No. 18 Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State
Oklahoma State and Kansas State have a history of playing tough, close and entertaining games in the past, and this game shouldn’t be any different.
The Cowboys are 6-2 on the year, but should be 7-1 due to Central Michigan’s desperation play at the end of regulation to down the Cowboys, 30-27.
Junior quarterback Mason Rudolph has been playing out of his mind this year. He’s thrown for more than 2,500 yards this year and 17 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Rudolph’s play thus far has been a direct correlation to the Cowboy’s impressive record.
The Wildcats sit at 5-3 on the season, but are a missed field goal in their one-point loss against West Virginia from having the same record as the Cowboys.
Junior quarterback Jesse Ertz has been very productive for the Wildcats. Ertz has thrown for seven touchdowns this year, but like many Bill Snyder quarterbacks before him, thrives in the running game, leading the team with 477 rushing yards and finding the end zone six times.
This Big 12 contest will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 13 LSU
Alabama versus LSU is always a highly anticipated game, and we’ll be in for yet another treat this year.
Alabama has run the table this year, rattling off eight wins to start the year, five of which have been against top-20 teams. The Tide will look to make it six against LSU.
The man behind the Alabama offense has been freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts has thrown for 1,578 yards and 12 touchdowns this year, but that’s not all, as he’s added 521 yards on the ground and a team-leading nine rushing touchdowns. Hurts’ play has been a pleasant surprise to head coach Nick Saban and Alabama fans, as in the preseason nobody was sure who was going to fill the quarterback void.
LSU has dropped two games this year, but only by a combined seven points, and haven’t lost at home this year, as one was a road game loss and the other at a neutral site. The Tigers have won their only game against a ranked team last week, beating No. 23 Ole Miss 38-21.
You would think the star of the LSU offense would be junior running back Leonard Fournette, but it could very well be sophomore running back Derrius Guice. Guice leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns on the year, and is second on the team with 621 rushing yards, but only trails Fournette by 49 yards in that department.
This SEC West contest will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday.
No. 10 Nebraska vs. No. 6 Ohio State
In the only top-10 matchup of the week, we’ll see a game that could have a rematch in the Big 10 Championship game.
Nebraska has nearly been perfect this year, as its only loss occurred last week in a heartbreaker to Wisconsin, 23-17 in overtime.
Look for Nebraska’s receivers to play a big part in this game. There isn’t a breakout star for the Cornhuskers at the wide receiver position, but they have a lot depth with seven receivers with at least 10 receptions on the year. Out of those seven, six have at least 100 receiving yards as well. Senior receiver Jordan Westerkamp leads the team with four receiving touchdowns this year.
Ohio State has taken a few steps back in recent weeks, playing in close ballgames. Two weeks ago, the Buckeyes dropped their only contest of the year to Penn State, 24-21, and escaped last week with a 24-20 win over Northwestern.
Junior quarterback J.T. Barrett has been on another level this year. Barrett has thrown for 1,675 yards this year and 17 touchdowns. He has also shown his dual-threat capability, rushing for 531 yards and is tied for the team lead in rushing touchdowns with six.
This Big 10 battle will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday.
