Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.      Kansas State, 10-0, 2
2.      Oregon, 10-0, 3
3.      Notre Dame, 10-0, 3
4.      Alabama, 10-1, 1
5.      Ohio State, 10-0, 5
6.      Georgia, 9-1, 6
7.      Florida State, 9-1, 7
8.      Florida, 9-1, 8
9.      Louisiana  State, 8-2, 9
10.    Texas A&M, 8-2, 13
11.    Clemson, 9-1, 10
12.    South Carolina, 8-2, 11
13.    Oklahoma, 8-2, 12
14.    Stanford, 8-2, 16
15.    Nebraska, 8-2, 17
16.    Oregon State, 8-2, 14
17.    UCLA, 8-2, 17
18.    Texas, 8-2, 18
19.    Louisiana Tech, 9-1, 20
20.    Louisville, 9-1, 15
21.    Oklahoma State, 6-3, 21
22.    Michigan, 7-3, 24
23.    Southern Cal, 7-3, 25
24.    Rutgers, 8-1, NR
25.    Northwestern 7-3, NR

OUT:  Mississippi State (22), Texas Christian (23)

VOTES:  Northern Illinois, Texas Christian, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Kent State, Washington, UCF, Mississippi State, Baylor, Vanderbilt, BYU, Michigan State, Penn State, Cincinnati, San Diego State and Arizona.

Florida State was in Blacksburg on Thursday night to take on a struggling but talented Virginia Tech team, who has won at least 10 games each of the past eight years.  FSU got leads but due to mind boggling play calling and a myriad of boneheaded mistakes, found themselves trailing very late in the game.  Rashad Greene stepped up taking a short pass over the middle for a touchdown saving the day.  Earlier in the drive, James Wilder Jr got a first down on a 4th and 1 with a stellar individual effort.  FSU has no business having these inferior teams in contention for wins, but they seem unable to bury these teams.  The Seminoles are like a gazelle trapped in shopping mall.  They can beat anyone, but they allow inferior teams to hang around and exponentially raise the degree of difficulty in winning.  There is consensus that Jimbo Fisher should relinquish the offensive coordinator duties.

Nebraska hosted Penn State and proceeded to dig themselves a huge hole, falling behind 20-6.  With blood pressure in the sea of red at alarming levels, Taylor Martinez brought the 'Huskers back again to win 32-23, outscoring the Lions 26-3 to close the game. With a home contest with Minnesota and a trip to struggling Iowa to close the schedule, Nebraska will be favored to win the division and meet Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game with a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line. With Rex Burkhead sidelined much of the year, Ameer Abdullah has really stepped up and is playing at a top level.  Pelini got in shouting match with safety Daimion Stafford, which was ugly and was caught for the television audience to see.  Later in the game Stafford made perhaps his best play as a 'Husker, grabbing a pick six which really turned the game.  So there you have it.



Darrell Royal

Legendary Texas Longhorn football coach Darrell Royal passed away earlier last week.  Royal coached the Longhorns from 1957 to 1976, winning the 1969 National Championship and grabbing a share of the title in 1970.  Royal came to Texas after two seasons at Mississippi State, where interestingly enough, his Aggies failed to score in his tenure against state rival Ole Miss, losing 14-0 in '54 and 26-0 in '55.  For six straight seasons in the late 60's and early 70's, Royal and his Longhorns were fixtures at the annual Cotton Bowl Classic.  In 1996, Texas renamed their stadium to the Darrel K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.  Royal coached dozens of outstanding players, but none reached the pinnacle of the game quite like bruising running back Earl Campbell, one of the best to ever suit up in college or professional football.

Georgia Tech was hitting on all cylinders winning 68-50 at North Carolina.....Hot and cold NC State smashed Wake Forest.....Michigan got lucky to get to overtime hosting Northwestern, but won it....Johnny Football helped the Texas Aggies build a 20-0 lead and hang on with a last second interception with #1 Alabama in the red zone to win 29-24 in Tuscaloosa.  Boy, does the future look bight in Aggieland.....As bad as FSU looked, the Florida Gators looked worse, getting a walk off blocked punt return for touchdown to beat UL-Lafayette in front a a less than capacity crowd in Gainesville. Although the Gators pulled it out, they were some kind of exposed.....K-State took out TCU, and now a date with Texas seems the only chance they stumble....Oregon continues to be explosive, blasting Cal at Berkeley.....Vandy won at Ole Miss, and will be bowling.....Claiming abusive behavior, Washington State receiver Marquiss Wilson, the Cougars best player, quit the team.  New Wazzu coach Mike Leach has had issues in this regard previously, so we shall see as it gets investigated....Georgia blasted Auburn at Auburn, and Gene Chizik is on the hot seat, as is Derek Dooley at Tennessee, who lost at Rocky Top to Missouri in four overtimes...Syracuse got a big home victory over previously unbeaten Louisville...Okie State clobbered West Virginia, whose hopes for a banner year have crashed.....Virginia came from behind to beat Miami in the last seconds in a wild one in Charlottesville.  Even still, it looks like Miami in the ACC title game with the presumed opponent of Florida State....Notre Dame remained undefeated winning at lowly Boston College....Could Florida State meet Alabama in the woulda coulda shoulda Ornage Bowl?