West Virginia, Texas meet in top-15 matchup
No. 8 West Virginia @ No. 11 Texas, 7 p.m., Fox
The Mountaineers defeated Baylor in a showdown of high-powered offenses last week, outpacing the Bears 70-63 on the strength of 656 passing yards and eight touchdowns from quarterback Geno Smith. West Virginia just moved from the Big East to the Big 12 this season, but with that win, it already set a record for the highest-scoring game in Big 12 history. The Longhorns have a dominant offense of their own, scoring at least 37 points in each of their four wins this season. They defeated Oklahoma State in dramatic fashion last week, when a touchdown from sophomore running back Joe Bergeron gave them a 41-36 lead with just 29 seconds left in the game. This Big 12 showdown will likely come down to which offense can put points on the board more quickly, although the Longhorns’ defense has averaged 21 points against this season compared to 32.5 for the Mountaineers.
No. 24 Northwestern @ Penn State, noon, ESPN
Northwestern earned a national ranking after improving its record to 5-0 with a 44-29 win over Indiana last week. Junior quarterback Kain Colter ran for 161 yards to lead the Wildcats to a school-record 704 yards of offense, and the defense held Indiana scoreless in the first half. But Penn State comes into this game after a dominant performance of its own, winning 35-7 at Illinois for its third straight victory. The Nittany Lions’ defense also had a shutout going into the third quarter. When these two teams met last season, Penn State came out on top by a score of 34-24, but the Nittany Lions relied on a career-high 164 yards from tailback Silas Redd, who left the program in the wake of its offseason scandals. This is the 16th game between the programs, with Penn State leading the all-time series 12-3.
No. 23 Washington @ No. 2 Oregon, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Oregon has scored at least 42 points in all five of its wins this season, most recently dominating Washington State 51-26 on the strength of a 21-point third quarter. The Ducks’ defense held Washington State to -8 rushing yards but struggled to stop the passing game, allowing 410 yards in the air. The Huskies travel to Oregon after an upset win against Stanford last Thursday, coming back from a 13-3 deficit late in the third quarter. Sophomore running back Bishop Sankey had a 61-yard run for a touchdown as time expired in the third, and junior quarterback Keith Price connected with sophomore wide receiver Kasen Williams with less than five minutes to play to give Washington the victory. But the Huskies struggled when they faced then–No. 3 LSU earlier this season, losing 41-3. They will rely on their defense to stop Oregon’s high-powered offense if they are to notch another upset win.
No. 21 Nebraska @ No. 12 Ohio State, 8 p.m., ABC
Ohio State is still undefeated after a narrow victory over conference rival Michigan State. The Buckeyes won 17-16 last week behind 179 passing yards and 136 rushing yards from quarterback Braxton Miller. Nebraska (4-1) barely scraped by Wisconsin last Saturday, trailing 27-10 before scoring 20 unanswered points in the final 25 minutes of the game. It tied for the second-largest comeback in program history, with the largest coming against the Buckeyes last year. After scoring just six points in the first half of their 2011 matchup, Nebraska held Ohio State to one touchdown while scoring 28 points of its own over the final two quarters. Nebraska has one of the strongest running games in the country this season, averaging more than 305 yards per game, and the Buckeyes will need to shut down the duo of Ameer Abdullah and Rex Burkhead to keep their unblemished record.
No. 17 Oklahoma @ Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2/ABC
Texas Tech is still undefeated but is entering a five-week stretch where it will play five ranked teams. The Red Raiders held Iowa State to 189 yards in their 24-13 win last week, and their defense has not allowed more than 14 points this season. But the opponents they’ve faced, which include Northwestern State and Texas State, are nowhere near the level of competition Texas Tech will face in coming weeks. Oklahoma has played only three games this season, taking its first loss against Kansas State two weeks ago. Quarterback Landry Jones, who bypassed the NFL draft for a chance at a championship at Oklahoma, had a fumble and an interception that led to a scoring drive for Kansas State. Texas Tech had an unlikely win over Oklahoma last season, snapping the Sooners’ 39-game home winning streak at Owen Field. While this is the Red Raiders’ first major test of the season, another mistake-ridden performance by Jones may give them a chance for another upset.