NCAA NEWS

College Football Power Rankings – Week 12

Published by Seahawk Fanatic on November 24, 2009

In a week that saw the top two teams, Florida and Alabama, enjoy glorified scrimmages and the No. 3 team, Texas, pile on the misery against a reeling Kansas team, the weekend’s plaudits belonged to the Pac-10.

Jeremiah Masoli engineered an instant classic in Oregon’s double-overtime victory over Arizona. Couple that with Oregon State’s win over Washington State and you’ve got a Civil War with a Rose Bowl up for grabs. What more could you ask for?

Cal and Ole Miss return to the Top 25 this week with wins over Stanford and LSU, respectively.

Here are this week’s rankings:

n a week that saw the top two teams, Florida and Alabama, enjoy glorified scrimmages and the No. 3 team, Texas, pile on the misery against a reeling Kansas team, the weekend’s plaudits belonged to the Pac-10.

Cal and Ole Miss return to the Top 25 this week with wins over Stanford and LSU, respectively.

Here are this week’s rankings:

College Football Power Rankings – Week 12
	RK (LW)	TEAM	REC	PTS	COMMENT
	1 (1)	Florida (6)	11-0	364	The game itself wasn’t competitive, but with FIU in town you wouldn’t expect it to be. Gators fans had something to cheer in a 62-3 win — Tim Tebow became the all-time SEC leader in career TDs with a 55-yard scamper in the first quarter.
	2 (2)	Alabama (7)	11-0	362	Like its SEC counterpart Florida, Alabama mailed Week 12 in with a visit from Chattanooga. Mark Ingram turned in a couple of long TD runs in limited action for the Tide in a comfortable 45-0 win.
	3 (3)	Texas (2)	11-0	354	Colt McCoy earned an NCAA-record 43rd career victory as a starter in style, passing for 396 yards and four TDs in the Longhorns’ 51-20 win over Kansas. The win secured Texas’ first Big 12 South title since 2005.
	4 (4)	TCU	11-0	330	It was probably a stretch to think Wyoming would spoil TCU’s perfect season. It’s even more of a stretch to think New Mexico will dash the Horned Frogs’ hopes in Forth Worth on Saturday, even if it did win its first game of the season over the weekend.
	5 (5)	Cincinnati	10-0	314	A matchup with Illinois on Friday is all that separates Cincinnati from its Big East title-deciding tilt against Pittsburgh. The Bearcats better avoid a turkey hangover against the Illini.
	6 (6)	Boise State	11-0	299	It was a rather pedestrian performance by Kellen Moore — by his standards at least — in Boise State’s 52-21 win over Utah State on Friday night. Moore threw for 233 yards and a TD as the Broncos racked up 323 yards rushing as a team.
	7 (7)	Georgia Tech	10-1	286	Georgia Tech was off this weekend and spent its free time learning who it will play in the ACC championship game. The Yellow Jackets will get a rematch with Clemson on Dec. 5, a team they beat 30-27 on Sept. 10.
	8 (8)	Pittsburgh	9-1	258	All eyes are pointed to Pittsburgh’s Dec. 5 game against Cincinnati. But you can be sure West Virginia would love to send the Panthers into that game with a loss after the two meet on Friday in Morgantown.
	9 (10)	Oregon	9-2	256	Jeremiah Masoli and Oregon turned in an instant classic on prime time, sending Arizona to a crushing loss and a throng of Wildcats students back to their seats disappointed. Masoli accounted for all six of the Ducks’ TDs in a 44-41 win in 2 OT.
	10 (9)	Ohio State	10-2	247	Five turnovers from Tate Forcier helped Ohio State along to its sixth straight win over Michigan. The 21-10 win ensured the Buckeyes have the Big Ten title all to themselves, and adding to the Wolverines’ misery made it that much sweeter.
	11 (13)	Iowa	10-2	208	It was the kind of game that made you want to cover your eyes, but Iowa won’t mind after a 12-0 win over Minnesota kept the Hawkeyes’ hopes of a BCS at-large bid alive, despite gaining only 171 yards of total offense.
	12 (14)	Oklahoma State	9-2	189	Zac Robinson was injured and Alex Cate was ineffective so OSU reached all the way to its third-string QB, Brandon Weeden, against Colorado. Weeden threw two TD passes and Keith Toston rushed for 172 yards to give the Cowboys a 31-28 win.
	13 (15)	Penn State	10-2	180	Daryll Clark passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns and Evan Royster rushed for 114 yards as Penn State used a 28-0 third quarter to race past Michigan State 42-14.
	14 (16)	Virginia Tech	8-3	168	Ryan Williams will have to start aiming at his own place in Virginia Tech’s record books. The freshman set the Hokies’ single-season rushing record with 120 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-10 win over NC State.
	15 (17)	Clemson	8-3	160	C.J. Spiller didn’t turn in the kind of video game numbers we’ve grown accustomed to, but you imagine he doesn’t care, not after the Tigers clinched a spot in the ACC championship game after a BC loss and a 34-21 win over Virginia.
	16 (19)	Oregon State	8-3	154	Oregon State’s 42-10 win over Washington State means the Civil War on Dec. 3 will be a battle for the Pac-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. What more could you ask for?
	17 (11)	LSU	8-3	135	You’d imagine there were some frank exchanges during LSU’s coaches meetings after the Tigers got their signals crossed in the closing moments against Ole Miss. In the end, the clock ran out on them in a 25-23 loss.
	18 (21)	Miami (FL)	8-3	97	Miami scored 24 unanswered points in the second half to earn a comeback win against Duke. Jacory Harris passed for 348 yards and two TDs as the Canes posted their first eight-win season since 2005.
	19 (20)	Brigham Young	9-2	90	With his 30th victory as BYU’s starting QB, Max Hall passed Ty Detmer for the school record in the Cougars’ 38-21 win over Air Force. Hall threw for 377 yards and five TDs in the win.
	20 (30)	Mississippi	8-3	72	The circumstances toward the end of the game were confusing to say the least, but Ole Miss won’t mind after the Rebels earned a 25-23 win over LSU. Dexter McCluster rushed for 148 yards and threw for a TD in the win.
	21 (24)	North Carolina	8-3	68	T.J. Yates threw three interceptions and North Carolina rushed for only 96 yards as a team. But the Tar Heels used defensive TDs from Cam Thomas and Kendric Burney to power them to a 31-13 win over Boston College.
	22 (23)	Utah	9-2	60	Utah did all of its scoring in the first half and it proved to be all the cushion the Utes would need in a 38-7 win over San Diego State. Eddie Wide rushed for two TDs for the Utes.
	23 (29)	California	8-3	58	Shane Vereen picked a good time to have a career day, as the RB turned in career highs with 42 carries, 193 yards rushing and three TDs as Cal dashed Stanford’s Pac-10 title hopes with a 34-28 win.
	24 (22)	USC	7-3	55	USC didn’t play over the weekend, and it must have been odd to watch other teams in the Pac-10 fight for the league title. The Trojans finish the regular season with visits from UCLA and Arizona.
	25 (25)	Houston	9-2	35	Case Keenum kept Houston alive in the C-USA race and broke the school record for most career TD passes for good measure. Keenum threw for 405 yards and five TDs in the Cougars’ 55-14 win over Memphis.
Others receiving votes: Stanford (32), Nebraska (24), Arizona (10), Navy (5), Wisconsin (3), Northwestern (2)