Fiesta Bowl 2012: Why Brandon Weeden Will Outplay Andrew Luck in Final Game

With the new year, means better bowl games.

One of the most anticipated bowl games of the year is the BCS Fiesta Bowl. It features two of the top teams in the Stanford Cardinal and Oklahoma State Cowboys. It should be a high-scoring contest that will have tons of NFL potential on both sides of the ball.

Two of the top players will be at the quarterback position in Andrew Luck and Brandon Weeden. They are both seniors and have thrown for a combined 7,498 yards and 69 touchdowns. With those numbers, it's easy to see why these are two of the top quarterbacks and why this matchup is a must-watch.

While Luck will likely be the No.1 pick in the NFL draft, here's why Weeden will have a better game in the Fiesta Bowl.

He's Done It All Season

Luck may get a ton of credit for his NFL potential, but Weeden has had the better season, with better numbers. Luck has thrown one more touchdown that the Cowboys quarterback has, but Weeden has thrown for over 1,000 more yards.

Weeden has thrown for less than 300 yards only four times this year, Luck has done it eight times. Of course, you could argue that Weeden has thrown the ball 149 more times, but even with that, he's completed two percent more of his passes.

If this season shows anything, it's that Weeden has had the better stats and that should continue in this game.

He Has to Outplay Luck

There's a reason Weeden's numbers are better than Lucks and that's because he has no choice. With a defense that allows 26 points per game and 445 yards a game, the quarterback has to pick up the slack.

The Cowboys defense is ranked 103rd out of 120 teams and allow 265 passing yards which is sixth in the Big 12. Andrew Luck and company should carve this defense apart, as they average over 40 points a game. Sure, the Cowboys defense has forced the most turnovers in the country with 42 but Stanford has only turned the ball over 15 times. Luck also throws an interception every 50 pass attempts in his career.

Oklahoma State's defense doesn't make things easy for their quarterback, and that's why Weeden will outplay Luck, just to keep them in the game.

Motivation

When you throw for over 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns, you would expect a lot of credit. Instead, the majority of the talk is still centered around Andrew Luck. That has to only motivate a player to play even better.

Weeden is also at the bottom of this years NFL draft class. He is inside the top 10 for quarterbacks but outside of the top five on many draft boards.

He may be 28 years old but he has great arm strength and pinpoint accuracy. He is capable of making every throw on the football field, surveys the field well and has underrated mobility. He's a tough kid that should receive a bit more credit.

If Weeden outplays Luck and the Cowboys win, it will give the Cowboys quarterback more spotlight and possibly even move him up a few notches in the NFL draft.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]