#3 ALABAMA (6-0) at #6 TENNESSEE (5-0); 3:30 PM ET; CBS … This could quite literally end up being THE most impactful game on the college football schedule this fall. Certainly, #3 Alabama’s national championship ambitions should get a real test Saturday afternoon when they play at resurgent Tennessee which is unbeaten and ranked 6th in the country. And most certainly this will be a huge test for Alabama if star QB Bryce Young (#9, 6-0, 195), the reigning Heisman winner, can’t play. Young did not play last weekend after spraining the AC joint in his throwing shoulder two weeks ago and is listed as a game time decision. If Young can’t go, he’ll be replaced by redshirt freshman Jalen Milroe (#4, 6-2, 215) who is a superior athlete, but nowhere near Young as a passer. However, no one in college football is shedding any tears for Nick Saban who still has DE Will Anderson (#31, 6-4, 245), the returning defensive player of the year in college football, who has 5 sacks and 9 QB hurries in the Tide’s first 6 games. Saban’ll also have rising RB Jahmyr Gibbs (#1, 5-11, 200), the Georgia Tech transfer who is averaging over 8 yards per carry this fall, to carry the mail and take some of the pressure off the QB; Gibbs could also get some late first round consideration at the upcoming draft, as might CB Eli Ricks (#7, 6-1, 190), ILB Henry To’oTo’o (#10, 6-2, 230) and S Jordan Battle (#9, 6-1, 210). Ricks, though, might be hard to see as he isn’t starting for the Tide these days. In fact, what sets the Alabama draft class from the rest of the field is its depth as WR Jermaine Burton (#3, 6-0, 200), OGs Emil Ekiyor (#55, 6-3, 310) and Javion Cohen (#70, 6-3, 305), S Malachi Moore (#13, 6-0, 190), FS DeMarco Hellams (#2, 61, 210), CB/S Brian Branch (#14, 5-11, 195), DTs Byron Young (#47, 6-3, 295) and Justin Eboigbe (#92, 6-5, 295), NT DJ Dale (#94, 6-2, 300) and TE Cameron Latu (#81, 6-5, 245) all have at least some second-day possibilities.
Meanwhile, whether the Tide’s Young plays, this game also gives UT QB Hendon Hooker (#5, 6-2, 215) another chance to prove that he deserves a first-round shot. For the record, Hooker is throwing for almost 290 yards per game this fall as he has completed 70% of his passes including 10 for TDs against nary a pick. And Hooker’s job will be that much easier if star Vols WR Cedric Tillman (#4, 6-3, 215) can play; Tillman has been out the past several weeks with an ankle injury, but if healthy has begun to draw some whispers as a potential top ten candidate this coming April. At the same time, the Vols have several other interesting pro prospects including mammoth RT Darnell Wright (#58, 6-6, 335), DE Byron Young (#6, 6-3, 245), LB Jeremy Banks (#33, 6-1, 225). each of whom has at least some late-second day potential.Interesting to note that both teams have a DE named Byron Young! What are the odds!
#10 PENN STATE (5-0) at #5 MICHIGAN (6-0); NOON ET; FOX … Okay, so the conference is called the BIG TEN but has 14 teams, with two more on the way. The way things are going though one gets the feeling that the B1G is really more like the Big Three and two of the three meet Saturady when 10th ranked Penn State plays at #5 Michigan. Interesting game in that while Michigan figures to be the favorites, its Penn State that has the better prospects for the upcoming draft and it isn’t even all that close. The Lions have a top 10-15 prospect in athletic CB Joey Porter (#9, 6-1, 200) who could ultimately be in the mix to be the first corner off the board this coming April. Meanwhile, RSO LT Olumuyiwa Fashanu (#74, 6-6, 310) is a rising star on the offensive line, while FS Ji’Ayir Brown (#16, 5-11, 205), WRs Parker Washington (#3, 5-10, 215) and Miych Tinsley (#5, 6-0, 205), and widebody NT PJ Mustipher (#97, 6-3, 320) could each get at least some second-day consideration.
On the other hand, the Wolverines don’t have anyone who is a lock to be an opening round pick this year as the team is very young. However, Michigan has a typical Big Ten ground game featuring RB Blake Corum (#2, 5-8, 210), a squat runner who already has almost 750 yards and 11 TDs in the Wolverines first 6 games. Corum runs behind a veteran OL anchored by talented C Olu Oluwatimi (#55, 6-3, 310), OG Zac Zinter (#65, 6-5, 315) and LT Ryan Hayes (#76, 6-6, 305), each of who could get some second-day interest, while WR Ronnie Bell (#8, 6-0, 190), TE Luke Schoonmaker (#86, 6-6, 250) and NT Mazi Smith (#58, 6-3, 335) are mid-round candidates.
#8 OKLAHOMA STATE (5-0) at #13 TCU (5-0); 3:30 PM ET; ABC … There is actually a third match-up of unbeaten, ranked conference leaders, but unfortunately Oklahoma State at TCU will probably get lost in all the hype for the Bama-UT contest. Which is too bad because this could be a real shoot-out in a game featuring two of the top 5 scoring offenses in the FBS ranks. TCU which has the #3 rated offense in the country which is averaging almost 550 yards and 49 PPG (including 55 on Oklahoma a couple of weeks back). TCU is led by QB Max Duggan (#15, 6-2, 210), another dual-threat type who quite simply having a Heisman type season in which he is completing almost 73% of his pass attempts, is on pace to throw for over 4,000 yards, and has thrown 14 TD passes without any interceptions. Its still not clear what NFL scouts think of his skill package as he has been solid, albeit unspectacular in the first three years at TCU so stay tuned. In fact, the Frog that pro scouts really want to see is WR Quentin Johnston (#1, 6-3, 215), a rangy, big-play threat with at least some first round potential who was off to a slow start this fall but got it gong last week against a good Kansas team when he had 14 receptions for over 200 yards; that was after he averaged close to 20 yards per catch in the past couple of seasons. Johnston pairs with fellow WR Taye Barber (#4, 5-10, 190) to give TCU one of the better 1-2 WR punches in college football. Having TCU on national TV also gives people to check out TCU CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (#1, 5-9, 180), a possible second round pick this year, while OG Steve Avila (#79, 6-3, 330), DE Dylan Horton (#98, 6-3, 275), LB Dee Winters (#13, 6-1, 230), and CBs Josh Newton (#24, 6-0, 195) and Noah Daniels (#21, 6-0, 210)are all later round candidates.
Oklahoma State also scores points by the bushel with a wide-open offense led by QB Spencer Sanders (#3, 6-1, 210) who like his counterpart Duggan probably isn’t a big-time pro recruit but is also very efficient college passer. He has an intriguing third-day type receiver in WR Brayden Johnson (#8, 6-0, 210) a big-play threat who is averaging over 21 yards per reception so far this year, while he could be joined in the later rounds by DEs Brock Martin (#9, 6-3, 245) and Tyler Lacy (#84, 6-3, 285) and saftey Jason Taylor (#25, 6-0, 215).
Bonus coverage: #7 Southern Cal (6-0) puts its national title hopes on the line Saturday evening (8 PM ET; FOX) when the Trojans play at Utah. The Utes have lost twice, but they are still are very good team that will be a tough out on home turf. This game could also feature the best one-on-one match-up of the weekend when rising Utah CB Clark Phillips (#1, 5-10, 185), who already has 5 picks this fall, covers star USC WR Jordan Addison (#3, 6-0, 175) who is arguably the top-rated wideout in the 2023 draft class. Should be fun!!
