#2 Texas Tech (10-0) AT #5 Oklahoma (9-1)

Saturday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m. CT, ABC
Line: Oklahoma by 7

It is tough to find an advantage between these two Big 12 South teams heading into their clash. The Sooners rank No. 1 in the nation in scoring offense, the Red Raiders are third. Oklahoma is fourth in total offense, Texas Tech is second. Offensively, these two teams might draw. So in a conference marked this year by its incredibly strong offenses and fantastic quarterbacks, its best game will be determined by who can actually get a stop.

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By Brian Regan

# 6 USC (8-1) AT STANFORD (5-5)
Saturday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m. CT
Line: USC by 22

Beating USC is no mental obstacle for Stanford. Last season, the Cardinal snapped the Trojans’ 35-game home winning streak, burying their national-title hopes on their home field. This year’s Stanford team is much improved at 5-4 (3-3 Pac-10), and has been carried by the legs of junior running back Toby Gerhart. Gerhart has 932 yards on 168 carries, with 13 rushing touchdowns in nine games. He will be challenged by a USC defense that has not allowed a touchdown over its last 10-plus quarters. The Trojans are giving up an NCAA-leading 6.7 points per game.

On top of those numbers, beating USC in November under Pete Carroll has never been an option. The Trojans are 25-0 all-time under Carroll during this month. Quarterback Mark Sanchez has a 162.2 rating this season, with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He faces a Stanford defense ranked last in the Pac-10 in pass defense. Conclusion? Mismatch central.

USC 41, Stanford 17.
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#1 ALABAMA (9-0) AT #15 LSU (6-2)
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS
Line: LSU by 3.5

With Texas’ loss last week, Alabama climbed into the top position in both the BCS standings and the Associated Press poll. Of course, the No. 1 spot is a dangerous place to be these days, and to make things even more difficult, the Crimson Tide have to head into the Bayou to defend their position against the 15th-ranked Tigers. To add even more drama, Alabama coach Nick Saban is visiting Death Valley for the first time since he left LSU to coach the Miami Dolphins after the 2004 season.

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By Chris Gentilviso and Philip Rossman-Reich

#6 TEXAS TECH (8-0) at #1 TEXAS (8-0)

Saturday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m. CT, ABC
Line: Texas by 6

If you’re not a fan of dropped passes, this is the game to watch. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is completing an astounding 82 percent of his passes this season. On the flip side, Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell comes in at a respectable 71 percent while racking up 3,147 yards in eight starts. If both offenses are on their game, there’s no way any one team can win, right?

That’s where Texas’ run defense comes into play. The Red Raiders have relied on 138 rushing yards per game to supplant their 418 yards through the air. The Longhorns have been tough on the ground in 2008, allowing only 69 yards per game. Moreover, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has never won more than nine games in his nine seasons in Lubbock, Texas. With Mack Brown’s coaching skills and national championship résumé, the Longhorns will stay on top of the polls for at least one more week.
Prediction: Texas 52, Texas Tech 35.
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#7 OKLAHOMA STATE (7-0) at #1 TEXAS (7-0)

Saturday, Oct. 25, 2:30 p.m. CT, ABC
Line: Texas by 12.5

Only nine Football Bowl Subdivision teams are still undefeated. Two of them play this weekend in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns are the unanimous top team in the nation after consecutive wins over Big 12 foes Oklahoma and Missouri. But they’ll have another challenge on their hands against a Cowboys squad that has achieved the program’s highest ranking since 1985. Texas features the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense, led by current Heisman Trophy favorite, quarterback Colt McCoy.
The Oklahoma State offense has the potential to keep pace. The Cowboys are fourth in the country in scoring offense and fifth in rushing offense behind quarterback Zac Robinson and running back Kendall Hunter. In this shootout, it could all come down to which defense is able to make a couple of big plays. Also a factor: the coaching of Oklahoma State’s 41-year-old man, Mike Gundy.

Prediction: Texas 45, Oklahoma State 35.

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#11 MISSOURI (5-1) AT #1 TEXAS (6-0)

Saturday, Oct. 18th, 7 p.m. CT, ABC
Line: Texas by 6.5

Had Missouri won last week, this game likely would have featured the top two teams in the nation. Alas, the Tigers were upset by Oklahoma State, dropping from No. 3 to No. 11. Texas, meanwhile, knocked off then-No. 1 Oklahoma, jumping four spots in the polls. Longhorn fans shouldn’t feel too comfortable though, considering the unstable climate of college football these days, as well as their team’s remaining schedule. Texas still has to face No. 8 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 16 Kansas, and then another tough opponent in the Big 12 title game. But first the Longhorns will have their hands full against the Tigers, whose third-ranked offense should be able to keep up with Texas’ fifth-ranked attack. Look for Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel to come back strong after throwing three second-half interceptions in the loss to Oklahoma State. Even though Texas won last week, it surrendered 387 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
Missouri 41, Texas 35.
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#5 TEXAS (5-0) VS. #1 OKLAHOMA (5-0) AT DALLAS
Saturday, Oct. 11th, 11 a.m. CT, ABC
Line: Oklahoma by 7

The Red River Rivalry is consistently one of the best in college football, and this year’s version, held at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, should be no exception. Both teams are undefeated, ranked in the top five in the nation and feature Heisman Trophy-contending quarterbacks. Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford is second among FBS (formerly Division I) QBs with a 205.0 rating, but his counterpart, Texas’ Colt McCoy, is not far behind, with a rating of 197.94. Both teams also have won in dominant fashion, prevailing by at least 24 points in every game. The Sooners and Longhorns each have the ability to light up the scoreboard offensively, so the game could come down to which team is better able to contain the opposing team’s signal caller. Oklahoma appears to have an advantage there, as its pass defense is ranked 15th nationally, 81 spots ahead of Texas.

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#13 Auburn (4-1) at #19 Vanderbilt (4-0)

Saturday, Oct. 4, 5 p.m. CT, ESPN

Line: Auburn -4

Northwestern isn’t the only “nerd” school that is surprising people with its play on the gridiron this season. Vanderbilt sits at 4-0, including 2-0 in the SEC, and has made its first appearance in the AP Poll in 24 years. A win over the Tigers would move the Commodores to 5-0 for the first time since 1943. And they’ll get a chance to do it in front of a national TV audience with ESPN’s College GameDay show in town. Vanderbilt has lost to Auburn 13 straight times, but this will be the first game between the teams in which Vandy was ranked. The Tigers, meanwhile, have struggled offensively, particularly three weeks ago in their snooze-inducing 3-2 victory over Mississippi State. Still, Auburn has a stingy defense that could give Vanderbilt and its 25^th-ranked rushing attack some trouble. Auburn 17, Vanderbilt 16
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#8 Alabama (4-0) at #3 Georgia (4-0)

Saturday, Sept. 27, 6:45 p.m. CT, ESPN
Line: Georgia by 6.5

Georgia began the season ranked first in the country and hasn’t lost. But it has dropped to third in the AP poll, passed by USC and Oklahoma. Perhaps playing with something to prove last week, the Bulldogs handily defeated a solid Arizona State team, 27-10, in Tempe, Ariz. The trip was the Bulldogs’ longest regular-season road trip in 48 years. Georgia’s star is Heisman hopeful Knowshon Moreno, who has rushed for 6.6 yards per carry and nine touchdowns this season, posterizing dozens of would-be tacklers in the process.

The Bulldogs will get another tough test this week in the Crimson Tide, who knocked off then-No. 9 Clemson in their season opener and dismantled Arkansas by 35 points last week. Although this game features two of college football’s most talented freshmen receivers in Alabama’s Julio Jones and Georgia’s A.J. Green, expect this one to be a good old fashioned SEC grind-’em-out ballgame. Georgia 17, Alabama 13.

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