Guest Post: 2012 College Football Week 3 Marquee Matchups

Week three of the college football season is underway and there are several compelling matchups that will have national title implications. As more teams begin their conference schedules, college football fans can expect the intensity to be kicked up a notch this weekend. Let’s take a closer look at some of the more notable games on this Saturday’s schedule. Alabama Crimson Tide at Arkansas Razorbacks – This game has been circled by college football fans for months now as Arkansas was expecting to contend for a national championship this year. However, a stunning loss to lowly Louisiana-Monroe last week may have derailed Arkansas’ national championship bid. Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson suffered a head injury against Louisiana-Monroe last week, and has yet to be cleared for practice by team doctors. If Wilson cannot play on Saturday, Alabama should have an easy time dismantling the Arkansas Razorback. Alabama has looked nothing short of dominant in its first two games of the season. With a convincing win over the Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Saturday, Alabama will convince more people that it is the team to beat this year. Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan State Spartans – The prime time game of the week is between Notre Dame and Michigan State. Notre Dame is looking for its first 3-0 start since the 2002 season but may have trouble accomplishing that goal in a hostile Spartan Stadium on Saturday night. Irish head coach Brian Kelly has stated that Everett Golson will get the start on Saturday even though Tommy Rees was more effective at the end of the Purdue game, leading the Irish down the field for a last second game-winning field goal. Notre Dame will welcome back running back Cierre Wood from his two game suspension this week. Wood’s return could not have come at a better time as Notre Dame is set to face one of the better defenses in the country. Michigan State is currently ranked eighth nationally in total defense and boasts one of the best front sevens in all of college football. If Notre Dame expects to have any chance of winning Saturday night, the Fighting Irish will need to stop Michigan State running back Le’Veon Bell. Bell had an outstanding game in week one against Boise State and was used in a limited role last week against Central Michigan. Spartan fans can expect Bell to see a heavy work load this week as he would love to show last year’s 27 yard performance against Notre Dame was just a fluke. Florida Gators at Tennessee Volunteers – In the other compelling SEC matchup on Saturday, the Florida Gators will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee to play the Volunteers. With both teams ranked in the top 25, this longtime rivalry has restored some of its luster. Florida is coming off a hard fought, come from behind victory at Texas A&M last week where the Gators shut out the Aggies 10-0 in the second half and won by a final score of 20-17. Florida will need its defense to once again step up its game as Tennessee has seemingly found a potent passing attack. Volunteers quarterback Tyler Bray has been nothing short of spectacular in his first two games of the season. During these games against North Carolina State and Georgia State, Bray has thrown for 643 yards and 6 TDs. If he is able to continue his excellent play, Tennessee will have a great chance to win the game as Florida does not appear to have the playmakers on offense to keep up with that type of passing attack. USC Trojans at Stanford Cardinal – The USC Trojans will look to make a statement against Pac-12 rival Stanford on Saturday night. Stanford has won three straight against USC and four of the last five meetings, so you know Lane Kiffin is looking for redemption this weekend. Stanford has struggled at times this year beating San Jose State in week one 20-17 and Duke in week two by a final score of 50-13. While the score against Duke appears to be lopsided, Stanford quarterback Josh Nunes could have played a bit better, especially when it comes to his accuracy. If Stanford hopes to keep the game close, Nunes will have to have a much better game and limit his turnovers. The USC Trojans are coming off a 42-29 victory over Syracuse last week that saw several weather related delays. Those delays may have disrupted the Trojans a bit and prevented them from really getting into a rhythm during the game, which is a scary thought if you are a Cardinal fan this weekend. Quarterback Matt Barkley is living up to all of the preseason hype as he threw for 6 touchdowns last week alone. Robert Woods and Marqise Lee are quickly showing they may very well be the best receiving duo in the country as well. If Stanford cannot find a way to get pressure on the quarterback and limit USC’s success in the passing game, it could be a long night for the Cardinal faithful. By Don Phan - Just another sports enthusiast.