Mel & Todd: Which sleeper teams can make a CFP run?
— -- Throughout the college football season, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay kick off each week by settling a debate, looking at emerging NFL prospects and peeking ahead to next week.
Among this week's topics: Which sleeper teams -- including three that are currently outside the top 10 -- have the best chance to make a move in Week 3?
Which sleeper teams have the biggest upside for Week 3?
Todd McShay
It didn't take long for DeShone Kizer to prove he should be the guy moving forward. His accuracy (71.4 percent completion rate this season) will help stabilize this team as it looks to make a playoff run despite a two-overtime loss to Texas in Week 1. Notre Dame has tough games against Michigan State (this week), Stanford, Miami and USC on the docket, but all except USC are at home. This team has a lot of young talent, and it's not hard to imagine the Irish improving as the season goes along. This Saturday is a biggie, though, if they want to make a playoff push.
It was wise for Les Miles to keep RB Leonard Fournette on the shelf for Saturday's game. Let the ankle rest and try to keep your stud fresh for later in the season. The Tigers played terribly on offense in the season opener, and yet they were still driving for the potential game-winning score against a Wisconsin team we all underrated in the preseason. The defense is loaded with talent -- LSU might have the best secondary in college football, and that group will continue to get better under Dave Aranda. It's not a stretch to see LSU winning its next five games -- Mississippi State, at Auburn, Missouri, at Florida and Southern Miss. The schedule after that is no fun, but remember, the Tigers get Ole Miss and Alabama at home. QB Danny Etling will need to be better than he was in his debut on Saturday, but getting Fournette back should help.
Mel Kiper
I know Louisville has only recently cracked the top 10, but one reason the Cardinals can make a playoff push is that they have a schedule that could allow them to lose a game and still be in the picture. I know that doesn't sound too complimentary, but consider it the kind of thing we typically say about a great SEC team. Louisville not only plays playoff contenders Florida State and Clemson; it also faces Houston in mid-November. So even if the Cardinals lose to FSU this Saturday, they'd still have the chance to recover in a major way. Sometimes a brutal schedule can help, and the Cardinals could show why this year.
The Sooners suffered a tough early loss in Week 1 when Houston dropped them, but this is another team we can't count out just yet. Again, it's all about the schedule. They have a chance to jump right back into the top 10 if they handle Ohio State at home, and then they could also benefit from a Texas resurgence if they can pull off a win against the Longhorns. I'm not saying a sweep of those two games is expected, but it would put them right back into the playoff mix. Consider that Ohio State in 2014 lost its second game to Virginia Tech at home -- and that wasn't a particularly good Tech team -- and still cruised to a title by winning out. If you're going to lose, do it early. The Sooners did, but they have redemption opportunities out there.
Prospect on the rise
McShay: Wilton Speight, QB, Michigan Wolverines
It's important to mention that Speight hasn't faced a challenging defense in his first two college starts, but his tape from Week 1 shows that the junior is more talented than I originally thought. UCF successfully loaded up versus the run, forcing Michigan to throw to win. After missing his first deep shot, Speight was very accurate (25-of-37 for 312 yards and four TDs). Like Jake Rudock last season, Speight has very good football intelligence, and he's taller, bigger and has a stronger arm. I'm really intrigued to see the impact that Jim Harbaugh and Jedd Fisch have on Speight over the next 16 months.
Kiper: Jake Butt, TE, Michigan Wolverines
I thought Butt could have pushed his way into second-round consideration had he entered the 2016 draft, and his return gives the Michigan offense a pretty big weapon. Butt needs to add strength, but at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, he fits the bill of the modern tight end who can be used as a matchup threat with the length to overwhelm corners and enough speed to eliminate linebackers as coverage options. When he makes catches in space, he can turn it up and will run through tackles. While he's not a very good blocker, the effort is there. He's a weapon who is certain to be catching NFL passes next fall.
Almost famous
McShay: Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado Buffaloes
Awuzie didn't do anything out of the ordinary in Colorado's 49-point win over Idaho State on Saturday (eight?tackles, one interception, one pass breakup and one tackle for loss) but I can't think of a player who I enjoy watching more than him. While Awuzie isn't as physically gifted as someone like Jabrill Peppers, he has the same rare ability to be a physical force in the run game at less than 200 pounds.
Kiper: Nick DeLuca: LB, North Dakota State
He had an absolutely phenomenal game on Saturday in a crazy 50-44 win. The 6-3, 245-pounder fills holes, can keep his eyes in the backfield and read the QB well, and has exceptional instincts. Tackle totals can be a rough measure of productivity, but consider that DeLuca led the team in tackles by 54 last season -- that's a lot. He gets it done all over the field. He had 10 TFLs last season, picked off a couple of passes and broke up a number of others, and is just consistently the most active member of the defense.
The big question for next week
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McShay: Which young QB will shine brightest: FSU's? Deondre Francois?or Louisville's Lamar Jackson?
Francois is just a pup, but it doesn't take a super scout to see his poise, arm talent and mobility. Jackson makes too many mental mistakes and will throw to the wrong target too often. But when he knows where he's going with the ball, he can hit the spot more often than not. And he's just so much faster and more athletic than most defenders on the field that he just runs away from them. FSU has better overall talent -- especially among draft-eligible players (see chart) -- but Jackson is capable of putting Louisville in position to pull off the upset in the fourth quarter.
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Kiper: Can Ole Miss continue the magic against Alabama?
Given the state of Bama football right now, it seems almost shocking for any team to claim it has beaten the Tide two years in a row. But that's what Hugh Freeze and Ole Miss can say, and that's really important this year, because it means while the Rebs are a clear underdog, they won't be afraid of the Tide. If they play the way they did in the first half against Florida State, and Marquis Haynes gets a pass rush, you never know what can happen in Oxford. Remember, Bama has talent at QB, but the Tide still aren't really settled. Chad Kelly needs to play the game of his life, but Ole Miss players tend to do that against Bama these days.
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