Big Saturday Sets Stage in College Football

If you love college football, this Saturday might not be a good day for work or chores. If you love college football, Saturday is one of those days that you look forward to each fall. If you love college football, Saturday is a day to grab a brew or the drink of choice and enjoy the day-long show.

Stanford looks for its first win in South Bend in 18 years (Getty Images) If you love college football, this Saturday might not be a good day for work or chores. If you love college football, Saturday is one of those days that you look forward to each fall. If you love college football, Saturday is a day to grab a brew or the drink of choice and enjoy the day-long show. This Saturday, there are 4 games where both teams are ranked within the top 25 in young season's first weekend of showdowns. This can't be quite classified as a "Separation Saturday", because history proves to us that a loss here doesn't eliminate national or conference title hopes: it only makes the road tougher. So while you have a cold drink with your favorite gridiron fare, here are some matchups and games to keep an eye on:​ Matchups to watch: Michigan QB Denard Robinson vs the Notre Dame DRobinson showed out last week against UConn with 383 yards of offense and a TD running and throwing. Robinson will face a Notre Dame defense that gave up big plays in the run game last year but did an admirable job last week in their victory against Purdue. If Robinson has a game close to last week, the Wolverines will walk out of South Bend with a win. The Irish D has to make Robinson beat them through the air, stop him on those designed QB runs and on third down. Oklahoma RB Demarco Murray vs. the Florida St. Front SevenMurray had a career-best 208 yards and two TDs in the Sooners 31-24 win over Utah State. He will need a big game again this week to open up the passing game with QB Landry Jones and receiver Ryan Broyles. However, the Seminoles are a much faster and better defense than Utah State and even though their opener was against Samford of FCS, they appeared to be more disciplined in their approach than the last few years. If the Seminoles contain Murray, they will force Jones to beat them through the air where an opportunistic Greg Reid and FSU secondary await. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor vs. the Miami DPryor kicked off his Heisman campaign with a three TD performance against Marshall last Thursday. The Miami defensive front has got to control the line of scrimmage to pressure and sack Pryor and stay disciplined with the versatile signal caller when the play breaks outside the pocket. Upset Alert: #7 Oregon @ TennesseeSure, it looks like a mismatch on paper. The game isn't played on paper. Sure, the Ducks won 72-0 over New Mexico last week and could have sat out the entire second half. Sure, Kenjon Barner ran for 172 yards and 4 TDs and caught another in fill-in duty and sophomore sensation RB LaMichael James is coming back off of suspension. Sure, Oregon should roll on Saturday. Don't discount the Vols, although they went through tons of turmoil in the offseason with Lane Kiffen's abrupt departure for USC and a mess of off-the-field troubles. This game will still be in one of the best home-field advantages in all of college football and the Ducks are traveling three time zones to play the underdog Vols. Think that has no bearing? Try asking highly ranked Arizona in 1999 who traveled to State College for their season opener and got crushed 41-7. Ask California who got demolished in a game against a game Maryland squad in 2008 in an early-season matchup in College Park. Better yet, ask the 2006 Cal squad that featured Marshawn Lynch and Deshawn Jackson that came east and got destroyed by the Volunteers. Am I expecting the Vols to win? No. Would I be surprised if they upset the Ducks? Not at all. Neither should you! Big Game Picks As for the matchups for this Big Saturday, I'm going to give it a shot: #22Georgia @ #24 South Carolina Both UGA and South Carolina were victorious in productive openers last week. Georgia freshman QB Aaron Murray threw for three scores and ran for another in the Bulldogs 55-7 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. Gamecocks QB Stephen Garcia threw for 193 yards and ran for two TDs against Southern Miss in their opener and freshman RB Marcus Lattimore added two more. These two teams have had three close meetings in their last three contests including a Georgia victory last year in Athens 41-37 after a late defensive stand. Georgia will still be without star wideout A.J. Green, who sitting because of NCAA violations. Georgia will have to rely on its running game to stay in this game. In Columbia, I think Garcia will make enough plays and the defense will do enough to give the Gamecocks the win. Pick: South Carolina by 6   #12Miami (FL) @ #2 Ohio State The overwhelming matchup in this game to me is the Ohio State offense against the Miami defense. Terrelle Pryor may not face a faster defense this year. Miami QB Jacory Harris has talent on the outside and the Hurricanes will look for some big plays down the field. Ohio State's defense will prove to be the difference and the Buckeyes will get the win. Pick: Ohio State by 10   #17Florida State @ #10 Oklahoma Florida State looked crisp albeit against Samford and Oklahoma needed a late interception to hold off Utah State. Christian Ponder seems to be back in form after last season ended prematurely with a shoulder injury. The Oklahoma defense surrendered 314 yards through the air against Utah State and will need to do a better job against Bert Reed, Taiwan Easterling and Co. Super sophomore Greg Reid and the Seminole defensive backfield will have its hands full containing Ryan Broyles (9 catches, 142 yards and 2 TDs last week) and Demarco Murray is coming off a career-best rushing effort last week. If the 'Noles can neutralize Murray, it will force Landry Jones to beat them through the air. The Seminole defense will play well and walk out of Norman with a close win. Pick: Florida State by 3   #18 PennState @ #1 Alabama This is the big one on Saturday. The Gameday crew will be in Tuscaloosa as these old friends get reacquainted. Though Heisman winner RB Mark Ingram has been ruled out of Saturday's game, Trent Richardson has proven himself more than capable to handle the backfield duties in his absence. Standout freshman Eddie Lacy rushed for 111 yards and two scores in the Tide's opening win against San Jose State. Penn State got off to a slow start in the first half against Youngstown State last week. RB Evan Royster had a very pedestrian day against the Penguins and will be facing a young, but talented Tide defensive front. Penn State freshman QB Robert Bolden performed well in his start in State College. This week, the rookie will be in hostile territory in front of 90,000+ in Tuscaloosa, where he may not be able to hear himself think. Royster has to get going for the Nittany Lions to have a chance and for pressure to be off of his young QBs shoulders. That being said, I think the Tide get a big game on the ground from Richardson and Co., Greg McElroy manages the game well, the defense will stifle Penn State's offense and the Tide roll over Penn State. Pick: Alabama by 14   Enjoy the games, folks. It should be a good weekend.