Week 12 college football Top 25 roundup

Sporting News gets you up to speed with the results of Week 12's Top 25 games. After you watch all the action, enter your Top 25 in our Fan Poll.

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No. 20 Michigan 45, No. 17 Nebraska 17 | recap | box score

ANN ARBOR, Mich.?It?s one of the iron-clad unwritten rules of college football: Average teams don?t travel well.

And Nebraska?certainly by Big Ten standards?is little more than an average team.

The 17th-ranked Huskers (8-3, 4-3) were mauled at No. 20 Michigan. Both teams were eliminated from the Legends Division race before the game even ended?way to spoil a good time, Michigan State?but the Wolverines (9-2, 5-2) walked off the field still clinging to their good name, not to mention at-large BCS hopes.

Nebraska? Nothing but misery and bewilderment.

Huskers coach Bo Pelini, in his fourth season, already has 15 losses. That?s not getting it done.

But the program?s recent road history is what?s most revealing. Since winning at No. 2 Washington in 1997, the highest-ranked team Nebraska has beaten outside of Lincoln was No. 6 Tennessee at the 2000 Fiesta Bowl.

But as a true road team? We?re not making this up: The Huskers? ?best? win since 1997 came last weekend at No. 12 Penn State.

The Huskers were dominated by Michigan nearly from the outset. They were outgained (418-261) and outpained (it?s a wonder Taylor Martinez is still standing).

They were severely outplayed by a better team. Turns out there are several better teams than Nebraska in the Big Ten, at least this season. ? Steve Greenberg

No. 12 Michigan State 55, Indiana 3 | recap | box score

After taking care of business Saturday, all the Spartans have to do to win the Legends Division title is beat Northwestern on the road next week.

Kirk Cousins threw three touchdowns passes, including two to B.J. Cunningham, and Edwin Baker added two of his own on the ground as the Spartans cruised.

Michigan State was able to move the ball at will on the Hoosiers, as they converted on third down 6-of-10 times and rolled up over 400 yards of offense.

Indiana?s only points of the game came on a 22-yard field goal from Mitch Ewald early in the second quarter.

No. 15 Wisconsin 28, Illinois 17 | recap | box score

It?s still there for Wisconsin. The Leaders Division, the Big Ten title and even the Rose Bowl.

After back-to-back losses to Michigan State and Ohio State, it looked like the Badgers were about to waste all of their talent and dash all of their expectations. But Wisconsin is now in position to make a big splash, needing to beat Penn State next week to secure the Leaders Division title.

And who knows what happens after that.

Running back Montee Ball had 38 carries for 224 yards and two touchdowns. After starting out slow, Wisconsin broke the game open in the third quarter when Ball scored on a 5-yard reception, then again on a 17-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

Ball has 30 touchdowns this season. Only four other players in NCAA history have reached that mark. While his teammate, quarterback Russell Wilson was hyped early as the Heisman favorite, it?s clear who the best player on this team is?and who the most legitimate Heisman candidate is among the Badgers.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Iowa State 37, No. 2 Oklahoma State 31, 2 OTs | recap | box score

It?s hard to fully comprehend the cascade of sorrow in Stillwater, Okla., right now.

A football game?just a football game?cannot mitigate the tragedy of a deadly plane crash under any circumstances.

At least that?s what we?d like to believe.

But one night after Oklahoma State women?s basketball coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna died along with two others in a plane crash?nearly 11 years after the plane crash that killed 10 members of the OSU men?s basketball program?the Cowboys lost a football game.

They lost 37-31 at Iowa State in double overtime, their national championship dreams gone into the night.

It is what it is. It?s a terrible time for the Oklahoma State athletics family and the university community at large. Unimaginably terrible. Cruelly terrible.

And, because people are human, it is rendered something ever more painful by a football defeat.

Let?s not tread too lightly on that point. For most of three months, the Cowboys football team brought their people much joy. A win at Iowa State, setting up the biggest game in program history on Dec. 3 vs. Oklahoma and a potential trip to New Orleans to play for the championship?those things would?ve been wonderful for the folks in Stillwater.

It?s sad they won?t get that now.

And it?s more than a little awkward?as it was all evening in Ames?to turn the conversation entirely to football.

We won?t do that here. ? Steve Greenberg

THURSDAY NIGHT

No. 9 Virginia Tech 24, North Carolina 21 | recap | box score

The Hokies wrapped up their eighth straight 10-win season by hanging on to beat the Tar Heels. They can wrap up the ACC Coastal Division title Saturday night if Virginia loses to Florida State.

But if the Cavaliers win, that sets up a game for the division title next week in Charlottesville.

?I?d love to see them go out there and win and make it mean a lot more next week,? Virginia Tech Logan Thomas said of the Cavaliers.

UAB 34, No. 22 Southern Miss 31 | recap | box score

The Blazers? upset of the Golden Eagles wasn?t one your really could see coming. UAB entered the game 2-8, but they hung in after getting down 14-0 early to win the game.

Ty Long?s 38-yard field goal with 3:04 left held up as the winning margin. UAB?s victory was just its third ever against a ranked opponent. The others came against No. 17 East Carolina in 1999 and No. 24 UTEP in 2005.

If Southern Miss beats Memphis next weekend, it will advance to the Conference USA title game, presumably against Houston.

Source: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-11-19/week-12-college-football-top-25-roundup

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