Week 3 College Football Scouting Guide

Week 3 of the college football season brings marquee matchups sure to affect the rankings, but which games are NFL scouts focused on?

Here are the 10 games every NFL front office will be watching this weekend.

TCU @ Texas Tech

TCU offense	TCU defense	Texas Tech offense	Texas Tech defense
No ranked players in top 300	CB Jason Verrett	TE Jace Amaro WR Eric Ward	DE Kerry Hyder FS Tre Porter OLB Terrance Bullitt

TCU heads to Texas Tech in an in-state showdown, but the players to watch here are tight end Jace Amaro and cornerback Jason Verrett. While the two aren't likely to match up head-to-head, Verrett's physical style of play could bring him in contact with the athletic tight end.

Louisville @ Kentucky

Louisville offense	Louisville defense	Kentucky offense	Kentucky defense
QB Teddy Bridgewater RB Michael Dyer WR DeVonte Parker	ILB Preston Brown SS Hakeem Smith	No ranked players in top 300	ILB Avery Williamson

Louisville and Kentucky are bitter rivals, but that hasn't bled over to the football field as much as the basketball courts. This game is likely to be a one-sided battle, but watching quarterback Teddy Bridgewater against Mark Stoops' defense will make this one appointment viewing.

UCLA @ Nebraska

UCLA offense	UCLA defense	Nebraska offense	Nebraska defense
QB Brett Hundley OG Xavier Su'a-Filo WR Shaq Evans	DE Cassius Marsh ILB Jordan Zumwalt OLB Anthony Barr	FB C.J. Zimmerer OG Andrew Rodriguez OG Spencer Long OT Jeremiah Sirles TE Jake Long	CB Ciante Evans DE Jason Ankrah

It might be surprising to see so many draft prospects on the map for UCLA vs. Nebraska, but both teams have talent. UCLA has two top-tier players in outside linebacker Anthony Barr and quarterback Brett Hundley. The two will shine under the national spotlight.

Alabama @ Texas A&M

Alabama offense	Alabama defense	Texas A&M offense	Texas A&M defense
RG Anthony Steen LT Cyrus Kouandjio QB A.J. McCarron WR Kevin Norwood	CB Deion Belue CB John Fulton DE Ed Stinson FS HaHa Clinton-Dix ILB C.J. Mosley OLB Adrian Hubbard	RT Cedric Ogbuehi LT Jake Matthews QB Johnny Manziel RB Ben Malena TE Nehemiah Hicks WR Derel Walker WR Mike Evans	No ranked players in top 300

Between the two college football powers, 17 of my top 300 draft prospects are playing this weekend. All eyes will be on quarterback Johnny Manziel against this loaded Alabama defense. How well linebacker C.J. Mosley spies Manziel will be the story, but a future NFL player worth watching is playing at nearly every position.

Tennessee @ Oregon

Tennessee offense	Tennessee defense	Oregon offense	Oregon defense
C James Stone OG Zach Fulton RT JaWuan James LT Antonio Richardson RB Rajion Neal	DE Corey Miller DT Daniel McCullers ILB A.J. Johnson OLB Dontavis Sapp SS Byron Moore	C Hroniss Grasu QB Marcus Mariota OW De'Anthony Thomas TE Colt Lyerla WR Josh Huff	CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu DE Taylor Hart DT Wade Keliikipi OLB Boseko Lokombo

Tennessee and Oregon meet in Eugene, Ore. Between them, they have 20 of my top 300 players for the 2014 NFL draft. Marcus Mariota at quarterback could have his coming-out party to the national audience in this afternoon game. He's currently my No. 3 overall player.

UCF @ Penn State

UCF offense	UCF defense	Penn State offense	Penn State defense
QB Blake Bortles	No ranked players in top 300	OG John Urschel WR Allen Robinson	DT DaQuan Jones FS Malcolm Willis ILB Glenn Carson

Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles is getting some buzz in the draft community. Here is his chance to prove his value against a top-tier team. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones will be in his face all day.

Ohio State @ California

Ohio State offense	Ohio State defense	California offense	California defense
OC Corey Linsley OG Andrew Norwell LT Jack Mewhort QB Braxton Miller RB Carlos Hyde WR Philly Brown	CB Bradley Roby FS C.J. Barnett OLB Ryan Shazier SS Christian Bryant	K Vincenzo D'Amato	DT Deandre Coleman

Ohio State is once again loaded. If healthy, quarterback Braxton Miller will be tested. I'll be focusing on the Ohio State defense against a pro-style offense. Ryan Shazier and Bradley Roby are top-20 talents.

Vanderbilt @ South Carolina

Vanderbilt offense	Vanderbilt defense	S. Carolina offense	S. Carolina defense
OT Wesley Johnson WR Jordan Matthews	CB Andre Hall FS Kenny Ladler	QB Connor Shaw	DE Jadeveon Clowney DE Chaz Sutton CB Jimmy Legree

Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina should be an exciting game. All eyes will be on defensive end Jadeveon Clowney as everyone waits for his next big play. I'll be counting his snaps and tracking plays made that don't include helmet-popping backfield hits. Jordan Matthews will be the celebrity of the Vandy offense. He's a legit first-rounder.

Wisconsin @ Arizona State

Wisconsin offense	Wisconsin defense	Arizona St. offense	Arizona St. defense
OT Ryan Groy RB James White TE Jacob Pedersen WR Jared Abbrederis	DT Beau Allen ILB Chris Borland	FB Chris Coyle RB Marion Grice	DT Will Sutton OLB Junior Onyeali OLB Carl Bradford SS Alden Darby

If you like running backs, this game is for you. Arizona State's Marion Grice is my No. 2 running back. Wisconsin has a talented backfield duo, but James White is the one to watch for the upcoming draft. Will Sutton against the Badgers' talented offensive line is a must-see too.

Notre Dame @ Purdue

Notre Dame offense	Notre Dame defense	Purdue offense	Purdue defense
OG Chris Watt OG Zack Martin RB George Atkinson WR TJ Jones	CB Bennett Jackson DE Stephon Tuitt DT Louis Nix ILB Dan Fox OLB Prince Shembo	TE Gabe Holmes P Cody Webster	CB Ricardo Allen DT Bruce Gaston

Notre Dame fans will want a victory following a loss at Michigan, but I want to see how well the defensive line rebounds. Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt are potential top-15 picks in next year's draft. They should dominate the Purdue offense.