After an entertaining week five with upsets and lopsided victories, the college football slate isn’t as eye-popping with can’t miss games this week, but still consists of some underrated matchups. Northwestern and Michigan are knocking on the door as real Big Ten contenders and Utah and Cal are still trying to win over many onlookers that underestimate their talent so far.
Here are some players to watch and match-ups to highlight this weekend with a focus on draft-eligible players.
By: Christian Page
No. 13 Northwestern at No. 18 Michigan, 3:30 EST on Big Ten Network
Two of the more interesting Big Ten sleepers, Michigan and Northwestern have surprised many with this being a ranked matchup. Northwestern carries its top ranked scoring defense into Ann Arbor looking to defeat the Wolverines for the first time since 2008. The Wolverines are looking to clean some things up on the offensive side of the ball in order to get by this game and look forward to Sparty next weekend.
Playing a defense that averages giving up just seven points a game, it’s going to be tough to find holes in the Wildcat defense for an offense that is just so so. Finding ways to implement tight end Jake Butt (#88) could be a potential x-factor for the Wolverines. Butt could very well be the best receiving tight end in college football being a versatile all across the field. He displays his diverse route running ability (most effective in seam routes), soft hands and toughness putting his body on the line to make a play. Butt is huge in this game but more importantly a key factor for quarterback Jake Rudock (#15) who is still trying to find his way within the Wolverine offense.
On a powerful and impactful defense the Wildcats contain a few players that need more recognition for draft purposes. Defensive end Dean Lowry (#94) has been a dominant force on the great Northwestern defense with 4.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries. Lowry fills out the stat sheet using his everlasting motor and core strength to his advantage creating pass rush lanes for him and others managing to knock opposing tackles off their base getting them out of sync. The defensive backfield has been productive this season forcing five interceptions and having 22 passes broken up. Cornerback Nick VanHoose (#23) has been a lockdown corner for years for the Wildcats with 30 pass breakups and five picks over his career. VanHoose doesn’t blow you away with tremendous speed but closes on the ball well to create many breakups upon impact. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and obvious confidence, which should be huge this weekend against the big target for Michigan Amara Darboh (#82).
Miami at No. 12 Florida State, 8:00 EST on ABC
With all the talk surrounding Miami including everything negative toward head coach Al Golden, the Canes are still 3-1 heading into this once big rivalry game. The offense has averaged 37 points over the past four games and the defense gives up just under 350 yards per contest. The strongest unit on Miami is the secondary having the ability to create and make several impactful plays to change the game. Senior safety Deon Bush (#2) has been solid this season along with cornerback Tracy Howard (#3). Howard brings a lot to the table with being a strong physical corner with tremendous ball skills. Howard and Florida State’s Travis Rudolph will mostly battle it out through the game, which should be a nice measuring stick for both players.
The Florida State defense has been once again dominant allowing just 11 points per game. With still plenty of talented youth to go around the Seminoles have some talented senior prospects. Defensive back prospect Jalen Ramsey (#8) is an amazing prospect to watch with his ideal size and length and his tremendous instincts to read and react at safety while also being effective as a boundary corner in many Florida Stat packages. His versatility is very attractive. Outside linebacker Terrance Smith (#24) will not play because of an ankle injury.
No. 23 California at No. 5 Utah, 10:00 EST on ESPN
Seeing the Utes in the top five is odd, but not surprising as the depth chart is loaded with some next level talent. Running back Devontae Booker (#23) continues to be a workhorse for the Utah offense averaging 29 touches per game. Quarterback Travis Wilson (#7) came back from injury and had a stellar game in the big upset win over Oregon in Eugene throwing for four touchdowns with no interceptions. Wilson’s efficiency is key in this matchup versus a Cal offense that doesn’t shy away from putting up big numbers on the scoreboard.
Cal is known for its high-powered offense this season, but the defense has stood tall with big plays down the stretch to keep the Golden Bears with an unblemished record. Undersized defense end Kyle Kragen (#13) has been a force this season. Causing havoc in the backfield, especially last weekend versus Washington State, Kragen has begun to be more involved in draft talks as the season continues to progress. Offensively, Jared Goff (#16) is the efficient big-time playmaker standing tall in the pocket and being elusive enough to avoid pressure and keeping his feet moving, but his main target is what has my eye this weekend: Kenny Lawler. Lawler (#4), junior, creates great separation on vertical routes to make Goff’s job easy in delivering him the ball. Lawler isn’t pound for pound the strongest guy on the field as he muscled away by stronger defensive backs at time but can make up for it with quick twitch moves to accentuate his next-level talent.
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