College Football Week 13 – UCLA fires Jim Mora
A weekend of Grand Guard, Cupcakes and Coaching Rumors
Swamp Mama and
I left home around noon on Thursday. We were on our way to Gainesville. It was
going to be a big weekend for Swamp Mama. When you reach your 50th
anniversary of graduating from the University of Florida, you are invited to
join the Grand Guard Society.
I can’t tell you how many years Swamp Mama has been
waiting for this. She has talked about it for a long time. Finally, her time
was here.
The weather was perfect as we drove to Gainesville –
pleasant, sunny skies. That’s the way it remained all weekend – pleasant days,
cool nights and sunny skies.
Once we were in Gainesville, we headed straight for our
hotel. The first item on the itinerary of the Grand Guard weekend was a
reception and cocktail party Thursday evening. It was being hosted by the
College of Veterinary Medicine.
As I was checking us into our hotel, there was a lady to
the right of me checking in with another hotel desk clerk.
She kept looking over at me. Finally, as she was looking
at me again, the lady said, “Are you 72?”
I looked at her and replied, “I beg your pardon. I’m
still 70.”
The lady said, “Oh, I thought you were checking in for
the Grand Guard weekend like me.”
I said, “My companion is. I’m just her cabana boy.”
The lady said, “How much do you charge?”
I said, “I’m expensive. I also cook the meals.”
The lady said, “I can pay for that.”
About that time, a hand came from out of nowhere, grabbed
me by the arm and jerked me away so fast my feet almost came off the floor.
And so the Grand Guard weekend began.
That evening at the reception and cocktail party, I saw
the lady again. She was standing about 15-20 feet away. As I saw her, I said to
Swamp Mama, “Oh there’s the lady who was checking into the hotel when we were.
I’m going over and say hello.”
I mean to tell you Swamp Mama’s fingers wrapped around the
upper part of my arm so fast. She dragged me away in the opposite direction
from the lady. For the rest of the evening, whenever I saw the lady, I never
opened my mouth. I was tempted to. But I knew better.
Friday morning, the Grand Guard crew and spouses gathered
at the Emerson Alumni Hall for an awesome buffet breakfast. No, there weren’t
any chili dogs, cold pizza and beer, but it was an outstanding breakfast all
the same.
During breakfast, Swamp Mama’s classmates took turns
standing and telling stories – mostly humorous – from their days at UF. One guy
reminisced about having a date to a football game, but being so broke, he had
to first go give blood to get money to buy a bottle of gin. But he said he
learned a lesson. Never give a pint of blood just before you drink a pint of
gin.
Following breakfast, several speakers addressed the
group, including Florida athletic director Scott
Stricklin. As Stricklin began, he said, “I apologize, but I don’t have the
news you’re waiting to hear.”
I felt like yelling out, “Oh, we know it’s Chip Kelly.”
But I didn’t.
We also heard from Ilaria
Capua (Google her) an internationally known virologist from Italy who is
currently a professor at Florida. She is an amazing woman.
The day continued with a tour of the College of
Journalism and Communications – Swamp Mama’s school – followed by lunch at the
school. The afternoon culminated with a bus tour of the campus.
Friday night was the feature occasion – the induction of
the 1967 grads into the Grand Guard Society. It was preceded by a cocktail
party and dinner. The program was impressive. The induction was followed by a
dance. The music for the dance was a tape of songs that were on the charts from
1963 to 1967 – good dancing music.
Saturday morning, Swamp Mama had to get her fix. We drove
over to Trenton, Florida, to the Suwannee Valley Quilt Shoppe. Once she bought
some fabric, she was good to go. Yes, the shop had a husband chair.
From Trenton, we drove back to Gainesville to the Emerson
Alumni Hall for the group tailgate party – barbecue. We shared lively
conversation, while watching a number of college football games – the 12 noon
starts – on several large screens. From the balcony of the alumni hall, we
watched the Florida football players take part in the pregame “Gator Walk.”
Before long, it was game time – UAB and Florida, a 4 p.m.
start. The stadium was a short walk from the alumni hall. The Grand Guard had a
block of seats. Coming into the game, the Gators were riding a four-game losing
streak. We didn’t know what to expect – not even against a cupcake like UAB.
Florida won, 36-7. The losing streak was over. The Grand
Guard brought the Gators luck.
Yes, the media labeled it “cupcake week.” That week
before Thanksgiving every year when so many of the big teams play cupcakes. Saturday was definitely a cupcake day. Who
were the cupcakes? There were a variety of them – Mercer, The Citadel, Kansas,
Louisiana-Monroe, Illinois, Wofford, Delaware State, UAB and Western Carolina.
And they all tasted good.
Who devoured the cupcakes? Who licked the icing? How
about Alabama 56, Mercer 0, or Clemson 61, The Citadel 3. Then there were Oklahoma
41, Kansas 3, and Auburn 42, Louisiana-Monroe 14. The cupcake games continued
with Ohio State 52, Illinois 14, and South Carolina 31, Wofford 10. It finally ended with Florida State 77,
Delaware State 6, and North Carolina 65, Western Carolina 10. Does that satisfy
your appetite? It doesn’t mine.
It’s okay for the Power Five teams to play a cupcake team
the first or second weekend of the season – but not the next to last weekend of
the season. We could get rid of a lot of these cupcake games if only the ACC
and the SEC would play a nine-game conference schedule, like the Big 12, Big
Ten and Pac-12 do. Come on ACC and SEC – start playing a nine-game conference
schedule. Get on par with the rest of the Power Five conferences.
In spite of the cupcake games, there were a lot of big
boy games and a lot of them were good too. The Big Ten had four amazing games.
Wisconsin remained undefeated, beating Michigan, 24-10. Northwestern won its
sixth-straight game, beating Minnesota, 39-0. The Wildcats improved to 8-3.
Purdue stunned Iowa in Iowa City. The Boilermakers beat
the Hawkeyes, 24-15. And finally, in a shootout in University Park, Penn State
held off Tanner Lee and Nebraska.
The Nittany Lions downed the Cornhuskers, 56-44. Huskers’ quarterback – Lee –
passed for 399 yards.
In the Big 12, Kansas State surprised Oklahoma State. The
Wildcats beat the Cowboys, 45-40. Will
Grier broke his finger and West Virginia proceeded to lose to Texas, 28-14.
Down south, Mississippi State rallied to come from behind
and beat Arkansas, 28-21.
In the ACC, Virginia gave Miami a scare. But the
Hurricanes held on and beat the Cavaliers 44-28. Wake Forest gave NC State more
than a scare. The Demon Deacons downed the Wolfpack, 30-24.
Out west, USC defeated cross-town rival UCLA. The Trojans
won, 28-23. In the MWC, Fresno State took care of Wyoming, 13-7.
Among the AAC teams, UCF remained undefeated. The Knights
beat Temple, 45-19. Memphis outscored SMU, as the Tigers beat the Mustangs,
66-45. Navy lost a close one to Notre Dame. The Irish beat the Middies, 24-17.
And finally, the little-big game in Florida, Lane Kiffin’s Florida Atlantic squad
beat Butch Davis’ Florida
International squad, 52-24. FAU improved to 8-3, winning its seventh-straight
game.
The coaching carousel heated up more during the week. Florida
AD Scott Stricklin told the Grand
Guard group that he didn’t have the news they wanted to hear, but there was a
lot of news coming out of Gainesville. First there were reports that Stricklin
had made a decision to hire Chip Kelly.
Further reports said that Kelly had agreed in principle to become the Florida
coach.
The Stricklin-Kelly romance was followed by reports that Steve Spurrier and former Florida AD Jeremy Foley had intervened to stop
Stricklin from hiring Kelly. Apparently Spurrier and Foley want Scott Frost, or so the reports claim. I
still think if Frost goes anywhere, he’ll go to Nebraska.
Meanwhile, in Knoxville, reports say that Tennessee is
headed towards hiring Jon Gruden.
And like Kelly at Florida, Gruden has agreed in principle to become the coach
of the Vols.
Florida and Tennessee are two of several SEC schools
looking for coaches or soon to be looking for coaches. Ole Miss is still
looking for a coach to take over from interim coach Matt Luke. Arkansas and Texas A&M are still expected to fire Bret Bielema and Kevin Sumlin respectively.
Some Auburn people believe that if Auburn loses to
Alabama either Gus Malzahn will be
fired or he will leave Auburn on his own for employment elsewhere. And where
might that be – Arkansas so they say.
Once in trouble, Missouri’s Barry Odom appears to have saved his job in Columbia. The Tigers
have gone from 1-5 to 6-5. Missouri has a five-game winning streak going and is
bowl eligible. Who knows what Vanderbilt will or won’t do with Derek Mason? They should get rid of
him, but does Vanderbilt really care?
In the Pac-12, UCLA fired Jim Mora yesterday. In six seasons with the Bruins, Mora was 46-30
– 5-6 this season, with one game remaining. And who knows what Arizona State
may or may not do with Todd Graham?
In the Big Ten, Nebraska is sure to fire Mike Riley next week. Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury and Kansas’ David Beaty are on thin ice in the Big
12.
Like Missouri’s Barry
Odom, Boston College’s Steve Addazio
appears to have saved his job. The Eagles began the season 2-4, but have
improved to 6-5. Addazio was the only ACC coach in trouble, that is, unless
North Carolina and Larry Fedora have
a falling out.
The third edition of this season’s college football
playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday evening. My Top 10 this week – no
change from last week – are: (1)
Alabama, (2) Clemson, (3) Oklahoma, (4) Miami (Florida), (5) Auburn, (6)
Wisconsin, (7) Georgia, (8) Notre Dame, (9) USC, (10) Ohio State.
But with
Alabama-Auburn, Clemson-South Carolina, Ohio State-Michigan and Notre
Dame-Stanford on tap this week, there will be some changes and potential
changes next week.
Oklahoma, Miami
(Florida), Wisconsin and Georgia have easy games this week. USC has completed
its regular season. The Trojans are waiting for either Stanford or Washington
State in the Pac-12 title game.
My best of the Group of Five are UCF (10-0), Memphis
(9-1), South Florida (9-1), Boise State (9-2) Florida Atlantic (8-3), Toledo
(9-2), North Texas (8-3), San Diego State (9-2), Northern Illinois (8-3) and
Fresno State (8-3).
Good games in the Group of Five this week are South
Florida-UCF, Boise State-Fresno State, Northern Illinois-Central Michigan and
Western Michigan-Toledo.
It was good to hear from Fern Musselwhite last week.
Happy Thanksgiving, college football fans. Have a good
week!
Yeah, I’m expensive. I also do the cooking.
Touchdown Tom
November 20, 2017
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Badgers
for real – Wisconsin 24, Michigan 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28,
Michigan 22). The Wolverines kept it close for most of three quarters.
Wisconsin only led by four points – 14-10 – with less than a minute to go in
the third. Neither team had a lot of offense, but Wisconsin did have 182 yards
rushing to only 58 for Michigan. The Badgers Jonathan Taylor rushed for 132 yards. Attendance in Madison: 81,216
RUNNER UP: Back in the saddle again – Georgia 42,
Kentucky 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 30 Kentucky 21). Georgia bounced
back from its loss to Auburn to a big win over Kentucky. The Dawgs racked up
504 total yards. Nick Chubb rushed
for 151 yards. Attendance in Athens: 92,746
REST OF THE BEST:
Still perfect – UCF 45, Temple 19
(Touchdown Tom said: UCF 32, Temple 25). After a bit of a shaky start –
Temple led 10-7 in the second quarter – UCF pulled away, holding the Owls to 6
points in the second half. Temple was pretty even with the Knights in the
stats, except for turnovers. Temple had 5 and UCF had none. Attendance in
Philadelphia: 25,877
Kings of L.A. – USC
28, UCLA 23 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, UCLA 24). UCLA kept the game close
throughout, but USC was always in control. The Bruins Josh Rosen passed for 421 yards. The Trojans Ronald Jones rushed for 122 yards. Attendance in Los Angeles:
82,407
North Texas 52,
Army 49 (Touchdown Tom said: Army 30, North Texas 22). It was a shame
anybody had to lose this contest. The game was tied 5 times. Army had 534
rushing yards. Ahmad Bradshaw was
responsible for 244 of those yards. North Texas’ Mason Fine passed for 386 yards. Attendance in Denton: 26,392
So close – Notre
Dame 24, Navy 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 34, Navy 21). Touch and go
game – 10-10 at the break, 17-17 at the end of three. Amazingly, Navy
controlled the clock for more than 42 minutes. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622
Basketball game – Memphis
66, SMU 45 (Touchdown Tom said: Memphis 32, SMU 26). Close for three
quarters, Memphis ran away from SMU in the fourth – outscoring the Mustangs,
21-7. The teams combined for 1,141 total yards. Memphis’ Riley Ferguson passed for 320 yards and the Tigers Darrell Henderson rushed for 147 yards.
SMU’s Xavier Jones rushed for 175
yards. Attendance in Memphis: 35,329
Deacon power – Wake
Forest 30, NC State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 38, Wake Forest 33). Another
close contest throughout – the game was tied 4 times. State dominated the
stats. The Wolfpack even dominated the clock for more than 41 minutes. But
State also dominated the turnovers – 3-1. State’s Ryan Finley passed for 327 yards. Attendance in Winston-Salem:
31,803
Surprise – Kansas
State 45, Oklahoma State 40 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 35, Kansas
State 27). K-State led 45-20 early in the fourth quarter. Then the Cowboys went
on a rampage, scoring 20 points – 3 touchdowns – in less than nine minutes.
Okie State’s Mason Rudolph passed
for 425 yards. Attendance in Stillwater: 56,790
Frog defense – TCU
27, Texas Tech 3 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 29, Texas Tech 25). TCU has the
best defense in the Big 12. When was the last time Texas Tech was held to 3
points? Attendance in Lubbock: 51,278
Jake the Snake – Washington
33, Utah 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Utah 18). Close throughout,
neither team led by more than 7 points. Washington kicked a 38-yard field goal
as time expired to win. Washington’s Jake
Browning passed for 354 yards. Attendance in Seattle: 65,767
Fingerless in
Mo’town – Texas 28, West Virginia 14 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 31,
Texas 23). Will Grier broke his
finger and that was all she wrote for WVU. The Mounties only had 56 yards
rushing. Texas balanced its rushing and passing. Attendance in Morgantown:
53,133
….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
Devin is heaven – Florida
Atlantic 52, Florida International 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida Atlantic
40, Florida International 31). FAU took control from the start and never
trailed in the game. The Owls had 572 total yards. FAU’s Devin Singletary rushed for 164 yards. Attendance in Boca Raton:
24,116
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Eddy! Eddy! – Florida
36, UAB 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, UAB 23). Florida had 25 first
downs to eight for UAB, 409 total yards to 180 for UAB and 257 yards rushing to
3 for UAB. The Gators also controlled the clock for more than 42 minutes.
Florida’s placekicker Eddy Pineiro
was responsible for 18 of the Gators 36 points – 5 field goals and 3 extra
points. Pineiro kicked two 50-yard field goals. The Blazers were plagued by 4
turnovers. Attendance in Gainesville: 84,649
Too little, too
late – Penn State 56, Nebraska 44 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 39,
Nebraska 18). Penn State outscored Nebraska, 42-10, in the first half. Then
Nebraska outscored Penn State, 34-14, in the second half. Early in the fourth
quarter, the Lions led the Huskers 56-24. Nebraska scored three touchdowns – 20
points – in the final 6:32 of the game. The teams combined for 1,075 total
yards – 609 total yards belonged to Penn State. Nebraska’s Tanner Lee passed for 399 yards. Penn State’s Trace McSorley passed for 325 yards. The Lions Saquon Barkley rushed for 158 yards. Attendance in University Park:
106,722
Dookies go wild – Duke
43, Georgia Tech 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 31, Duke 19). The
Dookies could do no wrong. They held Georgia Tech scoreless in the second half.
The Dookies had 500 total yards. They
had 30 first downs to 15 for Tech. Attendance in Durham: 20,141
Well, look here – Purdue
24, Iowa 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Purdue 17). Iowa led 9-7 at the
break. It was all Purdue in the second half. Iowa never scored again until 1:04
left in the game. Neither team could run the ball – 82 yards rushing for the
Boilers and 65 yards rushing for the Hawkeyes. Attendance in Iowa City: 60,554
Week 12 Results: 11 correct picks, 6 fumbles (64.7 percent)
For the Season: 138 correct picks, 56 fumbles (71.1 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
South Florida 27,
Tulsa 20 – Attendance in Tampa: 26,195
Florida State 77,
Delaware State 6 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 70,599
Miami 44, Virginia
28 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 63,415
Bethune-Cookman
29, Florida A&M 24 – Attendance in Orlando: 47,819
Drake 52,
Jacksonville U. 7 – Attendance in Des Moines: 1,487
Superlatives
Impressive
Passers:
Western Kentucky’s Mike
White – 39-54-0 for 485 yards; East Carolina’s Gardner Minshew – 31-45-0-444; Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 32-53-2-425; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 32-52-1-421, and Nebraska’s
Tanner Lee – 26-41-0-399.
Also, North Texas’ Mason
Fine – 24-36-1 for 386 yards; Virginia’s Kurt Benkert – 28-37-1-384; Washington’s Jake Browning – 26-35-0-354, and Buffalo’s Tyree Jackson – 16-28-1-350.
Impressive
Rushers:
Army’s Ahmad
Bradshaw – 244 yards; San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny – 222 yards; Boston College’s A.J. Dillon – 200 yards; UNLV’s Armani Rogers – 193 yards; Toledo’s Terry Swanson – 192 yards; Northern Illinois’ Jordan Huff – 185 yards, and Louisville’s Malik Williams – 180 yards.
Also, SMU’s Xavier
Jones – 175 yards; Northwestern’s Justin
Jackson – 166 yards; Ohio’s Nathan
Rourke – 165 yards; Florida Atlantic’s Devin
Singletary – 164 yards; New Mexico’s Tyrone
Owens – 164 yards; Tulsa’s D’Angelo
Brewer – 163 yards; Penn State’s Saquon
Barkley – 158 yards, and Southern Miss’ Ito Smith – 153 yards.
Also, California’s Patrick
Laird – 153 yards; Georgia’s Nick
Chubb – 151 yards; Indiana’s Morgan
Ellison – 149 yards; Memphis’ Darrell
Henderson – 147 yards; Michigan State’s L.J. Scott – 147 yards; Ole Miss’ Jordan Wilkins – 147 yards; Arkansas State’s Warren Wand – 145 yards, and New Mexico’s Daryl Chestnut – 145 yards.
Quotes of the Week:
“That’s just
totally false. I haven’t paid any attention to all these whirlwind rumors and
everything, and I’m not going to. I’ve got an unbelievable team I’m coaching
and I can promise you that no decision has been made,” UCF coach Scott Frost,
on reports that he was nearing a seven-year, $35 million deal with
Nebraska.
Touchdown Tom’s predictions for
This Week’s 12
Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK:
1. Alabama (11-0) at Auburn (9-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET,
Saturday, CBS – This one is for all the marbles in China – well, for all
the marbles somewhere. The winner wins the SEC West, remains in the playoff
picture and goes on to the SEC title game to play Georgia. The loser is out of
the playoff picture. The loser will hope to land a spot in a New Year’s Six
bowl. Auburn last beat Alabama in 2013. Since then, the Tide has won three
straight. It won’t be four straight – Auburn 27, Alabama 26.
RUNNER UP: 2.
South Florida (9-1) at UCF (10-0) –
(AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, ABC
– This one is for all the marbles in Florida. Do they have marbles in Florida?
With Florida at 4-6 and Florida State at 4-6, UCF and South Florida have been
the two premier teams in the Sunshine State this season. The winner of this
game wins the AAC East Division, remains in contention for a New Year’s Six
bowl and goes on to play Memphis in the AAC title game. South Florida has won
the last two games in the series. UCF won the two games before that. The
Knights get the marbles – UCF 30, South Florida 24.
REST OF THE BEST:
3. Washington State (9-2) at Washington (9-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – This is the Super Bowl of the Northwest.
Washington State still has a slight chance of making the playoffs. The Cougars
would have to beat Washington, then beat USC in the Pac-12 title game and then
hope for the best. If Washington wins, the Huskies would get the Apple Cup, but
that’s about all. Washington can’t win the Pac-12 North Division. The North
Division title goes to Stanford if Washington wins. Stanford beat Washington,
but lost to Washington State. The Cougars last beat Washington in 2012. The
Huskies have won the last four games in the series. Make if five – Washington
32, Washington State 30.
4. Clemson (10-1) at South Carolina (8-3) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Regardless of the outcome, Clemson is
the ACC Atlantic division champion with a date to meet Miami for the ACC
championship. However, if Clemson loses, the Tigers are out of the playoff
picture. Regardless of the outcome, South Carolina can still say it is the
second-best team in the SEC East. If the Gamecocks win, they can say they are
champions of the Watermelon State. Clemson has won three straight in this series.
South Carolina won five straight before that. Make it four straight for the
Tigers – Clemson 26, South Carolina 23.
5. Ohio State (9-2) at Michigan (8-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – First of
all, there is nothing in this game for Michigan, except pride. The Wolverines
can’t win the Big Ten East Division. Ohio State has already won the Big Ten
East and has a date with Wisconsin for the Big Ten championship. However, the
Buckeyes must win to remain in contention for the playoffs, remote as their
chances are. Ohio State has won 12 of the last 13 games against Michigan and 14
of the last 16 games. The Wolverines last won in 2011. Make is six straight for
the Buckeyes – Ohio State 28, Michigan 24.
6. Notre Dame (9-2) at Stanford (8-3) – (Ind. vs. Pac-12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – This is the last regular season game for
Notre Dame. The Irish are out of the playoff picture and just have to hope for
the best bowl they can get. Beat Stanford and ND will get a darn good bowl.
This may or may not be Stanford’s last game before a bowl. If Washington beats
Washington State, then Stanford will play USC for the Pac-12 championship. The
Trees flourish – Stanford 28, Notre Dame 24.
7. West Virginia (7-4) at Oklahoma (10-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:45 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – After West Virginia, Oklahoma will
most likely play TCU in a rematch for the Big 12 championship. Win out and OU
is in the playoffs. WVU’s chances of knocking off the Sooners went down the
drain when Will Grier broke his finger early in the Texas game. Grier is
out for 4-6 weeks. Mayfield has a heyday – Oklahoma 35, West Virginia 20.
8. Boise State (9-2) at Fresno State (8-3) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – Well this is interesting. Boise State
has won the MWC Mountain Division and Fresno State has won the MWC West
Division. These two teams will meet again next week in the MWC championship
game. So this is a warm-up game. The game is important for the Broncos because
Boise State still has a shot at finishing the season as the highest-ranked
Group of Five team. That would put them in a New Year’s Six bowl. Fresno State
has been a surprise team this season under first-year coach Jeff Tedford.
At preseason, the Bulldogs were picked to finish at or near the bottom of their
Division in the MWC. Broncos toss the Bulldogs – Boise State 29, Fresno
State 27.
9. Texas A&M (7-4) at LSU (8-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN
– In all likelihood, Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin is going to get
fired after this game. But if the Aggies can manage to win, who knows, that
could save his job. LSU coach Ed Orgeron was on the hot seat earlier in
the season, but he seems to have turned that situation around. A Tiger win will
give LSU sole position of third place in the SEC West. Mike bids Kevin farewell
– LSU 27, Texas A&M 25.
10. Louisville
(7-4) at Kentucky (7-4) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN – This one is for the Governor’s Cup. The
rivalry has been a series of streaks. Louisville won five straight. Then
Kentucky won four straight, followed by Louisville winning five straight.
Kentucky won last year. Was that the beginning of a new streak? No – Louisville 30, Kentucky 25.
11. Georgia (10-1) at Georgia Tech (5-5) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Georgia has either Alabama or Auburn
coming up in the SEC title game. So the Dawgs can’t overlook the Yellow
Jackets. That would put a big damper in their playoff plans. Tech has won two
of the last three games in this series. But let’s make it two of the last four
– Georgia 32, Georgia Tech 19.
12. Virginia Tech (8-3) at Virginia (6-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – This has been an embarrassing series for
Virginia. Tech has won the last 13 games in this series and 17 of the last 18
games. You can’t even call this a rivalry. The Cavaliers have improved
throughout this season. They’ll give the Hokies a few headaches. But not
migraines – Virginia Tech 27, Virginia 20.
….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
13. Iowa State (7-4) at Kansas State (6-5) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – K-State is on its third quarterback.
He found himself last week against Oklahoma State. Iowa State is an improving
team too. This could end up being one of the most exciting games of the
weekend. The Wildcats enjoy the excitement – Kansas State 27, Iowa State 23.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Florida State
(4-6) at Florida (4-6) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – One thing is for sure – the loser of
this game won’t be playing in a bowl game. The Gators may not be playing in a
bowl even if they win. Who, in their wildest mind, would have thought at
preseason that these two teams would have losing records in November? The Noles
have won the last four games in the series and six of the last seven games.
Before that, the Gators won six straight. The Noles don’t make it five
straight. Shannon finds a spark – Florida
24, Florida State 23.
Iowa (6-5) at
Nebraska (4-7) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 4 pm ET, Friday, FS1 – Iowa is going to a bowl game and Nebraska
isn’t. That’s about all you can say about this game. The Hawkeyes have won
three of the last four games in this series. Before that, the Huskers won five
in a row over the Hawkeyes. Sometime after this game is over, Nebraska will
announce that Mike Riley is stepping
down. Will Scott Frost be Nebraska’s
next coach? The Hawkeyes don’t care, not this year – Iowa 27, Nebraska 26.
Duke (5-6) at Wake
Forest (7-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12
noon ET, Saturday, FSN/ACCN – Both teams are coming off big wins. Duke over
Georgia Tech and Wake over NC State. This has been an interesting year for the
two teams. Both began the season 4-0. Then Duke lost six –straight games,
before beating Georgia Tech. Wake has been up and down, but the Deacons are
currently on a two-game winning streak. Make it a three-game streak – Wake Forest 28, Duke 21.
Texas Tech (5-6)
at Texas (6-5) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8
pm ET, Friday, FOX – Tech ain’t A&M, but the Raiders will have to do
for Thanksgiving. Actually, they have done very well for Texas. The Longhorns
have won 14 of the last 17 games in this series. Tech needs the win for a bowl
bid, but the Raiders don’t get it – Texas
33, Texas Tech 22.
Indiana (5-6) at
Purdue (5-6) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12
noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Indiana is riding a four-game winning streak in
this series. Purdue last won in 2012. Both teams have had some bright moments
this season. They also have had some bad moments too. The winner gets a bowl
bid. The Hoosiers are going bowling – Indiana
28, Purdue 27.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Miami (10-0) at Pitt (4-7) – (ACC vs.
ACC) – 12 noon ET, Friday, ABC….
Western Kentucky (6-5) at Florida
International (6-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Friday….
Florida Atlantic (8-3) at Charlotte (1-10)
– (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 2 pm ET, Saturday…
.
Jacksonville U. (7-4), Bethune-Cookman (7-4)
and Florida A&M (3-8) have
completed their seasons.
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not directly college football related, but as the regular
season was coming to a climax and Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkin pies were
almost in the oven, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1942 was “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
…70 years ago this week in 1947 was “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra
…65 years ago this week in 1952 was “It’s In The Book
(Parts 1 & 2) – by Johnny Standley
…60 years ago this week in 1957 was “Jailhouse
Rock”/”Treat Me Nice” by Elvis Presley
and “Wake Up Little Susie” by The Everly
Brothers
…55 years ago this week in 1962 was “Big Girls Don’t Cry”
by The Four Seasons
…50 years ago this week in 1967 was “Incense And
Peppermints” by Strawberry Alarm Clock
…45 years ago this week in 1972 was “I Can See Clearly
Now” by Johnny Nash
…40 years ago this week in 1977 was “You Light Up My
Life” by Debby Boone
…35 years ago this week in 1982 was “Up Where We Belong”
by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
…30 years ago this week in 1987 was “I’ve Has The Time Of
My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer
Warnes
…25 years ago this week in 1992 was “How Do You Talk To
An Angel” – by The Heights
Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were
four passings of note last week – Bobby
Doerr, Paul Buckmaster, Mel Tillis and Pancho Segura.
Bobby Doerr,
the Hall of Fame second baseman who was an immensely popular player through 14
seasons with the Boston Red Sox, died last week in Junction City, Oregon. He
was 99 and was the oldest living former major league baseball player. He began
his career with the Red Sox in 1937. Playing in Fenway Park into the early
1950s, except for one year in the Army during World War II, Doerr was a
nine-time American League All-Star. Robert
Pershing Doerr was born in Los Angeles on April 7, 1918.
Paul Buckmaster,
whose orchestral arrangements brought power and poignancy to signature songs by
David Bowie, Elton John, the Rolling
Stones, Carly Simon and
countless other rock, pop, country and jazz stars, died last week at his home
in Los Angeles. He was 71. Buckmaster established himself early in his career
when he arranged “Space Oddity,” the eerie 1969 Bowie song that begins with the
lyric “Ground control to Major Tom.” He did the arrangements on Elton John’s
second album “Elton John” in 1970. It contained the hit “Your Song.” Over the
next 47 years, Buckmaster worked with rockers like Guns N’ Roses and country stars like Faith Hill. Paul Buckmaster
was born on June 13, 1946, in London, England. His arrangements, often heavily
reliant on strings, can be heard on songs as different as the Rolling Stones’
“Moonlight Mile” and Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.”
Mel Tillis, whose
career as a country singer and the writer of songs like “Ruby, Don’t Take Your
Love to Town” and who was equally well-known for his stutter, died yesterday in
Ocala, Florida. He was 85. Tillis stuttered only when he spoke, not when he
sang. He had upward of 70 Top 40 country hits – six No. 1 hits. He also wrote
songs for Patsy Cline and Bobby Bare. Lonnie Melvin Tillis was born on August 8, 1932, in Tampa, Florida.
He served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955. He had minor roles in films like
“Smokey and the Bandit II” (1980) and “The Cannonball Run” (1981).
Pancho Segura,
who rose up from Ecuador to become one of the world’s leading tennis players in
the mid-20th century, died Saturday at his home in Carlsbad,
California. He was 96. Segura was a mentor to and coach of Jimmy Connors in the 1970s. He played tennis for the University of
Miami and won the NCAA singles tennis championship from 1943 to 1945. Segura
turned pro in 1947. He barnstormed around the world with players like Jack Kramer, Pancho Gonzalez, Bobby Riggs,
Tony Trabert and Ken Rosewall. Francisco Olegario Segura was born on June 20, 1921 in Ecuador.
On another note, Charles
Manson died yesterday. He was 83. Nuff said.
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