No. 1 Southern California at No. 9 Notre Dame
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Place: South Bend, Ind.
TV: NBC
Line: USC by 11 1/2
Records: USC 5-0, Notre Dame 4-1
Why to watch: Marquee matchups don’t get any better than this. These are two of the most storied programs in college football. Both feature top-10 offenses led by Heisman-candidate quarterbacks in Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn. The Trojans have shown signs of vulnerability in recent weeks, but they’re still riding a 27-game winning streak. Notre Dame is coming off a bye week and will try to aveenge a 41-10 loss to USC last year.
No. 11 Florida at No. 10 LSU
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Place: Baton Rouge, La.
TV: CBS
Line: LSU by 6
Records: Florida 5-1, LSU 3-1
Why to watch: SEC title hopes could be on the line when these heavyweights meet. The Gators have won 14 of the last 17 games in the series, but it was the Tigers who notched the road victory last year on a last-minute touchdown. Florida quarterback Chris Leak returned to practice on Tuesday after missing most of the past week with a sprained right shoulder.
No. 24 Colorado at No. 2 Texas
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Place: Austin, Texas
TV: ABC
Line: Texas by 17
Records: Colorado 4-1, Texas 5-0
Why to watch: The Longhorns might be glowing after finally beating Oklahoma, but they can’t afford a letdown against Colorado. The Buffaloes, who boast the 11th-ranked scoring defense in the nation, broke into this week’s top 25 after a dominating win over Texas A&M. Colorado is the only team in the Big 12 North without a conference loss. With the Big 12 looking mediocre at the midway point, this could very well be a preview of the conference championship.
No. 19 Louisville at West Virginia
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Place: Morgantown, W.V.
TV: ABC
Line: Louisville by 7
Records: Louisville (4-1), West Virginia (5-1)
Why to watch: This will be the first meeting between the teams since 1993, and it could end up deciding who gets the Big East’s BCS bid. Louisville will try for its first conference win after being surprised by fellow Big East newcomer South Florida on Sept. 24. West Virginia lost freshman running back Jason Gwaltney to a sprained MCL in last week’s victory over Rutgers. Fellow freshman Steve Slaton stepped in and rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Kansas State at No. 13 Texas Tech
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Lubbock, Texas
TV: ABC
Line: Texas Tech by 15
Records: Kansas State (4-1), Texas Tech (5-0)
Why to watch: The Red Raiders lead the country in scoring with 52.6 points per game. They will try for their first 6-0 start since 1998. Wide receiver Joel Filani is the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after catching 11 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns
