In last night's BSC Championship Game, whoever picks the MVP of the game made the wrong call. They gave it to running back Mark Ingram, the Heisman Trophy winner who did have a good game.
But the real MVP was Marcell Dareus. The defensive lineman was the guy who knocked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game. Not taking anything away from Alabama, but if McCoy had been able to stay in the game, and perform up to his usual standards, it would have been a different game. Of course, that's a big "if."
It was interesting to me that Alabama graduates 62 percent of its football players while Texas' graduation rate for its program is a dismal 41 percent, according to the NCAA.
Think about that. Penn State's graduation rate for its football players, the NCAA reports, is 85 percent.
In recent Penn State news, star linebacker Navarro Bowman announced he was turning pro despite having a year of eligibility left. He already has his criminal justice degree. Bowman is highly thought of among pro scouts and has a good shot at being a first- or second-round draft choice -- something that would make him a rich young man. Still, he said he has his degree and if things don't work out, he'll be OK.
Defensive end Jerome Hayes also decided to try his hand at turning pro. The oft-injured Hayes said he would give the NFL a shot, but if that fails, he still has his education degree and would teach and coach football.
Star running back Evan Royster announced he was staying in school.
He said, "I wanted to return to finish my degree and for my final year at Penn State."
Royster, who majors in information systems management, on schedule to graduate in May.
That crystal trophy is nice. But when you measure the success of a college football program, keep these three guys in mind. They're what it's all about.
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