By Blair Kerkhoff, The Kansas City Star –
Game of the week
Georgia at South Carolina
From a rankings standpoint, there hasn’t been anything like it in the SEC since 2008. Top-10 teams will square off — in the East Division — when No. 5 Georgia travels to sixth-ranked South Carolina. The last time East teams met as top-10 foes, Florida beat Georgia 49-10 four years ago. Has the East caught up to the West Division, which has won the last three SEC and national championships? The rankings suggest that is the case. Florida’s No. 10 ranking in The Associated Press poll gives the East three in the top 10 to the West’s two, Alabama and LSU. The Bulldogs and Gamecocks look even in many areas. This one might come down to who is the more effective quarterback: Georgia’s Aaron Murray or South Carolina’s Connor Shaw?Upset of the week
Florida over LSU
Both are undefeated, but they’ve gone about it differently. The Gators have been surprising good, and we keep waiting for the Tigers to be dominant. Along with Alabama, these are the SEC’s top defensive teams and an anti-West Virginia/Baylor is in order. Look for Florida quarterback Jeff Driskell to outplay Zach Mettenberger and give the Gators a narrow triumph.Others to watch
West Virginia at Texas
Controlling the tempo is more commonly a basketball term, but it also applies to the Mountaineers. They press the accelerator and fly, especially when working with the lead, making opponents do the same. A key for Texas will be to shorten the game on offense by usingits successful running game, and somehow get pressure on West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, who is completing 83.4 percent of his passes and has thrown 20 touchdowns with no interceptions.
Nebraska at Ohio State
The way the Cornhuskers won last weekend should give them a confidence boost. Nebraska trailed Wisconsin by 17 in the third quarter before storming back. Quarterback Taylor Martinez played perhaps the best game of his career. He’ll need to bring similar poise to Columbus. Ohio State can’t play for the Big Ten title or in a bowl game, so games like this take on added importance. Oh, and what Nebraska did to Wisconsin on Saturday was precisely what happened last year against Ohio State. The Huskers made up a 21-point deficit to win. “I’ve heard them talk about (it),” Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said.
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On the horizon: Oct. 13
Texas vs. Oklahoma in Dallas
Sooners have won the last two
Stanford at Notre Dame
Another chance for Irish to be impressive
South Carolina at LSU
SEC Armageddon of the week
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Saturday’s Top 25 games
No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 23 Washington, 9:30 p.m.
No. 3 Florida State at N.C. State, 7 p.m.
No. 4 LSU at No. 10 Florida, 2:30 p.m.
No. 5 Georgia at No. 6 South Carolina, 6 p.m.
No. 7 Kansas State vs. Kansas, 11 a.m.
No. 8 West Virginia at No. 11 Texas, 6 p.m.
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. Miami at Chicago, 6:30 p.m.
No. 12 Ohio State vs. No. 21 Nebraska, 7 p.m.
No. 14 Oregon State vs. Washington State, 5 p.m.
No. 15 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m.
No. 15 TCU vs. Iowa State, 2:30 p.m.
No. 17 Oklahoma at Texas Tech, 2:30 p.m.
No. 18 Stanford vs. Arizona, 2 p.m.
No. 20 Mississippi State at Kentucky, 11:21 a.m.
No. 22 Rutgers vs. Connecticut, 11 a.m.
No. 24 Northwestern at Penn State, 11 a.m.
No. 25 UCLA at California, 9 p.m.
