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Totally forgot Muschamp is coaching at SC now
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McShay's Prospect Watch for Week 1's best CFB games
Top RB prospects Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook will be on full display this weekend. Getty Images
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1:58 PM ET
Todd McShay
ESPN Senior Writer
College football season is finally here. Let's dig into some of the best games on the Week 1 slate -- LSU-Wisconsin, Georgia-North Carolina, USC-Alabama and Ole Miss-Florida State. Here's what I'll be watching for from some of the best 2017 NFL draft prospects in action this weekend:
LSU vs. Wisconsin
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC (in Green Bay)
Leonard Fournette is the most talented running back I've evaluated since Adrian Peterson. My preseason No. 1 overall prospect, Fournette has yet to miss a game in his LSU career, but how will he respond after tweaking his ankle during an August practice? He has averaged more than 6 yards per carry in his 25 college games. ... I'm interested to see how Tigers defensive coordinator Dave Aranda uses safety Jamal Adams. He'll likely get a lot of in-the-box and overhang responsibilities to maximize his run-stopping ability. Adams has elite instincts, especially when defending the run. ... Wisconsin RB Corey Clement is the Badgers' X factor. Coming off a disappointing and injury-riddled 2015, he's in peak shape and Wisconsin needs to ride him against LSU's stout defense. ... The Tigers' ceiling could come down to QB Brandon Harris' ability to get his two top-10 WRs, Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural, the ball downfield. Both have great size and jump-ball ability, averaging a combined 17.3 yards per catch last season.
Georgia vs. North Carolina
Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN (in Atlanta)
With coach Kirby Smart sticking with the Alabama QB philosophy and starting Greyson Lambert over the young pup Jacob Eason, you can bet Georgia's offense will center around RB Nick Chubb. We gave him a second-round grade coming off last season's knee injury, but he should get ample opportunity to boost his stock running behind an offensive line that features Greg Pyke, our sixth-rated guard. ... UNC starting QB Mitch Trubisky has thrown just 125 career passes in college, but he'll have some help. Caleb Peterson and Jon Heck, two veteran pro prospects along the O-line, figure to be an asset against a somewhat young Georgia D that lost talent in the front seven. ... Don't forget about Mack Hollins, our No. 6 WR who has elite big-play ability (24.8 yards per catch last year). How often will Hollins and Georgia's Dominick Sanders (No. 8 safety) match up against each other? Sanders has good ball skills, with nine interceptions and 11 pass breakups in his first two seasons.
USC vs. Alabama
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET on ABC (in Arlington, Texas)
The Trojans are loaded on offense, and it starts with WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. I can't wait to see him match up against a Nick Saban-coached defense. Smith-Schuster has explosive raw ability. He couldn't ask for a better stage to showcase improved consistency ... One of the matchups I'm most excited to watch: Alabama WR Calvin Ridley vs. USC CB Adoree' Jackson. These are two fantastic athletes -- Jackson has world-class speed, and Ridley profiles as an early-round pick down the road after posting 7 TDs as a freshman in 2015. Jackson has a chance to improve his second-round grade if he shows better recognition skills this season. This will be his first big test. ... Alabama is tied with LSU and Michigan for the most players (nine) in our preseason top 150. The one I'll be watching the closest on Saturday? TE O.J. Howard, who went off for 208 yards and 2 TDs in the national championship game. He needs to improve his route-running in 2016 to become a more consistent force and reach ceiling as a potential first-round pick.
Ole Miss vs. Florida State
Monday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN (in Orlando)
After talking to Jimbo Fisher this offseason, it's clear he really likes this team, and the Seminoles will get a great test out of the gate. Dalvin Cook would be my top-ranked RB most years, but he's currently second on my board behind Fournette. A three-down back who makes defenders miss with subtle changes in direction and speed, Cook is electrifying in the open field. ... Cook will see plenty of Ole Miss S Tony Conner, who's coming off an injury-shortened 2015 season but has proven to be an exceptional run defender. Conner will have to do a great job of tackling in space against Cook. ... Chad Kelly (our No. 5 QB) has all of the physical tools, which gives him a high ceiling. But I need to see more consistency in his decision making and accuracy this season, and it starts on Monday against a Florida State defense that again has a ton of talent all over the field.
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Police executive blasts Colin Kaepernick over socks
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Kaepernick's pig socks will be 'difficult to justify' (1:31)
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6:51 PM ET
ESPN.com news services
After the head of a national police organization blasted Colin Kaepernick on Thursday for wearing socks with cartoon pigs in police hats, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback said he didn't want the apparel to distract from his protest of racial inequalities in America.
On Instagram, Kaepernick said he wore the socks in practice to make a statement -- but he did so before he took a public stance by refusing to stand for the national anthem at preseason games.
"I wore these socks, in the past, because the rogue cops that are allowed to hold positions in police departments, not only put the community in danger, but also the cops that have the right intentions in danger by creating an environment of tension and mistrust," Kaepernick wrote on Instagram on Thursday. "I have two uncles and friends who are police officers and work to protect and serve ALL people. So before these socks, which were worn before I took my public stance, are used to distract from the real issues, I wanted to address this immediately."
According to USA Today, Kaepernick reportedly wore the socks as early as Aug. 10, but he had not been asked about them. Images of the socks were posted on social media Wednesday night and quickly created a stir.
Colin Kaepernick, right, wears socks depicting cartoon pigs in police hats during practice on Aug. 10. AP Images
"It's just ridiculous that the same league that prohibits the Dallas football club from honoring the slain officers in their community with their uniforms stands silent when Kaepernick is dishonoring police officers with what he's wearing on the field," Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, said, according to USA TODAY Sports.
"I think the league is in a downward spiral regarding their obligations to the public under Roger Goodell, and this is just another example of that."
The league has taken action in the past for what players wear at practice. The NFL told the Patriots this summer that players must wear numbers on their practice uniforms, in part to monitor injured players. It's not clear if the league would come down on Kaepernick's statement socks. According to USA Today, the league said it would not comment until it spoke to the Niners.
On Sunday, Kaepernick said he welcomed the attention that his stance has garnered.
EDITOR'S PICKS
Kareem: Kaepernick needs to be part of solution
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said Thursday that he hopes Colin Kaepernick uses the platform he has established to help solve the issues he has taken a stand on.
"The fact that it has blown up like this, I think it's a good thing. It brings awareness," he said. "Now, I think people are really talking about it. Having conversations about how to make change. What's really going on in this country. And we can move forward. ... There is police brutality. People of color have been targeted by police. So that's a large part of it, and they're government officials. They are put in place by the government. So that's something that this country has to change. There's things we can do to hold them more accountable. Make those standards higher."
Kaepernick is expected to play Thursday night against the San Diego Chargers, who will be holding their annual salute to the military at the game. He has indicated that he will continue to sit for the national anthem until he sees change in the country.
The socks are not the first apparel that Kaepernick has worn to make a statement. He also wore a Fidel Castro T-shirt and a Malcolm X hat last week. He has not been seen by the media wearing the socks since a San Francisco police officer's union official complained about his lack of sensitivity on Monday.
Johnson, who represents more than 240,000 active law enforcement officers, called Kaepernick wearing the socks disrespectful, according to USA Today.
"It doesn't seem like he's thought through or bothered to educate himself about the way are out there trying to do a very difficult job, and the vast majority of the time get the job done right," Johnson said, according to the newspaper.
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I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...
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