CFW Week 17 Results/Forecast - Hilltoppers, Roadrunners victorious

 CFW Week 17 Results/Forecast – Hilltoppers, Roadrunners victorious

Christmas greetings from Jacksonville

 

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings from the banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. Yesterday, Swamp Mama and I drove North on I-95, while Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe drove East on I-10. The five of us came together at our riverfront hotel in Jacksonville.  

 

We’re doing a couple of pre-Christmas days in Jacksonville and St. Augustine before driving on over to the kids’ house in the Panhandle tomorrow. Actually, the kids will be driving back to their house.

 

After catching up on things at the hotel, we drove a few blocks over to Crumbl Cookies and got a box of their goodies. Have you been to a Crumbl Cookies? We learn more new things from our daughter and grandkids. If you haven’t had a Crumbl Cookie, you need to try one – I mean some. But let me tell you, they are big.

 

Then we walked around the corner to Foxtail Coffee Co. – another new experience for Swamp Mama and me. Like I said, we learn more new things from our daughter and grandkids. We got some coffee, sat down around a cozy table and had a feast on Crumbl Cookies and Foxtail Coffee. Foxtail is like and unlike a Starbucks. It’s a coffee shop that brews coffee like Starbucks. But Foxtail Coffee has its own unique taste. It’s good coffee and you can get it 100 different ways.

 

So, if you like coffee and you haven’t been to a Foxtail, I suggest you give it a try. Like Starbucks, Foxtail has its share of pastries and snacks too. But we had our Crumbl Cookies, so we didn’t check out the Foxtail pastries – next time.  The Foxtail Coffee shop was cozy with a good and relaxed ambience.

 

Following Crumbl Cookies and Foxtail Coffee, we returned to the hotel for some more downtime. Later, we drove over to the St. Johns Town Center for dinner at Maggiano’s. Now, I know you have been to Maggiano’s. I love their food. I first had a meal at Maggiano’s in Chicago in June 2006.

 

Yes, after an afternoon of cookies and coffee and an evening of Italian food, sleep came easy last night – very easy.

 

Later this morning, we’re going to walk over and back on the bridge across the St. Johns River. In 45° no less. I’d say it will be a brisk walk – lively and refreshing. Swamp Mama may opt-out of this one.

 

This afternoon, we will be driving down to St. Augustine. Dinner is scheduled at the St. Agustine Fish Camp. Unlike Crumbl Cookies and Foxtail Coffee, the St. Augustine Fish Camp won’t be a first for me. Swamp Mama and I have eaten there before, and we can’t wait to go back. It’s that good. This one will be a first for Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. They can learn something from us too.

 

Dinner will be followed by a ride on a St. Agustine Trolley. We will not only get a tour of the city, but also, we will take in the beautiful Night of Lights in St. Agustine. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the Night of Lights, I suggest you add it to your bucket list. They will light up your life. The lights are on every night from mid-November to the end of January. Spectacular!  

 

Yesterday was “Signing Day” in college football. Most of the coaches seemed to be happy with their catch. They always are. However, now it’s a case of how long can you hold onto them before they enter the transfer portal.

 

Driving up to Jacksonville yesterday, I got to thinking about everything that is going on in college football. I was wondering: Is college football getting better, or is it getting worse?

 

Here we are in the midst of bowl season. We should be excited about the games. And we are. However, a lot of the glamor of the games has been diminished by all the opt-outs. Every day you read, or you hear about another player opting out. It’s non-stop. Bo Nix, Taulia Tagovailoa, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Trey Benson, Austin Reed to mention a few. The list goes on and on.

 

Opting out is a trend that began a few years ago. Maybe more than a few years ago. Players declaring for the NFL draft didn’t used to opt out. Now they do. On top of that, we now have players entering the transfer portal. Once they enter that portal, they have opted out. It does take some of the fun out of the bowl games.

 

Earlier this week, I was reading and hearing about the eventual trend of paying players. Today, players are paid under the cover of NIL. If their name, image or likeness is used, they receive compensation. How much compensation varies from state to state. In some cases, there is no limit. It has become a recruiting enticement.

 

Many college football analysts are predicting that players should and will be directly paid by their schools. No more NIL. The players will be on the payroll just like the coaches and faculty. In fact, the NCAA recently recommended this practice. The NCAA suggested that a new subdivision in Division I be created for the schools that are paying their players. Currently in Division I, we have the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) and the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision). Maybe the new subdivision could be the FPS (Football Paying Subdivision).

 

On the downside, many analysts say that if schools are paying their players, they won’t be able to sponsor some of their Olympic sports – lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, etc. They will have to drop some of those sports. They simply won’t have the money to maintain them if they are paying players. On the positive side, these analysts say the schools paying their players will have to cut the salaries of their coaches. That could be a good thing. Coaches are being paid way too much as it is.   

 

So, with the players on the payroll, they will become employees of their schools.  That opens up a can of worms – strikes, unions, benefits, etc.

 

And then there is the issue of west coast and Midwest teams joining east coast conferences or west coast teams joining Midwest conferences all because of football. Destroying one conference and diminishing others. All because it is being driven by money. All because it is being driven by the networks – ESPN, FOX, ABC, CBS, etc. Who gets hurt here? The students on the Olympic sports teams.

 

Is all of this making college football better? Or is it making college football worse? Time will tell.

 

 

The 2023 bowl season resumed Monday afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina. Old Dominion blew a 28-0 second quarter lead and a 35-14 fourth quarter lead and lost to Western Kentucky, 38-35 (OT). I couldn’t believe the poor play calling by ODU coach Ricky Rahne. Once the Monarchs had a 28-0 lead, Rahne decided to sit on the lead and play defense. Again, with the 35-14 lead in the fourth quarter, Rahne played defense. But his plan backfired, as ODU had no defense beyond the first quarter.

 

Tuesday night, Marshall met UTSA in the Frisco Bowl in Texas. It was a good first half of football. The Roadrunners led at the break, 21-17. Unfortunately for the Herd, the second half was all UTSA. The Roadrunners beat the Herd, 35-17. Both teams were playing without their starting quarterbacks. UTSA star quarterback Frank Harris was out with a shoulder injury. Cam Francher, who started for Marshall during the season, entered the transfer portal two weeks ago.   

 

After a break yesterday, the bowl activity resumes tonight with the Boca Raton Bowl between South Florida and Syracuse. There is one game Friday and seven games on Saturday. Saturday is another one of those 11 a.m. ET to 12 midnight ET days – 13 hours of football. Nothing like a football binge.

 

 

He learned his lesson and he learned it well. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule flipped a 5-star quarterback from Georgia. Dylan Raiola decommitted from Georgia and signed with the Huskers. Raiola is the top-rated pocket passer and the eighth-ranked overall recruit in the 2024 class. He is the highest-ranked prospect to sign with Nebraska since ESPN began ranking the recruits in 2006. The lack of a quarterback was Nebraska’s demise in 2023. Railoa’s father was an All-American center at Nebraska and his uncle is the Huskers’ offensive line coach.

 

Meanwhile, back in Athens, Georgia quarterback Connor Beck said he will return to play for the Dawgs in 2024.

 

Former UCLA quarterback Dante Moore is transferring to Oregon.

 

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerald Parker has been named the new head coach at Troy. Parker spent the last two seasons on the Notre Dame staff, first as the tight ends coach and this past season as the OC. Prior to Notre Dame, Parker was the offensive coordinator at West Virginia for one season in 2021. Parker also has been an assistant on the staffs at Penn State, Duke, Cincinnati and Purdue. He played football at Kentucky. At Troy, Parker replaces Jon Sumrall, who left to become the head coach at Tulane.

 

 

Happy Holidays………………Merry Christmas……………Season’s Greetings

 

Touchdown Tom

December 21, 2023

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Review of the Last Two Bowl Games

 

Monarchy collapses (in the Toastery Bowl) – Western Kentucky 38, Old Dominion 35 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Old Dominion 25, Western Kentucky 22). Trailing 31-14 in the fourth quarter, Western Kentucky rallied, scoring 21 unanswered points. In overtime, WKU beat Old Dominion, 38-35. ODU had its field goal blocked. WKU made its field goal in overtime. The Hilltoppers won the game in spite of five turnovers. Third string WKU quarterback Caden Veltkamp came off the bench in the first half and threw for 383 yards and five touchdowns. ODU quarterback Grant Wilson wasn’t so hot passing, but he rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns. WKU had 29 first downs. ODU had 12. The Hilltoppers also controlled time of possession: 40:39 to 19:21. Much of that was due to the conservative play calling of ODU coach Ricky Rahne. Western Kentucky ended its season at 8-5. Attendance in Charlotte: 5,632

 

Marco couldn’t catch the Roadrunner (in the Frisco Bowl) – UTSA 35, Marshall 17 (Touchdown Tom said: UTSA 30, Marshall 20). Marshall jumped out to a 14-0. But that was about all she wrote for the Herd. It was all UTSA after that. The Roadrunners went on to outscore Marshall 35-3. UTSA backup quarterback Owen McCown got off to a rough start, throwing two interceptions. Then McCown got his act together. He finished 22-for-31, passing for 251 yards and two touchdowns. Marshall was quarterbacked by redshirt freshman Cole Pennington. Pennington is the son of former Marshall and NFL quarterback Chad Pennington. The Herd only had 13 first downs in the game. UTSA won in spite of three turnovers by the Roadrunners. Marshall suffered its first losing season since 2016. UTSA ended its season at 9-4. Attendance in Frisco:11,215

 

Last Two Bowl Game Picks:  1 winner, 1 fumble (50 percent)

Bowl Game Picks To Date:    5 winners, 3 fumbles (63 percent)

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passer:

 

Western Kentucky’s Caden Veltkamp – 40-52-1-383 (5TDs).

 

Impressive Rusher:

 

Old Dominion’s Grant Wilson – 126 yards (2TDs).

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“It’s sad a bunch of people couldn’t figure out how to keep this conference together. And that’s sad,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly, on the Pac-12 Conference break up.

 

“This is an amazing game, and we keep screwing it up. I’m talking about the administrators and coaches. It’s on us,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly, on college football.

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for the Next Nine Bowl Games

 

South Florida (6-6) vs. Syracuse (6-6) – (AAC vs. ACC) – Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, Florida) – 8 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – At 6-6, South Florida had a good season. At 6-6, Syracuse had a bad season. Syracuse fired its coach. South Florida has a good offense. The problem is, the Bulls have a terrible defense. Oftentimes USF hopes to outscore the other team. Even worse than the 6-6, Syracuse was 2-6 in ACC play. The Orange began the season at 4-0. Then they went 2-6. Syracuse’s offense isn’t as good as Soth Florida’s. But the Orange have a better defense than South Florida. This is a quasi-home game for USF. The running of the Bulls – South Florida 30, Syracuse 27.

 

Georgia Tech (6-6) vs. UCF (6-6) – (ACC vs. Big 12) – Gasparilla Bowl (Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Florida) – 6:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – At 6-6, Georgia Tech had a good season. At 6-6, USF had a bad season. Like South Florida, Georgia Tech has a good offense, and a bad defense. Even better than their 6-6, the Yellow Jackets were 5-3 in ACC play. Even worse than their 6-6, UCF was 3-6 in Big 12 play. The Knights began the season at 3-0. Then they lost five-straight games. UCF has a good offense. The Knights’ defense isn’t so good. This is a quasi-home game for UCF. Oh, what a Knight! – UCF 26, Georgia Tech 22.

 

Troy (11-2) vs. Duke (7-5) – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) – Birmingham Bowl (Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Alabama) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Duke began the season hot, winning its first four games. Then the Dookies were 3-5 the rest of the season. Some of that was due to injuries. Duke has a decent offense, a so-so defense. The defense began the season strong, but weakened as the season went along. This will be a quasi-home game for Troy. The Trojans should have lots of fans at the game. Troy comes into the game on a 10-game winning streak. The Trojans finished last year at 12-2. Win this game and they will be 12-2 again. That is an impressive two-year streak – 24-4. But they have to win this game first. It won’t be easy.  Helen seduces the Dookies – Troy 24, Duke 21.

 

Arkansas State (6-6) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6) – (Sun Belt vs. MAC) – Camellia Bowl (Cramton Bowl – Montgomery, Alabama) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – I don’t know why, but of all the bowls, I’m thinking this is the boredom bowl. There is simply nothing exciting about Arkansas State and Northern Illinois. AS the season was winding down, there was a lot of noise that Arkansas State coach Butch Jones was going to get fired. Finishing 6-6 must have saved his job. Likewise Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock. NIU began the season at 1-4. Then the Huskies went 5-2. Arkansas State has one of the worst defenses in the country. The Huskies make the Wolves squeal – Northern Illinois 29, Arkansas State 22.

 

James Madison (11-1) vs. Air Force (8-4) – (Sun Belt vs. MWC) – Armed Forces Bowl (Amon G. Carter Stadium – Fort Worth, Texas) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – James Madison is playing in its first bowl game in school history. If the Monarchs win, they will join ranks with Jacksonville State, playing in and winning their first ever bowl game. JMU has a good offense and a pretty good defense. The offense is averaging 35 points a game. JMU began the season with an 11-game winning streak, before losing its first and only game. The Monarchs are the real deal. Air Force began the season at 8-0. The Falcons were a hot team. Then they lost their last four games. Turnovers contributed to the losses. The Air Force offense isn’t as strong as JMU’s. But the Falcons defense is better than JMU’s. If Air Force can hold on to the ball, this should be a good game.  The Dukes ground the Flyboys – James Madison 25, Air Force 24.

 

Georgia State (6-6) vs. Utah State (6-6) – (Sun Belt vs. MWC) – Idaho Potato Bowl (Albertsons Stadium – Boise, Idaho) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Utah State’s offense is just as good as its defense is bad. The Aggies average 34 points a game on offense and give up 34 points a game on defense. That’s about as even as you can get. Georgia State had a strange season. The Panthers won their first four games. However, at the end, they lost their last five games. I’m not sure how head coach Shawn Elliott kept his job. Georgia State’s defense is every bit as bad as Utah State’s defense. The Panthers offense isn’t quite as good as Utah State’s is. Regardless, there should be lots of points scored in this game. The Aggies trap the Panthers – Utah State 28, Georgia State 26.

 

South Alabama (6-6) vs. Eastern Michigan (6-6) – (Sun Belt vs. MAC) – Ventures Bowl (Hancock Whitney Stadium – Mobile, Alabama) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – I think this would be my second choice for the boredom bowl. There is not much excitement about South Alabama and Eastern Michigan. Nothing quasi about this one. It will definitely be a home game for South Alabama. The Jaguars are a streaky team. There was never any consistency this season – up one week, down the next. South Alabama was like a rollercoaster. You could say the same thing about Eastern Michigan. They were an up-and-down team too. The Eagles have a weaker offense than South Alabama. The teams are similar on defense – not good, but not bad. The Eagles can’t drive a Jaguar – South Alabama 30, Eastern Michigan 24.

 

Utah (8-4) vs. Northwestern (7-5) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) – Las Vegas Bowl (Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas, Nevada) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC— I see this as a defensive battle. Not many points on the board. Northwestern was an amazing team this year, considering what all the Wildcats went through in preseason. They come into the game on a three-game winning streak. The Wildcats average 23 points a game on offense and give up 24 points a game on defense. They don’t generally score a lot. Utah began the season at 4-0 and at one point was 6-1. Then the injuries set in. Utah is similar to Northwestern on offense. The Utes don’t score a lot. But also, like Northwestern, Utah plays pretty stiff defense. On defense the Utes are slightly better than Northwestern. Swoop puts Willie in a downward spin – Utah 18, Northwestern 15.

 

Coastal Carolina (7-5) vs. San Jose State (7-5) – (Sun Belt vs. MWC) – Hawaii Bowl (Clarence C.T. Ching Athletics Complex – Honolulu, Hawaii) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN –  Coastal Carolina began the season at 2-3. Then the Chanticleers won five-straight games. In the end, they lost two-straight games. They play decent offense and defense – but not the best. San Jose State had a dismal start this season – 1-5. Then the Spartans reeled off six-straight wins. They definitely turned it around. And in the right direction. San Jose State has a good offense – 33 points a game. The defense is okay – not bad, not good. A toss of the coin kept San Jose State out of the MWC championship game. Could be lots of points in this one – high scoring. The Spartans rule the roost – San Jose State 33, Coastal Carolina 24.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com