College Gameday is heading to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
For the second time in three weeks, ESPN’s famed College Gameday will be featuring head coach Nick Saban, Heisman candidate running back Derrick Henry and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama hosts No. 15 Ole Miss and its high-powered offense at 6:15 p.m on ESPN.
Apart from a few other SEC showdowns, the Pac-12 provides a game with huge upset potential, while No. 19 BYU and quarterback Tanner Mangum face No. 10 UCLA in the nightcap.
Here are the top five game to watch this week:
1) No. 13 LSU vs. No. 18 Auburn (12:30 p.m./CBS): This gets my nod as the game of the week because it has the potential to have most interesting storylines. Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson was a dark-horse Hesiman candidate to start the year, but thus far, he and his Tigers have been disappointing in their 2-0 start. Likewise, LSU running back Leonard Fournette is garnering Heisman consideration after opening the season with 28 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi State.
Prediction: Auburn 31 – LSU 27
2) No. 6 USC vs. Stanford (5:00 p.m./ABC): The last two times these teams met, USC came out on top by three points each game. But before that, the Cardinal were in the midst of a four-game winning streak. Quarterback Kevin Hogan got the Cardinal back on track last week with 341 yards passing and three touchdowns. They’ll need to be clicking to go against Adoree Jackson and Sua Cravens of USC. The Trojans’ high-vaunted offense is led by Cody Kessler and wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster.
Prediction: USC 24 – Stanford 14
3) No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Ole Miss (6:15 p.m./ESPN): The SEC’s best offense against the SEC’s best defense. The Rebels are averaging 74.5 points per game through their first two games while the Crimson Tide are giving up 13.5 points per game. Ole Miss has four running backs averaging over 10 yards per carry and five different receivers have caught a touchdown pass. Quarterback Chad Kelly has thrown six touchdown passes and rushed for two more. Once again, Alabama is stacked with NFL-caliber players on defense. But Henry might be the best running back in the nation so expect Alabama to ride him all game long.
Prediction: Alabama 27 – Ole Miss 24
4) No. 10 UCLA vs. No. 19 BYU (7:30 p.m./Fox Sports 1): BYU has been living dangerously through the first two games of the year. Likewise, UCLA is led by freshman quarterback Josh Rosen and after a dazzling debut against Virginia, he came back down to earth with a solid performance in week two.
Prediction: UCLA 38 – BYU 23
5) No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Georgia Tech (12:30 p.m./NBC): The Fighting Irish have been hurt with injuries already this year. But, it found a way to win with quarterback DeShone Kizer. The Yellow Jackets triple-option offense is averaging 67 points per game so the misdirection could keep Notre Dame chasing all game long.
Prediction: Notre Dame 30 – Georgia Tech 24
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter: @Ryan_Kostecka