Yes, there were the usual Top 5 upsets over the weekend in college football, with Boston College, which had been second in the Bowl Championship Series standings, and Arizona State, which had been fourth, losing. But in a season in which the script seldom has been followed, we finally are starting to see some form hold up.
At No. 1 in this week's BCS standings we have Ohio State. The Buckeyes can scoot into their second consecutive Bowl Championship Series title game (they were rolled over by Florida last season) after an impressive 38-17 win over Wisconsin. Ohio State still must get past Michigan in Ann Arbor in two weeks, but defense may be good enough to carry the Buckeyes all the way to New Orleans. Coach Jim Tressel's team trailed, 17-10, in the third quarter Saturday. Then the Buckeyes said, "Enough," particularly on defense, limiting Wisconsin to 12 yards rushing.
At No. 2 in the standings is Louisiana State, which once again proved itself - although somewhat shakily - with a come-from-behind-late 41-34 win over Alabama and former Tigers coach Nick Saban.
At No. 3 in the standings we have once-beaten and rising Oregon, which took care of business with a solid 35-23 win over previously unbeaten Arizona State.
And fifth in the BCS standings is Oklahoma, back on course after a 42-14 spanking of Texas A&M.
It's chalk, more chalk, and even Rock Chalk Jayhawk, if you want to talk about unbeaten Kansas, which still is playing the Cinderella role after its 76-39 rout of Nebraska, which brought the Jayhawks, not traditionally a power, up to fourth in the BCS standings.
Overall, finally there's some normalcy in college football - at least for a week.
Competition fierce
Who's in the running for the Heisman Trophy? Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon is. He was 13 of 22 for 189 yards and 4 TDs in the Ducks' win over Arizona State. Arkansas running back Darren McFadden tied a Southeastern Conference record with 321 yards in the Razorbacks' 48-36 win over South Carolina. Unfortunately for Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, three interceptions in Saturday night's 27-17 loss to Florida State mean his chances are probably gone, although a statistical blitz in the Eagles' final three games might get him to New York. Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, who threw for 421 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-10 pounding of Colorado, also merits consideration . . . With a score like Kansas 76, Nebraska 39, what sport were we talking about, college hoops? Sure, one can imagine a Bill Self-coached team doing something like that to a Nebraska basketball team. Kansas scored 48 of its points in the first half, which is a great half for a hoop team. But if you aren't paying attention, the Jayhawks footballers are 9-0 and climbing.
Welcome back
Michigan quarterback Chad Henne, who missed last week's game against Minnesota with a shoulder ailment, came back with a vengeance, throwing four TD passes to help the Wolverines edge Michigan State, 28-24. The Wolverines (8-2, 6-0 Big Ten), who had to endure criticism after opening the season with losses to Appalachian State and Oregon, can finish with a trip to the Rose Bowl if they beat Wisconsin next week then find a way to defeat Ohio State in two weeks . . . The dream continues, at least for another week, for the University of Connecticut, which remained unbeaten in the Big East and improved to 8-1 with a 38-19 pounding of Rutgers Saturday. The Huskies (13th in the BCS standings) still must deal with games at Cincinnati and West Virginia before they can think about a BCS bid. Maybe against Boston College in the Orange Bowl? But eight wins is eight wins, and the Huskies will be bowling somewhere during the holidays.
Comebacks continue
How to explain what happens when Texas makes a visit to Oklahoma State? Saturday, the Longhorns trailed by 24 points before pulling out a 38-35 victory over the Cowboys. But that comeback doesn't top their last visit, in 2005, when the Longhorns scored 35 points in the second half en route to a 47-28 victory. It goes beyond that with these teams, though. Take 2003, when Oklahoma State built a 16-7 first-quarter lead and lost, 55-16. Or in 2004 in Austin, when Oklahoma State had a 35-7 first-half edge and lost, 56-35. . . . South Florida should get to the game earlier next time, at least mentally. Cincinnati took a 31-14 first-quarter lead against South Florida Saturday and then held on as the Bulls came charging back before dropping a 38-33 decision. South Florida's 15 minutes of fame, like Boston College's, are only a distant memory.
A clean slate
In eight tries at BC, North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien never beat Miami. As the Wolfpack coach, O'Brien is now 1-0 against the Hurricanes after a 19-16 win in the Orange Bowl Saturday. The winning 42-yard field goal was booted by Steven Hauschka, a kid from Needham who graduated from Middlebury before taking advantage of an NCAA rule that allows players who get their degree at one school to compete for a year on the postgraduate level at another school . . . Southern California quarterback John David Booty returned after missing three games with a hand injury and the Trojans were happy to see him, as Booty was the catalyst with a pair of TDs in a 24-3 win over Oregon State . . . Close is sometimes good enough, as Virginia's late 17-16 win over Wake Forest Saturday proved. Coach Al Groh's team set an NCAA record, grabbing its fifth victory by two points or fewer. Columbia, in 1971, won four by two or fewer. "For some reason, we click at the end," tight end Tom Santi said. . . . Notre Dame lost to Navy in three overtimes, 46-44, for the first time since 1963, when a quarterback named Roger Staubach led the Middies to a 35-14 win. More disturbing for Notre Dame, now a woeful 1-8, is that it has yet to win a home game this season (0-5). With games remaining against Air Force, Duke, and Stanford (Air Force and Duke at home), the Irish easily could hit double digits in losses.
Mark Blaudschun can be reached at blaudschun@globe.com; material from the Associated Press was used.
