In one of the more impressive beat downs of the college season, No. 4 TCU beat Utah like a rented mule on Saturday night. The Horned Frogs jumped out to a 38-14 halftime lead, in route to a 55-28 victory.

TCU dominated every phase of this game, while racking up 342 rushing yards and holding Utah to just 284 yards.

Let me repeat that: TCU GAINED 342 RUSHING YARDS. Three hundred and forty two. Three…forty…two. That’s an ass-kicking of epic proportions.

TCU proved tonight that Utah didn’t belong on the same field as them. I don’t know how the Utes scored 28 points, because the Horned Frogs flustered freshman Jonathan Wynn (16-of-32 219 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) the entire night, even if his final stats would suggest otherwise. Utah had no clue how to stop TCU and the Utes didn’t help themselves by allowing TCU to block a punt and return an interception for a touchdown.

I would love to see what TCU could do against Florida, Alabama or Texas. Some might suggest that they would get blown out, but don’t forget that Utah handled Alabama last year in the Sugar Bowl when nobody thought a Mountain West team could beat a SEC squad. So don’t jump to conclusions and assume the Horned Frogs couldn’t go toe to toe with one of the top three teams in the nation.

If you haven’t seen this TCU team play yet, you’re missing out. The Horned Frogs have one of the fastest, most aggressive defenses in the nation and an explosive offense to match it. Most would disagree, but I think they could match what Florida, Alabama and Texas bring to the table.

As spring practices wrap up across the country, Andy Staples of SI.com ranked the top 25 college football teams entering the 2009 season. You can see Staples’ rankings by clicking the link above.

I’m intrigued by a couple of teams on his top 25, most notably Ole’ Miss (No. 7), Ohio State (No. 9) and TCU (No. 11).

Ole’ Miss is going to give a lot of SEC teams trouble this year with 16 total starters (8 on offense, 8 on defense) returning from last year, including quarterback Jevan Snead, who enters his second full season as a starter after throwing 26 touchdowns last season. They lost key components in offensive tackle Michael Oher and defensive tackle Peria Jerry, but they essentially return the same team that beat Florida, LSU and stomped Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl last year. (Not to mention also gave Alabama a game in Tuscaloosa.)

Out of the teams Staples ranks in his top 10, Ohio State has the fewest returning starters at nine. But quarterback Terrelle Pryor will only continue to improve with more playing time and running back Dan “Boom” Herron will ease the loss of Beanie Wells to the NFL. The Buckeyes should also have one of the best defensive fronts in the Big Ten, with end Lawrence Wilson and tackle Cameron Heyward set to return.

TCU turned a lot of heads last year after compiling an 11-2 record, including impressive wins over BYU and Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. They had one of the fastest defenses in the nation last year and they held opponents to a staggering 11.3 points per game. But they lost seven starters on the defensive side of the ball, which was obviously their strength, so it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll stack up with Utah again in the Mountain West.

Another team to keep an eye on is Oregon State, who returns two explosive playmakers in running back Jacquizz Rodgers and wide receiver James Rodgers. But as Staples writes in his top 25 rankings, quarterback Lyle Moevano is coming off offseason shoulder surgery and will battle senior Sean Canfield in preseason practice.

The final votes are in and to the shock and dismay of approximately zero people, the Florida Gators are college football’s No. 1 team. The undefeated Utah Utes are No. 2.

The Gators received 48 first-place votes and 1,606 points in the poll released early Friday, after they beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS national title game.

Utah, the only team in major college football to go undefeated this season, got 16 first-place votes and 1,519 points.

“I thought we had an outside chance,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said in a telephone interview with the AP. “There was enough national sentiment, I thought we might get the No. 1 slot. It wasn’t to be.”

Florida won its third AP national championship and second in the last three seasons. Steve Spurrier and Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel led the Gators to the 1996 title.

No. 3 USC received one first-place vote. Texas was No. 4, and will have to settle with finishing ahead of fifth-ranked Oklahoma.

The Utes from the Mountain West Conference swept through their regular season, while Florida and Alabama from the SEC, Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 and Southern California from the Pac-10, jockeyed for position in the national title chase.

The Mountain West does not have an automatic bid to the BCS — it’s not considered a strong enough league to deserve one — but the Utes earned their way in.

Utah was seventh in the final regular-season poll, but that perfect record looked much more impressive after the Utes beat Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl last week.

The Pac-10 should do the right thing and bring Utah and BYU (or TCU?) into its conference. Then they could have a conference championship game and Utah and BYU (or TCU?) could show how good they really are.

Imagine if the NFL had the same system college football has. We wouldn’t have had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time when the Giants beat the Patriots last year, because the Giants would have been ranked No. 6 in the polls.

On some levels, there might not have been a more underrated team in college football this season than the TCU Horned Frogs. But because of one bad drive in a loss to Utah in early November, TCU will mostly be known this season for knocking off previously undefeated Boise State, 17-16 in the Poinsettia Bowl.

As impressive as it was to hold the Broncos’ explosive offense to only 16 points, the Horned Frogs could have accomplished more this season – much more. And that’s not a knock on what they did achieve, because going 11-2 and defeating the No. 9 team in the nation in a bowl is pretty damn impressive. But imagine if TCU hadn’t wilted in the final minutes against the Utes?

For those who missed the best game in the Mountain West this season, TCU’s defense had stifled a Utah offense that averaged over 35 points per game in 2008 for 57 minutes. But two missed field goals in the fourth quarter kept the Utes in the game down just 10-6 and before you knew it, Utah drove the length of the field, scored the game-winning touchdown and left the Frogs in disbelief. Their 13-10 win essentially became a springboard for Utah to roll through the rest of its schedule and earn a trip to the Cotton Bowl to take on Alabama on New Year’s Day.

TCU’s defense was one of the fastest and most underrated units in college football this year. Their talent was on display Tuesday night, as they came up with big play after big play to contain an otherwise dynamic Boise offense. Even when they trailed 13-7 midway through the third quarter, you got the sense that if the Frog offense could just muster another touchdown that the defense would shut the door.

TCU’s offense eventually added another 10 points and when Boise had a chance to march down the field on its final drive for a win-stealing score, the Frog defense wasn’t going to be beaten the same way they had by Utah earlier in the year.

Nothing against the Utes because they’re another vastly underrated team, but I would have loved to see what TCU’s defense could have done against an SEC team like ‘Bama. But, we were one bad drive away from seeing that matchup.

For all the BCS supporters that say the system is set up fairly, I’d like to point out what bowl undefeated Boise State is playing in this year: The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

That’s right, the Broncos get the honor of playing in the honored tradition of the ole’ SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl against TCU on December 23 at who-gives-a-sh*t PM ET.

So let me see if I got this right. Boise State goes undefeated throughout the regular season, ranks in the top 10 of the BCS standings and what does that get them? The Poinsettia Bowl. Sweet.

The matchup is actually pretty good; the Horned Frogs have one of the fastest and most underrated defenses in college football and should match up well with the Broncos’ potent offense.

But the Poinsettia Bowl is the best college football can do for Boise State? I know they didn’t play anybody outside of Oregon and don’t have the tradition or fan-power as say Ohio State, who, by the way, got the at-large bid over Boise to play Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. But the Poinsettia Bowl on December 23rd? Weak!

Top 25 vs. Top 25

No. 1 Alabama at No. 16 LSU, 3:30 PM ET Saturday
Nick Saban doesn’t want the focus to be on him this week and for good reason since he spurned LSU a few years ago to go fail in the NFL. That storyline might be a little overrated though, because it’s doubtful the current Tiger players Saban recruited care much about beating him on Saturday. They’ll have more motivation beating a hated rival and knocking off the No. 1 team in the nation. ‘Bama has had issues playing four full quarters all season – will this be the week they finally play a full game and soundly beat a quality opponent? Or will LSU sustain the Tide’s initial punch and come through in the second half? This game is what SEC football is all about and we should expect nothing more than a close, physical matchup that comes down to the wire, even though Alabama has the superior team.

No. 12 TCU at No. 8 Utah, 8:00 PM ET Thursday
The Horned Frogs have the opportunity to knock off yet another MWC foe out of BCS title contention this Saturday when they pay a trip to Utah. TCU has held its previous five opponents to only 8.4 points per game and have also limited eight foes to a 2008 season low in yards, which is the most of any team in Division I football. Pundits love what the Frogs bring to the table defensively, but the Utes have plenty to offer themselves. Utah has held four of its opponents to season lows in yardage and has won nine in a row at home. They’ve also beaten TCU the past two meetings and obviously have a ton to play for.

No. 11 Ohio State at No. 24 Northwestern, 12:00 PM ET
The Wildcats got a lot of people’s attention last week when they pulled off a miracle upset of Minnesota in the final seconds of the game. But Ohio State has had over a week to stew about the loss to Penn State and they’ve had a ton of success against Northwestern over the past couple of years. The Buckeyes have allowed just 23 total points the past three games and it’s highly doubtful backup quarterback Mike Kakfa puts together back-to-back solid performances. It’ll be interesting to see how freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor rebounds after his crucial fumble played a big role in OSU’s loss to the Nittany Lions.

No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 2 Texas Tech, 8:00 PM ET, Saturday
It’s no wonder why people keep talking about the Big 12 being the superior conference this season when it keeps churning out fantastic matchups like this every week. Tech had zero time to celebrate its win over Texas last week because the Cowboys offer another potential roadblock to the Raiders’ BCS title hopes. Much like last week, this game features a pair of Heisman Trophy candidates at quarterback in Graham Harrell and Zac Robinson. Can Tech continue to post 500 yards of offense every game or will Mike Leach’s team eventually stumble? OK State hasn’t won in Lubbock since 1944, but the Cowboys have played very well on the road under Mike Gundy and are hoping a win could elevate their BCS status after they hung tough with Texas a few weeks ago. Can the Raiders play as well defensively as they did last week against the Longhorns or will yet another top 5 team get picked off?

No. 21 California at No. 7 USC, 8:00 PM ET, Saturday
Many pundits have had this game circled as one where the Trojans could potentially fall victim to an upset. The Bears usually play USC close and fought the Trojans to the final whistle last year before losing by only a touchdown. USC struggled a bit last week in Arizona, but are incredibly tough to beat at the Coliseum. Maybe head coach Pete Carroll will call upon “Captain Compete” to rally his team again before the game.

No. 20 Georgia Tech at No. 19 North Carolina, 12:00 PM ET, Saturday
The Yellow Jackets struggled again last week but managed to knock off Florida State with a last second field goal after a goal line stop and a fumble recovery in the end zone (thank you reader GTA for the correction). Tech is 9-1 against the Heels in their last 10 meetings, but UNC has 17 interceptions on the season, which ties them for the most in the nation. The key in this game will be whether or not the Heels can stop Tech’s relentless ground attack for four quarters. If the Jackets find success on the ground, there will be no reason to put the ball in the air often and risk turning the ball over to a ball-hawking UNC defense.

Other Notable Games:

No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions at Iowa, 3:30 PM ET, Saturday
Those fans that don’t want to see another Big Ten team play for a national championship will be watching this game with hopes that the Hawkeyes can pull off a huge upset. The Lions probably won’t faced another ranked team the rest of the way, although Iowa and Michigan State are no pushovers. PSU is coming off a bye week – will they come out flat or determine after moving down in the rankings?

They had trailed all game and their BCS hopes appeared to be dashed. Yet back-to-back missed field goals by TCU had kept No. 8 Utah alive.

Down 10-6 the entire second half, the Utes started at their own 20 with 2:48 left in the game. There, QB Brian Johnson marched Utah down the field in rhythmic fashion, even completing an 11-yard pass on a 4th and 5 from TCU’s 26-yard line. Then, on a 2nd and 4 from the TCU 9-yard line, Johnson found Freddie Brown for the go-ahead touchdown with only 47 seconds to play. Utah held on the final 47 seconds for a 13-10 win.

It took the Utes nine plays and 80 yards, but they had saved their season. For the No. 12 Horned Frogs, it had taken them just two minutes and one second from blowing the opportunity to knock off the No. 8 team in the nation and perhaps climb into the top 10 themselves.

Utah’s comeback was incredibly impressive and what a game by the senior Johnson. But TCU blew a golden opportunity to put the Utes away several times in the fourth quarter. Twice they had marched into the red zone with less than seven minutes remaining in the game and twice they were unable to put the game away with touchdowns or even field goals, as they missed two 30-yard attempts that would have at least kept the game tied once Utah scored.

It’s hard to blame TCU’s defense for finally yielding in the final minutes. Normally when you hold the No. 8 team to only 13 points (including 6 until the final three minutes left in the game) you should walk away with a victory.

TCU absolutely hammered No. 9 BYU Thursday night, 32-7 in what was a route from the very beginning. And as Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake City Tribune writes, even though TCU’s victory provided a major upset, the Mountain West loses out on a whole with BYU falling from the rankings.

We’ll know more when the first BCS standings of the season are published Sunday, but BYU obviously is the big loser at the moment – and so, potentially, is the Mountain West. The winner might be Boise State. It could become a case where the MWC schools – with Utah hosting both the Frogs and Cougars next month – knock each other out and push Boise State into the one BCS slot promised to an outsider that finishes in the top 12.

Clearly, BYU did not even belong on the same field with TCU. The Frogs confused, rattled and frustrated the Cougars. Quarterback Andy Dalton picked on BYU’s cornerbacks with sideline patterns, a direct snap to receiver Jeremy Kerley worked nearly every time, and TCU sustained long drives.

That was a complete smack down, but the Cougars had their opportunities. Multiple times BYU drove into the red zone only to come away with one touchdown. Max Hall threw two interceptions in TCU territory and fumbled once more. On a night where the Horned Frogs played their best game of the season, BYU couldn’t afford to make any mistakes and that’s exactly what happened.

Top 25 vs. Top 25

No. 11 Missouri at No. 1 Texas, 8:00 PM ET
For their first game after being crowned number one in the land, surely the Longhorns would rather face a Big 12 cupcake than a pissed off Tigers team reeling from suffering their first loss of the season. But at least Colt McCoy and Co. don’t have to worry about suffering a letdown after their thrilling win over top rival Oklahoma last weekend. Speaking of McCoy, he’s been nearly perfect this season, completing 79.4% of his passes and compiling 17 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He’ll get the chance to light up a suspect MIZZOU defense, although don’t expect Heisman candidate Chase Daniel to have back to back bad games, especially against a UT defensive unit that was destroyed by Sam Bradford and the Sooners. Remarkably, Daniel and the Tigers have scored in 23 of 24 quarters this season. Oddsmakers have made MIZZOU a 7-point underdog.

No. 16 Kansas at No. 4 Oklahoma, 3:30 PM ET
Despite walking away with victories, the Jayhawks have not played very sharp the past two weeks. In their 12-1 campaign last season, KU didn’t have to face the powerhouse programs of the Big 12, but they’re not as fortunate this year. Neither team is running the ball as well as they would like, but the Sooners will be looking to make a statement after losing to Texas last week. If sophomore QB Sam Bradford could hang 35 points on the Longhorns, imagine what he’ll do to the Jayhawks. Still, Kansas isn’t a pushover and is looking to make a statement in the polls as well.

No. 22 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Georgia, 12:30 PM ET
One might assume that since the Commodores suffered a crushing blow last week to Mississippi that they’d roll over and play dead this week in Athens. But Vandy has enough speed and athleticism to contain UGA’s explosive offense and they should be able to keep things close. The hard part will be containing QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno for four quarters, however. And if the ‘Dores can’t come up with a turnover or two, the Dogs should pull away in the end. Still, expect a bounce back week for Vandy, who could expose a young UGA secondary ranked 11th in the SEC.

No. 12 Ohio State at No. 20 Michigan State, 3:30 PM ET
It’ll be interesting to see if the Spartans can catch the Buckeyes looking ahead to their date next week with No. 3 Penn State. OSU has had a tough time moving anywhere in the rankings since being blown out by USC in mid-September, but they could use the next two weeks to make a huge statement to voters. MSU is playing awfully well right now, especially on offense where QB Brian Hoyer has provided balance with the dynamic running style of Javon Ringer. Since making a splash against Troy, Buckeye freshman QB Terrelle Pryor has leveled off in recent weeks, throwing for just 104 yards per game and one touchdown in his last three outings. RB Beanie Wells also seems to still be suffering lingering effects from an early-season toe injury as he rushed for only 94 yards on 22 carries last week against Purdue. Next Saturday’s PSU-OSU matchup should be great, but Sparty isn’t going to be a pushover this week in East Lansing.

Upset Watch:No. 9 BYU at TCU, Thursday, October 16
The Cougars arguably get their first test of the season against a Horned Frogs team that has already faced the likes of Oklahoma. TCU’s defense will provide a challenge BYU QB Max Hall and the high-powered Cougar passing attack and even though he’s a backup, Frog’s QB Marcus Jackson has led the team to back-to-back wins. TCU is also incredibly tough to beat in Fort Worth, so beware a major upset on Thursday night. (Of course the last time I suggested that BYU could be upset, they beat UCLA 59-0.)