Previewing College Football's Biggest Rivalry Week Recruiting Battles
Rivalry week and Thanksgiving weekend: Never a bad combination.
For college football fans, the opportunity to eat and watch a lot of football literally is days away. And with the schedule on deck, fans can't go wrong with their options.
Stanford will host Notre Dame for the Legends Trophy, and in-state rivals Ole Miss and Mississippi State will play the Egg Bowl in Starkville. The Los Angeles crowd will have the classic UCLA-USC affair at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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The state of South Carolina will be divided, as the South Carolina Gamecocks host Clemson. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will battle in Stillwater for the annual Bedlam series. And then there's college football's budding rivalry of TCU and Baylor, which will take place Friday in Fort Worth.
All of the rivalry games will be entertaining, but there are select programs hoping to also impress key recruits who plan on being in attendance for the games. Here are three rivalry games to keep an eye on that will host some of the nation's best athletes in the 2016 class.
Ohio State at Michigan
Never a dull moment, this game will be one that Michigan fans hope will turn things around in a series Ohio State has dominated since the start of the 21st century. Since 2001, Michigan is 2-11 in the matchup.
A big win over the reigning national champions could parlay into a nice recruiting haul regarding the uncommitted athletes expected to be in attendance. And Michigan has a shot to handle business in front of an esteemed group of athletes.
The nation's top-ranked athlete, 5-star Mecole Hardman Jr., headlines the list of athletes who will be on an official visit. The nation's top-ranked guard, 4-star Terrance Davis, also will take an official visit.
Michigan also is expected to host a group of 4-star Texas linebackers in Dontavious Jackson and Jeffrey McCulloch. Consider the weekend a chance for the Wolverines to potentially flip a few players, as well. USC receiver pledge Velus Jones Jr. is expected to be in attendance.
Alabama at Auburn
The Iron Bowl never disappoints, and recruits know this. A big list of players is expected to be at Auburn this weekend on an official visit—including the nation's top-ranked overall player, Rashan Gary.
The 5-star defensive tackle headlines a list of potential Auburn commits that also features the nation's top-ranked running back in Kareem Walker as well as 4-star offensive tackle Landon Dickerson. With Kyle Davis, the nation's top-ranked receiver, committing Wednesday morning, the Tigers are hoping the weekend will be one for the books, recruiting wise.
Alabama, of course, has plans of its own. Many athletes considering playing for Gus Malzahn also are considering playing for Nick Saban. A solid performance by the Crimson Tide could be just enough to sway athletes toward them. Even worse, a bad performance by Auburn could take the Tigers out of the mix for good.
You can bet that the Auburn commits expected to be in attendance, such as 4-star receiver Eli Stove and 4-star cornerback John Broussard, will be around hyping up their future homes to the uncommitted, win or lose.
Florida State at Florida
The battle of the state of Florida's two oldest public universities will be a much-anticipated one. The teams don't like each other, and the atmosphere at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will be electric.
The official visitors list isn't long, but it does include Michigan linebacker commit David Reese. An atmosphere like the one in Gainesville could be enough to flip Reese, who reportedly has been wavering from his commitment to the Wolverines, per InsideTheVille.
The list of unofficial visitors is the list to keep an eye on this weekend, particularly with 4-star quarterback Feleipe Franks expected to be in attendance. Franks decommitted from LSU on Monday, and per Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue, there's a good chance he signs with Florida.
A few 4-star athletes who could make the trip to Gainesville include Miami receiver commit Sam Bruce, uncommitted receiver Nate Craig-Myers, Florida State defensive end commit Janarius Robinson and the committed 4-star Gators duo of cornerback Chauncey Gardner and receiver Freddie Swain, who recently signed written offers of admissions.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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