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
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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.