Blogging The Boys
Every week here at Blogging the Boys we’ll spotlight the biggest college matchups and the players who could soon wear the Star. If you want to get a jump on who might help America’s Team in the years to come, this is your weekly college football guide. (For teams previously covered in other weeks, we move down the depth chart, giving you more insight on other draft candidates)
Ninth ranked Georgia and fifth ranked Ole Miss roll into Week 8 in a heavyweight clash. Kirby Smart will be dialing up for bully-ball efficiency and Lane Kiffin will be mashing the turbo button trying to out pace the Bulldogs. This is a pure tempo vs. torque game. The Rebels want pace, space, and chunk plays on the perimeter, Georgia answers with trench control, pressure-down poise, and a red-zone defensive vise that squeezes sevens into threes. The game will hinge on clean snaps in the noise, ball security, and who can limit the most missed tackles. Buckle up for a fourth-quarter nail-biter. Predictions here, Georgia 31, Ole Miss 28.
Ole Miss:
Da’Shawn Womack, DE
Womack plays like a can-opener with an initial pop that jars the tackle and suddenly the quarterbacks pocket shrinks quickly. If he snaps to a faster counter when plan A stalls and keeps the pads trimmed, he graduates from rotational spark to playing every down like a menace.
Georgia:
Daylen Everette, CB
Everette plays with good energy and a surgeon’s touch. He stalls releases with good physicality then shadows routes without wasted motion. He’s more smother than fast, winning with patience, length, and clean transitions. If he keeps the grabs to a minimum and stacks a few more catch-point steals, you’re looking at a dependable CB2 in the NFL who lets teams lean into press and sleep easy over the top.
Zachariah Branch, WR
Branch is Georgia’s sudden-change of pace player. One touch and the field slides like a pinball table. Motion him, flip the quick, or uncork a slot post and you can see safeties hit the panic button. Add a dash more stubbornness at the catch point, and he’s a weekly explosives bundle who also dares special-teams coaches to punt or kick anywhere near him.
Texas Tech hits Tempe for Week 8. It’s pass rush vs. protection and explosives vs. consistency. Watch third downs and which team is winning the battle, and the sneaky special-teams yards that can flip this game quickly. For a score prediction, this is an oddly high scoring game that’s see Texas Tech put 38 on the board, and Arizona State loses after scoring 31 points.
