Monday, December 16, 2024

CFW Week 16 Results/17 Forecast - Should college football adopt NFL format?

 CFW Week 16 Results/17 Forecast – Should college football adopt NFL format?

Blake Horvath was Captain America,

Bryson Daily was Sergeant Shultz

 

During the season, Army quarterback Bryson Daily acquired the nickname “Captain America.” It was a nickname given to him by his fellow teammates because Daily could do everything. He did everything right and nothing wrong. 

 

That is until Saturday when Army played Navy. Entering the game, Army was a 7-point favorite. However, Navy upset Army, 31-13. Navy quarterback Blake Horvath was “Captain America” on Saturday. Horvath passed for 107 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Then he rushed for 204 yards, scoring two more touchdowns. Horvath averaged 8.2 yards per carry. Those are “Captain America” numbers.

 

Daily, on the other hand, failed to live up to his reputation. He was 7-for-16, passing for only 65 yards. Daily threw three interceptions. He did have one touchdown pass. On the ground, Daily only rushed for 52 yards, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry. His longest run was a mere 5 yards. In Landover, Maryland, on Saturday, Daily was more like Sergeant Shultz than “Captain America.”

 

After the game, no one attempted to plant a flag in the middle of the field. Instead, the players gathered in front of their fans and sang Army’s and then Navy’s alma maters.

 

You have heard of players opting out of bowl games. But have you ever heard of a team opting out of a bowl game? You have now. Marshall is opting out of its Independence Bowl game against, of all teams, Army. Marshall is opting out of the game because more than 25 of its players have entered the transfer portal. The Herd doesn’t have enough players to compete.

 

Army’s new opponent in the Independence Bowl is Louisiana Tech. With a 5-7 record, Louisiana Tech was not bowl eligible. However, in emergency situations, when a team with a 6-6 or better record is not available for an open bowl spot, then a 5-7 team can be selected. This switch in teams could be viewed as an advantage for Army. Where Marshall was a strong and worthy opponent for the Cadets, Louisiana Tech is a pretty weak team. Bryson Daily should become “Captain America” again in the Independence Bowl.

 

This whole mess of Marshall opting out because of too many players entering the transfer portal is more evidence the transfer portal is destroying bowl games. It’s one more reason why the portal should not open until after the bowl season. Who’s running college football? They sure are making a mess of things.

 

That brings up a good point. Many analysts think that college football is not sustainable under its current set up. Some believe that college football should move to an NFL format. The 32-team NFL has two conferences (American and National) with four divisions in each conference. There are four teams in each of the 8 divisions. At the end of the season, 14 teams – 7 from each conference – make the playoff. The 14 teams are the 8 division winners, plus 6 wild card teams – 3 from each conference. In each conference, the division winner with the best record gets a first-round bye in the playoff. 

 

So, imagine this: The top level of college football would consist of 64 teams. The 64 teams would be divided into two conferences. Each conference would consist of 32 teams with four divisions. There would be 8 teams in each of the 8 divisions. At the end of the season, 24 teams – 12 from each conference – would make the playoff. The 24 teams would be the 8 division winners, plus 16 wild card teams – 8 from each conference. The 8 division winners would get a first-round bye in the playoff.

 

This top level of college football would basically consist of today’s Power Four conference teams. There are 68 Power Four teams, so 4 would have to be removed. For football purposes only, schools would no longer be associated with the conferences where they reside today. The 64 teams would be assigned to one of the eight divisions in the two conferences. The playoff winner would be the national champion. There would no longer be a committee selecting the playoff teams. No more complaints.

 

The same format would be set up for a second tier of schools below the top level – basically today’s Group of Five conference teams. Like the top level of teams, this tier would also have two conferences of 64 teams, with 32 teams in each conference. The conferences would consist of 8 divisions with 8 teams in each division. They would have their own playoff – 24 teams consisting of 12 teams from each conference. Same format as the top tier.

 

There would be a top tier (Power Four if you will) national champion and a second tier (Group of Five if you will) national champion.

 

Of course, I am still a fan of the relegation format which I have written about before. But I would accept this. It’s a better set up than what we have currently.

 

Last week, Colorado’s Travis Hunter became the first player ever to win both the Bednarik Award and the Biletnikoff Award. The Bednarik Award is for college football’s top defensive player. The Biletnikoff Award honors college football’s top receiver.

 

As we expected in the last post, West Virginia hired Rich Rodriguez to be the Mountaineers new head coach. And, as suspected in the last post, UNLV hired Dan Mullen to be the Rebels new football coach.

 

Rodriguez, a former West Virginia coach (2001-2007) has been the Jacksonville State coach for the past three seasons (2022-2024). In between, he coached Michigan (2008-2010) and Arizona (2012-2017). Mullen is the former coach of Mississippi State (2009-2017) and Florida (2018-2021). From 2001 to 2008, he was Urban Meyer’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida. The past three seasons, Mullen has been an ESPN college football analyst and game commentator.

 

Saturday, New Mexico named Idaho coach Jason Eck as its new head coach. Eck has coached Idaho for the past three seasons, with a 26-13 record. Prior to Idaho, he was the offensive coordinator at South Dakota State for three seasons.

 

That just leaves Sam Houston as the only one of 23 schools that has not named a new coach.

 

An update to Bill Belichick’s contract with North Carolina. It’s a five-year contract at $10 million a year – $50 million.

 

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

 

Touchdown Tom

December 16, 2024

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

The armada – Navy 31, Army 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Army 26, Navy 19). Navy came out and made a statement early in the game. On its opening drive, the Middies moved down the field and scored the first touchdown. Navy was up 7-0, with 8:56 to go in the first quarter. The Middies didn’t quit. Early in the second quarter, Navy scored again and took a 14-0 lead. Five minutes later, Army scored its first touchdown. The Cadets trailed, 14-7. Army actually kept the game close throughout the third quarter and into the fourth quarter. The Cadets scored first in the third quarter with a field goal and trailed 14-10. Two minutes later, Navy increased its lead to 21-10. Army kicked another field goal and trailed 21-13 early in the fourth quarter. Then the Cadets fell apart. Navy added 10 more points (touchdown and field goal) within a five-minute span in the fourth quarter. The Middies were up 31-13 with 3:45 remaining in the game. It was all over but the shouting. Navy had 378 total yards. Quarterback Blake Horvath had a hand in 311 of those yards. Army had 178 total yards. The Cadets had three turnovers – all interceptions thrown by Bryson Daily. Army and Navy played for the 125th time. Navy leads the series 63-55-7. Attendance in Landover: 60,726

 

Week 16 Result:      0 winners, 1fumble (0 percent)

Final Season Results: 145 Winners, 63 fumbles (69.7 percent)

 

 

Review of the First Bowl Game

 

Major win – (in the Veterans Bowl) – South Alabama 30, Western Michigan 23 (Touchdown Tom said: South Alabama 31, Western Michigan 22). Western Michigan took the initial lead and led 10-0 early in the second quarter. Then South Alabama scored 16 unanswered points. The Jaguars led 16-13 at halftime and never relinquished the lead for the remainder of the game. Early in the fourth quarter, the game was still close. South Alabama led 23-20. Trailing 30-20, WMU kicked a 48-yard field goal with 1:11 left in the game. South Alabama racked up 537 total yards – 271 yards passing and 236 yards rushing. First-year South Alabama coach Major Applewhite completed the season with a bowl win and a 7-6 record. Attendance in Montgomery: 12,021

 

First Bowl Game Pick:  1 winner, 0 fumbles (100 percent)

 

 

Heisman Trophy Presentation

 

Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy. Hunter got 552 first place votes and 2,231 points (3 points for a first-place vote, 2 for a second-place vote and 1 for a third-place vote). Hunter was followed in the balloting by Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (309, 2,017) and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (24, 516).

 

The remaining players who finished in the Top 10 of the balloting were 4. Miami (Florida) quarterback Cam Ward (6, 229); 5. Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (3, 170); 6. Army quarterback Bryson Daily (3, 89); 7. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (1, 52); 8. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (1, 47); 9. Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke (2, 22), and 10. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord (0, 9).  

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

None

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Navy’s Blake Horvath – 204 yards (2TDs) and South Alabama’s Kentrell Bullock – 150 yards (1TD).

 

 

FCS (Division I) Quarterfinals

 

Montana State 52, Idaho 19 – Attendance in Bozeman: 18,127

South Dakota State 55, Incarnate Word 14 – Attendance in Brookings: 8,671

South Dakota 35, UC Davis 21 – Attendance in Vermillion: 6,135

North Dakota State 31, Mercer 7 – Attendance in Fargo: 10,353

 

The FCS playoff has become a Dakota thing.

 

 

Celebration Bowl

 

Jackson State 28, South Carolina State 7 – Attendance in Atlanta: 36,823

 

 

Division II Semifinals

 

Valdosta State 35, Minnesota State 21

Ferris State 48, Slippery Rock 38

 

 

Division III Quarterfinals

 

Mount Union 38, Salisbury 17

Susquehanna 24, Bethel (MN) 21

Johns Hopkins 17, Mary Hardin-Baylor 10

North Central 27, Springfield 3

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for The Next Three Bowl Games

 

Memphis (10-2) vs. West Virginia (6-6) – (AAC vs. Big 12) – Frisco Bowl (Toyota Stadium – Frisco, Texas) – 9 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN – West Virginia has at least seven players who have opted out for the transfer portal. The Mountaineers also will be playing under an interim coach – Chad Scott. Scott was Neal Brown’s offensive coordinator. WVU’s offense is hot and cold. Every other week, the running game is on. The passing game is rarely ever on. That doesn’t say much for Scott’s offensive coordinating. The Mounties averaged 29 points a game, but the defense gave up 31 points a game. You can’t win games when your defense gives up more points than your offense scores. Yes, the WVU defense is bad, especially against the pass. There is no defense against the pass. Enter the Memphis Tigers. Memphis has a quarterback – Seth Henigan – who passed for 3,208 yards. Henigan completed 64% of his passes and only threw six interceptions in 12 games this season. Memphis only has three players who have opted out and Henigan isn’t one of them. The Tigers are riding a three-game winning streak. The last win was a good one over Tulane at Tulane. Henigan has a heyday – Memphis 34, West Virginia 24.

 

Western Kentucky (8-5) vs. James Madison (8-4) – (C-USA vs. Sun Belt) – Boca Raton Bowl (FAU Stadium – Boca Raton, Florida) – 5:30 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN – Although they won more than they lost, both of these teams were up-and-down during the season. WKU did manage to play in the C-USA championship game. However, the Hilltoppers were a no show – losing 52-12 to Jacksonville State. WKU’s best player is quarterback Caden Veltkamp. When Veltkamp is on, the Hilltoppers can be dangerous. WKU averages 26 points a game and gives up 25 points a game. Their strength on defense has been against the pass. That’s why Jacksonville State ran on the Hilltoppers. Like WKU, James Madison played in its conference championship game. Unlike WKU, JMU showed up in its title game. The Monarchs lost to Marshall, 35-33 (OT). The highlight of JMU’s season was beating North Carolina, 70-50. That game was the demise of North Carolina coach Mack Brown. The Monarchs have a decent quarterback in Alonza Barnett. Barnett passed for 2,596 yards and only threw four interceptions. However, Barnett doesn’t have a high completion rate – 60%. The Monarchs rule – James Madison 31, Western Kentucky 27.

 

California (6-6) vs. UNLV (10-3) – (ACC vs. MWC) – LA Bowl (SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, California) – 9 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN – California’s record is deceptive. Five of the Bears’ six losses were by a total of 17 points – 3 points a game. However, Cal is in trouble in this game. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has opted out for the transfer portal. Mendoza was Cal’s only offense. He passed for 3,004 yards. The Bears have no running game. UNLV is up a creek without a paddle too. The Rebels’ quarterback Jayden Maiava is in the transfer portal. Even worse, UNLV’s coach – Barry Odom – has left for Purdue. Cal and UNLV could be two entirely different looking teams in the game. It’s a toss-up. The Rebels land on their feet – UNLV 24, California 21

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Getting old sucks, unless you’re Bill Belichick,” CBS Sports college football writer Dennis Dodd.

 

“I didn’t come here to leave,” new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, after his introduction in Chapel Hill.

 

“It beats working. When you love what you do, it’s not work,” North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, on why he keeps coaching. 

 

I got a lot of insight. He ain’t going nowhere. He’s going to be right where he’s at right now,” Colorado player Travis Hunter, on rumors that Deion Sanders will leave Colorado.

 

“I never should have left,” new West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, at his introductory news conference.

 

“I really felt like I should’ve walked away with the award, but kudos to Travis for winning,” Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but during the pre-Christmas days of December, as college football fans were drinking eggnog and eating fruitcake, with visions of what ifs, bowl games and Santa Claus dancing in their heads, the number one song in the country…

 

…80 years ago, this week in 1944, was “I’m Making Believe” by The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald

 

…75 years ago, this week in 1949, was “Mule Train” by Frankie Laine

 

…70 years ago, this week in 1954, was “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes, and “I Need You Now” by Eddie Fisher

 

…65 years ago, this week in 1959, was “Heartaches By The Number” by Guy Mitchell

 

…60 years ago, this week in 1964, was “Mr. Lonely” by Bobby Vinton

 

…55 years ago, this week in 1969, was “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” by Steam

 

…50 years ago, this week in 1974, was “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas

 

…45 years ago, this week in 1979, was “Babe” by Styx

 

…40 years ago, this week in 1984, was “Out Of Touch” by Daryl Hall and John Oates

 

…35 years ago, this week in 1989, was “We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel

Thursday, December 12, 2024

CFW Week 16 Forecast - 72-year-old replaces 73-year-old

 CFW Week 16 Forecast – 72-year-old replaces 73-year-old

Army-Navy, bowl game, Heisman,

all in the same weekend

 

The regular season ends with the annual Army-Navy game this weekend, while the bowl season begins with the Veterans Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama – Western Michigan vs. South Alabama. The Army-Navy game is at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.

 

Then throw in the Heisman Trophy presentation for extra measure. It all makes for a busy weekend.

 

The Army-Navy game no longer includes Heisman Trophy winners. It doesn’t include NIL and transfer portal players. The game doesn’t include players who will be playing in the NFL next season. The Army-Navy game includes players who are inspired by the desire to represent their school, their teammates and the men and women serving in uniform. The players are role models who aspire to heroism.

 

A few years ago, I heard a retired Marine officer say, “the Army-Navy game is the only time a Marine ever cheers for the Navy.”

 

The bowl season seems to start earlier and earlier every year. The bowl games seem to fade in interest more and more every year. It used to be that a team’s goal was to become bowl eligible. These days, becoming bowl eligible has lost its appeal, especially for Power Four conference teams. It isn’t that big of a deal anymore. Now, with a 12-team CFP, teams want to make the playoff. That’s their goal. If the CFP expands to 14 or 16 teams, there will be an opportunity for more teams to make the playoff. The bowl game appeal will be further diminished.

 

For the fans, the appeal of bowl games subsided as the players began to opt out of participating in the games. The goal of the players at this point is the NFL draft or entering the transfer portal. Duke’s starting quarterback Maalik Murphy has entered the transfer portal. The Blue Devils have an upcoming bowl game against Ole Miss and Murphy won’t be playing. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin says the transfer portal should not open until after the bowl season. Oh well, you won’t see Army and Navy players opting out of bowl games.

 

Bowl games are no longer that appealing for the fans and players of Power Four conference teams.  For Power Four conference teams the expanded CFP has replaced the excitement of a bowl game.

 

Bowl games remain appealing for Group of Five conference teams and their fans. There aren’t as many opt outs. There aren’t as many Group of Five conference players going on to the NFL. And in some cases, it’s an opportunity for a Group of Five team to play a Power Four team….such as some of this year’s bowl matchups – Memphis-West Virginia, UNLV-California, Tulane-Florida, Toledo-Pitt, Navy-Oklahoma, Connecticut-North Carolina, Louisiana-TCU and East Carolina-NC State.    

 

The four finalists for the Heisman Trophy were announced earlier this week. They are Colorado receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Miami (Florida) quarterback Cam Ward. I suspect the voting will come out in that order.

 

Two of the four finalists – Jeanty and Gabriel – will be playing in the CFP. The other two – Hunter and Ward – will be playing in bowl games. Jeanty (Boise State) will play the winner of the SMU-Penn State game, while Gabriel (Oregon) will play the winner of the Tennessee-Ohio State game in the second round (quarterfinals) of the CFP.

 

Hunter (Colorado) will play BYU in the Alamo Bowl, while Ward (Miami) will play Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. So far, Hunter and Ward are playing. They aren’t opting out. Colorado coach Deion Sanders said, “We don’t tap out. We don’t sit out. It’s a blessing to play this wonderful game and our kids are gonna play.”

 

The Army-Navy game will be fun. The Heisman Trophy presentation will be interesting. But the Veterans Bowl between Western Michigan and South Alabama doesn’t have much appeal. We can only hope that the game will be exciting.

 

I can still remember when Western Michigan played in a New Year’s Six bowl as the highest-ranked Group of Five team. That was the 2016 season. Western Michigan was 13-0. The Broncos lost to Wisconsin, 24-16 in the Cotton Bowl Classic. That was the season WMU coach P.J. Fleck made “Row the Boat” the three-word mantra that became the catch phrase for Western Michigan football. That was Fleck’s last season at WMU. The following season (2017), he was coaching Minnesota, where he is today.

 

Speaking of Army-Navy, Army offensive line coach Matt Drinkall has been named the new head coach at Central Michigan. Drinkall has been on the Army staff for the past six seasons.

 

And speaking of new head coaches, the coaching carousel got a little wilder yesterday. North Carolina announced that 72-year-old Bill Belichick has been hired to replace 73-year-old Mack Brown in Chapel Hill. Belichick, the former New England Patriots coach, signed a contract that will pay him $10 million a year for three years – $30 million. There’s no truth to the rumor that North Carolina interviewed Lou Holtz and Lee Corso for the job.

 

With North Carolina hiring Belichick, that leaves four schools, out of 23, still looking for their new football coach – West Virginia, UNLV, New Mexico and Sam Houston. Most West Virginia fans believe that former WVU coach Rich Rodriguez will be brought back for a second stint with the Mountaineers. The announcement should come today. Stay tuned!

 

The latest hot prospect at UNLV is former Mississippi State and Florida coach Dan Mullen. Stay tuned! At New Mexico and Sam Houston, it’s still anybody’s guess.  

 

Former major league baseball player, coach and television sports commentator Rocky Colavito died on Monday. Colavito played MLB as an outfielder from 1955 to 1968 (14 seasons) most prominently as a member of the Cleveland Indians (8 seasons). He also played for five other MLB teams. Colavito played for the Indians from 1955 to 1959 and from 1965 to 1967. A nine-time All-Star, he averaged 33 home runs per year his first 11 seasons. Three seasons, he exceeded 40 home runs. He coached the Indians in 1973 and from 1976 to 1978. A native of The Bronx in New York, Rocco Domenico Colavito was 91.

 

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

 

Touchdown Tom

December 12, 2024

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Prediction for

This Week’s One Biggest and Most Intriguing Game….and the first bowl game

 

Army (11-1) vs. Navy (8-3) – AAC vs. AAC – 3:00 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – If Navy quarterback Blake Horvath plays, Navy has a chance – but only a chance. Horvath has been out with an injury. Both teams are similar on offense, averaging 32-33 points a game. Army is powered by quarterback Bryson Daily and running back Kanye Udoh. Daily’s teammates call him “Captain America.” Army has the better defense. Both teams have had surprisingly good seasons. Neither was expected to play as well as they have. The combination of Daily and Udoh will be too much for Navy. The Cadets dry dock the Middies – Army 26, Navy 19.

 

South Alabama (6-6) vs. Western Michigan (6-6) – (Sun Belt vs. MAC) – Veterans Bowl (Crampton Bowl – Montgomery, Alabama) – 9 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – South Alabama is a high-scoring team, averaging 35 points a game. They are led by quarterback Gio Lopez. He passed for 2.557 yards this season. However, Lopez has an undisclosed injury and may or may not play. The Jaguars are coached by Major Applewhite in his first season. South Alabama was the only Sun Belt Conference team to beat Louisiana during the regular season. Western Michigan has a weak defense, giving up 31 points a game. The Broncos are not particularly strong on offense either. They were 5-3 at one point this season but have lost three of their last four games. WMU is under first-year coach Lance Taylor. These Broncos aren’t studs – South Alabama 31, Western Michigan 22.

 

 

FCS Quarterfinals (December 13 and 14)

 

Idaho (10-3) at Montana State (13-0)

Incarnate Word (11-2) at South Dakota State (11-2)

Mercer (11-2) at North Dakota State (11-2)

UC Davis (11-2) at South Dakota (10-2)

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“The job description of a head college football coach has changed dramatically in the last two years with everything – transfer portal to collectives to agents and everything that goes with that. I’m just too old school,” Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, on why he resigned his head coaching job at UCF to become OC at Florida State.

 

“Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner as he chases one last high?” USA Today, sportswriter Dan Wolken.

 

“Here’s my gripe with Irish fans. They’re just not loud in that stadium. And I don’t think Irish fans can be loud in that stadium. I wouldn’t be surprised if Indiana beat us because it’s so quiet there,” former Notre Dame football player Aaron Taylor, on Notre Dame fans not being loud.  

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

Monday, December 9, 2024

CFW Week 15 Results - New Purdue coach is Barry Odom

 CFW Week 15 Results – New Purdue coach is Barry Odom

Beckless in Atlanta, Frost in Orlando,

glee in Dallas and anger in Alabama

 

Correction: Not all of Alabama. I’m sure the Auburn folks were happy.

 

In the SEC championship game against Texas, Georgia played the second half without quarterback Carson Beck. In the coaching carousel, former UCF coach Scott Frost is returning to Orlando to coach the Knights again. More on Beck and Frost later.

 

When SMU was announced as the last team in the playoff, you could feel the eruption and hear the four-letter words coming out of Alabama as far away as east-central Florida. I sure wouldn’t want to have been around an Alabama fan.

 

Now Alabama fans know how Florida State fans felt last year.

 

I’m glad I’m a West Virginia fan. I never have to worry about these things.

 

Well, I have a solution. Let’s expand the College Football Playoff to 14 or 16 teams. With 14 teams, 2 teams get a first-round bye. With 16 teams, no one gets a bye. If we had a 14-team playoff this year, Alabama and Miami would be in the playoff. A 16-team playoff, Alabama, Miami, Ole Miss and South Carolina would be in.

 

Back to reality. Here is the bracket for this season’s CFP.

 

(1)   Oregon, (2) Georgia, (3) Boise State and (4) Arizona State get the first-round byes.

 

First Round – December 20 and 21

Games will be played at the site of the higher-ranked team)

 

(9) Tennessee at (8) Ohio State

(12) Clemson at (5) Texas

(10) Indiana at (7) Notre Dame

(11) SMU at (6) Penn state

 

Second Round (Quarterfinals) – December 31 and January 1

Games will be played in four of the six New’s Year’s Six bowls

 

Tennessee-Ohio State winner plays Oregon (Rose Bowl)

Clemson-Texas winner plays Arizona State (Peach Bowl)

Indiana-Notre Dame winner plays Georgia (Sugar Bowl)

SMU-Penn State winner plays Boise State (Fiesta Bowl)

 

Third Round (Semifinals) – January 9 and 10

Games will be played in two of the six New’s Year’s Six bowls

 

(Cotton Bowl)

(Orange Bowl)

 

National Championship Game – January 20

Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia

 

There you have it.

 

The Power Four conference championship games were played Saturday in Arlington, Texas (Big 12), Atlanta, Georgia (SEC), Indianapolis, Indiana (Big Ten) and Charlotte, North Carolina (ACC). Cam SkatteboTrevor EtienneTez Johnson and Nolan Hauser were the names of the day.

 

The day began with the Big 12 matchup between Arizona State and Iowa State. At halftime, the Sun Devils led the Cyclones, 24-10. Then it only got worse for Iowa State in the third quarter. The Cyclones began the second half similar to the way Tulane began the first half against Army in the AAC title game. Tulane had four miscues on its first four possessions. Against the Sun Devils, Iowa State had three turnovers on its first three possessions to start the second half. Before you knew it, Arizona State led the Cyclones, 45-10. Iowa State got 9 “who cares” points in the fourth quarter, as Arizona State beat Iowa State, 45-19.

 

The SEC title game was a matchup between Georgia and Texas. A few days before the game, Texas got a bad omen. The SEC informed the school that Bevo, the live Texas Longhorn steer mascot, was not welcome at the game. Unfortunately for Bevo, his reputation precedes him. At the 2019 Sugar Bowl game between Texas and Georgia, Bevo behaved like a bull in a China shop. The incident occurred at the scheduled pregame photo op for the two mascots – Bevo and Uga, Georgia’s live English Bulldog. When Bevo saw Uga, he came charging out of his pen and knocked over a police barricade. Uga didn’t hang around for the photo op. With this in mind, it was determined that Bevo would not be permitted to attend the SEC title game. In October, when Georgia played Texas in Austin, Uga did not attend the game. So apparently Uga and Bevo won’t get to meet each other this season unless they should meet during the playoff.

 

As I said it must have been a bad omen for Texas. Georgia beat the Longhorns, 22-19 (OT). In the first overtime, Georgia running back Trevor Etienne scored the winning touchdown on a four-yard run.

 

The Big Ten championship affair between Oregon and Penn State turned out to be a shootout. The teams combined for 984 total yards, 52 first downs and 11 touchdowns, as Oregon beat Penn State, 45-37.

 

In the ACC title game, two first-half turnovers turned out to be a killer for SMU. At halftime, Clemson led SMU, 24-3. At the end of the game, Clemson beat SMU, 34-31. The Tigers won on a 56-yard field goal as time expired.

 

Three of the four Power Four conference title games – SEC, Big Ten and ACC – were thrillers. They kept you on the edge of your seat until the end.

 

College football Week 15 – Conference Championship Weekend – began Friday night, with three games. All three games were won on the ground with the running of Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Jacksonville State’s Tre Stewart and Tyler Huff and Army’s Kanye Udoh and Bryson Daily.

 

Jacksonville State, under coach Rich Rodriguez, won Conference USA, with a convincing 52-12 win over Western Kentucky. This was just the second season Jax State competed as a FBS team.

 

During the season, Tulane was a strong contender for the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff. From September 21 to November 16, the Green Wave won eight-straight games. They were 9-2. It all changed when Tulane lost two-straight games. Army won the American Athletic Conference championship game, beating Tulane, 35-14. Army quarterback Bryson Daily, called Captain America by his teammates, scored four touchdowns. Daily has scored 29 touchdowns this season, with two games to go.

 

In the final title game Friday night, Boise State secured the Mountain West Conference championship, beating UNLV, 21-7. Broncos’ running back Ashton Jeanty scored 30 touchdowns this season. During the season, Boise State scored a touchdown in the final quarter to beat UNLV, 29-24. 

 

The Group of Five had two more title games on Saturday. Ohio’s combination of quarterback Parker Navarro and running back Anthony Tyus were too much for Miami. The Bobcats beat the RedHawks, 38-3, for the Mid-American Conference championship.

 

In the fifth and final Group of Five conference championship games Saturday night, Marshall downed Louisiana, 31-3, to win the Sun Belt title. The gumbo was good for the Herd, as Marshall’s defense kept the Cajuns jammed up all night.  

 

There were a number of firsts in the conference championship games. In their first season in their respective conferences, five teams – Arizona State (Big 12), Army (AAC), Oregon (Big Ten), SMU (ACC) and Texas (SEC) – were playing for the first time in their conference championship game. For Army, it was not only the first time the Cadets won a conference title game, but also it was the first time they played in a conference title game. And in the Big 12 game, Arizona State and Iowa State played each other for the first time. 

 

The conference championship games consisted of four contests with teams meeting for the second time this season – Georgia-Texas (2-0 for Georgia), Boise State-UNLV (2-0 for Boise State), Ohio-Miami (split 1-1) and Jacksonville State-Western Kentucky (split 1-1).

 

Saturday afternoon, news broke that former Nebraska and UCF coach Scott Frost was returning to UCF for a second stint coaching the Knights. Frost coached UCF for two seasons – 2016-2017. His 2017 team went 13-0, beating Auburn in the Peach Bowl. To this day, UCF claims the Knights were national champions that year. After the 2017 season, Frost left UCF to become the head coach at Nebraska – his alma mater. In four-plus years at Nebraska, Frost never had a winning season, going 16-31. He has been out of coaching since 2022.

 

Matt Entz, a former FCS championship coach, has been named the new head coach at Fresno State. Entz replaces Tim Skipper who was Fresno State’s interim coach this season after Jeff Tedford stepped down in July for health reasons. Entz was the head coach at North Dakota State from 2019 to 2023 where he posted a 60-11 record and two FCS national championships – 2019 and 2021. This past season, Entz was the assistant head coach and linebackers coach at USC.  

 

After coaching New Mexico for just one season, Bronco Mendenhall has been named the new head football coach at Utah State. Mendenhall, 58, coached New Mexico to a 5-7 record this season. He replaces Nate Dreiling who was the interim head coach at Utah State. Dreiling became the interim in July when Blake Andersen was fired. Mendenhall is a former head coach at BYU (2005 to 2015) and Virginia (2015-2021). His overall coaching record is 140-88. Mendenhall is a native of Utah. 

 

On Sunday, Purdue announced it was hiring UNLV coach Barry Odom to be the Boilermakers next head coach. Odom has coached UNLV for two seasons with a 19-8 record. He was previously the head coach at Missouri for four seasons from 2016 to 2019. For three seasons – 2020-2022 – Odom was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas.  

 

Massachusetts, FIU, Charlotte and Appalachian State all named new coaches. Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak is the new coach at UMass. Harasymiak is a former head coach at Maine (2016-2018). Duke running backs coach Willie Simmons was hired by FIU to be the Panthers new coach. Simmons is a former head coach at Prairie View A&M (2015-2017) and Florida A&M (2018-2023).

 

Ohio head coach Tim Albin has been named the new coach at Charlotte. Just yesterday, Albin coached Ohio to the Mid-American Conference championship. He coached the Bobcats for four seasons from 2021 to 2024. South Carolina offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains is the new coach at Appalachian State. Loggains has also been an offensive coordinator for several NFL teams.

 

Marshall coach Charles Huff has decided to leave the Herd and become the new head coach at Southern Miss. Huff, a former running backs coach at Alabama, Mississippi State and Penn state among others, was 32-20 in four years at Marshall.

 

Marshall in turn is hiring NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson to be the Herd’s new coach. Gibson, a native of Van, West Virginia, has been the DC at NC State since 2019. Prior to that he was the defensive coordinator at West Virginia for five seasons (2014-2018).

 

And finally, East Tennessee State coach Tre Lamb has been hired by Tulsa to be the head coach of its football program. Lamb just finished his first season coaching East Tennessee State. The Buccaneers had a 7-5 record. Prior to East Tennessee, Lamb was the head coach at Gardner-Webb for four seasons.

 

As it stands now, 22 schools fired or lost their coaches this season. Seventeen have hired replacements. Five schools – Central Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Sam Houston and West Virginia – are still searching for a new coach.

 

Oklahoma State gave head coach Mike Gundy an alternative – accept an amended contract and pay cur or resign. Gundy accepted the new contract and pay cut. Oklahoma State was set to fire Gundy if he didn’t accept the amended contract.

 

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

 

Touchdown Tom

 

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Wild and crazy first half – Oregon 45, Penn state 37 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Penn State 24). This game had everything, running, passing and lots of scoring. The first half was particularly busy, as the teams combined for 55 points. The game calmed down a bit in the second half – only one touchdown in the third quarter. Early in the game, it looked like it might be a blowout for Oregon. The Ducks led 28-10 early in the second quarter. Penn State came roaring back. The Lions trailed 31-24 at halftime. Oregon never relinquished its lead in the second half, but the game remained close. The star of the show was Oregon receiver Tez Johnson. Johnson had 11 receptions for 181 yards and one touchdown. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was 22-32-0, passing for 283 yards and four touchdowns. I’m amazed at how cool, calm and collected Gabriel appears to be during games. Penn State running back Kaytron Allen rushed for 126 yards and one touchdown. Lions running back Nicholas Singleton rushed for 105 yards. Attendance in Indianapolis: 67,469

 

RUNNER-UP: Beckless in Atlanta – Georgia 22, Texas 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 23, Georgia 20). Georgia quarterback Carson Beck went down on the last play of the first half with an injury to his arm. Beck did not play in the second half. Sophomore Gunner Stockton replaced Beck. Under Stockton, Georgia seemed to play inspired in the second half. Beck did return in overtime for the final play of the game, handing off to Trevor Etienne – a four-yard game winning touchdown run for Etienne. On the previous play Stockton had his helmet knocked off and he had to leave the game. The contest was a defensive struggle. There were no touchdowns in the first half – only field goals. The game had 7 field goals and only 3 touchdowns. Georgia only had 277 total yards. Texas only had 31 rushing yards. Texas has no offensive line. As a result, the Longhorns had no running game and quarterback Quinn Ewers had minimal protection. Ewers threw two interceptions. Has Ewers gone from good to average this season? Longhorns’ receiver Matthew Golden had 8 receptions for 162 yards. Texas finished with a 11-2 record, but in the SEC, the Longhorns played the six worst teams in the conference, plus Georgia and Texas A&M. Texas did not play Alabama, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina or Tennessee. You have the feeling Texas is a fraud pretending to be a football team. Attendance in Atlanta: 74,916

 

REST OF THE TITLE GAMES: What an ending – Clemson 34, SMU 31 (Touchdown Tom said: SMU 24, Clemson 20). Trailing Clemson 31-24, SMU scored with 0:16 remaining in the game to tie the score at 31-31. It looked like it was going to be overtime for sure. However, Clemson returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards. Then the Tigers completed a 17-yard pass. It all came down to Clemson kicker Nolan Hauser. No sweat – Hauser kicked a 56-yard field goal to win the game for the Tigers. Amazing! SMU had the better stats in the game. Clemson won with only 64 yards rushing. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was 24-41-0, passing for 262 yards and four touchdowns. Clemson receiver Bryant Wesco had 8 receptions for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings was 31-50-1, passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Charlotte: 53,808

 

Skattebo scattered the Cyclones – Arizona State 45, Iowa State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 30, Iowa State 27). The third quarter was a total disaster for Iowa State. Three turnovers by the Cyclones expanded Arizona State’s lead from 24-10 to 45-10. It was all over but the shouting for Iowa State. The star of the game was Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo. He was amazing. Skattebo rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Iowa State receiver Jayden Higgins had 7 receptions for 115 yards. Attendance in Arlington: 55,889

 

The Rebels must have stayed in Vegas – Boise State 21, UNLV 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, UNLV 29). This game was all about Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The Broncos had 215 rushing yards and Jeanty was responsible for 209 of those yards. As Jeanty went, so went the Broncos. Boise State held a 21-0 halftime lead and then went into cruise control in the second half. UNLV scored its only touchdown at the 9:06 mark in the fourth quarter. Boise State upped its record to 12-1, with the College Football Playoff upcoming. Attendance in Boise: 36,663

                                                                        

Too much armor – Army 35, Tulane 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulane 30, Army 26). Tulane dug itself into a hole early in the game and the Green Wave couldn’t climb out of it. Tulane’s first four possessions ended in a muffed field goal attempt, a failed field goal attempt, a fumble on a kickoff return and an interception. Meanwhile, the Tulane defense couldn’t stop the Army running game. The Cadets not only scored, but also, they ate up the clock with their grind it out ground game. Army led 21-7 at halftime and 35-7 midway through the fourth quarter. Army had 352 total yards and 335 of those yards were rushing yards. Of those 335 yards, 284 yards were provided by Kanye Udoh and Bryson Daily. Udoh rushed for 158 yards and one touchdown. Daily rushed for 126 yards and four touchdowns. Army won the AAC championship in its first year in the conference. Army upped its record to 11-1, with two games remaining – Navy and a bowl game. Attendance in West Point: 14,016

 

The Buffaloes roam in Lafayette – Marshall 31, Louisiana 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisiana 31, Marshall 24). Attendance in Lafayette: (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio 24, Miami 22). Playing without starting quarterback Ben Wooldridge, Louisiana’s offense was worthless. Marshall’s defense shut down the Ragin’ Cajuns. Louisiana only had 55 rushing yards. And Louisiana’s defense couldn’t stop Marshall. Scoring in every quarter, Marshall methodically beat the Cajuns. Herd quarterback Braylon Braxton was 18-26-0, passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Braxton also rushed for 66 yards. Marshall running back Jordan Houston rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown. Attendance in Lafayette: 20,067

 

Paybacks – Ohio 38, Miami 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio 24, Miami 22). Miami scored first – a 29-yard field goal at the 8:53 mark in the first quarter. The RedHawks never scored again. Ohio’s defense shut down Miami for the remainder of the game. Miami was held to 189 total yards, 11 first downs and 62 yards rushing. The Bobcats dominated ball possession 37:35 to 22:25. Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro was 20-27-0, passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Navarro also rushed for 67 yards and two more touchdowns. Ohio improved to 10-3, with a bowl game remaining. During the season, Ohio lost to Miami, 30-20. Attendance in Detroit: 15,478

 

Revenge – Jacksonville State 52, Western Kentucky 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Jacksonville State 27, Western Kentucky 20). And would you believe just six days earlier, Jacksonville State lost to Western Kentucky, 19-17? Believe it. Jax State racked up 562 total yards, scoring at will, while shutting down WKU’s offense. The Hilltoppers were held to 229 total yards. Most of Jax State’s 562 yards were rushing yards – 386. Of those 386 yards, running back Tre Stewart and quarterback Tyler Huff provided 368 of them. Stewart rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Huff rushed for 167 yards and one touchdown. Huff also was 11-15-0, passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Jax State improved its record to 9-4, with a bowl game upcoming. Attendance in Jacksonville: 15,628

 

Week 15 Results:  5 winners, 4 fumbles (55.6 percent)

For the Season:   145 winners, 62 fumbles (70.1 percent)

 

 

SWAC Championship Game

 

Jackson State 41, Southern 13

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

Texas’ Quinn Ewers – 27-46-2 for 358 yards (1TD).

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty – 209 yards (1TD); Jacksonville State’s Tre Stewart – 201 yards (3TDs); Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo – 170 yards (2TDs); Jacksonville State’s Tyler Huff – 167 yards (1TD); Army’s Kanye Udoh – 158 yards (1TD), and Ohio’s Anthony Tyus – 151 yards (1TD).

 

 

TT’s Annual Picks

 

My choice for “Coach of the Year” from each FBS conference

 

ACC:    Rhett Lashlee (SMU); (Runners-Up) Fran Brown (Syracuse) and Manny Diaz (Duke)

Big 12:   Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State) (Runer-Up) Kalani Sitake (BYU)

Big Ten:  Curt Cignetti (Indiana); (Runner-Up) Bret Bielema (Illinois)

SEC:     Shane Beamer (South Carolina); (Runner-Up) Kirby Smart (Georgia)

AAC:    Jeff Monken (Army); (Runner-Up) Brian Newberry (Navy)

C-USA:  Rich Rodriguez (Jacksonville State) (Runner-Up) K.C, Keeler (Sam Houston)

MAC:    Tim Albin (Ohio); (Runner-Up) Pete Limbo (Buffalo)

MWC:   Spencer Danielson (Boise State); (Runner-Up) Jay Norvell (Colorado State)

Sun Belt: Charles Huff (Marshall); (Runner-Up) Clay Helton (Georgia Southern)

 

My choice for 2024’s national “Coach of the Year”

 

  1. Curt Cignetti – Indiana (11-1)
  2. Kenny Dillingham – Arizona State (11-2)
  3. Jeff Monken – Army (11-1)

 

If I had a vote for the Heisman Trophy, my ballot would be cast as follows

 

  1. Travis Hunter (Colorado)
  2. Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
  3. Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)

 

2024’s most surprising team or teams from each FBS conference

 

ACC: (three-way tie) SMU, Syracuse and Duke

Big 12: (tie) Arizona State and BYU

Big Ten: Indiana and Illinois

SEC: South Carolina

AAC: (tie) Army and Navy

C-USA: Sam Houston

MAC: (tie) Buffalo and Ohio

MWC: San Jose State

Sun Belt: Georgia Southern

 

2024’s most disappointing team or teams from each FBS conference

 

ACC: Florida State

Big 12: (tie) Oklahoma State and Utah

Big Ten: (tie) Wisconsin and USC

SEC: Oklahoma

AAC: UTSA

C-USA: Liberty

MAC: (tie) Toledo and Northern Illinois

MWC: Air Force

Sun Belt: Appalachian State

 

 

Your 2024 Conference Champions

 

ACC: Clemson

Big 12: Arizona State

Big Ten: Oregon

SEC: Georgia

AAC: Army

C-USA: Jacksonville State

MAC: Ohio

MWC: Boise State

Sun Belt: Marshall

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Cheer up Ohio State fans. At least Ryan Day isn’t Lincoln Riley,” USA Today sportswriter Blake Toppmeyer.

 

“It would be criminal if we’re not in. It would be wrong,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee if SMU isn’t selected for the playoff.

 

“We’re going to go compete for the national championship. That’s where my mind’s at,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, after the loss to Georgia in the SEC title game.

 

“Texas won’t be in the playoff long if Quinn Ewers doesn’t play better,” USA Today sportswriter Dan Wolken.

 

“Winning a national title isn’t supposed to be easy.” Oregon coach Dan Lanning.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

(The next CFW – Week 16 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, December 12.)