No. 16 UCLA at No. 23 Nebraska
Saturday, September 14th at 12:00 pm ESPN2
Prospects: #8 Ameer Abdullah- RB (NEB) vs. #11 Anthony Barr- LB and #99 Cassius Marsh-DL (UCLA)
The UCLA vs. Nebraska game has a lot of interesting storylines like pinning the Pac-12 against the Big 10, both teams’ hope for a BCS Bowl bid and a national stage for NFL prospects. Arguably the most important matchup will be how the UCLA defense defends Nebraska’s running attack.
Nebraska not only features the speedy Taylor Martinez, but also the multi-talented Ameer Abdullah. This is a team that loves to run the football and is very effective at it. Abdullah runs with a great combination of speed and power. He can make an impact between the tackles or attack the edge.
However, his ability to make quick and seamless cuts is his best attribute. Highly touted UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr is going to have his hands full trying to deal with Abdullah. Barr will need to ensure he properly reads the play and locates the football.
Nebraska’s read-option won’t make things easy for the entire UCLA defense.
No. 1 Alabama at No. 6 Texas A&M
Saturday, September 14th at 3:30 CBS
Prospects: #2 Johnny Manziel- QB and #75 Jake Matthews- OT (Tex AM) vs. #32 CJ Mosley-LB, #42 Adrian Hubbard- LB and #49 Ed Stinson- DL (Ala)
The Alabama and Texas A&M game features a ton of NFL prospects. This game provides each of them an opportunity to showcase their talents. Obviously, Johnny Manziel will be the focal point of most of the media coverage.
However, the way Alabama defends Manziel will be the more interesting storyline. I’m interested to see if Nick Saban will asked linebacker CJ Mosley to spy Manziel. Mosley possesses the quickness and instincts to potentially limit Manziel’s impact as a runner.
The other intriguing matchup is Jake Matthews versus both Ed Stinson and Adrian Hubbard. Both Alabama defenders offer a different type of challenge for Matthews. Stinson is a run stuffer who uses his size to hold at the point of attack. It won’t be easy for Matthews to move him off the line of scrimmage.
Hubbard has the long arms and quickness to generate pressure off the edge. Matthews will need to maintain his balance and use his quick feet to keep Hubbard out of the backfield.
Tennessee at No. 2 Oregon
Saturday, September 14th at 3:30 pm ABC
Prospects: #45 AJ Johnson- LB (Tenn) vs. #6 De’Anthony Thomas- WR, #15 Colt Lyerla- TE and #8 Marcus Mariota- QB (Ore)
Tennessee’s AJ Johnson is coming off an impressive performance against Western Kentucky where he showed more quickness and aggressiveness. He’ll need to continue to play at that level if Tennessee has any hope of slowing down Oregon’s explosive offense.
Oregon is going to test his overall speed by attacking the edge with explosive players like De’Anthony Thomas and Marcus Mariota.
No. 4 Ohio State at California
Saturday, September 14th at 7:00 pm FOX
Prospects: #5 Brendan Bigelow- RB and #91 DeAndre Coleman- DT (Cal) vs. #10 Ryan Shazier- LB and #79 Marcus Hall- OG (OSU)
Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier will need to use his quickness to ensure that California running Brendan Bigelow doesn’t break off a long run. Bigelow is on the smaller side but possesses an explosive first step and big-play ability. He also is a good pass catcher and someone who must be accounted for in that part of the game.
Another battle that will be taking place is in the trenches as Marcus Hall tries open running lanes around Cal’s DeAndre Coleman. How much of a push Hall gets off the line could determine how effective Ohio State is running the ball.
No. 21 Notre Dame at Purdue
Saturday, September 14th at 8:00 pm ABC
Prospects: #70 Zack Martin- OT (ND) vs. #99 Ryan Russell- DE (Purdue)
The Purdue Boilermakers don’t often get the type of national attention they’ll receive this weekend when they take on Notre Dame. This is great news for Ryan Russell who’ll have a chance to show off his pass-rushing ability.
Russell is an athletic and long defensive end prospect who plays with a non-stop motor. He uses his quickness to attack the edge, but also has the suddenness to change direction. Notre Dame’s Zack Martin will have a tough time keeping him out of the backfield.