College Football Top 25 Review

College Football Top 25 Review

There's nothing like a night game in Madison, and there was no stopping the Badgers' 1-2 running punch of John Clay (above -- 104 yards, 2 TDs) and James White (84 total yards, 1 TD) against the top-ranked Buckeyes. But Wisconsin has little time to enjoy its landmark victory, with a trip to Iowa City, Iowa, up next.

Doug Martin (68 rushing yards, 2 TDs) and the Broncos will likely have to punish all future opponents by 40 or more points to maintain their lofty standing in the BCS rankings (which become public this week). That is, until Boise State's Nov. 26 showdown with Nevada.

One BYU field goal stood between TCU and its third consecutive shutout. But the Frogs will undoubtedly settle for a 31-3 romp over their Mountain West rivals. Quarterback Andy Dalton threw four touchdown passes, while Jake Heaps, his opposite number, managed just 91 passing yards.

It seems the talk of Nebraska's championship potential -- and of Texas' demise -- was a tad premature. Coming off back-to-back losses and a bye, the Longhorns shut down freshman sensation Taylor Martinez and the Nebraska offense. Meanwhile, Garrett Gilbert and the Texas offense never hit their stride through the air, but they did enough on the ground and capitalized on scoring opportunities. Nebraska couldn't say the same.

At some point, DeMarco Murray (140 total yards, 3 TDs) will garner consideration for this year's Heisman Trophy. And at some point in the near future, No. 6 Oklahoma will make a jump in the two national polls -- perhaps after a potential victory against undefeated Missouri next week.

Suffice it to say, this was not your typical SEC defensive struggle. Even with Arkansas star quarterback Ryan Mallett missing most of the game with a head injury, the Hogs and Tigers traded scores for most of this game. That is until backup Tyler Wilson, who threw for 332 yards and four scores in backup duty, threw two costly picks late. Auburn and Cameron Newton -- who should top most Heisman lists after another dominant performance -- made the Hogs pay for those late mistakes.

Donta Hightower and the Crimson Tide defense recaptured their mojo against the middling Rebels, allowing only 112 passing yards from QB Jeremiah Masoli. Alabama's break in the schedule is short-lived, though, now that road trips to Knoxville and Baton Rouge next on the docket.

The LSU defense surrended only 219 yards and 11 first downs against its in-state rival from the Southland Conference. The 7-0 Tigers can now look forward to their much-anticipated clash with No. 7 Auburn -- with the winner garnering the upper hand in the SEC West ... and BCS title-game consideration.

Down 18 and on the brink of yet another tough loss to a ranked opponent, QB Mike Hartline (349 passing yards, 4 TDs) and the Wildcats rallied for one of the best wins in school history. And with the Gamecocks' loss, every SEC East club has at least two conference losses.

The Spartans started slowly a week after toppling arch-rival Michigan, trailing the Illini 6-3 at the half. But Michigan State outscored Illinois 23-0 in the second half to win the game -- and advance to 7-0 for the first time since 1996.

Denard Robinson completed 13 passes for 96 yards, a touchdown and a pick and ran the ball 18 times for 105 yards -- before yet again being sidelined by injury. Replacement Tate Forcier kept Michigan in the game despite two interceptions, but neither Forcier nor Robinson was as effective as Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi, who threw for 247 yards and three scores and did not commit a turnover.

Coach Mike Stoops and Shequile Richardson enjoy a few stress-free moments in the Wildcats' hard-fought win in Spokane. Arizona has clashes with Washington and UCLA before its Nov. 6 showdown with Stanford.

Florida State came out flat against Boston College one week after hammering in-state rival Miami, but the Seminoles overcame four turnovers by quarterback Christian Ponder to squeeze out the win. The FSU defense surrendered 191 rushing yards to Montel Harris, but held BC to 95 passing yards.

The Warriors' primary impact over the last half-century has come on the offensive side of the ball. But Hawaii's defense secured this WAC upset, limiting Nevada Colin Kaepernick to 159 yards passing and dashing the Wolf Pack's dreams of an undefeated season.

Cowboys receiver Justin Blackmon had a career day, with 207 receiving yards and a score. But even more impressively, Oklahoma State held the Texas Tech offense to 226 passing yards. The result: a 6-0 start for the Cowboys, and their first win in Lubbock in 66 years.

Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns, but the Tigers advanced to 6-0 thanks to another impressive day from their defense, which held the typically prolific Texas A&M passing attack to a field goal and garbage-time touchdown.

Apparently, Pernell McGee had been aware that Mississippi State hadn't won at Gainesville since 1965, and that Florida hadn't encountered three consecutive defeats since 1988 -- when Galen Hall was helming the Gators program.

Asher Clark (116 rushing yards, 1 TD) produced stellar numbers on Saturday, but the rest of his Air Force teammates didn't fare as well. In turn, the Falcons must now suffer the double indignity of dropping out of the Top 25 and then traveling to No. 4 TCU next week.

Huskies QB Jake Locker needed only 21 completions to throw for 286 yards and five TDs in his team's thrilling home win. But things won't get any easier for Washington (3-3), as it faces Arizona, Stanford and likely No. 1 Oregon in three successive weeks.

West Virginia's offense was sluggish for most of the night, but the defense picked up the slack. The Mountaineers held South Florida to 202 total yards and no touchdowns while sacking Bulls quarterback B.J. Daniels four times and intercepting three of his passes, including Robert Sands' (2) momentum-changing pick just before the half.