So much for the big concern about Oklahoma being unable to handle a mobile quarterback. The Sooners held Seneca Wallace to just 43 yards passing and minus-28 rushing yards in their 49-3 rout of Iowa State.

This defense had a lot of talent at the start of the season, but because of the loss of Rocky Calmus and Roy Williams it had to develop its own identity. The one thing we have learned about the OU defenses is that they step up when challenged, and this group rallied and got motivated after all the talk about how dangerous Wallace could be.

This group is also starting to develop some leadership, starting with Brandon Everage. When guys are flying around and making plays he always seems to be in the middle of it all. Everage is developing into this year's Williams, not with the same physical gifts but with the same kind of moxie and intensity.

As far as the game goes, it was the beginning of the end when Derrick Strait blocked an ISU punt into the end zone and Terrance Sims recovered it for a touchdown less than a minute into the game. It almost looked like the Cyclones bit off more than they could chew. They have played well this season, but they walked into a hornet's nest and clearly had Oklahoma's attention.

Wallace is out of the Heisman Trophy race now, but because the race is so wide open he can get back into it with outstanding performances in a brutal four-game stretch that includes games at Texas, Kansas State and Colorado and a home date with Missouri.

Irish impress against Air Force
Last weekend's 21-14 win over Air Force was my first chance to see Notre Dame in person, and I was impressed with the physical presence the Irish had on offense. Their huge offensive line paved the way for Ryan Grant's 190 yards, and I also liked the fact that they were able to sprinkle in some play-action passing and get Arnaz Battle involved in the game.

Notre Dame has played Air Force for years but I have never seen an Irish defense play the triple option like this group did. They have a tough front four and athletic linebackers, and the safeties came up in support and destroyed the AFA plan. They did a good job of forcing Falcons quarterback Chance Harridge to the sideline and not giving him seams to turn up the field. He either had to pitch for a short loss or keep for a very short gain and ended the night with just 31 rushing yards.

I liked the plan ND defensive coordinator Kent Baer brought into the game and I was impressed with his players, and if this team can continue to develop offensively with players like Grant and Maurice Stovall it is going to be truly legitimate.

Buckeyes getting some balance
The Buckeyes got a huge win with their 19-14 victory at Wisconsin. They knew going in it would be tough, with the Badgers having lost two in a row and all the distractions surrounding Maurice Clarett and his statements about possibly going to the NFL after this year, but they played well in Madison in front of one of the best student bodies in college football.

The offense took some pressure off Clarett by throwing the ball for 204 yards and using creative formations, and Craig Krenzel's 12-of-19, two-touchdown performance showed that he can be accurate when given time and chances.

Two big plays really changed this game for Ohio State, the first a 3rd-and-10 completion to Micheal Jenkins when the Buckeyes were backed up in their own territory late in the second half. The second came after Wisconsin passed its way the OSU 29 after the Buckeyes scored the eventual game-winning TD. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel then inserted flanker Chris Gamble at cornerback, and Gamble promptly ended the treat with an interception.

This win was especially big considering Ohio State's remaining schedule. The three toughest opponents -- Penn State, Minnesota and Michigan -- all come to Ohio Stadium, and because of the rotating Big Ten schedule OSU avoids Iowa.

Devil of an upset
After seeing Arizona State play several times this year, I realized the potential the Sun Devils had, but because of their youth I never expected them to be able to pull off an upset against Oregon. That being said, their 45-42 win at Autzen Stadium is not a fluke. Andrew Walter threw for 536 yards, and the most amazing thing to me was that Oregon continued to leave wide ASU receiver Shaun McDonald in single coverage. That was a mistake, as he burned the Ducks' young secondary for 12 catches 204 yards and a touchdown and exposed what many people felt was Oregon's only potential weakness.

Look at the ASU two-deep and you won't see many seniors, but the Sun Devils are 3-0 in the Pac-10 and join Washington State as the only teams unbeaten in conference play. The Devils are a team of the future but they feel like they can compete this year. ASU put up 65 points against Stanford and then lost to North Carolina at home the following week, showing that this is an up-and-down team, but if coach Dirk Koetter can corral his youthful players and get them to focus each week Arizona State could become a player in the Pac-10. He will have them rubbing elbows with the conference big boys eventually, and a win like this may speed that process up.

Longhorns back on track
I expected more points than we saw in Texas' 17-14 win over Kansas State, but give both defenses credit for playing hard and delivering. I figured the Longhorns would come back ready to play after all the criticism that followed the Oklahoma loss, but I thought playing on the road would be too much for them to handle.

The UT defense stepped up, holding K-State quarterback Ell Roberson to 125 total yards and showing a lot of character after the loss in the Red River Shootout. Texas made the plays it had to make and caught a couple breaks when KSU kicker Jared Brite missed both a first-quarter PAT and the potential game-tying field goal, which together would have provided the winning margin for the Wildcats. Give Mack Brown and his team come credit, though, because they showed heart and resiliency against a quality team in one of toughest environments in the Big 12.

Gritty Grossman leads Gators
Florida also got a much-needed win last weekend, getting a 30-23 overtime victory against Auburn. This was a game in which the Gators had to pull out all the stops, and Rex Grossman showed what he was made of by coming back from a knee injury that caused him to miss some practice time during the week. A lot of the turmoil surrounding the program fell on him, but Rex kept his poise, stayed within the offense and did a better job of being patient. He was willing to throw the ball underneath and spread it around, but more importantly he showed some competitive fire.

The point is, Florida was 4-3 coming into the game and fans and media were questioning the direction of the program. The Gators had their backs against the wall and for them to play hard, get pushed into overtime and make plays was huge in terms of putting out some of the fires surrounding the team and regaining confidence.

Short drops