Time for another look at some top games with the emphasis on some key players you will want to watch from an NFL Draft 2016 perspective.
SATURDAY NOON ET ABC
OREGON STATE @ MICHIGAN by 6
Interesting bit of scheduling in that Oregon State plays at Michigan the same day that Oregon plays at Michigan State in arguably the biggest game on the schedule this weekend. If nothing else, playing the Beavers gives The Fighting Harbaughs a chance to start things off with a bang in the more friendly environment of their own stadium after losing at Utah in their opener last week and I think it will indeed work to their advantage. Michigan looked pretty good overall on the road against a solid UTAH team. JAKE RUDOCK was to loose with the ball and their running game never got cranked up. Super Soph JABRILL PEPPERS/S looked super against UTAH. He’ll be a top prospect next year. OREGON STATE is also trying to adapt to the new coaching regime of GARY ANDERSON, who fled Wisconsin after last season. He’s a solid college head man, but has way too many holes to fill in his first year in Corvallis. His biggest concern is replacing QB/SEAN MANNION. Home cooking helps HARBAUGH straighten out his team for their first win.
Prospects to watch:
OREGON STATE MICHIGAN
#24 STORM WOODS/RB 6’/205 #82 AMARA DARBOH/WR 6’2/215
#56 ISAAC SEUMALO/OL 6’5/310 #78 ERIK MAGNUSON/RT 6’6/300
#15 LARRY SCOTT/CB 5’11/190 #43 CHRIS WORMLEY/DE 6’4/300
#50 JOSH MITCHELL/C 6’3/305 #48 DESMOND MORGAN/LB 6’1/235
SATURDAY 3:30 ET ABC
NOTRE DAME by 8 @ VIRGINIA
The Fighting Irish looked pretty solid in beating up TEXAS last week, while the Cavaliers traveled out to SoCal to get beaten up by UCLA. That should mean Virginia gets well with home cooking, but likely not well enough to beat a talented and clearly deep Notre Dame squad. MALIK ZAIRE/QB #8 looks like the real deal and has lots of receiving toys to throw to. Good thing, because the loss of THOMAS FOLSTON/RB to injury is a big blow. VIRGINIA is outmanned, again, in what looks like the final year of HC MIKE LONDON at the helm.
Prospects to watch:
NOTRE DAME VIRGINIA
#72 NICK MARTIN/C 6’5/300 #9 CANAAN SEVERIN/WR 6’2/215
#78 RONNIE STANLEY/OT 6’6/315 #32 MIKE MOORE/DE 6’4/275
#91 SHELDON DAY/DL 6’2/285 #55 DAVID DEAN/DT 6’1/295
#9 JAYLON SMITH/LB/JR 6’2/235 #8 T.J. THORPE/WR 6’0/210
SATURDAY 6:00 ET ESPN
OKLAHOMA @ TENNESSEE by 3
Yes, you read it right, I am going with Tennessee to ride the home field to a close win over the Sooners. Under BOBBY STOOPS the Sooners program has gotten a bit stale and must settle for 9-10 Wins in any given season. QB is a big question for Oklahoma, where TREVOR KNIGHT has become both INT and injury prone. There is talent on STOOPS squad but not enough to just roll over people. BUTCH JONES looks like the right man in the right job at TENNESSEE. He has taken an undisciplined program and set it straight. And he has recruited the hell out of the Southeast. QB/JOSH DOBBS & RB/JALEN HURD lead an exciting Offense and the D is young and deep. If the VOLS do win this one they have a shot at a 10-Win season even in the tough SEC.
Prospects to watch:
OKLAHOMA TENNESSEE
#3 STERLING SHEPARD/WR 5’11/195 #75 MARCUS JACKSON/OG 6’2/305
#91 CHARLES TAPPER/DE 6’4/281 #56 CURT MAGGITT/OLB 6’3/251
#19 ERIC STRIKER/LB 6’0/221 #27 BRIAN RANDOLPH/SS 6’/210
#15 ZACH SANCHEZ/CB/JR 5’11/180 #33 LaDARRELL McNEIL/FS 6’1/215
SATURDAY 9:15 ET ESPN
LSU by 4 @ MISSISSIPPI STATE
LSU faces the disadvantage of losing their tune-up game to the weather last weekend. So a young, inexperienced team lost a nice tune-up opportunity. But fear not, the Mad Hatter will find a way for his Bayou Bengals to chock up a victory. DAK PRESCOTT is back for Miss State along with some other nice talent. But 7 of the 10 guys who started around DAK last season are gone. Each team should get better as the season progresses, but PRESCOTT will really have to work some magic against an athletic LSU Defense. I just don’t expect the Bulldogs to pull it off. But in a close game either team could score last and win.
Prospects to watch:
LSU MISSISSIPPI STATE
#85 DILLON GORDON/TE 6’4/295 #15 DAK PRESCOTT/QB 6’2/230
#74 VIDAL ALEXANDER/T 6’6/320 #96 CHRIS JONES/DT/JR 6’5/308
#16 TRE’DAVIOUS WHITE/CB/JR 5’11/191 #23 TAVEZE CALHOUN/CB 6’1/185
#28 JALEN MILLS/FS 6’0/195 #2 WILL REDMOND/CB 6’/185
