ESPN College Football

Purdue comes into Saturday's matchup at Ohio State (3:30 p.m., ABC) looking for some redemption. In their first visit to a conference power this season the Boilermakers had an uncharacteristically sloppy game in a 31-3 loss at Michigan -- giving up seven sacks and turning the ball over three times -- so they come to Columbus hoping to prove that showing was a fluke.

Purdue will not be intimidated by Ohio Stadium, either. There are five veterans on this defense who also played in the 2000 Rose Bowl, and with the Boilermakers still controlling their own destiny those guys will have the team fired up to prove something.

The biggest key for Purdue will be protecting quarterback Kyle Orton against the athletic Ohio State defense. The Buckeyes will try to take away Jared Void and the Purdue running game, and Ohio State will hope to get as much pressure as possible from the defensive line while walking their defensive backs closer to the line of scrimmage to take away the underneath throws Orton has been so effective with this season.

And while Purdue has had trouble in the red zone at times this season the Boilermakers have come up with a few new option wrinkles that have helped remedy the problem.

On the other side, the Buckeyes likely won't be able to line up and mash the ball into a tough Purdue defense that will be geared up to stop a healthy Lydell Ross. Ohio State will have to hit some play-action passes to Michael Jenkins and Santonio Holmes to keep the Boilermakers from packing the box against the run, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Buckeyes hit a couple to loosen things up.

The do-or-die stat for Purdue in this game may be turnovers. The Boilermakers failed to win the turnover battle in losses to Bowling Green and Michigan, so protecting the ball will be huge for them against the Buckeyes.

Tune in to GameDay on Saturday morning for my pick.

NC State vs. No. 11 Florida State (3:30 p.m., ABC)
One has to believe there is also some urgency at Florida State after last week's offensive struggles at Clemson. The FSU running game was non-existent against, quarterback Chris Rix struggled, and after offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden stated that backup Fabian Walker could see some playing time it will be interesting to see how the quarterback position is handled.

Watch the matchup between Florida State wideouts Craphonso Thorpe and PK Sam and NC State cornerbacks Greg Golden and Lamont Reid. The 'Noles have always had the philosophy of lining up and beating teams with superior athletes, and as a former Florida State assistant Chuck Amato has enough of that in him to make for terrific one-on-one battles on the outside.

The Wolfpack has had problems against the pass this season, but with the entire unit finally getting healthy and end Mario Williams getting pressure on the quarterback the NC State coaches feel things will begin to turn around.

The Pack is also as healthy as it has been all year on offense, especially at running back. T. A. McLendon feels better than he has at any point this season, and his return to the offense will take pressure off quarterback Philip Rivers and help keep the Florida State offense on the sideline.

NC State is coming off a bye and will be motivated by the fact that winning out could potentially get the Wolfpack into a BCS bowl. The Pack will use Rivers' senior maturity and McLendon's running to get a 30-24 win in Tallahassee.

No. 16 Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia (7:00 p.m., ESPN2)
Pittsburgh deserves credit for making defensive plays when it had to against Virginia Tech in last week's upset win. But the Panthers did give up 241 rushing yards to Kevin Jones and the fact that the defensive front is a weakness does not bode well against Quincy Wilson and West Virginia's physical running game.

The Mountaineers will spread Pittsburgh out with shotgun formations but still be tough in the running game, setting up the run by stretching the defense from sideline to sideline. With quarterback Rasheed Marshall dinged up, though, it will be Wilson and the running game that keys the West Virginia attack.

The Mountaineers have to realize that Panthers quarterback Rod Rutherford and wideout Larry Fitzgerald will make some plays, but the question is whether they will get enough chances with Wilson and the WVU running game controlling the clock.

The amazing thing about West Virginia is that even after a 1-4 start the Mountaineers still have a chance to claim a share of the Big East championship by winning out. That motivation will have them sky high, and combined with the home crowd it will lead West Virginia to a 34-27 victory in Morgantown.

No. 17 Minnesota vs. No. 20 Iowa (12:00 p.m., ESPN)
The Minnesota running game continues to prove its legitimacy, rushing for at least 338 yards in each of the last three games and getting 100-yard games from both Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney each time out. Quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq has been a big part of that success by keeping defenses guessing with his scrambling and passing ability, but he has a bad shoulder and his effectiveness is a big question for the Golden Gophers.

This game will feature one of the most physical matchups of the day when the Iowa offense is on the field. Linebackers Chad Greenway (6-4, 236) and Abdul Hodge (6-2, 232) will get after the Minnesota linemen and backs, while ends Howard Hodges and Matt Roth will show they are for real by containing Abdul-Khaliq with speed.

That physical defense will hold its own and contain the Gophers, while the return of Mo Brown at wide receiver (eight receptions for 126 yards last week vs. Purdue) gives quarterback Nathan Chandler the deep threat that has been missing. Look for a 30-17 Hawkeyes victory.

And should Iowa win out and get to nine victories on the season, Kirk Ferentz deserves serious consideration for Big Ten Coach of the Year after losing nearly his entire offense to graduation and the NFL last season.

No. 25 Kansas State vs. No. 15 Nebraska (3:30 p.m., ABC)
The Nebraska defense has played well all year for new defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who has gotten the Blackshirts back to their attacking style, but the Huskers have been bothered by mobile quarterbacks like Missouri's Brad Smith.

That is a bad omen with Kansas State and Ell Roberson rolling into Lincoln. With Roberson at quarterback, Darren Sproles at running back and James Terry at wide receiver, the Wildcats have the kind of scheme that can give Nebraska fits with big plays. Roberson's scrambling and option abilities should temper some of that Husker aggressiveness, but if Nebraska becomes the aggressor on offense Kansas State could be in trouble. Roberson's passing will also be a key to slowing the Blackshirts.

On the other side, the Kansas State defense will load up against the run and force Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord to throw the ball. The Wildcats may give up some yards on scrambles because of Lord's athletic ability, but they will be able to use pressure to force him into mistakes.

That will be the difference in a 27-21 Kansas State win.

Kirk Herbstreit is an analyst for ESPN College GameDay and a regular contributor to ESPN.com during the college football season.