CFI Top 25 - Week Eleven

1. Texas Tech (2)
Record: 10-0 (6-0)
Coaches Poll: 2
Associated Press: 2
Last Week: Won vs. Oklahoma St. 56-20
Can they do it again? Yes they can! After a fumble led to an Oklahoma St. touchdown, the Red Raiders were a machine on both sides of the ball with Graham Harrell the head engineer.
Up Next: 11/15: BYE; 11/22: @ Oklahoma


2. Alabama Crimson Tide (1)
Record: 10-0 (6-0)
Coaches Poll: 1
Associated Press: 1
Last Week: Won @ LSU 27-21
Safety Rashad Johnson (three interceptions) made two game changing plays – he returned one interception for a touchdown to tie the game at 14 and recorded his third pick in overtime.
Up Next: 11/15: vs. Mississippi St.; 11/22: BYE

3. Texas Longhorns (4)
Record: 9-1 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 5
Associated Press: 4
Last Week: Won vs. Baylor 45-21
Freshman Foswhitt Whittaker scooted his way to a career best 77 yards on 15 carries, giving the Longhorns another offensive weapon to complement Colt McCoy (five touchdown passes).
Up Next: 11/15: @ Kansas; 11/22: BYE

4. Oklahoma Sooners (5)
Record: 9-1 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 4
Associated Press: 5
Last Week: Won @ Texas A & M 66-28
OU may have been the biggest winner this past weekend. Not only did Penn St. lose, but Texas Tech won – giving Oklahoma a future date with one of the top two BCS teams.
Up Next: 11/15: BYE; 11/22: vs. Texas Tech

5. Florida Gators (6)
Record: 8-1 (6-1)
Coaches Poll: 3
Associated Press: 3
Last Week: Won @ Vanderbilt 42-14
The Gators are another club that has an open path to the BCS Title game. Tim Tebow accumulated five scores – three through the air.
Up Next: 11/15: vs. S. Carolina; 11/22: vs. Citadel

6. Southern Cal Trojans (7)
Record: 8-1 (6-1)
Coaches Poll: 6
Associated Press: 6
Last Week: Won vs. California 17-3
Mark Sanchez completed 18-of-29 passes and the running game racked up 173 yards, but the offense never really got going.
Up Next: 11/15: @ Stanford; 11/22: BYE

7. Penn St. Nittany Lions (3)
Record: 9-1 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 8
Associated Press: 7
Last Week: Lost @ Iowa 24-23
What didn’t fail them? Daryll Clark was just 9-of-23 passing, Evan Royster averaged a season-low 3.5 yards per carry, and the defense allowed 17 points in the game’s final 20 minutes.
Up Next: 11/15: vs. Indiana; 11/22: vs. MSU

8. Utah Utes (9)
Record: 10-0 (6-0)
Coaches Poll: 7
Associated Press: 8
Last Week: Won vs. TCU 13-10
Trailing 10-6, entering their final drive, Brian Johnson had thrown seven straight incompletions. The senior then connected on 7-of-9 passes leading Utah 80 yards to victory.
Up Next: 11/15: @ San Diego St.; 11/22: vs. BYU

9. Oklahoma St. Cowboys (8)
Record: 8-2 (4-2)
Coaches Poll: 13
Associated Press: 11
Last Week: Lost @ Texas Tech 56-20
Yes, the Cowboys had their 10-gallon hat handed to them, but at last check Georgia, Ohio St. and Missouri are not in position to throw any stones.
Up Next: 11/15: @ Colorado; 11/22: BYE

10. Georgia Bulldogs (10)
Record: 8-2 (5-2)
Coaches Poll: 12
Associated Press: 13
Last Week: Won @ Kentucky 42-38
Georgia found themselves in a surprising Dawg-fight with the ‘Cats from Kentucky. Matthew Stafford averaged over 22 yards per completion on his way to a career-high 376 yards.
Up Next: 11/15: @ Auburn; BYE

11. Ohio St. Buckeyes (11)
Record: 7-2 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 10
Associated Press: 10
Last Week: Won @ Northwestern
Terrelle Pryor dropped back to pass only 14 times, but threw for 197 yards (14.1 yards per attempt) and three touchdown passes.
Up Next: 11/15: @ Illinois; 11/22: vs. Michigan

12. Missouri Tigers (12)
Record: 8-2 (4-2)
Coaches Poll: 11
Associated Press: 12
Last Week: Won vs. Kansas St. 41-24
Sophomore wide out Jerry Maclin found the end zone three times, including a 42-yard scoring strike (eight receptions, 118 yards) and a 56-yard scamper (four attempts, 84 yards rushing).
Up Next: 11/15: @ Iowa St.; 11/22: BYE

13. Boise St. Broncos (14)
Record: 9-0 (5-0)
Coaches Poll: 9
Associated Press: 9
Last Week: Won vs. Utah St. 49-14
You want to see spreading the wealth? Four different Broncos threw touchdown passes. Wide outs Vinny Perretta and Tanyon Bissell, as well as backup quarterback Mike Coughlin all found the end zone with their lone pass of the day.
Next: 11/15: @ Idaho; 11/22: @ Nevada

14. Michigan St. Spartans (17)
Record: 9-2 (6-1)
Coaches Poll: 15
Associated Press: 18
Last Week: Won vs. Purdue 21-7
The Spartans’ defense led the way, falling 42 seconds short of shutout number two of the season. Greg Jones recorded 12 tackles, giving the sophomore 100 stops this year.
Up Next: 11/15: BYE; 11/22: @ Penn St.

15. North Carolina (20)
Record: 7-2 (3-2)
Coaches Poll: 17
Associated Press: 17
Last Week: Won vs. Georgia Tech 28-7
North Carolina did it with a running game that rumbled for 186 yards and two scores. The defense forced three Georgia Tech turnovers.
Up Next: 11/15: @ Maryland; 11/22: NC State

16. TCU Horned Frogs (13)
Record: 9-2 (6-1)
Coaches Poll: 18
Associated Press: 15
Last Week: Lost @ Utah 44-14
Andy Dalton (16-of-37), who connected on some big plays, was too inconsistent (two interceptions) and Ross Evans missed a pair of critical field goal attempts in the final five minutes.
Next: 11/15: BYE; 11/22: vs. Air Force

17. Brigham Young Cougars (18)
Record: 9-1 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 14
Associated Press: 16
Last Week: Won vs. SD St. 41-12
How about junior wide out Austin Collie? The California native has now topped 100 receiving yards in eight straight games, with five touchdown grabs in the last two contests.
Up Next: 11/15: @ Air Force; 11/22: @ Utah

18. Ball St. Cardinals (19)
Record: 9-0 (5-0)
Coaches Poll: 16
Associated Press: 14
Last Week: Won vs. NIU 45-14
The Cardinals dominated a Huskies team that lost by four points at Minnesota, by three points at Western Michigan and by four points at Tennessee. It was a very impressive showing for junior Nate Davis and company.
Up Next: 11/11: @ Miami (OH); 11/19: @ CMU

19. LSU Tigers (15)
Record: 6-3 (3-3)
Coaches Poll: 20
Associated Press: 19
Last Week: Lost vs. Alabama 27-21
The Tigers played with tremendous heart against No. 1 Alabama, but there is not a ticker beating strong enough to overcome the performance of Jarrett Lee, who threw four interceptions.
Up Next: 11/15: vs. Troy; 11/22: vs. Ole Miss

20. South Carolina Gamecocks (23)
Record: 7-3 (4-3)
Coaches Poll: 23
Associated Press: 24
Last Week: Won vs. Arkansas 34-21
The offense wasn’t pretty – 13-of-30 passing and 3.9 yards per carry rushing – but it was efficient enough to pull out the win. The defense picked off three passes in their warm-up for the Gators.
Up Next: 11/15: @ Florida; 11/22: BYE

21. Florida St. Seminoles (NR)
Record: 7-2 (4-2)
Coaches Poll: 19
Associated Press: 20
Last Week: Won vs. Clemson 41-27
Happy Birthday Papa Bowden! On the day Bobby Bowden turned 79, he claimed his first “Dabo Sweeney Bowl”. You think this one might have been extra sweet in the Bowden household?
Up Next: 11/15: vs. BC; 11/22: @ Maryland

22. Pittsburgh Panthers (NR)
Record: 7-2 (3-1)
Coaches Poll: 21
Associated Press: 21
Last Week: Won vs. Louisville 41-7
After needing four overtime periods to knock off the Irish, Pitt handled the Cardinals with ease thanks to five turnovers, including an interception returned for a touchdown.
Up Next: 11/15: BYE; 11/22: @ Cincinnati

23. Cincinnati Bearcats (NR)
Record: 7-2 (3-1)
Coaches Poll: 22
Associated Press: 22
Last Week: Won @ WVU 26-23 (OT)
The ‘Cats flirted with disaster, but managed to prevail. A safety, followed by a WVU touchdown, a two-point conversion, a recovered onside kick and 52-yard field goal sent the game to overtime after Cincy led 20-7 with less than two minutes left.
Up Next: 11/14: @ Louisville; 11/22: vs. Pitt

24. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (NR)
Record: 8-1 (5-0)
Coaches Poll: 24
Associated Press: 25
Last Week: BYE
With perfection out of sight, Tulsa must now remain focused on a Conference USA Title.
Up Next: 11/15: @ Houston; 11/22: Tulane

25. Oregon St. Beavers (NR)
Record: 6-3 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 25
Associated Press: 23
Last Week: Won @ UCLA 34-6
The Beavers are on a roll – winners of their last four games and six of seven after a slow start.
Up Next: 11/15: vs. California, 11/22: @ Arizona

Dropped Out: Cal (16), Georgia Tech (21), West Virginia (22), Northwestern (24), Minnesota (25)

Five to Watch: Air Force, Oregon, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Western Michigan

Photo Credit: Texas Tech Athletics