Week nine of college football offers up a lot of good matchups, such as Michigan State heading to Iowa and Missouri heading to Nebraska but the storylines that follow the week nine matchups may be even more intriguing than the lineup of games themselves. The following are the biggest tags to watch heading into and during week nine matchups. Each offers signs of good football this weekend.
Quarterback prospects graded in Washington:
In many NFL Draft experts’ minds, Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Washington’s Jake Locker are the top two quarterback prospects for the 2011 draft. The two face off in Locker’s backyard this weekend. Both quarterbacks are having memorable seasons, although Locker could argue for a few more wins. You can believe both with be up to par Saturday with their checkbooks and futures on the line.
The No. 1 team on the road again:
I don’t want to believe that another No.1 team can or will fall this weekend when the new No.1, Auburn, heads on the road to Mississippi. For three straight weeks the No.1 has traveled on the road only to return home with their loss column goose egg pick-pocketed. I saw the Alabama one coming, saw the Ohio State loss coming and then got hit in the face with a two-by-four when Oklahoma went down. Can Cameron Newton stop this madness?
Michigan State’s start:
If Michigan State's season is a fairy tale beginning in East Lansing, they’re traveling through the dark creepy forest right now. The Spartans tip-toed past Illinois at home then got by Northwestern by the hair of their chinny chin chin last week. The reason? Their slow starts in both games. The Spartans went to halftime down 6-3 against Illinois, then down 17-3 against Northwestern. Spartan fans better hope MSU wises up and builds a brick house lead on Iowa this week.
Panic mode in Jacksonville :
Someone’s going to have some answers to give following the Georgia vs. Florida matchup in Jacksonville. As it stands right now, both sit with three SEC losses. The Bulldogs and Gators were clearly rebuilding programs heading into the year, but four conference losses from either team sounds an alarm. Neither program looks impressive right now, but the upper hand has to go to Georgia. Whoever loses this week, though, will find them in some pretty thick mud the rest of the way.
Familiar face gone for OK State:
The Cowboys have been one of the best teams in the country tossing the long ball. Quarterback Brandon Weeden has tossed 21 touchdowns and over 2,200 yards. This week, there is a problem, however. His favorite target and Heisman hopeful Justin Blackmon is suspended following a DUI arrest on Tuesday. Blackmon has brought in half of Weeden’s yards, with 1,112 on the season and more than half of his touchdowns, with 14. The candidates likely to step in are wideouts Josh Cooper and Tracy Moore. One of them could be in for a huge afternoon for once.
Undefeated’s on the road:
I’ve already talked about Auburn heading on the road to take on Mississippi and Michigan State heading to Iowa, but three other undefeated teams head on the road this week in pivotal conference matchups that will raise on the blood pressure of either sides fans. Oregon heads to California for a USC matchup. The decade’s win-loss numbers for the Trojans and Ducks won’t matter here. There hasn’t been a team yet to slow down the Ducks offense and don’t expect USC to be the team that does. Expect the Trojans, however, to match the Ducks cardiac tempo. Utah heads on the road to take on a dangerous Air Force squad. The Falcons lost in their test to TCU but kept it close early. This is the week to redeem themselves. Finally, Missouri, who one week after bringing in the schools biggest win in years, head on the road to Lincoln to take on Nebraska. Stopping quarterback Taylor Martinez isn’t like stopping Landry Jones. You can believe the Tigers have been watching the Texas vs. Nebraska game tape to prepare for the young QB.
Individual matchups collide in Boston:
The Clemson vs. Boston College matchup may not spike your interest from a game standpoint, although it should, but what should even more is the individuals facing one another. The first is Clemson running back Andre Ellington facing off against BC linebacker Luke Kuechly. Ellington, one of the fastest and most versatile running backs in the country, has had breakout games against Auburn (140 yards) Miami (104) and Georgia Tech (166). On the other side, however, stands Kuechly, the nation’s leading tackler with 97 stops, over 13 a game. Keep an eye on Clemson’s defense end Da’Quan Bowers, the nation’s leader in sacks (10), against BC offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo, the highest rated offensive tackle for the NFL Draft. Although Bowers plays mostly right end and Castonzo is a left tackle, both should meet one another at least a few times in the game.
Are the ‘Cuse the cure for the Big East?
Syracuse, 5-2 overall, has gone on the road to knock off Big East opponents South Florida and West Virginia last week. This week, they get their chance to knock off Cincinnati on the road. The Orange were embarrassed against Pitt, but held the speed spreads of both the Bulls and Mountaineers at bay. Can they do the same against the speed operated spread of the Bearcats? If so, the Cuse just may be the cure to a league that sits without a ranked team.
Michigan’s Déjà vu:
Remember Denard Robinson? The first player in college football history to win a Heisman trophy after five games. He’s back against a team not named Michigan State or Iowa this week. Robinson has a chance to knock the Michigan cobwebs out against Penn State on the road. The Nittany Lions boast the nation’s No. 52 rushing defense and No. 29 pass defense, but Robinson has done well against better defenses. The Wolverines are looking to jump the five win mark for the first time under Rich Rod and it will have to start against Penn State. After a similar 5-2 start last season, the Nittany Lions were the start of a slippery slid in a 35-10 loss for the Wolverines.
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