Each year, some names emerge from different college football teams as players without whom the teams would have been able to do virtually nothing. Remember when Vince Young carried the University of Texas to a national championship back in 2005? USC would have run the Longhorns out of the stadium if Young hadn’t been there to carry the team on his back. Last year’s national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, were sort of an anomaly when they lost their first- and second-string quarterbacks but still won the national title. Of course, the Buckeyes were fortunate to recruit three blue-chip quarterbacks – and have them all remain willing to play in a scenario where time on the field would be so hard to come by. Going into 2015, let’s take a look at some of the players who will be the most important contributors to the success of their teams this College Football Odds season.
Lets see Who the 2015 NCAA Football Betting Season’s Most Indispensable Players Are
Quin Blanding (S, Virginia)
As a true freshman, Blanding led the entire team with 123 tackles during the 2014 season. Blanding was one of the Cavaliers’ two five-star prospects, along with Andrew Brown on the defensive line. Standing 6’4” and 215 pounds, Blanding started each game – the first freshman to serve as the starting safety in Virginia’s opening game since 1976. He also had three interceptions, which put him in a tie for the team lead. Virginia was in the nation’s top 30 in defense in 2014 and looks to remain there even though the other safety, Anthony Harris, has moved on.
Devontae Booker (RB, Utah)
The offense finished in the FBS’ lower 50 percent in 2014, but the Utes still won nine games for the first time in four years. Why? Devontae Booker scored 10 touchdowns and ran for over 1,500 yards. Booker was a terrific transfer from American River College in Sacramento. He didn’t play in 2013 so that he could get his academic affairs in order, but a benefit of this was a pair of fresh legs. Utah handed him the ball at least 20 times in eight of the last ten games of the season.
Trevone Boykin (QB, TCU)
As TCU has gone to a faster offense, it has improved from playing below .500 in 2013 to ending up missing the college football playoff in 2014 only because of one bad quarter. If the Horned Frogs had held off Baylor in the fourth quarter of their regular season tilt, TCU would have been undefeated and would have swept into football’s final four. Boykin was a major part of the offense’s success. He put up 4,608 yards ot total offense in 2014. Now he’s a senior and is expected to be a major part of the Heisman conversation.
Nick Chubb (RB, Georgia)
When Todd Gurley got a four-game suspension for taking money to sign autographs, Nick Chubb became the Bulldogs’ featured back. In each game that Chubb played in – and he stayed in the lineup even after Gurley returned – he ran for at least 100 yards. He finished the season with 1,547 yards, which tied him for the fourth highest total in the history of the school. The Bulldogs’ offense will be strong this year as well with Chubb carrying the ball.
