HOW THE AP TOP 25 FARED

1 Florida A 300-pound lineman lumbering--and then getting leveled--with the football 60 yards from the end zone on the game’s final play isn’t one of Steve Spurrier’s gimmick plays.

Lost at Auburn, 23-20

Record: 5-1

Next: at Georgia, Oct. 27

2 Miami If the Hurricanes keep this up, not even the BCS’ wacky computer network can keep them out of the national title game as it did last season--or in the name of Roy Kramer can it?

Won at No. 14 Florida State, 49-27

Record: 5-0

Next: West Virginia, Oct. 25

3 Oklahoma Sooner tight end Trent Smith, who would have only blocked in the Barry Switzer Wishbone days, caught a school-record four touchdown passes.

Won at

Kansas, 38-10

Record: 6-0

Next: Baylor, Saturday

4 Nebraska In a game at Waco, Texas, that was delayed 35 minutes by lightning, Thunder Collins accounted for 165 of the Cornhuskers’ 641 yards rushing.

Won at

Baylor, 48-7

Record: 6-0

Next: Texas Tech, Saturday

5 Oregon Historically speaking: The Ducks are off to their best start since 1964 and the 41-point win over the Golden Bears was the largest in a series that dates to 1899.

Won at

California, 48-7

Record: 6-0

Next: No. 23 Stanford, Saturday

6 Virginia Tech The Eagles blitzed on almost every down but Grant Noel, while not as nimble as Michael Vick, was quick enough to account for three touchdowns.

Defeated Boston College, 34-20

Record: 6-0

Next: Syracuse, Oct. 27

7 UCLA Let the campaigns begin: DeShaun Foster for the Heisman Trophy after a 301-yard rushing effort and Bruins for No. 1 after another dominant performance.

Defeated No. 10 Washington, 35-13

Record: 5-0

Next: California, Saturday

8 Fresno State The Bulldogs cleared a big hurdle to a possible unbeaten season on the clutch kicking of Asen Asparuhov.

Won at Colorado St., 25-22 (OT)

Record: 6-0

Next: Boise State, Friday

9 South Carolina Gamecock Coach Lou Holtz has fond memories of Arkansas, where he coached seven seasons, but this loss in the final minute will stay with him a while too.

Lost at

Arkansas, 10-7

Record: 5-1

Next: Vanderbilt, Saturday

10 Washington Taylor Barton’s first collegiate start was rough and tumble, particularly after that WWF blow he received from Bruins’ Mat Ball in the second quarter.

Lost at No. 7 UCLA, 35-13

Record: 4-1

Next: Arizona, Saturday

11 Texas Struggling Longhorn QB Chris Simms finds Cowboys’ 4-2-5 defense to his liking, with the same number of touchdown passes as defensive backs.

Defeated Oklahoma State, 45-17

Record: 5-1

Next: No. 20 Colorado, Saturday

12 Michigan You think former coach Bo Schembechler--Mr. Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust--approves of Wolverines passing so much to win games?

Defeated No. 17 Purdue, 24-10

Record: 5-1

Next: at Iowa, Oct. 27

13 Tennessee The Checkerboard Nation is still smarting from having a freshman quarterback guide Georgia to a last-second victory last week.

Did not play

Record: 3-1

Next: at Alabama, Saturday

14 Florida State Now that Seminoles have made their earliest exit from the national title race since 1990, there’s new curriculum at Bobby Bowden U.--Rebuilding 101.

Lost to No. 2 Miami, 49-27

Record: 3-2

Next: at Virginia, Saturday

15 Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Coach George O’Leary didn’t figure to lose to Terrapin Coach Ralph Friedgen--a former assistant and close friend--in his first season.

Lost to No. 22 Maryland, 20-17, Thursday

Record: 4-2

Next: N. Carolina St., Saturday

16 Clemson Woodrow Dantzler was nearly perfect in completing 23 of 27 passes and accounting for six TDs. His Tiger teammates were far from it with 20 penalties.

Won at North Carolina State, 45-37

Record: 4-1

Next: North Carolina, Saturday

17 Purdue The Boilermakers’ chances of winning weren’t enhanced by the fact quarterback Brandon Hance had to carry the ball so much--23 times for 22 yards.

Lost at No. 12 Michigan, 24-10

Record: 4-1

Next: Northwestern, Oct. 27

18 Brigham Young The force wasn’t exactly with the Cougars without leading rusher Luke Staley as they were held 27 points below their average.

Won at New Mexico, 24-20

Record: 6-0

Next: Air Force, Saturday

19 Georgia The Bulldogs could have come out flat after a big victory at Tennessee, but quickly flattened the SEC doormat Commodores.

Won at Vanderbilt, 30-14

Record: 3-1

Next: Kentucky, Saturday

20 Colorado The Buffaloes are making plays for Coach Gary Barnett the way Northwestern did in its magical 1995 season--with Joey Johnson’s late fumble return for a touchdown sealing the win.

Defeated No. 25 Texas A&M;, 31-21

Record: 4-1

Next: No. 11 Texas, Saturday

21 Ohio State The Buckeyes are making a habit of blowing big leads at home to the Badgers, who rallied from 17 points down just as they did two years ago.

Lost to

Wisconsin, 21-17

Record: 3-2

Next: San Diego State, Saturday

22 Maryland The surprising Terrapins showed they aren’t an ACC-ident waiting to happen as they took advantage of late Yellow Jacket mistakes to win in overtime.

Defeated No. 15 Georgia Tech, 20-17, Thursday

Record: 6-0

Next: Duke, Saturday

23 Stanford The Cardinal twice came back from 14-point deficits to no avail and shattered a dream. “We were going to go undefeated,” quarterback Randy Fasani said.

Lost to

Washington State, 45-39

Record: 3-1

Next: at No. 5 Oregon, Saturday

24 Kansas State The Wildcat offense reacted in Lubbock, Texas, as if it were encountering a Bobby Knight man-to-man defense.

Lost at Texas Tech, 38-19

Record: 2-3

Next: No. 25 Texas A&M;

25 Texas A&M; What’s tougher to accept: suffering your first loss of the season or vacating your No. 25 national ranking for Toledo?

Lost at Colo., 31-21

Record: 5-1

Next: at Kansas State, Sat.

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Compiled by Jim Rhode