ESPN RISE

If there are no upsets early in the season, Oct. 3 in Fort Lauderdale could have a magical feeling. That's the night when St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) hosts Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), in what would be matchup of the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 high school football teams.

Neither team has involved in an out-of-state showdown quite like this one, although both schools have participated in recent years at the Kirk Herbstreit Challenge in Ohio.

As more and more teams eye the national rankings and yearn for more recognition beyond state borders, showdown games like this are becoming more common. Other factors that have helped create more showdown games include the new state bowl game system in California and more playoff divisions in some states. When there are more divisions, the possibility of top-ranked teams not meeting in the playoffs increases and thereby increases the pressure for those teams to actually play each other.

Here are the nation's top 10 games for the upcoming 2009 season, based on preseason rankings:

1. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Friday, Oct. 3
There's no doubt about this one. The last No. 1 vs. No. 2 game for the national rankings on the high school side took place just two years ago in Dallas when Miami Northwestern went to the Lone Star State and took down Southlake Carroll, 29-21.

2. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) at Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) Friday, Sept. 18
This is the first regular season game against a team like Skyline that Oaks Christian has ever played and it will be interesting to see how all the players respond. The Lions are No. 6 in the preseason FAB 50 while the host Spartans are starting out at No. 9. The two quarterbacks  Nick Montana of Oaks Christian (Washington commit) and Jake Heaps of Skyline (Brigham Young commit)  were roommates at last summer's Elite 11 Quarterback Camp.

3. Lakeland (Fla.) at De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) Friday, Sept. 25
This game could be further enhanced if the Spartans win in their first two games, especially Sept. 12 at FAB 50-ranked Don Bosco Prep. Both schools have been No. 1 in the nation within the last six years and both have been dominant within their states. Both teams also are hoping to bounce back this season after losing in state finals last December. Heading into the season, Lakewood (No. 15) and De La Salle (No. 24) also are both in the top half of the FAB 50.

4. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) at Prattville (Ala.), Friday, Sept. 25
A year ago, the Ironmen traveled to Northern California and came home after a 23-21 win over De La Salle. This year, they will take a crack at the best from Alabama. Points should be at a premium between these two proud programs. Prattville is No. 10 in the preseason FAB 50 while Don Bosco Prep is at No. 18.

5. Miami Northwestern at Central (Miami), Thursday, Oct. 8
This could be the biggest game in Dade County in nearly 100 years if both teams come in undefeated. Both teams also are loaded with offensive firepower so a scoring festival could be in store as well. The Bulls, who were No. 1 in the FAB 50 in 2007, are starting out at No. 5 this year. Central is beginning at No. 28.

6. Bellevue (Wash.) at Katy (Texas), Saturday, Sept. 12
The host Tigers, who are No. 4 in the preseason FAB 50, haven't been known to back down from any top contenders in their own state and on this day they will face one of the top programs from the West. Bellevue (No. 20 in the FAB 50) is the school that in 2004 ended the national record win streak of Concord De La Salle at 151 games. A win on the road at Katy might be just as big.

7. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) at Jenks (Okla.), Friday, Sept. 11
Any top 10 list of the top games in the nation just about every year needs to include this one. It's the Backyard Bowl and even though the two teams often play later in the year in the state playoffs it's hard to top the rivalry's intensity, huge local interest across all media platforms and the frequency in which the games are decided by a single play at the end with the seconds winding down. To start this year, Tulsa Union is No. 13 in the FAB 50 with Jenks checking in at No. 44.

8. Allen (Texas) at Longview (Texas), Friday, Aug. 28
This is the top zero week game to start the season in Texas as the defending Class 5A Division I state champ Eagles take on a Lobo squad that lost to Lake Travis of Austin in the Class 4A Division I championship. Allen is beginning at No. 7 in the FAB 50, while Longview is at No. 17.

9. Lakewood (Calif.) at Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), Friday, Oct. 9
The host Jackrabbits (No. 42 in the preseason FAB 50) also could be on this list with their game on Sept. 11 against St. Bonaventure of Ventura. The matchup with Lakewood, however, carries much more local significance since the Lancers have not beaten Long Beach Poly since 1983 and this year they are led by USC-bound quarterback Jesse Scroggins and many other top returning players.

10. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) vs. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.), Saturday, Oct. 3
Similar to the Backyard Bowl in Oklahoma being on any top 10 list such as this, the rivalry game at Papa John's Stadium at the University of Louisville between these two parochial rivals is a must see. Both teams were in the FAB 50 at various times of last season. This year, Trinity is starting out at No. 43.

Five other top games to watch:
East St. Louis (Ill.) at Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio), Saturday, Aug. 29
Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio) at Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio), Sunday, Sept. 6
Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) vs. Bellevue (Wash.) at Seattle Memorial Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 19
Katy (Texas) at North Shore (Galena, Texas), Saturday, Aug. 29
Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) vs. Jesuit (Portland, Ore.) at Qwest Field, Saturday, Sept. 5