BCS Rankings 2011: The Most Important Player of Every BCS Top 25 Team

With the first BCS rankings out, which players on those teams could they not afford to lose?

This does not necessarily mean their most talented players on the team; it just means their most important. There are always a few players who mean everything in your pursuit of making a run to the BCS. 

The quarterbacks are always the most talked about positions, but there are a few other positions that are even more important.

I break down the Top 25's most important players in the current BCS standings.

No. 25 Washington: Keith Price

Keith Price has gone off this year, throwing for three or more touchdowns in every single game. In fact, Price has thrown for 21 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

Chris Polk is a beast in the backfield, but the Huskies rely on Price's decision-making with all of their top-notch receivers.

No. 24 Texas: Malcolm Brown

The Longhorns' offense has struggled enough as it is, and even if they did not have Malcolm Brown they would really be in some trouble.

Texas needs its rushing attack to pick up with the passing attack struggling. Brown leads the team in carries (103) and yards (516).

No. 23 Illinois: AJ Jenkins

The Illini's Nathan Scheelhaase is vital to the team's success; however A.J. Jenkins is the only true pass catcher the team has. Without him, the team is one-dimensional, plus true freshman Riley O'Toole has a ton of talent behind Scheelhaase though he is pocket passer.

Regardless, Jenkins has been sensational this season, hauling in 54 catches for 895 yards and seven TDs.

No. 22 Georgia Tech: Tevin Washington

I, like many of the coaches at Georgia Tech, was debating on whether Tevin Washington would even start. 

Washington has a total of 18 touchdowns and 1,500 yards for the Yellow Jackets. Safe to say without him they would not be the same team.

No. 21 Penn State: Silas Redd

When a running back is getting five times the amount compared to the next ball carrier, it is is important to keep him healthy.

Silas Redd has toted it 147 times for 705 yards on the ground with five TDs. This running back gives the Nittany Lions a legit chance at winning nine games this season.

No. 20 Auburn: Michael Dyer

Michael Dyer showcased his talents in the BCS National Championship game, but he is the train that keeps this Auburn offense rolling.

With 752 yards and eight touchdowns, there is no doubt this future All-American is the clear-cut bell cow runner who keeps Auburn's team together.

No. 19 Houston: Case Keenum

The Cougars struggled miserably without Case Keenum last season due to injury; however, they are undefeated and 19th in the nation with him threading the needle.

His 17 TDs and 2,309 yards passing would be considered a decent season, but Keenum is not even close to being done with this high-powered Houston offense.

No. 18 Michigan: Denard Robinson

"Shoelace" is the most explosive player in the nation arguably, and if he gets held in check, the Wolverines offense just sputters.

Mr. Robinson means so much to this offense because he is the offense. His 762 yards rushing lead all quarterbacks in the nation, and his nine rushing touchdowns are second to Kansas State's Collin Klein. 

No. 17 Texas AM: Ryan Tannehill

The Aggies have two solid running backs, so it comes to Ryan Tannehill and how he handles the pressure at quarterback.

Tannehill is one of the finest signal callers in the nation when he is on fire, and the stats back it up. The Aggies' 55-28 victory was all thanks to the six-touchdown, 415-yard performance from Tannehill. 

No. 16 Michigan State: Edwin Baker

Edwin Baker is the main piece of the offense for the Spartans, and you can just look at how the season has gone so far for Sparty because of him. They were demolished by Notre Dame, 31-13 mainly because Baker had just 26 yards on 10 carries!

In last weekend's huge victory over Michigan, Baker ran roughshod, toting the rock a season-high 26 times for 167 yards along with a touchdown.

No. 15 West Virginia: Geno Smith

Is this really even a question? Geno Smith is the heart and soul of the Mountaineers after he threw for seemingly a thousand yards in their lone loss to LSU.

WV has a ton of receivers to throw to, and Smith has been on target all season, totaling 2,159 yards with 16 TDs and only three INTs.

No. 14 South Carolina: Marcus Lattimore

We are about to find out just how vital the best downhill runner in the nation is to his team. Marcus Lattimore was South Carolina football this season, and before he went down, it looked as if the Gamecocks were going to win the SEC East.

Now with a road game coming up at Arkansas, they will need to rely on a handful of runners and quarterback Connor Shaw to carry them to victory.

It is safe to say the running game will take a giant leap backwards without the All-American gashing SEC defenses. 

No. 13 Nebraska: Taylor Martinez

I could make an argument for Lavonte David or Rex Burkhead, but Taylor Martinez makes or breaks this Cornhuskers team.

Just look at their game against Wisconsin a few weeks back. They led 14-13 in the second quarter until Martinez unraveled by throwing three interceptions. If he can avoid the costly bad decisions, the Huskers may not lose a game for the rest of the regular season.

No. 12 Virginia Tech: Logan Thomas

Logan Thomas was a former tight end, but he is still a freak at quarterback for the Hokies. Their offense lives and dies by the play of the young sophomore. 

He has five rushing touchdowns and six passing touchdowns. Thomas is averaging 239 yards a game, but in their lone loss to Clemson, he was held to a total of just 143 yards passing and rushing.

No. 11 Kansas State: Collin Klein

Some of you long-time fans may recall the last Kansas State quarterback during their last BCS run. Ell Roberson was a sensational option/spread attack runner, and the same can be said for Collin Kelin.

He is the best unsung hero in America leading the nation in rushing touchdowns for a quarterback with 10. If he can make a few more throws down the stretch, these Wildcats could make yet another appearance in a BCS bowl.

No. 10 Oregon: LaMichael James

Though the Ducks ran for over 300 yards without LaMichael James against Arizona State, he is the king to Eugene's castle.

James' superstar play allows Kenjon Barner to take less punishment as a backup runner, and true freshman Da'Anthony "The Black Mamba" Thomas can rotate back and forth between running back and receiver instead of taking some licks as a runner.

Darron Thomas has been amazing this season, but the play of James is what makes the Ducks a legit BCS contender.

No. 9 Arkansas: Tyler Wilson

Besides being the top quarterback in the SEC, Tyler Wilson is among the top signal-callers in the nation. Without him, the Razorbacks offense would be lost. 

The video game numbers he has put up will only continue since he has a few more favorable matchups before they go to Baton Rouge.

No. 8 Stanford: Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck is the best pro prospect since Peyton Manning, and without him, the Cardinal may not even be a Top 25-caliber team.

Let's just face the facts that Luck has the ability to will this team to a Rose Bowl berth despite not having a legit All-American caliber player on the team. They have a few very good players such as Taylor, Ertz, Whalen, Owusu and Toilolo.

However, no player on the planet has more carrying on his back to do than Luck does with Stanford.

No. 7 Clemson: Sammy Watkins

Tajh Boyd means everything for the Clemson Tigers, but without his best target in Sammy Watkins, this team might have a few losses. He has come up huge in three of their four biggest games this season (Auburn, FSU, VT, MD).

Watkins has seven touchdowns in those four games, and if it were not for 89-yard kick-off return touchdown against the Terps, who knows if they would have won the game for sure?

The fabulous freshman is a legit candidate for the Fred Biletnikoff award, and he might be the best freshman in the entire country.

No. 6 Wisconsin: Russell Wilson

Since transferring over from North Carolina State, Russell Wilson has been one of the best stories in the entire country.

He dissects a defense so well and takes care of the ball better than nearly any signal-caller in America. His 14 TDs and one INT makes him a legit candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year. Let it be known his Badgers could be well on their way to a deep BCS run if they remain unbeaten.

No. 5 Boise State: Kellen Moore

Kellen Moore might be the finest college player we have ever seen in the BCS era. The southpaw knows how to win better than any player of all-time. He is set to break Colt McCoy's mark in a few weeks, but Moore has more important things in mind.

His Broncos are currently ranked fifth in the BCS standings and have just throttled the competition. If they keep it up and catch a few lucky breaks, we could be looking at his Smurfs with a chance to play for the whole ball of wax.

No. 4 Oklahoma State: Brandon Weeden

Brandon Weeden has meant so much to this Cowboys team with his stellar play against the top-notch competition they have faced this season. Weeden torched both Texas and Texas A&M which was good enough for the computers to give the Cowboys the top spot in the computer polls.

If Weeden can continue to keep up the sensational play, his Pokes might be the top contenders to challenge the SEC for the BCS National Championship.

No. 3 Oklahoma: Ryan Broyles

There is a big difference in my eyes between Ryan Broyles and Justin Blackmon. The Sooners have just as much talent as the Cowboys, but Broyles is used on nearly every single passing play whether it is smoke screens, slants or fly routes. Broyles has 33 more catches than the next best receiver at OU, whereas Blackmon only has 18 more catches then the next best receiver at OKST. 

Plus, Broyles is the all-time reception leader in NCAA history for a reason, he gets open at will. If for whatever reason Broyles could not play for the Sooners, their offense would take a decent step backwards.

No. 2 Alabama: Trent Richardson

Without this guy in the backfield, things would not be the same. That might be the most underrated comment uttered, since Richardson is the most physical runner in the nation. 

He has 15 rushing touchdowns along with 912 yards on 132 carries. Alabama needs him healthy for all of their heavyweight battles, none bigger than their Nov. 5 national play-in game against LSU.

No. 1 LSU: Tyrann Mathieu

Though he may not be the biggest man out there (5'9"), Tyrann Matheiu is the most aggressive, high volume/impact player we have in the nation. And he plays defense!

Picking up Heisman votes as a defensive player is incredible, and without the plays he has made on defense, who knows if LSU would still be where they currently are.

The defense thrives off his play and they will need the "Honey Badger" to make a few more All-American plays down the road if they expect to play for the BCS National Championship.