#1 ALABAMA (11-0) vs #4 NOTRE DAME (10-1); Rose Bowl, Arlington; 4:20 PM ET; ESPN … There are no more fabled programs in college football than Notre Dame and Alabama so its neat seeing these two meeting up in one of Friday’s two national semi-final games. This, in fact, will be the 8th all-time meeting between the two with the Irish currently holding a 5-2 edge. However, the big question heading into the Rose Bowl is whether the Irish can hang with the Crimson Tide, arguably the most talented program in college football these days, for 60 minutes. It will be tough as Alabama is simply loaded. Indeed, the Tide will have as many as 8 players with at least some first round potential for the upcoming draft, by far the most of any program in the country. (And it would have been as many as ten if star WR Jaylen Waddle and C Landon Dickerson weren’t out with injuries.) In fact, Alabama has three players with top ten potential including QB Mac Jones (#10, 6-3, 215) and WR DeVonta Smith (#6, 6-1, 175), both of whom are Heisman finalists, along with CB Patrick Surtain (#2, 6-2, 205). In fact, both Jones and Smith have posted almost ridiculous stats so far this fall. Jones, for example, has completed 77% of his pass attempts including 32 for scores versus only 4 picks. And prorated over a full-15 game schedule, Jones is on pace to pass for over 5,000 yards. And those numbers almost pale compared to those of Smith, Jones fave target, who is on pace to post 134 catches for almost 2,100 yards and 23 TDs based on a 15-game schedule. Simply insane! Meanwhile, other Alabama players with at least some first-round potential include RB Najee Harris (#22, 6-2, 230), G/T Alex Leatherwood (#70, 6-6, 315), MLB Dylan Moses (#32, 6-3, 240) and DT Christian Barmore (#58, 6-5, 310).
On the other hand, Notre Dame rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramorah (#6, 6-2, 215) is the Irish’s only legitimate first-round prospect, while other Irish prospects to watch include LT Liam Eichenberg (#74, 6-6, 305), OGs Tommy Kraemer (#78, 6-5, 320) and Aaron Banks (#69, 6-5, 330), DEs Adetokunbo Ogundeji (#91, 6-5, 270) and Daelin Hayes (#9, 6-4, 260) and veteran WRs Javon McKinley (#88, 6-2, 215) and Ben Skowronek (#11, 6-3, 225). The guy who makes the Irish go, though, is athletic QB Ian Book (#12, 6-1, 210), who is more of a third-day type pro prospect, but is still a terrific college QB who made the top ten in Heisman voting; Book isn’t tall but just makes plays with both his arm and legs.
#2 CLEMSON (10-1) vs #3 OHIO STATE (6-0); Sugar Bowl, New Orleans; 8 PM ET; ESPN … If this wasn’t already shaping up as a potentially terrific game, it also just happens to feature a dual between the two top-rated prospects for the 2021 draft including Tigers’ QB Trevor Lawrence (#16, 6-6, 220) and Justin Fields (#1, 6-3, 230) of the Buckeyes. Lawrence did miss a couple of games because of a covid infection, but still had a 69% completion rate including 22 TD passes against 4 picks. For his part, Fields was even more accurate with a 73% completion figure including 15 scores against 5 picks in 6 games, but is coming off a subpar outing in the Big Ten conference game when he was just 12 of 17 passing with a couple of picks. Should be intereting!
The two QBs, though, are just the tip of the iceberg of talent on both teams. Lawrence, for example, will be joined in the Clemson backfield by star RB Travis Etienne (#9, 5-10, 205), one of the top-rated backs for this year’s draft who has some late first round potential of his own, while CB Derion Kendrick (#1, 6-0, 190), LT Jackson Carman (#79, 6-5, 335) and veteran WR Amari Rodgers (#3, 5-10, 210) have later second-day grades. Meanwhile, other Buckeyes to watch include OG Wyatt Davis (#52, 6-4, 315) and CB Shaun Wade (#24, 6-1, 195), both of whom are late opening round candidates, while WR Chris Olave (#2, 6-1, 190) and C Josh Myers (#71, 6-5, 312) are second-day types with ILB Tuf Borland (#32, 6-1, 235) and TE Luke Farrell are among several OSU third-day prospects.
