Game Preview: Cotton Bowl

Kyle Pollock

henryThe College Football Playoff features two great matchups, but both are vastly different matchups. The Orange Bowl, featuring Clemson and Oklahoma, will be a game that features two offensive juggernauts who like to play fast paced, up tempo football while primarily using Spread and Air Raid concepts. The Cotton Bowl however, is a much more traditional matchup. Michigan State and Alabama both have excellent defenses and rely on a grind it out, pro-style offenses. All four teams have plenty of talent, and in this preview we’ll take a look at the Cotton Bowl between Bama and Michigan State.

Alabama

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The strength of Alabama is its power running game centered on Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. Henry received 339 carries this year, which is actually greater than the amount of times starting quarterback Jacob Coker attempted a pass. Coker is a fifth year senior who transferred from Florida State two years ago. After being beaten out by Blake Sims last season, Coker took over as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback this season. Coker isn’t a special prospect by any stretch of the imagination. Although he has prototypical size for the position (6’5”, 232 pounds), he is lacking in most other areas. While he does have an NFL caliber arm, he isn’t accurate enough and lacks the pocket presence to ever become anything more than a third string quarterback or below average backup in the league. I was surprised to hear that Coker even got invited to the Senior Bowl, and I believe that he will be the worst quarterback at the game. The highest I could see him going is the sixth or seventh round, but I personally wouldn’t draft him. Coker is backed up my multiple highly regarded recruits, most notably Blake Barnett. I’m not a fan of Barnett, even though he was a five star recruit and the number two quarterback in last year’s class. Cooper Bateman lost the quarterback competition to Coker over the summer, and the former four star should be the favorite to start heading into next season.

Derrick Henry is one of the biggest stars in college football and won multiple postseason awards, including the Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker Award (nation’s best running back), and Maxwell Award (nation’s most outstanding player). He is also one of the most polarizing players in this year’s draft, as some believe he should be a first round pick, while others think he shouldn’t go until day three. At the very least, no one can deny that he is one of the more unique running back prospects of the last few years.

At 6’3” 242 pounds, Henry is much bigger than most other running backs. He is also an athletic freak, who posted a SPARQ score of 142.87 during his senior year of high school. Henry ran a 4.52 forty yard dash, ran the 20 yard shuttle in 4.12 seconds, and jumped 42 inches in the vertical jump. At 242 pounds, these numbers are remarkable. Physically and athletically, Henry fits the mold of a bell cow running back, but I’m skeptical of whether or not he will be one in the NFL. Henry’s long legs make it difficult for him to perform lateral movements quickly, something vital in today’s game. He runs fairly high, but this is likely because of his height. His strength lacks consistency: on one play he will break multiple tackles, but a few plays later we will go down on first contact. I’m skeptical of Henry’s vision, but he displayed enough patience for me to believe that it won’t be a major issue for him. He hasn’t been active in the passing game at Alabama, but he is an excellent pass blocker and this should allow him to get on the field early in the NFL. For the time being, I don’t believe that Henry is an elite running back worthy of a first or second round draft pick. Right now I can see taking him as a third or fourth round pick as part of a committee for a Power based running team, but I want to watch more of Henry to get a better field for him. Here are some of Henry’s highlights from both high school and college:

Bama is essentially “Running Back U”, so of course the rest of the backfield is stocked with talent. Kenyan Drake spells Henry, and is a good receiver out of the backfield. A senior this season, Drake should get drafted in the later rounds of this year’s draft. He has good size, hands, and speed and thus should be able to stick around in the NFL. With Henry and Drake leaving, who is expected to take over as Bama’s bellcow? The Tide will likely employ a committee next season with Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough. Harris was the number one running back in last year’s recruiting class, while Scarbrough was the number two athlete two classes ago. Both players were five star recruits. Scarbrough is an athletic freak, and possesses Henry-esqe size (6’2”, 240 pounds). He’s not without flaws, as he was academically ineligible to play his freshman season, tore his ACL in the spring, and was suspended for the first four games of the season. Harris is a complete runner, who has good power but can also make defenders miss in the open field. Out of the two backs, I would take Harris but it’s very close.

Alabama consistently has the number one recruiting class in the country, and wide receiver Calvin Ridley was the gem of last year’s class. I love Ridley’s game, and he’s very reminiscent of former Tide standout Amari Cooper. He is already a complete wide receiver, and should be one of the top receivers in the country next year. As the consensus number one receiver in the country, Ridley has made an immediate impact for the Tide. He has taken over as the team’s number one receiver as he leads the team in every category, including targets. This kind of year should be expected due to Ridley’s age. He is currently 21 years old, and is only a few months younger than Cooper. It’s very concerning to me that when Ridley enters the NFL, he’ll be close to 24 (or 25 if he stays for his senior season). His age is a major concern for devy owners, but every other aspect of his game is good enough for him to succeed at the next level. Whether this a product of his age is yet to be seen. Other than Ridley, there aren’t any receivers on Bama who have stood out this year. Ardarius Stewart, Chris Black, Cameron Sims, Robert Foster, and Daylon Charlot were all top 10 players at their position coming out of high school, but none have lived up to the hype. Out of the bunch I prefer Charlot, who was a freshman this season. He could form a nice duo with Ridley in the coming seasons.

Lastly, OJ Howard is considered one of the best tight end prospects in the nation. Coming out of high school, Howard was a five star recruit which is extremely rare for a tight end. Talent has never been a question for Howard, but he has been severely underutilized by the Tide. Physically, he could be one of the top tight ends to enter the league in a long time, as his combination of size, athleticism, and receiving ability are rarely seen. However, you have to take into account his usage, particularly this year. If Howard can be such a dominant receiver, why didn’t offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin use him more when he was so short on receivers? Howard reminds me of Chargers tight end Ladarius Green in many ways. He’s an athletic freak who has the frame to be a dominant receiving threat in the NFL, but all the positive hype hasn’t translated to the field.

Michigan State

The Spartans are led by fifth year senior Connor Cook, who is one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class. Cook is a three year starter for Michigan State, who has gone 34-4 in his starts (89% winning percentage). At 6’4”, 220 pounds, he has ideal size for an NFL quarterback. He also has a great arm, and continually looks to use his arm in the vertical game. He has good accuracy in all areas of the field, but sometimes lacks consistency on short throws. I’d like to see Cook improve his footwork, as right now it can use some work. While he displays nice presence in the pocket, he rarely steps up or moves around within the pocket. He plays with a fearless, gunslinger mentality and always seems to be looking for a big play. While this is exciting for fans to watch, it does lead to Cook making some bonehead mistakes. One trait that I like about Cook is that he seems to make his number one receiver a star regardless of who they are. Last year Tony Lippett, a converted defensive back who had never had more than 600 yards receiving in a year coming into his senior season, burst onto the scene and was named Big Ten receiver of the year. This year, it’s Aaron Burbridge who came out of nowhere to win the award. Because Cook trusts his top target so much, he will be able to have great success on a team that has an elite number one receiver. I think the Texans and Cardinals would be ideal fits for Cook because of their scheme and receivers, but the Bills could also be a good landing spot.

Michigan State is a run first team, and a trio of backs carry the load for them. The leading rusher for the Spartans’ is true freshman L.J. Scott. I love Scott, as he was my number three running back coming out of high school. He hasn’t disappointed this season, rushing for 691 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry. At 6’, 233 pounds Scott is a very powerful back who is also very elusive and athletic. He’s not a speedster (I’ve seen his forty time reported as 4.42 and 4.68, but he looks somewhere in between the two), but did have a reported 37” vertical jump and 485 pound squat max. This explosiveness is apparent on tape, and combined with his great vision, makes him a force to be reckoned with. Scott is very difficult to bring down, and often pushes for a few extra yards before being brought down. He reminds me of a slower Jonathan Stewart, and he should be the face of the program for the next two to three seasons. Madre London and Gerald Holmes are the other two backs in the committee. London is a redshirt freshman, and Holmes is a redshirt sophomore. I prefer London to Holmes, as he is more athletic, more explosive, and was a higher regarded recruit out of high school. Holmes is a physical back, but is more of a plodder and has been less productive over the course of his career.

The past two ‘Big Ten Receiver of the Year’ award winners have been from Michigan State: Tony Lippett and Aaron Burbridge. Until this season, Burbridge had relatively no production, and was seen as having failed to live up to the expectations of being a four star recruit. This year he has enjoyed a breakout season, and has shown that he is actually one of the top receivers in this year’s draft class. At 6’1”, 208 pounds, Burbridge has a physical makeup that will allow him to play both inside and outside in the NFL. This versatility is aided by his excellent route running, as he runs crisp and precise routes. I believe that he is one of the better route runners in the class, and this should help him have a long career in the league. Burbridge also flashes great body control on film, routinely making highlight catches while falling out of bounds or air. Another positive of his game is that he is a natural hands catcher who rarely drops passes. He has no real flaws in his game, but doesn’t excel in any particular area. For this reason, I don’t ever see Burbridge becoming a WR1, but he could be a great WR2/complementary receiver to pair with an elite wide receiver. He’s pretty similar to Mohamed Sanu, and his ceiling is as a player similar to Anquan Boldin. I’d expect him to be drafted between rounds 2-4 in the upcoming draft. Some of the Burbridge’s highlights can be seen below:

Another receiver to keep an eye on for the Spartans is freshman receiver Felton Davis. He’ll need to put on some weight to fill out his 6’4” frame, as he only weighs 184 pounds, but he was absolutely dominant in high school. Davis is an extremely fluid for a player who is so tall, and is very agile for someone with such long legs. I like his ball skills, and he was also a proficient route runner who was running double moves in high school. He profiles as someone who could be the X receiver for Michigan State for the next 2-3 seasons.

All Josiah Price does is catch touchdowns! Price has had at least four touchdowns in each of his three seasons, including six in each of the past two. For his career Price averages a touchdown roughly once every four receptions, a very impressive number. At 6’4”, 252 pounds, Price has relatively average size for the position. He is a reliable target for any quarterback, and I think he’ll be one of the top tight ends in next year’s draft class (assuming he returns). Price is reminiscent of former Wisconsin tight end Owen Daniels. He never dominated in college, but showed that he was a complete tight end who could find ways to get open. He’s found a way to become a consistent threat in the middle of the field and the red zone, allowing him to play eight years in the NFL and finish as a top ten tight end three times. While no one is going to get excited over this comparison, any team would be happy to get that sort of production from a middle to late round draft pick.

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