Saturday's Lessons

For any fan of make-or-break games, last weekend was probably as good as it gets in college football. On a day that featured seven games between teams ranked in the Top 25, contenders emerged and pretenders were exposed

LOUISVILLE CAN PLAY WITH THE BIGGIES Even without the services of injured halfback Michael Bush and with quarterback Brian Brohm on the sideline for the final 25 minutes with a strained right thumb, the Cardinals hammered Miami 31-7. While running back Kolby Smith (left) and Louisville's top-ranked scoring offense kept humming, the defense made the biggest statement. Bringing extra rushers on almost every snap, the Cards stopped the Hurricanes on nine of 12 third-down plays. That aggressive D might make the difference when eighth-ranked Louisville hosts No. 4 West Virginia on Nov. 2 in a game that should decide the Big East championship. Even more intriguing, the game could coincide with the return of Brohm, who underwent surgery on Sunday morning.

THE SEC WILL BE HARD-PRESSED TO GET A TEAM TO THE BCS TITLE GAME Auburn's victory over then No. 6 LSU might have been the most entertaining 7-3 game in history, with both defenses dishing out a ridiculous amount of punishment. "That was pretty violent," Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox said after the game. "I'm already hurting." Things won't get much easier for running back Kenny Irons (left) and the Tigers. Second-ranked Auburn must still get by No. 5 Florida (which escaped Knoxville with a 21-20 win over 15th-ranked Tennessee), No. 9 Georgia and bitter rival Alabama. Florida and Georgia square off on Oct. 28 in Jacksonville. Then there's the SEC championship game. The SEC is the deepest and toughest conference in the country, which could be bad news for the conference's national title hopes. Good luck to Auburn, Florida, Georgia and unranked Alabama in trying to get through the season undefeated.

NEBRASKA ISN'T READY FOR PRIME TIME The Cornhuskers may be the favorite in a suspect Big 12 North, but they are still a long way from contending for a national championship, a fact made manifest by their 28-10 loss to third-ranked USC. Nebraska coach Bill Callahan never looked as if he believed he could win with his West Coast offense, sticking with a game plan that was unimaginative at best. Down 14-3 with 2:52 left in the first half, he called four straight running plays from his own 15, picking up one first down and draining the clock. Nebraska, now ranked 23rd, finished the game with just 68 yards on 36 carries, and quarterback Zac Taylor (above) attempted only 16 passes, but Callahan remained steadfast. "We were playing one of the best teams in the country, and the margin for error is minute," he said afterward. "We wanted to establish the run, and we felt we could run. You need to run the ball to win championships." Uh-huh. Those words had to rankle the 25,000 red-clad Cornhuskers fans who made the trek to Los Angeles.

TCU IS FOR REAL How 'bout them Horned Frogs! A slight underdog against high-scoring Texas Tech, TCU took a big step up with its decisive 12-3 victory. Running back Aaron Brown (left) and the Frogs' offense played keep-away, controlling the ball for almost 34 minutes, while the defense held the Red Raiders to 38 yards rushing, 204 yards passing and their lowest point total in six years. Coach Gary Patterson thinks it's time his No. 16 team, which has the longest winning streak in the land (13 games), gets its due. "I'm just telling you right now, I get tired of being treated like a stepchild in this state and this town," he said after beating Tech. "And my kids are too." O.K., Coach, but several tough tests remain, most notably against BYU on Sept. 28 and at Utah on Oct. 7.