The top 10 players in the Texas-Ohio State game

Tomorrow, we will finally see the game college football fans have been waiting for all season. There are some truly incredible players that will be on the field tomorrow, but I have my picks for the top 10 players out there Saturday. This was a really tough list to put together, but here is who stands out to me: 

1. Caleb Downs 

This, to me, is the best player in college football. The things Caleb Downs does to make that defense as good as it is can’t be overestimated. He makes that defense look like it has 12 players on the field every single play, mainly because he plays as well as a in the box-LB as he does on the back end in coverage. Caleb Downs is truly a next level athlete and it’s the reason Ohio State has their starting strong safety returning punts. 

1. Jeremiah Smith 

To me, this is the second best player in college football. I believe Ohio State has two players that are far and above the others on their side of the ball. Jeremiah Smith does not need to be explained any more. There is not a thing that he doesn’t do at an elite level and although Texas did well against him last time, it’s going to be a handful to do that again this time around. 

1. Anthony Hill Jr. 

Anthony Hill Jr. is the best LB in the country and will be all over the field on Saturday. He will be the player Julian Sayin has to find before every single snap if he wants to be successful on Saturday. The thing is, if you find him or not, he is going to make an impact. He is too athletic, bendy and long to really be able to slow down consistently. 

1. Colin Simmons 

Colin Simmons is the best edge rusher in the country in my eyes. That gives us four players in this game that are the premier players at their position in college football. Simmons speed off the line doesn’t take a back seat to anyone else in the country and I know the Ohio State OTs are doing their best to get ready for #11 tomorrow. 

1. Michael Taaffe

Michael Taaffe would be getting much more talk in this game if he wasn’t somehow the third best defensive player on his own team. He doesn’t do just about anything poorly, but where he is special is playing “centerfield” in the backend and flying down to make a play in the run game. If Caleb Downs is the perfect safety prospect, Michael Taaffe is not far from it. 

1. Sonny Styles

Sonny Styles going for over 100 tackles in his first year at LB is incredibly impressive and I expect him to only continue to grow. He brings similar versatility for Ohio State that Anthony Hill does for Texas, just not as polished of a LB right now. Styles will be heard from in this game, just as he was in the Cotton Bowl nine months ago. 

1. Malik Muhammad

Malik Muhammad is the best coverage corner in this game. His length is NFL level and he continues to get better and better when it comes to the physical requirements. There are not many CBs in the country that can match up straight up on Ohio State WRs, and Muhammad is one of them. I believe he could become the next great Texas DB after Jahdae Barron moved on to the NFL.

1. Carnell Tate 

If Carnell Tate was one just about any other team outside of Columbus, Ohio, he would be talked about as a top 10 WR in the country. What he can do getting in and out of routes is truly incredible, and Texas fans saw plenty of that in the Cotton Bowl. He only continues to grow and if last year was an indication, he will get plenty of chances tomorrow to prove himself. 

1. Max Klare

Max Klare is another name that should be talked about more heading into this game, but when you are standing next to Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, you don’t look too impressive. He is incredibly impressive and he’s going to make a huge impact in the game tomorrow and the Buckeyes season throughout. Incredible route running ability, great hands and a very willing blocker. He’s going to make waves this season. 

1. DJ Campbell

In a game of questionable OLs, this is the one guy I know what I’m getting from. DJ Campbell is going to be a force in the run game all year for Texas, and is likely to continue to develop as a pass protector. His knowledge of the offense, strength at the point of attack and mentality gives me the confidence to have him close out my list here. 

This game is loaded at just about every position. Guys like Tre Wisner, Ryan Wingo, Jack Endries, Davison Igbinosun, Kenyatta Jackson and more could’ve made an appearance on this list, but those are the ten that stand out to me. Suffice to say, this game is going to have as much NFL-talent as any game this season. Plenty of players will make plenty of money tomorrow, it just comes down to which team's players make more.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Ten best players in the Texas vs. Ohio State matchup