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 Skattebo, Trevor Etienne, Tez 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”
- Curt Cignetti – Indiana (11-1)
- Kenny Dillingham – Arizona State (11-2)
- Jeff Monken – Army (11-1)
If I had a vote for the Heisman Trophy, my ballot would be cast as follows
- Travis Hunter (Colorado)
- Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
- 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.)
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