2011 College Football: Grading the Top 25 Teams' Performance from Week 13

Rivalry Week provided more drama for the Top 25 of college football's elite. Conference championships took shape and bowl destinations became a bit clearer.

The top of the pile stays relatively unchanged. Arkansas was unable to do anything substantial against LSU, shaking up the top five a little.

However, the Tigers weren't the only ones defending their position in the food chain. Alabama took care of Auburn to secure their spot at No. 2 for another week, Oklahoma State was idle and Virginia Tech shut out Virginia to keep the remainder of the top five in act.

Farther down the list, though, things weren't so stable. South Carolina took fairly easy care of Clemson, Georgia manhandled Georgia Tech and Wisconsin took it to Penn State.

Those were all matches between two ranked opponents, shaking up the chases for at-large bids into BCS bowls and/or finalizing conference title races.

For most teams, this was the final push for major bowl bids or final shots at conference title games.

Now that we know what happened on the fields of action across the country, it's time again to grade the performances.

No. 25 Texas

Opponent: Texas A&M

Outcome: Won 27-25

It was a thrilling ending to a long-running rivalry between the Longhorns and Aggies, at least for the foreseeable future.

A last-second field goal lifted the Longhorns to victory, capping a tough game with an exciting finish.

Unfortunately, if you step back and look at the game from a strictly analytical point of view, it wasn't all that spectacular for either team.

Texas' pass game was once again mediocre at best. Case McCoy did just enough to move the ball a little, and WR Jaxon Shipley pulled out a nifty little TD pass to add some flare to the game. However, there was nothing happening to really write home about.

The run game wasn't much better, as seven different people had to combine just to eek out 86 net yards.

A 58-yard Carrington Byndom pick-six combined with two more interceptions bought Texas a victory. The defense came up big when needed, and kicker Justin Tucker put one through from 40 yards to seal the deal.

It was thrilling and a great way to end the rivalry for Texas. However, it showcased once again that this Longhorn team doesn't really deserve their spot in the rankings.

Grade: C+

No. 24 Auburn

Opponent: No. 2 Alabama

Outcome: Lost 42-14

The Iron Bowl is one of the oldest and most cherished rivalries in college football. Last year was a 28-27 thriller, with No. 2 Auburn edging out No. 11 Alabama by the narrowest of margins.

That's the way a great American rivalry should be.

Unfortunately, Auburn isn't the same team this year. They graduated an awful lot of talent and were merely trying to make the very best season out of what they had to build on.

It has to be taken into consideration that the Tigers were up against one of the best defenses in the nation when grading their performance (or lack thereof).

RB Michael Dyer could only manage 48 yards on the ground, as Auburn's rush attack struggled to net 78 yards on the ground. The pass game went nowhere just as quickly, with Clint Moseley picking up just 62 yards through the air and tossing an interception.

The defense couldn't slow down the Tide, as A.J. McCarron tossed three touchdowns and Trent Richardson rumbled for 203 yards.

Expectations weren't high, yet I'm not sure Auburn met even the lowered ones that existed.

Grade: D

No. 23 Georgia Tech

Opponent: No. 13 Georgia

Outcome: Lost 31-17

After starting the season 6-0, I don't think this is how Yellow Jackets fans saw the season ending. They lost four of their last six matches, with only an impressive victory over Clemson and a narrow edge over Duke as reprieves from their late-season meltdown.

The tough-to-defend triple-option Yellow Jacket attack picked up nearly 250 rushing yards, but struggled to pick up a couple of scores. The pass game—though never really an important part of the offense to begin with—hurt far more than it helped.

The defense did well enough against the Bulldog run game, but had no answer for Aaron Murray and his four passing touchdowns.

The Yellow Jackets needed a lot more than they had in the tank to put up a fight in the rivalry affectionately dubbed "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate."

Grade: C-

No. 22 Notre Dame

Opponent: No. 6 Stanford

Outcome: Lost 28-14

The Irish had an outside shot at working their way into a BCS bowl. A very outside shot, to be sure, but a shot nonetheless. Hey, knocking off the No. 6 team in the country would have gone a long way toward convincing pollsters and computers alike to bump the Irish up a long way.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

The Irish ground game went absolutely nowhere against the Cardinal defense. They could only manage 57 net yards, and only QB Andrew Hendrix managed to score.

Speaking of Hendrix, the pass game didn't fare much better. He did come up with 192 yards and tossed a touchdown pass to Michael Floyd, but the Irish also threw two picks.

The defense didn't do terribly, all things considered. They held the Cardinal to just one 55-yard score in the second half, affording their offense every opportunity to work their way back into the game.

However, they also gave up two scores within four-and-a-half minutes in the second quarter to allow the game to get out of hand in the first place.

Notre Dame put up a good fight, but three turnovers were more than they could overcome against a tough Cardinal team.

Grade: C+

No. 21 Nebraska

Opponent: Iowa

Outcome: Won 20-7

This was a pretty good way to kick off a new rivalry. Dubbed "the Heroes Game," the two border states renewed a rivalry that dates back to the 1800's.

RB Rex Burkhead picked a great time to get back to 100 percent. He'd been struggling the last few weeks, and the Cornhusker offense had struggled in his absence.

He returned to form this week and burned Iowa's mediocre run defense for 160 yards. QB Taylor Martinez still wasn't exactly magnificent throwing the football, but he did manage a touchdown and didn't give up an interception.

The Black Shirt defense did exactly what they needed to do. They shut down Iowa's primary target, receiver Marvin McNutt, and stole an interception away from QB James Vandenberg.

It may have appeared at times that the game was tougher than it needed to be, but Iowa can be a tricky team sometimes. Nebraska patiently held to their game plan, got the right production from the right people to get a nice win and pushed their total to nine wins yet again.

Grade: A

No. 20 TCU

Opponent: Idle

Outcome: N/A

The Horned Frogs got to sit out Rivalry Week and watch everyone else settle age-old scores. Two losses may not be the way they wanted this season to go, but considering the amount of talent they lost after last year, it's been a pretty good run.

The only thing left is to take on UNLV on Dec. 3 and then wait to find out which bowl game they get to go to this year.

Grade: N/A

No. 19 Penn State

Opponent: No. 16 Wisconsin

Outcome: Lost 45-7

It's been a tough season for the Nittany Lions. I'm not just talking about the whole Jerry Sandusky affair.

They've struggled through quarterback issues and tried desperately to piece together a decent offense. Their defense carried them through a season full of narrow victories.

Yet somehow, they found themselves sitting in the driver's seat for a shot at the conference title. All they had to do was go into Camp Randall and find a way to take down one of the most prolific offenses in the nation.

They couldn't even come close to getting it done. RB Montee Ball ran over their celebrated defense, and Russell Wilson threw a pair of touchdowns to keep them on their heels.

Forget about the offense. QB Matt McGloin tossed an early touchdown, but then offered up an interception. Robert Bolden came in, but—as has been the norm for him—couldn't revive the pass attack, and the offense slowed to a grind.

Adding insult to injury, the Lions turned the ball over four times, and the Badgers took advantage of virtually every free opportunity.

Goodbye, Big Ten Championship Game.

Grade: D

No. 18 Baylor

Opponent: Texas Tech

Outcome: Won 66-42

Things nearly took an awful turn. Star QB Robert Griffin III took a nasty shot to the head and was knocked out of the game. Things could have gotten really bad.

However, Nick Florence did well in relief. He picked up a couple of touchdowns, while RB Terrance Ganaway put together an impressive 246-yard, two touchdown performance.

Texas Tech's defense isn't all that and a bag of chips, but Baylor's offense came through in a big way, picking up the slack when Griffin went down.

The defense left a little to be desired. They allowed Seth Doege to complete 41-of-55 passes (74.5 percent) and toss a trio of touchdowns.

While the Red Raiders were ultimately blown out of this game, Baylor's defense did allow them to score 28 points in the first half alone and gave up 14 consecutive points heading into the fourth quarter to close the gap to 10.

Grade: B

No. 17 Clemson

Opponent: No. 12 South Carolina

Outcome: Lost 34-13

The Tigers fought hard through the first half of this game. For at least 30 minutes, this looked like a classic rivalry between two evenly matched teams.

Unfortunately for Clemson, football games take 60 minutes.

QB Tajh Boyd once looked like a potential Heisman contender. Not this week. He struggled to pass for just 83 yards and threw a touchdown and an interception.

The ground attack struggled just as much, fighting for just 70 net yards against a solid Gamecock defense.

The Tiger defense had looked really good earlier in the season, but were picked apart by QB Connor Shaw. Shaw passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for 107 yards and another score.

As the game started slipping away, Clemson struggled as though they were trapped in some kind of quicksand. The harder they fought, the deeper they sank.

The Tigers gave up almost three times as many yards as they gained and watched their regular season end on a sour note.

Grade: D+

No. 16 Wisconsin

Opponent: No. 19 Penn State

Outcome: Won 45-7

Wisconsin had a great opportunity in front of them. After watching their conference title run get sidelined by losses to Michigan State and Ohio State, they had a chance to make amends.

Beat Penn State and go to the conference title game in Indianapolis.

RB Montee Ball took that as a personal challenge evidently. Ball blasted through Penn State's defense, averaging over six yards per carry.

The defense buckled down on the Lions meager offense, shutting them out after the midway point of the first quarter.

This wasn't even close to being a good game. Wisconsin dominated from beginning to end and erased any notion of the Lions going to the Rose Bowl without Joe Paterno.

Grade: A

No. 15 Michigan

Opponent: Ohio State

Outcome: Won 40-34

"The Game" had some meaning again this year. No, it wasn't for a Big Ten title, and no one was going to mistake either team as a national title contender.

However, with Michigan on the rise and Ohio State struggling through a difficult season, the outcome was in question for the first time in years. There was a reason to watch again.

QB Denard Robinson put on another display, completing 14-of-17 passes with three touchdowns and running for 170 yards and two more scores. RB Fitzgerald Toussaint also ran the ball for 120 yards as Michigan confused and burned the Buckeye defense.

The defense struggled to contain QB Braxton Miller. The freshman threw for 235 yards and ran for 100 more. However, they did a good job of shutting down "Boom" Herron and forced the Buckeyes to rely heavily on Miller.

No, this wasn't the best Ohio State team Michigan has ever (or will ever) faced. Far from it. However, they're not up to 100 percent yet, either.

For where they've been and where they are now, this was a great performance against a hated rival, resulting in the end of long losing streak to the Buckeyes.

Grade: B+

No. 14 Michigan State

Opponent: Northwestern

Outcome: Won 31-17

The Spartans used to end their season against Penn State. Personally, I think that was a better match for the Spartans than the Wildcats.

However, this is who they are paired with, and the Spartans made the best of it.

Neither aspect of the Michigan State game was perfect. The pass game was effective, if not flashy. The ground game kept the Wildcats honest even if it wasn't dominant.

They just got the job done.

The defense allowed QB Dan Persa to have a little too much fun, but they shut down the Northwestern ground game and kept firm control of the scoreboard.

Grade: B

No. 13 Georgia

Opponent: Georgia Tech

Outcome: Won 31-17

The Bulldogs have been on a tare for the last 10 weeks. After getting off to a slow start, they've taken care of everyone in their path.

The Yellow Jackets were no exception.

QB Aaron Murray threw for a modest 252 yards, but knocked down four touchdowns as he led the Bulldog offense to 31 points. The ground game didn't do an awful lot, but they were enough with their 128 net yards to keep Georgia Tech honest.

In the end, the Bulldogs pretty much out-muscled the Yellow Jackets and came away with a big win in a big rivalry.

Grade: B+

No. 12 South Carolina

Opponent: No. 17 Clemson

Outcome: Won 34-13

Not so long ago, Clemson was the big team on the move in the ACC, while South Carolina was the team holding on by a thread in the SEC. Things have changed.

Clemson is struggling to hold their season together, while South Carolina is starting to look a little more like a team befitting their ranking.

QB Connor had a great day, passing for three touchdowns. The defense was the star of the show, though. They held Tajh Boyd to fewer than 100 yards passing and held the Tiger run game to just 70 net yards.

The Gamecocks played a strong and smart game. Bring on bowl season!

No. 11 Kansas State

Opponent: Idle

Outcome: N/A

The Wildcats got things back on track, so to speak, after losing back-to-back games to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State with wins over Texas A&M and Texas. They've put together a great season considering where they were just a year ago.

They got to sit out Rivalry Week and end the regular season by hosting Iowa State on December 3.

Grade: N/A

No. 10 Oregon

Opponent: Oregon State

Outcome: Won 49-21

"The Civil War" was about anything but a "war." No one really expected it to be this year, though. The Ducks had won nine straight before dropping to USC a week ago and have still put together a 10-win season.

Oregon State meanwhile, stumbled their way through a 3-9 season. There was little doubt that Oregon's explosive offense would blow away the Beavers.

That's pretty much what happened, as the Ducks put up 35 unanswered points from the second quarter through the beginning of the fourth. A late score by State made it look a little closer than it actually was.

Next up for Oregon is a showdown with mighty UCLA (thick sarcasm on the "mighty" part) for the Pac-12 title and a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.

Grade: B+

No. 9 Oklahoma

Opponent: Iowa State

Outcome: Won 26-6

Iowa State seems to find a way every year or two to knock off a team much better than they are. A couple of years ago, it was Nebraska in Lincoln. Last year, it was Texas.

They burnt their yearly magic on Oklahoma State this year. Gee, too bad.

The Sooners had no problem with the Cyclones. Well, they had no problem with them on the scoreboard.

The Sooners used a balanced attack to put up 256 yards through the air and another 253 on the ground. They scored 23 unanswered points after falling behind Iowa State 6-3.

On the other hand, QB Landry Jones threw two interceptions and Blake Bell threw another. What's more, the Sooners only managed three field goals from the end of the second quarter through the end of the game. This against a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 defense.

It was a decisive win against a "lesser" conference opponent, but it wasn't what you'd expect out of a Top 10 team against a six-win opponent.

Grade: C

No. 8 Houston

Opponent: Tulsa

Outcome: Won 48-16

Tulsa isn't Oklahoma, so pulling out a huge victory isn't going to suddenly convince the masses that this Houston team is for real. Still, the Golden Hurricane are 8-4 and have played some pretty tough teams along the way (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State).

Yeah, they lost all of those games, but at least they know what it means to face real competition.

QB Case Keenum had another tremendous day. He threw for 457 yards and five touchdowns, while the defense allowed Tulsa to stay in it for nearly three quarters before slamming the door on them.

The Cougars may have a tough road ahead of them. It took Boise State and TCU a few great years before the nation started accepting them as potential equals, and they're not really there yet. Houston is just beginning that journey.

However, this was a pretty good win and will carry them into bowl season with a perfect record.

Grade: B+

No. 7 Boise State

Opponent: Wyoming

Outcome: Won 36-14

QB Kellen Moore started off the game throwing a pick-six. He ended up with three touchdowns and 279 yards passing.

RB Doug Martin was arguably more exciting, though, carrying the ball 26 times for 153 yards.

The Bronco defense had another solid performance, shutting down the Cowboys from the first quarter until late in the fourth.

It wasn't a tremendously flashy win, but it was a solid victory over a decent 7-4 team.

Grade: B+

No. 6 Stanford

Opponent: No. 22 Notre Dame

Outcome: Won 28-14

It's really a shame that the Pac-12 race has to end this way. The two best teams are not going to meet in the title game. We can't even pretend that's the case.

What if UCLA were to somehow upset Oregon? What then?

Then the Rose Bowl sucks, that's what. Unless by some travesty of a BCS system selects Oregon to go the to National Championship game (yeah, right), in which case, Stanford could still go to Pasadena.

Obviously, that can't happen, and either way, the first-ever Pac-12 Championship Game is a sham because USC is still under sanction and a thoroughly mediocre UCLA team gets a shot at winning the conference crown.

Anyway, off my soapbox now.

Stanford played a solid game against a good Notre Dame squad. Andrew Luck threw for four touchdowns, while Stepfan Taylor ran for 118 yards.

The defense shut the Irish out of the end zone until the second half and gave up a late score to make the game appear closer than it really was.

Onward and...upward?

Grade: B

No. 5 Virginia Tech

Opponent: Virginia

Outcome: Won 38-0

The Cavaliers have had a pretty good season, coming in at 8-4. They've had victories over Georgia Tech and Florida State to boost their season.

The Hokies were more than they could handle, though.

QB Logan Thomas accounted for three touchdowns, two through the air and another on the ground. RB David Wilson bolted for 153 yards and two more scores as the offense clicked almost seamlessly.

The defense, however, played an inspired game. They stole away two Michael Rocco passes and forced two more fumbles—all while shutting the Cavaliers out.

There's no love lost between these two programs, but the Hokies definitely showed no mercy in dominating their in-state rivals.

Grade: A

No. 4 Oklahoma State

Opponent: Idle

Outcome: N/A

The Cowboys had some extra time this week to continue licking their wounds from that double-overtime loss to Iowa State last week. Considering what they lost in that contest, it'll take more than a couple of weeks.

However, there may still be hope. As long as the odds may be, there's an outside shot that a blowout victory over Oklahoma could lift them over Alabama for a shot to take on LSU for the BCS Title.

It's not the most likely scenario, but it's possible. Stranger things have happened, and Alabama is now done for the regular season. The Cowboys have just one shot to make a very big statement.

That chance comes on December 3, when they host the Sooners.

Grade: N/A

No. 3 Arkansas

Opponent: No. 1 LSU

Outcome: Lost 41-17

Does anyone want to face LSU in the BCS Title game? Oklahoma State had a shot and blew it against Iowa State. The Razorbacks at least had a shot to prove they could go toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team in the nation.

Losing 41-17 isn't going to convince anyone, especially when Alabama only lost by three points in overtime.

Arkansas started out white hot. QB Tyler Wilson tossed a touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, and then Alonzo Highsmith picked up a fumble and rumbled 47 yards for a score. Just like that, the Razorbacks jumped up to a 14-0 lead over the Tigers.

Then, the wheels came off the cart.

Wilson never found the end zone again and gave up an interception. The ground game couldn't even generate 50 yards, and the defense couldn't slow down a dominating Tiger offense.

Three turnovers sure didn't help their cause, either.

Grade: C-

No. 2 Alabama

Opponent: No. 24 Auburn

Outcome: 42-14

Since narrowly losing to LSU in "the game of the century," the talk has been circling that Alabama would get a rematch in the national title game. There were still some scenarios that could have potentially changed all of that.

One of them would have included a poor performance against Auburn. Remember that Oklahoma State still has to take on Oklahoma on December 3, and a strong enough performance by the Cowboys could have maybe changed some minds had Alabama stuttered here.

The Tide just made the Cowboys' chances a lot slimmer.

QB A.J. McCarron threw for three touchdowns, and RB Trent Richardson rumbled for 203 yards. Meanwhile the defense held Auburn's offense to fewer than 150 total yards and just nine first downs.

It was a completely dominating show from top to bottom, and the Tide should be heading to the title game in January.

Grade: A

No. 1 LSU

Opponent: No. 3 Arkansas

Outcome: Won 41-17

If I were an LSU fan, I think I might be a little ticked at the way things have shaken out. The Tigers beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, will have to play an extra game (the SEC Championship) and the Tide may still get a shot at the National Title?

Something doesn't seem quite right here.

That's another argument for another article, though. On Thanksgiving, the Tigers faced yet another would-be challenger trying to unseat them as the top team in the land.

Yet another would-be challenger fell to the wayside.

After a slow start that saw the Tigers fall behind by their largest margin of the season (14 points), QB Jordan Jefferson and RB Kenny Hilliard put the Razorbacks back in their place.

Jefferson threw for 208 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and ran for another 53 yards and a score. Hilliard posted 102 rushing yards and also scored a touchdown.

Meanwhile, the celebrated Tiger defense shut down the Arkansas run game and put an awful lot of pressure on QB Tyler Wilson.

When the smoke cleared, the Razorbacks turned out not to be a real threat at all.

Grade: A-