By Mike Lopresti
Gannett News Service

Enjoy the weekend, Ohio State? As the unbeatens dropped like corporate CEOs Saturday, the 10-0 Buckeyes profited more than anyone.

Formerly just one of the gaggle of perfect records, they are now like the vice president. If anything happens to Miami or Oklahoma, Ohio State is next in line of succession for the national championship game.

The Buckeyes, oddly undermentioned most of the season, are an interesting bunch.

Maurice Clarett is a freshman running back on some Heisman lists, when he's not injured. Mike Nugent has made all 20 field-goal attempts. Wide receiver Chris Gamble also starts as cornerback. Or is that the other way around?

The defense is allowing 4.7 points per second half.

And the schedule is cooperative, with trips left to Purdue and Illinois - both under .500 - and the Michigan brawl in Columbus.

It's not just how many unbeatens fell on Saturday - Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Georgia and North Carolina State. And it's not just where they were upset - three at home and Georgia on a neutral field.

And it's not just by whom - Boston College, Pittsburgh, Florida and Georgia Tech were all unranked in last week's Associated Press poll.

But it was how....

A North Carolina State team averaging 41 points per game was held to 17 by Georgia Tech.

Virginia Tech, with the nation's No.1 defense against the run, gave up 275 rushing yards to Pittsburgh.

Notre Dame, blessed all season by causing turnovers, fumbled seven times.

Georgia, enjoying a season of clutch plays, was 0-for-13 in third-down conversions against Florida.

Notre Dame might have a new rivalry whether it wants one or not. As the Boston College players noted, why should anyone be surprised when the Eagles have beaten the Irish three times in four years?

Notre Dame probably was doomed by the inevitable. Sooner or later, a team pays for having the 109th offense in the nation.

Miami's status

Some polls say Miami is No.1. Go by actual results, and Oklahoma should be No.1. The Sooners have beaten three consecutive ranked teams. Meanwhile, Miami is a growing puzzle.

Is something wrong, or are the Hurricanes just bored until something better comes along?

In their past three games, they were lucky to beat Florida State, had to strain to pull away from West Virginia and trailed 1-8 Rutgers in the fourth quarter.

"Everyone's bringing their `A' game," said Miami defensive end Jerome McDougle, "and we're bringing our `D' game."

Hurricanes coach Larry Coker called for calm.

"No doubt we're the No.1 team in the country," he said. "We played a close game, but lots of teams play close games."

Coming attraction

Miami at Tennessee. The struggling Volunteers looked revived against South Carolina. And it's a bad month to try to be beating Tennessee. The Vols are 65-3 in November since 1985.

Quotable

"We aren't going to be a coaching staff or a program of young men that whine and complain about calls." - Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham, refusing to make much of an apparent Irish touchdown catch against Boston College that was ruled incomplete.

"It's too late for a turnaround. We'll be lucky to win another game." - Receiver Charles Rogers after Michigan State was pummeled 49-3 by Michigan, its worst loss in the rivalry in 55 years.

Stat of the week

It's not just that Nebraska is 73-2 at home since 1991, and both losses were to Texas. But the Longhorns' Mack Brown is one of only three active coaches to have ever beaten the Cornhuskers in Lincoln. The others are Florida State's Bobby Bowden and Penn State's Joe Paterno.

Thumbs up, down

Up to Akron. The other upsets got all the ink, but none were more surprising than the Zips, who came in 1-7, taking down Marshall and Byron Leftwich.

Up to Washington State. Cougars shake off internal bout - a linebacker punched out a cornerback last week - to beat Arizona State and take sole lead in Pac-10.

Down to Vanderbilt. And the beating goes on. Loss to Alabama guarantees 20th consecutive losing season.