Mano a Mano: Top 1 on 1 Match-Ups in College Football

By Joseph Barry on July 29, 2013

Every year there are several good games in college football. Then, there are a handful of great games in a season. But, if you are really lucky, and the season is incredibly magical, you have a legendary game of college football that is talked about for years and years to come (see the Texas-USC national championship from the 2005 season).

However, while a majority of America watches college football regularly on Saturdays (and sometimes Thursdays), only the purists watch for the special match-ups. The battles between two players, going at each other each play, can be more entertaining than the game itself. For example, a monster defensive end going blow for blow with a beast of a left tackle, or the speedy receiver matching up against the ballhawking corner, can provide more excitement than the scoreboard would indicate.

Looking ahead to the 2013 season, there will undoubtedly be some great one on one match-ups going on in college football’s biggest of games. Here’s my list of top 5 one on one battles to watch for this season.

Tiny Richardson vs. Jadeveon Clowney – The SEC has three elite offensive tackles this season that have first round potential in the 2014 NFL Draft: Cyrus Kouandjio of Alabama, Jake Matthews of Texas A&M, and Antonio “Tiny” Richardson of Tennessee. As far as defensive players go (or really any player), Jadeveon Clowney is a once in a generation player who has a serious shot to take home the Heisman Trophy this season if his already incredible numbers improve as expected. Unfortunately, Clowney won’t be playing against two of these three tackles since Kouandjio and Matthews play in the SEC West, while Clowney’s Gamecocks of South Carolina are in the East; however, he will get to go against Richardson when USC visits Rocky Top for a game against their division rival. The two are very familiar with one another after going at it all day in last season’s match-up, and there is plenty of bad blood from the two players’ last play against one another that effectively solidified the outcome of the game (check out the video).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wktUi3U6RDw

While that play obviously left a bad taste in Richardson’s mouth that can only be cleaned by a victory this year, that was the first sack of the game that Richardson gave up: period. Now Clowney v. Richardson Round 2 will be here in a few months on October 19th, and despite traditionally not being so-called glory positions, you better believe that the team with the advantage in the trenches will have a leg up to win the game. Richardson is apart of what many are calling the best offensive line in the Southeastern Conference, while Clowney’s addition alone puts South Carolina’s defensive line near the top of the conference. This is a match-up that will continue on into the NFL, so definitely tune in to the budding rivalry of two players holding down their respective lines.

Taylor Lewan vs. Stephon Tuitt – This battle could easily be called Richardson/Clowney (North). Or maybe that match-up should be called Lewan/Tuitt (South), because this one on one spectacle of trench warfare boasts just as much talent as the SEC’s, and the Michigan/Notre Dame rivalry is arguably bigger than Tennessee/South Carolina. Taylor Lewan passed up being a top pick in this year’s draft in order to come back for his senior year and cement his legacy as a true ‘Michigan Man’. He is projected by many to be one of the first three OT’s taken in 2014, and with his 6’8/308 lb. frame it is easy to see why. On the other side of the line, Stephon Tuitt is part of what should be the best defensive line in college football this upcoming year for the Fighting Irish. Last year, Notre Dame got the best of Michigan in a defensive game, winning 13-6; Tuitt also registered one sack in the game. As the two build on very good 2012 seasons, scouts will being keeping a very close eye on the potential first-rounders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EhJdcnRBxo

Johnny Manziel vs. CJ Mosley - The best quarterback of the SEC’s best offense vs. the best inside linebacker of the SEC’s best defense will being going head to head in this matchup. Both Johnny Manziel and CJ Mosley were voted to the first team preseason all conference list at SEC Media Day, and, barring injury, each should be there at season’s end as well if they can replicate their 2012 numbers. Anyone who has watched Alabama football in the last half-decade knows that Saban’s middle linebackers are essentially the quarterback of the defense, just as important as the guy taking the snap on the other side of the ball (look at Rolando McClain and Dont’a Hightower). After an entire offseason to study game film from last seasons game against A&M, don’t be surprised if Mosley has an idea of what Manziel will do before he does it. However, perhaps that is selling the reigning Heisman winner a little short. If Johnny Manziel wasn’t a football player, I’m convinced that he would be an improv actor because of all the improvised moves he comes up with on the field. Stuff like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtxaHwgr6ZQ

You have to believe that Manziel and Mosley are the smartest guys on the field for their respective teams, arguably in their conference, and maybe even in all of college football; they will be reading each other’s every move in one of the biggest match-ups college football has to offer.

Manziel and Mosley could be the best players on their respective sides of the ball in all of college football; photo from alabama.247sports.com

Marcus Mariota vs. Shayne Skov – Mariota (Oregon) vs. Skov (Stanford) will be the West Coast version of Manziel vs. Mosley. Skov surprised a few people by coming back for his fifth year, but he felt like he had something to prove before leaving Stanford. He was slated to be a firth rounder in the NFL Draft the way he was playing in 2011; however, a season-ending knee injury and a so-so 2012 campaign (that was still good, but not at the level his 2011 season showed he could be) made the decision easy for Skov to return to school and play 2013 at full strength. He will lead a Stanford defense into the season as one that could go blow for blow with the best defenses in college football. His name was frequently called during the Cardinal’s upset victory over Oregon last season, an OT win in which Oregon scored a season low for points with 14 (their next lowest total in a game was 35!). Just take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDGMfFe0HXw

However, just because Stanford cracked the code once and finally beat the Ducks, don’t think for a second that this year’s match-up is a done deal. Mariota was spectacular enough last season to make people forget he was a freshman, and he would likely have been the most hyped freshman of the year if not for Johnny Manziel. Mariota is quick enough to juke the secondary and precise enough to have accounted for 32 TD passes last year. He’s only getting better with a full season under his belt, and the Stanford game will be marked on Mariota’s calendar, as the Cardinal was the only team to beat the Ducks a season ago.

Marqise Lee vs. Ed Reynolds - As Stanford has risen to the upper echelon of college football over the last half decade, they have been known for their power running and a strong front seven on defense. While their front seven, led by Shayne Skov, will be terrorizing quarterbacks once again, their secondary, led by Ed Reynolds, could end up being the strong point of the D this year. He led the team with six interceptions and finished the season as a member of the All-Pac-12 first team. Reynolds will need those ballhawking skills to prevent Marqise Lee of USC from scorching the secondary. Some could argue that Lee’s numbers will decline without Matt Barkley throwing to him anymore, but Lee instantly makes a quarterback look better by reeling in his passes. Also, I don’t care if you play in the defense-heavy SEC or offense-happy Pac-12; his 118 receptions and 1721 receiving yards from 2012 are flat-out impressive. While wide receivers usually don’t go one on one against safeties, Lee definitely has the speed to break past the corner and find Reynolds to be the only line of defense between he and the end zone. If Stanford has to take chances on Lee, having a guy like Reynolds at safety sure makes a coach feel more confident. These two will be looked to to make a few plays that tilt the game into each’s respective team’s favor. (I’m just throwing this Marqise Lee highlight video because he will rival fellow Pac-12 player De’Anthony Thomas (Oregon) as the most exciting player in college football next season.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIjzTV0r1po

Just remember when you are watching college football this season, look out for the Inception of college football: the game within a game.

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