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Boise State vs. Utah State

GAME: Utah State at Boise State
TIME: 03:00 P.M. EST
VENUE: Bronco Stadium



Boise State is on track to play in a BCS bowl game. Right now, though, the Broncos are more concerned about their star running back.

The 13th-ranked Broncos (10-0, 6-0 WAC) may be without Ian Johnson on Saturday when they face Utah State (1-9, 1-5) in their final home game of the season.

Boise State held off San Jose State 23-20 on Saturday, winning on Anthony Montgomery's field goal as time expired to remain one of four undefeated teams along with Ohio State, Michigan and Rutgers.

The Broncos moved up to No. 12 in the BCS standings and can earn an automatic berth in a BCS bowl game if they finish the season in the top 12, or if they are in the top 16 and ahead of one of the six conference champions with an automatic bid. Wake Forest is the highest ranked ACC team, in 16th place.

Boise State is looking to become just the second team from outside the BCS conferences to earn a berth. Utah played in the Fiesta Bowl in 2004.

Boise State leads second-place Hawaii by a half-game in the WAC and can capture at least a share of the league title with a win over Utah State. The Broncos, who wrap up their regular season Nov. 25 at Nevada, have won 50 of their last 52 games on their home blue turf.

Saturday's win came at a cost, however, as Johnson suffered a partially collapsed lung sometime during the game. He came out late in the fourth quarter and was taken to the hospital after the final whistle.

Johnson left O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday after five days of treatment, but his status for this game is uncertain.

"It's still up in the air, but we're not going to rush him," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said Monday.

Johnson ranks fourth in the nation with 146.6 rushing yards per game and leads the country with 21 rushing touchdowns. It was not clear exactly when he was injured.

"I think in a lot of ways that's why it was so perplexing," Petersen said. "Usually a guy gets popped, gets drilled, and he goes down and you know exactly to check him out. It just kind of came on him."

Johnson ran for 149 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries against the Spartans. Boise State trailed by eight in the fourth quarter before rallying.

The Broncos were behind at the half for the first time this season and scored fewer than 36 points in a game for just the second time. Quarterback Jared Zabransky directed two fourth-quarter scoring drives despite a draining illness.

"He's a little sick, but he's fine," Petersen said of his senior quarterback, who couldn't speak to reporters after going 14-of-20 for 181 yards. "He only has so many games left as a Bronco. He'll be out there. If we don't make those plays he made in our passing game, we're in big trouble."

Utah State was shut out for the fourth time this season Saturday, 42-0 by Nevada. Junior tailback Antraun McDaniel made his first start and ran for 78 yards on 14 carries, and the Aggies were held to 207 total yards after averaging 345 in their previous three games.

Utah State has lost all six of its road games and four straight overall. The Aggies' only win this season came Oct. 7, 13-12 over Fresno State.

"Even without Ian Johnson's presence, they are still very capable of scoring points," coach Brent Guy said of Boise State. "They are very tough on defense and it is going to be hard to score points.

"Great atmosphere. It will be sold out. It is a place you want to go play a college football game."

Boise State leads the series with Utah State 8-4 and has won five straight meetings. Zabransky threw four touchdown passes in his team's 45-21 win at Utah State last season.

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Alabama vs. Auburn

GAME: Auburn at Alabama
TIME: 03:30 P.M. EST
VENUE: Bryant-Denny Stadium



Auburn had its national title hopes ended in stunning fashion last week. A fifth straight victory over Alabama in the Iron Bowl on Saturday might help ease the sting for the Tigers.

The No. 15 Tigers (9-2, 5-2 SEC) try to bounce back from a home loss to Georgia when they travel to Alabama (6-5, 2-5) looking to continue their recent domination of one of college football's most storied rivalries.

Auburn entered last week's game as a nearly two-touchdown favorite and was among a handful of one-loss teams trying to play into a BCS title shot. Georgia, suffering through a four-loss season, quickly put an end to those hopes, resoundingly defeating the Tigers 37-15.

The loss dropped Auburn 10 spots in the Top 25, and also all but erased its hopes of winning the SEC championship.

"Next week is going to be a new game," offensive lineman Ben Grubbs said. "We need to bounce back, come out ready to play, just like we did in the Florida game."

The Tigers rebounded from their other loss, 27-10 to Arkansas on Oct. 7, with a 27-17 victory over then-No. 2 and previously unbeaten Florida the following week.

For Auburn to get back on track, it will need a better performance out of Brandon Cox. The junior quarterback threw a season-high four interceptions against Georgia, his highest total since he had four in his debut as a starter in a season-opening 23-14 loss to Georgia Tech in 2005.

"This one was worse than Georgia Tech, but you can compare it a lot to that one," said Cox, who has 13 interceptions in 21 games since then.

Cox was 4-of-12 for a career-low 35 yards against the Bulldogs.

Cox, who still boasts a 140.8 passer rating, will be looking to rebound against an Alabama pass defense that ranks fourth in the SEC at 172.8 yards per game. The key for Auburn, though, could be the ground attack. The Tigers are averaging 157.8 rushing yards per game, and the Crimson Tide are allowing 117.2 per contest - fifth in the SEC.

Top running back Kenny Irons averages 81.8 yards, but also struggled against Georgia. He gained a season-low 49 yards on 10 carries, and does not have a touchdown since running for two against South Carolina on Sept. 28.

"Kenny's been up and down," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "He has been fighting different battles."

The senior has played through several leg injuries this season, including a bruised right fibula and sprained right ankle that limited him to one series against Arkansas State on Nov. 4.

Auburn also has work to do on the defensive side if its wants to improve to 6-0 at Tuscaloosa. The Tigers came in to last week's contest holding opponents to 276 yards per game, but gave up a season-high 446 total yards. They surrendered their highest point total since giving up 38 to Arkansas in 2002.

While the Tigers looked bad in a critical game last week, Alabama wasn't much better. The Tide fell 28-14 at then-No. 12 LSU for their third loss in four contests, giving up season highs of 418 total yards and 211 yards on the ground.

"We came in expecting to play a lot better than we did," linebacker Juwan Simpson said. "We just wanted to stay in the game and give our offense a chance to come back and win."

John Parker Wilson was 22-of-35 for a career-high 291 yards and two touchdowns, but threw a pass that was tipped and intercepted at the LSU 12-yard line in the third quarter as the Tide were trying to cut the deficit to seven points.

D.J. Hall caught eight passes for 142 yards, but top running back Kenneth Darby ran for only 36 yards on 13 carries for Alabama.

Auburn will be trying to win five in a row over Alabama for the first time since 1954-58. The Tide lead the series 38-31-1.

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Ohio State vs. Michigan

GAME: Michigan at Ohio State
TIME: 03:30 P.M. EST
VENUE: Ohio Stadium



Michigan-Ohio State is always a big game, no matter what the records are. This year's meeting, though, will see the winner take a big step toward the national championship - and will also be marked by mourning for Bo Schembechler, who helped build the rivalry into one of the biggest in college football.

With a berth in the BCS title game at stake, Saturday's contest at Ohio Stadium between No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 7-0) and No. 2 Michigan (11-0, 7-0) might just be the biggest in the history of the rivalry - one that former Michigan coach Schembechler, who died Friday at age 77, helped push to new heights.

Schembechler collapsed at a TV studio, where he was taping a show about Saturday's game, and his death was confirmed after being brought to a hospital. The seven-time Big Ten coach of the year compiled a 194-48-5 record at Michigan from 1969-89, and he led the Wolverines during the prime years of the rivalry of 1969-78 against former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, who he was an assistant under with the Buckeyes.

"This is an extraordinary loss for college football," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said in a statement. "Bo Schembechler touched the lives of many people and made the game of football better in every way. He will always be both a Buckeye and a Wolverine and our thoughts are with all who grieve his loss."

Schembechler suffered heart attacks in 1970 and 1987. He had two quadruple heart-bypass operations, and doctors implanted a pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat after he became ill during a taping at WXYZ-TV on Oct. 20.

"He was a giant of a coach and a giant of a man," Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said.

Schembechler's time with the Wolverines helped stoke the competitiveness, intensity and passion of both programs long after he stepped down as coach after the 1990 season, helping to create the conditions for Saturday's showdown. The game is arguably the most-anticipated regular season contest since Nov. 30, 1996, when No. 2 Florida State beat No. 1 Florida 24-21.

"We've played this game now, Michigan vs. Ohio State, for 102 years," said Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr, who's 6-5 against Ohio State. "To have this be the first time in over a century that both teams are ranked 1-2 ... It's a dream to not only coach in this rivalry, but to be able to play in a game like this certainly is very, very special."

The winner not only gets to celebrate a Big Ten title, but can book a spot in the BCS championship game on Jan. 8, 2007, in Glendale, Ariz.

"It's a tremendous feeling," said Tressel, 4-1 against the Wolverines since becoming the Buckeyes' coach in 2001. "You can feel the electricity and the energy."

The teams are ranked 1-2 in the Top 25 for the first time in the 103-year history of the series. It's only the third time since 1935 that the schools will meet with perfect records.

Since 1950, the Buckeyes and Wolverines have each won 27 meetings, with two ties. Ohio State and Michigan have won or shared the last five Big Ten titles.

While Ohio State tops the BCS standings, Michigan isn't far back - and actually leads the computer rankings. Since Tressel took over, however, the Wolverines have consistently come up short against the Buckeyes. After winning 10 of 13 meetings from 1988-2000, Michigan's only victory against Tressel came in 2003.

Tressel, who made beating the Wolverines a priority when he was hired, downplayed his record against the Buckeyes' most-hated rival.

"It has nothing to do with 2006, that's the biggest feeling," said Tressel, whose squad has won 18 straight games, the longest streak in the nation.

Ohio State has won the last two meetings in Columbus, including a 14-9 victory in 2002 that sent the Buckeyes to the BCS title game, where they upset Miami 31-24 in double overtime.

The Buckeyes have Heisman Trophy front-runner Troy Smith starting at quarterback, with plenty of weapons surrounding him at the other skill positions. While Michigan's offense doesn't get nearly as much attention, the Wolverines have been just as impressive, relying on the power running of Mike Hart, the passing of Chad Henne and the receiving of Mario Manningham.

Throw in a pair of defensive units that rank among the nation's best - Michigan is third in the country in total defense, Ohio State eighth - and the teams are about as evenly matched as can be.

Florida State and Florida ended up playing a rematch in the Sugar Bowl in 1996 - won by Florida 52-20 - to decide the national championship. While a rematch for the title is a possibility this year, neither the Buckeyes nor the Wolverines feel like taking their chances with a loss.

Ohio State - ranked first all season - has already played a 1-2 game this year, beating No. 2 Texas 24-7 on Sept. 9. The Buckeyes feel confident they can knock off another No. 2 behind Smith, who's thrown 26 touchdowns to only four interceptions and posted a Big Ten-best passer rating of 168.7.

He's 24-2 as a starter, including 2-0 against the Wolverines. Two years ago, Smith threw two touchdown passes and ran for 145 yards and a touchdown as Ohio State won 37-21. Last year, he was 27-of-37 for 300 yards and a touchdown to rally the Buckeyes from a nine-point deficit in a 25-21 win at Michigan Stadium.

"He wants to have the ball in his hands, he wants to make a difference," Tressel said. "He cares so deeply for his teammates and he wants something good to happen for them."

Michigan's difference-maker, Hart, had only nine carries for 15 yards in last year's loss. He was sidelined four games with injuries in 2005 and banged up in several others, and the Wolverines sputtered, finishing 7-5 and dropping their final two games to Ohio State and Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl. It was the second year in a row Michigan closed a season with defeats to the Buckeyes and in a bowl game.

Hart has bounced back from the injuries to rush for 1,373 yards and 11 touchdowns, ranking sixth in the country with 125 rushing yards per game. That effort has helped fuel the Wolverines' turnaround season, silencing the critics that were targeting Carr for much of the offseason.

"When you had the type of season we had, you're either going to back down and you're going to continue that trend, or you're going get up and fight," said Carr, who won a national championship in 1997. "I don't think there's any question that it motivated all of us, and that's what it should have done."

Needless to say, motivation shouldn't be a problem for either team Saturday.

"It's going to be the biggest game of probably everybody's life on this team," Hart said. "We're undefeated, they're undefeated, we're playing for a Big Ten championship and a chance to go to the national championship, so I don't think there's a bigger game out there."

Michigan is 27-21-2 in Columbus and leads the series 57-39-6.

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Brigham Young vs. New Mexico

GAME: New Mexico at Brigham Young
TIME: 04:00 P.M. EST
VENUE: Cougar Stadium



John Beck isn't sharing the Mountain West Conference passing record. Brigham Young and its star quarterback aren't planning on having any company atop the league, either.

Led by one of the nation's top passers, the 23rd-ranked Cougars (8-2, 6-0) look to clinch their first conference title in five years when they face New Mexico (5-5, 3-3) on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

BYU has a two-game lead over Utah and can secure the title with a win in one of its last two games. The Cougars visit the Utes on Nov. 25.

"None of us want to share this title with anybody," said Beck, who became the Mountain West Conference's leader in passing yards in a 55-7 win over Wyoming on Thursday night. "We've worked too hard to let somebody else get a piece of it."

BYU, winner of seven straight since a 30-23 loss to then-No. 23 Boston College on Sept. 16, is trying to clinch its first conference crown since it went 12-2 overall in 2001. That was also the Cougars' last winning season.

BYU gained 454 yards against the top-rated defense in the conference and grabbed a share of the league title by routing Wyoming.

Beck was 20-of-26 for 313 yards and two touchdowns. With 9,807 passing yards, Beck overtook Jim McMahon for No. 2 on BYU's career passing list. He's second only to Ty Detmer's total of 15,031.

With three games to go, Beck won't catch Detmer. But if he has a conference championship, he won't care a bit.

"When I came to BYU, my sights weren't set on beating these guys that were legends. My sites were set on just winning," said Beck, fifth in the nation with a 172.7 passer rating. "Right now I feel like I'm playing for the BYU I chose to play for."

Beck's favorite target has been Jonny Harline, who has 40 receptions for 555 yards and seven touchdowns, but he has been effective in spreading the ball around. Nine Cougars have at least 14 receptions and 148 yards receiving.

New Mexico, which had a three-game winning streak end with a 27-21 loss to TCU on Saturday night, needs one victory in its last two games to become bowl eligible for the sixth straight year.

The Lobos were coming off a bye Saturday. They had won nine straight following an off week under coach Rocky Long.

"My worst concerns were realized," Long said. "When you have a really, really young football team and they have a bye week and then you play a team that is as fast and as good as TCU is, they aren't ready for the speed of the game. They are a young football team and not veterans."

New Mexico quarterback Donovan Porterie, who was sacked five times, sprained his left ankle in the third quarter and was replaced by Chris Nelson. Porterie's status for Saturday is uncertain.

Nelson was intercepted in the red zone with 22 seconds left against TCU. The Lobos' last five games have been decided by a total of 17 points.

New Mexico fell to 2-4 at home despite holding TCU to 192 total yards, including 25 passing. It was the Lobos' best defensive game of the season.

While New Mexico has struggled at home, it has won 15 of its last 20 conference road games. The Lobos are 2-1 in 2006.

BYU's defense will likely focus a good deal of attention on New Mexico receiver Marcus Smith, who's second in the conference with 44 receptions for 761 yards. He leads the Mountain West with eight touchdown catches.

BYU leads the series with New Mexico 40-14-1.

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Wake Forest vs. Virginia Tech

GAME: Virginia Tech at Wake Forest
TIME: 07:00 P.M. EST
VENUE: Groves Stadium



The wins and the respect keep coming for Wake Forest.

The 14th-ranked Demon Deacons have a chance for more of both Saturday when they host No. 19 Virginia Tech in a matchup of two of the Atlantic Coast Conference's hottest teams.

Each team has a four-game winning streak, and Wake Forest (9-1, 5-1) is in pursuit of a spot in the ACC Championship game against Georgia Tech on Dec. 2. A win over Virginia Tech, and at Maryland on Nov. 25, will secure a spot in the title game for the Demon Deacons.

Virginia Tech, however, can finish no better than second to Georgia Tech in the conference's Coastal Division.

The Demon Deacons, who are tied with Maryland atop the Atlantic Division, are coming off one of the biggest wins in the program's history. Wake Forest's 30-0 win last Saturday over host Florida State marked the first time the Deacons had won there since 1959, and the first home shutout loss for the Seminoles in coach Bobby Bowden's 31 years there.

While Florida State has struggled this season, the win brought more respect to a Wake Forest program that last had a winning season in 2002.

"Week in and week out, no matter what our record is, nobody believes we're going to win," Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner said. "We have to prove ourselves."

Wake Forest scored 17 points off three Florida State turnovers, including Kevin Patterson's 48-yard interception return for a score in the third quarter. The Demon Deacons also held Florida State to a season-low 139 yards and allowed only one third-down conversion.

"These guys have been through a lot and I'm happy they're winning some games," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "I thought we'd be in a nail-biter. That was nice."

Led by freshman quarterback Skinner, the ACC's leader in completion percentage (68.6) and a defense that has not allowed a point in five quarters, Wake Forest is trying for its first 10-win season in school history and its first win over Virginia Tech since a 13-6 victory Sept. 10, 1983.

"They are a really physical football team," Grobe said of the Hokies. "They are really talented. They are a well-rounded football team."

Virginia Tech (8-2, 4-2) has not lost since a 22-3 defeat Oct. 12 at Boston College. The Hokies also posted a shutout, 23-0 over Kent State in a non-conference game last Saturday. It was Virginia Tech's third shutout of the season.

The Hokies have limited seven opponents to 10 points or fewer and allowed 300 yards of total offense just once - 325 in a 38-27 loss Sept. 30 to Georgia Tech - this season. They held Kent State to 182 total yards last Saturday.

Virginia Tech leads the ACC in scoring defense (10.6 points per game), total defense (228.4 yards per game) and pass defense (127.7). The Hokies also scored their fourth defensive touchdown last Saturday when senior defensive end Noland Burchette returned a fumble 15 yards.

"Right place, right time," Burchette said. "Coach is always saying if you play hard and go to the ball, good things will happen."

The Hokies have one of the nation's best kickers in senior Brandon Pace. Pace, a three-time Lou Groza Award semifinalist, made three more field goals last Saturday to increase his streak to a school-record 19. He hasn't missed since going 3-for-4 in a 30-10 win over Boston College on Oct. 27, 2005.

"He's solid as a rock," coach Frank Beamer said. "He gets into the ball very quickly and he gets it up very quickly. Those are two great assets."

After consecutive games of rushing for more than 200 yards, running back Branden Ore has failed to reach 100 in his last two, but has rushed for 1,090 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

This will be the 34th meeting between the two teams. Virginia Tech leads the series 21-11-1 and has won the last two games, including a 17-10 win at Wake Forest in the most recent meeting Oct. 9, 2004.

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Louisville vs. South Florida

GAME: South Florida at Louisville
TIME: 07:30 P.M. EST
VENUE: Cardinal Stadium



Louisville's dream of a perfect season and a potential national championship came crashing down following a stunning loss last week, but there is still plenty left to play for.

The road to recovery for the 10th-ranked Cardinals starts Saturday at home against surprising South Florida in a Big East matchup.

A 44-34 victory over West Virginia on Nov. 2 vaulted then-unbeaten Louisville (8-1, 3-1) to No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and was the biggest win in school history. The Cardinals were then on their way to cementing their status as a legitimate national title contender as they jumped out to a 25-7 second-quarter lead at Rutgers on Nov. 9.

The Scarlet Knights, however, weren't ready to give up on their own bid for a perfect season and rallied for 21 unanswered points, including the winning field goal with 13 seconds remaining that ended Louisville's chances of landing a spot in the BCS title game.

Quarterback Brian Brohm admitted that the sudden frenzy surrounding the program following the win over West Virginia may have contributed to the loss.

"I think we were a little too worried about that last week, everyone not giving us the credit we thought we deserved," he said. "You just can't worry about that stuff because it is out of your hands."

Although there will be no trip to the BCS title game, the Cardinals remain hopeful they can win the Big East or receive an at-large bid to a BCS bowl game.

"Definitely our goals are still reachable," Brohm said. "We might need a little help to get the Big East Championship. We've just got to go out and focus on our job."

The only chance Louisville has of salvaging a BCS bowl game is if it wins out, while winning the conference would require Rutgers to lose two of its final three games.

The biggest challenge for Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino is getting his players ready to play following two of the most emotionally charged games in the program's history.

"Now we've got to go do it again and get back up for it again," Petrino said. "We have to rely on our competitiveness, rely on our leadership from within. ... We have to make sure everybody rallies and gets mentally ready to play."

Brohm will look to rebound after he was limited to a season-low 163 yards on 13-of-27 passing with one touchdown and one interception against Rutgers. That performance came one week after the junior was 19-of-26 for a season-high 354 yards in the win over West Virginia.

"It was a hard loss," Brohm said. "Watching the film, I saw some things. I could have done some things differently, which you always see. In a loss they magnify a little more. They weigh on you a little more."

Returning home should provide a boost for Louisville, which is 20-1 at Papa John's Cardinals Stadium under Petrino, including 16 straight wins since a 37-7 loss to Memphis on Nov. 15, 2003. The streak is the second-longest active at home in the nation, trailing only No. 4 Southern California's 31-game run.

Louisville's high-powered attack will face a stiff challenge for the second consecutive week. The Cardinals were limited to 266 total yards against Rutgers - ranked fourth in the country in total defense - and now go up against a South Florida team that is 15th in the nation with just 280.7 yards allowed per game.

The Bulls (7-3, 3-2), meanwhile, aren't counting themselves out in the race for the conference title.

"We probably are going to a bowl," South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said. "Now let's play for a championship. You know, stranger things have happened since the beginning of time. There's a lot of things that have to happen, but you never know."

Freshman Matt Grothe threw for a school-record 364 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-10 victory over Syracuse last Saturday, the fourth win in five games for the Bulls since a heartbreaking two-point loss to Rutgers.

"I just want to win football games. ... (The record's) nice, but if we don't win, it doesn't matter," said Grothe, who completed nine of his first 10 passes and finished 25-for-35 with one interception.

The Bulls have won both home meetings with the Cardinals, but lost 41-9 in the only matchup at Louisville on Oct. 22, 2004. South Florida beat then-No. 9 Louisville 45-14 in Tampa on Sept. 24, 2005, the highest-ranked opponent it's ever defeated.

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Cincinnati vs. Rutgers

GAME: Rutgers at Cincinnati
TIME: 07:45 P.M. EST
VENUE: Nippert Stadium



Coach Greg Schiano doesn't think much of Rutgers' first Top 10 appearance or any BCS hype. As far as he's concerned, none of that matters if the Scarlet Knights can't beat their next opponent.

Having recorded the biggest win in school history in its last game, No. 7 Rutgers looks to avoid a letdown and remain unbeaten Saturday when it meets Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium.

Playing its first home game as a Top 25 team against a ranked opponent in school history last Thursday, Rutgers (9-0, 4-0 Big East) fell behind 25-14 at halftime to then-No. 3 Louisville. While the Scarlet Knights' defense shut down the Cardinals' high-powered offense in the second half, running back Ray Rice scored his second touchdown of the game before Jeremy Ito kicked two fourth-quarter field goals - the second from 28 yards out with 13 seconds left to seal the win.

That vaulted the Scarlet Knights from 13th to sixth in the latest BCS standings released Sunday. Schiano, though, seemed to indicate polls mean little to a program enjoying its best season in 30 years.

"It was a big football game and it was a great atmosphere, but I don't think it was a be-all and end-all for our team or for our coaching staff," he said. "Our only concern right now is preparing for the University of Cinicnnati.

"There is a BCS system in place and it will work the way it is programmed to work. The only thing we have control over is our game against Cincinnati."

Should the Scarlet Knights win this game, they still face a difficult road to complete their first undefeated season since going 11-0 in 1976. They'll play their final home game Nov. 25 against Syracuse before ending the regular season Dec. 2 at No. 8 West Virginia.

Coming into this contest, Rutgers is one of four undefeated teams in Division I-A, joining No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan - who play each other Saturday in Columbus. Boise State, ranked 13th, also has yet to lose this season, but may be without star running back Ian Johnson on Saturday when it plays 1-9 Utah State.

Schiano stressed that no one should be looking ahead.

"I explained to our players that they just have to focus on Cincinnati and stay on point," Schiano said. "I'd be a hypocrite if I just started talking about why we should be here or why we should be there. We just have to take care of our business and that is our goal."

A bigger concern for Schiano may be his passing game. Junior Mike Teel completed only 8 of 21 passes for 189 yards against Louisviile, but has seen his number of completions drop in three straight games since posting a season-high 15 in a 34-0 rout of Navy on Oct. 14.

Cincinnati (5-5, 2-3), though, will likely focus on trying to stop Rice and Rutgers' ground game. The Bearcats' run defense is ranked 30th in the nation, allowing just 107.2 yards per game.

Rice, who had 131 yards in the win over Louisville, is third in the nation in rushing at 148.2 yards per game, trailing only West Virginia's Steve Slaton and Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe. Rice also is tied with Mountaineers quarterback Pat White for fourth in Division I-A with 15 rushing TDs.

Rice ran for 195 yards, including third-quarter scoring runs of 59 and 11 yards in a 44-9 home win over Cincinnati last season. Rutgers is just 1-3-1 all-time in Cincinnati.

The Bearcats will play their second straight game against a Top 10 opponent and fifth overall this season against a ranked team.

Last Saturday, the Bearcats allowed West Virginia's duo of White and Slaton to rush for a combined 241 yards and four TDs in a 42-24 loss to the then-10th ranked Mountaineers.

"Certainly, this game ranks as our biggest defeat," Bearcats coach Mark Dantonio said. "We got handled today."

Sophomore Dustin Grutza completed 13 of 24 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice and replaced by senior Nick Davila, who was 10-of-17 for 167 yards with two TD passes and only one interception.

All four of Cinicnnati's defeats to ranked teams this season, though, have come on the road. This game will be the home finale for the Bearcats.

Cinicnnati has won four in a row at home, and is 5-1 there while outscoring opponents 130-66. The Bearcats need a win over Rutgers or in its regular-season finale Nov. 25 at Connecticut to become bowl eligible for the fifth time in seven seasons.

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Southern California vs. California

GAME: California at Southern California
TIME: 08:00 P.M. EST
VENUE: Los Angeles Colliseum



It's been a while since Southern California did not play for a national title. It's been a lot longer since California earned a spot in the Rose Bowl.

After the fourth-ranked Trojans (8-1, 6-1) unexpectedly climbed back into the national championship race, they face the No. 17 Golden Bears (8-2, 6-1) on Saturday night in a matchup that will decide the Pac-10's BCS bid.

The winner of the matchup at the Los Angeles Coliseum will own the tiebreaker advantage in the conference. A victory would keep USC in position to possibly play for the national title for the fourth straight season.

California, meanwhile, can clinch its first Rose Bowl berth since the 1958 season.

The Trojans' 33-31 loss at Oregon State on Oct. 28 appeared to have eliminated them from national championship contention, but several upsets have thrust USC back into the thick of the race.

"We have a great opportunity to do something special," coach Pete Carroll said after the Trojans celebrated homecoming by beating then-No. 21 Oregon 35-10 Saturday night for their 31st straight victory at the L.A. Coliseum. "These last few games really do feel like playoff games to us. We want to see if we can put it together."

The Trojans are in third place in the BCS, right behind Ohio State and Michigan, returning to the spot they held before losing three weeks ago. Ohio State and Michigan meet Saturday, with the winner assured of finishing first in the final BCS standings. USC hopes to finish second, and that could be a reachable goal with three more wins.

The Trojans play No. 6 Notre Dame next week, also at the Coliseum, before finishing against crosstown rival UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

"This is our playoff run right now," said USC defensive end Lawrence Jackson, who had three of the Trojans' four sacks against the Ducks - his first three of the season.

Ranked ninth in the AP poll after its loss, the Trojans now trail unbeaten Ohio State and Michigan and once-beaten Florida. Five teams ahead of USC two weeks ago have lost since that time, and Florida barely avoided being upset Saturday, getting a blocked field goal in the final seconds to preserve a 17-16 victory over South Carolina.

Chauncey Washington rushed for a career-high 119 yards and three touchdowns, and John David Booty passed for 176 yards and another score to lead the Trojans past Oregon. The big story, though, was the USC defense, which limited the Ducks to their lowest point total of the season.

The Trojans beat Stanford 42-0 the previous week, and are allowing 14.7 points per game.

Cal had the league's leading rusher in Marshawn Lynch, and its most efficient passer, Nathan Longshore, but its 24-20 loss to Arizona on Saturday knocked it out of the national title hunt.

Cal's matchup with USC, though, is perhaps its most meaningful game in decades.

"It's nice to have the opportunity to play for the Pac-10 championship," California coach Jeff Tedford said. "That's what we play for."

While Lynch rushed for 102 yards, the Bears never found an offensive rhythm against Arizona. Lynch has 1,090 rushing yards, making him just the second player in team history with two 1,000-yard seasons. He is tied with teammate DeSean Jackson for the conference lead with 13 touchdowns.

Longshore leads the Pac-10 with 2,393 yards and 21 passing touchdowns. He threw for 250 yards and three TDs with one interception Saturday, but it wasn't enough to overcome costly penalties.

Cal had a pair of interceptions and a 79-yard touchdown run by Lynch erased by penalties.

"It's not over," Bears center Alex Mack said. "It just hurts."

Jackson was the star of the game, returning a punt return 95 yards for a touchdown. It was his conference-record fifth career punt return for a touchdown. Jackson has four this season, averaging 20.7 yards per return.

He also caught a career-long 62-yard touchdown pass from Longshore and finished with six catches for 131 yards. Jackson leads the team with 45 catches for 811 yards and nine touchdowns.

USC leads the series with Cal 58-30-5. The Trojans have won two straight since a 34-31 triple-overtime road loss on Sept. 27, 2003. It was USC's only defeat en route to the first of two straight national titles.

[Killswitch]

Hmm...most likely, but what was the odds of Rutgers beating Louisville, Texas losing to KSU, Auburn losing to Georgia, and California losing to Arizona in the same week. (Ranks 3, 4, 5, and 8 at the time)

Another week or 2 of 3, 4, and 5 losing and this race for the BCS gets really....wierd.

The most unlikely of those, IMO, would be USC losing to Cal and Florida losing to FSU. However, as we know, rivalry games can cause a lot of wierd things also.

[XxRRatedxX]

VT or Wake Forest? Its on tonight at 7 on ESPN2