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AP Top 25 College Football Scoreboard Nov. 18
AP Top 25 College Football Results
Troy Smith solidified his claim to the Heisman Trophy Award throwing for 319 yards and 4 touchdowns and Antonio Pittman rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown as #1 Ohio State beat #2 Michigan 42-39. The win caps a perfect 12-0 season for the Buckeyes and gives them the Big Ten championship as well as sends them to Glendale, Arizaona January 8 to play in the BCS Championship. Ohio State managed to total 520 yards against one of the nations toughest defenses. Mike Hart rushed for 140 yards for the Wolverines and Michigan made a run at Ohio State but could not overcome a 28-14 halftime deficit. While Ohio State will play for the BCS National Championship, Michigan’s fate is uncertain. At 11-1 they still have a shot at a rematch for the championship but it may require a loss from USC and Florida.
While playing I-AA Western Carolina didn’t earn them any points #3 Florida didn’t shy away from throwing the points on the board. The Gators 62-0 whitewash against the Catamounts featured 582 total yards. Florida, now 10-1, used their two quarterback scheme to perfection as Chris Leak threw for 100 yards and a touchdown while Tim Tebow had 200 yards passing and 2 touchdowns through the air. Tebow also ran for a pair of touchdowns. The Gators defense held Western Carolina to just 59 total yards and 4 first downs the entire day.
In the late night marquee game #4 USC beat #17 California 23-9. John David Booty passed for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns as USC locked up an invitation to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl. The Trojans of USC are hoping they won’t have to take that invitation as they still have a chance to play for the BCS Championship on January 8. They face Notre Dame next week and then square off against UCLA to finish the regular season.
The AP #5 ranked Arkansas handled their business with Mississippi State, beating the Bulldogs 28-14. The win gave the Razorbacks the SEC West title and earned them a spot in the SEC Championship where they will face Florida. Darren McFadden led Arkansas with 84 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. McFadden also totaled 94 yards on kickoff returns and ran one back 92 yards for his second touchdown. The 10-1 Razorbacks will take on LSU next week before heading to Atlanta for the SEC Championship.
Notre Dame, the AP #6 team in the country, took care of their third armed services school this year beating Army 41-9. Brady Quinn led the10-1 Irish in his final home game of his career. Quinn threw for 218 yards and three touchdowns to stay in the chase for the Heisman Trophy. Darrius Walker rushed for 162 yards and found the endzone twice. The Irish totaled 439 yards from scrimmage while holding the Black Knights to 150 yards. Next week will determine whether or not the Irish will have a shot at the National Championship. They travel to L.A. to take on USC.
The clock struck midnight for Cinderella as #7 ranked Rutgers got embarrassed by the Cincinnati Bearcats 30-11. The loss not only knocks the Scarlet Knights out of the National Championship hunt but more than likely knocks them out of a BCS bowl birth. Rutgers could never get anything going in Cincinnati and when they had the chance they turned the ball over. Their four turnovers prevented them from sustaining any type of drive. Star running back Ray Rice was held to 55 yards and Mike Teel threw four interceptions. Rutgers could still win the Big East with victories over Syracuse and West Virginia.
The West Virginia Mountaineers, ranked #8 in the AP poll, beat up Pittsburgh on Thursday night 45-27. Pat White had a huge game, throwing for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for another 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not to be outdone Steve Slaton ran for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns of his own. West Virginia racked up 641 total yards on the night against the Panthers defense. The Mountaineers defense held Pittsburgh to -1 yards rushing. West Virginia still has a big game left against Rutgers on December 2. With Rutgers’ loss West Virginia still has an opportunity to win the Big East.
It came down to the wire in Baton Rouge as #9 LSU scored a touchdown with 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter tie Mississippi 20-20 but the extra point was blocked sending the game into overtime. LSU forced a turnover in overtime then kicked a field goal to win 23-20. JaMarcus Russell passed for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns in the LSU win and Colt David overcame the blocked extra point to win the game on a 24-yard field goal.
Brian Brohm had a big day with 274 yards passing and 2 touchdowns as the #10 Louisville Cardinals knocked off Big East foe South Florida 31-8. With the Rutgers loss the Cardinals still have an opportunity to win the Big East title. If Louisville wins out and Rutgers drops another game Louisville will finish the year as Big East champion.
Finishing the regular season with 11 wins for the first time in school history, the #12 ranked Wisconsin Badgers were never in jeopardy of a let down dismantling Buffalo 35-3. Tyler Donovan threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns to push the Badgers to an 11-1 mark on the year..
Jared Zabransky threw for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns as the #13 Boise State Broncos rolled over the Utah State Aggies 49-10. The win kept Boise State perfect on the year with an 11-0 record.
Sean Glennon threw for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns as #19 Virginia Tech beat #14 Wake Forest 27-6. The loss sets up an interesting battle in the ACC where Wake Forest must beat Maryland next week to advance to the championship. A Maryland victory and a Boston College loss puts Maryland in the title game but a Maryland win and a Boston College win puts B.C. in the championship.
Capturing the Iron Bowl for the fifth straight year, the # 15 ranked Auburn Tigers beat their in-state rival Alabama 22-15. Despite the Crimson Tide totaling 103 more yards of offense, the Tigers were able to take advantage of 4 Alabama turnovers.
The #16 ranked Oklahoma Sooners held the Baylor Bears to -48 yards rushing while totaling 236 yards on the ground themselves. Chris Brown led the 9-2 Sooners with 169 yards rushing and added a touchdown in the 36-10 win.
Reggie Ball threw 3 touchdown passes, 2 to Calvin Johnson, and the # 18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets beat the hapless Duke Blue Devils 49-21. The 9-2 Yellow Jackets will be playing rival Georgia next weekend before playing in the ACC Championship game.
The #20 ranked Boston College Eagles kept their ACC title hopes alive after beating #21 Maryland 38-16. Maryland turned the ball over four times on the day while B.C. got through the day without a turnover.
Erik Ainge passed for 266 yards and 2 touchdowns as the #22 ranked Tennessee Volunteers beat up SEC and in-state rival Vanderbilt 39-10. LaMarcus Coker rushed for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Vols.
The Mountain West Conference was locked up by #23 BYU after the Cougars knocked off New Mexico 42-17. John Beck passed for 464 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win and Curtis Brown added 124 yards on the ground with a touchdown.
