Carnegie Mellon coach Rich Lackner has put it on the line for his players heading into the game today at Thiel.

"I told them if we don't win, the NCAA probably will come back and tell us we determined our own destiny," he said. "It's a distinct possibility we won't get into the playoffs with a loss. At 10-0, we have a good shot, but we'd still be leaving it up to the committee."

Although CMU (9-0) is the champion of the University Athletic Association, the Tartans won't receive an automatic bid to the playoffs because the league doesn't have the necessary seven teams to qualify under NCAA guidelines.

The at-large bids to the playoffs will be extended tomorrow.

"I'd feel a lot better about our chances at 10-0 than I would at 9-1," Lackner said. "But we don't plan on being 9-1."

The Tartans are 9-0 for the first time since 1990 when they went 10-0 and made their most recent appearance in the playoffs, losing to Lycoming in the first round, 17-7. CMU is 23rd in the American Football Coaches Association Division III poll for its first ranking since getting as high as 19th in the 2000 season.

The meeting between CMU and Thiel (5-4) is a reversal of roles from a year ago, when Thiel, a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference, was 9-0 and needed a win to get the bid to the playoffs and CMU was 5-4.

Thiel needed three overtimes to defeat CMU, 50-48.

"This is a different year and these are different teams," Lackner said. "That game last year was unique."

In other key games

IUP (7-2, 4-2) at California (8-2, 5-0), noon -- California can clinch the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West title outright with a win or tie. The Vulcans are sixth in the Northeast Region poll, with the top six reaching the Division II playoffs. A win would almost assure the Vulcans of their first trip to the playoffs. ... The game features two of the premier running backs in Division II, California's Brandon Lombardy (143.8 rushing yards per game) and IUP's Chris Morgan (132.7 ypg). ... California has won six in a row. ... The game will be televised by FSN Pittsburgh.

Washington & Jefferson (8-1, 5-0) at Bethany (4-5, 2-3), 1 p.m. -- W&J, winner of 23 consecutive games against Bethany, can clinch the Presidents' Athletic Conference championship with a win or a tie. The Presidents have won or shared the title in 18 of the past 21 seasons. Bethany hasn't scored a touchdown against W&J since 2002 and has been outscored the past two seasons, 119-0. ... W&J, winner of eight in a row after a 32-14 loss to Salisbury State, can expect to receive an at-large bid to the Division III playoffs with a win. ... W&J averages 31.5 points, allows 12.5 points. ... W&J's Ryan Mendel rushed for more than 100 yards for the sixth consecutive game last week with 104 on 27 carries in a 21-12 victory against Thomas More.

Robert Morris (6-4, 4-2) at Sacred Heart (2-8, 1-5), 12:30 p.m. -- Robert Morris is coming off a 16-6 loss to Albany in which quarterback Erik Cwalinski threw four interceptions and was sacked 10 times. For the season, Cwalinski has completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,796 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has thrown 14 interceptions. The Colonials had just 79 yards of offense against Albany. ... Sacred Heart is coming off a 42-14 loss to Central Connecticut State -- its fifth consecutive defeat. ... Sacred Heart has won the past five meetings against Robert Morris.

Youngstown State (8-2, 5-1) at Western Kentucky (5-4, 4-2), 5 p.m. -- Youngstown State, ranked No. 7 in the NCAA I-AA scholarship poll, can clinch at least a share of the Gateway Football Conference championship with a win. The conference champion earns an automatic bid to the playoffs. ... Youngstown State rallied from an 11-point deficit to defeat Southern Illinois, 31-24, last week as Marcus Mason rushed for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Mason has rushed for 1,496 yards (6.6 average per carry) and 19 touchdowns. Tom Zetts has completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 1,393 yards and 10 touchdowns. ... Youngstown State averages 33.4 points per game.

West Chester (7-3) at Slippery Rock (7-3), 1 p.m. -- Both teams need a win to keep alive their hopes of getting an at-large bid to the Division II playoffs. Slippery Rock is No. 8 and West Chester No. 9 in the Northeast Region poll. The top six teams advance to the playoffs. ... West Chester averages a league-high 37.0 points per game. ... Slippery Rock, coming off a 21-17 victory against IUP, features quarterback Nate Crookshank, who has completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,949 yards and 17 touchdowns. The big-play receiver is Luke Wetzel (36 catches, 618 yards, 8 touchdowns).