This week has multiple games with potential national championship implications as well as conference title implications. Here is what you should be looking out for this weekend.
No. 5 Florida State (5-0, 3-0 ACC) vs. No. 3 Clemson (6-0, 4-0 ACC)
This is a no-brainer with national title implications. It’s also a game that will likely see a lot of points scored. The Seminoles have the country’s fourth ranked offense while Clemson’s offense is ranked 13th. Redshirt freshman quarterback sensation Jameis Winston leads the Florida State attack, completing 73 percent of his passes for 1441 yards and 17 touchdowns while tossing only two interceptions. Winston’s counterpart, Clemson redshirt senior quarterback Tajh Boyd, conducts the Tigers’ offense. Boyd has passed for more yards than Winston (1783) but fewer touchdowns (15). The winner of this game will put itself in prime contention for a shot at the national title should No. 1 Alabama or No. 2 Oregon lose.
No. 9 UCLA (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) vs. No. 13 Stanford (5-1, 3-1 Pac-12)
The Bruins take their highest ranking since 2005 into their third matchup with the Cardinal in the last 10 months. It’s hard to find a weakness in the Bruins as they rank in the top 20 in scoring offense, scoring defense, rushing yards and passing yards. Leading UCLA is redshirt sophomore quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Brett Hundley, who has thrown for 1469 yards and 12 touchdowns. Hundley has also rushed for 260 yards and another three scores.
The Cardinal are looking to extend their 12-game home winning streak, and it will be in the hands of junior quarterback Kevin Hogan to help them do so. On the year, Hogan has passed for 1178 yards and 12 touchdowns.
No. 22 Florida (4-2, 3-1 SEC) vs. No. 14 Missouri (6-0, 2-0 SEC)
The Tigers won the biggest game of their brief time in the SEC when they upset then-No. 7 Georgia earlier this season. The bad news is that Missouri lost starting senior quarterback James Franklin for three to five weeks, leaving the Tigers’ undefeated record in the hands of redshirt freshman Maty Mauk. The redshirt freshman will have his work cut out for him facing the Gators’ third-ranked defense, which allows only 235.3 yards per game.
Small School Game of the Week: UNLV (4-2, 2-0 Mountain West) vs. No. 17 Fresno State (5-0, 2-0 MWC):
While these aren’t necessarily the smallest schools in the world, it’s the best game among teams from non-automatic qualifying conferences. Fresno State redshirt senior quarterback Derek Carr can really throw the ball around the field and ranks second nationally in passing yards per game with 372.8. Carr also has the Bulldogs scoring 47.4 points per game. While the Fresno State does its damage through the air, the Runnin' Rebels do theirs on the ground. UNLV senior running back Tim Cornett has 660 rushing yards so far, good enough for 14th nationally.
