Week 3 College Football Guide for Eagles fans

After an incredibly exciting week two of college football that featured tons of nail biters, week three looks to hold even more promise. The next few days, there will be a handful of premier match ups to keep an eye on that feature top level NFL talent.

• Clemson v. Louisville, Thursday, 7:30 on ESPN: This game features explosive offensive play, mainly from the Tigers, but also talented defensive players on both teams. The Louisville defense featuring linemen, Sheldon Rankins and Devonte Fields and defensive backs Josh Harvey Clemons and Shaq Wiggins will be put to the test by the high-powered Clemson offense. Rankins is one of the more productive defensive linemen in the country and his impact will determine the impact of the Clemson offense. Fields will be asked to bring heat off the edge and he has the the athleticism to be a factor. As for the Cardinal secondary, Wiggins is and undersized, but athletic corner who will need to cover the Tigers' host of athletic receivers. Harvey Clemons is a gigantic safety (6-5, 230) who will function as a tone setter for the Cardinals. These four players will be looked to to keep Louisville in the game with a loaded Clemson team. As for the Clemson defense, keep an eye on safety Jayron Kearse and cornerback Mac Alexander. Kearse has very good range, ball skills and size (6-2, 210) while Alexander is an outstanding man cover corner on the outside. Theoretically, the Eagles secondary has been rejuvenated, but it could not hurt to look at the bevy of secondary talent in this game.
  
• Notre Dame v. Georgia Tech, Saturday, 3:30 on NBC: Notre Dame is coming off a major scare against Virginia last week and lost their star quarterback, Malik Zaire, to an ankle injury for the year. This week, they face a tremendous test against a very explosive Georgia Tech team. Most important match up of the game will be Sheldon Day and Jaylon Smith taking on the Georgia Tech offense. Justin Thomas and Marcus Marshall have been absolutely electric for the Yellow Jackets and the Triple Option Offense will stretch Notre Dame horizontally and it will be up to Smith to maintain discipline against the pass in order to keep this offense in check. This is the biggest test Smith and Day will face all year, so they better show out.
  
• Auburn v. LSU, Saturday, 3:30 on CBS: Auburn was a couple steps away from losing to Jacksonville State last week and look to get back on track against an LSU team coming off a big win. The big match up to watch for when Auburn is on offense is wide receiver, Duke Williams against cornerback, Tre'Davious White. White is a very good cover corner and will have to cover the huge, athletic Williams. While LSU is on offense, look for their offensive line against the Auburn front. Vadal Alexander and Jerald Hawkins will need to lead the line against Carl Lawson, Montravius Adams and Cassanova Mckinzey. As a team that needs interior offensive line, keep an eye on Alexander and Hawkins as potential tackle to guard converts as they face one of their biggest tests of the year.
  
• Jared Goff v. Texas Defense, Saturday, 7:30 on Fox: Jared Goff is on a roll the last two games and looks to continue his success against Charlie Strong's defense. While the unit may be licking its wounds a bit, it is still the most athletic defense Goff has faced this year and he will need to show out in a big way. Be sure to focus on Goff's arm strength and his ability to hit tight windows against Texas.
  
• Su'a Cravens v. Stanford Offense, Saturday, 8PM on ABC: Su'a Cravens is one of the most unique players in the country. The 6-1, 230 pound linebacker is built at 6-1, 230  but moves like a safety. He is relatively undersized for a linebacker, so the Stanford offense is a perfect test of whether or not he can work through traffic and attack in the run game. Stanford still has a massive offensive line and loves to run the football and Cravens will need to be attacking the line of scrimmage at a high level in order to prove he can be a complete linebacker while also massively limiting the Stanford offense.
  
• Ole Miss v. Alabama, Saturday, 9:15 on ESPN: This game is ridiculous. There is enough NFL talent in this game to field a good part of an NFL team. On the Ole Miss offense, despite missing star left tackle, Laremy Tunsil, the Rebels still have stud wide receiver, Laquon Treadwell and athletic tight end, Evan Engram. Both are huge threats with their size, speed and hands and should be factors against the Alabama defense. For the Tide on defense, their front seven of A'Shawn Robinson, Jaran Reid, Jon Allen, Reggie Ragland and Reuben Foster will all be tasked with slowing down the Rebel defense. For the Rebels on defense, they have athletic defensive lineman, Robert Nkemdiche and star safety Tony Connor. Both will have an important role of slowing down the Alabama running game. Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake are a dynamic duo running the ball and are the key to Alabama's offensive success. This will be an incredibly physical game with some of the best athletes in college football. A truly cannot miss game.