The power of a team's mind set never ceases to amaze me. We, as college football fans and analysts, can try to figure things out and often think we have an idea of how things are going to play out. But one thing we can never predict is the mindset of the teams that show up on Saturday.

Nowhere was this more evident last weekend than in the Big Ten. Logic would tell you that Illinois would handle San Jose State, Purdue would beat Wake Forest and Ohio State and Michigan would roll over Cincinnati and Utah. But if you watched those games you saw four teams from one of the so-called power conference struggle, and in the cases of Illinois and Purdue, lose.

College football is more mental than any other sport. Motivation, intensity, momentum, energy level, staying sharp for four quarters all fall under the mindset category. Several times this season we have seen teams from the big conferences show up and go through the motions, thinking that will be enough for a victory, and then they have to hold on for dear life or end up losing. That is something to keep in mind as we look ahead to games that seem like mismatches on paper.

Tech wrecks A&M
Everyone expected a low-scoring game, and we learned in Virginia Tech's 13-3 win over Texas A&M that the Hokies defense is for real. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster puts an athletic unit on the field every year and this may be one of his best yet.

	Virginia Tech's Bryan Randall was 10-of-11 for 119 yards against the Aggies.

The question for Virginia Tech was, as good as the running game has been with Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones, how the Hokies would respond when they faced a team that could slow down the rushing attack. Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring and quarterback Bryan Randall deserve a lot of credit for Tech's win. Knowing how hard it would be to run the ball at Kyle Field, Stinespring implemented a good play-action package and mixed in enough option to keep the Wrecking Crew defense off-balance.

The Hokies scored just enough points to get out of College Station with a win and that has to be a big confidence-booster for a young team like Tech.

BC plays Miami tough
Boston College had the right idea about how to play against Miami, controlling the clock and winning the battles at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Eagles had a seven-minute time of possession advantage at halftime and were not intimidated by Miami's bully mentality. They stood in there and took it.

Other teams may want to take a look at how BC has played Miami in the last two years. Boston College has been able to win its share of battles at the line of scrimmage and give itself a chance, whereas most teams get blown away. To stay with the 'Canes, you need a physical team in the trenches, the ability to run the football, the ability to throw short, intermediate passes to keep the clock moving, and most importantly you cannot be intimidated by the Hurricanes. But teams will also need the athletic ability to sustain that for four quarters, otherwise they will fade and end up getting blown out.

Give Miami, credit, though. The Hurricanes made adjustments at halftime and eventually their talent and athletic ability proved to be too much for the Eagles.

Wildcats knock Trojans off their horse
Kansas State held on for a 27-20 win over USC after a late fumble by quarterback Ell Roberson, something we might not have seen from previous Wildcat teams. But Roberson's athletic ability gives the offense another dimension with his ability to improvise in the pocket and his quickness on the option.

This was the Wildcats' first-ever win at home over a ranked non-conference opponent, and I'll say again that they are the team to beat in the Big 12 North. The schedule is in their favor with Texas, Iowa State and Nebraska at home and their toughest road game at Colorado. After this victory Kansas State is going to become a trendy pick as a team to keep an eye on.

Gators thrive in the rain
Florida's 30-13 win at Tennessee was one of the biggest I can remember in terms of timing. Not only did the Gators beat an SEC East rival and get a leg up in the conference race, they were also able to regain some much-needed confidence. There were some questions about this program after the devastating home loss to Miami was followed by a struggle against Ohio University. A lot of people, even some in Gainesville, started to question where this team was headed without Steve Spurrier.

	Rex Grossman threw for 324 yards and three TDs against the Vols.

Ron Zook and his staff deserve a lot of credit because no one gave them a chance. For Florida to go into a hostile environment in Neyland Stadium and flat-out dominate the first half while controlling Tennessee's running game was huge.

Rex Grossman took this game as a personal challenge. He got tired of hearing the questions about the new offense, Zook as the coach and whether he made the right choice by not going to the NFL. In that game you saw the competitive fire in Rex. For a quarterback to scramble and get his feet set under him, throwing the ball with that kind of command in monsoon-like conditions, is amazing. The thing people underestimate about Rex is his athletic ability. He moves well and his footwork is as good and any quarterback in the country, but for him to make accurate throws in those circumstances was outstanding.

Everyone likes to talk about what players have done lately when debating Heisman Trophy qualifications, and Grossman definitely put himself back in the race as a top candidate.

And Kelvin Kight and Carlos Perez also did a good job of stepping up and taking some of the pressure off Taylor Jacobs. Florida had a great game plan and offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher deserves some credit. The Gators got the attention of some teams and got some swagger back last weekend, and this is once again a team to be reckoned with in the SEC.

On the other side of the wide receiver picture, Tennessee's Kelley Washington needs to stop worrying so much about other guys. After the game he called out his fellow wide receivers by saying someone else besides tight end Jason Witten needs to step up in the passing game, but he should just concentrate on his job by getting open and making plays. Washington's heart is in the right place with his motivational tactics, but after a tough game like that he should be a little more positive rather than singling people out.

Wait a minute, Texas
The Longhorns continue to put up big numbers and dismantled another inferior opponent in their 41-11 win over Houston. But just when it looked like Texas was gaining some confidence and continuity on offense, wide receiver Roy Williams goes down. Keep an eye on his hamstring injury, because losing him could be a huge blow to Chris Simms and the 'Horns aerial attack.

Coach Fran keeps 'Bama on track
Alabama had a difficult week last week with its appeal of NCAA sanctions being denied and I thought they might be overlooking Southern Mississippi, but coach Dennis Franchione was able to keep his team focused and get a 20-7 win over the Golden Eagles. I am not surprised by the fact that the Crimson Tide is talented, but I am surprised the team has stuck together like this. Running back Ahmaad Galloway has personified the attitude of Alabama football over the last couple of seasons and for him to suffer a season-ending knee injury is devastating. We all wish him well and will be thinking of him during his recovery.

Bear of a game for the Buckeyes
Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli left his heart and soul on the field at Paul Brown Stadium after a 23-19 loss to Ohio State, and to be perfectly honest the Bearcats deserved to win that game. The Buckeyes ended up making some plays in the second half to win the game, but Cincinnati was hungrier and had more determination. Ohio State got the victory, but there is no question that the Bearcats wanted it more.

Teams on the rise
Oregon State: The Beavers are 4-0 and looking athletic after a 59-19 demolishing of Fresno State. We'll see if they are for real when they head to Los Angeles this week to open the Pac-10 schedule against USC.
Kansas State: Roberson at quarterback and a favorable Big 12 schedule make the Wildcats the favorite in that conference's north division.
Wisconsin: The Badgers have survived and are 5-0 without their best player, Lee Evans. Look out if he comes back in time for the Big Ten season.

Players of the week
Gino Guidugli, Cincinnati: Threw for 324 yards and a touchdown against a good Ohio State secondary, and left everything on the field in a near-upset of the Buckeyes.
Charles Rogers, Michigan State: Made what may be the best catch in college football history considering the situation, getting his foot down and scoring against double coverage to put the Spartans ahead of Notre Dame in the closing minutes. Oh, and he had seven catches, 175 yards and two TDs overall.
T.A. McLendon, N.C State: The freshman tied a school record with five rushing touchdowns and ran for 150 yards in a 51-48, overtime win against Texas Tech. His emergence as a complement to quarterback Philp Rivers makes the Wolfpack a serious threat in the ACC.
Steven Jackson, Oregon State: Rushed 25 times for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the thrashing of Fresno State.
Willis McGahee, Miami: Had 135 rushing yards, 86 receiving yards and two TDs against BC and is becoming one of the most powerful runners in college football.
Rex Grossman: Threw for 324 yards and three TDs against Tennessee, but more importantly he showed the total package of determination, leadership and accuracy.
Chris Brown, Colorado: Helped rescue the Buffs' season with 188 rushing yards and 3 TDs against UCLA.

Kirk Herbstreit is an analyst for ESPN College GameDay.