College Football Bowl Games: Andrew Luck and Players Who Must Shine Before Draft

Bowl season is a fantastic time for a number of college stars to really showcase their skills before the hype builds up for the 2012 NFL draft. 

Those who excel in the bowl games will increase their draft stock, as well as confirm to top scouts that they're as good as advertised. 

As the final game of the year, several players have to prove they can deliver in the national spotlight. If some players fail, it will have a great impact on their draft status, and climbing back up draft boards with no actual games is extremely difficult to do. 

With that said, here a few players that must shine bright during the 2011 college football bowl season in order to solidify their place in the draft class. 

Andrew Luck, QB 

The Stanford quarterback has been hyped all season long, including phrases like "Suck for Luck" and the "Andrew Luck Sweepstakes."

He's going to be the No. 1 pick barring any craziness, but if he falls flat on his face in the Fiesta Bowl against the 107th-ranked defense, it's not going to look good at all. 

Teams have been shredding up the Oklahoma State Cowboys' defense this year, and if Luck doesn't do the same, it will raise a number of questions heading into the draft. 

This shouldn't be much of a contest for the mighty Luck, but he has to use the Fiesta Bowl as a time to show what he's really all about. The hype around him is huge, which means he needs to consistently deliver. 

Quinton Coples, DE

The North Carolina Tar Heel was being praised before the season in all the early mock drafts. The 2011 season wasn't as good as many had hoped. After all, he should be progressing and pulling in better numbers than the previous year, but it didn't happen. 

With only 7.5 sacks on the year, Coples must dominate in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl against the Missouri Tigers. 

His draft status is starting to slip, but a strong showing against the Tigers will definitely help. Barring injury or off-field issues, he's still a lock for a first-round pick, but he has the potential to be a top five pick. 

In order to achieve that, he'll have to step his game up in the bowl season as well as thrive in pre-draft workouts. 

Robert Griffin III, QB 

The Baylor Bears quarterback has been a stat machine this year, and he has a great shot at winning the Heisman Trophy. 

RGIII takes on the Washington Huskies in the Valero Alamo Bowl, and with a mind-boggling performance once again, he will continue to climb up draft boards. 

Prior to the season, he was considered a mid-round quarterback, but after a stellar showing, there is talk of him going in the first round. However, a bad game against Washington would crush his draft status. 

He's a dynamic player with one heck of an arm, especially for a mobile guy. The senior must deliver in the bowl game to reassure scouts he is the real deal.