Trick or treat for Penn State, Texas Tech, Big East

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With Halloween tricks and treats awaiting Friday night, here are the four scariest thoughts for college football fans.-- DIFFERENT STATE, SAME FATE?: Having squeaked past defending Big Ten-champ-BCS-title game-patsy Ohio State Saturday night, Penn State now looks to be in the driver's seat for a spot in this year's BCS title affair Jan. 8 in Miami.The Nittany Lions (9-0) stand third in this week's BCS standings behind Texas and Alabama. But consider Joe Paterno's cushy remaining schedule (at Iowa next week, Indiana and Michigan State at home). And with Alabama and Texas facing numerous potholes as well as conference title games, the Lions' first unbeaten regular season since 1994 will likely be enough to finish first or second in the final BCS numbers.The bigger question is can Penn State compete better on college football's ultimate stage than Ohio State did (outscored 79-38 in losses to Florida and LSU the last two years)? It seems doubtful as PSU's non-conference schedule (I-AA Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, Syracuse and Temple) hardly made a statement and until further notice, the Big Ten champ remains suspect when playing for it all.But some factors are encouraging for Lions fans. First, an SEC team may not be waiting in Miami. Remember that Florida and LSU barely squeezed into the title game the last two years under extraordinary circumstances. Second, if a Big 12 team (Texas, Oklahoma or Texas Tech) is there, these schools don't have the combination of speed or size on defense that tormented Ohio State the last two years.Finally, you simply cannot ignore Paterno's bowl record (23-10-1), the best of any coach in the nation.-- LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE: Not since the finale in the "Longest Yard'' (the 1974 Burt Reynolds version, please) has a football game had more simmering bad blood than Saturday's Georgia-Florida affair. Forget cocktails, this one might need National Guard units.That's because the Gators have had a year to stew over Georgia coach Mark Richt ordering his entire team en masse on to the field to celebrate the Bulldogs' first touchdown in the UGA's 42-30 win last year. The startled Gators never seemed to get the emotional edge back in a series they've dominated (winning 15 of the last 17 before last year). UF coach Urban Meyer remains upset about the stunt that netted the Bulldogs a pair of 15-yard penalties.Meyer is trying to keep things low key issuing a gag order to his players Sunday if asked by reporters this week about the "Gator Stomp.'' "I think it's old news,'' Meyer insisted.Sure. Our over-under for combined personal foul penalties in this one is set for 12.-- PIRATE SPEAKS: It will be extremely tough for No. 6 Texas Tech (8-0) to get through a grinding stretch of No. 1 Texas, No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 9 Oklahoma State in the next four weeks unbeaten (not to mention the Big 12 Championship Game).But we'd love to see Red Raiders coach Mike Leach on stage at the BCS title game. Dennis Miller has nothing on this guy.After all, Leach is so much more than just an offensive wizard. His fascination with ancient pirates is such that his desk features a flintlock pistol from the Bluebeard era and he often flies a skull-and-crossbones flag from Tech's video practice tower. Leach also loves Daniel Boone, Geronimo, Jackson Pollack, rugby (which he played at BYU) and is a friend of Donald Trump.As his agent, Gary O'Hagan told the New York Times: "He's so different from every other football coach it's hard to understand how he's a coach."-- BIG LEAST: After several years of confounding experts that predicted its demise, the Big East may have to face the music at a BCS game in January. No Big East team is ranked in the A.P. top 20 of this week as West Virginia (5-2) leads the league with a 2-0 conference mark. Yes, the Mountaineers also lost to East Carolina and Colorado.Connecticut and Pittsburgh are second, even though the Panthers (5-2) are coming off a 54-34 home loss to Rutgers, who came into the game with a 2-5 mark that included losses to Navy, North Carolina (which also beat Connecticut) and Fresno State. Preseason favorite South Florida, the only ranked Big East team at No. 24, is in seventh place with a 1-2 conference mark, ahead of only hapless Syracuse.All the Big East can really hope for is a date with the equally mediocre ACC in the Orange Bowl. The two "champs'' will likely bring the worst combined records ever for a BCS matchup.UPSET PICK: Arizona State's Maginot-Line defense dropped us to 3-6. But we get a freebie this week when Pitt knocks off overrated 6-point favorite Notre Dame Saturday in South Bend.LINDSAY'S LOSER: Kudos to Idaho for ending the nation's longest losing streak at 18 games with a 20-14 win over New Mexico State. That puts North Texas and Washington, both losers of nine straight since last year, on the clock. Saturday's trip to 43-point favorite Southern Cal not withstanding, the Huskies hope to get off the schneid in the final five games under decent guy-shaky coach Ty Willingham, who was axed Monday effective at season's end.(John Lindsay writes for Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com. Contact him at lindsayj(at)shns.com)