The Week

Texas scored its 33rd consecutive home-field victory, 35-15, by tattering Southern Methodist in a Southwest version of Buckle Down, Whindsocki. Two of the game's first three scores came after mini-punts caused by the flag-snapping wind. The first, a 10-yarder by Texas, resulted in a 49-yard Mustang field goal. Then in the second quarter with the 30-mph gusts in its face, SMU got off a wind-blunted 14-yard punt that led to a Longhorn TD. Texas Quarterback Marty Akins, running the triple option superbly, was the game's leading ground-gainer with 115 yards and also completed a touchdown pass, while losing a little face. He needed five stitches in a badly cut upper lip; it cost him his mustache.

Rice won its first game of the season by upsetting Texas Tech 21-7 and knocking the Red Raiders out of SWC title competition. The Raiders should have been forewarned. Rice has won only 11 games in the last three years, and eight of those have been in November. Owl Coach Al Conover, known for his psych techniques, tried something new. "I said and did nothing," he reports. Apparently it was enough to spook his team to a win.

Baylor beat TCU 21-7 and still has a prayer of winning the conference championship. Steve Beaird scored twice on runs of 12 and three yards, and Neal Jeffrey located Split End Alcy Jackson with a 20-yard pass for another in sending the Frogs down to their seventh straight defeat.

1. Texas A&M (6-1)
2. Texas (6-2)
3. Houston (6-2)

MIDWEST

After Ohio State routed much-injured Illinois 49-7, the stadium's victory bell tolled 200 times, once for each of Coach Woody Hayes' career victories. And as the largest crowd in the horseshoe's history (87,813) rose to applaud, the Buckeyes presented Woody with a stained-glass window in which was formed the auspicious number. "'There are not many people who can comprehend how good this Buckeye team is until they study films," Illini Coach Bob Blackmail said. "They had scored 15 of the last 21 times they had the ball coming into our game, and had averaged 52 points in four Big Ten games. After a while it becomes humorous—in a perverted way—watching Ohio State score." Woody saw it differently. "We sure started out to see how lousy we could be," he complained, although finally placated by a 644-yard offense, an Ohio State record.

"You have to play your best football game ever, the other team has to play way below the way it can, and the crowd has to make noise like crazy, even cheering the other team's mistakes," Indiana's Lee Corso said. He was explaining the Hoosiers encompassing game plan for beating Michigan. Well, Indiana did all that was asked, and Michigan still won 21-7. But for the second time in three years the Wolverines barely escaped a trap. Michigan did not get its clinching touchdown until Gil Chapman skirted right end with 36 seconds remaining, and even then Indiana drove to the Wolverine 14 before the game ended. "Instead of assuming the other team is terrible, why not give them credit?" Michigan's Bo Schembechler said. " Indiana's offense is well conceived and it doesn't make mistakes."

Michigan State upset nationally ranked Wisconsin 28-21, forcing two second-half Badger fumbles to set up touchdowns. Linebacker Terry McClowry, who had already caused one of those fumbles, sewed up the game by intercepting a pass in Spartan territory with less than two minutes left. Earlier scrambling Quarterback Charley Baggett broke the 21-21 tie by capping a 65-yard march with a five-yard TD sweep.

Northwestern won its first victory at Minnesota in 12 years, 21-13, on Jimmy Pooler's two TDs and Jim Trimble's 151 yards rushing. Purdue smashed Iowa 38-14.

Coach Barry Switzer was running a 102� temperature at halftime, when his Sooners were holding a bare 7-0 margin over Iowa State. But by game's end Switzer's thermometer had receded to a more comfortable 100� with a 28-10 win. The Sooners, all in a fever to get out of the halftime locker room before Switzer could bite them, swallowed two Cyclone fumbles in the first two minutes of the second half and were on the way to recovery as they converted both into touchdowns.