2011 Senior Bowl: South Wins 24-10, Christian Ponder Named MVP

Two players who were bitter rivals in their collegiate careers headlined the 2011 Senior Bowl’s list of players who may have gotten a boost with a good game.

Florida State’s Christian Ponder, named the Senior Bowl MVP, proved he can move an offense with a seven-for-13 performance through the air that included two touchdown passes.

The 2011 Senior Bowl is supposed to be a showcase for all the nation’s best senior NFL Draft prospects. The North is waiting for that showcase part.

Through 30 minutes in Mobile, it’s been all South: the red-clad team is up 17-0 through two quarters, and it hasn’t really been close.

Patrick Peterson was one of the nation’s top defensive players last year at LSU, and his versatility in the return game earned him praise as one of college football’s best athletes and a fringe Heisman candidate. But could the cornerback, meeting with teams this week at the 2011 Senior Bowl, really run a sub-4.3 40? And what would that do for his 2011 NFL Draft stock?

That’s what Peterson thinks, it seems. He’s not participating in the Senior Bowl, as a draft-eligible junior who has chosen to enter himself in the draft, but he’s telling scouts he’s slimmed down and is taking aim at some ludicrous speed.

West Virginia running back Noel Devine has been one of the most explosive players in college football over the last four years, but as he’s finding out at the 2011 Senior Bowl, size matters a lot more in the NFL.

Devine’s name has percolated this week in a variety of “How small is he?” questions, thanks to weighing in at five feet, seven inches and 160 pounds, a size or two below the height and weight NFL scouts likely would have preferred. That’s helped ESPN’s Todd McShay, among others, decree that his stock is slipping. This quote is relayed by NBC Sports’ Evan Silva:

The Minnesota Vikings are a curious case heading into the 2011 Senior Bowl because they still don’t know who their 2011 quarterback will be. It could be someone practicing this week in Mobile, AL (unlikely) or it could be someone via free agency (if there even is free agency) or someone else in the draft.

The Vikings are among the teams most likely to take a quarterback in the upcoming draft -- not necessarily in the first round -- and Steve Wyche of NFL.com says the Vikings are looking for at least one project quarterback. The Senior Bowl would be a good spot to find that quarterback and they better do it quick because, as Frazier says, they’re behind the rest of the position in that regard.

In day one of practices, Locker overthrew several receivers, had one pass tipped, and had another picked off. Tuesday’s round had him looking more like the quarterback that beat Nebraska than the one that lost to Nebraska, nevermind the fact that he didn’t complete very many passes in the Holiday Bowl. Just roll with it.

Locker has the most pro-ready mechanics of the six quarterbacks in the Senior Bowl, from footwork to release, and his athleticism is going to make at least one GM think about taking his card earlier than expected. As long as he can operate with composure, there’s no reason he shouldn’t make up lost draft stock this week.

There was no Terrance Cody at the 2011 Senior Bowl weigh-ins though West Virginia’s Noel Devine made some headlines for the opposite reason. Cody weighed in at 370 pounds last year sparking plenty of comments about how he would handle his weight in the pros. (Of course we can’t mention Cody and the Senior Bowl without dropping a link to the picture of Cody’s weigh-in at the Senior Bowl last year.)

Devine’s getting similar weight questions but because of how small -- not ridiculously large -- he is. Wes Bunting of National Football Post gives us the skinny (zing!) on Devine’s weight:

The Senior Bowl is the nation’s most unique football game and football’s premier pre-draft event, annually featuring the country’s best senior collegiate football players and top NFL draft prospects on teams representing the North and South that are coached by the entire coaching staffs of two National Football League teams.

Is “most unique” even correct English?

We’re not fans, but this isn’t the Under Armour Grammar Bowl, so just go with it.

When is the 2011 Senior Bowl?

Saturday, January 29, at 4:00 p.m. EST.

That Geocities-era countdown clock on the official game website is counting down to 3:00 p.m. EST.

Running a website is hard work.

Is there a full slate of goofy sponsored events leading up to the game?

But of course! We’re pretty sure the Coca-Cola Meet The Players party allows you to throw full cups of soda at participants.

Where can I watch the 2011 Senior Bowl?

Are you in Mobile, Alabama?

Why would I be in Mobile, Alabama?

They have excellent fried pickles!

I am not in Mobile, Alabama.

You can view the 2011 Senior Bowl on cable television, providing you have the NFL Network.

Nobody gets the NFL Network.

We know. We think this element was introduced to add an air of mystery to the game.

The 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl kicks off at 4:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 29 (we think). The game will be televised on the NFL Network.