Players We're Watching

So it's no poll - Matt M. doesn't believe in them until a few games are actually, you know, played - but there are 10 players who we think you should look for, as they'll be crucial to their teams' chances. Such as ... Big Ten: Terrelle Pryor. After its "upset" of Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State was my way-too-early pick to win this year's national championship, and Pryor was the No. 1 reason why. He led the Buckeyes in rushing as a sophomore - the first Ohio State QB to do so since Les Horvath in 1944 - has an improved cast of receivers this season, and with Jim Tressel's trust, should make a run at the Heisman and BCS Championship Game. SEC: Julio Jones. Like Pryor, he was widely heralded as perhaps the best player in the high school Class of 2008, and like Pryor, he tantalized as a freshman before getting hurt and not playing up to enormous expectations as a sophomore. With last year's national championship-winning defense gutted and opponents keying on Mark Ingram, Nick Saban needs Jones to step up. Big 12: My first thought was Garrett Gilbert, who was almost good enough to come in cold and lead Texas past Jones and Alabama in the BCS Championship Game. Gilbert owns the state's prep record for most yards passing in a season, which if you know anything about football, or Texas, is a big deal. But I'm selling the Longhorns this year, preseason ranking be damned; Nebraska, I'm holding. A fan at last year's Holiday Bowl-demolition of Arizona refuted my reasoning that the Cornhuskers would be a national championship contender this season, saying Zac Lee and the offense was nowhere near as good as they showed against Arizona, and that the roster needed a couple more recruiting classes before being BCS worthy. Still, you know the offensive line and special teams will be good, so if Baker Steinkuhler - the son of 1983 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award winner Dean Steinkuhler - can hold his own in place of Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska could top Texas in Bo Pelini's third year. ACC: Jacory Harris is the biggest wildcard - if he takes care of the football, Miami has the talent to win at Ohio State. If he gets hurt, Randy Shannon's in trouble - with Christian Ponder right behind him - he's a senior, and we're not sure if he's Chris Weinke or Dan Kendra - but the quarterback I'm most curious about will have his season defined in primetime Labor Day night. Tyrod Taylor arrived in Blacksburg as the next Michael Vick, shared time as a freshman, struggled (and almost redshirted) as a sophomore, improved as a junior and starts his senior season in Va. Tech's backyard against Heisman hopeful Kellen Moore and No. 3 Boise State. Win, and the Hokies go into conference play in the Top 5. Lose, and they'll be lucky to finish in the Top 3 of the ACC. Pac-10: As much as it pains me to say, Darron Thomas (or Nate Costa) at Oregon and Andrew Luck at Stanford are the difference makers to how my home conference plays out. If Jeremiah Masoli hadn't been A) stupid and B) suspended, Oregon would be the pick to win the Pac-10, even though the Ducks don't play the same away from home. With Masoli now in Mississippi, Thomas (or Costa) has the weight of 17 returning starters from last year's Pac-10 champs on his shoulders. Stanford ranks right behind Oregon and USC in terms of talent - if Jim Harbaugh weren't so unlikable, he'd be getting the credit he deserves for the coaching job he's done - but Toby Gerhart's run out on Luck, leaving what might be the best offense in the Pac-10 in the hands of the sophomore.