The Greatest Single College Football Player for Every BCS Program

There have been some spectacular players to play on the college level. They've come in all shapes, sizes, speeds, heights and weights. 

But this list is for the best of the best. Not just at one position, but overall for each program in the BCS.

Some picks may shock you, some may be a little out of left field and some may be expected, but nonetheless, this should be fun and spark a good amount of debate.

Let's get started!

Minnesota: Darrell Thompson, RB

I wanted to go all the way to the old-school days and go with Bronco Nagurski, as Nagurski defined toughness and grit. Yet Thompson's numbers and all-time career rushing status leader takes the cake for me.

At 6'0" 215 pounds, Thompson is the all-time Golden Gopher rushing leader with 4654 yards. He became a first-round pick to the Packers and played in 60 career NFL games.

Wisconsin: Ron Dayne, RB

The Great Dayne was a sensation at Camp Randall. Not to be all hype and smoke and mirrors, Dayne was very, very, very productive. At 5'11", 250 pounds, Dayne rushed for at least 1,300 yards in all four years at Wisconsin.

He's the FBS all-time leading rusher at 6,397 as his rushing totals year-to-year were: 1,863, 1,421, 1,325 and 1,834. He took home the Heisman in 1999 and his No. 33 is retired from Wisconsin football. He amassed over 7,100 total yards and even 12 200-yard games.

Northwestern: Brett Basanez, QB

Basanez takes the award for the Northwestern program as the top QB in school history. At 6'1", 210 pounds, he was a QB who just came in and rewrote the record books in Evanston.

Basanez holds many career and single-season records for the Wildcats, such as the career marks for total offense, most yards with over 10,000, attempts, completions and he tied for most touchdowns. Single-season records include much of the same along with completion percentage, passer efficiency and consecutive 300-yard games.

Iowa: Andre Tippet, DE

Tippett is regarded as won of the classiest men in football, and the former Patriots LB is a Pro Football Hall of Famer. He was a two-time All-American as a DE at Iowa in early 1980s and was team captain in 1981.

He made the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and was the key cog on the Hawkeye defense in 1981, which is regarded as the best unit in school history.

Indiana: Anthony Thompson, RB

Thompson is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and has 5,299 career rushing yards. I'd like see to who breaks that record for the Hoosiers, because that will be a serious feat.

1989 was Thompson's prime season as he finished second in the Heisman race to Andre Ware. He scored 65 career touchdowns, totaling 412 points and ran for 377 yards for Wisconsin.   

South Florida: Kawika Mitchell, LB

Before he was a key defensive stalwart for the Giants on their 2007 Super Bowl team, Mitchell was plugging the run for the Bulls. He was a Butkus nominee during his junior and senior seasons and left school with the tackles record at 367.

Rutgers: Don Cherry, DB

Cherry is considered one of the very best free safeties to ever play football, at any level. He started off as a punter, ironically.

He was the Scarlet Knights' MVP in 1979 and was an AP All-East team member in 1979 and 1980. He went on to become an All-Pro safety and member of the 1980s All-Decade Team.

Louisville: Johnny Unitas, QB

Yes, I kept it old school with Johnny U for the Cardinals. Sure, Michael Bush, Chris Redman, Dave Ragone, Sam Madison, Stefan LeFors and Brian Brohm could have been here. But Johnny U did what they did before them.

There is something about Unitas that pure football people love, as he just got the job done. He was a winner, a leader of men and a very smart QB. Some will even say he's the greatest QB of all time.

Louisville boasts one of the better all-time QB rosters in college football, bar none.

UConn: Donald Brown, RB

UConn has only been a FBS team for a short while, but Brown may be the best overall player to play in Stoors. At 5'10", 210 pounds, he worked himself into being a first-round pick to the Colts in 2009.

He left UConn as the all-time leading rusher with over 3,800 yards and topped the 2,000 clip in 2008. He scored 35 total touchdowns and also caught 48 passes.

Cincinnati: Trent Cole, DE

The funny thing about Cole is that his numbers at Cincy would be better if he hadn't played out of position for much of his career. Cole currently plays DE for the Eagles, but at Cincinnati, he played NT.

At 6'3", 270 pounds, Cole was a two-time All-CUSA pick and finished up with 238 tackles, 19 sacks and 48 tackles for losses. 

Today, he is one the best pass-rushers in the NFL.

Texas Tech: Zach Thomas, LB

Thomas had the heart of a lion. A stout and tough 5'11", 240-pound LB, he was a tackling machine throughout his entire career. Thomas was a Butkus finalist, Conference DPOY and All-American in both his junior and senior years. 

He left Lubbock with 390 career stops and had a Hall of Fame NFL career. 

Texas A&M: Dat Nguyen, LB

Nguyen was an undersized, yet tough and instinctive LB for the Aggies. He took home the Lombardi, Bednarik and Lambert awards in 1998 and was Butkus finalist. At 5'11", 238 pounds, Nguyen was a three-time first team All-Big 12 pick and the 1998 DPOY in the conference.

Texas: Ricky Williams, RB

This was an easier selection and sentimental choice for yours truly. I idolized Williams when I played and adapted much of his running style when I was a rock-toter in the prep ranks. At 5'10", 230 pounds, Williams had 4.4 speed, quick feet, power, great vision and natural run instincts.

He finished his career in Austin as the Longhorns' and NCAA career leader in rushing yards with 6,279, though Ron Dayne broke the NCAA mark the next year. His 2,124 yards in 1998 is a single-season record at Texas, and he scored a record 452 career points.

Williams holds several other records for the Longhorns, although Vince Young, Earl Campbell and Cedric Benson are a few others who could have been named here. 

Oklahoma State: Barry Sanders, RB

This was a tough call to make as I could have also went with Thurman Thomas, but Sanders was too dazzling. He may be the best running back of all time. Period. At any level.

Sanders was Thomas' understudy for a few years, then took over when the Bills selected Thomas. His 1988 season was just silly. Sanders rushed for over 2,600 yards, averaging a 7.6 yards a carry, 200 yards per game and had four 300-yard games.

He scored 39 touchdowns that season and totaled 3,248 all-purpose yards. Oh, right, he also won the Heisman too that year. Almost forgot that.

Also nearly forgot he played for the Lions and killed defenses on the norm every Sunday. 

Missouri: Brad Smith, QB

Brad Smith was Colin Kaepernick before we ever knew who Kaepernick was. Smith was the epitome of a dual-threat QB who destroyed defenses with passing and running poison. He was probably the best athlete on the field in 99 percent of the games he played in at Missouri.

He has so many "firsts" in NCAA history that he can be considered an offensive trailblazer. Chances are when you hear today that a QB is the second or third or fourth QB to rush for a certain number of yards and pass for another total, the first QB to do it was Brad Smith.

I'm not going to go over all of the records he has because they are too many to name. Smith was that ridiculous as a Tiger.

Kansas State: Gary Spani, LB

Spani is a College Football Hall of Famer, as he was a great LB for the Wildcats. He was a three-time All-Big 8 selection and was a DPOY in 1977, the same year he was voted as a consensus All-American. He's still the career tackles leader for KSU.

Kansas: Gale Sayers, RB

I almost went with Riggins, as he broke some of Sayers' records, but Sayers was too good. The Kansas Comet had speed, agility, quickness and a keen explosion. He was one of the true original home run threats.

He gained 3,917 all-purpose yards, including 2,675 via rushing. Sayers was also an elite return man. Not bad for a guy who wanted to go to Iowa.

Iowa State: Troy Davis, RB

Davis was only 5'8" and barely 180 pounds. You looked at him during warmups and figured he was a walk-on. Then you saw him run and you were amazed. It's a wonder how productive Davis was at his smallish stature.

He was the first running back in college football history to rush for over 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons and finished second in the Heisman race in 1996. His 4,382 career yards and 2,185 single-season yards in 1996 to go along with his 378 yards vs. Missouri are all records. He also added 126 total points. 

Ole Miss: Archie Manning, QB

I went with Archie over Eli here. Archie always had that "it" about him, yet it seemed like he never was on a winning team.

On the big stage, one of the very first times a college football game was broadcast in prime time, Manning was the star, as he tossed for 436 yards, three touchdowns and ran for over 100 yards vs. Alabama. His team lost. Again.

Manning became the face of the New Orleans 'Aints during his heyday, as he was the best player on a horrible team. It was always apparent Archie was a great QB, but he never had help. Today he has seen both of his sons, Peyton and Eli, be No. 1 overall picks and win Super Bowls.

Mississippi State: Billy Jackson, DE

I gave the top all-time player honor to Jackson for the Bulldogs. He's the top pass-rusher in MSU history, as he is the all-time leader in sacks with 49. Jackson also holds the single-season record for sacks with 17 in 1980.

LSU: Tommy Hodson, QB

Hodson blazed trails not only for LSU, but for the SEC as well in the late 1980s. He won two SEC titles for the Tigers and was the first SEC QB to pass for 8,000 yards and eclipse 60 passing touchdowns. He's just one of three players in NCAA history to toss for 2,000 yards in four straight years. He was also the first LSU player to be first team All-SEC in each of his four seasons for the Tigers.

Hodson is best remembered for his late-game heroics and touchdown pass vs. Auburn in 1988 in the contest known as the "Earthquake Game."

Auburn: Bo Jackson, RB

Bo knows he should be the top back in Auburn history. We all do. And he is.

At 6'1", 230 pounds, what couldn't Jackson do athletically? He's on the same freakish athletic status as Herschel Walker. He was just a sheer specimen.

He played football and baseball and was amazing at both. But his speed, strength, burst, power, quickness and run instincts as a running back almost make him a mythical legend. If not for a bad hip, he might have become the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

However, he still is the all-time leading rusher for the Tigers with 4,303 career yards, with a single-season record of 1,786 coming in 1985. 

Arkansas: Darren McFadden, RB

McFadden made an immediate impact at Arkansas. As a true freshman, he rushed for 1,113 and 11 touchdowns. The next year, he rushed for 1,647 yards and 14 scores, tossing for three more.

But his junior season in 2007 was silly. He topped out at 1,829 yards and 16 scores, tossing four more and being considered the most outstanding college football player in the country, bar none. McFadden did everything for the Hog offense, playing both running back and QB, even catching passes out of the backfield.

Vanderbilt: Jay Cutler, QB

Watching Cutler play, I was shocked to learn that he did not have many scholarship offers coming out of high school. At 6'3", 230 pounds, he is a solid athlete with good mobility and a hose for an arm.

He was routinely the best player on a bad team at Vanderbilt, but kept the Commodores competitive at times in the SEC. The Broncos took him in the first round of the 2006 draft, and today he is the QB of the Bears.

He holds all of the major records for QBs at Vanderbilt.

Tennessee: Peyton Manning, QB

Sure, he never beat Florida, and Charles Woodson edged him out for the Heisman, but for my generation, Peyton Manning may be the best QB we've seen. He's the face of the NFL and along with Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers composes the league's elite QBs.

He's the son of Archie, the brother of Eli and the best in the family and in Vol history. Manning is a legend and icon in Knoxville. Known for his legendary work ethic, instincts, smarts, awareness, passing skills and a slew of other natural QB skills, Manning has a chance to be the very best QB of all time, college or pro.

He just needs at least one more Super Bowl ring to match his ridiculous numbers.

South Carolina: George Rogers, RB

At 6'2", 230 pounds, Rogers came to Columbia thinking he would likely play fullback. But the Gamecocks lost their top two tailbacks to graduation, so he was moved to running back and never looked back.

Rogers set just about every rushing record for the Gamecocks and is their leading all-time rusher at 5,204 yards, including the single-season record of 1,894 in 1980. He's the first South Carolina player to have his number retired while still being active at the school.

Kentucky: Tim Couch, QB

Couch was Mr. Kentucky in his heyday. He was the state's golden boy and was a celebrity before he even signed with the Wildcats. Couch was an All-American prep QB and hoops player in high school and would school defenses by tossing the pigskin and draining three-pointers.

He went on to throw Kentucky football into the national spotlight, as he led wide-open offenses inspired by Hal Mumme called the "Air Raid." Couch lit up defenses, scoreboards and record books.

Georgia: Herschel Walker, RB

This was easy. Walker is one the greatest athletic specimens in the history of sports. I'm talking like the real history of sports, all the way back to the original Greek Olympic days. Seriously.

At 6'1", 225 pounds, he could do it all. Size, speed, power, strength, force, balance, quickness, explosion—Walker was the man at Georgia. He rushed for 5,259 career yards, including 1,891 in 1981, which are records in Athens. His 283 vs. Vanderbilt in 1980 is also a record.

He's one the greatest running backs and players of all time.

Florida: Tim Tebow, QB

I went with Tebow over Emmit Smith, Steve Spurrier, Wilbert Marshall and Danny Wuerffel. I mean, Tebow was an icon at Florida, still is and will always be. He's Mr. Florida Gator and had some magical moments in Gainesville. He won a Heisman, two national titles and countless awards as the QB of the Florida Gators.

Say what you want about Tebow's chances at being a good NFL QB—which I admit I have reservations about too—but the kid is a winner, a fighter and a dedicated athlete that will do anything he can to be successful.

Utah: Larry Wilson, DB

At 6'0", 190 pounds, Wilson patrolled the back end for the Utes in the late 1950s. He's a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was a great safety.

He was an eight-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler and made the 1960s and 1970s All-Decade teams.

Colorado: Rashaam Saalam, RB

People knocked Salaam coming out of high school because he played eight-man ball in Southern California. Boy did they shut up pretty quickly. Salaam proved whether it be eight-man, 11-man or whatever else, he could light up defenses as a running back.

It was Salaam's junior season that saw him just go bonkers. He rushed for 2,055 yards, 24 touchdowns and ran the Buffs to a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame. He won the Heisman, Doak Walker and Walter Camp awards in that year and became a first-round pick to the Bears in 1995.

Washington State: Ryan Leaf, QB

Say what you want about how Leaf flamed out of the NFL and how he acted while doing so, but you can't knock what he did for Wazzu. At 6'5" and 240 pounds, Leaf was seen as perhaps the perfect QB prospect.

At Wazzu, all he did was appear in 32 games, average 330 yards passing as a junior and throw a then-record 33 touchdown passes. He was a Heisman finalist, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and first team All-American.

Drew Bledsoe is another player who could have been selected here.

Oregon State: Terry Baker, QB

Baker is the answer to many trivia questions, as he is the only athlete to ever win the Heisman and play in the Final Four in the same school year, as he balled on the gridiron for the Beavers in 1962 and also on the hardwood.

And 1962 was his top season, as he took home the Heisman.

While also playing the point guard spot on the Beavers basketball squad, Baker tossed for over 3,400 yards and 23 touchdowns. Oh, he also rushed for 1,503 yards and 15 scores during his tenure as the QB at Oregon State.

California: Russell White, RB

There was Chuck Muncie, Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, Hardy Nickerson, Nnamdi Asomugha and Steve Bartkowski among the Cal players to choose from. I went with White.

At 5'11", 216 pounds, he's Cal's all-time leading rusher at 3,367 yards and was a sensational athlete. White had very good play speed, quickness, nimble feet, vision and run instincts.

BYU: Ty Detmer, QB

At first I wanted to go with Steve Young, and then I was leaning toward Jim McMahon, but I settled on Detmer. I really could not have gone wrong with any of them, so if you disagree, just know that I did seriously consider McMahon and Young.

Detmer left BYU with 59—count 'em, 59—records attached to his name. He threw for over 15,000 yards and 121 scores. Detmer also set high marks for passer efficiency, completion percentage and total offense with over 14,600 yards.

Navy: Roger Stabauch, QB

Staubach's legend at Navy actually started in his sophomore season during that year's fourth game. He was thrust into the game versus Cornell to see if he could spark the Midshipmen's sputtering offense. He did, leading Navy on six scoring drives, including throwing for two touchdowns himself.

He won the Heisman and Maxwell trophies in 1963 and won nine games for Navy that season. Staubach went on to serve in Vietnam and came back to the States to only become one of the greatest NFL QBs in history with the Cowboys.

Army: Doc Blanchard, RB

To those around West Point, Blanchard is simply known as "Mr. Inside." He teamed with Glenn Davis, Mr. Outside, as perhaps the greatest running back tandem in college football history. Ed McKeevey, then-head coach at Notre Dame, called Blanchard "Superman."

Thirty-eight touchdowns, 1,908 yards, Time Magazine cover, 1945 Heisman—enough said. 

Virginia Tech: Bruce Smith, DE

No-brainer here. Smith is one of the top defensive ends in history. The No. 1 overall pick in 1985, his legend grew with the Bills, as he played in four Super Bowls.

He totaled 200 career sacks in the NFL and is a dual Hall of Fame member. He's an 11-time All-Pro selection, and his name is in constant debate with Reggie White's as to who's the top defensive end of all time.

Georgia Tech: Joe Hamilton, QB

Hamilton was not the biggest or most physically imposing QB in the world, but he was one of the best playmakers you ever watched play. That's why he goes down as the top QB in Yellow Jackets history.

About 5'10" tall, Hamilton still eclipsed records in the ACC for total offense, total touchdowns and touchdown passes. He nearly won the 1999 Heisman, finishing second to Ron Dayne. Today he is a QB for the Arena League's Orlando Predators.

Duke: Al DeRogatis, DT

DeRogatis, a stellar defensive tackle, is a college football HOF member. He was named to the All-American team in 1948 even though he missed time with a knee injury. 

He went on to become a two-time Pro Bowler with the Giants.

Wake Forest: Aaron Curry, LB

Curry was the top defensive player in the country in 2008, as he took home the Butkus and was a first team All-American and All-ACC pick. He's a 6'2", 255-pound LB that can play the "Sam" and "Will" (weak-side linebacker)" and can even put his hand down and rush well.

He should continue to develop into one of the top LBs in the NFL.

North Carolina State: Philip Rivers, QB

Rivers is one of my favorite QBs to watch, college or NFL. He's the definition of a gamer, and I like the fact the fact that he's a bit cocky, has some moxie and has won wherever he's been. At 6'5", 225 pounds, he has a funky delivery but is accurate, smart and a great leader.

I think he maybe should have won MVP this past year with the Chargers if they had made the playoffs. However, at NC State Rivers was money in the bank, winning MVP of every bowl game he played in and setting various passing marks.

Penn State: Curt Warner, RB

Nittany Lions fans, I know I could have went the likes of Lenny Moore, Curtis Enis, Ki-Jana Carter, Blair Thomas or Larry Johnson on RBs alone, then LaVar Arrington and a slew of others, but I think Warner is the right pick.

He won a national title for the PSU in 1983 and led the squad in rushing from 1980-1982. He finished his career as the school's all-time leading rusher at 3,398 yards and 42 records in the Penn State books were attached to Warner's name.

The honorable mention for this one is highly debatable and any of them could have taken home the honors.  

Boston College; Doug Flutie, QB

A symbol and outcome of determination, toughness and grit, Flutie has been magic anywhere he has played. Whether it be at BC, the CFL, NFL or wherever, Flutie has always been a winner. At 5'10" and merely 180 pounds, he just got it done from the QB spot.

Matt Ryan could have gone here, but come on—Flutie was instrumental in what may be the top college football play of all time with his Hail Mary throw versus Miami in 1984. He left BC as the NCAA's all-time leader in passing yards and was an All-American who also got it done in the classroom.

West Virginia: Major Harris, QB

Harris is another example of how important recruiting and impressions can be for prospects. The story has it that he originally wanted to attend Pitt, but Mike Gottfried wanted to make him a defensive back. Harris was interested in only scoring touchdowns, not breaking up passes.

So he went to rival West Virginia and lit it up. He totaled over 7,300 yards of offense, including ranking eighth on the Mountaineers rushing list with just over 2,100 yards. Keep in mind he played QB, not running back.

Pat White could have easily taken home the honors, but Harris gets the nod.

Virginia: Matt Schaub, QB

At Virginia, it always seemed like the Cavs weren't sure about Schaub early in his career. He split time with both Bryson Spinner and Marques Hagans and always had to prove himself. He did so in 2002 and then some.

Schaub went on to win the 2002 ACC POY and OPY awards. He took home 22 records from the Cav program, including most yards with over 7,500, completion percentage at 67 percent, 56 touchdown passes, eight 300-yard games and 716 completions.

He's the franchise QB for the Texans today, as he was traded by the Falcons in 2007.

North Carolina: Lawrence Taylor, LB/DE

Taylor is one of the greatest players of all time, regardless of position. He played a DE/LB hybrid role and is regarded as the premier pass-rusher in football history.

Arizona State: Terrell Suggs, LB/DE

Suggs played defensive end for the Sun Devils but plays OLB for the Ravens today. At 6'3", 260 pounds, he is one of the most exciting pass-rushers in the NFL.

He had 163 tackles and 44 sacks for Arizona State, including tying an NCAA record of 24 in a season as a junior.

Oregon: Jonathan Stewart, RB

At 5'10", 230 pounds, Stewart was an elite recruit coming out of high school and became an elite college running back in Oregon. He pledged to the Ducks early in the process out of Washington and never looked back.

Stewart's main trait was balance. He always found a way to stay on his feet and continue getting upfield. Couple that with great power, strength, quickness and above-average speed, and you get a back that ran for the single-season mark of 1,722 yards and became a first-round pick to the Panthers in 2008.

Washington: Warren Moon, QB

The thing with Moon was he felt he had to stay at QB because he wasn't sure if he was athletic enough to move to another position. He was recruited by a slew of schools, but they all wanted to convert him to receiver or defensive back. Moon chose to go the JUCO route and then went to Washington, where he was solid.

Moon always played like he had to prove something, mainly by being a black QB. He wasn't initially given a fair chance by the NFL, but he went to the CFL and shredded the league to the point where the NFL was begging him to come play. He was a dominant star for the Oilers during his prime.

Miami: Ray Lewis, LB

When I worked for the Giants, my boss told me a story of how when he was a scout with the Broncos, he was asked to watch film on a LB from Miami that everyone was raving about.

My boss goes on to tell me that he watched the LB, and the player couldn't run and was not impressive at all. He writes his report and gives him a low grade. He then reads his report some time later at a draft meeting, and the rest of the scouting staff asks him what games he watched on film. 

Come to find out the games he watched the LB play, the LB was playing with a broken leg.

That's Ray Lewis in a nutshell.

Maryland: Randy White, DE

White played fullback during his freshman year but moved to defensive end as a sophomore. His speed and quickness was his biggest asset, and White went on to win ACC POY honors, along with Lombardi and Outland trophies in 1974.

He's now in the College Football Hall of Fame and was the No. 2 overall pick by the Cowboys in 1975, where he became a nine-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler.

Michigan State: Bubba Smith, DT

At 6'7", 265 pounds, Smith was two-time All-American for the Spartans in 1965 and 1966. He was one of the star draws in the Game of the Century game vs. Notre Dame in 1966 and had his No. 95 jersey retired by the Spartans in 2006. 

The big DE was the No. 1 overall pick by Colts in 1967 and was a two-time Pro Bowler.

Michigan: Charles Woodson, DB

What else can you say about Woodson? The first defensive player to win the Heisman in 1997, a big 6'1", 200-pound corner with amazing athleticism and still today is one of the top defenders in football.

Woodson owned the year of 1997, as not only the Heisman, but the Camp, Lombardi, Tatum, Thorpe, Nagurski and Bednarik awards were also his. He's a seven-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All Pro, where he won 2009 NFL DPOY. 

Stanford: John Elway, QB

Well, this was a tough one. Sure, I could have taken the easy road and said Andrew Luck, but more so Jim Plunkett was amazing at Stanford. He could have gotten the nod over Elway with ease, but Elway's stats are a bit better than Plunkett's.

Plunkett won the Heisman in 1970, but Elway probably deserved the Heisman at least once from 1980-1982, finishing second as a senior. Elway just didn't have any help around him for the most part, similar to the story of Archie Manning's career.

He left Stanford with career marks of 9,359 yards and 77 scores. He was a consensus All-American, Pac-10 POY and was a baller on the baseball field too.

Oh, right—many say he's the greatest NFL QB of all time.

Syracuse: Jim Brown, RB

I could have gone with Ernie Davis here, and the selection would have been easily warranted, no doubt. But Jim Brown is the best football player of all time in my opinion. His numbers may not appear to be as eye-popping as other backs, but the 6'2", 235-pounder was dominant in every sense of the word.

I have a debate with my friend all the time about Brown, as I argue the same things we see Adrian Peterson doing in the NFL at his size is what Jim Brown was basically doing in his day. Brown just got bored of running over people and decided to retire early.

Davis was a heck of a player too, don't get me wrong, but Brown is considered by many at the best player of all time.

Baylor: Mike Singletary, LB

Singletary is the Bears' all-time leader in tackles for career with a silly 662 stops. Wow. He also set the season record of 232 in 1978.

Known for his focus, drive and wide eyes, Singletary wasn't overly big, but he brought the wood at every collision and was a fierce leader and competitor.

USC: Reggie Bush, RB

This was perhaps the very toughest one to do decide on. You try choosing between Charles White, OJ Simpson, Ricky Bell, Marcus Allen, Sam Cunningham, Anthony Davis and LenDale White among others.

LenDale has the scoring record, Cunningham changed culture, Bell lit up defenses, Allen dazzled, OJ was a specimen, White is the all-time leading rusher, Davis had the speed, but Reggie Bush is one of the greatest players to ever play college football (unofficially). 

Arizona: Chris McAlister, CB

At 6'1", 206 pounds, McAlister combined great size with amazing athletic ability and cover skills. He was one of the greatest corners of the past decade and was a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler. He left Arizona with 18 career picks and made the first team All-Pac-10 squad three straight years.

Nebraska: Tommie Frazier, QB

Frazier was the leader of that powerhouse '95 Big Red squad that won the second of back-to-back national titles. He was an excellent athlete that ran the option offense to perfection for Nebraska.

Tom Osborne started recruiting more speed to match up with the Big Three in Florida to give the Cornhuskers a better chance in their bowl games. Frazier came in as a prized QB recruit and left Nebraska as the top QB in school history.

He won 33 out of 36 games, two national titles and four conference rings and set marks for total offense, touchdown passes and rushing scores for a QB in a season. He's one of the greatest college football players of all time.

Purdue: Rod Woodson, DB

Woodson is classic case of why it is so important to have instincts and smarts. He came into the league as a dominant corner, who would shut down top opposing receivers. Yet, as his world-class speed diminished, he moved to safety and still was a Pro Bowler thanks to him being so smart and instinctive.

He's one of the greatest defensive players ever, and it all started as a Boilermaker.

Notre Dame: Johnny Lujack, QB

I could have gone several different ways with this. From the Gipper to Lujack to Angelo Bertelli to Joe Montana to Joe Theismann to The Rocket to Bettis to a handful more, Notre Dame has bred some of the greatest college players in the history of the sport.

I chose to stick with Lujack, who seems to have his name mentioned the most when discussing top Notre Dame field generals. He has a Heisman attached to his name from the '47 season, along with two All-American honors and three national title rings.

Lujack is one of the true legends of college football, and it's only fitting he played at Notre Dame.

UCLA: Troy Aikman, QB

I was very, very close to going with either Gary Beban or Cade McNown, but I selected Aikman. He transferred to Westwood from Oklahoma with the help of Barry Switzer, who wanted to see Troy thrive in a passing offense.

Aikman did and then some. He left school with the O'Brien, DC Club, UPI MVP and AFCA Coaches Choice trophies in his backpack. Aikman had a quick release, cannon arm and was a sheer natural passer. He finished fourth in Heisman voting in 1988 and was the No. 1 overall pick to the Cowboys in 1989.

Ohio State: Archie Griffin, RB

The only player ever to win two Heismans. I gave Griffin the nod over Eddie George. I never saw Griffin play, but his highlights and the stories I've heard are otherworldly. He rushed for at least 1,450 yards in three straight years at Ohio State.

His top year was 1974, where rushed for 1,695 yards and 12 scores, the first year he won the Heisman.

Oklahoma: Lee Roy Selmon, DT

Selmon was a stout defensive end and one of the great players off the 1974 squad's staunch defense. Barry Switzer called Selmon the best player he'd ever coached.

Back-to-back national champs in '74 and '75, OU saw Selmon win the Outland and Lombardi awards and become a two-time unanimous All-American. He was the No. 1 overall pick to the Bucs in 1976, was a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro.

Alabama: Joe Namath, QB

I almost went with Lee Roy Jordan, but Willie Joe is my pick here. 

Namath is best known for his days as the QB of the Jets and making the most famous guarantee in sports history. But he started his legend in Tuscaloosa under Bear Bryant from 1962-1964.

Some say that Namath is extremely overrated, but you can't knock him for being a winner. He won 29 of 33 games as a three-year starter for the Tide, and Bryant called him the best athlete he ever coached.

Namath's laid-back persona and Bryant's stern demeanor were opposites, but there was also a mutual love for one another.

Namath left Tuscaloosa with over 2,700 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and another 655 rushing yards.

Pitt: Tony Dorsett, RB

Dorsett is one the best overall running backs of all time, college or pro. At 5'11", 190 pounds, he had very good speed and quickness. He combined that with excellent feet, agility and vision to just do work.

At Pitt, Dorsett was three-time All-American and in 1976 he won the Heisman, Maxwell and Camp awards after he ran for 1,948 yards. He finished his career as the NCAA's all-time leading rusher with 6,082 yards.

He went on to become a four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with the Cowboys. 

Florida State: Deion Sanders, DB

Sanders is regarded as the greatest cover corner of all time. His athleticism, feet, burst, quickness, agility, hips, size and instincts make him one of the exciting players to ever play. His game and flare still are evident in today's game as many corners try to compare themselves to him.

He is the last pure and true "shutdown corner." There are some great ones in the NFL today, but they aren't quite on Prime Time's level. He's the top defender to come out of talent-rich Florida State, and that is a huge feat in itself as the honorable mention list is very long.

Illinois: Red Grange, RB

The Galloping Ghost easily takes the cake for Illinois. Rashard Mendenhall got consideration, but Grange just did work. Some say he's the best college football player ever. And they say it emphatically too.

He was dominant in his day. Sheer magic and production. He played in 20 games and ran for 3,362 yards, threw for 575 yards and caught 14 passes. He scored 31 total touchdowns and nine of them were from 50 yards out.

I can go on and on about The Ghost but I'll just look him up and see how dominant he was.

Clemson: Terry Kinard, DB

At 6'1", 200 pounds, Kinard was a standout safety, before Brian Dawkins came to Clemson. He left the Tigers as the leader in picks with 17 and most tackles by a defensive back with 294.

He was forced to redshirt as a freshman due to a separated shoulder, but then all Kinard did was go on to become a two-time All-American, CBS DPOY in 1982 and College Football Hall of Famer.