SOURCE: New York Times

Ten weeks have passed in this volatile college football season, and there finally seem to be some clues as to how it will end. Teams like South Florida and Boston College, which defied pedigree and expectations to rise toward the top of the poll, have settled back to reality. Others, like Florida, Louisville and California, have failed to live up to preseason expectations.

What is left are seven teams — Ohio State, Louisiana State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas, West Virginia and Missouri — that have a possibility of playing for the national title.

Here is a look at what each has remaining and the likelihood of reaching the title game at the Superdome in New Orleans.

OHIO STATE (10-0, 6-0 BIG TEN)

Why they will make the title game: The Buckeyes have won 28 consecutive regular-season games and 20 consecutive conference games. If they win the rest of their games, they will play in New Orleans.

Why they will not: A trip to Michigan looms at the end of the season, and the Wolverine seniors have yet to beat the Buckeyes.

Odds of making the title game: 1 to 1.

LOUISIANA STATE (8-1, 5-1 SEC)

Why they will make the title game: Coach Les Miles is on a fourth-down gambling streak. The Tigers are also much improved with the return of wide receiver Early Doucet, who missed five games with an injury.

Why they will not: Every gambler hits a cold spell. Miles’s fourth-down success has masked the fact that L.S.U. is not nearly as dominant as the pundits thought. They must also win the SEC title game.

Odds of making the title game: 3 to 1.

OREGON (8-1, 5-1 PACIFIC-10)

Why they will make the title game: The No. 3 Ducks have the nation’s best tandem of playmakers: quarterback Dennis Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart. They have no more top 25 teams on their schedule. They also have a marquee victory at Michigan that resonates with East Coast voters.

Why they will not: The Ducks’ receiving corps is depleted. They play two of their last three games on the road and still need a team above them to lose to sneak in. The Ducks could be bridesmaids again, as they were in 2001.

Odds of making the title game: 5 to 1.

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