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.