We know all about guys like Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and Colt McCoy—the All-Americans returning to make another run at a national title, returning to positions that will have to wait another year to be vacated.

What often times decides championships, though, are the players that have to step up out of obscurity and take the place of a star.

Take the quarterback that now has the reins of a national program where all the pressure is on his shoulders—like Aaron Corp at USC or Joe Cox at Georgia.

How about replacing the workhorse that was the fuel to an offense a year ago like Knowshon Moreno at Georgia, or the most prolific wide receiver in school history like Michael Crabtree at Texas Tech?