Game of the Week: It appeared the No. 1 USC Trojans' 27-game win streak was going to come to an end against No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday, but the Trojans miraculously avoided the upset, winning 34-31 in dramatic fashion.
Down by three and facing a fourth-and-nine at their own 26-yard line with just over a minute to play, USC quarterback Matt Leinart found receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who broke free for a 61-yard gain. Jarrett was stopped at the Notre Dame 13. When Leinart ran the ball two plays later, he fumbled just as he reached for the goal line. Though the ball went out of bounds on the fumble, the clock continued to run and it appeared Notre Dame had won the football game. While fans rushed the field and the Irish players celebrated, the referees changed the ruling and put seven seconds back on the clock.
On the next play, Leinart sneaked it in from the two after coach Pete Carroll and the rest of the Trojan sideline decoyed for the offense to down the ball to set up another play. The win gave USC its 28th consecutive victory and solidifying its hold on the country's top ranking. The Trojans improved to 6-0, while the heartbreaking loss dropped the Irish to 4-2.
More from Week 7: There were some other thrillers this week, including two top ten teams falling from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Quarterback Chad Henne found Mario Manningham from ten yards out as time expired to give the Michigan Wolverines the 27-25 victory over No. 8 Penn State. The Nittany Lions had just scored a go-ahead touchdown with under a minute to play, but the Wolverines came roaring back, using a solid kickoff return to gain a solid field position at their own 46.
The game featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone. Henne finished the game 21 for 36 with 212 yards and two touchdowns, both to Manningham. Tailback Mike Hart also had a good game, running for 108 yards and a score while catching four passes for 40 yards.
The fourth-ranked Florida State Seminoles went down to the Virginia Cavaliers, 26-21, despite a furious Seminole fourth-quarter rally. Though FSU was down 26-10, it scored on its first two possessions of the quarter to make it a five point game. Virginia was able to seal the deal, however, as Tony Franklin picked off a pass from FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford with 50 seconds left.
Cavalier quarterback Marques Hagans played the game of his life. The senior threw the ball 36 times, completing 27 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. The win was Virginia's second ever over a top-five team, the first coming ten years ago, also against the Seminoles.
Second-ranked Texas continued full steam ahead this week, stomping No. 24 Colorado 42-17. The Longhorns jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back. Quarterback Vince Young was his normal, opponent-punishing self. Throwing the ball, he was 25 for 29 for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Running the ball, he found the end zone three more times.
In a Southeastern Conference showdown, No. 10 LSU topped No. 11 Florida 21-17 in Baton Rouge. Running back Joseph Addai ran for a career-high 156 yards, and his touchdown in the fourth quarter put the Tigers up for good. The Gators fell to 5-2, while LSU improved to 4-1 despite turning the ball over five times.
No. 5 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama both stayed unbeaten, improving to 6-0 on the season. The Bulldogs' win came at the expense of Vanderbilt, 34-17, while the Crimson Tide edged Mississippi on a last-second field goal 13-10.
Player of the Week: It has to be Texas quarterback Vince Young. The junior tallied five scores on the day to lead his Longhorns over Colorado. He now has 17 touchdowns - five of which have come on the ground - and has absolutely dominated in each of Texas' six wins. His task next week will be tougher, however, which brings us to...
Upcoming Game of the Week: No. 10 Texas Tech visits No. 2 Texas. The Red Raiders are the only other 6-0 team in the Big 12, and the winner of this game will most likely cruise into the conference's title game. Texas Tech is a scary football team. In its six wins this year, the offense has put up 56, 80, 63, 30, 34 and 59 points. In its recent demolishing of the Kansas State Wildcats, quarterback Cody Hodges threw for 643 yards and five touchdowns. Texas' only hope is to contain him.
