CFW Week 7 Forecast – Will the Tide and the Vols vent their frustration?
Ohio State-Oregon, Ole Miss-LSU
and OU-Texas, what a weekend!
Without a doubt, Eugene, Oregon, is the epicenter of college football this weekend. No. 2 Ohio State (5-0) at No. 3 Oregon (5-0) is the “Game of the Week.” Brutus vs. The Duck. Will Howard vs. Dillon Gabriel We should be in for a classic.
Another good game in the Big Ten this weekend has No. 4 Penn State (5-0) at USC (3-2). The Trojans have been a bit of a disappointment this season. However, with the Nittany Lions coming to town, the Coliseum will be rocking. “Fight On” will be rolling off the tongues of the USC fans. Will Miller Moss show up?
The second-best game this weekend occurs in “Death Valley” – No. 9 Ole Miss (5-1) at No. 13 LSU (4-1). When the Magnolias and the Tigers get together, it’s always an exciting time. Refrains of “Hold that Tiger” will be heard throughout Tiger Stadium. Jaxson Dart vs. Garrett Nussmeier.
Another good game in the SEC is the third-best game of the week – No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1) vs. No. 1 Texas (5-0) in the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. Yes, it’s State Fair time in Texas. That means it’s Sooners vs. Longhorns time too. “Texas Fight” and “Boomer Sooner” will be echoing off the walls of the Cotton Bowl and throughout the Texas State Fair. And it looks like Quinn Evers will be playing.
The Big 12 takes the prize for having the most good games this week – four of them. And what games these should be. All four could be decided by a touchdown or less. The Big 12 excitement begins with No. 16 Utah (4-1) at Arizona State (4-1) and continues with Arizona (3-2) at No. 14 BYU (5-0). Next up is No. 11 Iowa State (5-0) at West Virginia (3-2). Night games in Morgantown are always fun. The Big 12 quartet of games ends with No. 18 Kansas State (4-1) at Colorado (4-1). Nothing like a night out with Coach Prime and Ralphie.
The best game in the ACC has California (3-2) at No. 22 Pitt (5-0). Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein puts on quite a show. Cal put on quite a show last week but came up one point short.
The Sun Belt Conference has a game that should be very entertaining – Coastal Carolina (4-1) at James Madison (4-1). Can the scoreboard keep up with this one? It could be one of those “basketball score” football games.
Looking throughout the rest of Saturday’s lineup, there are three contests that stick out. All three have signs of interest and intrigue. Keep your eyes on Washington (4-2) at Iowa (3-2), Wisconsin (3-2) at Rutgers (4-1) and Louisville (3-2) at Virginia (4-1).
Then there are the two “vent your frustrations” games – South Carolina (3-2) at Alabama (4-1) and Florida (3-2) at Tennessee (4-1). It could be ugly for the Gamecocks and the Gators. I can’t imagine anybody playing Alabama and Tennessee this week. After getting embarrassed last week, will the Tide and the Vols show any mercy?
And finally, what is the “giant killer” up to this weekend. The giant killer is looming in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday – Vanderbilt (3-2) at Kentucky (3-2). Vandy isn’t candy anymore.
Enjoy your weekend!
The No. 1 team in the FCS Coaches Poll this week is South Dakota State (4-1), followed by 2. North Dakota State (5-1), 3. Montana State (6-0), 4. South Dakota (4-1), 5. Villanova (5-1) and 6. UC Davis 5-1.
Monday, I reported the SEC made $200,000 from Arkansas and Vanderbilt fans rushing the field. That figure was incorrect. The SEC made $350,000. It was a second offense for Arkansas and second-offense fines in the SEC are $250,000.
ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy says these five coaches are in danger of being fired by the end of the season: Auburn’s Hugh Freeze, TCU’s Sonny Dykes, Baylor’s Dave Aranda, Florida State’s Mike Norvell and UAB’s Trent Dilfer.
Luis Tiant nicknamed “El Tiante,” was a Cuban Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Tiant died on Tuesday. He pitched in MLB for 19 years (1964 to 1982), primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. Tiant pitched for the Cleveland Indians from 1964 to 1969, and the Boston Red Sox from 1971 to 1978. He had a 229-172 win-loss record, with a 3.30 ERA and 2,416 strikeouts. Tiant was an avid cigar smoker. A native of Marianao, Cuba, Luis Clemente Tiant Vega was 83.
So, this is the calm before the storm. It’s 6:00 ET, Wednesday morning. Hurricane Milton is still in the Gulf headed this way. Right now, there is no rain, no wind and no noise. But that will change soon. The rain should start this morning. The wind will pick up this afternoon.
Hurricane Milton is a slow mover. I prefer my hurricanes to be fast movers. With the slow movers, the rain and wind last longer. It’s going to take the storm 12 hours to move across the state of Florida. You can bicycle across Florida in less than 12 hours.
Currently, Hurricane Milton is scheduled to make landfall on the west coast of Florida, somewhere around the Bradenton/Sarasota area, as a Category 4 storm. Landfall is predicted to be at 2:00 ET, Thursday morning. Twelve hours later, Milton is scheduled to exit Florida into the Atlantic Ocean at 2:00 ET, Thursday afternoon, as a Category 1 storm.
Up until late yesterday, the projected path of Milton had the storm exiting Florida somewhere north of us, near the county line of Brevard and Volusia Counties. However, Milton wobbled. He wobbled to the south. Now the projected path of Milton has the storm exiting Florida right over top of us – Indialantic, Florida. That means we will be in the center of the eye. Hopefully, Milton wobbles again, preferably to the north. Stay tuned!
Touchdown Tom
October 9, 2024
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
Week Seven’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Ohio State (5-0) at Oregon (5-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – If this game is anything at all like the Georgia-Alabama game, we are in for a thrill. I don’t know if it will live up to those expectations, but it has the potential. The stats lean towards Ohio State. But not by a lot. The Buckeyes are beating their opponents, 46-7. The Ducks are winning their games on an average of 35-17. Ohio State averages 510 yards a game on offense. Oregon is averaging 294 yards a game passing. The Buckeyes are holding their opponents to 303 yards a game. The Ducks opponents are averaging 263 yards a game. In five games, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has passed for 1,248 yards, completing 72% of his passes. Also, in five games, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel has passed for 1,449 yards, completing 78% of his throws. The Buckeyes' leading rusher is Quinshon Judkins with 468 yards in five games. The Ducks counter with Jordan James who has 552 yards in five games. Behind Judkins is TreVeyon Henderson who has 337 yards. Behind Jordan is Noah Whittington who has 165 yards. Combined, Judkins and Henderson give Ohio State 805 rushing yards. Combined, James and Whittington give Oregon 717 yards. The Buckeyes had the weaker non-conference schedule – playing Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall (combined record 6-10). The Ducks non-conference games were against Idaho, Boise State and Oregon State (combined record 12-4). Both Ohio State and Oregon have played Michigan State. The Buckeyes beat the Spartans 38-7 on the road. The Ducks beat the Spartans 31-10 at home. I’m casting my fate with Dylan Gabriel – Oregon 30, Ohio State 28.
RUNNER-UP: 2. Ole Miss (5-1) at LSU (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Here’s another potential thriller for you – the Magnolias and the Tigers. Ole Miss has the second-best offense in the country, averaging 577 yards a game. Quarterback Jaxson Dart is passing for 373 yards a game. Ole Miss is winning games at the clip of 44 to 8. However, against SEC competition (Kentucky and South Carolina) the Magnolias are just winning 22-12. On defense Ole Miss is just giving up 64 yards a game rushing. The only area where LSU comes close to Ole Miss is passing. Garrett Nussmeier is averaging 337 yards a game passing. LSU has no running game (one of the worst in the country), where Ole Miss does (24th in the country). On defense, LSU is giving up 22 points a game. The Tigers are one of the worst teams in the country defending the pass. The Magnolias turn Baton Rouge into Baton Blue – Ole Miss 31, LSU 27.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Texas (5-0) vs. Oklahoma (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Texas is the No. 1 team in the country. But so were Georgia and Alabama at one time or another this season. It’s the season for knocking teams out of the top position. The Longhorns have it all over the Sooners in the stats. Texas is winning games on an average of 45 to 7. Oklahoma is winning 29-16. Big difference. Texas is averaging 513 yards a game. Oklahoma has one of the worst offenses in the country. The Sooners have no quarterback. The Longhorns have a topnotch defense. Oklahoma’s defense is mediocre. Of course, the big question will Quinn Ewers return from the injured list? Or will Arch Manning quarterback Texas? If Manning quarterbacks, there could be a nerve factor. It’s looking like Ewers will be playing. Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins has nothing to lose. It doesn’t look good for the Sooners. Horns up – Texas 30, Oklahoma 19.
4. Kansas State (4-1) at Colorado (4-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 10:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Coach Prime has the Buffaloes on a roll. They have won three-straight games. Colorado has an outstanding passing game. Shedeur Sanders has passed for 1,630 yards. The Buffs have no running game. And Colorado’s defense is not so good. On offense, K-State is just the opposite of Colorado. The Wildcats have a running game (D.J. Giddens), but no passing game. Both teams are averaging 31 points a game. In general, K-State’s defense is better than the Colorado defense. On defense, both are giving up 21 or 22 points a game. Ralphie is afraid of Cats – Kansas State 27, Colorado 21.
5. Utah (4-1) at Arizona State (4-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 10:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – Utah has a weak offense and a pretty good defense. Against three Big 12 teams, the Utes are averaging 18-18. Nobody scores a lot on Utah. Then again, the Utes don’t score much either. Looking at the Sun Devils, Arizona State is better on offense (33 points a game) and weaker on defense (24 points a game). The best part of the ASU offense is running back Cameron Skattebo. But he can be up and down. Skattebo rushed for 262 yards in a win against Mississippi State and only 60 yards in a loss to Texas Tech. The Utes create clouds over the Sun – Utah 24, Arizona State 17.
6. Penn State (5-0) at USC (3-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – USC is a strange team. But then again, the Trojans are coached by Lincoln Riley, and he is a strange coach. Wouldn’t be surprised if this is Riley’s last year at USC. In his third season, he is not doing well. But I have no idea what his buyout is. The Trojans are so-so on offense and so-so on defense. They have a good quarterback in Miller Moss. However, he just isn’t getting the job done. There is nothing splashy about Penn State’s offense. It’s the defense that shines at Penn State. It is one of the best in the country, holding opponents to 11 points a game. The Trojans will put up a fight in the Coliseum. But in the end, it will be all Nittany Lion – Penn State 30, USC 24.
7. Arizona (3-2) at BYU (5-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Arizona is hurting on offense and defense. The Wildcats average score is 27-24. They barely have their heads above water. However, they did manage to surprise Utah, 23-10. The best part of Arizona is quarterback Noah Fifita. He has passed for 1,361 yards, completing 62% of his tosses. BYU is the surprise team in the Big 12 – at least so far. There is nothing spectacular about the Cougars offense. Quarterback Jeff Retzlaff just seems to get the job done. BYU does have a pretty good defense. Opponents are being held to 16 points a game. BYU is the only team that SMU has lost to. The Cougars beat the Mustangs 18-15 in Dallas. Cougars win this cat fight – BYU 31, Arizona 27.
8. California (3-2) at Pitt (5-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – I don’t know how California will react to that fourth quarter loss to Miami last week. I suspect the Bears are pretty dejected. It will be a challenge for coach Justin Wilcox to get them up for Pitt. Cal’s two losses have been by a total of six points. The Bears aren’t particularly great on offense or defense. They just get the job done. They are winning game by an average of 26-18. Pitt is all about quarterback Eli Holstein. As Holstein goes, so goes the Pitt offense. He is averaging 340 yards a game passing. Pitt is averaging 46 points a game. If there is a weakness to Pitt, it is the defense. The Panthers’ defense is giving up 25 points a game. The Panthers remain undefeated – Pitt 24, California 20.
9. Iowa State (5-0) at West Virginia (3-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Following West Virginia is like riding a rollercoaster. Up one week, down the next. Although the Mountaineers have won two-straight games – both Big 12 contests. WVU’s offense is not bad and getting better. The defense has been bad but played its best game against Oklahoma State last week. So, there is hope. Like WVU, Iowa State has won two-straight Big 12 games. The Cyclones are average on offense and decent on defense. They average winning games, 31-10. That’s impressive. The ironic part of this game is Iowa State’s quarterback – Rocco Becht. Becht is the son of former WVU tight end Anthony Becht. Anthony played at WVU from 1995-1999. Make it three-straight wins for the Mountaineers – West Virginia 24, Iowa State 23.
10. Coastal Carolina (4-1) at James Madison (4-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN2 – James Madison really stubbed its toe last week. Then again, so did Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri. There must have been something in the air last Saturday. JMU had scored 133 points in its previous two games. The Dukes scored 19 points last week, losing to ULM, 21-19. JMU is good on offense, averaging 39 points a game. The offensive leader is quarterback Alonza Barnett. The JMU defense is not necessarily all that good. They are giving up 18 points a game. Coastal Carolina has been a surprise. The Chanticleers’ offense is not that good, but they get the job done, averaging 38 point a game. The defense is definitely weak, giving up 30 points a game. Sounds like a high-scoring affair. The Dukes have Chanticacciatore for dinner – James Madison 41, Coastal Carolina 30.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Florida (3-2) at Tennessee (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The good news for Florida: The Gators have won two-straight games, and the defense played their best game of the season last week. But the Florida offense is still inconsistent. Who knows? Things may be coming together little-by-little. The bad news for Florida: The Gators are playing Tennessee in the wrong place at the wrong time. The game is in Knoxville and after last week’s loss to Arkansas, the Vols are going to be angry – I mean, really angry. They have to take out their frustrations on somebody and the Gators are that somebody. The Tennessee offense is averaging 46 points a game. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Dylan Sampson had subpar games last week. That’s incentive for them to be above par this week. On defense, The Vols are holding opponents to nine points a game. There aren’t any swamps on Rocky Top – Tennessee 30, Florida 17.
Mississippi State (1-4) at Georgia (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4:15 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – After losing to Alabama, Georgia has been on R&R. Last week Auburn. This week Mississippi State. That’s a good thing because next week it’s Texas in Austin. Georgia is a good team, but the offense lacks a running game. And Connor Beck hasn’t always been at his best. The Georgia defense is good but not the best. Anything, however, is better than Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are the worst team in the SEC. Their offense is bad, and their defense is worse. Miss State’s defense is giving up 32 points a game. Uga is enjoying his R&R – Georgia 38, Mississippi State 10.
Purdue (1-4) at Illinois (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – What can you say about Purdue? Nothing good. The Boilers have the worst offense and defense in the country. They lost to Notre Dame, 66-7 and to Wisconsin, 52-6. The Purdue offense is 120th out of 134 FBS teams. The defense is 117th out of 134 FBS teams. Illinois is a better team on defense than on offense. The offense isn’t much better than Purdue’s. The Banned Indians are 100th in offense. The Illinois defense is ranked 28th in the country. Illinois is coming off an open week. They should be raring to go. The Boilers fizzle – Illinois 31, Purdue 14.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
FIU (2-3) at Liberty (4-0) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Tuesday, CBSSN….
Valparaiso (2-4) at Stetson (2-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
Bethune-Cookman (0-5) at Alabama A&M (2-3) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Memphis (4-1) at South Florida (2-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday….
Cincinnati (3-2) at UCF (3-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
Delta State (4-1) at West Florida (2-2) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….
North Texas (4-1) at Florida Atlantic (2-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
Quotes of the Week
“Miami is playing on very thin ice right now. They need to be better. They need to be more consistent on both sides of the ball. Their performance on the defensive end has left something to be desired,” ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy.
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
(The next CFW – Week 7 Results – will be posted Monday morning, October 14.)
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