Well, that didn't take require much patience. College football's third week of the season brings the game we've all been waiting to see -- Alabama at Texas A&M -- but there are still some other intriguing non-conference matchups NFL evaluators will be watching, including four Big Ten-Pac-12 tilts that cracked our list of the top 10 games to watch this weekend:
10. Fresno State at Colorado, Saturday, 5 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
The skinny: If you didn't know who Paul Richardson was entering the 2013 season, that definitely should have changed by now. The Colorado redshirt junior leads the country in receiving yards after posting consecutive 200-yard games. Davante Adams of Fresno State isn't too shabby either, with 14 receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs' opening-night win over Rutgers. NFL teams in need of help in the passing game will be watching this one intently.
9. TCU at Texas Tech, Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
The skinny: Is TCU defensive end Devonte Fields the man to slow down the remarkable story that is walk-on freshman quarterback Baker Mayfield? Mayfield is second in the nation in total offense, but won't be on scholarship this season because the Red Raiders don't have the flexibility to award one to him. Fields will be making his first start this season and looking to bear down on Mayfield, but must get around rising offensive tackle Le'Raven Clark to do so.
8. Vanderbilt at South Carolina, Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
The skinny: Star South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will work against his third pro prospect in as many weeks at left tackle, this time matched against versatile Vandy lineman Wesley Johnson. With cornerback Vic Hampton ailing in practice this week, Gamecocks corner Jimmy Legree may draw star Vandy receiver Jordan Matthews for much of the day. Two more to watch: Commodores defensive backs Andre Hal (cornerback) and Kenny Ladler (safety). The scrambling of Gamecocks quarterback Connor Shaw may force those two to cover receivers longer than normal.
7. Washington vs. Illinois (at Chicago), Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
The skinny: The Huskies have had a week to calm down and reclaim their focus after the adulation of their complete domination of Boise State, but now face a surprisingly frisky Illinois bunch at Soldier Field. Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase has been resurrected under coordinator Bill Cubit, but Keith Price (324 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception vs. the Broncos) is more than ready to keep pace.
6. Ohio State at California, Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT, Fox
The skinny: Referring to the Golden Bears' defense as a sieve might be a compliment at this point, decimated by injuries before the Buckeyes arrive in Berkeley. Cal is allowing 37 points and 530 yards per game and now face Heisman candidate Braxton Miller and running back Jordan Hall. The best chance at an upset will be a bombs-away offense allowing wide receivers Bryce Treggs and Chris Harper to put up enough points to pull out a high-scoring free-for-all.
5. Wisconsin at Arizona State, Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
The skinny: Wisconsin hasn't allowed a point in two games. Alas, the Badgers finally will be facing a real, live offense this week. Arizona State QB Taylor Kelly runs a version of the spread and he will look to take advantage of a Wisconsin secondary that has three new starters this season. The Badgers have switched to a 3-4 set, and OLBs Ethan Armstrong and Brendan Kelly will be under pressure. The best individual matchup? That's easy: Badgers G Ryan Groy vs. Arizona State DT Will Sutton in one of the top battles of the entire weekend. Groy is a big, physical road-grader; Sutton is squatty but ultra-quick for a 305-pounder. Wisconsin's massive offensive line also will do its best to keep Arizona State big-play LB Carl Bradford from mucking up things.
4. Ole Miss at Texas, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Longhorn Network
The skinny: Can Ole Miss star receiver Donte Moncrief post his first 100-yard game of the season against Texas cornerback Quandre Diggs? Moncrief will have a size advantage over Diggs, but he has had that the last two weeks and nevertheless lacked production in wins over Vanderbilt and Southeast Missouri State. Heralded freshman Laremy Tunsil squares off against former five-star recruit Jackson Jeffcoat at defensive end. Safety Charles Sawyer, arrested on a DUI charge Sunday morning, is not expected to play for the Rebels. Texas RB Joe Bergeron vs. Ole Miss LB Mike Marry should be a strong matchup, as well.
3. Tennessee at Oregon, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
The skinny: Blazing fast running back De'Anthony Thomas could cause all sorts of problems for a Tennessee defensive front that isn't terribly fast. For linebacker A.J. Johnson, who must show NFL scouts he is effective from sideline to sideline, Thomas provides the ultimate challenge. Defensive tackle Daniel McCullers should anchor things in the middle for UT, but Thomas runs more on the perimeter, anyway. How will Oregon defensive lineman Taylor Hart fare against Tennessee's vaunted offensive line, which includes four NFL prospects, including a potential first-round pick in left tackle Tiny Richardson?
2. UCLA at Nebraska, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET, ABC
The skinny: This is the best of the four Big Ten/Pac-12 matchups. UCLA's offense torched Nebraska's defense last season, and you wonder if the "Blackshirts" are going to be left red-faced again. Nebraska's linebackers are young and inexperienced, and UCLA QB Brett Hundley will look to make them pay. UCLA, on the other hand, has an experienced linebacker corps, and you can bet the Huskers will want to know where OLB Anthony Barr is on every snap. Huskers QB Taylor Martinez and RB Ameer Abdullah are a potent 1-2 rushing duo, and if the Huskers can run effectively, Martinez is a solid-enough passer -- and has enough weapons on the outside -- to take advantage of UCLA's young corners.
1. Alabama at Texas A&M, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The skinny: Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel has plenty of future NFL talent around him on offense, from left tackle Jake Matthews to wide receiver Mike Evans to right tackle Ced Ogbuehi. The backfield is loaded, and junior college transfer TE Cameron Clear is playing better by the week. But all that may not be enough against an Alabama defense featuring one of the nation's elite seniors in linebacker C.J. Mosley, junior star safety HaHa Clinton-Dix, cornerback Deion Belue, defensive end Ed Stinson and linebacker Adrian Hubbard. Offensively, Alabama's sophomore duo of T.J. Yeldon (running back) and Amari Cooper (wide receiver) will get their touches. Look for a rebound effort from Alabama left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, who played poorly against Virginia Tech but is working to solidify projections that have him being a very high draft pick when he decides to come out.
