College Football
Week 17 – Bret Bielema – he’s back!
Playoff and bowls set
as the conferences
ante up
We knew that Alabama (11-0) would be No. 1 and Clemson (10-1) would be No. 2 in the final CFP rankings. That was a given. Both teams won their respective conference championship games on Saturday.
What we didn’t know is who would be the other two teams in the playoff. All we knew was that No. 3 and No. 4 would be between Ohio State (6-0), Notre Dame (10-1), Texas A&M (8-1) and Cincinnati (9-0).
Ohio State won its conference championship game, but only played six games and had a weak strength of schedule. Notre Dame lost badly in its conference championship game. Texas A&M did not play in its conference championship game, but finished winning seven-straight games. Cincinnati won its conference championship game, finished undefeated, but was a Group of Five team.
So when it was announced, the Top 6 in the final CFP rankings were 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Notre Dame, 5. Texas A&M, and 6 Oklahoma.
Alabama will play Notre Dame in one CFP semifinal game (Rose Bowl in Arlington, Texas), and Clemson will play Ohio State in the other CFP semifinal game (Sugar Bowl in New Orleans). Texas A&M and Oklahoma were the first two teams out. Cincinnati didn’t even make the Top 6.
In the opening odds, Alabama is an 18-point favorite over Notre Dame and Clemson is a 7-point favorite over Ohio State.
This will be the seventh season for the CFP playoff. Counting this season, it is the sixth appearance for both Alabama and Clemson. Ohio State has made four playoffs and Notre Dame two. Oklahoma has appeared in four playoffs. All told, 11 different schools have made the playoff since 2014, but six of them have only appeared in one playoff.
The teams in the four New Year’s Day bowls are Oklahoma (8-2) vs. Florida (8-3) in the Cotton Bowl, Georgia (7-2) vs. Cincinnati (9-0) in the Peach Bowl, Oregon (4-2) vs. Iowa State (8-3) in the Fiesta Bowl, and Texas A&M (8-1) vs. North Carolina (8-3) in the Orange Bowl.
The conference championship weekend began Friday night with three tilts, plus a COVID make-up game. All three of the conference title games ended in upsets.
In Los Angeles, USC hosted Oregon for the Pac-12 championship. The undefeated Trojans were the favorites. But Oregon jumped out to leads of 14-0 (first quarter), 21-7 (second quarter), 28-14 (third quarter) and 31-17 (fourth quarter). As hard as they tried, USC never could catch up. In the end, Oregon prevailed, 31-24. Trojan quarterback Kedon Slovis threw three interceptions.
In Detroit, Buffalo and Ball State tangled for the MAC championship. Buffalo was favored. The Bulls took early leads of 7-0 and 14-7. But Ball State outscored Buffalo, 28-7 in the second quarter. With 9:10 to go in the third quarter, Ball State had scored 24 unanswered points. The Cardinals went on to upset Buffalo, 38-28. In a losing effort, Buffalo quarterback Kyle Vantrease passed for 365 yards.
Then, in Huntington, West Virginia, Marshall was the favorite to beat UAB for the C-USA championship. UAB jumped out to a 9-0 halftime lead. Marshall came back and made it close, not once but twice, trailing 9-7 in the third quarter and 15-13 with 5:38 to go in the game. But UAB added another touchdown and went on to upset Marshall, 22-13. The Blazers Spencer Brown rushed for 149 yards.
In the COVID make-up game on Friday night, Nebraska ended its season on a winning note. The Huskers racked up 620 yards of offense, beating Rutgers, 28-21.
The bulk of the games took place on Saturday – six conference championship affairs and nine COVID make-up games. One conference title game – the Sun Belt championship between Coastal Carolina and Louisiana was canceled due to what else – COVID. Five of the six conference championship games were exciting – close to reasonably close. One was a blowout.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Northwestern and Ohio State met for the Big Ten championship. The Buckeyes were playing to keep their playoff hopes alive. Ohio State was heavily favored. Northwestern had plans of its own. Plans to upset the Buckeyes. And it looked good for the
Wildcats in the
first half. Late in the first quarter, Northwestern took a 7-3 lead. Midway
through the second quarter, the Wildcats extended their lead to 10-3. At the
break, Northwestern led 10-6.
By the end of the
third quarter, Ohio State had taken the lead. But it was still very close. The
Buckeyes led by only three points – 13-10. Ultimately, the second half belonged
to Ohio State. The Buckeyes ended up skunking the Wildcats in the third and
fourth quarters – 17-0. When it was over, Ohio State beat Northwestern, 22-10.
In Arlington, Texas, Iowa State faced Oklahoma for the Big 12 championship. Iowa State held slim chances of making the playoff. But those slim chances quickly dissipated, as Oklahoma took a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter. At the half, the Sooners led 24-7. The Cyclones, however, weren’t done yet. In the second half, Iowa State scored two unanswered touchdowns. With 5:15 to go in the game, Oklahoma’s lead was cut to three points. The Sooners led, 24-21. With 2:01 on the clock, Oklahoma kicked a 32-yard field goal. After the ensuing kickoff, Iowa State mounted a serious drive. But ultimately, the Sooners intercepted an errant Brock Purdy pass. Oklahoma beat Iowa State, 27-21.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Clemson and Notre Dame met in a highly anticipated game. The two teams were playing for the ACC championship. During their regular season encounter, Notre Dame beat Clemson, 47-40 (2OT). But the Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn’t play in that game. He played Saturday. And did he ever. Lawrence sliced and diced the Irish, passing for 322 yards and rushing for 90 yards. Combined, Lawrence had three touchdowns – two passing and one rushing. This meeting was no contest. Early in the fourth quarter, Clemson led Notre Dame, 34-3. The Tigers beat the Irish, 34-10.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, San Jose State got together with Boise State for the Mountain West Conference championship. San Jose State was undefeated. It was the Spartans first MWC title game. MWC title games were old hat to Boise State. Early in the game, San Jose State made the most of its first appearance in a title game. Late in the second quarter, the Spartans led the Broncos, 19-3. It was looking good for San Jose State. Then Boise State scored 10 unanswered points. Late in the third quarter, San Jose State’s lead was down to six points – 19-13. Early in the fourth quarter, the Spartans responded with a touchdown. San Jose State was up, 27-13. Three and a half minutes later, Boise State countered. The Broncos trailed, 27-20. With 3:48 to go in the game, the Spartans added an insurance touchdown. At the end, San Jose State beat Boise State, 34-20. San Jose State quarterback Nick Starkel passed for 453 yards.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, the American Athletic Conference championship game was a matchup between Tulsa and Cincinnati. Tulsa, 6-1, came into the contest on a six-game winning streak. Cincinnati was undefeated. The Bearcats were the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the CFP rankings. At the end of the first quarter, Cincinnati led, 10-0. By midway through the second quarter, Tulsa had tied the score, 10-10. The Bearcats scored again and led at halftime, 17-10. Sure enough, early in the third quarter, Tulsa tied the score again. This time – 17-17. Before the third quarter ended, Cincinnati went back up, 24-17. Then, with 3:41 to go in the game, Tulsa scored a touchdown. Again the score was tied. This time – 24-24. Ultimately, the Bearcats remained undefeated. As time expired, Cincinnati’s Cole Smith kicked a 34-yard field goal. The final – Cincinnati 27, Tulsa 24.
They saved the best for last. In Atlanta, Georgia, Florida and Alabama put on an offensive exhibition in the SEC championship game. Florida’s offense was all passing. Alabama’s was running and passing. Alabama scored first, but two minutes later, Florida tied the score, 7-7. Alabama scored again, but Florida could only respond with a field goal – Crimson Tide 14, Gators 10. Then Alabama scored 14 unanswered points. The Tide led Florida, 28-10. Florida scored again, but at halftime, Alabama led, 35-17. The Gators found life in the third quarter, shutting out Alabama, 14-0. As the fourth quarter began, Alabama was up by only four points – 35-31. The Tide scored 10-straight points and went up 45-31. Florida added a touchdown. The Gators were within seven points – 45-38, with 6:33 to go in the game. At the 4:59 mark, Alabama extended its lead to 52-38. With 2:07 to go, Florida scored, added a two-point conversion and trailed by six points. The ensuing onside kick was covered by the Tide. After 98 points, Alabama beat Florida, 52-46.
Among the conference championship games, nine COVID make-up games were played on Saturday – three in the SEC, three in the Pac-12, two in the Big Ten and one for the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy.
In the SEC, Texas A&M kept its playoff chances alive. The Aggies beat Tennessee, 34-13. The Aggies have won seven-straight games. LSU outlasted Ole Miss, 53-48, and Mississippi State downed Missouri, 51-32.
The best of the trio of games in the Pac-12 was the contest between Stanford and UCLA. After two overtimes, Stanford survived UCLA, 48-47 (2OT). Utah crushed Washington State, 45-28, and Arizona State triumphed over Oregon State, 46-33.
In the Big Ten, it took an overtime for Wisconsin to beat Minnesota, 20-17 (OT). Penn State rattled Illinois, 56-21. Bret Bielema has some work ahead of him at Illinois.
Army and Air Force played Saturday for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. Both teams defeated Navy during the season. The game was played in West Point. At halftime, Army led, 3-0. Air Force scored a touchdown in the third quarter. The Falcons were up 7-3 as the fourth quarter began. Finally, after a long, scoreless fourth quarter, the Black Knights scored a touchdown with 1:13 to go in the game. Army won the Trophy, beating Air Force, 10-7.
Who says you can’t go home again. No, he’s not going back to Wisconsin, but Bret Bielema is going back to the Big Ten. The former Badger coach was named the new coach at Illinois. Bielema returns to the college coaching ranks after being fired by Arkansas following the 2017 season. Since then, Bielema has been a defensive line coach for the New England Patriots and a linebackers coach for the New York Giants in the NFL.
Vanderbilt found its man. Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea was hired as the new coach for the Commodores. Lea, 38, is a Nashville native who played fullback at Vanderbilt.
Arizona, Auburn, South Alabama and ULM are still searching for a new coach.
Add Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Kansas State, Washington, USC and UCLA to the list of teams who have opted-out of bowl games. They join Boston College, Pitt, Virginia and Stanford.
Northwestern athletic director Jim Philips was named the new commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), replacing John Swofford, who is retiring June 30, 2021. Philips will begin his new role on February 1, 2021, working in tandem with Swofford for five months. Philips has been the athletic director at Northwestern since 2008.
The bowls begin this week, with the Myrtle Beach Bowl today between Appalachian State and North Texas. Between today and Saturday, 11 bowls are scheduled to be played. I say scheduled because the Frisco Bowl was canceled. Scheduled for this past Saturday, the bowl was canceled due to COVID issues at SMU. SMU was scheduled to play UTSA in the Frisco Bowl. As a result, UTSA, has since been invited to play in the First Responder Bowl.
There has also been a change in one of the CFP semifinal bowls. This year the CFP semifinals were to be played in the Rose and Sugar Bowls. However, the State of California refused to allow anyone to attend the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena – not even the parents and family members of the players and coaches could attend. As a result, the CFP semifinal game scheduled for the Rose Bowl has been moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. There will be no Rose Bowl in Pasadena this season.
Seven Group of Five teams appear in the latest AP Top-25 Poll. They are, in order, Cincinnati (9-0), Coastal Carolina (11-0), BYU (10-1), Louisiana (9-1), San Jose State (7-0), Tulsa (6-2) and Liberty (9-1). Army (9-2) is knocking on the door. Cincinnati is the highest ranked at 6th. Six of those teams are in the CFP Top-25 rankings – all but Liberty.
Week 16’s Winners: Ohio State running back Trey Sermon, Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith, San Jose State quarterback Nick Starkel and the 10 conference champions. Week 16’s Losers: The Rose Bowl.
Back to the Minnesota-Wisconsin game, I have to tell you a story. As the game was about to start, I got an email asking me to predict the score of the game between the Gophers and the Badgers. The email was from an ole Navy buddy of mine – Frank Slattery. Frank and I were based in Edzell, Scotland, in the early 1970s.
Frank lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota. As you might expect, living in Minnesota, Frank is a bigger fan of hockey than football. In fact, while we were in Scotland, Frank played on a Scottish hockey team. We used to go to some of his games in Dundee. But the Minnesota-Wisconsin football game is a pretty big rivalry up that way.
In Frank’s email, titled “PREDICTION,” he wrote: “So will it be the Gophers or the Badgers, Tom?”
I responded: “Sorry, Frank, but it will be the Badgers. Wisconsin 20, Minnesota 17.”
Frank replied: “Okay, it is written!”
Well, Wisconsin beat Minnesota, 20-17.
The game had no sooner ended and Frank emailed: “UN-BE-FRICKEN’-LIEVABLE, Tommy. It is written.”
Frank and I chatted some more. He said they just started flooding the rink near his house today. He said he would be strapping on the blades before long. At our age, Frank still likes to play hockey.
Later, Frank sent an email to our other Navy buddies, saying: “The next time you go to Vegas, take Carno with you.”
Season’s Greetings, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
Touchdown Tom
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Potato famine – Clemson 34, Notre Dame 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Notre Dame 24). Except for its opening field goal, Notre Dame was never in this game. Clemson had 541 total yards to just 263 for the Irish. The Tigers held Notre Dame to 44 yards rushing. The only good part of Notre Dame was quarterback Ian Book. He was 20-for-28, passing for 219 yards. No interceptions, but no touchdowns. Clemson’s Travis Etienne rushed for 124 yards.
RUNNER-UP: What a game! – Alabama 52, Florida 46 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 48, Florida 24). It was tiring. The teams combined for 1,067 total yards and 59 first downs. Alabama’s Mac Jones was 33-for-43, passing for 418 yards and five touchdowns. Florida’s Kyle Trask was 26-for-40, passing for 408 yards and three touchdowns. Bama’s Najee Harris rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Harris also had three touchdowns as a receiver. His five touchdowns are the most by a player in a SEC title game. No one could rush for Florida. That was the Gators problem. As a team, Florida only had 54 yards rushing. Alabama’s DeVonta Smith had 15 receptions for 184 yards. Florida’s Kadarius Toney had eight receptions for 153 yards.
REST OF THE BEST: Again – Oklahoma 27, Iowa State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Iowa State 33). Oklahoma won its sixth-straight Big 12 championship game. The teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats, except for turnovers. Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy threw three interceptions. OU had no turnovers. The Sooners finished the season on a seven-game winning streak.
Canceled – Louisiana at Coastal Carolina (Touchdown Tom said: Coastal Carolina 34, Louisiana 29). The Sun Belt Conference championship game was canceled because Coastal Carolina couldn’t follow COVID protocols.
It was a good Sermon – Ohio State 22, Northwestern 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Northwestern 14). Northwestern looked good in the first half, but it was all Ohio State in the second half. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields had a subpar game, only completing 44% of his passes and throwing two interceptions. But running back Trey Sermon made up for that, rushing for 331 yards and two touchdowns.
Quacked in the Coliseum – Oregon 31, USC 24 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, Oregon 23). Oregon established authority in this game and never relinquished it. The Ducks defense limited USC to just 38 yards rushing. Oregon was assisted by USC quarterback Kedon Slovis who threw three interceptions. In the closing minutes of the game, USC was driving towards the Oregon goal line. That’s when Slovis threw his third interception which terminated the drive.
Undefeated and we’re looking good – Cincinnati 27, Tulsa 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 26, Tulsa 17). Both teams were reasonably even in the stats, but Cincinnati had the better numbers. Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder was 19-for-29, passing for 269 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 83 yards. Both teams had two turnovers.
At last – San Jose State 34, Boise State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: San Jose State 27, Boise State 25). San Jose State had 498 total yards to 249 for Boise State, and 26 first downs to 14 for Boise State. It was a passing game. Neither team could run. San Jose State had 45 rushing yards and Boise State only had 28 rushing yards. Neither team had a turnover.
The Buffs couldn’t bounce the Ball – Ball State 38, Buffalo 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Buffalo 32, Ball State 26). Ball State began the season 0-1 and finished it 6-1. Buffalo went through the season 5-0 and finished it 5-1. Buffalo quarterback Kyle Vantrease passed for 365 yards. Bulls receiver Antonio Nunn had 13 receptions for 182 yards. But Buffalo’s defense couldn’t stop Ball State when they had too.
Caught in a Blaze – UAB 22, Marshall 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Marshall 28, UAB 24). Marshall’s offense and defense came up short. The offense only managed 268 yards, while the defense gave up 468 yards. The offense only had ball possession for 18:34 of the game. Marshall quarterback Grant Wells only completed 25% of his passes. UAB running back Spencer Brown rushed for 149 yards.
YE OLDE STOMPING
GROUNDS:
Too much Corn liquor for the Knights – Nebraska 28, Rutgers 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Rutgers 23). Nebraska turnovers kept Rutgers in the game. The Huskers totally dominated the stats. Nebraska had 27 first downs to 9 for Rutgers. The Huskers had 365 rushing yards to 130 for the Scarlet Knights. Nebraska had 255 passing yards to 122 for Rutgers. And Nebraska controlled ball possession for 39:31. But the Huskers had four turnovers. Nebraska’s Dedrick Mills rushed for 191 yards and Adrian Martinez added 157 yards rushing.
Canceled – Vanderbilt at Georgia (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 42, Vanderbilt 12). The Vanderbilt at Georgia game was canceled to due COVID issues at Vanderbilt.
Canceled – Purdue at Indiana (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 28, Purdue 20). The Purdue at Indiana game was canceled for the second time this season because of COVID problems.
Week 16 Results: 7 winners, 3 fumbles (70 percent)
BOWLS:
Canceled – SMU vs. UTSA in the Frisco Bowl (Touchdown Tom said: SMU 36, UTSA 27). The Frisco Bowl between SMU and UTSA was canceled due to COVID problems at SMU.
Week 1 Bowl Results: 0 winners, 0 fumbles (0 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND
FLORIDA:
Florida State at Wake Forest – Canceled
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
San Jose State’s Nick Starkel – 32-52-0 for 453 yards (3TDs); LSU’s Max Johnson – 27-51-1-435 (3TDs); Alabama’s Mac Jones – 33-43-1-418 (5TDs); Florida’s Kyle Trask – 26-40-0-408 (3TDs), and Buffalo’s Kyle Vantrease – 29-42-1-365 (1TD).
Impressive Rushers:
Ohio State’s Trey Sermon – 331 yards (2TDs); UCLA’s Brittain Brown – 219 yards; Nebraska’s Dedrick Mills – 191 yards; Alabama’s Najee Harris – 178 yards (2TDs); Arizona State’s Rachaad White – 158 yards (2TDs), and Ole Miss’s Matt Corral – 158 yards (1TD).
Also, Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez – 157 yards (2TDs); Utah’s Ty Jordan – 154 yards (3TDs); Wisconsin’s Garrett Groshek – 154 yards (1TD); Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim – 151 yards, and UAB’s Spencer Brown – 149 yards.
Quotes of the Week
“I say this after spending literally the majority of my life in Alabama and covering Auburn all the time. It’s Auburn. That’s how they do things down there. There’s a small band of brothers who run the athletic department, and none of them go by the name of Allen Greene, who is the de facto AD. They like Kevin Steele. He’s one of them. He knows how to relate to them, and I’m sure some will suspect if he ends up being introduced in a couple days that maybe he did or did not help lead us to Gus Malzahn’s overthrow,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on the search for a new Auburn football coach.
“As of this hour, I’m not just giving you qualifiers, because things change, but as of this hour Kevin Steele is the favorite to get the job,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on the search for a new Auburn football coach.
“If I thought that my presence here was not something that was a positive for the University of Alabama, or with the program, with the players, then I’d say it would be time not to do it anymore,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, on when he will retire.
TT’s Annual Picks
My choice for “Coach of the Year” from each of the FBS conferences
AAC: Luke Fickell (Cincinnati); runner-up: Philip Montgomery (Tulsa)
My choice for 2020’s National “Coach of the Year”
- Brian Kelly – Notre Dame
- Luke Fickell – Cincinnati
- Jamey
Chadwell
– Coastal Carolina
2020’s “Most Surprising Team” (or Teams) from each of the FBS conferences
AAC: Tulsa
2020’s “Most Disappointing Team” (or Teams) from each of the FBS conferences
AAC: Navy
Your 2020 Conference Champions
AAC: Cincinnati
Touchdown Tom’s
Predictions for This Week’s Bowl Games
Appalachian State (8-3) vs. North Texas (4-5) – (Sun Belt vs. C-USA) – (Myrtle Beach Bowl – Conway, SC) – 2:30 pm ET, Monday, ESPN – North Texas won’t be much of an opponent for App State. Still, the Mean Green do know how to put points on the board. They just don’t know how to play defense. App State does. North Texas averages 515 yards a game on offense – 35 points a game. But they give up 509 yards a game on defense – 41 points a game. App State averages 32 points a game on offense, while only giving up 19 points a game on defense. The Green isn’t so Mean – Appalachian State 39, North Texas 22.
Tulane (6-5) vs. Nevada (6-2) – (AAC vs. MWC) – (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Boise, ID) – 3:30 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN – This should be a pretty good game. Nevada started out 5-0, then lost two or its last three games. The Wolf Pack have a good quarterback in Carson Strong. Tulane is more versatile. The Green Wave averaged 35 points a game. But they often can’t play two good halves. Tulane frequently has a good first half followed by a bad second half. Or the Green Wave will have a bad first half followed by a good second half. The Wave is tidal – Tulane 29, Nevada 25.
UCF (6-3) vs. BYU (101-1) – (AAC vs. Ind.) – (Boca Raton Bowl – Boca Raton, FL) – 7 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN – UCF was 2nd in the country in total offense, averaging 586 yards a game. The Knights also averaged 44 points a game. Most of that was the result of quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel threw for 3,353 yards this season. But the Knights defense gave up 31 points a game. BYU was good on offense too. The Cougars averaged 512 yards a game and 43 points a game. That was mostly the result of quarterback Zach Wilson who threw for 3,274 yards this season. The difference – BYU plays much better defense than UCF. The armor rusts – BYU 46, UCF 32.
Louisiana Tech (6-4) vs. Georgia Southern (7-5) – (C-USA vs. Sun Belt) – (New Orleans Bowl – New Orleans, LA) – 3 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN – This should be a good game too. Neither team is flashy. Both are just basic, down to earth teams. Georgia Southern began the season 6-2, then lost three of its last four games. But all five of their losses were close – four by eight or less points. These Dogs are timid – Georgia Southern 30, Louisiana Tech 25.
Memphis (7-3) vs. Florida Atlantic (5-3) – (AAC vs. C-USA) – (Montgomery Bowl – Montgomery, AL) – 7 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN – Memphis should have its way in this contest. FAU is no match for the Tigers. The Owls started out 5-1, then lost their last two games. FAU is much better on defense than offense. Memphis has a strong offense, but a weak defense. On offense quarterback Brady White passed for 3,096 yards this season. The Owl is fowl – Memphis 30, Florida Atlantic 19.
Hawaii (4-4) vs. Houston (3-4) – (MWC vs. AAC) – (New Mexico Bowl – Albuquerque, NM) – 3:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Houston averages 32 points a game. But the Cougars also give up 32 points a game. Just as bad on defense as they are good on offense. Hawaii is similar. The Rainbow Warriors average 26 points a game, but give up 29 points a game. Neither team is particularly flashy. The Cougars find gold at the end of the Rainbow – Houston 29, Hawaii 23.
Marshall (7-2) vs. Buffalo (5-1) – (C-USA vs. MAC) – (Camellia Bowl – Montgomery, AL) – 2:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – Marshall began its season at 6-0. Then the Herd lost two of its final three games. Marshall plays good offense and defense. The Herd averaged 31 points a game, while holding opponents to 13 points a game. Buffalo went undefeated during the season before losing to Ball State in the MAC championship game. The Bulls are powerful on offense, averaging 48 points a game. They were No. 1 in the country in rushing yards per game – 309. But Buffalo’s star running back Jaret Patterson injured his knee in the MAC title game. He may or may not play in the Camellia Bowl. On defense, Buffalo gives up 24 points a game. Marco bounces back – Marshall 30, Buffalo 27.
South Carolina (2-8) vs. UAB (6-3) – (SEC vs. C-USA) – (Gasparilla Bowl – Tampa, FL) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Under normal circumstances, South Carolina wouldn’t be in a bowl. But this is COVID year. So everybody is eligible. Quite frankly, the Gamecocks had a pretty dismal season and coach Will Muschamp was fired. In all statistics, offensive and defensive, South Carolina was one of the worst teams in FBS football. The defense gave up 36 points a game. UAB won the C-USA championship game. The Blazers have an outstanding running back in Spencer Brown. UAB averaged 28 points a game while giving up 21 points a game. Cocky catches a second wind – South Carolina 30, UAB 24.
Liberty (9-1) vs. Coastal Carolina (11-0) – (Ind. vs. Sun Belt) – (Cure Bowl – Orlando, FL) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – These two teams finally get together. They were supposed to play during the season, but the game was canceled due to COVID. Liberty is an explosive team on offense. The Flames average 38 points a game. They give up 19 points a game on defense. Meanwhile, Coastal Carolina had an awesome season – going undefeated and winning the Sun Belt Conference. The Chanticleers are identical to Liberty on offense and defense – averaging 38 points a game and giving up 19 points a game. The Rooster douses the Flame – Coastal Carolina 32, Liberty 29.
UTSA (7-4) vs. Louisiana (9-1) – (C-USA vs. Sun Belt) – (First Responder Bowl – Dallas, TX) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – UTSA was a surprise in 2020. The Roadrunners were picked to finish at or near the bottom of the C-USA West Division. Instead, they finished near the top. They have an excellent running back in Sincere McCormick, who rushed for 1,345 yards. Louisiana is an all-around good team. The Ragin’ Cajuns beat Iowa State in their opener this season. On offense, they average 34 points a game. The Roadrunners lose their beep-beep – Louisiana 31, UTSA 23.
Western Kentucky (5-6) vs. Georgia State (5-4) – (C-USA vs. Sun Belt) – (Lending Tree Bowl – Mobile, AL) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Georgia State is a better team than their record indicates. Three of the Panthers four losses were by four points or less. Georgia State averages 33 points a game and gives up 33 points a game. That’s balance on offense and defense. Western Kentucky was a weak team on offense – averaging 19 points a game. The defense wasn’t much better. No Hills are Topped in this game – Georgia State 32, Western Kentucky 22.
Touchdown Tom
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