1. -- With massive SEC and BCS implication attached, Alabama and LSU renew their headed rivarly in Tuscaloosa, which has been the Tigers' home away from home recently. If the Crimson Tide can end LSU's gaudy four-game winning streak at Bryant-Denny Stadium, they'll clinch the SEC West crown and inclusion in what is expected to be a "national championship semifinal" versus top-ranked Florida in the SEC title game. If the Tigers can keep their road streak going and win for the sixth time in the last seven series meetings, they'll move to the top of the West Division and become a BCS title contender.
2. -- Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, a native of Jeanette, Pa., who spurned his homestate when he chose the Buckeye over the Nittany Lions (and others), will receive a rude reception in Happy Valley as both teams fight to stay alive in the race for the roses. In what's expected to be another low-scoring battle between these two defensive-minded squads (Penn State won, 13-6, last year in Columbus), Pryor will have to stay within himself and not turn the football over, which is something that his Nittany Lion counterpart, Daryll Clark, has been quite good at (aside from his three interceptions versus Iowa).
3. -- Northwestern has beaten Iowa in its last two trips to Kinnick Stadium, so we're probably in for another roller-coaster ride courtesy of the Hawkeyes. So far this season, they've all turned out well for Iowa, but we need to remember that quarterback Ricky Stanzi (pictured) hasn't always been a fourth-quarter maestro. Last year against the Wildcats, he turned the football over on downs after pitching four consecutive incompletions from the Northwestern eight-yard line. If the Hawkeyes get their revenge at home and Ohio State takes care of Penn State on Saturday, Iowa's visit to Columbus next week will be the clear-cut game of the day.
4. -- How about this?! North Carolina at Duke is actually a meaningful game in football. The Blue Devils control their own destiny in the Coastal Division of the ACC and the Tar Heels would love to take that away from them. If Duke is able to win and Georgia Tech gets past Wake Forest, we've got a doozy of clash in the Coastal next week between the Devils and Jackets.
5. -- On the other side of the ACC, Clemson hosts Florida State in an alteration that'll have a lot to say who wins the Altantic Division. It also kicks off Mickey Andrews' abreviated farewell tour.
6. -- Playing in what is unquestionably the biggest game of his young career, Alabama running back Mark Ingram can pick up lots of Heisman Trophy votes if he has a big game at home against LSU. But winning the contest is also required for him to maintain his high-level candidacy and the Crimson Tide won't be able to accomplish that by feeding the ferocious Tiger defense a heavy diet of Ingram. Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy will have to break out of his slump and mix in some connections downfield on early downs to wideouts Marquis Maze and Julio Jones, who has reportedly recovered from some nagging injuries.
7. -- A round-robin between Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and West Virginia awaits in the next four weeks, but before we get to all that good stuff and decide who gets the golden BCS ticket, the trio has to hold serve against some less inspiring Big East opposition this weekend. The Bearcats host Connecticut, the Panthers welcome Syracuse to Heinz Field and the Mountaineers have laid out the welcome mat for Louisville. All three appear to have easy hurdles to clear at home, but you never know.
8. -- While facing rival Kansas State in Manhattan, it'll be fascinating to see how Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing responds to being unceremoniously yanked from last week's 42-21 loss at Texas Tech. The Wildcats, who are still a major factor in the Big 12 North, might eventually rue the day that Jayhawks head coach Mark Mangino rilled up Reesing, who has turned over the football seven times in his last three games.
9. -- Oregon didn't have much trouble dealing with USC last week, but it'll be intriguing to see how the Ducks deal with themselves this week. If Chip Kelly's crew doesn't come down properly from its triumph over the Trojans, their trip to Stanford could prove problematic. The Cardinal can't run with the fleet-footed Ducks, but they are able to pound the ball better than most, which gives them a chance. That recipe certainly worked out for Stanford on Sept. 26, when Washington came to Palo Alto on a high after its upset over USC the week before, but left The Farm with a humbling 34-14 defeat.
10. -- Back in the day, Oklahoma at Nebraska would be a lot higher on this ladder. This latest chapter, while not very relevant nationally, is still vitally important to each school, both of which are still fighting for bowl eligibility. With a pair of freshmen likely under center for both teams, defense is expected to rule the day in Lincoln.
