Champions Reign, Bowl Teams Named

College Football Week 16 – Lane Kiffin back in the SEC

Champions reign, bowl teams named

and the playoff picture is framed 

Within a 42-hour period from Friday night to Sunday afternoon, 10 conference champions were crowned, 39 bowls were filled and the playoff teams – LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma – were revealed. And, oh yes, a few head coaching vacancies were filled. 

Friday night, there was a bit of a surprise in the Pac-12 title game. Utah’s bubble burst. The Utes eight-game winning streak and playoff hopes came to an abrupt end. Oregon outplayed Utah to the tune of 37-15. The Ducks C.J. Verdell ran through and around the Utes. Verdell rushed for 208 yards and scored three touchdowns. The win sends Oregon to the Rose Bowl. 

As soon as the Pac-12 title game ended a loud sigh of relief could be heard coming from the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine, Texas. That’s where the College Football Playoff committee meets. As soon as Oregon won, the committee realized the pressure was off. They wouldn’t have to decide between Utah and the Big 12 champion for the fourth spot in the playoff. And they wouldn’t have to explain their decision either. 

The other four Power Five conference championship games were played on Saturday. The Big 12 title game – Baylor vs. Oklahoma – was first. The winner would most likely be the ceded fourth in the playoff. The loser would be going to the Sugar Bowl. 

At the end of the first quarter, it looked like Oklahoma would roll all over Baylor. The sooners led 10-0. But the Bears came roaring back. Baylor shutout the Sooners in the second quarter, 13-0. The Bears led 13-10 at the half. 

OU got recharged at halftime. The Sooners bounced back, outscoring Baylor, 10-0, in the third quarter. After three, Oklahoma led, 20-13. But the fourth quarter was all Baylor. The Bears outscored OU, 10-3. At the end of regulation, the two teams were tied, 23-23, thanks to a 27-yard field goal by Baylor with 3:25 left in the game. 

In the overtime, Oklahoma scored a touchdown and Baylor didn’t. The Sooners beat the Bears, 30-23 (OT). Oklahoma’s spot in the four-team playoff appeared to be secure. 

Next up was the SEC championship game between Georgia and LSU. The Tigers were heavily favored in the game. They lived up to their expectations, beating Georgia, 37-10. If there were any doubts about who would win the Heisman Trophy before the game, those doubts were totally erased by the end of the game. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow gave a Heisman-winning performance during the game. He was superb. Burrow was 28-for-38, passing for 349 yards and four touchdowns. 

Georgia’s offense had so much promise at the beginning of the season. But by the end of the season, the Dawgs’ offense was non-existent – worthless. Georgia couldn’t pass or run. Against LSU, Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm failed again to complete 50% of his passes. To make matters worse, Fromm threw two interceptions. The Dawgs only had 61 yards rushing. And if that wasn’t enough disgrace, Georgia’s vaunted defense, the only pride the Dawgs had, was non-existent – absent. 

At the end of the third quarter, Georgia fans couldn’t get out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium fast enough. They were evacuating in droves. Even the Georgia band and cheerleaders made a quick exit with their hands over their faces. Uga was found hiding in his dog house. 

After the game, Georgia fans flooded social media with criticism of Kirby Smart. They attacked Smart for siding with Jake Fromm, while letting Justin Fields go. They related Smart to Mark Richt – always a winning record, but can’t win the big game. 

The remaining two Power Five conference championship games played out as expected – Ohio State disposed of Wisconsin, 34-21, in the Big Ten title game, and Clemson destroyed Virginia, 62-17, in the ACC title game. 

But the Big Ten game had an unexpected beginning. Wisconsin led Ohio State, 14-0, at the end of the first quarter, and 21-7 at halftime. The Badgers were fired up. Everyone was in a state of shock. 

Then it all changed. When the Wisconsin players returned to the field after the halftime break, they looked like they were in a state of shock. And they played the second half like they were in a state of shock. I don’t think they could believe their first-half performance. Ohio State outscored Wisconsin, 27-0, in the second half. The Badgers couldn’t do anything right and the Buckeyes couldn’t do anything wrong. 

I’m not sure why the ACC even bothered to have its championship game. Well, I guess they had to make some money. Clemson annihilated, Virginia, 62-17. The Tigers scored in double figures in all four quarters. I mean it was embarrassing. Embarrassing for Virginia, but even more embarrassing for the ACC. 

The win for Clemson gave the Tigers their fifth-straight ACC title. It was Clemson’s 19^th ACC championship overall since the conference began in 1953. Florida State has 15 ACC titles. Boston College, Louisville, Miami, Pitt and Syracuse are the only ACC schools who have never won a conference championship. 

In the end, Clemson, LSU and Ohio State all finished with 13-0 records. They were the only Power Five teams to finish their seasons undefeated. 

The Group of Five conferences had their championship games on Saturday. Four teams – Memphis, Cincinnati, Boise State and Appalachian State were playing for a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl. 

First up was the Sun Belt championship game between Appalachian State and Louisiana. App State jumped out to big leads early on against Louisiana. The Little Mountaineers led the Rajin’ Cajuns, 28-7, early in the second quarter, 35-14 late in the second quarter and 42-17 late in the third quarter. Then Louisiana rallied. But the rally came up a little short as App State beat Louisiana, 45-38.  

The MAC championship game provided only the second upset of the weekend. Oregon over Utah being the other. In spite of being outrushed and outpassed in the game, Miami (Ohio) knocked off Central Michigan, 26-21. 

The C-USA championship game was a laugher. Florida Atlantic downed UAB, 49-6. During the game, the public became aware that FAU coach Lane Kiffin would be named the new coach at Ole Miss. The announcement was made after the game. 

The best Group of Five conference championship game and one of the best, if not the best, games of the day was the AAC title game. Memphis edged Cincinnati, 29-24. The outcome of the game was in doubt until the closing seconds. The lead in the game changed hands no less than seven times. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Memphis led Cincinnati, 23-21. With 4:23 to go in the game, Cincinnati took a 24-23 lead on a 33-yard field goal. Then with just 1:14 on the clock, Memphis scored a touchdown on a six-yard pass (two-point conversion attempt failed) and retook the lead at 29-24. Cincinnati drove down the field in the closing seconds, but came up short. 

Like the C-USA title game, the public became aware during the AAC title game that Memphis coach Mike Norvell would be named the new coach at Florida State. My friend Sally Kirk Adkins texted me, “Hiring a coach while his team is playing – crazy” 

Yes, it is crazy. Not only crazy, but unfair to the players. Credit the Memphis players who hung on to win under what must have been a difficult situation. 

In the last of the Group of Five conference championship games, Boise State got off to a slow start. But the Broncos went on to beat Hawaii, 31-10, in the MWC title contest. Neither team overpowered in offense. Boise State just dominated in defense. 

In the end, Appalachian State, Boise State and Memphis all finished with 12-1 records. They were the only Group of Five teams to finish their seasons with just one loss. No Group of Five team was undefeated. 

Last week was a busy week in college football. In addition to the conference championship games, three schools fired their coaches, two coaches stepped down, one school decided to keep its coach, three schools named new coaches, three schools extended the contracts of their coaches, one quarterback announced he is transferring and, sadly, one school announced it is dropping its program. 

Boston College’s win over Pitt at the end of the season didn’t save Steve Addazio after all. Last week Addazio was fired after going 6-6 this season. In seven years at BC, Addazio was 44-44. Addazio is a former offensive coordinator at Florida. 

Old Dominion coach Bobby Wilder was fired last week – a forced resignation. The Monarchs were 1-11 this season. In 11 years at ODU, Wilder compiled a record of 77-56. 

Colorado State fired Mike Bobo. In five years with the Rams, Bobo was 28-35 – 4-8 this season. Bobo replaced Jim McElwain at Colorado State in 2015 and proceeded to destroy a program McElwain had built up. There are rumors that Bobo will become Will Muschamp’s new offensive coordinator at South Carolina. 

Washington coach Chris Petersen stepped down. In a press conference, Petersen said he was stressed and burned out. He needed to step back for a couple of years – step back and recharge his batteries. Prior to Washington, Petersen coached Boise State from 2006 to 2013 where he was 92-12. At Washington, 2014 to 2019, Petersen was 54-26. 

Washington, in turn, named Petersen’s defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake as the Huskies new coach. 

Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford announced last week he is stepping down. In three seasons with the Bulldogs, Tedford was 26-14 – 4-8 this season. Prior to Fresno State, Tedford spent one year – 2016 – as an assistant coach at Washington under Chris Petersen. Tedford was the head coach at California from 2002 to 2012. 

USC decided to hang onto Clay Helton. Apparently, when the Trojans realized they couldn’t get Urban Meyer, they decided to keep Helton, at least for another year. Helton is 40-21 at USC in four-plus years. The Trojans were 8-4 (7-2 in the Pac-12) this season.

Rutgers made it official, announcing that Greg Schiano is the school’s new football coach. Schiano’s contract guarantees him $4 million a year for eight years. Schiano, 53, went 68-67 during his first stint at Rutgers from 2001 to 2011. He left Rutgers to become the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL. That stint lasted two years – 2012 to 2013. 

Over the weekend, two schools – Ole Miss and Florida State – named their new coaches. Ole miss hired Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin. In three seasons at FAU, Kiffin was 26-13. Prior to FAU, Kiffin was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders (2007 to 2008), Tennessee (2009) and USC (2010 to 2013). His overall college record is 61-34 – 5-15 in the NFL. 

Interestingly, Kiffin accepted the Ole Miss job against the advice of his friend Ed Orgeron. The LSU coach told Kiffin he didn’t think Ole Miss was a good fit for him. 

Yesterday, Florida State made it official, naming Memphis coach Mike Norvell as the new coach of the Seminoles. In four seasons at Memphis, Norvell was 38-15. Prior to Memphis, he was the offensive coordinator at Arizona State (2012 to 2015). 

With a number of schools looking for new coaches, Washington State, Iowa State and Penn State wisely extended the contracts of Mike Leach, Matt Campbell and James Franklin respectively. All three of those coaches came up as possible hires at Missouri, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Florida State. 

South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley, who started three seasons for the Gamecocks, will enter the transfer portal and play next year at another school as a graduate senior. Bentley graduates from South Carolina this month. Reports have Bentley transferring to Utah. Stay tuned! 

Sadly, Jacksonville University announced last week it is dropping its football program. The school has competed at the FCS level as a member of the Pioneer Conference. The Dolphins finished 3-9 this season. JU began its football program in 1998 and competed for 22 seasons. JU compiled an overall record of 118-115. The Dolphins were coached by former Florida quarterback Kerwin Bell from 2007 to 2015. JU’s best season was 10-1 in 2010.  

Sunday evening, word broke that Appalachian State coach Eli Drinkwitz has reached an agreement to become Missouri’s next head coach. In his first year with App State, Drinkwitz coached the Little Mountaineers to a 12-1 season. At 36, Drinkwitz will become the second-youngest coach at a Power Five school, after Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley. 

And not to be left out of the action, Arkansas announced late Sunday evening that Sam Pittman, the offensive line coach at Georgia, would be the Razorbacks new coach. At Georgia, Pittman was the highest paid offensive line coach in the FBS, making $900,000 a year. A former assistant at Arkansas (2013 to 2015), Pittman was also the associate head coach at Georgia. He left Arkansas in 2015 to join Kirby Smart in Athens. Pittman has a reputation of being a good recruiter. 

Eleven schools remain in the search for a new coach. They are New Mexico, UNLV, UTSA, South Florida, Old Dominion, Boston College, Colorado State, Fresno State, Memphis, Florida Atlantic and Appalachian State. Reports say South Florida is considering Willie Taggart. If that happens, it would be Taggart’s second tenue at USF. Stay tuned! 

As mentioned above, the four playoff teams are 1. LSU, 2. Ohio State, 3. Clemson and 4. Oklahoma. On Saturday, December 28, Clemson will meet Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and LSU will play Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl. The two winners will meet on January 13 in the national championship game. 

Interesting that we not only have the four best teams, but also, the four best quarterbacks in the country in the playoff. Jalen Hurts becomes the first quarterback to play for two different teams in the playoff. 

As the highest ranked Group of Five team, Memphis will play in a New Year’s Six bowl. 

In the four New Year’s Six bowls, Memphis will meet Penn State in the Cotton Bowl on December 28; Florida will play Virginia in the Orange Bowl on December 30; Oregon will take on Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl on January 1 and Georgia will play Baylor in the Sugar Bowl on January 1. 

Florida was dealt a lousy opponent. Beating Virginia means nothing. I can’t imagine the fans or the players getting up for this game. 

Yes, it was a busy week!

Touchdown Tom
December 9, 2019
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

(Note: College Football Extra – Bowl Game Preview will be posted later this week on Friday, December 13. CFW- Week 17, with TT’s bowl game predictions, will be posted next Monday, December 16. And then, College Football Extra – Holiday Bonus (What Year Was It?) will be posted on Thursday, December 19.)



Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  A putdown – LSU 37, Georgia 10 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Georgia 18). Georgia was never in this game. The Dawgs were totally dominated by the Tigers. Georgia was only 3-for-13 in third-down efficiency. LSU outscored Georgia, 17-3, in the first half and 20-7 in the second half. No Georgia running back had more than 24 yards rushing. Dawgs quarterback Jake Fromm was just 20-for-42 passing. Attendance in Atlanta: 74,150

RUNNER UP:  Buckeyes got a scare – Ohio State 34, Wisconsin 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Wisconsin 19). Wisconsin gave Ohio State all it could handle in the first half. But the Badgers couldn’t keep it up in the second half. The Buckeyes made all the right adjustments during the break. The two halves were like two different games. Wisconsin won the first half, 21-7. Ohio State own the second half, 27-0. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was 19-for-31, passing for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Buckeyes running back D.J. Dobbins rushed for 172 yards and one touchdown. Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for 148 yards and one touchdown. Attendance in Indianapolis: 66,649

REST OF THE BEST: Playoff, here we come – Oklahoma 30, Baylor 23 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, Baylor 27). Two turnovers by Oklahoma kept this game close. The Sooners totally dominated the Bears in the stats. OU had 433 total yards to 265 for Baylor; 21 first downs to eight for Baylor; 146 rushing yards to only 35 by Baylor, and 287 passing yards to 230 by Baylor. The Bears were just 3-for 15 in third-down efficiency, and were only 9-for-27 in passing completions. OU controlled time of possession by more than 36 minutes. Yes, how did Baylor keep the score co close? Jalen Hurts was 17-for-24, passing for 287 yards and one touchdown. Attendance in Arlington: 85,191

Duck fat rules – Oregon 37, Utah 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 30, Oregon 24). All 15 of Utah’s points came in the third quarter. The Utes were skunked by the Ducks in the first, second and fourth quarters. Oregon jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead. Utah rallied in the third quarter and closed the gap to eight points – 23-15. Then the Utes ran out of gas. Each team had 193  passing yards. But Oregon was far superior in the running game. Attendance in Santa Clara: 38,679

Nail biter – Memphis 29, Cincinnati 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Memphis 32, Cincinnati 26). These two teams were about as evenly matched as you can get. And it was a tense game from start to finish. Cincinnati had 454 total yards to 449 for Memphis – pretty close. Memphis running back Antonio Gibson rushed for 130 yards and one touchdown. Attendance in Memphis: 33,008

Ruthless – Clemson 62, Virginia 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 34, Virginia 20). Clemson racked up 619 total yards – 211 rushing and 408 passing. Virginia actually moved the ball. The Cavaliers just couldn’t move it very far. Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins threw two interceptions, and backup quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw a third. Leading Virginia 45-17 early in the fourth quarter, Clemson went on to score 17 more points before the quarter was over. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was 16-for0-22, passing for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Tigers running back Travis Etienne rushed for 114 yards. Attendance in Charlotte: 66,810

Close at the end – Appalachian State 45, Louisiana 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Appalachian State 23, Louisiana 14). Three turnovers hurt Louisiana’s chances. Aside from that, the Cajuns seemed to play a better game. They outgained App State 513 to 416 in total yards. And the Cajuns had 31 first downs to 20 for App State. Louisiana quarterback Levi Lewis was 24-for 46, passing for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Attendance in Boone: 18,618

As expected – Boise State 31, Hawaii 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 37, Hawaii 24). After a 3-3 tie at the end of the first quarter, Boise State reeled off 28 unanswered points to take a 31-3 lead at the end of the third quarter. Neither team had more than 364 total yards, and Boise State’s defense held Hawaii to 79 yards rushing. Boise State quarterback Jaylon Henderson was 20-for-29, passing for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Hawaii quarterback Cole McDonald was 20-for-36, passing for 241 yards. Attendance in Boise: 23,561

Farewell Kiffy – Florida Atlantic 49, UAB 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida Atlantic 27, UAB 20). FAU totally dominated UAB. The Owls had 585 total yards to 223 for the Blazers and 29 first downs to 14 for UAB. The Blazers were only 3-for-13 in third down efficiency. FAU’s Malcolm Davidson rushed for 128 yards. Attendance in Boca Raton: 14,387

McElwain tumbles – Miami (Ohio) 26, Central Michigan 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Central Michigan 30, Miami 20). This was mostly a defensive battle. CMU led in total yards – 355 to 272. Neither team had 100 yards in rushing. Miami only had 61 rushing yards. No CMU running back rushed for more than 48 yards. Trailing CMU 14-10 at halftime, Miami scored 13 unanswered points to take a 23-14 lead over the Chippewas late in the fourth quarter. Attendance in Detroit: 22,427 

Week 15 Results:  8 winners, 2 fumbles (80 percent)
For the Season:     160 winners, 54 fumbles (74.8 percent)



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

West Florida 43, Lenoir-Rhyne 38 (Division II Playoff) – Attendance in Hickory: 4,756



Superlatives

Impressive Passers: 

Louisiana’s Levi Lewis – 24-46-1-354 (4TDs) and LSU’s Joe Burrow – 28-38-0-349 (4TDs). 

Impressive Rushers: 

Oregon’s C.J. Verdell – 208 yards (3TDs); Ohio State’s D.J. Dobbins – 172 yards (1TD), and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 148 yards (1TD). 

TT’s Annual Picks

My choice for “Coach of the Year” from each of the FBS conferences

AAC: Sonny Dykes – SMU; (Runner-up): Ken Niumatalolo – Navy
ACC: Scott Satterfield – Louisville; (Runner-up): Dave Clawson – Wake Forest
Big 12: Matt Rhule – Baylor; (Runner-up): Chris Klieman – Kansas State
Big Ten: P.J. Fleck – Minnesota; (Runner-up): Tom Allen – Indiana
C-USA: Bill Clark – UAB; (Runner-up): Will Healy – Charlotte
MAC: Jim McElwain – Central Michigan; (Runner-up): Chuck Martin – Miami
MWC: Jim Calhoun – Air Force; (Runner-up): Nick Rolovich – Hawaii
Pac-12: Justin Wilcox – California; (Runner-up): Jonathan Smith – Oregon State
SEC: Ed Orgeron – LSU; (Runner-up): Jeremy Pruitt – Tennessee
Sun Belt: Billy Napier – Louisiana; (Runner-up): Chad Lunsford – Georgia Southern

My choice for 2019’s national “Coach of the Year”

1.       Ed Orgeron – LSU

2.       Mike Norvell – Memphis

3.       Sonny Dykes – SMU 

If I had a vote for the Heisman Trophy, my ballot would be cast as follows

1.       Joe Burrow – LSU

2.       Jalen Hurts – Oklahoma

3.       Justin Fields – Ohio State

2019’s most surprising team or teams from each of the FBS conferences

AAC: (tie) Navy and SMU
ACC: (tie) Louisville and Wake Forest
Big 12: (tie) Kansas State and Baylor
Big Ten: Minnesota
C-USA: Charlotte
MAC: Central Michigan
MWC: Hawaii
Pac-12: California
SEC: Tennessee
Sun Belt: Louisiana



2019’s most disappointing team or teams from each of the FBS conferences

AAC: Houston
ACC: (tie) Syracuse and Miami
Big 12: (tie) Iowa State and Texas
Big Ten: Nebraska
C-USA: North Texas
MAC: Toledo
MWC: Fresno State
Pac-12: Stanford
SEC: Missouri
Sun Belt: Troy

Quotes of the Week

“I think the Auburn fan base should be celebrating Gus Malzahn and be very thankful that he’s their head coach,” ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit. 

“I am at a complete loss. I have no idea. It’s been tough. I have a few bets I have to settle too, so it makes it even tougher,” New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, on Michigan’s loss to Ohio State. 

“I think Dabo Swinney is the most annoying winner in all of sports. The guy just can’t keep his trap shut. Somebody just give the man a pacifier, send him to timeout and we’ll check in with him on December 28 when he finally plays a legitimate team,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, on Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. 

“It becomes a lot of frustration and anxiety and stress. And some of the excitement and positivity and optimism can be pushed away, and that’s never a way to lead your life. I’ve just got to figure out where all this energy and this passion and inspiration goes, and I don’t want it to be on the football field,” Washington coach Chris Petersen, on why he is stepping down at age 55. 

“I’m not falling for that trick question,” Washington coach Chris Petersen, when asked if he would coach again. 

“I had fun. Turns out folks wanna talk about football. They don’t want to see jumpin’ in lakes or goin’ on rollercoasters,” FOX college football analyst Urban Meyer, taking a shot at ESPN’s “College GameDay,” when asked how he liked working on FOX’s “High Noon Saturday” this season. 

“I am pleased to let you know coach Helton will continue to be our head coach,” USC athletic director Mike Bohn, announcing that Clay Helton would continue to be the USC coach. 

“Our future is bright. We are putting the final touches on an outstanding recruiting class. I believe in our team and in our fan base. I know we will all come together to succeed. I am excited about the future,” USC coach Clay Helton. 

“I think it’s a spectacular hire,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, on Ole Miss hiring Lane Kiffin. 

Signs of the Day 

Knock-Knock. Who’s There? Not the Pac-12 

Geaux Home 

We Got Joe Burreaux, You Got Jake Squat 

Ya Got Beat By A Chicken 

Touchdown Tom’s Prediction for

This Week’s One Biggest and Most Intriguing Game…and then none 

Army (5-7) vs. Navy (9-2) – (Ind. vs, AAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – These two teams were the complete opposites of what they were supposed to be this season. At preseason, several forecasters had Army in their Top 25. At preseason, there was no way Navy was supposed to have a winning season. I don’t know what happened to Army. Obviously, they didn’t live up to expectations. Navy on the other hand was better than people thought. The Middies outperformed themselves. Navy has a quarterback – Malcolm Perry – who can do it all. He’s Mr. Everything. Perry can even pass. But he is noted for his running. If Army can contain Perry, the Cadets could win. But if Perry performs as usual, the Middies will win. Perry performs – Navy 29, Army 20. 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

West Florida (11-2) at Ferris State (12-0) (Division II Semifinal) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3…. 

Your 2019 Conference Champions

AAC: : Memphis

ACC: : Clemson

Big 12: Oklahoma

Big Ten: Ohio State

C-USA: Florida Atlantic

MAC: Miami (Ohio)

MWC: Boise State

Pac-12: Oregon

SEC: LSU

Sun Belt: Appalachian State 

Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com




P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but there were three passings of note last week – Ron Leibman, Bump Elliott and Rene Auberjonois.

Ron Leibman, an actor whose career of more than six decades in film, television and the theater was highlighted by a Tony Award in 1993 for his performance in “Angels in America,” died last week in New York City. He was 82. Leibman also won an Emmy in 1979 for the short-lived CBS series “Kaz.” Ron Leibman was born on October 11, 1937, in New York City. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University. Leibman was first and foremost a stage actor. Two of his first professional roles were in “A View From the Bridge” and “Legend of Lovers.” He made his Broadway debut in 1963 in “Dear Me, the Sky is Falling,” and later appeared in “The Deputy” and “Bicycle Ride to Nevada.” Other Broadway credits include “We Bombed in New Haven” and “Rumors.” Among his film credits were “Slaughterhouse Five” (1972) and “Norma Rae” (1979) with Sally Field. On television, he had a recurring role in “Friends,” as the father of Jennifer Aniston’s character. Leibman was married to Jessica Walter. He was previously married to Linda Lavin.

Bump Elliott, a star halfback for Michigan who later was the Wolverines’ coach and the athletic director at Iowa, died Saturday. He was 94. Elliott won the Big Ten’s MVP award in 1947, playing for Michigan. He became Michigan’s coach in 1959 and led the Wolverines for 10 seasons, a tenure that included the Rose Bowl in 1964. Elliott served as Iowa’s athletic director from 1970 to 1991, hiring football coach Hayden Fry, wrestling coach Dan Gable and basketball coach Tom Davis. Chambers William Elliott was born on January 30, 1925, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in Bloomington, Illinois. He played football, basketball and baseball at Purdue for one year (1943-44) before entering the U.S. Marines to fight in World War II. After the war, he enrolled at Michigan in 1946.

Rene Auberjonois, a character actor who had roles in “Benson,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Boston Legal” and in the Broadway musical “Big River,” died yesterday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 79. Auberjonois moved easily between television, film and the stage and between comedy and drama. In the film “M*A*S*H,” (1970) he played Father Mulcahy. That same year he was in the Broadway musical “Coco.” In one of his most recent roles, he played a security official in several episodes of the CBS drama “Madam Secretary.” Rene Marie Murat Auberjonois was born on June 1, 1940, in New York City. He graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. His early television roles included parts on “Mod Squad,” “McMillan & Wife” and “Love, American Style.” He appeared in episodes of “Starsky & Hutch,” “The Rockford Files,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Charlie’s Angels” and others. His role on “Benson” made him a regular in American living rooms. He was also in the film “McCabe & Mrs. Miller.”