ESPN College Football

Projecting the bowls based on the sixth week of games.

Rose Bowl Game: Stanford vs. Big Ten
Valero Alamo: Oregon vs. Big 12
Bridgepoint Education Holiday: Arizona State vs. Big 12
Hyundai Sun: Washington vs. ACC
MAACO Las Vegas: California vs. Mountain West
Kraft Fight Hunger: UCLA vs. ACC or Army
Gildan New Mexico: Utah vs. Big 12

Projecting the bowls based on the fifth week.

Rose Bowl Game: Stanford vs. Big Ten
Valero Alamo: Oregon vs. Big 12
Bridgepoint Education Holiday: Arizona State vs. Big 12
Hyundai Sun: Washington vs. ACC
MAACO Las Vegas: Utah vs. Mountain West
Kraft Fight Hunger: California vs. ACC or Army
Gildan New Mexico: Washington State vs. Big 12

Projecting the bowls based on the opening week.

Rose Bowl Game: Stanford vs. Big Ten
Valero Alamo: Oregon vs. Big 12
Bridgepoint Education Holiday: Arizona State vs. Big 12
Hyundai Sun: California vs. ACC
MAACO Las Vegas: Arizona vs. Mountain West
Kraft Fight Hunger: Washington vs. ACC or Army
Gildan New Mexico: Utah vs. Big 12

The Pac-12 provided 37 players to the NFL draft over the weekend, one fewer than the SEC, which led all conferences.

If the six combined picks from Colorado and Utah are taken away from the conference, the old Pac-10 provided NFL teams 3.1 draft picks per team, also just behind the SEC at 3.17.

Here's where the Pac-12 players went:

First round
No. 8 Jake Locker, QB, Washington: Tennessee
No. 9 Tyron Smith., OT, USC: Dallas
No. 17 Nate Solder, OT, Colorado: New England
No. 24 Cameron Jordan, DE, California: New Orleans
No. 27 Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado: Baltimore

Second round
7. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA: Tennessee
10. Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona: Houston
13. Rahim Moore, FS, UCLA: Denver
21. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State: Chicago
24. Shane Vereen, RB, California: New England

Third round
13. Jurrell Casey, DT, USC: Tennessee
20. Mason Foster, LB, Washington: Tampa Bay
25. Shareece Wright, CB, USC: San Diego
29. Christopher Conte, S, California: Chicago
33. Sione Fua, DT, Stanford: Carolina

Fourth round
5. Jordan Cameron, TE, USC: Cleveland
19. Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon: Philadelphia
21. Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado: Kansas City
27. Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford: Cleveland

Fifth round
8. Brandon Burton, CB, Utah: Minnesota
9. Gabe Miller, DE, Oregon State: Kansas City
14. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State: Atlanta
23. Richard Sherman, CB, Stanford: Seattle

Sixth round
2. Ryan Whalen, WR, Stanford: Cincinnati
14. Caleb Schlauderaff, OG, Utah: Green Bay
17. Ronald Johnson, WR, USC: San Francisco
19. David Carter, DT, UCLA: Arizona
22. Allen Bradford, RB, USC: Tampa Bay
24. Mike Mohamed, LB, California: Denver
32. Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona: Green Bay
38. Zach Williams, C, Washington State: Carolina

Seventh round
12. D'Aundre Reed, DE, Arizona: Minnesota
24. Scotty McKnight, WR, Colorado: New York Jets
30. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State: Green Bay
37. Stanley Havili, FB, USC: Philadelphia
38. David Ausberry, WR, USC: Oakland
39. Malcolm Smith, LB, USC: Seattle

By Pac-12 school:
Arizona (3)
Arizona State (1)
California (4)
Colorado (4)
Oregon (1)
Oregon State (3)
Stanford (4)
UCLA (3)
USC (9)
Utah (2)
Washington (2)
Washington State (1)

The final tally by automatic qualifying conferences:
SEC... 38
Pac-12... 37
Big Ten... 36
ACC... 35
Big East 22
Big 12...19

Nebraska was a big swing to the Big Ten from the Big 12 with seven picks. With Colorado and Nebraska, the Big 12 provided 30 selections.

This was the tally through three rounds:
SEC: 20
ACC: 19
Pac-12: 15
Big Ten: 13
Big 12: 9
Big East: 4

Here's where things stand for the Pac-12 through three rounds of the NFL draft.

First round
No. 8 Jake Locker, QB, Washington: Tennessee
No. 9 Tyron Smith., OT, USC: Dallas
No. 17 Nate Solder, OT, Colorado: New England
No. 24 Cameron Jordan, DE, California: New Orleans
No. 27 Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado: Baltimore

Second round
7. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA: Tennessee
10. Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona: Houston
13. Rahim Moore, FS, UCLA: Denver
21. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State: Chicago
24. Shane Vereen, RB, California: New England

Third round
13. Jurrell Casey, DT, USC: Tennessee
20. Mason Foster, LB, Washington: Tampa Bay
25. Shareece Wright, CB, USC: San Diego
29. Christopher Conte, S, California: Chicago
33. Sione Fua, DT, Stanforrd: Carolina

Through three rounds by conference (with Nebraska in the Big Ten and Colorado and Utah in the Pac-12):

SEC: 20
ACC: 19
Pac-12: 15
Big Ten: 13
Big 12: 9
Big East: 4

Note: The old Pac-10 has 13 without two first-round picks from Colorado. Big Ten has 12 without Nebraska. Big 12 has 12 if Colorado and Nebraska are included.

This will be my final post on our 2010 top 25 players rankings. It's also a line between looking back at the Pac-10 and looking forward to the Pac-12.

This post projects ahead: These players are the leading candidates for a preseason top 25.

First, here's who's back in 2011 -- 11 players -- from our top-25.

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
4. Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon
6. Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
7. Chris Polk, RB, Washington
11. Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State
13. Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
14. Matt Barkley, QB, USC
18. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
22. Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon
23. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington

And here's who's back -- nine players -- from our "left-out list."

Shayne Skov, LB, Stanford
Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford
Mychal Kendricks, LB, California
John Boyett, FS, Oregon
Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State
Jeff Tuel, QB, Washington State
Delano Howell, SS, Stanford

So that's 20 front-runners for the next list we'll put together this summer. Also, don't forget that competition will be more intense with the inclusion of Utah and Colorado for the next list.

Or will the Utes and/or Buffaloes get shutout? Neither welcomes back a first-team all-conference player from the Mountain West or Big 12, respectively (Colorado doesn't have a second-team player coming back, either).

Should be pretty interesting.

Welcome to the mailbag.

You can follow me on Twitter here.

To the notes.

Nathan from Boston writes: You mentioned that Jeff Tedford's not quite on the hot seat, and it coincides with Aaron Rodgers' rise to the Super Bowl. Clearly, Rodgers should have gotten more credit for what the did at Cal and gotten drafted higher. Perhaps, it was Rodgers giving to Tedford rather than the other way around, as was the perception. Furthermore, Tedford is in a perfect area for recruiting. So, I think he's very overrated, and question why he's not "firmly" on the hot seat.

Ted Miller: The Bay Area is the "perfect" area for recruiting? Neh. It's decent, probably underrated, in fact, but there are parts of Florida, Texas, Southern California, Louisiana and Georgia I'd rate as just a bit more perfect.

And Tedford's reputation wasn't built just on Rodgers, who is one of six quarterbacks he coached who became first-round NFL draft picks, the others being Kyle Boller, David Carr, Trent Dilfer, Joey Harrington and Akili Smith. And those guys' fair-to-lousy levels of success in the NFL suggests, in fact, that Tedford might be "giving" more than he is "receiving."

That said, Tedford's run of quarterbacks has dried up of late, consider Joe Ayoob, Nate Longshore, Kevin Riley and the late-season performance of Brock Mansion in 2010 (though let's recall that at one point Longshore looked like a future first-round draft pick before he lost his mojo).

As for Rodgers, his extended marinating on the Green Bay bench probably served him well. Instead of being thrust into service as a rookie or first-year player, Rodgers was able to learn the nuances of the NFL game over three seasons before becoming the starter.

While I don't see Tedford as being on the "hot seat" -- barring an absolute disaster, I think he'll be back as the Bears coach in 2012 -- he does deserve increased scrutiny. His transformation of the program, which was 1-10 the season before he arrived in 2002, was impressive. Cal, however, now has higher expectations -- expectations beyond seven or eight wins and certainly beyond the 5-7 finish in 2010. And a quick glance at the Bears' depth chart and their schedule in 2011 doesn't suggest a bounce back to nine or so wins.

On the other hand, the defense perked up under Clancy Pendergast last year, recruiting is going extremely well, and the return of offensive line coach Jim Michalczik (not official yet) and receivers coach Eric Kiesau feels like Tedford is reconnecting to his glory days. If the Bears find the right quarterback, they will be formidable again going forward.

But, yes, it is fair to say that Tedford is no longer untouchable.

---

Justin from Omaha writes: What would be a successful first year in the Pac-12 for the Buffaloes? I am excited for the 2011 season but, I have know idea what to expect. I don't think they are South contenders but, is being maybe 3 or 4 a possibility?

Ted Miller: Would you think less of me if I said I'm with you: I don't know what to expect.

The only Colorado game I watched in its entirety last season was the 52-7 beatdown defeat at California. Justin from Butte, Mont., wrote last week that I might be weighing that game too heavily, and I agree with him. But I also noted that the Buffaloes have a new coach, new staff, a questionable defense and a bit of uncertainty at quarterback.

Colorado is not a "Little Sisters of the Poor" program, and old Pac-10 fans who think the Buffaloes aren't going to be competitive from the get-go are probably going to be surprised. They were competitive last year in the Big 12 and beat Georgia. While my initial feeling is the Buffs won't end up bowl-eligible and will fall toward the bottom of the South Division in 2011, I also wouldn't be shocked if they scrapped their way to around .500.

---

George from Phoenix writes: Please put out the wildfire of ASU hype and stellar predictions for next year! I'm already seeing reports of us taking the South and potentially more. I'm having flashbacks of DE yr 2 pre season. "We went 10-3 in DE's first year, will be roses the next", etc, etc, etc...thud!Don't most teams have a build up / ok year before hitting it big? Ore had a good year, then roses, then NC. Isn't that how it usually happens?

Ted Miller: No. Sorry. I am hyping.

I like the Sun Devils' offensive line (imagine that!). I like the skill positions and speed on both sides of the ball. I think either quarterback, Brock Osweiler or Steven Threet, can win games. I have a feeling linebacker Vontaze Burfict grows up next fall and becomes an All-American and NFL first-round pick. I like Omar Bolden as a shut-down cornerback with leadership skills. I like Junior Onyeali as a super young talent at end.

I worry a little about depth at defensive tackle with the departure of Lawrence Guy, but not that much.

This team is nothing like 2008, a team with HUGE questions on the offensive line. The Sun Devils should win the South and end up ranked in the top-25.

Again, sorry for the hype.

---

Shane from Corvallis, Ore., writes: I know quiz was a great teammate and player. and maybe it's just me trying to be optimistic, but any chance that quiz leaving might be addition by subtraction..., i was thinking that maybe quiz leaving will force Riley and company to modify their game style for the better.

Ted Miller: Shane, I like the effort but you, my friend, are reeeeaaaaching!

Jacquizz Rodgers is a dynamic weapon because he's such a complete player: He runs, he catches, he blocks and he's a great locker room guy. The Beavers will not be better because he's gone. Not saying they are going to stink without him, only that if Rodgers was coming back, expectations for 2011 would be much higher.

The problems in 2010 had nothing to do with Jacquizz.

• Breaking in a new quarterback. Even though Ryan Katz has notable talent, the Beavers offense has, historically, been hard on first-year starters.
• Bad-to-mediocre offensive line play. The Beavers' line took a step back last year. It must improve for 2011 to turn out better.
• James Rodgers gets hurt in he fifth game. Recall that the Beavers were 3-2 -- with road losses to TCU and Boise State -- and won at Arizona with Rodgers. No way the Beavers fail to reach a bowl game if he never got hurt.
• Defensive inconsistency. It seemed like the Beavers lacked a dynamic guy in their front seven, other than defensive tackle Stephen Paea.

Finally, the depth chart behind Rodgers is unproven. The Beavers always seem to find a running back. But, at present, we really don't know who that will be.

---

Aaron from Flagstaff, Ariz., writes: Just wondering how you would figure out how many recruits your college can get each year. I thought ASU was very limited, and now we are at 17 recruits.

Ted Miller: Two rules: 85 total players on scholarship, 25 per recruiting class.

(And if you want to read a great story about how coaches fiddle with these rules by "oversigning," check out Andy Staples' story here).

Arizona State had a very small senior class, which was why the 2011 recruiting class was -- and still is, really -- expected to be small. At the end of the process, you still can only give out 85 scholarships per team, per year.

But there's been some roster attrition -- quarterback Samson Szakacsy, defensive tackle Lee Adams, cornerback Josh Jordan and tight end Steven Figueroa have left the program -- and two players listed with this year's class, quarterback Mike Bercovici and punter Josh Hubner, are already enrolled.

Doing roster math from the outside isn't easy because there are always things going on "inside." But, unless you want to get highly detailed, just understand the numbers 85 and 25.

---

Greg from Seattle writes: Hey Ted, did you ever see this?

Ted Miller: Pretty darn polished by Washington running back Johri Fogerson.

Andrea Adelson and Heather Dinich preview Monday night's Orange Bowl.

ACC blogger Heather Dinich and Nation blogger Andrea Adelson preview the Virginia Tech-Stanford matchup in the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) vs. Washington Huskies (6-6)

Dec. 30, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Nebraska take by Big 12 blogger David Ubben: If it seems like you've seen this movie before, it's because you have. Nebraska went up to Seattle this September and ran all over the Huskies, beating Washington 56-21. The Huskers racked up 383 rushing yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run by Taylor Martinez on the first play of the second half.

Even more impressive than the Huskers rush offense was its pass defense. The last time the Blackshirts crossed paths with Jake Locker, it cost the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft a big chunk of change. His 4-for-20 performance with a pair of interceptions -- one was returned for a touchdown -- started the beginning of a disappointing season for Locker.

He'll be ready to have a different result this time around. But after being burnt for more than 300 yards by Oklahoma's Landry Jones in the Big 12 Championship, Bo Pelini's defense will be ready to make sure Locker has similar results to the September meeting. After all, they're not short on NFL talent themselves. Cornerbacks Alfonzo Dennard and Prince Amukamara will be playing at the next level, and Amukamara could be a top five pick in 2011.

The Huskers came close to a BCS bid for the second consecutive season, but a midseason injury to Martinez brought Nebraska's offense back down to earth. He'll have plenty of time to heal for this one, and the freshman might look like his early-season self if separate injuries to both feet are nonfactors by late December.

---

Washington take by Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller: Washington used a late surge to earn bowl eligibility in a season that was all over the place in terms of emotions.

Over the first half of the season, the Huskies alternated winning and losing, disappointment and satisfaction. A poor performance at BYU was followed by a strong effort versus Syracuse. The Huskies then were blown out by Nebraska, only to beat USC in their next game. A loss to Arizona State was followed by a double-overtime win over Oregon State. That inconsistency was frustrating, but not as frustrating as what followed: three consecutive blowout defeats to Arizona, Stanford and Oregon. It was clear the Huskies weren't ready for primetime.

The chief problem was the play of both lines -- both were frequently overwhelmed. While Locker was suffering through an injury-riddled, disappointing season, the Huskies were mostly solid on offense. The defense was just terrible.

But then the schedule softened up, and the Huskies ran off three consecutive wins to reach 6-6 and earn bowl eligibility. The big question is: Are they improved enough to stay on the field with Nebraska, which crushed them on Sept. 18? Washington wants redemption for that loss, but it might not be able to keep up with the Cornhuskers.

A final unofficial look before the bowls make things official.

Oregon will play Auburn for the national title. That should be great fun.

Stanford to the Orange Bowl to face Virginia Tech seems likely. That's what most are projecting. But Jon Wilner says there may yet be some intrigue that puts the Cardinal into the Fiesta Bowl (which Stanford would prefer).

That leaves only Arizona and Washington as bowl-eligible -- USC, as you might have heard, isn't eligible because of NCAA sanctions.

The Alamo Bowl is being coy about choosing between Washington and Arizona. Those drama queens!

The Wildcats whipped the Huskies by 30 on Oct. 23. But Washington finished the season with a three-game winning streak and a better Pac-10 record (5-4), while Arizona dropped four in a row and finished behind the Huskies in the conference standings (4-5).

Of course, maybe they'll be some wheeling and dealing. The Holiday Bowl probably isn't thrilled with hosting the Wildcats a second consecutive year.

• Tostitos BCS National Championship Game: Oregon vs. Auburn
• Rose Bowl Game: TCU vs. Wisconsin
• Orange Bowl: Stanford vs. Virginia Tech
• Valero Alamo: Washington vs. Oklahoma State
• Bridgepoint Education Holiday: Arizona vs. Missouri
• Hyundai Sun: No team.
• MAACO Las Vegas: No team
• Kraft Fight Hunger: No team.

Tracking the offensive, defensive and coach of the year races in the Pac-10.

Offensive Player of the Year

1. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon: James rushed 28 times for 126 yards with two touchdowns in the Ducks' win over Arizona. He also caught three passes for 20 yards. He leads the nation in rushing yards per game (154.8) and his 19 rushing touchdowns rank second. James is the top player for a team on track for its first national title game.

2. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Luck completed 21 of 30 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-0 win over Oregon State. He's the nation's seventh-rated passer with 28 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He's completing 70.2 percent of his passes. He's also rushed for 438 yards and three touchdowns. He has led a program that went 1-11 in 2006 to a likely BCS bowl berth.

3. Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon: He ranks 21st in the nation in passing efficiency -- leading the nation's No. 2 team -- and is second in the Pac-10 with 26 touchdown passes. He's also rushed for 496 yards and five TDs.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State: While the Beavers' defense has struggled, it's not because of Paea, who has commanded double-teams all season. And he's surged of late. He's fourth in the conference with seven sacks, tops among interior defensive linemen. He also has 11 total tackles for a loss and four forced fumbles, which is tied for first in the conference.

2. Brandon Bair, DT, Oregon: He's second in the Pac-10 with 15.5 tackles for a loss. He also has six pass breakups.

3. Cameron Jordan, DE, California: The potential first-round NFL draft pick has 12.5 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks and has forced three fumbles.

4. Mason Foster, LB, Washington: He leads the Pac-10 with 12.5 tackles per game, with 9.5 coming for a loss. He's also forced two and recovered two fumbles. The recent improvement of the Huskies' defense helps his candidacy.

6. Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona: He leads the conference with eight sacks, but he hasn't recorded a sack in the past three games, losses to Stanford, USC and Oregon.

6. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA: The All-American candidate and likely first-round NFL draft pick has recorded 9.5 tackles for a loss, including four sacks, with two interceptions and he's forced and recovered two fumbles. He's been pretty quiet over the second half of the season.

7. Kenny Rowe, DE, Oregon: Rowe ranks fifth in the conference with six sacks and fifth with 12 tackles for a loss. He also has forced four fumbles.

8. Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon: Harris has scored five TDs this year without playing offense. He leads the Pac-10 with five interceptions and 19 pass defenses. But he's still searching for consistency (see the Arizona game).

Coach of the Year

1. Chip Kelly, Oregon: The Ducks are undefeated, ranked No. 2 in the BCS standings and No. 1 both major polls. They are one Civil War win from playing for the national title. But there are credible rumors that Kelly invented the annoying phrases "It is what it is" and "At the end of the day."

2. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford: Stanford is ranked fourth in the BCS standings and likely will play in a BCS bowl game. Harbaugh believes, however, that if he takes a bite (or two) of his wife's dessert, the lack of certain ownership means those calories don't count for him.

» Predictions: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Non-AQ

Been mediocre of late. Went 2-2 last week and the season record is now 48-16. You might find the top comment amusing, though.

Won't go .500 this week, that's for sure.

Thursday
Washington 28, UCLA 24: Jake Locker can't really lose his final game in Husky Stadium, can he? The Huskies' -- very bad -- run defense will need to step up, though.

Saturday
Stanford 28, California 20: The Cardinal has too much at stake to lose the Big Game. Stanford's advantage at quarterback will be too much to overcome for Cal, even playing at home. And will this be Andrew Luck's final Big Game? And what about Jim Harbaugh?

USC 40, Oregon State 24: USC is rolling. Oregon State is not. The Trojans luck in the state of Oregon will change. It just doesn't seem reasonable to believe that a defense that got pushed around by Washington State has a chance to slow down USC.

OFF: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and Washington State.

Tracking the offensive, defensive and coach of the year races in the Pac-10. (And, yes, we've got no idea with the defensive award).

Offensive Player of the Year

1. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon: James rushed for 91 yards on 29 carries in the Ducks' win over California. He leads the nation in rushing yards per game (158.0) and rushing touchdowns (17).

2. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Luck completed 33 of 41 passes for 291 yards with an interception in the Cardinal's victory over Arizona State. He's the nation's 10th-rated passer with 22 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He's completing 69.6 percent of his passes. He's also rushed for 373 yards and three touchdowns.

3. Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon: He ranks 18th in the nation in passing efficiency -- leading the nation's No. 1 team -- and is second in the Pac-10 with 23 touchdown passes. He's also rushed for 434 yards and four TDs.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona: He leads the conference with eight sacks, which is two more than anyone else. But he hasn't recorded a sack in the past two games, losses to Stanford and USC.

2. Brandon Bair, DT, Oregon: He's second in the Pac-10 with 13 tackles for a loss. He also has six pass breakups. And Oregon's defense continues to climb the statistical ladder.

3. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA: The All-American candidate and likely first-round NFL draft pick has recorded nine tackles for a loss, including four sacks, with two interceptions and he's forced and recovered two fumbles.

4. Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon: Harris has scored five TDs this year without playing offense. He leads the Pac-10 with five interceptions and 15 pass defenses.

5. Cameron Jordan, DE, California: The potential first-round NFL draft pick has 10.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks and has forced three fumbles.

6. Kenny Rowe, DE, Oregon: Rowe ranks second in the conference with six sacks and fourth with 11 tackles for a loss. He also has forced three fumbles.

7. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State: While the Beavers defense has struggled, it's not because of Paea, who has commanded double-teams all season. And he still has five sacks.

8. Mason Foster, LB, Washington: He leads the Pac-10 with 12.7 tackles per game, with 6.0 coming for a loss. He's also forced two and recovered two fumbles. The badness of the Huskies defense likely dooms his candidacy.

Coach of the Year

1. Chip Kelly, Oregon: The Ducks are undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings and both major polls. Is known, however, to sometimes double-up on his meat course and skip the vegetables.

2. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford: Stanford is ranked sixth in the BCS standings and remains a Rose Bowl contender. Can't speak a word of Hungarian.

Here's a look at what the Pac-10's top Heisman Trophy candidates did over the weekend.

We've narrowed the list to two. Both have a solid shot of being invited to New York for the ceremony.

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon: James rushed for 91 yards on 29 carries in the Ducks' win over California. He leads the nation in rushing yards per game (158.0) and rushing touchdowns (17).

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Luck completed 33 of 41 passes for 291 yards with an interception in the Cardinal's victory over Arizona State. He's the nation's 10th-rated passer with 22 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He's completing 69.6 percent of his passes. He's also rushed for 373 yards and three touchdowns.