cdj
12-12-2010, 11:07 AM
You can view the page at http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/content.php?306-NCAA-Football-12-Cover-Athlete-Candidates-Pre-Bowl-Edition
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http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/images/NCAA11/NCAAFootballLogo.jpg
With the college football regular season at a close, talk has started amongst community members on whom may be potential cover athlete candidates for NCAA Football 12. This year appears to potentially be the most wide-open in recent memory as there is strong rationale for and against almost every candidate and the majority of candidates are all under-classmen. With the possibility of an NFL lock-out looming, the underclassmen have a difficult choice in deciding whether to stay in school or enter the NFL Draft. Following the bowl games, the cover athlete discussion should become clearer and we will revisit the topic to see what candidates emerged or may have dropped out of the picture.
The Leaders in the Clubhouse
RB LaMichael James, Oregon* – The nation’s leading rusher on the top offense in college football, James racked up 1,682 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns. Should his Ducks defeat Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game behind a strong performance from James, he may overtake Newton as the top cover athlete candidate. James was suspended for the 2010 season opener following his guilty plea for physical harassment after a February 17 arrest. If selected as the cover athlete, he would be the second Oregon player on the cover of NCAA Football, following NCAA Football 2003 cover athlete QB Joey Harrington.
QB Andrew Luck, Stanford* – Luck is expected to be the top quarterback taken in the 2010 NFL Draft, if not the top overall pick. The quarterback from Houston, Texas has led Stanford to an 11-1 record this season with the only loss to Oregon. He was named 2010 Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year. On the year, he has completed 70% of his passes with 28 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, while rushing for 438 yards and three scores.
QB Kellen Moore, Boise State* - After finishing seventh in 2009 Heisman Trophy voting, Moore put together an excellent junior season by completing 71% of his passes for 3,506 yards with 33 touchdowns and five interceptions. A knock on his program also fits for Moore – some feel his level of competition in the WAC is not equal to those from BCS conferences. If selected as the cover athlete, he would be the second Boise State player to grace the cover of the game, following NCAA Football 08 cover athlete QB Jared Zabransky.
QB Cam Newton, Auburn* – The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner and most dynamic player in recent college football memory, the first year starter at QB has taken Auburn from an 8-5 season to 13-0 and within one win of the National Championship. Newton is just the second player in NCAA FBS history to total at least 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns in a season and is the first in SEC history to have 2,000 passing yard and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. However, Newton has been plagued by the ‘pay-for-play’ scandal surrounding his father and Mississippi State. EA SPORTS may not want to risk a cover athlete scandal after seeing sales for the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise drop significantly following the media circus and allegations that engulfed Tiger Woods last fall and winter.
Dark Horses
WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State* - The Cowboys offense did not skip a beat in 2010 behind the skills of Blackmon, considered one of the top WR prospects in college football. On the year, Blackmon caught 102 passes for 1,665 yards and accounted for 20 total touchdowns. He was suspended for one game following an October 26 arrest for DUI.
RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State - One of the the top senior running backs in the country, Hunter racked up over 1,500 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns in an Oklahoma State offense that also featured the one of the top wide receivers in the nation (Justin Blackmon).
RB Mark Ingram, Alabama* – The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner missed the first two games of the 2010 season recovering from knee surgery and finished with just 816 yards rushing and 12 total touchdowns. He also split time and carries with sophomore RB Trent Richardson.
QB Colin Kaepernick, Nevada – The four-year starter for the Wolfpack has put together an impressive senior season. This year, Kaepernick has completed 65% of his passes for 2,830 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On the ground, he has rushed for 1,184 yards and 20 touchdowns. He led Nevada to a 12-1 record including an upset of then #3 ranked Boise State.
QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas* - The former Michigan transfer has helped rebuilding Arkansas emerge as a power player in the SEC as he completed 61% of his passes this season for 30 touchdowns and eleven interceptions.
DB Patrick Peterson, LSU* – With early info that the game is focusing on defense, Peterson may have the inside edge as he is one of the top defensive players in the country. Peterson has done it all for the Tigers, intercepting four passes, averaged 16 yards per punt return with two touchdowns, averaged 29 yards per kickoff return, while blocking one kick in earning the Jim Thorpe Award.
QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State* - A forgotten man in the Heisman discussion following Ohio State's loss to Wisconsin, Pryor completed 66% of his passes on the season for 2,551 yards with 25 touchdowns. He also added 639 yards on the ground and four rushing scores.
Coach Urban Meyer, Florida – The 46-year old Meyer had one of the most impressive coaching careers in college football history during his stops at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida as he accumulated a career record of 103-23 with two National Championships and one undefeated season. Should the NCAA Football franchise add in any aspect of coaches or a Coaching Carousel, Meyer would be the perfect fit for the cover. However, that would give the franchise consecutive Florida Gators on the cover – QB Tim Tebow and then Meyer.
Coach Joe Paterno, Penn State - The all-time winningest coach in NCAA history with 401 victories, Paterno would be a perfect fit should the franchise add in coaches and/or a coaching carousel. Paterno also holds the record for bowl game victories (24) and was the first FBS coach to reach 400 victories.
On the Radar
DB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska - Like Peterson, the All-American defensive back led one of the top pass defenses in college football and was the first ever winner of the Pop Warner Award. The honor goes to a former Pop Warner football player who shows excellence on the field, in classes, and in the community. He is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
DL Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson* - The nation's leader in sacks with 15 also racked up 61 tackles and 10 quarterback hurries.
RB/LB Owen Marecic, Stanford – A rare two-way player, Marecic has accounted for five total touchdowns, 45 tackles, and one sack.
LB Von Miller, Texas A&M - The 2010 Butkus Award winner was a terror for opposing offenses as he helped lead Texas A&M to the Big 12 South co-Championship and six consecutive wins to end the season. For the year, Miller totaled 59 tackles, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Community Mentions
Miami DL Allen Bailey, Oklahoma DE Jeremy Beal, Wisconsin RB John Clay, Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn, TCU QB Andy Dalton, Ohio State DL Cameron Heyward, Purdue DL Ryan Kerrigan, Washington QB Jake Locker, UCLA S Rahim Moore, Oregon State DL Stephen Paea,
* - Indicates underclassman. Would need to declare eligibility for NFL Draft in order to be eligible for NCAA Football cover athlete consideration.
***
http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/images/NCAA11/NCAAFootballLogo.jpg
With the college football regular season at a close, talk has started amongst community members on whom may be potential cover athlete candidates for NCAA Football 12. This year appears to potentially be the most wide-open in recent memory as there is strong rationale for and against almost every candidate and the majority of candidates are all under-classmen. With the possibility of an NFL lock-out looming, the underclassmen have a difficult choice in deciding whether to stay in school or enter the NFL Draft. Following the bowl games, the cover athlete discussion should become clearer and we will revisit the topic to see what candidates emerged or may have dropped out of the picture.
The Leaders in the Clubhouse
RB LaMichael James, Oregon* – The nation’s leading rusher on the top offense in college football, James racked up 1,682 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns. Should his Ducks defeat Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game behind a strong performance from James, he may overtake Newton as the top cover athlete candidate. James was suspended for the 2010 season opener following his guilty plea for physical harassment after a February 17 arrest. If selected as the cover athlete, he would be the second Oregon player on the cover of NCAA Football, following NCAA Football 2003 cover athlete QB Joey Harrington.
QB Andrew Luck, Stanford* – Luck is expected to be the top quarterback taken in the 2010 NFL Draft, if not the top overall pick. The quarterback from Houston, Texas has led Stanford to an 11-1 record this season with the only loss to Oregon. He was named 2010 Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year. On the year, he has completed 70% of his passes with 28 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, while rushing for 438 yards and three scores.
QB Kellen Moore, Boise State* - After finishing seventh in 2009 Heisman Trophy voting, Moore put together an excellent junior season by completing 71% of his passes for 3,506 yards with 33 touchdowns and five interceptions. A knock on his program also fits for Moore – some feel his level of competition in the WAC is not equal to those from BCS conferences. If selected as the cover athlete, he would be the second Boise State player to grace the cover of the game, following NCAA Football 08 cover athlete QB Jared Zabransky.
QB Cam Newton, Auburn* – The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner and most dynamic player in recent college football memory, the first year starter at QB has taken Auburn from an 8-5 season to 13-0 and within one win of the National Championship. Newton is just the second player in NCAA FBS history to total at least 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns in a season and is the first in SEC history to have 2,000 passing yard and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. However, Newton has been plagued by the ‘pay-for-play’ scandal surrounding his father and Mississippi State. EA SPORTS may not want to risk a cover athlete scandal after seeing sales for the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise drop significantly following the media circus and allegations that engulfed Tiger Woods last fall and winter.
Dark Horses
WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State* - The Cowboys offense did not skip a beat in 2010 behind the skills of Blackmon, considered one of the top WR prospects in college football. On the year, Blackmon caught 102 passes for 1,665 yards and accounted for 20 total touchdowns. He was suspended for one game following an October 26 arrest for DUI.
RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State - One of the the top senior running backs in the country, Hunter racked up over 1,500 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns in an Oklahoma State offense that also featured the one of the top wide receivers in the nation (Justin Blackmon).
RB Mark Ingram, Alabama* – The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner missed the first two games of the 2010 season recovering from knee surgery and finished with just 816 yards rushing and 12 total touchdowns. He also split time and carries with sophomore RB Trent Richardson.
QB Colin Kaepernick, Nevada – The four-year starter for the Wolfpack has put together an impressive senior season. This year, Kaepernick has completed 65% of his passes for 2,830 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On the ground, he has rushed for 1,184 yards and 20 touchdowns. He led Nevada to a 12-1 record including an upset of then #3 ranked Boise State.
QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas* - The former Michigan transfer has helped rebuilding Arkansas emerge as a power player in the SEC as he completed 61% of his passes this season for 30 touchdowns and eleven interceptions.
DB Patrick Peterson, LSU* – With early info that the game is focusing on defense, Peterson may have the inside edge as he is one of the top defensive players in the country. Peterson has done it all for the Tigers, intercepting four passes, averaged 16 yards per punt return with two touchdowns, averaged 29 yards per kickoff return, while blocking one kick in earning the Jim Thorpe Award.
QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State* - A forgotten man in the Heisman discussion following Ohio State's loss to Wisconsin, Pryor completed 66% of his passes on the season for 2,551 yards with 25 touchdowns. He also added 639 yards on the ground and four rushing scores.
Coach Urban Meyer, Florida – The 46-year old Meyer had one of the most impressive coaching careers in college football history during his stops at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida as he accumulated a career record of 103-23 with two National Championships and one undefeated season. Should the NCAA Football franchise add in any aspect of coaches or a Coaching Carousel, Meyer would be the perfect fit for the cover. However, that would give the franchise consecutive Florida Gators on the cover – QB Tim Tebow and then Meyer.
Coach Joe Paterno, Penn State - The all-time winningest coach in NCAA history with 401 victories, Paterno would be a perfect fit should the franchise add in coaches and/or a coaching carousel. Paterno also holds the record for bowl game victories (24) and was the first FBS coach to reach 400 victories.
On the Radar
DB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska - Like Peterson, the All-American defensive back led one of the top pass defenses in college football and was the first ever winner of the Pop Warner Award. The honor goes to a former Pop Warner football player who shows excellence on the field, in classes, and in the community. He is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
DL Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson* - The nation's leader in sacks with 15 also racked up 61 tackles and 10 quarterback hurries.
RB/LB Owen Marecic, Stanford – A rare two-way player, Marecic has accounted for five total touchdowns, 45 tackles, and one sack.
LB Von Miller, Texas A&M - The 2010 Butkus Award winner was a terror for opposing offenses as he helped lead Texas A&M to the Big 12 South co-Championship and six consecutive wins to end the season. For the year, Miller totaled 59 tackles, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Community Mentions
Miami DL Allen Bailey, Oklahoma DE Jeremy Beal, Wisconsin RB John Clay, Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn, TCU QB Andy Dalton, Ohio State DL Cameron Heyward, Purdue DL Ryan Kerrigan, Washington QB Jake Locker, UCLA S Rahim Moore, Oregon State DL Stephen Paea,
* - Indicates underclassman. Would need to declare eligibility for NFL Draft in order to be eligible for NCAA Football cover athlete consideration.