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.”