After the frenzied schedule of last weekend, which included seven matches between ranked teams, college football is highlighted this week by key conference clashes in the Big Ten and Pac-10, as well as a chance for redemption for Notre Dame.

NO. 24 PENN STATE (2-1) AT NO. 1 OHIO STATE (3-0)
(Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC)

Last year’s meeting between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions in Happy Valley was a classic, with Joe Paterno’s team winning the 17–10 slugfest on its way to the Big Ten title and a berth in the Orange Bowl. But Penn State lost several stars since then, including defensive end Tamba Hali, who had a field day against Ohio State, and quarterback Michael Robinson.

Robinson’s replacement, the highly touted Anthony Morelli, has been merely pedestrian thus far and has struggled to get the ball to his outstanding receivers. Sophomore Derrick Williams is as talented as Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr. but has just seven receptions. Morelli must find him for a big play or two to give Penn State a puncher’s chance in this game.

Ohio State entered the year atop the polls but with plenty of questions about its inexperienced defense that features nine new starters. The Buckeyes appeared to answer all those questions with a dominating road win at then-no. 2 Texas in which they allowed just seven points. Penn State will try to hit some big plays down the field and run the option with Morelli, but little the Nittany Lions do should surprise the young Buckeyes.

On offense, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith may have moved to the head of the list of Heisman contenders.Smith has been coolly efficient, staying put in the pocket and distributing the ball. At wideout it’s Ginn who generates most of the headlines, but teams must not overlook Anthony Gonzalez, who has taken considerable advantage of the double-teams shown to his counterpart.

Penn State’s pass rush must pressure Smith better than it did Brady Quinn in a loss at Notre Dame two weeks ago or this will turn into a long afternoon, while Ohio State must not get caught looking ahead to a road date with Iowa next week. If Penn State can pull the upset, things set up nicely for a run at another Big Ten title, with a home date against Michigan being the toughest remaining game.

NO. 22 ARIZONA STATE (3-0) AT NO. 21 CALIFORNIA (2-1)
(Saturday, 3:30 p.m.,FSNY)

One of these teams will emerge from this contest to join Oregon as the challengers to USC in the Pac-10. California began the year in the spotlight, with a top-10 ranking and a national stage at Tennessee to prove it belonged among the nation’s elite. One blowout loss later, the Bears were largely forgotten in the BCS conversation. But Cal has rebounded with a pair of wins in which quarterback Nate Longshore has thrown six touchdown passes and just one interception. Longshore suffered a meltdown against Tennessee, when he was yanked in favor of Joe Ayoob, but he appears to have regained his grip on the starting job.

Strong play from Longshore is critical to keep teams from loading up against star running back Marshawn Lynch, who is averaging nearly eight yards a carry on the season. If Lynch can put up numbers like that against Arizona State, it will take the wind out of the Sun Devils’ pass rush that leads the nation with 18 sacks. A slowed rush will leave Longshore time to find big-play receiver DeSean Jackson down the field against Arizona State’s secondary, the weakest part of their defense.

Cal also has questions in the secondary, and its pass defense is rated just 94th in the nation. That presents an inviting target for Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who won the starting job in controversial fashion in fall camp but has yet to enjoy the kind of success he had last year. It may take Carpenter’s best game of the season to pull off the road upset.

NO. 12 NOTRE DAME (2-1) AT MICHIGAN STATE (3-0)
(Saturday, 8 p.m., ABC)

Care to speculate what practice was like this week for Notre Dame after being whipped, 47–21, at home by Michigan last Saturday? Me neither.After that performance, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis’s still-sterling reputation will take a major hit if the Irish don’t come out firing on all cylinders against Michigan State Saturday night.

And if they need further motivation, the Irish can find it in spades. Michigan State has dominated Notre Dame for a decade, winning seven of nine in the series. After Michigan State’s overtime win in South Bend last season, several players planted the Spartans’ flag on the 50-yard-line. Weis has flipflopped publicly on whether he’ll use that slight to spur his team, but it’s a safe bet that the video has been shown several times inside the Notre Dame athletic complex this week.

Beyond simple revenge and redemption, Notre Dame needs to win this game for practical reasons. It appears to be the last roadblock before a season-ending road game at USC, meaning that a win here would very likely put the Irish at 10-1 — with an at-large BCS berth all but assured — when they arrive in Los Angeles.

Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn has spent the week hearing how his Heisman chances disappeared against Michigan, but he has a chance to get right back into the race with a big game against Michigan State’s suspect secondary. In three games this year, Quinn has looked great when he had time to throw (in the second half against Georgia Tech and against Penn State) and lousy when pressured (the rest of the time). Michigan State does not have the front four the equal of Michigan’s, and must be judicious in its use of the blitz. If the Spartans leave their corners in frequent man coverage against Irish receivers Rhema McKnight and Jeff Samardzija, one or both of them will be featured on SportsCenter late Saturday night.

Michigan State also has a talented quarterback in Drew Stanton, and he stands to gain in prestige (and NFL draft standing) against his Notre Dame counterpart with a big game. Notre Dame has proved itself vulnerable to big receivers, as Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson and Michigan’s Mario Manningham both enjoyed huge days against the Irish. That bodes well for Michigan State’s 6-foot-6 Matt Trannon, who also plays on the Spartans basketball team. Trannon has been inconsistent this season, and if the Irish shut him down the way Pittsburgh did last week, the Spartans won’t be planting any flags Saturday night.

Mr. Levine is a writer for FootballOutsiders.com.