What We Are Watching In College Football: October 10, 2020 Weekend

Each week we will provide a preview of the upcoming college football weekend. An entertaining college football weekend is on tap with big games in the ACC, SEC and Big 12. There are a several games and match-ups to keep an eye on so without further ado here is what we are focused on this weekend. (For a recap of last weekend, click here)

The Games We Will Focus On

Louisville at Georgia Tech (Fri 7:00 PM, ESPN)

This may not be a highly ranked contest, or feature top teams like some of the other games on this list, but it will feature some exciting players on Friday night. Louisville needs to bounce back after back to back losses and Georgia Tech needs to cut down on the turnovers that are plaguing their season. Both teams will have the stage to themselves Friday night as they attempt to right the ship.

Georgia Tech is starting true freshman quarterback, Jeff Sims, who has had flashes of brilliance but has also been plagued by turnovers. This is not unexpected with a true freshman quarterback, especially with the challenging and limited off-season. The hope is that Sims will continue to develop and show more brilliance and less mistakes. The emerging star on Georgia Tech’s offense is another true freshman; running back, Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs missed the first game of the season but has been electric since, in two games he has run for 171 yards at 5.2 yards per carry and caught 6 passes for 86 yards. He has seen his role grow from week to week and that trend should only continue for the talented back. Gibbs’ emergence should open up passing plays downfield for Sims and the receivers, maybe the bye week was just what Sims and the passing game needed to reset and get in a groove for the stretch run.

Louisville’s defense was terrible a year ago, but has shown signs of improvement in the early part of 2020. Through three games the Cardinals are allowing three less points per game and have gone from allowing 6.3 yards per play to 5.7. Small sample size could be a factor here, but there are signs of progress, which was badly needed. Senior linebacker, Dorain Etheridge, is the team’s leading tackler and has been disruptive in the backfield, racking up 8.5 tackles for loss in the first three games of the season. He is joined at linebacker by fellow senior CJ Avery, who has also gotten off to a good start to his season with 19 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and an interception. The two players will be instrumental in Louisville’s effort to contain the dangerous Gibbs.

The Cardinals are coming off a tough offensive performance against Pittsburgh, but have the weapons to score points in a hurry. Javian Hawkins is proving he belongs among the best running backs in college football. He has run for 313 yards and 3 touchdowns, while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Hawkins is an explosive runner, who has the vision and balance to take advantage of any open space the defense gives him. To compliment Hawkins, the Cardinals also have the explosive Tutu Atwell at receiver. Atwell is a big play threat at any time, any touch could be the touch, he has the speed and shiftiness to make defenders miss and turn a short play into a long gain in the blink of an eye. He has accounted for 229 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns so far, but is capable of more. The Louisiville offense has stuggled to protect quarterback, Malik Cunningham, and his play has suffered this season. Louisville has allowed 11 sacks on the season and Cunningham has thrown 5 interceptions through three games, by contrast, he threw that many interceptions in the entire 2019 season. Louisville needs to protect Cunningham so he is comfortable and does not make mistakes that Georgia Tech’s defense can capitalize on.

Georgia Tech’s defense opened with a good performance against Florida State but that may have had as much to do with the opponent as it did with Tech’s play. In the two games since, they have allowed 86 points, 49 against UCF and 37 against Syracuse. The defense has not been able to get as much pressure on the quarterback the last two games, or force turnovers at the same clip. Both are things they will need to do to slow down Louisville’s offense. Yellow Jackets defensive lineman, Curtis Ryans has not played since the Florida State game and could be the key up front for Georgia Tech. If Ryans is back to full health, he can be a disruptive player up front to help create negative plays for the Louisville offense and possibly create turnovers. Georgia Tech is still finding their way on defense, but we do expect growth in year two under Geoff Collins.

Friday night will be a good chance for one of these two programs to get their 2020 season back on track, while the loser will have a tough road to get to .500. Louisville is further along in their rebuild than Georgia Tech is at this point giving the Cardinals the advantage, but the Yellow Jackets are playing some talented freshmen which will pay dividends as they develop.

Oklahoma vs Texas (Sat 12:00 PM, FOX)

The red river shootout lost some of it’s luster with Oklahoma dropping it’s last two games and the Longhorns falling last week. It is still one of the best rivalries in college football and we expect both teams to put their best foot forward. Oklahoma and Texas have talented rosters but have not played up to their potential so far this season. Saturday we will be watching to see if one of these teams can reassert itself in the Big 12 race.

Oklahoma’s offense has been one of the best in the country under head coach Lincoln Riley, but things have not quite clicked this season. The last two weeks have provided evidence of both what the offense can be and why it’s not ready to be that yet. In football it all starts with the quarterback and Spencer Rattler gives Oklahoma a talented signal caller but his lack of experience has proven costly as well. In the last two games Rattler has passed for 687 yards and completed over 70 percent of his passes but has thrown 4 interceptions against just 6 touchdowns. The Sooners last two games have ended with a Rattler interception, both games where the Sooners led in the fourth quarter but were unable to hold on for the victory. Oklahoma has a lot of youth at key spots and the inexperience is evident down the stretch. The results may not be what fans were looking for early in the season, but as Rattler, running back Seth McGowan and receiver Marvin Mims gain experience we expect these inconsistencies to be a thing of the past.

The Texas defense played much better last week than they did against Texas Tech but still allowed 33 points and 458 yards at 5.7 yards per play. The defense did miss linebacker Juwan Mitchell, who was ejected for targeting during the first half of the game but will be eligible to play against Oklahoma. We mentioned in last weekend’s preview that Texas needs pass rushers to emerge up front and that may have happened against TCU. Edge linebacker Joseph Ossai had the best game of his season against TCU, tallying 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumbled forced last week. Texas has seen great games from Ossai before (he had 6 TFL against Utah in 2019) but he has not been able to be consistent week in and week out. Ossai’s emergence as a pass rusher will be a major factor in the Longhorns ability to contain the Oklahoma offense. Rattler has struggled when the defense has been able to get pressure on him and make him unsure of his protections, the Longhorns’ defense will attempt to do just that on Saturday.

The Texas offense is averaging 51 points per game, but is coming of it’s worst performance of the season. A lot of the offensive struggles can be linked to the play of star quarterback, Sam Ehlinger. While he did throw four touchdowns last week, it was not a strong performance for the Longhorns’ quarterback. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes and averaged only 6.6 yards per pass attempt. Though he hit some big plays in the passing game, Ehlinger missed far too many throws for the offense to establish any sort of consistency and resulted in a feast or famine type of performance for Texas. The Longhorns had four touchdown drives but had five drives end in a three and out and seven drives that ended without the offense gaining ten yards. Big plays are great, but an offense needs consistency and rhythm as well, both of which were missing last week. Ehlinger and the Texas offense will attempt to return to form against an Oklahoma defense that has struggled the last two weeks.

Oklahoma has been consistently bad on defense the last two weeks allowing 38 and 37 points and over seven yards per play in each week. Kansas State gained 400 yards of offense while Iowa State was slightly better with 417 yards of offense. The problems on defense have run the gamut of what can ail a defense. The Sooners have suffered from missed tackles, bad angles, blown coverages, a lack of turnovers and the inability to get a pass rush. Some of the issues like missed tackles and blown coverages can be attributed to a lack of a proper off-season this year. The problem is, we are now a month into the season and these mistakes should be decreasing. Oklahoma has sacked the opposing quarterback once in each of the last two games, they have failed to force a turnover in both of those games as well. Defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch has to correct the mistakes that have become all too common the last two weeks and get the defense back on track against Texas otherwise it will be a long game for Oklahoma fans.

Texas and Oklahoma are the premier brands in the Big 12 but both are looking up at several teams ahead of them in the conference standings. The loser of this game is effectively eliminated from the conference championship game but the winner could still find a way in. A rivalry game with the season on the line for both teams should make for a fun watch.

Tennessee at Georgia (3:30 PM, CBS)

Tennessee and Georgia are both 2 – 0, though Tennessee has not really been tested yet after beating South Carolina and Missouri. Georgia has not been impressive on offense but they have a top flight defense and scored enough points to win comfortably against Auburn last week. Tennessee has been working to join the list of contenders in the SEC East, a win Saturday would put them on that list.

The Volunteers offense is built behind their talented offensive line. The line is led by left guard Trey Smith who is in the discussion to be the best interior offensive lineman in college football. Smith excels as a pass blocker and run blocker up front and provides a key foundation block for the offensive line. Joining him on the offensive line is Georgia transfer and starting right tackle, Cade Mays (#10 OT in our rankings). Mays will be taking on his former team on Saturday, in what should provide an interesting subplot during the game. Behind their strong offensive line, Tennessee has established a running game featuring both Ty Chandler and Eric Gray, who each average over five yards per carry. Tennessee will need to establish the running game to keep the pressure off quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and allow the offense to stay on schedule against an excellent Georgia defense.

Georgia’s defense has been suffocating so far this season, limiting opponents to just eight points per game and 3.8 yards per play. The run defense has been unyielding allowing just 2.3 yards per carry and 116 total rushing yards on the season. The defense features good depth and rotates in a lot of players who are all effective in the scheme. The star last week was Azeez Ojulari (#24 LB, in our pre season rankings) who terrorized the Auburn offense with 5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, a sack and five quarterback hurries in the game. Auburn never really threatened the Bulldogs defense and that’s not a knock on the TIgers, the Georgia defense is just that good. There’s no way to predict who will be the star for the defense next week, but we are certain the Georgia defense will be a major obstacle in Tennessee’s road to victory.

Georgia’s offense has not been lighting up the scoreboard, but has found some success behind junior quarterback Stetson Bennett. Georgia has recruited excellent talent on the perimeter and in the backfield, including George Pickens who is one of the best young receiver’s in the country. He makes plays outside while drawing a lot of attention and opening up space for the other receivers on the field. Georgia’s offense scored early against Auburn and built an early lead that their defense would not relinquish. The Bulldogs found their running game against Auburn and were able to run for 202 yards on 4.5 yards per carry, after a disappointing 2.9 yards per carry in their opener. Georgia has many new starters on the offensive line, but the unit seems to be gelling as the season progresses. Tennessee will have to stop the Bulldogs run game and make Georgia one dimensional on Saturday afternoon.

The Tennessee defense has been solid so far this season, limiting their opponents to 19.5 points per game and 361.5 yards per game. Of course their opponents so far have not exactly been offensive juggernauts either. The heartbeat of this defense is their middle linebacker, Henry To’o To’o, who proved as a true freshman that he was one of the best linebackers in America. He has started the season where he left off last year and has made 12 tackles with 1 tackle for loss and an interception which he returned for a touchdown. To’o To’o is an instinctual linebacker who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. The defensive line will need to occupy blockers and allow To’o To’o and the linebackers to make plays on the running backs. The Tennessee defense will try to take away the run game and force Georgia’s passing attack to beat them.

Georgia has been king in the SEC East in recent years and will look to again stomp out any thoughts Tennessee has of being a true threat to the Bulldogs reign. The Volunteers have been working to get back into contention and have an opportunity to solidify their claim as a true contender. October separates the contenders from the pretenders and this game should help provide clarity on how good Tennessee is in 2020.

Kansas State at TCU (4:00 PM, FOX)

Both TCU and Kansas State have pulled off a big upset win in the last two weeks, with the Wildcats taking down Oklahoma two weeks ago, and the Horned Frogs beating Texas last weekend. Both teams are now in the thick of the Big 12 race and will look to capitalize on the positive momentum.

The Wildcats won the game against Texas Tech last weekend, but their starting quarterback, Skyler Thompson, was injured during the game and is questionable for Saturday. If Thompson cannot play, Kansas State will probably start true freshman, Will Howard. Howard got the call when Thompson was injured last weekend and played well, averaging 14.4 yards per pass attempt and 173 totals passing yards and a touchdown. Starting a game is different than coming in off the bench, because the defense has had time to prepare for the starter, but Howard at least showed he is capable. Whoever starts at quarterback will be glad to have freshman sensation, Deuce Vaughn, in the backfield next to him. Vaughn has over 200 yards rushing and 200 yards receiving already this season and has accounted for four touchdowns. The shifty Vaughn is a versatile weapon that will be a handful for the TCU defense to contain.

The Horned Frogs’ defense gave up some big plays against Texas but came up with some key stops, including the biggest stop of the game at the one yard line. Linebacker, Garrett Wallow, leads the team in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and fumbles forced, we had him ranked among the top ten linebackers in the country coming into the season and he has lived up to the lofty ranking. The problem with the TCU defense is not the talent in the back seven, there are plenty of good players on the back end of the defense, but the Horned Frogs have not been able to get quality play on the defensive line yet this season. If TCU is going to challenge for a conference title this year someone will have to emerge to provide a pass rush and make disruptive plays against the running game.

The TCU offense on the other hand, has been playing well with quarterback Max Duggan at the controls. Duggan has made significant progress as a passer from 2019 to 2020, improving his completion percentage by nearly 20 percent and averaging 3.5 more yards per attempt this season. The stats are great, but the difference is just as evident when watching the games, Duggan is in command of the offense and is throwing the ball with better timing and accuracy. He is still a threat to hurt a defense with his legs (see the game winning touchdown against Texas) and gives defensive coordinators a lot to prepare for. TCU needs to be more consistent with the running game, but does a good job of including their receivers and quarterback in the running attack so the defense has to account for several potential ball carriers. Kansas State will look to get pressure on Duggan and disrupt his rhythm in hopes of slowing down a TCU team that has scored 60 points in it’s last six quarters.

Kansas State’s defense was in a world of trouble after almost three quarters of the Oklahoma game, but then they found their mojo. Oklahoma did not score in the last 17 minutes and change, two weeks ago and Texas Tech (who hung 56 points on Texas) managed just 21 points against the Wildcats last week. Some of the troubles the defense was having can be attributed to a number of players who were not available to play due to Covid-19 positive tests and contact tracing. Through all of the uncertainty the Wildcats defense has done an excellent job of creating turnovers, intercepting five passes and recovering two fumbles. Safety, Jahron McPherson has been the big play guy early in the season, forcing a fumble and intercepting two passes. Kansas State will attempt to get Duggan and the TCU offense off schedule and force a few more turnovers this weekend to keep their strong defensive play going.

Kansas State is undefeated in Big 12 play and can put some major separation between themselves and TCU on Saturday afternoon. With the head to head tie breaker in their favor the Wildcats would effectively have a three game lead on TCU if they can get the win. On the other hand, TCU only has one conference loss and will look to stay within striking range of the top two spots in the standings with a win over the Wildcats. The Big 12 has been unpredictable in 2020 and we are looking forward to see which way things swing on Saturday.

Miami at Clemson (7:30 PM, ABC)

It feels like Miami has been in the spotlight every week this season, Saturday night we will find out if they belong there. Clemson has been the class of the ACC for the past several years and to truly be a contender the Hurricanes have to prove they can hang with the Tigers. The last two times these teams played, Clemson embarrassed Miami, but there’s a big difference between those Miami teams and this one.

Miami’s offense has been re-invented this season and the engine that makes it go is quarterback D’Eriq King. The dynamic quarterback arrived with a reputation as a dual threat quarterback who could make game changing plays with his running ability, but he has out performed all expectations so far. King has been efficient in the passing game, making good decisions and avoiding turnovers. He has been able to make the smart plays and keep the offense on schedule and methodically move the ball down the field. He still has the ability to make something out of nothing when the play breaks down, but we have been more impressed with how smoothly he has run the Miami offense. In addition to his own play, King’s impact on the Miami running game cannot be overstated, the success of the passing game and his threat as a runner creates space for the Miami running game to thrive. The Hurricanes are averaging 5.9 yards per carry in 2020 which is good for sixth in the country. With a dynamic quarterback and a strong running game Miami will attempt to attack a talented but young Clemson defense.

Clemson has had excellent defensive line play for the past several seasons. While the 2020 defensive line has plenty of talent, it is a young group that is not yet seasoned. The Tigers defensive line is led by one of the top three defensive tackles in the country,Tyler Davis. Davis is just a sophomore but he is the leader of a talented group up front. True freshmen, Myles Murphy and Brian Bresee have played a lot early this season and are making their presence felt. Defensive end KJ Henry is another starter who is very talented but is just a sophomore. The defensive line will be asked to get pressure on D’Eriq King and throw the Miami signal caller off his game. Clemson has been effective pressuring the quarterback with 13 sacks in three games, but will have to contain King while rushing him. The linebacker group is led by two seniors but Isaiah Simmons is gone and they have not found his replacement yet. The Tigers’ secondary is also replacing key starters from last year’s team and will face their toughest test of the season. Clemson’s defense has a lot of players who were highly rated as recruits but have not yet been tested in college, they should be tested Saturday night.

Clemson’s offense on the other hand, features two of the best and most proven players in college football. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the top quarterback in our rankings and the number one player on most draft boards. He has won a national title in his first year and lost in the championship game his second year. Lawrence has been cruising so far in 2020, completing over 73 percent of his passes, averaging 11.3 yard per attempt and throwing seven touchdowns without an interception. Clemson lost star receiver Justyn Ross to an injury before camp began but Lawrence has guided the Clemson passing attack as effectively as ever. A big part of that success is the threat Travis Etienne presents out of the backfield. Etienne was near the top of our running back rankings and with good reason, he went over 1,600 yards rushing in 2018 and 2019, and added over 400 yards receiving in 2019 as well. Etienne is an explosive threat who can score from anywhere on the field and he has not skipped a beat in 2002. He is averaging 6.2 yards per carry and has 172 receiving yards in three games. Sure, the receivers are relatively unproven with the exception of Amari Rodgers and the offensive line is breaking in four new starters along side stud tackle, Jackson Carman, but so far Lawrence and Etienne have been able to make all of that seem irrelevant as the offense keeps on humming.

Miami’s defense will attempt to expose that inexperience and make life difficult for Clemson’s dynamic duo. The Hurricanes may have lost Greg Rousseau but still have a dynamic pair of defensive ends. Temple transfer, Quincy Roche has made himself at home in opposing backfields this year with 5.5 tackles for loss and former five star recruit Jaelan Phillips has chipped in another 2.5 tackles for loss. The duo is not alone, Miami’s defensive line has shown quality depth this season, and is a big reason why the Hurricanes are fourth in the country with 31 tackles for loss this year. Meanwhile another former transfer is blossoming into a star this year in the Miami secondary. Bubba Bolden was a top recruit who committed to USC then transferred to Miami and played some last year. The light has come on in 2020, Bolden has excelled at his safety position, tallying 17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 fumbles forces, an interception and a pass breakup in just three games. He will be asked to make more big plays Saturday night to keep the Clemson offense in check. Miami’s defense will need to get penetration to keep Lawrence and Etienne off balance and force the Clemson offense out of it’s comfort zone.

Miami has been impressive to start the season but this is the measuring stick game in the ACC. If the Hurricanes want to show the country they are ready to compete on a national level they need to play well this weekend. Clemson has been the top team in the ACC for several years now and would love to knock Miami back down the ladder with a big win. Either way, we will learn a lot more about these teams Saturday night.

In-Game Match-ups To Watch

RB Khalil Herbert #9 (Virginia Tech) vs LB Chazz Surratt #21 (North Carolina)

Khalil Herbert arrived at Virginia Tech as a transfer this off-season. He didn’t get a lot of carries in the season opener but made the most of his touches and earned more carries in an excellent performance against Duke last weekend. Herbert has good vision and acceleration and can make defenders miss in the open field. He was unstoppable against the Blue Devils but should face a tougher test from a North Carolina defense led by linebacker Chaz Surratt. The quarterback turned linebacker is already considered one of the best in the nation, and has started the season well in 2020. He has 17 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss on the season, and is a big part of the Tar Heels run defense. Surratt has excellent range and closing speed, allowing him to chase down ball carriers from sideline to sideline. When Herbert and Surratt meet on Saturday it will be good against good and we cannot wait to see who wins those match-ups.

TE Kyle Pitts #84 (Florida) vs S Demani Richardson #26 and S Leon O’Neal #9 (Texas A&M)

Kyle Pitts is the best tight end in college football and is playing on a different level right now. Pitts has six touchdowns on 12 catches so far and has been practically unstoppable. He can line up inside or on the perimeter and has the ability to create separation against bigger defenders but also to win in contested situations against quicker defenders. Florida has a mismatch against any defense by default as soon as Pitts takes the field. That said, Texas A&M matches up better in the middle of the field with their two safeties than most teams can. Demani Richardson made a splash as a freshman in 2019 and is on his way to a strong second season in College Station with 9 tackles and an interception in the first two games. Joining him at safety is junior Leon O’Neal Jr who is finally starting to come into his own in the secondary. O’Neal has made 11 tackles and has an interception to his credit as well. The duo will be asked to cover Pitts at times, and to provide help on Pitts at other times, if they can limit Pitts’ effectiveness it would be huge for the Aggies chances against the Gators.

RB John Emery Jr #4 (LSU) vs LB Nick Bolton #32 (Missouri)

The LSU offense is replacing a lot of talent from last year’s championship team. Sophomore John Emery Jr has been the best running back early in the season for the Tigers and should emerge as the primary ball carrier for the Tigers. He has averaged 6.8 yards per carry and has caught 6 passes for 46 yards as well. Emery is a talented young player who has a very high ceiling and could be the game breaking threat LSU needs in the backfield. Nick Bolton is Missouri’s best defender and one of the top linebackers in college football. In the first two game this season he has made 25 tackles and has a tackle for loss. Missouri will be at a talent deficit against LSU but Bolton has as much ability as anyone of the field. He will be tasked with keeping Emery and the LSU running game contained, this is a good opportunity for both players to show how well they can perform against a talented player across from them.

Final Thoughts

October got off to a good start last weekend. Conference seasons are in full swing and the Big Ten is a couple weeks away from joining the fray. We have seen a few heavyweights fall already, who knows what might happen this weekend? We will be back after the games have ended to recap the weekend that was.

For a full list of games on TV this weekend click here.

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