College Football Top 25 Review

College Football Top 25 Review

AP

Alabama's reign atop the college football world is over. Texas A&M raced out to an early lead and held on late to shock the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Freshman sensation Johnny Manziel accounted for 345 total yards and two touchdowns, and the Aggies' defense intercepted 'Bama quarterback AJ McCarron for the first two times all season. Ryan Swope (pictured) paced the A&M receiving corps with 11 catches for 111 yards and a score, and sophomore Malcome Kennedy hauled in a 24-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that put the finishing touch on the Aggies' SEC stunner.

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Marcus Mariota tied a school-record with six touchdown passes as Oregon crushed Cal one day before likely ascending to the top spot in the AP and Coaches polls. The Ducks have scored at least 40 points during its 13-game winning streak, setting a new FBS record.

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It may not have been Kansas State's prettiest win of the year, but on a night when top-ranked Alabama lost, the Wildcats kept their unbeaten season alive. Heisman frontrunner Collin Klein (pictured) quelled injury concerns by accumulating 195 total yards and two touchdowns, and the K-State defense held TCU scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter. Only two games stand between Bill Snyder's team and perfection: a matchup at Baylor next Saturday and a meeting with Texas Dec. 1.

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A week after struggling against an inferior Pitt team, Notre Dame took care of business against an inferior Boston College team. Everett Golson (pictured) threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, while the Irish held the Eagles to two field goals on 304 net yards.

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Georgia is heading back to the SEC championship game. Much to Florida's dismay, the Bulldogs clinched their claim to the SEC East with a shutout of Auburn, a contest which Georgia controlled from the opening kick. Aaron Murray threw for 208 yards and three touchdowns, freshman backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall (pictured) combined for 221 yards and two scores and Malcolm Mitchell led the receivers with 47 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps most telling: The Bulldogs outgained the Tigers 497-238.

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After playing conference opponents in eight of its first nine games, Florida finished its SEC schedule last week against Missouri. But this week's matchup with Louisiana-Lafayette wasn't any easier. The Gators trailed 20-13 until two late scores sparked a closer-than-expected victory: a three-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Dunbar (pictured) and a 35-yard blocked punt return from Jelani Jenkins. After surviving, Florida will prepare to host Jacksonville State next Saturday.

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With its dreams of a BCS bowl hanging in the balance, Florida State rallied in the fourth quarter to narrowly top Virginia Tech. Sophomore receiver Rashad Greene (pictured) caught an EJ Manuel pass and sprinted 39 yards to the end zone for the game-winning score with 40 seconds remaining. Manuel finished with 326 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Greene hauled in six catches for 125 yards and two scores.

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LSU regained its form one week after a crushing last-minute loss to Alabama, topping Mississippi State 37-17. Zach Mettenberger was again sharp for the Tigers, while Jarvis Landry (pictured) posted career highs with nine catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, dropped their third game in a row.

AP

Clemson just keeps on rolling. The Tigers won their sixth straight game by pummeling Maryland at home. Tajh Boyd passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns, and wideout DeAndre Hopkins corralled his 14th scoring grab of the season. Sophomore defensive end Corey Crawford (pictured) joined in on the scoring with a 16-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the first quarter.

AP

Louisville's perfect season is no more. Syracuse wiped out the Cardinals behind a relentless offensive showing in the Carrier Dome. Ryan Nassib threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, Jerome Smith (pictured) scampered for 144 yards and a score and Alec Lemon caught nine passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went 36-of-49 for 424 yards and three scores in the loss.

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South Carolina was without injured running back Marcus Lattimore, but the offense didn't miss a beat against Arkansas. Connor Shaw (pictured) accounted for 282 yards and three touchdowns, Mike Davis and Kenny Miles combined for 90 rushing yards and a score and the Gamecocks took down the Razorbacks in Week 11. The defense also did its part. D.J. Swearinger added a 69-yard pick-six in the third quarter.

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Stanford's late-season quarterback switch paid major dividends this weekend. Filling in for Josh Nunes, redshirt freshman Kevin Hogan completed 22-of-29 attempts for 254 yards and three scores to lead the Cardinal to victory over Oregon State. Star tailback Stepfan Taylor (pictured) amassed 161 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and Stanford's defense held the Beavers scoreless in the fourth quarter. Next week brings an even tougher test. Hogan and Co. travel to Eugene for a Pac-12 showdown with Oregon.

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Baylor's offense kept things close, but Oklahoma's high-powered attack proved too much for the Bears to handle. Landry Jones completed 25-of-36 attempts for 278 yards and two touchdowns, and wide receiver Justin Brown racked up 83 yards and a score. The Sooners' stable of backs simply overwhelmed Baylor. Damien Williams and Brennan Clay (pictured) combined for 172 yards and three touchdowns.

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UCLA rode a 30-point second quarter and held off a late Washington State rally. UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley was 18-for-21 with three touchdowns. The Bruins (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12) are in first place in the Pac-12 South with only USC remaining on the schedule.

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Nebraska is making a habit of coming back in the fourth quarter. After previously rallying to beat Northwestern and Michigan State, the Huskers outscored Penn State 12-0 over the final 15 minutes to claim a crucial Big Ten victory. Taylor Martinez (pictured) collected 275 total yards and a touchdown, and running back Ameer Abdullah carried 31 times for 116 yards. Jamal Turner, who scored the game-winning touchdown last week against the Spartans, caught the go-ahead touchdown pass with 10:57 remaining.

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Like points? This game was for you. Louisiana Tech's Ray Holley (pictured) rushed 27 times for 145 yards and a touchdown, teammate Kenneth Dixon added 21 carries for 144 yards and four touchdowns and the Bulldogs survived a shootout and avoided taking a second loss.

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The Longhorns opened the game with a wishbone formation tribute to former coach Darrell Royal, and they ended it with a Big 12 rout of Iowa State. Mack Brown's squad raced out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back to improve to 8-2. David Ash (pictured) completed 25-of-31 attempts for 364 yards and two touchdowns, while freshman running back Johnathan Gray carried 14 times for 74 yards and two scores. The oft-maligned Texas defense held the Cyclones to just 277 total yards.

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USC's Marqise Lee (pictured) is enjoying a season for the record books. Though the Trojans haven't lived up to their preseason No. 1 billing, the sophomore wideout has wildly exceeded expectations. Lee upped his 2012 total to 1,464 receiving yards with a 178-yard, one-touchdown performance against Arizona State, and USC cruised to a pivotal Week 11 win. Quarterback Matt Barkley finished with 242 passing yards and three touchdowns, and running back Curtis McNeal tallied 31 carries for 159 yards and two scores.

AP

Toledo finally cracked the Top 25 after starting 8-1, but the Rockets didn't have it in them to beat Ball State Tuesday night. Keith Wenning threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, Jahwan Edwards (pictured) rushed for 105 yards and a score and the Cardinals knocked off Toledo in a weeknight MAC tilt. David Fluellen performed admirably for the Rockets in defeat, carrying 34 times for 200 yards and a touchdown.

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Army held its own until the fourth quarter, but Rutgers scored three touchdowns in the final nine minutes to capture its eighth win of the season. Gary Nova threw for 123 yards and a touchdown, Jawan Jamison carried 22 times for 90 yards and wideout Brandon Coleman (pictured) made two crucial scoring grabs. The Scarlet Knights now look ahead to the teeth of their Big East schedule. They play Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Louisville to close out the year.

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It was significantly closer than expected, but the Red Raiders put an end to their two-game losing streak against Kansas. Quarterback Seth Doege threw for 476 yards and three scores, while wideout Eric Ward made 12 catches for 180 yards. Senior receiver Darrin Moore (pictured) made the game-winning touchdown catch in double overtime.