Five CFB games to watch: Oregon, Utah square off in ‘elimination game’

The Pac-12 takes center stage again this week. Meanwhile, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. looks to solidify his Heisman campaign, and Oklahoma and Georgia take on a pair of hungry underdogs who would love nothing more than to throw a wrench into their seasons. Here’s a look at Saturday’s best games:

The five-star game: No. 8 Oregon (6-1) at No. 13 Utah (6-1) | 3:30 p.m. ET

It’s an elimination game in the Pac-12. One of these teams with preseason hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff will be knocked out of contention for a conference championship before the calendar turns to November. Utah is the defending Pac-12 champion and coming off its biggest win of the season, a 34-32 victory over No. 24 USC. Oregon rebounded from a disappointing loss at No. 5 Washington with a 38-24 home win against Washington State last Saturday. 

The Utes defense is one of the best in football, an difficult matchup for Ducks quarterback Bo Nix, who also needs a win to remain relevant in the Heisman conversation. Utah announced last week it will be without 2022 starting QB Cameron Rising for the entire season. Usually, that would be a cause for concern, but backup QB Bryson Barnes (292 total yards, four touchdowns) had his best game against USC and should feel confident heading into Saturday’s game.

The Heisman game: No. 3 Ohio State (7-0) at Wisconsin (5-2) | 7:30 p.m. ET

If a non-quarterback receives an invite to New York for the Heisman ceremony, Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will get the nod. He was excellent last week in a win against No. 10 Penn State (6-1), finishing with 11 receptions, 162 yards and a touchdown catch. This season, he has 42 receptions, 766 yards (18.2 yards per reception) and six TD catches. Harrison Jr.’s matchup with cornerback Ricardo Hallman is one of the best of the weekend. The Badgers defensive back leads the Big Ten in interceptions (four).

Upset special: Clemson (4-3) at N.C. State (4-3) | 2 p.m. ET

The Tigers are 10-point favorites against the Wolfpack, but Saturday’s game might be closer than oddsmakers predict. Clemson failed to cover the past two weeks as the favorite and isn’t so much better than N.C. State that it should be a double-digit favorite. The Tigers are 50th in scoring (30.4 points per game) and have come up short of that total in four of their five conference games. 

The Wolfpack offense has been even worse, averaging 25.4 points per game, leading head coach Dave Doeren to bench transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong in Week 6 for sophomore MJ Morris. N.C. State won the last meeting in Raleigh, 27-21, in double overtime.

Under-the-radar game: No. 6 Oklahoma (7-0) at Kansas (5-2) | 12 p.m. ET

Oklahoma won a high-scoring game against Kansas last season, 52-42, and this year’s edition could feature just as much offense. The Sooners, led by QB and Heisman candidate Dillon Gabriel, are coming off a come-from-behind 31-29 win over Central Florida. Kansas could get
preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year QB Jalon Daniels back, but it should be able to move the ball even if he can’t play. 

Daniels has missed four games this season (including the past three), and backup QB Jason Bean has played well in relief. He is 62-of-95 (65.3 percent) for 913 yards (9.6 yards per attempt), nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Bean also started last year’s game against Oklahoma and had 306 total yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Running back Devin Neal has been Kansas’s best player; he has 107 touches, 843 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns and gained 84 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in last year’s meeting.

Wild-card game: No. 1 Georgia (7-0) vs. Florida (5-2) [in Jacksonville] | 3:30 p.m. ET

A few weeks ago, this game looked like it would be a snoozer. However, first place in the SEC East is on the line, making it one of the biggest games of the season. The Bulldogs will be without their best offensive player, tight end Brock Bowers (ankle), but still have talented playmakers, including RB Daijun Edwards, WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and confident quarterback Carson Beck, who is 107-of-142 (75.4 percent) for 1,232 yards, seven total touchdowns and three interceptions in conference play. 

Florida’s record is marred by ugly losses to No. 13 Utah and Kentucky, but it is trending in the right direction. Transfer quarterback Graham Mertz is quietly putting together a strong season. He is coming off a career-high 423-yard passing performance in a 41-39 win at South Carolina in Week 7.