Oregon vs Stanford: Andrew Luck Is Damaging Draft Stock vs. Ducks

Stanford's Andrew Luck is expected to be the top overall pick in next year's NFL Draft. He still needs to prove himself against strong opponents to make that happen, however. His quarterback rating after the first quarter was below 30 due to an interception.

Pro scouts know Luck can tear up Duke, but doing the same against a team with more talent like Oregon is paramount to maintaining his status as the nation's top quarterback prospect. Especially with Matt Barkley, Landry Jones and Robert Griffin challenging him every week.

At this point, he's the most hyped QB since Peyton Manning. But there's still plenty of time to fall off that pedestal with Stanford likely heading toward a marquee bowl game. Scouts want to see big performances on the biggest stages, so now is not the type for a slump.

That said, he'll likely rebound and have a strong game, but needs to understand every single throw he makes is going to be scrutinized from now until draft day.

He needs to leave no doubt he's the best signal caller available. While the talent is undoubtedly there, it's all about results. Manning was called a choke artist for most of his career until his team won the Super Bowl, so sometimes talent is trumped by perception.

Luck doesn't want to be perceived as somebody who comes up small in big games. It's a strong year for quarterbacks, especially with the rapid rise of Griffin following an impressive campaign, so the margin for error is minimal.

He'll get a couple more chances to prove himself, though he could still return to school for another season if he wanted to. He should be able to show enough during that time to warrant being drafted first. It's not a good time to start laying eggs, though.

All told, he's still on track to be the first name off the board, but his rear-view mirror is getting a little more crowded.