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In a wild, wild weekend filled with upsets and disappointments, the college football world was turned on end as USC finally went down for the first time since 2003 as the Oregon State Beavers came away with a stunning unset. Elsewhere, Michigan State continued to slide after getting thrashed by Indiana, Texas survived an upset bid by Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State was able to knock off the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a thrilling comeback victory. With wins and losses yesterday that should never have happened, teams will regroup and begin preparation for next week, and some coaches will begin to feel the ever-increasing pressure of being on the hot-seat. BEST GAME Oregon State over USC Oregon State jumped out to a big lead but had to fend off the USC Trojans and eventually won the game on a broken-up two-point conversion late in the fourth. The USC offense was spectacular but took a while to get warmed up, and that, plus four turnovers, allowed the Beavers to stay on top. Runner-Up: Texas over Texas Tech BIGGEST UPSET Oregon State over USC It's been quite some time since USC fell victim to anyone in the college football world. Runner-Up: Temple over Bowling Green BEST TEAM PERFORMANCE Indiana Hoosiers Indiana was able to creep ever closer to bowl eligibility with a win over Michigan State on Saturday. James Hardy caught four touchdown passes, and QB Kellen Lewis threw for 261 yards and five touchdowns in a win over the crashing Spartans. Runner-Up: Nevada Wolfpack MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM PERFORMANCE Michigan State Already in a downward spiral, the Spartans all but sealed John L. Smiths fate this week, getting crushed by lowly Indiana in what should have been a victory. Runner-Up: Missouri Tigers PLAYERS OF THE WEEK James Hardy Wide Receiver Indiana Hoosiers Six catches for 83 yards and four touchdowns. Kellen Lewis Quarterback Indiana Hoosiers Lewis was 16 of 26 for 261 yards and five touchdowns. Brady Quinn Quarterback Notre Dame Quinn was 18 of 25 for 295 yards and three scores while also rushing for 29 yards and a score. Graham Harrell Quarterback Texas Tech Although the Raiders lost, Harrell was sharp, throwing for over 500 yards and three touchdowns. Colt Mccoy Quarterback Texas Longhorns McCoy was 21 of 31 for 256 yards and four touchdowns. THREE THINGS WE LEARNED #1. Michigan State coach John L. Smith and Miami coach Larry Coker should be gone after this season. The absolute lack of on-the-field production, coupled with the brawl a few weeks back at Miami, should seal the deal for both the coaches who have underachieved since their initial success. #2: The Big XII North is a joke. Two middle-of-the-road teams from the South spanked the two best teams from the North this week, ending all hopes that the North was improved from last year. #3: USC is overrated. After winning like they had the last few weeks, I saw no reason to keep USC as high as they were. I believe that most people were ranking this year's team based on what they were in the past, while in reality, this is a totally different squad. |
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