College Football Week 8 – Purdue fires Darrell Hazell
Halfway there, looking good now

“We’re halfway there
We’re looking good now
And nothing’s going to get in the way
We’re halfway there”

The college football season has reached the midway point – seven weeks down and seven weeks to go. After seven weeks of action, 11 teams are “halfway there” – halfway to an undefeated season.

The 11 remaining undefeated teams are Clemson (7-0), Baylor (6-0), West Virginia (5-0), Michigan (6-0), Ohio State (6-0), Nebraska (6-0), Washington (6-0), Texas A&M (6-0), Alabama (7-0), Boise State (6-0) and Western Michigan (7-0).

Saturday, four of the undefeated teams had close calls. Clemson had the closest call of all. In fact, the Tigers are darn lucky to still be undefeated. As time expired in Clemson’s game against NC State, the Wolfpack missed a 33-yard field goal – a field goal that would have given NC State a 20-17 win over the Tigers. Instead of an NC State victory, the game went into overtime where Clemson survived, 24-17.

Wisconsin took Ohio State to overtime before the Buckeyes managed to overcome the Badgers, 30-23 (OT). Indiana fought Nebraska tooth and nail, but the Huskers hung on to beat the Hoosiers, 27-22. Boise State survived a 20-point, fourth-quarter rally by Colorado State to beat the Rams, 28-23.

Four more of the undefeated teams had it easy on Saturday. Alabama pummeled Tennessee, 49-10 – likewise, Baylor over Kansas, 49-7. West Virginia ran and passed its way over Texas Tech 48-17. And Western Michigan decimated Akron, 41-0.

The other three undefeated teams – Michigan, Washington and Texas A&M – were off.

"We’re halfway there
And looking back now
Never thought that we’d ever say
We’re halfway there"

But this week is a different story. And one thing is for sure. There will only be 10 undefeated teams come next Sunday – maybe less. Two of the unblemished teams collide this Saturday when Texas A&M meets Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Only one can come out a winner. Only one will survive.

Three of the undefeated teams – West Virginia, Boise State and Western Michigan – face stiff competition Saturday. West Virginia entertains the Kenny Hill-led, offensive minded TCU Horned Frogs. TCU is 4-2 and its two losses were by a combined total of nine points.

Boise State hosts a dangerous BYU. The Cougars (4-3) are riding a three-game winning streak. BYU’s three losses were by a combined total of six points. Western Michigan entertains a much improved Eastern Michigan (5-2). Hold on!

Four of the undefeated teams – Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Washington – should be safe. Yeah, I know – famous last words. Michigan hosts Illinois, Ohio State visits Penn State, Nebraska entertains Purdue and Washington hosts Oregon State. Of the four, only Ohio State may have some worries – some concerns. For sure, the Buckeyes have to be wary of a letdown after the big win over Wisconsin.

The two remaining undefeated teams – Clemson and Baylor – are safe to remain undefeated for another week. The Tigers and the Bears are off this week.

“Whoa, we’re halfway there
Whoa, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand and we’ll make it – I swear
Whoa, living on a prayer”

In addition to the 11 undefeated teams, another 10 teams are halfway to a one-loss season. They are living on a prayer, but they can make it there. The one-loss teams are Louisville (5-1), Utah (6-1), Florida (5-1), Houston (6-1), Memphis (5-1), Navy (4-1), South Florida (6-1), Toledo (5-1), San Diego State (5-1) and Troy (5-1). Louisville, Utah and Florida still have a chance of making the playoffs, provided they win out.

At the end of the season, the highest-ranked Group of 5 team gets a spot in a New Year’s 6 bowl. Halfway through the season and the Group of 5 teams that have the best chance of being the one that makes a New Year’s 6 bowl are Boise State, Western Michigan and Houston. But Memphis, Navy or South Florida may have something to say about that. Stay tuned!

There are several surprise teams at the halfway point – Texas A&M, 6-0 (4-0), Colorado, 5-2 (3-1), Wake Forest, 5-2 (2-2), Eastern Michigan, 5-2 (2-1) and Troy, 5-1 (3-0).

When the season began, no one thought Texas A&M would be undefeated at this point in the season – not even in conference play. The Aggies had too many problems in the off season. But here we are at the halfway point and A&M is undefeated.

Perhaps a bigger surprise is Colorado. The Buffs are a contender for the Pac-12 South Division. Who would have thunk it. In the ACC, Wake Forest has been a mild surprise.

For several years, Eastern Michigan has been the joke of the Mid-American Conference. It has been the coffin for several coaches. But not this year. You can’t take the Eagles for granted. Meanwhile, Troy, whose program has been down in recent years, is a bright surprise in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans could well wind up winning the conference.

And naturally, there are several disappointing teams at the halfway point in the season – Michigan State, 2-4 (0-3), Oregon, 2-4 (0-3), Notre Dame, 2-5, Cincinnati, 3-3 (0-3), Marshall, 2-4 (1-1) and Bowling Green, 1-6 (0-3).

At preseason, Michigan State was listed as a contender for the Big Ten East Division. But after starting the season 2-0, the Spartans have suffered four-straight losses. And they were downright clobbered in three of the four losses. Likewise, Oregon began its season 2-0 and has lost four-straight games. The Ducks were clobbered in two of the four losses. Oregon was forecast to be better than this.

Notre Dame is a real mystery. The Irish were a Top-10 team at preseason. Obviously, they were overrated. Granted, Notre Dame’s five losses have been by eight points or less. Cincinnati was supposed to be a contender for the AAC East Division title. Not anymore. And Tommy Tuberville is probably losing his job.

Marshall is off to a less than expected start. The Herd were supposed to contend for the C-USA East Division crown – and the Herd still may. But it has been a rocky start. Bowling Green was the pick to win the MAC East Division title. That ain’t happening.

I mentioned the 11 undefeated teams at the halfway point. How about the other end of the spectrum – the winless teams? Well, fortunately, there is only one. That would be Rice (0-6). But the Owls are improving. After getting clobbered in most of their games, the Owls lost by only one point Saturday. UTSA beat Rice 14-13. And after this Saturday, I predict the Owls will no longer be winless. Rice hosts Prairie View A&M.

In the “if you aren’t doing well, it helps to fire your coach” category, two teams fit this mold – Florida International and LSU. FIU began the season 0-4. Then the school fired its coach Ron Turner. Since Turner was terminated, the Panthers are 3-0. When LSU fell to 2-2, the school fired Les Miles. Since the departure of Miles, LSU is 2-0.

In the first half of the season, three teams have turned it around without firing their coaches. Washington State began the season 0-2, but has since won four-straight – including wins over Oregon, Stanford and UCLA – to improve to 4-2.

After four games, USC was 1-3. Now the Trojans have won three-straight – including wins over Arizona State, Colorado and Arizona – to improve to 4-3. Meanwhile, BYU, who was 1-3, has won three-straight games to improve to 4-3.

“We’re only halfway to paradise
So near, yet so far away”

And at the midway point, who is halfway to winning the Heisman Trophy? How about Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers, Washington’s Jake Browning, Texas A&M’s Trayveon Williams, Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett, San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson or Houston’s Greg Ward.

On the outside, looking in? Alabama’s Jalen Hurts, Texas A&M’s Trevor Knight, Utah’s Troy Williams, Boise State’s Brett Rypien, Washington’s Myles Gaskin, Baylor’s Seth Russell and Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell.

So, halfway through the season and Purdue fired coach Darrell Hazell. In three and a half seasons, Hazell had a 9-33 record at Purdue. Hazell is the third coach to be fired this season. Word on the street says that Les Miles will be the coach of Purdue next season? Stay tuned!

Thumbs down to Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley’s decision to postpone indefinitely the LSU-Florida game. Foley screwed up big time. At 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, Foley should have postponed the game to Sunday, October 9 or Monday, October 10. LSU had agreed to come to Gainesville on those dates. But when Foley announced the game was postponed indefinitely, he lost all bargaining power to keep the game in Gainesville. As a result, Foley cost Florida two home games – LSU and Presbyterian – and he cost the Gainesville economy $14-16 million. Foley has been a great athletic director for the University of Florida, but when it came down to his final test, Foley flunked Sports Management 101.

College GameDay has really been hurting for guest pickers this year. So many of them have been people you never heard of. Kinda like Dancing with the Stars. Doesn’t Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, etc. have any well-known alumni or fans?

It was good hearing from Greg Walker last week. Greg admonished me, and rightfully so, for not mentioning Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara. In the Vols loss to Texas A&M, Kamara had 312 all-purpose yards, including 288 yards from scrimmage – rushing and receiving.

I also enjoyed hearing from Bob Willey and Stephanie Stein. And it was comforting to hear from a number of my Navy buddies from Scotland, including Frank Slattery, Blake Henderson, Grady Bryant, Joe Gannon, Mark Peacor, John Ross, Randy Rollman, Mark Kohl and Pat Bianco, who were concerned about me during Hurricane Matthew. Thanks guys.

“We’re halfway there
We’re looking good now
And nothing’s going to get in the way”

Enjoy your week!

Touchdown Tom
October 17, 2016
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S. “Halfway to Paradise,” written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, was originally recorded in 1961 by Tony Orlando. It reached No. 39 on the Billboard charts in the summer of 1961. The song was much more successful in the United Kingdom when it was recorded by Billy Fury. Fury’s recording reached No. 3 on the British charts in 1961 and remained on the charts for 23 weeks, becoming the 10th best-selling single of 1961 in the U.K. Bobby Vinton revived “Halfway to Paradise” in 1968. Vinton’s recording reached No. 23 on the Billboard charts in the summer of 1968. Tina Charles and Nick Lowe recorded the song in the 1970s.

“Livin’ on a Prayer” has become the signature song for Bon Jovi. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in the winter and early spring of 1987. “Livin’ on a Prayer” was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child.

“Halfway There” was recorded by the boy band Big Time Rush from the American television (Nickelodeon) series of the same name. “Big Time Rush,” about the misadventures of a boy band, aired from 2009 to 2013. The band released the song “Halfway There” in April 2010. It became the group’s signature song.


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Rocky Bottom – Alabama 49, Tennessee 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 36, Tennessee 27). When Tennessee scored with 9:41 to go in the second quarter and trailed Alabama 14-7, it looked like we had ourselves a ballgame. Then Bama proceeded to outscore the Vols 34-3. So much for a good ballgame. The Tide had 594 total yards to 163 for Tennessee and 28 first downs to 11 for the Vols. Tennessee only rushed for a total of 32 yards. Bama quarterback Jalen Hurts passed for 143 yards and ran for 132 yards. Attendance in Knoxville: 102,455

RUNNER UP: Smash mouth – Ohio State 30, Wisconsin 23 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 21, Wisconsin 14). Ohio State trailed for three quarters. The Buckeyes took their first lead at 20-16 at the 14:09 mark in the fourth quarter. The teams proceeded to exchange scores after that and ended up tied 23-23 at the end of regulation. It was a classic battle as the teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats. Bucks quarterback J.T. Barrett passed for 226 yards and rushed for 92. Badgers running back Corey Clement rushed for 162 yards. Attendance in Madison: 81,541

REST OF THE BEST: Blown – Clemson 24, NC State 17 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, NC State 18). NC State had the game in its grasp. Tied 17-17, the Wolfpack lined up for a 33-yard field goal with 0:02 left in the game. The first field goal was good. But wait – Clemson called a time out before the play began. The second attempt was wide right. Instead of upsetting the Tigers, NC State was in overtime with Clemson. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson passed for 378 yards. Attendance in Clemson: 81,200

Devils get iced – Colorado 40, Arizona State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Colorado 26, Arizona State 23). Colorado all but totally shut down Arizona State. The Buffs had 581 total yards to 199 for ASU, and 27 first downs to only 8 for the Sun Devils. Colorado’s defense held ASU to only 50 yards rushing. Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau passed for 265 yards and Buffs running back Phillip Lindsay rushed for 219 yards. Attendance in Boulder: 48,588

Cane-less – North Carolina 20, Miami (Florida) 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, North Carolina 24). A game of two halves. North Carolina led 20-3 at the break. Miami outscored the Tar Heels 13-0 in the second half. Still, UNC hung on to win. Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky bounced back from a poor performance last week to pass for 299 yards. Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya, probably still hurting from last week, didn’t have a good game. It was the Canes second-straight loss. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 58,731

Sweating succotash in Bloomington – Nebraska 27, Indiana 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Indiana 20). Nebraska led 17-0 at the end of the first quarter. Then Indiana began to make it close. During the next two quarters, the Hoosiers scored 15 points to none for the Huskers. As the fourth quarter began, Nebraska’s lead was just 17-15. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Huskers led 24-22. Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong fell back into his old habits. Armstrong threw two interceptions. He also completed less than 50% of his passes. Attendance in Bloomington: 48,254

Over the Kliff – West Virginia 48, Texas Tech 17 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Texas Tech 32). West Virginia led 24-7 at the break and outscored Texas Tech 24-10 in the second half. The Eers racked up 650 yards of offense – 332 rushing and 318 passing. Three Mountaineers – Rushel Shell, Kennedy McKoy and Skyler Howard – rushed for 89 or more yards. Howard added 318 yards passing. Attendance in Lubbock: 54,111

Broncos burn some rubber – Western Michigan 41, Akron 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Western Michigan 32, Akron 24). Western Michigan turned what was supposed to be a potentially close game into a blow out. The Broncos had 585 total yards to 283 for the Zips. WMU running back Jarvion Franklin rushed for 281 yards and Broncos quarterback Zack Terrell passed for 207 yards. Attendance in Akron: 11,321

Couldn’t quite shake the Demons – Florida State 17, Wake Forest 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 37, Wake Forest 18). Early in the third quarter, Florida State only led Wake Forest, 10-6. In spite of outplaying the Demons, the Noles couldn’t break away from them. FSU did have four turnovers. But Wake had three turnovers. The Noles had 442 total yards to 252 for the Demons, and 27 first downs to 13 for Wake. Deondre Francois passed for 319 yards. Attendance in Tallahassee: 77,102

Hog tied – Arkansas 34, Ole Miss 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 32, Ole Miss 30). Arkansas led throughout the game, until Ole Miss scored a touchdown with 9:00 to go in the fourth quarter to take a 30-27 lead. But the Hogs responded. Arkansas scored a touchdown with 2:20 on the clock to go back up 34-30. The Hogs then held on to win. Arkansas’ Rawleigh Williams rushed for 180 yards. Attendance in Fayetteville: 73,786

Happy in Norman – Oklahoma 38, Kansas State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 25, Kansas State 23). Oklahoma had 510 yards of offense, with Baker Mayfield passing for 372 of those yards. Mayfield threw for four touchdowns. Attendance in Norman: 86,049

Horse power – Western Kentucky 44, Middle Tennessee 43 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Middle Tennessee 33, Western Kentucky 27). This game lived up to its billing. It took two overtimes – a missed extra point kick in the second overtime – for Western Kentucky to win. The teams combined for 1,126 total yards – 825 of those yards passing. WKU’s Anthony Wales ran for 158 yards. Attendance in Murfreesboro: 22,411


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

For Mike – LSU 45, Southern Miss 10 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Southern Miss 19). A close game at the break, the score was tied 10-10 at the half. Then LSU outscored Southern Miss 35-0 in the second half. The Eagles controlled the clock – 38 minutes to 22 – but not the score. LSU’s Derrius Guice rushed for 162 yards. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,164

On a roll – USC 48, Arizona 14 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 30, Arizona 24). Arizona couldn’t stop USC. The Trojans had 320 yards rushing and 254 yards passing. The Wildcats suffered four turnovers. Attendance in Tucson: 55,463


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Welcome back Luke – Florida 40, Missouri 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 23, Missouri 14). Florida scored 20 points in the first half and equaled its output in the second half. The Gators had a balanced offense: 287 yards rushing and 236 yards passing. Two Gators rushed for more than 100 yards – Lamical Perine (106) and Jordan Scarlett (101). Mizzou only had 98 yards passing. Attendance in Gainesville: 88,825

Dookies are Birdseed – Louisville 24, Duke 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 33, Duke 15). This game was surprisingly close until late in the game. The score was 17-14 when Duke was hit with a roughing the kicker penalty as Louisville attempted a field goal. The penalty gave the Cardinals a first down and Louisville scored a game clinching touchdown with 1:32 on the clock. Louisville dominated the stats, with 469 total yards to 239 for Duke and 21 first downs to 13 for Duke. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson had a good running game, but a poor passing game. Attendance in Louisville: 55,121

Really, Uga – Vanderbilt 17, Georgia 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Vanderbilt 12). Georgia had 421 total yards to only 177 for Vanderbilt. The Dawgs had 23 first downs to only nine for the Dores. But Georgia lost. The Dawgs only had 75 yards rushing. The only good Dawg was Jacob Eason. He passed for 346 yards. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

The Horns were blasting – Texas 27, Iowa State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 37, Iowa State 27). Texas trailed Iowa State 6-3 at the break and then scored 24 unanswered points in the second half, while shutting out the Cyclones. The Horns had 507 total yards to 280 for Iowa State. Texas’ Shane Buechele passed for 296 yards. The Cyclones were held to 98 yards rushing. Attendance in Austin: 96,851

Too little, too late – Iowa 49, Purdue 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 23, Purdue 16). Purdue trailed Iowa 35-7 at the half. Then the Boilers played catch up in the second half, outscoring the Hawkeyes, 28-14. But they didn’t catch up enough. The Boilers had no running game – only 46 yards rushing. But what they lacked running, they made up for passing – 458 yards. Iowa’s Akrum Wadley and LaShun Daniels rushed for 170 yards and 156 yards respectively. Attendance in West Lafayette: 40,239

Week 7 Results: 16 correct picks, 3 fumbles (84.2 percent)
For the Season: 85 correct picks, 41 fumbles (67.5 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

North Carolina A&T 52, Bethune-Cookman 35 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 3,715
Dayton 36, Jacksonville U. 16 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 1,518
Valparaiso 21, Stetson 18 – Attendance in Deland: 2,590

Florida Tech 48, Fort Valley State 14 – Attendance in Melbourne: 3,034
Florida A&M 41, Delaware State 27 – Attendance in Dover: 3,124
Florida International 27, Charlotte 26 – Attendance in Charlotte: 13,939

South Florida 42, Connecticut 27 – Attendance in Tampa: 30,297
Marshall 27, Florida Atlantic 21 – Attendance in Huntington: 22,839
Temple 26, UCF 25 – Attendance in Orlando: 38,299


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Louisiana Tech’s Ryan Higgins – 26-33-1 for 484 yards; Idaho’s Matt Linehan – 29-36-1-476; Purdue’s David Blough – 30-60-1-458; Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill – 42-54-1-434; Western Kentucky’s Mike White – 29-40-1-391; Georgia State’s Conner Manning – 28-52-2-381, and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson – 39-52-1-378.

Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 27-51-1 for 365 yards; Eastern Michigan’s Brogan Roback – 29-39-0-347; Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield – 25-31-1-346; Georgia’s Jacob Eason – 27-40-0-346; Bowling Green’s James Morgan – 25-38-1-335; Marshall’s Chase Litton – 27-39-1-330, and Toledo’s Logan Woodside – 23-30-1-322.


Impressive Rushers:

Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin – 281 yards; Ball State’s James Gilbert – 264 yards; San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 220 yards; Colorado’s Phillip Lindsay – 219 yards; Boise State’s Jeremy McNichols – 217 yards, and Northwestern’s Justin Jackson – 188 yards.

Arkansas’ Rawleigh Williams – 180 yards; Utah’s Joe Williams – 179 yards; Iowa’s Akrum Wadley – 170 yards; Wisconsin’s Corey Clement – 164 yards; LSU’s Derrius Guice – 162 yards, and Western Kentucky’s Anthony Wales – 158 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Somebody knows something,” Lee Corso, on the line between Nebraska and Indiana going from 8 to 3 in a week.


Quote from the Past

“We didn’t tackle well today, but we made up for it by not blocking,” USC coach John McKay.


Signs of the Day

Urban Meyer Is Voting On November 28

Lane Kiffin Has Small Hands


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Texas A&M (6-0) at Alabama (7-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Only one team has come close to Alabama all season. That was Ole Miss. The Sharks lost by five points to the Tide. Everybody else has been clobbered. I’m kinda thinking the Tide is on its way to another clobber. Not sure the Aggies defense can stop Bama. Tide gets another roll – Alabama 34, Texas A&M 21.

RUNNER UP: 2. Ohio State (6-0) at Penn State (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – You gotta think Ohio State will have a little letdown after the big win over Wisconsin. And you gotta think Penn State has been getting a little better. But the Buckeyes don’t letdown that much and the Nitts haven’t gotten that much better. Brutus bags a Cat – Ohio State 28, Penn State 13.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. NC State (4-2) at Louisville (5-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – NC State’s loss to Clemson was so heartbreaking that you wonder if it took everything out of the Wolfpack. Or did it give them momentum. Louisville better hope it didn’t give the Wolfpack momentum. NC State has had two tough struggles in a row – Notre Dame and Clemson. The Pack beat Notre Dame and lost to Clemson. Maybe the Cardinals won’t be so tough for the Pack. Then again, maybe NC State won’t be so tough for Louisville. Birds sack the Pack – Louisville 27, NC State 18.

4. TCU (4-2) at West Virginia (5-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2 – Until last Saturday, the Mountaineers were behind the scenes, under the radar. After a 48-17 win over Texas Tech, the Eers are no longer under the covers. But can the Mounties handle their notoriety? The Frogs will definitely provide a test. The Eers pass – West Virginia 38, TCU 30.

5. BYU (4-3) at Boise State (6-0) – (Ind. vs. MWC) – 10:15 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – These two should be in the same conference. They are natural rivals. The Broncos are undefeated, but the Cougars have played a much tougher schedule. That makes it tough for the Broncos to beat BYU. But they do – Boise State 27, BYU 24.

6. Arkansas (5-2) at Auburn (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Auburn was off last week while Arkansas was doing all it could do to beat Ole Miss. Auburn will be another struggle for the Hogs. Malzahn never learned how to bar-b-que pork – Arkansas 33, Auburn 30.

7. Colorado (5-2) at Stanford (4-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, PAC12N – Colorado is the up-and-coming team in the Pac-12. The Buffs are playing well. Stanford should have Christian McCaffrey back this week. He needed a little R & R last week. Without McCaffrey, the Trees still beat Notre Dame, but with McCaffrey, they won’t beat the Buffs – Colorado 20, Stanford 18.

8. Wisconsin (4-2) at Iowa (5-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – This game is important for the throne of the Big Ten West. Undefeated Nebraska is hanging over their heads. The Hawkeyes stay alive; the Badgers don’t – Iowa 23, Wisconsin 20.

9. Washington State (4-2) at Arizona State (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10 pm ET, Saturday, PAC12N – Wazzu has come alive. The Cougars have spread fear throughout the Pac-12. But Devils have no fear – Arizona State 37, Washington State 36.

10. Memphis (5-1) at Navy (4-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – Navy has another big challenge. The Middies got by Houston. Now they have to mine sweep Memphis. A close one but the Tigers get decked – Navy 31, Memphis 30.

11. Eastern Michigan (5-2) at Western Michigan (7-0) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – WMU is moving up in the polls. But EMU would like to put a stop to the Broncos movement. The Eagles could. They aren’t a pushover anymore. But for the Broncos, they are a jump over – Western Michigan 30, Eastern Michigan 24.

12. Central Michigan (5-2) at Toledo (5-1) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – Another good battle in the MAC. Toledo is solid. But CMU is no slouch. Just ask Oklahoma State…..or the referees. Logan Woodside puts the Chipps aside – Toledo 31, Central Michigan 26.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Miami (Florida) (4-2) at Virginia Tech (4-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Two hurtin’ teams. The Canes have lost their last two. The Hokies were upset in Syracuse. How about three straight for the Canes – Virginia Tech 25, Miami 23.

14. Ole Miss (3-3) at LSU (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 9 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Now Ed Orgeron’s luck has to run out sometime. And what a mess Ole Miss will be in if the “What Are They This Week” falls to 3-4. Maybe that’s Ole Miss’ problem. They don’t know what they are – Black Bears, Rebels, Landsharks, Fins, Magnolias. Call them what you want, but they hand Eddie his first loss – Ole Miss 30, LSU 27.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Purdue (3-3) at Nebraska (6-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2 – So Purdue fired its coach. Maybe that will fire up the Boilers. Then again, maybe not. The Huskers protect their corn – Nebraska 34, Purdue 17.

Florida (5-1), Duke (3-4) and Georgia (4-3) are off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

South Florida (6-1) at Temple (4-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN….

UCF (3-3) at Connecticut (3-4) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN News….
Jacksonville U. (2-3) at Morehead State (2-5) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Bethune-Cookman (0-5) at Norfolk State (1-5) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 2 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Hampton (3-3) at Florida A&M (2-5) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Tech (5-1) at West Alabama (4-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Stetson (3-3) at Campbell (3-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….

Louisiana Tech (4-3) at Florida International (3-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Florida State (5-2) and Florida Atlantic (1-6) are off.


Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but sadly, there were two passings of note last week – Quentin Groves and Don Ciccone.

Quentin Groves, an Auburn football star who played defensive end for the Tigers from 2004 to 2007 and was a second-round NFL draft pick, died last week. He was 32, Groves from Greenville, Mississippi, recorded 26 sacks at Auburn. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2008. The Buffalo Bills cut him just before the 2015 season. He played for seven NFL teams.

Don Ciccone, the lead singer of the rock group the Critters and the writer of the group’s biggest hit “Mr. Dieingly Sad,” died Saturday in Ketchum, Idaho. He was 70. “Mr. Dieingly Sad” reached No. 17 on the Billboard singles chart in the autumn of 1966. It was the follow up to the Critters first hit “Younger Girl,” a cover of the Lovin’ Spoonful song. The group’s other hit was “Don’t Let the Rain Fall Down On Me” in the summer of 1967. Ciccone later joined Frankie Valli’s Four Seasons, singing with the group from 1973 to 1981. He then became the musical director and bassist for Tommy James and the Shondells. Don Ciccone was born on February 28, 1946, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was a founding member of the Vibratones, who later changed their name to the Critters.