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The knock against Boise State year after year is always its schedule.

Too weak, the critics say. Play with the big boys, they yell. No credibility, they howl. The argument has always been a lazy one, steeped in superficiality and ignorance.

This past weekend proved it.

Boise State had a school-record six players drafted, including two in the first round. For those scoring at home, only Alabama (eight), Georgia and Oklahoma (seven each) had more. Ten Boise State players have been drafted in the past three years. To put that into context, Boise State had 10 players drafted between 2002-08, a span of seven years.

So it turns out, going 50-3 over the past four seasons was not so much a product of a lousy schedule, but a product of some darn good football players, and some excellent coaching.

Consider: Boise State never lands Top 25 recruiting classes. In fact, Boise State and five-star commitments go together -- never. Coach Chris Petersen is perhaps the most underrated coach in America when you consider the talent level of the players he has to work with when they arrive on campus.

Shea McClellin went No. 19 overall to the Bears. In the class of 2007, he was unheralded and unranked out of a tiny town in Idaho. Doug Martin went No. 31 overall to Tampa Bay. In the class of 2007, ESPN ranked him the No. 248 running back in the nation. They are about as unlikely a pair of first-round picks as you will find in the draft. And yet NFL teams, NFL coaches and NFL scouts seemed to have no problem with the competition they faced.

Anybody who has bothered to watch Boise State play under Petersen appreciates the type of players he has been able to develop. Three of the four starting defensive linemen on last year's team were drafted, and that is no big surprise. Boise State dominated up front the past several years -- as Georgia will attest to after getting walloped in the season opener last season. McClellin and Billy Winn (sixth round, Cleveland) were stalwarts on that unit.

Tyrone Crawford moved into the starting unit in 2011, but he has been a significant contributor over the past two seasons, as the team's leader in tackles for loss. Crawford is another player with an unlikely story. He hails from Canada, and only began playing in ninth grade at the request of his physical education teacher. He was picked in the third round by the Cowboys.

We have not even talked about quarterback Kellen Moore, who went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the Detroit Lions. Moore helped engineer all those victories with his leadership, his skill and his incredible knowledge of the offense. He is talented, yes. But he is undersized and lacking in some of the key measurables teams want in a quarterback, so he was passed over despite the intangible values he brings to the quarterback position.

Whether he should have been drafted is another topic. The point is that NFL teams and scouts are not simply enamored with college success, enough to overlook deficiencies or potential stumbling blocks for that particular player on the next level. These NFL teams do an inordinate amount of homework and research when they make their selections. They are looking for talent and potential when they watch tape, not the strength of the opposition.

Nobody is going to argue that Boise State has played the quality schedule Alabama has played. But the argument that Boise State is simply lucky and not any good must end. The Broncos have proven they have way too much talent to be undercut with such a silly notion.

Boise State running back D.J. Harper felt good about his chances of getting a sixth season granted. But when dealing with the NCAA, you never know anything definitively until a ruling is made.

So during January, when Harper was in limbo, he kept peppering the training staff. "Have I been cleared yet?" he would ask, over and over.

Nothing.

It was the end of the month and Harper was sitting at home when a text message came through on his phone. The answer he was waiting on had arrived. Harper was indeed granted his sixth season of eligibility -- a saving grace not only for himself, but for the Boise State football team.

With Doug Martin gone, Harper is the lone experienced running back returning to the team. The lack of experienced depth at the position is one of the team's concerns this spring. Harper is being limited in the spring, because of his injury history, but there is little doubt who the starter is headed into the season.

"It definitely feels great," Harper said in a recent phone interview. "I was blessed with the opportunity to get my sixth year back, now that I have gone through the system for six years, my knowledge has increased, and obviously maturity-wise, I've grown up. So I'm excited for it."

Harper has had to earn the opportunity the way nobody wants to earn an opportunity -- because major knee injuries in consecutive seasons set him back. Harper emerged as a true freshman in 2007 -- the same season Kellen Moore spent redshirting. In that first year, Harper had the fourth-best rushing season by a true freshman, with 376 yards and five touchdowns.

He also became the first Boise State true freshman since 1988 to rush for more than 100 yards in a game when he had 153 yards and a touchdown against Fresno State. Harper continued in a backup role the following season and seemingly had his shot to really star in 2009 with great performances in the first three games of the season.

But he tore the ACL in his left knee in the middle of an impressive game against Fresno State in Week 3 and was forced to sit out the rest of the season. The following year, healthy and ready carry the load with Martin, Harper tore the same ACL -- again in Week 3 against Oregon State.

"When I tore it again, of course I was upset, but it didn't faze me too much," Harper said. "I've been through it once, so I knew I would bounce back from it again. I knew what to expect, I knew how to approach the rehab. It wasn't a big deal to me."

Those two lost seasons gave Harper a mental toughness he may not have had before the injuries.

"Just being able to deal with adversity was big. In games when things don't go the way you planned, you just shake it off, come back and make a play," he said. "With my knee, unfortunately it's an event that happened, but I wanted to make the most of the adversity. I got myself in the weight room to get stronger and faster."

Harper returned last season and was healthy for most of the year, but Martin was the unquestioned featured back. When Martin got banged up in the latter part of the season, Harper stepped in with back-to-back 100-yard games against UNLV and TCU. But Harper hurt his ankle against TCU in the fourth quarter and was forced to sit out the following week.

Though it was not his knee last season, Harper has yet to play an entire season without an injury. Staying healthy is of utmost importance this season, especially with all the senior leadership the Broncos lost. Harper has to take on an increased role there, especially for an offense that is without Moore and Martin -- the two workhorses from a season ago.

"I definitely want to take on that leadership role for that offense, and for the team, to be a guy people can turn to, be that guy coaches can turn to," Harper said. "When a play needs to be made, they can trust me. I will make that play."

Boise State will need all the plays it can get from him this season.

As you may have seen in an earlier post, NCAA president Mark Emmert made an appearance on Mike & Mike In the Morning on ESPN Radio today, and was asked about a variety of topics facing collegiate athletics.

One of those topics — conference realignment.

Specifically, Mike Golic asked him to respond to the idea that many of the recent moves were made for the sake of money. Emmert said:

"It's not entirely about that, but it's predominantly about that. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with having a team or a conference have a really good media contract because as long as they're using that money to go back in and support their athletic programs and their students, great. I'm in favor of that. It's when it becomes focused solely on the money grab to the detriment of the student-athletes. When you've got kids flying coast to coast to play a game and they've got to be back in class the next morning, then I've got some fundamental issues with that. We, the NCAA, don't control that, but I'm trying to use my bully pulpit to say, 'Stay focused on what counts here. Keep your eye on the ball.' Sure you've got to generate revenue ... but you don't do that at the cost of young men and young women."

Sounds like Emmert is specifically addressing the plight of the Big East, which is the only coast-to-coast league currently in existence. The WAC also features schools as far flung as Louisiana to California; and once Conference USA and the Mountain West merge, that would also be another coast-to-coast league (actually beyond the West coast, because of Hawaii).

But the example Golic brought up to help illustrate the point Emmert made was Boise State playing football in the Big East.

The NCAA has little power in college football — it has no say in realignment, bowls or a future playoff. I am not even sure what Emmert can do from this so-called "bully pulpit" to stem the realignment tide. Sure, adding Boise State and San Diego State might not make geographic sense, but they make survival sense. For the Big East, realignment has been about survival, and adding the teams best positioned to help its profile.

At least those schools are football-only. The added travel on West Virginia, for example, is going to be something to monitor considering all sports are involved in having to play all conference road games in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Iowa. Especially midweek basketball games that could very well affect class attendance. Same goes for Missouri and Texas A&M, which must travel now to Georgia, South Carolina and Florida as well.

It is understandable that Emmert has his concerns. I think many of us do. But Emmert clearly knows he cannot act on this one issue. He is as powerless as I am to stop what already has started.

Boise State opened spring practice Monday with a radically different look -- its record-setting senior class is gone. No Kellen Moore, no Doug Martin, no Shea McClellin.

That means for the first time in a long while, major positions are open for competition. Here is a quick preview of what to watch for the Broncos.

Spring changes: Boise State lost is offensive coordinator yet again, as Brent Pease left to take a job with Florida. In comes Robert Prince, who will continue to coach the receivers. What coach Chris Petersen has done to help mitigate the losses is promote from within, a system that has served him well over the past several seasons. Boise State will continue to run its offensive scheme, as no wholesale changes are expected. The Broncos also have three new position coaches: defensive line coach Andy Avalos, defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake, and quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith.

But the personnel changes are what folks are going to notice most, heading into the spring, as Boise State returns just 10 starters. Here are some position battles to watch:

Quarterback. You are going to be hearing a lot more about this throughout the course of the spring and the fall. Moore led Boise State to uncharted heights, and became the all-time winningest quarterback in NCAA history. Now that he is gone, four players are competing to win the starting job: backup Joe Southwick; sophomore Grant Hedrick; redshirt freshman Jimmy Laughrea; highly touted true freshman Nick Patti. All four are more mobile than Moore, but don't expect the Broncos to morph into a Wildcat team. Patti has drawn the most comparisons to Moore. To ease the pressure, Petersen has made all four off-limits to interviews this spring.

Defensive line. All four starters are gone, leaving the Broncos in a serious bind. And it is not as if the four starters they are losing were slackers. All four were major contributors to a line that has been solid for several years. Tyrone Crawford, McClellin, Billy Winn and Chase Baker are out. Those four combined for 36.5 tackles for loss and and 16.5 sacks (Boise State only had a total of 24). Valuable backup Jarrell Root is gone, leaving inexperienced players like Tyler Horn, Darren Koontz, Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, Robert Ash and Jeff Worthy.

Secondary. This was a group that was hit hard by injuries last season, and now will be hit hard again with the loss of George Iloka, Cedric Febis, Travis Stanaway and Hunter White. The good news is Jerrell Gavins and Jamar Taylor are slated to return, so that should help the cornerbacks. But safety is an area of concern going into spring, and players like Jeremy Ioane, Darian Thompson and Hazen Moss -- among others -- have to step up.

Big East commissioner John Marinatto said the league will hit the pause button on expansion now that Temple has been added for 2012.

But league expansion is not over. With the Owls in, the Big East will grow to 13 schools by 2015. So yes, the Big East wants to add one more team to get to 14. And ideally, that team would come from out west to help balance out that division with far-flung teams Boise State and San Diego State.

"It's our intention to obviously have equal divisions of seven moving forward, and over the course of the time between now and our television negotiations, as we better position ourselves to attract a quality 14th partner in football, we'll be looking to move forward in that direction," Marinatto said. "We want to get to even divisions, and I think we're looking specifically for a western partner to help us with that."

The Big East is set to begin negotiating a new TV deal Sept. 1. So it appears one more football-only school from the west will be added before September. BYU and Air Force are the most logical candidates, and perhaps the Big East tries to make a run at them a second time. Both turned away Big East overtures when the league was in negotiations with Boise State. At the time, the Broncos preferred adding one of those two schools.

Now that Navy is set to join in 2015, perhaps Air Force reconsiders. There is some uncertainty about the Falcons' future conference affiliation, since the Mountain West and Conference USA are going to form a new league.

As for other possibilities, nearly every school that has been added is in a major television market (San Diego, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Baltimore). So it would stand to reason the Big East would want another school in a big market that also has had football success. That does not leave a lot of options among the remaining non-AQ teams.

A few other notes from Marinatto's press conference on Wednesday:

• He said once again that the Big East would be open to allowing Pitt and Syracuse to leave one year early to join the ACC for the 2013 season. "We haven't actually had those conversations yet, but our membership is certainly willing to do that at this point given where we've landed," he said.
• Marinatto also said the league would focus on re-branding efforts now that it has undergone a radical makeover. "Re-branding the conference and taking a stand in regard to a little bit of pounding our chest as to where it is we've landed is going to take place, and we're going to get professional assistance with that, too, by hiring a firm that will assist us in doing all that in the in the upcoming months," he said.
• He also mentioned the possibility of a Big East championship game in 2013.

The Mountain West released its 2012 schedule on Friday, featuring three new league members and 14 games against teams from automatic qualifying conferences.

The biggie, of course, is Boise State's season opener at Michigan State. The Broncos play three of their former WAC foes, who join the conference for this season -- Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno State. The game against Nevada is Thanksgiving weekend, an interesting date for sure. It was Thanksgiving weekend in 2010 when Nevada pulled its major upset on the Broncos.

The Mountain West features 10 teams this season with an eight-game league schedule, so every team won't play each other. In its final season in the MWC, Boise State skips Air Force on its schedule. Here is a breakdown of the other MWC teams that won't play each other:

Colorado State + Nevada

Hawaii + Wyoming

New Mexico + San Diego State

Fresno State + UNLV

Also of note, the annual Border War between Colorado State and Wyoming will not conclude the regular-season schedule for the first time since 2006.

Now that Boise State has decided to stay in the Mountain West for one more season, the logical question to ask is whether the Big East should have done more to get the Broncos into the conference for the 2012 season.

It is clear that the Big East was either unwilling or unable to help Boise State defray some of the costs of making the move into the Big East a year early.

The tab would have been more than $10 million to exit the Mountain West, and enter the WAC in all other sports for 2012. Boise State president Bob Kustra said in a statement, "While there certainly would have been advantages in making the move a year early, it became clear that it would not be fiscally responsible, as all of the expenses associated with early entry into the two conferences would not be covered.”

The Big East, of course, has a hole in its 2012 schedule AND $20 million from West Virginia. Bringing in the Broncos seemed to be the first and best option, because they could easily take West Virginia's spot and add some national buzz. But discussions broke down, over money, no doubt.

So now Temple has become Option No. 2. Temple seems to do little but plug the West Virginia gap and improve basketball. Perhaps adding the Owls has always been in the long-term plans, and the West Virginia situation is a convenient way to bring them back in without having to spend heavily to get Boise State a year early.

But if Temple was always part of the plan, then why even try to get Boise State in a year early? The Big East could easily have started discussions with the Owls while leaving Boise State alone.

Remember, it was the Big East that approached Boise State about joining a year early, not the other way around. Boise State made the right call in this case. No way do the Broncos need to spend precious resources to enter a year early. The only way it would make sense for them to jump is if they got financial help. They did not.

It all makes you wonder whether the Big East should have done more.

Boise State will remain in the Mountain West for the 2012 season, turning down an opportunity to join the Big East a year earlier than anticipated.

The Big East had approached the school about joining for the 2012 season as a way to help fill the void left by the departure of West Virginia to the Big 12. That would have meant moving Boise State's other sports into the WAC a year earlier than anticipated as well. The moves would have cost in excess of $10 million to make, something Boise State simply was unwilling to do. The school announced its decision Wednesday with a statement.

Boise State remains on course to join the Big East in 2013 for football only.

“While we have had several discussions with the Big East and the WAC in moving our sports into those two leagues a year earlier than previously stated, the University feels there were too many obstacles to overcome to make the move at this time,” Boise State President Dr. Bob Kustra said in a statement. “While there certainly would have been advantages in making the move a year early, it became clear that it would not be fiscally responsible, as all of the expenses associated with early entry into the two conferences would not be covered.”

With Boise State no longer an option, the Big East has set its sights on Temple.

Could Temple be the next program to join the Big East?

Sources confirmed to ESPN.com that the school is in discussions with the league about joining as early as 2012. The New York Times first reported the story.

The Big East is trying to add one more school for the 2012 season in order to get back to eight football-playing schools, following the departure of West Virginia to the Big 12. Getting another school in would alleviate major scheduling concerns with just seven schools in the league. Adding Boise State a year early had been an option, but it appears the Broncos are leaning toward staying in the Mountain West for one more year.

Let's take a look at some spring storylines for selected non-AQ teams.

ARKANSAS STATE

Spring practice start date: March 12

Spring game: April 14

End date: April 16

What to watch:

• Gus Malzahn era begins. Hugh Freeze took Arkansas State to the Sun Belt title in his only year on the job. Now the Gus Malzahn era begins, with promises to continue the high-flying attack that dominated the league last year. Malzahn obviously has made his name as one of the top offensive minds in the game, so it will be interesting to see how he interacts with reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year Ryan Aplin.
• Michael Dyer's eligibility? The former Auburn running back has transferred to Arkansas State, but his eligibility for 2012 is unclear. The school has considered filing a hardship waiver to the NCAA because of an ailing family member. If approved, he would be eligible immediately.
• Big defensive losses. The Red Wolves are losing some of their best players on defense -- Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year Brandon Joiner as well as first-team selections Demario Davis, Darryl Feemster and Kelcie McCray. In fact, only 10 starters return to the team, so there will be plenty of position battles this spring.

BOISE STATE

Spring practice start date: March 12

Spring game: April 14

What to watch:

• Replacing Kellen Moore. This is not just a local story. It is a national story. Trying to replace the winningest quarterback in NCAA history is going to overshadow anything Boise State does during practice in the spring or fall. There are several contenders: junior Joe Southwick, sophomore Grant Hedrick, redshirt freshman Jimmy Laughrea and true freshman Nick Patti, already enrolled. Southwick has served as the backup to Moore the past two seasons, while Patti is a highly heralded recruit out of Florida with similarities to Moore. You can bet this will not be settled in the spring.
• Youth. Moore is not the only starter who has to be replaced. This will be a relatively inexperienced team when it comes to starts. Several big-time contributors are gone, including running back Doug Martin, left tackle Nate Potter and defensive linemen Shea McClellin, Billy Winn, Tyrone Crawford, Chase Baker, linebacker Byron Hout and safety George Iloka. By some counts, Boise State has only six returning starters for 2012.
• Big East early? This has nothing to do with on-the-field matters, but there remains the possibility that Boise State could jump to the Big East a year early to fill the hole left by West Virginia.

BYU

Spring practice start date: March 5

Spring end date: March 30 (spring game TBA)

What to watch:

• QB depth. Riley Nelson goes into the season as the unquestioned starter after replacing Jake Heaps nearly midway through last season. Nelson's energy and enthusiasm helped the Cougars end with a 10-win season in Year 1 as an independent. This team is now officially his from the start of the season. Now, can he stay healthy? He has gotten injured in 2010 and 2011, and there is not much experience behind him with Heaps having gone to Kansas. Depth must be developed.
• Replacing Matt Reynolds. Reynolds was a rock for the Cougars at left tackle the past several seasons, so his shoes are big ones to fill on the offensive line. It helps that three starters are returning on the line, but Reynolds tied a school record with 52 starts in his BYU career. High school All-American Ryker Mathews would seem to be the favorite to win this spot. He missed last season with a foot injury.
• Eason gone. Perhaps one of the most underrated players on the defense was Corby Eason, who was tied for the team lead with 14 pass breakups. He is gone, and Jordan Johnson will get his chance at cornerback.

HOUSTON

Spring practice start date: March 21

Spring game: April 13

What to watch:

• Bye-bye, Case. Just like Boise State, the Cougars must replace record-setting quarterback Case Keenum, who got a sixth year of eligibility and proceeded to smash a number of NCAA passing marks. Unlike Boise, the Cougars have a quarterback with starting experience. That would be David Piland, who took over in 2010 when Keenum and backup Cotton Turner got hurt. Piland got the luxury of redshirting last season, and he goes into spring as the heir apparent. How much has he improved?
• Tony Levine takes over. Kevin Sumlin is gone, and Levine was promoted to head coach. That should certainly ease the transition, but Levine is going to want to put his own stamp on the program. What changes will we see with the way he runs practice and schemes? This will be a perfect time for Levine to learn with trial and error before spring practice begins.
• Sammy Brown gone. Brown was just as important to the defense as Keenum was to the offense, and his departure is a major hole. The entire linebacker corps has questions, with Marcus McGraw and Phillip Steward also gone. Those three players ranked among the top four in tackles for the season.

NAVY

Spring practice start date: March 19

Spring game: April 14

What to watch:

• Miller time. Trey Miller goes into the spring as the starter at quarterback. He did play in several games last season and was pretty inconsistent. But now that he has some playing time under his belt and the full-time starting quarterback job, he can start to take some ownership of this team.
• Get tougher. Coach Ken Niumatalolo wants his players to get tougher, both physically and mentally. Last season was not what anybody at Navy anticipated, and the heartbreaking losses are simply tough to accept. But Niumatalolo is not going with scheme changes in the spring to get his team back to a bowl game. It is all about making sure his players are tough-minded and fighting for one another.
• Discipline. That means playing with much more discipline, and paying attention to detail. When you lose five games by three points or fewer, you start to understand you have to do everything right, even the little things.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS

Spring practice start date: March 28

Spring game: April 21

What to watch:

• Lynch time. All-everything quarterback Chandler Harnish is gone, leaving the job to his backup for the past two seasons, Jordan Lynch. He is a former safety and, according to the folks who know, plays like one. He also is apparently a better runner than Harnish. Lynch has seen his share of playing time, but how will he fare now that he is in command of the entire offense?
• Offensive line. How do the Huskies replace four seniors with a combined 151 career starts? With Trevor Olson, Joe Pawlak, Scott Wedige and Keith Otis gone, Logan Pegram is the lone returner. The line had much to do with the success of Harnish and the offense last season. They gave up just 12 sacks and ranked No. 12 in the country in rushing offense and No. 11 in total offense.
• Defensive strength. Northern Illinois returns eight starters on defense but also should get a boost from two more players -- 2010 starters Devon Butler at middle linebacker and Tyrone Clark at weakside linebacker. Butler sat out after he was injured in a shooting last April; Clark sat out for undisclosed personal reasons but practiced with the team throughout the year. Butler dressed out for bowl practices, although he didn't do any contact.

SOUTHERN MISS

Spring practice start date: March 5

Spring game: April 14

What to watch:

• No Austin Davis. Terrific dual-threat quarterback Austin Davis is gone, leaving a big question mark at the position. Backup Arsenio Favor is expected to get the first-string reps during spring practice, but there definitely will be those watching for incoming freshman Anthony Alford come the fall. New coach Ellis Johnson tried to recruit Alford to South Carolina. Alford also was a baseball player, like Davis.
• Ellis Johnson takes over. Southern Miss has built a winning tradition, and Johnson is taking over the surprise Conference USA champs. But he faces some rebuilding questions both on offense and defense. How does he handle these in his first head-coaching opportunity? Johnson has been a lifelong assistant, and worked under many good head coaches. How he adapts now that he is in charge is definitely something to watch.
• Defense rebuilding. Six key players from the front seven are gone, including Cordarro Law and Ronnie Thornton. There also is a new coaching staff in place for these players to get used to. Remember, some are going on their third defensive coordinator in three years.

Losing West Virginia for the 2012 season means the Big East is left with seven football playing members. Unless, of course, a new addition decides to join a year early.

Commissioner John Marinatto told the Associated Press that possibility has not been ruled out, though he declined to list potential candidates.

We all know Marinatto does not have to give a list. Much of the speculation has centered on Boise State. The Broncos make the logical choice to come aboard in 2012, because they are football only; have national cachet; and would not necessarily leave the Mountain West in the lurch. Any national appeal lost with West Virginia is negated if Boise State comes in a year early.

School president Bob Kustra has made only one public comment on the matter, saying it was "too late" to join for 2012.

But is it really?

According to the Idaho Statesman, Boise State is considering making the move. Athletic director Mark Coyle told Brian Murphy, "Before we make any move, we need to make sure we cover all our expenses. If a transition takes place now, there are expenses we need to cover before we make a move."

Let's take a quick glimpse as the pros and cons to coming into the Big East a year early.

Pros

Getting into an AQ conference. Nobody knows whether the automatic qualifying designation is going to be around beyond this current BCS cycle, which ends after the 2013 season. Why not join the Big East a year early and have two opportunities to get the Big East auto bid, as opposed to one? Remember, one of the biggest reasons Boise State is making this move is to get better access into the BCS. The Broncos have finished in the top 10 in the BCS standings the past four seasons but only have one BCS appearance to show for it. This year, the Big East sent a three-loss team to the BCS, and in 2010 it sent a four-loss team.

Getting more national exposure. Getting back onto the ESPN family of networks is a major plus. Boise State enjoyed much exposure on ESPN as members of the WAC. But the Mountain West is not on ESPN, and its television contracts are simply not as desirable.

MWC would be OK. Because of the additions of Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii, the Mountain West would still be able to play an eight-game league schedule even if Boise State leaves. The Broncos' departure would leave the Mountain West with nine teams for 2012.

Cons

$$$. It is going to cost plenty to leave the Mountain West a year early. Some have pegged that figure in the $9 million to $14 million range. There also is a fee to get the non-revenue sports into the WAC a year early, and a fee to enter the Big East as well. Coyle could not put a dollar figure on the total amount it would cost, but no question it will be hefty. A few readers have asked whether the Big East could use its settlement money from West Virginia to help defray some of that cost. That is conceivable, but the league would have to use a big chunk. Boise State is not swimming in cash the way some other schools are, so there is a question about how much Boise State would be able to shell out of its own pocket. How much of the tab would the Big East pick up? Remember, league schools are also getting a cut of the settlement. Also, how much of the league revenues would Boise State actually get in Year 1?

No acclimation period. Make no mistake, there is going to be a huge amount of pressure on Boise State when it joins the Big East. The biggest knock against the Broncos is the middling schedule they have played. Now that they are in a better conference, folks are going to want to see whether they can continue to win 10-12 games a season. If you are Chris Petersen, do you want to do that with a rookie starting quarterback and only six starters returning? Or would you rather have a much more experienced team make its foray into AQ territory?

Why rush? Boise State would be doing the Big East a huge favor if it moved a year early. How much of a helping hand is the Big East willing to lend? From the Boise State perspective, you have got to push for the Big East to cover all the expenses, or maybe even waive the entry fee into the Big East. To make this move work, the Big East is going to need to make it worthwhile for the Broncos.

With the looming departure of West Virginia, many of you wondered whether it was feasible for the Big East to add one of its new schools in time for the 2012 season.

Boise State president Bob Kustra has an answer for you: too late.

In an interview with The Idaho Statesman, Kustra said, "I can't imagine how anyone can pull that off. We would never want to pull it off in a fashion that dealt shabbily with our existing partners in the Mountain West. I don't think that could ever work."

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News tweeted last week, citing a source, that Boise State was under pressure to join the Big East for 2012, presumably to make up for the likely loss of West Virginia. Yes, there are dueling lawsuits still unresolved, but West Virginia has made it clear several times that it plans to join the Big 12 in time for the 2012 season no matter what.

If you think actions speak louder than words, then just take a look at West Virginia canceling its September game against Florida State as further proof that it will be leaving, no matter conference bylaws or court rulings.

Boise State agreed to join in 2013, along with San Diego State, Houston, SMU and UCF. If any of those schools leave a year earlier than scheduled, they would cause their old conferences the same headaches the Big East is dealing with right now, especially in terms of scheduling. For football-only members like Boise State and San Diego State, they would also have to make accommodations for all other sports much earlier than anticipated.

Should West Virginia go as anticipated, and no new teams join for 2012, the Big East faces the prospect of having seven football-playing members for 2012. The league is going to have to get pretty creative when it comes to scheduling if this ends up being the case.

Boise State running back D.J. Harper was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, the school announced Tuesday.

Though the news was expected, it is still big for the Broncos, who are losing starting running back Doug Martin. Depth has been an area of concern, but that is alleviated now that Harper will officially return.

Injuries have taken a toll on Harper throughout his career at Boise State. He has torn his ACL twice, limiting him to three games in 2009 and three games in 2010. A sprained ankle hobbled him last season, but Harper still had 557 yards and nine touchdown runs.

Time to take a look at recruiting needs for some selected non-AQ schools.

Boise State

Running back. With Doug Martin gone, there is no question the Broncos need some quality players at this position to not only play but add depth. This was already one that had depth issues because of injuries this season -- which is why a walk-on running back had the ball late in the game against TCU. Boise State has two commitments from quality prep players in Devan Demas and Jack Fields, both out of Texas.

Linebacker. Three of the four players on the two deep are gone, so this is a definite area where the Broncos have got to get some more players. Two of their more highly rated commitments are linebackers -- Ben Weaver and Andrew Pint.

Secondary. Another problem area for the Broncos in 2011 was in the secondary after injuries also hurt depth. They lose George Iloka, Hunter White, Travis Stanaway and Cedric Febis, plus Jamar Taylor is a rising senior. So you can see why the Broncos have commitments from four defensive backs.

BYU

Quarterback. Jake Heaps' departure all of a sudden hurts depth at the position. Riley Nelson is a senior; James Lark is a senior. There are a few other guys on the roster, but now the commitment of four-star prospect Tanner Mangum is even more important.

Linebacker. Jameson Frazier is gone, and five others on the depth chart will be either juniors or seniors -- including Uona Kaveinga, Kyle Van Noy and Brandon Ogletree. So this is probably a good time to restock the position to start building some depth.

Receiver. Cody Hoffman had a great year, but you still get this nagging feeling that the Cougars really need a game-changer at receiver who can really stretch the field. Some thought Ross Apo might do that but it didn't quite happen in 2012. So I bet BYU fans feel good about some of the receiver/athlete commitments already on board.

East Carolina

Secondary. The Pirates are losing three starters in the secondary and four key backups are juniors. It's huge for this program to get a commitment from four-star safety Lucas Thompson. He should help right away.

Offensive line. No question East Carolina has to keep adding quality players here because depth was lacking this season. Plus, the Pirates lose starter Steven Baker at left tackle, several key backups and four players on the depth chart will be juniors or seniors.

Running back. This is another area where the Pirates have to build some depth. There simply wasn't any once Reggie Bullock got hurt last season. Receiver Torrance Hunt had to fill in while Bullock was out. East Carolina has commitments from four athletes, including two with three-star ratings, so the hope is to try and convert a few of them into quality backs.

Houston

Defensive line: If there is one area that has to get better for the Cougars, it is defense. Certainly strides have been made but they were exposed in the Conference USA championship game. This team has to get better up front, which is why you see five defensive linemen commits. In fact, its best commit is four-star defensive tackle Donald Hopkins.

Offensive line: The Cougars lose starting center Chris Thompson, and seven of their offensive linemen will be juniors or seniors next season. Time to reload.

Receiver/running back: Houston has plenty of guys listed on its roster at these positions, but the Cougars are going to be in need of some athletes to take the place of Tyron Carrier, Patrick Edwards, Justin Johnson and Bryce Beall.

SMU

Offensive line. This is an area that coach June Jones has worked at to create depth, but the Mustangs have to continue to build. They lose six seniors of the 2011 team -- including all five starters.

Defensive back. Of the eight players listed on the depth chart, four seniors are gone -- including starters Chris Banjo and Richard Crawford. The other four will be juniors or seniors.

Receiver. In the offense Jones likes to run, you can't have too many athletes or receivers. Cole Beasley and Terrance Wilkerson are gone, Darius Johnson will be a senior and Jeremy Johnson and Keenan Holman will be juniors. One of the Mustangs' top commitments is athlete Daijuan Stewart.

Southern Miss

Linebacker. Starting linebackers Ronnie Thornton and Jeremy Snowden are gone from the 4-2-5 set the Golden Eagles ran last year. So is backup Tim Green. It's unclear what type of formation Southern Miss will run under its new coaching staff, but stocking up in this area is a good idea.

Defensive line. The Golden Eagles lose Cordarro Law and three other seniors from the two-deep. Of the 10 linemen remaining on the roster, only five are freshmen or sophomores.

Receiver: Three starters were seniors, including Kelvin Bolden and Ryan Balentine. There were only two freshmen on the roster last season so this should be an area that gets addressed.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore kicks off his quest to prove he is a bona fide NFL quarterback this week as he begins practicing at the Senior Bowl.

You get the feeling he is going to be one of the more talked about prospects. Not only is Boise State one of the most polarizing schools in the nation, there is also a major curiosity about whether Moore can play in the NFL given his size (5-foot-11) and arm strength. Can those questions be answered during a week's worth of practice and the game on Saturday?

Todd McShay breaks down his top storylines for the big collegiate all-star game, and Moore happens to one of the quarterbacks he lists with plenty on the line.

McShay says, "The closer Moore is to 6-foot the better it will be for his stock. He's also looking to show NFL scouts he's capable of finding passing windows and reading [the] entire field from inside the pocket."

Among the other players McShay is going to keep an eye on from the non-AQ ranks:

San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley. McShay writes: "He has been working on being more consistent with his mechanics, and Lindley has a chance to improve his draft stock if his accuracy is better during the practice week. He currently projects as a Day 3 pick."

Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green and Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner are two of his under the radar prospects. McShay says Green has a chance to really raise his stock if he proves he can make plays against a higher level of competition. Wagner is "quick, tough and instinctive but scouts will want to see how well he stacks and sheds against bigger blockers in phone-booth situations."