College Football Week 9 – UCF’s O’Leary, Miami’s Golden are out
Slobberknockers? Bumfuzzles?
New terminology in college football

For several years, it was smash mouth – smash-mouth football. The analysts, commentators and sportscasters used to say, “Those two teams play smash-mouth football.” Or, “That’s going to be a smash-mouth football game.”

Now days, it seems like all I hear is slobberknocker – a slobberknocker game. According to the analysts, commentators and sportscasters, every big game is going to be a “slobberknocker.” You know here in Florida we have a fish called stumpknocker. But I digress. That’s another story.

I assumed slobberknocker meant that when the opposing lines collide, the players are going to hit so hard they will slobber all over each other.

Another term I began hearing this year is bumfuzzle. If a defensive back totally misses his coverage, the sportscaster says, “He was bumfuzzled.” Or he says, “That was bumfuzzle coverage.” Or, “The receiver bumfuzzled the defensive back.”

Also, if an offensive play goes totally wrong, the sportscaster says, “The offense was bumfuzzled on that play.” Or he says, “That was a bumfuzzle play.”

After hearing the terms used recently, I decided to check the dictionary to see if they are valid words. Sure enough they are.

Slobbberknocker is defined as a southern colloquial term used in football to describe a hard, violent collision between two teams or between two or more players on the field. A game that features especially intense or bloodthirsty competition. A violent physical competition.

So they used to say “barn burner,” “donnybrook,” or “smash mouth.” Now they say “slobberknocker.”

But you have to be very careful how you use the word. It takes on a wholly different meaning when you put an “ed” on the end of slobberknocker.

Slobberknockered is defined as a southern colloquial term describing one who has had too much to drink.

So I guess at that wedding reception in Las Vegas two weeks ago I was a little bit slobberknockered? No, not me.

Then I checked out bumfuzzle.

Bumfuzzle is defined as a southern colloquial term that means confusing, perplexing or flustering. Or, depending on how it’s used – to confuse, to perplex or to fluster.

Now, unlike slobberknocker, there is nothing confusing, perplexing or flustering when you put an “ed” on the end of bumfuzzle. It still means the same thing – only past tense.

Bumfuzzled – Confused, perplexed or flustered.

And I guess something could be bumfuzzling, or somebody could be a bumfuzzler. I don’t know. I’m confused, perplexed and flustered.

I’m sure there are days when Swamp Mama would like to call me bumfuzzle. No, not me.

Well, as you can imagine, we had a number of slobberknocker games and bumfuzzle teams over the weekend.

Arkansas coach Brett Bielema and Tennessee coach Butch Jones are slobberknockers. They just exude slobberknocker. They have slobberknocker written all over them. Former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez was another slobberknocker.

Saturday, Bielema’s Arkansas team had a slobberknocker of a game against Auburn. The Razorbacks and the Tigers not only played four quarters, they played four overtimes on top of that. Arkansas led 14-0 early in the second quarter. But Auburn fought its way back to a 14-14 tie early in the third quarter.

Arkansas went up 21-14 and Auburn came back and tied it again. Each team got a field goal late in the fourth quarter and the game ended 24-24. Both teams scored seven points in the first overtime and each got another seven in the second overtime. It was 38-38 after two OTs.

In the third overtime, Arkansas and Auburn each added eight points – 46-46. Finally in the fourth overtime, Arkansas scored and Auburn didn’t. The Razorbacks won, 54-46.

In Tuscaloosa, Jones’ Tennessee squad gave Alabama a slobberknocker game. And it wasn’t supposed to have been that way. The Tide was favored by 15 points. Some thought Alabama would win by more. Not so. In the first quarter, the Tide scored first, but the Vols came right back and scored four minutes later – 7-7. The score remained tied throughout the second quarter. The teams went into the locker room at halftime, 7-7.

Early in the third quarter and midway through the fourth quarter, Alabama added a couple field goals. The Tide was up 13-7. One minute and 19 seconds after Alabama’s second field goal, Tennessee scored a touchdown. The Vols led the Tide, 14-13 with 5:49 left in the game.

But Bama came back and scored a touchdown with 2:24 left on the clock. The Tide held on and beat Tennessee, 19-14.

There were only two overtime games during the weekend but ironically both went to four overtimes. Figure the odds. In addition to the Arkansas-Auburn four overtime affair, Duke and Virginia Tech fought through four quarters and four overtimes before the Blue Devils pulled it out, 45-42 (4OT).

I know that must have been a hard fought game in Blacksburg, but somehow I just don’t think of Duke as being a slobberknocker team. Dookies don’t exude slobberknocker.

There were some bumfuzzle moments on Saturday too. Early in the day, it wasn’t a moment it was the entire game for Miami (Florida). The Hurricanes lost to Clemson, 58-0. Analysts and sportscasters began speculating on how soon Al Golden would be fired. Some thought as early as Sunday. Others gave him two weeks. None seemed to think Golden would last to the end of the season. The ones who thought Sunday were right. Al Golden was fired yesterday.

Saturday night in Atlanta, Florida State suffered a major bumfuzzle on the final play of the game against Georgia Tech. With just 54 seconds left in the game and trialing Florida State 16-13, Georgia Tech kicked a 35-yard field goal to tie the score – 16-16.

On the ensuing series, The Noles drove down the field to the Yellow Jackets 38 yard line. There was only enough time for FSU to attempt a 55-yard field goal. The kick was blocked and Georgia Tech’s Lance Austin picked up the loose ball and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown as time expired. Georgia Tech won 22-16. The Tech players celebrated. The FSU players were bumfuzzled.

The loss knocked Florida State from the ranks of the undefeated. FSU was one of two teams that lost for the first time Saturday. Out in California, USC handed Utah its first loss, hammering the Utes, 42-17.

Nebraska lost for the fifth time on Saturday and for the fifth time it was a close loss – by only two points. Northwestern beat the Huskers, 30-28. Nebraska has lost the five games by a total of 13 points.

The Nebraska defense has a couple ironic stats. Against the run, The Huskers are 10th in the country, holding opponents to 99 yards a game. But against the pass, Nebraska is 126th in the country, allowing opponents 321 yards a game. There are only two teams in all of FBS football who are worse on pass defense.

Vanderbilt won its first SEC game in two seasons. The Commodores beat Missouri, 10-3. It was the third-straight game that Missouri has failed to score a touchdown. The Tigers have scored 12 points (4 field goals) in their last three games.

With Florida State and Utah suffering their first loss, only 12 teams remain undefeated – Clemson (7-0), Baylor (7-0), Oklahoma State (7-0), TCU (7-0), Iowa (7-0), Michigan State (8-0), Ohio State (8-0), LSU (7-0), all Power 5 teams, and Memphis (7-0), Houston (7-0), Temple (7-0) and Toledo (7-0) from the Group of 5.

Another 13 teams, each with just one loss, are still very much in the playoff, conference title game and/or major bowl game picture. They are Florida State (6-1), Duke (6-1), North Carolina (6-1), Pitt (6-1), Oklahoma (6-1), Notre Dame (6-1), Stanford (6-1), Utah (6-1), Alabama (6-1), Florida (6-1), all Power 5 teams, and Navy (5-1), Marshall (7-1) and Appalachian State (6-1) from the Group of 5.

There was an ESPN report last week that said South Carolina will focus on three candidates for its next head coach: Tom Herman, Justin Fuente and Kirby Smart. But then the report went on to say “Don’t necessarily rule out Rich Rodriguez.”

Later in the week, a newer report said that Chad Morris could be announced as the Gamecocks new coach. Meanwhile, back to Rodriguez, there are ample reverberations that Rich could be returning to his old stomping grounds – West Virginia. That’ll raise a few eye brows – more than a few. Stay tuned!

It’s contagious. UCF coach George O’Leary pulled a Steve Spurrier and resigned yesterday. The Knights are 0-8 this season. Better resigning at 0-8 than getting fired at 0-12.

Six schools – Illinois, Maryland, USC, South Carolina, UCF and Miami – are looking for a new head coach. There will be more.

With his two place kickers injured, Florida coach Jim McElwain put out a SOS call to the Florida students. McElwain was hoping to find a talented walk-on placekicker from the student body. But he wasn’t expecting response he got – 216 students, including two females, signed up. After interviews and preliminary kicks, some 80 students were given the chance to try out. The Gators were off last weekend.

After Saturday, Arkansas may never again attempt to have its fans stripe the stadium. That’s where one section wears one color and the next section wears another color, alternating throughout the stadium – red and white in Arkansas’ case. It was a massive failure. Apparently Arkansas fans don’t follow instructions well. Oh well, at least the Razorbacks won the game.

And did you catch or hear about the halftime performance Thursday night at the California-UCLA game? The bands from Cal and UCLA joined forces to put on a combined halftime show. The show depicted the Trojan War and the fall of Troy. Talk about sticking it to USC – that was pretty clever.

Someone told me last week they were so happy ESPN chucked Lou Holtz. But so sad they replaced him with Mac Brown. Yes, ESPN did us a big favor ejecting Holtz. And have you noticed? The ousting of Holtz diminished the presence of Mark May. May has all but disappeared. How could we be so lucky?

Well, in some ways we aren’t. We now have to put up with Mac Brown. Listening to Brown is like listening to “Hee Haw” cover college football. And while we’re on the subject, ESPN needs to send Danny Kanell off to Siberia.

I enjoyed my time talking college football with Mark Moses last week on the “Mark Moses Show” on Sports Radio 1050 – The Fan. Mark’s show runs 3-6 p.m. weekdays.

College Football Week primarily covers FBS teams from both Power 5 and Group of 5 conferences. But I briefly make mention each week of some FCS teams and even a Division II team or two. That usually occurs in the “Elsewhere Around Florida” section where I provide the scores of Florida’s FCS (Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Jacksonville U., Stetson) and Division II (Florida Tech) teams – and again when I list their scheduled games for the weekend.

There was a time, however, when I used to provide the weekly results of a Division III team – Washington & Lee. That was back during the 2004 and 2005 seasons, I believe. It was sort of like the Slippery Rock score always being announced at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor during the Wolverines home games. I provided the Washington & Lee score in CFW each week.

It came about because a friend and fellow worker of mine – Jamie Fuller (and his wife, Ann) – graduated from Washington & Lee. At work, on Monday mornings during the fall, Jamie and I often would discuss the weekend’s action and results in college football. And, invariably, Jamie would let me know that W&L lost again.

I always liked W&L because my high school fight song, which we referred to as “W&L,” was written to the tune of the Washington & Lee fight song. I suspect some, or most, of the lyrics are similar, if not the same. And generally, a graduate of my high school matriculated to W&L each year.

Yeah, W&L didn’t win many football games. Well, low and behold, Jamie sent me an email last week, asking if, by chance, I had noticed what W&L was doing in football this year. I hadn’t. “They’re undefeated,” Jamie said. I went on the Internet and sure enough they are undefeated. The Generals are 6-0.

W&L began the season in non-conference action, beating Averett, Sewanee, and Donald Trump Tech….I mean….Apprentice School. Apprentice School? Then the Generals began conference play, beating Guilford, Hampden-Sydney and Randolph-Macon….the men’s Randolph Macon. W&L doesn’t play Randolph Macon Woman’s College anymore. The gals were too tough.

Saturday, W&L played Bridge Over Troubled….I mean….Bridgewater. The Generals won, 45-23. It was Homecoming Weekend in Lexington, Virginia. But W&L no longer calls it Homecoming. Instead, the school calls it Young Alumni Weekend. I guess that means Jamie can no longer attend.

W&L’s remaining games are against Statler & Waldorf….I mean….Emory & Henry, Catholic and Shenandoah. Who knows, the Generals may end up in the Division III playoffs. Stay tuned!

Bootsie and Rockledge Gator went to a Halloween party Saturday night as Harpo and Groucho Marx. Bootsie was Harpo and Rockledge Gator was Grouchy….I mean….Groucho.

Groucho Marx makes me think of cigars and cigars make me think of another story. Rockledge Gator and I worked for years with a close friend who we often traveled with – Rodney St. Pierre. Rodney was a great guy, but he wasn’t one to follow sports – any sports – at all. One time, the three of us were having dinner at a Legal Sea Foods in Massachusetts. There was a sign on the wall in the restaurant that said, “No cigar smoking, except for Red Auerbach.” Rodney looked at Rockledge Gator and me and, in all seriousness, said, “Who’s Red Auerbach?”

Well, Florida and Georgia have their annual get together this Saturday in Jacksonville in the World’s Largest Outdoor Slobberknockered Party.

Touchdown Tom
October 26, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Rainy night in Baton Rouge – LSU 48, Western Kentucky 20 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Western Kentucky 22). This was a slobberknocker game until midway through the third quarter when WKU pulled a bumfuzzle. LSU scored 17 unanswered points and extended a 17-13 lead to a 34-13. Leonard Fournette rushed for 150 yards. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 101,561

RUNNER UP: The Hoosiers were Cooked – Michigan State 52, Indiana 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 34, Indiana 28). This was a slobberknocker game until the fourth quarter. Leading Indiana by only two points (28-26) at the end of the third quarter, Michigan State scored 24 unanswered points in the final period. The Spartans Connor Cook passed for 398 yards. State’s defense held Indiana to 81 yards rushing. Attendance in East Lansing: 74,144

REST OF THE BEST: Not even a breeze – Clemson 58, Miami (Florida) 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Miami 24). Clemson led 42-0 at the break and went into cruise control in the second half. The Tigers had 33 first downs to 6 for the Canes, and 567 total yards to 146 for Miami. The Canes had 53 yards rushing and only 93 yards passing. It was over for the Canes before it started. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 45,211

The Little Eers – Appalachian State 31, Georgia Southern 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Southern 32, Appalachian State 29). And I picked Georgia Southern? I can’t believe I didn’t pick the Mountaineers – the other Mountaineers. Appy State basically shutdown the Eagles. The Mountaineers had 31 first downs to 13 for Georgia Southern, and 433 total yards to 252 for Appy State. The Mountaineers improved to 6-1 on the season. Attendance in Boone: 24,121

Boomer – Oklahoma 63, Texas Tech 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 25). Late in the second quarter, Tech trailed 21-17 but the Raiders got no closer after that. The Sooners finished the game, scoring 21 unanswered points. The teams combined for 1,063 total yards. The difference was in the rushing yards – Oklahoma had 405 yards to 183 for Tech. OU’s Samaje Perine rushed for 201 yards and Joe Mixon rushed for 154 yards. Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw four interceptions. Attendance in Norman: 85,312

Rebound – Ole Miss 23, Texas A&M 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 29, Ole Miss 26). This game was never a slobberknocker. The Aggies were bumfuzzled from start to finish. Ole Miss had 28 first downs to 11 for A&M, and 471 total yards to 192 for the Aggies. A&M only had 58 yards rushing. However, Ole Miss quarterback Chip Kelly was a bumfuzzle. Kelly threw three interceptions. Attendance in Oxford: 60,674

Hooters! – Temple 24, East Carolina 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Temple 27, East Carolina 24). For the second week in a row, Temple rallied in the fourth quarter to win and remain undefeated. East Carolina led in the stats – first downs, rushing yards, passing yards, third down efficiency – but Temple led in the score. The Pirates also led in turnovers – 2-0. Attendance in Greenville: 39,417

The Utes forgot the horse – USC 42, Utah 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 32, USC 23). The Utes started out hot. Utah led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. Then the Utes became a bumfuzzle. They were never in the game after the first period. Early in the fourth quarter, USC led 42-17. The teams were remarkably close in the stats except for one. Utah quarterback Travis Wilson threw four interceptions. The Trojans had no turnovers. Attendance in Los Angeles: 73,435

Josh over Jared – UCLA 40, Cal 24 (Touchdown Tom said: California 26, UCLA 24). The teams combined for 999 yards. UCLA (Josh Rosen) passed for 399 yards, while Cal (Jared Goff) passed for 295 yards. Neither quarterback threw an interception. Attendance in Pasadena: 57,046

Dak attack – Mississippi State 42, Kentucky 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 20, Kentucky 15). Kentucky’s defense, which has been the team’s strength, was a bumfuzzle against the Bulldogs. The Wildcats gave up 586 yards to Miss State. Dak Prescott passed for 348 yards. Attendance in Starkville: 61,168

Badgered – Wisconsin 24, Illinois 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Illinois 21). Wisconsin was 9-for-16 in third down efficiency. Illinois was 3-for-12. The Badgers defense held the Banned Indians to 55 yards rushing. Attendance in Champaign: 45,438

Washington State 45, Arizona 42 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 40, Washington State 36). The Wildcats couldn’t stop Luke Falk. The Cougars quarterback passed for 514 yards, including 5 touchdown passes. Wazzu took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the game. The best Arizona could do was tie the score at 14-14 early in the second quarter. The teams combined for 1,114 total yards. Attendance in Tucson: 47,847


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

So close – Alabama 19, Tennessee 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 31, Tennessee 17). This was a slobberknocker game from start to finish. The Vols came to play. The teams were fairly even in the stats. Tennessee had more rushing yards; Alabama had more passing yards. The Tide’s Derrick Henry rushed for 143 yards. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 101,821

Trees take root – Stanford 31, Washington 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, Washington 19). Late in the third quarter, Stanford led 31-7. The Trees had 25 first downs to 11 for Washington, and 478 total yards to 231 for the Huskies. Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan passed for 290 yards. Attendance in Palo Alto: 50,424


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

The Cats by a whisker – Northwestern 30, Nebraska 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Northwestern 16). The lead changed hands five times in the game. Northwestern held the Huskers to 82 yards rushing. Wildcats quarterback Clayton Thornton accounted for 303 yards – 177 passing and 126 rushing. Attendance in Lincoln: 89,493

Pitched – Duke 45, Virginia Tech 42 (4OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 21, Virginia Tech 17). Talk about a slobberknocker, it doesn’t get much better than this – or much closer. Duke had 449 total yards to 452 for Tech. The Dookies had 179 yards rushing to 182 for the Hokies. And both teams had 270 yards passing. Neither team suffered a turnover. Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk passed for 270 yards and rushed for 109. Tech running back Travon McMillian rushed for 142 yards. Attendance in Blacksburg: 63,257

Week 8 Picks: 10 correct, 6 wrong (62.5%)
On the Season: 98 correct, 38 wrong (72.1%)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Houston 59, UCF 10 – Attendance in Orlando: 28,350
South Florida 38, SMU 14 – Attendance in Tampa: 24,338
Florida International 41, Old Dominion 12 – Attendance in Miami: 17,961
UTEP 27, Florida Atlantic 17 – Attendance in El Paso: 22,468
Georgia Tech 22, Florida State 16 – Attendance in Atlanta: 55,000

Drake 28, Jacksonville U. 24 – Attendance in Des Moines: 2,028
Stetson 37, Valparaiso 14 – Attendance in Valparaiso: 729
Bethune-Cookman 59, Norfolk State 49 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 9,875
Florida Tech 31, Mississippi College 14 – Attendance in Clinton: 6,342


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Washington State’s Luke Falk – 47-62-0 for 514 yards; Memphis’ Paxton Lynch – 32-44-0-447; Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson – 27-40-0-430; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 24-36-1-421; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 34-47-0-399; Michigan State’s Connor Cook – 30-52-0-398; Florida International’s Alex McGough – 30-39-0-388, and Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill – 36-56-2-381.

Also, Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott – 25-35-1 for 348 yards; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 37-61-1-337; Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel – 26-35-0-327; Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 30-38-1-316; Idaho’s Matt Linehan – 23-39-1-315; Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 23-37-1-308, and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 20-26-0-305.


Impressive Rushers:

San Jose State’s Tyler Ervin – 263 yards; Texas State’s Robert Lowe – 248 yards; NC State’s Mathew Dayes – 205 yards; Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine – 201 yards; South Florida’s Quinton Flowers – 201 yards; Louisiana-Lafayette’s Jalen Nixon – 201 yards, and Idaho’s Elijhaa Penny – 184 yards.

Also, San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 181 yards; New Mexico State’s Larry Rose – 181 yards; Baylor’s Shock Linwood – 171 yards; Houston’s Kenneth Farrow – 167 yards; Boise State’s Jeremy McNichols – 166 yards; Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry – 161 yards; Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon – 154 yards, and LSU’s Leonard Fournette – 150 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I would rather my husband’s ass and penis not be all over TV. Would you like to be filmed while naked?,” Katherine Webb McCarron, on her husband A.J. McCarron appearing nude on TV while the NFL Network was interviewing Adam Jones in the Cincinnati Bengals locker room.

“I guess now I understand the ‘gosh almighty’ part of the Ole Miss ‘Hotty Toddy’ chant,” a caller on the ‘Paul Finebaum Show’, commenting on the Ole Miss loss to Memphis.

“No way would I have punted versus the Spartans. Personally, if we have the No. 1 defense in the nation, I’m going to test those guys. You’ve got to play to the strength of your football team, and the strength of the Michigan football team all year long has been their defense,” former Michigan coach Brady Hoke, on the end of the Michigan State-Michigan game.

“Time to head in a new direction as a program, enough is enough. I have been patient long enough,” former Miami (Florida) offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, on Al Golden after the Clemson-Miami game.

“I’m so embarrassed. I would take his headset at halftime. Do not wait until the end of the season, make a statement, dammit!,” former Miami (Florida) offensive lineman Joaquin Gonzalez, on Al Golden during the Clemson-Miami game.

“Fire him!,” former Miami (Florida) player Warren Sapp, on Al Golden after the Clemson-Miami game.


Signs of the Day

Smokey Can’t Hunt

I Would Play For Pitino


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Notre Dame (6-1) at Temple (7-0) – (Ind. vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – When the season began, this was supposed to be one of those cupcake games for the Irish. But look at the Owls. They are 7-0 for the first time in history. They never even made it to 7-0 when Ben Franklin was alive. Now Ben’s been dead for more than 200 years and Temple is 7-0. The Irish definitely have their work cut out for them. The Owls will be fired up. But it’s the Irish who have a hoot – Notre Dame 28, Temple 22.

RUNNER UP: 2. North Carolina (6-1) at Pitt (6-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Who would have thought these two teams would be 6-1 at this point in the season. The Tar Heels looked awful in their season opening loss to South Carolina. Since then, they have been unbeatable. Pitt’s only loss is to unbeaten Iowa. This could be a slobberknocker. The home field gives the advantage to the Panthers. The Panthers are head over Heels – Pitt 21, North Carolina 20.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Clemson (7-0) at NC State (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2/ABC – The Wolfpack have to hope they catch Clemson looking ahead to Florida State. And they could. After the big win over Miami, the Tigers are going to be hung over. And the Noles are looming. The Pack suffers an anxiety attack – Clemson 30, NC State 18.

4. Oklahoma State (7-0) at Texas Tech (5-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – A potential upset is looming here. Tech’s Patrick Mahomes threw four interceptions last week. You figure he’s due for a solid game this week. Both teams have a good offense. Okie State has the better defense. The better defense wins – Oklahoma State 35, Texas Tech 31.

5. Florida (6-1) vs. Georgia (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – A Florida win and the Gators are sitting in the driver’s seat for the SEC East Division title. A Georgia win and the Dawgs are sitting in the driver’s seat. That’s what it comes down to. For Florida’s sake, let’s hope it doesn’t come down to a field goal. Then again, the Gators may have picked up a good kicker during the open week. After all, 216 students tried out. Georgia’s offense failed to show up in its last game against Missouri. Don’t know if Brian Schottenheimer found it during the open week or not. This is one of those games where anything can happen and it usually does. Uga goes swimming where he shouldn’t – Florida 23, Georgia 18.

6. Stanford (6-1) at Washington State (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Washington State has pulled one of the biggest turnarounds in the country. The Cougars have won three-straight games and five of their last six games. They are No. 2 in the country in passing yards. They are averaging 36.4 points a game. Wazzu’s problem is its defense. A defense that is 106th in the country defending the run. And its defense is giving up 31 points a game. Stanford will take advantage of the Cougars defense. And the Cougars offense won’t be as productive against the Stanford defense. The Trees make Luke puke – Stanford 34, Washington State 26.

7. West Virginia (3-3) at TCU (7-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, FS1 – There’s a lot of noise in Morgantown these days. Noise Dana Holgorsen doesn’t like to hear. WVU fans are not in the best of moods after three straight losses. Dana could use a win. But TCU could care less about Dana. The Frogs have a Big 12 title on their minds. This is West Virginia’s fourth Top 20 opponent in four games. And this is West Virginia’s fourth straight loss – TCU 33, West Virginia 24.

8. Ole Miss (6-2) at Auburn (4-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Ole Miss is a strange team. The Rebel Bears looked bad in their losses to Florida and Memphis. Chip Kelly threw three picks in their win over Texas A&M last week. And yet, Ole Miss beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Not that it would happen again. Both of these teams were overrated at preseason, especially Auburn. But the Tigers will give the Rebel Bears a fight. The Bears slobber on the Tigers – Ole Miss 26, Auburn 24.

9. Miami (Florida) (4-3) at Duke (6-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – The Dookies are on a roll. With six wins, they have already qualified for a bowl. Now they are focused on the Coastal Division title and a spot in the ACC championship game. But the Dookies have their work cut out for them. After the shellacking Miami took from Clemson, one wouldn’t think the Canes will be a problem for the Dookies. And they shouldn’t be. I suspect Miami is demoralized. But strange things can happen in Durham. Not this weekend – Duke 29, Miami 20,

10. Illinois (4-3) at Penn State (6-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – The Nitts are in a bowl. The Banned Indians still need two more wins. That should be incentive enough for Illinois. But the Banned Indians have struggled. This game could be a slobberknocker. The Banned Indians do the slobbering and the Nitts do the knocking – Penn State 20, Illinois 15.

11. USC (4-3) at California (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – The Trojans bounced back last week, while the Bears dropped their second in row. Jared Goff is due to have a good game. The Bears were on the road the last two weeks. They are home this week. That should help – California 34, USC 33.

12. Michigan (5-2) at Minnesota (4-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Both teams are coming off open weeks and both teams are coming off losses. Michigan just has to settle down and get over the tough loss to Michigan State. Minnesota has to figure out what went wrong against Nebraska. The Wolverines are settled and the Gophers still can’t figure – Michigan 32, Minnesota 17.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Oregon (4-3) at Arizona State (4-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – It’s been a tough season for Oregon and there is still a lot of tough to go. It’s been disappointing for Arizona State too. Both figured to be better then 4-3 at this point. ASU will be. The Sun Devils will be 5-3 – Arizona State 30, Oregon 27.

14. Arizona (5-3) at Washington (3-4) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 11 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Arizona is another one of those teams that was overrated at preseason. The Wildcats have been disappointing. The Huskies are getting better under Chris Petersen and they are always tough at home. Too tough for the Wildcats – Washington 26, Arizona 24.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Nebraska (3-5) at Purdue (1-6) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Nebraska doesn’t have to worry about this game being close. If it is close, the Huskers will lose. Nebraska hasn’t been able to win close games this season. Purdue is struggling and the Boilers will continue to struggle against the Huskers. The Boilers sputter on ethanol – Nebraska 38, Purdue 23.

Texas (3-4) at Iowa State (2-5) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – After starting 1-4, the Horns have won two straight. That win over Oklahoma really fired them up. Texas should keep rolling against the Cyclones. The streak continues. Make it three straight – Texas 27, Iowa State 17.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

South Florida (4-3) at Navy (5-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
FIU (4-4) at Florida Atlantic (1-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ASN….
Syracuse (3-4) at Florida State (6-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC….
UCF (0-8) at Cincinnati (4-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNNEWS….

San Diego (5-2) at Stetson (2-5) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Jacksonville U. (6-1) at Dayton (7-0) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Bethune-Cookman (6-2) at Delaware State (0-7) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….
North Carolina A&T (6-1) at Florida A&M (1-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Shorter (2-5) at Florida Tech (5-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Texas and Nike have agreed to a 15-year licensing and apparel deal. The contract approaches $200 million for Texas, which has one of the wealthiest athletic programs in the country.

Our heartfelt thoughts and sympathy go out to Oklahoma State University and the people of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Peace and comfort be with them.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting colder, the leaves were falling, the frost was on the pumpkins, and Halloween was just around the corner, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1940 was “Only Forever” by Bing Crosby

…70 years ago this week in 1945 was “Till The End Of Time” by Perry Como

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

…60 years ago this week in 1955 was “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing” by The Four Aces

…55 years ago this week in 1960 was “I Want To Be Wanted” by Brenda Lee

…50 years ago this week in 1965 was “Yesterday” by The Beatles

…45 years ago this week in 1970 was “I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5

…40 years ago this week in 1975 was “Island Girl” by Elton John

…35 years ago this week in 1980 was “Woman In Love” by Barbra Streisand

…30 years ago this week in 1985 was “Saving All My Love For You” by Whitney Houston

…25 years ago this week in 1990 was “Black Cat” by Janet Jackson


Not exactly college football related, but there were four passings of note last week – Pat Woodell, Cory Wells, Marty Ingels and Maureen O’Hara.

Pat Woodell, who played the middle sister, Bobbie Jo Bradley, for two seasons in the 1960s sitcom “Petticoat Junction,” died last week at her home in Fallbrook, California. She was 71. Woodell had guest-starred on “Cheyenne,” “77 Sunset Strip” and other television shows before landing the role on “Petticoat Junction.” The show was broadcast on CBS from 1963 to1970. She left the show after two years because she wanted to return to singing. She toured with Jack Benny’s show and was in several movies, including “The Big Doll House” (1971) and “Twilight People” (1975). Patrice Joy Woodell was born in July 1944, in Winthrop, Massachusetts.

Cory Wells, one of the three lead singers in Three Dog Night, a signature pop band of from the late 1960s and to the mid-1970s, died last week in Dunkirk, New York. He was 74. Three Dog Night, a band that thrived on high-spirited arrangements of songs by leading writers, was distinguished by its trio of gifted singers – Wells, Danny Hutton and Chuck Negron. They took turns fronting the band on many Top 40 hits, including Harry Nilsson’s “One (Is the Loneliest Number),” Laura Nyro’s “Eli’s Coming,” Paul Williams’ “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” Hoyt Axton’s “Joy to the World,” Randy Newman’s “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),”among others. Wells sang lead on “Eli’s Coming” and “Mama Told Me (Not to Come).” Wells was born Emil Lewandowski on February 2, 1941, in Buffalo, New York. He was raised by a single mother. After high school, he joined the Air Force. Following his time in service, he began singing in bands and moved to southern California. Singing with the Vibratos, they evolved into the Enemys and became the house band at Whisky a Go Go and toured with Sonny and Cher. By the late 1960s, Wells had teamed up with Hutton, Negron and four other musicians. They became Three Dog Night. The band broke up in the mid-1970s, but reunited with some of the original members in the 1980s.

Marty Ingels, an actor and comic whose off-screen antics were deemed outrageous, died last week in Tarzana, California. . He was 79. His wife is the actress Shirley Jones. Martin Ingerman was born on March 9, 1936, in New York City. He graduated from Forest Hills High School and briefly attended Queens College in New York. Ingels had small parts on “The Phil Silvers Show,” “The Aquanauts” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” along with other programs. His other TV roles included spots on “The Adams Family,” “The Phyllis Diller Show,” “Murder She Wrote” and “CSI.” In the movies, Ingels appeared in “Wild and Wonderful” (1964), starring Tony Curtis and “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium” (1969), staring Ian McShane. Ingels and Shirley Jones married in 1977. He was a longtime resident of Encino, California.

Maureen O’Hara, the spirited Irish-born actress, who starred in the movies in the 1940s and 1950s, died Saturday at her home in Boise, Idaho. She was 95. Although she was called the Queen of Technicolor, many of the films that made O’Hara a star were in black and white. They include “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1939), “How Green Was My Valley” (1941), “This Land Is Mine” (1943) and “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947). The best remembered of her color films was “The Quiet Man.” Some of her other films included “The Black Swan” (1942), “Buffalo Bill” (1944), The Spanish Main” (1945), “Sinbad the Sailor” (1947), “Bagdad” (1949), “Rio Grande” (1950) and “Against All Flags” (1952). Maureen FitzSimons was born on August 17, 1920, in Ranelagh, Ireland, on the outskirts of Dublin. As she began her acting career, O’Hara was spotted early on by Charles Laughton. He cast her in “Jamaica Inn” (1939). She moved to the United State after that film. In her later film years, O’Hara appeared in “The Deadly Companions” (1961), “The Parent Trap” (1961), “Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) and “Spencer’s Mountain” (1963). From the late 1960s to late 1980s, she lived in St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands. She starred in three television movies – “The Christmas Box” (1995), “Cab to Canada” (1998) and “The Last Dance” (2000). She was the grand marshal of the New York St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1999.

College Football Week 8 – 14 teams are still undefeated
The second half, same as the first
a little bit better and a little bit worse

We reached the halfway point of the football season over the weekend – seven weeks down and seven weeks to go. I couldn’t help but think of those crazy song lyrics:

“The second verse, same as the first
A little bit louder and a little bit worse”

Only I was singing:

“The second half, same as the first
A little bit better and a little bit worse”

For some teams, the next seven weeks are going to be a little bit better. But for other teams, it’s going to be a little bit worse.

I don’t know how it could get any worse than it did for Michigan on Saturday. The Wolverines blew a sure victory over rival Michigan State in the fading seconds of the game. Possessing the ball and leading the Spartans 23-21 with about 9 or 10 seconds left on the clock, Michigan choked.

On a fumbled and muffed attempt of a punt, the ball literally squirted into the hands of a Spartan defender who ran it 38 yards into the end zone as time expired. Michigan State won 27-23.

Ironically, a fan at Michigan Stadium suffered a heart attack on the final play just as the Michigan State player ran into the end zone. Fans sitting nearby yelled for medical help and someone performed CPR on the man. Paramedics transported the man to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

In spite of Saturday’s shocking loss, it’s been a good first half of the season for first-year Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh – better than expected. Still, you have to question Harbaugh’s play calling and clock management, or mismanagement, when Michigan had the ball in the final 1:45 of the game. Michigan State beat Michigan for the eighth time in the last nine games.

For four coaches, the first half of the season never came to fruition. Illinois coach Tim Beckman was fired before the season even began. Interim coach Bill Cubit has led the Banned Indians to a 4-2 season at the mid-point. Maryland fired Randy Edsall after the Terrapins lost to Ohio State on October 10. Maryland began the season 2-4 under Edsall.

Early last week, USC fired its coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian was fired for off-the-field personal issues and problems, not for his record as coach. The Trojans were 3-2 when Sarkisian was released. Under interim coach Clay Helton, USC lost to Notre Dame Saturday, 41-31. The second half of the season may likely get worse for USC as the Trojans still have to play Utah, California, Arizona, Oregon and UCLA.

The same day Sarkisian was terminated, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier announced his resignation, effective immediately. As Spurrier said, “I’m resigning. I’m not retiring.” The Gamecocks were 2-4 when Spurrier announced his resignation. Under interim coach Shawn Elliott, South Carolina beat Vanderbilt, 19-10, on Saturday. The Gamecocks still have to play Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida and Clemson.

Word has it that the next coach of South Carolina will be one of the following: Kirby Smart (Alabama DC); Justin Fuente (Memphis coach); Dino Baber (Bowling Green coach); Tom Herman (Houston coach); Jeff Brohm (Western Kentucky coach); Will Muschamp (Auburn DC); Lane Kiffin (Alabama OC), or Chad Morris (SMU coach). That’s a pretty impressive list. We’ll see if “word” is right.

Then you figure that two of the above could end up being the next head coach of Illinois and Maryland. I don’t think any of the above is a fit for the USC job. Obviously, Kiffin isn’t. But Chip Kelly and Sean Payton are candidates at USC.

For 14 teams, the first half of the season could not have been better. They are undefeated. All 14 are ranked in this week’s AP and Coaches Top 25 polls, including the four Group of 5 teams – Memphis (6-0), Houston (6-0), Temple (6-0) and Toledo (6-0). Saturday, Memphis upset Ole Miss, 37-24. The Tigers are the highest ranked of the Group of 5 at 17 (Coaches) and 18 (AP).

The remaining 10 undefeated Power 5 teams are Clemson (6-0), Florida State (6-0), Baylor (6-0), Oklahoma State (6-0), TCU (7-0), Iowa (7-0), Michigan State (7-0), Ohio State (7-0), Utah (6-0) and LSU (6-0). In all likelihood, none of the 14 teams will be undefeated come December 13. But miracles never cease to happen.

It’s been a tough first half of the season for first-year Nebraska coach Mike Riley. Prior to Saturday’s game against Minnesota, the Huskers were 2-4 – a rare and uncommon start for Nebraska. But the four losses were by a combined 11 points. One of the losses occurred on a Hail Mary pass as time expired and another loss came in overtime. Nebraska, however, may be turning the corner in the second half of the season. Saturday, the Huskers beat Minnesota on the road, 48-25. Nebraska still has to play Michigan State and Iowa.

Expectations were high for West Virginia this season, especially after the Mountaineers jumped out to a 3-0 start, including a 45-6 win over Maryland. Then WVU’s luck changed as the Mountaineers dropped three-straight games, all to Top 25 teams – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor. It doesn’t get any better for WVU as next up for the Mountaineers is another Top 25 team – TCU, in Fort Worth.

Four teams can only hope that things get better in the second half of the season. All four are winless – Kansas (0-6), New Mexico State (0-6), North Texas (0-6) and UCF (0-7). The surprise here is UCF. The Knights were supposed to be a contender for the C-USA East Division title.

When the season began, UCF coach George O’Leary was also serving as the school’s interim athletic director. Early last week, O’Leary stepped down from the AD responsibilities to focus full-time on his head coaching duties. We’ll see what, if any, effect it has on the Knights during the second half of the season. Personally, I thought O’Leary should resign from coaching and become UCF’s full-time AD. But then, I’m always hard on the coaches.

Talk about a turnaround, how about Washington State? On opening weekend, the Cougars lost at home to FCS Portland State. Since then, Wazzu has gone 4-1, with victories over Rutgers, Oregon and Oregon State. The Cougars beat Oregon on the road in Eugene, 45-38. With games remaining against Arizona, Stanford, Arizona State and UCLA, Wazzu isn’t out of the woods yet. But still, Mike Leach may finally have the Washington State program on the right track.

And how about Pitt (5-1) and North Carolina (5-1)? Both are pleasant surprises. Pitt’s lone loss was to undefeated Iowa. And after losing its opening game to South Carolina, 17-13, the Tar Heels have won 5 straight. Pitt and North Carolina collide on October 29 in Pittsburgh. Pitt is under first-year coach Pat Narduzzi.

Along with Jim Harbaugh and Narduzzi, another first-year coach doing better than expected is Florida’s Jim McElwain. The Gators (6-1) were undefeated until Saturday when they lost to LSU, in Baton Rouge, 35-28. Florida has a good shot at winning the SEC East Division. But the Gators have a key game October 31 against Georgia. They also have a key non-conference game November 28 against Florida State.

Also looking good at mid-season are Stanford (6-1), Notre Dame (6-1), California (5-1), Western Kentucky (6-1), Marshall (6-1) and Texas Tech (5-2). But all have dangerous and tricky games ahead. Swamp Mama is happy about Texas Tech.

Disappointing at mid-season are Georgia Tech (2-5), Arkansas (2-4) and Oregon (4-3). The Yellow Jackets have lost 5 straight. Arkansas still has to play LSU, Ole Miss and Miss State. Oregon is struggling on offense and defense.

Boise State rarely loses, but the Broncos never lose by 26 points. They did Friday night when Utah State beat Boise State 52-26. Coming into the contest, Utah State had lost 12 straight games to the Broncos. Eight turnovers didn’t help Boise State any. The Broncos are 5-2.

Speaking of Swamp Mama, she was sad to see the Head Ball Coach step down last week. Swamp Mama graduated from Florida the same year Steve Spurrier did (1967). She was one of the 60,511 sitting in Florida Field on October 29, 1966, when Spurrier kicked his famous field goal against Auburn. With the score tied 27-27, and 2:12 remaining in the game, Spurrier kicked a 40-yard field goal, as the Gators beat Auburn 30-27. The kick secured the Heisman Trophy for Spurrier.

Our daughter attended Florida (1996-2000) when Spurrier was the Gators coach. She worked in the athletic department at UF and attended a social event at the Spurrier home. She also had Spurrier autograph a 1966 Florida football game program for her mother. He wrote, “To Sharon, Go Gators! Steve.” We have it framed.

Bootsie and Rockledge Gator attended a wedding in Georgia over the weekend. After back-to-back weekends on the road (Gainesville and Las Vegas) Swamp Mama and I were happy to be home for some rest and relaxation. But we enjoyed our Saturday night game-watching social with Russ and Sandy Grunewald and Betty “The Duchess of Indialantic” Pappas.

Sometime Friday night (more likely the wee hours of Saturday morning) prior to the Michigan State-Michigan game in Ann Arbor, the Magic Johnson statue on the MSU campus in East Lansing was painted in Michigan maize. But Magic was laughing out loud when the Spartans beat the Wolverines.

There were lots of signs at ESPN’s College GameDay on the Michigan campus Saturday morning, but few, if any, of them were clever. Michigan students are lacking in creativity.

So, for some teams, the second half of the season will be a little bit better. And for other teams the second half of the season will be a little bit worse. Stay tuned!

“The second half, same as the first
A little bit better and a little bit worse”

Touchdown Tom
October 19, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Déjà vu – LSU 35, Florida 28 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 23, Florida 20). Five years ago, LSU burned Florida on a fake field goal play. The Tigers did it again Saturday. LSU broke the 28-28 tie on a fake field goal play when the kicker Trent Dominique caught a lateral and scampered 16 yards for a touchdown. The score, with 10:40 left in the fourth quarter, put the Tigers up, 35-28. LSU shutdown Florida’s running game, holding the Gators to 55 yards rushing. The Tigers Leonard Fournette rushed for 180 yards. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,231

RUNNER UP: Punt Wolverines, punt – Michigan State 27, Michigan 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 26, Michigan State 24). That’s exactly what Michigan did with only 9 seconds left on the clock and leading Michigan State 23-21. But the Wolverines punter dropped the snap from the center, a bad snap at that. After grabbing the ball, he muffed an attempted punt. The ball landed in the hands of a Spartan defender who ran it into the end zone as time expired. Michigan State dominated the game, outgaining the Wolverines 386 total yards to 230. Neither team could run the ball – 58 rushing yards for the Spartans and 62 yards rushing for Michigan. State’s Connor Cook passed for 328 yards. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 111,740

REST OF THE BEST: Caucus – Iowa 40, Northwestern 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 17, Northwestern 13). Don’t look now, but Iowa is undefeated. A close contest at the half, the Hawkeyes led 16-10. But in the second half, Iowa scored 24 unanswered points. The Hawkeyes held Northwestern to 51 yards rushing. Iowa’s Akrum Wadley rushed for 204 yards. Attendance in Evanston: 44,135

Ground attack – Ohio State 38, Penn State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 34, Penn State 20). A ground game by both teams, Ohio State had two backs rush for more than 100 yards – Ezekiel Elliott 153 yards and J.T. Barrett 102 yards. Penn State’s Saquon Barkley rushed for 194 yards. Leading 21-10, the Buckeyes put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 unanswered points. Attendance in Columbus: 108,423

They’re back – Alabama 41, Texas A&M 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Texas A&M 25). There is no doubt, Alabama is back. The loss to Ole Miss is looking more and more like a fluke. The Tide held A&M to 32 yards rushing and intercepted four Aggie passes. Bama’s Derrick Henry rushed for 236 yards. Attendance in College Station: 105,733

Walking 10 feet off of Beale – Memphis 37, Ole Miss 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 34, Memphis 30). How ‘bout Memphis? And how ‘bout Tigers coach Justin Fuente? He’ll probably be the head coach of a Power 5 school next year. Ole Miss may have been overrated at preseason. Early in the first quarter, the Rebels jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Then, by early in the third quarter, Memphis had scored 31 unanswered points. Ole Miss rallied to close the gap to seven points. But that was the best the Rebels could do. Memphis added two field goals as icing on the cake. Both quarterbacks passed for more than 370 yards. Ole Miss was held to 40 yards rushing. Attendance in Memphis: 60,241

Back and forth – Utah 34, Arizona State 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, Arizona State 27). Arizona State led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter. Utah led 14-10 at the half. ASU led 18-14 at the end of the third quarter. Utah exploded for 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Neither team could establish a ground game. The Sun Devils only had 15 yards rushing – Utah 72 yards. Utah quarterback Travis Wilson passed for 297 yards. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 46,192

8 straight – Stanford 56, UCLA 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, UCLA 24). The 21-point difference was primarily the result of Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey. UCLA couldn’t stop him. McCaffrey rushed for 243 yards. The Cardinal beat the Bruins for the eighth-straight time. Attendance in Palo Alto: 50,464

Does a Bear score in Waco? – Baylor 62, West Virginia 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 44, West Virginia 30). Midway through the third quarter, WVU only trailed the Bears 34-24. Then the Bears scored 21 unanswered points and led 55-24 early in the fourth quarter. Baylor quarterback Seth Russell was a one-man wrecking machine for the Bears. Russell passed for 380 yards and rushed for 160 yards. The teams combined for 1,164 total yards. Attendance in Waco: 45,000

Sark-less in South Bend – Notre Dame 41, USC 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, USC 17). USC led 10-7 for two and a half minutes in the first quarter. It was the only time in the game the Trojans led. The score was tied at 24-24 at the half and 31-31 early in the fourth quarter. The Irish then scored 10 unanswered points. USC had 590 total yards, but Cody Kessler threw two interceptions. Attendance in South Bend: 80,795

Madmen – Oklahoma 55, Kansas State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, Oklahoma 25). Don’t ever play Oklahoma the week after the Sooners lose to Texas. Boy, was OU ever mad. And K-State suffered for it. The Sooners had 30 first downs to 7 for K-State. The Sooners had 568 total yards to 110 for K-State. It wasn’t a pretty picture. The Wildcats had 65 yards rushing and 45 yards passing. OU quarterback Baker Mayfield was 20-27-0 passing for 282 yards. Attendance in Manhattan: 52,867

Five field goals – Georgia 9, Missouri 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 28, Missouri 13). In a game that saw no touchdowns, Georgia kicked a 34-yard field goal with 1:44 left on the clock to win the game. Mizzou only had six first downs, 21 yards rushing and 164 total yards. Attendance in Athens: 92,746


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Sammy cut Cards – Florida State 41, Louisville 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 27, Louisville 17). A tight game in the first half, FSU lead by only one point, 7-6, at the break. The teams exchanged touchdowns early in the third quarter. Then the Noles scored 21 unanswered points. Early in the fourth quarter, FSU led 34-14. Both quarterbacks passed for more than 300 yards. FSU’s Dalvin Cook rushed for 163 yards. Attendance in Tallahassee: 71,225

Canes looking Golden – Miami (Florida) 30, Virginia Tech 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 26, Virginia Tech 20). The game was tied 10-10 at the end of the first quarter. Miami only led by three points midway through the fourth quarter. The teams were pretty even in the stats. The Hokies were the better rushing team. The Canes were the better passing team. Four turnovers by Va Tech was the difference. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 50,787


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Life of Riley – Nebraska 48, Minnesota 25 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 27, Nebraska 26). There is still life in Mike Riley. There is still a heartbeat in the Huskers too. After losing two-straight games by a total of three points, Nebraska came out slamming against the Gophers. The Huskers gave up an early touchdown to Minnesota, then scored 17 unanswered points. Nebraska never trailed for the rest of the game. The Gophers suffered three turnovers to none for the Huskers. Attendance in Minneapolis: 54,062

Steam-less in Madison – Wisconsin 24, Purdue 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Purdue 13). Purdue scored a touchdown early in the second quarter to tie the score at 7-7. But the Boilers were skunked for the rest of the game. Wisconsin had 28 first downs to 12 for Purdue. The Badgers had 418 total yards to 191 for the Boilers. Purdue had 55 yards rushing. Wisconsin’s Joel Stave passed for 322 yards. Attendance in Madison: 80,794

Week 7 Picks: 12 correct, 4 wrong (75%)
On the Season: 88 correct, 32 wrong (73.3%)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Marshall 33, Florida Atlantic 17 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 17,129
South Florida 28, Connecticut 20 – Attendance in East Hartford: 31,719
Middle Tennessee 42, Florida International 24 – Attendance in Murfreesboro: 13,227
Temple 30, UCF 16 – Attendance in Philadelphia: 31,372

Jacksonville U. 49, Edward Waters 28 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 2,577
Campbell 16, Stetson 6 – Attendance in Deland: 3,100
Florida A&M 41, Delaware State 13 – Attendance in Tallahassee:
Florida Tech 34, Fort Valley State 7 – Attendance in Fort Valley: 4,356
North Carolina A&T 24, Bethune-Cookman 14 – Attendance in Greensboro: 12,471


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 32-42-2 for 464 yards; TCU’s Trevone Boykin – 27-32-0-436; Clemson’s Deshaun Watson – 27-41-2-420; Georgia State’s Nick Arbuckle – 28-38-0-412; Washington State’s Luke Falk – 39-50-2-407; Rutgers’ Chris Laviano – 28-42-1-386; Memphis’ Paxton Lynch – 39-53-1-384; Baylor’s Seth Russell – 20-33-0-380, and Florida State’s Everett Golson – 26-38-0-372.

Also, Ole Miss’ Chip Kelly – 33-47-2 for 372 yards; Connecticut’s Bryant Shirreffs – 28-41-1-365; Old Dominion’s David Washington – 25-43-1-365; USC’s Cody Kessler – 30-46-2-365; Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 30-51-1-359; Kentucky’s Patrick Towles – 27-44-1-359; Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson – 25-30-0-357, and Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 26-37-1-350.

Also, Miss State’s Dak Prescott – 30-43-0 for 347 yards; Colorado’s Sefo Liufau – 28-43-0-339; Kansas’ Ryan Willis – 35-50-1-330; Toledo’s Phillip Ely – 18-27-0-327; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 22-42-2-325; Wisconsin’s Joel Stave – 30-39-1-322; Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 23-30-1-313; Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 20-35-1-307; Louisiana Tech’s Jeff Driskel – 25-41-1-303, and Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner – 26-40-2-301.


Impressive Rushers:

Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey – 243 yards; Alabama’s Derrick Henry – 236; Arizona’s Jared Baker – 207 yards; Iowa’s Akrum Wadley – 204; Charlotte’s Kalif Phillips – 204 yards; Temple’s Jahad Thomas – 199 yards; Penn State’s Saquon Barkley – 194 yards; Western Kentucky’s Anthony Wales – 193 yards, and Wyoming’s Brian Hill – 188 yards.

Also, LSU’s Leonard Fournette – 180 yards; Florida State’s Dalvin Cook – 163 yards; Baylor’s Seth Russell – 160 yards; Texas Tech’s DeAndre Washington – 160 yards; Georgia Tech’s Marcus Marshall – 159 yards; Washington’s Myles Gaskin – 155 yards; Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott – 153 yards, and San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 152 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Thank you, Coach Spurrier, for paving the way and showing us all what greatness truly is. Go Gators,” Florida coach Jim McElwain.

“Spurrier just walking away is classic Spurrier. Probably has an 8 a.m. tee time. No time for memories,” Dan Wetzel.

“I’m proud to have played for one of college football’s greatest coaches. Thank you for all you did for me and our program, Coach Spurrier,” Jadeveon Clowney.

“Coach Spurrier has impacted and influenced more of us in this business than he will ever know. He will be missed and will always be the ‘HBC,’ Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.

“Thanks Steve Spurrier (HBC) for all you’ve done for college football and for me. Your impact on me changed the trajectory of my life,” Danny Wuerffel.

“Steve Spurrier, you’re a legend and the greatest offensive mind in football! Enjoy your seat at the Mount Rushmore of collegiate coaches,” Ric Flair.

“I just want to say thank you coach for giving me the opportunity to play for you and being able to learn from you every day,” Pharoh Cooper.

“Thank you coach. Your impact will live forever in this state. Your legacy will never be forgotten, I promise you that,” Marcus Lattimore.

“We had our head butting competitions, but the guy will always be one of the best to ever do it. Hats off to you Steve Spurrier – HBC,” Stephen Garcia.

“I’m from Athens, Georgia, and I have a candidate for the next coach at South Carolina. His name is Mark Richt,” a Georgia fan, calling into the “Paul Finebaum Show.”

“I’m resigning. I’m not retiring. Get that part straight,” Steve Spurrier.

“I wish my Trojans the best against Notre Dame and for the remainder of the season. No one will be cheering them on more than me. Fight On!,” former USC coach Steve Sarkisian.

“Michigan beat my statue, but they couldn’t beat the MSU football team. LOL,” Magic Johnson.

“That’s why football is loved so much in America. It’s because things like this happen. Every now and then, they happen,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, on the ending to the Michigan State-Michigan game.

“Corey Coleman is the best player in college football. You can put me on record with that,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, on the Baylor receiver.


Signs of the Day

The Only Thing Easier Than Ohio State’s Schedule Is A Michigan State Degree

In The End, We All Hate Ohio State


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Western Kentucky (6-1) at LSU (6-0) – (C-USA vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – If ESPN College GameDay can make Richmond at James Madison its game of the week, I can make Western Kentucky at LSU my game of the week. In addition to an impressive record, WKU has the No. 2 rated quarterback in the country – Brandon Doughty. Only Baylor’s Seth Russell is ahead of Doughty in the ratings. Doughty is No. 1 in pass completion percentage – 74.1%. Doughty is No. 2 in pass completions (197), and No. 2 in passing yards (2,709). He is No. 3 in passing touchdowns with 24. The challenge now is for the WKU offensive line to give Doughty the protection against the LSU defense. The Hilltoppers won’t stop the Tigers from scoring. The question is: can WKU hang in there with LSU? Having just beat Florida in a big game and with Alabama looming, there is the chance that LSU could be overlooking the Hilltoppers. That’s what WKU has to hope for. Regardless, it should be an interesting game. After the game, the Hilltoppers will be the pill poppers – LSU 33, Western Kentucky 22.

RUNNER UP: 2. Indiana (4-3) at Michigan State (7-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2/ABC – This is a potential trap game for the Spartans. Having just beat Michigan, in an incredible and unbelievable finish, Michigan State could well be hung over against the Hoosiers. With a healthy Nate Sudfeld, Indiana has shown its ability to score. The problem for Indiana is its defense. The Hoosiers can’t stop anyone. But catching the Spartans when they are, the Hoosiers could turn this game into an upset. Close but no cigar for the Hoosiers – Michigan State 34, Indiana 28.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Clemson (6-0) at Miami (Florida) (4-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Clemson keeps rolling along, building up anticipation for the upcoming meeting in two weeks with Florida State. The Tigers just have to be careful that someone doesn’t knock them off along the way. That someone could be Miami. The Canes gave Florida State a tough go of it in Tallahassee. They have Clemson at home. Miami’s defense has been a bit sloppy. But when Brad Kaaya is on, the offense can be potent. But just not strong enough to hold that Tiger – Clemson 30, Miami 24.

4. Georgia Southern (5-1) at Appalachian State (5-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPNU – In their inaugural season in the Sun Belt Conference last year, these two teams finished first and third in the conference. Georgia Southern was first. This year it looks like they are headed to finish first and second – the winner of this game being first. This should be a wild one with lots of fireworks. The Eagles finish first again – Georgian Southern 32, Appalachian State 29.

5. Texas Tech (5-2) at Oklahoma (5-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2/ABC – After the upset loss to Texas two weeks ago, Oklahoma took out its frustrations on Kansas State last week – big time. Texas Tech better hope those frustrations don’t flow over into this game. Both teams can score. Both have exciting quarterbacks. But only one has a defense – Oklahoma. Texas Tech’s defense is a bit porous – a lot seeps through. The Sooners are still venting – Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 25.

6. Texas A&M (5-1) at Ole Miss (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Aggies suffered a bad loss to Alabama last week. They need to bounce back this week. Ole Miss suffered a bad loss to Memphis last week. The Rebels need to bounce back. Only one can. The Aggies do the bouncing – Texas A&M 29, Ole Miss 26.

7. Temple (6-0) at East Carolina (4-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN2 – Last year, East Carolina was marching along undefeated in the AAC. Then came Temple. The Owls knocked off the Pirates in Philly. This year, Temple is undefeated and the Pirates have the Owls where they want them – in Greenville. It could be an opportune time for ECU. Temple has Notre Dame next week and the Owls could be looking ahead. The Pirates give the Owls a scare, but just a scare – Temple 27, East Carolina 24.

8. Utah (6-0) at USC (3-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – The Utes have had Cal and Arizona State at home the last two weeks. Now they go on the road to face the Trojans in the Coliseum. Under an interim coach – Clay Helton – you gotta figure that USC is ready to pounce on somebody. Utah beware. But with Devontae Booker and Travis Wilson, the Utes are on a mission. The Utes remain undefeated – Utah 32, USC 23.

9. California (5-1) at UCLA (4-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 9 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Both teams enter the game coming off losses. Cal began 5-0 and then lost to Utah. UCLA began 4-0 and has since lost two straight – Arizona State and Stanford. Cal has the experienced quarterback in Jared Goff, while the Bruins have the upstart quarterback in Josh Rosen. Experience wins – California 26, UCLA 24.

10. Kentucky (4-2) at Mississippi State (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Kentucky is an upstart this season in the SEC. The Wildcats have been playing well. Miss State was an upstart in the SEC a few years ago. Now the Bulldogs are a competitor. The Wildcats are a year away from beating the Bulldogs – Mississippi State 20, Kentucky 15.

11. Wisconsin (5-2) at Illinois (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – Both teams just have one loss in the Big Ten. Both are still contenders for the Big Ten West title. Illinois is playing under an interim coach, while Wisconsin is playing under a first-year coach. The first-year coach prevails – Wisconsin 28, Illinois 21.

12. Washington State (4-2) at Arizona (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, PAC12N – Have you noticed Washington State lately? The Cougars aren’t your sister’s Washington State anymore. The Cougar’s are on a two-game win streak. One of those two wins was over Oregon – and in Eugene, in The Pond. Mike Leach may have finally turned the corner at Washington State. Arizona has had a few disappointments this season, but the Wildcats remain dangerous. Arizona can score, but the Wildcats can be scored upon. This will be a shootout. The Wildcats do most of the shooting – Arizona 40, Washington State 36.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Tennessee (3-3) at Alabama (6-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Tennessee had a good win over Georgia. But the Vols winning days are over. They won’t have a good win over Alabama. They won’t even have a win. After the loss to Ole Miss, Nick Sabin has the Tide on a rampage. And the Vols won’t stop the Tide from rising – Alabama 31, Tennessee 17.

14. Washington (3-3) at Stanford (5-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Under Chris Petersen, Washington is improving – slowly but surely. The Huskies should give the Trees a contest. But Stanford has too many weapons. One of them is running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is a one-man dog team. The Trees escape the Huskies’ back leg – Stanford 28, Washington 19.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Northwestern (5-2) at Nebraska (3-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – After suffering four close losses, Nebraska served notice last week. No more of that losing close games nonsense. The Huskers pounded Minnesota. Now they are ready to pound the Wildcats. The Wildcats continue their freefall – Nebraska 28, Northwestern 16.

Duke (5-1) at Virginia Tech (3-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Virginia Tech is a strange team. The Hokies look good at times and bad at times – mostly bad. The Dookies hope to catch the mostly bad Hokies. This could be a low-scoring affair. The Dookies have an early Thanksgiving dinner – Duke 21, Virginia Tech 17.

West Virginia (3-3), Florida (6-1), Georgia (5-2) and Purdue (1-6) are off this week.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Houston (6-0) at UCF (0-7) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNNEWS….
SMU (1-5) at South Florida (3-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNNEWS….
Old Dominion (3-3) at FIU (3-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Atlantic (1-5) at UTEP (2-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ASN….
Florida State (6-0) at Georgia Tech (2-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 –

Jacksonville U. (6-0) at Drake (3-4) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….
Stetson (1-5) at Valparaiso (2-5) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….
Norfolk State (2-4) at Bethune-Cookman (5-2) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Tech (4-3) at Mississippi College (2-4) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….

Florida A&M (1-6) is off this week.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . An update to last week’s story, Texas mascot Bevo XIV has died from Bovine Leukemia. Bevo XIV was two when he became the Texas mascot in 2004. His given name was “Sunrise Studly.”…. Former Tulsa athletic director Judy MacLeod will be named the new commissioner of Conference USA. MacLeod will become the first female commissioner of an FBS conference.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

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

Dean Chance, a right-hander for five major league baseball teams and the 1964 Cy Young Award winner, died last week at his home in New Pittsburg, Ohio. He was 74. Chance pitched 11 seasons in the big leagues, twice winning 20 games in a season. Chance arrived in the major leagues in 1961, pitching for the Los Angeles Angels in the team’s inaugural season. At 23, Chance was the youngest pitcher ever to receive the Cy Young Award, until Fernando Valenzuela won in 1981. Wilmer Dean Chance was born on June 1, 1941, in Wooster, Ohio. Originally signed by the Baltimore Orioles, he was chosen by the Washington Senators in the 1960 American League expansion draft, then traded to the Angels. The Angels traded Chance to Minnesota after a subpar season in 1966. He won 36 games for the Twins over the next two seasons, including 20 in 1967 when he pitched two no-hitters. He finished his career playing for the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers.

College Football Week 7 – It’s do or die time in Baton Rouge and Ann Arbor
Four games and a wedding

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
The love that’s all around me
And so the feeling grows

I know, it’s supposed to be four weddings and a funeral. But fortunately, I wasn’t involved in any funerals and I could only find one wedding. There were, however, four football games I followed closely – at least as closely as I could. That, in a nutshell, describes my weekend – four games and a wedding.

Swamp Mama and I flew to Las Vegas last Thursday. As Yogi once said, “Déjà vu all over again.” We were just in Las Vegas in July. That was for a reunion with some old buddies from the Navy. Buddies I hadn’t seen in 42 years.

This time, we were going back to Las Vegas to attend a wedding. Now those of you who know me, know that I’m not a fan of weddings during football season. I once did not attend the wedding of a co-worker – a wedding that was on a Saturday night during the fall. As far as I’m concerned, Saturday night weddings during the fall are a sacrilege.

But there are some weddings you have to attend, regardless when they are held. So off we went to Las Vegas for the weekend.

There were four games, in particular, that I wanted to follow on Saturday – Oklahoma-Texas, Georgia-Tennessee, Oklahoma State-West Virginia and Florida-Missouri. So I had to devise a plan.

The OU-Texas game was a 9 a.m. start, Vegas time. I needed to find a sports bar on The Strip where I could watch the game. The Georgia-Tennessee game was a 12:30 p.m. start, Vegas time. I figured after three and a half hours in a sports bar, I could return to the hotel room and watch the Dawgs-Vols game. After all, I did need to get dressed for the wedding. And take a break from the beers.

The wedding was at 3:30 p.m., Vegas time. I had to make sure my phone was fully charged before heading off to the wedding.

The Oklahoma State-West Virginia game was a 4 p.m. start, Vegas time. The wedding should just be ending. The Florida-Missouri game was a 4:30 p.m. start, Vegas time. Obviously, the Pokes-Eers game and the Gators-Mizzou games were going to continue into the wedding reception. Some guest I’d be with my head buried in my cell phone. I could just picture Swamp Mama scolding me now.

Friday morning, I set out to find a sports bar, preferably near our hotel. Success! I located a Blondies Sports Bar and Grill about a 7-to-8 minute walk from the hotel. And, $20 for all the drafts you can drink. That could be dangerous.

Okay, my priority was taken care of. The rest of the day was devoted to Swamp Mama’s priorities. Whatever she wanted to see and do.

Friday night we attended a wonderful dinner party at the Il Fornaio Restaurant in the New York, New York hotel and casino. The dinner was hosted by the bride’s family. I sat next to a guy from New Orleans – Paul. He was an LSU grad and a big-time Tigers fan.

I’m sure you don’t have to guess what we talked about – the upcoming Florida-LSU game and college football in general all evening. The more wine we had, the better the conversation got. Paul knew his college football. He was really a good guy and the type of fan I would want to tailgate with at a LSU-Florida game.

Around 8:45 Saturday morning, I left the Marriott Grand Chateau and walked over to Blondies Sports Bar and Grill located in Planet Hollywood. Blondies has about 40 or more screens of various sizes. Several games were on and equally distributed across the many screens.

The Oklahoma-Texas game was featured. There were several Texas fans in Blondies. They were happy. I didn’t see, maybe because I didn’t hear, any Oklahoma fans. In a stunner, Texas came out and jumped all over Oklahoma. The Longhorns led the Sooners 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Texas was still up 14-3 at the break.

Swamp Mama joined me and we had our lunch at Blondies. The waitresses wore little, short, pleated cheerleader skirts. I told Swamp Mama that Rockledge Gator and I should open a sports bar and that she and Bootsie could be our waitresses in little, short, pleated cheerleader skirts. I got my brownie points for the week.

In the second half, Oklahoma found an offense. The Sooners scored two touchdowns. The game got exciting. But the Horns didn’t exactly roll over. Texas added 10 more points and ended up beating Oklahoma 24-17. The Texas fans were happy – really happy.

And you just know that Charlie Strong was happy too. After what he and Texas have been through so far this season, a 1-4 start and grumblings from players and fans, the win over Oklahoma had to feel good – very good. Conversely, Bob Stoops can’t be a happy camper. And he’s pulled this before – losing to a bad Mack Brown coached Texas team when the Sooners were heavily favored. In 17 years, Stoops is 10-7 against Texas.

I had all the drafts I could drink. It was time to head back to the hotel for the Georgia-Tennessee game. I turned on the game just a few minutes after Georgia running back Nick Chubb injured his knee on the first play of the game. I hate to see things like that happen to players.

The loss of Chubb didn’t seem to bother Georgia. The Dawgs jumped out to a 24-3 lead over the Vols. But in the final 60 seconds of the half, Tennessee scored two touchdowns. In fact, Tennessee ultimately scored 28 unanswered points. The Vols went from trailing 24-3, to leading 31-24.

Swamp Mama and I left for the wedding. No more TV for me. From now on, I would be following the games on my phone for the rest of the day.

In the fourth quarter, Georgia came back to tie the score – 31-31 – but Tennessee had the last laugh, adding one more touchdown to win 38-31. Butch Jones is off the hook for now. But Mark Richt is in hot water.

The loss was Georgia’s second in two weeks. Following the beat down from Alabama, Georgia fans were calling for Richt’s hide on the “Paul Finebaum Show.” Dawgs fans seem to have a love-hate relationship with Richt. They love the man, but hate the coach. I can’t wait to see the Finebaum show today.

The wedding was at the Little Church of the West on South Las Vegas Boulevard. It was short. It was sweet. Even Elvis sang some songs. The bride hails from Melbourne Beach, Florida; the groom from the West Midlands in England. They were a beautiful couple.

Following the ceremony, the wedding party and guests were bused to the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” sign at the south end of The Strip, where a group picture was taken. The guy in the picture looking at his cell phone is me.

The Oklahoma State-West Virginia game had begun. The Mountaineers were down 7-0, early. With the picture taking complete, the busses took us on a tour up The Strip, before turning around and depositing us at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

The cocktail party began at 5 p.m. I started with a Fat Tire beer. The Florida-Missouri game was underway now too. The Gators were up 7-0, early. Halftime in Morgantown – Oklahoma State 17, West Virginia 2. I looked over to the bar and saw the bartender making someone a dirty martini. I thought what better to drown my sorrows in than a dirty martini. “Hey bartender, make me one of those.”

Halftime in Columbia – Florida 14, Missouri 3. I looked over at the bartender. He was shaking his shaker. I thought what better way to celebrate Florida’s lead than another dirty martini. “Hey bartender, make me another one of those?”

The action was getting tense in Morgantown. Okie State led WVU 26-19 late in the fourth quarter. Then the Mountaineers scored – 26-26. Overtime! I need another dirty martini to get me through the overtime. “Hey bartender, make me another one of those.”

Game over. West Virginia loses to Okie State, 33-26 in overtime. I thought of a statement I read earlier in the week from a West Virginia fan. He wrote, “When I die, I want to be lowered into my grave by the West Virginia football team so they can let me down one last time.”

On the positive end of the spectrum, Florida beat Missouri, 21-3. So, some good news with the bad. From the cocktail party we proceeded into an adjoining room at 7 p.m. for dinner – champagne and wine and Kobe beef and lobster. Yum! And more wine. Yum!

At dinner, Swamp Mama and I became friends with two couples – our age – from England. They are good friends of the groom’s family. I did my best to talk college football with the two gents – Bob and Gordon. From college football the conversation swung to soccer and rugby. They got a kick out of me being a Chelsea fan. Does everybody hate Chelsea? Actually, they were both bigger fans of rugby than soccer.

After dinner, the band began playing and it was time to dance. We also walked out onto the balcony overlooking The Strip. The lights along the Las Vegas Strip at nighttime are always something to see. They never disappoint.

Somewhere around 11 p.m. or so, Swamp Mama and I walked across the street back to our hotel. We had a 6 a.m. flight Sunday morning. The shuttle was picking us up at 4 a.m. Sleep came fast but it didn’t last long. And I’m not one to sleep on planes.

It’s written on the wind
It’s everywhere I go

The football weekend got off to a record-breaking start Thursday night. Washington coach Chris Petersen got his 100th career victory as Washington beat USC, 17-12. Petersen achieved his 100th victory in 117 games, faster than any other active FBS coach.

The weekend ended with two coaches being terminated – one temporary, well maybe, and the other permanent. USC coach Steve Sarkisian was forced to take a leave of absence from the football team. Before the season began, Sarkisian was reprimanded for appearing drunk at a Trojan booster event. Sunday, he appeared to be intoxicated when he arrived at team facilities.

Sarkisian may or may not return as the USC coach. Rumors have already begun that Chip Kelly will be the Trojan coach next year. And those same rumors indicate that USC athletic director Pat Haden may lose his job as well. For the time being, offensive coordinator Clay Helton is the interim head coach at USC.

Sunday morning, Maryland announced, as expected, that head coach Randy Edsall had been fired. The Terrapins lost to Ohio State Saturday, 49-28. Edsall was 22-34 in four plus years at Maryland.

Friday night, Virginia Tech showed signs of life. The Hokies demonstrated they still have a heartbeat, as they beat NC State, rather easily, 28-13. Meanwhile, Baylor continues to have lots of life with a strong heartbeat. The Bears scored more than 60 points for the fourth time this season, as they beat Kansas, 66-7. Trying to stay up there with Baylor, Texas Tech scored more than 60 points for the third time this season. The Red Raiders beat Iowa State, 66-31.

Back in the ACC, Virginia lost again. Pitt beat the Cavaliers, 26-19. Look for Virginia coach Mike London to be hooking up with Randy Edsall any week now – certainly by December. And in the “soccer game of the week,” Wake Forest beat Boston College, 3-0. Remember when BC coach Steve Addazio was once the offensive coordinator at Florida? No? Gators fans don’t want to remember those days either.

Oregon’s strange misery continued Saturday. The Ducks fell to Washington State, 45-38, and in Eugene of all places. All is not well in the Pond. Speaking of a miserable season, UCF lost again – this time to Connecticut, 40-13. The Knights are 0-6.

Former Gator Jeff Driskel had another good Saturday. Driskel passed for 351 yards as his Louisiana Tech team beat UTSA, 34-31.

After Week 6, 16 teams remain undefeated – 12 Power Five teams and 4 Group of Five teams. The undefeated Power Five teams are Clemson (5-0), Florida State (5-0), Baylor (5-0), Oklahoma State (6-0), TCU (6-0), Iowa (6-0), Michigan State (6-0), Ohio State (6-0), Utah (5-0), Florida (6-0), LSU (5-0) and Texas A&M (5-0).

The undefeated from the Group of Five are Houston (5-0), Memphis (5-0), Temple (5-0) and Toledo (5-0). Stay tuned.

There’s good news and bad news for Georgia running back Nick Chubb. Doctors have determined that Chubb does not have a torn ACL or any damage to the ACL. However, he does have considerable knee damage that will require surgery. Chubb will be out for the rest of the season.

So out in Las Vegas, I kept teasing Swamp Mama, saying I was going to skip out on the wedding and go to the San Jose State-UNLV game. She said, “Why on earth would you want to go to that game?” Of course, I had no intention of skipping out, but it did end up being an exciting game. San Jose State beat UNLV in overtime, 33-27.

What a weekend – four games and a wedding.

And, $20 for all the drafts you can drink.

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
The love that’s all around me
And so the feeling grows

Touchdown Tom
October 12, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Goff bogied – Utah 30, California 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 32, California 30). The game lived up to its hype. Cal was driving near the end of the game, but was stopped on a fourth-and-5 in the closing seconds. Utah led throughout most of the game, except when Cal held a 7-3 lead for about three minutes in the first quarter. Most of the scoring occurred in the first half. The Utes led 24-17 at halftime. In the second half, Utah only managed two field goals. Cal’s only score in the second half came with 2:07 remaining in the third quarter, when the Bears touchdown closed Utah’s lead to 27-24. Utah’s Devontae Booker rushed for 222 yards. Cal quarterback Jared Goff threw five interceptions. The two teams combined for seven turnovers in the first half – nine for the game. Utah is the last undefeated team left standing in the Pac-12. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 47,798

RUNNER UP: The Wolverine express – Michigan 38, Northwestern 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 16, Michigan 14). Michigan’s offense and defense dominated Northwestern. The Wolverines offense piled up 370 total yards, while their defense held the Wildcats to only 168 total yards – just 38 passing. Michigan led 28-0 at the halftime break and went into cruise control in the second half. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 110,452

REST OF THE BEST: The Gators showed ’em – Florida 21, Missouri 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 23, Missouri 16). Florida scored touchdowns on two of its first three drives and that was all the Gators needed. Florida led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter. The remainder of the game was a defensive battle. The Gators only other score came on a pass interception returned for a touchdown. Attendance in Columbia: 70,767

Oar-less in South Bend – Notre Dame 41, Navy 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Navy 24). Still a tight ballgame at the break, Notre Dame led by only three – 24-21. Then the Irish outscored the Middies 17-3 in the second half. Notre Dame had 459 total yards. Attendance in South Bend: 80,795

Flying high – Iowa 29, Illinois 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 20, Illinois 15). As hard as the Hawkeyes tried, they couldn’t quite shake off Illinois. Iowa led 6-0, then the Banned Indians went up 7-6 in the first quarter. The Hawkeyes took a 16-7 lead in the second quarter, only to see Illinois cut the lead to 16-13 in the third quarter. Still in the third, Iowa extended its lead to 23-13, but the Banned Indians pulled within three at 23-20 early in the fourth quarter. The Hawkeyes put the game away with a 40-yard field goal with 2:11 remaining. Illinois only managed 46 yards rushing. Iowa’s Jordan Canzeri rushed for 256 yards. Illinois’ Wes Lunt passed for 317 yards. Attendance in Iowa City: 66,693

What a comeback – TCU 52, Kansas State 45 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 37, Kansas State 27). TCU stormed back from an 18-point halftime deficit. The Horned Frogs outscored K-State 35-10 in the second half. Yes, TCU trailed the Wildcats 35-17 at the break. The Frogs racked up 543 total yards. Heisman contender Trevone Boykin passed for 301 yards and ran for 124 yards. Attendance in Manhattan: 53,671

The moonshine wasn’t misty – Oklahoma State 33, West Virginia 26 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 33, Oklahoma State 25). Backup quarterback J.W. Walsh scored on a fourth-down keeper in overtime to give the Cowboys the win. WVU trailed Okie State 17-2 at halftime, and 23-14 at the end of the third quarter. But the Mountaineers outscored the Cowboys 10-3 in the fourth quarter to tie the score at the end of regulation. WVU’s tying touchdown came with 2:44 left in the game. The Mountaineers outgained Okie State 443 yards to 362. Attendance in Morgantown: 60,410

Chopped – Florida State 29, Miami (Florida) 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, Miami 18). Florida State led from the start until 10:02 left in the fourth quarter when Miami took a 24-23 lead. With 6:44 remaining, FSU’s Dalvin Cook scored on a 23-yard touchdown run and the Seminoles held on to win. Cook had 222 yards rushing. Miami’s Brad Kaaya passed for 405 yards. The Noles Everett Golson passed for 291 yards. FSU had 529 total yards. There were no turnovers in the game. Attendance in Tallahassee: 82,329

Hack attack – Penn State 29, Indiana 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 26, Indiana 24). The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. After that, it was all Penn State. The Lions racked up 420 total yards and held Indiana to just 79 yards rushing. Attendance in State College: 97,873

Wrecked – Clemson 43, Georgia Tech 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 33, Georgia Tech 19). Clemson built up a 33-10 halftime lead and then went into cruise control in the second half. Georgia Tech was 1-for-12 (8%) in third down efficiency. The Tigers racked up 537 total yards. Clemson’s defense held Tech to just 71 yards rushing. The Yellow Jackets have lost 4 straight. Attendance in Clemson: 80,983

Fournette II – LSU 45, South Carolina 24 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, South Carolina 12). This was still a close ballgame at the half. LSU led 17-10. But the Tigers outscored the Gamecocks 28-14 in the second half. LSU racked up 624 yards on offense – 396 yards of that rushing. The Tigers Derrius Guice rushed for 161 yards and Leonard Fournette had 158 yards rushing. The game was moved from Columbia to Baton Rouge because of the flooding in South Carolina. Before the game, about 30 members of the LSU band went to the South Carolina sidelines and played the Gamecocks fight song. After the game, the entire LSU band played South Carolina’s alma mater to the assembled Gamecocks players. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 42,058

Butchered – Tennessee 38, Georgia 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 30, Tennessee 23). With just 3:37 left in the first half, Georgia jumped out to what appeared to be an insurmountable 24-3. But in the final 3:37 of the first half, Tennessee scored two touchdowns to close the gap to seven points – 24-17 at the break. In the third quarter, Tennessee outscored the Dawgs, 14-0, as the Vols took a 31-24 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Georgia fought back to tie the score at 31-31. The Vols scored with 5:48 left in the game and held on to win. Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs passed for 312 yards. The Dawgs Nick Chubb suffered a severe knee injury on the first play of the game. Attendance in Knoxville: 102,455


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Taking care of business – Alabama 27, Arkansas 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Arkansas 18). Arkansas led at halftime – 7-3. But it was all Bama in the second half. The Tide scored 24 unanswered points and built up a 27-7 lead. The Hogs’ only second half score came with just 1:37 left in the game. Bama’s defense held Arkansas to just 44 yards rushing. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 101,821

Sark is in the dark – Washington 17, USC 12 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 27, Washington 16). USC was 1-for-13 (8%) in third down efficiency. Cody Kessler threw two interceptions. Steve Sarkisian’s time in Troy may not be for long. Attendance in Los Angeles: 63,623


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Again – Wisconsin 23, Nebraska 21(Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Nebraska 22). Wisconsin kicked a 46-yards field goal with 4 seconds remaining to win the game. It was a back-and-forth game. After a scoreless first quarter, the Badgers scored first, going up 7-0 in the second quarter. But the Huskers came back and led 14-7 at the break. Neither team did much in the third quarter, other than a 45-yard field goal by Wisconsin. The Badgers took a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter and extended it to 20-14 midway through the fourth. Nebraska retook the lead at 21-20 with 3:38 left in the game. But the Huskers couldn’t hold on. Wisconsin’s Joel Stave passed for 322 yards. Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong was 11-for-28 passing – 39%. Nebraska is off to its worst start (2-4) since 1959. Attendance in Lincoln: 89,886

General Dookie – Duke 44, Army 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 21, Army 12). Duke jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead and continued to dominate Army in the second half. The Devils amassed 464 yards of offense, while holding the Cadets to only 168 total yards. Attendance in West Point: 39,712

Too many holes – Minnesota 41, Purdue 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 27, Purdue 23). Purdue led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter, but then Minnesota scored 41 unanswered points. In the third quarter alone, the Gophers outscored the Boilers, 28-0. Minnesota did it on the ground, racking up 326 yards rushing. The Gophers’ Shannon Brooks rushed for 176 yards. The Minnesota defense held Purdue to 68 yards rushing. Attendance in West Lafayette: 33,780

Only the Strong survive – Texas 24, Oklahoma 17(Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 45, Texas 23). Texas built up a 14-3 halftime lead and then held on in the second half to beat Oklahoma. The Longhorns only had 55 yards passing, but they had 313 yards rushing. The Texas defense held the Sooners to just 67 yards rushing. Attendance in Dallas: 91,546

Week 6 Picks: 13 correct, 5 wrong (72.2%)
On the Season: 76 correct, 28 wrong (73.1%)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida International 52, UTEP 12 – Attendance in Miami: 13,799
South Florida 45, Syracuse 24 – Attendance in Tampa: 27,235
Rice 27, Florida Atlantic 26 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 13,191
Connecticut 40, UCF 13 – Attendance in Orlando: 26,669

Bethune-Cookman 17, South Carolina State 14 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 7,465
North Carolina Central 27, Florida A&M 24 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 9,263
Jacksonville U. 41, Stetson 14 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 6,324
Florida Tech 24, West Georgia 13 – Attendance in Melbourne: 3,258


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Washington State’s Luke Falk – 50-74-0 for 505 yards; Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson – 33-39-1-450; Texas tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 33-46-0-428; Massachusetts’ Blake Frohnapfel – 34-56-1-409; Miami of Florida’s Brad Kaaya – 29-49-0-405; Ball State’s Riley Neal – 31-53-1-393, and Colorado’s Sefo Liufau – 25-40-1-385.

Also, Ole Miss’ Chip Kelly – 24-33-1 for 384 yards; East Carolina’s Blake Kemp – 28-36-1-371; Northern Illinois’ Drew Hare – 29-32-0-363; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 28-36-1-359; Michigan State’s Connor Cook – 23-38-1-357; Louisiana Tech’s Jeff Driskel – 28-44-2-351; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 28-44-0-341, and Boise State’s Brett Rypien – 22-35-1-339.

Also, BYU’s Tanner Mangum – 24-32-0 for 332 yards; San Jose State’s Kenny Potter – 30-48-1-329; Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 23-32-1-321; Illinois’ Wes Lunt – 25-41-0-317; Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens – 29-58-1-315; Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs – 25-42-1-312, and TCU’s Trevone Boykin – 20-30-2-301.


Impressive Rushers:

Iowa’s Jordan’s Canzeri – 256 yards; Oregon’s Royce Freeman – 246 yards; Iowa State’s Mike Warren – 245 yards; Florida State’s Dalvin Cook – 222 yards; Utah’s Devontae Booker – 222 yards, and Minnesota’s Shannon Brooks – 176 yards.

Also, South Florida’s Marion Mack – 184 yards; Maryland’s Perry Hills – 170 yards; Louisiana-Lafayette’s Elijah McGuire – 170 yards; Toledo’s Terry Swanson – 161 yards; LSU’s Derrius Guice – 161 yards; LSU’s Leonard Fournette – 158 yards, and Nevada’s Don Jackson – 152 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“The Gators look like they could beat the Patriots right now,” Paul Finebaum, after Florida’s win over Ole Miss.

“Tennessee fans are mushrooms. They live in the dark,” a caller on the Paul Finebaum Show.

“When I die, I want to be lowered into my grave by the West Virginia football team so they can let me down one last time,” a Mountaineer fan.

“Alabama is the smartest state because it got four A’s and a B,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

“I can’t imagine what’s at stake for the head coach that loses this game,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, on the Georgia-Tennessee game.


Signs of the Day

California Is Drier Than A Provo Bar

Your Team Is Worse Than Our Beer

My Dog Is Prettier Than Your Dawg


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Florida (6-0) at LSU (5-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The streak has to come to an end for one of these two. Florida’s defense will get a test from LSU’s ground attack – the one-two punch from Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice. But the Gators defense could shut down the Tigers. LSU hasn’t really been tested this season. For the most part, the breaks have gone Florida’s way this season. But the Tigers put the brakes on the Gators – LSU 23, Florida 20.

RUNNER UP: 2. Michigan State (6-0) at Michigan (5-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Are Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines for real? We’ll soon find out. The same applies to Michigan State. Are the Spartans for real? We’ll soon find out. This is the biggest Michigan-Michigan State game in years. The Wolverines make the best of it – Michigan 26, Michigan State 24.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Iowa (6-0) at Northwestern (5-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2 – The Hawkeyes are on a roll – precarious as it has been. It gets more precarious this week. The Wildcats defense can be tough. Then again, after starting out 5-0, Northwestern could collapse. The Wildcats have done that before. The Hawkeyes keep their feathers – Iowa 17, Northwestern 13.

4. Penn State (5-1) at Ohio State (6-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Penn State’s 5-1 record looks impressive, but the Nitts’ wins have not been over impressive teams. And some of the wins haven’t been impressive either. Still, Penn State is capable of giving the Buckeyes a tough game. But not tough enough – Ohio State 34, Penn State 20.

5. Alabama (5-1) at Texas A&M (5-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Since losing to Ole Miss, the Tide has been on a roll – wins over Georgia and Arkansas. The Aggies have been on a roll all season. But the Aggies roll comes to an end. Roll Tide – Alabama 28, Texas A&M 25.

6. Ole Miss (5-1) and Memphis (5-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – What a big win this would be for Memphis, if the Tigers can pull it off. They could. Memphis has the home field advantage. The Tigers have a good offense, but a sad defense, especially against the pass. The Rebels Chad Kelly could have a big day. He does, but just barely – Ole Miss 34, Memphis 30.

7. Arizona State (4-2) at Utah (5-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Utes could be hung over after the big win over Cal. ASU has a good offense. But the Sun Devils are so-so on defense. The Utes pull it out, but oh so close – Utah 28, Arizona State 27.

8. UCLA (4-1) at Stanford (4-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – These two teams could end up playing each other again at the end of the season for the Pac-12 championship. Stanford appears to be the best of the North Division. UCLA has to watch out for Utah in the South Division. Stanford started out 0-1, but has won four straight. UCLA started out 4-0, but lost its last game. Make it the Bruins last two games – Stanford 28, UCLA 24.

9. West Virginia (3-2) at Baylor (5-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – The Bears are averaging 64.2 points a game. Their lowest output was 56 points. And that was the first game of the season. Since then, Baylor has scored 63 to 70 points a game in four games. Maybe WVU can hold Baylor to less than 56 points. The Bears defense isn’t as good as the team’s offense. Maybe WVU can put some points on the board. Just not enough – Baylor 44, West Virginia 30.

10. USC (3-2) at Notre Dame (5-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – The Trojans are in a funk. Their coach – Steve Sarkisian – has been sent on an indefinite leave of absence. He may never come back. Unless someone can fire up USC, the Trojans are headed for a tailspin. Unfortunately for the Trojans, the Irish are fired up – Notre Dame 30, USC 17.

11. Oklahoma (4-1) at Kansas State (3-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Oklahoma fell from the ranks of the undefeated last week. K-State has two losses, but each has been by only a touchdown. And to undefeated teams at that. Either the Sooners will be in a funk after the loss to Texas or they will bounce back. The K-State band will keep the Sooners in a funk – Kansas State 27, Oklahoma 25.

12. Missouri (4-2) at Georgia (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Mizzou can play some defense, but the Tigers have no offense. They are basically offense-less. Uga is angry. The Dawgs not only lost a tough one last week, but they also lost their top runner – Nick Chubb. Anger prevails – Georgia 28, Missouri 13.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Louisville (2-3) at Florida State (5-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Louisville may be the best 2-3 team in the country. Then again, maybe not. Everett Golson, Dalvin Cook and the Seminoles take some scalps – Florida State 27, Louisville 17.

14. Virginia Tech (3-3) at Miami (3-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – This is one of those make or break games. You get the feeling the winner could turn around its season. And you get the feeling the loser could tank the rest of the season. The Canes began 3-0, but have dropped two straight. The Hokies looked good against NC State. They don’t look good in south Florida – Miami 26, Virginia Tech 20.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Nebraska (2-4) at Minnesota (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Nebraska has lost so many close games this season – 5 points to BYU on a Hail Mary pass; 3 points to Miami (Florida) in overtime; 1 point to Illinois and 2 points to Wisconsin. Why change? The Huskers lose another squeaker – Minnesota 27, Nebraska 26.

Purdue (1-5) at Wisconsin (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – The Boilers are headed for a winless record in Big Ten play. The Badgers add to the Boilers misery – Wisconsin 28, Purdue 13.

Duke (5-1) and Texas (2-4) are off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Marshall (5-1) at Florida Atlantic (1-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FCS….
South Florida (2-3) at Connecticut (3-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU....
FIU (3-3) at Middle Tennessee (2-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FSN….
UCF (0-6) at Temple (5-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….

Edward Waters (2-3) at Jacksonville U. (5-0) – (Sun vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Campbell (3-3) at Stetson (1-4) – (Pioneer vs. Stetson) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Delaware State (0-5) at Florida A&M (0-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Tech (3-3) at Fort Valley State (4-2) – (Gulf South vs. SIAC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday….
Bethune-Cookman (5-1) at North Carolina A&T (4-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….

In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Texas’ live longhorn mascot Bevo XIV is sick with a life threatening condition. Bevo did not attend Saturday’s game in the Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma. Veterinarians are monitoring Bevo. Bevo XIV has been the Texas mascot since 2004.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but in the October autumn as the college football season approached its halfway point, 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 “Till The End Of Time” by Perry Como

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

…60 years ago this week in 1955 was “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing” by The Four Aces

…55 years ago this week in 1960 was “Mr. Custer” by Larry Verne

…50 years ago this week in 1965 was “Yesterday” by The Beatles

…45 years ago this week in 1970 was “Cracklin’ Rosie” by Neil Diamond

…40 years ago this week in 1975 was “Bad Blood” by Neil Sedaka

…35 years ago this week in 1980 was “Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen

…30 years ago this week in 1985 was “Oh Sheila” by Ready for the World

…25 years ago this week in 1990 was “Praying For Time” by George Michael


Not exactly college football related, but there were seven passings of note last week – Neal Walk, Billy Joe Royal, Harry Gallatin, Lindy Infante, Paul Prudhomme, Gail Zappa and Dave Meyers.

Neal Walk, who grabbed more rebounds at the University of Florida than anyone else in the basketball program’s history and who played for the Phoenix Suns in the early years of the franchise, died last week in Phoenix. He was 67. Walk was one of the first Florida Gators to play in the NBA and one of the finest players in Southeastern Conference history. In his junior season, Walk averaged 19.8 rebounds and 26.5 points a game. He was drafted by Phoenix in the 1969 draft. Walk played five years in Phoenix and then with the New Orleans Jazz and the New York Knicks. In eight NBA seasons, he averaged 12.6 points and 7.7 rebounds a game. Neal Eugene Walk was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 29, 1948. His family moved to Miami Beach, Florida, while he was in elementary school. After leaving the NBA, Walk played professionally in Italy and Israel.

Billy Joe Royal, a pop and country singer best known for the 1965 hit “Down in the Boondocks,” died last week at his home in Morehead City, North Carolina. He was 73. Royal had his biggest hits with songs written and produced by Joe South. He hit the charts with two other songs written by South, “Hush” and “I Knew You When.” Royal ended the decade in the Top 20 with “Cherry Hill Park” (1969). In the 1980s, Royal turned out a steady stream of country hits. Billy Joe Royal was born on April 3, 1942, in Valdosta, Georgia. He grew up in Marietta, Georgia. In the 1970s, Royal performed regularly in Las Vegas.

Harry Gallatin, a ferocious rebounder who played nine seasons for the New York Knicks, died last week in Edwardsville, Illinois. He was 88. Nicknamed the Horse, Gallatin never missed a game in his 10-year playing career from 1948 to 1958. The Knicks traded him to the Detroit Pistons for his final season (1947-48). After his playing career, Gallatin coached Southern Illinois for four seasons. In 1962, be became the coach of the St. Louis Hawks for three seasons. Harry Junior Gallatin was born on April 26, 1927, in Roxana, Illinois. After serving in the Navy in World War II, he attended Northeast Missouri State (now Truman State).

Lindy Infante, who was named the NFL’s coach of the year in 1989 when he revived the Green Bay Packers and who later coached the Indianapolis Colts, died last week in St. Augustine, Florida. He was 75. Infante coached the Packers from 1988 to 1991 and the Colts in 1996 and 1997. Gelindo Infante was born was born on March 27, 1940, in Miami, Florida. He was a running back at Florida and later an assistant coach at Florida, Memphis State and Tulane. Infante was an assistant coach for several NFL teams and the head coach of the Jacksonville Bulls of the United States Football League for two seasons.

Paul Prudhomme, the chef who put the cooking of Louisiana on the American culinary map, died last week in New Orleans. He was 75. In 1979, Prudhomme opened K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen on Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It became a sensation. One of his dishes, blackened redfish, became a national craze. The dish became so popular that the redfish population in the Gulf of Mexico came under threat. His cookbook “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen” was a best-seller in 1984. A bear of a man – at one point he weighed over 500 pounds – he was often mistaken for the actor Dom DeLuise. Paul Prudhomme was born on July 13, 1940, near Opelousas, Louisiana. In 1975, he was hired as the executive chef at Commander’s Palace, one of New Orleans’ premier restaurants. Emeril Lagasse replaced him at Commander’s Palace.

Gail Zappa, the wife of the rock guitarist and composer Frank Zappa and a fierce steward of her husband’s musical legacy, died last week at her home in Los Angeles. She was 70. Zappa met her future husband in 1966 when she worked at the Whisky a Go Go nightclub in Los Angeles. The Mothers of Invention, Frank’s band, had just released their first album. She moved in with him and they were married in 1967. Adelaide Gail Sloatman was born in Philadelphia on January 1, 1945. As a teenager, she lived in London, where she worked as a model. She later attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She was closely involved with managing her husband’s career.

Dave Meyers, who led UCLA to the 1975 NCAA basketball championship in John Wooden’s final season, died last week at his home in Temecula, California. He was 62. Meyers, a 6-foot-8 forward, led UCLA in scoring with 18.3 points a game and in rebounding with 7.9 a game in his final season, helping the Bruins to a 28-3 record. UCLA beat Kentucky 92-85 in the NCAA title game. He was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA draft, but signed with the Virginia Squires of the ABA. After a trade, Meyers ultimately played for the Milwaukee Bucks. He retired after four seasons. David William Meyers was born on April 21, 1953, in San Diego. His sister, Ann Meyers Drysdale, was also a star basketball player at UCLA.