This is sixth in a series of conference profiles as part of BCS Know How’s season preview. Today’s conference is the Pac-10.

Conference: Pacific 10 Conference (Pac-10)

Active Since: 1915

Current Member Schools: Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, California Golden Bears, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Stanford Cardinal, UCLA Bruins, Southern California (USC) Trojans, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars. (10)

Bowl Affiliations: Rose Bowl (BCS), Las Vegas Bowl, Alamo Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl, Fight Hunger Bowl. (6)

2009 Results:
Conference Champion – Oregon
Conference Runner-up – Oregon State/Arizona/Stanford
BCS Bowl Results: Rose Bowl – Ohio State 26 vs. Oregon 17
Overall Bowl Record: 2-5
Heisman Vote Recipients: None

2010 Outlook: A change of guard atop the conference last season shocked many around the country, but this season could be more of the same, as two programs will come into the season with a completely different feel.

Oregon will have to go without its Heisman-hopeful quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was kicked off the team, and USC will be playing without a shot at postseason play because of NCAA violations. One of the two teams has finished atop the Pac-10 each of the last 10 seasons, but this year might just hold a different result in the cards.

Heisman candidates are scattered around the conference, from Stanford’s standout quarterback Andrew Luck to Oregon State’s small and speedy back Jaquizz Rodgers and Oregon’s backfield stalwart LaMichael James. Any of these candidates, along with Washington quarterback Jake Locker, who is considered among the best pro prospects in the country, could help lead their teams to a Pac-10 title and likely Rose Bowl bid.

And of course, USC and new coach Lane Kiffin — although decimated by the loss of a major portion of their recruiting class, underclassmen transfers and departures to the NFL — is still laden with talent, however untested it may be.

The conference may once again come down to the annual “Civil War” between Oregon and Oregon State, but unlike last season, when Masoli and the Ducks squeaked out a victory over Oregon State, the Beavers will be at home in Corvalis and Masoli will be noticeably absent.

2010 Heisman Hopefuls: Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Oregon State RB Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon RB LaMichael James, Washington QB Jake Locker

BCS Know How’s 2010 Predictions:
Conference Champion – Oregon State Beavers
Conference Runner-up – Oregon Ducks
BCS bids – One: Oregon State – Rose Bowl
Heisman Finalists – None

Now that conference realignment talks have — at long last — settled down, let’s take a quick look as to where this leaves the FBS conferences moving forward.

First and most importantly, none of the changes you heard about last month will not be taking affect this season. The 11 BCS and non-BCS conferences you’ve come to know and love remain in tact for at least one more season.

However, starting in the 2011-12 season (still more than a year away), things will begin to get a little unfamiliar.

The first so-called “domino” to fall in last month’s conference realignment fiasco was surprisingly Nebraska’s move to the Big 10 conference. The Cornhuskers were an integral part of the Big 12, joining in 1996 along with the rest of the former Big Eight conference.

The Big 12 then saw Colorado follow in Nebraska’s footsteps out the conference door, with the Buffalos instead deciding to take to the west coast, joining the Pacific-10 conference.

The Utah Utes took a step in the same direction, vacating their seat at the head of the BCS-buster table as a part of the Mountain West conference to join an automatically-qualifying conference in the BCS-automatic-qualifying Pac-10.

As the Utes departure was written in the tea leaves for some time, the Mountain West went about replacing them before they had even made the announcement and came back with the Utes’ co-hosts at the top of the BCS-buster world, bringing Western Athletic Conference member Boise State into the MWC mix.

With the four teams sending shockwaves around the college football landscape in short order, more moves were expected, but conference members showed surprising loyalty, and the rest of the conference world was left unchanged.

So to wrap:

• Colorado and Nebraska left the Big 12, leaving the Big 12 with 10 teams.
• Boise State left the WAC and joined the MWC leaving the conference with nine teams after Utah left the conference.
• Colorado and Utah joined the Pac-10 giving the conference 12 teams.
• Nebraska joined the Big 10, leaving the conference with 12 teams.

With the net net gains and losses as such in regards to the rules of the BCS:

• With 12 teams the Pac-10 will be able to hold a conference championship game.
• With 12 teams the Big 10 will be able to hold a conference championship game.
• With only 10 teams the Big 12 will no long be able to hold a conference championship game.
• The Utah Utes is the first “BCS buster” school to move from a non-BCS conference to an automatically-qualifying conference.
• The MWC’s qualification and affiliation with the BCS remains unchanged.

Remember none of these changes are effective immediately, with the first move not planned until the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year.

Recently, it has come to light that many of the BCS conference are looking to expand and realign.

The consequences of this move could have ripple effects around the college football landscape and have immediate and large effects on the Bowl Championship Series.

During the past few seasons, the Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference and Big 12 Conference have all been able to hold conference championship game because they all have 12 member schools. By the rules set out by the BCS, only conferences with 12 teams are allowed to hold conference championship games.

Teams from conferences that don’t have 12 teams have cried foul about the rule, saying that the ability of schools of these three conferences to hold a championship game and give one team another quality win gave those three conferences a better shot at securing a BCS National Title game bid, because of the effect of a final-week game on the human and computer elements of the BCS rankings.

And sure enough, this season saw the winner of the SEC Championship Game and the Big 12 Championship Game get bids to the national title game, a circumstance that was almost preordained before the season even started.

Now it has been revealed that the Big 10 and Pac 10 are both looking into securing enough teams to hold their own conference championship game. The reasons behind the expansion reach further than simply a boost in the BCS, as both are looking at gaining an upper hand in television rights negotiations, but the fact remains the same. Five conferences with 12 teams, and therefore five conference championship games would have a major impact on the BCS.

No longer would the Big 10 have the convience of waiting for good teams to loose and submit Ohio State to the BCS National Title game for all those years in the mid 2000′s. No longer would the Pac-10 be robbed of the chance to submit USC to the National Title game because they played a 6-6 UCLA on their final weekend, and not a 9-3 California or 8-4 Oregon State.

The Big 12 and SEC would no longer hold an upper hand on the final weekend, and the computers and even the human elements would have to notice. And this would change things drastically.

And with the current revolt in Congress and the Senate against the BCS, this move towards change could only further confuse what could be a huge opportunity for big change in the college football landscape and the way that the Football Bowl Subdivision crowns its champion.

Oregon Ducks (10-2) vs. Ohio State (10-2)

If you want to talk about up and down seasons, the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes might be your exhibit 1 and 1A.

Both teams had high hopes coming into the season, but both faltered at some point in the season.

For the Ducks, the Byron Hout-LeGarrette Blount incident speaks for itself in terms of the media and team firestorm it created.

For the Buckeyes, midway through the season, the team was at risk of not winning the Big 10 for the first time since 2004 after loses to USC and Purdue.

Yet both teams, led by athletic and dynamic quarterbacks, turned their seasons around and won their respective conferences. As a reward for their resiliency, the teams received bids to the “Granddaddy of Them All”, the Rose Bowl, in what promises to be among the best bowl matchups of the bowl season.

Offenses: Both offenses start with their quarterbacks, Jeremiah Masoli and Terrelle Pryor, both of whom have set the tone for the offenses all season. As Pryor has gone, so too have the Buckeyes, and his inconsistency has been a problem all season. Masoli runs the spread option to perfection for the Ducks, but when the run has been bottled up by the opposition, the Ducks have struggled to win with a one-sided attack.

Ohio State also features a strong running attack, having averaged 199 yards per game this season using a power running game under coach Jim Tressel’s proven system.

Defenses: This discussion has to start with Ohio State’s defense, which held its opponents to a mere 12.8 points per game, including three shutouts and two Big 10 conference games in which they let their opponents score just seven points. Many times this season, it’s been the defense that has carried the Buckeyes, especially in light of their 33 takeaways — good enough for third in the nation in that category. Against the Duck rush attack, a unit which surrendered less than 90 yards per game on the ground is sure to be tested.

The Ducks image may be all about their offense, but their defense isn’t half bad, only allowing 329 yards per game to opponents this season, which came most against the fiery Pac-10 offenses this season. That was good enough to rank in the top 40 in the nation, but the Ducks were hit hard multiple times this season, most notably against Stanford, where they surrendered 51 points to the Cardinal.

Prediction: Oregon 35 vs. Ohio State 27. The bottom line will be about Oregon’s offense vs. Ohio State defense, a matchup which Masoli and the Ducks can certainly win, and if they do, the uneven Buckeye offense will not be enough to make up the difference.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 8-4, 6-2) and Georgia Tech (Coastal Division; 10-2, 7-1) have both clinched their respective divisions and will meet for the ACC Championship Game and the ACC’s BCS bowl bid.

Game of Last Week: NC State 28 vs. UNC 27. A blocked field goal secured victory for the Wolfpack and let NC State fans rejoice even though their team will not be making a bowl this season

Game of Next Week: Georgia Tech vs. Clemson. The ACC Championship Game will be between two teams coming off tough losses to rivals, and will be looking to cap off good seasons with a BCS bowl bid.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies, North Carolina Tar Heels, Florida State Seminoles, Clemson Tigers.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (9-2, 7-1)

Lurking: Oregon State (8-3, 6-2)

Game of Last Week: Arizona 20 vs. Arizona State 17. After painting the huge “A” on the hillside at Arizona State in Wildcat red, the Wildcats took a victory in this western rivalry game on a last second field goal.

Game of Next Week: Oregon vs. Oregon State. Another de facto conference championship game – on a Thursday – the winner likely heading to the Rose Bowl as the Pac-10′s BCS bid receiving team.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers, UCLA Bruins.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (East Division; 12-0, 8-0) and Alabama (12-0, 8-0) have both clinched their respective divisions and will face off in the SEC Championship Game for a bid in the National Title game and the SEC’s automatic BCS bowl bid.

Game of Last Week: Tennessee 30 vs. Kentucky 24. A game for possible bowl positioning, the Volunteers took a huge game from Montario Hardesty and beat Kentucky for the 25th straight time.

Game of Next Week: Alabama vs. Florida. The SEC Championship Game will be a national semifinal, and the loser will likely still get a bid to a BCS bowl game.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Georgia Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks, Tennessee Volunteers.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 8-3, 6-2) and Georgia Tech (Coastal Division; 10-1, 7-1) have both clinched their respective divisions and will meet for the ACC Championship Game December 5th

Game of Last Week: Clemson 34 vs. Virginia 21. With the Atlantic Division waiting to be claimed after Boston College lost, the Tigers took full advantage, aas a full team effort allowed Clemson to claim victory on Senior Day

Game of Next Week: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech. With few inter-conference battles scheduled for next Saturday, this rivalry game is sure to be a good one.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies, North Carolina Tar Heels, Florida State Seminoles.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (9-2, 7-1)

Lurking: Oregon State (8-3, 6-2)

Game of Last Week: Oregon 44 vs. Arizona 41. With both teams looking for a bid to the Rose Bowl, this double overtime thriller in Arizona left just Oregon and Oregon State with a chance at making the Rose Bowl, and the two will face off on Thursday, Decemeber 3rd.

Game of Next Week: USC vs. UCLA. Both programs aren’t what they expected to be this year, so a victory here in their biggest rivalry game would be huge for either team

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers, UCLA Bruins.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (11-0, 8-0) and Alabama (11-0, 7-0) have both clinched spots in the SEC Championship Game by winning their respective divisions in the SEC.

Game of Last Week: Ole Miss 25 vs. LSU 23. LSU, down all game, drove all the way down the field and had one second left to stop the clock and kick a field goal, but the clock ran out on the Tigers, and gave the Running Rebels a big upset victory at home.

Game of Next Week: Alabama vs. Auburn. There still remains the chance that a loss here could send the BCS into frenzy, and Auburn may just be the team to give the BCS a jolt by shocking the Crimson Tide.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Georgia Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks, Tennessee Volunteers.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 7-3, 5-2), Georgia Tech (Clinched Coastal Division; 10-1, 7-1)

Lurking: Boston College (Atlantic Division; 7-3, 4-2)

Game of Last Week: North Carolina 33 vs. Miami (FL) 24. Miami continues to slip with Jacory Harris at the helm, as the QB throws three picks and the Tar Heels pull the upset

Game of Next Week: North Carolina vs. Boston College. If BC wants to keep its BCS hopes alive, it must win this matchup against a revitalized UNC team.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies, North Carolina Tar Heels.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (8-2, 6-1)

Lurking: Stanford (7-3, 6-2)

Game of Last Week: Stanford 55 vs. USC 21. The worst loss in Pete Carroll’s era comes at the hands of the suddenly very relevant Cardinal team.

Game of Next Week: Oregon vs. Arizona. This would have been integral in the Pac-10 title chase, but Arizona’s loss makes it a little less intense, but still very important in the grand scheme of the Pac-10 this year.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (10-0, 8-0) and Alabama (10-, 7-0) have both clinched spots in the SEC Championship Game by winning their respective divisions in the SEC.

Game of Last Week: Georgia 31 vs. Auburn 24. The Bulldogs become bowl eligible by defeating the Tigers by a slim margin, using a fourth quarter comeback to secure the victory.

Game of Next Week: LSU vs. Ole Miss. A big game for bowl selection from the SEC. The winner here might get a New Year’s Day Capital One Bowl bid.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Georgia Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 6-3, 4-2), Georgia Tech (Coastal Division 9-1, 6-1)

Lurking: Boston College (Atlantic Division; 6-3, 3-2)

Game of Last Week: Georgia Tech 30 vs. Wake Forest 27. Josh Nesbitt’s rushing TD in overtime helped keep Georgia Tech among the best in the country, outlasting a tough Demon Deacon team.

Game of Next Week: Georgia Tech vs. Duke. The surprising Blue Devils at 3-2 in conference face off against the equally surprising and class of the ACC Yellow Jackets

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (7-2, 5-1)

Lurking: Arizona (6-2, 4-1)

Game of Last Week: Stanford 51 vs. Oregon 42. Coming off a huge, program-changing victory over USC, the Ducks failed to follow it up, falling to the unranked Cardinal in Palo Alto and seeing their seemingly easy track to the Rose Bowl made a whole lot tougher.

Game of Next Week: Stanford vs. USC. The Cardinal will next get a shot at the Trojans, who now trail the Cardinal in the Pac-10 standings, but the meeting will be in LA.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (East Division; 9-0, 7-0), Alabama (West Division; 9-0, 6-0)

Lurking: Both Florida and Alabama have clinched their divisions, and will face off in the SEC Championship Game.

Game of Last Week: Alabama 24 vs. LSU 15. LSU was looking to make a run at the West Division title, but the Tide put the Tigers away late, mostly on the legs of Mark Ingram, and clinched the West title.

Game of Next Week: Tennessee vs. Ole Miss. Both teams are looking to get to .500 in conference, although Ole Miss looks on its way down as the Volunteers look to be on their way up the SEC rankings.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 5-3, 3-2) Georgia Tech (Coastal Division; 8-1, 5-1)

Lurking: Boston College (Atlantic Division; 6-3, 3-2)

Game of Last Week: Miami 28 vs. Wake Forest 27. Down early, and looking nothing like the team that nearly broke into the top five earlier this season, the Hurricanes pulled off a great comeback win to escape the upset.

Game of Next Week: Florida State vs. Clemson. Both still have a shot at a good bowl bid, and for Clemson, a win in this home game would help their bid to make it to their first ACC Championship Game.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (7-1, 5-0)

Lurking: Arizona (5-2, 3-1)

Game of Last Week: Oregon 47 vs. USC 20. A meeting of the top two teams in the Pac-10, and two teams in the top ten of the BCS, the Ducks looked like the higher ranked team, and went a long way in securing a Pac-10 title.

Game of Next Week: Oregon vs. Stanford. Fresh of a huge victory over the Trojans, the Ducks will now have to travel to Palo Alto, and make sure they don’t fall flat on their faces, with a chance to further their Pac-10 title hopes.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (Clinched East Division Title; 8-0, 6-0), Alabama (West Division; 8-0, 5-0)

Lurking: LSU (West Division, 7-1, 4-1)

Game of Last Week: Mississippi State 31 vs. Kentucky 24. 252 yards and two touchdowns from Wildcat running back Anthony Dixon helped the Bulldogs take a step closer to .500 and possibly a bowl bid from the SEC.

Game of Next Week: LSU vs. Alabama. Coming off a bye week, a victory here would clinch the West Division for the Crimson Tide, and reaffirm their place among the nation’s best. A victory for the Tigers would possibly reinsert them into the national title chase, and tie them atop the SEC West.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Boston College (Atlantic Division; 5-3, 3-2), Georgia Tech (Coastal Division; 7-1,5-1)

Lurking: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 4-3, 3-2)

Game of Last Week: Clemson 40 vs. Miami (FL) 37 F/OT. Clemson’s offense fired on all cylinders, and a perfectly fired touchdown pass from QB Kyle Parker to Jacoby Ford in overtime sent the Tigers to the shocking upset victory over the former BCS No. 10 Hurricanes. The Tigers also claimed a tie in the Atlantic Division with the victory.

Game of Next Week: Miami (FL) vs. Wake Forest. Two teams that are 2-2 in the ACC will be looking to make a little more noise, and rebound from recent loses that have taken both teams out of the top spots in their divisions.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (6-1, 4-0)

Lurking: USC (6-1, 3-1)

Game of Last Week: USC 42 vs. Oregon State 36. This one was even closer than the score suggests, as USC was never truly able to separate themselves from the Beavers at home. The Trojans were looking to avenge their only loss of last season, and limited the Beaver offense just enough to pull out the victory.

Game of Next Week: USC vs. Oregon. A huge ranked matchup in the Pac-10 at Autzen Stadium will have a big say in who wins the conference this year.

Bowl Eligible Teams: None yet.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (East Division; 7-0, 5-0), Alabama (West Division; 8-0, 5-0)

Lurking: LSU (West Division; 6-1, 4-1)

Game of Last Week: Alabama 12 vs. Tennessee 10. Two blocked field goals and a third that missed the cross bar by just a few feet saved the Crimson Tide from being upset at home by the Volunteers.

Game of Next Week: Georgia vs. Florida. It’s a cocktail party. It’s very large. It’s always a good game. Enjoy.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide.