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1. Arizona State coach Todd Graham is going to hang in his new office, if he hasn’t already, a portrait of late Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry. “He’s a guy that I looked up to, growing up in Dallas,” Graham said. Landry wore a coat and tie on the sideline. Graham’s players will dress for success, too. “When we get on the bus, I want to put a blazer on them,” he said. “I want to teach these guys looking like a champion is the first step to being one. Isn’t that part of getting an education?”

2. A study released earlier this year by Winthrop Intelligence, a firm that performs research for athletic administrators, surveyed the salaries of 472 assistant coaches in the six AQ conferences. Linebacker coaches had the highest average salary ($256,143). Lowest: wide receivers/tight ends ($199,314). Of the 20 assistant coaches making more than $500,000, nine of them worked in the SEC. That’s past tense because former Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn now is the head coach at Arkansas State.

3. Here’s one thing to think about regarding Florida State and its frustration with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The basis of any television rights fees is going to be based on past performance and what both sides project for the future. The Seminoles dominated the ACC for their first decade in the league. They dropped the reins in their second decade, when football muscled out basketball as the driving force behind collegiate rights fees. If the ACC fell behind other leagues, it’s because Florida State fell behind, too.

Joe Schad, Jesse Palmer and Ed Cunningham discuss conference expansion and if Notre Dame should remain independent.

Going head-to-head is nothing new for Miami quarterbacks Stephen Morris and Ryan Williams.

They’ve been competing against each other since high school.

Who had the edge then? Depends on whom you ask.

“If you ask Ryan, I’m sure he probably did,” Morris said. “But that was a preseason game. During the regular season, we’re both 1-1.”

Who has the edge now? TBD.

Morris and his good friend Williams are both competing to be Miami’s starting quarterback this fall, and both are tired of watching from the sideline. Williams, a transfer from Memphis, had to sit out last year because of NCAA transfer rules. Morris took the backseat to former starter Jacory Harris, who won his job back last year after missing the season opener against Maryland because of the NCAA investigation. Morris has the edge in experience, but he missed spring practices to recover from a back injury. Williams took advantage of the extra snaps, but the competition will continue throughout summer camp.

“Me and Ryan have been together forever,” Morris said. “We came in in the same class and went through Nike camp together, and played against each other a couple of times. It’s definitely a lot more funnier, just because we go against each other with our records we had in high school and stuff like that.

“Just knowing Ryan and where he comes from, and knowing he has a great family, a great relationship with his parents, and a great relationship with my parents as well, it just makes things more comfortable,” Morris said. “At the same time, the flip side is that it could be a little more personal. But at the end of the day, we’re all going for the same position and we’re all behind each other.”

Morris, who had optional back surgery before spring practices began, said he has felt no lingering effects and that he has been able to do everything the coaches have since asked of him. It’s been a while, though, since he was leading the offense.

Morris played in five games and started one last season, the opener against Maryland. He completed 26-of-37 passes (70.3 percent) with no touchdowns and two interceptions. As a freshman, Morris played in six games and started four when Harris suffered a concussion. He threw for 1,240 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.

While at Memphis in 2010, Williams started 10 of 12 games and completed 165 of 290 passes for 2,075 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the spring game, he completed 15 of 27 passes for 167 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

“It was a lot of fun, but it was a big learning experience for me, being able to go out there and run the offense, getting a lot of reps and just getting back on the field after sitting out a year,” Williams said. “I feel like I did pretty good. … If I go out and do what I’m supposed to and do what I’m capable of, I feel like I have a pretty good chance to win the job.”

So far, though, they’re both still even at 1-1 in this competition.

Don't you just hate it when a coach suddenly leaves, and your team is left in the lurch? The future of the program seems to hang in the balance without a sense of direction or leadership.

Imagine how North Carolina’s players feel. First Butch Davis was fired, and then they had to prepare for and play in a bowl game knowing interim coach Everett Withers was leaving for Ohio State.

Our “coaches we love to hate” theme continues today with coaches who have left teams in a lurch -- at unexpected or awkward times. It might have been for another job, because of a scandal, or a disagreement with the administration. Whatever the reason, they’re no longer coaching in the ACC.

Here are three of the more memorable departures in recent years in the ACC, and you'll notice a trend here: They're all in the Atlantic Division:

1. Former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden: There’s getting fired, and then there’s getting fired in October. In 2008, Bowden was fired four days after Clemson lost to Wake Forest. The Tigers were ranked No. 9 that year in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 and had been favored to win the ACC. Instead, Clemson started out 3-3, including a thud on the national stage with a 24-point loss to Alabama. Quarterback Cullen Harper added to the drama when he said Bowden deserved to be fired. After a decade of coming up short, Bowden offered to resign. Even though it happened midseason, it didn’t come as much of a surprise, considering Clemson had lost to Maryland and Wake Forest, starting out 1-2 in conference play. Dabo Swinney was named interim head coach for the rest of the season and took over the team heading into the Georgia Tech game. It was an emotional week for the Tigers, who lost to the Jackets 21-17. Swinney instituted a new tradition in the Tiger Walk. He started a new quarterback, Willy Korn. And eventually, he did what Bowden could not, and won the school’s first ACC title since 1991.

2. Former Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski:This story was about defiance. Athletic director Gene DeFilippo had specifically told Jagodzinski he could not interview with the Jets. He would be fired if he did. Jagodzinski did it anyway. And he was fired in January 2009. “I did everything in the spirit of the contract,” Jagodzinski told ESPN that year. DeFilippo said Jagodzinski was fired “without cause.” Jagodzinski lasted only two years at BC, and he had three years remaining on his contract. He was a smug coach, but he was also successful. In just two seasons, Jagodzinski led the Eagles to back-to-back ACC title games, losing both to Virginia Tech. They were 11-3 his first season, and ranked as high as No. 2 nationally. (Yes, we’re still talking about Boston College). It was Jagodzinski’s first head-coaching job. A year later, Jagodzinski was fired by Tampa Bay. The following year he was fired by the UFL’s Omaha Nighthawks. Interviewing with the Jets was one costly decision.

3. Former Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen (and his coach-in-waiting): This one is still puzzling. The ACC’s 2010 Coach of the Year was fired and replaced by the Big East Coach of the Year. The ACC’s 2010 Rookie of the Year was benched in favor of an inexperienced backup. Under that game plan, a nine-win bowl season deteriorated to a two-win disaster.

Huh?

“It didn’t need to end this way,” Friedgen told Mike Wise of the Washington Post.

Ironically, it didn’t end after his 2-10 season in 2009. Instead, Friedgen was given the opportunity to pull the program together, and he managed to do that with a respectable eight-win regular season and a win in the Military Bowl, Friedgen’s final game as head coach.

Athletic director Kevin Anderson, who at the time was new to the job, originally told Friedgen he would return for 2011. Anderson had issued a written statement saying that Friedgen would be allowed to coach the final year of his contract.

Friedgen called for an extension, and Anderson called an audible and gave Friedgen his buyout notice. Meanwhile, Friedgen’s successor, James Franklin, left to become head coach at Vanderbilt. In a matter of a week, Maryland went from having the coach of the year and his successor, to having no coach at all -- intentionally.

With rumors and speculation continuing to swirl around conference realignment scenarios, Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver made it clear the Hokies aren't going anywhere. When asked on Tuesday how seriously he has considered leaving the ACC, Weaver said, "We have no interest in leaving the ACC."

"Virginia Tech is in the middle of the footprint of the conference," he said. "We have wanted to be in the Atlantic Coast Conference since its beginning in 1953. We're happy with our membership and the quality of the academic institutions we associate with and we believe we are in the proper conference for us."

Weaver said the ACC athletic directors aren't concerned about the Florida State rumors.

"I don't really think there's anything going on," Weaver said. "I think it was an individual who made some comments from his perspective that got things riled up a little."

Out with the old, in with the new. The ACC has lost a lot of talent from 2011, including arguably the best player in the conference in former Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. There are still a lot of names for fans to be excited about, though, as we get closer to summer camp. Which players in the conference will emerge as the best? Well, based on past performances and their bubbling potential, here’s the first guess. As part of the “College Football Live” 100 Days 'Til Kickoff countdown, here’s a look at the top 10 players in the ACC.

1. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson: He broke all the ACC’s single-season pass receiving records, finishing the 2011 season with 82 catches for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was one of the most exciting, explosive players in the country as a true freshman. Watkins averaged 25 yards on 33 kickoff returns, including an 89-yard touchdown against Maryland.

2. David Amerson, CB, NC State: He led the FBS with 13 interceptions -- six more than any other player. It was the most in the FBS since 1968 and tied as the second-best total in FBS history. He broke the ACC’s single-season interception record in the upset of No. 7-ranked Clemson. He also broke the school’s 73-year-old single-season interception record of nine.

3. Giovani Bernard, RB, UNC: He was the leading freshman rusher in the nation. His total of 1,253 rushing yards was third-best by a freshman in ACC history. He also had 13 touchdowns on 239 carries and was third in the ACC with 96.4 rushing yards per game. He had 45 catches for 362 yards and a touchdown.

4. Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech: Thomas set a school record for rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback with 11, and he broke the school's single-season total offense record set by Tyrod Taylor in 2010. His 234 completions, 391 attempts and 3,013 yards passing all rank second in school history for a single season.

5. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson: He completed 298 of 499 pass attempts for 3,828 yards, 33 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over 14 starts. He completed 59.7 percent of his passes and had a 141.2 pass efficiency rating. He also had 218 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He had 4,046 total yards and was responsible for a school-record 38 touchdowns.

6. Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech: Fuller played at nickelback/whip linebacker and corner. He had an interception in the Sugar Bowl against Michigan and eight tackles against Clemson in the ACC title game. He finished 2011 with 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He also had two interceptions, nine passes defended, five quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

7. Joe Vellano, DT, Maryland: Vellano led the FBS in tackles by a defensive lineman with 7.8 per game. He finished third on the team with 94 tackles, had 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. His jaw-dropping 20 tackles against Georgia Tech were unforgettable.

8. Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State: He was second in the ACC with eight sacks for a loss of 62 yards and had 12 tackles for a loss of 79 yards. He finished with 41 tackles, a pass breakup and five quarterback hurries. He was the defensive MVP of the nation’s No. 4-ranked defense, and he was still disruptive despite facing double-teams throughout the season.

9. Bruce Taylor, LB, Virginia Tech: He only played in eight games in 2011 before a season-ending injury, but Taylor still had 53 tackles, seven TFLs and five sacks. He led Tech in tackles in 2010 with 91 and in TFLs (15.5) and was second in quarterback sacks (6.0). He also had four pass breakups and eight quarterback hurries.

10. Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State: Despite missing four games with injuries, Greene led FSU in receiving with 38 catches, 596 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches as a true freshman. He averaged 15.7 yards a catch and 14.7 yards on three runs from scrimmage.

Much of the initial knee-jerk reaction to the partnership announced on Friday between the Big 12 and SEC was doom and gloom for the ACC. The marriage between two of the strongest conferences in the country would squeeze out and freeze out the weaker ACC.

The Rose Bowl wannabe has already been portrayed as the cool lunch table where the ACC wasn’t invited to sit.

Some things never change.

In case you didn’t notice, the ACC wasn’t at the same table to begin with. It was sitting with its Big East buddies picking the leftovers out of the Orange Bowl. The Big 12-SEC bowl isn’t going to change that fact. And it’s hardly going to be the granddaddy of them all. More like K-State vs. Georgia.

It’s called the Cotton Bowl.

Odds are the best teams from the Big 12 and the SEC will wind up playing in a four-team postseason playoff -- a system that could actually help the ACC, as it would have to finish in the top four instead of the top two to challenge for a title, and it could leave open the possibility of more favorable matchups. It’s not like ACC officials have been clamoring for an annual ACC-Big 12 bowl game, anyway. Far more important to the ACC than the new bowl is how the four teams in the playoff are to be selected. Don’t expect any changes until the dust has settled on those conversations.

The ACC coaches are in favor of league champions earning preference in the selection process, as they should be. What the SEC and Big 12 did was clever -- very clever. The perception is that if the Champions Bowl and the Rose Bowl become glorified semifinals in the playoff system, the ACC may as well start calling itself the Sun Belt. In reality, though, it doesn’t seem like a scenario all 11 conference commissioners would allow: Only four conferences have a shot at the national title? Is that even legal? And you thought Congress was involved before …

It’s not time yet for ACC fans or league officials in Greensboro to panic. There was no need for ACC commissioner John Swofford to call Notre Dame yesterday. Swofford has a tough task, though, no doubt. In addition to keeping conference membership intact, topping his list of priorities should be finding the league more revenue, a better path to the national title game, and a better bowl lineup with more intriguing matchups.

All of that is just as attainable today, though, as it was on Friday when the Big 12 and SEC announced Cotton Bowl II. Who’s to say the changes to the postseason wouldn’t open the door for the Orange Bowl to partner with Notre Dame and the ACC? Who’s to say the ACC wouldn’t partner with the SEC or Big Ten? You could argue that the Champions Bowl should be of bigger concern to the Fiesta and Sugar Bowls than the ACC.

When it comes to competition, the ACC is undoubtedly on the outside looking in, as far as strategy and negotiations go, Swofford has earned his seat. There’s not much he can do regarding bowl alliances, though, until the new playoff format is decided upon.

Will the new partnership make the Big 12 and/or SEC more enticing to ACC schools like Clemson and Florida State? Of course. More money is always tempting. But don’t forget they’ve got to spend between $20-$25 million to leave the ACC, first. And why make the path to the national title more difficult when you can dominate the fifth-best conference in the land? Bobby Bowden figured that one out. Truth is, nobody knows if anybody’s going anywhere just yet. There have been rumors about Clemson. Speculation about Virginia Tech. The one team the ACC can’t afford to lose, though, is Florida State.

The ACC athletic directors had a teleconference at 3 p.m. on Friday to make sure everyone was aware of the latest news. All 12 of them were dialed in.

Immediate change seems unlikely -- at the very least not until the conference commissioners decide the new playoff format. Should the ACC membership change, though, it’s not going to be just because of a new bowl game. It’s going to be because of the ACC’s 2-13 record in BCS bowls. It’s going to be because Florida State hasn’t won the league title since 2005 and because Miami has never even played for it.

The Champions Bowl will not “freeze out” the ACC. You can’t be kicked out of a club you weren’t a member of to begin with.

Let’s wait to see how the new playoff format unfolds before we determine the ACC’s place in it. Odds are the pressure will still be there for the conference to produce one of the top four or five teams in the country. Odds are the conference will still be looking up at the Big 12, SEC, Pac-12 and Big Ten more often than not.

Despite all of the speculation, some things never change.

Now that spring practices are over, it’s time to re-evaluate the ACC pecking order for 2012. There wasn’t much change at the top from the pre-spring power rankings, but Georgia Tech did get a slight bump, along with two teams on Tobacco Road. Here’s a look at the latest ACC power rankings:

1. Florida State: The Noles’ defensive line should be one of the deepest and best in the conference, if not the country, and they’ve got an outstanding quarterback in EJ Manuel. If the young offensive line can mature quickly and the running game improves from 2011, there’s no reason the Seminoles shouldn’t be contending for the ACC title.

2. Clemson: The Tigers could open the season without star receiver Sammy Watkins, who is awaiting his punishment after he was arrested on misdemeanor drug charges, but as long as he’s in the lineup and the offensive line is playing well, Clemson has enough talent to defend its 2011 ACC title.

3. Virginia Tech: It’s hard to forget how the Hokies fared against Clemson in two meetings last season, but they enter this season with the better defense. The question is how quickly the revamped offensive line can come together, and who will emerge as the next star running back.

4. NC State: This team is quietly preparing a championship-caliber roster. Quarterback Mike Glennon is still under the radar, and he’s got an experienced offensive line to work with. This is a team that could surprise some people.

5. Georgia Tech: The Jackets had a promising spring, but the defensive line has to replace two of three starters, and last season’s atrocious special teams still have a lot to prove. One thing is for sure: These guys will be able to run the ball on just about anyone.

6. Wake Forest: Much like the rest of its division, Wake Forest’s success will hinge in part on how quickly the new starters on the offensive line come together. The Demon Deacons have an experienced and much-improved quarterback in Tanner Price, and last year they made a statement that they’re not to be overlooked in the ACC race.

7. North Carolina: The two biggest questions for the Tar Heels are how quickly they can adapt to and execute a new system under first-year coach Larry Fedora, and where they will find their motivation now that the NCAA has banned them from the postseason. This spring revealed a positive outlook for the new offense, which should give quarterback Bryn Renner a chance to shine.

8. Virginia: The ACC’s 2011 Coach of the Year has quickly raised expectations, but they should be tempered because seven starters have to be replaced on defense. Michael Rocco is the undisputed starting quarterback -- unless Alabama transfer Phillip Sims has something to say about it.

9. Miami: With Stephen Morris out this spring with a back injury, quarterback transfer Ryan Williams had a chance to impress the coaches. The position is one of many questions still looming for the Canes, a young team still waiting for closure from an NCAA investigation.

10. Maryland: The Terps had a good spring and were able to move forward with players who wanted to be there. It was a positive vibe, but coach Randy Edsall is still tangled in the shadow of last year’s two-win season. He’ll have to improve upon it without the services of former quarterback Danny O’Brien.

11. Boston College: Several offseason staff changes were embraced this spring, and quarterback Chase Rettig made strides under yet another offensive coordinator, Doug Martin. The Eagles have to find a way to win without two of their most valuable players in running back Montel Harris, who was dismissed from the team, and linebacker Luke Kuechly, who left early for the NFL.

12. Duke: The Blue Devils had a good spring and are still buying into the philosophies of coach David Cutcliffe. They’ve been on the verge of making the postseason before, but fans are looking for them to finally break through in Year 5 under Cutcliffe. Quarterback Sean Renfree can get them there if they minimize the turnovers and play better defense.

"College Football Live's" panel of experts preview Florida State's upcoming season.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Every year, there are new rules to pay attention to, for coaches, players, officials and viewers watching games.

Here are several of particular note that could impact teams this season. ACC coordinator of officials Doug Rhoads spent time going over these changes with coaches during the spring meetings, and took some time to explain them for this post. These changes were made to help create more player safety.

1. Helmet comes off. This is big change that Rhoads spent the most time going over with the coaches. If a player's helmet comes off, he must leave the game for the following down. The only exception to the rule is if the helmet comes off as a result of a penalty (face mask, for example). If the ball carrier's helmet comes off, the play must be whistled dead immediately. No more running into the open field without a helmet.

If a player who is not the ball carrier loses his helmet, he must stop playing. He cannot make a tackle, continue blocking or running a route, for example. If he continues prolonged participation without a helmet, he will be whistled for a 15-yard penalty. There is some gray area here. One example mentioned -- what if an offensive lineman loses his helmet while blocking somebody coming after the quarterback? Does he stop playing to allow the end to go after the quarterback unimpeded? The key will be determining what "prolonged participation" is.

There is one more part to this rule change. With less than 1 minute remaining in either half, if the ball carrier's helmet comes off, and that is the only reason the play is being whistled dead, there is also a 10-second runoff. If a team has a timeout remaining, the coach can elect to use the timeout instead of running 10 seconds off the clock. But the player must still leave the field for one play, unless his helmet comes off as the result of a foul. Here is your ultimate nightmare hypothetical: Let's say 9 seconds are left in a game, and your team is driving. The ball carrier's helmet comes off, and the play is whistled dead. Your team has no timeouts left. Officials must announce the game is over by rule.

Last year, helmets came off an average of twice per game. Averaged out over the course of a season and you get a helmet coming off near 200 times. All of this is being done to make sure coaches, players and equipment managers do their due diligence to ensure helmets are secured properly, and to protect players in the event their helmets do come off.

2. Kickoffs. They move to the 35-yard line now. If there is a touchback, the ball is moved to the 25-yard line, up from the 20. The hope is for more touchbacks on kickoffs in order to avoid many of the jarring hits that injure players. But kicking teams may elect to squib it to try to pin a team inside the 25. Receiving teams may decide to run out of the end zone anyway, even with the extra five-yard cushion.

One rule change to the formation -- 10 players on the kicking team must have one foot on or inside the 30 in order to cut down on running starts.

On onside kicks, any player on the receiving team is given the same kick-catch and fair-catch protection whether the ball is kicked directly off the tee or is immediately driven into the ground and bounces into the air.

Cassidy Hubbarth and the college football bloggers bring you the best from the spring and what that means for the games in the fall.

Here's a look at those who made names for themselves, those who fine-tuned some strengths and those who burst onto the scene this spring in the ACC.

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson: Hopkins had seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers' spring game, including five for 100 in the first quarter. Coach Dabo Swinney called him the team's spring MVP, and he and Sammy Watkins could form the top receiver tandem in the nation.

RB Rolandan Finch, Boston College: Finch will have to carry a bigger load with Montel Harris off the team, and he stepped up in the spring game when the three men ahead of him were all banged-up, rushing for 196 yards on 27 carries. He will likely battle with Andre Williams for the top spot this fall, though both figure to see plenty of time.

LT Cameron Erving, FSU: The converted defensive tackle impressed this spring, as the sophomore is one of two new tackles the Seminoles are breaking in on the offensive line, a unit that may just be the deciding factor on whether FSU can return to the national elite this season. Coach Jimbo Fisher has called the 6-foot-5, 304-pound sophomore a future NFL starter.

QB Ryan Williams, Miami: Coach Al Golden said this week that Stephen Morris has been medically cleared, and he will likely enter a full-on quarterback competition with Williams, the Memphis transfer who saw most of the action this spring and played well, despite a sub-par spring game.

TE Jake McGee, Virginia: The converted quarterback caught two passes for 81 yards and figures to be a reliable target this fall after a subpar performance for the Cavaliers' tight ends last season.

CB Demetrious Nicholson, Virginia: Coach Mike London named him the team's most distinguished freshman this spring, but he will have to grow up fast. After playing almost every snap last fall, he is the veteran of the Cavaliers' secondary in 2012.

DT Luther Maddy, Virginia Tech: Maddy was named the Hokies' defensive MVP of this spring. The rising sophomore has said he has adjusted to the speed of the game after a freshman year that featured seven starts, and he figures to be a key on a line that will anchor Virginia Tech's defense this season.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- The topic of what the ACC has to do to improve its football image has been rehashed over and over, particularly after its BCS bowl losses.

But that did not stop Clemson coach Dabo Swinney from weighing in on the topic during the ACC spring meetings. Swinney came to his league's defense after a reporter wondered how he dealt with the perception that the ACC was not a football conference. Then he gave his own twist on what the future looks like in this league, predicting that a national champion would eventually emerge.

Pretty bold statement. You guys know the BCS record. You guys know what happened to Clemson in the Orange Bowl last season. You guys know Florida State and Miami have been down, and Virginia Tech hasn't quite gotten over the top. So does Swinney, which must give him confidence that teams in this league are ready to turn a corner.

These are his comments, in their entirety:

"The ACC is a tremendous football conference. It’s a tremendous conference as a whole," Swinney said. "We’ve got to do a better job as far as developing a dominant team from within our conference. We’ve had some good teams, but we haven’t produced that 13-0 team yet, that 12-1 team that’s going to get on the national scene. You look at us this year, we got to fifth. We're on our way and we just didn’t quite finish like we need to finish. That’s coming.

"I think we’ve got a lot of good programs. In five years from now, we’ll look back and say this is where it changed. You look at the SEC and some of the traditionally really good teams that maybe haven’t been as good of late. They’ll get back. It’s the same thing in our conference. Heck, it’s been 20 years since we won the ACC. Twenty years. I was still playing 20 years ago. We’re heading in the right direction as a conference. This is a tremendous conference. At some point we’ll produce a national champion again, there’s no doubt in my mind about that."

The ACC could have as many as four teams ranked in the preseason top 25 come August. Expectations are high at Florida State once again, while Clemson and Virginia Tech are near-certainties to be ranked. NC State could very well make the list, too. There no doubt have been opportunities.

We'll see if a different script is written in 2012.

Three strikes and Clemson running back Mike Bellamy is out.

After a short career that was spent mainly in coach Dabo Swinney's doghouse, Bellamy has been ruled academically ineligible and won't return this fall. This is yet another off-field blow for the Tigers, who recently learned that star receiver Sammy Watkins was arrested earlier this month for possession of marijuana and a controlled substance. So far, Swinney hasn't announced any punishment for Watkins, but he has said there will be one.

While it's more negative publicity for the program, it's certainly not the end of the season for the Tigers. Even if Bellamy and Watkins are missing for the season opener against Auburn, Clemson doesn't play its first and arguably most meaningful conference game until Sept. 22 at Florida State. It's also important to remember that Bellamy finished the spring third on the depth chart at running back behind 1,000-yard rusher Andre Ellington and his backup, D.J. Howard.

It's unfortunate and disappointing that Bellamy's career ended this way, especially considering how many times Swinney has insisted that despite Bellamy's troubles, he is a good kid who simply made some poor decisions. When it comes to the good of the team, though, his absence might actually mean one less distraction.

NEW YORK -- When asked to reflect on their Hall of Fame college football careers, coach Jimmy Johnson and quarterback Steve Bartkowski talked about the fun and the camaraderie.

Both men enjoyed long and successful NFL careers. Both have been successful since they left the game -- Bartkowski in the construction business in Atlanta, Johnson as an NFL analyst on the Fox network. Yet both men, speaking Tuesday at a news conference staged by the National Football Foundation to announce the Class of 2012 of the College Football Hall of Fame, look back with great fondness on their days in the college game.

“Football is the ultimate team game,” said Bartkowski, the California quarterback from 1972-74. “I had a great group of guys around me at Cal: Chuck Muncie, Wesley Walker, Howard Strickland. We had some good, good football players. And it was fun. I was there because I wanted to be there, not because somebody was paying me a large amount of money to take the field.”

Bartkowski, the 16^th Golden Bear elected to the Hall of Fame, described it as “an absolute honor. I was humbled by it, especially now that I hear some of the guys to be inducted along with me in this class.”

It may be the passage of time. More likely, it’s an expression of the emotion the men elected to the Hall of Fame carry about their college days. But no matter how many years have passed, nearly all of them react as Colorado guard John Wooten (1956-58) did.

Wooten, who was nominated by the Veterans Committee, became one of the African-American pioneers in the NFL. He has blazed trails throughout his career to this day, when he is chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation, which promotes diversity in NFL coaching, front office and scouting staffs. Yet when he called his Colorado teammates with news of his election, tears flowed on both sides of the connection.

Johnson, who led Miami to the 1987 national championship, will be joined in this class by two other coaches, Phillip Fulmer of Tennessee (1993-2008) and R.C. Slocum of Texas A&M (1989-2002). Johnson went 81-34-3 in 10 seasons at the U (1984-88) and Oklahoma State (1979-83). He said several times Tuesday that the most fun he had in his life came at Miami, when his Hurricanes lost a total of two regular-season games in four seasons.

But the enjoyment came from more than winning.

“You’re more than a head football coach,” Johnson said. “I was in my office continually with young kids ... being homesick, young kids that had financial problems, young kids that had academic problems. They thought they came there to get ready for pro football but then they realized they had to get ready for life.

“I used to have a meeting on Thursday nights,” Johnson continued. “And I said, ‘Every one of you, I’m going through the room, and I’m going to ask you what are you going to do when you leave the University of Miami?’ And I said, ‘You can’t say you’re gonna play pro football. So you have to tell me what you’re going to do with the rest of your life.’

“So [coaching college football] is a lot more than X’s and O’s.”

Johnson, 68, is 25 years removed from his national championship at Miami, 23 years removed from his resignation to go to the Dallas Cowboys. A few “old alums” called him when his alma mater, Arkansas, fired Bobby Petrino last month. But he said he no longer gets serious inquiries about returning to coaching. His involvement in college football is limited to watching games all day Saturday at the Fox studio in Los Angeles with his “best friend,” fellow Fox analyst Terry Bradshaw.

“We’ll start at 10:00 in the morning, watching college football,” Johnson said. “We won’t turn the TVs off until that night. That’s how we prepare for our pro show the next day… . That’s how we feel about college football.”

Johnson and Bartkowski are members of an exclusive club. Including this class of 14 players and three coaches, who will be inducted in December at a black-tie dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, the Hall of Fame has 914 players and 197 coaches. That’s from a game that has been played for 143 seasons by nearly five million players.

They may have gone into their college experiences looking to get to the NFL. But when they look back, they think of the fun and brotherhood of the college game. It’s a lesson that takes a lifetime to learn.