College Football Top 25 Review

SI Staff | Nov 16, 2009

College Football Top 25 Review /

College Football Top 25 Review

No. 1 Florida 24, South Carolina 14

Tim Tebow tied the Southeastern Conference touchdown record and Florida gained its first perfect league season in 13 years with a tough road win. The Gators (10-0 overall, 8-0 in the SEC) -- who again called on their conference-leading defense -- remained on track for a third national title in four years. Tebow's fourth-quarter touchdown, a 1-yard burst, was the 53rd of his SEC career and matched LSU's Kevin Faulk.

No. 2 Texas 47, Baylor 14

Colt McCoy (left) tied the NCAA record for career victories by a starting quarterback, throwing two touchdown passes to help Texas reach 10 wins for the ninth straight season. McCoy is 42-7 in his career, tying the wins record set by former Georgia quarterback David Greene.

No. 3 Alabama 31, Mississippi State 3

Mark Ingram rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns as the Crimson Tide improved to 10-0 for the second straight year. Mark Barron made his fifth and six interceptions of the season, most in the Southeastern Conference.

No. 4 TCU 55, No. 16 Utah 28

Ryan Christian (left) beats a host of Utes into the end zone as TCU kept its record unblemished (10-0). Edward Wesley rushed for 141 yards a a touchdown and Matthew Tucker added two more scores for the Horned Frogs.

No. 5 Cincinnati 24, West Virginia 21

Tony Pike threw two touchdown passes -- in only four throws -- in a cameo appearance Friday, and the Bearcats overcame a self-destructive first half to record the best start (10-0) in school history. Sophomore Zach Collaros threw for 205 yards in his fourth start for Pike, who is recovering from an injury to his non-throwing arm.

No. 6 Boise State 63, Idaho 25

Kellen Moore threw for 298 yards and five touchdowns as Boise State (10-0) knocked off their rivals for the 11th consecutive time. Moore, the nation's passing efficiency leader with 32 touchdowns and just three interceptions, passed Steve Young for 19th place on the Western Athletic Conference's list for career touchdown passes.

No. 7 Georgia Tech 49, Duke 10

The Yellow Jackets spotted the Blue Devils the game's first 10 points before clinching the Coastal Division and a spot in the ACC championship -- and an Orange Bowl berth. Duke was limited to three rushing first downs and was outgained 519-281.

No. 8 Pittsburgh 27, Notre Dame 22

Freshman Dion Lewis (left) rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown and sophomore Jonathan Baldwin caught five passes for 142 and another touchdown to boost the Panthers.

No. 9 LSU 24, Louisiana Tech 16

Louisiana Tech (3-7) hadn't beaten LSU since 1904, but led 13-10 at halftime. But Keiland Willams rushed for two second-half touchdowns and finished with 116 yards as the Tigers survived. LSU defense limited Tech to 144 passing yards.

No. 10 Ohio State 27, No. 15 Iowa 24 (OT)

Back-up Devin Barclay kicked a 39-yard field goal in overtime to send the Buckeyes (9-2, 6-1) to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 13 years. Ohio State clinched at least a share of their fifth consecutive Big Ten title and the conference's automatic BCS bid. The Buckeyes haven't been to Pasadena since the 1996 team finished No. 2 in the nation, scoring in the final minute to beat Arizona State 20-17 in the Rose Bowl.

No. 25 Stanford 55, No. 11 Southern California 21

Toby Gerhart (top) rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns and Stanford (7-3, 6-2) emphatically followed up its 2007 upset at the Coliseum by beating USC (7-3, 4-3), the most points ever allowed by the Trojans. The loss was the Trojans' worst since a 51-0 defeat at home against Notre Dame in 1966 and essentially ended USC's seven-year run as Pac-10 champions.

North Carolina 33, No. 12 Miami 24

Kendric Burney (left) returned one of his three interceptions for a 77-yard touchdown and his third pick resulted in a bizarre fourth-quarter score that helped North Carolina improve to 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the ACC. The Tar Heels became bowl eligible for the second straight year and gave Butch Davis yet another win against his former program. It also was North Carolina's fifth consecutive win against ranked teams dating to last season.

Central Florida 37, No. 13 Houston 32

Central Florida not only found a way to slow down Case Keenum (right), the Knights didn't give the nation's most prolific passer a chance to pull off another improbable comeback. Jarvis Geathers (left) forced one of three fumbles to help stymie Keenum, who had kept alive Houston's five-game winning streak with a pair of last-minute rallies.

No. 14 Oregon 44, Arizona State 21

Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli runs for yardage in the Ducks' rout of Arizona State. As LeGarrette Blount awaited his first chance to play since his suspension, LaMichael James ran for 150yards and three touchdowns to power Oregon.

No. 17 Oklahoma State 24, Texas Tech 17

Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson (11) trie2 to eldue a group of Texas Tech defenders. Patrick Lavine scored on a 21-yard interception return, and the Cowboys came up with a final defensive stand to keep their slim hopes for a Big 12 championship alive with a key win.

California 24, No. 18 Arizona 16

Shane Vereen scored on a 61-yard run and finished with 158 yards as the Golden Bears prevailed without Jahvid Best. Arizona suffered a blow in trying to make the Rose Bowl for the first time.

No. 19 Penn State 31, Indiana 20

Daryll Clark threw for 194 yards and a touchdown as Penn State celebrated Senior Day with a win. Linebacker Navorro Bowman had a momentum-turning 73-yard interception return for a touchdown and the Nittany Lions (9-2) overcame four first-half turnovers - including two fumbles on special teams. The Hoosiers, who led 10-0, have made a habit this season of hanging tough early in road games before letting leads slip away. They had also led at Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa before falling.

No. 20 Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9

Jarrett Boykin caught three passes for 118 yards and a touchdown as Virginia Tech kept it hopes alive for a sixth consecutive 10-win season. Since joining the ACC in 2004, the Hokies are 4-0 against Maryland and have outscored the Terrapins 142-37.

No. 21 Wisconsin 45, Michigan 24

Nick Toon (top) hauls in one of four Scott Tolzien touchdown passes as Wisconsin became the latest long-suffering conference rival to throw some grief back at once-dominant Michigan. It was sweet redemption for the Badgers (8-2, 5-2), who watched last year's promising season unravel after blowing a 19-0 lead in the Big House last year.

No. 22 BYU 24, New Mexico 19

Max Hall (left) passed for two touchdowns and got his 29th victory at BYU to match Heisman Trophy-winner Ty Detmer's school record, and the Cougars survived a sloppy fourth quarter. Hall completed 21 of 33 attempts for 314 yards with one interception as BYU improved to 6-0 on the road this season.

Rutgers 31, No. 23 South Florida 0

Joe Martinek (right) completes a 37-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter Thursday as the Scarlet Knights embarrassed the error-prone Bulls. Rutgers forced four turnovers, blocked a punt and recorded seven sacks. It marked the first time South Florida was shut out in the regular season in its 13-year history.

No. 24 Clemson 43, N.C. State 23

C.J. Spiller (left) became the first player in Clemson history to record a touchdown passing, rushing and receiving in the same game, helping the Tigers (7-3, 5-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), secure a winning regular season. Spiller, who broke Derrick Hamilton's single-season school record for all-purpose yards on his 16-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries.

Published Nov 16, 2009

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