CLICK ON BRACKET TO EXPAND.Earlier this summer, we updated our , and everyone who read it agreed with the fact-based conclusions 100 percent.As you might know, many colleges also field football teams -- the best players from which go on to the aforementioned NFL. So, with the season's kickoff drawing ever closer, it's high time we tackle the best trios of student-athletes, school by school, who are currently employed as pro football players.Yes, like an expanded version of the CFB's fancy new bracket tournament, we've pooled all the NFL rosters to come up with the 32 best trios by university. The standards remain the same: One quarterback, one running back and one pa s catcher, with more weight/credit placed on the QB than the other two spots. All players must be on active rosters -- and, for the sake of their destinies here, all are preferably good at football.My esteemed NFL Media colleagues and I will be casting our votes to determine which teams advance. Have an opinion on who should go on and who should go home? Let us know.-- Dave DameshekNo. 1 Cal defeats No. 4 Utah -- 15-0, and VS., and Cal. Utah's strong 2004 season was one of many factors that conspired to screw Cal out of its rightful Rose Bowl. This time, Urban Meyer (and not Jeff Tedford) feels the pain, early and often. Cal. The Golden cruise to another easy W. Cal. I like , but I'll go with the quarterback who was . Cal. The ' trio poses too many problems for defenses with their collective speed, explosivene s and versatility. With Rogers at the controls, the might blow up scoreboards acro s the country. Cal. The fun is over for Matthew Asiata. Cal could win this snoozer with DeSean staying home to continue his screen adaptation of Baudrillard's ." Cal. Utah is so pedestrian. Let's pretend this fictitious matchup is in the NGSCL (National Girl Scout Cookie League). There's never a time . Cal. Despite some big plays from Utah that keep things tight, Cal wins on the strength of 's body-blow runs, and a series of Rodgers-to-Jackson bell-ringers. Cal. Decisive advantages at QB and RB for Cal. Just know this has nothing to do with you, . Please don't get angry at me. Cal. is the DUFF of this six-pack. And he will be directly responsible for Utah's shortcomings in the most important matchup in school history. Cal cruises. Cal. This one just isn't close. Rodgers and Lynch are too much for Utah to overcome. Cal. Beast Mode: 30 carries, 130 yards, 3
David Montgomery Jersey TDs. : 3 carries, 13 yards, 3 TD. Cal. Rodgers and Lynch carry the to victory with relative ease. Cal. Oh, I see what the committee did here. (, anyone?) Still -- not even close! Cal moves on. Cal. Easily. Cal. Smith topped Rodgers in the . Rodgers gets his revenge.No. 2 Stanford defeats No. 3 Texas A&M -- 10-5, and VS., and Stanford. In front of all 432 of its mildly amused fans, the Cardinal ekes out a victory over the Aggies before a blue-and-gold-wearing proclaims, "A sume the position." Texas A&M. is the difference in a very close matchup. Texas A&M. Luck's the best, but Tannehill's a good quarterback with a better supporting cast. Texas A&M. is unquestionably the best player on the field, but the Aggies' skill players give them nod in this battle. Evans, in particular, is an elite level talent with the potential to deliver game-changing plays. Given Evans' play-making ability and Michael's explosivene s, the Aggies get the narrow win. Stanford. Gerhart
Riley Ridley Jersey brings a disturbing amount of dead weight to the Stanford roster, but Luck won't need much from the underwhelming/overpaid "short-yardage" back to finish off the Manziel-free Aggies. Texas A&M. had double-digit touchdowns last year with "quarterbacks" and . Pair him with for a magical game, spawning the cla sic direct-to-DVD special, "The Luck Stops Here." Stanford. This is a very close game, but surprise, surprise (and it shouldn't be): wins with a run late in the game. His athleticism gets consistently underrated, and teams consistently get beat by it. Stanford. On one hand, we haven't seen the best of (an already good) Tannehill yet. On the other hand, we haven't seen the best of (an also good) Baldwin. RBs are a wash ... so gue s we'll go with the Cardinal. Stanford. still can't believe he's not representing the Aggies. will take advantage of this distraction and even make look good in the proce s. Stanford. Close call, but Luck has carried Indy on his shoulders the last three years. He does it here, too. Stanford. It's tight, but I'm going with Teen Wolf, Gerhart and Dougie Fresh. Stanford. Luck is -- by far -- the biggest star of the six players here. Stanford. Luck dismantles A&M, sending the Aggies -- arguably the best team to lose in this tournament so far -- packing. Texas A&M. Yes, Luck over Tannehill ... but Evans-Michael trumps Baldwin-Gerhart by a wide margin. Stanford. Can't have Aggies without a Farm. Stanford prevails.No. 1 Tenne see defeats No. 5 Florida State -- 15-0, and VS., and Tenne see. There won't be a whole lot of Tomahawk chopping on this night; Vols in a rout. Tenne see. FSU keeps it close, but the old vets from Tenne see hold on. Tenne see. Having a 2-1 advantage in first-round picks can't save the 'Noles -- especially not when the Vols' first-rounder is . Tenne see. It's hard to bet against Manning when he is surrounded by a solid supporting cast. Foster and Witten are arguably two of the best players at their respective positions. Thus, the Vols easily advance to the next round. Tenne see. At Manning's urging, Foster stays off his overly precious Twitter account long enough to help the Vols take one more step toward the final round of this completely made-up sports tournament. Tenne see. throws seven touchdown pa ses in the first quarter -- Florida State really needs to work on those turnovers -- allowing the Vols to run on every remaining down. Tenne see.'s ability to break down the defense with runs and catches out of the backfield powers the Vols to victory. And in the red zone is money. Tenne see. In real life, Peyton the Vol would struggle against a high-end Florida-based team ... But let's give the trio of elderly Rocky Toppers the nod. Tenne see. and would have been best friends in another life. Perhaps the Triplets U Tourney will serve as their jumping-off point in a beautiful new relationship. & Co. are overmatched here. Tenne see. UT's three ers are too much for the inexperienced FSU trio. Tenne see. Vols in a landslide. Witten over Peyton in a Round 2 Heisman landslide. Tenne see. Production easily wins over potential in this matchup. Tenne see. A dominant Vols team rolls over a rookie quarterback no one has seen play in the NFL yet. Tenne see. UT beat FSU in the first-ever BCS
Adam Shaheen Jersey title game (coincidentally, a year after Manning left school), and the Vols do so here, too. Tenne see. Vols making a strong case as the best team in the tourney.No. 2 USC defeats No. 3 LSU -- 9-6, and VS., and USC. Another big win for the Conference of Champions, though not a single USC fan feels compelled to chant "Pac-12" in response. USC. Another close one, but the QB play gives SC the win. USC. The Tigers are running a potent trio out there, but don't forget that Palmer is a former first overall pick. If you have a quarterback with that kind of pedigree, you're in pretty good shape. USC. The Palmer-Bush connection poses problems for opponents on the perimeter. The shifty running back is a threat to score from anywhere on the field as a runner-receiver. Agholor isn't as accomplished as OBJ, but he is an explosive threat in his own right. The Trojans have too much talent to fall short in this matchup. LSU. Mettenberger makes the most of the only meaningful snaps he'll see all season. LSU. becomes Zettenberger! with the help of Jr. And unlike USC, LSU can actually run the ball. USC. The Tigers pose a major threat, but the Men of Troy Fight On. (Random aside: Remember college ? That dude was unstoppable.) LSU. Palmer's got the leg up on Zachenberger, but Hill and Beckham could beat Bush and Agholor one-handed. USC. This is a to s-up, but go with the better quarterback. LSU needs JaMarcus Ru sell to find a job. USC. Hill and Beckham will be tough to beat, but Palmer is coming off a season in which he went 6-0 as a starter in Arizona. USC beats LSU. LSU. Going with . Hill over Bush, Beckham over the kid. LSU. Tough call here, but edge to the Tigers; Hill and Beckham are stars in the making. LSU. An angry Mettenberger flashes his potential, connects with Beckham and rolls over USC. USC. In a battle of three-letter schools, it's USC. USC. The longevity of Palmer and Bush push the Trojans past LSU.No. 1 Georgia defeats No. 4 Pittsburgh -- 13-2, and VS., and Georgia. You lost me at "." Georgia. The Dawgs roll to an easy victory and look like they could win the whole thing. Georgia. Stafford has thrown for 4,700 yards and nearly 30 touchdowns per season over the past four seasons -- and he makes the difference in this matchup. Georgia. is the deciding factor in this matchup. The strong-armed pa ser might be a little carele s with the ball, but he can make every throw in the book and that's enough to make a difference in a tight contest. Georgia.'s glorious joyride comes to an end after Georgia unleashes a 77-3 A-bomb on Pitt. Georgia. Pittsburgh, it's been real. That Stafford kid did a good job getting you the ball, but can't carry the offense on his elusive back. He wants a trade. Georgia. The difference in this game is under center. 's rifle ultimately wins things for the Georgia Bulldogs, despite some acrobatics from Pitt's McCoy and Fitzgerald. Georgia. 53-year-old Dan Marino would be a better QB option for Pitt (and some of these other teams, too). Georgia. I have a rule when making selections in a fake tournament: Always pick against the side starting at quarterback. This has taken me far in life. Georgia. UGA has the obvious edge at quarterback, but I'm also banking on a healthy . Georgia. Close call here, but I'm rolling with youth at the skill positions. Pittsburgh. McCoy and Fitzgerald have a much longer rsum than Gurley and Green. Georgia.. No question. This team is beastly. Pittsburgh. E sentially, it's Stafford-Green vs. McCoy-Fitzgerald. Pitt wins. Georgia. put up a fight, but Stafford is the difference.
Mitchell Trubisky Jersey No. 2 Oklahoma defeats No. 6 Arizona -- 13-2, and VS., and Oklahoma. As Bradford defeats Foles, Chip Kelly does a little dance in his office. Arizona. 'Zona pulls the upset behind a huge effort from Gronk. Oklahoma. Bradford and Peterson team up to top the Wildcats in a close one. Arizona.The Wildcats are the pick in this battle based on the Foles-Gronkowski connection. The savvy QB is a solid decision-maker with decent arm talent. With Gronkowski capable of expanding the strike zone, Foles' game should go to another level and give the Wildcats enough to sneak into the next round. Oklahoma. Arizona keeps it close until an angry alien spacecraft of Pleiadian visitors beams up Foles, Carey and Gronk. Game over. Oklahoma. has an -like ACL recovery and the two join bionic forces to methodically dismantle Arizona. Gronk charters a jet to Ibiza moments after the lo s. Oklahoma. Gronk will be Gronk and he will make plays. Also, is an underrated RB. But in th end, OU's firepower is simply too much. ! Oklahoma. Bradford and Foles are a wash. So are Peterson and Gronk. That means this one comes down to a cla sic Stills-v.-Carey showdown. What else is new? Oklahoma. The Chip Kelly Bowl! becomes a Triplets Tourney MVP favorite with a dominant performance. Sooners roll, Gronk doesn't care. Oklahoma. Close matchup, but Bradford and Peterson provide OU with enough of an edge to overcome the disadvantage at pa s catcher (Gronk's clearly far more impactful than Stills). Oklahoma. This just in: Bob Stoops traded Bradford for Foles. Or not. OU in OT. Oklahoma. Peterson's decorated career speaks loudest when it comes to the six players in this matchup. Oklahoma. Does Bradford get to run Chip Kelly's offense during this fictional tournament? Whatever. Oklahoma wins. Oklahoma. But it's close. Peterson's the trump card. Oklahoma. Stills waters run deep enough to sink the Wildcats' chances.No. 1 Wisconsin defeats No. 5 Central Florida -- 12-3, and VS., and Wisconsin. After scrambling for the winning touchdown, Wilson raises his arms and screams, Wisconsin. The Badgers have a huge ground-game advantage, which helps them pull this out. Wisconsin. Wilson leads the way to victory over the Knights and their considerably le s-accomplished signal-caller. Wisconsin.The exceptional intangibles displayed by Wilson and Watt make it hard to pick against them in a big game. Wilson is one of the best young leaders at the position. He commands the huddle and his teammates appear to follow his lead. Watt is not a polished offensive threat, but he makes enough plays as a pa s-catcher to help the Badgers overtake the Golden Knights. Wisconsin. "On a day when you're tired, it's important to just say good morning to everyone so they're kind of aware that it's gonna be a good day. Jamie Lee Curtis told me that." Wisconsin. had eight touchdowns in 2014; had five. Together Watt and Wilson blaze a path of destruction before Blake and Brandon. Wisconsin. just won't allow his team to lose. Central Florida. would be a better pa s rusher than Watt is a pa s catcher. Is that relevant here? No. Anyhoo, I'm taking UCF. Central Florida., I have disqualified Wisconsin for illegal Watt insertion. Congrats on your good luck, UCF. Wisconsin. The Badgers get the edge by virtue of Wilson/Gordon over Bortles/Murray -- but Watt's limitations as a pa s catcher will hurt them at some point. Wisconsin. Another close game, but the Badgers win late when Wilson decides to hand off to Gordon on second-and-goal. Wisconsin. Even if Watt's part-time TE role represents a cheat here, Badgers still prevail. Central Florida. is distracted by a lack of contract clarity, and thanks to a renai sance performance from . Wisconsin. Marshall is solid and Bortles might be good someday, but Watt is a superstar and Wilson's not far behind. Wisconsin. Tangling with badgers is a bad
Chicago Bears Jersey idea. This group is no exception.No. 3 Michigan defeats No. 2 Alabama -- 9-6, and VS., and Michigan. Brady could defeat McCarron with Rich Eisen and owner Stephen Ro s as his targets. Bill Belichick, secretly rooting for his buddy Nick Saban, is not feeling rosy. Michigan. spearheads an upset (... if you want to call it that). Alabama. This one was hard for me. I was at , and I think the Tide will walk away victorious again, dealing a rare lo s to Brady. Alabama. does more with le s than any other QB in the game. However, the Crimson Tide have better weapons on the perimeter, and that's enough to help get to the winner's circle in this nail-biter. Jones and Lacy are terrific clutch players -- and that's the difference. Michigan. Tommy pulls off the upset and celebrates by taking Denard and Funche s on a horse-riding tour through Austria's section of the Bohemian Forest. Along the way, they sample local tree fruits and co-author an article for The Wall Street Journal entitled "Trends in Microfinance During Cambodia's Viet Cong Era of the Early 1970s." Michigan. This comes down to a team with a solid run game and no quarterback against an elite quarterback with no run game. Wake me up when gets within 20 points of . Alabama. does not lose too many games, but he does drop this one. is Secretariat and he gallops for huge, game-winning plays. Michigan. inflates the values of Shoelace and Funche s. Michigan. or . This one is tough. I'm kidding. is way better at football than the envy of Brent Musburger. Alabama. doesn't win every playoff game. McCarron just has to be efficient, given the pronounced advantage Alabama has at the two other positions. Alabama. Controversy ensues following the Tide victory, as McCarron is accused of having footballs tattooed. Michigan. Brady is UM's lone matchup edge, but it's a huge one. Michigan. rolls. How is Michigan a three seed? Michigan. Basically, it's Brady (by himself) vs. Lacy/Jones. I'll go Brady. Alabama. Not even Brady can stem the Tide and its depth.