The 5 REAL Best players in College Football.

5.) Michael Crabtree (Wr Texas Tech). Big play receivers are it right now, and none make bigger plays than Crabtree (play of the year against Texas.) Size and speed combo gives NFL scouts a stiffie. Mike Leach’s offense can make anyone look good, so the fact that Crabtree takes center stage above everyone else on that team shows he is special.

4.) Eric Berry (S Tennessee). Vol fans wish they could clone this guy and play him at all positions. Berry gets the nod over USC safety Taylor Mays because he is really playing defense all by himself. Depending on his mood, he might pick go pick six on your quarterback, or maybe just merely give your running back a concussion.

3.) Andre Smith (T Alabama). This guy is a mauler. With him blocking, an offensive coordinator could try to call plays that won’t work, and it still wouldn’t matter. 3rd and goal from the 9? Run a toss sweep behind Smith and it will still go for a touchdown.

2.) Colt McCoy (Qb Texas). To be at an 80% completion rate for most of the season is insane. Colt gets my nod because he has less to work with than the Bradfords and Tebows of the world. He put
Texas on his shoulders, and did himself proud.

1.) Percy Harvin (Wr Florida). For all the weapons Florida has, this is the guy that scares defensive coordinators the most. Can and does score from anywhere on the field. Just put the ball in his hands. Short passes, long passes, direct snaps, reverses. It’s all money with Harvin.

Last week I mentioned some pleasant surprises for the Irish this past season, and there were some. But, there were far more disappointments (6-6, remember?), and here are the 5 biggest.

5.) Sam I’m Not. Sam Young, a top 5 recruit in the nation. Umm…not quite. While classmate and Alabama stud Andre Smith was pancaking his way to the Outland, you were busy holding jerseys, collecting false starts, and in general acting like the Beastie Boys toward your running backs.

4.) Ragone’s shaky knees. Mike Ragone has bad luck with keeping his knees healthy. Having another all-around tight end to compliment Kyle Rudolph would have been a major boost for offensive consistency.

3.) The mysterious disappearing Robert Hughes. Going into the season, I thought Hughes would bring back memories of Jerome Bettis. He did. Memories of Bettis during his last days as a Steeler, not getting on the field.

2.) The Tenuta let-up. Whatever we saw from the defense, it wasn’t the effective, attacking, kill-the-quarterback style we have seen from past Tenuta defenses.

1.) The Clausen regression. Jimmy during the first half of the season? The next golden boy. Jimmy during the second half of the season? The next Ron Powlus.

While the season ended with major disappointment, there were players that performed well above expectations throughout the season. ND needs some more guys from this mold.

5.) Mike Turkovich. A 5th year player that had a start here and there, but was pretty much an afterthought. He won the left tackle spot for the season and did his job to protect the blind side of Jimmy Clausen. Sacks were way down for the year, and Jimmy didn’t have to spend any time after the game searching for tooth fragments due to killer hits. The pressure on Clausen heated up toward the end of the season, but I saw most of the problems coming from his more ballyhooed mates.

4.) Robert Blanton. True freshman had the nicest picks for the Irish all year ( one returned for a touchdown). The best thing to say about him is that you would rather have him on the field instead of 3 year starter Terrail Lambert.

3.) Kyle McCarthy. Mr reliable. Had 100 tackles as a defensive back, and never let a guy get past him for a score. A better safety net than Zibby was.

2.) Golden Tate. A running back no more. Made a huge play in all but 2 games, and is probably a top 5 receiver in the nation as a big play threat. Lead team in all receiving categories. Expect him to challenge for All-America honors next season. It’s a good thing when #23 is running straight down the field.

1.) Michael Floyd. The biggest impact for a true freshman in recent memory. He is another big play waiting to happen, and can do it all from the receiver position. Tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions. Can argue that he is the best freshman receiver in the nation (him, Julio Jones, or A.J. Green), and could finish his career as the best Notre Dame offensive player since Rocket.