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Tennessee junior receiver Da’Rick Rogers was seemingly at the edge of that proverbial plank a long time ago.

Some players insist on living there, even the ones as talented as Rogers.

You watch him pull in a touchdown pass one-handed and physically manhandle the cornerback trying to cover him and remind yourself that he’s an NFL talent that any coach would fight to keep on his team.

But then you hear how much Rogers is into himself – and apparently oblivious that football is a team game that demands genuine respect for your coaches and teammates – and you’re at a loss as to how Tennessee coach Derek Dooley could put up with Rogers’ nonsense as long as he has.

The latest on Rogers is that he didn’t practice Thursday and won’t return to the team until he does a few things internally required of him. Earlier this offseason, Rogers also wasn't allowed to work out with the team for a couple of weeks.

Dooley refused to call this latest deal a suspension. He rarely uses that word when talking about managing players.

“He's got some things he's got to do internally, and when he does them, he'll be back," Dooley told reporters following practice Thursday. "It's kind of an internal, team issue, and it's something he's just got to finish doing some stuff, and when he does, he'll be back. I wouldn't call it anything other than he's got to do some things, and when he does, he can come back. And (if) he doesn't, he's not going to be here."

Dooley said Rogers could be back as early as today or Friday.

But at this point: Does anybody on the team really want him back?

Is his baggage worth it in what's clearly a pivotal year for Dooley in his third season on the job?

Yes, Justin Hunter is coming off a serious knee injury, and heralded junior college receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is still not on campus. But at some point, Rogers has to start pulling in the same direction as the rest of his teammates and quit being such a distraction, or it's not going to matter what he does on the field.

Given how disconnected the Vols were as a team at the end of last season, Dooley's playing with fire. The last thing he wants to do is give the impression that one player is getting special treatment or playing by his own set of rules.

There was an Internet report Thursday that Rogers was leaving Tennessee and transferring to Georgia State. He's from Calhoun, Ga. Dooley said that nobody had said anything to him about Rogers wanting to leave.

"He's never told me that or indicated that to me or anybody else," Dooley said.

Either way, Rogers is dangerously close to wearing out his welcome on Rocky Top, and some might say that he wore out that welcome a long time ago.

USC-Oregon, Oregon-USC. Ducks-Trojans. Kiffin-Kelly! Barkley-Black Mamba!

Golly, doesn't anybody else have a chance in this Pac-12 conference? Should we just call off the regular season and have the Ducks and Trojans settle things in a 13-game series?

(That actually might be fascinating to watch. Think about all the interesting weekly coaching adjustments).

Well, that's not happening.

So then the question before us is a radical one. It might very well split up the space-time continuum and send us spinning into a massive black hole: Which team possibly might shock the world? Which team could break up this apparently preordained marriage at the top of the conference, one reportedly written in gold leaf onto the granite facade of Mount Rushmore?

It's a dangerous question, I know. Not the sort of one entertained by the meek. But if you are brave, read on.

Hey, you in the gray shirt, you're not brave! Better stop reading.

We warned you.

Kevin Gemmell: The general consensus is that Oregon and USC will meet for the Pac-12 title. But which team could put a wrinkle in that plan?

Whenever you are dealing with a could question, you always have to stipulate with ifs. X could happen if Y and Z fall into place. The team that strikes me as having the fewest ifs is Utah.

My first thought was to go wayyyyy out there and tinker with the idea of Oregon State being the team to shock the Pac-12. The Beavers could be the surprise team if they get the running game in order, and if the offensive line holds up, and if Sean Mannion continues to mature, and if all of that experience from last season pays off. But that's just too many ifs, and way too far to reach.

Utah, however, has a lot of pieces in place already to be the surprise team this season. First, its schedule helps, because the Utes don't have dates with Oregon or Stanford. Their first three games are in-state, and the fourth is at ASU, which will likely still be adjusting to life under a new head coach. That's potentially 4-0 out of the gate.

Then they get an extra week to prepare for the big showdown -- at home -- with USC. That game will be high-noon in the Pac-12 South, and Rice-Eccles will be jumping. If the Utes can somehow get over that hump, they have four more winnable games before traveling to Washington, which could be a hiccup. That notion alone, however, is one major if. USC also has extra time to prepare, because it's a Thursday game.

Another reason to be encouraged is that all reports are that quarterback Jordan Wynn is healthy. He's chock full of experience, and has shown he can be an elite quarterback when he gets his rhythm. The only reason to think the running game will take a step backwards is that Utah has to replace two stud offensive tackles in Tony Bergstrom and John Cullen. But John White IV has shown to be a very capable -- if not special -- running back. He shouldn't have any trouble adapting.

Also, unlike a lot of other teams with new coordinators, the transition to Brian Johnson should be silky, since he's a veteran of the system and has worked with Wynn since Day 1.

The Utes have one of the top -- if not the best -- defense in the conference. With plenty of returning starters and the most feared defensive lineman in the Pac-12, they should be able to win a game or two on defense alone.

Given the way their schedule is laid out -- combined with returning talent on both sides of the ball and an outstanding coaching staff -- it's not outside the realm of possibility that the Utes could emerge from the South.

Ted Miller: One word: Plastics.

No, wait. That's something else. Our word is "schedule."

Now we have four words: California Freaking Golden Bears! You're back. Welcome. You remember where everything is, right, up here in the national rankings? No, coach Tedford, you don't have to sleep on that twin mattress in your office. You have the view suite down the hall. Yes, it has been a while. Yes, breakfast is included. Eggs Benedict? Well, your wife did tell us about your cholesterol. You want us to stick it? Well, then, Eggs Benedict it is!

The Bears have the schedule to upset the Trojans-Ducks destination wedding. And the talent, by the way.

Schedule? Cal plays host to Oregon, Stanford and Washington, the likely three top teams in the North Division. Plays host, by the way, at an awesomely cool renovated Memorial Stadium that will put the Strawberry back in the Canyon. The Bears went 30-9 in Memorial Stadium between 2005-2010 before playing their home games in AT&T Park in 2011, including 7-0 marks in 2006 and 2008.

Every team is better at home. Cal fans would tell you their team is better-er at home. Sure, it's had its share of mega face-plants in front of the home fans -- Oregon State in 2007 (altogether now "ouch"), USC in 2009, and that three-game home losing streak to end 2010 with a whimper. But there is no doubt it will be better to play the Ducks, Huskies and Cardinal at home, particularly with the Ducks and Cardinal breaking in new quarteracks.

And Cal isn't breaking in a new quarterback. What if, just maybe, Zach Maynard plays the entire season like he did the final four games of the 2011 regular season? And what if offensive coordinator Jim Michalczik works his magic with the line his second year back in Berkeley? And what if all that young talent -- Mustafa Jalil, Stefan McClure, Todd Barr, Viliami Moala, Brennan Scarlett, David Wilkerson, Chris McCain, Michael Coley, Avery Sebastian, Cecil Whiteside, etc. -- breaks through on defense?

We'll probably get a pretty good measure of the Bears early on. They will take a 2-0 record to Ohio State on Sept. 15. That is a winnable game, but it will require the Bears to go East and show some fire. You might recall that they didn't exactly do that in recent years at Tennessee and Maryland.

Then they visit USC. Jeff Tedford is 1-9 against USC, losing those nine by a combined count of 291-144. The Bears can afford to lose at USC, though a poor showing might cause the team to question itself and make it seem like these are the "same ole Bears." That, however, is not a divisional game. The larger issue is holding serve at home, which would give Cal an advantage in the event of a tie atop the North.

As Kevin noted above, we have a surfeit of "ifs" for both scenarios. It just feels as though Oregon and USC are that far ahead of everyone else.

But you do know that you never know until you do know.

1. Be still my heart. The 11 BCS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick released a statement Monday saying that discussions about the postseason format beginning in 2014 had gotten down to “brass tacks,” including looking anew at ditching the rankings formula and replacing it with a committee, which is the way every other NCAA sport in all divisions picks its postseason. The BCS rating is an annual embarrassment. They can’t replace it soon enough.

2. Alabama coach Nick Saban's new eight-year, $45 million contract will pay him $5.97 million in 2019, the final season. More important, a coach who came to Tuscaloosa in 2007 with the reputation of always having his eye on the next job is starting his sixth season with the Crimson Tide. In a 39-year coaching career that has included 13 stops, Saban has never stayed anywhere for six seasons. When he says Alabama is his last stop, he’s not kidding.

3. Injuries exposed Tennessee’s lack of offensive depth in 2011, when the Vols scored seven points or fewer in five SEC losses and finished 5-7. As spring football began Monday, however, the curiosity shifted to the 3-4 defense that new coordinator Sal Sunseri brought from Alabama. Safety Brent Brewer and fullback Channing Fugate have moved to linebacker to bolster the new heart of the defense. After two mediocre seasons, coach Derek Dooley needs to give Tennessee fans reasons for optimism.

Oregon and Michigan State have agreed to play a home-and-home football series in 2014 and 2015, with the Spartans visiting Autzen Stadium in 2014 and the Ducks providing a return trip a year later.

The game in Eugene is scheduled for Sept. 13, 2014. The Ducks will head to East Lansing on Sept. 12, 2015.

The two football programs engaged in a similar series in the late 1990s, with Oregon winning in Autzen Stadium 48-14 in 1998. The Spartans prevailed at home, 27-20, in 1999.

“I have tremendous respect for the program that Coach [Mark] Dantonio and his staff have built at Michigan State,” Oregon coach Chip Kelly said in a statement. “There is little doubt a game of this magnitude will present an early-season challenge for us but one that hopefully will make our team better as the season progresses.”

Oregon concludes a home-and-home series with Tennessee in 2013 when the Volunteers are scheduled to visit Eugene on Sept. 14.

"We look forward to adding Oregon to our future football schedule," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said in a statement. "The series provides MSU alums on the West Coast with an opportunity to see the Spartans compete against one of the nation's outstanding football programs. The relationship between the Big Ten and Pac-12 is built on common values and the Rose Bowl. We also look forward to bringing the Ducks back to Spartan Stadium, as we continue to compete for championships and national exposure."

First, how about those two BCS bowl games Monday? Brilliant. Thrilling.

Second, if Stanford could just make a field goal, the Pac-12 would have finished 3-4 with two BCS bowl victories. Three teams -- Stanford, Oregon and USC -- likely would have finished in the final top five.

But if wishes were fishes then cows would fly (my dad used to say that. I have no idea what it means, but it seemed better than "would-a, could-a, should-a").

The bottom line makes you want to cover your eyes: A 2-5 bowl record.

We provided an excuse Monday morning: If USC had been eligible for the postseason, the entire bowl schedule would have dramatically shifted and the Pac-12 would have put together a much better record.

There is also this: Oregon was the only one of the Pac-12's bowl teams that was favored. It not only beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, it covered. Utah also won, and it was an underdog to Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl. Washington went blow-for-blow with No. 12 Baylor before yielding late because its defense was milquetoast.

So the Huskies fired defensive coordinator Nick Holt and, on Monday, raided Tennessee, hiring away highly respected defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and linebackers coach Peter Sirmon.

How does a conference improve its bowl record? Play better, coach better. It's a good sign -- and an obvious benefit of the Pac-12's new $3 billion TV deal -- that the conference is hiring away good coaches from the SEC.

Still, 2-5 won't warm anyone's hearts on the West Coast, though the 3-6 Big Ten isn't feeling very good about itself either, at present.

Washington running back Chris Polk, the second-leading rusher in Huskies history, will bypass his senior season and enter the NFL draft, the school announced Monday.

Polk, first-team All-Conference the past two seasons, rushed for 1,488 yards and 12 touchdowns this season and 4,049 yards in his career, just just 57 yards short of Napoleon Kaufman's school record (4,106). Polk is one of only two Huskies to rush for 1,000 yards in three seasons. He is one of only seven 4,000-yard rushers in Pac-12 history.

"Chris had a terrific career at Washington and deserves the opportunity to move on to the next level," Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian said in a statement. "We wish him nothing but the best in what I'm sure will be a great professional career."

It's been a newsy day for Washington — the hiring of new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox away from Tennessee was reported today also — with the Huskies apparently determined to keep beat writer Bob Condotta from getting a day off. Here's Condotta on the Wilcox hiring.

Washington has raided Tennessee to replace fired defensive coordinator Nick Holt, according to ESPN.com's Chris Low.

The Huskies have hired Justin Wilcox, a former Oregon player who built his reputation at Boise State, to replace Holt. Volunteers linebackers coach Peter Sirmon, another former Duck, is also part of the deal.

This looks like the foundation of a rebuilt defensive staff. The Huskies still have two vacancies: Jeff Mills also was fired, and Demetrice Martin was hired away by UCLA. Both coached in the secondary.

Sarkisian fired Holt, Mills and linebackers coach Mike Cox following a 67-56 loss to Baylor in last week's Valero Alamo Bowl, in which the Huskies yielded 777 total yards. The Huskies' defense was, arguably, the worst in program history this season.

According to Low:

Not a lot went right for Tennessee this season, but the Vols finished 28th nationally in total defense, and Wilcox and his staff were able to hold their own with one of the youngest defenses in the country. Three true freshmen -- linebackers A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt and safety Brian Randolph -- started most of the season.

Wilcox, 35, has been a hot commodity since his red-hot run at Boise State. He was wooed by Texas last season, but elected to stay at Tennessee.

Sirmon, a Wenatchee, Wash., native, played seven seasons with the Tennessee Titans as a linebacker. He spent the 2009 season as a graduate assistant at Oregon before coming to Tennessee in 2010 as a grad assistant working under Wilcox. In addition to being one of the Vols' top assistant coaches, Sirmon also was one of the program's best recruiters

Tennessee is probably getting tired of the Pac-12. Not only have the Vols lost four consecutive games to Pac-12 teams -- California, UCLA twice and Oregon -- USC hired away after just one season coach Lane Kiffin, who did a masterful job this year leading the Trojans to a top-five ranking while the Vols finished 5-7 under Derek Dooley.

As for Wilcox's contract issues coming and going, there's this from the Knoxville News Sentinel:

Wilcox does not owe UT anything by leaving for another job. His original contract stipulated that he owed the school $300,000 if he terminated the deal before Dec. 1, 2011 -- with the exception of leaving because he obtained a Division I head coaching position -- but that clause was completely wiped out when it was amended in August.

Wilcox was to receive $700,000 in 2012, a base pay of $275,000 and a "broadcast/endorsement" payment of $475,000.

Holt -- notoriously -- made $650,000 annually, an amount the Huskies will be on the hook for in 2012 because of a two-year contract. So the expectation is Wilcox is likely to exceed that total. It certainly is more expensive to live in Seattle than in Knoxville.

But Wilcox, a Eugene, Ore., native, also likely wanted to get back to the West Coast. He figures to become a top head coaching candidate if the Huskies' defense starts to excel, so he probably has his eyes on a Pac-12 post down the road.

Before that happens, of course, the Huskies will have to start playing good defense again, something their fans have been hoping for since the mid-1990s.

Rick Neuheisel spent the last few weeks tirelessly lobbying to keep his job at UCLA, displaying the "relentless optimism" that he has often cited as a foundation for success.

On Monday, less than hour after his termination was announced, a subdued Neuheisel seemed to have a good grasp on why he's not coming back for a fifth year.

"Certainly when you're the UCLA coach you'd like to play better against USC, I know that," Neuheisel said. "We had our chances. When you lose in the fashion that we did, it's a difficult pill to swallow."

You can't go 21-28 in four seasons at UCLA, the lowest win percentage -- .429 -- by any Bruins football coach who was around for at least 20 games. You can't go 0-4 versus USC. And you absolutely can not lose 50-0 to the Trojans, as Neuheisel did on Saturday in a game that was widely viewed as his Rubicon.

The source for Neuheisel's comments was ironic, considering the circumstances. He was appearing on a conference call in advance of the Pac-12 championship game. You surely have heard -- it's been relentlessly mocked everywhere -- that UCLA, despite a 6-6 record and said loss to USC, is playing No. 9 Oregon in the conference's first championship game.

The Bruins are the South Division "champions." And their coach is out after the championship game. Offensive coordinator Mike Johnson will be interim head coach starting next week, according to a statement from the school.

So what if the Bruins, 31-point underdogs, win and earn a berth in the Rose Bowl?

"Let's ask that question at the appropriate time," Neuheisel said.

It is, however, the appropriate time to ask why things didn't work out for Neuheisel at his alma mater, where he once went from walk-on QB to Rose Bowl MVP.

It went wrong from the beginning when Neuheisel agreed to form a "dream team" with offensive coordinator Norm Chow and defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. That was a mismatched troika from the start. Also, it's head coaching 101: Never, ever take a job where they suggest/tell you who will be on your staff.

Walker bolted after a year to become head coach New Mexico State, and the Bruins never again got good production at defensive coordinator. Chow hung around, but that turned out to be a bad thing. He and Neuheisel seemed to get along personally but not as coaches. The switch to a pistol offense was messy, and the prolonged process of cutting ties last winter just months after Chow was given an ill-advised contract extension was an ugly tango.

Recruiting peaked in 2010 -- the nation's 10th-ranked class -- and cratered in 2011.

And, really, Neuheisel never developed traction. Neuheisel upset Tennessee in his first game. The next week, the Bruins lost 59-0 at BYU. A 3-0 start in 2009 was followed by five consecutive losses. A strong 2009 finish was followed by an 0-2 start to 2010. A three-game winning streak after that 0-2 start -- including a win at Texas -- was followed by six losses in seven games. This year, the Bruins had won three of four before getting thumped by USC.

Neuheisel lost by 21, 21, 14 and 59 points to the Trojans.

The next coach can't do that.

What can we say nice about Neuheisel's tenure? Some used to question his character. That no longer is an issue. Neuheisel was by the book at UCLA and always conducted himself with class and graciousness. And that was doubly true of his conduct on a day that clearly knocked him for a loop.

Of his time at UCLA, Neuheisel said, "It won't be a bitter memory at all." As for what went wrong, he said, "I have plenty of time to think that over. I'm just thankful for the opportunity. This has always been a place where I wanted to have a chance to bring it back to being a place where everyone could be proud. Obviously, we have fallen short of that, but there are lots of things I'm proud of that happened during my time here. They don't always make it to the front pages of a newspaper."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Neuheisel's buyout is only $250,000. So he'll need to start thinking about his future fairly quickly, something he hadn't done on Monday.

"This has kind of hit me between the eyes a little bit," he said. "I hadn't thought about that. I'm on one track to do the best I can for this particular team. That'll be the case at least through Friday. I love coaching. I know that. I'll take some time to figure it out."

It's hard to imagine Neuheisel getting another shot atop a AQ-conference program any time soon. He could return to the NFL as an assistant. Or he could go into broadcasting.

What's next for UCLA? Almost immediately, big names were included in reports. ESPNLa.com reported that Boise State's Chris Petersen will be athletic director Dan Guerrero's first target. The LA Times said Guerrero "is expected to make a trip to Boise to meet with Petersen. UCLA is believed to be able to offer a contract worth more than $3 million annually that includes donations from boosters."

We'll see. I'd rate those odds as remote, though getting Petersen would be a monumental coup. The Times also lists Houston coach Kevin Sumlin and former NFL coach Jon Gruden as candidates. Yes, at this early juncture, you roll out the usual suspects.

But there's the immediate present first: Neuheisel's final game, one that most would project as a blowout defeat.

Neuheisel has made a habit of finding ways out of messes throughout his tumultuous career. But he wasn't able to do that UCLA, and it's hard to imagine a happy ending for the Bruins on Friday in Eugene.

If Lane Kiffin keeps this up, he's in danger of becoming "coach Lane Kiffin," not "Lane @#%$@ Kiffin" or "%&@# Kiffin" or just "@#$%@," for short.

You say "Lane Kiffin" to a college football fan -- a football fan, really -- and you get many reactions. Most of the bad. Dude has some baggage. He's best known for off-field controversies in large part because he's not done much -- good or even bad -- on the field.

Off the field? Well, take your pick of controversies. Kiffin was involved in a coup at USC that led to legendary offensive coordinator Norm Chow getting pushed aside. Kiffin fell afoul of team owner Al Davis as the Oakland Raiders coach and was fired after 20 games. At Tennessee, he trashed talked most of the league, infuriating commissioner Mike Slive, got in trouble with the NCAA and bolted after just a single season for USC.

This is old news, of course. And Kiffin has mostly behaved and avoided controversy at USC.

But we were left with an important question: Can he coach?

An 8-5 finish in 2010 didn't reveal much. It was adequate but hardly impressive. A 7-3 start was greeted by mostly positive reviews, then he lost consecutive games to Notre Dame and Oregon State.

So that was the question in 2011. Hate Kiffin. Love Kiffin. But, again, can he coach?

The 38-35 win at Oregon on Saturday hinted that, yes, he can. That he might be growing into the job. That he's matured as a leader and motivator. At 9-2 and ranked 10th in the AP Poll as well as the ESPN.com Power Rankings, he's a win over rival UCLA away from what would unquestionably be considered a successful season: a "true" South Division championship, 10 wins, a top-10 ranking, a win over top-five team (Oregon) and wins over rivals Notre Dame and UCLA.

There's always been some substance to the Kiffin dislike, even beyond the off-field issues. For one, more than a few folks saw him as born with a silver coaching spoon in his mouth, a guy had successfully conned his way into big-time jobs before he deserved them or was ready.

When he got hired at USC in 2001, three years after graduating Fresno State, he'd never been a position coach -- anywhere. He got the job because his dad, Monte Kiffin, was Pete Carroll's defensive mentor. Four years after arriving, Chow was pushed aside for him -- just in time for Kiffin to coach the 2005 Trojans, one of the most talented offenses in college football history. After two seasons, at age 31, he was hired by the Raiders.

When that didn't work out he immediately got hired by Tennessee, an SEC power. One year later, he took over USC, among the top-five programs in the nation. All that after going 5-15 (Raiders) and 7-6 (Tennessee).

The point is there wasn't much you could finger to justify why so many seemingly smart people kept hiring Kiffin.

Until Saturday in Eugene, though the performance at Notre Dame in a 31-17 win was pretty darn good, too.

The Trojans had effective plans on both sides of the ball against the Ducks, which got them a 38-14 lead. Sure, Oregon stormed back but Oregon does that. And, sure, if that 37-yard field goal to tie the game on the final play of regulation had been good, most money would have been on the Ducks in overtime.

Details and what might have beens. The W is what matters.

With no hope for a conference or national title or even the postseason, Kiffin has the Trojans playing their best football. They started slowly against a weak schedule but have steadily improved. He's kept the team motivated and focused, even though he's got plenty of underclassmen eyeballing the NFL.

Now, of course, comes the tough part: Losing 30 scholarships over three years will challenge the Trojans as they try to remain competitive at the top of the conference. We'll see how Kiffin and USC weather circumstances that would try Bear Bryant.

Still, Kiffin has started to push back against his critics with evidence of his skill. All the snarking about his past is backgrounded by his present, by what he created last weekend and this season.

But, Lane, make sure you take care of UCLA on Saturday. Don't make me come back next week with a "Never Mind."

1. While the speed horses have worn each other at the front of the race, Virginia Tech has hugged the rail and bided its time. Now, as the track announcer yells, “Down the stretch they come,” there are the No. 5 Hokies, 10-1. Of the four teams ahead, three must play highly ranked teams. Only two weeks ago, Frank Beamer became the FBS coach with the most victories (250). He is much closer to his first national championship than anyone would have guessed last Friday.

2. Miami’s decision not to go to a bowl game is prudent if you’re an administrator. It means the Hurricanes can get a head start on whatever penalties they receive at the conclusion of the ongoing NCAA investigation. That comes as little solace to the Miami players. The decision also hurts the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, which has a deal for the ninth pick in the ACC. Thanks to Miami’s decision, the ACC will have no more than eight bowl teams.

3. No one wants to see a game decided on a blown call, especially a game with bowl ramifications for Tennessee and Vanderbilt. SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw confirmed Saturday night that his crew blew the call that gave Tennessee a 27-21 victory over Vanderbilt in overtime. That ruling could be karmic payback for Derek Dooley and the Vols, whose last-play bowl loss to North Carolina last season resulted in an off-season rule change. All well and good but karma still owes Vandy a debt.

Tennessee is a disappointing 4-6, 0-6 in the SEC, the first time it has lost six conference games since 1962. Things are going so bad in Knoxville that the Volunteers are actually an underdog to Vanderbilt in Saturday's game at Neyland Stadium. It's only the second time in 26 seasons that the Commodores are favored to defeat UT. In 2008, Vanderbilt was favored to win in former Vols' coach Phillip Fulmer's final season. Tennessee won that game 20-10. The Volunteers will win this time, too, and they'll defeat Kentucky next week to become bowl-eligible with a 6-6 record. Vols quarterback Tyler Bray might return from a broken thumb, which sidelined him for the past five games, but UT will win with its defense. There's more pressure on the Commodores, who will have to win at Tennessee or at Wake Forest next week to become bowl-eligible.

After consecutive weekends with a Game of the Century, college football offers up this. This week's schedule is, well, kinda lame.

Top-ranked LSU plays an FCS team, Ole Miss. Kidding, Ole Miss. But barely.

No. 2 Oklahoma State plays Iowa State on Friday. Neh.

No. 3 Alabama plays Georgia Southern, an FCS team for real.

Nebraska-Michigan looks good. No. 5 Oklahoma versus Baylor might be interesting.

But it's been noted -- even whispered in the hallowed halls of the Home Office in beautiful Bristol, Conn. -- that there ain't much going on this weekend.

Au contraire, college football nation! Turn your attention West for a second weekend in a row. Oregon, college football's new hot flavor, is playing host to USC, college football's old hot flavor, one that, by the way, is playing pretty darn well.

Week 12 will matter in Autzen Stadium.

You'll note that USC has no ranking beside it. That's an illusion. The Trojans aren't eligible for the BCS standings, and most news organizations use the BCS standings to avoid confusion this time of the year. The Trojans are ranked 18th in the AP poll. But that's also an illusion.

There isn't a single person in the country -- at least one with a brain -- who believes 17 teams could beat 8-2 USC. None. Zero. No one would pick Michigan State to beat USC. No one would pick South Carolina to beat USC. No one would pick Kansas State to beat USC. No one.

Go here, USC fans, to search out the disingenuous. Do as you wish with the weapon known as email!

USC is still getting hit by irrational USC hate. Everyone knows the Trojans should rank around 10-15. Voters go: "USC is good and I hate that. I'd rank them 12th, but they fall six spots because of my hate for them. Or should I do seven? No, then that Pac-12 blog guy might get everyone emailing me again."

The point here is we should all be excited about the showdown between No. 4 Oregon and USC, which is ranked 12th by a really smart person.

(No, not me, silly, ESPN's Dari Nowkhah. Ryen Russillo, who has been touted as the smartest person in sports radio history, ranks the Trojans 10th.)

If Oregon can stomp on a really, really good USC team, it might turn the Crimson Tide of sentiment about who is the nation's best one-loss team.

And if USC notches the upset, the nationwide consternation would be absolutely beautiful.

Think about it. Folks would have to say this: "Lane Kiffin is a good football coach." It's possible the heads of Tennessee fans everywhere would spontaneously explode (stop grinning, Alabama fans).

And this: "USC is a team of high character that plays hard despite a second consecutive year with its postseason being unfairly stripped away by the draconian NCAA."

Hey, the Trojans might surge up to 16th in the AP poll with a win!

This game offers so much: A leading Heisman Trophy candidate in Oregon running back LaMichael James. A likely NFL first-round draft choice in USC quarterback Matt Barkley. National title angles with the Ducks.

At worst, an Oregon victory would clinch its berth in the inaugural Pac-12 championship game.

And, if USC wins, it could wrap up the "real" South Division title with a win the following weekend at home against rival UCLA.

No, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott isn't rooting for the Trojans, either.

So, college football nation, once again this weekend turn your attention West. Have an espresso to keep yourself awake and alert to take in the grandeur of Autzen Stadium.

Heck, we're pretty much the only game in town.

1. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany included the words “at this time” in his news release explaining why former Penn State coach Joe Paterno’s name is coming off the league championship trophy, which makes all the difference. Delany said the league wanted to remove any controversy from the game, and allow the players to focus on what’s at stake. It’s a smart, rational decision. Time will reveal whether it’s permanent.

2. Yale senior quarterback Patrick Witt refused an interview request Monday after his announcement Sunday that he will forego his Rhodes Scholarship interview in Atlanta Saturday so that he may play in his final college game against Harvard. Bulldogs coach Tom Williams told me Monday that Witt has the opportunity to reapply for the scholarship. He has only one more chance to play in The Game.

3. Tennessee (4-6, 0-6) has scored 23 points in the four SEC games since losing quarterback Tyler Bray to a broken thumb against Georgia. Before Bray returned to practice Monday, Volunteers head coach Derek Dooley said, “if he’s ready to go we’d be crazy not to at least give him a shot.” Tennessee historically has cruised through November. An improved Vanderbilt (5-5, 2-5) arrives in Knoxville Saturday night. There’s a lot at stake. The Vols have never lost seven SEC games in one season.

UCLA's visit to Arizona on Oct. 20 was a complete disaster for the Bruins. The 48-12 blowout defeat to a team that had lost 10 consecutive games to FBS teams and had just fired its coach had no redeeming value for the program and its embattled coach, Rick Neuheisel. ESPN's typically measured Rece Davis, who was doing play-by-play, opined: "Somebody in a gold helmet has to show some pride."

He was right. The Bruins looked like they were tanking it. That they didn't care. And that almost certainly would earn Neuheisel a boot out of Westwood.

But there's often a disconnect between easy fan and media judgments and the reality of a locker room. UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince called the loss at Arizona "devastating," but he firmly rejected the notion of the Bruins mailing it in because they no longer cared about Neuheisel's fate.

"We definitely like Coach Neuheisel and want him to stay. There's no question about that," Prince said. "There was nothing like us going into the Arizona game and saying, 'Hey, let's tank this so Neuheisel doesn't keep his job.' That's absurd. I know that fans probably think that. The Arizona game? Sometimes things just happen. Fans will make up conspiracy theories, but at the end of day we want to win games and we don't want any changes here. We like the coaches we have."

That, of course, could just be good-soldier speak. After all, Prince isn't the sort to trash talk his coach, or even provide a non-answer that allows folks to read between the lines. It strains credulity to believe that Bruins are in lockstep in support of their coach and his staff, which features two new coordinators this season.

But then a 31-14 win at California happened, the first time this season the Bruins played well in all three phases.

Further, the Bruins' season could be transformed -- and Neuheisel resurrected -- if they beat No. 19 Arizona State on Saturday. Not only would a victory improve their record to 5-4 overall -- just one win away from bowl eligibility -- it would give the Bruins control of the Pac-12's South Division. UCLA and Arizona State would be tied atop the division at 4-2 in conference play (USC isn't eligible due to NCAA sanctions), but the Bruins would own the tiebreaker due to head-to-head victory.Rick Neuheisel badly needs a win when the Bruins take on No. 19 Arizona State Saturday.

Which would mean that the Bruins actually control their Rose Bowl destiny. They are a six-game winning streak away from being the Rose Bowl champs.

Ridiculous? Perhaps. But Neuheisel could tell you about a team that started 0-3-1 in 1984 and won the Rose Bowl. So this isn't the most ridiculous scenario ever.

One of them. But not the most.

Things already are pretty odd. Who thought after Prince started 3-of-7 with three interceptions against Texas and got benched that we'd ever hear him receiving justified praise again as the Bruins' quarterback?

Prince has thrown just one more interception since his ill-fated afternoon against the Longhorns. He was the difference-maker against Cal, rushing for a career-high 163 yards on 19 carries, just as he was while leading a comeback victory over Washington State after Richard Brehaut was lost for the season with a broken leg.

His career, which includes 20 starts, has been star-crossed, riddled with injuries and inconsistency. And yet here is. Again.

"No. 1, he hasn't given up on himself," Neuheisel siad. "He believes he's got what it takes, and we do, too. No. 2, he's healthy. It's not been that way for most of his career. And I was really pleased that he ran as physically as he ran the other night. That's got to be where we plant our flag."

In other words, even with the Bruins getting four receivers back from their suspensions for their parts in the brawl with Arizona, the Bruins are not going to start passing a lot. They average 196 yards passing per game, but their most effective plays seem to be runs out of the pistol formation. With Prince being an increasingly legitimate run threat, that should make things easier for running backs Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman.

"Prince is playing extremely well right now," Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson said. "If they can run the football, they can create a lot of problems for you."

The Sun Devils have been just OK against the run this year, yielding 141 yards per game.

Of course, entertaining grand notions for UCLA remains a stretch. The program has failed to post a signature conference win under Neuheisel and has been excruciatingly inconsistent. More than once, talk of a corner-turn has been hushed by a dreadful performance. Beating Arizona State is the sort of thing Neuheisel hasn't done in three-plus seasons at UCLA, though he's posted some nice nonconference wins over Tennessee and Texas.

One of many big changes Neuheisel made this year was taking over coaching his quarterbacks. He is notoriously hard on QBs, having been one himself for the Bruins, and cameras eagerly seek him out when his quarterback makes a mistake. The sideline jabbering is not terribly distinguished, and more than a few folks have seen it as a significant problem on multiple levels.

But Prince feels like his relationship with Neuheisel has gotten stronger this year.

"I feel like it's been better because he is now the quarterbacks coach," Prince said. "The communication between us is better. We don't see eye-to-eye all the time, but we can communicate and work things out."

They also are on the same wavelength when it comes to dealing with criticism, which both know well.

Said Prince: "I don't listen to the criticism. I just continue to play the game and try to have fun and win."

Said Neuheisel: "The only thing you can do is ignore that .... It does me no good. I can't answer all the critics. All I can do is my best. I wake up every morning excited about going to work."

It appears Prince and Neuheisel are in sync when it comes to dealing with criticism. But can they -- and the rest of the Bruins -- get in sync and string a few consistent performances together?

If it happens, there may be a shocker in the South Division, and part of that would be Neuheisel keeping his job.

1. As the Clemson offense becomes more explosive with every passing Saturday (no pun intended), offensive coordinator Chad Morris is attracting more attention. Morris is only two years removed from a 16-year career as a Texas high school coach (three state titles). But it doesn’t sound as if he’s going anywhere. He signed a four-year contract in part so that his daughter MacKenzie would stay in one high school. If the No. 5 Tigers keep playing like this, he’ll be saying “No, thanks” to some head coaching offers.

2. NCAA president Mark Emmert’s long-awaited proposal for more aid to student-athletes has the aroma of compromise about it. The proposal would allow universities to increase an athletic scholarship by $2,000 to cover incidental and travel expenses. The “cost of attendance” figure I’ve heard runs closer to $2,500-$3,000. It doesn’t come as a surprise that the NCAA would tiptoe into the pool. It is, nonetheless, a disappointment.

3. Tennessee senior quarterback Matt Simms' second chance went pretty much the way of his first. Simms started eight games in 2010, five of them against top-20 teams, and he struggled. Freshman Tyler Bray got a start as the Volunteers’ schedule eased up and won the job. This season, Bray broke his thumb in time for Simms to start against No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama. Simms struggled again. Coach Derek Dooley announced Monday that freshman Justin Worley is the new starter. Simms just can’t catch a break.