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The Federal Aviation Administration's shutdown of air travel on Friday has cast uncertainty over this weekend's college football schedule, potentially affecting teams' ability to reach their game sites. As of Friday evening, the Texas Longhorns and Utah Utes remained grounded, while USC and Texas Tech had already arrived at their destinations, according to Matt Fortuna of the Sports Business Journal.
Four games between playoff-relevant teams are slated for Saturday, though it remains to be seen whether all will kick off as scheduled. Below is a breakdown of the biggest matchups, along with the top-150 prospects participating in each, per the consensus draft board.
#18 USC at #9 Indiana (CBS, 2:30 p.m. CT)
Indiana boasts the higher-end talent in this game, with the two best prospects being wide receivers for the Hoosiers: Charlie Becker (No. 7) and Nick Marsh (No. 22). USC counters with offensive lineman Elijah Paige (No. 49), quarterback Jayden Maiava (No. 56), and defensive lineman Jide Abasiri (No. 100), while Indiana also features offensive lineman Carter Smith (No. 50), cornerback Jamari Sharpe (No. 103), and edge defender Tobi Osunsanmi (No. 138).
Josh Hoover, Indiana's preferred starting quarterback, is coming off an injury and is expected to start, though it's unclear whether he'll be at 100 percent. A loss for Indiana would open the door for teams like Oregon, Ohio State, or USC to face UCLA in the Big Ten championship.
#2 Utah at #23 Arizona (FOX, 6:30 p.m. CT)
One of the meteoric risers in this draft class is Zereoue Williams (No. 19), a 6-foot-8 offensive lineman and former basketball player who sat for five years at Utah before becoming a full-time starter this season. He is currently the second-ranked offensive lineman on the consensus board, behind only LSU's Jordan Seaton.
Safety Jackson Bennee (No. 118) and running back Wayshawn Parker (No. 127, questionable) are also prospects to watch. Parker, whose running style resembles a young Aaron Jones, has been playing through injury recently and is expected to suit up even if not fully healthy. The game has been moved to 9:30 p.m. CT.
#6 Texas at #21 LSU (ABC, 6:30 p.m. CT)
Texas welcomes back edge defender Colin Simmons (No. 2), but remains without two key offensive contributors: offensive lineman Trevor Goosby (No. 14, out) and running back Hollywood Smothers (No. 142, out). The Longhorns also feature wide receiver Cam Coleman (No. 16), quarterback Arch Manning (No. 17), offensive lineman Melvin Siani (No. 60), safety Jelani McDonald (No. 65), wide receiver Ryan Wingo (No. 69), and linebacker Rasheem Biles (No. 79).
LSU, on the brink of playoff elimination, counters with offensive lineman Jordan Seaton (No. 6), tight end Trey'Dez Green (No. 27), edge defender Jordan Ross (No. 68), edge defender Princewell Umanmielen (No. 72), safety Ty Benefield (No. 76), wide receiver Jackson Harris (No. 77), and quarterback Sam Leavitt (No. 126). Something will have to give between the highly ranked two-loss Longhorns and the desperate Tigers.
#12 Texas Tech at #25 Oklahoma State (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. CT)
The Big 12 is surprisingly deep this year, with Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Utah, Arizona, and BYU all in the mix. Oklahoma State's passing game, led by projected top-five pick Drew Mestemaker (No. 3) at quarterback, will draw the most attention, but the Red Raiders' defense should not be overlooked.
Texas Tech has assembled a tough defense through the transfer portal, featuring defensive lineman A.J. Holmes Jr. (No. 87), cornerback Brice Pollock (No. 95), defensive lineman Mateen Ibirogba (No. 106), tight end Terrance Carter (No. 117), and linebacker Ben Roberts (No. 141). Oklahoma State also boasts wide receiver Wyatt Young (No. 85) and wide receiver Justin Bowick (No. 89).
Originally reported by yahoo.