College Football Week 14 – The firings have begun
I’ve got everything I need
and nothing that I don’t

Thanksgiving Week is always one of my favorite times during the college football season. The week is not only full of football games played out across three or four days, but also it is typically a week full of the season ending news and gossip – playoff projections, bowl projections, Heisman projections, coaches fired, coaches hired. You name it, there’s something to talk about.

Along with football, Thanksgiving Week is also a time when family and friends come together to be thankful, share good times, share good memories and yes, talk football. For me, Thanksgiving Week is always a week when, as the Zac Brown Band sings, “I got everything I need and nothing that I don’t.”

“I got some good friends that live down the street
Got a good lookin’ woman with her arms around me
Here in a small town where it feels like home
I got everything I need and nothing that I don’t”

Swamp Mama and I were running around like crazy at the beginning of the week. We had 11 people coming to dinner on Thursday. Three of them were good friends that live down the street. We hadn’t done anything like this in several years.

A few years ago, we had 18 people for Thanksgiving dinner, including six good friends that live down the street. And we were both working then. We’re retired now and it’s only 11 people. We must be out of condition. We are, because the past two years we went away for Thanksgiving.

And I’m cooking the turkey. Stay tuned!

But there’s nothing like watching some football for relaxation – to calm you down and settle your nerves. Well, that is as long as it’s not West Virginia or Florida. Watching West Virginia and Florida is not always relaxing. Often it doesn’t calm me down or settle my nerves.

Watching Auburn on TV can have the same affect on Bootsie. Rockledge Gator says you wouldn’t believe some of the words that come out of Bootsie’s mouth when she’s watching Auburn on television. Not that he should talk, because Rockledge is famous for speaking French and throwing various objects when Florida is on television.

Tuesday night, however, was a relaxing evening. Two Mid-American Conference games were on television. MAC games are rarely the type to raise your blood pressure. After running around like a mad dog on Monday and Tuesday, I needed some relaxation Tuesday evening.

In one game, Akron played Ohio. Ohio needed to beat Akron to win the MAC East Division and play for the conference title. It wasn’t an exciting game, but it was a close game. Actually, it was a game of four field goals. Or as my father would have said, “It was a good soccer game.”

Ohio beat Akron 9-3. Until late in the fourth quarter, Ohio led 6-3. Then with 2:59 on the clock, Ohio kicked the game’s fourth field goal – a 23-yarder. The Bobcats got everything they need and nothing they don’t.

The other MAC game on TV was close and exciting. Eastern Michigan beat Central Michigan 26-21. Early in the fourth quarter, EMU led 20-7. Then CMU scored back-to-back touchdowns to take a 21-20 lead with 2:34 left in the game. But EMU put together a final drive. With just 21 seconds on the clock, the Eagles scored the winning touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Brogan Roback to Sergio Bailey.

The win capped a successful season for Eastern Michigan. The Eagles finished 7-5. That’s quite an accomplishment for EMU, considering the Eagles won a total of 7 games during the past four seasons. They were 1-11 last year. The Eagles got everything they need.

There was a third MAC game Tuesday night. Miami (Ohio) beat Ball State, 21-20. Had Ohio lost to Akron, then Miami would have won the MAC East. Still, the RedHawks capped a good season at 6-6. They only won a total of five games the past three seasons and were predicted to finish last in the MAC East this year. Instead, Miami finished tied for first.

Thanksgiving Day, Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe arrived. They drove down from the panhandle on Thanksgiving Day, figuring the traffic would be light. They figured right.

Earlier in the day, I cooked my turkey – a 19 pounder. It was my first turkey in three years. Swamp Mama and I also watched the appearance of “The Pride of West Virginia” – The Mountaineer Marching Band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They looked sharp.

Late that afternoon, friends Neal and Stephanie Stein and their children Julia and David, and neighbors Dieter and Deb Gum and Betty ‘The Duchess of Indialantic’ Pappas joined the six of us for good times and Thanksgiving dinner. I introduced Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Stephanie and Dieter to their first Irish Mule. I think they liked it.

The turkey was a success. Everyone said it was good and juicy. Dieter reminded me of the time I cooked the turkey upside down – breasts down. That was a few years ago. But that one turned out good too.

Before dinner, we watched much of the Illinois-West Virginia basketball game. West Virginia won, 89-57.

That evening, we watched the LSU-Texas A&M football game. We sort of lost interest in the game during the third quarter when LSU scored and went up 34-10. After that, the defenses went to sleep, as LSU ultimately won, 54-39. Forty-nine points in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Throughout the game, the commentators kept talking about the LSU coaching situation. They provided reports and rumors that LSU was working hard to get Houston coach Tom Herman. They almost made it sound like LSU was going to get Herman. But other reports indicated Herman hadn’t ruled out an offer from Texas. It sounds like Herman’s agent had a good thing going.

Again this year, LSU was undergoing an awkward public coaching search. Remember the Jimbo Fisher talk last year, all while Les Miles was still coaching. This year it is the Tom Herman gossip, all while interim coach Ed Orgeron is still coaching. And speaking of Jimbo Fisher, he hadn’t exactly been ruled out. Apparently, Fisher was still LSU’s first choice.

Friday contained a full slate of games – and a full-slate of upsets too. My, oh my, who would have thunk it. Memphis knocked off Houston, 48-44. Tom Herman must have been focused on Texas and LSU and not his football team. Then NC State surprised North Carolina, 28-21. Larry Fedora’s mind might have been focused elsewhere too. His name has popped up a place or two as a possibility in the coaching carousel.

The upsets weren’t over. Missouri stunned Arkansas, 28-24. Hog fans can’t be happy with Bret Bielema. But I’m sure Jennifer will patch things up. Out West, Air Force handed Boise State an unexpected loss. The Falcons beat the Broncos, 27-20. Any faint hopes Charlie Strong had of keeping his job were doused when TCU downed Texas, 31-9.

Texas Tech, after losing to Iowa State, 66-10, last week, bounced back and beat Baylor, 54-35. Arizona, who had lost eight-straight games, beat Arizona State, 56-35. Iowa, who was expected to have a struggle with Nebraska, made it look easy, beating the Huskers, 40-10.

Two favored teams won Friday and won big too. Washington downed intrastate rival Washington State, 45-17. The victory gave the Huskies the Pac-12 North title. Likewise, Western Michigan won the MAC West title and remained undefeated, beating
Toledo, 55-35. Washington and WMU have everything they need.

Friday night, the six of us went to a party at Neal and Stephanie Stein’s house. All had a good time. I ate too much cake, pie and cookies which were to die for.

The upsets continued on Saturday. Georgia Tech rallied in the fourth quarter to knock off Georgia, 28-27, and Kentucky shook up Lamar Jackson, as the Wildcats surprised Louisville, 41-38. Jackson suffered from four turnovers in the game – three interceptions and one fumble.

In the big game Saturday, the game of the week, Ohio State won as favored. But oh what a game it was. It took two overtimes for the Buckeyes to subdue Michigan, 30-27. Wolverine coach Jim Harbaugh said it took a crew of officials for the Buckeyes to subdue Michigan.

In the second half of the Michigan-Ohio State game, Harbaugh was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his antics on the sideline. Harbaugh said to the official, “That’s a penalty?”

The official responded, “Well, it is in basketball.”

Harbaugh said, “This isn’t basketball.”

Yeah, Jim Harbaugh was right. The officiating in the Michigan-Ohio State game was atrocious. But the officiating, however bad it was, didn’t cause Michigan the game. Michigan caused its own loss – two interceptions and one fumble by Wolverine quarterback Wilton Speight. Those three things caused Michigan the game. Maybe Harbaugh should have started John O’Korn.

In another early start on Saturday, South Florida won the battle of central Florida, beating UCF, 48-31.

The second biggest game of Thanksgiving Weekend kicked off at 3:30 ET. This game went as expected, perhaps more than expected. Alabama remained undefeated, beating intrastate rival Auburn, 30-12.

Wisconsin won the Big Ten West and Penn State won the Big Ten East. The Badgers beat Minnesota, 31-17, and the Nittany Lions downed Michigan State, 45-12. Wisconsin and Penn State will meet for the Big Ten championship this week.

Notre Dame’s, Oregon’s and Ole Miss’ misery continued. USC downed the Irish, 45-27, while Oregon State beat the Ducks, 34-24, and Mississippi State blasted Ole Miss, 55-20. Notre Dame, Oregon and Ole Miss failed to qualify for a bowl game.

West Virginia bounced back from its loss to Oklahoma. The Mountaineers beat Iowa State, 49-19. And speaking of West Virginia, the WVU women’s soccer team beat Duke, 1-0, in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament. The Mountaineer ladies move on to the Final Four this week.

As the day progressed on Saturday, news broke that Texas officially fired Charlie Strong and hired Tom Herman as his replacement. Strong’s buyout is $10.6 million. Shortly afterward, LSU announced that Ed Orgeron was the new coach of the Tigers. Apparently, LSU didn’t bid high enough for Herman. After failing to land Jimbo Fisher and Tom Herman, LSU was left with Orgeron.

But apparently LSU is willing to bid high for Orgeron’s new offensive coordinator. News broke that LSU is willing to make Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin the highest paid offensive coordinator in the country, if he’ll come to Baton Rouge. Stay tuned!

Saturday night, Colorado, one of the hottest teams in the country, beat Utah, 27-22. It was the Buffs’ sixth-straight win. The victory gives Colorado the Pac-12 South title. In Tallahassee, Florida State downed Florida for the fourth year in a row. The Noles beat the Gators, 31-13. Florida didn’t score an offensive touchdown in the game.

Clemson clobbered South Carolina, 56-7, giving the ACC a 3-to-1 advantage over the SEC for the day. Tennessee coach Butch Jones is under fire. Vanderbilt upset the Vols, 45-34.

In two strange outcomes in the MWC, the conference’s division champions were both upset – and big time too. Colorado State pounded San Diego State, 63-31, and New Mexico dumped Wyoming, 56-35. Go figure.

In the battle for the Silver State, Nevada beat UNLV, 45-10. Stanford downed Rice, 41-17, as Christian McCaffrey rushed for 204 yards. In the only other overtime game besides Michigan-Ohio State, Tulsa beat Cincinnati, 40-37 in OT.

In the most outrageous game of the weekend, Pitt outlasted Syracuse, 76-61. No, that wasn’t a basketball score. And while we are talking about 70s, Navy beat SMU, 75-31, and Middle Tennessee downed Florida Atlantic, 77-56. You know, looking at these scores and others, I have to believe that by the end of the season an awful lot of defenses are simply beat down – wiped out, riddled with injuries.

The coaching carousel continued on Sunday. Florida Atlantic fired head coach Charlie Partridge. In three seasons with the Owls, Partridge was 9-27. Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell is rumored to be the next coach at Florida Atlantic.

Additionally, San Jose State fired Ron Caragher and Nevada fired Brian Polian. In four years at San Jose State, Caragher was 19-30. The Spartans were 4-8 this season. In four years with Nevada, Polian was 23-27. The Wolf Pack were 5-7 this season.

Oregon officials announced they will meet with Mark Helfrich this week about his returning to coach the Ducks next season – or not. If Helfrich is fired, and rumor is he will be, his buyout is $11.7 million. Reports and rumors have Notre Dame thinking about letting Brian Kelly go. Conversely, there are reports that Kelly already had his agent looking into opportunities for him to coach elsewhere next year.

In the midst of a bad season, Notre Dame got more bad news last week. The NCAA has ordered Notre Dame to vacate wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons for academic fraud. The NCAA has also vacated Notre Dame’s appearance in the 2012 national championship game. With all the problems, issues and infractions that have occurred under Brian Kelly’s watch, combined with this year’s 4-8 season, maybe Notre Dame should just go ahead and ditch Kelly.

Les Miles name continues to be connected to the Purdue opening.

So when the College Football Playoff Poll comes out this week, I figure it will be (1) Alabama, (2) Ohio State, (3) Clemson and (4) Washington, with Wisconsin, Penn State, Colorado and Oklahoma knocking on the door.

With Boise State and Houston losing, Western Michigan should be in good shape as the highest-ranked Group of 5 team. But the Broncos have to be wary of Navy. The Middies have good wins over Houston, Memphis and Notre Dame. WMU’s best wins are over Northwestern and Toledo. Stay tuned!

Right now there are 76 bowl eligible teams for 80 bowl spots. Two five-win teams, Louisiana-Lafayette and South Alabama have games this week that could improve them to 6-6, depending on the outcome. ULL plays at Louisiana-Monroe and South Alabama hosts New Mexico State. Both teams are favored. But, depending on how those games come out, there will be 2, 3 or 4 teams with 5-7 records eligible for a bowl spot. The NCAA awards those spots based on the school’s APR rating (graduation rate). The 2, 3 or 4 teams with the highest APR rating will get a bowl spot.

It was good hearing from Bob Willey, Dave Brolhorst and Tim Muth last week. I reminded Tim, an FSU grad, that I picked his Noles to beat Florida. Tim said, “Yeah, but you were way off on the point spread.” Tim likes to rub it in.

And also, it was good to hear from Ken Burger. Thanks for the heads up Ken. Yes, that was a typo last week when I had Alabama at 12-1. I corrected it on the blog site.

Yeah, it was another good Thanksgiving Week.

“I got everything I need and nothing that I don’t”

Enjoy your week – championship week!

Touchdown Tom
November 28, 2016
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Harbaugh wants a recount – Ohio State 30, Michigan 27 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 21, Michigan 20). The game lived up to its hype. You can’t get much closer or more exciting than two overtimes. Jim Harbaugh’s sideline antics made the game exciting too – or at least, interesting. The teams were pretty closely matched in the stats. The Buckeyes were the better running team. The Wolverines were the better passing team. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett rushed for 125 yards. And, oh yes, Michigan had 7 penalties for 59 yards, while Ohio State was penalized twice for a total of six yards. Attendance in Columbus: 110,045

RUNNER UP: Beat down – Alabama 30, Auburn 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Auburn 13). This game didn’t live up to its hype. But then, on the other hand, there was no hype. Everyone knew Alabama would beat Auburn. The only question was: by how much? The Tide dominated the Tigers from top to bottom – 26 first downs to 7; 501 total yards to 182, and controlling the clock for more than 40 minutes. Auburn only had 66 yards rushing. You can’t get much more brutal than that. Well, it could have been worse, if Jalen Hurts hadn’t thrown two interceptions. Attendance in Auburn: 101,821

BEST OF THE REST: Mush on the Palouse – Washington 45, Washington State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 32, Washington State 26). In the battle of the quarterbacks, Washington’s Jake Browning threw for 292 yards (21-for-29) and three touchdowns, while Washington State’s Luke Falk threw for 269 yards (33-for-50) and three interceptions. The Huskies also outrushed the Cougars 168 yards to 65. Attendance in Pullman: 33,773

Party time in Boulder – Colorado 27, Utah 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Colorado 26, Utah 22). After Washington easily won the Pac-12 North, Colorado had a fight on its hands to take the Pac-12 South. Although the game was close throughout, Utah’s only lead was early in the game. The Utes led 7-0 in the first quarter. Colorado went up 10-7 in the second quarter. The score was tied 13-13 late in the third quarter. Utah had four turnovers to two for the Buffs. Attendance in Boulder: 53,301

Slow start, fast finish – Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 26, Minnesota 17). Minnesota had a 17-7 halftime lead and held the lead until early in the fourth quarter. Commencing in the third quarter, Wisconsin scored 24 unanswered points. Gopher quarterback Mitch Leidner threw four interceptions. Attendance in Madison: 77,216

Undefeated – Western Michigan 55, Toledo 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Western Michigan 30, Toledo 25). Midway through the third quarter, Western Michigan led 45-14. Then it was tit-for-tat until the finish. Oddly enough, the teams were pretty closely matched in the stats. But WMU controlled the ball for more than 39 minutes. Toledo’s Kareem Hunt rushed for 200 yards, and WMU’s Jamauri Bogan rushed for 198 yards. Attendance in Kalamazoo: 24,191

Flyboys like the ground – Air Force 27, Boise State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, Air Force 29). Boise State’s passing couldn’t outdo Air Force’s running. The Broncos had 316 yards passing (Brett Rypien) to 45 for the Falcons. And Air Force had 314 yards rushing to 84 for Boise State. The Falcons’ running allowed Air Force to control the clock for more than 41 minutes. The game was tight throughout. Attendance in Colorado Springs: 23,556

Too much wampum – Florida State 31, Florida 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 23, Florida 20). With 10:45 to go in the game, Florida State’s lead was just 24-13. But the Gators couldn’t close the gap anymore. The Noles put the game away with a late fourth quarter touchdown. FSU held Florida to only 58 yards rushing and just 207 total yards. FSU’s Dalvin Cook rushed for 153 yards. Attendance in Tallahassee: 78,342

The Eyes have it – Iowa 40, Nebraska 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Iowa 17). Nebraska began the season 7-0, only to lose 3 of its final 5 games. Two of the three loses were bad and this was one of them. Iowa dominated the game, out-rushing and out-passing the Huskers. Two Hawkeyes rushed for more than 100 yards – LeShun Daniels (158) and Akrum Wadley (105). There were no turnovers in the game. Iowa finished the season with three-straight wins, including a win over Michigan. Attendance in Iowa City: 69,814

Typical Mustake – Clemson 56, South Carolina 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 26, South Carolina 13). This game was over in the first quarter. Actually, it was over before it began. Clemson led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and 35-0 at halftime. The Tigers plucked the Gamecocks with 41 first downs to 14 for South Carolina and 622 total yards to 218 for the Cocks. Tiger quarterback Deshaun Watson passed for 347 yards and six touchdowns. Attendance in Clemson: 81,542

Rub down – Memphis 48, Houston 44 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 32, Memphis 22). Memphis jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter and never trailed in the game until the fourth quarter when the Tigers trailed twice. With 7:02 to go in the game, Houston led 37-34. Then with 1:29 on the clock, Houston led 44-41. But each time, Memphis came back. The Tigers scored their winning touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game. The teams combined for 1,179 total yards – 896 of it from passing. Houston’s Greg Ward threw for 487 yards and four touchdowns. Memphis’ Riley Ferguson threw for 409 yards and four touchdowns. Attendance in Memphis: 36,527

Not a Heisman performance – Kentucky 41, Louisville 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 32, Kentucky 30). Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson threw three interceptions and lost the ball on a fumble. But Jackson did have 352 yards running and passing. There was a lot of offense in the game. The teams combined for 1,142 total yards. The score was close throughout. Louisville led 24-21 at the half. The score was tied 31-31 at the end of three. Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson passed for 338 yards. Attendance in Louisville: 54,075


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Bulls win the Battle of I-4 – South Florida 48, UCF 31 (Touchdown Tom said: South Florida 30, UCF 20). South Florida jumped out to leads of 24-7 in the second quarter and 31-14 in the third quarter. But late in the third quarter, UCF pulled within 7 points, trailing 31-24. Then the Bulls outscored the Knights 17-7. UCF lacked a running game with only 64 yards rushing. Two USF players rushed for more than 100 yards – running back Marlon Mack (155) and quarterback Quinton Flowers (152). Attendance in Tampa: 36,056

Hot seat bowl – LSU 54, Texas A&M 39 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 19, LSU 17). In the battle of the hot seats, Ed Orgeron saved his job, while Kevin Sumlin may have lost his. It was an embarrassing loss for the Aggies. After a 6-0 start, A&M lost 4 of its last 6 games. The teams combined for 1,094 total yards. LSU quarterback Danny Etling passed for 324 yards, and Tiger running back Derrius Guice rushed for 285 yards. Attendance in College Station: 102,961


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Shoot down – West Virginia 49, Iowa State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Iowa State 18). Iowa State took a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter. Two minutes later, WVU went up 7-3 and the Mountaineers never trailed for the rest of the game. The teams combined for 1,174 total yards, but the Cyclones couldn’t turn their yards into points. WVU freshman Martell Pettaway rushed for 181 yards. Iowa State had four turnovers – 3 fumbles and 1 interception. Attendance in Ames: 51,365

Cane party – Miami (Florida) 40, Duke 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Duke 19). Close at the break, Miami led 16-14 at halftime. Then the Canes outscored the Dookies 24-7 in the second half. Miami held Duke to just 79 yards rushing. Canes quarterback Brad Kaaya passed for 396 yards (22-for-35) and four touchdowns. The game was turnover free. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 57,396

Not so Smart – Georgia Tech 28, Georgia 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Georgia Tech 21). The game was tied 14-14 at the half. But Georgia appeared to take command of the game in the third quarter. The Dawgs led 27-14 at the end of three. But the Jackets came back and skunked Uga in the fourth quarter, 14-0. Tech scored its winning touchdown with 30 seconds left in the game. Neither team was a success passing the ball, but both had a strong ground game. Georgia’s Sonny Michel rushed for 170 yards. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

The camel breaks his back – TCU 31, Texas 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, TCU 20). If there was any hope for Charlie Strong before the game, it was all but wiped out after the game. The Horns were just down by one at halftime – 7-6. But TCU outscored Texas 24-3 in the second half. The Horns D’Onta Foreman rushed for 165 yards. As a team, TCU had 309 yards rushing. Attendance in Austin: 99,065

Fitting – Indiana 26, Purdue 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 32, Purdue 23). This game went back and forth from start to finish. But when Indiana went up 26-22 with 4:59 left, the Hoosiers never relinquished their lead. Neither team showed much offense. Purdue only had 42 yards rushing, and Indiana only had 117 yards passing. Between them, the two teams had eight turnovers – 4 each. Attendance in Bloomington: 43,103

Week 13 Results: 12 correct picks, 7 fumbles (63.2 percent)
For the Season: 146 correct picks, 83 fumbles (63.8 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA

Old Dominion 42, Florida International 28 – Attendance in Norfolk: 20,118
Middle Tennessee 77, Florida Atlantic 56 – Attendance in Murfreesboro: 10,227
South Carolina State 28, Bethune-Cookman 7 – Attendance in Orangeburg: 4,086


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 30-46-0 for 586 yards; Houston’s Greg Ward – 47-67-1-487; Syracuse’s Zack Mahoney – 43-61-1-440; Vanderbilt’s Kyle Shurmur – 21-34-1-416; Memphis’ Riley Ferguson – 30-45-0-405; Miami of Florida’s Brad Kaaya – 22-35-0-396, and Arkansas State’s Justice Hansen – 35-57-1-393.

Miami of Ohio’s Gus Ragland – 26-35-0 for 380 yards; Illinois’ Wes Lunt – 28-54-1-377; Baylor’s Zach Smith – 30-46-1-377; Penn State’s Trace McSorley – 17-23-0-376; Arizona State’s Manny Wilkins – 43-58-1-372; Iowa State’s Jacob Park – 23-44-1-371; Cincinnati’s Hayden Moore – 20-37-0-371; Eastern Michigan’s Brogan Roback – 26-37-1-355, and Arkansas’ Austin Allen – 24-39-2-348.

Clemson’s Deshaun Watson – 26-32-1 for 347 yards; Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens – 29-33-0-342; Massachusetts’ Andrew Ford – 24-38-0-342Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs – 31-34-0-340; Kentucky’s Stephen Johnson – 16-27-1-338; Buffalo’s Grant Rohach – 20-35-0-334; SMU’s Ben Hicks – 31-44-2-331; West Virginia’s Skyler Howard – 12-21-0-330, and LSU’s Danny Etling – 20-28-0-324.


Impressive Rushers:

UTEP’s Aaron Jones – 301 yards; LSU’s Derrius Guice – 285 yards; Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald – 258 yards; Wyoming’s Josh Allen – 18-28-0-248; Florida Atlantic’s Devin Singeltary – 235 yards; New Mexico’s Teriyon Gipson – 217 yards, and Middle Tennessee’s I’Tavius Mathers – 213 yards.

Middle Tennessee’s Richie James – 207 yards; Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey – 204 yards; Toledo’s Kareem Hunt – 200 yards; Western Michigan’s Jamauri Bogan – 198 yards; Tulsa’s James Flanders – 197 yards; Nevada’s James Butler – 196 yards, and Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry – 194 yards.

Mississippi State’s Aeris Williams – 191 yards; Arizona’s Brandon Dawkins – 183 yards; Notre Dame’s Josh Adams – 180 yards; Arizona’s Samajie Grant – 176 yards; New Mexico’s Lamar Jordan – 176 yards, and Northwestern’s Justin Jackson – 173 yards.

Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 171 yards; Georgia’s Sony Michel – 170 yards; Maryland’s Ty Johnson – 168 yards; Connecticut’s Arkeel Newsome – 166 yards; Texas’ D’Onta Foreman – 165 yards; Bowling Green’s Fred Coppet – 160 yards, and Iowa’s LeShun Daniels – 158 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“We will do whatever it takes to keep Tom Herman at the University of Houston. We’re not going to lose Tom Herman because of money. He’s not going to leave because of money,” chairman of the University of Houston Board of Regents Tilman Fertitta.

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen,” LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron, after the Texas A&M game.

“I’m bitterly disappointed in the officiating today. I can’t make that anymore clear,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, after the Wolverine’s loss to Ohio State.

“I’ll be back, absolutely,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, after Notre Dame’s loss to USC, when asked if he would be coaching the Irish next year.

“Nobody’s job is safe in college football,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, after the Ducks loss to Oregon State.

“He’s the best I’ve ever been around. Ever,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, on his quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“I believed in Kliff Kingsbury when I hired him. I believe in him today,” Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, on Kingsbury’s status.

“We will win championships. We will build men of character. We will graduate our players, and we will do it all with integrity and with class,” new Texas coach Tom Herman.

“I think pressure is that uneasy feeling that you feel when you are unprepared. Pressure is self-inflicted. Pressure is self-doubt when you are unprepared. We’re prepared for this job. We’re prepared for success at this job. We’re prepared for adversity in this job. So I don’t feel any sense of pressure at all,” new Texas coach Tom Herman.


Quote from the Past

“Football is not a contact sport, it is a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport,” Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty.


Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games.…and then one

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Washington (11-1) vs. Colorado (10-2) (The Pac-12 Championship Game – Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara) – 9:30 pm ET, Friday, Fox – These are two first-timers in the Pac-12 title game. In the six-year history of the game, it has always been Oregon or Stanford from the North and UCLA, USC, Arizona or Arizona State from the South. Washington was supposed to be here. Colorado wasn’t. The Buffaloes are the surprise team of 2016. Both teams are solid. Both play good defense and both play good offense. This should be some battle, but the edge on offense goes to the Huskies – Washington 26, Colorado 21.

RUNNER UP: 2. Alabama (12-0) vs. Florida (8-3) – (The SEC Championship Game – The Georgia Dome in Atlanta) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – This could be a laugher. Florida is capable of playing good defense. But the Gators defense is injury riddled. On the other side of the ball, Florida has no offense whatsoever. And against Alabama, it could be worse than that. Maybe Eddy Pineiro will get a few field goals for the Gators. Don’t expect any touchdowns. But Nick Saban will take this game seriously. The Tide gets a serious win – Alabama 28, Florida 12.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Penn State (10-2) vs. Wisconsin (10-2) (Big Ten Championship Game – Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, Fox – I’m expecting a good contest here. Penn State has to be one of the most improved teams in the country since the first of the season. But Wisconsin is no slouch. The Badgers only two losses are to Ohio State and Michigan. The Ohio State game was an overtime loss. And Michigan only won by 7 points. The Badgers are riding a six-game winning streak. Penn State has an eight-game winning streak. The Badgers’ streak is broken – Penn State 24, Wisconsin 21.

4. Clemson (11-1) vs. Virginia Tech (9-3) (The ACC Championship Game – Camping World Stadium in Orlando) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – If there is an upset in a conference championship game, this is where it will occur. I don’t think Virginia Tech will beat Clemson, but if the Hokies do, I won’t be surprised. Both teams can be up and down. It’s just a matter of how one catches the other. With Deshaun Watson, the advantage has to go to Clemson. But it’ll be close – Clemson 33, Virginia Tech 27.

5. Ohio (8-4) vs. Western Michigan (12-0) (The MAC Championship Game – Ford Field in Detroit) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN2 – Western Michigan has been an amazing team this season. It will be more amazing if the Broncos end up in a New Year’s Six bowl. They most likely will if the Broncs beat Ohio. And they most likely will. The Bobcats don’t have much of an offense. They play good defense. WMU has an overwhelming offense. The Bobcats are overwhelmed – Western Michigan 29, Ohio 19.

6. Oklahoma State (9-2) at Oklahoma (9-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12:30 pm ET, Saturday, Fox – It’s not officially, but it is like a conference championship game. Heck, it is a conference championship game. These are the two best teams in the Big 12. Oklahoma is sitting on an 8-game winning streak. Okie State is riding a 7-game winning streak. OU is 8-0 in Big 12 play. The Cowboys are 7-1. Since its early season slip ups, the Sooners are playing like one of the best teams in the country. At least the offense is. OU’s defense is shaky – very shaky. This is going to be a high-scoring game. The Sooners score higher – Oklahoma 39, Oklahoma State 30.

7. Temple (9-3) at Navy (9-2) (The AAC Championship Game – Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Navy is the favorite in this game. Temple is a very deceptive team. The Owls are better than they appear, especially on defense. But can Temple defend the Navy offense? The Middies do score a lot, but they also can give up a lot on defense. Temple’s offense is so-so. The Owls spring a leak – Navy 29, Temple 27.

8. San Diego State (9-3) at Wyoming (8-4) (The MWC Championship Game – War Memorial Stadium in Laramie) – 7:45 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The winner of this game is anybody’s guess. Wyoming has the better wins. But the Cowboys have some bad losses. So does San Diego State. Something tells me the Aztecs won’t like Wyoming in December. The Cowboys like the elements – Wyoming 32, San Diego State 28.

9. Louisiana Tech (8-4) at Western Kentucky (9-3) (The C-USA Championship Game – Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Western Kentucky has to be heavily favored. Home field advantage and a much better offense spells trouble for Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs just hope to keep it close – Western Kentucky 37, Louisiana Tech 25.

10. Baylor (6-5) at West Virginia (9-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Last time WVU was playing at home, the Mounties were a disappointment. That was against Oklahoma. I would think the Eers will make amends for that game. And Baylor is in a funk – big time. After winning their first six games, the Bears have dropped five straight. The news coming out of Baylor hasn’t been good. The Mountaineers should roll. Almost Heaven – West Virginia 40, Baylor 24.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

11. Kansas State (7-4) at TCU (6-5) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – This is a tough pick. Both teams can score. K-State has a slightly better defense. TCU has the home field advantage. But never underestimate Bill Snyder. He always has a trick up his sleeve. And a Frog in his hand – Kansas State 27, TCU 26.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Nebraska (9-3), Duke (4-8), Georgia (7-5), Texas (5-7) and Purdue (3-9) have completed their seasons.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA

Florida State (9-3), Miami (8-4), UCF (6-6), Florida Atlantic (3-9) and Florida International (4-8) have completed their seasons.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were five passings of note last week – Ralph Branca, Al Cailoa, Florence Henderson, Fidel Castro and Ron Glass.

Ralph Branca, who had three consecutive All-Star seasons pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers, died last week in Rye Brook, New York. He was 90. Branca is known for one unforgivable offense to Dodger fans. On October 3, 1951, in a final game with the New York Giants to determine the National League championship, he served up Bobby Thomson’s pennant-winning home run – the “Shot Heard Round the World.” Ralph Theodore Joseph Branca was born on January 6, 1926, in Mount Vernon, New York. After pitching for New York University as a freshman in the spring of 1944, he made his debut for the Dodgers in June. An accident at the Dodgers spring training camp in 1952 resulted in Branca injuring his back and pelvis that affected his leg motion. He never regained his form. He later pitched for the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees, finishing his career in 1956.

Al Caiola, a guitarist who recorded hit versions of the themes from the westerns “The Magnificent Seven” and “Bonanza” and worked with artists ranging from Buddy Holly to Tony Bennett, died last week in Allendale, New Jersey. He was 96. His version of “Bonanza” reached No. 19 on the Billboard singles chart in 1961. His rendition of “The Magnificent Seven” reached No. 35 on the charts, also in 1961. Along with Holly and Bennett, Caiola also recorded and performed with Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, Simon and Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughn, Glen Campbell and Rosemary Clooney. He also played in orchestras led by Percy Faith, Morton Gould and Andre Kostelanetz, and on radio and television with Steve Allen, Jackie Gleason, Arthur Godfrey and Ed Sullivan. Alexander Emil Caiola was born on September 7, 1920, in Jersey City. He was in the Marines in World War II.

Florence Henderson, who began her career as a soprano in stage musicals but made a more lasting impression on television as the 1970s sitcom mom on “The Brady Bunch,” died last week in Los Angeles. She was 82. “The Brady Bunch” ran from September 1969 to March 1974. Henderson starred in “Fanny” on Broadway in the mid-1950s. In the 1950s and 1960s, she appeared on television in music-driven series like “The Bell Telephone Hour,” “Oldsmobile Music Theater” and “The Dean Martin Show.” Henderson was a frequent guest on “The Tonight Show,” and she was the first woman to be the show’s guest host. Henderson also made appearances on NBC’s “Today.” After “The Brady Bunch,” she made guest appearances on “Medical Center,” “Ally McBeal,” “30 Rock,” “The Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.” Henderson was the host of “Country Kitchen,” a cooking show on TNN. In 2010, she appeared on “Dancing With the Stars.” Florence Agnes Henderson was born on February 14, 1934, in Dale, Indiana.

Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary and leader who defied the United States, died last week. He was 90. Castro dominated his country with strength and symbolism from the day he triumphantly entered Havana on January 8, 1959. Falling ill in 2006, Castro turned his power over to his brother Raul Castro. Fidel Alejandro Castro was born on August 13, 1926, in the eastern Cuban province of Oriente. As a law school student at the University of Havana in 1945, he became obsessed with Cuban politics and led student protests and demonstrations.

Ron Glass, the character actor best known for his role as the detective Ron Harris on the cop comedy “Barney Miller,” died last week. He was 71. Although best known for “Barney Miller,” Glass appeared in other shows and movies dating to the early 1970s. He was Felix Unger in “The New Odd Couple” in the 1980s. Glass also made appearances on “Friends,” “Star Trek: Voyager” and “Designing Women.” Early credits included “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “Sanford and Son” and “Hawaii Five-0.” “Barney Miller” aired from 1975 to 1982. Raised in Evansville, Indiana, Glass received a bachelor of arts degree in drama and literature from the University of Evansville. After graduation, he moved to Minneapolis before coming to Los Angeles.

College Football Week 13 – Texas fires Charlie Strong
It’s all over but the shouting

Two weeks to go and the season is all but over for two of the Power 5 conferences. In the other three conferences, it ain’t over till it’s over. There is still some shouting to take place. And it could get loud – very loud.

It was all over in the SEC before the season began. You can thank Alabama for that. Let’s face it, the SEC has become Snow Crimson and the 13 Dwarfs. Yeah, I know, Auburn may open its mouth and try to shout this Saturday, but believe me, the Tigers are suffering from laryngitis. They caught it in Athens a week ago.

Yeah, I know, Florida beat LSU. And for beating LSU, the Gators get to play Alabama in the SEC title game. Sounds more like a consolation prize to me. Florida’s offense has no vocal cords. There won’t be any shouting in Atlanta. You can go ahead and pencil-in Alabama in the playoffs.

Notice that there is only one SEC team in the Top 10 this week. It really is Snow Crimson and the 13 Dwarfs. Yes, Alabama will finish 13-0 and be in the playoffs. There won’t be a second team from the SEC in the playoffs.

Unlike the SEC, it wasn’t all over in the ACC before the season began. Louisville surfaced as a serious challenger to Clemson. But along the way, the Tigers won the head-on meeting between the two. Then it all got interesting a week ago when Clemson lost to Pitt. Ultimately Clemson and Louisville ended up with identical conference records 7-1.

The victory over Louisville puts Clemson in the ACC title game against either Virginia Tech or North Carolina – most likely Virginia Tech. Regardless, Clemson will win that game. The Coastal Division is the ACC’s equivalent of the East Division in the SEC – the runt of the litter.

So it’s over in the ACC. You can go ahead and pencil-in Clemson in the playoffs. The Tigers will finish 12-1. And there won’t be a second team from the ACC in the playoffs.

For the other three Power 5 conferences, it’s basically over, but the fireworks have yet to go off. They will start going off this weekend in the Big Ten. In the East Division of the Big Ten, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State are tied for first place in the Division with 7-1 records.

Saturday, Michigan (10-1) plays Ohio State (10-1) in Columbus. Penn State (9-2) hosts Michigan State in University Park. If Michigan beats Ohio State, the Wolverines win the East Division, because they also beat Penn State earlier in the season.

However, if Ohio State beats Michigan, then the Buckeyes must wait and see if Penn State wins or loses. A Penn State win over Michigan State would give the East Division title to the Nittany Lions, as Penn State beat Ohio State earlier in the season. If Penn State loses to Michigan State, then the Buckeyes win the division title.

The Michigan-Ohio State game starts at 12 noon ET. The Michigan State-Penn State game starts at 3:30 pm ET. It could be a long wait for the Buckeyes, assuming they beat Michigan.

Then there is the Big Ten West Division. It’s messy too. Wisconsin and Nebraska are tied with 6-2 conference records. Saturday, Wisconsin (9-2) hosts Minnesota (8-3), and on Friday Nebraska (9-2) visits Iowa (7-4).

If Wisconsin wins, then the Badgers win the Big Ten West, having beaten Nebraska earlier in the season. But if Wisconsin loses and Nebraska beats Iowa, then the Huskers win the West.

My guess is Ohio State beats Michigan, but Penn State beats Michigan State. In the West, Wisconsin beats Minnesota. That would put Penn State against Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. A one-loss Ohio State sits home and hopes to still slip into the playoffs.

I wouldn’t pencil-in anybody from the Big Ten yet. But most likely there will be a Big Ten team in the playoffs.

The Pac-12 is almost as noisy as the Big Ten. There is some shouting to be done and it could be loud. But it is not as complex as the Big Ten. Quite simply, in the Pac-12 North Division, Friday’s winner of the Washington (10-1)-Washington State (8-3) game wins the Pac-12 North. Both teams are 7-1 in conference play. The game is being played in Pullman.

In the Pac-12 South, it is down to Colorado (9-2) and USC (8-3). The Trojans have finished conference play with a 7-2 record. Colorado is 7-1 with a game Saturday against Utah (8-3). The game is in Boulder.

If the Buffaloes beat Utah, then Colorado wins the Pac-12 South. But if Colorado loses to the Utes, then USC wins the Pac-12 South, because the Trojans beat the Buffs earlier in the season.

Should Washington win out, I believe the Huskies will be in the playoffs. But there is no guarantee they will win out. And if they don’t, I wouldn’t pencil-in anybody from the Pac-12 in the playoffs – not yet. For sure, there won’t be two teams from the Pac-12 in the playoffs.

The Big 12 is the simplest of the three, but there is some shouting to endure. In the Big 12, it’s all down to Oklahoma (9-2) and Oklahoma State (9-2). The two meet in Norman on December 3. The Sooners are 8-0 in conference play, while the Cowboys are 7-1. In short, the winner of the game wins the Big 12.

But I wouldn’t pencil-in anybody from the Big 12 in the playoffs – not yet. And there won’t be two teams from the Big 12 in the playoffs.

When the shouting is over, I have Alabama and Clemson in the playoffs. If Washington wins out, the Huskies will be the third team. Who will be the fourth team? Somebody from the Big Ten or somebody from the Big 12. If Washington doesn’t win out, who will be the third and fourth teams? Stay tuned.

Among the Group of 5 teams vying for the highest ranking in the final Playoff Poll and a guaranteed spot in a New Year’s Six bowl, it’s all over but the shouting. The three teams doing the shouting are Western Michigan (11-0), Boise State (10-1) and Houston (9-2).

Of the three, Western Michigan is the highest ranked in this week’s AP and Coaches Polls, but the Broncos were one spot behind Boise State in last week’s Playoff Poll. Western Michigan still has to play Toledo (9-2) on Friday. The game is in Kalamazoo. The winner wins the MAC West Division and goes on to the MAC title game.

Boise State is tied with Wyoming (8-3) in the MWC Mountain Division. Both are 6-1 in conference play. Friday, Boise State plays at Air Force (8-3) and Saturday Wyoming hosts New Mexico (7-4). Wyoming beat Boise State earlier in the season. If Wyoming wins, the Cowboys win the division title. If Wyoming loses to New Mexico and Boise State beats Air Force, then the Broncos win the division. Regardless, the division winner meets San Diego State (9-2) in the MWC title game.

Houston (9-2) was all but out of the picture until the Cougars up and beat Louisville last Thursday night. Now the Cougars are back in the Top 25 – behind Western Michigan but ahead of Boise State in the AP Poll, and behind both WMU and Boise State in the Coaches Poll. Where will Houston be in this week’s Playoff Poll.

Houston can’t win the AAC West Division. The Cougars are one game behind Navy and they lost to the Middies during the season. Should Western Michigan and Boise State both lose, there is always the possibility that Navy (9-2) or South Florida (9-2) could end up being the highest ranked Group of 5 team.

It’s all going to be interesting in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12, and among three of four Group of 5 teams. It’s all over but the shouting. Stay tuned.

The weekend was disappointing for two teams that had slight playoff hopes. West Virginia fell to 8-2, losing to Oklahoma, 56-28. On Thursday night, Houston upset Louisville, 36-10, dropping the Cardinals to 9-2.

It was also disappointing for two Group of 5 teams that had a slight chance for the New Year’s Six bowl. Troy fell to 8-2, losing to Arkansas State, 35-3, and San Diego State dropped to 9-2. The Aztecs lost to Wyoming, 34-33.

Two coaches sealed their fate Saturday. Texas coach Charlie Strong was fired Sunday after the Longhorns lost to Kansas 24-21 in overtime. It was the first time Texas lost to Kansas since 1938.

In his third season at Texas, Strong was 16-20, 5-6 this season. Texas plays its last game Friday against TCU. Word has Texas going after Houston coach Tom Herman.

LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron will be fired. The Tigers were upset by Florida, 16-10. If the loss to Florida wasn’t enough, Orgeron should be fired for letting Leonard Fournette play Saturday. In a scuffle before the game with the Florida team, Fournette shoved a Florida coach. Orgeron should have suspended Fournette from the game. Instead, he let Fournette dress for the game and play. If nothing else, this shows a total lack of character and leadership on Orgeron’s part.

Florida’s offense wasn’t great in the game, but the Gators defense was spectacular. Florida’s defense stopped LSU for four downs on a goal-line stand at the end of the game.

Michigan State went for a two-point conversion late in the Spartans game against Ohio State. Michigan State failed on its attempt and lost to the Buckeyes, 17-16. Oregon scored late to upset Utah, 30-28. Notre Dame gave up a 17-point lead and lost to Virginia Tech 34-31. The Irish are 4-7, with one game remaining at USC.

Tennessee exploded, scoring 63 points in a 63-37 win over Missouri. Iowa State rose up and clobbered Texas Tech, 66-10. I’m thinking Kliff Kingsbury could be in trouble. In the Pac-12, Colorado beat Washington State, 38-24, Stanford downed California, 45-31 and USC beat UCLA, 36-14. I’m thinking Jim Mora is in trouble too.

In the Stanford-Cal game, Christian McCaffrey ran for 284 yards.

As mentioned, Florida played LSU Saturday in a game that was supposed to have been played on October 8. But Hurricane Matthew caused the game to be postponed to November 19. Saturday, Florida was originally scheduled to play Presbyterian and LSU was to play South Alabama. The Gators and the Tigers bought-out those teams in rescheduling their game.

Well, Presbyterian and South Alabama decided to play each other to make up for the cancelations. They met Saturday in Mobile. South Alabama beat Presbyterian, 31-7

Banned again! No not Illinois. Not the banned Indians, but the banned band. The Stanford band was banned from performing at the Stanford-Cal game over the weekend. Known for its antics and controversial halftime shows, the Stanford band is still on probation and was not allowed to perform at the Cal game. The Stanford band remains the best banned band in the land.

Then there were the Yale students who stripped naked before 32,000 fans at the Harvard game. It must have worked – Yale upset Harvard, 21-14.

Former Miami (Florida), Cleveland Browns and North Carolina coach Butch Davis was hired last week as the new coach of Florida International. Latest word on Les Miles has the former LSU mentor coaching Baylor or Purdue next season. Stay tuned.

And word is if Texas A&M loses to LSU this Thursday, Kevin Sumlin will be fired. The Aggies and the Longhorns may both fight over Tom Herman.

Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist John Adams wrote last week that the SEC should trade Missouri to the Big 12 for West Virginia. Adams went further to say that the SEC should pay the Big 12 to get West Virginia. Interesting.

It was good to hear from Scott Greenwood and Stephanie Stein last week.

Yeah, it’s all over but the shouting. And the shouting should be good!

Enjoy your week. Happy Thanksgiving!

Touchdown Tom
November 21, 2016
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Too cold! – Oklahoma 56, West Virginia 28 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Oklahoma 29). This one was all over but the shouting in the first half when Oklahoma led 34-0. The Mountaineers did mount a rally in the second half when they pulled within 13 points at 41-28. That was with 10:06 on the clock in the fourth quarter. But things fell apart after that and WVU played like it did in the first quarter – terrible. There were two bright spots for WVU: The Mounties outgained the Sooners – 579 yards to 486, and WVU back Justin Crawford rushed for 331 yards. The downside: WVU had four turnovers. OU running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon rushed for 160 and 142 yards respectively. Attendance in Morgantown: 57,645
-
RUNNER UP: Ralphie’s smiling – Colorado 38, Washington State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Colorado 26, Washington State 25). Up until the fourth quarter this was one of the best games of the day. Colorado led Washington State 28-24 at the end of three. The teams traded the lead back and forth throughout the first three quarters. But in the fourth quarter it was all Colorado. The Buffs outscored the Cougs 10-0 in the final period. The teams combined for 1,065 total yards with Colorado coming out on top with 603 yards. Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau passed for 345 yards and rushed for another 108 yards. The Buffs Phillip Lindsay rushed for 144 yards. Attendance in Boulder: 48,658

REST OF THE BEST: Motorcycle wreck – Houston 36, Louisville 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 37, Houston 32). What happened? Didn’t Louisville steal Houston’s game plan? I suppose it was only justice after Louisville allegedly stole Wake Forest’s game plans last week. Whatever, the Cardinals weren’t focused and the Cougars were. Houston jumped out to a 31-0 first half lead and never looked back. The Cougars only had 64 yards rushing, but they made up for it with 298 passing. Louisville suffered three turnovers. Lamar Jackson completed less than 50% of his passes. Attendance in Houston: 42,822

Sorry Tennessee, but LSUcks – Florida 16, LSU 10 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 20, Florida 9). The Gators defense shut down LSU’s two big guns. Derrius Guice only had 83 yards rushing and Leonard Fournette only had 40 yards. Florida running back Jordan Scarlett had 108 yards rushing. I think LSU would fire Ed Orgeron now, but it would be embarrassing to replace an interim coach with another interim coach before the season is over. Then again, LSU’s program is already embarrassing. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,043

Saddled – Wyoming 34, San Diego State 33 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 33, Wyoming 25). This game was either tied or San Diego State led until 1:07 left in the game when Wyoming scored and went ahead 34-27. But as time expired, San Diego State scored and only needed the extra point to put the game into overtime. But the Aztecs went for two and failed on the attempt. Wyoming’s Brian Hill rushed for 131 yards. Attendance in Laramie: 19,112

Speight-less – Michigan 20, Indiana 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 36, Indiana 16). With 5:21 to go in the third quarter, Indiana led 10-6. Before the third quarter was over, Michigan led 20-10. Neither team scored in the fourth. It was a defensive game. Indiana only had 64 yards rushing and Michigan only had 59 yards passing. Neither team had a turnover. The Wolverines De’Veon Smith rushed for 158 yards. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 110,288

Croaked – Oklahoma State 31, TCU 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, TCU 24). A good game for a half – Okie State only led 10-6 at the break. But the Cowboys skunked TCU in the second half – 21-0. Okie State had a balanced attack – passing for 334 yards and rushing for 207. The Cowboys Justice Hill and Chris Carson rushed for 154 and 146 yards respectively. Attendance in Fort Worth: 43,303

Golden runners – Tulsa 35, UCF 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulsa 27, UCF 26). The game was tied 14-14 at the break. Then Tulsa had a 21-0 outburst in the third quarter. UCF was held to 88 yards rushing. Tulsa’s D’Angelo Brewer and James Flanders rushed for 167 and 163 yards respectively. Attendance in Orlando: 35,141

Where was Helen? – Arkansas State 35, Troy 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Troy 30, Arkansas State 23). Just when everything was looking rosy for Troy, Arkansas State up and spoiled things for the Trojans. Troy led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. Then the Red Wolves scored the next 35 points. Troy only had 55 yards rushing, and Trojans quarterback Brandon Silvers threw two interceptions. Troy suffered five turnovers in the game. Attendance in Troy: 23,764

Holed – Minnesota 29, Northwestern 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 23, Northwestern 20). Minnesota led 12-0 at the half. Then after a fairly quiet third quarter, the Gophers scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to hang on and win. Minnesota held the Wildcats to 63 yards rushing. Attendance in Minneapolis: 38,162

Rammed – Colorado State 49, New Mexico 31 (Touchdown Tom said: New Mexico 28, Colorado State 26). Colorado State led 28-10 at the half and 49-17 at the end of three quarters. The Rams had 576 total yards to 366 for New Mexico. CSU held the Lobos to 81 yards passing. The Rams had three backs rush for more than 100 yards each – Marvin Kinsey (127), Izzy Mathews (107) and Dalyn Dawkins (102). New Mexico’s Tyrone Owens rushed for 157 yards. Attendance in Fort Collins: 29,133

Purr-less – Central Michigan 27, Ohio 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio 29, Central Michigan 22). Ohio won the stats but lost the game. Well, the Bobcats did lose one very important stat – turnovers. Ohio gave up the ball four times. The Bobcat defense did its job. They held CMU to only 22 yards rushing. Chippewas quarterback Cooper Rush passed for 268 yards (25-for-32) and two touchdowns. Attendance in Mount Pleasant: 8,619


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:


Where was the little old lady? – USC 36, UCLA 14 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, UCLA 19). At the 11:07 mark in the second quarter, the score was tied 14-14. Then USC went on to score 22 unanswered points. The Trojans held the Bruins to only 55 yards rushing. USC had 527 total yards to 266 for UCLA. Attendance in Pasadena: 71,137

We don’t need no band – Stanford 45, California 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 30, California 26). The Stanford band didn’t show up, but the Cardinal football team did. At the end of three quarters, Stanford just had a 7-point lead – 31-24. Then the Trees scored 14 unanswered points and led 45-24 with 4:17 left in the game. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 284 yards. Cal quarterback Davis Webb passed for 393 yards. Attendance in Berkeley: 52,266


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Corn rules – Nebraska 28, Maryland 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 36, Maryland 14). Nebraska led 28-0 before Maryland got its sole score in the fourth quarter. The Terps only had 9 first downs and 207 yards of offense. Much worse – only 11 yards rushing. Attendance in Lincoln: 89,704

Fork-less – Pitt 56, Duke 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Pitt 29, Duke 25). Halfway through the second quarter, Pitt led Duke 21-14. That’s when the Dookies rolled over and died. The Panthers proceeded to score 35 unanswered points. Pitt held Duke to a mere 25 yards rushing. The Dookies leading rusher had all of 12 yards. Attendance in Pittsburgh: 35,425

Uga gets a bite of Cajun – Georgia 35, Louisiana-Lafayette 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 30, Louisiana-Lafayette 15). Early in the fourth quarter, Georgia led 35-7. Then ULL scored two late touchdowns before the game was over. The Cajuns actually outgained the Dawgs 465 yards to 400. ULL’s Elijah McGuire had 124 yards rushing. There were six turnovers in the game – ULL 4 and Georgia 2. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Last nail – Kansas 24, Texas 21 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Kansas 20). Six turnovers? Nobody has six turnovers. Texas did. Midway through the fourth quarter, Texas was winning 21-10. Kansas scored 11 points in the final 7:48 of the game. The tying points that put the game into overtime came on a 36-yard field goal with 0:07 left in the game. Texas’ D’Onta Foreman rushed for 250 yards, all for naught. Kansas beat Texas for the first time since 1938. Attendance in Lawrence: 25,673

On – Wisconsin 49, Purdue 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 32, Purdue 13). Wisconsin scored 35 points in the second quarter. Other than that outburst, it was a close game. The Badgers held Purdue to 71 yards rushing. Purdue quarterback David Blough threw three interceptions. Attendance in West Lafayette: 30,465

Week 12 Results: 11 correct picks, 8 fumbles (57.9 percent)
For the Season: 134 correct picks, 76 fumbles (63.8 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Jacksonville U. 41, Marist 35 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 1,738
Miami 27, NC State 13 – Attendance in Raleigh: 56,263

Drake 45, Stetson 17 – Attendance in Deland: 3,712
Bethune-Cookman 39, Florida A&M 19 – Attendance in Orlando: 45,372
Florida State 45, Syracuse 14 – Attendance in Syracuse: 32,340

Old Dominion 42, Florida Atlantic 24 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 5,843
South Florida 35, SMU 27 – Attendance in Dallas: 18,417
Florida International 31, Marshall 14 – Attendance in Miami: 15,054

North Greenville 27, Florida Tech 13 – Attendance in Melbourne: 1,480


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Western Michigan’s Zack Terrell – 29-37-0 for 445 yards; California’s Davis Webb – 34-57-0-393; SMU’s Ben Hicks – 25-41-2-380; Colorado’s Sefo Liufau – 27-41-0-345, and San Jose State’s Kenny Potter – 25-37-2-340.

Washington’s Jake Browning – 27-44-2 for 338 yards; Temple’s Phillip Walker – 18-33-0-337; Toledo’s Logan Woodside – 25-39-1-325, and Oregon’s Justin Herbert – 30-43-0-324.


Impressive Rushers:

West Virginia’s Justin Crawford – 331 yards; Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey – 284 yards; Texas’ D’Onta Foreman – 250 yards; South Carolina’s Rico Dowdle – 226 yards; Florida State’s Dalvin Cook – 225 yards, and Boise State’s Jeremy McNichols – 206 yards.

Arkansas’ Rawleigh Williams – 199 yards; Auburn’s Kam Martin – 176 yards; Northern Illinois’ Jordan Huff – 173 yards; Iowa State’s Joel Lanning – 171 yards; Eastern Michigan’s Ian Eriksen – 171 yards; Utah State’s Tonny Lindsey – 168 yards, Tulsa’s D’Angelo Brewer – 167 yards, and Tulsa’s James Flanders – 163 yards.

Clemson’s Wayne Gallman – 161 yards; Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine – 160 yards; Michigan State’s L.J. Scott – 160 yards; Iowa’s LaShun Daniels – 159 yards; Navy’s Will Worth – 159 yards; Michigan’s De’Veon Smith – 158 yards, and New Mexico’s Tyrone Owens – 157 yards.


Quotes of the Week:

“Two Purdue transfers starting against each other today. Danny Etling at LSU and Austin Appleby at Florida. You’re welcome SEC!,” New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

“They got what they deserved. It should have been worse,” Florida coach Jim McElwain, commenting on LSU after the Florida-LSU game.

“The charade with Leonard Fournette, it’s no surprise the LSU program is in the shape it’s in this morning, Paul Finebaum, speaking Sunday morning.

“Ed Orgeron showed no leadership Saturday. He’s gone,” Paul Finebaum.


Quote from the Past

“It isn’t necessary to see a good tackle, you can hear it,” Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Michigan (10-1) at Ohio State (10-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Last year, Jim Harbaugh’s first at Michigan, the Wolverines lost to Ohio State, 42-13. And that was in Ann Arbor. Harbaugh will be out for revenge. But Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight may not play. Speight is injured. He sat out last week’s game against Indiana. Last year’s starting quarterback John O’Korn may be leading the Wolverines against the Buckeyes again this year. I’m sure Urban Meyer will have the Buckeyes ready. No revenge for Harbaugh – Ohio State 21, Michigan 20.

RUNNER UP: 2. Alabama (11-0) at Auburn (8-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Yeah, I know. Anything can happen in this game. But not this year. Alabama is too solid – solid all over. Auburn got lucky for seven games until the Tigers ran into Georgia. Wait till they run into the Tide. No nightmare at Hare for Bama – Alabama 28, Auburn 13.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Washington (10-1) at Washington State (8-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, Fox – It’s all for the apples – a basket of apples. It’s all for the Pac-12 North Division title too. And it may be all for the playoffs for the Huskies. Both teams play good offense. The Huskies play better defense – Washington 32, Washington State 26.

4. Utah (8-3) at Colorado (9-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, Fox – You have love the season Colorado has had. What a Cinderella team! Mike MacIntyre could get coach of the year. Quarterback Sefo Liufau and running back Phillip Lindsay give the Buffs a powerful punch on offense. But Utah is no slouch. This is going to be a barnburner. Ralphie rules – Colorado 26, Utah 22.

5. Minnesota (8-3) at Wisconsin (9-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – The Badgers have their eye on the Big Ten title game. They are motivated. Wisconsin barely lost to Ohio State and Michigan. Minnesota is good, but not that good. Bucky rules – Wisconsin 26, Minnesota 17.

6. Toledo (9-2) at Western Michigan (11-0) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 5 pm ET, Friday, ESPNU – This won’t be easy for the Broncos. Toledo has a potent offense. But WMU has its eyes on the Cotton Bowl – Western Michigan 30, Toledo 25.

7. Boise State (10-1) at Air Force (8-3) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN – Like Western Michigan, Boise State has its eyes on the Cotton Bowl. But in Colorado Springs, Air Force will give the Broncos a battle. Both teams have strong offenses. But with Brett Rypien, Jeremy McNichols and Thomas Sperbeck, Boise State has the stronger offense. Flyboys can’t ride horses – Boise State 31, Air Force 29.

8. Florida (8-2) at Florida State (8-3) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – I’m thinking Florida will still be hung over from the LSU win. And the Gators don’t need this win to get to Atlanta. And they know they aren’t going to the playoffs. So the desire may not quite be there. I know it’s FSU and there is always desire against the Noles. It should be close. The Noles have wobbled this season. Sammy pulls a feather out of his bonnet – Florida State 23, Florida 20.

9. Nebraska (9-2) at Iowa (7-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, ABC – In Iowa City, that could spell trouble for Nebraska. But the Huskers have a chance of winning the Big Ten West. The Hawkeyes are playing for pride. Pride loses – Nebraska 28, Iowa 17.

10. South Carolina (6-5) at Clemson (10-1) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Some people think South Carolina could spell trouble for Clemson. I’m sure Will Mustake thinks that. Man, would that ever spoil Clemson’s playoff plans. Spoil the ACC’s playoff plans too. But the Gamecocks are still too young to pull this one out. Tigers put Cocky on a rotisserie – Clemson 26, South Carolina 13.

11. Houston (9-2) at Memphis (7-4) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Friday, ABC – Houston can’t win the AAC. But the Cougars could end up the highest ranked Group of 5 team. Memphis is good, but too unsettled on defense. The Cougars take advantage of that. Cougars win the cat fight – Houston 32, Memphis 22.

12. Kentucky (6-5) at Louisville (9-2) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Louisville needs to get it s act together after the debacle in Houston. Otherwise, the Wildcats could surprise them. This is always an interesting game. And I’m glad they finally moved it to the end of the season. Cards deck the Wildcats – Louisville 32, Kentucky 30.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. UCF (6-5) at South Florida (9-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN – South Florida needs to win this game and needs Temple to lose to East Carolina to win the AAC East Division. Temple ain’t going to lose to East Carolina. So the Bulls just have to make the best of it. USF quarterback Quinton Flowers is a threat passing and running. UCF coach Scott Frost has done wonders during his first year with the Knights. UCF is bowl eligible. But the Bulls are too tough in this one – South Florida 30, UCF 20.

14. LSU (6-4) at Texas A&M (8-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Supposedly, Kevin Sumlin loses his job if the Aggies lose to LSU. Win or lose, Ed Orgeron will lose his job. Without quarterback Trevor Knight, A&M is hurting. The Aggies aren’t the same team. But Sumlin saves his job – Texas A&M 19, LSU 17.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

West Virginia (8-2) at Iowa State (3-8) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Iowa State exploded for 66 points last week. The Mountaineers better watch out. And WVU better pick itself back up from the Oklahoma disaster. They do – West Virginia 34, Iowa State 18.

Duke (4-7) at Miami (Florida) (7-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Mark Richt has had a pretty good first season at Miami. The Dookies have had a tough season. But they did beat North Carolina. They don’t beat the Canes – Miami 30, Duke 19.

Georgia Tech (7-4) at Georgia (7-4) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN – Tech has been up and down this season. But up lately. That could spell trouble for Georgia. There’s nothing really on the line for either team in this game other than pride. Uga avoids the sting – Georgia 26, Georgia Tech 21.

TCU (5-5) at Texas (5-6) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, FS1 – This will be Charlie Strong’s swan song at Texas. He’d like to go out a winner. Actually, if Texas wins, the Longhorns are bowl eligible. TCU has been in a funk. The Horns win one for Charlie – Texas 27, TCU 20.

Purdue (3-8) at Indiana (5-6) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Purdue will have a new coach next year. Indiana may have, but probably not. If Purdue’s passing game is on, the Boilers have a chance. Otherwise, they don’t. Purdue has no running game at all. The Hoosiers are good on offense and defense but not great. But they are great enough to win this one – Indiana 32, Purdue 23.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida International (4-7) at Old Dominion (8-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Florida Atlantic (3-8) at Middle Tennessee (7-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 5:30 pm ET, Saturday….

Jacksonville U. (5-5), Stetson (4-7), Bethune-Cookman (4-5), Florida A&M (4-7) and Florida Tech (8-3) have completed their seasons.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the regular season was coming to an end with Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkin pies almost in the oven, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1941 was “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

…70 years ago this week in 1946 was “Rumors Are Flying” by Frankie Carle

…65 years ago this week in 1951 was “Cold, Cold Heart” by Tony Bennett

…60 years ago this week in 1956 was “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley and “Green Door” by Jim Lowe

…55 years ago this week in 1961 was “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean

…50 years ago this week in 1966 was “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by The Supremes

…45 years ago this week in 1971 was “Theme from Shaft” by Isaac Hayes

…40 years ago this week in 1976 was “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod Stewart

…35 years ago this week in 1981 was “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John

…30 years ago this week in 1986 was “Human” by The Human League

…25 years ago this week in 1991 was “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Michael Bolton


Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were four passings of note last week – Gwen Ifill, Holly Dunn, Melvin Laird and Robert Gain.

Gwen Ifill, a journalist who covered the White House, Congress and national campaigns for three decades for The Washington Post, The New York Times, NBC and PBS, died last week in Washington, DC. She was 61. Most recently, she was the moderator and managing editor of “Washington Week” and the co-anchor and co-managing editor of “News Hour” on PBS. Gwendolyn Ifill was born on September 29, 1955, in Jamaica, Queens, New York. She graduated in 1977 with a bachelor of arts degree from Simmons College in Boston where she majored in communications.

Holly Dunn, a country singer and songwriter who wrote the hits “Daddy’s Hands” and “Maybe I Mean Yes,” died last week in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was 59. Her songs “Are You Ever Gonna Love Me” and “You Really Had Me Going” reached No. 1 on the country charts in 1989 and 1990. She co-wrote “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet,” a Top 10 country hit for Louise Mandrell in 1984. Dunn recorded the duet “Maybe” with Kenny Rogers and sang on records with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. Holly Suzette Dunn was born on August 22, 1957, in San Antonio, Texas. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in advertising and public relations from Abilene Christian College in 1979.

Melvin Laird, who as President Richard M. Nixon’s first secretary of defense challenged the administration’s hawkish military policies in Vietnam, died last week in Fort Myers, Florida. He was 94. Laird repeatedly pressed the White House to wind down the Vietnam War and opposed the resumption of bombing of North Vietnam and the invasion of Cambodia. Nixon picked Laird for defense secretary after Senator Henry M. Jackson, a Democrat from Washington State, declined the post. Under Laird’s leadership, the military eliminated the draft. Melvin Robert Laird Jr. was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 1, 1922. As a child his family moved to Marshfield, Wisconsin. He graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, in 1942. Laird was in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representative from Wisconsin. He became close friends with Gerald Ford. During Nixon’s second term, Laird moved from the Pentagon to the White House, becoming the president’s chief domestic policy advisor.

Bob Gain, an eight-time All-Pro defensive lineman who helped the Cleveland Browns wins three National Football League titles, died last week in Willoughby, Ohio. He was 87. Drafted fifth overall by the Green Bay Packers in 1951, Gain went to the Browns in 1952 and was part of the 1954, 1955 and 1964 championship teams. He played 13 seasons in the NFL. Gain was a two-time All-American at Kentucky playing for Bear Bryant from 1947 to 1950. Kentucky was 33-10-2 while Gain was there. In 1950, he was the Southeastern Conference’s first winner of the Outland Trophy, as the nation’s best interior lineman. During his senior season, Kentucky was 11-1 and beat Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Robert Gain was born on June 21, 1929, in Akron, Ohio.

College Football Week 12 – Georgia State fires Trent Miles
We have these moments to remember

“The day we tore the goal posts down.”

Friday, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I drove up to Gainesville for a Florida football weekend. We attended the South Carolina-Florida game.

There is nothing unusual about that. After all, we have been going to Florida football games together for 25 years. Did I say 25 years? That’s right. This year marks our 25th anniversary of attending Gator football games together. My, how time flies.

Our first game together was in 1991. We rented a minivan and the four of us, along with two children hit the road for the Florida-Auburn game up in Auburn, Alabama. For about the first five years of attending games, Bootsie and Rockledge Gator’s younger son, Andy, and Swamp Mama and Touchdown Tom’s daughter, Princess Gator, were part of the group.

It was November 1, 1991. We drove up I-95, leaving Brevard County early on a Friday morning 25 years ago. We were headed for Auburn.

Our first stop was the Cracker Barrel in Palm Coast, Florida. We were hungry for breakfast. After breakfast, we continued on up I-95 to Jacksonville, where we picked up I-10 West. That took us over to I-75, where we turned right and headed North.

Once we got to Tifton, Georgia, we abandoned I-75, making our way through southwest Georgia towards Columbus and ultimately Auburn. Along the way between Tifton and Columbus, we stopped at a pumpkin patch.

In Auburn, we hooked up with Ryan, Bootsie and Rockledge Gator’s older son. Ryan was a student at Auburn. Friday evening, we attended the Auburn pep rally on campus. Pat Dye was the football coach at Auburn then. He spoke at the pep rally, firing up the crowd.

We thought Dye was drunk. He certainly sounded and acted like it. Dye was slurring his words and repeating himself. His face was beet red. We couldn’t help but laugh at times – at least some of us. Bootsie and Ryan were true Auburn fans. The rest of us were Gators.

Our home-away-from-home that weekend was the Days Inn in Lanett, Alabama. Lanett is about 30 miles up I-85, northeast of Auburn. I think it was the closest place we could book two rooms.

Saturday morning before the game, we drove over to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. For seven years, Swamp Mama, Princess Gator and I had been spending a week every summer at Callaway, participating in their summer family vacation program. We always enjoy driving around Callaway and it was pretty in the early November fall.

From Callaway, we made our way down to Auburn and got ourselves a parking spot. Ryan joined us again and we walked around among the tailgaters – Florida and Auburn. It was a good time and a lot of fun. We met and talked to some really nice people, almost all of whom offered us food and beers.

This was my second time on the Auburn campus. The first time was 21 years earlier in 1970 – January 1, 1970 to be exact. That involved football too, just not at Auburn. Scott McKinney and I were driving from Atlanta to Pensacola. Scott was a fraternity brother of mine at West Virginia University. We were both based in Pensacola – Scott in Flight School at Saufley Field and me at the Naval Communications Training Center – Corry Field.

We had attended the Peach Bowl in Atlanta a couple of nights earlier. West Virginia beat South Carolina, 14-3. On our way back to Pensacola, we stopped at the Delt House (Delta Tau Delta) at Auburn for some lunch.

Twenty-one years later, I was back at Auburn about to attend a football game. After we mingled with the tailgaters, we made our way to Jordan-Hare Stadium. Ryan had left us earlier. He was a member of the Auburn band and had pre-game preparations to attend to.

Florida won the game that day, beating Auburn, 31-10. It was Steve Spurrier’s second season coaching Florida. It was Pat Dye’s next to last season coaching Auburn. The Tigers finished 5-6 that year after nine-straight winning seasons.

Tommy Bowden, remember him, was the offensive coordinator of Auburn in 1991. He later became the head coach at Tulane and Clemson. A guy named Wayne Hall was Auburn’s defensive coordinator.

Spurrier’s defensive coordinator was Ron Zook. The Gators went on to a 10-2 (7-0 in the SEC) season in 1991. Florida’s only loss during the season was to Syracuse, 38-21. Then the Gators lost the Sugar Bowl to Notre Dame, 39-28.

After the game, before returning to the Days Inn, we visited with Rockledge Gator’s sister and her family who lived in Auburn at the time. It was a fun weekend back in 1991.

This past weekend, the four of us celebrated our 25th anniversary with friends and acquaintances at the Laurel Oak Inn, our home-away-from-home in Gainesville. Bootsie made a cake for the occasion. Rockledge Gator brought an old football that he found at an antique shop. He spray painted the football silver – for our anniversary.

The football had been signed by Jack Eckdahl, who was Florida’s quarterback in 1967.

After stopping for lunch in Deland, we arrived in Gainesville Friday afternoon. Early that evening, we got together with Monta and Peggy Burt, Dan and Brenda Brown, Tom and Carol Stewart and Steve Kaplan at the Laurel Oak Inn to celebrate our 25th. Then the four of us went to dinner at Amelia’s.

Saturday was a perfect day for football. The temperature was just right. It was ideal football weather. And it was an ideal game too – Florida beat South Carolina, 20-3. The thrill of the game was Eddie Pineiro’s 54-yard field goal.

Almost two years to the date earlier, the four of us sat in almost the very same seats at Florida Field and watched Will Mustake lose to South Carolina. Mustake was coaching Florida then. It was the game that got him fired. Saturday, we watched Will Mustake lose again, this time to Florida. He’s coaching South Carolina now. Mustake never changes.

Back at the Laurel Oak Inn Saturday evening, Monta and Peggy treated us to a jambalaya and beef stew dinner. Peggy made the jambalaya and Monta made the beef stew. They both were excellent. Just to confirm it, I had two helpings of each.

Over breakfast Sunday morning, Rockledge Gator and I informed Bootsie and Swamp Mama of our plans for next season. We plan to rent an RV and drive around the southeast from football game to football game – a different location every weekend.

We’ll start on Labor Day weekend and wind up on Thanksgiving weekend. Bootsie and Swamp Mama said, “Well, what about us?”

We said they could come visit us when we do a game in Gainesville.

They decided that they would rent an RV and drive around the southeast, visiting quilt shops from Labor Day weekend to Thanksgiving weekend. I’m not sure who’s venture would be more expensive – theirs or ours?

After 25 years, we have a lot of moments to remember. But we never tore any goal posts down.

Three of the College Playoff Poll’s Top 4 teams lost Saturday, and for the first time too. It was an unbelievable day in college football – moments to remember. But not good moments for Clemson, Michigan and Washington.

Michigan (9-1) and Washington (9-1) had their offenses shut down. The Wolverines lost to Iowa 14-13, on a 33-yard field goal as time expired. Washington fell to USC, 26-13. It was the Huskies lowest point total all season. Washington’s offense was averaging 48.3 points a game.

Clemson (9-1) on the other hand had no trouble scoring. But neither did the Tigers opponent – Pitt. The Panthers outscored Clemson, 43-42. Deshaun Watson threw three interceptions.

The other two undefeated teams remained just that – undefeated. Alabama (10-0) had no trouble with Mississippi State. The Tide beat the Bulldogs, 51-3. Western Michigan (10-0) had to rally to down Kent State. The Broncos beat the Golden Flashes, 37-21.

Without a doubt, Alabama will remain the No. 1 team in the College Playoff Poll. But who will be second, third and fourth now?

And without a doubt, Western Michigan will remain the highest ranked Group of 5 team in the College Playoff Poll.

All six of the teams with one loss won over the weekend. Among the Power 5 teams, Louisville (9-1) beat Wake Forest, 44-12. Ohio State (9-1) downed Maryland, 62-3. West Virginia (8-1) edged Texas, 24-20.

Among the Group of 5 teams, Troy (8-1) survived Appalachian State, 28-24. Boise State (9-1) beat Hawaii, 52-16, and San Diego State (9-1) downed Nevada, 46-16.

This week, we have two undefeated teams and nine teams with one loss. Alabama hosts Chattanooga and Western Michigan entertains Buffalo. The Tide and the Broncos will remain undefeated – no worries, no doubts.

Among the nine “one-loss” teams, West Virginia, Louisville, San Diego State and Troy have challenges. West Virginia hosts Oklahoma (8-2). Louisville is on the road at Houston (8-2). San Diego State plays at Wyoming (7-3), and Troy hosts Arkansas State (5-4). Arkansas State has won five-consecutive games.

The other five “one-loss” teams should remain just that – one loss. Ohio State is at Michigan State (3-7). Michigan hosts Indiana (5-5). Washington entertains Arizona State (5-5). Clemson travels to Wake Forest (6-4), and Boise State is home against UNLV (4-6).

There were several exciting games over the weekend. Oklahoma State just got by Texas Tech, 45-44, when the Red Raiders missed the extra point attempt that would have tied the score at 45-45 with 1:44 left in the game.

Toledo improved to 8-2. Tied 24-24 with Northern Illinois, the Rockets scored a touchdown with 1:15 left in the game to beat the Huskies, 31-24.

There was one overtime game, but what an overtime it was. UNLV beat Wyoming 69-66 in three overtimes.

Georgia State fired coach Trent Miles Sunday. In his fourth season with the Panthers, Miles was 9-38, including a 2-8 mark this season.

It was good hearing recently from Jeff Grimm and Ken Burger. I really enjoyed meeting Scott Greenwood and Tom Tart outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Saturday before the South Carolina-Florida game. Scott is a Nebraska grad who has become a Florida fan. Tom is a former Florida football player from Valdosta, Georgia. He quarterbacked Valdosta to two state high school football championships. Both gentlemen live in Orlando.

As Swamp Mama and I were leaving our polling station last Tuesday, we met another Gator couple. They had just voted too. Swamp Mama was wearing a Gator shirt and the man said, “Go Gators.” We all stopped and started talking.

We told the couple we were going to the game this weekend. The man said, “We can’t let South Carolina beat us. That would be embarrassing, losing to Will Muschamp.”

I said, “Yes, that would be a Mustake.”

“We have these moments to remember.”

Enjoy your week!

Touchdown Tom
November 14, 2016
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Not perfect anymore – USC 26, Washington 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, USC 23). A good game through three quarters, USC only led 17-13 at the start of the fourth. But in the final quarter, the Trojans outscored the Huskies 9-0. With only 276 total yards, Washington was flat. The Huskies only managed 17 yards rushing. Both quarterbacks threw two interceptions each. Attendance in Seattle: 72,364

RUNNER UP: Hot Mayfield – Oklahoma 45, Baylor 24(Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Baylor 24). Oklahoma controlled the clock, but not necessarily the rest of the stats. Baylor played the Sooners pretty close in everything except the score. The teams combined for 1,057 total yards. OU’s Baker Mayfield completed 80% of his passes, throwing for 300 yards. The Sooners Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine rushed for 124 and 100 yards respectively. Oklahoma jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never trailed the rest of the game. Attendance in Norman: 86,249

REST OF THE BEST: No longer unbeaten – Pitt 43, Clemson 42 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 36, Pitt 21). Clemson led 42-34 at the end of three. But Pitt outscored the Tigers 9-0 in the final quarter. The teams combined for 1,094 total yards. But Clemson only had 50 yards rushing. Deshaun Watson passed for 580 yards, but he also threw three interceptions. Pitt quarterback Nathan Peterman passed for 308 yards. And the Panthers James Conner rushed for 132 yards. Attendance in Clemson: 81,048

Pink rules – Iowa 14, Michigan 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 30, Iowa 17). Michigan led 11-8 at the break. But Iowa held the Wolverines to only 3 points in the second half. The Hawkeyes Keith Duncan kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired to give Iowa the win. Iowa’s defense limited Michigan to only 201 total yards. Attendance in Iowa City: 70,585

Déjà vu all over again – Nebraska 24, Minnesota 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Minnesota 27). At home this season, Nebraska has often trailed at the half. Against Minnesota, the Huskers were down 17-10 at the break. But Nebraska always seems to find itself in the second half. The Huskers outscored the Gophers 14-0 in the final two quarters. The Black Shirts held Minnesota to 85 yards rushing. Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Lincoln: 90,456

He’s Worth it – Navy 42, Tulsa 40 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 35, Tulsa 34). What a game! Navy led 28-27 at the end of the third quarter. Then the Middies outscored Tulsa by one point in the fourth – 14-13. The teams combined for 1,077 total yards. Tulsa’s Dane Evans passed for 369 yards. Navy quarterback Will Worth rushed for 122 yards. Attendance in Annapolis: 36,397

These Trojans won too – Troy 28, Appalachian State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Appalachian State 33, Troy 27). Tied 14-14 at the break, Troy escaped with a 14-10 advantage in the second half. The teams were reasonably even in the stats. Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers passed for 229 yards and running back Jordan Chunn rushed for 129 yards. Attendance in Troy: 25,782

Beautiful Flowers – South Florida 49, Memphis 42 (Touchdown Tom said: South Florida 27, Memphis 24). The game was close throughout. Memphis took its first and only lead at 31-28 midway through the third quarter. Midway through the fourth quarter, the game was tied 42-42. South Florida scored the winning touchdown with 1:46 left in the game. The teams combined for 1,287 total yards. USF quarterback Quinton Flowers passed for 263 yards and rushed for 210 yards. Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson passed for 331 yards. Attendance in Memphis: 37,218

So long Charlie – West Virginia 24, Texas 20 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Texas 27). West Virginia went ahead 10-3 late in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game. With the Mounties leading 24-20 at the end of the third, neither team scored in the fourth quarter. West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard threw three interceptions, something he has no business doing as an experienced senior. Texas’ D’Onta Foreman rushed for 167 yards. Attendance in Austin: 96,367

The Gus Bus broke down – Georgia 13, Auburn 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 30, Georgia 20). Auburn led 7-0 at the break. But it was all Georgia in the second half – the Dawgs skunked the Tigers, 13-0. Auburn’s offense was flat. Georgia held the Tigers to 164 total yards – only 37 passing. Auburn’s Sean White was 6-for-20 passing. The Tigers six-game winning streak came to an end. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Devils cooled – Utah 49, Arizona State 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 36, Arizona State 23). Through three quarters, this was a good game. Arizona State led 13-0 at the end of the first quarter. Utah led 21-20 at the half. At the end of three it was Utah – 28-26. Then the Utes skunked the Devils in the fourth quarter, 21-0. Utah running back Joe Williams rushed for 181 yards. Attendance in Tempe: 48,220

Lions bloom in Bloomington – Penn State 45, Indiana 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 32, Indiana 26). Indiana led 24-21 at the end of the third. Penn State outscored the Hoosiers 24-7 in the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth, Indiana led 31-28, before the Nittany Lions scored 17 unanswered points all late in the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers held Penn State to 77 yards rushing. But Lions quarterback Trace McSorley passed for 332 yards. Attendance in Bloomington: 40,678


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Swat-less in Blacksburg – Georgia Tech 30, Virginia Tech 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 35, Georgia Tech 25). Georgia Tech blanked Virginia Tech in the first half. The Jackets led 21-0 at the break. The Hokies rallied in the second half, but fell short. Georgia Tech led 30-7 early in the fourth quarter. Virginia Tech rallied with two touchdowns late in the fourth. The Hokies suffered four turnovers. The Jackets Marcus Marshall and Mathew Jordan rushed for 143 and 121 yards respectively. Virginia Tech’s Jerod Evans threw for 316 yards, but also tossed two interceptions. Attendance in Blacksburg: 65,632

Tigers shred the Pork – LSU 38, Arkansas 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 20, LSU 17). LSU ran all over Arkansas. The Tigers had 547 total yards to 291 for the Hogs, and 23 first downs to 13 for Arkansas. LSU running back Derrius Guice rushed for 252 yards. Attendance in Fayetteville: 75,156


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

What a Mustake – Florida 20, South Carolina 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 24, South Carolina 16). Florida had a good first half. The Gators led South Carolina 14-0 at the break. But Florida got sloppy in the second half. The Gamecocks outscored the Gators 7-6 after the break. The highlight for Florida in the second half was Eddie Pineiro’s 54-yard field goal. The Gators defense held South Carolina to 43 yards rushing. Florida’s Jordan Scarlett rushed for 134 yards. Attendance in Gainesville: 89,614

Bruised Heels – Duke 28, North Carolina 27 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 34, Duke 25). This was all North Carolina’s game in the first quarter. The Tar Heels led 14-0. But at halftime, the score was 21-21. The Dookies won the third quarter, 7-6. The fourth quarter was a stalemate. Heels running back Elijah Hood was a no-show, and quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw two interceptions. The Dookies dominated the stats, including time of possession. Attendance in Durham: 39,212

Breakdown in the Boiler room – Northwestern 45, Purdue 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 26, Purdue 17). Purdue led at the end of the first quarter, 10-7. But it was all Northwestern after that. The Wildcats outscored the Boilers 38-7 in the remaining three quarters, racking up 605 total yards. Wildcats quarterback Clayton Thorson passed for 352 yards. Northwestern’s Justin Jackson and John Moten rushed for 127 and 119 yards respectively. Attendance in West Lafayette: 30,548

Week 11 Results: 9 correct picks, 8 fumbles (52.9 percent)
For the Season: 123 correct picks, 68 fumbles (64.4 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida State 45, Boston College 7 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 73,917
UCF 24, Cincinnati 3 – Attendance in Orlando: 30,346
Miami 34, Virginia 14 – Attendance in Charlottesville: 39,867

Valparaiso 42, Jacksonville U. 39 – Attendance in Valparaiso: 1,380
Florida Tech 42, Delta State 16 – Attendance in Melbourne: 4,026

San Diego 42, Stetson 7 – Attendance in San Diego: 2,288
Florida A&M 22, Morgan State 21 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 16,879
Florida Atlantic 35, UTEP 31 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 9,122


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Eastern Michigan’s Brogan Roback – 37-71-0 for 468 yards; California’s Davis Webb – 34-53-1-425; Georgia State’s Conner Manning – 19-30-0-422; Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 20-28-0-395, and Ball State’s Riley Neal – 30-50-2-393.

Colorado State’s Nick Stevens – 22-29-1 for 374 yards; Washington State’s Luke Falk – 36-50-1-373; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 16-27-1-369; Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson – 23-36-2-352; Alabama’s Jalen Hurts – 28-37-1-347, and Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes – 34-51-0-344.

NC State’s Ryan Finley – 20-29-0 for 340 yards; Boise State’s Brett Rypien – 18-22-0-338; Ole Miss’ Shea Patterson – 25-42-1-338; Idaho’s Matt Linehan – 26-33-0-336; Penn State’s Trace McSorley – 16-30-2-332, and Memphis’ Riley Ferguson – 29-46-1-331.


Impressive Rushers:

LSU’s Derrius Guice – 252 yards; UTEP’s Aaron Jones – 229 yards; South Florida’s Quinton Flowers – 210 yards; San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny – 208 yards; Louisiana-Monroe’s Thomas Koufie – 201 yards, and San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 198 yards.

Air Force’s Timothy McVey – 184 yards; Utah’s Joe Williams – 181 yards; Iowa State’s David Montgomery –169 yards; New Mexico State’s Larry Rose – 168 yards; Texas’ D’Onta Foreman – 167 yards, and UNLV’s Kurt Palandech – 157 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Bobby Petrino, do everyone a big favor and shut up,” Paul Finebaum.

“Make the SEC East great again,” Paul Finebaum.

“The school has no moral compass. The school has no decency,” Paul Finebaum, on Baylor.

“I think this is the year. Now the question is not will he get another coaching job? It’ll be at what level does he jump back into it? How high a level? Is someone at an LSU or someplace like that going to take the chance of bringing him back?,” Tony Barnhart, on Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.


Quote from the Past

“When you win, nothing hurts,” Alabama player Joe Namath.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oklahoma (8-2) at West Virginia (8-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Both of these teams have a remote chance of making the playoffs. That is, the winner still has a chance. The loser can forget it. Both are coming off big wins – Oklahoma over Baylor and WVU over Texas. Skyler Howard cannot afford to throw one interception this week, let alone three. West Virginia has beaten Oklahoma – twice – but not since the Mounties have been in the Big 12. There’s always a first time – West Virginia 34, Oklahoma 29.

RUNNER UP: 2. Washington State (8-2) at Colorado (8-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, Fox – Two surprise teams from the Pac-12. Back in August, no one thought either of these two would be 8-2 right now. Well, maybe they did. Washington State has the better offense. Colorado has the better defense. This should be a heck of a game. Ralphie rules – Colorado 26, Washington State 25.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Louisville (9-1) at Houston (8-2) – (ACC vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Last year Houston beat Louisville in Louisville. This year Louisville beats Houston in Houston. Lamar rules – Louisville 37, Houston 32.

4. Florida (7-2) at LSU (6-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – If the Gators win, Florida wins the SEC East. Of course that means they have to play Alabama. If LSU wins, then Tennessee most likely wins the SEC East. I can’t see the Vols losing to Missouri or Vanderbilt. Of course that means the Vols would have to lose to Alabama again. Orgeron’s got a good thing going – LSU 20, Florida 9.

5. San Diego State (9-1) at Wyoming (7-3) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – Wyoming knocked off Boise State. The Cowboys can be dangerous. But the Aztecs can be dangerous too – San Diego State 33, Wyoming 25.

6. Indiana (5-5) at Michigan (9-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Hoosiers like to scare the big teams early in the game. But they can never hold on and win. And you just know Harbaugh is going to be mad after the loss to Iowa. Poor Hoosiers – Michigan 36, Indiana 16.

7. Oklahoma State (8-2) at TCU (5-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Oklahoma State is in good position to win the Big 12. Of course, the Cowboys have to win out. But they can do it. The Horned Frogs won’t stop them – Oklahoma State 31, TCU 24.

8. Tulsa (7-3) at UCF (6-4) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN News – Tulsa lost a tough one to Navy. That was a hard fought game. UCF will be a hard fought game. The Knights are one of the most improved teams in the country. But they haven’t improved quite enough – Tulsa 27, UCF 26.

9. Arkansas State (5-4) at Troy (8-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 9:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPNU – Troy has an amazing team this year. The Trojans are for real. But after starting 0-4, Arkansas State has become for real too. The Red Wolves have won five straight. Both teams are playing well. The Trojans are playing better – Troy 30, Arkansas State 23.

10. Northwestern (5-5) at Minnesota (7-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – This can could go either way. It really could. Northwestern is vastly improved since the first of the season. Minnesota remains stable. The Gophers get ’em – Minnesota 23, Northwestern 20.

11. New Mexico (7-3) at Colorado State (5-5) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 10:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – New Mexico is playing good football this year – better than expected. And Colorado State has been improving. This will be a tough game. The Lobos pull it out – New Mexico 28, Colorado State 26.

12. Ohio (7-3) at Central Michigan (5-5) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 7 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN2 – Frank Solich has another good team at Ohio. The Bobcats are playing good football at the end of the season. CMU has been up and down. The Chipps are down this week – Ohio 29, Central Michigan 22.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. USC (7-3) at UCLA (4-6) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – USC has the better record. And the Trojans have been playing better lately. UCLA has had its problems. But, anybody could win this game. That’s the way it is between these two. The Trojans are on a roll – USC 33, UCLA 19.

14. Stanford (7-3) at California (4-6) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 5:30 pm ET, Saturday, P12N – Stanford started out tough, then lost its way. The Trees seem to have found themselves again. Cal started tough too and then lost its way. The Bears haven’t found themselves yet. Still this is a tough one for both teams. McCaffrey rules – Stanford 30, California 26.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Maryland (5-5) at Nebraska (8-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN News – Now it’s Nebraska’s turn to beat up Maryland. It seems like everybody in the Big Ten has been beating up Maryland. Huskers won’t start out slow in this game – Nebraska 36, Maryland 14.

Duke (4-6) at Pitt (6-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Maybe Pitt will have a letdown this week. Of course maybe the Dookies will too. Both got unexpected wins last week. The expected wins this week – Pitt 29, Duke 25.

Louisiana-Lafayette (4-5) at Georgia (6-4) – (SEC vs. Sun Belt) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN – A breather for the Dawgs. ULL is not a threat this year. Of course we said that about Nichols too. Uga drools – Georgia 30, Louisiana-Lafayette 15.

Texas (5-5) at Kansas (1-9) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2 – Charlie Strong hasn’t won a lot this year, but he wins this one. Granted, Kansas has been improving. But the Jayhawks haven’t improved that much. The Horns become bowl eligible – Texas 33, Kansas 20.

Wisconsin (8-2) at Purdue (3-7) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Now it is Wisconsin’s turn to beat up Purdue. It’s been a tough year for the Boilers. And it is about to get tougher – Wisconsin 32, Purdue 13.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Marist (5-5) at Jacksonville U. (4-5) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Miami (6-4) at NC State (5-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….

Drake (6-4) at Stetson (4-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Bethune-Cookman (3-5) vs. Florida A&M (4-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 2 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN Classic….
Florida State (7-3) at Syracuse (4-6) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2….

Old Dominion (7-3) at Florida Atlantic (3-7) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6 pm ET, Saturday….
South Florida (8-2) at SMU (5-5) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Marshall (3-7) at Florida International (3-7) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….

North Greenville (7-4) at Florida Tech (8-2) – (Division II Playoff) – Saturday….

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were four passings of note last week – Janet Reno, Leonard Cohen, Robert Vaughn and Leon Russell.

Janet Reno, who rose from a rustic life on the edge of the Everglades to become attorney general of the United States – the first woman to hold the job – died last week at her home in Miami-Dade County, Florida. She was 78. She served in the Clinton cabinet for two terms, longer than any attorney general in the previous 150 years. Before becoming attorney general, Reno was the Dade County state attorney for 14 years. Janet Reno was born in Miami on July 21, 1938. Reno attended Cornell University, graduating in 1960 with a degree in chemistry. She went on to Harvard Law School, graduating in 1963.

Leonard Cohen, the Canadian poet and novelist who abandoned a promising literary career to become a songwriter, died last week at his home in Los Angeles. He was 82. Over a musical career that spanned more than 45 years, Cohen wrote scores of songs. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Judy Collins, Tim Hardin, U2, Elton John, Sting, Trisha Yearwood, REM, Jeff Buckley and Aretha Franklin, among others. Cohen’s best-known song is “Hallelujah,” a majestic meditative ballad infused with both religiosity and earthiness. He wrote the song in 1984, but it was not popularized until 10 years later when Jeff Buckley recorded it. Some 200 artists have recorded the song. A book has been written about it and the song has been featured in the soundtracks of movies and television shows. Leonard Norman Cohen was born in Montreal on September 21, 1934. In 1951, he was admitted to McGill University, where he studied English. After graduation from McGill, Cohen moved to New York City, where he studied literature at Columbia University for a year. After a sojourn to London, Cohen ended up living on the Greek island of Hydra.

Robert Vaughn, the actor who reached the peak of his fame in the 1960s playing Napoleon Solo in the hit series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” died last week in Danbury, Connecticut. He was 83. Vaughn had numerous roles in film and on television. He appeared on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and was in the movie “The Magnificent Seven” (1960). He was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in “The Young Philadelphians” (1959), and won an Emmy in 1978 for his performance in “Washington: Behind Closed Doors.” But no character Vaughn played was as popular as Napoleon Solo. Robert Francis Vaughn was born on November 2, 1932, in New York City. As an infant, his parents divorced and he moved with his mother to Minneapolis. He graduated from Los Angeles City College in 1956. During his early days in Los Angeles, Vaughn became friends with Johnny Carson, Natalie Wood, Bette Davis and James Coburn. He eventually earned a doctorate in communications from the University of Southern California. Two of his other movies were “Bullit” (1968) and “The Towering Inferno” (1974).

Leon Russell, the pianist, guitarist, songwriter and bandleader who moved from playing recording sessions to making hits on his own, died Sunday in Nashville. He was 74. Russell became a flamboyant figure in the early 1970s. He led Joe Cocker’s band Mad Dogs & Englishmen, appeared at George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh in New York City and had numerous hits of his own, including “Tight Rope.” Many of his songs became hits for others, among them “Superstar” (written with Bonnie Bramlett) for the Carpenters, “Delta Lady” for Cocker and “This Masquerade” for George Benson. More than 100 acts have recorded Russell’s “A Song for You.” By 1970, he had played sessions for Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, the Ventures and the Monkees, among many others. Russell’s piano playing is heard on “Mr. Tambourine Man” by the Byrds, “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert, “Live with Me” by the Rolling Stones and all of the Beach Boys early albums. He was born Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Oklahoma, on April 2, 1942. He began playing musical instruments at an early age. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950s.