But this may be the season that the lordly BCS, with its membership of country club conferences, has to let in one of the paupers. As of now, that entry could be Utah, with its 5-0 record and No. 11 rank. The Utes have a bye this week and will play North Carolina at home on Oct. 16.

After three weeks of winning, No. 17 Fresno State had BCS intentions, too, with impressive nonconference victories against Washington, Kansas State and Portland State, but a 28-17 loss last week to Louisiana Tech on the road probably ended the Bulldogs' annual dream of breaking into the BCS party.

Utah, FSU and possibly Boise State (5-0, No. 23) are what football pundits like to refer to as "the busters," teams from outside the BCS conferences that qualify by record and polls ranking at the end of the season for a BCS bid.

The Pacific 10 showdown Saturday between No. 1 USC and No. 7 California is a BCS mover and shaker. The Golden Bears are the last team to beat the Trojans, with their triple overtime victory in Strawberry Canyon a year ago. It was USC's only blemish on a co-national championship season. Since then, USC has won 13 consecutive games.

The game in Los Angeles is sold out, marking the first time since 1930 that all seats for a USC-California contest in the Coliseum have been sold. USC has suddenly added Cal to Notre Dame and UCLA as must-beat opponents.

Here are a few items of note before kickoff:

Cal played last weekend for the first time since Sept. 11., routing Oregon State 49-7 on the road. The Watcher thought Cal would be looking ahead, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 12 of 16 passes for 140 yards and three touchdowns, while Chase Lyman caught five passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns. The Golden Bears concentrated on the Beavers the entire game.

USC had a bye last week. Coincidentally, the Trojans had a bye before the Cal game last year after they beat Hawaii, 61-32.

In last year's loss, Trojan tailback Hershel Dennis fumbled at the goal line during the first overtime period. This year, Dennis' playing time has been limited in favor of the sensational running by LenDale White and Reggie Bush, both of whom recorded few minutes in last year's game.

Against Cal, Ryan Killeen, USC's place-kicker, missed a critical field goal in overtime. This year, Killeen's kicking has been average at best. USC's pass defense has also been spotty, as was evident in the first half against Stanford two weeks ago, and before that against BYU and Virginia Tech. The Cardinal moved the ball through the air almost at will under the leadership of quarterback Trent Edwards. It took a blitzing defense, uncharacteristic for USC, in the second half to stop Stanford.

In its search for a replacement for Mike Williams, USC's expectations for New Jersey freshman Dwayne Jarrett have dimmed. Jarrett, who has dropped several catchable passes, told the L.A. Daily News last week that he may transfer after the season because he is homesick. Fortunately, the improved play of sophomore Steve Smith has made Coach Pete Carroll happy. Smith doesn't have the height of the 6-5 Jarrett but he has more speed and he helped turn around the Stanford game by getting open when he was covered for quarterback Matt Leinart.

In the 1930s, USC and Cal fans would make a week of the game's festivities by traveling on the Southern Pacific's Coast Starlight to either San Francisco or Los Angeles. The party would start on Monday and not end till the train pulled out of the station for the return trip the following Sunday morning. The Watcher likes USC to bust the Bears' BCS hopes, 45-10.

POWER SWEEPS: For the first time, ESPN's "Game Day" broadcast will originate from the Coliseum, its set propped just outside the paristyle end of the stadium under the Olympic torch. ESPN hopes that the hoard of USC and Cal fans, the same enthusiastic crowds that show up in such places as Coral Gables, Fla., and Lincoln, Neb., will also appear bright and early when Lee Corso and Co. go on the air. The Watcher will be surprised if Trojan fans will be out of bed for the program's 7:30 a.m. start....

Boise State stretched it's winning streak to 16 consecutive games, the longest among Division 1-A schools. The No. 23 Broncos knocked off Southern Methodist last Saturday night, 38-20, in Boise, Idaho, as quarterback Jared Zabransky threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns....

Stanford rebounded from its disappointing 31-28 loss to USC, snapping a six-game losing streak with a 27-13 win over winless Washington. Trent Edwards passed for 254 yards and J.R. Lemon added 162 on the ground and three touchdowns. Stanford plays Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind., this Saturday....

UCLA had a ho-hum game last weekend against San Diego State, knocking off the injury-depleted Aztecs, 33-10. However, Coach Karl Dorrell says he's seen much improvement, especially in the defense, since the Bruins' loss to Oklahoma State. "Overall, we're on an upward trend in our program," Dorrell said. "Our defense has drastically improved." This was punctuated by a 52-yard interception for a touchdown by linebacker Spencer Havner. Dorrell added, "Our offense was not the best but we were effective of putting points on the board." UCLA continues Pac-10 play in a night game Saturday against Arizona at the Rose Bowl.