The Big 12 Conference is looking more like a countdown for a space shuttle launch than it is a football conference these days.  The 2011 season will be the first year since the inception that, despite still being called the Big 12, the conference will only have ten teams.

Nebraska bolted for the Big Ten (which now has twelve teams) and Colorado moved to greener pastures and potentially more revenue with their move to the newly established Pac 12 Conference.

Over the last few days, there are more and more rumblings of Texas A&M moving to the SEC, which would likely be straw to break the dwindling Big 12′s back.  But the move to college football’s most powerful conference won’t go through without the Big 12 Conference pulling out all stops to maintain the status quo (if there is one).

Regardless of what the Big 12 officials and the state of Texas choose to do, in the end, A&M would be crazy not to jump at this opportunity.  The SEC has long been the best conference in all of college football, and with their recent contract with ESPN, their recent dominance of the BCS National Championships (an SEC team has won the National Championship in each of the last five years), and recent talk of courting Florida State or Virginia Tech to create two, separate 7-team divisions, the SEC shows no signs of looking back.

When the dust settles, we take a quick peak at where the other teams in the conference could end up:

Texas: The Longhorns should be kicking themselves for not jumping at the opportunity to join Colorado when the Pac 10 came calling last year.  Instead, Utah jumped at the chance to get out of the BCS purgatory known as the Mountain West.  Look for the Pac 12 to become the Pac 14 in an attempt to rival the SEC 2.0 version in 2012 or 2013.

Oklahoma: Like their hated rivals, Texas, there was a lot of talk last year of the Sooners joining the Pac 12, despite the fact that Texas and Oklahoma are nowhere near the Pacific coast, which was the original geographic concept of the conference when they were the Pac 8.  You lost yet?  Anyway, look for the Sooners and Longhorns to continue their rivalry within the same conference, which will likely be the Pac 14.

Missouri: Like the Huskers, the Big Ten courted the Tigers last season, but Mizzou opted to stay, especially once it was confirmed that Texas was staying.  The Big Ten would love to bring on the Tigers and bring a great rivalry with Nebraska inside the conference.  This would make the Big Ten’s thirteenth team, and maybe at this point, they really should think about dropping the “Big Ten” name, even though they have retained that name despite having eleven teams since Penn State joined the conference in 1993.

Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State will have to scramble to find a home.  These programs have had flashes, but unlike Mizzou, Oklahoma and Texas, they haven’t quite been able to crack or stay in the Top 25 for more than a year or two at a time.  And that will hurt them and possibly leave them with no choice but to join a new version of the Mountain West, but for basketball, Kansas may have to pull a Notre Dame and go independent.  Confused yet?

Rumors and scenarios will run rampant in the coming months, but one thing is for sure.  The Big 12 was already on life support, and A&M’s likely departure will be the death of the conference.

Peter Marhoefer- Mr. TouchdownUSA

There are lots of great non-conference match ups in September everyone is talking about, however here are some games of intrigue you should search your cable listings for.

Friday, September 2nd- TCU @ Baylor

Baylor should be sky high for the return visit from the Rose Bowl Champs. Last years 45-10 beat down, in which Baylor Quarterback Robert Griffin stated, “”I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life. … None of us wanted to come out here and have a showcase like this.”

We will see if TCU comes out with the same fire as last seasons record setting season or will be going through the motions in their final season in the Mountain West Conference.

The Baylor faithful have no excuse to not fill Floyd Casey stadium for this game. If they fail to, a TCU home game two hours South of Ft. Worth might emerge.

Saturday, September 10th- Utah @ USC

The Utes introduction to the PAC 12 could be a rude introduction or a program elevating triumph. Many are picking Utah to represent the division in the inaugural PAC 12 Championship game.

As the Reggie Bush sanctions against the USC program continues, it will be interesting to see how the Trojans react after a disappointing 2010 season. As many casual fans abandon the USC program, the home field advantage in this game might not be as significant as years past. The Trojans “us against the world” attitude may be harshly tested.

Saturday, September 17- Penn State @ Temple

When Temple coach Al Golden left for Miami (FL) he did not leave a bare cupboard for new coach Steve Addazio. Temple players can finally imagine what selling out Lincoln Financial Field would feel like as 50,000 Penn State fans will make that dream come true.

This may be a tough game for the Nittany Lions to get up for after a home date vs. Alabama. Temple gave Penn State a tough time in University Park in 2010 losing 22-13. The Owls could come away with their first victory since 1941.

Friday, September 23- Central Florida @ BYU

Central Florida will land in Provo catching the Cougars after a BCS gauntlet of Ole Miss, Texas, and Utah. BYU which could very easily be 3-0 or 0-3 at this point, will have a short week to prepare for this Friday Night game vs. the defending C-USA champs.

Saturday, September 24- Florida @ Kentucky

This may be one of the biggest games in the history of the Kentucky Football Program. Florida will be taking it’s first road trip with new coach Will Muschamp. Kentucky has Auburn, Alabama, and Arkansas off of the schedule,  MUST win this game to move the program forward.

If the Wildcats prevail, it could be a magical season of 9-11 victories in Lexington and a possible first appearance in the SEC Championship Game.

With the end of spring football for all the major FBS programs and summer workouts beginning, for college football fans, two-a-days are right around the corner.  With that in mind, several writers for College Sports Feed have broken down the upcoming 2011 season and we will be counting down our CSF Preseason Top 25 over the next few weeks.

In this five-part series of articles, we will work our way down to our preseason #1.  In this first segment, we take a look at our Preseason Teams 21-25.

25.  Kentucky:  No this is not my 2011 Basketball Preview, Kentucky will be the surprise team of the 2011 season. The Wildcats return 10 defensive starters from a team that should have beaten National Champions Auburn last year.  Kentucky has 3 joke non conference games against Western Kentucky, Central Michigan, Jacksonville State and a home date with Louisville. Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas are off the schedule as well.  Back to back road games at LSU and South Carolina will be the true test of the Wildcats season.  –  Peter Marhoefer, Mr. Touchdown USA

24.  Notre Dame: That roller coaster ride for first year coach Brian Kelly ended up with wins over Utah, USC and a blowout over Miami in the Sun Bowl. If the Irish can get more consistent QB play from their quarterback, whomever that will be, they’ll have a great chance at winning ten games.  –  Justin Cange, CSF writer/contributor

23.  Utah:  The Utes try their luck in the Pac 12 this fall.  Despite going 33-6 in the last three years, many pollsters continue to keep Utah out of Top 25.  Legendary offensive coordinator Norm Chow will help, but depth, particularly on offense, could be an issue now that the Utes are playing in a BCS conference.  If the offensive line and quarterback Jordan Wynn (who is spent the spring recovering from shoulder surgery) can stay healthy, look for Utah to make some waves in the inaugural season of the Pac 12.  –  Jeff Dunbar, CSF Senior Editor

22.  Arizona State:  With the entire offense back Coach Dennis Erickson will show the country if the Sun Devils are for real in a Nationally Televised Friday night game vs. Missouri week two.  –  Peter  Marhoefer, Mr. Touchdown USA

Despite a fairly difficult schedule, including Missouri at home and Utah on the road, the Sun Devils have a great chance to make noise in the new Pac-12. Quarterback Brock Osweiler will be at the helm, having finished last season extremely well when filling in for oft-injured Steven Threet. The strength of the defense is undoubtedly at linebacker – watch for Vontaze Burfict to breakout and become one of the conference’s top middle linebackers.  –  Nick Mattar, CSF writer/contributor

21.  Mississippi State:  This team finished in the top 15 last year, lost no one, but still dropped in most polls?  Why?  Beware of the Bulldogs, SEC.  –  Christian Hon, CSF writer/contributor

Expectations are high after their Gator Bowl blowout over Michigan, and there is reason to believe the Bulldogs can meet them. Their high-octane offense returns almost every starter, and coach Dan Mullen now has his system fully in place. The only thing keeping this team from challenging for a conference title is their defense, which for the first time in a long time will be the team’s weak spot  –  Nick Mattar, CSF writer/contributor

Sometime soon, the Big Ten could get a facelift -- and transform college football in the process.

By: Brian Mosgaller

Sometime in the relatively near future, the Big Ten Conference will undergo a makeover so dramatic it would make Heidi Montag proud.

But the big question is, how will the procedure affect Spencer and LC and Audrina?

Welcome to college football’s version of The Hills (and apologies for the analogy).

Despite recent noncommittal (and non-denial) statements regarding conference expansion from league commish Jim Delaney, it is practically a foregone conclusion that the Big Ten will be adding teams within anywhere from two to five years. What is not decided, however, is what form this restructuring will take, who the players will end up being, and what kind of ripple effect will be initiated by it.

However it ends up manifesting, though, the Big Ten’s giant steps toward a superconference are going to shake the grounds of college football and give new direction to college sports in general, meaning that it this is a tremendously important and weighty development that deserves further examination.

So let’s breakdown what we know, and attempt to extrapolate what we don’t.

The Motivation

Shocker alert: this transformational rearrangement is being driven by money. Gasp!

But seriously, it is no secret that the Big Ten has found a cash-generating godsend in its Big Ten Network. Once thought to be a misguided and transparent attempt to make schools money, the BTN is now available in up to 75 million homes in the U.S.

The important numbers here are that last year the conference’s deal with ABC/ESPN provided about $9 million to each member school, and the BTN added approximately $7 million to $8 million to that booty. With bowl games and March Madness (among other things) topping off the pot, the estimated figure each Big Ten university ends up with is a staggering $22 million.

And the crazy part is that amount could double (at least) with expansion – expansion that could help the network cast its reach both East and West, as well as create a championship game worth between $15 million and $20 million.

For comparison, the SEC – winner of six BCS championships, as many as the other Big Five conferences (the Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, ACC and Pac-10) combined – pays out around $11 million to its member schools. The other conferences vary in their disbursements but are generally in a similar range (the Big East is the lowest, handing out an estimated $4.5 million).

In short then, the Big Ten Network has proved to be a cash cow for the league, and, naturally, they want to fatten the cow.

The Candidates

So what’s the best way to plump up that dead-president-spewing bovine? By growing the market for the network, of course.

Yet it is not quite that simple – there are prerequisites and mitigating considerations which factor into the expansion equation.

To wit, it is no mystery that the Big Ten, a proud and storied academic conference, wants to add schools that would not diminish the league’s scholastic prestige.

As a qualifying criterion then, it is commonly rumored that whatever schools are to be vetted for potential membership should be part of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization of 61 respected research institutions, as are all the 11 current members.

Moreover, the conference isn’t going to add just to add – it has to make sense (both financially and academically, as was mentioned) but also competitively. Sure, adding Buffalo would tap the New York market and add an AAU member, but it wouldn’t make sense on the field, where this discussion starts and ends.

With all that said, everyone knows the number one target: the elusive Golden Domers. That’s right, good ol’ Notre Dame. For years, the Big Ten has courted the Irish and for good reason. Although Notre Dame is not an AAU card carrier and doesn’t geographically enlarge the conference’s domain, it brings with it arguably the largest and most devoted fan base in the country. While the league wouldn’t be directly cracking the East Coast television market, it would in reality be gaining viewers and Notre Dame graduates from sea to shining sea.

Unfortunately, it is also common knowledge that Notre Dame is quite fine where they are, thank you. Sure, it comes off as a little arrogant considering the school’s recent on-field struggles, but the fact is, Notre Dame still holds an exclusive deal with NBC, and their pocketbook is presumably doing alright.

So, if the leprechauns want to play hard to get, the league must seek elsewhere – namely, the Big East and Big 12. And here is where any number of names can get floated. But the ones that make sense for all parties seem to be, in order of fit, Missouri, Rutgers, Nebraska and Pitt, with Virginia and Texas still in the conversation.

Now mathematically, the Big Ten is going to want an even number after two decades of confounding numerologists who take the conference title literally. Therefore, the expansion must occur by one, three or even five. Basically then, depending on what Mr. Delaney and his university president cohorts decide to do, the enlargement can either add just Missouri (or Rutgers); Missouri, Rutgers and Nebraska; or Mizzou, Rutgers, Nebraska, Pitt and either Notre Dame (if they finally acquiesce), Texas or Virginia.

Missouri seems to be the most logical pick. Even if it isn’t located on the Atlantic coast, it does offer St. Louis, and it is a natural rival of Illinois, an acceptable scholarly fit and willing participant in expansion. Granted, joining the conference of the Midwest may hurt the Tigers recruiting in Texas, but it won’t totally destroy that pipeline, and the pros simply outweigh that con.

Rutgers, too, makes a bunch of sense. Obviously, the Scarlet Knights would attract an audience in the near vicinity of the Big Apple, plus they are a respected school and (newly) competitive football program.

Nebraska is a bit more of a stretch. At first glance, it seems to be a geographic outlier, a bad market, and an imperfect academic match. However, Nebraska’s brand is still a strong one nationally that resonates from Pac-10 country to the ACC. There’s still cachet with the Black Shirts. Plus, NU is likely itching to get out of the Big 12 (like Missouri), a conference increasingly dominated by, and devoted to promoting, the southern powers in Texas and Oklahoma. So, sign the Huskers up.

Pitt isn’t ideal, but they are more than suitable. The Big Ten may already be in Pennsylvania (thanks to the Nittany Lions), but adding the football crazy Pittsburgh market wouldn’t be detrimental for the conference, and the Panthers football tradition jives nicely with the Big Ten.

As for Texas and Virginia, the reality is it will probably never happen. Texas is the Big 12, and they want to remain the big power of America’s Southwest. It’s understandable. Yet, if five or so years from now, the Big Ten has already plucked Nebraska and Missouri from the Big 12, and the Pac-10 has pilfered Colorado in its own expansion, the Big 12 may be in shambles. All of sudden, Texas jumping on the cash boat that is the Big Ten seems a bit more enticing.

And Virginia, who has not been frequently mentioned in this discussion, makes for a nice back-up plan.

The Ripple Effect

If, in the end, Delaney and Co. opt for the minimalist one team expansion (come on Jimmy, think big!), the ramifications on the national football scene will be marginal. Say, for example, the Big Ten tacks on Missouri, creating two six-team divisions, the Big 12 can likely persuade TCU to fill the void, and all would be well. Even if Colorado were to migrate west, the Big 12 could add a Utah or BYU or New Mexico to maintain the status quo.

But if the Big Ten goes for a bigger splash – adding three teams, making two seven-team groupings – the game of musical chairs gets a little more interesting. If those teams are Missouri, Nebraska and Rutgers, and the Pac-10 goes ahead and appends Colorado and Utah, the Big 12 is put in a more precarious situation and the stakes are raised for other conferences (read: the ACC or SEC) to follow suit and grow their own leagues.

The most intriguing possibility, though, is if the Big Ten settles on the cannonball, picking up Missouri, Nebraska, Rutgers, Pitt and Notre Dame. In this scenario, shit will get crazy. For one, the Big Ten would no longer necessarily be producing two divisions, the winners of which would meet in a December championship game, but could instead arrange the schools in four four-team pods and actually have a four-school, in-conference playoff.

Meanwhile, both the Big 12 and the Big East would be scrambling and the ACC and the SEC would definitely be pressured to grow. In order to do so, the ACC could raid the Big East for the likes of West Virginia, Louisville, Connecticut and Cincinnati, leaving the formerly formidable Big East to take from the Conference USA, not exactly renowned for its gridiron greatness.

At the same time, the SEC would set its gaze west to the Big 12 (already on life-support) and come away with Texas, Texas A & M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. With three conferences at the “super” level of 16 members, the Pac-10 would logically want to keep pace, and would tack on UNLV, Boise State, Fresno State and New Mexico to reach 16 as well. Finally, the scraps of the Big 12 could then join forces with what’s appealing from the Mountain West and WAC, making one large, mid-level conference.

I told you shit would get crazy.

The Takeaway

Alas, the bottom line is that all of those things may or may not happen at some point, but it almost certainly won’t be for awhile. Gradualism (and trial-and-error) seems to be the strategy of choice. For now, the Big Ten will add either one or three, leaving the greater football world relatively undisturbed, and the Pac-10 will find two willing additions and launch the West Coast version of BTN.

Notre Dame will keep doing its independent thing (despite existing rivalries with Big Ten schools Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue, and alluring ones with Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio State), and the Big Six will stay the Big Six.

But although grand, large-scale change isn’t on the visible horizon, it is not unthinkable within as short a time span as a decade. The world is changing at a faster and faster pace, and college football inevitably will, too.

Which is why debating the merits of Big Ten expansion is an exercise in futility. Expansion will happen, and the waves will eventually ripple throughout the college world. All we can do now is wait and see if the dramatic cosmetic overhaul will yield a beauty queen or a cautionary tale of the procedure’s downside…like Heidi Montag.

It is only March, and there are already some notable suspensions for next fall’s football season, most recently with Oregon quarterback, Jeremiah Massoli, who just pled guilty to a misdemeanor burglary charge from his involvement in an alledged theft on Oregon’s campus.

Masoli  is not the first player to throw away a promising season (and perhaps, a career), due to horrible judgment and lack of character.  In this edition of College FootBlog, we take a look at our College Football All-Suspension Team, comprised of unbelievably talented players who have cost themselves prestigious awards and, in a few cases, cost them a lot of money from the NFL, due to character issues.  This week, we focus on the offensive side of the ball, with the defensive members of this exclusive club.

Quarterback: Rhett Bomar (Oklahoma): Bomar, who was one of the most highly touted players in the country coming out of high school, edged out Masoli, mainly due to his potential and hype.  The former Sooner burst onto the college football map when he took became the starter in his freshman season.  He never made it to his sophomore season for the Sooners because of his employment at a local car dealership, in which he and another OU player were paid as full-time employees, despite actually working there.  It was estimated that Bomar really only worked 5-10 hours a week to earn his 40-hour a week paycheck.  He transferred to Sam Houston State, costing him huge national exposure and the opportunity to be up for all the major awards in college football.

These days, Lawrence Phillips' mug shot is seen more often than his action photos from college and the NFL (google images).

Running Back: Lawrence Phillips (Nebraska): We have quite a few players to choose from at this position, but Phillips alledged crime and his fall from grace ultimately won out.  Phillips was on top of the college football world as he led Tom Osborn’s Husker squad in 1995.  Amid allegations of assault of his ex-girlfriend, Phillips was suspended by Osborn during that season, knocking him out of Heisman contention.  Osborn lifted the suspension and ultimately named him the starter at RB just before the National Championship game against Florida, where Phillips rushed for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Osborn’s not-so-hard stance was vastly criticized and despite being a first round pick by the St. Louis Rams, Phillips never managed to stay out of trouble and is now serving a 31-year sentence for assaulting his girlfriend and running his car into three teenagers.

Wide Receiver: Peter Warrick (Florida State): Going into his senior season, Warrick was widely known as the best player in all of college football.  A shopping spree at Dillard’s in which Warrick and  teammate and current NFL WR Laveranues Coles purchased $421 in clothes for $21.  He was suspended two games after pleading down to a misdemeanor, but the negative publicity likely cost him the Heisman.  Although he was selected fourth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, Warrick’s talents never really translated to the NFL, and critics questioned his work ethic.

Offensive Lineman: Andre Smith (Alabama): Although the former Alabama O-lineman was selected a First Team All-American and won the Outland Trophy in 2008, his dealings with an agent surfaced in December of that year, prompting his suspension from the 2009 Sugar Bowl.  His Crimson Tide teammates were upset that season by the Utah Utes.  Smith recovered nicely, however, and was a first round NFL selection and currently starts for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Unfortunately for New Mexico, Locksley had as many TKO's as he did wins in 2009 (google images)

Head Coach: Mike Locksley (New Mexico): An argument could have been made for a number of coaches, most of which are now unemployed, but Locksley has made effective use in his short time in Albuquerque.  Since his arrival last season, Locksley has managed an age and sexual discrimination lawsuit (which was subsequently dropped), and last fall, he punched one of his assistant coaches in the face for saying “whatever” to him, which prompted a 10-day suspension without pay.  Amid the controversy, Locksley led New Mexico to a 2009 record of 1-11.  The good news for the Lobos?  Assistant coaches have been seen this spring with reinforced boxing headgear and mouthpieces, so their cut man should be able to focus more on the players.

Check College FootBlog next week to see which intellectuals qualify for our defensive unit on this classy squad.

Any other conference than the Mountain West would be great for teams like BYU, TCU, and Utah. As I was on my way home today listening to KALL 700 sports radio I overheard Bill and Spence commenting on the possible expansion of the Pac-10.

Now as far as sources go, it seems this is simply all rumor, yet they lead quite the interesting discussion on which team it would be. Utah, BYU, TCU and Colorado all came up in the mix.

Utah and Colorado came out the favorites, but I would wish to make a case for BYU. BYU has won 3 of their last 4 bowl games, many of them against Pac-10 teams. Until the home opener against Florida State this past year, we held the longest home streak in the nation. Not to mention the most Mountain West Conference championships in the last 8 years. Yet there still seems to be some scrutiny with BYU.

The obvious would be that in all those years they have not had a BCS birth, yet Bill and Spence spoke about some other things. The aspect that BYU does not participate in athletics on Sunday was the number topic that arose. Then the fact that many of the players leave for two- year church missions was another tally in the “no” section.

So I call to you fellow fans and bloggers. If the Pac-10 were extending, which Mountain West team do you think deserves the birth? And why would BYU not be in the front-runners for consideration?

Who could the Pac-10 want?