COLLEGE MATCH-UPS WEEK 13

November 24, 2016

Time to give you a preview of some of the game match-ups on what is often referred to as rivalry weekend in College Football. This is the last full schedule week in the 2016 season. Amazing how the past 3 months have flown by. Another amazing season, with perhaps a few surprises left for this weekend.

TOLEDO (9-2) @ WESTERN MICHIGAN by 3 (11-0); Friday; 5 PM ET ESPN2
I find the MAC to be one of he most dynamic conferences in FBS football. This game is a good example of why. Both teams have dynamic offenses with a little defense thrown in for good measure. Plus there is a ton at stake in this game as the winner goes to the conference title game next week against 8-4 Ohio. There is even more on the line for WMU as the Broncos likely will be in line for the non-Power 5 conference spot in the Cotton Bowl if they can win out. This may be as good of a draft eligible QB matchup as you will see this year. The undefeated BRONCOS are led by senior ZACH TERRELL, who has developed nicely during his 45 starts in Kalamazoo. Toledo’s LOGAN WOODSIDE/#11, a junior, will likely return to school for 2017 and be a top 10 QB nationwide. HC P.J. FLECK of WMU is considered one of the bright young coaches in the nation, and may be a hot job interview for some very big programs come January. I consider COREY DAVIS/WMU #84 to be the top senior wideout for the 2017 Draft. Toledo’s RB/KAREEM HUNT/#3 may just be the top senior RB in the country as well. Don’t miss this game if you luv College Football. Prospects to watch:

TOLEDO                                                                              WESTERN MICHIGAN
#3 KAREEM HUNT/RB 5’11/225                                    #1 KEION ADAMS/ER 6’2/245
#23 DeJUAN ROGERS/FS 6’0/190                               #11 ZACH TERRELL/QB 6’2/205
#44 JAYLEN COLEMAN/LB 6’0/235                           #72 TAYLOR MOTON/OT 6’5/328
#74 STORM NORTON/OT 6’7/306                               #68 DAVID CURLE/DT 6’3/303
#80 MICHAEL ROBERTS/TE 6’5/270                         #83 MICHAEL HENRY/WR 5’11/189
#91 TREYVON HESTER/DT 6’3/300 INJ                   #84 COREY DAVIS/WR 6’3/210

AUBURN (8-3) @ ALABAMA (11-0) by 8; Saturday; 3:30 PM ET; CBS
One last chance for an SEC team to ruin the Tides perfect conference mark, before next weekend’s the conference championship game against Florida. I look for Auburn to keep this contest tight, with their tough and deep defense, at least for about 3 quarters. The Tigers running game must control the temp and the clock, and avoid turnovers. A fully healthy SEAN WHITE/QB/#13 would help that cause. But this ‘Bama D has a bully mentality, with an incredibly athletic frosh QB in JALEN HURTS who just gets better every game. I expect the Crimson Tide D to bust this open with some turnovers in the second half. But a big edge to Auburn if it comes down to a long FG in the end. Auburn’s CARLSON has a big, accurate leg. He’s special enough to be a possible Top 100 draftee if he comes out early. Prospects to watch:

AUBURN                                                                          ALABAMA
#1 MONTRAVIUS ADAMS/DT 6’4/305                        #10 REUBEN FOSTER/ILB 6’1/240
#15 JOSHUA HOSLEY/CB 5’11/198                               #22 RYAN ANDERSON/ER 6’2/252
#23 JONATHAN FORD/SS 6’0/203                              #54 DALVIN TOMLINSON/DT 6’3/307
#38 DANIEL CARLSON/K 6’4/213 JR                          #56 TIM WILLIAMS/OLB 6’4/237
#55 CARL LAWSON/DE/ER 6’2/257 JR                      #74 CAM ROBINSON/OT 6’5/325 JR
#63 ALEX KOZAN/OG 6’4/300                                     #88 O.J. HOWARD/TE 6’6/248
#94 DEVAROE LAWRENCE/DT 6’2/290                    #93 JONATHAN ALLEN/DE 6’3/295
……                                                                                          #26 MARLON HUMPHREY/CB/6-0, 200/RSO
……                                                                                          #4 EDDIE JACKSON/SS/6-0, 195

UTAH (8-3) @ COLORADO (9-2) by 2; Saturday; 7:30 PM ET; FOX
Fascinating storyline in mountain country where 9th-ranked Buffaloes can go from worst to first in the Pac-12 South as a win against the Utes sends Colorado to the conference championship game against somebody from the state of Washington just a year after the Buffs were 1-8 and dead last in the league play. The pressure is really on Colorado though as a loss means USC, which finished league play at 7-2 and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Colorado, advances to the conference title game. The key to me in this game is how healthy SEFO LIUFAU/QB/#13 is for the BUFFS, and whether or not the Colorado D can contain RB/JOE WILLIAMS/#28 who has been running wild since his return to the team from his self-imposed exile just after mid-season. If the game is indeed tight you might have to give UTAH the advantage with their PK/ANDY PHILLIPS being one of the best in the country. It’s nice to see a couple of really good teams that normally play under the radar getting a prime time Saturday night slot to display their wares. If this comes close to the COLORADO/WAZZOO showdown last weekend for excitement then you are in for a treat if you watch. Prospects to watch:

UTAH                                                                               COLORADO
#20 MARCUS WILLIAMS/S 6’1/195 JR                      #4 CHIDOBE AWUZIE/CB 6’0/205
#28 JOE WILLIAMS/RB 5’11/205                                #9 TEDRIC THOMPSON/S 6’0/205
#39 ANDY PHILLIPS/K 5’10/210                               #13 SEFO LIUFAU/QB 6’4/230
#49 HUNTER DIMICK/DE 6’3/275                           #55 JOSH TUPOU/DT 6’3/330
#53 SAM TEVI/OT 6’6/305                                           #81 SEAN IRWIN/TE 6’3/255
#93 LOWELL LOTULELEI/DT 6’2/310 JR              #98 JIMMIE GILBERT/OLB 6’5/228

FLORIDA (8-2) @ FLORIDA STATE by 5 (8-3); Saturday; 8 PM ET; ABC
Not much at stake here except bragging rights as the GATORS have already clinched an SEC East title despite a noticeable lack of offense, while the Seminoles are out of it with three losses. However, all the players know each other and in Florida bragging rights mean something. Despite winning the SEC East, Florida has struggled to put points on the board, but just wait another year or two when HC JIM McELWAIN gets that O in gear with his recruits. On the other side of things there is a lot of talk around the sunshine state that FSU HC JIMBO FISHER may find overtures from LSU too good to pass up. But for now he is guiding a very young, but talented team led by an explosive young man named DALVIN COOK, who could very well be the first RB taken in the 2017 NFL Draft. Watch for the Seminoles to go deep and try to exploit missing SS MARCUS MAYE, out with injury. Expect a lot of running by both teams, while they wait for their defenses to create some turnovers. I will take the Seminoles at home. Prospects to watch:

FLORIDA                                                                   FLORIDA STATE
#30 DeANDRE GOOLSBY/TE 6’4/245 JR              #4 DALVIN COOK/RB 5’11/206 JR
#31 JALEN TABOR/CB 6’1/191 JR                          #15 TRAVIS RUDOLPH/WR 6’1/190 JR
#34 ALEX ANZALONE/LB 6’3/244 INJ                #27 MARQUEZ WHITE/CB 6’1/185
#40 JARRAD DAVIS/LB 6’2/240                            #29 NATE ANDREWS/S 6’0/210 INJ
#91 JOEY IVIE/DT 6’3/295                                      #44 DEMARCUS WALKER/DE 6’3/275
#94 BRYAN COX/DE 6’3/268                                  #72 KAREEM ARE/OG 6’6/330