Bowl Championship Series Title

The Philadelphia 76ers agreed to terms with TV analyst Doug Collins to become their new coach, two people familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. The sources spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made public. One of them said the official announcement probably will come Friday. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Collins will receive a four-year contract. Collins is 332-287 in coaching stints with Chicago, Detroit and Washington.

This is the first in a series of seven 2009 college football story lines. Next week, national columnist Chris Dufresne begins a daily countdown of his preseason top 25. It's about from here to Happy Valley between now and the first week of 2010, when the Rose Bowl will host the Bowl Championship Series title game for the third time. August represents helmet fittings and hope.

Louisiana State and Alabama step aside this weekend to offer an open tryout for the second spot in this year's Bowl Championship Series title game in New Orleans. Anyone who thinks the winner of next week's LSU at Alabama game will not cinch one of the berths has not paid attention to college football the last five years. With BCS No. 1 and No. 2 off enjoying bye weeks, along with No. 4 Boise State, other contenders have a chance to state their cases: No. 3 Oklahoma State (7-0)

USC, Nebraska, Penn State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Alabama and Louisiana State have combined for 34 Associated Press national titles since 1936, but this year their only role may be stopping someone else from winning a championship. Meet the 24-karat . . . spoilers? USC crept back to No. 24 in this week's AP poll and is two last-second snaps from being undefeated in a season in which the Trojans are prohibited by NCAA sanctions from competing for the Bowl Championship Series title.

Fans of defense, jet-quick tailbacks, superstar coaches and pulp-free orange juice are finally going to get their wish: USC and Florida in the Rose Bowl. "It would be awesome," Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow speculated this summer during a visit Los Angeles. "It would be exciting. I have so much respect for SC." Tebow took an official visit to USC before deciding on Florida, where he has won the Heisman Trophy and helped the Gators to two national titles. Unfortunately, there is one teeny-tiny problem with this expected match-up: Florida and USC will be playing in Pasadena on different days.

Break out the chips and cold drinks, but let Chris Dufresne handle the remote. Each Friday, the Times' national college football writer handicaps what's worth watching, and skipping, on Saturday's menu of games. MORNING No. 24 Northwestern (5-0) at Penn State (3-2) 9 a.m., ESPN The Big Ten is down report: Northwestern is the only undefeated team in the conference eligible to compete for this year's Bowl Championship Series title. If Northwestern keeps up the good work and wins the Legends Division, we could be looking at a title-game showdown against Purdue for the Rose Bowl bid. Penn State is to be commended for having a winning record this deep into a season the NCAA had hoped to destroy.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Public opinion doesn't count for much around Notre Dame these days. The coaches and players don't seem to care that a large portion of the college football world remains skeptical about their No. 1-ranked team. They don't mind that their undefeated season has included several unimpressive victories and close calls against opponents who were supposed to be heavy underdogs. "Sure, you want to blow teams out every single game," receiver John Goodman said. "But if that doesn't happen, oh well.

There has to be a better way, it has to be said, after a weekend spent watching football studio analysts in between timeouts to close all the windows, turn up the thermostat, fire up the tea kettle, pull on an extra sweatshirt and periodically scream at the television, "YOU'RE STUDIO ANALYSTS! GET INSIDE THE STUDIO ALREADY!"

Call it six degrees of Sam Bradford's third-degree shoulder separation. Last Saturday's injury to Oklahoma's starting quarterback, who threw 50 touchdowns last year on his way to the Heisman Trophy, did more than damage the Sooners' chances of winning this year's national title. The tenuous connection of Bradford's AC joint is also hooked to the hopes and dreams of other championship contenders. How long Bradford will be out, when he returns, and what kind of season-salvaging comeback he can mount could dictate who plays for this year's Bowl Championship Series title.

The offenses are high-powered. Both seemingly score at will. But the outcome of Monday night's Bowl Championship Series title game between Auburn and Oregon could come down to one huge defensive play. Auburn Coach Gene Chizik has seen it before. Chizik was Texas' defensive coordinator when the Longhorns played defending BCS champion USC in the 2006 BCS title game at the Rose Bowl. The Trojans held a 38-33 lead late in the fourth quarter. They faced a critical fourth-and-two situation at Texas' 45. If USC converted, the game was essentially over.