Every week during the college football season, NFL clubs deploy scouts to campuses all over the country to make in-person evaluations on draft prospects. Naturally, the bigger games featuring more top prospects tend to draw larger contingents of scouts. Each week, College Football 24/7 brings you a look at the teams credentialed to attend three of the biggest games in college football.
Note: Teams listed to attend are credentialed for the games as of this writing. Lists are subject to change and do not account for NFL-team reps who might be seated outside of the press box.
Michigan at Ohio State
9 clubs attending: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers.
Details: Saturday, Nov. 26 at noon ET (ABC)
Three top players: Michigan (LB Jabrill Peppers, CB Jourdan Lewis, TE Jake Butt); Ohio State (QB J.T. Barrett, S Malik Hooker, C Pat Elflein).
Matchup to watch: Michigan LB Jabrill Peppers vs. Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett. Of all the head-to-head matchups that will be a treat to watch in this matchup -- and there are several -- this one ought to have the biggest impact on the game. Ohio State's sometimes-sluggish offense relies heavily on Barrett's knack for making first downs with designed runs and, when necessary, scrambles. Peppers' athleticism and open-field tackling skills will be put to the test against Barrett's tuck-and-run snaps. His coverage skills will also make it more difficult for Barrett to throw to RB Curtis Samuel, who has accounted for more than 40 percent of Barrett's completions on the year.
Florida at Florida State
4 clubs attending: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Details: Saturday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Three top players: Florida (CB Teez Tabor, CB Quincy Wilson, DL Caleb Brantley); FSU (RB Dalvin Cook, DE DeMarcus Walker, LG Kareem Are).
Matchup to watch: Florida DT Caleb Brantley vs. FSU LG Kareem Are. The Gators' defense has been decimated by injuries, and Brantley is one of the few impactful presences left in the UF front seven. That puts even more pressure on the 300-pound defensive tackle to be a disruptive force, penetrate the FSU backfield and cause problems for RB Dalvin Cook. He'll often have Are in his way, a massive guard (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) who has been one of the most consistent performers on FSU's offensive line this season. FSU likes to run the ball to the left side, especially, and Are can both drive block on power plays or pull to make blocks in space.
Notre Dame at USC
5 clubs attending: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks.
Details: Saturday, Nov. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Three top players: Notre Dame (QB DeShone Kizer, LT Mike McGlinchey, WR Equanimeous St. Brown); USC (CB Adoree' Jackson, LB Cam Smith, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster).
Matchup to watch: Notre Dame WR Equanimeous St. Brown vs. USC CB Adoree' Jackson. The Fighting Irish offense just isn't the same when St. Brown isn't getting the football; in a 10-3 loss to N.C. State and a 17-10 loss to Stanford, he managed just three catches in each for limited yardage. But can Jackson contain him? He's the most talented and athletic cornerback on the Notre Dame schedule, but as NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah has noted, Jackson (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) is vulnerable when faced with a size disadvantage. Jackson will give up six inches to the 6-5 St. Brown, so don't expect ND QB DeShone Kizer to be shy about throwing the ball in Jackson's direction. At least not when St. Brown is the target.
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