After this weekend's GOP debate, three weeks still remain in the month of December, and with just three weeks until the Iowa caucus it's becoming crunch time in the GOP field.

"Obviously Iowa matters, but what comes out of Iowa will influence the other states tremendously and you'll see a lot of these polls change," says University of North Florida political science professor Dr. Matthew Corrigan.

He's still cautioning voters not to get caught up in polls too early.  As for the head-to-head rivalry that seems to be developing between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney here in Florida?  That too, he says, is fueled by the polls.

Corrigan says the nominee won't be decided in Iowa, but afterward we'll have a much better idea of who the contenders REALLY are.  He also mentioned a possible dark horse to keep an eye on.

"Don't forget Ron Paul.  Ron Paul has great organization out in Iowa and he may pull a surprise and get into that top three."

Corrigan says the legitimacy of Newt Gingrich's recent rise in the polls will really be put to the test in Iowa.

A new Gallup poll shows Gingrich leads by 10 and an average of all the major polls by Real Clear Politics has him up by 12 to get the Republican nomination.  Mitt Romney comes in second in every poll and Jon Huntsman rounds out the pack.

A poll by the University of Iowa Gingrich will come out of the debate up by 10 over Romney.  If Romney wins the GOP nomination a Rasmussen poll has him edging out President Obama by 3 in the general election.