College Football 2011: 5 Matchups That No One Is Talking About

After an unforgettable second week of the young college football season, fans around the country are coming off the first real adrenaline rush of football since last year.  While last week will be a tough act to follow, Week 3 has a stacked deck of matchups that should keep us on the edge of our seats. 

The eyes of the nation will be focused on Tallahassee this weekend, as the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners travel south to face fifth ranked Florida State.  

While the second matchup of Top Five teams in this young 2011 season will garner the headlines, there are plenty of other games for college football fans to salivate over before the Sooners and 'Noles tangle in prime time.

This weekend's menu provides several intriguing non-conference tilts, as well as another SEC showdown that could put the winner in prime position for a trip to Atlanta in early December.    

Here are five games that no one is talking about, but everyone should!   

5. Auburn at Clemson

If you are seeking to find an exciting game, the Auburn Tigers are not only the reigning National Champions, but they're definitely sitting in the poll position as 2011's version of must see T.V.  

After two consecutive thrilling, yet almost improbable, victories to open the season, Auburn leaves the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium and puts their nation-leading 17 game winning streak on the line with a trip to Death Valley to tangle with the Clemson Tigers.

Last year's contest between these two teams mirrored Auburn's schizophrenic victories this season. 

Facing a 17-0 second quarter deficit at home, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn unleashed quarterback Cam Newton, and he led a furious comeback resulting in a 27-24 overtime victory that served as a springboard to their storybook season.  

Clemson went in the opposite direction, limping to a 6-7 season.  After lackluster performances against Troy and Wofford the first two weeks of the season, head coach Dabo Swinney is hoping for a season-defining victory in this year's battle of Tigers.   

4. West Virginia at Maryland

Two neighboring states. Two schools with new head coaches. Two teams with quarterbacks on the rise. Two teams who desperately want a victory to keep their new regime on the right track. An old rivalry that was renewed a year ago after a two year hiatus.  

There's a lot on the line when West Virginia travels to face Maryland on Saturday. The Mountaineers have won the last five meetings against the Terrapins, including a 31-17 triumph last season over the Terps in Morgantown.  

Randy Edsall is looking for his second signature win in as many chances since taking over in College Park. Upstaging his counterpart, Dana Holgerson, by ending their losing streak against West Virginia would rally the Terps fan base and put them solidly in his corner.  

This matchup will likely turn into a quarterback duel between two young gunslingers in West Virginia's Geno Smith and Maryland's Danny O'Brien.  

3. Tennessee at Florida

This game is used to represent an annual playoff for the right to represent the SEC East.    

Granted, the Vols have fell on hard times recently, and the Gators are undergoing changes of their own under new head coach Will Muschamp, but both teams have looked impressive in their early season action.

The Gators have dominated the series recently, winning the last six meetings by a combined margin of 180-83. Still, with the Gators appearing to be in transition, this season presents the Vols with a golden opportunity to knock off their nemesis.  

Second year head coach Derek Dooley and his Volunteers venture to the Swamp buoyed by a trio of sensational sophomores leading their offense. QB Tyler Bray and WR's Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers have put up PlayStation numbers so far this season.  

The level of competition will significantly increase this weekend against the Gators, whose defense has yet to give up a touchdown this season. Meanwhile, despite the move from the spread offense to a pro-style attack, the offense has piled up some impressive numbers under new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.  

2. Texas at UCLA

Why would a matchup featuring two teams who combined to finish 9-17 a year ago pique anyone’s interest? Well, for starters, it’s a non-conference matchup that could become a conference game sooner than later. But we will save that discussion for another day.

No one expected the fallout from last season’s matchup between these two teams. The Bruins pulled off a stunner in Austin that could be viewed as the boiling point that led to the sweeping changes Texas made in the offseason.  

The ‘Horns are still making changes. Quarterback Garrett Gilbert is no longer the trigger man for Texas.  Sophomore Case McCoy and freshman David Ash will both see action against the Bruins this weekend. 

McCoy and freshman WR Jaxon Shipley pulled off fourth quarter heroics last week against BYU, reminiscent of the ones their older siblings made routine for Mack Brown’s squad years ago. 

Meanwhile, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel’s seat is heating up. Beating Texas in consecutive seasons would boost his team’s confidence and his chances of remaining employed in Westwood.  

1. Ohio State at Miami

There's another huge non-conference prime time tilt in the state of Florida between two of college football's most storied powerhouses.  

With both Miami and Ohio State staring down the barrel of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, this may be the last time we see these two titans of college football share the national spotlight. While the off-field issues cloud the future of both schools, this game may be just as significant as the BCS national title tilt they battled in almost a decade ago.  

Both teams desperately need to win this game to keep hopes alive for a season that had plenty of promise in the cases of both squads.  

For Miami's Al Golden, a win over the Buckeyes would not only satisfy the 'Canes fan base by exacting revenge for their controversial loss in that title game, but in the process, would avoid a disastrous 0-2 start which could derail his tenure in Coral Gables before it gets a chance to take off.

For Ohio State, a loss to an undermanned Miami team would be a huge blow to the team's morale. However, with a win, the Buckeyes would head back to Columbus with plenty of confidence and a great shot to make another run at a Big Ten title.