Fiesta Bowl 2012: Justin Blackmon Proves He's Ready to Shine Bright in NFL

Justin Blackmon stole the show in the Fiesta Bowl, helping the Oklahoma State Cowboys defeat the Stanford Cardinal 41-38 in overtime. 

Sure, Andrew Luck was brilliant as well, living up to the NFL hype, but Blackmon did just the same, and in much more exciting fashion. 

The junior wide receiver had eight receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns. His most impressive one came in the second quarter to tie the game at 14 apiece. 

Stanford had issues with Blackmon all night long, which is part of the reason the Cardinal lost. Their field-goal kicker was 1-of-4 on the night, which certainly didn't help. 

The Cowboys had it right though, putting touchdowns on the board instead of having to settle for field goal tries. 

Oklahoma State's quick scores early on let Stanford dominate the time of possession, and many figured the Cowboys defense would wear out and let Stanford cruise. 

That didn't happen though, as Blackmon was a huge help in matching the Cardinal score for score. 

After the overtime victory, Blackmon had a post-game interview with Heather Cox of ESPN, and if his performance wasn't clear enough, he made even more clear that he's ready for the NFL. 

Blackmon definitely wanted that post game moment right there, and there's no doubt he would've waited longer to officially announce had the Cowboys lost. 

Even still, most guys like to wait some after the game, but Blackmon's emotions were very high and filled with joy after winning such an epic game.

Twitter was going crazy all throughout the bowl games on Monday, and everyone certainly had an opinion once Blackmon took the field and went to work. 

Before the game, ESPN's Joe Schad tweeted that Blackmon looked uncomfortable during pre-game warmups, and then tweeted why. 

Clearly it was never a problem during the game because his performance was truly dominant. 

To truly show how monster-like Blackmon was, we turn to a tweet from ESPN Stats and Info, which gave us some great knowledge about the Oklahoma State receiver and his Fiesta Bowl performance. 

His strength and speed allowed him to break free of defenders, and his precise route running made it easy for him and quarterback Brandon Weeden to pick apart the zone. 

In regards to Blackmon's amazing touchdown catch on the slant route, Bleacher Report's NFL draft guru Matt Miller tweeted how Blackmon's game translates to the NFL. 

Miller later tweeted why it's great news for Blackmon to take his game to the next level. 

He is certainly going to be fun to watch in the NFL. 

Bruce Feldman of CBSSports tweeted Blackmon's numbers against the elite teams, and it's astonishing how good this kid is in the big game. 

Blackmon steps up in the spotlight, and is one of the main reasons the Cowboys had such a stellar season. 

Jemele Hill of ESPN tweeted perhaps the very reason why Blackmon is so great. 

There is a ton of speculation as to where Blackmon will go in the 2012 NFL draft. ESPN's Jay Crawford, a longtime Cleveland fan, tweeted where he wants Blackmon to end up. 

He is definitely right on that one, as the Browns offense has been lacking dynamic scorers in recent years. 

Of course, the St. Louis Rams have the No. 2 pick, and they desperately need to get Sam Bradford some playmakers.

Granted, Bradford also needs some protection on the offensive line, so it will be very interesting to see how the draft shakes out. 

There is a strong possibility he does indeed land with the Browns, but you certainly can't count out the Rams, or any other team for trading up to get him. 

Back to a Joe Schad tweet, which is very crucial to how those in prominent positions view Blackmon and his skills. 

That's a strong comparison, and it's a good thing Blackmon has a better character make-up than T.O. Although, that could all change once he gets to the NFL. 

One of Shaw's assistant coaches told Gina Mizell of The Oklahoman earlier this week who Blackmon reminded him of, and it's another superb comparison. 

There is no doubt that Blackmon will be a high draft pick, as well as an impact player in his rookie season. If he lands with a team that has a good quarterback, then life will be easier for the Cowboys receiver. 

Having won two Fred Biletnikoff Awards, which is given to the nation's best receiver, Blackmon has done all he can at the college level. 

Blackmon will soon be a big star on Sundays, and football fans all around the world will enjoy watching him play, as he is fantastic at what he does. 

Congratulations to Blackmon and the rest of the Cowboys for beating Stanford in a thriller.