News: BTB: Another Week Of Battles Between Ranked Squads Awaits College Football Fans

[NewsBot]

This is the time of year when the best in college football go toe to toe with each other. Get ready for another exciting Saturday of action.

#14 Kansas State @ #11 Oklahoma 12:00 PM Eastern ESPN


Saturday kicks off with a pair of ranked Big-12 teams who are in a must-win situation. Both squads have playoff aspirations and both enter Saturday's game with a blemish on their record. The loser will find themselves eliminated from serious championship consideration. The contest will come down to the Sooners ground game, led by the conference's # 2 rusher, Samaje Perine, against the Big-12's top rushing defense. With a season of dreams on the line for both schools, this game should make for a good start to a weekend of football.

#21 Texas A&M @ #7 Alabama 3:30 PM Eastern CBS


Two weeks ago both A&M and Bama invaded Mississippi and both SEC West schools went down to defeat. The difference is that the Crimson Tide rebounded while the Aggies have not. This week Kevin Sumlin's team will look to right the ship when they venture into Tuscaloosa. The Ags face an uphill battle this week, and a third consecutive division loss will relegate them to the bottom of the SEC West. The Tide also need a victory if they hope to keep their division and national championship hopes alive. Expect both squads to be highly motivated.

#15 Oklahoma State @ #12 TCU 4:00 PM Eastern Fox Sports 1


Gary Patterson's Horned Frogs face their third consecutive ranked opponent this week when they host the Cowboys. The Frogs are 1-1 so far, having defeated the then #4 Oklahoma Sooners before losing to the now #4 Baylor Bears the following week. This time around they are hoping to reclaim the momentum against the other team from the other side of the Red River. For their part, OSU will be looking to prove that they belong among the nation's top teams. Following a defeat at the hands of defending national champion Florida State Seminoles, the Cowboys have dominated lesser teams, but they have yet to face a quality opponent.

#5 Notre Dame @ #2 Florida State 8:00 PM Eastern ABC/ESPN3


By all accounts, this should be the game of the week. The only question is will the game live up to the hype? The two schools have a history of great games when they get together on the gridiron, and on paper this looks to be one of the best showdowns in a storied history. At the end of the day, this game will come down to ND's defense being able to shut down last year's Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and the Noles offense. If Florida State is able to find it's groove and exploit the susceptible Irish secondary it will turn into a long night for the visiting team.

#23 Stanford @ #17 Arizona State 10:30 PM Eastern ESPN


Saturday night concludes with a meeting of ranked PAC-12 schools. The Sun Devils have done a stellar job in rebuilding their program over the past few seasons, but one team has always stood in their way, blocking further success: the Stanford Cardinal. This time when the two schools get together there will be something more on the line. Both teams are in contention for their respective division titles and a loss could remove them from having that chance.

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