1. Will No. 3 Alabama’s quarterbacks take better care of the football in Saturday’s game at Penn State? Sophomore A.J. McCarron and freshman Phillip Sims , who are battling for the starting job, each threw two interceptions in last week’s 48-7 victory over Kent State. Tide coach Nick Saban doesn’t expect his quarterback to be spectacular, but he doesn’t tolerate many mistakes. 2. Will Georgia protect quarterback Aaron Murray in Saturday’s SEC opener against No. 12 South Carolina at Sanford Stadium? The Bulldogs surrendered six sacks in last week’s 35-21 loss to Boise State. The Gamecocks, who were tied for the SEC lead with 27 sacks in eight games in 2010, didn’t have a sack in last week’s 56-37 victory over East Carolina. But South Carolina’s defensive line is more athletic than Boise State’s, so UGA’s offensive line will have its hands full. 3. Can Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees pick up where he left off in 2010? Rees didn’t lose as a starter in four games after replacing injured Dayne Crist last season, and Rees is the starter again after Crist struggled in a 23-20 loss to South Florida last week. Rees’ mobility might be a factor in Saturday night’s game at Michigan, which seems to be better on defense under first-year coach Brady Hoke. 4. Can defending BCS national champion Auburn slow down Mississippi State’s high-octane offense? The Tigers’ defense looked atrocious in last week’s 42-38 victory over Utah State, allowing 448 yards of offense, including 227 rushing. The No. 16 Bulldogs gained 645 yards of offense in less than 23 minutes of time of possession in last week’s 59-14 rout of Memphis. 5. Will No. 13 Oregon regain its footing in Saturday’s home opener against Nevada? The Ducks, the defending Pac-12 champions, had four turnovers and 12 penalties in last week’s 40-27 loss to LSU. The Ducks need to get tailback LaMichael James going, after he ran 18 times for only 54 yards with one touchdown against LSU. James’ slow start forced quarterback Darron Thomas to attempt 54 passes against the Tigers. 6. Has No 24 Texas really fixed its problems after a 5-7 finish in 2010? The Longhorns started slow in last week’s 34-9 victory over Rice, but there are reasons for optimism heading into Saturday night’s game against BYU. Quarterback Garrett Gilbert , who struggled mightily in his first season as a starter, completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 239 yards with one touchdown with no interceptions against the Owls. The Longhorns ran for 229 yards and their defense allowed only 224 yards of offense

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Ten things to watch