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Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

When time is running out and a play has to be made, who does a college football team turn to? If you don't immediately have an answer that's an indication a team is lacking in players with the so-called "clutch" gene, that ability to always come through when it's most needed.

They make the big plays at the perfect moments more than anyone else, to the point that when they don't come through in the clutch it's far more noteworthy than when they do get things done.

Not every team is fortunate enough to have such a player and only a handful have ones that stand out from the pack. Those are the guys we've identified among returning standouts from the 2016 season who figure to once again be called on in key situations in the upcoming year.

How did we pick and rank these players? We looked back at last year's results, specifically those related to late-game situations in close contests as well as on third and fourth down, and identified those who ended up converting most often.