Florida Slides in SEC Title Game

It was not a major story day as the 2006 college football season hits the final month. Yes, there were a few upsets that we'll get nto, but nothing earth shattering, unless your Joe Paterno. Big East- The fallout from Thursday's Louisville win is this. West Virginia, darling team of the BCS pundits following upsetting Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last season, needs a ton of help to get a second straight BCS pay day. The Cardinals must beat Rutgers to remain on track for a trip to Glendale. Pitt's road to a decent bowl game took a detour, they lose at Tampa to South Florida, 22-12. West Virginia needs Rutgers to win Thursday, then beat Rutgers to go back. For all the talk of an improved Big East, Thursday's slopfest exposed the weaknesses of both teams. The Big East is better, but not super. SEC- Barring a major upset between now and the SEC Championship, you can project Florida as the first team into the BCS. With a touch and go win at Vanderbilt, 25-19, and LSU's upset of Tennessee, 28-24, Florida has won the SEC East and will await either a rematch against Auburn, or surprise SEC West leader Arkansas. Winner likely goes Sugar. With only two losses, Florida gets BCS wild card. Chris Leak, was in fact leaky, as he threw three interceptions against Vandy. The Gators led 25-6 after three quarters. JaMarcus Russell continues to impress me. His four yard hook up with Early Doucet with :09 to play gave the Tigers the upset in Knoxville. Erik Ainge started, but could not finish as redshirt freshman Jonathan Compton nearly led the Vols the big win. No word on how much longer Ainge will be out for. Elsewhere in the SEC, Auburn shuts out Arkansas State, 27-0. Mississippi State upends Alabama, 24-16 in Tuscaloosa. Arkansas seems in control of the West, they go into Gamecock land and win, 26-20. Georgia loses at Lexington, 24-20 to Kentucky. ACC- Cinderella is wearing a Demon Deacons uniform. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons upset Boston College, 21-14. They now control their own destiny as they try to crash the ACC Championship and the BCS. Kevin Marion's 81 yard run for a score was the game winner. It was Wake's first November win since 2003 and their first win against another ranked team since beating Auburn in 1979. Clemson's BCS dreams crashed as Maryland won on a field goal at the gun, 13-12. Georgia Tech coninues to win, they held off NC State, 31-3. VirginiaTech beat Miami, 17-10. North Carolina was destroyed by Notre Dame. Big Ten- It wasn't a pretty day for the country's top two teams, but a win is a win, and that's what Ohio State and Michigan got, and something faltering Iowa could not do. Ohio State struggled at Illinois, but won 17-10. Troy Smith had an off game, only 103 yards in the air, but they won. Michigan got all they could handle from Ball State. Mike Hart fumbled, first time in over 600 caries that he fumbled one the other team. Michigan rolled 500 yards on offense, dominating everywhere but the scoreboard. Wisconsin pretty much secures third, they stop Penn State 13-3. Iowa has gone from the penthouse to the outhouse. Northwestern the latest surprise winner, 21-7. Minnesota big over Indiana, 63-26. John L. Smith falls short, Michigan State loses to Purdue, 15-13. Big 12- It's Texas and Nebraska that in all likelihood are headed for a date in Kansas City. Nebraska gets the North, they beat Missouri, 34-20. They lead Kansas State by a game. Missouri needs Nebraska to lose twice more, unlikely. Kansas State beat Colorado, 34-21. Oklahoma and Texas win. Oklahoma beat Texas A&M in College Station, 17-16. Texas cruised over Oklahoma State, 36-10. Texas Tech and Kansas also win. Pac 10- We are still on track for USC/Cal for all the Pac 10 marbles. Southern Cal rebounds quite nicely from their first conference loss since 2003 by stuffing Stanford 42-0. Cal kills UCLA 38-24. Oregon State showed that they are not a one trick pony, beating Arizona State 44-10. Washington State was on the wrong side of Arizona, 27-17. Finally Oregon puts the Tyrone Willingham as great coach stories to bed, Washington falls 34-14.