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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