The Contenders

• Alabama overcame a flat first half to throttle Mississippi State and win against them for the first time in three years 32-7.  The question becomes did the Tide play well enough to stay number one or will they be overcome by Texas or perhaps Florida.  The fact is, they did sleepwalk through the entire first half.  It's a moot point because unless someone gets lucky, the winner of the SEC championship game will play for the BCS championship. Now, the road to a championship is Auburn Saturday and then to Atlanta to meet Florida.
  
• Texas let up off the gas pedal against Kansass but pounded them none the less. Kudos to Mac Brown who didn't back over Kansas, run them over again and then back over them again.  The encouragement to run the score up is one of the biggest downsides of not having a playoff system.  Texas now awaits the results of the Texas Tech-OU game next weekend to keep their faint hopes alive.
  
• Your big winner Saturday was Florida who embarrassed the Ole Ball Coach in his return to Florida with a fifty point win 56-6.  If this is what it takes to move up in the BCS standings, then Florida could rise as high as two in this week's poll.  Urban Meyer is cold blooded. Florida has the Citadel, Florida State and then Alabama in the SEC championship game with a ticket to Miami the prize if they run the table.
  
• Texas Tech and Oklahoma were both off this weekend, sharpening their axes for next Saturday's winner take all showdown in the Big 12.  That's not much pressure, is it? 
  

Outside Looking In

• Like Alabama, USC started out slow but finished taking out Stanford 45-23.  After last year, you just figured there was no way the Trojans would lose to the Cardinal again. 
  

Other BCS Bowl Candidates

• Utah makes Chuck Long's life even more interesting. Here's where it gets interesting.  If Utah wins out, chances are they get thrown a BCS game bone.
• Penn State is one win away from winning the Big Ten title and going to the Rose Bowl.  If they were awake against Iowa, they'd be one win away from Miami.
• Ohio State kept their faint Rose Bowl hopes alive by beating underachieving Illinois.  If Michigan State upsets Penn State next week, OSU only needs to beat Michigan to get to the Rose Bowl.  There are several high school teams that could beat Michigan this year. Anyone who says "throw out the schedules, it's a rivalry" about next week's Michigan-OSU game is a Michigan fan who has a blood alcohol level over .20.
  
• Boise State keeps winning but if a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it get to a BCS game?.  It would be hard to imagine both Boise State and Utah in a BCS game.  I think they should have a play in.
  

Other Things That Made Us Say "Hmmm"

• Note to Mike Gundy: Beating Colorado is fine, but beating Texas Tech would have been better.
  
• Missouri has won the right to be cannon fodder for either Oklahoma, Texas or Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game.
• Butch Davis' club takes a big step backward losing a critical game to Ralph Friedgen's Maryland team.  I don't think Friedgen is on the hot seat given the fact his team is still in ACC contention and that he's had a few big wins this year.  That and the fact the ACC is terrible.
• This is what happens when you don't have enough dad gum receivers.
  
• How bout them Beavers?
• LSU spots Troy State 28 points then yells "gotcha" and wins.  Les Miles last seen in training room with the team cardiologist. 
• Congratulations to Vanderbilt, now going bowling for the first time since Reagan was President.
• Something tells me Tulsa will fall out of the top 25 today. After the game, Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was seen crying to Mitch Mustain's mommy.