NCAA Week 6 results and Top 25

We had a few more upsets this week, and that caused some shifts in the Top 25, even near the top.

Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) [1]
2. Clemson Tigers (6-0) [2]
3. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0) [4]
4. Washington Huskies (6-0) [5]
5. Georgia Bulldogs (6-0) [8]
6. Wisconsin Badgers (5-0) [6]
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1) [10]
8. Auburn Tigers (5-1) [15]
9. TCU Horned Frogs (5-0) [9]
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1) [12]
11. UCF Golden Knights (4-0) [11]
12. Oklahoma Sooners (4-1) [3]
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-1) [13]
14. South Florida Bulls (5-0) [14]
15. Washington State Cougars (6-0) [16]
16. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-1) [17]
17. USC Trojans (5-1) [18]
18. Michigan Wolverines (4-1) [7]
19. Texas Longhorns (3-2) [19]
20. San Diego State Aztecs (6-0) [25]
21. Miami Hurricanes (4-0) [21]
22. Navy Midshipmen (5-0) [22]
23. Stanford Cardinal (4-2) [NR]
24. Utah Utes (4-1) [20]
25. North Carolina State Wolf Pack (5-1) [NR]

Dropped off: Louisville Cardinals [#23], Oregon Ducks [#24]
On the Edge: Houston Cougars (4-1), Michigan State Spartans (4-1), West Virgina Mountaineers (3-2), Kansas State Wildcats (3-2), Texas A&M Aggies (4-2), Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-1)

Big Ten Report
For the most part, the games went as expected.  Illinois' defense made Iowa look good, so hopes for the Illini are fading fast.  Purdue found themselves and upset Minnesota, injuring their hopes at a division title.  Wisconsin's offense finally showed up, while Michigan's remains hidden.  More about Michigan in later items.

Upset Alert
Thursday started us off, as the NC State Wolf Pack devoured Louisville.  The ACC wasn't finished with upsets, as Virginia knocked off Duke on Saturday.  Temple destroyed East Carolina to proclaim that they were competitors in the conference, and Michigan State caused five turnovers to overwhelm Michigan in a decisively defensive battle.

The biggest upset of the weekend, though, occurred in Norman.  The Oklahoma Sooners, who had seemed to be an unbeatable powerhouse in the Big XII, fell to the Iowa State Cyclones.  While I thought the margin was too large (the Sooners were 31.5 point favorites), I was still shocked at the result.  This leaves TCU as the lone unbeaten, and none of the top three teams in the conference have played each other yet, so anyone emerging with just one loss will be a miracle.  Worse for Oklahoma -- this week is the Red River Rivalry, and they are on the road.

Poor Performers
I don't think it gets any worse than MICHIGAN's offensive offense.  They looked confused all game, and John O'Korn made some unusual decisions.  He also tends to start running if his first target is covered, rather than taking some time to check the field for other possible targets.  If he doesn't improve before Speight gets back, things look bleak for the Wolverines.

One game featured two poor offenses.  Until the second half of the fourth quarter, neither MIAMI nor FLORIDA STATE had done much.  There had only been a total of one touchdown (plus two field goals) until the two teams finally found gusto, scoring four touchdowns (plus a field goal) in less than ten minutes remaining.

Great Performers
MEMPHIS redeemed themselves this week, posting 70 points against UConn.  Alright, UConn is not a defensive giant (not even a defensive midget), but the Tigers had more yards and more scoring than they have EVER scored, including against FCS teams, so that makes it a great record-setting achievement.

MISSOURI finally found some gas this week.  It wasn't enough to beat Kentucky, but it certainly breathed some life into the team that was languishing as the SEC doormat.  WASHINGTON STATE showed great defense, holding the fast-paced Oregon Ducks to ten points and less than 200 total yards.