College Football Week 3 – Your new No. 2: Oklahoma
Irma runs the spread offense
As the center of Hurricane Irma moved north up the gulf coast of Florida on Sunday, its hurricane force winds and gusts spread out across the entire width of the state from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.
There was no defense that could stop her. Irma scored at will.
Swamp Mama and I have evacuated from our home on the barrier island of east central Florida four times in the past. The first was for Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The last was for Matthew 11 months ago. In between, we evacuated for Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne both in the same year – 2004.
Fortunately, Floyd made a last minute turn to the north as it approached Florida. It never reached us. The other three did.
Friday, we evacuated for the fifth time to escape Hurricane Irma. This storm was difficult to plan for. Unlike the other four hurricanes, the weather forecasters had a difficult time predicting Irma’s path.
At first, Irma was going to go up the gulf coast of Florida. That’s what all the models said. Swamp Mama’s cousins in Punta Gorda were going to come and stay with us. Then, little by little, the models began to move east to Florida’s Atlantic coast. Swamp Mama’s cousins said, “We’re not coming to your house.” Some models had Irma tracking 50 or more miles off the east coast. That was encouraging.
At this point, we decided to evacuate to our daughter’s home in the Florida panhandle – about 75 minutes west of Tallahassee. It would be an unexpected but always pleasant visit with Princess Gator, Bama Gator and our grandkids Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. We evacuated to their home in 2004 for Hurricane Frances.
Then the tracking models began to change again. They were moving back to the gulf coast. Actually, there were three possibilities for Irma – west coast, east coast or up the middle of the state. Go figure. But most were tracking up the gulf coast, now.
It seems like all five of these storms have impacted football weekends – one way or another. When Floyd approached in 1999, it was the early part of the week. It was the week of the big game between Tennessee and Florida in Gainesville.
Swamp Mama and I evacuated to Gainesville. Princess Gator was a student at UF at the time. Ironically, we had just returned home from Gainesville a couple days earlier, after a weekend there watching the UCF-Florida football game. Now we were back. Floyd, however, changed his mind and made a turn before reaching Florida. He never came. A day later, we were back home and the Tennessee-Florida football game took place, as scheduled.
Before Irma, the only other time we evacuated to Princess Gator and Bama Gator’s house was for Hurricane Frances in 2004. They were in Myrtle Beach. Bama Gator was playing in a golf tournament. But they returned the next day. Florida’s football game against Middle Tennessee that weekend was postponed.
About four weeks later we were in Gainesville, evacuating from Hurricane Jeanne. Actually, as it was, we were scheduled to be in Gainesville that weekend. We just ended up staying longer than planned – two more nights.
Florida was playing Kentucky that weekend. We attended the game. The game time was moved to a much earlier start that Saturday – 11:00 a.m. This enabled people to go to the game and get home or wherever in plenty of time before Jeanne arrived. Swamp Mama and I extended our stay at the hotel and rode out the storm in Gainesville.
Then last year, along came Matthew. We were supposed to go to the LSU-Florida game with Bootsie and Rockledge Gator. Ultimately, the game was postponed and we high-tailed it to Swamp Mama’s cousins in Punta Gorda. Bootsie and Rockledge Gator took off for Georgia.
I thought we deserved a break this year, but Irma had different plans. The drive up to the panhandle was basically uneventful. Hearing stories of jam-packed traffic on the Florida Turnpike and Interstates 75 and 95, along with a shortage of gasoline, I chose to take the back roads. Swamp Mama and I got out of Dodge on Friday on a full tank of gas and a five-gallon gas can in the back of our SUV.
I took Highway 192 through St. Cloud and Kissimmee to its end. There I turned right and headed north on U.S. 27 – through Ocala, Williston, Bronson to Chiefland. Then U.S. 19 north to I-10. I took I-10 west to the first exit after Tallahassee where I got on U.S. 90 west for the remainder of the trip.
Gas was plentiful through St. Cloud and Kissimmee, where I stopped to top off my tank, but after Kissimmee most stations had no gas. Fortunately, I didn’t need any. We did have four traffic pile ups – two on U.S. 19 and two on I-10. However, all four were relatively brief – thank goodness.
Irma played havoc on a number of football games. Five contests were cancelled – Northern Colorado at Florida, Louisiana-Monroe at Florida State, Memphis at UCF, Miami at Arkansas State and South Florida at Connecticut.
Not only were five games canceled, but a couple of future games were rescheduled to a different date. Miami at Florida State scheduled for this Saturday – September 16 – has been moved to October 12 in Tallahassee, while Georgia Tech at Miami has been moved up from October 12 to October 5.
In spite of the cancellations effecting Florida teams, there was a lot of football played over the weekend around the country. And what a weekend it was – Oklahoma over Ohio State, Georgia over Notre Dame, Clemson over Auburn and USC over Stanford. It was certainly a revealing weekend to say the least.
Oklahoma and Ohio State battled pretty equally for three quarters, before the Sooners poured it on the Buckeyes in the fourth quarter. OU whipped Ohio State, 31-16. Urban Meyer looked like a little kid who had his toys taken away from him. After the game, Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield planted the OU flag on the Ohio State logo at midfield. You can imagine how well that stunt went over with Buckeye fans.
Georgia went into South Bend with a true freshman quarterback Jake Fromm. They said he wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure. He did. The Dawgs came away from South Bend with a 20-19 win over Notre Dame. Clemson totally shut down Auburn’s offense and didn’t show much offense of its own. Still Clemson beat Auburn, 14-6.
Out West, USC staked a claim for superiority in the Pac-12. The Trojans toppled Stanford, 42-24. Speaking of staking a claim, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson staked his claim for repeat of the Heisman Trophy, as his Cardinals beat North Carolina, 47-35. Jackson passed for 393 yards and rushed for 132.
Washington State-Boise State and Iowa-Iowa State gave us a run for our money. The Cougars beat the Broncos, 47-44, in three overtimes, while the Hawkeyes beat the Cyclones, 44-41, in one overtime.
Missouri was supposed to give South Carolina a good game. Many thought the Tigers would beat the Gamecocks. But when the game was over, South Carolina beat Missouri, 31-13. Likewise, most thought Arkansas would beat TCU. At the end of the game, TCU beat the Hogs, 28-7. Bret Bielema is in trouble.
Back to the Oklahoma-Ohio State game, Oklahoma definitely made the right decision when the school named Lincoln Riley to replace Bob Stoops in June. And speaking of Lincoln Riley, I need to correct my piece on the “baby coaches” that appeared in my August 28 blog. In that report, I listed Western Kentucky coach Mike Sanford as the youngest head coach in FBS college football. Well, Sanford was the youngest from January to June.
However, early in June, the coaching change took place at Oklahoma when Riley was named to replace Stoops. In becoming the head coach, Riley replaced Sanford as the youngest head coach in FBS. I picked up on that last week when I learned that Riley had a birthday on September 5. He turned 34. That would make the OU coach a year and a half younger than Sanford. Now you know.
And speaking of Riley again, who would have ever thought that Oklahoma and Nebraska would have coaches with the same last name at the same time? – Lincoln Riley and Mike Riley.
We lost singer/songwriter Don Williams last week (see Post Scripts below). When I was in college, there was a group called the Pozo-Seco singers that Williams founded. They had a hit with “I Can Make It with You” in 1966. We used to sing along with that song when it came on the radio. It was catchy. Williams went on to become a super country music star.
Swamp Mama and I hope to head back home on Tuesday. I just have to figure which will be the smoothest way back. You just know it’s going to be a zoo, with everybody heading home.
And what’s this about Hurricane Jose making a loop and heading to Florida? Can you say Hurricane Jeanne? We don’t need that again.
Have a good week.
Touchdown Tom
September 11, 2017
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Sooners plant the flag – Oklahoma 31, Ohio State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 35, Oklahoma 31). This was a case of one team wearing down the other. And that’s exactly what Oklahoma did. The Sooners wore down the Buckeyes. Close throughout three quarters, the game was tied – 3-3 – at the break and OU led by only four – 17-13 – at the end of three. But you could begin to see Ohio State breaking down in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Then in the fourth quarter, it was all Oklahoma. The Buckeyes were wasted. OU quarterback Baker Mayfield passed for 386 yards. Ohio State is vulnerable. Attendance in Columbus: 109,088
RUNNER UP: Gus fell off the bus – Clemson 14, Auburn 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 26, Auburn 24). Auburn, known for its strong offense and poor defense under Gus Malzahn, was just the opposite against Clemson. Auburn only managed 117 yards on offense – 38 rushing and 79 passing. Meanwhile, Auburn’s defense played a decent game. Clemson was not overwhelming on offense. They were just good enough to win. Clemson even turned over the ball to Auburn – not once but twice. Still, Auburn couldn’t do anything with it. Attendance in Clemson: 81,799
REST OF THE BEST: Limbless – USC 42, Stanford 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 38, USC 33). USC overpowered Stanford with 623 yards of offense – 307 rushing and 316 passing. In spite of Sam Darnold 316 yards passing, the Trojan quarterback threw two more interceptions this week. Two USC running backs – Stephen Carr and Ronald Jones – rushed for more than 100 yards each. Attendance in Los Angeles: 77,614
Uga must be Irish – Georgia 20, Notre Dame 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 28, Notre Dame 24). A tight game throughout, Notre Dame scored three more points than Georgia in the second quarter, while Georgia scored four more points than Notre Dame in the third quarter. That was the difference – that and Georgia’s defense which held the Irish to 55 yards rushing. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622
The Lion roars – Penn State, 33, Pitt 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 31, Pitt 21). This was a strange game. Pitt controlled the ball for 38 minutes, had 25 first downs to 16 for Penn State and had 342 yards of offense to 312 for the Nittany Lions. State’s offensive stars Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley didn’t have particularly good games. And yet Penn State won by 19 points. Pitt did commit three turnovers. Attendance in University Park: 109,898
Basketball? – Washington State 47, Boise State 44 (3OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 36, Boise State 31). In the wildest game of the day and the last one to end, Washington State finally pulled it out after three overtimes. The teams were tied 31-to-31 at the end of regulation. In spite of the high score, there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of offense. Washington State only had 22 yards rushing. Attendance in Pullman: 32,631
Bret’s in trouble – TCU 28, Arkansas 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 30, TCU 27). Yes, he is, and he should be. Arkansas was wasted in the fourth quarter. Arkansas’ only touchdown came in the first quarter. After that, the Hogs’ offense was worthless. Keep your eye on TCU. Attendance in Fayetteville: 73,668
Two different halves – Oregon 42, Nebraska 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 37, Nebraska 30). A tale of two halves. Oregon won the first half, 42-14. Nebraska won the second half, 21-0. The Ducks built up 566 yards on offense, with Justin Herbert passing for 365 yards. Oregon’s Royce Freeman rushed for 153 yards. Mike Riley has some catching up to do. Attendance in Eugene: 58,389
Mustake becomes Muschamp – South Carolina 31, Missouri 13 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 38, Missouri 36). South Carolina contained Drew Lock, controlled the ball for 38 minutes and didn’t make any mistakes. Lock completed only 43 percent of his passes. Mizzou fired its defensive coordinator – DeMontie Cross – after the game. Keep your eye on the Gamecocks. Attendance in Columbia: 55,023
The Eyes have it – Iowa 44, Iowa State 41 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Iowa State 23). This game came down to a passing contest between the quarterbacks with Iowa’s Nathan Stanley passing for 333 yards and Iowa State’s Jacob Park passing for 347 yards. Attendance in Ames: 61,500
Nothing Wild about this Cat – Duke 41, Northwestern 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 30, Duke 29). The Dookies took control of this game in the third quarter and never looked back. The Devils outscored Northwestern 10-0 in the third period and held a 31-10 lead at the start of the fourth. The Dookies piled up 538 total yards to only 191 for the Wildcats. The Devils controlled the ball for 41 minutes. Keep an eye on the Dookies. Attendance in Durham: 20,241
Stepped on their Heels – Louisville 47, North Carolina 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 37, North Carolina 24). North Carolina fell apart in the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels led Louisville, 28-27, at the end of three. Then the Cardinals outscored the Tar Heels 20-7 in the fourth. Louisville had 705 yards on offense. The Heels only had 17 yards rushing. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for 393 yards and rushed for 132. The Cardinals Malik Williams rushed for 149 yards. Attendance in Chapel Hill: 47,000
…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
Rodless in Tucson – Houston 19, Arizona 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 34, Houston 27). The score was close and the stats were close – about as close as you can get. In spite of the closeness, Rich Rodriguez is in trouble. Attendance in Tucson: 43,334
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Grier Sills the deal – West Virginia 56, East Carolina 20 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 45, East Carolina 13). The Mountaineers built up a 49-3 first half lead and then went on vacation in the second half. Will Grier passed for 352 yards, as the Mounties totaled 619 yards on offense. The Mountaineers’ receiver David Sills had seven receptions for 153 yards. On the down side, WVU’s defense gave up 470 yards. West Virginia’s defense is still inconsistent, sloppy and undisciplined – dreadfully sad at times. Attendance in Morgantown: 56,797
Northern Colorado at Florida – Canceled
Bevo found a defense – Texas 56, San Jose State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 45, San Jose State 23). Tom Herman found a team he can beat. And beat them he did. Texas had 623 yards of offense to 171 for San Jose State. Thirty-two first downs to eight for the Spartans. The Longhorns also went with a new quarterback – true freshman Sam Ehlinger. Attendance in Austin: 83,117
Boilers up – Purdue 44, Ohio 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 33, Ohio 29). The Boilers jumped out to a 34-7 first half lead and went into cruise control in the second half. Along the way, Purdue amassed 558 yards of offense. It was a well-balanced attack – 263 yards rushing and 295 passing. Something tells me Jeff Rohm is the coach the Boilers have needed. Attendance in West Lafayette: 45,633
Week 2 Results: 11 correct picks, 5 fumbles (68.8 percent)
For the Season: 24 correct picks, 8 fumbles (75 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
South Florida at Connecticut – Canceled
Wisconsin 31, Florida Atlantic 14 – Attendance in Madison: 77,542
Marist 38, Stetson 17 – Attendance in Poughkeepsie:
Miami at Arkansas State – Canceled
Louisiana-Monroe at Florida State – Canceled
McNeese State 42, Florida Tech 21 – Attendance in Lake Charles: 11,101
Florida International 17, Alcorn State 10 – Attendance in Miami: 5,017
Memphis at UCF – Canceled
Bethune-Cookman 28, SE Louisiana 23 – Attendance in Hammond: 6,321
Superlatives
Weekend’s Best Passers:
Ole Miss’ Shea Patterson – 32-43-1 for 489 yards; Central Michigan’s Shane Morris – 28-37-0-467; North Texas’ Mason Fine – 32-47-2-424; New Mexico State’s Tyler Rogers – 34-57-1-401; Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 25-39-0-393; Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield – 27-35-0-386, and Oregon’s Justin Herbert – 25-33-1-365.
Also, West Virginia’s Will Grier – 19-25-0 for 352 yards; Marshall’s Chase Litton – 26-43-1-350; Iowa State’s Jacob Park – 25-46-1-347; Troy’s Brandon Silvers – 32-40-1-345; NC State’s Ryan Finley – 29-36-0-341; Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 25-38-0-335, and Colorado State’s Nick Stevens – 25-40-1-337.
Also, Iowa’s Nate Stanley – 27-41-0 for 333 yards; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 22-25-0-329; Wyoming’s Josh Allen – 22-32-0-328; Florida International’s Alex McGough – 21-33-0-328; Appalachian State’s Taylor Lamb – 12-15-0-327; Utah State’s Kent Myers – 24-26-1-323, and Kansas’ Peyton Bender – 32-62-2-323.
Weekend’s Best Rushers:
Tulsa’s D’Angelo Brewer – 262 yards; Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 223 yards; San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny – 216 yards; California’s Patrick Laird – 191 yards; UNLV’s Lexington Thomas – 173 yards; Texas’ Chris Warren – 166 yards, and Stanford’s Bryce Love – 160 yards.
Also, Alabama’s Jalen Hurts – 154 yards; Hawaii’s Diocemy Saint Juste – 154 yards; Oregon’s Royce Freeman – 153 yards; UAB’s Spencer Brown – 151 yards; Louisville’s Malik Williams – 149 yards; Army’s Ahmad Bradshaw – 147 yards; Akron’s Warren Ball – 146 yards, and Purdue’s Tario Fuller – 142 yards.
Quotes of the Week
“I know last year beating us for them was like the Super Bowl. This was just like beating Akron for us,” Penn State coach James Franklin, on beating Pitt.
“I’ve been a supporter throughout, but it’s time for Bielema to go,” Arkansas fan Austin Collins.
“Arkansas Razorbacks have no identity. No true game plan. Nothing. We’ll never win the big game under Bielema,” Arkansas fan Jason Hopkins.
“I think they’re in trouble,” Paul Finebaum, on Auburn after the Clemson game.
“I don’t understand it. It’s the same old problem – red zone mistakes. We’ve been watching this for the last four years under Gus Malzahn,” Paul Finebaum, on Auburn.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 12 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games.…and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Clemson (2-0) at Louisville (2-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Clemson could have a letdown after the win over Auburn. But not likely. Louisville is a conference game. But the Tigers will have their hands full trying to stop Lamar Jackson. The Cardinals have an offense, but they don’t have a defense. Clemson should have no trouble scoring on Louisville. This game was a doozy last year. Clemson won 42-36. The Tigers repeat – Clemson 30, Louisville 23.
RUNNER UP: 2. LSU (2-0) at Mississippi State (2-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – This game could go either way. Regardless of who wins, it should be close. It could either be a breakout game for LSU’s Derrius Guice or Miss State’s Nick Fitzgerald. The dice roll for Guice – LSU 23, Mississippi State 19.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Kentucky (2-0) at South Carolina (2-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – In two games, South Carolina looks impressive. The Gamecocks will step up in the SEC East this season. Kentucky is undefeated, but two close games against inferior opponents. Maybe the Wildcats are holding back for South Carolina. The Gamecocks are lucky to have this game at home. Chicks become Roosters – South Carolina 30, Kentucky 21.
4. Kansas State (2-0) at Vanderbilt (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Many think this could be a trap game for K-State. The Wildcats might take Vandy for granted. One thing is for sure, Vandy won’t take K-State for granted. That’s why it could be a dangerous game for the Wildcats. Both teams are looking good so far. The Wildcats are too much for the Commodores – Kansas State 27, Vanderbilt 20.
5. Tennessee (2-0) at Florida (0-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Tennessee has two games under its belt. Florida only has one. That was the disastrous game back on September 2. Surely the Gators have had plenty of time to get the wrinkles out. Both teams are shaky on defense. Tennessee has an offense. Not sure about Florida. Albert finds an offense – Florida 33, Tennessee 30.
6. SMU (2-0) at TCU (2-0) – (AAC vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – These two teams are old rivals. TCU has dominated the series in recent years. But SMU pulled a major upset a few years ago. SMU coach Chad Morris seems to have the Mustangs on a solid track this season. TCU might have a bit of a letdown following the big win over Arkansas. The Frogs are hoppers – TCU 30, SMU 20.
7. Ole Miss (2-0) at California (2-0) – (SEC vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Both teams are undefeated, but I’m not sure what that means. Neither has really played anyone. This is a chance for one of them to come away with a good win. One thing is for sure. Ole Miss has an outstanding quarterback in Shea Patterson. He makes the difference – Ole Miss 30, California 24.
8. UCLA (2-0) at Memphis (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Memphis has a chance to pull an upset here. And what an upset it would be. UCLA better not take the Tigers too lightly. If they do, Memphis will win. But Josh Rosen should keep things in control for the Bruins. The Bruins go for the ribs – UCLA 34, Memphis 24.
9. Texas (1-1) at USC (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. Pac-12) – 8:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – USC is looking good. There may be some issues on defense. Texas is still an unknown but the Horns may have found a quarterback in Sam Ehlinger. They better have found a quarterback if they expect to do anything against the Trojans. Herman’s folly – USC 33, Texas 23.
10. Stanford (1-1) at San Diego State (2-0) – (Pac-12 vs. MWC) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – San Diego State has a good team. The Aztecs are likely to beat Stanford. Running back Rashaad Penny is the real thing. But as a team, Stanford is the real thing too. Trees branch out – Stanford 28, San Diego State 27.
11. Oklahoma State (2-0) at Pitt (1-1) – (Big 12 vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – There is no way Pitt can stop Okie State’s offense. It’s too talented. The only way Pitt can win is to outscore the Cowboys. But the Panthers don’t – Oklahoma State 31, Pitt 21.
12. Georgia Tech (1-1) at UCF (1-0) – (ACC vs. AAC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNews – This is UCF’s opportunity to knock off a good team – something the Knights haven’t done in a while. To do that UCF has to stop Tech’s option. But it’s hard to prepare for an option – Georgia Tech 33, UCF 26.
…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
13. Wisconsin (2-0) at BYU (1-2) – (Big Ten vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – As usual, Wisconsin has another powerful running game. Not sure what BYU has other than its defense is a little better than its offense – unusual for the Cougars. But BYU hasn’t been scoring many points. The Cougars still don’t – Wisconsin 26, BYU 17.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Delaware State at West Virginia (1-1) – (MEAC vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, Local TV – This is a warm up game for WVU before the Mountaineers start Big 12 play. The Will Grier offense looked fine tuned against East Carolina last week. This is an opportunity to get rid of any last minute wrinkles. WVU’s up-and-down defense should be up against Delaware State. The Mountaineers toy with the Hornets – West Virginia 59, Delaware State 9.
Northern Illinois (1-1) at Nebraska (1-1) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – If the Huskers continue their second half ways from the Oregon game, then they should have no problems with NIU. Last week, the Huskers were like two different teams. Play like that this week and the Huskies might surprise them. NIU is no Nebraska, but the Huskies are no pushover either. The Huskers get their act together – Nebraska 30, Northern Illinois 19.
Baylor (0-2) at Duke (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. ACC) – 12:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Baylor has lost to a FCS team and a Group of Five team. At least Duke has a win over a Power Five team. Duke’s offense is looking good and so is the Devils defense. The Dookies remain undefeated – Duke 29, Baylor 17.
Samford (2-0) at Georgia (2-0) – (Southern vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – After the big win over Notre Dame, Uga gets a rest this week. Samford is undefeated but the Bulldogs, yes they are Bulldogs too, shouldn’t pose any problems for the Dawgs. Uga drools – Georgia 36, Samford 16.
Purdue (1-1) at Missouri (1-1) – (Big Ten vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Remember three years ago when SEC East champion Missouri lost to Big Ten bottom feeder Indiana? I could see Purdue pulling the upset. Mizzou is a bit unknown. But the Boilers aren’t. They almost knocked off Louisville. The Boilers actually have a running game to go with their passing game. But the Tigers do too – Missouri 32, Purdue 30.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Illinois (2-0) at South Florida (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN….
Walsh (0-1) at Jacksonville U. (0-1) – (Great Lakes vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Florida International (1-1) at Indiana (1-1) – (C-USA vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN….
Florida A&M (1-1) vs. Tennessee State (2-0) – (MEAC vs. Ohio Valley) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….
Dartmouth (0-0) at Stetson (0-2) – (Ivy League vs. Pioneer) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Bethune-Cookman (1-1) at Florida Atlantic (0-2) – (MEAC vs. C-USA) – 6:30 pm ET, Saturday….
Shorter (0-2) at Florida Tech (1-1) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but in mid-September as the college football season was finally underway, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1942 was “(I’ve Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo” by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
…70 years ago this week in 1947 was “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)” by Tex Williams
…65 years ago this week in 1952 was “You Belong To Me” by Jo Stafford
…60 years ago this week in 1957 was “Diana” by Paul Anka
…55 years ago this week in 1962 was “Sheila” by Tommy Roe
…50 years ago this week in 1967 was “Ode To Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry
…45 years ago this week in 1972 was “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan
…40 years ago this week in 1977 was “Best Of My Love” by The Emotions
…35 years ago this week in 1982 was “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” by Chicago
…30 years ago this week in 1987 was “La Bamba” by Los Lobos
…25 years ago this week in 1992 was “End Of The Road” by Boyz II Men
Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were four passing of note last week – Don Williams, Troy Gentry, Jim McDaniels and Gene Michael.
Don Williams, a singer of country ballads, who emerged as one of the biggest stars in country music in the late 1970s, died last week in Mobile, Alabama. He was 78. Seventeen on Williams’ singles, including “You’re My Best Friend” and “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good,” reached the top of the Billboard country chart from 1974 to 1984. Named country music’s male vocalist of the year in 1978, he released 52 Top 40 country singles, 45 of which reached the Top 10. Among his admirers were Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton. “Till the Rivers All Run Dry,” a No. 1 country single in 1976, was typical of Williams’ understated personal and approach. Don Williams was born on May 27, 1939, in the rural north Texas community of Floydada. The family moved a lot and eventually settled in Corpus Christi, where Williams graduated from high school. In 1964, after serving in the Army, he formed the Pozo-Seco Singers, a folk-pop trio. They recorded several albums and two of its singles reached the Pop Top 40. The group broke up in 1969. Williams cultivated a strong fan support all around the world. His most robust following, outside the United States, was always in England.
Troy Gentry, who was part of the popular country music duo Montgomery Gentry, was killed last week in a helicopter crash in Medford, New Jersey. He was 50. Gentry formed the duo Montgomery Gentry with Eddie Montgomery, the brother of country music star John Michael Montgomery. The duo was particularly popular in the early 2000s, with two singles reaching No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. Troy Gentry was born on April 5, 1967, in Lexington, Kentucky.
Jim McDaniels, a star center who led Western Kentucky to the NCAA Final Four, died last week in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He was 69. A 6-foot-11 center and power forward, McDaniels took Western Kentucky to the 1971 Final Four, where the team lost to Villanova in the semifinals. However, Western Kentucky’s third-place finish was vacated by the NCAA when it was learned that McDaniels had signed professional contracts with an agent, the American Basketball Association and the Carolina Cougars before his senior season at Western Kentucky. He left the Cougars for the Seattle Supersonics of the NBA. That was followed by a year in Italy and spells with the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA and the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA. He played his last season with the NBA’s Buffalo Braves. James Ronald McDaniels was born in Scottsville, Kentucky, on April 2, 1948.
Gene Michael, a New York Yankee for nearly a half-century, rising from short stop to general manager and building teams that won four World Series, died last week in Oldsmar, Florida. He was 79. Over the years, George Steinbrenner fired Michael a couple of times, then hired him back. He played for the Yankees in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He served two stints as the Yankees’ manager. In between, he was the manager of the Chicago Cubs. He was the Yankees’ general manager from 1990 to 1995. Eugene Richard Michael was born on June 2, 1938, in Kent, Ohio. He played baseball and basketball for Kent State University. Out of college, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1957. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers who sold him to the Yankees in 1967.
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