College Football Matchups - NYTimes.com There is a paucity of top 25 matchups this weekend, which raises the question: why rank just 25 teams? If 75 teams, say, or even all 124 were ranked, then every game would feature two "ranked teams," and we could dispense with pretending that No. 14 Ohio State versus No. 20 Michigan State is some sort of epic collision. PAGING WOODY AND BO The Buckeyes-Spartans clash will have to be a classic to salvage the reputation of the Big Ten, which is below that of the deposed N.F.L. replacement referees at this point. The Big Ten has looked feeble in interconference play, and its games have been unbearably lackluster. Not even Urban Meyer has been able to add pizazz to the league. The Spartans' defense will pose a challenge for quarterback Braxton Miller, who has accounted for 14 touchdowns, half of them by air and half by ground. SCORING ALERT After going 0 for 6 in the red zone against Oregon last week, Arizona heads home for a game with the less terrifying team from the Beaver State. But the fear factor is rising. 18 Oregon State's sophomore quarterback, Sean Mannion, is the Pac-12's top-rated passer. Arizona's Matt Scott is just behind, and the offense of Arizona Coach Rich Rodriguez is not likely to be shut down in consecutive weeks. Prepare for a shootout. UNFRIENDLY HOSTS Top-ranked Alabama and Mississippi have been meeting on and off since 1894, and the Rebels have won in Tuscaloosa exactly once, in 1988. After that game, a disgruntled Tide fan threw a brick through the office window of Bill Curry, then the coach. Nick Saban will probably not have to duck any projectiles Saturday; Alabama's defense is giving up 5.3 points a game. ALTERED STATE Just when it seemed things could not get worse for the interim Arkansas coach John L. Smith, he described his team to a group of angry boosters this week as a "state of Alabama program." Since Bobby Petrino exercised his contractual right to a midlife crisis last spring, Hog futures have plummeted. Arkansas is 1-3 after its home loss to Rutgers last week. Now a great Southwest Conference rivalry is reborn in the Southeastern Conference as Arkansas travels to Texas A&M, whose sensational freshman quarterback, Johnny Manziel, a k a Johnny Football, is running and passing with aplomb. Heck, he could be coaching Arkansas by next week.