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.