What to Watch: Week One (part 3 of 5)

This is part 3 of "What to Watch: Week One." I'm counting down the 10 games I think are the most worthy to be watched in Week One of the season. Part 1 - Part 2

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6. USC at Arkansas
Saturday, September 2 - 7:45 p.m.
ESPN

I expect USC to win this one, but it shouldn't be a victory on par with the 70-17 thrashing they inflicted on the Razorbacks in Los Angeles last year. Everyone will want to watch this game to see how USC performs in the absence of Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, etc. Not only that, it'll be interesting to see if Arkansas can manage to put up a fight this time around.

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5. Marshall at West Virginia
Saturday, September 2
TBA

On paper, this doesn't appear to be much of a contest, but I'm sure the Thundering Herd will want to show the nation that there's another school in West Virginia capable of playing good football. How can you not be interested in a game that required intervention by the governor to make it happen? This will be the sixth time the two schools have played each other and only the second time since 1923. They played once in 1997, but Marshall ended up backing out of the remaining three games of the contract because they were all to be played at the Mountaineers' stadium. Though the rivalry has been largely non-existent, I'm sure there will be no shortage of intensity and animosity.

(Games 3 & 4 of Week One will be posted tomorrow)