College Football
Week 6 – OU is facing 0-3 in the Big 12
Six upsets, as
eight Top-25 teams lose
Where to begin? How about the Big 12 Conference where nothing is predictable this season. The only thing predictable about the Big 12 is that it is unpredictable.
That unpredictability continued Saturday when the Big 12’s only two teams ranked in the Top 25 lost. Not only lost, but both loses were upsets.
First in Austin, where TCU knocked off ninth-ranked Texas, 33-31. Up until 4:01 to go in the game, Texas was winning 29-26. That’s when TCU scored on a 26-yard touchdown run by Max Duggan. The Horned Frogs never relinquished their lead after that. Unpredictable? Last week, TCU lost at home to Iowa State, 37-34.
But maybe it was predictable. This was TCU’s second-straight win over the Longhorns and the Horned Frogs seventh win over Texas in their last nine meetings.
Second in Ames. where Iowa State upset 18th-ranked Oklahoma, 37-30. Up until 7:26 to go in the game, Oklahoma was leading Iowa State, 30-23. But in the next three minutes and twenty seconds. The Cyclones scored 14 unanswered points. Would you believe Oklahoma is 0-2 in Big 12 play? Believe it! Oklahoma has now lost back to back games for the first time since 1999.
And to make things more unpredictable: Texas and Oklahoma meet this week. Will OU be 0-3 in Big 12 play? Stay tuned!
The upsets continued. Saturday night, 11th-ranked UCF and 16th-ranked Mississippi State both fell. In Orlando, UCF lost to Tulsa, 34-26. Late in the second quarter, UCF led Tulsa, 23-5. But after that, the Golden Tornadoes outscored the Knights, 29-3. I guess UCF isn’t the best team in Florida after all.
Before the season began, SEC pundits said that Arkansas would be 0-10 in SEC play this season because the Razorbacks don’t have Vanderbilt on their schedule. Not so fast my friends. Saturday night, Arkansas went into Starkville and upset Mississippi State, 21-14. This the Mississippi State team that beat LSU the previous week.
Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello, the hero against LSU with 623 passing yards, threw three interceptions against Arkansas. He ended the game with 313 yards passing. Mississippi State never led in the game. Hats off to first-year Arkansas coach Sam Pittman. Before Saturday’s victory, Arkansas had lost 20-straight SEC games.
In the final two upsets of the day, 24th-ranked Pitt and 25th-ranked Memphis both lost. Pitt has been living on the edge. The Panthers fell off the edge Saturday, losing to NC State, 30-29. Pitt’s offense played well, but its defense didn’t.
In Dallas, Memphis got off to a slow start against SMU. The Tigers trailed the Mustangs 24-3 midway through the second quarter. But Memphis came storming back. The Tigers proceeded to outscore SMU, 24-3. Late in the fourth quarter, the score was tied, 27-27. SMU’s Chris Naggar kicked a 43-yard field goal with 0:09 on the clock. The Mustangs upset Memphis 30-27.
Two other Top 25 teams lost, but neither team was favored. Seventh-ranked Auburn lost to fourth-ranked Georgia, 27-6. Auburn was never in the game. The Tigers only had 39 yards rushing.
Thirteenth-ranked Texas A&M fell to second-ranked Alabama, 52-24. Alabama quarterback Mac Jones was 20-for-27, passing for 435 yards and four touchdowns.
Three weeks ago, Florida State coach Mike Norvell was being trashed on social media. Two weeks ago it was Nebraska. Last week, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley was taking the hits. This week, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher is the brunt of jokes and negative comments on social media.
So Top 25 teams Texas, UCF, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Pitt and Memphis were all upset. Two other Top 25 teams – Auburn and Texas A&M – lost.
Week 5 began Friday night with two games and no upsets. In the first game, Wake Forest humbled Campbell, 66-14. WF had 574 total yards and Campbell had four turnovers.
In the second game, BYU improved to 3-0 as the Cougars downed Louisiana Tech, 45-14. BYU’s Zach Wilson passed for 325 of the Cougars’ 513 total yards. Louisiana Tech had two turnovers.
Florida improved to 2-0 Saturday, with a 38-24 win over South Carolina. Florida led 38-14 late in the third quarter, but then the Gators quit. For the second-straight week, Florida’s defense looked shaky.
Also in the SEC, Tennessee improved to 2-0, with a 35-12 win over Missouri. The Vols were never threatened.
Coastal Carolina improved to 3-0, with a 52-23 win over Arkansas State. In three games, the Chanticleers have scored 133 points, averaging 44 points a game. Coastal Carlina’s average victory margin is 22 points.
Yes, the Big 12 is unpredictable. After losing 27-13 to Oklahoma State last week, West Virginia bounced back this week to beat Baylor, 27-21 (2OT). The Mountaineers defense held Baylor to 27 yards rushing. WVU never trailed in the game.
North Carolina improved to 2-0, with a 26-22 win over Boston College. The Tar Heels Michael Carter rushed for 121 yards. North Carolina’s defense held BC to 40 yards rushing.
Cincinnati improved to 3-0, beating South Florida, 28-7. With UCF and Memphis both losing, Cincinnati and SMU are on a collision course in the AAC. They meet October 24 in Dallas.
Watch out for Kansas State in the unpredictable Big 12. The Wildcats are 2-0 in conference play after beating Texas Tech, 31-21. Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson left the game in the second quarter with an arm injury. The Wildcats knocked off Oklahoma last week. Kansas State and Oklahoma State are sitting at the top of the Big 12.
Virginia Tech remained unbeaten at 2-0, with a 38-31 victory over Duke. Tech’s Khalil Herbert rushed for 208 yards in the game.
Back in the SEC, Ole Miss bounced back from its loss to Florida last week. The Magnolia Boys beat Kentucky, 42-41 (OT). Kentucky is off to an 0-2 start in the SEC. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral was 24-for-29, passing for 320 yards and four touchdowns.
In the race for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, Air Force blew past Navy, 40-7. Two Air Force running backs rushed for more than 100 yards each. Air Force now has the nation’s longest winning streak at nine games.
Clemson improved to 3-0, with a 41-23 win over Virginia. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for 329 yards and three touchdowns.
Week 5’s winners: SMU quarterback Shane Buechele, Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, Virginia Tech running back Khalil Herbert and Arkansas coach Sam Pittman. Week 5’s losers: Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher.
The release of first College Football Playoff rankings this season has been pushed back one week to Tuesday, November 24. Originally, the first rankings were going to be posted on November 17. The CFP rankings will be posted weekly on November 24, December 1, December 8, and December 15. The final rankings and bowl-game selections will be announced on Sunday, December 20, the day after the conference championship games. The change was made because four conferences are not beginning their seasons until late October/early November.
Three bowl games have now been canceled this season. Last week, the Bahamas and Hawaii bowls canceled. No big deal. No one has ever bothered to attend those bowls, other than the competing teams. The Bahamas and Hawaii bowls join the RedBox Bowl, which announced earlier in the season that it would be canceled. The RedBox Bowl is played in Santa Clara, California.
Is it me or have you noticed that all the people who used to call into The Paul Finebaum Show are dead. Maybe it’s not healthy to call into his show?
In the mail last week, My friend Tim Muth of Satellite Beach, Florida and a Florida State grad wrote that Florida State’s only hope is for the entire team to test positive for COVID the week before the Clemson and Notre Dame games.
We lost two icons from the music world last week – Helen Reddy and Mac Davis. Both were 78 and both died on September 29. In the 1970s, 14 of Reddy’s songs made Billboard’s Top 40, with three of her songs going all the way to No. 1 on the charts – “I Am Woman” (1972), “Delta Dawn” (1973) and “Angie Baby” (1974). Also in the 1970s, four of Davis’ songs made the Billboard Top 40, with one song going all the way to No. 1 on the charts – “Baby, Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me” (1972). Davis was also a prolific songwriter – “In The Ghetto,” “Don’t Cry Daddy” and “Memories,” among others. His songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, Helen Reddy, Nancy Sinatra, B.J. Thomas, Bobby Goldsboro, Vikki Carr, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition and Perry Como, among others.
And from the world of sports, we lost a baseball icon. Bob Gibson, a Major League Baseball pitcher who won two Cy Young Awards and threw 56 career shutouts, died last week (October 2). He was 84. Gibson won 251 games in 17 seasons. Pitching for three pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals teams, he won seven World Series games in a row, losing only his first and last Series starts. Pack Robert Gibson was born on November 9, 1935, in Omaha, Nebraska. He became the first Black athlete to play basketball and baseball at Creighton University in Omaha. After graduating from Creighton, Gibson signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 1957. After two seasons in the minors, he began pitching for the Cardinals in 1959. Gibson retired from the Cardinals after the 1975 season.
Along with Bob Gibson, it was a tough week for former Major League Baseball players. Two well-known outfielders – Jay Johnstone and Lou Johnson – both died.
Something tells me Tom Herman won’t be coaching in Austin next year.
Who’ll be upset this week? Stay tuned!
Touchdown Tom
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Dawgs rule – Georgia 27, Auburn 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 22, Auburn 17). This was Georgia’s fourth-straight win over Auburn, and the Dawgs 13th win over the Tigers in the last 16 games. All defense in the second half. Only six of the game’s 33 points were scored following the halftime break. Auburn only had 15 first downs.
RUNNER-UP: $7.5 million loses – Alabama 52, Texas A&M 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Texas A&M 15). The teams combined for 994 total yards – 770 of those yards from passing. The score was tied 14-14 early in the second quarter. Bama outscored the Aggies 38-10 after that. Ironically, A&M maintained ball control for almost 38 minutes. When the Tide had the ball, they scored quickly.
REST OF THE BEST: Taking care of business – Clemson 41, Virginia 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Virginia 16). Clemson running back Travis Etienne had more receiving yards than rushing yards – 114 to 73. Virginia had two turnovers.
High Heels – North Carolina 26, Boston College 22 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 30, Boston College 20). Thirty-seven of the game’s 48 points were scored in the first half. Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec passed for 313 yards.
The Ponies are back – SMU 30, Memphis 27 (Touchdown Tom said: SMU 34, Memphis 30). The teams combined for 1,134 total yards, mostly through the air. SMU’s Shane Buechele passed for 474 yards and three touchdowns. Memphis’ Brady White passed for 380 yards and three touchdowns. Memphis had four turnovers – two for SMU.
The Bear couldn’t get over the Mountain – West Virginia 27, Baylor 21 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Baylor 24). West Virginia defense held Baylor to 256 total yards. WVU had four turnovers – two for Baylor. Baylor has yet to win in Morgantown – 0-5.
The Lincoln stalled – Iowa State 37, Oklahoma 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Iowa State 33). Going into the fourth quarter, Iowa State led 23-20. Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler passed for 300 yards. The last time Iowa State beat Oklahoma in Ames was 1960.
Bevo is stunned – TCU 33, Texas 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, TCU 23). TCU controlled the ball for almost 36 minutes. The Frogs had 25 first downs to 16 for Texas. This was the second-straight week that Texas has had a wild game. Last week the Horns beat Texas Tech in overtime. For a while, it looked like this game might go to overtime.
Swamped – Florida 38, South Carolina 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 34, South Carolina 20). Florida quarterback Kyle Trask was 21-for-29, passing for 268 yards and four touchdowns. He has 10 touchdown passes in his first two games. South Carolina controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes. The Gators had two turnovers – one for South Carolina. The Gators were lacking a running game – only 80 yards rushing.
The grass wasn’t Blue – Ole Miss 42, Kentucky 41 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 30, Kentucky 29). Kentucky won the first half, 21-14. Ole Miss won the second half, 21-14. It was settled in overtime. UK had 559 total yards – 408 yards rushing. Kentucky controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes. The Wildcats had three backs rush for more than 100 yards each, led by Christopher Rodriguez who had 133 yards. Quarterback Terry Wilson rushed for 129 yards. Asim Rose added 117 yards.
YE OLDE STOMPIMG
GROUNDS:
Khalil was a thrill – Virginia Tech 38, Duke 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 35, Duke 19). Virginia Tech was the running team. Duke was the passing team. The Hokies had three turnovers – one for the Dookies. Only 17 of the game’s 61 points were scored in the first half. Duke falls to 0-4.
Week 5 Results: 9 winners, 2 fumbles (81.8 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Cincinnati 28, South Florida 7
Florida Atlantic 21, Charlotte 17
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
SMU’s Shane Buechele – 32-45-0 for 474 yards (3TDs); Alabama’s Mac Jones – 20-27-1-435 (4TDs); Pitt’s Kenny Pickett – 22-39-0-411 (1TD); Memphis’ Brady White – 29-42-2-380 (3TDs); ULM’s Austin Aune – 28-47-0-339 (2TDs); LSU’s Myles Brennan – 23-37-1-337 (4TDs), and NC State’s Devin Leary – 28-44-0-336 (4TDs).
Also, ULM’s Colby Suits – 31-54-0 for 334 yards (2TDs); Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence – 25-38-0-329 (3TDs); BYU’s Zach Wilson – 24-26-0-325 (2TDs); Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall – 20-29-1-322 (4TDs); Ole Miss’s Matt Coral – 24-29-0-320 (4TDs); Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond – 25-44-1-318 (4TDs), and Charlotte’s Chris Reynolds – 24-32-0-314 (1TD).
Impressive Rushers:
Virginia Tech’s Khalil Herbert – 208 yards (2TDs); Georgia Southern’s J.D. King – 196 yards (1TD); Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard – 145 yards (2TDs); UAB’s Spencer Brown – 144 yards and Iowa State’s Breece Hall – 139 yards (2TDs).
Also, Army’s Jemel Jones – 138 yards (1TD); Kentucky’s Chris Rodriguez – 133 yards (2TDs); Southern Miss’s Frank Gore – 133 yards (1TD); Liberty’s Joshua Mack – 130 yards, North Carolina’s Michael Carter – 121 yards, and Air Force’s Timothy Jackson – 118 yards.
Quotes of the Week
“I think they’ll lose a couple more games this year. They will not be a contender,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on LSU.
“I don’t think people realize the sacrifices everyone is making to play a season. It ain’t easy,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day, on a number of his coaches who are not living at their homes as a precaution to limit the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19.
“Losing bothers me the most. This university deserves better. And it’s very frustrating,” Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger, after the 33-31 loss to TCU.
Tweets of the Week
“Jimbo Fisher is making $750,000 a game for this throttling in his third season. Good business? You decide.”
“Jimbo Fisher getting paid $7.5 million per year. Only in America,”
“Tom Herman and Jimbo Fisher are in quite the battle to see who is stealing more money from the State of Texas.”
“A&M is not getting very good value on their $7.5 million a year for Jimbo Fisher. Aggies are now 10-8 in SEC in Jimbo’s first 18 games.”
“Give Jimbo Fisher credit for this: His contract is fully guaranteed.”
“Jimbo Fisher is Gene Chizik.”
“Can we stop ranking Texas A&M at preseason now and pretending they’re worth a damn.”
“Texas A&M has a great fan base, money and facilities. They need to drop kick Jimbo Fisher before they end up like Florida State.”
Touchdown Tom’s
Predictions for
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Miami (Florida) (3-0) at Clemson (3-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – This will be, perhaps, Clemson’s biggest challenge to date. We know it will be Miami’s biggest challenge. Clemson is obviously the more experienced and talented team. But when you play inspired football, wonders never cease. And I can’t imagine that Miami won’t be inspired. Still the Canes are a young and rebuilding team. The Tigers turn the Ibis into a dust mop – Clemson 28, Miami 18.
RUNNER-UP: 2. Tennessee (2-0) at Georgia (2-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Tennessee has to hope that Georgia will have a let down after the Auburn win. But even with a letdown, the Dawgs are likely to win. Like Miami, Tennessee is a young and rebuilding team. The Vols will need a lot of inspiration. Tennessee could stop Georgia, but the Vols won’t score on Georgia. Well, not a lot. Not enough to win. Uga has Smokey licking his wounds – Georgia 32, Tennessee 13.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Virginia Tech (2-0) at North Carolina (2-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Definitely the second-best matchup to date in the ACC this season. It could go either way. Both teams have a dependable running back. North Carolina has the better quarterback – much better. The Tar Heels may have the better defense too. The Heels spike the Hokies – North Carolina 34, Virginia Tech 27.
4. Coastal Carolina (3-0) at Louisiana (3-0) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Both of these teams opened their seasons with a win over a Big 12 team. And they have been winning since. But Louisiana has been barely winning, while Coastal Carolina has been coasting. There will be no chicken in this gumbo – Coastal Carolina 30, Louisiana 29.
5. Pitt (3-1) at Boston College (2-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Both of these teams took it on the chin for the first time last weekend. BC had the tougher opponent. For a first-year coach, Jeff Hafley is doing a good job in Chestnut Hill. His Eagles do a good job against the Panthers – Boston College 26, Pitt 23.
6. UTSA (3-1) at BYU (3-0) – (C-USA vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – BYU is having a great season. The Cougars have a great quarterback in Zach Wilson. UTSA is off to a good start too. But the Cougars are too much. This is one Roadrunner that doesn’t get away. The Cougars go beep-beep – BYU 36, UTSA 24.
7. Alabama (2-0) at Ole Miss (1-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – If nothing else, this game should be interesting. Ole Miss has a tendency to give Alabama some trouble. The Landsharks have an offense. They should score on the Tide. But Ole Miss doesn’t have a defense. They won’t stop the Tide. Good quarterback battles in this game. Mac Jones wins the battle – Alabama 38, Ole Miss 24.
8. Florida (2-0) at Texas A&M (1-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Texas A&M will definitely test Florida’s defense. Perhaps the biggest test to date for the Gators defense. And the Aggies should be mad after what Alabama did to them. You know Jimbo Fisher is mad after what social media did to him. They will be out to prove themselves. But the Gators have some convincing to do too. Albert puts Jimbo in limbo – Florida 34, Texas A&M 25.
9. Kansas State (2-1) at TCU (1-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – After the loss to Arkansas State, Kansas State has been rockin’. TCU has been rockin’ too. The Frogs just came up three points short in one game. Both teams like to score. TCU is averaging 33.5 points a game. And K-State is averaging 33.3. The way the Big 12 has been going this season, the odds favor TCU. The conference needs some more shaking up. The Frogs make the Wildcats shake – TCU 37, Kansas State 35.
10. NC State (2-1) at Virginia (1-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ACCN – NC State came to life last week. The Wolfpack surprised Pitt. Don’t look for any surprises in Charlottesville. After taking it on the chin from Clemson, the Cavaliers will be looking to bounce back. Still, this should be a good game. But the Pack won’t be howling – Virginia 32, NC State 26.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Duke (0-4) at Syracuse (1-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:30 ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – This is not a good season for the Dookies. Many seasons aren’t, but this one is particularly bad. It may not be the best of seasons for Syracuse either. But the Orange do have a win. That’s more than I can say for the Dookies. After this one, the Orange will have two wins – Syracuse 33, Duke 29.
Texas (2-1) vs. Oklahoma (1-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Needless to say, this isn’t one of the more celebrated Texas-OU games. Combined, the teams come in with a 3-3 record. OU is facing an 0-3 record in the Big 12. Neither team has a defense. Look for lots of points on the board. Texas coach Tom Herman really needs this game. And Lincoln Riley could sure use a win. The Sooners will be so made they won’t know how to lose – Oklahoma 41, Texas 37.
ELSEWHERE AROUND
FLORIDA:
Middle Tennessee (0-4) at FIU (0-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….
East Carolina (0-2) at South Florida (1-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but in early October, as the college football season moved into its second month, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1945 was “Till The End Of Time” by Perry Como
…70 years ago this week in 1950 was “Goodnight Irene” by Gordon Jenkins and The Weavers
…65 years ago this week in 1955 was “Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing” by The Four Aces
…60 years ago this week in 1960 was “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own” by Connie Francis, and “Mr. Custer” by Larry Verne
…55 years ago this week in 1965 was “Hang On Sloopy” by The McCoys
…50 years ago this week in 1970 was “Cracklin’ Rosie” by Neil Diamond
…45 years ago this week in 1975 was “Fame” by David Bowie
…40 years ago this week in 1980 was “Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen
…35 years ago this week in 1985 was “Oh Sheila” by Ready for the World
…30 years ago this week in 1990 was “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love And Affection” by Nelson, and “Close To You” by Maxi Priest
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