As many bowl games will be played on New Year’s Eve as on New Year’s Day. Three bowls are scheduled for Jan. 2 and the Fiesta Bowl will be played Jan. 5.

The days when the college football season usually ended on Jan. 1 with a flurry of about eight mostly must-see games are long gone.

Whether this is good, bad or simply different is a personal choice, but the BCS and the overcrowded bowl lineup have made it so.

It has also taken much of the luster from what was once a major achievement in college football: playing on New Year’s Day.

The BCS is mostly to blame for this. The Bowl Championship Series, wanting to give each major bowl its own exclusive TV spot, pushed the Sugar, Fiesta and Orange off Jan. 1 – depending on the year – and extended the college football season.

Still, Jan. 1 remained a line of demarcation. The games played on or after Jan. 1 were big. Those played before, not so much.

New Year’s Day is still sacred. The five games to be played Jan. 1 all qualify as tradition-rich, quality bowls. But among the other games played in the first few days of 2009 are the GMAC Bowl and the International Bowl, both third-tier games.

Playing after the calendar turns over is no longer only for the college football elite – no offense, East Carolina, Connecticut and Ball State.

At least the last game is the most important: No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Oklahoma on Jan. 8 in Miami for the BCS national title.

The picks:

Armed Forces Bowl: Houston (minus 3 1/2) vs. Air Force – Freaks of nature: High-flying Cougars vs. ground-bound Falcons. AIR FORCE 37-31.

Sun Bowl: Oregon State (minus 2 1/2) vs. Pittsburgh – Panthers’ first bowl since 2005 Fiesta. OREGON STATE 27-23.

Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt (plus 3 1/2) vs. Boston College – Eagles have won eight straight bowls. BOSTON COLLEGE 24-10.

Insight Bowl: Kansas (minus 9 1/2) vs. Minnesota – Gophers stumble into Arizona with four straight losses. KANSAS 40-27.

Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU (plus 4) vs. Georgia Tech – How motivated will Tigers be to decipher Tech’s option? GEORGIA TECH 42-28.

Outback Bowl: Iowa (minus 3 1/2) vs. South Carolina – With two good D’s, one Shonn Greene makes difference. IOWA 20-14.

Capital One Bowl: Georgia (minus 7 1/2) vs. Michigan State – Nice season for Spartans, but they’ve been buried by top opponents. GEORGIA 35-14.

Gator Bowl: Nebraska (plus 2 1/2) vs. Clemson – Only meeting was 1982 Orange Bowl; Tigers won, only national title. NEBRASKA 34-24.

Rose Bowl: Southern California (minus 9 1/2) vs. Penn State – Trojans have outscored Big Ten teams 147-66 in four BCS victories. USC 27-14.

Orange Bowl: Cincinnati (minus 2 1/2) vs. Virginia Tech – ACC is 1-9 in BCS games; Big East has won three in a row. VIRGINIA TECH 24-21.

Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech (minus 4 1/2) vs. Mississippi – Rising Rebels can hang with Red Raiders for a while. TEXAS TECH 42-30.

Liberty Bowl: Kentucky (plus 3) vs. East Carolina – Pirates were September sensations, slumped, but finished C-USA champs. KENTUCKY 17-14.

Sugar Bowl: Utah (plus 10) vs. Alabama: Tide too big, too tough, too close to home for BCS busters. ALABAMA 31-14.

International Bowl: Connecticut (minus 4 1/2) vs. Buffalo – Huskies’ Donald Brown leads nation in rushing. UCONN 24-17.

Fiesta Bowl: Texas (minus 8 1/2) vs. Ohio State – Two teams trying to prove a point. TEXAS 36-21.

GMAC Bowl: Tulsa (plus 2 1/2) vs. Ball State – Mobile-based bowl is typically high-scoring affair. TULSA 50-48.

BCS National Championship: Florida (minus 3) vs. Oklahoma – Winning coach becomes first with two BCS titles. FLORIDA 45-35.

If QB Sam Bradford (left) leads his Oklahoma Sooners to a win, things get tricky for the BCS.

Those who prefer a jumbled and angst-filled race to the BCS national championship game should be rooting for Oklahoma in Saturday’s latest Big 12 game of the year between the Sooners and Texas Tech.

“It is as big as it gets,” Oklahoma receiver Juan Iglesias said. “Just for the fact that all of our goals are still in reach, and if we win you never know what’s going to happen in the BCS.”

No truer words were ever spoken.

Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree and the Red Raiders can clinch the Big 12 South title in Norman, Okla. – where OU has won 23 straight – and remain in control of the national championship chase.

All that would stand in the way of the Red Raiders and spot in the Jan. 8 title game in Miami is a home game against Baylor and the Big 12 championship against Missouri on Dec. 6.

Simple – and sort of boring.

If Sam Bradford and the Sooners win, well then things get tricky. Oklahoma still has to play at Oklahoma State next week and Texas faces Texas A&M on Thanksgiving.

If the Sooners, Longhorns and Red Raiders finish tied for first in the Big 12 South, the Bowl Championship Series standings would be the tiebreaker. The highest rated team would go to the conference title game. So, essentially, voters in the coaches’ poll and Harris poll would determine which Big 12 South team keeps its national title hopes alive. The only guarantee in that scenario is two very ticked off Big 12 powerhouses, upset about being snubbed.

And, remember, only two teams per conference are allowed in the BCS, so one of those three teams is going to end up in the Cotton Bowl, doing its best to convince everyone it is thrilled to be there.

Two more games to watch for those who enjoy a messy BCS:

• Penn State can lock up the Rose Bowl by beating Michigan State. Easy. If the Spartans win and Ohio State beats Michigan, Ohio State goes to the Rose Bowl. Not too complicated there. But what becomes of Penn State and Michigan State? Could either earn an at-large bid to the BCS?

• Unbeaten Utah could lock up an automatic bid to the BCS by beating Mountain West Conference rival BYU. If the Cougars beat the Utes, Boise State moves into prime position to be the BCS buster.

Game The skinny Outcome

Saturday

No. 2 Texas Tech (plus 7) at No. 5 Oklahoma Red Raiders haven’t won in Norman since 1996 OKLAHOMA 47-35

The Citadel (no line) at No. 3 Florida Half-day for Tim Tebow FLORIDA 50-0

No. 17 Michigan State (plus 14 1/2) at No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions last Rose Bowl appearance was 1995 PENN STATE 38-21

No. 16 BYU (plus 6) at No. 8 Utah Cougars have won last two meetings on last-minute touchdowns BYU 28-24

No. 9 Boise State (minus 6) at Nevada BCS buster busted NEVADA 34-31

Michigan (plus 20 1/2) at No. 10 Ohio State Win this one, Rich Rodriguez, and all is forgiven OHIO STATE 41-17

Air Force (plus 18) at No. 15 TCU Could this be Gary Patterson’s last game as TCU coach? TCU 21-10

Mississippi (plus 4 1/2) at No. 18 LSU Tigers have won six straight meetings, but games usually close LSU 34-27

No. 20 Pittsburgh (plus 5) at No. 19 Cincinnati Winner gets 96-pound River City Rivalry Trophy, inside track to Big East title CINCINNATI 30-23

No. 21 Oregon St. (plus 3) at Arizona Beavers rolling with Rose Bowl in sight OREGON STATE 31-24

Florida State (plus 1) at No. 22 Maryland Terps 4-0 against ranked teams, but all three losses to unranked teams MARYLAND 24-21

North Carolina St. (plus 11) at No. 25 North Carolina Injuries have slowed Tar Heels NORTH CAROLINA 30-14

Last week: 16-2 (straight); 11-6-1 (vs. points). Season: 177-49 (straight); 112-98-1 (vs. points).

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SATURDAY’S NOTABLE TV GAMES

Michigan at Ohio State, 10 a.m., ABC

Michigan State at Penn State, 1:30 p.m., ABC

Texas Tech at Oklahoma, 6 p.m., ABC

LSU won’t be repeating as national champion. Lopsided losses to Florida and Georgia sealed that deal.

The Tigers do have one shot to affect the title race in a game that could help their fans forget all about those ugly outings against the Gators and Dogs.

Former LSU coach Nick Saban brings his top-ranked Alabama team to Death Valley.

In Saban’s first game in Baton Rouge as Alabama coach, the Crimson Tide can clinch the SEC West with a victory and stay on course for a shot at the national championship.

Forget the fact that LSU stays in the SEC West race with a win. Even with a loss, the Tide would leave Louisiana with a one-game lead on the Tigers and only home games against Mississippi State and Auburn to go.

This is about revenge for many Tigers fans who felt betrayed when Saban left town after the 2004 season for the Miami Dolphins.

Saban led LSU to a BCS national title in 2003 and laid the foundation for the team that coach Les Miles led to another championship last season.

Saturday

No. 1 Alabama (minus 3.5) at No. 15 LSU Tigers have won five straight against ‘Bama ALABAMA 28-24

No. 8 Oklahoma State (plus 3) at No. 2 Texas Tech Another crazy night on the Plains OKLAHOMA STATE 37-34

No. 3 Penn State (plus 7.5) at Iowa Biggest stumbling block between JoePa and unbeaten regular season PENN ST. 31-17

No. 4 Florida (minus 24) at Vanderbilt Remember when Commodores were feel-good story of season? FLORIDA 47-10

Baylor (plus 26) at No. 5 Texas See, Longhorns actually have unranked teams on schedule TEXAS 48-24

No. 6 Oklahoma (minus 25.5) at Texas A&M Who cares about a shaky defense when Sooners score point a minute? OKLAHOMA 55-35

No. 21 California (plus 19) at No. 7 USC Trojans need to keep piling up blowouts USC 31-10

Utah State (plus 32) at No. 9 Boise State Broncos 50-2 in WAC since 2002 BOISE STATE 47-7

No. 12 Ohio State (minus 11) at Northwestern Buckeyes’ victories also help USC and Penn State OHIO STATE 28-14

Kansas State (plus 26) at No. 13 Missouri Tigers’ Jeremy Maclin had 360 all-purpose yards vs. K-State last year MISSOURI 54-24

No. 14 Georgia (minus 10) at Kentucky Season of unmet expectations for Bulldogs GEORGIA 28-10

San Diego State (plus 36.5) at No. 17 BYU No late-game drama this week for Cougars BYU 55-14

Purdue (plus 10) at No. 18 Michigan State Spartans still in Rose Bowl running MICHIGAN STATE 37-24

No. 22 Ga. Tech (plus 4.5) at No. 19 N. Carolina Yellow Jackets have won nine of last 10 meetings GEORGIA TECH 27-24

Cincinnati (plus 7.5) at No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers come back strong after slow start WEST VIRGINIA 34-24

Clemson (plus 6) at No. 24 Florida State Bowden Bowl called off FLORIDA STATE 27-17

Louisville (plus 6) at No. 25 Pittsburgh Pitt’s LeSean McCoy has five straight 100-yard games PITT 28-14

Last week: 15-3 (straight); 8-10 (vs. points). Season: 146-42 (straight); 90-83 (vs. points).

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SATURDAY’S TOP TV GAMES

Ohio State at Northwestern, 10 a.m., ESPN2

Alabama at LSU, 1:30 p.m., CBS

California at USC, 6 p.m., ABC

Staying No. 1 will be even tougher than getting there for Texas.

The Longhorns follow their rousing Red River Rivalry victory against Oklahoma, which vaulted Texas to the top of the rankings, with another major test. Chase Daniel and Missouri come to Austin on Saturday, trying to rebound from their first loss of the season.

The Tigers haven’t won in the Texas state capital since 1896 and are 1-13 against the Longhorns since 1931. That speaks volumes about how mediocre Missouri football has been over the years and how far it has come recently under coach Gary Pinkel.

For Texas, the Longhorns will be playing as a No. 1 team for the first time since 1984, when they tied Oklahoma 15-15, and ended up falling to No. 3 in the next poll. That season didn’t end well. Under coach Fred Akers, the Longhorns lost four of their final five games, including the Freedom Bowl against Iowa, and finished 7-4-1. A repeat of that wouldn’t be shocking. The Longhorns are in the second game of a stretch that will likely have them facing four ranked teams – Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are up after Missouri.

Saturday’s slate has three other Top 25 matchups, with Kansas at Oklahoma, Ohio State at Michigan State and Vanderbilt at Georgia.

Saturday’s picks

No. 11 Missouri (plus 6) at No. 1 Texas So, who’s going to be No. 1 next? MISSOURI 31-28

Mississippi (plus 13) at No. 2 Alabama Maybe the Tide? ALABAMA 27-17

Michigan (plus 23 1/2) at No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions will make their case for top spot, too PENN STATE 35-10

No. 16 Kansas (plus 20) at No. 4 Oklahoma New-and-improved Jayhawks take old-fashioned beating in Norman OKLAHOMA 48-21

No. 6 USC (plus 42 1/2) at Washington St. Hopefully, Cougars can escape serious injuries USC 55-0

No. 7 Texas Tech (minus 20 1/2) at Texas A&M Red Raiders try for first four-game winning streak against Aggies TEXAS TECH 45-28

Baylor (plus 16 1/2) at No. 8 Oklahoma State Bears freshman QB Robert Griffin yet to throw an INT OKLAHOMA STATE 50-24

No. 22 Vanderbilt (plus 15) at No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs’ O-line woes hurting Knowshon Moreno’s Heisman chances GEORGIA 30-10

No. 12 Ohio State (minus 3) at No. 20 Michigan St. Spartans looking for first seven-game winning streak since 1978 OHIO STATE 24-17

No. 13 LSU (minus 3) at South Carolina Gamecocks seem to have found a QB; Tigers not so sure about theirs LSU 28-17

Colorado State (plus 21 1/2) at No. 14 Utah Utes have won four of five in series UTAH 44-21

No. 17 Virginia Tech (plus 2 1/2) at Boston College Hokies quietly have won five straight VIRGINIA TECH 24-20

No. 18 North Carolina (minus 5) at Virginia Tar Heels have lost 13 straight at Charlottesville VIRGINIA 31-24

Syracuse (plus 24) at No. 19 South Florida Mountain West, WAC getting more attention than Big East these days USF 46-14

No. 21 Wake Forest (minus 1) at Maryland Trying to figure out up-and-down Terps can cause dizziness MARYLAND 24-20

No. 23 Pittsburgh (minus 3) at Navy Middies knocked off Pitt 48-45 in double OT last season PITT 33-24

No. 25 California (minus 2 1/2) at Arizona Inconsistent Wildcats are Terps West CALIFORNIA 35-30

Last week: 10-8 (straight); 7-11 (vs. points). Season: 100-31 (straight); 58-58 (vs. points).

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SATURDAY’S TOP TV GAMES

• Ohio State at Michigan State 12:30 p.m., ESPN2

• Kansas at Oklahoma,12:30 p.m., ABC

• Missouri at Texas, 5 p.m., ABC

Who’s next to be upset?

The last week of the first month of the season dramatically changed the direction of the national championship chase.

The first week of the second month has several highly ranked teams going on the road or facing tough conference foes – or both. And as Southern California, Florida, Georgia and Wisconsin can attest, being the favorite doesn’t mean much after kickoff.

Alabama, which provided one of the most surprising results last week by pounding Georgia, gets undefeated Kentucky at home in Tuscaloosa. The Wildcats have played stingy defense, but against sketchy competition.

All four top-10 Big 12 teams hit the road to start conference play. Top-ranked Oklahoma should be OK at Baylor – that would be an upset to rival Stanford beating USC last season if the Bears win. But Missouri is at Nebraska, Texas visits Colorado and Texas Tech gets its first taste of real competition at Kansas State.

Unbeaten Penn State takes its potent offense to Purdue.

Friday

No. 8 BYU (minus 28 1/2) at Utah State Cougars already in poll position to earn BCS bid – if they keep winning BYU 50-3

Saturday

No. 1 Oklahoma (minus 27) at Baylor Sooners are 17-0 against Bears OKLAHOMA 55-24

Kentucky (plus 16.5) at No. 2 Alabama Home crowd won’t allow Tide to let down ALABAMA 30-10

No. 4 Missouri (minus 10.5) at Nebraska Huskers allowed 606 yards to Tigers last season MISSOURI 55-28

No. 5 Texas (minus 14) at Colorado First meeting since ’05 Big 12 title game, won by Longhorns 70-3 TEXAS 33-24

No. 6 Penn State (minus 12.5) at Purdue Bad sign for Boilermakers: They couldn’t stop Notre Dame PENN STATE 44-28

No. 7 Texas Tech (minus 7.5) at Kansas State Wildcats usually good for one upset a year KANSAS STATE 38-31

No. 23 Oregon (plus 16.5) at No. 9 USC Trojans should be at their best after upset USC 37-17

No. 12 Florida (minus 24.5) at Arkansas Tim Tebow has something to prove; pity the Razorbacks FLORIDA 45-14

No. 13 Auburn (minus 4.5) at No. 19 Vanderbilt Tigers have won 13 straight meetings and last three were blowouts AUBURN 24-14

No. 14 Ohio State (minus 2) at No. 18 Wisconsin Big test for Buckeyes freshman QB Terrelle Pryor OHIO STATE 26-21

No. 16 Kansas (minus 13) at Iowa State Jayhawks WR Kerry Meier leads nation with 9.3 catches per game KANSAS 27-17

W. Kentucky (plus 28) at No. 20 Virginia Tech Hokies found running game at Nebraska VIRGINIA TECH 40-10

Texas A&M (plus 24.5) at No. 21 Oklahoma State OSU has Big 12′s top two rushers in Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston OKLAHOMA STATE 44-24

Hawaii (plus 22.5) at No. 22 Fresno State Bulldogs happy to be home after consecutive close road wins FRESNO STATE 45-14

No. 24 Connecticut (plus 7) at North Carolina Unbeaten Huskies lost QB Tyler Lorenzen (foot) for six weeks NORTH CAROLINA 27-17

Last week: 9-7 (straight); 8-7 (vs. points). Season: 76-19 (straight); 40-40 (vs. points).

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SATURDAY’S TOP TV GAMES

> Auburn at Vanderbilt, 3 p.m., ESPN

> Texas at Colorado, 4 p.m., FSNA

> Missouri at Nebraska, 6 p.m., ESPN

Full TV, radio on Page 13C

Welcome to the first round of the Southeastern Conference survivor series. Considering what Auburn and Georgia had to go through last week to stay undefeated, the Tigers and Bulldogs might beg to differ, but the fourth Saturday of the season is when the real paring down starts in college football’s best conference.

In the West, LSU and Auburn renew what’s been the best rivalry in the SEC in recent years. The two Tigers have split the last four games. Both have been ranked heading into those games, and all have been decided by a touchdown or less and won by the home team. Last year, LSU beat Auburn on a touchdown pass from Matt Flynn to Demetrius Byrd in the final seconds.

In the East, Florida-Tennessee has lost some luster after UCLA beat the Volunteers on Labor Day. With Tennessee out of the AP Top 25, it’s the first time since 1984 that only one of these rivals enters their September showdown ranked.

Other SEC teams in the spotlight Saturday: Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino starts his SEC career by hosting Alabama. Georgia visits Arizona State – its longest regular-season road trip in almost 50 years. ASU is motivated after being upset by UNLV at home.

Saturday

No. 3 Georgia (minus 7) at Arizona State Last time Bulldogs played nonconference game outside Georgia was 2003 GEORGIA 42-21

No. 4 Florida at Tennessee It’d be a good time for Phillip Fulmer to beat Urban Meyer for first time FLORIDA 38-24

Buffalo (plus 34) at No. 5 Missouri Bulls need another miracle MISSOURI 59-14

No. 6 LSU (minus 2.5) at No. 10 Auburn Struggling offenses and killer defenses; first to 13 wins AUBURN 13-10

Rice (plus 30.5) at No. 7 Texas Longhorns have scored 50 against Owls last three meetings TEXAS 55-21

No. 9 Alabama (minus 9.5) at Arkansas Bobby Petrino vs. Nick Saban. The loser MUST honor his current contract ALABAMA 28-21

Massachusetts (no line) at No. 11 Texas Tech When do Red Raiders start their season? TEXAS TECH 56-20

No. 12 So. Florida (minus 28) at Fla. International After two consecutive dramatic victories, Bulls have an easy outing SOUTH FLORIDA 48-14

Troy (plus 21.5) at No. 13 Ohio State Oh no!! More Trojans OHIO STATE 40-17

Wyoming (plus 29) at No. 14 BYU Cougars’ nation’s best winning streak at 13 BYU 36-13

No. 15 East Carolina (minus 7.5) at N.C. State Wolfpack has been outscored 61-9 by major college opponents EAST CAROLINA 21-10

Temple (plus 28.5) at No. 16 Penn State If Owls lose this one on last play, they’ll celebrate PENN STATE 38-14

Boise State (plus 10.5) at No. 17 Oregon Ducks down to third- and fourth-string QBs, but running game is stellar OREGON 35-21

No. 18 Wake Forest (plus 4) at No. 24 Florida State Demon Deacons going for three in a row against ‘Noles WAKE FOREST 27-24

Sam Houston State (no line) at No. 19 Kansas Rock Chalk KANSAS 57-10

No. 20 Utah (minus 7.5) at Air Force Falcons snapped four-game losing streak to Utes last year UTAH 33-28

South Carolina State (no line) at No. 23 Clemson First meeting CLEMSON 60-3

No. 25 Fresno State (minus 7) at Toledo Can Bulldogs rebounds from tough loss to Wisconsin? FRESNO STATE 35-21

Last week: 16-2 (straight); 6-12 (vs. points); Season: 53-8 (straight); 27-22 (vs. points).

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SATURDAY’S TOP TV GAMES

> Virginia Tech at North Carolina, 12:30 p.m., ESPN

> LSU at Auburn, 4:45 p.m., ESPN

> Georgia at Arizona State, 5 p.m., ABC

The Saturday before college football’s first big Saturday is filled with potential pitfalls for teams in the Top 25, and chances for a few intriguing teams outside the rankings to make a statement.

Teams such as Miami. Yep, the Hurricanes are now on the outside looking in at college football’s elite and if they want to get back in, beating No. 5 Florida in Gainesville would help accomplish that goal. Staying close to the Gators would be promising for the ‘Canes.

Cincinnati could win some respect back for the Big East – which had a rough opening weekend with Rutgers, Louisville and Pittsburgh losing – with a good showing at No. 4 Oklahoma.

After opening with a loss at Stanford, Oregon State heads to No. 19 Penn State trying to avoid an 0-2 start. Washington coach Tyrone Willingham desperately needs some victories. The Huskies will try to dodge starting 0-2 when they host No. 15 BYU.

New Mississippi coach Houston Nutt can score his first attention-grabbing victory with the Rebels at No. 20 Wake Forest.

And in maybe the most interesting game of the weekend, East Carolina goes for consecutive victories over ranked teams when the Pirates welcome No. 8 West Virginia.

Game The skinny Outcome

Saturday

Central Michigan (plus 23.5) at No. 2 Georgia Chippewas QB Dan LeFevour is Tebow of the MAC GEORGIA 50-21

Ohio (plus 34) at No. 3 Ohio State No Beanie required for Buckeyes OHIO STATE 47-7

Cincinnati (plus 21.5) at No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners won’t be up 50-0 like last week vs. Chattanooga OKLAHOMA 42-17

Miami (plus 21.5) at No. 5 Florida Gators expect injured WR Percy Harvin to play – might not need him FLORIDA 45-20

SE Missouri (no line) at No. 6 Missouri Tigers WR Jeremy Maclin should get time to rest aching ankle MISSOURI 55-10

No. 8 West Virginia (minus 8) at East Carolina Mountaineers have won seven straight against Pirates WEST VIRGINIA 35-21

Southern Mississippi (plus 17.5) at No. 9 Auburn Tigers hope to have kinks out of new spread offense AUBURN 28-14

No. 10 Texas (minus 26) at UTEP Last meeting was 1933 TEXAS 49-14

No. 11 Wisconsin (minus 20.5) vs. Marshall Badgers RB P.J. Hill goes for second straight 200-yard game WISCONSIN 38-14

No. 12 Texas Tech (minus 10.5) at Nevada The Wolf Pack can put up some points, too TEXAS TECH 48-30

Tulane (plus 30) at No. 13 Alabama Green Wave evacuated to Birmingham to avoid Gustav ALABAMA 40-3

Louisiana Tech (plus 20.5) at No. 14 Kansas LT coming off first win over BCS-conference opponent in five years KANSAS 45-14

Stanford (plus 14) at No. 15 Arizona State RB Toby Gerhart gives Cardinal offense punch ARIZONA STATE 31-21

No. 15 BYU (plus 9.5) at Washington Huskies couldn’t stop Oregon’s second- or third-string QB BYU 35-28

No. 17 South Florida (minus 14) at UCF Knights moved into Conference USA when Bulls moved to Big East USF 24-7

Utah State at No. 18 Oregon Ducks expect QB Justin Roper (concussion) to be ready OREGON 55-10

Oregon State (plus 16.5) at No. 19 Penn State Beavers trying to avoid first 0-2 start since 2004 PENN STATE 27-20

Mississippi (plus 8) at No. 20 Wake Forest ACC’s image can’t afford another loss to SEC MISSISSIPPI 27-24

UNLV (plus 21.5) at No. 22 Utah Utes back in AP rankings for first time since Urban Meyer left UTAH 38-13

Eastern Illinois (no line) at No. 24 Illinois Illini QB Juice Williams coming off career passing day ILLINOIS 48-10

Last week: 19-3 (straight); 9-3 (vs. points).

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SATURDAY’S TOP TV GAMES

West Virginia at East Carolina, 1:30 p.m., ESPN

Miami at Florida, 5 p.m., ESPN

Stanford at Arizona State, 7 p.m., FSNA

Full TV, radio on Page 9C

Let the blowouts begin.

OK, not every Top 25 team opens the season with a made-to-order patsy. And surely, if anything was learned from last season, it’s that nothing is automatic.

However, as the college season begins with wall-to-wall football from Thursday to Labor Day, most of the Top 25 shouldn’t have a problem starting 1-0.

No. 1 Georgia (against Georgia Southern) and No. 2 Ohio State (against Youngstown State) are among 10 ranked teams opening this week against FCS schools. Nine others are at least double-digit favorites.

Of course, one of those games matching a ranked team against a member of what used to be known as Division I-AA is a lot more intriguing than most.

Appalachian State, which became the first team from Division I’s second tier to beat a ranked team when it stunned Michigan to start last season, takes on defending national champion LSU.

Defending champs, huh. Well, the Mountaineers have won the last three championships at their level. How do you like that, Tigers?

Game The skinny Outcome

Saturday

Georgia Southern (no line) at No. 1 Georgia You know, Georgia Southern plays in same conference as App State GEORGIA 42-13

Youngstown State (no line) at No. 2 Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel’s old employer gets big payday from Buckeyes OHIO STATE 35-6

No. 3 Southern California (minus 19.5) at Virginia USC QB Mark Sanchez expected to play after knee injury USC 34-7

Chattanooga (no line) at No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners get their running in OKLAHOMA 58-10

Hawaii (plus 35) at No. 5 Florida Remember what Georgia did to Warriors? And that was with Colt Brennan FLORIDA 58-21

No. 6 Missouri (minus 9) vs. No. 20 Illinois at St. Louis Tigers won last season’s track meet with Illini 40-34 MISSOURI 41-28

Appalachian State (no line) at No. 7 LSU No, not again LSU 38-17

Villanova (no line) at No. 8 West Virginia Who gets to 100 yards rushing first, Pat White or Noel Devine? WEST VIRGINIA 45-14

No. 9 Clemson (minus 4.5) vs. No. 24 Alabama at Atlanta Tide tries to derail Tigers’ season of great expectations CLEMSON 28-26

Louisiana-Monroe (plus 26) at No. 10 Auburn Tigers work out the kinks in their new spread offense AUBURN 44-14

Florida Atlantic (plus 24) at No. 11 Texas FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger said Longhorns were short on toughness TEXAS 60-28

Eastern Washington (no line) at No. 12 Texas Tech First of several stat-padding tuneups for QB Graham Harrell TEXAS TECH 58-10

Akron (plus 26.5) at No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers bully Zips WISCONSIN 42-10

Florida International (plus 36) at No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks won last year’s meeting 55-3 KANSAS 55-6

Northern Arizona (no line) at No. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils 10-0-1 in last 11 meetings with Lumberjacks ARIZONA STATE 45-14

Northern Iowa (no line) at No. 16 BYU Cougars take first step toward trying to bust into BCS BYU 39-14

No. 17 Virginia Tech (plus 9.5) at East Carolina Pirates played Hokies tough last year in Blacksburg VIRGINIA TECH 20-14

Tennessee-Martin at No. 19 South Florida USF starts season ranked for first time SOUTH FLORIDA 50-10

Washington (plus 13.5) at No. 21 Oregon Tyrone Willingham could really use upset of Ducks OREGON 35-20

Coastal Carolina at No. 22 Penn State JoePa can tie Bobby Bowden on career wins list PENN STATE 42-14

Bowling Green (plus 13) at No. 25 Pittsburgh Big season for Pitt; It’d be bad to start with loss to MAC team BOWLING GREEN 31-24

Monday

Bowling Green (plus 13) at No. 25 Pittsburgh Big season for Pitt; It’d be bad to start with loss to MAC team BOWLING GREEN 31-24

No. 18 Tennessee (minus 7.5) at UCLA Rick Neuheisel’s return to college sidelines could be rough TENNESSEE 28-13

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SATURDAY’S TOP TV GAME

No. 3 USC at Virginia, 12:30 p.m. (ABC)

How healthy is Trojans QB Mark Sanchez? Fans will find out as USC heads to Charlottesville, Va.

> Full TV, radio on Page 8C

The people who run the Rose Bowl are pleased, though they’d never admit Ohio State’s misfortune benefited them.

The winner of the Ohio State-Michigan game Saturday will be the outright Big Ten champion and in all likelihood will go to Pasadena, Calif., for the Granddaddy of Them All on Jan. 1.

That should give the Rose Bowl the traditional Big Ten-Pac-10 matchup it desires but has often relinquished since the Bowl Championship Series began in 1998. Four times since then, the Rose has lived without the Big Ten-Pac-10, twice when it hosted the national title game.

Before Illinois upset Ohio State, the Rose Bowl was in danger of again being forced to go off the board. If the Buckeyes had stayed undefeated and reached the BCS national championship game, no other Big Ten team would’ve qualified for an at-large BCS bid.

That’s not a problem anymore, thanks to Juice Williams and the Illini, who beat the Buckeyes 28-21 in Columbus last week.

So barring a wild chain of events that gets Ohio State in the national title game, the Big Ten winner is Rose Bowl bound.

As for the Pac-10, Oregon could win the league and get itself into the national title game, but even if that happens the Rose Bowl seems to be in good shape.

Arizona State or USC – they play Thanksgiving night – should be available to the Rose Bowl as an at-large pick.

Game The skinny Outcome

THURSDAY

No. 2 Oregon (minus 12) at Arizona An ugly win could hurt Ducks in BCS standings OREGON 38-24

FRIDAY

No. 13 Hawaii (off) at Nevada Hawaii QB Colt Brennan (concussion) says he’ll play NEVADA 47-44

SATURDAY

No. 1 LSU (minus 19 1/2) at Mississippi Tigers have beaten Rebels five straight; games are usually close LSU 27-17

No. 3 Oklahoma (minus 8) at Texas Tech OU lost on controversial last-second TD last time in Lubbock OKLAHOMA 40-28

Iowa State (plus 26 1/2) at No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks have scored over 40 seven times KANSAS 49-20

No. 5 West Virginia (minus 6 1/2) at No. 21 Cincinnati Bearcats lead nation with 35 takeaways CINCINNATI 33-30

No. 6 Missouri (minus 7) at Kansas State Showdown with Kansas looming for Tigers MISSOURI 38-20

No. 7 Ohio State (off) at No. 23 Michigan Buckeyes have won three straight and four of five meetings MICHIGAN 28-24

No. 22 Kentucky (plus 7 1/2) at No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs have scored over 40 in three straight GEORGIA 43-28

Miami (plus 17) at No. 10 Virginia Tech ‘Canes need another win to become bowl eligible VIRGINIA TECH 26-10

Florida Atlantic (plus 34 1/2) at No. 14 Florida FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger is 3-3 against Gators FLORIDA 55-10

No. 18 Boston College (plus 7 1/2) at No. 15 Clemson Winner goes to ACC title game CLEMSON 33-21

Idaho (plus 34) at No. 17 Boise State Broncos outscored Vandals 349-150 in eight-game winning streak BOISE ST. 52-13

Vanderbilt (plus 11 1/2) at No. 19 Tennessee Vandy still needs win for bowl eligibility TENNESSEE 35-28

Northwestern (plus 13 1/2) at No. 20 Illinois Wildcats have won four straight in Sweet Sioux Tomahawk series ILLINOIS 33-23

No. 24 Wisconsin (minus 14) at Minnesota Paul Bunyan’s Axe has gone to Badgers 10 of last 12 meetings WISCONSIN 44-21

Syracuse (plus 18 1/2) at No. 25 Connecticut ‘Cuse snapped 12-game league losing skid against UConn last year UCONN 37-14

> Last week’s record: 17-4 (straight); 8-13 (vs. points). > Season: 176-47 (straight); 103-96-6 (vs. points).

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SATURDAY’S TOP TV GAME
Ohio State at Michigan, 10 a.m., ABC. The winner likely will head to the Rose Bowl against Oregon, Arizona State or USC on Jan. 1.

> Full TV, radio on Page 6C

Game – The skinny – Outcome

No. 2 Michigan (plus 6.5) at No. 1 Ohio State – Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is 4-1 against Michigan. – OHIO STATE 27-17

Western Carolina (no line) at No. 3 Florida – Thank the new, 12-game schedule for this one. – FLORIDA 40-0

No. 17 California (plus 5.5) at No. 4 Southern California – Trojans have won four of last five meetings. – CAL 31-28

No. 5 Arkansas (minus 14) at Mississippi State – Razorbacks have won seven straight against Bulldogs. – ARKANSAS 27-14

Army (plus 32) at No. 6 Notre Dame – Irish go for service academy sweep. – NOTRE DAME 45-10

No. 7 Rutgers (minus 6.5) at Cincinnati – Scarlet Knights go for second 10-win season in school history. – RUTGERS 26-14

Mississippi (plus 27.5) at No. 9 LSU – Tigers have won four straight and five of six in series. – LSU 44-14

South Florida (minus 16) at No. 10 Louisville – Bulls beat Cardinals 45-14 last season. – LOUISVILLE 45-24

Buffalo (plus 38) at No. 12 Wisconsin – Badgers could have first 11-1 regular season in school history. – WISCONSIN 45-3

Utah State (plus 37.5) at No. 13 Boise State – Broncos have won 50 of 52 at home. – BOISE STATE 56-14

No. 19 Virginia Tech (minus 1) at No. 14 Wake Forest – Both come in riding four-game winning streaks. – VIRGINIA TECH 24-2

No. 15 Auburn (minus 3) at Alabama – Tigers go for five consecutive wins against Tide. – AUBURN 20-18

No. 16 Oklahoma (minus 20) at Baylor – Sooners are 15-0 against Bears. – OKLAHOMA 44-21

Duke (plus 27) at No. 18 Georgia Tech – Blue Devils have nation’s longest losing streak at 18 games. – GEORGIA TECH 37-6

No. 21 Maryland (plus 7) at No. 20 Boston College – Eagles have won 10 straight at home. – BOSTON COLLEGE 23-17

No. 22 Tennessee (minus 8) at Vanderbilt – Vandy beat Vols for first time in 22 seasons last year. – TENNESSEE 36-21

New Mexico (plus 26) at No. 23 BYU – Cougars can clinch first Mountain West title in five seasons. – BYU 46-18

Last week: 14-8 (straight); 8-13 (vs. points)

Season: 174-48 (straight); 109-95-3 (vs. points)

The biggest game in the history of college football – at least that’s what some fans of Ohio State and Michigan think – isn’t the only important game to be played Saturday.

California and USC meet with the Pac-10′s automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series on the line.

Arkansas can clinch the SEC West and a trip to the Southeastern Conference title game with a victory at Mississippi State. And for football fans in Alabama, the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn is always the most important game of the season.

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SATURDAY’S TOP TV GAME
No. 2 Michigan (11-0) at No. 1 Ohio State (11-0), 1:30 p.m., ABC

No. 1 versus No. 2 – say no more.

> Full TV, radio on Page 8C

Game – The skinny – Outcome

No. 1 Ohio State (minus 23) at Northwestern – Two seasons ago, Wildcats snapped 24-game skid to Buckeyes – OHIO STATE 40-10

No. 2 Michigan (minus 19) at Indiana – Wolverines have won 14 straight against Hoosiers – MICHIGAN 30-14

No. 4 Texas (minus 17.5) at Kansas State – Longhorns can clinch Big 12 South with victory – TEXAS 42-14

Georgia (plus 13) at No. 5 Auburn – In 109 meetings, Auburn has outscored Georgia 1,650-1,648 – AUBURN 23-13

South Carolina (plus 13) at No. 6 Florida – Gamecocks snapped 13-game losing streak to Gators last year – FLORIDA 31-13

No. 21 Oregon (plus 7.5) at No. 7 Southern California – Ducks’ first visit to Los Angeles Coliseum since 2000 – USC 28-23

No. 8 California (minus 13.5) at Arizona – UA’s struggling offense faces Cal’s shaky defense – CAL 35-14

No. 9 Notre Dame (minus 11.5) at Air Force – Fighting Irish have won 10 of 11 against Air Force – NOTRE DAME 39-24

Cincinnati (plus 19) at No. 10 West Virginia – Bearcats’ run defense ranks first in Big East – WEST VIRGINIA 39-14

No. 13 Tennessee (plus 5.5) at No. 11 Arkansas – Vols are 12-2 against Razorbacks – TENNESSEE 27-21

Alabama (plus 17) at No. 12 LSU – Tigers have won three straight and five of six in series – LSU 30-14

No. 14 Boise State (minus 13) at San Jose State – Top two rushing offenses in WAC – SAN JOSE STATE 33-31

No. 16 Wisconsin (off) at Iowa – Badgers QB John Stocco (shoulder) might not play – WISCONSIN 17-7

Texas Tech (plus 9) at No. 17 Oklahoma – Sooners lead series 10-3 – OKLAHOMA 29-17

No. 18 Wake Forest (plus 7) at Florida State – Wake Forest has lost 14 straight to Seminoles – FLORIDA STATE 26-21

No. 19 Georgia Tech (minus 13.5) at North Carolina – Yellow Jackets can clinch Coastal Division with victory – GEORGIA TECH 36-13

Kent State (plus 29) at No. 20 Virginia Tech – Hokies’ Branden Ore leads ACC in rushing at 113 per game – VIRGINIA TECH 50-14

Duke (plus 28) at No. 22 Boston College – Duke’s losing streak at 17 straight, longest in nation – BOSTON COLLEGE 40-3

Miami (plus 2.5) at No. 23 Maryland – Terps have won four straight by total of 12 points – MARYLAND 17-1

Nebraska (pick’em) at No. 24 Texas A&M – Cornhuskers can earn first Big 12 North title in seven years – TEXAS A&M 26-24

Last week: 11-8 (straight); 7-12 (vs. points)

Season: 160-40 (straight); 101-82-3 (vs. points)

The Southeastern Conference’s top teams face tricky league rivals Saturday. Florida already has locked up the SEC East, but former Gators coach Steve Spurrier brings his South Carolina team to Gainesville, Fla., with a chance to derail UF’s national title hopes.

Georgia limps into Auburn in the midst of a disappointing season, trying to keep the Tigers from winning the West. Coming off a surprising home loss to Mississippi State, Alabama travels to LSU. And the biggest SEC game is in Arkansas, where the SEC West leaders face Tennessee.

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TODAY’S TOP TV GAME
No. 21 Oregon at No. 7 USC, 8:15 p.m., FSNA: Trojans need a win to keep their national title hopes alive.

Game – The skinny – Outcome

No. 1 Ohio State (minus 27) at Illinois – Buckeyes haven’t given up TD in eight quarters – OHIO STATE 38-10

Ball State (plus 33.5) at No. 2 Michigan – WR Mario Manningham (knee) could be back for Wolverines – MICHIGAN 39-3

Oklahoma State (plus 17) at No. 4 Texas – Texas’ shaky pass defense faces another potent passer in Bobby Reid – TEXAS 44-24

Arkansas State (plus 31) at No. 6 Auburn – Tigers DE Quentin Groves leads SEC with 7.5 sacks – AUBURN 35-6

No. 7 Florida (minus 15.5) at Vanderbilt – Gators have won 16 straight in series – FLORIDA 27-13

No. 14 LSU (minus 3) at No. 8 Tennessee – Tigers’ first visit to Neyland Stadium since 2001 – TENNESSEE 24-21

No. 9 Southern California (minus 29) at Stanford – Trojans get back on track – USC 38-7

UCLA (plus 17) at No. 10 California – Home team has won last six in series – CAL 30-14

North Carolina (plus 27.5) at No. 11 Notre Dame – First meeting since 1975 – NOTRE DAME 44-10

No. 12 Arkansas (minus 2.5) at South Carolina – Razorbacks have won five of eight vs. S.C. – SOUTH CAROLINA 24-21

No. 16 Boston College (minus 4) at No. 22 Wake Forest – Winner has inside track to ACC championship – BOSTON COLLEGE 20-19

Penn State (plus 7) at No. 17 Wisconsin – P.J. Hill (neck), Big Ten’s top rusher, expected to play – WISCONSIN 21-17

No. 18 Oklahoma (minus 3) at No. 21 Texas A&M – Aggies trying to go 9-1 for first time since ’98 – OKLAHOMA 26-20

Maryland (plus 16) at No. 19 Clemson – Terps’ weak rush defense in ACC faces league’s best running team – CLEMSON 40-17

No. 20 Georgia Tech (minus 6) at North Carolina State – Tech needs two wins in last three ACC games to earn title-game berth – N.C. STATE 20-17

No. 23 Virginia Tech (minus 2) at Miami – Teams have split last six meetings in Orange Bowl – MIAMI 23-2

Washington (plus 13) at No. 24 Oregon – Huskies have another hurting QB – OREGON 42-20

Arizona (plus 16) at No. 25 Washington State – Cougars have won four straight – WSU 28-10

Last week: 16-3 (straight); 9-9 (vs. points)

Season:149-32 (straight); 94-70-3 (vs. points)

The West Virginia-Louisville matchup Thursday night was the biggest game this week, but No. 16 Boston College and No. 22 Wake Forest pair up in an important Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday.

Both teams are 7-1 and are tied for first in the ACC’s Atlantic Division with Maryland at 3-1.

Wake Forest is one of the biggest surprises this season. The Demon Deacons are 7-1 for only the third time in school history and the first time since 1979.

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TODAY’S TOP TV GAME
No. 14 LSU at No. 8 Tennessee, 1:30 p.m., CBS: First place in the Southeastern Conference’s East Division is at stake in this game.

Week 3 of Florida’s grueling march through the Southeastern Conference takes the Gators to Auburn on Saturday. Florida replaced the Tigers as No. 2 in the AP Top 25 this week and is the only undefeated team left in the SEC.

Auburn is coming off its first loss of the season, and it was a doozy – 27-10 at home to unranked-at-the-time Arkansas. The Gators have won consecutive conference games at home against Alabama and LSU. They get a week off after this to prepare for Georgia on Oct. 28.

Game The skinny Outcome

No. 1 Ohio State (minus 15) at Michigan State Buckeyes have won four straight against Spartans Ohio State 37-17

No. 2 Florida (plus 1) at No. 11 Auburn Tigers have won five straight home games against top-10 teams Auburn 23-20

Arizona State (plus 19) at No. 3 Southern California Trojans have won six straight in the series USC 30-1

No. 4 Michigan (minus 6.5) at Penn State WR Mario Manningham out for Wolverines Michigan 17-13

Syracuse (plus 25) at No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers have won four straight against Orange West Virginia 38-17

Baylor (plus 28.5) at No. 6 Texas Unlikely battle for first in Big 12 South Texas 48-17

Cincinnati (plus 27) at No. 7 Louisville Louisville QB Brian Brohm might return from hand surgery Louisville 49-17

No. 10 California (minus 7.5) at Washington State Golden Bears have lost nine straight in Pullman dating back to 1979 WSU 34-28

Kentucky (plus 26) at No. 14 LSU First meeting since LSU won a 75-yard TD on final play LSU 41-14

No. 15 Iowa (minus 17.5) at Indiana Hawkeyes have won three straight and six of nine against Hoosiers Iowa 40-17

Vanderbilt (plus 13.5) at No. 16 Georgia Bulldogs have won 11 straight against Commodores Georgia 29-13

Southeast Missouri (no line) at No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks lead SEC in rushing Arkansas 45-14

UCLA (plus 10.5) at No. 18 Oregon Bruins have won four of five in Eugene Oregon 28-14

No. 19 Missouri (minus 2.5) at Texas A&M Tigers are last unbeaten team in Big 12 Texas A&M 24-20

No. 21 Nebraska (minus 10.5) at Kansas State Huskers lead Big 12 in rushing Nebraska 30-14

Iowa State (plus 20) at No. 23 Oklahoma Sooners TB Adrian Peterson vs. worst run defense in Big 12 Oklahoma 44-21

No. 24 Rutgers (plus 1.5) at Navy Middies lead nation in rushing and Scarlet Knights are 10th Rutgers 27-24

Minnesota (plus 8.5) at No. 25 Wisconsin Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe Wisconsin 25-21

No. 20 Boise St. (minus 26) at New Mexico St. (Sunday) Aggies lead nation in pass offense with coach Hal Mumme Boise State 50-28

Last week: 12-6 (straight); 8-10 (vs. points)

Season: 100-21 (straight); 62-45-3 (vs. points)

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TODAY’S TOP TV GAME
No. 2 Florida at No. 11 Auburn, 4:45 p.m., ESPN: Crucial game in the Southeastern Conference for both teams.

Full TV, radio on Page 4C

Game – The skinny – Outcome

No. 8 Louisville (minus 33) at Middle Tennessee (today) – Even with the injuries, Cardinals lead NCAA in scoring (44 per game) – Louisville 51-17

Bowling Green (plus 35) at No. 1 Ohio State – Buckeyes are 21-1 all-time against the MAC – Ohio State 40-14

Arkansas (plus 15.5) at No. 2 Auburn – Tigers have won 20 of last 21 against SEC opponents – Auburn 38-17

Washington (plus 20.5) at No. 3 Southern California – Huskies are early surprise in Pac-10 – USC 31-14

No. 4 West Virginia (minus 25) at Mississippi State – Bulldogs have lost seven straight to ranked teams – West Virginia 42-14

No. 9 LSU (minus 2) at No. 5 Florida – Tigers have won two straight and three of four against Gators – LSU 17-16

Michigan State (plus 16) at No. 6 Michigan – Wolverines have won eight of last 10 against Spartans – Michigan 33-14

No. 7 Texas (minus 5) vs. No. 14 Oklahoma – Sooners try to start new streak against Longhorns – Texas 34-23

No. 13 Tennessee (minus 2.5) at No. 10 Georgia – Bulldogs trying to go 6-0 for third time under coach Mark Richt – Georgia 20-17

No. 11 Oregon (plus 5.5) at No. 16 California – Ducks coach Mike Bellotti is 7-1 against Cal – Oregon 31-24

Stanford (plus 31.5) at No. 12 Notre Dame – First time this season Irish face a team with a loss – Notre Dame 44-10

No. 15 Clemson (minus 16.5) at Wake Forest – Wake has won two of last three meetings with Tigers – Clemson 40-17

Maryland (plus 13.5) at No. 18 Georgia Tech – Yellow Jackets have won two straight and six of eight against Terps – Georgia Tech 28-10

Purdue (plus 11) at No. 19 Iowa – Can Hawkeyes rev it up again after Ohio State loss? – Iowa 28-24

Louisiana Tech (plus 35) at No. 20 Boise State – Broncos need lopsided wins to bolster BCS hopes – Boise State 44-2

No. 22 Nebraska (minus 7) at Iowa State – Cyclones have won two straight against Huskers in Ames – Iowa State 30-2

No. 23 Missouri (plus 4) at Texas Tech – Missouri in top 10 nationally in defense (second) and offense (10th) – Texas Tech 28-24

Last week: 15-4 (straight); 8-9-1 (vs. points)

Season: 88-15 (straight), 54-35-3 (vs. points).

The Red River Rivalry is missing something this season – an undefeated team.

The Longhorns and Sooners both enter the duel in Dallas with at least one loss for the first time since 1999. The winner of Saturday’s Big 12 South showdown can at least hold out slim hopes of working its way back into the national championship mix. For the loser, it’s time to come to grips with reality and reassess goals.

In the Southeastern Conference, two more huge games between the league’s heavyweights are on the slate with LSU at Florida and Tennessee at Georgia. Out West, Oregon tries to stay unbeaten against California.

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TODAY’S TOP TV GAME
No. 9 LSU at No. 5 Florida, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Key game in the Southeastern Conference for both teams. LSU already has one league loss.

> Full TV, radio on Page 5C

Yes, college football games will be played outside of Austin, Texas, on Saturday.

And there will be some pretty good ones, at that.

Penn State and Notre Dame meet in South Bend, Ind., in a matchup of iconic coach (Joe Paterno) against iconic program.

No unranked team beat a ranked team last week, but there’s potential for that to happen this weekend with No. 18 Clemson at Boston College, No. 12 Georgia visiting South Carolina and No. 24 Texas Tech at UTEP.

And in Austin, No. 1 Ohio State takes on No. 2 Texas in what is expected to be the college game of the year.

Game The skinny Outcome

No. 1 Ohio State (plus 2.5) at No. 2 Texas The winner plays in the national title game. Maybe loser, too. TEXAS 24-21

No. 19 Penn State (plus 8.5) at No. 4 Notre Dame Notre Dame offense find its form. NOTRE DAME 33-27

No. 4 Auburn (minus 20) at Mississippi State Auburn has won five straight, and the scores haven’t been close. AUBURN 44-10

Eastern Washington (no line) at No. 6 West Virginia One of Division I-AA’s best no match for one of Division I-A’s best. WEST VIRGINIA 55-10

UCF (plus 23) at No. 7 Florida Second straight Conference USA opponent for Gators. FLORIDA 38-13

Arizona (plus 15) at No. 8 LSU Tigers have won eight straight against Pac-10 teams. LSU 30-17

Troy (plus 30) at No. 9 Florida State Seminoles will definitely improve on the 1 yard rushing against Miami. FLORIDA STATE 42-7

Central Michigan (plus 28) at No. 10 Michigan Chippewas were tough at home against Boston College. MICHIGAN 38-13

Air Force (plus 20) at No. 11 Tennessee Just a bit of a letdown for Vols after winning big against Cal. TENNESSEE 35-14

No. 12 Georgia (minus 3) at South Carolina Four of last five meetings have been decided by six points or fewer. SOUTH CAROLINA 20-17

No. 13 Louisville (minus 39) at Temple Cardinals won’t miss Michael Bush in this one. LOUISVILLE 55-10

No. 14 Iowa (minus 18.5) at Syracuse Possible lookahead for Hawkeyes with Iowa State up next. IOWA 27-14

Washington (plus 17) at No. 15 Oklahoma Good gauge for Huskies’ development under Tyrone Willingham. OKLAHOMA 39-10

No. 16 Virginia Tech (minus 12) at North Carolina It’s just the fourth meeting since 1946. VIRGINIA TECH 29-14

Florida A&M (no line) at No. 17 Miami Trip to Louisville follows this scrimmage. MIAMI 45-10

No. 18 Clemson (minus 2.5) at Boston College Tigers running short of linebackers because of injuries. CLEMSON 28-21

No. 20 Oregon (minus 4.5) at Fresno State Bulldogs get a BCS conference team at home for a change. OREGON 37-30

Nicholls State (no line) at No. 21 Nebraska Huskers getting the hang of this forward passing stuff. NEBRASKA 40-3

Minnesota (plus 8.5) at No. 22 California Golden Bears in early recovery mode after Tennessee debacle. CAL 30-20

UC Davis (no line) at No. 23 TCU I-AA Davis beat Stanford last year. TCU 36-13

No. 24 Texas Tech (minus 7) at UTEP Red Raiders visiting El Paso, Texas, for first time since 1963. UTEP 33-30

Nevada (plus 14.5) at No. 25 Arizona State Wolf Pack brings its Pistol offense to Pac-10. ARIZONA STATE 48-32

Last week: 22-1 (straight); 13-6 (vs. points)

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TODAY’S TOP TV GAME
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 2 Texas, ABC, 5 p.m.: Last time No. 1 faced No. 2 in regular season? 1996. (No. 2 Florida St. 24, No. 1 Florida 21.

> Full TV, radio on Page 4C