College Football
Week 14 – Deion Sanders to Colorado?
Nebraska gets a
coach, Ohio State gets
….the Badgers pout as the Gophers win, and LSU is out while Saban wants in. Warner was amazing and so were the Frogs. Taggart takes a dive. Does Brown survive? Kansas State gets another chance, so does Tulane? Auburn may have a Freeze as Bama wins in a breeze. And how ’bout them Dookies?
Ah Thanksgiving! My favorite holiday of the year. But it does come with mixed emotions. Sadly, it is the last college football week of the season. Happily, Thanksgiving brings together family, food and football. And, most importantly, it’s a time to stop, reflect and be thankful for what we have – even if your team has had a bummer season.
Tuesday night the football began. Ohio secured its spot in the MAC championship game, while Miami (Ohio) became bowl eligible. Without starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who is out with a season ending knee injury, Ohio slammed Bowling Green, 38-14. Backup quarterback C.J. Harris stepped in for Rourke, passing for 196 yards (1 touchdown) and rushing for 65 yards (3 touchdowns). Four touchdowns altogether for Harris. The win vaulted Ohio into the MAC championship game this week against Toledo. The Bobcats finished the season at 9-3.
In Oxford, Ohio, both Miami and Ball State entered their game with 5-6 records. Miami became bowl eligible, beating Ball State, 18-17. But the Red Hawks had to come up with a big-time rally to win. Midway through the third quarter, Miami trailed Ball State, 17-3. The Red Hawks scored 15 unanswered points (a field goal and two touchdowns) in the final 20 minutes of the contest. The second touchdown came with 1:42 left in the game. In a losing effort, Ball State’s Carson Steele rushed for 180 yards and the Cardinals only two touchdowns.
Normally, we can be thankful for good weather in Florida but not this week – at least not through Wednesday. Since Sunday, we have had yucky weather here in east-central Florida. It hasn’t been warm, and it hasn’t been cold. It’s just been muggy, damp and dreary with intermittent rain. It’s been gray for four days. Not exactly Chamber of Commerce weather.
With football underway on Tuesday, we next needed the family. They arrived on Wednesday. Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe drove down from the panhandle with two of their three dogs – Honey (the yellow lab) and Ella (the German shepherd). Bo (the black lab) didn’t make the trip this year. Honey turns six on Thanksgiving and Ella will be one on Christmas Day. Bo is a few years older than Honey.
Before they arrived, I texted Gator Gabe that the Dallas Mavericks were on ESPN at 7:30, Wednesday evening, playing the Boston Celtics. He knew that. But he didn’t know that I had a gallon of Blue Bell Natural Vanilla Bean ice cream waiting for him in the refrigerator. I’m also well-stocked with a couple boxes of microwave popcorn. He can eat his ice cream during the first half of the Mavericks’ game and have popcorn during the second half. I might have some of the ice cream and popcorn too. The Mavericks are Gator Gabe’s favorite NBA team. I also didn’t tell him that I would be cheering for the Celtics because they are coached by former West Virginia player Joe Mazzulla.
Lane Kiffin continues to dominate the college football news. So many reports have Little Kiffy leaving Ole Miss for Auburn. It seems like controversy follows Kiffin wherever he goes – Tennessee, USC, Alabama and Ole Miss. I don’t know that I would want Kiffin for a football coach. He’s like a magnet. He attracts more attention than the football team. Kiffin has a good sense of the offense, but his defenses have never been good. I think he’ll always have a winning team but never a championship level team. But, then again, I’ve been wrong before.
Former Mississippi State and Florida coach Dan Mullen commented that Kiffin should stay where he is. Mullen added that in Mississippi, Ole Miss has more resources than Mississippi State but in Alabama, the Crimson Tide have more resources than Auburn. Mullen said that if Kiffin leaves Ole Miss for Auburn, he would go from the leader of the band to playing second fiddle. However, Paul Finebaum countered that even if Auburn is second fiddle to Alabama it still has more resources than Ole Miss.
Hallelujah, the sun made an appearance. The sun came out at 3 p.m. Wednesday – the first time we had seen it since Saturday. Florida is back to being the Sunshine State.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks, 125-112. The Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, Gator Gabe’s favorite player, scored 42 points.
With football and family underway, now it was time for the food. For more than 20 years, Swamp Mama and I have hosted large gatherings for Thanksgiving dinner – anywhere from nine to 20 guests. That ended this year when Stephanie Stein informed us last summer that she was going to host Thanksgiving dinner this year. After more than 20 years, we didn’t have a problem with that.
But we contributed to the dinner. Gator Babe made one of her famous charcuterie boards and I made my cast-iron skillet apple pie. Both were popular at our Thanksgiving gathering at Stephanie’s house. There were 12 of us. It was a splendid afternoon of good food and comradery among friends and family. Stephanie was the perfect host. She outdid herself.
Back home, there was just enough time to take the typical post-Thanksgiving dinner nap, before watching some football and basketball.
In the rain, in Oxford, Mississippi, Mike Leach’s Mississippi State Bulldogs slipped by Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Magnolias, 24-22. With 1:25 left in the game, Ole Miss failed on a two-point conversion that would have tied the score and more than likely put the game into overtime. After the game, Kiffin said he expected to be back at Ole Miss next season. I can’t imagine that Auburn would want Kiffin. I can’t imagine anybody wanting him. His play calling against Miss State was atrocious.
Then it was time for basketball – Purdue-West Virginia in PK85, the Phil Knight basketball tournament in Portland, Oregon. The game came on at 10 p.m. Only Gator Gabe and I were still up to watch it. The Mountaineers couldn’t cope with Purdue’s 7-foot-4 Zach Edey. The Boilers’ giant scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds, as Purdue downed West Virginia, 80-68.
How was your Turkey Day?
The Friday after Thanksgiving was the first of two busy days of football over the Turkey Day weekend. The day included four upsets, three high-scoring thrillers and a first in seven years.
The upsets began with Tulane knocking off Cincinnati, 27-24. The win gave the Green Wave the regular season championship of the AAC. Then NC State upset North Carolina, 30-27 (2OT). It was the Wolfpacks fifth win over the Tar Heels in the last seven years.
Missouri surprised Arkansas, 29-27. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook was a real surprise, passing for 242 yards and one touchdown and rushing for 138 yards and another touchdown. The last of the four upsets took place in Iowa City. Nebraska, losers of five-straight games, knocked off Iowa, 24-17. Huskers quarterback Casey Thompson was 20-30-0, passing for 278 yards and three touchdowns. Before Friday, Nebraska had lost to Iowa for the past seven years.
The first of the three high-scoring thrillers took place in the southwest desert. Arizona scored last and beat Arizona State, 38-35. The Wildcats Michael Wiley rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns. UCLA scored last to down California, 35-28. In the losing effort, Cal quarterback Jack Plummer was 24-34-0, passing for 294 yards and four touchdowns. And finally, in the last of the high-scoring thrillers, Florida State scored last to subdue Florida, 45-38. The two teams combined for 957 total yards.
In two other games Friday, the two top teams in the Mountain West Conference both won. Boise State defeated Utah State, 42-23, and Fresno State shutout Wyoming, 30-0. Boise State and Fresno State will meet this week in the MWC championship game.
During the day Friday, news broke that Matt Rhule was in final negotiations with Nebraska to become the Huskers new football coach. Stay tuned. Rhule is a former head coach at Temple, Baylor and the Carolina Panthers of the NFL.
In basketball, West Virginia rebounded from its loss to Purdue, to beat Portland State, 89-71, in the PK85 (Phil Knight) basketball tournament. Gator Gabe and I stayed up to watch Purdue knock off Gonzaga, 84-66 in the tournament. I say stayed up late because the game began at 11:40 p.m.
It was obvious Friday that ABC and ESPN are covering so many football games that the networks can’t find enough quality or qualified broadcasters to call the games. And it was obvious that ABC and ESPN put their worst crews on the Friday games as opposed to the Saturday games.
Evidence in point, the broadcast crews calling the Florida-Florida State (Anish Shroff-Brocks Osweiler), Baylor-Texas (Mark Jones-Robert Griffin) and NC State-North Carolina (Dave Pasch-Dusty Dvoracek) games. They were awful. They stunk. As Gator Gabe said, “They’ll be working at Dollar General tomorrow.” Shroff-Osweiler were the worst of the three broadcast crews. They were pathetic.
First thing Saturday morning, news broke that Hugh Freeze will be the next coach of Auburn. Freeze is currently the coach at Liberty. If all comes to fruition, that’s two coaches locked up in two days – Matt Rhule at Nebraska and Hugh Freeze at Auburn. And just in, Rhule is officially the new head coach of Nebraska.
Saturday had the bulk of the Thanksgiving Weekend games. There were the 12 noon ET viewings, the 3:30 ET viewings and the evening viewings. Each time slot had a handful of good games.
The two hyped games in the 12 noon ET slot were South Carolina-Clemson and Michigan-Ohio State. The South Carolina-Clemson game lived up to its hype. The Michigan-Ohio State game didn’t. Although the Gamecocks never led in the game until the fourth quarter, the contest stayed close. Finally, with 10:54 to go in the game, South Carolina took its first and only lead at 31-30, on a 35-yard field goal. The Gamecocks held on and beat Clemson by one point.
In the battle between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes, Ohio State made a game of it in the first half. But only in the first half. The Buckeyes led at the break 20-17. But the second half was all Michigan. The Wolverines all but shut out Ohio State in the second half, 28-3. The rout was on in the third and fourth quarters as Michigan went on to dump the Buckeyes, 45-23. Ohio State suffered its first loss of the season.
Also, in the 12 noon ET time slot there was a game that had no billing. It had no hype. West Virginia took on Oklahoma State in Stillwater. At 4-7, the Mountaineers were having a dismal season. The Cowboys were 6-point favorites. About 8 minutes into the game, WVU took a 7-0 lead. Okie State scored 10 unanswered points and led 10-7 at halftime. Early in the third quarter, the Mountaineers took a 14-10 lead and never trailed for the rest of the game. In the end, West Virginia beat Oklahoma State, 24-19. Coming into the game, WVU coach Neal Brown was under heavy fire from the fans. Will he keep his job? Will Brown survive?
Reports surfaced Saturday afternoon that Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham had been hired by Arizona State to be the Sun Devils new head coach. Dillingham is a 2012 graduate of Arizona State and a native of Arizona. At 32, Dillingham will be the youngest coach among Power Five schools. He replaces Herm Edwards who was fired in September. Arizona State finished this season at 3-9. Dillingham has been an offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn and Florida State working for Mike Norvell and Gus Malzahn. This season was his first at Oregon under Dan Lanning. Oregon has a Top 5 scoring offense and Dillingham helped to rejuvenate the career of quarterback Bo Nix.
The 3:30 ET time slot had a few interesting games. All Oregon had to do was beat Oregon State and the Ducks were in the Pac-12 championship game. But the Beavers had plans to dam Oregon’s path to the title game. And they built a good dam. Oregon State downed Oregon, 38-34. No conference championship game for the Ducks this year.
After Iowa lost to Nebraska on Friday, it was up to Purdue. All the Boilers had to do was beat Indiana and Purdue was in the Big Ten championship game. Unlike Oregon, the Boilers handled their challenge. Purdue downed Indiana, 30-16.
Alabama hosted Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl. The Tide were 22-point favorites. Guess what? I hope you weren’t betting on the game. Alabama won by 22 points. The Crimson Tide beat the Tigers, 49-27. Auburn scored first and led, 7-0. But that was the only time throughout the game that the Tigers led. Alabama scored two minutes later and tied the game at 7-7. The Tide continued to score again and again and again. Auburn scored intermittently. After the game, Alabama coach Nick Saban advocated for the Crimson Tide to be one of the four teams in the CFP.
Rivals Minnesota and Wisconsin met in Madison. It was the battle for the Ax. Going into the fourth quarter, the Badgers led 16-13. But the Gophers skunked Wisconsin in the final quarter. Minnesota outscored Wisconsin 10-0 and went on to down the Badgers, 23-16.
Wake Forest and Duke battled in Durham. When the battle was over, the Dookies came out on top, 34-31. It has been a great season for Duke who finished 8-4 under first-year coach Mike Elko. How ’bout them Dookies! On the other hand, it was a disappointing year for Wake Forest who began the season at 6-1, but then lost 4 of its last 5 games.
Halfway through the season freshman E.J. Warner became the starting quarterback for Temple. E.J. is the son of former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner. Saturday, Temple lost a cliffhanger to East Carolina, 49-46. Until 1:11 left in the game, the Owls were winning 46-42. In the losing effort, Warner was something else. He was 45-63-1, passing for 527 yards and five touchdowns. Temple finished its season at 3-9. But Warner is only a freshman. Stay tuned!
Early Saturday evening, word broke that Florida Atlantic fired head coach Willie Taggart. FAU had just lost to Western Kentucky, 32-31 (OT). In three seasons at FAU, Taggart was 15-18 – 5-7 this season. Prior to FAU, Taggart had been a head coach at Western Kentucky, South Florida, Oregon and Florida State. He had a losing record at all of those schools except Oregon where he was 7-5 in one season with the Ducks. I never could understand how he kept getting hired as a head coach.
The evening time slots had a few good games too. Foremost among them was the Notre Dame-USC matchup in the Coliseum. It was a must win for the Trojans to remain in contention for one of four spots in the CFP. USC lived up to its challenge, downing the Irish, 38-27. Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams passed for one touchdown and rushed for three TDs. On his second rushing touchdown, which put USC up 31-14, Williams stopped in the end zone and briefly struck the Heisman pose. Shades of Desmond Howard.
Kansas State hosted intrastate rival Kansas in Manhattan. K-State needed to win to get in the Big 12 championship game. A loss, and Texas would meet TCU in the conference title game. The Wildcats capitalized on their opportunity, beating Kansas, 47-27. K-State will now play TCU for the Big 12 championship, in a rematch of their meeting during the season.
In a SEC matchup, Texas A&M hosted LSU in College Station. Coming into the game, the Aggies had lost six-consecutive games to SEC opponents. LSU had won four-consecutive games against SEC opponents. It looked grim for A&M. But the Aggies played well, and the Tigers didn’t. A&M running back Devon Achane rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Texas A&M tromped LSU, 38-23.
In Tampa, UCF was in a must win game against South Florida. Win, and the Knights were in the AAC championship game. Lose, and they weren’t. It looked good for UCF early in the game. The Knights led South Florida, 28-0, midway through the second quarter. But the Bulls got hot and outscored UCF 39-10. With less than a minute to go in the game, South Florida led UCF, 39-38. With 0:20 on the clock, the Knights scored a touchdown and converted a two-pointer. UCF escaped South Florida, 46-39.
TCU was going for style points in the CFP rankings. The Horned Frogs blasted Iowa State, 62-14. Winning 55-14 and with only 1:18 left in the game, TCU chose to score instead of taking a knee. Meanwhile in Boulder, Utah, who will play USC in the Pac-12 championship game, bludgeoned Colorado, 63-21. The Utes had 662 total yards.
First-year coach Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes finished a disappointing season on a dismal note. At home, Miami lost to Pitt, 42-16.
Out West, BYU beat Stanford, 35-26. After the game, Stanford coach David Shaw resigned. It may or may not have been a forced resignation, but it probably was. In 12 seasons at Stanford, Shaw was 96-54 (3-9 this season). Shaw was Stanford’s winningest football coach.
In two West Coast late shows, Washington won the Apple Cup, beating Washington State, 51-33. The Huskies Michael Penix was 25-43-1, passing for 484 yards and three touchdowns. Also, in a defensive battle, Air Force beat San Diego State, 13-3. The Falcons Brad Roberts rushed for 187 yards and one touchdown.
Gator Gabe and I stayed up till the end of the Notre Dame-USC game, at which time he went to bed. I stayed up a little longer, watching some of the Washington-Washington State game, before hitting the rack.
In the four-annual, season-ending matchup games between the ACC and the SEC, the SEC came out 3-1. Georgia beat Georgia Tech 37-14. South Carolina beat Clemson, 31-30, and Kentucky beat Louisville, 26-13. Florida lost to Florida State, 45-38.
Sunday morning, Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Gabe bid farewell, as they began their drive back to the panhandle. Swamp Mama and I will see them on December 20, when we go up there for Christmas.
Sunday afternoon, we learned of another hiring and two more firings. It’s that time of the year. ESPN reported the Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell would be named the new coach at Wisconsin. Fickell is considered to be the country’s top Group of Five coach. He has a 57-18 record in six seasons at Cincinnati. It has long been believed that when Fickell left Cincinnati for another head coaching job it would only be for a Big Ten school. That belief came true. At Wisconsin, Fickell replaces Paul Chryst who was fired at the middle of the season. Prior to Cincinnati, Fickell was a defensive coordinator at Ohio State and the Buckeyes’ interim head coach for one season. That’s two good coaches the Big Ten is getting – Fickell and Matt Rhule.
Then we learned that Texas State has fired Jake Spavital. Spavital was 13-35 in four seasons at Texas State – 4-8 this season. Texas State plays in the Sun Belt Conference. Prior to Texas State, Spavital was an offensive coordinator at West Virginia under Dana Holgorsen. I wouldn’t be surprised if Spavital ends up on the staff at Houston.
Next news came early Sunday evening that Tulsa had fired its coach Philip Montgomery. Montgomery has coached Tulsa for eight seasons with a 43-53 record (5-7 this season).
At the same time Sunday, Fox Sports reported that Colorado had offered its head coach opening to Deion Sanders. Sanders is currently the head coach of Jackson State. Reportedly, a Sanders spokesman said that Deion has potential interest in the Colorado job. Stay tuned!
Sunday night, I watched West Virginia beat Florida, 84-55, in the final round of the PK85 (Phil Knight) basketball tournament. I’m feeling pretty good.
At this stage, 12 schools have fired their coaches and seven of those schools are still looking for a new coach.
If I was on the CFP selection committee, my ballot would look like this: 1. Georgia (12-0), 2. Michigan (12-0), 3. TCU (12-0), 4. USC (11-1), 5. Ohio State (11-1), 6. Penn State (10-2), 7. Washington (10-2), 8. Tennessee (10-2), 9. Alabama (10-2), 10. Clemson (10-2) and 11. Tulane (10-2).
The 10 conference championship games are all set. They will be played this weekend – two games on Friday night and eight on Saturday.
In the only other FBS game this week, Akron (2-9) meets Buffalo (5-6) on Friday night in Buffalo. This is a regular season game that was postponed a few weeks ago when that big snowstorm hit Buffalo. Obviously, Akron and Buffalo didn’t make the MAC championship game, so they were able to play their makeup game this week. Buffalo needs the win to become bowl eligible.
The playoffs are going on at the FCS, Division II and Division III levels.
The annual Army-Navy game will be played on December 10 in Philadelphia.
It’s been a busy Thanksgiving Weekend. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my many readers who put up with my meanderings through college football each week. I’m especially thankful to the readers who from time-to-time or frequently respond with info, tidbits and follow up, providing their comments and reaction to the games and my commentary. Readers like Ken Burger, Tim Muth, Scott Greenwood, Sally Adkins, Jan Stowers, Jess Schwartzkopf, Graham Sexton, Monta Burt, Bob Willey, Larry Burger, Bob Spiker, Gary Schwartzkopf, Larry Brewer, Neal Stein, Brian Smith, Chris Burnette, Fred Adkins, Steve Moon, Dave Brolhorst, and others. You give me encouragement and for that I am thankful.
I hope your Thanksgiving was as good as ours!
Touchdown Tom
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: That’s two-straight – Michigan 45, Ohio State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Michigan 26). Michigan was a 9-point underdog, but that didn’t bother the Wolverines. After a slow start, Michigan got its act going in the second quarter and took over the game in the second half. Ohio State couldn’t get its running game going and C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions. Stroud can say goodbye to the Heisman. Meanwhile, Michigan running back Donovan Edwards rushed for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Combined, the teams had 1,026 total yards. The Wolverines had 532 of those yards. It was the second consecutive win over the Buckeyes for Michigan. The win sends the Wolverines to the Big Ten title game against Purdue. Attendance in Columbus: 106,787
RUNNER-UP: Heisman pose – USC 38, Notre Dame 27 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, Notre Dame 30). USC took charge of this game early on. Notre Dame got a little feisty toward the end, but the Trojans had things in control. Notre Dame was riding a six-game winning streak coming into the contest. USC had won five-straight. Make it six now. Notre Dame passed well, but the Irish couldn’t get a running game going. The Trojans did both well. USC running back Austin Wells rushed for 154 yards. Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne completed 88.5% of his passes. USC quarterback Caleb Williams rushed for three touchdowns. USC goes on to play Utah in the Pac-12 title game. Attendance in Los Angeles: 72,613
REST OF THE BEST: Storm surge – Tulane 27, Cincinnati 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulane 24, Cincinnati 22). Tulane led throughout and never trailed in the game until 6:27 to go in the fourth quarter when Cincinnati went up 24-20. But Tulane quickly responded. The Green Wave scored on a 30-yard pass from Michael Pratt to Valentino Ambrosio. Tulane went back up 27-24 and held on to win. The teams were pretty closely matched in the stats. Tulane’s Tyjae Spears rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Cincinnati: 37,989
Leave it to the Beavers – Oregon State 38, Oregon 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 30, Oregon State 28). Late in the third quarter, Oregon led, 31-10. Then Oregon State outscored the Beavers, 28-3. Oregon State did it on the ground. The Beavers only completed six passes and only had 90 yards passing. But they had 274 yards rushing. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was 27-41-0, passing for 327 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Corvallis: 28,840
The Gamecocks are for real – South Carolina 31, Clemson 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 33, South Carolina 32). Clemson took charge early, but South Carolina came on strong in the second half. The Gamecocks were out to prove that the win over Tennessee was no fluke. And they did. South Carolina only had 54 yards rushing, but 360 yards passing. Conversely, Clemson only had 99 yards passing and 336 yards rushing. The Tigers D.J. Uiagalelei only completed 27.6% of his passes. Attendance in Clemson: 81,500
The Roosters never saw it coming – James Madison 44, Coastal Carolina 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Coastal Carolina 30, James Madison 21). I don’t know what got into James Madison, but they really put it to Coastal Carolina, especially in the second and third quarters when the Dukes outscored the Chanticleers, 17-0 and 20-0 respectively. JMU had 502 total yards to only 183 for Coastal Carolina. Ironically, Coastal Carolina maintained time of possession for 40:37. JMU scored quick when they had the ball. Both teams finished at the top of their Division in the Sun Belt with 6-2 conference records. But Coastal Carolina goes to the Sun Belt title game, as this is a transition year from FCS to FBS for JMU. Attendance in Harrisonburg: 19,393
Wolfpack beats the Tar out of the Heels – NC State 30, North Carolina 27 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 34, NC State 28). NC State took a 7-0 lead just 1:40 into the game and never trailed for the rest of the contest, until North Carolina took a 30-27 lead in the first of the two overtimes. The score was tied three times at 17-17 midway through the fourth quarter, 24-24 at the end of regulation and 30-30 at the end of the first overtime. The Tar Heels scored a touchdown as time expired in regulation to put the game into overtime. After starting out 9-1, North Carolina has lost its last two games. Pillsbury needs to hire North Carolina coach Mack Brown to be the Doughboy in its commercials. Brown looks and moves like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Attendance in Chapel Hill: 50,500
The Huskies get the apples – Washington 51, Washington State 33 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 32, Washington State 26). The teams combined for 1,141 total yards. Washington had 705 of those yards (61.8%). And Michael Penix had 485 of those yards passing (68.8%). The lead changed hands seven times – all in the first half. When Washington went up 28-24 just before the half, the Huskies never relinquished the lead again. Washington led 35-33 with 6:30 to go in the third quarter. Then the Huskies scored 16 unanswered points to finish the game. Attendance in Pullman: 33,152
Kiffin had egg on his face – Mississippi State 24, Ole Miss 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 35, Mississippi State 29). In three seasons, Mike Leach won his first game against Ole Miss, while Lane Kiffin lost his first game against Mississippi State in the annual Egg Bowl. When Ole Miss took a 16-7 lead late in the second quarter, it appeared that the Magnolias were going to dominate the game. But with just 0:08 on the clock in the first half, Miss State scored and trailed 16-14. There was no scoring in the third quarter. By midway through the fourth quarter, Miss State had added a field goal and a touchdown to take a 24-16 lead. With just three or four minutes left in the game, it appeared the Bulldogs were about to put the game out of reach. They were on the Ole Miss goal line. However, quarterback Will Rogers fumbled and Ole Miss recovered. In less than two minutes, Ole Miss drove down the field and scored. But the Magnolias came up short on the two-point conversion attempt. Both teams finished the season with 8-4 records. Attendance in Oxford: 62,487
Off we go – Air Force 13, San Diego State 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Air Force 24, San Diego State 23). Only one touchdown was scored in the game. That was by Air Force in the first 3 minutes of the game. Neither team saw the end zone after that. It was all field goals – three of them in the second half. The Falcons defense held San Diego State to minus 1 yard rushing. Air Force only had 14 yards passing. But Falcons running back Brad Roberts rushed for 187 yards. Air Force finished its season with a 9-3 record. Attendance in San Diego: 25,223
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Surprise in Stillwater – West Virginia 24, Oklahoma State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, West Virginia 21). Oklahoma State led 10-7 at halftime. WVU outscored the Cowboys 17-9 in the second half. The Mountaineers only had 77 yards passing, but 250 yards rushing. WVU running back Jaylen Anderson rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns. This was Oklahoma State’s first loss at home in 14 games. I don’t think the rain stopped during the entire game. Attendance in Stillwater: 52,353
Party in the wigwam – Florida State 45, Florida 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, Florida 27). In a game that was tied five times, Florida State scored with 4:06 to go in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory. Both quarterbacks were failures at passing. Florida’s Anthony Richardson completed 33% of his throws and FSU quarterback Jordan Travis completed 43% of his tosses. Both quarterbacks were bigger threats running the ball. The teams were evenly matched in the stats. The officiating was atrocious, as were the broadcasters. Attendance in Tallahassee: 79,560
Finally – Nebraska 24, Iowa 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 17, Nebraska 12). Iowa couldn’t find its offense or defense until the second half – mostly in the fourth quarter. Nebraska led 17-0 at halftime and 24-7 at the end of three. Iowa scored 21 unanswered points in the final 23 minutes of the game. The Hawkeyes were plagued with four turnovers. All Iowa needed was a victory to play in the Big Ten championship game. But no title game for the Hawkeyes. Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson was the star of the game for the Huskers. Nebraska only had 52 yards rushing. The Huskers defense held Iowa to 274 total yards. Nothing like finishing up with a win. Better late than never for Nebraska. Attendance in Iowa City: 69,250
Looking Dooky – Duke 34, Wake Forest 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 27, Duke 24). The lead in the game changed hands four times. Trailing 31-27, Duke scored the winning touchdown with just 2:04 on the clock. Both quarterbacks were amazing. Wake’s Sam Hartman passed for 347 yards. Duke’s Riley Leonard passed for 391 yards. At 8-4, Duke had an amazing season. The Dookies were picked to finish last in the Coastal Division. Instead, they finished second. Attendance in Durham: 17,492
Woof, woof – Georgia 37, Georgia Tech 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 30, Georgia Tech 11). A tight first half (10-7), Georgia opened it up in the second half, outscoring Tech, 27-7. The Dawgs had 406 total yards to 255 for Tech. The Yellow Jackets only had 40 yards rushing. The Dawgs just seemed to stay in cruise control for the game. Attendance in Athens: 92,746
The Bears couldn’t bare it – Texas 38, Baylor 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 35, Baylor 27). This was a close game throughout. The lead changed hands five times. Baylor last led 27-24 almost midway through the fourth quarter. Then Texas scored 14 unanswered points. Texas had 402 total yards to 280 for Baylor. Horns running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Austin: 94,076
Off to Lucas Oil Stadium – Purdue 30, Indiana 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Indiana 20). All right! The Boilers are in the Big Ten title game. Who would have thought it in early November when the Boilers were 5-4 (3-3 in the Big Ten). With 11:06 to go in the game, Purdue just led 17-10. Then in the next nine minutes, the Boilers went up 30-10. Indiana scored its final TD as time expired. Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell was 18-29-0, passing for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Bloomington: 51,148
Week 13 Results: 8 winners, 9 fumbles (47.1 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Western Kentucky 32, Florida Atlantic 31 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 18,376
UCF 46, South
Florida 39
– Attendance in Tampa: 32,217
Pitt 42, Miami 16 – Attendance in
Miami Gardens: 46,428
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Temple’s E.J. Warner – 45-63-1 for 527 yards (5TDs); Washington’s Michael Penix – 25-43-1-484 (3TDs); Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel – 28-40-1-449 (6TDs); Texas Tech’s Tyler Shough – 31-50-1-436 (2TDs); Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed – 28-52-1-410 (3TDs), and Duke’s Riley Leonard – 29-41-1-391 (4TDs).
Also, Houston’s Clayton Tune – 26-47-1 for 386 yards (2TDs); Georgia Southern’s Kyle Vantrease – 34-51-1-385 (3TDs); UTSA’s Frank Harris – 16-22-0-382 (3TDs), and Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman – 26-42-1-347 (3TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
UAB’s Dewayne McBride – 272 yards (1TD); Texas State’s Lincoln Pare – 271 yards (1TD); East Carolina’s Keaton Mitchell – 222 yards (3TDs); Michigan’s Donovan Edwards – 216 yards (2TDs), and Texas A&M’s Devon Achane – 215 yards (2TDs).
Also, Arizona’s Michael Wiley – 214 yards (3TDs); Troy’s Kimani Vidal – 208 yards (4TDs); Southern Miss’s Frank Gore – 194 yards (1TD); Air Force’s Brad Roberts – 187 yards (1TD); Tulane’s Tyjae Spears – 181 yards (2TDs); Ball State’s Carson Steele – 180 yards (2TDs), and Texas’ Bijan Robinson 179 yards (2TDs).
Also, Appalachian State’s Nate Noel – 171 yards (3TDs); BYU’s Christopher Brooks – 164 yards; Oklahoma’s Eric Gray – 161 yards; Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright – 160 yards (2TDs), and West Virginia’s Jaylen Anderson – 155 yards (2TDs).
Quotes of the Week
“What’s a worse ride than the Gus Bus? The Lane Train,” a caller on The Paul Finebaum Show.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Kansas State (9-3) vs. TCU (12-0) – (Big 12 Championship Game – Arlington, Texas) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – This is a rematch of a game that TCU won 38-28, on October 22. The Frogs had to rally in the fourth quarter to win that contest. Kansas State’s only other loss in the Big 12 was by 3 points to Texas on November 12. Since then, the Wildcats have won three-straight games. K-State relies on the running of Deuce Vaughn. He has rushed for 1,295 yards this season. Both TCU and Kansas State are strong on offense – TCU is stronger. TCU’s Kendre Miller has rushed for 1,260 yards. Frogs quarterback Max Duggan has passed for 3,070 yards. Both TCU and Kansas State are up-and-down on defense – sometimes good, sometimes not so good. The Frogs are hoppy – TCU 27, Kansas State 23.
RUNNER-UP: 2. LSU (9-3) vs. Georgia (12-0) – (SEC Championship Game – Atlanta, Georgia) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – A lot of teams rely on their running to open up their passing. Sometimes, I think Georgia relies on Stetson Bennett’s passing to open up its running. Regardless, LSU will have its hands full trying to stop Georgia’s offense. And that’s just the offense. The Dawgs play better defense. LSU is capable of putting points on the board. But the Tigers defense is a different story. It’s generally not so strong. And LSU is coming off a bad loss to Texas A&M. The Tigers may not be very healthy. Uga never did like cats – Georgia 34, LSU 23.
REST OF THE TITLE GAMES: 3. Utah (9-3) vs. USC (11-1) (Pac-12 Championship Game – Las Vegas, Nevada) – 8 pm ET, Friday, FOX – This is another rematch, and it should be a classic. The first game was a classic. On October 15, USC lost to Utah, 43-42. The Utes scored with 0:48 left on the clock and went for 2 to win. They were successful. If the Trojans win this game, Caleb Williams wins the Heisman, hands down. If they lose, well, it could be another story. Williams has passed for 3,712 yards this season. Utah is good. The Utes offense is good. Not as good as USC’s offense, but it is good. And Utah actually has a better defense than the Trojans. This could be the most exciting game among the conference title games. The Trojans get revenge – USC 33, Utah 30.
4. Purdue (8-4) vs. Michigan (12-0) (Big Ten Championship Game – Indianapolis, Indiana) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Purdue’s only hope is that Michigan is still sky high over its win against Ohio State. Well, that didn’t happen to Michigan last year when the Wolverines were in the same circumstances. Jim Harbaugh does a pretty good job keeping his team in focus. And just when you think the Wolverines are out of running backs, they come up with another one. Michigan has one of the best offenses and defenses in the country. Purdue is just fair to midland on offense and defense. Sometimes the Boilers are good at one, the other or both. Sometimes they are bad at one the other or both. It all depends on which way the steam is blowing. If Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell is on, the Boilers can be dangerous. He has passed for 3,115 yards this season. Harbaugh plays hard ball – Michigan 30, Purdue 17.
5. Coastal Carolina (9-2) vs. Troy (10-2) – (Sun Belt Championship Game – Troy, Alabama) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – I don’t know what happened to Coastal Carolina last week against James Madison. It has to be injuries. The Chanticleers began the season 6-0. They were hot. Since then, they have gone 3-2. I know that Chanticleers quarterback Grayson McCall is out for the season. That hurts. Meanwhile, Troy is riding a 9-game winning streak. The Trojans seem to get better each week. They are not so good on offense. They sneak up on you. But Troy plays outstanding defense. Helen seduces the Chanticleer – Troy 33, Coastal Carolina 24.
6. UCF (9-3) vs. Tulane (10-2) – (AAC Championship Game – New Orleans, Louisiana) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Another rematch and this one on the same field as the first game. UCF won that contest 38-31. Tulane got off to a slow start that day. But the Green Wave got their act together and almost came back and won. That game was on November 12. UCF has a good offense and a so-so defense. Tulane has a weaker offense and a better defense. Still, the Green Wave can score when they have too. Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt gets better every week. The Knights’ armor gets tarnished – Tulane 34, UCF 32.
7. North Carolina (9-3) vs. Clemson (10-2) – (ACC Championship Game – Charlotte, North Carolina) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – This game has lost much of its luster, not that it had a whole lot to begin with. Clemson comes in on a loss. North Carolina comes in on two losses. Clemson’s strength is supposed to be its defense. But the Tigers defense has slipped up from time to time this year. And we all know the Clemson offense has been missing. You just wonder if quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is going to have a breakout game. You would think he is due for one. North Carolina began the season 9-1 but has lost its last two. The Tar Heels biggest threat is quarterback Drake Maye. He has passed for 3,847 yards. He can run too when he has too. All Clemson has to do is contain Maye. They do – Clemson 33, North Carolina 24.
8. Fresno State (8-4) vs. Boise State (9-3) – (MWC Championship Game – Boise, Idaho) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – It seems like Boise State is almost always in this game. This year, the Broncos strength is on defense. Usually, Boise State has a strong offense but not this season. But it isn’t bad. It’s just that the defense is better. The Broncos are 7-1 in their last 8 games. Fresno State is no pushover. And now that quarterback Jake Haener is healthy again, the Bulldogs are a bigger threat. Fresno State’s problems were early in the season. The Bulldogs began 1-4. Since then, they are on a 7-game winning streak. This game is a rematch. Boise State won the first encounter, 40-20. That was on October 8. But this is now. Fresno State is better. This game will be closer, but the Broncos still win – Boise State 31, Fresno State 27.
9. North Texas (7-5) vs. UTSA (10-2) – (C-USA Championship Game – San Antonio, Texas) – 7:30 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN – This game is a rematch, and the first game was a close one – very close. UTSA beat North Texas, 31-27. The Roadrunners scored with 0:15 left to win the game. That was on October 22. UTSA has a good offense and a weak defense. Roadrunners quarterback Frank Harris has passed for 3,524 yards this season. North Texas is similar – good offense, bad defense. In fact, these two teams are very much like one another. Beep Beep makes the Mean look Green – UTSA 34, North Texas 25.
10. Toledo (7-5) vs. Ohio (9-3) – (MAC Championship Game – Detroit, Michigan) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Ohio is a deceptive team. They don’t impress you with the numbers. The Bobcats generally play better than their numbers. Ohio began the season 2-3. Since then, the Bobcats have won 7-straight games. They lost their quarterback to injury a couple weeks back. But the replacement – C.J. Harris – seems to be capable. Toledo can be deceptive too. Except for the loss to Ohio State, the Rockets other four losses were all by 7 points or less. Toledo could easily be 11-1. But they will become 7-6 – Ohio 30, Toledo 21., 31-27.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Wingate (11-2) at West Florida (11-1) – (South Atlantic vs. Gulf South) – (Division II Playoff) – 12 noon ET, Saturday….
Touchdown Tom
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