College Football Week 1 – Quarterbacks, start your engines!
Here comes football, here comes football

“And I say, it’s all right”

It was certainly all right for California on Friday night. The Golden Bears beat Hawaii, 51-31, in Sydney, Australia. Cal quarterback Davis Webb, a graduate transfer from Texas Tech, passed for 441 yards and four touchdowns. More than 61,000 Australians turned out to see the game.

“Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here”

Yeah, the college football season is underway. And it really gets going this week, commencing Thursday night. Fasten your seatbelts.

Every year there are changes to the rules in college football and this year is no exception. In fact, there are nine rules changes this season.

1. Coach Ejection: Coaches can now be ejected from a game. If the coach is ejected, he must leave the field of play. Ejection occurs when the coach receives the second of two unsportsmanlike penalties in the same game. Previously, coaches were immune from ejection.
2. Tripping: Defenders cannot trip the ball carrier. Previously, tripping the runner was not a foul.
3. Any runner ‘giving himself up’ (sliding with feet first) is considered ‘defenseless’: If a defender makes forcible contact with a runner who has given himself up, the defender will be ejected for the remainder of the game and the defender’s team will receive a 15-yard penalty.
4. Low hits on the passer are clarified: If the defender is coming in at the passer’s knee with his head or shoulder first, the defender will be flagged. Previously, the defender was only flagged if he came in at the passer’s knee (or below) head first. Now the defender cannot make a conventional tackle at the knee or below.
5. Kicking loophole tightened up: For an offensive formation to be legal during a regular play, at least five linemen must be numbered 50 to 79. No matter where they lineup, these players are always ineligible. When an offense is lined up for a field goal, extra point or punt, they get an exception and can have fewer than five. Some coaches have exploited this when attempting a fake kick or punt. Now, to get the numbering exception, the offense must have at least one player 10 or more yards behind the line of scrimmage or two players at least seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. Previously, they only had to have at least one player seven yards back. This applies to plays when it is obvious that a kick will be attempted.
6. Targeting foul update: Replay officials in the booth can now call targeting fouls if they believe one occurred and was missed by the officials on the field.
7. Ineligible receivers concern: There are no changes to the three-yard limit for ineligible receivers downfield. However, the NCAA has instructed officials to stringently enforce the rule in 2016. It is felt that too often in the past, officials have missed this infraction.
8. Blocking below the waist modification: Players who leave the tackle box are prohibited from blocking below the waist toward the initial position of the ball.
9. Technology: Electronic devices will now be allowed inside the press box and locker rooms during games. However, electronic devices will still be prohibited on the sidelines.

Then there is a rule change that will only take place in the Ivy League this season. But it could be a sign of the future. In games between two Ivy League teams, kickoffs will be from the 40-yard line. Touchbacks will place the ball at the 20-yard line.

Placing the ball at the 40 for kickoffs should produce more touchbacks. This will reduce the number of runbacks when potentially dangerous collisions occur, often resulting in serious injuries. Currently in college football, kickoffs are from the 35-yard line and touchbacks place the ball at the 25-yard line.

Several coaches believe that the new Ivy League kickoff rule will become standard for all of college football in the near future, while others think that kickoffs will eventually be eliminated from college football. Stay tuned.

“Here comes football, here comes football
And I say, it’s all right”

There may be rules changes, but for the first time in many years, there are no changes to the number of bowl games – not even any name changes. Again this season, we have 40 bowls, plus the national championship game.

The national championship game will be played at 8:30 p.m. ET, on January 9, 2017, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The two semi-final bowls this season are the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, and the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. Both games will be played on December 31.

Speaking of the playoffs, there is a fair amount of speculation at preseason about the possibility of two teams from the same conference making the playoffs this year. We’ve been through two years of playoffs and it hasn’t happened so far. But the feeling is that it could happen this year.

Here’s the scenario: No team in the Pac-12 is overpowering. They end up beating each other up and no one from the Pac-12 makes the playoffs. In the Big 12, Oklahoma stumbles along the way and no one else from the conference steps up. Alas, no one from the Big 12 makes the playoffs.

That leaves three conferences for four spots. Theory #1 – Florida State and Clemson, both from the ACC, make the playoffs. They join a team from the Big Ten (say Ohio State) and a team from the SEC (say Alabama).

Theory #2 – Alabama and LSU, both from the SEC, make the playoffs. They join a team from the ACC and a team from the Big Ten. Theory #3 – (Perhaps the least probable) Ohio State and Michigan, both from the Big Ten, make the playoffs. They join a team from the ACC and a team from the SEC.

Put that in your pipe and smoke on it.

“Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here”

The conferences pretty much remain the same this year. There were no changes whatsoever to the memberships of the Power 5 conferences. But stay tuned to see what the Big 12 does.

The only change came among the Group of 5 conferences. The MAC (Mid-American Conference) threw out Massachusetts. UMass joined the MAC as a football only member a few years ago, but the relationship didn’t work out. It wasn’t a marriage made in heaven. So the MAC is back to a 12-team conference, while UMass will compete as a FBS (Division IA) Independent in 2016.

Otherwise, just a minor change in the works: Coastal Carolina (remember them from the College World Series?) has been accepted for membership in the Sun Belt Conference. The Chanticleers are going through a transition year this season, moving up from FCS (Division IAA). They will be a full-fledged FBS (Division IA) member of the Sun Belt next season. Coastal Carolina first started playing football in the 2003 season.

“Here comes football, here comes football
And I say, it’s all right”

And speaking of the conferences, here’s the general predictions for each this season. In the SEC East, Tennessee is the favorite. Georgia and Florida are the challengers. There are no dark horses, while Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt are hopeless.

In the SEC West, Alabama is the favorite. LSU and Ole Miss are the challengers. Arkansas, Auburn and Texas A&M are the dark horses. Mississippi State is hopeless. Alabama is favored to take the conference title.

In the ACC Atlantic, Clemson and Florida State are the favorites. Louisville is the challenger. NC State is the dark horse. Boston College and Syracuse are hopeless. In the ACC Coastal, North Carolina and Miami are the favorites. Virginia Tech and Pitt are the challengers. Georgia Tech is the dark horse. Duke and Virginia are hopeless. It’s a tossup between Clemson and Florida State for the conference title.

In the Big Ten East, Ohio State is the favorite. Michigan and Michigan State are the challengers. Penn State is the dark horse. Indiana, Maryland and Rutgers are hopeless. In the Big Ten West, Iowa is the favorite. Nebraska and Wisconsin are the challengers. Northwestern is the dark horse. Minnesota, Illinois and Purdue are hopeless. Ohio State is favored to take the conference title.

In the Big 12, Oklahoma is the favorite. Baylor, Oklahoma State and TCU are the challengers. Texas and West Virginia are the dark horses. Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech are hopeless.

In the Pac-12 North, Stanford and Washington are the favorites. Oregon is the challenger and Washington State is the dark horse. California and Oregon State are hopeless. In the Pac-12 South, UCLA and USC are the favorites. Utah is the challenger. Arizona and Arizona State are the dark horses. Colorado is hopeless. The conference title is a tossup.

In the AAC East, South Florida is the favorite. Cincinnati and Temple are the challengers. Connecticut is the dark horse. East Carolina and UCF are hopeless. In the AAC West, Houston is the favorite. Navy and Memphis are the challengers. Tulsa is the dark horse. SMU and Tulane are hopeless. Houston is the favorite to take the conference title.

In the MWC Mountain, Boise State is the favorite. Air Force is the challenger. Colorado State, New Mexico and Utah State are the dark horses. Wyoming is hopeless. In the MWC Pacific, San Diego State is the favorite. Nevada is the challenger and San Jose State is the dark horse. Fresno State, Hawaii and UNLV are hopeless. Boise State is the favorite to take the conference title.

In the MAC East, Bowling Green and Ohio are the favorites. Akron is the challenger. There are no dark horses. Buffalo, Kent State and Miami are hopeless. In the MAC West, Western Michigan is the favorite. Northern Illinois and Toledo are the challengers. Central Michigan is the dark horse. Ball State and Eastern Michigan are hopeless. Western Michigan is the favorite to take the conference title.

In C-USA East, Marshall, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky are the favorites. There are no challengers. Florida Atlantic is the dark horse. Charlotte, Florida International and Old Dominion are hopeless. In C-USA West, Southern Miss is the favorite. Louisiana Tech is the challenger. Rice and UTEP are the dark horses. UTSA and North Texas are hopeless. The conference title is a tossup.

In the Sun Belt, Appalachian State is the favorite. Arkansas State and Georgia Southern are the challengers. UL-Lafayette and Troy are the dark horses. Georgia State, Idaho, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State and UL-Monroe are hopeless. Coastal Carolina is stepping up.

And finally, among the Independents, Notre Dame is a winner and BYU is a competitor. Army and Massachusetts are losers.

“Little darling, I feel the ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been clear”

Five-straight days of football this weekend – it doesn’t get much better than that. Make sure the fridge is well-stocked, because you don’t want to leave the house, unless you have to take the dog for a walk. Here’s your lineup for TV viewing.

The first kickoff of the five-day weekend is at 7 p.m. ET, Thursday, in Louisville, Kentucky – Charlotte at Louisville. In all, there are more than 15 games Thursday, but the game to watch that evening begins at 8 p.m. ET – South Carolina at Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks at the Commodores features a debut coach (Will Mustake…..I mean…..Muschamp) against a hot-seat coach (Derek Mason).

During timeouts of the South Carolina-Vanderbilt game, you may want to check in on the big encounter taking place in Knoxville – Appalachian State at Tennessee. This may be the Vols biggest opener in the history of the school – so big that classes were canceled on the Tennessee campus for Thursday in order for students to get prepped and psyched for the game.

The action continues on Friday night with more than 10 games on tap. The game to watch Friday is Kansas State at Stanford, a 9 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will be your first viewing this season of Heisman Trophy candidate Christian McCaffrey. As an appetizer, you can start at 8 p.m. ET, watching an hour of Colorado-Colorado State from Denver.

During timeouts in the Kansas State-Stanford game, you can check in on Toledo at Arkansas State. These two Group of 5 powerhouses play exciting football. Both Toledo and Arkansas State are serious challengers for their respective conference championships – the MAC and Sun Belt.

Saturday is going to be a long day. I mean a long day. It begins with breakfast in Dublin. More specifically, a 7:30 a.m. ET breakfast at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, while watching the Georgia Tech-Boston College game.

You’ll want a breakfast of bacon rashers, pork sausages, white pudding (black pudding, if you prefer), baked beans, mushrooms, fried tomatoes and soda or brown bread. You can wash it all down with a Guinness or two – three if you like.

For lunch on Saturday, I suggest you sit in on Oklahoma at Houston or Missouri at West Virginia – both 12 noon ET starts. During timeouts, check in on Western Michigan at Northwestern. It could be fun.

Afternoon tea will be served at 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, for the LSU-Wisconsin game (from the Packers’ Lambeau Field in Green Bay) and the UCLA at Texas A&M game. Take your pick – both should be good.

Afternoon tea will be followed by hors d’oeuvres at 5:30 p.m. ET, for the North Carolina-Georgia game from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

A two-course dinner Saturday night begins at 8 p.m. ET, with Alabama-USC from Arlington, Texas. The second course will be served at 9 p.m. – Clemson at Auburn. Look hard and you might see Bootsie and Rockledge Gator. They will be at the game.

After dinner drinks will be served at 10:30 p.m., while watching BYU-Arizona from Glendale, AZ. Having begun the day with Guinness, you can end the day with Tequila shots – remember: lick, sip, suck.

You get to sleep late on Sunday – no breakfast games. In fact, you can sleep all day. The action doesn’t resume until 7:30 p.m. ET, that evening with Notre Dame at Texas.

The long, five-day weekend comes to a close at 8 p.m. ET, Labor Day night from Orlando – Ole Miss-Florida State. What a climax!

Conference USA has the opportunity this weekend to give itself a pat on the back – a big pat. That is if Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss can step up to the plate. Louisiana Tech plays Arkansas and Southern Miss plays Kentucky.

Likewise Appalachian State, from the Sun Belt, in its game against Tennessee.

A game between two Group of 5 teams that could be interesting is Toledo, a powerhouse from the MAC, against Arkansas State, a powerhouse from the Sun Belt.

Every year on opening weekend there is at least one FCS (Division IAA) team that knocks off an FBS (Division IA) team. Sometimes there are two or three. Here are four alerts for potential FCS upsets this weekend: William & Mary at NC State, Richmond at Virginia, Northern Iowa at Iowa State and Eastern Washington at Washington State.

“Here comes football, here comes football
And I say, it’s all right”

Speaking of FCS, an interesting trivia question this summer has been: What school plays both Florida and Florida Tech this season? The answer is Presbyterian College. Presbyterian, an FCS school, is located in Clinton, South Carolina.

Presbyterian actually played in a bowl game once. On January 1, 1960, the Blue Hose lost to Middle Tennessee, 21-12, in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando. The game was billed as the Blue Hose against the Blue Raiders. Presbyterian’s biggest rivals, by the way, are The Citadel, Furman, Newberry and Wofford.

And speaking of Presbyterian, the school offers a most-interesting course called “The Religion of SEC Football.” I kid you not. The class is one-credit elective.

Remember Kenny ‘The Thrill’ Hill, the former quarterback at Texas A&M? He had that sensational season-opening game against South Carolina two years ago. But by the time the season was over Aggie fans had lost their Thrill on Kenny Hill.

If you remember, Hill transferred out of Texas A&M after the 2014 season. He wound up at TCU. Last week Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson named Hill the starting quarterback for TCU.

I enjoyed my time with Mark Moses last week, talking college football on the “Mark Moses Show” (3-6 p.m. weekdays) on Sports Radio 1560 – The Fan. And it was good hearing from Scott Greenwood (a Husker/Gator), Tom Grillo and Gary Schwartzkopf last week. Thanks again for the heads up, Tom.

I wrote about Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio last week and Gary Schwartzkopf provided an additional tidbit on Del Rio. I mentioned that Del Rio played quarterback his senior year for Valor Christian High School. Gary informed me that Valor Christian won the Colorado Class 5 state championship that year, but Del Rio wasn’t the best player on the team. The best player was Christian McCaffrey. Gary also informed me that Del Rio originally committed to Oklahoma State, before he decided to walk-on at Alabama.

“Football, football, football, here it comes”

So I can’t help but wonder, who will be the first coach ejected from a college football game? Any bets?

Regardless, let’s just all hope we get through this season without hearing Miranda Lambert sing “Desperado,” without seeing Blake Shelton’s underwear and without hearing Ciara sing the “National Anthem.”

“And I say, it’s alright”

Enjoy your weekend.

Touchdown Tom
August 29, 2016
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

(Note: Next week’s CFW will be posted on Tuesday morning – September 6 – the day after Labor Day.)


Quotes of the Week

“I don’t want a victory lap. I’ll swallow hard and handle it,” Verne Lundquist, on his last season announcing SEC games on CBS.

“You’ve got to be a fan of Cracker Barrel,” Verne Lundquist, on announcing games in the SEC.

“I think Ohio State fans and Alabama fans are almost interchangeable. They both have great tradition. They both have the biggest and best of everything. And they both have the two best coaches in college football. So there’s a lot of commonality. And they both have that iconic, bigger-than-life coach in the past in Woody Hayes and Bear Bryant. And they both have bigger-than-life coaches now,” the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum.


Quote from the Past

“I don’t expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation,” Nebraska coach Bob Devaney.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Ole Miss vs. Florida State – (SEC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Monday, ESPN – Ole Miss better enjoy the moment. The Black Bear, Landshark Rebels better enjoy every moment they have before they go on probation. It’s looking more and more like the NCAA is going to come down hard on Ole Miss. You have to wonder if coach Hugh Freeze will survive the mess. But first the Black Bear, Landshark Rebels have to survive what could be a mess on Labor Day night in Orlando. It could all come down to how well Florida State freshman quarterback Diondre Francois performs. Or, how well FSU conditioning coach Vic Viloria lubricates the Noles. Ole Miss has the advantage here with experienced quarterback Chad Kelly. But the rest of the Ole Miss team may not measure up to the Noles. The Landsharks suffer a Brain Freeze – Florida State 27, Ole Miss 20.

RUNNER UP: 2. USC vs. Alabama – (Pac-12 vs. SEC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – This will be the eighth meeting between the Trojans and the Tide. And it takes place in Arlington, Texas. The two teams first played in 1938 and last played in 1985. Bama leads in the series 5-2. They met in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1946. Bama won that game, 34-14. The Tide are the reigning national champions and the No. 1 team in the country at preseason. The Trojans are a preseason Top 20 team, picked by some to win the Pac-12. First-year USC coach Clay Helton needs this win more than 10th-year Alabama coach Nick Saban. A Trojan victory would be a big feather in Helton’s hat. But Helton is no Yankee Doodle – Alabama 28, USC 23.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Oklahoma at Houston – (Big 12 vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Houston wants in the Big 12 so bad. A Cougar win over Oklahoma would send a strong message to Big 12 headquarters. Something tells me Bob Stoops is fearful of this game. After all, Houston knocked off Florida State in last season’s Peach Bowl. Every Power 5 school that was looking for a new coach wanted the Cougars Tom Herman. He could have had any opening he wanted. But he decided to remain at Houston. The Cougars will be tough with quarterback Greg Ward back. But OU will have a toughness of its own with quarterback Baker Mayfield back. Even more so with running back Samaje Perine back. The Sooners break the Cougar’s back – Oklahoma 28, Houston 20.

4. Clemson at Auburn – (ACC vs. SEC) – 9 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is sitting on top of the world. Clemson is coming off a strong run for the national championship. Heisman Trophy candidate Deshaun Watson returns to quarterback the team. Powerful running back Wayne Gallman returns. What more could Swinney ask for? Meanwhile, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is sitting on top of a hot seat. Once the King of Toomer’s Corner, Malzahn has become the Pauper of Chizik Street. Last season could not have been any worse for Auburn. And it doesn’t start out any better this year. Aubie sings, “Don’t cry for me, Bootsie” – Clemson 30, Auburn 24.

5. LSU vs. Wisconsin – (SEC vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Although LSU is playing in Wisconsin, it says “versus” Wisconsin instead of “at” Wisconsin. That’s because the game is being played at the Green Bay Packers stadium – Lambeau Field. There will be lots of sausages around and someone needs to inform the LSU players that it’s not Andouille or Boudin. Otherwise, Brandon Harris, Leonard Fournette and the Tigers might get upset stomachs eating the Bratwurst and Bockwurst. And heaven forbid if they get their hands on Liverwurst or Curry Wurst. Both teams are supposed to be good. But both teams have some question marks. Still, Les Miles looks good in Lederhosen – LSU 27, Wisconsin 22.

6. Notre Dame at Texas – (Ind. vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Sunday, ABC – Notre Dame is so talented at the quarterback position that Brian Kelly can’t decide which one is better – DeShone Kizer or Malik Zaire. While in Austin, Charlie Strong is still trying to find a quarterback. Strong is also trying to find a way off the hot seat. Last year, the Irish won this game, 38-3. Anything near that this year and Strong needs to start writing his obituary. Charlie is toast, Texas toast – Notre Dame 27, Texas 19.

7. North Carolina vs. Georgia – (ACC vs. SEC) – 5:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – After 15 years of driving a Richt, Uga decided to trade in his Richt for a Smart. We’ll soon find out how smart of a trade it was. But yeah, the Richt, as in Mark Richt, had a lot of mileage on it. So the Dawgs are debut driving the Smart, as in Kirby Smart, this season. Richt left a pretty full cupboard for Smart. One experienced quarterback – Greyson Lambert, and two solid and experienced running backs – Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Plus Smart picked up a star-studded quarterback – Jacob Eason. Eason will be the starter against North Carolina. But the Dawgs do have to rebuild their defense. Meanwhile, North Carolina is flying high under Larry Fedora. The Heels were 9-4 last season. They darn near knocked off Clemson in the ACC title game. UNC should be good again this year, but in this game, Uga will cool Fedora’s Heels – Georgia 26, North Carolina 20.

8. UCLA at Texas A&M – (Pac-12 vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Does Texas A&M have any quarterbacks or assistant coaches left? It’s hard to imagine. Kevin Sumlin has lost more quarterbacks and suspended more assistant coaches than you can shake a fist at. Fortunately for UCLA, the Bruins have not lost quarterback Josh Rosen. Rosen, the freshman sensation last season, is the key to the Bruins success – that and a good defense. The Aggies need to play good defense too – much better than last year. Kevin Sumlin needs to win this season or he will have a footloose – dancing out of College Station like Kevin Bacon come December. Kevin gets revvin’ – Texas A&M 35, UCLA 24.

9. Kansas State at Stanford – (Big 12 vs. Pac-12) – 9 pm ET, Friday, FS1 – So, does Stanford have anybody else on its team besides Christian McCaffrey? I think he plays every position on the team. You know sometimes when a baseball player retires and during his last game they have him play a different position each inning. Well, McCaffrey already does the equivalent of that every game in football. I’m surprised he doesn’t march with the band at halftime. Then again, maybe he does. This year, however, don’t you know everybody will be keying on McCaffrey. He faces a challenge this season. He’s not an unknown anymore. But K-State won’t be much of a challenge. Where’s the K-State band when the Wildcats need them? – Stanford 34, Kansas State 17.

10. Western Michigan at Northwestern – (MAC vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Don’t laugh. Western Michigan is good. The question is: Are the Broncos good enough to beat Northwestern? WMU is favored to win the MAC. Northwestern is picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten West. So, on a scale of 1 to 128 where does that put them? In my Consensus Preseason Poll, Northwestern was 38th and WMU was 54th. Does that say Northwestern by 16? How ’bout the Wildcats by 3? – Northwestern 30, Western Michigan 27.

11. BYU vs. Arizona – (Ind. vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – BYU has two of the better quarterbacks in the country – Taysom Hill and Tanner Mangum. Word is Hill is going to start. But BYU also has a new coach. New coaches have a way of making changes. And changes can slow a team down early in the season. At Arizona, Rich Rodriguez is back for his fifth season with the Wildcats. But the defensive staff is new. Rich Rod sacked his defensive coaches at the end of last season. And Arizona’s defense needs to sack the BYU quarterback. It won’t be easy with Ty Detmer running the offense for the Cougars. The scoreboard will get lit up in this one. But Rich Rod doesn’t want to see the scoreboard when the game is over – BYU 36, Arizona 33.

12. Missouri at West Virginia – (SEC vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – My how times have changed in Columbia. They have gone from good to bad. Missouri, the school where the inmates run the asylum, ain’t what it used to be. Its football team ain’t what it used to be either. Remember when the Missouri fans would chant back-and-forth, across the field, “M-I-Z” followed by “Z-O-U?” “M-I-Z – Z-O-U.” Well now, they chant “M-I-S” followed by “E-R-Y.” M-I-S – E-R-Y.” Even the Missouri basketball team has gone to hell in a hand basket. Misery…..I mean…..Missouri comes in to Morgantown hoping to pull an upset – shock the Mountaineers. Well, WVU coach Dana Holgorsen could use some shocking – a shocking good season. You see ole Dana is kinda on the hot seat. He’s at the short end of a contract. Dana needs a stellar season for a big-time contract renewal. It’s only the first game of a 12-game season, but Dana comes away from this encounter with a smile on his face – West Virginia 30, Missouri 20.


…AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Boston College vs. Georgia Tech – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 am ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Both coaches – BC’s Steve Addazio and GT’s Paul Johnson – are mildly on the hot seat. Both teams were a disaster last year. Another disaster this year and it is curtains. To decide this tilt, the two teams traveled to Ireland. But neither coach needs the luck of the Irish. What was it John Lennon sang? “If you had the luck of the Irish, you’d wish you were dead instead.” Regardless of which team wins, it still could be a long season – for both. Then again, both BC and GT could be dark horses this year. Addazio forgot to kiss the Blarney Stone – Georgia Tech 24, Boston College 20.

14. South Carolina at Vanderbilt – (SEC vs. SEC) – 8 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – There is no pressure on the Gamecocks in this game. It is Will Mustake’s…..I mean…..Muschamp’s debut season. First-year coaches aren’t expected to win at South Carolina. Lou Holtz was 0-11 his first season in Columbia. Next year, Muschamp will be expected to win. The pressure is on Vanderbilt – more specifically on Vandy coach Derek Mason. In two years with the Commodores, Mason is 7-17. He probably needs to win at least six games this year. South Carolina is one of the few winnable games on Vandy’s schedule. Mason breathes a sigh of relief – Vanderbilt 20, South Carolina 16.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Massachusetts at Florida – (Ind. vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – What happened? I thought Jalen Taber and Cyontai Lewis were suspended for this game. Taber even laughed about the suspension on his Twitter account. But Jim McElwain changed his mind. He must have thought the suspension was funny too. Surely he isn’t fearful of Massachusetts. No one fears UMass. Not even UMass fears UMass. With Taber and Lewis back on the team, McElwain gets to play everybody in this game – even the band and the cheerleaders. The Gators turn the Minutemen into the Secondmen – Florida 48, Massachusetts 6.

Fresno State at Nebraska – (MWC vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – There was a time when Fresno State was a competitive team – very competitive. A lot of big-time teams didn’t want to schedule the Bulldogs. But those times are long gone. Fresno State hasn’t been competitive in a while. The Bulldogs lost their will to win. Nebraska hasn’t lost its will to win. The Huskers just haven’t won as many games as they once did. Still the fire is there. It just smolders at times – a lot of smoke and no fire. Last year Nebraska lost seven games, but no loss was by more than 10 points. Only two of the seven losses were by more than five points. One loss was on a Hail-Mary pass as time expired. Another loss was in overtime. Three losses were by two points or less. And the Huskers ended the season with a big win over UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl. You gotta figure this season will be better than last. The first game will definitely end better than last year’s opener – Nebraska 48, Fresno State 9.

North Carolina Central at Duke – (MEAC vs. ACC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – The Dookies have had some decent seasons in recent years, but things could take a turn for the worse this season. It’s definitely a rebuilding year in Durham. The victories may be few and far between. But against North Carolina Central, the Dookies will start the season with a victory – even without quarterback Thomas Sirk who reinjured his Achilles tendon. They just may not see another one for a long, long time. Enjoy it while it lasts – Duke 41, North Carolina Central 12.

Eastern Kentucky at Purdue – (Ohio Valley vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, ESPNNews – Unlike the Dookies, Purdue has not had any decent seasons in recent years. Unlike the Dookies, things can’t get any worse for Purdue. They are already bad enough as it is. But like the Dookies, victories will be few and far between for Purdue. Like the Dookies, Purdue will start the season with a victory. And like the Dookies, the Boilers may not see another win for a long, long time. Can I make it sound any worse? A rare celebration in West Lafayette – Purdue 37, Eastern Kentucky 19.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Indiana at Florida International – (Big Ten vs. C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPNU....

Florida A&M at Miami – (MEAC vs. ACC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3....
Southern Illinois at Florida Atlantic – (Gateway vs. C-USA) – 6 pm ET, Saturday....
Florida Tech at Newberry – (Gulf South vs. South Atlantic) – 6 pm ET, Saturday....

South Carolina State at UCF – (MEAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3....
Towson at South Florida – (Colonial vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3....
Sacred Heart at Stetson – (Northeast vs. Pioneer) – 7 pm ET, Saturday....

Alcorn State at Bethune-Cookman – (SWAC vs. MEAC) – 1 pm ET, Sunday, ESPN....

Jacksonville U. opens next week

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the Labor Day weekend approached and college football fans were stoked for the start of another great season, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1941 was “Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes)” by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra

…70 years ago this week in 1946 was “To Each His Own” by Eddy Howard

…65 years ago this week in 1951 was “Come on-a My House” by Rosemary Clooney

…60 years ago this week in 1956 was “Hound Dog”/“Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley and “My Prayer” by The Platters

…55 years ago this week in 1961 was “Wooden Heart” by Joe Dowell

…50 years ago this week in 1966 was “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan

…45 years ago this week in 1971 was “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” by Paul & Linda McCartney

…40 years ago this week in 1976 was “You Should Be Dancing” by The Bee Gees

…35 years ago this week in 1981 was “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

…30 years ago this week in 1986 was “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood

…25 years ago this week in 1991 was “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” by Bryan Adams


Not exactly college football related, but there was one passing of note last week – Steven Hill.

Steven Hill, who originated lead roles on two notable television series, “Mission Impossible” in the 1960s and “Law & Order” in the 1990s, died last week in New York City. He was 94. In 1966, Hill was cast as Daniel Briggs in the new series “Mission Impossible.” However, he was thrown off the show after one season and replaced by Peter Graves. About 25 years later, Hill took on the role of Adam Schiff on the new series “Law & Order.” Steven Hill was born Solomon Krakowsky on February 24, 1922, in Seattle. He graduated from the University of Washington. In 1948, Hill played a sailor in the Broadway, Tony Award-winning comedy “Mr. Roberts,” which starred Henry Fonda. He appeared in several movies, including “A Lady Without Passport” (1950), “It’s My Turn” (1980), “Rich and Famous” (1981), “Yentl” (1983), “Brighton Beach Memoirs” (1986), “Running on Empty” (1988), “White Palace” (1990), “Billy Bathgate” (1991) and “The Firm” (1993).