We are almost a quarter of the way through the college football season and the matchups are about to get heated. Through all of the college football fun, we’ll give you a few names to keep your eyes on throughout the Saturday slate.
Another slate of 60+ games to watch, including six top-25 matchups, but here are the ones that you may want to keep your eye on:
#4 Florida State @ Clemson (11 AM CST, ABC)
#16 Oklahoma @ Cincinnati (11 AM CST, Fox)
Auburn @ Texas A&M (11 AM CST, Fox)
#19 Colorado @ #10 Oregon (2:30 PM CST, ABC)
#22 UCLA @ #11 Utah (2:30 PM CST, Fox)
#15 Ole Miss @ #13 Alabama (2:30 PM CST, CBS)
BYU @ Kansas (2:30 PM CST, ESPN)
Texas Tech @ West Virginia (2:30 PM CST, Big 12 Network/ESPN+)
Arkansas @ #12 LSU (6 PM CST, ESPN)
#14 Oregon State @ #21 Washington State (6 PM CST, Fox)
#6 Ohio State @ #9 Notre Dame (6:30 PM CST, NBC)
#24 Iowa @ #7 Penn State (6:30 PM CST, CBS)
Mississippi State @ South Carolina (6:30 PM CST, SEC Network)
#5 USC @ Arizona State (9:30 PM CST, Fox)
California @ #8 Washington (9:30 PM CST, ESPN)
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Florida State has a three-headed monster of Keon Coleman, Jaheim Bell and Johnny Wilson to guard in the passing game. With Clemson hosting the Seminoles, they need a big game from their secondary.
That starts with junior cornerback Nate Wiggins. Wiggins is the heart of that Tigers secondary, and if Clemson is looking to battle with Florida State, they have to limit these receivers. At 6’2″, 185 pounds, Wiggins needs all his length and athleticism to keep Coleman and Wilson at bay.
Sep 16, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) leaps over Western Kentucky Hilltoppers defensive back Anthony Johnson Jr. (4) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium.
The main event in college football is the top-ten matchup between sixth-ranked Ohio State and ninth-ranked Notre Dame.
Notre Dame has a stellar back in Audric Estime, the current rushing yards leader in the country.
However, on the other side, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson is looking to outclass the fellow Junior.
Henderson is 5’10, 212 pounds, with speed that allows him to outrun tackling angles down the field. A lot of the attention will be given to the Ohio State receivers when the offense is on the field, but keep an eye out for Henderson and his impact on the game.
Cincinnati Bearcats defensive lineman Dontay Corleone (58) looks up at the scoreboard in the first quarter during a college football game against the Navy Midshipmen, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
Ncaaf Navy Midshipmen At Cincinnati Bearcats Nov 6 0079
Cincinnati is looking to pull the upset against 16th-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday. To do that, they will need to disrupt the pocket of Dillon Gabriel and wipe out the Sooners running game.
That starts up front with Cincinnati’s nose tackle/defensive tackle Dontay Corleone. At 6’2″, 320 pounds, Corleone is shorter than most interior linemen, but he makes up for it with great footwork and lateral quickness. He couples that with a strong long arm and punch at the point of attack. Corleone could be a consistent problem for the middle of that Oklahoma offense.
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Maason Smith has been through a lot to get on the field this season at LSU. He’s had to recover from a season-ending knee injury from the first quarter of last season’s season-opener against FSU. Then, he gets controversially suspended for this season’s season-opener against FSU. He has had to maneuver all of this off of the field before getting back on the field against Grambling two weeks ago.
After LSU dominated Mississippi State, they face a stout run game from Arkansas headlined by quarterback K.J. Jefferson and running back Raheim Sanders. Smith will be the first line of defense and be looked to lead the charge against this physical running game.
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Alabama starts their climb back to the College Football Playoff picture with a matchup against 15th-ranked Ole Miss. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has looked impressive in his first three starts of 2023 and is looking to continue to impress.
One player that can derail this momentum is Alabama OLB/EDGE Dallas Turner. A gifted pass-rusher, Turner is able to use his combination of short-area quickness and speed to maneuver around would-be blockers. His ability to disrupt Dart’s timing may be the difference in Alabama winning their 2023 SEC debut.
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The biggest story in college football finally makes their conference debut. Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes go into Eugene to face the Oregon Ducks.
Shedeur Sanders will definitely be one of the main topics of discussion, but he will have to make sure that he doesn’t throw a bad ball the way of Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson.
Jackson is an Alabama transfer and at 6’3″, 200 pounds, he is a fluid mover for his size. Jackson is adept at using his frame to overpower receivers trying to block him in the run game. In coverage, he is an athletic specimen that has good ball skills. Expect Sanders to try Jackson at least once in this game, especially with superstar Travis Hunter out and Colorado needing to produce more offensively in his absence.
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The Washington Huskies host the California Golden Bears in the final slate of games heading into Sunday. This is the last bit of college football that you will see until next Thursday.
So, enjoy the show that Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze will put on. Odunze is a 6’3″, 200 pound freak athlete. Just ask Bruce Feldman, the creator of the “Feldman’s Freaks” list that uncovers 100+ of the freakiest athletes in college football. To go with his massive frame, he is also a former all-State sprinter who ran a 21.25 in the 200 meter dash. He has great body control on the sidelines to reel in any catch, he is just a highlight waiting to happen. After all of the chaos that ensues on Saturday, make sure to take in one final show-stopping performance from Odunze before calling it a night.
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Texas A&M hosts Auburn in the two teams’ SEC debuts on Saturday. To celebrate what should be a gritty matchup, we bring in center Bryce Foster as our final prospect to watch for the weekend. Foster won’t be available until 2025 but he is a solid watch for Minnesota fans looking for future linemen.
Foster is another athlete who was on Feldman’s Freaks list but not because of his speed, but his power. He was, and still is, a shot putter on the Texas A&M track and field team with a personal best of 64′, 8.75″. That’s good for fifth-best in Aggie history.
He will be an interesting prospect to watch moving forward.
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