CFW Week 9 Results - Oklahoma, North Carolina go down

 CFW Week 9 Results – Oklahoma, North Carolina go down

Bowers? We don’t need no Bowers

 

No, Georgia, you didn’t. But Oklahoma, North Carolina, Maryland, Oregon State and Washington State could have used Brock. They were all victims of an upset.

 

All week, leading up to the Georgia-Florida game, college football analysts, commentators and bloggers were wondering how the Dawgs would do against the Gators without tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers, an All-American tight end and Heisman Trophy candidate, suffered an ankle injury two weeks prior to the Florida game. The injury required an operation, sidelining Bowers for several weeks. He was on the sideline Saturday during the Georgia-Florida game.

 

Leading up to the game, the commentators wondered who would step up for Georgia without Bowers. Bowers was always the “go-to” guy if Georgia needed a big play. Bowers was always the player to get the Dawgs out of trouble when they needed help. That’s all we heard all week.

 

With Florida improving, the analysts believed without Bowers, Georgia could be in trouble. Well, as it turned out, Georgia didn’t need Bowers. Sure, it would have been nice if Bowers was playing. But the Dawgs were just fine without him – Georgia 43, Florida 20.

 

So, the analysts wondered who would step up for Georgia? How about quarterback Carson Beck? Beck passed for 315 yards and two touchdowns, completing 68% of his passes. How about running back Daijun Edwards? Edwards rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards a carry. How about receiver Ladd McConkey? McConkey had six receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown. How about defenders Javon Ballard, Tykee Smith, Kamari Lassiter and Smael Mondon? Combined, they had 23 tackles – 15 solo tackles. They all stepped up.

 

No, Georgia didn’t need Borck Bowers. But, as mentioned above, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Maryland, Oregon State and Washington State sure could have used a Bowers. They needed somebody.

 

Let’s hear it for the Jayhawks. Kansas handed 6^th-ranked and undefeated Oklahoma its firs toss of the season. The Jayhawks snapped an 18-game losing streak to the Sooners. Kansas upset Oklahoma, 38-33.

 

Let’s hear it for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech knocked off 17^th-ranked North Carolina. The Tar Heels were 12-point favorites. Trailing North Carolina 42-32 with less than 11 minutes remaining in the game, the Yellow Jackets scored two touchdowns. Georgia Tech upset North Carolina, 46-42.

 

Let’s hear it for the Wildcats. A 14-point underdog, Northwestern held its own against Maryland. Wildcats quarterback Brendan Sullivan passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns, completing 70% of his passes. Northwestern upset Maryland, 33-27.

 

Let’s hear it for Arizona and Arizona State. It was double you pleasure, double your fun in the State of Arizona, Saturday night. Both the Wildcats and the Sun Devils were underdogs, going into their games against Oregon State and Washington State respectively. Both ignored the odds. Arizona upset 11^th-ranked Oregon State, 27-24. Arizona State upset Washington State, 38-27.

 

Yes, there were upsets in the Big 12, ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12, Saturday. Of the Power Five conferences, only the SEC came through unscathed from upsets. However, Kentucky came close to pulling it off. The underdog Wildcats almost upset favored Tennessee. The Vols escaped Lexington with a 33-27 victory.

 

College football Week 9 resumed on Thursday night with two games. Both games were ugly – ugly for Syracuse and Georgia State. Virginia Tech pounded Syracuse, 38-10. Virginia Tech had 528 total yards. Syracuse had 0 yards rushing. Syracuse only had 9 first downs. That’s pretty ugly for the Orange. The Hokies are a vastly improved team since the first of the season. Syracuse is a vastly deteriorated team since the start of the season.

 

In the other game Thursday night, Georgia Southern pummeled Georgia State, 44-27. The teams combined for 899 total yards.

 

Friday night in North Carolina, Florida Atlantic beat Charlotte, 38-16. FAU quarterback Daniel Richardson passed for 216 yards and three touchdowns.

 

In other games Saturday, Florida State remained undefeated. The Noles topped Wake Forest, 41-16. Clemson continues to have problems. The Tigers lost to NC State, 24-17. The other South Carolina team lost too. Texas A&M downed the Gamecocks, 30-17. Both Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer were the subjects of abuse on social media after the games.

 

Virginia almost got another upset win this week. It took an overtime for Miami (Florida) to subdue the Cavaliers, 29-26 (OT). There was almost a third upset in the Pac-12. Scoring a touchdown with 0:58 remaining, California went for the win instead of the tie. However, Cal failed on its two-point conversion attempt. The Golden Bears lost to USC, 50-49.

 

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Oregon trounced Utah, 35-6, Washington beat Stanford, 42-33, and UCLA downed Colorado, 28-16.

 

In Orlando, West Virginia knocked off UCF, 41-28. Ohio State and Notre Dame were winners. The Buckeyes beat Wisconsin, 24-10, while the Irish plundered Pitt, 58-7. Penn State got a scare from Indiana. But the Nittany Lions pulled it out, beating the Hoosiers, 33-24.

 

SMU exploded for 69 points. The Mustangs beat Tulsa, 69-10. Air Force remained undefeated. The Falcons blasted Colorado State, 30-13.

 

There were five games I said to keep an eye on. They were First (Georgia State at Georgia Southern): Georgia Southern led Georgia State, 27-7, at halftime and went on to beat the Panthers, 44-27. Southern was the passing team – 334 yards. State was the rushing team – 290 yards…..  and Second (Clemson at NC State): NC State handed Clemson its fourth loss of the season. The Wolfpack beat the Tigers, 24-17. 

 

Also, Third (Miami (Ohio) at Ohio): Miami established superiority in the Mac East, beating Ohio, 30-16. The Bobcats led 9-0 at the end of the first quarter. Then it was all Miami after that. The RedHawks scored 30 unanswered points to take a 30-9 lead early in the fourth quarter…..         Fourth (Louisiana at South Alabama): Louisiana downed South Alabama, 33-20. The Rajin’ Cajuns led 17-0 at halftime, and 33-14 early in the fourth quarter…..  and Fifth (Troy at Texas State): Troy improved to 6-2, beating Texas State, 31-13. At the end of the third quarter, Troy led by just one point, 14-13. But the Trojans scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.   

 

The stealing of signs by the University of Michigan is getting more and more interesting. According to the Washington Post, a detailed and in-depth investigation into the sign stealing was conducted by a third-party investigation firm, not the NCAA, during the past several months. The results of the investigation were turned over to the NCAA in October. And apparently, the results show proof that Michigan was stealing signs. So, the question is who contracted the firm to conduct the investigation. You know it had to cost a lot of money. So, it had to be someone with a lot of money. Ohio State? Or an Ohio State booster or boosters?

 

Adding fuel to the fire, TCU coach Sonny Dykes said last week that he was tipped off before the TCU-Michigan game in the CFP semifinals last season that Michigan was stealing their signs. As a result, Dykes said they used dummy signs during the Michigan game. Apparently, the dummy signs worked – TCU beat Michigan 51-47.

 

The first CFP Poll rankings of the season will be released at 7 pm ET, tomorrow (October 31), on ESPN TV. The CFP rankings will be released every Tuesday evening for the remainder of the season, with the final rankings coming out on Sunday, December 3. These are the rankings that will be used to determine the four-team playoff and the spots in the New Year’s Six bowls. The highest-ranked Group of Five team will be one of the spots. 

 

This is the time of the year we experience, what I call, “The Sports Solstice.” Or should I say, “The Sports Equinox.” Whatever. It’s a brief period annually around this time of the year when we have the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college football and college basketball all in action at the same time. So much to watch.

 

Actor and comedian Matthew Perry died on October 28. Perry became an international celebrity in the 1990s for playing Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom “Friends.” The show ran for 11 seasons from 1994 to 2004. A native of Williamstown, Massachusetts, Matthew Langford Perry was 54.

 

Touchdown Tom

October 30, 2023

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Just Ducky in Salt Lake City – Oregon 35, Utah 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Utah 18). The Ducks were fired up and the Utes were no match for them. The Oregon defense held Utah to less than 100 yards rushing. Bo Nix passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns, completing 77% of his passes. It was the seventh-straight game Nix has completed better than 70% of his passes. Oregon improved to 7-1. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 53,586

 

RUNNER-UP: Uga got the cocktails – Georgia 43, Florida 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 32, Florida 24). Florida scored the game’s first touchdown. The Gators scored the game’s last touchdown. In between, Georgia outscored Florida 43-6. Message to Florida coach Billy Napier: When you have a fourth-and-inches in your own territory and you go for it, don’t try a trick play. Except for the fumble, Florida quarterback Graham Mertz actually had a pretty good game. Mertz passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns, completing 74% of his passes. The game was amazingly clean for a Florida-Georgia game. Only two penalties on each team. Georgia had 486 total yards. Attendance in Jacksonville: 76,251

 

REST OF THE BEST: Birds seed the Dookies – Louisville 23, Duke 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 27, Duke 21). The Dookies are in a funk. They only had nine first downs, 202 total yards and 51 yards rushing. The Dookies also had 10 penalties for 82 yards. Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Louisville controlled ball possession: 36:51 to 23:09. Attendance in Louisville: 52,319

 

Badgers couldn’t crack the Buckeyes – Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Wisconsin 16). Midway through the third quarter, the score was tied 10-10. Then the Buckeyes scored 14 unanswered points. Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord threw two interceptions. Playing in his first game in more than a month, Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 162 yards and one touchdown. Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison had six receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State dominated the stats and controlled possession: 35:50 to 24:10. Wisconsin had less than 100 yards rushing. Ohio State beat Wisconsin for the tenth consecutive time. Attendance in Madison: 76,453

 

Rock Chalk – Kansas 38, Oklahoma 33 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, Kansas 27). UCF gave Oklahoma a scare last week. Kansas gave the Sooners more than a scare this week. OU led 21-17 at halftime and 27-26 at the end of the third quarter. The Sooners led 33-32 in the closing minutes of the game. Kansas scored its winning touchdown with 0:55 remaining in the game. Neither quarterback had a good game. Both teams had three turnovers each. OU had 11 penalties for 101 yards. Attendance in Lawrence: 47,233

 

Tooth decay – Arizona 27, Oregon State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 30, Arizona 27). Early in the fourth quarter, Oregon State led, 17-13. Then Arizona scored 14 unanswered points. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns, completing 78% of his passes. It was Arizona’s second-straight win over a Top 25 team. Last week, the Wildcats beat Washington State. Attendance in Tucson: 45,023

 

A good day for Cows – Texas 35, BYU 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, BYU 18). The best BYU could do was two field goals. Texas had five touchdowns. Texas running back Jonathon Brooks rushed for 98 yards and one touchdown. BYU had less than 100 yards rushing. Attendance in Austin: 101,670

 

Smokey in Lexington – Tennessee 33, Kentucky 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 27, Kentucky 19). Tennessee had its biggest leads in the second quarter – 13-3 and 20-10. The Vols led 23-17 at the break. As the fourth quarter began, Kentucky only trailed by two points – 26-24. Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton completed 86% of his passes – 18-for-21. He threw for 228 yards. Milton completed 12-consecutive passes during one stretch. Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary passed for 372 yards and two touchdowns. Kentucky only had 72 yards rushing. The teams combined for 925 total yards. Attendance in Lexington: 61,665

 

Bulldogs made the Rebels yell – Fresno State 31, UNLV 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Fresno State 29, UNLV 25). UNLV led 17-7 at the break. Then Fresno State scored 24 unanswered points in the third quarter. The Bulldogs led 31-17 as the fourth quarter began. UNLV scored its final touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Both quarterbacks threw two interceptions each. But Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keane threw four touchdown passes. UNLV dominated the stats, but UNLV had four turnovers. Fresno State only had 56 yards rushing. Attendance in Fresno: 41,031

 

The Herd was corralled – UCLA 28, Colorado 16 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Colorado 22). UCLA led 7-6 at the break and 14-9 at the end of three. UCLA had four turnovers – two fumbles and two interceptions. Colorado only had 25 yards rushing. That has been the Buffaloes problem all season. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked seven times. It was the third game this season he has been sacked seven times. Deion Sanders’ son Shilo Sanders was ejected in the first half for targeting. Attendance in Pasadena: 71,343

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Mountain do – West Virginia 41, UCF 28 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 26, West Virginia 23). With less than two minutes to go in the game, West Virginia led 41-21. The teams combined for 913 total yards. UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee committed four turnovers. WVU had 286 yards rushing. Mountaineer quarterback Garrett Greene ran for three touchdowns. The Mountaineers are 5-3. Attendance in Orlando: 44,136

 

Herbie made the Boilers look corny – Nebraska 31, Purdue 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 22, Purdue 17). At the end of three quarters, Nebraska led 21-0. There were seven turnovers in the game – four by Nebraska. The teams only combined for 472 total yards. Purdue only had 195 total yards. Neither quarterback played well. Huskers quarterback Heinrich Haarberg had two fumbles. Nebraska got its first three-game win streak since 2016. Attendance in Lincoln: 86,709

 

Week 9 Results:  9 winners, 3 fumbles (75 percent)

For the Season:  93 winners, 31 fumbles (73.4 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

Jacksonville State 41, FIU 16 – Attendance in Miami: 14,074

Florida Atlantic 38, Charlotte 16 – Attendance in Charlotte: 10,857

Florida State 41, Wake Forest 16 – Attendance in Winston-Salem: 31,288

 

Drake 33, Stetson 7 – Attendance in Des Moines: 1,625

Grambling 28, Bethune-Cookman 14 – Attendance in Grambling: 4,500

 

Miami 29, Virginia 26 (OT) – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 58,503

Florida A&M 45, Prairie View A&M 14 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 22,338

Valdosta State 31, West Florida 28 – Attendance in Pensacola: 4,278

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

North Texas’ Chandler Rogers – 32-49-0 for 411 yards (5TDs); UTSA’s Frank Harris – 20-32-1-395 (4TDs); Troy’s Gunnar Watson – 26-40-0-392 (3TDs); Appalachian State’s Joey Aguilar – 23-33-1-391 (4TDs); Kentucky’s Devin Leary – 28-39-0-373 (2TDs); SMU’s Preston Stone – 15-20-0-371 (3TDs); Washington’s Michael Penix – 21-38-1-369 (4TDs). and Stanford’s Ashton Daniels – 31-50-0-367 (1TD).

 

Also, Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed – 30-44-1 for 365 yards (4TDs); Florida State’s Jordan Travis – 22-35-0-359 (3TDs); Georgia Southern’s Davis Brin – 22-35-1-334 (3TDs); Memphis’ Seth Henigan – 22-28-0-330 (1TD); Georgia’s Carson Beck – 19-28-0-315 (2TDs); Ohio’s Kevin Rourke – 25-39-0-315 (1TD); Washington State’s Cameron Ward – 35-50-0-315 (1TD), and North Carolina’s Drake Maye – 17-25-0-310 (2TDs).

 

Also, Colorado State’s Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi – 28-45-0 for 297 yards (1TD); Coastal Carolina’s Jarrett Guest – 14-20-1-289 (3TDs); Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman – 18-25-0-288; Georgia Tech’s Haynes King – 23-30-1-287 (4TDs); Old Dominion’s Grant Wilson – 26-36-0-277 (2TDs); Arizona’s Noah Fifita – 25-32-1-275 (3TDs); Arizona State’s Trenton Bourguet – 19-26-0-274, and Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa – 30-47-1-274 (3TDs).

 

Also, Indiana’s Brendan Sorsby – 13-19-1 for 269 yards (3TDs); Northwestern’s Brendan Sullivan – 16-23-0-265 (2TDs); San Jose State’s Chevan Cordeiro – 16-26-0-251 (2TDs)’ Texas A&M’s Max Johnson – 20-30-0-249 (1TD); Oregon’s Bo Nix – 24-31-0-248 (2TDs); Louisiana Tech’s Hank Bachmeier – 20-26-0-238 (1TD); Auburn’s Payton Thorne – 20-26-0-230 (3TDs), and Florida’s Graham Mertz – 25-34-0-230 (2TDs).

 

Also, Tennessee’s Joe Milton – 17-20-0 for 227 yards (1TD); Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders – 27-43-0-217 (1TD); Florida Atlantic’s Daniel Richardson – 18-25-1-216 (3TDs); Penn State’s Drew Allar – 20-31-1-210 (3TDs); Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones – 15-24-0-194 (1TD); Liberty’s Kaidon Salter – 10-15-0-169 (3TDs); Western Michigan’s Hayden Wolff – 15-26-0-169 (1TD); Kansas State’s Will Howard – 15-17-0-164 (2TDs); Boise State’s Maddux Madsen – 12-15-0-147 (1TD), and Louisiana’s Zeon Chriss – 13-17-0-145 (2TDs).

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon – 271 yards (2TDS); Southern Miss’s Frank Gore – 247 yards (2TDs); Massachusetts’ Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams – 234 yards (3TDs); Georgia State’s Marcus Carroll – 208 yards (2TDs); Minnesota’s Jordan Nubin – 204 yards (2TDs); Georgia Tech’s Dontae Smith – 178 yards (1TD), and Louisville’s Jawhar Jordan – 163 yards (2TDs).

 

Also, Miami of Ohio’s Rashad Amos – 163 yards (1TD); North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton – 163 yards (2TDs); Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson – 162 yards (1TD); Tulane’s Makhi Hughes – 155 yards; California’s Jaydn Ott – 153 yards (3TDs); San Jose State’s Kairee Robinson – 146 (2TDs), and Oklahoma’s Tawee Walker – 146 yards (1TD).

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“There are three things Black folks don’t do. We don’t deep-sea dive. We don’t bungee-jump. And we ain’t noodling. We don’t do that,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders. (Note: Noodling is the act of catching catfish with your hand by reaching into catfish holes.)

 

“NC State is waiting for basketball season to start,” former NFL receiver Steve Smith, on College GameDay, predicting Clemson would beat NC State.

 

“He can kiss my ass,” NC State football coach Dave Doeren, responding to Steve Smith.

 

“It’s a great feeling, nothing like I’ve ever felt before. This is a very emotional moment for me,” Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, after the Florida game.

 

“The proof is in the pudding. We got an elite quarterback,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning, on his quarterback Bo Nix, after the Utah game.

 

“I got caught in a whole bunch of students. I hope nobody gives me a breathalyzer test just off the fumes out there,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold, after the Oklahoma game.

 

“I had to remind our kids that this was Halloween, not Christmas. We need to stop giving away gifts. And let’s just make sure that it is Halloween. So, put on your scary masks and go play,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly, on his halftime talk to his players, during the Colorado game.

 

“The saddest story in college football this year is Dabo Swinney and Clemson. And there’s not a single person outside of that area code who is feeling sorry,” Paul Finebaum, on Dabo Swinney.

 

“Is Dabo Swinney done? Every time he talks, he sticks his foot deeper down his mouth,” Paul Finebaum, on Dabo Swinney.

 

Sign of the Week

 

You Can’t Spell Obnoxious Without Bo Nix

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

CFW Week 9 Forecast - Bo Nix takes on Utah

 CFW Week 9 Forecast – Bo Nix takes on Utah

The world’s largest outdoor cocktail party

 

After three-straight weeks of a super marquee game – OU-Texas, Oregon-Washington and Penn State-Ohio State – there are no games matching undefeated teams this week.

 

The best of the bunch Saturday is in the Pac-12 – 8^th-ranked Oregon at 13^th-ranked Utah. That should be a good one.  Both teams are 6-1. It’s another chance for Oregon quarterback Bo Nix to have a shining moment. Nix needs a boost if he wants to get back into the Heisman race. Oregon won last year, 20-17.

 

Another potentially wild game in the Pac-12 Saturday is Oregon State at Arizona. Watch out Beavers, the Wildcats can’t be taken lightly. Meanwhile, Coach Prime has his Buffaloes in L.A. – Colorado at UCLA.

 

What are you drinking? It’s that time of the year. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party takes place in Jacksonville on the banks of the St. Johns. Yes, there are alligators in the St. Johns River. Georgia hopes they will be mild ones. Undefeated and No. 1-ranked Georgia tangles with 26^th-ranked Florida.

 

Florida-Georgia first met in 1904. Or was it 1915. The two schools disagree over that. They have played every year since 1926, except for a war-time interruption in 1943. The game has been played in Jacksonville every year since 1933, except for two years in the 1990s when the Gator Bowl stadium was being rebuilt.

 

In 1904, Georgia beat Florida Agricultural College, 52-0. Florida Agricultural College was located in Lake City, Florida. Although Florida Ag was a predecessor to the University of Florida located in Gainesville, it was not considered to be UF. So, Florida doesn’t recognize the 1904 game. Georgia does. The Gainesville University of Florida first played Georgia in 1915. Florida recognizes that meeting as the first encounter in the series.

 

Georgia won the 1915 game too – 37-0. In fact, the Dawgs won the first 6 games in the series (7, if you count 1904). Florida’s first win came in 1928 – a 26-6 win over Georgia. The Dawgs lead the series 54-44-2 (55-44-2, if you count the 1904 game). Since 1990, Florida has won 22 of the 33 games. But recently, Georgia has won 8 of the last 12 games.

 

The SEC has another good rivalry taking place Saturday – 21^st-ranked Tennessee at Kentucky. Both teams are 5-2. This rivalry is older than the Florida-Georgia rivalry. Tennessee and Kentucky began playing in 1893. After the first 10 games, the Wildcats led the series 6-3-1. However, since then, the Vols have dominated the rivalry. Tennessee leads the series 82-26-9. You can’t get much more dominant than that.

 

The ACC offers 20^th-ranked Duke at 18^th-ranked Louisville. Will Duke quarterback Riley Leonard play? An alternative in the ACC is Clemson at NC State. Dabo Swinney may not be able to return home if the Tigers lose.

 

After the big win over Penn State last week, 3^rd-ranked Ohio State takes on Wisconsin in Madison. Badgers coach Luke Fickell goes up against his old team. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, I don’t know who Michigan is stealing signs from this week.

 

The two front-runners in the Big 12 hope to keep rolling on Saturday. Sixth-ranked Oklahoma visits Kansas. The Wildcats can be feisty. And 7^th-ranked Texas hosts BYU. The Longhorns will be without quarterback Quinn Ewers.

 

The MWC has a showcase game – UNLV at Fresno State. Both teams are 6-1. The feature game in the MAC has Miami at Ohio. Both teams are 6-2.

 

The Sun Belt Conference has two top-notch encounters. First, it will be an intrastate rivalry: Georgia State (6-1) at Georgia Southern (5-2).  That game is tonight. Then on Saturday, it will be Troy (5-2) at Texas State (5-2). Will George Strait be at the game? Strait graduated from Texas State with a degree in agriculture.  Also, Louisiana at South Alabama should be interesting.

 

There are nine teams still undefeated this week. They are Florida State (ACC), Oklahoma (Big 12), Michigan and Ohio State (Big Ten), Liberty (C-USA), Air Force (MWC), Washington (Pac-12), Georgia (SEC) and James Madison (Sun Belt). All but Liberty are ranked in the Top 25.

 

Sam Houston (C-USA) is the only winless team.

 

The Top 5 teams in this week’s AP Poll are 1. Georgia (7-0), 2. Michigan (8-0), 3. Ohio State (7-0), 4. Florida State (7-0), and 5. Washington (7-0). Georgia got 38 of the 63 first-place votes. Michigan got 19, Ohio State got 3 and Florida State got 3 of the first-place votes. Duke (5-2) is 20^th in the AP Poll.

 

Three Group of Five teams are ranked in the AP Poll. Air Force (7-0) is 19^th, Tulane (6-1) is 22^nd and James Madison (7-0) is 25^th.

 

The Top 5 teams in this week’s Coaches Poll are 1. Georgia (7-0), 2. Michigan (8-0), 3. Ohio State (7-0), 4. Florida State (7-0), and 5. Washington (7-0). Georgia got 58 of the 64 first-place votes. Michigan got 4 and Ohio State got 2 of the first-place votes. Duke (5-2) is 21^st in the Coaches Poll.

 

Three Group of Five teams are ranked in the Coaches Poll. Air Force (7-0) is 19^th, Tulane (6-1) is 23^rd and James Madison (7-0) is 25^th.

 

This week, Georgia plays Florida in Jacksonville and Michigan is off. Ohio State is at Wisconsin and Florida State visits Wake Forest. Washington plays at Stanford.

 

The Top 5 teams in this week’s FCS Coaches Poll are 1. South Dakota State (7-0), 2. Montana State (6-1), 3. Furman (6-1), 4. Incarnate Word (6-1), and 5. Montana (6-1). South Dakota State received all 26 first-place votes. Florida A&M (6-1) is 14^th and Harvard is (5-1) is 23^rd in the FCS Poll.

 

In the Division II Coaches Poll, West Florida (6-2) is 18^th.

 

College football Week 9 commenced on Tuesday evening, with two games. In the first game, New Mexico State slipped by Louisiana Tech, 27-24. State was the better rushing team. La Tech was the better passing team. Tech also had two turnovers and State had none. New Mexico State improved to 6-3.

 

In the second game, Liberty outscored Western Kentucky, 42-29. The teams combined for 967 total yards. Liberty improved to 8-0.

 

Action continued Wednesday night with two games. Jacksonville State clobbered FIU, 41-16. The Jax State defense held FIU to 31 yards rushing. Jax State improved to 6-2. In the night cap, UTEP kicked a 32-yard field goal with 0:03 on the clock to beat Sam Houston, 37-34. Trailing 27-13 late in the third quarter, UTEP scored 21 unanswered points to take its first lead in the game at 34-27. Sam Houston tied the score at 34-34 with 6:02 to go in the game.

 

Clemson has hired a media consultant to explore the school’s future conference alignment. Media consultant Chris Bevilacqua has been hired to determine Clemson’s best conference options – to remain in the ACC or seek membership elsewhere in either the Big Ten, SEC or Big 12.

 

While Clemson has hired a consultant, reports continue to surface saying Virginia, North Carolina, Clemson and Florida State will pull out of the ACC in 2025 to join the Big Ten and/or SEC. Meantime, recent reports hint that ACC members Louisville, Pitt, Virginia Tech and NC State are looking into membership in the Big 12 in 2025.

 

Army will join the American Athletic Conference (AAC) as a football only member, starting with the 2024 season. Army is the replacement for SMU, which is joining the ACC in 2024.

 

“Who is the man who would risk his neck for his brother man? (Shaft) Can you dig it?.... Richard Roundtree, noted for being the first black action hero for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film “Shaft,” died on October 24. “Shaft” had four sequels released between 1972 and 2019. The “Theme From Shaft,” sung by Isaac Hayes, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was on the chart for 13 weeks during the fall and early winter of 1971.  In other movies, Roundtree appeared opposite of such actors as Laurence Olivier, Ben Gazzara, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, among others. Richard Arnold Roundtree, a native of New Rochelle, New York, was 81.“….Who’s the cat that won’t cop out when there’s danger about.? (Shaft) Right on.”

 

“To your call once more we rally. Alma mater hear our praise. Where the Wabash spreads its valley. Filled with joy, our voices raise….” Terry Dischinger, an All-American college basketball player and a All-Star NBA player, died. Dischinger played college basketball at Purdue (1959-1962) and 12 seasons for four NBA teams – the Chicago Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets, Detroit Pistons and Portland Trailblazers (1962-1973). Eight of his 12 NBA seasons were with the Pistons. Dischinger was the youngest member of the 1960 USA Olympic basketball team which won the gold medal in Rome. His teammates included Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas. Graduating from Purdue, Dischinger had a degree in chemical engineering. When he retired from the NBA, he entered Dental School at the University of Tennessee and graduated valedictorian of his class. He practiced orthodontics for the remainder of his career. A native of Terre Haute, Indiana, Terry Gilbert Dischinger was 82. “….From the skies in swelling echoes. Come the cheers that tell the tale. Of your victories and your heroes. Hail Purdue! We sing all hail!”

 

Touchdown Tom

October 26, 2023

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

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

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oregon (6-1) at Utah (6-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Last week, Utah was on the road facing a Top 25 team. This week, the Utes are at home facing a Top 25 team. Last week, the Utes won, beating USC. This week, the Utes are not going to win. Why? Because Oregon has a defense. USC did not have a defense. Oregon also has an offense, one of the best in the country. Still, this should be a good game. Both teams play solid football. Utah probably has the better defense. But Oregon’s is good. Oregon definitely has the better offense. Therein lies the difference. Webbed feet rule – Oregon 27, Utah 18.

 

RUNNER-UP: 2. Georgia (7-0) vs. Florida (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Ah, the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Drinks will be served at 3:30. Florida fans might as well drink a lot. That way they can forget the outcome. Georgia is going to win. There is no doubt about that. It’s just a matter of how close the Gators can keep the score. I said that Georgia would win. But it actually could be a close game. The Gators have the ability to keep it close. Then again, it could be a rout. Florida’s day is coming. Just not this year. Uga bites Albert – Georgia 32, Florida 24.

 

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Duke (5-2) at Louisville (6-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Last week Duke was on the road against a Top 25 team – Florida State. This week the Dookies are on the road against a Top 25 team – Louisville. It doesn’t get any easier for the Dookies. It remains to be seen if Duke quarterback Riley Leonard will suit up for the game. Last week, Leonard left the Florida State game with an ankle injury. If Leonard plays, the Dookies have a chance. If he doesn’t, it’s curtains for Duke. Regardless, it should be close. The Birdies poopy on Dooky – Louisville 27, Duke 21.

 

4. Ohio State (7-0) at Wisconsin (5-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Watch out. The Buckeyes could have a letdown this week. That was a big win last week over Penn State. But this is another week. The Buckeyes have to get that big win out of their heads. Wisconsin may keep this game close for a while. The Badgers can play decent defense. It’s their offense that has a problem. The Badgers offense is up and down. It may take Ohio State a full half to get over the Penn State win. Then the Buckeyes will roll in the second half. A good ole slobber-knocker in Madison. Brutus melts the Cheese – Ohio State 28, Wisconsin 16.

 

5. Oklahoma (7-0) at Kansas (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Last week against UCF, Oklahoma was still recovering from the win over Texas. And it took them a while to recover. UCF almost beat the Sooners. This week, OU won’t need to recover. They’ve had their scare. This week, it’s Kansas who will be scared. The Jayhawks are good, but the Sooners are better. Wagons ho! – Oklahoma 31, Kansas 27.

 

6. Oregon State (6-1) at Arizona (4-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – This is going to be a tricky game for Oregon State. Arizona is deceptively good. The Wildcats can strike on offense. However, Arizona’s defense is a little weak. The Beavers need to take this game seriously. Otherwise, they are going to get knocked off. Arizona is like a wine. The Wildcats have been improving with age. Oregon State is the better team. However, the Beavers can’t let their guard down. Benny kicks sand in Wilbur’s face – Oregon State 30, Arizona 27.

 

7. BYU (5-2) at Texas (6-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Like Oklahoma, Texas had trouble recovering from the OU-Texas game. Last week, the Longhorns darn near lost to Houston. That should be out of their system by now. The Horns should be prime to put a pasting on BYU. Texas will be playing without quarterback Quinn Ewers. He’s sidelined for a while with a joint sprain in his shoulder. The replacement at quarterback is Maalik Murphy – not Arch Manning. However, if Murphy has problems, I’m sure the Arch will appear. BYU may make this encounter interesting for a while. But not for long. Bevo horns Cosmo – Texas 27, BYU 18.

 

8. Tennessee (5-2) at Kentucky (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Kentucky had the week off, getting over the back-to-back losses to Georgia and Missouri. Tennessee didn’t have the week off, getting over the loss to Alabama. That could play to the Wildcats favor. Look for Kentucky to come out strong. But the Vols should get their act together. Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton actually had a decent game against Alabama. Milton had 271 yards passing and 59 yards rushing. He completed 68.3% of his passes against the Tide. Kentucky is a different animal. But the Vols should cope. Davy Crockett skins a Cat – Tennessee 27, Kentucky 19.

 

9. UNLV (6-1) at Fresno State (6-1) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – This has the potential to be a great game in the Mountain West Conference. Both teams are having good seasons. It’s good to see UNLV winning the way they are. Usually, the Rebels are one of the worst teams in the MWC. This year, UNLV is one of the best teams in the MWC. Fresno State is always good. And it is a home game for the Bulldogs. Fresno State’s only loss was by 5 points to Wyoming. UNLV’s only loss was a non-conference game. Looks like the Rebels will suffer their first conference loss. The Bulldogs have better poker faces – Fresno State 29, UNLV 25.

 

10. Colorado (4-3) at UCLA (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – It doesn’t get any easier for Coach Prime and his Buffaloes. UCLA is a respectable ball club. And the Bruins play defense. That will be the difference in the game. Both teams can play offense. But UCLA also plays defense. Colorado doesn’t. The Buffaloes need two more wins to become bowl eligible. That could be their incentive to win. Time is running out. It’s still running out as the Buffs fall to 4-4. The Bruins aren’t Buffaloed – UCLA 34, Colorado 22.

 

There are five other interesting and intriguing games you should keep an eye on. They are Georgia State (6-1) at Georgia Southern (5-2) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN2…..  and Clemson (4-3) at NC State (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 2 pm ET, Saturday, CWN.

 

Also, Miami (Ohio) (6-2) at Ohio (6-2) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN…..  Louisiana (4-3) at South Alabama (4-3) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 5 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+…..  and Troy (5-2) at Texas State (5-2) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+.

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

West Virginia (4-3) at UCF (3-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – West Virginia is in a funk. The Mountaineers can’t win for losing. The coach is frustrated. The players are frustrated. The fans are angry. UCF is looking for its first Big 12 win. The Knights will probably achieve it against the Mounties. UCF almost go it against Oklahoma last week. Both teams have had their ups and downs this season. This one could go either way. But the Knights are in a better frame of mind. The funk continues – UCF 26, West Virginia 23.

 

Purdue (2-5) at Nebraska (4-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Three-straight wins for Nebraska? It hasn’t happened in a long time, but it’s possible. One win away from being bowl eligible. That would be the case for the Huskers if they win Saturday. Their record would become 5-3. A lot is on the line for Nebraska. The problem is Nebraska has a lot of injuries. That could play to Purdue’s favor. But the Boilers are weak on defense. That should play to Nebraska’s favor. Huskers quarterback Heinrich Haarberg threw two interceptions last week. Hopefully, he has that problem out of his system. But he rushed for 72 yards. Hopefully he continues the running. Purdue is down, but the Boilers won’t be a pushover. Three-straight wins and smelling a bowl game. The Corn is smooth as silk – Nebraska 22, Purdue 17.

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORUDA:

 

Jacksonville State (6-2) at FIU (4-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Wednesday, CBSSN….

Florida Atlantic (3-4) at Charlotte (2-5) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN2….

Florida State (7-0) at Wake Forest (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC….

 

Stetson (3-4) at Drake (4-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

Bethune-Cookman (1-6) at Grambling (3-4) – (SWAC SWAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….

 

Virginia (2-5) at Miami (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….

Prairie View A&M (3-4) at Florida A&M (6-1) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….

Valdosta State (7-1) at West Florida (6-2) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“That is North Carolina. Sadly, it has been the embodiment of Mack Brown. He has done a phenomenal job, but he just always has that game. That’s really too bad because that program probably deserved better,” Paul Finebaum, on North Carolina’s loss to Virginia.

 

“I’ve said many times Kyle Whittingham is one of the best coaches in college football. Now he is the best. He’s the best coach in college football,” Fox Sports analyst Urban Meyer.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com