College Football Top 25 Review

SI Staff | Nov 4, 2012

College Football Top 25 Review /

College Football Top 25 Review

Alabama may have delivered a win -- and a drive -- for the ages. Down 17-14 with fewer than two minutes remaining, 'Bama gained possession on its own 28-yard line following a missed Drew Alleman field goal. AJ McCarron, who appeared rattled for most of the second half, completed three consecutive passes to junior wideout Kevin Norwood. Then the Tide completed the comeback: McCarron hooked up with freshman back T.J. Yeldon (pictured), who deked a defender and raced 28 yards to the end zone. Nick Saban's squad improved to 9-0, while LSU's Zach Mettenberger silenced many critics in defeat. He completed 24-of-35 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown.

Oregon's offense showed why it may be the most feared unit in the nation. The Ducks hung 62 points on USC, an effort that had no shortage of standouts: Marcus Mariota passed for 306 yards and four touchdowns and Josh Huff made six catches for 125 yards and two scores. Still, the real star of the day was Kenjon Barner (pictured). The senior running back galloped for an eye-popping 324 yards and five touchdowns, a performance that overshadowed big games from the Trojans' Matt Barkley, Marqise Lee and Nelson Agholor.

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Kansas State stayed perfect at Oklahoma State, but it wasn't without a setback. Collin Klein left the game with an undisclosed injury after throwing for 245 yards, rushing for 64 yards and scoring one touchdown. Running back John Hubert added two scores on the ground, while K-State's defense and special teams both made major impacts. Tyler Lockett made an 100-yard kick return and Allen Chapman came through with a 29-yard pick-six.

Notre Dame survives. That was the story from South Bend Saturday, as the Irish weathered a ferocious upset bid from Pitt to keep their surprising national title hopes alive. Down 20-6 in the fourth quarter, Everett Golson (pictured) orchestrated two scoring drives, the latter culminating in a five-yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick. But the drama didn't end in overtime. Pitt kicker Kevin Harper missed a potential game-winning field goal, and Golson clinched the win with a dive into the end zone from one yard out. Panthers running back Ray Graham rushed for 174 yards and a score.

Urban Meyer is one game closer to an undefeated debut season in Columbus. Braxton Miller (pictured) amassed 299 total yards and three touchdowns, Carlos Hyde scampered for 137 yards and three scores and Ohio State routed Illinois in Week 10. The Buckeyes' defense also rose to the occasion. Illinois scored just six points in the first half and finished with a mere 170 yards of total offense.

Georgia showed off its potent aerial attack to move one step closer to an SEC East title. Despite trailing Ole Miss at the end of the first quarter, the Bulldogs rolled to victory behind a 384-yard, four-touchdown performance from quarterback Aaron Murray (pictured). Star freshman running back Todd Gurley finished with 18 carries for 117 yards, and receiver Marlon Brown made three catches for 113 yards and a score. Mark Richt's team has just one game left on its SEC schedule, a trip to 2-7 Auburn next Saturday.

It wasn't particularly pretty, but Florida escaped with a narrow win against SEC newcomer Missouri. One week after watching their unbeaten season slip away, the Gators came out flat and trailed the Tigers heading into the half. But they responded after the break. Omarius Hines (pictured) ripped off a 36-yard touchdown run, and Mike Gillislee caught a 45-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Driskel. Missouri quarterback James Franklin's struggles persisted. He overthrew several wide-open receivers and finished the day with four interceptions.

Clemson's offense continues to overwhelm the competition. One week after dominating Wake Forest, the Tigers scored 42 first-half points at Duke en route to an ACC victory. Quarterback Tajh Boyd threw for 344 yards and five touchdowns, DeAndre Hopkins collected 128 receiving yards and three scores and Sammy Watkins (pictured) added 97 yards and a touchdown. Boyd now boasts 25 touchdown passes on the year.

Louisville's undefeated season is still alive -- and in convincing fashion. The Cardinals routed Temple behind another banner day from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (pictured). Bridgewater threw for 324 yards and five touchdowns, and running back Jeremy Wright tallied 100 rushing yards and a score. After a Brandon McManus field goal with 11:30 remaining in the second quarter, Louisville's defense held the Owls scoreless for the rest of the game.

Markus Wheaton (pictured) and Oregon State bounced back from their first loss of the season to topple conference foe Arizona State and stay alive in the Pac-12 North race. Cody Vaz recovered at quarterback, throwing for 267 yards and three touchdowns. The Beavers must face Stanford and Cal before what could be a decisive Civil War meeting with archrival Oregon.

The Sooners offense was held in check last week against Notre Dame, but it certainly sprung to life Saturday at Iowa State. Landry Jones threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns, Brennan Clay ran for 157 yards and a score and Justin Brown (pictured) made seven receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. Tony Jefferson also made an interception as Oklahoma topped the Cyclones.

Stanford may have found its new starting quarterback. After announcing that the Kevin Hogan would split snaps with Josh Nunes earlier in the week, coach David Shaw watched as Hogan picked apart the Colorado defense for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Stepfan Taylor (pictured) added two rushing scores, and Stanford's defense also shined. In addition to shutting out the Buffaloes, the Cardinal unit opened the scoring with a 52-yard Ed Reynolds pick-six.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel (pictured) continues to impress. A week after dominating Auburn, Johnny Football torched Mississippi State to the tune of 311 passing yards, 112 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Ben Malena added 112 yards and a score, and Christine Michael ran for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Next week, the high-flying Aggies will face their toughest test to date: A&M visits Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

So much for Boise State's BCS-busting dreams. The Broncos were well-positioned to earn an at-large berth despite having lost their season opener to Michigan State, but that hope died after a shocking home loss to San Diego State. The Aztecs held off Boise's fourth-quarter rally to win their fifth straight and move into a tie for first place in the conference. Boise has now lost at home two years in a row; San Diego State had not beaten a ranked team since topping Wyoming in 1996.

Texas may have some fight left in it, after all. After eking out a win against Kansas, the Longhorns went on the road to Lubbock and defeated Texas Tech. David Ash completed 11-of-19 attempts for 264 yards and three touchdowns, and freshman running back Johnathan Gray (pictured) carried 20 times for 106 yards. Wideout Mike Davis also played a key role. He made four catches for 165 yards and two scores, including the game-winning 25-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Michigan State was ahead for the majority of the game, but Nebraska used a fourth-quarter surge to add to its lead in the Legends Division standings. Trailing 24-14 in the fourth quarter, the Huskers executed two touchdown drives, the former finishing with a 35-yard Taylor Martinez run and the latter ending with a five-yard pass to Jamal Turner. Le'Veon Bell rushed for 188 yards and two scores, but it wasn't enough. Martinez (pictured) outdid him by racking up 365 total yards and four touchdowns.

For the seventh time this season, Louisiana Tech finished the game with more than 50 points. Bulldogs' standouts Colby Cameron and Quinton Patton had their way with UTSA. Cameron finished 30-of-39 with 348 yards and three touchdowns, and Patton made 10 grabs for 152 yards and a score. Running back Kenneth Dixon (pictured) also did his part. The freshman found the end zone three times, ending the day with 18 carries for 72 yards.

West Virginia's fall from grace continues. Just a few weeks after enjoying a top-five national ranking, the Mountaineers have now lost three consecutive games. Geno Smith threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns, but TCU counterpart Trevone Boykin (pictured) emerged victorious after hitting Josh Boyce -- who finished with 181 receiving yards and two scores -- for the game-winning two-point conversion in double overtime. Horned Frogs wideout Brandon Carter completed a 25-yard pass to Corey Fuller to set it up.

The same Arizona team that upset USC last Saturday failed to generate any offense against UCLA, managing just 257 yards a week after amassing 588. Johnathan Franklin (pictured) and the Bruins had no such issues, totaling 611 net yards while displaying impeccable balance: UCLA posted 308 net rushing yards and 303 net passing yards.

Published Nov 4, 2012

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