Monday, November 29, 2021

College Football Week 14 - UF hires Napier, USC hires Riley, Duke fires Cutcliffe

 

College Football Week 14 – UF hires Napier, USC hires Riley, Duke fires Cutcliffe

Family, friends, food and football make Thanksgiving week the best

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s my favorite holiday because it contains four of my favorite things – family, friends, food and football. A few years back, I referred to Thanksgiving as the 4F Holiday – family, friends, food and football. When you get those four things together, it doesn’t get any better.

This year was no exception.

The football – For Thanksgiving week excitement, it was hard to beat the NC State-North Carolina, Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Auburn and Oklahoma State-Oklahoma games. More on those games later.

College football Week 13 – began on the Tuesday night of Thanksgiving week. As has been the practice for the past couple weeks or so two MAC games were played. In the first game, Ball State beat Buffalo, 20-3. Ball State played good defense while Buffalo threw four interceptions.

The second game was more of an offensive affair, especially for Western Michigan. The Broncos downed Northern Illinois, 42-21. WMU had 636 total yards – 298 rushing and 338 passing. NIU only possessed the ball for 18 minutes of the game.

The family – Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe arrived Wednesday afternoon. They were accompanied by one of their dogs – Honey, a yellow lab – and one of their cats – Raven. The three, I mean five, of them drove down from Florida’s panhandle. The other dog – Bo, a black lab – and the other two cats – Zeva and Luka – didn’t make the trip this year. But they were well cared for back at home.  

The friends – Our dinner guests arrived around midday on Thursday. For the past 25 years, we have been blessed to host Thanksgiving dinner for a number of our friends – as many as 16 one year. Although the group was smaller this year, we had a great time, drinking our Irish mules – virgin mules for Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. We had a good time gobbling our turkey too.

Friends Bootsie and Rockledge Gator left the Sunday before Thanksgiving for a cabin in the mountains near Blue Ridge, Georgia, where they celebrated Thanksgiving with their two sons, daughters-in-laws and grandchildren. And neighbors Sara and Roger Schenk left Tuesday for Peachtree City, Georgia, where they spent Thanksgiving with family – Sara’s daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.

The food – We were thankful and fortunate to have an abundance of food. You know me. As long as I have plenty of pecan pie, I’m a happy camper.  

The football continued on Thursday. In an afternoon affair, Fresno State topped San Diego State, 40-9. Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener – the sixth leading passer in the country – passed for 343 yards and four touchdowns. Finishing its season at 9-3, Fresno State awaits its bowl selection.

Thursday night Ole Miss met Mississippi State in Starkville, in the rain, in the battle for the Golden Egg – the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss scrambled Miss State, 31-21. In a losing effort, Miss State quarterback Will Rogers – the second leading passer in the country – passed for 336 yards.  

The food continued too, as I managed to have some more pecan pie, with plenty of whipped cream on top. And I didn’t have to worry about running out of whipped cream either. Early in the week, Publix had a “buy one, get one free” sale on its Reddi Wip. Naturally, I took advantage of the sale.  

Friday morning, our next door neighbor and one of our Thanksgiving dinner guests, Dieter Gum, took Gator Babe for a ride in his Porsche. That will probably be the highlight of her visit.

Football got a little more serious on Friday with 16 games on tap and some key games at that. Boise State at San Diego State got the proceedings started. The Aztecs punched their ticket to the MWC championship game, beating Boise State, 27-16.

After losing six-straight games, Texas got back on the winning track, beating Kansas State, 22-17. The Longhorns running back Roschon Johnson rushed for 179 yards.

It’s been a tough season for Nebraska. The Huskers finished the season, losing their last six games. Nebraska was 3-9 – 1-8 in Big Ten play. All nine of the Huskers losses were by nine points or less. Five of the losses were by seven points – one touchdown. Two of the losses were by less than seven points. Friday, Nebraska lost to Iowa, 28-21.

Friday afternoon, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe put up our outdoor Christmas lights. Their hard work was well managed and coordinated by Swamp Mama. She’s the light lady.

Arkansas ended its season on a positive note. The Razorbacks downed Missouri, 34-17. South Florida gave UCF a tougher game than expected – much tougher. The Knights escaped the Bulls, 17-13. South Florida was on the UCF 4-yard line as time expired. Gus Malzahn finished his first season coaching UCF at 8-4.

Cincinnati got off to a slow start against East Carolina. The Bearcats failed to score in the first quarter. Eventually, Cincinnati got rolling, beating the Pirates, 35-13. Cincinnati fished its season at 12-0 – 8-0 in AAC play. The Bearcats will face Houston this week in the AAC title game.

It was around this time the five of us decided some pizza was in order for dinner. That can only mean one thing – Bizzarro. Indialantic is hone to the original and famous Bizzarro pizza. I placed the order for pick up – one 18-inch meat pizza and one 18-inch pizza Margherita. We all love Bizzarro, except Swamp Mama. She thinks there is too much garlic in a Bizzarro pizza. But she doesn’t turn it down. And yes, I made sure there was some pizza left over for breakfast.

North Carolina and NC State put on the best game of the day. I should say night. NC State got out to an early lead. The Wolfpack led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. But the Tar Heels came back, scoring 24 unanswered points. North Carolina took its first lead at 17-14, early in the third quarter and increased the lead to 24-14 midway through the third quarter.

NC State pulled within three points, trailing 24-21 late in the third quarter. Then the Tar Heels added six points on two field goals. With less than two minutes to go in the game, North Carolina led the Wolfpack, 30-21.

But never say never. NC State began their charge. The Wolfpack scored 13 points – two touchdowns within 26 seconds – to rally from a nine point deficit and beat North Carolina, 34-30.

The ladies went to bed after the North Carolina-NC State game. Gator Gabe and I stayed up and watched No. 5 Duke play No. 1 Gonzaga in basketball. They met in Las Vegas before 20,000 fans. In a great game, the Dookies beat Gonzaga, 84-81.

Football had a late show too. In the interim-coach game, Washington State blasted Washington, 40-13. Both schools fired their respective coaches earlier in the season. The two teams were playing under interim coaches during the game.

Saturday morning began with Corey’s Bagels. Along with Bizzarro Pizza, Corey’s Bagels is another must when the kids come to town. I always get the bagel and lox – salmon, cream cheese, capers, onion, tomato and dill. And a quick stop at Starbucks on the way home for coffee to accompany the bagels.

Bagel and lox, cold pizza and pecan pie – a perfect Saturday morning football breakfast. It doesn’t get any better than that. And did I mention the whipped cream? But only my pecan pie – not on the cold pizza or bagel and lox. I’m not that crazy.

Bootsie texted to say that Rockledge Gator wants Tim Tebow to be the new coach at Florida. I’m seriously hearing that the Gators new coach will be Billy Napier. Napier is the Louisiana coach.

And speaking of the coaching carousel speculation, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has joined Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, saying there is no way he is going to LSU. But is Riley going to USC? Reports have Riley leaving Oklahoma to take the job at USC. Riley always reminded me of a surfer dude.

Meanwhile, I have no idea what is going on with the search at Virginia Tech. And if there is no Jimbo Fisher or Lincoln Riley at LSU, then who?

After four days, Thanksgiving football wasn’t half over yet. Tuesday through Friday gave us 20 games. Saturday was filled with 45 games. Little did we know what lied ahead.

Florida State and Florida entered their annual meeting with 5-6 records. The winner would be invited to a bowl; the loser would hang it up for the year. Both teams played like losers. For much of the game it was apparent they came to fight and not play football. For much of the game both teams were plagued with mistakes and turnovers. Florida had 13 penalties for 109 yards. FSU had 9 penalties for 89 yards. Each team experienced three turnovers.

In a sloppy, awful game, Florida beat Florida State, 24-21. To make the game even worse, if you were watching on TV, the ESPN announcers – Mark Warren and Robert Griffin – were terrible. Their commentary on the game was shallow, lacking in clear, logical thought of what was taking place on the field. They babbled and babbled and babbled. ESPN scraped the bottom of the barrel to come up with this pair. Of course the Gators and the Noles were scraping the bottom of the barrel to come up with a well-played football game.

Ohio State and Michigan battled in Ann Arbor for the Big Ten East Division title. Both teams entered the game at 10-1. Michigan left the game at 11-1. After nine years of frustration, Michigan beat Ohio State, 42-27.

The difference was the third quarter. In the third quarter, the Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes, 14-0. Entering the third quarter, Michigan led, 14-13. Both teams scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. But the third quarter belonged to Michigan. The difference was also the ground game. Michigan had one and Ohio State didn’t. The Buckeyes only managed 64 yards rushing – only 2.1 yards per carry. The Wolverines had 297 yards rushing – 7.2 yards per carry.

Wake Forest punched its ticket to the ACC title game. The Demon Deacons downed Boston College, 41-10. Wake held BC to 182 total yards – just 19 yards passing. The Deacons will meet Pitt in the ACC tittle game. The Panthers beat Syracuse, 31-14.

In the Big 12, Baylor survived Texas Tech to secure its spot in the Big 12 title game. The Bears edged the Red Raiders, 27-24. Meanwhile, in the other game to determine a spot in the Big 12 title game, Oklahoma State survived three turnovers and had a big fourth quarter rally to subdue Oklahoma, 37-33.

The game was tied, 24-24 at halftime. After three quarters, Oklahoma led, 33-24. But Oklahoma State outscored the Sooners, 13-0, in the fourth quarter. With 8:54 to go in the game, the Cowboys went up by four points. Then they held on for the remainder of the game to secure their win. Oklahoma State will play Baylor for the Big 12 championship.

In a wild game in the MAC, Miami and Kent State fought for the MAC East Division title. At the end of regulation, the game was tied, 41-41. Kent State scored first in the overtime and went up, 48-47. Miami scored second and the Red Hawks went for two. They failed and Kent State won the game, 48-47. The teams combined for 1,191 total yards. Kent State will meet Northern Illinois for the MAC championship.

Alabama and Auburn met for the 95th time. A Bama victory would secure the Tide’s spot in the SEC title game. It was supposed to be an easy win for Bama. But, surprisingly, Auburn led, 7-0, at halftime. Even more surprising, Auburn led 10-0 at the end of three quarters.

Alabama came roaring back, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter – 7 of those points coming with 24 seconds on the clock. At 10-10, the game went into overtime. Ultimately, the game went into four overtimes – tied 17-17 after the first OT, 20-20 after the second OT and 22-22 after the third OT. In the fourth OT, Alabama scored on its two-point conversion and Auburn didn’t. Alabama beat Auburn, 24-22 (4OT).

In another SEC affair, Ed Orgeron went out a winner. LSU stunned Texas A&M, 27-24. With 20 seconds left to play, and Texas A&M leading 24-20, the Tigers scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Max Johnson to Jaray Jenkins. After the game, Orgeron said he would not coach LSU in its bowl game. Something tells me Jimbo Fisher isn’t earning his $10 million a year at Texas A&M.   

The Big Ten was full of surprises on Saturday. In Madison, Wisconsin, the Golden Gophers of Minnesota shocked Wisconsin, 23-13. Late in the third quarter, the game was tied, 13-13. But before the third quarter was over, Minnesota scored a touchdown, and then the Gophers added a field goal in the fourth quarter. Minnesota’s win knocked Wisconsin out of the Big Ten title game, placing Iowa in as the Big Ten West Division champs.

In yet another Big Ten game, Michigan State led, was tied, trailed and retook the lead, to down Penn State, 30-27. The Spartans held the Nittany Lions to 61 yards rushing.

About this time, the five of us decided we needed to order some food from, where else but, Long Doggers. I even left the football games long enough to drive over and pick up the order. But it was worth it.

Back to the action, Western Kentucky and Marshall faced off in Huntington, West Virginia, for the C-USA East Division title. Marshall got off to a good start, taking an early 14-0 lead. But Western Kentucky woke up. The Hilltoppers scored 36 unanswered points to take a 36-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. WKU went on to beat Marshall, 53-21.

Western Kentucky will play UTSA for the C-USA championship. However, in a shocker, UTSA lost its first game of the season, falling to North Texas, 45-23.

After eating, the ladies decided they needed to go to old downtown Melbourne to do some shopping. Gator Gabe and I stayed home to keep the football vibes going.

Virginia and Virginia Tech had a donnybrook in Charlottesville. The game was tied 7-7 in the first quarter, 14-14 in the second quarter and 24-24 in the third quarter. The Hokies scored 5 points in the fourth quarter and the Cavs scored 0. Tech beat Virginia, 29-24. I don’t think Virginia ever beats Virginia Tech.

The most strikingly colorful game of the day had to be Oregon State-Oregon. The Beavers were in their all orange (jerseys and pants) uniforms, while the Ducks were in their all green (jerseys and pants) uniforms. What a contrast. The Green beat the Orange, 38-29.

Just around the time the ladies returned home from shopping, neighbor and friend Jane Sharpe stopped by for a visit. In spite of being a Florida State grad, we love Jane dearly.

West Virginia was on the road in Lawrence, Kansas, for a game with the Jayhawks. At 5-6, the Mountaineers needed a win to become bowl eligible. Early in the third quarter, the game was tied, 21-21. With 5:43 to go in the fourth quarter, WVU went up 34-21. The Mountaineers held on to beat Kansas, 34-28.

And it wouldn’t be a college football Saturday without some late shows, sometimes late, late shows, from the West Coast. There was a triple feature of late shows on the Saturday night after Thanksgiving. Nevada smashed Colorado State, 52-10, BYU got by USC, 35-31 and UCLA punished California, 42-14. Nevada racked up 528 total yards against the Rams. BYU scored a touchdown with 3:57 to go to grab the win over the Trojans, and UCLA held Cal to 217 total yards. 

No late basketball games to watch on Saturday night.

Sunday morning, Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe packed their car with Honey, Raven and luggage and left for Florida’s panhandle. But we’ll see them in about three weeks as we start our trek to spend the Christmas holidays at Snowshoe.

Meanwhile, I still have plenty of pecan pie and whipped cream left.

So we finished the regular season with only two undefeated teams – Georgia (12-0) and Cincinnati (12-0). The Dawgs and the Bearcats will be tested this week in their conference title games.

Five Group of Five teams are in both the AP and Coaches Polls. In the AP Poll and (Coaches Poll) they are Cincinnati 3 (4), BYU 12 (14), Houston 16 (16), San Diego State 19 (19) and Louisiana 20 (21).

The fifth CFP rankings will be released at 7 p.m. ET, Tuesday on ESPN. My Top 4 are: 1. Georgia, 2. Cincinnati, 3. Michigan and 4. Alabama. My first six out are: 5. Oklahoma State, 6. Notre Dame, 7. Houston, 8. Ohio State, 9. Baylor and 10. Iowa.

The search is over at Florida. Mid-afternoon on Sunday, the Gators announced that Louisiana coach Billy Napier had been hired as the Florida Gators new coach. Napier, 42, has been coaching Louisiana for four seasons. His record with the Rajin’ Cajuns is 39-12 – 11-1 this season. A native of Cookeville, Tennessee, Napier played college football for Furman (1999-2002) where he was the quarterback. Prior to his head coach position at Louisiana, he was an offensive coordinator at Arizona State and Clemson, a wide receivers coach at Alabama, a tight ends coach at Florida State and a quarterbacks coach at Colorado State. Napier and his wife Ali have four children.

Meanwhile, Lincoln Riley said he wasn’t going to LSU and he was telling the truth. Riley is going to USC. Not long after Florida announced the hiring of Billy Napier, USC announced that Lincoln Riley was the Trojans new coach. Riley, 38, has been coaching Oklahoma for five seasons. His record with the Sooners is 55-10. A native of Lubbock, Texas, in college Riley played quarterback for Texas Tech.

Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will be the interim coach for the Sooners until a new coach is hired. Reports say that former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury is on OU’s list to replace Riley. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?

Penn State coach James Franklin agreed last week to a 10-year contract extension to remain the Nittany Lions coach through the 2031 season. The contract pays Franklin $7.5 million a year, plus incentives for conference championships, making the playoff and national championships. This ends speculation on Franklin’s future. Some thought Franklin could be in danger of losing his job in Happy Valley while others thought Franklin could be leaving Penn State for another school.

Meanwhile, Liberty coach Hugh Freeze agreed last week to a seven-year contract extension to remain Liberty’s coach through the 2028 season. The contract pays Freeze a little more than $4 million per year. Freeze, 52, has been at Liberty since 2019. The Flames went 8-5 and 10-1 in his first two seasons. Liberty finished this season at 7-5.

Three more coaches had their contracts extended – Baylor’s Dave Aranda, Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson and Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith. Aranda and Clawson have both been mentioned as candidates for openings at other schools. And by the way, Michigan State coach Mel Tucker signed that 10-year, $95 million contract he was offered.  

And another coach was given the pink slip. Louisiana Tech fired Skip Holtz. In nine seasons, Holtz was 64-49 at Louisiana Tech – 4-8 this season. Prior to Louisiana Tech, Holtz was head coach at South Florida, East Carolina and Connecticut. His overall record was 152-120. Holtz was the 15th coach fired this season.

TCU announced that Sonny Dykes has been hired as its new coach. Dykes has been the coach at SMU. In four seasons, he was 30-17 at SMU – 8-4 this season. Prior to SMU, Dykes coached California for four seasons and Louisiana Tech for three seasons.  

SMU in turn quickly named Brett Lashlee its new coach. He is a former offensive coordinator at SMU. Most recently, Lashlee has been the offensive coordinator at Miami (Florida) for two seasons. He was the OC at SMU from 2018 to 2019. Prior to that, Lashlee was the OC at Connecticut, Auburn, Arkansas State and Samford. In college, he played quarterback for Arkansas (2002-2004).

Arizona defensive coordinator Don Brown, a former head coach at Massachusetts, has been hired to coach UMass again. From 2004 to 2008, Brown went 43-19, coaching UMass when it was an FCS program. That was the winningest five-year period in team history. Previously, Brown was also a head coach at Northeastern and Plymouth State. He is a native of Spencer, Massachusetts.

Make it 16 coaches fired. New Mexico State announced that coach Doug Martin has been shoved out the door. In nine seasons with the Aggies, Martin was 24-72 – 2-10 this season. Replacing Martin is former Minnesota coach Jerry Kill. Most recently, Kill was an assistant coach at TCU. Kill coached Minnesota from 2011 to 2015. Prior to that he was the head coach at Northern Illinois.

Washington State found a replacement for the fired Nick Rolovich. The Cougars elevated their defensive coordinator Jack Dickert to the head coach position in Pullman.

Add Duke’s David Cutcliffe to the list of fired coaches – now 17. In 14 seasons at Duke, Cutcliffe was getting progressively worse each year. His record with the Blue Devils was 77-97 – 3-9 this season (0-8 in the ACC).

“Have writ her name in Crimson flame!”….Cecil Hurt, a longtime sports columnist at The Tuscaloosa News, died last week of complications from pneumonia. He was 62. Hurt had worked for The Tuscaloosa News since 1982, becoming the newspaper’s sports editor and columnist seven years later. He was a 1981 graduate of the University of Alabama. Of Hurt, Alabama football coach Nick Saban said: “He was a man of integrity and a fair-minded journalist blessed with wit, wisdom and an ability to paint a picture with his words that few possessed. He was a role model for young writers and the most trusted source of news for Alabama fans everywhere. He leaves a wonderful legacy as one of sports journalism’s best.”

Yes, I’m thankful for family, friends, food and football. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving!

Touchdown Tom

November 29, 2021

 

Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  At last – Michigan 42, Ohio State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 31, Michigan 26). The teams were smack-dab even in the stats, except for rushing and passing. Michigan was the stronger rushing team and Ohio State was the stronger passing team. Michigan’s Hassan Haskins rushed for 169 yards and five touchdowns. The Wolverines Blake Corum added another 87 yards rushing. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud passed for 394 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 111,156

RUNNER-UP: Boomer wasn’t Sooner – Oklahoma State 37, Oklahoma 33 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 25, Oklahoma 21). No Big 12 championship game for the Sooners. Okie State won in spite of three turnovers. However OU had two turnovers. OU’s Kennedy Brooks rushed for 139 yards. Attendance in Stillwater: 54,990

REST OF THE BEST: Perfect – Cincinnati 35, East Carolina 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 36, East Carolina 30). If Cincinnati has a problem, it’s turnovers. The Bearcats had three of them against East Carolina. Cincinnati’s defense held the Pirates to 54 yards rushing. Bearcats receiver Alec Pierce had eight catches for 135 yards. Attendance in Greenville: 38,014

The green was mean – Oregon 38, Oregon State 29 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Oregon State 25). Oregon jumped out to a 24-3 halftime lead. Then the Beavers attempted a comeback. Oregon had 506 total yards – 231 yards rushing and 275 passing. The Ducks dominated time of possession. Attendance in Eugene: 56,408

Bells? What Bells? – Ole Miss 31, Mississippi State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 35, Ole Miss 34). Lane Kiffin complained about the cowbells, but they didn’t seem to bother Ole Miss any. This was a close game in the first half. In the third quarter, Ole Miss began to run away from Miss State. The Magnolias led 31-13 with 5:35 to go in the game. The Bulldogs only had 84 yards rushing. Finishing its season at 10-2, Ole Miss is looking good for a spot in the New Year’s Six bowl. Attendance in Starkville: 55,601

Tank tanks Auburn – Alabama 24, Auburn 22 (4OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 38, Auburn 17). With less than two minutes to go in the game, Auburn running back Tank Bigsby mistakenly ran out of bounds with the ball, stopping the clock for Alabama. The Tide only had one timeout left. They didn’t have to use it after that play. Bigsby’s bluster gave Alabama an extra 40 seconds in which to score the game-tying touchdown. Without those 40 seconds, Bama wouldn’t have scored and Auburn would have won the game. Auburn only had 12 first downs and 159 total yards – only 22 yards rushing. The Tide only had 64 yards rushing. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young passed for 317 yards, but he completed less than 50% of his passes. Attendance in Auburn: 87,451

Signed – Michigan State 30, Penn State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 20, Penn State 19). Before the game, Michigan State coach Mel Tucker signed his $95 million contract. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford passed for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Michigan State dominated time of possession. Attendance in East Lansing: 66,312

MWC title game bound – San Diego State 27, Boise State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 23, Boise State 21). Trailing 16-3 to Boise State in the second quarter, San Diego State scored 24 unanswered points. Boise State was held scoreless in the second half. Aztec quarterback Jordan Brookshire was 11-of-15, passing for 192 yards and one touchdown. Brookshire also rushed For 45 yards and another touchdown. Attendance in San Diego: 11,886

The Gophers were golden – Minnesota 23, Wisconsin 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 30, Minnesota 27). A defensive battle – together the teams combined for only 515 total yards – 282 yards for Minnesota and 233 for Wisconsin. The Badgers used to be a running team, but Minnesota held them to 62 yards rushing. Attendance in Minneapolis: 49,736

Charlotte here we come – Wake Forest 41, Boston College 10(Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 32, Boston College 26). Boston College had no offense whatsoever. The Eagles only had 9 first downs, 182 total yards and only 19 yards passing. BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec was just 3-of 11 passing. Wake Forest possessed the ball for 36:13. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 25,854

In the six games I suggested you keep an eye on: Central Michigan smashed Eastern Michigan, 31-10…..  UAB topped UTEP, 42-25….  NC State rallied late in the game to beat North Carolina, 34-30….  Baylor edged Texas Tech, 27-24….  Army slammed Liberty, 31-16….  Western Kentucky pummeled Marshall, 53-21.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUBNDS:

Bowl eligible – West Virginia 34, Kansas 28 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Kansas 27). WVU’s Leddie Brown rushed for 156 yards and Tony Mathis rushed for 118 yards. WVU dominated time of possession and first downs – 23 to 15. The Mountaineers defense held Kansas to 87 yards rushing. Attendance in Lawrence: 23,117

Chippy – Florida 24, Florida State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Florida State 23). The game was downright disgusting at times – coaching, playing, TV commentating. Florida quarterback Emory Jones threw three interceptions. He was eventually replaced by Anthony Richardson. FSU quarterback Jordan Travis passed for 202 yards (1TD) and rushed for 102 yards (1TD). Attendance in Gainesville: 88,491

Seven-straight – Iowa 28, Nebraska 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 20, Nebraska 18). Nebraska lost to Iowa for the seventh-straight year. The Huskers led 21-6 midway through the third quarter and 21-9 as the fourth quarter began. Iowa came back , scoring 22 unanswered points. Hawkeyes running back Tyler Goodson rushed for 156 yards. Attendance in Lincoln: 86,541

David’s swan song – Miami (Florida) 47, Duke 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 38, Duke 15). In the first quarter, Duke led 3-0 and 10-3. Then it was all over for the Dookies. Miami scored 44 unanswered points, while the Dookies never saw the end zone again. Miami had 530 total yards to 219 for Duke. Canes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke passed for 381 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Durham: 17,391

What a wreck – Georgia 45, Georgia Tech 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 42, Georgia Tech 10). Georgia Tech has given up 100 points in its last two games. The Yellow Jackets only had 9 first downs and 166 total yards. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett passed for 255 yards and four touchdowns. Attendance in Atlanta: 52,806

Snapped – Texas 22, Kansas State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, Texas 23). The Longhorns snapped their six-game losing streak. Trailing Kansas State, 17-13, in the second quarter, Texas scored nine unanswered points – three field goals. K-State was held scoreless in the second half. The Wildcats only had 65 yards passing. K-State running back Deuce Vaughn rushed for 143 yards. Attendance in Austin: 75,072

The rout is on – Purdue 44, Indiana 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 33, Indiana 16). After Indiana tied the score at 7-7 in the first quarter, the Boilers proceeded to score 37 unanswered points. The Hoosiers never saw the end zone gain. Indiana only had 205 total yards. Purdue actually had more than 100 yards rushing (167) – a rarity for the Boilers. Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell was 26-of-31, passing for 278 yards and four touchdowns. Attendance in West Lafayette: 61,320

Week 13 Results:  13 winners, 4 fumbles (76.5 percent)

For the Season:   128 winners, 61 fumbles (67.7 percent)

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF 17, South Florida 13 – Attendance in Orlando: 41,157

Southern Miss 37, FIU 17 – Attendance in Hattiesburg: 20,041
Middle Tennessee 27, Florida Atlantic 17 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 15,127

 

Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Miami of Ohio’s Brett Gabbert – 26-51-2 for 405 yards (4TDs); Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong – 30-46-1-400 (1TD); Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud – 34-49-0-394 (2TDs); Miami of Florida’s Tyler Van Dyke – 34-49-0-381 (3TDs), and Arizona’s Will Plummer – 28-38-1-346 (1TD).

Also, Notre Dame’s Jack Coan – 26-35-1 for 346 yards (2TDs); Fresno State’s Jake Haener – 27-36-0-343 (4TDs); Western Michigan’s Kaleb Eleby – 21-26-0-338 (5TDs); Memphis’ Seth Henigan – 27-42-0-336 (3TDs), and Mississippi State’s Will Rogers – 38-58-0-336 (1TD).

Impressive Rushers:

Tulsa’s Tyjae Spears – 264 yards (2TDs); Iowa State’s Breece Hall – 242 yards (3TDs); Coastal Carolina’s Shermari Jones – 211 yards (1TD); Central Michigan’s Lew Nichols – 194 yards (1TD); Texas’ Roschon Johnson – 179 yards (1TD), and Michigan’s Hassan Haskins – 169 yards (5TDs).

Also, Virginia Tech’s Raheem Blackshear – 169 yards (1TD); Kent State’s Xavier Williams – 168 yards (2TDs); Massachusetts’ Ellis Merriweather – 168 yards (2TDs); West Virginia’s Leddie Brown – 156 yards (1TD); Iowa’s Tyler Goodson – 156 yards; New Mexico State’s Juwuan Price – 156 yards (4TDs), and Toledo’s Bryant Koback – 155 yards (2TDs).

Also, Maryland’s Tayon Fleet-Davis – 152 yards (2TDs); North Texas’ Ikaika Ragsdale – 146 yards (2TDs); Kansas State’s Deuce Vaughn – 143 yards (1TD); Utah’s Tavion Thomas – 142 yards (1TD); Oklahoma’s Kennedy Brooks – 139 yards; Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker – 138 yards (1TD), and UNLV’s Charles Williams – 137 yards (2TDs).

 

Quotes of the Week

“You reap what you sow,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, on fired Florida coach Dan Mullen.

“I think there is something in Jim Harbaugh’s brain. I don’t know what it is. I really don’t want to know. He is incapable of beating his biggest rival,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on Jim Harbaugh being incapable of beating Ohio State.

“And those cowbells are really annoying, by the way. They don’t even come close to following the rule. Whatever rule that is that they are supposed to stop, they don’t,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, on the Mississippi State cowbells.

“North Carolina’s loss to NC State was a Nebraska style meltdown,” ESPN GameDay’s Rece Davis.

Flubs of the Week

Florida State’s attempt at an onside kick

Auburn’s Tank Bigsby running out of bounds

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

This Week’s 10 Conference Championship Games….and then none

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Alabama (11-1) vs. Georgia (12-0) (SEC Championship Game – Atlanta, Georgia) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – The anticipated battle of the SEC giants. Alabama and Georgia have a lot of similarities on offense, with Bama a little stronger. The Tide is averaging 42.7 points a game and is 7th in the country in total yards and passing yards. If Bama has a weakness on offense, it is rushing yards. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has passed for 3,901 yards, completing 68.9% of his passes. He’s only thrown 4 interceptions. Georgia is averaging 40.7 points a game. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett has passed for 1,985 yards, completing 65% of his passes. Bennett has thrown 5 interceptions. The difference between the two teams is on defense and Georgia is the stronger. Georgia is only giving up 6.9 points a game. The Dawgs are 1st in the country in total yards allowed, 2nd in passing yards allowed and 4th in rushing yards allowed. Georgia has no weaknesses on defense. Alabama is giving up 19.9 points a game. Therein is the big difference between the two teams. But Bama is 3rd in the country in rushing yards allowed and 7th in total yards allowed. If the Tide has a weakness on defense, it is passing yards allowed. The most points Georgia has given up in a game this season is 17. Bama should be good for 24 points – Georgia 28, Alabama 24.

RUNNER-UP: 2. Iowa (10-2) vs. Michigan (11-1) (Big Ten Championship Game – Indianapolis, Indiana) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Neither of these teams were expected to be in the Big Ten title game. Most everyone seemed to think it would be Ohio State vs. Wisconsin. Well, surprise, surprise, it’s the Wolverines vs. the Hawkeyes. Michigan has the stronger offense. The Wolverines are averaging 37.3 points a game. Michigan running back Hassan Haskins has 1,232 yards rushing. Iowa is averaging 25.7 points a game. Running back Tyler Goodson has 1,101 rushing yards. On defense, the teams are similar. Both are giving up 17.2 points a game. Iowa relies on its defense. On offense, the Hawkeyes are very methodic. They like to wait for and take advantage of their opponents mistakes. Michigan can be a little wild and crazy on offense. The Wolverines get a little wild and crazy – Michigan 26, Iowa 17.

REST OF THE TITLE GAMES: 3. Baylor (10-2) vs. Oklahoma State (11-1) (Big 12 Championship Game – Arlington, Texas) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Neither of these teams were supposed to be here. At preseason, Baylor was pegged to finish no better than 8th in the Big 12 standings. Oklahoma State was slotted to finish no better than 3rd in the conference and most had the Cowboys pegged at 4th. The teams are similar. Baylor averages 33.4 points a game and gives up 19.4 points. Okie State averages 31.8 points a game and gives up 16.4. Both teams have strong running backs. Baylor has Abram Smith, who has rushed for 1,366 yards. Okie State has Jaylen Warren, who has rushed for 1,134 yards. These babies grew up to be Cowboys – Oklahoma State 31, Baylor 27.

4. Houston (11-1) at Cincinnati (12-0) (AAC Championship Game – Cincinnati, Ohio) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Win and Cincinnati should be in the playoff. Cincinnati and Houston have similar offenses – both good. The Bearcats average 39.6 points a game. The Cougars average 38.8 points a game. Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder has passed for 3,000 yards. Houston quarterback Clayton Tune passed for 3,013 yards. Cincinnati’s defense is better than Houston’s. The Bearcats give up 15.8 points a game, while the Cougars give up 19.8 points a game. The Bearcats have been plagued with turnover problems this season. But in this game, the Bearcats turnover the Cougars – Cincinnati 36, Houston 32.

5. Oregon (10-2) vs. Utah (9-3) (PAC-12 Championship Game  – Las Vegas, Nevada) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ABC – This game is a rematch. Only a couple weeks ago Utah beat Oregon, 38-7. That game was played in Salt Lake City. This one is in Las Vegas. The Utes are on a five-game winning streak. Utah appears to be slightly better than Oregon on offense and defense. These Ducks were made for feather downs – Utah 30, Oregon 27.

6. Pitt (10-2) vs. Wake Forest (10-2) (ACC Championship Game – Charlotte, North Carolina) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Yet another conference with two unexpected teams in the conference championship game. Both teams were supposed to be competitive, but not division champs. Wake Forest is led by quarterback Sam Hartman. He has passed for 3,711 yards. Wake averages 42.9 points a game, but gives up 29.1 points. The Deacons scored 35 or more points in all but one game this season. Pitt has a Heisman candidate quarterback in Kenny Pickett. He has passed for 4,066 yards, completing 67.7% of his passes. The Panthers average 42.8 points a game. The Deacons put a fence around Pickett – Wake Forest 38, Pitt 35.

7. Appalachian State (10-2) at Louisiana (11-1) (Sun Belt Championship Game – Lafayette, Louisiana) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – How will the Rajin’ Cajuns perform with their coach leaving after the game for Florida? It could have an impact. Although Louisiana’s coach Billy Napier is an offensive minded coach, the Cajuns defense is better than the offense. This game is a rematch too. During the season, Appalachian State lost to Louisiana, 41-13. The game was played in Lafayette. This game will be played in Lafayette. App State seems to have gotten better since its loss to Louisiana. App State comes in on a six-game winning streak. Louisiana comes in on a 12-game winning streak. Make it 13 – Louisiana 25, Appalachian State 23.

8. Utah State (9-3) at San Diego State (11-1) (MWC Championship Game – San Diego, California) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – San Diego State has an offense like Iowa. It isn’t overpowering. It’s very methodical. The offense takes advantage of the opponents mistakes. Mistakes often created by the Aztecs defense. San Diego State has an outstanding defense. Just the opposite of San Diego State, Utah State has an explosive offense and a weak defense. Aggies quarterback Logan Bonner passed for 3,236 yards. As Bonner goes, so go the Aggies. The Aztecs won’t let Bonner go – San Diego State 33, Utah State 28.

9. Western Kentucky (8-4) at UTSA (11-1) (C-USA Championship Game – San Antonio, Texas) 7 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN – Western Kentucky has the leading and most exciting quarterback in the country. His name is Bailey Zappe. He’s from Texas. This game is played in Texas. Zappe passed for 4,968 yards, completing 70.1% of his passes. The Hilltoppers average 43.2 points a game, but they give up 27 points a game. UTSA has a good quarterback – Frank Harris – and a good running back – Sincere McCormick. The Roadrunners were undefeated until last week when they lost to, of all teams, North Texas. They must have been looking ahead to this game. Beep-Beep goes uh oh – Western Kentucky 30, UTSA 29.

10. Kent State (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (8-4) (MAC Championship Game – Detroit, Michigan) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Northern Illinois is a strange team. The Huskies give up more points than they score. On offense, NIU averages 30.8 points a game. On defense they give up 33.5 points a game. Somehow they are 8-4 and in the MAC championship game. Kent State isn’t any better. The Golden Flashes average 33.4 points a game and give up 34.5 points a game. Kent’s defense ranks as one of the worst in the country. The Golden Flashes do have a good quarterback – Dustin Crum. He has passed for 2,794 yards, completing 65% of his passes. But when this one is over, the Flashes will be picking up the crumbs –  Northern Illinois 35, Kent State 27.

One game to keep an eye on:

USC at California – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 11 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 –

Touchdown Tom

 

Monday, November 22, 2021

College Football Week 13 - Florida Coach Dan Mullen Fired

 

College Football Week 13 – Florida coach Dan Mullen fired

Except for Georgia, the four playoff teams are up in the air

Georgia is a given. Count the Dawgs in as one of the four teams in the playoff.

Georgia has two games remaining – Georgia Tech and the SEC championship game. There is no way the Dawgs are going to lose to Georgia Tech – no way! Then comes the SEC title game where Georgia will play Alabama. Win or lose, the Dawgs are still in the playoff. Win and 13-0 Georgia will be the No. 1 seeded team in the playoff. Lose and 12-1 Georgia will be the No. 3 or 4 seeded team in the playoff.

Beyond Georgia, the remaining three teams in the payoff are a question mark – seven question marks.

Seven teams are still alive to fill those three spots – Cincinnati, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame and Oklahoma.

Cincinnati (11-0): If the Bearcats beat East Carolina in their final season game and Houston in the AAC championship game, then 13-0 Cincinnati is in the playoff. Lose just one of those games and the Bearcats are out.

It won’t be an easy path for Cincinnati. The Bearcats play East Carolina on the road. The Pirates are a vastly improved team, having won their last four games. Then there is Houston. After losing its first game on September 4, the Cougars have reeled off 10-straight wins. It’ll be 11-straight wins when they meet Cincinnati. Stay tuned!

Alabama (10-1): The Crimson Tide plays Auburn in its season finale, then meets Georgia in the SEC title game. I know it’s a rivalry, but there is no way Alabama is going to lose to Auburn. Not this year. Anything could happen in the Georgia game. Bit if Alabama wants to be in the playoff, the Tide has to beat Georgia. Lose and Bama is kaput.   

Ohio State (10-1): The Buckeyes remaining two games are against Michigan and the Big Ten championship game against either Wisconsin, Iowa or Minnesota. That’s assuming they beat Michigan. Lose to the Wolverines and there is no Big Ten title game. Lose the Big Ten title game and there is no playoff spot for the Buckeyes. Win both games and 12-1 Ohio State is in the playoff. The Michigan game is key and it is in Ann Arbor. Stay tuned!

Michigan (10-1): The Wolverines are a duplicate of Ohio State in reverse. Beat Ohio State and Michigan is in the Big Ten championship game. Win the Big Ten title game and 12-1 Michigan is in the playoff. But the Wolverines haven’t beaten Ohio State since 2011.

Oklahoma State (10-1): The Cowboys remaining two games are against Oklahoma and the Big 12 championship game. Lose either one of those games and Oklahoma State is no longer in playoff contention. Win both games and the 12-1 Cowboys stand a good chance of making the playoff. It all depends on how Cincinnati, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan play out.

Notre Dame (10-1): The Irish only have one game left to play – Stanford. Notre Dame will have no problem beating Stanford. But while the other potential playoff teams are playing a conference championship game, Notre Dame will be sitting home on December 4. That’s a disadvantage for the Irish. It will be difficult, but an 11-1 Notre Dame could slip into the playoff.

Oklahoma (10-1): The Sooners are the duplicate of Oklahoma State in reverse. Beat Oklahoma State and the Sooners are in the Big 12 title game. Win the Big 12 championship game and 12-1 Oklahoma stands a good chance of making the playoff, depending on how Cincinnati, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan play out.

Obviously, between these seven teams, the next two weeks will be interesting – very interesting. And something else will be interesting too. Should 10-1 Houston win out, beating Cincinnati in the AAC title game, look for the 12-1 Cougars to make an argument that they should take over Cincinnati’s spot in the playoff. Kinda like UCF’s claim to being national champions back in 2017. Stay tuned!

So, who will join Georgia in the playoff?  Your guess is as good as mine.

Saturday, one team – Michigan State – got knocked out of a potential playoff spot. The Spartans got knocked out big time. Ohio State demolished Michigan State, 56-7. The Buckeyes limited the Spartans to 224 total yards – just 66 yards rushing. Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker only had 25 yards rushing. Say “bye-bye” Heisman Trophy, Kenneth.

During the week prior to the game, Michigan State officials drew up a new contract for second-year coach Mel Tucker – a 10-year $95 million contract. At game time, Tucker hadn’t signed the contract. Maybe Michigan State officials want to rescind it now. Tucker was offered the contract to keep him from leaving for an opening at another school. But $9.5 million for 10 years? Really? In three years of head coaching, Tucker is just 16-14 – 5-7 at Colorado, 2-5 at Michigan State last year and 9-2 this year. And this year State only has one good win – 37-33 over Michigan. Tucker’s other wins are over the likes of Northwestern, Youngstown State, Western Kentucky, Rutgers, Indiana, etc.

Wake Forest’s bubble got burst – big time. The Demon Deacons were brought down to earth by Clemson. The Tigers clawed the Deacons, 48-27. Clemson held Wake Forest to 36 yards rushing. Until they played Clemson, Wake Forest hadn’t really faced a good defense all season. And the Deacons weak defense couldn’t handle Clemson’s weak offense.

Still in the ACC, Pitt punched its ticket to the ACC championship game. The Panthers fought off Virginia, 48-38. The two teams combined for 1,023 total yards. The two quarterbacks – Pitt’s Kenny Pickett and Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong – passed for 827 of those yards. Virginia only had 27 yards rushing.

Cincinnati made its pitch for a playoff spot. The Bearcats clobbered a good SMU team, 48-14. Early in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati led SMU, 48-0.

Meanwhile, Oregon’s playoff chances were wiped out. Utah slammed the Ducks, 38-7. The Utes won the game on the ground, outrushing Oregon 208 yards to 63 yards.

And there is Florida and the ouster of Gators coach Dan Mullen. Florida lost its fourth-straight game to an FBS team. Missouri beat Florida in overtime, 24-23 (OT). The day after the game, Mullen was fired. Florida’s 2-6 conference record is its worst since 1986.

College football Week 12 had its beginning on Tuesday night with three Mid-American Conference games. Toledo turned back Ohio, 35-23. Toledo running back Bryant Koback rushed for 203 yards and four touchdowns.

With 3:55 left in the game, Eastern Michigan kicked a 20-yard field goal to beat Western Michigan, 22-21. EMU’s Jawon Hamilton rushed for 179 yards. In the final game of the three, Miami (Ohio) slammed Bowling Green, 34-7.

Wednesday night, two more MAC games were played. In an overtime affair, Northern Illinois downed Buffalo, 33-27 (OT). NIU tallied 505 total yards. Central Michigan topped Ball State, 37-17, in the other game. CMU’s Lew Nichols rushed for 219 yards and three touchdowns, as the Chippewas racked up 567 total yards – 285 rushing and 282 passing.

In the sole game Thursday night, Louisville scored at will, as the Cardinals demolished Duke, 62-22. In the process, Louisville racked up 687 total yards. I would have to say that Duke coach David Cutcliffe is a dead man walking.

Friday night was a busy night with five games played. Let’s get started. In the opener, Southern Mississippi downed Louisiana Tech, 35-19, in a sloppy game plagued with eight turnovers. Next, Houston had no trouble beating Memphis, 31-13. The Cougars improved to 10-1.

Out West, Washington State ran and passed over Arizona, 44-18. The Cougars had 223 yards rushing and 259 yards passing. In the two best games of the night, Air Force outlasted Nevada, 41-39 (3OT), and San Diego State got by UNLV, 28-20. Against Nevada, the Falcons had 476 yards rushing. In the loss, UNLV quarterback Justin Rogers passed for 305 yards and two touchdowns.

In other games Saturday, Oklahoma kept it playoff hopes alive. The Sooners got by Iowa State, 28-21. Oklahoma’s Kennedy Brooks rushed for 115 yards. Meanwhile in the Big 12, West Virginia added to Texas’ woes. The Mountaineers handed the Longhorns their sixth-straight loss. WVU downed Texas, 31-23.

Michigan kept its playoff hopes alive. The Wolverines downed Maryland, 59-18. Michigan racked up 503 total yards. Wisconsin kept its Big Ten West Division hopes alive. The Badgers edged Nebraska, 35-28. Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen rushed for 228 yards. In Wrigley Field in Chicago, Purdue struck out Northwestern, 32-14.

Florida’s two ACC teams both won. Florida State held off Boston College, 26-23, while Miami held off Virginia Tech 38-26. Early in the third quarter, FSU led BC, 26-3. Then the Eagles scored 20 unanswered points. Midway through the third quarter, Miami led Virginia Tech, 31-13. Then the Hokies scored 13 unanswered points. But the Canes scored a fourth quarter touchdown to put the game away.

In a closer than expected game, Alabama got by Arkansas, 42-35. Some folks even say that the SEC refs assisted Alabama in its win. Not that I’m suggesting anything.

UTSA remained undefeated and punched its ticket to the C-USA championship game. Trailing UAB, 31-27, the Roadrunners scored a bizarre touchdown with 0:03 on the clock in the fourth quarter to beat the Blazers, 34-31. Meanwhile, Marshall and Western Kentucky warmed up for their meeting this week for the C-USA East Division title and a spot in the conference championship game. Marshall beat Charlotte, 49-28, while Western Kentucky pounded Florida Atlantic, 52-17. WKU’s Bailey Zappe passed for 470 yards and six touchdowns.

Top 25 Louisiana clobbered Liberty, 42-14. Liberty had six, yes six, turnovers in the game – three fumbles and three interceptions.

The Pac-12’s four California teams met in their annual rivalry games. Neither were much of a contest this year. In “The Big Game” in Palo Alto, California beat Stanford, 41-11. California racked up 636 total yards. And in the crosstown rivalry in Los Angeles, UCLA blasted USC, 62-33. The Bruins had 609 total yards.

In the Pac-12’s late, late show, Oregon State stunned Arizona State, 24-10. The Beavers B.J. Baylor rushed for 150 yards.

While California vs. Stanford is “The Big Game,” Harvard vs. Yale is “The Game.” The Ivy League played its final season games Saturday. In “The Game,” before 49,500 fans in the Yale Bowl, Harvard scored a touchdown with 0:22 left in the game to beat Yale, 34-31. In the other three Ivy League contests, Dartmouth topped Brown, 52-31; Columbia beat Cornell, 34-26, and Princeton downed Penn, 34-14.

Dartmouth (9-1) and Princeton (9-1) tied for the Ivy League championship with 6-1 conference records. During the season, Dartmouth beat Princeton, 31-7. Dartmouth’s lone loss was to Columbia, 19-0. “Roar, Lion, Roar.” Harvard (8-2) finished third at 5-2.   

Going into the final regular season games, three teams remain undefeated: Cincinnati (11-0), Georgia (11-0) and UTSA (11-0).

Six Group of Five teams are in both the AP and Coaches Polls. In the AP and (Coaches Poll), they are Cincinnati 4 (4), BYU 13 (15), UTSA 15 (20), Houston 19 (16), San Diego State 22 (22) and Louisiana 23 (23).

The fourth CFP ranking poll will be released at 7 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN. My Top 4 are 1. Georgia, 2, Cincinnati, 3. Ohio State and 4. Michigan. My first six out are 5. Alabama, 6. Oklahoma State, 7. Notre Dame, 8. Oklahoma, 9. Houston and 10. Baylor.

Last week, Jimbo Fisher said he would be the dumbest human being on God’s earth if he left Texas A&M for LSU.

Florida coach Dan Mullen was fired Sunday. In his fourth season with the Gators, Mullen was 34-15 – 5-6 this season. He is 5-9 in his last 14 games at Florida. Only two of those five wins are over Power Five teams. Prior to Florida, Mullen was the head coach at Mississippi State for nine seasons. Running backs coach Greg Knox will take over as interim coach at Florida. Mullen’s buyout is $12 million. Mullen became the 13th coach to be fired this season.

No sooner had Mullen been fired and Troy announced that third-year coach Chip Lindsey had been fired. Lindsey was 15-19 in three seasons at Troy – 5-6 this season. Defensive coordinator Brandon Hall was named the interim coach at Troy.

There were a couple of firings in Miami last week. First, FIU fired football coach Butch Davis. In five seasons at FIU, Davis was 24-30 – 1-9 this season. Prior to FIU, Davis was the head coach at Miami, the Cleveland Browns and North Carolina and a commentator/analyst for ESPN. Interestingly, the opening for the head coach position at FIU was posted online a few weeks ago. Davis claims FIU is sabotaging the football program.  

Second, the University of Miami fired its athletic director Blake James. He was Miami’s AD for eight years. James’ firing raises the question of what is the status of football coach Manny Diaz. James hired Diaz back in 2018 after he fired Mark Richt. 

Activity in the ACC remained turbulent. Not long after Miami’s action, Virginia Tech announced the firing of football coach Justin Fuente. In six seasons with the Hokies, Fuente was 43-31 – 5-5 this season. Prior to Virginia Tech, he was the head coach at Memphis. Obviously, Fuente was one Turkey who wasn’t pardoned.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Touchdown Tom

November 22, 2021

 

Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: $95 million? – Ohio State 56, Michigan State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 30, Michigan State 24). Are you kidding me? Michigan State wants to give its coach $95 million. What am I missing? And the Buckeyes led 49-0, before State even scored in the fourth quarter. Ohio State had 655 total yards compared to Michigan State with 224 total yards. The Buckeyes had 36 first downs to 12 for State. The Buckeyes C.J. Stroud was 32-of-35, passing for 432 yards and six touchdowns. Attendance in Columbus:101,858

RUNNER-UP: Hey CFP committee – Cincinnati 48, SMU 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 46, SMU 34). Cincinnati had 544 total yards, while limiting SMU to 199 total yards. Normally a strong passing team, SMU only had 66 yards passing. Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder passed for 274 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 46 yards and one touchdown. Attendance in Cincinnati: 37,978

REST OF THE BEST: Quackless in Salt Lake City – Utah 38, Oregon 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 26, Oregon 23). The Utes restricted Oregon to 63 yards rushing. Utah dominated time of possession – 35:27. The teams could meet again in the Pac-12 title game in two weeks. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 52,724

I get by with a little help from my friends – Alabama 42, Arkansas 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 31, Arkansas 23). Th teams combined for 1,139 total yards. Bama had 671 of those yards. Tide quarterback Bryce Young was 31-of-40, passing for 559 yards and five touchdowns. Bama running back Brian Robinson rushed for 122 yards. Tide receiver Jameson Williams had eight receptions for 190 yards. Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson was 22-of-30, passing for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 98,323

The Forest wasn’t with you – Clemson 48, Wake Forest 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 27, Clemson 22). Clemson racked up 543 total yards. The Tigers had two backs rush for more than 100 yards. Kobe Pace rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Will Shipley rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Both teams had three turnovers. Attendance in Clemson: 81,048

Wild finish – UTSA 34, UAB 31 (Touchdown Tom said: UTSA 27, UAB 14). UTSA only had 52 yards rushing. UAB did a good job holding down running back Sincere McCormick. UAB’s DeWayne McBride rushed for 144 yards. UTSA quarterback Frank Harris was 25-of-36, passing for 323 yards and three touchdowns. The game was tied three times – the last at 24-24 early in the third quarter. Attendance in San Antonio: 35,147

The Cowboys were defensive – Oklahoma State 23, Texas Tech 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 35, Texas Tech 25). Okie State’s defense totally shutdown Texas Tech. The Red Raiders only had 108 total yards, and only 10 first downs. The Cowboys maintained time of possession for 36.58. Attendance in Lubbock: 53,169

Grin and Bear it – Baylor 20, Kansas State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 34, Kansas State 23). In primarily a defensive battle, Baylor limited K-State to 12 first downs. K-State’s Deuce Vaughn rushed for 128 yards. Attendance in Manhattan: 43,857

Rajin’ in Lynchburg – Louisiana 42, Liberty 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Liberty 33, Louisiana 29). In spite of Louisiana’s score, the Cajuns didn’t have much offense. Liberty had less. Liberty also turned the ball over six times. Early in the third quarter, Louisiana just led 21-14. Then the Cajuns scored 21 unanswered points. Attendance in Lynchburg: 15,564

Sooners tough it out – Oklahoma 28, Iowa State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Iowa State 33). Iowa State dominated the stats but not the score. The Cyclones had more first downs, total yards and rushing yards. Iowa State even controlled time of possession for 38:20. But the Cyclones only had 52 yards rushing. Attendance in Norman: 82,685

In the four games I suggested you keep a very close eye on: Pitt outlasted Virginia, 48-38….  Appalachian State put down Troy, 45-7….  Houston looked good, beating Memphis, 31-13….  and Air Force needed three overtimes to beat Nevada, 41-39 (3OT).

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Horns down – West Virginia 31, Texas 23 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Texas 27). WVU jumped out to leads of 14-0 and 21-7 and hung on to win. The Mountaineers dominated the stats, including time of possession: 38:36. WVU’s Leddie Brown rushed for 158 yards. WVU quarterback Jarret Doege passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns. Of all the teams who have played Texas for 10 or more games, only two teams have a winning record against the Longhorns – West Virginia and Notre Dame. WVU is 6-5 against Texas. Attendance in Morgantown: 48,755

Jones up the middle – Missouri 24, Florida 23 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Missouri 22). Florida kicked its extra point in overtime. Missouri went for two and won the game. The Gators had another poor running game. Missouri’s Tyler Badie rushed for 146 yards. Gators quarterback Emory Jones passed for 261 yards. Attendance in Columbia: 47,818

Another close one – Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 30, Nebraska 20). Seven of eight Huskers losses have been by a touchdown. Nebraska dominated the stats but not the score. The game was tied four times. Wisconsin would score and the Huskers would tie. This routine went on all game. Then Wisconsin scored and there wasn’t enough time for Nebraska to tie. Nebraska moved the ball to the Badgers 21 yard line with 4 seconds left. Huskers quarterback Adrian Martinez passed for 351 yards, but he also threw two picks. Attendance in Madison: 67,888

These Devils don’t scare anyone – Louisville 62, Duke 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 29, Duke 21). Both teams scored in all four quarters. Louisville just scored 40 more points than the Dookies. Together the teams combined for 1,145 total yards. Both teams had 29 first downs each. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham had quite a night. Cunningham was 18-of-25, passing for 303 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Duke slipped to 0-7 in ACC play. Attendance in Durham: 8,493

Routine – Georgia 56, Charleston Southern 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 52, Charleston Southern 3). Poor Charleston Southern. Georgia’s defense held them to 126 total yards – 68 rushing and 58 passing. Meanwhile, Georgia had 228 yards rushing and 255 passing. Late in the second quarter, the score was 49-0. The Dawgs did manage to have three turnovers. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Home run – Purdue 32 Northwestern 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Northwestern 15). Purdue still can’t run the ball – 51 yards rushing – but the Boilers sure can pass. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell was 29-of-39, passing for 423 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue receiver Milton Wright had eight catches for 213 yards. The game was played in the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field. Attendance in Chicago: 31,500

Week 12 Results:  13 winners, 3 fumbles (81.3 percent)

For the Season:   115 winners, 57 fumbles (66.9 percent)

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida State 26, Boston College 23 – Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 33,363

Tulane 45, South Florida 14 – Attendance in New Orleans: 14,496
Western Kentucky 52, Florida Atlantic 17 – Attendance in Bowling Green: 10,477

San Diego 41, Stetson 16 – Attendance in Deland: 1,040

Florida A&M 46, Bethune-Cookman 21 – Attendance in Orlando: 54,198

UCF 49, Connecticut 17 – Attendance in Orlando: 37,454

North Texas 49, FIU 7 – Attendance in Miami: N/A
Miami 38, Virginia Tech 26 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 40,839

 

Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Alabama’s Bryce Young – 31-40-0 for 561 yards (5TDs); Colorado State’s Todd Centeio – 29-48-2-0527 (6TDs); Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong – 36-49-1-487 (3TDs); Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe – 39-49-2-470 (6TDs), and Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell – 29-39-0-423 (3TDs).

Also, Kentucky’s Will Levis – 21-31-1 for 419 yards (4TDs); Hawaii’s Chevan Cordeiro – 23-41-0-406 (2TDs); East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers – 27-32-0-405 (3TDs); Mississippi State’s Will Rogers – 28-34-0-391 (5TDs); Washington’s Dylan Morris – 33-52-2-387 (2TDs), and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud – 26-28-0-368 (6TDs).

Also, UTEP’s Gavin Hardison – 23-35-1 for 366 yards (2TDs); Miami of Florida’s Tyler Van Dyke – 19-33-0-357 (3TDs); Nevada’s Carson Strong – 27-44-1-351 (4TDs); Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez – 23-35-2-351 (1TD); UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 16-22-2-349 (4TDs), and Pitt’s Kenny Pickett – 26-41-2-340 (4TDs).

Impressive Rushers:

Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen – 228 yards (3TDs); Air Force’s DeAndre Hughes – 221 yards (2TDs); Central Michigan’s Lew Nichols – 219 yards (3TDs); Marshall’s Rasheen Ali – 203 yards (3TDs); Toledo’s Bryant Koback – 203 yards (4TDs), and Clemson’s Kobe Pace – 191 yards (2TDs).

Also, Eastern Michigan’s Jawon Hamilton – 179 yards; Wyoming’s Titus Swen – 169 yards (2TDs); UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet – 167 yards (1TD); Auburn’s Tank Bigsby – 154 yards (1TD); West Virginia’s Leddie Brown – 158 yards (1TD), and Navy’s Carlinos Acie – 155 yards (1TD).

Also, Oregon State’s B.J. Baylor – 150 yards; UCF’s Johnny Richardson – 147 yards (1TD); Missouri’s Tyler Badie – 146 yards (1TD); UAB’s DeWayne McBride – 144 yards (1TD); Washington State’s Max Borghi – 139 yards (2TDs); Army’s Tyrell Robinson – 137 yards (1TD); BYU’s Tyler Allgeier – 136 yards (1TD), and Kent State’s Marquez Cooper – 135 yards (1TD).

 

Quotes of the Week

“I ain’t going nowhere. I don’t wanna be nowhere else. I love being right here,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, on rumors he’ll leave for LSU.

“Should he drop one of these games (Missouri or Florida State), I think he’s going to get fired. I just do. Because I don’t think you can argue that he has lost control of the team. I think it’s that serious. I do,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on Florida coach Dan Mullen.

“A 12-team College Football Playoff is a go. They want to get it done for next season. If it’s not approved in December, the Playoff won’t be a go with 12 teams until 2025,” sports commentator Dan Patrick.

“He made the decision to step away and not coach the FSU game,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin, on Dan Mullen choosing not to hang around to coach the FSU game.

“Didn’t see that one coming. There’s high expectations at Florida. I’ll call him tonight. He and Megan are dear, dear friends,” former Florida coach Urban Meyer, upon learning that Dan Mullen had been fired.

“The atmosphere down there had grown toxic. Many of the former players, and I’m talking about pre-Urban Meyer days, had turned against Mullen,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on the firing of Florida coach Dan Mullen.

Scott Stricklin did exactly what Dan Mullen did two weeks ago, sacrificing two coaches. Scott Stricklin sacrificed Dan Mullen today because it was the right thing to do,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on the firing of Florida coach Dan Mullen.

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

This week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Ohio State (10-1) at Michigan (10-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Ohio State has the better offense. Michigan has the better defense. The Buckeyes are averaging 47 points a game. Michigan is averaging 37 points a game. Ohio State’s weakness on defense is pass defense. Michigan is not a particularly strong passing team. C.J. Stroud will be out to pad his Heisman numbers. Michigan has not won since 2011. Ohio State has won nine straight. The two teams didn’t meet last year. The Wolverines backed out with a COVID excuse. Buckeyes make it 10 straight – Ohio State 31, Michigan 26.

RUNNER-UP: 2. Oklahoma (10-1) at Oklahoma State (10-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Oklahoma State is only average on offense. But the Cowboys are strong on defense. They are in the top 2, 3 and 4 in the country in points allowed, total yards allowed and rushing yards allowed. Oklahoma’s offense is up and down. But the Sooners are averaging 39 points a game. OU has had quarterback problems – no consistency. Cowboys rope ’em – Oklahoma State 25, Oklahoma 21.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Cincinnati (11-0) at East Carolina (7-4) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm Et, Friday, ABC – Cincinnati is averaging 40 points a game and only giving up 16 points a game. The Bearcats have a strong pass defense. East Carolina started the season lousy but have gotten better and better each game. The Pirates are competitive now. Bearcats are feeling the playoff pressure. The Pirates walk the plank – Cincinnati 36, East Carolina 30.

4. Oregon State (7-4) at Oregon (9-2) – Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – It’s generally always a good game when these two rivals get together. Nothing civil about the “Civil War.” The Beavers got better and better as the season went along. Now they are ready to compete against the Ducks. The Pac-12 North Division title is at stake. Ducks by a feather – Oregon 27, Oregon State 25.

5. Ole Miss (9-2) at Mississippi State (7-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Ole Miss will be favored but never underestimate Mike Leach. Ole Miss is strong on offense and weak on defense. Leach likes to attack weak defenses. The game provides a good quarterback battle between Matt Corral and Will Rogers. Is Lane Kiffin focused? Or is his mind on another job? Bully gets the Egg – Mississippi State 35, Ole Miss 34.

6. Alabama (10-1) at Auburn (6-5) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Auburn was looking like a good team earlier in the season. But lately, the Tigers have bombed. The honeymoon with Bryan Harsin is over. Alabama has some weaknesses on defense. But the Bama offense is unstoppable. Bryce Young will be out to pad his Heisman numbers too. It going to be a long day for Auburn. Aubie gets trunked – Alabama 38, Auburn 17.

7. Penn State (7-4) at Michigan State (9-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Can Michigan State bounce back from that embarrassing loss to Ohio State? They better or they are going to finish the season on a sour note. This has the making for one of those defensive struggles. And will Mel Tucker have signed his new contract before the game? This could be a close one – very close. Sparty has Nittany looking green – Michigan State 20, Penn State 19.

8. Boise State (7-4) at San Diego State (10-1) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 12 noon ET, Friday, CBS – Both teams have a chance to win their respective divisions in the MWC. That means they would meet again next week. Boise State has become a better team than they were early in the season. The Aztecs have been stable throughout. Another close one. The Broncos are sacrificed – San Diego State 23, Boise State 21.

9. Wisconsin (8-3) at Minnesota (7-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – If Wisconsin wins, the Badgers claim the Big Ten west Division title. If Minnesota wins, then the Gophers need Iowa to lose to Nebraska in order to grab the division title. The Badgers have definitely gotten better lately. Minnesota will need some breaks to win. The Gophers lack the power of Wisconsin. Bucky stops Goldy – Wisconsin 30, Minnesota 27.

10. Wake Forest (9-2) at Boston College (6-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Wake Forest needs to get back on track this week. They need to get that Clemson loss out of their system. Otherwise, they will lose to BC. The Eagles have a decent defense, but a weak offense. Still, the Deacons should be able to score on BC. More importantly, Wake needs to win to take the ACC Atlantic Division title. The Deacons take the pulpit in Boston – Wake Forest 32, Boston College 26.

I suggest you keep a close eye on these six games:

Eastern Michigan (7-4) at Central Michigan (7-4) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 12 noon ET, Friday, ESPNU
UTEP (7-4) at UAB (7-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 2 pm ET, Friday, ESPN+
North Carolina (6-5) at NC State (8-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN
Texas Tech (6-5) at Baylor (9-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1
Army (7-3) at Liberty (7-4) – (Ind. vs. Ind.) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN+
Western Kentucky (7-4) at Marshall (7-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROU NDS:

West Virginia (5-6) at Kansas (2-9) – (Big 12 vs, Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – West Virginia plays pretty good at home. Not so well on the road. This game is on the road. WVU needs this win if they want to go bowling. Otherwise, the season is over. Kansas has been a different team at the end of the season. First-year coach Lance Leipold has the Jayhawks playing competitive football. They could be fired up to beat WVU. The Mountaineers better be ready. Mounties go bird hunting – West Virginia 34, Kansas 27.

Florida State (5-6) at Florida (5-6) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Back at the beginning of the season, this was a no brainer for the Gators – an easy win. Now it’s not. And how will Florida play under an interim coach? What is their reaction to the firing of Dan Mullen? It’s FSU. That should get them fired up regardless of who is coaching. FSU has won two straight and five of its last seven games. Mike Norvell has revived the Noles. Gators should take advantage of the home field. Albert chomps the chop – Florida 27, Florida State 23.

Iowa (9-2) at Nebraska (3-8) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 1:30 pm ET, Friday, BTN – It’s Nebraska so you know it’s going to be a close game. And you would think the odds favor Nebraska winning one of these close games. Iowa doesn’t exactly overwhelm you with offense. The Hawkeyes take advantage of other teams mistakes and they play pretty good defense. Nebraska can play good defense when they want to. The Huskers can move the ball on offense too, as long as Adrian Martinez doesn’t throw any interceptions. It’s going to be a squeaker in Lincoln. The Hawkeyes are no corndogs – Iowa 20, Nebraska 18.

Miami at Duke (3-8) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – I would expect Duke coach David Cutcliffe to step down after the game. Maybe before the game to fire up his players. It will be a forced resignation. But I can’t imagine Duke keeping him any longer. The program is going nowhere. To make matters worse, Miami is playing good ball. The Canes have won four of their last five games. The one loss was by three points. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is hot. The Canes blow through Durham – Miami 38, Duke 15.

Georgia (11-0) at Georgia Tech (3-8) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Let’s see. Last week Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech, 58-0. It will be brutal for the Jackets again this week. Tech is a program that doesn’t seem to have a direction. The Jackets just wander around. We know Georgia has direction. The Dawgs know where they are going. This one could be ugly. It’ll be Uga too – Georgia 42, Georgia Tech 10.

Kansas State (7-4) at Texas (4-7) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Friday, FOX – Will Texas drop seven straight? It’s not looking good for the Horns. It’s been a tough year for first-year coach Steve Sarkisian. And it started out so good – 4-1. What happened to the team that beat Texas Tech, 70-35? Kansas State is a feisty team. The Wildcats don’t dazzle you. But they play sound football on offense and defense. It’s been a good season for K-State. It gets better – Kansas State 27, Texas 23.

Indiana (2-9) at Purdue (7-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Purdue has had a good year. A much better year than expected – highlighted by the big wins over Iowa and Michigan State. The Boilers are an aerial team. Aidan O’Connell can pass. The Boilers have no ground game. The Purdue defense is so-so. But Indiana is worse. No offense and no defense. It’s been a disappointing season for the Hoosiers. They were preseason Top 25. Now they are Bottom 25. Boilers are too hot for the Hoosiers – Purdue 33, Indiana 16.

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

FIU (1-10) at Southern Miss (2-9) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

South Florida (2-9) at UCF (7-4) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN….
Middle Tennessee State (5-6) at Florida Atlantic (5-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….

Touchdown Tom

 

P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the regular season was coming to an end and Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pies were almost in the oven, the number one song in the country…

…80 years ago this week in 1941 was “Piano Concerto In B Flat” by Freddy Martin

…75 years ago this week in 1946 was “Rumors Are Flying” by Frankie Carle and His Orchestra

…70 years ago this week in 1951 was “Cold, Cold Heart” by Tony Bennett, and “(It’s No) Sin” by Eddy Howard and His Orchestra

…65 years ago this week in 1956 was “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley, and “Green Door” by Jim Lowe

…60 years ago this week in 1961 was “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean

…55 years ago this week in 1966 was “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by The Supremes

…50 years ago this week in 1971 was “Theme From Shaft” by Isaac Hayes

…45 years ago this week in 1976 was “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod Stewart

…40 years ago this week in 1981 was “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John

…35 years ago this week in 1986 was “Human” by The Human League

…30 years ago this week in 1991 was “When A Man Loves A Woman” by Michael Bolton