Lots of undefeated teams suffered a first loss.
#20 Kentucky was 5-0 coming into this weekend. Then they had to go on the road to play #1 Georgia. Oopsy! Georgia scored 34 in the first half.
Formerly undefeated #21 Missouri thought this might be their year, and it was encouraging when they went to the locker room at halftime with a 25-17 lead against an excellent #23 LSU team. Missouri then proceeded to allow 32 points in the second half, thus losing in a fashion that showed they are not yet the chosen ones.
The lads of #13 Washington State also had their undefeated dreams crushed. Like Missouri, they had a halftime lead and blew it.
#17 Miami also fell from the unbeaten ranks, dropping a 23-20 squeaker at home to unranked Georgia Tech in a heartbreaker (see the comments).
Fresno State was undefeated and somehow ranked in the top 25 (#24) in the AP poll. They lost. Everyone who voted for them presumably will never be allowed to vote again.
In a battle of undefeated teams, the #3 Texas Longhorns lost to #12 Oklahoma in their storied rivalry. This loss was a tough one for the ‘Horns. Texas had a 30-27 lead with about a minute remaining, but could not prevent Oklahoma from scoring. This is the last time they will meet in the regular season as Big 12 opponents. Both teams move to the SEC next year, making that conference even more formidable. Texas/OU weekend is the equivalent of Mardi Gras in Austin. When the Longhorns win, there is much celebratory drinking. When the Longhorns lose, Austin drinks away its sorrows. It basically works out the same either way.
Ohio State/Maryland was another match-up of undefeated teams, but Maryland was unranked because – well, basically because they are Maryland and nobody thought that streak would last. They played a very respectable first half against #4 THE Ohio State University, and went to the locker room tied, but eventually THE just had too much for ’em. Final score 37-17.
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Other undefeated teams held their ground:
#9 USC stayed undefeated, but by the narrowest of margins, squeezing out a 43-41 victory over Arizona in triple overtime.
#25 Louisville showed that they are absolutely for real with a 33-20 win over #10 Notre Dame. Big props to their defense. They forced Sam Hartman, Notre Dame’s QB, to turn the ball over five times – three picks and two fumbles, and they also sacked him five times! It is not a day that Hartman will some day be recalling for his grandkids.
#14 North Carolina absolutely destroyed Syracuse. (It was 27-0 in the first half before they eased up.) They are undefeated for now, and will probably edge closer to the top ten.
#5 Florida State had a cakewalk over Virginia Tech and #2 Michigan pummeled Minnesota 52-10.
(1) Miami lost to Georgia Tech because of a massive brain fart by their head coach. They had the ball with under a minute to play and could have just kneeled out the clock, but instead they run a running play and fumbled. Tech then hit a long bomb through blown coverage.
(2) OU and UT potentially can play one more time at B12 members, in the conference championship.
Texas was not at home. The Red River Rivalry is played annually during the Texas State Fair at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas since 1912. It’s roughly halfway between Norman, OK and Austin, TX. Theoretically the most neutral site existing between the 2 schools.
Sorry, the *State Fair of Texas. Also they “home” team alternates every year. Texas in the odd years, Oklahoma in the even years.
Thanks. I did not remember that. Pretty sad for somebody who lived in Austin for 20 years!