Fiesta Bowl 2012: Best 1-on-1 Matchups for Stanford vs. Oklahoma State

The Fiesta Bowl will be the best bowl matchup of this year's bowl season. As such, it will have many one-on-one matchups that will pitt elite college and even NFL talent against one another.

With future NFL-ers like Andrew Luck, Justin Blackmon, Brandon Weeden and Markelle Martin all playing on the same field, it will be one of the most talent-filled games of the bowl season as well.

Here are some of the best one-on-one matchups you'll want to watch in this game.

Andrew Luck vs. Markelle Martin

The best matchup of the evening will be between these two guys.

Andrew Luck is considered the best NFL quarterback prospect in the last decade at least. He's thrown for 35 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards and is the leader of this team. This guy is good at everything a quarterback needs to be good at.

Markelle Martin is a name that most haven't heard of nationally, but they soon will. The 6'1" senior is one of the best safeties in the 2012 draft class. He's accounted for 65 tackles this season and leads one of the best secondaries in the nation. He's quick to the ball and a freak athletically.

Luck often uses tight ends in his passing game. Martin, who normally covers the middle of the field, will probably have his fair share of covering those tight ends. Whoever gets the best of this matchup will probably win the game.

Justin Blackmon vs. Johnson Bademosi

Justin Blackmon is the best wide receiver in college football. With 15 touchdowns and over 1,300 receiving yards this season, his production has been fantastic and at 6'1" and 215 pounds, Blackmon has a very impressive frame that allows him to use his body to shield the ball from defenders. He also has pretty amazing hands.

Johnson Bademosi is the best corner on a team that is pretty weak at the corner position. Bademosi has had a good season though, with 45 tackles and two forced fumbles. He has a tall order ahead of him in trying to contain the explosive Blackmon.

Bademosi will probably not be able to cover Blackmon on his own. If he can, it will help keep other Cowboy receivers covered. Otherwise, Blackmon will catch balls forcing the defense to double him and leave others open.

Jamie Blatnick vs. Jonathan Martin

Jonathan Martin is a 6'6", 304-pound left tackle who is projected to be a top-10 draft pick in April. Only Matt Kalil of USC is projected to go higher than Martin as a tackle. Martin's ability to protect Luck has been a big part of why Luck has been able to lead the Cardinal as effectively as he has.

Meanwhile, Jamie Blatnick will be the man in charge of breaking through Martin's protection. A senior, Blatnick has been one of the best ends in the Big 12 with 47 tackles, seven sacks and an interception. Blatnick has rattled quarterbacks in the past, including Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Baylor's Robert Griffin III.

Whoever wins this matchup will have worked hard for it, as both of these guys are top notch and high IQ players.

Brandon Weeden vs. Michael Thomas

Much like the Luck vs. Martin matchup, this matchup will also be a big one in terms of deciding the outcome.

Cowboy quarterback Brandon Weeden has been one of the top quarterbacks in the nation all season, completing 73 percent of his passes for 4,328 yards and 34 touchdowns. He leads this team with his maturity and coolness under pressure.

Michael Thomas is one of the best playmakers on the Stanford defense. He's accounted for 61 tackles and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

The Cowboys like to spread the ball around. Thomas is quick and can close on receivers in time to disrupt plays and make interceptions. He'll be a big key in stopping Oklahoma State's passing attack.

Coby Fleener vs. Shaun Lewis

Coby Fleener is a fantastic tight end. He's caught 32 passes for 648 yards and 10 touchdowns. That's an average of 20 yards per catch, amazing for a tight end. He's also huge at 6'6" and 244 pounds, making him a very good blocker in the running game.

Shaun Lewis is a sophomore linebacker who makes plays on defense. This guys does a little bit of everything for the Cowboys, with 56 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two interceptions. He's very athletic and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

He'll have his hands full trying to account for Fleener who is the best tight end the Cowboy defense has faced this year.

Quinn Sharp vs. Drew Terrell

Long pre-bowl game layoffs affect offenses more than defenses. As a result, this punter vs. punt returner matchup will be big.

Quinn Sharp is the best punter that no one talks about. Despite leading the nation in yards per punt and touchbacks, Sharp didn't punt enough times to qualify for recognition. Don't let that fool you. He's a great punter and will be looking to pin the Cardinal deep any time he can.

Drew Terrell is the starting punt returner for Stanford. He's averaging 11.9 yards per return and will be key in the field position battle in this game.

David Shaw vs. Mike Gundy

What a great coaching matchup. Two offensive minds who have completely different offensive systems that are extremely effective.

Both guys are coaching at their alma maters. David Shaw played wide receiver in the early 1990s at Stanford, while Mike Gundy was a record-setting quarterback at Oklahoma State in the late 1980s.

Shaw has done masterfully taking over for Jim Harbaugh, going 11-1 in his first season. Gundy is leading a previously down-trodden program to national prominence, going 40-11 in his last four seasons.

Both these guys will have their teams ready to play. One will be outcoached.