ESPN College Football

In case you haven't noticed, we've got a bit of a theme going on this week -- important games in the Pac-12. Obviously, everyone is circling the Nov. 3 showdown between USC and Oregon in Los Angeles. But there are other games to enjoy along the way. So this week we're looking at games we're most excited about.

Ted Miller: I like measuring-stick games, games that perhaps reveal the talent and heart of a team, as well as, of course, where they rank in the Pac-12 pecking order. We have a perfect example Sept. 27 (a Thursday) in Seattle: Stanford's visit to Washington, which will be played in CenturyLink Field, the Seahawks' stadium.

The obvious measure of this game's importance is this: The winner steps up in the Pac-12 North Division pecking order, the loser steps back. The winner can imagine challenging Oregon for the division title, while the loser's attention likely turns to more attainable quarry. But it's more than that. For one, it's likely both teams already will have suffered a defeat. The Huskies visit LSU on Sept. 8, while Stanford hosts USC on Sept. 15. Those opponents likely will rank Nos. 1 and 2 in the nation. This game, therefore, can serve to redirect one team's early-season trajectory. It's much better to head into October with one loss than with two.

For Stanford, this is about announcing the program's health in the post-Andrew Luck Era. Beating the Huskies on the road likely would re-establish the Cardinal as a top-25 team, where, based on the schedule, they could remain all season.

But, really, the weight falls more heavily on Washington. Why? For one, Stanford has beaten the Huskies four games in a row. But that's not the biggest issue. It's not even that the three most recent games have been blowouts. It's the nature of those blowouts. Stanford has unmanned Washington during that winning streak. Huskies fans, cover your eyes. You don't want to read this. Stanford has averaged 322 yards rushing in those four victories. 322! Last year, the Cardinal set a school record with 446 yards rushing in a 65-21 victory. The Cardinal only had 278 in 2010, but, of course, the final count was 41-zip. At Husky Stadium!

It hurts to lose no matter what. And it hurts to get blown out. But for a football team to get physically manhandled ... that's humiliation. It's hard to describe the recent turn in this series any other way. The Huskies' pride is on the line. New defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox was brought in to make sure no opponent rushes for 322 yards against Washington. It will be interesting to see if he can deliver in this early conference test. Or if post-Luck Stanford keeps churning along, winning with character and cruelty.

Kevin Gemmell: I too enjoy a good measuring-stick game -- and I don't think there is a bigger one early in the season than USC's trip to Utah on Oct. 4. First, it's a Thursday night game, which means a national TV audience. It's at Rice-Eccles Stadium -- one of my favorite venues -- and the place should be going crazy.

For the sake of argument, I'm going to work off the assumption that both USC and Utah are 4-0 heading into this game. If any Hawaii, Syracuse, Stanford, Cal, Northern Colorado, Utah State, Brigham Young or Arizona State fans take exception to that argument, I know Ted would love to hear about it in his mailbag.

In terms of measuring-stick games, there is none bigger on the 2012 schedule than this one for Utah -- which is desperate to find its way into the conversation as one of the Pac-12's elite. A victory over the Trojans -- who presumably will be one of the top-ranked teams in the country (if not No. 1) on Oct. 4 -- would go a long way toward achieving that.

Both teams will be coming off a bye week, so there is a good chance they will be rested and healthy. But the Trojans have the tougher road through the first four weeks. USC will have been put through the meat grinder against two top-rated defenses in Stanford and Cal before their bye. Then they come to Salt Lake City against -- arguably -- the best defensive front in the conference.

That makes this a pretty significant measuring-stick game for the Trojans, too. Three consecutive wins over three of the top front-sevens in the Pac-12 will likely answer any questions about the Trojans' toughness. By the way, they're on the road again the following week at Washington. This is just step three in an awfully difficult four-game stretch.

USC has the stronger offense -- even Utah fans won't dispute what the Trojans bring to the table with Matt Barkley and Co.-- but Utah's defensive line is as good as it gets. And one cannot throw the ball if one's face is buried in the turf.

This projects to be a brutal, physical game with the winner taking decisive command of the Pac-12 South.

A victory for Utah would catapult the Utes into conference legitimacy and mark that they have arrived. A USC victory re-affirms its status as the team to beat in the South and will likely leave the rest of us licking our chops for Nov. 3.

1. Tennessee Volunteers coach Derek Dooley gushed about quarterback Tyler Bray's performance against the Cincinnati Bearcats as much as everyone else. But Dooley sounded just as pleased at the offense’s ability to drive downfield without self-destructing. All six of the Volunteers’ touchdowns in the 45-23 victory came on drives of at least 53 yards, and four of the six went at least 70. That’s the mark of a good team. “We give players of the week and on offense this week we gave it to the unit because everybody just played so well,” Dooley said.

2. I covered the 2004 BYU-Utah game, the game in which head coach Urban Meyer’s Utes clinched an undefeated season and a BCS berth. That game was played on the Saturday night before Thanksgiving, and flurries danced in the air as the Utah fans danced in the stands. The rivals aren’t in the same league any longer -- BYU isn’t in a league, period -- and the weather forecast for Saturday is 76 degrees with scattered thunderstorms. I’m glad they are playing each other. But playing each other in that weather? That’s just wrong.

3. The Nebraska Cornhuskers' return game is ready for the Big Ten. Kicker/punter Brett Maher won the conference special teams player of the week in the opening win over Chattanooga, and freshman Ameer Abdullah won it last week after setting a school record with 211 kickoff return yards -- 100 of them for a touchdown that cut off a Fresno State rally. The 5-9, 180-pound Abdullah presents a challenge for Washington, which has lingered near the bottom of the Pac-12 in kickoff coverage for two seasons.

1. Coaches know more about their players than we do. That’s why I’m willing to give Florida coach Urban Meyer the benefit of the doubt on the reinstatement of his alleged stalker, wide receiver Chris Rainey. I think of LeGarrette Blount and how Oregon coach Chip Kelly set up rules for Blount that Kelly refused to make public. Rainey is accused of reprehensible behavior. The list of conditions that Rainey must meet to stay with the Gators is long and involved. Let’s hope he takes advantage of his second chance.

2. Miami (Ohio) coach Mike Haywood is getting the RedHawks turned around. After going 1-11 in his rookie season, Haywood has led Miami to a 4-3 record, 3-0 in the MAC. Now Haywood is intent on building the RedHawk fan base, too. He has put up $2,500 in prize money, all of which will go to the fraternity, sorority or dorm that has the highest percentage of attendance at Homecoming on Saturday against Ohio. Haywood wants a loud Yager Stadium in a game for the driver’s seat in the MAC East.

3. BYU took a big stride in its life as an independent Wednesday when it announced a six-game deal with fellow independent Notre Dame. They play four in South Bend and two in Provo between 2012-2020. The one-sided deal didn’t surprise me. That’s how Notre Dame does business these days. But the Cougars’ 2011 schedule made me look twice. BYU will play six teams from the Western Athletic Conference. You have to believe that’s not what BYU had in mind when it left the Mountain West to go out on its own.

1. Florida has won nine consecutive SEC road games (excluding neutral-site games). Alabama has won eight. The team with the third-longest winning streak in conference road games -- Kentucky, with three. The Wildcats, 3-0, play at Florida on Saturday. “We've been on the road and have been focused and well prepared and did it for 60 minutes,” Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said. Kentucky’s last win in Gainesville? 1979 -- the Gators have beaten the ‘Cats 15 straight games in the Swamp.

2. It’s not fair to lump the Notre Dame of this season in with the Irish of last -- new coach, after all -- but this statistic stunned me. Notre Dame has lost six of its past seven games by a total of 24 points. You have to go back to the Gerry Faust years to find a similar streak. This team feels different, though. It may be the optimism generated by new coach Brian Kelly. But this team is a fake field goal and a last-minute loss away from being 3-0. If the Irish learn to win, they will pile up wins in a hurry.

3. BYU and Boise State signed a four-year deal beginning in 2012. Then Boise State agreed to join the Mountain West Conference. Commissioner Craig Thompson informed the schools that they would need to cancel the contract because the league would control the schedule. Then BYU announced it would become an independent. BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe told me Monday that a couple of weeks later, he got a message from his counterpart at Boise State, Gene Bleymaier. “Still want to play?” The series lives.

1. The NCAA’s refusal to grant a waiver of eligibility for Oregon transfer Jeremiah Masoli is logical but the precedent it could set is unsettling. Ole Miss maintains that Masoli fit the criteria of the waiver rule as written. The NCAA noted that the rule is academic in nature, and Masoli isn’t transferring for academic reasons. The gist of the ruling: If Masoli isn’t eligible at Oregon this year, he shouldn’t be eligible anywhere. Since when does the NCAA take a decision made by one school and apply it to all others?

2. BYU’s decision to leave the Mountain West Conference is a stunning gamble, if only because it is so rare that a school will leave what’s safe and secure. BYU fans objected last week to my characterization on the ESPNU College Football Podcast of the university being analogous to Notre Dame. Let’s see: a religious university with a national fan base and its own TV network. Sound familiar? BYU joins the Irish, Army and Navy as “national” independents. Now, let’s see who agrees to play the Cougars.

3. We’ve seen West Coast teams travel cross country, draw a noon kickoff and play as if they’re still in bed. Here comes the flip-flop: Cincinnati opens at Fresno State, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m, Saturday. That’s 10 p.m., Bearcat time. Coach Butch Jones considered moving the team’s schedule back three hours this week. He decided against it. “We’ll have night practices,” Jones said. “We just don’t make a big deal about it.” One plus -- the Bearcats won at Oregon State last year. They’ve done this before.

Bruce Feldman explains why he thinks Brian Kelly is a good fit for Notre Dame, answers some conference questions and shares the latest news on BYU.

No. 3: Matt Reynolds, OL, BYU

2009 numbers: Helped BYU rank 21^st nationally in total offense with 427.15 yards per game and 11^th in scoring offense with 35.46 points per game.

Making the case for Reynolds: Reynolds might be the most important man on the BYU offense this year as the Cougars break in a new starting quarterback and running back. Reynolds, a left tackle, spent his first two seasons protecting former quarterback Max Hall and will spend at least this year either protecting Jake Heaps or Riley Nelson. Reynolds has had some injury issues in the past, but when healthy is considered one of the best offensive lineman in the country.

I decided to post one more round of comments mostly because some of these comments were the antithesis of the comments I posted Friday. I know there has been some concern about the rivalry, so I thought I would share what some other folks think:

Donnie from Atlanta writes: Another thing to consider, Utah already has Boise State slated from 2011-2013 so would Utah want to play their Pac 12 schedule and 2 of the 3 best teams in the MWC? I wouldn't be surprised if they try to put either of those two series on hiatus for a while. In general it will be interesting to see what the Utes slate for their non conference schedule, do they take it easy for a while or pile it on?

Graham: That’s a good point, Donnie. I don’t think Utah would want to play two MWC teams, especially if it’s trying to separate itself from that conference. If I’m the Utes, I think I’d keep Boise State as a way to get ready for better competition, but pad the rest of the schedule with easy games.

---

DelSol9698 from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, writes: I have been watching BYU and Utah play since I was 5 years old. I always loved watching the rivalry game even when there was nothing at stake. I think that the rivalry will fizzle. Utah will stop scheduling BYU because they would not want to have the blemish of a possible defeat from BYU on their record. BYU will try and continue the rivalry for tradition sake but it will be Utah that kills the rivalry. If I were the PAC XX I would of taken both teams to preserve this intense rivalry and get more money out of it but the religious bias of the PAC XX and their commissioner will always leave BYU on the outside.

Graham: I think it would be the same if the roles were reversed. Any team heading to an AQ conference probably wouldn’t want to get beat by their non-AQ rival while they're trying to start their new conference off on the right foot.

---

Kevin from Brownsville Texas writes: Just imagining a season without a BYU/Utah game brings a little tear to my eye. The rivalry must continue.

Graham: I wish I had some tissues I could share.

---

Aaron from Tampa, Fla., writes: Losing the conference element of the BYU-Utah rivalry is certainly a blow; however, it has been replaced with the element of non-AQ versus BCS. Many BYU fans will call Utah a traitor out of jealousy and many Utah fans will arrogantly believe the Utes program is simply superior. As an ardent BYU fan I find myself hating Utah and wanting to beat them more than ever, so I don't see how this can hurt the rivalry, though it definitely has changed it.

Graham: But why do you want to beat them more than ever? Because they got an opportunity to move to a better conference and BYU did not or is it something else? I agree that this move will intensify the rivalry and maybe that’s a reason for it not to continue. Utah doesn’t really have anything to gain from it.

---

Barry from San Diego, Calif., writes: Graham, I cannot put into words how happy I would be to see this game go away. The whole thing is the definition of classless. I think it brings a whole lot of people out of the woodwork that have no real interest in either teams football team but use it as a forum to spew vitriol. I am a BYU fan and Utah is the ONLY away game I will not go to (and I wouldn't go to BYU if I were a Ute fan). It isn't worth it. Can't wait to see this game die.

Graham: I think what you’re saying makes sense and your feeling echoes those of many that have watched the Holy War. It does seem like this rivalry has gotten more bitter as it's gone on, especially recently. Once the players start lashing out at fans in the media and coaches start having their families attacked, a timeout is probably warranted.

---

Russell from Omaha, Neb., writes: I have been a BYU fan my entire life and been to hundreds of games over the past 30 years. I hate the BYU - Utah game. I don't hate Utah, I hate the game. I wish it was never played. Neither team ever plays very well. It is absolutely miserable going to the game because of the idiocy displayed in equal measure by both teams fans. Never in all the age of man have there been more juvenile, trashy comments made than in the week surrounding that game. It is not, nor has it ever been, a classy rivalry and I hope to see it go.

Graham: Hmmm, I don't agree that neither team plays very well during this game. In fact, these games have been some of the most entertaining in the past few years. I do think that some of the antics by some fans have been over the top and have caused some unwarranted harm. Now, with this move, that vitriol stands to be even more intense. As I said earlier, I'm not sure what Utah stands to gain from continuing this game. Perhaps this year's game will be a good gauge of where the rivalry is from a civility standpoint.

---

Brandon from Provo, Utah, writes: The Rivalry is dead. The Holy War has ended. Utah betrayed themselves and their enemy, BYU. Ohio State wouldn't leave the Big 10 and Michigan. Oklahoma and Texas were going to stick together no matter which conference they joined. But Utah threw history and competition out the window because of one thing. MONEY. And they aren't completely at fault for this. The fault lies in the greedy BCS. The fault lies in the NCAA not having the teeth to govern their most prized sport. Because of the dreaded monopolizing BCS, there will be no more "Harline is still open" and "Magic Happens", or "Rice Bowl" games. The end of November won't ever be the same.

Graham: I don’t think this is a comparable situation. The other schools wouldn’t leave Texas because Texas was their meal ticket. Michigan and Ohio State are in a great situation. Utah stands to make 10 times more in TV revenue than it does now. That’s not being greedy, that’s being business-savvy. It’s like anyone moving to a better job to better their lives regardless of how it affects their coworkers. I don’t think many people should blame Utah for making the move or even blame the BCS. I think any team in Utah’s position would have jumped at the opportunity.

Thursday was a sad day for the BYU faithful who realized that their most-hated rival might not want to keep up the series.

BYU and Utah have played in the same conference since 1909 and have created one of the more bitter rivalries in all of college sports. But with Utah leaving for the Pac-10 for the 2011 season, there’s no word on whether the rivalry will continue and BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe didn’t seem confident the series would continue.

“BYU and Utah have over time developed one of the storied rivalries in college athletics,” Holmoe said in a statement released from the school. “Utah’s move to a different conference will certainly have an effect on the rivalry; however, at this point it’s hard to know to what extent. [Utah athletic director] Dr. Chris Hill and I have a very good relationship and will certainly be talking about this in the future. For now, we’re grateful for the long tradition of athletic competition between the two schools.”

Hill took a more positive approach:

“It is my expectation that there may be some complications right away but it is our full intention to continue with that passionate rivalry,” he said.

I asked fans what they thought about the rivalry continuing and got a great response. Here are some of your thoughts:

Dale from Norman, Okla., writes: BYU v. Utah will continue for many years to come, but the venue will simply change to the Las Vegas Bowl. BYU will continue their strong tradition of playing in Vegas each post-season with a conference championship, or a second place finish behind TCU or BSU, and I have serious doubts that Utah will be able to surpass 4th/5th in the PAC-12.

Graham: I like your optimism about the Cougars, but you’re selling them a bit short aren’t you? How about them playing in a BCS bowl? I’m just saying. However, I think the likelihood of these two teams meeting in the Las Vegas Bowl often, if the Pac-10 remains tied to it, is probably pretty high.

Mark from Augusta, Ga., writes: Honestly, I don't care if we (Utah) ever play BYU again. They've become obnoxiously "little brother-ish" lately. If you listen to the ESPN interview with Dick Harmon (the lead BYU reporter from the Deseret News), you will understand what I mean. His comments were all about how much better BYU was, and why BYU wasn't getting the bid instead of Utah. That sort of rhetoric has become typical of the relationship between the two schools, and it's less than healthy. It's also become a little too heated lately IMHO. Perhaps the best thing is a cooling off period, and we can try again in a few years. But Utah v. Utah State? That rivalry is the sixth longest in college football - within one game of Army v. Navy - and it is over 115 years old. It's not nearly as competitive, but I'd rather keep that one alive.

Graham: This is an interesting perspective, Mark. I too think the rivalry between BYU and Utah has crossed the line in some respects and might benefit from a timeout. However, what’s a rivalry without a little vitriol?

Dave W. from Salt Lake City writes: As a BYU fan I will be sad if the Holy War disappears. I don't think it will entirely, especially at first. I do think over time the game loses luster. If BYU can't make it into an AQ conference or have the MWC turned into one, the rivalry will eventually die. Utah will have little to play for as a team struggling in the middle of the Pac-12 and so why will they want to risk their record with a quality opponent?

Graham: Yeah, I agree with that. I can’t see Utah wanting to make its schedule any tougher than it has to be, and within a couple years it’ll be able to afford to do that. BYU will probably stay strong in the Mountain West, especially with some of the recruits it’s picking up, and Utah doesn't want to start its AQ life off on a bad foot.

Matt from Salt Lake City writes: BYU/Utah Rivalry, what a ride it's been. I'm a Utah grad with deep roots as a fan in BYU athletics. My father was a 3 time All-WAC tackle for the Cougars back in the 70's. My Uncle was an O-line guard for Jim McMahon. They both said the same thing, "You have no idea what's it like on the field when we played the Utes. It was another level of competition where anything could happen. The entire season for both sides rested on the last game of the season and a win against the other." It's a shame, a horrible shame, that Utah has left for the PAC-10. People who say this rivalry won't fade and will be fierce as ever are fooling themselves. So many conference titles have been decided by that last game of the season. Even if they schedule each other every year, there's only bragging rights from a game in September. No more will the WAC or MWC trophies of old be hoisted into the trophy case because of a win against the team "up north" or "down south" For me, as a fan who loves both teams, this is a sad time for Utah sports. Call me a downer, but a single invite to the Utes just blow out the flame that has been burning since 1896. The Holy War is no more.

Graham: Wow, that’s a somber look at the situation, but I have a feeling you’re probably right.

Big V from Oakland, Calif., writes: As a passionate fan of a Pac-10 institution (in spite of what Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe may think), I think it is of extreme importance for Utah to maintain its rivalry with BYU. I am in favor of Utah joining the conference however, of the looming issues with their membership would be the lack of a natural rival within the conference. Yet this problem is solved by maintaining the Holy War series between Utah and Brigham Young. This game means more than conference titles to these institutions, this is about who owns the state of Utah on the gridiron, and furthermore represents a great example of a classic collegiate rivalry archetype: large state operated public institution vs. privately owned and operated institution (the Pac-10 currently has two rivalries of this type). This rivalry is also one of the oldest in the west, with nearly 90 meetings. The secular/religious angle of this rivalry gives it an added level of intrigue. Finally, the conference already see two of its institutions engage in rivalry games with a school not in the conference, with both Stanford and USC facing Notre Dame each season, so a precedent already exists for Utah to schedule BYU should the Pac-10 continue to play 9 conference games.

Graham: Colorado is kind of going through the same thing with Nebraska, though that rivalry hasn't been nearly as important to a conference as BYU-Utah, and the Buffs have a fallback with Colorado State, a rivalry that’s guaranteed for at least another decade. Maybe, as another astute reader pointed out, Utah and Utah State will start ratcheting things up. I know it’s not as fierce as BYU-Utah, but from the Utes' perspective it’s probably a better game to play considering that Utah State is still growing.

Will from Provo, Utah, writes: Obviously as a BYU fan I want the rivalry to stay alive, but I'm not so sure that Utah wants it. If BYU wins the rivalry game it's a kick in the teeth to the school in the "BCS Conference" but it Utah wins it's expected that they should because "they are in the better conference." It's basically a no win situation for Utah.

Graham: Yeah, but I think voters and good fans are smarter that. They know that this game means a heck of a lot more and that this rivalry dates back more than 100 years. People won’t discount that. But, you are right that Utah probably won’t want to chance it and I don’t blame the Utes as they're trying to establish credibility in their new conference.

And it’s official.

Utah is leaving the Mountain West for the sandier pastures of the West Coast. Utah president Michael Young signed the Utes up after its board of trustees unanimously approved the University of Utah to join the Pac-10.

“This is a great day to be a Ute,” Utah president Michael Young said. “We have very much enjoyed playing in the Mountain West as one of the charter members. It has been a great conference, a terrific place for us to grow and thrive. The competition has been wonderful and the cooperation among schools has really been extraordinary."

The catchphrase was that Utah was going “westward toward the future” and let’s be honest, the future looks pretty bright for the Utes. Last year, Utah made $1.2 million in television revenue and could multiply that number times 10 with the Pac-10’s new television deal. The Utes will play better competition top to bottom and its academics (and likely admissions) will see a significant boost.

And all of it will happen in 2011.

Young made a comment that confirmed the Utes were looking to switch conferences for the 2011 season, which is something newly named Pac-10 member Colorado also is exploring.

“I want to start by saying how privileged we have been by playing in the Mountain West Conference for the past 11 years and how much we look forward to one more year of cooperating with them,” Young said.

So this upcoming season is a farewell tour for the Utes and the Mountain West and possibly a farewell tour for one of the most storied rivalries in college football.

And of course, that leads me to today’s question (you knew this was coming). Do you want to see Utah and BYU continue their football rivalry despite the fact that it won’t have a conference title on the line, and really won’t mean more than in-state bragging rights and a possible quality win? It’s unclear how many nonconference games the Pac-10 will play (looks like three), so do the Utes want to use one of those games against their fiercest rival especially with a tough Pac-10 schedule looming?

You know the drill. Send your thoughts to my mailbag and I’ll post them Friday. I have a feeling this will invoke some emotion from both sides considering how important this rivalry has become, especially in the past few years.

Jason Franchuk of the Provo Daily Herald doesn’t think Utah’s move to the Pac-10 will be bad for either the Utes or BYU.

San Jose State coach Mike McIntyre knows his opening opponent Alabama well.

Ryan Greene of the Las Vegas Sun looks at where the Mountain West goes after Utah leaves.

Marshall has diverted millions of dollars to its athletic department.

Robert Gagliardi of the Laramie Boomerang thinks things won’t be so bad without Utah.

Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades wants fans to start showing up.

Let’s start with some Mountain West expansion links:

The latest news about Pac-10 and Big Ten expansion could delay the Mountain West’s plans.

The twists and turns of college football expansion could make for a dizzying month for Boise State.

Mountain West athletic directors and presidents take inventory of the national landscape.

Is the Big 12 cramping Boise State’s style?

Should Utah and BYU be insulted about being left out of the Pac-10 expansion conversation?

If Boise State does join the Mountain West, who’s the big winner in the scenario?

And the other stuff…

Sacramento State thinks it would be a good fit into the WAC if that conference has to fill a hole.

Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky can do nothing but wait for expansion to play out.

The Mountain West and Boise State storyline now has an interesting subplot.

Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com is reporting that the Pac-10 is prepared to offer Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado to join its league and create a television station with the FOX networks. Brown cites “multiple sources” on this groundbreaking news.

So what does that mean for the Mountain West, Boise State and the upcoming spring meetings?

Well, if this rumor is true, the Big 12 is going to be shopping for several new schools just to stay afloat especially if Missouri and Nebraska are in talks with the Big Ten, which has been a rampant rumor.

A conference needs at least eight members to keep its automatic qualifying status and the Big 12 would be left with Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State. That would put teams such as TCU, Utah, Colorado State and New Mexico right in the Big 12’s crosshairs mostly because of their unique television markets (and probably Houston and Tulsa, too).

Now, here’s the question: Is a depleted Big 12 better than the current Mountain West with Boise State?

Of course not, well, at least not in football. The remaining Big 12 teams couldn’t line up on the same field with TCU, Utah, BYU and Boise State (should the Broncos switch conferences). But there’s also the TV revenue to consider (but who knows what that will look like when the top markets bolt), the other teams the conference might invite to fill out the 12, and basketball, which plays a huge role since three of the four remaining teams in the Big 12 have Top 25 basketball programs.

So, I’m opening this up for discussion. If the Pac-10 does indeed invite those six members and Missouri and Nebraska go to the Big Ten, does the Mountain West become the most attractive option for the schools that were rumored to be on their way out the door?

Also, does the Mountain West look at expanding even further to capitalize on the Big 12’s weakness and limit that conference’s options for rebuilding?

Send your thoughts to my mailbag and I’ll post some of them Friday.

The ESPNU 150 recruiting list has been released and while none of the nonautomatic qualifying schools has commitments from any of the members, the recruiting season is still young and many non-AQ teams are in the hunt.

Here’s a look at the players that have non-AQ schools on their lists:

No. 7 Malcolm Brown, RB, Byron M. Steele HS (Texas) – TCU

No. 41 Ja’Juan Story, WR, Nature Coast Technical (Fla.) – Marshall

No. 47 Tacoi Sumler, WR, Christopher Columbus HS (Fla.) – FIU, Tulane

No. 59 Curt Maggitt, OLB, Dwyer HS (Fla.) – FIU

No. 61 Brett Hundley, QB, Chandler HS (Ariz.) – Colorado State, Tulsa

No. 62 Kasen Williams, WR, Skyline HS (Wash.) – BYU, Boise State

No. 81 Anthony Chickillo, DE, Alonso HS (Fla.) – FIU

No. 82 Kevin Grooms, ATH, South Broward HS (Fla.) – FIU

No. 88 Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Gig Harbor HS (Wash.) – BYU, Boise State

No. 94 LaDarius Brown, WR, Waxahachie HS (Texas) – TCU

No. 99 Anthony Rabasa, DE, Christopher Columbus HS (Fla.) – FIU

No. 109 Greg Townsend, DE, Beverly Hill HS (Calif.) – TCU

No. 117 Mickey Johnson, DT, Saint Pauls School (La.) – Tulane, Tulsa

No. 188 Eli Rogers, WR, Miami Northwestern HS (Fla.) – UCF

SI.com’s Stewart Mandel weighs in on Boise State and the Mountain West and how the two are a perfect fit.

BYU’s tough standards can be a welcome change for students who are not members of the LDS faith.

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson doesn’t have the final say on expansion, but he’ll have the president’s ears.

TCU commit Cameron White is being recruited hard by Texas A&M, Nebraska and Notre Dame.

East Carolina running backs will be busy in East Carolina’s spread offense.

Colorado State’s athletic director and football coach favor adding Boise State, but it’s up to their president to make the final decision.