College football Week 11: 15 players to watch

A few weeks ago, Missouri was the surprise team in the SEC that could've upset the balance of power in the East division. That was before Bryant suffered a leg injury against Troy, and losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky knocked the Tigers out of first place. If they have a chance to get back into the mix, they need to go into Athens and beat Georgia. Bryant, who piloted Clemson to an ACC championship two years ago, has been a mixed bag since that injury. He looked fantastic against Ole Miss (329 yds, TD) but off against Vandy and Kentucky (270 yds, 2 TDs combined), though he did rush for 72 yards against the Commodores. His best games have been where he's been efficient with his arm and productive with his legs. He needs a big game if Mizzou wants to pull off the upset.

LSU-Alabama will be the first regular-season game between the Associated Press Nos. 1 and 2 ranked teams since 2011 when...LSU and Alabama faced off. That was also the last time the Tigers beat the Crimson Tide. In those eight 'Bama wins, the Tide have outscored the Tigers, 193-73, with LSU shut out two of the last three years. It is extremely doubtful that will happen this weekend, as Joe Burrow is one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy and is second nationally in passing yards and touchdown passes. LSU has already played in some big games, and Burrow has been fantastic. This is the first time in a while that LSU has come into this game with a passing attack that is as good as, if not better, than Alabama's. LSU hasn't scored more than 24 points against Alabama since 2007. Odds are the Tigers will get to that number on Saturday night. 

Delpit is yet another in a long line of great defensive backs LSU has produced. He has outstanding range as a safety and excellent cover skills, which will be on display against Alabama's great group of receivers. One of the best chess matches of the LSU-Alabama showdown will be between Tua Tagovailoa and Delpit during presnap reads and as plays develop. 

Dillon's first two seasons at Boston College were great, but he's outdone himself this season. He's already gained 1,286 yards on the ground for 13 touchdowns (both numbers just shy of his career highs during his freshman year) while becoming a bigger part of the passing game. Last week against Syracuse, he put up 242 yards and three TDs and was a workhorse for the Eagles. This week BC hosts Florida State, which is reeling from a head coaching change. Expect a big game from Dillon. 

The Huskies have had a tough time of late, losing their last two games and three of their last four. Even in those losses to Utah and Oregon, Eason has looked pretty good. Last week against the Utes, he threw 52 times, completing just 29, but for 316 yards and four TDs. On the season, Eason has thrown 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He's looked great at times, including last week against Utah. But he's also had some head-scratching moments — again, like against Utah, where he turned the ball over three times, including a crushing pick-six — that the Huskies just aren't good enough to overcome against the best teams. Still, Eason is a guy NFL scouts love. Washington travels south to face surprising Oregon State. 

Poor Jonathan Taylor. The Wisconsin running back had to go up against Ohio State's Chase Young in his last game and will face Iowa's A.J. Epenesa this weekend. Epenesa's stats don't do him justice, though he's been in on a sack in three of his last four games. Offenses focus their attention toward where he is on the field, while NFL scouts dream about him playing for their franchises next fall. The Hawkeyes are allowing just 8.6 points per game on the season and go up against the Badgers great running attack.

Clemson has just been cruising along and because the Tigers haven't had the most challenge schedule, you may not have noticed what Etienne has been doing. He's rushed for over 100 yards in the last four games, including his 212-yard effort against Wofford last week (on nine carries). He's also rushed for eight touchdowns in the last six games. Last year against NC State, this week's opponent, Etienne only rushed for 39 yards against the Wolfpack but he scored three TDs in the 41-7 win. 

The Nittany Lions lead the nation in total sacks, and YGM is a big reason for that. He has 5.5 sacks on the season and anchors one of the most feared defensive lines in the country. This week, Gross-Matos and the rest of the defensive front goes up against Minnesota and its massive offensive line. That matchup will be one of the best battles to watch this weekend as Penn State attempts to try to stuff Gophers back Rodney Smith and quarterback Tanner Morgan. This is the biggest game for Minnesota in decades, and Penn State needs this win to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. With so many great games this Saturday, have fun watching this game-within-a-game.

With Tua Tagovailoa banged up and facing a good LSU secondary, it would be a prime week for Najee Harris to have a big game. Harris leads the Tide in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns and despite Alabama not being the run-heavy offense it used to be, the Tide will need to lean heavily on their backs to help move the ball while keeping Joe Burrow on the sideline. Harris has rushed for two touchdowns in each of his last two games and averaged 13.8 yards per carry in last year's game against LSU. 

The Sooners have sort of become a forgotten team since losing to Kansas State a week ago. The shine on Jalen Hurts' Heisman campaign has dulled a bit, but it shouldn't have dropped much. Hurts threw for 395 yards on just 19 completions and rushed for 96 yards and four total TDs against the Wildcats. It's time to start a new winning streak against Iowa State, which has a lot to play for itself in the Big 12 race. 

Virginia beat North Carolina last week behind an outstanding day from Perkins. The senior quarterback completed 30 of 39 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 112 yards and another two scores in the win over the Tar Heels. It was his best passing effort on the season as well as his highest rushing output. Now the Cavaliers are poised to win the Coastal Division and play (likely Clemson) in the ACC championship game. Next up is the lowly Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 

Don't look now, but Minnesota is in the driver's seat in the Big Ten's West division. The Gophers remain undefeated and have a two-game lead over Iowa and Wisconsin, which are left on the schedule. That's what makes this week's game against Penn State so big. Smith has rushed over 100 in Minnesota's last five games, scoring at least one touchdown in each of those games. Smith trails only Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins in rushing yards in the Big Ten. The last time he faced the Nittany Lions — back in 2016 — he ran for 104 yards in an overtime loss. 

Alabama needs Tagovailoa to play...and to play well...if the Tide are going to beat LSU on Saturday. Tua didn't play in the win over Arkansas two weeks ago, but the prevailing opinion is that he will need to be available and productive if the Tide want to beat the Tigers. LSU brings a great offense into Tuscaloosa, and Alabama's defense isn't its normal dominant self so the Tide will have to put up points. Tagovailoa won't be asked to do everything for Alabama but the team will need his arm more than his legs if it wants to pull this out. Still, coming back two weeks after leg surgery and beating the nation's top-ranked team is a lot to ask.

Taylor hasn't had the kind of freakish season this year that we've grown accustomed to. Sure, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns after eight games isn't anything to be disappointed about, but it still hasn't felt like the normal Taylor season. He's failed to rush for 100 yards in two of his last three games and was held to 52 yards and no touchdowns against Ohio State in his last game. He gets no breather this week, as Wisconsin welcomes Iowa and its stingy defense into Camp Randall on Saturday. Taylor would love to break out for another huge game. The Badgers just want to win a game for the first time in three weeks. The two go hand in hand. 

While the top two teams face off in Alabama, third-ranked Ohio State will be in Columbus trying to impose its will on Maryland. The Buckeyes, led by Chase Young, should continue to display their defensive supremacy on the Terps. Young leads the nation in sacks and is, quite frankly, a Heisman finalist-worthy candidate who boasts size, speed and power in an edge rusher who scares opponents.