Along with helping to determine draft standing for a number of prospects, this pairing could easily help determine the Big 12 champion, as well. If Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield is going to show NFL scouts he can be more effective with pocket reads and be less reliant on improvisation, this would be a good game to prove it. The Horned Frogs' Travin Howard, an undersized and speedy linebacker with experience as a safety, could play a big role against OU TE Mark Andrews in coverage. Another matchup to watch: Sooners CB Jordan Thomas vs. TCU WR KaVontae Turpin.

Plenty of eyes will be on Trojans QB Sam Darnold as he makes what should be his 13th career start against a defense looking to rebound from a miserable 2016. Unless the Longhorns make a complete turnaround on that side of the ball -- and improvement from Texas LB Malik Jefferson is a key in that effort -- Darnold could really shine in the first meeting between these programs since the legendary 2006 Rose Bowl. Texas left tackle Connor Williams, one of the nation's top 10 players per Reuter, could have his hands full with one of college football's most freakish athletes in USC LB Porter Gustin.

The Ducks' top two draft prospects, senior RB Royce Freeman and senior OT Tyrell Crosby, will face one of the most talented defenses in the Pac-12 here. If Freeman has a big game and finds running room behind Crosby, it'll be a tape both will want scouts to see. The Huskies will counter with defensive tackle Vita Vea and a pair of excellent linebackers in Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria. On the other side, if Oregon's defense isn't much improved, Washington QB Jake Browning could have a huge game.

The Crimson Tide's late-season trip to Starkville will feature a battle of two of the top quarterbacks in the SEC in Jalen Hurts and Nick Fitzgerald. Hurts was selected SEC Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman last year, and Fitzgerald, albeit quietly and on a seven-loss team, accounted for more combined yardage (3,798) than Hurts (3,734). One, however, will have a lot more weapons than the other. Alabama's Calvin Ridley is among the nation's top receivers and Tide RB Bo Scarbrough will help keep Hurts operating with first downs. Fitzgerald doesn't have that kind of firepower around him, but he does have an outstanding left tackle in Martinas Rankin.

NFL scouts will have to keep a close eye on the line of scrimmage here, and that should be where the game is won or lost, as well. Michigan DL Rashan Gary ranked No. 2 on our list of the most freakish athletes in college football, will bring a fierce interior presence to the Wolverines defense, along with Maurice Hurst. Florida's top linemen include LT Martez Ivey and, on defense, two young up-and-comers in Cece Jefferson and Taven Bryan. An NFC scout told College Football 24/7 that Bryan has as high a ceiling as any of UF's defensive players.

An individual matchup of high intrigue in this game will pair Clemson offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt and Wolfpack pass rusher Bradley Chubb. Hyatt is an All-ACC talent entering his junior year, and the Tigers coaching staff graded him at 90 percent in the CFP title game against Alabama in January. Chubb had a breakout season last year with 22 tackles for loss, ranking fourth in the FBS. Three more prospects to watch: North Carolina State H-back Jaylen Samuels, Clemson OG Tyrone Crowder and Clemson LB Kendall Joseph.

Veteran quarterbacks Wilton Speight of Michigan and Trace McSorley of PSU will battle in this key Big Ten matchup, but we like the skill-position help that McSorley has to work with -- RB Saquon Barkley, WR DaeSean Hamilton, TE Mike Gesicki -- much better than Speights'. The Nittany Lions also have a gifted safety in Marcus Allen, a third-team All-Big Ten pick who made 22 tackles in a single game last year (vs. Minnesota).

After Michigan lost 11 players to the NFL draft, a school record, they won't quite measure up to rival Ohio State this year in terms of star power. But the overall talent on both sidelines will still feature plenty of future pros. Buckeyes QB J.T. Barrett and RB Mike Weber will pose a huge challenge to a retooled Wolverines defense. The game will also feature two of the top centers in the nation in Ohio State's Billy Price and Michigan's Mason Cole. Price's work against Michigan DLs Rashan Gary and Maurice Hurst will be a heavily watched tape by NFL scouts.

One of the most heated rivalries in college football will be a late-season treat for scouts, particularly those looking for defensive backs. FSU has two of the nation's best in S Derwin James and CB Tarvarus McFadden, while the Gators' Duke Dawson will lead a young UF secondary replacing three draft picks. Another point of intrigue will be Seminoles QB Deondre Francois, ranked the nation's No. 47 player by Reuter. He should be the ACC's second-best quarterback behind Louisville's Lamar Jackson, and by this point in the season, he'll have nearly two years of experience.

With 10 players in Reuter's Top 150 on the field, scouts will have plenty to keep their eyes on. Pass protecting against LSU star DE Arden Key will be a huge opportunity for Florida's Martez Ivey, who is moving two left tackle after two excellent seasons at guard. Tigers CB Donte Jackson and Florida WR Antonio Callaway will be a matchup scouts will watch closely, as well. A lot of new faces on the Gators defense will be tasked with containing LSU RB Derrius Guice. UF placed seven defensive players in the 2017 NFL draft, and if a few of those holes aren't adequately filled, Guice will exploit them. Meanwhile, this series is getting a bitter flavor after last year's contentious rescheduling due to a hurricane threat, and Florida kicked things up a notch by making LSU its 2017 Homecoming game.

This Big Ten clash will pit some impressive talents, starting with Nittany Lions star RB Saquon Barkley against a stout Buckeyes defensive front. Reuter ranks him as the top running back in college football, and has three OSU defensive linemen in his top 100. OSU's Billy Price will be a strong contender for the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center, and Penn State will bring a dangerous passing combination in QB Trace McSorley and WR DaeSean Hamilton. And for a little extra intensity, the Buckeyes will be at home and looking to avenge their only regular-season loss of 2016.

No look at the most talent-rich games in the country would be complete without at least one appearance by returning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville. He's the most electric player in the game, and against Clemson, he'll be dodging college football's best defensive line. The Cardinals also feature one of the top cornerbacks in the country in Jaire Alexander, who figures to draw Clemson standout WR Deon Cain in coverage for some high-leverage snaps.

Luke Falk vs. Jake Browning? More, please. The quarterback matchup here is certainly intriguing, but there will be no shortage of draft prospects elsewhere on the field here, especially on the Huskies side. An NFC scout told College Football 24/7 that UW DT Vita Vea, a fourth-year junior, is considered one of the elite defensive prospects in the country. Scouts will take a strong interest in Vea's snaps against WSU OG Cody O'Connell, a unanimous All-American last year. Then there's Huskies WR Dante Pettis, who has drawn offseason praise from NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein.

When these two non-conference powers contracted for a two-year, home-and-home series, we knew the matchup belonged in the heavyweight division. Last year's game didn't disappoint, and the back half of the deal won't, either. A pair of fifth-year senior quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and J.T. Barrett will generate the headlines, but the scouting interest runs much deeper. Among other matchups, NFL scouts will get to see Sooners OT Orlando Brown, Jr., compete against any number of quality pass rushers, including Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis and Nick Bosa.

For casual fans who might only catch one ACC game all season, this is the one not to miss. The Tigers defensive line is loaded with star power, led by Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence. Against an FSU offensive line that was too porous in pass protection last year, those two could have a field day. FSU S Derwin James missed this game last year with a knee injury, but the year prior, he made nine stops with a pass breakup against the Tigers. On the flank, Clemson WR Deon Cain will pose an excellent challenge for Seminoles CB Tarvarus McFadden.

NFL talent is usually all over the field in this series, and 2017 will be no exception. Want a big-time head-to-head matchup? Alabama WR Calvin Ridley vs. LSU CB Donte Jackson, known as college football's fastest player, will be popcorn-worthy theater. The Crimson Tide defense, which impressively bottled Leonard Fournette the last three years, will be tested by another elite rusher this year in Derrius Guice, who added a little more spice, and some potential bulletin-board for Alabama, to this matchup earlier this week when he stood by his comments that Alabama is scared of LSU. Tigers DE Arden Key, Guice, Alabama RB Bo Scarbrough and Tide DB Minkah Fitzpatrick are each ranked among the game's top 20 players by Reuter.

NFL scouts won't have a better opportunity to survey a game deeper with NFL prospects than this neutral-site, season-opening battle of CFB titans. Like the Alabama-LSU game, this contest will feature 18 players in Reuter's Top 150 list. While one of CFB's top RBs, Alabama's Bo Scarbrough, will make his return from the broken leg he suffered in the title game, the majority of the top talent for both teams will reside on defense. The Crimson Tide will be led by interior lineman Da'Ron Payne and a pair of outstanding defensive backs in Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison. The Seminoles feature versatile DB Derwin James, a ball-hawking cornerback in Tarvarus McFadden, and a wrecking ball of a defensive tackle in Derrick Nnadi. And for a little sideline spice, UA coach Nick Saban will match wits with one of his former assistants in FSU's Jimbo Fisher.