The regular season is winding down and late-season losses can make the difference between playing for the National Championship, a BCS football game or missing the postseason altogether.

Here’s our picks for this weekend’s games.

Georgia Tech at Duke: Last week’s heroics by Jonathan Dwyer (not to mention a great 4th down call by Paul Johnson) let the Jackets slim BCS title hopes alive. A victory this weekend would secure a spot in the ACC Title Game and likely an Orange Bowl berth. No other motivation required. Georgia Tech 30, Duke 13

Alabama at Miss State: The Bulldogs have played very well at home this season and easily could have posted victories over Florida and LSU. This should be close fir a half, but Mark Ingram will be too much for the boys from Starkville to handle. Alabama 34, Miss State 17

Florida at South Carolina: South Carolina always starts the year with a flurry and seems to fade late in the year. No Black Magic for the Gamecocks, just fade to black. Florida 24, South Carolina 13

Utah at TCU: There wont be a more exciting game on Saturday than this one. Win, and the Horned Frogs have cleared their biggest remaining hurdle to a BCS bowl game. Should Texas lose, the BCS rankings will get interesting for the 4th ranked Horned Frogs. TCU 23, Utah 17

Iowa at Ohio State. Two weeks ago, the Hawkeyes had arguably the Big 10′s best QB. Now, Ricky Stanzi is injured and Terrelle Pryor has found his mojo once more. That doesn’t bode well for Iowa. Ohio State 30, Iowa 10

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh: Lose this one and the Irish are looking for a new coach – likely named Nick Saban or Urban Meyer. Panthers RB Dion Lewis runs wild and creates a ton of headaches in Gainesville and Tuscaloosa. Pitt 28, Notre Dame 24

Stanford at USC: Two years ago, the Cardinal pulled off one of the most improbable victories ever against the Trojans. Both of these teams are still alive for a Rose Bowl berth, but need some help. Pete Carroll and the Trojans will keep Tobey Gerhart in check as USC stays on track for an at-large BCS berth. USC 27, Stanford 17

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thought below.

Indiana at Iowa: These two teams have split the last four meetings with the Hawkeyes winning the 2008 contest 45-9. Statistically, this game should be close, but the Hawkeyes finally have a game that doesn’t go down to the wire. Iowa 35, Indiana 17.

Georgia at Florida: The last two times Georgia had a week off before the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”, they won the game. Florida has won 16 of the past 19 contests, with the two most recent circled with controversy. Georgia head coach Mark Richt had his team storm the field in the 2007 victory. Urban Meyer, meanwhile, called two late timeouts at the end of last season’s 49-10 destruction of the Dogs. Although it won’t be the same margin as 2008, the Gators march on towards Atlanta. Florida 31, Georgia 20.

Miami at Wake Forest: With Virginia Tech’s loss on Thursday night, the Hurricanes can earn a spot in the ACC Championship Game should Georgia Tech slip up. With ‘Canes RB Javarris James out for the game, Wake QB Riley Skinner will all but assure the Yellow Jackets the Coastal Division title. Wake Forest 20, Miami 17.

Kansas at Texas Tech: If you’re looking for offense on Saturday, this is your game. Kansas QB Todd Reesing and Red Raiders QB Taylor Potts have combined to throw for 30 touchdowns in 2009. Both of these squads need a victory to get back on track heading down the stretch. Kansas 34, Texas Tech 31.

Kansas State at Oklahoma: Bill Snyder’s return to Manhattan, Kansas was met with a great deal of skepticism, but he has delivered unexpected results so far leading the Wildcats to a 5-3 start. Meanwhile the Sooners have officially begun life after Sam Bradford who announced this week he’s heading to the NFL. Although we expect KSU RB Daniel Thomas to have a big game, Sooners QB Landry Jones will make Synder wish he hadn’t returned to the College Football scene. Oklahoma 42, Kansas State 21.

South Carolina at Tennessee: Every coach has exacted their revenge on Vols head coach Lane Kiffin for his offseason remarks. Watching Spurrier’s offense match up with Monte Kiffin’s defense will be intriguing throughout four quarters. After playing several close games, Jonathan Compton and the Tennessee rushing attack finally get over the hump. Tennessee 20, South Carolina 17.

Texas at Oklahoma State: Cowboys WR Dez Bryant is a difference maker. The problem is he won’t be playing in this game as he continues to serve a suspension for lying to the NCAA. The Longhorns clear their biggest remaining regular season hurdle in Stillwater. Texas 38, Oklahoma State 24.

USC at Oregon: Barring a late season collapse, the winner of this game will play in the Rose Bowl, if not the BCS National Championship Game. The loser likely earns a berth to a BCS game as well. Oregon’s Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest places in the country to play, but after being battle tested at Ohio State, Notre Dame and Cal, the Trojans have the moxie to “fight on” for the win. USC 28, Oregon 20.

Florida at Mississippi State: Gators head coach Urban Meyer this week stated that even though his team looks good on paper “we still don’t feel like we’re operating at the highest level of efficiency.” Mississippi State seems to help teams with that problem. It’s a dangerous game, though, with Florida’s former offensive coordinator, Dan Mullen, now leading the Bulldogs (see Washington vs. USC) Tim Tebow leads the Gators to their first victory in Starkville since 1985. Florida 34, Miss State 13.

Tennessee at Alabama: This rivalry was big before Lane Kiffin arrived in Knoxville. Jonathan Compton gets gobbled up by the Tide defense. Alabama 30, Tennessee 17.

Oregon State at USC: Pete Carroll says he’s not into revenge for one happened last year. He just wants his team to play up to their ability. Mission accomplished. USC 28, Oregon State 14.

TCU at BYU: The Horned Frogs are gaining more and more respect each week – not to mention a rise in the ratings as they are poised to enter the Top 5 in the weeks ahead. This game looked a lot more dangerous before Florida State went in and exposed the Cougar defense. TCU wins it the old fashioned way – with defense. TCU 20, BYU 10.

Auburn at LSU: The last two games on the Bayou in this series came down to the final play. It’s not going to be that way Saturday night in Death Valley. Auburn’s offense starts to rebound, but not soon enough. LSU 24, Auburn 17.

Clemson at Miami: For all of the mystery surrounding Clemson’s record, they seem to have finally found some answers last weekend against Wake Forest. In the surprise of the ACC season, the Tigers send the Hurricanes out to sea and keep a glimpse of an ACC Championship alive. Clemson 23, Miami 20.

Georgia Tech at Virginia: Amazingly, the Jackets haven’t won in Charlottesville in 19 years – the same season they won the UPI National Championship. After making some early season adjustments, Paul Johnson and his team will roll over a resurgent Cavalier squad. Georgia Tech 34, Virginia 24.

Penn State at Michigan: The Wolverines have one of the most dominating home atmospheres which contributes to a lot of questions regarding their recent home performance. Something’s got to give on Saturday when the Nittany Lions, who haven’t won in Ann Arbor in 13 years, come to town. Penn State 24, Michigan 23.

South Florida at Pittsburgh: With a win on Saturday, the Panthers will match their best start since NFL Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino was under center. The 20th-ranked Pitt squad is also 3-0 in the conference, but have a tough closing stretch with Notre Dame, West Virginia and Cincinnati to close out the regular season. But that’s another story. As for Saturday, RB Dion Lewis continues to deliver and puts the Bulls out to pasture. Pitt 27, South Florida 20.

Bad news: We’re halfway through the College Football season.

Great news: We’re now into the meaty part of the conference schedule, with most of the cupcake games out of the way.  Things will start to heat up as the race for the BCS Bowl Games and National Championship moves into full swing.

Starting tonight, we’ll have some big games on the schedule.  Here’s the college football predictions for the weekend of October 17th.

Pittsburgh at Rutgers (Friday): Five of the eight teams in the Big East have only one loss, including both the Panthers and the Scarlet Knights.  Pitt RBs Dion Lewis and Ray Graham will lead the charge as Coach Wannstedt finally gets his first win against Rutgers after five tries.  Pitt 28, Rutgers 20.

Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas): This game was supposed to be for a berth to the Big XII Championship game and for the rights to face Florida in the BCS National Championship game.  Although Sooners QB Sam Bradford is back, he’s too late to stop the Longhorns train to Pasadena.  Texas 30, Oklahoma 20.

Alabama vs. South Carolina: The past king of the SEC, Steve Spurrier, and the Gamecocks take on the future king of the SEC in Nick Saban’s Tide.  This is a classic trap game for Alabama with Lane Kiffin and the Vols rolling into town next weekend.  It will be close early, but look for QB Greg McElroy to make some key throws down the stretch to separate these two squads.  With this win, RB Mark Ingram will continue to keep his name in the Heisman Trophy conversation.  Alabama 21, South Carolina 17.

USC at Notre Dame: Speaking of the Heisman, can you believe it’s been more than 20 years since anyone from Notre Dame has taken home the disctinction?  It’s true, the last was Tim Brown in 1987.  Although the Irish are winning and Jimmy Clausen is getting some love for the award, you get the sense he needs a big win in order to step ahead of Tebow and McCoy.  He’ll give it his best shot, but it won’t be enough.  USC 31, Notre Dame 17.

Cal at UCLA: When the season opened, the Bears had dreams of playing in the Rose Bowl.  Unfortunately, they were talking about the game played in January, not this matchup with the Bruins.  Cal needs this one to keep the season from being a complete disaster.  They’ll get it.  Cal 24, UCLA 21.

Iowa at Wisconsin: The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde show heads to Madison for a big-time showdown against the Badgers.  Iowa out-hustled the Badgers last season.  In a victory for pride everywhere, Wisconsin ends Iowa’s bid for perfection.  Wisconsin 20, Iowa 16.

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech:  This one is really intriguing.  With a win here, the Jackets create a log jam at the top of the division between themselves, the Hokies and Miami.  If Tyrod Taylor can lead his team to victory, it’s a near guarantee they will reach the ACC Championship Game in Tampa.  Virginia Tech has too much riding on this game to let it slip away.  Virginia Tech 34, Georgia Tech 24.

Arkansas at Florida: The Hogs with QB Ryan Mallett are really firing on all cylinders on offense scoring 48, 44, 41 and 47 points in a 3-2 start to the season.  Unfortunately, they posted only seven points in a 35-7 loss against Alabama.  The Gators defense, led by Brandon Spikes, isn’t quite that good, but close enough.  Florida 31, Arkansas 13.

Missouri at Oklahoma State:  Suspended Cowboys WR Dez Bryant told the NCAA this week he is “very, very sorry.”  Unfortunately, he still isn’t eligible, which is bad because OSU really, really needs him.  Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert gets back on track after a horrendous performance last week against Nebraska.  Missouri 27, Oklahoma State 24.

Kansas at Colorado: The Buffaloes are feeling a little flat after letting a first half lead against Texas eviscerate on the way to a second half beatdown.  Confidence of the Buffs defense is not high after the 38 points they allowed last weekend.  At here comes Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks, who are looking to secure a BCS berth – or more.  When is Reesing going to get more love for the Heisman?  Answer: After they defeat Oklahoma next weekend.  Kansas 41, Colorado 20.

Feel free to leave your comments below and, as always, enjoy the games….

UCLA at Stanford: These two Pac-10 foes are trying to break into the upper echelon of the conference this season. Stanford’s Toby Gerhart and the Cardinals #11 rushing attack will find yards tough to come by against the Bruins and their #9 ranked rushing defense. If injured UCLA QB Kevin Prince were back, I’d got with the boys in blue. Instead, look for a big day from Stanford’s freshman quarterback Andrew Luck. Stanford 24, UCLA 20.

Washington at Notre Dame: This game is a lot more interesting than what it appeared in the pre-season. It’s just a matter of which team will show up. The Fighting Irish won a thrilled last Saturday night, defeating Purdue in the final minute, while Washinton lost at Stanford. Jimmy Clausen says he’ll have to battle through his turf toe for the reaminder of the season. As long as he’s playing, they’ve got a chance. Notre Dame 27, Washington 24.

LSU at Georgia: One of the biggest stories for the Tigers and the Bulldogs have been their defensive coordinators. John Chavis, LSU’s new defensive “chief” has been able to get just enough plays to keep the Bengal Tigers undefeated. Meanwhile, Georgia’s DC, Willie Martinez, has been like a sinking boat that continues to take on water. Fans and the media are in an uproar over the team’s performance. They’ll still be upset with the Bulldogs defensive play come Saturday night, but thankful for the offense. Georgia 37, LSU 31.

Auburn at Tennessee: The two most controversial offseason coaching hires face off in Knoxville with both Lane Kiffin and Gene Chizik heaping high praise onto one another. Can Auburn’s high flying offense outwit Tennessee’s Monte Kiffin? Just barely. Auburn 27, Tennessee 24.

USC at California: It’s been a challenging time on the field at Cal this week, while a challenging week off the field at USC. The Bears, who were exposed by Oregon last Saturday are reeling and don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves with the Trojans and undefeated Bruins next up on the schedule. The Trojans, on the other hand, are dealing with the horrific injury to RB Stafon Johnson. Look for SC to keep the pressure on Cal QB Kevin Riley and put an emotional week behind them. USC 38, Cal 24.

Oklahoma at Miami: The big question for this game is whether or not Sam Bradford will return to play for the Sooners. It won’t matter as the Sooners keep the momentum rolling against the Hurricans. Oklahoma 27, Miami 13.

Central Michigan at Buffalo: No team has fallen as far as Turner Gill’s squad. Gill who was one of the nation’s hottest coaches last season is mired in a 1-3 slump to start the season. Unfortunately, it won’t get any better on Saturday. Central Michigan 45, Buffalo 20.

Texas A&M at Arkansas: The upstart Aggies have been a huge surprise to start 2009. With Baylor QB Robert Griffin out for the season, the door is open for Mike Sherman’s squad to earn their first bowl victory since 2001. First, they’ll have to contend with the nation’s 4th best passing offense. Arkansas 38, Texas A&M 31.

What about you? Who are your picks for the weekend?

1. The Mountain West Conference will have a good, but not great, year. Ultimately, entry into a BCS game is tge measuring stick for “great”. While there are a number of outstanding teams in the conference especially BYU, Utah and TCU. The problem is two of the three suffered a loss over the weekend (BYU at home to Florida State and Utah to Oregon). Based on the current polls, it appears impossible that TCU could vault past an undefeated Boise State squad. But hey, this is College Football, anything can happen.

2. The Pac-10 is about to become wide open again. USC has dominated the past seven seasons, all ending with a conference championship and, at least, a BCS berth. After watching what is happening at UCLA, Cal and especially Washington, I believe their conference dominance is coming to an end.

3. Brian Kelly will not be at Cincinnati in 2010. Out of all the great games and surprises, nothing impressed me more than the way the Bearcats went to Corvalis and defeated the Beavers of Oregon State. If he wasn’t a hot name in the coaching circles before, this year will do it.

4. Auburn and Tennessee might not have better head coaches, but they have better coaching staffs. Last season, the Tigers coaching staff was filled with back biting and a lack of continuity. It ultimately cost Tommy Tuberville his job. As for the Vols, Phil Fulmer and his squad had struggled since David Cutcliffe departed for Mississippi. The current coaches, Auburn’s Gene Chizik and Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin have surrounded themselves with winners who are high on energy and long on experience. Look for both programs to come back sooner than originally expected.

5. I’ll be stunned if Charlie Weis is back with the Irish next season. The head coach at Notre Dame is a brilliant offensive mind, but they just don’t seem to be making improvements. This is still one of the top five jobs in football, but they’re just not on the level of Florida, Texas and others right now. His team isn’t winning so much as they are surviving.

6. The ACC seems to have figured out Paul Johnson. Georgia Tech’s head coach was handled by Miami 33-17 after nearly losing to Clemson the week before. With a big game looming against North Carolina on Saturday, the Jackets need to adjust in a hurry.

7. Miami is on the rebound. Definitely one of the most impressive performances from the first three weeks is the Hurricanes. QB Jacory Harris has been fantastic and delivered in the clutch. With games against Virginia Tech and Oklahoma the next two weeks, they could quickly insert themselves in the BCS National Championship discussion. Based on how FSU rebounded last week, could the ACC Championship game rematch these two squads?

8. The Cal Bears are their run to the Rose Bowl (or more) starts this week. Jahvid Best has been on a tear, scoring 5 touchdowns on the road at Minnesota. If they can win in Eugene this weekend against the Oregon Ducks, the October 3rd home game against USC becomes arguably the biggest in school history.

I’ve been thinking for the past few weeks and months about the things I’m really going to enjoy about this College Football season.  With the kickoff starting tonight, I wanted to take a few moments to share it with you – and hear your thoughts as well.

1. Tim Tebow’s last stand.  Love the Gators or hate the Gators, you have to respect Tim Tebow and what he has brought to the game, on and off the field.  In covering football for more than 15 seasons, Tebow is the most impressive athlete I can recall.  He clearly elevates the players around him and looks to raise up individuals through his personal ministry.  Whether at the ESPY awards, SEC Media Days or other events, Tebow is often the subject of criticism and cynicism.  As for me, I’m going to enjoy getting the opportunity to watch potentially the most decorated college football player of all time – for his final season.

2. Best Heisman Race ever.  Never has there been so much talent returning in a Heisman campaign, with two previous winners vying to become only the second player to win multiple Heisman trophies (Ohio State’s Archie Griffin was the first).  Meanwhile, Texas QB Colt McCoy will look to seize the trophy from previous winners Tim Tebow (2007) and Sam Bradford (2008).  There are other Heisman trophy candidates, but they are all playing catch up to the Big 3.

3. Dominance of the Big XII South: The Big XII South is reminiscent of the SEC East during the 1990s when Florida, Tennessee and Georgia were the perennial top three with the Gators and Volunteers battling it out on and off the field to determine who would play for the SEC Championship in Atlanta.  This almost appears neighborly based on what has been happening in the Big XII South as of late.  Close games, routs, recruiting wars, Texas and Oklahoma lobbying in the national media last season for a spot in the Big XII and BCS National Championship game.  Meanwhile, just like Georgia in the SEC East, Oklahoma State’s program is on the rise and they will compete heavily to make this something more than a two horse race.  The best part of all?  It doesn’t look like the intensity of the Big XII South will be slowing down anytime soon.

4. Legitimate threat to USC’s reign.  Without question, USC is one of the best college football jobs in America and Pete Carroll has taken advantage of that, winning the Pac-10 conference championship each of the last eight seasons.  2009 could be a different story, though.  With the early departure of Mark Sanchez, freshman Matt Barkley takes over for the Trojans at quarterback while the offseason brought the departures of both coordinators.  Meanwhile Oregon and Cal appear to have the teams needed to challenge for supremacy on the West Coast..  USC has an NCAA record seven straight 11+ win seasons and they haven’t lost a game outside of their conference since they played Texas in the Rose Bowl in 2005.    Is their reign over, or will they continue to “fight on”?

5. Lee Corso.  I’ve enjoyed Lee Corso for years as a commentator on ESPN’s College Gameday and always found him to be gracious whenever I’ve interviewed or stopped to chat with him.  It’s been a challenging offseason for Lee, who at 77 years old suffered a stroke following the 2008 season.  He’s been working hard to recover and will be back in the booth to kick off the 2009 college football campaign.  Now more than ever, I’m going to enjoy hearing Lee’s analysis, perspectives and his “not so fast, my friend” phrase.

How about you?  What’s the storyline you’re following and going to savor during this college football season?

Recently, I talked about some teams who are utilizing the 12th game to their advantage by scheduling some non-conference marquee matchups.

But what games – in and out of conference – will have the biggest impact on the perception of the national media, the BCS standings and who plays for the BCS National Championship this season?

Here’s the MrBCS.com Top 10 College Football games for 2009.

September 3rd: Oregon at Boise State. It won’t take long for it to feel like mid-season with these two BCS contenders facing off on opening night. Last year in Eugene, the Ducks fell to Boise State in what some Oregon players called “an embarassment.” They get to do somethig about it on Thursday night. Boise State can, and likely will, make the BCS as an at-large without this win. Oregon will not. This one is huge for the Ducks.

September 5th: Virginia Tech vs. Alabama (Atlanta). Last year, Alabama used this game with Clemson to get their season off to a fast start, eventually running their record to 12-0. The Hokies, who lost their starting running back Darren Evans, will look to do the same and can clear their most significant hurdle between them and the BCS Championship game by emerging victorious at the Georgia Dome.

September 12th: USC at Ohio State. Will it be rout #2 for the Trojans or redemption for the Buckeyes? The winner of this one takes a big, big step in the polls and BCS rankings with a victory in Columbus.

October 3rd: USC at Cal. Will USC’s championship dominance come to an end or will another Pac-10 power emerge in 2009? This game couldn’t come at a worse time for the Bears who will be coming off an emotional road game at Oregon the week before.

October 10th: Florida at LSU. The last time these two teams played in Baton Rouge, the Bengal Tigers won by converting an amazing 5 of 5 fourth downs, all in the 4th quarter. Look for LSU to provide the biggest road test for the Gators in 2009. This one is not for the faint of heart.

October 10th: Alabama at Ole Miss. Houston Nutt always had his teams at Arkansas playing their best when their backs were up against the wall. How will the Rebels fare in their biggest test of the season? The winner of this game will likely play for the SEC Championship.

October 17th: Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas). Don’t plan anything on this Saturday. The 2009 Red River Rivalry will be one for the ages. In addition to two top five teams facing off, this one is juiced by the bad blood following the Longhorns exclusion from the Big XII and BCS title game despite having defeated the Sooners 45-35 in 2008. You won’t want to miss this one.

October 31st: USC at Oregon. If the Trojans survive the trip to Berkeley against Cal, this is their last stop between an undefeated season and a shot at the BCS National Championship.

November 7th: Ohio State at Penn State. The belief here is that the undefeated Nittany Lions will be facing a one-loss Buckeyes squad. This should be Joe Paterno’s biggest challenge to another undefeated season. Should the Buckeyes win, look for the Rose Bowl to deal either USC or Ohio State to another BCS game to avoid a rematch of September 12th.

November 28th: Oklahoma State at Oklahoma. Just when you think the Sooners have wrapped up the (fill in the blank here) the OSU Cowboys seem to disrupt the party. If Oklahoma State can defeat the Georgia Bulldogs on opening weekend, they could be in line for a BCS at-large berth -or more – with a victory here.

One final point to consider. If there are more than two undefeated teams (Florida, Penn State, USC and Texas/Oklahoma), who will be shut out? MrBCS.com believes the storyline of the Gators will be too much to ignore, especially given their current poll position. As for their opponent? Look for it to be the Texas Longhorns (provided they are undefeated) or the USC Trojans. If multiple undefeated teams exist again this season, it should really get the momentum recharged for a playoff and plus one plan.

What do you think? Is there a game you’re especially excited about this season?