During the offseason I had just one weekend blog but each week during the season I will take a look at the Top 25 performances from the just completed week with a little analysis as well as a quick review of the past weekend. On Monday I will give you my News & Notes where I delve deeper into every game that was played this past weekend, breaking down individual drives and giving you misleading finals and other interesting tidbits.

As far as my game grades go after the 2008 season was completed I devised a power ratings system, which lets me analyze at what level each team played during an individual game. This “game grade” takes into account the yards rushing, yards passing, points scored, rushing yards allowed, passing yards allowed and points allowed and factors them in against the opponent played and even factors in the site the game was played at.

With all these factors taken into consideration you will see teams that lost the game having a better individual game grade than teams that beat them simply because the team they played was superior and much less was expected of them.

Top 25 Game Grades (Team Performances) Week 11

News and Notes Week 11 Part 1

One week after breaking the MAC record for comb’d TD’s (17) in a 63-60 loss to Northern Illinois, Toledo came right back and had 37-32 FD and 804-635 yd edges and beat W Michigan 66-63 in regulation, setting MAC records again.

Houston had a streak of 19 straight quarters with a score surprisingly end vs Tulane. Surprisingly, because the final was 73-17. In the 1Q UH had 1 poss and they got 2 FD’s and punted. TU had 15 and 8 pl drives but was int’d in the EZ and punted and it was scoreless. UH got a 72 yd TD run with :18 left in the half to go up 35-10 and had a 373-232 yd edge at the half. UH had a 70 yd PR TD by Edwards early 1Q, and in the 4Q a 76 yd PR TD by Payne. Backup QB Turner engineered scoring drives of 59 and 79 yards for UH and their final drive ended at the TU25 taking a knee.

Pittsburgh had 396-280 yd and 21-15 FD edges with Louisville’s TD’s coming on an 11 yd drive after a 7 yd punt, and trailing 21-7 they drove 71/7pl for a TD with :12 left. Pitt remains in the Big East race.

Tulsa piled up a season high 682 yds vs Marshall and finished with a 32-16 FD edge. TU actually had a 414-148 yd edge at the half and led 42-3 going through the motions in the 2H.

Vanderbilt got their biggest win over Kentucky since 1969 and matched their largest margin in an SEC game since 1971. VU finished with a 28-9 FD edge and in the 1H had a 278-41 yd edge. Kentucky bobbled a snap and was tkl’d at their own 3 on a punt and VU got a TD 3pl later and VU would lead 24-0 at the half.

South Carolina won its 6th SEC game for the first time since joining the league in 1992 but need Georgia to lose to Kentucky next week to get back to the SEC Title game. Florida led 3-0 when SC drove 62/11pl for a TD with 7:07 left in the half then rec’d a fmbl, converted on 4&1 with a 10 yd run and went 46/11pl for a 1 yd TD with :31 left in the half to lead 14-3. UF got it to 14-12 with 11:23 left but their 2 pt conv was int’d and SC got a 46 yd pass setting up a 28 yd FG for the final. UF punted with 5:34 left and SC got 3 crucial FD’s not punting until :42 remained. UF had a 17-16 FD and SC a 299-261 yd edge.

There was nothing fluky about Purdue’s win over Ohio St. OSU did not get a FD on their first 3 drives of the game and trailed 10-0 and at the half PU had a 242-97 yd edge and led 17-7. OSU did go on a 66/19pl drive for the apparent game winning drive and got a TD with :55 left but their xp was blk’d and PU won in OT after converting on 3&12 with a FD pass to the 1 and getting a TD on the next play.

Everyone says Texas Tech is an up-and-down team since they upset Oklahoma. That was really their only good game of the year. They had another poor performance last week when in their home finale, facing an OSU team whose D had been giving up a ton of points, were flat out dominated. Oklahoma St had a 332-151 yd edge at the half and led 49-0. TT scored their only TD on a FR TD and OSU finished with a 637-270 yd edge.

Joe Paterno started as an assistant at Penn St in 1950, took over as the HC in 1966 but after an incredible week where all the news in college football was focused on Happy Valley, he was fired. It was the first game he was not in charge of in a very very long time. Still, PSU finished with a 375-311 yd edge. PSU had a 176-167 yd edge at the half but actually trailed 10-0 and came up 3 pts short.

USC lost to Washington on last second FG’s in each of the last 2 years but this one was not close. USC had a 246-91 yd edge at the half and led 23-3 and after 3Q’s it was 37-10 with a 401-148 yd edge. UW took over with 3:07 left and went 69/10pl and on 4&4 got a garbage 20 yd TD pass to “only” lose 40-17.

Virginia actually snapped a 3 game losing streak to Duke. The game was tied at 14 and 21 when UVA got a TD with 6:52 left in the 3Q and a 29 yd FG and led 31-21 after 3Q’s. Duke missed a 35 yd FG with 5:50 left and was SOD at the UVA42 with 3:33 left and UVA got 1 FD and ran out the clock only finishing with a 356-337 yd edge.

Boise appeared to have the TCU game locked up as they led 35-28 and had the ball on 2&6 at the TCU35 in range for the game clinching FG and only 2:26 remained when they fumbled. TCU got a TD with 1:05 left and went for 2 and got it. BSU still went on a 9pl drive and were in the middle of the field for a 39 yd FG but it trailed off to the right and BSU’s perfect season came to a halt, also ending BSU’s streaks of 10 straight overall wins, 35 overall home wins, 47 straight conference wins, a 65 reg season home wins.

Northwestern had a 533-254 yd edge vs Rice getting a 90 yd TD pass in the 1H then 2 TD’s in the final 4:26. Rice took over with 6:07 left trailing 28-0 and went 62/5pl getting a TD with 4:16 left but NU got 2 FD’s to the Rice 11 running out the clock. Jeremy Ebert had 7 catches for 208 yards.

Miami Fl finished with a 383-259 yd edge vs Florida St and a 24-13 FD edge. FSU did not get its first FD until midway throughout the 2Q but benefitted from three 1H Miami TO’s. FSU got a 37 yd FG on a 9 yd drive and later got an 83 yd PR TD and led 17-7 at the half despite being outgained 203-79. UM got a TD with 1:27 left in the game but missed the xp, 23-19 and FSU rec’d the onside kick. It was the first time in 6 years the home team had won and the first time in 7 years there was not an outright upset.

Texas A&M blew 2 double digit leads. One in each half and it was the 4th game this year lost in which they had a DD lead. Collin Klein threw for a career high 281 yds passing in a 4OT shoot out. A&M had leads of 14-0 in the 2Q and 31-21 with 6:38 left. A&M did finish with a 482-411 yd edge but settled for a 20 yd FG in the 4OT and KSU got a 1 yd TD run for the 53-50 win.

Wisconsin now controls their own destiny in the Big Ten as they outgained Minnesota 461-156 with UM getting a 96 yd KR for a TD in the 3Q. UW got a TD with 9:07 left in the game after UM had been SOD on 4&1 at the 50. UM also scored on a fake FG for a TD but were outFD’d 29-9. UM QB MarQueis Gray had a bad back and his girlfriend had just given birth to twin boys on Friday and he hit 6-14-51.

Michigan St controls its destiny in the Big Ten and just needs to win in their final 2 games. MSU had a 19 yd drive after an int then after a 20 yd PR, drove 35 yds for a TD with 1:57 left in the half then Iowa fumbled the KO and MSU got a TD 2pl later for their commanding 31-7 HT lead. They did have a 269-153 yd edges at the half while Iowa finished with a 20-19 FD edge for the game.

Georgia just keeps getting better each and every week. Versus Auburn they had 30-10 FD and 528-195 yd edges. They now just need to beat Kentucky to find themselves in the SEC Championship game. Isaiah Crowell and Carlton Thomas (both susp’d LW) each topped 100 yards rushing and UGA led 35-7 at the half with a 328-89 yd edge.

It seemed a bowl was almost impossible for Navy but they’ve now pulled 2 straight upsets and only need to beat SJS and Army where they will be favored in each to get back to bowl eligibility at 6 wins. Navy has won 5 straight vs SMU. SMU finished with a 386-335 yd edge. SMU’s last 2 drives of the 1H went 74/13pl but on 3&gl from the 6 they were int’d in the EZ then went 79/14pl for a 28 yd FG, 10-3. SMU was SOD at the Navy 21 late 3Q and trailed 24-10 when they got a TD with 3:40 left but Navy converted on 3&7 and 3&4 for FD’s to run the clock.

Clemson finds itself in the ACC Title game after they overcame a 28-14 deficit vs Wake Forest and kicked a 43 yd FG on the final play for the win. CU finished with a 522-317 yd edge and led 14-7 when WF got a 50 yd PR TD and then after a fmbl a 25 yd drive for a TD and after an int, drove 44/4pl for a TD.

Memphis led UAB 35-17 after 3Q’s. UAB settled for a 24 yd FG, drove 70/9pl and 69/4pl for TD’s but the 2 pt conversion failed with 7:08 left and they still trailed by 2. UAB went 77/10pl and got a TD with 1:36 left. MEM got to the UAB43 after a personal foul but on 4&10 fired incomplete. UAB did finish with a 601-384 yd edge.

Army got a TD with 14:02 left in the game but missed the xp and trailed Rutgers 13-12. Army was punting with 6:36 left and RU blk’d the punt and ret’d it 32 yds for a TD to make it 20-12. Army was SOD at the RU41 with 2:21 left. On 3&7 after Army had used 2 time-outs, so one FD would have ended the game, Jamison broke through a hole and raced 56 yds for a TD to give RU the 27-12 lead. Army was SOD at their own 26 and RU finished with a 314-305 yd edge, thanks to that 56 yd run.

NC State CB David Amerson extended his school record with his 10th int in the 1H and NCSt had a 267-190 yd edge. Boston College had a 92-88 yd edge at the half and led 14-3 on a very wind day where the winds affected FG’s and punts.

The winds gusted up to 60 mph for the Wyoming/Air Force game but surprisingly WY (more of a passing team) pulled out the win. Brett Smith hit 17-30-139. AF hit just 2-5-(-1) but don’t normally pass anyway. The goal posts were teetering, tents in the parking lot were toppled and the fighter jet fly over was scrubbed. A 12 yd punt with 3:22 left in the half set up WY for a 42/7pl TD drive and the lead, 12-7. They did trail 17-12 but got a TD with 7:40 left and AF fmbl’d at the WY24 and then fmbl’d and it was ret’d 48 yds for a TD with :25 left to make an 18-17 game a 25-17 final. WY finished with a 351-311 yd edge.

Colorado and Arizona was played in 45 mph winds which gusted up to 71 mph in the 4Q. Nick Foles still hit 35-53-352 yds but UA trailed by 24 points in the 3Q and CU had 273-60 yd edge.

Kansas led Baylor 24-3 in the 4Q. KU appeared on its way to a huge outright upset. BU got a TD with 11:45 left to pull within 24-10, a 36 yd TD with 7:58 left to make it 24-17 and then a 67 yd TD pass with 3:32 left to tie it. KU was nearly in FG range when on 2&10 from the BU39 they were int’d at the 25. In OT each team got a TD but smartly KU went for 2 but unfortunately did not get the 2 pt conversion.

San Jose St had a 30-21 lead and had the ball at the Utah St 7 when they settled for a 24 yd FG with 8:13 left which kept Utah St within 12. USt got a TD on 3&14 with 5:14 left and then a 21 yd TD pass with :41 left to escape with a 1 pt win. SJS did attempt a 67 yd FG on the final play but it was blk’d.

Colorado St lost QB Pete Thomas in the 2Q. He had taken every snap at QB this year and Garrett Grayson hit 6-15-26 yds in his place. Still, San Diego St took the lead 18-15 with 5:49 left and CSU’s final drive did get to midfield where they were SOD.

There could be bad news for Cincinnati who had the Big East in their control. QB Zach Collaros was on the sideline on crutches after being inj’d in the 2Q vs West Virginia. That injury changed the entire BE race. Bkp QB Legaux hit 10-21-144. Even with the bkp QB, UC which wore all red uniforms for the first time since 1993, had a shot at the win. They led 21-17 but gave up a 4Q TD and then UC had a FD at the WV22. On 3&3, Legaux ran for 1 yd and they went for the 31 yd FG for OT but it was blk’d.

Texas had 2 RB’s come into the game questionable but neither Malcolm Brown or Joe Bergeron played vs Missouri. Foswhitt Whittaker left with an ankle inj in the 1Q. UT was held without a TD for the first time since 2004 and lost to Missouri for the first time since 1997. UT went 77/12pl for a 27 yd FG and got into MO terr on their next drive but their offense slowed down and MO did enough for a 17-5 win finishing with a 338-247 yd edge.