ESPN College Football

1. When USC hired Lane Kiffin, the Trojans supposedly received the quintessential twofer. Not only did Kiffin return to run the offense but he brought with him his father, Monte, a coaching legend, to run the defense. It’s a sweet story -- just hold off on the violins. Arizona State became the seventh opponent in 17 games to score at least 30 points on Monte Kiffin’s defense. Blame turnovers (minus-four vs. the Sun Devils) or inexperience if you wish. But Monte Kiffin defenses have been far from legendary.

2. Ole Miss can’t catch a break. The Rebels (1-3) travel 2,000 miles west Saturday to play at Fresno State. In the SEC, Ole Miss is a team that has scored a total of 34 points in its three losses. But no one at Bulldog Stadium will care. All they will see is the first-ever visit by an SEC team. Fresno State has done the best job of any WAC team east of Hawaii of making deals to get AQ-conference schools in their stadium (fifth in six years). That includes you, Boise State.

3. Year after year, Clemson has gotten to the brink of championship contention and backed away. After victories over Auburn and Florida State, No. 13 Clemson has a chance to start 5-0 for the first time since 2000 but must win at No. 11 Virginia Tech to do so. “Our schedule has helped us,” Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said. “We haven’t had a chance to think about the last game because we’ve had to focus on the next game.” So what happens next week at home vs. a struggling Boston College?

The Pac-12 blog is worried about Utah.

Now that Utah is in the Pac-12, a member of the privileged class, is it going to forget how to properly dislike BYU? Is it going to eyeball the Cougars on Saturday and think, "You know, blue really brings out their eyes!"

This thought vexes the Pac-12 blog, which feeds on the often irrational passion of college football.

So, Utah, we've brought back a friend to remind you how you should feel about BYU because this is how BYU feels about you.

"I don't like Utah," former BYU quarterback Max Hall said after the Cougars beat the Utes in 2009. "In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, I hate their fans, I hate everything ... I think the whole university, their fans and their organization, is classless. They threw beer on my family and stuff last year, and they did a whole bunch of nasty things, and I don't respect them, and they deserve to lose."

Utes, the Cougars are going to be gunning for you hard Saturday. There's the natural state rivalry, sure, but there's a third, highly-motivating color involved other than red and blue: green.

Green as in the money Utah is soon going to be making in the Pac-12. And green as in the green-eyed monster of jealousy: BYU isn't happy the Utes jumped to the Pac-12 and it wasn't invited.

And, by the way, BYU is pretty darn good, having won at Ole Miss and falling just short at Texas. Ten starters are back on offense, including quarterback Jake Heaps, from a team that went 7-6 in 2010.

Further, this game has been highly competitive in recent years. Five of the past six have been decided by a touchdown or less. Two of those went into overtime. Last year, Utah rallied from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 17-16. The game was decided when the Utes blocked a 42-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

Utes linebacker Chaz Walker didn't seem too concerned that BYU and Utah fans and players will start palling around. When asked if the so-called "Holy War" was a bitter or friendly rivalry, he spoke carefully but without much ambiguity.

"Probably a little bit on the dislike side," he said. "There's not many BYU players you see hanging out with Utah players."

The feel of the game will be different, though. For one, it no longer counts in the conference standings. In previous seasons, the matchup often had significant Mountain West Conference ramifications. Further, instead of the chill of a season-finale in late November, this one will feature the pleasant weather of mid-September.

For Utah, it also brings the grind of the new Pac-12 schedule front-and-center. The Utes must regroup and refocus after a tough, physical loss at USC. It's likely the bye week that follows will feel pretty good.

Perhaps the Pac-12 blog shouldn't worry. After talking to a few folks on the Utah end of things, it seems clear BYU has the Utes' attention. And always will when they go nose-to-nose.

Said coach Kyle Whittingham, "It's the biggest single sporting event in the course of a year. It's the biggest thing that happens in this state."

The week that wasn't. The week that might be.

Welcome to "Measuring Stick Week" for the Pac-12, which comes right on the heels of "Mostly Laid an Egg Week" in the Pac-12.

To recap:

• The conference went 8-4 when 12-0 seemed perfectly reasonable to expect.
• Oregon lost its marquee showdown with LSU. The nation is saying it was because the Tigers bullied the Ducks with their super-superior angry robot players. Seems completely reasonable, of course, to ignore four Ducks turnovers and 12 Ducks penalties. Sure that had nothing to do with it.
• Oregon State lost at home to Sacramento State, which is not only an FCS team, it's a mediocre FCS team.
• UCLA lost at Houston, a team it pushed around a year ago.
• Colorado lost the battle on the line of scrimmage at Hawaii.
• Even the teams that did win didn't do so with distinction: Washington needed a late interception to beat Eastern Washington. Utah most certainly did NOT just barely beat Montana State -- that's for you angry Twitter sorts -- but it looked terrible on offense against Montana State. USC went scoreless in the second half and also needed a late interception to beat Minnesota.
• And in, "Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?" news, Washington State's price for manhandling Idaho State was quarterback Jeff Tuel's clavicle.

One word: Yuck.

But if you lay an egg, you can always pick it up and make an omelet. (Preferably with real butter. And some cheese.)

Measuring Stick Week offers plenty of opportunities for redemption. Or, if you want to be a negative-Nelly, for a precipitous slide in national esteem. (Here's a quick preview of the games).

• Instead of FCS foes, games include matchups with three ranked teams from other AQ conferences -- two on the road -- and two games against foes from non-AQ conferences that had double-digit wins in 2010 (Nevada and Hawaii).
• There are two conference games, though only one counts as a conferences game. Utah's visit to USC not only counts in the standings, it will be widely viewed as an early measure of the Utes' place in the conference pecking order. California's visit to Colorado stands as a nonconference game -- it was scheduled before expansion -- and is all about the Buffs hoping to redeem themselves for the disaster in Berkeley last year.
• Stanford and UCLA are heavy favorites against Duke and San Jose State, respectively, but Stanford is traveling 2,800 miles to Durham, while it's never certain what the Bruins will do.
• Can Washington State improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2005 at home against UNLV without its starting QB?

Pac-12 teams are underdogs in only two of these nonconference games: Arizona and Oregon State (by two and three TDs, respectively). That means the conference needs to go at least 6-2 to hold serve. That means Arizona State -- a 7.5-point favorite even though Missouri is ranked -- and Washington need to beat good teams at home. And Oregon, Stanford, Washington State and UCLA need to take care of business against double-digit underdogs.

And it wouldn't hurt if the Wildcats and Beavers at least distinguished themselves with competitive performances on the road.

The reaction to the Pac-12's first weekend of games was bad from the national media. You can see some here. And here.

You might find it unfair that few took note of the SEC suffering a few embarrassing performances, too, with Georgia getting outclassed by Boise State in a glorified home game and Ole Miss going down at home to BYU and Auburn just escaping Utah State. But that conference, as its adherents are known to point out, has won five consecutive national titles.

The Pac-12 needs more teams in the Top 25 to burnish its image. If Arizona State and Washington win this week, the Sun Devils will be in and the Huskies will be close. The Utah-USC winner will be ranked, while the Wildcats would be too if they pull the upset.

College football is often more of a beauty contest than a game contested on the field of play. The Pac-12 made big news this offseason by getting rich. That's why it has so many suitors now who want a piece of the action.

Being rich makes you attractive in our society.

But the Pac-12 would rather be George Clooney -- rich, good looking -- rather than T. Boone Pickens -- rich and wrinkled.

It figures to become one or the other when the smoke clears after Measuring Stick Week.

It's not often that NC State has something to offer the Pac-12, but more than a few of you apparently think the Wolfpack and coach Tom O'Brien have a gift for the Conference of Quarterbacks: Russell Wilson.

Some of you say, "Who?" Others exclaim, "Go west Russell! Go west!"

Wilson, as ESPN.com's Ryan McGee points out , is presently the second baseman for the Class A Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League. But in a previous incarnation he was a dual-threat quarterback for the Wolfpack, one who led the ACC in total offense (3,563 yards passing, 435 rushing).

And O'Brien has released him from his scholarship, which means he can play anywhere free-and-clear next fall (other than another ACC team or NC State nonconference foe).

Hey, California and UCLA: Is that something you might be interested in?

Sure, it might make sense for Wilson to remain in the region, which means the SEC. And South Carolina and Auburn are two schools that might be interested in Wilson. But what about a sense of adventure? Los Angeles or the Bay Area would broaden your horizons, Russell.

There is a catch: baseball. Wilson is under contract with the Colorado Rockies and, as McGee points out, they don't seem terribly flexible about allowing Wilson to skip off this summer for a preseason camp, on the East or West Coast.

[Rockies senior director of player development Marc] Gustafson said he had read the stories and the comments made by Wilson. Asked if he expected Wilson to play for the Tourists until the season ends Sept. 5, he said, "Absolutely."

Sept. 5, obviously, means that Wilson wouldn't be available for the opening of the season on Sept. 3. Would any team be willing to bring him to town, despite missing fall camp and the first game? Well, stranger things have happened but it's not a great formula for locker room chemistry.

Of course, desperate times at quarterback call for desperate measures. And there are always loopholes and politicking that could get Wilson aboard sooner. If Wilson really wants to play football, he will.

The odds, though, seem remote, particularly of him ending up in the Pac-12. But in January 2010, who would have thought that Jeremiah Masoli would end up the starting quarterback at Ole Miss and not Oregon?

It's time for a blogger debate! And it doesn't get much better than when we match the SEC and Pac-10.

Our topic: No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Auburn. Who's better and why?

Both are unbeaten, and if the season ended today, they'd play for the national title.

We've got lots of football left, and probably many more plot twists in the hunt for the national title, but there's no reason we can't engage in a hypothetical, is there?

So the Pac-10 blog -- Ted Miller -- and the SEC blog -- Chris Low -- have decided to meet for some civilized debate on Auburn versus Oregon.

Ted Miller: Chris, since things are so quiet in the sleepy SEC, I think we should spice things up with a Pac-10-SEC blogger debate! It seems like a long time since we last had a debate between our two conferences. How’d that one go? Let’s see I championed Taylor Mays and you celebrated Eric Berry. Wait. Why did I bring that up?

Anyway, our topic is Oregon and Auburn: Who’s better and why.

This is a potential national title game between the No. 1 Ducks and No. 2 Tigers, who are both unbeaten and feature Heisman Trophy candidates leading high-powered offenses.

You get first blood. Tell me about Auburn. It seems like it wasn’t too long ago that Jay Jacobs was getting hounded for hiring Gene Chizik. Guessing that’s died down a wee-bit.

Chris Low: No doubt, Ted. I wonder where that obnoxious guy is now, the one yelling at Jacobs as he was leaving the airport after finalizing the deal with Chizik? Maybe Jacobs knew what he was doing after all. The guy with the 5-19 record at Iowa State has done all right by himself on the Plains. He has a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback and the SEC's leading rusher in Cam Newton, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound freak of nature who runs like Bo Jackson and also has an NFL arm. Keep your eyes, too, on freshman running back Mike Dyer, who they haven't had to lean on much this season, but is oozing with talent and has fresh legs for this stretch run. The Tigers' defensive numbers are nothing to write home about, but they do have the kind of dominant interior defensive lineman, Nick Fairley, who can take over games. Georgia coach Mark Richt said Fairley's the closest thing he's seen to Warren Sapp. Auburn's calling card defensively has been making plays at key times in the fourth quarter. The Tigers have been a serviceable defense through three quarters this season, but they've been a championship-caliber defense in the fourth quarter -- which is why they're 10-0.

So tell me about Oregon?

Ted Miller: Speaking of coaches: How about Oregon’s Chip Kelly? How could he possibly expect to top winning the Pac-10 and playing in the Rose Bowl his first season? How about contending for a national title in his second? The Ducks, however, expected to be here when the 2009 season ended because just about everybody was coming back from the Pac-10 champions. That is until a guy you are now familiar with -- quarterback Jeremiah Masoli -- got caught up in some off-field issues and eventual got himself booted from the team. That seemingly left a void behind center, but sophomore Darron Thomas has not only filled Masoli’s shoes, he’s gone up a few sizes: He’s 15th in the nation in passing efficiency and 21st in the nation in total yardage. Meanwhile, speedy running back LaMichael James is the top Heisman alternative to your guy, Newton. As for the defense, it’s like the offense: Extremely fast. It ranks 13th in the nation in scoring defense and it has forced 28 turnovers, second-most in the nation. Folks often underestimate the Ducks' defense because it gives up some yards -- it ranks 29th in the nation in total defense -- but that’s because the offense scores so quickly: The nation’s No. 1 offense ranks 115th in the nation in time of possession. But the Ducks only give up 4.45 yards per play. Our factoid of the day is that number would rank No. 1 in ... wait for it ... the SEC!

Obviously, we're talking about two very good teams that have done impressive things on their way to remaining unbeaten. I know we both have Oregon ahead of Auburn in our power rankings, but give me the case for Auburn.

Chris Low: Ted, I think what separates Auburn is Newton. Nobody has been able to stop him. If you commit to taking away the run, he's proved he can beat people throwing the ball. And if you come after him and/or don't have enough people in the box, he's been magic running the ball. Keep in mind, too, that we're not talking about a 220-pound guy running the ball. We're talking about a 250-pound guy who's physical, tough and doesn't run out of bounds. In the red zone, he's the great equalizer, because he gains 3 yards when he falls forward and has the size and the strength to push the pile. On top of it all, he's always a threat to throw the ball. Similar to Oregon, Auburn doesn't flinch if somebody puts 30-plus points on the board, because the Tigers' mentality is that they're going to score 50. Their offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn, will make you defend everything -- reverses, throwback passes, passes to the backs, even passes to Newton. He caught a touchdown pass two weeks ago against Ole Miss. The Tigers also play at a tempo on offense that has opposing defenses gasping for air in the fourth quarter. But when they have to, they can put teams away and finish games by running the ball. They're fourth nationally (one spot ahead of Oregon) this week in rushing offense with an average of 307.2 yards per game. Auburn's top four rushers -- Newton, Dyer, Onterio McCalebb and Mario Fannin -- are all averaging at least 6.4 yards per carry. Do the Ducks have any answers for that running game?

Ted Miller: That’s what’s so interesting about this as a potential national title game match -- there’s an odd familiarity that both teams will have with each other despite never crossing paths. My guess is Malzahn and Kelly already have studied each other, just in terms of mutual admiration. And both defenses will be familiar with up-tempo, no-huddle, spread-option offenses that can power you and finesse you and throw downfield. Further, the Ducks have played against a number of big, fast, capable quarterbacks with NFL futures: Washington’s Jake Locker, Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor and Stanford’s Andrew Luck. The results have been mixed. Last year, Luck and Pryor got them. Luck beat the Ducks with uncanny downfield accuracy, which is why he’ll go No. 1 in this spring’s NFL draft. Pryor shocked them with the best passing game of his career in the Rose Bowl. Locker missed this year’s game, but he’s never had much luck against Oregon. In general, Oregon has a good run defense: Opponents are averaging 3.38 yards per rush. But the Ducks are undersized. A physical Stanford team had some success, rushing for 177 yards. But one thing about Oregon on both sides of the ball: It is masterful with halftime adjustments. They shutout Stanford, owners of the nation’s No. 5 scoring offense, in the second half, and have given up just 48 points in the second half this year -- just seven in the fourth quarter!

Obviously, two very good teams that have done impressive things on their way to remaining unbeaten. I know we both have Oregon ahead of Auburn in our power rankings, but give me the case for Auburn if it played Oregon in the national title game. How do you see it going?

Chris Low: Well, if that happens, the first thing we all better make sure we have is a calculator. That and make sure there's no danger of a power surge to the scoreboard. You're right about Oregon. Nobody in the country has been better in the second half. The Ducks' ability to score points in bunches is amazing, but the Tigers are equally adept at going on head-spinning scoring sprees. Just ask Arkansas, which saw Auburn roll up 28 points in the fourth quarter in Xbox-like fashion. I have no doubt that an Auburn-Oregon matchup would be played in the 40s. I think the difference, though, would be Auburn's ability to put the breaks on the track meet and run the football in the fourth quarter, especially with Newton being so good at converting on third down. So I'm going Auburn 45, Oregon 41 in a game that rates up there with the Texas-USC classic to decide the 2005 national title.

Ted Miller: That's clearly something we can all agree on: This likely would be a highly entertaining, offensively driven national title game if these two teams manage to get themselves there. Further, I think, after never getting a USC-SEC title game, folks on both coasts would enjoy an SEC-Pac-10 matchup. No trash-talking there, right? And I do see a clear advantage for Auburn: It has been tested. It's played five games decided by eight points or fewer, and three decided by a field goal. The Ducks closest game? An 11-point win at Arizona State. But that's also why I'd pick Oregon in this one. Oregon beat the No. 6 team in the nation, Stanford, by 21 points. It shut Andrew Luck out in the second half. And I look at all of Auburn's close games: Mississippi State, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky and LSU, and think: None of them would be within 10 points of the Ducks. Maybe LSU, because any game Les Miles touches is surprising. And I think Vegas would agree with me. So if we ended up with an Oregon-Auburn national title game, my guess is the Tigers would go TD for TD with the Ducks in the first half, then the Ducks would pour it on late for a 50-35 win. But I reserve the right to change my mind, particularly because I think the Tigers' toughest test -- Alabama -- is ahead.

Moreover, both teams should be advised: You probably should get to the Jan. 10 date in Glendale before you start trash-talking each other. At least before you use your best stuff.

Turns out the NCAA denied former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli immediate eligibility at Ole Miss because his request for a waiver didn't match the "intent" of the transfer exception.

Here's a statement from the NCAA.

The NCAA staff has granted a graduate student transfer waiver for University of Mississippi football student-athlete Jeremiah Masoli, but he must wait until the 2011-12 academic year to compete. Mr. Masoli can continue to pursue his academic career, is eligible to receive athletics aid, and may practice with the team

In its decision, the staff noted the student-athlete was unable to participate at the University of Oregon based on his dismissal from the team, which is contrary to the intent of the waiver. The waiver exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer for academic reasons to pursue graduate studies, not to avoid disciplinary measures at the previous university.

According to NCAA rules, created by member schools, football graduate student-athletes must receive a waiver in order to compete if they enroll in a university other than where they received their undergraduate degree.

After receiving information from both universities and the student-athlete, the NCAA staff obtained the final piece of information yesterday evening from the University of Mississippi and issued its decision today. The university may appeal this staff decision to the Subcommittee for Legislative Relief, an independent group comprised of representatives from NCAA member colleges, universities and athletic conferences.

Ole Miss is appealing the decision. The odds of seeing Masoli playing this year, though, seem poor.

All the speculation across the globe will end on Saturday at 9:05 a.m., when either senior Nate Costa or sophomore Darron Thomas takes the first snap at Oregon's practice.

That's when reporters and fans will learn who the Ducks starting quarterback will be in the season-opener vs. New Mexico on Sept. 4.

Said coach Chip Kelly, as quoted in The Oregonian.

“Saturday morning when we come out to practice (for) New Mexico, we’ll know who our starting quarterback’s going to be. It’s been the same plan all along, I’m not being evasive. This Saturday, right after Friday … Thursday, Friday, Saturday. … On Saturday morning, whoever takes the first snap (will be the starter). … I’ll tell you before if you want to call me.’’

Kelly, by the way, has a talent for screening calls. Maybe he could change his voice mail: "Hello, this is Oregon football coach Chip Kelly. I'm really sorry I missed your call and I really, really want to talk to you. Except for you Miller. As for our starting quarterback, it's... mnfffuabuffta. Go Ducks."

Dial tone.

It's possible the decision has already been made. It's also possible a closed scrimmage on Thursday will be the final and telling contest between the two candidates to replace He Whose Name Shall Not Be Mentioned, who is presently competing to start at Ole Miss (or not?).

Based on what the Pac-10 blog has read on the competition -- thousands upon thousands words of copy -- there is a general consensus: No one knows whom Kelly will tap.

There are lots of reasons to check out the Pac-10 this fall, but here are five hot topics that top the list.

Elite quarterbacks: Jake Locker or Andrew Luck? Andrew Luck or Jake Locker? Who gets picked first in the NFL draft this spring (if, of course, Luck opts to enter the draft after his redshirt sophomore season). Neither has put up spectacular numbers -- yet -- but both have NFL scouts drooling over their talent. Do both, or either, live up to their considerable preseason hype? Or maybe you prefer USC's Matt Barkley or Arizona's Nick Foles. Both have NFL talent and both have good supporting casts on offense. Oh, and Cal's Kevin Riley, UCLA's Kevin Prince and Washington State's Jeff Tuel are returning starters with plenty of capability. The competition for All-Pac-10 quarterback figures to be heated.

Quarterback questions: Two of the top three teams in the preseason media poll -- No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State -- are breaking in new quarterbacks. The Ducks said an early goodbye to potential Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiah Masoli, who's now at Ole Miss, and it's still not clear if senior Nate Costa or sophomore Darron Thomas will replace him. The Beavers are fired up about the big arm and athletic ability of Ryan Katz, but it's not easy playing TCU in Cowboys Stadium and at Boise State in two of your first three starts. Finally, Arizona State also hasn't figured out who will be its starting quarterback between Brock Osweiler and Steven Threet.

Is there a Heisman Trophy contender here? The Heisman Trophy hunt starts with Locker and Luck, and could include Barkley and Foles. But what about the running backs? Both Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers and Oregon's LaMichael James are All-American candidates and potential Doak Walker Award winners. And, you know, Rodgers' big brother, James, is a pretty fancy receiver, too. Or is there someone else, a dark horse who might emerge as Toby Gerhart did last year?

Is there a BCS title contender here? The Pac-10 hasn't played for a national championship since USC's bid to win three in a row fell just short in the 2005 title game. Based on the preseason rankings, it's not likely to happen in 2010: No conference team will begin the season ranked in the top 10. Oregon would have been viewed as a contender if Masoli were still around. And USC probably would have earned some mention -- mostly out of habit -- if it were eligible for the postseason. Based on how deep the Pac-10 is this year, it's going to be hard to lose just once -- much less go undefeated -- in conference play. So the conference champion might just have to settle on playing in the Rose Bowl once again.

After all the hullabaloo, can Lane Kiffin coach? Seems like everyone's got an opinion on Lane Kiffin, and most of them aren't too positive, to say the least. Even his defenders can't cite much from his body of work: a 5-15 record with the Oakland Raiders and a 7-6 mark in one season in Knoxville. But at some point there will be an accurate measure: wins and losses. If Kiffin wins, then he's a good coach. End of story. Further, if he leads USC out of major NCAA sanctions -- keeping his team motivated and competitive in the process -- then he will have accomplished something even a lot of good coaches couldn't. What to watch this season? Let's see how USC reacts after its first loss. If the Trojans fight all year -- unlike 2009 -- and win nine or 10 (or more?) games, then it might be time for Kiffin's critics to put a sock in it.

Extra credit: Pac-12 business? Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott and the conference athletic directors have plenty of off-field concerns to discuss this offseason, from how to split up the conference into divisions when Utah and Colorado join, to where to play a conference championship game, to how revenue will be distributed. Firm answers likely won't be revealed until October. Oh, and once they are answered, then Scott can focus all his attention at the A-No. 1 item on the agenda: A new broadcast deal and/or Pac-10 network, contracts that need to keep the conference competitive with the mega-money the Big Ten and SEC are raking in.

Ranking the BCS conferences: It's an exercise that guarantees at least one constituency will think you're a genius and another will think you're an idiot.

It's easy to dump the Big East into sixth place: Eight teams, not enough elite teams, not enough depth. After that, the margin of separation between the other five seem thin and wildly subjective.

Of course, SEC adherents will start to fulminate if they are not given a free pass into the top spot. Something about four consecutive national championships (it's an annoying point because it's hard to counter).

But let's look at the SEC for a moment. Here's a ranking of the SEC quarterbacks. It's basically Ryan Mallett of Arkansas and a bunch of nobodies and question marks. It's fair to say nine teams have serious issues at the position. At the end of the season, when we're talking about dominant SEC defenses, let's remember this cast of "Whos?"

Further, you could make a case that the SEC heading into 2010 is Alabama and Florida and a bunch of maybes. And the Crimson Tide must replace eight starters off their dominant defense, while Florida lost nine guys to the NFL draft. Lots of questions there.

In fact, just for fun. Match the SEC and the Pac-10, but do it from the bottom up. Here's Chris Low's post-spring power rankings. And here's mine for the Pac-10.

Vanderbilt beats Washington State, Arizona State beats Kentucky, UCLA beats Tennessee, Arizona beats Mississippi State, Washington beats Ole Miss, California beats South Carolina, Stanford beats Georgia, Oregon State beats Auburn, Oregon beats LSU and USC beats Arkansas.

Of course, you can't just drop Alabama and Florida, two of the nation's top-three programs (Texas is the third).

Which is why we're still ranking the SEC No. 1.

The larger point is the difference between BCS conferences is marginal, despite the huffing and puffing you heard to the contrary. When I began, I considered ranking the Big Ten No. 1 based on the Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin triumvirate, but then it seemed like the Big Ten has less depth than the Pac-10, ACC and Big 12. Then I thought the Big 12 looked good with Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Missouri. Then the ACC looked underrated.

Then I just needed to get on with it.

(By the way, here's a good place to see how many returning starters each team has).

1. SEC: While I have a hunch the SEC won't be on top at season's end, the impressive track record earns the conference the top spot.

2. Big 12: Five legitimate Top 25 teams and respectable at the bottom.

3. Big Ten: Top-heavy, but very good at the top.

4. Pac-10: The apparent lack of a national title contender hurts, but the conference has nine teams that could win at least six games.

5. ACC: The conference has big upside -- it might end up No. 1 at season's end -- but its track record is disappointment (see Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl). The SEC gets the benefit of the doubt. The ACC still has to prove itself.

6. Big East: Only obvious preseason Top 25 team is Pittsburgh. Based on the Sugar Bowl, we're in wait-and-see-mode with a Brian Kelly-less Cincinnati.

With only three Saturdays to go in the 2009 regular season, you'd expect a buffet of games with serious postseason implications.

Instead, No. 1 Florida is playing Florida International and No. 2 Alabama is hosting FCS foe Chattanooga.

But there are at least a few games on this weekend's schedule that will have some impact on how the postseason turns out.

Here are 10 things to watch this weekend:

1. What will Texas quarterback Colt McCoy’s last home game be like?

The Longhorns will say good-bye to McCoy, their record-setting quarterback, when he plays his final home game against Kansas at Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday night (ABC, 8 p.m. ET).

McCoy is one victory shy of breaking former Georgia star David Greene’s NCAA record of 43 career victories. The Longhorns can clinch the Big 12 South with a victory over Kansas, which has lost five games in a row and is conducting an internal investigation into coach Mark Mangino’s treatment of players.

“It goes back to the very first day I talked with coach [Mack] Brown,” McCoy said. “I asked him what it was going to take for me to be his quarterback. He told me, ‘You’ve just got to win. You’ve got to find a way to win.’”

McCoy has certainly done that during his college career, and he has a chance to lead No. 3 Texas to the Jan. 7 BCS national championship game. If the Longhorns beat the Jayhawks, rival Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night and the Big 12 North champion in the Dec. 5 Big 12 championship game, they’ll play for a national championship.

2. Can California slow down Stanford’s Toby Gerhart?

Oregon and Southern California couldn’t do it the last two weeks, and few teams have slowed down the Cardinal’s bruising running back.

According to ESPN research, Gerhart leads the Pac-10 with 39 runs of 10 yards or more and has been one of the country’s best short-yardage runners. On third- and fourth-down plays of two yards or less, Gerhart has converted 83.3 percent of the time.

With a victory over the No. 25 Bears, No. 17 Stanford would stay in the Pac-10 title race and enhance its bowl possibilities. Cal is coming off a 24-16 upset of Arizona, in which backup running back Shane Vereen ran for 159 yards. Star tailback Jahvid Best will miss his second straight game with a concussion.

3. Can Oregon move a step closer to the Rose Bowl?

Oregon and Stanford all but ended USC’s hopes of playing in a fifth straight Rose Bowl.

The Ducks can earn a trip to Pasadena for the first time since 1995 by beating Arizona on the road Saturday night (ABC, 8 p.m. ET) and rival Oregon State at home on Dec. 3.

Tailback LeGarrette Blount has been reinstated to the team, but he’ll have a hard time getting LaMichael James off the field. James has already run for 1,139 yards, an Oregon freshman record, and has posted five straight 100-yard games.

4. Will Ohio State extend Michigan’s misery?

The No. 9 Buckeyes locked up a spot in their first Rose Bowl in 13 seasons by beating Iowa 27-24 in overtime last week.

Ohio State doesn’t have much at stake in the regular-season finale at Michigan (ABC, noon ET), but it would like nothing more than to make a bad Michigan season even worse.

The Wolverines have lost four games in a row and six of seven in coach Rich Rodriguez’s second season, including a 45-24 loss at Wisconsin last week.

With an ongoing NCAA investigation into his program’s practice habits, Rodriguez could really use an upset win over Ohio State to quiet his critics. OSU has beaten Michigan five times in a row, the longest streak in this series since Michigan beat the Buckeyes six times in a row from 1922-1927.

5. Will Clemson finally get it done?

The No. 23 Tigers can clinch their first appearance in the ACC championship game by beating reeling Virginia at home on Saturday (ABC, 3:30 ET).

With one more victory, Clemson will clinch the ACC’s Atlantic Division and earn a rematch with Georgia Tech in the Dec. 5 ACC championship game in Tampa, Fla. The No. 7 Yellow Jackets needed a last-minute field goal to beat the Tigers 30-27 in Atlanta on Sept. 10.

Clemson has been among the country’s hottest teams recently, winning five games in a row. The Tigers have averaged 42 points and 425.8 yards of offense during that stretch.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach

The SEC takes center stage this weekend.

LSU and Florida, the last two BCS national champions, will battle at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. Alabama, the defending SEC West champion, is playing like the best team in the country. The Crimson Tide face a key SEC game at Ole Miss, which is seeking redemption after its 16-10 loss at South Carolina two weeks ago.

	Todd Kirkland/Icon SMI
	Jordan Jefferson completed 18 of 27 passes for 212 yards against Georgia last week.

Elsewhere, we'll find out if undefeated teams like Auburn, Iowa and Wisconsin are for real, and if teams like Boston College and UCLA are real threats in their conference races.

Here's 10 things to watch this weekend:

1. Will Tim Tebow play?

All eyes will be on Baton Rouge, La., where No. 1 Florida plays No. 4 LSU in a battle of the past two BCS national champions.

I have a feeling the Gators will be tough to beat, whether senior quarterback Tim Tebow returns from a concussion or not. Tebow, who suffered the concussion after hitting his head on a teammate’s knee against Kentucky two weeks ago, will be a game-time decision, according to Gators coach Urban Meyer.

If Tebow doesn't play, sophomore John Brantley will make his first career start in a night game at Tiger Stadium, which tends to be difficult for even the most seasoned quarterbacks.

LSU coach Les Miles said the Tigers are prepared to face Tebow, who is more of a battering ram, or Brantley, who is more of a pure drop-back passer.

Meyer said if Brantley starts against LSU, his offense would look a lot like it did in 2006, when senior quarterback Chris Leak led the Gators to a BCS national championship.

Miles said he actually hopes Tebow is healthy enough to play against LSU.

"We wish [Tebow] a lot of great health," Miles said. "We want him to return to the field just as fast as he can and be healthy and ready. We would enjoy it if his health would allow him to return to this game."

2. Is LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson ready for prime time?

Jefferson brings only seven career starts into Saturday night's game, but Miles said he believes his sophomore quarterback grew leaps and bounds during last week's 20-13 win at Georgia.

Jefferson completed 18 of 27 passes for 212 yards against the Bulldogs, and he led the Tigers on two touchdown drives in the final minutes.

"I think his maturity is happening on a weekly and daily basis," Miles said. "I think he's pretty mature. I think on the field, he's one of the best game players I've ever been around. He's still learning all facets of the offense, but it's happening quickly."

Jefferson will have to remain poised against Florida's defense, the top-ranked unit in the country.

3. Can Boston College compete with Virginia Tech?

The Eagles are a surprising 4-1 under new coach Frank Spaziani heading into Saturday's game at No. 5 Virginia Tech.

New quarterback Dave Shinskie is a big reason for the Eagles' success. Shinskie spent more than six seasons pitching in the minor leagues, before he was released in May by the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. A former fourth-round draft choice of the Minnesota Twins, Shinskie passed up a football scholarship to Delaware to play baseball.

It didn't take him long to land on his feet. An all-state quarterback in Pennsylvania in 2002, Shinskie was contacted by coaches from Boston College, Pittsburgh and Rutgers about returning to football. He eventually chose Boston College, which was unsettled at quarterback after Dominique Davis was ruled academically ineligible.

Shinskie joined the Eagles for voluntary summer workouts, but admits his head was spinning as he tried to learn the playbook. He won the starting job two weeks ago and will start against the Hokies at Lane Stadium. Shinskie has has led BC to victories over Wake Forest and Florida State, throwing for 431 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.

The Eagles call their 25-year-old freshman "Uncle Dave." At the FSU game last week, his young nieces held a sign in that stands that read: "He's our real Uncle Dave."

4. Can Jevan Snead find his groove?

The Ole Miss quarterback came into the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate, but after four games he's ranked behind quarterbacks from Buffalo, Memphis and Western Kentucky in passing efficiency.

Snead admits his confidence was shaky after the Rebels' 16-10 loss to South Carolina, in which he completed only 7 of 21 passes for 107 yards. The Rebels have struggled to protect their quarterback, after losing left tackle Michael Oher from last season.

Alabama's menacing defense isn't exactly a remedy for Snead's woes. The Crimson Tide do a great job of confusing quarterbacks with presnap movement and multiple alignments. Snead will have to play better if Ole Miss is going to upset the No. 3 Crimson Tide.

5. Can the Bruins pull off an upset?

UCLA has made major strides under coach Rick Neuheisel, and No. 13 Oregon might be vulnerable with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli limping because of an injured right knee.

Masoli didn't practice with the Ducks early in the week. Although Masoli’s still listed as the team's No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart, backup quarterback Nate Costa appears poised to start against UCLA.

Masoli has been a big reason for Oregon's turnaround after its opening 19-8 loss at Boise State. In victories over California and Washington State, Masoli completed 35 of 43 passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 73 yards and one score in the last two games.

The Ducks also will be missing two of their best cornerbacks. William Glasper, who had replaced the injured Walter Thurmond III, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

	Tom Dahlin/Getty Images
	Wisconsin's John Clay will lead the upset-minded Badgers into one of the toughest environments in college football at Ohio State .

6. Will Wisconsin still be unbeaten after a visit to the Shoe?

The Badgers are 5-0, but they're not ranked in this week's AP Top 25 poll. Wisconsin is aiming for its first 6-0 start since 2004, but will have to overcome one of the country's toughest defenses to do so.

Badgers sophomore John Clay leads the Big Ten in rushing and has rushed for over 140 yards in three of his last four games. Ohio State is No. 10 nationally against the run, allowing only 83.4 yards per game.

7. How will Sam Bradford look?

Bob Stoops announced on Friday that the reigning Heisman Trophy winner will start Saturday's game against Baylor. It will give Bradford some game action before next week's showdown against No. 2 Texas in Dallas.

Bradford hasn't played since spraining the AC joint in his right shoulder in the No. 19 Sooners' 14-13 loss to BYU in their Sept. 5 opener. Redshirt freshman Landry Jones has played well in Bradford's absence, but OU would probably need its starter to beat the Longhorns.

8. Will Florida State rally around Bowden?

Bobby Bowden, FSU's iconic coach, has come under fire after the Seminoles lost consecutive games to South Florida and Boston College to fall to 2-3 for the first time since 1976, his first season in Tallahassee, Fla.

The firestorm surrounding Bowden's future couldn't have come at a worse time for FSU. The Seminoles didn't need any distractions while preparing for Georgia Tech's triple-option spread offense, which has looked really good the past two games. The Yellow Jackets have never won in six trips to Doak Campbell Stadium.

9. Which Iowa team shows up against Michigan?

Will it be the Hawkeye team that blew out rival Iowa State and dominated Penn State, or the team that needed two blocked field goals to beat FCS opponent Northern Iowa in the opener and defeated Arkansas State by only a field goal last week?

Iowa's defense is as good as any in the country, but the offense is still plagued by a little bit of inconsistency.

Iowa is 5-0 and has won nine games in a row dating back to last season. They haven't won their first six games to open a season since a 7-0 start in 1985.

10. Is Auburn for real?

We'll know a lot more about the Tigers after Saturday night's game at Arkansas. Auburn opened the season by winning four straight home games before last week's victory at Tennessee.

The Tigers are as balanced as any team in the country on offense. Quarterback Chris Todd has been very efficient, and Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb form one of the country's best tailback tandems.

But Auburn's defense has been a little porous at times, and the Tigers will get a stiff test from Hogs quarterback Ryan Mallett and his deep corps of receivers.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel

1. Opening Day, at long last, is here, and brings with it the matchup of No. 14 Oregon’s offense against No. 16 Boise State’s defense. ESPN beancounters tell me that the Broncos defense led the nation last season in 3rd-and-10 (or longer) with a conversion rate of 7.9 percent. Three starters in the secondary, led by corner Kyle Wilson, return. Oregon doesn’t always wait until third down. The Ducks finished last in the Pac-10 in time of possession last year at 25:18 and scored 41.9 points per game. How? Oregon had 77 plays of 20 yards or more.

2. Honesty 7, Cliche 0: Memphis coach Tommy West, on what it would mean to upset No. 8 Ole Miss. “I guess you're supposed to say, ‘It would be one win, we'd be 1-0, it would be a good start,’” West said. “But... these are games that if you can win 'em, you can really kick yourself off in a good way. Probably could be bigger than what coaches act like. I don't want to make too much out of it because we're a 17-point underdog. Obviously I'd be pretty stupid to build it up real big.”

3. Matt Barkley of USC isn’t the only true freshman starting at quarterback on Saturday. He isn’t carrying the same load as Trent Steelman of Army, the first plebe to start an opener in the post-World War II era. Steelman is learning to play college football while taking chemistry, computing, calculus and dealing with the struggles of plebedom. If Steelman survives all of that and leads Army to a victory over Eastern Michigan, he’s well on his way to being the kind of leader that West Point is supposed to produce.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

No surprise, Florida is ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll.

The Gators received 58 of the 60 first-place votes, making them the most overwhelming preseason No. 1 in the history of the AP poll.

Alabama was No. 5, Ole Miss No. 8, LSU No. 11 and Georgia No. 13.

Of the SEC teams receiving votes, Tennessee (15) got the most. Auburn (7), Vanderbilt (3), South Carolina (2) and Arkansas (1) also got votes.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Remember all the controversy caused by the coaches' preseason All-SEC team?

The initial ballot Steve Spurrier turned in didn't include Tim Tebow as the first-team quarterback. As it turns out, Spurrier didn't even fill out the ballot, later apologized for not having Tebow on the first team and changed his vote.

I don't know if my preseason All-SEC team will create that kind of stir, but here goes:

OFFENSE

QB Tim Tebow, Florida
RB Charles Scott, LSU
RB Michael Smith, Arkansas
WR Julio Jones, Alabama
WR A.J. Green, Georgia
TE D.J. Williams, Arkansas
OL Ciron Black, LSU
OL Mike Johnson, Alabama
OL John Jerry, Ole Miss
OL Clint Boling, Georgia
C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida

DEFENSE

DL Greg Hardy, Ole Miss
DL Terrence Cody, Alabama
DL Antonio Coleman, Auburn
DL Carlos Dunlap, Florida
LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
LB Brandon Spikes, Florida
LB Eric Norwood, South Carolina
CB Trevard Lindley, Kentucky
CB Joe Haden, Florida
S Eric Berry, Tennessee
S Chad Jones, LSU

SPECIALISTS

PK Joshua Shene, Ole Miss
P Chas Henry, Florida
RS Brandon James, Florida

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Eight players from the SEC have won the Heisman Trophy, college football's most-coveted individual prize.

Will that exclusive club add a member this season?

Of course, if Florida's Tim Tebow wins it again, as he did in 2007 as a sophomore, he would join Ohio State's Archie Griffin as the only two-time winner of the award.

Here are the four players in the SEC who have the best chance this season (listed alphabetically):

Safety Eric Berry, Tennessee: He might be the best defensive back in the country. He might be the best defensive player in the country. How ironic would it be if Berry were to become only the second defensive player in history to win the Heisman Trophy? The first time it happened still causes great pain and anguish on Rocky Top. Charles Woodson wrested the trophy away from the Vols' beloved Peyton Manning 12 years ago. Berry's the kind of electric player who will catch the voters' attention. But to have a fighting chance, he will need huge interception numbers, a few highlight-reel plays on special teams and/or offense and the Vols to win at least nine games. He's a long shot for sure, but so was Woodson at the start of the 1997 season.

Receiver Julio Jones, Alabama: OK, Jones probably won't have the numbers to make a serious run. Then again, look at what he did last season as a freshman despite the kind of injuries that would have sidelined a lot of players. The Crimson Tide plan to move him around more this season to make it difficult for teams to double-team him. What kind of shot does he really have? Put it this way: If the Heisman Trophy is truly about the nation's most outstanding college football player, then Jones ought to at least be in that conversation. The next time he goes down on the initial hit in a one-on-one situation will be the first time.

Quarterback Jevan Snead, Ole Miss: If Snead plays the entire season the way he ended last season, look out. He threw 16 touchdown passes and only three interceptions during Ole Miss' six-game winning streak, which was capped by the 47-34 beatdown of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. Snead will need some help to be a serious candidate, as in the Rebels living up to their lofty billing and getting to the SEC championship game for the first time in their history. A Tebow vs. Snead showdown in Atlanta would be a lot of fun. Round 1 went to Snead last season in the Swamp.

Quarterback Tim Tebow, Florida: Going into the season, Tebow's as good a bet as any to be holding the statue come December. If he gets the Gators back to the BCS National Championship Game and puts up comparable statistics as a year ago (he passed for 30 touchdowns, ran for 12 touchdowns and only threw four interceptions), somebody's going to have to have a monster season to beat him out. The way Tebow outdueled 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford in the BCS National Championship Game last season shouldn't do anything but help Tebow's cause. This is his chance to punctuate his legacy as one of the greatest college football players of all-time.