It’s a low-volume weekend in terms of ranked matchups this week in the world of college football. But the two ranked matchups we do get are worthy of your attention.
One of the nation’s darlings in the past two years has been longtime SEC basement dweller Vanderbilt. They have new life under veteran quarterback Diego Pavia with an undefeated record heading to face the Tide this weekend. The Commodores may not have played a team projected to make a bowl to date. Alabama looked like a refreshed team going
to Athens and beating Georgia a week ago after it felt like the sky was falling coming off a significant loss to Florida State in the season opener. This game could be very high scoring when the final zeroes flash.
The other ranked matchup of the week features No. 3 Miami going to No. 18 Florida State for a matchup at Doak Campbell Stadium. Miami has a few impressive wins on the year and coasting smoothly since a tightly fought win over Notre Dame to start the season. Florida State is coming off of a road loss to Virginia in double overtime. Both teams have high-powered offenses on paper. This has become one of the better rivalries nationally over the years. Although, it’s rare to get both teams meet when they are ranked at the same time. Like Vandy and Alabama, this game has a feel that it could be very high scoring for two of the more storied programs in college football.
We have a few key prospect matchups to watch this week. Let us know what you’re watching out for in the comments below.
5-Stars looking to earn their hype — Texas QB Arch Manning vs. Florida CB Cormani McClain
Manning has had the biggest nightmare scenario imaginable to start his first opportunity as a full-time starter at Texas. He went out and looked very bad against Ohio State to open the year and the play since then hasn’t yielded much better results. Both Texas and Florida boast two of the better defenses in the country. Arch’s responsibility is, of course, to go on the road and do enough to beat a Gators team that’s seemed to be reeling in recent weeks. Manning has the talent to get the Longhorns there, but he has to show it at some point.
Cormani McClain has had a fascinating journey from high school to where he currently sits at Florida. McClain signed with Deion Sanders and Colorado as the number-one cornerback in the country in the 2023 recruiting class. After one season, McClain transferred to Florida following an odd year with the Buffs that included some maturity questions and questionable on-field play. McClain has proven himself for the Gators and now stands in the starting lineup. He intercepted Carson Beck in their contest against Miami a couple of weeks ago while looking like one of the better players on the field. This is McClain’s first season of high-level production so declaration is hazy at this point. But, there’s no doubt the talent is seeping through for the former five-star corner.
Florida State OT Micah Pettus vs. Miami EDGE Rueben Bain
Two of the stronger humans in college football are facing off in Tallahassee on Saturday night. Pettus is a road-grading offensive tackle with NFL talent at 6’7” and 350 pounds. Bain has played like one of the best players in the country regardless of position this season. Whoever gets the better of this battle may have a good chance to ultimately win the game outright. Bain looks like a top-five pick while Pettus is working in a system that works to his strengths as a football player.
Pettus, to this point, has not had a test quite like Bain in the trenches. Bain is looking to continue his early season dominance to keep his team undefeated approaching the season’s halfway point. This will be a heavyweight bout (literally) on the perimeter.
Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers vs. Alabama LB Deontae Lawson
Stowers leads the team in receiving on a squad that likes to spread the wealth a good deal on offense. He’s a true flex/move tight end who will be a pass catcher in the NFL moving about the offensive formation. He’s not an inline player at the NFL level. However, he is quite the talent as a pass catcher and a fantastic athlete. The Crimson Tide will absolutely need to account for him all day long.
Lawson hasn’t had the best start to the season, but the defense seemed to settle themselves some against the Bulldogs last week. He’s attempting to replace much of what 2025 NFL Draft first-round pick Jihaad Campbell did a year ago.
Game of the Week
No. 3 Miami @ No. 18 Florida State
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
ABC
Miami vs. Florida State is one of the best rivalries in college football. It’s two programs that have a genuine disdain for one another as soon as they hit the field. In many years, it’s a battle for Florida. Times of the transfer portal have changed how rivalries feel in some ways, but certainly players come to programs like Miami and Florida State for games like these.
Miami has a former projected first-round draft selection with plenty of pedigree in Carson Beck while Florida State took Boston College castoff Tommy Castellanos who has proven to be a picture-perfect fit in Gus Malzahn’s offense in 2025.
Miami’s prospects to know on offense include offensive tackle Francisco Mauigoa, plus o-linemen Anez Cooper and Markel Bell. All three players look like NFL players for the Hurricanes. Running back Mark Fletcher and LSU receiver transfer C.J Daniels are a couple of other names to know from Miami’s skill positions.
Florida State’s defense is highlighted by defensive tackle Darrell Jackson. Cornerback Jabril Rawls along with safeties Earl Little Jr. and Ashlynd Barker look like NFL-caliber players on the back end for the Seminoles despite being lesser-known commodities.
Florida State’s offense has Micah Pettus holding down the right side of the offensive line. Wake Forest center transfer Luke Pettibon is another potential NFL player. Duce Robinson has been, by far, Florida State’s best pass catcher in 2025 and will be targeted plenty in this matchup.
The defense for Miami is much improved led by Bain and veteran Akheem Mesidor holding down the defensive line. Rutgers transfer Mohamed Toure looks healthy and explosive again after a couple of injury-riddled seasons. Wesley Bissainthe is a young, draft eligible linebacker with plenty of pop in his athleticism as well.
Rivalry games are always ripe to get a bit weird in how they play out. This one feels like it could be a high-scoring shootout in Tallahassee behind two high-powered units.
