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National Top 25 Scoreboard
#1 Alabama def. #13 LSU, 10-0
#2 Clemson def. Syracuse, 54-0
#3 Michigan def. Maryland, 59-3
Mississippi State def. #4 Texas A&M, 35-28
#5 Washington def. California, 66-27
#6 Ohio State def. #10 Nebraska, 62-3
#7 Louisville def. Boston College, 52-7
#8 Wisconsin def. Northwestern, 21-7
#9 Auburn def. Vanderbilt, 23-16
Arkansas def. #11 Florida, 31-10
#12 Penn State def. Iowa, 41-14
#14 Oklahoma def. Iowa State, 34-24
#15 Colorado def. UCLA, 20-10
TCU def. #17 Baylor, 62-22
#18 Oklahoma State def. Kansas State, 43-37
#19 Virginia Tech def. Duke, 24-21
#20 West Virginia def. Kansas, 48-21
#21 North Carolina def. Georgia Tech, 48-20
#22 Florida State def. North Carolina State, 24-20
#23 Western Michigan def. Ball State, 52-20
#24 Boise State def. San Jose State, 45-31
#25 Washington State def. Arizona, 69-7
#15 Colorado Outlasts UCLA, 20-10
A sloppy, sloppy, Thursday night showdown in the Pac-12, Colorado and UCLA both did just about nothing to impress the football-hungry television viewers, as the Buffs and Bruins combined for one of the ugliest games in the Pac-12 all-season long. In a game that saw the teams combine for 25 penalties for 224 yards, there were also two blocked kicks in the contest, as well as five turnovers. As bad as it was, one of these two teams had to win the game and in the end, Colorado had the moxie and grit to put their mistakes behind them and ride their first punt return touchdown (Isaiah Oliver) in eleven years to a victory. For UCLA, their conference slide continues, as the Bruins have now not won a game in over a month, losing four straight in the process.
#5 Washington Steamrolls Cal, 66-27
Washington was burned by the committee in the latest edition of the College Football Playoff rankings, as a one-loss Texas A&M team leapfrogged the Huskies for the fourth and final spot. However, after this week’s dismantling of Cal (and the Aggies slip up against Mississippi State), Washington may have made it’s case as one of the top four teams in all of college football. The Huskies were expected to be tested by the Golden Bears’ air-assault offense but it was Washington’s prolific attack that was showcased on the day, led by quarterback Jake Browning’s record-setting performance. Browning, who threw for 378 yards and 6 touchdown, also broke the program’s single-season record for passing touchdowns in the victory. Washington has just three games left on their regular season slate, the last of them being arguably one of the most anticipated Apple Cup games against Washington State, in recent memory.
#25 Washington St. Smacks Arizona, 69-7
The focus of Washington State looks to be at an all-time high under head coach Mike Leach, as the Cougars have now won seven straight games with their dismantling of Arizona, keeping the program tied with their arch-rival Washington atop the Pac-12 North Division. It’s probably a good idea to lock-in those tickets to the Apple Cup now. Leach and company walloped a quickly fading Arizona group behind another prolific offensive day, spearheaded by quarterback Luke Falk, who tallied 311 passing yards and 4 touchdowns in the contest. For Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez, it’s a question of where does it end with this Wildcats group? Arizona was equally lackluster on both sides of the ball, completing just 11 passes in the match-up, while defensively, allowing 614 yards of offense to the Cougars.
Stanford Edges Oregon State, 26-15
The Beavers continue to scratch and claw each week under head coach Gary Andersen but in the results-oriented business of college football, moral victories are few and far between. After Oregon State’s grind-it-out loss to Stanford on Saturday in Palo Alto, the Beavers are probably left feeling more dejected and regretful, as the team let numerous game-changing opportunities slip away. For a complete review of this game, it’s best to check out our own Marcus Russell’s “Game Recap” and check in how Beavers fans felt about it in this week’s “Game Thread”.
USC Slips Past Oregon, 45-20
Another week. Another Oregon loss. Oregon’s shortcomings are not getting old to us quite yet here at Building The Dam, as the Ducks have now dropped six of their last seven games, to fall to 3-6 overall on the season. They also now sit tied with the Beavers in the Pac-12 North Division, with the Civil War just three weeks away. While the season may be lost for Oregon at this point, the question now remains if head coach Mark Helfrich returns next season and if not, what changes will be made to try and steer the Ducks’ sinking ship in the right direction? Only time will tell on that one. For the Trojans, the good vibes just keep permeating from USC, as the steady balance of this team continues to improve by the week. In this one, it was the explosive nature of running back Ronald Jones II that mad the difference, as the star rusher picked up 171 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground. USC has now won five straight games heading into next week’s road trip to visit Washington.