Penn State Football

Commence Shuffling: Week Eight National Recap

By Peter Gray Updated Oct 24, 2011, 10:05am EDT

For several weeks, the top ten has more or less remained the same. That will change this week, as previously unbeaten Oklahoma and Wisconsin both took losses. While both Wisconsin and Oklahoma still control their own destinies in their respective conferences, their margin of error is now zero, and the rankings are going to start looking a bit different. Hopefully the craziness continues.

Games of Note

Air Force Falcons @ (5) Boise St. Broncos
Final Score: BSU 37 - AFA 26

Boise didn't cover. Surely, the apocalypse is nigh. Air Force tried their hardest to follow the option team upset formula, as they controlled the ball for over 36 minutes, but it wasn't quite enough to overcome Boise's offensive firepower.

(22) Washington Huskies @ (7) Stanford Cardinal
Final Score: Stan 65 - UW 21

The biggest rap on Stanford is that they hadn't played anyone until this week. Don't let the score line of this game fool you, because Washington is a quality team. But good lord, Stanford is a cruel football killing machine. They host Oregon on November 12th. You may want to watch that.

(9) Oregon Ducks @ Colorado Buffaloes
Final Score: UO 45 - CU 2

This game is only here because of the hilarious scoreline. Man, Colorado is turrble.

(10) Arkansas Razorbacks @ Mississippi Rebels
Final Score: Piggy 29 - UM 24

Houston Nutt almost cost Arkansas a game, a skill Houston Nutt learned to do with great aplomb while at Arkansas. Ole Miss' freshmen are actually pretty good, but there's too much dead wood on that roster for them to really shine through.

(20) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Miami Hurricanes
Final Score: UM 24 - GT 7

WELL LOOK AT YOU, AL. The Hurricane defense held Tech to 211 yards of total offense, and only 134 rushing yards. That's how you beat a triple option team.

USC Trojans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Final Score: USC 31 - ND 17

Return to Glory, right guys?

Upset City

Texas Tech Red Raiders @ (3) Oklahoma Sooners
Final Score: TTU 41 - OU 38

Turns out all that talk of an undefeated Bedlam game between OU and Oklahoma State was a bit premature. Texas Tech were up by as much as a 31-7 spread at one point before they held on for dear life in the second half. And thus ends Oklahoma's 39 game home winning streak.

(11) West Virginia Mountaineers @ Syracuse Orange
Final Score: SU 49 - WVU 23

Syracuse came out and punched West Virginia in the face, and the Mountaineers couldn't recover. QB Ryan Nassib went 24-32 for 229 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions, and the Cuse offense didn't give WVU a chance to capitalize on short fields. This was a beatdown in every sense of the word.