You don’t have to be a genius to measure the success of Jim Harbaugh’s reign as Stanford University’s head football coach. The Cardinal had not had a winning season before Harbaugh led Stanford to a 8-5 record and their first bowl game appearance since 2001. Harbaugh has fully restored Stanford’s proud football tradition this season. The Cardinal have a 9-1 record heading into their last three games. Stanford will face Arizona State, California, and Oregon State to close out the year. A 12-1 season will set a school record for wins in a season and a possible BCS bid. Many will point to Stanford’s colossal upset win over #1 ranked USC in 2007 as the game that turned around the program. Stanford were beaten soundly by Oregon earlier this year, but could have a shot at a PAC-10 title should the Ducks slip up. A bigger question is will Stanford be able to hold on to Harbaugh after this season. The 46-year-old coach will have plenty of suitors from high-profile NCAA teams and the NFL. If Harbaugh does decide to leave Stanford he will certainly leave the program much better off then when he found it.

Prior to this season Cameron Newton had only thrown for 54 yards on 12 pass attempts in his first two years playing division I college football. The 6 ft 6 inch quarterback was named the Tigers’ starter this season and currently has the best passer rating in the country (191.44). Auburn is ranked #8 in the country and undefeated largely due to Newton’s brilliance under center. Newton has 65.5% of his passes, thrown 12 TDs and 4 INTs, racked up 928 yards, and 474 rushing yards. The 21-year-old played backup to Tim Tebow for two seasons at Florida before leading Blinn College to a 2009 JUCO National Championship. Auburn head coach Gene Chizik welcomed Newtown with open arms this season and the 21-year-old has become a instant hit in Eastern Alabama. Newtown’s poise in the pocket grabbed headlines when Auburn defeated Mississippi State, Clemson, and South Carolina. The Tigers’ young quarterback has a number of giant tests remaining on the schedule as Auburn faces Kentucky, Arkansas, and LSU in the next three weeks.

The Alabama Crimson Tide finished the 2009-10 season perfect. Coach Nick Saban’s team went undefeated in the regular season, culminating in a 37-21 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the BCS National Championship Game. The fans in Tuscaloosa will have two of their leading men back from the 2009 season in quarterback Greg McElroy and running back Mark Ingram. McElroy returns to campus for his senior year with a National Championship ring around his finger, and something to prove before next year’s NFL draft. Ingram is fresh off winning the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore last year, and is expected be one of the best runners in the country once again. The Crimson Tide really, however, won their national championship on the defensive side of the ball. Only Ndamukong Suh and the Nebraska Cornhuskers allowed fewer points per game than Alabama. Add the fact that Saban corralled one of the nation’s best recruiting classes this off season, the Tide should roll over most of its opponents this season. Look for Alabama’s meeting with Penn State the second week of the season to be a good indicator of the team’s BCS potential.

Since the season ended, college football has been riddled by numerous allegations of wrong doing. Just this week it was made public that the NCAA is looking into reports that West Virgina broke rules while Rich Rodriguez was running the program. Rodriguez is already under investigation for breaking rules about practice length while coaching for Michigan over the last two years. Former USC star Reggie Bush will be appearing in court on April 23rd to hear his disposition into the allegations that he and his family accepted a couple hundred thousand dollars in gifts from Llyod Lake. Lake is trying to recoup $291,000 from Bush in the civil suit. The case could mean further punishments on the Trojans. Maybe Pete Carroll knew what he was doing when he got out of Dodge.

Head coach Dave Wannstedt’s University Pittsburgh Panthers were only a point away from playing in a BCS Bowl game losing to Cincinnati in the final game of the regular season. Pitt defeated North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl 19-17 to finish with a 10-3 record on the year. The school rewarded Wannstedt this past week with a two-year extension on a contract that will keep him tied to Pitt until 2014. The former Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins coach is looking to have another great season with the return of freshmen sensation running back Dion Lewis, wide out Jonathan Baldwin, and defensive end Jabaal Sheard. The Panthers expect Cincinnati and West Virgina to give them tough competition in the Big East, but Wannstedt’s team could be the favorites this year in the Big East.

Across the country college football programs are gearing up for spring ball and the 2010-11 season. Here’s a few players to keep an eye out for in the coming season.

 Dion Lewis -Pittsburgh -Sophomore - Running Back

Dion Lewis finished last year with the third most rushing yards in the NCAA as a freshmen for head coach Dave Wannsted’s Pittsburgh Panthers. Their were only three games all year where the Albany, NY native didn’t break the 100-yard mark. Lewis was named the National Freshmen of the Year by CBS and the Sporting News. Look out for Lewis to be in the Heisman race this season.

 Case Keenum - Houston - Senior - Quarterback

No one’s numbers last season in college football were anywhere close to the stats Case Keenum put up for the University of Houston. The senior helped the Cougars go 10-4 last season, but still has a lot to prove after a dismal performance in the Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force. Keenum probably could have been a high draft pick this season, but another year in college certainly won’t hurt his development.

 Von Miller - Texas A&M - Senior - Defensive End 

Mike Sherman and the Texas A&M Aggies will be glad to have Von Miller back in College Station for next season. Miller was projected as second to third round draft pick for the upcoming NFL Draft, but decided to return to school for his senior year and get his degree. Miller had the most sacks in the nation with 17 and can play either as a defensive end or linebacker. The Aggies defense this year should be pretty scary with Miller back.

After missing the 2009 season because of a battle with rare form of cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma, Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich suited up for practice Thursday. Herzlich underwent treatments of radiations and cemotherapy in 2009 and announced this past September that he was cancer free. ESPN ran stories on the inspirational 22-year-old who throughout his year battling the disease supported team mates on the Boston College sideline, met with cancer patients, and raised over $200,000 for cancer research.

Herzlich in 2008 was an All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year winner, and NFL draft prospect leading the Golden Eagles in tackles and the nation in incterception by a linebacker. Though back to full health it is unclear if Herzlich will be able to return to Boston College’s starting lineup. Nonetheless, when Herzlich runs out on to field Alumni Stadium in all his pads for the first time since his bout with cancer he will be subject to a standing ovation.