College Football
Week 11 – South Florida fires coach Jeff Scott
Clemson and
Alabama are out, last week’s No. 1 lost, and who’s No. 1 now?
And for that matter, who will be No. 2, 3 and 4?
What a day we had on Saturday. Three of the Top 6 teams in the CFP Poll lost. Altogether, nine teams ranked in the CFP Poll lost over the weekend. Jerry Lee Lewis would have said, “There’s a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on.” November 5, 2022, was Shake-up Saturday in college football.
For starters, No. 1 Tennessee lost to No. 3 Georgia, 27-13. The outcome wasn’t necessarily that surprising. After all, the oddsmakers had Georgia as a 9- to 10-point favorite. However, many thought the Vols would win. Georgia had a good and effective game plan. The Dawgs defense controlled Tennessee’s offense and Georgia’s offense did what it had to do – score. Georgia built up a 24-6 halftime lead, got conservative, went into cruise control and held off Tennessee’s attempts to rally. Win out and Georgia is in the playoff. Even if the Dawgs lose the SEC title game, they most likely would still be in the playoff. Tennessee is a different story. To make the playoff, the Vols need help from TCU, Oregon and LSU. Tennessee needs those three teams to lose.
When the first CFP rankings were released last Tuesday, many Georgia fans were mad. “How could they possibly have our Dawgs ranked 3rd.” But Georgia coach Kirby Smart had to be smiling. The CFP rankings gave him locker room material. Smart probably had the rankings posted all over the walls in the locker room. Not that Georgia needed an incentive to beat Tennessee, but the rankings just gave them additional and extra incentive to win. This week, Georgia will be the top dog – the Dawgs will be No. 1.
No. 4 Clemson was on the road in South Bend. Many already had the Tigers in the four-team playoff. The remaining schedule wasn’t that tough and Clemson was sure to win the ACC championship. But Notre Dame was thinking “Not so fast my friend.” The Irish played top-notch defense, while Clemson’s offense continued to sputter. Unranked Notre Dame knocked off No. 4 Clemson, 35-14. The Tigers are out. Clemson may still win the ACC championship, but the Tigers won’t be in the CFP playoff.
No. 6 Alabama already had a loss – to No. 1 Tennessee. But Alabama is in the SEC West. Tennessee is in the SEC East. Win out and Alabama was in the SEC title game. Win the SEC championship and Alabama was in the four-team playoff. Unfortunately for the Tide, LSU had different plans for Alabama. LSU had the Tide in Death Valley, in Baton Rouge. And at night. After 60 minutes of regulation time, the score was 24-24. The game went into overtime. Alabama scored first and kicked the extra point. The Tide were up by 7. Then LSU scored. But instead of kicking the extra point, Tigers coach Brian Kelly thought, “Let’s get this thing over with.” LSU went for 2 points. The Tigers were successful. Game over – LSU 32, Alabama 31 (OT). Alabama is out. The Tide won’t be in the CFP playoff.
Just like that, two teams – Clemson and Alabama – who have been CFP mainstays over the years are both out. Of the eight CFP playoffs, Alabama has appeared in seven and Clemson has appeared in six. The best thing the Tigers and the Tide can hope for now is a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl.
Six other teams ranked in the CFP Poll lost over the weekend. No. 13 Kansas State lost to Texas, 34-27. No. 16 Illinois lost to Michigan State, 23-15. No. 18 Oklahoma State lost to Kansas, 37-16. No. 20 Syracuse lost to Pitt, 19-9. No. 21 Wake Forest lost to No. 22 NC State, 30-21, and No. 23 Oregon State lost to Washington, 24-21.
In addition to Georgia, six other teams in the CFP Top 10 all won. No. 2 Ohio State struggled, but beat Northwestern, 21-7. No. 5 Michigan trailed at halftime, but beat Rutgers, 52-17. No. 7 TCU rallied in the fourth quarter again and beat Texas Tech, 34-24. No. 8 Oregon smashed Colorado, 49-10. No. 9 USC struggled with California, winning, 41-35. And of course No. 10 LSU, as reported above, beat Alabama, 32-31 (OT).
So that begs the question. How far will Tennessee fall? How high will LSU jump? Will Tennessee remain in the Top 4 – at say, No. 4? Or will the Vols fall to 5 or 6? If they remain in the Top 4, at No. 4, you have to figure that TCU and or Oregon would eventually overtake the Vols if the Frogs and the Ducks win out, including their conference championships.
And where will LSU be in this week’s CFP rankings? You would think the Tigers will leap frog, TCU (no pun intended), Oregon and USC. Alabama, for sure, and most likely Clemson will drop below LSU. That would jump LSU from No. 10 to No. 5 or 6, with a good chance of ultimately getting into the Top 4. But if LSU should lose to Georgia in the SEC title game, the Tigers would fall out of the Top 4. Beat Georgia and LSU would be in the four-team playoff. Should that happen, LSU would be the first two-loss team to make the playoff.
Ohio State and Michigan should remain in contention until November 26, when one will fall out. That’s when the Buckeyes and Wolverines meet. The loser will no longer be a playoff contender. Speaking of Ohio State, the Buckeyes really struggled in their 21-7 win over Northwestern on Saturday. Northwestern had more first downs, more total yards and more passing yards than Ohio State. The Wildcats also dominated time of possession – 36:26. And turnovers weren’t an issue. The Buckeyes didn’t have any turnovers.
If Ole Miss beats Alabama this week and if LSU suffers another SEC loss, then the Magnolias could become a factor in the equation. But only if.
I’m guessing this week’s CFP Top 4 will be 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Michigan, 4. Tennessee. The next 5, but not necessarily in this order, will be LSU, TCU, Oregon, USC and Clemson. Stay tuned! The next four weeks are going to be fun.
Then, there was that wild occurrence in Dallas, Texas, Saturday night.
“You shake my nerves and rattle my brain
Jerry Lee Lewis would have said, “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire.” Most people seeing the score for the first time on Sunday must have thought they were seeing the results of a basketball game. But it wasn’t basketball. Andy Griffith would have said, “What is was was football.”
Nine passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and the most points ever scored in regulation time in FCS football. And by the way, the two teams combined for 1,352 total yards. Between them, they had 65 first downs. The nine passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown was SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai. The most points ever scored in regulation time in FCS football and the combined 1,352 total yards and 65 first downs was SMU and Houston. SMU beat Houston, 77-63. I know how tired the players must have been, but can you imagine how tired the fans must have been after that game.
What a day we had on Saturday. And to make matters worse – I had my worst week picking winners in 28 seasons of College Football Week. Out of 15 games, I only picked 4 winners. I was 4-11. I’ve never been close to being that bad. Saturday was a strange day.
College football Week 10 got off to the earliest start of any football week this season – Tuesday night. Like opening week back in early September, Week 10 had five-straight days of football. The Tuesday night action began in Kent, Ohio, with a game between Ball State and Kent State. Ball State won, 27-20. The contest was full of offense – 850 yards combined. Ball State running back Carson Steele rushed for 182 yards, while Kent State running back Marquez Cooper rushed for 168 yards.
The other game on Tuesday night also took place in Ohio – 190 miles south-southwest of Kent in Athens, where Ohio beat Buffalo, 45-24. The contest was both interesting and exciting. First, Ohio jumped out to a 24-3 second quarter lead over Buffalo. Then the Bulls came back and made it close, trailing the Bobcats by scores of 24-17 and 31-24 – both in the third quarter. But Ohio put the game away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Buffalo, 14-0. Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke was 20-29-1, passing for 317 yards and five touchdowns.
Two more MAC contests took place on Wednesday night. By the third quarter, Bowling Green led Western Michigan, 13-0. Then the Falcons held on to beat the Broncos, 13-9. In the second game, Central Michigan dominated Northern Illinois throughout most of the game with leads of 21-0 in the second quarter and 28-7 in the third quarter. Then the Chippewas had to hold off the Huskies. Central Michigan beat Northern Illinois, 35-22. NIU’s Harrison Waylee rushed for 136 yards.
C-USA and the Sun Belt conferences jumped into the action on Thursday night. The first game was an intrastate affair in Texas between UTEP and Rice. The game was tied no less than five times – 10-10 (second quarter), 17-17 (second quarter), 20-20 (third quarter), 27-27 (fourth quarter) and 30-30 (fourth quarter). You just knew it was going to go into overtime. But Rice scored a touchdown with 0:25 on the clock and held on to beat UTEP, 37-30. Owls quarterback T.J. McMahon was 21-31-1, passing for 334 yards and two touchdowns.
The second game Thursday night turned out to be a thriller too. For much of the game, it looked like Coastal Carolina was going to clobber Appalachian State. The Chanticleers led 21-7 in the second quarter and 35-14 early in the fourth quarter. But App State rallied and pulled within 7 points of Coastal Carolina. In the end, the Chanticleers held on and beat App State, 35-28.
Friday night was full of action with three games. In the first contest, Connecticut and Massachusetts were in a donnybrook in the first half. UConn led at the break 13-10. But the Huskies broke away from the Minutemen in the second half. Connecticut went on to beat Massachusetts, 27-10.
Next up, Duke was on the road at Boston College. The Blue Devils dominated the Eagles throughout most of the game, with leads of 24-7 (second quarter) and 31-14 (third quarter). But BC came back to make things interesting in the final 18:31 of the game. The Eagles outscored Duke 17-7. Ultimately, BC fell short. Duke beat Boston College, 38-31. Backup BC quarterback Emmett Morehead was 27-45-0, passing for 330 yards and four touchdowns.
In the nightcap Friday, Washington hosted Oregon State in Seattle in a Pac-12 Conference contest. The game was tied three tines – 7-7 (second quarter), 14-14 (third quarter) and 21-21 (fourth quarter). In the end, Washington’s Peyton Henry kicked a 22-yard field goal with 0:08 on the clock. Washington beat Oregon State, 24-21.
In other action on Saturday, Jimbo Fisher lost his fifth-straight game. Trailing Texas A&M 24-20 at the half, Florida outscored the Aggies 21-0 in the second half and beat A&M, 41-24. But Jimbo is still laughing all the way to the bank.
Kurt Warner’s son had a big day Saturday. Temple quarterback E.J. Warner was 27-36-0, passing for 344 yards and two touchdowns. Temple beat South Florida, 54-28. The Owls racked up 621 total yards in the game.
Air Force won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, as the champion of the service academies. The Falcons beat Army, 13-7. Earlier in the season, Air Force downed Navy, 13-10. Air Force held Army to 145 total yards – 78 yards rushing and 67 yards passing.
North Carolina had a surprisingly tough time with Virginia. The Tar Heels got by the Cavaliers, 31-28. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye had another great day. Maye was 26-37-0, passing for 293 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 74 yards and another touchdown.
And speaking of quarterbacks, Oregon’s Bo Nix had a sensational day. Nix threw for two touchdowns, rushed for two touchdowns and caught a pass for another touchdown. Passing, Nix was 20-24-0, for 274 yards. Oregon defeated Colorado, 49-10.
Syracuse dropped its third-straight game. The Orange lost to Pitt, 19-9. Pitt held Syracuse to 145 total yards – 25 rushing yards and 120 passing yards. Illinois out-passed, out-rushed and did everything better than Michigan State except for the final score. Illinois lost to the Spartans, 23-15.
Liberty held on to beat Arkansas, 21-19. Liberty jumped out to a 21-0 second quarter lead over the Razorbacks. Then Arkansas outscored Liberty 19-0. The Hogs scored their last touchdown with 1:11 to go in the game. They went for 2 and failed.
In a game where the lead changed hands six times, BYU scored a touchdown with 1:46 left on the clock to beat Boise State, 31-28. BYU racked up 534 total yards.
Mississippi State led Auburn 24-6 at halftime. Auburn rallied and took a 25-24 lead over Miss State in the fourth quarter. The teams then traded touchdowns. Miss State went back up 30-25, with 3:49 to go. Auburn retook the lead 33-30, with 1:05 to go. Miss State tied the score at 33-33, with 0:29 to go. Miss State won in overtime, 39-33 (OT).
Florida State improved to 6-3. The Seminoles demolished Miami (Florida), 45-3. The Canes were held to 188 total yards. FSU running back Trey Benson rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns. UCF had a battle on its hands at Memphis. Ultimately, the Knights came out on top. UCF downed Memphis, 35-28. UCF running back R.J. Harvey rushed for 151 yards and one touchdown.
In a Pac-12 late show Saturday night, UCLA beat Arizona State, 50-36. Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson passed for 169 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 120 yards and two more touchdowns.
With the losses by Clemson and Tennessee, there are now just four undefeated teams – Georgia (9-0), Michigan (9-0), Ohio State (9-0) and TCU (9-0). With games on the road at Texas and Baylor, TCU has a tough row to hoe.
There are 10 one-loss teams – Clemson (8-1), Coastal Carolina (8-1), Liberty (8-1), North Carolina (8-1), Ole Miss (8-1), Oregon (8-1), Tennessee (8-1), Tulane (8-1), UCLA (8-1) and USC (8-1). Look for Coastal Carolina and Liberty to crack the CFP Top 25 rankings this week. Last week, Tulane was the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the CFP Top 25. Liberty could overtake Tulane this week. Remember, the highest-ranked Group of Five team gets a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl.
Auburn coach Bryan Harsin was fired a week ago today. Harsin became the seventh coach fired this season. He was in his second turbulent season at Auburn. In the one-plus seasons, Harsin compiled a record of 9-12 (3-5 this season). Harsin is owed $15.5 million in buyout money – 50% due within 30 days of his firing and the remainder in four installments over a period of time. Running backs coach Cadillac Williams was named Auburn’s interim coach for the remainder of the season. Just two years ago, Auburn paid fired coach Gus Malzahn a $21.7 million buyout. Malzahn had coached Auburn for eight seasons.
Prior to Auburn, Harsin was the head coach at Boise State for seven seasons. His record in Boise was 69-19. His overall record as a head coach, including one season at Arkansas State was 85-36. At Auburn, Harsin was doomed from the day he was hired by an unpopular athletic director – Allen Greene. Auburn and Greene parted ways in August. Once Greene was gone, it was only a matter of time before Harsin would be fired. Harsin came close to being fired last February when Auburn investigated his handling of the football program. He survived the investigation and was retained for another season. Harsin called the investigation a personal attack.
Just yesterday, South Florida fired coach Jeff Scott. Scott was in his third season with the Bulls. In two-plus seasons he had a record of 4-26 – 1-8 this season. Prior to South Florida, Scott had spent 12 seasons on the staff at Clemson, coaching in various capacities. Special teams coach Daniel Da Prato was named the interim coach for the remainder of the season at USF.
His punts put “hang time” into the football vernacular. One of his punts went so high it hit the Louisiana Superdome scoreboard, 90 feet above the field. Ray Guy, the first punter to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the first punter taken in the first round of the NFL draft, died last week. Guy was drafted 23rd overall by the Oakland Raiders in 1973. He played his entire 14-year NFL career with the Raiders. Guy played college football at Southern Miss where he also played defensive back in addition to punting. He still shares the school’s single season record for most interceptions with eight in 1972. In the NFL, Guy had 619 punts and never had one blocked. A native of Thomson, Georgia, Ray Guy was 72.
Following Alabama’s loss to LSU, I texted Bootsie, saying, “Your boyfriend lost, again.” Bootsie just loves Nick Saban. Not! Whenever one of those Aflac commercials come on, Bootsie all but throws a brick at her TV.
I can’t believe I was 4-11 on my picks. Yes, it was some Saturday. There was a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on.
Touchdown Tom
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Uga was the better Dog – Georgia 27, Tennessee 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 27, Georgia 24). The score wasn’t that close, but Tennessee never let the game get out of hand. The Vols kept it respectable. Georgia basically took care of business in the first half. The Dawgs stood guard in the second half. Neither team had a strong running game. Georgia had the edge in passing. Stetson Bennett was 17-25-0, passing for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Bennett also rushed for a touchdown. Georgia’s defense kept Tennessee out of the end zone until 4:15 to go in the game. Hendon Hooker’s Heisman chances may have gone down the drain. Attendance in Athens: 92,746
RUNNER-UP: Gutsy – LSU 32, Alabama 31 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 31, LSU 27). Now this was an exciting game. The lead changed hands six times. Neither team led by more than 7 points and that was only twice. LSU scored first and briefly led, 7-0, in the second quarter. Alabama scored first in the overtime and briefly led, 31-24. You kind of expected Alabama to win because Bryce Young was so talented at slipping out of the clutches of defenders. He was like a magician at times. And there was always the threat of Bama’s Jahmyr Gibbs. But LSU’s Jayden Daniels had his moments too. He’s vastly improved. Alabama really dominated the passing game – 328 yards to 182 for LSU. Young threw one interception and that was the only turnover by either team all game. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,321
REST OF THE BEST: Celtic Thunder – Notre Dame 35, Clemson 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Notre Dame 28). Clemson never scored until the fourth quarter. When they did, the Tigers were already trailing 28-0. The running game won it for Notre Dame. The Irish had two running backs rush for more than 100 yards. Clemson threw two interceptions. One by D.J. Uiagalelei and one by Cade Klubnik. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622
Pelted – Washington 24, Oregon State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 27, Washington 24). Washington couldn’t get a running game going (100 yards) and Oregon State couldn’t get a passing game going (87 yards). The Huskies passing beat the Beavers running. Washington quarterback Michael Penix was 30-52-1, passing for 298 yards and one touchdown. Washington improved to 7-2. Attendance in Seattle: 62,142
It was a howler – NC State 30, Wake Forest 21 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 35, Wake Forest 33). A close game in the first half, NC State took charge in the second half. Neither team rushed well, but Wake Forest was really bad – only 17 yards rushing. Wake quarterback Sam Hartman has a real problem. He threw three picks in a loss to Louisville last week. He threw three picks again against NC State. Hartman has become a detriment to the Deacons. Attendance in Raleigh: 56,919
Cock-a-doodle-doo – Coastal Carolina 35, Appalachian State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Coastal Carolina 30, Appalachian State 26). Coastal Carolina scored three of the first four touchdowns and five of the first seven touchdowns. Then Appalachian State put on a rally. But the rally fell short. The Chanticleers dominated all the stats – first downs, total yards, passing yards and rushing yards. Coastal even dominated time of possession: 37:56. Attendance in Conway: 21,224
Liberty 21, Arkansas 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 34, Liberty 27). This is not the kind of year Sam Pittman wanted to have. It’s not the kind of year Razorback fans wanted to have either. Arkansas was the stronger team running and passing. But Liberty just finessed the Hogs. K.J. Jefferson threw for 284 yards. But he also threw two interceptions. Arkansas is 5-4 and still has games with LSU and Ole Miss. Liberty improved to 8-1. Attendance in Fayetteville: 70,072
Rally came up short – Texas 34, Kansas State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 30, Texas 27). Texas scored all but 3 of its points in the first half. The Longhorns led 31-10 at halftime. Texas was the better rushing team. K-State was the better passing team. Texas running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 209 yards. K-State quarterback Adrian Martinez passed for 329 yards. Both teams are 6-3 and 4-2 in conference play. Attendance in Manhattan: 51,216
Sad Cowboys – Kansas 37, Oklahoma State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 35, Kansas 23). Okie State must be snakebit. The Cowboys have been walloped by the two Kansas teams. Last week, Kansas State beat Okie State, 48-0. Saturday, Kanas beat the Cowboys, 37-16. And Kansas led 31-7 in the third quarter. Okie State had four turnovers. Jayhawks running back Devin Neal rushed for 224 yards. Kansas had 554 total yards. The Jayhawks are bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. Attendance in Lawrence: 43,606
Still undefeated – TCU 34, Texas Tech 24 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 33, Texas Tech 21). TCU didn’t take control of the game until the fourth quarter. That’s when the Frogs scored 21 unanswered points. TCU running back Kendre Miller rushed for 158 yards. Attendance in Fort Worth: 44,760
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Lame in Ames – Iowa State 31, West Virginia 14 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Iowa State 23). West Virginia trailed 10-7 at the half and 10-7 at the end of three. Then the Mounties fell apart in the fourth quarter. Iowa State dominated time of possession – 38:15. WVU couldn’t get anything going – running or passing. The Eers only had 200 total yards. It seems like it is only a matter of time before Neal Brown’s termination is announced. The guy is a destructive coach. Attendance in Ames: 56,109
Surprise – Florida 41, Texas A&M 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 31, Florida 27). Florida was like a different team in the second half, especially on defense. The Aggies were shutout in the second half. The Gators had a good mix of running and passing. Florida controlled possession for 37:07. Anthony Richardson passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 78 yards and two more touchdowns. It was the best Richardson has looked since the opener against Utah. Attendance in College Station: 97,797
Again – Minnesota 20, Nebraska 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Minnesota 27). The Huskers just can’t win for losing. Nebraska jumped out to a 10-0 first quarter lead and held that lead at halftime. The second half was all Minnesota. The Gophers Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 128 yards. Nebraska’s Anthony Grant had 115 yards rushing. Attendance in Lincoln: 86,284
Bowl eligible – Duke 38, Boston College 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Boston College 22). Duke took control early and mostly maintained that control. But Boston College made it scary for the Dookies in the latter stages. Duke’s defense held BC to 75 yards rushing. Duke improved to 6-3. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 34,092
Birds of prey – Iowa 24, Purdue 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 17, Iowa 14). Purdue couldn’t score a touchdown. Iowa’s defense is still good. Obviously Iowa’s offense is getting better. Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell may have had his worst game of the year. Less than 50% pass completion and two interceptions. Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson had 200 yards rushing. Both teams are 5-4 and 3-3 in conference play. Attendance in West Lafayette: 61,320
Week 10 Results: 4 winners, 11 fumbles (26.7 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Davidson 56, Stetson 48 (2OT) – Attendance in Davidson: 4,294
UCF 35, Memphis 28 – Attendance in Memphis: 28,048
West Florida 32, Valdosta State 31 – Attendance in Valdosta: 3,003
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed – 23-38-0 for 409 yards (6TDs); SMU’s Tanner Mordecai – 28-37-0-379 (9TDs); Mississippi State’s Will Rogers – 42-59-1-357 (3TDs), and Temple’s E.J. Warner – 27-36-0-344 (2TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
Temple’s Edward Saydee – 265 yards (3TDs); South Alabama’s La-Damian Webb – 247 yards (4TDs); Kansas’ Devin Neal – 224 yards (1TD); Texas’ Bijan Robinson – 209 yards (1TD); Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson – 200 yards (1TD); Baylor’s Craig Williams – 192 yards (2TDs), and Ball State’s Carson Steele – 182 yards (1TD).
Also, Kent State’s Marquez Cooper – 168 yards (1TD); Vanderbilt’s Ray Davis – 167 yards; Washington State’s Nakia Watson – 166 yards (1TD); Georgia State’s Marcus Carroll – 163 yards (3TDs); TCU’s Kendre Miller – 158 yards (1TD), and Tulane’s Tyjae Spears – 157 yards (1TD).
Quotes of the Week
“I am incredibly disappointed that I won’t get to lead the Auburn football program and these players into the future. I poured my heart and soul into this program and team. We stood together in the face of considerable challenges and outside noise. Through my entire time at Auburn, we did things the right way, which was not always the easy way. I am very proud of the resolve shown by everyone in our facility and incredibly grateful for those at Auburn who stood by me and my family,” fired Auburn coach Bryan Harsin.
“That was truly a home-field advantage for us,” LSU coach Brian Kelly after the Alabama game.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Alabama (7-2) at Ole Miss (8-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – So I’m assuming Alabama is just playing for pride now. The Tide can’t make the playoff. Lose here and they probably won’t go to a New Year’s Six bowl. Win and they do. I’ve felt for some time that Ole Miss is the most overrated team in Power Five football this season. Don’t get me wrong. The Magnolias are good. But not that good. Ole Miss has a good offense. But a questionable defense. Alabama will run and pass through the Ole Miss defense. Saban on the rebound – Alabama 38, Ole Miss 28.
RUNNER-UP: 2. TCU (9-0) at Texas (6-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – It’s gets tougher and tougher for TCU. The pressure keeps mounting. The Frogs weren’t supposed to be 9-0 in the first place. Texas seems to be getting better. Not great, but better. TCU can score. But the Frogs can be scored upon too. The Frogs get hooked – Texas 33, TCU 30.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Washington (7-2) at Oregon (8-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Oregon and quarterback Bo Nix are on a roll. They may be unstoppable in the Pac-12. Washington is having a good season too. If quarterback Michael Penix is on, the Huskies are tough. But the Ducks have the Huskies in Eugene. The sun always shines on Autzen – Oregon 27, Washington 24.
4. Georgia (9-0) at Mississippi State (6-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Now, will Georgia have a letdown after the win over Tennessee? Miss State is no Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs aren’t Tennessee either. But they can be troublesome. Miss State’s defense is weak. And their offense is hot and cold. Uga finds them lukewarm – Georgia 31, Mississippi State 22.
5. UCF (7-2) at Tulane (8-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – This should be a great game. Possibly lots of points scored. Tulane is having a great season. The Green Wave are plying with a lot of pride. UCF has the better athletes. It’s a good day for the Wave – Tulane 34, UCF 30.
6. Louisville (6-3) at Clemson (8-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Louisville could cause problems for Clemson. The Cardinals are getting better. Clemson seems to be getting worse. Clemson better get its problems on offense worked out. After a year’s absence, the Tigers still look to be back in ACC championship game again. Louisville is on a four-game winning streak. It gets broken – Clemson 26, Louisville 23.
7. North Carolina (8-1) at Wake Forest (6-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Wake Forest isn’t the same team it was at the first of the season. The Deacons have lost two-straight. North Carolina wants to challenge Clemson in the ACC title game. The Heels have a good offense, but a weak defense. Wake could take advantage of the weak defense. Drake Maye has a field day – North Carolina 34, Wake Forest 26.
8. East Carolina (6-3) at Cincinnati (7-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ESPN2 – Another good game in the AAC. East Carolina is a vastly improved team. The Pirates are capable of beating the Bearcats. Cincinnati seems to have been playing just good enough to beat its opponents. That may not be good enough against ECU. But the Bearcats manage to prevail – Cincinnati 30, East Carolina 23.
9. Maryland (6-3) at Penn State (7-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Penn State should have no problem here. Maryland is good but not that good. A good day for Sean Clifford – Penn State 35, Maryland 18.
10. Kansas State (6-3) at Baylor (6-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Hard game to pick. Both teams are having good seasons, especially Kansas State. When Kansas State’s offense is clicking, you can’t stop the Wildcats. Click – Kansas State 35, Baylor 34.
And keep an eye on these eight Week 11 games: Ball State (5-4) at Toledo (6-3) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 8 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN…..LSU (7-2) at Arkansas (5-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN…..Rice (54) at Western Kentucky (6-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 2 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+…..and Wisconsin (5-4) at Iowa (5-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1.
Also, Appalachian State (5-4) at Marshall (5-4) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+…..Southern Miss (5-4) at Coastal Carolina (8-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU…..Florida State (6-3) at Syracuse (6-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN…..and San Jose State (6-2) at San Diego State (5-4) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Oklahoma (5-4) at West Virginia (3-6) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – At this point, I can’t see West Virginia winning another game this season. The Mountaineers appear to be that miserable. Oklahoma is not having the best season either. The Sooners have lost four games. But they won’t lose their fifth game this week – Oklahoma 35, West Virginia 24.
South Carolina (6-3) at Florida (5-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Florida looked great against Texas A&M, especially in the second half. If the Gators keep playin like that, they won’t lose to South Carolina. But Florida has been up and down this season. So have the Gamecocks. Albert’s up; Cocky’s down – Florida 27, South Carolina 22.
Nebraska (3-6) at Michigan (9-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – This would be a great upset for the Huskers if they could pull it off. It would bring a smile to a dismal season. Michigan does get a little freaky at times. But not this time – Michigan 30, Nebraska 18.
Virginia Tech (2-7) at Duke (6-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – The Dookies are already bowl eligible. They may say, “what the heck.” Even so, Virginia Tech is really hurting this year. The Dookies would have to play pretty bad to lose. Here’s to win number 7 – Duke 31, Virginia Tech 21.
Purdue (5-4) at Illinois (7-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Both teams lost last week. And both were favored. That means Illinois could lose. But they don’t – Illinois 21, Purdue 17.
ELSEWHERE AROUND
FLORIDA:
SMU (5-4) at South Florida (1-8) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU….
Bethune-Cookman (2-7) at Alcorn State (4-5) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Miami (4-5) at Georgia Tech (4-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but in early November, as the college football season began its final stretch, the number one song in the country…
…80 years ago, this week in 1942, was “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
…75 years ago, this week in 1947, was “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra
…70 years ago, this week in 1952, was “I Went To Your Wedding” by Patti Page
…65 years ago, this week in 1957, was “Jailhouse Rock”/“Treat Me Nice” by Elvis Presley, and “Wake Up Little Susie” by The Everly Brothers
…60 years ago, this week in 1962, was “He’s A Rebel” by The Crystals
…55 years ago, this week in 1967, was “To Sir With Love” by Lulu
…50 years ago, this week in 1972, was “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash
…45 years ago, this week in 1977, was “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone
…40 years ago, this week in 1982, was “Up Where We Belong” by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
…35 years ago, this week in 1987, was “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany
…30 years ago, this week in 1992, was “End Of The Road” by Boyz II Men
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