (6-2, 230) and Florida State senior Terrance Smith (6-4, 231). The remaining two among the best linebackers are Notre Dame junior Jaylon Smith (6-2, 235) and Temple senior Tyler Metakevich (6-1, 235).


Cornerbacks

The SEC leads with five of the best cornerbacks in the nation. They are Florida junior Vernon Hargreaves (5-11, 198), Tennessee junior Cameron Sutton (6-1, 189) and Auburn senior Jonathan Jones (5-10, 181). Also, Ole Miss junior Tony Conner (6-0, 217) and Mississippi State senior Will Redmond (6-0, 185).

The ACC is strong at the cornerback position with three of the best. They are Florida State junior Jalen Ramsey (6-1, 201), Virginia Tech junior Kendall Fuller (6-0, 197) and Clemson sophomore Mackensie Alexander (5-10, 190).

The Big 12 comes in with two. They are Oklahoma junior Zack Sanchez (5-11, 175) and Oklahoma State senior Kevin Peterson (5-11, 190). The Pac-12 also has two of the best in UCLA junior Ishmael Adams (5-8, 190) and USC sophomore Adoree Jackson (5-11, 185).

The remaining three top linebackers are Maryland junior Will Likely (5-7, 175), Houston senior William Jackson (6-1, 185) and Notre Dame senior KeiVarae Russell (5-11, 190).


Safeties

Among the best safeties in the country, three are from the Big 12. They are West Virginia senior Karl Joseph (5-11, 197), Kansas State senior Dante Barnett (6-1, 186) and Oklahoma State junior Jordan Sterns (6-1, 205).

Three more are from the ACC. They are Duke senior Jeremy Cash (6-2, 205), Duke senior DeVon Edwards (5-9, 175) and Virginia sophomore Quin Blanding (6-1, 215). And three are from the SEC – LSU sophomore Jamal Adams (6-0, 206), LSU senior Jalen Mills (6-0, 194) and Alabama junior Eddie Jackson (6-0, 194). Mills suffered an ankle injury last week and will miss the first half of the season.

The three remaining top safeties are Ohio State junior Vonn Bell (5-11, 205), Notre Dame junior Max Redifield (6-1, 198) and Washington sophomore Budda Baker (5-10, 176).


Kickers

Two of the top six kickers in the country are from the Big 12. They are West Virginia junior Josh Lambert (5-11, 215) and TCU senior Jaden Oberkrom.

The other four are Florida State junior Roberto Aguayo (6-1, 204), Maryland senior Brad Craddock (6-0, 189), Utah junior Andy Phillips (5-10, 205) and Memphis junior Jake Elliott (5-10, 165).


Punters

Two of the seven best punters in the country are from the SEC. They are Alabama sophomore J.K. Scott (6-5, 195) and Texas A&M senior Drew Kaser (6-3, 210). Two more of the best punters are Utah senior Tom Hackett (5-11, 195) and Idaho junior Austin Rehkow (6-3, 215).

The remaining three top punters are Arizona senior Drew Riggleman (6-4, 213), Minnesota senior Peter Mortell (6-2, 191) and West Virginia senior Nick O’Toole (6-3, 228).


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze and Miss State coach Dan Mullen joined Archie Manning, John Grisham, Jimmy Buffet and Morgan Freeman, calling for the state of Mississippi to remove the Confederate flag symbol from the Mississippi state flag. The six ran a full-page ad in the (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger, saying the Confederate symbol should be removed. Freeze has been an outspoken proponent for the removal of the symbol for some time, but this was the first time Mullen supported the removal of the symbol. Previously, Mullen had always sidestepped the issue when asked about it.

Carter’s Jewelry Store in Petal, Mississippi, is offering customers a full refund of their money for purchases made in the month of August if, and it’s a big if, Southern Miss beats Miss State on September 5…. Former Florida running back Adam Lane has transferred to Eastern Kentucky.

Ricky Town, one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in the 2015 class who signed with USC announced last week that he will transfer to Arkansas. Town is expected to start classes at Arkansas this week. The four-star, pocket passer out of Ventura, California, originally committed to Alabama before signing with the Trojans. He fell to third string in fall camp at USC and decided to transfer. Town will redshirt this season and be eligible to play for the Razorbacks in 2016.

The nation’s No. 1 pro-style quarterback for the class of 2017 committed to Tennessee yesterday. Hunter Johnson of Brownsburg (Indiana) High School committed to Tennessee over Notre Dame and Penn State.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but there was one passing of note last week – Yvonne Craig

Yvonne Craig, the actress best known as Batgirl on the hit 1960s television series “Batman,” died last week at her home in Pacific Palisades, California. She was 78. Her many TV credits besides “Batman” included “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “Kojak,” “Starsky and Hutch,” “Mod Squad,” “77 Sunset Strip,” “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” “Star Trek,” “Love, American Style” and “Emergency.” She also appeared in a number of movies, including two that starred Elvis Presley – “It Happened at the World’s Fair” (1963) and “Kissin’ Cousins” (1964). Yvonne Joyce Craig was born on May 16, 1937, in Taylorville, Illinois, and grew up in Ohio.

College Football Week – Preseason 1: Hold on, it’s comin’
The ol’ offseason it ain’t what it used to be
Ain’t what it used to be
Ain’t what it used to be
Anymore

There was a time when college football’s offseason was almost as interesting and exciting as the season itself. Think Johnny Manziel or Jameis Winston.  From February to August there was never a dull moment. Think Steve Spurrier and Phillip Fulmer.

Whether it was positive or negative, we were always being entertained. Think SEC Media Days or Mike Price. There was always something popping.  Think Bobby Petrino or G.A. Mangus.

There was always something to talk about. Think Nathan Shapiro or Jerry Sandusky. And it helped pass the time while we were waiting for the season to start. Think Manti Te’o or Damon Evans.

But not this year.  The offseason was quiet. It was downright B-O-R-I-N-G. About the most exciting thing to happen was Steve Spurrier opening a Twitter account.   

Prior to 2015, there was nothing B-O-R-I-N-G about the offseason.

“I think he’s an arrogant little prick.”  That was former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer once commenting on Johnny Manziel.  Yes, Manziel sure kept us entertained – from casinos, to champagne, to angry and frustrated tweets about College Station, to the Mardi Gras, to Cabo San Lucas, to parking tickets, to music videos, to being sent home from camp, to fraternity parties, to alcohol counseling, to autographed memorabilia – all in one offseason.   

The next year, Jameis Winston took center stage – using apartment windows for target practice, diving for crab legs at Publix, delivering a speech at the student union, among other miscellaneous activities.   

Steve Spurrier used to always keep us entertained during the offseason, taking pot shots at Florida State, Georgia, former Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, former Alabama coach Mike DuBose, among others.  At the Pepsi 400 at the Daytona International Speedway one summer Spurrier said that NASCAR drivers could never be the coach at Tennessee because they aren’t fat.

Speaking of Fulmer, he used to contribute to the drama at the SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama.  If he wasn’t feuding with Spurrier, he was at odds with Alabama.  One year, Fulmer failed to show up for the Media Days.  That was after he supposedly gave information to the NCAA who was investigating violations at Alabama.

The following year, when Fulmer walked into the hotel at Media Days, he was handed a subpoena by an Alabama fan. A group of Alabama fans were suing the NCAA over the investigation and they wanted to question Fulmer about what he told the NCAA.

This year, the SEC Media Days were B-O-R-I-N-G.  Four days of B-O-R-I-N-G.  The SEC Media Days used to be a three-ring circus.  But gone are the days when the press asked Tim Tebow, “Are you a virgin?” “Do you masturbate?” 
    
Gone are the days when all the women wanted to touch Mike Shula. Gone are the days when former Vanderbilt coach James Franklin called Nick Saban – “Nicky Satan.” Then there was the year Missouri participated in its first SEC Media Days.  When asked what he liked better about the SEC over the Big 12, Missouri wide receiver T.J. Moe said, “The girls are prettier, the air is fresher and the toilet paper is thicker.” Huh?

And when SEC fans chided the Big Ten for not knowing how to count (Big 10, but 14 teams), then Ohio State president Gordon Gee said, “You tell the SEC when they learn to read and write, then they can figure out what we’re doing.”

Speaking of Ohio State, there was the offseason when the Buckeyes hired Urban Meyer to be their new coach.  After which Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said, “Ohio State has a new coach and it’s different.  I would say it’s pretty unethical.”

And speaking of Urban Meyer, there was his on-again, off-again and on-again soap opera in Gainesville when he was going to take a sabbatical from coaching for several months only to return in a few weeks.  Then a year later, he did step down from coaching saying he needed to spend more time with his family only to sign a contract with ESPN that had him away from home, traveling all over the country.    

Then there was the offseason when Alabama hired Mike Price to be its new football coach.  A few months after he was hired, Price was partying one night at a strip club in Pensacola.  The party moved to a hotel room where one of the strippers was heard yelling, “Roll Tide, Roll!” And Price was heard responding, “It’s rollin’ baby, it’s rollin.’” The next morning, one of the strippers reportedly had a big time with Price’s credit card which belonged to Alabama.  Price never made it to Media Days that summer.

Louisville coach Bobby Petrino had an interesting offseason a few years ago when he was the coach at Arkansas.  One day, Petrino decided to take his then mistress, Jessica Dorrell, on a motorcycle ride.  Unfortunately for Petrino, he was no Steve McQueen.  He wrecked the bike.  After lying to his boss about the incident, Petrino was soon dismissed from his job at Arkansas. 

At South Carolina one offseason, Steve Spurrier had a tough time with both his quarterback and his quarterbacks coach. The quarterback, Stephen Garcia, was suspended from the team on five different occasions.  Around the time of his fifth suspension, Spurrier also suspended his quarterbacks coach, G.A. Mangus.  Mangus had been arrested for intoxication and urinating in public.     

In 2011, Miami (Florida) captured our attention during the offseason.  One scandal after another surfaced in the football program.  A big Hurricane booster, Nathan Shapiro, was responsible for the scandals that involved recruits and active players.

The following offseason, Penn State captured the country’s attention, as the investigations into the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal played out.  Several Penn State officials lost their jobs and Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts.    

The imaginary world of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o made for an interesting offseason in 2013.  That’s when the public learned that Te’o’s girlfriend, who supposedly died, not only didn’t die, but didn’t exist.  The whole affair was a hoax, possibly spawned to help Te’o win the Heisman Trophy.  (Note: Te’o finished second in the Heisman voting.)  

During the summer of 2010, there was nothing imaginary about Georgia athletic director Damon Evans being pulled over for a DUI.  And there was nothing imaginary about the mistress or prostitute who was in the car with Evans.  Nor was there anything imaginary about her red panties on Evans’ lap.  When the police officers refused to take Evans and his companion back to their motel, the Georgia athletic director broke down crying. Evans later resigned from his job.     

No, there never used to be a dull moment during offseason.  One summer then Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill took his players to a farm near Starkville to watch a bull get castrated. Sherrill felt it would make his team play stronger.  Illinois coach, and former Florida coach, Ron Zook led the Wrigley Field crowd in singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch of a Cubs’ game. That’s when we learned that Zook sings as bad as he coaches.       

Lane Kiffin created a little anger when he abandoned Tennessee after only one season to become the coach at USC.  The “Mouth of the South” became the “Jest of the West.” Not only did Kiffin leave, but also he took a number of assistant coaches and recruits with him.  A few months later when USC was put on probation for past violations, celebrations in Tennessee registered 3.7 on the Richter scale.

The following year, UCLA coach Jim Mora jumped at the opportunity to get his knocks in on USC when he said, “I mean, we don’t have murders one block off our campus.”  Ouch!  And then back when Nebraska announced it was leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten, a restaurant in Austin, Texas, put up a big sign that read “Take Your Big Red and Shove It.”

But gone are those days.  Gone are the offseasons.

Even Rockledge Gator doesn’t generate the excitement he once did.  There was the time he set his microwave on fire.  After that, Bootsie banned him from the kitchen.

Then, there was the time, all in one offseason, that Rockledge Gator dumped Paris Hilton for Britney Spears, only to ditch Britney for Fergie.  Then he shoved Fergie aside for Lady Gaga, before ultimately dropping Gaga for Pink.  Not even Johnny Manziel could do that.  And all the while, during “Dancing with the Stars,” he was drooling on his TV over Erin Andrews and Pamela Anderson. I’m not sure Johnny Manziel would want to do that. 

But like the offseason, Rockledge Gator ain’t what he used to be. These days, he dumped Barbara Bush for Betty White.

Never have I known a quieter offseason than this one.  Let’s get on to the season.

Touchdown Tom
August 17, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Quotes of the Off Season

“I didn’t know it was that big a deal,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, on generating a buzz after opening a Twitter account.

“We fall back on our rich tradition.  We’re not going to take the field in 13 different uniforms,” USC coach Steve Sarkisian, knocking Oregon at the PAC-12 Media Days.

“Nebraska is a flip phone and Wisconsin is an iPhone,” Wisconsin running back Corey Clement.

“The Pac-12 South is better than the SEC West,” ESPN analyst Danny Kanell.

“If you got two who can help you win, and there’s not much difference between them, why not play both of them? It’s no different than any other position. At least, it never has been for me. There’s nothing in the rulebook that says you have to play just one,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, on playing two quarterbacks.

“When you’re 80, the only people who want to be 80 are 79,” ESPN College GameDay commentator Lee Corso, on turning 80 this year.

And finally, spotted over the summer – An Alabama license plate on the back of a car that read: TN LOL.


The Quarterbacks – 2015

Quarterbacks rule in college football.  Or at least they have for 13 of the past 14 seasons.  Since 2000, quarterbacks have dominated the Heisman Trophy. (Note: The Trophy was vacated in 2005). The coveted Trophy has been won by a quarterback in all but one of the past 14 years.  The lone exception was Alabama running back Mark Ingram who won the Heisman in 2009. 

Five quarterbacks – four seniors and one junior – are leading the pack at preseason.  Of the five, two are way out in front of the pack – TCU senior Trevone Boykin (6-2, 205) and Ohio State junior Cardale Jones (6-5, 250).

Some consider Boykin to be the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Last year, he threw for 3,901 yards and 33 touchdowns, while completing 61% of his passes.  Boykin also rushed for 707 yards.  He led TCU to a 12-1 record, including an impressive 42-3 win over Ole Miss in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.      

Should Boykin win the Heisman, he would become only the second player from TCU to collect the Trophy – the other being Davey O’Brien, also a quarterback, in 1938.     

Meanwhile, Jones, alias “12-Gauge,” is primed to lead Ohio State to another National Championship.  A third-string quarterback at the beginning of last season, Jones didn’t start for the Buckeyes until the 13th game of the season.  That’s when he took over for the injured J.T. Barrett and led Ohio State to a 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game.  Jones then went on the lead the Buckeyes to impressive playoff wins over Alabama and Oregon for the national title. 

Like Boykin, Jones is also a threat, running the ball.  But, where Boykin is a finesse runner, Jones is a power runner. 

The other three quarterbacks attracting major attention at preseason are Mississippi State senior Dak Prescott (6-2, 230), USC senior Cody Kessler (6-1, 215) and Michigan State senior Connor Cook (6-4, 220).

In 2014, Prescott passed for 3,449 yards and 27 touchdowns, completing 62% of his throws.  He also rushed for 986 yards, scoring another 14 touchdowns.  Prescott led the Bulldogs to a 10-3 season last year. 

USC’s Kessler led the Trojans to a 9-4 record in 2014, including a 45-42 win over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl.  He threw for 3,826 yards and 39 touchdowns, completing 70% of his lobs.  In 452 passes, Kessler only threw 5 interceptions.  

Cook completed 58% of his passes, throwing for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns last season.  He led Michigan State to an 11-2 season in 2014. In the finale, Cook rallied the Spartans to a 42-41 win over Baylor in the Cotton Bowl.  

Boykin, Jones, Prescott, Kessler and Cook are rated the five best at preseason, but there are a slew of other talented and capable quarterbacks around the country anyone of whom could steal the show in 2015.

For starters, Ohio State sophomore J.T. Barrett (6-2, 225) could easily overtake Cardale Jones and resume authority at the quarterback position in Columbus.  Prior to his injury in the Michigan game last year, Barrett had passed for 2,834 yards and 34 touchdowns, completing 65% of his throws.  Also in the Big Ten, Penn State has a solid quarterback in junior Christian Hackenberg (6-4, 236).  The Nittany Lion signal caller passed for 2,977 yards in 2014.

Nebraska has a dual-threat quarterback in junior Tommy Armstrong Jr. (6-1, 220).  Last season, Armstrong passed for 2,695 yards and rushed for 705 yards. Two other sturdy quarterbacks in the Big Ten are Wisconsin senior Joel Stave (6-5, 220) and Indiana senior Nate Sudfeld (6-5, 240).
    
The Pac-12 always has a troop of good quarterbacks and this year is no exception. Along with USC’s Cody Kessler, five other Pac-12 signal callers have impressive credentials. 

California junior Jared Goff (6-4, 210) and Arizona sophomore Anu Solomon (6-2, 205) should have strong seasons.  Last year, Goff passed for 3,973 yards and 35 touchdowns, while completing 62% of his throws.  Just as impressive, Goff only threw 7 interceptions. Solomon completed 60% of his passes, throwing for 3,793 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Stanford senior Kevin Hogan (6-4, 225) and Utah senior Travis Wilson (6-7, 233) are strong, talented leaders who should excel this season. And finally, Colorado junior Sefo Liufau (6-4, 230) is an outstanding quarterback looking for better support from his lineman and running backs.  Last year, Liufau threw for 3,200 yards and 28 touchdowns, completing 65% of his passes. 

At preseason, the SEC is not overflowing with experienced and marquis quarterbacks.  Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott is the exception.  But that could all change once the season gets going.  After Prescott, the highest touted quarterback in the SEC is Auburn junior Jeremy Johnson (6-5, 230). 

Tennessee is expecting big things from junior Josh Dobbs (6-3, 212). Missouri junior Maty Mauk (6-0, 200) brings experience to the Tiger program. A number of schools in the SEC are waiting to see who their starting quarterback will be, including Florida, Kentucky and Texas A&M.
But all odds indicate it will be freshman Will Grier (6-2, 197) at Florida, junior Patrick Towles (6-5, 241) at Kentucky and sophomore Kyle Allen (6-3, 205) at Texas A&M.  All three have potential.  

The ACC has a number of good quarterbacks with Clemson sophomore Deshaun Watson (6-2, 205) and Georgia Tech junior Justin Thomas (5-11, 189) receiving the most laurels at preseason.  Two more with impressive credentials are North Carolina senior Marquise Williams (6-2, 220) and Miami sophomore Brad Kaaya (6-4, 209).  Last year, Williams passed for 3,073 yards, completing 63% of his lobs.  Kaaya threw for 3,198 yards, completing 59% of his passes.

Four more quarterbacks to keep an eye on in the ACC are NC State senior Jacoby Brissett, Virginia Tech senior Michael Brewer (6-0, 200), Pitt junior Chad Voytik (6-1, 205) and Wake Forest sophomore John Wolford (6-1, 205).  Last but not least, watch out for Florida State senior and Notre Dame transfer Everett Golson (6-0, 200). But first, Golson has to win the starting position in Tallahassee.   

Like the SEC, the Big 12 is entering the season without a strong list of quarterbacks.  The exception, of course, being TCU’s Trevone Boykin. Next to Boykin, Baylor junior Seth Russell (6-3, 220) is the most celebrated quarterback in the Big 12 at preseason. 

West Virginia junior Skyler Howard (6-0, 206) is capable of leading the Mountaineers to a solid season.  Iowa State senior Sam Richardson (6-2, 214) and Texas junior Tyrone Swoopes (6-4, 248) have potential.

In the AAC, three quarterbacks standout at preseason.  They are Cincinnati junior Gunner Kiel (6-4, 208), Navy senior Keenan Reynolds (5-11, 195) and Memphis junior Paxton Lynch (6-7, 220). In 2014, the Bearcats’ Kiel passed for 3,254 yards and 31 touchdowns, completing 60% of his throws.  The Middies’ Reynolds rushed for 1,191 yards, scoring 23 touchdowns, and the Tigers’ Lynch threw for 3,031 yards, completing 63% of his passes.   

Two more strong quarterbacks in the AAC are UCF junior Justin Holman (6-4, 213) and Temple junior P.J. Walker (6-1, 200).

Utah State senior Chuckie Keeton (6-2, 210) is the best quarterback in the MWC at preseason. Keeton just needs to stay injury free in 2015.

Western Kentucky senior Brandon Doughty (6-3, 216) enters the season with the best credentials in C-USA. Last year, Doughty threw for 4,830 yards and an amazing 49 touchdowns, completing an impressive 68% of his passes.  Louisiana Tech is hanging its hat on senior Jeff Driskel (6-4, 234).  Driskel is a transfer from Florida.

Rice senior Driphus Jackson (6-0, 210) returns for the Owls.  Jackson saw lots of action in 2014 when he passed for 2,842 yards, completing 58% of his lobs.  Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss are expecting good things from senior Jaquez Johnson (6-1, 225) and junior Nick Mullens (6-1, 196) respectively.

In the MAC, Western Michigan junior Zach Terrell (6-1, 204) enters the season with the most laurels.  In 2014, Terrell passed for 3,443 yards, completing 60% of his throws. Massachusetts has a solid quarterback in senior Blake Frohnapfel (6-6, 229).  Frohnapfel threw for 3,345 yards last season.

Also looking strong in the MAC is Central Michigan junior Cooper Rush.  Last year Rush tossed for 3,157 yards, completing 64% of his passes.  Two more capable quarterbacks in the MAC are Buffalo senior Joe Licata (6-2, 227) and Akron senior Kyle Pohl (6-3, 217).  

The Sun Belt has one of the country’s most dynamic and exciting quarterbacks in Arkansas State senior Fredi Knighten. Last year Knighten threw for 3,277 yards, completing 62% of his tosses.  He also rushed for another 779 yards.  

Another good quarterback in the Sun Belt is Georgia State senior Nick Arbuckle (6-1, 215).  Arbuckle passed for 3,283 yards and completed 60% of his throws last season.  Idaho sophomore Matt Linehan (6-3, 202) should have a strong season.

And finally, among the Independents, the best quarterback at preseason is BYU senior Taysom Hill (6-2, 232).  The Cougars should have a good season under Hill.


TT’s Top Ten Favorite Quarterbacks at Preseason:

1. Trevone Boykin – TCU
2. Cardale Jones – Ohio State
3. Dak Prescott – Mississippi State
4. Cody Kessler – USC
5. Connor Cook – Michigan State
6. Jared Goff – California
7. Christian Hackenberg – Penn State
8. Brandon Doughty – Western Kentucky
9. Paxton Lynch – Memphis
10. Keenan Reynolds – Navy

And keep an eye on:

Justin Thomas – Georgia Tech; Taysom Hill – BYU; Gunner Kiel – Cincinnati; Josh Dobbs – Tennessee; Brad Kaaya – Miami (Florida); Kevin Hogan – Stanford; Seth Russell – Baylor; Anu Solomon – Arizona; Fredi Knighten – Arkansas State; J.T. Barrett – Ohio State, and Maty Mauk – Missouri. 


The New Coaches – 2015

During and after the 2014 season, 11 schools saw fit to either fire or force their head coach to resign.  Four more schools saw their coach head coach leave on his own volition for a head coach opening at another school.

New Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst left the head coaching position at Pitt to take the Wisconsin job.  Chryst, who was 19-19 in three years at Pitt, is a native of Madison, Wisconsin, and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where he played football. 

The Wisconsin job was open because then Badger coach Gary Andersen left of his own choosing to become the head coach at Oregon State.  Andersen, who was 19-7 in two years at Wisconsin, is a graduate of Utah.  He was the head coach at Utah State for four seasons (26-24), before going to Wisconsin.  Andersen was the defensive coordinator of the undefeated 2008 Utah team that beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and finished the season at No. 2 in the nation.    

The Oregon State job was open because then Beaver coach Mike Riley left of his own choosing to become the head coach at Nebraska.  Riley, who was 93-80 in 14 years (two stints) at Oregon State, played football at Alabama under Bear Bryant.  He was the head coach of Winnipeg in the Canadian Football League for four seasons, before his first stint at Oregon State. 

After two years in Corvallis, he became the head coach of the NFL’s San Diego Chargers for three seasons.  Riley then returned to Oregon State for 12 more seasons. 

The Nebraska position was available for Riley because the Cornhuskers had fired Bo Pelini.  Now if Pelini had moved on to take the Pitt position, the cycle (Pitt-Wisconsin-Oregon State-Nebraska-Pitt) would have been complete. But the Nebraska to Pitt link never came to fruition.  Instead, the new coach at Pitt is Pat Narduzzi.  He was the defensive coordinator at Michigan State.  Ironically, Narduzzi is a graduate of Youngstown State, where Bo Pelini is the new head coach.

The only other school to lose, and not fire, its coach was Colorado State.  Jim McElwain left Fort Collins to become the head coach at Florida.  McElwain, a graduate of Eastern Washington, was 22-16 in three seasons at Colorado State.  Prior to Colorado State, he was an offensive coordinator at Alabama.  Colorado State, in turn, hired Mike Bobo to be its new head coach.  Bobo, a former Georgia quarterback, was the offensive coordinator for the Bulldogs.
    
The most talked about hiring after the 2014 season was Jim Harbaugh at Michigan.  The Wolverines worked long and hard to secure the San Francisco 49ers coach.  Harbaugh, a former quarterback at Michigan, was 44-19 in four seasons with the 49ers. Prior to that, he revived the program at Stanford, going 29-21 in four seasons in Palo Alto.  His final season at Stanford, the Cardinal were 12-1, capped off by an Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech.  Harbaugh is credited with recruiting Andrew Luck to Stanford.       

Four offensive coordinators became head coaches.  SMU hired former Clemson OC Chad Morris. Ohio State’s former OC Tom Herman is the new coach at Houston. Former Baylor OC Philip Montgomery is the new coach at Tulsa, and Troy hired former Kentucky OC Neal Brown.

David Beaty, the former receivers coach at Texas A&M is the new head coach at Kansas. Central Michigan went to the NFL, hiring John Bonamego, the Detroit Lions’ special teams coach. Former Wisconsin-Whitewater head coach Lance Leipold is the new head coach at Buffalo. UW-Whitewater has been a powerhouse in Division III football. 

And finally, in an interesting hire, UNLV reached down to the high school ranks, hiring Tony Sanchez.  Sanchez has been the head coach of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High School, a powerhouse in Nevada high school football. 


Coaches on the Hot Seat – 2015

A number of coaches are on the hot seat entering the 2015 season.  Among the Power Five Conferences, the Big Ten could potentially lose the most coaches – five.  The three coaches in the Big Ten most in danger of losing their jobs are Indiana’s Kevin Wilson (14-34 in 4 years), Illinois’ Tim Beckman (12-25 in 3 years) and Purdue’s Darrell Hazel (4-20 in 2 years).

Two other Big Ten coaches skating on thin ice are Maryland’s Randy Edsall (20-30 in 4 years) and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (115-85 in 16 years).  

The most endangered coach in the ACC is Virginia’s Mike London (23-38 in five years).  London is definitely living on the edge.  Two more ACC coaches feeling the heat are Miami’s Al Golden (28-22 in 4 years) and North Carolina’s Larry Fedora (21-17 in 3 years).

In the Big 12, the only coach seriously in trouble is Iowa State’s Paul Rhoads (29-46 in 6 years).  But West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen (28-23 in 4 years) could be seeing pink, as in slip, if the Mountaineers don’t show a marked improvement in 2015.  After all, there is a new athletic director in Morgantown these days.

Washington State’s Mike Leach (12-25 in 3 years) is the only coach in trouble in the Pac-12.     

It’s hard to believe a school would get rid of a coach after only two seasons, not that it hasn’t happened before, but it could happen to Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason (3-9 in 1 year).  Mason is not the most popular coach around Nashville these days.  No other coaches in the SEC are on shaky ground, unless you think Georgia’s Mark Richt (136-48 in 145 years) is.  Some think he is.  Some think anything short of an SEC East title would be curtains for the Richter.   

Among the Group of Five Conferences, the Mountain West, American Athletic and the Mid-American stand to lose two coaches each in 2015.  In the MWC, Hawaii’s Norm Chow (8-29 in 3 years) and New Mexico’s Bob Davie (11-26 in 3 years) are treading water.

The coaches feeling heat in the AAC are South Florida’s Willie Taggart (6-18 in 2 years) and Tulane’s Curtis Johnson (12-25 in 3 years).  And in the MAC, Akron’s Terry Bowden (11-25 in 3 years) and Kent State’s Paul Haynes (6-17 in 2 years) are sitting precariously.   

In Conference USA, North Texas’ Dan McCarney (22-27 in 4 years) is the only coach sweating the heat.  Likewise, Louisiana-Monroe’s Todd Berry (27-34 in 5 years) is the only coach in the Sun Belt Conference sweating the bullets.

In all, 20 coaches (21 if you include Mark Richt) are endangered species this season.  But a handful of them will survive.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . It appears that West Virginia and Florida State will open their 2019 season against each other in Jacksonville, Florida….  Notre Dame has added New Mexico to its 2019 schedule.  The game will be played in South Bend.  New Mexico is currently coached by former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie.

When Notre Dame plays Boston College this season on November 21 in Fenway Park, the Irish will be decked out in green uniforms….  UCLA wide receiver Cordell Broadus, the son of rapper Snoop Dogg and a four-star product out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, has quit the Bruins’ football team.

The Big Ten will begin playing nine conference games in the 2016 season.  The Big Ten joins the Pac-12 and the Big 12 who already play nine conference games a season.  The ACC and SEC play eight conference games a season….  Alabama will open the 2018 season against Louisville in Orlando.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the summer was winding down and college football fans were anticipating the start of another exciting season, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1940 was “I’ll Never Smile Again” by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

…70 years ago this week in 1945 was “Sentimental Journey” by Les Brown

…65 years ago this week in 1950 was “Mona Lisa” by Nat King Cole

…60 years ago this week in 1955 was “Learning The Blues” by Frank Sinatra

…55 years ago this week in 1960 was “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” by Brian Hyland

…50 years ago this week in 1965 was “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” by Herman’s Hermits

…45 years ago this week in 1970 was “Make It With You” by Bread

…40 years ago this week in 1975 was “Jive Talkin’” by The Bee Gees

…35 years ago this week in 1980 was “Magic” by Olivia Newton-John

…30 years ago this week in 1985 was “Shout” by Tears for Fears

…25 years ago this week in 1990 was “Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey


Not exactly college football related, but there was one passing of note last week – Julian Bond

Julian Bond, a figure of the 1960s civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War campaign and chairman of the NAACP, died Saturday in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He was 75. He also served for 20 years in the Georgia General Assembly. Horace Julian Bond was born on January 14, 1940, in Nashville, Tennessee.  He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta. In later years he taught at Harvard, Williams, Drexel, Penn, American U. and Virginia.  

I know it’s only football, but I like it

On a slow Friday afternoon at work, some 20 years ago, my creative writing juices began to flow. If memory serves me correct, it was the Friday before Labor Day weekend. Sitting at my desk, I began to write on my PC. Struck with a wild and crazy inspiration, I wrote a brief, but substantial, commentary on seven college football games being played that weekend. Each game commentary was sprinkled with dose of humor – maybe more than a dose.

After completing my analysis, I emailed my seven-game commentary to 12 friends – mostly fellow workers – all of whom were college football fans. Not only college football fans, but more specifically, they were graduates and/or dedicated fans of Duke, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Purdue, Texas or West Virginia – the seven teams whose games I analyzed.

Little did I realize what I was conceiving on that slow Friday afternoon. As a result of the prodding and encouragement from my 12 friends, I continued to write weekly previews and analysis of the games of those seven teams for the remainder of that football season. Not only that football season, but every football season since then. What began 20 years ago continues today – but on a much larger scale.

The weekly commentaries grew from about a page and a half of text to several pages. It grew from those original seven teams to many more teams. It grew from commentary on seven football games to everything about college football – and then some. The email recipients also grew from the 12 friends in 1995 to more than 700 by 2009, along with countless, unknown others that it was forwarded, and forwarded and forwarded to. Since 2010, several thousand more readers have come aboard when my weekly college football commentary went online via my blog – www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com.

Along the way, what began in 1995, eventually took on the name “College Football Week.” My wife became Swamp Mama and Swamp Mama gave me the name Touchdown Tom. For 13 seasons, beginning in 1998, Touchdown Tom co-hosted a 30-minute, weekly college football radio show on WMMB (Melbourne, Florida). Originally working for six seasons with radio host Larry Brewer, the show continued for another seven seasons with radio host Bill Mick. The past two years, Touchdown Tom made several guest appearances on “The Mark Moses Show” on WSJZ Sports Radio 95.9 – The Fan.

This coming Monday – August 17 – College Football Week will begin its 21st season. For the next five months, come aboard for a thorough, in-depth and fun-filled weekly look at college football as seen through the eyes of Touchdown Tom and his accomplices Swamp Mama, Rockledge Gator and Bootsie. CFW is simply everything college football and then some. You can follow it all each week at www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com. So sit back with your cold pizza, chili dogs and beer and get ready for CFW 2015.

Twenty-one days to the first game. Four days to the first CFW.

I said, it’s only football, but I like it….like it, yes I do.

Touchdown Tom
August 13, 2015