Bowl Game Report Card for College Football's 50 Biggest Stars

It's report card time, folks.

This list runs down, from worst to best, a grade for every one of the top 50 players in college football this season.

Here is the grading scale, no curve in this one.

F=Caleb Hanie

D=About as useful as a paper hammer

C=Average

B=Played a solid game

A=Near perfection

The 50 are not in order of how well they played in the regular season, but the grade which they received for their post-season exploits, or lack thereof.

Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

Stats: 3 PBU, 1 assisted Tackle

Burfict did not show up against Boise State.

He spent much of his time running around in coverage, and did not make the type of plays that we have grown accustomed to seeing from him.

Grade: F

Devon Still, DT, Penn State

Stats: 1 QB hurry

It was a forgettable performance for Still and the Nittany Lions.

Still made no plays, and did not help his draft stock in this game.

He did help plug gaps against Houston's run game, but the Cougars did not run the ball often at all.

Grade: F

David Wilson, RB, Va. Tech

Stats: 24 Carries 82 yards, 1 Rec 3 yards

Wilson not only stunk up the joint before announcing his decision to bolt for the NFL, he also blamed the loss on the officials.

If you remove his longest carry of 32 yards, the man gained only 50 yards on 23 attempts.

Grade: F

Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego State

Stats: 24 Rush, 55 yards, 4 Rec, 49 yards

Yeah, it was bad for Hillman.

He couldn't get anything going in the rushing game, and was obviously frustrated by ULL's defensive effort for the entire game.

To top it all off, his team lost the game to a team from the Sun Belt conference.

Grade: F

Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

Stats: 4 Total Tackles, 1 TFL

I'm sorry Clemson fans, but any member of this defense deserves a bad grade.

They did not perform well as a unit or individuals.

WVU scored a whopping 70 points in the game.

Grade: F

Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan

Stats: 9/21 117 yards, 2 TD, 1 Interception, 13 Rush, 13 yards

Not a good game for Denard.

The Wolverines got the win, it was ugly, but Denard did just enough to help his team win.

Of course, some would say that Va. Tech gave the game away.

That said, Robinson did not have any sort of impact in the rushing game, where he is usually most productive.

Grade: D- (Escapes the "F" because they won)

Jayron Hosley, CB, Va. Tech

Stats: 1 KR 29 yards, 4 PBU

Hosley and the Hokies limited Michigan throughout pretty much the entire Sugar Bowl.

That said, Hosley was not that great.

He had no tackles, no picks and very little impact on the game.

Grade: D-

Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU

Apparently "Honey Badger" should have cared.

Enough said.

Grade: D

Nigel Malone, DB, K-State

Stats: 1 PBU, 1 Tackle, Safety

Malone made some good plays against Tyler Wilson and the Arkansas offense.

He managed to assist on a safety, and covered his assignments very well.

But it wasn't quite enough for the 'Cats, as they fell to the Hogs by a touchdown.

Grade: D+

Rex Burkhead, RB, Nebraska

Stats: 23 Rush 89 yards, 5 Rec 35 yards

It was tough sledding for Burkhead against a stout Gamecocks' defense.

He couldn't get it going, and could not find the endzone in the Huskers' loss.

Grade: D

Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

Stats: 4 tackles, 1 fight

Dennard did not look well against Alshon Jeffery, allowing him to gain 148 yards before he had to leave the game after the fight in which the two of them became involved.

No PBU's no interceptions and little impact on the game for Dennard.

Grade: D

Keenan Allen, WR, Cal

Stats: 9 Rec 82 yards, 2 Rush 8 yards

Allen's bowl game was not that impressive.

Of course, the entire Cal offense failed to show up, so it's not entirely his fault.

Texas' defense was just too much to handle.

Grade: D+

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Stats: 16/25 161 yards, 1 TD, 1 Interception

Jones has been hot and cold all season long.

In this game, the Sooners' rushing game was so good he did not have to throw a whole lot, and yet he still managed to make a mistake with that pick.

Grade: C-

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Stats: 6 Rec 62 yards, 1 PR -1 yard,

Sanu did not have a great game in his final appearance for Rutgers.

he did average over ten yards per catch, but did not find the endzone or dominate the game the way we have seen him at times this season.

Grade: C-

Logan Thomas, QB, Va. Tech

Stats: 19/28 214 yards, 1 Interception, 16 Rush 53 yards, 1 TD

Nothing went very well for Va. Tech in this game, and Thomas was no exception.

He did score the Hokies' lone touchdown, and made a difference with his rushing acumen.

However, any turnovers hurt in a game that is eventually decided in OT.

Grade: C-

Austin Davis, QB, USM

Stats: 18/41 165 yards 2 TD, 9 Rush 20 yards

Davis was incredibly inaccurate against Nevada on Christmas Eve and did not complete even half of his attempts.

In a game that was decided by seven points, his two touchdowns were key, and he played somewhat better in the fourth quarter than he had the entire game.

Grade: C-

Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

Stats: 24/46 250 yards, 2 TD, 2 Interceptions, 10 Rush 32 yards

Boyd scored a few points and led his team to 33 points in the Orange Bowl.

However, when it mattered, they could not keep up and Boyd threw away to picks.

He was baffled by the Mountaineers' defense for a majority of the game, and could not make progress.

Grade: C

Casey Pachall, QB, TCU

Stats: 15/29 206 yards, 1 TD, 1 Interception, 8 Rush 31 yards

Pachall was a pleasant surprise for the Horned Frogs this season, and had a decent game in the Frogs' win over La. Tech.

His haircut for the game, however, was the stuff of nightmares.

Grade: C

Haircut Grade: Scary bad, but loyal

Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Stats: Not good

Claiborne and the Tigers could not slow Alabama until they got into the red-zone.

The Tide gained nearly 400 yards of offense, and A.J. McCarron torched the LSU secondary repeatedly, and even though he could not get the ball into the endzone, he outsmarted the Tigers' defense often enough to lead to five field goals.

Grade: C

Frank Alexander, DE, Oklahoma

Stats: 3 Tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PBU

Alexander came on strong this season for an Oklahoma defense that had to deal with everything from a tragic death to a load of injuries.

In the Insight Bowl, it was pretty obvious that the Sooners were the far superior team.

Alexander did not have to make huge plays for them to win, but he made sure his presence was definitely felt.

Grade: C

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Stats: 26/34 293 yards, 2 TD, 2 Interceptions, 1 Rush -1 yards

Moore and the Broncos did it again to another team from the BCS conferences.

Of course, it was Arizona State, and the Broncos' defense had more impact on this one than Moore.

For some reason, he struggled to make the right reads at times, but managed to gain a ton of yards against a decent defense.

Grade: C

Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

Stats: 5 Total tackles, 2 TFL

Worthy anchored the center of a defense that limited Georgia in the Outback Bowl.

The Bulldogs could only muster 51 rushing yards in the game.

Worthy's ability to plug gaps and force running backs to change directions was instrumental in that.

Grade: C 

Collin Klein, QB, K-State

Stats: 24 Rush 42 yards, 1 TD, 16/30 173 yards, 1 TD, 1 Interception

Klein is at his best when he is effective as a rushing QB.

Against Arkansas, he was the antithesis of effective running the football.

He did score twice, but threw a pick, and in a one possession game, that hurts.

Grade: C

Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

Stats: 5 Rec 66 yards, 1 TD, 1 Rush 2 yards, 7 KR 20.43 yards per return, 2 tackles

It was a rough day for Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

Watkins scored a touchdown and had five catches, but was not the usual explosive player that we have seen.

This could be due to a nagging injury, or he could have just played poorly.

Grade: C

Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois

Stats: 5 total tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 Sacks

Mercilus was not involved in every play, but he did have an impact on the game.

Against UCLA's anemic offense, I expected such a mobile defensive end to make some more plays, but overall it was a good performance, not a great one.

Grade:  C+

Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall

Stats: 5 total tackles, 1 TFl, 1 FF, 1 PBU

Curry demonstrated his versatility against FIU, adding to his TFL total, forcing a fumble and making life miserable for FIU from his defensive line position.

He was not dominant, but filled up the stat sheet, as evidenced above, with an above average game.

Grade: C+

Sammy Brown, LB, Houston

Stats:  4 total tackles, 2 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 QB hurry

Brown was one of the most explosive linebackers in the country all year long.

He showed, once again, against Penn State, that Houston's only star is not Case Keenum.

Grade: C

Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin

Stats: 6 Car 18 yards, 1 TD, 19/25 296 yards, 2 TD, 1 Interception

Wilson was his usual efficient self, shredding Oregon's defense and using his legs to make plays when needed.

However, his interception was at a key point in the game, and the Badgers were never able to recover and get back into the game.

On top of that, instead of taking a final shot at the endzone with two seconds left in the game, he tried to clock the ball, but referees ruled time had run out.

Two key mistakes from an excellent senior quarterback.

Grade: B-

Chris Rainey, RB, Florida

Stats: 16 Rush 71 yards, 3 Rec 31 yards, 1 PR 31 yards, Blocked Punt

Rainey was part of the speedy group of players that caused Ohio State trouble for the entire Gator Bowl.

He showed his athleticism on a punt block that led to a touchdowns, and had a long punt return to help the Gators get great field position.

Not great, but definitely good.

Grade: B-

Matt Barkley, QB, USC

Barkley obviously did not play this bowl season due to the NCAA sanctions on the program.

However, he made huge waves when he announced he is going to return for the 2012 season.

Barkley's return place the Trojans squarely in the pre-season top 10 for 2012, and should help give them the inside track in the Pac-12 next season.

Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

Stats: 32 rushes, 164 yards 1 TD, 4 receptions, 51 yards

Ball tied Barry Sanders' record in this game for most touchdowns in a season.

That happened early in the second quarter.

After that, he was nearly non-existent, and had little impact on the game.

Grade: B-

Bacarri Rambo, S, Georgia

Stats: 3 total tackles, 1 Interception, 1 PBU

Rambo and the rest of the Bulldogs' defense made life miserable for Michigan State for most of the game, and Rambo's coverage was a key part of their success.

That said, the Dawgs eventually lost the game to Sparty in triple overtime.

Grade: B

Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Stats: 5 Rec 41 yards, 1 TD, 2 PR 44 yards

Floyd was not particularly effective against Florida State's tough defense, but his one touchdown catch was beautiful.

Check it out here.

Grade: B (just because of that catch)

James Franklin, QB, Missouri

Stats: 15/23 132 yards, 1 TD, 1 Interception, 18 Rush 142 yards, 2 TD

Franklin torched a decent North Carolina defense with his feet in this one.

While it was obvious that he needs to make some better decisions at times, he was the catalyst for a Missouri offense filled with talent.

Grade: B+

Jordan White, WR, WMU

Stats: 13 Rec 265 yards, 1 TD

White is obviously a freak of nature, as evidenced by the catch you can see in the video.

He racked up a ridiculous amount of yardage against Purdue, and petty much got open at will.

That said, he was only able to find the endzone once, and his team lost the game.

Grade: B

Chandler Harnish, QB, NIU

Stats: 18/36 274 yards, 2 TD, 1 Interception, 9 Rush -3 yards

Harnish was injured early in the last game of his collegiate career, but remained in the game, and in spite of his limited mobility, led his team to a win.

Harnish had to deal with the loss of his leading running back to start the season, as well as an almost entirely new line, and led them to a bowl game and a win.

Grade: B+

Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Stats: 7 Rec 91 yards, 1 TD, 4 Rush 28 yards, 1 PR -1 yard

The Bears absolutely destroyed Washington in the Alamo Bowl, and they did by virtue of the ground game.

That means Wright was somewhat limited, and yet he still managed to break 100 yards receiving and score.

Grade: B+

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Stats: 1 PR 4 yards, 25 carries 159 yards 1 TD, 1 KR 21 yards

James had a solid game rushing the ball, and in any other game, would have likely been the star.

However, teammate DeAnthony Thomas stole the show with only two carries, both for touchdown, and an average of 77.5 yards per attempt.

Grade: A-

Tavon Austin, WR, WVU

Stats: 11 Rec 117 yards, 4 TD, 4 Rush 46 yards, 5 KR 23.40 yards per return

Austin was virtually unstoppable against the Tigers, finding seems and making plays with regularity.

His speed allowed him to outrun the Clemson defense and make them look silly.

Grade: B+

Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama

Stats: BCS Championship Defensive MVP

Upshaw's stats, and the rest of the 'Bama defense, are irrelevant.

The defense dominated as a team, allowing fewer than 100 total yards and letting the Tigers cross the 50 yards line only one time in their 21-0 win.

Grade: A

Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame

Stats: 13 Tackles, .5 TFL, .5 Sack, 1 PBU, 1 FF

Te'o and the Irish defense played a good game, but could not overcome the miscues and foibles of their flawed offensive counterparts.

Te'o himself had a particularly solid game, then announced after that he will return for his final season.

All in all, a pretty good performance from ND's defensive star.

Grade: A

Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Grade: A

The Tide defense earned this grade, easily.

They absolutely dominated the Tigers, allowing them to cross the fifty yard line only once, and immediately throwing them back behind it.

Well played, Kirby Smart, well played.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Stats: 20 Rush 96 yards, 1 TD, 2 Rec 11 yards

It was not a dominant performance, and Richardson was nearly lost in the shadow of A.J. McCarron's stellar play.

He gains this high grade by virtue of breaking up the nearly endless monotony of the BCS title game by finally scoring a touchdown.

Grade: A

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Stats: 24/33 295 yards, 1 TD, 18 Rush 55 yards, 1 TD

Baylor's running back, Terrance Ganaway stole the show from RG3 with his five rushing touchdowns.

That said, Griffin was the key to his offenses' success all season, and made plays when needed in the win.

Grade:  A

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Stats: 27/31 347 yards, 2 TD, 1 Interception\

Luck absolutely dazzled against the Cowboys, and if anybody still did not believe he is ready for the NFL and the best quarterback available in the draft, he convinced them in this one.

He made excellent decisions, was pinpoint accurate, and kept the Cardinal in the game until the end.

The pick is the only mar on his stat line, and that is what keeps him from receiving an A+.

Grade: A

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

Stats: 45/69 532 yards, 3 TD, 7 Rush, 10 yards

Keenum was superb in his final game as a Cougar.

As seen from his passing stats, he torched Penn State's defense, pretty much at will.

Enough said.

Grrade:  A+

David Amerson, CB, N.C. State

Stats: 2 interceptions, 1 TD, 5 total tackles, .5 TFL

Amerson added to his interception total, tying the record for second most in a season.

He finished the season with 13.

The difference in this game was seven points, as N.C. State pulled out the win, so he gets bonus credit for scoring on an interception return.

Grade: A+

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Stats: 1 rush 0 yards, 8 Rec, 186 yards 3 TD

Blackmon was easily the most dynamic player on the field, consistently getting open and making great plays on the ball.

He averaged over 23 yards per catch in the Cowboy's Fiesta Bowl win.

Grade: A+

Keith Price, QB, Washington

Stats: 5 Rush 39 yards, 3 TD, 23/37 438 yards, 4TD

Are you serious?

Price outplayed a Heisman trophy winner, did not throw a pick, and even though his team lost the Alamo Bowl, gave fans something to look forward to in 2012.

He is only going to be a junior next season.

Grade: A+

(2012 Heisman watch alert!)

Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

Stats: 31/42 401 yards, 6 TD, 5 Rush 26 yards, 1 TD

Smith averaged over nine yards per play against Clemson in this game, and found the endzone seven times.

Smith's performance is one that will be talked about much in the off-season, as WVU makes the move to the Big 12 and a new set of teams tries to figure out how to contain him.

The Mountaineers scored 10 touchdowns in their 70-33 beating of the Tigers, and Smith was part of seven of them.

Grade:  A+