CFB GAME OF THE WEEK

Who to watch in college football this weekend


Its No 1 versus No 2… The whole college football world has been quietly pointing to the annual November match up between Michigan and Ohio State (3:30 PM ET; ABC), which is almost always big, but has seldom been quite this big. Indeed, both teams come in sporting perfect records with Ohio State rated #1 in the country while the Wolverines are #2. And the winer gets an almost automatic bid to the BCS title game this January at the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix. The Michigan-Ohio State match-up is also a bonaza for pro scouts as both teams are loaded with prospects for the 2007 draft.

While Ohio State has been the clear #1 team in college football pretty much since the season kicked off in September, Michigan might have actually have the deeper 2007 draft class. In fact, the Wolverines have a couple of top ten prospects in CB Leon Hall (#29, 5-10, 195), who could be the first corner off the board this year, and massive run-stuffing junior DT Alan Branch (#80, 6-5, 330), while junior OT Jake Long (#77, 6-6, 320), a prototype road grader but with good feet, won’t be that far behind. Meanwhile, DE LaMarr Woodley (#56, 6-2, 270), LBs Prescott Burgess (#6, 6-3, 245) and David Harris (#45, 6-2, 242), and KR Steve Breaston (#15, 6-0, 85) are solid later first-day candidates. And there’s plenty of depth in the Michigan draft class which includes veterans like MLB, DBs Willis Barringer (#19, 6-0, 205) and Brandent Englemon (#31, 5-11, 205), TE Tyler Ecker (#89, 6-5, 250), and PK Garrett Rivas (#38, 5-9, 215) who are rated as possible second-day prospects. The guys that make the Michigan offense go though are juniors QB Chad Henne (#7, 6-2, 225) and RB Mike Hart (#20, 5-9, 200).

Ohio State should also be well represented in this year’s early rounds. DT Quinn Pitcock (#90, 6-3, 295), for example, is a solid late first-round prospects for the upcoming draft. , while explosive junior WR Ted Ginn (#7, 6-0, 180) could go even higher though he has had an up-and-down year to date. Meanwhile, athletic QB Troy Smith (#10, 6-1, 215), who should lock up this year’s Heisman Trophy with an OSU win Saturday, will also be this year’s draft wild card as pro scouts debate whether he has the overall arm strength and touch to be a legitimate elite prospect at the position or whether he’s just another great athlete playing QB. Meawnhile, LBs John Kerr (#52, 6-0, 235) and Mike D’Andrea (#5, 6-2, 245), DE David Patterson (#97, 6-2, 285), WR Roy Hall (#8, 6-2, 240) and C Doug Datish (#50, 6-4, 295) will all get some late-round consideration. Many of Ohio State’s better prospects though are underclassmen including juniors like RB Antonio Pittman (#25, 5-10, 200), OT Kirk Barton (#74, 6-5, 310), and WR Anthony Gonzales (#11, 5-11, 195), and sophomores like LB James Laurinaitis (#33, 6-3, 245), OT Alex Boone (#75, 6-8, 325), DE Lawrence Wilson (#87, 6-5, 270) and LB Marcus Freeman (#1, 6-2, 245).

One for the Roses or better … The year’s big Pac 10 match up between California and Southern California (8 PM ET; ABC) won’t have quite the same immediate impact on the national title race, however, USC does appear to be ina position to claim the other spot in the BCS title game if the Trojans can run the table, while California would like nothing better than to finally beat their conference nemesis and maybe snare a spot in the Rose Bowl as compensation.

And California may actually have a deeper draft class than the Trojans. Junior RB Marshawn Lynch (10, 5-10, 225), for example, is a potential top 10 prospect, while CB Daymeion Hughes (#13, 6-1, 190) and DT Brandon Mebane (#52, 6-1, 300) are solid first-day prospects. Hughes in particular has been one of the most productive defensive players in the country this fall but his lack of pure speed may cost him on draft day. Meanwhile, MLB Desmond Bishop (#10, 6-2, 245) is also more than solid. The Bears also feature some excellent young talent including a track team of a receiver corps headed by sophomore WE DeSean Jackson (#1, 5-11, 160), while massive sophomore LT Mike Tepper (#79, 6-6, 335) is another emerging young star.

It has not been a typical dominating year for Southern California which has been in something of a rebuilding mode this fall. In fact, if the Trojans have a major impact on the upcoming draft it will likely be through star juniors like WR Dwayne Jarrett (#8, 6-4, 210) who appears a lock to be a top 15 pick this year, along with OT Sam Baker (#79, 6-5, 305) and DE Lawrence Jackson (#96, 6-5, 265), although neither of the latter two are better than 50-50 to enter this year’s draft. Same for junior QB John David Booty (#10, 6-3, 195) who has done a nice job after taking over from Matt Leinart but still needs more seasoning, while junior RB Chauncey Washington (#23, 6-0, 205) would be a bit of a sleeper at the 2007 draft if he left school early which he very well might after struggling with the books the past several years. Meanwhile, USC will also send several seniors to this year’s draft including veteran WR Steve Smith (#2, 6-2, 195), C Ryan Kalil (#67, 6-3, 286), and LBs Dallas Sartz (#44, 6-5, 220) and Oscar Lua (#45, 6-1, 240).