Week 10 #1 OU (10-0) 30 Nebraska (5-5) 3
Jason White destroyed Nebraska with his arm in this game, putting up huge numbers and scoring virtually at will. He hit on 29 of 35 (including a school record 18 in a row) for 383 yards and 3 TDs. The only exception to his perfection was an ill-advised attempt to score again at the end of the game. In retalliation, Nebraska attempted to score against the 2nd team Sooner defense and got close enough to kick a field goal to end the game. If not for that field goal, Nebraska would have been shut out (and for all intents and purposes, were shutout by the OU 1st team D). As Jason White hinted in the week leading up to the game, OU had not dominated on both sides of the ball in a game yet this season. It appeared that they were able to do that in the rout of Nebraska. The OU defense was exceptional, crushing the Cornhuskers in every conceivable way. Freshman phenom Adrian Peterson was out most of the game, coming in in the second half to rush 15 times for 58 yards, falling short of 100 for the first time this season.
This Week: @ Baylor
#2 Auburn (10-0) 24 Georgia (8-2) 6
The Auburn Tigers dazzled again in their rout of highly-touted Georgia. Their defense was dominant, keeping Georgia scoreless for 57 minutes of play, only allowing a David Greene pass for a score well after the game was decided. Perhaps it was the home crowd, whipped into a frenzy by the College Gameday crew before the game, perhaps it was the mystical Auburn Mojo, perhaps it was just that Auburn is this good. I'd say the latter. Auburn is very, very good. Truly, when all is said and done, if there are three undefeated teams (and Auburn is one) pining for a berth in the National Championship game, Auburn should be in the Orange Bowl. That is my opinion, but one that has been verified on the field by the Tigers. The defense was exceptional in this game, and both Cadillac Williams and Jason Campbell had great games. With a trip to Alabama in the annual "Iron Bowl" and possibly the SEC Championship remaining, Auburn is the most likely of the top 3 to lose, but it is also the only team that may not have to blow out its last opponents to finish in the top 2.
This Week: @ Alabama
#3 USC (10-0) 49 Arizona (2-8) 9
The Arizona defense looked strong in the first half, and was making this into a game early in the third, which is a tribute to their head coach Mike Stoops (younger brother of Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops), who made his career in defense. Unfortunately for Arizona, they were totally outmanned, and it showed when the USC Trojans struck back in rapid succession, blasting the Wildcats for 28 unanswered points to end the game. Matt Leinart, in typical fashion, hit 27 of 35 for 280 yards and 3 TDs and LenDale White ran for 118 yards on 16 carries with 3 TDs as USC cruised in the second half. USC won the Pac-10 with this game, and will head to the Rose Bowl if they do not secure the Orange Bowl through the BCS. They face a reeling Notre Dame club in the battle for the jewelled shellelagh at home, then end with their traditional intra-Los Angeles matchup at UCLA. Neither of those matchups looks to make a dent in a perfect regular season for USC.
This Week: v. Notre Dame
#4 Cal (8-1) 42 Washington (1-9) 12
This game was close all the way up until the end of the third quarter, when the bears scored two big rushing TDs in succession. In fact, the Washington Huskies were only down by 2, 14-12, with 2:55 on the clock. Cal's first TD of the second half was on a punt block by Justin Forsett, and in general the Cal O was pretty flat until late in the game. Aaron Rodgers admitted it after the game, stating that the offense "didn't play with any heart" in the first half. The Huskies will likely finish without a single conference win for the first time since 1973, when they went 0-7 in the Pac-8. This is their worst season in 35 years. Cal, on the other hand, is likely headed to the BCS, with only Stanford and a makeup contest at Southern Miss left on the slate.
This Week: v. Stanford
#5 Texas (9-1) 27 Kansas (3-7) 23
Kansas coach Mark Mangino (former Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator) was livid after dropping a home contest to Texas late. The horns needed magic and a little bad call to pull this game out, and Mangino felt that the officials intentionally made the call to get Texas into a BCS game. Was it that bad of a call? Probably, but the Longhorns received much heavier punishment from the Big 12 officials, ending the game with 103 yards in penalties to Kansas' 23. The penalty was seemingly a momentum shifter, however, as Texas capitalized to score on a Vince Young run with 5:37 left and a Vince Young pass with 1:53 left to win the game. The Jayhawks are the latest in a series of victims of exciting rallies from the young Longhorn QB. A home contest against Texas A&M is all that separates Texas from the elusive BCS bid (they have never been to a BCS game in Mack Brown's tenure at UT). Perhaps Mangino is right about it all being about money, but Kansas will see some of it too, so why is he complaining?
This Week: @ Kansas
#6 Utah (10-0) 45 Wyoming (6-4) 28
The Utes were delayed by a power outage in Laramie, but came out strong against the Cowboys, running the tally to 31-7 at the half. Wyoming kept trying to rally, and even scored the only 2 TDs of the 4th Quarter, but it wasn't enough, and Utah kept their hopes alive for a BCS bid. Alex Smith, unsurprisingly, had another great game, hitting on 17 of 27 for 244 yards and 3 TDs and rushing 14 times for 90 yards and another score. These guys beat Texas A&M to kick off the season. If they were in a better conference (say the Pac 10?), there wouldn't even be a question. They would be in the top 5 and headed to a BCS game. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen any time soon. The Cougs of BYU are all they have left, and it is doubtful that that will be enough to earn them the respect that they may deserve.
This Week: v. BYU
#7 Michigan (9-1) 42 Northwestern (5-5) 20
It was halftime in the lockerroom for the Michigan Wolverines, and they only led by 1 point against Northwestern. Whatever was said and whomever it may have been that said it, it worked. Michigan came out inspired in the second half, scoring on their first five possessions after intermission. Once again, the success of the Wolverines can be attributed to the two freshmen sensations: Michael Hart at RB and Chad Henne at QB. Hart rushed 23 times for 151 yards and 3 TDs, and Henne connected on 19 of 26 for 187 yards and 2 TDs. A win next week against archrival Ohio State in Columbus will give Michigan an outright Big 10 title.
This Week: @ Ohio State
#8 Louisville (7-1) 55 TCU 28
By the time TCU woke up and scored a touchdown, Louisville had already scored 24 unanswered against the Horned Frogs. Senior quarterback Stefan LeFors had a huge game, propelling the Cardinals to a double digit win with 13 of 21 for 275 yards and 3 TDs and 5 carries for 40 yards. His up-and-coming freshman backup, Brian Brohm, was also productive, and scored the final Card TD to put them up 55-14 in the 4th. The final two scores came long after this contest was decided, and Louisville beat TCU for the first time in four meetings.
This Week: @ Houston
#9 Wisconsin (9-1) 14 Michigan State 49
What happened to the Badgers? They were cruising along, looking at their unbeaten record, in a three way tie for the best in school history (1901 and 1998 were the others), looking to add yet another win and go 10-0 for the first time in school history, and BAM! They ran smack into the Michigan State Spartans. More appropriately, it was RB Anthony Davis who dove smack into two Michigan State defenders at the goal line in what would have tied the game before the half at 21. That stop on 4th and inches was the momentum shifter, and destroyed the resolve of the Badgers, who proceeded to give up another 28 unanswered points in the second half. It could not be said that the Michigan State victory was devoid of magic, as the Sports Center highlight reel would indicate. The recovered blocked punt by Marshall Campbell, the shifting, escape artist pass from wide receiver Aaron Alexander, and of course, the recovered onside kick (what was Wisconsin thinking?) in the beginning of the second half. It will go down in the annals of history for MSU.
This Week: @ Iowa
#10 Florida State (8-2) 17 NC State (4-6) 10
This was a defensive battle through and through. Florida State QB Wyatt Sexton could do absolutely nothing right against the Wolfpack, and yet the Noles were able to hang on by the skin of their teeth. NC State was able to take a 10-0 into the locker room, but FSU found a ground game in the third quarter, as James Coleman and Lorenzo Booker each had TD runs after the break. This game ended with a combined total of 244 yards, a tribute to the spectacular defenses of both these teams. Yet, again it was Florida State that walked away with the win. This was Bobby Bowden's 350th coaching victory, and he won it with his trademark great defense. Next week they face the struggling Florida Gators in the swamp. FSU still has a shot at the ACC, but will likely need help from Virginia or Miami when it comes to Va Tech. They made the top 10 because of their strong D. They have 2 losses, but they look to be
This Week: v. Florida
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