Conference calls

Upon further review, SEC tops Big 12; MAC trumps 'em all

Josh Davis and Marshall dashed No. 6 K-State's dreams of an undefeated season. AP

Four weeks into the season, I'm thinking it might be time to reevaluate my stance on the most powerful conferences in the country. Not permanently, mind you, just as pertains to 2003.

Based on its performances the past few seasons and its three preseason top five teams, the obvious choice for best conference in the land appeared to be the Big 12. As a certain bumbling yet endearing television analyst says, "Not so fast my friend."

Besides top-ranked Oklahoma, which seems to be building up steam by the week, the Big 12 has been a Big Disappointment. Both Texas and Kansas State were quickly exposed. Two-time North Division champ Colorado's defense is atrocious. As is Texas Tech's. Nebraska's offense isn't much better. Texas A&M has shown promise but is still a year away. And Missouri, though 4-0 and ranked, is still struggling to beat the Middle Tennessees of the world.

Admittedly, Texas could still have a special season if it beats Oklahoma, or perhaps Oklahoma State could prove the Sooners' biggest challenge in the South. But the North is downright mediocre, and when half your conference is mediocre, you certainly can't be No. 1.

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On the flip side, the SEC, fresh off its least memorable season in recent memory, may be coming back in a big way. The final score was deceiving, but both LSU and Georgia looked like heavyweights in their defensive struggle. Tennessee appears to be light-years ahead of last year. Arkansas is finally ready to make some noise nationally. And though Florida and Auburn are a combined 3-4, don't be surprised if both are factors again come November.

Meanwhile, the Big Ten, which a year ago appeared to be back on the upswing, is instead back in the land of the mediocre. You've got Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan and ... and ... ? The Pac-10 has two legitimate powers in USC and Oregon, but the jury's still out on everybody else. Everyone but Florida State has been a disappointment in the ACC. And the Big East may turn out once again to be a two-team race.

However, if there's one league that is thoroughly exceeding expectations, it is undoubtedly the MAC, which usually, albeit unfairly, comes in just above the Sun Belt in those preseason magazine rankings. Currently, the MAC has more non-conference wins over BCS-conference opponents (six) than the ACC (five) or Big East (four).

Tie: Antonio Perkins, KR, Oklahoma; Rashaun Woods, WR, Oklahoma State

The OU-OSU rivalry is nicknamed "Bedlam," and Perkins and Woods invoked just that on the NCAA record book Saturday with two insane performances. In a 59-24 victory over UCLA, Perkins became the first player to return three punts for touchdowns in the same game (consider that last year, only six players had that many the entire season), amassing 277 yards in the process. And Woods, in the greatest performance of his distinguished career, caught 13 passes for 272 yards and a record seven touchdowns in a 52-6 win over SMU. We may never see either occur again, much less both on the same day from the same state.

The Mid-American Conference

In a discussion I had with him during the summer, MAC commissioner Rick Chryst expressed genuine bewilderment why conferences like the Mountain West and Conference USA get mentioned more frequently in BCS-related discussions than his. It doesn't jive with what takes place on the field, he said.

After Saturday, who could argue?

MAC teams have been knocking off major-conference teams with regularity for years, but never in such profound fashion as this. Marshall's victory over No. 6 Kansas State, Toledo's over No. 9 Pittsburgh and Northern Illinois' over No. 21 Alabama gave the MAC three wins over ranked teams in one day, a league first, with the sixth-ranked Wildcats their highest-ranked victim ever. Throw in NIU's season-opening win over Maryland and Bowling Green's over Purdue, and the MAC has beaten five ranked teams from five different BCS conferences.

The only sad thing about the MAC is that fan interest in the league has yet to catch up to the quality of its teams. The league's average attendance in 2002 was a mere 17,537, almost 7,500 behind the next lowest, the WAC, and ahead of only the Sun Belt. While those fans don't seem to realize what they have, the rest of the country has taken notice.

Oregon 31, Michigan 27

This game had it all -- both a blocked field goal and punt returned for touchdowns, two costly missed extra points, a recovered onsides kick, a near-comeback from 24-6 and, most of all, an electric atmosphere for one of those rare intersectional matchups of which college football fans can't get enough. Much credit goes to the Oregon defense, much-maligned a year ago, which not only shut down previously torrid Michigan running back Chris Perry but also rose to the occasion numerous times to halt the Wolverines' comeback bid, intercepting John Navarre with five minutes left when he'd driven down to the Ducks' 24 and, following the recovered onsides kick with just over two minutes left, causing a sack and three straight incompletions to seal things.

Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons threw for 586 yards, yet his team lost to N.C. State 49-21. ... Bruce Gradkowski, Toledo's third standout quarterback in three years, was a staggering 49-of-62 (79 percent) for 461 yards and three TDs against Pittsburgh, including the game-winner with 43 seconds left. ... On the other side, Panthers receiver Larry Fitzgerald had 12 catches for 201 yards. ... Iowa's defense held Andrew Walter and Arizona State to 184 total yards in a 21-2 rout. ... Florida State QB Chris Rix had a career day against Colorado, going 30-of-39 for 394 yards, 205 of them on eight passes to Craphonso Thorpe. ... Much-touted South Carolina frosh Demetris Summers held his coming-out party against UAB, carrying 21 times for 161 yards and three TDs in a 42-10 victory. ... Connecticut's Terry Caulley sprang for 234 yards and four TDs on 27 carries against Buffalo. ... Tennessee's 24-10 win at Florida gives Casey Clausen an 11-0 career road record, including 2-0 at the Swamp. ... Syracuse running back Walter Reyes stands atop the nation's rushing leaders after carrying 31 times for 241 yards and four touchdowns against Central Florida. ... Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones finally had his breakout game, burning Texas A&M for 188 yards and three TDs on 30 carries. ... Facing a Georgia Tech defense that had allowed a combined 17 points to Auburn and Florida State, Clemson produced its most lopsided victory over the Jackets in 100 years, 39-3. ... Oregon State QB Derek Anderson broke out of a slump to go 19-of-37 for 408 yards and receiver James Newson notched 208 on nine catches as the Beavers snapped Boise State's 13-game winning streak, 26-24. ... Ohio State safety Will Allen has intercepted a pass on the final play of the game three times (Cincinnati, Michigan, Bowling Green), all with the outcome still in doubt. ... Stanford held BYU to minus-5 rushing yards on 25 attempts in an 18-14 win. ... Another week, another huge game for Tulane QB J.P. Losman: 26-of-34, 350 yards, five TDs, no INTs in a 50-33 win at Army. ... Houston is 3-1 for the first time since 1990, and Mississippi State is 0-3 for the first time since 1968 following the Cougars' 42-35 victory over the Bulldogs.

I'd been warned prior to my first visit to Baton Rouge that the legendary Death Valley mystique was a myth. That assessment couldn't have been more wrong. Tiger Stadium was as loud as any I've ever heard during the dramatic fourth quarter of Saturday's Georgia game, the festivities surrounding it as advertised.

The streets were lined with purple and gold. Smoke emanated from the grills in the parking lot. Shouts of "Go Tigers" and "Tiger Bait" echoed from the stadium deep into the heart of campus.

And that was just Friday night.

It's funny how we keep getting mixed messages about the importance of home-field advantage in college football. I have no doubt LSU's crowd played a role in Georgia's offensive struggles Saturday, and Autzen Stadium surely contributed to Oregon's upset of Michigan. But at the same time, Tennessee went into the Swamp and won handily, Marshall won at Kansas State, Northern Illinois at Alabama, etc. Apparently the 12th Man isn't immune to off nights.

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.