SEC ROOTING GUIDE

In which we tell you which teams you should root against in the upcoming week.

Two of the country’s top four teams face legitimate competition within their leagues Saturday, while a pair of other risers face significant non-conference opponents.

Clemson at Florida State: The Tigers lost Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and others from the squad that lost to FSU at home, 51-14, last season. But the Seminoles defense has struggled, and Jameis Winston will sit out the first half. Clemson played Georgia well through nearly three quarters to open the season. Florida State was the team to snap the SEC’s seven-year national championship streak. There will be other opportunities for an FSU loss (Notre Dame, Louisville, Florida, ACC championship), but the SEC sure would love to put the Seminoles on the endangered list.

Oklahoma at West Virginia: The Mountaineers knocked off Oklahoma State at home last season, and WVU should win more than four games this year. QB Clint Trickett will fling the ball early and often, but can he elude the Sooners pass rush long enough to get it to West Virginia’s playmakers? WVU played Alabama tough earlier this year at a neutral site, and the Mountaineers are barely more than a touchdown underdog, which should surprise the average SEC fan. But the Big 12 takes a big hit if Oklahoma loses here.

Miami at Nebraska: This Hurricanes team seems pretty mediocre thus far. Then again, Nebraska needed a last-minute touchdown to put away McNeese State. Duke Johnson quietly has rushed for 277 yards on 6.4 yards per carry, and after breaking his ankle on a national stage against FSU last season, he’d love to remind the country he’s one of the best backs in college football. What better way to do that then by upstaging Ameer Abdullah, who gained nearly 2,000 yards of total offense last season. The Cornhuskers are one of two unbeatens in the Big Ten. A Miami win here would curtail any Nebraska playoff discussion before it begins.

Virginia at BYU: The Cougars (3-0) already have entered the periphery of the playoff discussion, as has Taysom Hill with respect to the Heisman. Even if BYU stays undefeated, it’s unlikely the team will steal a bid from a power conference team. Likewise, Hill won’t win the award, but he could keep an SEC player from making the trip to New York. Virginia, though, could put a dent on all those plans. The Cavaliers played a ranked UCLA tough to open the season and then beat a ranked Louisville team last week. The SEC would love to see UVA go on the road and knock out BYU.