UEFA Champions League, Barcelona at Inter Milan, Wednesday, 2:45 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel


The most anticipated matchup of the fall group stage pits two of Europe’s elite teams against one another — right after they swapped strikers over the summer. Samuel Eto’o, who moved from the Spanish champions to Italy, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who went the other way, have each already scored for their respective new squads.

College football » Tennessee at Florida, Saturday, 3:30 p.m., CBS


The defending national champions opened with two cupcakes. Now the real season begins in earnest against Lane Kiffin, who also racked up more than 60 points in his rookie head-coaching debut for the Volunteers.

BOLD PREDICTIONS

1. Florida will drill Tennessee by 50 points » With its first two games against overmatched Charleston Southern and Troy, No. 1 Florida has had the luxury of looking forward to week three and Tennessee. This date has been circled on the calendar of Gators coach Urban Meyer since Tennessee rookie coach Lane Kiffin mistakenly accused Meyer of a recruiting violation. The player in question, wideout Nu’Kesse Richardson, received a telephone call from Meyer while visiting the Tennessee campus. There was nothing improper about the call. But when Richardson signed with Tennessee, Kiffin told Tennessee fans: “I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn’t get him.” Kiffin has also ruffled the feathers of fellow SEC coaches Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) and Mark Richt (Georgia). Kiffin and the rebuilding Vols will face both in October.

2. Redskins will make the playoffs » The national media consensus is that the Washington Redskins are destined for last place in the NFC East. Peter King of Sports Illustrated has the Redskins going 6-10, with only six teams finishing worse. But isn’t Washington improved in nearly every area? The defensive line is much improved with the acquisition of Albert Haynesworth and the return of Phillip Daniels. The linebacking corps is more athletic with rookie Brian Orakpo replacing hobbled Marcus Washington. Corner is an area of concern, but DeAngelo Hall is a physical upgrade from Shawn Springs. Young safeties LaRon Landry and Chris Horton should only get better. The offensive line, though aging, will be better if it stays healthy. And young receivers Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas and Fred Davis are ready to contribute, giving quarterback Jason Campbell more help and coach Jim Zorn more options.

3. Sophomore slump » A pair of rookie quarterbacks — Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan — led their teams to the playoffs last year. But the Ravens and Falcons won’t return to the postseason. Both quarterbacks will be asked to carry a heavier load of the offense this year, which is not a good thing for their teams. The Ravens are loaded at running back and are built around a great defense and limiting mistakes on offense. Leaning more on their passing game will lead to more offensive miscues by Flacco. Ryan and the Falcons are the trendy pick this season with the addition of tight end Tony Gonzalez. But how will Atlanta respond to opening the season against the Dolphins, Panthers and Patriots before their Week 4 bye? A slow start in a tough NFC South could be tough to recover from.

PLAYER TO WATCH


Matthew Stafford • Lions • QB


There’s nothing quite like watching a No. 1 overall pick make his NFL regular season debut — especially when that pick is a quarterback. Stafford has a Gatling gun attached to his right shoulder. He’s big (6-foot-3, 240 pounds), he has good pocket presence and, perhaps most importantly, he has Calvin Johnson at wide receiver. But don’t make a mistake and think Stafford will have an outstanding rookie season like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco did a year ago. Stafford plays for the Lions; that doesn’t even need a punch line. He’ll also quickly learn that defensive backs in the NFL are much better at masking their coverage packages. Stafford opened his 2008 season against Georgia Southern. This year it’s the Saints. That’s a big jump in talent. We’re not saying he won’t eventually be successful; we’re only saying that he’s going to take his lumps along the way.

FIVE UP & FIVE DOWN


UP
1. Novak Djokovic » Even if he doesn’t win the U.S. Open, he’ll be remembered for his impression of John McEnroe.

2. Melanie Oudin » Teenage sensation’s U.S. Open run could reinvigorate hopes for in American female tennis players not named Williams.

3. T. Boone Pickens » His alma mater, Oklahoma State, enjoying three straight weeks of pushovers after Georgia win earns a top-five ranking.

4. David Robinson » Unlike Michael Jordan, nothing in his Naismith Hall of Fame bio will be glossed over.

5. Colorado Rockies » Who said anything about settling for the National League wild card?

DOWN
1. Diego Maradona » Brilliant player, but an awful coach. Argentina’s World Cup hopes are on life support.

2. Michael Crabtree » Fantasy Football update: Michael Crabtree has been dropped by EVERY team.

3. Allen Iverson » Signing with Grizzlies shows how steep the fall has been for the former NBA MVP.

4. NBA referees » Reports say they’ll be locked out on Oct. 1. Even if they can’t be trusted, this isn’t a good thing.

5. Shawne Merriman » After missing all but two tackles of 2008, focus is back on the Chargers LB in 2009 for all the wrong reasons.