On a Tuesday night podcast, we kick things off discussing college football, and my co-host usually bristles about the capricious nature of the AP pollsters. While I usually try to mollify her by explaining the poll is mostly barroom-level banter until December, this season has proven her accurate. Look at this simple statistic: Of the top-10 preseason selections, by just the first weekend of October, half of those teams currently stand with two losses.

Over the past two weekends, six top-10-ranked teams suffered a loss, not one but two have fallen completely out of the top-25, and things are so screwy that Texas Tech is in its highest ranking in that realm in 17 years. Even the Heisman watch is so out of whack that the pundits are left considering Ole Miss replacement QB Trinidad Chambliss as a possible top contender.

Saturday afternoon was awash in no fewer than three surprising upsets, a trend that did not follow through the night games

The marquee games:

UCLA 42 – Penn St. 37

It might be time to admit these are the Paper Lions. The numbers leap off the screen. The Bruins were 24.5 underdogs and led the entire day, going to the locker room with a 27-7 lead. This is only the fifth time a top-10 lost to an opponent with a 0-4 record. The last time this was seen was when UTEP upset BYU – back in 1985. With Ohio State still on the schedule, that will be a needed win to retain postseason hope.

Florida 29 – Texas 21

While all of the focus on this will likely be on Arch Manning, he did not perform horribly with 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His two interceptions were not helpful. But the Longhorn defense allowed Florida to earn 450 yards in total with 50 percent efficiency on third downs. But the sheer absence of a Texas running game was the killer; Manning scrambled for just 37 yards, and yet that doubled all other rushers.

Miami 28 – FSU 22

This heated rivalry saw both teams ranked for the first time in years, and it looked competitive for a spell. The final does not reflect the way Miami dominated this game. After an opening three points given up, the Hurricanes put up four consecutive touchdowns, with Carson Beck hitting C.J. Daniels and Malachi Toney each for a pair of scores. Beck led three drives of 75 yards or more, with the dagger coming from an interception on Seminole QB Tommy Castellanos, followed on the next play with a 44-yard touchdown to Toney. The Miami defense bent but mostly contained the run game and only gave up points in garbage time.

Texas A&M 31 – Mississippi St. 9

The Aggies held a Blackout at College Station, and it also applied to the Bulldogs all game. The Aggies ran over them, pounding out 303 yards and dominating time of possession by 17 minutes. Reuben Owens led all runners with 142 yards, while QB Marcel Reed threw a pair of scores and ran for a third touchdown.

Ohio State 42 – Minnesota 3

Following the trend seen from the top of the poll winners, the Buckeyes gave up an initial field goal and then went on to romp. The #1 team was having fun in the air all day as QB Julian Sayin went 23/37 for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Carnell Tate was his favorite target, reeling in nine catches for 183 yards.

Cincinnati 38 -- Iowa State 30

While technically not an upset, because the Bearcats were slightly favored at home, they took on the ranked and unbeaten Cyclones and controlled the game. After opening a 17-point lead in the 1st, they stretched that to a 31-7 cushion before an Iowa State score as time expired in the half. The strong Cincinnati squad held on and is making a bid to climb into the rankings. 

Here is the latest AP Top-25 poll. (First place votes) Both Penn State and Texas fall from the board, as South Florida reenters behind 6-0 Memphis.

1. Ohio State (40)

2. Miami (21)

3. Oregon (5)

4. Ole Miss

5. Texas A&M

6. Oklahoma

7. Indiana

8. Alabama

9. Texas Tech

10. Georgia

11. LSU

12. Tennessee

13. Georgia Tech

14. Missouri

15. Michigan

16. Notre Dame

17. Illinois

18. BYU

19. Virginia

20. Vanderbilt

21. Arizona State

22. Iowa State

23. Memphis

24. South Florida

25. Florida State

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