Two of the nation's best draft-eligible players, Jake Locker of Washington and Mark Ingram of Alabama, had starkly different days Saturday.
Jake Locker regresses as Mark Ingram impresses
Against Nebraska, it was Locker's day to truly become a star.
His underdog Washington Huskies faced a formidable Nebraska defense. With a good game – not even a great one – Locker could have cemented himself as the top prospect for the 2011 NFL Draft.
Instead, he and his teammates failed terribly.
The senior signal caller went an exceptionally bad 4-for-20 passing for 71 yards and two interceptions.
Any other quarterback would have been benched. Perhaps Locker should have been benched.
In addition to a poor performance at the end of the BYU season opener, it’s hard not to question Locker’s ability. Now he’s a paltry 3-12 against ranked teams in his career. Heading into the season, Locker’s lofty status was based mostly on upside. This should be the season to realize his potential.
Instead, you can’t help but question his passion, ability to get up for big games and consistently complete passes. Sure, Washington has only played three games, but it’s hard not to begin scratching your head about Locker.
Conversely, Alabama running back Mark Ingram was impressive in his season debut against Duke.
Sure, it’s only Duke, but who expected the reigning Heisman Trophy winner to have a game like he did today? The stat line reads nine carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
Impressive after sitting out Alabama’s first two games due to knee surgery.
As a draft prospect, Ingram proved me wrong with his performance. I knocked Ingram in the past for having a lack of breakaway speed and foot quickness.
With first quarter runs of 48 and 50 yards, he dispelled that notion. Alabama routed the Blue Devils 62-13.
After the game, Ingram said he wanted to make an impact in his first contest of the season. He not only did that in the world of college football, but in his professional future.
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