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In Madison, there is one answer. His name is JJ Watt.

That 2011 team after he left had easily one of the top five offenses in the land. The defense was somewhere between 49-56th by advanced metrics (the standard stats were OK because they kinda smothered bad offenses). I dunno if Watt makes them top-10, top-25, but considering the two regular season losses were to MSU in a game with 37 points allowed and then gave up 33 to a team that could hardly throw outside one effing coverage bust, I'd bet UW wins at least one more, maybe both, and might well play for a title. 

Another one might be Jamar Fletcher in 2001. That team lost him and Michael Bennett. That year's offense was vaguely passable (and Bennett doesn't make Bollinger that much better than Anthony Davis did), the defense was not.

But Watt. Watt forever. 

For Iowa, I think the Big what if is Shonn Greene.  

Greene won the Doak Walker award in 2008, rushing for 1800 yards.  The 2009 team ended up playing 2 freshman running backs on a team that went 11-2,  and won the Orange Bowl.  

Stil that 2009 team lost in OT at OSU with a freshman backup QB playing because the starting QB got hit the week before.

If Greene had stayed, Iowa might have gone undefeated and played for national championship, and Greene might have won the Heisman.

In Madison, there is one answer. His name is JJ Watt.

 

No doubt about that. 2011 may have been unbeaten had he stayed. Tough to throw hail mary passes when you're laying down.

Ohio State - Maurice Clarett: So much talent wasted away. Past football, If he stayed 4 years would he have fallen into a bad crowd? gone to jail? piss away his NFL talent? On the field, 6k rushing yards? Heisman? Another National Title?

Ohio State - Maurice Clarett: So much talent wasted away. Past football, If he stayed 4 years would he have fallen into a bad crowd? gone to jail? piss away his NFL talent? On the field, 6k rushing yards? Heisman? Another National Title?

Imagine Clarett with NFL 1st round money???  He'd be out of the league quickly if he ever did get there.

Johnny Manziel played 2 years, if you double his numbers:
Passing x 2:  
14,640 yds (9th all-time)
126 TD (7th)
44 INT

Rushing x 2:
4,338 yds (5th for a QB, I believe...and more than Bo Jackson)
60 TD (10th all-time, 2nd for a QB - 1 more than Crouch, 3 more than Tebow)

That's a pretty sick career that never was.  Of course, this assumes no suspensions or major arrests, etc.