Each week, The Game Haus will highlight five players to watch from college football games featuring Associated Press Top 25 teams. From established stars to players on the verge of breaking out, we’ll offer some names to remember every week of the college football season.
Here’s a look at five players to watch in Week 9 (All times Eastern):
Jack Coan, QB, No. 13 Wisconsin
Matchup: at No. 3 Ohio State, Noon, Saturday
Breakdown: Coaching decisions did not help Coan in last week’s upset loss to Illinois, but he did not look confident at all in the fourth quarter. Coan is one of our players to watch in Week 9 because he obviously must be on top of his game against an Ohio State defense that has been nearly as dominant as the team’s offense. Good luck, Jack!
Breece Hall, RB, No. 23 Iowa State
Matchup: vs. Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Breakdown: Many believe it was a matter of time before Hall was trusted with the keys to Iowa State’s backfield. Now, things can obviously change, but this talented freshman has broken out with 315 yards and five rushing touchdowns in the last two games. Oklahoma State is allowing an average of 173.6 rushing yards this season, thus making Hall one of our players to watch in Week 9.
Mac Jones, QB, No. 1 Alabama
Matchup: vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m., Saturday
Breakdown: Jones’ career collegiate line: 12 games, 25 of 45 for 360 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. With Tua Tagovailoa dealing with that ankle injury, Jones has the Tide offense for one week. It would seem a good opportunity for victory against an Arkansas team that’s lost five in a row this season and 11 straight versus Alabama.
Julian Okwara, DL, No. 8 Notre Dame
Matchup: at No. 19 Michigan, 7:30 p.m., Saturday
Breakdown: The senior leads Notre Dame with four sacks and five tackles for loss. For the Irish to win a rare game at The Big House, they might need Okwara to come up big against a Michigan squad that’s prone to making mistakes.
Bradlee Anae, DE, No. 12 Utah
Matchup: vs. Cal, 10 p.m., Saturday
Breakdown: Anae might be one of the more underrated defensive players in the nation. He ranks among the country’s leaders with seven sacks, three of which came against Arizona State last weekend. Cal, meanwhile, has yielded 30 sacks this season, including nine last week in a loss to Oregon State.
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!