BCS Glory: Can Riley Nelson Lead BYU to Higher Levels in 2012?

First of all, I want to make it clear that I am a big fan of Riley Nelson. From comments made by various players on the team and the coaching staff, it seems his counterparts are also big fans of his. He plays hard, he is tough as nails (who plays football with a collapsed lung?), he is always a threat with his legs, he has a team-first mentality, and he showed great leadership throughout the season. All of these attributes seemed to be lacking in the otherwise uber-talented Jake Heaps.

However, "feel good" stories do not lead to victories and championships. Although Riley helped lead BYU to a 10-3 record this season, he only beat two teams that participated in a bowl (Utah State and Tulsa). In the one chance he had to prove that he can beat a top-tier team (TCU) he had a very poor game and made decisions that essentially cost BYU the game. While Riley's risky and aggressive style lead to highlights against Hawaii and other mediocre teams, TCU made him pay for his dangerous decisions.

In 2012, Riley will face much stiffer competition against the likes of Utah, Boise, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech. These teams will also have enough athleticism to create turnovers if Riley doesn't protect the ball.

I believe that BYU has enough talent to reach a BCS game in 2012. Our offense will be stacked. Seven of our top 10 pass catchers will be returning. Nelson, Michael Alisa and "Juice" Quezada (who I expect to have a major bounce back year) will lead the rushing attack. The defense should be solid, again, as Van Noy may turn into an All-American as early as next year.

The big question is whether Riley will be able to throw well enough to help us beat top-tier teams. While his touchdown total (19 TDs in seven starts) was strong and his passing efficiency (152.9, 17th in the nation) was high, his accuracy remains a problem. He completed only 57.4 percent of his passes on the season and his accuracy was downright awful at times against Tulsa. All of the talent we have at wide receiver will be wasted if Nelson cannot consistently hit them downfield.

While there remain major question marks about Nelson as a passer, none remain about his leadership and desire to win. While he played awfully against both TCU and Tulsa at times, he willed a win against Tulsa and staged a good comeback attempt against TCU that deeply contrasted the way BYU has rolled over against the Frogs in the last few seasons.

In other words, with a strong defense, talented offense and Nelson's sheer will to win, do not count BCS glory as impossible in 2012 for the Cougars.