Who to watch in college football: September 7th … After last weekend’s wild and wacky opening slate of game sin college football including three top 10 match-ups, this week’s fare unfortunately pales in comparison. In fact, there’s only one game this weekend involving ranked teams neither of which is in the top ten. For the record, its #15 Michigan (1-0) at #18 Oklahoma (1-0) at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday on ABC in a dual between two traditional powers meeting for the first time since the 1976 Orange Bowl. What this game does, thugh, is give draft analysts a chance to check out rising Sooners QB John Mateer, one of the most interesting prospects in this year’s draft. Mateer is an athletic gunslinger who emerged as a true sleeper prospect at the position at Washington State last fall when he threw for over 3,000 yards and ran for another 800-plus, along the way accounting for 44 TDs including 29 thru the air. And while he’s a tad undersized at barely 6-1, Mateer is a legit sleeper candidate with the tools to ultimately go very high. Mateer will be joined in the Sooners’ backfield by RB Jaydn Ott (#0, 5-10, 210), a California transfer who looked all the part of a top prospect after rushing for over 1,300 yards in 2023, but missed most of last season with a leg injury. For good measure, Mateer will be throwing to one of the top transfer receivers in the country in former Purdue WR Deion Burks #4, 5-9, 190). The Sooners could also field one of the most dynamic pass rushes in college with a group of edge rushers led by R Mason Thomas (#32, 6-2, 250) who had 9 sacks last fall, while fellow ERs Marvin Jones (#97, 6-5, 265) and PJ Adebawore (#34, 6-4, 260) are both former 5-star recruits who haven’t done much on the field to date, but do have elite tools.
Needless to say that Mateer will be tested by Michigan which is still aways from the form that won them the national title just two years ago, but its still Michigan with a defence featuring arguably the best 1-2 CB combo in the country in Jyaire Hill (#20, 6-1, 190) and Zeke Berry (#10, 5-11, 200). The Wolverines are also solid a LB with OLB Derrick Moore (#8, 6-3, 240) and ILB Ernest Hausman (#15, 6-2, 235), while NT Tre Williams (#0, 6-2, 320) anchors the front. Meanwhile, the Michigan offence is breaking in a new face at QB in superstar recruit Bryce Underwood (#19, 6-3, 240), a dual-threat phenom, and at RB in Justice Hughes (#22, 5-10, 210), a potential top 5 prospect at the position, who transferred up from Alabama.
