Every Saturday during the college football season, we'll have an open thread for readers of Buffalo Rumblings to discuss college football games. The thread is open to any and all collegiate discussions, but the posts themselves will emphasize draft prospects. This is, after all, a Buffalo Bills blog.
A few games are already in the books, but today marks the first Saturday with a full slate of tasty college football for your consumption. The couch scouting staff of Buffalo Rumblings is watching, and we invite anyone interested in sharing your thoughts on college teams or players to do so here. There are four nationally televised games that I, personally, will be catching this weekend, with a few thoughts on the players involved added in.
Miami (OH) at Florida: Noon Saturday, ESPN. This is a get-it-while-it's-hot game, as this will be a blowout. There are plenty of Gators to keep an eye on early, however, including junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins, as well as three seniors: guard/center Mike Pouncey, pass rusher Justin Trattou and defensive lineman Lawrence Marsh (if he plays). Clearly, there are more Florida players that you can watch - their secondary is excellent, and the new QB is intriguing - but those four players are of particular interest to me.
Connecticut at Michigan: 3:30 PM Saturday, ABC. This one is local to me (or at least I'm guessing it will be), but ABC will have a bunch of national games to watch based on region. If this is the game I get, I'll be keeping an eye on Connecticut linebacker Scott Lutrus and Michigan junior defensive lineman Ryan Van Bergen. Not a ton of talent on display in this one, but I'll have plenty of opportunity to catch Notre Dame later this year.
Oregon State at TCU: 7:45 PM Saturday, ESPN. This is a nice little Week 1 matchup between two solid programs, and could be an entertaining game. Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea is a poor fit for Buffalo's defensive scheme, but I'd still like to see him play a few times. I'll keep TCU prospects Jimmy Young (receiver) and Wayne Daniels (end/linebacker) on my radar, but I'm most excited to see mammoth tackle Marcus Cannon get some work in at his new home on the left side.
Boise State at Virginia Tech: 8:00 PM Monday, ABC. We'll have to hang in there until late on Labor Day to catch what is easily the best opening matchup of the season. I've got five Broncos to keep track of (receiver Austin Pettis, junior tackle Nate Potter, end Ryan Winterswyk, junior defensive tackle Billy Winn and corner Brandyn Thompson), and will try to focus on just two Hokies (junior tackle Blake DeChristopher and cornerback Rashad Carmichael). Forgive me, however, if I slide off the couch scout nerdiness and just enjoy what is sure to be a highly entertaining football game.