Titans Fan Guide: Showdown Saturday Edition

#4 Ohio State at #9 Penn State 7:30 PM ABC

- This game has settled the playoff fates of these two teams and Big Ten in the past couple of years. College GameDay is in town. Ohio State is 4-0 and coming off a ho hum 49-6 beatdown of Tulane while PSU is also 4-0 with a come from behind 63-24 victory over Illinois (no really, Illinois was leading in the third quarter). Ohio State is missing stud defensive end Nick Bosa as he got injured in the TCU game. Can the Nittanny Lions use the raucous 100K+ crowd to upset the Buckeyes again? Both QBs have put up monster numbers. It will be interesting to see which defense shows up.

Ohio State prospects to watch

1. Dre’Mont Jones 6’2 295 DL RS Junior

- A disruptive force in the interior of the defensive line. Pass rush ability is a plus. Holds up well at the point of attack. Had a stellar game against TCU a couple of weeks ago. Lateral agility is among the best in the country. Fundamentally sound as most Buckeye DL are under the tutelage of Larry Johnson, Sr.

2. Dwayne Haskins 6’2 214 QB RS Sophomore

- A legit Heisman contender that waited for his turn until this year. He’s blown up immensely with multiple touchdown games both running and passing. A plus arm. Inexperience will show at times with some silly throws. A much better passer than JT Barrett and we saw glimpses when he came in relief during the Michigan game last season. Has shot up the boards at a rapid pace.

3. Kendall Sheffield 5’11 185 CB Junior

- The next star in line of a cornerback factory that is Ohio State. Laterally adept. Ball skills are on point. Excellent at covering the receiver all the way through the route. The leader of a youthful but extremely talented secondary that could the best in the country.

4. Isaiah Prince 6’6 310 OT Senior

- The man in charge of blocking the blind side for Mr. Haskins. Is one of the better tackle prospects in the country that no one talks about. Shows a remarkable ability in the short areas. Footwork is not a plus nor a negative either. Middle round type that could develop into a starter at the next level.

Penn State prospects to watch

1. Trace McSorely 6’0 195 QB RS Senior

- A carbon copy of Johnny Football with better passing ability and an attitude to match. Not much of a future at the NFL level as a QB due to size questions, unfortunately but a fun college QB.

2. Juwan Johnson 6’4 229 WR RS Junior

- A similar type of prospect to Allen Lazard / Kelvin Benjamin. A big body receiver that will box out smaller defenders but isn’t the most athletic guy there. McSorely’s main target regardless of situation and score.

South Carolina at #17 Kentucky 7:30 PM SEC Network

- Yes, you read that correct. Kentucky is. ranked. in. football. It’s actually the first time that both Kentucky and Duke are ranked in the top 25 together since the 1950s. South Carolina is 2-1 with a cancelled game due to Hurricane Florence. Kentucky is 4-0 after a 28-7 win over Miss State last week. Could be the fun game of the day if things break right.

South Carolina prospects to watch

1. Deebo Samuel 5’11 215 WR RS Senior

- Deebo is one of the most dynamic athletes at receiver in the nation. He’s South Carolina’s version of Percy Harvin. A do it all weapon for the Gamecocks that also returns kicks. Above average route runner. Quicker than fast. A guy who is willing to out tough the defender for a contested ball despite being 5’11. Profiles similarly to Kendall Wright.

2. Bryan Edwards 6’2 205 WR Junior

- One of the best receivers in the SEC that hardly anyone talks about due to his teammate Samuel. He’s a physical force of nature that can go up and get it. A solid athlete that can stretch defenses vertically if needed.

Kentucky prospects to watch

1. Josh Allen 6’4 230 EDGE Senior

- No, the current Bills QB did not transfer to Kentucky to play defense. This Josh Allen has been rising up the boards in a similar fashion, though. He’s a pretty good athlete for the position and should test well. Flashed a ton of potential over the past few weeks. Can set the edge and play the run well. Not the most fundamentally sound but is improving.

2. Benny Snell 5’10 223 RB Junior

- Snell is probably the most underrated running back in the country due to the depth of the class and the program he plays for. A physical power back that can pound the rock at least 30 times without fatigue. Pass blocking is a plus. Vision and IQ are a plus as well. Rarely has yards for loss on his resume.

#7 Stanford at #8 Notre Dame 7:30 PM NBC

- Stanford is coming off a thrilling 38-31 win over Oregon last week due to some poor officiating. Notre Dame is 4-0 with a not that close 56-27 win over Wake Forest. Notre Dame has a solid defense to cover the Cardinal star RB Bryce Love. Stanford loves to use the just throw it up to the big guy play all the time in its passing offense. Which offense can gear up the fastest?

Stanford prospects to watch

1. Bryce Love 5’9 196 RB Senior

- Has home run speed. Footwork is a major plus. Makes an effort as a pass blocker despite his frame. Has a supernatural ability to sniff out the correct angles when lanes are clogged up. Has struggled a bit in 2018 for some reason.

2. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside 6’2 222 WR Senior

- Baby Mike Evans. That’s all. He has had a tremendous start to the 2018 season and should be drafted in the middle rounds.

Notre Dame prospect to watch

1. Te’Von Coney 6’0 240 LB Senior

- He has enough athleticism to be a sideline to sideline defender when needed. A playmaker for the legit Fighting Irish defense. Football IQ and tackling ability are major pluses.

Ole Miss at #5 LSU 9 PM ESPN

- Strength meets strength in Baton Rouge. The high powered Ole Miss offense gets another shot at a top five team after failing miserably against Bama. The LSU defense is pretty solid as well. A revenge game for LSU HC Ed Oregeron. Ole Miss is 3-1 while the Tigers are 4-0. Can the Ole Miss offense unlock the stingy LSU defense enough to score a bunch of points? Can the LSU offense keep up if their defense fails?

Ole Miss prospects to watch

1. D.K Metcalf 6’3 225 WR RS Sophomore

- Metcalf has done nothing to dissuade me from him being WR2 on my board. He’s a physical specimen. A sound route runner with a ton of deep ball ability. Arguably one of the best receivers in the entire nation.

2. A.J Brown 6’1 225 WR Junior

- Projects to be an excellent slot weapon at the pro level. He knows how to run routes and when to vary his speed and depth in each route.

3. Greg Little 6’5 325 OT Junior

- Little is the best offensive tackle prospect in the country. Has the potential to be a franchise type of left tackle in the pros. Lateral agility and size are huge pluses. IQ is a plus. Laremy Tunsil who? He has that kind of potential and talent.

LSU prospects to watch

1. Greedy Williams 6’1 182 CB RS Sophomore

- Williams has the speed and athleticism thing down pat along with the height. Lateral agility is a major plus. Can keep up with any receiver in the nation. Has consistency issues that pops up every now and then. Among the best corners in the nation.

2. Devin White 6’0 240 LB Junior

- Next man up to take the star linebacker turn in Baton Rouge before going pro. White has flashed a bunch over his first two years. He’s now the leader of the defense. Height may be an issue at the next level but the athleticism isn’t. Plus character and work ethic. Somewhere between Duke Riley and Kendall Beckwith.

3. Nick Brossette 6’0 221 RB Senior

- The heir apparent to current Washington Mascot That Shall Not Be Named RB Derrius Guice. He played really well in the season opener against Miami. A different type of back than Guice. More of a thunder type of back.