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Florida State vs Maryland Saturday Noon ESPNU
Florida State: I'd spotlight the whole defense but that would be a really long article as itself and this isn't Tomahawk Nation so I'm going to focus on the top 3.
DE Bjoern Werner #95 JR - The Noles top pass rusher and one of the nation's best defenders. He's a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy. College football's version of JJ Watt. He has dropped some weight this year going from 6'4 265 to 255. The scary part is that he's only going to get better as he matures. Werner only started playing football since his junior year of high school after emigrating from Germany. BW is one of the more popular players on the team thanks to his lack of ego and personality.
DE Tank Carradine #91 SR - The other less hyped but equally talented end. He has made a lot of money for himself this year as Brandon Jenkins' injury replacement. A junior college transfer. Tank has played himself into at least the 2nd round.
CB Xavier Rhodes #27 JR - Rhodes is one of the best corners in the nation. He has all the tools to be successful in the league. XR has great size (6'2 200) and good hip flexiblity along with 4.5 speed. It also helps to have one of the best secondary coaches in America as your defensive coordinator. Mark Stoops coached all those early 2000s Miami Hurricanes DBs who went pro. Rhodes will be battling Johnathon Banks for the top corner honors. His landmark game this year was the Clemson game where he effectively shut down Nuke Hopkins and Sammy Watkins.
Maryland - Yeah they're down to their 4th string QB who was converted from LB. Their leading rusher was also recently sidelined with a torn ACL. its going to get ugly and fast.
North Carolina State at (11) Clemson Saturday 3:30 pm ABC
NCSU:
CB David Amerson - He looks to rebound his stock into draftable range as he takes on Clemson's talented WR corps.
Clemson:
WR DeAndre "Nuke" Hopkins #6 JR - Sammy Watkins who? Hopkins has made Watkins look like a complete fool this year. He's a speed demon by trade with good hands. Nuke is a explosive playmaker that would fit into the slot role on a pro team with his size (6'1 200). The expectation is that he's leaning towards declaring early to capitalize on his monster season.
WR Sammy Watkins #2 SO - Ineligible to enter the draft as he is a true sophomore but bears watching next year
QB Tajh Boyd #10 JR - A QB in the mold of one Jake Locker. He's a tough minded runner who will fight for the extra yard. Boyd has been prone to be a little on the wild side on occasion during the games but has reeled it in this year greatly. He's a solid QB that just wins games. I'd expect him to stay for a senior season but wouldn't mind drafting him in the 4th or 5th in 2013.
South Florida at Miami Saturday 3 pm No TV
South Florida gets to commiserate and compare notes with Miami on which loss to the Noles was better looking.
Virginia Tech at Boston College Saturday 12:30 pm No TV
After a heartbreaking loss to the Noles on Thursday night, Beamerball pays a visit to Boston to check out Paul Revere's statue and play a little football too.
Other notable games of the weekend:
(18) USC at (17) UCLA Saturday 3:05 pm FOX - The elimination game in the Pac 12 South. Battle of the two biggest douches in college football. I'd make an ill advised joke about USC and their deflated balls but this is a family website so I'm not going to say anything.
(23) Texas Tech at (24) Oklahoma State Saturday 3:30 pm NO TV - Expect a high scoring shootout here. Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville looks to not slap anyone on his staff this week.
(12) Oklahoma at West Virginia Saturday 7 pm Fox - Another classic Big 12 shootout brewing in Morgantown. A battle of Heisman pretender (Geno) vs a Heisman never was (Landry Jones).
(1) Kansas State at Baylor Saturday 8 pm ESPN - Those high faluting Baylor Bears look to upset the top ranked Wildcats at home. Optimus Klein faked everyone out by playing last week. Will he continue his Heisman bid or will the Bears dethrone him?
(13) Stanford vs (2) Oregon Saturday 8 pm ABC - The Cardinal take on the high powered Ducks offense in Eugene with College Gameday in tow. Look for the Cardinal to pound the ball against a depleted Ducks defense and hope Andrew Luck gets a 5th year of eligibility somehow.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt Saturday 7 pm ESPN2 - The spirited battle of Tennessee. Will the clearly disinterested and bored Vols lose to a James Franklin in back to back games? Will the Commodores help a James Franklin to be 2-0 against the hapless besmircher of the great Dooley name, Derek? Which side of MCM will get to talk smack, the many Orange and White or August's Black and Gold?