WHO TO WATCH IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS WEEKEND

November 5-7

The place to be in college football this weekend is Alabama where the unbeaten and third-ranked Crimson Tide hosts 9th ranked LSU in a game with huge national implications at 3:30 PM ET on Saturday afternoon on CBS. A win for Alabama, for example, clinches the SEC West title and a date with Florida in the SEC championship game early next month. Meanwhile, an upset by LSU would put the Tigers in the driver's seat for the division crown and get them back into contention for a possible shot at the national title game.

The game also features plenty of talent for the 2010 draft as both sides have their share of top 50 prospects. Alabama, for example, has this year’s ‘biggest’ prospect in DT Terrence ‘Mount‘ Cody (#62, 6-4, 365) a massive fire hydrant with top 20 potential for the upcoming draft. And Alabama could have a second possible opening round pick for 2010 in junior MLB Rolando McClain (#25, 6-3, 255) a full-sized tackling machine with quickness and smarts, while athletic OG Mike Johnson (#78, 6-5, 300) should be one of the first 2-3 players off the board at the position this coming April. Meanwhile, other top Tide veterans o watch include CB Javier Arenas (#28, 5-9, 195), who doubles as one of the most dangerous punt returners in the country with 6 TD returns in his career, physical FS Justin Woodall (#27, 6-1, 220), TE Colin Peek (#84, 6-6, 255), a rangy transfer from Georgia Tech with soft hands, RT Drew Davis (#79, 6-6, 300), DEs Brandon Deadrick (#95, 6-3, 290) and Lorenzo Washingon (#97, 6-4, 285), CB Marquis Johnson (#24, 5-10, 190), PK Leigh Tiffin (#99, 6-1, 200) and P P.J. Fitzgerald (97, 5-10, 195).

While Alabama will be favored this weekend, LSU actually probably has a deeper 2010 draft class which includes OT Ciron Black (#70, 6-4, 325), WR Brandon LaFell (#1, 6-2, 210) and RB Charles Scott (#32, 5-11, 235), each of whom is likely to be among the top players off the board at their respective positions this coming April, although none of the three has the speed and athleticism to be a first-round lock for the upcoming draft. LSU also has plenty of depth for the 2010 draft including mid-round prospects like emerging DE Rahim Alem (#84, 6-2, 255), RB Keiland Williams (#5, 5-10, 225), TE Richard Dickson (#82, 6-2, 250), OLB Perry Riley (#56, 6-0, 240), and SS Harry Coleman (#24, 6-1, 20), while DTs Charles Alexander (#91, 6-2, 310) and Al Woods (#97, 6-4, 325), MLB Jacob Cutera (#54, 6-3, 240), CB Chris Hawkins (#29, 6-0, 185), SS Danny McCray (#44, 6-0, 215), and KR specialist Trindon Holliday (#8, 5-5, 165) are later round or free-agent candidates.

Saturday‘s Big Ten game between Ohio State and Penn State at Happy Valley (3:30 PM ET; ABC) was supposed to be for the conference championship, but both already have a conference loss and trail the cardiac kids from Iowa by a game. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, though, still have more 2010 draft talent than the rest of the Big Ten field. Penn State, for example, has a couple of potential late first rounders in juniors Navorro Bowman (#11, 6-1, 230), a very athletic OLB, and RB Evan Royster (#22, 6-0, 210), who projects to be one of the top-rated backs in a weak year at the position. In fact, in a perfect world, ’LB U’ would again have one of the top backer corps in the country, but star LB Sean Lee (#45, 6-2, 240), who missed all the 2008 season after tearing an ACL, has been battling a strain in the other knee all season. Penn State also could have as many mid-to late-round prospects as any program in the country including DT Jared Odrick (#91, 6-4, 310), OT Denns Landolt (#73, 6-4, 310), TE Andrew Quarless (#10, 6-5, 255), CB A.J. Wallace (#1, 6-0, 200), QB Darryl Clark(#17, 6-2, 225), TE Mickey Shuler (#82, 6-4, 250), LB Josh Hull (#43, 6-1, 240) and P Jeremy Boone (#41, 5-9, 185).

For its part, Ohio State isn’t going to have the same kind of impact at the upcoming draft as it has in recent years - the Buckeyes have had more players drafted since 2000 than any team in the country - but does have several solid second-tier prospects including safeties Anderson Russell (#21, 5-11, 205) and Kurt Coleman (#4, 510, 190), DE Lawrence Wilson (#87, 6-3, 275), OT Jim Cordle (#64, 6-3, 300) and DT Doug Worthington (#84, 6-5, 275), WR/KR Ray Small (#82, 5-10, 180), TE Jake Ballard (#86, 6-5, 260), and MLB Austin Spitler (#38, 6-2, 235). In fact, Ohio State’s best pro prospect this year may be rugged junior OG Justin Boren (#65, 6-2, 315), who transferred from arch-rival Michigan and could conceivably be the highest rated OG on the board if he did opt to enter the upcoming draft.

Bonus coverage: Saturday night’s game between Oklahoma and Nebraska (8 PM ET; ABC regional) lacks the national significance of some of the historical battles between the two, however, the game does offer a chance to watch this year’s two top-rated DTs in the Huskers’ Ndamukong Suh (#93, 6-4, 300) and Oklahoma junior Gerald McCoy (#93, 6-3, 300), both of whom are top 5 picks for this coming April‘s draft… Meanwhile, unbeaten and 7th ranked Boise State takes its BCS busting quest on the road with a WAC game at Louisiana Tech on Friday night at 8 PM ET on ESPN2. Both teams have players to watch including BSU CB Kyle Wilson (#1, 5-10, 190) and DT Boo Smith (#5, 6-2, 300), FS Antonio Baker (#34, 5-10, 200) and RB Daniel Porter (#7, 5-9, 190). The WAC’s best prospects for the 2010 draft, though, may be Fresno State junior RB Ryan Matthews (#21, 5-10, 205), a slasher who is on pace to rush for almost 2,000 yards this fall, and rugged Idaho OG Mike Iupati (#6-5, 330), a road-grader who just could be the first guard off the board this coming April. Both will be front and center when their teams play late Saturday night at 10:30 PM ET on ESPNU.

Have a great weekend!

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