CFW Week 2 Forecast - Texas-Alabama Highlights the Weekend

 CFW Week 2 Forecast –Texas-Alabama highlights the weekend

Georgia will lick the icing

off another cupcake

 

It’s Texas-Alabama week in Tuscaloosa. Steve Sarkisian vs. Nick Saban. Sarkisian was Saban’s offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020. Is Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers for real?

 

Coach Prime and his Colorado Buffaloes host Nebraska this week. Can the Buffaloes maintain the high-energy level performance they exhibited against TCU last week? If so, it should be a wild time in Boulder.

 

Yes, it is going to be another good weekend for college football.

 

Tulane has the opportunity to be a giant killer this week. The Green Wave host Ole Miss in New Orleans. Tulane’s Yulman Stadium will be electric. Lane Kiffin will be tested.

 

Sam Hartman goes up against old ACC foe NC State, as ND gets its first test of the season. Meanwhile, Jimbo Fisher and Mario Cristobal go head-to-head in Miami Gardens. The loser will be shredded on social media.

 

Luke Fickell ventures into Pullman, Washington – always a dangerous place for the visiting team. The gambling Hawkeyes and the gambling Cyclones face off in Ames. Wonder if any of the players have placed bets on the game.

 

The Sun Belt ventures into the ACC – James Madison at Virginia and Appalachian State at North Carolina. Remember the UNC-App State game in Boone last year?

 

Hugh Freeze heads out to Berkeley. Can War Eagle fly high? Troy could pose a challenge for Kansas State. The Trojans and the Wildcats hook up in the Little Apple.

 

Baylor quarterback Blake Sheldon is out for two-to-three weeks with an MCL (knee) injury. Sheldon suffered the injury during Baylor’s upset loss to Texas State last week. The Bears are hosting Utah this week. Yeah, the Pac-12 invades the Big 12 this week, as Utah goes to Baylor and Oregon plays at Texas Tech.

 

The Top 5 in this week’s AP Poll are 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan, 3. Alabama, 4. Florida State, and 5. Ohio State. Georgia got 58 of the 63 first place votes. Michigan got 2 and Florida State got 3. Duke is 21 and Colorado is 22.

 

The Top 5 in this week’s Coaches Poll are 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan, 3. Alabama, 4. Ohio State, and 5. Florida State. Georgia got 63 of the 66 first place votes. Michigan got 1 and Alabama got 2. Duke is 24 and Colorado is 25.

 

Interesting to note that in the Consensus Preseason Poll, Duke was 43 and Colorado was 82. Of course, there is a lot of the season to play yet. But it is apparent that the press, analysts and coaches didn’t give much credence to Colorado at preseason.

 

Georgia hosts Ball State this week, while Michigan entertains UNLV. Ohio State is home against Youngstown State and Florida State hosts Southern Miss.

 

In the FCS Coaches Poll, the Top 5 teams are 1. South Dakota State, 2. North Dakota State, 3. Montana State, 4. William & Mary, and 5. Holy Cross. South Dakota State got all 25 of the first-place votes.

 

“Ooh dream weaver. I believe you can get me through the night….”  Singer, songwriter and musician Gary Wright died on September 4. Wright was best known for his two 1976 hit songs “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive.” Both peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. “Dream Weaver” spent 20 weeks on the chart in the winter and spring of 1976. “Love Is Alive” spent 27 weeks on the chart in the summer and fall of 1976. A third hit, “Really Wanna Know You” was a Top 20 hit, spending 17 weeks on the chart in the summer and fall of 1981. Wright played the keyboards on George Harrison’s 1970 album “All Things Must Pass.” His musical association with the Beatle endured until Harrison’s death in 2001, playing on all of Harrison’s solo albums.  Wright played the keyboards on recordings by B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Ronnie Spector and others. As a child, Wright performed on Broadway in the musical “Fanny.” A native of Cresskill, New Jersey, Gary Malcolm Wright was 80. “….Ooh dream weaver. I believe we can reach the morning light.”

 

Enjoy Week 2 of college football. It’s going to be a good one!

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

September 7, 2023

 

Note: CFW Week 2 Results will be posted Monday morning, September 11.

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

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

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Texas (1-0) at Alabama (1-0) – (Big 12 vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Last year, in Austin, Alabama scored late to beat Texas, 20-19. The Horns will be out for revenge. But revenge, if they get it, won’t be easy. Against much weaker competition, both teams looked good last week. Both were holding back too. So, it is still difficult to get a good read on the two teams. This game will tell us what they have – and what they don’t. The Tide squeezes by again – Alabama 28, Texas 27.

 

RUNNER-UP: 2. Ole Miss (1-0) at Tulane (1-0) – (SEC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Ole Miss has a battle on its hands. Tulane is one feisty team. And the Green Wave will be fired up for the Magnolias. Last year Tulane knocked off Kansas State and USC. The Wave are looking to get another notch on their belt. Lane Kiffin, undoubtedly, will have a few tricks up his sleeve. He’ll need them. The Magnolias Dart past the Wave – Ole Miss 30, Tulane 29.

 

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Notre Dame (2-0) at NC State (1-0) – (Ind. vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Notre Dame’s offense is looking good. Its defense doesn’t look bad either. In a win, NC State’s offense wasn’t very sharp against UConn last week. State’s defense looked better. While at Wake Forest, Sam Hartman lost to NC State last year. Now he has the chance to avenge that loss. The Irish get out the shillelagh – Notre Dame 27, NC State 18.

 

4. Texas A&M (1-0) at Miami (Florida) (1-0) – (SEC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Last year, Texas A&M beat Miami in College Station. That game was a defensive battle. The Aggies won 17-9. This year, it could be an offensive battle. Both offenses were strong in their openers. This will be another chance for the ACC to put down the SEC. Both coaches are under pressure. This game will be a cooker. Jimbo beams, while Cristobal steams – Texas A&M 31, Miami 30.

 

5. Wisconsin (1-0) at Washington State (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Wisconsin has the running back power. Last week Chez Mellusi rushed for 157 yards, while Braelon Allen added 141 yards on the ground. The Cougars will have to stop that attack. The Badgers will have to stop Washington State’s passing attack. Cameron Ward passed for 451 yards last week. This could be a high-scoring affair. The Cougars spoil the cheese – Washington State 29, Wisconsin 28.

   

6.  Oregon (1-0) at Texas Tech (0-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Last week, Oregon looked good, and Texas Tech didn’t. But Oregon was playing a cupcake. Was the Texas Tech loss to Wyoming a fluke? The Red Raiders will definitely be a tougher opponent for the Ducks this week. But, most likely, not tough enough. Oregon has too many guns. Puddles is quacking – Oregon 40, Texas Tech 25.

 

7. SMU (1-0) at Oklahoma (1-0) – (AAC vs. Big 12) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ – Oklahoma scored 73 points and had 642 total yards last week. But SMU won’t be as easy as Arkansas State. The Mustangs can score too. They just won’t score as much as the Sooners. Boomer tames a Mustang – Oklahoma 35, SMU 26.

 

8. Nebraska (0-1) at Colorado (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – If Nebraska wants to keep up with Colorado, the Huskers offense is going to have to play better than they did against Minnesota. Nebraska had no offense against the Gophers. Colorado put on an offensive show against TCU last week. However, I think the Buffs will find that the Huskers have a stronger defense than TCU. This will be interesting. Deion will want to make a big splash in the home opener. Ralphie lives on Corn – Colorado 30, Nebraska 28.

 

9. Iowa (1-0) at Iowa State (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Frankly, I’m surprised either of these teams have enough players to compete. It seems like a ton of their players were dismissed for gambling. Iowa had an atrocious offense last year and it didn’t look much better last week against Utah State. Still, the Hawkeyes play good defense. The Cyclones are an unknown. The Hawkeyes take a gamble and win – Iowa 23, Iowa State 17.

  

10. Arizona (1-0) at Mississippi State (1-0) – (Pac-12 vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – These are two interesting teams who could be good or could be bad. We’ll find out this week. Both looked good last week, but they were playing cupcakes. They will be taking a step up this week. Bully is too slow for the Wildcat – Arizona 27, Mississippi State 26.

 

Nine other interesting and intriguing games to keep an eye on this weekend are: Illinois (1-0) at Kansas (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN2…..  James Madison (1-0) at Virginia (0-1) – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU…..  Utah (1-0) at Baylor (0-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Big12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN…..  and Appalachian State (1-0) at North Carolina (1-0) – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) – 5:15 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN.

 

Also, Cincinnati (1-0) at Pitt (1-0) – (Big 12 vs. ACC) – 6:30 pm ET, Saturday, CWN….. UCLA (1-0) at San Diego State (2-0) – (Pac-12 vs. MWC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS…..  Auburn (1-0) at California (1-0) – (SEC vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN…..   Stanford (1-0) at USC (2-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX….  and Oklahoma State (1-0) at Arizona State (0-1) – (Big 12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1.

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Duquesne (1-0) at West Virginia (0-1) – (Northeast vs. Big 12) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ – WVU is playing teams from Pennsylvania in its first three games. Last week it was Penn State, this week Duquesne and next week it will be Pitt. Duquesne will undoubtedly be the weakest of the three – by far. Still, the Dukes can be feisty. They won their opener, 49-0, against Edinboro. Regardless, this game should be one of the few wins that Neal Brown has this season. So he better enjoy it. Mountaineers take the Dukes on a hayride – West Virginia 45, Duquesne 17.

 

McNeese State (0-1) at Florida (0-1) – (Southland vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Last week, Florida couldn’t do anything right. Hopefully, the Gators get their act together this week. Hopefully, they find a running game. Only 13 yards rushing last week. The Gators can afford to experiment against McNeese. This is one of those breathers on the schedule. McNeese are the Cowboys, and their mascot is named “Rowdy.” Albert gets Rowdy – Florida 31, McNeese State 13.

 

Lafayette (1-0) at Duke (1-0) – (Patriot vs. ACC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ – It’s a good thing Duke is playing Lafayette this week. After the big win over Clemson, the Dookies could have a letdown this week. They’ll still be sky high over that Clemson game. But I’m sure coach Mike Elko will settle his players down. He may even play the cheerleaders and band members this week. Lafayette, we are here – Duke 31, Lafayette 9.

 

Ball State (0-1) at Georgia (1-0) – (MAC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN – From UT Martin to Ball State, I don’t know if Georgia is taking a step up or a step down this week. With Uga around, the Cardinals just have to make sure they don’t step in it. Such powerhouse teams – I don’t know how Georgia can cope. The Dawg days of summer – Georgia 49, Ball State 10.

 

Purdue (0-1) at Virginia Tech (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Purdue lost a tough game last week. The Boilers are either going to win or lose a tough game this week. Neither team is that good, but against each other, it should be an interesting affair. The Hokies take the steam out of the Boilers – Virginia Tech 29, Purdue 27.

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUBND FLORIDA:

 

West Florida (1-0) at McKendree (0-1) – (Gulf South vs. Great Lakes Valley) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….

Savannah State (1-0) at Bethune-Cookman (0-1) – (SIAC vs. SWAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….

 

Ohio (1-1) at Florida Atlantic (1-0) – (MAC vs. AAC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

North Texas (0-1) at FIU (1-1) – (AAC vs. C-USA) – 6:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

UCF (1-0) at Boise State (0-1) – (Big 12 vs. MWC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, FS1….

 

Florida A&M (1-0) at South Florida (0-1) – (SWAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

Southern Miss (1-0) at Florida State (1-0) – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) – 8:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Dabo’s dynasty is done. It’s really been teetering for a couple years,” Paul Finebaum, on Dabo Swinney, after Clemson’s loss to Duke.

 

“They didn’t lose to a Florida State or an Alabama or a Notre Dame or a Georgia. They lost to Duke. The program is flatlining right now,” Paul Finebaum, on Clemson.

 

“At the moment, Coach Prime owns college football. He is the biggest name in college football today. That could change down the road. But he’s bigger than Nick Saban, he’s bigger than Kirby Smart. We’re talking about him more than Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley,” Paul Finebaum, on Colorado coach Deion Sanders.

 

“I know a lot of people think Texas-Alabama is big, but, to me, I think Nebraska-Colorado is the biggest game in the nation this week,” Steve Spurrier.

 

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

CFW Week 1 Results - ACC to add Cal, Stanford and SMU

 CFW Week 1 Results – ACC to add Cal, Stanford and SMU

Just one look, that’s all it took

 

College football is back.

 

“Yeah, just one look

and I knew that I, I, I really love you”

 

Did you see that Colorado-TCU game? And how ’bout those Dookies!

 

“Oh, oh

Just one look

That’s all it took”

 

Well, actually it took the ACC two looks. California, Stanford and SMU didn’t qualify on the first look. They lost that encounter, 11-4. It takes 12 “yes” votes to get an invite. Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and NC State voted “no” on the first look.

 

That’s when Cal, Stanford and SMU put in the heavy hitters – Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush. Rice was battling for Cal and Stanford, while Bush was fighting for SMU. The three schools made their request to join more financially attractive to the ACC. Basically, they agreed to some cuts in pay.

 

Well, even with the new financial terms, Cal, Stanford and SMU still weren’t attractive enough for Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina. But they were looking good to NC State. After two looks, that’s all it took. NC State changed its mind. Cal, Stanford and SMU won the second encounter, 12-3. They got their 12 “yes” votes. That’s all it took.

 

California and Stanford of the Pac-12 and SMU of the AAC will officially become members of the ACC on July 1, 2024. Their first season competing in the conference will be the 2024-25 academic year. And we thought realignment was over. It’s a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack.

 

“Just one look

And I fell so hard

In love with you, oh, oh”

 

Yeah, it only took one look for me on Saturday to fall in love with college football again. It only took one look at the Colorado-TCU game. It was wild. It was entertaining. But most of all, it was shocking.

 

Colorado, under first -year coach Deion Sanders, came into the game a 20-point underdog. No one really knew what to expect from the Buffaloes. They were 1-11 last year. TCU was 13-2 last season and played for the national championship.

 

Let me tell you, Colorado came to play. The Buffaloes made that point clear, when they scored the first touchdown of the game with 8:58 to go in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, TCU evened the score at 7-7. The battle was on.

 

With 9:28 to go in the second quarter, Colorado responded. The Buffs were up 14-7. TCU countered with 1:53 to go in the first half. The Frogs scored a touchdown – 14-14. The battle was still on. Even with less than two minutes to go in the half, Colorado didn’t quit. The Buffs kicked a 49-yard field goal to take a 17-14 halftime lead.

 

Less than a minute into the second half, Colorado scored on a 75-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders to Dylan Edwards. The Buffs were up by 10 points – 24-14. Just 55 seconds later, TCU cut into Colorado’s lead. The Frogs scored on a 24-yard pass play to pull within three – 24-21.

 

TCU wasn’t finished. Late in the third quarter, the Frogs took their first lead in the game. A touchdown put TCU up 28-24. Colorado wasn’t quitting. With 0:27 left in the third, the Buffs scored and retook the lead – 31-28. And back-and-forth we went.

 

Four minutes into the fourth quarter, TCU responded. The Frogs scored a touchdown and went back up – 35-31. Colorado wasn’t fazed. Three minutes later, the Buffs countered with a touchdown – Colorado 38, TCU 35. The race was on.

 

Sure enough, and only 36 seconds later, TCU scored a touchdown to retake the lead at 42-38. But Colorado wasn’t finished. With 4:25 left in the game, Colorado scored on a 46-yard touchdown pass again from Shedeur Sanders to Dylan Edwards. The Buffs were up by three.

 

In the final minutes, TCU had its chances, but Colorado held on to win – 45-42. The TCU fans were stunned.

 

“Just one look

And I knew

That you

Were my only one, oh, oh”

 

The openers Thursday night didn’t look good for two teams – Florida and Nebraska. The Gators only had 13 yards rushing in their 24-11 loss to Utah. The Huskers had four (here we go again) turnovers in their 13-10 loss to Minnesota. You simply don’t win football games with 13 yards rushing and four turnovers.

 

I’ve often heard coaches say that the defense is generally ahead of the offense in the opening game of the season. That statement was ever so true, watching the Nebraska-Minnesota game. The Huskers and Gophers offenses were so bad it made it a bit hard to fall in love with college football after just one look. There was no offense.

  

Fortunately for UCF, the Knights had their act together on offense. On Thursday night, UCF scored 14 points (two touchdowns) in each of the four quarters to beat Kent State 56-6. The Knights racked up 723 yards on offense – 334 yards passing and 389 yards rushing. UCF did all of this in spite of three turnovers.

 

Former Virginia quarterback, now NC State quarterback, Brennan Armstrong rushed for 96 yards, as the Wolfpack downed Connecticut, 24-14.

 

I don’t care who your opponent is, anytime you complete 92.7% of your passes, it’s a remarkable accomplishment. UAB quarterback Jacob Zeno was 38-41-0, passing for 291 yards and three touchdowns, as the Blazers beat North Carolina A&T, 35-6.

 

Friday night, the Canes offense wasn’t confused in the Confusion Bowl. Miami beat Miami. Confused? Miami (Florida) beat Miami (Ohio), 38-3. The Miami from Florida had 493 total yards. Canes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke threw a 44-yard touchdown pass on his first pass of the game.

 

Louisville at Georgia Tech was an interesting game. The Cardinals led, 6-0, at the end of one. But the Jackets came back and led, 28-13, at halftime. The second half was all Louisville, as the Cardinals scored 26 unanswered points. Tech’s one and only score in the second half came with 1:07 left in the game. Louisville downed Georgia Tech, 39-34. The teams combined for 962 total yards.

 

In the very late, late show Friday night, Stanford beat Hawaii, 37-24. Stanford controlled Hawaii better than Vanderbilt did the previous week. The Trees limited the Rainbow Warriors to -5 yards rushing. But Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager did pass for 355 yards and three touchdowns.

 

“I found out

How good it feels

Forever and always, oh, oh”

 

There were two overtime games on Saturday and both were upsets. Northern Illinois knocked off Boston College, 27-24 (OT). BC trailed throughout the game and tied the score at 21-21 with 1:44 left on the clock. In a bigger upset, Wyoming surprised Texas Tech, 35-33 (2OT). Tech led 17-0 at the end of the first quarter, but had to kick a field goal with 0:41 remaining to tie the score. It was 20-20 at the end of regulation.

 

Not an overtime, but perhaps the biggest upset, Texas State shocked Baylor, 42-31.

 

Six teams definitely had no problem with their offenses on Saturday. They were really racking up the points. Oregon downed Portland State, 81-7. The Ducks had 729 total yards – 381 passing and 348 rushing. Oklahoma toppled Arkansas State, 73-0. Arkansas State needs to fire Butch Jones. Jones is a fraud, pretending to be a football coach.

 

Ole Miss pummeled Mercer, 73-7. Three Ole Miss quarterbacks passed for a combined 524 yards. Cincinnati beat Eastern Kentucky, 66-13, and USC dumped Nevada, 66-14. Caleb Williams threw five touchdown passes. Syracuse humbled Colgate, 65-0.

 

“So you see

I really care

Without you

I’m nothing, oh, oh”

 

Air Force quarterback Zac Larrier passed for 95 yards and rushed for 99 yards. The Falcons beat Robert Morris, 42-7. Air Force had 380 rushing yards.

 

Sunday night, Florida State made mincemeat of LSU. The Noles embarrassed the Tigers, 45-24. Seven of LSU’s 24 points came in the closing seconds of the game. That’s right. It was 45-17 as the game was winding down.

 

With Florida State’s win over LSU and North Carolina’s win over South Carolina, the SEC took it on the chin from the ACC. Wonder what Paul Finebaum has to say about that?

 

The long Labor Day weekend came to a close last night with yet another big upset. Just as Colorado shocked us Saturday, Duke shocked us last night. The Dookies knocked off 9^th-ranked Clemson, and they knocked off the Tigers big time – Duke 28, Clemson 7.

 

“Just one look

That’s all it took”

 

There were six potentially interesting and intriguing games I told you to keep an eye on. First (Toledo-Illinois): Illinois had to kick a 29-yard field goal with 0:05 on the clock to beat Toledo, 30-28. Second (Coastal Carolina-UCLA): As the fourth quarter began, UCLA only led Coastal Carolina, 14-13. The Bruins beat the Chanticleers, 27-13. Third (Virginia-Tennessee): Tennessee got off to a slow start but ultimately looked impressive, beating Virginia, 49-13. The Vols held the Cavs to 12 first downs.

 

Fourth (Oregon State-San Jose State): Oregon State had a balanced attack, beating San Jose State, 42-17. Fifth (Utah State-Iowa): It looks like Iowa may have another lethargic offense again this season. The Hawkeyes only had 88 yards rushing, but beat Utah State, 24-14. And Sixth (Washington State-Colorado State): Washington State led Colorado State, 36-3 early in the fourth quarter. The Cougars beat the Rams, 50-24. WSU quarterback Cameron Ward passed for 451 yards.

 

So, we now know the fate of California and Stanford. With their acceptance into the ACC, they will be joining eight of their fellow Pac-12 schools, moving into new conferences next season – four to the Big Ten, four to the Big 12 and two to the ACC. That leaves Oregon State and Washington State, hanging on a tree limb in the Pac-2. The Beavers and the Cougars will likely announce their intentions later this week. And it’s looking like a move to the Mountain West Conference, which means a move from Power Five to the Group of Five. It’s sad for those two schools.

 

By the way, the Pac-12 was 12-0 during opening weekend – the only Power Five conference to go undefeated.

 

With the loss of SMU to the ACC, reports say the American Athletic Conference (AAC) will target Army to replace SMU. Stay tuned!

 

“Niblin’ on sponge cake. Watchin’ the sun bake….” Singer, songwriter, musician, author and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett died on September 1. As a singer, Buffett’s biggest song was “Margaritaville,” which peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The song spent 22 weeks on the chart in the spring and summer of 1977. His other Top 40 hits were “Come Monday,” “Changes In Latitude, Changes in Attitude,” “Cheeseburger In Paradise” and “Fins.” A native of Pascagoula, Mississippi, who grew up in Mobile and Fairhope, Alabama, James William Buffett was 76. “….And I know this is somebody’s fault.”

 

Swamp Mama came up with a name for Rockledge Gator and me: The Romeos – Real old men eating out.

 

Yeah, just one look, that’s all it took. College football is back!

 

Touchdown Tom

September 5, 2023

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

Note: CFW Week 2 Forecast will be posted Thursday morning, September 7.

 

 

Week One Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Not ready for prime time – Florida State 45, LSU 24 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Florida State 23). LSU is not a good football team. The Tigers defense is bad and the offense is a one-man show. LSU expects Jaden Daniels to be the quarterback and a running back. The Tigers were overrated at preseason. Actually, LSU played a good game for one half – the first half. The Tigers led FSU, 17-14 at the break. Then the Noles scored 31 unanswered points in the second half. LSU ran out of steam at halftime. I’m impressed with FSU’s Jordan Travis. He is a good quarterback. FSU receiver Keon Coleman had nine receptions for 122 yards. The two teams combined for 954 total yards. It’s back to the drawing board for LSU coach Brian Kelly. Last year on opening weekend, Florida State beat LSU, 24-23, in New Orleans. Attendance in Orlando: 65,429

 

RUNNER-UP: Heisman performance – Washington 56, Boise State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Boise State 15). Washington’s Michael Penix picked up where he left off last year. The Huskies quarterback passed for 450 yards and five touchdowns. Washington got off to a slow start, trailing Boise State, 6-0, at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies trailed the Broncos, 9-7, midway through the second quarter. Then Washington scored 17 unanswered points and never trailed again. Washington receiver Rome Odunze had 7 receptions for 132 yards. The Huskies finished with 568 total yards, but only 78 yards rushing. Attendance in Seattle: 67,475

 

REST OF THE BEST: Gators lost their shaker of salt – Utah 24, Florida 11 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, Florida 17). Florida wasn’t supposed to win, but the Gators were supposed to look better than they did – especially with Utah quarterback Cam Rising not playing. Buth Utah’s defense and undisciplined play by the Gators killed Florida. The Utes held Florida to a very meager 13 rushing yards. And the Gators racked up nine penalties. Entering the fourth quarter, Utah led, 24-3. The Gators were 1-for-13 on third down efficiency. You can’t blame the loss on Florida quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz actually had a reasonably decent game. His only mistake was one interception. Mertz was 31-for-44, passing for 333 yards and one touchdown. In his post-game presser, Florida coach Billy Napier said the Florida players would get better and better with each game this season. Translation: The Florida players aren’t worth a crap right now. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 53,644

 

No Beaner ball – North Carolina 31, South Carolina 17 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, North Carolina 24). South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler (30-39-0 for 353 yards) had a better game than North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. But Rattler didn’t throw any touchdown passes, and South Carolina was limited to -2 yards rushing. This has to be a big disappointment for Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer. Attendance in Charlotte: 68,723

 

Nothing can stop the Duke of Durham – Duke 28, Clemson 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 28, Duke 21). Clemson has quarterback problems. The Tigers had quarterback problems last year. They have a quarterback problem again this year. Cade Klubnik didn’t get the job done. Duke doesn’t have a quarterback problem. Riley Leonard got the job done. Leonard passed for 176 yards and rushed for 98 yards. He didn’t throw any interceptions. Clemson led at halftime, 7-6. Duke proceeded to score 22 unanswered points in the second half. Clemson came into the game ranked 9^th in the country. This was Duke’s first win over a Top 10 team since 1989 when Steve Spurrier coached the Dookies. During basketball season, you’ve heard of the Cameron Crazies. Now Duke has the Wallace Wade Crazies. They stormed the field after the game. Attendance in Durham: 31,638

 

Brown out – Penn State 38, West Virginia 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 34, West Virginia 17). This was a decent game until midway through the third quarter. Penn State led, 14-7. Then the Nittany Lions scored 17 unanswered points. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was 21-29-0, passing for 325 yards and three touchdowns. It was a clean game. There were no turnovers and only six penalties for 60 yards. Neal Brown’s days as the WVU football coach are numbered. The crowd in Beaver Stadium was the fourth largest in stadium history. Attendance in University Park: 110,747

 

Green storm surge – Tulane 37, South Alabama 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulane 34, South Alabama 31). Tulane jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never trailed in the game. South Alabama quarterback Carter Bradley was disappointing. He threw two interceptions. Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt was impressive. He was 14-15-0, passing for 294 yards and four touchdowns. South Alabama only had 75 yards rushing. The game was marred with eight turnovers – 5 by South Alabama and 3 by Tulane. Attendance in New Orleans: 26,973

 

Here we go again – Minnesota 13, Nebraska 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 23, Nebraska 20). Under previous coach Scott Frost, Nebraska often suffered losses due to late game turnovers. Late in the game Thursday night, Nebraska led Minnesota, 10-3. But two turnovers in the final four minutes of the game enabled the Gophers to score a touchdown and kick a field goal. Minnesota’s victory came on a 47-yard field goal as time expired. Three of Nebraska’s four turnovers were interceptions thrown by quarterback Jeff Sims. Neither team had much offense. They combined for only 546 total yards. Nebraska only had 114 yards passing, and Minnesota only had 55 yards rushing. Attendance in Minneapolis: 53,629

 

Close but no overtime – Houston 17, UTSA 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 35, UTSA 32). Houston led 17-7 late in the fourth quarter. UTSA scored its second touchdown with 5:42 to go in the game. UTSA quarterback Frank Harris threw three interceptions. That was a killer for the Roadrunners. Houston had no turnovers. Attendance in Houston: 37,862

 

It was Prime Time in Fort Worth – Colorado 45, TCU 42 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 27, Colorado 16). This game was exciting from the opening minutes of the first quarter to the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Never a dull moment. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, passed for 510 yards. He was 38-47-0, with four touchdown passes. Colorado receivers Dylan Edwards, Travis Hunter, Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn were impressive. The two teams combined for 1,106 total yards. TCU quarterback Chandler Morris threw two interceptions. Colorado only had 55 yards rushing. That is the Buffs weakness. Look for Colorado to be ranked in the Top 25 this week. Attendance in Fort Worth: 53,294

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

One UT down, one to go – Georgia 48, UT Martin 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 46, UT Martin 9). Georgia got off to a slow start. The Dawgs only led 7-0 with less than five minutes to go in the second quarter. Then Georgia turned it on. UT Martin’s only touchdown came in the fourth quarter. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck passed for 294 yards. Georgia played three quarterbacks. The Dawgs racked up 559 total yards and 28 first downs. Now, will Georgia beat the other UT on its schedule? Attendance in Athens: 92,746

 

Where was Arch? – Texas 37, Rice 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 40, Rice 12). Texas only led 16-3 at halftime. Then the Horns scored three touchdowns in the third quarter. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Arch Manning didn’t play. Texas had 24 first downs to just eight for Rice. The Horns defense held Rice to 27 yards rushing. Attendance in Austin: 98,017

 

Steamless in West Lafayette – Fresno State 39, Purdue 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 20, Fresno State 19). Purdue never trailed in the game until 13:44 to go in the fourth quarter when Fresno State went up 32-28. Purdue retook the lead at 35-32 with 4:36 to go in the game. Fresno State scored a touchdown on a 22-yard pass with 0:59 on the clock. That put the Bulldogs up 39-35. Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene passed for 366 yards and four touchdowns. The two teams combined for 850 total yards. I’m surprised Purdue gave up 39 points. First-year Purdue coach Ryan Walters is a defensive whizz. Not Saturday. Attendance in West Lafayette: 54,898

 

Week 1 Results:  8 winners, 5 fumbles (61.5 percent)

For the Season:  11 winners, 5 fumbles (68.8 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

UCF 56, Kent State 6 – Attendance in Orlando: 44,088

West Florida 35, Kentucky Wesleyan 3 – Attendance in Pensacola: 4,068

Miami 38, Miami (Ohio) 3 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 49,024

 

Western Kentucky 41, South Florida 24 – Attendance in Bowling Green: 15,438

Florida Atlantic 42, Monmouth 20 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 20,893

Stetson 34, St. Thomas (Florida) 33 (OT) – Attendance in Deland: 1,609

 

FIU 14, Maine 12 – Attendance in Miami: 16,878

Memphis 56, Bethune-Cookman 14 – Attendance in Memphis: 26,632

Florida A&M 28, Jackson State 10 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: N/A

 

 

Superlatives

 

Week One’s Best Passers:

 

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders – 38-47-0 for 510 yards (4TDs); Washington State’s Cameron Ward – 37-49-0-451 (3TDs); Washington’s Michael Penix – 29-40-0-450 (5TDs); Fresno State’s Mikey Keene – 31-44-1-366 (4TDs); Hawaii’s Brayden Schager – 30-53-0-355 (3TDs); South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler – 30-39-0-353; LSU’s Jayden Daniels – 22-37-1-347 (1TD), and Cincinnati’s Emory Jones – 19-23-0-345 (5TDs).

 

Also, Florida State’s Jordan Travis – 23-31-1 for 342 yards (4TDs); Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed – 29-50-0-336 (2TDs); Ole Miss’s – Jaxson Dart – 18-23-0-334 (4TDs); Penn State’s Drew Allar – 21-29-0-325 (3TDs); USC’s Caleb Williams – 18-24-0-319 (5TDs); New Mexico State’s Diego Pavia – 18-20-0-317 (2TDs); Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel – 19-22-0-308 (2TDs); Baylor’s Blake Shapen – 21-31-0-304 (2TDs), and Texas State’s T.J. Finley – 22-30-0-298 (3TDs).

 

Also, Tulane’s Michael Pratt – 14-15-0 for 294 yards (4TDs); Georgia’s Carson Beck – 21-31-0-294 (1TD); UAB’s Jacob Zeno – 38-41-0-291 (3TDs); Oregon’s Bo Nix – 23-27-0-287 (3TDs); Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy – 26-30-0-280 (3TDs); Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa – 22-33-0-260 (3TDs); Texas’ Quinn Ewers – 19-30-0-260 (3TDs), and Arkansas’ K.J. Jefferson – 18-23-0-246 (3TDs).

 

Week One’s Best Rushers:

 

Troy’s Kimani Vidal – 248 yards; Western Michigan’s Jalen Buckley – 194 yards (1TD); California’s Jaydn Ott – 188 yards (2TDs); Georgia State’s Marcus Carroll – 184 yards (3TDs); UTEP’s Deion Hankins – 174 yards; TCU’s Emani Bailey – 164 yards, and South Florida’s Byrum Brown – 160 yards (2TDs).

 

Also, Wisconsin’s Chez Mellusi – 157 yards (2TDs); Oregon State’s Damien Martinez – 145 yards; Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen – 141 yards (2TDs); Missouri’s Cody Schrader – 138 yards (1TD); Marshall’s Rasheen Ali – 137 yards (2TDs), and San Diego State’s Jalen Mayden – 132 yards (2TDs).

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Do you believe now,?” Deion Sanders to the press, following Colorado’s win over TCU.

 

“We thought we were the Georgia Bulldogs, “LSU coach Brian Kelly, on the mindset of the LSU football team before the Florida State game.

 

Sign of the Weekend

 

Carolina is in Chapel Hill,

USC is in California

 

 

Touchdown Tom

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