Play it forward: Week ahead in college football

Five things to watch this week in college football.

1: USC plays at Oregon State in the Friday night time slot usually reserved for Boise State. No one has to remind Trojans fans of the 2008 loss in Corvallis that ended up costing them a shot at the national title. The good news is Jacquizz Rodgers is now in the NFL.

2: There’s a good reason Florida State decided to honor Bobby Bowden last weekend against North Carolina State instead of this weekend against Miami. Bowden had a losing record against the Hurricanes and he joked his tombstone might read “He played Miami.”

3: This year’s “cocktail party” between Georgia and Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., was supposed to be a showdown of national title contenders from the Southeastern Conference East. Instead it features two injury-riddled, three-loss teams trying to catch Missouri.

4: Fresno State hosts Nevada in a late Saturday night game that will be hard-pressed to top Fresno’s overtime victory at San Diego State. The Bulldogs’ eked-out win keeps their Bowl Championship Series hopes very much alive.

5: Oklahoma State at Texas Tech would have had more national title implications had the previously undefeated Red Raiders not lost at Oklahoma. This game between two ranked teams, however, should be an offensive fireworks show.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com