College Football Week 7 Recap, Power Rankings, and Heisman Watch

Gameday Final
from www.espn.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- If we learned anything during the first half of the 2009 college football season, it's that even the best teams in the country have visible flaws.
Even Florida, the defending BCS national champion, doesn't yet look like a finished product.
Florida is ranked 67th in the nation in passing offense this season.
The Gators, who have won 16 games in a row, are having problems throwing the football down the field without departed receivers Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy. Truth be told, they don't run it particularly well, either -- unless quarterback Tim Tebow has the ball in his hands.
"We are what we need to be," Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio said Saturday night, after the Gators lost four fumbles and allowed six sacks in a 23-20 victory over Arkansas at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The Gators will probably have to become more by season's end. Alabama, a 20-6 winner over South Carolina on Saturday night, looks like the most complete team in the country right now. Alabama and Florida played for the 2008 SEC championship and they seem to be on a collision course for Atlanta's Georgia Dome again.
"We're going to try to get better as an offense and try to capitalize in the red zone and not turn the ball over," Tebow said.
The Gators aren't alone in their apparent shortcomings. Texas is having problems running the ball, and Colt McCoy doesn't look comfortable standing in the pocket. Cincinnati might not have star quarterback Tony Pike for a while, and Iowa and USC seem to play to the level of their competition.
At least those teams remain in the BCS championship hunt. Virginia Tech's defense was exposed in its 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech, as the Yellow Jackets ran for 309 yards. And Ohio State was simply exposed in its 26-18 loss at Purdue, turning the ball over five times and running for only 66 yards.
While we might not yet know which team is college football's best in 2009, the second half of the season figures to be as exciting as the first seven weeks.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- He wasn't even the most ballyhooed member of Alabama's celebrated freshman class a year ago.
But early on, Alabama's Nick Saban knew what he had in Mark Ingram.
I remember asking Saban last August about freshmen who had caught his attention during the first part of preseason camp.
One of the first names out of his mouth was Ingram. I was surprised at the time. The only surprise now is how Ingram hasn't been a hotter commodity in the Heisman Trophy race.
That's about to change.
The 5-foot-10, 212-pound sophomore did everything but strike the pose Saturday night in No. 2-ranked Alabama's 20-6 win over No. 22-ranked South Carolina.
And really, Ingram didn't need to strike the pose. He was too busy running over, through and around South Carolina defenders on his way to a Bryant-Denny Stadium record 246 yards rushing on 24 carries.
If there's a better runner after contact in the country, I want to see him. So do his teammates after watching him grind out more than 100 of his yards after the initial hit.
For that matter, they're not sure there's a better runner -- period.
"I wouldn't trade him for anybody," Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said. "I think he's the best running back in the country for what we ask him to do."

DALLAS -- Sam Bradford had wanted to play again in the favorite stadium of his youth, a place where he spent many idyllic fall afternoons with his father watching many previous Red River Rivalries.
But Bradford's return to the Cotton Bowl turned into a nightmare Saturday when he reinjured his right shoulder early in Texas' 16-13 victory over Oklahoma.
Sam Bradford's day was over early after reinjuring his shoulder.
It was an injury on the same shoulder that caused him to miss three games earlier this season with a sprained joint.
"It was the same shoulder as the one against BYU," Bradford said. "And it felt pretty much like it did against BYU."
Saturday's game turned for the Sooners on the first play of their second possession, when blitzing Texas cornerback Aaron Williams smashed into Bradford with a clean hit.
Bradford had not looked particularly sharp on his first drive, completing only 2 of 6 passes. But his confidence influenced how the Sooners played on the drive. And his 64-yard swing pass to DeMarco Murray -- the longest play of the game for either team -- was a result of the swagger the Oklahoma offense had when he was playing.
With leading receiver Ryan Broyles back and Bradford in control, it was the best offensive team the Sooners could play since before Bradford's injury.
But an unexpected blitz from Bradford's blind side changed all that.
It was a defense that Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said he hasn't called all season. With the idea that most teams would roll their protection packages for Sergio Kindle, he sent Williams from the left side, where he had a clear shot at Bradford.
"Nobody had seen that before," Texas safety Earl Thomas said. "I don't know if they were ready for it."
The result was a clean hit on Bradford that left him writhing in pain for nearly a minute on the field.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame has made a habit of walking tightropes at the end of games. After Saturday's literal last-second loss to No. 6 USC, the Irish performed a balancing act with their emotions.
Jimmy Clausen and Notre Dame have an uphill climb to reach a BCS bowl game.
In one heartbeat, the players could say they finally moved into the same zip code as USC, which had beaten Notre Dame by a combined score of 76-3 the past two years. No Irish team had come this close to the Trojans since 2005.
One pulse later, they would realize that there are no moral victories in South Bend. It's still a disheartening loss for a program seeking a validating victory under Charlie Weis, one that had put so much emphasis the past two weeks on ending the seven-game losing streak in this now-one-sided rivalry.
"It's tough," center Eric Olsen said, describing that inner balancing act. "At least it wasn't 38-0 again or a blowout. But at the same time, we're not in a conference, so we can't look forward to a conference championship. It's BCS or bust for us."
Olsen then acknowledged the grim reality for the 4-2 Fighting Irish: They almost certainly will have to win their last six games to get into consideration for a BCS berth. And even then, they would need some help.
"Anything is possible," he said. "I saw some of the scores around college football today. We'll have to run the table, and then it will be up to the polls."
There's not a ranked team left on the schedule, though Pittsburgh could well move into the Top 25 this week. An optimist would say this team can play with anyone in the country if it can battle the No. 6 Trojans to the final tick of the clock.

MADISON, Wis. -- At some point down the line, Iowa will need to showcase some style points.
Kirk Ferentz has his Hawkeyes in the driver's seat for a BCS bowl.
It's an unfortunate reality in a sport without a playoff. Winning simply isn't good enough. Teams are required to be flashy and dominant in victory, and as the Hawkeyes continue their path toward a possible undefeated season, they'll need to win pretty.
But Kirk Ferentz and his players don't care about that right now. They've developed a formula for both achieving success and handling it, and they're showing no signs of slowing down.
Iowa's latest example came in Saturday's 20-10 victory over Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. For the sixth time in seven games, the Hawkeyes came from behind to win. For the second time in as many Big Ten road games, Iowa rallied from a 10-0 deficit in a hostile stadium.
They won Saturday with clutch third-and-long conversions and critical defensive stops.
They didn't show much leg, but they showed plenty of heart.
"We're certainly not the prettiest car in the lot," said Ferentz, whose team is off to its best start since 1985. "But that's OK. We're not going to be a big style-points team."

1. Minnesota wide receiver Eric Decker came into the game against Penn State averaging nearly eight catches for 115 yards per game. The Nittany Lions held him to one reception for 42 yards. Blame the snow and the rain in State College. And the defense really did a number on Decker -- his own defense, that is, which couldn't get Penn State off the field. The Nittany Lions held the ball for 41:59 and, because of penalties, actually gained 101 yards on one of their two touchdown drives.

2. Three views of the friendship between quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame and Matt Barkley of USC: 1. Barkley ran to Clausen to console him -- before the officials put :01 back on the clock. 2. Clausen's dad Jim told Trojans coach Pete Carroll after the game, "Tell Matt we're proud of him." 3. Barkley's vision of 2005 late in the game. "I actually thought, 'Is Jimmy going to be the next [Matt] Leinart with that fourth-quarter drive?'" Barkley said.

3. It's been five years since Ohio State lost to a team with a losing record (Northwestern). It's been 22 years since Ohio State lost to a team four games under .500 (2-6 Wisconsin). Yes, Purdue had played better than 1-5. Still, the Buckeyes' loss, coupled with Iowa's dominance at Wisconsin, is one more indicator of a power shift in the Big Ten. And the need for a power boost to the Ohio State offense.

Power Rankings
RK (LW) TEAM REC PTS COMMENT
1 (2) Alabama (13) 7-0 373 Alabama keeps asking more and more of Mark Ingram and he hasn't failed to deliver. The sophomore had a career-high 246 yards rushing and a TD to push the Tide over South Carolina 20-6.
2 (1) Florida (2) 6-0 362 It's not often Florida needs its kicker to save the day, but that was the case against Arkansas. Caleb Sturgis hit three FGs, including the game-winner with nine seconds remaining to push the Gators past the Hogs 23-20.
3 (3) Texas 6-0 344 It wasn't pretty, but it didn't have to be. Texas' defense terrorized a Sam Bradford-less Oklahoma offense to send the Longhorns to another win in the Red River Rivalry.
4 (5) USC 5-1 323 There was more drama than there needed to be, but USC slammed the door on Notre Dame when it mattered most. Matt Barkley turned in his best performance yet as a Trojan with 380 yards passing and two TDs.
5 (8) Cincinnati 6-0 296 The good news: Cincinnati met its biggest challenge yet with a 34-17 win on the road against South Florida. The bad news: Tony Pike was forced to the sidelines with an arm injury and is questionable for Saturday's game against Louisville.
6 (10) Iowa 7-0 291 Every week it looks more likely that this is going to be a special season for Iowa. The Hawkeyes erased a 10-point deficit on the road to beat Wisconsin 20-10. They stay on the road Saturday with a visit to Michigan State.
7 (6) Boise State 6-0 285 Tulsa put quite a fright into Boise State in the Wednesday night midweek matchup, but the Broncos remained unbeaten with a 28-21 win. A trip to Hawaii is next.
8 (9) Miami (FL) 5-1 273 A 27-7 win over Central Florida moved Miami to 5-1 for the first time since 2005. The Hurricanes return to their ACC slate on Saturday with a visit from Clemson.
9 (11) TCU 6-0 251 It's hard to believe after looking at the final score, but Colorado State actually led TCU 6-0 after the first quarter. But the Horned Frogs responded with 44 unanswered points the rest of the way for the blowout win.
10 (12) LSU 5-1 237 LSU had a week off to digest its Week 6 loss to Florida. The Tigers get back in action with a two-game homestand against Auburn and Tulane.
11 (13) Oregon 5-1 227 Oregon was off over the weekend, but rose from last week's standings after a couple of top-10 teams fell. The Ducks will try to avoid the same fate as USC when they travel to Washington on Saturday.
12 (20) Georgia Tech 6-1 225 Few teams impressed more over the weekend than Georgia Tech. Josh Nesbitt rushed for 122 yards and three TDs in the Yellow Jackets' win over Virginia Tech. Up next: a visit to Virginia, the only unbeaten team in ACC play. And no, that's not a typo.
13 (4) Virginia Tech 5-2 194 Virginia Tech tried mounting a late comeback but came up short in a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech. The Hokies will be happy to see the last of Atlanta after losses to Alabama and the Yellow Jackets dashed their title hopes.
14 (15) Penn State 6-1 180 The Big Ten's stingiest defense held Minnesota to just 138 yards and no points in a 20-0 win. The Nittany Lions now gear up for a two-game road trip against Michigan and Northwestern.
15 (18) Oklahoma State 5-1 160 Oklahoma State scored 19 unanswered points to earn a comeback victory at Missouri, 33-17. Keith Toston and Hubert Anyiam picked up the offensive slack for the Cowboys with Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter out.
16 (19) Brigham Young 6-1 153 Max Hall's 346 passing yards and three TDs helped earn BYU a 38-28 win over San Diego State -- its 500th win in school history. The Cougars host TCU on Saturday in a battle of MWC unbeatens.
17 (23) Houston 5-1 120 Houston opened Conference USA play with a 44-16 win over Tulane behind Case Keenum's 334 passing yards and two TDs. The Cougars host SMU on Saturday.
18 (25) Pittsburgh 6-1 113 Pitt got an early start to Week 7 with a Friday night win over Rutgers. The Panthers' freshman sensation Dion Lewis rushed for 180 yards and two TDs in the win -- the third time in seven games he's rushed for more than 150 yards.
19 (27) Utah 5-1 97 Utah won its third straight game -- 35-15 over UNLV -- since losing to Oregon on Sept. 19. The Utes are still unbeaten in MWC play and face a three-game homestand starting with Air Force on Saturday.
20 (7) Ohio State 5-2 87 Five turnovers (four by Terrelle Pryor) doomed Ohio State in a crushing, 26-18 loss to Purdue. The Buckeyes can forget about a national title and instead focus on the Big Ten crown, starting Saturday with a visit from Minnesota.
21 (29) West Virginia 5-1 52 West Virginia dropped Marshall over the weekend behind Noel Devine's 103 rushing yards and two TDs. QB Jarrett Brown is listed as day to day after suffering a helmet-to-helmet hit.
22 (NR) Texas Tech 5-2 51 Texas Tech raced to a 21-0 lead over Nebraska and never looked back in a 31-10 win. QB Steven Sheffield led the Red Raiders to their third straight win since a loss at Houston on Sept. 26.
23 (22) South Carolina 5-2 36 South Carolina's four-game winning streak came to an end in Tuscaloosa, as the Gamecocks couldn't muster enough offensively to overcome Alabama. They'll look to get back above .500 in the SEC with a visit from Vanderbilt on Saturday.
24 (16) Oklahoma 3-3 35 It's rare that a three-loss team appears in these rankings in October, but not too many teams have lost to the caliber of teams OU has. But the bad luck continues to pile on for the Sooners, as Sam Bradford reinjured his shoulder in the loss to Texas.
25 (21) South Florida 5-1 23 Despite Tony Pike's absence for most of the second half, South Florida couldn't slow down Cincinnati's offense enough as the Bulls suffered their first loss 34-17. They'll face another unbeaten Big East team Saturday with a visit to Pitt.
25 (17) Kansas 5-1 23 Kansas almost saved its perfect record after mounting a furious comeback in Colorado. But the Jayhawks fell short, 34-30 in a loss they may live to regret as their schedule only gets tougher from here on out.

Heisman Rankings After Week 7
www.sportsline.com
1. Mark Ingram, Alabama, RB, Soph.
Last week: 24 rushes, 246 yards, 1 TD; 2 receptions, 23 yards in a 20-6 victory over No. 22 South Carolina

Season: 135 rushes, 905 yards, 8 TDs; 19 receptions, 186 yards, 3 TDs

Heisman-o-meter: As Saturday afternoon rolled into Saturday night, and each of the top Heisman candidates did little to help their cases, I began to worry that maybe we'd not award the Halfway Heisman Trophy this year. Then along came Ingram, who turned in a special rushing performance and vaulted into the top spot. He dazzled against a Gamecocks defense that really didn't have to worry about getting beat by quarterback Greg McElroy. Ingram (who went out early in the game with what looked like a serious leg or knee injury) ran with power, shiftiness and explosiveness, but, most importantly, timeliness. With 7:55 left in the game and Alabama up 13-6, Ingram took the ball on all six of the Tide's plays (the first five out of the Wildcat) and ran the ball right at South Carolina for 68 yards and the game-sealing touchdown. The performance capped a brilliant first half of the season for Ingram.

Up next: Saturday vs. Tennessee

2. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, DT, Sr.
Last week: 4 tackles, 4 solo; 2 tackles for loss; 4 quarterback hurries in a 31-10 loss to Texas Tech

Season: 36 tackles, 19 solo; 9 tackles for loss; 3 sacks; 1 interception; 7 passes broken up; 9 quarterback hurries; 1 forced fumble

Heisman-o-meter: How, you ask, can The Watch still have Suh at No. 2 after his defense allowed 31 points in a loss to Texas Tech? Just watch the first half on Saturday. He was his disruptive self, applying pressure, occupying double teams and generally wreaking havoc up front. Early in the game, he forced quarterback Steven Sheffield into an intentional grounding penalty and later had a crushing tackle on the quarterback. Then, on three straight plays, at the end of the half, Suh was able to apply pressure on each one, helping hold Tech to a field goal. In the second half the Red Raiders did a better job controlling him, and their quick passing game nullified much of his strengths. Overall, the Nebraska defense didn't play all that poorly in allowing 24 points to the country's No. 2 scoring offense (seven of Tech's points came from a defensive score), but the Huskers' offense couldn't hold up their end, which is why The Watch will not penalize Suh for the loss.

Up next: Saturday vs. Iowa State

3. Tim Tebow, Florida, QB, Sr.
Last week: 17-of-26 passing, 255 yards, 1 TD; 27 rushes, 69 yards in a 23-20 victory over Arkansas

Season: 72-of-110 passing, 1,032 yards, 8 TDs, 2 INTs; 99 rushes, 378 yards, 5 TDs

Heisman-o-meter: There are many anti-Tebow readers who claim the Florida quarterback should be nowhere near the top of this list, citing his pedestrian stat line in comparison to others. But Tebow's value cannot be measured in numbers alone. Take Saturday's game, for instance: With Florida's undefeated season and 15-game winning streak at stake, and his team trailing 20-13, Tebow drove the Gators 67 and 69 yards for two scores to pull out the win. On the team's final drive, he converted a clutch third-and-10 to Riley Cooper and added 22 important yards on the ground. It's not just what Tebow does but when he does it that makes him unique. (But if you ask me, yes, the two fumbles and six sacks were ugly.)

Up next: Saturday at Mississippi State

4. Golden Tate, Notre Dame, WR, Jr.
Last week: 8 receptions, 117 yards, 2 TDs; 1 rush, 3 yards; 1 punt return, 2 yards; 3 kickoff returns, 62 yards in a 34-27 loss to No. 6 USC

Season: 41 receptions, 719 yards, 6 TDs; 14 rushes, 96 yards, 1 TD; 5 punt returns, 39 yards; 3 kickoff returns, 62 yards

Heisman-o-meter: Every week there seems to be a different receiver on this list. Remember Dez Bryant, A.J. Green and Jordan Shipley? This week it's Tate, who has been on the verge of cracking The Watch for a while. He has been an all-purpose threat all season, and on Saturday he was terrific, coming down with a jump-ball touchdown catch in double coverage, among his many highlights. He was such a threat that, on Notre Dame's final play, USC brought a safety to help out on the coverage, forcing quarterback Jimmy Clausen to go elsewhere. His team may have lost, but it wasn't because of Tate.

Up next: Saturday vs. Boston College

5. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame, QB, Jr.
Last week: 24-of-43 passing, 260 yards, 2 TDs; 9 rushes, minus-4 yards, 1 TD in a 34-27 loss to No. 6 USC

Season: 124-of-191 passing, 1,804 yards, 14 TDs, 2 INTs; 32 rushes, minus-49 yards, 1 TD

Heisman-o-meter: Clausen had a tough first half against USC, throwing for just 47 passing yards. And he didn't pull off the signature victory that his Heisman candidacy badly needed, though he sure did make it exciting. The bottom line is this: He has been very good this season (and gutty too, playing on that turf toe), but it is hard to justify voting for a quarterback whose best win came over Michigan State. And a remaining schedule that may have one ranked opponent on it (Pittsburgh) is unlikely to change that.

Up next: Saturday vs. Boston College