Capital Bowl: NFL Draft Watch

Here are the following players to keep your eye for the 2010 NFL Draft in the CAPITAL ONE BOWL.

LSU Tigers:

WR Brandon LaFell – LaFell is a tall wide receiver who is a good overall athlete and runs crisp routes. The question is, can he be a number one wide receiver in the NFL? Right now he has a late 1st round grade.

WR Terrance Toliver (JR) – Toliver is a junior, but there has been talk about him declaring early for the 2010 NFL Draft. He's a 6'4" and 206-pound big play receiver who many think is a better pro prospect the his more highly-touted teammate LaFell, because he has more potential in terms of being a true number one receiver.

OT Ciron Black – Black came into the season rated as one of the top offensive tackle prospects, but has fell down the ranks because of his lack of consistency. There is some thinking that he might have to play offensive guard at the next level and he has a 3rd round grade as of now.

DE Rahim Alem – Alem is a good overall defensive end and shows ability to playing the run as well as rushing the passer. Right now has a 4th round grade.

LB Perry Riley – Riley is a solid overall linebacker and in the NFL should be a top notch special team’s player. He can play the run, but needs to show more consistency in pass coverage. Right now has a 5th round grade.

S Harry Coleman – Coleman has played linebacker this season, but will play safety in the NFL. He is a good tackler and at his best against the run. The Bayou Bengal also does a good job in zone coverage when matched up with tight ends and running backs. Right now has a 4th round grade.

S Chad Jones (JR) - Jones is an outstanding athlete who also plays baseball for LSU and does a good job as a return man. There is some talk that he will declare early for the 2010 draft and if does, Jones should be a 2nd round pick.

Penn State Nittany Lions:

QB Daryll Clark – Clark is a good athlete for a quarterback and has a strong arm, but needs to be able to show more consistency in his decision making ability. He has the potential to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, but will be a project type player. Right now has a 6th round grade.

RB Evan Royster (JR) – Royster has shown the ability to be a very good runner inside, as well as outside. He is also capable of catching the football out of the back field. Most people think he will leave early and could be a 2nd round pick if he does declare.

TE Andrew Quarless – Quarless is an impressive athlete and a well rounded tight end that has good size at 6'5" and 248 pounds. He is a solid receiver and sound blocker, with the potential to move up NFL team’s draft board. Right now has a 5th round grade.

TE Mickey Shuler – Schuler has similar size as teammate tight end Andrew Quarless but isn’t as good as an athlete or receiver and that is why he has a free-agent grade right now.

DT Jared Odrick – Odrick has come on this season to be a dominating defensive linemen and done a good job rushing the passer and playing the run. Right now he has a 1st round grade in the 2010 NFL Draft.

OLB Navorro Bowman (JR) – Bowman is a junior and many people expect him to declare early for the 2010 NFL Draft. He is a physical outside linebacker who can also cover running backs and tight ends in the passing games. If he does declare could be a 2nd round pick.

LB Josh Hull - Hull is the underrated linebacker in the group, but just a good overall football player and linebacker. Right now he has 5th round grade.

LB Sean Lee – Lee missed the whole season last year because of a knee injury and has missed a few games this season because of an injury. He has shown the ability to be a dominating linebacker in the past and we have seen some flashes this season. If all the tests come out positive on his knee could end up being as high as a 2nd round pick.

For more NFL, NFL Draft news, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jvanfulpen

Photo Courtesy of SEC Sports Media, Mark Selders/Penn State Athletic Communications

Big Ten Conference Open Preview: Spoiler Alerts

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

When was this torch officially passed, the one that said, “Oh, we’re really good, but it just doesn’t show up in the records for our teams because they beat each other up in conference play”, from the Big Ten to the SEC? Isn’t it interesting how the Big Ten was ONCE considered so tough near the top that we excused conference losses because the competition was that deep? Contrast to nowadays where pundits dismiss the Big Ten by stating that the teams at the top lose to their rivaled foes because the conference is so weak. Certainly the last few years have been plagued by a lack of national attention (beyond Ohio State), and the only real exception I would argue was 2006 when number one Ohio State hosted and defeated number two Michigan in The Game, essentially knocking the Wolverines out of the National Title game, despite a one-loss Florida sliding in place (of course it didn’t help that Florida eventually went on to dismantle the Buckeyes. But let’s forget that for the moment.).

Nonetheless, we come across a make-or-break weekend right off the bat for the conference elite where only time will tell if this week was tough-versus-tough or meek-versus-meek. In the pre-season I dubbed this the “spoiler alert” weekend where the underdogs have a decent chance of wreaking havoc on the favorites:

Iowa at Penn State: I don’t want to get in the way of the importance of this game early in the season. Although Penn State can’t erase their sole conference loss from last year, they can send a message early and convince doubters that the team has patched up the cracks in their units, namely power rushing and unproven pass defense. Iowa has recovered nicely from the opening day scare against Northern Iowa. As important as the notches in the win column is the development of their offense. Shonn Greene is missed in the backfield thus far (3.8 yards/carry), but the Hawkeyes are still managing to put points on the board (26 points/game). What to watch for: Make no mistake that the best units on the field for both teams will be their defenses. Penn State has given up only 20 points in three games and is yet to surrender a rushing touchdown. The huge question marks, however, is the health of linebackers Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman (Lee is unlikely to play and Bowman is probable). The Hawkeyes have been brilliant stopping aerial attacks, which have only completed 48 percent passing and 5.1 yards/attempt. The big turnover killed Penn State’s chances last year and Iowa looks to be ball-hawking thus far (six interceptions, two fumbles). As this will be defense versus defense, the key to the game will be which offense escapes making the big mistake. Look for the ability of Penn State’s Daryll Clark to be the playmaking quarterback while looking for Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi to be the protector of the ball, limiting big plays by the Nittany Lions’ defense.
Prediction: Home team wins in the rocking Whitehouse. Penn State 24, Iowa 13

Illinois at Ohio State: The injury bug has seemed to nest and multiply within the Champaign community. Quarterback Juice Williams, receiver Arrelious Benn and linebacker Martez Wilson (out for the year) have all lost significant playing time in this young season. Losing Wilson is back-breaking for the defense that has given up a whopping 680 yards passing between Missouri and Illinois St. Against a quality opponent in Missouri, Williams was mediocre with 179 yards and one interception (albeit without Benn for most of the game), and the Illinois State game proves nothing as the team thrived despite Williams’ absence. The week off with a bye certainly helped. For the Buckeyes, they brushed up nicely ripping Toledo with a 38-0 shutout. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor showcased his athletic abilities, finally eclipsing 100 yards rushing. I say finally, because this should be at least a threat for every opponent trying to gameplan against the Buckeyes. What to watch for: The quarterbacks. This is somewhat obvious and a safe call, but the best player on both teams happens to be the guy holding the ball after every snap. I am unsettled by Pryor’s two interceptions last week (he hasn’t had an interception-free game yet this year and is one behind Purdue’s Joey Elliott for forking the ball over to the other team through the air the most in the conference). On the flip-side, Pryor leads the Big Ten in total offense (263 total yards/game). With Williams healthy, the outcome of the game will undoubtedly come down to which athlete does the most damage.
Prediction: Ohio State pitched a shutout last week and has seemed to shaken the cob-webs from their home loss to USC two weeks ago. Illinois is still settling into the season with the discontinuity brought about from injuries.
Ohio State 33, Illinois 21

Notre Dame at Purdue: The Fighting Irish (2-1) march in to West Lafayette after escaping a last second drive by Michigan State last week. Notre Dame looks to be quickly evolving with the loss of wide receiver Michael Floyd on the outside and the addition of a more determined rushing attack lead by Armando Allen. Allen (23-for 115 yards and one touchdown last week) has strung together back-to-back 100 yard rushing games (both against Big Ten foes), something escaping his early career. In fact, the only game he rushed over 73 yards last year was against, well, Purdue and he went bananas (17-for-134 yards, one touchdown). Purdue (1-2) is already reeling after a tough loss to Northern Illinois last week, tallying their second loss in as many weeks. The big alarm here is surrendering 454 total yards, 270 of them on the ground. This also spelled a huge time-of-possession deficit of nearly 2:1 (18:20). What to watch for: Obviously I see this coming down to how well Purdue can stop Allen, who is not 100 percent nursing a sore ankle. Surprisingly I previewed Notre Dame without talking about Jimmy Clausen, but I guess I just did. But I feel that Charlie Weis has decided to balance out his offensive scheme by folding in more action from the backfield. Allen is rushing well and that will set up the play-action for wideout Golden Tate deep or tight end Kyle Rudolph over the top of the biting linebackers. If Purdue loses the time of possession battle again, that will spell disaster for a tiring defense playing against a potent offense like Notre Dame’s. To this end, I also expect Purdue to pound the ball themselves, as they are averaging 210 yards on the ground.
Prediction: Purdue hasn’t shown the defensive prowess to slow down anyone, so I don’t expect much of a change with a visit from the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame 34, Purdue 20

Michigan State at Wisconsin: What to watch for: Wisconsin’s 200 yards rushing per game behind tailbacks Zach Brown and John Clay versus the Spartans' stingy rush defense (87 yards/game, 2.8 yards/carry). If the Badgers stall rushing, fear not, Michigan State’s Achilles’ heel so far has been stopping talented quarterbacks. Can the Badgers’ signal caller Scott Tolzien carry the load if called upon? For Michigan State, their quarterback combination has been successful (eight touchdowns, one interception, converting the most first downs in the conference passing with 44). Also, penalties may come in to play–Michigan state opponents are tops in penalties committed (24 total, 76.7 yards/game) and Wisconsin is ninth in the conference in penalties committed (19 total, 61.7 yards/game)
Prediction: Michigan State 30, Wisconsin 27

Indiana at Michigan: What to watch for: Indiana leads the conference in three categories–kickoff returns (27.9 avergae), turnover margin (plus three) and sacks against (one, for one yard loss). In fact, if there were a sack margin (sacks for – sacks against) Indiana would be tops with a +8 (followed by Michigan State at +7). Defensive ends Jammie Kilrew and Greg Middleton are as good as it gets as a duo off the edge (Can Tate Forcier be more consistent in his crash-reads of one of the ends? This may be a very intriguing individual offense-defense match-up). Michigan’s offensive line is credible, but suffered a big loss with an injury to center David Molk. So the battle in trenches should be the marquee for the match-up in Ann Arbor. If Michigan’s quarterbacks find more time looking up at the sky from ground, the Hoosiers may be able to hang tough. I am tremendously skeptical of that fact considering the team speed and athleticism heavily tilted towards Michigan.
Prediction: Michigan 28, Indiana 10

Minnesota at Northwestern: What to watch for: I was looking forward to this game during the pre-season because of the potential both squads posed heading in to the season. But after disappointing losses last week for both teams, the luster has worn just a bit. Northwestern’s gunslinger Mike Kafka has filled in nicely for the graduated C.J. Bacher, completing 75 percent of his passes for almost 250 yards/game (second in the Big Ten), with a conference leading 164.9 passing efficiency (which includes some statistical combination of blue moons, green diamonds and purple horseshoes). He’s managed to distribute the ball evenly amongst his receiving corps as four wideouts have hauled in at least 10 receptions so far. For the Gophers, they have also celebrated a strong passing attack, although quarterback Adam Weber has again fallen in love with senior receiver Erick Decker (27 receptions, 415 yards, two touchdowns). Will this game be a shootout? I doubt it; I feel that the Gophers are begrudgingly trying to prove they can play smashmouth football by running right at their opponents and failing. (Dead last in the conference with 85.7 yards/game).
Prediction: Northwestern is coming in with a better defense, which will again expose Minnesota’s one-sided offense. Northwestern 17, Minnesota 9

Photos Courtesy of Mark Selders/Penn State Athletic Communications & Michigan State Athletic Communications

Big Ten - Week 2 Preview

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

USC @ Ohio St. -
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Notre Dame @ Michigan - Click to Read Preview

Central Michigan at Michigan State: Quarterback Dan LeFevour (18-for-31, 108 yards, one interception) was abysmal as the Chippewas lost to Arizona, 19-6. Watch him try to get back to potential while he squares off against the Spartans’ quarterbacking duo, Keith Nichol and Kirk Cousins. This will be a better barometer of the Spartans’ defense as well.
MSU 31, CMU 9

Syracuse at Penn State: Constant disrupter defensive tackle Jared Odrick was certainly the standout last week for Penn State, with the silver going to Daryll Clark (29-for-40, 355 yards, three touchdowns, one interception) and the bronze to Derick Moye, who stepped up big in the receiving corps (6 catches, 138 yards, touchdown). Look for much-improved run blocking this week (they better!) and the front seven forcing Syracuse’s Greg Paulus to make bounce passes through his earhole.
Penn State 37, Syracuse 9

Iowa at Iowa State: Which is worse: last week against FCS Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes 1) were outgained 354 to 329 in total yards, 2) gave up 270 yards passing, 3) managed only 87 yards rushing, or 4) needed two blocked field goals to steal the win at home? That defense better more inspired, and the Hawkeyes must find a patchwork solution to their vacant rushing attack.
(Only because Iowa can’t start with an almost loss and then a loss)
Iowa 20, Iowa State 17

Purdue at Oregon: Do I dare set-up for the upset of the week? Disarray in Eugene, the loss of their starting running back for the season, and Purdue looking very strong out of the gate (52-31 over Toledo)? No. Purdue will not have an answer for quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in front of the Duck faithful.
Oregon 27, Purdue 14

Fresno State at Wisconsin: The home-and-home series returns to Camp Randall, where Northern Illinois almost stole one late from the Badgers. Call this one the Battle of the Bulge as Fresno State pounded the ball for 310 yards rushing and a 7.9 average versus the Zach Brown/John Clay tank brigade. If Clay healed this week, the Badgers will out-bruise in a close one.
Wisconsin 21, Fresno State 16

Air Force at Minnesota: The good–Adam Weber to Eric Decker looks like the passer-receiver combo of the conference. The bad–besides dedicating themselves to a physical rushing attack, the Gophers mustered only 112 yards rushing. The ugly–they almost lost to a team (Syracuse) with a point guard starting at quarterback and face an Air Force squad that put up 474 yards rushing last week. Home/Stadium-opening delight as Minnesota plays host outdoors to Air Force and squeaks by.
Minnesota 21, Air Force 20

Western Michigan at Indiana: Will the real Tim Hiller please stand up? Hopefully for the Hoosiers, he won’t do so this week. Will the real Ben Chappell please stand up? The Indiana quarterback threw for 326 yards on 27-for-36 passing and one touchdown. If that’s for real, then Indiana might be OK in the pistol.
Indiana 24, Western Michigan 21

Eastern Michigan at Northwestern: Coach Pat Fitzgerald has his team off to a good start as they easily handled Towson last week, 47-14. Eastern Michigan brings former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English back to the conference. English’s debut wasn’t pretty, as his squad dropped a 27-14 decision to Army. Pssst–Coach Fitz…run-the-football. Central Michigan’s defense gave away real estate in fire-sale fashion, giving up 300 yards to the Black Knights.
Northwestern 33, Eastern Michigan 10

Illinois St at Illinois: As I picked Illinois as a potential contender for the Big Ten title (which of course is still in hand notwithstanding the drubbing handed out by Missouri last week in St. Louis), I now stand on shaky ground in understanding what to expect this week. It’s against Illinois State, who gave up almost 400 yards to Eastern Illinois last week and managed 20 yards rushing? Oh…
Illinois 56, Illinois State 3

Photos Courtesy of Robert Barclay/Central Michigan, University of Minnesota Athletic Communications

Big Ten Week 1 Review: Signal Callers Driving Outcomes Early

By JOHN SEARS * BIG TEN INSIDER

As it stands, the Big Ten’s identity, or identity crisis, has recently been described politely as “smash-mouth” or impolitely as “slow”, “vanilla”, or “pig-wrestling in a corn field”. Last year further supported such monikers as only one quarterback passed for over 3,000 yards (Illinois Juice Williams with 3,173) or more than 20 touchdowns (Williams again with 22). Big Ten quarterbacks yielded only two members of the 1,000-yard receiving club (Minnesota’s Eric Decker with 1,074 yards, Illinois’ Arrelious Benn with 1,055). In contrast, six teams were represented by running backs that racked up at least 1,100 yards rushing, maxing out at 1,850 by Iowa’s Shonn Greene and 2,045 yards by Wisconsin’s tandem of P.J. Hill and John Clay. Five backs rushed for over ten touchdowns and two (Greene with 20 and Michigan State’s Javon Ringer with 22) hit pay dirt at least 20 times. Let’s just call 2008 a year that slanted toward the run. Fair enough?

Check opening day, 2009, for these same teams and you will find that quarterbacks are taking center stage in piling up notable statistics and more importantly, driving their team’s success. Against modest opponents to be sure, but the quarterbacks showed they may be destined take the spotlight off of Big Ten running backs. Consider: Michigan State rolled out unproven quarterbacks that just so happened to combine for 318 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions (Keith Nichol: 9/18, 135 yards, 2 touchdowns, Kirk Cousins: 10/17, 183, 3) in a 44-3 drubbing of Montana State. The Spartans seem to have a most delightful quarterback controversy to start the season, but the maize and blue also swapped out a pair of freshmen who dazzled in complementary fashions. Tate Forcier, in what amounted to a half a game, completed 65 percent of his passes (13/20) for 179 yards, three scores, and no giveaways. Dernard Robinson, on the other hand, scored by fleeted foot, seemingly (un)tied to an ACME rocket as he scorched the Western Michigan defense on a 42-yard quarterback keeper. Michigan trounced the Broncos, 31-7.

And let’s not forget that the leader of last year’s conference champs, Penn State’s Daryll Clark, has returned for one final go-around. Despite losing his dominant receiving trio of 2008, Clark played well in a breezy win against Akron (31-7) in the presence of a sluggish running game, tossing the pigskin for 353 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Even the perennial ground-grinders in Madison managed 281 yards throwing (Scott Tulzien 15/20, 257 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) in their opening 28-20 win over Northern Illinois. Indiana’s Ben Chappell did eclipse 300 yards (27/36, 326 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) in a sleepy victory over Eastern Kentucky 19-13.

Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi (242 yards) and Minnesota’s Adam Weber (248 yards), in pedestrian performances in sloppy wins over Northern Iowa and Syracuse respectively, still managed almost 250 yards through the air and one touchdown apiece. Northwestern pieced together 264 yards through the air and a score between Mike Kafka and Dan Persa in a 47-14 runaway victory over Towson. And Joey Elliott of Purdue showed magnificent technique handing the ball off 36 times for 320 yards, mostly to Ralph Bolden (21-234, two touchdowns). When needed, Elliott also tossed three touchdowns in a score-fest 52-31 victory over Toledo. All this success by Big Ten quarterbacks without mentioning the two (Williams, Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor) picked to be top performers and potential award winners at season’s end? Pryor, in a too-close-for-comfort win over Navy, combined for 204 yards and two scores…but it would have been nice to see him go without an interception on opening day with a Trojan invasion coming quickly. Williams, with the potential excuse that his number one target (Benn) and running back (Jason Ford) were unavailable for the second half, struggled to combine for 206 yards and one interception in a disappointing loss to Missouri, 37-9.

I am confident Williams and Pryor will improve upon their numbers last week and provide game-changing abilities week-in and week-out in the coming months. What’s more intriguing are the abilities shown by the rest of the conference’s gunslingers. Can the signal callers help the conference turn the corner offensively with some high octane, or will the Big Ten still be sitting around in the pig pen asking, “Who’s next?” come season’s end?

Photos Courtesy of University of Minnesota Athletic Communications, Iowa Sports Information

Big Ten - Best Clutch Performance

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

1c. Penn State versus Ohio State: Penn State needed a win in Columbus to keep their undefeated season alive, but they hadn’t won there since a year after I was born (long enough). Daryll Clark suffered a second half concussion and was not allowed to return to the field. After a huge defensive stop, Pat Devlin took the offense down the field and put the Buckeyes away with a quarterback keeper for a touchdown.

1b. Iowa versus Penn State: Penn State’s only loss came at the hands of their nemesis – Iowa…with assists from Kinnick Stadium and Mother Nature. With winds whipping up to 30 mph, Penn State could have sealed the victory with a late fourth quarter touchdown, but an interception breathed life back into the Hawkeyes. Cool and collected (and wind-burned), they were able to march down the field and leave a chip shot for Daniel Murray to steal the night, 24-23.

1a. Ohio State versus Wisconsin: Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor gained his first starting experience in the Big Ten at Camp Randall Stadium, an intimidating place to most. Late in the fourth quarter with a touchdown needed to win, Pryor led the troops down the field, converting two third downs and surviving two fumbles. On the last play of the drive, Pryor took an option keeper to the corner of the end zone, reducing the “Jump Around” faithful to a heaping slump of red silence. Unbelievable.

Bonus - Best Atmosphere:

3. Penn State at Ohio State: The Horseshoe battle for conference supremacy; a night game between storied programs and a rabid fan base which clung to hope right until Pryor’s last pass.

2. Illinois at Penn State: Happy Valley’s Big Ten opener was against Illinois. The Lions’ fans never fail to give us a show--the white out is one of the best sites in college football, and Penn St. one of the top home field advantages in the nation.

1. Ohio State at Wisconsin: Camp Randall fortifies for the Buckeye invasion, crescendos after P. J. Hill’s fourth quarter touchdown, and is finally silenced by Pryor winning score.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Iowa)

Big Ten - Biggest Team Turnaround

4. Indiana: No doubt the 2007 campaign by the Hoosiers was in honor of their late coach Terry Hoeppner. They finished the season bowl eligible and took the Old Oaken Bucket with a last-second field goal victory against rival Purdue. They finished 7-6. This year the magic was gone and injuries took their toll on the team’s record as they finished a paltry 3-9

3. Michigan: By far and away the worst turnaround season on the losing front. Forget last year. This year Michigan lost to rivals Michigan State, Notre Dame and Ohio State, lost their consecutive bowl streak, failed to register back-to-back wins all season, and wound up with an obscene nine losses. It was a forgettable season to say the least.

1b. Minnesota: Last season they were 1-11. This season, they have notched at least seven wins, which is fantastic. A late season four-game losing streak tarnished their Disney movie season, but it was a formidable one nonetheless.

1a. Northwestern: 9-3 for 2008 in Pat Fitzgerald’s third season. He was 4-8 his first year, then 6-6, and now his Cats are eyeing the best season in Northwestern history – 10 wins, including the bowl game.

Bonus - Biggest Surprise:

5. Michigan State fell just short, losing to Penn State in their effort to gain a share of the Big Ten title.

4. Ohio State losing convincingly to USC 35-3

3. Michigan at 3-9 and losing to Toledo

2. Indiana topping Northwestern (the Wildcats’ only other losses were to Michigan State and Ohio State)

1. Wisconsin ranked as high as ninth then falling, falling, falling.

Tomorrow: Best Clutch Performance

Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Athletic Communications

O'BRIEN QUARTERBACK AWARD MARQUEE MATCH-UP FOR WEEK TWELVE

FORT WORTH, Texas (November 12, 2008) - The 2008 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) Semifinalist Match-up for week 12 highlights the Big 12 battle featuring O'Brien Semifinalists Colt McCoy and Todd Reesing. Fans can show their support for McCoy and Reesing, as well as any of the other 13 Semifinalists, by visiting www.VoteOBrien.org and casting their vote once daily. The Fan Vote will count as 5% in determining the Finalists.

Semifinalist Marquee Match-up

Texas (Colt McCoy) at Kansas (Todd Reesing)
Saturday, November 15 at 11:30 a.m. (CST) on FSN
Colt McCoy leads the Texas Longhorns to Lawrence, Kan. to take on Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks as these Big 12 opponents go head-to-head. McCoy and the Longhorns hit the road after a 45-21 victory over Baylor on Saturday at home, which elevated Texas to a No. 3 ranking (BCS). McCoy, a junior from Tuscola, Texas, completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns. He continues to lead the Longhorns in rushing with 449 yards. Reesing and the Jayhawks turn their sights towards an upset as they try to rebound from their 45-35 loss in Nebraska against the Cornhuskers. The junior quarterback from Austin, Texas threw for 304 yards and accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). Reesing ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 2,942 passing yards. Both offenses are directed by O'Brien Semifinalists from the state of Texas whose quarterback skills will be put to the test on Saturday as the quarterback rivalry in the Big 12 continues.

Additional Semifinalist Games

Daryll Clark: Indiana at Penn State
Saturday, November 15 at 11 a.m. (CST) on the Big Ten Network
Under the leadership of quarterback Clark, the Nittany Lions look to avenge their 24-23 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. After a game that came down to the final seconds, Clark and his eighth-ranked team will set their sites on the Indiana Hoosiers as they vie for control of the Big Ten.

Chase Daniel: Missouri at Iowa State
Saturday, November 15 at 5:30 p.m. (CST) on FSN
Daniel and the Tigers enter Saturday's match-up looking to extend their three-game winning streak, including their 41-24 victory over Kansas State at home last Saturday. The senior quarterback enters this game with a 76.1 completion percentage for the season and hopes to continue the No. 12 Tigers quest for the top position in the Big 12 North.

Max Hall: BYU at Air Force
Saturday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on CSTV
BYU heads to Colorado Springs, Colo. to battle the Air Force Falcons after a 41-12 rout of San Diego State. Hall led the Cougar offense last week with three touchdowns and no interceptions, completing more than 83 percent of his passes. He has thrown a touchdown in 21-of-23 career games and hopes to add another win to the Cougars' 9-1 record.

David Johnson: Tulsa at Houston
Saturday, November 15 at 7 p.m. (CST) on CSTV
Johnson and the Golden Hurricanes return to conference play to take on the Houston Cougars after their first loss of the season to the SEC's Arkansas Razorbacks on November 1. With an 8-1 record, Johnson has maintained the nation's top quarterback rating (198.25) and will be at the helm of the Tulsa offense in this C-USA match-up.

Zac Robinson: Oklahoma State at Colorado
Saturday, November 15 at 7 p.m. (CST) on ABC
Oklahoma State will trek to Colorado as the Cowboys square off with the Buffaloes. Robinson and his team hope to bounce back from a loss to Big 12 foe, Texas Tech. The junior quarterback has thrown for 2,264 yards this season and earned a 181.01 quarterback rating which ranks No. 3 in the nation.

Mark Sanchez: USC at Stanford
Saturday, November 15 at 6 p.m. (CST) on Versus
After their 17-3 win over state rival, California, Sanchez and the No. 6 Trojans continue to dominate the Pac-10. The junior signal caller leads his conference in quarterback rating (162.18), passing yards (2,122) and touchdowns (24). Saturday Sanchez and the Trojans will focus their attention on the Stanford Cardinals.

Matthew Stafford: Georgia at Auburn
Saturday, November 15 at 11:30 a.m. (CST) on ESPN360.com and ESPN GamePlan
Stafford and the Georgia Bulldogs are preparing for their fourth consecutive game on the road. Stafford takes the No. 10 Bulldogs to Auburn after leading his team to a 42-38 victory over Kentucky last Saturday when he threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Tim Tebow: South Carolina at Florida
Saturday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on CBS
The No. 4 Gators continue to elevate their position in the polls under the leadership of their junior quarterback. Tebow rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns in addition to passing for three with no interceptions as Florida defeated Vanderbilt 42-14. The Gators return to the Swamp on Saturday to face off with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

John Parker Wilson: Mississippi State at Alabama
Saturday, November 15 at 6:45 p.m. (CST) on ESPN
Wilson led Alabama to their tenth win of the season on Saturday as they defended their No. 1 ranking against LSU. The senior quarterback rushed for two touchdowns, the second of which came in overtime and capped the Crimson Tide's 27-21 victory over the Tigers. Alabama will have the support of their fans at home this weekend as they host Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa.

About The O'Brien Fan Vote

Fans can now register and vote for The O'Brien Fan Vote online at www.VoteOBrien.org to show their support for their favorite college quarterback. Fans will be able to choose from any of the 119 FBS quarterbacks beginning on Tuesday, September 2, leaving room for the possibility of a quarterback who is not on the Watch List to win the award. The top three quarterbacks who garner the most votes will be added to The O'Brien Semifinalist List, and the Fan Vote will then count as 5% in determining the Finalists and Winner. The 2008 Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 11 on ESPN. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fans can also download an interactive "widget" at www.DaveyOBrien.org/FAN/fan_widgets.asp featuring a voting link and the ability to post and share on Web sites, social networks and blogs.

Fans can show their support by adding The O'Brien Facebook application to their Facebook Profile. The new application can be found by searching O'Brien Fan Vote and clicking the applications tab.

About The Davey O'Brien Award®

The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O'Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org.