On a dream day, there are seven marquee matchups 

	Last year, JaMarcus Russell went 16-for-33 for 190 yards and a TD against Auburn. AP
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The beauty of the college football regular season is that in the national title race, every week matters.

All weeks, however, are not created equal, and in terms of defining the national landscape, there is no Saturday more important than the one at hand.

So much is at stake in a septet of games pitting ranked versus ranked: the SEC West; the SEC East; Notre Dame going undefeated into USC in December; Nebraska's rep as a contender; and finally, your standing as a true diehard fan.

See, this is also your defining weekend. It is most definitely not a Saturday to catch one game, enjoy some trivial fall outdoor activity and return for the highlight show.

It's time to pull the extra TVs out of the bedroom and the basement and the kitchen, put 'em in the living room, connect a coax splitter and risk blowing a fuse. Anything less and you deserve banishment to a place that lacks comfortable seats, tailgating food or beverages, and has only one matchup on loop: Syracuse-Illinois.

To set an example, the Weekend Preview is stepping it up this week and looking at all seven ranked versus ranked showdowns:

Marquee Matchup (6) LSU at (3) Auburn 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS) Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala.

The one and only thing you should care about: The most important appendage on the field will be John Vaughn's right leg. Whether it plays a tragic or heroic role depends on how one chooses to interpret the Auburn kicker's previous performances against LSU. In 2004, he missed a potentially game-winning extra point in the fourth quarter of a 9-9 game, only to be given a second chance (and make it) after it was ruled defender Ronnie Prude landed on Auburn's long snapper. In 2005, Vaughn missed five field goal attempts as the Tigers lost ... by three points. Either you believe that the pendulum must swing back in Vaughn's favor -- from game-winner, to goat, to game-winner in three years -- or you believe Vaughn is cursed in this series as retribution for his undeserved semi-heroics back in '04.

YOUTUBING LSU-AUBURN 1. Off The Richter Hodson-to-Fuller in the 1988 LSU-Auburn "Earthquake Game." Nicknamed not because of an actual earthquake, but because LSU fans' celebration actually registered on the school's geology department seismograph. 2. George W. Does War Eagle ... ... and later considers adopting it as his own nickname/catch phrase. 3. Bo To The House Bo Jackson takes back a kick (against what looks like LSU) in Bill Walsh's College Football for Sega. Tecmo was cooler. -- L.W.

Inside the scouting report: Here's what a defensive coach from a former LSU opponent had to say this week about quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who ranks third nationally in pass efficiency:

"The big thing with Russell this year, versus years past, is that he's much more comfortable and poised. He's not in a big hurry to do anything, and he has a great feel for eluding pressure. It is extremely tough to sack him -- even if you come free at him, he often manages to avoid it.

"He's always thrown the deep ball well, and he does it exceptionally well on the move. He might be just as dangerous throwing the ball on the move as he is in the pocket. In the past, you used to see him overthrow wideouts a lot on intermediate routes, but I think he's going to have a great year -- he's not missing on a lot of shorter stuff.

"There's no magical answer for getting him flustered. You have to mix up your looks and get pressure, but covering LSU's wideouts isn't easy -- they can all really run. The strength of that team is Russell and his receivers. Their line, and the running game, isn't blowing people away yet, but by the time they get into SEC play they'll be better."

THE PICK: These two teams have never had a higher combined ranking coming into this matchup, and Auburn's Tommy Tuberville is a noted big-game coach: He's 6-1 against top-10 teams. Kenny Irons shredded LSU for 218 yards in a 20-17 loss last season. Does anyone, though, have a defense scarier than LSU's? The home Tigers will struggle to get in the end zone, and the game will come down to Vaughn's leg. I'll (mildly) believe in the curse. Reauxd Tigers by three.