College Football Week 14 – Schiano turns down Rutgers

Penn State and Oregon

drop out of contention 

One was expected; one was a surprise.

Penn State was expected to lose to Ohio State and that’s exactly what the Nittany Lions did. Penn State succumbed to the Buckeyes, 28-17.

On the other hand, Oregon wasn’t expected to lose to Arizona State. But that’s exactly what the Ducks did. Oregon fell to the Sun Devils, 31-28.

The losses all but knock both Penn State (9-2) and Oregon (9-2) out of playoff contention. Neither team has a chance of making the four-team playoff. Even if Oregon wins the Pac-12 championship game, the Ducks won’t make the playoff.

Two-loss teams simply don’t make the playoff. Not when there are still three undefeated teams – Clemson (11-0), LSU (11-0) and Ohio State (11-0), and six one-loss teams Alabama (10-1), Baylor (10-1), Georgia (10-1), Minnesota (10-1), Oklahoma (10-1) and Utah (10-1) remaining.

The next two weeks will be interesting. They will be more than interesting; they’ll be exciting too. Don’t hold your breath. LSU and Georgia will face off in the SEC title game. Somethings gotta give. And that’s after LSU has what could be a tricky game against Texas A&M. Ohio State will play Michigan on the road in Ann Arbor and then either Minnesota or Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.

Alabama has a tough game against Auburn. Baylor and Oklahoma have a rematch in the Big 12 title game. Minnesota has to beat Wisconsin to play Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. If Utah beats Colorado this week – they should – then the Utes will play Oregon in the Pac-12 title game. Those eight teams – LSU, Ohio State, Alabama, Baylor, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Utah – have their work cut out for them to make the playoff.

Only Clemson has smooth sailing to the playoff. The Tigers will experience no turbulence in their final two games – South Carolina and either Virginia or Virginia Tech in the ACC title game. So pencil in Clemson. The only outstanding question for the Tigers: Will they be seeded one, two or three in the playoff bracket? Stay tuned!

After suffering two back-to-back, close losses, one in overtime, Ohio vented its frustrations Tuesday night, beating Bowling Green, 66-24. Ohio running back O’Shaan Allison rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns. The same night, Eastern Michigan executed an outpouring of offense too, downing Northern Illinois, 45-17.

The following night, Buffalo picked up where Ohio and Eastern Michigan left off. The Bulls topped Toledo, 49-30. Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns. Also in the MAC, Miami beat Akron, 20-17. At 0-11, Akron is the only winless team in the FBS.

Thursday evening, Georgia Tech led NC State, 28-10, with less than two minutes to go in the third quarter. Then, with 1:15 to go, the Wolfpack began a rally, scoring 16 unanswered points in the next 11 minutes. With 5:17 left in the game, NC State trailed by two points. But Georgia Tech held on to win, 28-26.

Friday night, in the biggest rivalry in the Rocky Mountains, Wyoming beat Colorado State, 17-7. It was the 111^th meeting between the two schools, which are 65 miles apart.

It was the annual cupcake Saturday in the SEC – Alabama beat Western Carolina, 66-3;  Auburn downed Samford, 52-0; Kentucky defeated UT-Martin, 50-7; Mississippi State clobbered Abilene Christian, 45-7, and Vanderbilt dumped East Tennessee State, 38-0.

Florida, Ole Miss and South Carolina had the weekend off. Normally, those three teams are playing cupcakes the weekend before Thanksgiving.

To their credit, Texas A&M and Georgia played each other. Georgia built up leads of 16-3 and 19-6, then held on in the final 14 minutes of the game to beat the Aggies, 19-13. I don’t know who in the SEC’s office put together Texas A&M’s schedule. It must have been a Texas graduate. Playing Georgia and LSU on the road, back-to-back for your last two games of the season is pretty tough.

The ESPN gurus love to talk about how tough the SEC is. Often that is true. But this year the SEC wasn’t very tough. The East Division only had two good teams – Georgia and Florida. Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt were crappy.

The West Division had three good teams – LSU, Alabama and Auburn. Texas A&M was above average. Ole Miss, Arkansas and Mississippi State were crappy.

You can’t just knock the SEC. The ACC is getting into the cupcake games on the weekend before Thanksgiving too. North Carolina bounced Mercer, 56-7, and Virginia dusted off Liberty, 55-27. Normally, Clemson and Florida State are playing cupcakes on the pre-Thanksgiving weekend too. But the Tigers and the Noles had an open weekend this year. Florida State had its cupcake game last week. The Noles beat Alabama State.

Miami had a cupcake game too, but it backfired on the Hurricanes. FIU upset Miami, 30-24. It’s been a tough debut season for Miami coach Manny Diaz. Going into their final game this weekend against Duke, the Hurricanes are sitting at 6-5.

The SEC and the ACC play all these cupcake games so their teams can qualify for a bowl game. To begin with, instead of playing nine conference games like the Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 do, the SEC and ACC only play eight conference games. Then they pack their non-conference games with cupcake teams. It’s the only way most of them can get into a bowl game. And even then, some of them don’t make it – South Carolina, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas. Without the cupcake teams, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Tennessee wouldn’t have made it.                                                                                  

Two of the most thrilling and high scoring games Saturday took place in the Pac-12. First, there was the Oregon State-Washington State affair in Pullman, Washington. The teams combined for 1,247 total yards – 1,014 of those yards were through the air. The lead in the game changed hands no less than five times. At the end, Washington State scored a touchdown on a two-yard run with 0:01 on the clock. The Cougars beat Oregon State, 54-53.

Then in the Coliseum in Los Angeles, USC and UCLA put on quite a show. The teams combined for 1,198 total yards – 898 of those yards through the air. The lead changed hands three times. Near the end, USC scored the put-away touchdown with 8:39 to go and beat UCLA, 52-35. Six receivers in the game had over 100 yards each receiving – four from USC. That’s amazing.

They weren’t so high scoring, but the Pac-12 had three more exciting games. In Palo Alto, in The Big Game, California and Stanford fought to the end. Cal never led in the game until near the end. Quarterback Chase Garbers scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 16-yard run with 1:19 on the clock. The touchdown gave the Golden Bears a 24-20 win over rival Stanford. Garbers passed for 285 yards and rushed for another 72 yards.

In the Pac-12’s nightcap, in Boulder, Colorado, the Buffaloes held on to beat Washington, 20-14. It’s been a disappointing season for Chris Petersen’s Huskies. Washington was a co-favorite with Oregon to win the Pac-12 North. Going into their final game this week against Washington State, the Huskies are 6-5 – 3-5 in conference play.

And as mentioned earlier, in a shocker in Tempe, Arizona, Arizona State stunned Oregon 31-28. Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels passed for 408 yards and three touchdowns. The clincher was an 81-yard touchdown pass with 3:54 to go in the game. Hats off to ASU coach Herm Edwards.

In a Pac-12 game that wasn’t so exciting, Utah continued to roll – perhaps to the playoff. The Utes pummeled Arizona, 30-7.

In the Big 12, Oklahoma and Baylor solidified their rematch encounter in the conference title game. Oklahoma, in a much closer game than expected, survived TCU, 28-24. Baylor had an easier time of it against Texas. The Bears beat the Longhorns, 24-10. Texas’ one touchdown came with 0:01 left in the game. Tom Herman isn’t getting the job done at Texas.

Also in the Big 12, Oklahoma State outscored West Virginia 10-0 in the fourth quarter to beat the Mountaineers, 20-13.

Minnesota continued its path to the Big Ten championship game. The Golden Gophers downed Northwestern 38-22. Nebraska exploded to beat Maryland, 54-7. In Bloomington, Indiana, Michigan avoided the trap-game upset. The Wolverines thumped Indiana, 39-14. Iowa turned away Illinois, 19-10.

In the ACC, Virginia Tech skunked Pitt, 28-0. The Hokies began the season at 2-2, but have won six of their last seven games to improve to 8-3. The Hokies play Virginia this week for a spot in the ACC title game against Clemson.

Also in the ACC, Wake Forest struggled with Duke before putting away the Devils late in the game. With 9:34 on the clock in the fourth quarter, the Deacons trailed Duke, 27-26. Then in the final 8:24 of the game, Wake Forest scored two unanswered touchdowns to beat the Devils, 39-27.

The AAC had three exciting games. UCF, Cincinnati and Navy each held off their opponents to win tight games. UCF beat Tulane, 34-31, Cincinnati edged Temple, 15-13, and Navy outlasted SMU, 35-28.

In the MWC, Air Force improved to 9-2. The Falcons downed New Mexico, 44-22. But it was the wins by Boise State and Hawaii that set up their meeting in the MWC title game. Boise State stomped on Utah State, 56-21, while Hawaii slipped by San Diego State, 14-11.

In the race for the Group of Five spot in a New Year’s Six bowl, Memphis (10-1) leads the way. But close on the tail of the Tigers are Cincinnati (10-1), Boise State (10-1) and Appalachian State (10-1). Memphis and Cincinnati meet this week in Memphis. Stay tuned!

The big games this week that have playoff implications are Ohio State (11-0) at Michigan (9-2), Wisconsin (9-2) at Minnesota (10-1), Alabama (10-1) at Auburn (8-3), Oklahoma (10-1) at Oklahoma State (8-3) and Texas A&M (7-4) at LSU (11-0). Stay tuned!

My Top 10 teams: 1. Ohio State, 2. LSU, 3. Clemson, 4, Utah, 5, Georgia, 6. Minnesota, 7, Oklahoma, 8. Baylor, 9. Alabama and 10, Florida.

My Top 4 Heisman candidates: 1. Joe Burrow (LSU), 2. Justin Fields (Ohio State), 3. Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and 4. Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin).

Rutgers attempt to land Greg Schiano has fallen through. Schiano, who coached the Scarlet Knights from 2001-2011 turned down an eight-year contract for $32 million after the two sides failed to come together on terms.

Last week, after learning that he wouldn’t be fired, South Carolina coach Will Muschamp reacted by saying, “I’m going to take South Carolina where they have never been before.

And I immediately thought, “That’s right. South Carolina has never been 0-12.”

Later in the week, a Gamecock fan called into “The Paul Finebaum Show” and said he knew how South Carolina could get rid of Will Muschamp. “Put him in the transfer portal”

Last week we read about Colorado’s Ralphie V retiring. In the latest mascot news this week, Auburn will be retiring Nova (War Eagle VII), its 20-year-old golden eagle. After flying around Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2004, Nova will be stepping down due to a heart disease. Five-year-old Aurea will take Nova’s place and become War Eagle VIII. Nova passed the torch to Aurea yesterday at Auburn’s game against Samford.

Swamp Mama and I were watching football Saturday evening when one of those Nissan Heisman House commercials came on. It’s one where Roger Staubach makes an appearance.

Seeing Staubach, Swamp Mama said, “Who is that,”

“That’s Roger Staubach,” I responded.

Swamp Mama said, “He looks like that?”

“Well, he’s old,” I said.

We looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was kind of like the pot calling the kettle black. Staubach is only about three or four years older than us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Touchdown Tom
November 25, 2019
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com 



Weekend Recap 

GAME OF THE WEEK: One step closer – Ohio State 28, Penn State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 31, Penn State 20). Quirky game. The Buckeyes almost fumbled the game away. Ohio State led 21-0 early in the third quarter. Then Penn State scored 17 unanswered points. The Nittany Lions trailed by four points late in the third quarter. But the Nitts were shutout in the fourth quarter. Ohio State dominated the stats more than the score. The Buckeyes had 417 total yards to 227 for Penn State and 27 first downs to 15 for the Lions. Ohio State maintained time of possession for more than 34 minutes. The Buckeyes held Penn State to 99 yards rushing. Attendance in Columbus: 104,355 

RUNNER UP: In the rain – Georgia 19, Texas A&M 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Texas A&M 15). Georgia scored 13 of its 19 points in the first half. Texas A&M scored 10 of its 13 points in the second half. The Dawgs held the Aggies to -1 yard rushing. The Aggies made up for it with 275 yards passing. Both teams had less than 280 total yards each. Jimbo Fisher isn’t getting the job done at Texas A&M.  Attendance in Athens: 92,746 

BEST OF THE REST: Horns down – Baylor 24, Texas 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 34, Texas 33). A tight game in the first half, Baylor led 7-3 at the break. Then the Bears outscored the Horns 17-7 in the second half. The teams were about as even as you can get in the stats. Both had 391 total yards. Baylor had 22 first downs and Texas had 21. Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer passed for 221 yards and rushed for another 75 yards. Attendance in Waco: 49,109 

Warm up for the Buckeyes – Michigan 39, Indiana 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 30, Indiana 28). The Spartans led 21-14 at the half. Then outscored the Hoosiers 18-0 in the second half – all in the third quarter. Michigan only had 87 yards rushing. But Shea Patterson had 366 yards passing. The Michigan quarterback threw five touchdown passes. Attendance in Bloomington: 43,671 

We are sailing – Navy 35, SMU 28 (Touchdown Tom said: SMU 28, Navy 25). SMU had a big second quarter, outscoring Navy, 14-3. Navy had a big second half – outscoring SMU 25-7. Navy had 543 total yards – 381 of them rushing. Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry rushed for 195 yards. He passed for 162 yards. Navy controlled time of possession for more than 39 minutes. Attendance in Annapolis: 33,732 

Tussle – Cincinnati 15, Temple 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 30, Temple 20). Temple only had 78 yards rushing and Cincinnati only had 62 yards passing. After failing to score for three quarters, Temple scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati only scored two points in the final quarter. The Bearcats had a 13-0 lead going not the fourth. Attendance in Cincinnati: 30,101 

Dominance – Boise State 56, Utah State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 29, Utah State 26). With 4:32 to go in the third quarter, Boise State led 56-7. Utah State actually moved the ball pretty well between the 20s. The Aggies just couldn’t get it in the endzone. Boise State running back George Holani rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos were the rushing team – 297 yards. The Aggies were the passing team – 307 yards. Attendance in Logan: 18-315 

Skunked – Virginia Tech 28, Pitt 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 31, Pitt 29). Neither team had much offense – only 263 total yards for the Hokies and only 177 total yards for Pitt. The Panthers only had 60 yards rushing. Tech controlled the ball for more than 35 minutes. Attendance in Blacksburg: 55,936 

Soccer game – Iowa 19, Illinois 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Illinois 21). A game of five field goals and only two touchdowns – one for each team. Iowa only had 79 yards rushing. But Nate Stanley had 308 yards passing. However, the Iowa quarterback only completed 51% of his passes. Attendance in Iowa City: 58,331 

Jousted – UCF 34, Tulane 31 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 30, Tulane 24). Midway through the fourth quarter, UCF led 34-17. Tulane scored two touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the game. UCF quarterback Dylan Gabriel passed for 317 yards. Attendance in New Orleans: 21,032 

….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

The Frogs croaked – Oklahoma 28, TCU 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, TCU 17). Early in the second quarter, Oklahoma led 21-0. Early in the third quarter, TCU only trailed by four points. OU led 21-17. The Sooners totally dominated the stats – 511 total yards to 204 and 30 first downs to 11. OU even controlled the ball for more than 39 minutes. But the Sooners had three turnovers. Jalen Hurts passed for 145 yards and rushed for 173 yards. TCU only passed for 65 yards. Attendance in Norman: 82,241 



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Fourth quarter blues – Oklahoma State 20, West Virginia 13 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Oklahoma State 29). Oklahoma State came to play for four quarters. WVU came to play for only three quarters. WVU coach Neal Brown was suffering from Dana Holgorsen disease. Whenever the Mounties got the ball in the red zone, Brown’s play calling and timing became inept. Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, it was a pretty good ballgame. Again the lack of a running game hurt the Mounties – only 26 yards rushing. But WVU did have 308 yards passing. Attendance in Morgantown: 46,022 

The Corn popped – Nebraska 54, Maryland 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 36, Maryland 28). I think Nebraska vented all of its season’s frustrations on Maryland. Fortunately, they had Maryland to take them out on. The Huskers had 531 total yards to 206 for the Terps and 31 first downs to only nine for Maryland. The Terps only had 57 yards passing. The Huskers controlled the ball for more than 39 minutes. Maryland was guilty of four turnovers. Attendance in College Park: 34,082 

What a sermon – Wake Forest 39, Duke 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 23, Duke 21). Wake Forest had 618 total yards to only 290 for Duke. The Deacons had 26 first downs to 13 for Duke. The Deacons also controlled time of possession for more than 39 minutes. Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman passed for 284 yards and rushed for 144 yards. Attendance in Winston-Salem: 24,130 

Taylorized – Wisconsin 45, Purdue 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 34, Purdue 17). For four minutes in the second quarter, Purdue led 17-14. Then Wisconsin scored 24 unanswered points. The Badgers led 38-17 with two minutes to go in the third quarter. Wisconsin had 607 total yards – 404 yards rushing. The Boilers only had 50 yards rushing. The Badgers controlled time of possession for more than 36 minutes. Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor rushed for 222 yards. Attendance in Madison: 70,747 

Week 13 Results: 13 winners, 2 fumbles (86.7 percent)
For the Season:    139 winners, 48 fumbles (74.3 percent) 



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA 

San Diego 47, Jacksonville U. 28 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 1,203
Stetson 31, Morehead State 16 – Attendance in Morehead: 2,134 

West Florida 38, Wingate 17 (Division II Playoff) – Attendance in Wingate: 1,050
Bethune-Cookman 31, Florida A&M 17 – Attendance in Orlando: 55,730
Memphis 49, South Florida 10 – Attendance in Tampa: 25,136 

Florida Atlantic 40, UTSA 26 – Attendance in San Antonio: 14,355
FIU 30, Miami 24 – Attendance in Miami: 27,339 



Superlatives 

Impressive Passers: 

USC’s Kedon Slovis – 37-47-0 for 515 yards (4TDs); Connecticut’s Jack Zergiotius – 21-37-2-423 (3TDs); Tennessee’s Jarrett Guarantano – 23-41-0-415 (2TDs); Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels – 22-32-0-408 (3TDs); Oregon State’s Jake Luton – 22-40-1-408 (5TDs), and Tulsa’s Zach Smith – 29-45-2-381 (1TD). 

Also, East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers – 34-50-2 for 374 yards (1TD); Iowa State’s Brock Purdy – 29-42-1-370 (4TDs); Kent State’s Dustin Crum – 18-26-0-369 (3TDs); UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 26-44-1-367 (3TDs); Michigan State’s Shea Patterson – 20-32-1-366 (5TDs), and UTEP’s Kai Locksley – 24-38-1-358 (2TDs). 

Also, Arkansas State’s Layne Hatcher – 19-24-0 for 354 yards (4TDs); ULM’s Caleb Evans – 20-34-1-350 (2TDs); Florida Atlantic’s Chris Robinson – 27-41-0-336 (1TD); Texas Tech’s Jett Duffey – 28-49-2-334 (2TDs);  Kansas’ Carter Stanley – 23-44-0-328 (3TDs); Air Force’s Donald Hammond – 9-10-0-327 (4TDs), and LSU’s Joe Burrow – 23-28-0-327 (3TDs). 

Impressive Rushers: 

Louisville’s Javian Hawkins – 233 yards (1TD); BYU’s Jackson McChensey – 228 yards (2TDs); Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 222 yards (1TD); Utah’s Zack Moss – 203 yards (1TD); Navy’s Malcolm Perry – 195 yards (2TDs); Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson – 192 yards, and Ball State’s Caleb Huntley – 192 yards (2TDs). 

Also, New Mexico State’s Jason Huntley – 191 yards (3TDs); LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire – 188 yards (3TDs); UNLV’s Charles Williams – 186 yards (3TDs); (4TDs); Boise State’s George Holani – 178 yards (2TDs); Ohio’s O’Shaan Allison – 175 yards (3TDs); Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts – 173 yards (2TDs); Coastal Carolina’s C.J. Marable – 164 yards (2TDs), and Syracuse’s Moe Neal – 163 yards (1TD). 

Also, North Carolina’s Michael Carter – 159 yards (3TDs); Georgia Southern’s Shai Werts – 158 yards (1TD); Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins – 157 yards (2TDs); Wyoming’s Xazavian Valladay – 154 yards; Appalachian State’s Darrynton Evans – 154 yards (3TDs); Mississippi State’s Kylin Hill – 153 yards, and Kansas’ Pooka Williams – 152 yards. 



Quotes of the Week 

“You can’t plant potatoes one day and expect to eat potato salad the next day,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

“I want to make it very clear that Derek Mason will be our head football coach moving forward,” Vanderbilt athletic director Malcolm Turner.

“It’s kind of sad to say, but you know how fans sometimes get. It gets a little crazy. I was kind of, I guess, sick and tired of getting death threats and some pretty explicit and pretty tough-to-read messages,” Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, on the death threats and messages he received on his social media accounts after Penn State’s loss to Minnesota.

“I plan on taking this program where it has never been before,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp.

“A lot of people feel that if this doesn’t work with Scott, it’s probably not going to work, period,” former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, on Nebraska football under Scott Frost.



Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games.…and then one 

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Ohio State (11-0) at Michigan (9-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – The way I have this figured out the momentum has to be with Michigan. After all, Ohio State can lose and the Buckeyes still go to the Big Ten title game. And as long as they win the Big Ten title, they make the playoff. Michigan hasn’t won since 2011. And the Michigan offense is much improved since the loss to Penn State. But Ohio State’s defense can stop just about any offense. However, the Buckeyes strength is its defense against the rush. Michigan’s strength on offense is its passing game – when Shea Patterson is on. Ohio State does want to keep its perfect record intact. And the Buckeyes do – Ohio State 28, Michigan 24. 

RUNNER UP:  2. Wisconsin (9-2) at Minnesota (10-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – One more win and Minnesota goes to the Big Ten title game. Who would have thunk it? But the Gophers have to stop Jonathan Taylor. So far, only Ohio State has done that. Minnesota needs to get an early jump on the Badgers like they did on Penn State. Wisconsin will be relentless. P.J. rows like he never has before – Minnesota 27, Wisconsin 26. 

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Cincinnati (10-1) at Memphis (10-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, ABC – Win or lose, Cincinnati is in the AAC title game. Memphis is in if it wins. The Tigers have to wait and see what Navy does against Houston if they lose. If Navy beats Houston, and most likely they will, then Memphis won’t be in the title game, if they lose to Cincinnati. So the momentum should be with Memphis. And the Tigers have the home field advantage. Cincinnati has been barely winning lately. This time the Bearcats barely lose – Memphis 30, Cincinnati 26. 

4. Alabama (10-1) at Auburn (8-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Gus Malzahn and Auburn really need this win. The Tigers have lost every big SEC game they have been in this season – Florida, LSU and Georgia. Bama, of course, needs the win to stay in consideration for a playoff spot. Lose and the Tide is out. With Tua Tagovailoa playing, Bama would win. Without Tua, it is questionable. Bo Nix finally plays like a sophomore. The Tigers finally win with a freshman – Auburn 27, Alabama 24.

5. Oklahoma (10-1) at Oklahoma State (8-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – The Sooners better hold onto the ball against the Cowboys or they won’t win. They didn’t secure it very well against TCU. And the OU defense better step up. They need to contain Chuba Hubbard. A loss and the Sooners are out of playoff contention, regardless if they will the Big 12 title game. And that could go against them since they know they are in the title game win or lose. A tough one, but Boomer is okay. Jalen Hurts makes the difference – Oklahoma 34, Oklahoma State 29. 

6. Texas A&M (7-4) at LSU (11-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Jimbo Fisher is kind of in the same boat as Gus Malzahn. Fisher and the Aggies have lost every big game they have been in this season. And Aggies fans have to be saying, “We’re not paying you $7.5 million a year to lose all the big games.” So you know Fisher will do all he can to win this game. The Aggies almost came back against Georgia. Like Ohio State, LSU can lose this game and still play in the SEC title game. But like Ohio State, they want to keep their perfect record intact. It’s a tough life, isn’t it Jimbo? – LSU 27, Texas A&M 22. 

7. Virginia Tech (8-3) at Virginia (8-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Friday, ABC – This one is for a spot in the ACC title game – winner in, loser out. Of course you have to play Clemson. That’s not very appealing. Virginia Tech seems to have caught fire lately. The Hokies have won six of their last seven games and almost won all of them. Just ask Notre Dame. That was a close one. Virginia on the other hand has been playing lackadaisical. Lackadaisical won’t beat Tech. Bud Foster is on a mission – Virginia Tech 27, Virginia 25. 

8. Wyoming (7-4) at Air Force (9-2) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 2 pm ET, Saturday – Hats off to these two teams. Wyoming opened the season with a win over Missouri. Air Force has played well all season. The Falcons are currently riding a six game winning streak. Two completely different styles of offense here. Air Force loves that option. But the Falcons have been passing well lately. Wyoming is conventional. They go with what gets them there. The option pulls it out – Air Force 31, Wyoming 27.

9. Florida State (6-5) at Florida (9-2) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – This game has gotten so low it has been relegated to the SEC Network. It used to always be on ABC, CBS or ESPN. Florida’s carrot is a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl. Win and the Gators should be in one. Lose and they won’t be. Win or lose and Florida State is going to the Pooper Scooper Bowl. They can thank Alabama State for that. Where is Jimbo Fisher when you need him – Florida 33, Florida State 15. 

10. Tulane (6-5) at SMU (9-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Both teams lost a heartbreaker last week. Tulane by three points to UCF and SMU by seven points to Navy. Tulane started the season great. The Green Wave were 5-1. Now they have lost four of their last five games. And SMU began 8-0. The Mustangs have lost two of their last three games. SMU has the ole Texas quarterback Shane Buechele. He makes the difference – SMU 33, Tulane 27. 

….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

11. Iowa State (7-4) at Kansas State (7-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – This should be a fun game. These two teams began the season with opposite outlooks. Iowa State was supposed to have a breakout year, even contend for the Big 12 title. K-State on the other hand was supposed to be rebuilding – finish somewhere near the bottom of the Big 12. The Cyclones didn’t perform as well as expected. They had some tough breaks. And K-State performed better than expected. The Wildcats handed Oklahoma its only loss. Both teams have the same record. But the Cyclones live up to expectations – Iowa State 33, Kansas State 30. 



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

West Virginia (4-7) at TCU (5-6) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 4:15 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – TCU will be playing for bowl qualification. WVU will be playing for pride. Both teams lost close games last week. The Mountaineers have found a quarterback – Jarret Doege. Although they could sit him out this game. They know he is the quarterback for next year. This game means little to nothing. TCU has been struggling to find itself too – playing well at times and bad at other times. My mind says TCU. My heart says WVU. Heart wins – West Virginia 23, TCU 20. 

Iowa (8-3) at Nebraska (5-6) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 2:30 pm ET, Friday, BTN – Nebraska finally got it out of their system last week. That will give them some momentum for Iowa. Win and the Huskers are going bowling. And who knows. Iowa may kind of sit back in this one. But not likely. It’s a rivalry. Which state has the best corn. We know Nebraska has the best beef and Iowa has the best pork. Pork rules – Iowa 23, Nebraska 21. 

Miami (Florida) (6-5) at Duke (4-7) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Duke never plays very well at the end of the season. And the way Miami played against FIU last week, the Canes aren’t playing well either. But the Canes have more depth. The lack of depth is what hurts Duke at the end of the season. Still the Dookies will make a battle of it. Manny Diaz needs the win. He gets it – Miami 32, Duke 21.

Georgia (10-1) at Georgia Tech (3-8) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – After two weeks of Auburn and Texas A&M, the Dawgs should be able to relax this week. Relax they can, but not too much. This is a bit of a rivalry. Georgia Tech is a much better team than the Jackets were at the beginning of the season. They spent their first season away from the option offense. It was a difficult adjustment for them. The Dawgs can’t afford to have a loss. But they can afford to be a little lax in this one. Woof, woof – Georgia 32, Georgia Tech 13. 

Indiana (7-4) at Purdue (4-7) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Wow, what a year Indiana has had. The Hoosiers were the Auburn or the Texas A&M of the Big Ten. They beat everybody but the big teams. Meanwhile, Purdue has been quite the opposite. And the Boilers have the highest paid coach in the Big Ten. Somethings amiss. The Boilers aren’t a bad team. They just aren’t good enough to win most games. Still, they could give the Hoosiers some trouble. The Boiler won’t come up – Indiana 38, Purdue 33. 

Texas Tech (4-7) at Texas (6-5) – (Big 12 vs.  Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Friday, FOX – What a disappointing year this has been for Texas. The Horns were in the Top 10 at preseason. Now they are almost in the Bottom 10. Tom Herman won’t last long if he keeps this up. Herman and the Horns should have no problem taking care of Texas Tech. Bevo rules in this one – Texas 33, Texas Tech 25. 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

FIU (6-5) at Marshall (7-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN….

South Florida (4-7) at UCF (8-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ESPN….

West Florida (9-2) at Valdosta State (10-0) (Division II playoff) – 1 pm ET, Saturday…. 

Bethune-Cookman (7-4), Florida A&M (9-2), Jacksonville U. (3-9), and Stetson (7-4) have finished their seasons. 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S. 

Not exactly college football related, but there was one passing of note last week – Michael J. Pollard. 

Michael J. Pollard, who rose to fame in the 1967 hit film “Bonnie and Clyde” as the dimwitted gas station attendant who became a criminal accomplice, and went on to a long career as a character actor, died last week in Los Angeles. He was 80. Pollard had been a familiar face on television since the late 1950s. He most often played likable but socially inept characters – sometimes appearing on “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” “The Andy Griffith Show” and “I Spy.” He also appeared in the television series “Star Trek” in 1966. But it was his role in “Bonnie and Clyde” that brought him an Academy Award nomination and raised his profile. Michael John Pollack was born on May 30, 1939, in Passaic, New Jersey. Another big movie for Pollard was “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” (1970), with Robert Redford. Other movies included “Melvin and Howard” and “Dick Tracy.”

College Football Week 13 – Tua out with broken hip

And the fourth team will be? 

Currently the top four teams in the College Football Playoff rankings are LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia. Those four teams should still be the top four when the new rankings are released on Tuesday evening. At this point, I think it is safe to say that LSU, Ohio State and Clemson are a lock for the playoff.

LSU (10-0) will beat Arkansas and Texas A&M in its final two games of the season. The Tigers may or may not beat Georgia in the SEC championship game. But even if LSU loses to Georgia, the Tigers at 13-0 or 12-1 will remain a top four team

Ohio State (10-0) will beat Penn State and will probably beat Michigan in its final two games of the season. But even if the Buckeyes lose to Michigan, they will still play in and win the Big Ten championship game over either Minnesota or Wisconsin. Ohio State at 13-0 or 12-1 will remain a top four team.

Clemson (11-0) will beat South Carolina in its final game of the season. The Tigers will win the ACC championship game. Clemson at 13-0 will remain a top four team.

The fourth team in the playoff all hinges on Georgia’s (9-1) outcome in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs will beat Texas A&M and Georgia Tech in their final two games of the season. If the Bulldogs beat LSU in the SEC title game, Georgia at 12-1 will remain a top four team. But if the Bulldogs lose to LSU, Georgia at 11-2 will fall out of the top four.

If Georgia falls out, who will the fourth team be? Most likely Oregon or Utah. Oregon (9-1) should beat Arizona State and Oregon State in its final two games of the season. Utah (9-1) should beat Arizona and Colorado in its final two games of the season. That scenario will pit Oregon against Utah in the Pac-12 title game. The winner (Oregon or Utah) at 12-1 will be the fourth team in the playoff. Again, if Georgia loses to LSU.

The only other teams that have a chance – a remote one at that – to be the fourth team in the playoff are Oklahoma and Penn State. But the Sooners and the Nittany Lions will have to win-out, including their conference championship game. And hope for the best.

So the fourth team in the playoff all boils down to the SEC championship game. If Georgia wins, the Dawgs are in. If Georgia loses, one of the other teams (Oregon, Utah, Oklahoma or Penn State) is in. That’s my read on it.

If Oregon wins-out, the Ducks will be riding a 12-game winning streak – a good argument for their cause.

College football had a big early start last week. There were no fewer than eight weeknight games from Tuesday to Friday. Five of the games were Mid-American Conference affairs. Three of the five were quite exciting.

Tuesday night, Western Michigan beat Ohio, 37-31 (OT). It was Ohio’s second tough loss in a week. Last week, the Bobcats lost to Miami (Ohio) 24-21.

The following night, Northern Illinois beat Toledo, 31-28. The Huskies kicked a 25-yard field goal with 0:41 on the clock to win the game. Then Thursday night, Kent State rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Buffalo, 30-27. Midway through the fourth quarter, Kent State trailed Buffalo, 27-6. But in the final 7:49 of the game, the Golden Flashes scored 24 unanswered points – three touchdowns and a field goal. The clincher for Kent State was a 44-yard field goal by Mathew Trickett as time expired.

The same night, Pitt won a thriller over North Carolina. The Panthers beat the Tar Heels, 34-27 (OT). Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett was 25-41-0, passing for 359 yards and one touchdown.

Friday night, Marshall ended Louisiana Tech’s eight-game winning streak. The Thundering Herd beat the Bulldogs, 31-10.

There are few things better than college football. But one of them is being with your granddaughter on her birthday. Gator Babe turned 12 last week. On Thursday, Swamp Mama and I drove up to the panhandle to celebrate with her.

As a result, I spent Saturday mixing my football viewing with birthday activities. But thanks to today’s technology – smart phones and big screens at restaurants – I was able to catch most of the action.

Two teams – Minnesota and Baylor – lost for the first time. In spite of Tanner Morgan’s 368 yards passing, Minnesota fell to Iowa, 23-19. The Gophers dropped to 9-1 but are still in contention to win the Big Ten West Division.

In a wild game in Waco, Baylor lost to Oklahoma, 34-31. It was a game of streaks. During a nine-minute span from late in the first quarter to early in the second quarter, Baylor went on a run, scoring four unanswered touchdowns – 28 points. The Bears built up a 28-3 lead over Oklahoma. Then midway through the third quarter, with Baylor leading 31-10, the Sooners went on a run. Oklahoma scored three touchdowns and a field goal – 24 unanswered points – to win the game 34-31. The field goal came with 1:45 left in the game. The attendance of 50,223 was the largest home crowd in Baylor’s history.

In the big SEC game of the day, Auburn fell to Georgia, 21-14. The loss left Auburn at 0-3 in big SEC games this season. Earlier, the Tigers lost to Florida and LSU. Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix had a disappointing performance in all three losses. Neither quarterback looked good Saturday. Georgia’s Jake Fromm completed less than 50% of his passes.

A headline in Sunday’s Dothan (Alabama) Eagle read: Same tired song from Malzahn.

As expected, Ohio State, Clemson and LSU rolled over their opponents to remain undefeated. The Buckeyes beat Rutgers, 56-21. Clemson downed Wake Forest, 52-3, and LSU beat Ole Miss, 58-37. LSU’s defense continues to be suspect. The Tigers won’t win a national championship the way their defense is playing.

Texas fans must be fed up with Tom Herman. Saturday, the Longhorns lost their fourth game of the season – 23-21 to Iowa State. Les Miles lost to his old team, as Oklahoma State downed Kansas, 31-13. Miles was the head coach of Oklahoma State from 2001 to 2004. Also in the Big 12, West Virginia upset Kansas State, 24-20.

Speaking of fed up, I would think Michigan State fans have had their fill of Mark Dantonio. Michigan beat the Spartans, 44-10. Michigan State is now 4-6. Indiana gave Penn State a run for their money. The Nittany Lions edged the Hoosiers, 34-27.

Out West, Washington State romped over Stanford, 49-22. The quarterbacks combined for 1,024 yards passing. Utah continued its run for a spot in the playoff. The Utes downed UCLA, 49-3.

Alabama beat Mississippi State, 38-7, but lost its quarterback for the remainder of the season. Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered a high-ankle injury against Tennessee a few weeks ago, is now out with a broken hip. Tagovailoa received the hip injury when he was tackled late in the second quarter against Mississippi State. Some have compared it to Bo Jackson’s career-ending injury.

Notre Dame ended Navy’s run for the Group of Five spot in a New Year’s Six bowl. The Irish pummeled the Middies, 52-20. The game in South Bend marked the first time Notre Dame failed to have a sellout in 273 games. Nebraska’s sellout streak of 374 games, college football’s longest, is still running.

So far this season, only three schools have fired their coaches – Rutgers, Florida State and Arkansas. All three continue their search for a new coach. Stay tuned!

Among the Group of Five teams, five, led by Cincinnati (9-1), remain in the running for the New Year’s Six bowl spot. The other four are Memphis (9-1), Boise State (9-1), Appalachian State (9-1) and SMU (9-1). With their losses, Louisiana Tech and Navy were eliminated over the weekend.

My Top Four teams this week are 1. Ohio State, 2. Clemson, 3. LSU and 4. Utah.

My top Heisman candidates are 1. Joe Burrow (LSU), 2. Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma), 3. Justin Fields (Ohio State) and 4. Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin).


And in the latest mascot news, Colorado, after 12 seasons with Ralphie V, will have a new live buffalo mascot in 2020 – Ralphie VI. But it’s not because Ralphie V has lost a step in her old age. Quite the opposite. Ralphie V, who just turned 13 last month, is too fast for her human companions. She was held back from running around the field in Colorado’s previous two home games because she wasn’t responding to the cues from her handlers.

Bootsie and Rockledge Gator were in attendance at the Georgia-Auburn game Saturday. Unfortunately, they didn’t come away happy campers. Nor did Scott Greenwood who was in Lincoln for the Wisconsin-Nebraska game.

Touchdown Tom
November 18, 2019
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com



Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Where were Chip and Joanna when you need them? – Oklahoma 34, Baylor 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, Baylor 20). It’s hard to believe that Baylor led Oklahoma 31-10 at halftime. Even still led the Sooners, 31-10, five minutes into the third quarter. But that was it for the Bears. OU scored 24 unanswered points in the final 24 minutes of the game. The winning points came on a 31-yard field goal with 1:45 left. Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts passed for 297 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another 114 yards. Hurts had a hand in 411 of OU’s 525 total yards. Baylor only had 307 total yards. Attendance in Waco: 50,223

RUNNER UP:  Bo-Bo was a boo-boo – Georgia 21, Auburn 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 24, Georgia 22). Five minutes into the fourth quarter, Georgia led 21-0. Auburn scored its two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes of the game. Actually, the Tigers scored both touchdowns within a three-minute span of the fourth quarter. Auburn had its chances in the final seven minutes of the game. But quarterback Bo Nix fumbled a center snap and couldn’t hit open receivers. Neither quarterback looked good. Auburn won the statistics race – more first downs, more total yards, time of possession, etc. Attendance in Auburn: 87,451 

REST OF THE BEST:  The Gophers couldn’t get out of their hole – Iowa 23, Minnesota 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 23, Minnesota 20). Iowa got the jump on Minnesota. The Hawkeyes led 20-6 at halftime. The Gophers outscored Iowa 13-3 in the second half. Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan passed for 368 yards. The Gophers won the statistics race, except for rushing. Iowa held Minnesota to 63 yards rushing. Attendance in Iowa City: 69,250

Weren’t caught looking ahead – Penn State 34, Indiana 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 35, Indiana 28). Indiana made a game of it, but the Hoosiers couldn’t overcome Penn State. Indiana won the stats game, except for rushing. The Nitts outrushed the Hoosiers 192 yards to 91 yards. Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey passed for 371 yards. Attendance in University Park: 106,323

Total domination – Clemson 52, Wake Forest 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 42, Wake Forest 19). Clemson totally dominated Wake Forest. The Tigers had 516 total yards to 105 for the Deacons and 26 first downs to only 5 for Wake. The Deacs had 41 yards passing and 64 rushing. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for 272 yards and four touchdowns. Attendance in Clemson: 80,875

But not a sellout – Notre Dame 52, Navy 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 27, Navy 21). Seventeen of Navy’s 20 points came in the second half. Notre Dame led the Middies, 38-3 at the break. Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book passed for 284 yards and five touchdowns. Strangely, Navy controlled time of possession for 36 minutes. The Irish won the passing game – 305 yards to 79 yards. Navy won the rushing game – 281 yards to 105 yards. The Middies had four turnovers – all fumbles. Notre Dame had none. Attendance in South Bend: 74,080

That’s putting the muzzle on the Dog – Marshall 31, Louisiana Tech 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisiana Tech 29, Marshall 26). Marshall had a big second quarter, outscoring Louisiana Tech 17-0. The Herd coasted after that. Marshall’s defense held Tech to only 67 yards rushing. The Herd’s offense had 405 total yards to 261 for the Bulldogs. Attendance in Huntington: 19,893

Let’s hear it for the field goals – Florida 23, Missouri 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 24, Missouri 20). Fifteen of the 29 points scored in the game were from field goals. Both of Florida’s touchdowns were from passes by Kyle Trask. Trask passed for 282 yards. Neither team could run the ball. Florida had 56 yards rushing and Missouri had 52 yards. Attendance in Columbia: 57,280

Hooters – Temple 29, Tulane 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulane 24, Temple 19). Temple built up two second-half leads of 22-7 and 29-14 and Tulane couldn’t catch up. The Owls led 13-7 at the break. The teams were pretty even on the stats. Temple was the better passing team (297 yards to 130 yards). Tulane was the better rushing team (203 yards to 105 yards). Attendance in Philadelphia: 27,850

Fourth loss for the Horns – Iowa State 23, Texas 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa State 33, Texas 27). Iowa State kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired to win the game. The Cyclones led throughout the game until 5:37 to go in the fourth quarter. That’s when Texas took its first and only lead at 21-20. Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy passed for 354 yards. The Cyclones dominated the stats – rushing, passing, total yards, first downs, time of possession, etc. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger passed for 273 yards. All three of the Longhorns touchdowns were from Ehlinger passes. Attendance in Ames: 58,946



….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Second half runaway – USC 41, California 17 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 30, California 24). This was a tight game in the first half. USC led 17-10 at the break. Then the Trojans outscored the Bears 24-7 in the second half – 17-0 in the third quarter. USC quarterback Kedon Slovis passed for 406 yards and four touchdowns. The Trojans won with only 56 yards rushing. Cal only had 128 yards passing. Attendance in Berkeley: 46,397 



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Surprise – West Virginia 24, Kansas State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 33, West Virginia 20). Kansas State scored its first touchdown on a 68-yard pass on its first play of the game. Just like that, the Wildcats were up 7-0. But after that, it was all West Virginia for the rest of the game. WVU proceeded to outscore K-State, 24-13. But the game stayed close throughout. WVU quarterback Jarret Doege made his first start  for the Mountaineers. He passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns.  Attendance in Manhattan: 46,332

As expected – Wisconsin 37, Nebraska 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 26, Nebraska 18). Nebraska scored first and led 7-0 in the first quarter. The Huskers led again, 14-10, with 9:32 to go in the second quarter. But that was the last time Nebraska held a lead. Less than three minutes later, Wisconsin went up 17-14 and never looked back. In fact, the Badgers built that lead into 34-14. Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for 204 yards. The Huskers led in total yards – 493 to 482. But Wisconsin controlled time of possession – more than 34 minutes. Attendance in Lincoln: 88,842

Dookless in Durham – Syracuse 49, Duke 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Syracuse 23). Syracuse only led 14-6 at halftime. Then the Orange outscored the Dookies 35-0 in the second half. Two Syracuse running backs ran for 115 yards each – Jarveon Howard and Moe Neal. The Dookies had three turnovers to none for the Orange. Duke always seems to start out the season well only to become a complete disaster around the end of the season. Attendance in Durham: 16,286



Week 12 Results:  9 winners, 5 fumbles ( 64.3 percent)
For the Season:    126 winners, 46 fumbles (73.3 percent)



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida State 49, Alabama State 12 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 52,857
Jacksonville U. 52, Marist 45 (2OT) – Attendance in Poughkeepsie: 1,396
Davidson 42, Stetson 14 – Attendance in Deland: 1,492 

North Carolina A&T 47, Bethune-Cookman 17 – Attendance in Greensboro: 10,355
Florida Tech 42, Shorter 3 – Attendance in Melbourne: 1,450 

Florida A&M 39, Howard 7 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 8,979
West Florida 48, West Alabama 37 – Attendance in Pensacola: 5,619
Cincinnati 20, South Florida 17 – Attendance in Tampa: 29,112



Superlatives 

Impressive Passers:

Washington State’s Anthony Gordon – 44-60-1 for 520 yards (5TDs); Stanford’s Davis Mills – 33-50-2-504 (3TDs); LSU’s Joe Burrow – 32-42-2-489 (5TDs); USC’s Kedon Slovis – 29-35-0-406 (4TDs); Michigan’s Shea Patterson – 24-33-0-384 (4TDs), and Indiana’s Peyton Ramsey – 31-41-0-371 (1TD).

Also, Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan – 25-36-1 for 368 yards (1TD); Troy’s Kaleb Barker – 30-43-0-363 (6TDs); Pitt’s Kenny Pickett – 25-41-0-359 (1TD); Central Michigan’s Quinten Dormady – 27-38-1-356; Iowa State’s Brock Purdy – 30-48-1-354 (2TDs) and Colorado State’s Patrick O’Brien – 28-43-1-347 (2TDs).

Also, Memphis’ Brady White – 22-33-1 for 341 yards (5TDs); Middle Tennessee’s Asher O’Hara – 22-31-1-338 (2TDs); Utah’s Tyler Huntley – 14-18-0-335 (2TDs); Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels – 24-36-0-334 (3TDs); Oregon’s Justin Herbert – 20-28-1-333 (4TDs), and Texas Tech’s Jett Duffey – 19-33-1-333 (4TDs).

Impressive Rushers: 

Northwestern’s Evan Hull – 220 yards (4TDs); Ole Miss’s John Rhys Plumlee – 212 yards (4TDs); Army’s Kelvin Hopkins – 208 yards; Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 204 yards (2TDs), and Nebraska’s Dedrick Mills – 188 yards (1TD).

Also, New Mexico State’s Jason Huntley – 174 yards (1TD); LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire – 172 yards (1TD); UAB;s Dylan Hopkins – 163 yards (1TD), and Northern Illinois’ Tre Harbison – 158 yards (1TD).



Quotes of the Week: 

“I love Auburn,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, when asked about the Arkansas rumors. 

“It’s almost like she knew she was the queen of campus and she loved to show that fact off when she ran onto the field at her public appearances,” Ralphie Program Manager John Graves, on the retirement of Colorado’s Ralphie V because she is too fast for her human companions. 

“We’re looking at probably a year recovery before he’s ready to go. Six months at the earliest, but more likely it’ll be a year,” orthopedic surgeon and ESPN medical expert Dr. Mark Adickes, on injured Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. 



Signs of the Day 

Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray & Baker Mayfield All Agree that OU is a Second-Choice School 

The Playoff Committee Named Germany the Winners of World War II Based on a Quality Loss 

The Astros Stole My Other Sign 



Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Penn State (9-1) at Ohio State (10-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – This week, Penn State gets its shot at knocking off Ohio State. Or at least come close to the Buckeyes. No one else has so far. The Nittany Lions may be capable of scoring on the Buckeyes. But they won’t be able to stop the Buckeyes. Nittany Lions suffer loss No. 2 – Ohio State 31, Penn State 20.

RUNNER UP:  2. Texas A&M (7-3) at Georgia (9-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Like Auburn, Texas A&M can’t beat a big team in the SEC. But Georgia could have a letdown after the win over Auburn. Being at home should help the Dawgs – although it didn’t help them against South Carolina. Jimbo still has work to do – Georgia 26, Texas A&M 15. 

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Texas (6-4) at Baylor (9-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – So how will Baylor respond to its loss to Oklahoma – a game where the Bears blew a big lead. They could be down. And the pressure to win is on Texas coach Tom Herman. This season has been disappointing for the Longhorns – a Top 10 team at preseason. Bears bounce back but just barely – Baylor 34, Texas 33. 

4. Michigan (8-2) at Indiana (7-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Michigan could well lose this game. You know the Wolverines will be looking ahead to Ohio State. Indiana is no slouch this year. The Hoosiers can be dangerous. Just not dangerous enough for the Wolverines – Michigan 30, Indiana 28. 

5. SMU (9-1) at Navy (7-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – Navy fell last week for just the second time this season. It could be SMU’s turn this week. Navy can’t pass and SMU can’t run. The game should be interesting. The Mustangs are on a mission – SMU 28, Navy 25. 

6. Temple (7-3) at Cincinnati (9-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Cincinnati has had two close encounters recently – beating East Carolina and South Florida on clock expiring field goals. Temple is capable of knocking off the bearcats. Close but no banana for the Owls – Cincinnati 30, Temple 20. 

7. Boise State (9-1) at Utah State (6-4)  – (MWC vs. MWC) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – Boise State is on a mission to get into a New Year’s Six bowl. They aren’t about to let Utah State stop them. But the Aggies will do their best. Just not good enough – Boise State 29, Utah State 26. 

8. Pitt (7-3) at Virginia Tech (7-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – These two are still in the running for the ACC Coastal Division title. Pitt won the division last year. Not this year – Virginia Tech 31, Pitt 29. 

9. Illinois (6-4) at Iowa (7-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – Now Illinois is a much improved team. They are even bowl eligible. The Banned Indians could spell trouble for Iowa. The Hawkeyes could still be in a hangover after the win over Minnesota. They get a last minute cure – Iowa 27, Illinois 21. 

10. UCF (7-3) at Tulane (6-4) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN – UCF has been a disappointment this year. Now the Knights are playing for pride. Tulane is a talented group. The Green Wave could be tough at home. They are tough, but not tough enough – UCF 30, Tulane 24. 



….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

11. TCU (5-5) at Oklahoma (9-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Oklahoma is a shaky 9-1. The Sooners have had a few close wins – too close for comfort. TCU is a feisty group. Just ask Texas Tech. But the Sooners are OK at home – Oklahoma 35, TCU 17.



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Oklahoma State (7-3) at West Virginia (4-6) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – West Virginia surprised Kansas State last week. Can the Mountaineers do it again. Oklahoma State is probably tougher than K-State, especially on offense. The climb continues – West Virginia 30, Oklahoma State 29.

Nebraska (4-6) at Maryland (3-7) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – Nebraska needs a win and this should be it. Maryland is a pretty sorry team. Granted, the Huskers can be sorry too, but the Terps are sorrier – Nebraska 36, Maryland 28.

Duke (4-6) at Wake Forest (7-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Both teams were blown out last week. Duke to Syracuse and Wake to Clemson. Clemson is tougher than Syracuse. The Deacs are tougher than the Dookies – Wake Forest 23, Duke 21.

Purdue (4-6) at Wisconsin (8-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor should have a heyday rushing against the Boilers. And Purdue doesn’t have an offense that can move against the Badgers. On Bucky! – Wisconsin 34, Purdue 17.

Florida (9-2) is off.



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

San Diego (8-2) at Jacksonville U. (3-8) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

Stetson (6-4) at Morehead State (5-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

Bethune-Cookman (6-4) vs. Florida A&M (9-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN News…. 

Memphis (9-1) at South Florida (4-6) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….

Florida Atlantic (7-3) at UTSA (4-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

Miami (6-4) at FIU (5-5) – (ACC vs. C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….

Florida Tech (5-6) and West Florida (8-2) completed their seasons. 

Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com




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 1944 was “I’ll Walk Alone” by Dinah Shore, and (There’ll Be A) Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin (When The Yanks Go Marching In)” by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

…70 years ago this week in 1949 was “That Lucky Old Sun” by Frankie Lane

…65 years ago this week in 1954 was “I Need You Now” by Eddie Fisher, and “This Old House” by Rosemary Clooney

…60 years ago this week in 1959 was “Mr. Blue” by The Fleetwoods

…55 years ago this week in 1964 was “Baby Love” by The Supremes

…50 years ago this week in 1969 was “Wedding Bell Blues” by The 5^th Dimension

…45 years ago this week in 1974 was “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” by John Lennon, and “I Can Help” by Billy Swan

…40 years ago this week in 1979 was “Still” by The Commodores

…35 years ago this week in 1984 was “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham

…30 years ago this week in 1989 was “When I See You Smile” by Bad English

…25 years ago this week in 1994 was “I’ll Make Love To You” by Boyz II Men 



Not exactly college football related, but there was one passing of note last week – Charles Rogers.

Charles Rogers, a former Michigan State star and Detroit Lions receiver, died last week. He was 38. At Michigan State, Rogers was an All-American wide receiver who had 135 receptions for 2,821 yards in two seasons. He was college football’s top receiver in 2002. Rogers was the second overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft. He incurred several injuries during his first two seasons with the Lions. Rogers failed a drug test in 2005 and was cut from the team the following season.

College Football Week 12 – Arkansas fires Chad Morris

Dual Heisman performances 

College football celebrated its 150^th anniversary  over the weekend. The anniversary was celebrated with a classic football game – LSU-Alabama. The game was a classic because it was between two of the Top 3 teams in the country. The game was a classic because it lived up to its hype – it was close, it was exciting. But best of all, the game was a classic because it provided not one, but two Heisman performances – one by each of the quarterbacks. 

LSU beat Alabama, 46-41. The game was in doubt until Alabama failed on an onside kick attempt with 1:21 left on the clock. Just prior to that kick, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected with receiver DeVonta Smith on an 85-yard touchdown pass – a Heisman moment. The touchdown and ensuing extra point brought the Crimson Tide to within 5 points of LSU with 1:21 on the clock. But with the failed onside kick, LSU was able to run out the clock. 

The 85-yard touchdown pass was Tagovailoa’s fourth in the game. Earlier, he had thrown  touchdown passes of 64, 15 and 5 yards. Hobbling on his injured ankle throughout much of the game, Tagovailoa finished with 418 yards passing. His only blemishes were a fumble on the opening drive and an interception later in the game. 

With Alabama trailing LSU, 33-13, at halftime, Tagovailoa rallied the Crimson Tide with two unanswered touchdowns to bring them back into the game, trailing 33-27 with 14:33 to go in the fourth quarter. The fight was on. A fight that LSU ultimately won. The fourth quarter was wild, with four touchdowns scored in the final 10 minutes of the game – two by LSU and two by Alabama. 

As good as Tagovailoa was, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was just ever so slightly better. Burrow opened the game’s scoring at the 9:15 mark in the first quarter with a 33-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ja’Marr Chase. By the end of the game, he was 31-for-39, passing for 393 yards and three touchdowns. 

During the game, Burrow had two more touchdown passes of 29 yards and 13 yards. Perhaps more importantly, he made two crucial third-down runs to keep alive a pair of fourth quarter scoring drives. Both were Heisman moments. Burrow’s only blemish was a fumble. 

Basically, the game came down to LSU winning the first half, 33-13, and Alabama winning the second half, 28-13. But LSU’s half was five points better. Both quarterbacks were class acts, during and after the game. Both gave Heisman performances. 

Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I watched the LSU-Alabama contest – most of the game –  in our hotel suite. Earlier in the day, we attended the Vanderbilt-Florida game in Gainesville. Florida won, 56-0. We go to a couple of Florida games every year. The last time we recall being at a Florida game when the Gators won so big was a Kentucky-Florida game in 1994. Bill Curry was the coach of the Wildcats and Steve Spurrier was the coach of the Gators. It was a hot day – an incredibly hot day – in early September. Florida beat Kentucky, 73-7. 

The Vanderbilt-Florida game was a 12 noon ET kickoff. It ended about the time the LSU-Alabama game started – 3:30 p.m. ET.  We listened to the LSU-Alabama game in the car, while driving to our hotel. We were thinking about going out to dinner that evening. But back at the hotel, we got so into the Tigers-Tide game, that we ordered pizza instead. 

Bootsie and Swamp Mama really got into the game. Every time Alabama did something good or LSU did something bad, they uttered words that I can’t print here. Rockledge Gator and I had never heard such language in our lives. Our faces were turning red. We thought maybe the Irish Mules we were drinking were getting the best of the gals. 

Our pizza arrived. The delivery girl noticed we were watching the LSU-Alabama game. She said she was delivering a lot of pizzas and everybody is watching the LSU-Alabama game. Pizza and Irish Mules – what a combination. Actually, it wasn’t bad. 

From what I’ve been hearing and reading, LSU was the sentimental favorite with most folks. I know for sure from the words I heard out of the mouths of Bootsie and Swamp Mama that LSU was their favorite. 

Yes, it was college football’s anniversary weekend. Wednesday night (November 6), college football celebrated its 150^th birthday. Miami (Ohio) beat Ohio, 24-21. A century and a half ago on November 6, 1869, Rutgers beat Princeton, 6-4, in college football’s first game. 

During the Miami (Ohio)-Ohio game, Jimmy Burrow, the father of LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, was interviewed. Jimmy is a former defensive back for Nebraska. He later played for the Green Bay Packers and in the Canadian Football League. 
For 14 years (2004-2018), Jimmy was the defensive coordinator at Ohio under Frank Solich. He retired in 2018 so he and his wife could watch their son play for LSU. Jimmy was in attendance at the Miami (Ohio)-Ohio game. Joe Burrow grew up in Athens, Ohio, and originally signed with Ohio State, before transferring to LSU. 

Thursday night, Temple improved to 6-3, as the Owls beat South Florida, 17-7. The next night, fellow AAC member UCF lost for the third time this season. Tulsa (3-7) beat the Knights, 34-31, on a 23-yard field goal with 5:09 left in the game. It was Tulsa’s first conference win of the season. 

Also on Friday night, in the Pac-12, Washington (6-4) downed Oregon State (4-5), 19-7. The Huskies held the Beavers to just 119 total yards – 31 yards rushing and 88 yards passing.  

The LSU-Alabama game was definitely the game of the day, but, let me tell you, Saturday was full of some super crazy and super exciting games. Where to begin? 

How about the rally that succeeded and the one that didn’t. First the rally that was successful. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Michigan State led Illinois, 31-10. In the final 14:48 of the game, the Banned Indians scored four touchdowns to Michigan State’s one field goal. Illinois’ final touchdown came with just 0:05 on the clock. The Banned Indians outscored the Spartans 27-3 in the fourth quarter to rally and beat Michigan State, 37-34. 

The win all but saves Lovie Smith’s job at Illinois. Entering the season at 9-27 (3-9, 2-10, 4-8) in three years with the Banned Indians, Smith and Illinois are sitting at 6-4 (4-3 in the Big Ten) and bowl eligible for the first time since 2014. The win was also the second big one for Illinois this season. Earlier, the Banned Indians knocked off Wisconsin, 24-23. 

Then the rally that came up short – just barely. Entering the fourth quarter, Iowa State trailed Oklahoma, 42-21. The Cyclones proceeded to score three unanswered touchdowns. The third of the three TDs came with just 0:24 on the clock. Iowa State now trailed OU by one point, 42-41. Cyclones coach Matt Campbell decided to go for two points and win the game. But Brock Purdy’s two-point conversion pass into the end zone was intercepted by the Sooners. Oklahoma kept its remote chances for a playoff spot alive, improving to 8-1. 

In a mini-rally, Baylor, trailing TCU, 9-0, kicked the first of its three field goals with 9:58 to go in the third quarter. The Bears held the Horned Frogs scoreless in the second half, tying the all-field goal game 9-9 by the end of regulation. Baylor’s tying field goal was a 51-yarder with 0:36 on the clock. The two teams struggled through three overtimes before Baylor finally won, 29-23. The Bears remained undefeated at 9-0, keeping their remote chances for a playoff spot alive. 

Speaking of last second field goals, Texas rallied from a 14-0 second quarter deficit to Kansas State, to beat the Wildcats, 27-24. The Longhorns Cameron Dicker kicked a 26-yard field goal as time expired to win the game. It was the second time this season Texas has won a game on a time-expiring field goal. On October 19, Dicker kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired to beat Kansas, 50-48. 

In other last second field goal wins, Purdue kicked a 39-yard field goal with 0:03 remaining on the clock to beat Northwestern, 24-22. Early in the third quarter, Purdue trailed Northwestern 16-7. And finally, Colorado kicked a 37-yard field goal as the time expired to beat Stanford, 16-13. 

While in the Pac-12, Arizona State’s rally against USC came up short. At the end of the first quarter, the Trojans led the Sun Devils, 28-7. Then during the remainder of the game Arizona State outscored USC, 19-3, only to lose to the Trojans, 31-26. 

Tennessee, trailing Kentucky 13-0 early in the second quarter got tough on defense. The Vols held the Wildcats scoreless for the rest of the game, while Tennessee scored a field goal and two touchdowns. The Vols beat Kentucky, 17-13. 

In the second battle of the undefeated Saturday, Minnesota proved it is for real. The Gophers got an early jump on Penn State. Minnesota led the Nittany Lions 24-13 at halftime. Then the Gophers denied Penn State in the second half to hold on and beat the Nitts, 31-26. Minnesota improved to 9-0 and kept its remote chances of a playoff spot alive. 

Trailing Wisconsin 21-6 in the fourth quarter, Iowa outscored the Badgers 16-3 in the final 14:06. But ultimately the Hawkeyes came up short, losing to Wisconsin, 24-22. Ohio State showed no mercy, beating Maryland by 59 points.  Leading the Terps 59-14, the Buckeyes scored two more touchdowns in the final seven minutes to beat Maryland, 73-14. 

Rumor has it that Ohio State punished Maryland for reporting Chase Young to the NCAA. Young, Ohio State’s star defensive end has been suspended from the team for a potential NCAA violation – accepting money from an agent. Stay tuned. 

In a bit of a surprise in the Pac-12, California beat Washington State, 33-20. Cal led the Cougars 33-13 late in the fourth quarter until the final five seconds of the game. Washington State scored a very late TD. 

In the MWC, Boise State kept its hopes alive for a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl. Wyoming took the Broncos to overtime, but Boise State kicked a 28-yard field goal to down Wyoming, 20-17 (OT). 

Appalachian State improved to 8-1. The Little Mountaineers knocked off South Carolina, 20-15. The Gamecocks dropped to 4-6. The loss may be the final nail in Will Muschamp’s coffin. With Texas A&M and Clemson remaining on South Carolina’s schedule, it doesn’t appear the Gamecocks will be going bowling this year. 

In the other big embarrassment for the SEC, Western Kentucky plastered Arkansas, 45-19. The Hilltoppers led 45-13 late in the fourth quarter. Sunday, Arkansas fired head coach Chad Morris. In one-plus seasons, Morris was 4-18 (0-14 in SEC play) at Arkansas. He becomes the second coach to be fired this season with less than two full seasons at the helm. Florida State’s Willie Taggart was the other coach. 

Yes, Saturday had some crazy, exciting and strange games. 

So after Week 11, we are down to five undefeated teams – Clemson (10-0), LSU (9-0), Ohio State (9-0), Minnesota (9-0) and Baylor (9-0). Clemson (Wake Forest), LSU (at Ole Miss) and Ohio State (at Rutgers) have it easy this week. They will remain undefeated. But Minnesota (at Iowa) and Baylor (Oklahoma) have some challenges. There could be only three undefeated teams next week. 

Six Power Five teams are sitting with just one loss – Oklahoma (8-1), Penn State (8-1), Oregon (8-1), Utah (8-1), Alabama (8-1) and Georgia (8-1). One or two of them will be heard from come the end of the season. 

Six Group of Five teams are sitting with just one loss and four of them are from the AAC – Cincinnati (8-1), SMU (9-1), Navy (7-1) and Memphis (8-1). The other two are Boise State (8-1) and Appalachian State (8-1). Currently, Cincinnati leads the pack for the Group of Five spot in a New Year’s Six bowl. 

My Top 4 , right now are 1. LSU, 2. Ohio State, 3. Clemson, and 4 Minnesota. 

My Top 4 Heisman candidates are 1. Joe Burrow (LSU), 2. Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), 3. Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma), and Justin Fields (Ohio State). 

Syracuse coach Dino Babers fired his defensive coordinator Brian Ward. After nine games, the Orange were giving up 30.7 points a game and 457 total yards a game. 

After we arrived home Sunday, Rockledge Gator and I washed out Bootsie’s and Swamp Mama’s mouths with soap. Bootsie does not care for Nick Saban. That’s for sure. And I’ve never seen Swamp Mama so hopped up for LSU. Maybe it was the Mules. 

Touchdown Tom
November 11, 2019
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com 



Weekend Recap 

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Orgeron is one happy man – LSU 46, Alabama 41 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Alabama 24). The teams combined for 1,100 total yards. LSU controlled time of possession for more than 34 minutes, which is why the Tigers had 29 first downs to 22 for Bama. LSU was the better team on third down efficiency. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 101,821 

RUNNER UP:  Watch out for those Gopher holes – Minnesota 31, Penn State 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 28, Penn State 26). Penn State dominated the stats. Even the turnovers. Sean Clifford threw three interceptions. The two quarterbacks – Clifford and Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan – threw for 679 yards. Attendance in Minneapolis: 51,833 

REST OF THE BEST:  Cheese rules – Wisconsin 24, Iowa 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 17, Wisconsin 15). Wisconsin held Iowa to 296 total yards – just 88 yards rushing. Wisconsin also controlled time of possession for more than 37 minutes. The Badgers Jonathan Taylor rushed for 250 yards. Attendance in Madison: 78,081 

So close – Oklahoma 42, Iowa State 41 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 39, Iowa State 28). Two years ago, Iowa State beat Oklahoma in Norman. The Cyclones almost did it this year. It all came down to the failure of a two-point conversion. The teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats. Jalen Hurts was 18-for-26, passing for 273 yards and three TDs. He threw one interception. Hurts also rushed for 68 yards and two more TDs. Iowa State’s Brock Purdy was 19-for-30, passing for 282 yards and five TDs. Attendance in Norman: 83,541 

Fourth loss for Mizzou – Georgia 27, Missouri 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Missouri 16). Not much offense by either team, but Missouri only had 198 total yards – just 50 yards rushing. Georgia maintained time of possession for more than 35 minutes. Attendance in Athens: 92,746 

Wake couldn’t see Forest for the Hokies – Virginia Tech 36, Wake Forest 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 27, Virginia Tech 25). Virginia Tech had a big second half against Wake Forest, outscoring the Deacs, 30-7. Wake only had 63 yards rushing, while the Hokies controlled ball possession for more than 36 minutes. Attendance in Blacksburg: 65,632 

The Bears live on the edge – Baylor 29, TCU 23 (3OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 27, TCU 23). Baylor survives again. It’s the Bears fifth win by eight points or less. Not much offense by either team. Baylor only had 99 yards rushing. Attendance in Fort Worth: 45,870 

Another field goal win for the Horns – Texas 27, Kansas State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 30, Kansas State 27). Texas held Kansas State to 51 yards rushing. Longhorns Sam Ehlinger was 22-for-29, passing for 263 yards and one TD. Texas’ Keaontay Ingram had 139 yards rushing. Attendance in Austin: 97,833 

Broncos continue domination in MWC – Boise State 20, Wyoming 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 29, Wyoming 25). Teams were about as evenly matched in the stats as you can get. Not much offense by either team. Neither team had more than 285 total yards. Attendance in Boise: 33,018 

Helton hangs in there – USC 31, Arizona State 26 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 30, Arizona State 27). Neither team could run the ball. USC only had 74 yards rushing, while Arizona State had 47 yards rushing. But USC passed for 477 yards. The Trojans Kedon Slovis was 29-for-39, passing for 432 yards and 4 TDs. Attendance in Tempe: 54,191 



….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Getting better – Miami (Florida) 52, Louisville 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 27, Miami 24). Miami quarterback Jarren Williams was 15-for-22, passing for 253 yards and six touchdowns. After losing four of its first seven games, Miami has now won three straight. Attendance in Miami: 53,110 



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Getting worse – Texas Tech 38, West Virginia 17 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Texas Tech 25). West Virginia had 549 total yards. But the Eers also had four turnovers. WVU also only had 51 yards rushing. After opening up 3-1, the Mounties have now lost five straight. WVU may not win another game this season. Attendance in Morgantown: 56,573 

The rout was on – Florida 59, Vanderbilt 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Vanderbilt 17). Vandy looked pretty good in the first quarter. The score was 0-0 after one. Then it all began to fall apart for Vandy. Florida had 560 total yards to 128 for Vandy – 33 first downs to 12 for Vandy. Vandy had 51 yards rushing and 77 yards passing. Vandy controlled ball possession for more than 33 minutes. When Florida had the ball, the Gators scored fast. Attendance in Gainesville: 86,201 

The Dookies had too many Irish Mules – Notre Dame 38, Duke 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Duke 21). The Dookies were no match for the Irish. Notre Dame had 469 total yards to 197 for Duke, and 21 first downs to 10 for the Dookies. ND quarterback Ian Book rushed for 139 yards. Attendance in Durham: 40,004 

Tough year for the Purple – Purdue 24, Northwestern 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 17, Northwestern 16). Northwestern controlled the stats but Purdue controlled the points. The Boilers only had 74 yards rushing. Northwestern’s Kyric McGowan rushed for 146 yards. Attendance in Evanston: 37,194 

Week 11 Results:  11 winners, 4 fumbles (73.3 percent)
For the Season:     117 winners, 41 fumbles (74.1 percent) 



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Temple 17, South Florida 7 – Attendance in Tampa: 26,214
Tulsa 34, UCF 31 – Attendance in Tulsa: 16,331
Florida State 38, Boston College 31 – Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 37,312 

San Diego 51, Stetson 7 – Attendance in Deland: 2,027
Florida Tech 17, North Greenville 14 (OT) – Attendance in Tigerville: 3,744
Drake 28, Jacksonville U. 14 – Attendance in Des Moines: 1,670 

Delaware State 16, Bethune-Cookman 13 – Attendance in Dover: 879
Florida Atlantic 37, FIU 7 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 17,603
Valdosta State 26, West Florida 21 – Attendance in Valdosta: 6,002 



Superlatives 

Impressive Passers: 

East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers – 32-42-0 for 498 yards (6TDs); USC’s Kedon Slovis – 29-39-1-432 (4TDs); Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa – 21-40-1-418 (4TDs); SMU’s Shane Buechele – 33-46-1-414 (5TDs); Washington State’s Anthony Gordon – 45-58-1-407 (2TDs) and LSU’s Joe Burrow – 31-39-0-393 (3TDs). 

Also, Utah State’s Jordan Love – 30-39-0 for 388 yards (2TDs); San Jose State’s Josh Love – 30-45-0-375 (2TDs); Texas State’s Tyler Vitt – 23-33-1-373 (3TDs); Illinois’ Brandon Peters – 22-42-1-369 (3TDs); Florida’s Kyle Trask – 25-37-2-363 (3TDs), and West Virginia’s Austin Kendall – 26-43-2-355. 

Also, Texas Tech’s Jett Duffey – 24-34-0 for 354 yards (1TD); Charlotte’s Chris Reynolds – 24-35-1-354 (2TDs); Florida State’s James Blackman – 18-26-0-346 (2TDs); Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan – 18-20-0-339 (3TDs); Troy’s Kaleb Barker – 27-41-1-330 (3TDs), and South Carolina’s Ryan Hilinski – 32-57-1-325 (1TD). 

Impressive Rushers: 

Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 250 yards; Arkansas’ Rakeem Boyd – 185 yards (2Tds); Ole Miss’s John Rhys Plumlee – 177 yards (2TDs); Toledo’s Shakif Seymour – 175 yards (2TDs); Washington’s Salvon Ahmed – 174 yards (2TDs), and Michigan State’s Elijah Collins – 170 yards (2TDs). 

Also, ULM’s Josh Johnson – 168 yards (2TDs); Boston College’s A.J. Dillon – 165 yards; Troy’s D.K. Billingsley – 163 yards (2TDs); SMU’s Xavier Jones – 157 yards (3TDs);  Western Michigan’s LeVante Bellamy – 157 yards (3TDs); Alabama’s Najee Harris – 146 yards (1TD), and Northwestern’s Kyric McGowan – 146 yards (1TD). 



Quotes of the Week 

“I’ve also heard P.J.’s name mentioned for a bunch of jobs, so you guys could spend a lot of time calling him and talking to him about it. We love it here. I really enjoy coaching these guys and don’t really see that changing anytime soon. I’m looking forward to playing Minnesota. I would love for all of you guys to call them all week long. I’ve got his number. I’ll give it to you,” Penn State coach James Franklin, on the opening at Florida State. 



Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
The 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games this Week…and then some 

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Oklahoma (8-1) at Baylor (9-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – It’s over for the loser. The winner still has a shot at making the playoff. Biggest game in Waco in a long time. Jalen Hurts is due to have a top-notch game He does – Oklahoma 31, Baylor 20. 

RUNNER UP:  2. Georgia (8-1) at Auburn (7-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – So far, Auburn hasn’t won the big game. The Tigers lost to Florida and LSU. Georgia has some big wins, but it is about time for the Dawgs to lose a big one. South Carolina wasn’t a big one. Auburn is. Bo grows up – Auburn 24, Georgia 22. 

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Minnesota (9-0) at Iowa (6-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Like Auburn, Iowa has blown it in the big games this season. The Hawkeyes are due to win a big one. Minnesota will be hungover from the Penn State win. The Hawkeyes finally get it done – Iowa 23, Minnesota 20. 

4. Indiana  (7-2)at Penn State (8-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Indiana is good, but the Hoosiers aren’t that good. Not good enough to beat Penn State. The Nitts tune up for the Buckeyes – Penn State 35, Indiana 28. 

5. Wake Forest (7-2) at Clemson (10-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Wake Forest looked good at one time. But the Deacs have turned out not to be real. Their lack of depth is showing towards the end of the season. The Tigers still have depth – Clemson 42, Wake Forest 19. 

6. Navy (7-1) at Notre Dame (7-2) – (AAC vs. Ind.) – 2:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Navy should be able to give the Irish a run for their money. But they won’t beat Notre Dame. Come close, yes – maybe. The Irish hand the Seamen their second loss – Notre Dame 27, Navy 21. 

7. Louisiana Tech (8-1) at Marshall (6-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN – These two are likely to meet again in the C-USA title game. So this is a practice game for the big one. The Bulldogs practice well – Louisiana Tech 29, Marshall 26. 

8. Florida (8-2) at Missouri (5-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBS – This could be a tricky game for the Gators. The Tigers have been in a funk and they are due to break out of it. Mizzou plays better at home than on the road. The Gators escape – Florida 24, Missouri 20. 

9. Tulane (6-3) at Temple (6-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – These are the best of the second tier teams in the AAC. Granted, the AAC has a lot of good teams. This will be a tough loss for the loser. A big win for the winner. Green can be mean – Tulane 24, Temple 19. 

10. Texas (6-3) at Iowa State (5-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Iowa State is a good team that has had a tough season. The Cyclones get over their tough losses this season against Texas. The Longhorns won’t know what hits them – Iowa State 33, Texas 27. 



….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

11. USC (6-4) at California (5-4) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 11 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Clay Helton is still fighting for his life. Cal is just having fun and beating some good teams. Helton survives another week – USC 30, California 24. 



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:  

West Virginia (3-6) at Kansas State (6-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – After watching WVU play well against Baylor, I thought the Mountaineers would beat Texas Tech. Boy, was I ever wrong. Maybe I’ll be wrong picking K-State to win. But I doubt it – Kansas State 33, West Virginia 20. 

Wisconsin (7-2) at Nebraska (4-5) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – Nebraska’s luck is running out. There aren’t any more beatable teams on the schedule. Well, many more. I forgot about Maryland. The Huskers will beat Maryland. But not Wisconsin – Wisconsin 26, Nebraska 18. 

Syracuse (3-6) at Duke (4-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – The Dookies are due for a win. They have lost three straight. And Syracuse has lost four straight. The Dookies play straight in this one – Duke 31, Syracuse 23. 

Purdue (4-6) is off. 



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Alabama State (5-4) at Florida State (5-5) – (SWAC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ACCN….
Jacksonville U. (2-8) at Marist (3-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday….
Davidson (7-3) at Stetson (6-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN+…. 

Bethune-Cookman (6-3) at North Carolina A&T (6-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Shorter (0-9) at Florida Tech (4-6) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 2 pm ET, Saturday…. 

Howard (1-9) at Florida A&M (8-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
West Alabama (6-4) at West Florida (7-2) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf  South) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….
Cincinnati (8-1) at South Florida (4-5) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN…. 

Florida Atlantic (7-3), FIU (5-5), Miami (6-4) and UCF (7-3) are off. 

Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com