Week 1
The 2012 College Football season started with a slew of upsets. Ohio beat Penn State, 24-14. Nevada beat California, 31-24. Colorado State beat Colorado, 22-17. Youngstown State beat Pitt, 31-17. Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin, Wake Forest, Minnesota and Stanford narrowly missed being upset by William & Mary, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Liberty (!), UNLV and San Jose State, respectively.

Week 2
The surprises continued in Week 2. Oregon State eked out a win over #13, Wisconsin. Maryland beat Temple, 36-27, starting the season strong with a 2-0 record—a surprise given that Maryland’s record last year was 2-10. Michigan, favored to win in their matchup against Air Force, only defeated their opponent by 6—a narrow margin indeed.

Week 3
The biggest Week 3 shocker was #2, USC’s loss to Stanford, 21-14. Other top-ranked teams held on to their positions. Number 1, Alabama, beat Arkansas, 52-0. Number 3, LSU, beat Idaho 63-14. Number 4, Oregon, also won by a large margin against Tennessee Tech, 63-14.

Week 4
Upsets continued in Week 4 as Oregon State beat #19, UCLA, 27-20 and #15, Kansas State, beat #6, Oklahoma, 24-19. Alabama held on to its #1 ranking defeating Florida Atlantic, 40-7. Number 5, Georgia, beat Vanderbilt, 48-3, and #7, South Carolina, beat Missouri, 31-10.

Week 5
Predictability settled in on Week 5. Alabama, Oregon and LSU held on to the top 3 spots against Ole Miss (33-14), Washington State (51-26) and Towson (38-22). We should mention that LSU’s game got a bit sloppy with five fumbles, two of which LSU recovered, and a failed 51-yard field goal attempt. What should have been an easy win, proved to be challenging for LSU.

Week 6
Week 6 kept things interesting with a #10, Florida, win over #4, LSU (14-6) and a #6, South Carolina, win over #5, Georgia (35-7).

Week 7
South Carolina lost steam and its #3 ranking in Week 7 with a loss at #9, LSU (23-21). Number 13, Oklahoma, trounced #15, Texas (63-21). Unranked Texas Tech took #5, West Virginia, down a few pegs (49-14).

Week 8
Week 8 witnessed the first round of 2012 BCS rankings. Cincinnati came in at #21 with a 5-0 record. Number 18, Texas A&M, faces some difficult matchups in the coming weeks: LSC, Mississippi State and Alabama. Number 17 is the previously unranked Texas Tech Red Raiders with a record of 5-1. Number 15, Rutgers, may have a chance to make it to a BCS bowl game for the first time this season, ending Week 8 with a 6-0 record. Notre Dame’s 6-0 season start is strong enough to earn a #5 ranking in the BCS. Number 1, Alabama, looks like they will face #2, Oregon, in the Championship this year, but it’s still early. Anything could happen.

At the quarter pole of the 2012 regular season, just two contenders remain* in the hunt to nab an elusive and prestigious place in BCS Buster history. After a weekend of massive attrition, the field was winnowed from the seven hopefuls that survived through the first fortnight of the season to this dichotomy.

* I know that there are technically three undefeated non-AQ schools. But UTSA, in their transitional season from FCS to FBS competition, is ineligible for a bowl appearance thanks to a hybrid schedule that sees them playing as much I-AA competition as I-A. Thus, for all intents and purposes, we’re down to two teams left that can legitimately challenge the power structure as it presently exists.

What’s most notable about the list, though, is not who remains but who isn’t in the chase any longer. Last year’s darlings, Boise State and Houston and Southern Miss, are a combined 1-6 so far this season. TCU is now a member of the Big XII. Neither the Mountain West nor Conference USA, the two dominant non-AQ conferences of 2011, has an undefeated team left after just three weeks of play.

Even the league that has created the most buzz this September, the Sun Belt, no longer has a horse in the race. Louisiana-Monroe, who nearly went 2-0 in SEC West play, couldn’t pull off a second straight overtime road upset at Auburn. Louisiana-Lafayette never had a chance at Oklahoma State. And the one team that did pull off the BCS-conference upset, Western Kentucky with a 32-31 overtime thriller at Kentucky, had already lost the previous weekend to top-ranked defending national champ Alabama.

The preeminent powerhouse small school of the past forty years, BYU, couldn’t get a field goal to go through the uprights as they lost the Holy War to Utah. Their in-state rival, Utah State, missed their own field goal that would have finished off the upset in Camp Randall Stadium against Wisconsin.

Two conferences remain. One, in its swan song of operation, has been here before. The other, healthier than ever, has been jilted in the past. Neither were expected to be in this position, but as the second quarter of the season commences they are the dueling contestants for the honor of becoming the next BCS Buster…

And there aren’t that many of them left. We had some stellar upsets in the opening weekend, but many of those teams that would have been on the radar in a Week 1 ranking couldn’t sustain that momentum into their second outing. Thus we’re left with a septumvirate of schools still in the running to Bust the BCS.

Where do those seven schools stack up in the hierarchy? Let’s break down the teams on the merit of their wins to date and the gauntlet they have left to run. Welcome back as we plunge through the line for another season of the BCS Buster Power Rankings…

THE SEPTUMVIRATE

1. BYU COUGARS (IND/2-0)

• PREVIOUS RANK: 1st
• WINS TO DATE: (8/30) 30-6 v. Washington State, (9/8) 45-13 v. FCS Weber State
• REMAINING BCS TESTS: 9/15 @ Utah, 10/13 v. Oregon State, 10/20 @ Notre Dame, 10/27 @ Georgia Tech

BYU had a much easier test this week than last week, facing in-state FCS school Weber State from the Big Sky conference. They sent them back to Ogden as run-down as they did Washington State the week before. The Cougars still have the toughest schedule of any remaining non-BCS school, independence having allowed them to set up the heart of October with one potential statement game after another.

The luster is off the Holy War against Utah next weekend, after the Utes crapped out against Utah State (more on them later), but the storied rivalry game will still provide a tough test for BYU against a Pac-12 opponent. The loss by Utah is mitigated by Oregon State’s upset victory over Wisconsin last week, making BYU’s trip to Corvallis look even stronger for their case… if they can win it. Should they return from Oregon undefeated, back-to-back trips to South Bend and Atlanta will provide two more statement opportunities.

If the Cougars arrive at November undefeated, they will need merely to finish off three WAC schools to throw a wrench into the good-ol’-boy network that is the BCS…

2. OHIO BOBCATS (MAC/2-0)

• PREVIOUS RANK: 11th
• WINS TO DATE: (9/1) 24-14 @ Penn State, (9/8) 51-24 v. New Mexico State
• REMAINING BCS TESTS: none

Beating Penn State carries a certain cachet, even if it was a victory against a mid-tier Big Ten school that had been in decline the past few seasons before the scandals and the sanctions befell Happy Valley. A blowout of New Mexico State is less of an eye-opener for the pollsters and the computers that will make or break the Bobcats’ chances of busting through into the BCS.

While a veteran offense, led by QB Tyler Tettleton and RB Beau Blankenship, should continue to display its scoreboard pyrotechnics week after week, and the defense should be able to bottleneck every opponent they see moving forward, is their schedule going to be strong enough to push them into the qualifying realms of the BCS standings?

No other BCS school remains on Ohio’s schedule, which means two things. First, Frank Solich’s squad has the greatest likelihood of any non-AQ school to finish its season as an undefeated conference champion. And second, even perfection might not be enough to push them into the top 12 to force their selection…

3. LOUISIANA-MONROE WARHAWKS (SUN BELT/1-0)

• PREVIOUS RANK: NR
• WINS TO DATE: (9/8) 34-31 OT @ Arkansas
• REMAINING BCS TESTS: 9/15 @ Auburn, 9/21 v. Baylor

No potential BCS Buster pulled off a more impressive upset in the first fortnight of the college season than the Warhawks, who went to Fayetteville and knocked off a top-ten Razorbacks team in overtime to upset the natural order of the landscape. Kolton Browning put up 480 total yards of offense and four touchdowns on Arkansas’ defense, fueling the third win by UL-Monroe against an SEC school after they upset Kentucky in 1994 and the Tide in Tuscaloosa in 2007.

The next two weeks will define the Warhawks’ future. They travel to Auburn next weekend… can they improve to 2-0 in SEC play this season? If they defeat the Tigers on the Plains, they have to turn around and prepare for what very well could be a Tessitore special — a home game under the Friday night lights against a Baylor team that hasn’t missed a step despite losing Robert Griffin III and other playmakers from last year’s 10-win team.

The Sun Belt has several challengers this year, but three straight BCS-conference victories by Louisiana-Monroe would vault them onto the national radar in a way the school has never witnessed before…

4. UTAH STATE AGGIES (WAC/2-0)

• PREVIOUS RANK: 10th
• WINS TO DATE: (8/30) 34-3 v. FCS Southern Utah, (9/8) 27-20 OT v. Utah
• REMAINING BCS TESTS: 9/15 @ Wisconsin

For the first time since the mid-1990s, Utah State defeated Utah in a rivalry game that has always meant much more to the Aggies than the Utes. But whatever significance it carried for a team whose sole ambition is integrating itself into life as a Pac-12 member, it meant everything for Utah State. The victory validated the promise this team has shown since last season, when they took defending national champion Auburn to the bitter end before losing on the road.

Utah State has a legitimate chance against one final BCS-opponent next weekend. If FCS Northern Iowa could come within five points of beating the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium, and the Beavers thwarted a once-potent offense in Corvallis, Utah State’s burgeoning roster has enough talent to push Wisconsin for a full 60 minutes.

Win that game, and the Aggies will have one final on-the-radar challenge — an October 5 date in Provo with BYU in what could very well be shaping up to be a BCS Buster elimination contest…

5. LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (WAC/1-0)

• PREVIOUS RANK: 4th
• WINS TO DATE: (9/8) 56-49 @ Houston
• REMAINING BCS TESTS: 9/22 @ Illinois, 9/29 @ Virginia, 10/13 v. Texas A&M

Louisiana Tech had the disadvantage of Hurricane Isaac interfering with their season opener against Texas A&M. The game has now been moved to October 13, sandwiched in between home games against UNLV and Idaho, and the Bulldogs will now play twelve straight weekends without a bye week due to the rescheduling. Will fatigue become a factor as the young men from Ruston defend their WAC crown in the league’s final season?

They had a closer-than-expected contest against a Houston team that looked much better than they did last weekend against Texas State. Colby Cameron completed 34 of his 52 attempts for 353 yards and three touchdowns, looking every bit as strong as he did finishing last season in relief of Nick Isham. Cameron is now the undisputed starter after Isham transferred to Arizona, and the running of RB Tevin King showed that there will be life after Lennon Creer for Tech.

Illinois, Virginia and the Aggies still loom. Louisiana Tech has the skill to challenge in those games, but they’re not even guaranteed to be the best team in their own league thanks to Utah State’s ascendance…

6. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE RAGIN’ CAJUNS (SUN BELT/2-0)

• PREVIOUS RANK: 14th
• WINS TO DATE: (9/1) 40-0 v. FCS Lamar, (9/8) 37-24 @ Troy
• REMAINING BCS TESTS: 9/15 @ Oklahoma State, 11/10 @ Florida

Louisiana-Lafayette has picked up right where they left off last season, pitching a shutout in their FCS contest and starting their Sun Belt campaign with a convincing victory over once-dominant Troy. QB Blaine Gauthier was forced to leave the Troy game with a rib injury, which would be more problematic if backup Terrance Broadway hadn’t convincingly stepped in to relieve the fallen field general.

The Ragin’ Cajuns head to Stillwater next week to face an Oklahoma State team reeling from a loss in Arizona this weekend. The Cowboys have their vulnerabilities, and Louisiana could strike a major blow for the BCS Buster hopefuls by dealing them a second straight upset defeat.

November also provides the opportunity for an SEC statement against a Florida team that is hardly of its Urban Meyer vintages. If Gauthier and/or Broadway can make the most of their opportunities, this could be a huge season in Lafayette…

7. UT-SAN ANTONIO ROADRUNNERS (WAC/2-0)

• PREVIOUS RANK: NR
• WINS TO DATE: (9/1) 33-31 @ South Alabama, (9/8) 27-16 v. Texas A&M-Commerce
• REMAINING BCS TESTS: none

The upstart Roadrunners are tied with Utah State and a game ahead of Louisiana Tech in the WAC standings after two weeks. Of course, their spot here in the rankings is purely academic, due to the fact that UTSA is playing a transitional schedule as it evolves from a FCS school to a FBS school in just its second season of existence. They’ve won against another transitional FBS school, South Alabama, as well as the first of four FCS games in its home opener at Texas A&M-Commerce.

Larry Coker has the Roadrunners moving into their first FBS season as a simmering mid-major powerhouse in the making. Along with fellow newcomer Texas State — who upset Houston in their opener before falling to Texas Tech — the two new Lone Star additions to the FBS ranks are guided by veteran coaches and could soon be ascendant in the Ohio mold.

]]> http://breakingtackles.com/2012/09/10/bcs-buster-power-rankings-2012-week-2-rankings/feed/ 0 http://breakingtackles.com/2012/08/22/bcs-buster-power-rankings-2012-preseason-preview/ http://breakingtackles.com/2012/08/22/bcs-buster-power-rankings-2012-preseason-preview/#comments Thu, 23 Aug 2012 04:08:07 +0000 Zach Bigalke http://breakingtackles.com/?p=21891 teams in the BCS Buster hunt is here! →]]]> This will be the third year that we’ve followed the trials and tribulations of teams outside the power structure trying to burst through onto the big stage. It might very well also be the penultimate opportunity we have to track them, at least in the terms that have been dictated over the past decade by the Bowl Championship Series. But a Buster by any name will be just as sweet, no matter what the future landscape of the college football postseason holds in store, and the little guy will always help dictate the terms — as much as the powerhouses hate to admit the fact.

Does conference expansion start to look as crazy if there isn’t a team the caliber of Louisville, or Utah, or Boise State, or TCU out there for the power leagues to snatch away from the minnows that swim around their ankles? Would a league like the WAC, with a half-century of history as the preeminent mid-major presence in college football, be on life support and staring at its final season of existence — and would it have overextended itself in the first place trying to gain a seat at the main table? Would a conference like the Mountain West, born from the ashes of the superconference days of the WAC to replace its punier big brother in preeminence, be such a revolving door if there was a new system in place? Will there be such a revolving door once a new system — whatever semblance of a sure-to-be-inadequate playoff structure the power conferences might decide upon to try to placate the masses — takes hold in 2014?

Last season the system won, as no teams managed to break the stranglehold of the power conferences. Best among the bunch was Boise State, who was a Dan Goodale field goal against TCU away from a perfect season… yet got passed up in favor of Michigan and Virginia Tech, two teams ranked lower in the BCS standings, for the at-large berths in the Sugar Bowl. TCU, meanwhile, took losses to in-state rivals Baylor and SMU to fall out of contention despite finishing as the Mountain West champ. Houston also gave the establishment a scare, entering the C-USA Championship Game with a perfect 12-0 record. But Southern Miss deigned to end that dream, costing their conference millions in bowl returns and precipitating the exodus of schools from that league.

With just two more chances left to break the current arrangement open, which teams have the best shot at making 2012 a season to remember for non-AQ dreamers everywhere? Is this the year a C-USA team finally puts it together for all 13 regular-season games and the conference championship? Can Boise State reclaim the Mountain West in their final season there despite losing Kellen Moore and a grip of other starters? Can one of the three least-heralded leagues rise up to create a contender? Let’s look at the top contenders for the title of BCS Buster ahead of the kickoff of the 2012 season…

THE TOP FIVE

1. BYU COUGARS (IND — LAST SEASON: 10-3)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 8* OFF/7 DEF/2 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: T-36th
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 8/30 v. Washington State, 9/15 @ Utah, 10/13 v. Oregon State, 10/20 @ Notre Dame, 10/27 @ Georgia Tech

With the toughest schedule of any non-BCS school, BYU has the opportunity to party like it’s 1984. Of course, they’ll have to beat three Pac-12 opponents and win road trips to South Bend and ACC country to do so. In between, the Cougars face a rebuilding Boise State team, a realigned Hawaii team and a rising Utah State squad. If they can reach November undefeated, they will already have the resume to withstand a final month featuring three schools from the terminal WAC.

Returning to Provo is QB Riley Nelson, who took over the starting job midseason and put up 1700 yards and 19 touchdowns in half a season. Benefiting from a full preseason as the unquestioned starter, Nelson will be working with a veteran group of receivers and could be the next Cougar to eclipse the 4000-yard passing mark. With the top two running backs gone from last season’s 10-3 squad, it will be imperative on Nelson to improve his accuracy (57.4% completion rate in 2011) and cut down on mistakes (7 interceptions, 13 sacks).

The defense returns seven starters to a unit that ranked in the top 25 in every major statistical category. They will be tested by Mike Leach right away in his return to coaching, but if they can withstand that test the Cougars should be able to stifle every other opponent on their schedule. With the right breaks, BYU might be bowling their way into the BCS discussion.

2. SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES (C-USA — LAST SEASON: 12-2)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 6 OFF/5 DEF/1 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: 40th
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/1 @ Nebraska, 9/29 @ Louisville

The defending champions of Conference USA are poised to retain hold of the conference heading into 2012. They avoid Houston in the regular season, but road games at UCF and SMU will provide plenty of challenge within C-USA. Out of conference, the Golden Eagles take on the Cornhuskers in Lincoln in the season opener for both teams. At the end of the month, they travel to Louisville to face former their former C-USA rival before returning home to host Boise State in their first game of October.

Twelve of the team’s 24 starters return from last season’s championship team. The biggest loss will undoubtedly be that of dual-threat senior QB Austin Davis, who put on a clinic to ruin Houston’s BCS Buster dreams in the C-USA Championship Game last December. They must also replace six starters on one of the 30 stingiest defenses of 2011.

The Golden Eagles don’t play the depth of schedule of BYU, but the two BCS-level opponents they face are of a higher caliber than the Cougars. If both were to finish undefeated, the 13th showdown that is the C-USA Championship could be the tiebreaker that sends Southern Miss to one of the marquee bowl games.

3.  HOUSTON COUGARS (C-USA — LAST SEASON: 13-1)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 5 OFF/7 DEF/2 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: 39th
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/15 @ UCLA

With just one BCS-level non-conference game on their schedule in 2012, the Cougars obviously planned for the departure of otherworldly QB Case Keenum — and David Piland, who started when Keenum went down in 2010, should be just fine taking the reins in Houston. He will be working with a new receiving corps, but RB Charles Sims returns and should receive more carries to help ease Piland’s transition from backup to starter.

The Cougars hadn’t also counted on losing head coach Kevin Sumlin to the job opening at Texas A&M. As Conference USA has shown in recent seasons there is ample potential for upsets among the league’s seeming bottom-feeders. Plenty of potential land mines loom for new coach Tony Levine: 9/8 at home against Louisiana Tech, 10/18 at SMU, 11/3 at East Carolina, 11/10 at home versus Tulsa… or even their date with UAB, as Southern Miss can attest all too well.

The team should be stronger defensively than it was in 2011, with new DC Jamie Bryant switching the team over to a 4-3 base alignment to better utilize the personnel at hand. If Houston can retool rather than having to rebuild, another shot at Southern Miss in the C-USA Championship is wholly conceivable in 2012.

4. LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (WAC — LAST SEASON: 8-5)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 8* OFF/6 DEF/2 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: T-36th
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 8/30 v. Texas A&M, 9/22 @ Illinois, 9/29 @ Virginia

Louisiana Tech gets one final chance to defend its WAC crown before the Bulldogs leave for Conference USA and the WAC dissolves as a casualty of conference realignment. With three winnable games against SEC, Big Ten and ACC opposition, the Bulldogs have a legitimate shot at allowing the 50-year-old league to enjoy one final moment in the sun before the last shovelful of dirt buries it in the conference graveyard.

Tech returns eight starters on offense, including their entire line as well as QB Colby Cameron, who split time under center with Nick Asham in 2011. However, they lose prolific tailback Lennon Creer to graduation. The defense should remain among the best in the WAC, with six starters returning to Ruston. And coaching stability means that those returning will be imminently familiar with the system in place.

Despite the stain against the WAC in recent years, Louisiana Tech has the schedule and the personnel to make some noise nationally. If the Bulldogs can get the bounces to go their way in 2012, they have the opportunity to punctuate the WAC’s final season with a third BCS Buster in league history.

5. BOISE STATE BRONCOS (MWC — LAST SEASON: 12-1)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 3 OFF/2 DEF/1 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: 22nd
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 8/31 @ Michigan State

The first season of the Broncos’ short time in the Mountain West was unkind to their BCS aspirations. Otherwise undefeated, Boise State had the last-second opportunity to defeat TCU but hung their heads for a second straight season as a field-goal attempt flew untrue off their kicker’s foot and cost them a shot at a third BCS appearance.

This season, like Houston, the Broncos must replace a prolific longtime starter. Kellen Moore, the winningest quarterback in FBS history, saw time run out on his career. Now head coach Chris Petersen turns to one of four passers that have battled to inherit Moore’s perch under center throughout the offseason. But unlike Houston, Boise State must also replace a wide swath of starters on both sides of the ball. The opportunity to see Petersen’s recruiting acumen in action comes in 2012.

After the opener against preseason Big Ten contender Michigan State in East Lansing, Boise’s biggest threats are home games against BYU and San Diego State and its 10/27 trip to Laramie to face a fast-rising Wyoming squad. As always, the equation is simple for Boise State — win out and they’ve built the goodwill to go BCS bowling. Lose along the way, and it’s a third straight near-miss.

THE REST OF THE CONTENDERS

After the top five, it will take a lot of lucky bounces for any of these other candidates to bust through the BCS hoops to emerge unscathed at the end of the regular season. But college football is a game full of strange plot twists, and this group of eleven has the potential to make noise throughout 2012.

Some come from conferences that have always been afterthoughts in the race. Some have been overshadowed by more well-known national brands in their non-AQ leagues. But while each team has a flaw that would conceivably render it mortal, there is also a logical reason to assume the potential for greatness.

6. NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES (MAC — LAST SEASON: 11-3)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 3 OFF/8 DEF/2 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: 46th
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/1 v. Iowa, 9/22 v. Kansas

The Huskies lose QB Chandler Harnish and the bulk of an offense that was among the dozen best in the country, but former Wisconsin DC Dave Doeren should have an improved defense with eight starters returning. The MAC has never produced a BCS Buster, but with two straight 11-win seasons under their belt NIU can take the next step toward breaking that streak with a strong showing in its season opener at Soldier Field against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

7. ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES (SUN BELT– LAST SEASON: 10-3)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 6 OFF/3 DEF/1 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/1 @ Oregon, 9/15 @ Nebraska

A new coaching staff is being viewed positively, as Hugh Freeze leaves to take over at Ole Miss and Gus Malzahn returns to his home state, bringing a reputation for explosive offenses with him. The Achilles heel for the Red Wolves could be a young defense that loses eight starters from last year’s top-25 unit. If the replacements can step up and maintain that level of dominance, the Sun Belt could yield a surprise contender.

8. FIU GOLDEN PANTHERS (SUN BELT — LAST SEASON: 8-5)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 7 OFF/10 DEF/2 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/1 @ Duke, 9/22 v. Louisville

Mario Cristobal’s team has been on the cusp of greatness the past few seasons. Despite losing QB Wesley Carroll and speedy jack-of-all-trades T.Y. Hilton, the offense shouldn’t tail off. The defense will be even more dominant in 2012, with ten of eleven starters returning from a unit that was ranked 14th nationally in opponent scoring. Winnable games against ACC afterthought Duke and Big East contender Louisville could vault FIU up the field of BCS Buster candidates.

9. TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE (C-USA — LAST SEASON: 8-5)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 6 OFF/7 DEF/1 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/1 @ Iowa State, 11/3 @ Arkansas

Three offensive line starters will protect a new quarterback, but the entire backfield aside from QB G.J. Kinne returns for a potent Tulsa offense. The schedule is much easier than the gauntlet the Golden Hurricanes tackled in 2011, and if Tulsa can make it to Fayetteville undefeated on the first weekend of November there could be a big upset in Bill Blankenship’s future.

10. UTAH STATE AGGIES (WAC — LAST SEASON: 7-6)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 5 OFF/7 DEF/2 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/7 v. Utah, 9/15 @ Wisconsin

The Aggies nearly surprised defending national champion Auburn last season, and they will look to wrest away the last WAC title from Louisiana Tech before they transfer to the Mountain West in 2013. Utah State lost both backfield stars to the NFL Draft, and will have to retool their offense as they seek greater balance. Their defense will hope to hold their own in games against in-state rival Utah and a trip the following weekend to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.

11. OHIO BOBCATS (MAC — LAST SEASON: 10-4)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 6 OFF/8 DEF/1 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/1 @ Penn State

Frank Solich has run/pass QB Tyler Tettleton back for a final season, and the Bobcats are justifiably excited about their chances to reach the MAC Championship Game a second straight season. Ohio returns eight players from a strong defense, and despite losing five players on offense Tettleton provides the glue that should bring the new starters on line quickly. With an opener in Happy Valley, Ohio will know immediately if perfection is possible.

12. SMU MUSTANGS (C-USA — LAST SEASON: 8-5)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 3 OFF/7 DEF/2 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/2 @ Baylor, 9/15 v. Texas A&M, 9/29 v. TCU

June Jones is in his fifth season in Dallas, and he will have to rebuild an offense that loses eight starters. Luckily he returns seven starters from a defense ranked 27th in the country in 2011, so at least the offense shouldn’t have to outscore opponents to have a shot. The team plays an old-school SWC schedule, with Big XII schools Baylor and TCU and SEC newcomer Texas A&M on tap. The offense will have to be one of Jones’ finest to outmuscle old conference rivals.

13. SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS (MWC — LAST SEASON: 8-5)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 6 OFF/6 DEF/0 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/1 @ Washington

The Aztecs piggyback their way to the Big “East” next season with Boise State, but for now they will try to fulfill their long-standing promise of Mountain West contention. Losing QB Ryan Lindley and RB Ronnie Hillman doesn’t make the task easy. A season opener in Seattle provides their only BCS test of the regular season; they will have to depend on the collective strength of the MWC to state their case for Buster worthiness.

14. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE RAGIN’ CAJUNS (SUN BELT — LAST SEASON: 9-4)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 8 OFF/2 DEF/2 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/15 @ Oklahoma State, 11/10 @ Florida

The Ragin’ Cajuns enjoyed their finest season since Jake Delhomme was under center, and things look promising once again in Lafayette. While Louisiana loses nine defensive starters, it loses them from a mediocre unit; the hope is that the replacements are also improvements. They’ll have to be, if the Cajuns are to stop high-powered BCS outfits on the road in Stillwater and Gainesville.

15. WYOMING COWBOYS (MWC — LAST SEASON: 8-5)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 6 OFF/7 DEF/1 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/1 @ Texas

Dave Christensen was floored by the transfer of QB Austyn Carta-Samuels before the start of the 2011 season; he was pleasantly surprised by the performance of true freshman replacement Brett Smith. Optimism reigns in Laramie, where the Cowboys will take on Texas to start the season before trying to contend for a conference title. They’ll need their defense to continue generating turnovers (31 in 2011, T-10th nationally) to have a shot at BCS glory.

16. AIR FORCE FALCONS (MWC — LAST SEASON: 7-6)

• RETURNING STARTERS: 3 OFF/3 DEF/1 ST
• PRESEASON COACHES RANK: NR
• GAMES AGAINST BCS: 9/8 @ Michigan

The Falcons have a major retooling project to deal with in Colorado Springs. The entire backfield from last year’s prolific triple-option offense is gone, and only three starters return on either side of the ball. Troy Calhoun has his biggest project ahead of him yet, but if any team can stifle Brady Hoke’s ambitions — Air Force went 1-1 against Hoke’s San Diego State teams before he left for Michigan — it is the Falcons. Win in Ann Arbor and Air Force sets itself up for a 1985-like season.

What, exactly, is it that draws folks from all corners of the country to root for their local football team on Saturdays? What unites the vast American population — Midwesterners and Southerners, the hardy mountaineers of Appalachia and the Rockies and the folks on divergent coasts, lands of sun and lands of ice — in its common fanaticism?

At an early age, I was brought up to root for Wisconsin. I was born in Wisconsin, all my family was from Wisconsin, and it was a natural progression from father to son to continue the family’s rooting interest. Except my father wasn’t an alumnus of the campus in Madison, nor of any of the state system’s satellite campuses, and my mother was absent a sheepskin from the university as well. Nobody in my family had any real tie to the university, for that matter, yet for several generations the Badgers have been a team of choice.

When we moved to Wyoming, I an impressionable five-year-old ready to matriculate in kindergarten, the Cowboys of Laramie started to ingrain themselves into this budding fan’s proclivities. And when I started working for the University of Oregon, two decades later, the Ducks became another favorite for which I regularly root.

The reason college sports emanate throughout our culture is not the alumni, but because of the “subway alumni” that latch on and identify with their home state’s institution of higher learning. It is an easily-identifiable, heavily-resonant flag bearer for the state’s hopes and dreams, showcasing the best its flagship universities can offer. We latch on in a sense of regional pride, whether raised within the shadow of a campus’s old brick edifices or merely keeping touch with old roots among the diaspora.

But it is first and foremost that regional pride that has fueled the sport’s growth. More than professional sports, the lands of academia are also the battlefields where we get to pit the representatives for our state against our neighbors, or in some cases (such as here in Oregon, with the Ducks and the Beavers providing an either/or decision for its residents early and often throughout life) within those intrastate borders.

So, that said…

WHY ARE WE THROWING THIS ALL AWAY?!

No longer is a conference an identifier of a regional band of fairly-matched collegiate opponents. The Southeast Conference pushes beyond the Mississippi, the Mountain West repeats the WAC mistakes that led to the conference’s birth in the first place as it reaches beyond the Rocky Mountain foothills toward Hawaii, the Pac-12 leapt in the opposite direction into those mountains after losing out on the Longhorn/Sooner prize, and the Big East stretches from sea to shining sea in an ambitious if ludicrous attempt at maintaining relevance.

There are plenty of reports out there showing just how little schools have gained from the blowing up of football in the day-to-day consciousness of the greater society. The real winners in the realignment shuffle are athletic departments stretched just a little less, TV networks that have even bigger broadcasts to offer advertisers, and the bowl executives that strike deals with the conferences. How, though, has this really benefited the fans who buy tickets and merchandise and show up early every weekend to tailgate before and after gametime?

When rivals stop playing one another, it diminishes the potency of those classic contests. When we must relearn our favorite conference’s cast of characters every year, it weakens the bonds that have been passed down from generation to generation. When we allow our regional identity to be sold to the highest bidder for a one-time cash grab that leaves us later reeling from the realities of unfamiliar surroundings, we cede control to interests that have nothing to do with the fan, the student, the university or the history of the sport.

We cannot turn back to the past… in an age when information is instantaneous, and the desire for resolution on the field has rendered the decades-old bowl system antiquated for the purposes, we must look forward with our solutions. As the system is currently constituted, power concentrates in the hands of a select few and renders any real bracketology moot. But there is a way to rethink our conferences to provide a home for everyone and a substantive blueprint for selecting the field for a legitimate, 16-team playoff…

Look at the map a moment. Ten zones. 12-14 teams per conference, with room for expansion to 16 if necessitated by the growth of institutions within any of the regions. We’re about to see college football contract from 11 to 10 conferences as it is, with the mid-majors poaching every last viable asset of the WAC in a fire sale that will render the league obsolete within the next year. So ten seems a logical point to start.

A ten-conference league, with all of the member schools affiliated based on their geography, provides enough marketable programs within each region to remain viable as TV commodities. And it provides ten legitimate conference champions to provide the backbone of a 16-team tournament, with six at-large slots available to placate the disparities of conference strength in any given season.

Too often we try to overthink things; yet simplicity provides a template by which we can return to the essence of what makes college football great. In doing so, we can also move forward beyond the uncertainty of polls and bowls to a world where a champion is truly a champion.

So let’s break down each conference individually, looking at member composition and the logic behind the boundary lines of each league.

Pacific Conference

• STATES: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: Pac-12 (6), Mountain West (5), WAC (1)
• TEAMS (12): Arizona, Arizona State, California, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, Stanford, UCLA, UNLV, USC
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• NORTH – California, Fresno State, Nevada, San Jose State, Stanford, UNLV
• SOUTH – Arizona, Arizona State, Hawaii, San Diego State, UCLA, USC

Make no mistake here, the California schools are the foundation on which this conference is erected. Formerly spread among the Pac-12, the WAC, and the Mountain West, the state’s seven I-A schools are now all tied together in athletic union. Rounding out the league are the state’s two eastern neighbors, Nevada and Arizona, whose two state schools apiece bring the membership to eleven, and Hawaii, who based on simple latitude and longitude fits best as the twelfth member of this league.

The strength of the league lies in those Pac-12 schools. USC brings the most tradition to the table, while Stanford’s recent run of dominance offers a northern anchor. The Arizona schools at various points in recent and past history have fielded strong teams, from the Frank Kush-guided Sun Devils of their old WAC days to the Mike Stoops teams that nearly wrested Rose Bowl berths away from the conference’s more established schools. And Cal, under Jeff Tedford, has quietly remained a contender season after season.

In the mid-majors that would join the league, only UNLV and San Jose State would enter the league at a major disadvantage. Fresno State, who throughout the past decade have become battle-hardened with one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, will soon enough be holding their own. Nevada under Chris Ault has used its Pistol offense to challenge seemingly-stronger foes. Hawaii is one of just four non-AQ schools to bust through to the BCS, and new Warriors head coach Norm Chow is intimately familiar with the powerhouses of this Pacific Conference thanks to his time as an offensive coordinator throughout the Pac-12. And San Diego State, which in the real-life shuffling of the conference deck is headed to the Big “East” next season with Boise State, has proven itself worthy of a seat at the table.

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Northwest Conference

• STATES: Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: Pac-12 (6), Mountain West (3), WAC (2), Independent (1)
• TEAMS (12): Boise State, BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Idaho, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah, Utah State, Washington, Washington State, Wyoming
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• WEST- Boise State, Idaho, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State
• EAST - BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Utah, Utah State, Wyoming

For a while, in another period of flux during the mid-to-late 1950s, when the Pacific Coast Conference had disbanded amid scandal and the Skyline Eight and Border Conference were both dissolving due to the accelerated growth of some member schools, it almost looked as though the nascent planning for the Western Athletic Conference would include Oregon. In that spirit, these six states are now linked in camaraderie and in natural geographic alignment to one another.

At first glance the West Division of the Northwest Conference is the killer. Featuring the defending Rose Bowl and three-time league champion Oregon Ducks along with the other Oregon and Washington schools of the Pac-12, it also introduces Chris Petersen’s Boise State Broncos into the mix. If one school can give Chip Kelly’s Ducks fits, it’s the Broncos, and with the potential powerhouse in the making in Pullman now that Mike Leach is back on the sidelines at Washington State, and the dormant power in both Seattle and Corvallis, this division might soon leave the Vandals wondering whether it might have been better to get relegated back to I-AA status.

That doesn’t mean the East Division is a walk in the park, though. Utah and Colorado, who became the newest members of the Pac-12 Conference last year in its expansion to twelve teams, are the initial anchors, but BYU also provides a strong third contender in the division. Couple that with the promising recent turn of fortune in both Laramie and Logan, and Colorado State will merely need to recapture some of the magic Sonny Lubick brought to Fort Collins to round out what should be a balanced division.

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Tex-Mex Conference

• STATES: New Mexico, Texas
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: Big XII (4), C-USA (4), WAC (3), SEC (1), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1)
• TEAMS (14): Baylor, Houston, New Mexico, New Mexico State, North Texas, Rice, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, UTEP, UTSA
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• NORTH: Baylor, New Mexico, North Texas, SMU, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
• SOUTH: Houston, New Mexico State, Rice, Texas, Texas State, UTEP, UTSA

Texas is a football land unto itself, and it is only fitting that it occupies its own sphere of influence in any given playoff structure. Sure, this division also encompasses the two New Mexico schools, but make no mistake — this baby is a Texas-sized affair befitting its status as the only 14-team division in the geographic realignment, with a dozen schools within the Lone Star State’s borders.

In the best efforts to split competitively, and to level out any potential travel disparities within the conference, the divisions are lined up on a North/South model. In this scenario each division absorbs one of the New Mexico schools.

The North is centered around the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. SMU and TCU resume their historic rivalry for the Iron Skillet as a conference matchup once again, and the diamond is completed with North Texas in Denton and to the south with Baylor in Waco. Texas A&M provides the southeast terminus, with Texas Tech and New Mexico preventing this division from getting the full benefit of bus-distance travel.

The South provides the Longhorn-centric axis, with the power base emanating around Austin. To the east loom Houston and Rice, New Mexico State and UTEP provide the travel balance out westward and Texas State and UTSA point southward from the state capital. The division is Mack Brown’s to lose, though the increased exposure could lead to burgeoning powerhouses at the other schools as the tide lifts all ships in the Tex-Mex.

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Great Plains Conference

• STATES: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: Big XII (5), Big Ten (3), SEC (2), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1), C-USA (1)
• TEAMS (13): Air Force, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• WEST: Air Force, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa
• EAST: Arkansas, Arkansas State, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Missouri

In a sea of enmity and hurt feelings, the second-oldest rivalry in the country was severed when Missouri left the Big XII for the SEC this offseason. Now that the Tigers are reunited in the Great Plains Conference with the Jayhawks, the rivalry is back in business. (And we assume that the Minnesota Golden Gophers will be able to find a more magnanimous solution to the maintenance of the nation’s oldest rivalry, the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe against Wisconsin, now that they will no longer be united in the Big Ten.)

The only awkward thing about the entire enterprise is the unbalanced 13-team league. But given the natural divisions (the demarcation line down the Nebraska/Kansas/Oklahoma and Iowa/Missouri/Arkansas border) it isn’t that unwieldy. And, as far as Minnesota’s journey over is concerned, consider the Mississippi a natural eastern boundary for this conference. It also provides the best growth potential for both the Great Plains and Great Lakes conference, with each league still holding three open slots should any further teams wish to vault up to I-A competition.

Powerhouses abound, with Nebraska and Oklahoma teamed up once again on one side and Arkansas, Iowa and Missouri providing the big firepower on the other side. Like the Tex-Mex, this conference unites the scattered contents of six different conferences into one coherent, incredibly strong — and logically, geographically-defined — league. Even the “minnows” (Air Force, Arkansas State and Tulsa) join their new affiliation having been firmly among the strong halves of their respective previous conferences.

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Great Lakes Conference

• STATES: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: Big Ten (7), MAC (5), Independent (1)
• TEAMS (13): Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Purdue, Western Michigan, Wisconsin
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• NORTH: Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan, Wisconsin
• SOUTH: Ball State, Illinois, Indiana, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Purdue

The heart of Big Ten — and its sister conference, the MAC — is firmly encapsulated in this conference. It also provides the most logical final resting home for a long-lingering independent from South Bend, where Notre Dame now has the belated responsibility of understanding the strategy and methodology of eight conference opponents annually and win a title game if they wish to reach the playoff.

The league is split in a north-south axis. The five I-A schools in Michigan now have a round-robin to determine the annual champion, with only Wisconsin’s Badgers standing in the way of that state champ becoming division champ. At least for the first few years, it is likely going to be those Badgers and the Spartans and Wolverines who are besting Western, Central and Eastern Michigans for the right to face the South champ.

On that southern side of the league, Northern Illinois and Ball State will likely be fodder for the Illini and the Fighting Irish and the Wildcats and perhaps even the Boilermakers and Hoosiers for a few years. But…

The lands of Fielding Yost and Amos Alonzo Stagg and Knute Rockne are now unified as a historic preserve of programs. While the MAC schools might be weak at first, the influx of additional monies that this configuration — with the Wolverines, Irish, Badgers and Spartans buttressing the national appeal for TV networks — can provide will help benefit the programs in DeKalb, Muncie and the trio of directional locales in Michigan and allow them to better challenge their more-established brethren for recruits and eyeballs on Saturday afternoons.

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Bayou Delta Conference

• STATES: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: SEC (5), Sun Belt (5), C-USA (2), WAC (1)
• TEAMS (13): Alabama, Auburn, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy, Tulane, UAB
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• WEST: Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, LSU, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Tulane
• EAST: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, South Alabama, Troy, UAB

As we drift further eastward, the confluence of multiple teams within states provides even tighter groupings among conferences. Here, spread among three states along the Gulf Coast on either side of the Mississippi River, the SEC West (minus Arkansas, transplanted to the Great Plains) unites with eight other schools to create the Bayou Delta.

With Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State on one side, Ole Miss and LSU on the other, there should be no shortage of TV money for this group. And that should mean big things for the schools joining from the Sun Belt and other mid-majors. (Compare recent TV deals between the Sun Belt and the SEC and it is a no-brainer… the fact that former mid-majors will now see their revenues bolstered by conference affiliation with four of the past five BCS champions is no small matter for their athletic departments. This is a move that stands to provide at least 20 times the real cash value for TV contract allotments of the current Sun Belt, WAC or Conference USA deals.)

The balance of power lies in the East currently, where the Alabama schools are joined by Mississippi State as the easternmost school in the Magnolia State. In the West, LSU and Ole Miss will be challenged by the rising tide of 2011 bowl teams Louisiana-Lafayette, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech. And everyone benefits from shorter conference travel distance, making that new TV deal all the more astounding for its value.

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Bluegrass Conference

• STATES: Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: ACC (4), SEC (3), C-USA (3), Sun Belt (2), Big East (1)
• TEAMS (13): Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, NC State, Tennessee, UNC, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• WEST: Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky
• EAST: Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, NC State, UNC, Wake Forest

The enmity in the ACC has largely stemmed from a feeling that the power base of the conference lies in North Carolina. The schools of Tennessee and Kentucky have regularly been overshadowed by their SEC brethren. This merger unites this three-state area through the heart of Bluegrass country, with a natural division along the Tennessee-North Carolina border for conference divisions.

The West provides a fascinating juxtaposition of blue-blood historic powerhouses (Tennessee), rising stars in the sport (Louisville), and a mix of middleweights that round out an interesting mix. The East is pure Tobacco Row, with the four ACC schools from the state joined by new I-A entrant Charlotte as well as East Carolina, which for years has been consistently among the contenders at the mid-major level.

The conference — which quickly rises to elite basketball status thanks to the ACC schools on one end, the depth of powerhouses (Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Vanderbilt, Tennessee) on the other — will have some growing pains in football, but schools like UNC and Vanderbilt can start tapping into nascent power bases that should and would be further developed if not for the stunting of their growth by their former affiliations.

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Deep South Conference

• STATES: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: ACC (4), SEC (3), Sun Belt (3), C-USA (1), Big East (1)
• TEAMS (12): Clemson, FIU, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Miami, South Carolina, South Florida, UCF
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• NORTH: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, South Carolina
• SOUTH: FIU, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Miami, South Florida, UCF

Some old intraconference and interconference rivalries are solidified by this merger of five conferences into one cohesive unit. Now everything from “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” (Georgia-Georgia Tech) to the “Palmetto Bowl” (Clemson-South Carolina) to the “Sunshine Showdown” (Florida-Florida State) become conference rivalries instead of intersectional games. Retained within conference are the classic Florida State-Miami rivalry, the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” between Florida and Georgia. And recent games such as the Bowden Bowl (Clemson-Florida State), the Shula Bowl (FIU-Florida Atlantic) and the Battle of I-4 (South Florida-UCF) are all now guaranteed to exist year after year.

With Tallahassee as its southern extreme, the North Division features five schools that have all factored into the national title race in the past few decades. Georgia and South Carolina bring SEC clout. Clemson, Florida State and Georgia Tech all bring historical success to the division from the ACC. Only Georgia State, the freshly-minted I-A program sharing Atlanta with Georgia Tech, is a minnow… at this point.

Looking South beyond the Seminoles, the other division is bookended by former national champions in Gainesville and Coral Gables. South Florida’s ascendance from I-AA newcomer in 1997 to national-title contender within a decade demonstrates the depth in this region, with both UCF and FIU looking to make similar upward trends. Affiliation with the Gators and Hurricanes and Bulls can’t hurt that progress; more likely it will accelerate it exponentially.

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Ohio Valley Conference

• STATES: Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: MAC (6), ACC (2), Big East (2), Big Ten (1), C-USA (1)
• TEAMS (12): Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Kent State, Marshall, Miami, Ohio, Ohio State, Toledo, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• EAST: Akron, Kent State, Ohio, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
• WEST: Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Marshall, Miami, Ohio State, Toledo

The cradle of MAC football is now beefed up with some high-octane programs. Joining the six MAC schools and Cincinnati in the Ohio Valley Conference are the Buckeyes of “The” Ohio State University, bringing together the state in one league for the first time ever. Joining the Buckeyes and Bearcats in this conglomeration are a quartet of West/Virginia schools led by the Hokies and Mountaineers.

The West Division presents a battle, at least initially, between Ohio State and Cincinnati for the path to the conference championship game. The Miami RedHawks and Toledo Rockets could present challenges as well — witness the Buckeyes’ near-loss to Toledo last season — with Marshall and Bowling Green solid names to round out the division. Most will likely be fodder for the Buckeyes and (occasionally) the Bearcats, though sooner or later Ohio State is sure to see its 90-year winning streak against all in-state rivals snapped given the increased exposure to games against them.

In the East, former Big East rivals West Virginia and Virginia Tech will head up the hunt for the other divisional championship. Ohio is represented by the Kent State and Akron in the north and the Bobcats in the south; the eastern terminus, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, is within 500 miles of all conference opponents — by automobile.

Northeast Conference

• STATES: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia
• CURRENT AFFILIATIONS: Big East (5), MAC (2), ACC (2), Independent (2), Big Ten (1), C-USA (1)
• TEAMS (13): Army, Boston College, Buffalo, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Navy, Old Dominion, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple
• POTENTIAL DIVISIONS:
• NORTH: Army, Boston College, Buffalo, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rutgers, Syracuse
• SOUTH: Maryland, Navy, Old Dominion, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple

The Northeast Conference rounds out the realignment of the I-A schools in college football, creating the tenth and final direct berth into the 16-team tournament. Combining the disparate schools of the Northeast, this conference divides cleanly along the New York/Pennsylvania border.

In the South, Penn State and Pittsburgh bring their storied programs together in the same division for the first time ever. Temple makes the jump over after having returned to the Big East. Further south around the nation’s capital, Maryland’s gaudy uniforms and Navy’s storied independent past form a triangle with I-A neophyte Old Dominion across the border in Virginia to solidify the membership in this division.

In the North, New York’s three I-A schools — Syracuse, Buffalo and Army — will battle with UConn and Boston College along with I-A newcomer UMass for the spoils. Rutgers, the host for the first-ever American football game in 1869, and Syracuse provides the deepest history; Boston College provides the sturdiest record of the past few decades; and UConn brings a recent history that includes the most current BCS appearance among the league’s teams.

The conference wraps itself within the geographic footprint of a large number of the nation’s spectator eyeballs. From New England to the Mason-Dixon Line, from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, the schools within the Northeast Conference are all well-matched and balanced enough to provide relevancy to whichever champion emerges.

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And so we come to the point where the blueprints of a 16-team seeded playoff can be sown, where we can assess which conference champions might have emerged last season were this system in place. Of course, things would have been mighty different if these teams had all been playing their new conference schedules in this alternate reality, but since we have neither the structure of those schedules nor their non-conference slates, we have only the data at hand to go from. So let’s at least test out the structure by looking back at the 2011 season and how things would have shaken out. Here would have been the conference championship-game matchups (all records from 2011, after regular season and prior to conference championship results):

• PACIFIC: USC (10-2) v. Stanford (11-1)
• NORTHWEST: BYU (9-3) v. Boise State (11-1)
• TEX-MEX: TCU (10-2) v. Houston (12-0)
• GREAT PLAINS: Arkansas (10-2) v. Oklahoma State (11-1)
• GREAT LAKES: Northern Illinois (9-3) v. Michigan State (10-2)
• BAYOU DELTA: Alabama (11-1) v. LSU (12-0)
• BLUEGRASS: NC State (7-5) v. Louisville (7-5)
• DEEP SOUTH: Florida State (8-4) v. South Carolina (10-2)
• OHIO VALLEY: Cincinnati (9-3) v. Virginia Tech (11-1)
• NORTHEAST: Rutgers (8-4) v. Penn State (9-3)

Only two of the games, the Bluegrass and Northeast championships, feature two teams who both have less than two wins. In four of the ten contests you have opponents who both sport double-digit win records; three others feature 9-win teams against opponents with double-digit victories, with the last an 8-win Florida State team against 10-win South Carolina. Assuming chalk carries, that gives us the following teams to seed into a playoff structure (based on direct results where applicable):

• Stanford (12-1)
• Boise State (12-1)
• Houston (13-0)
• Oklahoma State (12-1)
• Michigan State (11-2)
• Alabama (12-1)
• NC State (8-5)
• South Carolina (11-2)
• Virginia Tech (12-1)
• Penn State (10-3)

That leaves six slots available to other teams; here is the pool of candidates with at least 10 wins:

• USC (10-3)
• Oregon (10-2)
• TCU (10-3)
• Arkansas (10-3)
• Kansas State (10-2)
• LSU (12-1)
• Southern Miss (10-2)
• Clemson (10-2)
• Georgia (10-2)
• Michigan (10-2)
• Wisconsin (10-2)

This is where a selection committee would work its magic. LSU (12-1) would certainly make it in, as would one of the two representatives of the Great Lakes Conference (Michigan or Wisconsin; here’s guessing Michigan, on the strength of their tougher schedule and national profile, would get the nod.) Likewise Georgia or Clemson is likely to get another of those coveted spots; because their only two losses were to conference champs Boise State and South Carolina, the Bulldogs get the spot over the Tigers. Oregon, who was pipped by Boise State for the West Division slot in the Northwest title game, grabs another thanks to its tough schedule.

With two spots left, the nitpicking begins. USC, TCU and Arkansas all have three losses now thanks to their defeat in conference championships. Kansas State and Southern Miss, shut out of their conference championships, both also have potential claims. Looking at the schedule for each team, TCU and Southern Miss suffered losses to worse teams than the other three, thus dropping them out of the race. With the three contenders remaining, let’s look at their losses:

• USC: L 43-22 @ Arizona State (6-6), L 56-48 (3OT) v. Stanford, L @ Stanford (Pacific Championship)
• Arkansas: L 38-14 @ Alabama, L 41-17 @ LSU, L @ Oklahoma State (Great Plains Championship)
• Kansas State: L 51-17 v. Oklahoma (9-3), L 52-45 @ Oklahoma State

Two of the three have common losses to Great Plains champ Oklahoma State. Arkansas suffered two gaudy losses to playoff teams Alabama and LSU; the Wildcats suffered an even gaudier loss to Oklahoma, whose 9-3 record played them out of a tournament bid. USC also lost to just two opponents, suffering a triple-OT defeat against Stanford and a repeat defeat in the Pacific Conference championship game… but has the most embarassing loss of the trio, against .500 team Arizona State.

USC and Arkansas both had opportunities to reach the playoff by winning their division. The wild-card stipulation is in place as much to allow teams that played in strong divisions to have a shot at earning a berth. Thus, thanks both to having just two losses and the fact they were frozen out of a shot at the conference championship, the Wildcats get the first of those two playoff spots. USC, thanks to their close calls against Stanford, gets the final berth.

And that allows us to come to the seeding portion of the festivities. How would the bracket line up?

Sure, some of the seedings could be argued. But at face value, the playoff presents a slew of entertaining games… AND provides a fair avenue for teams from across the nation to earn their way to the crystal pigskin. Who would actually emerge from such a playoff? That’s half the fun… getting to see the champion emerge on the field.

One conference blazed brightly, a series of its teams succeeding wildly beyond expectation to keep the league relevant on the national scene. Its teams have won national championships both shared and outright, played in major bowl games, and challenged the established hierarchy of the sport year after year to force its way into the discussion. The other mainly remained a regional sensation, passionate local rivalries punctuated with the occasional upset of a powerhouse program but rarely extending beyond the geographic footprint of its membership. Its teams

Five decades later, one of these two conferences is on its deathbed, staring at a future with but two remaining members. The other conference thrives as the second-largest conference currently operating in college football. It could ultimately prove a lesson in the dangers of growth and contraction in the name of chasing greatness, and an endorsement for stability and the sensibility of staying within a group’s collective means…

Over the past few years, the Western Athletic Conference has been a league under siege. Back in the early sixties, it was born from the merger of the strongest six teams from two dying conferences, with Arizona’s growing pair of universities leaving behind the Hardin-Simmonses and West Texas A&Ms of the Border Conference and half the Skyline Eight leaving behind jilted partners in the wake of their retreat. Since the momentous day in July 1962 when the WAC was officially chartered by Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, the league has existed in a vacuous state where it has alternately lived as the hunted mid-major and the hunter of weakened competition.

After a half-century of yielding national-title contenders and BCS Busters and Heisman hopefuls, the WAC is being strip-mined and auctioned off to any conference that will take its leftovers...

After Frank Kush vaulted the Sun Devils to prominence in the 1970s, Arizona’s two exponentially-expanding universities left behind a 15-year-old conference that they had both already outgrown. LaVell Edwards brought BYU up from mediocrity to fill that void, utilizing an aerial attack in Provo that catapulted the school to a level of national prominence and respect that culminated in the 1984 national title and Ty Detmer’s Heisman Trophy.

Heading into the last decade of the 20th century, the WAC regularly placed two or three teams in the Top 25 polls every season. Edwards by that point was the dean of the conference’s coaches, with strong minds challenging him annually. At various times Fisher DeBerry at Air Force, Paul Roach and Joe Tiller at Wyoming, Sonny Lubick at Colorado State, Dennis Franchione at New Mexico and Bob Wagner at Hawaii drew national attention for their exploits at schools usually far away from the mainstream radar. Later, it would be guys like Pat Hill at Fresno State, June Jones at Hawaii, Dan Hawkins and Chris Petersen at Boise State and Chris Ault at Nevada who have captivated national audiences with the teams they have directed.

But those latter-day coaches would lead in a landscape where the WAC was undervalued. Stretching beyond its traditional footprint in the 1990s, the conference went beyond using the Big West as its feeder league for the promotion of talent to higher levels of competition to grow to poaching the ugly ducklings left behind by the collapse of the Southwest Conference and the formation of the Big XII Conference. In 1996, the WAC became the first conference to balloon to superconference size, sixteen teams lining up for three seasons that would ultimately lead to the collapse of the league.

At one point the WAC served as a feeder system, promoting teams from I-AA and from lower-profile I-A conferences and then allowing them to blossom into programs too attractive to be passed up by the big-time conferences. Seven of its 26 former members currently or will soon play in one of the soon-to-be-former-BCS leagues. But, with none of the original 1962 charter founders remaining in the WAC — and, for that matter, just one of the teams that even comprised the alliance in its 16-team incarnation from 1996-98 — the spirit has been irretrievably lost from the once-proud mid-major that roared.

Instead it now exists in the very league that has become the new hunter of the mid-major ranks. Following the 1998 season, the WAC was halved from 16 to eight when all of the original teams pre-expansion deserted the teams they drew into their ranks and reconstituted into the Mountain West Conference. By 2013 that conference — which has used the WAC to continue bolstering its ranks despite the loss of Utah, BYU, TCU, Boise State and San Diego State to power conferences — will be the only remaining conference representing the conglomerated collegiate programs of the Rocky Mountains.

The Mountain West, since snagging the original eight defectors from the WAC, has poached its older yet weaker conference of any and all substantive assets over the ensuing decade. The move to grab TCU — technically a Conference USA school at the time, but just a quadrennial removed from its short-lived period as a WAC member — started the chain. Then, when Utah left to join the Pac-12 and BYU left for holy-roller independence, they reached out to poach the WAC’s preeminent member, Boise State, just a decade after the Broncos’ move to the WAC had fueled its rise from backwater I-A neophyte to nationally-known sensation. A year later, WAC rivals Nevada, Fresno State and Hawaii made the decision to move to the MWC for the 2012 season.

Then this offseason’s cards tumbled to the table, and we found out the WAC had been trumped once again. The Mountain West revealed that San Jose State and Utah State would leave the WAC for a fresh lease on life in the new Rocky Mountain powerhouse. Defending WAC champion joined I-A newcomer UT-San Antonio in announcing a move to C-USA. And the Sun Belt — whose commissioner, Karl Benson, was the same man who guided the WAC through its zenith and to its nadir from 1994 to 2012 — is snatching the WAC’s other I-A neophyte, Texas State, to help replace the loss of FIU and North Texas to C-USA.

How did we get here? Conferences come and go… since the WAC’s formation, college football has seen the de-emphasis of football at the traditional Ivy League powerhouses; the disbandment of the SWC, whose Texas-sized programs had payrolls to match;  the creation, rise, fall and subsequent bloat of the Big East; the fade into obsolescence of the Southern and Missouri Valley Conferences and folding of their relevant teams into the fabric of the other conferences. No conference is guaranteed survival, nor can any program rest comfortably in the knowledge that its home is forever secure…

Yet the other conference who entered the football landscape in that 1962 season seems as strong and secure in its position as ever. The Mid-American Conference had been formed after World War II between the city schools of the Midwest. By the time the league made the decision, 16 years after its formation, to emphasize football among its sponsored sports, it consisted of seven like-minded and geographically linked public universities across the stretch of land from Michigan through Ohio into West Virginia. After Marshall was expelled for NCAA violations in 1969, the league became even more tightly compacted within reasonable territorial range.

Over the decades the league would expand several times. In 1971, the league went from six to eight schools, adding Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan to give Western Michigan a couple of counterparts to balance the five Ohio schools. Ball State (1973) and Northern Illinois (1975) expanded the conference in a southwesterly direction into Indiana and Illinois, diversifying its draw without stretching travel budgets to a breaking point.

The MAC started working to acquire the requisite twelve members for a championship game in the 1990s — a move that incidentally was started in 1992 when then-commissioner Karl Benson (yes, that very same Benson who led the WAC and now guides the Sun Belt) welcomed Akron into the fold in the conference’s first expansion in 17 years. Five years later, the return of Northern Illinois (who had left the conference in 1986) and Marshall gave the league enough teams to host its first championship game.

Marshall’s Thundering Herd would dominate the championship game’s early incarnation, winning the first six consecutive championships. Five victories in the campus-site championship format came at home, with four victories over Toledo (including their only road game in 2001) and the other two against Western Michigan.

The addition of Buffalo and UCF (as a football-only member) grew the league’s numbers to twelve. Rather than grabbing quickly for any commodity on the market, the league sought out growth organically. At 14 members, the conference could weather the loss of UCF and Marshall to Conference USA in 2005 without the loss of their championship game. And after accepting Temple into the fold in 2007 following the Owls’ exile from the Big East, the league survived healthy as ever despite the unbalanced schedule of 13 schools.

While other conferences have had to deal with defections and have scrambled to recover numbers by perpetuating the game of musical chairs, the MAC has largely managed to survive every storm that has come its way. Losing Marshall — who in 1999 missed the league’s best chance to play in a BCS bowl when the Herd finished 13-0 with a Motor City Bowl win over #25 BYU — was painful, but it was not overly detrimental to the league’s long-term survival. Miami’s 12-1 season in 2003, the first team to break Marshall’s streak of conference titles prior to the Herd’s departure, was also not enough to gain admittance to a big-time bowl matchup. The RedHawks, led by senior quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, would have to settle for the GMAC Bowl and a 49-28 win over C-USA’s Louisville.

Buffalo’s shock defeat of Ball State in the 2008 MAC Championship Game would cost the league its last best chance at a lucrative BCS slot. While the WAC and Mountain West bolstered their credentials on the exploits of Utah and TCU and Boise State and Hawaii, the teams of the Mid-American Conference were overlooked and undervalued all the while…

So why is it the WAC and not the MAC which is dying? Why does a conference that boasts BCS appearances and national championships and Heisman winners get cannibalized while a conference that couldn’t parlay perfection into a shot at greatness survives stronger than ever?

Three problems come immediately to mind. The first is the sheer matter of geography. Across the broad expanses of the western United States, in some of the least populous states in the country, there are no ways to get around the increased costs of traveling to and from games every weekend. It is one thing for a blueblood school like a Notre Dame to make a barnstorming cross-country tour every season; teams like New Mexico and Colorado State and UNLV understandably have a harder time traversing thousands of miles round trip every time they need to play another road game on the schedule. As those trips accumulate, money spews out of the program’s coffers faster than it can be accumulated…

Which leads to the second major problem that separates these two conferences — the ability to attract revenue. The downfall of the WAC in its mid-90s superconference incarnation was the inability to earn enough money to fill everyone’s accounts enough to pay for the enterprise. That was with all of its most marketable commodities intact, all of the schools that would eventually defect to start the Mountain West like BYU and Utah along with programs like TCU and Fresno State. As universities depart for greener pastures, the self-fulfilling death knell keeps snowballing into an avalanche that sweeps away fifty years of history-building.

Finally, the biggest problem is a concept that a conference has a Manifest Destiny of some sort. When the WAC spanned four time zones in its 16-team format, it stretched the idea of regionally-based conference affiliations beyond their logical extreme. Conversely, with every move the MAC has made to expand, it has fallen for the most part within sensible geographic boundaries. Falling within the Eastern and Central time zones, there is less disruption both to fans and for the actual student-athletes who… you know, have to actually play these games we discuss so much.

The MAC knows it will never be the Big Ten. It never dreamed of outpacing the Ohio States and Michigans within its regional footprint; it knew from the outset that it was a war it was destined to lose every single time, no matter how many individual upsets its member teams might pull off on the field of competition. The problem for the WAC was that, having developed in an era when the Pac-12 was still a vacuous five-team AAWU after scandal had disbanded the Pacific Coast Conference, it always had visions of becoming the preeminent western conference in college football.

But as its teams grew, they outgrew the competition around them and sought out tougher teams with which to affiliate. The Arizona schools set a precedent fifteen years after the WAC’s formation that would play out time and time again throughout the league’s half-century of relevance and the diminishing returns of a Sisyphean strive for greatness.

The departure of Utah State — a team that, in 1962, felt jilted enough by its exclusion from the WAC’s charter membership that Utah legislators tried to pass a law forcing the Aggies’ inclusion — sets things fully in perspective. When a school that was once too small to justify inclusion in a conference finds itself now too relevant to justify remaining in the conference, the wistful peals of the funeral bell have sounded a final ring across the land. Contrasted with the conference that grew on the opposite country along the same timeline, it presents a cautionary tale that bears mentioning as other leagues large and small look to grow their way to prominence themselves.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: A

I’ve made my thoughts known on what I think about Luck and Griffin in the past. I think Griffin has the potential to be better, but Luck is better right now and is the safer pick. This was an easy selection for Indianapolis as they look to replace future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning.

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: A

The second no-brainer of the evening. Despite the crap-shoot that is selecting quarterbacks in the draft these days, I feel really good about the two above. I think both Luck and Griffin will become franchise quarterbacks. The Redskins aggressive move to trade up to this pick is going to pay off.

The Browns gave up three picks to move up one spot to take Trent Richardson.

3. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: B+

This would easily be an A to me if the Browns didn’t trade up a spot to draft Richardson. Cleveland gave up three draft picks to move up one spot with Minnesota to take last season’s Doak Walker Award winner. To be fair, Cleveland entered the day with 13 picks and after selecting two in the first round, they still have eight more in the final six rounds. I’m in the minority when it comes to running backs these days, but I truly believe they are still important in the NFL despite it being a QB-driven league. Richardson has the potential to be a great NFL RB, and he instantly upgrades Cleveland’s offense.

4. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC: A

Breaking News: The Vikings did something smart on draft day. They traded back a spot, acquired three picks in the process, and were still able to draft the guy they wanted, a franchise left tackle in Matt Kalil. There was some smoke before that draft that Minnesota wouldn’t take Kalil, instead selecting cornerback Morris Claiborne. Instead, the Vikings stuck by the guy they had been linked to all along. Great selection.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State: A-

Quick, name a Jaguars wide receiver from last season. I’ll wait…. (crickets)… That’s what I thought. Jacksonville was very aggressive in moving up to #5 to leapfrog the Rams and select Blackmon. Jacksonville’s wide receiver core last season was terrible, and it has been for a few years now. I’m not quite as high on Blackmon as others, and I don’t think he is as good as either wide receiver picked in the Top-10 last season, but I think he has the potential to be really good in this league. He instantly becomes the best wide receiver on the Jacksonville roster. It remains to be seen, however, if Blaine Gabbert can get him the ball.

6. Dallas Cowboys: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU: A-

Even though Dallas had to give up a second round pick to move up up and get Claiborne, I still absolutely love this pick. I think Claiborne is going to be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL sooner rather than later, and Dallas needed help in the secondary. With the Cowboys signing Brandon Carr to a five-year deal earlier this offseason, they now have a very formidable 1-2 CB tandem in Carr and Claiborne.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama: B

I think Tampa Bay would have been better off staying at #5 and drafting Morris Claiborne, but it’s hard not to like this pick by Tampa Bay. Their safeties were atrocious last season so Barron fills a huge need. Barron is a very good athlete, excellent in run support, and has the potential to be a ball-hawk on the next level. He also has the endorsement of former Buccaneers safety John Lynch, and that is good enough for me.

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M: C

I’m not a fan of Ryan Tannehill, and I don’t see him being a franchise quarterback in the NFL. I could be wrong, but I never saw him at Texas A&M and thought he was a Top-10 pick. I understand that the Dolphins needed a quarterback after missing out on Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn in free agency, and then falling short in the Robert Griffin III sweepstakes, but I think they would have better served passing on Tannehill and going after a QB next season. I don’t see him as an upgrade over Matt Moore at this point.

9. Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College: B

I think this is a good pick, but the Panthers had more pressing needs on the defensive line and in the secondary. Even so, Luke Kuechly was a tackling machine at Boston College, and most NFL Draft analysts saw him as one of the safest picks in the draft this year. I’m not sure I would have taken Kuechly in the Top 10, but I understand the logic behind this pick. He should make an immediate impact on Carolina’s defense next season.

10. Buffalo Bills: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina: C+

Stephon Gilmore shot up draft boards over the last few weeks for some reason or another. I think he’s a solid player, but I didn’t see him as a Top 10 talent. He was good at South Carolina, but he got beat a good bit deep by opposing wide receivers. I think Buffalo would have been better off taking Riley Reiff or Michael Floyd.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis: D-

Dontari Poe was a freak in workouts and at the NFL combine. He is an unbelievable athlete for his size, and he earned a lot of money with his incredible combine. But this is an awful pick by the Chiefs. Poe is a great talent, but his work ethic has been called into question and for good reason. With Poe showing out like he did in workouts, it raises the question of why he didn’t dominate the C-USA competition he faced at Memphis.

12. Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State: B

I think Fletcher Cox is the best defensive tackle in this draft, but I don’t like that the Eagles had to trade up to get him. The Rams probably snag him if the Eagles don’t make the move, but even then Philadelphia can stay put and take a guy like Michael Brockers. This is a pretty deep defensive tackle class, so the Eagles could have even traded back and still got a really good player at that position. Even still, Cox is a great fit for Philly’s defensive scheme, so it’s a good selection.

To appease Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals selected Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd

13. Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame: B

I think this was a solid pick, although I think Arizona should have gone elsewhere. Larry Fitzgerald asked for some help, and the Cardinals are bringing him some with Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd. I think Floyd is on the same level as Justin Blackmon, so getting him 13th when Blackmon went eight spots higher is good value, in my opinion.

14. St. Louis Rams: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU: B

Poor Rams. They trade back from 2 to 6 with Washington feeling they can still get Justin Blackmon with that pick. Instead, the Jaguars jumped up to the 5th pick to steal Blackmon. After that happened though, I really like what the Rams did by moving back. They had their eyes set on Blackmon, he was off the board, so they accumulated more picks, moved back, and still got one of the best defensive tackle prospects in this class. Brockers is raw, but he oozes potential.

15. Seattle Seahawks: Bruce Irvin, DE/OLB, West Virginia: F

Easily the worst pick of the first round in my opinion, and one of the worst I have seen in the last few years. A lot of analysts had Irvin as a 2nd or 3rd round prospect, but instead the Seahawks took him in the top half of the first round. I think Irvin is solid, and could develop into a good player in the NFL, but you do not take him 15th when better defensive end/outside linebackers are on the board. If this is the guy you wanted, then trade back and get him later. I guess Pete Carroll is trying to make sure his second tour in the NFL is just as short as the first.

16. New York Jets: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina: C+

I like Quinton Coples, but I don’t like him in the Jets defensive scheme. Coples is a 4-3 defensive end, in my opinion. The Jets would have been better off picking Melvin Ingram out of South Carolina, who was still on the board. This was a perplexing pick to me just because of the schematic fit. I believe Coples has a ton of potential though, so this could turn out to be a good pick.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama: B+

I think Kirkpatrick is the second best cornerback in this draft behind LSU’s Morris Claiborne, so I really like this pick for the Bengals. Kirkpatrick was once considered a Top-10 talent before his arrest in Florida, so this is pretty good value. He has some question marks regarding his cover skills, but he’s another guy with loads of potential and ideal size for an NFL corner.

18. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina: A

This was a great pick by the Chargers as Melvin Ingram, considered by many as the best defensive end in this draft class, fell into their laps. Ingram is a perfect fit for San Diego’s defensive scheme as well. Ingram was highly productive in his last season with South Carolina. Ingram was expected by some to be selecting in the Top 10, so the Chargers got a steal getting him here.

19. Chicago Bears: Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise State: C+

Most scouts and analysts saw McClellin as a 3-4 outside linebacker rather than a 4-3 defensive end, but he’ll be playing on the defensive line in Chicago’s defense. McClellin is another prospect who had been overlooked, but really shot up draft boards in recent weeks. A few teams in the 20s coveted the former Boise State player, but Chicago beat them to the punch. I like McClellin, but he’s a curious fit for the Bears.

20. Tennessee Titans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor: C+

I’m not completely sold on Kendall Wright. He had a spectacular season for Baylor last year, but I think that was more because of Robert Griffin III. Wright’s workouts weren’t that impressive. This is a decent pick nonetheless, but I think Tennessee would have been better served taking one of the best available pass rushers in Chandler Jones or Whitney Mercilus.

21. New England Patriots: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse: B+

Finally Bill Belichick uses the picks he has been stockpiling for years. It seems like every year Belichick would trade back in the first round. Not this year. This time he was aggressive and moved up in the first round, not once, but twice. More on the second pick later. As for the first one, admittedly I don’t know a whole lot about Jones, but I’ll defer to experts such as Mike Mayock who really like him.

22. Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: F

If it wasn’t for the Seahawks taking Bruce Irvin about two rounds too high, Cleveland’s selection of Brandon Weeden with the 22nd pick would have been the worst pick of the first round. Even still, it was pretty awful. Brandon Weeden will be 29-years-old in October. You do not use a first round draft pick on a quarterback who is already older than the quarterback on your roster that you are giving up on. I would have been fine with the Browns using their second round pick on Weeden, but they should have looked elsewhere with this pick.

23. Detroit Lions: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa: A

This was one of the better picks in the first round. I thought the Lions would take Jonathan Martin with this pick, but I had no idea Riley Reiff was going to fall this far. It wasn’t long ago that Reiff was projected as a Top-10 pick. He’s a Top-10 talent, so this is an absolute steal for Detroit. The Lions keep making competent first round selections. It’s crazy what happens when you fire Matt Millen.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford: A

Another excellent pick for great value. I couldn’t believe DeCastro fell all the way to 24 into Pittsburgh’s hands. This pick was pretty much a no-brainer for the Steelers with DeCastro on the board, despite Dont’a Hightower also still being on the board. DeCastro is another very safe pick. At worst, I think DeCastro is a serviceable starting guard for the next 10 years. At best, DeCastro develops into one of the best guards in the NFL.

The Patriots were aggressive on draft day, and ended up with two good selections.

25. New England Patriots: Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama: A-

Another aggressive move by New England, and another very good pick by Belichick and company. Hightower is a smart football player, and answered all the questions about lingering issues with his knee after having surgery with a big year in 2011. His versatility obviously peaked the Patriots interest in him. Hightower can play inside or outside linebacker, and is no stranger to putting his hand in the dirt as a defensive end in passing downs. The Patriots needed to upgrade their front seven, and they did just that with their two first round picks.

26. Houston Texans: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois: B-

This is a good value pick by the Texans, but I’m not completely sold on Mercilus despite his huge year for Illinois in 2011. He forced nine fumbles and led the nation in sacks last season, but I am always wary of one-year wonder players, and Mercilus wasn’t talked about much at all until last year. Mercilus should help fill the massive hole left by Mario Williams’ departure to Buffalo.

27. Cincinnati Bengals: Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin: B-

I like Kevin Zeitler, I really do, but I thought the Bengals were going to select either Courtney Upshaw to help their needs in the defensive front seven, or they would select Cordy Glenn out of Georgia if they were going to pick an offensive guard. It’s hard to question a team selecting an offensive lineman out of Wisconsin though.

28. Green Bay Packers: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC: C+

Another spot I think Courtney Upshaw would have been a better fit for. Upshaw was rated higher than Perry by most, but it is hard to question Ted Thompson when it comes to drafting players. The Packers needed another guy to go alongside Clay Matthews in getting after opposing quarterbacks, and that’s what they got with their first round selection even if I think another player would have been a better pick here.

29. Minnesota Vikings: Harrison Smith, SS, Notre Dame: B

Another good pick by the Vikings. Minnesota’s secondary was bad last year, and they play in a division with a lot of good quarterbacks and a lot of good wide receivers. They needed to help their secondary as they go against Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and Jay Cutler a combined six times a season. This is not a very deep safety class with a substantial drop after Mark Barron and Harrison Smith.

30. San Francisco 49ers: A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois: D-

I’m tempted to give this an F, but I think it isn’t as bad as Seattle’s or Cleveland’s 2nd pick, but man this is still a very bad pick by the 49ers. Most draft boards had A.J. Jenkins ranked in the 60s, and he is drafted in the first round. If they wanted a wide receiver, they would have been better off selecting Stephen Hill, Rueben Randle, or Alshon Jeffery. They could have also selected Jim Harbaugh’s former player, tight end Coby Fleener.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State: B

I thought David Wilson was the second best running back prospect in this class behind Trent Richardson, but Doug Martin is a better fit with Tampa Bay. Some people questioned this pick, but Martin has drawn Ray Rice comparisons, and he is a great complimentary piece in the backfield with LeGarrette Blount.

32. New York Giants: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech: B

The Giants were obviously concerned with Ahmad Bradshaw’s ability to stay healthy after releasing their backup running back Brandon Jacobs. Wilson has a good combination of speed and power, and should immediately have an impact for the offense of the defending Super Bowl Champs.

And chances are most NFL fans do follow Schefter. He is widely considered the foremost authority when it comes to NFL news, and is at the top of his profession. If you are a fan of the NFL and have a twitter, you probably follow him.

And to be fair, Adam Schefter is usually a great follow. He is always on top of NFL news, and keeps everyone who follows him up to date on all NFL news, and that is a testament to why he has over 1.5 million twitter followers.

But on Thursday night Schefter deprived all of his twitter followers of the joy of the NFL Draft that comes with the suspense of each pick. With almost every single pick on Thursday night, Schefter gave away the pick before Commissioner Roger Goodell stepped up to the podium to announce it. Usually by the time Goodell stepped to the podium, Schefter’s twitter followers knew the pick for at least a couple of minutes. Occasionally it was announced just seconds before the pick.

Bah... Humbug..

It started innocent and actually kind of cool with Schefter reporting all the trades and who those teams were probably going to take with that pick. But then it got flat out frustrating as pick-by-pick went by with Schefter tweeting out the results for everyone to see. I thought it would stop once the flurry of early trades did, but it did not.

What is the cost of being the first to report the draft picks? 1.5 million followers being robbed of the draft experience. You want Roger Goodell to be the first to announce the draft pick. Not an ESPN reporter who happens to find out the information before anyone else.

It got to the point when most of you probably unfollowed him for a short period of time, closed twitter altogether, or just tried to ignore him as much as possible. I went the route of trying to ignore his tweets, but I always seemed to end up glancing at his tweet and seeing the impending selection.

I’m not sure if Schefter has kids, but if he does Christmas morning must really suck around the Schefter household. “Hey kids, I got you a Tonka Truck.”

(Addendum: I was informed that Schefter is Jewish. And as a friend of mine points out, I guess he can take to ruining eight nights worth of gifts instead.)

Many fans took to twitter to voice their frustration with Schefter’s spoiler-alert twitter feed. The irony of it all is that with Schefter’s tweets, he actually hurt the network he works for who was televising the draft. What’s the point of watching ESPN, when you can watch something else and just look at Schefter’s twitter feed?

There were multiple big NHL playoff games on tonight that could divert the attention of some, and it was the final night for the NBA’s regular season.

I’m genuinely surprised that ESPN didn’t put a stop to Schefter’s tweets, although I should never be surprised when it comes to the “World Wide Leader.”

On the bright side, when December rolls around Schefter will be a great follow. If the Mayans turn out to be right and the world does end, I’m sure Schefter will take to twitter to announce our impending doom before anyone else knows.

So thank you, Adam Schefter, for ruining the draft watching experience for your 1.5 million twitter followers. Because being the first to report something is all that matters in the end, right?

BREAKING NEWS: Andrew Luck likely #1 pick

Round 1

1. Indianapolis – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Washington – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3. Minnesota – Matt Kalil, OT, USC

4. Cleveland – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

5. Tampa Bay – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

6. St. Louis – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

7. Jacksonville – Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

8. Miami – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

9. Carolina – Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

10. Buffalo – Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

11. Kansas City – Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

12. Seattle – Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

13. Arizona — David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

14. Dallas – Fletcher Cox, DL, Mississippi State

15. Philadelphia – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

16. New York Jets – Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

17. Cincinnati – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

18. San Diego – Mark Barron, SS, Alabama

19. Chicago – Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

20. Tennessee – Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

21. Cincinnati – Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

22. Cleveland – Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

23. Detroit – Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

24. Pittsburgh – Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama

25. Denver – Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

26. Houston – Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

27. New England – Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

28. Green Bay – Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse

29. Baltimore – Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

30. San Francisco – Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin

31. New England – Devon Still, DT, Penn State

32. New York Giants – Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Wait, is he a ginger?

Round 2

1. St. Louis – Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
2. Indianapolis – Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
3. Minnesota – Harrison Smith, SS, Notre Dame
4. Tampa Bay – Doug Martin, RB, Boise State
5. Cleveland – Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
6. Jacksonville – Rueben Randle, WR, LSU
7. St. Louis – Bobby Massie, OT, Ole Miss
8. Carolina – Nick Perry, DE, USC
9. Buffalo – Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
10. Miami – Andre Branch, DE/OLB, Clemson
11. Seattle – Mychal Kendricks, ILB, California
12. Kansas City – Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern State
13. Dallas – Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
14. Philadelphia – Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska
15. New York Jets – David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
16. New England – Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State
17. San Diego – Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State
18. Chicago – Josh Robinson, CB, UCF
19. Philadelphia — Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech
20. Tennessee – Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall
21. Cincinnati – Lamar Miller, RB, Miami, FL
22. Detroit – Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana
23. Atlanta – Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina
24. Pittsburgh – Kendall Reyes, DL, UConn
25. Denver – Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
26. Houston – Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia
27. Green Bay – LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
28. Baltimore – Billy Winn, DL, Boise State
29. San Francisco – Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson
30. New England – Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State
31. New York Giants – Chris Polk, RB, Washington

Round 3

1. Indianapolis – Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami (OH)
2. St. Louis – Brandon Washington, OG, Miami (FL)
3. Minnesota – Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson
4. Cleveland – Chris Givens, WR, Wake Forest
5. Tampa Bay – Bobby Wagner, OLB, Utah State
6. Washington – Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State
7. Jacksonville – Ben Jones, C, Georgia
8. Buffalo – Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia
9. Miami – A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois
10. Miami – Markelle Martin, FS, Oklahoma State
11. Kansas City – Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State
12. Seattle – Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State
13. Houston – Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
14. New York Jets – Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
15. San Diego – Alameda Ta’amu, DT, Washington
16. Chicago – Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska
17. Arizona – Jeff Allen, OT, Illinois
18. Dallas – Josh Kaddu, OLB, Oregon
19. Tennessee – George Iloka, FS, Boise State
20. Cincinnati – Marvin Jones, WR, California
21. Atlanta – Orson Charles, TE, Georgia
22. Detroit – Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn
23. Pittsburgh – James Brown, OG, Troy
24. Denver – Nigel Bradham, ILB, Florida State
25. Philadelphia – Mike Martin, DT, Michigan
26. New Orleans – Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia
27. Green Bay – Tyrone Crawford, DE, Boise State
28. Baltimore – T.Y. Hilton, WR, Florida International
29. San Francisco – Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt
30. New England – Dwight Bentley, CB, UL Lafayette
31. New York Giants – Sean Spence, OLB, Miami
32. Oakland — Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama

Philly in the house

Round 4

1. St. Louis – Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati
2. Indianapolis – Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma
3. Minnesota – Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin
4. Houston – Audie Cole, ILB, NC State
5. Cleveland – Keenan Robinson, OLB, Texas
6. Jacksonville – Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas
7. Washington – Ronnell Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
8. Miami – Ladarius Green, TE, UL Lafayette
9. Carolina – Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona
10. Buffalo – Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia
11. Seattle – Josh LeRibeus, OG, SMU
12. Kansas City – Marcus Fortson, DT, Miami (FL)
13. Denver – Ron Brooks, CB, LSU
14. Washington – Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
15. San Diego – Rishard Matthews, WR, Nevada
16. Chicago – Tony Bergstrom, OT, Utah
17. Arizona – Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
18. Dallas – Michael Brewster, C, Ohio State
19. Philadelphia – Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
20. Tennessee – Senio Kelemete, OG, Washington
21. Cincinnati – Brandon Taylor, SS, LSU
22. Detroit – Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego State
23. Cleveland – Josh Norman, CB, Coastal Carolina
24. Pittsburgh – DeQuan Menzie, CB, Alabama
25. Denver – Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State
26. Houston – Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas
27. New Orleans – Donald Stephenson, OT, Oklahoma
28. Green Bay – Antonio Allen, SS, South Carolina
29. Buffalo – Demario Davis, OLB, Arkansas State
30. San Francisco – Jake Bequette (DE/Arkansas)
31. New England – Trenton Robinson, FS, Michigan State
32. New York Giants – Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
33. Minnesota – Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State
34. Oakland – Matt McCants, OT, UAB
35. Baltimore – James-Michael Johnson, ILB, Nevada
36. New York Giants – Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas
37. Green Bay – Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin
38. Green Bay – Leonard Johnson, CB, Iowa State
39. Minnesota – Tank Carder, ILB, TCU
40. Dallas – Malik Jackson, DE, Tennessee

Round 5

1. Indianapolis – Keshawn Martin, WR, Michigan State
2. Denver – Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
3. Minnesota – Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno State
4. Cleveland – Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas
5. Tampa Bay – Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina
6. Washington – Aaron Henry, FS, Wisconsin
7. Jacksonville – Shaun Prater, CB, Iowa
8. Carolina – Jaye Howard, DT, Florida
9. Buffalo – Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State
10. Miami – Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State
11. Kansas City – Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State
12. Buffalo – Oliver Vernon, DE, Miami, FL
13. Oakland – Taylor Thompson, TE/DE, SMU
14. San Diego – Coryell Judie, CB, Texas A&M
15. Chicago – Brandon Hardin, FS, Oregon State
16. Arizona – Ryan Steed, CB, Furman
17. Dallas – Tom Compton, OT, South Dakota
18. Philadelphia – B.J. Coleman, QB, Chattanooga
19. New York Jets – Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU
20. Tennessee – David Molk, C, Michigan
21. Cincinnati – Kyle Wilber, OLB, Wake Forest
22. Atlanta – Lucas Nix, OG, Pittsburgh
23. Detroit – Jack Crawford, DE, Penn State
24. Pittsburgh – Nate Potter, OT, Boise State
25. Cleveland – Bryan Anger, P, California
26. Houston – Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati
27. New Orleans – Christian Thompson, FS, South Carolina State
28. Green Bay – Rishaw Johnson, OG, California (PA)
29. Baltimore – Jonathan Massaquoi, OLB, Troy
30. San Francisco – Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami (FL)
31. Cincinnati – Jacquies Smith, DE, Missouri
32. Cincinnati – DaJohn Harris, DT, USC
33. Oakland – Emmanuel Acho, OLB, Texas
34. Baltimore – Donnie Fletcher, CB, Boston College
35. Indianapolis – Chris Rainey, RB, Florida

Woah, that is rude.

Round 6

1. St. Louis – Drew Butler, P, Georgia
2. Philadelphia – Evan Rodriguez, FB/TE, Temple
3. Washington – Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State
4. Tampa Bay – Duke Ihenacho, SS, San Jose State
5. Minnesota – Ryan Miller, OG, Colorado
6. Jacksonville – Edwin Baker, RB, Michigan State
7. Arizona – Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
8. Buffalo – Deangelo Peterson, TE, LSU
9. New Orleans – Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa
10. Carolina – Terrell Manning, OLB, NC State
11. Seattle – Asa Jackson, CB, Cal Poly
12. Kansas City – Hebron Fangupo, DT, BYU
13. San Diego – Dan Herron, RB, Ohio State
14. Chicago – Rhett Ellison, TE, USC
15. Arizona – Trevor Guyton, DE, California
16. Dallas – Eric Page, WR, Toledo
17. New York Jets – Mike Harris, CB, Florida State
18. Denver – Philip Blake, C, Baylor
19. Oakland – Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor
20. Tennessee – Tauren Poole, RB, Tennessee
21. Cincinnati – Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon
22. Atlanta – Chris Greenwood, CB, Albion
23. Pittsburgh – Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
24. Philadelphia – Jeff Adams, OT, Columbia
25. Houston – Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin
26. Miami – Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia
27. Green Bay – Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State
28. Baltimore – Justin Bethel, FS, Presbyterian
29. San Francisco – Grant Garner, C, Oklahoma State
30. Philadelphia – Janzen Jackson, FS, McNeese State
31. New York Giants – Coty Sensabaugh, CB, Clemson
32. New York Jets – Najee Goode, ILB, West Virginia
33. New York Jets – Nicolas Jean-Baptiste, DT, Baylor
34. Cleveland – Brett Roy, DE, Nevada
35. Cleveland – Joe Looney, OG, Wake Forest
36. Indianapolis – DeAngelo Tyson, DL, Georgia
37. Carolina – Brian Linthicum, TE, Michigan State

Round 7

1. Indianapolis – Devier Posey, WR, Ohio State
2. St. Louis – Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina
3. Minnesota – Alex Hoffman-Ellis, OLB, Washington State
4. Cleveland – Jerry Franklin, ILB, Arkansas
5. Tampa Bay – Chase Ford, TE, Miami (FL)
6. Washington – Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan
7. Indianapolis – Ronald Leary, OG, Memphis
8. Miami – B.J. Cunningham, WR, Michigan State
9. Carolina – Danny Coale, WR, Virginia Tech
10. Buffalo – Chris Marve, ILB, Vanderbilt
11. Kansas City – Tim Fugger, DE/OLB, Vanderbilt
12. Detroit – Danny Trevathan, OLB, Kentucky
13. Chicago – Austin Davis, QB, Southern Mississippi
14. Arizona – Akiem Hicks, DT, Regina
15. Dallas – D.J. Campbell, FS, California
16. Minnesota – D’Anton Lynn, CB, Penn State
17. Green Bay – Davin Meggett, RB, Maryland
18. Seattle – Brandon Lindsey, OLB, Pittsburgh
19. San Diego – Quentin Saulsberry, C, Mississippi State
20. Tennessee – William Vlachos, C, Alabama
21. Jacksonville – Lamar Holmes, OT, Southern Mississippi
22. Atlanta – Scott Solomon, DE, Rice
23. Detroit – Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers
24. Pittsburgh – Julian Miller, DE, West Virginia
25. New York Jets – Brad Smelley, TE/FB, Alabama
26. Houston – Blair Walsh, K, Georgia
27. New Orleans – Markus Kuhn, DT, NC State
28. Green Bay – Ernest Owusu, DE, California
29. Baltimore – Michael Smith, RB, Utah State
30. San Francisco – Chris Galippo, ILB, USC
31. Kansas City – Eddie Pleasant, SS, Oregon
32. New York Giants – Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
33. Pittsburgh – Tavon Wilson, FS, Illinois
34. Green Bay – Garth Gerhart, C, Arizona State
35. New York Jets – Braylon Broughton, OLB, TCU
36. Green Bay – Trevor Coston, FS, Maine
37. New York Jets – Marquis Maze, WR, Alabama
38. Cleveland – Marcel Jones, OT, Nebraska
39. Pittsburgh – Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois
40. Cleveland – Matt Daniels, SS, Duke
41. Pittsburgh – Bryce Brown, RB, Kansas State
42. Atlanta – Eddie Whitley, FS, Virginia Tech
43. San Diego – Dustin Waldron, OT, Portland State
44. Buffalo – Antoine McClain, OG, Clemson
45. St. Louis – Buddy Jackson, CB/KR, Pittsburgh
46. Indianapolis – Frank Alexander, DE, Oklahoma

Don't listen to em Frank, I still think you're relevant!