Other outlets are doing it, so I thought I’d put in my two cents.
QB
Matt Leinart, USC
Leinart gets the nod due to his record: 37-2 as a starter (including 34 in a row), 2 national titles (just missing out on a third), a Heisman Trophy and another top three finish, 99 career touchdown passes, 10,693 passing yards.
Just missed the cut: Tim Tebow, Vince Young, Colt McCoy
RB
Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
Reggie Bush, USC
Peterson and Bush were the two defining backs of this era with their own unique styles. Peterson was the thunderous runner with breakaway speed and Bush was the do-it-all lightning bolt.
Just missed the cut: Darren McFadden; DeAngelo Williams; Mike Hart
WR
Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
Fitzgerald nearly won a Heisman as a pure receiver, while Crabtree is the only two-time winner of the Biletnikoff Award.
Just missed the cut: Braylon Edwards, Dwayne Jarrett, Calvin Johnson, Charles Rogers, Rashaun Woods; Josh Reed
TE
Heath Miller, Virginia
Miller dominated in college, starting three years for the Cavs and catching 144 passes for 1,703 yards.
Just missed the cut: Kellen Winslow, Zach Miller, Marcedes Lewis, Jermaine Gresham
OL
Bryant McKinnie, Miami; Jammaal Brown, Oklahoma; Joe Thomas, Wisconsin; Greg Eslinger, Minnesota; Jake Long, Michigan; Andre Smith, Alabama
We went with a top six here instead of a position-by-position breakdown.
Just missed the cut: Jake Grove; Shawn Andrews; Jonathan Scott; Nick Mangold; Jordan Gross; D’Brickashaw Ferguson; Sam Baker
DL
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska; Glenn Dorsey, LSU; Mike Patterson, USC; Terrell Suggs, Arizona State; Dwight Freeney, Syracuse; Julius Peppers, North Carolina
Suh made a serious Heisman run, finishing fourth this year. Dorsey and Patterson anchored two of the best defensive lines of the decade. Suggs, Freeney and Peppers were terrors coming off the edge.
Just missed the cut: Tommie Harris; Rien Long; Elvis Dumervil; David Pollack; Travis Johnson; John Henderson
LBs
Derrick Johnson, Texas; A.J. Hawk, Ohio State; Patrick Willis, Ole Miss; Brandon Spikes, Florida
The versatile Johnson was the best Longhorn defender of the decade. Hawk and Spikes led dominating defenses, while Willis was a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine.
Just missed the cut: Teddy Lehman; Chad Greenway; Lofa Tatupu; James Laurinaitis; Rolando McClain
CBs
Terrance Newman, Kansas State; Antrell Rolle Miami
No one could shut down a receiver like Newman. Rolle was the only one who could shut down Larry Fitzgerald.
Just missed the cut: Philip Buchanon; Marcus Trufant; Derrick Strait; Corey Webster; Antoine Cason; Malcolm Jenkins; Marlin Jackson
Safeties
Ed Reed, Miami; Troy Polamalu, USC
Reed was the ultimate ball-hawking safety, while Polamalu made plays all over the field.
Just missed the cut: Donte Whitner; Michael Huff; Roy Williams; Sean Taylor; Jim Leonhard
This is the best list I think I’ve ever seen on this site. Although I find it strange that you don’t pick O-linemen for your All-American lists but do for this list.
Some minor quibbles: I like Tebow or Young over Leinart. I like Calvin Johnson over Crabtree only because we had three years of excellence vs. two for Crabtree.
Who would you have at fullback?
Posluszny over Willis (how is he not even mentioned?)
2x First-team AP All-American (2005-2006)
2x First-team Academic All-American (2005-2006)
Dick Butkus Award Winner (2005)
2x Chuck Bednarik Award Winner (2005-2006)
Willis is the best in the NFL, but Posluszny was a better collegiate player.
Sean Taylor should probably get the nod over probably. Taylor and Reed (and now Berry) were the best college safeties I have ever seen.
I agree though. Very good list overall.
So David Pollack was a consensus 3-Time All America and just missed your cut.
Please don’t call me a homer…..homer.
Why does everyone say he is a 2 time title winner, the current system involves the top 2 teams playing a bowl game for the title, Leinart played in 2 such games, he only won one. Vince Young was the best QB of the decade, he single handedly beat Leinart and Bush(both players were on this so-called “team of the decade”. What a joke. Leinart won 1 Title. The AP lost its right to help determine the champion when they removed their vote from the BCS. The media hates being held accountable, so when the BCS started sounding a little imperfect, they thought it would be much easier to just criticize it from afar than to be held accountable (in spite of the fact that all the media does is criticize people). Leinart won exactly 1 championship. No more than any other qb this decade (Tebow’s title as a freshman doesn’t count b/c he was a backup. If you’re going to get credit for winning a title at the qb position, then you had better be the STARTER, Tebow was not accountable as freshman for his teams success and was a backup. You could also say that Colt won a title during his redshirt year…..but you don’t because its rediculous. No qb has multiple title wins this decade. Vince has one, he did more than anyone else to earn it, he took over games more than anyone else had the ability, he deserves to be QB of the Decade.
There is no one current system, and never has been, which is why USC can claim two NC’s.