TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Darren Mustin doesn’t have to leave Alabama’s footballcomplex to experience the importance of these games against Tennessee on thethird Saturday of each October.

No need to listen to talk radio or chat with feverish fans. The evidence ison the walls.

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PASADENA, Calif. — The California Golden Bears and UCLA Bruins square offin another puzzling matchup of a wacky college football season.

The 10th-ranked Bears are coming off a 31-28 loss to Oregon State in whichtheir quarterback’s failure to stop the clock in the waning seconds may havecost them the No. 1 ranking. It did cost them the No. 2 spot, their highestsince 1951.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State must prove it deserves to be No. 1, and thatmight be harder than it was to get there.

Some critics contend the Buckeyes were far superior last year — when theywere run out of the national championship game. They say Ohio State has beaten abunch of patsies and ascended in the polls while others have fallen.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — This will be one tough encore for Kentucky.

A week after knocking off then-No. 1 LSU in triple overtime, Kentucky facesa team coming off a grueling loss to the same Tigers.

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SEATTLE — Dennis Dixon went down this path a season ago.

Dixon, Oregon’s talented quarterback, was outstanding for the first sixgames of 2006, only to see the Ducks fall apart when he struggled in the secondhalf of the season.

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BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU players expressed confidence soon after theirtriple-overtime loss at Kentucky last weekend that their national title chancesremained intact.

When No. 2 South Florida lost to Rutgers on Thursday night, it bolstered thefifth-ranked Tigers’ chances.

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The plane carrying USC’s football team to South Bendplummeted during a severe thunderstorm, forcing the pilot to abort his firstlanding attempt.

There were about 125 people, including 82 players, on the chartered flightThursday night for the cross country trip for Saturday’s game.

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Darrell Mack pounded his way for 100 yards rushing witha touchdown and Utah won its fourth straight game since starting quarterbackBrian Johnson returned from injury, beating TCU 27-20 on Thursday night.

Mack’s fourth straight 100-yard game — on 32 carries — and Johnson’s returncoincide with the winning streak that has kept the Utes (5-3, 2-2 Mountain West)on the fringe of contending for the conference title.

Johnson, who missed three games after separating his shoulder in the seasonopener, completed 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. His onlyinterception didn’t hurt the Utes.

Mack and Johnson accounted for all but seven of Utah’s 227 total yards.

TCU (4-4, 1-3), with three 11-win seasons the past four years, already hasthree losses to teams ahead of the Horned Frogs in the Mountain West standings.

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PISCATAWAY, N.J. — It’s not easy being No. 2 — just ask South Florida.

The Bulls became the third second-ranked team to lose in the last threeweeks, having their unexpected unbeaten run snapped by tricky Rutgers 30-27 onThursday night.

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WACO, Texas — The Baylor assistant football coach cited for publicurination resigned Thursday.

Offensive line coach Eric Schnupp was suspended indefinitely by theuniversity this week after being cited for urinating on the bar at a tavern. Hisresignation was effective immediately.

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