Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville complained this week that a college football playoff — something that is years away from happening even according to the rosiest estimates — is the only hope for a team from the Southeastern Conference to win a national championship.

Tuberville, who apparently has a short memory (LSU won the BCS championship in 2003), is still steaming from his team being left out of the national-title game two years ago when it finished the regular season 12–0.Yet, he may have a point. The SEC boasts five of the top 13 teams in the polls, led by Auburn at no. 2. His Tigers need to be on upset alert this week against Arkansas, but the other four conference powers will face off in a pair of virtual elimination games for conference- and national-title contention. Elsewhere, there are critical showdowns in the Big 12 and Pac 10. Here’s a look at this week’s key games:

NO. 9 LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC) AT NO. 5 FLORIDA (5-0, 3–0)
(Saturday, 3:30 p.m., CBS)

This game starts a brutal three-game stretch for Florida, which will shoot up the polls if it can beat LSU, Auburn, and Georgia the next three weeks. The Gators have already won at Tennessee this season and are coming off a hard-fought win over Alabama.

Things are coming together for coach Urban Meyer in his second year at Florida. Senior quarterback Chris Leak is much more comfortable operating Meyer’s spread-option offense, and Meyer has utilized backup Tim Tebow as a de facto fullback to maximize both talents without creating a quarterback controversy.

Both teams have struggled to run the ball, and Florida will likely be without starting tailback DeShawn Wynn due to injury. With the caliber of the defenses, this game could resemble LSU’s lone loss: a 7–3 slugfest against Auburn.

Like many evenly matched contests, this one could come down to which quarterback, Leak or LSU’s outstanding Ja-Marcus Russell, takes care of the ball and comes up with a big play or two down the field. The opportunities to do so could be more plentiful for Russell as the secondary is the weak spot on Florida’s defense.

NO. 7 TEXAS (4-1, 1-0 BIG 12) AT NO. 14 OKLAHOMA (3-1, 0–0)
(Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC)

Though both Texas and Oklahoma come into the “Red River Rivalry” in Dallas with one loss, it could still end up a factor in determining the BCS title-game participants. The loser here will need help to qualify for the Big 12 title game, while the winner will be well-positioned to be the top-ranked one-loss team.

Texas hasn’t broken a sweat since losing at home to Ohio State in the season’s second week. New starting quarterback Colt McCoy has played well, but failed to deliver the big play that might have kept the Longhorns in the game against the Buckeyes. Thanks to their dominant offensive line and the suddenly shaky Oklahoma defense, he may not have to do so for Texas to win this game, as the Longhorns should be able to run the ball effectively.

Oklahoma would be undefeated if not for some very questionable officiating in a loss to Oregon three weeks ago, but the Sooners still have concerns. Quarterback-turned-receiver-turnedquarterback Paul Thompson has grown increasingly comfortable under center, and tailback Adrian Peterson is as dominant as ever. Yet the defense, the team’s supposed strength, was pushed around by Oregon and has looked vulnerable.If the unit can’t provide a few three-and-outs against Texas and Oklahoma falls behind, the Sooners will be in for a long day.

NO. 13 TENNESSEE (4-1, 0-1 SEC) AT NO. 10 GEORGIA (5-0, 2–0)
(Saturday, 7:45 p.m., ESPN)

Georgia has hardly looked like a contender for the SEC title, let alone a national championship, with shaky outings against Colorado and Mississippi the last two weeks.The Bulldogs are built around an outstanding defense, but they must get more out of their offense if they are to knock off Tennessee and remain in conference contention with Florida.

Senior Joe Tereshinski is expected back at quarterback for Georgia, but he isn’t exactly going to put the offense on his back and carry the Bulldogs to victory. Georgia must get better production from the line, the receivers, and the running backs as well. The Bulldogs’ best chance to win this game is to get an early lead and rely on its pass rush to harass Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge into mistakes; Georgia simply isn’t built to come from behind.

Ainge has been the key player for the Vols in a thus-far resurgent season.Tennessee went 5–6 last year, an unacceptable result on Rocky Top. Head coach Phillip Fulmer found himself fending off calls for his job and shook up his staff as a result. Former offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe returned to his former role, and Ainge has flourished as a result after a miserable 2005.This game will be reminiscent of the Florida contest (Tennessee’s only loss) as the Vols’ offensive line tries to cope with an outstanding pass rush and give Ainge time to throw.

As it is for Georgia, an early lead is critical for the Vols, who will be sitting pretty if they can force Tereshinski to try and beat them with his arm.

NO. 11 OREGON (4-0, 2-0 PAC-10) AT NO. 16 CALIFORNIA (4-1, 2–0)
(Saturday, 8 p.m., ABC)

Other than for uniform purists, the Oregon-Cal matchup Saturday night could be the weekend’s most entertaining game. It features a pair of dynamic offenses and outstanding tailbacks in a rare chance to be in the national spotlight.

Of course, the spotlight wasn’t kind to Cal the last time around: The Bears were embarrassed at Tennessee in their nationally televised season-opener. Largely forgotten since that game, Cal has won four straight as its passing game has taken wing under quarterback Nate Longshore.The Bears already had an outstanding running game with Marshawn Lynch, who is on the short list of the nation’s best tailbacks.

Cal may have the better offense in this game, but the gap is a narrow one. Ducks’ quarterback Dennis Dixon has been spectacular since earning the starting job in fall camp. Lost in the controversy of Oregon’s win over Oklahoma was the fact that Dixon carved up the Oklahoma defense, as did tailback Jonathan Stewart. Stewart, who’s not as well known as Lynch but nearly as effective.

With the matchup of offenses close to a wash, the defenses could determine who wins this game and keeps pace with USC in the Pac-10 race. Cal would appear to have the advantage on that side of the ball, but its unit is hardly dominant.

Mr. Levine is a writer for FootballOutsiders.com.