Cotton Bowl 2015: Unheralded Players Who Will Impact Alabama vs. Michigan State

At this stage of the season, head coaches rely even more heavily on the star players who have most helped their teams. Unsung heroes can sometimes mean the difference between victory and defeat, though.

Newly minted Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, Connor Cook, Shilique Calhoun, Reggie Ragland and Eddie Jackson will be among the big names on show in the 2015 Cotton Bowl. Their performances will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the final result.

On the other hand, the contributions of the four players below are bound to be overlooked for the most part. Despite that, they should all play important roles for their teams on Thursday.  

Cam Robinson, LT, Alabama

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Calhoun is one of FBS' premier pass-rushers, picking up 10.5 sacks this season. The Spartans defensive end is all but a certainty to be an early pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

Calhoun can line up at either right end or left end, so both Cam Robinson and Dominick Jackson will face off against him at various points in the Cotton Bowl.

Since he's protecting quarterback Jake Coker's blind side, Robinson will be the more important of the two tackles with regard to negating Calhoun.

Although the Crimson Tide will ride on the back of Henry for most of the game, they'll still need to establish some sort of presence in the passing game to keep the Spartans defense honest. Alabama will have a hard time doing just that if Calhoun is constantly collapsing the pocket.

Cyrus Jones, DB/KR, Alabama

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Not only does Cyrus Jones lead the country in punt-return touchdowns (three), but he has also played like a shutdown corner of late, per CFB Film Room:

Still, Jones' biggest impact in the Cotton Bowl will come in special teams.

According to Football Outsiders, Alabama ranked 25th in average offensive field position, starting with the ball 68.2 yards away from the end zone. Jones played a small part in the Tide's having a somewhat short field with which to work for most of the year.

Jake Hartbarger averages 42.1 yards a punt, 49th in the country, while Football Outsiders ranks the Spartans 108th in punting efficiency. Exploiting special teams would only give Alabama another edge.

Jones doesn't have to break every return for 40 yards against Michigan State. As long as he is setting up his offense with a good starting position, he'll be doing his job.

Michael Geiger, K, Michigan State

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The chances Michigan State wins this game in a blowout are slim. Should the Spartans prevail, it will likely be in the same fashion as their victories over Ohio State and Iowa—a late score is the difference.

As a result, Michael Geiger may need to repeat his heroics against the Buckeyes.

"I think whenever you are on a big stage, you can think about what is at stake, or you can think about what you can accomplish," said Geiger, per Brian Buckey of the Toledo Blade. "I think Jake and I kind of take the same mindset that we have such an incredible opportunity ahead of us, that there is no need to be nervous or worried about how we are going to perform. It’s a good opportunity to show what we can do."

The junior kicker might have come up big to get MSU into the Big Ten championship, but he's just 12-of-19 on the season, including 4-of-7 between 30 and 39 yards.

Michigan State can't afford to leave points on the board if it gets stopped inside the red zone.

Madre London, RB, Michigan State

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As long as Cook's right arm is still attached to his body, he'll play in the Cotton Bowl. Whether he's at 100 percent is another question.

ESPN.com's Alex Scarborough shared a photo of Cook practicing on Sunday, writing that the star quarterback "wasn't letting it rip" and throwing "lots of soft-touch passes":

If Cook is anything less than his best, the Spartans running game will need to work overtime. LJ Scott is the feature back of the offense, but Michigan State will likely use him, Gerald Holmes and Madre London at various points.

London will be the wild card. He stepped up big in three of Michigan State's three closest games, running for 103, 97 and 60 yards in three-point victories over Oregon, Purdue and Iowa.

The Spartans don't have a dynamic runner like Ezekiel Elliott in their backfield. Instead, they should use their strength in depth to their advantage. London won't post gaudy numbers, but he could have a few key runs that change the momentum of the game.