LSU is No. 1 for the first time in 48 years during the season. Receiver Early Doucet (groin) will likely not dress so Brandon LeFell, Jared Mitchell and Demetrius Byrd must step up. LSU allows 39 yards rushing per game. Nine players have at least one sack. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey has three. The Tigers had a, 27-0, run to put Tulane away, but most of the attention will be focused on the first 28 minutes of the first half. Tulane led the Tigers, 9-7, until LSU regained the lead right before halftime. In the first half, LSU was penalized 11 times, quarterback Matt Flynn, who is obviously still struggling with an ankle injury, missed 11 passes and was sacked four times and the running backs gained 17 yards on seven carries. Tulane sacked Tiger quarterbacks six times. Florida’s pass rush will be better than Tulane’s. For the game, the running backs averaged 5.5 yards per rush. Tulane tailback Matt Forte’ ran for 73 yards on 16 carries, the most the Tigers have allowed a running back this season.

For the first time in 26 years, a non-cable network (CBS) will televise a prime time game in Baton Rouge. ESPN GameDay will be on campus. LSU leads the SEC in sacks (18) and interceptions (10). Linebacker Ali Highsmith leads the team with 33 tackles, defensive end Kirston Pittman has 26 and defensive tackle Charles Dorsey has 25. LSU’s committee of running backs is averaging 223 yards per game. Flynn has three touchdowns and two picks yet the passing game is averaging only 217 ypg, No. 7 in the SEC. LSU has the No. 1 run defense in the nation allowing 39 ypg while Florida has the No. 5 yielding 64 ypg.

Game key: If LSU’s defensive tackles Marlon Favorite and Glenn Dorsey are winning individual battles then the safeties can stay back thus making it harder for the Gator receivers to get open. Conversely, if Tebow gets loose early in the secondary then the safeties have to respect the run. Interesting chess match between LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and the Florida offensive coaches.

In last year’s loss to Florida, the Tigers had more first downs and more total yards, but couldn’t overcome five turnovers and a blocked punt. In 2005, Florida lost by four points in Baton Rouge after committing five turnovers.

Georgia at Tennessee: This is a strange series with the road team winning the last four games. Bulldog running back Thomas Brown ran for 180 yards and three scores in the win over Ole Miss. Brown’s yardage was the most by a Georgia running back since Verron Haynes ran for 207 against Georgia Tech in 2001. It was Brown’s first 100 yard game since 2005 when he had 144 yards against South Carolina. Tailback Knowshon Moreno added 90 yards and the Bulldogs gained 328 yards rushing, the most ever under Coach Mark Richt. Part of Georgia’s problem with Ole Miss was the Rebel offensive line averaged almost 335 pounds. Sam Linebacker Brandon Miller has played well after he was benched against Western Carolina. He made six tackles and picked off his first interception in the win over Ole Miss.

The Bulldogs are third in the SEC in total defense (303 ypg) and fourth in scoring defense (17 ppg), but they have trouble getting off the field. Georgia has won in Knoxville the past three games. Tailback Kregg Lumpkin returns this week after getting a cast off his hand. Linebacker Marcus Washington is out two weeks with a separated shoulder. Dannell Ellerbe will take his slot. Strong safety Kelin Johnson will play this week despite a concussion last week. Guard Scott Haverkamp hasn’t practiced this week. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is 10-3 as a starter. Mark Richt is 23-3 in road games and 9-2 in SEC road games against ranked teams. There is much talk about other teams in the SEC being young, but Georgia has 13 freshmen on the two-deep depth chart: four on defense and nine on offense.

Tennessee, who was off last week, is trying to improve on its SEC No. 11 total defense ranking, allowing 439 yards per game. The Vols have allowed an average of 188 yards rushing in the first four games of the season. The Vols scored 51 points in last year’s win in the Athens, the second most points allowed between the Hedges. Georgia also won in Knoxville in 2005 and Tennessee won in Athens in 2004 (Richt is 3-0 in Knoxville and 23-3 on the road). In the last five seasons, Tennessee is 2-8 against ranked teams in Knoxville. They are 1-7 against ranked SEC teams. The Vols are 11-9 in their last 20 SEC homes games. Tennessee leads the SEC in total offense (285 ypg) and average nearly 35 ppg. Receiver Lucas Taylor has proven to be the go-to guy for Quarterback Erik Ainge averaging 95 yards receiving per game. The Vols have allowed only two quarterback sacks in the first four games. Senior free safety Jonathan Hefney has 40 career starts, the Vol record is 49. Coach Phil Fulmer is 10-5 against Georgia.

Louisiana Tech at Ole Miss: The combined record of the four teams that Ole Miss has lost to is 15-3. After the Georgia loss, Ole Miss has now lost ten straight SEC road games under Orgeron. A turning point in the Georgia loss was Ole Miss quarterback Seth Adams’ fumble at the Bulldog one-yard line in the first half. A score would have put Ole Miss up 14- to- 0. Adams was 24- of- 35 for 228 yards with one score and one pick. Receiver Mike Wallace has five touchdowns in the past four games. Tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 108 yards rushing. The Rebel defense has really struggled this season. Georgia gained 328 yards rushing. Defensive lineman Peria Jerry led the team in tackles with eight. Ole Miss has allowed 11 rushing touchdowns in the last three games. Ole Miss has been outscored by 42 points in the fourth quarter this season.

The Bulldogs, coached by Derek Dooley, the son of Vince Dooley, have beaten Central Arkansas and lost to Hawaii in overtime, Cal and Fresno State. Tech and Ole Miss are two of the worst defensive teams in the nation. Last week, Tech was No. 105 in total defense allowing 475 yards per game and Ole Miss was ranked No. 107 allowing 476 ypg. Tech is also near the No. 100 mark in total offense averaging around 300 yards per game.

UAB at Mississippi State: State was in the game with South Carolina until the Gamecocks scored the final three touchdowns to pull ahead by 17. Bulldog quarterback Josh Riddell was 9 -of -21 for 101 yards in the loss to South Carolina. Riddell is out for the season with a torn ACL. Former starter Michael Henig has been cleared to starting throwing. Freshman Wesley Carroll will start the UAB game. The backup is another freshman Chris Relf. Tailback Anthony Dixon led the Bulldogs with 83 yards rushing and two scores. State strong safety Will Dunbar leads the nation averaging 13 tackles per game.

State and UAB average barely more than 300 yards in total offense. The Blazers under first year coach Neil Callaway have beaten Alcorn State and lost to Michigan State, Florida State and Tulsa. UAB is allowing 236 yards per game rushing.

Houston at Alabama: Alabama’s first ten possessions ended in punts in the loss to FSU. Alabama gained just 148 total yards and no points up until the 8:57 mark of the fourth quarter. They ended the game with 329 yards and two touchdowns. John Parker Wilson, who is 9-9 as the Tide’s starting quarterback, threw for half of his yardage (119) in the final 8:57 of the game. He has 2062 yards in nine losses and 1834 in nine wins. Wilson in the first three quarters of the first five games is 41- of- 77 for 448 yards with three touchdowns and a pick. In the fourth quarter, he is 28- of- 56 for 308 yards with three touchdowns and a pick. In five years with LSU, Coach Nick Saban never lost three straight games. In one crucial stretch of the game, the Tide was on the FSU 25 with a third and one. Tight end Preston Dial moves early and Alabama is flagged. On the next play, Wilson is sacked. Tailback Terry Grant ran for 36 yards on nine carries. P J Fitzgerald punted 10 times with a 36 yard average.

The Tide secondary went through a shakeup before the game. Sophomore Marquis Johnson, who saw his first action, made a few plays, but he also missed the tackle which allowed FSU receiver De’Cody Fagg to turn a simple hitch route into a 70-yard scoring play. Kareem Jackson replaced Lionel Mitchell at cornerback, who started the previous four games. Defensive end Zeke Knight had two tackles for loss. Knight and freshman linebacker Rolando McClain are the leading tacklers. Defensive tackle Brian Motley returned from a fractured ankle. Bobby Greenwood will likely not play with a sprained ankle. Brandon Deaderick will replace him. Linebacker Darren Mustin missed most of the second half with a thigh bruise but he is full speed this week. The secondary, that has allowed seven touchdown passes in the past three weeks, needs to show some improvement against Houston, who has one of the most prolific offenses in the nation averaging nearly 500 yards and 35 points per game, coming in Saturday. Alabama is 9- of- 35 on third down conversions against FSU and Georgia.

Houston has beaten Tulane and Colorado State and lost to Oregon and East Carolina. Senior running back Donnie Avery gained a Conference USA record 350 all purpose yards in the loss to East Carolina last week. He had 189 yards receiving and 161 in return yards. Running back Anthony Aldridge averages nearly 110 yards per game. The Cougar defense allows 376 yards per game. Houston is one of the worst teams nationally in turnover margin. Houston is No. 23 in passing averaging 281 ypg. Alabama is No. 53 averaging 232 ypg. The Cougar backup quarterback Blake Jones was 24 -of -29 for 250 yards in the loss to East Carolina. Houston, who has the No. 15 ranked scoring offense, has the No. 82 ranked scoring defense.

Chattanooga at Arkansas in Little Rock: The Hogs got back on track with a win over North Texas. The offense gained 713 yards and the defense held the Mean Green to just 189 yards passing after throwing for 613 the previous week against Florida Atlantic.

Quarterback Casey Dick was 12- of- 21 for 210 yards and three scores. Receiver Marcus Monk could be back for the Auburn game in two weeks.

Chattanooga has lost to Jacksonville State, Carson Newman and The Citadel. They have beaten Georgia Southern.

Vanderbilt at Auburn: The Commodore defense has been a highlight this season. The rush defense, in particular, was stellar in the last two wins against Ole Miss and Eastern Michigan. A concern for Vandy coaches was quarterback Chris Nickson’s four picks against Eastern Michigan. Receiver Earl Bennett is 11 catches away from tying former Kentucky receiver Craig Yeast for the all-time SEC receptions. He is slightly over 600 yards away from breaking the record set by Georgia’s Terrence Edwards. Vandy’s defense is No. 11 in pass defense (157 ypg) and No. 17 in both scoring defense (17 ppg) and total defense (279 ygp). Vandy has never won at Auburn in seven tries.

Auburn could be in for a letdown with this being a sandwich game between the Florida win and next week’s revenge match with Arkansas. The Florida win is proof that Tiger Coach Tommy Tuberville is one of the best big game coaches in the league. Auburn, No. 91 in turnover margin coming into the game, has won nine of its last 10 games against Top 10 opponents. They have won seven straight SEC road games. The Tigers have won 13 straight games wearing the road white uniforms. Receiver Rod Smith has been the Tiger main receiver in the past two games. He caught three passes for 86 yards in the win over New Mexico State and career highs of nine receptions for 102 yards against Florida. The win was costly because defensive end Quentin Groves dislocated three toes on his right foot and is out for a couple of week. With Groves out, Antonio Coleman starts and Antoine Carter backs him up. Running back Tristan Davis broke his foot. Tailback Brad Lester will return. There are early rumors that Tuberville would be interested in the Texas A & M job if Dennis Franchione is fired. The Tiger rush defense is limiting opponents to 113 yards per game. The Auburn defense only allowed five missed tackles on 60 plus snaps. They also limited Florida to three big plays instead of their normal 10-12. Cornerback Jerraud Powers earned the most points on the defense. Cornerback Pat Lee was second.

South Carolina beat Kentucky Thursday night on ESPN. Sophomore defensive end Eric Norwood scored on two fumble recoveries. The Gamecocks will likely be back in the top ten for the first time since 2001. Kentucky had four turnovers in the game compared to only one for South Carolina. Gamecock quarterback Chris Smelley was 17 of 30 for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Davis and Cory Boyd combined for 119 yards on 31 carries.

ACC NOTES

The league won three of four non-conference games last Saturday to improve their season record to 7-7. Last year, the league was 6-16 in non-conference games.

Bowling Green at Boston College: BC is No. 7 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the coaches poll. BC is second nationally in rush defense allowing only 46 yards per game. Tailback Andre Callender carried the ball 32 times last Saturday because L V Whitworth wasn’t ready. BC is trying to go 6-0 for the first time since 1942.

Bowling Green quarterback Tyler Sheehan is dangerous because he has 1,300 plus yards and ten scores in four games. Receivers Corey Patridge and Freddie Barnes are reliable targets.

Georgia Tech at Maryland: Tech rebounded after two league losses to beat Clemson. Georgia Tech has beaten a ranked opponent for 13 straight years. They have also lost to an unranked opponent during the same stretch. The Yellow Jacket defense held Clemson tailbacks James Davis and C J Spiller to 62 yards and no scores after the duo gained 332 yards and three scores in last year’s rout of Tech. Linebackers Anthony Barnes, Gary Guyton and Philip Wheeler combined for 20 tackles, four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. Quarterback Taylor Bennett has completed only 50% of his passes. Tech is 3-0 when tailback Tashard Choice runs for 100 yards and 0-2 when he doesn’t. Choice had 145 yards in the win over Clemson. Tech is allowing only 14 ppg. They are averaging four quarterback sacks per game.

Maryland’s defense played well last week in the win over Rutgers. The Terps held Rutgers to 392 yards, 133 short of their 523 yards per game average that ranked them No. 9 in the NCAA. Maryland had three takeaways. Terp tailback Keon Lattimore leads all rushers in the league with four 100-yard games. Quarterback Jordan Steffy (concussion) is questionable for the game. Backup Chris Turner led them to the Rutgers win.

Virginia Tech at Clemson: In the loss to Georgia Tech, quarterback Cullen Harper was 17- of- 39 for 194 yards with one pick and no touchdowns. The Tigers started 2000 with an 8-0 record before finishing 9-3. In 2001, they were 4-1 before ending 7-5. In 2002, they were 3-1 before winding up 7-6. The Tigers started 3-1 in 2003 before finishing 9-4. Last season, they started 7-1 before a final record of 8-5. Clemson kicker Mark Buchholz, a starter on the Tiger soccer team, has missed six kicks in the past two games. The overall special teams struggled—punt blocked, two bad punt snaps, roughing a punter on fourth and 15-- in the loss to Tech. Receivers dropped nine passes in the Tech loss. Davis is struggling with shoulder problems. Clemson has won nine straight “home redemption games” (winning at home after losing to the same team the previous year on the road) dating back to 2003 and is 14-5 in that situation under Tommy Bowden. Tech beat Clemson in Blacksburg last year. The Tigers have won five straight games against top 25 teams.

Virginia Tech allowed Clemson only 170 total yards in the big win in Blacksburg last year. Tech is No. 28 in total defense allowing only 308 ypg. They are No. 40 in rushing defense allowing 121 yards per game. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who is completing only 50% of his passes, needs more production in the passing game. Taylor had a groin injury last week in the win over UNC. The game is a nice matchup between Spiller and Davis and Tech linebackers Xavier Adibi, Vince Hall and Cam Martin.

N C State at Florida State: Quarterback Xavier Lee has been named the starter for Saturday. Last year, Lee had a strong start against Maryland in week eight. He earned two more starts but didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. The offensive line has three inexperienced players in Rodney Hudson, Ryan McMahon and Daron Rose—a true freshman, redshirt freshman and a sophomore. Offensive lineman David Overmyer sustained a knee sprain and could be back for the Wake Forest game next week. The FSU pass rush had three sacks against Alabama and defensive end Everette Brown had two. Redshirt sophomore Randall Cox, who is from St. Augustine High, is working with the two- deep on the offensive line. Defensive linemen Budd Thacker (toe), Andre Fluellen (elbow) and Neefy Moffett (hip pointer) are trying to play with various injuries. FSU has 57 first downs, the worst in the league.

N C State’s Daniel Evans will start at quarterback since Harrison Beck has a separated shoulder. Last year, Evans was instrumental in the win over FSU completing 13- of- 22 for 190 and three touchdowns. Evans is 33- of- 50 for 286 yards with three touchdowns and two picks. N C State has committed 18 turnovers this season, worst in the league.

Miami at North Carolina: Coach Randy Shannon said this week’s game is not between him and former Cane Coach Butch Davis. Sam Shields (practice related) and Ryan Hill were benched against Duke for violating team rules. In the last two games, quarterback Kyle Wright has completed 81% of his passes for 505 yards and four touchdowns. Miami has allowed one rushing touchdown this season, but they have allowed 10 passing scores. Shannon said the starting receivers are Kayne Farquharson and Lance Leggett with Darnell Jenkins, the starter in three receiver sets. The Canes were 3 –of- 9 in third downs against Duke. Linebacker Tavares Gooden had 12 solo tackles and a fumble recovery. Former Cane defensive lineman Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave $1 million to the University. Receiver Darnell Jenkins, who missed most of last year with an ACL tear, has 15 catches in his last four games.

North Carolina has lost starting cornerback Kendrick Williams for the season with a knee injury. Redshirt freshman tailback Anthony Elzy played well last week in the loss to Virginia Tech gaining 11 carries for 74 yards. Freshman defensive tackle Marvin Austin had a big hit on Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor last week that forced him out of the game. UNC has committed at least two turnovers in every game and have given up 13 this season. Quarterback T J Yates threw for 910 yards in his first three games, but only 267 in his last two.

Virginia at Middle Tennessee: In the past four games, tailback Cedric Peerman has averaged 137 yards and scored five touchdowns. Cav defensive end Chris Long leads the league with six sacks.

OTHER BIG GAMES

Wisconsin at Illinois: The Badgers lead the nation with a 14- game win streak. Badger tight end Travis Beckum caught 10 passes for 132 yards and a score in the win over Michigan State. The Michigan State win last week was Wisconsin’s first win over a Division I-A opponent with a winning record. Wisconsin allows 239 ypg passing and have allowed nine touchdown passes.

Illinois had its first win over a ranked team (Penn State) since 2001 last week. The Illini rushing defense allows 95 ypg, ranked No. 22 nationally. Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli threw three picks and fumbled in the game. Freshman receiver Arrelious Benn had six catches and scored on a 90-yard kick return. Illinois ran for 216 yards on 38 carries against Penn State. Quarterback Juice Williams and tailback Rashard Mendenhall could have a similar game. However, Williams is going to have to win some games with his arm when the ground game gets stuck. The next three games for Illinois are Wisconsin, at Iowa and Michigan).

Kansas at Kansas State: K-State receiver Jordy Nelson had 206 all-purpose yards in the Texas win. The K-State offense did little in wins over Auburn and Texas. K-State is winning games on the line of scrimmage. The offensive line had done well in pass protection and the defensive line is getting pressure. Quarterback Josh Freeman didn’t throw picks in his last two games for the first time in his career. Both teams have some of the best kick returners in the nation.

Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing has thrown 13 touchdown passes and one pick. Kansas has allowed just 23 points this season in wins over Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International. Kansas is ranked No. 3 in total offense and defense. Cincinnati is the only other school to be ranked in the top 10 in total offense and defense.

Nebraska at Missouri: The Cornhuskers are No. 58 in pass defense. They allowed Ball State to throw for 422 passing yards. Quarterback Sam Keller is averaging 299 yards passing and has thrown four touchdowns. Nebraska’s defense was on the field a record 102 plays last week in the win over Iowa State.

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel is averaging 327 yards per game. Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker, who leads all tight ends with 29 catches, are two of the better tight ends in the nation. The Tiger defense is allowing 434 ypg, which means Nebraska tailback Marlon Lucky and Keller might have big games. Missouri is No. 104 in pass defense.

Ohio State at Purdue: The Buckeye defense has allowed only two touchdown passes and have seven picks. Ohio State has allowed only 36 points this season. Ohio State opponents are a combined 7-13 and Purdue opponents have won a total of 4-16. Buckeye receiver Brian Robiskie, who is averaging 21 ypc and has scored five touchdowns, has been compared favorably to Ted Ginn.

Purdue Boilermaker quarterback Curtis Painter has thrown for 1,582 yards and 18 touchdowns with only three picks. He has four good receivers in Dorien Bryant (leads the nation with 40 catches and averages 32 yards per kick return), Greg Orton, Selwyn Lymon and tight end Dustin Keller. Purdue has allowed only four sacks in 208 passing attempts. This is a nice matchup between Ohio State’s defense, the best in the Big Ten, against Purdue, the league’s best passing offense. Purdue is No. 109 in total defense.

Cincinnati at Rutgers: The Bearcats have the best turnover margin thanks in part to cornerback Mike Mickens. Rutgers is looking for revenge on Cincinnati after the Bearcats upset them last year and held Ray Rice to a season low 54 yards. Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel needs to step up his play after the Maryland loss. Bearcat quarterback Ben Mauk is the No. 4 quarterback nationally in pass efficiency.

Cincinnati and Kansas are the only two schools in the top ten nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. Receiver Marcus Barnett has become a go-to guy for the Bearcat passing game.

Texas vs. Oklahoma: The Sooners, who lost to Colorado last week, lead the nation in pass efficiency. No Big 12 South Team has lost its first two conference games and won the division. The Sooners had only 19 plays in the loss to Colorado last week.

Texas has struggled on offense. Quarterback Colt McCoy had a concussion last week against K-State. McCoy, who threw seven interceptions in 13 games last year, has already thrown nine. The Longhorn secondary is better than last year, but hasn’t faced a team that can throw. Texas needs to stop the OU rushing attack and pressure Sam Bradford. Texas needs to improve its punting game that netted only 28 yards per kick last week.

UCF at East Carolina: Golden Knight tailback Kevin Smith (178 ypg) leads the nation in rushing.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR MYCLAYSUN IN ORANGE PARK, FLA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON SPORTS RADIO 1010 XL.