Kansas State and Oregon — the top two teams in the country going into Saturday’s action — both came tumbling down, while Notre Dame moved to 11-0 and certainly will elevate to the No. 1 program in the nation for the first time since 1993 when the new BCS poll is released on Monday.
KSU and the Ducks had a clear path to the national championship game. All they had to do was win their remaining games. Didn’t happen.
The Wildcats got blizted at Baylor, losing 52-24 in a straight up beat down. Glasco Martin had three touchdown runs and Lache Seastruck rushed for 185 yards, including a back-breaking 80-yard score, in the Bears’ thumping that all but ended Kansas State’s chance for the national title.
“I don’t know if I would call it getting smacked in the mouth, but they took it to us,” coach Bill Snyder said. “I really thought we prepared well, but as we found out, we didn’t. I don’t think we handled the situation as well as we should have been able to.”
So, No. 1 was there for Oregon to assume. And yet, the Ducks didn’t do quack. Playing at home against No. 17 Stanford, the Oregon high-powered offense was contained. The Ducks managed just two touchdowns in losing, 17-14, in overtime.
It was Jordan Williamson’s a 37-yard field goal in overtime that won the game and denied the Ducks a chance to clinch the Pac-12 North — and, in the bigger picture, a shot at the BCS title.
If both Stanford and Oregon win in their final games next weekend, both will finish with one conference loss, which means Stanford will win the head-to-head matchup and go to the Pac-12 championship for a chance to play in the Rose Bowl.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame advanced to 11-0 by thrashing Wake Forest, 38-0. The Fighting Irish came into the weekend at No. 3 in the BCS poll. With Nos. 1 and 2 losing, it stands to reason they will jump to No. 1. It is like that the SEC will dominate the next three spots with Alabama at No. 2, Georgia No. 3 and Florida No. 4.
