In the land of the campus gridiron, fear is a lifestyle. Sleeping with one eye open is a nightly routine. And a moment of peace and comfort simply doesn’t exist.

I’m exaggerating, of course. But then again, I’ve never tried to chase down Denard Robinson in the open field, and neither have you.

This Halloween season, it’s time to recognize those players who aren’t just good, but scary good. The kind of players that leave you shuddering, muttering and wondering where that nearby pile of living shit came from.

**Quarterback:** _Andrew Luck, Stanford_. As the season has taken a more solidified form, Luck (20 touchdowns, three interceptions) leads the Heisman race by a mile and leaves little to question about it. A 28-6 record as a Stanford starting quarterback means you probably possess some sort of dark magic. That’s about the best description for Luck’s play-action and audible style of command, a combination that has steered the Cardinal to an average scoring output of 49.5 points per game through its 8-0 start.

**Running back:** _Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina_. The only thing scarier than Lattimore’s pack-the-punch frame in the open field is the reality that he’s done this for two years, amassing 2,609 total yards and 30 touchdowns, and is still just a sophomore.

**Wide receiver:** _Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State_. Last week, Cowboy fans shuddered at the sight of their All-American wideout going down with an injury. It’s a similar feeling opposing players, coaches and fans endure on a play-by-play basis when the future first-round NFL Draft pick lines up to take his man deep. In Blackmon’s 20 starts dating back to last season, he’s scored in all but one of them.

**Offensive lineman:** _Jonathan Martin, Stanford_. I guess Stanford can lay claim to Team Scary with two players on the list. Martin’s lead-blocking in the power play and ability to duplicate that look on play-action has given opponents fits for years.

**Defensive lineman:** _Jerel Worthy, Michigan State_. He’s the type of living fear of a defensive lineman that makes his name known to everyone in a role built for public nobodies. The mere sight of the 310-pound plug wrapping his arms around quarterbacks is said to be more painful than the loss itself.

**Linebacker:** _Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State_. He isn’t the most consistent, disciplined or polished player out there. But literally no player injects trickles down the spine the way this All-American has over the last two seasons. His speed is uncanny, his hits are hard to forget; Burfict is the total package of fear, especially when donning the new all-black Sun Devils uniform.

**Defensive back:** _Cliff Harris, Oregon_. He’s one of those corners where everybody knows his name, likely due to scoring five touchdowns a year ago with his mix of special teams prowess. He has seven interceptions and 22 pass breakups since the start of last season, and that’s just when teams have been brave enough to test his side of the field.

**Coach:** _Bo Pelini, Nebraska_. Teamed with evil brother Carl, Bo Pelini’s crippling demeanor and deafening scream are said to force sideline reporters and officials into early retirement — and sometimes worse.