College Football Week 2 – Deondre Francois out for the season
The winner takes it all,
the loser’s standing small

I know it was only opening weekend. There is still a lot of football to be played. It’s a long season. But opening weekend is always a special weekend in college football. There were a lot of winners – players, coaches and teams – who got the season off to a great and memorable start.

And yes, there were a lot of losers too.

To quote Abba:

“A big thing or a small
The winner takes it all”

The biggest winner of all over the weekend had to be USC backup long-snapper Jake Olson. Olson is totally blind. He has been since age 12. Late in the fourth quarter Saturday, after the Trojans returned an interception for a touchdown to put a once close game out of reach, Olson took the field for the extra point. His snap was clean and the USC kicker put the ball through the uprights.

Another big winner was Western Michigan – for two reasons. First, Western Michigan coach Tim Lester, in his first season with the Broncos, had agreed before the game, if Olson was put in for the long snap, that his players wouldn’t rush the kicker.

Second, even though WMU lost to USC, the Broncos scared the daylights out of the Trojans. Heavy underdogs going into the game, Western Michigan was tied, 28-28, with USC, with just 7 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. With 4 minutes to go in the game, the Broncos trailed the Trojans by only 4 points – 35-31. Western Michigan was a winner, playing as good as it did against USC.

Ultimately, USC scored two touchdowns in the closing minutes of the game to beat WMU, 49-31. It was on the final touchdown when Olson was put in to handle the long snap for the extra point kick.

Two other teams were winners, in spite of losing. Thursday night, Indiana, and its quarterback, Richard Lagow, won our hearts, playing as well as they did for three quarters against a heavily favored Ohio State. The Hoosiers led the Buckeyes, 21-20, late in the third quarter. Ohio State went on to win, 49-21. Lagow finished the game, passing for 410 yards.

Saturday, Purdue, a big underdog to Louisville, inspired us with its gutsy play against the Cardinals. The Boilermakers, under new coach Jeff Brohm, led Louisville throughout most of the game and were still winning, 28-25 early in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals ultimately won 35-28.

Then there were the surprise winners – the teams that won even though they weren’t supposed to – Maryland, Liberty and Howard.

Maryland went out to Austin, a heavy underdog to Texas. When the game was over, the Terps beat the Longhorns, 51-41. Another school – Liberty – traveled out to Texas for a game. Liberty, a school in the process of transitioning up to FBS, played Baylor in Waco. When the game was over, little Liberty had knocked off Baylor, 48-45. Liberty quarterback Stephen Calvert passed for 447 yards. Liberty is coached by former Nebraska quarterback and Buffalo and Kansas coach Turner Gill.

Last but not least, Howard, an FCS school out of Washington, D.C., traveled out to Las Vegas and stunned UNLV, 43-40. Howard is coached by former Virginia coach Mike London. My hat is off to Maryland, Liberty and Howard.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all occurred Sunday night in the Texas A&M-UCLA game. The Bruins beat the Aggies, 45-44. It was a surprise because with less than three minutes to go in the third quarter, A&M was handily on top of UCLA, 44-10. Led by their quarterback Josh Rosen, the Bruins engineered five touchdowns with 17 minutes and six seconds left in the game to pull off the win. Rosen finished the game with 491 yards passing.

Of course, Alabama had a big win in its victory over Florida State, 24-7, as did Michigan in its defeat of Florida, 33-17. Virginia Tech was a big winner too, beating West Virginia, 31-24.

Among the coaches, new California coach Justin Wilcox was a winner. Wilcox took his Bears into Chapel Hill and beat North Carolina, 35-30. Add Maryland coach D.J. Durkin to the winners list too.

Along with Josh Rosen and Stephen Calvert, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock was a big winner. Lock passed for an amazing 521 yards in Missouri’s 72-43 win over Missouri State. Navy quarterback Zach Abey was a big winner, rushing for 225 yards in the Middies 42-19 win over Florida Atlantic.

Speaking of rushing, Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins was a winner, rushing for 181 yards against Indiana.

“The winner takes it all
The loser has to fall”

Then there were the weekend’s big losers. Where do you start – Kevin Sumlin, Tom Herman, Jim McElwain or Matt Rhule?

After UCLA erased a 34-point deficit in the final quarter and two minutes of the game to beat Texas A&M, Sumlin has to be the biggest loser of the weekend. So much so that a Texas A&M regent has already called for Sumlin’s firing.

Tom Herman became the head coach of Texas this year with so much hype. All that hype quickly went down the drain Saturday when the Longhorns lost to Maryland. Texas fans are wondering if they made a mistake hiring Herman.

Jim McElwain began his third season at Florida on Saturday. A few things are apparent. The Will Muschamp defense that saved McElwain in his first two seasons has dissipated. It’s gone. Florida had no defense against Michigan. During McElwain’s first two seasons in Gainesville, the Gators offense was stuck in neutral. Guess what? McElwain’s offense is still stuck in neutral. It’s going nowhere. The Bull Gators are angry.

Following success at Temple, Matt Rhule was hired at Baylor to get the Bears program back on track. In Rhule’s first game, Baylor loses to Liberty.

Two well-known former coaches – Butch Davis and Lane Kiffin – were big losers over the weekend in their debuts with their new schools. Davis fell, as his Florida International team lost to UCF, 61-17. Kiffin fared no better, as his Florida Atlantic team lost to Navy, 42-19.

Speaking of Davis and Kiffin, I came across an interesting piece of information about the coaches at all seven of the FBS schools in Florida. Each of them has been associated with a national championship as a coach or a player.

Check this out:

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach under Nick Saban at LSU when the Tigers won the national title in 2003. Then Fisher coached Florida State to a national championship in 2013.

Florida coach Jim McElwain was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach under Nick Saban at Alabama when the Crimson Tide won national titles in 2008 and 2011. Miami coach Mark Richt was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Florida State under Bobby Bowden when the Seminoles won national championships in 1993 and 1999.

UCF coach Scott Frost was the quarterback of the Nebraska team that won the national title in 1997. His coach was Tom Osborne. South Florida coach Charlie Strong was the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach under Urban Meyer when the Gators won their national titles in 2006 and 2008.

Florida International coach Butch Davis was the defensive line coach under Jimmy Johnson when Miami (Florida) won the national championship in 1987. And finally, Lane Kiffin was the wide receivers coach under Pete Carroll at USC when the Trojans won the national title in 2004 and the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach under Nick Saban when Alabama won its national title in 2015.

No other state with multiple FBS schools can make this claim.

And speaking of winners and losers, how did the Power Five conferences fare over the weekend against non-conference competition?

Pac-12: 11-0 (Stanford did not play)
Big Ten: 11-1 (Ohio State and Indiana played each other)
SEC: 12-2
ACC: 10-4
Big 12: 7-3

FOX Sports has hired former LSU coach Les Miles, former Oregon coach Mark Helfrich and former ESPN commentator Danny Kanell to be game analysts this fall.

The last name of Tulsa’s quarterback is President – Chad President. People address him as Mr. President. The last name of Maryland’s quarterback is Pigrome – Tyrrell Pigrome. His friends and the media address him as Piggie.

We lost two coaching giants in college basketball last week – Michigan State’s Jud Heathcote and Villanova’s Rollie Massimino (see Post Scripts below). Both won national championships – Heathcote in 1979 and Massimino in 1985.

It was good hearing from Tim Muth and Kim Mallory last week.

After Florida lost to Michigan on Saturday, I texted Rockledge Gator, “McElwain may get fired this season.”

Rockledge Gator responded, “To quote Ron Zook: ‘There will be noise in the system’.”

“So the winner takes it all
The loser has to fall”

Touchdown Tom
September 5, 2017
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: S-E-C, S-E-C – Alabama 24, Florida State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 20, Florida State 17). Looking at the stats, Alabama and Florida State were as about as even as you can get. Bama was the better running team and FSU was the better passing team, but in total yards they were about the same. First downs were about the same, penalty yardage was the same and time of possession was pretty close. The big difference between the two teams – mistakes. While Bama played a perfect game, FSU had three turnovers – two picks and one fumble. Therein was the difference. And a big difference it was. The three mistakes basically caused FSU the game. The game was a classic defensive battle. Neither team had more than 269 yards of total offense. Now, will the two teams meet again in January? FSU quarterback Deondre Francois suffered a knee injury late in the game and is out for the season. Attendance in Atlanta: 76,330

RUNNER-UP: No bait for the Gators – Michigan 33, Florida 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 23, Michigan 20). It’s no wonder Jim McElwain couldn’t name a starting quarterback until two days before the game. None of his quarterbacks are any good. At least they weren’t on Saturday – not the two who played against Michigan. We knew that Florida was missing its No. 1 running back and No. 1 receiver due to suspension. We didn’t know that Florida was missing an offensive line and a defense. The Gators only touchdowns came off two gifts from Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight. Those two scores, along with an Eddy Pineiro field goal, enabled Florida to hold a 17-13 lead at halftime. But it was all Wolverines in the second half. Michigan outscored Florida 20-0 in the final two periods. Michigan outgained Florida 433 yards to 192. The Gators only had 11 yards rushing. Attendance in Arlington: 75,802

REST OF THE BEST: Hokies make a FedEx delivery – Virginia Tech 31, West Virginia 24 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 21). How do you have 592 total yards on offense and lose the game? You’ll have to ask Dana Holgorsen. With the game tied 24-24, Virginia Tech scored the go ahead touchdown with 6:30 left on the clock and held on to win. Time ran out for the Mountaineers on the Hokie goal line. WVU quarterback Will Grier passed for 371 yards. WVU’s defense lacked consistency. Attendance in Landover: 67,489

BY Who? – LSU 27, BYU 0 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 30, BYU 17). After a scoreless first quarter, LSU took charge and silenced BYU for the remainder of the game. The Tigers had 26 first downs to 6 for the Cougars and 497 total yards to only 96 for BYU. BYU was -5 yards rushing. LSU controlled the clock for 42 minutes. Attendance in Houston: 53,826

Jackets not required – Tennessee 42, Georgia Tech 41 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 27, Georgia Tech 17). They saved the longest game of the weekend to the last. In the only multiple overtime game of the weekend, Tennessee beat Georgia Tech in double overtime last night. In the second overtime, Georgia Tech attempted a two-point conversion to win the game. But the conversion attempt failed, giving the Vols the victory. Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall rushed for 249 yards and running back KirVonte Benson rushed for 124 yards. Tennessee running back John Kelly rushed for 128 yards. Attendance in Atlanta: 75,107

Are you kidding me – UCLA 45, Texas A&M 44 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 30, Texas A&M 25). How do you lose a game when you have a 44-10 lead with less than 3 minutes to go in the third quarter? You’ll have to ask Kevin Sumlin before he gets fired. Yes, trailing 44-10, UCLA scored 35 points (5 touchdowns) in the final 17 minutes and 6 seconds of the game. The game-winning touchdown was scored with 43 seconds on the clock. Four of the 5 touchdowns were scored on passes by Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen. Rosen finished with 491 yards passing. UCLA only had 63 yards rushing. Conversely, A&M had 382 yards rushing, but only 89 yards passing. Aggies running back Trayveon Williams rushed for 203 yards. Three fumbles hurt the Bruins in the early stages of the game. Attendance in Pasadena: 64,635

Rockin’ Dobbins – Ohio State 49, Indiana 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Indiana 16). The Buckeyes saved the best for last, scoring 36 of their 49 points in the second half. Ohio State trailed Indiana, 14-13, at the end of the first half. The two teams combined for 1,033 yards on offense. But the Hoosiers only had 68 yards rushing. Therein was the big difference in the game. Three Indiana turnovers (none for Ohio State) hurt the Hoosiers too. Both quarterbacks – Indiana’s Richard Lagow and Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett – were on the money. But Ohio State’s J.K. Robbins won the jackpot, rushing for 181 yards. Attendance in Bloomington: 52,929

The Firm of Rudolph, Hill & Washington – Oklahoma State 59, Tulsa 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 35, Tulsa 20). Wow! The passing of Mason Rudolph (303 yards), the rushing of Justice Hill (132 yards) and the receiving of James Washington (145 yards) for Oklahoma State was incredible. Okie State’s offense is awesome, but the Cowboys defense is questionable. The two teams combined for 1,072 yards on offense. Attendance in Stillwater: 56,790

Fromm’s the man – Georgia 31, Appalachian State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 28, Appalachian State 15). Georgia lost starting quarterback Jacob Eason in the first quarter. Eason suffered a sprained knee. But it wasn’t a problem for the Dawgs. Freshman Jake Fromm entered the game and led Georgia to a 31-0 lead at the end of the third quarter. Appalachian State’s only 10 points came in the final 6 minutes of the fourth quarter. Apparently a number of Georgia fans thought Fromm should have been the starting quarterback to begin with. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Little Red Cocky Hood – South Carolina 35, NC State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, NC State 22). How did South Carolina win this game? NC State had 29 first downs to 12 for South Carolina. The Wolfpack had 504 yards of offense to only 246 for the Gamecocks. NC State controlled time of possession – 37 minutes to 23 minutes. The Wolfpack held South Carolina to 31 yards rushing, while NC State’s Ryan Finley passed for 415 yards. The game was tied 14-14 at the end of one and 21-21 at the break. But the Gamecocks led 35-21 at the end of three. Attendance in Charlotte: 50,367

Stunned in Austin – Maryland 51, Texas 41 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 30, Maryland 18). The surprising Terps jumped out to a 30-14 halftime lead over Texas. But the Longhorns fought back and trailed by just three – 37-34 – at the end of the third quarter. However, Maryland wasn’t finished. The Terps caught fire again and built up a 51-34 lead with 2 minutes left in the game. Maryland’s offense was well-balanced, while Texas had no running game. The Longhorns quarterback Shane Buechele passed for 375 yards in the loss. Attendance in Austin: 88,396

Buffs rule – Colorado 17, Colorado State 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Colorado 29, Colorado State 26). In a strange game, all the scoring took place in the first half. After Colorado State’s impressive win over Oregon State last week, the Rams were a disappointment against their intrastate rivals. The teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats. Colorado State’s Nick Stevens passed for 309 yards, while the Buffaloes Philip Lindsay rushed for 140 yards. Attendance in Denver: 73,932


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Smiling in South Bend – Notre Dame 49, Temple 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Temple 20). Notre Dame had three players rush for more than 100 yards, as the Irish piled up 606 yards of total offense. Running backs Josh Adams and Dexter Williams rushed for 161 and 124 yards respectively. Quarterback Brandon Wimbush added another 106 yards rushing. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Cutting it close – Nebraska 43, Arkansas State 36 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 32, Arkansas State 16). As much as the Huskers tried, they couldn’t quite shake Arkansas State. After the Red Wolves held a couple first quarter leads, Nebraska took the lead for good at 17-14 near the end of the first quarter. The Huskers went on to build on the lead, but Arkansas State kept things close, thanks to a shaky Huskers pass defense. Red Wolves quarterback Justice Hansen passed for 415 yards. But Nebraska running back Tre Bryant kept things in control for the Huskers. Bryant rushed for 192 yards. Nebraska had a well-balanced attack – 225 yards rushing and 238 passing. Attendance in Lincoln: 90,171

Dukes of Durham – Duke 60, North Carolina Central 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, North Carolina Central 14). No competition for the Dookies. The Devils had a 40-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The Dookies amassed 524 total yards with 243 yards rushing and 281 passing. The Devils had 30 first downs in the game. Attendance in Durham: 30,477

Closer than expected – Louisville 35, Purdue 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 37, Purdue 16). Purdue couldn’t stop Lamar Jackson, but Louisville couldn’t stop the Boilers. Purdue actually led through most of the game. The Cardinals took the lead for good – 32-28 – with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Louisville’s Jackson passed for 378 yards and rushed for 107. The Cardinals had a balanced attack, while Purdue was all passing. The Boilers had no running game. Attendance in Indianapolis: 37,394

Week 1 Results: 13 correct picks, 3 fumbles (81.5 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF 61, Florida International 17 – Attendance in Orlando: 38,063
Mercer 48, Jacksonville U. 7 – Attendance in Macon: 9,727
Arkansas 49, Florida A&M 7 – Attendance in Little Rock: 36,055
Navy 42, Florida Atlantic 19 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 28,481
Miami 41, Bethune-Cookman 13 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 50,454
South Florida 31, Stony Brook 17 – Attendance in Tampa: 26,460
Sacred Heart 42, Stetson 3 – Attendance in Fairfield: 2,992
Florida Tech 44, Virginia-Lynchburg 0 – Attendance in Melbourne: 1,230


Superlatives

Weekend’s Best Passers:

Missouri’s Drew Lock – 21-34-1 for 521 yards; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 35-58-0-491; Liberty’s Stephen Calvert – 44-60-0-447; Ole Miss’ Shea Patterson – 28-35-0-429; NC State’s Ryan Finley – 46-64-0-415; Arkansas State’s Justice Hansen – 46-68-2-415; Indiana’s Richard Lagow – 40-65-2-410, and New Mexico State’s Tyler Rogers – 40-57-2-398.

Also, Texas Tech’s Nic Shimonek – 26-30-0 for 384 yards; Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 30-46-0-378; West Virginia’s Will Grier – 31-53-1-371; Kansas’ Peyton Bender – 23-37-2-364; California’s Ross Bowers – 24-38-2-363; UCF’s McKenzie Milton – 16-21-1-360, and Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson – 28-38-1-352.

Also, Kansas State’s Jesse Ertz – 10-16-0 for 333 yards; Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield – 19-20-0-329; Syracuse’s Eric Dungey – 28-36-0-328; Texas’ Shane Buechele – 34-52-1-325; Massachusetts’ Andrew Ford – 25-44-0-316, and Toledo’s Logan Woodside – 19-31-0-314.

Weekend’s Best Rushers:

Georgia Tech’s TaQuon Marshall – 249 yards; Navy’s Zach Abey – 235 yards; Texas A&M’s Trayveon Williams – 203 yards; Missouri’s Damarea Crockett – 202 yards; Hawaii’s Diocemy Saint Juste – 202 yards; San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny – 197 yards, and Nebraska’s Tre Bryant – 192 yards.

Also, Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins – 181 yards; Army’s Ahmad Bradshaw – 177; North Texas’ Jeffrey Wilson – 176 yards; Penn State’s Saquon Barkley – 172 yards; Memphis’ Darrell Henderson – 169 yards; Notre Dame’s Josh Adams – 161 yards; USC’s Ronald Jones – 159, and Oregon’s Royce Freeman – 151 yards.

Also, UNLV’s Lexington Thomas – 151 yards; Coastal Carolina’s Osharmar Abercrombie – 149 yards; Miami of Florida’s Mark Walton – 148 yards; Central Michigan’s Jonathan Ward – 147 yards, and Idaho’s Aaron Duckworth – 142 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Beer is brain food,” Endeavour.

“Georgia is not going to win 10 games. I’ll be surprised if they win nine,” college football analyst Danny Sheridan.

“No, I doubt very seriously that would ever happen. In fact, I just moved into a new house down here in Gainesville yesterday that my wife is thrilled about being able to design. I’m comfortable here in Gainesville. Very unlikely to happen,” Steve Spurrier, on rumors that he would like to return to the sidelines as an offensive coordinator for a college football team.

“Indiana has the best combination of quarterback and receivers that Ohio State will face this season,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, during the Ohio State-Indiana game.

“I think things could get really, really ugly for McElwain. The game against Tennessee on September 16 looms massive for both Butch Jones and McElwain. To me, that’s a linchpin game for both teams and for both coaches. If Tennessee were able to beat Florida for a second straight year and the Gators were 1-2 going on the road at Kentucky, the swords would be out for McElwain. Can anyone imagine Chip Kelly in Gainesville?” Outkick the Coverage writer Clay Travis.

“If you get out-coached by Jim Mora, you’re doing something wrong,” CBS Sports writer Barrett Sallee.

“Jim Harbaugh wiped the floor with Jim McElwain,” Paul Finebaum.


Signs of the Week

Why do Bama fans have TGIF on their shoes? Toes Go In First

Florida Smells Like Old People


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oklahoma (1-0) at Ohio State (1-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – This was supposed to be a good game last year. It wasn’t. Ohio State won 45-24. That game was in Norman, with Bob Stoops coaching the Sooners. This game is in Columbus, with Lincoln Riley coaching OU. Both teams looked good in their openers, but the Buckeyes got off to a slow start. Granted, Ohio State had the more formidable opponent. This game could make or break Baker Mayfield’s Heisman hopes. It could make J.K. Dobbins a Heisman contender. Dobbins got off to a good start last week, rushing for 181 yards. The Buckeyes win this year in a closer contest – Ohio State 35, Oklahoma 31.

RUNNER-UP: 2. Auburn (1-0) at Clemson (1-0) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Last year, at Auburn, Clemson won this game, 19-13. It should be close again this year. Auburn is looking good in the backfield. Clemson is new in the backfield. This could come down to the offensive lines and the defense. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is on the hot seat. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is on a cruise after last year’s national championship. Malzahn’s seat gets hotter, while Swinney continues his cruise – Malzahn Clemson 26, Auburn 24.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Stanford (1-0) at USC (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 8:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Stanford looked strong in its opener, while USC struggled. Trojan quarterback Sam Darnold got off to a shaky start, and USC looked dubious on defense. Stanford looked solid on both sides of the ball. The Trees take advantage of the Trojans defense – Stanford 38, USC 33.

4. Georgia (1-0) at Notre Dame (1-0) – (SEC vs. Ind.) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Both teams looked good in their openers. The Dawgs had to switch quarterbacks and handled it well. Jake Fromm took over when Jacob Eason was injured early in the game. Fromm will start against Notre Dame, as Eason has a sprained knee and will be out for a couple weeks or so. Georgia has the strong backfield with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. But the Irish found their own running back last week – Josh Adams. Adams rushed for 161 yards. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is on the hot seat. A loss won’t help that condition. Kelly’s fanny gets warmer – Georgia 28, Notre Dame 24.

5. Pitt (1-0) at Penn State (1-0) – (ACC vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Penn State looked good in its opener, while Pitt struggled to win. FCS Youngstown State took the Panthers to overtime before Pitt pulled it out. The Nittany Lions are solid on offense with Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley. Pitt won this game last year. But not this year – Penn State 31, Pitt 21.

6. Boise State (1-0) at Washington State (1-0) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – This game should be a doozy. Both teams can score points – lots of them. But both are playing better defense this year. The Cougars love to pass. That’s Mike Leach’s game. And quarterback Luke Falk can throw the ball. The Broncos like to run and pass. Last week, Wazzu stomped on Montana State, while Boise State struggled with Troy. But Troy is a formidable team. The Cougars win a shootout – Washington State 36, Boise State 31.

7. TCU (1-0) at Arkansas (1-0) – (Big 12 vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Last year, TCU had this game won. But Arkansas came back and won in overtime – 41-38. Both teams looked good in their openers against much weaker competition. Arkansas coach Bret Bielema is on the hot seat. Bielema survives for another day – Arkansas 30, TCU 27.

8. Nebraska (1-0) at Oregon (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) – 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Last year, in Lincoln, Nebraska beat Oregon in a squeaker – 35-32. It could be another squeaker this year. The Ducks scored a lot of points in their opener – 77. The Huskers gave up a lot of points – 36. Both teams have questionable defenses. Nebraska found a running back in Tre Bryant. He rushed for 192 yards last week. Oregon counters with Royce Freeman. This year, the Ducks win in a squeaker – Oregon 37, Nebraska 30.

9. South Carolina (1-0) at Missouri (1-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – In the opener last week, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock passed for 521 yards. He won’t pass for that many yards this week, but he is a real threat. In fact, he is the only threat Missouri has. I can’t see the Tigers Damarea Crockett running for anything near 200 yards against South Carolina. South Carolina has a quarterback of its own – Jake Bentley – and a better defense. The Gamecocks won a wild one last week. They win another wild one this week – South Carolina 38, Missouri 36.

10. Iowa (1-0) at Iowa State (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Both teams got off to a good start last week and hope to improve this week. Only one will. Neither Iowa nor Iowa State is expected to be strong this year. But both could be better than expected. The Hawkeyes are better in this game – Iowa 27, Iowa State 23.

11. Northwestern (1-0) at Duke (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson was a pleasant surprise for the Wildcats last week. Thorson passed for 352 yards. Northwestern also has the threat at running back in Justin Jackson. Duke looked good last week, but against North Carolina Central, who wouldn’t look good. The competition gets tougher for the Dookies this week. When the going gets tough, the Dookies don’t get going – Northwestern 30, Duke 29.

12. Louisville (1-0) at North Carolina (0-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Last week, Louisville struggled to beat Purdue. Lamar Jackson didn’t struggle, but the Cardinals defense did. Still, that was better than North Carolina did. The Tar Heels lost. Both of these teams can score, but both are shaky on defense. The Cardinals should have an easier time this week. They need an easier time. Clemson looms next week. The Cardinals move to 2-0, while the Tar Heels drop to 0-2 – Louisville 37, North Carolina 24.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Houston (0-0) at Arizona (1-0) – (AAC vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Houston was supposed to open at UTSA last week, but the game was postponed due to Harvey. Arizona won big over a weak opponent. The Cougars are still an unknown. The Wildcats have a week of experience. Experience wins – Arizona 34, Houston 27.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

East Carolina (0-1) at West Virginia (0-1) – (AAC vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS2 – Last week, West Virginia lost a heartbreaker to Virginia Tech. East Carolina was flattened by James Madison. WVU quarterback Will Grier passed for 371 yards. The Mountaineers should pick up the pace this week against an easier opponent. The Pirates get flattened again – West Virginia 45, East Carolina 13

Northern Colorado (1-0) at Florida (0-1) – (Big Sky at SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Last week, against Michigan, Florida had no offense and no defense. That should change this week against Northern Colorado. If it doesn’t, Jim McElwain will be fired on the spot. But it does and he won’t be. Maybe all six Florida quarterbacks will play this week. Why not? Gators show their teeth – Florida 40, Northern Colorado 16.

San Jose State (1-1) at Texas (0-1) – (MWC vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, LHN – You’re not supposed to mess with Texas, but Maryland sure did. What a surprise. Some Longhorns fans already want to fire Tom Herman after just one game. Quarterback Shane Buechele was Texas’ only bright spot last week. Buechele passed for 325 yards. The Horns should have several bright spots this week – Texas 45, San Jose State 23.

Ohio (1-0) at Purdue (0-1) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Friday, FS1 – Purdue looked respectable in a loss to Louisville last week. The Boilers should be more respectable this week. Still, Ohio won’t be a pushover. The Bobcats will give the Boilers a game – maybe more than a game. But the Boilers pull it out – Purdue 33, Ohio 29.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

South Florida (2-0) at Connecticut (1-0) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNews….
Florida Atlantic (0-1) at Wisconsin (1-0) – (C-USA at Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN….

Stetson (0-1) at Marist (0-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Miami (1-0) at Arkansas State (0-1) – (ACC vs. Sun Belt) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….

Louisiana-Monroe (0-1) at Florida State (0-1) – (Sun Belt at ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….
Florida Tech (1-0) at McNeese State (0-1) – (Gulf South at Southland) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
Alcorn State (1-0) at Florida International (0-1) – (SWAC at C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday….

Memphis (1-0) at UCF (1-0) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNews….
Bethune-Cookman (0-1) at SE Louisiana (0-1) – (MEAC vs. Southland) – 8 pm ET, Saturday….

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were five passings of note last week – Jud Heathcote, Rollie Massimino, Richard Anderson, Shelley Berman and Walter Becker.

Jud Heathcote, who coached the Michigan State basketball team, with Magic Johnson at point guard, to a national championship in 1979, died last week in Spokane, Washington. He was 90. Heathcote was the basketball coach at the University of Montana when he was hired by Michigan State in 1976. The Spartans were 25-5 and won the Big Ten title in 1978, their first season with Johnson. The next year, they won the national championship. The Spartans never won a Big Ten title or reached the Final Four again under Heathcote. He coached his last game for Michigan State in 1995, a first-round loss to Weber State in the NCAA tournament. Heathcote retired as the winningest coach in Michigan State history, with a record of 336-224. His win total at Michigan State has since been surpassed by Tom Izzo. George Melvin Heathcote was born on May 27, 1927, in Harvey, North Dakota. After his father died in 1030, his mother took Heathcote and his siblings to live with their grandparents in Manchester, Washington. He graduated from Washington State, where he played basketball.

Rollie Massimino, who coached Villanova to one of the greatest upsets in NCAA basketball history, the defeat of powerful Georgetown to win the 1985 national championship, died last week in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was 82. Massimino coached Villanova for 19 years and compiled a 481-375 record. Seven years after the national championship, his relationship with Villanova had cooled. He left and coached UNLV unsuccessfully for two years and then Cleveland State where he only had mild success. Roland Vincent Massimino was born on November 13, 1934, in Hillside, New Jersey. He graduated from the University of Vermont, where he played basketball. He earned a master’s degree in health and physical education from Rutgers in 1959. After Massimino was fired by Cleveland State, he and his wife retired to Florida in 2003. Not long after his retirement in Florida, he was hired to coach basketball at Keiser University, then Northwood University, where he coached until last year. In 2016, he won his 800th game as a college coach.

Richard Anderson, an actor who appeared in films and on television, most notably on two popular series, “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman,” died last week at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was 91. His acting career took off with two dozen films for MGM in the early 1950s – “Dream Wife” (1953), “Forbidden Planet” (1956) and “Paths of Glory” (1957), among others. After the 1950s, Anderson appeared on television in westerns like “The Virginian” and “The Rifleman,” and dramas like “Dynasty” and “Murder She Wrote.” Richard Norman Anderson was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, on August 8, 1926.

Shelley Berman, who helped redefine stand-up comedy in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died last week at his home in Bell Canyon, California. He was 92. Berman, one of the first comedians to have as much success on records as in person or on television, was in the vanguard of a movement that transformed comedy monologue from a rapid-fire string of gags to something more subtle, more thoughtful and more personal. He was a beleaguered observer of life’s frustrations and embarrassments. Perched on a stool, Berman did his entire act sitting down. He was an actor before and after he was a comedy star. Berman appeared on Broadway, on television shows, including “Peter Gunn,” “Rawhide,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” among others, and in movies. Sheldon Leonard Berman was born in Chicago on February 3, 1925. The first of his several albums, “Inside Shelley Berman” (1959), put both he and the phenomenon of long-playing comedy records on the map.

Walter Becker, the guitarist, bassist and co-founder of the rock duo Steely Dan, died Sunday. He was 67. Donald Fagen was the band’s other co-founder and lead singer. Becker was the primary arranger of Steely Dan’s songs. Starting in 1972, the band produced hit singles like “Di It Again,” “Reelin’ In the Years,” “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and “Deacon Blues,” as well as a raft of critically praised albums. Steely Dan sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Becker and Fagen met as students at Bard College in 1967. Walter Carl Becker was born on February 20, 1950, in Queens, New York City. He grew up in Westchester County and Forest Hills, Queens.