The third Saturday of the 2014-15 college basketball season is here, and it seems like the first two are long gone. There have been some great games so far this season, and more are undoubtedly on the horizon as the season progresses.

There have been some talented mid-major programs so far this season that have scored some upsets over teams from the power conferences, which goes to show that the competitive balance within the NCAA is improving. On any given night, a smaller program has the potential of beating a team from a power conference.

Saturday's edition of Sleeper Saturday features eight talented mid-major programs who are all capable of big things this season. Three of the eight teams featured this weekend are preseason picks to win their respective conferences, so the talent level will be high. Without further adieu, here are three games that basketball fans everywhere should keep an eye on this Saturday.

2:00pm EST: Nevada Wolfpack @ Omaha Mavericks

The Omaha Mavericks have been a streaky team over their first four games of the season. They opened the year with a 25-point win over Central Arkansas, and followed that game up with a 24-point loss at Seattle. Then, they would go on the road and upset the Marquette Golden Eagles, only to blow a big lead in their next game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Mavericks led Nebraska early, but could not hold on and suffered the 80 - 67 loss.

On the year, Omaha has one of the country's best offenses, but one of the nation's worst defenses. They rank 17th in he country, averaging 84.5 points per game. On the other side, they rank 347th in the country in terms of scoring defense, allowing an average of 87.5 points per contest. CJ Carter is the team's leading scorer, averaging 19.3 points per game this season. The Mavericks will need to get strong performances from Carter, Devin Patterson (18.0 ppg), and Mike Rostampour (9.0 rpg) if they want to have a chance at beating the Wolfpack.

Omaha is going to be in tough against a Nevada team that gained some valuable experience in the 2014 Paradise Jam tournament. While the Wolfpack did not win a game in the tournament, they did not lose a game by more than 9 points. The Wolfpack lost games to Seton Hall, Clemson, and Weber State, but gained valuable experience playing against talented programs that should allow for them to be successful as the season rolls along.

As a team, they are the opposite of the Mavericks. The Wolfpack have struggled on offense this season, but have played well on defense. They only score 60.0 points per game, but they only allow an average of 59.8 points per contest. The battle between Omaha's strong offense and Nevada's strong defense will make for an exciting game on Saturday afternoon.

4:00pm EST: American Univ. Eagles @ Columbia Lions

Last season, the American University Eagles won the Patriot League title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament under the leadership of Tony Wroblicky. This season, the Eagles are not the strongest team on the offensive end, but that hasnot stopped them from racing out to an impressive 4 - 2 record. In their six games, they have only allowed two opponents to score 60 points or more. They are 1 - 1 in those games, with the one loss coming against a talented Louisiana Tech team.

The team has struggled to score points this season, ranking 346th in the NCAA with an average of 51.6 points per game. On the contrary, they have the 5th-best scoring defense in the country. They are holding their opponents to an average of 48.8 points per contest, which is an impressive feat. Without Wroblicky leading the way for the Eagles this season, Jesse Reed and John Schoof have stepped up for American. Schoof leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per contest, while Reed is averaging 13.2 points. Both Schoof and Reed will have to have big games as the Eagles go on the road to take on another tough team in Columbia.

The Lions were expected to contend for the Ivy League title this season, on the heels of their successful season a year ago. But with the loss of Alex Rosenberg, that came into question before the season even started. Through the Lions' first four games of the season, they have raced out to a 3 - 1 record and silenced most of the doubters for now.

The Lions lost their season opener to Stony Brook, but have since reeled off three straight wins over Wagner, Lehigh, and Fairleigh Dickinson. They have done so with a weaker offense but a strong defense, much like the Eagles have done. Columbia ranks 310th in the NCAA, scoring an average of 59.3 points per game, but rank 10th in the country in terms of scoring defense, holding their opponents to an average of 51.0 points per contest. The loss of Rosenberg has hindered the team's overall offense. The team's leading scorer Maodo Lo, who is averaging 12.8 points per contest. Don't espect this game to be a high scoring affair. One team's defense will crack slightly, so this will be an interesting game to look to see who comes out on top.

4:30pm EST: Wofford Terriers @ William & Mary Tribe

The game between the Wofford Terriers and the William & Mary Tribe will arguably be the best game of the day on Saturday. Both teams are talented programs, and are both expected to contend in their respective conferences. The Terriers are projected to win the Southern COnference, while the Tribe were projected to finish a close second in the CAA.

The Terriers opened their season with a loss to Stanford, but have since rolled off five straight wins to show everyone why they are the clear-cut favourite in the Southern Conference this season. Their most impressive win this season was an 86 - 73 win over the Iona Gaels as a part of the ESPN 24-Hour Tip-Off Marathon. In the Terriers' first battle against a talented mid-major, they came out on top.

Senior leader Karl Cochran is leading the way for the Terriers so far this season. Cochran is averaging team-highs in both points and rebounds, with 17.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest. He is also averaging 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. With the likes of Lee Skinner, Eric Garcia, Spencer Collins, and Justin Gordon as a supporting cast, the Terriers have the potential to score wins over any team on their schedule this season.

The William and Mary Tribe started off their season the same way as the Terriers did, with a loss. The Tribe lost to the Florida Gators, but have reeled off four straight wins to gain momentum heading into the game against Wofford. The Tribe enter the game in a big way, as they are coming off a 34-point win over Western Illinois. They are being led by preseason CAA Player of the Year Marcus Thornton, who is averaging a team-high 15.4 points per game to go along with 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. In order for William and Mary to keep up with Wofford, the likes of Omar Prewitt, Terry Tarpey, and Sean Sheldon will need to have big games to counter-balance the talented roster that Wofford has.

Both teams are widely considered to be in the top-tier of mid-major programs in the country, so this game will not disappoint one bit.

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So there it is, three talent-packed games featuring mid-major programs to keep an eye on during Saturday. For the American readers out there, these games will allow you to relax and rest from all of the Black Friday shopping while looking mid-major teams that are worth your attention. Enjoy your Saturday of looking college basketball, and a late Happy Thanksgiving!