College football primer – Alabama vs. Georgia takes center stage

Who should you be watching this week?

Good morning New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 5 of the 2024 college football season.

Don’t look now, but the college season is a third over.

We’re being treated to one of the biggest games of the year this week, with a heavy-weight showdown in the SEC. It’s always a great game whenever Alabama and Georgia throw down, and getting a game of that caliber in September is a treat.

We also have a potentially great game between Penn State and Illinois at the same time, but the SEC matchup is must-watch television.

Of course, there’s a full afternoon of games before the main event, so let’s get to those first.

(23) Kansas State vs. (20) Oklahoma State

ESPN – noon

There aren’t many players on either of these teams that are big draws from a scouting perspective. However, both of these teams are playing solid football and are definitely worth checking out.

OK State running back Ollie Gordon II is the big draw of the game. This year’s running back class is shaping up to be a strong one, and Gordon has a pretty unique skill set within that class. He’s built more like a receiver at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, but has very good contact balance despite his height as well as some receiving upside. Gordon’s draft stock has seemingly slipped this year and he’s only averaging 3.5 yards per carry.

This is going to be a good game to see which under-the-radar players show out, because NFL scouts will be watching.

Players to watch

K-State

• Easton Kilty (OT)
• DJ Giddens (RB)
• Keagan Johnson (WR)
• Will Swanson (TE)
• Brendan Mott (edge)
• Jordan Riley (S)

Oklahoma State

• Ollie Gordon II (RB)
• De’Zhaun Stribling (WR)
• Obi Ezeigbo (edge)
• Korie Black (CB)
• Nick Martin (LB)

UCF vs. Colorado

Fox – 3:30 p.m.

This definitely isn’t a showdown between powerhouse programs. But we do need to check in on Colorado when we get the chance, and Joe Schoen has been perfectly willing to grab players from under-the-radar programs.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter are the unquestioned draws for the game.

Hunter is the most versatile and probably the most exciting player in the upcoming draft. He has the potential to be a lockdown corner or an electric receiving threat at the NFL level. Sanders is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft, however there are some questions regarding his maturity.

Teams are going to be doing a ton of homework on Shedeur, and his draft stock could vary wildly depending on individual team evaluation and appetite for risk.

UCF quarterback K.J. Jefferson could be worth watching as well. He’s a big, powerful quarterback that I affectionately nicknamed “truck stick” a couple years ago due to his rushing style. Unfortunately, he’s battled injury and hasn’t taken the steps forward I was hoping to see.

Just as a note, if you have Peacock, I’d recommend checking out the game between (16) Notre Dame and (15) Louisville in this time slot. This game should feature a bunch of future NFL players on all sides of the ball. But I generally try to avoid recommending games on channels that folks might not have.

Players to watch

UCF

• K.J. Jefferson (QB)
• Kobe Hudson (WR)
• R.J. Harvey (RB)
• Brandon Adams (CB)

Colorado

• Shedeur Sanders (QB)
• Travis Hunter (WR/CB)
• Will Shepard (WR)
• Dayon Hayes (edge)
• Preston Hodge (DB)

(4) Alabama vs. (2) Georgia

ABC – 7:30 p.m.
(also on ESPN+)

There was absolutely no question which game we’d be highlighting for this time slot.

These are two of the most talented teams in the nation, and it’s always a great game when these two programs throw down. I can guarantee that all 32 teams will be represented, and I would be surprised if GM Joe Schoen wasn’t in the house.

Depending on which underclassmen declare, these two teams could produce 15 or 20 Top 100 picks between them.

This will also be the first big test for both teams’ quarterbacks. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has long been considered one of the top two or three quarterbacks in the upcoming draft. He has prototypical size as well as enough mobility and arm strength, and some NFL executives recently told ESPN’s Seth Walder that Beck was the only QB they would consider in the Top 10. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, meanwhile is an ascendent player with exceptional arm strength as well as athleticism. Milroe has a habit of taking unnecessary hits and sacks, but he also has a penchant for explosive plays and the arm to take the top off of any defense — or gash them on the ground if they give him a glimpse of daylight.

While Beck checks all the boxes to be a ‘safe’ quarterback pick for the NFL, Milroe is a boom-bust player who could rival Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson if he reaches his full upside.

I won’t bother listing the “players to watch” in this game, because the best answer is “all of them.” This has the potential to be the game of the year and will be “Must Watch” scouting tape.