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Nebraska football recruiting is starting to heat up, which is great news for Bo Pelini and his staff.

It's also great news for 'Huskers nation, because slow and steady doesn't always win the race in college football recruiting.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com reports that Nebraska has been on a roll, culminating at Big Red weekend:

The Huskers ended up adding four verbal commitments during Big Red weekend, to go along with two pledges -- offensive lineman Tanner Farmer and quarterback Zack Darlington -- in the days leading up to the event. Nebraska now has added seven recruits since June 7, bringing its 2014 total to a respectable nine. 

Darlington is the name that jumps out, not only because of the position he plays but the fact that he turned down Ohio State for the Huskers. RecruitingNation rates Darlington as a four-star prospect and the No. 11 quarterback in the 2014 class. Nebraska's post-Taylor Martinez quarterback situation looks solid now with Darlington, Tommy Armstrong and Johnny Stanton.  

According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Zach Darlington is a 3-star quarterback who's ranked as the No. 11 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. He's a good pickup for the 'Huskers, and he's now their marquee recruit. 

As Rittenberg mentioned, Nebraska has nine current commitments, but that's a number that's sure to grow.

With the commitments adding up, especially as of late, Nebraska will continue to gain momentum and hype, and that will play well with recruits still looking at the Cornhuskers as a serious option.

Nebraska is on the respective 247Sports interest lists of targets like 4-star athlete Kalen Ballage (top five), defensive tackle Peyton Newell (top two), offensive tackle Brian Wallace (top three) and wide receiver Monte Harrison (leader). Newell and Wallace are considered 4-star recruits, according to 247Sports.

Of course, Nebraska will also benefit from a good showing on the field in 2013, so when all is said and done, a top 25 class should be within reach for Pelini and his staff.

The Cornhuskers may have started off slow, but once the ball gets rolling in recruiting—it's hard to stop.

Momentum, more than just about anything else, is key on the recruiting trail. Outside of winning, hype is one of the biggest draws a program can have with elite recruits. Where one goes, others tend to follow.

Look at what a national championship or two has done for Alabama on the recruiting trail, and just as recently as last recruiting cycle, the hype surrounding Robert Nkemdiche's interest and eventual commitment to Ole Miss put the Rebels on the recruiting map in a huge way.

Alabama finished with the No. 1 class last cycle, according to the 247Sports team rankings. Ole Miss landed the No. 8 class.

Such is the power of hype.

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Les Miles, a coach who had an excessive obsession with Gunner Kiel during the 2012 offseason, has rebounded in a big way in 2013. The head coach of the LSU Tigers is back on the positive side of the "handling recruiting" news, as shown by the Tiger Bait look into his most recent moves. Miles, and his staff, are doing it big in recruiting by doing it small.

The recruiting headlines have been dominated by big production efforts. Kentucky's 115 handwritten letters to a recruit from May. Ole Miss and its 54 letters to a recruit. Joker Phillips' #comeplaywrforthejoker campaign of tweets. Larry Fedora and his Fedora's Freak Show.

As well as the other code words, hashtags and what not, as Andy Staples at Sports Illustrated is cataloging.

Miles and his staff are doing a little bit of the opposite. The staff spent some time reaching out to recruits at the Rivals100 5-Star Challenge by getting handwritten noted delivered to their hotel rooms. It was a personal touch and the kids like that, as evidenced by corner Adoree' Jackson, guard Demetrius Knox and linebacker Clifton Garrett.

"My first thought was that I had arrived, but it was time to do work," Jackson said. "I was appreciative because it was the only one just sitting and waiting. I liked that."

"It was great," Knox said. "It shows they really think a lot of me. It really meant a lot. You always want to go somewhere you're wanted."

"It was a pretty good feeling knowing that they were thinking about me enough to have a letter at my hotel waiting for me," said Garrett, a Rivals100 member and four-star recruit. "That really shows how much they really do want me."

Kids want to feel wanted, and more importantly, they want to know that schools really are doing more than canvassing the nation. Players want to feel like they have a special place on that school's board. When a school calls and sings "Happy Birthday" to your mother, odds are they are doing more than just throwing things out there and hoping it sticks.

Recruiting is about relationships and while the volume recruiting looks good in an effort to get in the game, it takes more to win the hearts of the players, and their decision makers. LSU is making a step a strong step in that direction with the more personalized approach to recruiting.

Props go to Les Miles for the recent moves, dialing it down can have just as big an impact as cranking the proverbial volume to 11, sometimes even more so.

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David Cornwell, 5-star quarterback and recent Alabama commitment (Greg Ostendorf/ESPN.com), has the potential to be the best quarterback so far during the prestigious Nick Saban era of Crimson Tide football.

Lofty expectations? Sure. Such are the expectations at Alabama though, where good is not good enough and championships are the gold standard.

Cornwell is 6'5'', 230 pounds as a rising senior, so he has elite size.

He's built like a linebacker, but he has the agility and skill of a big-time college football quarterback. Therein lies the key to his potential. With defenders getting bigger, faster and stronger by the year, quarterbacks will have to follow suit in order to keep up and remain competitive.

Not only is Cornwell big enough to stand strong in the pocket, step up and make a throw, but he'll be hard to tackle, even at the SEC level. He also has the agility and quickness to evade the rush, get out of the pocket and make a play with his feet.

At 230 pounds with above-average speed for a quarterback, he could be a force running the ball in short-yardage situations.

Need a point of reference? Think Tim Tebow at Florida, but even bigger. According to Rivals.com, Tebow was 6'3'', 217 pounds heading into college.

The kicker is, unlike Tebow, Cornwell is a natural passer.

He has a fluid throwing motion and a phenomenal arm. Footwork is key for quarterbacks, and Cornwell's is crisp. He doesn't bounce in the pocket, and he does a great job of pushing off his back foot, stepping up into the throw and transferring his weight forward.

Cornwell seemingly flicks his arm and the football flies down the field, reminiscent of Matthew Stafford at Georgia. As far as a pro comparison is concerned, B/R's Full+Ride compares Cornwell to Green Bay Packers' superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers:

The comparison is spot on, especially in regard to throwing on the run.

Speaking of accuracy, Cornwell has a pin-point arm. His arm strength allows him to throw the ball on a line and fit it into tight windows where only his receiver can catch it. His intermediate throws are thrown with tremendous velocity, but he can heave it deep with great distance, touch and arc.

Cornwell can drop the deep ball on a dime, and his touch passes are spot on. He'll set himself apart at the college level with his ability to escape the pocket and throw without his feet set, and defenses will also have to honor his ability to tuck it and run.

Simply put, he's not your typical Alabama "game manager" quarterback, and that's what could give him the eventual edge over Greg McElroy and A.J. McCarron—the two star quarterbacks of the Saban era.

This is not meant to be a slight against McElroy or McCarron, but more so a vote of confidence for Cornwell. 

McElroy was and now McCarron (Note: Albeit at a much higher level) is asked to manage the offense and make sure that everything stays on track. Hand off the ball to the running backs and complete the throws that you're asked to make. Rely on the talent around you and focus on protecting the ball and getting it into the hands of your playmakers.

Again, that's not a slight against either quarterback or the philosophy, because it obviously has been effective.

Cornwell has the talent to take over games and make big-time plays though, even if the running game or defense fail him.

Alabama's running game projects to be elite, so of course he'll be handing the ball off on many occasions, but if Saban and his staff wanted to, they could put the game in Cornwell's hands and ask him to make plays.

The Crimson Tide could open up the offense and add in a few wrinkles. Cornwell will be able to make any throw asked of him, and if Alabama was to spread the defense out with more receivers, that could really open the running game up. Quarterback option plays or even designed runs for Cornwell could also be effective, especially in short-yardage or goal-line situations.

Saban and his staff may never alter their game plan, but at least with Cornwell at quarterback, they'd have options.

He projects to be that good.

According to the 247Sports positional rankings, Cornwell is the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the 2014 class and a 5-star recruit. The 247Sports composite, which is an average of all the major recruiting service's rankings, ranks him as the No. 3 pro-style quarterback. 

No matter the ranking, it's rather evident that Cornwell has the raw intangibles and physical abilities to be a star—and he's yet to play his senior season in high school.

Does that mean he'll be a superstar? Frankly, no it doesn't.

Potential is a fickle thing, and high school talent does not always translate to the college level.

That said, Alabama has a track record of producing great recruits, and Cornwell will be in the very best position to succeed.

Note: All scouting and analysis of Cornwell done by writer, via tape study of film provided on his 247Sports profile page.

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Jon Solomon at The Birmingham News is working on a five-part series at AL.com on the implementation of the new targeting-ejection rule in college football. Sunday, Part 1 debuted revealed an eject-first-and-ask-questions-later policy, an outcome feared at Your Best 11 during the proposal stage of the rules change.

Yes, the flag for targeting and subsequent ejection will be reviewed, and even possibly overturned by replay officials. But as we have seen with other close calls, indisputable evidence is an iffy subject. Essentially, that's trusting a player's ejection to the same "do I have enough proof" ruling as determines calls that already fluster much of the college football world.

Although the rule is about "targeting above the shoulder," what we have seen in practical application is a rule that is focused on three things: How bad a hit looks, whether the recipient of the hit appears injured and whether there was helmet-to-helmet contact.

Big guys on little guys, high-speed contact, players not paying attention to who get walloped; Those all go into the "it looks bad" category and have drawn not only the gasps from the crowd, but flags from officials as well. Under the new policy, those flags go up the booth, where the offending player's fate is determined. 

The same process will take place when players are knocked unconscious, or writhe on the ground in pain following a hit. These acts are, essentially, the continuation of a hit that looks devastating, but that does not make them illegal, necessarily.

Policing those two things out of the game, especially as flags become ejections and force players to sit out, is going to be tough. All eyes are on the officials to make the quick call, and erring on the side of safety because something looks bad or a player gets hurt is not always the right call.

Which brings us to helmet-to-helmet, the least understood part of football. There exists a myth among people that there is a way to stop helmets from colliding on tackles.  The NFL's Roger Goodell has even gone so far as to say he wants to take the "head out of the game."

Using the helmet as a weapon is a football crime. That is how the hitter and the recipient get hurt. Spearing is how players end up paralyzed. Spearing, lowering the head and using the crown to deliver a pseudo-kill shot has no place in football.

Whether players are taught the face-to-chestplate and the rising blow method of tackling, the chest-to-chest running through contact or angle tackling by running through the target and getting the head across, helmets collide. That is football.

The helmet is to protect the heads from colliding. The facemasks are to stop noses from breaking as the players do what they are supposed to do. When shoulders collide, the heads, which are atop of the shoulders, also tend to collide. When players run through contact, they slide from the chest into the face of the opposition. 

And that does not even account for differences in height, or the offensive player crouching down to protect himself, which changes a shoulder or chest target into a head target. Something Les Miles points out in Solomon's article.

College football is moving forward with the policy, but as Miles states, "Change has to be incremental and not wildly applied." Pushing an eject-first, maybe-fix-it-later policy is the polar opposite of moving slowly to institute the change.

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Sophomore linebacker Antonio Morrison, projected to start at middle linebacker this year for the Florida Gators, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly punching a bouncer at a Gainesville drinking establishment.

According to the Orlando Sentinel (h/t College Football Talk):

A Gainesville Police Department report stated Morrison became "irate" over the cover charge to enter the Kava Bar and Hookah Lounge and began to argue with the bouncer.

Per the report, Morrison said, "Do you know who I am. I am a UF football player. I am Antonio!"

Morrison, who is listed at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, then punched the man in the left side of the head before leaving the scene.

Despite telling police that the incident "wasn't a big deal," Morrison was later charged with first-degree simple battery—a second-class misdemeanor. The 19-year-old linebacker, two years short of the legal drinking age, also admitted that he was intoxicated at the time of the fracas.

Morrison started three games as a true freshman last season, earning (along with four other linebackers) First-Team All-SEC Freshman honors. He finished the season with 34 total tackles and one sack despite limited playing time. 

That one sack was also a forced fumble, and one of the biggest plays of Florida's 2012 season. Trailing Florida State 20-16 in the fourth quarter, Morrison leveled Seminoles quarterback E.J. Manuel on a scramble, jarring the ball loose and altering the momentum of the game.

Florida would recover, score on the next play (a 37-yard run by Mike Gillislee) and go on to win by 11.

In 2013, Morrison was—and until further notice, still is—slated to take over for Jon Bostic in the middle of Florida's vaunted defense. The 50th overall pick in April's NFL draft, Bostic left a massive leadership void in the Gators' defensive unit. Morrison is being counted on to soften that blow, and after this incident, it's safe to say he's off to a bad start.

Per College Football Talk, Florida has yet to comment on the arrest or declare any formal repercussions. Morrison is unlikely to miss too much time, though, and hopefully, come next offseason, he'll have played himself into a more "recognizable" figure on campus. 

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Michigan is walking a dangerously thin line at quarterback. There is little depth behind projected starter Devin Gardner, and there isn't any help coming. According to Nick Baumgardner of MLive, adding a transfer quarterback is no longer a goal.

“I think we’re pretty set with what we have,” head coach Brady Hoke said at a camp Friday. “I believe in the guys we have in the program.”

Hoke really means that he has all of the confidence in the world in Gardner, and he is also the only one with any playing experience. Russell Bellomy tore his ACL in April, creating a one-man show at the position.

The thought of having to start anybody else is a road the coaching staff doesn't want to travel down. Freshman Shane Morris is the only other scholarship quarterback to turn to, but the ideal situation is to save him for the future by redshirting him.

What isn't ideal is having only one reliable quarterback. Gardner will have to set the world on fire and make sure his instincts are sharp. He could get in trouble the second he loses focus and takes an unnecessary hit. The biggest concern with having only one quarterback is the risk of injury. That factor is heightened when it's a dual-threat player who is the lone option.

Running quarterbacks are prone to injuries because they take more hits than a traditional pocket-passer. Gardner was sacked every 11.4 pass attempts last season and took even more hits when he ran the ball 47 times. Those hits add up and begin to take their toll. Although he only played quarterback in five games, Gardner was already feeling the effects. He suffered an injured ankle against Ohio State and was seen wearing a walking boot, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.

He will now be asked to remain healthy over the course of an entire season. That means limiting hits, making better decisions and changing his playing style. He will now have to run out of bounds instead of fighting for those extra yards. He will have to learn when a play is over instead of giving a stiff-arm to a defensive lineman and trying to break free. Remember, every hit counts, and that injury meter continues to turn every time Gardner is picking himself up from the field.

If that wasn't scary enough, Michigan also has a questionable offensive line. The tackle positions are held down by future NFL players in Mike Schofield and Taylor Lewan, but the interior consists of young players who are being asked to grow up. Ben Braden at left guard and Kyle Kalis at right guard are both freshmen. Center is still up for grabs, and one of the players in the mix to start there is Patrick Kugler—you guessed it, another freshman.

Although it is a talented unit with potential, expecting a world-class offensive line is asking for a bit much. There will be growing pains, there will be bad protection and Gardner will be hit in the backfield.

This has been the year of the transfer quarterback. Florida State's Clint Trickett and Brandon Mitchell of Arkansas both picked new schools. Oklahoma State's Wes Lunt remains on the market. Michigan swung and missed on the first two, but could have had a shot at Lunt, who has limited options. Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy has prevented him (h/t Yahoo! Sports) from transferring to a Big 12, Pac-12 or SEC school, though.

Not having any depth is putting a lot of pressure on a quarterback who has only started five games in his career. That injury meter continues to turn. Now the question is: where will Michigan turn when another quarterback is needed?

Follow @Randy_Chambers

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Derek Kief, a towering 4-star wideout from Cincinnati, committed to the University of Alabama via YouTube on Sunday:

The video was released on Kief's personal website, DerekKief.com, a comprehensive blog that follows the young prospect's life and career. He revealed his decision among a large contingent of family members by revealing an Alabama onesie on the infant (presumably a relative) he was holding in his hands.

A top-25 receiver, according to 247 Sports, Kief becomes the first wideout in what's shaping up to be another dominant class for the Crimson Tide. Just two days prior to Kief's announcement, they reeled in the nation's top pro-style quarterback, David Cornwell. Meanwhile, Alabama has had 5-star athlete Bo Scarbrough locked up since last September.

As 247 Sports writer Charles Power points out, the class also sports impressive regional variance:

In Kief, the Tide are getting a huge physical target—a slight deviation from the traditional Alabama wide receiver. He uses every bit of his 6'5'' frame on the field, and while he definitely needs to add some weight, Alabama's strength training program should be able to help in that department.

Kief's speed needs to be measured against top-flight competition, but he appears to be deceptively quick for a man his size. He may have trouble, at first, against physical man-up corners. However, if he can get to the second level, he can fly.

"I love everything about [Alabama]," Kief said Sunday, per ESPN. "I love the coaches, the offense, everything. They will develop me as a football player as well as a person."

Kief was named first-team all-district in Ohio in 2012, following a season where he caught a school record 65 passes for 907 yards and nine touchdowns.

Alabama beat out fellow finalists Kentucky and Ohio State for his services. 

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Curtis Samuel, a 4-star athlete, according to 247Sports, has the ability to play anywhere on the field. His speed, strength and elusiveness make him one of the top prospects in the country. 

With multiple scholarships to choose from, Samuel has a tough decision to make but has plenty of support behind him.

Watch the video to see Samuel and his coaches talk about his decision process. 

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Kyle Allen, a 4-star QB, according to 247Sports, is one of the elite 2014 pro-style prospects in the country. The Arizona native recently committed to coach Kevin Sumlin and the Texas A&M Aggies and will ultimately look to fill the giant shoes left by Heisman-winning QB Johnny Manziel.

CFB Lead Writers Adam Kramer and Michael Felder break down Allen's abilities as well as give their NFL pro-player comparison.

Watch the video to see who Allen compares to in the NFL. 

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Referees have one of the toughest jobs in college football. They do their job under intense pressure, and most of the time they make the right calls. Of course, no one seems to notice them when things are going right.

But when the refs make just one even minutely questionable call, fans never let them forget it.

After all, have Miami fans forgotten about the 2003 Fiesta Bowl?

So, what are the most controversial calls of the BCS era?

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Ameer Abdullah and Taylor Martinez are the undisputed cornerstones of the Nebraska offense heading into 2013.

Taylor Martinez’s three years of starting experience and explosive athleticism will make him a terror for opposing defenses. And Ameer Abdullah proved in the wake of Rex Burkhead’s injury troubles last year that he is completely capable of undertaking the responsibilities of the Huskers’ starting back.

Although both players have the talent to lead Nebraska in rushing in 2013, it is Nebraska’s offensive scheme and depth chart that will make Abdullah the Huskers’ leading rusher this fall.

The offensive scheme over the past few seasons has evolved as Martinez has developed as a quarterback.

Upon arriving in Lincoln, his throwing motion was appalling. He did not have the strength to effectively throw to the sidelines. He did not have the accuracy to hit receivers on crossing routes. And he did not have the touch to drop long balls over the top. For all intents and purposes, Martinez was a sprinter playing quarterback.

However, after a few seasons of working with Bo Pelini and his staff and more than a couple tweaks to his technique, Martinez has developed into a sufficient passer. Even though he will still not draw any comparisons to Peyton Manning, his improvement in the passing game has been reflected in the Huskers’ play-calling.

During Martinez’s freshman year, he attempted 196 passes. In 2011, that number jumped to 288. And last season, it was 368.

Nebraska will always lean on Martinez to provide another threat in the run game; with his speed, it would be stupid not to. But with the huge strides he has made in his delivery, he will be increasingly called upon to air it out rather than accumulate carries on the ground.

In addition to Martinez’s decreased touches, the larger role Abdullah will assume on this fall’s depth chart will see him rise as Nebraska’s leading rusher.

A year ago, particularly when Burkhead was healthy, the Huskers enjoyed arguably the deepest stable of running backs in the nation. Burkhead was an NFL-caliber back. Abdullah was electrifying. Imani Cross was a wrecking ball in short-yardage situations. And Braylon Heard was likely the most talented third-string tailback in the country.

But now Burkhead has graduated. And Heard, who was supposed to help form the Huskers’ latest two-headed monster in the backfield, left the program.

The workload is now down to Abdullah, who proved last fall he could perform as the featured back, and Cross, who is relatively untested as an every-down player.

Last season, Abdullah received just over 50 percent of Nebraska's running back carries. Given the lack of experience remaining around him, expect that number to rise this fall.

This increase in his rushing attempts and the trend of greater emphasis on the passing game from Martinez will make Abdullah Nebraska’s leading rusher in 2013.

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Ohio State's road to its first national championship since 2002 and its first (non-vacated) Big Ten title since 2009 will bring different challenges every week, some easier than others. The Buckeyes, much like most other powerhouses in the game, will have "easy" games as well as big-time matchups with powerhouses.

In a 12-game schedule, there's an ebb and flow with how tough the games get, with the toughest usually being at the end of the season. But who presents the biggest challenges for the Buckeyes in 2013?

Here is a ranking of the Buckeyes' opponents from weakest to toughest on the schedule.

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Nebraska’s 2013 football schedule certainly looks to have its ups and downs. There are dates Nebraska fans will circle on the calendar as can’t-miss games and dates Nebraska fans will consider whether a weekend of yard work to build up brownie points with a spouse might be an option.

So, in the service of creating harmony amongst Bleacher Report readers and their families, here is a power ranking of Nebraska’s 2013 season, from the easiest game to the most challenging.

Note that, in deference to those who believe Nebraska fans are arrogant and entitled, there is no mention of a Big Ten title game or a bowl game on this list. You’re welcome.

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The Virginia Tech Hokies begin the 2013 season with a daunting task—playing defending national champion Alabama in the Georgia Dome.

However, after the season's first week, the Hokies have a schedule that should help them bounce back from their worst record in 20 years. The Hokies finished 2012 with a record of 7-6, and just by looking at the 2013 schedule, they should win eight games at the most.

Fortunately for the Hokies, after meeting Alabama, they host Western Carolina the following week in Blacksburg. The first conference opponent for the Hokies doesn't come until September 26 when they travel back to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech.

Here is a power ranking of the Hokies' 2013 schedule from easiest to toughest. 

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The majority of the human race uses their right hand as the dominant hand.

Depending on which study one reads, 70 to 95 percent of the earth's population is right-handed, not including notable exceptions such as President Obama, former presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush, as well as Jay Leno, Bill Walton, Jim Zorn and Tommy Lasorda.

In the game of college football, there have been some excellent quarterbacks that can boast the title "southpaw" or "lefty."

This list runs down the best left-handed signal callers in the history of the game.

Yes, Tim Tebow is on the list; it was unavoidable.

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Notre Dame and tradition are synonymous. 

Of the variety of the unique tenets within the program, perhaps none set the Irish apart from others as powerfully as their annually grueling schedule. 

The 2013 slate awaiting head coach Brian Kelly and Co. is a continuance of that tradition. It is replete with harrowing challenges. 

And with Notre Dame at the forefront of the BCS National Championship discussion, each of the Irish's opponents will carry with them the fire of acute motivation. 

Which of those challengers poses the greatest threat to knock the Irish from the pedestal? 

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As the countdown to the college football season marches on, it is time to take a look at the South Carolina Gamecocks' 2013 schedule and rank the games from easiest to toughest. 

Road games, rankings, expectations of the opponent's season and the timing of games all factor into determining how difficult a game will be for South Carolina this season.

Head coach Steve Spurrier has high expectations for the team, and there are some tough opponents who will try their best to stop the Gamecocks' quest for an SEC title.  

South Carolina has some easier nonconference games, though the SEC is the nation's best conference and the team's nonconference schedule also includes North Carolina and Clemson.

Here is a rankings list of South Carolina's 2013 schedule as ordered from easiest to toughest games.   

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The Syracuse Orange and Pittsburgh Panthers are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time in the 2013 season, and the Miami Hurricanes will benefit from this move for a few reasons.

Since the ACC added locations in Pennsylvania and New York, the conference has a larger impact along the East Coast of the U.S.

Conference realignment also caused a slight hiccup in Miami's 2013 schedule, which actually plays in their favor. 

Miami already travels to one of the two new ACC schools this upcoming season, and that is a huge advantage for the future of the program. Read on to see how.

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Thanks to a 12-0 season that woke up the fading echoes surrounding the Notre Dame football program, there was little drama leading up to college football's version of "Selection Sunday" last Dec. 2. The Fighting Irish finished the season ranked No. 1 and played in their first BCS National Championship Game.

While a return trip to the sport's grandest stage (or one of the BCS's four other smaller "stages") cannot be ruled out, the Irish may face a less-than-ideal situation this fall when it comes to bowl possibilities.

After the Russell Athletic Bowl (Champs Sports Bowl at the time) used its once-every-four-years option to select Notre Dame in 2011, the Irish were left without any other tie-ins for 2012 and 2013. It never came to fruition in 2012, but it remains an issue heading into the upcoming season.

While ESPN outlined the possibility of Notre Dame being completely left out of the bowl picture, the permutations that must occur for that scenario to take place are slim at best. It would require not only for there to be 70 bowl-eligible teams, but for each of the 10 conferences to fill all of its tie-ins. Should any of the 10 conferences not meet its allotment, Notre Dame would be not only eligible to fill that open slot, but would almost certainly be the first choice of any bowl needing to go the at-large route.

The most likely conferences to not fill all of their tie-ins are the American (six slots for 10 teams), Big Ten (eight slots for 11 teams), Conference USA (six slots for 14 teams), Mountain West (six slots for 12 teams) and SEC (10 slots for 14 teams). Four additional slots will open up due to BCS at-large teams.

Sorting through some of the bowls that have the last selections in the conferences listed, it is evident that Notre Dame's most likely bowl destinations are less than appealing for both the team and its fans. How does the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl at stale Tropicana Field against SMU or Middle Tennessee sound? Does the Little Caesar's Bowl in chilly Detroit against Bowling Green move your meter? What about the AdvoCare V100 Bowl in Shreveport, La., against N.C. State?

Despite the loss of Everett Golson, Tyler Eifert and Manti Te'o, Notre Dame is still a viable BCS bowl contender. If the Irish fall short of that goal, would there be any buzz around whatever third-tier bowl in which the Irish play? While the 2010 and 2011 seasons didn't go as many Irish fans had hoped, getting to renew rivalries with Miami (FL) and Florida State at least added some intrigue to the postseason matchups. The same can't be said of Bowling Green or Middle Tennessee, unless, of course, Irish fans still hold Bowling Green hiring Urban Meyer away from Notre Dame against it.

Ten wins should all but ensure a BCS bid for the Irish, but the schedule is rigorous once again with games against Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Arizona State, USC, BYU and Stanford. The difference between Miami and Detroit is as narrow as whether the Irish go 5-2 or 4-3 in those showcase games.

It's a dilemma Notre Dame has known about since that 2011 Champs Sports Bowl, but with tie-ins locked in through this season, there was really nothing it could have done except sit back and hope it could avoid the situation. It worked perfectly in 2012, but based on the happenings within the program in the first six months of the year, 2013 may not be so smooth.

Don't worry about stocking up on sunscreen for the holiday season quite yet. But Irish fans may want to have a hooded sweatshirt handy.

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The Oregon Ducks' 2013 schedule certainly doesn't rank alongside some of the toughest in the nation, but it isn't exactly the gauntlet that Louisville or Ohio State will face, either.

The Pac-12 Conference appears to be on the rise and thus, weekly blowouts may not be so familiar by the time the season concludes. No longer will teams like UCLA, Oregon State or even Arizona be considered surefire victories.

It's hard to gauge how the season will play out in terms of tough games and easy games given that we've yet to see anybody play, but as of now, some games certainly appear to be harder than others.

Take a look at the 2013 schedule. You don't need a major in analyzing data to take an educated stab at which teams will bookend the list.

But click ahead to find out how the rest of the Ducks' schedule will shake out as we power rank the slate from the easiest game to the toughest one.

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