College Football Week 12 – Can the Spartans beat the Buckeyes?
East End toys and West End noise

Yeah, I know. The lyrics are East End boys and West End girls. (That was a good song, wasn’t it?) But Saturday, it was more like East End toys and West End noise in college football.

The top teams in the East just toyed with their opponents. Out West, it was a different story. There was a lot of noise. Five top teams fell, while one other had a close, very close, call.

In the East, No. 1 Clemson just toyed with Syracuse, beating the Orange 37-27. The Tigers jumped out to a 14-0 lead only to see the Orange come back and tie the score at 14 all. But 6 or so minutes later, Clemson was up 28-14. Each team kicked a field goal and the Tigers led 31-17 at the break.

In the third quarter, Syracuse closed the gap to 7 points, trailing the Tigers, 31-24. A few minutes later, Clemson was up 34-24. The Orange made it interesting again, adding another 7 to trail the Tigers 34-27. Clemson added a field goal to increase its lead to 10 points and that’s how the game ended – 37-27.

Clemson never quite shook the Orange, but you never felt the Tigers were going to lose the game. They always kept their distance. Clemson racked up 570 total yards, including Deshaun Watson’s 360 yards passing. Watson also added another 105 yards rushing. It was a Heisman performance. Clemson had 29 first downs to 16 for Syracuse, and the Tigers held the Orange to 80 yards passing.

No. 2 Alabama was supposed to be tested by No. 17 Mississippi State, but it was not to be. The Tide just toyed with Miss State, downing the Bulldogs 31-6. The game was close for one quarter – 0-0 at the end of the first. Then Alabama went to work in the second quarter, pouring it on Miss State, 21-3. The Tide went on to outscore the Bulldogs in the second half, 10-3.

Like Clemson’s Deshaun Watson in the Syracuse game, Alabama’s Derrick Henry put on a Heisman performance against Miss State, rushing for 204 yards, averaging 9.3 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns.

Likewise, No. 3 Ohio State toyed with Illinois. The Buckeyes scored one touchdown in each quarter, dumping the Banned Indians, 28-3. Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 181 yards, scoring two touchdowns and averaging 6.7 yards per carry – a Heisman performance of his own. All the while, the Buckeyes defense held Illinois to only 20 yards rushing.

In South Bend, No. 4 Notre Dame toyed with Wake Forest, downing the Demon Deacons, 28-7. The Irish didn’t look all that impressive, as they took advantage of three Wake Forest turnovers. But with a 21-0 halftime lead, there was never any doubt that the Irish were going to win. It just wasn’t a real smooth win. Notre Dame could fall a spot or two in the poll this week.

No. 11 Florida spent most of its game with South Carolina toying with the Gamecocks. The Gators built up a 17-0 lead over the Cocks, entering the fourth quarter. Then Florida let South Carolina back into the game in the final quarter. The Gamecocks scored the second of two touchdowns with 4:49 to go in the game to pull within 3 points at 17-14. However, two minutes and 48 seconds later, the Gators scored a touchdown to put the game out of reach. Florida won 24-14.

The Gators defense held South Carolina to 201 total yards, 21 yards rushing and only 13 first downs. Florida controlled the ball for 40 minutes of the game.

In a messy game that included seven turnovers, No. 13 Michigan State put away Maryland, 24-7. The Spartans didn’t look good, but there was little doubt about the outcome. No. 16 Florida State made play dough out of NC State, dispensing of the Wolfpack, 34-17. The Seminoles had 479 total yards to 297 for NC State.

No. 20 Navy made mince meat out of SMU, thumping the Mustangs, 55-14. Leading SMU 34-14 at the end of the third quarter, the Middies outscored SMU 21-0 in the final quarter. Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds rushed for 137 yards, scoring four touchdowns. And finally, No. 23 North Carolina built up a commanding 45-0 lead over Miami (Florida), before going on to beat the Canes, 59-21. Think the Playoff Committee will take notice?

So much for the toys.

In the West End, it was mostly noise, as some biggies took an unexpected tumble, while another biggie came close to tumbling. First, No. 6 and previously undefeated Baylor lost to No. 12 Oklahoma. The Sooners downed the Bears, 44-34. The game was close throughout until 4:47 left on the clock when Oklahoma took a 10-point lead that held up until the final gun. The Sooners Baker Mayfield (270 yards passing) and Samaje Perine (166 yards rushing) were the stars of the game.

OU had 511 total yards and 28 first downs to 18 for Baylor. The Sooners controlled the ball for 35 minutes compared to 25 minutes for the Bears.

Then No. 7 Stanford was stunned at home by upstart Oregon. The Ducks edged the Cardinal, 38-36. Stanford failed on a two-point conversion attempt in the final 10 seconds of the game. Stanford dominated the game in both statistics and ball control. But the Cardinal also suffered three turnovers.

No. 8 and undefeated Oklahoma State got the scare of its season. Early in the second quarter, Iowa State led the Cowboys 24-7. At the end of the third quarter, the Cyclones led Okie State, 31-21. But the Cowboys scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the second coming with 3:06 on the clock, to rally and beat Iowa State, 35-31.

In Tucson, No. 10 Utah lost a doozy to Arizona. The Wildcats upset the Utes, 37-30, in two overtimes. In regulation, the Utes controlled the ball for 37 minutes to 23 minutes for Arizona. But Utah couldn’t take advantage of the ball control.

The Pac-12 was full of upsets, Saturday. No. 19 UCLA lost at home to Washington State, 31-27. In a game where the lead changed hands seven times, the Cougars, trailing 27-24, scored with three seconds left to upset the Bruins.

In a matchup between the No. 21 and No. 24 teams, No. 24 Houston beat No. 21 Memphis 35-34. The Cougars trailed the Tigers 20-0 late in the second quarter, and 34-14 early in the fourth quarter. Then Houston scored 21 unanswered points in the final 13 minutes of the game to pull out the victory.

As much toying that went on in the East End, there was a little noise to be heard. No. 9 LSU lost for the second week in a row. The Tigers fell to Arkansas, 31-14. And for the second week, Leonard Fournette was held to less than 100 yards rushing. No. 14 Michigan was taken to two overtimes by Indiana before the Wolverines could finally subdue the Hoosiers, 48-41. In Tampa, No. 22 Temple was upset by South Florida, 44-23. From the midway point in the second quarter, Temple was never in the game.

So, going into Week 12, there are only five undefeated teams: Clemson (10-0), Oklahoma State (10-0), Iowa (10-0), Ohio State (10-0) from the Power 5, and Houston (10-0) from the Group of 5.

There are only 10 one-loss teams. They are North Carolina (9-1), Baylor (8-1), Oklahoma (9-1), TCU (9-1), Notre Dame (9-1), Michigan State (9-1), Alabama (9-1), Florida (9-1) from the Power 5, and Navy (8-1) and Toledo (8-1) from the Group of 5.

In some other games of note over the weekend, Vanderbilt won its second SEC game of the season. The Commodores beat Kentucky, 21-17. Kentucky began the season 4-1, but has now dropped five straight. Following a week of turmoil, emotions, interruption and distraction, Missouri held up to beat BYU, 20-16. The Tigers defense held BYU to 46 yards rushing. Hats off to Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel.

In the Mountain West, New Mexico upset Boise State in Boise, 31-24. It was a strange game because Boise State had 40 first downs to 11 for New Mexico. The Broncos had 638 total yards to 413 for the Lobos. New Mexico upped its record to 6-4. In his fourth year at New Mexico, former Notre Dame coach and ESPN commentator Bob Davie appears to be turning around the program in Albuquerque. In another wild one in the Mountain West, Air Force edged Utah State, 35-28. The score was 35-28 at the end of the third quarter. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

In the SEC, Georgia downed Auburn, 20-13, to continue the Tigers frustrations. West Virginia took advantage of five Texas turnovers, as the Mountaineers downed the Longhorns, 38-20.

My feeling is the Heisman is a three-man race going into Week 12 between Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Alabama’s Derrick Henry and Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott. Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey would be a distant fourth. LSU’s Leonard Fournette and TCU’s Trevone Boykin have fallen by the wayside.

Listening to ESPN’s Dave Fleming and Mack Brown broadcast a game is painful. It’s like listening to Sheldon Cooper of “The Big Bang Theory” and Grandpa Jones of “Hee Haw” cover a game. The problem is ESPN, FOX, CBS, etc., are covering so many games that there just are not enough good sportscasters to go around.

And speaking of sportscasters and commentators on ESPN, some just don’t know how to dress, a la Greg McElroy, Danny Kanell, Tim Tebow and Jesse Palmer. The Tweets on Twitter are not kind to these guys and their apparel.

I had another good time last week talking college football with Mark Moses on the “Mark Moses Show” on Sports Radio 1560 The Fan. Mark’s show runs from 3-6 p.m. weekdays on 1560.

Swamp Mama and I spent the past few days in the panhandle visiting with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. We returned home yesterday. As we turned onto I-75 South off of I-10, Rockledge Gator and Bootsie were about 50 miles north of us, heading South on I-75. They had been at the Georgia-Auburn football game Saturday.

Will it be another week of East End toys and West End noise or vice versa? Stay tuned!

Touchdown Tom
November 16, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: No longer undefeated – Oklahoma 44, Baylor 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 34, Oklahoma 31). Three turnovers, a weak defense and the lack of Seth Russell combined to bring Baylor’s downfall. And, oh yes, OU’s Baker Mayfield and Samaje Perine were clicking on all cylinders, as the Sooners handed the Bears their first loss of the season. OU had 511 total yards, which included Mayfield’s 270 yards passing and Perine’s 166 yards rushing. Baylor’s Jarrett Stidham threw two interceptions. Attendance in Waco: 49,875

RUNNER UP: Still undefeated – Houston 35, Memphis 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 37, Memphis 34). Houston handed Memphis its second-straight loss, but it wasn’t easy for the Cougars. The Tigers outgained Houston 490 yards to 392 yards. The Cougars only had 96 yards rushing and trailed Memphis, 20-7 at halftime. But Houston outscored the Tigers, 21-7, in the fourth quarter. Houston improved to 10-0. Attendance in Houston: 42,159

REST OF THE BEST: Oh Henry – Alabama 31, Mississippi State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Mississippi State 21). Miss State was no contest for the Tide. The Bulldogs are a one-dimensional team with Dak Prescott. They have no running game. Bama held the Bulldogs to 89 yards rushing. Bama’s Derrick Henry rushed for 204 yards. Attendance in Starkville: 62,435

They’re back – Oregon 38, Stanford 36 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 31, Oregon 23). The third quarter killed Stanford. The Trees led 23-21 at halftime, but the Ducks outscored Stanford 14-0 in the third quarter. The Trees rallied in the fourth, pulling within two points on a touchdown with 10 seconds left in the game. But Stanford failed to convert its two-point conversion attempt. Stanford outgained Oregon 506 total yards to 436. The Trees Christian McCaffrey rushed for 147 yards. The Ducks have won four straight. Attendance in Palo Alto: 48,633

Hey Playoff Committee! – North Carolina 59, Miami (Florida) 21 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 30, Miami 24). The Tar Heels were definitely trying to make an impact on the Playoff Selection Committee. They probably did. North Carolina led 45-0 before the Canes even scored. Miami’s Brad Kaaya passed for 326 yards. The Tar Heels had two 100-yard rushers – Elijah Hood (132 yards) and Marquise Williams (101 yards). Attendance in Chapel Hill: 61,000

The Cougs are for real – Washington State 31, UCLA 27 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Washington State 32). The Cougars scored a touchdown with 0:03 on the clock to win the game. Wazzu won the game with only 38 yards rushing. Both quarterbacks passed for more than 330 yards. Wazzu has won five of its last six games. Attendance in Pasadena: 76,255

B-I-N-G-O – Florida State 34, NC State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, NC State 22). NC State scored all 17 of its points in the first quarter. The Wolfpack led 17-7 going into the second quarter. Then the Noles scored 27 unanswered points. NC State was held to 79 yards rushing. Attendance in Tallahassee: 71,210

Desert storm – Arizona 37, Utah 30 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 36, Arizona 27). The teams were evenly matched in the stats. The score was 27-27 at the end of four quarters. Coming into the game, Arizona had lost three straight. Attendance in Tucson: 48,912

MAC East champs – Bowling Green 41, Western Michigan 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 38, Western Michigan 32). The score was tied 27-27 early in the third quarter. Then BG scored 14 unanswered points. The Falcons Travis Greene rushed for 170 yards. BG improved to 8-2. Attendance in Kalamazoo: 14,436

Barred Owls – South Florida 44, Temple 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Temple 22, South Florida 20). South Florida built up a 31-10 halftime lead. The teams exchanged 13 points apiece in the second half. USF tallied 536 total yards, with Marlon Mack rushing for 230 yards. The Bulls are 5-1 in their last six games. Attendance in Tampa: 28,393

Feeling some pressure – Iowa 40, Minnesota 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 33, Minnesota 23). Iowa held a 24-14 lead at the half. Then the Hawkeyes held on to win in the second half. The Hawkeyes racked up 506 total yards, including LeShun Daniels 195 yards rushing. Iowa improved to 10-0. Attendance in Iowa City: 70,585

Where’s Leo? – Arkansas 31, LSU 14 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Arkansas 26). Arkansas had a 21-7 halftime lead over LSU and the Hogs outscored the Tigers 7-0 in the fourth quarter. Arkansas held LSU to 59 yards rushing. For the second-straight week, Leonard Fournette was a no show. The Hogs Alex Collins rushed for 141 yards. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 101,699


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Rocking Rockets – Toledo 28, Central Michigan 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Toledo 29, Central Michigan 22). Toledo had a good first half and a bad second half, as the Rockets held on to beat CMU. Both quarterbacks passed for more than 300 yards. But CMU only had 59 yards rushing. Toledo improved to 8-1. Attendance in Mount Pleasant: 13,490

On the skids – Pitt 31, Duke 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 25, Pitt 24). The loss to Miami two weeks ago must have taken everything out of the Dookies. The Devils have now dropped three straight. Meanwhile, Pitt improved to 7-3. Attendance in Durham: 30,241


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Messed ’em – West Virginia 38, Texas 20 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Texas 23). The Mountaineers took advantage of five Texas turnovers. WVU’s Wendell Smallwood rushed for 165 yards. The Mounties improved to 5-4 and won their second-straight Big 12 game. Attendance in Morgantown: 56,736

Albert raids the Hen house – Florida 24, South Carolina 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 21, South Carolina 12). Florida built up a 17-0 third-quarter lead, and then held on to beat South Carolina, as the Cocks mounted a 14-point rally in the fourth quarter. The Gators outgained the Cocks 404 yards to 201. Florida’s defense limited South Carolina to only 21 yards rushing. Attendance in Columbia: 78,536

Rutgers was no Purdue – Nebraska 31, Rutgers 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 36, Rutgers 26). The Huskers played good defense, holding Rutgers to 89 yards rushing and 170 yards passing. Together, the teams suffered five turnovers – all interceptions. Attendance in Piscataway: 45,606

No War in this Eagle – Georgia 20, Auburn 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 24, Georgia 18). In what had to be a boring game, Auburn totally fell apart in the second half. The Dawgs outscored the Tigers, 17-3, following the break. The teams only combined for 518 total yards. Both teams passed for less than 100 yards each. Three turnovers hurt Auburn. Attendance in Auburn: 87,451

Cutting it close – Northwestern 21, Purdue 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 30, Purdue 17). Tied 14-14 late in the fourth quarter, Northwestern scored a touchdown with 4:37 remaining in the game. The Wildcats held on to win. The Boilers were held to 73 yards rushing. Purdue’s David Blough passed for 287 yards. The Wildcats improved to 8-2. Attendance in Evanston: 30,003

Week 11 Picks: 11 correct, 8 wrong (57.9%)
On the Season: 131 correct, 60 wrong (68.6%)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Middle Tennessee 24, Florida Atlantic 17 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 13,233
Marshall 52, Florida International 0 – Attendance in Huntington: 26,572

Morgan State 21, Florida A&M 7 – Attendance in Baltimore: 1,167
Stetson 60, Ave Maria 21 – Attendance in Deland: 3,825
Jacksonville U. 20, Campbell 14 – Attendance in Buies Creek: 4,170
Valdosta State 39, Florida Tech 21 – Attendance in Valdosta: 4,434


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Georgia State’s Nick Arbuckle – 23-34-2 for 471 yards; California’s Jared Goff – 26-37-1-453; Michigan’s Jake Rudock – 33-46-1-440; Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens – 23-31-0-386; Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel – 29-42-1-386; Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 33-42-0-384; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 30-49-0-375; Utah State’s Kent Myers – 25-47-1-364, and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson – 34-47-1-360.

Also, Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 33-52-1 for 354 yards; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 33-57-0-340; Washington State’s Luke Falk – 38-53-1-331; Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 24-36-0-327; Miami’s Brad Kaaya – 24-43-1-326; Toledo’s Phillip Ely – 23-39-0-322; Stanford’s Kevin Hogan – 28-37-1-304; Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill – 18-32-1-301; Arkansas State’s Fredi Knighten – 15-30-0-300, and Mississippi’s State’s Dak Prescott – 22-43-1-300.


Impressive Rushers:

Texas Tech’s DeAndre Washington – 248 yards; Appalachian State’s Jalin Moore – 244; Indiana’s Jordan Howard – 238 yards; South Florida’s Marlon Mack – 230 yards; Alabama’s Derrick Henry – 204 yards; Iowa’s LeShun Daniels – 195 yards; Ezekiel Elliott – 181 yards; UTSA’s Jarveon Williams – 181 yards, and TCU’s Aaron Green – 177 yards.

Also, Bowling Green’s Travis Greene – 170 yards; Massachusetts’ Marquis Williams – 168 yards; Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine – 166 yards; West Virginia’s Wendell Smallwood – 165 yards; Northern Illinois’ Joel Bouagnon – 156 yards; San Diego State’s Chase Price – 152 yards, and Colorado State’s Dalyn Dawkins – 151 yards.


Quote of the Week

“Georgia appears to be like Georgia is every year. They take you almost there and then they let you down,” Gainesville Sun sports columnist Pat Dooley, on Georgia.


Sign of the Week

Iowa? Really??


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Michigan State (9-1) at Ohio State (10-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – At last, the Buckeyes finally play a decent team. After 10 cupcake games, Ohio State may have a challenge this week. That’s assuming the Spartans can step up to the challenge. They are certainly capable. It just depends on which Michigan State team shows up. Something tells me the Buckeyes have been waiting for this game. The wait is over – Ohio State 31, Michigan State 24.

RUNNER UP: 2. Baylor (8-1) at Oklahoma State (10-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – The other Oklahoma team handed Baylor its first loss last week. And that one was in Waco. The game against this Oklahoma team is in Stillwater. Both teams have something to prove. The Bears prove it more – Baylor 37, Oklahoma State 35.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. TCU (9-1) at Oklahoma (9-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – The Sooners are on a roll. Ever since that strange loss to Texas, OU has been averaging 55 points a game. If the Sooners win out, they most likely will be in the playoffs. But the Frogs will provide a test. The Sooners ace it – Oklahoma 31, TCU 23.

4. Toledo (8-1) at Bowling Green (8-2) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 6 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN2 – These two teams could meet again in the MAC championship game. The Falcons have won the MAC East. But the Rockets must win if they are to meet again. If Toledo loses, the Rockets are kaput. Guess what? The Rockets are kaput – Bowling Green 33, Toledo 29.

5. Northwestern (8-2) at Wisconsin (8-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – Northwestern comes in on a three-game winning streak. But the Badgers come in on a five-game winning streak. The streak is over for the Wildcats – Wisconsin 22, Northwestern 19.

6. Memphis (8-2) at Temple (8-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Both teams were on a roll for a while. Memphis has lost its last two games. Temple has lost two of its last three games. One has to bounce back. The other remains on the skids. The Tigers do the bouncing – Memphis 34, Temple 32.

7. UCLA (7-3) at Utah (8-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Both teams lost last week in what were considered upsets. Whoever wins this week, it won’t be an upset. These two teams are pretty even. But the Utes are tough at home – Utah 28, UCLA 24.

8. Michigan (8-2) at Penn State (7-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Penn State has to hope that the Wolverines are looking ahead to next week. If they are, then the Nitts have a good chance of knocking off Michigan. But after the scare from Indiana last week, the Wolverines should be on their toes. Penn State had the week off to prepare for Michigan. That’s a plus for the Nitts. This one could be a donnybrook. But in the end, it’s the Wolverines by a little toe – Michigan 26, Penn State 19.

9. LSU (7-2) at Ole Miss (7-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Both teams are in a funk – a Razorback funk. Both teams suffered their last loss to Arkansas. It will be a tough season for the loser. Both were expected to do better. Fournette breaks out of his funk – LSU 27, Ole Miss 24.

10. USC (7-3) at Oregon (7-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – After beginning the season at 3-3, the Ducks found their wind and have won four-straight. They are on a roll. USC also started 3-3 and has now won four in a row too. Somebody’s row is about to be broken. The Ducks stay in a row – Oregon 33, USC 27.

11. Air Force (7-3) at Boise State (7-3) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 9:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN2 – The Falcons are riding a four-game winning streak. They are positioned to win the MWC Mountain Division. But the Broncos are still in the running too. This one could be a doozy. The Broncos give the Flyboys saddle soars – Boise State 31, Air Force 30.

12. California (6-4) at Stanford (8-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Trees slipped up last week. But a win over Cal will give them the Pac-12 North Division title. If Jared Goff is hot, he could cause problems for Stanford. But Christian McCaffrey could cause bigger problems for Cal. The Bears can’t shake these Trees – Stanford 35, California 26.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Mississippi State (7-3) at Arkansas (6-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Arkansas is on a roll. The Hogs began 2-4 and are now 6-4, winning four straight. The Hogs are a multi-dimensional team. Miss State is a one-dimension team. Multi wins – Arkansas 28, Mississippi State 21.

14. Western Michigan (6-4) at Northern Illinois (7-3) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 8 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN2 – Both teams are 5-1 in conference play. The winner here will be in good shape to win the MAC West Division. NIU has the home field advantage. That means a lot in this contest. The Huskies break the Broncs – Northern Illinois 31, Western Michigan 26.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

West Virginia (5-4) at Kansas (0-10) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FSN – After an 0-4 start in Big 12 play, the Mountaineers have won two-straight conference games. They are looking for their third straight. Kansas is one of only two winless FBS teams. The Jayhawks gave Texas Tech and TCU fits in losses to those two teams. But they can’t fit the Eers – West Virginia 30, Kansas 17.

Florida Atlantic (2-8) at Florida (9-1) – (C-USA vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN – The Gators get to relax this week. But then that’s what they thought when they played Vanderbilt. We know how that turned out. FAU is no Vanderbilt. The Owls have been struggling this season. The interesting angle in this game is that Jason Driskel, younger brother of former Gator quarterback Jeff Driskel, is the backup quarterback for FAU. Jason has seen action in almost every game this season. So he could take the field against the Gators. Jason may take the field, but the Gators take the game – Florida 34, Florida Atlantic 14.

Duke (6-4) at Virginia (3-7) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – The Dookies are in a funk. The ending of the Miami game got them in a funk. They haven’t been able to shake it. But this week, there’s a whole lot of shaking going on – Duke 21, Virginia 20.

Georgia Southern (7-2) at Georgia (7-3) – (Sun Belt at SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – After facing some tough competition, Uga gets a breather this week. There should be no pressure on Mark Richt in this game. The Dawgs cruise – Georgia 32, Georgia Southern 10.

Purdue (2-8) at Iowa (10-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – It’s been a tough season for the Boilers. But if they could manage to hand Iowa its first defeat, that would make the season for the Boilers. Iowa may fall to Nebraska next week, but the Hawkeyes aren’t going to fall to Purdue this week. The Hawkeyes make the Boilers – Iowa 27, Purdue 13.

Nebraska (5-6) and Texas (4-6) are off this week.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Georgia Tech (3-7) at Miami (6-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….
Western Kentucky (8-2) at FIU (5-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 2:30 pm ET, Saturday, FCS….
Chattanooga (8-2) at Florida State (8-2) – (Southern vs. AAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, FSN….
East Carolina (4-6) at UCF (0-10) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN….
Cincinnati (6-4) at South Florida (6-4) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN….

Davidson (1-9) at Stetson (3-7) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Valparaiso (1-8) at Jacksonville U. (8-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Bethune-Cookman (8-2) vs. Florida A&M (1-9) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 2:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNClassic….
Florida Tech (7-4) has completed its season.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Interim football coach Tracy Claeys has been named the fulltime coach at Minnesota. Claeys, who was made the interim coach when Jerry Kill stepped down for medical reasons, has signed a three-year contract with the Gophers. Under Kill, Claeys was Minnesota’s defensive coordinator…. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel announced he is retiring for medical reasons. Pinkel is suffering from lymphoma. His retirement is effective at the end of the season. Pinkel is the winningest coach in Missouri football history.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but there were four passings of note last week – Helmut Schmidt, Allen Toussaint, Betsy Drake and Fred McNeill.

Helmut Schmidt, the former Chancellor of West Germany who marshaled managerial brilliance pushing his country into an assertive international role in the 1970s, died last week at his home in Hamburg. He was 96. For decades, Schmidt was one of West Germany’s most popular politicians. Under Schmidt’s stewardship, West Germany fared better than the rest of Europe during the 1970s economic crisis. In 1982, a parliamentary majority voted him out of office. Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt was born on December 23, 1918, in Barmbek, Germany, a suburb of Hamburg. He was drafted into the German army during World War II. After the war, he obtained a degree in political economy from the University of Hamburg.

Allen Toussaint, the versatile, producer, songwriter, pianist and singer who was a fixture of New Orleans R&B, died last week in Madrid, Spain. He was 77. Allen Toussaint was born in 1938 in Gert Town, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. He released his first album in 1958. Toussaint became a producer, arranger and songwriter for songs like “Mother in Law,” “Ya Ya” and “Oh Poo Pah Doo.” He became one of New Orleans’ most influential songwriters and producers. Toussaint co-founded Sea-Saint Studios in 1972, which attracted Paul Simon, Paul McCartney and others. His songs, including “Java” and “Fortune Teller,” were covered by other musicians – Al Hirt, The Who, and The Rolling Stones, among others. Toussaint recorded an album with Elvis Costello and often paired with other pop stars.

Betsy Drake, who starred alongside Carry Grant and later married to Grant, died last week at her home in London. She was 92. The couple appeared in two films together, “Every Girl Should Be Married” (1948) and “Room for One More (1952). They also co-starred in “Mr. and Mrs. Blandings,” an NBC radio series. Drake and Grant were married on Christmas Day in 1949. Howard Hughes was the best man. The French-born daughter of American parents, Betsy Gordon Drake was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, on September 11, 1923. Her family returned to the United Sates when she was seven. Drake’s acting career began in the play “Deep Are the Roots” which opened in London in 1947. She met Grant on the Queen Mary sailing to the U.S. Actress Merle Oberon introduced the two aboard the ship. Drake was married to Grant for 12 years, the longest of his five marriages. In 1957, Drake had a supporting role in the movie “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter.” She later earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard.

Fred McNeill, a linebacker who appeared in two Super Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings before becoming a lawyer, died last week at his home in Los Angeles. He was 63. McNeill played his entire professional career, from 1974 to 1985, with the Vikings. He was drafted by the Vikings out of UCLA. Frederick Arnold McNeill was born on May 6, 1952, in Durham, North Carolina. His family later moved to Los Angeles.