With three weekends of play remaining, places in the Bowl Championship Series title game have yet to be determined. The top five teams in the BCS — LSU, Oregon, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri — can all play themselves out of contention this week, but none will clinch a berth. Still, there are BCS and conference-championship bids on the line Saturday. Here’s a look at the key games (all rankings BCS).

No. 7 OHIO STATE (10–1, 6–1 Big Ten) at No. 21 MICHIGAN (8–3, 6–1)
Noon, ABC

Storied rivals Ohio State and Michigan still have plenty to play for — even after both lost last weekend. That’s especially true for Michigan, whose loss at Wisconsin essentially meant nothing. The Wolverines knew before last Saturday that a win over Ohio State would give them at least a share of the Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl bid. Ohio State’s loss to Illinois, on the other hand, cost the Buckeyes much more. Instead of a win over Michigan guaranteeing a spot in the national-title game, it would now take a near-miracle for Ohio State to qualify.

Still, it’s doubtful any player from either team looks at the Rose Bowl as a consolation prize. The Big Ten has always placed greater emphasis on conference championships than most leagues.

This game is rife with story lines. There’s Ohio State coach Jim Tressel’s 5–1 record against his counterpart, Michigan’s Lloyd Carr. Then there are the rumors that Carr will retire following the game — a move that would start the coaching dominoes falling earlier than usual. Michigan, one of the sport’s marquee programs, has not looked outside its own offices for a coach since Bo Schembechler arrived in 1969.

Carr’s opportunity to go out a winner — if he is indeed retiring — likely hinges on the health of two offensive stars. Tailback Mike Hart sat out the Wisconsin game with a lingering ankle injury, and quarterback Chad Henne lasted just two series before a recurring shoulder injury sent him to the bench. Michigan has made do without one or the other for much of the season. But the performance of the backups in Madison made it clear the Wolverines cannot beat a top foe without their senior leaders — both of whom are trying to avoid 0–4 career marks against the Buckeyes.

Michigan has no doubt been studying the film of how Illinois gashed Ohio State on the ground and forced quarterback Todd Boeckman into mistakes on defense. The Wolverines don’t have the spread-option offense to attack Ohio State as Illinois did, but they have to feel they can make consistent gains on the ground. The Wolverines’ pass rush must pressure Boeckman and give the offense a few short fields to work with — or Carr may have to come back next year to end his Michigan career on a high note.

No. 23 KENTUCKY (7–3, 3–3 SEC) at No. 9 GEORGIA (8–2, 5–2)
12:30 p.m., GamePlan

Georgia may be the hottest team in the SEC, but the Bulldogs still need help to get to the conference championship game in Atlanta. Georgia’s offense has been explosive, as sophomore quarterback Matthew Stafford and freshman tailback Knowshon Moreno have paced a unit that has scored 131 points in its last three outings.

Georgia, which needs Tennessee to lose one of its final two games in order to have a chance at the SEC East title, can’t get caught up in worrying about the Volunteers, as Kentucky has proven itself plenty dangerous this year. The Wildcats handed no. 1 LSU its only loss of the season, and have one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Andre’ Woodson.

Georgia coach Mark Richt has taken the wraps off his normally staid program, and it has paid off. After chastising players for celebrating at midfield following a narrow win over Vanderbilt, Richt encouraged them to celebrate en masse after a score against Florida. The move resulted in a penalty-filled game — and a big Georgia win. Last week, he had his players change into brand-new black jerseys just before their game against Auburn. They took the field to AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and routed the Tigers.

Whether or not Georgia can pass Tennessee, the Bulldogs are in good position to receive an at-large bid to one of the BCS bowls, and may in fact have a better opportunity to do so by winning out, finishing 10—2, and avoiding a match-up against LSU in the SEC championship.

No. 17 BOSTON COLLEGE (8–2, 4–2 ACC) at No. 15 CLEMSON (8–2, 5–2)
7:45 p.m., ESPN2

Two weeks ago, Boston College was no. 2 in the BCS standings and talking up its worthiness for a spot in the national-championship game. Two losses later, the Eagles are just hoping to reach the ACC title contest.

That opportunity remains, but to get there, Boston College will have to defeat its toughest foe yet. Clemson was largely written off after back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech at midseason, but has rallied to win four straight behind the play of quarterback Cullen Harper and tailbacks James Davis and C.J. Spiller. The winner of this game will play for the ACC title in Jacksonville in two weeks.

Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan gets the headlines, but Harper has outplayed him recently. At one point the leading Heisman contender, Ryan struggled badly in his last three games, throwing seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions during that stretch. Harper, meanwhile, has completed 77.1% of his passes for 902 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just one interception during Clemson’s winning streak.

The defenses will have much to say about the outcome of this game. Boston College’s second-ranked run defense should be able to slow Spiller and Davis, while Clemson’s no. 3 pass defense could make it another long night for Ryan.

Mr. Levine is a writer for FootballOutsiders.com.