College Football Week 14 – Gators hire Mullen; Aggies fire Sumlin
I just love Thanksgiving –
family, friends, food and football
Did I say football? What a football weekend it was! Two big
upsets – No. 1 and No. 2 both go down. Other teams suffered from the sting of
an upset. Some teams waited until the final weekend to become bowl eligible. Six
coaches were fired; three were hired. And the pairings for this week’s
conference championship games were finalized.
Thanksgiving Week got off to a dizzy start with all the
coaching carousel rumors flying around. Where would Chip Kelly land – Florida or UCLA? Some speculated Florida, saying
the Gators would pay more for his services. But others said UCLA – claiming
Kelly prefers the west coast.
Meanwhile, reports had Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen leaving Starkville to fill
the vacancy at Tennessee. Speaking of leaving, reports said Texas A&M coach
Kevin Sumlin would be fired,
following the Aggies final game against LSU, regardless of the outcome.
Furthermore, Florida State’s Jimbo
Fisher would leave Tallahassee to replace Sumlin in College Station.
Man, it was non-stop. And it got wilder. How about Gus Malzahn leaving Auburn to replace Bret Bielema at Arkansas? Yeah, that
was out there. Still is.
By Wednesday, a couple firings were announced. South Alabama
of the Sun Belt Conference terminated coach Joey Jones and Kent State of the Mid-American Conference fired Paul Haynes.
In his ninth season with the Jaguars, Jones was 52-49 – 4-7
this season, with one game remaining. Meanwhile, Haynes didn’t fare as well at
Kent State. In five years with the Golden Flashes, he was 14-45 – 2-10 this
season. Just the night before, Kent State lost to Akron, 24-14.
Speaking of the Mid-American Conference, you always know it’s
the end of the season when the MAC starts playing games on Tuesday and
Wednesday nights, especially during Thanksgiving Week. This year was no
exception. In addition to Akron beating Kent State, Eastern Michigan edged
Bowling Green, 34-31, and Miami (Ohio) downed Ball State, 28-7. It’s good TV
exposure for the MAC teams, but not a lot of fans in the stands when the games
are played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Turkey Day was almost upon us. Swamp Mama and I were looking forward to the arrival of Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe
and Gator Babe to make the holiday
week complete.
Thanksgiving Day isn’t Thanksgiving Day without the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year was the 91st annual parade. Now I
haven’t been around for all 91 of them, but after watching this year’s event, I
do think the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has passed me by.
Every float in the parade, and there were a lot of them, had
a so-called popular singer, singing one of their hits. I say “so-called”
because I wouldn’t know. I didn’t know or recognize any of the singers nor did
I know any of the songs they were singing.
That is until near the end of the parade when I did
recognize Smokey Robinson and, oh
yes, the Goo Goo Dolls. Now I get
it? They put the older singers at the end of the parade. Smokey looked good,
but, I have to tell you, the Goo Goo Dolls looked like death warmed over.
Someone said Patti
LaBelle was in the parade, but I missed her. I would have known her. I must
have been dozing when Patti paraded by. I have a habit of doing that every now
and then.
All of this reminds me of someone who recently told me they
knew they were getting old and out of touch after watching the American Music
Awards on television the other night. They said they didn’t know any of the
singers or songs.
Thanksgiving dinner was a special occasion at our house this
year. Swamp Mama and I hosted 19
guests for the meal. Now we have been known to do big Thanksgiving dinners
before, but 17 guests was our previous high – 19 was a record.
I made a lot of Irish Mules on Thursday.
Along with our children and grandchildren Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe
and Gator Babe, our guests included
next-door neighbors and friends Deb
and Dieter Gum – both Florida Tech
graduates. Long-time friends Stephanie
and Neal Stein and their children Julia and David Stein. Julia is a freshman this year at South Florida. David
is a junior in high school and a star lacrosse player.
Neighbor and friend Jane
Sharpe and her sons Michael and Jack Sharpe. Michael graduates from
Florida State – his mother’s alma mater – next month. Jack is a freshman at
Eastern Florida State College. New friends Becky
and Wes Kilgore. Wes is from
Barboursville, West Virginia and went to Marshall and Ohio State. Becky is from
Ohio.
Recent neighbors and new friends Amy Bond and her daughter Jess
Bond. Amy’s father is from Hurricane, West Virginia – my mother’s hometown.
Her father went to West Virginia University. Amy was born in Marietta, Ohio,
and recently moved here from Dayton, Ohio. And last but not least Donna and Marc Snyder. Donna is Sharon’s cousin. Marc is a retired career
Army officer.
The dinner group included three nurses – Deb, Jane and
Becky, and three engineers – Bama Gator, Dieter and Wes. We were well prepared
if we ran into any heath issues or mechanical problems during the meal. But all
went well and everybody had a good time. I think it was the Irish Mules.
Thursday evening, our family, along with Donna and Mark,
gathered around the television and watched the Ole Miss-Mississippi State game.
Early in the game, Miss State quarterback Nick
Fitzgerald dislocated his ankle. It was so gross they wouldn’t show it on
TV. In an upset, although it’s a rivalry, Ole Miss beat Miss State 31-28.
It was a strange game. Miss State dominated the stats, but
was plagued by five turnovers. The game wasn’t as close as the score indicates.
Early in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss led Miss State, 31-13. The Bulldogs
scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game. But Miss State had
27 first downs to 11 for Ole Miss, 501 total yards to 335 for Ole Miss, and the
Bulldogs controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes.
Being Thanksgiving Week, there were a fair number of games
on Friday – 15 in all.
We didn’t have to wait long for one the stunners of the
weekend. It was one of the day’s early games. Unranked Pitt upset No. 2 and
undefeated Miami (Florida), 24-14. Yes, 4-7 Pitt beat 10-0 Miami.
Following the Miami-Pitt game, two of the top-ranked and
best Group of Five teams met in Orlando. One-loss South Florida played
undefeated UCF for the AAC East Division title and the right to meet Memphis
next week for the AAC championship.
The game lived up to its billing. It was a thriller. It was
more than a thriller. UCF scored a touchdown on a 95-yard kickoff return with
1:28 left in the game to beat South Florida, 49-42. The Knights finished their
season 11-0. They went from winless in 2015 to undefeated in 2017.
Missouri beat Arkansas, 48-45, and Razorback coach Bret Bielema was fired as he walked off
the field after the game. The Tigers kicked a 19-yard field goal with 0:05 on
the clock to win the game. Missouri finished its season 7-5 after starting out
1-5. What a turnaround.
Iowa embarrassed Nebraska, 56-14, and Huskers coach Mike Riley was pleading to retain his
job after the game.
In some other games on Friday, Texas Tech upset Texas,
27-23. The win by Tech saved Kliff
Kingsbury’s job for another year. TCU improved to 10-2, beating Baylor,
45-22. Houston knocked off Navy, 24-14, and Toledo improved to 10-2, beating
Western Michigan 37-10.
Friday night, Swamp
Mama, the children, the grandchildren and I went to a party at Stephanie and Neal Stein’s house. In the late, late show, UCLA beat California,
30-27.
Saturday, the speculation about Chip Kelly was over. UCLA announced that Kelly was the Bruins new
coach. He was a west coast man after all. Florida has to go after No. 2.
Then we learned that Nebraska fired Mike Riley. That wasn’t a surprise. It was only a matter of when.
Now will Scott Frost be the Huskers
coach next year?
In some of the early games Saturday, Florida State shattered
Florida, 38-22. Gators quarterback Feleipe
Franks threw three interceptions. There was a reason Miami fired Randy Shannon. He couldn’t coach. Not
sure why Florida chose to make Shannon its interim coach.
In the “mules fighting over a turnip” bowl – thank you Lewis Grizard – the old gray mule, Ohio
State, beat Michigan, 31-20. Jim
Harbaugh is 0-3 against the Buckeyes. Also in the Big Ten, Purdue downed
Indiana, 31-24. The Boilers became bowl eligible.
Duke surprised Wake Forest and in doing so became bowl
eligible. The Dookies beat the Deacs, 31-23. Louisville blasted Kentucky,
44-17, to win the Governor’s Cup. Have you seen the Governor of Kentucky? I
wouldn’t want his cup.
The weekend’s second big stunner was a mid-afternoon start
on Saturday. No. 6 Auburn beat No. 1 Alabama, 26-14. This wasn’t as shocking as
Pitt beating Miami, but it was a stunner. Depending on what happens this
weekend, the loss most likely has knocked Bama out of the playoff. For sure the
Tide will drop out of the Top 4 when the CFP Poll is released Tuesday night.
But can Bama jump back in the Top 4 without playing a game this week?
Elsewhere Saturday, Wisconsin finished the season
undefeated. The Badgers pummeled Minnesota, 31-0. NC State beat intrastate
rival North Carolina, 33-21. Vanderbilt added more insult to Tennessee’s
injury. The Dores downed the Vols, 42-24.
In the big game Saturday night, Stanford handed Notre Dame
its third loss. The Trees beat the Irish, 38-20. Also in the Pac-12, Washington
won the Apple Cup. The Huskies downed Washington State, 41-14. Arizona State
beat Arizona, 42-30.
In an ACC-SEC affair, Clemson shutdown South Carolina,
34-10. In an all-SEC encounter, LSU added to Kevin Sumlin’s misery. The Tigers took care of the Aggies, 45-21.
In the “no mercy” games – Oregon webbed Oregon State, 69-10.
Penn State smashed Maryland, 66-3. Memphis rubbed East Carolina, 70-13, and
Troy creamed Texas State, 62-9.
In the only “basketball” game – Arkansas State outscored Louisiana-Monroe,
67-50.
There were no overtime games over the Thanksgiving Weekend.
Wisconsin (12-0) and UCF (11-0) were the only two teams to
finish the regular season undefeated. UTEP (0-12) was the only team to finish
the regular season winless.
Sunday morning, the coaching news was coming down – and
coming down big and fast. First, Arizona State fired Todd Graham and Texas A&M fired Kevin Sumlin. In six seasons with the Sun Devils, Graham was 46-31
– 7-5 this season. Six years in college Station, Sumlin was 51-26 – 7-5 this
season. But Graham never won the Pac-12 South Division and Sumlin never won the
SEC West Division.
Then the Florida coaching chat got hot. First we were told
that upon losing Chip Kelly, Florida
went after UCF’s Scott Frost. But
Frost refused to talk to Florida. Obviously a sign that if Frost goes anywhere,
he is going to Nebraska.
Next we learned Florida was working hard on its third choice
– Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen.
Before long the announcement came – Dan Mullen is the new coach of the Florida
Gators. I guess Megan Mullen is
going to have to do her grocery shopping in Orlando again.
Tim Tebow will be
happy. Dan Mullen was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at
Florida under Urban Meyer from 2005
to 2008. However, during his stint in Gainesville, his wife Megan had some run-ins with Gators fans
and wasn’t wild about Gainesville. Recently, when all the coaching carousel
talk began, she spoke out, trashing Gators fans, Gainesville. Megan said when
she lived in Gainesville she had to do her grocery shopping in Orlando. Well, apparently,
she got tired of doing her grocery shopping in Starkville. Obviously, Megan had
a change of heart. Money talks.
Next, word broke that Tennessee had chosen Greg Schiano to be the Vols new coach.
Tennessee was said to be finalizing a deal to hire Schiano. Schiano, 51, is
currently the defensive coordinator at Ohio State. Previously, he coached the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL and Rutgers.
However, when Tennessee fans and students learned that
Schiano was being hired, they began protesting the decision. Schiano had
alleged connections with Jerry Sandusky
at Penn State. At a rock on the Tennessee campus where students often paint
messages, the words “Schiano covered up child rape at Penn State” were painted.
Tennessee officials, who had planned to introduce Schiano as the Vols new coach
at a press conference last night, backed off hiring Schiano.
Scratch Greg Schiano
from ever being a head coach in college again.
Sunday evening, Ole Miss announced that interim coach Matt Luke had been named the full-time
head coach in Oxford. Luke coached the Landsharks to a 6-6 record this season
in an interim role. This is the most logical and best decision for Ole Miss. I
can’t imagine anybody else wanting this job – not with the sanctions looming
over the program.
Meanwhile, the Jimbo
Fisher to Texas A&M rumors are getting stronger. Stay tuned!
Anticipating Tuesday night, my College Football Playoff Top
25 Poll looks like this: (1) Clemson, (2) Oklahoma, (3) Auburn, (4) Wisconsin, (5)
Georgia, (6) Alabama, (7) Miami (Florida), (8) TCU, (9) USC, (10) Stanford,
(11) Ohio State and (12) Washington.
Continuing – (13) Penn State, (14) UCF, (15) Notre Dame, (16)
Oklahoma State, (17) Memphis, (18) LSU, (19) Michigan State, (20) South Florida,
(21) Virginia Tech, (22) Northwestern, (23) Washington State, (24) NC State and
(25) Louisville.
My best of the Group of Five are UCF (11-0), Memphis (10-1),
South Florida (9-2), Florida Atlantic (9-3), Toledo (10-2), Fresno State (9-3),
Boise State (9-3), San Diego State (10-2), Troy (9-2) and North Texas (9-3).
This is championship week. Seven of the nine conference
title games are rematches. The teams met during the regular season. Only the
ACC title game (Clemson-Miami) and the Big Ten title game (Ohio
State-Wisconsin) are not rematches.
It was good to
hear from Ken Burger and Tim Muth last week.
So wonder where
Megan will do her grocery shopping? Have a good week!
Touchdown Tom
November 27, 2017
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE
WEEK: Roy Moore Bowl – Auburn 26,
Alabama 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 27, Alabama 26). Auburn won both
halves – 10-7 in the first half and 16-7 in the second half. Alabama was
3-for-11 in third-down efficiency; Auburn was 9-for-18. Bama’s running game
didn’t show up. Auburn controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes. Attendance
in Auburn: 87,451
RUNNER UP: Frosty
the coach man – UCF 49, South
Florida 42 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 30, South Florida 24). Talk about
excitement, this game was full of it. Trailing UCF 42-34, South Florida evened
the score at 42-42 with 1:41 left in the game on an 83-yard touchdown pass and
a successful two-point conversion. On the ensuing kickoff, UCF’s Mike Hughes returned the ball 95 yards
to put the Knights back on top 49-42 with 1:28 left on the clock. UCF held on
to win. The teams combined for 60 first downs and 1,214 total yards. The
quarterbacks passed for 876 of those yards. South Florida receiver Tyre McCants had had nine receptions
for 227 yards. Attendance in Orlando: 47,129
BEST OF THE
REST: Applicious – Washington 41,
Washington State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 32, Washington State 30).
Washington State scored its 14 points in the fourth quarter – when the game was
over. Washington’s defense held the Cougars to -24 yards rushing. Huskies
running back Myles Gaskin rushed for
192 yards. Wazzu quarterback Luke Falk threw three interceptions. Attendance in
Seattle: 71,265
How do you Mustake me now? – Clemson 34,
South Carolina 10 (Touchdown
Tom said: Clemson 26, South Carolina 23). South Carolina was shutout until the
fourth quarter. The Gamecocks scored all 10 of their points in the final
quarter. Clemson had 27 first downs to 10 for South Carolina and 469 total
yards to 207 for the Gamecocks. South Carolina only had 81 yards rushing. Attendance
in Columbia: 82,908
Buckeyes get the turnip – Ohio State 31,
Michigan 20 (Touchdown Tom
said: Ohio State 28, Michigan 24). A good game for three quarters – Ohio State
led 21-20 at the start of the fourth. The Wolverines fell apart in the final
period. Urban Meyer owns Michigan. Attendance
in Ann Arbor: 112,028
Love is the answer – Stanford 38, Notre Dame
20 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford
28, Notre Dame 24). The stats were pretty even. But Notre Dame had three
turnovers. Stanford’s Bryce Love was
the difference. He rushed for 125 yards. Attendance in Palo Alto: 47,352
No contest – Oklahoma 59, West Virginia 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, West
Virginia 20). Oklahoma racked up 646 total yards – 313 rushing and 333 passing.
WVU controlled the clock for more than 35 minutes. But the Mounties couldn’t
score. Baker Mayfield was 14-17-0
passing for 281 yards and three touchdowns. WVU’s Kennedy McCoy rushed for 137 yards. Attendance in Norman: 86,117
We’ll see you again – Fresno State 28, Boise
State 17 (Touchdown Tom
said: Boise State 29, Fresno State 27). The teams played a near perfect game –
no turnovers and even in the stats. Fresno State’s Marcus McMaryion passed for 332 yards. Attendance in Fresno: 31,526
Sumlin can’t win for losing – LSU 45, Texas
A&M 21 (Touchdown Tom
said: LSU 27, Texas A&M 25). Near the end of the third quarter, LSU only
led by 6 points – 27-21. But then the Tigers scored 18 unanswered points. The Tigers
controlled the clock for more than 39 minutes. Danny Etling was 19-30-0 for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Derrius Guice rushed for 127 yards. Attendance
in Baton Rouge:
Too much Lamar – Louisville 44, Kentucky 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 30, Kentucky
25). Just when you think Kentucky is getting better – the Wildcats aren’t.
Louisville had 562 total yards. Lamar
Jackson passed for 216 yards and rushed for 156. Kentucky’s Benjamin Snell rushed for 211 yards. Attendance
in Lexington: 56,186
Uga, best of show – Georgia 38, Georgia Tech
7 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia
32, Georgia Tech 19). Tech was no contest for Georgia. The Dawgs had 23 first
downs to 12 for Tech and 471 total yards to 226 for Tech. Georgia shutout Tech
in the second half. Georgia Tech quarterback Taquon Marshall was 2-for-9 passing for 38 yards. Attendance in
Atlanta: 55,000
Rivalry? – Virginia Tech 10, Virginia 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 27,
Virginia 20). I don’t think so. Virginia Tech has now 14-straight games against
Virginia and 18 of the last 19. A boring game, particularly if you are a
Cavaliers fan. Virginia only managed nine first downs and 191 total yards. The
Hokies weren’t much better on offense. Tech did control the ball for more than
37 minutes. Attendance in Charlottesville: 48,609
….AND ONE TO
KEEP AN EYE ON:
Pretzel sticks – Kansas State 20, Iowa State
19 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa
State 27, Kansas State 23). Trailing Iowa State 19-14, Kansas State scored a
touchdown as time expired to win the game. The game was primarily a defensive
battle. Attendance in Manhattan: 49,554
YE OLDE
STOMPING GROUNDS:
Life in The Swamp – Florida State 38, Florida
22 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida
24, Florida State 23). There was not much offense in this game for either team.
FSU had 280 total yards; Florida had 216. Both teams rushed for less than 100
yards each. The Gators were plagued with four turnovers. Attendance in
Gainesville: 89,066
Humiliation! – Iowa 56, Nebraska 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Nebraska 26). For
two quarters, this was anybody’s ballgame. The score was 14-14 at halftime.
Then Iowa took control and outscored the Huskers 42-0 in the second half. Iowa
had 505 total yards to 267 for Nebraska. Huskers quarterback Tanner Lee threw three interceptions. But
Nebraska coach Mike Riley says he
knows how to fix things. Attendance in Lincoln: 90,046
Surprise – Duke 31, Wake Forest 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 28, Duke 21).
Trailing Wake 23-17 at the end of the third quarter, the Dookies scored 14
points in the fourth quarter. Both teams committed three turnovers. The Dookies
finished the season on a two-game winning streak and are bowl eligible. Attendance
in Winston-Salem: 27,016
Kliff saves his job – Texas Tech 27, Texas 23
(Touchdown Tom said: Texas
33, Texas Tech 22). From midway through the second quarter until late in the
fourth quarter, Texas controlled the game. Trailing the Longhorns 23-20, Texas
Tech scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:47 left in the game. The Red Raiders
hung on to win. The teams were evenly matched – Texas had 18 first downs to 17
for Tech, while Tech had 399 total yards to 388 for the Horns. The Red Raiders
won in spite of only having 66 yards rushing. Attendance in Austin: 100,629
Going bowling, baby! – Purdue 31, Indiana 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 28, Purdue 27). With
less than six minutes to go in the game, Purdue led 31-10. Indiana scored two
touchdowns in the final 5:50. Hoosier quarterback Richard Lagow passed for 373 yards. Purdue running back Markell Jones rushed for 217 yards. The
Boilers finished the season on a two-game winning streak and became bowl
eligible with this win. Attendance in West Lafayette: 52,105
Week 13 Results: 12
correct picks, 6 fumbles (66.7 percent)
For the Season: 150 correct picks, 62 fumbles (70.8 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND
FLORIDA
Pitt 24, Miami 14 – Attendance in Pittsburgh: 35,978
Florida International 41, Western Kentucky 17 – Attendance in Miami: 16,199
Florida Atlantic 31, Charlotte 12 – Attendance in Charlotte: 8,330
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Arkansas State’s Justin Hansen – 26-38-1 for 520 yards; South
Florida’s Quinton Flowers – 24-45-1-503; Oklahoma State’s Mason
Rudolph – 32-44-0-494; Missouri’s Drew Lock – 25-42-2-448, and Troy’s
Brandon Silvers – 22-30-0-380.
Also, SMU’s Ben Hicks – 24-33-2 for 375 yards; UCF’s McKenzie
Milton – 29-44-1-373; Indiana’s Richard Lagow – 32-60-1-373; Western
Kentucky’s Mike White – 30-49-0-355, and LSU’s Danny Etling –
19-30-0-347.
Impressive Rushers:
Tulsa’s D’Angelo Brewer – 255 yards; Appalachian
State’s Jalin Moore – 239 yards; Purdue’s
Markell Jones – 217 yards; Kentucky’s
Benny Snell – 211 yards; San Diego
State’s Rashaad Penny – 203 yards; NC
State’s Nyheim Hines – 196 yards; Air
Force’s Isaiah Sanders – 196 yards,
and Utah’s Zack Moss – 196 yards.
Also, Boston
College’s A.J. Dillon – 193 yards; Washington’s
Myles Gaskin – 192 yards; Georgia
Southern’s Wesley Fields – 186
yards; California’s Patrick Laird –
178 yards; North Texas’ Nic Smith –
173 yards; Arkansas State’s Warren Wand
– 173 yards; Missouri’s Ish Witter –
170 yards, and Middle Tennessee’s Terelle
West – 170 yards.
Also, Arizona
State’s Demario Richard – 165 yards;
Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb – 163 yards;
Iowa’s Akrum Wadley – 159 yards; Central
Michigan’s Jonathan Ward – 159
yards; Ball State’s Caleb Huntley –
159 yards; Louisville’s Lamar Jackson
– 156 yards; Southern Miss’ Ito Smith
– 150 yards; Bowling Green’s Josh
Cleveland – 150 yards, and Wisconsin’s Jonathan
Taylor – 149 yards.
Quotes of
the Week
“I know I get a lot of grief about some of the things I’ve said about Coach Saban, but working under him was like going back to school and getting another degree. I’ve been able to find that mix between Coach Saban and Pete Carroll, and because of that, I’m much more prepared as a head coach,” Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin.
“When I go to bed tonight, I’ll be hoping for that, because
I would love to do this. I truly believe I’m exactly the right person to do
this. The football parts, I’ve been doing it so long, we know how to fix, and
we are also doing a good job recruiting,” Nebraska coach Mike Riley, pleading to keep his job.
“Kliff has led this program the right way. We’re not where
we want to be, but we’re not far off,” Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, confirming that coach Kliff Kingsbury will be retained for
the 2018 season.
“I don’t know anything. It’s just business as usual. I don’t
have any scheduled meeting. That could probably change in the next couple
minutes or whatever. I always think I should be retained,” Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, after the Aggies lost to
LSU.
Touchdown Tom’s
Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games.…and then one
GAME OF THE
WEEK: 1. Clemson
(11-1) vs. Miami (10-1) (The ACC Championship Game – Bank of America
Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina) – 8
pm ET, Saturday, ABC – If Clemson wins, the Tigers are most definitely in
the playoff and Miami is out. If Miami wins, Clemson is out and the Canes may
or may not be in the playoff. A Miami win makes for an intriguing picture. But
there is no intrigue, the Tigers win – Clemson
26, Miami 20.
RUNNER UP: 2.
Ohio State (10-2) vs. Wisconsin
(12-0) (The Big Ten Championship Game – Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis,
Indiana) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX –
Wisconsin got through the Big Ten schedule without having to play Ohio State,
Penn State or Michigan State. That’s why some have their doubts about the
Badgers. If Wisconsin wins, the Badgers are in the playoff and Ohio State is
out. If the Buckeyes win, they may or may not be in the playoff and the Badgers
would be out. I have no doubts – Wisconsin
22, Ohio State 21.
REST OF THE BEST: 3.
Auburn (10-2) vs. Georgia (11-1) (The
SEC Championship Game – Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Can Auburn beat
Georgia twice in the same season? That is the question. The winner is
definitely in the playoff. The loser is definitely out. It’s going to be loud
in the Mercedes-Benz. No, the Tigers can’t beat the Dawgs twice in the same
season – Georgia 28, Auburn 24.
4. Oklahoma
(11-1) vs. TCU (10-2) (The Big 12 Championship Game – AT&T Stadium in
Arlington, Texas) – 12:30 pm ET,
Saturday, FOX – During the season, Oklahoma beat TCU 38-20. Can the Sooners
do it again? If the Sooners win, they are in the playoffs and TCU is out. If
the Horned Frogs win, they may or may not be in the playoffs and the Sooners
would be out. OU definitely has the better offense. TCU has the better defense.
Offense wins – Oklahoma 31, TCU 27.
5. Stanford (9-3) vs. USC (10-2) (The Pac-12 Championship Game –
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – If the Trojans win, USC has an outside
chance of making the playoffs. But even with a win, Stanford has no chance. The
Trees are playing for pride and the Pac-12 title. During the season, USC beat
Stanford, 42-24. That was early in September. The Trojans do it again early in
December – USC 27, Stanford 26.
6. Memphis (10-1) vs. UCF (11-0) (The AAC Championship Game –
Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, Florida) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – If UCF wins, the Knights are in a New
Year’s Six bowl. If Memphis wins, the Tigers are most likely in a New Year’s
Six bowl. During the season, UCF beat Memphis, 40-13. That was in late
September. You have to wonder if the Nebraska opening is having an impact on Scott Frost’s concentration. It didn’t
seem to bother him against South Florida. The Knights win and Frost announces
he is going to Nebraska – UCF 46,
Memphis 40.
7. Boise State (9-3) vs. Fresno State (9-3) (The Mountain West
Championship Game – Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho) – 7:45 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Fresno
State just beat Boise State, 28-17. Now they meet again one week later. But in Boise this week. The Bulldogs do the same thing again – Fresno State 27, Boise State 21.
8. Toledo (10-2) vs. Akron (7-5) (The Mid-American Championship
Game – Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan) – 12
noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Yet another rematch. During the season, Toledo
beat Akron, 48-21. I don’t think it will be as bad this time. But the Rockets
still win – Toledo 31, Akron 30.
9. Florida Atlantic (9-3) vs. North Texas (9-3) (The Conference-USA
Championship Game – FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – This one will be interesting – or
maybe not. During the season, FAU beat North Texas, 69-31. Lane Kiffin has had quite a season in Boca Raton. He has quite a
win this week – Florida Atlantic 30,
North Texas 22.
10. Troy (9-2) at Arkansas State (7-3) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – The Sun
Belt Conference is the only FBS conference that doesn’t have a title game. Troy
and Arkansas State are both 6-1 in conference play. So this is like a
conference title game. Troy and Arkansas State both lost to South Alabama.
Appalachian State is also 6-1 in Sun Belt play. App State lost to
Louisiana-Monroe. The winner of this game will either tie App State for the Sun
Belt title, or claim the conference title outright. Depends on how App State
does Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Trojans take this one – Troy 37, Arkansas State 36.
….AND ONE TO
KEEP AN EYE ON:
11. Louisiana-Lafayette (5-6) at Appalachian
State (7-4) – (Sun Belt vs.
Sun Belt) – 2:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3
– If Appalachian State wins, then the Little Mountaineers will tie either Troy
or Arkansas State for the Sun Belt title. The Little Mountaineers should have
little problem winning this one – Appalachian
State 29, Louisiana-Lafayette 19.
YE OLDE
STOMPING GROUNDS:
West Virginia (7-5), Florida
(4-7), Nebraska (4-8), Duke (6-6), Texas (6-6) and Purdue (6-6)
have completed their seasons.
ELSEWHERE AROUND
FLORIDA:
Louisiana-Monroe
(4-7) at Florida State (5-6) – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) – 12 noon
ET, Saturday....
Massachusetts (4-7)
at Florida International (7-4) – (Ind. vs. C-USA) – 12 noon ET, Saturday....
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football
related, but sadly there were four passings of note last week – Della Reese, Jana Novotna, Ann Wedgeworth
and David Cassidy.
Della Reese, the husky-voiced singer and actress who spent almost a
decade on the CBS series “Touched by an Angel” and became an ordained minister
in real life, died last week at her home in Encino, California. She was 86. Reese’s
first big hit came in 1957 – the romantic ballad “And That Reminds Me.” Her
biggest hit was “Don’t You Know,” which reached No. 2 on the Billboard singles
chart in 1959. The TV series “Touched by an Angel” premiered in 1994. The show
lasted for nine years. Delloreese
Patricia Early was born on July 6, 1931, in Detroit. She made her TV acting
debut on “The Mod Squad” in 1968. Reese went on to appear in scores of other
television shows, including the 1970s sitcom “Chico and the Man.” She sometimes
filled in for Johnny Carson as guest host on “The Tonight Show.”
Jana Novotna, the Czech tennis star who cried when she lost the
Wimbledon singles final in 1993 and then triumphed at the same tournament five
years later, died last week in the Czech Republic. She was 59. Novotna won 17
Grand Slam titles over her career – 16 of them in doubles and mixed doubles.
She also won three Olympic medals. Novotna turned professional in 1987. She
retired from professional tennis in 1999.
Ann Wedgeworth, who won a Tony in 1978 for her performance in Neil Simon’s comedy “Chapter Two” and
played an amorous divorced woman on the ABC sitcom “Three’s Company,” died last
week in North Bergen, New Jersey. She was 83. Wedgeworth appeared in the films
“Steel Magnolias” (1989) and “Bang the Drum Slowly” (1973). Elizabeth Ann Wedgeworth was born on
January 31, 1934, in Abilene, Texas. She met fellow actor Rip Torn while studying theater at the University of Texas. They
married shortly after graduation and moved to New York. Wedgeworth and Torn
divorced in 1970.
David Cassidy, the actor and singer best known as the band member
on “The Partridge Family,” the 1970s television show about a family band, died
last week in a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was 67. Cassidy became
a teen idol in the early 1970s. He had a No. 1 hit, “I Think I Love You.” “The
Partridge Family” lasted from 1970 to 1974. Cassidy was born on April 12, 1950,
in New York City, to actors Jack Cassidy
and Evelyn Ward.
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