Cfw Week 14 Forecast - Will Michigan make it 5 straight?

 CFW Week 14 Forecast – Will Michigan make it 5 straight?

Family, friends, food and football,

as the regular season comes to an end

 

Greetings college football fans from Julington Creek Plantation in Fruit Cove, Florida. Every year, Thanksgiving brings me happiness and sadness. Happiness because Thanksgiving is an awesome week full of family, friends, food and football. Over the years, we have had so many Thanksgiving weeks with family and friends, while enjoying good food and lots of football games.

 

Sadness because Thanksgiving week is the final week of the regular season for college football. The 136 FBS teams play their final games this weekend. The 2025 season is over. Some teams will go on to play in conference championship games, bowl games and college football playoff games. For the other teams, the season is complete – it’s over.

 

For many years, Swamp Mama and I have had big gatherings of family and friends at our house for Thanksgiving dinner. One year, I think we had 20 guests. The past three years, Swamp Mama, Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe and I had Thanksgiving dinner over at Stephanie Stein’s house with her children Julia and David, our neighbors Dieter and Deb Gum, and various friends.

 

This year, the venue for our Thanksgiving dinner kept changing – Indialantic, Melbourne, Orlando. Finally last week, Princess Gator called and said I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year. Late yesterday morning, Swamp Mama and I headed north on I-95 to the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area. Here we are in Julington Creek Plantation in Fruit Cove. It’s a great spot for family, food, football and fun. But we’ll be missing and thinking about our friends this year.

 

The drive up I-95 was good. The traffic was light between Melbourne and Daytona Beach.

From Daytona Beach to just north of St. Augustine it was solid – all three lanes. But it kept moving. There were no slow-downs or stops.

 

College Football Week 14 (Thanksgiving Week) began on Tuesday night in Amherst, Massachusetts. In the first of two MACtion games, Bowling Green clobbered Massachusetts, 45-14. Poor UMass finished the season at 0-12 – the only winless team in FBS football.

 

In the second game, in Ypsilanti, Western Michigan downed Eastern Michigan, 31-21. EMU had 5 turnovers.

 

The Top-10 games this week are led by who other than – Ohio State (11-0) at Michigan (9-2). Will Ryan Day lose a fifth-straight game to the Wolverines? If so, how will Buckeye fans react? The Big Ten has a second game in the Top 10 this week – Oregon (10-1) at Washington (8-3). The Ducks looked awfully good against USC last week. Likewise, the Huskies against UCLA. Washington can be tough to beat in Seattle.

 

The SEC has three games in the Top 10 led by Texas A&M (11-0) at Texas (8-3). A Texas win could boost the Longhorns into the CFP. Arch Manning’s stage is set. Will he have an encore performance? Another big affair in the SEC is Vanderbilt (9-2) at Tennessee (8-3). Will Diego Pavia provide a Heisman-winning performance? Or will Joey Aguilar steal the show? Last up in the SEC is LSU (7-4) at Oklahoma (9-2). If the Sooners win, they are a lock for the CFP. Lose, and they are out of the CFP. Will LSU be a spoiler?

 

An interconference contest between the SEC and the ACC is among the top games of the week – Georgia (11-1) at Georgia Tech (9-2). Tech hasn’t played well recently, losing two of its last three games and struggling to win the third game. Should the Yellow Jackets beat the Dawgs, the only way they could make the CFP would be for both Miami and Virginia to lose. Georgia‘s last and only loss this season was to Alabama back on September 27.

 

The ACC has a key matchup with conference championship game implications – Miami (9-2) at Pitt (8-3). Miami needs some help, Pitt doesn’t. This is a stage for Carson Beck to showcase.

 

The Big 12 has a good one in the desert – Arizona (8-3) at Arizona State (8-3). These two teams are about as evenly matched as you can get. Both can be exciting on offense.

 

The last two games in the Top 10 this week are encounters in the Mountain West Conference and the American Conference. In the MWC, San Diego State (9-2) at New Mexico (8-3). New Mexico is typically the joke of the MWC. But first-year coach Jason Eck has done a heck of a job with the Lobos. And they have won five-straight games. But the Aztecs are always tough.

 

Finally, in the AC, Navy (8-2) at Memphis (8-3). The momentum is with Navy. The Middies can make the AC title game if they win. Memphis is playing for pride and revenge for last year’s 56-44 loss to Navy.

 

 

North Texas coach Eric Morris has been hired as the next coach at Oklahoma State. Morris has coached North Texas for three seasons with a record of 21-15. The Mean Green are currently 10-1 this season and ranked 21^st in the AP Poll. They have a final game against Temple this weekend. Morris, 40, will finish out the season at North Texas.

 

South Carolina is taking the same route as Wisconsin, Maryland, Florida State and Baylor. Gamecocks athletic director Jeremiah Donati announced that coach Shane Beamer would be retained for the 2026 season. So that’s five coaches – Luke Fickell, Mike Locksley, Mike Norvell, Dave Aranda and Beamer who have been put on the alert for next season – produce or it’s over.

 

Colorado State hired Connecticut coach Jim Mora as its next coach. In four seasons at UConn, Mora had a 27-23 record, including 9-game winning seasons each of the past two years.

 

The Top-12 teams in this week’s CFP rankings are 1. Ohio State (11-0), 2. Indiana (11-0), 3. Texas A&M (11-0), 4. Georgia (10-1), 5. Texas Tech (10-1), 6. Oregon (10-1), 7. Ole Miss (10-1), 8. Oklahoma (9-2), 9. Notre Dame (9-2), 10. Alabama (9-2), 11. BYU (10-1) and 12. Miami (9-2). Tulane (9-2) is the highest-ranked Group of Five team at 24. In the playoff seedings, BYU would be removed, and Miami would move up to the No. 11 spot. Tulane would jump in as the 12^th seed.

 

The Top-5 teams in this week’s FCS Coaches Poll are 1. North Dakota State (12-0), 2. Montana State (10-2), 3. Lehigh (12-0), 4. Montana (11-1) and 5. Tarleton State (11-1). Harvard (9-1) is 19^th and Yale (8-2) is 21^st. The FCS college football playoff begins this weekend.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Touchdown Tom

November 27, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

Week Fourteen’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Ohio State (11-0) at Michigan (9-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – The Buckeyes and the Wolverines meet for the 120th time on Saturday. They first met in 1897. Michigan leads the series 62-51-6 and has won the last four games. That four-game winning streak is likely to end this weekend. Ohio State simply has the better offense and better defense. On offense, Ohio State comes at you with quarterback Julian Sayin (2,832 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, only 4 interceptions). Running back Bo Jackson (835 rushing yards). And receiver Jeremiah Smith (69 catches for 902 yards). The Wolverines are potent on offense but not as powerful as the Buckeyes. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood has passed for 2,166 yards. The Wolverines have been through a few running backs, losing a couple of them to injury. The current leading rusher is Jordan Marshall. Marshall has rushed for 871 yards. The Wolverines rely on their running game. Ohio State has the better defense. To Michigan’s advantage, the game is in Ann Arbor. That is about the only advantage the Wolverines have. Buckeyes end the streak – Ohio State 28, Michigan 20.

 

RUNNER-UP: 2. Texas A&M (11-0) at Texas (8-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Friday, ABC – The Aggies and the Longhorns meet for the 120^th time on Friday. They first met in 1894. Texas leads the series 77-37-5 and has won the last two games. If Texas loses this game, the pressure is going to be on Steve Sarkisian. So much was expected from the Longhorns this season. Lose against A&M and it will be the fourth loss this season. The Aggies have a good passing attack led by quarterback Marcel Reed (2,752 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, with 8 interceptions). Reed’s top target is receiver K.C. Conception (52 catches for 829 yards). The Texas offense counters with Arch Manning (2,763 yards, 23 touchdowns and 7 interceptions). Texas has been lacking a running game. The defenses are about equal. Bevo loses his horns – Texas A&M 30, Texas 27.

 

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Georgia (10-1) at Georgia Tech (9-2) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, ABC – The Dawgs and the Yellow Jackets meet for the 119^th time on Friday. They first met in 1893. Georgia leads the series 72-41-5 and has won the last 7 games. Georgia comes in on a 7-game winning streak. The Dawgs are driven by quarterback Gunner Stockton (2,465 passing yards, 19 touchdowns with 4 interceptions). Stockton has help from running back Nate Frazier (701 yards rushing) and receiver Zach Branch (63 catches for 638 yards). Georgia Tech has lost 2 of its last 3 games. The Jackets are led by quarterback Haynes King (2,519 passing yards). King is also the leading rusher (883 yards). He has more rushing touchdowns than passing touchdowns (15 to 12). King had a bad game against Pitt last week. Georgia has the better defense. Uga has strong bug spray – Georgia 30, Georgia Tech 27.

 

4. Vanderbilt (9-2) at Tennessee (8-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Commodores and the Vols meet for the 118^th time on Saturday. They first met in 1892. Tennessee leads the series 79-33-5 and has won the last 4 games. Vandy comes in off an impressive win over Kentucky. The Commodores are all about quarterback Diego Pavia (2,924 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 6 interceptions). Pavia is also the teams leading rusher (661 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns). Pavia’s favorite target is receiver Eli Stowers (57 catches for 705 yards). Tennessee counters with quarterback Joey Aguilar (3,145 yards passing with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions). Aguilar gets help from running back DeSean Bishop (886 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns). Tennessee’s top receiver is Chris Brazell (56 catches for 926 yards). The two teams are pretty equal on offense and defense. The Commodores spring a leak – Tennessee 33, Vanderbilt 31.

 

5. Oregon (10-1) at Washington (8-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – The Ducks and the Huskies will play for the 118^th time on Saturday. They first met in 1900. Washington leads the series 63-49-5. They have split the last two games. Oregon enters the contest on a 5-game winning streak The Ducks are led by quarterback Dante Moore (2,447 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions). Oregon is a well-balanced team on offense – 243 yards passing and 229 yards rushing a game. Washington depends on the play of quarterback Demond Williams (2,721 yards passing with 19 touchdowns and 6 interceptions). Williams’ favorite target is receiver Denzel Boston (52 catches for 730 yards). It rains in Seattle – Oregon 30, Washington 27.

 

6. Miami (9-2) at Pitt (8-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – The Miami-Pitt game is not so much of a rivalry. The Canes and the Panthers will be playing for the 43^rd time on Saturday. They first met in 1950. Miami leads the series 29-12-1. They split the last two meetings. Miami is led by its talented quarterback Carson Beck (2,805 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and 9 interceptions). Beck’s favorite target  is receiver Malachi Toney (71 catches for 844 yards). Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschell took over a few games into the season. Both teams have sound offenses. Miami is much better on defense. The Panthers can’t get the sugar out of the Canes – Miami 30, Pitt 24.

 

7. LSU (7-4) at Oklahoma (9-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – The Tigers and the Sooners have only met 4 times. LSU’s biggest win and Oklahoma’s most humiliating defeat was in the College Football Playoff semifinal game in December 2019. LSU beat Oklahoma, 63-28. That’s when Joe Burrow quarterbacked LSU. The Tigers went on to win the national championship, beating Clemson. LSU could have used Burrow this year. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (1,927 passing yards) has been a disappointment. Oklahoma enters the game on a 3-game winning streak. The Sooners are led by quarterback John Mateer (2,260 passing yards). OU has a talented receiver in Isaiah Sategna (56 catches for 827 yards). The Sooners have no running game. The Sooners get revenge – Oklahoma 24, LSU 17.

 

8. Arizona (8-3) at Arizona State (8-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 9 pm ET, Friday, FOX – The Wildcats and the Sun Devils will play for the 98^th time on Friday. They first met in 1899. Arizona leads the series 51-45-1. They have split the last two games. Arizona comes in on a 4-game winning streak. The Wildcats are led by quarterback Noah Fifita (2,677 passing yards). He has an excellent receiver in Kris Hutson (50 catches for 645 yards). Arizona State is on a new quarterback – Jeff Sims. Sims has played well. He is a talented runner. Sims is helped out by running back Raleek Brown (1,078 rushing yards). ASU has a top notch receiver too in Jordan Tyson (59 catches for 689 yards). Both teams are similar on defense. Arizona has the better offense. The Wildcats aren’t Deviled – Arizona 28, Arizona State 24.

 

9. San Diego State (9-2) at New Mexico (8-3) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 3:30 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN – We don’t often get a Mountain West Conference game in the “10 Best” but this should be a good one. Both teams have played much better this season than expected. New Mexico was supposed to finish last in the MWC. They are far from it. San Diego State is a strong running team and weak passing. Running back Lucky Sutton (1,127 rushing yards) has been dependable. New Mexico enters the game on a 5-game winning streak. The Lobos are led by quarterback Jack Layne (2,271 passing yards). His best target is receiver Keagan Johnson (54 catches for 693 yards). Both teams are fairly equal on offense. The Aztecs have the better defense. The Lobos keep their streak going – New Mexico 20, San Diego State 17.

 

10. Navy (8-2) at Memphis (8-3) – (AC vs. AC) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – These two teams had a wild game last year. Navy beat Memphis 56-44. And it was a good game two years ago. Memphis won 28-24. This should be another good one. Navy’s success depends on the success of quarterback Blake Horvath. He has rushed for 986 yards and 13 touchdowns. Horvath can pass too. He has a good target in receiver Eli Heidenreich (38 catches for 741 yards). Memphis is led by quarterback Brendon Lewis (2,395 yards passing). Lewis likes to connect with receiver Cortez Braham (59 catches for 824 yards). Both teams are similar on offense. Memphis is better on defense. The Middies get torpedoed – Memphis 31, Navy 28.

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Texas Tech (10-1) at West Virginia (4-7) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Does it get cold in Lubbock? It’s going to be 35-36 degrees in Morgantown during this game. Maybe the Texas Tech players can’t handle the cold. That would be the only way West Virginia could win. Texas Tech is a monster on offense, averaging 43 points a game. The Red Raiders are driven by quarterback Behren Morton (2,118 passing yards), running back Cameron Dickey (944 rushing yards) and receiver Caleb Douglas (48 catches for 696 yards). The Tech defense is good too – holding opponents to 12 points a game. WVU just has to hope for the best. The Mountaineers are weak on offense and weak on defense. It doesn’t look good for the Mounties. Tech is headed for the Big 12 title game – Texas Tech 35, West Virginia 20.

 

Florida State (5-6) at Florida (3-8) – (ACC vs. SEC) – 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – The Seminoles and the Gators will play for the 69^th time on Saturday. They first met in 1958. Florida leads the series 38-28-2. They have split the last two games. Between the 20s, Florida State can move the ball. The Noles have problems when they get into the red zone. FSU is led by quarterback Tommy Castellanos (2,520 passing yards). He is assisted by receiver Duce Robinson (53 catches for 1,021 yards). Florida has been hopeless on offense. The only spark has been running back Jordan Baugh (901 yards rushing). FSU is better on offense. The teams are about equal on defense. The Chief can’t find his horse – Florida 24, Florida State 23.

 

Iowa (7-4) at Nebraska (7-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Friday, CBS – The Hawkeyes and the Huskers will play for the 56^th time on Friday. They first met in 1891. Nebraska leads the series 30-22-3. Iowa has won the last two games. The Hawkeyes don’t have splashy numbers, but they have won 7 games. Their passing offense is 131^st in the country. Iowa’s best number is on defense. The Hawkeyes are 9^th in the country in points allowed – 15. Often Iowa lets the defense create opportunities that their offense can take advantage of. Nebraska lost starting quarterback Dylan Raiola to injury a few games back. The Huskers are now led by quarterback T.J. Lateef. He has completed 70% of his passes. The Huskers’ best threat is generally running back Emmett Johnson (1,234 rushing yards). Nebraska is stronger on offense, but weaker on defense than Iowa. If I pick Nebraska, the Huskers will lose. So, I’ll pick Iowa. The Hawkeyes chase Herbie into a silo – Iowa 27, Nebraska 24.

 

Wake Forest (8-3)t at Duke (6-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – The Demon Deacons and the Blue Devils will play for the 105^th time on Saturday. They first met in 1889. Duke leads the series 61-41-2. Duke has won the last three games. Wake Forest comes in on a three game winning streak. The Deacons have been a real surprise team this season. They were supposed to finish at the bottom of the ACC. That didn’t happen. Running back Demond Claiborne has rushed for 849 yards. Wake has a decent defense but isn’t the strongest on offense. Duke, on the other hand, is strong on offense, averaging 33 points a game. The Dookies have quarterback Darian Mensah (3,182 yards passing with 26 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Duke also has running back Nate Sheppard (790 yards rushing), and receiver Cooper Barkate (55 catches for 895 yards). That’s a good threesome. Duke’s problem is defense – giving up 29 points a game. The Demons get the best of the Devils – Wake Forest 28, Duke 25.

 

Indiana (11-0) at Purdue (2-9) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Friday, NBC – The Hoosiers and the Boilermakers will play for the 127^th time on Friday. They first met in 1891. Purdue leads the series 77-43-6. The teams have split the last two games. Indiana won last year, 66-0. That was embarrassing for Purdue. It could be similar to that this year. The Hoosiers are undefeated and No. 2 in the country. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a winner (2,641 yards passing with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions). Running back Roman Hemby has rushed for 714 yards. Receiver Omar Cooper (remember him from the Penn State game?) has 55 catches for 740 yards. The Hoosiers are averaging 43 points a game and holding opponents to 12 points a game. Purdue doesn’t come close to having numbers like that. The Boilers are winless in Big Ten play and on a 9-game losing streak. Quarterback Ryan Browne has passed for 1,915 yards. The Indiana defense is giving up 30 points a game. Can you hear the drums, Fernando? – Indiana 38, Purdue 17.

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

East Carolina (7-4) at Florida Atlantic (4-7) – (AC vs. AC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

UCF (5-6) at BYU (10-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….

 

FIU (6-5) at Sam Houston (2-9) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

 

Newberry (10-1) at West Florida (10-1) – (South Atlantic vs. Gulf South) – (Division II Playoff Game – second round) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….

Rice (5-6) at South Florida (8-3) – (AC vs. AC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Oh yeah, 100%. I’m right here where I’m supposed to be. I love being here,” USC coach Lincoln Riley, when asked if he is staying with the Trojans.

 

“Is Auburn cursed to mediocrity, like Nebraska?” USA Today sports writer Blake Toppmeyer.

 

“We know that the opponent is different. We know what’s at stake,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day, on the upcoming Michigan game.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

The next CFW – Week 14 Results – will be posted Monday morning, November 30.

 

CFW Week 13 Results - Cal fires Wilcox; FSU retains Norvell

 CFW Week 13 Results – Cal fires Wilcox; FSU retains Norvell

Talk about a boring day in college football

 

Saturday took the cake.

 

Watching the games, I couldn’t tell you how many times I fell asleep. And if I fall asleep watching college football, the games are bad.

 

If you follow college football on TV, you know there are basically three time slots during the day – the 12 noon games, the 3:30 p.m. games and the 7-8 p.m. games. I generally pick out a game in each time slot that I’m going to start with. If the game is good, I’ll generally stick with it. If it’s not so good, I’ll start checking in on other games.

 

Saturday, at 12 noon, I began with the Missouri-Oklahoma game. Now, this contest stayed reasonably close throughout. It was just boring as heck. Neither team could really advance the ball. There were 16 punts in the game.

 

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer wasn’t passing very well – only completed 46% of his tosses. Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula threw two interceptions. The game was tiresome. And although the score never got out of hand, you just knew Oklahoma was going to win. Missouri only had 70 yards rushing. I don’t know what happened to Ahmad Hardy.

 

After I woke up the third time during the Missouri-Oklahoma game, I began channel surfing. I thought surely there is a better game to watch. Wrong! I checked out Rutgers-Ohio State. The Buckeyes were up 35-3. (Ohio State went on to beat Rutgers, 42-9.)

 

I switched to Louisville-SMU. SMU was beating Louisville 31-6. (SMU went on to win 38-6.) I moved to the Miami-Virginia Tech affair. Miami was winning 26-10. (The Canes went on to beat the Hokies, 34-17.)

 

How about Kansas-Iowa State? Bummer! Iowa State was up 31-14. (The Cyclones beat the Jayhawks, 38-14.) Finally, I tried Baylor-Arizona. Arizona was beating Baylor, 35-17. (Arizona ended up winning, 41-17.)

 

What was a poor boy to do? I switched back to Missouri-Oklahoma and took another nap. The Sooners won 17-6.

 

Surely, the 3:30 p.m. time slot would be better. I began with the USC-Oregon game. It was better. There were only 6 punts in the game compared to 16 in the Missouri-Oklahoma game. But USC only had 52 yards rushing. Just like you knew Oklahoma was going to win the Mizzou-OU game, you just knew Oregon was going to beat USC. The Ducks were up 28-14 at halftime.

 

I thought I could find something better. Checking in on Arkansas-Texas, Texas was up 45-23. (The Longhorns went on to win, 52-37). I switched to Kentucky-Vanderbilt. I went from bad to worse. Vanderbilt was beating Kentucky, 45-3. (The Commodores beat the Wildcats, 45-17). Out of desperation, I gave Michigan-Maryland a try. Michigan was up 35-13. (The Wolverines went on to beat the Terrapins, 45-20.).

 

Foolishly, I checked in on Syracuse-Notre Dame. Man, what a mistake that was. Notre Dame was winning, 56-0. Notre Dame led 21-0 before the Irish ever touched the ball on offense. (The Irish ended up beating the Orange, 70-7.).

 

I was dozing off again. I went back to USC-Oregon. Oregon won, 42-27.

 

My last hope was that I would find solace in the evening games. I began with, who else but, Tennessee-Florida. Now, I knew Florida wasn’t going to beat Tennessee. But I thought the Gators might give the Vols a good game. Wrong again. Florida was losing to Tennessee, 31-0 at halftime.

 

I didn’t need to put up with this torture, so I switched to Pitt-Georgia Tech. Pitt was upsetting Georgia Tech, 35-14. (The Panthers went on to beat the Yellow Jackets, 42-28). Well, I thought surely Nebraska-Penn State would be a good game. Holy Herbie, Penn State was beating Nebraska, 30-3. All my Husker friends in Nebraska must be snoozing and snoring like crazy. (Penn State won the game, 37-10).

 

I moved on to California-Stanford. No luck. Stanford was beating Cal, 24-10. (Stanford beat Cal, 31-10.) Maybe Arizona State-Colorado would be a winner. No, Arizona State was up, 35-17. (Arizona State went on to beat Colorado, 42-17).

 

Being the masochist that I am, I switched back to Tennessee-Florida. The Vols were kind to the Gators in the second half. Tennessee beat Florida, 31-11. Florida fans were kind too. They hung around for the singing of “We Are the Boys” and “Don’t Back Down” at the end of the third quarter. Then they couldn’t get out of Ben Hill Griffin fast enough.

 

All right, I ended the night with Washington at UCLA. I should have known my luck was not going to change. Washington blasted UCLA, 48-14. I got in a few more naps.

 

Now, I didn’t watch any of the following games, but to add insult to injury – Texas A&M 48, Samford 0; Georgia 35, Charlotte 3; Auburn 62, Mercer 17; Alabama 56, Eastern Illinois 0; South Carolina 51, Coastal Carolina 7, and Clemson 45, Furman 10. Give me a break. I’m so looking forward to nine-game conference schedules in the SEC and ACC.

 

Saturday wasn’t exactly a good college football day. Maybe, I should have watched college basketball all day. Maybe not – Illinois 98, Long Island 58. Scores like that.

 

I was beginning to think that Saturday wasn’t my day.

 

In all fairness, there were some good football games Saturday – three in particular.

 

Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels gave Duke a good battle. Late in the third quarter, North Carolina was trailing Duke, 24-10. The Tar Heels scored 15 unanswered points. With 13:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, UNC went up on the Dookies, 25-24. However, with 2:18 left on the clock, Duke scored, retaking the lead over the Tar Heels, 32-25. The Dookies hung on to win.

 

In Salt Lake City, midway through the first quarter, Kansas State took a 7-0 lead over Utah. Although there were ties at 7-7, 14-14 and 21-21, Utah never led in the game until the 10:03 mark in the third quarter. That’s when the Utes went up 35-31. Eight minutes later, Kansas State went back up 38-35. The Wildcats increased their lead to 47-35. Then, in the final 7 minutes of the fourth quarter, Utah scored 16 unanswered points. With 0:56 remaining in the game, Utah retook the lead at 51-47. The Utes hung on to win.

 

And finally, James Madison and Washington State gave us a thriller in Harrisonburg, Virginia. After one quarter of play, the game was tied, 3-3. Midway through the second quarter, the game was tied 10-10. However, Washington State took a 17-10 halftime lead. Late in the third quarter, the game was tied again, 17-17. Early in the fourth quarter, Washington State kicked a 36-yard field goal and went back up 20-17. Then with 6:24 remaining in the game, James Madison running back Wayne Knight broke loose for a 58 yard touchdown run. JMU led WSU, 24-20. The Dukes hung on to win.

 

Also, in Orlando, UCF trailed Oklahoma State, 14-0 at halftime time. At the 9:12 mark in the fourth quarter, the score was tied 14-14. UCF kicked a game-winning 34-yard field goal with 0:57 remaining in the game to beat Oklahoma State, 17-14.

 

In Boone, North Carolina, the lead in the Marshall-Appalachian State game went back-and-forth. With 2:02 remaining in the game, App State kicked a 23-yard field goal to beat Marshall, 26-24. That game winning field goal was the sixth lead change in the game.

 

With 0:53 remaining in the game, Northwestern kicked a 33-yard field goal to beat Minnesota, 38-35…..Tulsa kicked a 27-yard field goal with 0:12 left in the game to beat Army, 26-25…..Connecticut scored a touchdown with 0:26 remaining in the game to beat Florida Atlantic, 48-45…..Trailing Michigan State 17-7 at the end of the third quarter, Iowa scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat the Spartans, 20-17. The winning score came on a 44-yard field goal with 0:02 remaining in the game…..TCU kicked a 29-yard fourth quarter field goal to beat Houston, 17-14…..And lastly, New Mexico State scored a touchdown with 0:21 left in the game to beat UTEP, 34-31.

 

On Thursday night of College Football Week 13, Louisiana squeezed by Arkansas State, 34-30. Louisiana won the game in spite of having 11 penalties to only one for Arkansas State. The Ragin’ Cajuns had a 9-minute edge in time of possession.

 

Week 13’s “Friday Night Lights” began in Raleigh, North Carolina. NC State added to Mike Norvell’s woes. The Wolfpack downed Florida State, 21-11. The Seminoles couldn’t hold onto the ball – four turnovers. NC State couldn’t move the ball – only 286 total yards.

 

“Friday Night Lights” ended in Las Vegas. UNLV beat Hawaii, 38-10. UNLV racked up 470 total yards. Dan Mullen’s Rebels are 9-2 with one game remaining.

 

There were four big rivalry games on Saturday. In the 161^st meeting of “The Rivalry,” Lehigh beat Lafayette, 42-32. Lafayette leads the series, 82-74-5. Lehigh ended its season at 11-0.

 

In the 141^st meeting of “The Game,” Yale got the best of Harvard, 45-28. Yale leads the series 71-62-8. Both Yale and Harvard will be playing in the FCS college football playoff. Yale as the champion of the Ivy League and Harvard as an at-large team.

 

Also, in the Ivy League, Brown beat Dartmouth, 35-28. Dartmouth leads the series 65-33-4. Penn downed Princeton, 17-6. Princeton leads the series 70-45-1. And Columbia surprised Cornell, 29-12. Cornell leads the series 66-43-3.

 

In the 119^th meeting of “The Big Game,” Stanford downed California, 31-10. Stanford leads the series 61-48-10.

 

And finally, the 123^rd meeting of the “Brawl of the Wild,” and it was wild too, Montana State beat Montana, 31-28. Montana leads the series 74-44-5.

 

After you went to bed Saturday night, Washington clobbered UCLA, 48-14. The Huskies held the Bruins to 10 first downs and 207 total yards. San Diego State downed San Jose State, 25-3. San Jose State had two turnovers. Utah State got the best of Fresno State, 28-17. Utah State held Fresno state to 12 first downs.

 

One week to go and we still don’t know who is playing in any of the conference championship games, other than that James Madison will be one of the two teams in the Sun Belt Conference championship.

 

There shouldn’t be much or any change at the top of the CFP Rankings this week. None of the Top 14 teams lost. The highest-ranked teams to lose were 15^th USC and 16^th Georgia Tech. Altogether, only 5-ranked teams lost. In addition to USC and Georgia Tech, 21^st Illinois, 22^nd Missouri and 23^rd Houston lost. USC and Georgia Tech will fall but remain in the Top 25. Illinois, Missouri and Houston will fall out of the Top 25.

 

Following in the footsteps of Wisconsin and Maryland, Florida State announced yesterday it was retaining embattled coach Mike Norvell for the 2026 season. Recently, Wisconsin and Maryland announced they were retaining their embattled coaches for the 2026 season – Luke Fickell at Wisconsin and Mike Locksley at Maryland.

 

According to Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter, Lane Kiffin will announce on Saturday, November 29, whether he will be going to Florida, LSU or staying in Oxford. Stay tuned!

 

California fired head coach Justin Wilcox yesterday. In nine seasons with Cal, Wilcox was 48-55 – 6-5 this season. Cal has a final game Saturday against SMU. Wilcox is the 14^th coach to be fired this year.

 

The Top-5 teams in this week’s AP Poll are 1. Ohio State (11-0), 2. Indiana (11-0), 3. Texas A&M (11-0), 4. Georgia (10-1) and 5. Oregon (10-1). Three Group of five teams are in the AP Top 25 – 20^th James Madison, 21^st North Texas and 22^nd Tulane.

 

Touchdown Tom

November 24, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Webbed – Oregon 42, USC 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 30, USC 27). The best USC could do was tie this game at 7-7 in the first quarter and 14-14 in the second quarter. The rest of the time, Oregon led. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava passed for 306 yards and three touchdowns. He threw two picks. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore passed for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one pick. The Trojans had no running game – 52 yards rushing. Oregon had a 7-minute edge in time of possession. USC hasn’t won in Eugene since 2011. Attendance in Eugene: 59,588

 

RUNNER-UP: Boom – Oklahoma 17, Missouri 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 26, Oklahoma 25). Missouri had no touchdowns. Just two first half field goals. Oklahoma led 14-6 at the half. Neither quarterback, Missouri’s Beau Pribula nor Oklahoma’s John Mateer, had a good game. Missouri only had 70 yards rushing. The Tigers had two turnovers. OU had none. Attendance in Norman: 83,541

 

REST OF THE BEST: Burycats – BYU 26, Cincinnati 14 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 28, Cincinnati 26). Cincinnati never ked in the game. The score was briefly tied 7-7 in the second quarter. BYU won on the running of L.J. Martin. Martin rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby passed for 300 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw one pick. BYU had a 17-minute advantage in time of possession. Cincinnati had two turnovers. BYU had none. Attendance in Cincinnati: 38,034

 

Looks like a wreck to me – Pitt 42, Georgia Tech 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 31, Pitt 30). Early in the second quarter, Pitt had a 28-0 lead. Then Tech outscored Pitt 28-14. Pitt quarterback Mason Heintscherll passed for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Pitt running back Ja’Kyrian Turner rushed for 201 yards and one touchdown. Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King passed for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He threw two picks. King also rushed for 76 yards and one more touchdown. The teams were pretty close in the stats. Attendance in Atlanta: 52,413

 

Clipped – SMU 38, Louisville 6 (Touchdown Tom said: SMU 27, Louisville 24). Louisville’s six points were from two field goals. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings was 29-37-0, passing for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Jennings rushed for another touchdown. SMU receiver Jordan Hudson had 8 catches for 96 yards. Louisville had no passing or running. SMU led in first downs (28 to 12) and led in total yards (485 to 228). SMU held an 11-minute edge in time of possession. Attendance in Dallas: 32,713

 

Kentucky wasn’t lucky – Vanderbilt 45, Kentucky 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Vanderbilt 30, Kentucky 24). Vandy led 45-3 at the end of the third quarter. Kentucky scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was 33-39-1, passing for 484 yards and five touchdowns. Pavia also ran for 48 yards and one more touchdown. Vanderbilt receiver Tre Richardson had 6 catches for 159 yards. Vandy had 604 total yards – 539 yards passing. The Commodores only had 65 rushing yards. Kentucky only had 31 rushing yards. Kentucky had three turnovers. Vandy had one. Vandy had a 13-minute advantage in time of possession. Attendance in Nashville: 35,000

 

Wild finish – Utah 51, Kansas State 47 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 34, Kansas State 20). What a game! Utah rallied in the fourth quarter to win. Kansas State running back Joe Jackson rushed for 293 yards and three touchdowns. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Dampier also rushed for 94 yards and two more touchdowns. The two teams combined for 1,125 total yards. Kansas State had 472 rushing yards. K-State also had 10 penalties. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 51,444

 

Bear down – Arizona 41, Baylor 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 33, Baylor 27). Through three quarters, this was a close game. Arizona led 21-17 as the fourth quarter began. Then the Wildcats poured it on, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter. Neither quarterback, Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson nor Arizona’s Noah Fifita, had a very good game. Arizona receiver Kris Hutson had 9 catches for 133 yards. Baylor had three turnovers. Arizona had one. Arizona had nine penalties. Attendance in Tucson: 40,199

 

Jayhonks – Iowa State 38, Kansas 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas 27, Iowa State 23). Iowa State never trailed in the game. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht passed for 241 yards and three touchdowns. The Cyclones had 462 total yards – 241 yards passing and 221 yards rushing. That’s good balance. Iowa State had a 19-minute advantage in time of possession. Attendance in Ames: 58,275

 

Frogmen – TCU 17, Houston 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 28, TCU 27). After one quarter, TCU led 14-0. Houston tied the score at 14-14 at the 5:34 mark in the third quarter. TCU added an early fourth quarter field goal. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover passed for 293 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions. Overall, TCU had four turnovers. Houston had one. Attendance in Houston: 30,852

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

The Swamp was lookin’ Rocky – Tennessee 31, Florida 11 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 33, Florida 24). Tennessee built up a 31-0 halftime lead. Then the Vols let the Gators have some fun in the second half. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar was 17-22-0, passing for 204 yards and one touchdown. Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway was lagging again – ineffective and worthless. I don’t understand why interim coach Billy Gonzalles is still playing Lagway. Tennessee led in first downs – 28 to 15. The Vols had an 11-minute edge in time of possession. Tennessee won in The Swamp for the first time since 2003. Attendance in Gainesville: 90,465

 

Door Matt – Penn State 37, Nebraska 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Penn State 25). Penn State came out fast, building up a 23-3 halftime lead over Nebraska. Then the Nittany Lions added icing on the cake in the second half. Both teams were playing with backup quarterbacks. Penn State backup Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 11 of his 12 passing attempts. The big difference was Penn State running back Kaytron Allen. He rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns. There was no major difference between the two teams in the stats, other than Penn State was much better at running. At one time, there were reports of Nebraska coach Matt Rhule becoming the head coach at Penn State. I can’t imagine that Penn state fans want him now. I can’t imagine that Nebraska fans want to keep him now. Attendance in University Park: 105,038

 

Dookies sing in the Chapel – Duke 32, North Carolina 25 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 28, North Carolina 24). This was a pretty close game throughout, especially when North Carolina led 25-24 through much of the fourth quarter. Duke had a 12-minute edge in time of possession. Duke only punted once in the game. Attendance in Chapel Hill: 50,500

 

Hush, hush sweet – Georgia 35, Charlotte 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 38, Charlotte 14). Georgia built up a 28-3 halftime lead and went into cruise control in the second half. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton passed for 196 yards. He threw one pick. Georgia played three quarterbacks in the game. Georgia had more first downs (30 to 7), more total yards (449 to 169), more passing yards (257 to 130) and more rushing yards (192 to 39). Georgia also had a 13-minute edge in time of possession. Charlotte punted 8 times. Georgia had 3 punts. Attendance in Athens: 93,033

 

Bevo likes Pork bellies – Texas 52, Arkansas 37 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 30, Arkansas 18). Arkansas kept the score close in the first half. At the break, the Razorbacks trailed 24-20. Texas opened up a 52-23 lead in the second half. Arch Manning had his best game of the season. He passed for 389 yards and four touchdowns. He ran for another touchdown. And Manning caught a pass for a sixth touchdown. Arkansas actually had more first downs (29 to 22) and more total yards (512 to 490). Texas only had 97 yards rushing. Arkansas had a 9-minute edge in time of possession. The Razorbacks had two turnovers. Texas had none. Attendance in Austin: 102,361

 

Week 13 Results: 10 winners, 5 fumbles (66.7 percent)

For the Season:  124 winners, 58 fumbles (68.1 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

NC State 21, Florida State 11 – Attendance in Raleigh: 56,919

Miami 34, Virginia Tech 17 – Attendance in Blacksburg: 65,632

West Florida 43, North Greenville 19 – (Division II Playoff Game – first round) – Attendance in Pensacola: 3,273

 

San Diego 42, Stetson 8 – Attendance in Deland: 1,721

South Florida 48, UAB 18 – Attendance in Birmingham: N/A

Connecticut 48, Florida Atlantic 45 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 16,306

 

FIU 27, Jacksonville State 21 – Attendance in Miami: 9,504

UCF 17, Oklahoma State 14 – Attendance in Orlando: 41,723

Bethune-Cookman 38, Florida A&M 34 – Attendance in Orlando: 55,528

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

Florida Atlantic’s Caden Veltkamp – 42-55-1-494 (2TDs); Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia – 33-39-1-484 (5TDs); North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker – 19-23-0-469 (3TDs); UConn’s Joe Fagnano – 33-46-0-446 (3TDs), and Southern Miss’s Brayton Braxton – 31-52-1-400 (3TDs).

 

Also, Texas’ Arch Manning – 18-30-0-389 (4TDs); Kennesaw State’s Amari Odom – 24-34-0-387 (5TDs); Troy’s Goose Crowder – 27-43-0-361 (4TDs); South Florida’s Byrum Brown – 19-35-0-353 (3TDs), and Missouri State’s Jacob Clark – 23-32-2-344 (3TDs).

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Kansas State’s Joe Jackson – 293 yards (3TDs); Arizona State’s Raleek Brown – 255 yards (1TD); Liberty’s Evan Dickens – 228 yards (2TDs); BYU’s L.J. Martin – 222 yards (2TDs); Tulsa’s Dominic Richardson – 203 yards (1TD), and Pitt’s Ja’Kyrian Turner – 201 yards (1TD).

 

Also, Ohio’s Sieh Bangura – 196 yards (2TDs); Old Dominion’s Colton Joseph – 189 yards (1TD); South Alabama’s Kentrel Bullock – 187 yards (3TDs); UTEP’s Asten Emery – 181 yards (1TD); Appalachian State’s Jaquari Lewis – 175 yards (2TDs), and Missouri State’s Shamari Lawrence – 173 yards (1TD).

 

Also, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love – 171 yards (3TDs); Auburn’s Deuce Knight – 162 yards (4TDs); Penn State’s Kaytron Allen – 160 yards (2TDs); Stanford’s Micah Ford – 150 yards; Boise State’s Sire Gaines – 149 yards (2TDs), and UTSA’s Will Henderson – 146 yards.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“We didn’t play Chattanooga State today, right? Like some other teams. It’s tough playing nine conference games. It’s tough playing in this league,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning, knocking the SEC.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com