National preview: The Lane Kiffin Fan Club

There are plenty of dominoes that have to fall for the Crimson Tide, idling at No. 6, who are the highest-rated one-loss team. Michigan State and Missouri also have to get bumped off, but that could happen this weekend.

Southern Cal’s Matt Barkley is rising fast again as a quarterback who can be trusted, finally. Remember when he was the Can’t Miss Kid? Then he disappeared. Now he is back again as a superhero with 20 touchdown passes.

The Ducks have some incentive for this game because Jerrell Casey, a defensive tackle for USC, said Oregon is a two-man team and not much else. Two men accounting for 569 yards of offense? Hmmm.

The other intrigue involves Monte Kiffin, Lane's dad and the USC defensive guru. What does he have in store for the Ducks? He can coach defense. He had Florida’s spread boxed up pretty well last season and he dealt with Alabama’s NFL-style offense, too. Still, USC is seventh in the Pac-10 in total defense. Does it have enough skill to handle LaMichael James?

SEC folks hope so. They just can’t stand the thought they could be left out of the national championship picture, even when it looks like there are plenty of other worthy teams out there. Go Kiff.

NATIONAL GAMES TO WATCH

Michigan State at Iowa

Iowa, its defense so highly-regarded a month ago, is beat up at linebacker with injuries. It has to deal with a Michigan State (8-0, 4-0) offense that is averaging 34.5 points a game behind quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is 12th nationally in passing efficiency for the No. 5 Spartans.

The great news for No. 18 Iowa (5-2) is that defensive coordinator Norm Parker is back after being hospitalized since Sept. 10 with diabetes-related issues. The Hawkeyes are 13th nationally in total defense, despite some injuries and Parker’s absence.

The other key: Iowa has lost two games because of special team breakdowns; Michigan State has won two games because of special teams heroics.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio has lost some of his sentimental favorite aura. He reinstated star cornerback Chris Rucker, who was locked up for DUI. Iowa is a seven-point favorite at home.

Missouri at Nebraska

Here is the third domino that needs to fall on the SEC’s wish list. Oregon loses at USC; Michigan State loses at Iowa; Missouri (7-0) loses at Nebraska (6-1).

Missouri is scoring 34.7 points per game, but this Big 12 game is really about Missouri’s defense playing well in Lincoln against a suddenly two-pronged Nebraska offense. Nebraska averages 290 yards rushing per game, but quarterback Taylor Martinez found his passing touch last week in the 51-41 win over Oklahoma State with five TD tosses.

In the upset of No. 1 Oklahoma last week, the Tigers’ defense stopped Sooners’ possessions at the Missouri 12-, 12-, and 14-yard lines. Nebraska will move into the red zone, so the Tigers better have the same touch this week.

TCU at UNLV

No. 4 TCU (8-0) is favored by 35 points over UNLV (1-6). The only risk in this game is injury. Next up is unbeaten No. 8 Utah and TCU needs all hands for that game.

Utah at Air Force

Air Force got chewed up by TCU’s run game last week. This week, the Falcons have to deal with Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn. Utah (8-0) should sail into next week’s Mountain West showdown with TCU still unbeaten.

AROUND THE SEC

Auburn at Ole Miss

Who smells a trap? Auburn, No. 1 in the BCS, has played back-to-back emotional games in wins over Arkansas and LSU. On top of that, Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt manages to come up with an upset nearly every season.

All it would take for the Rebels to spring an upset is a slightly turned ankle by Cameron Newton, the Auburn quarterback. It could unsettle the Tigers just enough. The Auburn defense is good, if it is the fourth quarter. Ted Roof, the defensive coordinator, said he is going to cover up the scoreboard and tell his guys it is the fourth period all day so they play with more urgency.

So far, three No. 1 teams that have gone on the road have lost: Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. Are Oregon and Auburn next?

Tennessee at South Carolina

The Tennessee-South Carolina game is usually the most competitive game in the SEC. In the last 10 games, the average winning margin has been 8 1/2 points.

Now, forget all that.

The Vols have lost three games this season by more than 27 points and they are getting scorched by elite receivers. Alabama’s Julio Jones, playing with a surgical plate in a broken hand, burned UT last week. South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery gets his stat-building turn this week.

On top of that, SC running back Marcus Lattimore said he is 100 percent after an ankle injury kept him out of the Vanderbilt game. South Carolina has a modest 3-2 SEC record and still leads the SEC East. It has turned a great season into a good one because it could not finish at Auburn or Kentucky. Carolina finishes off the woeful Vols and takes another step closer to Atlanta and the SEC Championship game.

Vanderbilt at Arkansas

Quarterback Ryan Mallett’s statistics have taken a hit the last three weeks with his concussion at Auburn and a run-first win at Ole Miss last week behind Knile Davis (176 yards). He started the season with five straight 300-yard-plus passing games. Here is a stat-stuffing opportunity for Mallett. Vanderbilt is 11th in total defense in the SEC and is playing a team that averages 33 points a game.

Arkansas (5-2) can get bowl eligible and the jockeying will start to somehow get this team with its array of talent to Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Kentucky at Mississippi State

This is why the SEC is fun to watch top to bottom this season. Mississippi State, which is already bowl eligible, has energized its fans (albeit with a weak schedule) and Kentucky (4-4) has a dynamic offense.

The Bulldogs come into the game on a five-game winning streak, their longest since 1999.

Derrick Locke, Kentucky's leading rusher, will not play with a shoulder injury. The Wildcats still have two elite offensive players, all-purpose guy Randall Cobb and 6-foot-5 wide receiver Chris Mathews, who is averaging 15.3 yards per catch.

AROUND THE ACC

Wake Forest at Maryland

The Terrapins (5-2) are one win from being bowl eligible. They are being led by a freshman quarterback, Danny O’Brien, who had three touchdown passes and no interceptions in a win over Boston College last week. Maryland’s return men (KR Torrey Smith, PR Tony Logan) are among the best in the country.

Wake Forest (2-5, 1-3) has had trouble with speedy teams all season and has given up a whopping 264 points. The Terps could score 30 and get themselves into a bowl.

Miami at Virginia

Miami (5-2, 3-1) is still in the chase for the Coastal Division championship with one loss in the conference and an upcoming game at home with Virginia Tech. Quarterback Jacory Harris is cutting down on mistakes and spreading the ball around the field to nine different receivers. The Canes whipped North Carolina and former coach Butch Davis last week with another 100-yard rushing game by Damien Berry, his fourth straight.

Miami has Orange Bowl/BCS talent and gets the Hokies at home with a chance to win the division. The bet is the Hurricanes will not lose again and will play FSU for the ACC title ... in Charlotte. In a case of bad timing, the title game is being held outside Florida with two Florida teams setting themselves up to play for the title.

Clemson at Boston College

N.C. State’s win over FSU on Thursday night has opened up the Atlantic Division race. Clemson (4-3, 2-2) plays N.C. State at Clemson on Nov. 6 and the Tigers play FSU in Tallahassee on Nov. 13. The Tigers' record looks modest, but they have three losses by just 17 points and they had Auburn beat on the road. They could still get back in the ACC title game.

Da’Quan Bowers, the Clemson defensive end, has now moved up into the top five or six on NFL draft boards. He has been a dominant player week-to-week at his new weight of 273 (down from 290). Clemson running back Andre Ellington is averaging 6.3 yards per attempt. BC counters with the ACC’s leading rusher, Montel Harris.

Ray Glier, for the AJC