GAMES OF THE WEEK:

NO. 19 TEXAS CHRISTIAN (1-0) AT NO. 7 TEXAS (1-0)

Texas Christian coach Gary Patterson has demanded respect for his program from the national media and fans since taking over six years ago. Saturday will be his best chance to prove that the Horned Frogs deserve it.

Texas Christian looked much better in its first game of the season than Texas did. The Horned Frogs’ defense dictated the pace of a 27-0 win against Baylor.

Texas was nearly upset by Arkansas State before they recovered an onside kick to ensure a 21-13 victory. But Arkansas State still gained 397 total yards on the Longhorn defense, a troubling number for Texas fans.

It’s still unannounced whether Horned Frog standout defensive end Tommy Blake will return from injury for Saturday’s game. Texas Christian will need him to apply pressure on Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

MIAMI (Fla.) (1-0) AT NO. 5 OKLAHOMA (1-0)

There are a few reasons why diehard college football fans will love this game.

First, it pairs two tradition-rich programs against each other. Miami and Oklahoma combined have 12 national championships.

Second, the game will likely be filled with bruising hits and smash-mouth football. Oklahoma has one of the best defensive backfields in the nation with juniors Reggie Smith and Nic Harris flying across the field. Miami is strong on defense too with Kenny Phillips and junior Randy Phillips waiting to deliver pulverizing hits.

Sooner freshman running back DeMarco Murray rushed for five touchdowns against North Texas. Hurricane freshman running back Graig Cooper rushed for 116 yards against Marshall.

NO. 16 NEBRASKA (1-0) AT WAKE FOREST (0-1)

Nebraska’s rushing yards in its first game: 413.

Wake Forest’s rushing yards in its first game: 2.

Cornhusker running back Marlon Lucky leads the nation in rushing after one week with 233 yards. The Demon Deacons must find a way to establish the run Saturday.

Nebraska’s one weakness is its rush defense because its defensive line is inexperienced. Wake Forest, last season’s ACC champions, will also be forced to run the ball more because sophomore-starting quarterback Riley Skinner will miss the game after separating his shoulder.

Sophomore quarterback Brett Hodges will fill in and faces a daunting task throwing against Nebraska cornerbacks Zackary Bowman and Andre Jones.

NO. 9 VIRGINIA TECH (1-0) AT NO. 2 LOUISIANA STATE (1-0)

There are a couple of key match-ups to keep an eye on in this game.

The Hokies had the top-ranked defense in the nation going into bowl season last year, but the Tigers roster is full of offensive playmakers. Louisiana State wide receiver Early Doucet is one of the nation’s best and is complimented by a group of three competent but distinct running backs.

Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon has a tendency to turn the ball over. He will be facing a Louisiana State defense that had no fewer than six interceptions in its first game. The Tigers’ defense, led by senior linebacker Ali Highsmith and senior cornerback Jonathon Zenon, may be the fastest in the nation.

SOUTH CAROLINA (1-0) AT NO. 11 GEORGIA (1-0)

This is the first of what will prove to be many great games in the Southeastern Conference this season.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was appalled with his team’s 28-14 win over a weak Louisiana-Lafayette team. Gamecock’s senior quarterback Blake Mitchell will return from academic suspension to play in Athens, Ga.

The Gamecocks have other concerns, though. They gave up 252 rushing yards in their first game and now play the Bulldogs, a team with two great running backs. Georgia redshirt freshman running back Knowshon Moreno gained more than 120 all-purpose yards against Oklahoma State.

OTHER GAMES:

Missouri (1-0) at Mississippi (1-0)

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns against Illinois. But how will he handle playing in front of an intense Southeastern Conference crowd?

Colorado (1-0) at Arizona State (1-0)

The Sun Devils are enthusiastic about new coach Dennis Erickson, but the Buffaloes are enthusiastic about new quarterback Cody Hawkins, their coach’s son.

San Jose State (0-1) at Kansas State (0-1)

The Wildcats return to Manhattan after a devastating loss to the Auburn Tigers. The Spartans did nothing well in a 45-3 loss to Arizona State.

Fresno State (1-0) at Texas A&M (1-0)

The Aggies compiled more than 250 rushing yards against Montana State. But Fresno State’s rushing defense should provide a little more resistance.

University of Texas El-Paso (1-0) at Texas Tech (1-0)

Miners quarterback Trevor Vittatoe struggled to throw for 59 yards in his first game. Red Raiders quarterback Graham Harrell threw for 416 yards with ease in his first game.

Florida Atlantic (1-0) at Oklahoma State (0-1)

Florida Atlantic is the only Sun Belt Conference team to win its opening game. Oklahoma State will look to bounce back from a disappointing performance against Georgia.

Northern Iowa (1-0) at Iowa State (0-1)

Northern Iowa will try to follow in fellow-FCS power Appalachian State’s footsteps and beat an FBS program. The Panthers have a much easier task as the Cyclones couldn’t even overcome Kent State last weekend.

Marshall (0-1) at No. 3 West Virginia (1-0)

The Thundering Herd gave up more than 200 rushing yards to Miami’s combination of Graig Cooper and Javarris James last week. Things won’t get easier this week as they face West Virginia’s Pat White and Steve Slaton.

Troy (0-1) at No. 4 Florida (1-0)

The Trojans played right with the Arkansas Razorbacks for the first half last week. This week, they’ll try to hang in for a full game with another SEC opponent.

No. 5 Wisconsin (1-0) at University of Nevada-Las Vegas (1-0)

The Rebels held the Utah State Aggies to 237 yards total offense last week. The Badgers will be a tougher opponent with quarterback Tyler Donovan and running back P.J Hill.

Akron (1-0) at No. 12 Ohio State (1-0)

New Buckeye quarterback Todd Boeckman was impressive in his first start, throwing for 225 yards. But the games get increasingly tougher and that starts this week against the Zips.

Brigham Young (1-0) at No. 13 UCLA (1-0)

Cougar wide receiver Harvey Unga had 127 yards in his first game. Bruin defensive back Chris Horton will be waiting for him this week, though.

Notre Dame (0-1) at No. 14 Penn State (1-0)

Refusing to formally announce a starting quarterback didn’t go so well for Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis last week. This week, he’s already announced freshman phenom Jimmy Clausen will be under center.

No. 22 Boise State (1-0) at Washington (1-0)

Washington believes it can be the team to snap Boise State’s 15-game winning streak. The Broncos will count on senior defensive back Marty Tadman to lead the defense against an explosive Huskies offense.

Oregon (1-0) at Michigan (0-1)

The Wolverines are forced to abandon their goals of a national championship. But all it should think about right now are the up-and-coming Ducks to avoid another loss in Ann Arbor, Mich.

— Edited by Jeff Briscoe