Call this put up or shut up weekend. Or you can call it the pretender vs. contender showdown.

Start with Michigan State at Iowa. Michigan State is unbeaten. Michigan State does not have to play Ohio State. If Michigan State beats Iowa tomorrow afternoon in Iowa City, you can write (In pencil) the Spartans down as the Big Ten representative in the Rose Bowl on January 1 and perhaps (with some luck) as a participant in the BCS title game in Glendale, Arizona on January 10th.

But beating Iowa will be a major task.

Missouri is unbeaten. Missouri has already beaten Oklahoma. Now the Tigers must deal with Nebraska--in Lincoln. Win that game and you can pencil in the Tigers for the Big 12 title game spot in Dallas on Dec. 4th.

But beating Nebraska will be a major task.

Oregon is unbeaten. Oregon has already beaten one potential Pac-10 championship (and Rose Bowl bid) challenger in Stanford. It still must face Arizona and Oregon State. But tomorrow, Oregon must travel to Los Angeles to play USC. USC is on probation and can't go to any bowl game. But it can play the role of spoiler.

Oregon is very, very good.--No. 1 in both human polls which determine in the BCS rankings.

But beating USC will be a major task.

Auburn is unbeaten. Auburn has already beaten LSU. Auburn must still face arch-rival and defending national champion Alabama. Auburn must travel to Oxford, Mississippi to play a dangerous and upset minded Rebel team. The Tigers, with Heisman front runner QB Cam Newton are very good.

But beating Mississippi will be a major task.

There you have it contenders or pretenders? By tomorrow night we will know much more.