OXFORD, Miss. — No. 3 Alabama is positively old-fashioned.

Other teams may have their shiny new spread offenses and pass-first mentality. The Crimson Tide just keeps getting it done with special teams and defense.

Alabama picked off four Jevan Snead passes and scored twice after special teams miscues to smother No. 20 Mississippi, 22-3, yesterday.

"This was the most complete win we've had all year, in a difficult situation," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "It's like climbing a mountain. The higher you go the more treacherous it gets."

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt had won two of his last three and three of five against Top 5 teams, giving the Rebels hope they could re-enter the race for the Southeastern Conference Western Division with an upset. But the Rebels (3-2, 1-2 SEC) wasted a strong defensive performance with early offensive mistakes and never had the kind of consistency needed to rattle one of the nation's top defenses.

Alabama (6-0, 4-0) couldn't generate much offense against the Rebels defense, but didn't need it. Mark Ingram rushed for 172 yards and the game's only touchdown and Leigh Tiffin hit five short field goals, one shy of the school's single-game record.

The defense made it stand up, forcing Snead into the four interceptions, which matched a career high. The Crimson Tide's Cory Reamer also blocked a punt and recovered a fumble on a punt return.

Snead completed 11 of 34 passes for 140 yards, missing badly occasionally but also suffering from dropped balls. Twice Alabama defenders ripped the ball away from Ole Miss receivers who were bobbling it.

"We had a couple of new wrinkles for the game and I think he knew what we were doing," Alabama linebacker Cory Reamer said. "But our defensive line was in his face. And that's tough for any quarterback."

Saban said the Tide hit Snead on practically every pass attempt in the first half and it showed in Ole Miss' production. Alabama held the Rebels to 19 yards and one first down in the first half on the way to a 16-0 lead and allowed them past the 50 just four times overall.

The Rebels' offense was in complete disarray in the first 30 minutes and some of the school-record 62,657 fans booed the home team as it ran off the field.

Snead completed just 2 of 12 passes for 14 yards with two interceptions and Alabama held the run-happy Rebels to 5 yards on the ground.

NO. 2 TEXAS 38, COLORADO 14

AUSTIN, Texas — Earl Thomas returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown and Ben Wells recovered a blocked punt for another score to help the Longhorns (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) rally from a 14-3 deficit to rout the Buffaloes (1-4, 0-1).

Jordan Shipley added a punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He also caught a 39-yard touchdown pass in the first half and finished with 147 yards on 11 receptions.

NO. 5 VIRGINIA TECH 48, BOSTON COLLEGE 14

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Tyrod Taylor threw two early touchdown passes, Ryan Williams ran for 159 yards and a TD, and the Hokies (5-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) took a 34-0 halftime lead to rout the Eagles (4-2, 2-2).

Boston College's initial first down came in the third quarter, and freshman David Shinskie's first completion came a few plays later. He finished 1 for 12 for 4 yards.

NO. 10 TCU 20, AIR FORCE 17

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — With temperatures in the teens and a frozen mist and drizzle falling, Andy Dalton threw for 198 yards, receiver Jeremy Kerley had a rushing touchdown and the Horned Frogs (5-0, 1-0 Mountain West) finished with 393 yards to beat the Falcons (3-3, 2-1).

NO. 11 MIAMI 48, FLORIDA A&M 16

Fourth-string halfback Damien Berry ran for 162 yards in 14 attempts, including a 35-yard touchdown and Thearon Collier scored on a 61-yard punt return to lead the host Hurricanes (4-1) past the Rattlers (4-1) in Miami.

NO. 12 IOWA 30, MICHIGAN 28

Ricky Stanzi threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns and the Hawkeyes (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) held off the Wolverines (4-2, 1-2) at Iowa City, Iowa when Brett Greenwood intercepted an Iowa pass with 46 seconds to play.

NO. 13 OREGON 24, UCLA 10

Kenjon Barner returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, and Talmadge Jackson returned an interception 32 yards for a score just 13 seconds later, helping the Ducks (5-1, 3-0 Pac-10) beat the Bruins (3-2, 0-2) at Pasadena, Calif.

NO. 14 PENN STATE 52, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3

Daryll Clark threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, Jared Odrick led a menacing defense with two sacks and linebacker Navorro Bowman returned a fumble 91 yards for a touchdown as the Nittany Lions (5-1) routed the Panthers (4-2) at State College, Pa.

NO. 15 OKLAHOMA STATE 36, TEXAS A&M 31

Zac Robinson threw two touchdown passes and Beau Johnson ran for two scores as the Cowboys (4-1) held off the Aggies (3-2) to win at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas for only the second time since 1983 in the Big 12 opener for both.

NO. 16 KANSAS 41, IOWA STATE 36

Todd Reesing threw for a career-high 442 yards and four touchdowns and the Jayhawks (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) watched as Austen Arnaud overthrew a wide-open Darius Darks in the end zone with about a minute left to beat the Cyclones (3-3, 0-2) at Lawrence, Kan.

ARKANSAS 44, NO. 17 AUBURN 23

Michael Smith rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown, and the Razorbacks (3-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) raced to a 27-3 halftime lead in upsetting the Tigers (5-1, 2-1) at Fayetteville, Ark.

NO. 19 OKLAHOMA 33, BAYLOR 7

Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford threw for 389 yards and a touchdown in his return from a shoulder injury and Chris Brown had two short scoring runs as the Sooners (3-2) beat the Bears (3-2) in the Big 12 opener for both at Norman, Okla.

NO. 22 GEORGIA 49, FLORIDA STATE 44

Josh Nesbitt ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as the Yellow Jackets (5-1, 3-1 ACC) handed the Seminoles (2-4, 0-3) their third straight loss amid growing pressure for coach Bobby Bowden to retire at the end of the season at Tallahassee, Fla.

NO. 25 SOUTH CAROLINA 28, KENTUCKY 26

Stephen Garcia threw for three touchdowns and ran for another and the Gamecocks (5-1, 2-1 SEC) stopped a potential tying two-point conversion with just under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter at Columbia, S.C., to beat the Wildcats (2-3, 0-3) for the 10th straight time.