We can pretty safely pencil in top-ranked USC for the national championship game in the Orange Bowl. It is their opponent that remains a question. The second-ranked Oklahoma Sooners are only .271 points ahead of the streaking Auburn Tigers in the BCS standings. With both squads playing road games against unranked teams this weekend, the name of the game will be winning big.

In a close race for a spot in the Big Game like this, style points come to the fore. Look at what Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville did last week. Despite being well ahead of their opponents in the final quarter, all starters remained in the game. It is not enough to just win at this stage of the season; contending teams have to completely dominate their opponents. Oklahoma is facing the Baylor Bears, a team with only one win this season. Ordinarily, Baylor would not be looking forward to this game. With Stoops and company on the rampage, they must be absolutely dreading it.

Auburn, meanwhile, has a tougher task against their biggest rival, the Alabama Crimson Tide. If Auburn wins this game and the SEC title game on December 4 – and there is no reason believe they won’t – the BCS system will find itself living the same nightmare it did last year. What a shame it will be if there are three teams with 12-0 records and one of them is left out in the cold.

Of course, there is more to college football than just the Orange Bowl. Both the Michigan Wolverines and the Wisconsin Badgers play tough games this weekend with a coveted Rose Bowl berth on the line. The Wolverines hit the road to play archrival Ohio State, perhaps the toughest game of the year for both clubs. The Badgers play on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes, with the winner having a shot at a piece of the Big Ten title.

MICHIGAN (7) AT OHIO STATE
1 P.M. (ABC)

This has not been a good year for the Buckeyes, a fact that will only encourage them to ruin the fine season of their biggest rival. Ohio State knows full well that if Michigan wins this game, they will win the Big 10 title and head off to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes would love to send the Wolverines off the field with their heads down rather than their fists in the air. But Michigan is clearly the superior team and a Buckeyes win would be nothing short of a stunning upset.

Ohio State is averaging just 22 points a game, nine below the conference-leading Wolverines. The Buckeyes also have the worst passing attack in the Big 10, though current quarterback Troy Smith has been a significant improvement since replacing Justin Zwick. The Buckeyes’ running game won’t be much help, either; Antonio Pittman and Lydell Ross combine for less than 100 yards a game on the ground.

Michigan can score points even with an offense that is not always potent. One of the factors in the Wolverines’ success has been their ability to hold onto the ball as long as possible, as evidenced by their 32:32 average time of possession of this year. By keeping the ball away from their opponents and in the hands of quarterback Chad Henne and underrated running back Mike Hart (who now owns the freshman rushing record in Ann Arbor), Michigan has fought to a 9-1 record and a top-10 ranking. Henne has thrown 19 touchdowns and completed 63% of his passes, while Hart has run for 131 yards a game and eight scores.

Both of these teams have average defensive squads, and consequently live and die with their offenses. With Michigan playing ball control offense and Ohio State struggling to consistently put points on the board, the Wolverines should win this game and a record 17th Big 10 title. They can celebrate it in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

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WISCONSIN (9) AT IOWA (17)
4:30 (ESPN)

Both of these teams have something to play for. If Michigan were to lose to Ohio State, the winner of this game would swipe at least a piece of the Big 10 title.

The Badgers could have cruised into the Rose Bowl and a conference title if they had not been annihilated by Michigan State last weekend, so that adds motivation. Technically, they would still go to the Rose Bowl with a loss if Michigan falls to Ohio State, but that is hardly comfort. This is the last game of the year, and they cannot afford to let a great season slip into mediocrity.

Iowa is equally hungry, though, and will prove a difficult opponent. Three of the Hawkeyes’ last four wins have been by a mere two points, and only a missed field goal by Minnesota saved them from a loss in the last game. Have they been lucky? Maybe. Are they dangerous? Absolutely. It is never easy to beat a team that can’t find a way to lose. The Hawkeyes have won six in a row and have 17 straight victories at home.

Quarterback Drew Tate had a fine game last week against Minnesota, throwing for 333 yards and two deep touchdown passes. But the worst running game in the Big 10 was awful once again, with Aaron Mickens gaining just 16 yards on the day – one fewer than his quarterback.

Wisconsin will rely heavily on quarterback John Stocco and running back Anthony Davis, who need to bounce back from last weekend’s frustrations.

Unlike Michigan and Ohio State, both Wisconsin and Iowa have consistently relied on their defenses. By the end of this game, the winners will be thanking their defense and the losers will be blaming theirs. Iowa leads the conference in rush defense while Wisconsin is best against the pass. Iowa’s defense is more opportunistic, though, picking off 14 passes this season and always swarming the ball. Wisconsin is the favorite, but Iowa has the goods to pitch an upset and keep its home winning streak alive.