College Football
Week 2 – BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF to the Big 12
Heaven…. I’m in
Heaven
“And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
The Gus Bus got rolling in Orlando, while the Mack Attack flopped in Blacksburg. And speaking of roll, the Tide continues to. Little Kiffy tested positive. Florida may have found a new starting quarterback, while Nebraska found a team it can beat. In Starkville, Mike Leach is breathing a sigh of relief.
Oklahoma doesn’t appear to have a defense, but Georgia and Penn State do. Just ask Clemson and Wisconsin. Indiana is overrated and Montana is on cloud nine. Speaking of cloud nine, Chip Kelly finally has something to smile about. And yes, they keep roiling out the quarterbacks in Tuscaloosa. By the way, Sam Howell won’t win the Heisman.
College football 2021 is underway. Opening weekend was full of excitement, fun and surprises.
“Heaven….I’m in heaven!”
After a two hour rain delay Thursday night in Orlando, the Gus Bus got off to a dubious start. In fact, it didn’t start at all. Two minutes and 10 seconds into the second quarter, Gus Malzahn’s UCF Knights trailed Boise State, 21-0.
Quite frankly, it didn’t look good for UCF. On the sideline, Malzahn wasn’t looking too good either. But fortunately for the Knights, the engine cranked over and the Gus Bus got rolling. Just one minute and 27 seconds after the Broncos went up 21-0, UCF scored its first touchdown. The Knights went on to outscore Boise State, 36-10, and beat the Broncos, 36-31. In support of Malzahn, Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl was in attendance at the game. Malzahn and Pearl are buds.
The same night in the Twin Cities, Ohio State got off to a dubious start too. After the Buckeyes jumped out to a 10-0 early second quarter lead over Minnesota, the Gophers came back and led Ohio State at halftime, 14-10.
Getting into the latter half of the third quarter, Minnesota led the Buckeyes, 21-17. But that’s when Brutus said enough of this crap. During the remainder of the game, Ohio State outscored Minnesota, 28-10. The Buckeyes beat the Gophers, 45-31.
Elsewhere Thursday night, Nate Noel rushed for 126 yards and teammate Camerun Peoples rushed for 100 yards, as Appalachian State downed East Carolina, 33-19. FIU’s D’Vonte Price rushed for 165 yards, as the Panthers beat Long Island, 48-10. FIU had 594 total yards.
NC State’s Zonovan Knight rushed for 163 yards, as the Wolfpack downed South Florida, 45-0. NC State had 525 total yards. Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe passed for 424 yards and seven touchdowns, as the Hilltoppers topped UT Martin, 59-21. WKU had 587 total yards.
Highly regarded Coastal Carolina racked up 610 total yards, as the Chanticleers beat The Citadel, 52-14. And finally, Buffalo racked up 569 total yards, as the Bulls put away Wagner, 69-7.
Friday night began with an upset in Blacksburg. Unranked Virginia Tech shutdown quarterback Sam Howell and the 10th-ranked Tar Heels. The Hokies beat North Carolina, 17-10. Howell threw three interceptions.
In the night cap Friday, Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker ran wild, as the Spartans stunned Northwestern, 38-21. Walker rushed for 264 yards and four touchdowns. As a team, Michigan State had 511 total yards.
One ACC team won and one ACC team lost Friday night. Wake Forest pounded Old Dominion, 42-10, while Duke fell to Charlotte, 31-28. First-year Kansas coach Lance Leipold got the Jayhawks off to a winning start. Kansas edged South Dakota, 17-14. And Colorado beat Northern Colorado, 35-7.
Saturday got off to an unusual start in Norman, Oklahoma. In a game that was supposed to have been played in New Orleans, the Oklahoma-Tulane game was moved to Norman – thanks to Hurricane Ida. It became the Tulane-Oklahoma game. It was unusual, because as the second quarter began, the game was tied, 14-14.
Then it became usual, as Oklahoma scored 23 points in the second quarter to take a 37-14 halftime lead. But then it became unusual again, as Tulane outscored Oklahoma, 21-3. Lo and behold, the Green Wave trailed the Sooners by only five points, 40-35, with 2:18 to go in the game. Tulane actually recovered its onside kick, but the Green Wave were unable to get another touchdown. Does Oklahoma have a defense?
Penn State has a defense. In a highly touted Big Ten game, the Nittany Lions downed Wisconsin, 16-10. Penn State’s defense was so good that Wisconsin only possessed the ball for barely more than 17 minutes of the game – 17:09. Granted, three turnovers by Wisconsin contributed to the Badgers failure to possess the ball.
It was a foregone conclusion that Alabama was going to beat Miami (Florida). No doubt about that. But it was commonly thought that Miami would give the Tide a good game. Well, forget that. In Atlanta, midway through the third quarter, Alabama led Miami, 41-3. The Tide went on to beat the Canes, 44-13. And Alabama continues to roll out the good quarterbacks. In his debut as a starter, the Tide’s Bryce Young passed for 344 yards and four touchdowns. I’m convinced there is a quarterback factory in Tuscaloosa. As soon as the Tide needs to replace a quarterback, the factory rolls out a new and improved one.
Overrated! Coming into the game, Indiana was ranked 17th – higher than Penn State at 19th. But 18th ranked Iowa beat the Hoosiers, 34-6. Indiana quarterback Michael Penix was just 14-for-31 passing (45%). He also tossed three interceptions.
In the “Game of the Week,” it was a “Game of Defense” for Georgia. Actually, both teams played good defense, but Georgia played amazing defense – awesome defense. In Charlotte, the Dawgs downed Clemson, 10-3. Clemson was held scoreless until nine minutes to go in the game. The Tigers kicked a field goal. The Georgia defense held Clemson to 180 total yards – just two yards rushing.
In, perhaps, the biggest shocker of the weekend, Montana upset Washington, 13-7. Washington was ranked 20th, coming into the game. Washington only had 65 yards rushing and quarterback Dylan Morris threw three interceptions. The other Montana team almost knocked off a FBS team too. Montana State lost to Wyoming, 19-16.
And finally, in the night cap, we found out that either UCLA is better than we thought, or LSU is worse than we thought – maybe both. The Bruins made it look easy, beating LSU, 38-27. UCLA had 483 total yards, while holding LSU to just 49 yards rushing. Did you see the smile on Chip Kelly’s face after the game? It stretched from ear to ear. While all Ed Orgeron could say was, “We don’t wear sissy blue shirts.”
In other action Saturday, Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns, as the Eagles thumped Colgate, 51-0. Along the way, BC racked up 527 total yards. Michigan running back Blake Corum rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown, as the Wolverines opened with a 47-14 win over Western Michigan. The Wolverines amassed 551 total yards.
Nebraska is still plagued with fumbles, but the Huskers held onto the ball long enough to rack up an impressive 633 total yards. Nebraska beat Fordham, 52-7. But Illinois, who beat Nebraska last week, 30-22, lost Saturday to UTSA. The Roadrunners beat the Banned Indians, 37-30. Bret Bielema was looking more like the Arkansas Bret and not the Wisconsin Bret.
Auburn had a good night on offense too – 613 total yards. The Tigers running backs Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter rushed for 119 yards and 110 yards respectively, as Auburn downed Akron, 60-10.
Trailing Louisiana Tech 34-14 with less than 13 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Mississippi State rallied, scoring three touchdowns to beat Louisiana Tech, 35-34. Louisiana Tech missed a field goal in the closing seconds. Miss State quarterback Will Rogers passed for 370 yards and three touchdowns.
Oklahoma State and Baylor had surprisingly close calls. Oklahoma State edged Missouri State, 23-16, while Baylor got by Texas State, 29-20. Northern Illinois surprised Georgia Tech. The Huskies beat the Yellow Jackets, 22-21.
In addition to Montana, five more FCS teams knocked off FBS teams over the weekend: UC Davis 19, Tulsa 17; Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33 (OT); South Dakota State 42, Colorado State 23; Holy Cross 38, Connecticut 28, and East Tennessee 23, Vanderbilt 3.
Sunday evening, former UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton rallied Florida State to a 38-38 tie at the end of regulation. But in overtime, the Noles lost to Notre Dame, 41-38. Jonathan Doerer connected on a 41-yard field goal to give the Irish the win. Milton was playing his first football game since a devastating knee injury at the end of the 2018 season. He entered the game in the fourth quarter with FSU trailing 38-28.
The Labor Day football weekend came to an end last night in Atlanta where Ole Miss took care of Louisville, 43-26. There were four targeting ejections in the game – two for each team. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral passed for 381 yards.
“Heaven, I’m in heaven
Former Alabama quarterbacks Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa will face off in Week 1 of the NFL. Jones plays for the Patriots and Tagovailoa plays for the Dolphins. The Patriots and the Dolphins meet September 12 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Backup Ohio State freshman quarterback Quinn Evers signed an NIL deal with GT Sports Marketing for $1.4 million. The contract is for three years and is in exchange for autographs. The agency Sportstars and Rubicon serves as Evers agent.
Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain missed CMU’s opener against Missouri on Saturday. McElwain had emergency surgery the Wednesday before the game to remove his appendix. CMU lost to Missouri, 34-24.
And speaking of missing openers, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin tested positive for COVID on Friday. The positive test caused Kiffin to miss the Ole Miss-Louisville game in Atlanta last night.
In, perhaps, last week’s biggest news, the Big 12 announced it is expanding – inviting BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF to join the conference. And BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF have indicated a willingness to join the Big 12. This could all come down within the next 10 days. Cincinnati, Houston and UCF are currently members of the AAC, while BYU is an Independent. Obviously, this is the Big 12’s response to losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC. The only questions now are what year will Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC – 2022, 2023, 2024 or 2025? And which one of those four years will BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF join the Big 12? Stay tuned!
On Sunday, the day after Connecticut lost to Holy Cross, it was announced that UConn coach Randy Edsall would step down at the end of the season. However, the very next day there was obviously a change in plans. Yesterday, Connecticut announced that Edsall would step down immediately. It was the second time Edsall has been fired prior to the end of a season. In 2015, Maryland terminated Edsall about halfway through the season.
Oh Smucker’s! Sadly, we lost Willard Scott on Saturday. Scott was the always cheerful, longtime former weather forecaster on NBC’s “Today” show. No one was better at making you laugh or putting a smile on your face than Willard. He was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia and had a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religion from American University. Willard Scott was 87.
“Oh I love to climb a mountain
Then there was the UCLA fan in the Rose Bowl after the Bruins beat LSU. He was holding up a sign that said: “We want Bama.” Are you sure about that?
For our gameday meal on Saturday, I fixed ribs for Swamp Mama and me. Bootsie and Rockledge Gator had wings. I suspect Ken, my Crimson Tide friend in Alabama, had nachos with salsa, jalapenos and melted cheese. And I’m thinking, Fern, my Gator friend in Gainesville, may have had nachos too.
Heaven….I’m in heaven!
Touchdown Tom
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Uga knows defense – Georgia 10, Clemson 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 23, Georgia 20). Clemson does too, but Georgia knows it better. Throughout, this game was like two mules fighting over a turnup. Highly touted new Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was disappointing, barely completing 50% of his passes. Granted, the Georgia defense pressured him all game. Clemson’s leading rusher only had 10 yards rushing. That was the difference in the game – Georgia outrushed Clemson 121 yards to two yards. Dabo Swinney and Clemson have now lost two-straight games. Attendance in Charlotte: 73,778
RUNNER-UP: The Hurricanes had no gusts – Alabama 44, Miami (Florida) 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Miami 24). Instead, it was a breeze for Alabama. It only took Alabama two minutes and 43 seconds to score. Less than three minutes into the game, the Tide went up 7-0 on a 37-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bryce Young to wide receiver John Metchie. And it continued from there. No one expected Miami to win. But many, especially Miami fans, expected the Canes to compete – to make it a ballgame. As a result, I suspect Miami coach Manny Diaz could be in trouble. This was Miami’s third straight loss – with a point total of 143-63. In its last three games, the Canes have given up 48 points a game. And Diaz is supposed to know something about defense. Bama had 501 total yards and controlled time of possession 37:02 to 22:58. Attendance in Atlanta: 71,829
REST OF THE BEST: Lion king – Penn State 16, Wisconsin 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 20, Penn State 16). Penn State had no running game – 50 yards total. But Sean Clifford’s passing – 247 yards – and three Wisconsin turnovers was the difference. Oddly, the Nitts only had 11 first downs to 29 for Wisconsin. The score was 0-0 at halftime. Had Wisconsin not had three turnovers, I think the Badgers would have won. Attendance in Madison: 76,832
Overrated! – Iowa 34, Indiana 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Indiana 20). Indiana only had 233 total yards – 77 rushing. Iowa running back Tyler Goodson rushed for 99 yards. Attendance in Iowa City: 68,166
Sarkisian likes Cajun food – Texas 38, Louisiana 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Louisiana 19). Louisiana was supposed to put up a fight, but obviously the Cajuns didn’t. Louisiana quarterback Levi Lewis had a good game, passing for 282 yards. But the Cajuns only had 76 yards rushing. Texas had a well-balanced attack. Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 103 yards. Texas receiver Jordan Whittington was hot – seven receptions for 113 yards. Attendance in Austin: 91,113
Brutus was brutal – Ohio State 45, Minnesota 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 31, Minnesota 17). For two and a half quarters, these teams went back and forth. Ohio State led, Minnesota led, Ohio State led and Minnesota led. Finally, late in the third quarter, the Buckeyes took the lead and never looked back. It was also late in the third quarter when Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim left the game with an injury to his lower left leg. Ibrahim left the game with 163 yards rushing. Ohio State’s Mayan Williams rushed for 125 yards. Together, the teams combined for 903 total yards. Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud threw four touchdown passes. Ohio State receiver Chris Olave had four receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State controlled the clock, maintaining ball possession for 38:41. Attendance in Minneapolis: 50,805
What’s Brown done for you lately? – Virginia Tech 17, North Carolina 10 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 30, Virginia Tech 20). Nothing. Mack ended last season with a loss and began this season with a loss. Virginia Tech’s defense stymied North Carolina’s offense throughout the game, while the Hokies offense possessed the ball for 34:59. Tech led, 14-0, at halftime. Attendance in Blacksburg: 65,632
Kelly’s heroes – UCLA 38, LSU 27 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, UCLA 24). LSU scored first, early in the second quarter. By halftime, UCLA led, 14-10. The Bruins never looked back. With less than five minutes to go in the game, UCLA led, 38-20. The Bruins racked up 483 total yards. Running back Zach Charbonnet had 117 yards rushing. LSU only had 49 yards rushing total. Tigers quarterback Max Johnson had 330 yards passing and three touchdowns. LSU receiver Kayshon Boutte had nine receptions for 148 yards. Attendance in Pasadena: 68,123
Irish stew the Noles – Notre Dame 41, Florida State 38 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 33, Florida State 17). Notre Dame had a big third quarter – 21 points. Florida State had a big fourth quarter – 18 points. The Noles trailed the Irish 38-20, as the fourth quarter began. Former Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan led Notre Dame, passing for 366 yards and four touchdowns. FSU running back Jashaun Cobin rushed for 144 yards. Notre Dame had no running game. After watching the game, I feel like Notre Dame was overrated at preseason and FSU was underrated. Attendance in Tallahassee: 68,316
The Gus Bus rolls – UCF 36, Boise State 31 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 35, Boise State 27). It looked bleak for UCF, trailing Boise State, 21-0, early in the second quarter. But the Knights woke up. Trailing the Broncos, 31-30, UCF scored its winning touchdown with 4:16 to go in the game. UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel passed for 318 yards and four touchdowns. But Gabriel threw two interceptions. Knights running back Isaiah Bowser rushed for 170 yards and one touchdown. UCF racked up 573 total yards. Attendance in Orlando: 44,206
In the five games I said to keep a very close eye on: USC had an easy time with San Jose State, 30-7…. Oklahoma hung on to beat Tulane, 40-35…. Oregon slipped by Fresno State, 31-24…. Nevada knocked off California, 22-17…. And Ole Miss torched Louisville, 43-26.
YE OLDE STOMPING
GROUNDS:
Heaven? I’m not in heaven – Maryland 30, West Virginia 24 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Maryland 24). It was pure hell for me after this game. West Virginia coach Neal Brown is slower than the seven-year itch building a football team. I don’t know who is more sluggish – Neal Brown or the WVU offense. WVU only had 48 yards rushing, while the Mountie defense gave up 496 yards to Maryland. The lead in the game changed hands four times. Maryland was up 3-0. West Virginia went up 7-3. Maryland went back up 17-7. West Virginia went on top 21-17. And you know the outcome. There is one positive thing I can say about the game. If West Virginia had not had four turnovers (two fumbles and two interceptions), the Mountaineers would have won the game. Attendance in College Park: 43,811
Gators have a decision to make – Florida 35, Florida Atlantic 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 40, Florida Atlantic 11). This wasn’t necessarily an easy game for Florida, but on the other hand it wasn’t really a tough game either. Granted, the Gators only led 14-0 at halftime. But Florida did rack up 553 total yards. Amazingly, 400 of those yards were rushing. And amazingly, 160 of those yards were from backup quarterback Anthony Richardson. Florida running back Malik Davis added another 104 yards rushing. With less than two minutes to go in the game, the Gators led 35-7. Florida Atlantic was a feisty team. You’ve got to give them that. Quarterback Emory Jones started for Florida. Backup quarterback Richardson saw a good bit of action. Gators fans have to be wondering if Richardson will replace Jones as the starter. Attendance in Gainesville: 86,840
That’s more like it – Nebraska 52, Fordham 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 52, Fordham 9). Obviously, Fordham didn’t wake up the echoes of Vince Lombardi. Nebraska mixed it up – 329 yards rushing and 304 yards passing. Can’t get more balanced than that. The Huskers also maintained time of possession for 36:21. Nebraska had 34 first downs to 12 for Fordham. Attendance in Lincoln: 85,938
Good time David’s got the blues – Charlotte 31, Duke 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Charlotte 18). Yeah, David Cutcliffe’s time at Duke could be coming to an end this season. In spite of Duke’s Mataeo Durant rushing for 255 yards and the Blue Devils racking up 580 total yards, the Dookies still managed to lose to Charlotte. Of course Charlotte’s Chris Reynolds passed for 324 yards and the 49ers had 478 total yards. The lead changed hands six times in the game. Duke fell behind Charlotte, 10-0, in the second quarter. But the Dookies came back to take a, 14-10, halftime lead. Charlotte came back in the third quarter, grabbing a 17-14 lead. Then it got wild in the fourth quarter. Duke went ahead 21-17; Charlotte went back up 24-21, and the Dookies took at 28-24 lead with only 1:44 left on the clock. But with 33 seconds to go in the game, Charlotte scored on a 11-yard touchdown pass. Attendance in Charlotte: 14,125
Air game – Purdue 30, Oregon State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Oregon State 23). Going into the fourth quarter, Purdue led 16-7. But less than two minutes into the quarter, Oregon State cut Purdue’s lead to two – 16-14. The Boilers added another touchdown. Then with 3:13 to go in the game the Beavers again cut Purdue’s lead to two points – 23-21. The Boilers added an insurance touchdown with 2:09 left in the game. Neither team had a running game. Both relied on their passing. Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer passed for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Boilers receivers David Bell and Payne Durham combined for 15 receptions and 254 yards. Attendance in West Lafayette: 53,656
Week 1 Results: 9 winners, 6 fumbles (60 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
FIU 54, Long Island U. 10 – Attendance in Miami: N/A
West Florida 42, McNeese State 36 – Attendance in Lake Charles: 8,665
Stetson 54, Warner 14 – Attendance in Deland: 1,503
Superlatives
Weekend’s Best Passers:
Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe – 28-35-1 for 424 yards (7TDs); Ole Miss’s Matt Corral – 22-32-1-381 (1TD); Miss State’s Will Rogers – 39-47-1-370 (3TDs); Kentucky’s Will Levis – 18-25-1-367 (4TDs); Notre Dame’s Jack Coan – 26-35-1-366 (4TDs); Alabama’s Bryce Young – 27-38-0-344 (4TDs), and Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong – 20-30-0-336 (2TDs).
Also, Arizona’s Gunner Cruz – 35-46-1 for 336 yards (1TD); Marshall’s Grant Wells – 20-30-0-333; Tulane’s Michael Pratt – 20-30-0-333; Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa – 26-36-0-332 (32TDs); LSU’s Max Johnson – 26-46-1-330 (3TDs); Charlotte’s Chris Reynolds – 19-30-0-324 (3TDs), and UAB’s Tyler Johnson – 17-21-0-320 (2TDs).
Weekend’s Best Rushers:
Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker – 264 yards (4TDs); Duke’s Mataeo Durant – 255 yards (3TDs); Missouri’s Tyler Badie – 185 yards (1TD); Syracuse’s Sean Tucker – 181 yards (1TD); Tulsa’s Deneric Price – 179 yards (1TD); Georgia Southern’s Logan Wright – 178 yards (1TD); UCF’s Isaiah Bowser – 172 yards (1TD).
Also, UNLV’s Charles Williams – 172 yards (2TDs); FIU’s D’Vonte Price – 165 yards (3TDs); NC State’s Zonovan Knight – 163 yards (1TD); Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim – 163 yards (2TDs); San Diego State’s Greg Bell – 161 yards (1TD); Florida’s Anthony Richardson – 160 yards (1TD), and Florida State’s Jashaun Cobin – 144 yards (1TD).
Also, Central Michigan’s Lew Nichols – 135 yards (1TD); South Carolina’s Zaquandre White – 133 yards (1TD); Hawaii’s Dae Dae Hunter – 128 yards (1TD); UTEP’s Ronald Awatt – 126 yards (1TD); Appalachian State’s Nate Noel – 125 yards; Ohio State’s Miyan Williams – 125 yards (1TD), and Kentucky’s Christopher Rodriguez – 125 yards (1TD).
Quotes of the Week
“I like coach Kirby. I like the way he wears that visor all the time. I don’t know if the Georgia people gave him any crap about it, but he’s a visor guy. I like all those visor guys out there in the coaching profession,” former Florida coach Steve Spurrier, on Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
“It was three years ago when I was playing ball. I was definitely grateful to be out there playing with the guys,” Florida State backup quarterback McKenzie Milton, after the Notre Dame game.
“They’re in big trouble,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on Clemson’s chances of making the playoff.
“I’m worried about LSU. They’ve got problems across the board, especially with these new coordinators, who looked clueless,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, after LSU’s loss to UCLA.
Sign of the Week
My Momma Says Lee Corso is My Daddy
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oregon (1-0) at Ohio State (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Either Oregon is overrated or Fresno State is a better team than we thought. I suspect some of both. Last week, Oregon struggled to beat Fresno State, 31-24. In all fairness to Oregon, I imagine the Ducks were looking ahead to Ohio State. Well, they don’t have to look ahead anymore. The time is now. For three quarters, Ohio State looked wobbly against Minnesota. Then the Buckeyes came alive in the fourth quarter. Ohio State will come alive before the fourth quarter in this one. Quackless in Columbus – Ohio State 38, Oregon 27.
RUNNER-UP: 2. Iowa (1-0) at Iowa State (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – I’m thinking the pressure must be on Iowa State. The Cyclones barely survived Northern Iowa last week. Iowa State won, 16-10. Meanwhile, Iowa was cool, calm and collected in its win over Indiana, 34-6. Then again, Iowa State may have been holding everything back against Northern Iowa, saving it for the Hawkeyes. We’ll see. Both teams have good running backs. Iowa State may have the better quarterback. This could come down to who has the better defense. That could be Iowa. They call the trophy the CyHawk Trophy. Hawk wins it – Iowa 23, Iowa State 20.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Texas A&M (1-0) at Colorado (1-0) – (SEC vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – We know Texas A&M is good. We’re not real, real sure about Colorado. Both teams have good running backs. A&M has a new quarterback. A&M has the better defense. Colorado has the home crowd. Should be fun, for a while. The Aggies have a Rocky Mountain high – Texas A&M 31, Colorado 26.
4. Texas (1-0) at Arkansas (1-0) – (Big 12 vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – This used to be a big rivalry. The 1969 game was a classic. It was the last game of the season. Both teams were undefeated coming into the game. No. 1 Texas beat No. 2 Arkansas, 15-14. I watched the game on TV from Pensacola, Florida. I was in the Navy, attending Cryptologic School at NCTC Corry Field in Pensacola. I had a fraternity brother from WVU, Scott McKinney, who was in Naval Flight School in Pensacola. We watched the game together. Texas went on to beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl and won the national championship. Arkansas was so emotionally crippled from the loss, the Razorbacks lost their Sugar Bowl matchup to Ole Miss. The Razorbacks are still emotionally crippled – Texas 27, Arkansas 18.
5. Missouri (1-0) at Kentucky (1-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Some people think either Missouri or Kentucky will beat out Florida for second place in the SEC East. In the openers, Missouri struggled at times against Central Michigan. The Tigers won 34-24. Kentucky ran roughshod over ULM, 45-10. But then everybody runs roughshod over ULM. They didn’t win a game last year. Kentucky’s question mark this year was its passing game. But it looked great against ULM. Home field in the blue grass – this favors the Wildcats. The Wildcats pull it out in the stretch – Kentucky 31, Missouri 26.
6. UAB (1-0) at Georgia (1-0) – (C-USA vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – I know, it’s only UAB. And Georgia beat Clemson. But the Dawgs could have a letdown after the Clemson struggle. And UAB is good. This could be tight for the first half. But all Uga in the second half. The Dawg takes a bow – Georgia 26, UAB 10.
7. NC State (1-0) at Mississippi State (1-0) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 or ESPN – NC State rolled last week, while Miss State had to rally for 21 points in the fourth quarter and then hope for a missed field goal. NC State beat South Florida, 45-0. Miss State beat Louisiana Tech, 35-34. We know that Miss State will pass like crazy. NC State coach Dave Doeren really needs this win. He gets it – NC State 30, Mississippi State 25.
8. Utah (1-0) at BYU (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) – 10:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Both teams had weak competition last week, but Utah’s was probably weaker. BYU beat Arizona, 24-16, and Utah downed Weber State, 40-17. Under Kalani Sitake, BYU has been slowly improving. This isn’t one of Kyle Whittingham’s better teams at Utah. The Cougars survive in this one – BYU 22, Utah 20.
9. Toledo (1-0) at Notre Dame (1-0) – (MAC vs. Ind) – 2:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Notre Dame looked good at times and bad at times against Florida State. The Irish had no running game. They were also sucking wind in the fourth quarter. Toledo looked good in Rockets 49-10 win over Norfolk State. Granted Toledo was only playing Norfolk State. Still the Rockets are capable of giving the Irish a good game. Kelly wakes up the echoes in South Bend – Notre Dame 30, Toledo 21.
10. Pitt (1-0) at Tennessee (1-0) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Pitt has a quarterback, Kenny Pickett, who has been around forever – and forever. He is the one real advantage the Panthers have in this game. Tennessee had a strong rushing game in its opener. But Pitt has a good defense against the rush. The Vols can’t piss on the Panthers – Pitt 25, Tennessee 23.
Then there are six games to keep a very close eye on this week:
YE OLDE STOMPING
GROUNDS:
Long Island (0-1) at West Virginia (0-1) – (Northeast vs. Big 12) – 5 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ – This is a good game for WVU coach Neal Brown to play both quarterbacks – Jarret Doege and Garrett Greene. He could alternate quarters with the two QBs, or let one play the first half and the other play the second half. Anything would be an improvement. A breather for the Eers – West Virginia 56, Long Island 9.
Florida (1-0) at South Florida (0-1) – (SEC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Albert must like the taste of Florida teams. He’s not changing his diet this week. Albert will find South Florida easier to digest than Florida Atlantic. South Florida is a pretty sad football team. Most likely, there will be more Gator fans in Raymond James Stadium than Bull fans. Albert brands the Bull – Florida 52, South Florida 9.
Buffalo (1-0) at Nebraska (1-1) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – Watch out Nebraska. Buffalo is no Fordham. Buffalo scored 69 points last week. I know, it was against Wagner. But Wagner is like Fordham and Nebraska didn’t score 69 points on Fordham. Buffalo has a running and passing game. Beware of the Bulls. Herbie is not Buffaloed – Nebraska 28, Buffalo 27.
North Carolina A&T (0-1) at Duke (0-1) – (MEAC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ACCN – The Dookies are sticking with North Carolina teams again this week. And the Dookies will find A&T easier to handle. Charlotte was a bit much for the Devils. A&T shuts down like A&P – Duke 35, North Carolina A&T 26.
Purdue (1-0) at Connecticut (0-2) – (Big Ten vs. Ind.) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – The Boilers have an easy one this week. UConn is not only pretty lame, but the Huskies are playing for a lame duck coach. Pete puts the Huskies in the dog pen – Purdue 42, Connecticut 10.
ELSEWHERE AROUBND FLORIDA:
Georgia Southern (1-0) at Florida Atlantic (0-1) – (Sun Belt vs. C-USA) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday….
Fort Valley State (1-0) at Florida A&M (0-1) – (SIAC vs. SWAC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday….
Texas State (0-1) at FIU (1-0) – (Sun Belt vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
Touchdown Tom
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