Texas gave Nebraska a send-off all right — knocking the wind from the Cornhuskers' national championship hopes. Ohio State was one and done as No. 1, while Auburn's title aspirations are still on the rise.
In Madison, Wis., John Clay ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns and James White darted in for the clinching score as No. 18 Wisconsin beat the Buckeyes 31-18 on Saturday night.
For the second week in a row, there will be a new No. 1, with Ohio State (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) falling the way Alabama was beaten last week — on the road and in its conference.
Wisconsin hadn't beaten a No. 1 since 1981, when the Badgers knocked off Michigan.
David Gilreath returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and the Badgers (6-1, 2-1) proceeded to run over the Buckeyes in the first half, taking a 21-3 lead into the break.
Terrelle Pryor, who threw for 156 yards and ran for another 56, guided Ohio State on two long scoring drives in the second half and Dan Herron capped them both with touchdowns to cut the Wisconsin lead to 21-18 with 11:38 left in the fourth. But the Badgers responded with another long touchdown drive, then added a field goal to put No. 1 up for grabs again.
Just in time for the BCS standings to make their season debut Sunday.
No. 2 Oregon was idle this week and has never been No. 1 before. The Ducks must have enjoyed watching the show at rowdy Camp Randall, and No. 3 Boise State and No. 4 TCU also must have been smiling as the scores rolled in from around the country.
In Lincoln, Neb., Garrett Gilbert ran for two touchdowns and Texas' defense shut down Taylor Martinez to lead the Longhorns to a 20-13 upset of No. 5 Nebraska.
This was the most anticipated game in Lincoln this season, fans and players trying to avenge last year's loss in the Big 12 title game and saying goodbye to the Longhorns before they head to the Big Ten next season.
Texas (4-2, 2-1 Big 12), which came in as a 9½-point underdog, surprised Nebraska (5-1, 1-1) by turning Gilbert loose in the run game. The quarterback ran for 71 yards on 11 carries, scoring from 3 yards and 1 yard, and Cody Johnson had 58 of his 73 yards in the second half.
The Longhorns stymied a Nebraska offense that had been averaging 494 yards a game, holding it to just 202, but the Huskers were still within a touchdown late in the game.
Martinez, who came in averaging 147 yards a game and almost 11 yards a carry, was held to a season-low 21 yards on 13 carries before being pulled for Zac Lee in the third quarter.
Auburn should take advantage of the Huskers' loss, thanks again to Cam Netwon.
The quarterback ran for 188 yards, passed for 140 and accounted for four touchdowns as No. 7 Auburn beat No. 12 Arkansas 65-43. The teams set an SEC record for most points in a non-overtime game. The previous mark was South Carolina's 65-39 victory over Mississippi State in 1995.
Newton, leaving little doubt that he's a serious Heisman contender, ran for three touchdowns and passed for another in a game that went back and forth until Auburn (7-0, 4-0 SEC) pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Arkansas (4-2, 1-2) hung on, even after losing quarterback Ryan Mallett to a head injury in the first half, mostly because backup Tyler Wilson threw for 332 yards and four TDs.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Titus Young ran for a score and caught a pass for another touchdown to help Boise State post a lopsided win.
Kellen Moore completed 14 of 16 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns before putting on a headset to signal plays in the second half for the Broncos (6-0, 2-0 WAC).
Doug Martin also ran for 68 yards and two scores and Young had 105 yards receiving to help Boise State extend the longest active winning streak in major college football to 20 games.
San Jose State (1-6, 0-2) lost its 18th straight to a ranked opponent, including five this season.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Andy Dalton threw four touchdown passes, including two barely a minute apart late in the first half, and TCU narrowly missed a third consecutive shutout.
The Frogs led 3-0 with 2 minutes left before halftime when a sack forced the Cougars to punt from their 4. Given good field position, Dalton found Josh Boyce on a 35-yard score.
TCU (7-0, 3-0 Mountain West) got the ball right back on an interception, and Dalton hit Jimmy Young in the end zone for a 14-yard score that made it 17-0 with 26 seconds left.
BYU (2-5, 1-2) had just 14 total yards in the first half but ended TCU's shutout streak at 10 quarters with a 70-yard drive to a short field goal late in the third.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — DeMarco Murray scored three times to set Oklahoma's career record for touchdowns, and Ryan Broyles broke his own mark for receptions in a game for the Sooners.
Murray ran for 112 yards and two TDs, and scored on a screen pass to surpass 1969 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens' record of 57 touchdowns. Owens played before freshmen were eligible.
Landry Jones threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns while completing the highest percentage of any Oklahoma quarterback with at least 25 attempts. Broyles finished with 182 yards on 15 catches and one touchdown.
It was the 12th straight win in the series for the Sooners (6-0, 2-0 Big 12), who face a showdown at No. 21 Missouri next Saturday night. The Cyclones (3-4, 1-2) absorbed their second straight blowout against a top-10 team that was off the week before.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Trent Richardson took a screen pass 85 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and Alabama's defense was back to form.
The Crimson Tide (6-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) rebounded from a loss to South Carolina that halted a run at No. 1 and ended a 19-game winning streak by smothering Jeremiah Masoli and the conference's top scoring offense.
The Rebels (3-3, 1-2) came in averaging 37 points and had scored 97 in their previous two games. Their waning comeback hopes ended with Mark Barron's interception in the final 5 minutes. Marcell Dareus tipped the ball at the line and then DeQuan Menzie batted the ball into the air before Barron caught it.
Greg McElroy completed 17 of 25 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns for the Tide.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Stevan Ridley ran for two touchdowns, Michael Ford added the first two scoring runs of his career and LSU eventually wore down feisty McNeese State.
LSU will need a much better performance next week against No. 7 Auburn, and the crowd at Tiger Stadium must have realized it. The fans booed more than once, despite the Tigers (7-0) pushing their victory margin to double digits in the second half.
The Cowboys (2-4), who play in the Football Championship Subdivision, repeatedly frustrated LSU's offense and remained as close as six until late in the third quarter. LSU's Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson combined for only 103 yards passing, with Lee leading all four TD drives.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Randall Cobb caught a 24-yard touchdown pass with 1:15 remaining then added the 2-point conversion to cap a furious second-half for the Wildcats.
Mike Hartline threw for a career-high 349 yards and four touchdowns for Kentucky (4-3, 1-3 SEC), which overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to stun South Carolina (4-2, 2-2).
South Carolina drove to the Kentucky 20 in the final minute, but Stephen Garcia's heave into the end zone was intercepted by Anthony Mosley with 4 seconds remaining. Hartline took a knee to set off a raucous celebration and end two decades of torture at the hands of Steve Spurrier.
Spurrier was 17-0 against the Wildcats going back to his time at Florida before Kentucky finally found a way to beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2007.
South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore had 212 yards of total offense and three touchdowns but spent most of the second half on the sideline with an ankle injury.
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Jordan Wynn passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns, Matt Asiata ran for 109 yards and No. 11 Utah remained unbeaten.
The Utes were held below their 49-point scoring average mostly due to three interceptions thrown by Wynn, including two in the end zone. But they still had no problem with Wyoming.
The Utes (6-0, 3-0 Mountain West) will be heavily favored next week against Colorado State before testing their BCS credentials against No. 23 Air Force, No. 4 TCU and Notre Dame.
Wyoming (2-5, 0-3) ended an eight-quarter scoring drought and scored its first fourth-quarter points this season when backup quarterback Dax Crum threw a 10-yard TD pass.
All five of Wyoming's losses have come against teams ranked in the Top 25. The Cowboys have played the third-toughest schedule in the nation, according to Sagarin computer ratings.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to B.J. Cunningham in the third quarter, helping Michigan State to its best start in more than four decades.
The Spartans (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) started slowly a week after beating Michigan, but they outscored the Illini 23-0 in the second half. They are 7-0 for the first time since 1966, when they won their first nine games before famously tying Notre Dame 10-10.
After Michigan State had trouble running the ball the first two quarters, Cousins came out sharp in the third. His touchdown pass over the middle gave the Spartans a 13-6 lead, and Illinois (3-3, 1-2) couldn't overcome its four turnovers.
Cousins finished 13 of 24 for 201 yards.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Ricky Stanzi threw his third touchdown pass to Derrell Johnson-Koulianos early in the fourth quarter and Michael Meyer kicked a 30-yard field goal with 2:53 left for Iowa.
The Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) led the Wolverines (5-2, 1-2) by three TDs early in the fourth quarter. Tate Forcier came in for injured Denard Robinson and threw a 45-yard pass to Junior Hemingway and his 3-yard run made it 28-21 with 6:55 to play.
Iowa's Adam Robinson, who scored twice, converted a third-and-8 at the Michigan 40 by breaking a tackle on a 26-yard reception to set up the victory-sealing kick.
Denard Robinson left during the third quarter after he was hit hard on a run.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Bert Reed's 42-yard touchdown run on a reverse lifted Florida State to its fifth straight victory.
The Seminoles (6-1, 4-0 ACC) overcame four turnovers by quarterback Christian Ponder to win their fifth straight. Boston College (2-4, 0-3) had taken a 19-17 lead early in the fourth on Nate Freese's fourth field goal of the game. That followed Ponder's fumble at the Boston College 44.
Ponder, who had one of his poorest performances, completed 19 of 31 passes for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns — 3 yards to Lonnie Pryor and 10 yards to Beau Reliford.
Montel Harris rushed for 191 yards and safety Jim Noel had two of three BC interceptions, including one he returned 43 yards for a third quarter touchdown that made it 17-16.
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Keola Antolin ran for two touchdowns and Arizona overcame the loss of quarterback Nick Foles by leaning on its little-used ground game.
Matt Scott relieved Foles and threw for 139 yards as Arizona (5-1, 2-1 Pac-10) rebounded from its loss to Oregon State last weekend to remain in the conference title hunt.
Washington State (1-6, 0-4) has lost 12 straight Pac-10 games dating to 2008.
Foles was injured with 14:07 left in the second quarter when the Cougars' Travis Long rolled into his right leg and knocked him down after a completed pass. Foles, the Pac-10 passing leader, limped off the field, supported between two Arizona officials. He did not return and it was unclear the extent of his injury.
HONOLULU (AP) — Bryant Moniz threw three touchdowns, Mana Silva intercepted a late pass and Hawaii held on to upset Nevada, spoiling the Wolf Pack's perfect season.
The surging Warriors (5-2, 3-0 Western Athletic Conference) have won four straight to emerge as the top challenger to powerhouse Boise State for the WAC title.
Moniz threw two scoring passes to Kealoha Pilares in the first quarter and zipped an 11-yard TD strike to Royce Pollard with 5½ minutes left. But Nevada answered with its own score to pull within six and recovered the onside kick. With Nevada (6-1, 1-1) driving and the clock winding down, Colin Kapernick's pass was tipped into the hands of Silva to seal the victory.
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Justin Blackmon had a career-high 207 yards receiving with a touchdown to lead Oklahoma State to its first win in Lubbock since 1944.
Blackmon's 62-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter was the longest play of the game and put the contest out of reach for the Cowboys (6-0, 2-0 Big 12). Brandon Weeden completed 24 of 35 passes for 356 yards, the touchdown and two interceptions.
The Cowboys went ahead 21-0 in the first quarter after three rushing touchdowns — 15 yards by Kendall Hunter, and 4 yards each by Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith — and Texas Tech couldn't put together enough offense in the second half to make it a contest.
Taylor Potts was 28 of 43 for 226 yards and a touchdown for Texas Tech (3-3, 1-6).
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Blaine Gabbert threw for a 361 yards and three touchdowns and Missouri remained undefeated.
Gabbert connected with Wes Kemp for touchdowns in the first and third quarters to help the Tigers (6-0, 2-0 Big 12) improve to 6-0 for the fifth time in school history.
Missouri's defense held quarterback Jerrod Johnson and Texas A&M's spread offense in check for most of the game, harassing him into a 7 for 21 first half. Texas A&M (3-3, 0-2) finally got going in the fourth quarter, with Johnson throwing a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Fuller, but it was too little, too late to avoid a third straight loss.
Gabbert's third touchdown pass was a 20-yard strike to T.J. Moe that made it 30-3 in the third quarter. Moe finished with six receptions for 110 yards.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Vick Ballard ran for 98 yards, Chris Relf added 82 and a touchdown on the ground and Mississippi State controlled the clock, dictated the tempo and kept Florida's mostly inept offense on the sideline.
The Gators (4-3, 2-3 SEC) lost consecutive home games for the first time since 2003 and dropped three in a row for the first time since the Steve Spurrier era. Yep, coach Urban Meyer has accomplished something that even former coach Ron Zook never did.
The Bulldogs (5-2, 2-2), whose victory over Florida in 2004 led to Zook's firing, won in Gainesville for the first time since 1965. They snapped a 16-game losing streak at the Swamp.
SEATTLE (AP) — Jake Locker threw a career-high five touchdown passes, including two in overtime to Jermaine Kearse, and Oregon State's 2-point conversion attempt in the second overtime fell incomplete.
Moments after a late pass-interference call on fourth-down against Washington (3-3, 2-1 Pac-10) gave the Beavers (3-3, 2-1) new life in the second overtime, Jacquizz Rodgers scored his third rushing touchdown to pull Oregon State to 35-34. Beavers coach Mike Riley decided to end it there. But Katz's throw fell out of Halahuni's hands and Washington's celebration was on again.
Locker finished 21 of 35 for 286 yards and ran for another 60 yards. Chris Polk rushed for 105 yards for Washington, while Kearse had nine catches for 146 yards and four touchdowns.
Rodgers ran for 140 yards on 32 carries and three touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 49 yards.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.