Week 2 of the college season highlighted why college football is so exciting. As the Devy Matchups to Watch: Week 2 post mentioned, the games themselves were projected duds. In true college football form, the week turned out to hold several exciting games. Nichols State kept it close against Georgia. Arkansas beat TCU in overtime. Troy held their own against Clemson. Central Michigan beat Oklahoma State on an improbable, controversial Hail Mary play. Week 3 has many more appealing matchups for the college fan but it also has several devy player matchups to watch as well.
Florida State at Louisville
One of the hottest names in college is Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson has been stuffing the stat sheet both in the rushing and passing columns with 13 touchdowns through two weeks. Lousiville has not faced any tough competition after wins against Charlotte and Syracuse. Going against a strong Florida State team this week will give us more information on whether Jackson is a product of the offense, or if he has NFL-caliber tools.
On the Florida State side, watch running back Dalvin Cook. Louisville’s defense has been successful shutting down the run game this year, but they have not faced anyone of Cook’s talent level. The run defense numbers are likely influenced by game script. I want to see if Dalvin Cook can put together a solid game against a top-10 team. Looking forward on the schedule, a matchup against Clemson and the season finale against Florida look to be the only other tough matchup for Cook and the Seminoles.
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Continuing with the quarterback love, watch DeShone Kizer. After strong performances against Texas and Nevada, Kizer has vaulted up NFL draft boards. Some mocks have Kizer as the first overall pick next year. If he can put up a solid game against the always stout Michigan State defense, expect the hype to continue.
When Michigan State has the ball, watch L.J. Scott. 2015 featured a three-headed committee of running backs with Scott, Madre London, and Gerald Holmes all getting over 100 carries. In Week 1, L.J. Scott’s 20 carries led the way. No other back had more than six.
Alabama at Mississippi
Damien Harris appears to have won the running back job for Alabama even though he had a lackluster Week 2 against Western Kentucky. I want to see if Harris can get more involved in the passing game and if he can return to his Week 1 form when he dominated USC.
Alabama’s defense is elite. Watch the offensive talent facing this defense every week, especially non-conference opponents. This week, the Mississippi passing game is in focus. Quarterback Chad Kelly, wide receiver Damore’ea Stringfellow, and tight end Evan Engram are the NFL talents to watch. If Stringfellow can produce against the Alabama secondary that shut down Juju Smith-Schuster in week 1, the early season buzz will continue to grow.
