College football in October is a wonderful thing. Conference clashes are everywhere, with some teams beginning to see their bowl dreams get closer and others watching them vanish.

Last weekend, the Georgia Bullodgs ended any hope the LSU Tigers had of another national championship and made themselves strong contenders to win their first since 1980. Purdue ended a 30-year losing streak in South Bend behind quarterback Kyle Orton, who threw four touchdown passes and firmly established himself as the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

This weekend promises more excellent matchups. Tennessee travels to Georgia, where the Volunteers hope to salvage their season and the Bulldogs plan to continue their SEC dominance.

Thirteenth-ranked Minnesota heads into no. 14 Michigan for the storied Little Brown Jug game, where the Wolverines own a 15-game winning streak. Don’t look now, but if the Gophers win this one, they’ll be in the national title hunt.

But the unquestioned game of the week features two top-5 teams, Oklahoma and Texas, who are playing as much for pride as they are for BCS prospects. The USC-Cal matchup also promises its share of excitement, with the winner claiming the title of best team in California.

OKLAHOMA (2) AT TEXAS (5) Ever year, Oklahoma-Texas is the focal point of the chase for the Big 12 title and the gateway to a national championship. Oklahoma has owned the Longhorns in recent years, winning four games in a row, including a 65-13 thrashing last year.

The Sooners still have Heisman winner Jason White at quarterback, who, with his 173.8 rating and 215 yards per game, is efficient if nothing else. But this season Oklahoma is relying more heavily on its running game, which features freshman Adrian Peterson and his 6.3 yards a carry and six touchdowns.

This is, however, an opportunistic offense, and if the rushing game isn’t there, White can certainly step in and put up some loftier numbers. The Longhorns have the best overall defense in the conference and will need it if they are going to slow Oklahoma down.

The Sooners also field a great defense, and they know exactly how to beat Texas: Keep their hands off the ball. In the last four meetings between these two, Oklahoma has forced 16 turnovers. Expect to see a risk-reward mentality in this game, with the Sooners’ pass rush taking some chances to disrupt the Longhorns’ offense.

The Texas offense has scored the most points of any team in the Big 12 and has the second-best rushing offense in the country, led by the bruising Cedric Benson and his 186.5 yards per game. If head coach Mack Brown can find a way to outfox the Oklahoma rush defense and open holes for his big running back, the Longhorns will be on their way to a big victory.

Speedy quarterback Vince Young first endeared himself to the Texas faithful by coming in late during that 65-13 embarrassment last season and giving the fans a glimpse of things to come. Young was so impressive, in fact, that he has started every game since and led his team to a 10-1 record.

This season, he has completed 63% of his passes and has thrown eight touchdowns, providing a nice compliment to the top-rated running game. Now Young has a chance to become immortal by beating the Sooners.

There is always a question as to what means more to a Longhorns fan: a national championship or beating Oklahoma. The question is moot, really, because without a win over the Sooners, there is no national title.

USC (1) AT CALIFORNIA (7) Last September, the Golden Bears handed the Trojans their only defeat of the season in a triple-overtime classic. Thirteen months later, it’s USC’s only loss in their last 25 games, and the one that prevented them from claiming the undisputed national championship in 2003. Head coach Pete Carroll has said there is no lingering pain from that loss. Anyone who watches college football knows that is hogwash.

The Trojans are still the top-ranked team in the country, but it has not been an easy season so far. They struggled mightily against Virginia Tech, barely squeaked by Stanford, and face their toughest opponent this weekend in California.

Heisman candidate Matt Leinart gets most of the press, and rightfully so; he’s having another great season, with eight touchdown passes and 256 passing yards per game, ranking only behind Cal’s Aaron Rodgers in quarterback rating.

But all-purpose dynamo Reggie Bush is probably the best player on this team. Bush has rushed for 330 yards, caught 14 passes for 196 yards, returned kickoffs and punts for 325 yards, and scored eight touchdowns this season. This weekend, expect to see Bush on the field quite often, and if the Trojans win, don’t be surprised to see him in the end zone with the winning touchdown.

But don’t count California out. The Bears have beaten some second-rate teams this year, but they’ve done it by scoring the most points of any squad in the nation. While the Trojans look good at 36.5 points per game, Cal is posting 48.7 points every weekend, outscoring opponents by a total score of 146-35.

Led by Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and J.J Arrington out of the backfield, Cal will give the USC defense fits at times in this game. Arrington averages 166.7 yards per game, eighth best in the country, and he will be the key to any upset California is hoping for.

Historically, California has not done well in these situations, coming in to the USC game with an 0-6 record against no.1-ranked teams. The victory over the Trojans last season was their only win against a ranked team in two years. They have experience and are riding a six game winning streak, but USC is going to win this game and win it big.

The difference will be defense, where USC has the depth and talent to snuff out any offensive package Cal dares throw at them. Linebacker Matt Grootegoed is excellent in pass coverage and should handle Aaron Rodgers more than capably in this game. This is the biggest match up so far for both teams, but unless the Trojans decide to go surfing instead of showing up, USC should win this game easily.