Alabama and Texas Tech and their perfect records were on top of the BCS standings yesterday. Texas, Florida and Oklahoma, all with one loss, are lurking and ready to take advantage if the front-runners fall.

Penn State's loss to Iowa on Saturday left the Crimson Tide and Red Raiders as the only unbeaten teams in the BCS conferences, making it easy to sort out the all-important first two places in the BCS standings this week.

First-place Alabama (.981 average) was No. 1 in both the Harris and USA Today coaches' polls. Second-place Texas Tech (.972) was a solid second in both polls and first in the computer rankings. The computers have Alabama No. 2.

Texas (.879) was third, followed closely by Florida (.864) and Oklahoma (.844).

Sixth-place Southern California (.789) still needs a lot of help to reach the BCS national championship game on Jan. 8 in Miami. Penn State (.683) dropped all the way from third to eighth behind unbeaten Utah (.769).

Alabama and Texas Tech are still on course to meet in the BCS national title game if they stay unbeaten, though the Crimson Tide knows now that its road will go through Atlanta.

The Tide clinched the SEC West and a spot in the league title game against Florida in the Georgia Dome on Dec. 6. The game could turn into a de-facto national semifinal, with the winner earning a spot in the championship game.

The computer rankings are helping Texas stay at the top of the one-loss pack. The Longhorns are fourth in the Harris poll, close behind Florida, and fifth in the coaches' poll, not far behind both Florida and Oklahoma, which Texas beat last month.

But the computer ratings prefer Texas and Utah over both Florida and Oklahoma.

In two weeks, Oklahoma hosts Texas Tech in the latest Big 12 game with huge national title implications.

If the Sooners win, they'll create a three-way tie for first in the Big 12 South. If the Sooners, Longhorns and Red Raiders finish deadlocked, the tiebreaker to determine who plays in the Big 12 championship game in Kansas City on Dec. 6 is best BCS average.

Utah is positioned for its second BCS bid in five seasons if it can stay unbeaten. The Utes from the Mountain West Conference need to finish in the top 12 of the BCS standings to earn an automatic bid to one of the five major bowls.

Unbeaten Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference is in ninth place and also trying to reach the BCS for the second time. The Broncos not only need to stay unbeaten, they need to pass Utah in the BCS standings to get an automatic bid.

OREGON

SAINT LOUIS GRAD MASOLI SHINES AT QB

With composure and confidence, Jeremiah Masoli shrugged off his doubters with one drive.

The Saint Louis School alum brought the Ducks together for the final two minutes against Stanford on Saturday and Oregon came away with the 35-28 victory.

Oregon is now 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the Pacific-10 Conference for the final stretch of the season. The Ducks host Arizona this Saturday before the Civil War against Oregon State on Nov. 29.

Masoli, praised for his running ability but criticized for his passing game, was booed at times during Saturday's victory. But he nonetheless engineered the game-winning drive.

The Ducks were down 28-27, and it was third-and-8 on the Stanford 33. Masoli did what he does best, rushing 25 yards to keep the drive alive.

LeGarrette Blount's 3-yard touchdown run with six seconds left and a successful two-point conversion provided the final margin.

"Coach (Mike) Bellotti just told me to be smart with the ball and we had a lot of time and a lot of timeouts," Masoli said.

Masoli completed 11 of 21 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 46 yards.

Masoli's passing yards were up considerably from the 44 yards he had the week before in a 26-16 loss at California. He was further hampered during that game by an ankle injury.

NOTRE DAME

WEIS WILL START CALLING MORE OFFENSIVE PLAYS

Coach Charlie Weis plans to take a more active role with the Notre Dame offense following a 17-0 loss to Boston College.

He's not yet sure exactly what the role will be, although he strongly hinted he could get more involved in play calling — a role he gave up before the season in an effort to become more of a coach to the entire team.

"I'm trying to do this head coach thing where you kind of delegate. But I think that when there's a problem and it's an area where you believe that you can be part of the answer, I think you'd better go help," he said last night.

Weis was hired as the coach of Notre Dame (5-4) based on his reputation as the play-caller for the New England Patriots after he helped to lead them to three Super Bowl victories in four seasons.

The Irish struggled mightily on offense in the loss to the Eagles on Saturday night. The running game managed just 66 yards on 21 carries and quarterback Jimmy Clausen completed 26 of 46 passes for 226 yards and four interceptions, double his previous game-high.

ELSEWHERE

North Carolina: Tight end Zack Pianalto has a broken left leg that will keep him out indefinitely. Pianalto fractured his fibula while making a touchdown catch in Saturday's 28-7 win against Georgia Tech. North Carolina coach Butch Davis said yesterday it's unclear how long Pianalto will be out for the No. 17 Tar Heels, who play at Maryland Saturday.