Tonight week 3 of the college ball season kicks off, so this is the perfect time for my weekly college primer. 12 games intrigue me this week, and they are, coutning down from 12:

12 - Wake Forest @ Connecticut (Sat 12:00) - These are hardly top-tier programs, but each has built themselves up to rexpectability over the course of the last few seasons. Each is looking to take the next step, and one will get a nice boost here.

11 - Iowa State @ Iowa (Sat 12:00) - Iowa has the much better program, but the Cyclones give the Hawkeyes fits. If Iowa wants to contend for a national title, they have to learn to leave their in-state rivals in the dust.

10 - Texas Tech @ Texas Christian (Sat 5:30) - Two schools fighting to escape from the shadows of Texas A&M and, of course, Texas. If either one wants to be able to recruit with those two, they'll have to prove capable of regularly beating teams like, well, each other.

9 - Maryland @ West Virginia (Thurs 7:30) - A lot of the preseason hype surrounding West Virginia treated this game like a cakewalk for the Mountaineers. But the Terps always play well against them, and will come into this game with a major chip on their shoulders.

8 - Nebraska @ Southern California (Sat 8:00) - With all the hype surrounding Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, and West Virginia this preseason, USC felt legitimately disrespected. They could make a statement here, but then again, so could the Huskers, who are trying to reestablish themselves as the dominant force in the Big 12 North and also as a National Championship-caliber program.

7 - Michigan State @ Pittsburgh (Sat 12:00) - Both of these two teams have looked impressive in early action but are still flying well under the radar of most pundits. Here's saying the winner of this game makes a lot of noise in their respective conference, and the loser may very well, too.

6 - Oklahoma @ Oregon (Sat 3:30) - A fantastically interesting contest between the two teams looking to challenge last year's Rose Bowl participants in their respective conferences. The fact that this game isn't in the top 5 is a very good indication of what a strong weekend of college ball awaits us.

5 - Miami (FL) @ Louisville (Sat 3:30) - The Hurricanes may not be the dominant force they were a few seasons ago, but they are still an imposing top-tier program. This is a huge opportunity for Louisville, and indeed for the entire Big East, to prove that they belong in the discussion with the big boys.

4 - Clemson @ Florida State (Sat 7:45) - The Bowden Bowl is the most-hyped match-up involving teams from the 3-way rivalry at the top of the ACC Atlantic Division. I'm not sure who does the scheduling in the ACC, but there is no way Clemson should be playing their two most important games of the season in weeks 2 and 3.

3 - Michigan @ Notre Dame (Sat 3:30) - A classic rivalry that goes back almost as long as there has been college football. A Michigan win would be a stunning upset, but stunning upsets litter the century-old battlefield that is the history of this great contest.

2 - Florida @ Tennessee (Sat 8:00) - The battle that for years defined the SEC East. Georgia has recently established themselves as the team to beat in this division, but they are by no means head and shoulders above their two biggest rivals. Whenever two of these three teams get together, get the couch ready, because you don't want to miss a snap.

1 - Louisiana State @ Auburn (Sat 3:30) - Last week's Ohio State/Texas match-up was billed as 1 vs. 2, but I feel that the two best teams in the country could very well be playing in this game right here. The winner of this game should be the SEC West Champion, will probably be the SEC Champion, and damn well could be the National Champion.