ON FIRE
Dennis Dixon
The Oregon quarterback grabbed the nation's attention early in the season when he stormed into the Big House and thrashed Michigan with his arm and his feet. Now the senior has to be considered the Heisman front-runner after leading his team to victory against a top five team in Arizona State. Dixon was forced to leave the game early after getting banged up, but that did not stop him from completing 13 passes for four touchdowns against the Sun Devils. Dixon has been doing it all year through the air and on the ground by completing 20 touchdown passes, and rushing for 549 yards. The quarterback has put his team in the driver's seat for the Pac-10 title. If Oregon can take care of business against Arizona, UCLA and Oregon State, the Ducks can stamp their ticket to the Rose Bowl. But Dixon's team has its eyes on a bigger prize, the National Championship.
Kansas
The Jayhawks didn't lace up for some hoops last weekend at the Allen Fieldhouse, but that's probably what you thought when you saw how many points Kansas scored last weekend. Kansas sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing set a school record with six touchdowns, senior running back Brandon McAnderson added four on the ground and the Jayhawks scored 48 points in the first half, all en route to a 76-39 victory against Nebraska. The win catapulted the team all the way up No. 4 in the BCS rankings. Things are about to get interesting for Kansas, who has been criticized for playing a weak schedule. If they can hold serve next weekend against Iowa State, Kansas will set up for a showdown with No. 16 Missouri. A win against the Tigers means Kansas would play for the Big 12 Championship, most likely against No. 5 Oklahoma. If Kansas could win those two games, it would be hard to hold them out of the BCS Championship.
Michigan
Who would have thought, after their disastrous 0-2 start, that the Wolverines would be controlling their own destiny for a Big Ten Championship this late in the season? A comeback win at Michigan State last weekend means this is the case for Michigan. The Wolverines are riding an eight game win streak, and most of the credit should go to running back Mike Hart. Hart's tough running makes him a nightmare for an opposing defense. A couple of missed games due to injury may hold Hart out of Heisman discussions, but the senior has still managed to rack up 1,188 rushing yards. Michigan's toughest test is yet to come, though. If the Wolverines can get past Wisconsin on the road this weekend, they will welcome No. 1 Ohio State to Ann Arbor. A win against the Buckeyes would award Michigan the Big Ten crown, and complete a remarkable turnaround.
ICE COLD
Boston College
The Golden Eagles had the chance to prove to critics they deserved their lofty No. 2 rankings in the spotlight last Saturday night. Instead, Boston College fell at home to unranked Florida State. The Seminoles were without their starting quarterback due to a suspension, but backup Drew Weatherford stepped in nicely by completing 29 of 45 passes and throwing two touchdowns against Boston College. Golden Eagle quarterback Matt Ryan can kiss his Heisman goodbye after throwing three interceptions, including a late pick that sealed his team's fate. Boston College can also forget about their national title hopes. The defeat dropped them all the way to No. 8 in the BCS Standings.
Notre Dame
It seemed as though the Fighting Irish had already hit bottom, but last weekend Notre Dame had their 43 game winning streak against Navy snapped at home. Navy, who was coming off a loss to Delaware, a team not even in the BCS subdivision, lit up the Irish for 46 points. Notre Dame's previous win streak against the Midshipmen was the most consecutive wins for any team over any opponent in the history of Division I NCAA Football. The loss is just another chapter in Notre Dame's nightmare season. The week before, the Irish were shut out at home against USC. And Notre Dame's quarterback situation remains in shambles. Opening day starter Demetrius Jones bolted mid-season to Northern Illinois, and highly touted freshman quarterback Jimmy Claussen's poor play put him on the bench. Notre Dame should capture its second win of the season this weekend against Air Force, but with the way they're playing, who knows.
South Florida
Less than four weeks ago the Bulls were undefeated with a No. 2 national ranking. Now South Florida finds itself sitting in the basement of the Big East next to Syracuse with a 1-3 conference record. Sophomore Matt Grothe had people talking Heisman with his magical season, but the quarterback hit rock bottom last week by throwing four interceptions and adding a fumble against Cincinnati. As a team, the Bulls committed eight total turnovers and surrendered 31 points in the first quarter to the Bearcats. The previous week, Grothe threw no touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss to Connecticut. Everything has fallen apart quickly for the Bulls, who were once the feel-good story in college football. If the Bulls fail to beat Syracuse this week, they'll find themselves alone at the bottom of the Big East.
