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College football: A look ahead this week

Wisconsin running back Dare Ogunbowale runs with the ball during the game against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday.
(Bobby Ellis / Getty Images)
By David Wharton

Three thoughts for the coming week of college football:

1. A gutty win at Michigan State has boosted surprising Wisconsin to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll. We’ll find out whether the Badgers are for real as their brutal midseason stretch continues with matchups against No. 4 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State in the next two games.

2. Will they build a wall around the oaks at Toomer’s Corner? Auburn had to replant its iconic trees after they were poisoned by an Alabama fan. Now, a local resident has been arrested on suspicion of setting one of them on fire after Saturday’s 18-13 victory over Louisiana State.

3. With USC and UCLA at the bottom of the Pac-12 South standings, front-runner Utah tries to stay undefeated in a key game at California.

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David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles — covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War — since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” Wharton has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era. He left The Times in 2025.

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