LSU narrowed Southern Cal's lead for second place in the BCS standings Monday but still needs help to play for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl.
The Trojans hold a 1.53-point lead over the Tigers going into the final week of the regular season, down from 2.15 a week earlier.
The top teams in the final Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday will play for the title Jan. 4 in New Orleans.
Oklahoma maintained its grip on the top spot with a nearly five-point lead over USC and likely would remain in the top two even with a loss Saturday to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship.
The Sooners are a unanimous No. 1 in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches' polls and the top team in all seven BCS computers. They have a 1.0 for poll average, 1.0 for computer-rank average, 0.56 for strength of schedule, zero for losses and 0.5 bonus points for beating sixth-place Texas for a 2.06.
USC has a one-point lead in the polls over LSU, a 0.25 advantage in the computers and a 0.68 lead in strength of schedule. The Tigers have a 0.4 bonus for a quality win over Georgia.
Though LSU would gain in the computers and strength of schedule by beating the Bulldogs, the Tigers also would be penalized because Georgia would drop, costing them quality-win points.
A win by Syracuse over Notre Dame would be a big help for the Tigers, likely moving them to second in the Colley Matrix computer if they can beat Georgia. USC beat Notre Dame this season.
"I think our focus needs to be on the game that we are playing and what is in front of us and nothing else," LSU coach Nick Saban said. "I think that when you start thinking of those other things, which I have referred to on occasion as clutter, it affects your ability to perform like you need to."
TUBERVILLE STAYING: Tommy Tuberville has decided to stay as Auburn's coach despite an attempt by the university president and athletic director to line up a replacement before the Iron Bowl.
"I'm looking forward to being around here for a long time," Tuberville said.
Tuberville had to stop and regain his composure at one point during his news conference and admitted, "It's been a long two weeks."
Tuberville is 37-24 in five seasons at Auburn with at least a share of three SEC Western Division titles, but the team failed to meet expectations this season. He met earlier in the day with school president William Walker and athletic director David Housel.
BOWL BIDS: TCU will play in the inaugural Fort Worth Bowl on Dec. 23 against an undetermined opponent. The Horned Frogs declined an invitation to the GMAC Bowl because the game conflicted with the school's exams schedule. Instead, Louisville will face Miami of Ohio in the Dec. 18 game. ... Washington State accepted an invitation to the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl and will face a Big 12 team. ... Virginia Tech and California will meet in the Dec. 26 Insight Bowl in Phoenix's Bank One Ballpark. ... Oregon State was picked to face New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl on Christmas Eve. ... Memphis, which last went to postseason play in 1971, will face North Texas in the Dec. 16 New Orleans Bowl.
BILETNIKOFF FINALISTS: Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald, Oklahoma's Mark Clayton and Southern Cal's Mike Williams of Tampa were named as finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top receiver.
CINCINNATI: Coach Rick Minter was fired after 10 seasons and offered a position within the athletic department.
CLEMSON: Coach Tommy Bowden edged his father, FSU's Bobby Bowden, for the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year award.
UTEP: Coach Gary Nord and his staff were fired after compiling a 14-34 record in four years. The school beat three Division I opponents in the past three years and finished 2-12 this season.
