The PAC 12 inched closer to the CFP Saturday as Oregon and Utah beat two of the conference's other elite teams which went a long way towards clearing up the muddled conference race. Oregon manhandled USC in the Coliseum 56-24 and Utah pulled out a win over Washington in Seattle 33-28. Both the Ducks and the Utes sport 8-1 records and appear (baring any upsets) to be headed for a match in the PAC 12 Title Game. Reaching one of the coveted 4 playoff spots may, however, lie in the results of what happens in this weekends clash of SEC Titans Alabama and LSU. Both the Tide and the Tigers are undefeated and if the game ends in a close contest, even the loser will have a strong argument to finish in the Top 4 of the CFP Rankings. The first set of rankings, by the way, will be released this coming Tuesday, November 5. Around the nation: Wake Forest, now 7-1 on the season continued their roll towards a November 16 showdown at Clemson by demolishing N.C. State 44-10. Memphis denied SMU a perfect season and moved into contention for a major bowl game by outscoring the Ponies 54-48. Appalachian State was upset at home by Georgia Southern 24-21 and with no undefeated teams left in the Group of Five, the race is now wide open for the coveted New Year's Day Bowl Prize. Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU, Navy, UCF, Boise State, San Diego State, Louisiana Tech and Appalachian State are all very much still alive in contention. Nebraska's rebuilding process is going to take longer than Husker fans may be willing to accept. High expectations have turned to disappointment as the 4-5 Cornhuskers have lost 3 games this season in the 4th quarter, Colorado, Indiana, and now Purdue. Nebraska could just as easily be 7-2 with losses only at the hands of two undefeated teams, Ohio State and Minnesota. Be patient Husker Nation. Better days are ahead. The Baylor Bears, now 8-0 after escaping a 17-14 upset bid by West Virginia, have their eyes set on a showdown with Oklahoma in Waco slated for November 16. Be careful Bears. You still have to travel to Fort Worth and face those feisty Froggies first. Notre Dame needed a last second TD to survive a 21-20 upset bid at the hands of Virginia Tech. Early season Pac 12 cellar dwellers UCLA and Oregon State have found new life in the second half of the season. UCLA is now 4-5 after beating Colorado 34-17 and Oregon State is 4-4 after shocking Arizona 56-38 in Tucson. And finally, Georgia held off a late Florida rally to top the Gators 24-17. The win propels the Bulldogs one step closer to the SEC East Crown.