College Football Corner: Dateline Norman

No. 19 Pittsburgh (7-2) (+5) at No. 20 Cincinnati (8-2), 7:15 p.m. EST, ESPN2: This one has the feel of a good Pennsylvania-Ohio border war, with the Big East title also in the balance. Cincy is coming off a gutsy 28-20 win at Louisville and leads the Big East with a 4-1 record. Pitt and West Virginia are right behind at 3-2, while resurgent Rutgers has a 4-2 conference mark.

Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy

The Bearcats are led by 6-6 quarterback Tony Pike, who has excelled despite being banged up. The Panthers' go-to guy is LeSean McCoy, a fast back with superb cutting ability.

Cincinnati's quotable Coach Brian Kelly expects a big home crowd Saturday: "I will say this. There is no reason why this stadium shouldn't have the largest crowd in the history of Nippert Stadium right now. We don't want this to be the end of where we are relative to where we are in attendance. We see this thing growing. As our stadium increases and fan size increases, it is going to be a sellout. There is not a question that this will be full." Corner's choice: Cincinnati 24, Pittsburgh 17

No. 15 Michigan State (9-2) (+14½) at No. 8 Penn State (10-1), 3:30 p.m. EST (ABC): Sure, a Big 10 championship is on the line in Happy Valley as the Nittany Lions can grab at least a share of the title for only the fourth time since the team joined the conference in 1993. But is that really more important than having all of us avoid a Rose Bowl rematch between USC and Ohio State? If the Spartans win here and the Buckeyes take care of Michigan (as they usually do), that's the likely lineup in Pasadena. Gooooo Lions! Michigan State, which still has an outside shot for its first conference championship since 1990, has climbed to 9-2 on some good fortune and the back of Javon Ringer, who has rushed for 1,548 yards and 20 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Brian Hoyer has regressed from his junior year, but the defense, while not spectacular, has been more stingy giving up points.

Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman

Penn State seemed to work out its frustrations of a BCS-blowing loss to Iowa with a dismantling of Indiana last week. Most importantly, quarterback Daryll Clark looked solid again following his head injury three weeks earlier vs. Ohio State. The defense is the league's best, led by defensive end Aaron Maybin and linebacker Navorro Bowman. The Spartans' only other game against a ranked opponent was a 45-7 loss to Ohio State. It may be time for another reality check. Corner's choice: Penn State 33, Michigan State 14.

No. 14 BYU (10-1) at No. 7 Utah (11-0), 6 p.m. EST Saturday, Mountain West Sports Network: An undefeated season for Utah and the inside track to a BCS bowl bid are on the line. While the bid may not be automatic, Utah can make a case for a bid with this win and wins during the season against Michigan on the road, Oregon State (which beat Southern Cal the week before) and TCU. In addition, a share of the Mountain West Conference and state bragging rights are on the line. "Our guys have got to treat it as if it was a normal week," said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. "We can't go crazy and lose our composure and poise. We have to prepare the same way we have for 11 straight weeks."

Utah's David Reed (left)

Utah held up its end of the hype by slamming San Diego State on the road 63-14 last Saturday, clinching a share of the Mountain West title, its fourth since the league began in 1999. In that game, quarterback Brian Johnson threw five touchdown passes, two to wide receiver David Reed. Deshawn Richard returned two interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive San Diego State drives.

For two-time defending Mountain West Champion BYU, the Cougars' blemish against TCU in October is the only reason for the game not having any more significance. However, BYU did its part beating Air Force 38-24 on the road last week. Quarterback Max Hall tossed two touchdown passes in the game, giving him 34 for the season. Receiver Austin Collie contributed with two second-half TD receptions to put Air Force away. A win gives BYU a case to claim a BCS bid due to two wins against Pac-10 teams (albeit against UCLA and winless Washington) and Utah.

Some stats to consider: With Bronco Mendenhall at the helm, BYU is 33-4 when leading at halftime and 32-1 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter. In addition, Max Hall had been sacked only twice in the first six games of the season, but 11 times in the last five games, including six against TCU. The last 12 meetings between these teams have been split, and the last 11 meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less. The possibilities for this game are not lost on Whittingham: "You can analyze 19,000 different angles on paper but you have to go play the game. The last three seasons, fans have gotten their money's worth." Last year, Utah appeared to have the game wrapped up late until Collie's 49-yard reception on fourth down set up a last-minute touchdown to win it for BYU in Provo. Corner's choice: Utah 27, BYU 24