A week after defeating an Oregon team ranked in the top 10, the Cardinal put a whooping on another top 10 team. This time, the victim was Southern Cal.

Stanford got off to an early 14-0 lead and had a 21-7 lead at halftime. Southern Cal made some big plays in the third quarter to cut the lead to just 28-21, but, Stanford dominated the final quarter, outscoring the Trojans 27-0 in route to a 55-21 victory.

Stanford has moved in the top 20 and is arguably the hottest team in the nation. Meanwhile, Southern Cal’s quest for an eighth straight 11-win season, BCS Bowl bid and top-four finish is all but over. USC is now 4-3 in conference play and is tied for fifth in the Pac-10. Stanford still has a chance at the Rose Bowl while the Trojans may be relegated to the Emerald Bowl.

The most points ever given up by a Pete Carroll-led USC team came three weeks ago when Oregon lit up the Trojans for 47 points. Then, Stanford scored 55 points at USC Saturday. In other words, this is the worst defense that Carroll has had at USC. By far.

On the flip side, Stanford had scored 106 points in their last two games.

Many feel the Cardinal have the most-balanced offense in the entire country and they showed why on Saturday.

Quarterback Andrew Luck, a redshirt Freshman, was 12-of-22 for 144 yards with 2 TDs and 0 interceptions. Toby Gerhart continued to show that he is an elite player by rushing for 178 yards on 29 carries and scoring three touchdowns.  Gerhart was understandably excited.

“To do that against a storied program, a perennial power, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. It was just will. The offensive line just moved people. We got after them and got downhill, and it was just a good offensive day.”

Stanford rushed for 325 yards and picked up 469 total yards, while holding the Trojans to just 334 total yards. Stanford was also extremely efficient when they needed to be, converting eight of their 11 third down attempts and converting on their only fourth down try.

Stanford has just two games remaining. They play host to California in their annual rivalry game and then head back home to host Notre Dame.

Stanford is currently in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-10. Unfortunately for the Cardinal, they lost to the two teams they are tied with – Arizona and Oregon State.

The best bet for a Stanford BCS berth would be to have Arizona lose one of their final three games. That very well could happen because the Wildcats host Oregon and then travel to Arizona State and USC. Stanford would love for Arizona to upset Oregon and lose one of their final two games because Stanford also needs Oregon to lose at least one game. The Ducks are currently in first place in the Pac-10 at 6-1.

Oregon State plays Washington State and Oregon on the road in their final two games. Wazzou is maybe the worst of any team in a BCS Conference, so it is unlikely that Beavers will drop that game. That means the Cardinal will need Oregon to defeat their rivals and lose their game this week at Arizona.

To summarize, Arizona has to beat Oregon and then lose to either USC or Arizona State and Oregon has to defeat Oregon State to get Stanford to the Rose Bowl.  It’s a complicated scenario that seems unlikely, but it’s far from impossible.

Is TCU a National Title Contender?

In the highly anticipated MWC matchup between TCU and Utah, the Horned Frogs dominated from start to finish. TCU gained 549 total yards while holding the Utes to just 284 total yards and just 65 yards rushing. The Horned Frogs rushed for 342 yards.

The game seemed like it would be a good one early on but TCU turned a 7-7 tie into a 35-7 blowout in just over six minutes spanning from the end of the first quarter into the second quarter.

Junior Quarterback Andy Dalton is playing great football for the Frogs. He’s completing 63% of his passes (149-of-236), has 2,088 yards and 17 touchdowns with just 4 interceptions. He’s making great decisions and is avoiding mistakes. He’s also rushed for 389 yards and 2 TDs.

TCU’s running game has been outstanding. Dalton has 389 yards and is just the team’s fourth leading rusher. Joseph Turner (622 yards), Ed Wesley (598 yards) and Matthew Tucker (471) make up the three-headed monster at Running Back. The team has rushed for 2,521 yards, is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has scored 30 touchdowns.

There is a very good argument for TCU.

TCU is the only team in the country to rank in top four in both total offense and total defense, ranking fourth in both categories.

That defense is led by Defensive End Jerry Hughes, who has 49 tackles and 10 sacks. The unit is also extremely well coached by Defensive Coordinator Dick Bumpas and Head Coach Gary Patterson.

TCU has won three key road games. They won at likely ACC Atlantic Division Champion Clemson, at Virginia, and blew out conference rival BYU at Provo.

The Horned Frogs have defeated three teams currently ranked in the top 25 (Clemson, BYU, & Utah). Alabama has defeated just two teams currently ranked in the top 25 (Virginia Tech, LSU) while Florida (LSU) and Texas (Oklahoma State) have defeated just one each.

TCU isn’t just beating these teams either – they are destroying them. Outside of a close, come from behind win in Death Valley against a very talented Clemson team and a scare at Air Force, TCU has won every game by at least 16 points and is winning by an average of 26.3 points per game.

Unfortunately the Frogs need a loss by Texas to make the title game and that doesn’t seem likely. The Horns host Kansas Saturday, play at rival Texas A&M on Thanksgiving and then have 9 days to prepare for the Big 12 Championship against either Nebraska or Kansas State.  The Horns should be a heavy favorite in all three games.

TCU is one of the country’s elite team.

And they probably won’t get the chance to prove it.

FBS Notes

After disappointing losses to Southern Cal and Purdue, Ohio State is going back to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes were in third place in the Big 10 just two weeks ago, but after wins against second-place Penn State and first-place Iowa, the Buckeyes clinched the Big 10 title. They conclude their season in the Big House against Michigan Saturday.

Duke’s performance has been one of the stories of the season. It looked like the story would get even better after they took a 10-0 lead against ACC Coastal leader Georgia Tech. Then, the Yellow Jackets scored the game’s last 49 points, winning 49-10. Tech has clinched a spot against either Clemson or Boston College in the ACC Championship and has a week off before finishing the season against rival Georgia on November 28. The Jackets have won 8 in a row and are the BCS’ top ranked one-loss team.

Props to Redshirt Freshman QB E.J. Manuel of Florida State. He stepped in for an injured Christian Ponder and led FSU to their first win against Wake Forest in four years. On the road. He was 15-of-20 (75%) for 220 yards with 1 TD passing and 1 interception. He also had 10 carries for 45 yards and a TD rushing. If Manuel can lead the ‘Noles to a home win against Maryland Saturday, FSU will be bowl-bound after a 2-4 start.

Miami Sophomore QB Jacory Harris has now thrown 16 interceptions after his 4 interception performance against North Carolina on Saturday. Harris looks great at times but his inconsistency has cost the Canes a shot at the ACC title. Then again, without him, it’s unlikely that they would have even been in the ACC race to begin with. The media was way too quick in anointing Harris, but he is still just a true sophomore.  There is plenty of room for improvement but there is also plenty of time for improvement.

LSU is not a top-10 team. LSU nearly lost to Louisiana Tech, coming from behind to win 24-16 last weekend. The Tigers have not had an impressive win all season. Sure, they kept it close with the nation’s top two teams, Florida and Alabama, but a loss is still a loss.  Their best win is also tainted in the eyes of some because of the excessive celebration penalty called on Georgia Wide Receiver A.J. Green after Georgia took a late lead.

Houston Quarterback Case Keenum probably lost his chance at the Heisman Trophy after Houston was upset by Central Florida. Keenum threw for “only” 377 yards and 3 TDs. I would also like to congratulate UCF on their first ever win over a top 25 team. Houston entered the game ranked 15^th.

If Charlie Weis wasn’t done after the loss to Navy, he is now. Notre Dame was defeated by Pittsburgh and Weis is now just 35-25 in five seasons at Notre Dame. He’s just 6-4 against what was considered a fairly weak schedule. And with games left against Connecticut and at red-hot Stanford, it may get even worse for Weis and the Irish.

Performance of the Week:

Toby Gerhart, Running Back, Stanford

Gerhart takes home the honor for the second straight week after rushing for 178 yards on 29 carries and scoring three touchdowns, leading Stanford to a 55-21 blowout win at Southern Cal.

The Heisman Race

We have a little bit of shake-up, but the top 2 remain the same.

1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Last Week: 19 carries, 149 yards, 2 TDs
Season: 194 carries, 1,297 yards (6.7 yards per carry), 25 receptions, 225 yards, 3 TDs.

2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Last Week: 23-of-34 for 181 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Season: 254-of-351 (72.4%), 19 TDs, 9 INTs, 1 TD rushing

3. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Last Week: 9 catches, 113 yards, 1 TD, 87-yard punt return TD
Season: 74 receptions, 1,172 yards, 11 TDs, 23 carries, 159 yards, 2 TDs, 1 punt return TD

4. Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Last Week: 33-of-56 for 377 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Season: 358-of-514 (69.7%), 4,194 yards, 31 TDs, 6 INTs, 3 TDs rushing

5. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Last Week: 18 rushes, 97 yards, 1 TD, 3 receptions, 48 yards, 1 TD, 1-of-1, 17 yards, and a TD passing.
Season: 153 carries, 836 yards (5.5 ypc), 6 TDs, 24 receptions, 382 yards, 4 TDs, 1-of-2, 17 yards, 1 TD, 11 punt returns for 191 yards, 1 TD, 16 kickoff returns for 543 yards, 3 TDs, 1,952 all-purpose yards, 15 Total TDs.

Looking in:

Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas

My Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. TCU
5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State
7. Georgia Tech
8. Pittsburgh
9. Ohio State
10. Oregon
11. LSU
12. Iowa
13. Penn State
14. Oklahoma State
15. Wisconsin
16. Virginia Tech
17. Stanford
18. Clemson
19. Utah
20. Brigham Young
21. North Carolina
22. Houston
23. Rutgers
24. Oregon State
25. Miami (FL)

Game of the Week

#9 Ohio State @ Michigan

12:00 pm, EST, ABC

The Line: OSU – 12

Michigan came out of the gate strong, starting 4-0. The Buckeyes started the year a disappointing 5-2. Both teams have since gone in difference directions. Michigan is just 1-6 since their 4-0 start and the Buckeyes have won four straight claims and clinch the Big 10 title. Michigan has to win this game in order to become bowl eligible. If they don’t, Rich Rodriguez’s club will be home for the holidays for the second straight season – that won’t make the big wigs and boosters at Michigan happy.

Sure, the game is in the Big House, but I don’t think that matters. The Buckeyes have a better team, plain and simple.

Michigan’s defense is awful. They give up over 400 yards per game and 5.73 yards per play, ranking 89^th in the country.

Ohio State’s defense is one of the nation’s elite. It is an extremely well coached unit and is fifth in the country in total defense. The Buckeyes give up just over 258 yards per game and only 4.08 yards per play.

Michigan’s offense is improved but they still rank just 56^th in the nation. The Wolvers average less yards than they give up at 391.36. They average 5.74 yards per play. They have struggled against good defenses and Ohio State’s defense will easily be the best the Wolverines have seen.

Terrelle Pryor is playing much better as of late so I like the Buckeyes to come away with a comfortable win.

Keep an Eye On…

#11 LSU @ Ole Miss – 3

Ole Miss has been disappointing this season, losing three games after being projected as a top-10 team, but the Rebels have won 4 out of 5 after a 3-2 start and played their most complete game of the season last week against Tennessee. The Rebels dominated the Vols, 42-17. Running Back Dexter McCluster was incredible, rushing for 282 yards on 25 carries with 4 TDs against a Tennessee defense that has been very stout this season.

Both defenses are stout. LSU gives up just under 312 yards per game while the Rebels give up 313 yards per game. Both units are extremely talented and it will likely come down to which offense can make more plays.

LSU’s offense is awful. The Tigers rank 107^th in the country in total offense. They average just 310 yards per game. Ole Miss’ offense has had a lot of trouble with turnovers and inconsistent play from QB Jevon Snead, but they have been a much better unit then the Tigers. They rank 41^st in the nation, gaining 405 yards per game and 5.96 yards per play.

California @ #17 Stanford – 7

If you haven’t seen the balance of their Stanford offense led by Quarterback Andrew Luck and Running Back Toby Gerhart, do yourself a favor and check it out.

We should see some points in the “Big game.” Both defenses have had several lapses but both offenses are capable of scoring points.

It looks like Stanford should come away with the victory, but this is a rivalry game and Cal is a very talented team.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger and a contributor at NFL Mocks Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)

Blasphemy, right?

I know, I know. He’s the second most winning coach in college football history. He has a career record of 384-123-4 and is 311-93-4 at Florida State. He was won 12 ACC championships. Bowden’s team finished in the top five every single season from 1987-2000 and that includes winning the 1993 and 1999 National Championships. Bowden built Florida State’s football program. In fact, Darrell Mudra, the coach prior to Bowden, was 4-18 in two seasons at the helm. In Bowden’s first season, he went 5-6. Bowden went 10-2 in his second season, which included a Tangerine Bowl victory, and never looked back.

Until now.

Bowden’s team has played in a bowl game every year since 1982 and hasn’t had a losing record since his inaugural season. After starting the season at 2-3, with one of the victories being a last second come-back win over Jacksonville State, the Seminoles are in danger of doing both this season.

Since FSU’s incredible run ended in 2000, Florida State has a record of 69-39. He has lost five straight games against Florida and has lost eight of the last 11 games against Miami. Florida State, which annually dominated the ACC and won the conference every year from 1992-2000, and also won in ’02, ’03, and ’05, has a record of just 17-17 in ACC play over the last four and a half seasons.

At one time, games were decided when the opposing team stepped on to the field at Doak Campbell Stadium. Not lately. Florida State has lost four of their last five home games (with the lone win coming against Jacksonville State).

After losing a heart-breaker against much improved Miami 38-34 to open the season, FSU followed that with a 19-9 victory over Jacksonville State. They trailed 9-7 with under a minute to go before scoring two touchdowns. Florida State then surprisingly blew out 7th ranked BYU 54-28 and things looked up for the Seminoles. But after back to back losses at home to South Florida (17-7) and at Boston College (28-21), things look grim in Tallahassee.

There have supposedly been several fights and arguments amongst the coaching staff. Rumor also has it that some of these arguments have developed into physical altercations. Of course, the Florida State staff and everybody affiliated with the school have denied these rumors and although they may in fact not be true, it’s clear that there is dissent among the coaching staff. Five different coaches have the title of “head coach” somewhere in their title. Bobby Bowden is the Head Coach. Offensive Coordinator Jimbo Fisher is the Head Coach in waiting. Defensive Coordinator Mickey Andrews is the Associate Head Coach. Offensive Line Coach Rick Trickett is the Assistant Head Coach. Linebackers Coach Chuck Amato is the Executive Head Coach. You saw the offense and defense putting the blame on each other as the Noles fell behind 21-6 against BC Saturday afternoon.

The finger-pointing will continue until something is done and that starts at the top. After last week’s loss against a lesser talented South Florida team, Bowden was seen laughing and did not look physically upset about the loss. When did Bobby Bowden become okay with losing? Why does he not seem upset by it anymore?

After the game on Saturday, Bowden has some interesting comments.

“What would I gain by stepping down right now? What would you do? Fire everybody and bring in a whole new coaching staff. You can’t do that, you know? I’ll evaluate myself. I’ll wait to the end of the year.”

Not only is Bowden clueless, but he’s also selfish. Maybe Bowden wouldn’t gain anything, but he would save himself from the embarrassment that he is bringing on himself, his coaches, and his players – his entire program. And what does it matter what Coach Bowden would gain anyway? It’s for the good of the team, his baby, the program that he brought to the top. I know deep down Bobby wants this team to get back to the top and he wants to be the man to bring them there, but he’s proven that he can’t. So, shouldn’t he hand over the keys to someone he can? No coach and for the matter, no player, is bigger than the program himself.

It got even worse on Sunday at Bowden’s teleconference.

“Fifty percent of the teams in the country last week got beat — 50 percent of them ,“Bowden said.

Florida State should not be just another team. They shouldn’t be compared with the rest of the country. They should be in the conversation with the Florida’s and the Alabama’s of the world. Right now, they’re not even close. And that’s apparently good enough for Bowden.

Even Florida State’s hometown paper, the Tallahassee Democrat, is calling for the Coach’s head. You can see the full article from Steve Ellis of the Democrat here.

As Bowden continues to coach, Florida State’s recruiting will continue to suffer. After the near loss to Jacksonville State, Four-star Defensive End Corey Miller (Byrnes, South Carolina) de-committed from the ‘Noles and changed his pledge to Lane Kiffin and Tennessee, joining his Byrnes teammate four-star Defensive Tackle Brandon Willis, who was also considered a heavy FSU lead. After the loss to South Florida, Valdosta, Georgia Four-star Offensive Tackle Ed Christian de-committed from the ‘Noles and has opened back up his recruiting.

With Miami on the rise and Urban Meyer ruling the college football world, Florida State can’t afford to fall behind in recruiting. Bowden’s refusal to retire and take some of his overmatched coaching staff with him is ruining all of the hard work that Jimbo Fisher and FSU Recruiting Coordinator James Coley have done. The Noles signed a top 10 recruiting class last season and that class included five-star players CB Greg Reid and DT Jacoobi McDaniel. The strength and lofty ranking of the class is mainly credited to Fisher and Coley.

Coach Bowden worked harder than any coach in the country to build Florida State into a dynasty – they were the most elite program in the country for 14 years but if he doesn’t retire at the end of the season, he’s going to leave Florida State just the way he found it, as just another school.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger an an avid college football fan. Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily. Look for his weekly college football blog tomorrow.)

Kellen Barton and Nick Bishop from Titan Sized and FanSided weigh in on what positions the Titans should be looking at in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft.

Positions: WR, CB, DE, LB

In recent years, Tennessee Titans fans have clamored for a top-flight wide receiver. In 2007, the team selected safety Michael Griffin from the University of Texas. In 2008, they “reached” for the speedy running back Chris Johnson out of ECU. Fortunately, those picks have paid huge dividends thus far, as both have become Pro Bowlers in their first and second seasons, respectively. With all of that said, is this finally the year that the Titans draft an impact wideout? History says no, but if a WR is the highest player they have left on their draft board, then Titans fans will likely be welcoming a new one to the team.

WR: Tennessee has drafted eight wide receivers since 2005. Since you asked, those eight have been: Courtney Roby, Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, Jonathan Orr, Paul Williams, Chris Davis, Joel Filani and Lavelle Hawkins. A few of those guys still have time to pan out, but none of them are currently in danger of being recognized on the street. And that doesn’t include the 1st round selection of Kevin Dyson in 1998, the 2nd round pick of Tyrone Calico in 2000, or the 2nd round choice of Ben Troupe in 2004 (yes, he was a TE, but he was also the team’s first pick in the draft that year). None of them are now Titans. Needless to say, that some of those choices may have affected future draft picks at this position. But if the Titans learned anything with the selection of “Twitch” in last year’s draft, it’s that having playmakers at skill positions is indispensable. If a WR like Percy Harvin or Hakeem Nicks are still hanging around, then Titans must strongly consider taking the leap they weren’t willing to last year when all of the top WR’s were still on the board.

CB: The Titans secondary was by far the most pleasant surprise of the 2008 season. Going back just two years to 2006, the Titans finished with the 27th ranked passing defense in the league. But since drafting CB Cortland Finnegan in 2006 (6th round), S Michael Griffin in 2007 and bringing in free agents S Chris Hope in 2006 and CB Nick Harper in 2007, the Titans have turned in top ten defensive units. Finnegan and Griffin will be cornerstones in the secondary for years to come, but Hope and Harper aren’t getting any younger, and Harper will become a free agent after next season. Look for the Titans to find his replacement in this year’s draft.

DE: Last year’s loss of 2004 second round picks Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy coupled with the age and injury histories of Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse leaves defensive end as a position where Tennessee needs to get deeper and younger. Rookie Jason Jones played incredibly well this season, and while he’s listed as a DE, the majority of his playing time was at the tackle position. Jones adds to the depth of the interior line (which becomes especially important if Albert Haynesworth leaves via free agency), so expect Tennessee to look to bolster the DE position (and/or tackle depending on Haynesworth), possibly even finding a starter in the first few rounds.

LB: Keith Bulluck has unquestionably been the leader of the Tennessee Titans defense since being their 1st round selection in the 2000 draft. He has quite possibly been one of the most underrated players at his position since he came into the league (only one Pro Bowl in 2003). Unfortunately, Bulluck is on the north side of 30. Same goes for his linebacking bookend, David Thornton. The youngster, Stephen Tulloch looks to have a place in this corps for the future, as he has shown tons of promise, but he still lacks the consistency that is needed to lead this unit. Throw in the fact that there is very little depth here (unless you’re crazy about Stanford Keglar’s “upside”) and you almost have to think that the Titans will try and find another future starting linebacker in this draft.

If last year proved anything, it’s that Tennessee (like most disciplined teams) isn’t going to draft solely for need in the first round. The Titans might seem pretty stacked at offensive tackle, for instance, but if the top guy on their board when they pick at #30 is an OT, we’re probably looking at a new offensive lineman. This is not a bad thing. The Titans roster is littered with second day gems, and Tennessee has the luxury of having a season or two to groom this year’s draft picks before their impact is essential.