Nebraska at Kansas State, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Last meeting: 1997 -- Nebraska 56, Kansas State 26
Series: Nebraska leads 70-10-2

People can talk about the quality of Kansas State's opponents all they want, but the Wildcats have absolutely pounded Big 12 opponents. They have outscored conference opponents by an average of 45-9. It's understandable they would be criticized for a soft schedule, but everyone has to appreciate how the Wildcats have punished teams this season.

Right now, they're playing as well as anyone in the country, and everything favors Kansas State entering this game. Nebraska comes in reeling with two conference losses already. But before Wildcats fans start congratulating themselves, remember that this is Nebraska we're talking about.

And it will be interesting to see who actually has the psychological advantage when it's 3:30 p.m. ET in Manhattan, Kan., and this game gets under way. The Huskers come into this game as a Big 12 spoiler for the first time in a long while, and they are relishing the underdog role. From a pressure standpoint, Nebraska has the advantage because teams are expecting the Wildcats to win.

It's pretty clear that for the Huskers to have a chance at Kansas State, they must play Nebraska football, which means running the ball. They must get the offensive line up on the Wildcats linebackers, giving the backs room to run. Expect Nebraska to play Eric Crouch at quarterback, and if DeAngelo Evans isn't able to play, the Huskers would be advised to play Dan Alexander, who is a bigger back with the power to run over opponents.

But if the Huskers can't run the ball, this game is over. That one-dimensional attack has been a weakness this season in games against Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M. The Huskers struggled against those defenses, which aren't anywhere close to Kansas State's caliber.

On offense, the Wildcats have all the ingredients for a powerhouse. They have talented wide receivers in Darnell McDonald and Aaron Lockett. Erick Hickson and Frank Murphy power the running game behind an offensive line that is solid and reliable.

But the X-factor is Michael Bishop. Kansas State offensive coordinator Ron Hutson can draw up all the plays he wants, and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but Bishop is an experienced and confident quarterback who can improvise and create when the chalkboard talk doesn't work the way the coach planned.

Arkansas at Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Last meeting: 1997 -- Tennessee 30, Arkansas 22
Series: Tennessee leads 8-1

These two teams match up very closely if you break down how each has gotten to this point in the season. Both teams rely on a big offensive line, and both have experienced players in crucial positions.

Arkansas has running backs Chrys Chukwuma and Madre Hill and quarterback Clint Stoerner. But I love the mentality and makeup of the Arkansas offensive line. They're all fifth-year starters, and each one was a starter last year. That has been the key to Arkansas' blue-collar mentality offense. The Razorbacks' defense can dominate up front, and Arkansas has the nation's fourth-ranked rush defense.

Tennessee also has a big offensive line, which returns most of its members last year. There is tremendous skill at wide receiver, led by Peerless Price. Even after Jamal Lewis went down, Travis Stephens and Travis Henry have both done a great job filling in while Tee Martin has gotten better and better at quarterback. The Volunteers' defense is very dynamic and very quick, and they play a lot of man-to-man coverage, just like Arkansas.

With all of these common denominators, you have to look for something that will make the difference. And as good as Arkansas is, and despite all the improvement the Razorbacks have shown under Houston Nutt, the one area Tennessee has an advantage is with overall team speed. Overall, the Volunteers run better than Arkansas, and that's where Tennessee holds the edge.

Tennessee has to be very careful as a team and as a coaching staff not to get into a position of seeing itself in the top-dog position. The Volunteers need to guard against being conservative because they are afraid of losing everything they have. They must keep turning the players loose, letting them play free and not tying their hands behind their back.

Tennessee could be its own worst enemy on Saturday. The play-calling must stay free-wheeling and not become conservative as the team worries about making mistakes. If the coaches let the players play their game, Tennessee will win this game.