BCS Championship 2013: Players Who Helped or Hurt 2013 NFL Draft Stock

The 2013 BCS national championship has come to an end and was the last collegiate game ever played for some of these ridiculously talented players. But on a stage like this and with two teams loaded on both sides of the ball, winning the big game wasn't the only thing that was included in this matchup.

NFL draft stocks were on the line, and NFL scouts were watching closely.

With millions and millions of people watching, players that are eligible for the 2013 NFL draft had a chance to either make or break their stock. If they showed up, chances are they helped secure a ton of money at the next level. If a certain player fell flat on his face, hopefully he has another year of eligibility left to make up for the subpar performance.

Regardless, there were many guys featured in this game that will soon be playing on Sundays.

Here are a few players that impacted their draft stock the most during the 2013 BCS national title game.

Kapron Lewis-Moore, DT, Notre Dame

Hurt His Stock

Kapron Lewis-Moore wasn't the biggest name on the Notre Dame defense, but he is a versatile player on the defensive line who has experience playing inside and outside. He has been one of the more productive players on the line for the Irish and has shown the ability to shed blockers nicely and get into the backfield.

The problem is that Lewis-Moore left the game with a serious knee injury, according to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.

"

#NotreDame coach Brian Kelly said defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore suffered a "significant knee injury."

— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) January 8, 2013"

The senior defensive lineman missed a good portion of last season with a knee injury as well. Lewis-Moore wasn't expected to be a high draft pick anyway, but could have been a valuable pick in the later rounds for a team looking for depth on the defensive line.

Now, with another injury, questions will begin to pop up on whether or not he will even be selected on draft day.

C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama

Helped His Stock

Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley had already announced that he was returning for his senior season, but he may want to rethink that after his performance Monday night. Not only did he finish the game with five tackles and one tackle for loss, but it was also good enough to win defensive MVP honors.

Mosley was all over the field in this game and reminded Chris Brown of Smart Football of another special player, at least for one night.

"

CJ Mosley is doing his best Clowney impersonation tonight. Stoning people

— Smart Football (@smartfootball) January 8, 2013"

The junior linebacker showed his unique combination of size and athleticism, getting into the backfield and dropping the hammer on opposing Irish players. There was one play that will stand out for quite some time, when he simply tossed a Notre Dame running back in the air backward about five yards.

Mosley may feel that he has more to prove next season, but he showed in the national championship that he may have been the best linebacker in this matchup all along.

Cierre Wood, RB, Notre Dame

Hurt His Stock

Cierre Wood has a lot of tools that NFL teams would like at the running back position. He is a patient runner who has that game-changing speed once he is able to get out in the open field. However, his performance against the Alabama defense was enough to question how effective he could really be at the next level.

He finished the game with four carries and only two yards.

According to Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Wood already has a good idea of what his decision will be as far as leaving South Bend a year early.

"

#NotreDame RB Cierre Wood on NFL: "I have in my mind what I want to do." Doesn't have a timetable to announce: "Sometime, I guess."

— Brian Hamilton (@ChiTribHamilton) January 8, 2013"

It is likely that Wood will forgo his senior year, but he is somebody that will be waiting for quite some time to hear his name called.

Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama

Helped His Stock

Eddie Lacy is a junior who now has to answer the question on whether or not to leave for the NFL draft. He is expected to make his decision soon on what he plans on doing, but bolting for the next level is likely in his best interest.

If Lacy is leaving Tuscaloosa, he left a remarkable performance for Crimson Tide fans to remember for quite some time. The Alabama running back looked motivated, consistently breaking tackles and fighting for those extra yards every chance he got. Lacy finally looked healthy on the football field and wasn't going to let anybody deny him a positive gain.

He displayed that power and strength by running through arm tackles, but Lacy also showed that he does have some underrated quickness in that big body. Lacy averaged seven yards a carry and scored two touchdowns against one of the better run defenses in the country.

To see some of his more impressive plays of the night, click here. Lacy, without question, locked up at least a second-round pick with this performance.

Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame

Hurt His Stock

There wasn't one player that impacted his draft stock more than linebacker Manti Te'o. And unfortunately for the lovable senior, it wasn't in a good way.

Te'o wasn't his usual self in the game against Alabama and often came up missing on tackles. The senior linebacker has been known for being that physical guy in the middle of the defense and not letting anybody get by him, but he struggled bringing anybody down in this game. The lack of elite speed at the position also was exposed, as Te'o had a hard time chasing guys down and getting to the edge.

Rob Rang, an NFL draft analyst for CBS Sports, said at halftime that this performance will force Te'o to drop on draft boards, according to USA Today.

"

In the biggest of big games you have to play well. The fact he's not has got to be an area of concern for any NFL talent evaluator. You don't get more NFL (offensive) talent than Alabama. You don't get a bigger stage. … For of player with his hype to not be able to make tackles, it will hurt his draft stock.

"

Te'o was a lock to end up in the first round and will likely remain within the top 32 picks, even with this unusual performance. However, he will likely be selected in the bottom half of the first round, rather than the top after Alabama exposed him.