It's time to start paying attention to the AAC.

Memphis moved to 6-0 Saturday with a 37-24 upset of No. 13 Ole Miss at home. The loss was Ole Miss' second in the past three weeks – two weeks ago the Rebels fell from the ranks of the undefeated against Florida.  And we are going to go out on a sturdy limb and say Memphis will not be unranked when the AP poll comes out on Sunday.

Why? This wasn't a fluke. Hell, the Tigers even spotted the Rebels 14 points to start the game. You can do the math and see how much of a blowout it was the rest of the way.

Memphis grabbed the lead before halftime and extended it to 10 points before the break on a great touchdown pass from Paxton Lynch to Anthony Miller. Lynch rolled to his left and found Miller streaking across the back of the end zone.

If you've been paying close attention to college football, you likely know that Lynch has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country for the past couple of seasons. And Saturday was a prime opportunity to show that he's got an NFL future.

He delivered. Lynch finished 39-of-53 passing for 384 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He displayed great accuracy and made a variety of throws against what's considered one of the best defenses in not only the SEC, but the country.

And as Lynch's stock rose, the national attention paid to coach Justin Fuente did too. Fuente isn't a sudden up-and-comer in coaching circles; the 39-year-old coach led Memphis to a 10-3 record in 2014. But with openings at Southern Cal and South Carolina over the past week, plus the possibility of other Power 5 positions being available at the end of the season, Fuente is going to be a hot commodity if Memphis continues its run at the top of the AAC.

It's not guaranteed, either. The AAC has wanted to be considered as a sixth power conference in college football and its members are backing up those desires this season. In addition to Memphis, Houston and Temple are undefeated. Both have Power 5 wins too. Houston beat Louisville and Temple has beaten Penn State. While the conference may not be as deep as the Power 5 conferences, it's getting impossible to deny the excellence at the top.

The Tigers play both of the other undefeated teams in back-to-back weeks in November. It's entirely possible that all three will still be without a loss when Memphis takes on Houston on Nov. 14. And the winner of that game could end up facing Temple again in the AAC title game – a matchup that will very likely be for a New Year's Six bowl berth.

For more Memphis news, visit TigerSportsReport.com.

For more Ole Miss news, visit RebelGrove.com.

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Is Baylor the No. 1 team in the country?

Beating West Virginia 62-38 doesn’t carry the same cachet it did, say, three weeks ago, but the way the Bears did it was impressive enough to beg the question.

Quarterback Seth Russell, in what could be considered his Heisman coming out party, completed 20 of 33 passes for 380 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for a career-high 160 yards and a score.

This game was a chance for the Bears to avenge their only loss from a season ago and they came out with a fury, scoring 27 points in the first half and ultimately notching their fifth consecutive game with 60 or more points scored.

In the middle of all that scoring was receiver Corey Coleman, who had 10 catches for 199 yards and three touchdowns. He’s now had at least 100 yards and a touchdown in every game this season and, with 16 touchdowns on the year, he’s already broken the Bears single-season touchdown record, and they’re only six games into the year.

After watching his team get shredded by Coleman, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen went so far as to call him the best player in the country.

It’s easy to look at the Bears’ nonconference schedule and think of a handful of reasons as to why they shouldn’t be considered the nation’s best team. Games against Lamar, SMU and Rice — teams that were 7-10 collectively heading into this weekend — don’t exactly scream strength of schedule. But what is impressive is that there’s been little difference in the way Baylor beat those weaker teams and the way it’s beaten teams within its own conference.

Of course we’ll probably learn more about Baylor during the second half of its schedule than we did during its first. That’s where the more talented teams show up and Baylor won’t have such an easy time dropping 60.

So maybe it is too soon to anoint Baylor the best team in the country, but it’s not too soon to put the Bears in consideration. If Baylor can continue to play well as effortlessly as it has so far this season, it would be hard to dispute its spot at the top of the college football heap.

For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.

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A questionable targeting penalty helped Michigan State end Michigan’s lengthy shutout streak.

On a second-and-nine play from Michigan’s 45, MSU quarterback kept the ball on a designed quarterback run and slid down just past the 40. He took a big hit from Michigan’s Desmond Morgan and also drew contact from linebacker Joe Bolden while he was already on the turf, drawing a flag.

It wasn’t Morgan’s hit that caused the targeting call, it was Bolden’s contact with Cook’s head after the whistle. Even though it looked like Bolden was blocked into Cook by a Michigan State offensive lineman, the call stood after a review and Bolden, a senior captain, was ejected.

The targeting penalty advanced the Spartans to the UM 24-yard line. Two plays later, the Spartans scored on an 11-yard run from L.J. Scott.

Scott’s touchdown tied the game 7-7 and also snapped a shutout streak for the Michigan defense that had entered its 14th quarter. The Wolverines had put up three straight shutouts and hadn’t allowed a point since the fourth quarter of their game against UNLV on Sept. 19. That's 212 minutes of game action.

For more Michigan news, visit TheWolverine.com.

For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.

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Syracuse took a 21-14 lead over Virginia right before halftime and did so in impressive fashion.

After an interception of Virginia’s Matt Johns gave the Orange great field position,  quarterback Eric Dungey broke off a highlight reel run which was capped off by an insane hurdle over a Cavaliers defender.

Dungey, a true freshman, showed off his athleticism and toughness by hurdling a defender, absorbing a big blow and somehow hanging onto the ball for a 26-yard score.

The score was his third rushing touchdown of the season.

Dungey ran for 85 yards and also completed 16-of-22 passes for 150 yards and two touchdown, but Syracuse went on to lose 44-38 in triple overtime.

For more Syracuse news, visit CuseConfidential.com.

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Michigan blew its chance to beat Michigan State in unbelievable fashion.

With a 23-21 lead and 10 seconds remaining, all Michigan punter Blake O’Neill had to do was get a punt off in order to seal the deal. Instead, he dropped a snap that was a bit low and tried to get the punt off under heavy pressure, but the ball popped into the arms of Michigan State defensive back Jalen Watts-Jackson.

Watts-Jackson (who broke his hip on the play) then returned the improbable fumble 38 yards for a touchdown as time expired to give the Spartans a dramatic 27-23 victory.

Here’s how it all went down:

The Wolverines were mere seconds away from winning their sixth straight ballgame to move up even higher in the rankings and to the top of the Big Ten East. Instead, Michigan State remains undefeated at 7-0 to keep its College Football Playoff chances alive and well.

The wacky finish was a heartbreaking turn of events for a Michigan team that led for nearly the entire game.

After the first quarter finished scoreless, the Wolverines got on the board first on a short Sione Houma touchdown run. The Spartans quickly responded and tied things up on an 11-yard touchdown run from L.J. Scott that snapped a streak of 14 straight quarters without allowing a point for the Wolverines defense. 

Michigan's Kenny Allen then tacked on a 38-yard field goal to give UM a 10-7 halftime lead. 

Michigan State opened the second half with possession, but didn't do much with the ball. But instead of punting it away, Mark Dantonio rolled the dice and called for a fake punt – an attempt that failed. 

That risky play gave the Wolverines great field position. Six plays later, Houma was in the end zone against to increase the UM lead to 17-7. 

Michigan State could not get anything going against a swarming Wolverines defense, so on its next drive, MSU let Connor Cook air it out. It worked. Cook completed passes of 13, 27 and 30 yards, the third of which went for a touchdown to Macgarrett Kings Jr. to quickly cut the lead to 17-14. 

Michigan's offense had quite a few chances to build on its lead but settled for Allen field goals of 21 and 38 yards instead, increasing its lead to 23-14 with 9:25 to play. 

At that point, it looked like Cook would need to engineer another big drive to get the Spartans back in it, but the Wolverines allowed a rare big play. This time, rarely-used Michigan State fullback Trevon Pendleton snuck out the backfield and Cook found him for a huge 74-yard gain down to the one-yard line. Scott punched it in on the next play and all of a sudden the Spartans were down just two, 23-21, with 8:56 to play. 

The teams traded three punts after Scott's touchdown, giving the Spartans a chance to take a lead. However, after advancing into UM territory, the Spartans turned it over on downs with 1:47 to play.

Michigan State had just one timeout remaining, so Michigan was able to run the clock down to 10 seconds with three straight runs. It looked like the Wolverines had it in the bag, but that set up O'Neill's muffed snap and the heroics of Watts-Jackson.

For more Michigan news, visit TheWolverine.com.

For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.

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Alabama's defense outscored Texas A&M's offense Saturday afternoon.

The No. 9 Aggies threw four interceptions. Three of those were returned for touchdowns as the No. 10 Crimson Tide stayed near the top of the SEC West with a 41-23 win in College Station.

Alabama freshman defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick had two of the touchdowns. His second came in the fourth quarter with the Aggies trailing 34-23. A touchdown would have put Texas A&M in a position to possibly tie the game with a late field goal. But instead, Kyle Allen was picked off for the fourth time and Fitzpatrick was heading to the end zone.

The freshman was a five-star recruit out of New Jersey and the No. 2 safety in the class of 2015. Over the last two weeks he's emerged as a big-play threat for Alabama's special teams and defense. Against Georgia, he blocked a punt and scored a touchdown, serving notice that the Alabama rout was on at Sanford Stadium.

Against Texas A&M, he was the sign of a struggling Aggie offense. Allen threw all three of the interceptions that were returned four touchdowns. He was pulled late in the second quarter for Kyler Murray, who threw one of the five interceptions in his limited playing time. Allen finished 20-of-40 passing for 263 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Murray was 2-of-4 passing for 20 yards.

The run game was worse. Sacks decrease the overall numbers, but Texas A&M ran 25 times for 26 yards. Leading rusher Tre Carson had 13 carries for 40 yards. When you subtract the punt return touchdown that freshman Christian Kirk had, the Aggies' offense had just 16 points -- and six of those points came on field goals of over 50 yards as Taylor Bertolet attempted four kicks from beyond 50.

Meanwhile, Alabama leaned on its run game with running back Derrick Henry. The Tide spread the field on the A&M defense, which opened up run lanes in the middle. Henry finished with 32 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns. It was his third-straight game with 26 or more carries. And Alabama has won all of those conference games by more than 10 points.

It's probably not a coincidence, either. If Alabama continues to rely on Henry, a back who would get a lot more attention if it wasn't for LSU's Leonard Fournette, the Tide could now be the favorites in the SEC West despite not controlling its own destiny. Seriously.

Here's why. While Ole Miss' loss earlier Saturday to Memphis doesn't count on the SEC ledger, it's further proof that the Rebels are vulnerable. And Ole Miss still has games against A&M and LSU remaining. Alabama has LSU in two weeks, but that game is in Tuscaloosa. If Alabama beats the Tigers, it's feasible to think it could be back in Atlanta for the SEC championship for a second straight season.

That scenario didn't seem too realistic after the loss to Ole Miss in Week 3. But as Alabama's offense has revolved around Henry, quarterback Jacob Coker has improved with every game. If you look up at the standings in a few weeks and see Alabama in first, don't be too surprised.

For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.com.

For more Texas A&M news, visit AggieYell.com.

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Never trust LSU to be predictable.

A fake field goal provided the winning points for the Tigers against Florida on Saturday in a 35-28 win. And it came with the game tied at 28-28 in the fourth quarter.

The conservative call would be to kick a field goal and take the three-point lead. LSU coach Les Miles did not want to be conservative. The three-point lead became a seven-point lead as kicker Trent Domingue took what was officially a lateral 16 yards for a touchdown.

After the game, Miles was asked about the fake. He said "we had it" and said Domingue had successfully executed the fake all week. And, accurately, he said that seven points was more than three. With both players on the right side of Florida's field goal block unit crashing down on the line, the left side of the field was wide open for the junior kicker.

Florida had two shots late in the game to tie it up. But Treon Harris threw four straight incomplete passes on the first chance and his last-ditch Hail Mary sailed out of bounds on the second. The Gators' undefeated season was officially toast thanks to some creative special teams.

And let's be honest, it was the first time LSU had to be exceptionally creative. The Tigers had minimal issues moving the ball on Florida's vaunted defense. All-world RB Leonard Fournette rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries while QB Brandon Harris was 13-of-19 passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns.

On the other side, Treon Harris played well in his first complete game as the Gators' starting quarterback. Pushed into the starting role after Will Grier's positive test for a banned substance, Harris finished 17-31 for 271 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He did all of that without much support from Florida's run game either. The Gators finished with 31 carries for 55 yards.

The win means LSU, the lone undefeated team in the SEC, is on a crash course – yet again – for a top-10 showdown with Alabama in early November as all that stands between the Tigers and the Tide is a game against Western Kentucky. While Alabama doesn't control its own destiny the SEC West, the winner of the game may likely be the one that represents the West int he SEC Championship Game.

And for Florida, well, the margin of error in the East is now back down to one game. The Gators entered the weekend with a two-game lead on its competition. With Georgia's ugly win against Missouri, the Bulldogs gained a game on the Gators with two weeks to go before they meet on Halloween in what's probably a winner-take-all game for the division title.

For more Florida news, visit InsideTheGators.com.

For more LSU news visit Tigerbait.com.

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All eyes might have been on USC this week, but Saturday belonged to Notre Dame.

The Irish used its defense late in the game to secure a 41-31 win against the Trojans and remain in the hunt for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

USC came into South Bend looking for something positive after a week of being in the headlines because of the actions of a former coach who is now healing in rehab.

And for a brief moment it looked like the Trojans would get their feel-good moment.

After trailing 21-7, the Trojans rallied, and ended up tied with the Irish 24-24 at halftime.

In the second half, USC took a 31-24 lead, but that’s where its dominance ended. The Irish regained the form that made them so successful in the first half and dominated the Trojans in the fourth quarter.

The Irish scored 17 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed back-to-back interceptions off USC quarterback Cody Kessler to force the Trojans into a desperation drive late while down 10.

Kessler took and ill-advised sack and then a shovel pass to the middle of the field ran out the clock.

Notre Dame is now 4-2 against the Trojans under coach Brian Kelly.

Credit does go to USC for not folding amid its trying week. Former coach Steve Sarkisian reportedly showed up to a team meeting Sunday intoxicated, was placed on administrative leave, ultimately fired and checked into a rehabilitation center. All of those things could have caused the Trojans to not show up at all, but they competed hard against a team that was in better form.

Nevertheless, USC now has three losses on the year, including back-to-back against Washington and the Irish. The season isn’t a total loss, but it’s not the one the Trojans expected coming out of fall camp in August.

For more USC news, visit TrojanSports.com.

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Utah gave away two points to Arizona State on one of the more bizarre plays of the year.

After ASU cut Utah’s lead to 14-13 late in the third with a short field goal, Utah’s Britain Covey fielded the ensuing kickoff about nine yards deep in his own end zone. Instead of simply taking a knee, it looks like the Utes had some sort of trick return play on, and Covey perplexingly tossed the ball across the end zone to Bubba Poole.

The trajectory of the Covey’s toss was forward, making it an illegal forward pass. And because the foul occurred in the end zone, the play resulted in a safety for Arizona State.

The boneheaded play gave the Sun Devils a 15-14 lead late in the third quarter in a huge game for the fourth-ranked Utes. 

For more Utah news, visit Utezone.com.

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It took seven weeks, but some teams across the college football landscape have finally begun to separate themselves from the rest of their conferences foes and thusly establish themselves as top contenders for the College Football Playoff.

Let’s start in the Big Ten. Sorry, Michigan fans.

It took an improbable last-second gaffe from Michigan’s punter, but Michigan State improved to 7-0 (3-0 Big Ten) with a dramatic 27-23 win over its in-state rival. The Spartans haven’t looked great with narrow wins over the likes of Purdue and Rutgers, but undefeated is undefeated.

Ohio State kept pace with the Spartans at the top of the Big Ten East by disposing of Penn State with a 38-10 home win. The Buckeyes’ offense has been inconsistent at best, but it looked impressive by racking up more than 300 yards on the ground against a solid PSU front. Urban Meyer mixed and matched Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett and even Braxton Miller behind center, and the Buckeyes stayed undefeated (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) and looked good in the process.

Meanwhile, in the Big Ten West, Iowa has pulled away from the pack by improving to 7-0 (3-0) with a blowout win over Northwestern.

In the SEC it was LSU that jumped into first place with an impressive win over Florida, thanks in large part due to a classic Les Miles fake field goal touchdown. The Tigers are now 4-0 in conference play and 6-0 overall with Alabama nipping at the heels in the West division. The Crimson Tide pulled off a very solid win by forcing four Texas A&M interceptions to improve to 6-1 (3-1 SEC) on the year. That Nov. 7 LSU-Alabama game in Tuscaloosa comes even more into focus with huge league stipulations, though Ole Miss holding the tiebreak edge over Alabama from its Week 3 win over the Tide could come into play.

Florida (6-1, 4-1) remains on top in the East, but the Gators’ Halloween matchup against Georgia (5-2, 3-2 after being Mizzou) is now a must-win. Otherwise, the Gators have to count on the Bulldogs stumbling against mediocre competition somewhere down the stretch.

The usual suspects – Florida State and Clemson – reign supreme in the ACC Atlantic. Both improved to 6-0 with wins on Saturday. FSU beat down Louisville 31-21 behind big efforts from Dalvin Cook and Everett Golson while Clemson made quick work of Boston College at home. And if both continue to beat inferior teams, their Nov. 7 matchup likely decides the division. The Coastal, on the other hand, is a lot more convoluted with Pitt, Duke and UNC all 5-1 and unbeaten in league play.

Meanwhile, the two Pac-12 divisions are Utah’s and Stanford’s to lose.

While the cream is rising to the top in those leagues, the Big 12 is still wide open with TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma State all still undefeated. And with games against those three still to come, you can’t quite count out Oklahoma at this point either, despite the tough loss to Texas last week.

And we’d be remiss not to give the AAC a cursory mention, especially after Memphis upset No. 13 Ole Miss 37-24 at home. Along with Memphis, Houston and Temple are both still undefeated in the quest for that cherished berth in a New Year’s Six bowl. Memphis plays both the Cougars and Owls in back-to-back weeks in November. And if the Tigers come out of that stretch unscathed and go on to win the AAC, the College Football Playoff chatter will deservedly ramp up. 

WINNERS

Ferris State QB Jason Vander Laan: Vander Laan set the all-division NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback on Saturday with a 53-yard touchdown run against Ohio Dominican.

Vander Laan broke Wofford quarterback Shawn Graves' 23-year-old record of 5,128 rushing yards. Vander Laan rushed for a game-high 159 yards and ended the day with 5,216 yards in his career. That record won’t be easy to top, especially since Ferris State is only halfway through its season and Vander Laan is just a junior. Ferris State improved to 6-0 overall.

Chris Blewitt, Pitt: Blewitt’s 56-yard field goal in the waning seconds against Georgia Tech gave Pittsburgh a 31-28 win and sole possession of first place in the ACC Coastal Division. The kick, which fell just over the crossbar and inside the right upright, was the longest in school history.

Pitt is now 5-1 for the first time since 2009 and, with a 3-0 mark in ACC play, the ACC Coastal is the Panthers’ to lose.

Idaho and Wyoming: We see you, teams in sparsely populated states outside of Power 5 conferences. We see you. Idaho got its first FBS win of the season with a 19-16 win at Troy. The win came after the Vandals had a 14-hour delay getting to Alabama and the team arrived the morning of the game. It also means that the Vandals will have two wins in a season for the first time since 2011. Wyoming beat Nevada 28-21 for the Cowboys' first win of the season. After a 4-8 record in Craig Bohl's first year in 2014, Wyoming was 0-6 entering the weekend.

Zach Pascal, Old Dominion: Pascal had a career day with 11 catches for 233 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-34 come-from-behind win against Charlotte. Included in Pascal’s big day was the game-winning touchdown with 2:18 remaining. Overall Pascal had 303 total yards of offense for the Monarchs.

Coming into the game Pascal had had a quiet season. After catching 59 passes for 743 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago, Pascal only had 14 catches for 124 yards and no scores prior to Saturday.

Everett Golson, Florida State: Efficiency, thy name is Everett Golson. After a turnover-plagued 2014, it seems hard to fathom that Golson would be the model quarterback when it comes to taking care of the ball in 2015. But here we are, six weeks into the season and Golson still hasn't thrown an interception. Golson was 26-of-38 passing for 372 yards and three touchdowns in FSU's 41-21 win over Louisville on Saturday. He now has over 1,400 yards passing and 11 touchdowns without an interception. While RB Dalvin Cook is deservedly getting Heisman love, Golson's a big reason why Florida State is undefeated.

BONUS WINNER: Shawn Elliott: Shawn Elliott was put in a tough spot when he was named South Carolina's interim head coach after Steve Spurrier announced his retirement. It wasn't pretty, but the Gamecocks kicked the Elliott era off with a win, a 19-10 decision over Vanderbilt, and the team had a whole lot of fun in the postgame locker room. 

LOSERS

Kansas’ kicking game: The Jayhawks had an opportunity to pull off the unlikely upset against Texas Tech, and would have been in a dandy position to do so has its kicking game shown up. Matthew Wyman missed an extra point and two field goals — a 52-yard attempt and a 34-yard attempt — and Nick Bartolotta missed a 22-yard field goal wide right.

Kansas found itself down three on its final possession of the game, but threw a pick-six to get the 30-20 final score. Kansas is 0-6 for the first time since 1988 and has lost nine straight dating back to last season.

Robert Nkemdiche on offense: Ole Miss has been using standout defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche on select offensive packages in 2015. The practice should stop after Saturday. Nkemdiche suffered a concussion in the second quarter while he was in on offense and didn't return. Ole Miss lost to Memphis 37-24 after jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Think Ole Miss could have used Nkemdiche to help stop the Tigers' run in the last three quaters? We do.

You, if you watched Missouri-Georgia: If you've ever complained about the increase in scoring in the SEC over the past few seasons, you're required to watch Georgia's 9-6 win over Missouri on a loop until you tap out. We have a feeling it won't take long.

Both teams' defenses were incredible. Or, if you would prefer, both offenses were absolutely dreadful. Missouri had six first downs and 21 rushing yards. Georgia QB Greyson Lambert was picked off on the first play of the game and could easily have had three or four more. Oh, and both teams missed field goals too.

The winning margin came when Marshall Morgan hit a 34-yard field goal with less than two minutes left. The three points might as well have been 30 as Missouri didn't get a first down on its next drive.

Kansas State's passing game: Oh, it was ugly. Well, there aren't many things pretty about a 55-0 home loss (the worst in Kansas State history, by the way), but Kansas State's passing game was an abomination. Quarterbacks Joe Hubener and Kody Cook, the wide receiver turned backup quarterback who saw playing time against Oklahoma State combined to go 5-of-22 for 45 yards and three interceptions. Yuck. This may be the season that Bill Snyder's wizardry has run out. While the Wildcats should make a bowl game, it's hard to see KSU finishing in the top half of the conference.

Indiana's fourth quarter: This was ugly too. A 19-point fourth quarter lead at home against Rutgers should be safe, right? It wasn't on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights scored 22 straight points in the final period for a 55-52 win. Indiana committed three turnovers in the final 15 minutes. A fumble directly led to a touchdown and Rutgers' first score of the fourth. Then QB Nate Sudfeld threw two interceptions that led to 14 straight points and a tie game. Then a Rutgers field goal capped a 13-play drive with less than five minutes left for the win.

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Utah’s road to the College Football Playoff has fewer obstacles after the Utes used a 20-point fourth-quarter to secure a 34-18 win against Arizona State and stay undefeated.

It wasn’t pretty, but Utah’s defense helped get the Utes into the fourth quarter with a slim 18-14 deficit and the offense, which has been pedestrian in the past two games, used great field position to run away with the win.

Arizona State did everything it could to pull off the upset, but it was unable to dig Utah a deeper hole after the Utes were called for a safety that resulted in the 18-14 score. Moreover, poor special teams and a fumble led to three of Utah's four fourth-quarter drives stating at the Arizona State 33-yard line or closer.

Every time Arizona State started to get offensive momentum, the Utah defense, especially its defensive line, was there to stem the tide. The Utes even ended the game with an interception.

Utah had 369 yards of total offense, but its running game, the part of its offense that has been dominant all year, was quiet. Booker finished with 21 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns, but the bulk of those yards came on a 62-yard touchdown run with 1:11 remaining, which was by far Booker’s longest run of the night.

But as Utah learned last week in its win against Cal, winning ugly doesn’t matter as long as the Utes win. With the victory, the Utes have a two-game lead on the next closest team in the Pac-12 South. Still, things don’t get easier next week against a USC team that’s desperately looking for a win and a chance to ruin another team's season.

The Utes will have to get its offense back in sync for that contest. But for now, the Utes will continue to hold on to their spot near the top of the rankings as we inch closer to the first release of this year’s College Football Playoff standings

For more Utah news, visit Utezone.com.

For more Arizona State news, visit ASUDevils.com.

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Welcome to the top three, Utah.

After beating Arizona State 34-18 on Saturday night, the Utes moved from No. 4 to No. 3 in the post-Week 7 AP Poll. Utah swapped spots with TCU. The Horned Frogs beat Iowa State 45-21 on Saturday. TCU scored 31 straight points after ISU had taken a 21-14 lead in the first half.

Ohio State stayed at No. 1 for another week after beating Penn State. Baylor's easy win against West Virginia kept the Bears at No. 2.

The AAC now has three teams in the top 25. Memphis is at No. 18 after beating Ole Miss, Houston is at No. 21 and Temple is at No. 22. Ole Miss fell from No. 13 to No. 24 after the defeat.

Michigan dropped three spots to No. 15 after its heartbreaking last-second lost to Michigan State. The Spartans stayed at No. 7 with the win. Michigan is tied with Texas A&M, which lost to Alabama at home on Saturday.

Here's how the entire top 25 shakes out this week:

1. Ohio State (28 first place votes) [LW: 1]
2. Baylor (12) [2]
3. Utah (16) [4]
4. TCU (3) [3]
5. LSU (1) [6]
6. Clemson (1) [5]
7. Michigan State [7]
8. Alabama [10]
9. Florida State [11]
10. Stanford [15]
11. Notre Dame [14]
12. Iowa [17]
13. Florida [8]
14. Oklahoma State [16]
15. Texas A&M [9]
15. Michigan [12]
17. Oklahoma [19]
18. Memphis [NR]
19. Toledo [22]
20. Cal [23]
21. Houston [24]
22. Temple [NR]
23. Duke [25]
24. Ole Miss [13]
25. Pitt [NR]

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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It's safe to say that LSU kicker Trent Domingue was nervous before his fake field goal attempt.

Domingue scored a 16-yard touchdown on a fake in the fourth quarter Saturday night against Florida. The fake came when the game was 28-28 and the touchdown provided the winning points in a 35-28 win for LSU. Both the Tigers and Gators entered Saturday night's matchup undefeated.

Trent Domingue on the pitch for the LSU TD. Gutsy call. pic.twitter.com/GWgPA4YDFC

— Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) October 18, 2015

Coach Les Miles said after the game that his team had been practicing the fake all week. But the repetitions didn't calm Domingue's nerves.

From NOLA.com:

"I guess my hands were shaking," he said. "My whole body was."

That was the first step. It got weirder.

"I kind of did black out in the middle of it and I'm not really sure what happened after that," Domingue said, like he was explaining where he parked his car.

"I ended up on the other side of the field and almost forgot to kick the extra point. That was difficult. I was kind of tired after that."

Yeah, a rush of adrenaline will do that to you.

Domingue also said he had never scored a touchdown before at any level. So not only was it the rush of scoring against a top-10 team, he was making his way to the end zone for the first time ever.

It's a good thing he held on to the ball after briefly bobbling it.

"I felt like the kids deserved that one," Miles said. "I told Kragthorpe, 'We are not throwing that thing unless you master it. If you don't throw it well, better than what has been thrown, I am not throwing it.' But they did. How many bobbles were there? I want you to know my heart was flustering with each bobble.

For more LSU news visit Tigerbait.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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Michigan interim athletic director Jim Hackett doesn't want fans taking their frustrations from Saturday's loss out on punter Blake O'Neill.

By now, you probably know that a messed up punt with 10 seconds left gave Michigan State an improbable win over Michigan. O'Neill lined up to punt with 10 seconds left and a kick would likely kill most of the time remaining on the clock and force Michigan State to have the ball in its own half of the field.

Instead, the snap was low. O'Neill bobbled it and he was converged upon by a horde of Michigan State defenders. The ball flew into the hands of Jalen Watts-Jackson, who scored a touchdown (and dislocated his hip) with no time left.

O'Neill immediately (and sadly and predictably) received flak on social media. Hackett wants all of that to stop. Here's the text of his open letter, via TheWolverine.com.

Dear Michigan family,

This Saturday's game continued to prove the progress that we are making in our football program.

This isn't only the way I feel the morning after a sudden change of euphoria took us to a heartbreaking loss. I know that many feel this - we are proud of our kids.

I know that all of our friends believe in what they saw for nearly 60 minutes of that game. This team left nothing on the field but its best effort.The quality of Michigan football filled the chilled air.

Today I awake to the shocking reality that our community who care so much about this program would send hurtful, spiteful and vicious comments to one of our students.

To be clear, such comments come from a small minority, none of whom are reflective of our institution.The program I know at MICHIGAN speaks about the team, the team the team. The people I have been associated with my whole life around this fantastic program - some whom are living and some whom have passed on - would never, I repeat never, spread blame.

As our head coach said yesterday, "…this outcome will steel our spine."That means all of us.I'm asking that our community not lose this game twice by condoning thoughtless comments and remember the Fielding Yost comment that this is the "Michigan of ours.

"Go Blue"

Jim Hackett

Not all is lost for Michigan for the season, either. The Wolverines fell to 5-2 but have just one conference loss. If Ohio State beats Michigan State, the Wolverines could force a three-way tie for first in the Big Ten East if the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes in the final week of the season.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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Numbers and statistics are a huge part of college football. Every Sunday, reading updated box scores and stats is like Christmas for fans and media members. Some stats like total offense and total defense are overrated, but each help paint a picture for a team or particular game.

Whether the stats are historic, advanced or just an observation from a box score, Athlon Sports brings the most intriguing, important, historic and bizarre stats from around the weekend of college football action:

0:00: The First and Only Time Michigan State Led Against Michigan

Saturday’s Michigan-Michigan State game produced one of the craziest finishes by any game in college football history. After Michigan punter Blake O’Neill bobbled and fumbled the snap with less than 10 seconds to go, Michigan State’s Jalen Watts-Jackson returned the fumble for a 38-yard touchdown as time expired. The score by Watts-Jackson gave the Spartans their first lead of the day against the Wolverines – with no time left on the clock.

Related: 10 Coaching Candidates to Replace Steve Sarkisian at USC

4: 20-Game Winning Streaks by Urban Meyer in Coaching Career

Ohio State’s 38-10 victory over Penn State on Saturday night improved the Buckeyes’ record to 7-0 this season and 45-3 overall under coach Urban Meyer. Additionally, Ohio State has not lost a Big Ten regular season game under Meyer and enters Week 8 on a 20-game winning streak. During Meyer’s career as a head coach, he’s recorded four streaks of at least 20 consecutive victories. If the Buckeyes win the national championship this season, Meyer would finish 2015 on a 28-game winning streak. Ohio State’s last loss was against Virginia Tech on Sept. 6, 2014.

3: Interceptions Returned by Alabama Against Texas A&M

Alabama’s secondary has taken its share of criticism over the last year, but this unit stepped up in Saturday’s 41-23 win over Texas A&M. In addition to limiting quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray to just 284 passing yards, the Crimson Tide returned three interceptions for scores. Freshman Minkah Fitzpatrick opened the scoring with a 33-yard return in the first quarter and later returned a 55-yard pick for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Safety Eddie Jackson also returned an interception 93 yards for a score in the second quarter.

Related: College Football's Best Cheerleaders from Week 7

2: Teams That Have Scored On Every Opening Drive in 2015

The state of Texas is home to some of college football’s best offenses this season. Four out of the five top scoring offenses are from the Lone Star State, with Baylor (63.8 points per game) leading the way nationally. In addition to the Bears’ lead in scoring average, coach Art Briles’ team and Houston are the only two programs to score on every opening drive this season.

12: Receiving TDs Needed by Baylor WR Corey Coleman to Set Single-Season Record

Baylor’s high-scoring offense has been unstoppable through the first six games of 2015. The Bears lead the nation by averaging 63.8 points per game and 8.94 yards per play. New quarterback Seth Russell has been nearly flawless this season, and the junior has developed a big-play rapport with receiver Corey Coleman. The junior caught three touchdowns in Saturday’s 62-38 win over West Virginia, which gives him 16 – a Baylor single-season record – in 2015. Former Louisiana Tech star Troy Edwards owns the NCAA single-season record at 27, and Coleman is on pace to shatter that record after catching 16 through the first six games.

Related: 10 Coaching Candidates to Replace Steve Spurrier at South Carolina

0: Interceptions by Florida State QB Everett Golson in 2015

Golson struggled with turnovers during his 2014 campaign at Notre Dame, but the senior is taking better care of the ball through six games at Florida State. Golson has yet to toss an interception on 177 pass attempts and is also on pace to set a career high in completion percentage (67.2 in 2015). While it’s tough to ask Golson to keep a zero in the interception column all year, he’s doing exactly what coach Jimbo Fisher needs out of his quarterback right now and can only get better with more snaps in this offense.

8: Turnovers by Boise State in Friday’s Loss Against Utah State

Boise State’s hopes of reaching a New Year’s Six Bowl and winning the Mountain West took a huge hit on Friday night. The Broncos lost eight turnovers in a 52-26 loss against the Aggies. In coach Bryan Harsin’s 21-game tenure, Boise State has lost 38 overall turnovers. 22 of those lost turnovers took place in four games – Ole Miss, BYU, Air Force and Utah State. And this should come as no surprise, but all four of those games were losses.

1996: The Last Win by Memphis Over a Ranked Team Prior to Victory in Week 7

Memphis continued its rise under coach Justin Fuente, defeating Ole Miss 37-24 to improve to 6-0 and extending its winning streak to 13 games. The impressive victory over the Rebels gave Memphis its first win over a ranked team since 1996. While the Tigers entered Week 7 unranked, it’s safe to say that will change when the polls are released on Sunday. Keeping Fuente is going to be a challenge for Memphis, but this team is going to make plenty of noise the rest of the way and is the frontrunner to claim the top Group of 5 bowl spot in a New Year’s Six bowl.

6: Passing TDs by Washington State QB Luke Falk in First Half Against Oregon State

Washington State’s offense has been on fire since a 17-point showing in a surprising loss to Portland State in the opener. Quarterback Luke Falk is a big reason why the Cougars are 4-1 in their last five games, and the sophomore tied a school record with six touchdown passes in the 52-31 victory over Oregon State in Week 7. Falk did all of his damage in the first half, as his six touchdown tosses helped Washington State hold a 45-17 lead at the break. Falk is the only player in school history to pass for six scores in a half.

24: LSU’s Special Teams Touchdowns Under Les Miles

LSU coach Les Miles and his penchant for rolling the dice on special teams paid off in a big way on Saturday night against Florida. The Tigers scored the game-winning touchdown on a 16-yard fake field goal touchdown run by kicker Trent Domingue. According to LSU’s sports information department, the touchdown run by Domingue was LSU’s 24^th special teams’ touchdown under coach Les Miles. 

Notre Dame will be without starting left guard Alex Bars for the rest of the 2015 season.

Head coach Brian Kelly announced Sunday that Bars suffered a fractured left ankle during the Fighting Irish’s 41-31 win over USC on Saturday night. According to ESPN.com, Kelly said Bars’ injury is “very similar” to the ankle injury quarterback Malik Zaire went down with against Virginia in Week 2.

Bars, a redshirt freshman, was filling in for sophomore Quenton Nelson, who sprained his ankle during the Oct. 3 game at Clemson. Nelson came on in relief of Bars after he was injured late in the first half.

Bars is the latest in a growing list of Notre Dame players to suffer season-ending injuries, joining Zaire, running back Tarean Folston (knee), defensive tackle Jarron Jones (knee) tight end Durham Smythe (knee, shoulder) and nickel cornerback Shaun Crawford (knee).

Notre Dame (6-1) jumped to No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25 after Saturday’s win. The team has a bye this week before resuming play on Halloween against No. 22 Temple (6-0) in Philadelphia. 

For more Notre Dame news, visit BlueAndGold.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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Miami senior linebacker Raphael Kirby will miss the rest of the season.

Hurricanes coach Al Golden said Sunday that Kirby, a senior, suffered a right knee injury in Saturday’s win over Virginia Tech. Golden didn’t offer specifics about the nature Kirby’s injury, other than to say his season – and career – are over.

“I’m crushed. He represents what we want in a Miami Hurricane,” Golden said, per the Miami Herald. “He does all the little things right, he’s a leader, he’s unselfish, holds his teammates accountable and was obviously a big part of who we are and what we want to become. Tough loss. I feel most badly for the young man because he put a lot into it, but we’ll be there to support him and guide him through this as he comes back Thursday.”

Kirby, who will have surgery on Wednesday, was the team’s leader in tackles (44) through six games this season. He was injured while trying to make a tackle in the third quarter against the Hokies.

Kirby started all 13 games for the Hurricanes in 2014, registering 54 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. He also played in a combined 20 games in his first two seasons with the program, totaling 26 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

Kirby is the third UM linebacker to go down with a serious injury. The Canes already lost Darrion Owens to a knee injury back in September while Marques Gayot is out with a neck issue. According to the Herald, Gayot is “not likely” to return to the field this year. Owens has already been ruled out for the rest of the year.

With Kirby out, sophomore Juwon Young is expected to move into the starting lineup. Young recorded four tackles and an interception against Virginia Tech and has 13 total tackles on the season.

Miami, now 4-2 and 1-1 in ACC play, hosts No. 6 Clemson (6-0, 3-0) on Saturday.

For more Miami news, visit CaneSport.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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Florida State defensive back Trey Marshall will miss the rest of the regular season, but Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher told Warchant.com that it’s possible Marshall could return for a bowl game.

Marshall, who suffered a torn biceps tendon against Louisville on Saturday, is scheduled to undergo surgery soon.

Marshall, a sophomore, has been the team’s starting nickel cornerback this season and has 21 tackles – sixth-best on the Seminoles. After Marshall went down in the 41-21 win over the Cardinals, seniors Tyler Hunter and Javien Elliott, a former walk-on, saw time on defense. Elliott, who mainly plays on special teams, recorded a big interception in the third quarter.

Fisher told Warchant that freshmen Tarvarus McFadden and Marcus Lewis could also see more time with Marshall out. 

The Seminoles, now 6-0 overall and 4-0 in ACC play, face Georgia Tech (2-5, 0-4) on the road on Saturday.  

For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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Clemson defensive tackle D.J. Reader will return to practice on Monday, head coach Dabo Swinney said Saturday after the Tigers improved to 6-0 with a win over Boston College.

Reader hasn’t played this season after taking a leave of absence a week before the season began due to personal reasons. Reader, a senior, was a projected starter for the Tigers heading into the season.

“He’s going to be back Monday. Found out on Thursday, I believe, that he’s ready to rejoin us. Excited about that,” Swinney said per The Post and Courier. “We’ll get him back to work on Monday. I have no idea what to expect. I haven’t seen him. No idea where he is football-wise. Obviously it’s been a while since he’s practiced, much less played. The team knows he’s coming back, we’re excited to get him back out there to work, and we’ll evaluate him as we go through the week.”

Swinney said he hasn’t spoken much Reader over the past couple months, but said he has remained in school during his time away from the team and is on track to graduate in December.

“I texted with him the other day. That’s about the level of communication we’ve had right now,” Swinney said. “But he’s excited. He’s been focused on what he needs to focus on. Still got a lot of ballgames left, so hopefully he can have a strong, positive finish to his senior season.”

Reader’s father passed away in June. Swinney declined to specify if his father’s death led to Reader’s decision to step away from the team.

The 6-foot-2, 325-pound Reader has appeared in 38 games (four starts) in his Clemson career, totaling 110 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

With Reader away from the team, redshirt sophomore Scott Pagano and true freshman Christian Wilkins have seen the majority of time on defense next to starter Carlos Watkins.

The sixth-ranked Tigers face Miami on the road on Saturday.

For more Clemson news, visit TigerIllustrated.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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Hyperbole is quite common in the college football blogosphere, especially when it comes to great catches. How many times have you heard someone say a particular player made the “catch of the year?” Heck, we’re guilty of it, so we’re going to let you decide.

Each Monday, we’ll gather the best catches from the weekend (or the midweek games) and bring them here for you to vote on in a poll. There could be only a few nominees, or there could be five or six. It all depends on the weekend. If you have a catch you’d like to nominate, don’t hesitate to hit us up on Twitter (@YahooDrSaturday).

The voting remains open until Friday and the winner advances to a final, end of the year vote where the best catch of the season will be determined (in a to-be-determined fashion). And since we’re starting this midway through the season, some of our favorite catches from the first half will re-surface at the end of the season as well. Don’t you worry.

Without further ado, here are your Week 7 Catch of the Week nominees:

Garrett Johnson - Kentucky

Sophomore Garrett Johnson has drawn comparisons to Randall Cobb with his playmaking skills for the Wildcats this season, and he built on that with a nine-catch, 160-yard performance against Auburn on Thursday night, capped off by this one-handed catch in tight coverage. 

De'Mornay Pierson-El - Nebraska

De'Mornay Pierson-El bailed out his quarterback in a big way on this fouth quarter touchdown. Tommy Armstrong forced one into double coverage, but Pierson-El rose up in between two Minnesota defenders to tip the ball to himself for a 14-yard score. Impressive. 

Corey Robinson - Notre Dame

Corey Robinson only had one catch on Saturday against USC, but he made it count. Robinson used every bit of his 6-foot-5 frame to haul in this diving fourth quarter touchdown catch from DeShone Kizer. Robinson's clutch catch gave the Irish a 38-31 lead with just over nine minutes to go, and proved to be the game-winner.

Francis Owusu - Stanford

Stanford racked up more than 300 yards on the ground in an impressive Thursday night win over UCLA, but it was this insane third quarter touchdown snag from junior wideout Francis Owusu that stole the show. Owusu couldn't even see the ball, but he still managed to pin it to the back of UCLA's Jaleel Wadood. Unreal.

Kenneth Scott - Utah

A rainy night at Rice-Eccles stadium has no impact on Utes WR Kenneth Scott who used great concentration to make this one-handed catch for a 42-yard gain late in the first quarter against Arizona State. Scott then scored on the very next play to give Utah an early 14-10 lead. 

So there are your five nominees for this week. Vote for your favorite in the poll below. 

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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