With another weekend of a half dozen Top 25 match-ups in play here are some key games with their key pro prospect players who you should be paying attention to.
BAYLOR @ OKLAHOMA by 3 Noon/ET/Fox Sports 1
Sometimes it seems that my loyalty to certain programs gets me in trouble when pick time rolls around. I still happen to think that the Sooners are a deep, talented team and the STOOPS boys are big time college coaches. This is their last chance to beat a Big 12 team that’s ranked above them. They have failed in two previous tries (TCU & K-STATE) by 4 and 1 points respectively. If they win out starting now, they can still go to a major bowl, at 10-2, come January. BAYLOR is playing well, but hasn’t had a very tough slate of opponents to defeat. BRYCE PETTY will need to have a huge game, because the Baylor Defense has been lacking in their ability to stop well balanced offensive teams. They gave up 58 to TCU & 41 to WVU. Bet the over in this one, but it could be very close. Final possession may determine the winner. Sure hope HUNNICUTT doesn’t come up small for Oklahoma in this one if it comes down to his leg.
BAYLOR OKLAHOMA
#14 BRYCE PETTY/QB/6’3/230*** #74 ADAM SHEAD/OG/6’4/320**
#5 ANTWAN GOODLEY/WR/5’11/220*** #79 DARYL WILLIAMS/OT/6’6/330**
#58 SPENCER DRANGO/OT/6’5/315/JR*** #71 TYRUS THOMPSON/OT/6’5/320**
#2 SHAWN OAKMAN/DE/6’9/275**** #18 MICHAEL HUNNICUTT/K/6’1/175**
#44 BRYCE HAGER/LB/6’2/235** #98 CHUKA NDULUE/DE/6’3/280**
#36 SPENCER ROTH/P/6’4/225* #85 GENEO GRISSOM/OLB/6’4/255***
#42 LEVI NORWOOD/WR/6’1/195* #2 JULIAN WILSON/CB/6’2/200***
ALABAMA by 1 @ LSU 8PM/ET/CBS
This is as good of a match-up as you will find in college football on any weekend. The Crimson Tide look to have remedied some of their early season flaws and LSU playing a ton of first/second year guys, is improving every week. It’s a tough road, but ‘Bama pretty much controls its destiny with games against MISS STATE & AUBURN still to play. But they have to get past this one first. LES MILES intrigues me as a coach and has the ship righted since that embarrassing loss to Auburn. He also had a BYE Week to get ready for this one, and ready they will be. I would expect the old Mad Hatter to have concocted a few surprises to spring on ‘Bama as needed. This game starts the sorting out of that tough & talented SEC West. In a coin flip I will take ‘Bama by the slimmest of margins. IMO, this game features 5 probable First Rounders for the 2015 NFL Draft assuming the stars come out early. See the 4* guys listed below.
ALABAMA LSU
#4 T.J. YELDON/RB/6’2/220**** #27 KENNY HILLIARD/RB/6’0/230**
#2 DeANDRE WHITE/WR/6’0/190** #14 TERRENCE MAGEE/RB/5’9/215**
#9 AMARI COOPER/WR/6’1/205**** #74 VIDAL ALEXANDER/OG/6’6/340***
#77 ARIE KOUANDJIO/G/6’5/315*** #70 LA’EL COLLINS/OT/6’5/315****
#99 BRANDON IVORY/DT/6’4/308** #59 JERMAURIA FASCO/DE/6’3/265**
#33 TREY DePRIEST/ILB/6’2/250*** #26 RONALD MARTIN/SS/6’1/218***
#26 LANDON COLLINS/FS/6’0/215**** #28 JALEN MILLS/DB/6’1/190****
OHIO STATE @ MICHIGAN STATE by 5 8PM/ET/ABC
The Ohio State/Michigan rivalry is not the big game in the BIG 10 any more. This rivalry has stepped it up a notch, or two, under HC DANTONIO & MEYER to now be the top contest annually in the Conference. I’ll give the edge to the Spartans because it’s a home game, and they have a decided advantage in experience. I just can’t see JT BARRETT/QB being able to run the ball like he has against recent opponents. I think MSU will stack the box to stop the run and try to contain BARRETT in the pocket. He’ll scramble for a few completions and some running gains, but that alone will make it tough to sustain drives for the Buckeyes. Watch early to see if the Spartans can establish firm control over field position and possession time in this one. Also keep your eyes peeled when the Buckeyes are on Defense to watch the best defensive player in college football today, IMO: JOEY BOSA/DE/#97. This true sophomore is JJ WATT, at a stage in his career when WATT was still playing TE. Lots of potential draftees on these rosters, though not any sure-fire first rounders, except BOSA who is not draft eligible.
OHIO STATE MICHIGAN STATE
#9 DEVIN SMITH/WR/6’0/197* #18 CONNOR COOK/QB/6’4/220***
#5 JEFF HUEURMAN/TE/6’4/250** #33 JEREMY LANGFORD/RB/6’0/205**
#76 DARRYL BALDWIN/OT/6’6/307* #14 TONY LIPPETT/WR/6’3/190**
#63 MICHAEL BENNETT/DT/6’2/290*** #54 CARLTON KRUSE/OG/6’4/315*
#8 NOAH SPENCE/E/LB/6’3/255** #44 MARCUS RUSH/DE/6’2/255*
#14 CURTIS GRANT/MLB/6’3/240** #89 SHILIQUE CALHOUN/DE/6’4/260***
#12 DION GRANT/CB/5’11/195*** #34 TAIWAN JONES/MLB/6’3/252***
#37 JOSHUA PERRY/OLB/6’4/250** #15 TRAE WAYNES/CB/6’1/185***
#27 KURTIS DRUMMOND/FS/6’1/200***
OREGON by 4 @ UTAH 10PM/ET/ESPN
UTAH has been a giant killer this season with wins over MICHIGAN, UCLA & USC. But they have also lost to Washington State, which really mars their record. They are a tough out at home. But Oregon is actually starting to get some key injured guys back, and as far as I am concerned MARCUS MARIOTA has been a one-man gang in leading the Ducks to their 8-1 record. This is their last big road test and their toughest opponent until the PAC-12 Championship game. I look for Oregon to score somewhere around 30 points and to hold Utah to 20 or so, especially without their top wideout DRES ANDERSON available to help junior QB TRAVIS WILSON. I am staying up for this one, baby. Well, at least for the first half.
#8 MARCUS MARIOTA/QB/6’4/215***** #7 TRAVIS WILSON/QB/6’7/240**
#55 HRONISS GRASU/OC/6’3/295*** #6 DRES ANDERSON/WR/6’2/190**
#75 JAKE FISHER/OT/6’5/295*** #8 NATE ORCHARD/DE/6’4/255***
#91 TONY WASHINGTON/OLB/6’3/245** #4 BRIAN BELCHEN/SS/6’2/215**
#22 DERRICK MALONE/OLB/6’2/220* #9 TEVIN CARTER/FS/6’1/215**
#14 IFO EHPRE-OLOMU/CB/5’10/195**** #80 WESTLEE TONGA/TE/6’4 250*
#9 ARIK ARMSTEAD/DT/6’7/298****
