FOUR GAMES TO WATCH

No. 21 MARYLAND (8-2) at No. 20 BOSTON COLLEGE (8-2)

* Kickoff: Saturday, 9 a.m. PST.

* TV: ESPN.

* Line: Boston College by 7.

* Maryland update: The Terrapins have a five-game winning streak, the longest in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but they have won those games by a combined 13 points and only one win came against a team with a winning record. Lance Ball and Keyon Lattimore have combined for 1,129 yards rushing and quarterback Sam Hollenbach has passed for 1,717 yards and 12 touchdowns

* Boston College update: Quarterback Matt Ryan leads the ACC with 2,282 yards passing -- nearly 400 more than his closest competitor. The Eagles have a 10-game home winning streak and have outscored their opponents, 308-123, during that stretch. They have given up only 10 points in their last four home games and are 13th in the nation in scoring defense, giving up 14.7 points a game.

* Story line: The ACC Coastal Division title is still up for grabs and these are two of the three teams still in the race. Boston College (4-2) would need to win this game and next week against Miami (2-4) and have Wake Forest (5-1) lose its final two games to win the conference. The Terrapins (5-1) play Wake Forest next week, so a victory Saturday would set up a showdown for a spot in the conference title game against Georgia Tech.

* The pick: Boston College. The Eagles have more experience in must-win games.

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No. 2 MICHIGAN (11-0) at No. 1 OHIO STATE (11-0)

* Kickoff: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. PST.

* TV: Ch. 7.

* Line: Ohio State by 7.

* Michigan update: Linebacker David Harris and defensive end LaMarr Woodley lead a Wolverines defense that is third in the nation in total defense, giving up 231.45 yards a game, fifth in scoring defense, giving up only 12.1 points, and No. 1 against the run at 29.9 yards. Woodley is fifth in the nation with 11 sacks. Running back Mike Hart is sixth in the nation with 1,373 yards rushing and quarterback Chad Henne has passed for 1,932 yards and 19 touchdowns.

* Ohio State update: The Buckeyes enter with the nation’s longest winning streak at 18 games and have won the last two meetings with Michigan. Only one team has been within 17 points of Ohio State and the Buckeyes lead the nation in scoring defense at 7.8 points a game. Quarterback Troy Smith, a Heisman Trophy candidate, is sixth in the nation with a 186.7 quarterback rating. He has 2,191 yards passing with 26 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

* Story line: One of the nation’s top rivalry games in any year, it doesn’t get any bigger than this year. It’s the first time they’ve met as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams. The Big Ten title and a spot in the BCS national championship game go to the winner.

* The pick: Ohio State. Smith has passed for 541 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns in two games against Michigan.

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No. 19 VIRGINIA TECH (8-2) at No. 14 WAKE FOREST (9-1)

* Kickoff: Saturday, 4 p.m. PST.

* TV: ESPN2.

* Line: Virginia Tech by 2.

* Virginia Tech update: The Hokies have won four in a row since losing to Georgia Tech and Boston College. They have given up only 23 points during the streak and are third in the nation in scoring defense, giving up only 10.6 points a game. Running back Branden Ore is 12th in the nation with 1,090 yards rushing and his 14 rushing touchdowns are tied for fifth in the nation.

* Wake Forest update: The Demon Deacons, also on a four-game winning streak, are seeking the first 10-win season in school history. They are eighth in the nation in scoring defense, giving up 13.4 points a game. Freshman quarterback Riley Skinner leads the ACC with a quarterback rating of 145.8. He has passed for 1,259 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions and has completed 68.6% of his passes, seventh-best in the nation.

* Story line: Wake Forest is in pursuit of a spot in the ACC title game and needs to win this game and next week against Maryland to clinch it. Virginia Tech, while out of the ACC race, is looking to improve its bowl game. The Demon Deacons haven’t defeated Virginia Tech since 1983.

* The pick: Virginia Tech. The Hokies appear to have gotten their act together and Wake Forest has played only two teams with winning records, going 1-1 against Clemson and Boston College.

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SOUTH FLORIDA (7-3) at No. 10 LOUISVILLE (8-1)

* Kickoff: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PST.

* TV: ESPNU.

* Line: Louisville by 16 1/2 .

* South Florida update: The surprising Bulls play Louisville and West Virginia in their final two games and, judging by a 22-20 loss to Rutgers, they should be a handful for both. The defense is 15th in the nation, giving up 280.7 yards a game, and has given up only six passing touchdowns, tied for third in the nation. Freshman quarterback Matt Grothe has 1,979 yards passing and 578 yards rushing and is 11th in the nation in total offense. Last year, South Florida defeated then-No. 9 Louisville, 45-14.

* Louisville update: The Cardinals’ dream of an undefeated season and a spot in the national-title game ended last week in a 28-25 loss to Rutgers. Quarterback Brian Brohm leads an offense that averages 467.4 yards a game, which is second in the nation. The Cardinals have a 16-game home winning streak, second-longest in the nation to USC’s 31.

* Story line: Both teams still have an outside chance at winning the Big East title, but the loser of this game will be out of the race. Louisville would need to win out and hope Rutgers loses two of its last three games. South Florida would need Rutgers to lose its three remaining games.

* The pick: Louisville. This game has upset potential, but the Cardinals will be out for revenge from last season.