1. -- With USC not scheduled to lose to anyone this week, the biggest game in the wacky Pac-10 is in Tucson, where Oregon and Arizona are two teams in control of their own destiny in the race for the Rose Bowl. The Ducks, however, have only two hurdles to clear to win the league, one less than the Wildcats, who are seeking their first trip to Pasadena. The last time Oregon visited Arizona Stadium in 2007, the Ducks were the No. 2 team in the country, but got toppled by the Wildcats, 34-24, in one of that season's biggest upsets (pictured). Last year, Oregon exploded for 45 first-half points in Eugene, but had to weather an Arizona storm before eventually prevailing, 55-45.

2. -- Three years ago this matchup pitted No. 1 vs. No. 2. This year, all we can pretty much say is that it's still Ohio State-Michigan. But that's still plenty. You can rest assured that anytime the Buckeyes and Wolverines are on the same field it's worthy of your attention. When Ohio State has the football, make sure to take special notice of No. 65 in one of those throwback Buckeye uniforms. That's Justin Boren and he used to play for Michigan. Never mind the football. It'll be in the end zone soon enough, if the Michigan defense continues its charitable ways. Just focus on Boren. That'll be quite interesting.

3. -- Another huge rivalry is headed in the opposite direction. This year the "Big Game" actually is. Admittedly, it's bigger for Stanford than California, but because of that it's huge for the Golden Bears as well. They don't want to play any role in the Cardinal making it to Pasadena (or even San Diego). It's too bad that Cal's Jahvid Best (concussion) won't be playing. Seeing him on the same field as Stanford's Toby Gerhart (pictured) would have been loads of fun. Two of the nation's most dynamic running backs, each with very different styles, both of them are simply outstanding. Nevertheless, Best's understudy Shane Vereen is quite capable, so don't be surprised if the unexpected occurs in Palo Alto.

4. -- Despite getting embarrassed by Missouri at home last weekend, 38-12, Kansas State is involved in a winner-take-all game at Nebraska for the Big 12 North title. But because of that loss, the Wildcats aren't yet bowl eligible and need to upset the Cornhuskers to extend their season. What a story that would be . . . Bill Snyder coming back to the Little Apple and steering the Wildcats to within 60 minutes of the Fiesta Bowl. All he needs to do to accomplish that and become eligible for any bowl game is lead K-State to its second win in Lincoln since 1968.

5. -- The ACC Championship Game will be set if Clemson can get past 21-point underdog Virginia. If not, then Boston College has a shot to sneak into Tampa through the back door if it can beat North Carolina on Saturday and Maryland next week. Assuming that the Tigers are able to take care of the Cavaliers, a rematch between Clemson and Georgia Tech for the conference title would be very interesting. Way back in Week 2, the Yellow Jackets blew a 24-point lead over the Tigers, but rallied to win at home, 30-27, on a last-minute field goal.

6. -- The top two teams in the SEC and nation will be in action on Saturday, but don't look for either Florida or Alabama to sweat much as they inch toward their titanic showdown in Atlanta on Dec. 5. The Gators will be hosting Florida International, while Alabama welcomes Chattanooga to Tuscaloosa. The most noteworthy aspect of these games will be the stats and memorable plays that Gator quarterback Tim Tebow and Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram add to their Heisman Trophy resumes before getting pulled at halftime.

7. -- In his final home game, Texas' Colt McCoy is poised to become the winningest starting quarterback in college football history (and clinch the Big 12 South). He is currently tied with former Georgia star David Greene with 42 wins. All that stands in McCoy's way is a careening Kansas team that's won only one Big 12 game this season and is embroiled in an ugly controversy involving allegations of player mistreatment by head coach Mark Mangino. Two years ago, after leading the Jayhawks to a 12-1 season, quarterback Todd Reesing (pictured) never would have imagined that his first (and last) collegiate game in his hometown of Austin would be mucked up like this.

8. -- Iowa and Penn State still have a shot at claiming a piece of the Big Ten title, but that would require Michigan upsetting Ohio State. Much more importantly, the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions are involved in their own non-contact battle against each other for an at-large berth into the BCS. Although no one can be quite sure of how the BCS "draft" will go down on Dec. 6, the merits of both Iowa and Penn State will be hotly debated in the next two weeks if they can win their respective games on Saturday against Minnesota and Michigan State.

9. -- Officially eliminated from the BCS last week, Notre Dame's new mission is to earn its New Year's Day spot in the Gator Bowl. A loss to Connecticut on Saturday in South Bend would probably drop the Irish down into the realm of the Sun Bowl. Maybe that wouldn't be all that bad, if we're talking about a rematch with USC in El Paso. The Huskies, who have lost their last three games by a total of 10 points, need to win two of their last three to become bowl eligible, but this game at Notre Dame is the most important since a victory would help open up a spot for a Big East team in the Gator Bowl, which would in turn create another spot for a team like the Huskies down toward the bottom of the bowl ladder.

10. -- The Conference USA East title won't be decided until next week, but UAB's trip to East Carolina on Saturday will have a huge say in the matter. It'll feature an interesting matchup between Blazer quarterback Joe Webb who passed for 378 yards and accounted for all of UAB's touchdowns in a 31-21 victory at Memphis last week. He'll be going up against a Pirate defense that scored three touchdowns of its own last week in the fourth quarter of a 44-17 victory at Tulsa.

No. -10 USC . . . The Trojans, who have been playing football for 121 years, had never allowed more than 52 points until mighty Stanford showed up at the Coliseum last Saturday to blowup Homecoming, 55-21. USC has allowed 1,564 yards in three of its last four games, including a combined 361 yards rushing to Oregon's LaMichael James and Stanford's Toby Gerhart.  Trojan head coach Pete Carroll's upcoming book "Win Forever" is still slated to come out early next year.

No. -9 Purdue . . . If you dominate time of possession 40:39 to 19:21, go 14-of-22 on third down and limit your opponent to 2-of-10, gain 28 first downs and allow only 12, you should win right? Probably in a rout. But the Boilermakers somehow found a way to lose at home to Michigan State, 40-37. Purdue outgained Michigan State in total yards 524-362 and both teams had one turnover. Stats lie.

No. -8 The Oh-for-10s . . . Eastern Michigan, Western Kentucky and New Mexico kicked Rice (1-9) out of the club last week after the Owls selfishly won a game to break up what had a been a fab four all season. To each their own. The Eagles, Hilltoppers and Lobos are still well on their way to getting goose egged, although there were a couple close calls last Saturday. Western Kentucky's losing margin was only three points at Louisiana-Monroe (21-18) and New Mexico was only five points shy of BYU (24-19), but no one ever said going 0-36 was easy.

No. -7 Minnesota . . . Winning isn't everything. Especially when the opponent is South Dakota State and you need a field goal in the final minutes to pull out a 16-13 victory at home. The Jackrabbits, who moved up to the FCS in 2004 and were playing just their second FBS foe, can be excused for not scoring an offensive touchdown. Such is not the case for the Gutless Gophers, who crossed the goal line only once on a three-yard fumble return.

No. -6 Florida and Alabama . . . The Gators and Crimson Tide should be ashamed of themselves for who they're playing on Saturday. Top-ranked Florida will test itself against Florida International, while No. 2 Alabama gets it on with Chattanooga. C'mon, guys. Seriously.

No. -5 Washington . . . The Huskies haven't won a game since that bogus bounce pass was ruled an interception, providing for a 36-33 victory over Arizona on Oct. 10. If not for that gift from the Pac-10 officials, Steve Sarkisian would be looking at a seven-game slide. Washington's latest laydown occurred at Oregon State, where the Huskies were clowned before, during and after a 48-21 humbling. Check out this quote from Beaver wideout Damola Adeniji: "Personally, we feel like we can do anything we want. We just show up, hit 'em in the mouth and get the win." For the record, Adeniji got engaged during a pregame senior day ceremony. But there's no truth to the rumor that he cooked up a few omelettes at halftime.

No. -4 Colorado State at New Mexico . . . The last time we saw the Rams, they lost their seventh game in a row, 35-16, at UNLV. They had last weekend off to prepare for this titanic tilt at New Mexico, with the Mountain West cellar at stake. As all "Worst of the Weak" readers know, the Lobos are one of three 0-10 teams in the nation and have lost their last 14 games, dating back to last season. When people are being quoted as saying that they need to beat New Mexico to save their season, you've got some serious issues.

No. -3 Kansas . . . Just two years ago, the Jayhawks capped off a 12-1 season with an Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. Earlier this season, Kansas was 5-0 and ranked at No. 16. Back then, the only problem the Jayhawk footballers had was with the KU basketball team. Since then, Kansas has fallen apart. The Jayhawks will have lost six consecutive games after Texas gets through with them on Saturday. As if that weren't enough of a headache for Kansas head coach Mark Mangino, he's also under investigation by the school, reportedly for mistreatment of players.

No. -2 Tennessee . . . We don't really mind the 42-17 loss at Ole Miss. It was only a matter of time before those guys in Oxford got things sorted out. We just wish Lane Kiffin's thugs would give the Knoxville Police Department a break.

And finally, the absolute "Worst of the Weak" . . .

No. -1 Syracuse . . . Louisville is the only Big East team that the Orange have beaten in the last three years, but not this season. Despite gaining just 151 total yards and converting on only one of their 12 third-down attempts, the Cardinals found a way to beat Syracuse last Saturday, 10-9. Unless the Orange sweep their final two games against Rutgers and Connecticut (pause for laughter to subside), they'll have won no more than one conference game in each of the last five years. Realistically, its looking like Doug Marrone will debut at Syracuse the same way Greg Robinson did in 2005 . . . 0-7 in league play.

0 -- Percent chance that Charlie Weis keeps his job at Notre Dame. Zero also corresponds to the number of big wins he's had as head coach of the Fighting Irish. The school's private plane might be busy in a couple weeks, but apparently it won't be so easy to keep track of it.

.583 -- Weis' winning percentage during his five seasons in South Bend (35-25). That's the same batting average Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham had as they were shown the door by the Fighting Irish. Weis is just .457 (16-19) since the start of the 2007 season.

.857 -- Colt McCoy's winning percentage as Texas' starting quarterback (42-7). If he is able to lead the Longhorns to a victory over Kansas on Saturday, he'll become college football's all-time winningest quarterback with 43 victories, surpassing the mark established by Georgia's David Greene in 2004.

1 -- Player in Clemson history to account for touchdowns as a runner, receiver and passer in a single game. His name is C.J. Spiller and he accomplished the feat last Saturday in a 43-23 victory at N.C. State.

2 -- Touchdown passes by Cincinnati senior quarterback Tony Pike in situational red-zone duty off the bench in Friday night's 24-21 victory over West Virginia.

3 -- Times New Mexico sophomore kicker James Aho hit the uprights in a 24-19 loss to BYU last Saturday. In all three of those instances -- field goal attempts from 35 and 42 yards out and one PAT -- the football did not find its way through for any sorely needed points. Aho also had a 46-yard field goal attempt blocked.

6 -- Touchdowns produced by Central Michigan senior quarterback Dan LeFevour in last Wednesday's 56-28 victory over Toledo. He threw for 341 yards, but only two of his scores came through the air. LeFevour carried the football 14 times for 19 yards and four touchdowns. He has accounted for 137 touchdowns in his four-year career with with the Chippewas, 92 via the forward pass and 45 on the ground. For the record, that's six TDs more than Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow (131 total, 78 passing, 53 rushing).

7 -- Times this season that Michigan has allowed 30 or more points. The latest occurrence came this past weekend as the Wolverines received a 45-24 beating at Wisconsin. On Saturday, Ohio State will likely tag number eight on embattled Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.

9.2 -- Yards per carry for Nevada during its 52-14 victory over Fresno State last Saturday. The Wolf Pack, who rushed for 461 yards and seven touchdowns against the Bulldogs, are currently averaging a national-best 7.5 yards per rush. That's more than two yards clear of Georgia Tech, which is in second place at 5.4.

15 -- Wins by UNLV during the five seasons that Mike Sanford served as head coach before being fired on Monday. He'll coach his final game next Saturday as the Rebels look to match last season's 5-7 record with a victory over San Diego State. UNLV won only two games in each of Sanford's first three seasons after taking over for College Football Hall of Famer John Robinson.

16 -- Receptions by Hawai'i junior wideout Greg Salas in the Warriors' 24-6 victory over New Mexico State last Saturday night. He gained 196 yards and scored one touchdown, while setting a new school record for catches in a single game. Salas currently leads the nation, averaging 136 receiving yards per game.

22 -- Rushing touchdowns this season by Navy junior quarterback Ricky Dobbs (pictured), breaking a school record that had stood since 1917. He ran for all five of the Midshipmen touchdowns in last Saturday's 35-18 victory over Delaware.

27 -- Points Stanford led USC by with 6:47 remaining (48-21), when Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to go for a two-point conversion. Hey coach, what's your deal?

28 -- Consecutive bowl seasons for Florida State if the Seminoles can notch victory number six on Saturday versus Maryland.

29 -- Seasons as a college football head coach for Dick Tomey, who announced on Monday that he will hang up his whistle after San Jose State's season finale against Louisiana Tech on Dec. 5. Before taking over the Spartan program in 2005, he coached 10 seasons at Hawai'i (1977-86) and 14 seasons at Arizona (1987-2000). Tomey, who is also the president of the American Football Coaches Association, currently has a grand total of 182 career victories.

41 -- Total tackles made by USC's four starting defensive backs in Stanford's 55-21 victory over the Trojans last Saturday at the Coliseum. Pete Carroll's front seven have yet to be located.

61 -- Age of Austin College kicker Tom Thompson, who booted an extra point last Saturday afternoon against Trinity University, becoming the oldest player in college football history. His PAT tied the game at 7-7 early in the second quarter, but everything went downhill from there for the Division III Kangaroos, who lost 44-10. And you thought the soccer player who kicked the winning field goal in Ohio State's 27-24 overtime victory over Iowa was old.

90 -- Boise State victories since the start of the 2002 season, which is the most by an FBS team. Thanks to Oregon and Stanford the Broncos, have finally moved past USC, which has 89 wins during that same span. Texas is third with 87, and Ohio State and Oklahoma are tied with 85.

170 -- Return yards for North Carolina junior cornerback Kendric Burney on his three interceptions in last Saturday's 33-24 upset victory over Miami (Fla.). His return yardage, which featured a 77-yarder back to the house, established a new ACC record.

174 -- Points allowed by USC in its last five games.

177 -- Points allowed by USC in the 19 games prior to the five-game span mentioned above in "174."

414 -- Receiving yards by Missouri senior wide receiver Danario Alexander (pictured) in his last two games. Last Saturday, he caught 10 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns at Kansas State, a week after snagging 13 receptions for 214 yards and one score versus Baylor.

7,626 -- Career all-purpose yards by Western Michigan senior running back Brandon West, which represents a new FBS record, surpassing the old mark of 7,573 set by Memphis' DeAngelo Williams in 2005. West has at least one more game to add to his total. And if the Broncos can beat Ball State next Tuesday, they'll become bowl eligible and might be able to worm their way into the Humanitarian Bowl.

18,000,000 -- Dollars reportedly involved in Weis' buyout clause at Notre Dame. I guess the old saying "you get what you pay for" doesn't always apply.

With three more weeks remaining in college football's regular season, here are CFT's 2009-10 bowl projections.

Due to its 38-12 loss at home to Missouri this past weekend, you won't find Kansas State (6-5 overall, 4-5 vs. FBS teams, 4-3 in Big 12 play) in here anywhere. But amazingly enough, the Wildcats would be a Texas-sized upset away from a BCS fiesta if they can beat Nebraska on Saturday in Lincoln.

The Big Ten Conference, which recently received a hefty $4.5 million gift from USC via Stanford, certainly hopes K-State doesn't pull it off.

Bowl Championship Series Title Game
January 7 -- Pasadena, Calif.
BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2
Projection: Alabama vs. Texas

BCS -- Orange Bowl
January 5 -- Miami Gardens, Fla.
BCS vs. BCS (ACC champion if available)
Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati

BCS -- Fiesta Bowl
January 4 -- Glendale, Ariz.
BCS vs. BCS (Big 12 champion if available)
Projection: TCU vs. Iowa

BCS -- Sugar Bowl
January 1 -- New Orleans
BCS vs. BCS (SEC champion if available)
Projection: Florida vs. Boise State

GMAC Bowl
January 6 -- Mobile, Ala.
ACC No. 9 vs. MAC No. 2
Projection: Middle Tennessee State* vs. Northern Illinois
(* no eligible ACC team available)

Alamo Bowl
January 2 -- San Antonio
Big Ten No. 4-5 vs. Big 12 No. 4-5
Projection: Northwestern vs. Oklahoma State

Papajohns.com Bowl
January 2 -- Birmingham, Ala.
Big East No. 5 (or Sun Belt if none eligible) vs. SEC No. 9
Projection: West Virginia vs. Kentucky

Cotton Bowl
January 2 -- Arlington, Texas
Big 12 No. 2 vs. SEC No. 3-4
Projection: Nebraska vs. Mississippi

International Bowl
January 2 -- Toronto
Big East No. 4 vs. MAC No. 3
Projection: Rutgers vs. Temple (within the last seven years both of these teams have had a 1-11 season)

Liberty Bowl
January 2 -- Memphis, Tenn.
C-USA No. 1 vs. SEC No. 6-7
Projection: Houston vs. South Carolina

Gator Bowl
January 1 -- Jacksonville, Fla.
ACC No. 3 vs. Big East No. 2, Big 12 No. 4, or Notre Dame
Projection: Miami (Fla.) vs. Notre Dame (despite a pair of losses, we're still on)

Capital One Bowl
January 1 -- Orlando, Fla.
Big Ten No. 2 vs. SEC No. 2
Projection: Penn State vs. LSU

Outback Bowl
January 1 -- Tampa, Fla.
Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC No. 3-4
Projection: Wisconsin vs. Georgia

Chick-fil-A Bowl
December 31 -- Atlanta
ACC No. 2 vs. SEC No. 5
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee

Insight Bowl
December 31 -- Tempe, Ariz.
Big Ten No. 6 vs. Big 12 No. 6
Projection: Minnesota vs. Missouri

Sun Bowl
December 31 -- El Paso, Texas
Pac 10 No. 3 vs. Big East No. 2, Big 12 No. 5 or Notre Dame
Projection: USC vs. Texas Tech

Armed Forces Bowl
December 31 -- Fort Worth, Texas
Mountain West No. 3-4 vs. C-USA No. 3
Projection: Air Force vs. East Carolina

Texas Bowl
December 30 -- Houston
Big 12 No. 8 vs. C-USA No. 7 or Navy
Projection: Texas A&M vs. Navy (accepted bid)

Humanitarian Bowl
December 30 -- Boise, Idaho
Mountain West No. 5 vs. WAC
Projection: UCLA* vs. Idaho
(* no eligible MWC team available)

Holiday Bowl
December 30 -- San Diego
Big 12 No. 3 vs. Pac 10 No. 2
Projection: Oklahoma vs. Stanford

EagleBank Bowl
December 30 -- Washington D.C.
ACC No. 8 or MAC No. 4 vs. C-USA No. 6 or Army
Projection: Ohio vs. Marshall

Champs Sports Bowl
December 29 -- Orlando, Fla.
ACC No. 4 vs. Big Ten No. 4-5
Projection: Clemson vs. Michigan State

Independence Bowl
December 28 -- Shreveport, La.
Big 12 No. 7 vs. SEC No. 8 (or Sun Belt if none eligible)
Projection: Iowa State vs. Arkansas

Music City Bowl
December 27 -- Nashville, Tenn.
ACC No. 5 vs. SEC No. 6-7
Projection: Boston College vs. Auburn

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
December 26 -- Detroit
Big Ten No. 7 vs. MAC No. 1
Projection: Bowling Green* vs. Central Michigan
(* no eligible Big Ten team available)

Meineke Car Care Bowl
December 26 -- Charlotte, N.C.
ACC No. 6 vs. Big East No. 3
Projection: Florida State vs. Pittsburgh

Emerald Bowl
December 26 -- San Francisco
ACC No. 7 vs. Pac 10 No. 4-5
Projection: North Carolina vs. Arizona

Hawai'i Bowl
December 24 -- Honolulu
C-USA No. 2 vs. WAC
Projection: SMU vs. Nevada (June Jones back in Hawai'i)

Poinsettia Bowl
December 23 -- San Diego
Mountain West No. 2 vs. Pac 10 No. 6 (or WAC if none eligible)
Projection: Brigham Young vs. California

MAACO Bowl
December 22 -- Las Vegas
Mountain West No. 1 vs. Pac 10 No. 4-5
Projection: Utah vs. Oregon State

New Orleans Bowl
December 20 -- New Orleans
C-USA No. 4 vs. Sun Belt champion
Projection: Southern Miss vs. Troy

St. Petersburg Bowl
December 19 -- St. Petersburg, Fla.
Big East No. 6 (or Sun Belt if none eligible) vs. C-USA No. 5
Projection: South Florida vs. Central Florida

New Mexico Bowl
December 19 -- Albuquerque
Mountain West No. 3-4 vs. WAC
Projection: Wyoming vs. Fresno State

1. -- TCU wasn't able to throw a monkey wrench into Utah's undefeated season last year, missing a pair of fourth-quarter field goals and allowing the Utes a last-minute touchdown in a 13-10 loss in Salt Lake City. This time around in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs are the ones protecting a spotless record and BCS dreams. TCU, which is perhaps the most well-rounded team in the nation, is the clear favorite and could turn the game into a landslide if Utah freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn can't handle the various scheme disguises and blitzes that the TCU defense will confront him with in passing situations.

2. -- Who says the Big Ten doesn't have a championship game? Iowa's visit to Ohio State on Saturday is just that. This winner-to-the-Rose-Bowl game would be much more interesting if Hawkeye freshman quarterback James Vandenberg wasn't standing in for injured starter Ricky Stanzi, but Iowa, which has proven its resilience several times this season, shouldn't be discounted.

3. -- If Notre Dame beats Pittsburgh -- and that's a huge if -- it would be the most impressive win in Charlie Weis' five seasons on the job. That sort of victory on the road against a team ranked No. 8 by the AP would provide some momentary relief from the mob seeking his ouster, but just the idea that it would be such a big deal is an indictment of Weis. Isn't the fact that he hasn't yet beaten a team that's finished a season with three or less losses during his entire stay in South Bend reason enough to send him out the door with a gigantic check.

4. -- The big boys -- Florida, Alabama and Texas -- are all heavy favorites, but as we all know . . . upsets happen. Avoiding those treacherous banana peels can be especially tough on the road, which is where all three will be. The top-ranked Gators have to fend off one of their own as alum Steve Spurrier has plans to be a rude host at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mississippi State, which will host the Crimson Tide after having last week off, beat Alabama, 17-12, in its last visit to Starkville in 2007, so keep an eye on the Bulldogs. Of this "Big Three," the Longhorns should have the easiest time as they take on Baylor, which is down to its third-string quarterback and has lost 11 in a row to Texas.

5. -- It's a huge weekend for bowl eligibility in the Big Ten. Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan and Minnesota all need victories this weekend to qualify for post season play. Either the Spartans (5-5) or Boilermakers (4-6) will get that done because they're going head-to-head in a "play-in" game of sorts. Technically, Michigan State would have another shot if it lost to Purdue, but the Spartans have Penn State coming to town next week, so they need this one just as bad as the Boilermakers, who wrap up the regular season at Indiana. While the Wolverines (5-5) have to beat Wisconsin (or Ohio State next week), all the Golden Gophers (5-5) have to do is slay South Dakota State. Indiana (4-6) and Illinois (3-6) also would require victories on Saturday to keep their bowl hopes alive, but we've already counted them out.

6. -- Tennessee has been a constant presence in the news in the last couple days and unfortunately for the Volunteers it doesn't have anything to do with Lane Kiffin's mouth or his team's impressive play in its last four games. They'll actually be pleased to get out of town this weekend, but will they have enough focus to effectively deal with an Ole Miss squad that's eager to take out its frustrations on somebody?

7. -- Georgia Tech and Clemson both have an opportunity to book their trips to Tampa for the ACC Championship Game. The Yellow Jackets merely have to beat Duke to wrap up the Coastal Division. Meanwhile, the Tigers have to win at N.C. State and hope that Boston College stubs its toe at Virginia. If the Cavaliers aren't up to the task, then Clemson can claim its first Atlantic Division title with its own victory over Virginia at home next week.

8. -- They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but Stanford will try anyway as it visits the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for the first time since its shocking 24-23 upset of 41-point favorite USC in 2007. If the Cardinal are able to do it, they'd be the first team to ever beat Pete Carroll's Trojans in the month of November. Twenty-eight others have tried and failed.

9. -- Is it really possible that Georgia could be a .500 team this season? Just a year ago, the Bulldogs were the nation's preseason No. 1, but they've steadily slipped since then. If Georgia doesn't beat Auburn on Saturday in Athens, it'll get another chance to get bowl eligible next week against Kentucky, but at that point, Mark Richt will have to find a way to win at Georgia Tech to avoid the indignity of a 6-6 campaign.

10. -- Five teams are still in contention for the Conference USA East Division title. At 4-1 in league play, East Carolina is a game up on the other four contenders and has the unique opportunity to see how everything plays out on Saturday before kicking off at Tulsa on Sunday. Marshall and Southern Miss will go toe-to-toe in Huntington. Central Florida figures to have a tough time at home with West Division leader Houston. And UAB is at Memphis, which is the only member of the East already eliminated.

No. -10 The Oh-for-Nines . . . Eastern Michigan, Rice, Western Kentucky and New Mexico are all still streaking toward perfection! Eastern Michigan made quick work of itself in a 50-6 loss to Northern Illinois. Rice actually held a first-quarter lead at SMU, before handling its business and losing 31-28. Western Kentucky embarrassed Troy, trailing by just a point at halftime, but eventually got doubled up, 40-20, and finally got head coach David Elson (pictured) fired. Last and certainly not least, New Mexico passed out cigars after finishing with more rushing yards (82) than penalty yards (81) in a respectable 45-14 beatdown at No. 14 Utah, which almost got the Lobos booted from this bogus bunch. But misery loves company and this quartet is sticking together. Oh-for-48 or bust!

No. -9 Danny Hope . . . Curiously unable to properly celebrate Purdue's first victory at Michigan since 1966 -- way back in the days when Bob Griese's brain was far less scrambled -- the Boilermaker rookie head coach used the obligatory postgame handshake with his counterpart at midfield to get catty about something that had nothing to do with his team's historic victory over the Wolverines. Hope had it all planned out. He brought offensive lineman Zach Reckman with him to meet up with Rich Rodriguez. Then, he introduced his senior left guard to the Michigan head coach and sarcastically thanked Rodriguez for playing a role in getting Reckman suspended by the Big Ten for one game way back in September for punching an opponent. C'mon Danny, do that over in the parking lot if you really feel the need.

No. -8 Washington . . . Since hanging with LSU in the season opener and pulling off a shocking upset of USC two weeks later, the Huskies have lost five of their last six games, including last week's 24-23 gift to UCLA, which hadn't won a conference game until welcoming Washington to Pasadena. The Dawgs' puppy head coach Steve Sarkisian would look a lot better if his team started modestly and got better as the season went along. Instead, there is a growing feeling of underachievement in Seattle. With quarterback Jake Locker being touted as one of the nation's top NFL prospects, it's frustrating for Washington fans to find their team parked near the bottom of the Pac-10 standings.

No. -7 Syracuse at Louisville . . . Both winless in Big East play, the Orange and Cardinals finally collide to determine who is the least of the east. If you think Syracuse's scoring average of 20.3 points per game is bad (106th in the nation), get a load of Louisville's 19.0 (108th). If both defenses weren't so horrid, we'd advocate betting on the "under," which opened at 45.

No. -6 The reinstatement of LeGarrette Blount . . . Everyone was in full agreement over the season-long suspension handed to the Oregon running back, who coldcocked Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in addition to other acts of mayhem following an embarrassing season-opening loss to the Broncos. We didn't hear any opinions to the contrary when that whole thing went down. Therefore, it has to make this list when Blount is back for the final three games of the regular season and possibly the Rose Bowl. Time usually heals all wounds in this forgiving society and that's a good thing, but the revision of the original decision is fundamentally weak.

No. -5 Wyoming . . . The Cowboys experienced their worst loss since 1985 last Saturday, getting blown up by BYU, 52-0, in Laramie. It was Wyoming's second shutout loss in its current three-game slide. The Cowboys' new head coach Dave Christensen, who was previously the offensive coordinator at Missouri, doesn't seem to have many answers. Wyoming has beaten three FBS teams this season, but the combined record of those teams (UNLV, Florida Atlantic and New Mexico) is 6-21.

No. -4 SEC officials . . . Yes, it's the same old story every week and we're tired of it too. But these guys are so crooked we can't ignore them even though we desperately want to. The shameless way they denied LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson his fourth-quarter interception boggles the mind. The officials on the field thoroughly botched the call, not making a decision immediately and then were unable to fully communicate to the crowd what they had determined before turning it over to the replay officials upstairs. The bozos in the booth fouled things up even worse, somehow discounting clear evidence, showing that Peterson did indeed have possession of the football while having, not just one, but two feet inbounds. At this point, we are left to assume that the SEC may eventually resort to shaving points off the scoreboard when nobody's looking if a game might somehow jeopardize a $17 million check.

No. -3 USA Today Coaches' Poll . . . Enough is enough. Make the ballots public (like the AP Top 25), so that we can see all of the idiots coaches who contributed to USC (No. 10) being ranked six spots ahead of Oregon (No. 16), which destroyed the Trojans, 47-20, two weeks ago in Eugene. We're aware that the BCS Standings, Harris Interactive Poll and AP Top 25 also got those two Pac-10 teams mixed up by four, four and three spots, respectively (No. 9 USC, No. 13 Oregon; No. 10 USC, No. 14 Oregon; No. 11 USC, No. 14 Oregon). But at least we're able to identify the dopey media people who voted that way and we know the BCS computers didn't stay up late to see how horrible the Trojans looked during their dreary 14-9 victory at Arizona State last Saturday night.

No. -2 Notre Dame . . . Absorbing an embarrassing upset at home doesn't get you a free pass into this ranking of the truly rank. If it did, we wouldn't have weekly room for the latest crime committed by shady SEC officials or clueless poll voting coaches. What does automatically qualify a team for inclusion are instances when a service academy openly treats a tradition-rich national power as "just another team." Navy did just that last weekend, walking into Notre Dame Stadium like it owned the place and waltzing out with a routine victory. As long as bowling over the Fighting Irish in South Bend is far easier than beating Temple in Annapolis, Charlie Weis' boys have a spot reserved here.

And finally, the absolute "Worst of the Weak" . . .

No. -1 Michigan . . . Easily retaining the top-ranking they earned last week, the Wolverines are now a lock to go bowl-less for the second year in a row thanks to their loss at home to lowly Purdue last Saturday. Michigan hasn't beaten a FBS team since September, and that was Indiana, so that barely counts as its only Big Ten victory. Allowing the Boilermakers to rack up 38 points and 494 total yards was absolutely incomprehensible. In a 37-0 loss at Wisconsin the previous week, Purdue gained only 141 yards. Since we already know that defensive coordinator Greg Robinson (pictured) is done in Ann Arbor, where is he going to get fired from next year?

With four more weeks remaining in college football's regular season, here are CFT's 2009-10 bowl projections.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany can't be happy with what happened last week, which cost his league some big bucks and put USC back in the BCS mix.  But the Trojans don't exactly appear ready to run the rest of their table, so Iowa and Penn State, along with Miami (Fla.), still have their hopes.

Click HERE for a "who's who" of bowl eligibility.

Bowl Championship Series Title Game
January 7 -- Pasadena, Calif.
BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2
Projection: Florida vs. Texas

BCS -- Orange Bowl
January 5 -- Miami Gardens, Fla.
BCS vs. BCS (ACC champion if available)
Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati

BCS -- Fiesta Bowl
January 4 -- Glendale, Ariz.
BCS vs. BCS (Big 12 champion if available)
Projection: USC vs. TCU

BCS -- Sugar Bowl
January 1 -- New Orleans
BCS vs. BCS (SEC champion if available)
Projection: Alabama vs. Boise State

BCS -- Rose Bowl
January 1 -- Pasadena, Calif.
BCS (Big Ten champion if available) vs. BCS (Pac 10 champion if available)
Projection: Ohio State vs. Oregon

GMAC Bowl
January 6 -- Mobile, Ala.
ACC No. 9 vs. MAC No. 2
Projection: Middle Tennessee State* vs. Northern Illinois
(* no eligible ACC team available)

Alamo Bowl
January 2 -- San Antonio
Big Ten No. 4-5 vs. Big 12 No. 4-5
Projection: Michigan State vs. Kansas State

Papajohns.com Bowl
January 2 -- Birmingham, Ala.
Big East No. 5 (or Sun Belt if none eligible) vs. SEC No. 9
Projection: West Virginia vs. Kentucky

Cotton Bowl
January 2 -- Arlington, Texas
Big 12 No. 2 vs. SEC No. 3-4
Projection: Nebraska vs. Auburn

International Bowl
January 2 -- Toronto
Big East No. 4 vs. MAC No. 3
Projection: Rutgers vs. Temple

Liberty Bowl
January 2 -- Memphis, Tenn.
C-USA No. 1 vs. SEC No. 6-7
Projection: Houston vs. South Carolina

Gator Bowl
January 1 -- Jacksonville, Fla.
ACC No. 3 vs. Big East No. 2, Big 12 No. 4, or Notre Dame
Projection: Miami (Fla.) vs. Notre Dame (old school "Convicts vs. Catholics" clash!)

Capital One Bowl
January 1 -- Orlando, Fla.
Big Ten No. 2 vs. SEC No. 2
Projection: Iowa vs. LSU

Outback Bowl
January 1 -- Tampa, Fla.
Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC No. 3-4
Projection: Penn State vs. Tennessee (fascinating coaching matchup)

Chick-fil-A Bowl
December 31 -- Atlanta
ACC No. 2 vs. SEC No. 5
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Georgia

Insight Bowl
December 31 -- Tempe, Ariz.
Big Ten No. 6 vs. Big 12 No. 6
Projection: Northwestern vs. Texas Tech

Sun Bowl
December 31 -- El Paso, Texas
Pac 10 No. 3 vs. Big East No. 2, Big 12 No. 5 or Notre Dame
Projection: Arizona vs. Oklahoma (Stoops Bowl!)

Armed Forces Bowl
December 31 -- Fort Worth, Texas
Mountain West No. 3-4 vs. C-USA No. 3
Projection: Air Force vs. East Carolina

Texas Bowl
December 30 -- Houston
Big 12 No. 8 vs. C-USA No. 7 or Navy
Projection: Texas A&M vs. Navy (accepted bid)

Humanitarian Bowl
December 30 -- Boise, Idaho
Mountain West No. 5 vs. WAC
Projection: Iowa State* vs. Idaho
(* no eligible MWC team available)

Holiday Bowl
December 30 -- San Diego
Big 12 No. 3 vs. Pac 10 No. 2
Projection: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon State (OSU showdown)

EagleBank Bowl
December 30 -- Washington D.C.
ACC No. 8 or MAC No. 4 vs. C-USA No. 6 or Army
Projection: Ohio vs. Marshall

Champs Sports Bowl
December 29 -- Orlando, Fla.
ACC No. 4 vs. Big Ten No. 4-5
Projection: Clemson vs. Wisconsin

Independence Bowl
December 28 -- Shreveport, La.
Big 12 No. 7 vs. SEC No. 8 (or Sun Belt if none eligible)
Projection: Missouri vs. Arkansas

Music City Bowl
December 27 -- Nashville, Tenn.
ACC No. 5 vs. SEC No. 6-7
Projection: Boston College vs. Mississippi

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
December 26 -- Detroit
Big Ten No. 7 vs. MAC No. 1
Projection: Minnesota vs. Central Michigan

Meineke Car Care Bowl
December 26 -- Charlotte, N.C.
ACC No. 6 vs. Big East No. 3
Projection: Florida State vs. Pittsburgh

Emerald Bowl
December 26 -- San Francisco
ACC No. 7 vs. Pac 10 No. 4-5
Projection: North Carolina vs. Stanford

Hawai'i Bowl
December 24 -- Honolulu
C-USA No. 2 vs. WAC
Projection: SMU vs. Nevada (June Jones back in Hawai'i)

Poinsettia Bowl
December 23 -- San Diego
Mountain West No. 2 vs. Pac 10 No. 6 (or WAC if none eligible)
Projection: Brigham Young vs. UCLA (Cougars beat Bruins, 59-0, last year)

MAACO Bowl
December 22 -- Las Vegas
Mountain West No. 1 vs. Pac 10 No. 4-5
Projection: Utah vs. California

New Orleans Bowl
December 20 -- New Orleans
C-USA No. 4 vs. Sun Belt champion
Projection: Southern Miss vs. Troy

St. Petersburg Bowl
December 19 -- St. Petersburg, Fla.
Big East No. 6 (or Sun Belt if none eligible) vs. C-USA No. 5
Projection: South Florida vs. Central Florida

New Mexico Bowl
December 19 -- Albuquerque
Mountain West No. 3-4 vs. WAC
Projection: San Diego State vs. Fresno State (they should start a regular season rivalry)

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.

No. -10 UCLA . . . People laughed and Bruins fans were enraged when it was reported that UCLA interviewed Temple's Al Golden twice after Karl Dorrell got blown out following the 2007 regular season. Well ... fast-forward to today and the Owls are on a six-game winning streak and set to play in their first bowl game since 1979. The Bruins, meanwhile have lost all five of their Pac-10 games in rapid succession and are barely relevant under the direction of Rick Neuheisel. Rock bottom will arrive on Saturday when Washington, which was 0-12 last season, beats UCLA in Pasadena.

No. -9 Michigan State-Minnesota game . . . The 50,805 fans who came to TCF Bank Stadium last weekend saw a little bit of Big Ten football, but a lot of the refs. Officials called 26 penalties and marched off 230 total yards. The Golden Gophers apparently did the most cheating and got flagged 17 times. They also somehow managed to win, 42-34.

No. -8 The Oh-for-Eights . . . Eastern Michigan, New Mexico, Rice and Western Kentucky are all 0-8. We're tired of mentioning them individually from time to time, so we'll just package them up this week. The Lobos and Hilltoppers each came through with come-from-ahead losses last Saturday to keep their "spotless" records intact. Handicapping the race to 0-12 perfection, the "Worst of the Weak" has to go with Western Kentucky right now. The Hilltoppers were the lowest of the low last weekend, surrendering 68 points and 583 total yards to North Texas, which came in 1-6.

No. -7 Mark Mangino . . . On the same day that Iowa was handsomely rewarded for sticking with Ricky Stanzi after he threw five interceptions, Kansas' big bossman basically tossed in the towel against Texas Tech by yanking Todd Reesing in the fourth quarter. But Mangino really earned his inclusion on this list after the Red Raiders' 42-21 win when he said that his senior quarterback would have to earn the starting job for Saturday's game at Kansas State in practice this week. We know one thing, the Wildcats would much rather face freshman Kale Pick than the seasoned QB Mangino touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate only a few weeks ago.

No. -6 Louisiana Tech . . . we'll mention the Bulldogs now and just get it out of the way. Sort of a called shot, if you will. Louisiana Tech has lost three of its last four to drop to 3-5. That's usually not nearly enough to gain mention here, but the Bulldogs' next three games are against Boise State, LSU and Fresno State, which are a combined 20-4. Hello, 3-8!

No. -5 Black fetish . . . We know it was Halloween, but that's still no excuse for Georgia and Tennessee to break out the black unnecessarily. The Bulldogs' black helmets were disgusting in defeat and the Vols' black jerseys were an abomination in victory. Traditional SEC powerhouses look terribly cheap when they spit on decades of tradition and take ill-advised fashion risks. Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton has already said that the Vols will never wear those black jerseys again. Great move, Mike. But why did you go along with it when the idea was first hatched?

No. -4 Nick Williams . . . In cowboy movies, black hats are worn by the bad guys. In football, brand-new black helmets apparently identify cheap-shot artists such as the Georgia sophomore linebacker, who laid an absolutely ridiculous late hit on Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. In a way, Williams is lucky that Tebow wasn't injured by his malicious actions. And before suggesting that we're looking the other way in regard to the self-suspended Brandon Spikes and his wandering fingers that found their way inside Washaun Ealey's facemask in that same game, please understand that they "were just out there playing football."

No. -3 Vanderbilt . . . A year after going 7-6 and posting a victory over Boston College in the Music City Bowl, the Commodores appear destined to finish 2-10 overall and 0-8 in SEC play. That sort of record isn't something foreign to the folks in Nashville, but it would be mind-boggling if the two teams that Vandy did beat end up finishing the season with a grand total of one combined victory. Western Carolina, which got blanked by the Commodores, 45-0, in the season opener currently owns that one win thanks to Citadel. Rice's 36-17 loss to Vanderbilt on Sept. 26 represents the midpoint of the Owls' 0-8 record. The Catamounts definitely don't have another victory in them. Rice seems to have one chance at glory on Nov. 11 against Tulane. We shudder to think about what the BCS computers think about the 'Dores.

No. -2 Big Ten replay refs . . . Were there a bunch of kids masquerading as replay officials on Halloween at Kinnick Stadium? Anything short of that can't explain why Ben Chappell's 11-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Turner was overturned and ruled an incompletion. If there was indisputable evidence to reverse the call made on the field by a linesman in perfect position, we have yet to see it. In fact, we've only seen picture perfect proof that the catch was indeed a touchdown. In terms of sinister acts to protect a BCS title game contender, those Big Ten officials outdid anything their SEC counterparts have come up with so far this season. And that's saying a lot.

And finally, the absolute "Worst of the Weak" . . .

No. -1 Michigan . . . If you don't count their ridiculous scheduling of and victory over Delaware State (we certainly never will), the Wolverines haven't won a game since squeaking past Indiana, 36-33, on Sept. 26. Last week's 38-13 loss at Illinois was an utter disgrace, raising the distinct possibility of another bowl-less season for Michigan, which is precariously perched at 5-4. The pressure is really on for Saturday's game against Purdue, which itself is on the "Worst of the Weak" waiting list after gaining only 141 yards at Wisconsin during an ugly 37-0 Halloween massacre. After hosting the Boilermakers, the Wolverines have only losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State to finish up with.