College Football Week 6 – 20 teams are still undefeated, but not for long
It’s time for a gut check

Five weeks into the college football season and we still have more questions than answers. Twenty teams – 15 Power Five and 5 Group of Five – remain undefeated. Obviously, that number will dwindle as the season plays out.

Some teams – TCU and Baylor – have lived up to expectations. Some teams – Utah, Florida, Northwestern and Iowa – have exceeded expectations. Some teams – Auburn, UCF, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Texas, Nebraska, Tennessee and Arkansas – have fallen below expectations.

Ohio State remains undefeated, but a couple of close calls have created doubts about the Buckeyes – doubts that didn’t exist at preseason. Already Alabama has suffered a loss. That wasn’t expected. The Tide may be down, but they aren’t out. Just ask Georgia.

Two teams remain undefeated in the ACC – Clemson and Florida State. But the Tigers and the Seminoles are on a collision course. That collision occurs November 7 in Clemson. Barring any unexpected bumps along the way, Clemson and Florida State stand a good chance of still being undefeated when they meet in November.

The Coastal Division in the ACC is up for grabs between Duke, North Carolina, Pitt and Miami. Two teams considered to be contenders for the Coastal Division title at preseason – Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech – appear to be out of it.

Syracuse could be a sleeper in the Atlantic Division. Clemson and Florida State shouldn’t take the Orange for granted. FSU has Syracuse in Tallahassee, but Clemson has to play the Cuse in the Carrier Dome. The Orange gave LSU a bit of a scare in the Dome.

Speaking of out of it, one can assume that Miami coach Al Golden won’t be coaching the Hurricanes after this season. Every home game, an airplane flies a “FIRE AL GOLDEN” banner over Sun Life Stadium. Last week, the banner followed Golden on the road. It flew over Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium prior to the Canes loss to the Bearcats. And look for Virginia coach Mike London to join Golden on the unemployment line come December.

In the Big 12, TCU (5-0), Baylor (4-0), Oklahoma State (5-0) and Oklahoma (4-0) are undefeated. But in the Big 12, where everyone plays everyone else in the conference, only one team, if that, can remain undefeated. Saturday, Baylor beat Texas Tech, 63-35. The Bears have put up 255 points in four games. That’s 63.75 points-a-game.

Between November 14 and November 27, Baylor plays Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU in succession. Likewise, Oklahoma plays Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State on successive weekends between November 14 and November 28. November is going to be an exciting month in the Big 12.

But it won’t be exciting for Texas coach Charlie Strong. Strong most likely will join Al Golden and Mike London on the list of unemployed. The Longhorns are off to a disappointing 1-4 start. Texas has already fired its athletic director – the man who hired Strong. TCU humiliated Texas Saturday and Oklahoma is likely to humiliate the Longhorns this week.

Charlie Strong should have never left Louisville. I know it is awful tempting to be the head coach at a school like Texas. But Strong was a good fit at Louisville and he had a good thing going there. He was recruiting well and he had the Louisville program on the up. Strong just wasn’t a good fit for the Texas program. I think he bit off more than he can chew.

Ohio State (5-0), Michigan State (5-0), Northwestern (5-0) and Iowa (5-0) are the remaining undefeated teams in the Big Ten. Iowa and Northwestern (Big Ten West Division) meet on October 17. Neither team plays Ohio State or Michigan State (Big Ten East Division). But the Buckeyes and the Spartans clash on November 21. Both escaped upsets on Saturday. Ohio State got by Indiana, 34-27, and Michigan State held off hapless Purdue, 24-21.

Michigan (4-1) is playing well and could be a spoiler in the Big Ten East. In the Big Ten West, Illinois (4-1) is a surprise. The Banned Indians could create some havoc in the West. Conversely, Nebraska (2-3) has to be considered a disappointment. The Huskers aren’t looking good.

Purdue (Darrell Hazell), Maryland (Randy Edsall) and Rutgers (Kyle Flood) will have new coaches next season. Hazell, Edsall and Flood most likely will be dumped come December.

California (5-0) and Utah (4-0) are the two remaining undefeated teams in the Pac-12. But not for long. The Golden Bears and the Utes tangle this Saturday in Salt Lake City.

After the season opening loss to Northwestern (which isn’t looking that bad now) Stanford (4-1) has gotten its act together. UCLA (4-1) was looking real good and rolling along until the Bruins lost to Arizona State Saturday, 38-23. The Pac-12 South is a lot like the SEC West. It’s wild – and crazy.

At this point, the only coach in the Pac-12 who could be in trouble is Washington State coach Mike Leach. The Cougars are 2-2. The disappointing team at this stage in the season is Arizona (3-2).

In the SEC, Florida (5-0), Texas A&M (5-0) and LSU (4-0) are the conference’s undefeated teams. However, for at least one of them, most likely two of them and possibly all three, that will soon change. Florida and LSU collide October 17 in Baton Rouge. Then LSU and Texas A&M face off in Baton Rouge on November 28.

And don’t count out Alabama (4-1). The Tide served notice that they are back with their 38-10 crushing of Georgia Saturday. Alabama can make things real interesting – or not. The Tide plays Texas A&M in College Station on October 17 and hosts LSU in Tuscaloosa on November 7.

Georgia (4-1) remains a serious threat in the SEC East, as does Ole Miss (4-1) in the West. Auburn (3-2), Tennessee (2-3) and Arkansas (2-3) are the disappointments in the SEC. The status of Steve Spurrier (South Carolina), Butch Jones (Tennessee) and Bret Bielema (Arkansas) come December is a question mark. But in spite of records, most likely they are safe – at least for one more season.

In the Group of Five, Memphis (5-0), Navy (4-0), Houston (4-0) and Temple (4-0) of the AAC are undefeated. Of the four, Memphis has the toughest road to hoe. The Tigers play Ole Miss on October 17 and then have Houston, Navy and Temple on successive Saturdays from November 7 to November 21.

Navy plays Notre Dame this week and Houston on November 27. Saturday, Houston’s Greg Ward passed for 273 yards and ran for another 182 yards in the Cougars 38-24 win over Tulsa. Temple tangles with Notre Dame on October 31.

East Carolina (3-2) is improving. The Pirates host Temple on October 22. UCF (0-5) is the big disappointment in the AAC. The Knights are a disaster. At the end of the season George O’Leary should step down as coach and become the fulltime athletic director. O’Leary is currently the interim AD, in addition to coaching.

South Florida coach Willie Taggart will be gone come December. The Bulls are 1-3.

In C-USA, Marshall (4-1) and Western Kentucky (4-1) are on a collision course. The Herd and the Hilltoppers meet November 27 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Likewise, Louisiana Tech (3-2) and Southern Miss (3-2) in the C-USA West will collide on November 28.

Three quarterbacks in C-USA – Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty, Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens and Louisiana Tech’s Jeff Driskel – are lighting up the scoreboards this season. North Texas will have a new coach next season.

Toledo (4-0) of the MAC is the other undefeated Group of Five team. Also looking good in the MAC are Ohio (4-1) and Bowling Green (3-2). The Bobcats and the Falcons play November 4. Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson and Massachusetts’ Blake Frohnapfel are putting up some impressive passing numbers in the MAC.

Except for Boise State (4-1), it’s been a tough and disappointing year for MWC teams. But watch out for Boise State. The Broncos could be back in a New Year’s Six bowl at the end of the season. Saturday, Utah State’s Kent Myers passed for 137 yards and rushed for 191 yards as the Aggies beat Colorado State, 33-18.

And finally, in the Sun Belt, it is all Georgia Southern (4-1) and Appalachian State (3-1). They meet on October 22. South Alabama and Arkansas State are the sleepers in the Sun Belt. Arkansas State plays Appalachian State on November 5, and South Alabama plays both Georgia Southern and Appalachian State on November 28 and December 5 respectively.

On the Heisman front the leaders at this stage are LSU running back Leonard Fournette, TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, California quarterback Jared Goff, USC quarterback Cody Kessler and Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds.

Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I were in Gainesville over the weekend for the Ole Miss-Florida game. We drove up to Gainesville Friday, stopping for lunch in Micanopy.

As soon as we arrived in Gainesville, I drove straight to Trader Joe’s to buy a container of their dark chocolate peanut butter cups. So good. Upon checking in at the Laurel Oak Inn (www.laureloakinn.com), innkeepers Peggy and Monta Burt had a surprise for me. They gave me two slices of cold pizza so I could have it for breakfast on Saturday morning. They made me feel at home on the road. How thoughtful of them.

The four of us spent Saturday morning at Dudley Farm State Park. It’s a great spot on Newberry Road west of Gainesville. For lunch, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I stopped at the Copper Monkey Pub near the Town of Tioga. I washed down my fish ‘n’ chips with a couple of Swamp Head Brewery’s Big Nose IPAs. Swamp Head is a craft brewery located in Gainesville.

Back at the Laurel Oak Inn, we renewed our football weekend friendships with Christy and Jeff Brigman and Steve Kaplan and Todd Bingham. Missing from the Laurel Oak Inn over the weekend were football friends Carol and Tom Stewart, Fern and Bob Musselwhite and Brenda and Dan Brown. But we understand we’ll see Fern and Bob when we are back for the Vanderbilt game in November.

The Ole Miss-Florida game Saturday night could not have been better. The Gators offense and defense was near perfect, beating the Rebels….I mean….Landsharks….I mean….Black Bears – whatever you call Ole Miss, 38-10. Fortunately, we didn’t have to listen to too many Hotty Toddy’s from the Ole Miss fans. They were silenced. They were stunned.

Yeah, that cold pizza Saturday morning was a real gut check time for me.

Touchdown Tom
October 5, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Too little, too late – Clemson 24, Notre Dame 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 28, Clemson 24). Notre Dame scored with seven seconds left in the game to cut Clemson’s lead to two, but the Irish failed on their two-point conversion attempt. The Irish outgained the Tigers 437 yards to 296. ND had 321 passing yards to only 97 for Clemson. The Tigers led 21-3 at the end of the third quarter, but ND rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring Clemson, 19-3. Attendance in Clemson: 82,415

RUNNER UP: Hotty Toddy went to Potty – Florida 38, Ole Miss 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Ole Miss 24). Jim McElwain became the first Florida coach since Steve Spurrier to start 5-0 in his inaugural season. The Gators led 38-3 midway through the fourth quarter. Florida quarterback Will Grier completed 83% of his passes – 24-29-0 and four touchdowns. Ole Miss scored its lone touchdown with four minutes left in the game. Attendance in Gainesville: 90,585

REST OF THE BEST: The Sooners stake their claim – Oklahoma 44, West Virginia 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 21, West Virginia 16). Oklahoma led 24-7 at halftime, but the Mountaineers fought back in the third quarter, trailing the Sooners by only 3 points – 27-24 late in the third. Oklahoma then scored 17 unanswered points. WVU won the rushing game – 196 yards. OU won the passing game – 320 yards. The Mountaineers had five turnovers to three for the Sooners. Attendance in Norman: 84,384

But where was the K-State band? – Oklahoma State 36, Kansas State 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 35, Kansas State 23). K-State led Okie State 28-13 late in the third quarter. The Cowboys took the lead for the first time in the game – 33-28 – with 6:06 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats retook the lead at 34-33 with 3:01 left. Okie State kicked a 37-yard field goal with 00:37 on the clock. The Cowboys held on to win. Okie State only had 49 yards rushing, but the Cowboys had 441 yards passing. Attendance in Stillwater: 57,618

Typical for Richt – Alabama 38, Georgia 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Georgia 26). Alabama led 38-3 until late in the third quarter. Amazingly, the Tide was only 1-for-12 in third down efficiency. Georgia wasn’t much better at 3-for-17. The teams were virtually tied in rushing yards, but Bama dominated in passing. The Dawgs’ Greyson Lambert only completed 42% of his passes. Except for an 83-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, Georgia’s Nick Chubb was doormat – a no show. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Sleeper in the West? – Texas A&M 30, Mississippi State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 25, Mississippi State 20). Texas A&M racked up 516 total yards – 194 rushing and 322 passing. Miss State never led in the game. Attendance in College Station: 104,455

Defense! – Northwestern 27, Minnesota 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 25, Minnesota 17). Northwestern recorded its second shutout in five games. The Wildcat defense held Minnesota to 173 total yards – 74 rushing and 99 passing. Northwestern’s Justin Jackson rushed for 120 yards. Attendance in Evanston: 30,044

Legless Badgers – Iowa 10, Wisconsin 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Iowa 23). Iowa scored all 10 of its points in the second quarter and that’s all the Hawkeyes needed. Wisconsin managed two field goals. Wisconsin, known for its ground game, was held to 86 rushing yards. Attendance in Madison: 80,933

More basketball - Baylor 63, Texas Tech 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 44, Texas Tech 35). Baylor did all of its damage in the first half – 49-21. The two teams were tit-for-tat in the second half – 14-14. They combined for 1,316 total yards. Baylor won the rushing game – 368 yards. Tech won the passing game – 530 yards. The Bears Shock Linwood rushed for 221 yards. Attendance in Arlington: 56,179

Prolific Trees – Stanford 55, Arizona 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 34, Arizona 24). Stanford racked up 570 total yards – 314 rushing and 256 passing. The Cardinal’s Christian McCaffrey rushed for 156 yards. Since being held to 6 points in its season-opening loss to Northwestern, Stanford has averaged 42 points-a-game in four contests. Attendance in Palo Alto: 46,628

Baseball score – Duke 9, Boston College 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 15, Boston College 10). The Dookies kicked three field goals and that’s all the Devils needed. And they kicked all three of those field goals in the first half. The Dookies only had 33 yards rushing. BC scored its only touchdown on a 66-yard pass. Attendance in Durham: 20,009

It’s over for Golden – Cincinnati 34, Miami 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 36, Cincinnati 28). With Cincinnati leading 27-20 at the half, this game appeared to be on its way to a high-scoring affair. But the teams were scoreless in the third quarter and only combined for 10 points in the fourth. They were about as even as you can get in the stats. Attendance in Cincinnati: 40,101


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Rally – North Carolina 38, Georgia Tech 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 27, North Carolina 20). Since its opening loss to South Carolina, 4-1 North Carolina has become an impressive football team. But the Heels had to rally to win this one. Late in the second quarter, Tech led UNC, 21-0. By the end of the third quarter, the Jackets only led by 4 points – 28-24. The Heels took their first lead in the game 31-28 with 11:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. UNC expanded its lead to 10 points – 38-28 – and held on to win. The teams were pretty even in the stats. Heels quarterback Marquise Williams passed for 134 yards and ran for 148 yards. Attendance in Atlanta: 50,585

B-O-R-I-N-G – Pitt 17, Virginia Tech 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 27, Pitt 21). Pitt jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed in the game. But what a dull game it was. The two teams only combined for 376 total yards – 276 for Pitt and 100 for Virginia Tech. Tech had 9 yards rushing and 91 passing. The Hokies leading rusher had 14 yards. Attendance in Blacksburg: 49,120


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Armstrong was Armweak – Illinois 14, Nebraska 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 33, Illinois 21). Nebraska led 10-0 at the half and 13-0 at the end of the third quarter. Illinois scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, while holding the Huskers scoreless. The Banned Indians second and winning touchdown was scored with 10 seconds left in the game. Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong only completed 32% of his passes – 10-31-1 and no touchdowns. Attendance in Champaign: 40,138

So close – Michigan State 24, Purdue 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 40, Purdue 17). The Spartans led Purdue 21-0 at the half and then held on for dear life to beat the Boilers. With 6:44 left in the game, Purdue pulled within 3 points at 24-21. Three turnovers hurt the Boilers chances. Purdue’s Markell Jones rushed for 157 yards. The Boilers haven’t won a Big Ten opener since 2011. Attendance in East Lansing: 74,413

Horn-less – TCU 50, Texas 7 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 33, Texas 23). Early in the fourth quarter, TCU led 50-0. Texas’ only score came with 5 minutes left in the game. TCU racked up 604 total yards – 228 rushing and 376 passing. The Frogs Trevone Boykin threw five touchdown passes. Attendance in Fort Worth: 46,649

Week 5 Picks: 11 correct, 6 wrong (64.7%)
On the Season: 63 correct, 23 wrong (73.3%)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Tulane 45, UCF 31 – Attendance in New Orleans: 20,024
Massachusetts 24, Florida International 14 – Attendance in Springfield: 13,525
Florida State 24, Wake Forest 16 – Attendance in Winston-Salem: 28,588
Memphis 24, South Florida 17 – Attendance in Tampa: 22,546

Dayton 27, Stetson 14 – Attendance in Deland: 3,164
Jacksonville U. 30, Morehead State 26 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 2,844
Bethune-Cookman 28, North Carolina Central 26 – Attendance in Durham: 2,024
Florida Tech 41, Delta State 37 – Attendance in Cleveland: 4,551
Savannah State 37, Florida A&M 27 – Attendance in Savannah: 4,679


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 34-55-1 for 437 yards; Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 32-50-2-415; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 28-38-0-409; Georgia State’s Nick Arbuckle – 18-29-1-394; California’s Jared Goff – 33-45-1-390; Washington State’s Luke Falk – 35-49-1-389; BYU’s Tanner Mangum – 35-53-2-365, and Massachusetts’ Blake Frohnapfel – 32-42-0-363.

Also, Buffalo’s Joe Licata – 35-59-1 for 348 yards; TCU’s Trevone Boykin – 20-35-0-332; Kentucky’s Patrick Towles – 29-42-2-329; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 26-44-1-326; Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens – 27-36-0-325; Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson – 23-29-0-324; Texas A&M’s Kyle Allen – 25-41-0-322; Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer – 19-34-1-321; Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield – 14-25-1-320, and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch – 20-33-0-305.


Impressive Rushers:

Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott – 274 yards; New Mexico State’s Larry Rose – 260 yards; LSU’s Leonard Fournette – 233 yards; Baylor’s Shock Linwood – 221 yards; Arkansas State’s Michael Gordon – 221 yards; Wyoming’s Brian Hill – 208 yards; Utah State’s Kent Myers – 191 yards; Navy’s Keenan Reynolds – 183 yards; Houston’s Greg Ward – 182 yards, and Iowa State’s Mike Warren – 175 yards.

Also, Oregon’s Royce Freeman – 163 yards; Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry – 160 yards; San Jose State’s Tyler Ervin – 160 yards; Houston’s Kenneth Farrow – 159 yards; New Mexico’s Lamar Jordan – 157 yards; Purdue’s Markell Jones – 157 yards; Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey – 156 yards; Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb – 155 yards; Arkansas’ Alex Collins – 154 yards, and San Diego State’s Chase Price – 151 yards.

Quotes of the Week

“If Butch Jones were a doctor, he would lose his license,” Fox Sports Clay Travis.

“Butch Jones should be charged with coaching malpractice,” Fox Sports Clay Travis.

“Some coaches can think fast on the side lines. Butch Jones can’t,” Fox Sports Clay Travis.

“He’s better than I was,” Herschel Walker, on LSU running back Leonard Fournette.

“Are they still playing football at Ohio State,” Paul Finebaum.

“I’m going to advocate that the Aggies play Texas again in the near future. Because of our brutal SEC West schedule, where we play the likes of Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, etc., the Aggies need some cupcake games to rest and heal. In my view, Texas is just as weak, if not weaker, than the non-conference games we play, so we may as well play them,” Texas A&M regent Tony Buzbee.

“We don’t know how to compete,” Texas coach Charlie Strong, after the TCU game.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. California (5-0) at Utah (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The last two undefeated teams in the Pac-12 clash in Salt Lake City. Sonny Dykes has turned around the Golden Bears. But he hasn’t turned them around far enough – Utah 32, California 30.

RUNNER UP: 2. Northwestern (5-0) at Michigan (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – Northwestern has a lot of defense and not so much offense. Both teams have been surprising and amazing so far. The Wolverines are out of surprises – Northwestern 16, Michigan 14.


REST OF THE BEST: 3. Florida (5-0) at Missouri (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Can Florida’s good luck continue? Road games are always tough. But Will Grier is getting better and better every game. Both teams play good defense. Florida plays the better offense of the two. The Gators move to 6-0 – Florida 23, Missouri 16.

4. Navy (5-0) at Notre Dame (4-1) – (AAC vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – This should be similar to Notre Dame’s game against Georgia Tech. That game was in South Bend too. The Irish hand the Middies their first loss – Notre Dame 30, Navy 24.

5. Illinois (4-1) at Iowa (5-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Iowa is the surprise of the Big Ten West. Come to think of it, Illinois is too. No one would have predicted these two at a combined 9-1 at this point in the season. The Hawkeyes stay unbeaten – Iowa 20, Illinois 15.

6. TCU (5-0) at Kansas State (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – K-State gave Okie State a scare last week. The Wildcats will probably give TCU a scare this week. But they won’t scare the Frogs enough. Where is the K-State band when you need them? – TCU 37, Kansas State 27.

7. Oklahoma State (5-0) at West Virginia (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Okay, I’ve got faith – I’ve got pride. It may be foolish pride, but I have it. Okie State is worn out from its last second win over Kansas State last week. And the Mountaineers find a way to bounce back. Cowboys get saddled – West Virginia 33, Oklahoma State 25.

8. Miami (Florida) (3-1) at Florida State (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Will the “FIRE AL GOLDEN” banner fly over Doak-Campbell Stadium? Probably. The buzzards will be flying over Doak-Campbell when the Noles get finished with the Canes. The Noles find an offense – Florida State 33, Miami 18.

9. Indiana (4-1) at Penn State (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Both teams have been living on the edge. Winning doesn’t come easy for either team, but for the most part they have found a way. The Hoosiers won’t find a way again this week. The Nitts win by an edge – Penn State 26, Indiana 24.

10. Georgia Tech (2-3) at Clemson (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Now the Tigers could have a letdown, following the big win over Notre Dame. They could be hung over. The Jackets have lost three-straight. Make it four-straight – Clemson 33, Georgia Tech 19.

11. LSU (4-0) at South Carolina (2-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – This is going to be a long season for the Gamecocks. And LSU is about to make it longer. Fournette visits the Hen House – LSU 27, South Carolina 12.

12. Georgia (4-1) at Tennessee (2-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Both teams are coming off losses. It was an embarrassing loss for Uga. It was a close loss for the Vols. But it was the Vols second-straight loss. Uga makes it three straight – Georgia 30, Tennessee 23.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Arkansas (2-3) at Alabama (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – After the loss to Ole Miss, everyone was writing off the Tide. But after the big win over Georgia, everyone is saying, “They’re back.” The Hogs are back too, after dropping three straight. They beat Tennessee last week. But everybody’s beating Tennessee. The Tide calls the Pigs and turns the Razors back – Alabama 28, Arkansas 18.

14. Washington (2-2) at USC (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 8 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Chris Petersen is having a tough time getting the Huskies off the ground. It will be even tougher in the Coliseum. The Trojans put the Huskies in the pound – USC 27, Washington 16.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Wisconsin (3-2) at Nebraska (2-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Both teams slipped up and lost last week. Neither loss was expected. One has to lose again this week. It’s been tough for the two first-year coaches – Paul Chryst and Mike Riley. It gets tougher for Riley – Wisconsin 28, Nebraska 22.

Duke (4-1) at Army (1-4) – (ACC vs. Ind.) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN – The Dookies don’t score much, but they sure have a good defense. Army’s offense is similar to Georgia Techs so the Dookies should be used to it. The Dookies have been used to winning too. Army hasn’t – Duke 21, Army 12.

Minnesota (3-2) at Purdue (1-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Purdue almost upset Michigan State and in East Lansing too. The Boilers are home this week. The Gophers should be easier pickins’. But not easy enough – Minnesota 27, Purdue 23.

Oklahoma (4-0) at Texas (1-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Things are going from bad to worse for Texas. It seems like it can’t get any lower for the Longhorns. But it does – Oklahoma 45, Texas 23.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

UTEP (2-3) at FIU (2-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ASN….
Syracuse (3-1) at South Florida (1-3) – (ACC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Rice (2-3) at FAU (1-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 2:30 pm ET, Saturday, FCS….
Connecticut (2-3) at UCF (0-5) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:45 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….

South Carolina State (2-2) at Bethune-Cookman (4-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPNU….
North Carolina Central (1-3) at Florida A&M (0-5) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….
Stetson (1-3) at Jacksonville U. (4-0) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
West Alabama (4-1) at Florida Tech (2-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . The NCAA has approved another bowl game. The Arizona Bowl will be played December 29 in Tucson. There are now 41 bowls – 40 plus the championship bowl.

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but there were two passings of note last week – Catherine Coulson and Frankie Ford

Catherine Coulson, the actress who won fans on television as the enigmatic Log Lady in the cult series “Twin Peaks,” died last week at her home in Ashland, Oregon. She was 71. Catherine Elizabeth Coulson was born on October 22, 1943, in Ashland, Oregon. She began acting with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival 1944 and went on to appear in more than 50 productions there.

Frankie Ford, a singer whose hit record “Sea Cruise” brought him international fame when he was 19, died last week in Gretna, Louisiana. He was 76. “Sea Cruise,” which combined a bouncy, hard-charging rhythm with simple, upbeat lyrics, reached No. 14 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1959. It was Ford’s only Top 40 single. The song was written by the New Orleans R&B pianist Huey Smith. Ford’s recording of “Sea Cruise” sold more than a million copies. The song was later recorded by The Beach Boys, Herman’s Hermits and John Fogerty. Ford’s version was on the soundtrack of the movie “American Graffiti. Born on August 4, 1939, in Gretna, Francis Guzzo began singing at an early age. When he was 5, Ford performed on Ted Mack’s radio show, “The Original Amateur Hour.” He was given his professional name by the owner of Ace Records in 1958. Although Ford had no hit records after the early 1960s, he remained part of the New Orleans music scene.