Must-See Games This Week: Texas-Oklahoma Still Tops The List

October 13, 2017 by Rich Cirminiello, Maxwell Football Club, and CFP Staff

Four of this week's must-see games include an ACC battle for supremacy in the Coastal division, an SEC Western division tussle between 2 of the 3 teams in the conference nicknamed Tigers, a PAC-12 South showdown with USC facing a recent nemesis, and the 112th edition of the Red River Rivalry.

Must-See Games This Week

Oklahoma vs. Texas - Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Longtime rivals Oklahoma and Texas meet for the 112th time in the annual Red River Showdown. The schools will arrive in Dallas with very different mindsets. The Sooners will be looking to bounce back from a shocking upset loss in Norman to four-touchdown underdog Iowa State. Meanwhile, the Longhorns have begun to rally for first-year head coach Tom Herman, outlasting Kansas State a week ago for a second straight win. The outcome at the Cotton Bowl could hinge on the duel between Sooner QB Baker Mayfield and a Horn defense that houses as much talent as anyone in the Big 12. Texas leads the series 61-45-5, but Oklahoma has won 5 of the last 7, including a 45-40 victory last year.

Auburn at LSU - Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
As rivalries go, this one doesn't rank high up the charts in number of meetings, but it's one of the best annual affairs in the SEC West. LSU leads the series 28-22-1 and has taken 7 of the last 10. However, Auburn will be looking for its first back-to-back wins in the series since 1999-2000. Auburn has amassed a head of steam since falling to Clemson in Week 2, winning four straight and three by at least three touchdowns. But now they travel to arch-nemesis LSU, which is coming off a must-win over Florida in the Swamp. Which Tiger will get out of Baton Rouge with a pivotal SEC West victory? While LSU only needed 17 points to outscore the Gators, it's unlikely that'll be enough versus Auburn. Gus Malzahn's Tigers are averaging 48 points over the last three games, spearheaded by the balance of Kerryon Johnson's running and the improved passing of Jarrett Stidham.

Georgia Tech at Miami (Fla.) - Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Now that Miami has finally defeated rival Florida State-in epic fashion-will there be a hangover when Georgia Tech visits this Saturday? The Canes are unbeaten and riding high after knocking off the Noles on a Malik Rosier touchdown pass with six seconds left. However, the Yellow Jackets are also playing well, winning three straight since a Labor Day loss to Tennessee, and they're coming off a bye week. Plus, Miami learned this week that star RB Mark Walton, a member of the Maxwell Award Watch List, will miss the remainder of the year following ankle surgery. Georgia Tech dominated Miami from 1955-2008, winning 10 of the first 14 meetings. Lately though, the series has belonged to the Hurricanes with 7 wins in the last 8 renewals.

Utah at USC - Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET (Fox)
Sure, USC is a heavy favorite to win the South Division, the Pac-12's lesser half. However, scrappy Utah will get an opportunity to flip the script at the Coliseum Saturday night. The Utes are coming off a tough three-point loss to Stanford, their first defeat of the year, in which starting QB Tyler Huntley was unavailable. The Trojans have also lost just one time, but boast quality wins over the Cardinal, Texas and Cal. Troy will be looking to avenge last season's loss in Salt Lake City, which also happened to be QB Sam Darnold's first career start with the program. Though USC has dropped 2 of the last 3 to the Utes, they haven't lost at home in this series since the second-ever meeting in 1916. The Trojans are 10-5 overall vs. Utah.