#8 Oregon (5-0) at #7 Washington (5-0); 3:30 PM ET; ABC … This will be the 115th meeting between these two programs – and last as members of the Pacific conference – but its the first one ever in which both teams are ranked in the top ten. In fact, Saturday’s match-up between the Ducks and Huskies has the potential to be one of the very best games of the season as both teams feature really good QBs. Washington’s Michael Penix (#9, 6-3, 215) is having a very Heisman like campaign as he’s thrown for almost 400 yards per game including 16 for scores while completing 75% of his pass attempts. Meanwhile, Oregon’s Bo Nix (#10, 6-2, 220) has been even more accurate completing a quite remarkable 80% of his throws as he has thrown for almost 300 yards game including 15 TDs passes. And both are very much in the mix to be considered among the second-tier of 2024 QB prospects behind USC’s Caleb Williams and Drake Maye of North Carolina, although at least for now, both Penix and Nix appear to be more second-day types.
It certainly hasn’t hurt Penix’ chances that’s he’s throwing to one of the better receiver corps in the nation featuring Rome Odunze (#1, 6-3, 215), who appears to be in the mix to be one of the first 4-5 receivers off the board next April, rising junior Ja’Lynn Polk (#2, 6-2, 205) and veteran possession receiver Jalen McMillan (#11, 6-0, 195). The Huskies offence also features one of the hottest offensive linemen in this year’s draft class in LT Troy Fantanu (#55, 6-4, 320), another potential first-rounder, though he may have to ultimately kick inside as lacks prototype length for an OT. For good measure, the Huskies also have one of the better rush-end pairs in college football in DEs Bralen Trice (#8, 6-4, 275) and Zion Tupuola-Fetui (#4, 6-4, 255), although they have combined for only three sacks so far this year and will likely be looking for something of a breakout game versus the Ducks.
The Ducks’ Nix also has a terrific receiver to work with in WR Troy Franklin (#11, 6-2, 195), a rising second-day candidate who already has 7 receivng TDs and is averaging 17 yards per catch. Same for underrated RB Bucky Irving (#0, 5-10, 195), who isn’t all that big, but is an elusive runner who is averaging a lusty 8 yards per carry this season, while he’s also a good receiver who can make plays in space. And like the Huskies, the Ducks have a couple of DEs with some upside in Brandon Dorlus (#3, 6-3, 290) and Jordan Burch (#1, 6-6, 290), both of who have good size with the potential to contribute as 5-tech DEs in a 3-4 scheme with the pass-rush ability to kick inside on passing downs.
#10 Southern California (6-0) at #21 Notre Dame (5-2); 7:30 PM; NBC … Southern Cal also puts its national championship hopes on the line this weekend with a trip to South Bend where the Irish do have a couple of losses, but are still a very good team. Of course, it will be another chance to check out star USC QB Caleb Williams (#13, 6-1, 205), the runaway consensus favorite to be the first player selected at the 2024 draft. And Williams has picked up pretty much where he left off after last year’s Heisman Trophy winning season as has thrown for over 300 yards per game thru the first half of the campaign while completing 72% of his throws including 22 for scores against just one pick; for good measure, he’s also chipped in another 6 rushing TDs. Williams has a talented WR corps to work with including Tahj Washington (#16, 5-10, 175) and Brenden Rice (#2, 6-2, 210), both of whom are averaging over 20 yards per catch, along with fellow WRs Dorian Singer (#15, 6-0, 180) and Mario Williams (#4, 5-9, 175), while OG Jarrett Kingston (#52, 6-4, 305) and RB MarShawn Lloyd (#0, 5-9, 210) are solid contributors who could get a middle or later round call.
The bigger question for the Trojans if they hope to make the CFP playoffs this year, though, is whether the defence can hold up. The Trojans do have a good one in ball-hawking FS Calen Bullock (#7, 6-3, 190), one of the top 2-3 prospects at the position for the upcoming draft, while DEs Solomon Byrd (#51, 6-3, 250) and Jamil Muhummad (#10, 6-1, 250) are an emerging set of edge rushers who already have 11 sacks between them.
Indeed, pro scouts are particularly eager to see Byrd go up against star Notre Dame OT John Alt (#76, 6-8, 315), a top ten prospect in his own right who combines with fellow OT Blake Fisher (#54, 6-6, 315) to give the Irish one of the better sets of bookends tackles in the country. The Irish also have a solid veteran QB in Sam Hartman (#10, 6-1, 215) and a rising star at RB in Audric Estime (#7, 5-11, 230), but it just hasn’t been quite enough as the Irish have lost two of their last three including dispiriting losses to Ohio State and Louisville.
#25 Miami (4-1) at #12 North Carolina (5-0); 7:30 PM ET; ABC … Fans of NFL teams looking to grab a QB early at the 2024 draft get a two-fer on Saturday evening, although they’ll have to keep their clicker handy. That’s because Drake Maye (#10, 6-4, 230) of North Carolina, the consensus QB2 behind Williams, will also be playing on national TV when the Tar Heels host Miami. In fact, there may be considerable more pressure on Maye to deliver against the Canes as he has had a decent season, but still has scouts wanting more. Maye, who has prototype pocket passer size as well as very strong arm, has thrown for over 325 yards per game this fall while competing 72% of his pass attempts, but he’s also only tossed 8 TD passes and has had 4 picked off leaving more than one observer wondering about his pocket presence and decision-making. The Tar Heels also have a very good prospect on the other side of the ball in ILB Cedric Gray (#33, 6-2, 235) who is on pace to post another 100+ tackle season.
And Miami will likely provide a major test for the unbeaten Tar Heels as they are coming off a terrible loss to Georgia Tech last weekend when all they had to do was take a knee and they had the ‘W’, but for some reason head coach Mario Cristobal, who gets paid literally millions of dollars to make calls like that, opted for a meaningless running play, they fumbled and allowed a last-second TD that likely ruined any hopes the Canes had of qualifying for the CFP playoffs. The Canes also come in with a very good QB of their own in Tyler Van Dyke (#9, 6-4, 230) who wasn’t all that long ago considered to be a potential top ten candidate himself. Like UNC’s Maye, Van Dyke has had decent year with a 73% completi0n rate and 12 TD passes, but also like Maye has thrown 4 picks. In fact, Van Dyke likely isn’t even the Canes’ best prospect as he is considered to be more of a late second-day type while DT Leonard Taylor (#56, 6-3, 300) is a legit mid-to-late first round possibility and S Kamren Kinchens, arguably the top safety candidate this year, is an early second round prospect who could conceivably get some late opening round interest. Meanwhile, other Hurricanes to watch include OG Javion Cohen (#70, 6-4, 305), an Alabama transfer, C Matt Lee (#55, 6-3, 295), OT Zion Nelson (#60, 6-5, 310), and SS James Williams (#20, 6-4, 210)
