Senior Bowl - Time to Shine or Go Home

On Saturday, January 30, the top seniors from around the country will participate in the Under Armour Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The game will be played at 3:00 p.m. Central time and will air on the NFL Network live from Ladd-Peebles Stadium. It will be the final time for these hopeful future NFL stars to showcase their talents on the field and in real game-time conditions. Chances are that a lot of those boys won't be on NFL rosters next year, but they need to make sure they take every single opportunity to impress the scouts.

Players from both the North and South are going to take this as their chance to truly shine and stand out from the crowd. A few players here and there didn't really shine that much throughout the season or even during their college careers, but they are seniors and are all "possible" draft prospects for April. Some of the big storylines to watch for are particular players that are standing in their normal positions they've played for four years, but may not end up getting drafted for the same in the NFL. Quite often there are players that have done all they can at their positions in college, but can't hack it in the same spot once they get to the pros. It is time now to see what all of their true skills are.

Let's take a look at three players on each side of the ball to see what a couple of the big stories may be during this game and beyond leading up to the draft.

Offense

~ QB Tim Tebow (Florida):Here is possibly the biggest story period in college football right now. Tebow has been called and is still being referred to as the "best player in college football history." His talents have gone almost unmeasured for four years, but one big question still remains: can Tim Tebow play quarterback in the NFL? The ability to get behind a center and take direct snaps is something that a lot of people don't believe he will be able to do. Many are predicting he won't be drafted until at least the third round and will then be used as a halfback or possibly a wide receiver like Matt Jones was years ago. I'm one of the many that feel the same way and believe Tebow just won't succeed in the NFL if he insists on trying to make it as a quarterback.

~ RB LeGarrette Blount (Oregon): Suspended for almost the entire season, Blount made his comeback late and actually only ended up with 22 carries on the season for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not numbers one would expect when it comes to discussing possible draft material running backs, but this is a unique case. Blount was suspended after the first game of the season against Boise State for punching an opposing player in a fracas on the field when the game was over. Blount is a great talent and could be a big star in the NFL one day, but he now lacks that final season of game tape for scouts to look at which could greatly hurt his draft status.

~ RB Charles Scott (LSU):Maybe he's in the bottom half of the top ten running backs of the draft, but I've watched this kid for years at LSU and seen virtually every single play he's ever been involved in. Scott has a lot of power in a tiny body that is great for pounding the inside of offensive and defensive lines. One big difference is that if he can break through lines or find holes and get into the open field then he's got the speed to get away from linebackers and the secondary. He is a punishing runner that needs to prove he can come back from a broken collarbone he suffered late in the season and show he can be a top-level back in the NFL.

Defense

~ DT Jared Odrick (Penn State):A future first round pick, Odrick can really help his draft status and possibly move up to a mid-first round pick instead of the projected late round pick. The kid is just a straight up beast with the size to play against any of the offensive lines in the NFL right now and will be able to go toe-to-toe with the top guards and tackles. Chances are that he could even slide to defensive end at times since he has the speed that would allow him to get around the end quickly and get to opposing quarterbacks. With a good game and an impressive combine, I can see Odrick jumping up to the early twenties and possibly mid-teens in April's draft.

~ DE Brandon Lang (Troy):Coming from a small school like Troy, this is Lang's opportunity to really show his skills off. I know scouts have seen him and watched tape on him, but this is his turn on a national stage to get his talent out there and prove he can hang with the big boys. The thing I like about Lang is that he just knows how to get through the line or around it and to the quarterback. In 2008, he recorded 9 sacks en route to another great season. If he can impress here, then someone will be looking at Lang in either the middle of the second round to the beginning of the third and will end up with a great back-up and prospective starter on the defensive line.

~ S Myron Rolle (Florida State):Rolle has a story that is an interesting one as he last played at Florida State, but has been out of football for a year attending Oxford to get his MA in medical anthropology. He's stayed in great shape and has so far impressed at the Senior Bowl practices this week even though he hasn't played in a game in over a year. In 38 games for FSU, Rolle amassed 206 tackles (7.5 for a loss), 1 interception, and 13 pass break-ups. He doesn't have the greatest speed in the world, but his ball hawking skills are good enough to play a spying safety in a good nickel or dime package in the NFL.

Watch carefully for these six players on Saturday, but pay attention to everyone on the field because it's going to be a game when they put their best foot forward showcase every ounce of talent they have. Chances are the Senior Bowl will be much more exciting then the NFL Pro Bowl is going to be on Sunday so this is your best bet for good football this weekend. Don't get sucked in by the Tom Tebow hype everyone. We're going to hear plenty about him in the upcoming months, but my opinion is that he's truly overrated. Sure he's been a fantastic college player, but I just don't see the skills transferring well over to the NFL. That's why you all need to pay attention to the rest of the players out there and watch as these kids try to get one step close to their dream jobs.

Prediction: South 31 - North 21