GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes vs. No. 10 Oregon Ducks When — 3:30 p.m. Where — Autzen Stadium TV — ABC

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Upstart Colorado and flashy coach Deion Sanders will face a true test on the road in front of a sellout crowd at Autzen Stadium. A win by the Buffs would be an extraordinary accomplishment by a team that has been the talk of college football. The Ducks have national championship aspirations and can start that march with a statement win of their own in this Pac-12 opener.

KEY MATCHUP

Both teams have created explosive plays on offense and limiting those will help determine the winner. The Ducks are averaging 58 points a game, second in the nation. Colorado allows 30.3 points per game, 102nd in the nation, and is a woeful 122nd in overall defense, surrendering more than 460 yards per game. Oregon's defense has allowed an average of just 158.7 passing yards a game, best in the Pac-12, and an average of only 15.7 points per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Colorado: Quarterback Shedeur Sanders finished with 348 yards, four TDs and one interception against Colorado State. Overall, Sanders is ranked fourth nationally with a 78.7% completion rate, and he's averaging 417 passing yards a game, second nationally to Washington's Michael Penix.

Oregon: Quarterback Bo Nix is the best signal-caller Colorado has seen so far this season. He is averaging 297.7 passing yards a game and that's after sitting out most of the second half against both Portland State and Hawaii after Oregon built big leads. He needs just two completions to become the third active QB to reach 1,000 in his career.