Ellington

The tastiest morsels on this season's state college football menu:

• Sept. 2, Southern Miss at South Carolina (6:30 p.m., Columbia, S.C., ESPN): The Golden Eagles get their moment in the national spotlight against Visor Boy and the Chickens.

• Sept. 4, Delta State at Jackson State (4 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Jackson): The Statesmen and Tigers both have aspirations of winning a conference title. This will be a major test for both sides.

• Sept. 4, Mississippi College at Millsaps (7 p.m., Jackson): The Choctaws and Majors tangle in the Backyard Brawl. Start hating now and avoid the rush.

• Sept. 9, Auburn at Mississippi State (6:30 p.m., Starkville, ESPN): The Tigers won 3-2 when these two played in StarkVegas in 2008. This game should be much more offensive.

• Sept. 11, Belhaven at Millsaps (6 p.m., Clinton): Expect these two to pass early and often in the shadow of the Golden Dome.

• Sept. 17, Kansas at Southern Miss (7 p.m., Hattiesburg, ESPN): The Jayhawks and Golden Eagles duel beneath the Friday night lights.

• Sept. 25, Mississippi Valley State at Jackson State (6 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Jackson): This series is two one-sided to be called a rivalry, but these two put the grudge in grudge match.

• Sept. 25, Georgia at Mississippi State (TBA, Starkville): It's Dog-eat-Dog Night in Starkville.

• Oct. 30, UAB at Southern Miss (11 a.m., Hattiesburg, CSS): The last time these two met, the Golden Eagles lost the game and quarterback Austin Davis.

• Nov. 13, Southern Miss at UCF (11 a.m., Orlando, Fla., CBS-College Sports): The Golden Eagles and Golden Knights meet in the game that could decide who wins the C-USA East.

• Nov. 20, Alcorn State at Jackson State (1 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Jackson): The Tigers will be hungry to avenge last year's loss to the Braves.

• Nov. 20, Ole Miss at LSU (2:30 p.m., Baton Rouge, La., Ch. 12): No matter where Houston Nutt coaches, he seems to always beat the Tigers. Can he keep that up?

• Nov. 27, Mississippi State at Ole Miss (TBA, Oxford): Everybody at the School Up North has spent the last year thinking about the licking the Bulldogs laid on the Rebels in 2009.