Arguments over which is the sport’s top conference are a routine part of the college football dialogue. This season, it appears as though the SEC is again at or near the top of the debate. On just about any Saturday, the league has two or three of the most important games on the national slate. That will be the case again tomorrow, when the only two contests between ranked teams are both SEC affairs. Elsewhere, the Big Ten has seen its first important conference game. Here’s a look.

No. 10 PENN STATE (3–0) At MICHIGAN (1–2)
3:30 p.m., ABC

Michigan finally got into the win column last week, though these days, beating up on Notre Dame as the Wolverines did to the tune of 38–0 is akin to running over Duke. Still, with the Michigan program reeling from an 0–2 start, the win provided a shot of confidence for a shaky team that many still feel can contend for the conference title.

Michigan has been kryptonite for Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions. Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, Penn State has lost nine of 12 meetings to the Wolverines, including eight straight. This year, Paterno appears to have the superior squad, but that was also the case in 2005 when a Michigan team that would finish the season 7–5 handed Penn State its only loss on a last-play touchdown pass by Chad Henne.

Henne sat out the Notre Dame game with an injury and is unlikely to play this week. Given that Michigan treats injury information like a state secret, an appearance by the senior would not be a complete shock. More likely, it will be up to the freshman Ryan Mallett to run the offense.

Mallett attempted just 15 passes in his first college start last week, completing seven, but did throw three touchdowns. Michigan will again try to keep the game from falling on his shoulders by turning the offense over to senior tailback Mike Hart, who is third in the nation in rushing.

Despite shutting out Notre Dame, Michigan has numerous questions on defense. If quarterback Anthony Morelli avoids the foolish throws that have plagued his career, he should find success against the soft coverage provided by the Wolverine secondary.

No. 12 SOUTH CAROLINA (3–0, 1–0 SEC) At No. 2 LSU (3–0, 1–0)
3:30 p.m., CBS

Now in his third season as head coach at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier has his best opportunity to make a splash on the national stage when his Gamecocks take on LSU in Baton Rouge.

LSU has been the nation’s most dominant team thus far, crushing three opponents (including presumptive national-championship contender Virginia Tech) by a combined score of 137–7. The Tigers are seeking their 11th straight win, dating back to last season, but must not get caught looking ahead to their game against Florida in two weeks.

If Spurrier’s team is to have a chance, it must play mistake-free on offense and be opportunistic on defense. Quarterback Blake Mitchell threw three interceptions against South Carolina State last week, and has to protect the ball against a far-superior defense. He likely can’t win this game on his own, but he can certainly lose it for the Gamecocks.

Mitchell will be contending with an LSU defense that might be the best in the country. Statistically, the Tigers are just that, and by a mile. They are allowing just 128 yards per contest, a full 50 yards fewer than the no. 2 defense, Oklahoma.

Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey has proved unblockable in the early going despite constant double-teams. Dorsey will almost surely be a high first round draft choice next April, and he can make life miserable for Mitchell.

Offensively, LSU is a team of interchangeable parts. The Tigers have started two quarterbacks this year, Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux, and both are capable of putting up big numbers, even against a stingy South Carolina defense (9.5 points per game allowed).

As the head coach at Florida, Spurrier enjoyed tremendous success against LSU, going 11–1. But most of those LSU teams bore little resemblance to this year’s edition, which looks like it might be a win over Florida away from playing in the national-title game.

No. 22 GEORGIA (2–1, 0–1 SEC) At No. 16 ALABAMA (3–0, 2–0)
7:45 p.m., ESPN

Things could not have gone better for Nick Saban in his first three games as head coach at Alabama. Saban was hired as a savior for a program that had fallen from the elite under a series of leaders with ties to legendary Bear Bryant or the Tide. Saban, an outsider, was

lured away from the Miami Dolphins to turn the Crimson Tide back into national-championship contenders. So far, so good.

Alabama coughed up a 21-point lead against Arkansas last week, only to rally in the final seconds behind quarterback John Parker Wilson for a 41–38 win. The result pushed the Tide back into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2005.

Saban is a defensive coach, but his first Alabama team is winning with offense. Wilson threw for 327 yards and four scores a week ago, while Saban’s defense allowed Arkansas to roll up 450 yards of total offense.

Georgia is not nearly the offensive threat the Razorbacks represented. The Bulldogs are already staring up at Florida and South Carolina in the SEC East and can not afford another early season conference loss. To avoid one, quarterback Matthew Stafford must boost an offense that ranks just 76th nationally in yards per game. The Bulldogs also need to get continued strong play from its 15th-ranked defense, a unit that surrenders 50 fewer yards per game than Alabama.

Mr. Levine is a writer for FootballOutsiders.com.