Five Games to Watch This Weekend (Besides OSU/USC)

If there's one thing in life that I hate, it's over-hype. Whether it's rave reviews for a movie, or a friend's enthusiastic endorsement of a political candidate, I am always cautious when it comes to jumping on the bandwagon of the next great thing. The same applies for my life when it comes to college football.

Now don't get me wrong: Ohio State/USC has the potential to be a classic game. After all, it isn't often that two top five teams meet each other during the season. However, I will not be tuning in to the game this Saturday.

For those of you who are like me and don't really want to focus solely on the "biggest game," here are five games that might prove just as entertaining.

All games are Saturday unless otherwise noted.

No. 16 Oregon at Purdue: 3:30 ET on ABC-R

This game has all the trappings of a good old-fashioned shootout. Oregon comes in having outscored opponents 110-34 in its first two games against Washington and Utah State and is the top ranked offense in college football.

They also have a potential gamebreaker in the running game in RB Jeremiah Johnson, who is averaging over 10 yards a carry and has two scores on the young season.

Purdue counters with an offense that notched over 400 yards in its first game, combining a deft rushing attack with a passing game that garnered nearly 300 yards. QB Curtis Painter has racked up nearly 4,000 passing yards in each of the past two seasons, and he will look to continue to inflict damage on the Ducks.

No. 3 Oklahoma at Washington: 7:45 ET on ESPN

The Sooners come into this contest averaging nearly 55 points a game.  Sam Bradford has thrown for nearly 600 yards and seven TDs in his first two games this year, and DeMarco Murray has rushed for 212 yards and three scores as well.

Their defense, however, is coming off a bit of a letdown when they allowed 26 points to a lackluster Cincinnati team in Norman last Saturday.

The Huskies are coming off a heartbreaking loss to BYU last Saturday, and their task does not get any easier.  This is their third straight game against a ranked opponent to start off the campaign.

If Jake Locker passes for his average yardage in this game (175.5 a game this season) it is unlikely that Washington will be able to out-slug the Sooners.  It should be interesting to see how they rebound from that tough loss, however.

No. 2 Georgia at South Carolina: 3:30 ET on CBS

The Bulldogs will leave the comforts of Athens to travel to SC for this clash of teams looking to set the tone in the SEC.  Knowshon Moreno has rushed for six TDs in the first two games, setting himself up as an early Heisman candidate.  Matthew Stafford has also thrown for 488 yards and four scores in the two games to compliment the tenacious running attack.

Georgia will be looking for revenge for SC's upset win last season and will also try not to look ahead to next week's showdown with the Sun Devils in Tempe.

The Gamecocks are coming off their lackluster loss against Vanderbilt last week in Nashville.  The offense looked flat, and the defense had a defeatist attitude against the energetic Commodores.

Steve Spurrier will look to rally the troops to defend their home turf, and to perhaps dispel doubts about his job security with the Gamecocks, who are only averaging 345 yards of total offense through the first two weeks against some pretty easy competition.

No. 10 Wisconsin at No. 21 Fresno State: 10:30 ET on ESPN 2

The Badgers have something to prove in this game as they scuffled a bit in their home victories against Akron and Marshall.  They are averaging 483 yards per game as an offense, but anyone who watched the first halves of their games would dispute the notion that this team is bulletproof, especially outside of Camp Randall.

On the bright side, P.J. Hill has rushed for nearly 500 yards and four scores in the first two games of the season, highlighting a vicious rushing attack that should prove an interesting test for the Bulldogs.

Fresno State has only one win against a Big Ten opponent, and that happened to be a victory over Wisconsin in 2001.  They have only played one game this season, traveling to the opposite coast to defeat Rutgers 24-7.  This team has an extremely balanced attack, with 206 yards rushing and 216 yards passing in that game.

Maintaining composure and an effective gameplan will be the order of the day if the Bulldogs are to defend their home turf against the favored Badgers.

No. 13 Kansas at No. 19 South Florida: 8:00pm ET on ESPN 2 (Friday)

This battle features two teams who are hoping to be among those to crash the BCS party this season.  Kansas won the Orange Bowl last season and is looking for a return trip representing the Big 12 this season.

The Jayhawks are frequently criticized as a team who can't go on the road and win the big game.  Todd Reesing will take his 668 yards and six TDs into Tampa to take on the Bulls.

South Florida is off to a quick 2-0 start, including a thrilling 31-24 overtime win against UCF last week.  QB Matt Grothe has passed for 442 yards and five TDs in his first two games, and the Bulls will rely on his arm and the running of Moise Plancher to make a statement against a BCS school early in the year.

If they can win this game, they have a fairly easy schedule ahead and could enter the final week against West Virginia as odds-on favorites to secure a BCS berth.

As you can see, the college football plate is full of great matchups, intriguing story lines, and as always, a lot of potential for big statements by lesser-known teams.  Enjoy the games and the company of your friends.