There are several players in tonight’s BCS National Championship game that will be playing on Sundays in the years to come. But perhaps no player has more to prove than Texas QB Colt McCoy. McCoy struggled in his two games against top ten defenses this year (Oklahoma and Nebraska), and if he does not perform once again against the top ranked Alabama defense his draft stock is going to plunge from an early to mid 2nd round pick all the way down to a 3rd or 4th round pick.

Other players looking to improve their draft stock on the big stage are Alabama DT Terrence Cody, ILB Rolando McClain and DB Javier Arenas. On the Texas side of the ball look for WR Jordan Shipley, DE Sergio Kindle, OLB Roddrick Muckelroy and S Earl Thomas.

Update (1/8/2010):

Colt McCoy really needed a strong performance last night to put him in the second round or possibly the end of the first round of the draft.  Instead, McCoy was sidelined for the entire game after playing one series with a “dead arm.” Now, in addition to questions about his ability to play QB at the next level, McCoy is facing questions about his heart.  Look for McCoy’s draft stock to plummet.

Some standouts from the game were Texas WR Jordan Shipley (10 Receptions, 122 Yards, 2 TDs), Texas DE Sergio Kindle (6 Tackles, 2.5 Sacks), Alabama DB Javier Arenas (4 Tackles, 2 Interceptions) and Alabama LB Rolando McClain.