College Football Predictions: Handful of Games to Keep Your Eye on

Before you sit down with your family for a hefty feast on Thanksgiving and prepare yourself for some good NFL games, don't forget to tune in this weekend for a great selection of games to watch.

There aren't a lot of big rivalry games, and few games this weekend have conference title implications, but that doesn't mean you should find something else to do on Saturday.

These games should be at the top of your list to either tune into or simply watch the ticker at the bottom of the screen. Whether you want offensive explosions, dominating defenses or rich pageantry, this weekend in college football has it all.

Texas Tech vs. Missouri

The game doesn't mean much in Big 12 standings but it should be an exciting contest between two offenses that score against defenses that can't stop anyone from scoring.

Texas Tech failed to use the momentum they gained from beating Oklahoma and have dropped three-straight games.

Missouri has alternated wins and losses since their victory against Iowa Sate on Oct. 15.

Honestly, I'm tired of hearing ESPN analysts every week say, "Missouri is a dangerous team," when there's nothing to warrant such a claim.

However, it will be interesting to see how the team performs without head coach, Gary Pinkel, who's been suspended for this week's game.

Miami vs. South Florida

This game doesn't mean much in the standings for either team. Both South Florida and Miami have struggled in their respective conferences and are simply competing to be bowl-eligible by the end of the season.

What is important in this game is how it impacts recruiting. Ever since its creation, South Florida has been struggling to recruit in the state of Florida. The "Big Three"—Florida, Florida State, and Miami—all fight vigorously for high school prospects in the state.

The state of Florida has long been considered a hotbed of talent for college football teams and top level recruits are hard to come by for a smaller school like South Florida.

With a win against a struggling Miami team, South Florida can gain ground on the "Big Three" and make their own mark for the recruiting trails in Florida.

No. 4 Oregon vs. USC

Can Matt Barkley and USC ruin the BCS chances of Oregon?

The Trojans came a few plays short of upsetting the Stanford Cardinals weeks before the Oregon Ducks trounced them. Barkley and Co. will have another shot at upsetting a top 10 team Saturday night.

Oregon likely has too much firepower on offense for the Trojans to contend with but that's what we thought when USC faced off against Stanford.

Barkley can put up the points but he's going to need the defense to stop LaMichael James and Darron Thomas from reaching the end-zone every series.

No. 13 Kansas State vs. No 23 Texas

After Texas' loss against Missouri, head coach Mack Brown said, "We just didn't play well."

Well Mack, the Texas Longhorns haven't played well since 2009.

The rebuilding years keep adding on and Longhorns fans have to be growing impatient. A win against No. 13 Kansas State would get the program back in the right direction.

It won't be easy, as the Wildcats boast the 22nd best rushing attack in the nation.

One of these programs will assert themselves as the best Big 12 team outside Oklahoma. Who wants it more?

No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 22 Baylor

Ever since their loss against Texas Tech, the Oklahoma Sooners have looked like a team possessed.

They destroyed then No. 8 ranked Kansas State and handled Texas A&M in consecutive weeks. Now they face a new challenge.

Robert Griffin III of Baylor is impossible to gameplan for. He can beat you with both his arm and his leg, so for defensive coordinators, it turns into a case of what one do they want to stop.

The Oklahoma defense has the playmakers to stop Griffin but this game could turn into an offensive shootout if the Sooners defense struggles early.

No. 6 Arkansas vs. Mississippi State

The Mississippi State Bulldogs have been one of the more pleasant surprises in the SEC this year. They haven't won a lot of games and haven't beaten anyone of note.

But what the Bulldogs have done is play tough. Top ranked teams like LSU and Alabama struggled to put up 19 and 24 points, respectively.

Arkansas, meanwhile, has been thrashing opponents left and right. The Razorbacks feature one of the most high powered offenses and have scored 30 points in every game but two so far this season.

This will be a case of who wins between a good offense and a good defense.

No. 21 Penn State vs. Ohio State

Throughout all the turmoil at Penn State this year, the Nittany Lions still could be playing in the Big Ten title at season's end.

The team was no doubt an emotional wreck for their game against Nebraska last week and it doesn't get any easier as the team travels to Columbus, OH for a game against the Buckeyes.

Penn State will need to win in Columbus (something they've historically struggled with) in order to prove to the nation and to themselves that they can persevere and win in a hostile environment.

They're going to need that confidence if they want to defeat No. 17 Wisconsin in a Big Ten title-eliminator game next week.

No. 16 Nebraska vs. No. 18 Michigan

Besides being one of the few games between ranked opponents, this matchup has major Big Ten title implications.

Michigan has an outside chance of making it to the title game depending on what Michigan State does and if they win out.

Nebraska needs to beat Michigan along with Iowa and hope for a Michigan State loss, which would send the Cornhuskers to the inaugural Big Ten title game as a result of them beating the Spartans earlier in the year.

Both Taylor Martinez and Denard Robinson have fallen way short of expectations we've set for them before the season began. Which QB will lead their team to victory in a pivotal Big Ten contest?