Reid, a talented cornerback and just shy of surpassing Deion Sanders in the FSU record books as the most prolific Seminole returner, is headed to Division II Valdosta State (Ga.). Some background on the VSU Blazers:

• VSU is a member of the Gulf South Conference.
• The Blazers won the NCAA Div. II championship in 2004 and 2007.
• After VSU’s 2007 national title, ESPN named Valdosta, Ga. as its Title Town, USA. In addition to the gridiron powerhouse of the Blazers, the city is home to some of the nation’s premiere prep sports.
• A pair of Blazers on the 2012 roster are on the NFL Draft radar: offensive tackle Ryan Schraeder and guard Edmond Kugbila. Reid makes three.
• The pre-season Div. II poll slates VSU at No. 8. The Blazers are coming off a disappointing 6-4 finish in 2011.

Reid is the second high profile transfer with lofty NFL aspirations to the GSC in as many seasons. Among VSU’s conference rivals is North Alabama, which last season featured Florida transfer and current St. Louis Ram Janoris Jenkins.

Nov 13, 2010; Atlanta, GA, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive back Ray-Ray Armstrong (26) tackles Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets a-back Orwin Smith (17) during the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Miami defeated Georgia Tech 35-10. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Armstrong’s arrival brings national attention to the tiny Montgomery, Ala. bible university, which would seemingly be a departure from the norm. Not quite.

Faulkner welcomed a 61-year-old, Vietnam veteran onto its roster in 2011 as a kicker. Alan Moore went down in history as the oldest man ever on a university lineup. (Editor’s note: h/t to Matt Elder.)

Faulkner College is famous (kinda) they are the school that had the 61 year old kicker last year.

— Matthew Elder (@Matthewcelder) August 14, 2012

The Eagles were involved in another record-setting moment last season, winning a 95-89 contest against Union College. You read that correctly — 95-89. Though played in November, I can assure you that wasn’t a basketball score.

NAIA players are difficult to find on NFL rosters, suggesting Armstrong faces much more difficult odds to extend his career to Sundays than his former FSU counterpart Reid. CBS Sports has Armstrong slated as a seventh round selection, though his profile is not updated with the move to the Faulkner.

Recent NAIA products in the pros include tackle Quintin Borders, from aforementioned Union. He originally signed at Colorado (yes, that Colorado) before moving closer to his Lexington, Ky. home.

Once celebrated recruit Dillon Baxter finds himself in the NAIA ranks as well, landing at Baker University (Kan.) after a very brief stop at San Diego State following his dismissal from USC.

Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting that BSU has sent its letter of resignation to the Mountain West Conference, per UNLV president Neal Smatresk.

Have gotten confirmation that Boise state sent letter to all 10 mountain west presidents shortly before 10 pm mountain.

— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) July 1, 2012

The 23rd hour is quick approaching for Boise State — literally. The BSU athletic department must decide if it will honor the commitment it made to join the Big East Conference as a football-only member this past winter, or remain in the Mountain West Conference before midnight tonight. Indecisiveness will cost the university at least $5 million in additional transfer fee penalties, per Brian Murphy of The Idaho Statesman.

Murphy has been diligently covering this developing story throughout Saturday afternoon. Give him a follow on Twitter, @murphsturph.

BSU has embroiled in an odd courtship with its current suitor, the MWC, throughout the spring. While the Big East is seemingly a step up for Bronco football given its automatic qualifier status to the Bowl Championship Series and rejection of the MWC’s bid for such recognition, football-only membership proves challenging.

Other Bronco teams were slated to rejoin the Western Athletic Conference. However, the future of the WAC is very much in peril. Should the conference survive, it will be a bottom rung league in its current state. The MWC, which sent three teams to the most recent NCAA basketball tournament, offers far greater stability for the other Bronco athletic programs.

Further, the institution of a restructured football postseason makes Big East membership possibly superfluous. While the Big East does still offer a more competitive football landscape with Cincinnati, Louisville and Connecticut to the additions of Houston, UCF and Navy, AQ status is among the BCS elements dissolved in the new system. At least, AQ status for the Big East.

Lines have been drawn in the proverbial sand, and the Big East is not on the same plane as the SEC, Big 12, Pac-12 and Big Ten. While the Big East may feature a more robust football profile than the MWC, the difference is not necessarily enough to matter in the context of the new four-team playoff.

Stay tuned to SaturdayBlitz.com as this develops.

Edited, 5:33 p.m. PT

The following tweet from Las Vegas Sports 8 reporter Chris Maathius says BSU is remaining in the MWC. No sources or concrete validation.

#BoiseState Coming back to the #MWC . Details are coming up on #8NewsNow So my Saturday will be busy after all.

— Chris Maathuis (@sports8) June 30, 2012

Edited, 8:09 PT

Per MWConnection.com, San Diego State appears committed to its Big East departure with or without BSU.

Dec. 27, 2008; Charlotte, NC, USA; West Virginia Mountaneers quarterback Pat White (5) reacts after the Mountaineers 31-30 victory against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

White is a man of numerous talents. He proved it on the gridiron, leading West Virginia to two BCS bowl wins (2006 Sugar, 2008 Fiesta) with over 10,000 career yards. White was one of the premiere dual threat quarterbacks to ever suit up. His many abilities also translated to the baseball diamond, where he commanded the attention of MLB scouts en route to a selection in the 2004 Amateur Draft by the (then still Anaheim) Angels.

Yes, we know White is multi-talented. But is acting among his skills?

He may never secure an Oscar to join his two Big East Offensive Player of the Year honors, but White will give Hollywood his best shot. Former college football players before him have found opportunities on both the silver screen and boob tube in the past — quite a few, in fact. There’s a wide gap between being the next Dwayne Johnson, or the next Brian Bosworth.

Bosworth starred in 1991′s Stone Cold shortly after his NFL career fizzled. Bosworth was one of the most feared defensive players in college history, and his tenure at Oklahoma is remembered as such today. However, his acting career more closely emulated his time as a Seahawk than his time as a Sooner. Stone Cold made just $9.1 million domestically, relegating The Boz to supporting roles for the next two decades — though he did play The leading man in a cameo on Spike’s “Blue Mountain State.”

The aforementioned Johnson was a standout on Miami’s defensive line in the early 1990s, and a member of a national championship-winning team. He’s also been a winner at the box office, parlaying his post-gridiron career into Hollywood success. It certainly didn’t hurt Johnson’s acting aspirations that as The Rock, he became arguably the most popular pro wrestler since Hulkamania ran wild in the 1980s.

Perhaps White could wriggle his way into Vince McMahon’s universe as a launching pad to Hollywood. He’s undersized by traditional wrestler standards, standing 6-foot and weighing under 200 pounds. His stature put a damper on his NFL chances, as well. But pro wrestling’s landscape is undergoing something of a change, and White is bigger than current main eventer Daniel Bryan. Would I like to see Pat White wrestle Daniel Bryan at next year’s Wrestlemania?

Of course, going the wrestling route might also force White into starring in WWE Films like the awful John Cena vehicles The Marine and 12 Rounds. White would be better off following former Iowa Hawkeye Alex Karras’ footsteps and becoming the patriarch of a family sitcom.

Karras starred as George Papadapolis (not Papadakis) on the ’80s series “Webster,” something of a departure from the type roles former football players are often cast. White predecessors including those mentioned, as well as Syracuse legend Jim Brown and former San Diego State Aztec Carl Weathers, have largely tackled sports and/or action films. White can separate himself from typecasting by diving into some indie, arthouse fare.

Better yet, if White can get a script read, writing a vehicle of his own would blaze a new trail. Now that would be dual threat.

Stephen Stills sang, “Love the one you’re with.”

Both are salient points for Boise State athletics, which CBSsports.com’s Brett McMurphy reports has its administrators meeting with Mountain West Conference brass. BSU was one of nine programs to announce a move to the Big East this past winter, along with San Diego State, Navy, UCF, Houston, Rice, SMU, Memphis and Temple. The Broncos are slated to come as a football-only member, but make no mistake: for the most financially prosperous sport and thus centerpiece of any conference, BSU was the crown jewel of the Big East’s haul.

BSU brings two Bowl Championship Series game wins, a figure that would triple the conference’s output from current members. Only Louisville, with its 2007 Orange Bowl defeat of Wake Forest, boasts a BCS win. Through coaching changes and conference turbulence, BSU has remained an upper echelon program for a decade. That’s a remarkable feat for any program playing outside the sphere of BCS influence. Still, the allure of not having to prove itself at a higher standard than others pursuing big ticket bowls was enough to woo BSU away — twice, in fact.

The Broncos accepted an invitation to the MWC in the summer of 2010, very briefly fueling talk that the conference was on its way to an automatic BCS bid. However, Utah got an offer it couldn’t refuse from the Pacific Conference; BYU’s differences with MWC commissioner Craig Thompson came to a head and led to the Cougars’ independence; and TCU played musical conferences, joining the Big East before the Big 12 came calling.

Dec. 22, 2011; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Boise State Broncos running back (22) Doug Martin celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 2011 Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. Boise State defeated Arizona State 56-24. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Interestingly enough, it could be the other sports that play the biggest role should BSU back out on its Big East partnership. The Broncos rejoined the WAC for their other sports, but football realignment has raided that conference down to bare bones. A WAC is unlikely to exist even for Olympic sports. Opportunities elsewhere might include the Summit League and Big Sky, but both are steps down from the MWC.

Per McMurphy’s linked report, Thompson said that remaining in the MWC for its other sports was possible. But certainly the MWC would want to retain BSU’s, and conference’s most prestigious program. That is unquestionably BSU football. Further, the MWC sits at 10 members for 2013 and beyond, with San Jose State and Utah State joining the fold. Retaining BSU would move the MWC ever-closer to a conference championship game.

And if BSU stays, would San Diego State be far behind? SDSU’s football program has been on the rise in recent years, and has tremendous upside with its large TV market and deep recruiting base possibilities. However, basketball has become a flagship for the university. Tickets at Montezuma Mesa became the city’s most difficult-to-come-by commodity this past season. The MWC has established itself as a powerful basketball league; SDSU’s move to the Big West for hoops (and other sports) is risky with the program’s rise still in its infancy.

Further, no BSU means no western partner for the Aztecs in Big East football. SMU becomes SDSU’s nearest neighbor. Would the appeal of staying and making 12 be enough to keep SDSU home?

A Mountain West football title game has intriguing possibilities. San Diego is a hot vacation destination and offers premier weather in December. The conference has had success hosting its basketball in Las Vegas; could Sam Boyd Stadium fill up on championship Saturday if the conference worked to sell the weekend as an experience? All this becomes moot if BSU and SDSU remain committed to the Big East, of course. And there is a $5 million exit fee to consider.

However, the $5 million BSU is reported to owe should it back out is a pittance compared to other exit fees. The Big East lost its commissioner earlier this week, and the conference’s television possibilities are up in the air. The MWC faces a similar TV situation since losing its own network, but the closure of The Mtn. could actually work in the conference’s favor — especially if its largest TV market (SDSU) and most noteworthy program stay in the fold.

Several years ago when West Virginia, Louisville and USF were at the top of their game, it seemed as if the Big East was a national player. USF reached No. 2 in the polls at a point. There is still a lot of people that question if the Bulls deserved that. As a season ticket holder, I myself asked the same question. They were good. But were they THAT good? Big East football for those few years was like the basketball portion of the conference: everyone beat each other up during the regular season and the best team emerged from the battle. I think USF was deserving of a top 10 ranking then, but not No. 2. They proved that thought right by falling the very next game and finishing out of the top ten. But even at that point they deserved to be in the BCS picture. While maybe not the top team in the nation, Louisville, West Virginia and USF were Top 25 programs.

Today is a different story. USF was miserable last season. After a 4-0 start and a national ranking, the Bulls went 1-7. West Virgina, now a member of the Big 12, was 10-3, 5-2 in conference and co-champion. Louisville was only 7-6 (conference co-champ by the way), and Cincinnati was 10-3, 5-2, and also co-champion. The Mountaineers finished No. 17 while the Bearcats finished No.25. A 9-3 squad should not be part of the BCS picture. Rutgers even put together a decent looking record at 9-4 but was only 4-3 in the conference. You can’t fault the teams for coming out of a weak conference, just like you can’t fault a player for taking an owner’s money.

That doesn’t mean they’re deserving top billing, though.

If you look at the ACC, SEC, PAC 12, Big 10, and Big 12, they have top program schools that are in the hunt every year. In 2009, Cincinnati went 12-1, the only loss coming when they were blasted by the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. But they made a statement that year saying the Big East deserved to be recognized as a top college football conference. But you can’t have a team have a great year every 3-5 years and still be considered a top conference.

Now it’s even worse with West Virginia gone. There is nobody left in the Big East that teams are afraid of. USF? They might be improved this season but will not be top 10 material. Rutgers? Louisville? Those two teams might benefit from playing a weak conference schedule but they are not going to scare anyone by any means. Uconn? Syracuse? Pitt? No, no and no. The Panthers and Orange are gone after this season anyway.

Some of the new teams coming into the conference are UCF, Navy, Memphis, Temple, and SMU. SEC and ACC teams will be tripping over themselves to schedule games against those teams. They don’t scare anyone. Boise State can play with anyone and is a great addition. The jury is still out on Houston (one hit wonder?), and San Diego State can go either way. The only addition that will throw a scare into opponents at this time are the Broncos.

Do you think them joining the Big East was not a calculated move? If there was no BCS bid up for grabs, do you think Boise State would have talked to the Big East? Not a chance. University administrators see an opportunity to play in a BCS conference, get the automatic bid the program deserves each season, and not have to play tougher competition — and you can not tell me playing in the Big East right now is tougher than what the Broncos have been playing for conference opponents over the last several years. It’s a brilliant move by the school and once it starts conference play, unless something drastic changes between now and then, Boise State will be your Big East champion for several years to come, or at least until the conference calls it quits.

Now with all the talk of a playoff format happening in the near future (finally!), BSU is the saving grace for the Big East. Under the terms that are being discussed, there is no way a Big East school would be in the running. They just can’t compete in recruiting with the ACC, SEC and the others. If you can’t get the players, you will not compete. TCU already screwed the Big East over. The conference better hope that BSU doesn’t do the same. How can you be considered in talks of a playoff format if you have no teams that will never compete for it?

Now this isn’t to say that this can’t change. Because it can. USF despite being the 4th of four big Florida schools, still gets good recruits. Florida is such a hotbed for talented high school football players that the kids that get skipped over by UM, UF and FSU, can still start in other top notch programs. UCF ends up with USF’s washouts but could still turn into a contender. Syracuse is now the ACC’s problem. Louisville and Rutgers can be a national contender with the right coaching staff in place. San Diego State can be a player given the right schedule. Cincinnati can be a dominating team if they continue on the path they are on right now. Boise State speaks for itself. And if Houston can keep going what they started last season, they can be a contender as well. So there can be a bright future for this conference. They say it’s always darkest right before the dawn. Well right now, it’s pretty dark in Big East football country. But if you look to the east, the sun is starting to come up.

In a few years the Big East could be a major conference again and deserving of a BCS bid and consideration in whatever playoff format is decided upon. Will they be an SEC or an ACC? Simply put, no. Can they cause problems for those conferences? Certainly, yes. But that’s in a few years. Right now they don’t deserve to have a BCS bid. OK West Virginia destroyed Clemson last year in the Orange Bowl. But the Tigers were a team that had lost 3 of their last 5 games and were clearly not the team that started the season 8-0.

Right now the Big East reminds me of the old NHL Norris Division. The division that nobody wanted to win.

None of those teams deserved to be in the post season, but someone had to go. That’s the Big East right now. Nobody deserves to get a BCS bid at the moment. But someone has to go. But the good news is that the old Norris division teams are now some of the top teams in the NHL. The Big East could have the same fate. Maybe in a few years they will once again be a contending conference and deserve a BCS bid. But they have to do it for several years running. Not just one season here and there. Maybe that will happen, But right now it’s not and they should not be allowed to represent among the best college football programs in the country.

Ray Blanchette covers the Big East for the Saturday Blitz. . He also writes for Outside The Redzone. Follow along at www.outsidetheredzone.com. Blanchette is the owner of Blanchette Sports Holdings. Follow along with them at www.blanchettesh.elementfx.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100003521034703&sk=wall or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/BlanchettSports. BE SURE TO FOLLOW US THIS WEEKEND AS WE WILL BE AUCTIONING OFF SEASON TICKETS, FREE PARKING, $25 OF CONCESSIONS PER GAME, AND AN AUTOGRAPHED PICTURE OF OUR MODEL CARRIE, ALL IN THE SAME PACKAGE!! DON’T MISS OUT!!

Yesterday discussing said rumors, I touched on this subject via the myriad leaks that emanated about Texas two years ago. Rumors have a way of mutating and becoming something much bigger when past through multiple channels. The Big 12 seeks expansion and Florida State and Clemson are possibilities, purple monkey dishwasher.

Rumor was enough to force action on the Big 12′s part. Conferences that acted overly cautious then are playing catch-up now like the Big East, or on death’s door, like the WAC.

Thus far, there is nothing beyond the unnamed sources Cemetery Hill and Eer Insider reference in their respective columns suggesting this move happens. But even if CU and FSU stand pat in the ACC, rest assured aftershocks are still ahead.

The Big 12 introduced a new commissioner on Friday, Bob Bowlsby. Previous chatter from the conference was it would remain at 10, but assumption was that chatter was idle. Adding TCU and West Virginia ensured the conference’s survival after losing four members, but simple survival is not enough in the new landscape. The Big 12 has big money potential, but a minimum of 12 members has proven to be the most lucrative model.

More members equates to more television influence and thus a bigger contract. A conference championship game is a centerpiece and revenue generator. Eleven and twelve may not be FSU and CU, but it has to be someone. And that means another conference must lose out, barring an independent’s movement.

Jul 26, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; Big 12 conference sign welcomes all attendees to the Big 12 media day press conference at the Westin Galleria Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The Irish have balked at football membership routinely in the past. The program is not what it once was, but remains a highly valuable commodity. The NBC deal remains a huge asset any conference would struggle to match. Further, a conference like the Big Ten can fail to woo UND with a tangible contract. Until Bowlsby brokers a contract with the networks, the Big 12 can only sell a concept. That works more for other programs going solely on concept in their current situations.

Fellow independent BYU has had talks with Big 12, but nothing more. Its denial of the Big East during its Western expansion suggests the Cougars will only move under ideal circumstances, which the Big 12 would offer. Membership alongside Oklahoma, Texas and the like gives BYU the credibility it seeks.

BYU would bring quality football, and a passionate fan base that travels well and always fills it stadium. However, the Cougars are in a small television market. BYU must sell its global appeal via LDS membership to compensate. Further, selling the Big 12 on moving west is a challenge. Every other rumored target is in the east.

At least one program to the east would be ideal for West Virginia, particularly in sports beside football. FSU and CU suit this, but former Mountaineer Big East partners Cincinnati and Louisville do even more. UL has had particular buzz on the Big 12 front. Numerous programs under the university’s umbrella excel, including men’s basketball, and Charlie Strong has football moving in a positive direction.

Membership in a more football inclined conference like the Big 12, with the hypothetically lofty television contract it seeks en tow, UL brass could offer more to keep Strong. Revolving doors have been a problem with Big East coaches. Last season, Greg Schiano had more tenure at the same location than the rest of his peers combined. And Schiano’s now gone.

There’s no coincidence the Big East has struggled to retain members, given the speed with which coaches leave. Until the Big East establishes itself as more of a power, the cycle will perpetuate.

As for Big East commissioner John Marinatto, an aggressive approach is vital. Expanded as it did over the winter was crucial, but maintaining its new members is equally so. Remember, the Big East had TCU signed but lost it amid instability last year. The buyout clause worked into new signees’ contracts are the first key.

The conference’s movement west was minimal. Boise State and San Diego State are on their own islands, with BYU and Air Force both balking. Travel will pose challenges in football, and men’s basketball both downgraded in their affiliations. The Mountain West is picking up steam with its national TV coverage — if Craig Thompson and Co. can lock down regional coverage deals without the albatross of The Mtn., remaining in the MWC becomes more appealing than it was when BSU and SDSU signed with the Big East.

And don’t be surprised if ACC commissioner John Swofford takes an aggressive approach. Any validity to two programs as key to the ACC as Clemson and Florida State seeking membership elsewhere means offering them something to stay happy. Certainly Pitt and Syracuse’s additions were big, but reaching 16 means more influence in TV negotiations. Aforementioned Louisville and Cincinnati have much to offer as discussed.

Oh, and there’s the SEC. The most successful football conference sits at 14, with eastern spots sitting conspicuously empty. UL, anyone?

Dec 5, 2009; Boise, ID, USA; Boise State Broncos head football coach Chris Petersen is interviewed after the second half against the New Mexico State Aggies at Bronco Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Aggies 42-7 to win their seventh WAC title. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-US PRESSWIRE

Interim commissioner Jeff Hurd could lead last ditch efforts to entice FCS programs, but Montana, UC Davis and Cal Poly already balked on the WAC when it was on much stronger footing. How much sustainability does a desperate raid on the Southland Conference offer?

Younger football fans and those without knowledge of the sport’s past will remember the WAC for what it was in its twilight years: under-exposed, home to a few good teams and a lot teetering on the edge of the FBS; a transitional home before something better came along, like a BCS Ellis Island. It began a slow march to oblivion 16 years ago that accelerated to a sprint in a matter of days.

But the WAC was once a proud league that provided landmark moments in college football history. Some of these moments altered its very landscape.

Driving the non-AQ movement through the BCS era’s latter half was Boise State. The Broncos became the public face for non-BCS conference equality among the power brokers with two Fiesta Bowl wins, annual top 20 finishes, and four perfect regular seasons (2004, 2006, 2008, 2009).

Of course, Boise State would not have become Boise State without Fresno State. Pat Hill’s “anyone, anytime, anywhere” philosophy turned eyes to the Valley, thereby turning eyes to the WAC.

Fresno State was the first non-BCS conference program to really generate significant party crashing chatter, starting with its 2001 defeat of reigning Fiesta Bowl winner Oregon State. The ’01 Bulldogs were a high-tempo, fun team, driven by Heisman candidate (and in my estimation, rightful winner of the 2001 bronze man) David Carr. The clash between Fresno State and Boise State had historical implications, and became the springboard for the Broncos’ national profile.

Before BSU, the WAC was stomping ground for BYU.

LaVell Edwards’ Cougars were the original program to kick in the door on the big boys. The BYU of the 1980s through 1990 achieved all BSU and Fresno State strived for, and in then some.

The 1984 Cougars were the last team not from one of the Big Six conferences or Notre Dame to win a national championship. Likewise, BYU quarterback Ty Detmer became the last player from one of the “other” leagues to win the Heisman Trophy, in 1990 — hence his name gracing this very site’s non-AQ MVP award.

Just two seasons after boasting the best quarterback in college football, the WAC was home to the nation’s top running back in San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk. Faulk’s Heisman loss is another of those votes I cannot help but wonder if there are ballots floating about with hanging chads. Yes, a hanging chads reference. It’s dated, let’s move on.

With Boise State, Fresno State and 2007 Hawai’i, the recent WAC incarnation was a forerunner in challenging the BCS status quo. That makes the WAC’s place in BCS history all the more ironic, because the BCS wouldn’t be what it is without the conference.

Rewind to the WAC’s formation in 1962. Wyoming boasted some strong teams in the 1950s. Arizona, Arizona State and New Mexico had outgrown the Border Conference (their departures effectively shut down that league). Regional solidarity brought them together with Utah and BYU to form the new conference. But like in the modern era, receiving attention from the big boys was a struggle for outsider conferences, and that translated into a lack of bowl opportunities for WAC members.

Frank Kush’s ASU teams became too strong to ignore. A top 10-ranked and undefeated ASU team earned a Peach Bowl bid in 1970. The Sun Devils drew well, and played better by walloping North Carolina. ASU’s showing in Atlanta became the catalyst behind the Fiesta Bowl.

The Fiesta Bowl was initially the WAC’s host bowl, ostensibly becoming the Sun Devil Invitational in the Kush years. Less than two decades after its arrival, the Fiesta was a premier bowl. By 1987, it was hosting the national championship game. The pairing of Miami vs. Penn State held there is one of the most famous title bouts in the sport’s history, and was a key moment in elevating the Fiesta to BCS status 12 years later.

From Kush, to Edwards, to Fisher DeBerry to Chris Petersen; from Mike Haynes, to Detmer, to Faulk, Carr, Colt Brennan and Kellen Moore the WAC leaves behind a legacy that should be celebrated over its feeble and frail final state.

Payton received a contract extension through 2015, but such a lengthy absence — particularly one under such unsavory circumstances — has to put that in jeopardy. Should Payton’s contract be terminated either on his end or the franchise’s, the prospect of the college game offering refuge is intriguing. Payton’s been an NFL coach for well over a decade, but has a college lineage.

Most famously, he was running backs coach at San Diego State in 1992 and 1993 when one Marshall Faulk was plying the trade at a Heisman-worthy pace.

Coaches either over the barrel or completely dropped in it have crossed levels before. Jerry Tarkanian’s first job after the hot tub scandal at UNLV was in the professional ranks with the San Antonio Spurs. Kelvin Sampson took on a position with the Milwaukee Bucks after the NCAA gave him a five-year show cause banishment for improperly contacting recruits while at Indiana, after doing so at Oklahoma.

Now, the NBA and NCAA seem to have a more tenuous relationship than the NFL does with college sports’ governing body. The NFL and NCAA showed solidarity when the pros extended Terrelle Pryor’s suspension at Ohio State to the Oakland Raiders. Pryor declared for the supplemental draft last summer amid an NCAA investigation into improper benefits Pryor received at OSU. Plenty of skeptics believed Pryor’s departure to be a ploy to avoid further NCAA criticism, and the NFL worked proactively to

It worked both ways on the coaching front. The same controversy that led to Pryor’s suspension forced out head coach Jim Tressel, and the six-game suspension Tressel was to carry out at OSU followed him to the Indianapolis Colts.

The billions of dollars the NFL produces lets it carry a heavy stick, and the NCAA would be wise to not incur the League’s wrath. Thus, a hypothetical foray back to the college game wouldn’t come in 2012. Aside from tempting the NFL-NCAA partnership, most coaching staffs have been filled out for the upcoming year. Abandoning the possibility of an NFL return to serve as a low level positions coach, even somewhere as prominent as Penn State, would be nonsensical.

However, if Payton’s damaged goods in the NFL’s collective eyes, a college tenure in 2013 might be the damage control his career now requires.

Aug 28, 2008; Atlanta, GA, USA; Jacksonville State Gamecocks quarterback Ryan Perrilloux (11) talks with head coach Jack Crow prior to the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Yllow Jackets defeated the Gamecocks 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-US PRESSWIRE

Perrilloux came to LSU in 2005 with all the fanfare and hype one would expect of a five star recruit. Rivals.com rated him the top prep quarterback of 2005 coming out of East St. John High in Reserve, La. He was to be the building block of the Les Miles era Tigers.

Instead, he became a cautionary tale of what happens when a blue chip recruit fails to balance his football with outside temptations. Yes, Perrilloux helped guide LSU to a BCS Championship as its a vital reserve quarterback in 2007. But after having already been embroiled in a counterfeiting investigation and arrest at a casino, still vague violations led to his ouster not long after the Tigers’ title game defeat of Ohio State.

His story was the quintessential example of an athlete having the world at his fingertips and letting it slip away. Emphasis on was.

This week, he earned his college degree in sociology. Less than a month ago, he was re-signed to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Perrilloux succeeded where others who have been down the same road have failed. He was given the ball of a new opportunity and ran with it. His is a blueprint other troubled players should follow.

While covering the Championship Subdivision for NCAA.com in 2009, I worked on a feature on then-Jacksonville State QB Perrilloux. JSU head coach Jack Crowe had nothing but praise for his play caller, both as an on-field leader and as a student with renewed focus.

One of the game’s most well tenured coaches, Crowe said he saw dedication in Perrilloux others weren’t ready to. Perrilloux met with JSU President Bill Meehan individually, and was given a very specific code of conduct. I spoke to Meehan, and he echoed Crowe’s praise.

Crowe said he held Perrilloux to a higher standard than any other player, exhibited in a suspension given Perrilloux for a violation the head coach said most players wouldn’t have sat for.

That combination of discipline and belief Crowe and the university exhibited Perrilloux to flourish. That ’09 campaign, he set the NCAA’s standard for quarterback efficiency across all divisions. JSU finished with Ohio Valley Conference’s best record.

Perrilloux’s is the example players like Dillon Baxter need to follow. Baxter transferred from USC after two seasons that failed to meet the high expectations recruiting pundits laid on him coming out of San Diego’s Mission Bay High. Compounding Baxter’s ineffective play were off-field problems, including a suspension for cavorting with an agent and a marijuana bust before ever playing a collegiate snap.

Baxter’s problems continued at San Diego State, where his stay was shorter than fellow troubled San Diegan’s Tate Forcier’s at San Jose State.

After issues at second stops, it would seem Baxter and Forcier have exhausted their opportunities. The coach that takes a flyer on either will be going far off the beaten path — further even than Crowe with Perrilloux, because each now has a second spurned program in his wake.

November 19, 2011; Gainesville FL, USA; Furman Paladins quarterback Chris Forcier (5) runs with the ball during the second half against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Florida Gators 54-32. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Stepping down in division requires a swallowing of pride that four and five star recruits may struggle with. Routes to the NFL still exist, but the path is much rockier. However, sometimes life out of the spotlight can be what a player needs to refocus.

Forcier’s own brother Chris succeeded this past season as quarterback at Furman. Chris did not have the same problems at UCLA Tate experience at Michigan. But Chris did have a less-than-amicable split from the Bruins that mirrors the manner in which Tate bid Ann Arbor adieu.

Chris threw 23 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, and was the Paladins’ second leading rusher. He’ll return to a Furman roster in 2012 that should compete in the deep Southern Conference.

The roads to redemption aren’t necessarily glamorous, but they do exist for those prepared to walk down them.

College offenses are different. Flip through cable on a fall Saturday, and experience a diverse menagerie of formations and systems. The vast spectrum to largely similar sets with tweaked details, more prevalent on Sundays. Tailoring an offense to a talented quarterback isn’t necessarily new to the NFL, but the lengths coordinators go now to placate a quarterbacks’ skill set far exceed most anything seen previously.

Credit the success college coaches have had building around quarterbacks to the League’s new-found flexibility — but not build around in a sense of using as a cornerstone for a blueprint, but rather letting the quarterback dictate the blueprint.

Rather than a player fitting a system, systems often conform to players.

Michigan’s success under new head coach Brady Hoke’s staff was a shining example. Offensive coordinator Al Borges came to Ann Arbor with a proven track record of maximizing quarterbacks’ potential, and in Denard Robinson he had a one-time Heisman frontrunner. The only issue: Robinson excelled in Rich Rodriguez’s spread option, carrying the ball 256 times for over 1700 yards.

Conversely, Borges cultivated such playcallers as Jason Campbell, Cade McNown, and Kyle Boller: all first round draft picks, all more traditional, drop-back passers. More recently, Borges helped San Diego State’s Ryan Lindley garner attention from pro scouts — attention since squandered under Andy Ludwig, a point we shall delve into further a little later.

January 3, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson (16) runs while being defended by Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Detrick Bonner (8) during the Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

In fact, Robinson would have shaky moments as the more traditional quarterback throughout the season. Yet, rather than continuing placing his hand on the proverbial hot stove, Borges opted not to get burned. He conformed his system to fit what Robinson does, and as a result the Wolverines scored better than 33 points per game en route to 11 wins.

The point per game average was only a slight increase from the season before, and Robinson carried over 200 times again. The autonomy Robinson had was a deviation from Borges’ typical gameplan, yet was in more of a balanced flow than the season prior.

The counter to the success of a Michigan is Florida’s struggles, most notably in 2010. Tim Tebow was a supremely gifted athlete whose abilities perfectly complemented Urban Meyer’s vision and the talent around him, and vice versa. Tebow is also a prime example of the professional rank’s new attitude toward traditional qualities.

Tebow differed from Meyer’s previous quarterback-turned-first rounder Alex Smith immensely, yet Meyer and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen molded the offense to click for both. Steve Addazio piggybacked off that success in 2009, Tebow’s season senior, but the Gators were unable to restructure with John Brantley at quarterback.

Brantley was recruited as a more traditional style player, and Addazio worked around that. The departure from past seasons’ success was evident, as UF struggled. The Gators managed nearly 30 points per game, but that’s an inflated number buoyed against sub-par competition.

Addazio was a regular target for criticism. Yet, he came to Temple as its head coach, went with a more rushing-oriented offense, and the Owls had an astounding season. Interesting to ponder had he not tried to fit a square peg of Brantley into the round hole of UF’s offense how things might have gone.

Charlie Weis followed Addazio this season and had even less success. Brantley was injured much of the season, forcing true freshmen Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel in ahead of their time. Brissett and Driskel are two very different players from Brantley, much like Brantley differed from Tebow.

A team can function with two different style quarterbacks, and offenses tailored to their individual strengths. It worked right there in Gainesville in 2006, with Chris Leak employing a different style from Tebow. Oklahoma is using an approach similar with Landry Jones and Blake Bell. However, it can’t be a 50-50 proposition.

Borges’ replacement at San Diego State, the aforementioned Ludwig, had previous stops at Cal and Utah. Neither was particularly noteworthy for outstanding offensive production. Lindley had played with a sort of reckless abandon in 2010 that worked in no small part because of his cannon arm. SDSU’s offense was less predicated on that, and looked more like what Cal was trying to do while compensating for its lack of a standout passer.

True, SDSU did lose key receivers from the 2010 campaign. However, the entire look of the Aztecs’ offenses differed greatly. Running back Ronnie Hillman was used far more frequently; Lindley was as well, interestingly enough. He passed 447 times, compared to 421 in 2010. However, his yards per completion dropped by two, and he threw for nearly 700 fewer altogether as Ludwig relegated more frequently to bubble screen duty.

UU did finsh 13-0 and won the Sugar Bowl in the 2008 season with Ludwig managing the offense. Interestingly, it was when he entrusted more of the responsibility to his quarterback that the Ute offense excelled. Ludwig allowed Brian Johnson to call plays at the line, rather than follow strict play calls from the booth and sidelines. BJ orchestrated an attack that shocked Alabama, and kept the Crimson Tide off balance.

January 2, 2009; New Orleans, LA, USA; Utah quarterback Brian Johnson (3) drops back to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half of the 2009 Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome. The Utes defeated the Tide 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-US PRESSWIRE

To what extent, though, can define a team’s success. Without underselling David Shaw’s outstanding debut season as Stanford’s head coach, he certainly had a much smoother transition with Andrew Luck behind center. Luck is both the prototype of what previously (and still to a large extent does) quantify a great pro quarterback, as well as the consummate game manager. The two features aren’t one in the same, though.

There was no prototype for Cam Newton when he stormed onto the scene in 2010. He is the true moldbreaker at the NFL level as he was in college, able to carry over Gus Malzahn’s vision and tweak it with an on-field insight few share. That didn’t work out too badly for the Tigers, did it?

Of course, the examples of rigid philosophy winning out remain more prevalent. Tom Osborne’s Nebraska teams had a gameplan, did not deviate from it, and executed it to precision. There was no tinkering beyond adding new caveats to stay ahead of defensive coordinators.

Now, a player of Tommie Frazier’s caliber had plenty to do with the Cornhuskers’ offense clicking with such precision in the mid-1990s. Likewise, Alabama has won a pair of championships with Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron remaining within the confines of the system. Osborne and Saban recruited players who fit their needs, rather than tailoring the needs to the player.

The question heading into the coming years is which is the better mindset?