With the Bulls 42-24 win over previous unbeaten Ball State, Buffalo has been named the National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Dec. 6.
Buffalo forced five turnovers - four fumbles, two of which by start QB Nate Davis - to hand the Cardinals their first loss of the season and secure the Bulls first-ever league champions
hip. The victory is the first for Buffalo against Ball State (previously 0-7) and the school's first win against a ranked opponent.The turnovers ended Ball State's run at perfection, as the five turnovers contributed to 28 points. Buffalo was outgained in every place but the scoreboard, as the Cardinals had 200 more total yards that than the Bulls, converted more first downs, and held the ball for almost 10 more minutes. But it was Buffalo, which won just 10 games in seven seasons before coach Turner Gill took over the program in 2006, who held the MAC Championship Trophy.
The MAC Champions will close their season in Toronto against Connecticut in the International Bowl.
Other nominees for Southern Fans' National Team of the Week for the weekend of Dec. 6:
No. 2 Florida
W - No. 1 Alabama 31-20
Florida couldn't put up 42 points for an eighth straight game, but the SEC Champion Gators did lead Alabama in the second half, which had not happened to the Tide all season.
Navy
W - Army 34-0
The Midshipment recorded their first shutout over rival Army since 1978 and extended their winning streak over the Black Knights to seven games.
Army
L - Navy 34-0
Army broke out camouflage helmets, pants and jerseys and attempted to display their new option-based offense, but the Black Knights were still no match for the Midshipmen. Army becomes the first team to lose a game and be nominated for the National Team of the Week Award.
East Carolina
W - Tulsa 27-24
The Pirates secured the Conference USA title - their first in 32 years - with a last minute, 36-yard field goal by PK Ben Hartman and by forcing Tulsa into seven turnovers; the C-USA champions will face Kentucky in the Liberty Bowl.
With their 45-42 win over rival Georgia, Georgia Tech has been named the Southern Fans' National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Nov. 29.
Georgia Tech, which had not beaten their in-state rivals since 2000, scored 26 straight points while outrushing Georgia 201-1 in the third quarter to erase a 28-12 halftime defic
it. The Jackets did all their damage on the ground, as QB Josh Nesbitt only completed one pass. Georgia Tech rushed for 409 yards, the most given up by a UGA defense since allowing Vanderbilt 415 yards in 1994.Paul Johnson becomes the first Georgia Tech coach to win his first matchup vs. Georgia since Pepper Rodgers in 1974. The 87 total points were the second highest ever scored in the series.
Other nominees for Southern Fans' National Team of the Week for the weekend of Nov. 29:
No. 1 Alabama
W - Auburn, 36-0
The unbeaten Crimson Tide had already reached No. 1 in the nation, but it took a win over in-state rival Auburn to formally take back No. 1 in their own state, as Alabama won the Iron Bowl in blowout fashion - their first win over the Tigers since 2001, the first shutout since 1992 and the largest winning margin since 1972.
Oregon
W - No. 15 Oregon State 65-38
The Ducks ran up 694 yards of offense in a 65-38 win over rival Oregon State to spoil the Beavers' hopes of a clinching a Rose Bowl berth.
Clemson
W - South Carolina 31-14
Clemson may have a new coach, but the Tigers had the same effect over their in-state rival Gamecocks, as James Davis scored three touchdowns in a 31-14 win - the Tigers sixth in the last seven games in the series.
No. 3 Oklahoma
W - No. 11 Oklahoma State 61-41
Against their in-state rivals, the Sooners put up 60 points in its fourth straight game to make a statement that it should be the Big XII South representative in the championship game against Missouri.
No. 4 Texas
W - Texas A&M 49-9
The Longhorns blasted their in-state rivals by 40 points to make a statement that it should be the Big XII South representative in the championship game against Missouri.
Tennessee
W - Kentucky 28-10
Phil Fulmer's final regular season game as head coach at Tennessee ended the same way all his previous final regular season games ended - with a win over Kentucky, which has now lost 24 straight games to their southern rivals.
No. 9 Boise State
W - Fresno State 61-10
Boise State closed out their third undefeated season since 2004 by blowing out WAC rival Fresno State, as the Broncos put up 48 unanswered points on the Bulldogs.
The Southern Fans' Poll began naming a national team of the week this season. Members of the Southern Fan's pool of voters decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2008 college football season, the Southern Fans will name the National Team of the Week through Dec. 10.
2008 Southern Fans' National Teams of the Week
• Weekend of Aug. 30: Alabama
• Weekend of Sept. 6: East Carolina
• Weekend of Sept. 13: Southern California
• Weekend of Sept. 20: Louisiana State
• Weekend of Sept. 27: Ole Miss
• Weekend of Oct. 4: Vanderbilt
• Weekend of Oct. 11: Texas
• Weekend of Oct. 18: TCU
• Weekend of Oct. 25: Penn State
• Weekend of Nov. 1: Texas Tech
• Weekend of Nov. 8: Iowa
• Weekend of Nov. 15: Houston
• Weekend of Nov. 22: Syracuse
• Weekend of Nov. 29: Georgia Tech
• Weekend of Dec. 6: Buffalo
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