College Football Week 12 – Butch Jones finally fired
Shakeup on Showdown:
Two still in, two out
and three eliminated
They called it “Showdown Saturday.” The Top 10 teams in the CFP rankings – the only teams still in the running for the playoff – were all playing crucial games against dangerous opponents. In fact, six of the teams were playing other teams ranked in the Top 10.
The Shakeups: Auburn 40, Georgia 17; Miami (Florida) 41, Notre Dame 8; Oklahoma 38, TCU 20, and Stanford 30, Washington 22.
Breathing a sigh of relief: Alabama, after edging Mississippi State, 31-24.
Breathing a little easier: Clemson, after beating Florida State, 31-14, and Wisconsin, after downing Iowa, 38-14.
The two still in the CFP Top 4: Alabama and Clemson.
The two out of the CFP Top 4: Georgia and Notre Dame.
The three eliminated from the CFP picture: Notre Dame, TCU and Washington.
The shakeup began on Friday night, when Stanford knocked off No. 9 Washington, 30-22. The Huskies started out on the right track, leading Stanford through the first two and a half quarters of the game. But in the third quarter, the Cardinal grabbed the lead for the first time and never looked back.
The loss booted Washington (8-2) out of contention for the CFP playoff. In fact, no team from the Pac-12 will be in the playoff this season.
The shakeups continued Saturday. First, No. 10 Auburn stunned No. 1 Georgia, 40-17. The Bulldogs scored first and led the Tigers 7-6 at the end of the first quarter. But Georgia never scored again until late in the third quarter. By then it was too late. Trailing Auburn 30-7, the Dawgs kicked a field goal with 5:23 left in the third. Georgia (9-1) will fall from the Top 4 but remain in the Top 7 of the CFP rankings.
Georgia still controls its own destiny. If the Dawgs win out, they will be one of the playoff teams. Georgia has regular season games remaining against Kentucky and Georgia Tech, and the SEC championship game against either Alabama or Auburn.
Likewise, Auburn (8-2) controls its own destiny. If the Tigers win out, they will be a Top 4 CFP team. Auburn has games remaining against Louisiana-Monroe, Alabama and the SEC championship game in a repeat against Georgia, if the Tigers beat Alabama.
The last two of the shakeups occurred Saturday night when No. 7 Miami (Florida) blew past No. 3 Notre Dame, 41-8 and No. 5 Oklahoma beat No. 6 TCU, 38-20. With leads of 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and 27-0 at halftime, Miami never gave the Irish a chance. The Canes were all over Notre Dame.
The win should propel Miami (9-0) into the CFP Top 4 this week. Win out and the Canes are definitely in the playoff. Miami has regular season games remaining against Virginia and Pitt and the ACC title game against Clemson. Notre Dame (8-2), on the other hand, is totally out of the CFP picture. No playoff for the Irish.
In the other shakeup game Saturday night, Oklahoma’s win should boost the Sooners into the CFP Top 4, while knocking TCU (8-2) out of any possibilities for the playoff. Oklahoma built up a 38-14 first half lead in its win over the Horned Frogs. The Sooners went into cruise control in the second half. Like Auburn, Georgia and Miami, Oklahoma controls its own destiny. Win out and the Sooners are playoff bound.
OU (9-1) has regular season games remaining against Kansas and West Virginia and the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State, TCU or West Virginia. Oklahoma is the Big 12’s only chance of putting a team in the playoff. Should the Sooners lose in their next three games, there will be no Big 12 teams in the playoff.
It wasn’t a shakeup, but it was close. No. 2 Alabama was lucky to get out of Starkville alive, edging Mississippi State, 31-24. The Tide never led the Bulldogs until early in the third quarter when Alabama went up 17-14. But that lead was short-lived, as Miss State went back up 21-17. Then the Bulldogs added a field goal to improve on their lead, 24-17.
But that was it for Miss State. Alabama scored two touchdowns in the final 9:49 of the game, the second coming with 25 seconds left, to beat the Bulldogs by a touchdown. The Tide controls its destiny. Win out and Alabama (10-0) is a playoff team. Lose in the SEC championship game and the Tide could still be a playoff team.
Clemson and Wisconsin won a little easier Saturday, but both teams had their moments. Clemson jumped out to a 17-0 lead over Florida State. But with 8:53 to go in the fourth quarter, the Seminoles had closed the gap to three, trailing the Tigers 17-14. For a while it was tense. Then in the final 3 minutes of the game, Clemson scored two touchdowns and won going away, 31-14.
Clemson (9-1) has games remaining against The Citadel and South Carolina and the ACC title game against Miami. Win out and the Tigers are returning to the playoff.
Until about six minutes to go in the third quarter, the Iowa-Wisconsin game was tight. The Hawkeyes led at the end of the first quarter. The Badgers took the lead in the second quarter, but the game remained close until midway through the third quarter. Wisconsin scored 21 unanswered points in the final 21 minutes of the game. The Badgers went on to win 38-14.
Wisconsin (10-0) has games remaining against Michigan, Minnesota and, most likely, Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Win out and the Badgers will be a Top 4 CFP team. Wisconsin is the Big Ten’s only chance to put a team in the playoff.
Seven teams remain alive for the playoff – Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Clemson, Miami (Florida), Oklahoma and Wisconsin. When Alabama and Auburn meet on November 25, the loser will be eliminated. Down to six teams.
When Alabama or Auburn meets Georgia on December 2 in the SEC title game, the loser will be eliminated. Down to five teams. That is unless Georgia beats Alabama. In that case, the Tide could still be alive.
When Clemson meets Miami in the ACC title game on December 2, the loser will be eliminated. Down to four teams. Well, maybe not. If Clemson loses, the Tigers are out. But if Miami loses, the Canes could remain in contention.
And what happens if Oklahoma State and/or Wisconsin get knocked off along the way?
Some people say we need an 8-team or 16-team playoff. We already have it. The playoff began Saturday. Notre Dame, TCU and Washington were eliminated. We’re down to seven teams. The playoff will continue for the next several weeks. Stay tuned! It’s going to be fun.
Along with the playoff, the other big topic every year at this time of the season is the coaching carousel – who’s been fired, who’s going to get fired, who’s on the hot seat, who’s going to be the new coach here, who’s going to be the new coach there.
Yesterday, Tennessee fired Butch Jones. I should say Tennessee finally fired Butch Jones. It has been expected for weeks. Paul Finebaum called Tennessee athletic director John Currie a “wimp.” I guess Currie finally worked up the courage. Defensive line coach Brady Hoke was named Tennessee’s interim coach for the rest of the season.
In his fifth season, Jones was 34-27 at Tennessee. He was making $4.11 annually. His buyout is $8 million. The new coach will be the Vols’ fifth in the last 11 years. Prior to that, Tennessee went 32 years with just two coaches – John Majors and Phillip Fulmer.
There has been speculation that Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen will leave Starkville to take the Tennessee job. But that is pure speculation. Mullen has been mentioned for the Florida opening too. But that seems unlikely, after Mullen’s wife Megan came out and trashed Gators fans and Gainesville. I can’t imagine Mullen taking the Florida job unless Megan has a sudden and unexpected change of heart.
There are going to be more firings. We could have as many as seven or eight openings in the SEC alone. And there are only so many hot-shot coaches out there – Scott Frost, Matt Campbell, Mike Norvell, Chad Morris, etc.
Whether he is or isn’t, Frost is listed as the No. 1 candidate on Florida’s list. But if Nebraska is going to be looking for a coach – one assumes that Mike Riley will be fired – isn’t it only logical and likely that Frost would go back to his alma mater in Lincoln?
Butch Jones is the fifth FBS coach to be fired this season.
In addition to the so-called “playoff” games, there were some other interesting games played Saturday. Ohio State, after its embarrassing loss to Iowa last week, bounced back and embarrassed Michigan State, 48-3. The Buckeyes’ Mike Webber rushed for 162 yards and J.K. Dobbins rushed for 124 yards. No chest pains for Urban this week.
UCF remained undefeated. The Knights downed Connecticut, 49-24. UCF’s McKenzie Milton passed for 311 yards and two touchdowns.
In the “basketball” game of the week, Wake Forest outshot Syracuse, 64-43. Demon Deacon quarterback John Wolford passed for 363 yards and three touchdowns. The second-best “basketball” game – Boise State 59, Colorado State 52 (OT). The teams combined for 1,211 total yards.
Back in the ACC, Georgia Tech won the battle of the Techs. The Yellow Jackets beat Virginia Tech, 28-22.
Lane Kiffin won again. Florida Atlantic improved to 7-3, as the Owls won their sixth-straight game. FAU downed Louisiana Tech, 48-23. But Butch Davis ran out of luck. Florida International lost to Old Dominion, 37-30.
Navy won a thriller over SMU. As time expired, the Middies kicked an 18-yard field goal to beat SMU, 43-40.
Out west, USC improved to 9-2. The Trojans beat Colorado, 38-24. Also in the Pac-12, UCLA downed Arizona State, 44-37, and Arizona buried Oregon State, 49-28.
If I was on the CFP ranking committee, my Top 10 this week would be: (1) Alabama, (2) Clemson, (3) Oklahoma, (4) Miami (Florida), (5) Auburn, (6) Wisconsin, (7) Georgia, (8) Notre Dame, (9) USC, (10) Ohio State.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if Georgia and Miami met in the national championship game? Mark Richt coaching against his old team for the national title. Now, that would be something. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.
My best of the Group of Five this week are: UCF (9-0), Memphis (8-1), South Florida (8-1), Boise State (8-2), Army (8-2), Ohio (8-2), Troy (8-2) and Florida Atlantic (7-3).
Don’t look for much to happen in the polls after this week’s games. It’s a weak week. It’s a crappy week. There aren’t really any big games. Michigan at Wisconsin is the biggest. What are the possibilities of the Wolverines knocking off the Badgers? In spite of the lack of big games, I’m sure the week will be full of exciting games. It does have the potential for some good games.
Swamp Mama and I will be in Gainesville this weekend. Not that UAB-Florida is a big game, but it is a big weekend for Swamp Mama. Friday night, she gets inducted into the University of Florida’s Grand Guard. It honors the 50th anniversary of her graduation from UF. The weekend is full of activities, including attendance at the UAB-Florida game on Saturday. I’m just along for the ride.
It was good to hear from Ken Burger and Scott Greenwood last week.
Have a good week!
Touchdown Tom
November 13, 2017
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: The Canes were able – Miami (Florida) 41, Notre Dame 8 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 27, Miami 24). Miami played like the old Miami. Notre Dame played like the Notre Dame under Bob Davie. The Irish were that bad – maybe worse. Notre Dame committed four turnovers. Miami running back Travis Homer rushed for 146 yards. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 65,303
RUNNER UP: May day! – Oklahoma 38, TCU 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 30, TCU 27). Baker Mayfield is amazing. Against TCU he passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns. The Sooners had 533 total yards and controlled the clock for more than 34 minutes. OU’s Rodney Anderson rushed for 151 yards. Attendance in Norman: 88,308
REST OF THE BEST: Uga was ugly – Auburn 40, Georgia 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 30, Auburn 28). Auburn just annihilated Georgia. The Dawgs have those strong running backs and the Tigers held Georgia to 46 yards rushing. Jake Fromm had a bad day passing and Nick Chubb and Sony Michel had a bad day running. Meanwhile Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson rushed for 167 yards. Attendance in Auburn: 87,451
Escape from Stark Vegas – Alabama 31, Mississippi State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Mississippi State 25). What a good game this was. Miss State hung in there until the fourth quarter when the Bulldogs began to wear down. Bama outscored Miss State 14-3 in the fourth quarter. Jalen Hurts had one of his better games. Attendance in Starkville: 61,344
Pour it on – Wisconsin 38, Iowa 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 25, Iowa 23). Wisconsin is out to prove that the Badgers belong in the playoff. They did just that. Wisconsin held Iowa to 5 first downs and 66 total yards – 25 rushing and 41 passing. That’s impressive. Wisconsin also controlled the clock for more than 38 minutes. It was a mistake-filled game – 7 turnovers between the two teams. The Badgers Jonathan Taylor rushed for 157 yards. Attendance in Madison: 80,462
Wow! – Ohio 38, Toledo 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Toledo 25, Ohio 20). This was a big win for the Bobcats and their coach Frank Solich. Toledo came into the game on a five-game winning streak. The game was close at the halftime break. Ohio led 10-7. But the Bobcats ran away from the Rockets in the second half, outscoring Toledo 28-3. Ohio had 393 rushing yards to only 53 for Toledo. Two Ohio players rushed for more than 100 yards – Dorian Brown (142) and Nathan Rourke (115). Attendance in Athens: 15,562
Eliminated – Stanford 30, Washington 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 26, Stanford 24). Washington is no longer a contender for the college football playoff. The Huskies chances were slim to begin with, but now they have no chance. Washington led early in the game – 7-0, 14-7 and 14-10. Stanford went up 17-14 with 9:15 to go in the third quarter and the Cardinal never looked back. With 8:48 to go in the fourth quarter, Stanford led 30-14. The Cardinal controlled the clock for more than 36 minutes. Bryce Love rushed for 166 yards. Attendance in Palo Alto: 44,589
Amends – Ohio State 48, Michigan State 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Michigan State 24). Ohio State demolished Michigan State – 524 total yards to 195 for the Spartans. Michigan State only had 64 yards rushing. The Buckeyes Mike Webber rushed for 162 yards and J.K. Dobbins rushed for 124 yards. Attendance in Columbus: 107,011
Nothing pokey ‘bout the Pokes – Oklahoma State 49, Iowa State 42 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa State 33, Oklahoma State 30). Iowa State jumped out to a 14-point lead. Then it got exciting after that. The lead changed hands several times. The score was tied twice. The teams combined for 1,013 total yards. Okie State’s Mason Rudolph passed for 376 yards and the Pokes Justice Hill rushed for 134 yards. Attendance in Ames: 61,500
Tough year for the Utes – Washington State 33, Utah 25 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 26, Utah 18). Washington State never really pulled away from Utah, but the Cougars led throughout. Neither team could run the ball. State had 27 yards rushing and Utah had 62. Utah had 7 turnovers. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 45,826
When there is a Will there’s a way – West Virginia 28, Kansas State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 31, Kansas State 27). West Virginia’s offense has become a first-half offense. For the second week, WVU scored all of its points in the first half. Actually, K-State scored all but three of its points in the first half. The defenses played tough in the second half. Will Grier passed for 372 yards – his ninth game out of 10, passing for more than 300 yards. Attendance in Manhattan: 51,233
The end of a three-game winning streak – NC State 17, Boston College 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 30, NC State 28). These two teams usually score a lot. But their defenses took over. Boston College A.J. Dillon rushed for 196 yards. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 33,242
….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
What a finish! – Boise State 59, Colorado State 52 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, Colorado State 26). Boise State scored a touchdown with 57 seconds left to tie the score and ultimately put the game into overtime. With less than 2 minutes left in the game, Colorado State led 52-38. Boise State scored 21 unanswered points in the final 1:41 of the game. Both quarterbacks passed for more than 300 yards each. The Broncos Alexander Mattison rushed for 282 yards, while the Rams Dalyn Dawkins rushed for 161yards. Attendance in Fort Collins: 32,166
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
The Rooster crowed – South Carolina 28, Florida 20 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, Florida 13). Unlike the Missouri game last week, Florida never let this one get out of hand. It was a mistake prone game – 7 turnovers between the teams. The Gators only had 78 yards rushing. The Gamecocks A.J. Turner rushed for 136 yards. Attendance in Columbia: 79,727
Hurtin’ Herbie – Minnesota 54, Nebraska 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 23, Nebraska 21). In a turnover free game, Minnesota racked up 514 total yards. The Gophers held Nebraska to 69 yards rushing. Minnesota quarterback Demry Croft passed for 105 yards and rushed for 183. The Gophers Rodney Smith added 134 yards rushing. Attendance in Minneapolis: 39,933
Mule team – Army 21, Duke 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Army 26, Duke 21). In a defensive battle, neither team had more than 270 total yards. The Dookies just had 89 rushing. Attendance in West Point: 38,851
Deep in the heart – Texas 42, Kansas 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 30, Kansas 11). In spite of the score, the teams were very even in the stats – first downs, rushing yards, passing yards and time of possession. Kansas had four turnovers. Attendance in Austin: 96,557
Tanked – Northwestern 23, Purdue 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 27, Purdue 17). Northwestern improved to 7-3 with its fifth-straight win. But this one wasn’t in overtime like the previous three. Purdue passed for 398 yards but only rushed for 40. Attendance in Evanston: 33,765
Week 11 Results: 12 correct picks, 6 fumbles (66.7 percent)
For the Season: 127 correct picks, 50 fumbles (71.8 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
UCF 49, Connecticut 24 – Attendance in Orlando: 29,384
Jacksonville U. 13, Stetson 10 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 1,855
Bethune-Cookman 13, North Carolina Central 10 – Attendance in Durham: 5,769
Delta State 42, Florida Tech 20 – Attendance in Cleveland: 6,555
Florida Atlantic 48, Louisiana Tech 23 – Attendance in Ruston: 16,511
Clemson 31, Florida State 14 – Attendance in Clemson: 81,436
Old Dominion 37, Florida International 30 – Attendance in Miami: 17,127
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Ole Miss’ Jordan Ta’amu – 28-36-1 for 418 yards; Texas A&M’s Nick Starkel – 21-30-0-416; Baylor’s Charlie Brewer – 41-61-1-410; Buffalo’s Tyree Jackson – 23-37-0-406; Syracuse’s Zack Mahoney – 33-60-2-384; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 25-45-1-381; Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 25-31-0-376 yards, and Purdue’s Elijah Sindelar – 37-60-1-376.
Also, Colorado’s Steven Montez – 27-49-2 for 376 yards; West Virginia’s Will Grier – 27-46-2-372; Wake Forest’s John Wolford – 25-38-0-363; Massachusetts’ Andrew Ford – 21-39-0-355; South Alabama’s Cole Garvin – 25-45-0-343; Western Kentucky’s Mike White – 28-41-1-334, and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield – 18-27-0-333.
Impressive Rushers:
Navy’s Malcolm Perry – 282 yards; Boise State’s Alexander Mattison – 242 yards; Missouri’s Ish Witter – 216 yards; BYU’s Squally Canada – 213 yards; Arizona’s Khalil Tate – 206 yards; Boston College’s A.J. Dillon – 197 yards; Middle Tennessee’s Tavares Thomas – 195 yards, and Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin – 191 yards.
Also, Tulane’s Dontrell Hilliard – 189 yards; Minnesota’s Demry Croft – 183 yards; Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry – 168 yards; Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson – 167 yards; Stanford’s Bryce Love – 166 yards; Ohio State’s Mike Weber – 162 yards; Colorado State’s Dalyn Dawkins – 161 yards, and Central Michigan’s Jonathan Ward – 159 yards.
Also, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 157 yards; Rice’s Nahshon Ellerbe – 153 yards; Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson – 151 yards; Southern Miss’ Ito Smith – 150 yards; LSU’s Derrius Guice – 147 yards; Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 147 yards, and Miami of Florida’s Travis Homer – 146 yards.
Quotes of the Week
“I didn’t realize Minnesota had such a potent offense,” Nebraska fan Dan Kleinbeck, after the Gophers beat the Huskers, 54-21.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
The 12 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games this Week…and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Michigan (8-2) at Wisconsin (10-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – The pressure is on Wisconsin. The Badgers are undefeated and still in contention for a playoff spot. Lose and the Badgers are definitely out of contention. You never know how Michigan is going to play. But the Wolverines are capable of knocking off the Badgers. They don’t – Wisconsin 28, Michigan 22.
RUNNER UP: 2. Kentucky (7-3) at Georgia (9-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – The pressure is on Georgia. One more loss and the Dawgs are out of the playoff picture. Kentucky is an improved team this season. But the Wildcats aren’t that improved – Georgia 30, Kentucky 21.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. UCF (9-0) at Temple (5-5)
– (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – No doubt about it, UCF is hot. And the Knights’ coach is hot – a hot commodity to be the next coach at Florida or somewhere. That could have a negative impact on Scott Frost’s focus. Temple is not to be taken lightly. The Owls could be a problem. The Knights solve the problem – UCF 32, Temple 25.
4. UCLA (5-5) at USC (9-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Ah, the big intra-city rivalry in Los Angeles. It hasn’t been a good year for UCLA. And the Bruins coach – Jim Mora – will most likely be fired. But maybe he will save his job if the Bruins beat the Trojans. But they don’t and he doesn’t – USC 33, UCLA 24.
5. Army (8-2) at North Texas (7-3) – (Ind. vs. C-USA) – 6:30 pm ET, Saturday – These two teams are both playing well this season. Hats off to the coaches. As well as they are playing, the Mean Green can’t handle the running of Ahmad Bradshaw. The Cadets improve to 9-2 – Army 30, North Texas 22.
6. Navy (6-3) at Notre Dame (8-2) – (AAC vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Notre Dame took a beating last week. The Irish could be hurting this week. They are hurting, but not enough to lose to the Middies – Notre Dame 34, Navy 21.
7. SMU (6-4) at Memphis (8-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNews – SMU has lost so many close games. You gotta think they are going to win one. But they don’t – Memphis 32, SMU 26.
8. NC State (7-3) at Wake Forest (6-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – After the tough loss to Clemson, NC State bounced back against Boston College. The Wolfpack played good defense too. They need to play good defense again. Wake Forest put 63 points on the board against Syracuse. The Pack win what could be a tricky game – NC State 38, Wake Forest 33.
9. Kansas State (5-5) at Oklahoma State (8-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Regardless of the record, K-State is always dangerous. But the Cowboys are more dangerous – Oklahoma State 35, Kansas State 27.
10. TCU (8-2) at Texas Tech (5-5) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Kliff Kingsbury is trying to hang onto his job in Lubbock. The Horned Frogs don’t help him any – TCU 29, Texas Tech 25.
11. Utah (5-5) at Washington (8-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Washington slipped up last week. So did Utah. But the Huskies bounce back – Washington 30, Utah 18.
12. Texas (5-5) at West Virginia (7-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – West Virginia still has a chance to make the Big 12 championship game – slim as it is. Of course that means the Mounties have to beat Texas. The Longhorns oblige – West Virginia 31, Texas 23.
….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
13. Florida International (6-3) at Florida Atlantic (7-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday – The Davis-Kiffin Bowl. This game should be fun. Usually, at this time of the season, the teams’ records are the reverse of what they are this year. Lane beats Butch – Florida Atlantic 40, Florida International 31.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
UAB (7-3) at Florida (3-6) – (C-USA vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – UAB is an amazing team The Blazers just resumed football this season and they are 7-3. They might beat Florida. But they don’t – Florida 27, UAB 23.
Nebraska (4-6) at Penn State (8-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Well, is this the week Mike Riley gets fired? The Nittany Lions don’t help him any – Penn State 39, Nebraska 18.
Georgia Tech (5-4) at Duke (4-6) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN/FSN – The Dookies were good at the beginning of the season. But not now – Georgia Tech 31, Duke 19.
Purdue (4-6) at Iowa (6-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – Iowa had its moment in glory when the Hawkeyes beat Ohio State. The Hawkeyes beat the Boilermakers but there is nothing glorious about that – Iowa 27, Purdue 17.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were three passings of note last week – Richard Gordon, Ray Halladay and John Hillerman.
Richard Gordon, an astronaut who undertook an abortive spacewalk in a 1966 NASA mission, then orbited the moon three years later, died last week at his home in San Marcos, California. He was 88. Richard Francis Gordon was born on October 5, 1929, in Seattle. He majored in chemistry at the University of Washington, graduating in 1951. Gordon then became a Navy aviator and was selected as a Gemini astronaut in October 1963. He retired from NASA and the Navy in January 1972. After retirement, Gordon’s friend John Mecom, owner of the New Orleans Saints of the NFL, hired him as the team’s executive vice president and general manager. Gordon spent five years with the Saints.
Ray Halladay, a retired pitcher who starred for the Toronto Blues Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies, died last week when his plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. He was 40. A two-time Cy Young Award winner and an eight-time All-Star, Halladay was a 6-foot-6 right-hander. After 12 major league seasons with the Blue Jays, who drafted him in 1995, he was traded to the Phillies in December 2009. In 2010, Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in major league history during the regular season, and in the division playoffs, he threw the second no-hitter in postseason history. His career was cut short by back trouble and he tired after the 2013 season at age 36.
John Hillerman, the Texas-born actor who played a snobbish British caretaker on the hit television show “Magnum, P.I.” and had supporting roles in celebrated 1970s movies like “Chinatown” and “Blazing Saddles,” died last week at his home in Houston. He was 84. “Magnum, P.I.” was a runaway success and ran for eight years. The show made Tom Selleck a star. Hillerman’s role on “Magnum, P.I.” won him an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in a drama and a Golden Globe Award. John Benedict Hillerman was born on December 20, 1932, in Denison, Texas. After school, he served in the U.S. Air Force. He appeared in the films “The Last Picture Show” (1971) and “Paper Moon” (1973). On television, he also appeared on “The Betty White Show” and “One Day at a Time.”
No comments:
Post a Comment