College Football
Week 19 – Texas fires Herman, hires Sarkisian
Interceptions, a smashed trophy,
Uh, Dabo, who doesn’t belong in the playoff?
Yes, the year ended on a wild week. The uncanny occurrence of interceptions in bowl games, a shattered Lenox crystal trophy, Najee Harris running the high hurdles, the disgusting and disturbing fight between the Mississippi State and Tulsa players, and, oh my gosh, what Ohio State did to Clemson. It was like Sherman’s march to the sea.
From the outcome of the two CFP semifinal games it doesn’t appear that either ACC team – Notre Dame or Clemson – belonged in the playoff.
Alabama wasted no time dismantling Notre Dame, jumping out to a 14-0 first quarter lead that grew to a 31-7 fourth quarter lead. Ultimately, the Tide dispatched the Irish, 31-14, in the Rose Bowl (that was played in Arlington, Texas).
In the other CFP semifinal game, Ohio State soared to a 31-14 halftime lead and racked up 639 total yards en route to the Buckeyes 49-28 mauling of Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. In short, Ohio State’s offense simply overpowered Clemson’s defense. They mauled them. The Buckeyes were out for revenge and they got it.
Alabama’s terrific trio of Mac Jones, Najee Harris and DeVonta Smith lived up to their billing. They didn’t disappoint. Jones was 25-for-30, passing for 297 yards and four touchdowns. Harris not only rushed for 125 yards but he also made a spectacular leap, high-hurdling over a Notre Dame defender en route to a 53-yard run that set up an Alabama touchdown. And Smith had seven receptions for 130 yards, scoring three touchdowns. Not bad, huh? Even Alabama coach Nick Saban got in on the action when he was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Well, Ohio State countered with its own terrific trio – Justin Fields, Trey Sermon and Chris Olave. They didn’t disappoint either. Fields was 22-for-28, passing for 385 yards and six touchdowns. Sermon rushed for 193 yards and one touchdown. And Olave had six receptions for 132 yards, scoring two touchdowns. Not bad. The only thing missing was Ohio State coach Ryan Day failing to get called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Or Clemson coach Dabo Swinney saying, “I think I made a mistake placing Ohio State 11th on my Coaches Poll ballot.”
So the stage is set. Ohio State vs. Alabama (Ryan Day vs. Nick Saban) for the national championship – 8 pm ET, Monday, January 11, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The game will be televised by ESPN. In the opening odds, Alabama is a 7-point favorite over Ohio State.
Losing to Ohio State, Clemson suffered its worst bowl loss since West Virginia beat the Tigers, 70-33, in the 2011 Orange Bowl. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has now lost seven straight BCS/New Year’s Six bowl games since 2000. The Irish have lost those games by an average of 23 points.
What was up with all the interceptions that were thrown during some of the bowl games? I mean weird situations with the interceptions. In the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman, who had only thrown five interceptions all season, threw four interceptions in the game. He not only threw four interceptions, but he threw them on four successive drives, all in the second half. Wisconsin capitalized on all four interceptions, scoring four touchdowns. Midway through the third quarter, Wisconsin was trailing Wake Forest 21-14. By midway through the fourth quarter, the Badgers were leading the Demon Deacons, 42-21. Wisconsin won the game, 42-28.
In the Cotton Bowl Classic, Florida quarterback Kyle Trask, who had only thrown five interceptions all season, threw three interceptions in the game. He not only threw three interceptions, but he threw them on Florida’s first three drives, all in the first quarter. Oklahoma took advantage of all threw inceptions, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal. Just like that, Oklahoma was up 17-0. The Sooners went on to win, 55-20.
In the Arizona Bowl, San Jose State entered the game undefeated. But Spartans quarterback Nick Starkel, who had only thrown four interceptions all season, threw three interceptions in the game. San Jose State lost to Ball State, 34-13. In the Armed Forces Bowl, Tulsa quarterback Zach Smith threw two interceptions and favored Tulsa lost by two points to Mississippi State, 28-26.
West Virginia quarterback Jaret Doege only threw one interception in the Liberty Bowl. But that interception, plus a fumble, all in the first half, got him benched at halftime. Doege was replaced by backup quarter Austin Kendall. Trailing Army, 14-10, at halftime, West Virginia went on to win the game, 24-21.
Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz didn’t throw any interceptions in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, but he was responsible for a major fumble. Celebrating the Badgers victory in the locker room after the game, Mertz dropped the Duke’s Mayo Bowl trophy. The Lenox crystal trophy hit the floor and shattered into many pieces. I guess that’s why Mertz is a quarterback and not a receiver.
Unfortunately, the bowl season experienced an ugly incident following the Armed Forces Bowl between Mississippi State and Tulsa. It was actually ugly when the teams took the field to limber up and work out before the game started. The chippiness continued throughout the game – 18 penalties – and culminated in an all-out brawl after the game – slugging, punching, stomping, cleating, etc. To make matters worse, neither coach made any attempt to stop the brawl. Mike Leach and Philip Montgomery were AWOL. Police had to come onto the field.
College football can’t tolerate this. There was a bad scene during the season in Gainesville after the Missouri-Florida game. Not nearly as bad as what happened between Mississippi State and Tulsa, but bad all the same. Note that these two incidents involved three SEC teams. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey needs to have a pow-wow with SEC athletic directors and football coaches. He needs to lay the law down. He needs to do what has to be done to put an end to it. Mike Leach and Dan Mullen are loose cannons.
Last week began with Iowa players and fans taking to social media to torch Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Mizzou players for causing the Music City Bowl to be canceled due to COVID problems at Missouri. Among other things, they attacked Drinkwitz for allowing the Mizzou players to go home for Christmas, commenting if you really wanted to play in the bowl game, you shouldn’t have let your players go home.
Apparently, most schools going to bowl games didn’t let their players go home for Christmas. Missouri did and Iowa players and fans interpreted that as a lack of responsibility. They tweeted if you are going to let your players run lose, then you never should have accepted a bowl bid in the first place. They attacked Drinkwitz for not being a leader. Iowa was some kind of pissed. That’s for sure. And understandably so. After starting the season 0-2, the Hawkeyes finished up winning their last six games. Iowa was on a winning streak. Meanwhile, Missouri lost its last two games by a combined 54 points. Yeah, Missouri never should have accepted a bowl bid.
In this age of social media and with everyone’s patience running thin and being on edge during this COVID-plagued year, it became commonplace for college football fans to find fault with a coach. And with the availability of social media, they found it quickly and easily. Each week during the season it became routine for a coach, or two, to be torched on the Internet.
The fans were emotional, spouting their anger. Sometimes the anger wore off after a week, especially if the coach won the following week. Fans only remember and react to the last game. But, unfortunately, for some coaches the anger persisted for most or all of the season.
One such coach was South Carolina’s Will Muschamp. After the Gamecocks lost their season opener, 31-27, at home to Tennessee, Muschamp immediately became a target of abuse on social media. Four weeks later, when South Carolina lost to LSU, 52-24, Muschamp again was a target. When the Gamecocks lost, 48-3, the next week at home to Texas A&M, he had become a fixture on social media and not for positive reasons.
Some coaches just a made brief appearances on social media. The season had just begun when first-year Florida State coach Mike Norvell started off on the wrong foot with FSU fans. At home, in its opener, Florida State was up 10-0 on a weak Georgia Tech team at halftime. But the Noles had a tough second half. FSU lost to the Georgia Tech, 16-13. Norvell became the target of abuse on social media. And not once but twice. Two weeks later, Norvell again was being torched. This time when, all in the same week, three FSU players announced they were entering the transfer portal and Norvell announced he had Coronavirus. As a result, Norvell watched the FSU at Miami (Florida) game from home on the television. A game Florida State lost, 52-10. Although FSU never improved during the season, Norvell no longer appeared on social media. Florida State fans became apathetic about football, resolved to the fact that Florida State is a basketball school and no longer a football school. That’s what my friend Tim Muth told me.
Occasionally, it was a school, and not the coach, that was torched on social media. Just ask Nebraska. When the Big Ten announced it was canceling the football season, Nebraska screamed like a spoiled little child. The Huskers were going to play non-conference games. They threatened to join another conference. They threatened to sue the Big Ten. However, when the Big Ten changed its mind and announced an eight-game, conference only schedule, Nebraska should have been happy. But, instead, the Huskers again screamed like a spoiled little child. “We have to play both Ohio State and Penn State from the Big Ten East Division. That’s not fair.” College football fans from all over the country flooded social media, chiding the Huskers. “I thought you wanted to play football, Nebraska. You should be thankful the Big Ten didn’t make you play Ohio State twice.”
Even winning coaches known for their victories weren’t always above reproach. They were subject to the poison pen too. Just ask Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley. After the Sooners lost back to back games to Kansas State, 38-35, and to Iowa State, 37-30, Riley was the victim of attacks on social media. Fortunately for Riley, Oklahoma won the rest of its regular season games and beat Iowa State, 27-21, in a rematch in the Big 12 championship game. The Kansas State and Iowa State losses were quickly forgotten.
Texas coach Tom Herman went through his share of abuse on social media. First, when the Longhorns lost to TCU, 33-31. Then again when Texas lost to Iowa State, 23-20.
Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher even felt the heat on social media, following the Aggies 52-24 loss to Alabama. Then Texas A&M won the rest of its games and all was forgotten. But all was not forgotten at Tennessee. It began when the Vols lost to Kentucky, 34-7. Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt was blasted on social media. Tennessee went 1-5 after the Kentucky loss and Pruitt continued to be roasted.
Two defensive coordinators were subject to torchings on social media. Florida DC Todd Grantham was feeling the pressure, following Florida’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M. And LSU DC Bo Pelini was the target of ridicule, after the Tigers lost to Missouri, 45-41.
Following Auburn’s 30-22 loss to South Carolina, Tigers coach Gus Malzahn was ripped and torn to pieces by Auburn fans. After losses to Michigan State (27-24) and to Wisconsin (49-11), Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh could find no love from Wolverines fans on the Internet.
West Virginia coach Neal Brown was subject to ridicule from Mountaineer fans, not once but twice during the season. Brown faced abuse on social media after the West Virginia lost to Texas Tech, 17-13, and again when WVU lost to Iowa State, 42-6.
Penn State coach James Franklin faced rare abuse when from Nittany Lions fans after Penn State fell to Nebraska, 30-23. And speaking of Nebraska, Huskers coach Scott Frost received a load of animosity when Nebraska lost to Illinois, 41-23. Husker fans continued to torch Frost when Nebraska lost to Iowa, 27-20, and to Minnesota, 24-17.
Even Syracuse coach Dino Babers couldn’t escape the heat on the Internet, when the Orange fell to NC State, 36-29. Two Big 12 coaches – Kansas State’s Chris Klieman and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy – were the victims of anger after the Wildcats suffered an embarrassing loss to Texas, 69-31, and the Cowboys fell to TCU, 29-22.
Florida coach Dan Mullen was ripped from one end to the other on social media, following LSU’s 37-34 upset of the Gators. More recently, Houston coach Dana Holgerson lost the support of a lot of Cougars fans, when Hawaii beat Houston, 28-14, in the New Mexico Bowl.
Most recently, Dan Mullen, again, and the ACC were the targets of abuse and jokes. Mullen, after Florida’s loss to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, and the ACC for going 0-6 in bowl games.
Now obviously, most of those coaches mentioned above had nothing to worry about. Fans will be fans. But four of the coaches, who lit up social media, weren’t so fortunate. South Carolina coach Will Muschamp was fired before the season was over. Then, in a bit of a surprise, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn was fired. To Malzahn’s credit, he did make it to the end of the season. LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini made it to the end of the season too, but ultimately, he was fired by Ed Orgeron.
Then, in the shocker, Texas announced on Saturday that Tom Herman had been fired. After Urban Meyer turned down Texas and the Longhorns ended their season with big wins over Kansas State (69-31) and Colorado (55-23) in the Alamo Bowl everyone thought Herman was safe for at least another year. Herman was 32-18 in four seasons in Austin. Texas even outdid Auburn. The Longhorns are paying $24 million for Herman to go away. Auburn paid $20 million for Malzahn to go away.
The verdict may not be in for one coach. Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is on life support in Gainesville. Dan Mullen could be pondering a decision. However, recent reports say that Grantham is safe. Stay tuned!
Grantham may be safe, but Florida coach Dan Mullen did fire two of Grantham’s defensive staff members. Defensive back coaches Torrian Gray and Ron English were terminated. The Gators finished next to last nationally among FBS teams, with 28 touchdown passes allowed this season. Florida’s defense gave up 31 points a game.
On Monday, we may have gotten a precursor to the Heisman Trophy presentation. The Associated Press named Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith as college football’s player of the year. He is the first receiver to win the award since it was established in 1998. In what could be a preview to the Heisman Trophy outcome, Smith finished ahead of his teammate, quarterback Mac Jones, in the voting. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence came in third, followed by Florida quarterback Kyle Trask at fourth. Stay tuned! The Heisman Trophy ceremony will be a virtual presentation televised at 7 pm ET, Tuesday on ESPN.
Also on Monday, Coastal Carolina coach Jamie Chadwell was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year in college football. Chadwell beat out Indiana coach Tom Allen who came in second in the voting. Allen was followed by Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell and Alabama coach Nick Saban. San Jose State coach Brent Brennan was fifth. Of those five coaches, four lost their bowl games. Only Saban was a winner.
Following a two-day break, the bowl games resumed on Tuesday, with two contests. One was a close game; the other was a blowout. In the first encounter, Oklahoma State held off Miami (Florida), 37-34, in the Cheez-It Bowl.
The second game was close in the first half but not in the second half. Texas led Colorado, 17-10 at halftime in the Alamo Bowl. But the Longhorns outscored the Buffaloes, 38-13 in the second half. Texas smashed Colorado, 55-23. Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 183 yards.
Two quarterbacks were injured in the Cheez-It and Alamo Bowls – Miami’s D’Eriq King and Texas’ Sam Ehlinger. King injured his right knee late in second quarter and was out for the rest of the game. He will undergo surgery on his knee and will miss spring practice. King is expected to be back for fall camp in August. Ehlinger didn’t play in the second half of the Alamo Bowl due to a shoulder sprain he received in the first half.
The best player on Wisconsin’s team in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl was Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman. With Wisconsin trailing Wake Forest 21-14 in the third quarter, Hartman threw four successive interceptions on four successive series. Wisconsin turned each interception into a touchdown. The Badgers scored 28 unanswered points. With 9:24 to go in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin led the Demon Deacons, 42-21. The Deacs added a touchdown with 0:06 on the clock and Wisconsin beat Wake Forest, 42-28.
In the second bowl game on Wednesday, Florida played its worst game of the season in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Missing his four top receivers, who opted-out of the game, Gators quarterback Kyle Trask misfired on his passes, throwing three-straight interceptions on Florida’s first three drives. Oklahoma took advantage of each one, building up a quick 17-0 lead over the Gators. Florida mounted a mild rally, pulling within four points. With 6:05 to go in the second quarter, the Gators trailed, 17-13. Then it was all Oklahoma for the rest of the game. The Sooners scored 31 unanswered points to take a 55-13 lead with 6:11 to go in the game. Florida scored one last touchdown, a 27-yard pass from freshman quarterback Anthony Richardson to Jordan Pouncey. Oklahoma trashed Florida, 55-20.
Remember the Friday Night Fights that used to be on TV years ago? Brought to you by Gillette. I know, some of you aren’t old enough. Well, on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, Mississippi State and Tulsa gave us the Thursday Afternoon Fights. Brought to you by ESPN. Instead of a football field, these two teams should have been in an expanded UFC ring. The whole scene before, during and after the Armed Forces Bowl was an embarrassment to college football. The SEC should severely punish and fine Mississippi State and its coach Mike Leach. The AAC should severely punish and fine Tulsa and its coach Philip Montgomery. The NCAA should issue punishments and fines too. Both schools should be banned from bowl games for the next one or two years. Some of the players from the two teams should be banned from playing college football. Oh yeah, Mississippi State beat Tulsa, 28-26, in the appropriately named Armed Forces Bowl.
The clock struck 12 for San Jose State. The Spartans perfect season came to an end in the Arizona Bowl. Entering the game at 7-0, San Jose State lost to Ball State, 34-13. And hats off to Ball State. After losing their opening game of the season, the Cardinals went on to win seven-straight games and finish at 7-1.
Army scored 14 points in the first half. West Virginia scored 14 points in the second half. When the game was over, West Virginia beat Army, 24-21, in the Liberty Bowl. Army came into the game as the 5th best rushing team in the country, averaging 275 yards a game on offense. WVU’s defense held Army to 182 yards rushing. Army’s defense came into the game No. 1 in the country in total yards allowed – 273 yards a game – and 2nd in the country in points allowed at 15 points a game. WVU had 322 total yards and scored 24 points against the Cadets.
Army-West Virginia was the last college football game played in 2020.
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2021.
Cincinnati-Georgia was the first football game played in 2021. The two teams met in the Peach Bowl. Cincinnati led Georgia 14-10 at the half, and 21-10 early in the third quarter. But that was it for the Bearcats. Cincinnati couldn’t handle the pressure of the Peach Bowl. The Bearcats were an undisciplined team. Then, up 21-19, with 1:34 left in the game, Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell called the dumbest play in the world. All Cincinnati needed was a first down to win the game. Georgia had no timeouts left. With a third-and two on their own 40-yard line, Cincinnati attempted a down-field pass. It was incomplete. The Bearcats defense couldn’t hold Georgia. The Dawgs drove into field goal range and Jack Podlesny kicked a 53-yard field goal. As time expired, Georgia got a safety. Georgia beat Cincinnati, 24-21.
Well, this was to be expected in the Citrus Bowl. Northwestern beat Auburn, 35-19. Auburn came into the game with an interim coach who wanted to be the full-time coach but was turned down for the job. I can’t imagine that the interim coach or the Auburn players were fired up. Obviously, they weren’t. After the game, new Auburn coach Bryan Harsin revealed that he would not keep Auburn defensive coordinator and interim head coach Kevin Steele on his staff.
Saturday, we learned that new Arizona coach Jedd Fisch hired Brennan Carroll as the Wildcats offensive coordinator. Carroll is the son of Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
Shortly after hearing that Texas fired Tom Herman, reports surfaced that Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian had been hired as the new coach at Texas. Previously, Sarkisian has been a head coach at Washington and USC.
There were four games on January 2, the last day of the bowl season. It began with the Gator Bowl where Kentucky survived NC State, 23-21. The Wildcats jumped out to a 13-0 first half lead and then fought off NC State’s rally in the second half.
Next up, also in Florida at the Outback Bowl, Ole Miss survived a serious Indiana rally. Ole Miss beat Indiana, 26-20. The Magnolias led the Hoosiers 20-6 in the fourth quarter. But Indiana rallied to tie the game at 20-20. With 4:12 to go in the game, Ole Miss scored its winning touchdown on a three-yard pass from Matt Corral to Dontario Drummond.
In the only game Saturday that took place outside of Florida on January 2, Iowa State downed Oregon, 34-17 in the Fiesta Bowl. The Cyclones Breece Hall rushed for 136 yards.
Back in Florida, for the final bowl game of the season, Texas A&M saved the best for last to beat North Carolina, 41-27,in the Orange Bowl. Trailing the Tar Heels, 27-20, with less than 11 minutes to go in the game, the Aggies proceeded to score 21 unanswered points. After the game, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher pulled a hamstring, running away from the Gatorade bucket.
So when the bowls were all said and done, the best among the Power Five conferences was the Big 12 at 5-0. The SEC and the Big Ten were also good at 6-2 and 3-1 respectively. The worst conference among the Power Five in college football this season was the ACC. The ACC finished 0-6 in bowl games. The Pac-12 was close behind at 0-2.
In the Group of Five, the Sun Belt Conference had the best record at 4-1. The MAC and MWC were close behind at 2-0 and 2-1 respectively. At the bottom and the worst among the Group of Five were C-USA at 0-6 and the AAC at 1-5.
Sunday, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore officially removed himself as a candidate for the Boise State coaching job. Moore is staying with the Cowboys program. Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos is now the favorite to get the Boise State job. Avalos is a former Boise State player.
But speaking of candidates, apparently former South Carolina coach Will Muschamp is a strong candidate to be Steve Sarkisian’s defensive coordinator at Texas.
Week 19’s Winners: Oklahoma running back Rhamondre Stevenson, Ball State coach Mike Neu, and Ohio State running back Trey Sermon. Week 19’s Losers: Missouri, Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl trophy, Mississippi State and Tulsa.
Who can forget
Mary Ann on the TV show “Gilligan’s Island?” Dawn Wells died last week.
Wells was a graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in theater
arts and design. She was Miss Nevada in the 1960 Miss America Pageant. Dawn
Elberta Wells, a native of Reno, Nevada, was 82. Wells death leaves Tina
Louise, who played Ginger on the show, as the last surviving cast member of
“Gilligan’s Island.”
Phyllis McGuire, the lead singer and last surviving member of the McGuire Sisters trio, died last week. Ten songs by the McGuire sisters made Billboard’s Top 20 in the 1950s and early 1960s, including two No. 1 hits “Sincerely” (1955) and “Sugartime” (1957). Phyllis McGuire, a native of Middletown, Ohio, was 89.
Just yesterday, Gerry Marsden, the leader of the Merseybeat band Gerry and the Pacemakers, died. Gerry and the Pacemakers had a half dozen Top 20 hits in 1964 and 1965, including “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying,” “How Do You Do It,” “I Like It” and “Ferry Cross the Mersey.” Gerry Marsden, a native of Liverpool, England, was 78.
I also remember when Paul Westphal played basketball for USC. Westphal, a college and NBA basketball player, coach and commentator, died Saturday. As a player, he had a 12-year career in the NBA, playing three seasons for the Boston Celtics and six seasons for the Phoenix Suns. He coached Pepperdine University and three NBA teams. Paul Douglas Westphal, a native of Torrance, California, was 70.
And I’m also remembering Floyd Little, who I saw play when I was in college. Little, an All-American running back for Syracuse University and an All-Pro running back for the Denver Broncos of the AFL/NFL, died. He played nine seasons for the Broncos (1967-1975). Floyd Douglas Little, a native of New Haven, Connecticut, was 78.
When I was a freshman at West Virginia, the Mountaineers last game that season was in Morgantown against Syracuse. It was a cold November day in 1964. There were snow flurries in the air and the temperature at kickoff was 24. I watched the game with my friend John Cummings and his girlfriend. John was a sophomore at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Syracuse entered the game at 7-2. West Virginia was 5-4. The Syracuse backfield consisted of Jim Nance and Floyd Little. Nance was a senior and Little was a sophomore. Syracuse at the time was coached by Ben Schwartzwalder. Schwartzwalder was a native of Point Pleasant, West Virginia and grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, my hometown. He graduated from West Virginia University, where he played football.
At halftime, West Virginia trailed Syracuse. 21-7. But the Mountaineers put on a rally in the second half. At the midway point in the fourth quarter, West Virginia trailed Syracuse, 27-22. With 6:00 to go in the game, WVU quarterback Allen McCune connected with receiver Bob Dunlevy on a 50-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but West Virginia led Syracuse 28-27. The final six minutes were tense, but WVU held on, keeping Syracuse out of the end zone. In the end, West Virginia won, 28-27. Floyd Little rushed for 96 yards that day. Jim Nance had 163 yards rushing.
Is Urban Meyer
going to the Jacksonville Jaguars?....Is Dan Mullen going to the New
York Jets?....Is Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald going to the NFL?....Wouldn’t
it be ironic if Tom Herman became the offensive coordinator at Alabama?
Stay tuned!
Note: The next College Football Week – CFW – Week 20 – will be posted on Tuesday morning, January 12, the morning after the CFP national championship game.
Happy New Year!
Touchdown Tom
Review of the Bowls
Cowboys escape the Hurricane (in the Cheez-It Bowl) – Oklahoma State 37, Miami (Florida) 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 29, Miami 24). The first quarter was a blowout for Oklahoma State. As the second quarter began, the Cowboys were up 21-0. But Miami came back. At halftime, Miami was just trailing by 11 points – 21-10. Midway through the third quarter, Miami only trailed by two points, 21-19. Then Okie State woke up and scored 10 unanswered points. Early in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys led the Canes, 31-19. Miami scored next and trailed, 31-26, with 12:03 to go in the game. Okie State scored. The Cowboys were back up by 11 – 37-26. But the Canes weren’t finished. With 5:39 on the clock, Miami scored a touchdown and were successful on a two-point conversion. The Canes were down by three. Ultimately, Okie State held off Miami in the closing minutes of the game. In the end, Oklahoma State beat Miami, 37-34. Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders was 27-for-40, passing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. Oklahoma State finished its season at 8-3.
Bevo is a Lone Star (in the Alamo Bowl) – Texas 55, Colorado 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Colorado 21). The teams combined for 1,016 total yards. Texas had 638 of those yards. The Longhorns played two quarterbacks – Sam Ehlinger and Casey Thompson. Together they passed for 330 yards and five touchdowns. Colorado was guilty of three turnovers. Texas finished its season at 7-3.
Four picks – (in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl) – Wisconsin 42, Wake Forest 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Wake Forest 18). Amazingly, Wake Forest had 518 total yards to just 267 for Wisconsin. Yet, the Badgers won. Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman threw for 318 yards, but he also threw four interceptions. Wisconsin finished its season at 4-3.
Canceled (in the Music City Bowl) Iowa vs. Missouri – (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 33, Missouri 22). The Music City Bowl between Iowa and Missouri was canceled due to COVID problems at Missouri.
The Sooners went Gator hunting (in the Cotton Bowl Classic) – Oklahoma 55, Florida 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 41, Florida 40). In short, Florida opted-out of the game. The Gators top four receivers who accounted for 34 touchdowns this season, didn’t play in the game. They were opt-outs. The teams combined for 1,205 total yards – 684 by Oklahoma. The Sooners had 435 yards rushing. OU running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 186 yards. OU running back Marcus Major had 110 yards rushing. After Kyle Trask’s three interceptions, Gators quarterback Emory Jones played much of the game. On Florida’s final drive of the game at the end of the fourth quarter, Gator fans got a look into Florida’s future. Freshman quarterback Anthony Richardson led the Gators down the field to their final touchdown. OU quarterback Spencer Rattler passed for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Oklahoma finished its season at 9-2.
Footbrawl – (in the Armed Forces Bowl) – Mississippi State 28, Tulsa 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulsa 27, Mississippi State 20). And it was footbrawl too, as players were using their feet during the fight, stomping and cleating opponents. Miss State won the game with only 271 yards of total offense. Tulsa had 484 yards. Tulsa also had 27 first downs to 16 for Miss State. But the Golden Tornadoes had two turnovers and the Bulldogs had none. Mississippi State finished its season at 4-7.
Starkel didn’t sparkle – (in the Arizona Bowl) – Ball State 34, San Jose State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: San Jose State 30, Ball State 22). Give Ball State’s defense credit. The Cardinals held the Spartans to 69 yards rushing and 278 yards passing. Usually, San Jose State Nick Starkel has well over 300 yards passing. Ball State finished its season at 7-1.
Defense (in the Liberty Bowl) – West Virginia 24, Army 21 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Army 22). Neither team displayed much offense. The teams combined for only 561 total yards. WVU only had 42 yards rushing. Trailing Army 14-10 at halftime, WVU replaced starting quarterback Jarret Doege with second-string quarterback Austin Kendall at the start of the second half. Doege was responsible for two turnovers in the first half. Kendall played the rest of the game. He threw WVU’s winning touchdown pass – a 20-yarder to T.J. Simmons, with 5:10 to go in the game. West Virginia finished its season at 6-4.
Canceled (in the Texas Bowl) – TCU vs. Arkansas (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 33, Arkansas 24). The Texas Bowl between TCU and Arkansas game was canceled was canceled due to COVID problems at TCU.
Patience (in the Peach Bowl) – Georgia 24, Cincinnati 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Cincinnati 22). Georgia’s defense held Cincinnati to 308 total yards. Coming into the game, Cincinnati was averaging 453 total yards a game. Georgia only had 46 yards rushing. But the Dawgs had 404 yards passing. Georgia quarterback J.T. Daniels passed for 392 yards. Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder was worthless. Georgia finished its season at 8-2.
Aubie’s wasn’t a Wildcat. He was a Pussycat – (in the Citrus Bowl) – Northwestern 35, Auburn 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 25, Auburn 20). Northwestern played keep away from Auburn. The Wildcats dominated time of possession 35:42 to 24:18. Northwestern had 457 total yards, holding Auburn to just 61 yards rushing. Northwestern quarterback Peyton Ramsey was 24-for-35, passing for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Northwestern finished its season at 7-2.
Smithed (in the Rose Bowl) – Alabama 31, Notre Dame 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 38, Notre Dame 17). It was worse than it looks. Alabama was up 31-7 in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame scored a touchdown with 0:56 left in the game. Both teams had 24 first downs. Alabama quarterback Mac Jones completed 83% of his passes. Alabama’s record is 12-0, with one game remaining.
Dabo was creamed (in the Sugar Bowl) – Ohio State 49, Clemson 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 34, Ohio State 21). The teams combined for 1,083 total yards, but Ohio State had 639 of those yards. The Buckeyes defense held Clemson to 44 yards rushing. Ohio State dominated time of possession, 34:05 to 25:55. Clemson had two turnovers; Ohio State had one. Ohio State’s record is 7-0, with one game remaining.
Oh, the sun shines bright (in the Gator Bowl) – Kentucky 23, NC State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, Kentucky 25). Neither team demonstrated much offense. Both played pretty good defense. Kentucky held NC State to 50 yards rushing. NC State held Kentucky to 99 yards passing. The Wolfpack had three turnovers. The Wildcats had none. Kentucky running back Asim Rose rushed for 148 yards. Kentucky finished its season at 5-6.
Corraled (Outback Bowl) – Ole Miss 26, Indiana 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 34, Ole Miss 30). Indiana controlled the ball – 35:41 – but the Hoosiers couldn’t control the outcome. Indiana also had two turnovers to none for Ole Miss. The Magnolias had 493 total yards. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral passed for 342 of those yards. Ole Miss finished its season at 5-5.
No quack in the attack (in the Fiesta Bowl) – Iowa State 34, Oregon 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa State 30, Oregon 27). The difference was in the second quarter when Iowa State outscored Oregon, 21-10. In all other quarters the teams were pretty even. The Cyclones dominated time of possession – 42:48 to 17:12. Oregon had four turnovers to none for Iowa State. Iowa State finished its season at 9-3.
Jimbo escapes the Gatorade (in the Orange Bowl) – Texas A&M 41, North Carolina 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 35, North Carolina 34). Texas A&M had a running and passing game. North Carolina only had a passing game. A&M’s Devon Achane rushed for 140 yards. The Tar Heels only had 90 yards rushing. Aggies receiver Ainias Smith had six receptions for 125 yards. Texas A&M finished its season at 9-1.
Week 3 Bowl Results: 10 winners; 5 fumbles (66.7 percent)
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence – 33-48-1 for 400 yards (2TDs); Georgia’s J.T. Daniels – 26-38-1-393 (1TD); Ohio State’s Justin Fields – 22-28-1-385 (6TDs); Tulsa’s Zach Smith – 26-46-2-347 (1TD), and Ole Miss’s Matt Corral – 30-44-0-342 (2TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
Ohio State’s Trey Sermon – 193 yards (1TD); Oklahoma’s Rhamondre Stevenson – 186 yards (1TD); Texas’ Bijan Robinson – 183 yards (1TD); Kentucky’s Asim Rose – 148 yards; Texas A&M’s Devon Achane – 140 yards (2TDs), and Iowa State’s Breece Hall – 136 yards (2TDs).
Quotes of the Week
“And so, for us to be belittled and beleaguered on social media, for our players to be challenged because they went home for Christmas is unfair. And if they want to direct that, ultimately as the head coach, you can place that blame on my shoulders. I’m disappointed and I apologize to Iowa for not getting our guys to the finish line,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, responding to criticism directed at Missouri for causing the Music City Bowl to be canceled.
“He seems to always know what the other team is doing. Why that is I don’t really know. But I can tell you he’s been doing it for a long time. They’ll steal your signals. It’s not a very well-kept secret,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day, accusing Clemson’s Dabo Swinney of stealing the other team’s signals.
“This is a black eye for the sport. It’s as bad as it can be,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, on the fight between the Mississippi State and Tulsa players after the Armed Forces bowl.
“You look at this fight and it is a bad thing for college football. This shouldn’t happen. Everybody can understand that. The bigger picture of this, for Mississippi State particularly first year coach Mike Leach – who are you going to be? What’s your program going to be about? Is it going to be about making videos in the locker room, celebrating the fight? Or are you going to be about football? Mississippi State has some questions to answer about the direction of its program,” ESPN’s Rece Davis.
“I think we all agree this is an embarrassment. Not just for these two teams but for college football. There are fights in college football, but to this level where the police are coming in and people need to be arrested. There needs to be consequences to send a message, not just to these coaches and to these players, but to the entire country that this will not be tolerated. I hope the powers to be will drop some serious fines on the coaches and drop some suspensions on some of the players,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit.
“It’s embarrassing for college football. It’s not a good look for either program. Where was Mike Leach? Where was his coaching staff at the end of the game,?” ESPN’s Desmond Howard.
“The fact that you jump up and cleat somebody, you should be kicked out of the sport,” ESPN’s David Pollack.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what Dabo’s answer is when they ask him if he still thinks Ohio State is the 11th best team in the country,” NBA player LeBron James.
“I love Boise State. I will always root for them. I hope one day to be a part of the program again. We are building something special here in Dallas. I am thankful to the Jones family and Mike McCarthy for providing me with the opportunity to coach these special players. I am excited for us to put it all together and finish the job,” Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, on his decision to remain with the Cowboys and not become the head coach at Boise State.
Tweet of the Week
“Now that he has lost Steve Sarkisian, maybe Nick Saban will hire Gus Malzahn to be his new offensive coordinator.”
Touchdown Tom’s
Prediction for
Ohio State (7-0) vs. Alabama (12-0) – (Big Ten vs. SEC) – 8 pm ET, Monday, ESPN – Both of these teams know what they have to do to win the game. Ohio State has the daunting task of trying to stop Mac Jones, Najee Harris and DeVonta Smith. No one else has been able to stop them. On the other hand, Alabama has the daunting task of trying to stop Justin Fields, Trey Sermon and Chris Olave. No one else has been able to stop them. Just ask Dabo. And if Alabama and Ohio State have a weakness, slight as it is, it’s defense. So we could see a ton of points on the scoreboard. This will be a game of strategy. Sark goes out a winner – Alabama 31, Ohio State 28.
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but on the 4th day of the New Year, as college football fans were still celebrating bowl wins, commiserating over bowl losses, worrying about New Year’s resolutions and going back to work or school, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1946 was “Symphony” by Freddy Mann and His Orchestra, and “I Can’t Begin To Tell You” by Bing Crosby
…70 years ago this week in 1951 was “The Tennessee Waltz” by Patti Page
…65 years ago this week in 1956 was “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford, and “Memories Are Made Of This” by Dean Martin
…60 years ago this week in 1961 was “Are You Lonesome Tonight” by Elvis Presley
…55 years ago this week in 1966 was “The Sound Of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel
…50 years ago this week in 1971 was “My Sweet Lord”/”Isn’t It A Pity” by George Harrison
…45 years ago this week in 1976 was “Saturday Night” by Bay City Rollers
…40 years ago this week in 1981 was “(Just Like) Starting Over” by John Lennon
…35 years ago this week in 1986 was “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie
…30 years ago this week in 1991 was “Justify My Love” by Madonna
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