Here's how we expect it to shake out:

All-Big 12 title game?

It could happen. Of course, lots of things could still happen.

But consider that if Texas Tech or Oklahoma runs the table and Florida gets tagged with a second loss before facing and beating Alabama in the SEC championship game, we could see Texas sneak into the title game for a rematch with the Big 12 champion.

Beavers and the Roses

Oregon State beat UCLA, 34-6, and by winning six of its past seven games, has the inside track on USC. This despite the Beavers' three losses — including a 45-14 beatdown at Penn State back on Sept. 6.

So, now that the Nittany Lions are almost surely headed for the Rose Bowl (as long as they can beat Indiana and Michigan State), they face the prospect of a no-win opportunity against OSU in Pasadena. The red-hot Beavers would need to lose to California, Arizona, or Oregon in order for the Rose Bowl to invite one-loss USC for what would be a memorable New Year's Day matchup.

Interestingly, the only other time Penn State has gotten to the Rose Bowl as a member of the Big Ten, the Lions were disappointed to square off against a three-loss Oregon squad (1994 season).

Arizona breaks bowl drought

Arizona emerged from nine years of bowl-less seasons Saturday, while Vanderbilt lost its fourth straight game and watched its bowl hopes remain in limbo (if not worse).

Vandy, despite its much-feted 5-0 start, now needs to beat at least one (and possibly two) of Kentucky, Tennessee, or Wake Forest to break their 25-year bowl drought. Arizona moved to 6-3 by punking Washington State, 59-28.

MWC and MAC add pelts

The Mountain West and Mid-American conferences continued their stunning seasons, with Wyoming winning at Tennessee, and Western Michigan beating defending Big Ten champion Illinois. That's the fourth time this season that a MAC team has beaten a Big Ten team (Michigan, and Indiana twice, are the others), as well wins over Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and both Army and Navy.

The MWC, meanwhile, can count victories in 2008 over Michigan, UCLA, Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State, and now Tennessee. That was otherwise-woeful Wyoming (the eighth-best team in the MWC) who went to Rocky Top and came home with a 13-7 triumph.

Heisman update

The Heisman Trophy race is very tough to handicap this year. Consider that earlier, we were anxious to give our vote to Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, and then Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, and at various times we have loved watching Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Florida's Tim Tebow, and for a short while, even running backs Knowshon Moreno (Georgia) and Javon Ringer (Michigan State) ... and we cannot ignore Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree.

Still, Red Raiders quarterback Graham Harrell has faced three ranked opponents in a row (Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State), and has accounted for 1,316 yards with absolutely incredible 110-for-145 (76%) accuracy. That's with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions.

If he can keep that up against Oklahoma (and the Sooners defense has given up at least four touchdowns in five games in a row), it will be almost impossible not to give the trophy to him.

Trojans own November

USC won its sixth game in a row, pushing its average score in that time to 39-4, as they try to make the case that they're the best one-loss team in the country (although there would be plenty of argument over that in Norman, Okla., Gainsville, Fla., and Austin, Texas).

Yet, of all the impressive accomplishments in the Pete Carroll Era, perhaps the most eye-popping is the Trojans' mark in November: 24-0. The 17-3 victory over Cal was impressive and hardly ever in doubt, even though the Bears had a touchdown called back by a weak holding penalty, and replays showed that USC's first TD was actually an incomplete pass.

This week's big games

There are no monster showdowns this week, with Oklahoma and Texas Tech both taking the week off, but some key games in which teams will be trying to hold serve: