Penn's chances of winning Ivy title take big hit

National: Logan Thomas, who had eight turnovers the previous two games (both losses), was 25-for-31 for 366 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions as Virginia Tech won at Miami, 42-24, to remain alive in the ACC's Coastal race.

Local: Rowan (7-2) linebacker Darren Dungee had 18 tackles in a 7-6 win at Kean (2-7). The Profs haven't allowed more than nine points in their last three games.

Princeton 38, Penn 26

The Quakers' (4-4, 3-2) chances of winning a second straight Ivy title, and fourth in 5 years, are just about over. They could still finish in a tie if they win their last two and Princeton (7-1, 5-0) loses out, but that's asking for a lot.

Penn is at Harvard (7-1, 4-1) this week, before closing at Cornell (1-7, 0-5). Princeton, which won at Harvard in triple overtime, has games left with Yale (5-3, 3-2) at home and Dartmouth (4-4, 3-2) away.

The Tigers haven't finished first since 2006, which was also the last time they beat Penn and the last time neither Penn nor Harvard got at least a share of the title. They were picked fifth in the preseason poll.

The Quakers, who scored the first 16 in the opening 18 minutes, led by six at the half. The visitors went in front for good with 7 minutes left in the third quarter, 24-23. Penn got within 31-26 with 9 1/2 minutes to go. Princeton then went 63 yards in 12 plays, converting four third downs, and Penn couldn't move the chains on its final possession.

It was Penn's second league loss at Franklin Field since 2008. The Homecoming crowd of 21,214 was the largest since 1996.

Billy Ragone, who missed the previous three games with an ankle injury, went 10-for-31 for 168 yards and was intercepted three times. Penn also lost three fumbles.

Quinn Epperly, a junior from Tennessee who originally committed to Vanderbilt, threw for 268 to go with a team-best 53 rushing. He accounted for three scores, 1 week after setting an Division I record by completing his first 29 passes.

Villanova 45, Rhode Island 0

The Wildcats, playing their fourth road game in 5 weeks, got their first shutout in 38 months. The defense - which hadn't been good enough the last month against the toughest schedule in FCS - gave up 88 yards and four first downs against Joe Trainer, Villanova's one-time defensive coordinator.

Villanova (5-5, 4-3 CAA), which had lost three straight (the first two by a combined three points), is off this week before closing against Delaware (7-3, 4-2) at Chester's PPL Park.

The Rams (3-8, 2-5) were down by 35 at halftime.

Villanova sophomore John Robertson rushed for 133 yards on 12 carries in less than three quarters. He tied a career best with four TDs, and also passed for 179. With 2,262 career rushing yards (1,240 this season) he now has more than any quarterback in program history.

Widener's Couve LaFate had a 91-yard TD run in a 52-20 win over King's. That was the team's longest since Billy "White Shoes" Johnson's 93-yarder on Oct. 28, 1972 against Ursinus.

* West Chester (9-1), ranked eighth in Division II, lost at home to No. 16 Bloomsburg (9-1), 31-28. So the Rams will not play in the PSAC title game as the East Division champs. But if they win at Clarion (4-6) this week they should still be in the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

There might be a new No. 2 in the polls, but the top spot remains the same.

Alabama had lost a home game in November each of the last two seasons. That didn't stop it from winning two national titles. On Saturday the Tide beat LSU, which had won five of the last six in Tuscaloosa, 38-17. It was the most points for 'Bama in the series since 1947 (41-12).

It was 17-all in the third period when 'Bama extended a drive near midfield via a fake punt. Soon, it was up seven. And things were never the same after that.

This was the first time 'Bama's even been tested since Sept. 14 at Texas A & M.

The Tide is at Mississippi State next. Then it's home against Chattanooga (really?) before going to Auburn on Nov. 30. If it gets to the SEC title game it would have to deal with either Missouri, South Carolina or Georgia.

Michigan, which hasn't won the Big Ten title since 2004, lost at home to Nebraska, 17-13, on a late lefthanded shovel pass by backup QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. The Wolves, who had minus-48 yards rushing last week at Michigan State, got minus-21 this time. They didn't rush for a first down. For the second straight week, Devin Gardner got sacked seven times.

It was their first home loss in 20 games there with Brady Hoke. After road trips to Northwestern and Iowa, their last one at the Big House will of course be against Ohio State, which by that point could be trying to extend its winning streak to 24 while hoping Alabama or Florida State pulls a hiccup.

Minnesota has won four straight Big Ten games for the first time in 4 decades.

* North Carolina State is 0-6 in the ACC for the first time in 54 years.

* Georgia's Aaron Murray passed Danny Wuerffel (115-114) for career TD passes in the SEC.

* Virginia Tech beat a Top 15 team on the road when it was unranked for just the second time. The other was in 1989, 12-10 over No. 9 West Virginia.

* USC had an NCAA record-tying three punt returns for TDs in a 62-28 win over Cal, two by Nelson Agholor.

* Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel tied a career-high with five TD passes in what could have been his final home game.

* Florida State tied a school record with six interceptions.

* Vanderbilt won at Florida for the first time since 1945. The Commodores beat Georgia and Florida in the same season for the first time ever.

* UCLA won at Arizona for the first time since 2003.

* Texas played an overtime game (47-40 win at West Virginia) for the first time in 16 seasons under Mack Brown.

* Central Florida took a huge step toward winning the first AAC title, and an automatic BCS bowl berth, by beating Houston at home.

* One week after a big comeback win at Towson, Delaware was held to minus-19 yards rushing, its second-lowest total ever, in a home loss to William & Mary.

MICHAEL JACK'S TOP 10
1. Alabama (9-0). Beat LSU, 38-17. Has held Mississippi State to 34 points in last five meetings. Saturday: at Mississippi State.
2. Florida State (9-0). Beat Wake Forest, 59-3. Only loss to Syracuse was in 1966. Saturday: vs. Syracuse.
3. Ohio State (9-0). Idle. Hasn't lost to Illinois since 2007. Last year it was 52-22. Saturday: at Illinois.
4. Stanford (8-1). Beat Oregon, 26-20. Hasn't lost to Southern Cal since 2008. Saturday: at USC.
5. Baylor (8-0). Beat Oklahoma, 41-12. Trying to beat Texas Tech three straight for first time since 1985-87. Saturday: vs. Texas Tech in Arlington.
6. Missouri (9-1). Beat Kentucky, 48-17. Doesn't seem to matter who plays quarterback. Next: Nov. 23 at Mississippi.
7. Auburn (9-1). Beat Tennessee, 55-23. Has lost three straight to Georgia. Last two were ugly. Saturday: vs. Georgia.
8. Oregon (8-1). Lost at Stanford, 26-20. Good thing it only plays Stanford once a year. Saturday: vs. Utah.
9. Clemson (8-1). Idle. Lost last four at Georgia Tech. Thursday: vs. Georgia Tech.
10. Texas A&M (8-2). Beat Mississippi State, 51-41. Lost to LSU at home last year. Next: Nov. 23 at LSU.
Five worth considering: South Carolina, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Central Florida and Louisville.
FRAUD FIVE
Some weeks it's too easy.
Oregon: If you want to finally prove you can play with teams that punch you in the mouth, then you have to do better than that. Especially in a revenge situation.
Oklahoma: It's OK to lose at Baylor. But maybe not by that much.
Florida: Can't be losing to Vanderbilt at home for first time in forever. And not by 17. Gators looking at first losing season in 3 1/2  decades.
Michigan: Maybe it's OK to lose to Nebraska at home. But that's 2 straight weeks the offense has stunk.
Miami: Maybe it's OK to lose to Virgina Tech, which has stunk lately, even at home. Especially coming off Florida State. But probably not by 18.
Dishonorable mention: Notre Dame. How did the Irish beat Michigan State and Arizona State?