College Football Top 40: Oregon Ducks Back into the Mix

And then there were three.

The BCS equation became very simple, at least for a week, when Stanford and Boise State fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Saturday.

LSU is 10-0. Oklahoma State is 10-0. Say hello to your 1-2 matchup.

Houston is also 10-0 for the first time in school history, but the Cougars of Conference USA are no threat to those at the top of the rankings.

The Tigers and Cowboys control their own destiny at this point; if they keep winning, they will meet in New Orleans for the BCS National Championship on Jan. 9.

Oregon won the big showdown in the Pac-12, handing Stanford its first loss with a 53-30 win at The Farm. That gives the Ducks the inside track to hosting the Pac-12 title game. Oregon clinches the division with a win in either of its final two games or if the Cardinal loses to California.

TCU went up to Boise and shocked the Broncos on the Smurf Turf, 36-35, to take control of the Mountain West Conference race. The Horned Frogs are 5-0 in MWC play with two to play while Boise State saw its BCS hopes undone by a missed field goal for the second consecutive year.

In the ACC, Clemson clinched a berth in the conference title game with a wild comeback victory at home over Wake Forest to win the Atlantic Division. Virginia Tech stayed in command of the Coastal Division with a win over Georgia Tech, but Virginia is lurking a game behind the Hokies.

Oklahoma State shook off a history of struggles in Lubbock by annihilating Texas Tech 66-6 to remain perfect. Idle Oklahoma is the final threat to the Cowboys in the Big 12.

West Virginia muddied the Big East race with a big win at Cincinnati. The Bearcats still lead the league after their first conference loss but lost quarterback Zach Collaros to an ugly ankle injury. The Mountaineers are in a group with Rutgers, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Connecticut with two conference defeats.

The Big Ten remains a mosh pit with five teams still in position to realistically advance to the conference’s inaugural championship game. In the Legends Division, Michigan State maintained its one-game lead and all but eliminated Iowa with a big win in Iowa City. Nebraska won at Penn State and Michigan beat fading Illinois to stay a game behind the Spartans. In the Leaders Division, Penn State took its first loss and now leads Wisconsin by a game.

The Pac-12 South remains the division no one really seems to want to win. With USC banned from postseason play this season, UCLA stayed in the driver’s seat—so to speak—despite losing to Utah. That’s because Arizona State also lost to Washington State. The Bruins and Sun Devils are 4-3 in the South, but UCLA owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Georgia’s task in the SEC East is simple: Beat Kentucky, go to the SEC Championship. South Carolina did what it had to do by beating Florida, but the Bulldogs’ blowout of Auburn leaves them in control of the division. LSU still has the inside track in the West but has Arkansas remaining on the schedule.

As far as the Top 40 goes, we bid farewell to No. 37 Miami (a loser at Florida State), No. 39 Illinois (which took its fourth straight loss) and No. 40 North Carolina. The rankings follow:

40. Arkansas State (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

This week: Beat Louisiana-Lafayette 30-21

Next: at Middle Tennessee

The Red Wolves won their seventh straight and stayed in control of the Sun Belt Conference race, improving to 6-0 in conference play.

Ryan Aplin ran for a touchdown and threw for two more as Arkansas State rallied past the Ragin’ Cajuns after squandering a 10-point halftime lead.

Aplin’s four-yard run with 1:31 left in the third quarter put the Red Wolves back on top after Louisiana-Lafayette had scored a pair of touchdowns to take the lead.

39. Florida (5-5)

Last week’s ranking: 36

This week: Lost at South Carolina 17-12

Next: vs. Furman

The Gators finished with their first losing SEC record since 1986 and their five losses are the most in league play since Florida was 0-6 in 1979.

The Gators got back into the game after falling behind 14-3 at halftime by stopping the Gamecocks’ running game. A two-yard run by Jacoby Brissett got Florida to within 14-12 with 11:13 remaining, but it would get no closer.

Chris Rainey led Florida with 132 yards on 16 carries and John Brantley was 13-for-21 for 119 yards passing. The Gators had just 261 yards and averaged just 299 in league play under first year offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.

38. Ohio State (6-4)

Last week’s ranking: 34

This week: Lost at Purdue 26-23 (OT)

Next: vs. Penn State

The Buckeyes got a field goal in overtime but lost when the Boilermakers found the end zone on their possession.

Ohio State trailed 20-14 in the final minutes of regulation when Braxton Miller found Jordan Hall for a 13-yard touchdown on fourth-and-three to tie the game, but Drew Basil’s extra-point attempt was blocked.

Miller passed for 132 yards and ran for 43 yards on 16 carries and Dan Herron had 62 yards on 18 carries as the Buckeyes’ three-game winning streak was snapped.

37. Rutgers (7-3)

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

This week: Beat Army 27-12 at New York

Next: vs. Cincinnati

Mohamed Sanu had 13 catches for 129 yards to break Larry Fitzgerald’s single-season Big East receptions record and the Scarlet Knights got some help from West Virginia to keep their conference title hopes alive.

Sanu now has 93 catches, one more than Fitzgerald had for Pittsburgh in 2003. Rutgers now trails Cincinnati by a half-game in conference play and the Bearcats visit Piscataway this week.

The Scarlet Knights didn’t overwhelm the Black Knights in the game at Yankee Stadium but got a go-ahead 38-yard touchdown pass from Chas Dodd to Brandon Coleman in the third quarter and put the game away with a pair of fourth-quarter scores. 

36. Utah (6-4)

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

This week: Beat UCLA 31-6

Next: at Washington State

John White rushed for 167 yards and scored three touchdowns and Conroy Black returned an interception 67 yards for another score to lead the Utes.

The win makes Utah bowl eligible for a ninth straight year. Utah emphasized the running game with wintry conditions covering the field with snow early in the game.

The win was the third straight for the Utes. Utah’s defense, ranked third in the Pac-12, held the Bruins to just a pair of field goals and intercepted two passes.

35. Washington (6-4)

Last week’s ranking: 35

This week: Lost at USC 40-17

Next: at Oregon State

Keith Price was held to 125 yards passing for the Huskies before he left with an injured left knee in the third quarter. The loss was Washington’s third in four weeks to a ranked opponent. Chris Polk had a season-low 36 yards rushing and a touchdown.

The Huskies have lost to Stanford, Oregon and USC since opening the season 5-1 and were routed by the Trojans after beating USC on last-second field goals each of the last two seasons.

Price was 12-for-16 and was held without a touchdown pass for the first time all season. Nick Montana, the son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana, replaced Price and threw his first career touchdown pass to Kasen Williams with 13 seconds to go.

34. Arizona State (6-4)

Last week’s ranking: 28

This week: Lost at Washington State 37-27

Next: vs. Arizona

The Sun Devils lost a chance on a wet, snowy night to regain control of the Pac-12 South after UCLA had lost earlier in the day.

Arizona State drove 58 yards to the Cougars’ nine-yard line in the fourth quarter but was stopped a yard short of a first down and Washington State then drove 89 yards for a game-clinching touchdown.

Jamal Miles returned the opening kickoff 95 yards to give the Sun Devils a quick 7-0 lead. Brock Osweiler was 28-for-44 for 351 yards and a touchdown but Arizona State managed just 60 yards on the ground.

33. Georgia Tech (7-3)

Last week’s ranking: 27

This week: Lost to Virginia Tech 37-26 (Thursday)

Next: at Duke

The Yellow Jackets were eliminated from the ACC title race, losing their composure along with the game. Jeremiah Attaochu helped keep a drive alive for the Hokies when he punched quarterback Logan Thomas after not being able to bring him down for a sack.

Georgia Tech also came up short on a fourth-down gamble to help deal its fate. Quarterback Tevin Washington ran for three touchdowns but was stopped short on a fourth-and-one from the Yellow Jackets’ 31 early in the fourth quarter.

Attaochu may face disciplinary action from the conference after throwing a punch into the side of Thomas’ helmet. Attaochu insisted he was trying to punch the ball loose even though his hand was nowhere close to the football.

32. Auburn (6-4)

Last week’s ranking: 24

This week: Lost at Georgia 45-7

Next: vs. Samford

The Tigers took their biggest loss in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry since a 41-0 thumping in 1946 and fell behind 35-7 by halftime.

Auburn has gone through major rebuilding pains after winning the national title behind Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton last season. The Tigers have lost four SEC road games by a combined 111 points and in this one, they turned the ball over three times and were out-gained 528-195.

Clint Moseley was 11-for-22 for 140 and spent much of the day running for his life as he was sacked five times. Auburn was held to 51 yards rushing and allowed 304 yards on the ground.

31. Cincinnati (7-2)

Last week’s ranking: 25

This week: Lost to West Virginia 24-21

Next: at Rutgers

Tony Milano’s game-tying field-goal attempt was blocked in the closing seconds and the Bearcats’ first Big East loss threw the race for the title wide open.

Cincinnati also lost senior quarterback Zach Collaros to an ankle injury in the second quarter on a play that changed the game. He fumbled the ball into the end zone and the Mountaineers recovered on the play during which he was injured.

Untested sophomore Munchie Legaux led the Bearcats to a pair of touchdowns for a 21-17 lead early in the fourth quarter, then lost the lead after a 10-play West Virginia drive that was capped by a touchdown with 8:52 remaining.

30. West Virginia (7-3)

Last week’s ranking: 38

This week: Won at Cincinnati 24-21

Next: vs. Pittsburgh (Fri, Nov. 25)

Eain Smith blocked a potential game-tying field-goal in the final seconds and the Mountaineers—and pretty much everyone else—stayed in the Big East race.

Geno Smith rallied West Virginia from a fourth-quarter deficit before Smith made the key special-teams play. A loss would have knocked the Mountaineers out of contention for the conference title.

Smith directed a 10-play drive that was capped by a one-yard run by Shawne Alston for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:52 left. Smith was 29-for-43 for 372 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

29. Tulsa (7-3)

Last week’s ranking: 33

This week: Beat Marshall 59-17

Next: at UTEP

G.J. Kinne threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters and the Golden Hurricane remained perfect in Conference USA play.

Tulsa will host Houston on Nov. 25 for the C-USA West title regardless of next week’s results. Bryan Burnham had a career-high 10 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.

The Golden Hurricane also ran for 380 yards as Ja’Terian Douglas ran for 194 yards on 10 carries and Trey Watts had 144 yards. Tulsa had a season-high 680 yards of total offense.

28. Florida State (7-3)

Last week’s ranking: 31

This week: Beat Miami 23-19

Next: vs. Virginia

Greg Reid scored on an 83-yard punt return and Dustin Hopkins booted three field goals to beat longtime nemesis Miami.

The Seminoles led 17-7 at the half and held the Hurricanes to their lowest point total of the season. Florida State has won five straight games since an early three-game losing streak knocked them out of the ACC title race.

The Seminoles led at the half despite being held to just 87 yards and three first downs thanks to three Miami turnovers.

27. Missouri (5-5)

Last week’s ranking: 32

This week: Beat Texas 17-5

Next: vs. Texas Tech

The Tigers ended a six-game losing streak to the Longhorns in their last meeting as Big 12 rivals but likely lost Henry Josey, the conference’s leading rusher, for the season still needing a win to become bowl-eligible.

Kendial Lawrence rushed for 106 yards with a touchdown in relief of Josey and a Missouri defense that was torched for 697 yards in a loss at Baylor last week kept Texas out of the end zone for the first time since 2004.

It was the Tigers’ second win against a ranked opponent this season. Missouri also beat Texas A&M on Oct. 29.

26. Texas A&M (5-5)

Last week’s ranking: 22

This week: Lost at Kansas State 53-50 (4OT)

Next: vs. Kansas

The Aggies blew a 10-point lead in the final six minutes of regulation and eventually took their third straight loss.

Cyrus Gray ran for 218 yards and two touchdowns and Ryan Tannehill threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns for Texas A&M, which lost in overtime to Missouri two weeks ago and lost to Oklahoma last week. The Aggies need to beat Kansas or Texas to become bowl-eligible.

It was the fourth time in Texas A&M’s five losses in which the Aggies were unable to hold a double-digit lead in the second half.

25. Notre Dame (7-3)

Last week’s ranking: 26

This week: Beat Maryland 45-21 at Landover, Md.

Next: vs. Boston College

Jonas Gray ran for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns and Tommy Rees threw for 296 yards and two scores.

Rees was 30-for-38, including 14-for-15 in the second half. The Fighting Irish ran up 508 yards of offense as their no-huddle attack ran a whopping 84 plays.

It was the third in a series of “home” games at neutral sites for Notre Dame, this one played 12 miles from the Maryland campus. But most of the 70,251 at FedEx Field were rooting for the Irish.

24. Southern Mississippi (9-1)

Last week’s ranking: 23

This week: Beat UCF 30-29

Next: at UAB (Thursday)

Danny Hrapmann kicked five field goals and the Golden Eagles kept their Conference USA title hopes alive by surviving an upset bid by the Golden Knights.

UCF scored a touchdown as time expired but safety Jacorious Cotton tipped away a two-point conversion pass to secure the win.

Austin Davis threw for 366 yards and two touchdowns for Southern Miss, which is 9-1 for the first time since 1962.

23. Baylor (6-3)

Last week’s ranking: 29

This week: Won at Kansas 31-30 (OT)

Next: vs. Oklahoma

Robert Griffin III threw three touchdown passes in a fourth-quarter comeback and the Bears escaped with a win when the Jayhawks failed on a two-point conversion in overtime.

The win was Baylor’s first road Big 12 win in more than a year. The Bears fell behind 24-3 before the offense finally came alive in the fourth period, scoring three touchdowns on long drives that took just 14 plays to cover 267 yards.

Griffin wound up with 312 yards passing and 103 on the ground. Baylor finished with 505 yards against a defense that came in ranked 120^th of the 120 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

22. Penn State (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 11

This week: Lost to Nebraska 17-14

Next: at Ohio State

The Nittany Lions couldn’t overcome a 17-point deficit after the worst week in school history. Penn State was stopped on a fourth-and-one late in the game that was played three days after Joe Paterno was fired on Wednesday in the wake of a scandal involving child sexual abuse charges against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

The Nittany Lions scored two second-half touchdowns on runs by Stephfon Green but a key drive ended when Silas Redd was stopped on fourth down with 1:49 to go at the Penn State 38.

Green finished with 71 yards on 17 carries in his final game at Beaver Stadium.

21. TCU (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 30

This week: Won at Boise State 36-35

Next: vs. Colorado State

The Horned Frogs recovered a fumble deep in their own territory with 2:26 remaining and Casey Pachall marched TCU to a 25-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Carter with 1:05 remaining. Needing an extra point to tie, coach Gary Patterson opted to go with the lead and Pachall hit Josh Boyce with a short pass and Boyce fought his way into the end zone for the lead.

The Horned Frogs then survived when Boise State missed a potential game-winning field goal as time expired. Pachall was 24-for-37 for a career-high 473 yards and five touchdowns, including scores from 75, 74 and 69 yards in the first half.

TCU won its 22^nd in a row against Mountain West Conference opponents and set a new conference record with its 12^th straight conference road win.

20. Texas (6-3)

Last week’s ranking: 13

This week: Lost at Missouri 17-5

Next: vs. Kansas State

The Longhorns failed to score a touchdown in a game for the first time since 2004. Texas was held to 76 yards rushing in just its third road game of the year.

The Longhorns had topped 400 yards rushing in back-to-back blowouts at home, but leading rusher Malcolm Brown was out with an injured toe and Joe Bergeron did not play because of a hamstring injury. The depth chart got leaner when Fozzy Whitaker left with an apparent knee injury in the first quarter.

Texas managed just an early field goal and a safety on a blocked punt in the third quarter.

19. USC (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 20

This week: Beat Washington 40-17

Next: at Oregon

Marqise Lee caught a touchdown pass ran back the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown and Curtis McNeal had a 79-yard touchdown run on his way to a career-high 148 yards rushing.

Matt Barkley threw for 174 yards and a touchdown and ran for an early score for the Trojans, who had lost two straight to the Huskies.

Marc Tyler also ran for a score for USC, which is ineligible for postseason play. The Trojans took a 20-point halftime lead despite a quiet game from sophomore receiver Robert Woods, who had just two catches for five yards.

18. Michigan (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 18

This week: Won at Illinois 31-14

Next: vs. Nebraska

Cornerback J.T. Floyd intercepted a pass and returned it 42 yards to set up a decisive score in a game dominated by the oft-maligned Wolverine defense.

Fitzgerald Toussaint ran for 192 yards and a touchdown and backup quarterback Devin Gardner threw the key fourth-quarter scoring pass to Martavious Odoms that gave Michigan a 24-7 lead after the Illini had scored.

Denard Robinson scored two rushing touchdowns but left in the third quarter with a bruised wrist. The Wolverines held Illinois to just 30 yards of offense while holding the Illini scoreless in the first half.

17. Wisconsin (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 16

This week: Won at Minnesota 42-13

Next: at Illinois

Montee Ball set the Big Ten’s single-season record with his 27^th touchdown and the Badgers trampled the Golden Gophers to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe for an eighth straight year.

Russell Wilson had a season-high four touchdown passes and connected on all but his last pass, finishing 16-for-17 for 178 yards. Nick Toon had eight catches for 100 yards and two scores but dropped Wilson’s lone incompletion.

Wisconsin out-gained Minnesota 461-156 and amassed 29 first downs to just nine for the Gophers. The Badgers got some help in the Leaders Division when division-leading Penn State lost and Ohio State was also beaten.

16. Michigan State (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 21

This week: Won at Iowa 37-21

Next: vs. Indiana

The Spartans won in Iowa City for the first time since 1989 and took a big step toward a spot in the inaugural Big Ten championship game as Kirk Cousins threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns.

B.J. Cunningham caught two touchdown passes for Michigan State, which can secure a spot in the conference title game with wins over Indiana and Northwestern to close the regular season.

The Spartans took command with two scores in 36 seconds in the second quarter. Le’Veon Bell ran for a 25-yard touchdown. After the Hawkeyes fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Cousins found Cunningham for a leaping catch for a 22-yard score.

15. Nebraska (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 19

This week: Won at Penn State 17-14

Next: at Michigan

Rex Burkhead ran for 121 yard and a touchdown and the Cornhuskers got a key stop on fourth down late in the game to preserve the win over the embattled Nittany Lions.

Nebraska took a 17-0 lead when Burkhead scored on a 14-yard run midway through the third quarter, then had to hold off a Penn State rally.

Taylor Martinez threw for 143 yards and ran for 56 more for the Huskers.

14. Houston (10-0)

Last week’s ranking: 10

This week: Won at Tulane 73-17 (Thursday)

Next: vs. SMU

Charles Sims rushed for a career-high 207 yards on just 10 carries, including touchdown runs of 72 and 52 yards, and the Cougars reached 10-0 for the first time in school history.

Case Keenum shook off a slow start to throw for 325 yards and three touchdown passes before leaving in the third quarter after Houston took a 59-10 lead.

The Cougars came in averaging 52.7 points a game but were held scoreless in the first quarter, breaking a streak of 19 straight periods with a score.

13. Virginia Tech (9-1)

Last week’s ranking: 14

This week: Won at Georgia Tech 37-26 (Thursday)

Next: vs. North Carolina (Thursday)

Sophomore quarterback Logan Thomas accounted for five touchdowns while David Wilson rushed for a career-high 175 yards as the Hokies eliminated the Yellow Jackets from the ACC title race.

Thomas threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more and Wilson’s 100-yard game was his seventh straight.

Virginia Tech took the lead for good on Thomas’ 12-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter.

12. Georgia (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 17

This week: Beat Auburn 45-7

Next: vs. Kentucky

Aaron Murray threw four touchdown passes to break Matthew Stafford’s school record and the Bulldogs dominated in the first half to romp past the Tigers.

Georgia can clinch the SEC East title with a win over Kentucky after winning its eighth straight game after an 0-2 start.

Murray threw all of his touchdown passes in the first half, giving him nine in the last two weeks and 27 on the season, breaking Stafford’s mark of 25 set in 2008.

11. South Carolina (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 12

This week: Beat Florida 17-12

Next: vs. The Citadel

The Gamecocks finished their first-ever sweep of the SEC East and their six conference wins are their most since joining the league in 1992.

South Carolina still needs help to get to a second straight SEC title game. If Kentucky wins at Georgia next week, the Gamecocks return to Atlanta.

Brandon Wilds ran for 120 yards on 29 carries and Connor Shaw had two touchdown runs while also throwing for 81 yards. South Carolina ran for 215 yards on the day.

10. Kansas State (8-2)

Last week’s ranking: 15

This week: Beat Texas A&M 53-50 (4OT)

Next: at Texas

Collin Klein threw for a career-high 281 yards, added 103 yards on the ground and accounted for six touchdowns, including a sneak from a yard out that gave the Wildcats the win in four overtimes.

Kansas State rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes to force overtime and won despite turning the ball over three times.

The Wildcats were also out-gained 482-411.

9. Clemson (9-1)

Last week’s ranking: 9

This week: Beat Wake Forest 31-28

Next: at North Carolina State

Chandler Catanzero rebounded from missing a kick a minute earlier to boot a 43-yard field goal as time expired and the Tigers won their second ACC Atlantic title in three seasons.

Tajh Boyd overcame a terrible start and two interceptions to throw for 343 yards and two touchdowns after Clemson had fallen behind 28-14 in the third quarter. Andre Ellington ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns and the Tigers finished with their first perfect season at Memorial Stadium since 1990.

Clemson tied the game with 5:27 to go on a 10-yard touchdown reception by Jaron Brown to cap a drive led by Boyd’s 64 yards on six completions.

8. Boise State (8-1)

Last week’s ranking: 6

This week: Lost to TCU 36-35

Next: at San Diego State

Once again, a missed field goal dashed the Broncos’ perfect season and quest for a BCS spot. This time around, freshman Dan Goodale was wide right from 39 yards out as time expired and Boise State lost at home for the first time in 48 games.

Kellen Moore threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns but suffered the first home loss of his career. The Broncos had a chance to ice the game late, driving deep into Horned Frog territory before Drew Wright lost a fumble with 2:26 to go.

The injury-riddled Boise State secondary was carved up for 473 yards and five touchdowns passing, part of a 506-yard day for TCU.

7. Stanford (9-1)

Last week’s ranking: 4

This week: Lost to Oregon 53-30

Next: vs. California

Andrew Luck’s Heisman campaign took a hit and the Ducks were once again too fast for the Cardinal.

Stanford entered the game with the longest winning streak in the country, 17 games, that began a week after losing at Oregon last season. Luck threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions and a fumble and the Cardinal defense surrendered 232 yards on the ground.

The Cardinal turned the ball over five times and had their national championship hopes dashed.

6. Arkansas (9-1)

Last week’s ranking: 8

This week: Beat Tennessee 49-7

Next: vs. Mississippi State

The Razorbacks kept alive their hopes for a second straight BCS bowl berth with their sixth straight win.

Joe Adams had an amazing 60-yard punt return for a score after retreating about 10 yards and then outrunning the Volunteer coverage team and Jarius Wright set the school’s career receptions record with his 154^th. Dennis Johnson had 140 total yards and a 71-yard touchdown run.

The win kept Arkansas on track for a showdown with No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge in two weeks.

5. Oregon (9-1)

Last week’s ranking: 7

This week: Won at Stanford 53-30

Next: vs. USC

LaMichael James ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns and the Ducks took a huge step toward hosting the first Pac-12 championship game.

James had scores of one, four and 58 yards and Oregon ended the nation’s longest winning streak at 17 games while running their own streak to nine since an opening-week loss to LSU.

The Ducks can clinch the Pac-12 North title with a win in one of their final two games against USC and Oregon State.

4. Oklahoma (8-1)

Last week’s ranking: 5

This week: Idle

Next: at Baylor

The Sooners’ national title hopes got a couple of breaks on Saturday when Boise State and Stanford lost at home.

But Oklahoma would have to hope that a win at Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 would be enough to jump them past Alabama and Oregon in the BCS standings.

The Sooners’ best hope could be human voters opposed to rematches between either LSU and Oregon or LSU and Alabama in the national title game.

3. Alabama (9-1)

Last week’s ranking: 3

This week: Won at Mississippi State 34-7

Next: vs. Georgia Southern

Trent Richardson ran for 127 yards and a touchdown and the Crimson Tide defense allowed just 131 total yards.

It was a no-frills win for Alabama, which has won nine of its last 11 against the Bulldogs, including four in a row. The Tide defense has now held 11 straight opponents to 14 points or fewer.

Alabama did struggle again in the kicking game, missing two first-half field goals after misfiring on four in last week’s loss to LSU.

2. Oklahoma State (10-0)

Last week’s ranking: 2

This week: Won at Texas Tech 66-6

Next: at Iowa State (Friday)

Brandon Weeden threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns and Joseph Randle ran for three more scores to lead the Cowboys to a rout.

Oklahoma State visits Iowa State before closing the season at home against Oklahoma. Weeden was 31-for-37 with scores of two, 27, 28, 48 and 66 yards before leaving in the third quarter. Justin Blackmon and Josh Cooper each had more than 100 yards receiving.

The Cowboys dominated from the start, leading 21-0 after one quarter and 49-0 at the half.

1. LSU (10-0)

Last week’s ranking: 1

This week: Beat Western Kentucky 42-9

Next: at Ole Miss

Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard each scored two touchdowns and the Tigers shook off a lackluster first half to beat the Hilltoppers.

Jordan Jefferson got the start at quarterback for LSU and was 8-for-14 for 168 yards and a 59-yard touchdown to Reuben Randle.

The Tigers were favored by six touchdowns, but led just 14-7 at halftime before dominating after the break to get to 10-0 for the first time since their national championship season of 1958. It was also Les Miles’ 100^th career coaching victory, 72 of them coming at LSU.