CFW Week 14 Forecast - Petrino returns to Arkansas

 CFW Week 14 Forecast –Petrino returns to Arkansas

Oregon-Washington, Georgia-Alabama

Oh, the angst, it doesn’t get any better

 

Without a doubt, the two marquee games this weekend are Oregon-Washington and Georgia-Alabama. Although important in their own right, no other conference championship game measures up to these two contests.

 

The Oregon-Washington game is a rematch. The Ducks and the Huskies met during the season, with Washington winning, 36-33. The game was one of the most exciting of the season. Who knows what the two teams have in store for an encore. No. 5 Oregon versus No. 3 Washington. The winner will be in the playoff; the loser won’t.

 

Although they are scheduled to meet during the season next year in Tuscaloosa, Georgia and Alabama did not play each other this season. That creates more anticipation for this game. More angst too. The Dawgs are undefeated at 12-0. Alabama, at 11-1, comes into the game on a 10-game winning streak. No. 1 Georgia versus No. 8 Alabama. If Georgia wins, the Dawgs are in the playoff. If Georgia loses, who knows? If Alabama wins, there are no guarantees. The Tide could still be behind Michigan, Washington/Oregon, Florida State and Texas. Even more angst.

 

Michigan, Florida State and Texas are all favored to win their games over Iowa, Louisville and Oklahoma State respectively. However, upsets are possible in the Florida State and Texas games. None of these games are rematches. Louisville-Florida State has its share of angst.

 

None of the Group of Five championship games are marquee contests per se. However, all five of the contests have the potential to be the most thrilling and exciting games of the weekend. The outcome of each could come down to the final seconds of the game – a last minute touchdown, or a clock-expiring field goal.

 

The best of the Group of Five championship games is SMU-Tulane. These two did not meet during the season. If Tulane wins, the Green Wave are in a New Year’s Six bowl. If SMU wins, the Mustangs may or may not be in a New Year’s Six bowl.

 

Liberty puts its undefeated record on the line against upstart New Mexico State. Toledo tries to extend its 11-game winning streak against Miami. Appalachian State will try to end Troy’s nine-game winning streak. And UNLV is going for its first MWC championship. The Rebels take on Boise State.

 

The New Mexico State-Liberty and Miami-Toledo games are rematches.

 

After Week 13, five teams remain undefeated. They are Georgia (SEC), Michigan (Big Ten), Washington (Pac-12), Florida State (ACC) and Liberty (C-USA).

 

The Top 6 teams in this week’s CFP rankings are 1. Georgia (12-0), 2. Michigan (12-0), 3. Washington (12-0), 4. Florida State (12-0), 5. Oregon (11-1), and 6. Ohio State (11-1). Two Group of Five teams are ranked. Tulane (11-1) is 22 and Liberty (12-0) is 24.

 

Personally, my Top 6 teams this week are 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan, 3. Washington, 4. Oregon, 5. Ohio State, and 6. Florida State. I have Texas at 7 and Alabama at 8.

 

This week, Georgia plays Alabama and Michigan plays Iowa. Washington plays Oregon and Florida State plays Louisville. Tulane plays SMU and Liberty plays New Mexico State.

 

Heisman favorites Michael Penix (Washington), Bo Nix (Oregon), Jalen Milroe (Alabama), Carson Beck (Georgia) and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) all have the opportunity to put the final touches on their Heisman Trophy resumes this weekend. They each have the chance to enhance their resumes. The only favorite not playing this weekend is Jayden Daniels (LSU).

 

Delaware will become the latest team to transition from FCS to FBS football. The Blue Hens are not only making the transition, but also, they will join Conference USA. As an FCS team, Delaware is currently a member of the Coastal Athletic Association with teams like Villanova, Richmond and William & Mary. Delaware won the FCS national title in 2003. Former coach Tubby Raymond won 300 games at the school and helped popularize the Wing T offense. Delaware plays No. 2 Montana this weekend in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

 

Middle Tennessee fired coach Rick Stockstill on Monday. Stockstill has coached the Blue Raiders for 18 seasons, with a record of 113-111. Middle Tennessee was 4-8 this season.

 

Mike Elko’s contract at Texas A&M is $42 million over six years – $7 million a year.

 

He’s back! Bobby Petrino is back at Arkansas. Not as the head coach but as the offensive coordinator. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, who almost lost his job this year, will enter the 2024 season on the hottest seat in the country. And sitting right behind Pittman, breathing down his neck and waiting to take over will be Bobby Petrino. Petrino previously was the head coach at Arkansas from 2008 to 2011, where his record was 34-17. He was fired after the 2011 season for inappropriate activities with an athletic department staff member at Arkansas and lying to the athletic director.  Over the years, Petrino has been the head coach at Louisville (two stints), Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Western Kentucky and Missouri State. This past season, Petrino was Jimbo Fisher’s offensive coordinator at Texas A&M. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman fired his offensive coordinator a few weeks ago. Petrino was hired by Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek, not by Pittman.

 

Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis has been named the new head coach at San Diego State. Prior to this season Lewis was the head coach at Kent State from 2018 to 2022, where he went 24-31.

 

Oregon State promoted defensive coordinator Trent Bray to head coach, replacing Jonathan Smith who left to take the Michigan State job.

 

Florida coach Billy Napier is shaking up his staff. Earlier this week, Napier fired his co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer and his defensive backs coach Corey Raymond.

 

The final CFP rankings and all the bowl slots will be announced beginning at 12 noon ET, Sunday, on ESPN.

 

From 7 pm ET, Friday night to 11:45 pm ET, Saturday night, to Sunday afternoon, it’s going to be a great weekend. I’m fraught with angst.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

November 30, 2023

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

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

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. (#5) Oregon (11-1) vs. (#3) Washington (12-0) – (PAC-12 Championship Game – Las Vegas, Nevada) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ABC – Three of the 10 conference championship games are rematches. This is one of them. Back on October 14, Washington beat Oregon, 36-33. That game was in Seattle. This one is in Las Vegas. Washington has struggled in its last three games – 7 points over Utah, 2 points over Oregon State and 3 points over Washington State. Oregon beat Utah by 29 points, beat Oregon State by 24 points and beat Washington State by 14 points. Washington averages 38 points a game. The Huskies hold opponents to 23 points a game. Oregon averages 45 points a game. The Ducks hold opponents to 16 points a game. Washington quarterback Michael Penix has passed for 3,899 yards. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix has passed for 3,906 yards. Both teams are good on offense. Oregon is slightly better. Oregon has a much better defense than Washington. Puddles’ quack is louder than Harry’s bark – Oregon 30, Washington 26.

 

RUNNER-UP: 2. (#1) Georgia (12-0) vs. (#8) Alabama (11-1) – (SEC Championship Game – Atlanta, Georgia) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Hasn’t everybody been waiting for this game? Well, most everybody. And, of course, the big question is: If Alabama beats Georgia, will Georgia be eliminated from the playoff? An even better question is: If Alabama beats Georgia, will the Tide get into the playoff? I mean, if Michigan, Washington, Florida State and Texas all win, and Georgia loses, will an SEC team make the playoff? It could be interesting. These teams stack up pretty well against each other. Georgia is averaging 40 points a game on offense. The Dawgs are holding opponents to 16 points a game. Alabama isn’t far behind. The Tide are averaging 36 points a game and holding opponents to 18 points a game. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has passed for 3,495 yards. Bama quarterback Jalen Milroe has passed for 2,526 yards. Whose offense will fizzle? Whose defense will break? This game and the Oregon-Washington game are definitely the two best headliners this weekend. Uga says, “No end-of-the-game miracles for Bama this weekend” – Georgia 28, Alabama 24.

 

REST OF THE TITLE GAMES: 3. (#2) Michigan (12-0) vs. (#16) Iowa (10-2) – (Big Ten Championship Game – Indianapolis, Indiana) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – The big question in this game: Will Iowa score any points? If the Hawkeyes do, we know it won’t be many. Against Michigan’s defense, it should be few. In Iowa’s last six games, the Hawkeyes have only averaged 14 points a game on offense. Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill is slow and fat. Another question is: Will Michigan score many points? Iowa’s defense is holding opponents to 12 points a game. But most of Iowa’s opponents were not big on offense. Michigan is. The Wolverines average 38 points a game on offense. Michigan has one of the best quarterbacks in the country – J.J. McCarthy. It should be interesting watching Michigan’s offense against Iowa’s defense. It should be boring watching Iowa’s offense against Michigan’s defense. We may not hear the Iowa fight song – Michigan 30, Iowa 7.

 

4. (#14) Louisville (10-2) vs. (#4) Florida State (12-0) – (ACC Championship Game – Charlotte, North Carolina) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – If Jordan Travis was playing, this game wouldn’t even be close. With Travis out, that makes it a little more interesting. Louisville is weird. Beating Notre Dame 33-20 one week and losing to Pitt, 38-21, the next week. How strange is that? With a backup quarterback, FSU’s offense is diminished. But at worst case, the Noles should stay even with Louisville. I think the difference will be on defense. That’s where the Noles have the advantage. But FSU may not have an advantage with the CFP selection committee. With a backup quarterback, will the committee select FSU over Michigan, Georgia, Washington/Oregon and Texas? To FSU’s advantage, it would be hard to overlook an undefeated conference champion. The Chief is not worried – Florida State 27, Louisville 22.

  

5. (#18) Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. (#7) Texas (11-1) (Big 12 Championship Game – Arlington, Texas) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Oklahoma State’s problem is its defense. The Cowboys are giving up 27 points a game. The Longhorns’ offense will take advantage of that. Texas is averaging 35 points a game. And the Longhorns’ defense is better than Okie State’s defense. But Texas has to figure out how to stop running back Ollie Gordon. Nobody else has figured out how to stop Gordon. He has rushed for 1,579 yards. A Texas win may be a moot point when it comes to the CFP. If Georgia, Washington/Oregon, Michigan and Florida State win, Texas could be on the outside looking in. But Bevo won’t be on the outside against the Cowboys – Texas 33, Oklahoma State 21.

 

6. (#25) SMU (10-2) vs. (#22) Tulane (11-1) (AAC Championship Game – New Orleans, Louisiana) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – These two teams did not meet during the season. Both were undefeated in conference play. Both are similar on defense – each giving up 18 points a game. The big difference is on offense. SMU averages 42 points a game. Tulane averages 28 points a game. So, Tulane has to figure out how to stop the Mustangs’ offense. Both teams have good quarterbacks. Tulane’s Michael Pratt is the more experienced of the two. However, SMU’s Preston Stone has passed for 3,204 yards. If Tulane wins, the Green Wave will definitely play in a New Year’s Six bowl as the highest-ranked Group of Five team. If SMU wins, then the Mustangs have to leapfrog Liberty, assuming Liberty wins its game. But that could happen with Tulane being viewed as a stronger opponent than New Mexico State. Of course, Toledo and Troy could make waves. It all comes down to who wins and by how much. The boys from Dallas trip up the boys from the Big Easy – SMU 30, Tulane 27.

 

7.(#32) New Mexico State (10-3) vs. (#24) Liberty (12-0) – (C-USA Championship Game – Lynchburg, Virginia) – 7 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN – This is another one of the three rematches this weekend. Back on September 9, Liberty beat New Mexico State, 33-17. But the Aggies weren’t the same team then they are now. New Mexico State is on an eight-game winning streak, including the 31-10 win over Auburn. The Aggies have a good quarterback – Diego Pavia. Pavia is not only the leading passer (2,727 yards), but also, he is the leading rusher (808 yards). Both teams are similar on defense. Liberty is much stronger on offense. The Flames average 40 points a game. Liberty is also better balanced at running and passing. The Aggies can’t douse the Flames – Liberty 27, New Mexico State 23.

 

8. (#35) Miami (Ohio) (10-2) vs. (#26) Toledo (11-1) – (MAC Championship Game – Detroit, Michigan) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – This game is also a rematch. Back on October 21, Toledo beat Miami, 21-17. That was the last game the RedHawks lost. Miami is on a four-game winning streak. But Toledo is on an 11-game winning streak. The Rockets haven’t lost since their opener. That was just a 2-point loss to Illinois. Toledo has a good quarterback in DeQuan Finn and a better running back in Peny Boone. Boone has rushed for 1,359 yards. Toledo is stronger on offense – 35 points a game to 20 for Miami. The RedHawks are better on defense – 16 points a game to 20 for Toledo. The Rockets get a boost from their offense – Toledo 25, Miami 20.

 

9. Appalachian State (8-4) vs. (# 30) Troy (10-2) – (Sun Belt Championship Game – Troy, Alabama) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – App State got off to a rough start this season. After seven games, the Mountaineers were 3-4. They come into this contest on a five-game winning streak. Troy got off to a rough start too. After three games, the Trojans were 1-2. Now Troy is on a nine-game winning streak. Troy averages 30 points a game on offense. The Trojans’ defense holds opponents to 17 points a game. Troy is good at passing and running. Quarterback Gunnar Watson passed for 3,136 yards. Running back Kimani Vidal rushed for 1,350 yards. App State is stronger on offense (36 points a game) and weaker on defense (27 points game) than Troy. The Mountaineers are strong on passing and weak on running. Quarterback Tony Aguilar passed for 3,268 yards. The Trojans put a bug in the App – Troy 30, Appalachian State 24.

 

10. Boise State (7-5) vs. (#33) UNLV (9-3) (MWC Championship Game – Las Vegas, Nevada) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Actually, UNLV, Boise State and San Jose State all tied for the regular season conference title with 6-2 conference records. San Jose State beat UNLV and lost to Boise State. UNLV and Boise State didn’t meet. A computer selected Boise State and UNLV to play in the conference title game. UNLV averages 36 points a game and gives up 26 points a game. The Rebels have an exciting quarterback in Jayden Maiava. UNLV is weak at the running game. Boise State came on strong at the end of the season, winning its last three games. The Broncos average 32 points a game and give up 25 points a game. Boise State has a strong running game. The Rebels hold ’em, the Broncos fold ’em – UNLV 26, Boise State 22.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“I’m not going to go as far as to say contrived, but it is hyped up to no end. I think that it’s very manufactured for the TV show that people want to watch and see. The bitterness and storylines of animosity seem manufactured by outside sources,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

 

“Make no mistake that a good quarterback in the portal costs, you know, a million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now, just so we’re all on the same page. Let’s make sure we all understand what’s happening. There are some teams that have $6 million or $7 million players playing for them right now,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule.  

 

“Maybe Napier will enter the portal,” Rockledge Gator, upon hearing that Florida redshirt freshman quarterback Max Brown is entering the transfer portal.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

CFW Week 13 Results - Conference title games set; Aggies hire Mike Elko

 CFW Week 13 Results – Conference title games set; Aggies hire Mike Elko

It was a Wild Turkey weekend

 

Auburn fans needed a shot of Wild Turkey after the Alabama game.

 

Alabama-Auburn games at Auburn have a tendency to end in miracles and this year was no exception.

 

Thanksgiving weekend football lived up to its hype. There weren’t a lot of upsets, but there were a lot of wild games – Wild Turkey games.

 

Debuting next year in the SEC, Oklahoma and Texas played their final regular season games in the Big 12. Both the Sooners and the Longhorns went out big time. And speaking of debuts, Arch Manning made his debut Friday night.  

 

Missouri has Arkansas fans thinking twice about hanging onto Sam Pittman. The Tigers showed no mercy in Fayetteville, as they slaughtered the Hogs. Michigan State closed out its nightmare season. In a loss to Penn State, the Spartans mustered all of 53 yards on offense. But they got themselves a new coach.

 

Nebraska continued to be plagued by turnovers. Oh well, there were 13 games played on Friday. But it wasn’t Friday the 13^th for Oregon. The Ducks prevailed in a big way.

 

Jim Harbaugh must have had a good time watching TV at home on Saturday afternoon. Wonder what he was snacking on? Buckeyes?

 

Meanwhile, Ryan Day makes $9.5 million a year to beat Michigan. Day is now 1-3 against the Wolverines.

 

UConn beat UMass in the UBowl.

 

Maybe South Carolina coach Shane Beamer needs another bucket of mayonnaise dumped on his head. He needs something. South Carolina is not going bowling. Nor are fellow SEC teams, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. And the schedules of Arkansas, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt were filled with cupcakes.

 

Four undefeated teams – Florida State, Georgia, Michigan and Washington – were teetering on the edge Saturday. All survived. But a fifth undefeated team, Ohio State, fell off the edge. 

 

Sadly, the Pac-12 played its last regular season conference game last night.

 

And finally, back in the 1970s when he wrote “Instant Karma,” John Lennon must have had foresight into the 2023 Nebraska football:

 

“Instant karma’s gonna get you

Gonna knock you right on the head

You better get yourself together

Pretty soon you’re gonna be dead”

 

“What in the world you thinkin’ of

What on earth you tryin’ to do

It’s up to you, yeah you”

 

Let’s take a look at some of the weekend’s action.

 

Bidding farewell to the Big 12 Conference, Oklahoma went out with a splash. In what appeared to be a basketball score, the Sooners cannon-balled TCU, 69-45. The teams combined for 1,127 total yards. The contest was OU’s final conference game in the Big 12. Brent Venables’ Oklahoma is just like Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma. The Sooners play good offense and terrible defense.

 

TCU has gone from one extreme to the other and back again in three seasons. In 2021, the Horned Frogs finished at 5-7. Coach Gary Anderson was fired. Last year, under first-year coach Sonny Dykes, TCU finished 13-2, playing Georgia in the national championship game. This year, TCU finished 5-7 again.

 

Missouri had an amazing season. Picked to finish no better than fourth (some had Missouri fifth) in the SEC East Division, the Tigers finished second. They are likely the third-best team in the SEC, behind Georgia and Alabama. Friday, Missouri trounced Arkansas, 48-14. The Tigers led the Hogs 41-0, before Arkansas finally scored in the fourth quarter. With a 10-2 record (6-2 SEC), Missouri will most likely find itself in a New Year’s Six bowl. The Tigers were 9^th in last week’s CFP rankings. Much of Missouri’s success is due to the running of Cody Schrader. He has rushed for 1,489 yards. Meanwhile, does Arkansas really want to keep Sam Pittman?    

 

Thanksgiving Week (Week 13) football resumed Thursday night with the Egg Bowl. In an offense-less game, Ole Miss downed Mississippi State, 17-7. In the first half, neither team wanted to score. Ole Miss led 3-0 at the break. Miss State went up 7-3 with 8:33 to go in the third quarter. But the Bulldogs held that lead for less than four minutes. Ole Miss retook the lead at 10-7 and never relinquished it. Miss State had 96 yards rushing and Ole Miss had 96 yards passing. Ole Miss finished its season at 10-2. Miss State finished at 5-7. After the game, Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers announced he was entering the transfer portal.  

 

Among some other games on Friday and Saturday, Memphis finished strong, downing Temple, 45-21. Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan passed for 250 yards and four touchdowns. The Tigers ended their season 9-3 (6-2 AAC).

 

In the MAC, Toledo beat Central Michigan, 32-17. The Rockets will play Miami (Ohio) in the MAC title game this weekend. Toledo finished 11-1 (8-0 MAC). In the MAC’s other division, Ohio topped Akron, 25-14. The Bobcats finished a respectable 9-3 (6-2 MAC).

 

There were two exciting games in the MWC on Friday. Utah State conquered New Mexico, 44-41 (2OT). At the end of regulation, the score was 31-31. The Aggies, trailing New Mexico 31-21, scored 10 points in the final 3:24 of the fourth quarter. The tying score came on a 22-yard field goal with 0:04 on the clock. Both teams scored a touchdown in the first overtime. In the second overtime, New Mexico kicked a field goal and Utah State scored a touchdown. In teh other game, San Jose State upset UNLV, 37-31.

 

Penn State added to Michigan State’s miserable season. The Nittany Lions pounded the Spartans, 42-0. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar passed for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Michigan State’s season couldn’t have ended more miserably. The Spartans only had 5 first downs and only 53 total yards – 88 passing and -35 rushing. Penn State had 586 total yards.

 

SMU advanced to the AAC title game. The Mustangs sank Navy, 59-14. Troy capped off a 10-2 season, beating Southern Miss, 35-17.

 

Colorado lost its fifth-straight game. The Buffaloes fell to Utah, 23-17. Arizona won the Battle of the Desert. The Wildcats downed Arizona State, 59-23. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita passed for 527 yards and five touchdowns.

 

Oklahoma State rallied from a 24-6 halftime deficit to beat BYU 40-34 in double overtime. In the snow, in Manhattan, Kansas, Iowa State outscored Kansas State, 42-35. Wisconsin beat Minnesota 28-14.

 

Undefeated Washington kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired to beat Washington State, 24-21. Liberty remained undefeated. The Flames downed UTEP, 42-28.

 

Clemson led South Carolina, 13-7 at halftime. That was about all of the scoring for the game. The Tigers did add a field goal, in a second-half stalemate, to beat the Gamecocks, 16-7. As is usually the case, Virginia Tech clobbered Virginia, 55-17.

 

Notre Dame walloped Stanford, 56-23. Stanford actually led 13-7 at the end of the first quarter. Then the Irish outscored the Trees, 49-10. Notre Dame running back Audric Estime rushed for 238 yards.

 

UConn won the UBowl, beating UMass, 31-18.

 

In the Saturday late show, from Pasadena, the final regular season Pac-12 Conference game was played. California topped UCLA, 33-7. There was a sadness to the game. Cal and UCLA have met every year since 1933. Currently, the two schools are not scheduled to meet again. The Pac-12, under the current configuration, is fading off into the sunset. In football, the Conference of Champions will soon be no more. The only thing left is the conference championship game this weekend.

 

In the five games I said to keep an eye on – One (Miami at Boston College): The Canes vented all their frustrations on the Eagles. Miami led 28-7 at halftime and 38-14 early in the fourth quarter. The Canes went on to beat Boston College, 45-20. Miami racked up 532 total yards, equally balance between running and passing. The Canes dominated ball possession: 37:55 to 22:05…..  Two (San Jose State at UNLV): San Jose State jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter lead. The Spartans led at halftime, 20-10. In the second half, UNLV tried to play catch up. But ultimately, San Jose State beat UNLV, 37-31.        

 

Three (Georgia Southern at Appalachian State): At the end of the first quarter, Georgia Southern led App State, 14-3. After that, it was all Mountaineers. App State outscored the Eagles 52-13. App State beat Georgia Southern 55-27. App State had 532 yards of offense…..   Four (Maryland at Rutgers): Recently, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said the Scarlet Knights were a work in progress. I’m not sure Rutgers is a work in progress. Maryland downed Rutgers, 42-24. The Terps had 498 yards of offense…..  and Five (Air Force at Boise State): Air Force got in a hole early in its game against Boise State. The Broncos led the Falcons 17-6 at halftime. But by the end of the third quarter, Air Force had closed the gap to 5 points. The Falcons trailed the Broncos, 24-19, entering the fourth quarter. However, Air Force ran out of steam. Boise State kicked a field goal and beat Air Force, 27-19. Strangely, the Falcons began the season 8-0 and then lost their last four games. Quarterback injuries didn’t help.

 

So, the 10 conference championship games are all set. This weekend it will be Georgia (12-0) vs. Alabama (11-1) in the SEC; Oregon (11-1) vs. Washington (12-0) in the Pac-12; Louisville (10-2) vs. Florida State (12-0) in the ACC; Michigan (12-0) vs. Iowa (10-2) in the Big Ten; Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Texas (11-1) in the Big 12.

 

Also, SMU (10-2) vs. Tulane (11-1) in the AAC; New Mexico State (10-3) vs. Liberty (12-0) in C-USA; Miami (10-2) vs. Toledo (11-1) in the MAC; Appalachian State (8-4) vs. Troy (10-2) in the Sun Belt, and Boise State (7-5) vs. UNLV (9-3) in the MWC.

 

I’ll provide my predictions for the conference title games in my report on Thursday.

 

James Madison and Jacksonville State are going to a bowl game after all. They are filling two openings because there weren’t enough eligible teams to fill all 82 bowl slots. Both programs are transitioning from FCS to FBS. Under normal rules they cannot go to a bowl game during their transition period unless there are not enough eligible teams to fill the available bowl slots. This will be JMU’s and Jacksonville State’s first time participating in a bowl game. There is one more opening available and it looks like that will go to Minnesota who has the highest APR (Academic Progress) rating among schools with 5-7 records.

 

The day after Oregon State lost to Oregon, the Beavers coach Jonathan Smith was named the new coach at Michigan State. So, Smith will leave the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten just as four of the PC-12 schools are doing. Smith gets to keep coaching against UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon. 

 

Saturday, New Mexico fired head coach Danny Gonzales. In a four-year stint, Gonzales went 11-32 at his alma mater. The Lobos were 4-8 this season, the highest win total in Gonzales’ tenue.

 

Four more coaches were fired yesterday – Indiana’s Tom Allen, UTEP’s Dana Dimel, Houston’s Dana Holgorsen and ULM’s Terry Bowden. Tom Allen has had three-consecutive losing seasons. In seven seasons (2017-2023) with the Hoosiers, Allen compiled a 33-49 record. Indiana was 3-9 this season. He will receive $15.5 million in buyout money.

 

Dana Holgorsen had five seasons (2019-2023) at Houston, three of them losing. Holgorsen compiled a 31-28 record with the Cougars. Houston was 4-8 this season. He will receive $14.8 million in buyout money.   

 

Dana Dimel had six seasons (2018-2023) at UTEP. He compiled a 20-49 record with the Miners. UTEP was 3-9 this season. Earlier in his career, Dimel was the head coach at Wyoming and Houston. He had a lengthy run as the offensive coordinator at Kansas State. His overall FBS coaching record is 50-88.

 

Terry Bowden had three seasons at Louisiana-Monroe (2021-2023). His record at ULM was 10-26. Bowden was 2-10 this season and failed to win a single Sun Belt Conference game. He is a former head coach at Auburn and Akron.

 

Early Sunday evening, it was revealed that Duke coach Mike Elko would be Texas A&M’s  new head coach. Elko is replacing Jimbo Fisher who was recently fired. Elko is a former defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. He left the program two years ago to take the Duke job. At Duke, Elko had a 16-9 record – 7-5 this season.

 

At the same time, Mississippi State announced that Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby would be the new football coach of the Bulldogs. Lebby is a former offensive coordinator at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin. 

 

My cast-iron skillet apple pies were a hit on Thursday. They would have been better with some Wild Turkey.

 

Touchdown Tom

November 27, 2023

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Harbaugh enjoyed the watch party – Michigan 30, Ohio State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 26, Ohio State 24). The game between the two undefeated Big Ten teams lived up to its hype. Michigan never trailed, but the game was tied, 17-17, late in the third quarter. With 8:05 to go in the game, the Wolverines only held a three-point lead, 27-24. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy was 16-for-20, passing for 148 yards and one touchdown. Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord threw two touchdown passes, but he also threw two interceptions. Buckeyes receiver Marvin Harrison had five receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown. Running back TreVeyon Henderson was shut down by the Wolverines defense. The stats were fairly close. It was a clean game. There were only four penalties between the two teams – three on Michigan and one on Ohio State. The Buckeyes had two turnovers. Michigan had none. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 110,615

 

RUNNER-UP: The Duck hid the Beaver’s sticks – Oregon 31, Oregon State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Oregon State 20). Oregon is reminding me more and more like Georgia. The Ducks offense and defense are tenacious. I’m thinking a Georgia-Oregon national championship game might be the best matchup. Oregon led Oregon State 21-7 at halftime. Then the Ducks shutout the Beavers in the second half. At one point in the third quarter the camera showed a close up of Oregon State quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. He looked exhausted. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix passed for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon receiver Tez Johnson had 11 receptions for 137 yards. The Ducks had 480 total yards to 273 for the Beavers. Oregon State only had 53 yards rushing. Attendance in Eugene: 59,987

 

REST OF THE BEST: Saban’s revenge – Alabama 27, Auburn 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 34, Auburn 20). What an ending! With fourth-and-goal in the closing seconds, and trailing Auburn 24-20, Bama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Bond in the end zone to win the game for Alabama. Milroe made a great throw and Bond made a great catch. Hollywood could not have scripted it any better. Well, there was the kick-6 in 2013. This was the 10^th anniversary of the kick-6. I guess you could say this was Nick Saban’s revenge for the kick-6. Auburn always seems to blow its chances to beat Alabama. This game was lost twice. First, when Koy Moore muffed the punt. Second, when Auburn defensive coordinator Ron Roberts blew the defensive setup that allowed Jalen Milroe four months and a day to wait for an open receiver without any pressure on him. Then there was 2021 when Tank Bigsby stupidly ran out of bounds instead of falling down before he reached the sideline. His run out of bounds stopped the clock which gave Bama time to tie the score and ultimately win the game in overtime. Saturday, Milroe passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 107 yards. Alabama had the passing game and Auburn had the running game. The Tigers had three turnovers and the Tide had none. Attendance in Auburn: 88,043

 

Wildcats had the Cardinals looking blue – Kentucky 38, Louisville 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 23, Kentucky 19). Twice in the game, Louisville had 10-point leads on Kentucky. First, at 17-7 in the third quarter. Then, 24-14 late in the third quarter. The game was tied three times – 7-7 in the second quarter, 24-24 early in the fourth quarter and 31-31 late in the fourth quarter. Kentucky scored its winning touchdown with 1:02 on the clock in the final quarter. Fifty-two of the game’s 69 points were scored in the second half. Louisville was better than Kentucky in the stats. The Cardinals also possessed the ball longer: 36:34 to 23:26. But Louisville had three turnovers to one for Kentucky. Attendance in Louisville: 59,225

 

Does Mack Brown need to retire? – NC State 39, North Carolina 20 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 24, NC State 22). NC State got off to a fast start. The Wolfpack led the Heels 23-0 in the second quarter and 33-7 early in the third quarter. North Carolina mounted a small rally to no avail. NC State quarterback Brennan Armstrong passed for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Wolfpack receiver Kevin Concepcion had seven receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns. UNC quarterback Drake Maye threw two interceptions. NC State cleaned up on the Heels in the stats. The Wolfpack controlled ball possession: 40:06 to 19:54. Something tells me Mack Brown needs to retire. Attendance in Raleigh: N/A

 

Beep Beep changed his tune to Green Green – Tulane 29, UTSA 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulane 30, UTSA 27). Tulane won its 10^th-straight game. The Green Wave last lost on September 9. The win gives Tulane a spot in the AAC title game this weekend. The Green Wave had a 23-10 lead over UTSA at halftime. Then the Wave played the Roadrunners even in the second half to hold on to their victory. Tulane is 22-3 in its last 25 games over two seasons. Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes rushed for 166 yards and one touchdown. UTSA had five turnovers. Attendance in New Orleans: 25,103

 

Revenge – LSU 42, Texas A&M 30 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Texas A&M 20). Early in the third quarter, Texas A&M led, 24-14. Then LSU scored 21 unanswered points to take a 35-24 lead. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels passed for 235 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for another 120 yards. LSU receiver Malik Nabers had six receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. The teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats. Strangely, A&M dominated ball possession: 36:39 to 23:21. LSU scored quick when it had the ball. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 101,178

 

Back in the groove – James Madison 56, Coastal Carolina 14 (Touchdown Tom said: James Madison 29, Coastal Carolina 24). Early in the third quarter, James Madison led 35-0. Midway through the fourth quarter, JMU led 56-7. JMU quarterback Jordan McCloud passed for 324 yards and five touchdowns. Coastal Carolina had three turnovers. James Madison finished its season at 11-1. Attendance in Conway: 16,196

 

52 yarder – New Mexico State 20, Jacksonville State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: New Mexico State 28, Jacksonville State 27). New Mexico State jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and a 17-3 halftime lead. The Aggies still led 17-3 as the fourth quarter began. Then Jax State scored 17 unanswered points. New Mexico State won the game on a 52-yard field goal as the clock expired. Both quarterbacks threw two interceptions each. The Aggies had four turnovers. The Gamecocks had two. State controlled ball possession: 39:42 to 20:18. Attendance in Las Cruces: 15,702

 

Snow game – Iowa State 42, Kansas State 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 23, Iowa State 20). If you like snow, this was your game. You couldn’t see much of the field. The lead changed four times in the game. Early in the fourth quarter, Kansas State led, 35-28. Iowa State then scored 14 unanswered points. Iowa State scored its go-ahead and winning touchdown with 8:04 on the clock in the fourth quarter. Kansas State couldn’t score again. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Brecht passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Cyclones running back Abu Sama rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns. Kansas State had 32 first downs to 10 for Iowa State. Kansas State dominated possession: 42:12 to 17:48. Iowa State scored quick and on long plays. Attendance in Manhattan: 51,481

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Do we have to kick off? – West Virginia 34, Baylor 31 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Baylor 23). West Virginia led the entire first half and held a 27-14 lead at the break. Baylor’s two first half touchdowns both came on kickoff returns. WVU has a terrible kicker. He can’t kick the ball beyond the 5- or 10-yard line. Sometimes not that far. By the end of the third quarter, Baylor took a 28-27 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, the Bears extended their lead to 31-27. After a long drought, WVU scored and took the lead on a 29-yard pass play with 0:23 on the clock. Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for another 103 yards and two touchdowns. WVU had 519 yards of offense. The Mounties dominated the stats. There were no turnovers in the game. Attendance in Waco: 36,200

 

Defense won the game – Florida State 24, Florida 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 27, Florida 24). Florida led 12-0 in the second quarter and 12-7 at halftime. FSU took its first lead at 14-12 very early in the third quarter. The Gators retook the lead at 15-14 with 5:58 to go in the third quarter. The Noles went back up at 17-15 with 7:17 to go in the fourth quarter. FSU scored a security touchdown with 2:48 to go in the game. Both defenses played well, but FSU’s defense played better. The combined offense of the two teams was 456 yards. Florida only had 86 yards passing. The Noles only had 90 yards rushing. Florida controlled time of possession 34:53 to 25:08. Florida certainly had its chances, but the Gators blew every one of them. I’m tired of Billy Napier’s trick plays. I don’t think one has worked all season. But he insists. Attendance in Gainesville: 90,341

 

Karma – Iowa 13, Nebraska 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 17, Nebraska 12). With the frustrating season Nebraska had, all the turnovers (31), I suppose it was only karma that the Huskers lost their last game of the season as a result of a turnover. With the score tied 10-10, Iowa intercepted a Chubba Purdy pass in the closing seconds of the game. Then, as the clock expired, the Hawkeyes kicked a 38-yard field goal to win the game. Not only did Iowa kick the field goal, but also it was the first field goal attempt of the season by Hawkeyes’ kicker Marshall Meeder. Nebraska had three turnovers in the game. Nebraska lost its first game of the season, 13-10 on a clock-expiring field goal. That field goal was set up by an interception. Aside from the turnovers, Nebraska played well. Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill has to be the slowest, fattest and worst quarterback in college football. He can’t run. He can’t throw. He can’t do anything. How does he have the job? He must be the son of the athletic director or something. Iowa’s offensive line is worthless too. But the Hawkeyes win ball games. Actually, other than Penn State, Iowa played nobody all season. And Penn State clobbered Iowa, 31-0. Michigan will demolish Iowa in the Big Ten title game. I’m predicting much better things for Nebraska next year. Attendance in Lincoln: 86,183

 

The Dookies had no pity – Duke 30, Pitt 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Pitt 21). The Dookies got off to a slow start but came on strong at the end. Duke outscored Pitt 20-9 in the second half. Pitt quarterback Nate Yarnell passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Duke quarterback Grayson Loftis passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Both quarterbacks threw an interception. Neither team could run the ball. Pitt had 43 yards rushing and Duke had 69 yards. There were seventeen penalties in the game – 9 on Pitt and 8 on Duke. Attendance in Durham: 17,639

 

Let sleeping Dawgs lie – Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 17). Wow! Georgia Tech only lost to Georgia by eight points. The Dawgs must have been sleeping. Tech led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter. Georgia took a 21-13 halftime lead. Then the Dawgs expanded their lead to 31-13 in the third quarter. Tech closed the gap to 31-23 in the fourth quarter. Connor Beck had a terrible game. But running back Kendall Milton had a great game – 156 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Two turnovers hurt the Dawgs. The stats were reasonably close. Attendance in Atlanta: 51,447

 

SEC, here we come – Texas 57, Texas Tech 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Texas Tech 19). Texas sent a message to the CFP selection committee. Texas also sent a message to the Big 12 – a farewell message. Granted, the Longhorns still have to play in the Big 12 title game. But Texas Tech was the final Big 12 regular season game for the Horns. Texas Tech scored its one and only touchdown late in the first quarter. Then the Red Raiders were never to be heard from again. Quinn Ewers passed for 196 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception. Texas racked up 528 total yards – well balanced between running and passing. Tech only had 198 total yards. Tech also had three turnovers. Arch Manning made his season debut for the Horns. Manning entered the game late in the third quarter, with Texas up 50-7. Manning was 2-for-5, passing for 30 yards. He had 7 yards rushing. Attendance in Austin: 102,452

 

The Boilers were steamin’ – Purdue 35, Indiana 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Indiana 26). Indiana led the entire first half, holding a 14-12 lead at halftime. Purdue took its first lead at 15-14 early in the third quarter. Twelve seconds later Indiana went back up on a kickoff return. As the fourth quarter began, Indiana led 28-18. With 8:41 to go in the game, Purdue tied the score at 28-28. Indiana went back up 31-28 with 5:09 left on the clock. Purdue scored its winning touchdown with 2:39 to go in the game. Purdue quarterback Hudson Card passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue dominated the stats. Indiana had three turnovers. Attendance in West Lafayette: 59,993

 

Week 13 Results: 14 winners, 3 fumbles (82.4 percent)

For the Season:  136 winners, 49 fumbles (73.5 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

Miami 45, Boston College 20 – Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 30,569

UCF 27, Houston 13 – Attendance in Orlando: 43,610

 

Rice 24, Florida Atlantic 21 – Attendance in Houston: 19,393

 

Western Kentucky 41, FIU 28 – Attendance in Miami: 12,734

South Florida 48, Charlotte 14 – Attendance in Tampa: 29,279

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

Arizona’s Noah Fifita – 30-41-1-527 (5TDs); North Texas’ Chandler Rogers – 30-53-1-404 (3TDs); Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel – 24-37-1-400 (3TDs); Tennessee’s Joe Milton – 22-33-0-383 (4TDs); Texas State’s T.J. Finley – 19-28-1-368 (3TDs); Oregon’s Bo Nix – 33-40-0-367 (2TDs); Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa – 24-31-1-361 (3TDs); TCU’s Josh Hoover – 32-58-1-344 (4TDs), and NC State’s Brennan Armstrong – 22-31-0-334 (3TDs).

 

Also, Temple’s E.J. Warner – 27-48-1-330 (2TDs); James Madison’s Jordon McCloud – 26-35-1-324 (5TDs); SMU’s Preston Stone – 14-19-0-322 (3TDs); Hawaii’s Brayden Schager – 30-43-0-320 (1TD); Colorado State’s Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi – 26-38-1-317 (2TDs); Tulsa’s Kirk Francis – 23-37-1-297 (2TDs); Appalachian State’s Joey Aguilar – 23-36-1-296 (4TDs), and Texas A&M’s Jaylen Henderson – 25-35-1-294 (2TDs).

 

Also, Penn State’s Drew Allar – 17-26-0-292 (2TDs); Miami of Florida’s Tyler Van Dyke – 23-36-0-290 (2TDs); Troy’s Gunnar Watson – 21-34-1-289 (2TDs); UAB’s Jacob Zeno – 16-26-0-285 (2TDs); Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed – 26-35-0-280 (4TDs); Purdue’s Hudson Card – 21-34-0-275 (3TDs); West Virginia’s Garrett Greene – 16-25-0-269 (2TDs), and Pitt’s Nate Yarnell – 25-35-1-265 (2TDs).

 

Also, Wake Forest’s Michael Kern – 17-24-1-261 (3TDs); Alabama’s Jalen Milroe – 16-24-0-259 (2TDs); Rice’s A.J. Padgett – 24-37-1-255 (3TDs); Coastal Carolina’s Ethan Vasko – 21-29-0-254 (1TD); UCF’s John Rhys Plumlee – 23-27-0-253 (1TD); South Florida’s Byrum Brown – 22-30-1-253 (4TDs); Memphis’ Seth Henigan – 18-28-1-250 (4TDs), and Kansas’ Jason Bean – 13-17-0-250 (2TDs).

 

Also, San Jose State’s Chevan Cordeiro – 19-26-0-249 (2TDs); Louisiana’s Chandler Fields – 18-20-0-246 (2TDs); Virginia’s Anthony Colandrea – 29-46-1-243 (2TDs); LSU’s Jayden Daniels – 16-24-0-235 (4TDs); Iowa State’s Rocco Brecht – 8-12-0-230 (3TDs), and UNLV’s Jayden Maiava – 19-29-0-229 (1TD).

 

Also, South Alabama’s Desmond Trotter – 19-22-1-220 (4TDs); Bowling Green’s Connor Bazelak – 18-26-0-217 (2TDs); Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson – 17-19-0-215 (1TD); Marshall’s Cam Fancher – 16-22-0-214 (3TDs); Ohio’s Kurtis Rourke – 19-30-0-208 (1TD), and Mississippi State’s Will Rogers – 25-39-0-207.

 

Also, Utah State’s Levi Williams – 16-27-1-198 (2TDs); Texas’ Quinn Ewers – 17-26-1-196 (1TD); Colorado’s Ryan Staub – 17-24-0-195 (1TD); San Diego State’s Jaylen Mayden – 17-26-0-189 (1TD); Syracuse’s Garrett Shrader – 10-15-1-173 (3TDs); Wyoming’s Andrew Peasley – 12-18-0-165 (2TDs); Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy – 16-20-0-148 (1TD), and Eastern Michigan’s Austin Smith – 19-27-0-141 (1TD).

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Iowa State’s Abu Sama – 276 yards (3TDs); Notre Dame’s Audric Estime – 238 yards (4TDs); New Mexico’s Jacory Croskey-Merritt – 233 yards (1TD); Missouri’s Cody Schrader – 217 yards (1TD); Utah State’s Levi Williams – 153 yards (3TDs), and Toledo’s Peny Boone – 186 yards (2TDs).

 

Also, Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon – 166 yards (5TDs); Tulane’s Makhi Hughes – 166 yards (1TD); San Jose State’s Kairee Robinson – 165 yards (2TDs); Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen – 165 yards (2TDs); Georgia’s Kendall Milton – 156 yards (2TDs); Utah State’s Levi Williams – 153 yards (3TDs), and TCU’s Emani Bailey – 150 yards (1TD).

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“I’m just sick,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day, after the Michigan game.

 

Touchdown Tom

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