East-West Shrine Game 2012: John Brantley and BCS Studs Who Must Bring It

For these stars, the East-West Shrine Game is the last chance to show their worth. 

While they got plenty of exposure at big schools, they didn't do a good enough job of making themselves valuable to NFL teams. They can't waste a moment when they step onto the field on Saturday.

John Brantley, QB, Florida

Brantley put up decent numbers at Florida, but they were far from phenomenal. Despite completing more than 60 percent of his passes with a rating of nearly 141, Brantley threw for only 2,044 yards in his senior year. Worse, his senior year touchdown to interception ratio of 11:7. 

Any chances he has of getting a shot in the NFL depend on this game. Brantley needs to show what he can do against some of college football's best. Remember that most of Brantley's senior success came against the weaker early-season opponents.

He was either hurt or ineffective against the SEC's better opponents.

Opponent	Comp-Att	Yards	TDs	INTs
Alabama	11-16	190	1	1
LSU-Out	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Georgia	12-34	245	1	0
South Carolina	13-21	119	0	0
Florida State	9-15	104	0	3

That is a terrible resume against the best possible competition. This is Brantley's last chance to prove his worth as a quarterback. If he falls flat here, it's hard to see him getting even a look at the next level. 

Marc Tyler, RB, USC

While USC had a fantastic season, Tyler was decidedly average. He rushed for over 100 yards twice, but didn't hit 70 in any other contest. Tyler never showed that he's capable of being a true every-down back or even a strong platoon back.

Tyler had 568 yards as a senior, while Curtis McNeal had over 1,000. Tyler was never depended on as the team's primary ball carrier, and the Trojans did not suffer because of it. 

One more poor effort from Tyler, and it will be hard to see him following in his dad Marc's footsteps to the NFL. 

Davin Meggett, RB, Maryland

The only problem with Meggett is that he won't be a combine star. He's a little on the big side, so Meggett is a player that will only really excel on the field. If he wastes an in-game opportunity to show his worth, his chances in the NFL will suffer. 

This is a golden opportunity for Meggett. Unlike the aforementioned players, he never benefited from playing with a team of stars, so opponents put their attention squarely on him. As a result, his numbers weren't stellar (896 rushing yards as a senior)

In the East-West Shrine game, the West's defenses won't be able to focus squarely on him. That will give Meggett a great chance to show what he can do in space. 

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