Florida-Tennessee and Texas-Oklahoma are annual big games. Like the sunrise, they are thrilling yet predictable. But Washington State's visit Saturday to Ohio State is an odd big game -- more like an eclipse -- and that's why it's so compelling.

Ohio State is a perennial power trying to regain its position among the nation's elite after a blip of mediocrity. Washington State is mostly a perennial loser trying to maintain its surprising blip (read: one year) of success.

Utah Out To Make A Statement

Utah coach Ron McBride sniffed the bait but he quickly spit it out. He wasn't ready to label the Utes visit to Arizona on Saturday as an opportunity to grab national respect before his team heads to Michigan the following weekend. "I'm not biting on any of that stuff," he said. "I've been around too long." One of the places McBride has been is Arizona. He served as the Wildcats' offensive line coach under Dick Tomey from 1987-89 before taking over at Utah in 1990. He still keeps in touch with Tomey, who was unceremoniously dumped by Arizona two years ago and replaced by John Mackovic. McBride doesn't hide his feelings on how Tomey was treated during the messy breakup, but he said he doesn't hold any ill-will toward Mackovic. "It's not Mackovic's fault -- he was just the coach they happened to hire," McBride said. "I don't think Arizona treated (Tomey) well at the end, but that's the business." McBride's doesn't have time for grudges. He has to replace tailback Marty Johnson, who only was leading the nation in rushing (202.5 yards per game) before suffering a knee injury that will keep him inactive for four to six weeks. That's a big loss, but it won't change the Utes' gameplan. They rank second in the nation with 334 yards rushing per game. J.R. Peroulis, who is averaging 105.5 yard per game, will fill in for Johnson, with Brandon Warfield, a J.C. transfer, taking off his expected redshirt as the backup. The real rushing question is Arizona. Clarence Farmer, who was second in the Pac-10 with 111 yards per game last year, had just 29 yards on the ground against I-AA Northern Arizona. While Farmer struggled to find gaps against an eight-man front, the Wildcats passing game thrived. Quarterback Jason Johnson connected with nine different receivers for a career-high 381 yards passing and three touchdowns. Farmer probably won't find the going any easier against the Utes, who rank fourth nationally in run defense (35 yards per game), though the expected return of a pair of injured offensive linemen, tackle Makoa Freitas and center Keoki Fraser, should help. A third Wildcats' offensive lineman, Darren Safranek (knee), as well as defensive end Andre Torrey (hip) won't play this weekend. The last time the two teams played in 2000, Utah dominated statistically but lost 17-3 because of five turnovers, including a fumble that went for an Arizona touchdown. The Utes had a 14 minute advantage in time of possession and outgained the Wildcats 370 yards to 146. McBride won't talk about making a statement against a Pac-10 team, much like the Utes did when they dominated USC in the Las Vegas Bowl. "We step up in class this week," he said. Whether he's talking about the competition or what his team intends to do remains to be seen. -- Ted Miller

Ohio State plays in front of 103,000 fans at one of the nation's landmark stadiums. Washington State plays in front of perhaps 30,000 fans in the isolated, snow-covered hills of Pullman.

Ohio State loads up on prep All-Americans destined for the NFL every winter. Washington State is a whose-who of "Who the hell are these guys?"

Sepia-tinted rivalry? The Buckeyes barely stifled yawns while beating the Cougars in all seven of their previous meetings.

Big Ten coaches are known as dry, paranoid and laconic, which Buckeyes' second-year coach Jim Tressel isn't, but give him time. Avuncular Washington State coach Mike Price should have his own sitcom. He once joked while the Cougars were in the midst of winning just three Pac-10 games from 1998-2000 that he was the "king of poop island."

When asked this week what he thought of Buckeyes' defensive lineman Will Smith, he said, "I liked him better in "Men in Black II." That's Chris Rock material when compared to, say, Michigan's Lloyd Carr.

Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel is an unknown, 6-foot-2, 225-pound first-year starter from Utica, which is best known for being located somewhere in Michigan. He will be asked to hand the ball off to dominating freshman tailback Maurice Clarett and not do anything stupid.

Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser, a three-year starter generously listed at 6-1, 200, hails from Honolulu, which is best known for being where everyone wants to be in February. He has a billboard in Seattle (though it was taken down this week), his own website touting his Heisman Trophy candidacy and will be expected to drive the Buckeyes' fierce pass rush crazy with improvised lunacy.

The last time these two teams tangled in 1991, the situation was reversed. The Cougars were led by an anonymous, lumbering quarterback called Drew Bledsoe -- whatever happened to him? -- while the Buckeyes' 33-19 victory was spearheaded by scramblin' Kirk Herbstreit, who overcame a homely countenance to become an international media sensation on ESPN's College GameDay.

As could be expected, the "game" part of this game is pretty mundane. The Cougars will have to figure out a way to slow down Clarett and the Buckeyes' power running attack.

Two things make matters more challenging for Washington State on that front: 1) Krenzel completed 12 of 14 passes for 190 yards last weekend against Kent State, proving he and the Buckeyes can and will throw the ball; 2) The Cougars already questionable linebacking corps is banged up, with starters Will Derting and Donnie Jackson doubtful with ankle issues.

Also questionable for Washington State is receiver Jerome Riley (hamstring), though 6-6 Mike Bush and 6-3 Florida State transfer Devard Darling present imposing and productive targets for Gesser.

While the Buckeyes' cornerbacks are unproven, safeties Mike Doss and Donnie Nickey probably are the country's best tandem.

Price and the Cougars spent the entire week downplaying the importance of the game, which only happens when a game is really, really important. Still, it's essential the Cougars stay loose. National attention is mostly foreign in Pullman, while the Buckeyes experience it every year when they play "that school up north."

If Washington State becomes wide-eyed in "The Horseshoe", it figures to become the Little Engine that Couldn't.

"That's the main concern -- we can't get caught up in the hype," Gesser said. "We've got to hit them in the mouth and not get caught up in that whole Ohio State mystique."

Around the Pac-10

Arizona
Arizona catches a break this week as Utah's star RB Marty Johnson is out with a sprained right knee. Johnson, the nation's leading rusher, was averaging 202.5 yards per game. Of course, Utah may not be completely devestated by losing Johnson. J.R. Peroulis stepped in and ran for 118 yards against Inidiana.

Arizona State
So who's the Sun Devils' quarterback this weekend against San Diego State? Chad Christensen started the first three games, but Andrew Walter came off the bench to rally the team to a 46-13 victory over Central Florida. Head coach Dirk Koetter said his decision wouldn't come until later this week, perhaps so the tapped signal caller wouldn't think about an offensive line that has surrendered 11 sacks. Besides, it wasn't really the offense that made the difference against the Knights; instead it was the maligned defense. Three third-quarter interceptions as well as two fumble recoveries keyed the Sun Devils' win. Central Florida was 0 for 11 on third-down conversions, and stud receiver Doug Gabriel was neutralized by cornerback R.J. Oliver. Defensive end Terrell Suggs already has seven sacks, giving him 27 for his career. He needs one more to move into second place the ASU career list behind Shante Carver (41 from 1990-93). The Sun Devils have 13 total sacks.

California
Coach Jeff Tedford's surprising Bears face an imposing test when they visit No. 15 Michigan State this weekend. The game appeared a laugher during the preseason, but Cal already has doubled its win total from a year ago and is clearly confident. The best way to help the Bears' young secondary deal with the imposing presence of Spartans' All-American receiver Charles Rogers is to pressure quarterback Jeff Smoker. That job figures to fall to Tully Banta-Cain, who has 91/2 sacks over his last three games dating back to last season and had 41/2 sacks against New Mexico State. Cal quarterback Kyle Boller looks like a new man under Tedford. He's completed 63.8 percent of his passes - up from 45 percent his previous three seasons - with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He's only been sacked twice. Count on one thing: If Cal upsets the Spartans, 73,000-seat Memorial Stadium won't be two-thirds empty the rest of the season like it has been during the first two games.

Oregon
Oregon has won 21 consecutive games against Idaho, and this may be the worst Idaho team in recent memory. That should be good for the Ducks' offensive line, which showed some chinks against Fresno State. Quarterback Jason Fife was sacked five times against Fresno; Oregon surrendered only 11 sacks all last year. Everybody knows about the Ducks' offense, but how 'bout that defense? It's allowed just 140 yards rushing in two games and forced six turnovers. Cornerback Aaron Gibson is Oregon's first true freshman position player to start five years.

Oregon State
When a team loses its all-time leading passer and rusher, it's not supposed to get better. While the competition has hardly been stellar - Eastern Kentucky and Temple - the Beavers may have done just that. Quarterback Derek Anderson and tailback Steven Jackson, both sophomores, are putting up big numbers. Anderson has completed 62 percent of his passes 631 yards, with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. Jackson has rushed for 258 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per tote. Who needs Jonathan Smith and Ken Simonton? Another positive: the Beavers are plus-eight in turnovers (11-3), mostly because the Pac-10's best secondary has snagged seven interceptions. Considering UNLV quarterback Jason Thomas has a tendency to be careless with the football, the Beavers might feast again.

Stanford
Stanford hates playing San Jose State, a classic haves vs. have nots neighborhood rivalry. When the Cardinal beat the Spartans last year, it ended an embarrassing three-game losing streak. Here's a hint to new coach Buddy Teevens: Throw the ball to 6-foot-7 receiver Teyo Johnson. Johnson had four receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown in the first half against Boston College but zippo catches in the second half, which, not coincidentally, coincided with the Eagles' comeback victory. Junior Chris Lewis returns as the starting quarterback after sitting out the Boston College game because of a "minor" NCAA violation. While the school didn't release specifics of the violation, the San Jose Mercury News reported that Lewis charged personal telephone calls using a school access code while he worked for the athletic department this summer, a violation of the NCAA's extra-benefits rule. The Cardinal will be without tight end Brett Pierce, who was lost for the season with a knee injury, and guard Greg Schindler, who sprained his knee.

UCLA
True freshman quarterback Ben Olson played well in his debut as Cory Paus' understudy. He led a 52-yard scoring drive that gave the Bruins a 14-13 lead over Colorado State and completed 2 of 3 passes for 24 yards. UCLA coach Bob Toledo said Olson again will see playing time against Oklahoma State. Not as good: typically reliable kicker Chris Griffith missed field goals of 41 and 32 yards against the Rams, points that could have been critical in a game that was much closer than its 30-19 final count. Defense again looks like the Bruins' strength. It held Colorado State to just 277 yards, and only one of the Rams' scoring drives was over 25 yards.

USC
The Trojans running game, which managed just 84 yards in a victory against Auburn, may get some relief against Colorado. Starting fullback Chad Pierson and Justin Fargas both sat out the Auburn game with bum hamstrings, but they returned to practices this week. Pierson should start, but Fargas may see only limited action. Things could get interesting on the offensive line. Touted freshman Winston Justice already is battling for playing time, though junior Eric Torres probably will start at tackle against Colorado. Also, guard Zach Wilson, who has been sidelined with a foot injury, returned to practices this week and could get into the mix, though he's not expected to play Saturday. With Colorado quarterback Craig Ochs out with a concussion, USC will face 5-foot-11, 185-pound Robert Hodge. Trojans' quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian coached Hodge in 2000 at El Camino Junior College. Hodge will have one less receiver, because Jeremy Bloom is out with a broken toe.

Washington
The Huskies are off this weekend before resuming a weak home non-conference schedule with back-to-back games against Wyoming and Idaho. Washington's 34-10 victory over San Jose State was its 15th consecutive victory at Husky Stadium, the Pac-10's longest current home winning streak. Quarterback Cody Pickett's 89-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Williams was the longest in school history. Irritated by talk that he was out of shape, Williams came back strong with six receptions for 160 yards and was named Pac-10 offensive player of the week.

Washington State
Ohio State and Washington State are Nos. 21 and 22, respectively, in total offense. Ohio State averaged 444.5 yards a game while the Cougars average 443 a game. ... Jason Gessar is 9th in the country in passing effeciency.

Around the Mountain West
After Air Force opening its Mountain West schedule with a 38-31 overtime victory over New Mexico, ending a three-game losing streak against the Lobos, the Falcons are off this weekend but pay a visit to California on Sept. 21. Leotis Palmer ran for a career-high 125 yards and a touchdown and passed for another touchdown on a 55-yard halfback option against the Lobos. The Falcons also scored on a tackle-eligible pass from quarterback Chance Harridge to junior lineman Blane Neufeld. ... Coach Fisher DeBerry said he was dissatisfied with his team's tackling. He also likely will take a look at the punt team, which has surrendered blocks in consecutive games. ... BYU's 35-32 victory over Hawaii shouldn't have come as a surprise. The Cougars are 15-0 when facing an opponent it lost to in a previous meeting. Tailback Marcus Whalen has admirably filled the shoes of the departed Luke Staley. Whalen has rushed for 281 yards in two games. In last year's meeting with Nevada, BYU rolled up 598 yards of offense and rolled 52-7. ... Colorado State quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt might be too honest. A week after making disparaging remarks about Colorado, Van Pelt took issue with his own coaches' play calling against UCLA, particularly an option call on a two-point conversion that could have tied the game at 21-21 late in the fourth quarter. Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick said his quarterback might be "too outspoken," but doesn't see it as a big problem. "If I thought it was a huge issue and I thought it was a divisive element, I'd have another quarterback in there tomorrow," Lubick said. ... Van Pelt is becoming infamous, but he'll be opposite one of the nation's famous quarterbacks this weekend, Louisville's Dave Ragone. Last year's game was a defensive struggle, with the Cardinals winning 7-2. ... Charles Moss had career-high 19 tackles in New Mexico's overtime loss at Air Force. That's the most tackles by a Lobo since Brian Urlacher had 22 in 1999 against Utah. ... New Mexico is looking for revenge against Baylor after losing 16-13 in overtime last year. In that game, the Lobos scored just three points on three trips inside the Bears' 5-yard line. Baylor looks like easy pickins after it surrendered 70 points in a blowout loss at Cal. ... San Diego State had its chances against Colorado. They trailed just 21-14 at the half and crossed midfield five times, only to come away with no points. San Diego State did find a receiver to compliment J.R. Toliver. Kassim Osgood caught 14 passes for 178 yards, totals that rank second on the MWC's single-game receptions list and third on the yardage list. ... Junior quarterback Adam Hall has thrown for 599 yards in two games under new coach Tom Craft, completing a conference-best 66.7 percent of his passes. He'll likely face a tough pass rush from Arizona State on Saturday, led by Terrell Suggs. Last year, the Aztecs lost 38-7 to the Sun Devils. ... UNLV has won all three meetings with Oregon State, and coach John Robinson is 11-0 all-time against the Beavers. The last time the teams met, UNLV won 23-9, rushing for 277 yards and holding Oregon State to just 225 yards. Of course, these Beavers are far different than the crew that was in the midst of a 15-game losing streak. The key for the Rebels is quarterback Jason Thomas, who recovered from a shaky performance in the season opener by throwing for 144 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-20 victory over Kansas. ... Utah is ranked second in the country in rushing offense, but will be without Marty Johnson, who's averaging 202.5 yards a game, for 4-6 weeks with a sprained knee. ... These are dark days for Wyoming. The Cowboys have rushed for just 107 yards in two games, including just 64 yards in a disheartening 32-20 defeat at Central Michigan, while for the eighth consecutive game the Pokes defense allowed a back to eclipse 100 yards on the ground. ... Running back Derek Armah, who was suspended from the team after an altercation at a bar, returned to action against Central Michigan. ... The Cowboys, who are 3-21 in three seasons under Vic Koenning, face a must-win home game this weekend against Boise State. After Boise State, the Pokes visit Washington. ... The news on the injury front is bad, too. Cornerback Gary Wright was lost for the season after foot surgery, while J.D. Wallum, one of 16 kickers on the Lou Groza Award Watch List and perhaps the Cowboys' best player, will miss four to six weeks after tearing cartilage in his knee during Saturday's game.

Ted Miller covers college football for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.