Big Wins
- Ohio State defeats Penn State 24-7
Going into Happy Valley as a 5 point underdog, the Buckeyes walked away with one of their biggest wins of the season. Holding Penn State to just 201 total yards of offense, while racking up 228 yards of their own on the ground, Ohio State was able to control the clock and the tempo of the game. Pryor threw 2 touchdowns and ran for 1 as his team combined for 228 yards on 49 carries. A 62 yard touchdown pass in the 3rd quarter to DeVier Posey was a back breaker for the Nittany Lions.
- Alabama defeats LSU 24-15
Trailing 15-10 as they headed into the 4th quarter, Alabama proved its position amongst the best in the game as they scored 14 points in route to a win. 452 total yards of offense was gained against a stingy Tiger defense with McElroy leading the way passing for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. A 73 yard pass to Julio Jones early in the 4th quarter, with a two point conversion, was the biggest play of the day at the most critical point.
- Houston defeats Tulsa 46-45
With virtually no defense, Houston is still a force because of its relentless offense attack. And for the second week in a row, late heroics lead the Cougars to a win. Down by 8 after a 1 yard touchdown run by Tulsa with only 3:28 left in the game, Houston scored a 1 yard TD of their own but failed to tie the game with a 2 point conversion. Keenum then hit two passes to give his kicker, Matt Hogan, a 51 yard try for the win. Hogan made the kick, giving his team the win with no time on the clock. Case Keenum again proves to be a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Other Notable Wins:
Purdue defeats Michigan 38-36
Baylor defeats Missouri 40-32
Clemson defeats Florida State 40-24
Cincinnati defeats Connecticut 47-45
Bigger Losses
- Northwestern upsets Iowa 17-10
Trailing 10-0 in the first quarter, the Northwestern defense sacked quarterback Ricky Stanzi who fumbled the ball in the end zone which was recovered for a touchdown. Stanzi was also knocked out of the game as was starting Wildcat QB Mike Kafka. But back up Dan Persa stepped up, and behind his defense, led Northwestern to give Iowa their first loss of the season and end any long shot chance at a National Title.
- Stanford upsets Oregon
Fresh off of their huge win against Southern Cal, the Ducks couldn’t get their defense to perform. Stanford racked up 505 yards of total offense with 254 yards coming on the ground led by Toby Gerhart who had 223 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Leading by 17 at one point, Oregon mounted a nice comeback to cut the lead to 6, but a 48 yard Nate Whitaker field goal with only 11 seconds remaining in the game, sealed the deal for the Cardinals.
- Nebraska upsets Oklahoma 10-3
Another stellar performance for the Sooner defense, as they held the Cornhuskers to just 180 total yards of offense. Passing for only 39 combined yards, Nebraska’s defense provided all the help needed as they picked off Landry Jones an impressive 5 times. Jones threw for 245 yards but seemed to crumple in key spots, especially in Nebraska territory. Only 7 first downs and a pitiful 1 for 14 on 3rd down conversions and Nebraska still got the outright win.
Other Notable Losses:
Illinois upsets Minnesota 35-32
Colorado upsets Texas A & M 35-34
Navy upsets Notre Dame 23-21
Oregon State upsets California 31-14
