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
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)
ELSEWHERE AROUND
FLORIDA:
Florida State 26, Boston College 23 – Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 33,363
San Diego 41, Stetson 16 – Attendance in Deland: 1,040
UCF 49, Connecticut 17 – Attendance in Orlando: 37,454
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
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:
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….
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
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