TOP 25
Six unbeatens entering title week
The top six unbeatens remain intact. With bigger games to play this weekend, top-10 teams Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh lost trap games last week to area rivals. Neither loss was a surprise and neither team drops too far as a result. Clemson lost in a similar trap situation, but showed so little fight against rival South Carolina that it tumbles from No. 15 all the way out of the top 25. BYU, West Virginia and Stanford return to the top 25 after impressive wins. Houston returns as well after scoring an NCAA Division I-A high 73 points against Rice.
| No. | Team (Record) | Comment | Pvs. |
| 1 | Florida (12-0) | Tebow can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass … at night | 1 |
| 2 | Texas (12-0) | Colt’s Heisman statement — 4 TD passes, 175 yards rushing | 2 |
| 3 | Alabama (12-0) | Tide overcame SI jinx, but Heisman hopeful Ingram did not | 3 |
| 4 | TCU (12-0) | Frogs did all they could. Now hope for Texas to get upset | 4 |
| 5 | Cincinnati (11-0) | Kelly rumors to ND not good as Bearcats prepare for Pitt | 5 |
| 6 | Boise St. (12-0) | Doesn’t QB Moore deserve an invitation to Heisman party? | 6 |
| 7 | Ohio State (10-2) | Chance to sit and watch who will smoke them in Rose Bowl | 8 |
| 8 | Oregon (9-2) | Play Oregon State in a Civil War run for the roses Thursday | 9 |
| 9 | Iowa (10-2) | Fiesta Bowl matchup with Boise State looks probable | 11 |
| 10 | Penn State (10-2) | Capital One Bowl matchup with LSU could be the ticket | 12 |
| 11 | LSU (9-3) | This time in same situation vs. Arkansas, Miles got it right | 16 |
| 12 | Georgia Tech (10-2) | Clemson, Tech losses to SEC also-rans expose the ACC | 7 |
| 13 | Virginia Tech (9-3) | Seventeen straight bowl appearances for Beamer’s Hokies | 14 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh (9-2) | Forget WVU. Can still get BCS bowl with win over Cincy | 10 |
| 15 | USC (8-3) | A few weeks ago USC-Arizona had rosey implications | 19 |
| 16 | Oregon State (8-3) | Chance to play in Rose Bowl for the first time in 45 years | 20 |
| 17 | Miami (9-3) | With every reason to lose at USF, thoroughly dominated | 24 |
| 18 | Nebraska (9-3) | Will Huskers’ defense be up to the task vs. McCoy, Horns? | 25 |
| 19 | BYU (10-2) | After blowing lead, Falcons and Hall rallied against Utah | NR |
| 20 | California (8-3) | With win at Washington, Bears will clinch Sun Bowl berth | 21 |
| 21 | Houston (10-2) | Play at East Carolina (8-4) in Conference USA title game | NR |
| 22 | West Virginia (8-3) | Meineke Bowl, Dec. 26, vs. Boston College a possibility | NR |
| 23 | Oklahoma State (9-3) | BCS bowl worthy? Not even close in humbling loss to OU | 13 |
| 24 | Utah (9-3) | Utes lost to BYU for the third time in the last four years | 17 |
| 25 | Stanford (8-4) | Gerhart made a physical Heisman statement against ND | NR |
HEATING UP
Florida » While other unbeatens have been dodging bullets, Gators look primed for title run.
Also » BYU, Stanford, TCU
COOLING DOWN
Clemson » Tigers were on a roll, but that was in the ACC. Beating an SEC team is a whole other deal.
Also » UNC, Georgia Tech, Pitt
TOP 25 GAME OF THE WEEK
SEC Championship: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 3 Alabama
The unquestioned “Game of the Year” finally is here. The title tilt in the Southeastern Conference, a rematch of last year, can be chalked up as a de facto semifinal for the BCS National Championship. In 2008, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow led his Gators back from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter for an 11-point win. This one should be equally tight, considering both defenses are among the best in the country. Florida isn’t the same dominant club that they were last year, while the Crimson Tide continues to have questions on offense.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, DT
After rolling up nearly 500 total yards against Texas A&M, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is set to go up against one of the toughest defenses he’s faced all year. Nebraska, the Longhorns’ opponent in the Big 12 Championship Game, is ranked 11th in total defense. And the leader of that group is Suh, a player that will be garnering plenty of honors at season’s end and a hefty paycheck when he goes pro. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle has six sacks and 200 tackles. His being guarded by as many as two opposing lineman has helped give the Cornhusker defense 33 sacks and has limited the offenses of Missouri, Kansas State and Oklahoma.
STORY LINES
1. Campaigning for Heisman » Several star players made their case for the sport’s most coveted trophy. On Thanksgiving night, Colt McCoy chowed down on the Texas A&M defense, shredding them for more than 300 yards passing and nearly 200 yards on the ground. His five total touchdowns were vital as Texas remained unbeaten in a 49-39 victory. Stanford running back Toby Gerhart carried a hefty load against Notre Dame. The bruising tailback gained 205 yards on 29 carries, running for three touchdowns and even throwing one. The Cardinal came out with a 45-38 win. Seeking a second Heisman is Tim Tebow. In his final home game, the Gator had five touchdowns and 311 total yards against Florida State.
2. Championship bouts » The two heavyweights slugging it out will be Florida and Alabama, but the undercard still has tremendous intrigue and BCS bowl implications. The Big 12 Championship in Arlington, Texas, pits underdog Nebraska against third-ranked Texas. Should the Longhorns win, they’ll be off to Pasadena and the national championship game. A Nebraska upset victory results in a Cornhusker appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. That evening, the ACC Championship has two new teams: Clemson and Georgia Tech. Both will have to bounce back from defeats against in-state rivals. The winner earns a berth in the Orange Bowl. While the Big East doesn’t have an official title game, it still has a de-facto one Saturday afternoon, when Pittsburgh hosts Cincinnati.
3. Groh’s woes lead to axing » You could see this one coming from far away. That was especially true right from the start of the year, when Virginia fell to William & Mary. They finished the year with six straight defeats and an overall record of 3-9 — the worst mark for the program in 27 years. Groh was let go a day after losing 42-13 to Virginia Tech at home. It was the eighth defeat to the Hokies in his nine years, and that was just one reason for the firing. As head coach, Groh went 59-53 with five bowl appearances and even had a stretch of four straight, in which the team averaged eight wins. However, the Cavs could only muster one winning season over the last four years.
AREA INTELLIGENCE
MARYLAND
The Terps worst season in history (2-10) came to a close with a 21-19 loss to Boston College. It is up to AD Debbie Yow to decide what direction to take. Will coach Ralph Friedgen remain for his 10th season and re-tool his staff, or will Maryland buy him out of the final two years of his contract?
NAVY
After a bye, the Midshipmen were lackluster in a 24-17 loss at Hawaii. Navy (8-4) didn’t commit a turnover and had just one penalty, but was unimpressive in the trenches and managed the clock poorly on its final possession. Mids get another bye before their annual clash with Army (5-6) in Philadelphia.
VIRGINIA
After beating Virginia for the sixth straight time, the Hokies (9-3) are bound for a Jan. 1 game. A berth in the Gator Bowl against the runner-up of the Big East is a likely scenario, though no one is clamoring or a rematch of last year’s dull Orange Bowl, a 20-7 Tech victory over Cincinnati.
VIRGINIA TECH
After his sixth straight loss, 42-13, to Virginia Tech, coach Al Groh made a flamboyant departure, reading an inspirational poem then embracing family members who were in tears. A $4.3 million buyout will cushion the blow as Virginia (3-9) undertakes a national search for a new coach.
RICHMOND
The Spiders edged Elon on Saturday, 16-13, in the opening round of the FCS playoffs as QB Eric Ward rushed for 136 yards. UR (11-1) advances to the quarterfinals against visiting Appalachian State (10-2) Saturday. The Spiders beat the Mountaineers in the quarters on their way to the 2008 FCS title.
