Steve Cannon / AP

Quarterback Tim Tebow has the Florida Gators one victory from their second national title in three years.

Q: Got an early sleeper team for next season?
— Michael from Pensacola, Fla.
A: I don’t know how you can be described as a sleeper team at 9-3, Michael, but I love the way Georgia Tech finished the regular season with smashing victories against Miami and Georgia.

Paul Johnson has got to be somebody’s national coach of the year. Jonathan Dwyer (1,328 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns and, gulp, a 7.0-yard average) already has worked his way into the preseason 2009 Heisman Trophy discussion.

Remember all the skepticism about whether Johnson’s triple-option attack would work in the ACC? Did it ever! And this was largely accomplished with players Johnson hadn’t recruited into his system. I guess that’s the definition of great coaching.

A few other under-the-radar types to watch in 2009:

• N.C. State: Coach Tom O’Brien has a winner in quarterback Russell Wilson.
• Pittsburgh: The Panthers have drastically increased the talent level, and there’s a great running back in LeSean McCoy.
• Ole Miss: Houston Nutt has stepped into a great situation.

Q: It’s a lock a QB will win the Heisman. Who was the best non-QB player in the nation this season?
— Wayne Edwards from Charleston, S.C.
A: I’ll give you a few, Wayne, covering all areas of the field.

• Running back: Shonn Greene, Iowa. Major impact. He bulled his way for 1,729 yards and surpassed 100 yards in all 12 of Iowa’s games.
• Receiver: Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State. This sophomore (74 catches for 1,313 yards and 18 touchdowns) already has NFL scouts drooling.
• Offensive line: Andre Smith, Alabama. He will go down as one of the best offensive linemen in Alabama history. And that’s saying something.
• Defensive line: Aaron Maybin, Penn State. The Nittany Lions thrived on defense because Maybin quickly developed into a dominant force.
• Linebacker: Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh. Great leader who always seems to be around the ball.
• Defensive back: Eric Berry, Tennessee. Extraordinary playmaker who made a difference since the day he stepped on campus.
• Return specialist: Brandon James, Florida. He’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball.

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