College Football Scores 2012: Week 5 Results and Analysis

Week 5 of the 2012 college football season offered several exciting conference battles and pulled teams closer to the first BCS rankings. 

There already has been a Top 10 team upset this week, as No. 8 Stanford lost to Washington on Thursday night. The rest of the teams at the top are fighting to remain perfect.

No. 1 Alabama faces Ole Miss, and No. 2 Oregon will take on Washington State. No. 3 LSU has a soft matchup with Towson, while No. 4 Florida State will go up against South Florida. No. 5 Georgia currently is battling with SEC opponent Tennessee.

Here are all the scores with analysis from the weekend's most intriguing matchups.

Nebraska 30	Wisconsin 27
Texas 41	Oklahoma State 36
LSU 38	Towson 22
South Carolina 38	Kentucky 17
Texas Christian 24	Southern Methodist 16
Texas Tech 24	Iowa State 13
Louisiana-Lafayette 48	Florida International 20
Toledo 37	Western Michigan 17
Louisville 21	Southern Miss 17
Arizona State 27	California 17
North Texas 20	Florida Atlantic 14
Florida State 30	South Florida 17
Boise State 32	New Mexico 29
UCLA 42	Colorado 14
Western Kentucky 26	Arkansas State 13
Northern Illinois 55	Central Michigan 24
Cincinnati 27	Virginia Tech 24
Louisiana Tech 44	Virginia 38
Houston 35	Rice 14
North Carolina 66	Idaho 0
Ohio 37	Massachusetts 34
Troy 31	South Alabama 10
Clemson 45	Boston College 31
Georgia 51	Tennessee 44
Ohio State 17	Michigan State 16
Tulsa 49	UAB 42
Purdue 51	Marshall 41
Bowling Green 48	Rhode Island 8
San Jose State 12	Navy 0
Louisiana-Monroe 63	Tulane 10
Miami (OH) 56	Akron 49
Nevada 34	Texas State 21
Air Force 42	Colorado State 21
Connecticut 24	Buffalo 17
Mid Tennessee 49	Georgia Tech 28
Northwestern 44	Indiana 29
West Virginia 70	Baylor 63
Stony Brook 23	Army 3
Penn State 35	Illinois 7
Missouri 21	UCF 16
Iowa 31	Minnesota 13
Kent State 45	Ball State 43
Miami (Fla.) 44	North Carolina State 37
Texas A&M 58	Arkansas 10
Duke 34	Wake Forest 27

No. 22 Nebraska 30, Wisconsin 27

The Cornhuskers were down 27-10 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, only to rattle off 20 unanswered points and win the game.

Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez threw for two touchdowns, including a huge strike to Kyler Reed in the third quarter.

Brett Maher hit three field goals on the night, but his biggest kick came from 41 yards out with 9:41 left in the fourth quarter.

Wisconsin is reeling, to say the least. Montee Ball had 91 yards and three touchdowns, but their offense lacks any form of explosiveness.

This game was exciting, especially with Nebraska completing the second-largest comeback in school history.

No. 3 LSU 38, Towson 22

LSU allowed 188 rushing yards and turned the ball over three times en route to a frighteningly close call in Death Valley.

Towson wasn't supposed to keep this game close, but they did. Quarterback Grant Enders had nearly 200 total yards, as Towson held an advantage in the trenches for most of the night.

This is the second week in a row that we've seen an unfocused LSU team. Their 12-10 win over Auburn last week dropped them one spot in the polls, and you have to imagine this will as well.

If LSU doesn't play better against Florida next week, they will not win the game. Zach Mettenberger didn't throw an interception, but he must take more control of the offense.

No. 12 Texas 41, Oklahoma State 36

This shootout saw nearly 1,000 yards of total offense, with the Longhorns rising to the occasion in Stillwater.

David Ash's 30-of-37 performance was his official arrival as Texas' quarterback. The signal-caller tossed three touchdowns, including the pass to set up Joe Bergeron's game-winning plunge to win the game.

Kicker Quinn Sharp gave the Cowboys the lead with just over two minutes left in the game, before Texas broke their hearts. Running back Joseph Randle amassed 199 yards and two touchdowns, once again establishing himself as one of the country's best running backs.

This was a huge win for Texas, and they'll need another against West Virginia next week.

No. 19 Louisville 21, Southern Miss 17

Louisville only had 88 yards passing, but Charlie Strong's squad managed to hang on for the victory over the Golden Eagles.

The Cardinals are rising through the polls, but this would have been a devastating slip-up. They won't be happy with allowing 224 rushing yards.

Louisville was down 17-6 at one point, before storming back in the second half. Senorise Perry's 14-yard score with just over five minutes left was the difference.

No. 15 TCU 24, Southern Methodist 16

The Horned Frogs haven't lost a regular-season game since last year's debacle against SMU. Luckily, they avoided the same fate on Saturday.

TCU only had 156 total yards. If they hadn't forced six Mustangs turnovers, this game could have finished much differently.

Horned Frogs quarterback Casey Pachall was 10-of-26 for 107 yards and two touchdowns. His performance wasn't great, but Garrett Gilbert's five interceptions trump any issues Pachall had.

TCU would have liked to make this game easier, although tough wins build character later in the season.

No. 4 Florida State 30, South Florida 17

The Seminoles couldn't runaway against the Bulls, even though they controlled every asset of the game.

South Florida turned the ball over three times and only mustered 268 yards. They allowed the Seminoles to rack up 425 yards. The fact that this game was close is puzzling.

Florida State couldn't score, at least in the conventional way. Dustin Hopkins accounted for three field goals, Christian Jones returned a punt for a score and tight end Kevin Haplea caught a one-yard score.

The Seminoles avoided an upset against a pesky squad, furthering their road toward a national championship berth.

Cincinnati 27, Virginia Tech 24

The Hokies lost their second-straight game on Saturday. Cincinnati needed all 60 minutes to make it happen, but Damon Julian's 39-yard touchdown catch clinched the game.

Virginia Tech is just out of sorts. Not only did they turn the ball over three times, but they allowed nearly 500 yards of offense.

The Bearcats are now 3-0. Quarterback Munchie Legaux threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns in their winning effort.

Virginia Tech will have a chance to bounce back against North Carolina next week. For NFL draft prospect Logan Thomas, it's necessary. His stock is dropping quickly.

No. 5 Georgia 51, Tennessee 44

Georgia rode freshman running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall to victory on Saturday. The Bulldogs did have three turnovers, but their first-year duo was too much for Tennessee to handle.

Marshall and Gurley combined for 293 yards and five touchdowns. They were entirely too much for Tennessee's defense to handle, opening up the passing attack for Aaron Murray.

The Volunteers tried to stay in it, but three Tyler Bray turnovers down the stretch sunk their ship. Bray had a chance to tie the game with less than five minutes left, but he fumbled the ball as his squad was approaching the red zone.

Georgia was tested on Saturday. No. 6 South Carolina will provide a much stiffer challenge next week.

No. 14 Ohio State 17, No. 20 Michigan State 16

The Buckeyes were able to earn a hard-fought victory over Michigan State on Saturday, despite turning the ball over three times.

Braxton Miller accounted for 315 total yards and one touchdown, leading his Ohio State squad to pay dirt once again. He's proven himself as one of the country's most dynamic playmakers, only adding to that with his performance against the Spartans.

Andrew Maxwell tried to keep Michigan State in it, throwing for 269 yards and one touchdown, but he couldn't carry the offense on his own. Le'Veon Bell finished with less than fifty rushing yards, leaving Maxwell with very little help.

This was the first big win for Urban Meyer at Ohio State, and it didn't come easy. His squad will try to continue their momentum against Nebraska next week.

No. 9 West Virginia 70, No. 25 Baylor 63

Football fans who loved the hard-fought defensive battle between LSU and Alabama last season probably ripped their hair out in frustration while watching this game. 

These two high-powered offenses went back and forth throughout the game, racking up 1,507 total yards and 133 points. There were 70 points scored just in the first half, with the teams heading to the locker room tied at 35.

But West Virginia opened up the third quarter with 21 unanswered points, and while the Bears did pull within a touchdown on three different occasions in the fourth quarter, they had no answer for Geno Smith. The Mountaineers quarterback had an incredible day, completing 45-of-51 passes for 656 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Stedman Bailey also had a ridiculously productive performance, catching 13 passes for 303 yards and five touchdowns. The West Virginia offense proved once again it is one of the best in the nation. 

Penn State 35, Illinois 7

Illinois head coach Tim Beckman sent coaches into Happy Valley during the offseason to recruit Penn State players following the NCAA sanctions. This was not received well by the Nittany Lions program, and Bill O'Brien decided that Beckman did not deserve a pre-game handshake. 

Penn State's defense also was less than courteous with the Fighting Illini, shutting them out for the entire first half. Linebacker Michael Mauti had two interceptions in the game, and the Nittany Lions jumped out a to a 21-0 lead, cruising to victory. 

Matt McGloin completed 18-of-30 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown while also getting in the end zone twice on the ground. Running back Zach Zwinak racked up 100 yards on 19 carries and also scored two touchdowns.

This has to be a satisfying victory for all the Penn State players and coaches. 

Texas A&M 58, Arkansas 10

The woeful season for Arkansas continued, as it was trounced by Texas A&M in College Station. 

The Razorbacks once had national title aspirations for the 2012 season, but that seems like quite a long time ago. 

The first quarter started well for Arkansas, as it took a 10-7 lead. But the Aggies responded with 51 unanswered points after that, and the result was never in doubt once the second half began. 

Quarterback Johnny Manziel completed 29-of-38 passes for 453 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Aggies' convincing victory.