If the Stanford offensive line can figure out the Notre Dame 3-4 front, redshirt sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck could have a big game. Although Luck has had 10 touchdowns and no interceptions on the year, he didn't necessarily dominate Wake Forest or UCLA. That's what you need to see from Luck. Notre Dame may not have a top defensive back field, but it would be nice to see Luck just take over a game and show he deserves the No. 1 spot most have been giving him.
Ryan Mallett of Arkansas has been the quarterback stealing headlines this year, and justly so. Today against Alabama it will be a different challenge for Mallett. Alabama may be young at cornerback, but still talented. As such, today will be big for Mallett if he can move strong safety Mark Barron with his eyes. Mallett's questionable areas are his footwork and putting his receivers in favorable matchups. With a stout Alabama defense across him, he can show both today.
Saturday NFL Draft watch notes
The Alabama/Arkansas could be a big game for Tide junior wide receiver
. Arkansas’ top cornerback is
. He is 5-foot-9. Jones is every bit of the 6-foot-4, 220 pounds he’s listed at. Jones excelled against Duke and San Jose State, but was average against Penn State. A big game today could go a long way for Jones.
In the Duke game, Alabama end
had his snaps limited. He could get unleashed today and show why he’s considered a top 10 talent. A top one-on-one matchup could be Dareus against left tackle
. As Arkansas’ premier offensive linemen, some are considering Love a top 100 pick.
Few defensive front seven players are having a better year than UCLA’s Akeem Ayers. An end/linebacker hybrid, he’s shown the ability to get after the passer, drop into coverage and get after the run. He’s a true three-down linebacker, with size too. Showing all that against Houston is one thing. Showing it today against Texas is another. Look for Ayers to spend more time in the back field this week. Against Houston he got some coverage work in on zone blitzes. He could be a pure straight forward player today.
Is Kansas State’s Daniel Thomas the best draft-eligible running back in the nation? All Thomas does is rack up yards – 552 in three games with six touchdowns. Thomas has size at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, but not the kind of electric speed that gets the attention of casual viewers. Thomas has quicker feet than his size may bely and gets good yards outside of the tackle box. His receiving and blocking skills are questionable, but there may be none better as a natural runner.
One of the big story lines of the 2010 season has been the coming out party for Auburn junior defensive tackle
. He is great at shedding blocks and collapsing the pocket. Fairley is the kind of player you have to see and not just look at his stats.
The Auburn/South Carolina game could be a big one for Tigers middle linebacker
. He’ll get the task of tracking down talented freshman running back
. Bynes has sideline-to-sideline ability and will need to show it today. Fairley’s penetration should allow Bynes to make plenty of plays around the line of scrimmage, which is something he’ll need to show. It’s good to get tackles. It’s better to get them near or behind the line of scrimmage.
If Oregon State can knock off Boise State, it might be due to the play of Beavers defensive tackle
. He’s a disruptive interior pass rusher. He can shoot a gap as good as any tackle in the nation. Should he do that today, Boise quarterback
could get his timing messed up.
