ESPN College Football

USC needs to be careful this week against Arizona State (3:30 ET, ABC) because the Sun Devils could be in a great position to pull off an upset after the hype and hoopla of the Trojans' meeting with California last week.

The Arizona State defense is every bit as good as California's The USC offense is without its most consistent receiver in the injured Steve Smith, leaving the Trojans to rely even more heavily on first-year contributors Chris McFoy and Dwayne Jarrett.

USC will have to depend on tailback Reggie Bush as a receiver to take up some of that slack, but until McFoy and Jarrett become more consistent teams like California and Arizona State will be able to take more chances with pressure and better able to take away the inside running of LenDale White.

ASU also has its own standout quarterback in Andrew Walter, a guy who is motivated to show the country he belongs among the best passers on the nation with USC's Matt Leinart and California's Aaron Rodgers. But Walter's success will depend on whether the line can give him time to throw and whether or not they can make holes for running back Hakim Hill, who had a terrific game last week against Oregon State.

I think the Arizona State defense shows up and teams with Walter, Hill and wide receiver Derek Hagans to provide enough of a spark to pull off the upset. The ASU offense will keep USC honest in a 27-23 upset.

No. 12 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Purdue (5:45, ESPN2)
Despite all the credit quarterback Kyle Orton gets -- and deservedly so -- it is the defense that has been the story for Purdue this season. The Boilermakers lost eight starters on that side of the ball, five of whom were four-year starters, and coordinator Brock Spack's unit was expected to take a step back.

Instead, they have shown incredible athleticism and aggressiveness and Spack has done a great job generating pressure on opposing offenses. His main goal this week will be to slow down Wisconsin tailback Anthony Davis, who has rushed for 381 yards in two games since coming back from an eye injury.

First-year Badgers quarterback John Stocco played with poise in last week's win at Ohio State and will look to use that as a springboard for the rest of the season, but Purdue's plan will be to stuff Davis and get Stocco into predictable third-and-long situations.

But the matchup everyone wants to see in this game is Wisconsin's defense against Orton. The Badgers lead the nation in scoring defense at 6.5 points per game thanks to the impressive job done by first-year defensive coordinator Brent Bielema, one of the leading candidates for the Frank Broyles Award for the nation's best assistant coach.

Bielema takes advantage of a strong front four led by tackle Anttaj Hawthorne and end Erasmus James and utilizes a heck of a blitz package. The question heading into this game is whether he will take chances with that blitz and hope his secondary holds up against Orton, or sit back in zone and make Purdue execute short throws underneath.

The keys will be whether Purdue can give Orton time to throw and how well the Wisconsin defense can mix up its coverages and disguise the defense from Orton.

Tune in to College GameDay at 10:30 a.m. ET to get my prediction.

No. 6 Virginia vs. No. 7 Florida State (7:45, ESPN)
The Virginia offense is led by an offensive line that may be the most well-schooled group of veterans in the country. The Cavaliers like to pull their linemen, especially guard Elton Brown, to get tailbacks Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman to the corner, but against Florida State the question is whether those slow-developing counter and misdirection plays can be successful against the Seminoles' speed.

FSU has a trio of linebackers as athletic as any in the country in Buster Davis, A.J. Nicholson and Ernie Sims. Those guys can run and will be trying their best to chase the running backs to the corner. Those runs have to work if Virginia is going to get quarterback Marques Hagans outside on bootlegs and naked plays. His passes are built off the run and have a tough time working if the rushing attack is being stopped.

Hagans' ability to scramble and buy time has also been huge for Virginia, so Florida State will blitz and try to keep him contained in the pocket.

On the other side, sophomore quarterback Wyatt Sexton will be making his third career start against the Cavaliers. The key for him is to keep playing as he has been, being patient and avoiding mistakes. Accordingly, the Seminoles will have to get tailbacks Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington 35 combined carries against Virginia's 3-4 defense, which will show some bubbles against the run if FSU gets 3-5 yards at a time and waits to pop a big run.

Virginia must be patient and make the Seminoles drive the length of the field. The Cavaliers will have to make them prove they can execute and avoid mistakes on long possessions. Look for a lot of conservative throws underneath from Sexton and FSU's slot receiver down the middle against Virginia's cover 2 scheme.

I'm a big fan of the UVA program and head coach Al Groh, and as long as Groh is there the Cavaliers will be serious contenders in the ACC. But I still wonder if they are a year away from winning a game like this in Tallahassee. I would not be shocked if they did and I would pick them if the game were in Charlottesville, but I like the Florida State defense to lead the way to a 24-20 win.

No. 24 Missouri vs. No. 11 Texas (3:30, ABC)
The biggest concern for Texas this week will be shaking off the difficult loss to Oklahoma. The players cannot allow the media and fans to affect them in this game. The Longhorns have to realize there is still a lot of football to be played and they can still have a good year.

Missouri, on the other hand, has bounced back nicely after being embarrassed by Troy in its opener. The defense has played well in recent wins over Colorado and Baylor.

Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis seemed to tighten up a bit and become incredibly conservative with playcalling and formations against OU, but look for him to get back to what's worked and be a little more aggressive against the Tigers. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Derrick Johnson will keep a close eye on Missouri's dual-threat quarterback Brad Smith and once again prove why he is maybe the best linebacker in the nation.

The Horns rebound with a 28-17 win at home.

UCLA vs. No. 9 California (7:00, TBS)
UCLA is an unknown quantity outside the west coast and will be taking on one of the best teams in the nation in California. Tailbacks J.J. Arrington and Marshawn Lynch give the offense a very diverse look when teamed with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The California defense was awesome last week against the Trojans and should be strong against a UCLA team that was trounced by Oklahoma State in its only game against a ranked team. The Bruins have a chance to show something in this game but the Golden Bears will prove too good for UCLA in a 34-17 victory.

Notre Dame vs. Navy (noon, CBS)
Paul Johnson has injected a lot of confidence into the Navy program and the Midshipmen always seem to play the Fighting Irish tough. Look for more of the same this year with fullback Kyle Eckel and quarterback Aaron Polanco, one of the most consistent run/pass quarterbacks in the country.

Don't be surprised to see the Middies make a game of it in the first half, but eventually the Notre Dame defense will come with too much pressure and wear them down. The Irish have playmakers in the passing game in Matt Shelton, Maurice Stovall and Rhema McKnight, who will team with quarterback Brady Quinn in the passing game and be too much for Navy.

Notre Dame wins, 27-17.

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