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1. One of the small effects of the reduced roster on the Penn State players is that the players have to space out their reps over the course of practice. Wide receiver Allen Robinson said that his position coach, Stan Hixon, kept a close eye to make sure the receivers didn’t get overworked. That, head coach Bill O’Brien said, is by design. “I spend more time with our staff planning for practice every day personally than I have ever been around,” said O’Brien, who’s been coaching for more than 20 years.

2. Oklahoma junior quarterback Blake Bell gained a reputation over the past two seasons as the 6-6, 254-pound “Belldozer” who excelled in the Sooners’ goal-line and short-yardage offenses. But as Big 12 blogger David Ubben pointed out on the new ESPN College Football Podcast, the Sooners recruited Bell as a passer. He threw for nearly 6,000 yards and 69 touchdowns in 2008-09 at Wichita (Kan.) Bishop Carroll High. In a league in which no quarterback has more than 18 starts, the Sooners should be fine.

3. Work on the new, $66 million College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta began in January. It fell behind a couple of weeks early because work crews found the foundations of 19th-century dwellings beneath the surface of the land. Hall president John Stephenson said that workers also found a layer of ash -- the residue left when Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman burned Atlanta during the Civil War.

 
Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre talks about the college football playoff, his quarterback competition and young players growing up.

Now that Gus Malzahn's first spring as Auburn's head coach is in the books, the Tigers' new coach released his post-spring depth chart.

Not too many surprises, but the quarterback situation is still very much in the air, as Kiehl Frazier and Jonathan Wallace left the spring basically tied for the starting job. Both shared snaps for the majority of spring and impressed during the spring game.

Both fit the offense well, so this should be an interesting competition in the fall.

Malzahn also announced that safety Demetruce McNeal is back with the team after resolving his off-field issues. He isn't on Auburn's current two-deep because he missed the Tigers' final five days of spring practice.

For a look at Auburn's complete two-deep depth chart heading into the summer, click here.

Pitt defensive back K’Waun Williams will be one of the leaders on a veteran Pitt defense that should be the strength of the team this year. He started 11 games last year and finished with 47 tackles, 2.5 TFL, four interceptions and a pass breakup despite missing one game with a shoulder injury. I spoke with Williams on a trip to Pittsburgh this spring to get his take on the defense and the outlook of the team under coach Paul Chryst. Here are the highlights of our conversation:

With nine starters back on defense, how much confidence do you guys have?

K’Waun Williams: There’s definitely confidence. We’ve been playing together for the past two or three years. We can feed off each other. We pretty much know where everybody is going on the field. There’s definitely a lot of confidence within our defense.

What are your expectations for yourself this year?

KW: Just having a great year, just leading our defense and making those big plays so the team can count on me.

How has it been playing under Matt House?

KW: It’s been real good. He was our defensive back coach last year, now he’s the D-coordinator, but his defense is good. Pretty much we’re all going to be playing fast this year, a lot faster than we did last year.

Has he changed a lot?

KW: In his personality or his defense?

Either. Both.

KW: He’s a little bit more exciting, he’s anxious. The defense is different, it’s a lot different. It allows us to do certain things we didn’t do last year.

You like it?

KW: Definitely. Definitely like it.

Do you feel any more pressure because he’s your coordinator and position coach?

KW: Not really. I spent the year with him, so we know each other a little bit.

How much have you had to study the playbook this spring because it’s different?

KW: A little bit more than usual. I’m playing a lot of inside coverages and outside coverages. I had to learn a little bit more, and I’m playing a little bit safety.

So do you expect your role to change in this defense?

KW: I would say change, but definitely I’m going to be a little more versatile.

So how has your career gone to this point compared with your expectations?

KW: I feel like it went good. My sophomore year, I did pretty good. Last year I had a decent season. I had a lot of injuries last year. I’m just trying to stay healthy so I can be the best I can be this year.

How important is it to you to go out with a bang?

KW: It’s very important. We’ve been all over the place the past couple of years with coaching changes, everything that’s been going on. This is the first year I’ve had consecutive same coaches, so I’m expecting some big things.

How difficult is that from a players’ perspective?

KW: It’s difficult. Every coach has their own certain things they want with the team. Just having to adapt to each coach, that’s a change, but football is football.

What’s Paul Chryst done to stabilize things?

KW: He’s just building a family. He’s doing a lot of family-oriented things. We come together as a team all the time and we talk. We do certain projects with the community, just bringing us together as a family.

I’m sure when the Wisconsin job came open you guys were aware of the rumors of him going there. How relieved were you to hear he was sticking around?

KW: At this point? I was pretty happy, but we went through so many coaching changes, I knew anything was possible. I was just like, ‘alright.’ I just let it play out.

What’s still hanging out there for you guys to do in summer camp? Any lingering concerns?

KW: I think just build more as a team, more as a family. I think that’s what we’ve been missing the past couple of years. We need to build a family unit so we can know each other better. It’s definitely going to turn over onto the field, because guys will have something to play for.

Is the leadership on the team different this year? Is there more of it?

KW: Yeah, there’s definitely more leadership. Guys are doing extra work, everyone is willing to get better. That’s the main thing, the leadership.

What are you looking forward to most about playing in the ACC?

KW: Just the competition, just to go up against the best each and every week. It should be exciting.

Have you guys looked at Florida State?

KW: I have. I have looked at them. I haven’t really gotten in-depth, but I’ve looked at them.

What do you think about them?

KW: They’re a real good team. They’ve got team speed, big guys.

Any more sense of urgency in the offseason because you guys know you’re kicking off against them?

KW: I would say so, but there’s always a sense of urgency. Always.

Sabrina Shankman has the story on Riddell, which marketed a football helmet as protection against concussions despite receiving a report that stated the contrary.

More than a decade ago, the sports equipment manufacturer Riddell was developing a highly anticipated new football helmet designed to reduce players' risk of concussions. The helmet was ambitiously called the Revolution. It would become the most widely used helmet in the NFL and earn millions in sales to players in college, high school and youth leagues.

But back in 2000 the company received a warning: A biomechanics firm hired first by the NFL and later by Riddell to test helmets and study head injuries sent the company a report showing that no football helmet, no matter how revolutionary, could prevent concussions.

In fact, the report stated, even a helmet that passed the industry safety standard for protection against skull fractures and other severe head injuries could leave a player with a 95 percent likelihood of receiving a concussion from a strong enough blow.

Yet the report, made public during a recent Colorado lawsuit, did not deter Riddell from marketing the helmet as protection against concussions. Riddell promoted the Revolution by saying that players who wore it were 31 percent less likely to suffer a concussion -- a figure criticized as an exaggeration by leading experts on head injuries and some members of Congress

Read the rest of Shankman's story here.

Even before the Big Ten announced its new East-West division alignment, the complaints were rolling in from Sparta (read: East Lansing, Mich.). The angst only increased when the divisions became official.

No Big Ten fan base has more outrage about the new divisions than Michigan State's. Spartans supporters wanted to be in the West, away from the Michigan-Ohio State-Penn State triumvirate. They wanted to be in Chicago as much as possible, an area athletic director Mark Hollis has talked about often as a major concentration for MSU fans and alums.

Put us in the West, they said, keep the annual crossover with Michigan and achieve competitive balance. It's so simple!

But the Big Ten brass thought otherwise, assigning divisions based primarily on geography. Michigan State, located in the Eastern portion of the league, joined the three traditional powers -- along with Indiana, Rutgers and Maryland -- in the East division.

To some Spartans fans, the division assignment is the Big Ten's latest dig at their program. Who can forget the great BCS screw job of 2010, where Ohio State, a team we learned later had knowingly violated NCAA rules, went to the Sugar Bowl ahead of a Michigan State squad that had beaten Rose Bowl participant Wisconsin. The following year, a Spartans team that came yards away from a Big Ten championship once again missed a BCS bowl, while its top rival Michigan -- a team Michigan State had defeated earlier that season -- went to the Sugar Bowl.

There's also the general feeling among a portion of MSU fans that the Big Ten always favors Michigan and Ohio State in key decisions.

From my inbox:

Max from Grosse Point, Mich: I just finished reading your interview with Jim Delany and couldn't believe it. His bias for the "protected" schools is clearly evident and disgusting. Do you think it is time for the other schools to band together and remove him?From a MSU fans seat it is obvious that there is not a level playing field in the Big Ten. Waiting until after the Bowl season to force osu to forfeit cost us a Rose Bowl trip. Phantom whistles again vs osu cost us a touchdown and the game last year. Blocking too "hard" vs Nebraska cost us another touchdown and game. It goes on and on.Is there any hope?

David from Henderson, Nev.: I was 26 years old when I made my first (and only) trip to the Rose Bowl to watch the Spartans play. If someone had told me then that MSU wouldn't be back to play in Pasadeener (as JoePa pronounced it) in the next 25 years I would have thought they were crazy. Now after seeing the official realignment, it certainly appears that a return trip will be even more difficult than ever. What are the odds that I will be able to watch MSU play in the Rose Bowl sometime in the NEXT 25 years?

I understand Max's and David's frustration. And there are others who feel similarly. Tuesday afternoon, I caught the end of "The Drive with Jack Ebling," a popular radio show in Lansing, Mich. The word "panic" was used quite a few times to describe the current state of Spartan Nation.

Panic if you'd like, Spartan fans. Complain about the Big Ten's bias against your school. Shout to the heavens about all the perks Ohio State and Michigan seem to get. It's your right to do so.

Or you can embrace the challenge of the East division. Because there's no better platform for Michigan State to find out exactly where its program stands right now.

Michigan State is enjoying its most successful stretch in years under coach Mark Dantonio. The Spartans have a team-record six consecutive bowl appearances under Dantonio. They recorded back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in team history in 2010 and 2011, claimed a share of the Big Ten title for the first time in 20 years in 2010, and won the inaugural Legends Division championship the following year.

Many non-MSU fans irked by the potential imbalance of the divisions mention "four power programs" in the East, including Michigan State alongside Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Whether that's true or not is up for debate -- some argue Michigan State is a superior program to Wisconsin, which is simply false -- but no one would be making that case five years ago. It's a testament to Dantonio and what he has done in East Lansing.

So embrace the difficulty of the East. Don't run away from the tougher road to Indianapolis.

"You have to take risk in order to have great opportunities," Hollis told Ebling's show on WVFN radio Tuesday. "There's a couple ways you look at things, half-full or half empty. I applaud fans' persepctive and I'm glad many of them express how they feel. At the same time, I always say you are who you walk with. You are who you play against.

"I very much want to be in a conglomerate of the best of the best."

Hollis has the right approach. Whether or not he pushed to get Michigan State in the West Division -- and I'm told he did -- he recognizes what having success in the East can do for a program still fighting for national respect in some circles.

Despite Michigan State's recent run of consistency, some can't get past the fact it began as Michigan sunk to historic lows under Rich Rodriguez. There's a belief that as Brady Hoke makes Michigan into Michigan again -- through recruiting and on-field performance -- Michigan State's program will backslide.

Michigan State can beat Michigan every year in the East. It can also take on Ohio State and Penn State every year. Time to panic? No. Time to perform? Absolutely.

"Michigan and Ohio State have historically been great foes against Michigan State," Hollis told the radio show. "They will continue to be. Those are the ballgames you want to see take place in Spartan Stadium. I'm ready to face it head-on."

Asked about the concern of some Spartans fans, Hollis said, "I understand how some could come to that conclusion, but I think as you walk through it and as you look at the opportunities Michigan State's going to have, you get pretty darn excited about what our future is going to look like."

He's excited. Michigan State fans should be, too.

It was nothing more than a simple tackling drill, but to Missouri running back Henry Josey, it meant everything.

A year and half removed from a devastating knee injury that required three separate surgeries, Josey was back in pads looking to hit someone on the first day of spring practice contact.

Josey swiftly maneuvered his way by a defender, causing him to laugh through his face mask, but as he chuckled past his embarrassed teammate, he suddenly felt the jolt from another defender undercutting him.

Josey picked himself up, dusted off, looked at his teammate and laughed some more.

It was exactly what he wanted.

“I was looking for the contact the first day we got to hit each other and I wanted to get it over with,” said Josey, who hadn’t been hit since his injury against Texas in mid-November of 2011.

Just to refresh you on Josey’s setback, his surgeries were performed to repair his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), meniscus and patellar tendon. He also had an arthroscopic cleanup.

Josey said there wasn’t much immediate shock when his injury occurred and emotional pain didn’t set in until he found out he had a smorgasbord of injuries to deal with inside his left knee.

“I was more pissed off about it than anything,” he said. “It didn’t really hit me until I got to the hospital that I was actually hurt and my season was over with. It took a big toll on me when it happened and I was hoping I could get back up from it, but I couldn’t.”

The severity of Josey’s injury caused early retirement talk with so much damage and so many surgeries. Josey said he tried to stay positive, but there were moments during his long rehab in which he wanted to quit. The excruciating pain made him wonder if it was all worth it.

“I thought about giving up a lot,” he said with a laugh.

Josey laughed because he finally understood that every stretch, twist and bend his knee underwent in the last year was worth tasting that first hit in March. He dreaded the 30 minutes he spent each day for about a month having his knee bent and stretched to a certain degree on a Biodex machine.

Then there was the helpless feeling with everyday chores. Family members drove 14 hours to assist him and his roommate, former linebacker Will Ebner, had to feed him sometimes. He even had to help him shower at first.

“That’s how weird it got,” Josey said.

But through all the awkward and almost pity-filled moments, Josey said he could see hope in a return to the football field.

That’s what kept him going.

Josey didn’t have a timetable for his return, but he was sprinting and cutting last fall. While he tried to get back into running shape, he watched his teammates stumble through a 5-7 year in their first season in the SEC.

Sometimes it hurt more to watch and not contribute than the actual knee pain.

“It was really tough for me,” he said. “You wanted to help your team out and try to keep picking them up, even though you’re not able to play. It was a big toll on myself watching them play by themselves without me.”

But his teammates aren’t without him anymore. Josey surged back this spring and mimicked his old playmaking ways at times. Josey was the Big 12’s top running back before his injury (1,168 yards and nine touchdowns on 145 carries) and he feels he’s getting back to that level. He slashed, he was a home-run threat and he could pound the ball when needed.

Josey was exactly what Missouri’s tattered 2012 offense needed, but all he could do was sit and watch. This fall, people will be sitting and watching him, and Josey hopes his solid spring carries over to the fall.

“I did exactly what I wanted to [this spring],” he said.

“I’m really proud of myself and I give God all the glory for being able to be back out here and doing what I’m doing again. I’m 100 percent now and I have nothing to worry about anymore.”

PHOENIX -- Worldviews are regional. Your thoughts on a subject are undoubtedly influenced by where you are from and the people who raised you and your lifelong associations. That can be good news and bad news. And, of course, it can get complicated.

In the case of NBA player Jason Collins becoming the first active, openly gay player in one of the four major U.S. pro sports leagues, it's not surprising that the message from the Pac-12 is one of support, and not just because Collins is a former Stanford star and therefore one of the conference's own.

"Our schools consider themselves progressive and believe strongly in equality," Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said. "Those are very important principles that our schools stand for. That’s one of the great things about sports. Athletes can be role models for society. Sport is so much about merit-based. People come from different socio-economic backgrounds, racial backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, and, on the sporting field or in the arena, those differences don’t matter. It’s being part of a team. And in an individual sport, it’s about performance. Sport is a great leveler. I think in this case, I hope what Jason Collins has done is yet another example of sport providing a path forward for society to have a civil discourse and talk openly about these issues and differences in society. I think it’s a great role sports can play."

Of course, in the framework of college football, the Pac-12 is different. For one, it's mostly urban, with schools based in metropolises such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Phoenix. City folk tend to be more cosmopolitan. Further, the conference's college towns, notably Boulder and Eugene, tend to lean strongly progressive.

For lack of a better way to describe it, the Pac-12 is bluer than a lot of other conferences.

Or is that just more parochial thinking?

"I think it’s not just the West Coast," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "It’s the younger generation. They have grown up in a different world than we have. The world is different now. Us older folks expect some form of Armageddon. Whereas the younger people, it’s like ‘OK, what’s next?’ This is the generation that grew up with TV and movies addressing homosexuality. It’s not as big a deal to them as it is to us. We think something crazy is going to happen. The kids are like, ‘Yeah, whatever. That’s not who I am, but that’s who he is. OK. No problem. Can he shoot free throws? Can he play with his back to the basket?’ That’s what they care about."

That said, the Pac-12 blog is unaware of any conference football player who is openly gay. The likelihood is high that several players are and therefore are operating as Collins did during his college career, feeling forced to keep their orientation a secret from coaches and teammates.

There's a reason this is a big story. Again: Collins is the first active, openly gay player in one of the four major U.S. pro sports leagues. You also can throw in major college football and men's basketball.

The notion of progress is that one day this won't be a major story. We are not yet at that point.

Although the reaction to Collins' announcement has been strongly positive across the country, reflecting a national trend toward tolerance, there are plenty of folks who see things differently. Scott seemed less comfortable when asked whether the Pac-12 would take direct action if someone spoke out against homosexuality.

"I guess I’d have to look specifically at our rule -- I don’t’ know off the top of my head what rule that would fall under," he said. "But I would put it in the bucket of other things. If something were said in any discriminatory way or biased way that was inconsistent with the values that the conference stands for, it might be something we’d look at. But I wouldn’t limit it to this issue. To me, it belongs in a broader basket."

The message from Pac-12 coaches and administrators, though, seemed to be of one voice, even if long-held personal opinions were being challenged by Collins' announcement. There will be more Jason Collinses. Tolerance is the future.

"That’s where we should be as a society," Washington athletic director Scott Woodward said. "Those are obvious things to us as an athletic department and to us as an academic and educational community. We’ve always felt that way. [The Collins story] is a huge deal, but for us, if it happened to us, we wouldn’t be rolling around shocked. We’d be like, ‘OK.’"

Former Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett is trading in the Seminoles' war chant for "Country Roads."

He's announced plans to transfer to West Virginia, where he'll be eligible to compete for the Mountaineers' starting quarterback job immediately.

From our news story:

Trickett, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, left Florida State after it became apparent redshirt freshman Jameis Winston had an edge in the competition at the end of spring practices.

Trickett completed 66 of 106 passes (62.3 percent) for 947 yards and seven touchdowns with four interceptions in two seasons of backup action.

Trickett lived in West Virginia for seven years while his father Rick was an offensive line coach there.

Earlier this morning, Trickett took to Twitter to announce his plans, too.

"This is a dream come true to be playin for the state I love," he wrote.

It definitely makes the West Virginia quarterback competition a whole lot more interesting, and Texas natives Ford Childress and Paul Millard have a lot to prove once fall camp arrives. Trickett will be on campus this summer and plans to enroll in classes on May 20.

Something tells me those 7-on-7 voluntary workouts with the team over the summer got a big competitive jolt.

It’s going to be a good 2014 NFL draft for the Pac-12. So says Sports Illustrated. The magazine has released a 2014 mock draft and -- assuming some players come out early -- it could be a nice haul for the conference. Nicer than we’ve seen in quite some time.

Of course, a lot can happen between now and next April. Stocks will rise and fall with every pass/incomplete, catch/drop and tackle/missed tackle. Public perception will go all coo-coo bananas on a week-to-week basis. Writer Chris Burke even stipulates that this is more of an exercise on getting the word out about top prospects -- rather than trying to turn the next draft/draft order into exact science. It's an offseason conversation-starter. So enjoy, and take it for what it's worth.

In other words, take everything below with a grain (or spoonful) of salt. Plenty will stay up in the air for the next 360 or so days. But let’s take a glance anyway at which players might crack Round 1 come the 2014 draft.

There are a few names that could even be added to this list -- Marcus Mariota, Ka'Deem Carey, Xavier Su'a-Filo and Jordan Richards come to mind. And if Keith Price returns to his 2011 form, which many see happening in Washington's new up-tempo offense, we could see his stock trend back up to where it was a year ago.

Here’s the list of SI's 10 potential first-round picks from the Pac-12.

• Marqise Lee, WR, USC, No. 4, Cleveland Browns
• Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA, No. 9, Philadelphia Eagles
• Morgan Breslin, DE, USC, No. 10, Tennessee Titans
• Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State, No. 14, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington, TE, No. 15, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon, No. 19, St. Louis Rams
• Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA, No. 20, Chicago Bears
• Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford, No. 25, Green Bay Packers
• Colt Lyerla, TE, Oregon, No. 27, Seattle Seahawks
• David Yankey, OG, Stanford, No. 30, Atlanta Falcons

Alabama might have fallen to No. 2 in ESPN colleague Mark Schlabach's Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25, but I'd like to think that most of the college football world still considers the Crimson Tide to be the favorites to win the national championship again.

Alabama lost nine draft picks, including three first-rounders, but Nick Saban has a host of talent returning on both sides of the ball, and the Tide's schedule isn't too daunting after the first two games.

But there are teams that will test the Tide's road to a national championship trifecta in 2013. Colleague Travis Haney picked five teams from around the country that could challenge Alabama's title hopes this fall. Ohio State topped his list, while Texas A&M made it from the SEC.

No surprise there with the Aggies. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel returns with a bundle of riches to accompany him in the Aggies' backfield.

Johnny Football might not have Luke Joeckel protecting him, but Jake Matthews provides quite the safety net with his move to left tackle, and there is still talent and experience up front. Mike Evans leads a young but talented group of pass-catchers.

The defense is a concern, with five members of last season's front seven gone, but the Aggies will still be equipped to win most shootouts.

A&M benefits from getting Alabama at home early in the season, but has to play Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU and Missouri on the road. Even beating Alabama early doesn't guarantee the Aggies will make it to Atlanta over the Tide.

Here are four other SEC teams that could wreck Alabama's title train this fall:

Florida

The Gators will yet again be elite on defense. First-round draft picks Sharrif Floyd and Matt Elam might be gone, but Dominique Easley moves back to his more natural position at defensive tackle and could one of the best at his position this fall. Marcus Roberson and Loucheiz Purifoy could be the top cornerback duo in the SEC, while inside linebacker Antonio Morrison has the makings of being a budding star.

The offense is still a concern, especially with the lack of proven receiving talent, but quarterback Jeff Driskel has found a lot more confidence in his second year under offensive coordinator Brent Pease, and he'll have a much tougher offensive line and another loaded backfield to work with.

Georgia

Sure, the defense is younger and less experienced, but people in Athens are excited about the younger guys taking over. They were very receptive to coaching and showed continued improvement this spring. Linebacker Jordan Jenkins has playmaker written all over him, while freshman Tray Matthews could be the next big thing at safety. Having Damian Swann back at cornerback is huge.

Offensively, Georgia will be able to score on just about everyone. Aaron Murray is looking to be the first SEC quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in four seasons, and should leave with a handful of SEC/Georgia records. He has five offensive linemen returning, the best one-two running back punch (Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall) and plenty of receivers to throw to, including Malcolm Mitchell, who has moved back to offense full-time.

LSU

Yes, the Tigers lost a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but Les Miles seemed pretty happy with where his defense was -- especially his defensive line -- at the end of spring. Jermauria Rasco could be a big-time player at defensive end for LSU, while linebacker Lamin Barrow has the talent to be an All-SEC performer. The return of cornerbacks Jalen Collins and Jalen Mills should continue the Tigers' trend of having an elite secondary.

The offense should be better, too. Zach Mettenberger is way more comfortable in the offense and has developed better chemistry with his receiving targets, which all return from last season. He'll have a solid offensive line in front of him and a loaded backfield. Although, it will be important to see what happens to the suspended Jeremy Hill, who could be the Tigers' top offensive weapon.

South Carolina

Jadeveon Clowney hasn't left, and the Gamecocks should once again be stacked along their defensive line. South Carolina does have to replace its two-deep at linebacker and has a couple of holes in its secondary, but we all know that a good defensive line can mask weaknesses behind it.

And the offense should be pretty balanced this fall. South Carolina possesses two solid quarterbacks and a talented running back stable led by rising sophomore Mike Davis. Bruce Ellington is back at receiver, and it sounds like the very talented Shaq Roland is finally starting to come around and should be a valuable receiving target this fall. This team has the personnel to make it back to Atlanta.

The Wake Forest coaches are big fans of receiver Michael Campanaro. The Deacs love their top receiver. They know what he can do.

Which is why they didn’t really miss him all too much this spring as Campanaro sat out to recover from ankle surgery.

It was the perfect opportunity for the program to find a complement to “Camp.”

With Campanaro sidelined, receiver Orville Reynolds emerged as a dependable second option for veteran quarterback Tanner Price -- so much so that Reynolds was voted by his teammates as the most improved offensive player this spring. In fact, Reynolds was impressive enough that he actually put the coaches in a bit of a predicament -- now they feel obligated to find a place for him on the field this fall.

“He took advantage of his opportunity,” offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke said. “He made a lot of big plays for us. We’re trying to do more things in the run game with the receivers, kind of like we used to do with Kenny Moore back in the day. He’s really good at that, that’s really his forte, and he’s getting better at doing those slot receiver routes that we do, those balls that Camp catches over the middle and stuff, he’s getting better at those things.

“The biggest problem we have right now is, when Camp comes back, what do we do with Orville?” Lobotzke said. “We’re trying to figure out if we’re in a three receivers set, is Orville good enough to play one of the other positions and not just slot? Can he slide in outside, or put him in the boundary, or whatever? Because right now, he and Camp are overlapping. We want to have two of those guys, but we hate to have two of our faster, better players stacked up behind each other on the depth chart. We’re trying to figure out where Orville fits right now, but he’s got a bright future. After Camp graduates, I think the show will be his at slot.”

Reynolds, a converted running back, is so thrilled to be a part of the offense he’ll play just about anywhere they ask him to lineup.

“I’m just ready to do whatever the coaches want me to do, wherever I have to be on the field,” Reynolds said. “I know that a lot of eyes are going to be on Camp, so maybe I’ll free up somewhere else, but wherever the coaches want me to play, then that’s where I’ll play. I’m just excited that I can be used in the offense.”

Midway through last season, the staff decided to move Reynolds from running back to slot receiver. Lobotzke kindly described Reynolds as a “fish out of water,” getting limited playing time behind superstar Campanaro.

That clearly changed this spring.

“I was a lot more comfortable,” Reynolds said. “It was a lot of work to get the feel for everything. I just thank God I got a shot to show everybody what I have.”

As a former running back, one of Reynolds’ strengths is catching the ball in open space and gaining the yards after the catch. Reynolds said he and Campanaro are good friends, and that Campanaro has given him advice on the position. Despite missing two full games and most of a third last fall, Campanaro still set an ACC single-season record for per-game pass reception average (7.9), making 79 catches for 763 yards and six touchdowns. He had over 12 catches in a game on three different occasions, including an ACC record-tying 16 grabs in the Deacs’ win over Boston College.

This fall, he might be even more productive if Reynolds continues to be another option the defenses must be concerned about.

“He's kind of embraced the slot position,” head coach Jim Grobe said. “Going through spring, as much as we love Camp and we know he can play, I thought it was a perfect scenario for Orville to show whether he could play or not. He had a great spring -- did some good things running the football, catching it. Just a completely different kid from what we've had the past couple of years. So I do think we have a guy that can back-up Campanaro. But what he's done for us is he's probably made us look at having two slots on the field sometimes.”

The 2013 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror, so now it's time to look into our crystal ball one year into the future at all the tantalizing possibilities for the 2014 NFL draft.

The most tantalizing thought of all: South Carolina behemoth defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater both declare as underclassmen and therefore produce one of the biggest debates in recent memory. Do you take a game-changing defensive end with the No. 1 overall pick or a franchise quarterback?

They are already rated as the top two players available for 2014 in several mock drafts. So Edward Aschoff in SEC land and Andrea Adelson in Big East/AAC land decided to let the debate begin!

AA: The first thing I want to say is I love Clowney. I love watching him play. I love his demeanor. I love his personality. I had a front-row seat for the Outback Bowl and chronicled his demolition of Michigan running back Vincent Smith, the best play I have ever seen in person. Now, having said that, is there really a debate here? Honestly? To build an NFL team, you build at quarterback. That is why the overwhelming majority of No. 1 overall picks have been quarterbacks. Let's just go back to 2000 to make things easy. Do you know how many No. 1 overall picks were quarterbacks in that time span? Ten. Do you know how many No. 1 overall picks were defensive ends in that same span? Two. Teddy Bridgewater has every single measurable tool every single NFL team wants. He has a great arm, great physical size and can make plays with his legs. And he has every single intangible every NFL team wants. He is a gritty leader, plays through pain, is a student of the game, obsesses about every detail and has absolutely no character issues. Bridgewater is the clear choice.

EA: I love Bridgewater. He can sling it with the best of them and has the toughness that any coach at either the college or pro level would want. I'd start a franchise around him, if Jadeveon Clowney wasn't sitting there. Yes, the NFL has turned into more of an offensive league, but let's just look at the most recent Super Bowl. Defense wins championships, and Clowney will make an immediate impact with whichever team wins his sweepstakes. Were scouts and talking heads clamoring for Bridgewater to skip the 2013 season so that he could guarantee his spot as the first player taken in next year's draft? In the words of Kevin McCallister: I don't think so. Clowney is more than just a man-child. I'm not sure he's even human. He runs a 4.5 40-yard dash at 6-6, 272 pounds. He's a physical specimen and could play in the NFL right now. He would have been the unquestioned first pick in this year's draft if he could have left early. "The Hit" was only the beginning. Also, he's going up against the best offensive lines in the country and still has 21 sacks, 33.5 tackles for loss and seven forced fumbles during his two-year career. How is Bridgewater's stock going to go any higher playing in the Big East?

AA: His stock is not going to go up any higher because he already is listed either No. 1 or No. 2 on just about every early 2014 mock NFL draft. Where do you want him to go, infinity and beyond? The competition will be bland this year, but forget that. Bridgewater will always have Florida. Clowney? Not so much. Scoreboard says Louisville > Florida > South Carolina in 2012. And yes, if the Gamecocks had Bridgewater under center, they would have been playing for another SEC title last year. One more point on the schedule. Whom did Eric Fisher play against in the MAC that warranted his selection as the No. 1 overall pick? Fisher was selected over a player at his position from the SEC. So throw conference affiliation out. Now, let's look at what value a quarterback brings to a team versus what value a defensive end brings to a team. For my millions upon millions, I want a player who touches the ball every single play he is no the field. There is no doubt that Clowney is a once-in-a-lifetime player. But it is much more difficult for a once-in-a-lifetime defensive player to change the fortunes of a pro team without a strong quarterback behind center. Defense may win championships, but the last time I checked, No. 1 overall picks John Elway, Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning all won Super Bowls. Mario Williams, Courtney Brown and Bruce Smith? Nada.

EA: Wow! So you're putting Teddy Heisman in the same boat as Elway and the Mannings? My goodness. I mean he's good, but his shinning moment was beating a Florida squad that barely made it off the bus in New Orleans. Here's the thing about Clowney: He still has a lot of room to grow. He's admitted to taking plays off last year, and he was still arguably the best defensive player in the country. Imagine if he had played to his full potential last year. And everyone in Columbia seems to think that he's ready to become a complete player. Think about that for a second. He's even more motivated going into his final year. He wants to prove something and he might just prove that he's the best player in the country, regardless of position. You don't find athletes like Clowney every day. There are plenty of quarterbacks out there who could be franchise players. There's no one in next year's draft who comes close to measuring up to the kind of defender Clowney is -- and will be. Sure, he won't throw any touchdowns and he won't have the ball in his hands every play, but he'll change games for his future team. He'll figure out a way to get the ball back to his offense and he'll figure out a way to get points on the scoreboard. He might even do it himself sometimes. The bottom line is that Clowney is a rare breed, and passing on him with the first pick would be foolish.

The Big Ten made big news Sunday by announcing its new division alignment for the 2014 season, as well as a move to nine conference games beginning in 2016. We covered all the news here and here and here, but several components of the moves merit further analysis.

During the next few days we'll be breaking down the divisions and the new conference schedule model, their impact now and in the future, as the College Football Playoff is just a year away. These aren't exactly Take Twos, but they're similar, as we'll both be sharing our thoughts on these big-ticket items.

Today's topic is: How will the nine-game conference schedule affect the Big Ten's chances of getting into the College Football Playoff?

Brian Bennett

First and foremost, the Big Ten needs to play better. Period. The league likely would not have put a team into the four-team playoff in any of the past five seasons had the system been in place (though Ohio State would have made it last year if not for probation).

Yet a nine-game conference schedule, along with the Big Ten's commitment to not play FCS teams and add at least one respectable BCS opponent in the nonconference slate, will make the prospects of reaching the final four more difficult. Any Big Ten champion will likely have to go 13-0 or 12-1 to gain any realistic consideration, and that will mean navigating a challenging course of nine league games plus the conference championship game, not to mention any tough out-of-league contests.

There's a reason the SEC and ACC are sticking to only eight conference games, and the Pac-12 is mulling a scale back from nine to eight. It's a lot easier to buy yourself a guaranteed win than risk playing a conference opponent that knows you inside and out. Still, I applaud the Big Ten for raising the bar. The conference really needs to prove itself in key interleague play more than anything, whether that's games such as Michigan State playing Oregon, Wisconsin facing Alabama, Ohio State taking on Texas or Nebraska going up against Oklahoma. Win those, and a conference loss won't sign the death warrant on playoff hopes.

Running the table with a nine-game schedule is not impossible. Oregon did it in Pac-12 in 2010 on its way to the BCS title game. Would Ohio State have lost if it played another Big Ten game last year? Doubtful, since the Buckeyes had already beaten Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. A nine-game schedule rewards greatness, and a Big Ten team that goes undefeated in the league would have a great shot at the playoff even with a nonconference setback.

The nine-game schedule absolutely adds to the degree of difficulty for the Big Ten when it comes to the playoff. But the league hasn't exactly been racking up national championships over the past few decades, anyway. This is still the right move for a variety of reasons, and the best teams will show themselves to be deserving.

Adam Rittenberg

Although I love disagreeing with Mr. Bennett, he's spot on with his analysis here. The Big Ten's push for the College Football Playoff still has more to do with building enough depth at the top than how many league games it plays. As I've written for years, the Big Ten simply doesn't have enough programs that are equipped to compete for national titles year in and year out. Pinning your hopes on Ohio State to skate through a favorable schedule in a weak league every year isn't a sustainable formula for improving the conference.

Ultimately, the Big Ten wants to reach a point where a team doesn't have to run the table to make the playoff. The league should strive to create a reputation in which a one-loss Big Ten team that played a competitive nonconference schedule deserves consideration for the playoff. That's why I like the league-wide initiative to beef up the pre-conference slate. We're already seeing results from programs such as Wisconsin, which used to be averse to anything resembling a challenge in early September, as well as Ohio State and Michigan State. As Bennett points out, the Big Ten needs to start winning more of the major non-league tests.

So yes, a nine-game schedule creates a tougher path to the playoff, particularly for the teams in the loaded East Division. I liked the Big Ten's plan to keep an eight-game league schedule and add the Pac-12 partnership, but when that went kaput, a move to nine games seemed inevitable. There are too many good reasons to play each other more often -- TV, fan-friendly games, rivalries -- in an expanded conference.

It would be a major surprise if a Big Ten team that went 13-0 -- including 10 league wins -- is left out of the playoff. Running the table certainly becomes tougher, but the league's macro goal remains the same: to build greater depth at the top and create a reputation more like the SEC's, in which you don't need to be perfect to be one of the nation's top four teams. Remember, league champions should in some cases have priority in terms of playoff access. The Big Ten champion gains greater credibility, even with one loss, if it gets through a nine-game conference schedule rather than an eight-gamer.

More B1G Debate

• Division balance

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Two words attach themselves to Michigan defensive end Frank Clark.

The first is potential. Clark has plenty. Wolverines All-American left tackle Taylor Lewan saw it throughout spring practice, when he faced Clark on a daily basis. Michigan coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison also see what the 6-foot-2, 277-pound Cleveland native could be this season for the Wolverines defense.

"He's so athletic, it's unmatched in my opinion," Lewan told ESPN.com. "He has so much potential to do so many things here, which would be awesome. But a person told me once that potential means you haven’t done anything yet. Frank has the opportunity this year to really come out and blossom."

The value of that opportunity isn't lost on Clark because he nearly threw it away last summer. He pleaded guilty in September to second-degree home invasion after admitting to stealing a laptop computer from a student's room in his dormitory. The offense took place June 14 -- Clark's 19th birthday.

Clark was suspended for Michigan's season-opening loss to Alabama before returning to the field.

"I had to mature after last year," Clark said. "My coaches, as much as they've done for me, giving me another opportunity to play here at this great school, another opportunity to further my education despite everything I went through last year, there's nothing more I could have asked for."

The lesson for Clark?

"I’ve got to stay out the way, I can't get into any more trouble, I can't do what I did," he said.

Although Clark missed only one game, he paid "heavy consequences" for his mistake, according to Hoke, inside the walls of Schembechler Hall. Hoke saw changes in Clark, especially after the season and when Michigan got into spring ball.

"Growing up as a young man, you really see an accountability to his teammates from Frank," Hoke said.

There's that second word, accountability. Clark always has had potential to be a star, but only recently has he embraced the need to be accountable and the responsibility he now carries for the Wolverines' defense.

Just a true junior, Clark is one of Michigan's most experienced defensive linemen along with Quinton Washington and Jibreel Black. He has appeared in 23 games, starting four last season, and quietly recorded nine tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups in 2012.

When Michigan lost All-Big Ten linebacker Jake Ryan to a torn ACL in March, the big question around the program was who would step into a featured role for a defense that, aside from Ryan, lacked star power last season. Clark's name came up a lot.

"Playing last year and having a bigger role than my freshman year, it forced me to change my mindset," Clark said. "I've got a new set of goals. I've got things I know I've got to help my team out with a little bit more. I've got to be more of an impact player on the defense. I've got to help bring the defense together in the absence of one of our leaders, Jake Ryan.

"Whether it's working harder in the weight room or working harder on the field, I'm doing whatever I can do to help motivate the guys under me: Mario [Ojemudia], Taco [Charlton], the whole defensive line."

Thanks to Lewan, Clark had no trouble keeping track of his progress this spring. They went at it during team drills in workouts, and challenged each other in the weight room, even if they were in different lifting groups.

They competed to see who could do the heaviest set of squats, the top bench-press total and the most pull-ups. Clark didn't win each time, but his victories boosted his confidence.

"I say it to myself, I say it to my family and my friends back home," Clark said. "When you're going against the best offensive lineman in the nation -- and that's how I feel about Taylor -- there's nothing else in the world that can challenge you more. He's an All-American. He's somewhere I want to be, somewhere all my life that I dream to be.

"If I can put myself in that position, live up to expectations of what many people see me as, I know how much I can help my team out."

Mattison has made the pass rush a major priority after Michigan finished eighth in the Big Ten and 78th nationally in sacks last season with 22. The Wolverines lose end Craig Roh (four sacks) to graduation and Ryan (4.5 sacks) for at least the start of the season.

There's a bigger burden on players like Clark, Black, Ojemudia and Taco Charlton, a 6-6, 265-pound man-child who enrolled early and went through spring drills.

"He's grown up," Mattison said of Clark. "He's understanding that he has a responsibility to this defense because he is a veteran and he's played quite a bit of football, so his best performance is the only thing that's acceptable."

Mattison tells Clark that "potential is nothing." Those who live up to it separate themselves.

After last summer, Clark is ready to take that step.

"You can't make the same mistake twice," he said. "That's in life and on the field."