In all the talk of major conference realignment, the Atlantic Coastal Conference has been nothing more than an afterthought since the month of May. Let’s not forget the ACC is still a 12 team conference with some big name programs and an automatic BCS bid, to boot. While few suitors came calling during the widespread expansion talk, the ACC isn’t completely irrelevant, at least not yet. Here’s a look at a few schools most likely to take advantage of that guaranteed trip to the BCS.

1. Florida State The Seminoles might not be the year in year out title contender they were in the late 90s, new coach Jimbo Fisher’s unit is looking to start a new decade with ACC dominance. Senior QB Chris Ponder will give the ‘Noles a captain at the helm but this talented group is not without its questions. The once feared Florida State D was flimsy last year, even against weak competition. Mark Stoops, son of Oklahoma’s head man, has been brought in to help the disappointing defense return to glory. (more…)

Since what seems like much longer than just 4 years ago, SEC coverage has been dominated by conference poster boy Tim Tebow. Now that the former Florida quarterback has finally moved on to the NFL, here is a look at a few guys ready to bear his torch as the SEC’s favorite son and media darling (it should be noted defensive players are almost always shortchanged by mainstream media, thus excluded from this list).

1. Mark Ingram (Alabama) Though a lot of college football fans agree he is more a product of the system, than an elite talent, that doesn’t override the fact he is the first ever Heisman Trophy winner from one of the most storied programs in college football history. The Crimson Tide will most certainly be singing his praises from every molehill in Alabama as he sets out to be the first repeat winner since Archie Griffin.
2. Ryan Mallet (Arkansas) Any lists of potential camera hogs wouldn’t be complete without at least one signal caller, and who better to fill up the spotlight than a 6’7” quarterback? A Michigan transfer, Mallet benefited from his mandatory year off, pacing the SEC with a 56 completion rate, despite some struggles against big time competition. With another year under his belt, the Razorback big man still has a lot of room to grow (figuratively). (more…)

No conference has made more headlines in the past week than the Pac-10, rumored to turn Pac-16, now appearing to settle in at Pac-12. With superconference dreams coming up short, Larry Scott and his manifest destiny did manage to add two teams from the eastern side of the region, annexing both Colorado and Utah. Once you throw in the violations and penalties at flagship school USC, no one knows exactly what the changing face of the conference will look like in the 2010 season, but hey, it can’t hurt to take a guess at how the top of the standings might play out.

1. Oregon State With the NCAA’s dethroning of conference king USC, the Beavers find themselves in rare position atop the Pac-10 projections. Led by Junior RB Jacquizz Rodgers and an overload of talent at skill positions, youngster QB Ryan Katz should be able to adjust to the spotlight with relative ease in his second year. (more…)

With USC’s now infamous Reggie Bush debacle and the forfeiture of their 2004 National Championship, BCS officials have already announced there will be no champion for the lost season. Perhaps, in most scenarios this would be an acceptable resolution, as it is difficult to decide on a deserving one loss replacement, but the 2004 season was unique in its own right. The Trojan’s lone BSC title was a split decision in a lot of minds across the nation, as an Auburn team compiled an equally perfect 13-0 record, while squaring off against a more strenuous schedule in the Southeastern Conference. It should only be fair that the BCS crown is given to the undisputed second best team that year. Looking back at 2004, with the advantage of what we know about the players now, can we even be sure that the Trojans were better than the Tigers? (more…)

Campus Bar and Grill, affectionately known as “Big 12″ by University of Missouri students, can finally rest after a weekend of worrying “Mountain West” wasn’t quite as catchy. Withstanding some serious poaching efforts by other conferences, looking to trap animals native to the Big 12 jungle (the tiger, buffalo and even fictional jayhawk to name a few), the heartland’s most athletically gifted conference will apparently survive at least a few more years. Absent only a few familiar faces, the Small 12, with less members than its original name suggests, is ready to stick together as a 10 team conference, despite the defection of both Colorado and Nebraska. The Texas schools were seriously courted by the Pac-10, while the less appealing Mountain West Conference offered a last resort for the left over Big 12 schools, finding themselves homeless under the proposed Pac-16 plan. Instead, the conference will only need some minor fine tuning. Fans can expect a departure from the current division system, as both losses came from within the Big 12 North. Among the changes remaining universities are looking forward to, members will receive more money than in previous years to keep the conference intact, with current TV money now split among a smaller number of schools, in turn allotting each university a larger chunk of change. Texas, the lynchpin in maintaining the status quo, will also have the opportunity to launch its own TV network ensuring future millions funneled into the already well-endowed athletic department. The Longhorns would not have been able to pursue an individual TV deal had they gone ahead with Pac-10 realignment plans, as they would be obligated to fall in line with the conference-wide network. (more…)