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Week 2: Daniel Jeremiah's 5 college matchups to watch

Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah provides five player matchups he'll be watching closely in Week 2 of the 2013 college football season.

Headshot_Author_Daniel_Jeremiah_1400x1000
Daniel Jeremiah

NFL Media analyst

This is the top individual matchup of the weekend. Lewan is a four-year starter for Michigan and he's one of the premier offensive tackles in college football. He has outstanding size and he plays with a nasty demeanor. In pass protection, he can play high at times but he has very strong hands to control/steer defenders. In the run game, he has the power to create movement at the point of attack and he is a nasty finisher. He'll have his hands full with Tuitt. The junior Notre Dame defensive end has rare size and has been consistently productive. He led the Irish with 10 sacks last fall and he recorded a sack in the opener last week against Temple. He has a variety of pass rush moves and his effort is consistent. This will be a fun battle to follow on Saturday.(Associated Press)
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Michigan OT Taylor Lewan vs. Notre Dame DE Stephon Tuitt

This is the top individual matchup of the weekend. Lewan is a four-year starter for Michigan and he's one of the premier offensive tackles in college football. He has outstanding size and he plays with a nasty demeanor. In pass protection, he can play high at times but he has very strong hands to control/steer defenders. In the run game, he has the power to create movement at the point of attack and he is a nasty finisher.

He'll have his hands full with Tuitt. The junior Notre Dame defensive end has rare size and has been consistently productive. He led the Irish with 10 sacks last fall and he recorded a sack in the opener last week against Temple. He has a variety of pass rush moves and his effort is consistent. This will be a fun battle to follow on Saturday.(Associated Press)

Normally, a pass rusher doesn't "match up" with a quarterback but I made an exception here. Clowney is the most talented defender in college football, but in the opener against North Carolina he didn't play up to his talent level. As a result of the heat, the fast-paced Tar Heels offense and a recent illness, he struggled with his conditioning. Murray will help dictate the pace of play for the Georgia offense on Saturday and that could be a major factor in the game. The Gamecocks will move Clowney around to different positions on the defensive line and none of the Georgia offensive linemen will be able to handle him consistently without getting help. Murray will need to get the ball out quickly or avoid Clowney by moving around in the pocket. Last week against Clemson, he had a costly fumble following a sack. He must avoid the same thing this week in order for the Bulldogs to be successful. (Associated Press)
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South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney vs. Georgia QB Aaron Murray

Normally, a pass rusher doesn't "match up" with a quarterback but I made an exception here. Clowney is the most talented defender in college football, but in the opener against North Carolina he didn't play up to his talent level. As a result of the heat, the fast-paced Tar Heels offense and a recent illness, he struggled with his conditioning. Murray will help dictate the pace of play for the Georgia offense on Saturday and that could be a major factor in the game.

The Gamecocks will move Clowney around to different positions on the defensive line and none of the Georgia offensive linemen will be able to handle him consistently without getting help. Murray will need to get the ball out quickly or avoid Clowney by moving around in the pocket. Last week against Clemson, he had a costly fumble following a sack. He must avoid the same thing this week in order for the Bulldogs to be successful.

(Associated Press)

Fales is one of the top senior quarterback prospects and this will be his showcase game for NFL scouts. He doesn't have ideal height (6'1) but is a very accurate and efficient quarterback. Last season, he led the FBS with a 72.5 completion percentage and threw for over 4,000 yards. However, he had an unspectacular opening performance last week against Sacramento State. He tossed two touchdowns but he only completed 50 percent of his throws. He'll need to be much sharper in order for the Spartans to pull off a huge upset. Reynolds is one of the most instinctive players in college football. Last season, he nabbed an impressive six interceptions and he returned three of those picks for touchdowns. He excels at reading the quarterback, anticipating throws and driving on the football. He intercepted Fales in last year's contest and he'll look to do the same again on Saturday night.(Associates Press)
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San Jose St. QB David Fales vs. Stanford safety Ed Reynolds

Fales is one of the top senior quarterback prospects and this will be his showcase game for NFL scouts. He doesn't have ideal height (6'1) but is a very accurate and efficient quarterback. Last season, he led the FBS with a 72.5 completion percentage and threw for over 4,000 yards. However, he had an unspectacular opening performance last week against Sacramento State. He tossed two touchdowns but he only completed 50 percent of his throws. He'll need to be much sharper in order for the Spartans to pull off a huge upset.

Reynolds is one of the most instinctive players in college football. Last season, he nabbed an impressive six interceptions and he returned three of those picks for touchdowns. He excels at reading the quarterback, anticipating throws and driving on the football. He intercepted Fales in last year's contest and he'll look to do the same again on Saturday night.(Associates Press)

Morris doesn't generate the same buzz as the nation's other top QBs but NFL scouts are well aware of his talent. He has average size but outstanding arm strength and he can fit balls into tight windows. In the opener against Florida Atlantic, the Canes relied heavily on their rushing attack but Morris did flash the ability to make big-time throws. He'll face a much stiffer challenge this week against No. 12 Florida, which in my opinion has the most talented secondary in college football. The Gators have four cornerbacks that would start for just about every school in the country. Starter Loucheiz Purifoy was suspended for the opener against Toledo but it didn't faze this group. Marcus Roberson, Jaylen Watkins and Vernon Hargreaves combined to hold Toledo's passing attack to 155 yards. This was the first collegiate action for Hargreaves (freshman) and he was outstanding, recording the lone interception for the Gators.(Associated Press)
4 / 5
Miami QB Stephen Morris vs. Florida secondary

Morris doesn't generate the same buzz as the nation's other top QBs but NFL scouts are well aware of his talent. He has average size but outstanding arm strength and he can fit balls into tight windows. In the opener against Florida Atlantic, the Canes relied heavily on their rushing attack but Morris did flash the ability to make big-time throws. He'll face a much stiffer challenge this week against No. 12 Florida, which in my opinion has the most talented secondary in college football. The Gators have four cornerbacks that would start for just about every school in the country. Starter Loucheiz Purifoy was suspended for the opener against Toledo but it didn't faze this group. Marcus Roberson, Jaylen Watkins and Vernon Hargreaves combined to hold Toledo's passing attack to 155 yards. This was the first collegiate action for Hargreaves (freshman) and he was outstanding, recording the lone interception for the Gators.(Associated Press)

Van Noy and Jeffcoat won't be on the field at the same time but they will still be competing against one another. Both of these players are among the top OLB prospects in next year's NFL draft. Van Noy is a stat-stuffing player with excellent instincts. He finished last season with 13 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles. He didn't record any sacks last week but he did notch 2.5 tackles for loss. Due to injury, Jeffcoat played in only six games last season but he still landed on the radar of NFL scouts. He has good size, great genes (his father Jim Jeffcoat had a long NFL career) and solid production (14.5 career sacks). He didn't record a sack last week against New Mexico State but he did rack up seven tackles, including one for loss. It's very helpful for NFL scouts to compare players when they can see them on the same field. This will be a big opportunity for both Van Noy and Jeffcoat to improve their stock. (USA TODAY Sports)
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BYU LB Kyle Van Noy vs. Texas DE Jackson Jeffcoat

Van Noy and Jeffcoat won't be on the field at the same time but they will still be competing against one another. Both of these players are among the top OLB prospects in next year's NFL draft. Van Noy is a stat-stuffing player with excellent instincts. He finished last season with 13 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles. He didn't record any sacks last week but he did notch 2.5 tackles for loss. Due to injury, Jeffcoat played in only six games last season but he still landed on the radar of NFL scouts. He has good size, great genes (his father Jim Jeffcoat had a long NFL career) and solid production (14.5 career sacks). He didn't record a sack last week against New Mexico State but he did rack up seven tackles, including one for loss. It's very helpful for NFL scouts to compare players when they can see them on the same field. This will be a big opportunity for both Van Noy and Jeffcoat to improve their stock. (USA TODAY Sports)

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