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DALLAS: Prior to the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns on October 7, 2023 at … [+] Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas Texas. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Three top 25 matchups, including the Red River Rivalry in Dallas between Texas and Oklahoma, are on tap for the second Saturday in October.
Though it does not mean as much with a 12-team playoff, there could be a shuffle at the top depending on how the Longhorns fare against the Sooners. That’s because there is a No. 2 vs. No. 3 showdown in the Big Ten and, speaking of the Big Ten, Penn State travels across the country to play USC in Los Angeles for the first time in 33 years. The game in Baton Rouge will be pretty good, too.
Saturday, Oct. 12
No. 1/1 Texas (5-0/1-0 SEC) at No. 18T/16 Oklahoma (4-1/1-1 SEC) | 3:30 EST ABC (Dallas)
The Red River Rivalry rarely lacks for drama. The storyline going into this year’s matchup is UT quarterback Quinn Ewers’ expected return to action for the top-ranked Longhorns after missing the last two-plus games since he was injured (oblique) September 14 against UTSA.
After struggling in a September 21 loss to visiting Tennessee, Oklahoma’s sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold was benched in favor of true freshman and Dallas native Michael Hawkins, Jr. It was Hawkins who was at the controls in a 27-21 win at Auburn to close out September prior to last week’s bye.
This will be the 120th meeting between the schools, with OU leading 63-51-5. The Sooners have won 11 of the last 15.
No. 2/2 Ohio State (5-0/2-0 Big Ten) at No. 3/3 Oregon (5-0/2-0 Big Ten) | 7:30 EST NBC
It is this type of matchup fans envisioned when the Big Ten absorbed four Pac-12 teams. Depending on how Texas fares against Oklahoma, the winner would move into the top spot. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who leads the country with a 77.8 completion percentage, will lead Oregon against an Ohio State defense that is tops in the land. Jim Knowles’ unit has allowed all of 34 points, or a shade below seven per game. The Buckeyes have recorded 17 sacks.
The Buckeyes have not been too shabby offensively, either. Their 46 points per game are fourth nationally with Will Howard enjoying life in Columbus so far having thrown 12 touchdown passes. Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins and Treveon Henderson are combining to average about eight yards per rush.
The Buckeyes have won nine of 10 previous meetings. The Ducks’ lone win was the most recent matchup, 35-28 in 2021 at the Horseshoe.
No. 4/5 Penn State (5-0/2-0 Big Ten) at USC (3-2/1-2) | 3:30 EST CBS
James Franklin’s team is the only one in the FBS to start 5-0 each of the last four seasons. They went 6-0 last year before losing to Ohio State. The Nittany Lions have ascended into the top five thanks largely to ball security (three turnovers) and a defense allowing 11.4 points per game. Abdul Carter, who made the move from linebacker to end this season, is second in the Big Ten with eight tackles for loss.
The Trojans have been bitten by the turnover bug in Big Ten play as eight of their nine turnovers have come in the last three games, all conference tilts.
USC leads the series 6-4. Four of the previous 10 meetings were bowl games, including the most recent matchup in the Rose Bowl following the 2016 season. The last regular season meeting was at Giants Stadium in 2000 and the last time the teams met at the Coliseum was 1991, a 21-10 win for the home team.
South Carolina (3-2/1-2 SEC) at No. 7/7 Alabama (4-1/1-1 SEC) | Noon EST ABC
It has been rare in recent years that the Crimson Tide have had to rebound from a loss to an unranked foe. Last week’s defeat at Vandy was their first to a team outside the top 25 since 2021 at Texas A&M. Prior to that, it was 2007 against Louisiana-Monroe, their third such defeat in Nick Saban’s initial season (7-6) in Tuscaloosa. The others were at Mississippi State and versus Florida State. The Gamecocks lost at Ole Miss last week, 27-3, with a healthy LaNorris Seller back at quarterback.
This will be the 16th meeting between the teams, which last met in 2019. Alabama leads the series 11-4. The Tide won the first 10 meetings (1937-2000) and outscored the Gamecocks 286-50 with five shutouts.
No. 9/8 Ole Miss (5-1/1-1 SEC) at No. 13/10 LSU (4-1/1-0 SEC) | 7:30 EST ABC
There will be much pomp and circumstance in Baton Rouge on Saturday evening as more than 100 former LSU players will participate in a pregame ceremony commemorating 100 years of Tiger Stadium. The matchup will mark the 113th between the schools with the first game played in Baton Rouge in 1894. The teams have met annually since 1945, and the Tigers lead the series 65-43-4.
Lane Kiffin’s team rebounded nicely from its 20-17 loss to Kentucky by rolling past South Carolina (27-3) last week for the coach’s 100th win. The Rebels are allowing only 7.5 points per game to rank third nationally. Pete Golding’s defense is averaging 10.5 TFLs per game to lead the nation and its four sacks per contest – DE Jared Ivey has five — is tied for third. Meanwhile, Jackson Dart (second nationally in passing yards) and the nation’s leading receiver, Tre Harris (885 yards), continue to make for an exciting combo.
Going up against the Ole Miss defense will be a tall order for Garrett Nussmeier and the Bengal Tigers’ offense. The first-year starting quarterback is averaging 330 yards passing per game and has 15 TD passes rank fifth nationally in both categories. He will need help from a running game that, for the most part, has been rather pedestrian. Freshman Caden Durham is coming off a huge game (217 yards on 10 touches) against South Alabama and could prove to be a spark the rest of the way. LSU is coming off a bye.
No. 18T/No. 19 Kansas State (4-1/1-1) at Colorado (4-1/2-0) | 10:15 EST ESPN
Colorado could – could – crack the top 25 with a win. They enter the week receiving votes in both polls, though small in numbers. Both teams were off last week and both teams had impressive wins to close out September. The Wildcats rebounded from a 38-9 pounding at BYU by besting Oklahoma State by three touchdowns while the Buffaloes were impressive every which way in a 48-21 victory at UCF.
It should be an entertaining quarterback matchup with Shedeur Sanders and Avery Johnson. Sanders is averaging 326 yards passing per game to rank seventh nationally and his favorite target, Travis Hunter, is third with 9.2 receptions per game. Johnson does not have the numbers through the air, but is averaging 7.3 yards per rush. That is the same hefty mark as running back DJ Giddens, who is seventh nationally with 120 yards rushing per game. Conversely, the running game has not been productive (80 yards per game) for Colorado.
The teams have met 66 times, though not since 2010 when Colorado was previously in the Big 12 before joining the Pac-12. CU leads 45-20-1.
Cal (3-2/0-2 ACC) at No. 22/24 Pitt (5-0/1-0 ACC) | 3:30 EST ESPN
You have to hand it to Justin Wilcox’s team. The Golden Bears have played a strong brand of football amid a travel itinerary that has taken them to Auburn, Florida State and, Saturday, Pitt in the space of five weeks. Now, if they had just closed out undefeated Miami last week after leading by 20 in the fourth quarter. Getting over the sting of that setback has surely not been easy, though they need to do so rather quickly in facing a Pitt team that is seeking its first 6-0 start since 1982 under Foge Fazio.
The Panthers, who won their ACC opener at North Carolina last week, appear to have put an end to what was a revolving door at quarterback in the two years since Kenny Pickett went to the NFL. Former Alabama signal caller Eli Holstein’s 15 touchdown passes are tied for fifth nationally and his 313 passing yards per game are eighth.
The teams met five times between 1955 and 1966 with the Panthers leading 3-2.
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