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What would a season be without Ohio State-Michigan? Every year it seems like there are national championship implications when these two teams meet, and since 1935 this game has decided the Big Ten title 19 times. The Big House will be rocking for this one as Michigan tries to spoil Ohio State's season once again. A Buckeyes victory would all but assure them a spot in the Sugar Bowl, where they would get a shot a defending their title. Ohio State has been winning ugly and relied on its defense in a 16-13 win over Purdue last week. After Ohio State fired coach John Cooper, who won 70 percent of his games but was 2-10-1 against Michigan, Jim Tressel is a perfect 2-0 against the Wolverines. But win No. 3 will be much tougher.

Key Matchup Michigan RB Chris Perry Sr., 6-1, 218 Stats: 284 carries, 1,435 yards, 15 TDs Perry can beat you in a lot of ways, and he's the type of back that will keep pounding away at you until he breaks off a big one. If Ohio State allows him to run free, the Buckeyes will be in trouble. vs. Ohio State DE Will Smith Sr., 6-4, 265 Stats: 46 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks Smith has been the Buckeyes' best pass rusher this season and his ability to plug up holes has stifled many teams' running games. He must continue to do the same against Michigan, but if the Wolverines shut him down the Buckeyes are done.

Ugly, boring, ineffective. All of those adjectives have been used to describe the Ohio State offense. But you can also add winners. Senior quarterback Craig Krenzel is 23-2 as a starter and the Buckeyes have won 23 of their last 24 games. Krenzel has a playmaking receiver in Michael Jenkins and Ben Hartstock is one of the better tight ends in the nation. Ohio State is going to try to grind it out and sustain long drives, even if they only result in a field goal. Lydell Ross is no Maurice Clarett, but he's gotten better throughout the season and is good enough to break off a big run here and there.

Of course, the reason the Buckeyes can get away with scoring so few points is because they have an outstanding kicker. Mike Nugent is a seasoned veteran and he has range in excess of 50 yards. If the game comes down to the kicking game, the Buckeyes have a clear edge.

Ohio State's defensive front seven is the heart of the team. Defensive ends Will Smith and Darrion Scott are two of the nation's best and always seem to be in the backfield. Because the line gets such a good push, Ohio State can often rush with four or five guys. That's why they're No. 1 in the nation at stopping the run (50.5 yards per game). Linebacker A.J. Hawk has been tremendous and leads the team with 88 tackles. He also has 11.5 tackles for loss. The secondary, however, is average. Chris Gamble is a terrific corner, but on the other side Dustin Fox can be exposed. And the Buckeyes really miss safeties Michael Doss and Donnie Nickey.

Michigan is one of the most complete teams in the nation outside of Oklahoma. On offense, the Wolverines can run and pass equally well and arguably have the best offensive line in the country. Running back Chris Perry is a workhorse and already has seven 100-yard games this season. Quarterback John Navarre may look awkward and won't win the Heisman, but he does win games. He has thrown for 2,782 yards and 12 TDs and needs just 218 yards to be the first Michigan quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. Navarre has three outstanding receivers at his disposal with Braylon Edwards (68 receptions, 901 yards, 12 TDs), Jason Avant (16.8 yards per catch) and speedy Steve Breaston (360 yards, 3 TDs).

While Ohio State defense gets all the pub, Michigan's D is actually more complete. Linebackers Carl Diggs and Pierre Woods are sensational and the Wolverines should be able to get a good push up front against an average Ohio State offensive line. And in the secondary the Wolverines are stacked. Cornerbacks Jeremy LeSueur and Markus Curry and free safety Ernest Shazor are outstanding and strong safety Marlin Jackson, the preseason Big Ten defensive player of the year, is just starting to return to form after being hampered by injuries for most of the season.

On paper, this is a clear mismatch. Michigan is better in almost every phase of the game and has more talent than Ohio State. But the Buckeyes just have this knack for finding a way to win so you can't count them out just yet. It's all going to come down to what type of game it is. Michigan wants a shootout, while Ohio State will try to make it a defensive battle like the Purdue game. This one may be close for a while -- and if it stays close in the fourth quarter that favors the Buckeyes -- but Michigan has too many weapons for Ohio State, even as good as its defense is. The Wolverines will win the Big Ten title and spoil another Ohio State season in the process.

The Pick: Michigan 31, Ohio State 16

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This is the biggest game in the 92-year-old series in more than 30 years, and perhaps the most significant since Billy Cannon sealed up the Heisman with a 89-yard punt return on Halloween in 1959. Ole Miss can clinch the SEC West title and earn a trip to the SEC championship game with a victory, and LSU will take the title by beating Ole Miss and Arkansas. LSU enters the game playing as well as any team in the country and has been impressive on both sides of the ball. Ole Miss has won six straight and has suddenly found a defense to go along with superb senior quarterback Eli Manning.

Key Matchup Ole Miss QB Eli Manning Sr., 6-5, 218 Stats: 347 attempts, 218 competitions, 2,881 yards, 23 TDs Believe it or not, but Eli has been a better college quarterback than his brother Peyton. He doesn't make mistakes and has carved up defenses without a dominant receiver. LSU must get pressure on him. vs. LSU CB Corey Webster Jr., 6-0, 201 Stats: 39 tackles, 3 interceptions, 18 pass breakups A converted wide receiver, Webster has been outstanding at anticipating where the ball is going to go and is very difficult to beat deep. Manning would be wise to throw away from him.

When talking about LSU, you first have to start with the offensive line. This unit is outstanding and has the ability to control a game. Rodney Reed, Stephen Peterman and Ben Wilkerson and Andrew Whitworth are all athletic and are equally adept a pass protection as they are at run blocking. The Tigers like to spread you out and take advantage of their trio of big-play receivers -- Michael Clayton (835 yards, 7 TDs), Devery Henderson (16.1 yards per catch, 9 TDs) and Skyler Green (437 yards, 4 TDs). Quarterback Matt Mauck (2,175 yards, 21 TDs) is a steady hand and is 14-2 as a starter.

Though not as heralded as Oklahoma and Michigan, LSU's defense has been one of the best in the nation. The Tigers lead the nation in scoring defense (8.9) and their starting unit has yet to allow a rushing touchdown this season. Extremely athletic, this defense is predicated on pressure and chasing down the ball. End Marcus Spears (6-4, 297) is a monster and Chad Lavalais has been unstoppable with 12 tackles for loss, including six sacks. In the secondary, Corey Webster has been the top cover corner in the SEC.

Ole Miss looks nothing like the team that began the season 2-2 after bad losses to Memphis and Texas Tech. The Rebels have won six straight since, including impressive victories over Florida, Arkansas and Auburn. Everything starts with Manning (2,881 yards, 23 TDs), but Tremaine Turner (579 yards, 3 TDs) has shown the ability to run the ball effectively when called upon. Manning can spread the ball all over the field and is as poised a college quarterback as you're going to find. This unit can be explosive and leads the SEC with 36.6 points and 459.9 yards per game.

Though the Rebels' defense has steadily improved, they are far from dominant. Ole Miss has given up at least 40 points three times and would have lost to Auburn if Ben Obomanu hadn't dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone in the final minute. Nevertheless, this unit has been bent but not broken over the last six games. It will have to play its best game if it is to slow down the potent Tigers.

There's no question that Ole Miss has been the surprise of the SEC, and you can't count the Rebels out of any game with Manning under center. But the fact of the matter is there's a huge disparity in talent between the two teams. Pure and simple, if LSU is on, the Tigers will win easy. Playing the game in Oxford is a bit of an equalizer, but not enough to sway things in Ole Miss' favor. LSU is bigger, faster, stronger and more athletic on both sides of the ball. The Tigers will overpower the Rebels.

The Pick: LSU 42, Ole Miss 27

B.J. Schecter is an associate editor for Sports Illustrated. Marquee Matchup appears every Friday on SI.com during the season.