Ultimate Fantasy League- The Conferences

As I previously mentioned, there will be 7 glorious conferences partaking in my ingenious concoction of a football league. Each conference will consist of 2 divisions made up of 6 teams. Obviously, I had to move some teams around to make this work. Here's what I came up with.

SEC








East

1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Clemson
6. Georgia Tech

West

1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. LSU
4. Mississippi St.
5. Ole Miss
6. Kentucky

Now tell m that doesn't look like a bad ass conference.

What's New and why: I got rid of Vanderbilt due to the fact that they can't field a competitive team in the SEC. They should have stuck to the Magnolia Conference. I also did away with Arkansas, mainly for geographic reasons. Arkansas is nowhere near the other teams in the SEC. They make much more since in another conference. I moved Kentucky to the West to make room for the 2 new teams, Georgia Tech and Clemson. Both teams come over from the ACC and both will be joining their in-state rivals in the East. Now the Georgia-Georgia Tech and South Carolina-Clemson game will have even greater ramifications. If something this incredibly awesome were to happen in real life, the SEC teams would be given a waiver by the NCAA to schedule all D-III schools for out-of-conference opponents. But that ain't happening in this league...


Big XII

North

1. Colorado
2. Missouri
3. Kansas
4. Kansas St.
5. Nebraska
6. Arkansas

South

1. Oklahoma
2. Texas
3. Texas Tech
4. Texas A&M
5. Oklahoma St.
6. TCU

A bunch of teams from Texas and Oklahoma.

What I did and why: I got rid of Baylor and Iowa St. because they don't belong in the Big XII. Replaced Baylor with a much more capable Texas team in TCU. Moved Arkansas over from the SEC. The Hogs make so much more sense sense in this conference. All of their traditional rivals reside here. The Big XII defensive ratings also rise a bit with the addition of Arkansas and TCU.

Big Ten (Twelve)









East

1. Ohio St.
2. Illinois
3. Northwestern
4. Minnesota
5. Wisconsin
6. Purdue

West

1. Iowa
2. Michigan
3. Michigan St.
4. Indiana
5. Iowa St.
6. Notre Dame

One extra team gives them a better chance of winning a bowl game.Doesn't it?

What I did and why: I got rid of the Fighting JoePa's. They never really made much sense geographically in this conference. Brought in Iowa St. to play along with in-state rival Iowa in the same conference. Also moved the Irish into the conference. Something that should have been done a loooonngg time ago. Both teams are pretty bad, so they should fit right in.

PAC 10 (Twelve)













North

1. Washington
2. Washington St.
3. Oregon
4. Oregon St.
5. Stanford
6. Boise St.

South

1. USC
2. UCLA
3. California
4. Arizona
5. Arizona St.
6. San Diego St.

They still have USC!

What I did and why: I kept all original ten teams intact. The PAC-10 was the only BCS conference that made sense geographically. Added Boise St. and San Diego St. to the mix. Both for very different reasons. I brought in the Broncos simply because of their play on the field. While their blue turf may seem gimmicky, they are a bona fide BCS contender. Being in Idaho is a major hindrance to them however. I added San Diego St. to the conference simply because of their location. The PAC-10 will gain a valuable and big TV market with the San Diego area. Also, I truly believe Brady Hoke can get this thing turned around.

ACC













Atlantic

1. Miami
2. Virginia Tech
3. Virginia
4. North Carolina
5. North Carolina St.
6. Louisville

Coastal

1. Florida St.
2. Wake Forest
3. Maryland
4. Duke
5. South Florida
6. East Carolina

The best part, we don't have to put the stupid (FL) after Miami anymore.

What I did and why: I had to replace Georgia Tech and Clemson, which left for the greener pastures of the SEC. Also, I moved Boston College out of the conference. Replaced those three teams With Louisville and South Florida (formerly of the Big East) and East Carolina (Formerly of C-USA). I think Louisville just makes more sense in the ACC than in the Big East. No real logic behind it. Added South Florida because there is already two built-in rivalries in Florida St. and Miami. East Carolina was the last major Carolina school not included in the conference. So I thought, why the hell not? The Pirates also have a good history against ACC teams.

Big East












North

1. Connecticut
2. Syracuse
3. Rutgers
4. Penn St.
5. Boston College
6. Army

South

1. West Virginia
2. Pittsburgh
3. Cincinnati
4. Vanderbilt
5. Navy
6. Central Florida

We're still a good basketball conference!

What I did and why: The Big East is the smallest of the BCS conferences, and that was before I stole USF, and Louisville away. So half of this conference is completely new. I added Penn St. to a conference that they should have already been in. I moved Boston College back to their rightful position in the Big East. I added Vandy and UCF to help the conference recover the areas that were lost with the aforementioned departures. And for the traditionalists out there, I added the two service academies. I really didn't want to add Army, but I just couldn't see Navy ended a season without dismantling the Cadets.

Mountain West










Mountain

1. Air Force
2. Colorado St.
3. Southern Miss
4. Baylor
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Troy

West

1. BYU
2. Utah
3, Wyoming
4. Tulsa
5. Houston
6. UNLV

The Big XII South ain't got nothing on the Mountain West West!

What I did and why: A lot. I admit this conference is kind of thrown together. Basically this is just the leftover teams, BYU, Utah, Tulsa, Troy would have probably made another conference had i been forced to only do 6, but they were put here to equal out the not so great teams. Teams like Wyoming and Air Force were kept because of their past ties to the Mountain West. Teams like Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss were added because of their past performance, and teams like Baylor and Houston were added because of their big markets. This will likely the be destination of future teams that are called up to the big time.

The top 25 players: PAC-10

Now it's time for me to show some love to the fellas out West.

I must tell you that I had a really hard time coming up with this list. In fact, once I had gotten halfway through compiling the list, I seriously considered doing a Top 25 players from USC list as well as a rest of the PAC-10 list. However, there weren't 25 players from the rest of the PAC-10 to make that feasible. So I just kept it how is.

Here, for your enjoyment, are the top 25 players from the PAC-10.

1.Ray Maualuga - USC LB - I think Maualuga is the best LB n the nation. He might be the best defensive player in the nation, although I think Tennessee's Eric Berry might take that honor.

2. Brian Cushing - USC LB - Back to back USC linebackers to start the countdown. That's not good news for the rest of the conference.

3. Rudy Carpenter - Arizona St. QB - A rare break from USC players. If Carpenter can put together another season like last year, he may be in the running for the Heisman. Of course, the schedule is a little bit tougher for the Sun Devils this time around.

4. Fili Moala - USC DL - Back to USC we go. Moala is a fierce defensive linemen for the Trojans that will compliment Maualuga and Cushing rather nicely.

5. Kevin Ellison - USC DB - How good will USC's defense be this year? That was a rhetorical question, we all know the answer is awesome!

6. Joe McKnight- USC RB - McKnight might not even start for the Trojans this year, but I believe he is the most talented offensive player in the PAC-10.

7. Vidal Hazelton - USC WR - Hazelton has that big play ability that the Trojans seemed to lack at the receiver position last year.

8. Patrick Chung - Oregon DB - A non- USC defensive player makes the list. That's gotta be a typo.

9. Zach Follett - California LB - Cal's offense usually grabs all the attention, however, Follett has quietly become the Golden Bears' best player on either side of the ball.

10. Everson Griffen - USC DL - Griffen is yet another reason why the Trojans may have the best defense in all of college football.

11. Patrick Turner - USC WR - Turner and Hazelton provide a great 1-2 combo at WR for USC. If QB Mark Sanchez can develop fast, this could be a very good offense.

12. Brandon Gibson - Washington St. WR - Gibson may actually be a better receiver than the USC duo. However, the Cougars will have to find a halfway decent QB to get the ball to him.

13 Alex Mack - California OL - Does anybody know whatever happened to the girl that played Alex Mack on Nickelodeon? That show was awesome! (Although it was no Famous Jett Jackson)

14. Taylor Mays - USC DB - So USC has 2 linebackers, 2 defensive linemen, and now 2 defensive backs on the list. Scary!

15. Max Unger - Oregon OL - It's a good thing the Ducks have Unger on the line to protect whichever QB they choose to go with. Hopefully for Oregon, that will alleviate some of the pressure.

16. Mark Sanchez - USC QB - I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm not completely sold on Sanchez. However, being the QB on USC does pretty much get you onto this list automatically.

17. Jake Locker - Washington QB - If Locker can remain healthy for the Huskies, Ty Willingham just may have a job saving, bowl berth season in Seattle.

18. Nick Reed - Oregon DL - Oregon is expected to have a down year this season. I expect the reduction to take place on offense. The Ducks have too many good players on defense like Reed to slip in that department.

19. Dexter Davis - Arizona St. DL - Davis and the rest of the Sun Devil defense will have to play exceptionally well if Arizona St. hopes to have a repeat of last year.

20. Jeremy Perry - Oregon St. OL - The Beavers just might shock a few people this season. I'm not saying they'll compete for the PAC-10 crown, but they will definitely be better.

21. Keegan Herring - Arizona St. RB - With Rudy Carpenter and the Sun Devil passing game putting up astronomical numbers last season, Herring was overlooked. This year, he may be the best PAC-10 running back not on the USC roster.

22. Mike Thomas - Arizona WR - "Money Mike" was the Wildcats go-to guy last season. If they hope to make it to a bowl game and save Mike Stoops' job, Thomas and the offense will have to really step their game up.

23. Sammie Stroughter - Oregon St. WR - Stroughter suffered through a very emotionally tough 2007 campaign. Prior to last year, Stroughter may have been the best WR in the conference. I look for Sammie to bounce back once again this season. Stroughter is also very dangerous as a return man.

24. Stafon Johnson - USC RB - Johnson is expected to get the starting nod at tailback for the Trojans. With McKnight right behind him, I don't know how long he can hold on to that position.

25. Thomas Weber - Arizona St. K - I know, I know, he's a kicker. But he's not just an average kicker. Weber is the best kicker in the nation. With a tougher schedule, his services may become very important to the Sun Devils.

Expansion? It's the PAC-10's turn.

I recently did a blog referring to the possible expansion of the Big East and how awesome that would be. Now it's time for me to show you how smart I am by discussing the possible expansion of the PAC-10.

PAC-10 expansion is a bit more unlikely than Big East expansion. Most PAC-10 fans will argue that bringing in two more teams will go against the tradition that the conference has built up. I agree there is a certain air about PAC-10 schools that doesn't exist anywhere else in the West. Bringing in two more teams would somewhat dilute that.

Also, the main reason for expanding would be the implementation of a conference title game to generate more revenue for the conference itself. This argument might not hold up in the PAC-10 because a title game might not be all that more profitable. Unlike the SEC and Big XII, the PAC-10 fan base is not exactly obsessed about it's football. I compare the PAC-10 more to the ACC, and we have seen how much of a struggle that conference is having with it's title game.

Despite these drawbacks, expanding the PAC-10 to allow a conference title game could be beneficial to all of college football.

Here are six possible candidates that I believe would get some consideration if the PAC-10 were ever to expand.

1. Boise St.- The Broncos have been the class of the non-BCS schools of recent years. From 2002-2006, Boise St. won 5 straight WAC titles. Of course, Boise St. is remembered most for knocking off the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl after a perfect 2006 season.

Boise St. would bring with them a fan base that would rival top PAC-10 programs. Other than USC, California and UCLA, Boise St. might have one of the better fan bases in the PAC-10.

The downside to Boise St. is that they play in a small market. Idaho doesn't exactly scream PAC-10. Also, the blue turf that the Broncos play on would have to go as it is seen as nothing more than a gimmick by the PAC-10 powers.

2.Colorado- A few years back it was reported that the Buffs would welcome a move to the PAC-10 from the Big 12. Colorado might not fit in with the rest of the PAC-10 geographically, but that's been done before (i.e. Penn State in the Big Ten, Arkansas in the SEC, Iowa St. in the Big XII.) Since the Big XII started playing title games back in 1996, Colorado has participated in 4 of them. Also, Colorado would bring a national championship to the PAC-10 with their title in 1990 (shared with Georgia Tech.) Colorado would be able to match the other PAC-10 schools in terms of tradition and name recognition, which would be a big seller.

A drawback for Colorado to join the PAC-10 would be the fact that the Buffaloes will undoubtedly have to pay some sort of fine to the Big XII. The move to the PAC-10 would have to be overwhelmingly positive for Colorado to even consider throwing away money like that.

As a side note, this would allow Colorado, Washington and UCLA to compete for the Neuheisel cup every year. Good stuff.

3.Utah- Utah is a respected state university that would fit the mold of a PAC-10 institution. Also, bringing in Utah would allow the PAC-10 to capture the Salt Lake City market. Since the Mountain West conference came into existence in 1999, the Utes have won 3 conference titles. Also, Utah defeated Pittsburgh after their perfect 2004 season to become the first non-BCS school to win a BCS bowl game.

Utah is always one of the more respected non-BCS schools in the country. However, the Utes have lost some of their luster after the departure of head coach Urban Meyer to Florida.

4.Fresno St.- The Bulldogs already play in a PAC-10 market in Fresno, CA. The ability to keep the geographical boundaries that currently exist would be a big draw for the PAC-10 in regards to Fresno St. The Bulldogs have won three WAC titles under Pat Hill and have always taken the role of fearless underdog when playing against BCS competition.

One thing the Bulldogs lack is a defining win. Fresno St. has had their share of upsets but they have never really captured the college football world like Boise St. and Utah have. Also, lately Fresno St. has been labeled an underachiever and last time I checked the PAC-10 already has a UCLA.

5. BYU- The Cougars have gradually become one of the better non-BCS teams in college football recently. This year BYU is expected to make a run at a BCS bid. If that were to happen, it would greatly improve their stock in this discussion. BYU has won 4 Mountain West conference titles including back to back championships the past two seasons.

The Cougars definitely have the goods on the field, but BYU is not a research institution, which is almost a mandatory requirement for the PAC-10. BYU's religious affiliation may be too much to overcome for them to be seriously considered for the PAC-10.

6. UNLV- The Rebels are easily the least credentialed football team on this list. One thing that UNLV does have that the other schools don't is a very solid basketball program. The b-ball program would help UNLV in the expansion discussion.

Also, UNLV would give the PAC-10 the Las Vegas market. This could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you want to look at it.

UNLV might have the smoothest transition of the 6 schools listed into the PAC-10 because the Rebels roster is loaded with USC transfers.