Southern Cal, Stanford meet in primetime 
No. 2 Southern Cal @ No. 21 Stanford, 7:30 p.m., Fox
The USC Trojans have established themselves as the team to beat in 2012, not only in the Pac-12 conference but quite possibly the entire NCAA. Quarterback Matt Barkley remains the frontrunner for the Heisman trophy and has tossed 10 touchdown passes in just two games. The Trojans have had a field day throwing to wide receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, who each have four touchdown receptions already. Meanwhile, the Stanford Cardinal is a team clinging to its Top 25 ranking and struggling to cope with the loss of superstar quarterback Andrew Luck, the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft and now a member of the Indianapolis Colts. The Cardinal nearly fell flat on its face in Week 1, sneaking a win by San Jose State 20-17 thanks to a gritty performance from senior running back Stepfan Taylor. Despite a blowout win over Duke last week, the 2012 Stanford team appears to be a mere shell of its 2011 squad.
Wake Forest @ No. 5 Florida State, noon, ESPN
Every year, it seems Florida State is incapable of walking away with a comfortable victory against the Demon Deacons. Despite being favored in each of the last six meetings between the teams, the Seminoles have won only two of those games. In fact, the last three wins Wake Forest has against Top 25 teams have come at the Seminoles’ expense. This year, the game is in Tallahassee and will feature a different FSU offense than the one defeated last year in Winston-Salem,N.C. This time, the Seminoles will have a healthy E.J. Manuel at the helm of an offense favored by 70.5 last week over Savannah State, the largest spread in college football history. And the spread could have easily been covered had the game not been called due to inclement weather at the start of the third quarter with the Seminoles leading 55-0. Despite a shaky opener against Liberty, Wake Forest rallied in Week 2 en route to a 28-27 victory over North Carolina. If history is any indication, the Demon Deacons always have a shot against the Seminoles, but they will have their hands full in this one.
North Carolina @ No. 19 Louisville, 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Tar Heels lost a 28-27 heartbreaker last week to Wake Forest after quarterback Bryn Renner threw an interception in the midst of a potential game-winning drive with just more than a minute left. This week, they face a vastly improved Louisville team under the direction of coach Charlie Strong. Strong’s Cardinals have started the 2012 season well, with convincing wins over Kentucky and Missouri State. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been effective for the Cardinals thus far, completing an impressive 81.7 percent of his passes. Louisville is certainly a program on the rise in the Big East, while North Carolina is in the early stages of its own rebuilding process under new head coach Larry Fedora. On the road in a hostile environment, the Tar Heels will need an improved performance from Renner if they want to escape Cardinal Stadium with the upset victory.
No. 20 Notre Dame @ No. 10 Michigan State,
8 p.m., ABC
If there is one thing Notre Dame will be able to call itself at the end of the year, it’s battle-tested. The Fighting Irish have a brutal schedule from here on out, featuring six ranked opponents, starting with Michigan State this Saturday. When starting quarterback Everett Golson went down with an injury last week late in the fourth quarter with the game tied 17-17 against Purdue, troubled backup Tommy Rees, fresh off a one-game suspension after a scuffle with police at a party this summer, emerged from the bench. Rees led a two-minute drill resulted in a game winning-field goal and a 20-17 Notre Dame victory. However, despite his late game heroics, head coach Brian Kelly assured the media that Golson, not Rees, would be starting this week. Meanwhile, Michigan State blew out an overmatched Central Michigan team 41-7, only a week after a 17-13 win over then-No. 24 Boise State. Junior running back Le’Veon Bell has emerged as an early season Heisman candidate, carrying the load of the Spartan offense while quarterback Andrew Maxwell settles in as the new starter since the departure of Kirk Cousins.
Virginia @ Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
It is safe to say that had it not been for Penn State kicker Sam Ficken’s inability to kick the ball through the uprights last week, the Virginia Cavaliers would not be undefeated right now. Ficken put on a sad but entertaining display of what not to do as a kicker, missing four of his five attempted field goals last Saturday, including a 42-yarder as time expired that would have won Penn State the game. Instead, Virginia escaped with a 17-16 victory after a lackluster performance on its home turf. This week, the Cavaliers head to Atlanta to face ACC opponent Georgia Tech. Unlike Ficken, Georgia Tech’s kicker, David Scully, is perfect on the year. But in all aspects of the game, the Yellow Jackets will be a much more formidable opponent than what the Cavaliers have faced thus far. Head coach Paul Johnson’s option offense is always tricky to defend and even had 16th-ranked Virginia Tech on the ropes in week one. However, Georgia Tech ended up losing an overtime heartbreaker to the Hokies. Senior quarterback Tevin Washington is the centerpiece of the Yellow Jacket offense, as he leads the team in both passing and rushing this season. Virginia will have to rely on more than luck and inept kickers this week if it wants to come out of Bobby Dodd Stadium with a win.