5-ish players to watch in the first round of the College Football Playoff

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

State College, Pennsylvania (CNN) — College football fans around the country are preparing to settle into their seats – most of them at home, some of them in on-campus stadiums for the first time – for the opening round of College Football Playoff games this weekend.

The football feast kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Friday when Indiana plays Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on ESPN and ABC. Saturday holds a full slate of games when Penn State hosts Southern Methodist University (noon ET on TNT), Texas hosts Clemson (4 p.m. ET on TNT) and Ohio State hosts Tennessee (8 p.m. on ESPN and ABC).

Here are five players to watch in this weekend’s opening round – plus some honorable mentions.

Kevin Jennings, SMU quarterback

The Mustangs’ breakout sophomore star is perhaps the biggest key to SMU staying competitive against Penn State’s tough defense and the forecasted freezing temperatures in Happy Valley.

Jennings has thrown for more than 3,000 yards this season and 22 touchdowns, averaging 13.4 yards per completion. Those kinds of big plays through the air are going to be crucial against Penn State’s top-10 defense, which is among the best units against the run in the country.

The Oak Cliff, Texas, native has shown an ability to keep plays alive with his feet, either moving around inside and outside the pocket while waiting for a receiver to get open or going on his own downfield. He’s run for 379 yards this year and five touchdowns, and his ability to extend plays will be key against a Penn State defense that ranks 12th in passing yardage allowed this season.

Jennings and his receivers will also be fighting against an unseen opponent. It’s expected to be cold on Saturday in Beaver Stadium – temperatures hovering in the mid-20s with strong winds – and it’s safe to say the Mustangs will have a bit of temperature shock when they take the field in front of 107,000 people. Highs in Dallas, where SMU is based, have been in the 50s and 60s all week. How those freezing temperatures affect the Mustangs’ passing game could be one of the most important factors in Saturday’s matchup.

Cade Klubnik, Clemson quarterback

It’s a classic matchup: Star quarterback vs. top-ranked defense. For the Clemson Tigers to have a chance against Texas, Klubnik is going to need to win that battle.

The junior will be playing in front of his hometown fans in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, even as he dons Clemson’s road white and a different shade of orange from the Longhorns’ traditional burnt orange. With more than 3,300 yards on the season and 33 touchdowns – third-best in the nation – Klubnik is aiming to spoil Texas’ hopes for an easy path into the later rounds of the College Football Playoff.

But the unit he’s going up against is no joke. The Longhorns have only allowed four passing touchdowns all year and are only allowing 143.1 passing yards per game – tops in the nation.

Klubnik’s arm has already come up huge for Clemson in the biggest moments of its season so far, going for 262 yards and four touchdowns in the ACC championship game against SMU. He’ll need to outperform those heroics for the Tigers to pull off the massive upset Saturday afternoon.

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State wide receiver

The talented freshman from Miami Gardens, Florida, isn’t just a key player because he can make plays that will turn a game on its head in an instant. He’s also a barometer of just how well the Buckeyes offense is moving the ball and his performance could be an indication of whether Ohio State beats Tennessee Saturday night at The Horseshoe.

The 6’3”, 215-pound playmaker leads the team in receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns and is the team’s strongest big play threat. But when he’s held in check or not targeted, as he was for much of Ohio State’s shocking 13-10 loss to Michigan last month, then the Buckeyes suffer.

Traditionally a ground-and-pound running program, the Buckeyes boast an immensely talented receiving corps this year and have had their biggest wins when they successfully deploy that passing attack.

If offensive coordinator Chip Kelly decides to get away from that passing attack in favor of short runs into the teeth of a strong Tennessee rushing defense – and Smith is left watching the action from the edge of the formation, then it could be another nervous night in Columbus.

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee running back

The junior running back is leading the Volunteers in his first full season as the starter and has become one of the premier backs in college football.

Sampson has racked up honors this year – the Associated Press, coaches and USA Today SEC Offensive Player of the Year, second team All-American and first team All-SEC – after running for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. He’s become the backbone of the Vols’ offense that’s averaged 232.5 yards per game on the ground, good for ninth in the nation.

But the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native is facing his toughest test yet this year against the Buckeyes’ run defense. The Ohio State defense only gives up an average of 96.8 yards per game on the ground this year, sixth-best in the country.

It’s the kind of strength vs. strength matchup that fans arguing for the expanded playoff would have hoped for in the opening round, and will be arguably the key to the marquee matchup of the first round under the lights at historic Ohio Stadium.

Kurtis Rourke, Indiana quarterback

After four years at Ohio University, Rourke transferred to Indiana and has quickly written himself into Hoosier football lore. Twenty-seven touchdowns, 2,827 yards and just four interceptions have made the redshirt senior the centerpiece of the insurgent Indiana football program.

Rourke is aiming to put a cherry on top of a glittering college career with an upset win over Notre Dame on the Fighting Irish’s home field on Friday night, the first game in the expanded playoff and the first College Football Playoff game played at historic Notre Dame Stadium. It’s not exactly a traditional rivalry, but the all-Indiana matchup provides another mouth-watering showdown between a top offensive star and a stout defense.

Indiana comes in averaging 43.3 points per game, second-best in the country, but will face off against Notre Dame’s tough defense that only gives up an average of 157.9 yards per game and 13.6 points – both third-best in the country.

Given that Indiana also sports an incredibly talented defense – second-best overall in the country to Ohio State and the best against the run – Rourke’s ability to potentially break through the Irish’s secondary for big plays might end up being the best chance for the Hoosiers to pull off the biggest win in school history.

Honorable mentions

• Tyler Warren, Penn State TE – The No. 2 tight end in the country, according to Pro Football Focus, Warren is a key target for quarterback Drew Allar.
• Drew Allar, Penn State QB – The junior just announced he’s coming back for his senior year and is looking to cement himself in school lore as one of the best in PSU history.
• Will Howard, OSU QB – The senior transfer needs to get the ball to his talented receiving corps and give the Buckeyes a dimension they lacked in the loss to Michigan.
• TJ Parker, Clemson DE – With 11 sacks on the season, it’s up to the sophomore defensive end to get pressure on Texas’ quarterback duo of Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning.
• Riley Leonard, Notre Dame QB – The dual-threat quarterback faces a tough challenge against Indiana’s stingy rushing defense. He’ll need to use his arms and his legs to cut through the Hoosiers.

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