For years, it has become common in college football for a quarterback to lead his school to double-digit win seasons, a BCS bowl victory and gaudy statistics – only to either be completely ignored by NFL teams come draft time, or to be selected late and eventually spend a career stylishly holding a clipboard.

So how does that thought process translate to some of the best draft-eligible college quarterbacks in college football today?

In particular, let’s say for the Top 25 Draft-Eligible Quarterbacks according to Phil Steele – who if you haven’t read him, is the best in the business when it comes to preseason college football rankings and projections.

Will each of these players be remembered for their time as an NFL quarterback, or instead as the “Big Man On Campus”?

Certainly, with examples like Ryan Leaf at the top of an NFL Draft, or Tom Brady near the bottom of one – it can be an inexact science predicting QB success – but let’s give it a shot anyway:

Top 25 Draft-Eligible QB’s in College Football: Future NFL Star or Just BMOC?

25. Kevin Prince – UCLA – 6-2 229

Prince has the size and frame as a pro-style quarterback, but has been injury prone throughout his career with the Bruins thus far – and hasn’t impressed with his numbers, either.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

24. Adam Weber – Minnesota – 6-3 221

Sure, he’s 6’3” and has pocket presence, but with more picks than touchdowns in ’09, one has to wonder how much it was Eric Decker (pre-injury) saving him more than anything else.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

23. Scott Tolzien – Wisconsin – 6-3 208

Tolzien is often overlooked with John Clay also in the Wisconsin backfield.  Still, he struggled against big boys Iowa and Ohio State, so he could easily be compared to Penn State’s Daryll Clark, who had the same struggles – and wasn’t drafted.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

22. Jordan Jefferson – LSU – 6-5 220

First thing’s first: Eliminate the fact that Ryan Perrilloux and JaMarcus Russell were packed with hype – and will likely jade your image of LSU QB’s.  That, plus Jefferson himself hasn’t been anything short of mediocre, but he does have the frame of an NFL quarterback – and has limited his mistakes, so there’s still a good chance he could turn things around… but for now…

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

21. Pat Devlin – Delaware – 6-4 217

Many forget that Devlin led a game-winning drive for Penn State on the road against the Buckeyes a few seasons ago.  He transferred that offseason and wound up at Delaware, the same place where Ravens QB Joe Flacco played in college.  He also possesses an arm and talent similar to that of Flacco, too.

NFL QUARTERBACK

20. Kirk Cousins – Michigan State – 6-3 202

Cousins is a 6’ 3” pro-style guy who – with all the talent around him – could develop his game at Michigan State, but for now, unless he can improve on his completion percentage and be more consistent, he’ll just be another one of Dantonio’s solid signal callers.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

19. Kevin Riley – California – 6-2 223

Riley has decent size for a prospect, but no skills that immediately jump off the page and scream pro star.  It will also be interesting to see how he performs without Jahvid Best this coming season – and at this point, an elite NFL career would be a surprise.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

18. Jacory Harris – Miami – 6-4 190

Harris has been arguably the most inconsistent college quarterback – featuring moments of explosiveness in one game, mixed with inconsistency and poor decisions in another.  That kind of mobility coupled with inaccuracy makes me think of a guy like Quincy Carter, who was a bust at the pro level.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

17. Nick Foles – Arizona – 6-5 245

Foles has a large intimidating presence in the pocket – and certainly could continue to develop and improve on his game, but an awful performance in last year’s Holiday Bowl is the freshest thing in many minds.  He’ll need to play that performance out of critics’ heads.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

16. Landry Jones – Oklahoma – 6-4 216

The Sooners suffered a number of injuries last season – including one to star QB Sam Bradford, which paved the way for Landry Jones to get a shot – and some experience.  With some extra time under center at OU, he’s only going to get better – and has the skillset and the frame to become something special years down the road.

NFL QUARTERBACK

15. Tyrod Taylor – Virginia Tech – 6-1 217

Taylor is drawing comparisons to Mike Vick – mostly due to his size, mobility and the fact that he’s also a Hokies QB.  Still, while he can throw the deep ball fairly well, his game suffers when the running game isn’t clicking – and a Vick-like NFL career seems possible… hopefully without the additional drama.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

14. John Brantley – Florida – 6-3 218

Following in the footsteps of a legend like Tim Tebow can derail some players, but Brantley doesn’t appear to be one of those types.  He has the skills to succeed and the talent around him to assist with his development.  With Tebow fresh in Gator minds, it’s safe to say Brantley will be more known for his pro career, no matter what happens.

NFL QUARTERBACK

13. Greg McElroy – Alabama – 6-3 225

He doesn’t blow you away with any of his skills, but that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t stick around in the NFL for a number of years.  Still, with one national title already – and a top ranking heading into 2010, it’s more likely that McElroy will be remembered as the BMOC – and not for his accomplishments in the pros.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

12. Kellen Moore – Boise State – 6-0 186

Many will quickly dismiss Moore for his size and frame, saying that he’d never make it in the NFL.  But take a look at the success of Super Bowl-winning QB Drew Brees, and also Colt McCoy – who got drafted and could get a shot with the Browns in the near future.  Moore is extremely accurate, and has been a great leader.  My gut tells me he could be the next undersized quarterback to become something.

NFL QUARTERBACK

11. Ricky Stanzi – Iowa – 6-4 230

Stanzi has the size and frame to make an impact in the NFL – and while he certainly kept Iowa in a lot of games last season, he also made way too many mistakes passing the ball.  In the end, an average NFL signal caller like a Chris Chandler comes to mind more than anything.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

10. Andy Dalton – TCU – 6-3 215

He certainly doesn’t have the biggest frame of all the quarterbacks that will enter his class, but Dalton is hard-nosed player that has become a proven winner for a program that made a BCS bowl last year – and open in the top ten this year.  Success in the NFL could definitely happen.

NFL QUARTERBACK

9. Blaine Gabbert – Missouri – 6-5 240

He may be the most underrated QB in the college game – and if it wasn’t for an ankle injury last season, he could have posted the best numbers in his conference.  Gabbert will need to improve on his completion percentage to eventually make it in the pros, but his size and talent is enough to get him there if he can stay healthy.

NFL QUARTERBACK

8. Colin Kaepernick – Nevada 6-6 215

No quarterback in the college game combines this kind of height with this kind of mobility, and that’s the kind of trait that will draw NFL scouts towards him.  If he’s drafted into the right situation, an NFL team could certainly find a way to hone his skillset, get him to learn a pro offense and turn him to a legitimate NFL QB.

NFL QUARTERBACK

7. Terrelle Pryor – Ohio State 6-6 233

Many say Pryor grew into something special late last season – specifically against Penn State and Oregon.  But while the talent and athleticism has always been there, one can’t help but think of how he succeeded against the Nittany Lions – in some cases with deep passes that were nowhere near on target, but the receivers were just that wide open, that the receptions were made anyway.  NFL superstar?  Don’t see it, but that could change after this year.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

6. Jerrod Johnson – Texas A&M 6-5 243

If you saw Johnson against the Longhorns last year, you will know how good he can be.  Featuring big-play ability, plus an NFL frame, it’s a good bet that Johnson could wind up as one of the better – if not the best – quarterbacks in his draft class.  He’s a darkhorse – and you heard it here, first – but just as long as he can translate his game and learn a pro system.

NFL QUARTERBACK

5. Christian Ponder – Florida State 6-3 227

He has a pro-style QB frame, combined with the smarts that could allow for him to easily learn in an NFL system, but there has been a lot of inconsistency at times throughout his college career – which in the end might be what he’s most known for.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

4. Case Keenum – Houston 6-2 210

Keenum has done nothing but light up the scoreboard at Houston, posting gaudy statistics that most college quarterbacks would never come close to seeing in a career – let alone one season.  Still, while he has a lot of tools to become a solid NFL quarterback – he seems to be more of a product of his school’s system, instead.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

3. Ryan Mallett – Arkansas 6-7 238

Let’s see, the kid has the kind of frame, coupled with a cannon arm that NFL scouts will just drool over – and many have slated him as a potential top pick in next year’s draft.  The biggest strike against him has been some injuries over the last few years – but all in all, whether he pans out or not, he does seem destined to be a high NFL draft pick with loads of hype.

NFL QUARTERBACK

2. Andrew Luck – Stanford 6-4 235

Luck already has the talent and the frame of an NFL quarterback – and combine that with being under the tutelage of Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, one can point towards a successful pro career in his future.

NFL QUARTERBACK

1. Jake Locker – Washington 6-3 226

Locker is quite mobile and also possesses top-notch arm strength.  If he can stay healthy and continue to grow within Coach Sark’s system, Locker also has an outside shot to be the top pick in the NFL Draft.

NFL QUARTERBACK

* Also posted to my B/R page

Freshmen in college, rookies in the NFL – they all get hazed to some degree.

So what about rookie coaches in college football?  They get a deal, a few years to prove their worth and then either find barrels of success or get hazed themselves – leading to a swift kick in the tailpipe, a clean desk and a set of walking papers.

That takes us to 11 rookie coaches – all in a new town, heading up a new program within the BCS system.  The question remains: will it be the success or the swift kick in the you-know-what?

Which Rookie Coach Will Have the Worst 2010 season?

11. Jimbo Fisher – Florida State

Think the weight of filling the shoes of a coaching legend will be added pressure?

Stop it.  Bowden had been the driver of a “cash for clunker” set on cruise control for the last few years.

Jimbo Fisher will be fine – securing a top ten recruiting class and bringing new hope to Tallahassee.

The schedule will be a challenge though, with road games against Miami (FL) and Oklahoma, plus BYU, Clemson and Florida at home.

10. Skip Holtz – South Florida

Holtz is taking over a program buried in controversy left behind by Jim Leavitt.

But that won’t mean a thing, as Skip has gotten the best out of minimal talent for years – leading East Carolina to four straight bowl games and back-to-back nine win seasons.

That, plus he knocked off Boise State in 2007 and both Virginia Tech and West Virginia during the 2008 season.

The move from Conference USA to the Big East won’t be that big of a jump considering Holtz will be joining the red-headed stepchild of the BCS power conferences.

9. Brian Kelly – Notre Dame

(AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

Sorry, Charlie – but Coach Kelly is going to make you a distant memory soon.

Brian Kelly was 34-6 as a coach at Cincinnati, and he also led Central Michigan to the top of the MAC in his previous job with the Chippewas.

Now he trades talent that was 60^th in recruiting for a top 15 class, plus a school that wants to win more than any in college football.

When it all comes down to it, everyone in South Bend – including Touchdown Jesus – will have their eyes on Dayne Crist, recovering from a knee injury and carrying Coach Kelly’s success in his own two hands.

8. Derek Dooley – Tennessee

For those that want to point out (and hate on) the fact that new Vols coach Derek Dooley had a career coaching record of 17-20 with Louisiana Tech, I have two words for you: Gene Chizik.

In his first season at Auburn, Chizik was 8-5 (after going 5-19 in two years at Iowa State).  Sometimes, you just need a chance – and some talent.

That’s exactly what Dooley has, left some players via recruiting masterminds like Ed Orgeron – plus a top ten recruiting class (9^th via Rivals.com).

Don’t worry Rocky Top: soon you’ll be dropping the ‘Eff-U’ for “Lane Who?”

7. Lane Kiffin – USC

There’s no expectation that Kiffin will be bringing home any humanitarian awards in the upcoming months – but the point of the matter is this: Kiffin has legendary defensive-minded Dad in tow, plus aforementioned recruiting machine Ed Orgeron.

On top of that, the Trojans have a boatland of talent still in play.  The issue last season was the defense, and Monte Kiffin will improve on that.

So, it should be a solid year for USC – and oh yeah, because this is his dream job – Kiffin may not even leave before the year is over with.

6. Joker Phillips – Kentucky

With Calipari and Co. roaming the campus, it’s likely that fans may see their new football coach and say, “Who’s this Joker?”

OK, so unlikely, considering Phillips was a former wide receiver, and a coach on the staff for the last half dozen years.

But this Kentucky football team should take a backseat to no one – making four bowl games in the last five seasons.

Still, Joker’s first season is no laughing matter, with road tests at Florida and Tennessee.

5. Butch Jones – Cincinnati

With Brian Kelly off to Notre Dame, Butch Jones takes over for the Bearcats.

Cincinnati is going to miss players like Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard.

Even though Zach Collaros and Isaiah Pead are still around to shoulder some of the load, a schedule that has a road opener at Fresno State and Oklahoma three weeks later – this year likely could result in the Bearcats heading back in the Big East pack by season’s end.

4. Mike London – Virginia

Al Groh’s rollercoaster career at Virginia is over, leaving Mike London to take his place.

In two years at Richmond, London was 24-5, incliuding an FCS Championship.

2010 is going to be a challenge, not only losing a lot of senior leadership at the LB, QB and TB positions, but also a recruiting class that was ranked lower than schools such as Colorado State, Hawaii and Memphis (per Rivals.com).

Add in a rematch with his former team, plus a trip to USC the following week, and it will be London’s career record falling down.

3. Turner Gill – Kansas

Mangino leaves a black cloud over the program, a number of seniors have moved on (headlined by QB Todd Reesing) and the team finished the season with seven straight losses.

Piece of cake, Turner – after all, you had some success at Buffalo.  That’s some success – building from a two-win season to 8-6 and the International Bowl in 2008.

But we’ll see how Gill adjusts from the MAC to the Big 12 conference – especially when he has to travel to Nebraska on November 13^th.  It’ll get ugly before it gets pretty.

2. Charlie Strong – Louisville

It seems so long ago that Louisville consistently churned QB’s through to the NFL.

Coach Kragthorpe left the Cardinals in shambles, having zero winning seasons over a three-year span, finishing no higher than 5^th in the conference.

Enter Charlie Strong, who has been surrounded by great staff and players at Florida – so he should right the ship, but it won’t happen right away.

In fact, midway through an ugly 2010, he’ll likely wish he pulled a Billy Donovan or Urban Meyer, retracting the Florida depature in the first place.

1. Tommy Tuberville – Texas Tech

Tuberville is going to switch and adjust to the spread offense, similar to the one that Leach previously used at Texas Tech.

The key difference: He wants defense, too.

Tommy T. plans to mainly use a 3-4 defense – and due to the adjustments – required a number of defensive recruits to come on board in a short period of time.

In the end, the major adjustment to the system – combined with a schedule that features Big 12 powers Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State – will lead to multiple headaches in year one.

If the changes don’t translate into victories quickly, Tuberville may find himself back on the golf course sooner rather than later.

* Also posted to my Bleacher Report page

Originally posted to KP’s Blog (via Fox Sports) on March 16, 2009

Looking for a reason to not take a team far in the tournament? You’re not alone there. But hey, if you look hard enough, there are plenty of reasons to shy away from even the biggest powers in college basketball… from injuries, to offensive woes, defensive woes, free throw shooting, and even single points of failure. Take the following examples, which in the end could eventually assist you in throwing the finishing touches on the masterpiece that is your 2009 bracket.

Reasons To Avoid Some of the Higher Seeds in the Tournament *

Free Throw Shooting
Think about it, March Madness is chock full of close games. When down to the wire, it’s often the players with ice in their veins from the charity stripe that win the tight games. Last year, there were teams like Clemson and Memphis with atrocious numbers from the line. For Clemson, it hit them and they were out quick. For Memphis, their talent put them in the title game, but in the end, we all know it was the free throw shooting that cost them a National Title. As for this year, take the following two teams, and how they rank in the country…

(1) Louisville – 64.3% FT – Rank: 298th
(3) Syracuse – 63.9% FT – Rank: 303rd

Offensive Rebounds Per Game
Hey, what’s better than a second chance? Well, besides making due with your first chance, but still, often teams can earn those big victories by getting a high total of second chance points. Let’s look at a few teams that have struggled to get offensive boards this season…

(5) Purdue – 9.4 per game – Rank: 303rd
(8) BYU – 9.2 per game – Rank: 308th
(6) Arizona State – 8.4 per game – Rank: 324th
(8) Ohio State – 8.1 per game – Rank: 328th

Assist Turnover Ratio
More often than not, it’s efficiency and a quality team effort that can vault a team deep into the tournament. Specifically, there’s assist turnover ratio, where a team can dish out the rock frequently, while not turning the ball over. Take the following teams, who have struggled in this category throughout the year…

(4) Washington – 0.88 ATR – Rank: 212th
(4) Wake Forest – 0.83 ATR – Rank: 251st
(5) Florida State – 0.78 ATR – Rank: 278th

Fouls Per Game
Plain and simple, you can’t win a game without your starting lineup on the court. A team needs to have discipline to avoid silly fouls, while also keeping an opponent off the line and away from the double bonus. In particular, these teams have committed a large number of fouls throughout the season…

(8) Oklahoma State – 21.3 per game – Rank: 15th
(3) Missouri – 19.9 per game – Rank: 61st
(4) Washington – 19.5 per game – Rank: 83rd

Three Point Shooting
This one has two parts. First, for the teams that struggle from behind the arc, and therefore when facing a physical opponent, can struggle to keep a team honest by mixing it up from deep. Then there are the teams that live and die by the three, and when an off night arrives, this team is likely doomed for elimination. Take the following examples of each…

Struggles from Behind the Arc
(2) Memphis – 32% – Rank: 261st
(4) Wake Forest – 31.8% – Rank: 266th

Live and Die by the 3
(7) California – 43.4% – Rank: 1st
(4) Xavier – 39.9% – Rank: 13th
(6) UCLA – 39.8% – Rank: 14th
(4) Gonzaga – 39.4% – Rank: 19th

Injuries
It’s tough to gauge the severity of an injury, especially since more often than not, a school will downplay a certain injury to confuse and complicate an opponent’s game plan. Still, in some cases, it’s an injury to a star player that in the end can derail a team that once had high hopes of a National Title entering the tournament. Take the following examples…

(1) North Carolina – Ty Lawson
Rested for a few games in the ACC tournament, it’s said that Lawson should play, but who knows how bad the toe injury will be. One thing’s for certain, the ‘Heels hope that “this little piggy will go to the basket”.

(1) Pittsburgh – Levance Fields
Fields has been nursing groin and back injuries, both of which can linger on and cause problems, but the hope in Pittsburgh is that he’ll be fine.

(1) Connecticut – Jerome Dyson
UConn’s second leading scorer, Dyson’s season ended after being diagnosed with a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. The Huskies have depth and talent, but Dyson definitely has been missed.

(5) Illinois – Chester Frazier
Likely the feistiest defender for the Illini, Frasier reportedly will be very limited in the opening round game against #12 seed Western Kentucky.

(6) Marquette – Dominic James
This one hurt for the Golden Eagles, as James ran the point, and was one of the team’s better players. Since he went down, Marquette clearly hasn’t been the same team.

Single Points of Failure
And last but not least, there are the teams that have one player that puts up the majority of the scoring on offense. Upon meeting a tough defensive opponent that can shut this player down, it’s often difficult to find others to step up and put points on the board. In particular, the following teams and players come to mind…

(3) Kansas – Sherron Collins – 18.3 PPG
Sure, Cole Aldrich averages a double-double per game, but Collins is the heart and soul of this Jayhawks team.

(5) Florida State – Toney Douglas – 21.3 PPG
Outside of Douglas, no one else on the Florida State roster averages in double figures.

(6) Arizona State – James Harden – 20.8 PPG
Pendergraph does average over 14 a game, but the Sun Devils live and die by Harden.

* Stats courtesy of NCAA website and StatSheet.com