Winning on the road in college football is quite an accomplishment, especially when you come away with a victory in enemy territory against a quality opponent.

That was the case Saturday for Penn State, Georgia, California, UCLA and Texas Tech. North Carolina, Maryland, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest also posted impressive victories away from home.

Cal's victory over the Huskies has to rank among the most significant wins in school history.

After losing 19 straight games to Washington, Cal's 34-27 victory in Seattle has to rank among the most significant wins in school history. Coach Jeff Tedford, in just his first year directing the Golden Bears, deserves to be in the running for national coach of the year honors. And senior QB Kyle Boller has developed into one of the country's elite signal-callers.

Tedford, formerly the offensive coordinator at Oregon, has done a remarkable job thus far, transforming last season's 1-10 squad into a legitimate top-25 team.

After a 3-0 start, including a pivotal road victory over Michigan State, the Golden Bears suffered setbacks at Berkeley against Air Force and Washington State. That's why Saturday's win at Washington was so huge. The Golden Bears not only avoided a three-game losing streak but also put themselves on the national map, which will assist Tedford immeasurably during the upcoming recruiting period.

Remember, the Golden Bears' schedule doesn't get any easier this week. They remain on the road to face talented USC, which will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking overtime loss at Washington State.

As for Boller, his play thus far has been outstanding. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior completed 13-of-24 passes for 266 yards and five TDs (with no interceptions). Included were TD strikes covering 40, 55 and 23 yards. Boller also spread the wealth, completing passes to six different receivers.

COLORADO ON THE REBOUND
While winning on the road is significant, so is winning at home when you're the underdog. That was the case when Colorado played host to Kansas State on Saturday.

The Buffaloes' season was coming apart at the seams following a one-sided 40-3 home loss to USC on Sept. 14 and the decision of starting QB Craig Ochs to leave the program. But coach Gary Barnett's squad has demonstrated tremendous resiliency.

As a lead blocker, FB Brandon Drumm is like another offensive guard paving the way.

The Buffaloes have posted impressive victories over UCLA and Kansas State, keyed by the improving play of senior QB Robert Hodge. In handing K-State its first loss, Hodge showed that he's more than just a one-dimensional signal caller. He completed 13-of-20 aerials for 289 yards and three TDs.

Making things easier for Hodge is Colorado's awesome stable of running backs. Chris Brown, a physically gifted 6-2½ 225-pound junior, is one of the top backs in college football. On Saturday, he carried 26 times for 167 yards. Bobby Purify and highly regarded freshman Brian Calhoun also contributed.

The exceptional play of underrated senior FB Brandon Drumm is likewise worth noting. As a lead blocker, he's like another offensive guard paving the way, while his ability to contribute as a pass-receiving option has also come into play. Against K-State he had three receptions. He figures to be utilized in this capacity for the rest of the campaign.

The Buffaloes get a well-deserved break in the schedule over the next two weeks when they take on Kansas and Baylor. But from that point on the competition becomes challenging again. Over the final five weeks, the Buffs take on Texas Tech and Iowa State in Boulder and go on the road to face Oklahoma, improved Missouri and Nebraska.

REBELS READY FOR TOUGH STRETCH
Dave Revsine and I -- plus the entire crew of College GameDay on ESPN Radio -- were in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday for the game between Florida and Ole Miss.

What a day it turned out to be. Before going on the air at 10 a.m. local time, we witnessed an amazing scene in The Grove just outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. An estimated 30,000 fans, and more tents than you could imagine, took the term "tailgating" to a completely new level.

The Rebels frustrated Grossman and put on quite a display of open-field tackling.

The fans in Oxford are incredible. Dave and I can't thank everyone at Ole Miss enough for their hospitality, kindness and love for college football and what it represents.

And then, to be on campus when Ole Miss was about to stage one of its most significant wins in school history, made it that much more special.

Going in, we expected a QB duel between Rex Grossman and Eli Manning. We expected a major-league shootout that could come down to which offense had the ball last. Well, as it turned out, both offenses struggled, with the key to the Rebels' upset victory being the outstanding play of their well-coordinated defense under the direction of Chuck Dreisbach.

The Rebels not only succeeded in frustrating Grossman, who completed just 19-of-44 passes and was intercepted four times, but also put on quite a display of open-field tackling. Senior Matt Grier had a pair of interceptions, and sophomore FS Eric Oliver showed the college football world why he's one of the top young defensive backs in the country.

The Rebels host Arkansas State this week and figure to be 5-1 when they travel to Alabama for a key SEC West showdown Oct. 19. And check out the remainder of the slate: After facing the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, the Rebels have tough road trips that take them to Arkansas, Georgia and LSU. Sandwiched in between is a home game against Auburn in early November.

ADD HARRIDGE TO TOP QB LIST
Last week I talked about all the outstanding QBs in college football. One player I omitted from the list who should have been included is Air Force's Chance Harridge.

The 5-11, 185-pound junior has superbly directed coach Fisher DeBerry's triple-option attack. Harridge is coming off a stellar performance Saturday against Navy (four rushing TDs while accounting for nearly 300 yards of total offense).

Now 5-0, DeBerry's Falcons host BYU on Saturday. Notre Dame visits Colorado Springs on Oct. 19 in what should be one of the marquee matchups that weekend.

NATION'S BEST PURE RB? TRY JONES
Is there a better pure running back in the country than Florida State junior Greg Jones? As we approach the midway point of the 2002 season, Jones is establishing himself as one of the nation's elite players.

At 6-1 and 235 pounds, Jones is powerful, determined and highly skilled. Against Clemson on Thursday, Jones rambled for 165 yards on 22 carries, including TD runs covering 3, 20 and 23 yards.

This week, at the Orange Bowl against defending national champion and top-ranked Miami, Jones and the Seminoles' rushing attack will be pitted against a Miami defense led by a super-talented and deep front four.