MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

AKRON (1-1)

VS. NO. 11 MICHIGAN (2-0)

Time & TV: 12:01 p.m., BTN.

Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor.

Line: Michigan by 37.

Series record: First meeting.

What’s at stake: Michigan seems to be set up for a 5-0 start with a relatively easy schedule before playing Oct. 12 at Penn State. The Zips and coach Terry Bowden, broke a 10-game losing streak last week. They haven’t one more than one game in a season in four years. This would qualify as the biggest win in school history.

Key matchup: Michigan’s high-powered offense against Akron’s shaky defense. The Wolverines scored a school-record 59 points in an opener, then put up 41 points against Notre Dame. The Zips started the year by getting routed 38-7 at Central Florida and barely held on to beat second-tier James Madison after allowing 33 points and more than 300 yards passing for a second straight week.

Players to watch: Michigan — RB Derrick Green. The freshman has become Fitzgerald Toussaint’s top backup, and he likely will get a shot to have more than the 11 carries for 58 yards he had in the opener against Central Michigan. Akron — QB Nick Hirschman. The Colorado transfer, who has backed up Kyle Pohl, was 8 of 14 for 162 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a score in last week’s comeback win against James Madison.

Facts & figures: The Wolverines have won 16 straight games at home, the longest active streak among BCS conference schools. ... Akron, which joined the top level of college football in 1987, is winless against teams ranked in The Associated Press college football poll. ... The Zips have lost by double digits to ranked teams in 13 straight matchups — losing those games by an average of 31 points — since a 21-18 setback to No. 15 Virginia Tech in 1996. ... Michigan’s Brendan Gibbons has connected on 16 straight field goals, the longest streak in program history.

NO. 21 NOTRE DAME (1-1)

VS. PURDUE (0-2)

Time & TV: 8 p.m., CBS.

Where: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Ind.

Line: Notre Dame by 201/2.

Series record: Notre Dame leads 56-26-2.

What’s at stake: If Notre Dame has any chance of reviving its national title hopes, the Fighting Irish must avoid back-to-back regular season losses for the first time since the start of the 2011 season. Purdue wants to show a prime-time audience that it can compete with the nation’s top teams as coach Darrell Hazell chases a second straight win.

Key matchup: Purdue’s defensive front vs. Notre Dame’s goal-line offense. Both teams come into the game ranked 111th in red-zone scoring. That might not be a much of a surprise for Purdue, which has been a pass-first team for 15 years. But after last week’s loss at Michigan, it’s a good bet that coach Brian Kelly wants to clean this up. While Purdue is stout up front with 310-pound Bruce Gaston and 306-pound Ryan Watson at defensive tackle, the Boilermakers will need those players to stay fresh.

Players to watch: Notre Dame — CB KeiVarae Russell and S Bennett Jackson. Kelly made it clear that he wasn’t happy with how they played at Michigan and that he expects a stronger performance this week at Purdue. Purdue — RB Akeem Hunt. The 5-foot-9 junior is the Boilermakers’ fastest runner and top playmaker. Last week, he returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. If the Boilermakers intend to challenge this week, Hunt needs to have a big game.

Facts & figures: Notre Dame has won five straight in the series and is 3-0 against Purdue in night games. ... The Boilermakers are 34-137-2 against ranked teams when they are unranked. ... These teams have met 84 times including each season since 1946, tied for the fourth-longest streak among nonconference schools in the nation. ... Last year, QB Tommy Rees led the Irish on a drive for the winning field goal with 7 seconds to go. ... Purdue punter Cody Webster leads the nation at 49.9 yards. ... Rees is averaging more yards per game passing (330.0) than Purdue QB Rob Henry has thrown for in his first two games (311).

TENNESSEE (2-0)

VS. NO. 2 OREGON (2-0)

Time & TV: 3:36 p.m., ABC.

Where:

Line: Oregon by 271/2.

Series record: Oregon leads 1-0.

What’s at stake: Oregon’s high-powered blur offense gets another shot to measure up to a team from the Southeastern Conference. The Ducks defeated the Vols 48-13 in Knoxville in their only previous meeting in 2010. That season Oregon faced another SEC team, Auburn, in the BCS national championship game. Overall the Ducks are 4-5 against teams from the SEC, but they’ve won the last three of four — with the only loss coming against the Tigers in the title game.

Key matchup: Tennessee’s defense against Oregon’s offense. The Vols are tied for first in the nation with nine forced turnovers and also are at the top of the list for interceptions with seven. Tennessee returned two interceptions for touchdowns last week against Western Kentucky. Oregon leads the Pac-12 in total offense, averaging 664.5 yards a game, and rushing offense, with 425 yards per game. Nationally, Oregon ranks second in rushing offense and third in total offense.

Players to watch: Tennessee — RB Rajion Neal. A sturdy back with the ability to pound out yards, Neal has had 31 carries for 215 yards through his first two games. Tennessee has also seen production from Marlin Lane, giving the Vols a 1-2 punch: “Well I think in today’s world of college football, from a durability aspect and the pounding running backs take, not only are they getting hit every snap they run the football but they’re involved in pass protection when they’re on the perimeter. You need more than one running back,” coach Butch Jones said. Oregon — QB Marcus Mariota. The dual-threat sophomore quarterback has thrown for 422 yards and three touchdowns, and he’s rushed for 235 yards and three more scores. “Marcus would be great in any system. We’re very fortunate to have him and we’re excited about his future,” coach Mark Helfrich said. “When things break down he can convert a third down — or in his case he can convert a third down and turn it into a 7- or 8-yard run. That’s huge. That changes defenses.”

Facts & figures: Fifteen of Oregon’s 17 touchdowns drives have taken less than two minutes. ... Mariota needs 13 yards rushing for 1,000 in his career. ... Tennessee is tied for first in the nation with nine forced turnovers. The Vols are also tied for first with seven interceptions. ... The Ducks’ time of possession is averaging just 20:36 a game this season. ... Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas has five touchdowns this season, and he’s averaging 1.4 TDs per game for his career. ... Tennessee sophomore defensive back Brian Randolph had two interceptions in the Vols’ 52-20 victory over Western Kentucky last Saturday, earning him SEC defensive player of the week honors. He’s the first Vol to receive the honor since 2008.

Associated Press