FOUR GAMES TO WATCH

No. 7 TEXAS (4-1)

vs. No. 14 OKLAHOMA (3-1)

* Kickoff: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. PDT, at the Cotton Bowl, Dallas

* TV: Channel 7

* Line: Texas by 4 1/2 .

* Texas update: The Longhorns won the national title last year, but some of the Texas faithful might say the victory over Oklahoma was more important. It ended a five-game Oklahoma win streak in the intense, border-state rivalry. The Longhorns are averaging 41.6 points a game -- fourth in the nation -- but they scored only seven against Ohio State, their only ranked opponent to date. Texas has won a conference-record 16 consecutive Big 12 games.

* Oklahoma update: Sooners fans say their team should still be in the national title hunt after getting cheated out of a victory at Oregon. But lost in the controversy was a defense that gave up 501 yards to the Ducks. Oklahoma gives up an average of 321 yards a game, which puts extra pressure on Heisman Trophy candidate Adrian Peterson to control the ball. He is fifth in Division I-A with 643 rushing yards.

* Story line: This is the first time since 1999 that both teams have entered the Red River Rivalry with a loss, so there are no national title implications, but it’s one of the longest-running rivalry games in the nation (101 years) and no state has more football pride than these two.

* The pick: Texas. The Longhorns give up an average of 36.6 rushing yards a game and should be able to limit Peterson.

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No. 9 LOUISIANA STATE (4-1)

at No. 5 FLORIDA (5-0)

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

* TV: Channel 2

* Line: Pick.

* Louisiana State update: The Tigers have the top defense in the nation, giving up an average of only 193.4 yards a game, and are second in scoring defense at 7.4 points a game. A strong pass rush has produced 19 sacks and helped limit opponents to 124.2 passing yards a game. On offense, quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who has passed for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns, leads a unit that averages 38 points.

* Florida update: The Gators are entering one of the toughest stretches of games in the nation, with No. 2 Auburn and No. 10 Georgia to follow. Chris Leak has passed for 1,240 yards and 14 touchdowns, but DeShawn Wynn, who has run for a team-high 354 yards, has a sprained knee and might not play. Florida’s defense ranks fourth nationally in scoring average (9.4 points) and rushing defense (50.2 yards).

* Story line: If Florida gets through its next three games unbeaten, the Gators will state a legitimate case to play in the BCS championship game. Despite a conference loss to No. 2 Auburn, LSU, which has defeated the Gators in three of their last four meetings, still has SEC title hopes.

* The pick: Florida. It’s an even matchup featuring two of the nation’s top quarterbacks -- each facing one of the nation’s top defenses. It comes down to home-Swamp advantage.

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No. 13 TENNESSEE (4-1)

at No. 10 GEORGIA (5-0)

* Kickoff: Saturday, 4:45 p.m. PDT

* TV: ESPN

* Line: Tennessee by 2 1/2 .

* Tennessee update: Quarterback Erik Ainge has the Tennessee offense in high gear. He has passed for 1,389 yards and 12 touchdowns -- both among the top 10 in the nation. Robert Meachem leads the nation with 577 receiving yards. This is the third game against a top-10 team for the Volunteers, who defeated then-No. 9 California in Week 1 and lost to then-No. 7 Florida in Week 3.

* Georgia update: The Bulldogs expect to get quarterback Joe Tereshinski back from an ankle injury, which is good news for an offense that is sputtering. With freshmen Matt Stafford and Joe Cox splitting time, the Bulldogs eked out victories over Colorado (0-5) and Mississippi (1-4) the last two weeks -- scoring only 14 points against each. Georgia’s defense has more than made up for the offensive shortcomings, however, holding opponents to a nation-leading 6.8 points a game.

* Story line: Georgia needs a win to justify its top-10 legitimacy, which has been questioned the last two weeks. Tennessee already has an SEC East loss, so the Volunteers must win to keep alive hopes of a conference title. Georgia has won four of the last five meetings.

* The pick: Tennessee. Georgia’s defense has been impressive, but it has not yet faced an offense as explosive as Tennessee’s.

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No. 11 OREGON (4-0)

at No. 16 CALIFORNIA (4-1)

* Kickoff: Saturday, 5 p.m.

* TV: Channel 7.

* Line: California by 5.

* Oregon update: Quarterback Dennis Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart lead a prolific offense that averages 40.3 points, 497 total yards and 227.5 rushing yards -- all among the nation’s top 10. The Ducks continue to draw criticism for their referee-assisted 34-33 victory over Oklahoma, so they would like nothing more than to validate that victory with another win over a ranked opponent.

* California update: Since a 35-18 loss to Tennessee in Week 1, the Golden Bears have been on a roll. They’ve averaged 43.5 points their last four games -- a total that would be second in the nation. As it is, their 38.4 average is eighth. Nate Longshore has passed for 1,221 yards and 14 touchdowns and running back Marshawn Lynch has rushed for 555 yards and seven touchdowns, giving Cal one of the most prolific offensive duos in the nation.

* Story line: Both teams have November dates with USC, so the winner of this game has the best chance to end the Trojans’ stronghold in the Pacific 10.

* The pick: California. A game with this much offense is likely to come down to a late game-breaking play and Golden Bears receiver/punt returner DeSean Jackson might be the best playmaker in the nation.