Monday, October 30, 2017


College Football Week 10 – First CFP rankings out Tuesday

What a weekend! Where to begin?


Jim McElwain? J.T. Barrett and the Penn State-Ohio State game? Iowa State. Boston College? Florida State? Arkansas-Ole Miss? Tennessee-Kentucky? Arizona-Washington State? John Wolford? Stanford-Oregon State? Michigan State-Northwestern? Nebraska-Purdue? FAU, FIU and the Florida teams? Rashaad Penny? Dartmouth assistant coach?

That’s easy – Jim McElwain. Yesterday, Florida fired its coach of two and a half seasons. The firing really didn’t come as a big surprise. Actually, if McElwain hadn’t been fired Sunday that would have been a bigger surprise.

Strong rumors circulated Saturday morning before the Florida-Georgia game, stating that, regardless of the outcome of the game, McElwain would be fired on Sunday. The reports said that Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin was checking with the big boosters to see how much money could be raised to help pay McElwain’s buyout. The reports also said that Stricklin had met with University lawyers to see if Florida could fire McElwain “with cause” and not have to pay his buyout.

Florida had good reason to fire McElwain with cause. Earlier in the week at a press conference, the Gator coach said he, his family and the players had received death threats. Those are serious statements. Something he had never ever mentioned to his bosses. But when McElwain was asked by University authorities to provide details and information on the death threats, he wouldn’t.

Later in the week McElwain blew off his comments, saying the death threats had happened in the past. But again no details or information. He wouldn’t say if it was the recent past, last year or when in the past.

At this point, Florida officials had to be a bit suspicious about McElwain. Here was a coach who couldn’t substantiate his “death threat” comments. This added to the fact that McElwain wasn’t the most popular coach with fans. Gator fans love their offense and in two and a half years, McElwain couldn’t generate any.

Not only that, but he couldn’t beat the big teams – nor play them close. Under McElwain, the Gators were blown not once but twice by Alabama, Florida State and Michigan. His two best wins were over Ole Miss, 38-10, in 2015, and LSU, 16-10, last year. He ended his first season on a three-game losing streak.

Yes, he won the SEC East Division title two years. But with the sad shape the SEC East was in during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, I think Coastal Carolina could have won the SEC East those two years.

Along with all of this, there had been many reports that McElwain wasn’t happy in Gainesville. However, he must have been happy with the food. He put several inches on his stomach in the past two and a half years. There had been reports last week that he had expressed interest in the opening at Oregon State. McElwain grew up in the Northwest.

By Saturday morning, before the Florida-Georgia game, it was obvious that something was amiss – something was up. Florida lost to Georgia, 42-7. The Gators played a totally uninspired game – passing for only 66 yards.

Sunday morning reports were out that Florida was trying to settle a smaller buyout with McElwain. The current buyout being $12.9 million. There were also reports that Florida still felt it could fire McElwain with cause and not have to payout any buyout.  

By mid-afternoon yesterday it became official. The media reported that McElwain was out. Some said that Florida fired McElwain. Others said that Florida and McElwain were parting ways – whatever that means.  

Defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, former Miami (Florida) head coach, will be the Gators interim coach for the remainder of the season.        

In addition to the soap opera going on in Gainesville, there was some football played over the weekend. The most exciting game was the biggest game – Penn State at Ohio State. From the start, this appeared to be Penn State’s game. The Nittany Lions led 21-3 early in the second quarter. They led 28-10 late in the second quarter.

Penn State led 35-20 early in the fourth quarter. And State led 38-27 with less than five minutes to go in the game. But after the Nittany Lions led by 18 points in the second quarter, Ohio State began, little-by-little to whittle away at the Penn State lead.

The biggest whittling took place in the final 4:20 of the game. The Buckeyes scored 12 unanswered points in 2 minutes and 28 seconds to take a 39-38 lead with 1:48 left on the clock. All Penn State needed was a field goal to win. But Ohio State held on and won the game.

Last week, when Penn State blasted Michigan, the Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley were spectacular. They were the dynamic duo. Michigan couldn’t stop them.

In Columbus, Saturday, McSorley and Barkley were no shows. The Buckeyes shutdown the duo. Barkley only rushed for 44 yards. McSorley only rushed for 49 yards and was ineffective passing.

Instead of McSorley and Barkley, the star of the Penn State-Ohio State game was Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett. Passing, Barrett was 33-for-39. He passed for 328 yards and four touchdowns. He was, quite simply, spot on. But Barrett didn’t stop with his passing. He rushed for 95 yards.

Barrett’s performance against Penn State may have positioned him at the top of the Heisman list. Barkley certainly fell and Stanford’s Bryce Love didn’t play over the weekend. He was sidelined by an injury.  

How ‘bout those Cyclones from Iowa State? Saturday, for the second time this year, Iowa State handed a Top 10 team its first loss of the season. On October 7, the 2-2 Cyclones upset a perfect Oklahoma, 38-31. Saturday, Iowa State did it again, knocking TCU from the unbeaten ranks, 14-7. Iowa State has won four-straight games, improving from 2-2 to 6-2.

Iowa State isn’t the only team that has risen out of the ashes this season. How about Boston College? The Eagles have gone from a 1-3 start to improve to 5-4. They have won three-straight games, with wins over Louisville, Virginia and Florida State.

Friday night, the Eagles added to Florida State’s misery, beating the Seminoles, 35-3. Last week, BC beat Virginia, 41-10, and two weeks ago the Eagles scored 45 points in their win over Louisville. Boston College has found an offense.

And speaking of Florida State, the Noles loss to Boston College dropped FSU to 2-5 for the season. Yes 2-5. Florida State a team that was ranked 3rd in most preseason polls. Some polls even had FSU ranked 2nd. Don’t look now but Florida State may not qualify for a bowl game this year.

Neither Arkansas nor Ole Miss will qualify for a bowl this year, but the two SEC West cellar dwellers sure put on a game Saturday. It was a little reminiscent of the Penn State-Ohio State game, only Ole Miss had a much bigger lead on Arkansas. The Landsharks led the Razorbacks, 31-7 late in the second quarter.

But then Arkansas began to rally. And what a rally it was. First Arkansas scored 21 unanswered points and trailed Ole Miss 31-28 at the start of the fourth quarter. With 6:01 on the clock in the fourth quarter, the Razorbacks had cut Ole Miss’ lead from three points to two points – 37-35. Then with 0:04 left on the clock, Arkansas kicked a 34-yard field goal and won the game, 38-37.

I hope you watched the Tennessee-Kentucky game Saturday night. It was one of the rare times in history that Kentucky beat Tennessee. Kentucky led through much of the game, but with 3:40 on the clock in the third quarter, the Vols took a 23-21 lead over the Wildcats. Early in the fourth quarter, Tennessee increased its lead to 26-21.

It looked like the Wildcats had run out of gas. But on a final drive late in the fourth quarter, Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson scored on an 11-yard touchdown run with 0:33 left in the game. Kentucky went for two and converted. The Wildcats hung on and beat Tennessee, 29-26. 

In a late night game Saturday, Arizona surprised Washington State in Tucson. The Wildcats were unstoppable on offense, beating Mike Leach’s Cougars, 58-37. The star for Arizona was its quarterback Khalil Tate. Tate passed for 275 yards and rushed for 146 yards, averaging 11.2 yards per carry. Like Iowa State and Boston College, Arizona is hot. The Wildcats have won four-straight games, improving from 2-2 to 6-2.

Have you ever heard of John Wolford? Wolford is the senior quarterback for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are 5-3 this year and Wolford is a big reason for that. Saturday, Wake beat Louisville, 42-32. Wolford was 28-for-34, passing for 461 yards and five touchdowns.   

Thursday night, the first-place team in the Pac-12 North Division played the last-place team in the Pac-12 North. Stanford, 5-2 (4-1) met Oregon State 1-6 (0-4) in Corvallis. Late in the fourth quarter, Stanford trailed Oregon State, 14-9. It looked grim for the Cardinal.

However, Stanford scored a touchdown on a three-yard pass play with just 0:20 remaining on the clock. The Cardinal beat the Beavers, 15-14. Stanford missed running back Bryce Love who sat out the game with a minor injury. The Cardinal only had 81 yards rushing.

The Penn State-Ohio State game wasn’t the only thriller in the Big Ten. Michigan State and Northwestern put on a defensive thriller. The teams were tied 10-10 at halftime, and 17-17 at the end of regulation. Then the Spartans and the Wildcats put on an offensive thriller in overtime – three overtimes. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first two overtimes. Finally, in the third overtime, Northwestern scored and Michigan State didn’t. Northwestern won 39-31 (3OT).

Nebraska and Purdue provided their share of Big Ten excitement too. Except for the first quarter when the Huskers were up 3-0, Purdue led Nebraska throughout the game – 7-3, 7-6, 14-6, 14-9, 17-9, 17-12 and 24-12. With 11:03 to go in the fourth quarter, Nebraska scored and trailed Purdue by five, 24-19. The score remained 24-19 throughout most of the quarter. Then with 0:14 left in the game, Tanner Lee hit Stanley Morgan on a 13-yard touchdown pass. Nebraska beat Purdue, 25-24.   

Florida Atlantic and Florida International, generally the bottom feeders of Conference-USA, are playing this year under first-year coaches. First-year coaches, but well-known coaches. Both coaches have turned these teams around.

Florida Atlantic, under coach Lane Kiffin, is off to a 5-3 start. The Owls have been no better than 3-9 each of the past three seasons. Saturday, FAU beat Western Kentucky, at Western Kentucky, 42-28. After a 1-3 start, it was the Owls fourth-straight win.

Florida International, under coach Butch Davis, is off to a 5-2 start. The Panthers have only won 17 games over the past five seasons – going no better than 5-7. Saturday, FIU beat Marshall, at Marshall, 41-30.

It’s an amazing season for all FBS teams in Florida, except the two elite teams – Florida and Florida State. While the Gators are 3-4 and the Noles are 2-5, Miami is 7-0, UCF is 7-0, South Florida is 7-1, and as mentioned Florida Atlantic is 5-3 and Florida International is 5-2. Combined, those five teams are 31-6. Combined, Florida and FSU are 5-9.

How about Rashaad Penny? Have you heard of him? Penny is a running back for San Diego State. In the very last game of the day Saturday, Penny rushed for 253 yards, as San Diego State got back on the winning track, beating Hawaii, 28-7. 

Then there was Dartmouth’s defensive coordinator Dion King. Dartmouth played Harvard Saturday in Cambridge. As some coordinators do, King was sitting in the press box above the stands at Harvard Stadium during the game.

When a Dartmouth player fumbled a punt, King got so upset he punched his fist through the glass window in the press box. Really. I didn’t know they took football that seriously in the Ivy League. King was escorted out of the stadium by security. Harvard won the game, 25-22. 

Three teams lost for the first time Saturday – Penn State, TCU and South Florida. USF lost to Houston, 28-24.

Chad Morris is turning around SMU. The Mustangs improved to 6-2, beating Tulsa, 38-34. Utah, on the other hand, has fallen. The Utes began the season 4-0. Now they are 4-4. Saturday, Oregon beat Utah, 41-20.

Three teams remain winless – Baylor (0-8), UTEP (0-8) and Georgia Southern (0-7).

The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released at 7 p.m. ET, Tuesday on ESPN. You gotta figure that three of the Top 4 teams will be Alabama (8-0), Georgia (8-0) and Wisconsin (8-0) – all three undefeated. But who will the fourth team be?

Miami (Florida) is the only other undefeated Power Five team. But the polls have no respect for Miami – 6th in the Coaches Poll and 9th in the AP Poll. The Canes play Virginia Tech this weekend and Notre Dame the following weekend. If Miami beats both of those teams, the Canes will get respect and make a big jump in the polls.

Right now, you have to figure a 7-1 team will be the fourth team in the CFP rankings. Most likely, that team will be Ohio State (7-1). If so, that means two conferences – the SEC and the Big Ten – each have two teams in the Top 4 of the playoff rankings. Interesting!

If the fourth team is not Ohio State, then it will be either Clemson (7-1) or Notre Dame (7-1). The only other 7-1 Power Five teams are Penn State, Oklahoma, TCU, Oklahoma State, Washington and Virginia Tech. It won’t be any of those teams. But win out and any of them could be there.

My guess is the top of the CFP rankings on Tuesday will be (1) Alabama, (2) Georgia, (3) Wisconsin, (4) Ohio State, (5) Clemson and (6) Notre Dame. Stay tuned.    

This week, Alabama hosts LSU, Georgia hosts South Carolina, Wisconsin is at Indiana, Ohio State is at Iowa, Clemson is at NC State and Notre Dame hosts Wake Forest. And while we are at it, Miami (Florida) hosts Virginia Tech, Penn State is at Michigan State, Oklahoma State hosts Oklahoma, TCU hosts Texas, Washington hosts Oregon.

My best of the Group of Five are UCF (7-0), Memphis (7-1), Toledo (7-1), South Florida (7-1) and Boise State (6-2). Remember the highest ranked Group of Five team goes to a New Year’s Six bowl.

Okay, here we go. It’s going to be fun. First reports on who the new Florida coach will be – UCF coach Scott Frost. Stay tuned!

It was good to hear from Tim Muth and Rory Zink last week.

Have a good week!

Touchdown Tom
October 30, 2017


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  What an ending! – Ohio State 39, Penn State 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 29, Ohio State 26). The game lived up to its hype. You can’t get any closer than 39-38. Penn State had control through much of the game, but the Nitts were gassed at the end. Neither their offense nor defense could do anything right. Ohio State had 529 total yards and quarterback J.T. Barrett was responsible for 423 of those yards. Penn State only had 91 yards rushing. Attendance in Columbus: 109,302

RUNNER UP: Irish rule – Notre Dame 35, NC State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 33, NC State 22). NC State was no match for the Irish. The Wolfpack only managed 50 yards rushing. Notre Dame’s Josh Adams rushed for 202 yards. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622

REST OF THE BEST:  Surprise – Iowa State 14, TCU 7 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 27, Iowa State 23). Both teams played good defense – not a common sight in the Big 12. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell is turning the Cyclones around. Attendance in Ames: 56,259

Defenseless in Morgantown – Oklahoma State 50, West Virginia 39 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Oklahoma State 31). Okie State balanced its running (246 yards) and passing (216 yards). WVU only had 62 yards rushing. Will Grier threw four interceptions and passed for less than 300 yards for the first time this season. Grier had 285 yards passing. West Virginia’s defense continues to be a wreck.  Attendance in Morgantown: 57,507

Watch out for those Wildcats – Arizona 58, Washington State 37 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 28, Washington State 26). Washington State had 646 total yards and lost the game. Arizona is hot. The Wildcats had 585 total yards. The Wildcats Jonathan Taylor rushed for 152 yards. Attendance in Tucson: 42,822

First loss – Houston 28, South Florida 24 (Touchdown Tom said: South Florida 34, Houston 25). South Florida quarterback Quinton Flowers passed well – 325 yards. But the dual-threat Flowers only had seven yards rushing. USF won the stats but not the game. Attendance in Tampa: 32,316

Option floption – Clemson 24, Georgia Tech 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Georgia Tech 21). Clemson had a week off to prepare for Tech’s triple-option and it showed. The Jackets running game was off. Attendance in Clemson: 80,346

McElwain’s swan song – Georgia 42, Florida 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 28, Florida 23). Florida’s players knew something was up and their hearts weren’t in this game. Oddly enough, Florida controlled the time of possession for 35 minutes. Attendance in Jacksonville: 84,107

Sumlin’s in trouble – Mississippi State 35, Texas A&M 14 (Touchdown Tom said: A&M 29, Mississippi State 22). Miss State controlled time of possession for more than 36 minutes of the game. The Bulldogs held A&M to only 96 yards rushing. Attendance in College Station: 96,128

Huskies are in a groove – Washington 44, UCLA 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, UCLA 24). In the second and third quarters, Washington outscored UCLA, 34-6. The Huskies held the Bruins to 62 yards rushing. Myles Gaskin rushed for 169 yards. Attendance in Seattle: 69,847

Raiders are hurtin’ – Oklahoma 49, Texas Tech 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 15). Texas Tech scored 20 points in the first quarter and didn’t do much of anything after that. The Sooners had 617 total yards. OU’s Rodney Anderson rushed for 181 yards. Attendance in Norman: 86,308

It wasn’t going to end – Northwestern 39, Michigan State 31 (3OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 20, Northwestern 17). Neither team had a running game, but both passed well. Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson passed for 356 yards. State’s Brian Lewerke passed for 445 yards. Attendance in Evanston: 39,369

 

….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

The Trojans are back – USC 48, Arizona State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 27, Arizona State 24). USC totally dominated the Sun Devils. The Trojans Ronald Jones rushed for 216 yards. Attendance in Tempe: 53,446

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Smooth as corn silk – Nebraska 25, Purdue 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 26, Purdue 22). Nebraska’s Tanner Lee passed for 431 yards, but the Huskers only rushed for 40 yards. Attendance in West Lafayette: 41,411

Miami bound – Virginia Tech 24, Duke 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 31, Duke 19). Tech’s defense held Duke to 183 total yards – only 82 passing. The Hokies had 23 first downs to 10 for Duke. Attendance in Blacksburg: 60,914

Bears still winless – Texas 38, Baylor 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Baylor 24). Two weeks in a row Texas has played good defense. The Horns held Okie State to 13 points last week – 10 in regulation. Baylor only had 31 yards rushing. Attendance in Waco: 45,656

Week 9 Results:  10 correct picks, 6 fumbles (62.5 percent)

For The Season:  103 correct picks, 39 fumbles (72.5 percent)

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Boston College 35, Florida State 3 – Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 40,629
Miami 24, North Carolina 19 – Attendance in Chapel Hill: 45,000
San Diego 48, Stetson 7 – Attendance in Deland: 1,520
Florida A&M 34, Morgan State 31 – Attendance in Baltimore: 2,589
Jacksonville U. 54, Campbell 48 (3OT) – Attendance in Buies Creek: 6,691
Florida International 41, Marshall 30 – Attendance in Huntington: 19,966
Bethune-Cookman 24, Hampton 21 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 10,951
Florida Atlantic 42, Western Kentucky 28 – Attendance in Bowling Green: 12,441
UCF 73, Austin-Peay 33 – Attendance in Orlando: 27,606
Valdosta State 42, Florida Tech 14 – Attendance in Valdosta: 3,018
 

Superlatives

Impressive Passers: 

Wake Forest’s John Wolford – 28-34-0 for 461 yards; Michigan State’s Brian Lewerke – 39-57-1-445; Nebraska’s Tanner Lee – 32-50-0-431; Missouri’s Drew Lock – 31-37-0-377; Ole Miss’ Jordan Ta’Amu – 20-30-1-368, and Marshall’s Chase Litton – 33-52-2-363.

Also, Idaho’s Matt Linehan – 28-42-0 for 360 yards; California’s Ross Bowers – 29-52-1-359; Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson – 33-48-0-356; Colorado’s Steven Montez – 20-26-0-347, and SMU’s Ben Hicks – 19-32-0-338.

Impressive Rushers:

San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny – 253 yards; Florida Atlantic’s Devin Singletary – 244 yards; USC’s Ronald Jones – 216 yards; UAB’s Spencer Brown – 208 yards; Notre Dame’s Josh Adams – 202 yards; Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson – 181 yards; Kentucky’s Benny Snell – 180 yards, and Washington’s Myles Gaskin – 169 yards.

Also, Colorado’s Phillip Lindsay – 161 yards; Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 161 yards; Michigan’s Karan Higdon – 158 yards; Tulsa’s D’Angelo Brewer – 156 yards; Arizona’s J.J. Taylor – 152 yards; Boston College’s A.J. Dillon – 149 yards, and Arizona’s Khalil Tate – 146 yards.

 

Quotes of the Week

“McElwain and Florida is a marriage headed for divorce,” Paul Finebaum.

“Who’ll get fired first – Butch Jones or Jim McElwain?” Paul Finebaum.

 

Touchdown Tom’s Picks for

This Week’s 12 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some


GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Virginia Tech (7-1) at Miami (Florida) (7-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – You have to figure this game is for the ACC’s Coastal Division title. The winner will play in the ACC championship game against either Clemson or NC State. Miami is undefeated in ACC play and the Hokies have one loss. Everyone else in the Coastal Division has two or more losses. The Hokies catch the Canes thinking about Notre Dame next week – Virginia Tech 27, Miami 24.

RUNNER UP:  2. Oklahoma (7-1) at Oklahoma State (7-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – You have to figure the winner of this game will play in the Big 12 title game on December 2. Both OU and Okie State are 4-1 in conference play. They are currently tied with TCU and Iowa State. Both teams have strong offenses – running and passing – but weak defenses. That generally makes for a high-scoring game. The Cowboys score higher – Oklahoma State 39, Oklahoma 35.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. LSU (6-2) at Alabama (8-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Both teams had the week off to prep for this game. The winner of this game should be set to win the SEC West Division and play in the conference championship game. Bama is 5-0 and the Tigers are 3-1 in SEC play. The tide still has to play Auburn, who is 4-1. The Cajun Tigers can forget the SEC title game this year – Alabama 28, LSU 17.

4. South Carolina (6-2) at Georgia (8-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – This game used to be so much fun when Steve Spurrier was coaching South Carolina. Now it’s Will Mustake coaching against his alma mater. A Georgia win all but insures the SEC East Division title for the Dawgs. At 4-2 in conference play, a South Carolina win doesn’t guarantee anything for the Gamecocks. It would be a boost for Kentucky more than anything else. The Cocks don’t help the Cats – Georgia 30, South Carolina 20.

5. Clemson (7-1) at NC State (6-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – You have to figure this game is for the ACC’s Atlantic Division title and a spot in the ACC championship game. If Clemson – 5-1 in conference play – wins, the Tigers are in the title game. Clemson isn’t going to lose to Florida State, the Tigers only remaining conference game. If NC State – 4-0 in ACC play – wins, the Wolfpack still have to get by Boston College, Wake Forest and North Carolina. But they can lose one of those games and still take the Atlantic Division title. The Pack are not back – Clemson 30, NC State 22.

6. Penn State (7-1) at Michigan State (6-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – At 4-1 in Big Ten play, Penn State and Michigan State are sitting right behind Ohio State – 5-0. So the loser of this game is all but out of it for the Big Ten East Division title. And if Penn State wins, the Nitts are still all but out of it. They would need Ohio State to lose twice. That ain’t going to happen. But if the Spartans win and then beat Ohio State on November 11, they will most likely win the East Division. But that probably ain’t going to happen either. So this is a “who cares” game. But the Lions care more – Penn State 26, Michigan State 24.

7. UCF (7-0) at SMU (6-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Both of these teams are still in contention for their division titles in the AAC – UCF in the East and SMU in the West. The Knights – 4-0 in conference play – still have a key game against South Florida. The Mustangs – 3-1 in conference play – still have to get by Navy and Memphis. That’s a tough assignment. A fired up SMU team could knock off UCF. But there is not enough fuel for the fire – UCF 34, SMU 24.

8. Arizona (6-2) at USC (7-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:45 ET, Saturday, ESPN – You have to figure the winner of this game is set to win the Pac-12 South Division title and play for the Pac-12 championship. USC is 5-1 in conference play and Arizona is 4-1. Everyone else in the Pac-12 South has two or more losses in conference play. The Wildcats are on a roll. Arizona has won four-straight. Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate leads his team in rushing with more than 900 yards and his passing is getting better. But the Trojans have Sam Darnold and Ronald Jones – USC 33, Arizona 30.

9. Stanford (6-2) at Washington State (7-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Stanford – 5-1 in conference play – and Washington State – 4-2 – are in contention for the Pac-12 North Division title. But so is Washington who is sitting at 4-1. A Cougar loss will all but wipe out Wazzu’s chances. A win is a boost for the Cougars with a game upcoming against Washington on November 25. Stanford plays Washington next week. Maybe the Trees will have better luck then. But not this week – Washington State 29, Stanford 28.

10. Auburn (6-2) at Texas A&M (5-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Auburn needs the win to stay in contention for the SEC West title. The Tigers are 4-1 in conference play. There is not much the Aggies can do to help themselves. They already have lost two games in SEC play. All A&M can do is help its pride and help save Kevin Sumlin’s job. But it may be too late for that. Aubie conquers the Corps – Auburn 27, Texas A&M 20.

11. Iowa State (6-2) at West Virginia (5-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Iowa State is hot – one of the hottest teams in the country. And at 4-1, the Cyclones are in contention for the Big 12 title game. Three other Big 12 teams are sitting at 4-1. WVU at 3-2 is all but out of it. The Mounties are just playing for pride now. They need to beat somebody. In spite of their pathetic defense, the Eers beat the Cyclones – West Virginia 30, Iowa State 28.

12. Oregon (5-4) at Washington (7-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Win out and Washington is back in the Pac-12 title game. Oregon is not in contention. The Ducks have been up and down. They are down against the Huskies – Washington 30, Oregon 18.

 

….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

13. Ohio State (7-1) at Iowa (5-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Ohio State is ruling the roost in the Big Ten East Division. Iowa is just a spoiler. The Hawkeyes have no chance of winning the West Division. Iowa has a good defense and it will be interesting to see how well the Hawkeyes can defend the Buckeyes. This could be a trap game for Ohio State. After the big win over Penn State and with Michigan State looming next week, the Bucks better be on their toes. They are on their tippy toes – Ohio State 25, Iowa 17.

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS

Florida (3-4) at Missouri (3-5) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – With the state of flux the Florida program is in, the Gators may not win another game this season. At 0-4, the Tigers are winless in SEC play. But not after this week – Missouri 30, Florida 27.

Northwestern (5-3) at Nebraska (4-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – Believe it or not, Nebraska is tied for second place in the Big Ten West Division. The Huskers are tied with Northwestern – both at 3-2. It won’t be easy, but the Huskers will be 4-2 after this game – Nebraska 22, Northwestern 20.

Texas (4-4) at TCU (7-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Texas is catching TCU at a bad time. The Frogs lost their first game last week. They will be mad this week. The Horns will get covered with warts – TCU 27, Texas 18.

Illinois (2-6) at Purdue (3-5) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – These are the two most hopeless teams in the Big Ten West Division – maybe in the entire Big Ten conference. The Banned Indians are the more hopeless of the two – Purdue 27, Illinois 25.

Duke (4-5) is off this week.

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Valparaiso (4-4) at Jacksonville U. (5-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday….
Syracuse (4-4) at Florida State (2-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:20 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….

West Georgia (7-2) vs. Florida Tech (5-4) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
South Florida (7-1) at Connecticut (3-5) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….
Morgan State (1-7) at Bethune-Cookman (4-4) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….
Howard (5-3) at Florida A&M (3-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….
Butler (5-4) at Stetson (2-7) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Marshall (6-2) at Florida Atlantic (5-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN….
UTSA (5-2) at Florida International (5-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
Touchdown Tom


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were three passings of note last week – Robert Guillaume, Fats Domino and Paul Weitz.

Robert Guillaume, who won Emmy Awards for playing the same character on two different ABC series, died last week at his home in Los Angeles. He was 89. Guillaume’s most well-known character was Benson DuBois on the sitcom “Soap,” which ran from 1977 to 1981. Later he worked for, and eventually campaigned against, the governor of an unspecified state on the spinoff “Benson,” 1979-1986. Guillaume grew up in poverty and spent years working odd jobs, from streetcar driver to postal worker. While on “Soap,” he won the Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy series in 1979. Then on “Benson,” Guillaume won the Emmy for best lead actor in a comedy series in 1985. He later was on “The Robert Guillaume Show” (1989) and “Sports Night” (1998 to 2000). Guillaume was born Robert Peter Williams on November 30, 1927, in St. Louis. He was a member of the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947. After the Army, he enrolled in St. Louis University to study business. He later studied singing and theater at Washington University in St. Louis but never earned a degree. He went on to appear in shows on Broadway and in the traveling theater. Guillaume appeared in a few movies, including “Lean On Me” (1989) and “Big Fish” (2003). He appeared on a number of TV shows.  

Fats Domino, the New Orleans rhythm-and-blues singer who was one of the biggest stars of the early rock ’n’ roll era, died last week at his home in Harvey, Louisiana. He was 89. Domino had more than three dozen Top 40 hits through the 1950s and early 1960s, including “Blueberry Hill,” “Ain’t That A Shame,” “I’m Walkin’,” “Blue Monday” and “Walkin’ To New Orleans.” He sold 65 million singles in those years, with 23 gold records, making him second only to Elvis Presley as a commercial force. Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. was born on February 26, 1928, in New Orleans, growing up in the Ninth Ward, where he spent most of his life. He was almost entirely self-taught, picking up ideas from the boogie-woogie masters. Domino’s biggest hit came in 1956 with his version of “Blueberry Hill,” a song that had been recorded by Glenn Miller’s band in 1940. He appeared in the 1950s movies “Shake, Rattle and Rock,” “The Big Beat” and “The Girl Can’t Help It.” Domino’s last appearance in Billboard’s Hot 100 was in 1968 with his version of the Beatles “Lady Madonna.” He stopped traveling in the early 1980s, but continued to play in New Orleans. He always said New Orleans was the only place where he liked the food. In 2005, he was rescued from his flooded home by helicopter after Hurricane Katrina. 

Paul Weitz, an astronaut who was in the first crew to board the Skylab space station and 10 years later commanded the first flight of the space shuttle Challenger, died last week in Flagstaff, Arizona. He was 85. Weitz was one of three astronauts in the first manned Skylab mission in 1973. Paul Joseph Weitz was born on July 25, 1932, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in aeronautical engineering at Penn State. Weitz served as a pilot in the Navy in Vietnam before being selected for the astronaut corps in 1966. Following his astronaut days, Weitz became the deputy director of the Johnson Space Center, retiring from that post in 1994.

 
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Monday, October 23, 2017


College Football Week 9 – Ole Miss quarterback Patterson lost for season

The pause that refreshes

Six Top 25 teams took a pause from the action over the weekend.  Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, Washington, Stanford and Texas A&M had the day off. Seventeen of the remaining 19 Top 25 teams all won. The two teams that lost – USC and Michigan – were not favored to win. And both lost to Top 25 teams – Notre Dame and Penn State respectively.

The weekend was the pause that refreshes. There were no real upsets – no major upsets. It was a very predictable weekend. You might say Week 8 was the calm before the storm. The remaining five weekends will not be so calm. Stay tuned!  

All eight of the unbeaten teams – Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Wisconsin, TCU, Miami (Florida), UCF and South Florida – remained just that – undefeated. And only two – Miami (Florida) and South Florida – had close encounters of the third kind – well maybe the first kind.

Miami survived a Syracuse rally, scoring late to secure the win. The Canes edged Syracuse, 27-19. Then there was South Florida. The Bulls led Tulane 34-7 late in the third quarter. But the Green Wave proceeded to score 21 unanswered points and still had time for another score. South Florida held on to win, 34-28.

So much for the close ones – Alabama rolled over Tennessee, 45-7. Penn State pounded Michigan, 42-13. Wisconsin badgered Maryland, 38-13. TCU shutout Kansas, 43-0, and UCF took care of Navy, 31-21. Georgia, as mentioned, was on pause.

Speaking of pauses, Kansas’ offense was on pause in its loss to TCU. The Jayhawks only managed 21 total yards. That’s the fewest yards by an FBS team in the past 20 years.

After Tennessee scored its only touchdown against Alabama on a pick-six, Vols defensive back Rashaan Gaulden paused to flip-off Tide fans with not one but both his middle fingers. After Gaulden’s stunt, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit attributed the incident to the culture at Tennessee under Butch Jones. Adam Spencer of Saturday Down South said if an Alabama player had done that Nick Saban would bench the player for the rest of the game.   

West Virginia’s defense went into pause mode in the fourth quarter against Baylor. When the quarter began, WVU led the Bears, 38-13. When the fourth quarter was over, Baylor had scored 23 unanswered points, losing to West Virginia, 38-36.

Just because everything went pretty much as predicted over the weekend doesn’t mean there weren’t any close and exciting games. As in the West Virginia-Baylor game, there were a fair share of thrillers and they began on Thursday and Friday nights.

Thursday night, Memphis scored with 1:28 left in the game to beat Houston 42-38. The Tigers winning score came on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Riley Ferguson to Sean Dykes. 

I don’t often see Mountain West Conference games, but the conference had two thrillers on Friday night. Colorado State just got by a stubborn New Mexico, 27-24. Then, Air Force’s Luke Strebel kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired to give the Falcons a 45-42 win over Nevada.

Air Force had 552 rushing yards in the game. Three Air Force runners rushed for 100 or more yards – Tim McVey – 139 yards, Ron Cleveland – 118 yards and Taven Birdow – 100 yards. Falcons quarterback Arion Worthman wasn’t far behind with 92 yards rushing. Air Force controlled the clock for more than 41 minutes of the game. But when Nevada had the ball, the Wolf Pack scored its 42 points fast – real fast.

There were no less than eight overtime games on Saturday. Texas took Oklahoma State to overtime, before the Cowboys pulled it out, 13-10 (OT). Northwestern outlasted Iowa, 17-10 (OT). And in one of the most exciting overtime games, Arizona edged California, 45-44 in two overtimes.

Army improved to 6-2, winning a tight one over Temple, 31-28 (OT). Likewise, SMU took Cincinnati, 31-28 (OT). Western Michigan downed Eastern Michigan, 20-17 (OT). And Southern Miss conquered Louisiana Tech, 34-27 (2OT).

Charlotte is no longer winless. The 49er’s won their first game of the season, trimming UAB, 25-24 (OT). And speaking of winning first games, it wasn’t in overtime, but Massachusetts picked up its first win on the season, blasting Georgia Southern, 55-20.

Missouri vented. The Tigers took out their frustrations on Idaho, beating the Vandals, 68-21. Florida Atlantic had no reason to vent, but Lane Kiffin’s Owls demolished North Texas, 69-31.

LSU, Auburn and Notre Dame all won as predicted. What wasn’t predicted was the big margins they won by. LSU dumped Ole Miss, 40-24, Auburn shattered Arkansas, 52-20, and Notre Dame squashed USC, 49-14.

Oklahoma and Michigan State had close calls. The Sooners scored late to beat Kansas State, 42-35, while the Spartans rallied to edge Indiana, 17-9. 

What’s gotten into Boston College and Iowa State? After starting the season 2-4, BC won its last two games, beating Louisville, 45-42 and most recently Virginia, 41-10. Meanwhile, Iowa State, after starting out 2-2, has won its last three games, including wins over Oklahoma, 38-31, and Texas Tech, 31-13. The Eagles and the Cyclones are hot.

After suffering bad losses to Georgia and Auburn, Mississippi State bounced back Saturday, beating a one-loss Kentucky, 45-7.

What’s happened to San Diego State? After beginning the season 6-0, including a 20-17 win over Stanford, the Aztecs have dropped their last two games – both at home. Last week San Diego State lost to Boise State, 31-14. Saturday night the Aztecs lost to Fresno State, 27-3. The Aztecs have gone cold.

And Florida State dropped to 2-4. Saturday, the Noles lost at home to Louisville, 31-28. Lamar Jackson rushed for 178 yards.

In two Pac-12 games Saturday, Arizona State beat Utah, 30-10, and UCLA downed Oregon, 31-14.

My best of the Group of Five this week: UCF (6-0), South Florida (7-0), Memphis (6-1), Toledo (6-1), Colorado State (6-2) and Marshall (6-1).

At 0-7, Baylor is the only Power Five team that is yet to win a game. Among the Group of Five, Georgia Southern (0-6) and UTEP (0-7) are the only winless teams.

Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson will miss the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament. Patterson, a sophomore, tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, during Saturday’s game against LSU.

Georgia Southern fired head coach Tyson Summers yesterday. Summers, just in his second year with the Eagles, was 0-6 this season and 5-13 overall. Summers is a former defensive coordinator at Colorado State and UCF. Summers got off to a bad start with the fans when he moved Georgia Southern away from the triple-option offense, an offense that has brought the program decades of success.

Summers is the third coach to be fired this season, following the terminations of UTEP’s Sean Kugler and Oregon State’s Gary Andersen.

Yeah, fasten your seat belts, college football fans. The pause is over. We’ll see if Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, Washington, Stanford and Texas A&M are refreshed this week.

There will be no more routine weekends. Saturday was the calm before the storm. The next five weekends will be bumpy – very bumpy. Stay tuned!

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

Have a good week!

Touchdown Tom
October 23, 2017


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  What a duo! – Penn State 42, Michigan 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 26, Michigan 16). Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley almost single-handedly beat Michigan. Well, not quite, it takes a team, but the two were awesome. Between them, they scored five rushing touchdowns. Michigan was never in the game. The Lions had 506 total yards to 269 for the Wolverines. Attendance in University Park: 110,823

RUNNER UP:  Not a contest – Notre Dame 49, USC 14 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 27, Notre Dame 24). Like Michigan, USC was never in this game. The Irish racked up 500 total yards. Josh Adams rushed for 191 yards and Brandon Wimbush added another 106 yards rushing. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622

REST OF THE BEST:  The Knights are 6-0 – UCF 31, Navy 21 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 46, Navy 31). Navy kept it close, but UCF always seemed to have control of the game. Navy was hurt by the loss of quarterback Zach Abey. Abey left the game early in the third quarter when he was shaken up on a run. In spite of only playing two-plus quarters, Abey had 126 yards rushing. Navy was plagued by three turnovers. Attendance in Annapolis: 35,277

Has Jones been fired yet? – Alabama 45, Tennessee 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 32, Tennessee 17). Tennessee’s only score came on a pick-six. The Vols had just 108 total yards – 64 rushing and 44 passing. Bama maintained possession for almost 35 minutes of the game. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 101,821

Second half rose – Memphis 42, Houston 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Memphis 34, Houston 32). Memphis scored all 42 of its points in the second half. After trailing Houston 17-0 at the break, the Tigers exploded in the second half, outscoring the Cougars, 42-21. Houston controlled the clock for more than 37 minutes, but in the second half, when Memphis had the ball, the Tigers scored fast. The Cougars also outgained the Tigers in total yards – 554 to 501. Memphis only had 30 yards rushing. Riley Ferguson made the difference for the Tigers, passing for 471 yards. With less than six minutes to go in the game, Memphis trailed Houston, 38-28. The Tigers scored two touchdowns in the final 5:14 of the game. Attendance in Houston: 30,001

Badgers still undefeated – Wisconsin 38, Maryland 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 32, Maryland 18). Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor rushed for 126 yards as the Badgers were never threatened by Maryland. Wisconsin had 215 yards rushing and 225 yards passing. Attendance in Madison: 78,058

State makes a statement – Mississippi State 45, Kentucky 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Kentucky 25, Mississippi State 20). And we thought Kentucky was a better team than that. State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald passed for 155 yards and rushed for 115. As a team, Kentucky only had 115 yards rushing. Attendance in Starkville: 58,963

Back in the saddle again – Washington State 28, Colorado 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 39, Colorado 29). It’s amazing how well the Cougars play defense. You don’t think of Mike Leach teams playing defense. They do now. Colorado had less than 100 yards passing and less than 100 rushing. Luke Falk threw three touchdown passes. Attendance in Pullman: 31,461

Close but no banana – Miami (Florida) 27, Syracuse 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Syracuse 23). Up 20-6 late in the third quarter, Miami seemed to have the game put away. But Syracuse came charging back. The Canes were only up 20-19 with less than six minutes to go in the game. Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey threw four interceptions that all but killed the Orange’s chances. Miami quarterback Malik Rosier passed for 344 yards. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 56,158

Lassoed – Oklahoma State 13, Texas 10 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, Texas 27). Holding Oklahoma State to only 10 points in regulation is practically a victory in itself. But the lack of a running game kept Texas from capitalizing. The Horns only had 42 yards rushing. Mason Rudolph passed for 282 yards. Attendance in Austin: 92,506

Too close for comfort – Oklahoma 42, Kansas State 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 29, Kansas State 15). Oklahoma scored a touchdown with 0:07 on the clock to pull out the win. The winning TD was a 22-yard run by Rodney Anderson. The Sooners had 619 total yards. Baker Mayfield passed for 410 yards. But the Sooners couldn’t shake Kansas State. The Wildcats had a heck of a running game. Quarterback Alex Delton rushed for 142 yards. Attendance in Manhattan: 52,122

State rallies – Michigan State 17, Indiana 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 30, Indiana 19). Not a lot of offense in this game. Both teams rushed for less than 100 yards each. It’s hard to believe that Indiana is 0-4 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers have come so close. Attendance in East Lansing: 74,111

 

….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

New coach in Lubbock? – Iowa State 31, Texas Tech 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 40, Iowa State 33). Iowa State is a hot team. The Cyclones have found an offense. They played good defense against Texas Tech. The second quarter was the big difference when Iowa State outscored Tech, 17-0. The Cyclones David Montgomery rushed for 164 yards. Kliff Kingsbury is in trouble. Attendance in Lubbock: 57,045

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Almost blew it – West Virginia 38, Baylor 36 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Baylor 20). It’s hard to believe that West Virginia led Baylor 38-13 at the start of the fourth quarter. The WVU defense downright quit. That’s a coaching problem. The Mounties defense has been inconsistent all season – not to mention undisciplined. Again, that’s a coaching problem. The WVU offensive coordinator made some questionable and poor calls in the fourth quarter. Just when you think WVU has its act together, they fool you. On a positive note Will Grier had another 300-plus-yard passing game – his seventh. Mountaineers receiver David Sills caught seven passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns. Neither team had much of a running game. Attendance in Waco: 45,389

Too much rushing – Pitt 24, Duke 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 25, Pitt 21). Just when you think the Dookies have turned the corner, they let you down. Duke led 17-7 early in the third quarter. But they never scored again. Pitt went on to score 17 unanswered points. The Panthers had 336 yards rushing to 76 for the Dookies. Pitt’s Darrin Hall rushed for 254 yards. Attendance in Durham: 22,621

Boilers down – Rutgers 14, Purdue 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Rutgers 18). Just when you think the Boilers have turned the corner, they let you down. The Boilers had 25 first downs to eight for Rutgers, and 474 total yards to 217 for Rutgers. They also had two turnovers to none for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have won two Big Ten games in a row. Attendance in Piscataway: 38,278

 

Week 8 Results:  11 correct picks, 5 fumbles (68.8 percent)
For the Season:  93 correct picks, 33 fumbles (73.8 percent)

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Louisville 31, Florida State 28 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 72,764
San Diego 63, Jacksonville U. 10 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 1,748
Morehead State 29, Stetson 26 – Attendance in Morehead: 8,987


North Carolina A&T 24, Bethune-Cookman 20 – Attendance in Greensboro: 13,262
Florida Tech 41, West Alabama 39 – Attendance in Melbourne: 2,900


Hampton 31, Florida A&M 27 – Attendance in Hampton: 12,251
Florida Atlantic 69, North Texas 31 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 13,277
South Florida 34, Tulane 28 – Attendance in New Orleans: 17,256
 

Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  

Memphis’ Riley Ferguson – 33-53-1 for 471 yards; Missouri’s Drew Lock – 23-33-1-467; Appalachian State’s Taylor Lamb – 23-39-0-427; Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield – 32-41-1-410, and West Virginia’s Will Grier – 26-37-0-375.

Also, Connecticut’s Bryant Shirreffs – 23-29-0 for 372 yards; Florida Atlantic’s Jason Driskel – 24-35-0-357; Miami of Florida’s Malik Rosier – 26-43-0-344; Troy’s Brandon Silvers – 25-35-1-335, and Coastal Carolina’s Tyler Keane – 17-29-0-332.

 

Impressive Rushers:  

LSU’s Derrius Guice – 276 yards; Pitt’s Darrin Hall – 254 yards; Notre Dame’s Josh Adams – 191 yards; Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 178 yards; Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry – 166 yards; Iowa State’s David Montgomery – 164 yards, and Tulsa’s Shamari Brooks – 164 yards.

Also, Georgia Tech’s TaQuon Marshall – 163 yards; New Mexico’s Tyrone Owens – 159 yards; Minnesota’s Kobe McCrary – 153 yards; UTSA’s Tyrell Clay – 153 yards; Temple’s Ryquell Armstead – 151 yards, and Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson – 147 yards.

 

Quotes of the Week

“Paul Finebaum is the modern day Beano Cook,” West Virginia Mountaineer, Georgia Bulldog and Elkins, West Virginia’s finest native Bob Darden.

“It’s 8:17 a.m. and Butch Jones is still the football coach. I can’t understand it. I wouldn’t have let him get on the plane last night,” Paul Finebaum.

Sign of the Day

Butch, Your Mom Still Loves You

 

Touchdown Tom’s predictions for

This Week’s 12 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some


GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Penn State (7-0) at Ohio State (6-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – From Michigan to Ohio State, the going gets tough for the Nittany Lions. Even tougher with the game in Columbus. Still, I think the Buckeyes defense will have a hard time stopping the combination of Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley. Regardless, it should be a hell of a game. Urban cries – Penn State 29, Ohio State 26.

RUNNER UP:  2. NC State (6-1) at Notre Dame (6-1) – (ACC vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Both teams are on a roll. Since losing its opening game of the season to South Carolina by seven points, NC State has reeled off six-straight wins. Meanwhile, Notre Dame lost its second game of the season by one point to Georgia. Since then, the Irish have won five-straight games. Both teams have good quarterbacks. ND has the better running back – Josh Adams. Both of these teams are for real. The Irish are realer – Notre Dame 33, NC State 22.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. TCU (7-0) at Iowa State (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Iowa State is a hot team, getting hotter. And the Cyclones have TCU in Ames. Just where they want them. But the Frogs remain undefeated – TCU 27, Iowa State 23.

4. Oklahoma State (6-1) at West Virginia (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – WVU and Okie State have had some classic games in Morgantown. This one could be a classic high scoring affair. The Cowboys offense was shutdown last week. It’s likely to have a revival this week. WVU’s defense is 112th in the country in total yards given up. WVU needs to capitalize on the Will Grier to David Sills combination, but more importantly, the Mountaineers need to get a running game going. Mason falls below the Dixon line – West Virginia 34, Oklahoma State 31.

5. Washington State (7-1) at Arizona (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 9:30 pm ET, Saturday, PAC-12N – After a 2-2 start, Arizona has won three straight, including good wins over Colorado, UCLA and California. This will be a problem game for Washington State. But the Cougars are playing good defense and that could be a problem for the Wildcats. An upset in the making? Yes – Arizona 28, Washington State 26.

6. Houston (4-3) at South Florida (7-0) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:45 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – After the tough loss to Memphis, Houston will be angry and out for a win. South Florida has been playing funky at times. They almost let Tulane beat them. Both teams play good offense. USF plays better defense. The better defense wins – South Florida 34, Houston 25.

7. Georgia Tech (4-2) at Clemson (6-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – These two teams have had some classic matchups over the years. Clemson had the week off to prepare for Tech’s triple-option offense. That’s a help. Still, Clemson could be ripe for an upset. But the game is at Clemson. Home team wins – Clemson 30, Georgia Tech 21.

8. Georgia (7-0) vs. Florida (3-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Both teams had the week off. Georgia didn’t need it. Florida did. Florida needs three or four weeks off. The Gators have dominated this series for the past 26 years. The Dawgs dominate this year – Georgia 28, Florida 23.

9. Mississippi State (5-2) at Texas A&M (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – A loss for Texas A&M will put Kevin Sumlin back on the hot seat. That would be the Aggies third loss this season. When State is good, they are really, really good. But when the Bulldogs are bad, they are really, really bad. Sumlin wants to stay off the hot seat and State is really, really bad, in this game – Texas A&M 29, Mississippi State 22.

10. UCLA (4-3) at Washington (6-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – UCLA had a good win last week, while Washington had the week off. Chris Petersen doesn’t like to lose. He won’t lose this one – Washington 30, UCLA 24.

11. Texas Tech (4-3) at Oklahoma (6-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Texas Tech has given up 77 points in its last two games. Overall, the Raiders are giving up 31 points a game this season. Oklahoma likes to score points. Mayfield has a heyday – Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 15.

12. Michigan State (6-1) at Northwestern (4-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Northwestern surprised Iowa last week. State almost lost to Indiana. The Spartans could easily lose to the Wildcats. But the Spartans won’t be surprised – Michigan State 20, Northwestern 17.

 

….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

13. USC (6-2) at Arizona State (4-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:45 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – After a 2-3 start, Arizona State has been playing good football. The Sun Devils beat Washington and Utah in their last two games. State is playing good defense. They held Washington to seven points and Utah to 10 points. After the blowout loss to Notre Dame, you don’t know how USC will respond. The Trojans get their act together – USC 27, Arizona State 24.

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Nebraska (3-4) at Purdue (3-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – Now here is a game Nebraska can win. It’s also a game Purdue can win. Both teams lack consistency. The Boilers lack it in this contest – Nebraska 26, Purdue 22.

Duke (4-4) at Virginia Tech (6-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:20 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Virginia Tech is a hot team. The Hokies only loss is to Clemson. The Dookies are up and down. They will be down against Tech – Virginia Tech 31, Duke 19.

Texas (3-4) at Baylor (0-7) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – You have that feeling that Baylor is going to pop somebody this year – eventually. But they won’t pop the Horns – Texas 33, Baylor 24.

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State (2-4) at Boston College (4-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ESPN….
Miami (6-0) at North Carolina (1-7) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2…

San Diego (5-2) at Stetson (2-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Florida A&M (2-6) at Morgan State (1-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday…

Jacksonville U. (4-3) at Campbell (5-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida International (4-2) at Marshall (6-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 2:30 pm ET, Saturday….
Hampton (5-2) at Bethune-Cookman (3-4) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Atlantic (4-3) at Western Kentucky (5-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 4:30 pm ET, Saturday….
Austin-Peay (5-3) at UCF (6-0) – (Ohio Valley vs. AAC) – 5 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Florida Tech (5-3) at Valdosta State (3-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….

Touchdown Tom


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting colder, the leaves were falling, the frost was on the pumpkins, and Halloween was just around the corner, 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 “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra

…65 years ago this week in 1952 was “I Went To Your Wedding” by Patti Page

…60 years ago this week in 1957 was “Jailhouse Rock”/“Treat Me Nice” by Elvis Presley, “Chances Are” by Johnny Mathis and “Wake Up Little Susie” by The Everly Brothers

…55 years ago this week in 1962 was “Monster Mash” by Bobby Boris Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

…50 years ago this week in 1967 was “To Sir With Love” by Lulu

…45 years ago this week in 1972 was “My Ding-a-Ling” by Chuck Berry

…40 years ago this week in 1977 was “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone

…35 years ago this week in 1982 was “Jack & Diane” by John Cougar

…30 years ago this week in 1987 was “Lost In Emotion” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam

…25 years ago this week in 1992 was “End Of The Road” by Boyz II Men

 
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Monday, October 16, 2017

College Football Week 8 – Nebraska names new athletic director
Gators have gone from orange and blue
to slime green, putrid green, butt ugly

That’s just a few of the terms fans were using to describe the uniforms Florida wore against Texas A&M Saturday night – a few of the more respectable terms. It got worse from there.

Rockledge Gator said, “They looked like Ninja Turtles running out of the tunnel before the game.

Hopefully, Florida burned the uniforms after the game. The Gators lost to Texas A&M, 19-17. Uniforms that were supposed to fire up and inspire the Gators instead deflated the team. Yes, Florida lost to the Aggies in spite of the fact that the Gators controlled time of possession for more than 33 minutes, had 17 first downs to 10 for A&M and had more than 100 total yards than the Aggies.

Butt ugly – that not only describes the uniforms, it also describes the way Florida played.

Then there were the names fans were calling Florida coach Jim McElwain after the game. Well, I dare not mention them here. But I can say that slime green, putrid green and butt ugly were mild compared to the names McElwain was being called.

Yes, after winning a couple of games by the skin of their teeth – 26-20 over Tennessee and 28-27 over Kentucky, Florida has lost a couple of games by the skin of its teeth – 17-16 to LSU and now 19-17 to Texas A&M. Georgia looms in two weeks. Something tells me there is no skin left on the teeth for that game.

Florida was a 2-to-3 point favorite over Texas A&M. When the spread is that close, I don’t know if you can call the Aggies win an upset or not. But when teams favored by 17 to 24 points lose – that’s an upset.

There were no less than seven big upsets over the weekend. The trend was set Friday night when two of the biggest upsets occurred. First, unranked Syracuse – a 17-point underdog – stunned previously undefeated Clemson, 27-24. Stock in Syracuse coach Dino Babers skyrocketed. Look for Babers to be coaching at a higher profile school – if not next year, the following year or two.

Then, California – a 24-point underdog – shocked previously undefeated Washington State, 37-3. The Cougars Luke Falk threw five interceptions. Throw in two fumbles and Washington State suffered from seven turnovers. But it wasn’t just mistakes. Cal worked for its win. Quarterback Ross Bowers was 21-38-0 for 259 yards. Running back Vic Enwere rushed for 102 yards, and the Cal defense held Wazzu to 23 yards rushing.

What began Friday night continued on Saturday. Arizona State upset previously undefeated Washington, 13-7. There were no turnovers in this contest. The Sun Devils played tough defense and controlled the clock for more than 34 minutes. The race for the Pac-12 North Division title just got dicier between Stanford, Washington and Washington State.

Auburn, a favorite to take care of business in Baton Rouge, was upended by LSU, 27-23. Trailing Auburn – 23-14 – at the start of the fourth quarter, LSU outscored Auburn 13-0 in the final 14:33 of the game. Out West in the MWC, Boise State ambushed previously undefeated San Diego State. The Broncos stunned the Aztecs, 31-14. The loss all but eliminated San Diego State from the Group of Five slot in a New Year’s Six bowl.

A 2-4 Boston College entered its game a significant underdog to a 4-2 Louisville – even more so with the game being played at Louisville. When the game was over, the Eagles were 3-4, while the Cardinals were 4-3. Boston College upset Louisville, 45-42. Lamar Jackson won’t even be in the running for this year’s Heisman Trophy.

And what’s with Tulsa? Last week the Golden Hurricane lost to a weak Tulane team, 62-28. Saturday, Tulsa surprised Houston, 45-17. Go figure.

Then there were the near misses – a few games that came close to being added to the list above. Indiana took Michigan to overtime, before the Hoosiers fell to the favored Wolverines, 27-20 (OT). Texas took favored Oklahoma to the wire, before the Longhorns fell to the Sooners – 29-24 – in the final seven minutes of the game.

Navy gave favored Memphis all it could handle. In the end, the Middies dropped a close one to the Tigers, 30-27. A failed two-point conversion attempt with 42 seconds to go in the game kept Utah from knocking off USC. The Trojans beat the Utes, 28-27.

Miami (Florida) and Georgia Tech were rated pretty even. When the game was over, the teams were still pretty even. In the rain in Miami Gardens, the Canes edged the Yellow Jackets, 25-24. Trailing 24-13, Miami scored 12 unanswered points in the final 18 minutes of the game to escape with the win.

Then there was the rally. Trailing Texas Tech, 35-17, midway through the third quarter, West Virginia scored 29 unanswered points in the final 20 minutes of the game to beat the Red Raiders, 46-35. Will Grier passed for 352 yards and five touchdowns.

A few coaches sealed their fate Saturday. South Carolina beat Tennessee in Knoxville, 15-9. It’s just a matter of time before Vols coach Butch Jones will be fired. Ohio State slaughtered Nebraska in Lincoln, 56-14. Huskers fans were leaving at halftime. Nebraska coach Mike Riley will receive a pink before long. Alabama drove the nail a little deeper into Bret Bielema’s coffin. The Tide beat Arkansas, 41-9.

Along with Miami (Florida), Ohio State and Alabama, three other teams remained undefeated. Georgia beat Missouri, 53-28, TCU downed Kansas State, 26-6, and Wisconsin got by Purdue, 17-9.

South Florida and UCF are the only Group of Five teams that remain undefeated. South Florida turned back Cincinnati, 33-3, and UCF blasted East Carolina, 63-21. UCF and South Florida meet on November 24. Stay tuned!

When I last left you, Swamp Mama and I were running around the hills of Branson, Missouri, with 11 of my Navy buddies – and their wives – from our days in Scotland. We all had a good time in Branson.

Swamp Mama and I flew back to Florida on Wednesday, arriving in Melbourne late that night. After a day of mowing the grass and doing the laundry, we left home Friday morning, driving to Gainesville for the Texas A&M-Florida football weekend. Along the way, we picked up Bootsie and Rockledge Gator.

Of course, all the talk was about the uniforms Florida was going to be wearing for the game. Swamp Mama wasn’t a happy camper. If the Gators aren’t dressed in blue jerseys, white pants and orange helmets, Swamp Mama gets upset – very upset.

Retracing our tracks from two weeks ago, we lunched in Deland and drove West out of Deland on County Road 42. This time, there were no blockades on 42. We followed it West through a pretty part of Florida to U.S. 441. Then north on 441 through Ocala to Gainesville.

Well, as luck would have it Highway 441 was closed at Paynes Prairie just south of Gainesville. The water covered all four lanes. Two weeks ago, as we crossed Paynes Prairie, the water just covered the two outside lanes. The two inside lanes were opened for one lane of traffic each way.

We detoured through Micanopy – where they filmed the movie “Doc Hollywood” – to I-75 and on in to Gainesville. No problem.

The four of us checked into the Laurel Oak Inn, where we said hello to old friends and met new ones. That evening we dined at Harry’s – an old standby. Downtown Gainesville was full of Aggies. The conditions were perfect for an ideal college football weekend. The skies were clear and the temperatures were a little cooler than our previous visit two weekends earlier.

With a 7 p.m. kickoff, we had all day Saturday to prepare for the game – and prepare for the swamp-green uniforms. To help absorb the shock of the uniforms, I prepared Irish mules for the four of us. Swamp Mama needed them.

Our Gator Aider bus to the stadium was full. I sat beside a Texas A&M fan. He was a doctor from Abilene. It was his first visit to Gainesville and The Swamp. We exchanged college football stories as we rode to the stadium.

Outside the stadium before the game, I hooked up with Scott Greenwood. Scott has been a reader of this blog for some time and we met at a Florida game last year. He is a Nebraska grad and fan who – after living in Orlando for a number of years – has also become a Gator fan. His children went to Florida. Scott is going to the Northwestern-Nebraska game in Lincoln on November 4.

Florida never trailed Texas A&M until 0:58 left in the game. That’s when the Aggies kicked a 32-yard field goal and went ahead 19-17. Swamp Mama blamed the loss on the uniforms – what else? Everyone else around us in the stadium seemed to be blaming the loss on Jim McElwain.

Regardless how this season plays out, McElwain is safe. He won’t get fired. But he better have a good season next year or the curtains will come down. Just as former Gator coach Will Muschamp picked up the name Will Mustake while at Florida, it seems McElwain is now known as Jim McExcuse. Oh the life of a coach.

Sunday morning, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I bid farewell to innkeepers Peggy and Monta and our other Laurel Oak friends and drove back to Brevard County.

Oregon State fired football coach Gary Andersen last week. Andersen was 7-22 in two-plus seasons with the Beavers. Prior to Oregon State, he was 19-7 in two years at Wisconsin. From 2009 to 2012 Andersen was 26-24 as head coach at Utah State. He was 11-2 his last season at Utah State before being hired by Wisconsin.

Andersen is the second coach to be fired this season. A few weeks ago UTEP fired Sean Kugler.

Yesterday, Nebraska named Washington State athletic director Bill Moos as the Huskers new AD. Moos has been the athletic director at Washington State since 2010. Prior to that, he was Oregon’s AD from 1995 to 2007. Moos replaces Shawn Eichorst who was fired three weeks ago.

A few stars over the weekend – Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph passed for 459 yards in the Cowboys 59-16 win over Baylor. Boston College’s A.J. Dillon rushed for 272 yards in the Eagles win over Louisville. And how about Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate? Tate passed for 148 yards and ran for 230 yards in Arizona’s 47-30 win over UCLA.

Among the Power Five teams only six are still undefeated – Alabama (7-0) and Georgia (7-0) from the SEC, Penn State (6-0) and Wisconsin (6-0) from the Big Ten, TCU (6-0) from the Big 12 and Miami (5-0) from the ACC.

Among the Group of Five teams, two remain undefeated – UCF (5-0) and South Florida (6-0), both from the AAC. My Top 6 from the Group of Five are UCF, South Florida, Memphis (5-1), Navy (5-1), Toledo (5-1) and Marshall (5-1).

So I wonder if Florida will wear those uniforms again? Surely they burned them. Actually, the young people liked the swamp-green uniforms; the old people hated them. Is there a message there? Swamp Mama still needs an Irish mule.

Have a good week!

Touchdown Tom
October 16, 2017
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Failed two-point conversion – USC 28, Utah 27 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 28, Utah 26). USC’s Sam Darnold passed for 358 yards, as the Trojans barely escaped Utah. The Utes Zack Moss rushed for 141 yards. Attendance in Los Angeles: 72,382

RUNNER UP: Aubie quits – LSU 27, Auburn 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 24, LSU 17). Auburn won the first half. LSU won the second half. LSU shutdown Auburn in the second half, outscoring the War Eagles, 13-0. Early in the second quarter, Auburn led LSU 20-0. But they couldn’t hold on. Auburn’s weakness was its passing game. LSU defended it well. Jarrett Stidham had a terrible game – 9-for-26 (34.6%) and only 165 yards. Kerryon Johnson rushed for 156 yards. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 101,601

REST OF THE BEST: Middies had a hole in their boat – Memphis 30, Navy 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Memphis 40, Navy 31). This game went back and forth, but when Memphis took a 20-19 lead late in the third quarter, the Tigers never looked back. But Navy kept it close. Memphis’ Riley Ferguson passed for 279 yards, and Navy’s Zach Abey rushed for 146 yards. Attendance in Memphis: 40,177

Thrill – TCU 26, Kansas State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 30, Kansas State 27). TCU’s Kenny Hill passed for 297 yards. The Horned Frogs scored in every quarter. Attendance in Stillwater: 52,055

Jackets lose the close ones – Miami (Florida) 25, Georgia Tech 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 26, Georgia Tech 20). For three quarters, Georgia Tech controlled the game. In the fourth quarter, the Jackets were outscored 9-0 by Miami. Attendance in Miami: 55,799

Sooners rule Dallas – Oklahoma 29, Texas 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Texas 33). After trailing all game, Texas finally took the lead midway through the fourth quarter. But the Horns couldn’t hang on. OU had 518 total yards. Attendance in Dallas: 93,552

Rally – West Virginia 46, Texas Tech 35 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Texas Tech 31). WVU’s defense woke up in the second half. The Mounties won with only 44 yards rushing. Attendance in Morgantown: 60,928

Badger power – Wisconsin 17, Purdue 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 30, Purdue 19). Purdue only had 221 total yards, while Wisconsin had 498 total yards. That was the difference. The Badgers also controlled the clock for more than 39 minutes. Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor rushed for 219 yards. Attendance in Madison: 78,580

Close but no banana – Michigan 27, Indiana 20 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 26, Indiana 20). Early in the fourth quarter, Michigan led 20-10. The Hoosiers put the game into overtime, scoring 10 points in the final three minutes. The Wolverines only had 58 yards passing. Attendance in Bloomington:

Duck down – Stanford 49, Oregon 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, Oregon 23). Oregon scored a touchdown in the first quarter and never saw the end zone again. The Ducks only had 33 yards passing. Attendance in Palo Alto: 48,559

It was the uniforms – Texas A&M 19, Florida 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 29, Florida 23). The Aggies scored the last 9 points of the game (three field goals) and came from behind to win. Attendance in Gainesville: 86,114

No sacrifice – Boise State 31, San Diego State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 30, Boise State 20). The stats were pretty even, but the score wasn’t. The Broncos shut down Aztecs runner Rashaad Penny. These two teams could meet again in December for the MWC championship. Attendance in San Diego: 49,053


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Butch Jones’ Waterloo? – South Carolina 15, Tennessee 9(Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, Tennessee 23). With the score tied 9-9, South Carolina kicked two field goals in the final five minutes of the game. Attendance in Knoxville: 98,104


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Dookies run out of steam – Florida State 17, Duke 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, Duke 21). The score was tied 10-10 going into the fourth quarter. The Noles controlled the clock for more than 36 minutes of the game. Attendance in Durham: 31,073

Georgia 53, Missouri 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 38, Missouri 20). This was a good ballgame until late in the second quarter. That’s when Uga started running away with it. The Dawgs amassed 696 total yards – 370 rushing and 326 passing. Mizzou had no ground game. Attendance in Athens: 92,746


Week 7 Results: 13 correct picks, 2 fumbles (86.7 percent)
For the Season: 82 correct picks, 28 fumbles (74.6 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Stetson 28, Davidson 17 – Attendance in Deland: 1,836
Butler 37, Jacksonville U. 22 – Attendance in Indianapolis: 1,877
Florida Tech 42, North Greenville 31 – Attendance in Tigerville: 2,400

North Carolina A&T 31, Florida A&M 20 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 25,067
Bethune-Cookman 12, South Carolina State 9 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 6,191

UCF 63, East Carolina 21 – Attendance in Orlando: 40,287
Florida International 23, Tulane 10 – Attendance in Miami: 16,433
South Florida 33, Cincinnati 3 – Attendance in Tampa: 43,708


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 19-31-0 for 459 yards; Georgia State’s Conner Manning – 26-35-0-446; Nevada’s Ty Gangi – 23-40-0-428; Western Kentucky’s Mike White – 33-47-0-398, and Colorado State’s Nick Stevens – 26-37-0-384.

Also, New Mexico State’s Tyler Rogers – 31-51-2 for 382 yards; USC’s Sam Darnold – 27-50-0-358; Temple’s Logan Marchi – 33-54-1-356; North Texas’ Mason Fine – 20-34-1-354; West Virginia’s Will Grier – 32-41-1-352, and Ole Miss’ Shea Patterson – 22-35-0-351.

Impressive Rushers:

Boston College’s A.J. Dillon – 272 yards; Arizona’s Khalil Tate – 230 yards; Hawaii’s Diocemy Saint Juste – 202 yards; Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 219 yards; Michigan’s Karan Higdon – 200 yards; Michigan State’s L.J. Scott – 194 yards; Colorado State’s Dalyn Dawkins – 191 yards, and Colorado’s Phillip Lindsay – 185 yards.

Also, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 180 yards; Toledo’s Terry Swanson – 177 yards; Army’s Ahmad Bradshaw – 172 yards; Oregon State’s Ryan Nall – 172 yards; Northwestern’s Justin Jackson – 171 yards; Miami of Florida’s Travis Homer – 170 yards; UAB’s Spencer Brown – 167 yards, and Air Force’s Anon Worthman – 166 yards.

Also, Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb – 163 yards; North Carolina’s Michael Carter – 157 yards; Charlotte’s Aaron Mcallister – 157 yards; Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson – 156 yards; UNLV’s Amani Rogers – 148 yards; Bowling Green’s Andrew Clair – 148 yards; Stanford’s Bryce Love – 147 yards, and Navy’s Zach Abey – 146 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Tennessee fans are checking their smart phones every minute to see if Butch Jones has been fired yet,” Paul Finebaum, after the Vols loss to South Carolina.

“I’m concerned. I’m concerned that we might fall so deep into the hole they have to pipe air in to keep us alive,” former Nebraska All-American Johnny Rodgers, on the Husker football program.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Michigan (5-1) at Penn State (6-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – The Nittany Lions are on a roll and the Wolverines aren’t. Michigan is struggling. Harbaugh isn’t happy. He’ll be unhappier after this one – Penn State 26, Michigan 16.

RUNNER UP: 2. USC (6-1) at Notre Dame (5-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – A tight game. It could go either way. The Irish have looked good. They may be better than we think. Their only loss is a one-pointer to Georgia. Sam Darnold pulls it out for the Trojans – USC 27, Notre Dame 24.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. UCF (5-0) at Navy (5-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – This will be a high-scoring affair. Both teams will score. But the Knights will score more – UCF 46, Navy 31.

4. Tennessee (3-3) at Alabama (7-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Will Butch Jones be around for this game? Or will he suffer another loss? The Tide keeps rolling along – Alabama 32, Tennessee 17.

5. Memphis (5-1) at Houston (4-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Houston is an up-and-down team. The Tigers are mostly up – Memphis 34, Houston 32.


6. Maryland (3-3) at Wisconsin (6-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – It seems pretty clear that Wisconsin is going to win the Big Ten West Division. Maryland is just snack food for the Badgers – Wisconsin 32, Maryland 18.

7. Kentucky (5-1) at Mississippi State (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – This should be a good game – an excellent one. It could be a defensive struggle. Regardless, the Cats outmaneuver the Dogs – Kentucky 25, Mississippi State 20.

8. Colorado (4-3) at Washington State (6-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:45 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Washington State gets back on the winning track this week. But Colorado could be troublesome. Wazzu has a Buffalo burger – Washington State 39, Colorado 29.

9. Syracuse (4-3) at Miami (5-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – You can’t take Syracuse for granted anymore. The Orange found their groove against Clemson. But they lose it against the Canes – Miami 30, Syracuse 23.

10. Oklahoma State (5-1) at Texas (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Mason Rudolph should have a heyday in Austin. But his defense has to keep the Horns from scoring. They do, just barely – Oklahoma State 31, Texas 27.

11. Oklahoma (5-1) at Kansas State (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – After that slip up against Iowa State, the Sooners are rolling again. They roll right over the Wildcats – Oklahoma 29, Kansas State 15.

12. Indiana (3-3) at Michigan State (5-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Indiana is a feisty team. Just not feisty enough to handle the Spartans – Michigan State 30, Indiana 19.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Iowa State (4-2) at Texas Tech (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Since that win over Oklahoma, Iowa State has found itself. But the Cyclones lose themselves in Lubbock – Texas Tech 40, Iowa State 33.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

West Virginia (4-2) at Baylor (0-6) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FS2 – WVU’s offense is generally clicking. It’s the defense that is living on the edge. The Mounties escape Waco – West Virginia 34, Baylor 20.

Pitt (2-5) at Duke (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:20 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Both teams are in a dive. But the Dookies pull out of their dive – Duke 25, Pitt 21.

Purdue (3-3) at Rutgers (2-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – Rutgers had a rare Big Ten win last week. Emphasis on rare – Purdue 27, Rutgers 18.

Florida (3-3), Nebraska (3-4) and Georgia (7-0) are off this week.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Louisville (4-3) at Florida State (2-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN….
San Diego (4-2) at Jacksonville U. (4-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday….

Stetson (2-5) at Morehead State (2-5) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Bethune-Cookman (3-3) at North Carolina A&T (7-0) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….

West Alabama (6-1) at Florida Tech (4-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida A&M (2-5) at Hampton (4-2) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….

North Texas (4-2) at Florida Atlantic (3-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 5 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
South Florida (6-0) at Tulane (3-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….

Florida International (4-2) is off this week.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but sadly, there were two passings of note last week – Y.A. Tittle and Jim Landis.

Y.A. Tittle, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the New York Giants to three consecutive National Football League championship games in the early 1960s after being discarded by the San Francisco 49ers as too old and too slow, died last week in Stanford, California. He was 90. Tittle played his college football at LSU. He threw for 242 touchdowns and 33,070 yards in his 17 years as a pro. Yelberton Abraham Tittle was born on October 24, 1926, in Marshall, Texas. His older brother Jack, who played football for Tulane, honed Tittle’s skills. He was a two-time all-Southeastern Conference quarterback, playing for LSU from 1944 to 1947. He was deferred form military service in World War II because of asthma.

Jim Landis, who was instrumental in the Chicago White Sox winning the American League pennant in 1959, died last week in Napa, California. He was 83. Landis was known for making difficult catches look easy. James Henry Landis was born on March 9, 1934, in Fresno, California. He was signed by the White Sox after his first year at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California. The White Sox lost the 1959 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Landis was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1965. He later played in Cleveland, Houston, Detroit and Boston before retiring from Major League Baseball.

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