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.