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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.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on in the bowl games involving teams from the Big 12 this season.

1. The headless Aggies. A team playing in a bowl after firing its coach is a bit of a rarity, but that's where the Aggies are as they prepare to face Northwestern on Dec. 31 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. Defensive coordinator and interim head coach Tim DeRuyter is leaving to become the coach at Fresno State. Former coach Mike Sherman served as their offensive coordinator, too, and it'll be interesting to see what Texas A&M looks like without him. Cyrus Gray is questionable, but Northwestern's defense is a lot different than Texas'. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill should be able to win this game, but will Texas A&M look like it's playing for anything, and will it show it has fixed the second-half woes?

2. Oklahoma State on the big stage. Oklahoma State has played in a lot of big games over the past two years, but the two biggest -- Oklahoma in both years -- were played in its home stadium. The Cowboys never played in a Big 12 title setting and never played in a huge neutral-site game against a team suited to beat them. The Jan. 2 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, opposite Stanford, will be all new for the Cowboys. Will the team look the same after a week unlike anything it has experienced before?

3. Sooners stopping a swoon? Oklahoma finished the season with two losses in its final three games and now will be without Jaz Reynolds in the Dec. 30 Insight Bowl against Iowa. Landry Jones will be missing his No. 1 and No. 3 receivers, and the Hawkeyes' offense will take on a defense that struggled late in the year against Baylor and Oklahoma State. Iowa is closer to Iowa State -- Oklahoma's only victory in the final three games -- but the Sooners had better show up in this one, or this season will get even more forgettable.

4. A finale for RG3? At Baylor, 2011 has been unforgettable. The Bears already have nine wins, a third-place finish in the Big 12 and the school's first Heisman winner. Quarterback Robert Griffin III has become must-see TV, but the Valero Alamo Bowl against Washington on Dec. 29 might be the last time we see him in green and gold. There's no guarantee on either side, but what's Griffin got in store for the finale?

5. Did the Longhorns learn? Texas lamented its holidays at home last year, with players saying they never wanted to experience the feeling again. Several said they couldn't even watch the bowls. Well, the Longhorns are back. How much will they relish the Dec. 28 Holiday Bowl meeting with Cal? Texas should be back to health by then, and a big win in this game might produce big results next fall for a young offense that needs good vibes heading into the offseason.

USC-Notre Dame, the nation’s best intersectional rivalry, kicks off for an 83rd time on Saturday in South Bend under the lights, and it feels like the Trojans' recent dominance might be at an end.

The Fighting Irish won a tight one, 20-16, last year in the Coliseum, ending an eight-game Trojans' winning streak. While Notre Dame got off to a slow start, it seems to have righted the ship in Year 2 under Brian Kelly. Meanwhile, USC, though 5-1, has as many questions to answer as it plays through its second year under coach Lane Kiffin, yoked with NCAA sanctions, including a postseason ban.

Seems like a good time to check the pulse of the rivalry, so the Pac-12 blog and Notre Dame blogger Matt Fortuna decided to have a little intersectional chat.

Ted Miller: Matt, there were high expectations to start the season for Notre Dame. Things got off to a slow, and sometimes controversial start -- see Kelly getting red-faced with rage on the sidelines -- but things seem to be on the uptick. First, why did the Irish struggle and, second, what are they doing better now?

Matt Fortuna: Ted, I think my face would have also turned a couple different colors had I been in charge of this team at the beginning of the season. Ten total turnovers, two quarterbacks and a fourth-quarter collapse at the Big House made this team a must-watch ... for everyone but Irish fans. I'm not convinced we would have seen such complete performances in recent weeks without the sting of those early defeats, though. The defense really took an edge with it, both into press conferences and into games, and it has helped set the tone for a team that knows it cannot afford to slip up any more this season. Offensively, Tommy Rees has continued to clean up some sophomore mistakes and the running game is better than anyone could have possibly hoped for at the beginning of the season.

I'm curious about how the Trojans see this rivalry. I know Lane Kiffin called last year's defeat his toughest as a head coach, but then he referred to this game as the Irish's Super Bowl because it comes after a bye. Did last year's game really re-charge this rivalry, or does USC look at that as an aberration to what has pretty much been a one-sided contest for the past decade?

TM: Well, if USC sees last year as an aberration it may be alone. What a lot of folks see is a re-energized Notre Dame program that finally hired a good coach -- big fan of Brian Kelly here, red face or not -- while the Trojans are about to negotiate the loss of 30 scholarships combined over the next three recruiting classes due to NCAA sanctions.

The feeling in Heritage Hall is they blew last year’s game and would have won if QB Matt Barkley had played. But woulda, coulda, shoulda, you know? The Trojans have no excuses this year. They have yet to be hit by scholarship reductions. While they got killed last year by transfers, they’ve had a year to adjust to their new personnel. What I suspect USC fans might see is their best chance to notch a win -- at Notre Dame, no less -- during a period when the Irish look to be rising and the Trojans sagging. Further, with no postseason chances -- also due to NCAA sanctions -- this big rivalry game away from home almost functions as a midseason bowl game.

So I think USC is taking this one very seriously.

I’ve been hearing about how much better the Notre Dame defense is. What do you think the Irish have planned for Barkley and wide receiver Robert Woods, who had an off-game against California and figures to be highly motivated this weekend?

MF: In Week 4 Michael Floyd was held to just four catches at Pitt. He responded with a 12-catch, 137-yard performance at Purdue. I think the Irish have that in mind and understand that whatever Cal did to contain Woods this past week, there really is no blueprint for shutting down an elite receiver like that.

Going off the woulda, coulda, shoulda theme, this defense has been very good for 23 of 24 quarters this season, with the fourth-quarter collapse at Michigan being the lone --- albeit gigantic -- blemish. Manti Te'o, who once looked like a sure thing to attend USC, may just be the best inside linebacker in the country, and the rest of the front-seven has been outstanding against the run. The secondary is less established, which is why I think getting to Barkley early and often will make life a lot easier defending the passing game.

OK, prediction time. Who do you got, Ted?

TM: The Trojans believe Matt Barkley will be the difference this go-around. I don’t. I think the Notre Dame defense will do enough to contain him and receiver Robert Woods and the Trojans' inconsistent rushing attack. And the Irish defense looks superior to USC’s, which has continued its mediocrity in year two under Monte Kiffin.

So I’m picking the Irish, 28-24.

What about you?

MF: I think the Trojans have enough offensive firepower to stay within striking distance, but I don't think their defense, despite its progress at Cal, will be able to contain Notre Dame's offense, which was on a tear before the bye week.

I expect more of the same from the Irish this Saturday, and I'm picking them to win, 35-24.

Lane Kiffin called this game Notre Dame's Super Bowl because it is coming off the Irish's bye week. He is also upset that the Irish announced it was a night game in March, somehow messing with USC's travel plans.

No, this isn't the '70s, when this annual intersectional matchup often had national title implications. Neither team is ranked, and USC won't even be able to play in a conference title game, let alone a bowl game, due to NCAA sanctions. But Kiffin has done what he can to inject some juice into this showdown, which will certainly make for an enhanced atmosphere under the lights of Notre Dame Stadium.

On the field, USC is the better team in the standings, at 5-1. But Notre Dame has the better personnel. This is a Trojans team that managed just a two-point season-opening home win against Minnesota, after all.

Did USC's defense turn a corner last week against Cal? A unit that gave up 40-plus points in consecutive weeks shut down the Golden Bears in a 30-9 victory. It remains to be seen, but one thing I'm certain of is USC's offense has the firepower to hang with the Irish.

I see this one similarly to the way I saw Notre Dame-Air Force -- to an extent. Both offenses are capable of exploding, but only the Irish's defense appears capable of making a stop when push comes to shove. And, for the second game in a row, I think the Irish jump to an early lead and never look back, leaving USC to play catch-up in another high-scoring affair.

No alleged flukes here. And no injury excuses, either, regardless of how much Marc Tyler can actually play, if at all. The Irish start a winning streak of their own against USC with their second win in as many years, and just maybe help restore this rivalry in the process.

Prediction: Notre Dame 35, USC 24

1. Dave Parry once said, "The irony of officiating is that no one remembers the accurate calls that you make, they just remember the ones that you miss." That’s not true in the case of Parry, the first national coordinator of college football officials and the longtime Big Ten referee boss before that. He will be remembered for his excellence in a striped shirt. He combined fairness and straight-shooting in the best Midwestern tradition. Parry, after a long illness, died Monday at age 76.

2. It would have been a fascinating season at California anyway, what with the Golden Bears playing their "home" games at the Giants’ ballyard as Memorial Stadium is renovated. But coach Jeff Tedford’s announcement Saturday that Zach Maynard, the junior transfer from Buffalo, had won the starting job made the season even more interesting. A new spread offense, a transfer quarterback, and no home games: if you like underdogs, have I got someone in the Pac-12 North for you.

3. If you haven’t read Chris Low’s report on the funeral of Alabama offensive lineman Aaron Douglas, please do. Public confidence in the way the sport is being run is at an ebb. Winning, as always, appears to be valued more than the rulebook. But the response of the coaches who taught Douglas and the young men who played with him highlights all that is worthy about the bonds that college football develops. As sad as it is, Low’s story just may restore your faith.

1. Because USC is appealing its NCAA penalties, the Trojans could sign a full class in February. Still, the lack of depth that wore down USC during last fall’s 8-5 season remains an issue. Of the 86 players on the spring roster, only 38 played in a game last season. And don’t forget, with the bowl ban last season, the Trojans didn’t have the benefit of 10 bowl practices. Even if the NCAA rules in favor of USC’s appeal, coach Lane Kiffin has no margin of error and no room for injuries.

2. Tennessee sophomore fullback Channing Fugate had three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in high school, won the starting job midway through last season and still hasn’t carried the ball in a game. Vols coach Derek Dooley raved about Fugate’s maturity. “What I was surprised at was he wasn’t coming to me and saying, ‘I want the ball.’…I sat there and purposely didn’t give him the ball just to see if he would ever come and he didn’t. Then, I decided we should probably give him the ball.” Plays for Fugate are being designed.

3. The renovation of Memorial Stadium at Cal is going to take its toll on the Golden Bears this season. We already knew that their home stadium will be AT&T Park, with a “neutral-site” game at Candlestick Park. But the spring-practice schedule released Monday listed 15 practices at six different sites, including four local high schools. That sort of nomadic existence makes for a good story. It doesn’t make for easy success.

1. Notre Dame fans howled after it appeared that the play clock read :00 when Michigan State made the snap on The Fake Field Goal. The Big East, whose officials called the game, said Sunday that there’s a “natural lag time” between when the back judge sees :00 on the clock and when he looks to see if the ball has been snapped. "(T)his lag time created the situation where it appears the play clock expired just before the snap.” I checked -- the phrase “lag time” doesn’t appear in the NCAA Football Rule Book.

2. In case you missed it, quarterback Andrew Hatch, who transferred from Harvard to LSU and back, made his first start for the Crimson on Saturday against Holy Cross. Hatch completed 20 of 25 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-6 victory. That adds up to an efficiency rating of 212.34. LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson, whose ascendancy helped Hatch decide to pursue an Ivy education, has a rating of 113.15. I know, I know: Jefferson isn’t playing Holy Cross.

3. Virginia Tech did not strengthen Boise State’s schedule the way that everyone thought. But Nevada might. The Wolf Pack stunned California late Friday night, winning 52-31 in a game that should remind everyone how dangerous Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick (181 yards and three touchdowns passing, 148 yards and two touchdowns rushing) can be. Thanksgiving Friday just got a lot more interesting. No. 3 Boise State plays at Nevada, and No. 14 Arizona plays at No. 5 Oregon.

With spring practice set to begin soon -- Texas opens its camp on March 2 -- here’s a quick look at how I have the teams ranked heading into spring practice. In formulating my rankings, I took into account returning players, transfers, arriving freshmen and a teams’ schedules.

1. Texas (14 starters back: 6 offensive, 7 defensive, 1 special teams). Garrett Gilbert got a head start on replacing Colt McCoy with his considerable playing time in the national title game, an invaluable learning experience for a young player. The Longhorns return most of the defense that improved in its second season under Will Muschamp. The biggest chores will be for offensive coordinator Greg Davis, who has to boost running game production and find a replacement for record-breaking wide receiver Jordan Shipley.

2. Nebraska (18 starters back: 8 offensive, 8 defensive, 2 special teams). Bo Pelini has the Cornhuskers positioned for a potential top-10 preseason ranking. Most of the offensive weapons will be back from a unit that sputtered down the stretch before breaking out in the Holiday Bowl victory. Quarterback Zac Lee will miss some of spring practice as he recovers from postseason surgery. Cody Green and Kody Spano will get most of the work until Lee returns. Nebraska coaches think the defense can be better this season, even without the up-the-middle strength of Ndamukong Suh, Phillip Dillard, Larry Asante and Matt O’Hanlon.

3. Oklahoma (15 starters back: 9 offensive, 4 defensive, 2 special teams). The Sooners overcame a debilitating run of injuries last season to finish with a flourish, knocking Oklahoma State out of a BCS game and winning the Sun Bowl in their final two games. Landry Jones will be infinitely better in his second season as a starter and Ryan Broyles and DeMarco Murray may be the best one-two receiving/running back combination in the conference. Bob Stoops will be facing a big renovation on defense where key players like Gerald McCoy and Dominique Franks left early for the NFL draft. Look for Travis Lewis to be the key to a defense that will need to improve by the time Big 12 play begins if the Sooners are to have any hope of claiming a seventh Big 12 title this season.

4. Missouri (19 starters back: 9 offensive, 9 defensive, 1 special teams). The Tigers will miss Danario Alexander and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who were arguably the best players at their positions in the conference last season. But Blaine Gabbert is back for a second season as starting quarterback and some talented recruits are expected to emerge on defense. A key for the Tigers’ success will be a more productive running game and consistency from the offensive line. Improvement on both will be critical for coordinator David Yost during the spring.

5. Texas Tech (15 starters back: 7 offensive, 6 defensive, 2 special teams). New coach Tommy Tuberville immediately will have to sort through a potentially difficult decision at quarterback between Taylor Potts and fan favorite Steven Sheffield. New coordinator James Willis hopes to install a 3-4 defense that should be a haven for athletic linebackers. But the group’s success will hinge on replacing Jamar Wall at cornerback and finding some pass-rushing threats to replace Brandon Sharpe, Richard Jones and Daniel Howard along the front.

6. Texas A&M (19 starters back: 8 offensive, 9 defensive, 2 special teams). With Jerrod Johnson, Jeff Fuller, Uzoma Nwachukwu and Christine Michael back, the Aggies shouldn’t have trouble scoring points, although the line needs to do a better job of protecting Johnson. But the Aggies’ success will depend on the returning starters quickly taking to new coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s teachings. The group was blistered for at least 35 points in seven games last season and allowed at least 30 points in two other games. So needless to say that even with nine starters back, DeRuyter has his work cut out.

7. Kansas (16 starters back: 7 offensive, 7 defensive, 2 special teams). New coach Turner Gill inherits an uncertain quarterback situation, but has the framework for a strong running attack with all of his starting linemen back, along with Toben Opurum and heralded back Brandon Bourbon as running threats. The Jayhawks will need to fill in for the loss of Darrell Stuckey in the secondary, but new coordinator Carl Torbush should find the elements for a blitzing, attacking defense among the returnees. But the biggest reason the Jayhawks might be bound for a bowl game in Gill’s first season is swapping Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma for Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Baylor in their cross-divisional schedule.

8. Iowa State (13 starters back: 8 offensive, 4 defensive, 1 special teams). Paul Rhoads returns most of the offensive weapons that led the Cyclones to the Insight Bowl, most notably quarterback Austen Arnaud and running back Alexander Robinson. But the team loses all of its starting linebackers; veteran coordinator Wally Burnham will be challenged to cobble together a serviceable unit. The Cyclones could actually be a better team in 2010 but post a worse record. A tougher schedule featuring nonconference games against Utah, Iowa and Northern Illinois and the addition of South Division powers Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech will make last season’s bowl trip much tougher to duplicate.

9. Oklahoma State (10 starters back: 4 offensive, 4 defensive, 2 special teams). The Cowboys must find replacements for key players like Zac Robinson, Keith Tosten, four offensive linemen (including Outland finalist Russell Okung) and six of their back seven on defense. New offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen finds an uncertain quarterback situation but will lean heavily on a healthy Kendall Hunter. A manageable nonconference schedule should have them in bowl contention, but this should be a step back from Mike Gundy’s last two teams.

10. Kansas State (15 starters back: 7 offensive, 6 defensive, 2 special teams). The Wildcats missed out on a bowl trip last season only because they scheduled two FCS teams, but they surprisingly challenged for the Big 12 North title up to their last game of the season. It might be tougher to do that this season, although Daniel Thomas will provide the foundation on offense. Carson Coffman has the inside track at quarterback, but keep an eye out for Oregon transfer Chris Harper at either that position or wide receiver. Players like Jeffrey Fitzgerald and John Houlik will be missed on defense, but all four starters are back in the secondary.

11. Colorado (16 starters back: 8 offensive, 7 defensive, 1 special teams). Dan Hawkins’ seat is the hottest in the Big 12 and arguably in college football after missing a bowl for a second straight season last year. Tyler Hansen returns as the starting quarterback, but the Buffaloes need to find some help in the backfield with only three scholarship backs in spring practice. The defense was young last season and should be improved, but will miss the leadership provided by Jeff Smart and Cha’pelle Brown. A bowl trip likely will be necessary to save Hawkins’ job and a tough nonconference schedule featuring games at California and against Hawaii and Georgia will prove troublesome even before Big 12 play begins.

12. Baylor (14 starters back: 6 offensive, 6 defensive, 2 special teams). The Bears’ hopes of stopping the conference’s longest bowl drought will hinge largely on the health of Robert Griffin, who is recovering from knee surgery that forced him to miss the final nine games of the 2009 season. New offensive lineman “Big” Robert Griffin will have to protect his quarterback if coach Art Briles has any hope of making a bowl trip. Jay Finley and Kendall Wright are underrated offensive threats, but the Bears will miss key defensive leaders like Joe Pawelek and Jordan Lake who were stalwarts for several years.

Nevada and Cal have agreed to play a two-for-one series beginning next season.

Nevada will host Cal at Mackay Stadium for the first time ever on Sept. 18, 2010 and the Wolf Pack will travel to Berkeley twice in future dates. Those dates have not yet been released.

Next year's game between the Wolf Pack and the Bears will be the 25th meeting all-time between the schools but it will be just the second meeting since 1934 and the first-ever matchup to be played in Reno.

“In terms of a regional matchup between two highly competitive teams, this series makes sense,” Nevada senior associate athletic director Rory Hickok said. “We've had on-going discussions with Cal for quite awhile and we're excited to finally be able to put this together. We look forward to having the Golden Bears and their fans come to Mackay Stadium next season and we know our fans are looking forward to visiting Berkeley in future years."

Nevada originally was scheduled to host San Diego State on Sept. 18, but the game has been moved to Sept. 10, 2016.

Nevada’s nonconference schedule for next season is now complete. The Wolf Pack will open the season at home against Colorado State and also play road games against BYU and rival UNLV.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The number crunchers at Docsports.com have come up with the common statistical traits that the BCS national championship winners have shared.

1. Be a member of a "Big Six" conference or Notre Dame:

Teams still fitting the profile: 67.

2. Have at least eight wins in the previous season. Of the 11 BCS title winners nine teams (and the past six consecutive) have had at least eight wins the season prior to winning the championship. All have had at least seven.

Teams still fitting the profile: 37

3. Have a winning regular-season record after November. Winning games late in the season usually ensures a strong finish. Only LSU in 2002 -- with a 2-2 record in November and December -- claimed a BCS national championship without a winning record in those two months.

Teams still fitting the profile: 25.

Among those still standing are: Alabama (4-0), Boston College (4-1), California (3-2), Cincinnati (5-0), Florida (5-0), Georgia Tech (3-1), Iowa (3-1), Michigan State (3-1), Mississippi (4-0), Missouri (3-1), Nebraska (3-1), Northwestern (3-1), Ohio State (3-0), Oklahoma (4-0), Oregon (3-1), Oregon State (4-1), Penn State (3-1), Pittsburgh (4-1), Rutgers (4-0), Texas (3-1), Texas Tech (3-1), USC (5-0), Wake Forest (3-2), West Virginia (3-2) and Virginia Tech (3-1).

4. Have a junior or senior quarterback with some playing experience. All 11 teams that have won BCS national titles have had a junior or senior playing. All but Tee Martin of Tennessee had starting experience entering the season.

Teams still fitting the profile: 17.

Among those still alive are: California (Kevin Riley), Cincinnati (Tony Pike), Florida (Tim Tebow), Georgia Tech (Josh Nesbitt), Iowa (Richard Stanzi), Mississippi (Jevan Snead), Northwestern (Mike Kafka), Oklahoma (Sam Bradford), Oregon (Jeremiah Masoli), Oregon State (Lyle Moevao), Penn State (Daryll Clark), Pittsburgh (Bill Stull), Texas (Colt McCoy), USC (Mitch Mustain), Wake Forest (Riley Skinner), West Virginia (Jarrett Brown) and Virginia Tech (Tyrod Taylor).

5. Have six returning defensive starters from a unit that ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense in the previous season. Eight of the past nine teams to have won the BCS title have had a defense in the nation's top 20 in scoring defense the previous season (Florida was 46th in 2007) and all but one team (1998 Tennessee) returned at least six starters from their previous season's defense.

Teams still fitting the profile: 6.

Those teams that are eligible include Florida (fourth in scoring defense, 11 returning starters), Iowa (fifth in scoring defense, eight returning starters), Mississippi (20th in scoring defense, eight starters), Texas (18th in scoring defense, seven starters), West Virginia (11th in scoring defense, eight starters) and Virginia Tech (ninth in scoring defense, seven starters).

The formula has been accurate over the years. Of the seven teams that fit the profile coming into last season -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Rutgers, USC, and Wake Forest -- all won at least eight games and Florida won the national championship. The team the Gators beat for the national title, Oklahoma, was not included among those on the list.

So keep these trends in mind this season. It might be the reason why we end up seeing Texas and Florida playing for the national championship, if not Iowa, Mississippi, West Virginia or Virginia Tech at the Rose Bowl.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

After watching way too many uncompetitive September matchups in recent seasons, I started thinking of some fantasy matchups I'd love to see for each Big 12 team.

Here are my dream games for each school.

Baylor: The Bears are on the verge of making their first bowl game in nearly 15 seasons if we are to believe many preseason magazines. It might be fun to see them hook up Duke, which also qualified for its last bowl during that same 1994 season. The Bears' bowl drought is actually three days longer than the Blue Devils'. This would also be an intriguing matchup of two underrated coaches in Baylor's Art Briles and Duke's David Cutcliffe. Which program will get to a bowl game first? It might be interesting to see them play on the field.

Colorado: Before his youngest son, Drew, decided to leave Boise State because of concussions, it might have been cool to see a Hawkins family reunion on the blue turf in Boise. The game still has much appeal to me as it would be interesting to see Hawkins and his other son, Cody, try to beat the team where he earned much of his early acclaim as a coach.

Iowa State: Before his first game at Iowa State two years ago, they were minting coins to honor Gene Chizik. But after two struggling seasons with the Cyclones, many ISU fans felt betrayed when Chizik jumped to Auburn. How about the delicious matchup of Chizik and the Tigers against ISU and Paul Rhoads, who was Auburn's defensive coordinator last season?

Kansas: Two of the most imposing coaches strolling the sideline are Mark Mangino of the Jayhawks and Charlie Weis of Notre Dame. And both can coach a little offense, too. It might be a cool chess match watching the underrated Jayhawks offense try to overcome an Irish offensive attack that receives way more national publicity.

Kansas State: Bill Snyder has been careful to say nice things about his old offensive coordinator, Andy Ludwig, who was in Manhattan for only a few weeks this spring before bolting to California. It still would be an interesting matchup between Snyder and the offensive coordinator who left the KSU program before a first game was played.

Missouri: The Tigers have developed one of the most innovative and productive offenses in the nation during the past several seasons. It would certainly be interesting for them to show their stripes against Oregon and new coach Chip Kelly, who knows a thing or two about big offensive numbers. It would also be a matchup of two interesting uniform combinations, too.

Nebraska: I'm a sentimentalist at heart. And who couldn't resist the story lines of seeing Bo Pelini return home and play his alma mater, Ohio State, back at the Horseshoe where he played his college career? And even better would be the return game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, where the Buckeyes have never played before.

Oklahoma: Before last season, I imagined that Florida would be an ideal dream opponent for the Sooners, but the end results turned out to be a little nightmarish for them when they finally played. This time, I'd like to see Bob Stoops hooking up with his coaching guru, Steve Spurrier and South Carolina. That would be an interesting matchup.

Oklahoma State: The two teams have played previously, but I'd really like to see the matchup between OSU and UCLA. Both teams have flashy, young coaches -- OSU's Mike Gundy and UCLA's Rick Neuheisel -- who found success as quarterbacks at their schools in the 1980s. Both have made strong, early starts, but still find themselves in the shadows of nearby prominent programs -- USC for UCLA and Oklahoma for OSU. And both Gundy and Neuheisel would have some interesting things to say after the game was over, too.

Texas: A rematch with USC would be sweet to see, considering the two teams haven't met since the titanic BCS title game in the Rose Bowl in 2006. Some old-school Longhorns would like to meet Notre Dame. But a better one-season dream matchup for this season would be Mississippi. It's always fun to see Mack Brown hook up with Houston Nutt, particularly after Nutt's celebrated upside-down hook 'em sign after upsetting the Longhorns in the 2000 Cotton Bowl with Arkansas. And the Rebels would be particularly interesting this season as Colt McCoy would square off with Jevan Snead, the quarterback who couldn't beat him out before leaving for Oxford.

Texas A&M: The Aggies and LSU have shared an intense rivalry over the years that seemed to get more forceful as both got better and started recruiting against each other. The battle has a history of 48 games between them, including every season from 1960-1975 and 1986-1995. They haven't met since then. It's been too long to see both old rivals compete.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders and TCU could have a pretty spicy rivalry if they played more often. The last two games between Mike Leach and Gary Patterson were particularly memorable. In 2004, TCU jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead in Lubbock before the Red Raiders stormed back to score eight straight touchdowns that blew open their 70-35 victory. It was the most points ever allowed by a Patterson-coached team. Patterson got his revenge in Fort Worth in 2006 when he produced a 12-3 victory, using the postgame news conference as a bully pulpit to talk about how little respect his program receives. And there's even more after Patterson's votes in the coaches' poll after last season. Patterson voted the Red Raiders 11th in the final coaches' poll last season -- their lowest national ranking -- and it's evident there's still a little bad blood between Patterson and Leach. What better reason for staging this one again?

Does anybody have any other dream games they'd like to see Big 12 teams play?

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

No football league in the country is better configured for road trips than the Big Ten. From my home base in Chicago, I can drive to eight of the 11 schools in five hours or less. If I'm feeling ambitious, Columbus and Minneapolis are within driving range. After a case of Red Bull, so is State College.

While my blog colleagues Ted Miller and Tim Griffin rack up frequent-flier miles in the sprawling Pac-10 and Big 12 conferences, I only have to worry about the occasional toll or blown tire.

Piggybacking off a fabulous idea from colleague Brian Bennett, I've decided to outline the perfect Big Ten road trip for the 2009 season. Follow this route and you're bound to get a good feel for the league, and have a blast along the way.

WEEK 1

Sept. 3 -- Eastern Kentucky at Indiana

Sure, the matchup isn't sexy, but the college football season kicks off in Bloomington, and you should start your trip there. It's like attending Opening Day at PNC Park -- you've just got to show up. Check out Indiana's new pistol formation and how the Hoosiers survive without standout Kellen Lewis. The tailgating scene at Memorial Stadium isn't bad, and you probably won't be back this fall, so it's worth a trip.

Sept. 5 -- Illinois vs. Missouri in St. Louis

Make the four-hour drive to St. Louis and catch by far the best matchup of a pretty bland opening weekend for the Big Ten. Get ready for offense under the Arch, as these rivals have combined for 168 points in their last two games. Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn lead a high-powered Illini offense against Missouri's new quarterback, Blaine Gabbert.

Total distance traveled: 227 miles

WEEK 2

Sept. 12 -- USC at Ohio State

Do whatever it takes to be in Columbus for this one. Ohio State can regain some respect for itself and the Big Ten with a victory against college football's gold standard. See if Terrelle Pryor is up to the task against a new-look Trojans defense. And be sure to arrive in Columbus on Friday night to hang out on High Street and catch Notre Dame-Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

Total distance traveled: 647 miles

WEEK 3

Sept. 19 -- California at Minnesota

There's a new stadium in the Big Ten this fall, and here's your chance to check it out. Head up to Minneapolis and watch a talented Gophers team take on Jahvid Best and nationally ranked Cal at TCF Bank Stadium. The weather should still be nice, and Minnesota could be a surprise team in the league this year. If the Twin Cities are too far away, head to South Bend for Michigan State-Notre Dame.

Total distance traveled: 1,413 miles

WEEK 4

Sept. 26 -- Iowa at Penn State

The conference season kicks off with a game that will shape the title race. Beaver Stadium at night is not to be missed, and Penn State guns for revenge against Iowa after losing on a last-second field goal in 2008. Some excellent quarterback and linebacker matchups here.

Total distance traveled: 2,404 miles

WEEK 5

Oct. 3 -- Michigan at Michigan State

One of the league's best rivalries resumes at Spartan Stadium, as Michigan State goes for back-to-back wins against the Wolverines after snapping a six-game slide last fall. Michigan's new starting quarterback faces his first major road test and can put the Wolverines on the right track by knocking off the Spartans.

Total distance traveled: 2,860 miles

WEEK 6

Oct. 10 -- Home

Not a great slate of games this week, so take a breather at home and watch the Big Ten on TV before gearing up for the second half. Most Big Ten teams don't have a bye week this season, but you deserve one.

WEEK 7

Oct. 17 -- Iowa at Wisconsin

Make the drive to Mad-town and experience one of the best game-day atmospheres in college football. The Iowa-Wisconsin rivalry usually produces some drama, and there's always the subplot of Badgers head coach Bret Bielema facing his alma mater. Running backs John Clay and Jewel Hampton make this one worth watching.

Total distance traveled: 3,234 miles

WEEK 8

Oct. 24 -- Penn State at Michigan (day), Iowa at Michigan State (night)

Feeling ambitious? If you plan things right, you can catch at least part of both games, which take place just 64 miles apart. The Spartans and Hawkeyes are playing under the lights, so root for a noon ET kickoff at the Big House as Penn State tries to win in Ann Arbor for the first time since 1996. The Iowa-Michigan State winner could determine who challenges Penn State and Ohio State for the league title.

Total distance traveled: 3,686 miles

WEEK 9

Oct. 31 -- Penn State at
Northwestern

It's awfully tempting to head up to Madison, which throws a huge Halloween party every year, but the Purdue-Wisconsin matchup is rather eh. Northwestern comes off a 9-4 season and has a very favorable early schedule, so the Wildcats could come into this one at 7-1 or 6-2. The game features several elite defenders like Penn State's Sean Lee and Northwestern's Corey Wootton.

Total distance traveled: 3,926 miles

WEEK 10

Nov. 7 -- Ohio State at Penn State

For the second straight year, the Big Ten title likely will come down to these two teams. Ohio State's Big Ten road win streak could be at 17 games when it heads to Beaver Stadium, the last place it lost a conference road contest. You've got Pryor returning to his home state, Daryll Clark gunning for another win and Joe Paterno vs. Jim Tressel. Not to mention some off-the-hook tailgates around the stadium.

Total distance traveled: 4,528 miles

WEEK 11

Nov. 14 -- Iowa at Ohio State

Iowa's conference road schedule is downright brutal, but if the Hawkeyes are still breathing at this point, they could be playing for a league title in Columbus. The game features two of the league's most rabid fan bases, two time-tested defensive schemes and two on-the-rise quarterbacks in Pryor and Iowa's Ricky Stanzi. Good stuff.

Total distance traveled: 4,867 miles

WEEK 12

Nov. 21 -- Ohio State at Michigan

You should be in the state of Michigan no matter what -- Penn State-Michigan State is your other option -- but for me, The Game still gets the nod. Former Michigan offensive lineman Justin Boren returns to the Big House wearing the hated Scarlet and Gray of Ohio State. He and his Buckeyes teammates won't be received warmly, but they won't care if they beat Michigan for the sixth straight time.

Total distance traveled: 5,057 miles

WEEK 13

Nov. 27 -- Illinois at Cincinnati

There's only one Big Ten game on tap this week, but it's a good one, and it essentially takes place in Big Ten country. Illinois visits cozy Nippert Stadium to take on the defending Big East champs, who probably will have figured out their situation on defense. It should be a very exciting game, and one that could play a huge role in Illinois' postseason hopes.

Total distance traveled: 5,301 miles

WEEK 14

Dec. 5 -- Fresno State at Illinois

Big Ten football in December? Better bundle up. Die-hard Big Ten fans will happily brave the elements and head out to Memorial Stadium to see the Illini take on Pat Hill's Bulldogs. Sure, you could fly to Honolulu to watch Wisconsin face Hawaii, but where's the fun in that?

Total distance traveled: 5,539 miles

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The hiring of Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig was hailed as a personnel coup by many observers after he agreed to join Bill Snyder's staff at Kansas State.

Ludwig's offensive prowess was well known after his work leading the Utes to a 13-0 record after successful previous stops at Oregon and Fresno State.

In short, his arrival was an ideal hire for Snyder's staff as he attempts to change the culture at KSU.

But after spending less than two months at KSU, Ludwig accepted a job on Jeff Tedford's staff as California's new offensive coordinator.

Ludwig finally explained the reasons for his move in an interview with veteran KSU beat writer Mark Janssen of the Manhattan Mercury.

And his reasons are good, even if it might not necessarily make the KSU fans much happier.

Ludwig told Janssen that the move was a "family matter," necessitated by the fact that his mother, brother and sister all live in the East Bay area of San Francisco near the Berkeley campus.    

"It was all about the positives of being at Cal professionally and personally, and nothing to do with getting away from the (KSU) situation I was in," Ludwig said.

The move to Tedford's staff comes with a salary hike. But so does the cost of living.

A coach with a $200,000 yearly salary in Manhattan would have to earn $342,206 for equal buying power in San Francisco, according to a CNNMoney.com web calculator. The survey also indicates that groceries will cost 32 percent more in the Bay area, housing 182 percent more, utilities 5 percent more, transportation 11 percent more and health care 35 percent more.  

Ludwig also said he did not feel good about the departure, adding it was "an ugly deal, but something I had to do."

And his most telling answer -- and one that has baffled most observers -- was whether there was any potential rift with Snyder.

"Absolutely not, absolutely not," Ludwig said. "That had zero influence on this decision."

Snyder now will be working with familiar coaches in Del Miller and Dana Dimel to run his offense. Ludwig would have brought a fresh approach. It will be interesting to see whether the  familiar strategies of Miller and Dimel will change with their new opportunity again working with the legendary KSU coach.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The folks at HeismanPundit.com have earned credibility over the years as one of the deepest websites for breaking down college football's top individual awards.

Heisman Pundit.com has already released its first watch list for the 2009 season. Colt McCoy of Texas is listed as its early leader. But what is really eye-opening about its early pick is that the defending Heisman Trophy winner isn't even listed as the top quarterback in his state on that list.

The website lists Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford at No. 10 at its initial poll. McCoy is followed by Tim Tebow of Florida, Jahvid Best of California, Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State and Daryll Clark of Penn State at fifth. Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson is ranked at ninth, in front of Bradford at 10th.

In its explanation, Heisman Pundit notes that Bradford's lack of a returning offensive line is the major reason it is discounting his chances. The Sooners will be breaking in four new starting offensive linemen.

If Bradford skids that far in the repeat balloting next season, his would be the worst repeat showing for a defending winner since Roger Staubach claimed the Heisman Trophy in 1963 and failed to place in the top five in the following season.

It will be interesting to see how Bradford fares next season. He will be playing behind an inexperienced line and throwing to a new set of receivers.

But I'm thinking he is returning with confidence about his team's chances, or else he wouldn't have opted to return for another season of college football.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

MIAMI -- Tonight's game between Oklahoma and Florida should provide a clean, fitting ending for the season. The winner of the game will receive the USA Today coaches' poll as contractually obligated by the BCS.

The Associated Press media poll could be a different story as Utah and USC all staked significant claims to the title with earlier impressive bowl victories.

But Friday will be just as interesting for some other Big 12 teams, who will see their hopes of being ranked finally play out in the season-ending polls. Here's my look at where I think Big 12 teams might end up when the polls are released.

Oklahoma
If the Sooners win tonight's FedEx BCS National Championship Game, they will claim the eighth national champion in school history. But if they lose, the Sooners could drop to the middle of the top 10 -- I'm thinking maybe even as low as fifth, as most pollsters would have them behind Texas (who they lost to) and ahead of TCU (who they beat) earlier in the season.

Texas
This will be one of the most interesting teams in the nation in the final polling. Mack Brown says he's going to vote his team No. 1. More power to him. The Longhorns were only one second from an undefeated season. But after talking to many AP voters around Miami this week, I'm thinking the Longhorns will end up third or fourth when the final polls are released. I really sense a big push to put Utah in the No. 2 poll because of the Utes' undefeated season. That means USC and Texas likely will be battling for No. 3. And in the minds of many pollsters, the Trojans played better in their bowl game against a better representative from the Big Ten. That's why I'm expecting USC to finish in front of Texas on Friday.

Texas Tech
The free fall will continue for this team after it was ranked second nationally in early November. Most, however, remember the way the Red Raiders cratered in losses to Oklahoma and Mississippi and struggled against Baylor in their final three games. That will likely mean that Tech will be the third-ranked Big 12 team, finishing up somewhere in the mid-teens. The Red Raiders had their most successful season in terms of wins with an 11-2 record. But the late losses will keep them from breaking the school's previous rankings marks at the end of the season -- 11th in the AP poll in 1938 and 1973 and 10th in the coaches' poll in 1965. How about 14th?

Oklahoma State
The Cowboys finished a solid season with an unexpectedly good 9-4 season. The bowl loss to Oregon hurt and slightly diminished the national respect for Mike Gundy's team. But the Cowboys still will finish with their best record since going 9-4 in 2003. All of their losses will be to teams that will likely finish the season ranked among the top 15 teams in the country. Most of their top players will be coming back. The offense developed into a potent attack that should be even better next season. I'm betting that if you would have told Gundy before the start of the season his team would finish 9-4, he probably would have taken it. Look for them to crack the top 20 in their highest ranking since 1988.

Missouri
The Big 12's North Champions claimed a gutty overtime bowl victory over Northwestern and finished with back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history. But the season was a disappointment considering the BCS aspirations coming into the year. The Tigers came into the bowls ranked 25th and it will be interesting to see if the overtime victory over Northwestern resonated enough to push them into the top 20. It might be tough, considering several teams around them like Oregon State, Iowa and Florida State all had more impressive bowl triumphs. If the Tigers can finish in the top 20, it would mark the first time since 1968-69, they placed in the top 20 in the AP poll in back-to-back seasons. It's going to be close.

Nebraska
The Cornhuskers finished the season as the North's hottest team by winning their final four games and six of their last seven. Their bowl comeback against Clemson in the Gator Bowl was one of the most stirring in the bowl season. Will that and a 9-4 record translate into a top 25 position? It should, but look at the other teams around. The Cornhuskers were ranked 34th in the AP poll coming into the start of the bowl season. Their chances might be hurt because some of the teams around them had impressive bowl victories, too. It will be interesting to see if Nebraska stands out enough from teams like West Virginia, California, Rice, Tulsa and Rutgers. Nebraska belongs in the top 25 and if the Cornhuskers could crack the final poll, it would be their first top 25 finish since 2005. But I'm not sure pollsters will see it that way.

Kansas
Another team that likely belongs in the top 25, although it probably won't make it there with an 8-5 record. But a late slump that saw them lose four of their last five before a fast finish likely dooms those hopes. The Jayhawks instead will comfort themselves for the next few weeks on another bowl victory -- Mark Mangino's third-straight bowl triumph -- and a victory over hated rival Missouri in their final two games. That marks only the third season that the Jayhawks have accomplished that feat in any season (also in 1995 and 2005) and never in back-to-back games. There won't be a final ranking in the top 25, but I bet most Kansas fans will gladly settle for that consolation.