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.