What Chris Rix and Florida State were able to do in their 31-14 win over Florida was not surprising. Adversity leading up to a big game will divide a team or bring it together, and it brought the 'Noles together.

They played with a great deal of emotion and determination, played like they were the underdog and had more of an attitude than at any other time this year.

	Chris Rix bounced back in a big way against Florida.

But despite the emotion of the game, I thought Florida quarterback Rex Grossman would find a way to lead his team to a victory. Give FSU's defense credit for limiting him in the red zone and holding the rest of the Gators' offense in check. The Florida State defense has been susceptible to big plays in man coverage this year and was able to avoid that against UF.

If there is anything surprising about this game it is that Rix kept his wits about him and continued to prepare after being benched earlier in the year. That takes a lot of maturity.

Chris was the starter for a year and a half and a lot of fingers were pointed at him when FSU struggled, and it would have been easy for him to get down and lose focus after Adrian McPherson stepped in and had some success.

Everyone probably thought tailback Nick Maddox would get the rushing yards for the Seminoles, but Leon Washington stepped in and attacked the Gators in their weak area. He had 134 of FSU's 225 rushing yards, and his play behind a physical offensive line combined with good play calling and scheming to kill Florida.

This win gives the Seminoles momentum going into the BCS as the ACC representative. Chances are they will be an underdog in the bowl game, a role that will once again have them playing with emotion.

If that is the case, don't sell Florida State short.

Finally, a four-quarter effort
Once again, the only question about Miami last week was whether it would show up ready to play against Syracuse. When a team has won 32 straight coming into a game, the biggest opponent is complacency and the 'Canes have succumbed to that at times this season.

But their 49-7 rout of Syracuse was a game in which they came out firing on all cylinders in all quarters. Quarterback Ken Dorsey hit his first 10 passes, running back Willis McGahee took Miami's second play from scrimmage for a 61-yard touchdown and the Miami defense completely devastated Troy Nunes and the Syracuse attack.

This is why the Hurricanes are physically the best team in the country. Man-for-man, Xs-and-Os, Miami has the best team in the nation and was out to prove a point to the critics who challenged the 'Canes after a close call against Pittsburgh. You can bet the Hurricanes will carry that same mentality into the Virginia Tech game this weekend.

So-Cal Stomping
Southern Cal was playing as well as anyone in the country heading into the Notre Dame game, and the performance it had in a 44-13 spanking of Notre Dame showed everyone just how good this team is.

USC wasn't on a regional broadcast at 10:30 ET, so I hope everyone out East got to see how good the Trojans are and how legit Carson Palmer is as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Notre Dame stayed in the game in the first half with defense and special teams, despite getting just two first downs on offense, but reality set in in the second half against superior athletes. Everyone saw just how far Notre Dame has to go on offense.

But that also shows the amazing job Ty Willingham has done with the limited offensive personnel he has. There are brighter days ahead for the Irish because he will recruit talent and get players to buy into his mind set and philosophy over the next couple of seasons.

Killer Cowboys
It has been said that Oklahoma plays its best when it is challenged, and we heard all last week about how the Oklahoma State game being a revenge game.

I don't want to hear about how the Sooners overlooked OSU in a 38-28 loss, because OU was all systems go for that game and was still outplayed and outcoached. Les Miles and his staff must have studied the tapes of the Sooners' loss to Texas A&M, because the Oklahoma defense made the same mistakes in this game as against the Aggies. Give credit to Miles and Company for exploiting OU's mistakes.

Cowboys quarterback Josh Fields has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the nation and now has 18 TDs and zero interceptions in his last three games. Rashaun Woods continued to show that he is one of the best wide receivers in the nation with his 12 catches for a school-record 226 yards.

He also caught three TD passes against the Sooners, and the Biletnikoff Award committee should be embarrassed that he is not a finalist for the best receiver in the nation.

Kudos to the Mountaineers
Considering what second-year West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez endured both on and off the field last year, turning things around and winning nine games with a young quarterback like Rasheed Marshall is amazing. The Mountaineers' 24-17 win over Pitt could send them to the Gator Bowl as the best turnaround story of the year.

People are going to talk about Tyrone Willingham, Jim Tressel and Kirk Ferentz for coach of the year, but after clearing the dead weight and taking advice from a lot of people on how to run a program, Rodriguez deserves praise for getting his team to not only win games but to go through a metamorphosis in terms of mindset.

This a different team than in his first year. The players are buying into Rodriguez's mentality and playing more as a team than individuals.

A lot of that has to do with Avon Cobourne, the hidden gem of college football.

Before the season started this was supposed to be the year of the QB, but by midseason guys like Colorado's Chris Brown, Miami's Willis McGahee and Penn State's Larry Johnson were stealing the spotlight.

Somewhere underneath the hype of the other guys is the blue-collar, lunch pail Cobourne. He has had a heck of a career, rushing for at least 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons and topping it all off with 1,593 this year.

Players of the Week
Josh Fields and Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State - Fields continued to have a hot hand with his 357 yards and four TDs in the upset Oklahoma, helped by Woods' 12 receptions for a school-record 226 yards and three touchdowns.

Chris Simms and Roy Williams, Texas - Simms ends his career 3-0 against Texas A&M and 15-0 as the starter at home, thanks in part to the six catches, 149 receiving yards and two TDs Williams had last Saturday against the Aggies.

The Virginia Tech defense - The Hokies got back to the kind of defense they have become famous for, limiting Virginia just 203 total yards.

Carson Palmer - Looked like Picasso while putting the finishing touches on his Heisman campaign. His 425 passing yards were the most ever allowed by Notre Dame.

Ken Dorsey, Miami - Completed his first 10 passes against Syracuse and looked to be in rhythm for four quarters for the first time all year.

Chris Rix, Florida State - After a tumultuous week in Tallahassee, he helped the 'Noles knock off Florida with 277 total yards and no turnovers.

Brian Calhoun, Colorado - The fourth-string tailback filled in for the injured Chris Brown and rushed for 137 yards as the Buffs won at Nebraska for the first time since 1990.

Coach of the Week
Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia - Has taken his team from 3-9 to 9-3 after a hard-fought win over Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl.

Play of the Week
Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones completed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Decroi Birmingham with nine seconds to play, sending the Razorbacks to the SEC championship game against Georgia. The pass came just two plays after a 50-yard bomb to Richard Smith moved the Hogs to within striking distance.

Kirk Herbstreit is an analyst for ESPN College GameDay.