12 AROUND THE NATION
Games to watch Keep an eye on these matchups
CALIFORNIA VS. OREGON
The Golden Bears head to Oregon to meet the Ducks, who just upset Utah. Jahvid Best looked unstoppable against Minnesota, but Oregon is loaded with athleticism. The Ducks will keep this game close, but California's running game should take over down the stretch.
FLORIDA VS.
KENTUCKY
Could Tim Tebow and the Gators suffer a letdown after last week's rivalry game against Tennessee? Don't count on it. Florida didn't play that well against the Volunteers, and Urban Meyer will have his players ready to go against the Wildcats.
TCU VS.
CLEMSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Horned Frogs haven't been getting as much attention as Boise State and BU.YU. TCU is undefeated and is still looking for respect. The Horned Frogs have the chance to pick up another quality win against Clemson before heading into Mountain West Conference play.
LSU VS.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
LSU hasn't been the dominant force it could be this season. Mississippi State is near the bottom of the SEC, but any game in that conference is a test. The Tigers could be looking ahead to a road trip to Georgia, but Les Miles will have them focused on winning this game first.
Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor looks to pass during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. Last Saturday, Virginia Tech meets ACC Miami this week at home.
MIAMI VS.VIRGINIA TECH ACC showdown features resurgent Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are probably the biggest surprise in this week's Associated Press poll. Now ranked inside the top 10, Miami has to travel to play Virginia Tech in this week's marquee matchup. After sneaking by Florida State and crushing Georgia Tech last week, the Hurricanes are earning respect
in a hurry. But Tyrod Taylor and the Hokies are coming off a big win last week as well. Virginia Tech rallied to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the final minute and is looking to carry that momentum over to this contest. These teams are very close, but the advantage goes to the home team.
APTOP25
Team (First-place votes) Record Total Votes Prev. Rank
1. Florida (55) 3-0 1488 1
2. Texas (2) 3-0 1428 2
3. Alabama (3) 3-0 1390 4
4. Mississippi 2-0 1213 5
5. Penn State 3-0 1212 5
6. California 3-0 1169 8
7. LSU 3-0 1120 9
8. Boise State 3-0 1038 10
9. Miami (FL) 2-0 920 20
10. Oklahoma 2-1 862 12
11. Virginia Tech 2-1 852 13
12. USC 2-1 825 3
13. Ohio State 2-1 810 11
14. Cincinnati 3-0 739 17
15. TCU 2-0 674 15
16. Oklahoma State 2-1 478 16
17. Houston 2-0 455 21
18. Florida State 2-1 363 NR
19. Brigham Young 2-1 349 7
20. Kansas 3-0 347 22
21. Georgia 2-1 318 23
22. North Carolina 3-0 271 24
23. Michigan 3-0 247 25
24. Washington 2-1 194 NR
25. Nebraska 2-1 132 19
Dropped from rankings: Georgia Tech 14, Utah 18
Others receiving votes: Missouri 115, Georgia Tech 102, Auburn 100, Pittsburgh 91, UCLA 62, Iowa 39, Oregon 30, Texas Tech 19, Notre Dame 16, Utah 12, Clemson 11, Colorado State 4, Oregon State 4, South Florida 1
The Wave's Top 25 Wave editor Scott Toland ranks the nation's best teams
1. Florida - it wasn't pretty, but the Gators got past Tennessee in The Swamp last week.
6. Penn State — Nittany Lions fans shouldn't have anything to worry about until they play Ohio State
2. texas – the Longhorns didn't dominate Texas Tech, but they got the job done against the Red Raiders.
3. Alabama - The Crimson Tide had no trouble in an easy 53-7 victory against North Texas.
4. California – Jahid Best scored five touchdowns for the Golden Bears in a good victory against Minnesota
7. **Mississippi** – Things will get a lot tougher for the Rebels as they enter SEC conference play
8. Oklahoma - A USC loss gave the Sooners new hope for making the national championship game.
5. Boise State - By winning a shootout with Fresno State, the Broncos earned a spot in this week's top five.
11. Virginia Tech - The Hokies survived their game against Nebraska, but have to be ready for Miami this week.
12. LSU The Tigers won
31-3 against lowly Louisiana
Lafayette, but they still
haven't dominated.
9. USC - The Trojans lost inexplicably to Washington, who didn't win one game last season.
13. Oklahoma State - The Cowboys picked up a victory against Rice to recover from last week's loss to Houston.
16. BYU—The Cougars and their BCS Championship hopes got dismantled at home by Florida State.
10. Ohio State — The Buckeyes rebounded from a tough loss to USC with a 38-8 victory against Toledo.
17. Kansas The Jayhawks are 3:0; but they still haven't quite put all of the pieces together.
21. Cincinnati - The Bearcats went to Oregon State and picked up a quality 28-18 victory.
14. TCU - The Horned Frogs are 2-0 and are quietly taking care of business this season.
18. Miami - The Miami Hurricanes are putting together their best season in recent memory.
15. Georgia - The Bulldogs had just enough to hold off Arkansas in a wild 52-41 victory.
22. Nebraska - Nebraska outplayed Virginia Tech for 58 minutes, but lost the game in the final seconds.
19. Michigan - Michigan rolled in a 45-17 victory against Eastern Michigan to improve to 3-0.
23. Utah - The Utes' 16-game winning streak was finally snapped by a loss to Oregon.
24. Houston — The Cougars could go undefeated after their victory at Oklahoma State two weeks ago.
20. North Carolina - The Tar Heels picked up a solid victory against the East Carolina pirates at home.
25. Florida State - The Seminoles went into BYU and destroyed the Cougars last week.
THE WAVE SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN