CFU Week No. 10—“Richt’s Trick”

It was college football as usual in my apartment and on my television Saturday afternoon. With the tv screen split between Florida-Georgia and South Florida-UConn, I kicked back, as I always do, and took in the action.

It wasn’t long before I saw something unusual.

Watching “the Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” I focused on Tim Tebow, curious as to how his bruised shoulder would affect his game. When he was sacked on the very first play, I knew that it was going to be a tough day for Gator Nation. Then there was the Kestahn Moore fumble.

But the Gators not playing like the Gators wasn’t the unusual thing that I would see. That thing was the whole Georgia sideline running onto the field, walking it out, Supermanin’, and crankin’ dat all in celebration of its team first touchdown.

“That was genius,” I thought. And the 30-yard penalty it cost was a small price to pay for what that little stunt did for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Much has been said about what Mark Richt basically told his players to do after the first touchdown. But I think it was a good call. In big games, a coach must coach his team up. This, a rivalry game against the defending champs, was a big game. Few had picked the Dawgs to win, and they needed to show each other, the Gators and the nation that they were in this game to win this game.

Was it a gamble? You bet, but I can’t blame Richt for trying something different. They’d lost 15 of the last 17 meetings in the series, and this one wasn’t necessarily looking up. Richt’s out there to win ball games; his orchestrated ploy swung the momentum in his team’s favor and won him the ball game. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

Richt, though, ought to be happy it wasn’t Stever Spurrier, whose Gamecocks beat Georgia earlier this season, wasn’t on that Florida sideline. WTLX.com reports how Spurrier said he would’ve handled the situation: “If the other team ever does that, get one of your down the line guys that's not going to play to get out there and start wrestling with the guys. Now you've got a fight and they're all out the next week. Georgia would have been in trouble if a fight broke out, deep trouble for the game this week."

All of this may sound tacky to some, but to me it’s, quite simply put, coaching. It’s a way of getting a team’s heads in the game.

Spurrier added, "We've got a lot of guys we can have suspended a game."

With Virginia Tech losing it late in the fourth, Rutgers being blown out at home, Kentucky overlooking Mississippi State and Southern California on the ropes in the Pac-10 a lot of other teams could use some coaching up, too. And, though it was a few days before Halloween, Coach Richt’s trick gave the Georgia Bulldogs a treat.

—R. Cooper

Games To Watch: Week No. 10

#11 Virginia Tech versus Georgia Tech
Thursday at 7:30 on ESPN
The Hokies couldn’t finish last week against Boston College. This week they face a less formidable opponent in Georgia Tech. Still they’ll need to play all four quarters to put away the Yellow Jackets who, averaging 219 rushing yards per game, can pound it out on the ground. Win and Virginia Tech ties for first-place in the Coastal Division of the ACC.
Picks—Randall: Virginia Tech Erick: DNP* Chris: Virginia Tech

#21 Wisconsin versus #1 Ohio State
Saturday at 12:00 on Big Ten Network
When Wisconsin came to Beaver Stadium, Penn State looked impressive, beating the Badgers 38-7. Ohio State just dominated Penn State in Beaver Stadium last week. That’s not good for Wisconsin who is only the second ranked team the Buckeyes have faced. Like their matchup last week, on paper the Buckeyes opponent matches up pretty closely. You get the feeling, though, that that matchup will translate onto the field much the same way the Penn State game did. Ohio State looks to set a Big Ten record with 20 straight conference wins.
Picks—Randall: Ohio State Erick: DNP Chris: Wisconsin

#3 LSU versus #21 Alabama
Saturday at 5:00 on CBS

The hype of this game focuses on Nick Saban going head-to-head against his old school, but there’s a lot on the line for both Alabama and LSU. A ‘Bama win gives them control of the SEC West. An LSU loss knocks them out of national title contention. Some twenty of these Tigers were signed by Saban before he left for the Dolphins. Those Tigers score more points, but ‘Bama has been right in a few thrillers already this season, down to the very last second. That’s all it took for LSU to edge Auburn, and you can’t help but wonder if on the road Les Miles will cut this one as close as he did a couple weeks ago.
Picks—Randall: Alabama Erick: DNP Chris: Alabama

#4 Arizona State versus #5 Oregon
Saturday at 6:40 on ESPN

The Pac-1o doesn’t have a title game, but if it did, this would be it. Oregon’s offense is pretty much a track team. They’re lightning fast. But Dennis Erickson has coached the Sun Devils to an undefeated season up to this point. Many times, though, Arizona State has been behind only to rally late. Something says that tactic won’t work against Oregon; you don’t want to be down at any time against the Ducks. Plus, Sun Devil QB Rudy Carpenter is nursing an injured thumb that may limit his game.
Picks—Randall: Oregon Erick: DNP Chris: Oregon

Florida State versus #2 Boston College
Saturday at 8:00 on ABC
Boston College has a solid quarterback. Florida State, not so much. One thing’s certain: Xavier Lee won’t be making any appearances in this game. Lee’s suspended for violating team rules. Here’s shocking news: if Florida State’s defense has a breakout game, the Seminoles can beat Boston College. Nothing would get their season back on track quicker than upsetting No. 2. The Seminoles are overdue for a breakout game, and this could be it. They ought to seriously consider pulling a page out of Mark Richt’s book on Saturday night.
Picks—Randall: Florida State Erick: DNP Chris: Boston College


* DNP means that analyst did not make a pick for the game

IN THE NICK OF TIME: With Seconds to Spare Ryan Leads Boston College to Victory, Makes Heisman Statement

2 minutes and 11 seconds.

That’s all that separated Boston College from becoming yet another No. 2 ranked team to lose. For over 57 minutes Virginia Tech outplayed the Eagles and was on the verge of their biggest win of the season.

That’s when Matt Ryan began to play like a Heisman caliber quarterback. From the 16-yard line, Boston College WR Rich Gunnell hauled in a touchdown loft to cap a 91-yard drive, and the Eagles’ first score. Boston College then trailed by only three, and after recovering an onside kick at their own 34, the Eagles went to work again.

Ryan who looked off until late in the fourth completed some nifty passes in the face of heavy Hokie pressure, moving the ball downfield. And, when only eleven ticks remained on the clock, Ryan danced out of trouble and, rolling to his left, he rocketed a pass high, deep and in a spot only Andre Callender could catch.

Callender pulled it in, and the Eagles rolled out of town having accomplished something Southern California, Cal and South Florida had failed to do. There’s an adage in the sporting world that goes: "it's not how you start; it's how you finish." The Eagles proved this to be true last Thursday. In a dangerous road game against a resurgent Hokie squad in a driving rain, Boston College overcame some early rust and miscues to overtake the Hokies in the final minute.

And Matt Ryan led the charge.

Somewhat overlooked in the Hesiman race, Ryan added to his résumé, going 9-for-15 on the final drive after an interception with 6:01 left in the final stanza. Perhaps more importantly though, Ryan's Eagles team is still unbeaten and still in the national title race, something Darren McFadden, Tim Tebow and Mike Hart can't boast.The loss drops Virginia Tech to 13-3 on Thursday nights, with all three losses coming to Boston College.

While the final 2 minutes and 11 seconds may have been just enough to have Ryan hoist the Hesiman trophy come December, I’m sure he'd much rather hoist a different trophy in New Orleans come January. And if his Eagles keep it up, there's a really good chance he'll get his shot.

—C. Nierman

IF DON’T KNOW NOW YOU KNOWSHON: Moreno, Dawgs Pick Apart Gators’ Defense

"I told them if they didn't get a celebration penalty after our first score, I was going to be mad at ‘em,"

That’s what Georgia coach Mark Richt said during his halftime interview about the wild celebration that sent the whole Georgia team off the sideline and dancing onto the field, following his squads first touchdown.

Classless or not, Richt’s plan to get his boys fired up worked, and behind RB Knowshon Moreno, Georgia defeated the Florida Gators 42-30, earning just its third victory in the last 18 meetings and exposing Florida’s struggling defense.

With 33 carries, Moreno put on a show, rushing for a career-high 188 yards and earning three touchdowns.

Georgia QB Matt Stafford showed his talents, too, completing 11 of 18 for 217 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Stafford connected with Mikey Henderson in the fourth quarter for a 53-yard touchdown. Georgia’s run-pass mix kept Florida’s defense off-balance for most of the game.

Despite being home in Jacksonville, Tim Tebow’s severely bruised shoulder nullified, for the most part, his run game. Tebow was sacked six times and was held to -15 rushing yards, though he did manage two rushing touchdowns.

Florida RB Kestahn Moore had a tough game, fumbling and muffing a snap in the first quarter. Clearly disappointed to even the most amateur of lip-readers, coach Urban Meyer benched Moore until the second half of the game.

And Moore wasn’t alone.

The Gator defense has struggled all along, giving up 31 points to Troy in their second game of the season.

Those struggles culminated last Saturday.

Reggie Nelson, Florida’s playmaking Safety from last year’s national championship team, is badly missed in that secondary. Nelson, who now plays for the Jaguars on Sundays, was probably in Jacksonville on Saturday, and, boy, could the Gators have used his help. Georgia’s Stafford picked apart the Gator ‘D’ with an 84-yard touchdown to Mohamed Massaquoi in the first, that already-mentioned 53-yarder to Henderson in the fourth, and several other long gains in between.

Georgia was also 10-for-13 on third down conversions.

The defending champions now find themselves with three losses and no longer in control of their own destiny in the SEC East. And with a defense that can’t seem to make plays, the Gators may need to go back to the drawing board.

Meanwhile, the win gives the Georgia Bulldogs new life in the SEC East, though they still don’t control their own destiny. That planned penalty not only shifted the momentum of the game but the momentum of the season, too. With this win, the Bulldogs find themselves in the BCS top 10, somewhere no one expected the ‘Dawgs to be.

And that’s worth celebrating.

—R. Cooper

THE SILENCE OF THE FANS: Ohio State Quiets Penn State Fans, But Hardly Validates No. 1 Ranking

It was a big day in Happy Valley. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit were all in town, as was the No. 1 team in the nation. Penn State had the opportunity to knock off No. 1 and stir up the BCS even more. And the Penn State fans, as usual, were stoked. (I won’t mention that I was slightly embarrassed when Penn State fans hurled beer at the College Gameday crew after Corso put on the Buckeye head gear, picking Ohio State to win.)

Pumped up they may have been, but that didn’t last long.

Ohio State scored on all but three of its drives. One of those drives ended with an interception, another with the second quarter, and the other with the game. Buckeye punter, AJ Trapasso, got to take the night off, and so much for that Penn State defense.

Todd Boeckman was on all night, completing 19 of 26 for 253 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Chris Wells had 25 carries for 133 yards. Ohio State’s offense outgained Penn State by 190 yards. The Buckeyes’ offensive line protected Boeckman throughout the night against Penn State’s defense that, coming into the game, led the nation with 35 sacks. They got Boeckman only once.

Questionable, conservative play-calling may have kept Penn State out of the game, especially when the Nittany Lions chose to punt rather than go for it on 4th and 2 in the second quarter on the Ohio State 38. A conversion would have erupted the 110,134 mostly Penn State fans in attendance, shifting the momentum. They were down by only ten.

What isn’t questionable is that Ohio State dominated this game.

But I’d be reluctant to take this win as validation of Ohio State’s ranking. Sure, getting a win in a raucous environment is noteworthy. But where that win comes against a team ranked 25th in the BCS that validation becomes hard to see. Full of cupcakes, the Buckeyes’ schedule is enough to give anyone a sweet-tooth. Being undefeated having faced the likes of Youngstown State, Akron, Washington, Northwestern, Minnesota and Kent State is hardly impressive. Only Purdue, Michigan State, and this Penn State team remotely challenged the Buckeyes. And even those challenges were, at best, remote.

From where I stand, Ohio State has not proved itself to be the best team in that nation. Not even close. That doesn’t matter to them, though; they look to ride the magic carpet that is their schedule all the way to the national championship game, likely only to be embarrassed again.

Still, Ohio State was the best team in Beaver Stadium on Saturday, and while it may not have actually validated its ranking, it did leave Happy Valley in a bad mood.

—R. Cooper

DEATH OF A DYNASTY: Oregon Rips Crown Off USC’s Head

The King is dead!

No longer are the Trojans of Southern California the marquee team of the Pac-10.

No longer do the Trojans have the aura of invincibility and intimidation that helped them become a dynasty in the land of the setting sun.

Dennis Dixon and the Oregon Ducks proved that Saturday. With a key pick by DB Matthew Harper in the final minutes, Oregon baffled USC offensively and then held on to send the Trojans to its second loss in seemingly forever and possibly out of the national title picture.

And while a seven point victory might not seem like a blowout, it was the most lopsided loss by USC in five years and the second biggest loss in the Pete Carroll era since the turn of the century.

The Ducks came out quacking, taking a 7-0 lead on a QB sneak that saw Dennis Dixon walk into the end-zone untouched with 55,000 fans roaring from their seats at Auzten Stadium. After a USC field goal, Oregon answered with three of their own to end the half, gaining a 10-3 lead.

Mark Sanchez threw a touchdown pass early in the third to tie the game at 10 all. Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart responded, rushing for two scores to put the Ducks up 24-10 in the middle of the 4th quarter.

Fourteen points is pretty comfortable right?

Well, USC is still USC, and Sanchez came back to throw a 14-yard score to David Ausberry. The Trojans were driving again, but a pick with 4:44 left effectively ended the game.

USC actually had more total yards than Oregon's vaunted offense, but Sanchez, making his third career start, threw two costly picks that proved to be the difference in the game.

After a big win, the Ducks can look toward their matchup with a suddenly pretty good Arizona State team. Meanwhile, the Trojans, who were the underdogs in a Pac-10 game for the first time since 2000, are watching any hopes for any title slip away.

After seeing the Sun Devils win on Saturday and with Cal still being dangerous, USC may not even be the third best team in the Pac-10.

The rest of the season will tell if the torch has officially been passed, but, for now at least, the King is dead.

—C. Nierman

The "We Couldn't Have Done It Without You" Player of the Week: Week No. 10

Minus the on-field celebration of the entire Georgia squad, the Dawgs may not have been able to leave Jacksonville with the win.

Highlight Reel: Boston College-Virginia Tech

CFU Week No. 9—“Under Pressure”

It’s a pretty good time to be a fan of Boston sports. The Patriots are nothing short of dominating the NFL, the Pierce-Allen-Garnett trio has the Celtics eyeing the Eastern Conference, and I even hear that the Bruins are doing pretty well. But most important, for our purposes at least, is that Boston College is ranked No. 2 in the BCS.

I wonder if Matt Ryan is a Queen fan. If so, he ought to put “Under Pressure” on his iPod and cue it up.

I can hear it now.

“bah-dum dah-dah, bah-dum dah-dah-daaaah…”

In a season where it seems that the higher a team is ranked, the more likely it is to lose, a quick glance into the past few weeks shows that being ranked No. 2 comes with a big ol’ bag of bad luck.

The No. 2 team in that nation has fallen each of the past three weeks: USC to Stanford, Cal to Oregon State, and South Florida to Rutgers.

“Pressure pushing down on me…”

I’d like to say that Boston College will put a halt to this No. 2 taboo. But, I’m not sure. They play on prime-time television on a Thursday night under the lights in Blacksburg, Virginia against Beamer Ball.

Yikes.

“Under pressure, that burns a building down…”

Boston College is feeling the pressure.

No doubt about it.

Coach Jeff Jagodzinski is about to be in the biggest game in his first season. But the pressure can come up just a bit.

While the Hokies are 13-2 in their last fifteen Thursday night games, those two losses were to Boston College. That, and the Boston Red Sox stomped Colorado last night in the game one of the World Series.

But what offsets pressure the most is confidence, and with the way Boston College and Matt Ryan have played all year, they ought to have plenty of it.

Getting Kevin Garnett to play wide-receiver and channeling Tom Brady, who doesn’t know what pressure is, wouldn’t hurt either.

—R. Cooper

Games To Watch: Week No. 9

#2 Boston College versus #8 Virginia Tech
Thursday @ 7:30 on ESPN



Boston College finds itself ranked No. 2 in both the BCS and AP polls. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Up to this point, being ranked No. 2 is taboo. Plus, the Eagles travel down to Blacksburg on a Thursday night to face a stout defense with a fierce pass defense. But injuries abound for VT, and Matt Ryan and Boston College look to end the stream of bad luck that plagues that No. 2 spot.
Picks—Randall: Virginia Tech Erick: Virginia Tech Chris: Boston College


#7 West Virginia versus Rutgers
Saturday @ 12:00 on ABC
After beating South Florida last Thursday, Rutgers put themselves right back in the Big East talk. With West Virginia coming to town, the Scarlet Kings hope to keep handing out those upsets. And Rutgers comes into this game with a bitter taste in their mouths; last year West Virginia denied them a BCS berth. With a wide-open Big East, Rutgers knows that a win here will keep their chances at a BCS appearance alive. But so does West Virginia.
Picks—Randall: West Virginia Erick: West Virginia Chris: West Virginia


#12 Southern California versus #5 Oregon
Saturday @ 3:00
The Trojans are underdogs in a Pac-10 game for the first time in a very long time. And that may be good for them. Pete Carroll’s team has nothing but exclamation points on defense but a bunch of question marks on offense. Whether John David Booty or Mario Sanchez plays is crucial for the Trojans, as the offense seems more confident with Booty. No started has been named as of yet. What will be fun to watch, though, is just how Dennis Dixon and that Oregon offense fare against the third defense in the country.
Picks—Randall: Oregon Erick: USC Chris: Oregon



#10 South Florida versus #23 UConn
Saturday @ 3:30 on ABC
South Florida comes off a heartbreaking loss to Rutgers that may have ended hopes of appearing in the national championship game. There’s no bigger band-aid than a win against UConn who is rolling and has earned its first ranking in school history. But, quite evenly matched, neither of these teams stands out against the other on paper. It’ll be interesting to see how that translates onto the field.
Picks—Randall: South Florida Erick: South Florida Chris: South Florida


#11 Florida versus #18 Georgia
Saturday @ 3:30 on CBS
Tebow has a sore shoulder, but that won’t stop him from playing in his hometown of Jacksonville where these two meet each year. The Bulldogs are coming off a bye-week that, I’m sure, was spent trying to find ways to stop Tebow. But that’s not easy to do, and unless that shoulder gives him trouble, Tebow will be as outstanding as he has been all season long. I hope Mark Richt has a plan B.
Picks—Randall: Florida Erick: Florida Chris: Florida


#9 Kansas versus Texas A&M
Saturday @ 7:00 on ESPN2
Texas A&M has struggled for most of the season, but the Aggies got a big win over Nebraska last week. The Aggies’ edge comes on the ground, where they’re ranked fifth in the nation. But the Aggie faithful ought not get their hopes up too high; Kansas is seventh in the nation in rushing defense.
Picks—Randall: Texas A&M Erick: Kansas Chris: Kansas


#16 South Carolina versus Tennessee
Saturday @ 7:45 on ESPN
Both of these squads have wounds from last week. Steve Spurrier has griped about his offense all season. That offense finally failed him against Vandy. Spurrier has jostled Blake Mitchell and Chris Smelley throughout the season. After last week, he’s even considering the third stringer, Tommy Beecher who is more mobile than the other two. We’re not sure who’s going to be taking snaps for the Gamecocks, but Erik Ainge will certainly be in the pocket for the Vols. And unless Spurrier’s defense can neutralize him, it may not matter who the QB is.
Picks—Randall: South Carolina Erick: Tennessee Chris: South Carolina


#1 Ohio State versus Penn State
Saturday @ 8:00 on ABC
As a No. 1 team, there are many ways to lose. One way is to play a game in Beaver Stadium where the Nittany Lions have won all five home games this season and are 18 of 19 since 2005. The Buckeyes, who haven’t lost a regular season game in over two years, are the first No. 1 ranked team to come to Paternoville since the 1989 Notre Dame team. They also boast that nation’s most stingy defense, while Penn State’s offense has been known to struggle. But these squads are not all that different, and this game will be Ohio State’s toughest so far this season.
Picks—Randall: Penn State Erick: Ohio State Chris: Ohio State


#21 California versus #4 Arizona State
Saturday @ 10:00
Nobody’s really talking about Arizona State playing for the national championship, but these boys are undefeated and rolling. Not too long ago, everyone was talking Cal playing for it all, but two-straight losses as hushed that talked. Cal looks to make things right again while Arizona State looks to keep them from going wrong.
Picks—Randall: Cal Erick: Cal Chris: Cal

KICKED BY KARMA: Rutgers Puts Damper On South Florida’s National Title Dreams

Last year Rutgers was the darling of college football. Two losses ended the Scarlet Knights Championship dreams, but seriously, who thought they actually had a chance?

My, how a year changes things.

This year it was the South Florida Bulls who found themselves in the same position Rutgers was in last year.

And this year it was Rutgers playing spoiler.

Call it fate. Call it coincidence. Call it crazy. But I'll call it karma, and everyone knows that karma is a bitch. And ,unfortunately, the Bulls found that out last Thursday the hard way.

Being ranked No. 2 had the Bulls shooting for the stars. Maybe they were getting ahead of themselves. The Scarlet Knights entered the game fired up and after the gun sounded, Rutgers emerged with a 30-27 win that was just a weird as the rest of the college football season.

A swarming defense contained Bulls quarterback Matt Grothe, sacking the kid seven times.
The special teams of Rutgers proved to be the deciding factor in the game.

Andrew DePaola, usually the 3rd string QB, tonight the "holder" threw a 15 yard score off a fake field goal in the 3rd quarter to give Rutgers the lead after a fake punt help set up another score in the first half.

What wasn't unnatural was Ray Rice who gave the Knights a much-needed 181 yards on 30 carries in the ball game, and Mike Teel threw for two scores as the Scarlet Knights pulled off their own upset. And after a desperation pass by Grothe on a 4th and 37 was picked off, Rutgers could celebrate.

It was a must win for the Scarlet Knights, if they wanted to have any chance at a Big East title and a potential BCS berth.

They certainly made a case Thursday night.

Meanwhile, South Florida didn't have much time to celebrate their highest ranking in their short history. Still, with this season the Bulls hopes might not be done.

But it did just get a lot harder.

After the No. 2 team lost for the third straight week, some speculate that that spot in the poll is cursed. The Bulls might believe that, and if it's true LSU better watch out this weekend—especially if they keep passing up field goals for last second touchdowns.

—C. Nierman

THE LUCK OF THE TIGERS: With Last Second Touchdown, Miles Looks Like a High-Roller

With luck all but fleeting for the Irish thus far, it seems to have found a new home in Baton Rouge.

Against Florida, LSU wasn't afraid to roll the dice, going 5-for-5 on fourth down—including two that went for touchdowns. Taking those chances is what allowed LSU to win. Those gambling ways continued last Saturday when, trailing with under a minute to play, time was ticking on any championship hopes LSU may have had. But, down by only a point, Les Miles’ group wasn’t out of the game yet.

Quick. If you were the head coach of a team down by one point with under a minute to play, what would you do?

You’d probably march down the field into field goal position and send out your kicker, right?

That’s actually wrong if you’re a student the Les Miles School of Coaching.

You just flunked out.

The correct answer is: go for the touchdown.

I sat in disbelief as I glanced in the corner of my television at the game clock and back at what was happening on the field. I thought, “what are they doing?” “Why isn’t the kicker trotting onto the field?” I couldn’t help but think of Cal’s brain fart the week prior.

And that’s when it happened.

When Demetrius Byrd hauled in Matt Flynn's 22-yard pass with but a second to spare, I immediately went to Expedia.com and booked Les Miles and me a flight to Las Vegas. That touchdown and the extra point that followed gave LSU a 30-24 win over Auburn, and with South Florida’s loss put the Tigers right back in National Championship contention, not that they ever left.

Auburn did put up a good fight, leading at the half. QB Brandon Cox was 18 of 28 with 199 yards and two touchdowns. The Auburn Tigers were only able to muster 296 yards of total offense against LSU’s fearless defense. Only 97 of those yards came on the ground.

I can’t help but wonder when LSU’s luck will run out, but in the meantime I’m certainly not betting against them.

Hmm, I wonder if Les Miles would be willing to send me some lotto numbers.

—R. Cooper

TOP OF HIS CLASS: Gators Stop Kentucky, Tebow Astute

Most college sophomores live a life of the occasional class, late night Taco Bell runs, frequent binge drinking and ultimate frisbee. Not many play college football in the toughest conference in the nation against elite competition week after week and score five touchdowns against the #7 team in the nation.

Then again, most college sophomores aren't Tim Tebow.

The Florida wonder-kid was next to perfect Saturday as the Florida Gators rebounded nicely from a rare two game losing skid and knocked the Kentucky Wildcats off their high. A week after knocking off then No. 1 LSU, the Wildcats fell in a competitive, crazy SEC matchup that could throw the entire conference out of whack.

After Kentucky struck first, Tebow responded with touchdown tosses of 10 and 66 yards and a nifty 1-yard jump pass to give Florida a 21-10 halftime lead. And with the Florida defense holding the Wildcats to sub-100 yards for the game, Kentucky had to air it out.

Fortunately the Wildcats also have a pretty good QB in Andre Woodson.

Yet another Tebow TD pass to Andre Caldwell put Florida up by 18, and the game looked as if it was about to get out of hand.

But Woodson and the Wildcat offense answered.

Kentucky struck back with a 14-3 run to close the quarter and the gap, capped by Dicky Lyons 50 yard-probably-shoulda-been-a-short-to-medium-gain-but-was-not touchdown grab.

A Percy Harvin end-around gave the Gators some breathing space, and even after Woodson hit Lyons again for a score, Tebow hit Harvin for a 40 yard gain to the Kentucky 2. He then took it in himself for the score.

A meaningless Kentucky score that ended the game made the score look closer than it actually was.

Heisman-candidate Woodson ended up throwing for five TDs, but paid a price also, taking six sacks by a relentless Florida pass-rush that was lacking in the previous two games.

Now after a promising resurrection the first half of the season, Rich Brooks squad finds itself in the same position as the rest of the conference—a few losses, but still a shot at the league title.

But while all the other college sophomores were in their dorms crunching Doritos and probably watching him, Tim Tebow did something none of his fellow classmates did.

And if he keeps it up, he could do something no sophomore has done; he could wind up in New York holding the stiff-arm-trophy-thingy.

—C. Nierman

LOOKING GOOD: Behind Defense, Ohio State Play Like Champs

I understand that they haven’t really faced anybody and that their conference is very average, but Ohio State’s defense looks good.

Really good.

Like, National Champions good.

Just look at the numbers. 6, 2, 14, 7, 7, 7, 3, 17. These are the number of points Ohio State has allowed this year. And the highest of those, 17, is misleading. Michigan State was able to get an interception and a fumble returned for touchdowns in the second half of their tilt with the Buckeyes. Ohio State’s defense only gave up 3 of those points.

Look at the other offensive stats for Michigan State. They were held to 59 yards on 28 carries. Their running back, Javon Ringer, ran 18 times for 49 yards, less than 3 yards a carry. The Spartans were only 12-24 passing with no scores, an interception and only 126 yards passing.

The Spartan’s offense did nothing. They were a team that scored 31 or more points four times on the season. But their offense could only muster three against the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes are still very young and unproven offensively, and it is still a mystery if the offense can produce points to win a shootout. But all those young players on defense that terrorized the Big Ten last year are all a year older and they’re all a year better. And if they don’t lose, they may all get a shot at avenging last season and playing for a National Championship.

—E. Blasco

ROLLING TIDE: ‘Bama Puts Whooping on Tennessee

Perhaps, the Vols should’ve packed up and headed back to Knoxville right after the opening kickoff when ‘Bama recovered an onside kick. It was downhill from there. Nothing went right for Tennessee, and in front of 92,000 fans they were absolutely embarrassed.

‘Bama QB John Parker Wilson completed 32 of 46 for 363 yards, three touchdowns, and not a single interception. DJ Hall, Wilson’s favorite receiver, caught 13 of those passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, setting a single-game school record for receptions. ‘Bama’s offense racked up 510 yards of total offense against an up and down Tennessee squad.

The 41-17 score was the most lopsided victory for Alabama in this rivalry since 1986. And Alabama had lost 10 of the last 12 meetings in the series.

Not bad for Saban’s debut in this rivalry.

On the other side of the ball, ‘Bama was able to subdue a prolific Erik Ainge, holding him to one touchdown and picking off one of his 35 attempts.

The Vols didn’t help themselves, either; eleven penalties cost them 81 yards.

The loss, their second in the SEC, puts Tennessee in the middle of the SEC East behind South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky. While the win keeps ‘Bama as a serious contender in the West.

—R. Cooper

JAYWALKING: Kansas Squeezes By Colorado

With the Kansas winning the first six games of the season, last week’s game at Colorado was supposed to prove whether Kansas belonged with the big boys or not.

After their 19-14 victory, I still don’t know what to think.

On one hand, despite ugly play from both sides, the Jayhawks were able to use some deft playmaking—like the Derek Fine four-yard touchdown reception on play-action from Todd Reesing—to come up with timely scores. Also, the defense held strong on numerous occasions, even stopping Colorado on fourth down twice in the fourth quarter.

However, with the Jayhawks hoping to generate buzz to slingshot themselves up the polls, they were only ahead 3-0 at the half. And, while Reesing was sharp (20-29, 153 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 7 rushes, 84 yards), the offense didn’t have many big plays that could have blown the Buffaloes out on the spot.

Instead, the Jawhawks were tough and efficient against an inconsistent team. That may be good enough to keep them creeping up the rankings, but will it be enough for the Jayhawks to beat Missouri and win the Big 12 North?

We’ll have to wait until their game at Texas A&M for more answers.

—E. Blasco

Week 9—Go-To Guy: James Hardy

This Indiana Hoosier may be the most slept on wide-receiver in the game, and QB Kellen Lewis is not afraid to throw his way. And, who wouldn’t be? At 6’7, James Hardy seems to always outjump defenders, hauling in passes like it’s no big deal. He makes key plays for Indiana each week. Saturday against Penn State, Hardy pulled down his 31st career touchdown reception, breaking the Hoosiers long-standing record of 30 set by Jade Butcher. He’s an athlete that takes the difficulty out of the wide-receiver position. For Hardy, it’s easy. And, that’s why he’s the go-to guy.

—R. Cooper

BCS 101: Bowl Projections

Cooper thinks fate will pave the way for Penn State, Blasco hasn't counted out the Bulls for the title game, and Nierman sees Mizzou taking the Big XII.

My Two Yards: Week No. 9

If you had to cast a vote for the Heisman today, who would you vote for?

Cooper:
That’s easy. Tim Tebow. The man is surreal. He's got all the hype surrounding him, plays in the best conference in the game, and his stats are just gaudy. He boasts the highest QB rating in D1-A college football, third highest in all of college football. The man has 2, 289 yards of total offense and completes 66% of his passes with but three interceptions. And, most impressively, Tebow has thrown 17 touchdowns and rushed for 10 more. I'm just waiting for him to pass to himself.

Blasco:
In 2001 Florida quarterback Rex Grossman was robbed of a Heisman because he was only a sophomore. Don't let the same mistake happen twice. Tim Tebow has 27 touchdowns, 2300 total yards of offense, and has led the Gators to wins over Tennessee and at Kentucky. The Gator offense is pretty good and Tebow is the Gator offense.

Nierman:
There are many great players this year, but only one has carried his team on his back. Only one has been the heart and soul of his squad. Only one has played thorough pain, through heart-breaking loss, and gave his all when his team was floundering. Only one has put up the best numbers at his position, became the workhorse of his team, has ground it out, pushed for extra yardage, stretched for impossible touchdowns and even ran out to block for an extra point a play after scoring when his team had 10 men on the field. Only one athlete has led, no, carried his team back from the depths of a hellish season and saved them. Who is this? Mike Hart.

The "We Couldn't Have Done It Without You" Player of the Week: Week No. 9

You can praise the call, and you can you praise the throw. But none of that would have mattered had Demetrius Byrd's hands not brought down the pass, giving LSU the win over Auburn.

Sideline: Week No. 8

Bulls Eye Title
By Erick Blasco

I understand that Ohio State looks really good this year. I understand that the Buckeyes have one of the best defenses so far in the country. And I understand that while their offense got off to a slow start this year, it looks like they’ve replaced last season’s NFLers with a crop of future NFLers.

What I can’t understand is why Ohio State is ahead of South Florida in the Polls right now. I mean, compare their schedules.

Take out Youngstown State, Akron, Kent State, and Minnesota from the Buckeye’s schedule. Those teams are all horrible. Take out Elon and FAU from South Florida’s schedule as their horrible opponents. That’s two more joke opponents for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes have had one more game this year than South Florida. Fine, we’ll allow the Youngstown State game to be stricken from their record. The Buckeyes still have one more low quality opponent than the Bulls do.

Next, compare the meat of the schedules.

Ohio State has wins at Washington, vs. Northwestern, and at Purdue. South Florida has wins over UCF, North Carolina, West Virginia, and at Auburn. Northwestern and Purdue have no defenses whatsoever, and the Boilermakers 5-2 record is a product of blitzing their own weak schedule. And despite all the positive buzz surrounding Washington, they’re 2-4 right now.

On the other hand, North Carolina might be on par with Washington in terms of talent and resume, while wins vs. West Virginia and Auburn are much more impressive than wins at Washington and Purdue.

The only reason why Ohio State is ranked #1 is because the Buckeyes have name recognition and a trip to the National Championship Game last year. That’s well and good and it gives the Buckeyes a great tiebreaker when compared to a team like Boston College who’s resume is still very much blank.

And it shouldn’t even be a problem. Nobody is arguing that the Buckeyes shouldn’t be a top ranked team right now. If they win out, they have an excellent chance at earning a number 2 ranking and punching a ticket to the National Championship Game. But right now, even one-loss LSU, Oregon, and Oklahoma teams have résumé’s that outshine Ohio State’s. Those teams are Ohio State’s competition for the #2 spot. And there’s no competition for the #1 spot at all.

It’s South Florida’s easily.

The "We Couldn't Have Done It Without You" Player of the Week: Week No. 8

Steven Johnson made the touchdown reception that ultimately gave Kentucky the win over No. 1 LSU

Sideline: Week No. 8

Has the BCS Met Its Match?
By Chris Nierman

The Chinese College Football Calander must be "The Year of the Upset"

It started Week 1 with Appalachian State, and since then, all the teams in the Preseason Top Ten have at least one loss. In the past 3 weeks USC was shocked by Stanford, LSU lost to Kentucky, Cal dropped a close one to the Beavers and preseason darlings West Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma have all fallen from grace and a team called "South Florida" currently holds the #2 spot.

That's to say nothing about where Louisville, Penn State, Rutgers Arkansas and Michigan have gone.

Who could've seen that coming? Raise your hand if you thought Cincinnati, Arizona State, Illinois or Kentucky would be players in the BCS this year. Go cut yourself if you're actually raising your hand still, cause you're lying.

The fact is, the field is finally being leveled in college football thanks to the 85 scholarship limitations, tougher restrictions on walk-ons, and the success of Boise State last year has even the smallest mid-major shooting for the stars. No one is safe and with all the upsets that have happened this season and the certainty of more upsets to come, the question is: Has the BCS met its match this year? This season could be the most controversial year yet for the computers.

What happens if a dozen teams have one loss? Or another dozen have 2 losses? Or if South Florida runs the table? Would anyone in their right mind put the Bulls in the Title Game over a one-loss LSU or Oklahoma? Would the computers?

All these questions should make for a wild second half of the college football season and in the year of the upset, no fan should hang up their hopes on their team just yet. Hold on to your seats everyone ; I get a feeling this is only the beginning.

Games To Watch: Week No. 8

#2 South Florida versus Rutgers
Picks—Randall: South Florida Erick: South Florida Chris: South Florida

Texas A&M versus Nebraska
Picks—Randall: Nebraska Erick: Texas A&M Chris: Texas A&M

#7Kentucky versus #15 Florida
Picks—Randall: Florida Erick: Florida Chris: Florida

Miami versus Florida State
Picks—Randall: Florida State Erick: Florida State Chris: Miami

Penn State versus Indiana
Picks—Randall: Penn State Erick: Penn State Chris: Penn State

#10 Cal versus UCLA
Picks—Randall: Cal Erick: Cal Chris: Cal

Michigan State versus #1 Ohio State
Picks—Randall: Ohio State Erick: Ohio State Chris: Ohio State

#21 Tennessee versus Alabama
Picks—Randall: Tennessee Erick: Tennessee Chris: Alabama

#17Auburn versus #4 LSU
Picks—Randall: LSU Erick: LSU Chris: LSU


Other Games to Watch: Southern California-Notre Dame, Michigan-Illinois, Texas Tech-Missouri

IMPERFECT: Oklahoma Thumps Mizzou, End Perfect Start

The numbers aren’t anything special. 67 yards on 13 carries is solid, but you really wouldn’t think of those numbers as gamebreaker numbers. For the Oklahoma Sooners though, they wouldn’t have survived Missouri without those critical 67 yards.

Those 67 yards came via the legs of Chris Brown. While Oklahoma had no problems throwing the ball,Sam Bradford went 24-34 with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions, Oklahoma’s running game had been inconsistent for the first 33 minutes of the game. But Chris Brown’s entry into the lineup allowed the Sooners to grind away the win.

Brown had only two carries in the 3rd quarter. But one was a touchdown carry that gave the Sooners a 23-10 lead.

However, two Missouri touchdown drives sandwiched in between a muffed Juaquin Iglesias kick left the Sooners behind the 8-ball.

That’s when Brown went to work. After Bradford maneuvered the Sooners to the Missouri 30, Brown caught a 12 yard pass on a 3rd and 7 to keep a drive alive. The next three plays were Brown for 12, Brown for 7, and Brown for a 1 yard touchdown to give Oklahoma the lead back.

After a fumble was returned by Oklahoma for a score, the Sooners called on Brown for one last series to punctuate and seal the win. He responded by taking three simple runs for 24 yards and the clinching touchdown.

With back to back wins over Texas and Missouri, and with the rest of the top teams in the country dropping like flies, the Sooners were back in the National Championship hunt. Meanwhile, you have to wonder if Oklahoma’s third string tailback will kick off Missouri’s annual swoon.

—E. Blasco

TKO: Auburn Knocks Arkansas Out of SEC Contention

In a battle between two SEC teams on a fall afternoon, one would not expect the Red Sox - Indians score to be higher. And Auburn fans can thank their defense for being able to beat Darren McFadden and Co, despite not scoring a touchdown.

Three field goals were all the Tigers needed to keep their SEC title hopes alive, one a game-winner with 21 ticks left by Wes Byrum as the Razorbacks continue to fade.

RB Darren McFadden had his Heisman hope hit a speed bump and the Tigers held him to only 43 yards on 17 carries. Both teams struggled to find any sort of offensive rhythm as the teams entered the final stanza with Auburn ahead 3-0. But a low-scoring defensive battle can be fun to watch too. And the fourth quarter of this one was exciting as ever.

After Byrum's second missed FG of the game, Arkansas grabbed the lead with 1:36 remaining by a Casey Dick-to-Lucas Miller touchdown pass after a crazy drive that had McFadden and WR Robert Johnson throwing passes, but Auburn answered right back with a 22 yard return and then a 30 yard reception to set up the Tigers for the winning kick. Byrum nailed it and the Tigers left Fayetteville with a W, a 3-1 SEC record and a chance to make a statement in the next half of the season.

Meanwhile the loss drops the Razorbacks to 0-3 in the SEC and sinking fast. While McFadden has been brilliant for most of the season, Coach Huston Nutt's chair is starting to feel a little warm. Many fans expected the Razorbacks to be a player in the SEC Title race a year after they barely missed a BCS birth after a heartbreaker to Florida in the Championship game.

After a tumultuous offseason that saw QB Mitch Mustain transfer, the Razorbacks seemed to lose focus and control during the game. 10 penalties cost the Back a full field of yards and many of them were needless personal fouls. Meanwhile planes flew anti-Nutt banners over the stadium.....basically, Mr. Nutt better get things turned around soon.

Auburn, however, can bask in the glory of their 4th straight victory in their all-white uniforms (their 15th straight win in that color) and focus on an SEC title. Meanwhile, Arkansas better start focusing on winning some winnable games.

—C. Nierman

CAN-TUCKY!: Wildcats Scratch Off Tigers in Cat Fight

I want to say that I’d bet you didn’t see this one coming, but with the state of college football, you might have. And if you thought LSU would run the table and more than likely bring the championship to Baton Rouge, you weren’t alone. That may still be possible, but the Tigers suffered a misstep in that journey at the hands of Kentucky.

It took three overtimes for Kentucky to knock what some have called the best team in the nation. But they did it, even with Andre Woodson slightly struggling. He threw two interceptions, but still completed 21 of 38 for 250 yards and three touchdowns. It was Kentucky’s defensive stance in the third overtime that gave the Cats the win.

Les Miles looked more than brilliant in his play-calling against the Gators. That was less true here. Calling Charles Scott’s number on 4th and 2 with the game on the line may have been the right call, but it didn’t work. Kentucky’s Braxton Kelley came out of nowhere, stuffing Scott just short of the first down.

That’s when the green grass on the field became blue grass.

Matt Flynn was 17-of-35 for 130 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Woodson stepped up just when his team needed it, throwing three key touchdowns, finding Steve Johnson wide open in the end zone for what turned out to be the game-winning score. The Wildcats had a little help from LSU themselves. The Tigers gave 103 yards to penalties.

This was Kentucky’s first win over a No. 1 team since 1964.

—R. Cooper

CFU Week No. 8 — "Down Goes Frazier!"

“Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”

Those are the famous words of Howard Cosell when George Foreman, a little-known contender, knocked out “Smoking” Joe Frazier, the undefeated and undisputed champion—the same Joe Frazier that defeated a cocky and accomplished Muhammed Ali.

As memorable was Foreman's final punch, an uppercut landed with such force that it lifted Frazier off his feet before sending him to the canvas for the sixth and final time.

And down went Frazier.

I couldn’t help but think of these words on Saturday after the Kentucky Wildcats, the little-known contenders, stuffed the LSU Tigers, the undefeated and undisputed champs, just short on 4th and 2, landing the Wildcats on their feet in this cat fight.

“Down goes LSU,” I thought.

There it was. Another upset in this topsy-turvy season. I mean, seriously, what could happen next? Could South Florida actually win it all?

Speaking of the Bulls, every time I turn to ESPN someone is talking about how they don’t belong in the national title game. I need someone to explain that to me. I mean, in the pre-season everyone touted West Virginia to be national championship contenders and South Florida has just as much right as the Mountaineers. They’re in the same embryonic conference. Their strengths of schedule are about the same. I might even give South Florida the edge in that category. Plus, the Bulls knocked off both Auburn and West Virginia. And, they just routed in-state rival Central Florida, 64-12.

Now, why don’t they belong in the big show, again?

It doesn’t make any sense to me, and as long as they play as good as they’ve been playing, not only does South Florida belong in the national championship game, they’ll also get there.

—R. Cooper

The "We Couldn't Have Done It Without You" Player of the Week: Week No. 7

Rashard Mendenhall was more than key in Illinois' victory over Wisconsin. He carried the ball 19 times for 160 yards. And he got into the endzone twice.

Games To Watch: Week No. 7

#21 Florida State versus Wake Forest
Thursday @ 7:30 PM ET on ESPN
Wake Forest went all the way to the Orange Bowl last year, a place where the Seminoles used to find themselves each year unless they played for the championship. The Demon Deacons have already beat Maryland and given BC a run for its money. As his first road game since taking over this season, this game will be a test for Florida State’s QB Xavier Lee. But ever since the Seminole offense has found rhythm, its defense has lost some. The Seminoles had better be firing on all cylinders against this dangerous team.
Picks—Randall: Florida State Erick: Wake Forest Chris: Florida State

#23 Tennessee versus Mississippi State
Saturday @ 2:30 PM ET on GAMEPLAN
Mississippi State is one of those teams that you’d better be prepared for. They will sneak in an upset win. But our thoughts that Tennessee was in for a bad season were extinguished last week when they blew by Georgia. The Vols have won 4 of the last 7 in this series. Mississippi State looks to change that.
Picks—Randall: Tennessee Erick: Tennessee Chris: Tennessee

#1 LSU versus #17 Kentucky
Saturday @ 3:30 PM ET on CBS
Kentucky couldn’t hang with South Carolina’s defense. They’ll be mortified against LSU’s. Going into Lexington, this will be the Tigers toughest road game so far this season. And with the upset bug is going around this is a must-watch. I wonder if LSU has the immune system to fight it off.
Picks—Randall: LSU Erick: LSU Chris: LSU

#4 Boston College versus Notre Dame
Saturday 3:30 PM ET on NBC
Thus far, the seasons for these two squads contrast as much as black and white. The Irish managed their very first win of the season last week. But they’ll hit a brick wall on Saturday when they face 6-0 BC. Everyone knows how good Matt Ryan and BC are playing. And everyone knows how bad Jimmy Clausen and ND are playing. A win against BC would certainly do a big part in salvaging a nightmare of a season.
Picks—Randall: Boston College Erick: Boston College Chris: Boston College

#11 Missouri versus #6 Oklahoma
Saturday 6:30 PM ET on ABC
Missouri is on a roll. They just destroyed Nebraska. Oklahoma just destroyed Texas after being destroyed by Colorado. For the Sooners, there’s no room for the same mistakes they made against Colorado. Missouri is way much better than Colorado. But the Sooners are the toughest team Missouri has faced this season. Missouri averages more total yards, while Oklahoma scores more points. The Sooners defense against Missouri’s offense will decide this one.
Picks—Randall: OklahomaErick: Oklahoma Chris: Oklahoma

#19 Wisconsin versus Penn State
Saturday 3:30 PM ET on ABC
Off-field problems aren’t the only things Penn State should be worried about. They’ll have an on-field problem Saturday afternoon. Wisconsin looks to bounce back from losing to Illinois. Penn State has lost their last two, and they take on Wisconsin without RB Austin Scott. With that and the problems they have on offense, Penn State faces an uphill battle.
Picks—Randall: WisconsinErick: Wisconsin Chris: Wisconsin

Other Games to Watch: GT-Miami, Texas A&M-Texas Tech, South Carolina-UNC, Auburn-Arkansas

THE WIN QUENCHER: For Illini, Juices Quenches Win, Not Thirst

Juice is most commonly referred to as a tasty beverage made out of fruit. In Champaign, Illinois though, a different Juice named Williams teamed with Rashard Mendenhall to snap the nation's longest winning streak against Wisconsin.

The Badgers have certainly looked vulnerable the past few weeks and the Fighting Illini exposed them. Illinois jumped out to a 17-0 lead and then hung on to preserve a 31-26 victory that vaulted them into the Top 25 for the first time seemingly since, well....ever. Of course that's not true but it's been a while since the residents of the Land of Lincoln have tasted success. (Kurt Kittner ring a bell?).

Juice Williams might make fans forget about those days as he played an effecient game, completing 12-19 throws while running around the Wisconsin defense and handing the ball off to Mendenhall who pounded out 160 yards against a Badger front line that was supposed to be one of the best in the Big Ten.

In the meantime Wisconsin QB Tyler Donovan continued his incosistent play, throwing two costly picks, and the Badgers shut down back PJ Hill for only 83 yards well below his 133 yd average.

A mere 3 years after winning only four games in that span and one Big Ten win, Coach Ron Zook's (inexplicably?) good recruiting classes are finally starting to show up and have Illinois talking Rose Bowl.

As for the Badgers, coach Bret Beilema summed it up when he proclaimed that "Illinois played right up to our ranking." What he didn't mention is what most of us suspected all along.....that maybe the #5 ranking wasn't all that justified after all.

—C. Nierman

SEEING RED: Oklahoma Sends Texas Sailing

There is a body of water that rises in the Southwest. This water will flow over 2,000 miles before dumping into the Mississippi. This water is the Red River and it separates two state that share one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports.

On Saturday, Texas and Oklahoma met for the 102nd time in what is known as the Red River rivalry and the game was everything a rivalry game should be.

In a game with a little bit of everything from big time defensive plays, lengthy and efficient offensive drives and two young quarterbacks matching up for the first time, it was only fitting that this one came down to the wire.

Of course it could have been bette. Only a week and a half ago, talk was round those parts that both the Longhorns and Sooners could have been facing off with Title aspirations on the line. Two upsets later and the rivalry was all about survival in the Big 12 South. But in the Red River Rivalry, it's still a HUGE game.
True frosh quarterback Sam Bradford bounced back nicely after a misstep against Colorado, tossing a 1 yard score to Jermaine Gresham late in the 1st quarter. And just when it seemed as if Texas might be gaining momentum after going ahead a score 14-7 in the second, Bradford put together a nice 66 yard drive culminated by another TD pass to Gresham. It may have been easy to think that Bradford was a grizzled vet instead of a freshman playing in his first rivalry game. But then again, if you head into the Red River rivalry leading the nation in passing - you ain't a normal freshman.

But Bradford had help. DeMarco Murray filled in for RB Allen Patrick after the third and his 64 yard TD run was reminicent of a former Sooner in the stands, now current Minnesota Viking who shall remain nameless.

On the other sideline, QB Colt McCoy still showed signs of his concussion last week, and while he completed 19-26 passes for 324 yards, he didn't throw for a score and his pass intended for Jamaal Charles went threw the halfbacks hands and into the hands of a Sooner for an INT. The Sooners then proceded to drive 94 yards to score the winning touchdown. Charles also had a crucial fumble on the Oklahoma 5.

In a season as wacky as this one, Oklahoma can still set their sights on New Orleans. Meanwhile Texas is teetering on the edge of dropping out of the top 25 for the first time in 114 weeks. And as fans clad in burnt Orange filed out of the Cotton Bowl and headed south, fans in Crimson and Cream watched as a kid fresh out of high school basked in the moment.

—C. Nierman

HARD KNOX: Against Georgia, Tennessee Resurges At Home

Tennessee was sitting at 2-2 with neither of their wins coming against a halfway decent team. It could’ve been that Phillip Fulmer had lost his edge as a coach. Or maybe it simply could’ve been that Tennessee was the victim of facing two of the best teams in the country both on the road.

Winning at Berkeley and Gainesville are two of the toughest tasks in college football. With Tennessee getting a lesser opponent at home, the Vols put on a vintage Tennessee beatdown at the expense of Georgia.

Whether it was Arian Foster or Montario Hardesty gashing through a number of open holes, or LeMarcus Coker catching 56 yard touchdown receptions on reverse passes, it was clear right from the start that Tennessee was going to have a very varied offense.

In fact, it was surprising how easily the Vols grinded out yards against a very stingy Georgia defense. Tennessee put on a 9 minute drive on their first possession filled with nothing but runs and short passes. 12 runs and short passes later and the Vols had a 7-0 lead.

With Georgia forced to step up into the box, Fulmer called a reverse for Lucas Taylor---only it wasn’t a reverse. Taylor stopped and LeMarcus Coker was unguarded running up the left sideline. 14-0. A blocked punt on the next possession made it 21-0, and a 21 yard Arian Foster run on the following possession made it 28-0. From there, the Vols could coast to a victory.

As impressive as the offense was, Tennessee allowed two first downs in the entire first half. One came on the Bulldogs second possession, and the other came on their last possession before the half. With the Bulldogs unable to move the chains and reverse field position, it was easy for the Vols offense to dominate.

How did a 2-2 team find a way to make beating Georgia look so easy? Maybe Fulmer conjured up some magic from his past. Or maybe it’s simply the fact that facing Georgia at home is a tad bit easier than winning at California and at Florida.

—E. Blasco

LIKE A CHAMP: LSU Plays To Win, Not Lose, the Championship

Sometimes the reason why one team is better than another is so thin, so blurred, that it’s hard to notice. The reason why LSU beat Florida 28-24 Saturday night is because Jacob Hester always gave the Tigers an extra yard or two when stopped in the hole.

Why is that so important? Well, for several reasons. One, with Early Doucet injured for the game, the Tigers didn’t have any real big play receiver to attack the Gators deep, or even to break short receptions into big gainers. That meant that LSU’s scoring drives had to be methodical ones that took lots of patience.

And methodical drives don’t work if you’re getting stopped for one yard on first down. Instead, Hester would get hit and fall forward for three or four. Same thing on second and third downs. And when the Gator defense would hold strong and force a fourth down, there was Hester getting stopped behind the line, but continuing to move his feet forward so he could pick up enough inches to end up with a first down.

With one final two yard surge from Hester with 1:09 on the clock, LSU had come from 10 points down to survive the Gators.

Five times LSU went for it on fourth downs. Five times they were successful. The fact that they went for it on five separate fourth downs shows considerable confidence by Les Miles in his players, a confidence that brings out tremendous energy and effort out of them. How can you not bring all you have for a coach that believes you can succeed in every tough situation. And the fact that they converted all five shows that the Tigers are a team that executes perfectly in do-or-die situations. All those intangibles are reasons why the Tigers are the #1 team in the land.
Of course it didn’t hurt to get a fumble recovery after a Kestahn Moore cough up, or a gift interception after a Tim Tebow pass attempt hit Cornelius Ingram in the head and bounced into the arms of Kirston Pittman.

In fact, until those two turnovers, the Gators actually controlled the game. Tim Tebow dictated the tempo with his running and short passing. The Gator offensive line controlled the Tigers front four, especially Jim Tartt locking up All-American Glenn Dorsey. A more experienced Gator team would’ve known how to finish the game off with a win.

But the Tigers were the ones making big plays in the second half, the Tigers were the ones playing with transcending confidence, and the Tigers were the ones gaining the extra yards they needed to pull away with a win.

—E. Blasco

CFU Week No. 7 — “Move Over Michigan”

This is the season of the upset. Just when we thought we could forget how Appalachian State manhandled, trounced and plain ol’ embarrassed Michigan, Stanford goes and does us one better. And, while some disagree, as far as I’m concerned this upset, not the other one, is the biggest in college football history.

Sure Michigan was No. 5 when they were upset by a D-II team. And if you stop there, it was a pretty big victory for App State. But the Mountaineers aren’t your ordinary D-II team. They are the defending D-II champs for the second consecutive season. They crush D-II teams, save for Wofford, on a weekly basis. They could crush many D-I teams, too. And if App State played Stanford, who would you pick?

I know I’d pick App State.

With the season Michigan is having, USC would easily beat them. So, if Stanford would fall to App State and Michigan would fall to USC, then the chances of Stanford beating USC are far less than App State beating Michigan.

What else?

USC was the No. 2 team in the nation, dubbed the best team in years by some. They were 41-point favorites. They boasted 35-game home winning streak at home. A 24-game Pac 10 home win streak.

These streaks were snapped by a 1-3 Stanford team with a quarterback making his first start.

A color beat a Trojan.

Sounds like a bigger upset than that other one to me. It kinda makes you wonder who’s next. And with the way this season is going, it could be anybody. That includes you, LSU.

—R. Cooper

CFU Conference Power Rankings

By Erick Blasco

01. SEC
02. Pac 10
03. Big East
04. Big 12
05. Big 10
06. ACC

SEC
The SEC is still the best conference but by the slimmest of margins. In fact, as of now, and this will change when the best teams in the Pac 10 start squaring off against each other, the Pac 10 is stronger at the top than the SEC is. The saving grace for the SEC is that of their non-conference losses, two were to current Top 5 teams, one was to Florida State, and one was by Ole Miss.

There is a great depth of quality in the conference from LSU to Georgia, to Kentucky, to Florida, to Auburn, to South Carolina. Those top six are better than most conference's top three, and are on par with the Pac 10's top four. Even Tennessee which isn't on my list, when toe to toe at Cal and played the Golden Bears very tightly.

Kansas State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, and Louisville have already fallen to the SEC, but most of the other high profile non-conference games take place right at the end of the year when Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Wake Forest square off against SEC teams.

The factor that hurts the SEC the most, though, is the conference's inability to schedule key non-conference games. Since Tennessee and Alabama lost their two high profile non-conference games, and Auburn split its two, the conference doesn't have a great total resume to build on. And with the ACC caught in a down cycle, it will be up to the bowl games to make or break the SEC's reputation.

PAC-10
They're close, very close. To jump ahead, they'll need a few things. First of all, Arizona State and Oregon can't fall apart as they've been prone to do in the past. If the Pac 10 wants to challenge the top of the SEC, then so-called elite teams like Arizona State and Oregon must continue to play like elite teams.

Two, the middle of the conference needs to be stronger. While Washington has done its part, the Huskies still don't really have a signature win aside from a nice win over a retooling Boise State team. UCLA's embarrassment to Utah was unacceptable and Oregon State's season has been a disaster so far. Those three teams must rise up and push the rest of the conference.

Three, Washington State, Arizona, and Stanford must improve from the horrid programs they are right now. At least one of those teams must become at least mediocre in the near future.. At least Vanderbilt should go to a bowl this year, Miss State won at Auburn, and Kentucky leads the SEC East. Every conference will have its patsies, but since the SEC has two teams out of 12 this year that are expected to miss out on bowl eligibility, the Pac 10 must end up with 8 bowl teams.

Four, none of the top seven teams can lose to Arizona or Washington State. Arizona has already lost to New Mexico and BYU, while Washington State has already lost to Arizona. Those two teams are the designated scourge of the conference. Stanford is allowed to sneak up on people because they've only played one non-conference game and they romped over San Jose State.

Five, win their bowl games. If the Pac 10 wins a very high percentage of their bowl games, wins two BCS games, and wins a National Championship, it will be clear what conference is the best in America.

Big East
Sure the Big 3 of the conference have underachieved but USF, Cincinnati, and UConn have risen up to take their place. Aside from Rutgers' loss to Maryland, the conference has very few bad losses and none of those bad losses have come from the top teams in the conference. Since the ACC, Big 10, and Big 12 are all topsy-turvy right now, the Big East is a steady choice for the third best conference.

Big 12
The conference has taken its hits and really would have liked to see Oklahoma remain undefeated. While the conference has very few big wins, it also has very few bad losses. However, most of the wins have been over terrible teams, or in unimpressive fashions, or both.

Big 10
Teams like Wisconsin are expected to win the division but have trouble beating opponents like UNLV and The Citadel. Michigan gets blown out at home by Oregon and gets beaten by 1AA Appalachian State. Iowa, Northwestern, and Minnesota are decrepit, while the only big wins teams like Purdue and Michigan State can list are victories over winless Notre Dame. Ohio State looks for real, and the middle of the conference like Illinois have risen up nicely keeping the conference out of the cellar.

ACC
It's better now than it was two weeks ago. Maryland, Florida State and Miami each notched impressive victories recently, but the conference has very few non-conference wins other than those three, but it does have losses to Wofford, Wyoming, Navy, UConn, and ECU. Most damning of all is the way the conference’s best teams have been non-competitive in losses to LSU and Oklahoma.

The "We Couldn't Have Done It Without You" Player of the Week: Week No. 6

Auburn’s Kicker Wes Byrum nailed the game-winning field goal not once but twice to give the Tigers their second win in a row against the Gators. This time it came in the Swamp, which for the Tigers made it that much sweeter.

AP Poll Voter Ballots

Interested in what each voter's ballot looks like? Click here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/collegefootball_front/votes/voters.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME

Games To Watch: Week No. 6

# 8 Kentucky versus #11 South Carolina
Thursday @ 7:30 PM ET on ESPN
How unusual. Not too long ago this was a matchup between two teams at best in the middle of the conference. Thursday it'll be No. 8 versus No. 11. And it has SEC East ramifications. Kentucky is off to a superb start, offing Louisville and Arkansas. They lead the SEC in scoring thanks to Wildcat QB Andre Woodson who is so good that he's garnered praise from everyone, even Steve Spurrier. But Woodson could have trouble against the Gamecocks' secondary, which is ranked No. 1 in the country in pass defense. Plus, with Chris Smelley taking snaps South Carolina has some new swagger on offense. If that isn't enough, Spurrier has never lost to Kentucky, once demolishing the Wildcats 73-7 while at Florida. But that was long before Andre Woodson, and this isn't that same Kentucky team.
Picks—Randall: South Carolina Erick: South Carolina Chris: Kentucky

# 13 West Virginia versus Syracuse
Saturday 12:00 PM ET on GamePlan
Syracuse surprised Louisville. I’d bet the Orange hope to catch West Virginia licking its wounds after last week’s game. Pat White is questionable for the game. But that probably won’t pose much of a threat to the Mountaineers. Although he came up short, Jarrett Brown looked very effective when he relieved White after that thigh injury last week. Syracuse hasn’t been 2-0 in the Big East in six years. The Mountaineers will be ready.
Picks—Randall: WV Erick: WV Chris: WV

#5 Wisconsin versus Illinois
Saturday @ 12:00 PM ET on ESPN
Ron Zook is a helluva recruiter. It's only a matter of time before he builds a winning team, if he hasn't already. The Illini come into this game with one close loss to Missouri and just whipped Penn State. The Badgers are ranked No. 5, but haven't won a Big Ten game convincingly. This might be closer than you think.
Picks—Randall: Illinois Erick: Illinois Chris: Wisconsin

#10 Oklahoma versus #19 Texas
Saturday @ 3:30 PM ET on ABC
Take away last week's screw-ups and this is a battle of unbeatens. Must see TV. But that’s kind of ruined. Colt McCoy hasn't been as prolific for Texas as he was last year. And Oklahoma looked more than prolific until they bumped into Colorado. The Longhorns struggled mightily against UCF a few weeks ago. While the Sooners annhilated a not-so-bad Miami team a few weeks ago. Even if the loses last week were fluke's, Oklahoma has the edge. But the Red River Shootout is no stranger to surprise outcomes, and in this rivalry game, don't expect a blowout. Want to know just how serious the tension is between these two? Click here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/ncaa/09/11/oklahoma.texas.fight.ap/index.html
Picks—Randall: Oklahoma Erick: Oklahoma Chris: Oklahoma

#12 Georgia versus Tennessee
Saturday 3:30 PM ET on CBS
Let’s face it; this hasn’t exactly been a good year for the Vols. They’ve fallen victim to Cal and Florida. But those are pretty good teams. But so is Georgia. Still Tennessee is able to compete with Georgia, more so than they could with those two teams they’ve lost to. Georgia’s only respectable victory came against Alabama. They’ve lost to South Carolina, and the Vols can give the Dawgs just as much trouble as the Gamecocks did. It’ll be the same type of SEC thriller that we’re all used to, and the winner isn’t at all obvious on paper. But remember that Georgia coach Mark Richt is 23-3 on the road in the SEC.
Picks—Randall: Tennessee Erick: Georgia Chris: Georgia

NC State versus Florida State
Saturday 3:30 PM ET on ABC
The storyline of this game is whether Xavier Lee can maintain the poise and efficiency he displayed against Auburn. These teams average nearly the same amount of total yards per game, 347 for Florida State and 341 for NC State. Those 374 yards per game stat was computed with Drew Weatherford under center for the most part. And that’s why Lee is critical to how this game turns out. If he goes out there and plays just as well as Weatherford, it could be anyone’s game. But if turns it on like he did against Alabama, the Seminoles will roll.
Picks—Randall: Florida State Erick: Florida State Chris: Florida State

#15 Virginia Tech versus #22 Clemson
Saturday 6:00 PM ET on ESPN
Last week’s lost against GT hurt the Tigers. VT QB Tyrod Taylor is undefeated as the starter. But Taylor hasn’t played a team as dangerous as Clemson, who knocked of Florida State in their first game. Taylor’s inexperience could be VT’s biggest vulnerability against the Tigers. The Hokies come in with the momentum, however, having won the last four of this series.
Picks—Randall: Clemson Erick: Virginia Tech Chris: Clemson

#20 Cincinnati versus #21 Rutgers
Saturday 8:00 PM ET on ESPN2
At 5-0, the Bearcats are off to their best start in 53 years. While the Scarlet Knights are reeling, coming off a loss to Maryland. Cincinnati’s offense is potent, averaging nearly 500 yards per game. They score nearly 50 points per game. What this means is that Rutgers ought not to expect a similar 44-9 blowout like in 2005 when these two met in Piscataway. But this is a Rutgers squad but one week removed from the top ten. They aren’t looking to go belly up just yet.
Picks—Randall: Cincinnati Erick: Cincinnati Chris: Cincinnati

#9 Florida versus #1 LSU
Saturday @ 8:00 PM ET on CBS
Only one thing can avenge last weekend's loss for the Gators. That's a win against the No. 1 team in the nation. Few regular season games feel like national championship games. This is one that does. And the Gators come into it with a sour taste in their mouths. That's not good for LSU.
Picks—Randall: Florida Erick: LSU Chris: LSU

#4 Ohio State versus #23 Purdue
Saturday @ 8:00 PM ET on ABC
Quietly ranked at No. 4, either the nation is sleeping on Ohio State or it's only a matter of time before they get exposed. Nobody's talking about the Buckeyes, but their undefeated in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Purdue came away with the victory the last time these two squads played three years ago. Coming into this game, the Boilermakers average more total yards, more passing yards, and score more points per game.
Picks—Randall: Purdue Erick: Ohio State Chris: Purdue

#25 Nebraska versus #17 Missouri
Saturday 9:15 PM ET on ESPN
Mizzou looks to get the edge in the Big 12 North. Nebraska looks to stop ‘em. Mizzou comes into the game ranked fifth in the nation in total yards per game, seventh in the nation passing yards per game, and twelfth in points scored. If they win, they’ll be an impressive 6-0. To fend off the Tigers Nebraska will have to adjust their defense to handle and stall that quick offense. Ranked 77th in the nation in total defense, Nebraska’s adjustment will have to be pretty substantial.
Picks—Randall: Missouri Erick: MissouriChris: Nebraska

Other Games to Watch: Oklahoma State-Texas A&M, Notre Dame-UCLA

BCS 101: Bowl Matchups

Although the initial standings won't be released for a few weeks, it’s time to get in the groove of things.

If you don’t already know, this is complicated stuff. Apparently, the BCS ranks it’s team by taking the total number of wins of a given team, dividing by the total number of times the replay coaches have gotten it wrong, squaring that number, adding Joe Paterno’s age to that number, taking the natural log of that number, subtracting from that number the average number of beers sold at each game, adding the constant four to that number, multiplying that number by pi, dividing that number by the number of times Steve Spurrier throws his visor down, and finally adding the number of wins Duke got last season, usually zero. Ok, so not really. But, it is complicated.

Last year saw major changes to the BCS. An official championship game, pitting No. 1 against No. 2 was added, meaning a total of five—formerly four—BCS Bowl Games. This year’s championship game will be held in the Superdome.

The Rose Bowl puts the Big 10 champ against the Pac-10 champ; the Fiesta Bowl gets the Big 12 champ; the Orange Bowl gets the ACC champ; the Sugar Bowl gets the SEC champ; and the BCS Championship Game gets No. 1 and No. 2 whether it be any of these champs. If either one or both No. 1 and No. 2 is one of these champs, then the bowl that loses its champ to the championship game gets the first “at-large” selection. If neither No. 1 nor No. 2 is either of these champs this season, then the at-large selection process order is: Orange, Fiesta, and then Sugar. Automatic bids do come into play when certain teams meet certain criteria, and there’s even a whole clause exclusively for Notre Dame but it doesn’t look like they’ll need it this season. All of this takes shape on Selection Sunday in early December.

Confused, yet? Me too. Here’s a breakdown.

01.01.08—Rose Bowl: Big Ten Champ versus Pac 10 Champ
01.01.08—Sugar Bowl: SEC Champ versus at-large
01.02.08—Fiesta Bowl: Big 12 Champ versus at-large
01.03.08—Orange Bowl: ACC Champ versus at-large
01.07.08—BCS National Championship: No. 1 versus No. 2

— R. Cooper

SOMETHING TO PROVE: Badgers Hand Spartans First Loss

Wisconsin was supposed to be a veteran team that won low scoring games with stingy defense. On Saturday however, the score was anything but low, and the defense was anything but stingy. Still, in the end Wisconsin prevailed and extended the nation's longest winning streak to 14.

Of course when RB P.J. Hill is grinding out 155 yards with two scores and the offense is holding on to the ball for 35 minutes, the defense might be able to get away with giving up 564 yards to a surprise Michigan State team looking to move 5-0 for the first time since the Jurassic Era.

It was Badger mistakes that kept the Spartans in this one. A Brain Hoyer-to-Devin Thomas swing pass turned into an 80 yard score capping a day of blown coverages and defensive breakdowns for Wisconsin. Badger QB Tyler Donovan threw a key interception that lead to a Michigan State field goal, tying the score at 34.

But the Wisconsin offense answered with three drives in the game over 80 plus yards that led to scores to keep the Spartan offense, or perhaps their own defense, off the field for much of the game. And when Hoyer's pass on fourth down at the Wisconsin 38 was off target, the Badgers could finally breathe easier.

But not all is lost for the Spartans. They've certainly made resurgence under new coach Mark Dantonio. With a wide open Big Ten and several key games ahead, the Spartan could be a team to watch in a down year for the league. After putting up 34 points and 564 yards on one of the best defenses in the league, a New Years bid is possible for the surprising Spartans.

Meanwhile for Wisconsin there are more questions than answers. As coach Bret Bielema said after the game "We don't get any style points." I'm sure P.J. Hill and Co. would believe that the only numbers that mattered in Madison on Saturday were those on the scoreboard.

—C. Nierman

CLOSE CALL: Southern California Barely Escapes Washington

The Trojans committed 16 penalties, turned the ball over three times, missed a field goal, had a punt blocked, and faced a very inspired team on the road on primetime television. They still won. And on a day where ranked teams were falling everywhere, the Trojans escaped with a precious "W."

John David Booty was pretty decent throwing for 236 yards and a touchdown around two picks, but the Trojans showed why their known as "Running Back U.'" Staffon Johnson ran the ball 14 times for 122 yards and a score. Chauncey Washington had 20 carries for 106 more yards and another score, as the two Trojan workhorses combined for 34 attempts, 228 yards and 2 scores.

The Trojan defense wasn't bad either, allowing only a paltry 190 yards of total offense. Though he ran for a pair of scores, Jake Locker was finally rendered mortal, being limited to 87 yards, an interception, and a sub-50% completion percentage.

The Huskies were advantageous, capitalizing on the mistakes USC committed. Most of their 24 points were the result of USC turnovers, but the Trojans were more talented and more physical than the Huskies.

Give Washington credit for knowing how to take advantage of mistakes. That trait will help them immensely down the line. But the Trojan ground attack, defense, and attitude in big games are the best in the nation. And it's why they're the class of the Pac-10 by far.

—E. Blasco

SHADES OF OLD: Seminoles Shake Alabama, Show Shades of '90s

Bobby Bowden was born in Alabama. He met his wife there and even played quarterback for the Crimson Tide. Bear Bryant, the man who put the Alabama program on the map, has always been Bowden's idol. A bronzed trophy of the legend sits in Bowden's office.

The ties that bind these teams are numerous, and they don't stop there.

Florida State's defensive coordinator, Mickey Andrews, played wide receiver and defensive back for the Crimson Tide. And Florida State's offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, was the same for Nick Saban at LSU.

As of this moment, Saban has not coached a Florida State.

Not yet anyway.

Both programs have seen better days. Both look to return to national prominence. Saban has seemingly breathed new life into Alabama, leading them to a thrilling win against Arkansas and nearly beating a good Georgia team in overtime. Many, including myself, had expected 'Bama to whoop up on the Seminoles. But the Seminoles did some obvious tweaking during the bye-week.

As long as he's been in the game, Bowden doesn't come across many firsts, but this was his first time coaching against 'Bama. And he did so in Jacksonville in front of 85,412 fans—that's the largest crowd to ever watch a football game in that city, surpassing the attendance at any of the annual Florida-Georgia games and the 2004 Super Bowl.

Early on it was clear that the 'Noles were working with a new package of plays when frosh QB D'Vontrey Robinson made an appearance. Drew Weatherford took the majority of the snaps, but couldn't manage to put any points on the board. And just when the clouds filled the skies for Florida State, Xavier Lee's presence peeked in like the soothing sunshine after years of bad Weatherford.

The 6'4, 235-pound redshirt junior with a cannon arm put an obvious spark in the Seminoles' offense. He immediately led the offense downfield for a score. Lee led the Seminoles to three touchdowns in the second half, and Florida State's defense stopped a late rally for the Crimson Tide.
Lee completed 12 of 19 for 224 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He rushed for a team-high 59 more yards, garnering the nickname Lee-bow.

But I'm sure Lee would rather carve his own way rather than follow the shadows of Tim Tebow. He's waited too long for that. And now that he's gotten the nod to start against NC State look for him to make the most of it. He is the X-factor for Florida State and just what the struggling program down in Tallahassee needed.

This win over Alabama is a pivotal point for the Florida State program, and suddenly the future doesn't look so bleak. With Xavier Lee-ding the way, the Seminoles may be set to play, not party, like it's 1999.

—R. Cooper

WILD WILD WEST: Cal Wins Shoot-out Against Oregon

LSU coach Les Miles shouldn't be so quick to claim that teams from the SEC have harder paths to the title game than those in the Pac 10. Anyone who watched Saturday's game in Eugene, Oregon would all agree that two damn good teams met on the field. And if Coach Miles isn't careful, one of those teams just might face his Tiger's squad in January.

In the biggest Pac 10 matchup to date, it was only fitting that a close game was decided by a close call. Cameron Colvin fumbled trying to stretch the ball into the end zone for the tying score, and after a replay Cal kept possession and time ran out for the #11 Ducks.

Then again, Oregon had its chances. QB Dennis Dixon picked a bad time to throw his first two interceptions of the game. They came late in the fourth quarter, and he missed a wide-open Colvin in the end zone.

In a game that was billed as a high scoring contest with two of the nation's leading offenses, instead both teams played sloppy early on. Cal missed a chip-shot field goal in the second half and couldn't get into the end zone until later.
But at key times key players stepped up for the Bears, as receiver DeSean Jackson finally broke out of a season long slump and emerged with 11 grabs for 161 yards and two scores. The latter two categories eclipsed his entire season totals. RB Justin Forsett also ran for two scores, and QB Nate Longshore played efficiently enough to keep the Golden Bears unbeaten.

Cal coach Jeff Tedford was finally able to nail down a win at Auzten stadium since leaving his position as offensive coordinator, and nothing is sweeter than doing so in front of 59,000 enemy fans.

That is, except for maybe meeting up against Les Miles in the national title game, and making Miles eat his own words. After Saturday's win, that scenario is looking like a real possibility.

At least Oregon got their mascot back after it was suspended a game for beating up the Houston Cougar. But a Cougar is not a Golden Bear.

And the Ducks found that out the hard way.

—C. Nierman

NO BULLSHIT: South Florida Topples West Virginia, Proves Itself

If the Mountaineers were looking for revenge, they didn't find it.

Who says the Big East can't play defense? South Florida sure can.

For the second year in a row Jim Leavitt's group made the very extraordinary White-Slaton tandem look very ordinary. And they did it by playing solid and fast defense.

The Bulls looked unbeatable.

Before a record 67,018 fans, South Florida rushed, sacked, tackled and intercepted West Virginia's offense for the entire 60 minutes, never letting up for a second. LB Ben Moffit, who had two INTs one of which he returned for a touchdown, and LB Tyrone McKenzie hunted Steve Slaton throughout the night, giving him no opportunities to make a big play. Not surprisingly, DE George Selvie did his part, quickly collapsing the pocket on Pat White and back-up Jarrett Brown. Selvie added to his already impressive season totals for sacks and tackles-for-losses. S Nate Allen knocked down pass after pass, and CB Trae Williams and CB Mike Jenkins kept West Virginia's very dangerous WR Darius Reynaud under control.

And the offense did their thing, too.

Matt Grothe showed poise and stamina under center. In the second quarter he avoided a tackle, scrambled and found Carlton Mitchell wide open for the touchdown, putting the Bulls up 14-0. Grothe completed 11 of 20 for 135 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Jamar Taylor carried the ball 15 times for 58 yards and a touchdown.

South Florida's offense was split almost exactly evenly between the rushing game and the passing game, putting up 274 yards of total offense.

It's clear that the Bulls won this one by playing defense, controlling the pace and setting the tone of the game from kickoff.

Coming into this game, West Virginia ranked third in the nation in rushing yards, averaging 323 yards per game. They ranked 16th in the nation in points scored, averaging 40.4 points per game. Against the Bulls they managed 188 rushing yards and only 13 points. They also had six turnovers.

Here's something to think about: if USF beat Auburn on the road and Auburn beat Florida in the Swamp, doesn't that make South Florida the best team in the state? Just a thought, but either way South Florida is not a team to be taken lightly.

With a pair of key victories already this season, it's obvious that they've got the talent and the skill to be recognized nationally. This win has catapulted this team with a brief 11 year history into the AP Top 10.

And that's a big deal.

The only question now is whether the Bulls can deal with the attention.

We'll soon find that out.

And while it may take some getting used to, just say the FSU acronym backwards and you'll have the latest powerhouse not only amongst the football programs in Florida, but also those across the country.

—R.Cooper