ABOUT THIS SECTION

The run for the Rose Bowl takes on added significance this year, as the Jan. 3 game will determine the national championship for college football. The Times will take a broad view of the Battle for No. 1, devoting a section each Sunday through Dec. 2 to college football.

The weekly section will include pages devoted to:

* Each game for USC and UCLA;

* Tracking the top 25 teams, the top performers of the day and trends across the nation;

* The games involving the top teams as they jockey for position in the polls and the Bowl Championship Series;

* And, as today’s section demonstrates, traveling to find the most significant stories of the day, such as Penn State Coach Joe Paterno’s pursuit of the record for Division I coaching victories, and Oregon, where the Ducks have become major contenders.