Stanford (7-0, 5-0 Pac 12) meets USC (6-1, 3-1 Pac 12) in a battle of Pac-12 rivals at the Los Angeles Coliseum. While the Trojans don't have a conference title or bowl game to play for (due to being on NCAA probation), they can spoil Stanford's hopes for an undefeated season. The Cardinal are coming off a dominating blowout of then #22-ranked Washington 65-21. USC upset Notre Dame in South Bend 31-17 behind a dominant running game and strong defensive effort.
Washington meets Stanford in a battle of Pac-12 North division rivals which should begin to separate the pretenders from the contenders at Stanford Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
OK, DraftNasty fans, welcome to Big D’s kitchen. Today we break down a Pac 12 North battle between the Golden Bears and Oregon Ducks. There will be very important implications Thursday night in Eugene, Oregon. The Bears’ next three games are Thursday vs. the Ducks, USC and Utah. They need to win two of these games to keep themselves in bowl contention. Oregon needs this win to stay tied for first place with Stanford in the Pac 12’s North division. The Ducks are looking to extend their nation-leading 18-game home winning streak. Oregon desperately wants to stay spotless in the Pac 12 going into their November showdown vs. Andrew Luck and the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto.
When the Western Michigan Broncos take on the 24th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini this weekend there will be a lot of interesting matchups. All-American candidate Jordan White would present a good test for Illinois junior Terry Hawthorne, but the Broncos' coaching staff may not allow that to happen.
Two of the nation's Top 10 teams face off in a conference matchup which should begin to separate the men from the boys in the Big 12. Oklahoma State could be one of QB Ryan Tannehill's (#17 pictured) biggest hurdles since taking over as the Aggies' starter midway through last season.
The 21st-ranked Auburn Tigers travel to Clemson, SC this Saturday in hopes of maintaining its nation's-best 17-game winning streak. DraftNasty's SEC and ACC correspondents each give keys to the game and align with their conference roots. Auburn RB Michael Dyer (#5 pictured) could pose problems after a torrid start in the season's first two games.
Can the Nittany Lions rebound after last week's loss to Alabama? The Owls haven't beaten the Nittany Lions since 1941, but come into the game with a new head coach in first-year man Steve Addazio. DraftNasty.com will be in Philadelphia this Saturday to cover the MAC/Big Ten showdown.
Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez (#3 pictured) and RB Rex Burkhead (#22 pictured) will try to continue to run the ball effectively vs. Fresno State this weekend. The 10th-ranked Cornhuskers will be just one of eight Top Ten teams in action this weekend. We take a look at some key components of each matchup.
Georgia's Brandon Boykin (#2 pictured), one of the nation's best kickoff returners, will also present a challenge to Boise State QB Kellen Moore this Saturday in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic in the Georgia Dome.
Last season, the conference featured the exploits of the exciting Jerrel Jernigan and FIU's T.Y. Hilton. While Hilton returns for his senior year, he may take a step behind two dynamic running backs. North Texas stalwart Lance Dunbar (#5 pictured) and Western Kentucky RB Bobby Rainey are two of the nation's best at their position. We look for those two firestarters to set the pace for the Sun Belt in 2011.
