CFW Week 17 Results/18 Forecast – Ultimate show of sportsmanship in Montana
Merry Christmas from the Panhandle
When I last left you on Thursday morning, Princess Gator, Gator Babe and I were about to walk across the St. Johns River and back in Jacksonville. The kicker was it was 45°. Brrr!
As mentioned, Swamp Mama was an opt-out. She declared for the NDT (Not Doing That) draft. Gator Gabe entered the transfer portal – or so he was dreaming in his sleep.
As forecast, it was a brisk walk – lively and refreshing. On the other side, the three of us stopped in the Urban Grind Coffee Company for some coffee and pastries. I always get a scone in those places. Ever since my days in Scotland, I have always loved scones. I’m a scone connoisseur. Generally, I prefer them with a cup of hot tea. But this morning, coffee had to do.
Back across the bridge, we picked up Swamp Mama and Gator Gabe and did some more walking up-and-down the riverwalk.
Later in the day, we drove down to St. Augustine. I took the scenic route down A1A through Ponte Vedra Beach and Vilano Beach to St. Augustine. Ultimately, we had dinner at the St. Augustine Fish Camp – and a good dinner it was, very good! Following our meal, we took pictures on the dock behind the restaurant.
Then we checked out the lights in St. Augustine – the Night of Lights. Literally, every tree and every building in St. Augustine is covered in white lights. It’s an amazing sight.
Back in the hotel room in Jacksonville, I caught a good bit of the Boca Raton Bowl on TV – South Florida and Syracuse. It was not a good night for Syracuse. The Bulls beat the Orange, 45-0. First-year coach Alex Golesh did an outstanding job at South Florida this season. Last year, the Bulls were a miserable 1-11. Golesh took control and coached South Florida to a 7-6 record this year.
Friday morning, we bid farewell to Jacksonville and drove West (in separate vehicles) to the Panhandle of Florida. But before leaving Jacksonville, we first had to stop at Foxtail Coffee Company. I think you get the picture. We like our coffee.
On the way to the Panhandle, we stopped at Trader Joe’s in Tallahassee and purchased a few supplies. I bought some coffee and some dark chocolate peanut butter cups. Dark chocolate goes good with everything. I’m also a dark chocolate connoisseur.
I had Sirius XM Radio on. We listened to some Christmas music for a while. Then I switched over to “Full Ride” with Chris Childers and Rick Neuheisel. I had no sooner switched when I heard Childers say, “We have some shocking news out of Tallahassee.”
I thought “my gosh,” we just left Tallahassee. What’s happening?
Childers and Neuheisel reported that Florida State is suing the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Seminoles want out and they don’t want to pay any withdrawal fees and they don’t want to lose their broadcast media rights.
Yes, on Friday, Florida State announced it is suing the ACC. The FSU board of trustees voted unanimously to sue the ACC, challenging the legality of the league’s grant of rights and withdrawal fee. The suit seeks a declaratory judgment against the ACC to void the grant of rights and withdrawal fee. FSU alleges “chronic fiduciary management and bad faith” in the way the ACC has handled its multimedia rights agreements. The suit says the ACC has undermined its members revenue opportunities.
In short, Florida State wants out of the ACC. Florida State is also accusing the ACC of breach of contract and failure to perform. The ACC responded by filing a complaint for declaratory judgment against the Florida State board of regents.
The ACC’s grant of rights is a legal document that ties the conference’s members and its media rights partner, ESPN, together until June 30, 2036. The document gives the conference control over media rights that include TV revenue and home-game broadcasts for all sports. ACC officials have operated under the assumption that the grant of rights is an ironclad binding agreement that prevents members from leaving.
If Florida State were to leave the ACC now, the withdrawal fee is $130 million. Then FSU would have to pay another $442 million to get out of the grant of rights contract. That comes to a $572 million departure fee.
It looks like FSU is paving the way for its departure from the ACC, which would be no sooner than July 1, 2025. And if FSU wins its case against the ACC, “Katy bar the door.” Several other members of the ACC will be fleeing the conference. Stay tuned!
While still listening to “Full Ridae,” Chris Childers sang a bit of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” with some new lyrics: “Roll Tidings we bring to you and your kin.”
Friday night, we watched the Gasparilla Bowl on TV – UCF and Georgia Tech. Early in the game, it looked good for UCF – real good. The Knights were up 17-3 in the second quarter. Then the Gus Bus broke down. Georgia Tech outscored UCF 27-0. The Yellow Jackets went on to beat the Knights, 30-17.
Two days before Christmas was a busy day for bowl games – seven in all. In the Birmingham Bowl, Duke held a 14-0 lead at halftime over Troy. Then, like a soccer team, the Dookies sat on the ball and banked on their defense. That strategy almost backfired on them. But the Dookies held on to beat the Trojans, 17-10.
At roughly the same time, 79 miles south of Birmingham, Northern Illinois beat Arkansas State, 21-19 in Montgomery’s Camellia Bowl. Trailing 21-13, Arkansas State scored a touchdown with 1:54 left in the game. But the Red Wolves failed on their two-point conversion attempt.
Next up, Air Force made James Madison’s first bowl appearance a miserable one. In the Armed Forces Bowl, the Falcons beat the Dukes, 31-21. And Air Force did it on the ground and not in the air. How about 351 rushing yards? That’s pretty impressive.
While Air Force was taking care of business in Fort Worth, Georgia State was more than taking care of business in Boise, Idaho. Georgia State baked Utah State 45-22 in the Potato Bowl. Panthers running back Freddie Brock rushed for 276 yards. And talk about total yards rushing, Georgia State had 386 yards. Now that is impressive.
There was a massacre in Mobile, Alabama. South Alabama crushed Eastern Michigan in the Ventures Bowl, 59-10. The score was even worse – 59-3 – until the final 58 seconds. When I first learned this bowl was the Ventures Bowl – actually 68 Ventures Bowl – I thought we were going to hear “Pipeline,” “Wipe Out” and “Hawaii Five-O” at halftime.
It was all defense in the Las Vegas Bowl. Northwestern upset Utah, 14-7. Neither team had an offense. But they sure played defense. During the summer, Northwestern coach David Braun inherited a team that went 1-11 in 2022. He improved them to 8-5 in 2023.
In the seventh and final bowl game of the day, Coastal Carolina surprised San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl. CC beat San Jose State, 24-14. Aloha.
And that’s it for the bowl games until Tuesday, December 26. Two days of rest, as they should be.
We’ve had several days of beautiful weather – chilly mornings but comfortable afternoons. With that said, the rain moved into the Panhandle on Christmas Eve. The temps were still pleasant, but the sun was gone.
Last year, Christmas morning in the Panhandle was sunny and 22°. This year, Christmas morning in the Panhandle is rainy and 61°. I’ll take the rain and 61 over the sun and 22.
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light”
LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has been named the OC at Notre Dame. Denbrock is returning to Notre Dame where he was on Brian Kelly’s staff in South Bend from 2010 to 2016, coaching wide receivers and tight ends. He was the offensive coordinator in 2014. Prior to joining Kelly at LSU, Denbrock was the offensive coordinator at Cincinnati under Luke Fickell from 2017 to 2021. At Notre Dame, Denbrock replaces Gerald Parker who left the Irish to become the head coach at Troy.
Texas backup quarterback Malik Murphy is transferring to Duke.
Oregon State and Washington State will compete in the West Coast Conference for the next two seasons in all sports except football and baseball. The West Coast Conference consists of nine teams, including Gonzaga, San Francisco, Pepperdine and San Diego among others.
New Mexico State coach Jerry Kill has stepped down as the head coach of the Aggies. Wide receivers coach Tony Sanchez was named his replacement. New Mexico State went 17-11 in Kill’s two years as head coach. That included back-to-back bowl appearances and a 10-5 season this year – the school’s first double-digit win season since 1960. Kill is a former head coach at Minnesota, Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois. He was an assistant coach at Rutgers, Virginia Tech and TCU.
Former Florida running back Trevor Etienne, who entered the transfer portal a few weeks ago, announced he was transferring to Georgia. Etienne will be a running back for the Dawgs next year,
And finally, on Christmas morning, how’s this for sportsmanship? Montana State donated $3,000 to its rival Montana to help Montana’s marching band travel to the FCS championship game in Frisco, Texas. Montana will play South Dakota State for the FCS championship on January 7.
Merry Christmas!
Touchdown Tom
December 25, 2023
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Review of the Most Recent Nine Bowl Games
The Orange was rotten (in the Boca Raton Bowl) – South Florida 45, Syracuse 0 (Touchdown Tom said: South Florida 30, Syracuse 27). Sometimes the Orange is good. Sometimes the Orange is bad. Last Thursday night in Boca Raton, the Orange was rotten. South Florida led 31-0 at halftime and went into cruise control in the second half. South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown passed for 214 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 64 yards. Syracuse had nine first downs, 30 yards rushing and 159 total yards. The Cuse also had four turnovers. That’s pretty rotten. Attendance in Boca Raton: 20,711
The Gus Bus stalled (in the Gasparilla Bowl) – Georgia Tech 30, UCF 17 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 27, Georgia Tech 22). And a mechanic wasn’t around to fix the problem. Yes, UCF jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter. But by halftime, the score was 17-17. Then it was all Yellow Jackets in the second half. Georgia Tech running back Jamal Haynes rushed for 128 yards. And the Jackets quarterback Haynes King rushed for 89 yards. UCF running back R.J. Harvey rushed for 120 yards. UCF had more total yards – 424 to 371. But Georgia Tech had more points. Attendance in Tampa: 30,281
The Devil got to Helen (in the Birmingham Bowl) – Duke 17, Troy 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Troy 24, Duke 21). Both teams were playing under interim coaches. Troy lost its coach to Tulane, while Duke lost its coach to Texas A&M. Duke was aggressive on offense in the first half – 14 points. The Dookies were timid on offense in the second half – 3 points. Troy did its best to catch up, but the Trojans fell short. Both teams ended up with 330 total yards each. Troy was the better passing team. Duke was the better rushing team. Duke ended its season at 8-5. Attendance in Birmingham: 20,023
A little trickery and a questionable call (in the Camellia Bowl) – Northern Illinois 21, Arkansas State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 29, Arkansas State 22). Up 13-7, NIU lined up for a field goal attempt. After the center snap, the holder flicked the ball to the kicker who rambled 32 yards for a touchdown. Following a successful two-point conversion, NIU went up 21-7. That was with 9:42 to go in the second quarter. The Huskies never scored again for the rest of the game. Arkansas State scored 12 unanswered points but came up 2 points short at the end. With 1:14 to go in the game, Arkansas State recovered its onside kick. But the referees ruled the Red Wolves were offside on the kick. Arkansas State coach Butch Jones went ballistic on the call. NIU running back Antario Brown rushed for 132 yards. The Huskies controlled ball possession 40:21 to 19:39. In his three seasons at Arkansas State, Jones has gone 1-11, 3-9 and 6-7. Maybe he’ll have a winning season next year. Attendance in Montgomery: 11,310
It was a wild blue yonder (in the Armed Forces Bowl) – Air Force 31, James Madison 21 (Touchdown Tom said: James Madison 25, Air Force 24). After one, the game was tied 7-7. Then Air Force began to establish its superiority. The Falcons went up 21-7 in the second quarter. JMU closed the gap to 7 at 21-14 in the third quarter. Air Force scored 10 unanswered points and led 31-14 midway through the fourth quarter. The Dukes last touchdown came near the end of the game. Air Force only had 45 yards passing. JMU only had 26 yards rushing. The Falcons controlled possession 36:51 to 23:09. Air Force ended its season at 9-4. Attendance in Fort Worth: 30,828
The Aggies were mashed (in the Potato Bowl) – Georgia State 45, Utah State 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 28, Georgia State 26). The teams went on a wild scoring spree in the first quarter. Georgia State led 21-14 as the second quarter began. Georgia State continued scoring and Utah State all but stopped. From the second quarter on, the Panthers outscored the Aggies, 24-8. Utah State’s 8 came with 4:48 to go in the game. Georgia State running back Freddie Brock rushed for 276 yards. The Panthers Darren Granger passed for 257 yards. Georgia State racked up 643 total yards – 386 rushing. Utah State played the game without its starting quarterback who had a leg injury. Attendance in Boise: 12,168
First bowl victory – (in the Ventures Bowl) – South Alabama 59, Eastern Michigan 10 (Touchdown Tom said: South Alabama 30, Eastern Michigan 24). And South Alabama didn’t score in the fourth quarter. But the Jaguars led 38-3 at halftime. I’m not sure Eastern Michigan showed up for the game. South Alabama got its first bowl victory in school history. The Jaguars had 627 total yards to 150 fir EMU. The Eagles had 73 yards passing and 77 yards rushing. South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Mobile: 20,926
Swoop taken for a loop – (in the Las Vegas Bowl) – Northwestern 14, Utah 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 18, Northwestern 15). There was a scarcity of points. That’s for sure. The score was 0-0 as the second quarter began. Northwestern led 7-0 at halftime. The Wildcats still led 7-0 as the fourth quarter began. Each team got a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Utah scored first in the fourth. Then Northwestern got its winning touchdown with 6:19 on the clock. Northwestern quarterback Ben Bryant passed for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He was named the MVP of the game. Utah only had 73 yards passing. Northwestern only had 65 yards rushing. The Utes had three turnovers. Northwestern had none. Northwestern ended its season at 8-5. Attendance in Las Vegas: 20,897
The Chickens roost in Honolulu – (in the Hawaii Bowl) – Coastal Carolina 24, San Jose State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: San Jose State 33, Coastal Carolina 24). Coastal Carolina led 7-0 at halftime. The Chanticleers increased their lead to 14-0 in the third quarter. The battle was on in the fourth quarter. After CC went up 17-0, San Jose State closed the gap to 3 points – 17-14. That was with 8:30 to go in the game. But the Chanticleers added a security touchdown with 2:43 on the clock. Coastal Carolina quarterback Ethan Vasko passed for 199 yards and three touchdowns. San Jose State led in the stats. But the Spartans also had two turnovers. CC had none. Coastal Carolina ended its season at 8-5. Attendance in Honolulu: 7,089
Last Week’s Bowl Game Picks: 3 winners, 6 fumbles (33.3 percent)
Bowl Game Picks To Date: 8 winners, 9 fumbles (47.1 percent)
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Georgia State’s Darren Granger – 19-22-0-257 (3TDs); James Madison’s Jordan McCloud – 20-33-1-257 (3TDs); Northwestern’s Ben Bryant – 23-34-0-222 (2TDs); South Florida’s Byrum Brown – 19-26-0-214 (3TDs); Coastal Carolina’s Ethan Vasko – 20-33-0-199 (3TDs), and South Alabama’s Gio Lopez – 14-19-0-192 (3TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
Georgia State’s Freddie Brock – 276 yards (1TD); Air Force’s Emmanuel Michael – 203 yards (2TDs); Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes – 128 yards, and UCF’s R.J. Harvey – 120 yards.
Quotes of the Week
“The Florida State lawsuit is full of bluster. But FSU’s exit from the ACC is inevitable,” CBS sportswriter Dennis Dodd.
“The FSU-ACC relationship is beyond the point of repair,” CBS sportswriter Dennis Dodd.
“I think he’s somewhat of a dinosaur in a changing world,” Paul Finebaum, on Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
“Like many, I’ll be surprised if he’s there whenever Michigan’s season ends because I think there’s too much baggage built up,” Paul Finebaum, on Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for The Next Seven Bowl Games
Bowling Green (7-5) vs. Minnesota (5-7) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) – Quick Lane Bowl (Ford Field – Detroit, Michigan) – 2 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN – If nothing else, Bowling Green should have lots of fans at this game. Bowling Green, Ohio, is not that far from Detroit. I’m not sure about Minnesota. I can’t imagine Gopher fans are all that excited about playing Bowling Green. And I can’t imagine they are all that excited about their team this year. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck hasn’t been rowing the boat lately. That’s for sure. Fleck may enter next season on the hot seat. He should win this game. Bowling is pretty green – Minnesota 23, Bowling Green 18.
Texas State (7-5) vs. Rice (6-6) – (Sun Belt vs. AAC) – First Responder Bowl (Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, Texas) – 5 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN – First-year coach G.J. Kinne did a good job at Texas State this season. He turned around the Bobcats from 4-8 last year to 7-5 this season. And he has them in a bowl game. Rice coach Mike Bloomgren entered the season on the hot seat. However, a 6-6 record and a bowl game cooled down his seat. But he may be back on the hot seat next season. Both teams should have lots of fans at this game. The Owls are wise in this game – Rice 28, Texas State 25.
Kansas (8-4) vs. UNLV (9-4) – (Big 12 vs. MWC) – Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Chase Field – Phoenix, Arizona) – 9 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN – This is the second-straight bowl game for Kansas. Coach Lane Leipold is doing a good job in Lawrence. Wonder if the Jayhawks will be able to hold onto him? Kansas has a good offense. But the Jayhawks have a weak defense. First-year coach Barry Odom did a good job at UNLV. The Rebels went from 5-7 last year to 9-4 this season. The Rebels should have lots of fans in Phoenix. Kansas is just too strong for UNLV. The Jayhawks are guaranteed to win – Kansas 33, UNLV 19.
Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Tulane (11-2) – (ACC vs. AAC) – Military Bowl (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium – Annapolis, Maryland) – 2 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN – Virginia Tech turned itself around this season. The Hokies began 1-3. They finished 5-3. Tech was definitely a different team at the end of the season than it was at the beginning. They found themselves. At 11-2, Tulane had another good season. The Green Wave finished last season at 12-2. But they lost their coach to Houston. Tech fans will dominate the stadium at this game. It will be a day for Turkeys in Annapolis – Virginia Tech 27, Tulane 24.
North Carolina (8-4) vs. West Virginia (8-4) – (AAC vs. Big 12) – Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, North Carolina) – 5:30 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN – When the season began, West Virginia fans were convinced that head coach Neal Brown would be fired by the end of the season, if not during the season. After WVU lost back-to-back games to Houston and Oklahoma State at mid-season, the fans were still convinced. Then the Mountaineers won four of their last five games. They finished 8-4 – 6-3 in the Big 12. Brown saved his job. North Carolina, on the other hand, was supposed to be better than 8-4. The Tar Heels began the season 6-0. Then they fell apart – finishing 2-4. Both schools should be well represented at this game. The Eers shoot the Tar out of the Heels – West Virginia 30, North Carolina 20.
Louisville (10-3) vs. USC (7-5) – (ACC vs. USC) – Holiday Bowl (Petco Park – San Diego, California) – 8 pm ET, Wednesday, FOX – This game will be won on attitude. Or lost on attitude. Not sure what kind of attitude USC will have. It was a disappointing season for the Trojans. And their defense was terrible. Caleb Williams won’t be playing. Louisville looked awful in the ACC title game against Florida State. And Florida State didn’t look good in that game. So, that’s how bad Louisville looked. A quasi-home game for USC. Trojans shuffle the Cards – USC 28, Louisville 23.
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. Oklahoma State (9-4) – (SEC vs. Big 12) – Texas Bowl (NRG Stadium – Houston, Texas) – 9 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN – Somebody needs to fire up Texas A&M. The Aggies had a rotten season and lost their coach. I can’t imagine they want to be playing in this game. Oklahoma State looked downright bad in the Big 12 title game against Texas. The Cowboys couldn’t get anything going. I’m thinking Mike Gundy will have them revamped for this encounter. The Aggies get ploughed – Oklahoma State 26, Texas A&M 25.
Touchdown Tom
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