A LOOK AT WHO IS GOING WHERE : TOP 10.

Byline: Jon Wilner

November means elections, bowl bids and final visits to the meat markets for NFL scouts. Here's a look at a few of the best prospects in the west:

Tony Gonzalez, Cal, junior tight end. A guaranteed first-rounder, perhaps a top-10 pick, when he comes out. Gonzalez plays basketball for the Bears in his free time and is expected to join the hoops team in Hawaii two days after The Big Game. Has been compared to former Ohio State tight end and power forward Ricky Dudley, now with the Raiders.

(Tight end may be the Pac-10's best position. UCLA's Jamal Clark, Oregon's Josh Wilcox, USC's John Allred and Stanford's Greg Clark also are considered pro prospects.)

Darrell Russell, USC, junior defensive tackle. At 6-foot-4 and over 300 pounds, he has rare size and athleticism at a coveted position. When he goes, it'll be in the first half of the first round.

Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, Utah, sophomore running back. One scout described him as the best prospect in the west. Why? He's 270 pounds and can move. That's right, 270.

Itula Mili, Brigham Young, senior tight end. His partner, Chad Lewis, gets the publicity - and the preseason all-WAC votes - but Mili is the better prospect.

Skip Hicks, UCLA, junior tailback. He's a perfect combine guy: strong and fast for his size, looks great without a shirt. Depending on injuries and consistency, he could be a first-rounder. Needs another year.

Jake Plummer, Arizona State, senior quarterback. Great collegians aren't necessarily great pros, and Plummer may be proof. He has sensational feet, Montana feet, but the arm's not great. May drop to the second round.

Pat Barnes, Cal, senior quarterback. His value keeps rising, and what's not to like? Great arm - much better than Plummer's, for instance - and good legs. Watch for him in the first round. A few more eight-touchdown outings, and he may go No. 1.

Tarik Glenn, Cal, senior tackle. Probably the best offensive line prospect in the Pac-10. Glenn is 6-foot-6 and must get his weight (currently 350 pounds) under control. If he does, a guaranteed first-rounder.

Marcus Harris, Wyoming, senior receiver. He won't run past many cornerbacks, but at 6-foot-2, 214-pounds he's being compared to big and steady former pros like Al Toon and Art Monk.

A feather in his Kapp: Barnes threw eight touchdown passes in the four-overtime victory over Arizona - equaling the number thrown by former Bears quarterback Joe Kapp in three seasons as a starter.

In his past 11 games - the equivalent of a full season - Barnes has thrown for 3,409 yards, 32 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

Lurking in the shadows: Among Pac-10 teams, only UCLA and the Washington schools have not experienced the thrill of overtime.

Don't blame the coach: Arizona's botched extra-point fake was not the fault of coach Dick Tomey.

Sure, he called for the fake, in which holder Ryan Hesson catches the snap, then tosses the ball over his head to kicker Matt Peyton, who's running around right end. But the play has no risk if executed properly by Hesson.

His job is to read the left end of Cal's defense. If the players are in a three-point stance, that means they're going to rush the kicker - thus becoming susceptible to a Peyton run around the right end. But if the players are standing up, that means no rush is coming; in that case Hesson is supposed to audible to a regular extra point.

But for whatever reason, Hesson, a senior quarterback, did not audible when he saw the Bears standing up, and the fake was summarily stuffed for a 56-55 Cal win.

Tomey, as usual, took responsibility for a player's gaffe. But he admitted, ``We needed to check out of it.''

Who's the best? Arizona State is not a great team dominating a good league. It's a good team surviving a mediocre conference.

And here's the proof: The Sun Devils are eight points shy of allowing more points in conference games than any Pac-10 champ in history. UCLA's 1993 team, not to be confused with the Pac-10's greatest, currently holds that distinction (168 points).

The Sun Devils have allowed at least 27 points in four of six conference games, and they haven't played Cal or Arizona yet. Don't be surprised if they finish the season yielding 200 points in eight conference games.

In fact, based on comparative scores, a case could be made that Washington, not ASU, is the league's best team. (Arizona State needed overtime to beat USC, while Washington dominated the Trojans. ASU was lucky to escape UCLA, while the Huskies pummelled the Bruins.)

1. Florida (8-0)

Think coach Steve Spurrier won't run it up on lowly Vandy? Think again.

2. Ohio State (8-0)

Get used to linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer; he's a future all-American.

3. Florida State (7-0)

Here's a show of strength: 'Noles whipped bowl-bound Georgia Tech by 46 points last week.

4. Arizona State (9-0)

Saturday's showdown with Cal QB Pat Barnes could produce 100 points - in regulation.

5. Nebraska (7-1)

Next deer in the Husker headlights: Missouri coach Larry Smith.

6. Colorado (7-1)

Team Neuheisel keeps winning, but can't escape the long, tall shadow that starts in Lincoln.

7. Tennessee (6-1)

It took seven games, but Peyton Manning finally played like Peyton Manning: 362 yards, two touchdowns last week.

8. Alabama (7-1)

Southern football at its best: 'Bama rolls into LSU's Death Valley.

9. Michigan (7-1)

Cornerback/receiver Charles Woodson is the best player in the Big Ten, perhaps in the nation.

10. North Carolina (7-1)

Tailback Leon Johnson just one of the talented but unknown Tar Heels.

Five more to watch: Louisiana State (6-1), Penn State (8-2), Virginia (6-2), Washington (6-2), Texas Tech (5-3).

Player Watch:

Washington State tailback Michael Black The junior from Dorsey High School is second in the Pac-10 in rushing (102.7 per game) and is on pace for a 1,000-yard season. In his first game back after a sprained ankle kept him out for seven quarters, Black rushed for 214 yards against Cal. His next opponent: UCLA.

Best bet:

Cal at No. 4 Arizona State: The last time Arizona State clinched a Rose Bowl spot, 10 years ago this weekend, it did so by whipping Cal 49-0. The Bears were 1-7 at the time, Joe Kapp was a lame-duck coach and security guards sprayed mace into the faces of jubilant ASU fans as they tore down the goalposts.

The Sun Devils may guarantee a trip to the Rose Bowl against Cal this weekend, too, but don't expect another 49-0 romp. The Bears will score (perhaps as many as 49 points). The question is whether Cal's defense, which ranks ninth in the Pac-10, can stop ASU and quarterback Jake Plummer, who has directed numerous touchdown drives in clutch situations and isn't likely to go quietly in the final home game of his career.

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