SIX GAMES TO WATCH

No. 14 LOUISIANA STATE (8-2)

at ARKANSAS (5-5)

Kickoff: 11:30 a.m. today.

TV: Channel 2.

The line: LSU by 4.

LSU update: Alley Broussard rushed for a school-record 250 yards and scored three touchdowns in Saturday’s 27-24 victory over Mississippi. He leads the Tigers in rushing with 677 yards and nine touchdowns. LSU gives up an average of 250.2 yards to rank third nationally in defense, and gives up only 16.1 points a game.

Arkansas update: Linebacker Pierre Brown returned a blocked field-goal attempt 76 yards for a touchdown in Saturday’s 24-21 victory over Mississippi State. Quarterback Matt Jones is averaging 8.8 yards a carry. Another plus for the Razorbacks is their ability to score in the red zone -- they’ve done so 89.2% of the time.

Story line: The Tigers are jockeying for better bowl placement, and the Razorbacks need a victory to become bowl eligible.

The pick: LSU in a close game, with its defensive prowess the determining factor.

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No. 22 TEXAS A&M; (7-3) at No. 6 TEXAS (9-1)

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. today.

TV: Channel 7.

Line: Texas by 10 1/2 .

Texas A&M; update: The Aggies have played four close games in a row, most recently a 35-32 overtime victory against Texas Tech on Nov. 13. They’re averaging 454.5 yards a game with a fairly balanced attack. On defense, their strength is against the run (119.5 yards to rank 28th). They rank 103rd nationally against the pass (256.7 yards).

Texas update: Cedric Benson, the nation’s second-leading rusher with a 159.9-yard average, is a big reason the Longhorns are eighth in offense (472.4 yards). The Longhorns are stingy against the run but give up nearly 208 yards a game to rank 54th in pass defense.

Story line: A Longhorn triumph will ensure stability within the top six of the BCS rankings.

The pick: Texas A&M.; The Aggies will be able to pass against the Longhorns and should be able to slow Benson.

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CINCINNATI (6-4) at No. 7 LOUISVILLE (8-1)

Kickoff: 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

TV: ESPN2

The line: Louisville by 21.

Cincinnati update: The Bearcats, who have won four in a row and are tied for second with Alabama Birmingham in Conference USA, rank 20th in offense (428.2 yards), but quarterback Gino Guidugli broke a bone in his throwing hand earlier this week and might not play.

Louisville update: Stefan LeFors passed for 317 yards and three touchdowns, Eric Shelton scored three rushing touchdowns and the Cardinals routed Houston, 65-27, on Saturday to keep their BCS bowl berth hopes faintly alive. Louisville had 666 yards of offense, a category in which it leads the nation with an average of 543.4 yards.

Story line: Louisville, currently 10th in the BCS standings, needs to keep winning and hope for teams above them to stumble to sneak into the top six.

The pick: Louisville. The Cardinals will be scored upon but should pull away.

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GEORGIA TECH (6-4) at No. 8 GEORGIA (8-2)

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

TV: Channel 2.

The line: Georgia by 15.

Georgia update: The Bulldogs have had an extra week to get over their 24-6 loss to Auburn, a game in which Georgia was held scoreless for 57 minutes before David Greene threw a touchdown pass to Leonard Pope with 2:13 left. Greene has passed for 2,164 yards and 17 touchdowns, with only two interceptions.

Georgia Tech update: The Yellow Jackets’ strength is defense, even though it didn’t show in Saturday’s 30-10 loss to Virginia. They give up 306.8 yards to rank 18th in defense. They give up only 117 yards rushing.

Story line: The Bulldogs, eighth in the BCS rankings, cannot afford another loss and need help from those above them in order to earn an automatic BCS berth.

The pick: Georgia. The Bulldogs may be struggling on offense, but they know what’s at stake and have had ample time to prepare.

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No. 23 OKLAHOMA STATE (7-3) at TEXAS TECH (6-4)

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

TV: FSNW.

The line: Texas Tech by 4 1/2 .

Oklahoma State update: Junior tailback Vernand Morency ranks eighth nationally in rushing -- one spot below Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson -- with 1,346 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Texas Tech update: Sonny Cumbie is 28th nationally in passing efficiency despite 17 interceptions. The Red Raiders are sixth in offense with an average of 486.7 yards.

Story line: The Cowboys are striving to remain among the top teams and become more attractive to bowl selection committees, and the Red Raiders are out to prove they can do more than just come close to beating a top team.

The pick: Texas Tech. While Morency should be able to pad his stats against a team that yields 171 yards rushing a game, so should Cumbie against a team that gives up 220 yards passing.

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NOTRE DAME (6-4) at No. 1 USC (10-0)

Kickoff: 5 p.m. Saturday.

TV: Channel 7.

The line: USC by 23.

Notre Dame update: With victories over Michigan and Tennessee, the Fighting Irish aren’t lacking in confidence. But with losses against much lesser teams -- Pittsburgh being the latest -- they’re lacking consistency. The team is strong against the run (11th nationally) but ranks 107th in pass defense, giving up 261.2 yards a game.

USC update: Matt Leinart has completed 203 of 309 passes for 2,348 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Trojans rank 18th in offense with an average of 434.8 yards.

Story line: A Trojan victory puts them one step closer to the Orange Bowl, and a Notre Dame upset would generate an aftershock felt throughout the top portion of the BCS rankings.

The pick: USC by a comfortable margin, with big numbers from Leinart.

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-- Pete Thomas