BCS Bowl Games: Which Studs Will Have the Biggest Impact?

With less than two weeks until BCS bowl games get underway, the anticipation is starting to build. Some of the nation's elite talent will be on display over the course of five games in seven days, culminating with a rematch between LSU and Alabama for the national title.

The reason teams have reached this point is usually a good mix of depth and stars. While both parts are necessary for any BCS run, it's the stars who steal headlines. They are the players who casual fans will tune in just to watch play.

Which ones will shine brightest to kick off 2012? Here's one player from each game who will make the biggest impact on its outcome.

Rose: Montee Ball

Montee Ball never gained enough Heisman momentum to push him over the top, but he had a terrific season nevertheless. The junior gained more than 2,000 total yards and scored 38 touchdowns to lead Wisconsin's fourth-ranked offense.

Perhaps the most impressive part about Ball was his consistency. He scored at least two TDs in every game and was never held below 100 offensive yards. When a player can be that reliable on a weekly basis, it takes a lot of pressure off his teammates.

He should be in for another big game against an Oregon defense which allowed nearly 140 yards per game on the ground. The Rose Bowl could end up being the most thrilling contest of bowl season and it will be Ball who steals the show.

Fiesta: Andrew Luck

Even though they might already be stitching the Andrew Luck Indianapolis Colts jerseys, the superstar quarterback has one more game left in his collegiate career. He finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy for the second straight season.

Luck did that by completing 70 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also found paydirt twice on the ground. There's no such thing as a can't-miss prospect, but Stanford's signal-caller is as close as you're going to get.

He'll need to be careful against Oklahoma State, though. The Cowboys finished second in the nation in interceptions while allowing barely over one passing TD per game. Still, Luck is no average quarterback, so he'll find enough holes in the secondary to have a big game.

Sugar: Denard Robinson

Denard Robinson has been criticized for coming up short in big games during his three seasons with Michigan. While some of that backlash is warranted, it shouldn't completely overshadow the résumé he's put together with the Wolverines.

He finished the campaign with over 3,200 total yards and 34 touchdowns, which, while impressive, was actually a drop from last season's 4,200-yard breakout season. “Shoelace,” as he's become known, is without a doubt one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country.

Robinson should have another strong performance against Virginia Tech. The Hokies struggled to stop the ACC's biggest QB threat in Tajh Boyd and he doesn't even have the same running abilities as Michigan's quarterback.

Orange: Tajh Boyd

Speak of the Tiger, Tajh Boyd headlines a weak Orange Bowl matchup. While Clemson could make a legitimate argument for being worthy of a BCS spot, the same really can't be said for West Virginia, who benefited from the Big East's undeserved automatic bid.

How the Tigers secured a bid doesn't matter to Boyd. His big leap from his freshman to sophomore seasons was among the best in college football. He finished the season with 36 touchdowns while completing 61 percent of his throws.

West Virginia's defense was actually stout against the pass, giving up less than 200 yards per game. That had more to do with level of competition than anything else, however. Boyd and his main weapon Sammy Watkins should have a field day.

National Title: Tyrann Mathieu

No defensive player in the country had a bigger impact than Tyrann Mathieu. “Honey Badger” and Morris Claiborne combined to make LSU's secondary virtually unbeatable. Mathieu probably deserved more Heisman votes, but it's always an uphill battle for defensive stars.

Mathieu had 70 tackles in 12 games while adding nine passes defended, six forced fumbles (and five recoveries), two interceptions and 1.5 sacks. He also served as the team's main punt returner and took two kicks back to the house.

Since the BCS National Championship Game will likely be another low-scoring battle, one monster play from Mathieu could be enough to push the Tigers over the top. Judging by his flair for the dramatic, don't bet against it.