College Football Week 2 – Duck blind in East Lansing
You don’t know what you’ve got,
until you lose it

Oh yeah, uh-huh-huh. Oh yeah, oh-oh yeah.

Often is the case, at the start of the season, a coach doesn’t know what he’s got – how good his team is or isn’t. That is until he loses his first game. Then he knows.

Some coaches find out real quick. They lose the first game of the season – often when they weren’t necessarily supposed to lose. That’s what happened to David Shaw, Mike Riley, Todd Graham, James Franklin, Mike Leach and George O’Leary on opening weekend. Stanford, Nebraska, Arizona State, Penn State, Washington State and UCF all lost – unexpectedly.

Heavily favored Stanford failed to score a touchdown, as the Cardinal were upset by Northwestern, 16-6. This a Stanford offense that had eight returning starters, including experienced quarterback Kevin Hogan.

Nebraska struggled all game with BYU. But the Huskers, up by 1 with only six seconds remaining, appeared to have the game won. However, on the final play, BYU connected on a 42-yard Hail Mary pass to pull off the upset. The Cougars beat Nebraska 33-28.

In Houston, the Arizona State-Texas A&M game was considered to be a tossup. The Aggies were slightly favored, but many forecast the Sun Devils to win. Regardless, it was supposed to be a tight game. It was for three quarters. Then the Aggies, who had dominated the game, poured it on in the final quarter to win by 21 points – 38-17.

Penn State hadn’t lost to Temple in 74 years. After Saturday, it was supposed to be 75 years. But the Owls pulled off the upset – big time, beating the Nittany Lions, 27-10. Temple held Penn State scoreless in the second, third and fourth quarters. The Owls defense sacked Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg 10 times.

You gave me your love but I misused it
I never knew how lonely loneliness could be
And now I need the fans as they once needed me

Out in the great Northwest, it wasn’t so great for Mike Leach – yet again. FCS Portland State knocked off Washington State, 24-17. The Vikings scored with 2:19 remaining in the game to pull off the upset. In his fourth year with the Cougars, Leach has only won 12 games over the previous three seasons. I just have to ask: Has Washington State fired Mike Leach yet?

And finally, in Orlando, UCF was heavily favored to beat intrastate foe Florida International. But the Panthers from FIU had upset on their minds. And upset they did, beating UCF, 15-14. That had to be a hard pill for George O’Leary to swallow.

Last year, Ohio State lost its second game of the season. Virginia Tech upset the Buckeyes in Columbus. But then Ohio State reeled off 13-straight victories to win the national championship.

Stanford, Nebraska, Arizona State, Penn State, Washington State and UCF aren’t likely to win 13-straight games. But it will be interesting to see how they respond to the season-opening loss – unexpected as it was.

You don’t know what you’ve got, until you lose it.

Five more teams – North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Michigan, Washington and Texas – weren’t necessarily expected to win over the weekend – and they didn’t. But there were hopes for each of them. Nobody was quite sure what they had.

Some thought North Carolina might knock off South Carolina in its opener. The Gamecocks weren’t favored by much. But the Tar Heels came up short – 17-13. Twice in the game, North Carolina was knocking on the door and both times Tar Heel quarterback Marquise Williams was picked off in the end zone.

A few years ago, James Franklin took over the reins at Vanderbilt and turned the Commodores into a competitive program. Franklin left for Penn State after the 2013 season and Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason was hired in Nashville. Vanderbilt was nothing short of a disaster in 2014. After the season, Mason fired his coordinators.

You gave me your love, but I abused it.
And now I’m sorry for the plays I didn’t call
’Cause I know now, I acted in a foolish way

Mason decided to run the defense himself. Andy Ludwig was brought in to strengthen the offense. Thursday night, Vandy hosted Western Kentucky. The Commodores were slight underdogs, but many thought Vandy could win. Vanderbilt lost, 14-12. The defense was much improved, but the Commodore offense is still a disaster.

Under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan had high hopes going into Salt Lake City to face Utah. The Utes were favored, but barely. The Wolverines played well at times, but were hurt by interceptions. Quarterback Jake Rudock, looked good at times, but threw three picks. Michigan came up short, 24-17.

In his second year at Washington, Chris Petersen took his Washington team to his old stomping grounds – Boise, Idaho. The Huskies were playing Boise State and the Broncos were solid favorites. But Washington made a game of it. The Huskies lost 16-13, but kept Boise State scoreless in the second half.

In a similar situation, second-year Texas coach Charlie Strong took his Longhorns to South Bend for a game against Notre Dame. The Irish were heavily favored. But many thought Texas could make a contest out of it. Not so. Notre Dame and Irish quarterback Malik Zaire pounded the Longhorns, 38-3.

It will be interesting to see how North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Michigan, Washington and Texas respond to their losses.

You don’t know what you’ve got until you lose it.

There was nothing unusual about Kansas State beating South Dakota Saturday night. The Wildcats won big, as expected, 34-0. What was unusual was the performance of the Kansas State Wildcat band at halftime. It was so unusual that Kansas State president Kirk Schulz had to publically apologize for the band’s performance.

The K-State band entertained the crowd with a routine that had the University of Kansas Jayhawk performing fellatio. Half of the band formed the Kansas Jayhawk logo on the field. The other half formed what looked like an erect penis, complete with testicles, entering the mouth of the Jayhawk. Videos of the performance went viral on the Internet.

The K-State band is excusing itself by saying that the formation entering the Jayhawk’s mouth was supposed to be the Starship Enterprise. Huh? And you thought the Stanford band was bad. I wonder if the K-State band will be banned.

Remember when the Stanford band was the Best Banned Band in the Land? That was after the Stanford musicians put on a halftime show at a Notre Dame game in South Bend, spoofing the Irish potato famine all while the Stanford drum major was using a crucifix for his baton.

You don’t know what you’ve got until you lose it.

Speaking of banning things, how about banning drones from stadiums. Saturday night, a drone crash-landed inside Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium. The drone crashed during pregame activities prior to Kentucky’s game against Louisiana-Lafayette. Just two days earlier, a drone crashed into some seats at Louis Armstrong Stadium, during the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

Getting back to football, did you see where FCS Fordham beat Army, 37-35? I thought, “Was Vince Lombardi playing?” This sounds like the days of the “Seven Blocks of Granite.”

Hats off to Charlotte! The 49ers won their first game, playing as an FBS team. Charlotte beat Georgia State, 23-20. The 49ers, members of C-USA, made the jump from FCS to FBS this year.

There was a lot of good quarterback play over the weekend, but two quarterbacks in particular grabbed my attention – UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Notre Dame’s Malik Zaire. Rosen, a true freshman, passed for 351 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Bruins over Virginia, 34-16. Zaire, a sophomore, passed for 313 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Irish over Texas.

In the “how many points can we score” category: Ole Miss 76, UT Martin 3; California 73, Grambling State 14; Middle Tennessee 70, Jackson State 14, and Georgia Tech 69, Alcorn State 6.

In the “was it a basketball game” category: Texas Tech 59, Sam Houston State 45 and Oregon 61, Eastern Washington 42.

Baylor racked up 723 total yards, beating SMU, 56-21.

In the only overtime game during the weekend, Tulsa outlasted Florida Atlantic, 47-44, in one OT.

So are we going to be seeing more washouts on opening weekend? Last year, the Idaho-Florida game was canceled after several hours of lightning and rain kept the game from being played. This year, three games were washouts over the opening weekend. Two games – Stony Brook-Toledo and McNeese State-LSU – were canceled, while one game – Kent State-Illinois – was postponed to the next day. Illinois won 52-3. Why weren’t the other two games played the next day? Someone said LSU was afraid of McNeese State.

And finally, the Labor Day Weekend came to an end last night with Ohio State’s 42-24 win over Virginia Tech. I think Urban Meyer knows what he’s got. But will he lose it?

Swamp Mama and I had dinner with Bootsie and Rockledge Gator last week before they were off to Atlanta for the Louisville-Auburn game. In Atlanta, they hooked up with sons Ryan and Andy and grandson Connor for the game. Four Yawn men and Bootsie at the game. You just know that was a rowdy group. I feel sorry for any Louisville fans who may have been sitting near them.

So, what will the Kansas State Wildcat band do for an encore this week?

Oh yeah, uh-huh-huh. Oh yeah, oh-oh yeah.

Touchdown Tom
September 8, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S. “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got, Until You Lose It”
Written by George Burton and Paul Hampton
Recorded by Ral Donner
The song spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 4 in the late summer of 1961


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Dance with me, Henry – Alabama 35, Wisconsin 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Wisconsin 20). Bama’s Derrick Henry was too much for the Wisconsin defense. Henry ran for 147 yards, averaging 11.3 yards-per-carry. The game was close in the first half, but the Badgers couldn’t keep abreast in the second half. The Tide amassed 502 total yards. It was the second year Wisconsin lost its opener to an SEC team in Texas. Attendance in Arlington: 64,279

RUNNER-UP: Scarletsburg – Ohio State 42, Virginia Tech 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Virginia Tech 17). The game was worse than the score indicates. Virginia Tech scored a “who cares” touchdown with 1:55 left in the game. Actually, the Hokies made it an interesting affair in the first half. VT led at the break, 17-14. Then the Buckeyes came out in the second half and reeled off 28 unanswered points. Ohio State had 573 total yards – 361 of those rushing. Ezekiel Elliott and Cardale Jones combined for 221 yards rushing. Attendance in Blacksburg: 65,632

REST OF THE BEST: Petrino flunked Clock Management 101 – Auburn 31, Louisville 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 34, Louisville 17). Halfway through the third quarter, Auburn led 24-0. Then Louisville decided to play football. Either that or Will Muschamp’s defense was sucking air. The Cardinals scored 24 points in the final 23 minutes to make it an exciting game. That is until Bobby Petrino didn’t know how to manage the clock. Still, when it was over, Louisville had more passing yards, more rushing yards and more first downs than Auburn. But the Tigers had more points. Attendance in Atlanta: 73,927

What a difference John Chavis makes for the Aggies – Texas A&M 38, Arizona State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 33, Texas A&M 32). Who said the Pac-12 South is better than the SEC West? Oh, that was Danny Kanell. Texas A&M started Kyle Allen at quarterback, but may have found a new starter in Kyler Murray. Murray provided a spark for the Aggies in the second half. This was a close game for three quarters, before A&M ran away from the Sun Devils in the final period. And thanks to John Chavis, the Aggies now have a defense. Attendance in Houston: 66,308

A good night for Kermit – TCU 23, Minnesota 17 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 27, Minnesota 13). Trevone Boykin looked good but the rest of TCU didn’t. Boykin passed for 246 yards and rushed for 92. That’s not a bad Heisman start. But TCU could be vulnerable. Minnesota looked good and could be a threat in the Big Ten West. Boykin’s streak of touchdown passes in 16 consecutive games is the longest in FBS. Attendance in Minneapolis: 54,147

Zaire doesn’t sound Irish – Notre Dame 38, Texas 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Texas 20). Notre Dame has a bright star – quarterback Malik Zaire. The sophomore passed for 313 yards, completing 87% of his throws. The Irish defense held Texas to 163 total yards – only 60 rushing. Longhorn quarterback Tyrone Swoopes completed a measly 32% of his passes – 7-for-22. Big-time Texas boosters can’t be pleased. Charlie Strong must be feeling the pressure. Attendance in South Bend: 80,795

Hard ball for Harbaugh – Utah 24, Michigan 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, Michigan 24). Neither team could muster a running game. Utah’s Devontae Booker was a disappointment. But both quarterbacks looked good. Michigan’s Jake Ruddock just needs to settle down. Ruddock threw three interceptions. By the end of the season, the Wolverines could be good. Utah will be a spoiler in the Pac-12 South. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 47,825

A star is born – UCLA 34, Virginia 16 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Virginia 17). And his name is Josh Rosen, UCLA’s freshman quarterback. Rosen passed for 351 yards, competing 80% of his lobs. Virginia kept the game close for two quarters, trailing 17-9 at the half. But the Bruins led 31-9 after three. Attendance in Pasadena: 68,615

It’s never over until the fat lady sings Hail Mary – BYU 33, Nebraska 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 32, BYU 30). And Mike Riley was muttering Hell Mary. The life of Riley may be short lived in Lincoln – especially if he has many more games like that one. BYU won the game on a 42-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired. The pass was thrown by 22-year-old freshman Tanner Mangum. Mangum, who replaced Taysom Hill late in the game, had not played competitive football in three years. The Cougars had more passing and rushing yards than the Huskers. On the bright side for Nebraska, Tommy Armstrong passed for 319 yards. Attendance in Lincoln: 89,959

Horse sense – Boise State 16, Washington 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 29, Washington 22). A game of two entirely different halves – Boise State won the first half 16-0; Washington won the second half 13-0. Both teams looked good on defense. Both looked bad on offense. Washington only had 29 yards rushing. Attendance in Boise: 36,836

Jimmy Hoffa must be buried under Ryan Field – Northwestern 16, Stanford 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, Northwestern 16). This was a real stunner in Evanston. Neither team looked that good on offense – Northwestern was better. Both teams looked good on defense – Northwestern was better. Stanford coach David Shaw has to be scratching his head. The Trees were 3-for-15 in third down efficiency. Attendance in Evanston: 36,024

No Wings for the Heels – South Carolina 17, North Carolina 13 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, North Carolina 24). I think South Carolina is going to be playing two, maybe three, quarterbacks for a few more games if not longer. The Gamecocks offense was inconsistent at best. But the South Carolina defense was much improved. The Tar Heels have a runner in Elijah Hood (138 yards). But the Heels are inconsistent at quarterback. When he’s good, Marquise Williams is really, really good. But when he’s bad, he’s really, really bad – three interceptions, two at crucial times. Attendance in Charlotte: 51,664


…AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

74 years – Temple 27, Penn State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 30, Temple 20). That’s how long it has been since Temple last beat Penn State (1941). Christian Hackenberg needs to start taking his offensive line out for steak dinners. Last year, he was sacked like crazy. Saturday, Hackenberg was sacked 10 times. Or maybe James Franklin needs to find an offensive line coach. Ironically, Penn State started out with a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Nitts never scored again. The Lions only had 180 total yards – just 77 yards rushing. Penn State was 2-for-15 in third down efficiency. Attendance in Philadelphia: 69,176

They’re back – Marshall 41, Purdue 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Marshall 24, Purdue 17). The Herd may be picking up where they left off last season when they finished with a 13-1 record. This was a close game throughout. The lead changed hands five times. Marshall took the lead for good with 2:54 left in the game. Purdue quarterback Austin Appleby threw four interceptions. Purdue should join its fellow conference member Illinois and go ahead and fire its coach – Darrell Hazell – now. Hazell has no business coaching a Power Five football team. Or Purdue has no business being in the Big Ten. Attendance in Huntington: 38,791


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Defense! – West Virginia 44, Georgia Southern 0 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 41, Georgia Southern 25). The Mounties held the Eagles to 29 yards passing. West Virginia ended Georgia Southern’s scoring streak at 242 games. The last time the Eagles had been shut out was in 1995. Meanwhile, WVU piled up 554 total yards. Skyler Howard’s passing accounted for 359 of those yards. WVU safety Karl Joseph had three interceptions. The Mounties got off to a slow start – only up 16-0 at the half. Then they added 28 more points in the second half. Attendance in Morgantown: 55,182

Two heads are better than one – Florida 61, New Mexico State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 49, New Mexico State 3). And for Florida, two quarterbacks are better than one. Treon Harris and Will Grier were both good, combining for 379 yards passing – collectively 29-for-36 and no interceptions. Florida piled up 606 total yards in Jim McElwain’s debut. Attendance in Gainesville: 90,227

Way down yonder in New Orleans – Duke 37, Tulane 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Tulane 17). The Dookies held Tulane to 33 yards rushing, while Blue Devil quarterback Thomas Sirk passed for 289 yards. The Dookies piled up 530 total yards. Tulane’s only score came with 11 minutes left in the game. Attendance in New Orleans: 25,470

They grow running backs in Athens – Georgia 51, Louisiana-Monroe 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 52, Louisiana-Monroe 10). Nick Chubb ran for 120 yards, averaging 7.5 yards-per-carry, as the Dawgs were never challenged in the abbreviated game. Keith Marshall added 73 yards, also averaging more than seven yards-a-carry. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Week One Picks: 14 correct, 4 wrong (77.8%)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida International 15, UCF 14 – Attendance in Orlando: 39,184….
Tulsa 47, Florida Atlantic 44 (OT) – Attendance in Tulsa: 24,001….
Miami 45, Bethune-Cookman 0 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 43,467….
South Florida 51, Florida A&M 3 – Attendance in Tampa: 30,434….
Florida State 59, Texas State 16 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 80,917

Jacksonville U. 20, Delaware 14 – Attendance in Newark: 17,472….
Stetson 42, Webber International 13 – Attendance in Deland: 3,842….
Newberry 31, Florida Tech 28 – Attendance in Melbourne: 4,768


Superlatives

Weekend’s Best Passers:

Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 33-53-1 for 425 yards; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 21-33-2-424; Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson – 27-49-0-424; Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield – 23-33-0-388; Baylor’s Seth Russell – 15-30-1-376; Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell – 33-50-2-365, and Northern Illinois’ Drew Hare – 21-26-0-360.

Also, West Virginia’s Skyler Howard – 16-25-0 for 359 yards; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 28-35-0-351; Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 19-32-0-349; Ball State’s Jack Milas – 34-52-1-338; Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill – 23-29-1-336; UTSA’s Blake Bogenshutz – 25-43-1-332; Wake Forest’s John Wolford – 20-27-0-323; UNLV’s Blake Decker – 21-39-1-319, and Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong – 24-41-1-319.

Also, Notre Dame’s Malik Zaire – 19-32-0 for 313 yards; Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens – 30-44-2-311; California’s Jared Goff – 24-32-1-309; Arkansas’ Brandon Allen – 14-18-0-308; Florida State’s Everett Golson – 19-25-0-302; Georgia State’s Nate Arbuckle – 25-43-1-299; Duke’s Thomas Sirk – 27-40-0-289; Washington State’s Luke Falk – 27-41-0-289, and Colorado State’s Nick Stevens – 20-28-0-289.


Weekend’s Best Rushers:

Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry – 223 yards; Pitt’s Quadree Ollison – 207 yards; Georgia Tech’s Marcus Marshall – 184 yards; Oregon’s Royce Freeman – 180 yards; Kansas’ Ke’aun Kinner – 157 yards; Florida State’s Dalvin Cook – 156 yards and Fresno State’s Marteze Waller – 154 yards.

Also, East Carolina’s Chris Hairston – 154 yards; Oregon State’s Seth Collins – 152 yards; Maryland’s Brandon Ross – 150 yards; Alabama’s Derrick Henry – 147 yards; Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara – 144 yards, and Army’s Ahmad Bradshaw – 143 yards;


Quotes of the Week

“Every now and then when I listen to your show, I know the SEC fans are a little upset at Ohio State’s schedule and rightfully so to tell you the truth. But that’s just the way it is and how it works out for all of us. I remember several years ago, Texas A&M had four gimme games outside the conference. There are four of us that have in-state rivalry games from another conference. We’ve got a pretty tough schedule,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, talking to Paul Finebaum.

“If we can beat Florida, we’ll have a great year,” a Tennessee fan, calling into “The Paul Finebaum Show.”

“Tim Tebow’s only hope at this point is Chip Kelly’s stubborn pride,” ESPN’s Skip Bayless, on Tim Tebow making the cut.

“I called some lousy plays tonight. I’m going to try to get better as a play caller,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, after the win over North Carolina.

“Nothing says ‘college football’s back’ like Jesse Palmer rambling on about his days at UF, while wearing a suit that’s two sizes too small,” Jason Silah tweet.

“Jesse Palmer is the most risk adverse announcer. He’s that coach that never goes for it,” Josh Shiben tweet.

“Jesse Palmer’s shirt is so tight that it’s squeezing nasty hair out of the pores on his face,” Hair Bot tweet.

“Somebody fire Jesse Palmer, please. I’m offended by his friggin stupidity,” bh tweet.

“We apologize for anyone offended by our halftime performance,” the Kansas State marching band.

“I am sorry if anyone was offended by the performance at halftime,” Kansas State president Kirk Schulz.

“Can you imagine being in the K-State band and calling your parents about tonight’s performance? “Hi mom! Look for me. I’m the left ball,” Aimee Patton tweet.

“We’re just starting to climb a mountain and we’ve taken one step,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, after the win over Wisconsin.


Signs of the Weekend

Saban Has Deflated Balls

Superman Wears Bielema Pajamas


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oregon (1-0) at Michigan State (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Neither team had tough competition last week. It wasn’t the worst competition, but it wasn’t the best either. Oregon has a potent offense again. No doubt about that. But the Ducks defense looks suspect. The Spartans aren’t as showy, but they will take advantage of that suspect defense. The Spartans have good decoys – Michigan State 30, Oregon 27.

RUNNER-UP: 2. LSU (0-0) at Mississippi State (1-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 9:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Tigers didn’t get their scrimmage game in last week. It was called off due to persistent bad weather. That could be a problem for the Tigers. They could still have some wrinkles going up against the Bulldogs. Miss State did play and has a game under its belt. But LSU will be tougher than Southern Miss. The Mad Hatter throws a tea party in Starkville – LSU 24, Mississippi State 20.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Oklahoma (1-0) at Tennessee (1-0) – (Big 12 vs. SEC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Tennessee fans are expecting a lot out of the Vols this year. They are hyped – maybe overhyped. If the Vols don’t come through, the fans are going to be disappointed – big time. The Sooners are revamped this year on offense. Bob Stoops brought in a new offensive coordinator. Sooner Baker Mayfield passed for 388 yards last week. The Vols gave up a lot of passing yards to Bowling Green – 424. Mayfield picks Smokey to the Bones – Oklahoma 29, Tennessee 23.

4. Boise State (1-0) at BYU (1-0) – (MWC vs. Ind.) – 10:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Big battle in the Rockies. Both teams got super wins last week. But something will have to give in this one. Boise State has the better defense. BYU has the better offense. The Cougars don’t need a Hail Mary this week – BYU 24, Boise State 21.

5. Utah State (1-0) at Utah (1-0) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) – 9 pm Friday ET, ESPN2 – Good intrastate rivalry here. The Utes looked pretty good in their win over Michigan. The Aggies looked bad in their win over Southern Utah. Aggies look bad again this week – Utah 28, Utah State 16.

6. Kentucky (1-0) at South Carolina (1-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Until last year, Steve Spurrier had never lost to Kentucky, at Florida or South Carolina. But the Cats got their first win ever over Spurrier in 2014. He’ll get his revenge this year. Kentucky didn’t look that good against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Cats almost lost. Paybacks are hell – South Carolina 28, Kentucky 21.

7. East Carolina (1-0) at Florida (1-0) – (AAC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – The pressure is off Jim McElwain. He got his first win as a Florida coach last week. But the game this week will be tougher. East Carolina is a better team than New Mexico State. These are the same Pirates that the Gators beat 28-20 in the end of the season bowl game last year. East Carolina will have a little revenge on its mind. But the two-headed monster pillages the Pirates – Florida 34, East Carolina 17.

8. Iowa (1-0) at Iowa State (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big 12) – 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, Fox – This is always a fun game between these intrastate teams. Often the underdog wins. Iowa State has nothing to lose. So the Cyclones will be playing without any pressure. But the Hawkeyes turn out to be rude visitors – Iowa 27, Iowa State 23.

9. Notre Dame (1-0) at Virginia (0-1) – (Ind. vs. ACC) – 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC – Big win for the Irish last week over Texas. But Notre Dame lost running back Torean Folston – out for the season with a torn ACL. Virginia looked good at times against UCLA, but not that good. Still, the Cavs should give the Irish a tougher game than Texas did. But not tough enough – Notre Dame 28, Virginia 18.

10. Georgia (1-0) at Vanderbilt (0-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – The Dawgs head up to Music Row this week to test their skills on the Commodores. Vandy appears to be playing better defense this season. But the Dores offense is still nowhere to be found. Smooth sailing and picking for the Dawgs – Georgia 28, Vanderbilt 9.

11. Oregon State (1-0) at Michigan (0-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Both coaches, in their first year at Oregon State and Michigan, have a big rebuilding job on their hands. But Jim Harbaugh should get his first win as a Michigan coach this week. What better place than in Ann Arbor? Hail to Harbaugh – Michigan 30, Oregon State 17.

12. Houston (1-0) at Louisville (0-1) – (AAC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ACCN – I hope Bobby Petrino has learned how to read a clock this week. Houston could give the Cardinals some trouble. The Cougars are a feisty bunch. But they aren’t as feisty as Auburn. The Cards are stacked – Louisville 33, Houston 22.


…AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. UCF (0-1) at Stanford (0-1) – (AAC vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Something has got to give for one of these two in this game. Both were supposed to win big-time last week, and both lost. Both showed capability on defense, but neither showed much on offense. Neither one was picked to win its respective conference, but both were considered to be contenders. Both have veteran quarterbacks. The Knights give, give in that is – Stanford 28, UCF 16.

14. Washington State (0-1) at Rutgers (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Both of these coaches may be gone at the end of the season – maybe before the end of the season. Kyle Flood is in trouble at Rutgers for misbehaving. And Mike Leach is in trouble at Washington State for never winning. Flood survives this battle – Rutgers 30, Washington State 16.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Liberty (1-0) at West Virginia (1-0) – (Big South vs. Big 12) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, RSN – Compared to Georgia Southern, this should be an easier contest for the Mountaineers – much easier. William Crest should get to play more in this game. Liberty is often referred to as Jerry Falwell State Preachers College. They say you can study just about everything there except science. How many interceptions will Karl Joseph get this week? There is no liberty in Liberty as the Mountaineers Cruz past Falwell State – West Virginia 49, Liberty 3.

South Alabama (1-0) at Nebraska (0-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, BTN –Look for the Huskers to vent their frustrations on South Alabama – big time. But out of precaution, no one named Mary will be allowed in Memorial Stadium this week. Against the Jaguars, the Huskers don’t have to worry about Mary – Hail or not. The Corn is golden – Nebraska 38, South Alabama 14.

North Carolina Central (1-0) at Duke (1-0) – (MEAC vs. ACC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – After partying in New Orleans last week, the Dookies take a breather this week. The Blue Devils defense looks good and quarterback Thomas Sirk is a winner. It’s in the Book….I mean….the Dook – Duke 45, North Carolina Central 10.

Indiana State (1-0) at Purdue (0-1) – (MVC vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNEWS – This is going to be a long season for the Boilers. In his third year, Coach Darrell Hazell isn’t showing any improvement. The Boilers may struggle to beat the Sycamores. But they get to let off some steam – Purdue 35, Indiana State 26.

Rice (1-0) at Texas (0-1) – (C-USA vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, LHN – After the pounding Texas took from Notre Dame last week, the Longhorns need an opponent like Rice. This should allow the Horns to collect themselves. But someone may need to take up a collection for Charlie Strong. Bevo goes on a grain diet – Texas 27, Rice 16.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

South Florida (1-0) at Florida State (1-0) – (AAC vs. ACC) – 11:30 am ET, Saturday, ESPN….
FIU (1-0) at Indiana (1-0) – (C-USA vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, BTN….
Miami (1-0) at Florida Atlantic (0-1) – (ACC vs. C-USA) – 8 pm ET, Friday, FS1….

Jacksonville U. (1-0) at Newberry (1-0) – (Pioneer at South Atlantic) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida A&M (0-1) at Samford (1-0) – (MEAC vs. Southern) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Stetson (1-0) at Mercer (1-0) – (Pioneer vs. Southern) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Bethune-Cookman (0-1) at Grambling State (0-1) – (MEAC vs. SWAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Tech (0-1) at SE Louisiana (1-0) – (Gulf South vs. Southland) – 8 pm ET, Saturday….


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football …. Coastal Carolina will join the Sun Belt Conference beginning in the 2016-2017 academic year, participating in all sports but football. The Chanticleers will begin participating in football in the Sun Belt in the 2017-2018 academic year. The addition of Coastal Carolina will give the Sun Belt 12 football members and allow the conference to split into divisions and have a season-ending conference championship game.

North Carolina and South Carolina have agreed to two more matchups to be played in Charlotte in 2019 and 2023…. Elijah Holyfield, a running back at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, and son of Evander Holyfield, committed to Georgia over the weekend. Elijah chose Georgia over Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee…. The SEC signed a new 10-year contract that will keep the SEC championship game in Atlanta through 2027.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but there were three passings of note last week – Dean Jones, Martin Milner and Judy Carne.

Dean Jones, an actor and singer who made his name in a string of popular Disney films in the 1960s and 1970s, notably in the “Love Bug” series, died last week. He was 84. Jones became a stage actor, and he and Jane Fonda made their Broadway debuts together. But it was not until the mid-1960s that he found his niche in a series of family comedies produced by Walt Disney, beginning in 1965 with “That Darn Cat.” Prior to the Disney connection, Jones, a Navy veteran himself, had the title role in the 1962-63 NBC sitcom “Ensign O’Toole.” In addition to “That Darn Cat,” Jones other Disney movies included “The Ugly Dachshund” (1966), “Monkeys Go Home” (1967), “The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit” (1968), “The Shaggy D.A.” (1976) and the “Love Bug” movies. Dean Carroll Jones was born Decatur, Alabama on January 25, 1931. Jones first credited film was the 1956 drama “Those Wilder Years,” which starred James Cagney and Barbara Stanwyck. He followed that with the 1957 Elvis Presley movie “Jailhouse Rock;” the comedy “Imitation General” and the war drama “Torpedo Run,” both in 1958 (and both starring Glenn Ford); and another war drama “Never So Few,” with Frank Sinatra. He played a law student in “Handle With Care” (1958). Jones made his Broadway debut in February 1960 in “There Was a Little Girl.” Jane Fonda was his co-star. He appeared in the Broadway farce “Under the Yum-Yum Tree,” and went on to appear in the film version with Jack Lemon and Carol Lynley.

Martin Milner, an actor who achieved television stardom as one of two road-hungry bachelors in “Route 66” and later as a veteran police officer in “Adam 12,” died Sunday at his home in Carlsbad, California. He was 83. “Route 66” ran from 1960-1964 on CBS. His partner on the show was George Maharis. “Adam 12” ran on ABC from 1968 to 1975. Martin Sam Milner was born in Detroit on December 28, 1931. His family moved to Seattle and then to Los Angeles while he was growing up. Milner appeared in more than 40 films, including “Valley of the Dolls.”

Judy Carne, a British actress and comedian who rocketed to pop culture fame as the “sock it to me” girl on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In,” died last week in Northampton, England. She was 76. Carne was the first wife of Burt Reynolds. She made guest appearances on westerns, including “Bonanza” and “Gunsmoke,” and dramas like “12 O’Clock High” and comedies, including “Gidget” and “The Patty Duke Show,” before landing a starring role in “Love on a Rooftop.” She was born Joyce Audrey Botterill in Northampton on April 27, 1939.