Man, I knew I should have stayed up for that Fresno State-Southern California game.

Living on the east coast for a year, I guess my so-called "East Coast Media Bias" has finally set in. I just assumed, like everyone else, the No. 1 Trojans would just pummel the No. 16 Bulldogs.

Wrong. Big time wrong. Fresno State, having already clinched no worse than a share of the Western Athletic Conference championship, took the Trojans down to the wire with one of the most inspired efforts these season in defeat, losing 50-42. Quarterback Paul Pinegar was his own biggest ally and biggest enemy, as he threw four touchdown passes and four interceptions. Ouch.

FSU (8-2) actually had the lead, 42-41, midway through the fourth-quarter. It took a superhuman effort from USC running back Reggie Bush - make that Heisman Trophy-claiming effort - to keep the Trojans on course for their national championship meeting with No. 2 Texas in the Rose Bowl.

And, for once, the pollsters got it right. The Associated Press voters didn't punish FSU for its supreme effort, leaving them at No. 16 in the poll. The only other non-power conference team in the poll is No. 15 Texas Christian.

By the way, Fresno State's season finale is Saturday against Nevada (7-3, 6-1) at 4 p.m. on ESPN2. That's a new time and channel for that game.

Nevada, by the way, defeated Utah State (2-8, 1-6), strengthening its case for a bowl bid. B.J. Mitchell rushed for 134 yards. A victory Saturday means the Wolf Pack would take a share of the WAC title. USU return man Tony Pennyman almost single-handedly kept the Ags in the game, returning three kickoffs for 207 yards, including one for a 99-yard touchdown.

Boise State (8-3, 6-1) found the perfect tonic for its loss to Fresno State - in-state rival Idaho. The Broncos bucked the Vandals (2-8, 2-5), 70-35, scoring 35 straight points after playing to a 21-21 tie. The win kept alive BSU's winning streak at home, now at 31 games.

And, San Jose State (2-8, 1-6) got a career-high 150 yards out of running back Yonus Davis, along with two scores, in a 27-10 win over New Mexico State (0-11, 0-7). The win snapped the Spartans' 12-game conference losing streak. The game also featured NMSU wide receiver Paul Dombrowski, who hauled in a school-record 16 catches for 133 yards.

This weekend's games hold little drama, as Fresno State, Boise State, Nevada and Louisiana Tech (6-3, 5-1), which was off, are all bowl-eligible and no one will be joining them. La. Tech can enhance its bowl stock with wins over Boise State (this Saturday) and against Fresno State (on Dec. 2). The Wisconsin-Hawaii game is also set for ESPN2 on Friday at 4 p.m. Also playing this weekend will be Utah State at New Mexico State, and Idaho at San Jose State.

With Texas Christian done and waiting for a bowl invite, the big drama in the Mountain West's final weekend was whether Utah and Colorado State could become bowl-eligible. Both did.

Colorado State (6-5, 5-3) got a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to lift the Rams past Nevada-Las Vegas (2-9, 1-7). The Rams are now bowl-eligible for the 11^th time in the last 13 years. Colorado State trailed 27-17 before Kyle Bell's 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, followed later by Walker's return.

Utah (6-5, 4-4) needed all the offense it could muster to beat Brigham Young (6-5, 5-3) in overtime, 41-34.

Brett Ratliff of Utah threw for four touchdowns in his first collegiate start, including the game-winning 25-yard touchdown strike to Travis LaTendresse in overtime. The Utes held defensively to claim the win and give first-head coach Kyle Whittingham his first shot at coaching a bowl team.

Elsewhere, Air Force (4-7, 3-5) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 42-24 win over New Mexico (6-5, 4-4). And San Diego State (5-6, 4-4) defeated Wyoming (4-7, 2-6) 34-21.

The MWC will have five bowl-eligible teams, but potentially only four bowl berths, meaning one of these teams may be left at home.

The turnaround is complete at Central Florida.

The Golden Knights (8-3, 7-1 East), winless a year ago, finished off its second season under head coach George O'Leary with a 31-28 win over Rice in Houston. Quarterback Steven Moffett threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall with 1:25 remaining in the game to give UCF the win.

The victory comes not only with respect and a possible national coach of the year award for O'Leary. It also comes with a berth in the inaugural Conference USA championship game. The Golden Knights, thanks to that win and Texas-El Paso's stunning loss to Alabama-Birmingham, will also host the game on Dec. 3. The program's first bowl game berth is certain to follow, win or lose.

UTEP made its job a little more difficult with its 35-23 loss to UAB. The Miners lost their national ranking to start with. The Miners (8-2, 5-2) lost the chance to clinch the West Division title. And now, instead of waltzing into its season finale Saturday with Southern Methodist holding the West Division title, the Miners must now duke it out with the Mustangs to stay ahead of Tulsa for the division title and the berth in the C-USA title game against UCF.

UAB's (5-5, 3-4) Darrell Hackney tosses four touchdown passes in the victory, backing up teammate Sam Williamson, who guaranteed victory at midweek.

Tulsa (7-4, 6-2) held up its end of the bargain with a 38-14 win over Tulane. Tulsa scored 28 first-half points to take an early lead.

East Carolina (4-6, 3-4) defeated Marshall (4-6, 3-4), 34-29. And, Southern Methodist (3-7, 3-4) defeated downstate rival Houston (5-5, 3-4), 29-24.

Tulsa will most certainly be watching the UTEP-SMU game on Saturday. Meanwhile, four other 5-5 teams - Houston, Memphis, UAB and Southern Miss - will try to keep their bowl hopes alive. UAB is at East Carolina, Southern Miss hosts Tulane, Memphis hosts Marshall and Houston hosts Rice. The conference has at two more bowl ties unaccounted for, as UCF, Tulsa and UTEP are already eligible for one of C-USA's five bowl ties.

It was an abbreviated weekend, since much of the rest of the final week of the MAC schedule is during Thanksgiving week.

Central Michigan (6-5, 5-3) became bowl-eligible with a 31-24 overtime win over Ball State (4-7, 4-4). Temple (0-11), a provisional MAC member, got pounded by Navy, 38-17, and Eastern Michigan (4-7, 3-5) toasted Buffalo (1-10, 1-7) 38-14.

Now on to the fun stuff.

Starting Monday, the MAC plays four games in four days that will decide the divisional championships and the berths in the MAC Championship game in Detroit on Dec. 1.

Either Bowling Green or Akron will represent the East Division in the game. If Bowling Green (6-4, 5-2) beats Toledo (7-3, 5-2) on Tuesday, the Falcons win the division, surviving a very difficult stretch during conference play that saw the Falcons lose two straight without quarterback Omar Jacobs.

Now, Miami of Ohio beat Ohio 38-7 on Monday, the first step in what could be a crazy scenario in the East. If BG takes a loss to Toledo and Akron (5-5, 4-3) defeats Kent State (1-9, 0-7) on Thursday, then it's a three-way tie. And here's how we break it, with some help from the MAC sports information department (because I have better things to do than math):

In a three-way tie (Akron, BGSU, Miami at 5-3): -- A Western Michigan victory over Northern Illinois (the Wednesday game on ESPN2) gives Bowling Green the East title by virtue of winning percentage of West Division crossover opponents: 16-8 (WMU 6-2, Toledo 6-2, Ball State 4-4). Akron would be 14-10 (NIU 5-3, CMU 5-3, Ball State 4-4) and Miami would be 13-11 (NIU 5-3, CMU 5-3, EMU 3-5).

Now, if Northern Illinois defeats Western Michigan, then Akron would claim the East title by virtue of winning percentage of West Division crossover opponents and head-to-head victory over BGSU: 15-9 (NIU 6-2, CMU 5-3, Ball State 4-4). BGSU would also be 15-9 (Toledo 6-2, WMU 5-3, Ball State 4-4) and Miami would be 14-10 (NIU 6-2, CMU 5-3, EMU 3-5). However, Miami would fall out of the equation, reverting back to head-to head between Akron and BGSU. Akron wins the tiebreaker with its victory over BGSU.

Good lord.

The West is a little bit easier to suss out. Northern Illinois controls its destiny and can win the division if the Huskies can beat Western Michigan Wednesday. For Toledo to win the division, the Rockets must beat Bowling Green Tuesday night and have Western Michigan beat NIU. WMU can win the division if Bowling Green beats Toledo, and then the Broncos must beat NIU Wednesday.

The Indians claimed a 24-19 win over North Texas (2-8, 2-4), the four-time defending Sun Belt Champions, a title that earns an automatic berth in the New Orleans Bowl. The Indians now have a share of the conference title, and can clinch it outright with a win this weekend against Louisiana-Lafayette.

In non-conference action, Army pounded Arkansas State for its fourth straight win. North Carolina State ended Middle Tennessee's hopes of bowl-eligibility with a 24-3 win over the Blue Raiders. And Florida International won a 38-35 non-conference win over Division I-AA Western Kentucky.

If La.-Monroe, La.-Lafayette and Arkansas State end the season with 5-2 conference records, then ASU would win the tiebreaker because it beat La-La., and La.-Monroe would not be bowl-eligible.