LSU-Alabama to help put bowl picture in focus

By R.M. Cox

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If events unfold as expected Saturday, the postseason will take shape quickly. An upset here, an upset there and the picture will be scrambled for another week or two.

Let’s start where it matters most … in the SEC.

No. 9 LSU (7-1) at No. 3 Alabama (8-0), 3:30 p.m., CBS: We’ve all been waiting a few weeks in breathless anticipation for this first act of “How the SEC Wins Another National Title.” If the Crimson Tide wins, we can leap forward to Dec. 5 for Florida vs. Alabama, and the winner goes to Rose Bowl as favorite for the BCS national title. If the Tigers win, we’ll have to see whether they can win out in the SEC, against Mississippi, Arkansas and a rematch against the Gators.

Northwestern (5-4) at No. 4 Iowa (9-0), noon, ESPN: The Hawkeyes tried to give the game away last week against Indiana, but came out of a stupor long enough to win in the fourth quarter. Today shouldn’t provide quite the drama. The Wildcats seem to play well only against teams that they should. The computers all love Iowa, but it’s hard to believe the Hawkeyes could compete against even Texas and Cincinnati, much less LSU, Alabama and Florida. They could prove that view wrong next week when the season hangs in the balance at Ohio State.

South Carolina (6-3) at Arkansas (4-4), 12:21 p.m., WPCH: A size XXL game for the SEC coaches Georgians love to hate: Steve Spurrier vs. Bobby Petrino. The Gamecocks need this one to secure the kind of bowl game fans want to travel to because they still must face likely SEC champ Florida and possible ACC champ Clemson. The Razorbacks have some work to do to get into any kind of bowl position.

Navy (6-3) at No. 22 Notre Dame (6-2), 2:30 p.m., NBC: Here’s a chance to see Ricky Dobbs of Douglas County High School run Paul Johnson’s offense the way a real option quarterback runs it as he returns from a knee injury. The Irish get much-hyped wide receiver Michael Floyd back from a broken collarbone. Navy broke a 43-game losing skid to Notre Dame in 2007, but the Irish won last season.

No. 8 Oregon (7-1) at Stanford (5-3), 3:30 p.m., FSSO: The Ducks have control of the Pac-10 race after the shellacking of USC on Halloween, but Stanford can see the rungs of the ladder that it needs to climb at the urging of coach Jim Harbaugh. The Cardinals play No. 8 Oregon, followed by No. 12 USC, No. 20 California and No. 22 Notre Dame. A four-game win streak would put Stanford in an ideal position.

No. 16 Ohio State (7-2) at No. 11 Penn State (8-1), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2: Winner keeps on the heels of Iowa in the Big Ten title chase; loser gets to have the same kind of week Georgia had after losing to Florida, although it would be difficult to believe fans of either school would be asking for the heads of Jim Tressell or Joe Paterno.

Vanderbilt (2-7) at No. 1 Florida (8-0), 7:15 p.m., ESPN2: By the end of the first half, Tim Tebow might be on the sideline watching his understudy complete a rout, and you’ll be able to see why Urban Meyer decided a full-game suspension of linebacker Brandon Spikes was perfectly OK rather than sitting him for half the game after he was caught trying to poke Georgia’s Washaun Ealey in the eye.

Florida State (4-4) at Clemson (5-3), 7:45 p.m., ESPN: In September, one might have guessed this would be two top-15 teams playing for the ACC Atlantic Division title. Now, only Clemson appears to be in position to play for the ACC championship in Tampa, but the Tigers have to win out against FSU, N.C. State and Virginia to make that happen.

Connecticut (4-4) at No. 5 Cincinnati (8-0), 8 p.m., no TV: This is the best of a sorry trio of prime-time ABC games; we’re stuck with Oklahoma vs. Nebraska in the Atlanta market. The Bearcats will try to reach 9-0 for the first time since 1951. Zach Collaros has thrown seven touchdown passes with no interceptions in his two starts for senior Tony Pike, who is trying to return from an injury to a previously broken left arm. There’s little reason to rush Pike back. The Huskies, who have lost all four games by four or fewer points, will be without quarterback Cody Endres. He soon will have surgery for a shoulder injury.