College Football Week 22 – Afterword
‘What Becomes of the Brokenhearted’
“Who had love that’s now departed”
It seems like it was only yesterday when we were anxious for the season to start. We were wondering if Clemson would win its second national championship or if Alabama would come back and retake the national title.
The consensus of all the preseason polls had Clemson and Alabama tied for the No. 1 spot. Georgia was third, followed by Oklahoma at No. 4. Ohio State and LSU were five and six respectively.
So when you think about it, the preseason pollsters were pretty spot on. Alabama was the only miscue. And who would have thought that. In the final CFP ranking at the end of the regular season, LSU was No. 1, followed by (2) Ohio State, (3) Clemson, (4) Oklahoma, (5) Georgia and (6) Oregon.
Then in the final AP Poll after the championship and bowl games, LSU was still No. 1, followed by (2) Clemson, (3) Ohio State, (4) Georgia, (5) Oregon and (6) Florida. Of the original six teams at preseason, only Alabama and Oklahoma were missing at the end. And for the record, Oklahoma finished seventh and Alabama eighth.
Yes, it was preseason and we were anxious for the season to start. Two of the big topics of conversation at preseason were the transfer portal and Urban Meyer. The transfer portal went into effect at the end of the previous season. In its first year, it was obvious that the portal was very popular and here to stay. An amazing number of players were using the protocol of the portal to easily transfer from one school to another. While many fans were overwhelmed by the portal, many players were overenthusiastic about it.
“As I walk this land of broken dreams
I have visions of many things”
Meanwhile, folks were wondering if Urban Meyer was going to transfer too. But not through the portal. In his first season divorced from Ohio State, Meyer had people speculating that he would be a head coach in the Pac-12 at the end of the season – head coach of the USC Trojans. Speculation can be fun.
The speculation got stronger when USC athletic director Lynn Swann said, “The expectation this season is that we’re going to win the Pac-12 championship.” In that statement, everybody heard, “If USC doesn’t win the Pac-12, Clay Helton will be fired.”
Well, we all know what happened. USC didn’t win the Pac-12 title. But instead of football coach Clay Helton, it was athletic director Lynn Swann who got fired. Swann didn’t even make it to the end of the season. Helton, meanwhile, was retained for another season. And so the speculation about Meyer going to USC will start all over again next season. Yes, speculation can be fun.
There was, however, no speculation about the future of the Pac-12 championship game. The conference announced last August that this would be the final season for the title game to be played in Santa Clara, California. Stating with the 2020 season, the Pac-12 championship game will be played in the Raiders new stadium in Las Vegas.
So with all the preseason discussions, conversations and speculations, college football was ready to kick off its 150th season. Yes, it had been 150 years since that initial matchup, or was it a brawl, between Princeton and Rutgers that grew into the game of football – good ole American football.
Normally, college football begins each season over the long Labor Day Weekend. And it is called Week 1. Well, this year, being the 150th year, Florida and Miami (Florida) jumped the gun. The Gators and the Canes moved their game to the weekend before Labor Day Weekend. And it was called “Week 0.”
The game should have been moved to the end of the season. Florida and Miami played an ugly, awful, really bad, really sloppy game on a hot, humid night in Orlando – five turnovers and 23 penalties. Even the referees were sloppy. Florida, somehow, managed to beat Miami, 24-20.
In the waning minutes of the game, Florida did everything it could to give the game to the Hurricanes. Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks threw an interception. The Florida defense was called for pass interference not once, but twice. Both penalties kept a Miami drive alive.
Florida’s offense was woeful – no running game whatsoever. In spite of the sad performance by the Gators’ offense, Feleipe Franks was acting like he was some kind of a hero – more like some kind of a jerk. Franks was running up and down the side of the field, encouraging Gators fans to applaud him. Sadly for Franks, Gators fans no longer had any use for him.
“But happiness is just an illusion
Filled with sadness and confusion”
The real start of football – Week 1 – finally arrived with Hurricane Dorian on the move towards the East Coast of Florida. In the game of the week, Auburn’s freshman quarterback Bo Nix introduced himself to college football fans. Trailing Oregon 21-6 with less than five minutes to go in the third quarter, Nix engineered an Auburn rally, giving the Tigers a 27-21 comeback win over the Ducks. In the final 19 minutes of the game, Auburn scored three-straight touchdowns – 21 unanswered points – to win. The winning touchdown came in the closing seconds of the game – a 26-yard pass from Nix to Seth Williams.
Four SEC teams weren’t so fortunate on opening weekend. Georgia State upset Tennessee, 38-30. Wyoming knocked off Missouri, 37-31. North Carolina, under new coach Mack Brown, surprised South Carolina, 24-20, and Memphis silenced Ole Miss, 15-10.
New Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts had a Heisman Trophy performance, as the Sooners put down Houston, 49-31. Hurts passed for 322 yards – completing 87% of his tosses – and rushed for 176 yards. He scored six touchdowns – three passing and three rushing. Clemson running back Travis Etienne looked good too, rushing for 205 yards in the Tigers 53-14 win over Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for 336 yards and four touchdowns, completing 84% of his lobs. The Crimson Tide flattened Duke, 42-3.
In Tallahassee, Boise State stunned Florida State, 36-31.
Connecticut announced it was leaving the American Athletic Conference (AAC) after the 2019-2020 academic year.
And Hurricane Dorian? Dorian slammed the northern Bahamas, causing massive destruction, but Dorian mostly spared the east coast of Florida.
Week 2 came along with all eyes on two big games – Texas A&M at Clemson and LSU at Texas. Clemson easily handled the Aggies, beating A&M, 24-10. In the win, Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne were adequate but not exceptional.
LSU and Texas gave us a real barn burner. The Tigers outlasted the Longhorns, 45-38. The game also gave us Joe Burrow. The LSU quarterback was 31-for-39, passing for 471 yards and four touchdowns.
Army almost upset Michigan. The Cadets lost to the Wolverines, 24-21 (2OT). Then in a thriller in Boulder, Nebraska lost to Colorado, 34-31 (OT). The Huskers led the Buffaloes, 17-0, at halftime. Colorado outscored Nebraska, 31-14, in the second half.
In the Pac-12, USC stomped on Stanford, 45-21, and California upset Washington, 20-19.
Maryland beat Syracuse 63-20. Meanwhile in Knoxville, the Vols troubles continued. Tennessee lost to BYU 29-26 (2OT).
“What becomes of the broken hearted
Who had love that’s now departed”
In Week 3, Alabama crushed South Carolina 47-23. Tua Tagovailoa was 28-for-36, passing for 440 yards and five touchdowns. Air Force surprised Colorado. The Falcons beat the Buffs, 30-23 (OT). The Citadel, yes The Citadel stunned Georgia Tech 27-24 (OT).
Florida beat Kentucky, 29-21, but the Gators lost quarterback Feleipe Franks for the season with an ankle injury. When Franks left the game, Florida was losing to Kentucky 21-10. Franks was replaced by Kyle Trask. With Trask quarterbacking, Florida outscored Kentucky, 19-0.
West Virginia erupted to beat NC State, 44-27. Minnesota scored a touchdown with 0:13 on the clock to beat Georgia Southern, 35-32.
Mack Brown’s luck finally ran out. After two wins over South Carolina and Miami (Florida), Brown’s Tar Heels fell to Wake Forest, 24-18. Les Miles’ Kansas Jayhawks went into Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and beat Boston College, 48-24.
After Week 3, it looked like we had five superpowers and everybody else. The five superpowers were Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma. LSU wasn’t on the radar yet.
Week 4 provides us with some of the seasons best and wildest games every year and Week 4 didn’t disappoint in 2019. How about UCLA trailing Washington State, 49-17 late in the third quarter, only to rally in the fourth quarter, overcoming a 32-point deficit, to beat the Cougars, 67-63. There were 18 touchdowns in the game – nine by each team. That was the wildest.
How about Notre Dame and Georgia keeping you on the edge of your seat from the opening kickoff to the final seconds of the game. Week 4’s game of the week lived up to its hype. In the end, Georgia beat Notre Dame, 23-17. That was the best.
With a third-string quarterback – Matt Fink – USC upset Utah, 30-23. Tulane rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat Houston, 38-31. Ole Miss lost to California 28-20 and the Rebels had the ball just six inches from Cal’s goal line as time expired. Wisconsin walloped Michigan, 35-14. SMU surprised TCU, 41-38.
Trailing Illinois throughout most of the game, Nebraska rallied to beat the Banned Indians, 42-38. UCF lost to Pitt, 35-34. It was the Knights first regular season loss in 27 games. Auburn held off Texas A&M, 28-20. Appalachian State upset North Carolina, 34-31, and Texas outscored Oklahoma State, 36-30.
Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa continued to look good. After four games, Burrow had passed for 1,530 yards and Tagovailoa had passed for 1,300 yards. LSU was inching closer to the five superpowers.
“I know I’ve got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
Maybe”
Clemson almost stubbed its toe in Week 5. With less than two minutes to go in the game against North Carolina, the Tigers led the Tar Heels by only seven points – 21-14. With 1:17 on the clock, North Carolina scored a touchdown and trailed Clemson, 21-20. Mack Brown made the decision to go for two. But the Tar Heels failed on their attempt at the two-point conversion. Clemson hung on to win.
Another ACC team was surprisingly still undefeated after five game. Wake Forest defeated Boston College, 27-24, to improve to 5-0. Demon Deacons quarterback Jamie Newman was third in the country in passing yards – 1,521. Newman was averaging 304.2 passing yards a game.
Before a jam-packed crowd of 89,759 in Memorial Stadium, Nebraska hosted Ohio State in Week 5. No one expected the Huskers to win, but many thought the game might be somewhat close. Not to be. Late in the third quarter, Ohio State led Nebraska 48-0. The Buckeyes went on to win 48-7. Season two under Scott Frost was not turning out to be the season Huskers fans thought it would be.
Washington beat USC, 28-14. In the AAC, Memphis improved to 4-0, beating Navy, 35-23. Duke stunned Virginia Tech, 45-10. Arizona State handed California its first loss. The Sun Devils beat the Bears, 24-17.
Notre Dame bounced back from the loss to Georgia. The Irish beat Virginia, 35-20. Utah shutdown Washington State, 38-13. In the Big 12, Baylor kicked a 38-yard field goal with 0:21 on the clock to beat Iowa State, 23-21.
Rutgers coach Chris Ash became the first coach to be fired in the 2019 season. The day after Michigan beat the Scarlet Knights, 52-0, Ash received his pink slip.
Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard was the leading rusher in the country with 938 yards. Hubbard was averaging 187.6 yards a game. Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon was the leading passer in the country with 2,146 yards. Gordon was averaging 429.2 yards a game.
A strange thing happened at Houston. Cougars quarterback D’Eriq King and receiver Keith Corbin announced they decided to redshirt for the remainder of the season. Both, however, said they would return to Houston the following season. More to come!
“The roots of love grow all around
But for me they come tumblin’ down”
You live by a freshman; you die by a freshman. In Week 6, Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix was killed by Florida’s defense. Nix threw three interceptions and only completed 40% of his passes. Florida upset 7th ranked Auburn, 24-13. It was the Tigers first loss.
Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I were at the game. We were four of the 90,583 fans in attendance. It was the loudest I have ever experienced in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. I thought my ear drums were going to burst.
UCF lost for the second time this season. The Knights fell to Cincinnati, 27-24. Michigan held Iowa to a field goal, as the Wolverines beat the Hawkeyes, 10-3. In the race for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, Navy beat Air Force, 34-25.
Kansas coach Les Miles fired his offensive coordinator.
Week 7 provided one of the stunners of the season. South Carolina upset Georgia in Athens, 20-17 (2OT). The Dawgs offense couldn’t do anything right. Georgia placekicker Rodrigo Blankenship missed two of three field goal attempts – his first misses of the season. It was Georgia’s first loss.
After its big win over Auburn, Florida lost to LSU, 42-28. It was the Gators first loss. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was 21-for-24, completing 87.5% of his passes. And speaking of first losses, Louisville handed Wake Forest its first loss of the season. The Cardinals beat the Demon Deacons, 62-59. Yes, that was football not basketball.
The first-loss flu was contagious in Week 7. Temple upset Memphis, 30-28. Yes, it was the Tigers first loss.
In other games, Alabama bested Texas A&M, 47-28. Clemson trounced Florida State, 45-14. And Minnesota downed Nebraska, 34-7.
Oklahoma outlasted Texas, 34-27. Penn State out-defensed Iowa, 17-12. And it took Baylor two overtimes to subdue Texas Tech, 33-30 (2OT). In the Pac-12, Stanford upset Washington, 23-13. Arizona State scored with 0:34 left on the clock to win a thriller over Washington State, 38-34. USC fell to Notre Dame, 30-27.
Tua Tagovailoa became Alabama’s all-time career touchdown pass leader with 81 touchdown passes.
In Week 8, Swamp Mama and I made a trip to Paducah, Kentucky, so she could visit the National Quilt Museum. The trip was between football weekends so it was no problem for me. But we had a good time.
In the game of the week, Penn State held off Michigan, 28-21. The stunner in the Big Ten occurred in Illinois. The Banned Indians kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired and Illinois upset Wisconsin, 24-23.
“Every day heartaches grow a little stronger
I can’t stand this pain much longer”
Alabama suffered a setback but survived as the Tide took care of Tennessee, 35-13. However, Bama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left the game late in the second quarter with a high-ankle sprain.
Meanwhile Alabama’s former quarterback Jalen Hurts was 16-for-17, passing for 316 yards and three touchdowns, as Oklahoma beat West Virginia52-14. Hurts also rushed for 75 yards, scoring two more touchdowns.
Two stunners in the Pac-12 – UCLA knocked off Stanford, 34-16, and Oregon State surprised California, 21-17. In a wild affair in the ACC, it took Virginia Tech six overtimes to finally beat North Carolina, 43-41 (6OT). Also in the ACC and in overtime, Georgia Tech shocked Miami (Florida), 28-21 (OT). It was Tech’s first ACC win of the season.
After Week 8, 10 teams remained undefeated – Clemson (7-0), Baylor (7-0), Oklahoma (7-0), Minnesota (7-0), Ohio State (7-0), Penn State (7-0), Alabama (7-0), LSU (7-0), SMU (7-0) and Appalachian State (6-0).
Week 9 was an up-and-down week. It was really down for Oklahoma. The Sooners lost to Kansas State, 48-41. Early in the second quarter, Oklahoma led K-State, 17-7. Then the Wildcats went on an incredible and unbelievable run, outscoring the Sooners 41-7 in a 30-minute span. In the final 12 minutes, Oklahoma put on a desperate rally but came up short.
It was a big day for the state of Kansas because down the road from Manhattan, Kansas beat Texas Tech, 37-34.
Elsewhere, Michigan slammed Notre Dame, 45-14. LSU beat Auburn, 23-20. Joe Burrow looked confident, Bo Nix didn’t. Ohio State flattened Wisconsin, 38-7. Oregon kicked a 26-yard field goal as time expired to beat Washington State, 37-35. USC rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Colorado, 35-31.
TCU upset Texas, 37-27. Nebraska led at halftime 21-16, but ultimately fell to Indiana, 38-31. South Carolina led Tennessee, 21-17, at halftime, but lost to the Vols 41-21. Tennessee shutout the Gamecocks, 24-0 in the second half. Navy downed Tulane, 41-38, on a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
After Week 9, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was at the top of most everyone’s Heisman Trophy list.
“I walk in shadows, searching for light
Cold and alone no comfort in sight”
In Week 10, at the gathering of the World’s Biggest Outdoor Cocktail Party on the banks of the St. John’s River in Jacksonville, Georgia beat Florida 24-17. It was the Dawgs third straight win over the Gators.
Memphis outlasted SMU, 54-48. In the Pac-12, Utah edged Washington, 33-28 and Oregon plastered USC, 56-24. In South Bend, Notre Dame scored a touchdown in the final seconds to squeak by Virginia Tech, 21-20. Virginia outdistanced North Carolina, 38-31. In Florida, the Canes beat the Noles for the third-straight year. Miami downed Florida State, 27-10. The next day, FSU fired coach Willie Taggart.
And in Waco, Baylor Chip and Joanna’ed past West Virginia, 17-14.
Week 11 fell on the date of college football’s 150th anniversary. The anniversary was celebrated with a classic football game – LSU beat Alabama, 46-41. LSU led 33-13 at halftime, but Alabama came charging back. Both quarterbacks – Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow had Heisman Trophy winning performances.
Tagovailoa passed for 418 yards. He threw touchdown passes for 85, 64, 15 and 5 yards. His only blemishes were a fumble on the opening drive and an interception later in the game. But as good as Tagovailoa was, Burrow was ever so slightly better. Burrow was 31-for-39, passing for 393 yards and three touchdowns. Most importantly, Burrow made two crucial third-down runs to keep alive a pair of fourth quarter scoring drives. Burrow’s only blemish was a fumble.
Earlier that day, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I attended the Vanderbilt-Florida game in Gainesville. The Gators won, 56-0. We got back to our hotel in time to watch most of the LSU-Alabama game.
There were several crazy games in Week 11. To begin with , there was a rally that succeeded and one that didn’t. In the rally that succeeded, Illinois beat Michigan State, 37-34. But at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Banned Indians were tailing the Spartans, 31-10. In the final 14:48 of the game, Illinois outscored Michigan State, 27-3. The Banned Indians’ winning touchdown came with 0:05 on the clock.
Then the rally that came up short – just barely. Entering the fourth quarter, Iowa State trailed Oklahoma, 42-21. The Cyclones scored three touchdowns. The third touchdown came with 0:24 on the clock. Iowa State trailed Oklahoma, 42-41. The Cyclones went for two and came up short.
Baylor continued to live on the edge. It took the Bears three overtimes to down TCU, 29-23 (3OT). Texas kicked a 26-yards field goal as time expired to beat Kansas State, 27-24. Purdue kicked a 39-yard field goal with 0:03 remining to beat Northwestern, 24-22. And Colorado kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to beat Stanford, 16-13.
“Hopin’ and prayin’ for someone to care
Always movin’ and goin’ nowhere”
In the Big Ten, Minnesota beat Penn State, 31-26. Wisconsin slipped by Iowa, 24-22. In the Pac-12, California beat Washington State, 33-20.
Appalachian State upset South Carolina, 20-15. Western Kentucky toppled Arkansas 45-19. After the game, Arkansas coach Chad Morris was fired.
After Week 11, there were five undefeated teams – Clemson (10-0), LSU (9-0), Ohio State (9-0), Minnesota (9-0) and Baylor (9-0).
It was Week 12 and the Top 4 teams in the CFP rankings were LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia, in that order.
Little ole Kent State of the MAC had an unbelievable rally in Week 12. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Golden Flashes trailed Buffalo, 27-6. But in the final 7:49 of the game, Kent State scored 24 unanswered points – three touchdowns and a field goal. The clincher for Kent State was a 44-yard field goal as time expired.
Minnesota and Baylor lost for the first time in Week 12. Minnesota feel to Iowa, 23-19. Baylor lost to Oklahoma, 34-31. In the Baylor-OU game, Baylor had leads of 28-3 and 31-10.
In the SEC, Georgia beat Auburn, 21-14. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix had a disappointing performance.
Texas lost its fourth game of the season. This time the Longhorns lost to Iowa State, 23-21. But West Virginia upset Kansas State in Manhattan, 24-20. Washington State romped over Stanford, 49-22. The quarterbacks combined for 1,024 yards passing. Utah downed UCLA, 49-3.
Alabama beat Mississippi State, 38-7, but lost Tua Tagovailoa for the remainder of the season. Tagovailoa left the game with a broken hip. The injury occurred when he was tackled late in the second quarter.
Notre Dame beat Navy, 52-20. The game in South Bend marked the first time Notre Dame failed to have a sellout in 273 games. Nebraska’s sellout steak of 375, college football’s longest, is still running.
The Heisman race was looking more and more like (1) Joe Burrow, (2) Jalen Hurts and (3) Justin Fields. And after 12 seasons, Colorado retired Ralphie V – the school’s live buffalo mascot.
Penn State and Oregon were eliminated from any possibility of making the playoff in Week 13. Penn State lost to Ohio State, 28-17. That one was expected. Oregon was upset by Arizona State, 31-28. That one wasn’t expected. Both Penn State and Oregon suffered their second loss of the season.
“What becomes of the broken hearted”
Week 13 was cupcake Saturday in the SEC. Cupcake Saturday that is for everybody except Georgia and Texas A&M. They played each other. Georgia won 19-13.
It was cupcake Saturday in the ACC too. However, one cupcake was more than one ACC team could handle. FIU upset Miami, 30-24.
Two of the most thrilling and high-scoring game in Week 13 took place in the Pac-12. In a game where the lead changed hands five times, Washington State scored a touchdown with 0:01 on the clock to beat Oregon State, 54-53. Then in the Coliseum in Los Angles, USC and UCLA put on quite a show. When it was over, the Trojans beat the Bruins, 52-35. Six receivers in the game each had more than 100 yards receiving – four of the six from USC.
There was more excitement in the Pac-12. In a game where California never led until the end, the Golden Bears scored a touchdown with 1:19 on the clock to beat Stanford, 24-20. In the Rockies, Colorado held on and beat Washington, 20-14.
In the Big 12, Oklahoma and Baylor solidified their rematch in the conference championship game. The Sooners got by TCU, 28-24. The Bears downed Texas, 24-10. Also in the Big 12, Oklahoma State outscored West Virginia 10-0 in the fourth quarter to beat the Mountaineers, 20-13.
In other games, Virginia Tech blanked Pitt, 28-0, and Navy outlasted SMU, 35-28. In the 111th meeting between Wyoming and Colorado State, the Cowboys beat the Rams, 17-7. The two schools are 65 miles apart.
Greg Schiano turned down Rutgers. And in the latest mascot news, Auburn retired Nova (War Eagle VII), its 20-year-old golden eagle. Nova passed the torch to five-year-old Aurea (War Eagle VIII).
Week 14 was not only the final weekend of the regular season, but also it was Thanksgiving Week. And after all, what’s Thanksgiving without football? The two go hand in hand. Football combined with family and friends – that’s how Thanksgiving should be.
The Thanksgiving Week games gave us a “pisser” in Starkville, a first in 15 years in Charlottesville, along with two bombs and a classic.
“I’m searching though I don’t succeed
But someone look, there’s a growin’ need”
First, the classic: Auburn shocked Alabama, 48-45. The game, in which the lead changed hands nine times, was a cliffhanger from start to finish and a nail biter for the final eight minutes.
Then, the two bombs (both in the Big Ten): Ohio State topped Michigan, 56-27. Wisconsin shattered Minnesota, 38-17.
And speaking of bombs, in the annual end of the season battles between the SEC and the ACC, the SEC won, 3-1. But all four games were bombs. Georgia toppled Georgia Tech, 52-7. Kentucky disgraced Louisville, 45-13. Florida dismissed Florida State, 40-17. And in the only win for the ACC, Clemson spanked South Carolina, 38-3.
The pisser: On Thanksgiving Night in Starkville, with 0:04 on the clock in the Egg Bowl, Ole Miss scored a touchdown to pull within one point of Mississippi State – 21-20. The Ole Miss receiver who caught the pass for the touchdown got on all fours like a dog. Then he proceeded to crawl doggie style to the back of the end zone where he lifted his hind leg to the Mississippi State fans.
A flag was immediately thrown for unsportsmanlike conduct. The football was moved from the three-yard line to the 18-yard line. Ole Miss missed the extra point. The kick was wide right. Ole Miss got egg on its face in the Egg Bowl – or was it the Tinkle Bowl. Three days later Ole Miss coach Matt Luke was fired.
And finally, the first in 15 years: Virginia beat Virginia Tech for the first time in 15 games. The Cavs beat the Hokies, 39-30.
West Virginia and Nebraska had tough times this season. The Mountaineers finished on a high note, beating TCU in Fort Worth, 20-17. Nebraska finished on a low note, losing at home to Iowa, 27-24. Both WVU and Nebraska finished the season with 5-7 records.
Memphis claimed the AAC West Division, beating Cincinnati, 34-24. Out west, Washington won the Apple Cup. The Huskies beat Washington State, 31-13. Also in the Pac-12, Utah beat Colorado, 45-15, and California beat UCLA, 28-18.
In the ACC, Duke beat Miami, 27-17.
Six schools fired their coaches in Week 14. Greg Schiano, after initially saying no to Rutgers, turned around and accepted the job in New Brunswick. And Feleipe Franks announced he would leave Florida to either enter the NFL draft or the transfer portal. Turns out, it will be the transfer portal.
“Oh, it’s lost, there’s no place for beginning
All’s that left is an unhappy ending”
Within a 42-hour period of Week 15, 10 conference champions were crowned, 39 bowls were filled and the four playoff teams – LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma – were revealed.
Meanwhile, Washington coach Chris Petersen announced he was stepping down. Saying he was stressed and burned out, Petersen said he needed a break from the game. USC decided to keep Clay Helton for another year. Ole Miss hired Lane Kiffin and Florida State hired Mike Norvell. And Jacksonville University, an FCS program, announced it was dropping football.
In Week 16, Navy beat Army, 31-7. Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry rushed for 304 yards. In New York, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow won, as expected, the Heisman Trophy. Burrow beat out Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields for the trophy. And Florida Atlantic hired Willie Taggart.
The 39-game bowl season got underway in Week 17. In the first of the 39 bowls, Buffalo beat Charlotte, 31-9 in the Bahamas Bowl. It was better in the Bahamas for Buffalo. Out in Las Vegas, Washington coach Chris Petersen went out a winner. The Huskies pounded Boise State, 38-7, in the Las Vegas Bowl.
In other news during Week 17, the SEC announced that CBS would no longer be its primary broadcaster after the 2023 season. The new primary broadcaster will either be ABC/ESPN or FOX Sports. The odds favor ABC/ESPN.
Week 18 in college football was Christmas Week. Swamp Mama and I drove to the Florida panhandle in non-stop rain to spend several days with Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe.
Thirteen more bowl games were played during Week 18. In some of the more interesting contests, North Carolina slammed Temple in the Military Bowl, 55-13. Texas A&M got by Oklahoma State, 24-21, in the Texas Bowl. Iowa crushed USC, 49-24, in the Holiday Bowl. And Air Force downed Washington State, 31-21, in the Cheez-It Bowl. Air Force finished its season at 11-2.
In the first of the two playoff games, Oklahoma slaughtered Oklahoma, 63-28, in the Peach Bowl. Joe Burrow passed for 493 yards and seven touchdowns. He rushed for an eighth touchdown. Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was ineffective.
The other playoff game was a nail biter. Clemson trimmed Ohio State, 29-23, in the Fiesta Bowl. After a slow start, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence came on strong at the end, especially with his 67-yard touchdown run. After the win, Lawrence was 26-0 as a starter at Clemson.
“I’ll be searching everywhere
Just to find someone to care”
All the remaining bowls, except one, were played in Week 19 – all 17 of them.
We were inspired by the persistence of Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry. We were inspired by the of resilience Minnesota. And we were inspired by the determination of Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.
Conversely, we were disappointed in Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster and Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.
And Jim Harbaugh struck out again as Nick Saban rubbed it in.
In the Music City Bowl, Louisville beat Mississippi State, 38-28. The Bulldogs played uninspired football. After the game, Mississippi State fans flocked to social media to trash Joe Moorhead. California played inspired football, as the Bears downed Illinois, 35-20, in the Red Box Bowl. Cal coach Justin Wilcox is an up-and-comer.
Florida beat Virginia, 36-28, in the Orange Bowl, even though the Gators weren’t inspired while the Cavaliers were. Let’s just say it wasn’t a good day for Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. He has his good games and he has his bad ones. The Orange Bowl was one of his bad ones.
Kentucky beat Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl, 37-30. In Tech’s previous game, the Hokies lost 39-30. Giving up 76 points in his last two games wasn’t a good picture for retiring Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Unfortunately for Foster, he hung it up a year or so too late.
Malcolm Perry had no hang ups in the Liberty Bowl, as Navy bounced Kansas State, 23-20, on a 23-yard field goal with 0:02 on the clock. The Navy quarterback was sensational, passing for 57 yards and, more impressively, rushing for 213 yards.
In the Alamo Bowl, Texas came out of nowhere and simply played like it hadn’t played all season – offense and defense. Texas squelched Utah, 38-10.
Just when you thought Minnesota might give up and throw in the towel, the Gophers never did. Minnesota never gave up the fight, as the Gophers surprised Auburn, 31-24, in the Outback Bowl. After Auburn’s impressive win over Alabama, Gus Malzahn dropped the anchor and abandoned the ship.
“I’ll be looking every day
I know I’ve got to find a way”
Jim Harbaugh dropped it too, as he often has in the big game. Alabama silenced Michigan, 35-16, in the Citrus Bowl. Up 28-16 and on the Wolverines goal line in the closing seconds, Nick Saban wasn’t about to cut Harbaugh any slack. The Crimson Tide scored their final touchdown with 0:26 on the clock.
In the Rose Bowl, Oregon was trailing Wisconsin , 27-21, halfway through the fourth quarter. But Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert went to work and scored a touchdown on a 30-yard scamper. The Ducks held on to win 28-27. Herbert scored three of Oregon’s four touchdowns on runs of 4, 5 and 30 yards.
Tennessee put on an impressive show – late show, this is – in the Gator Bowl. Trailing Indiana 22-9, the Vols scored two touchdowns in the final 4:21 of the game to win, 23-22.
Sure enough, just four days after Mississippi State lost to Louisville in the Music City Bowl, Bulldogs coach Joe Moorhead was fired.
And we all know what happened in Week 20 – LSU beat Clemson, 42-25, to win the CFP national championship. And we all know that Joe Burrow didn’t disappoint again. He continued to live up to his expectations, passing for 463 yards and five touchdowns.
But Week 20 was full of other news – Tua Tagovailoa announced he is entering the NFL draft; Baylor coach Matt Rhule resigned to become the head coach of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers; Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm announced he is entering the NFL draft, and Mike Leach stepped down at Washington State to become the head coach at Mississippi State.
Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman announced he is transferring to Georgia and will play next season as a graduate transfer; Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard, 2019’s leading rusher, announced he will return for his senior season with the Cowboys, and North Dakota State won its eighth FCS national championship, beating James Madison, 28-20.
Most recently, in Week 21, we learned that LSU will be without two of its coaches next season. Passing coordinator Joe Brady, the master mind behind LSU’s and Joe Burrow’s passing attack, accepted the offensive coordinator position under Matt Rhule at the Carolina Panthers. Then, LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda announced he is leaving the Tigers to become the new head coach at Baylor.
Speaking of Aranda, do you realize that Mike Leach’s 2001 team at Texas Tech contained a player and six assistant coaches all on the same team and staff who went on to become head coaches. They are Kliff Kingsbury, who was the team’s quarterback; Art Briles – running backs coach; Sonny Dykes – wide receivers coach; Dana Holgorsen – receivers coach; Ruffin McNeill – an assistant coach; Greg McMackin – defensive coordinator, and Dave Aranda – a graduate assistant coach. And a footnote: Two years later, Lincoln Riley was on Leach’s 2003 staff at Texas Tech as a student assistant.
“Nothing’s goin’ to stop me now
I’ll find a way somehow”
Remember Houston quarterback D’Eriq King red shirting after four games this season, but saying he would return to Houston next season. Well King has entered the transfer portal. It appears he believes he can play for someone better than Dana Holgorsen next season. The odds favor King transferring to either LSU, Arkansas, Miami (Florida), Oregon, Florida State, Michigan State or Oklahoma. Stay tuned!
Fallen Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead, who was all but chased out of Starkville, has resurfaced in a new job and a new location. Moorhead will be Mario Cristobal’s offensive coordinator at Oregon next season.
Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich was named the new coach at Washington State. Rolovich signed a five-year contract for $3 million a year. He was making $600,000 a year at Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors were 10-5 this past season.
The transfer plans for Texas Tech quarterback Jett Duffey have changed. Last week, Duffey announced he was going to play for Tulane next season as a graduate transfer. Well, Duffey was denied academic admission into Tulane. So now he plans to transfer to Central Michigan where he will play for Jim McElwain next season.
And then we learn that Bobby Petrino, yes Bobby Petrino, will be coaching yet again next season. Missouri State, an FCS school, named Petrino its new head coach.
When told that Petrino was the new coach at Missouri State and that he beat out former Baylor coach Art Briles for the job, ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum said, “Who came in third – O.J. Simpson?
And what about next season. Well, both quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne will be back for one more season at Clemson. That should tell you why the Tigers are the odds-on-favorite to win it all next year.
By the way, the CFP national championship game next year will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. And beyond that? In 2022, the game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 2023 game will be played at Hollywood Park Stadium in Inglewood, California. That’s the new stadium for the Rams and Chargers. And finally, in 2024, the game will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
There still will be 130 teams in FBS football in 2020 – no additions or subtractions. However, there will be one conference change. Connecticut leaves the AAC this summer and will compete as an Independent in football next season.
What coaches will begin the 2020 season on the hot seat and who will be on the edge of the hot seat? In the ACC, NC State’s Dave Doeren will be on the hot seat. Miami’s Manny Diaz will be on the edge.
In the Big 12, no coaches will be on the hot seat, but Texas’ Tom Herman will be on the edge. In the Big Ten, no coaches will be on the hot seat, but Illinois’ Lovey Smith, Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh will be on the edge.
In the Pac-12, USC’s Clay Helton and Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin will be on the hot seat. UCLA’s Chip Kelly will be on the edge. In the SEC, Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason and South Carolina’s Will Muschamp will be on the hot seat. Auburn’s Gus Malzahn and Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt will be on the edge. Malzahn’s always on the edge.
In the AAC, Tulsa’s Philip Montgomery will be on the hot seat. In C-USA, UTEP’s Dana Dimel will be on the hot seat. Rice’s Mike Bloomgren and Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill will be on the edge. In the MAC, Ball State’s Mike Neu will be on the hot seat. Akron’s Tom Arth will be on the edge.
In the MWC, no coaches will be on the hot seat or on the edge. In the Sun Belt, South Alabama’s Steve Campbell and ULM’s Matt Viator will be on the hot seat. Among the Independents, Connecticut’s Randy Edsall and New Mexico State’s Doug Martin will be on the hot seat.
Week 1 next season will run through the Labor Day Weekend from Thursday, September 3 through Monday, September 7. Don’t know if there will be a Week 0 again in 2020. Some good, intriguing and interesting games to look forward to on opening weekend in 2020 are Alabama vs. USC in Arlington, Texas; Baylor vs. Ole Miss in Houston; Florida State vs. West Virginia in Atlanta; Virginia vs. Georgia in Atlanta (Labor Day Night); Michigan at Washington; North Carolina at UCF, and Temple at Miami (Florida).
Some good encounters in Week 2 are Auburn vs. North Carolina in Atlanta; Texas at LSU; Iowa State at Iowa; Tennessee at Oklahoma, and Ohio State at Oregon. Then in Week 3 look for Georgia at Alabama, Florida State at Boise State, and Colorado at Texas A&M. I’m excited already.
Needless to say, LSU fans were really happy after the win over Clemson. But perhaps none were happier than former LSU player Odell Beckham Jr. How happy was Beckham? Well, on the field, after the game, he briefly morphed into an ATM machine. Beckham was so happy, he high-fived a New Orleans policeman on his butt.
Party on Louisiana!
So long, my college football friends.
“I know I’ve got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
Maybe”
Touchdown Tom
January 19, 2020
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
(“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” – written by William Witherspoon, Paul Riser and James Dean. It was originally recorded and released in 1966 by Jimmy Ruffin and reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was later recorded and released in 1992 by Paul Young and reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.)
Quotes of the Week
“Well, the ‘overrated’ SEC is at it again. Finished 9-2 in post-season play and won the national championship. Thank goodness the officials, opposing coaches and players and somehow even the announcers helped them pull off this feat. It’s now up to the NFL draft to keep the bias going in April,” ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, sarcastically attacking the SEC haters.
“Burrow’s comment about ‘I’m not a student-athlete anymore, yeah it was real money.’ If you care about the program, do you really say that,” ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, on Joe Burrow’s post-game comment.
“I don’t see them coming back next year at all,” ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, on LSU.
“I will say this. As much as we’re celebrating this team, I wasn’t a real fan of the post-game stuff. I thought LSU showed a little bit of immaturity and kinda not knowing how to handle it,” ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, on LSU.
And finally, notables from the football nation who left us during this past football season included NFL receiver for the Oakland Raiders Cliff Branch (71); University of Texas and NFL running back Cedric Benson (36), and the oldest living USC and Los Angeles Rams football player Jim Hardy (96).
Also, University of Texas and Green Bay Packers football player Bobby Dillon (89); Stanford and Denver Broncos football coach John Ralston (92); Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State Howard “Hopalong” Cassady (85); Oakland Raiders defensive back Willie Brown (78), and Florida Gators and Cleveland Browns football player Bernie Parrish (83).
Also, Michigan State and Detroit Lions receiver Charles Rogers (38); former Auburn quarterback and TCU coach Pat Sullivan (69); Michigan football player and coach and Iowa athletic director Bump Elliott (94); former Iowa coach Hayden Fry (90); former Cincinnati Bengals football coach Sam Wyche (74), and former Michigan State football coach George Perles (85).
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but in mid-January as college football fans were putting the lid on another great season and shift their full attention to college basketball, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1945 was “Don’t Fence Me In” by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
…70 years ago this week in 1950 was “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” by The Andrews Sisters
…65 years ago this week in 1955 was “Let Me Go Lover” by Joan Weber, and “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes
…60 years ago this week in 1960 was “Running Bear” by Johnny Preston
…55 years ago this week in 1965 was “Come See About Me” by The Supremes, and “Downtown” by Petula Clark
…50 years ago this week in 1970 was “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” by B.J. Thomas
…45 years ago this week in 1975 was “Mandy” by Barry Manilow, and “Please Mr. Postman” by The Carpenters
…40 years ago this week in 1980 was “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes
…35 years ago this week in 1985 was “Like A Virgin” by Madonna, and “I Want To Know What Love Is” by Foreigner
…30 years ago this week in 1990 was “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” by Michael Bolton
Not exactly college football related, but notables from other sports who left us during this past football season included sports broadcaster Jack Whitaker (95); major league baseball player and broadcaster Ron Fairly (81); runner Peter Snell (80); NASCAR driver Junior Johnson (88); former commissioner of the NBA David Stern (77), and the World Series’ only no-hitter pitcher – the New York Yankees Don Larsen (90).
Not exactly college football related, but notables from the entertainment world who passed away during the 2019 football season included actor and film maker Peter Fonda (79); songwriter, singer and piano player Donnie Fritts (76); television actress Valerie Harper (80); actress Carol Lynley (77), and singer Eddie Money (70).
Also, songwriter, front man and founder of the Cars Ric Ocasek (75); Broadway actress and “Tonight Show” host Phyllis Newman (86); Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunt (78); singer/actress Diahann Carroll (84); rock drummer Ginger Baker (80); original Mouseketeer Karen Pendleton (73); actor Robert Forster (78), and former Paramount Pictures production head Robert Evans (89).
Also, movie and television character actor Michael J. Pollard (80); actor Ron Leibman (82); actor Rene Auberjonois (79); Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson (61); actor Danny Aiello, 86; shock radio personality Don Imus (79); actress Sue Lyon (73); screenwriter Buck Henry (89); TV’s Kookie Edd Byrnes (87), and Rush drummer Neil Peart (67).
Not exactly college football related, but well-known folks from other walks of life who passed away during the 2019 football season included author Toni Morrison (88); NBC News reporter Jack Perkins (85); oil and gas entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens (91), and author Anne Rivers Siddons (83).
Also, political journalist for NPR and ABC news Cokie Roberts (75); television news broadcaster Sander Vanocur (91); former French president Jacques Chirac (86); U.S. Congressman from Maryland Elijah Cummings (68), and former U.S. Congressman from Michigan John Conyers (90).
