College Football's Best of the Best 2010-2011

8/8/2019 College Football's Best of the Best 2010-2011

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The Best of

the Best2010-2011 Season

Then look no further.

The 2010-2011 Best of the Best guide is here.

This guide lists and ranks, qualifies and quantifies,

analyzes and examines the best players from the best

teams in all six BCS conferences. We rank breakdown

players within their own team, then within their own

conference, and finally, against each other.

Weve left no stone unturned and we hope you enjoy

reading the first edition of what we hopes to be anannual publication.

Mostly, we just hope this list stirs some lively debate.

Enjoy.

Looking for a comprehensiveranking of all the big teams

and all the big players?

By Team

Rankings and Lists

By Conference

Scott Tolzien

QB, Wisconsin

Leonard Hankerson

WR, Miami

Tyler Sash S, Iowa

EBES

By Big Six


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Letter from the Editor:

To the (hopeful) loyal readers:

Id like to say thank you.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this little

publication.

Admittedly, were a small staff. And ultimately, these are

just a small staffs opinions.

But like many of you who chose to open this today, we

aremajor fans of college football, so much you could say

were geeks about it.

So what exactly are you reading? And why should you

read further?

Well, at EB Editorial, weve taken the time to watch more

than 220 college football games this season. More than

200 of those have been watched more than once. Almost

all of those have been watched as been watched more

than twice. So on and so forth.

At an average of about 135 plays per game, thatswell,

way too many plays to count.

But we did it. Sometimes tediously, sometimes

monotonously, we charted each play in each game for

various parameters. And perhaps unfortunately there

was no sophisticated computer program or software to

help in this task. Down and distance, yards gained, yards

lost, completions, attempts, tackles, sacks, knockdowns

it was all taken into consideration and written by hand or

typed into a regular ol Excel spreadsheet.

Using both numerical data and the old eyeball test, these

rankings were created.

These arent rankings of who we believe will make the

best NFLers, or even who we think should have been First

Team All-Gateway Conference or the like. These are

simply the best players and theyre listed as such.

Whos the best college football player at this very momentat his position? In his conference? How does he stack up

against players in other conferences?

Youll figure it out here.

A point or two about qualification of these rankings:

The individual rankings may be the most difficult task. For

each list, we only used one player per team and each team

had to have one player on the list.

So, for example, a team like Virginia Tech may get the

short end of the stick as they take a committee approach.

Conversely, a player like James White at Wisconsin was

left off the list because while he may be the third best

running back in the Big Ten, hes not even the best on his

team.

Finally, this isnt a list that considers just numbers. We like

to think its an all-encompassing list. We rank by statistics,

sure, but also by talent (or, in some cases, perceived

talent) and relativity meaning, would Georgia Techs

Anthony Allen put up as many yards if he were playing in

Team Xs system?

We stayed away from charting offensive linemen and

tight ends, too. Why? Because, frankly, theyre very hardto evaluate. We began to do it and decided we didnt

want to bore you to death with talk of bends at the

knees, not at the waist and great footwork but struggles

with speed rushers.

All that being said, if youve made it this far, youre our

kind of reader. You dig through the fluff, pomp and

circumstance and get to the root of it.

Theres a lot of information here. Some of it we wish we

could have broken down more in-depth.

But hey, theres always next year.

We hope you debate this.

We hope you send up sharp-tongued e-mails or tweets

telling us how crazy we are.

We hope it makes you want to read it again next year.

We hope you want to advise on what you liked and what

you didnt.

Mostly, we just hope you like it.

Thank you again for reading.

Enjoy.

Sincerely,

Eric W. Bolin


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Big Ten - Quarterbacks

1. Denard Robinson Michigan2. Terrelle Pryor Ohio State3. Scott Tolzien Wisconsin4. Dan Persa Northwestern5. Ricky Stanzi Iowa6. Kirk Cousins Michigan State7. Ben Chappell Indiana8. Adam Weber Minnesota9. Nathan Scheelhaase Illinois10. Mike McGloin Penn State11. Rob Henry - Purdue

Big Ten Conference

Largely dominated by powerful ground games andphysical defenses in recent years, the Big TenConference produced three of the nations mostdynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in the country in

2010.

Robinson was a Heisman contender early. Pryor waseven better this year. And Persa led a team with noreal running game to speak of. Even Scheelhaase canmove the ball on the ground.

Times are changing in the Midwest.

Robinson: Its really a shame he has middling wide receivers and no running back. Teams loaded in the box to stop him

and he still ran wild in the first half. He slowed late, but, man, get the guy some talent.

Pryor: He beats No.s 3 and 4 on the list from a talent perspective alone. Seems people want to knock him down

because of what he DOESNT do instead of noting what he does. Those 25 TD throws are nothing at which to sneeze.

Tolzien: Another Big Ten QB he did a lot with a little. Hes not expected to win games his RBs do that but hes as

efficient with anyone with little help at WR.

Persa: We want to put him higher. He was First Team All Big Ten. He can run, he can throw and he led the Cats to

some improbable wins. But in tight ones, Northwestern didnt come through, thus his drop to No. 4.

Stanzi: So the Hawkeyes couldnt repeat last years success. Not Stanzis fault, really. Only threw four interceptions to

go with his 25 touchdowns. Iowa just didnt have the magic of 2009.

Cousins: It doesnt seem fair that we prop Tolzien up for being a game-manager and drop Cousins for the same thing.

Sparty beat UW head-to-head and Cousins doesnt have Tolziens running game. But he also threw more interceptions

and has better receivers.

Chappell: Yes, his team stunk. Yes, he put up big numbers. Yes, those numbers are a product of the system. Still, hes a

good quarterback with no offensive line and no running game.

Weber: Talent isnt lacking, but decision-making is. Just a 2-to-1 TD to INT ratio and his teams lack of performance got

its coach fired midway through the season. Hard to rank higher, regardless of talent.

Scheelhaase: No one knew who the Illini QB would be at the beginning of the season. The freshman took the job and

ran with it. Sixteen TDs are impressive considering he has the worst receiving corps in the conference.

McGloin: Had he played the whole season as starter, he may be higher. He took over midway through and threw 13

TD and just 4 INT. Too little, too late for the junior. Were also thinking those TDs were a product of a good receiving

corps and not so much a lot of talent at QB.

Henry: What a mess. Three different quarterbacks took the reins in West Lafayette, Ind., and none of them were good.

Henry finished as the starter and was better in his last two games, but even though hes a freshman, we doubt hell

take the reins for good next year.


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SEC - Quarterbacks

1. Cam Newton Auburn2. Ryan Mallett Arkansas3. Greg McElroy Alabama4. Aaron Murray Georgia5. Stephen Garcia South Carolina6.

Mike Hartline Kentucky

7. Chris Relf Mississippi State8. Jeremiah Masoli Ole Miss9. JeffBrantley Florida10. Jordan Jefferson LSU11. Tyler Bray Tennessee12. Larry Smith - Vanderbilt

Southeastern Conference

Newtons presence along makes the SEC QB club a

one of the best in the country.

There were more classic passers this year than wewould have figured. At least, classic passers fared

better than their dual-threat counterparts for themost part.

From top to bottom, it isnt terribly deep, but thefirst four are all really good players. Oh, and morethan the group will be back next year.

Newton: Shocker, huh? Do we even need to give an explanation here? Didnt think so.

Mallett: Maybe the second-best quarterback in the country, not just the SEC. Ridiculous numbers again and he was

bolstered by a good running attack (at least in the second half). A sure-fire first rounder when he heads to the NFL.

McElroy: A better season than last, believe it or not, at least, individually. A healthy Julio Jones helped, but McElroy won

games because of his arm at times this year. The ultimate game-manager.

Murray: It might have been a bad year in Athens but dont blame the redshirt freshman. Things look bright for the

Bulldogs in the future. His 24-to-6 TD-INT ratio is tied with Newton for SECs best.

Garcia: Talent finally shined through at times this year. He can run, he can throw, but he still gets knocked a peg or two

for some questionable decision-making.

Hartline: Maybe were ranking him higher because hes such a surprise. We didnt think he had a shot in the world of

being QB again this year. He won the job, though, and put up massive numbers. Granted, he has talent around him, butyoure lying if you saw this coming from him.

Relf: Look, we just dont think that highly of him. He cant throw and his runs seem to happen on accident. He just

doesnt look like a terribly skilled quarterback to us, regardless of the teams record.

Masoli: If this list were talent alone, hed probably be third or fourth. Too bad. He threw way too many interceptions

and clearly wasnt the player Nutt hoped he would be.

Brantley: Hell be remembered as the guy who couldnt replace Tebow. Again, too bad. He had some of the worst

throws weve ever seen, but he also had some of the best that his receivers straight up dropped. Give him time, hell get

better. Tebow he isnt, though.

Jefferson: He was our pick to take the biggest leap forward in all of college football. Um, that was about as wise as our 5

7 record pick for Oklahoma State. He was just plain awful this year. No excuse either because he has talent around him.

Bray: Less-than-stellar season from the two Vols QBs. Neither looks like a future star, or heck, even a future starter, to

us.

Smith: The dual-QB system continues in post-Cutler era. It still isnt working. Never thought wed say this, but they miss

Mackenzi Adams.


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Big XII - Quarterbacks1. Robert Griffin III Baylor2. Brandon Weeden Oklahoma State3. Landry Jones Oklahoma4. Taylor Martinez Nebraska5. Ryan Tannehill Texas A&M6. Blaine Gabbert Missouri7. Taylor Potts Texas Tech8. Cody Hawkins Colorado9. Austen Arnaud Iowa State10. Carson Coffman Kansas State11. Garrett Gilbert Texas12. Jordan Webb - Kansas

Big XII

A case can be made for any of the top four to takethe No. 1 spot. The Big 12 had great QB play at thetop and poor QB play at the bottom. Everyone in

the middle played about to talent level andexpectations.

Unless a surprise from the group decides to turnpro early, the Big XII has a lock on the bestreturning class for 2011.

Let the big numbers continue.

Griffin III: Most of our colleagues would disagree. But talent + numbers + more wins than expected = top spot in this

list.

Weeden: We thought he was a capable player entering the season, but we never would have guessed hed put up the

numbers he has, regardless of the teams new offense. Really shined and has a legit case for top spot here.

Jones: Amazing at home, average on the road. Plus, you still wonder what hes thinking back there sometimes. Big

plays come with big mistakes here. Numbers say hes best, we say otherwise.

Martinez: If he could throw worth a lick, wed have him higher. Running skills are nothing short of amazing. He also

had some question marks around him this year (rumors of him quitting, teammates disliking him, etc.), legit or not, so

we wonder whats going on in Lincoln.

Tannehill: We were all wrong on Jarrod Johnson, lets face it. Tannehill came in and has played remarkably. Sure, he

doesnt have a whole season under his belt, but imagine what the Aggies would have done with him all year.

Gabbert: Numbers were down, thus him being only sixth. The Tigers had no business doing as well as they did this

year, especially after losing Derrick Washington at RB. Gabbert knows how to win and is a great pro prospect. Its

tough to put him this low. Did wear as season went on, though.

Potts: Won the job, seemingly at the last minute and subsequently played like a guy who won the job at the last

minute. Lots of touchdowns, but needed to do more (at least, needed to do more to go higher on this list).

Hawkins: Once the poster-boy for his dads struggles at CU, Hawkins came in for Tyler Hansen about midway through

the season and looked sharp. He wasnt amazing by any means, but he other than the choke job against KU (which

wasnt his fault), the Buffs looked better with him at QB.

Arnaud: We think higher of Arnaud than anyone outside Ames, apparently. He has his issues (too many picks), but wereally like his talent. If he only had talent elsewhere around him.

Coffman: We dont care if KSU was better this year, Carson Coffman is not a good quarterback End of story.

Gilbert: Gilbert may be the biggest disappointment in college football. He was scared in the pocket, made terrible

throws, didnt show he could run very well. We expect him to get better, but we clearly overrated him.

Webb: He wasnt good this year for the Jayhawks, but theres reason for hope. KU needs a lot of change to get better,

though.


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g

ACC - Quarterbacks

1. Tyrod Taylor Virginia Tech2. Russell Wilson North Carolina State3. Danny OBrien Maryland4. Christian Ponder Florida State5. Josh Nesbitt Georgia Tech6.

T.J. Yates North Carolina

7. Jacory Harris Miami8. Kyle Parker Clemson9. Marc Verica Virginia10. Sean Renfree Duke11. Tanner Price Wake Forest12. Chase Rettig Boston College

Atlantic Coast Conference

To be honest, we were never as high on TyrodTaylor as others. We had him ranked in the middle

of the pack last year and only fourth to enter thisyear.

Theres a lot of talent in the first seven spots, but allbut the top three played below their talent leveland the ACC continued to be a conference othersdont think too highly of.

Its a new season next year, though, as most wont

be returnin .

Taylor: Things didnt start well in Blacksburg. Darren Evans didnt have the season people hoped, nor did an injured

Ryan Williams. That left Taylor to do more than he should and he responded with his best-ever season.

Wilson: Once had the longest streak of passes without an interception. Well, that was two years ago and he threw 14

this year. Not good. But hes the best small quarterback in the country, still.

OBrien: He didnt begin the season as starter in the Terps supposed run-heavy offense. Once he came in, though,

Maryland did a 180. From all-run to mostly-pass, it was a solid season in College Park, mostly thanks to OBrien.

Ponder: Darkhorse Heisman talk was overstated, but its not like Ponder had a bad year. Well take 20 TD and 8 INT

from our quarterback most years. Lost some bad games, but won all the ones they should have.

Nesbitt: Clearly missed Demariyus Thomas at WR and Jonathan Dwyer at RB, but still had a great season running the

ball. You wont find anyone in FBS that throws a worse looking ball but Nesbitt can still make you gasp when he gets in

open space.

Yates: He never does anything spectacular and hell occasionally make you want to say, What the hell are you

doing!? But he took a team with a lot of problems to a decent record.

Harris: You have to feel for Harris and the whole Miami program. Coach Randy Shannon turned them into a stand-up

program and would have kept his job had Harris been healthy this year. A concussion knocked him out midway

through and the Canes struggled. Hard to see the kid go out like that.

Parker: Yes, we said it two years ago and were saying it again: Dabo Swinney should have chose Willy Korn as his

starter. Instead, Korn went to Marshall, Parker took the reins and Tigers stunk this year. Stick to baseball, Parker.

Verica: The Cavaliers arent a good football team. They havent been in a long time. Verica is simply a stopgap option

for the team at QB. He threw for a lot of yards, but theres nothing special about anything going on in Charlottesville.

Renfree: Tough to replace the schools best-ever player (ask John Brantley) and Renfree wasnt quite ready. He was

highly touted coming out of HS, but 17 INTs were too many for anyone on any team. He needs to get better.

Price: The freshman had moments that looked good and theyre clearly building for the future in Winston-Salem, but

this year, Price was not the man.

Rettig: Somehow, Boston College, which used three quarterbacks this season went to a bowl game. Rettig ended the

season as starter, but he had 6 TDs and 7 INTs. In fact, no BC QB had better TD to INT numbers.


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PAC 10 - Quarterbacks

1. Andrew Luck Stanford2. Darron Thomas Oregon3. Matt Barkley USC4. Nick Foles Arizona5. Jake Locker Washington6. Jeff Tuel Washington State7. Nate Riley California8. Ryan Katz Oregon State9. Steven Threet Arizona State10. Nate Brehaut - UCLA

PAC 10 Conference

The conference is loaded with NFL talent. Thomas

finished second, but hes probably seventh on NFLdraft boards.

But college isnt the pros and these arent the bestcollege football players the PAC 10 has ever had.Luck shines however.

Status for next year is unclear as the best onescould turn pro a little early.

Luck: If it werent for Cam Newton, folks would be talking Luck for Heisman. He looks better each week, despite not

having the most brilliant of casts and put up ridiculous 4-to-1 TD to INT ratio

Thomas: He doesnt throw the sharpest ball in the world, but its not the ugliest either. Weirdly, hes largely overlooked

despite playing on the No. 1 team in the country. Efficient with both his legs and arms, no QB had more rushing yards

than Thomas in the Pac 10.

Barkley: Look, it wasnt his fault the Trojans didnt exactly knock it out of the park this year. He was largely improved

following an unspectacular year. He threw too many picks, but that offense was humming most of the year, even with

down talent. Hell only get better.

Foles: Another dual-threat in a conference packed with them, Foles didnt exactly take a huge step forward in his second

year as full-time starter. But he did enough and with the conferences best WR in his arsenal, enough was enough.

Locker: Sure, hes overrated. But doesnt make him a bad player. Lockers not the best college quarterback youll ever

see. Hes just an athlete. But a really good one. Its easy to throw him under the bus as overrated people think he

doesnt have skills. But hes still a solid quarterback.

Tuel: What? A Washington State player this high? It speaks more to the lack of depth in the Pac 10 quarterback position

than anything else. Tuel made the Cougs NOT the worst team in FBS. Hes nothing to build on, but he handled a terrible

gig admirably.

Riley: The Golden Bears are simply a mess. They seem to have the same types of seasons over and over. Riley is the

definition of the teams performance. He looks great one week, terrible the next. He was knocked out near the end of

the season and replaced by (yuck) Brock Mansion. Mediocre, at best.

Katz: Losing big play WR James Rodgers at the beginning of the season didnt help, but Katz still should have looked

better. The Beavers didnt throw the ball a lot, but theres a reason for that. Katz needs to improve.

Threet: Huge arm, decent skill around him, but it was clear why he left Michigan he simply isnt up to snuff. Sixteen

INTs are way too many. But with his physical tools, he could get better.

Brehaut: Just bad. UCLA has almost nothing going for it on offense. Brehaut came in about halfway through the year and

did nothing to impress. In fact, even though he had better numbers than Kevin Prince the man he replaced the

Bruins regressed in the second half of the year. Bad times in Westwood.


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Big East - Quarterbacks

1. Geno Smith West Virginia2. Zach Collaros Cincinnati3. Tino Sunseri Pittsburgh4. Ryan Nassib Syracuse5. B.J. Daniels South Florida6. Zach Frazer UCONN7. Adam Froman Louisville8. Chas Dodd - Rutgers

Big East Conference

It was certainly not the Year of the QB in the BigEast.

Each player has the ability to be a capable, if not

solid, player, but they all had more mistakes thanthey should have and the conferences reputationtook yet another blow because of it.

That being said, theres nowhere to go but up.

Smith: The best of a subpar group, Smith was solid in the teams wins, but awful in two of their losses (3 INTs

in 19-14 loss vs. Syracuse and 14-of-29 in a 20-14 loss against LSU). Not flashy, but performances against

Maryland (268 yards, 4 TD) and Pitt (212 yards and 3 TD on 9-of-12 passing) vault him to the top.

Collaros: He has the best numbers of anyone in the group. Led the conference in TD passes and yards, but

what we remember most isnt the 463 yards and three touchdowns against USF. Its the interception hethrew against the Bulls when the Bearcats were driving to take the lead in the third quarter. Cincy lost the

game and out the door went any hopes of a Big East title.

Sunseri: After a slow start for the Panthers, Sunseri led a three-game winning streak in the middle of the

season that had Pitt controlling its own BCS destiny. But in the final three games, Sunseri managed just

three TDs to along with three INTs and the Panthers lost to UCONN and West Virginia, bequeathing control

of the Big East to the Huskies in the process.

Nassib: The Orange can thank their QB for their bowl eligibility. Along with teammate Delone Carter, Nassib

led the Syracuse resurgence with 16 TD and just eight INTs. He faded in the teams final two games, though,

throwing for just 318 yards and two INTs in two losses to close the season.

Daniels: Like his team, he can beat up on the nobodies, but cant come through in the clutch. Daniels threw

six TDs and just two INTs in games against teams with a losing record, butget thisjust one TD and 12 INTs

against teams with a winning record. Somehow, hes still fifth on this list. (Do we have to finish the Big East?

Ugh.)

Frazer: He began the season as starter, then was replaced, then became starter again. He wasnt doing the

job well enough as the Huskies started the season 2-2. But when he came back on for the suspended Cody

Endres, the Huskies finished 4-0 and are now in prime position for their first BCS berth.

Froman: Theres not a lot of talent in Louisville, but Froman didnt have a half-bad year. He missed theteams final four games, so his 1,633 yards, 11 TDs and four INTs arent too shabby, especially considering

the lack of talent around him.

Dodd: Hes last on this list because his team went 2-6 with him at the helm. Not good. He had decent games

in wins over UCONN and Army (the two wins) but clearly wore down as the season went.


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Big Ten Running Backs

1. John Clay Wisconsin2. Mikel LeShoure Illinois3. Dan Herron Ohio State4. Edwin Baker Michigan State5. Adam Robinson Iowa6. Evan Royster Penn State7. Vincent Smith Michigan8. Mike Trumpy Northwestern9. Dan Dierking Purdue10. DeLeon Eskridge Minnesota11. Trea Burgess Indiana

Big Ten Conference

The days of ground-and-pound football may begoing the way of the dodo and even though the BigTen had more spread teams this year, they still runwith the best of them.

Clay is a superstar and its unfortunate histeammates in the backfield couldnt make the list.

Theres great talent at the top, but the depth isnt

there like usual.

Clay: You could make the case that Clay wasnt even the best RB on his own team this year. Youd also be wrong. In the

Oct. 16 win against Ohio State, Clay racked up 104 yards and two touchdowns enough for the winning margin.

Teammate James White led the team in rushing, but did a lot of damage in games against Indiana, Michigan and

Northwestern to close out the season.

LeShoure: Led the conference in rushing by more than 200 yards and was about the only source of consistent offensethe Illini had all year. Sure, the team only went 4-4 in conference play, but that was with many teams packing the box

with eight guys. His 1,380 yards were the most since Rashard Mendenhall in 2007. Pretty decent company, eh?

Herron: We werent sure Herron was the best running back on the team at the start of the year. He didnt collect his

first 100-yard game until Oct. 30 against Minnesota, but he scored in every game but a season-opening win against

Marshall. Something to said for consistency.

Baker: When his team needed him in the final regular season game against Penn State Baker was there with 118

yards and a touchdown in a 28-22 win to keep MSU in the Big Ten title hunt. He can be electrifying, but his best games

were against Michigan, Florida Atlantic and Minnesota not exactly the best Ds in the world.

Robinson: The Hawkeyes received consistent production from their feature back this year. He was never spectacular

and he likely never will be. But his 94 yards rushing per game was good for fourth in the conference. Solid, ifunspectacular.

Royster: He didnt have a bad year. But the Nittany Lions needed more from their best player this season. He finished

just short of 1,000 yards rushing but eclipsed 100 yards just three times (Michigan, Temple and Northwestern). Plus, he

was poor in games against Alabama and Ohio State.

Smith: The freshman had times of brilliance (Purdue, Illinois, Indiana), but nothing jumps off the charts. He didnt break

100 in any game and totally disappeared in the season finale against Ohio State

Trumpy: He didnt become engrained in the backfield until the teams fourth game. And he was never a feature-back in

the classic sense. But he catches the ball well out of the backfield and provided the Cats with more than the threat of

Persa on the ground.

Dierking: He had a good middle of the season for a team with almost zero offensive firepower, but he faded down the

stretch (39, 24 and eight yards in his final three games).

Eskridge: Had more yards (698) than Trumpy, Smith and Dierking, and added seven scores, but also had an abysmal 3.2

yards per carry. The Gophers would have been better served giving it more to headcase Duane Bennett (529, 4.3 ypc).

Burgess: Had the unenviable task of replacing Darius Willis when Willis went down in Week Four. He had a 102-yard

outburst against Arkansas State, but averaged just 26 yards per game in conference play.


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SEC Running Backs

1. Mark Ingram Alabama2. Marcus Lattimore South Carolina3. Knile Davis - Arkansas4. Stevan Ridley LSU5. Brandon Bolden Ole Miss6.

DerrickLocke Kentucky

7. VickBallard Mississippi State8. Taurean Poole Tennessee9. Michael Dyer Auburn10. Washaun Ealey Georgia11. JeffDemps Florida12. Warren Norman Vanderbilt


Our listing of Ingram at the top may ruffle some

feathers. Were OK with that. We took intoconsideration his injury and we still think hes thebest.

But theres no better freshman RB (maybe player,

period) than Lattimore. Hed be a deserving No. 1,too.

Theres a drop from No. 2 to No. 3, but almost nodrop from No. 3 to No. 9. Its a pick em with abunch of great backs.

Ingram: Keep in mind, these arent All-Conference lists. If they were, Ingram wouldnt be No. 1. These are the best

players. Ingram is at the top. He was banged up for two games and still nearly cracked 1,000, even with having to share

carries with Trent Richardson. Crazy good.

Lattimore: So, we missed the boat when we called Jarvis Giles the best RB on this team. We were wrong. Big time. Wewas late to the Lattimore game this season, too, thinking his broken tackles were the result of poor defense in the

early weeks. Yeahumsorry about that, Marcus.

Davis: He came on midway through the season and has been the conferences best since. Again this isnt an All

Conference list. Only thing keeping him from being higher is his early season struggles (admittedly, he didnt get much

a chance in seasons first four games).

Ridley: We imagine this one will rile SEC folks. We think Ridley is really, really good. Think about it. Teams didnt

respect the LSU passing game (why would they?). They knew Ridley was going to get the ball and he still topped 1,000

yards. Watch out for the Tigers next year.

Bolden: Theres not a more complete back in the conference. Hes not a punishing runner, nor a terrible elusive one.

He just runs efficiently. Ole Miss couldnt pass. Teams knew it and they still couldnt stop Bolden.Locke: The Hugo, Okla. native wasnt highly sought-after out of college, but when hes been healthy hes been a

tremendous back. Small and quick, Locke makes plenty of tacklers miss and is the leagues best pass-catching RB.

Ballard: Only Newton and Lattimore had more touchdowns than the big hoss in Starkville. He ran all over Houston,

Florida, Kentucky, and Arkansas. Sputters against Ole Miss and an average Alabama D keep him down.

Poole: Best numbers of anyone ranked this low. Pooles 994 yards rushing were fifth in the SEC, but he didnt wow us

with anything he did. The 5.2 yards per carry are good and so are the 11 TDs, especially with a poor quarterback. But

really, who would you rank him over?

Dyer: Dyer had a tremendous freshman year sharing the backfield with two others. Nearly cracked 1,000 yards, but got

almost no touches in the red zone. Hes just a freshman, though. Maybe hell bulk up.

Ealey: The Bulldogs struggles were due in large part to no running game, especially when missing AJ Green. Ealey getsmost of the blame. Not his fault team lost at Colorado (he only had one carry), but save for big performances against

Ga. Tech and Kentucky (5 TDs) what did he really do?

Demps: Floridas running backs are non-existent. Demps is a hybrid, like many of those before him. The Gators simply

cannot run the ball traditionally. Not Demps fault hes out of position, but 531 yards and 3 TDs wont do. Should have

gotten the ball more (just 8 carries per game).

Norman: Hes not this bad. Not worst in conference bad, anyway. Hes not great either. Vanderbilt just didnt have

an offense, period. Impressive 6 yards per carry, but he didnt even break 100 carries. Has potential to move up this

list.


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Big XII Running Backs

1. Kendall Hunter Oklahoma State2. DeMarco Murray Oklahoma3. Daniel Thomas Kansas State4. Rodney Stewart Colorado5. Cyrus Gray Texas A&M6. Jay Finley Baylor7. Roy Helu Nebraska8. Alexander Robinson Iowa State9. Baron Batch Texas Tech10. DeVion Moore Missouri11. James Sims Kansas12. Cody Johnson Texas

Big XII

Take any of the top three RBs on this list if you canget them.

Hunter may be our favorite player in the country.

Thomas is an animal for the college game. AndMurrays all-around game is largelyunderappreciated.

The middle of the pack (Stewart through Batch) area stable of very good to pretty good RBs, but thebottom of the list is atrocious.

Were curious to see who steps up in 2011.

Hunter: For our money, theres no better RB in college football. Hes a tremendous runner, a good receiver and a

decent blocker (for his size). He can do just about everything and well really miss watching him play.

Murray: Kendall Hunter lite. Hes bigger than Hunter and doesnt have the same style at all, but he does everything

Hunter does, just not quite as well. One of the most underrated players recent OU memory.

Thomas: We wanted to put him second on this list. Hes tremendously talented and theres no better pure runner in

the Big 12. He just doesnt have the all-around game of Murray. Looks like the kind of player that will have a decent

NFL future, though. Best theyve had here in years (pre-Sproles even).

Stewart: The pint-sized stallion did nothing in our eyes to detract from his status as up-and-comer. Finished third in Big

12 in rushing and added 10 touchdowns for a team that really wasnt good at all. Should near top next year.

Gray: As much as Ryan Tannehill gets credit (and rightfully so) for resurrecting the Aggies season, Gray isnt far behind.

He took the feature-back role from Christine Michael against Kansas on Oct. 23 and hasnt rushed for fewer than 100

yards in any game since. Oh, and Aggies are unbeaten since loss against Mizzou on Oct. 16, too.

Finley:OK, weve been self-deprecating throughout, so now time to give ourselves props. We said last year Finley was

a player, but he ended up hurt. This year, hes run for 1,155 yards and had a huge 250-yard game against Kansas State

midseason to put Baylor atop the Big 12 South. Hasnt slowed since with games of 116, 91, 169 and 82.

Helu: Finished fifth in the conference in rushing, so youd think hed be higher. Alas, UNL doesnt throw the ball, so

someone has to finish high. He, Martinez and fellow RB Rex Burkhead make a dynamic three-headed attack, but Helu

had only a so-so kind of year in our eyes.

Robinson: He finished with 946 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. His numbers dropped from last year, sure, but he

didnt get any worse. Others just got better. Still a good RB that wed want on our team.

Batch: He did, however, appear to get worse. Batch had 805 yards for the Red Raiders, but wasnt the force Tommy

Tuberville needed in his first year in Lubbock. Batch still catches the ball well and is a serviceable back, but elite he

isnt.

Moore: Took over for the dismissed Derrick Washington early in the year and ran for eight touchdowns on fewer than

100 carries. Theres some promise, but finished with just 485, splitting time with frosh Henry Josey and sophomore

Kendial Lawrence. Nothing to see here.

Sims: We didnt like Toben Opurum entering this season, even though he was coming off 554 yards and 9 TDs in

limited duty. Sims took his job quickly and Opurum moved to LB. We like the freshman much more and his 742 yards

and nine touchdowns arent half bad, but hes a long way to go.

Johnson: Cody Johnson, Fozzy Whittaker and Tre Newton are NOT Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams and Cedric Benson.

Johnson gets the nod as the best because of his 6 TDs and 592 yards, but this is clearly the worst of the Big 12.


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ACC Running Backs

1. Montel Harris Boston College2. Anthony Allen Georgia Tech3. Damien Berry Miami4. Andre Ellington Clemson5. DaRel Scott Maryland6. Johnny White North Carolina7. Keith Payne Virginia8. Darren Evans Virginia Tech9. Chris Thompson Florida State10. Josh Harris Wake Forest11. Mustafa Greene North Carolina State12. Desmond Scott Duke


As much as the ACC QBs suffered frominconsistency, the RBs were plenty consistent. Mostwere consistently mediocre.

Its unfortunate the Hokies great duo of Evans andRyan Williams was shaken up most of the year. Toobad, too, Scott never could get healthy for theTerps.

Harris is the class of the group. Allen and Berryarent far behind. But the uninjured others areaverage RBs.

Harris: Like Mike Cloud and William Green before him, Harris is a good player on some pretty mediocre Eagles teams. He

didnt match his nearly 1,500 yards rushing and 14 TD from 2009, but 1,243 and 8 TD isnt a bad year by any means. Plus

the team was much less reliant on him this year. Not his fault and he runs away with the honors of being the ACCs best

this year.

Allen: If you play RB in Atlanta youre going to rack up the yardage. Not quite as skilled as Jonathan Dwyer before him,

Allen is still a good back in the Yellow Jackets system. His 5.7 ypc were the best of any of the conferences feature-backs

Berry: Ran for just 865 yards, but split carries with Lamar Miller. Its not as though Berry isnt a potential one-man-gang.

Millers a player, too. It was just a rough year for all things Hurricanes. Berry notwithstanding.

Ellington: Were already stretching here. The ACC just didnt have great backs this year. Ellington put up a respectable 76

yards per game and 10 TDs, though, for a pretty bad Clemson team.

Scott: When healthy, Scott is the best RB in the conference. Problem was, he wasnt healthy. He still had some reps, but

Davin Meggett had the bulk. Combine their numbers and you get 1,100-plus yards, but only seven TDs. Need more

scores to rank up higher. Still, talent alone puts him high in a weak conference.

White: Hit and miss all year, White missed the final three for the Heels. Shined in games against Ga. Tech and Clemson,

he struggled against Virginia, LSU and Rutgers. Started to pick it up halfway through the year, and had he finished

healthy, he was on pace to break 1,000 and probably would have been No. 4 on the list.

Payne: The Cavs managed just one conference win this season. They can thank Payne for it. He ran for 81 yards and two

TDs win an Oct. 30 against Miami. He followed with 121 and 68 more in the next two before going down with injury.

Evans: The RB situation in Blacksburg was by committee all year. Ryan Williams is clearly the best of the bunch (second

only to Hunter for my money), but missed four games midseason. Evans gives you 15 carries and 75 yards every night

and is a force around the goal line. Still, the Hokies are split too much for a higher ranking.

Thompson: Like the Hokies, the Noles used a committee approach. Jones was the man in the first few, Thomas the

middle few and Thompson was a regular throughout, but clearly the most average of the three. Again, the committee

approach necessitates their ranking.

Harris: The freshman took the reins from senior Josh Adams early in the season and responded with huge games against

Va. Tech (241 yards) and Vanderbilt (138). Everything else, though, was nothing special. He only broke 50 yards twice

more. Still, just a frosh, hell make the Deacs better in years to come.

Green: How the Wolfpack nearly made the ACC title game with Greene carrying the load, we dont know. He had just

four TDs and a subpar 4.5 ypc and never broke 100 yards in a game. Like Harris, though, he is just a freshman.

Scott: Three touchdowns and 530 yards was all the Blue Devils received from their feature back. Teammate Brandon

Connette added 321 and 8 TDs, but this is clearly a team that relies on the pass. Scotts just a sophomore.


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PAC 10 Running Backs

1. LaMichael James Oregon2. Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State3. Shane Vereen California4. Stepfan Taylor Stanford5. Chris Polk Washington6. Jonathan Franklin UCLA7. Marc Tyler USC8. Keolia Antolin Arizona9. Deantre Lewis Arizona State10. James Montgomery Washington State

PAC 10 Conference

Any other year LaMichael James would have been anear shoo-in for Heisman.

This is a conference with great depth and youth to

go around. The players at the top will be gone, butwe like Franklin and Lewis to improve tremendously.

The PAC 10 doesnt get enough credit for its

running game, we think.

James: The Texarkana native received a trip to NYC for his efforts this year. More than 1,500 yards and 19 TDs will grab

you that right. He was the fuel behind the Ducks attack all season long and easily takes home the top spot.

Rodgers: If James is a clear-cut No. 1, Rodgers is even more clearly second. When his wide receiver brother, James

the teams second best player went down early, defenses concentrated on the younger Rodgers. He still ran for 1,100

yards, broke 100 yards in a game five times (team went 4-1 when he did) and scored 14 TDs. Shame for the BeaversJames was hurt.

Vereen: Anyone else feel like hes been here forever? Second in the conference in rushing. fourth in rushing TDs and

third in rushing yards per game, Vereen is a workhorse. Only James and Rodgers had more carries and Vereen did his

1,167 yards worth of damage (like Rodgers) will questions at QB.

Taylor: One of five RBs to break 1,000 yards in the Pac 10, Taylor had no problem filling Toby Gerharts role in the

Stanford backfield. Strong, fast and just a sophomore, even if the Cardinal lose Luck, theyll be in fine shape next year.

Polk: Hey, the Huskies may have been a disappointment, but dont blame Polk. He ran for more than 75 yards in every

game but three and broke 100 yards four times. Hes the best RB theyve had here since (yep, were going here)

Napoleon Kaufman.

Franklin: No team in the country relied more on player than the Bruins did with this sophomore. The Bruins started a

respectable 3-2 behind performances of 60,73 (losses), 158, 118, 216 (wins) yards. He only broke 100 once more (Nov.

6 win over OSU) and it was the only other win the Bruins had all year.

Tyler: Averaged just 14 carries a game on his way to a solid 868 yards rushing. He added nine TDs, too. Teammate

Allen Bradford, who ran for an awesome 7.1 ypc, vultured some of Tylers would-be touches. Hes a senior next year

and with his improvement and Barkleys, USCs offense might be booming. Again.

Antolin:Nic Grigsby never seemed to get it going this year because of injury. A shame. He ran for 100+ in the seasons

second game, but didnt do it again. Antolin followed the Wildcats midseason loss to OSU with performances of 92, 114

and 111, but had fewer than 150 combined in the teams final three games all losses.

Lewis: We believe in Deantre Lewis. We think hes going to be a spectacular RB in the Pac 10. It just wasnt this year.

Lewis (FR) and Marshall (SO) had OK seasons, running for a combined 1,200+ and 12 TDs, but its not enough to rank

higher. Watch out next year, though.

Montgomery: The dude is talented. No doubt. But it looks like a terrible decision leaving Berkely for Pullman. Monty

had just 400 yards rushing (which led the team) and averged just 3.6 ypc. Not what he envisioned for his final year,

were sure.


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14

Big East Running Backs

1. Jordan Todman UCONN2. Bilal Powell Louisville3. Delone Carter Syracuse4. Noel Devine West Virginia5. Isaiah Pead Cincinnati6. Dion Lewis Pittsburgh7. Moise Plancher South Florida8. Jordan Thomas Rutgers

Big East Conference

The top six players could play for any team in thecountry.

Todman is a superstar. Devine and Lewis arent far

behind, despite having poor years and Carter andPowell turned in great finales to their careers.

A lot will lost next year, but this is the brightestindividual unit the conference has.

Todman: Lets face it, the Big East is terrible. Awfully terrible, in fact. But Todman would be in the top three

in any of the BCS conferences. At almost 150 yards a game, he WAS the Huskies offense. His 14 rushing TDs

were four more than anyone else in the conference and hes the main reason UCONN as undeserving as

they might be is prime position for a BCS berth.

Powell: Came out of nowhere this year to run for 1,330 yards in just 11 games. In one of those games, a Nov.20 loss to West Virginia, he was banged up and had zero yards on four carries. An absolute beast.

Discounting the game against the Mountaineers, he was held to fewer than 80 yards rushing just once.

Carter: A cursory glance at his numbers suggests a solid year, but a look inside results in something further.

Carter averaged 100 yards a game in the Orange wins and just 67 in their five losses. As he went, so did the

Cuse.

Devine: Hes lucky to be fourth. Talent alone gets him above Cincys Isaiah Pead (who ran for more on fewer

carries). Devine didnt have the magical season of 2009, but he served as a perfectly legit back in the

Mountaineers attack. Just 4.5 yards a carry six TDs isnt the way he wanted to go out, though.

Pead: Pead may be worthy of a higher ranking on this list. He ran for five of his six TDs in-conference and ran

for 932 yards on the season, but four of those scores and 358 of those yards came in two combined games

(wins over Rutgers and Louisville, the Bearcats only two conference wins of the year). He was next to non-

existent in the teams conference losses.

Lewis: Its not that Dion Lewis became that much worse this year. We named him the best back in the

conference in the preseason, but he had half as many carries and nearly half as many yards as in 2009. He

still couldnt manage to top his 5.5 yards per carry of last season even with the lightened workload and

completely disappeared at times. We look for a big bounce next year for the sophomore.

Plancher: He split time with Demetris Murray most of the year, but did more than Murray, thus his listing. He

wasnt anything special, really, and there is almost no difference in splits in-conference and out and between

winning and sub-.500 teams. Hes consistent, but hes consistently mediocre.

Thomas: Thomas took over the for the injured Joe Martinek late in the teams second game of the year and

proceeded to run for just 354 yards. Thing to note here, though: Martinek was the teams best RB, but was

hampered by an ankle injury all year. Also, The Scarlet Knights had four players with more than 58 carries,

but none with more than 85. Really hard to gauge.


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Big Ten Wide Receivers

1. Jeremy Ebert Northwestern2. Dane Sanzenbacher Ohio State3. Tandon Doss Indiana4. Roy Roundtree Michigan5. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos Iowa6. DerekMoye Penn State7. JoVon McKnight Minnesota8. B.J. Cunningham Michigan State9. Nick Toon Wisconsin10. A.J. Jenkins Illinois11. Cortez Smith Purdue

Big Ten Conference

Yes, the Big Ten threw more this year. But the skill atWRs seems to be down.

Ebert isnt your typical No. 1, but neither would be

Sanzenbacher or Doss.

The list is dominated by more possession-type WRsthan big play ones because the big play guys on eachteam struggled to make the more standard play.

The Big Ten, outside the state of Indiana, isnt used topassing.

Ebert: We promise theres no bias here. Ebert is the best Wildcats WR since DWayne Bates. Led the conference in

receiving yards and finished tied-third in TDs.

Sanzenbacher: He was supposed to play second fiddle to DeVier Posey, but his big-play ability makes him a legit No. 1.

Finished with just 52 catches, but a great 17.1 yards per reception average and tied the league lead with 10 TDs.

Doss: He combines with Demarlo Belcher for the best one-two WR punch in the conference. With Chappell, you have to

wonder the Hoosiers were so bad. Sixty-three catches and eight TDs isnt a bad little season.

Roundtree: When the Wolverines threw the ball, Roundtree was the primary target. Had 20 more catches than anyone

else on his team and finished with 63 and six TDs. Good season for a guy who plays on a team that people think run

all the time.

Johnson-Koulianos: Marvin McNutt had more catches and more yards, but J-K was the teams best. Hes the teams

best red zone threat and has the best hands.

Moye: Moye may be one of the most talented receivers in the Midwest. The problem was he didnt have a worthwhilequarterback to get him the ball. But he also didnt do enough to justify his lofty preseason All-Big Ten status. He did,

however, finish with seven TDs in his last seven games to help vault PSU into bowl contention.

McKnight: Hes no Eric Decker, but his 15.6 yards per catch and 10 TDs were magnificent for a bad team. Hes just a

junior, so he should get even better.

Cunningham: Like Iowa, Sparty is a tough choice between two guys. We give the nod to Cunningham over Mark Dell for

the same reasons as J-K over McNutt. Cunningham is a threat to score near the goal line, as his nine TDs can attest.

Toon: For the past 10 years or so, the Badgers biggest receiving threat has been the tight end. Wisconsin receivers need

to catch the ball, sure, but their biggest contribution comes in blocking. Toon isnt the most accomplished blocker in

Wisconsin, but hes the best combo of receiving and blocking on the team.

Jenkins: Fifty catches isnt a bad year in an offense like the Illinis. Jenkins gets dropped, though, because he seems to

disappear late in games. Of his 50 grabs, only five came in the fourth quarter or later. And he had zero touchdowns in

that same time frame.

Smith: When the Boilers lost Keith Smith, their best player, it was up to Cortez to fill the void. He didnt. Two of his

team-high four TDs were in an early-season win over Ball State. The other two game in close losses to Michigan State

and Indiana to end the season.


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16

SEC Wide Receivers

1. A.J. Green Georgia2. Alshon Jeffery South Carolina3. Julio Jones Alabama4. Greg Childs Arkansas5. Randall Cobb Kentucky6. Chad Bumphis Mississippi State7. Darvin Adams Auburn8. Terance Toliver LSU9. Denarius Moore Tennessee10. Mike Logan Ole Miss11. Deonte Thompson Florida12. John Cole Vanderbilt


Chicken or egg? Was the SEC good at passing becauseof great QBs or great WRs?

The conference hasnt seen the quality of depth at thisposition in quite sometime. And its a conferenceknown for producing big-time players at WR.

Green is one of the most dynamic weve ever seen andones turned in a (finally) great year.

Theres talent coming out the ears here, from top tobottom.

Green: The most talented wide receiver in the SEC gets the top ranking here. Sure, he didnt have the number of catches

or touchdowns as his brethren, but he also missed the first four games this year. But when you average more than a TD

a game and more than 6 rpg a game, its worthy of a high ranking. Besides, didnt you SEE some of the grabs he had?

Jeffery: Big, strong, and fast, hes everything Julio Jones was supposed to be. Jeffery did a bulk of his damage in USCs

middling part of the season (7 TD in five games vs. Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Tennessee), but still had

the best all-around season for a Gamecocks receiver since Sidney Rices final year.

Jones: Speaking of Mr. Jones He finally put up numbers worthy of his potential this year. Bested his previous career

highs in catches, yards per catch and TDs. Its weird, then, the Crimson Tide couldnt repeat last years success.

Childs: Almost any of the Razorbacks top three maybe even four WRs can stake a claim as the teams best. Theyd all

be ranked right around here, too. We give the nod to Childs as he has the best big play ability and still led the team in

most receiving categories despite missing the final four games.

Cobb: Tied for the conference lead in receptions with Jeffrey, finished third in yards, and tied second in TDs. From a

numbers perspective, he deserves a higher ranking. Heck, if this were a utility list, hed be higher, too. But UK threw

the ball a lot, so someone had to make the grabs. At least it was a good someone.

Bumphis: Almost the opposite of Cobb. Bumphis played in a ground-heavy offense, but still managed a solid 44 grabs.

Sure, four of his five TDs were in games against Alcorn State and Memphis, but he was hands down the best on his team

Adams: Definitely the most talented receiver the Tigers have, Adams is also the most frustrating. He seems to not quite

be natural at the position, relying, instead, on athleticism. His drops and shaky route running drop him in the rankings.

Toliver: He didnt lead LSU in yards or TDs, and he picked up his only two TDs against Florida. But its that game that

makes him the best of the Tigers. Remember, LSU still had national title hopes that week. Toliver kept them alive.

Moore: Maybe the best big-play wide receiver in the conference, a possession receiver Moore is not. Its all or nothing

for him, which knocks him down a bit. Still finished with a conference-high 21.2 yards per catch and tied for the

conference lead with nine scores.

Summers: Summers year was like Moores TD or bust. Finished fourth on the team in receptions (only four grabs from

the top spot), but led the Rebels in scores despite having a mediocre passer getting him the ball.

Thompson: The best of the worst Gators receiving corps in recent memory. Thompson had just one touchdown and did

next to nothing in losses to Florida State, LSU and Mississippi State. Not totally his fault, but any other year, would be

the third best on his own team.

Cole: Brandon Barden was the teams best receiver, but hes a tight end. Cole gets this spot for his 25 catches and 317

yards. Those numbers should be reason enough to realize his ranking of last.


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Big XII Wide Receivers

1. Justin Blackmon Oklahoma State2. Ryan Broyles Oklahoma3. Jeff Fuller Texas A&M4. Kendall Wright Baylor5. Lyle Leong Texas Tech6. T.J. Moe Missouri7. Scotty McKnight Colorado8. Niles Paul Nebraska9. James Kirkendoll Texas10. Aubry Quarles Kansas State11. Daymond Patterson Kansas12. Jake Williams Iowa State

Big XII Conference

Only the SEC can match the Big XIIs top three atWR. All three are truly fantastic players.

From Wright to Paul, theres a lot of good reliability

and a dash of play making.

But Texas, KSU, Kansas and ISU need to find more

depth and a true No. 1 to get back on the righttrack.

This is a passing league with gigantic numbers. TheseWRs are why.

Blackmon: Labeled as a potential breakout player last season, Blackmon was the reason wewere so dead wrong about

the Pokes this year. The numbers speak for themselves, but the best thing about J.B.? Watch him on tape. Hes WIDE

open almost all the time. Exceptional route runner.

Broyles: Sure, his numbers are inflated because OU throws. And throws. And throws. But hes still one of the top three

or four WRs in college football. And few meant more to their team than Broyles did this year for the Sooners.

Fuller: Tough year when this guy is named just the third-best in the conference. Hed be first or second in every other.

Did as much with Johnson calling the signals as he did with Tannehill later. A tremendous talent.

Wright: Griffin did a great job of spreading the ball, as the Bears had five players with more than 35 catches. Wright

was the best of the bunch as the possession man. Even still , he finished second on the team with 6 TDs.

Leong: Seventeen receiving TDs are to be expected in the Red Raiders offense. Those 17 being 11 more than the next

best on the team? Not so much. It was a rough transition year in Lubbock and you shudder to think what theyd have

done without him.

Moe: Be very afraid of T.J. Moe in years to come. Hes adept at the short passing game and can just as easily beat the

secondary deep. Hes ranked this high because it was his two TD grabs v. K-State on Nov. 13 that proved the difference

and helped MU snap a two-game skid.

McKnight: Probably the most underrated player in the conference. From walk-on to All-Big 12, McKnight has been the

Buffs best offensive player in each of his four years in Boulder. The epitome of hard-nosed.

Paul: Brandon Kinnie and Kyler Reed had all but three of the Huskers TD catches, but it was Paul who made them go

through the air. Only had 39 catches, but was a key reason UNL slipped past Oklahoma State in October.

Kirkendoll: Like Thompson at Florida, hes the best of a mediocre bunch. Didnt do anything in teams upset of

Nebraska and picked up most of his numbers in losses. But, of course, Texas had a lot of losses.

Quarles: Far and away the best receiver the Cats had. Did his part in losses, keeping KSU competitive, as he registered

more than 2/3 of his catches and yards in those games.

Patterson: Took the spotlight from teammate Jon Wilson with a great Week 2 performance against Georgia Tech (7 for

85 and a TD). Still, hed be a No. 2 on most of these other teams.

Williams: Only 35 grabs and 404 yards, but nearly led another ISU upset of Nebraska with his two scores against the

Huskers on Nov. 6


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18

ACC Wide Receivers

1. Leonard Hankerson Miami2. Torrey Smith Maryland3. Conner Vernon Duke4. Kris Burd Virginia5. Jarrett Boykin Virginia Tech6.

Owen Spencer North Carolina State

7. Dwight Jones North Carolina8. Bert Reed Florida State9. DeAndre Hopkins Clemson10. Chris Givens Wake Forest11. Bobby Swigert Boston College12. Stephen Hill Georgia Tech


Hankerson and Smith are two of the countrys best.Vernon is a very good player, too.

But past that, theres nothing outstanding. But to be

honest, theres nothing bad either.

Even Hill, who plays on a team that never throws,could prove to be a good player in the future.

With such heavy losses at QB, though, we wonder ifthese receivers will develop or regress in 2011.

Hankerson: Just imagine what hed have done with a healthy Jacory Harris. He still managed 12 TDs and finished

second in the ACC with 16.4 ypc. Was also one of only two to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in the conference.

Smith: We remember telling a friend a Maryland alum after Week Two the Terps would good as long as they didnt

pass the ball. Turns out, the opposite was true thanks to Smith. Breakout season for the highly touted high schooler.Finished one catch and 40 yards short of Hankerson and tied him for league lead in TD catches.

Vernon: Vernon and teammate Donovan Varner would both list if it were the best WRs period. Vernon upped his totals

from last season despite having a tremendous drop in QB play. Oh, and hes just a sophomore.

Burd: Gets the nod over the next three because he put up similar numbers without a great QB. He did fade down the

stretch during the Cavs four-game losing streak, but still put up more than 100 yards in four games on the season.

Boykin: The Hokies were able to rebound from the early season slump thanks to Boykin. When Taylor was pressed into

throwing, J.B. was there. His 48 grabs were the most for a Tech receiver in six years.

Spencer: His late-season play vaulted him up the notice charts. Finished with 17 catches, 299 yards and three TDs inteams final three games to force a tie with FSU for Atlantic Division crown.

Jones: Nearly 60 catches and just 105 yards short of 1,000 and hes seventh? Sorry, Dwight. Had a monster game in an

upset of FSU on Nov. 6 (8 for 233 and TD), but followed that with a combined six catches for 58 yards in losses to Va.

Tech and NC State.

Reed: Over the last two years, Reed has 115 grabs.and two touchdowns. Apparently, hes allergic to the end zone. He

gets open better than anyone else on the team, but is the opposite of a deep threat. Pure possession, there are few

better, but a red zone threat he is not.

Hopkins: The freshman is really hard to rate. He didnt play much early and didnt really even come on strong until the

Tigers final four games (25 for 346, 3 TD). Taken as a whole season, he falls short. But my goodness, watch out nextyear.

Givens: A perfectly legitimate player, Givens doesnt possess the strength or speed to be a game-changer for the Deacs.

His best game was 4-catch, 159-yard effort in the teams only conference win against Duke. Everything else was subpar.

Swigert:Swigert might become one of the conferences best receivers. He isnt right now, though. Had only one

standout game and it was in an 18-point loss against Notre Dame. Hes on his way up, though.

Hill: D. Thomas he is not. But this is a Ga. Tech team that never throws the ball. He has the tools to be a decent enough

player, just dont expect him to put up big numbers (partly because of the system, partly because of his game).


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19

PAC 10 Wide Receivers

1. Juron Criner Arizona2. JeffMaehl Oregon3. Jermaine Kearse Washington4. Doug Baldwin Stanford5. RonaldWoods USC6. Marquess Wilson Washington State7. Markus Wheaten Oregon State8. Marvin Jones California9. Kerry Taylor Arizona State10. Donte Rosario UCLA

PAC 10 Conference

There are clear-cut lines of demarcation in the Pac10.

No.s 1 to 3 are great. No.s 4 7 are OK and No.s

9 10 need some work.

Criner is the conferences most athletic WR sinceDwayne Jarrett. When hes on, he cant be covered.

But other than he and Kearse, there isnt muchnext-level talent to speak of. Still some perfectlycapable college players, though.

Criner: How can we put a player on a mediocre offense over a player on college footballs best offense? Easy.

Without Criner, the Cats wouldnt have had much at all. Had 23 percent of teams catches, 32 percent of the

yards, and 42 percent of the touchdowns. Hes one of the countrys best.

Maehl: If you stack Maehls percentages against Criners, theyre certainly comparable. Maehl just doesnt

have the same tools. More a slot-type than an X or Y, Maehls run-after-the-catch ability is second-to-none.

Kearse: As Kearse goes, so do the Huskies. Had nine TDs in UW wins, but only three in the teams losses. Was

at his best in must-win game against Oregon State on Oct. 16 (9 for 144, 4 TD) in a 35-34 win.

Baldwin: His quarterback often gets extra credit because teams think the Carindals wide receivers are

average at best. Yes, Luck makes him better, but the Baldwin surprise factor isnt to be overlooked. He had

only four grabs last year.

Woods: The Trojans may have the best duo of WRs in the conference, but only one can be listed. We go withWoods here because of his youth and big play ability. Freshman had an incredible 12-catch, 224-yard day in a

near-upset win over Stanford.

Wilson: There are reasons for optimism in Pullman. Wilson is the main reason. The freshman had an

outstanding year, even in the Cougs pass-happy offense. Had seven fewer catches than teammate Jeff

Karstetter, but managed a PAC 10-high 18.3 yards per catch.

Wheaten: Asked to fill the void left by James Rodgers, Wheaten stepped up when Rodgers went down. Had

only three catches in teams first three games, he had 51 in the final nine and did his part in the Civil War (10

for 137 and a TD).

Jones: Had almost 50 grabs for 750 yards even with below average quarterback play and broke 100 yardsthrice, but still disappeared in must-win games against Oregon State and Arizona.

Taylor: The most fortunate recipient of Threets passes that actually found the right team, Taylor has the

worst numbers of any leading ASU receiver since 2006. Hes better than his numbers, though.

Rosario: Played in only nine games thanks to injury and still finished second on the team with just 29 catches.

Hes not a great receiver, but not an awful one. He has some speed, which helps, but there simply isnt a lot

of talent for the blue and gold.


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20

Big East Wide Receivers

1. Armon Binns Cincinnati2. Jon Baldwin Pittsburgh3. Mark Harrison Rutgers4. Tavon Austin West Virginia5. Van Chew Syracuse6. Dontavia Bogan South Florida7. Josh Bellamy Louisville8. Michael Smith UCONN

Big East Conference

Binns and Baldwin would be good players on anyteam. The rest? Not so much.

They make capable enough plays for the teams

theyre on, but theres a reason this is the Big Eastand the conference is struggling.

Easily the conference with the least amount ofplaymakers at the position, the Big East needs toimprove its WRs to make a jump in respectability.

Binns: Forced to be the man this year in Cincy, Binns responded. He didnt finish with the same numbers as

former teammate Mardy Gilyard last year, but broke 100 yards in six of teams final eight games. Problem?

They won only three of those.

Baldwin: The Panthers keep churning out big, strong, and fast wide receivers. Baldwin is the latest in that

line. His middling numbers are more a product of less-than-stellar quarterback play, but the talent is certainly

there.

Harrison: Not sure why its surprise he came out of nowhere, but it is. At 6-3, 230 lbs., Harrison has the tools

to be a productive, if not elite, wide receiver. The Scarlet Knights were bad, but 10 catches for 240 yards and

four TDs is impressive even in a loss (at Cincy, Nov. 20).

Austin: While defenses focused on Devine and Jock Sanders, Austin was more than happy to take the

limelight. He had three multi-touchdown games (all WVU wins) and really shined in a season-ending win over

Rutgers (6 for 121 and a TD) to keep the Mountaineers BCS hopes alive.

Chew: Dont look now, but Syracuse is slowly building a roster filled with legitimate football players. Withmaybe the best name in FBS, Chew was a regular in the Orange boxes this year. He faded down the stretch a

little bit and it was clear as Syracuse won only one of their final four. Still, he gets this ranking for possession

ability.

Bogan: It was a perfectly capable year for Bogan all things considered. The Bulls offense is not the most fun

to watch. They cant seem to decide if theyre a passing team or a running one and they dont really do either

especially well. But Bogan nearly played spoiler in the teams last game with a 7-catch, 70-yard and TD effort

against UCONN.

Bellamy: In retrospect, maybe we should have given Froman more credit. He has almost nothing to work

with. Bellamy was the best of a bad group. He did nothing outstanding and didnt shine in any particulargame. Still, he led the team with 5 TDs and finished third in receptions with 27. Hey, someone has to be

listed.

Smith: Theres a reason UCONN doesnt throw the ball often. Well, two reasons actually, but we already

touched on Todman. The Huskies wide receivers arent great. Only Smith and teammate Kashif Moore

provided any legitimate threat in the air. Smith the gets the nod for his play down the stretch (UCONN's five-

game winning streak).


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21

Big Ten Defensive Ends

1. Ryan Kerrigan Purdue2. J.J. Watt Wisconsin3. Adrian Clayborn Iowa4. Cameron Heyward Ohio State5. Vincent Browne Northwestern6. MarkNeely Michigan State7. Pete Massaro Penn State8. Jewhan Edwards Minnesota9. Darius Johnson Indiana10. Ryan Van Bergen Michigan11. Clay Nurse - Illinois

Big Ten Conference

Arguably two of the countrys top three DEs residein the Midwest. Kerrigan and Watt are elite playerswho dont just get to the QB; they make plays allover the field.

Theres good depth here, too, as Heyward andClayborn may be even bigger NFL prospects.

Even Nurse and Van Bergen are pretty skilledplayers.

This is the countrys best unit.

Kerrigan: Monster. Thats all thats needed to describe the best Purdue player since Mike Alstott. Regularly occupies

the entire left side of the opposing teams offensive line, he still managed an FBS-high 26 tackles for loss. Unreal.

Watt: Maybe the second-best defensive end in the country, not just his conference. Of course, DaQuan Bowers might

have something to say about that. Still, Watt had an All-America worthy season and any other year, hed have made itwith more than 20 TFL himself.

Clayborn: Its rather difficult to rank Iowas defensive line players as individuals. Theyre probably the best unit in

college football and work so well with one another. From a raw talent perspective, Clayborn is the best. Aggressive and

mean, hes the best pro prospect of the bunch.

Heyward: Cameron Hayward doesnt have magnificent numbers. Only 13 tackles? Yeah, that happens when you hog

two and three blockers at a time. Still, 9.5 of his 13 tackles were stops behind the line. Likely behind just Clayborn in

NFL ability.

Browne: The Wildcats have been fortunate to have not just good, but very good defensive ends in recent years.

Browne follows in Corey Wootens footsteps here. He isnt the best against the run (especially considering his size), but

he gets to the quarterback only Kerrigan had more sacks.

Neely: One of the overachievers in this group, he isnt blessed with tremendous strength or quickness. And we wont

say he has non-stop motor. Instead, well just go with: The dude makes plays and gets in the backfield.

Massaro: One of the few the Nittany Lions had who played to expectations. Was neither great nor bad, Massaro is a

very typical Big Ten end who does enough to make ends meet.

Edwards: Needs to get more out of his impressive physique. It didnt help that offensive lines could concentrate on

shutting him down and not worry much about the rest of the line, though.

Johnson: One of only two players on the IU defense that really did an above-average job this year, Johnson had a solidseason notching 4.5 sacks. One of the better IU linemen in years, still isnt overwhelming.

Van Bergen: Should be much higher but totally disappears sometimes. Huge upside, Van Bergen finished with just 4

sacks. The Wolverines didnt get nearly the pressure on opposing quarterbacks they should have and the whole

defense felt it.

Nurse: The strength of the Illinois defense lies down the middle (DT, MLB, S), not on the outside. Nurse is basically just

a body on the line who isnt going to make plays thatll get you beat. Thats not good enough to rank higher.


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22

SEC Defensive Ends

1. Marcel Dareus Alabama2. Devin Taylor South Carolina3. Pernell McPhee Mississippi State4. Antoine Carter Auburn5. Jake Bequette Arkansas6. Justin Trattou Florida7. Barkavious Mingo LSU8. Gerald Williams Tennessee9. Gerald Rivers Ole Miss10. Taylor Wyndham Kentucky11. DeMarcus Dobbs Georgia12. Tim Fugger - Vanderbilt


Surprisingly, this was a group that dominated likeyoud think they would.

Sure, Dareus, Taylor and McPhee are game-changers,

but past them, theres not a lot of big play ability.

There is, however, good depth. Seven of the playerscould very easily be replaced by another on theirteam. It speaks to the quality of DL in the fast SEC.

However, we figure itll be even better (and deeper)

next year.

Dareus: This is more of what we expect when we think of bama defenses. Dareus is arguably the most intimidating

player on the Tide D. Injuries limited him to just 3.5 sacks and 9 TFL, but when healthy, theres no one in the

conference whose better.

Taylor: We figured him to be about the fourth or fifth best defensive lineman the Gamecocks had entering this year.

To be perfectly honest, he still might be. But even with the ever-changing door USC rolls out on its front four (and it

can afford to), Taylor put together the best season. Outstanding 7.5 sacks.

McPhee: The best player on the Bulldogs defense, its his play that allowed for tremendous seasons from the rest of

the front seven. Always the most talented in MSUs front four, McPhee was even better this year with 9.5 TFL and

opening plenty of space for the Bulldogs elite LBs.

Carter: The perfect complement to Fairley, Carter lacks some of his teammates ferocity. That isnt necessarily a bad

thing given the troubles that have come Fairleys way at times. Carter is a tremendous player often overshadowed.

Bequette: The best grinder the Hogs have had on the D-line since Jeb Huckeba, Bequette gets the most of out of his

average skill set. Seven sacks are nothing at which to scoff and hes the heart of the D-line.

Trattou: Bigger things were expected from Justin Trattou this year. But nothing really seemed to go UFs way. Had only

1.5 sacks, but did manage 10 TFL. Needs to get to the QB more, though, next year.

Edwards:Mingo is just a freshman and he still provided the most fear off the edge for the Tigers this year. Hes helped

largely because of the play of his DT, but he has the size and speed to make himself into one of the best pass rushers in

Baton Rouge in years.

Williams: A serviceable end, Williams has the tools to do much more, especially with a player l ike Jackson on the

inside. Had a decent 3.5 sacks, but hes from an elite SEC end.

Rivers:He doesnt do lot terribly well, but he doesnt do a lot bad. Wed like to have seen him get to the QB more, buthe plays with ferocity and is capable against the run, too.

Wyndham: The best player on the Kentucky line, McDermott is a lot like Bequette he does the most with limited

talents. Even with just 2.5 sacks, he provided the UK pass rush most of the season.

Dobbs: The strength of the Georgia defense lies in the linebacking corps, not up front. But whether this unit is running

two or four players (depending on the formation) more than a subpar 12.5 TFL between four players was needed.

Fugger: Someone has to be last, unfortunately its Tim Fugger. Fugger didnt have a horrible year (3 sacks, 5 TFL), but

he definitely peaked with that kind of performance.


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23

Big XII Defensive Ends

1. Jeremy Beal Oklahoma2. Von Miller Texas A&M3. Sam Acho Texas4. Jake Laptad Kansas5. Tevin Elliott Baylor6. Aldon Smith Missouri7. Arthur Brown Kansas State8. Pierre Allen Nebraska9. Ugo Chinasa Oklahoma State10. Will Pericak Colorado11. Pearly Graves Texas Tech12. Jacob Lattimer Iowa State

Big XII Conference

Big-time playmakers abound in the Big XII, where thetop six on the list are the most dynamic players ontheir respective defenses, regardless of position.

There are also two legit All Americans, too. Andthough many list Miller as an LB, he plays with hishand on the ground enough to get him noticed there.Hes a true hybrid who specializes in getting to theQB.

Smith, Allen and Chinasa could all be ranked higherand wed have no quarrel.

Beal: The Big 12 is loaded with DE/LB hybrids and Beal is the best of the bunch. More a natural hand-on-the-ground

player, he finished with a conference-leading 18.5 TFL and was second in sacks. Sooners DEs just seem to get better

every year.

Miller: Its hard not to be put him first. Arguably the most fun to watch player defensively in the conference, he hadmore sacks (9.5) than Beal and just 3.5 fewer TFL. A legit future star in the NFL. If he were listed as OLB (like many have

him), hed be tops.

Acho: He can play the inside (and did at times), but is much more suited to play on the edge. Not a pure rusher, nor a

pure run-stuffer, Acho just seems to make big plays. Whether its getting to the QB or coming up with a forced fumble,

any other year, hed be a lock for first or second on this l ist.

Laptad: The Jayhawks stunk in 2010. Theres no two ways about it. Laptad, however, shined. He didnt quite have the

numbers as some others on this list, but he also played against the teams best tackles every game and had less help on

his own team.

Smith: The Tigers other end, Jeremy Smith, could be on this list, but we go with Aldon Smith because of his ability to

play the run and pass equally. While Jeremy is a get-to-the-QB type, Aldon can stop the run, too.

Elliott: The Bears had their best season in years in 2010. Most of the focus goes to RGIII and the offense, but Elliott was

a very impressive freshman for a defense that played over its talent-level almost all season long.

Allen: Talent would suggest he fits higher on this list, but hes about the only player the Huskers had that actually

played below his talent level. He had an OK three sacks and 6 TFL, but defenses tended to focus on the two UNL DTs

and Allen should have put up bigger numbers.

Chinasa: No defensive coordinator gets more out of his players than Bill Young in Stillwater. Chinasa isnt a superstar,

but nor is he a bad player. The entire Oklahoma State defense played well above its head most of the season (save the

Oklahoma game) and Chinasa personified the hard-nosed abilities of the entire D.

Brown: The pass-rushing specialist had a good season (5 sacks) for the Wildcats, who we expected to be the Big 12

Norths worst defense. And it was.

Pericak: When Marquez Herrod didnt live up to expectations set last year, it was up to Pericak to fill the void. He

doesnthave Herrods pass-rushing skills, but is one of the better ends against the run. Problem is, he doesnt have our

pass rushing skills either.

Graves: The freshman didnt play a whole lot of snaps even though he did play in nine games. Still was among the team

leaders in sacks and TFL. Could very well see him in the top five next year.

Lattimer:Hes another tweener who plays LB, too. Hes not a bad player, and in fact, his ability to play both is a

testament to his skill. But he doesnt quite match-up well with the other DEs in the conference.


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24

ACC Defensive Ends

1. DaQuan Bowers Clemson2. Kyle Wilber Wake Forest3. Brandon Jenkins Florida State4. Alvin Bailey Miami5. Donte Paige-Moss North Carolina6. Cam Johnson Virginia7. Steven Friday Virginia Tech8. PatrickEgboh Duke9. Max Holloway Boston College10. Justin Anderson Maryland11. Izaan Cross Georgia Tech12. David Akinninyi North Carolina State


Bowers is so far ahead of everyone else on thislist.

That isnt to say the rest of the conference is bad.

On the contrary, Bowers is just that good. Even asgood as Kerrigan, Watt and Beal are (his closestthree competitors for the top slot), we have him aclear-cut No. 1 overall.

But dont overlook No.s 2 7, all good players in

their own right and the kind youd want on yourteam, too.

Bowers: No one in FBS is more ready for the pro game than Bowers. Big, strong, fast, quick, and a thinker, Bowers is a

complete player and only one fellow DL comes close this season.

Wilber: Its a shame the Demon Deacons had very few nationally televised games. People deserve to know Mr. Wilber.The best Wake defender since Aaron Curry.

Jenkins: If it werent for Bowers, Jenkins might have won Defensive Player of the Year honors in the ACC. The Noles

havent seen an end this good since Andre Wadsworth.

Bailey: You take a look at Miamis individual totals and you wonder how they lost a game. Then you watch them and

realize its just that: a lot of individual play. The four Miami DLs combined for 21 sacks and 32.5 TFL. Bailey led the team

in both with 7 and 11.

Paige-Moss: We claimed before the season started the Tar Heels had a defense better than some NFL teams. Well,

Paige-Moss was a backup at that time. The UNC issues are well documented, but he wasnt among them. Played very

admirably, especially given the circumstances.

Johnson: The Cavs actually have one of the ACCs best defensive lines. They just dont have a lot else. While Matt

Conrath dominates the middle, Johnson provides the excitement. Had a team-high six sacks.

Friday: Made a lot of postseason all-conference lists, but were not as high. Hes a good player, not a great one, to us.

But we dont want to speak poorly of him. The dudes definitely a player (7.5 sacks, 13 TFL).

Egboh: Doesnt have the numbers as some of his brethren, but was still the most feared Blue Devils player. Occupied

two blockers most of the time if only because the Dukies had little else. His number would much higher otherwise.

Holloway: Pure get-in-the-backfield, Holloway does that well. But he doesnt play the run at all and has a one-track

mind. Talented definitely, but sometimes doesnt make the smart play.

Anderson: The entire Maryland roster is filled with ho-hum kind of guys. Andersons among them. But the thing is, there

arent many teams who work better together. Anderson had a team-high 10 TFL.

Cross: If the Ramblin Wreck had any semblance of a defense this year, theyd have won the ACC. Cross is the teams

best up front, but probably wouldnt start on any other team but Duke.

Akinninyi: Like Maryland, the NC State frontline is filled with average players who provide more than youd think. The

Pack dont have a pure, run-stuffing DT, though. Akinninyi is as close as they come. Still, he had decent three sacks.


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PAC 10 Defensive Ends

1. Kenny Rowe Oregon2. Cameron Jordan California3. Ricky Elmore Arizona4. Jamaar Jarrett Arizona State5. Travis Long Washington State6. Stephen Miller Oregon State7. Wes Horton USC8. Mike Masifilo Stanford9. Hauoli Jamora Washington10. Owamagbe Odighizuwa - UCLA

PAC 10 Conference

No one at DE in the PAC 10 jumps out at us as beingelite. Rowe and Jordan are the head of the class,though, and really good players.

Elmore and Jarrett may not even be the best on theirrespective teams.

Its a straight-forward group and you know whatyoure going to get when they step on the field: not alot of mistakes, but not a lot of amazing plays, either.

Rowe: This is one of the unique listings where someone has to be first. Rowe isnt a terribly dominant player atypical

of most No. 1s in these rankings. But hes a very good end on a defense that was terribly underrated. His six sacks and

11 TFL were both second from the DE spot in the PAC 10.

Jordan: Has a legit argument to be ranked first on this list. More a physical freak than Rowe, Jordan is involved in

almost all the big plays the Bears defense makes. Hes not so much a pass-rusher as an all-around player and that

shows with his 61 tackles and 10.5 TFL.

Elmore: Elmore, however, is a pass-rusher. Hes competent against the run, but excels when give free reign to get to

the quarterback. He had a PAC 10 defensive linemen-high eight sacks.

Jarrett: The Sun Devils strength lies in its defensive line. If it werent for an offense prone to mistakes, ASU would have

been a higher-end bowl team. Jarrett is the leader of the line, though, not necessarily the best player. Freshman Junior

Onyeali played in just nine games and paced the team with 5.5 sacks and 10.5 TFL. Jarrett was just behind with 4.5 and

10.5, respectively.

Long: Easily the most accomplished player on the Wazzu defense, it seems as though Longs been around for six or

seven years. Hes just a sophomore. Showed his All-PAC 10 HM selection was no fluke. He can play the run, but he

excels at messing with the QB.

Miller: He and teammate Stephen Paea form one of the PAC 10s best DE/DT duos. Miller isnt a wow factor kind of

player, but does everything needed to take some of the pressure off his very elite teammate next to him.

Horton: This isnt your fathers USC defense. Horton led a very average USC defensive front with 4 sacks a small

number compared to years past. The whole front line is young, though, and given time (and their pedigree), we expect

better results next year.

Masifilo: Masifilo provides a very un-Stanford workman-like approach. He isnt a student of the game in the classic

sense, but hes a brawler who regularly finds himself in the right positions because of his work rate.

Jamora: He was about the only bright spot in the Huskies front four this year. The youngest D-line in the conference,

theyve a lot of growing up to do. Jamora had mediocre numbers in the backfield, but had a team-high 41 tackles from

the line.

Odighizuwa: Another youngster, Odighizuwa was the best player on the ends for the Bruins. Theres a lot of DE

rotation in Westwood, so none of them have glimmering numbers, but combine age with skill, and hes the best.


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Big East Defensive Ends

1. Jabaal Sheard Pittsburgh2. Bruce Irvin West Virginia3. Mike Silvestro Rutgers4. Junior Joseph UCONN5. Brandon Mills Cincinnati6. Rodney Gnat Louisville7. Chandler Jones Syracuse8. Ryne Giddins South Florida

Big East Conference

When Greg Romeus went down for Pittsburghearly in the season, things looked bleak. He was apotential Big East DPOY. Sheard stepped in and

decided to just win the honors himself. He was thatgood.

Its a group that is actually pretty special on the

pass rush, but they struggle against the run on awhole. Lots of potential here, though, for futureyears.

Sheard: Pittsburgh looked to be in trouble when All Big East DE Greg Romeus went down early in the season.

Sheard stepped out and truly dominated. He had 45 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 9 sacks, 4 forced fumbles

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College Football's Best of the Best 2010-2011