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Purdue fails test; Badgers, Irish rebound

© Chuck Bednar

A lot of teams have had a lot to prove in 1999. Some were up-and-comers looking to carve their place as a member of college football's elite. Others were struggling powerhouses looking to bounce back from defeat. On Saturday, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame all had their chance to silence the critics and grab a piece of the national spotlight.

Prior to the season, this writer called Purdue a potential top five team. The Boilermakers had their chance to justify my faith in them in Ann Arbor this weekend, but the fourth-ranked Wolverines were just too much. Tom Brady passed for two touchdowns and Anthony Thomas ran for two more to snap Purdue's 10-game winning streak, 38-12. Brady was 15-of-25 for 250 yards to lead undefeated Michigan, who may be the team to beat in the Big Ten this season, while Heisman candidate Drew Brees completed 20-of-49 pass attempts for 293 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Wisconsin and its Heisman candidate, Ron Dayne, have endured a fair share of criticism following a pair of losses to Cincinnati and Michigan. But on Saturday, the Badgers exploded to erase a 17-0 deficit to upset No. 12 Ohio State, 42-17. Dayne carried the ball 32 times for 161 yards and four touchdowns. Not only was it the worst Ohio State loss at the Horseshoe in 32 years, but it was the first time the Buckeyes lost a Big Ten opener in 1992.

Like the Badgers, Notre Dame has drawn heat this season for looking uninspired and confused in muddling their way to a 1-3 record. But the Irish woke up on Saturday, and Jarious Jackson finally looked like a quarterback worthy of the Notre Dame tradition. Jackson threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as the Irish scored 20 unanswered points in the second-half in a 34-30 victory over 23rd ranked Oklahoma. It was Notre Dame's biggest comeback victory since 1986.

In this weekend's other big match-ups:

Alabama 40, Florida 39 (OT) -- The most dramatic game of the season to date. With the Crimson Tide trailing by a touchdown late in the game, Shaun Alexander scored on a 13-yard run late to force overtime. The Gators struck first in the extra period, when Doug Johnson hit Reche Caldwell for a 6-yard touchdown. But kicker Chris Chandler went wide right on the ensuing kickoff.

Alexander scored from 25-yards out on Alabama's first possession in OT. Placekicker Chris Kemp missed the extra point, but Florida was flagged for an offsides penalty. Kemp made good on the second chance, giving the Tide the one-point win and ending Florida's 30-game winning streak at The Swamp.

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