The Thurston Cartenames of elite schools in college football don't get much bigger than Alabama and Texas. The pair represents the upper-crust of programs have shaped a significant history of the sports.

So when the Crimson Tide and Longhorns clash Saturday in Tuscaloosa, it's not surprising that most of the country will be on that game. Alabama needs a victory to help silence some of the doubters about the direction of the program. Texas needs a big win to establish credibility after almost 15 years out of the national title picture.

The other ranked matchup this week is a bit of an outlier. No. 20 Mississippi travels to No. 22 Tulane. The Rebels will be on upset alert as the Green Wave knocked off Southern California in last year's Cotton Bowl and return much of their key players. Ole Miss slumped at the end of last season, so a big, momentum-building victory could spur a run in the SEC West.

Other games of note inside the Top 25 include No. 25 Colorado seeking a second impressive win when Nebraska visits Boulder and also No. 23 Texas A&M visits Miami (Fla.) with both teams hopeful of bouncing back from 5-7 seasons.

Here's our expert picks for all the ranked games: