7 Games Highlight Separation Saturday

Seven games that feature all ranked teams will be the showcase for what's being called Separation Saturday.

Since the AP poll started ranking 25 teams in 1989, only one day, October 16, 1993, had more ranked teams faced each other.

This week will go a long way in clearing up the national championship picture, separating the contenders from the pretenders, and will definitely make or break athletes in their quest for the Heisman as well.

It's going to be a great weekend for football fans, West Virginia already kicked things off with an impressive 45-24 victory over Maryland. Mountaineer RB Steve Slaton, who was rejected by the Terps during his recruiting, burned them for 195 yards and two scores. The sophomore now has 503 yards rushing in just three games.

Here's the Corners predictions for this weeks Top 25 battles:

Cincinnati at Ohio State (1)
There's a chance the Buckeyes may be looking ahead, but I doubt it. Troy Smith and company should have no problem against the Bearcats. Winner: Ohio State.

Michigan (11) at Notre Dame (2)
The Wolverines haven't won in South Bend since 1999, but have the weapons (Chad Henne, Mike Hart) to pull out the victory if things fall into place. Beating Charlie Weis and QB Brady Quinn at home seems like a daunting challenge though. Winner: Notre Dame.

LSU (6) at Auburn (3)
The premier game of the day on paper. The LSU Tigers come to Jordan-Hare stadium loaded with talent, led by strong-armed QB JaMarcus Russell. The other Tigers over at Auburn have a decent QB too in the person of Brandon Cox. The difference maker will be RB Kenny Irons and the home crowd. Winner: Auburn.

Nebraska (19) at USC (4)
The Cornhuskers are coming back to prominence under head coach Bill Callahan, but still don't have all the pieces to match with the Trojans and their speed playing at home. Winner: USC.

Florida (7) at Tennessee (13)
The Vols have the advantage of being at home, but the defense is banged up in a big way and Chris Leak looks more and more comfortable running Gator coach Urban Meyer's spread option. Winner: Florida.

Texas (8) at Rice
The Longhorns look to rebound after last weeks loss to Ohio State and get to take out their frustrations on the Owls. Rice has improved under new coach Todd Graham, but Texas has way too much firepower. Winner: Texas.

Clemson at Florida State (9)
A key game in the ACC with the Tigers looking to rebound after a loss to Boston College. The Seminoles are 2-0 and have a rugged defense, but the offense has struggled and been inconsistent in their first two games. Clemson is banged up on defense and that could spell big trouble in Tallahassee. Winner: Florida State.

UAB at Georgia (10)
This game could be closer than people expect. The Bulldogs have lost starting QB Joe Tereshinski for 4-6 weeks and now the job falls to true freshman Matthew Stafford, one of the top recruits in the nation. If he struggles, it could be an interesting game. Winner: Georgia.

Miami (17) at Louisville (12)
The Cardinals have been impressive in their two victories thus far, but the Hurricanes bring tons of talent and speed to the table. Without RB Michael Bush, Louisville may have to have QB Brian Brohm pass all day. Not good against Miami, who feature arguably the best secondary in college football. Winner: Miami.

Duke at Virginia Tech (14)
The only time the Blue Devils will be in this game is during the coin toss. Winner: Virginia Tech.

Oklahoma (15) at Oregon (18)
The Sooners have Adrian Peterson on offense, but that's been it to start the season. The defense is a little shaky as well. The Ducks have their own feature back in sophomore Jonathan Stewart and QB Dennis Dixon has run the spread attack of Mike Belotti perfectly so far. Oregon is a tough place to play and even though Oklahoma is favored, look for the Ducks to come away with the win. Winner: Oregon.

Iowa State at Iowa (16)
Both squads come in 2-0 in the battle for Iowa bragging rights. The Cyclones pulled out the victory last season, but Drew Tate is back after missing last weeks game and with Albert Young and company at home, all signs point to the Hawkeyes. Winner: Iowa.

Texas Tech (24) at TCU (20)
Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson has been close to breaking through that BCS bubble and this year, with the addition of a fifth BCS bowl game, has a chance to do it. He could make a statement this week against the Red Raiders, who once gain have a QB putting up gaudy numbers in their run-and-shoot attack. TCU has the nation's longest winning streak at 12 games. If RB Aaron Brown can pile up yardage and the defense can stop the Texas Tech passing attack, give it to the Frogs. If not, Tech could put up 70 with that offense. Winner: TCU.

Portland State at California (21)
The Golden Bears get a breather against a I-AA squad. Winner: California.

Arizona State (22) at Colorado
The Buffaloes are seriously struggling, limping out of the gate at 0-2, including an opening week loss to I-AA Montana State. The Sun Devils should cruise. Winner: Arizona State.

BYU at Boston College (23)
The Eagles are an underrated team but opened some eyes with last weeks win over Clemson. The Cougars have some skill and this should be a close game, but give the edge to BC at home. Winner: Boston College.

Youngstown State at Penn State (25)
The Nittany Lions were embarrassed last week by Notre Dame and come into this football game angry. Youngstown State is a I-AA team coming into Happy Valley so the prospects don't look good. Then again stranger things have happened - just ask Colorado and Northwestern, both have lost to I-AA schools this season. Winner: Penn State.


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