The Wildcats and second-year coach Ron Prince handed Texas its most lopsided loss in 10 years under coach Mack Brown.

“We’re not used to losing like that around here, especially like that,” Brown said. “We’ve got to regroup.”

Rutgers moved into the top-10 for the second time in school history this week and just like the first time, when the Scarlet Knights lost to Cincinnati last season, they couldn’t live up to their lofty status.

Maryland had dropped two straight and was coming off a disheartening 31-24 overtime loss to Wake Forest in which the Terps blew a 21-point lead.

Like Oklahoma, however, Rutgers had not been challenged and couldn’t respond when it was.

The Terps jumped out to a 14-3 lead, withstood a Rutgers comeback, and wrapped it up as backup quarterback Chris Turner led three second-half scoring drives. Rutgers star Ray Rice managed 97 yards on 21 carries and touchdown.

“This feels nothing like the Cincinnati loss,” said Rice of last year’s blowout. “We fought today. They were just the better team at the end. They just executed when they needed to execute and we didn’t execute.”

The Big East started the season with three teams — Rutgers, West Virginia and Louisville — all considered national title contenders.

Before the end of September, all three have lost and South Florida might just be the Big East’s best shot to reach the national title game.

Clemson wasn’t talking national title before the season, but a 4-0 start had the Tigers edging to the front of a muddled Atlantic Coast Conference.

Well, it’s back to the pack for Clemson after Georgia Tech snapped a two-game losing streak 13-3.

Clemson’s dynamic tailback duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller, who combined for over 300 yard rushing in a lopsided victory over Georgia Tech last season, were held to 62 yards combined by the Yellow Jackets.

“I let my team down,” Spiller said.

He surely wasn’t the only player from a top-ranked team feeling that way Saturday night.

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