12:00 PM ET FSN: Baylor 4-1 vs Texas Tech 2-2 (-3) (Cotton Bowl) - With two top 20 passing attacks in this game, it should be a passing free-for-all. The Bears are led by sophomore QB Robert Griffin III with 270.2 passing ypg, 11 TDs, and 2 INTs. He can also beat defenses with his feet as he has 44.2 ypg rushing with 4 TDs. He has a duo of WRs at his disposal that can make plays in junior Kendall Wright (60.8 ypg 2 TDs) and sophomore Terrance Williams (51.4 ypg 3 TDs). The team's leading WR, sophomore Josh Gordon (65.4 ypg 4 TDs) will most likely not be available because he was caught, along with WR Willie Jefferson, asleep at a Taco Bell drive-through with marijuana on Saturday night/Sunday morning. Senior Jay Finley leads the RBs on the team with 51.8 ypg rushing and 1 rushing TD. The defense ranks 59th against the run (146.4 ypg 5 TDs) and 40th against the pass (182.4 ypg, 3 TDs, 5 INTs). That pass defense will be put to the test against Red Raiders senior QB Taylor Potts. Potts is 7th in the nation in passing ypg (296.8) and 3rd in TDs (13). Fellow SR, Lyle Leong leads the team in receiving ypg (94) and receiving TDs (9). There's really no balance in the offense, as senior RB Baron Batch leads the team in rushing ypg (44.8) and rushing TDs (2). They had -14 rushing yards against Texas, but as we saw with UCLA, that Longhorns defense isn't impossible to run on. The run defense is 50th against the run (137.5 ypg 5 TDs) and 89th against the pass (242.8 ypg, 9 TDs, 8 INTs). Working in their favor is the fact that Baylor is 2nd in the nation in yards penalized per game (85.8). Texas Tech has beaten Baylor 14 straight times and by an average of 7 points the last 2 years.
3:30 PM ET CBS: #1 Alabama 5-0 (-7) @ #19 South Carolina 3-1 - The schedule does the Tide no favors, as they face a top 20 ranked team for the third week in a row. The team's offense starts with a dynamic 1-2 punch at RB with the reigning Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram and sophomore Trent Richardson. Ingram is averaging 118.3 ypg and 6 TDs, while Richardson is averaging 83.8 ypg with 4 TDs. Last week against Florida they totaled 110 yards rushing combined, but they basically shut it down in the 2nd half as the score was already 24-3. The running attack is complemented by an efficient passing game, led by senior Greg McElroy. McElroy is 11th in the nation in passer rating (166.7) and 7th in completion percentage (69.9|PERCENT|). He's averaging 196.6 ypg with 7 TDs and 3 INTs. The team's leading WR, junior Julio Jones (64.4 ypg 2 TDs) is day-to-day with a bruised knee, but is expected to play. If he can not go, look for junior WR Darius Hanks (46 ypg 1 TD) to get more involved and the team to try more screen passes. The defense is ranked 19th against the run (101 ypg 1 TD) and 51st against the pass (191.4 ypg 2 TDs), but 1st in points allowed per game (9). This is due in large part because they rank 2nd in the nation in INTs (11), 3rd in passer rating allowed (90.74), and 10th in completion percentage allowed (50.6|PERCENT|). The Gamecocks have their work cut out for them, but they are at home and they've got frosh RB Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore has 6 rushing TDs and is 5th in the SEC in rushing ypg (91.5). When you watch him, you immediately notice his physical running style. The other big time playmaker for this offense is sophomore WR Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery ranks 3rd nationally in receiving ypg (124.5), but only has 2 TDs to show for it. Junior QB Stephen Garcia has played well for the most part, but isn't not clear if coach Steve Spurrier has his full trust. In the game against Auburn, Garcia had 3 TDs and 0 INTs, but was pulled in the 4th quarter, after two costly fumbles. His replacement, frosh Connor Shaw came in and threw 2 picks, which led to two Auburn scores. This decision to pull Garcia for Shaw has drawn much criticism and rightly so, as the team was on the road and still playing with a lead. The Gamecocks defense is 41st against the run (128.3 ypg 3 TDs) and 88th against the pass (240.3 ypg, 4 TDs, 3 INTs). Stat that maybe only I find interesting: South Carolina's offense converts 55.3|PERCENT| of their 3rd downs (3rd best nationally), while the Bama defense only allows 26.1|PERCENT| of 3rd downs converted against them (5th best nationally). This match-up could go a long way towards deciding the game. The visiting team has won 7 of the last 10 in this series.
3:30 PM ET ABC/ESPN: #17 Michigan State 5-0 @ #18 Michigan 5-0 (-4.5) - Can anyone stop Denard Robinson? Robinson leads the nation in rushing ypg (181) to go with his 8 TDs. He can also step back and pass the ball as he averages 201.6 ypg with 7 TDs and 1 INT. His go to WR is sophomore Roy Roundtree, who leads the team in receiving ypg (67.4) and TDs (2). The run defense is ranked 38th, allowing 125.8 ypg with 9 TDs. The pass defense is the glaring hole for this team, as they rank dead last in passing ypg allowed (307.8). Last week against Indiana, they allowed 480 passing yards, which is simply unacceptable. The Spartans aren't the best equipped team to exploit this weakness, as they run the ball much better than they throw it, but they'll certainly have their chances. Michigan State JR QB Kirk Cousins is averaging 226.4 ypg with 9 TDs and 4 INTs. The Spartans 20th ranked run game is averaging 220.2 ypg with 12 TDs. It's led by sophomore Edwin Baker (107.2 ypg 5 TDs) and frosh Le'Von Bell (94.2 ygp 7 TDs). The WR corps includes senior Mark Dell (52.6 ypg 1 TD), junior Keshawn Martin (43.8 ypg 1 TD), and junior B.J. Cunningham (43 ypg 3 TDs). The run defense is ranked 20th (101.2 ypg 3 TDs), while the pass defense is ranked 78th (227.4 ypg, 9 TDs, 6 INTs), but Robinson is clearly priority #1. Another area of focus for the Spartans will be penalties. Michigan State is the 10th most penalized team in terms of ypg (72.4). Coach Mike Dantonio will be back coaching the team from the press box, after his blood clots a week ago that resulted from a "minor" heart attack. Michigan State has won back-to-back games against Michigan, but hasn't won three in a row against them since 1967.
3:30 PM ET ABC: #11 Arkansas 3-1 (-5.5) @ Texas A&M 3-1 (Jerry's World) - If you liked Texas A&M v OK State, then you'll love Texas A&M v Arkansas. The Razorbacks have a dynamic QB in junior Ryan Mallet, who is 2nd in the nation in passing yp (359.5). He has 10 TDs, 5 INTs, and a 68.8|PERCENT| completion rate. He's got three great pass catchers in junior WR Joe Adams (97.3 ypg 2 TDs), junior WR Greg Childs (74.5 ypg 3 TDs), and senior TE D.J. Williams (59 ypg). Where the offense really struggles is running the ball, as they're ranked 103rd in the nation in rushing ypg (103). This offensive deficiency led to their giving up a lead late to Georgia and Alabama. This season they're 55th against the run (140.3 ypg 4 TDs) and 15th against the pass (156.8 ypg, 3 TDs, 4 INTs). That's improvement from where they were last season in those areas, 73rd against the run (152.7 ypg) and 99th against the pass (248.5 ypg). For Texas A&M, their biggest strength may be their biggest weakness... senior QB Jerrod Johnson. Johnson is 4th in the nation in passing ypg (318.5) and 9th in passing TDs (12), but he also has 8 INTs (worst in the Big 12). In the OK State game last week, he threw for 409 yards and 5 TDs, but also turned the ball over 5 times (4 INTs & 1 fumble). Junior WR Jeff Fuller averages 87.3 ypg with 5 TDs, while sophomore WR Ryan Swope averages 70.5 ypg with 1 TD. Both are top ten in the Big 12 in receiving yards. Sophomore RB Christine Michael, someone whom I've heard almost nothing about this season, has 3 TDs and is 21st in the nation in rushing ypg (107). The run defense is 3rd in the nation, allowing 68.5 ypg and 4 TDs, but they've faced only one run game ranked in the top 90 nationally (51st OK State). The pass defense is 67th ranked, allowing 211 ypg, 4 TDs, and 6 INTs, all numbers that figure to go up after this game. Arkansas has won 11 of the last 16 against Texas A&M.
7:00 PM ET Versus: Oregon State 2-2 @ #9 Arizona 4-0 (-7.5) - Sort of lost in the shuffle is this Arizona team that is still undefeated and ranked in the top 10. Last week they had a let down from their emotional win against Iowa and escaped with a 1 point win over Cal. Junior QB Nick Foles leads an 11th ranked passing attack with a very accurate arm. He is 2nd in the Pac-10 in passing ypg (272.3) and 1st in completion percentage (74.5|PERCENT|). On the season he has 6 passing TDs and 4 INTs. The team's leading WR is junior Juron Criner, who averages 90.8 ypg with 2 TDs. The run game is 93rd in the nation with senior RB Nic Grigsby averaging 63 ypg with 5 TDs. Defensively the team is ranked 21st against the run (101.3 ypg) and has not allowed a TD this season... impressive stuff. The pass defense is maybe better, as they're allowing the 4th fewest passing ypg (129.5) and the 8th lowest completion percentage (49.5|PERCENT|). For Oregon State, facing a top ranked team is nothing new, as this is their third game this season against at top 10 opponent (and they haven't played Stanford or Oregon yet). Offensively, the team relies on junior RB Jacquizz Rodgers to move the chains. Rodgers is 5th in the conference in rushing with 99.5 ypg and 6 TDs. Sophomore QB Ryan Katz has just 180 ypg passing, but he has 7 TDs and no INTs. Unlike Foles, Katz is not very accurate, as he's 99th in the nation in completion percentage (51.9|PERCENT|). Brother to Jacquizz, James Rodgers has 113 yards receiving and 1 TD. Overall, none of the WRs have more than 175 yards receiving or more than 2 TDs. Their defense is 100th against the run (194.8 ypg 8 TDs) and 87th against the pass (240 ypg, 7 TDs, 6 INTs). The fact that they've faced TCU and Boise State, two top 25 offenses, can't be overstated. This Beavers team hasn't had the luxury of facing a FCS, Sun Belt, or MAC opponent to get healthy on. Oregon State has won 9 of the last 11 against Arizona.
7:30 PM ET ESPN: #12 LSU 5-0 @ #14 Florida 4-1 (-6) - Two defensive teams with something to prove meet in the Swamp this week. The "Dooley 13" saved LSU last week, but it's obvious, this LSU team has serious problems. Les Miles wrote the book that Andy Reid references on how to mismanage the clock late in games. You combine that with the Tigers horrid QB play and I have no idea how this team is still undefeated. They are 112th in the nation in passing offense with just 131 ypg passing, 2 TDs, and 7 INTs. Their QBs have combined for the 5th worst QB rating in the nation and the fewest passing plays of 25 yards or more (2). The only good news is that Jarrett Lee was able to move the ball against Tennessee. He had 185 yards passing, which is a country mile, compared to what they've been getting from Jordan Jefferson. So you'd think that Miles would stick with Lee, right? Nope. He's starting Jefferson, who has averaged 74.5 ypg with 0 TDs and 5 INTs in his last 4 games. The sad part about all of this is that the rest of the team is good enough to win the national championship. Junior RB Stevan Ridley leads the SEC in rushing ypg (111.4) and has 4 TDs. The defense is ranked 6th against the run (79 ypg 3 TDs) and 22nd against the pass (167.6 ypg, 5 TDs, 6 INTs). In terms of scoring defense, they're 5th in the nation (12.4 ppg). On special teams they're 4th in yards per punt return (20.9) due in large part to Patrick Peterson's lighting speed. They'll be facing a Gators team that is licking their wounds, after getting demolished in T-Town by the Tide. Offensively, they suffer from some of the same issues LSU does, mainly they have trouble moving the ball in the passing game. Junior QB John Brantley isn't anywhere near as bad as Jefferson or Lee, but he is 69th in the nation in passing ypg (180.4), 54th in passer completion (61.4|PERCENT|), and 79th in QB rating (123.16). As a whole, the offense has the 6th fewest passing plays of 25 yards or more (4). Junior RB Jeff Demps has just 2 rushing TDs and is 8th in the SEC in rushing ypg (82.8). Frosh QB/WR/RB Trey Burton leads the team with 7 rushing TDs, but 5 of those came against Kentucky. Defensively the team is 25th against the run (109.2 ypg 3 TDs) and 39th against the pass (181.8 ypg 6 TDs). In terms of turnovers, their defense leads the nation in INTs with 12, which is great, but their offense negates some of that advantage with their national worst 17 fumbles. The over/under for this game is 42 points, which is one of the lowest of the weekend. Florida has won 12 straight home games.
7:30 PM ET ESPN2: #8 Auburn 5-0 (-6) @ Kentucky 3-2 - With Arkansas next week, this is the definition of a trap game for the Tigers. Junior QB Cam Newton is a rising star and a dark horse pick to win the Heisman trophy. As a passer, he's averaging 185.6 ypg with 12 TDs and 4 INTs. He's 2nd in the nation in passer rating (191.44) and first in yards per attempt (10.7). As a runner, he's averaging 94.8 ypg with 5 TDs. The Tigers run game ranks 8th nationally with 269 ypg and 12 TDs. The backfield has a trio of good RBs in sophomore Onterio McCalebb (67.2 ypg 2 TDs), frosh Michael Dyer (66.8 ypg 2 TDs), and senior Mario Fannin (28.5 ypg 1 TD). Junior WR Darvin Adams has 2 TDs and leads the team in receiving ypg (56.8). The defense is 12th against the run (92.8 ypg 6 TDs), but 90th against the pass (243.2 ypg, 6 TDs, 4 INTs). In the first half of games they've allowed the 7th most passing yards this season (750) and the 11th best completion percentage for QBs (68|PERCENT|). Wildcats senior QB Mike Hartline, who averages 244.4 ypg with 8 TDs and 3 INTs, will be looking to take advantage of this unit. WRs junior Randall Cobb (67 ypg 3 TDs) and senior Chris Matthews (57.4 ypg 5 TDs) are his main targets. The run game features the SEC's 2nd leading rusher in senior Derrick Locke. He averages 108.6 ypg with 7 TDs. The defense ranks 83rd against the run (166.2 ypg 11 TDs) and 8th against the pass (141.8 ypg, 6 TDs, 3 INTs). Opposing QBs have completed just 51.2|PERCENT| of their passes, which is 11th lowest nationally. Auburn has won 7 straight in Lexington.
8:00 PM ET ABC: #23 Florida State 4-1 @ #13 Miami 3-1 (-6.5) - Wide right or wide left, this is always a great game. The Seminoles have rebounded from their 17-47 loss at Oklahoma to win three in a row. Senior QB Christian Ponder is not putting up Heisman numbers, as he's averaging 168.8 ypg with 8 TDs and 3 INTs. Their 208.6 rushing ypg and 11 TDs are 26th nationally. It's a group effort with junior Ty Jones (70.8 ypg 2 TDs), junior Jermaine Thomas (61.6 ypg 4 TDs), and sophomore Chris Thompson (52.6 ypg 3 TDs). The WR corps doesn't have anyone with over 50 ypg receiving. Defensively is where this team really shines. They rank 4th in rushing defense, holding teams to just 74.8 ypg and 2 TDs. The longest run against them this season is for 21 yards, which is impressive. Against the pass they're 71st ranked with 218.6 ypg allowed, 7 TDs, and 5 INTs. For the Canes, their best offensive weapon, junior QB Jacory Harris has hurt them at times this season. He averages 223.8 ypg with 10 TDs and 8 INTs. In the Ohio State game he threw 4 picks and was one of the main reasons they lost the game. Senior WR Leonard Hankerson leads the team in receving ypg (97) and is first in the ACC in receiving TDs (6). Senior RB Damien Berry leads the team in rushing ypg with 81.8, but has only 1 TD. Defensively they're great against the pass as they've only allowed 1 passing TD this season, held QBs to the 2nd lowest passer rating in the nation (84.37), and allowed QBs to complete only 45.8|PERCENT| of their passes. Against the run they rank 43rd with 130.8 ypg and 5 TDs allowed. The last 9 games in this series have been decided by 10 points or less.
8:00 PM ET ABC: USC 4-1 @ #16 Stanford 4-1 (-10) - What's your deal? That's the question Pete Carroll asked Jim Harbaugh last season, after Stanford's 55-21 whipping of USC. One season later and the question might apply to new Trojan's coach Lane Kiffin. They're 116th in passing defense and show no signs of being able to stop anyone. The offense has been productive with sophomore Matt Barkley running things. He's averaging 225.4 ypg passing with 12 TDs and 4 INTs. He leads the Pac-10 in passer rating (163.77) and is 2nd in completion percentage (74.5|PERCENT|). Senior WR Ronald Johnson averages 71.6 ypg receiving and leads the conference in receiving TDs (5). Senior RB Allen Bradford is 4th in the Pac-10 with 100 ypg rushing and 3 TDs. Lane Kiffin's father, Monte, is the defensive coordinator and so far, his cover-2 defense hasn't covered anyone. Last week against Washington, they allowed 311 passing yards, a decent chunk of which came on the game winning drive. The run defense has allowed 4 TDs and 130.8 ypg, which is 44th in the nation. For Stanford, they're coming off a tough 31-52 loss to Oregon. Junior QB Andrew Luck is averaging 250.6 ypg passing with 13 TDs and 4 INTs - numbers fairly close to those of Matt Barkley. Senior WR Doug Baldwin leads the team with 51 ypg receiving and 3 TDs. Sophomore RB Stepfan Taylor has 75.6 ypg rushing with 2 TDs. As a whole, USC actually averages more total ypg offensively than Stanford, which is something that might surprise most people. Defensively, Stanford is 84th against the run with 167 ypg and 8 TDs allowed. Against the pass they're night and day compared to USC, as they're giving up 163 ypg and 4 TDs with 6 INTs, good for 19th nationally. The home team has lost 4 straight in this series.