I looked at last weekend as "Desperation Week" for a few programs.

Auburn and Florida were both reeling after big losses, and even though the Gators still don't look great, Ron Zook avoided complete disaster with a 30-23 overtime win.

There was desperation in the Big 12 for Nebraska. The Cornhuskers looked like they were back on track after a win against a pretty good Missouri team, but then they had a terrible week during which quarterback Jammal Lord was charged with disturbing the peace and the former No. 1 running back Thunder Collins quit the team.

Those setbacks were followed by a 24-21 loss on the road at Oklahoma State, and things have got to be getting pretty hairy in Lincoln.

Out in the Pac-10, UCLA was trying to avoid its customary October swoon before Cory Paus went down for the season with a broken ankle. California never trailed in a 17-12 win over the Bruins and that mid-season slide is starting again.

And things are now even more desperate in East Lansing after Minnesota rushed for 390 yards in a 28-7 win over Michigan State. Not to take anything away from the Gophers, but the Spartans have more talent and should have won that game. Giving up that many rushing yards is a bad sign and shows that MSU is getting physically whipped. I feel good for Glen Mason, that he has his team at 7-1, but the Spartans are a disappointing 3-4 and the heat is going to be turned up on Bobby Williams.

The point is there are a few programs that we will watch closely from this point on, looking to see if the staffs have lost respect and attention of the players and gotten themselves into real trouble. Those will be some of the most intriguing story lines the rest of the way.

Now, on to the other important games.

Sooners hitting their stride
Derrick Strait really set the tone for the whole game when he blocked an Iowa State punt into the end zone on the Cyclones' first possession. Terrance Sims pounced on the ball for an Oklahoma touchdown and the Sooners were well on their way to a 49-3 win. That one play put ISU back on its heels and took the wind out of its sails.

That just reinforces why Bob Stoops has such success in big games. At some point it stops being a coincidence. Great coaches win big games for a reason, and someone called that block after seeing something they could exploit. The staff saw a chance to put some doubt in Iowa State's mind and get some early momentum and it worked perfectly.

It was fun to watch the speed of the OU defense and the Sooners seem to be hitting their stride on D right now. The thing to keep an eye on is the running game. Oklahoma seems to have developed a trend where the offense bogs down at this point in the year, even during the national championship year in 2000. But it now seems like they are getting some production and that will be interesting to watch. If Quentin Griffin can continue to play well and Nate Hybl can not make mistakes this offense could provide a good compliment to the defense.

I don't think there is anyone left on OU's schedule that can beat the Sooners, including whatever team they play in the Big 12 championship game. As long as it can stay focused, Oklahoma is going to be in Tempe for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

'Dawgs are biting
Georgia is putting it all together after its 48-7 win over Vanderbilt. Quarterback David Greene showed with his 20-of-23 performance last weekend that he is developing, throwing for 319 yards and a pair of scores despite the fact that D.J. Shockley was healthy and ready to step in at QB.

Coach Richt put him in the game, but only after it was well in hand and not in rotation with Greene like we've seen early in past games. Greene responded with confidence because his coach told him he was the guy. If he continues to play this way, the Georgia offense can't be stopped.

The Bulldogs have some injuries, but guys like Terrence Edwards and Damien Gray are healthy and don't forget about underrated tight end Ben Watson. He hasn't been dominant, but he is as good as any TE you'll find.

And now that the defense is above average I don't think UGA will lose a game. Guys like linebacker Boss Bailey and defensive end David Pollack may be the MVPs with their effort and the way they fly around.

In the past, Georgia would get beat by a team it had no business losing to, but not with Mark Richt at the helm. The 'Dawgs are ready to play and there is a similarity between the job Richt is doing and what Stoops has done at Oklahoma. Both had some measure success in the first year, getting guys to buy into the system and setting the stage for a big second year.

I can also see OU being undefeated, as well as N.C. State and the Virginia Tech-Miami winner. The problem at the end of the season may not be four or five teams with one loss, it may be that there are three or four unbeaten teams.

Ducks lay an egg
I have said all along that the Oregon defense wouldn't be able to stop everyone, and that prediction finally came true in Arizona State's 45-42 upset of the Ducks. The Oregon front four has gotten pressure all by itself at times this year, but the Ducks have struggled when leaving their cornerbacks out on an island.

That being said, you have to realize that Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter has had a consistently potent offense this year. Other than the opener at Nebraska, when the Sun Devils weren't sure who to start at quarterback and went with redshirt freshman Chad Christensen, this team has been great on offense.

Andrew Walter stepped in as the starter five games ago and already has three 400-yard games, and I've never seen a quarterback throw so many deep balls that hit his receivers in stride. They wideouts just ran by the Oregon defensive backs last week, and for Walter to throw for 536 yards against any team is a phenomenal accomplishment.

The other impressive thing is that the upset happened in Eugene. Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest places in the nation to play and this was a huge win for ASU. Teams better watch out, because the Devils are tied for the lead in the Pac-10 and this is a fine football team.

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti has to be hurting, though. He has a quarterback in Jason Fife that has more than exceeded expectations, Onterrio Smith is a Heisman candidate at running back and Keenan Howry is a very talented wide receiver, but that defense is going to keep his team from winning the national championship.

Big Ten showdowns all set up
First of all I want to give props to Ohio State and Craig Krenzel. I said in the past that if you stop OSU's running game he wouldn't be able to beat teams. And while Krenzel was not prolific last week, what he did in a 19-14 win in Madison was not easy. The Buckeyes still have some issues defensively, though, evidenced by Anthony Davis' 144 rushing yards

And while OSU is undefeated at 8-0, Iowa is still the best team in the conference. The Hawkeyes were great defensively against Indiana, and even though some will say it was only Indiana, it was the same Hoosiers team that came from behind to beat Wisconsin two weeks ago. IU quarterback Gibran Hamden couldn't throw the ball well because the Iowa defense, and the defensive backs in particular, are starting to play with some confidence and they now realize that the Hawkeyes will win the Big Ten if they hold up their end of the bargain.

Iowa has to be kicking itself for the early-season meltdown against Iowa State. The Hawkeyes led 24-7 at the half in that game but gave up 23 points in the third quarter and eventually lost. They are just one bad quarter from being an undefeated team.

We have talked a lot about running backs and quarterbacks, and I guarantee that if you asked coach Kirk Ferentz he would not trade QB Brad Banks or tailback Fred Russell for guys like Seneca Wallace or Maurice Clarett. Ferentz he has got exactly what he wants, including a good right end in Dallas Clark, a good receiving corps and a good kicking game.

This coming weekend will determine the Big Ten. Ohio State hosts Penn State and Iowa goes to the Big House to face Michigan, and whatever team comes out of that foursome in the best shape is looking good for the rest of the year.

But I don't like the fact that the Big Ten schedule does not allow a team to play every other team in the conference. With 11 teams in the league and only eight conference games slated, every team skips two opponents each year. How can we have a true conference champion if Ohio State and Iowa don't play this year?

Backups step up for LSU
We saw in last weekend's 38-14 win over South Carolina that LSU has a great defense and that Marcus Randall can be a quality replacement for Matt Mauck at quarterback. Randall threw for just 183 yards against the Gamecocks, but he had no interceptions and rushed for a touchdown.

Don't forget that those two were neck-and-neck for the starting job and that Randall was in a position to win the job before he hurt his knee. Nick Saban doesn't feels like Randall is a dropoff in talent but rather that he has two good QBs there who are very similar in terms of movement.

Dominick Davis has also proven to be a nice running back while filling in for LaBrandon Toefield, carrying 26 times for 113 yards and a score against South Carolina.

This team has had injuries at the right positions -- if that makes any sense -- and has a defense that leads the nation in total defense at 217.4 yards per game. I have been impressed with the Tigers.

Cavs coming on
Watch out for Virginia as a team that could make some noise in the ACC. The Cavaliers overcame a 21-0 halftime deficit against North Carolina and ended up with a 37-27 win last weekend, and quarterback Matt Schaub is getting comfortable as the leader of that team.

When you have a young team like Al Groh has, there are some struggles at the beginning until guys start understanding assignments and roles. Groh was unsure who the quarterback was going to be early in the year, but once he made Schaub the leader of the team Matt responded and the team followed.

Schaub's numbers weren't great against the Tar Heels -- just 14-of-26 for 194 yards -- but UNC came with some pressure early and he stuck with it. He threw two touchdown passes and no interceptions and this team keeps getting better. The Cavaliers have won five in a row after losing two straight to start the year.

All the young pups have grown up a little over the first part of the season and they are starting to step up and make plays.

High enjoyment at high altitude
I only want to say one thing about Notre Dame's 21-14 win at Air Force: it was a joy to watch two disciplined, well-coached teams play their tails off and smack each other in the mouth with total respect for one another. You don't see that a lot anymore with everyone pounding their chests and jumping in people's faces .

I love how Air Force goes about its business. The Falcons got beat, but they played hard for four quarters and didn't say much, and that to me is what college football is all about. There weren't a lot of big offensive plays, but it was a fundamentally solid game in the way it was coached and played and it was great fun to watch.

Give the 'Horns some love
You have to give Texas coach Mack Brown credit because the Longhorns weren't impressive in their 17-14 win at Kansas State, but going to Manhattan following the Oklahoma game was a huge test and the Longhorns found a way to win.

Chris Simms also deserves some credit. His numbers weren't great, just 13-of-24 for 184 yards, but K-State got pressure on him and even though he was obliterated on a few hits he completed some big passes to get his team the victory.

The problem for the Longhorns is that they can't run the ball. They are a one-dimensional team and that is why they can't beat Oklahoma. They have probably two or three of the best backs in the nation and a huge offensive line yet they have trouble moving on the ground.

Texas is a good team, but it won't beat Top-10 opponents unless it can get some balance on offense.

Trev Alberts is a college football analyst for ESPN. He contributes a weekly column to ESPN.com.