The current college football playoff structure leaves little room for error. An entire season can come down to one game, one quarter or even one play that makes the difference and it is in those moments that the best players in the game step up and prove their worth. There is something to be said about the players that have it in them to rise to the occasion while others wilt under pressure when the spotlight is at its brightest. Here is a look at the four most clutch college players in football right now.
Tanner Mangum
BYU Cougars
It didn’t take long for Mangum to prove that he is a clutch quarterback last season. He came off the bench in Week 1 for the injured Taysom Hill with the Cougars down four points on the road against Nebraska and led the comeback win including a 76-yard drive that set up the game-winning field goal as time expired. The following week, he threw for over 300 yards including a 35-yard touchdown with under a minute left in regulation to beat Boise State. Mangum would follow up his strong start with another wild win over East Carolina a few weeks later when he led them from down 17 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 331 passing yards and three touchdowns. The fact that Mangum was so successful in his freshman season is extremely impressive and now he heads in to his sophomore year looking to build on that outstanding debut as one of the most clutch players in college football.
Dalvin Cook
Florida State Seminoles
Cook set the tone for his college career with some incredible performances throughout his first two seasons at Florida State. He has averaged over 6.5 yards per carry while running for 2699 yards and 27 touchdowns over two years with some of his best performances coming in big games. That includes the 2014 ACC Championship game win over Georgia Tech in which he ran for 177 yards and a touchdown en route to receiving MVP honors. He picked up right where he left off in 2015 and his clutch ability can actually be quantified with this statistic: In tied games last season, Cook averaged a ridiculous 11.86 yards per carry with seven touchdowns, which was tied for the most in the FBS. Cook appears primed for another big season in 2016 and it’s clear that he is among the most clutch players in college football right now.
L.J. Scott
Michigan State Spartans
Speaking of running backs that have excelled when their teams have needed them most, there is no doubt that Scott deserves to be on this list based on what he did as a freshman at Michigan State last season. That includes the Spartans’ legendary win over Michigan, when his second effort keyed the comeback with Michigan State down four points and only 33 seconds left on the clock. Scott had a pair of touchdowns in that victory and he finished his freshman season with six fourth-quarter touchdowns in the perfect illustration of his ability to perform at a high level when the game is on the line. The fact that he was able to accomplish what he did while rushing for 699 yards and 11 touchdowns in just his freshman year is proof of his potential and it will be interesting to see what he has in store for an encore in 2016.
Ben Boulware
Clemson Tigers
Boulware was an absolute force during Clemson’s run to last year’s national title game and he deserves mention on this list as a clutch defender that showed a tendency to step up in the biggest moments of key games. Boulware tied a season-high in tackles in the Tigers’ win over Notre Dame, then a couple of weeks later he forced a fumble that helped seal a win over Florida State. Clemson’s star linebacker stepped up again in the Orange Bowl with an incredible one-handed interception to close the door on Oklahoma in the fourth quarter and then doubled down with an impressive performance versus Alabama in the national championship game. It’s difficult for defensive players to stand out based on the fact that their stats aren’t considered official but Boulware was an absolute beast in 2015 as one of the more clutch players in college football.
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