Play It Forward: The week ahead in college football

Five things to watch this week in college football:

1: The Pac-12 Conference’s nightmare scenario comes true as 6-6 UCLA, coming off a 50-0 loss to USC, plays Oregon on Friday in the league’s inaugural championship game. The only good news: Oregon is hosting, which assures a packed house at Autzen Stadium.

2: The Big 12 has scrapped its divisional, title-game format but gets essentially the same thing Saturday when Oklahoma visits Oklahoma State with the conference title at stake. Oklahoma State hopes to make a final national title statement in advance of the final BCS standings.

3: East meets West in Atlanta as Georgia and Louisiana State face off Saturday for the Southeastern Conference championship. LSU, win or lose, has likely clinched a BCS title-game berth on Jan. 9. A Georgia victory sends the Bulldogs to the Sugar Bowl.

4: Wisconsin and Michigan State play Saturday in Indianapolis in the first Big Ten championship game. Michigan State won the regular-season matchup in East Lansing on a Hail Mary pass. The winner of this game advances to the Rose Bowl.

5: The final BCS standings will be released Dec. 4. Will there be any drama or last-second surprises? Or is the title-game rematch between LSU and Alabama all but assured no matter what happens next weekend?