Campus Watch

---This year’s Sporting News College preview just arrived at my door – I received a free copy since I wrote the MAC preview – are here is the predicted order of finish for the league:

East
1. Temple
2. Miami (Ohio)
3. Ohio
4. Akron
5. UB
6. Bowling Green
7. Kent State

West
1. Northern Illinois
2. Toledo
3. Western Michigan
4. Central Michigan
5. Eastern Michigan
6. Ball State

In the Rating the MAC section, UB’s Steven Means is the best interview, while linebacker Khalil Mack is all-league. The recruiting roundup, written by TSN’s Brian McLaughlin, ranks the Bulls class 11^th in the conference.

Big East

1. West Virginia
2. South Florida
3. Pitt
4. Cincinnati
5. Louisville
6. Syracuse
7. UConn
8. Rutgers

In rating the players, Syracuse DE Chandler Jones was named the player with the best instincts while the Orange’s recruiting class was rated seventh. Jones, OL Justin Pugh, and DB Phillip Thomas were all named All Big East.

Top 10
1. LSU
2. Oklahoma
3. Bama
4. Stanford
5. Oregon
6. Boise State
7. Florida State
8. Ohio State
9. Texas A&M
10. Nebraska

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

---After a rocky first season, former UB coach Turner Gill hopes to jump start Kansas, while new coach Darrell Hazell is trying to do the same at Kent State.

---Here's a 2011 preview on Central Michigan.

---Although coaches and administrators here expressed varying degrees of optimism on the future of college athletics, the consensus was that in order to change the sport’s polluted culture, the NCAA needs to adopt stiffer penalties for its cheaters.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

---Maybe former UB quarterback Zach Maynard, who wouldn't even be at Cal if not for his brother's skills and Turner Gill's coaching success, can restore the Bears' quarterback play to the high standards of the past.

---Scout.com previews UB's 2011 season.

---In a series of video interviews Mark Mangino, the man Gill replaced at Kansas, opens up about his time with the Jayhawks and his future.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

---Lots of reaction to Maryland naming Mark Turgeon its new coach. Turgeon, who has spent four years at Texas A&M, will reportedly make close to $2.5 million a year as the new coach of the Terrapins. Matt Norlander wonders if Turgeon is a good fit for the Terps, while Arizona's Sean Miller cleared up the confusion about his role in Maryland's coaching search. Turgeon might not be the best hire, but he may be the savviest, while Mike DeCourcy says he is not the right one.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

---During our NFL Draft chat last week, Bills fans were begging for the team to select a quarterback and tight end. WalterFootball.com offers a 2012 mock draft that has the Bills taking both, including USC quarterback Matt Barkley.

---Rivals.com's list of the top football/basketball programs during the BCS era.

---Here's a list of all the bowl games for the 2011-12 season.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

---The Justice Department wants to know why the NCAA doesn't have a college football playoff system and says there are "serious questions" about whether the current format to determine a national champion complies with antitrust laws. In a letter this week, the department's antitrust chief, Christine Varney, asked NCAA president Mark Emmert why a playoff system isn't used in football, unlike in other sports; what steps the NCAA has taken to create one; and whether Emmert thinks there are aspects of the BCS system that don't serve the interest of fans, schools and players.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

---Opportunity brought God's Gift Achiuwa, pictured left with his coach Alex Nwora from his home in Nigeria to ECC and that's what will take him next year to St. John's. Here's more stories about Gift from the New York Post and Daily News. Meanwhile, Washington is scrambling after losing out on Gift.

---Adam Zagoria expects Iona's Mike Glover to have a breakout year.

---Jonathan Givony, evaluates all of the early entrant decisions, while Andy Katz reacts to the new names released on the NBA draft list.

---Kevin Ware has decomitted from UCF.

---Gary Parrish believes that despite the addition of Colorado and Utah, the Pac 12 will remain the weakest power-six conference.

---John Rothstein provides a list of teams on the rise next season.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

With the NFL Draft is approaching, Rivals.com put together a chart of draftees by conference dating back to 2000. Miami (Ohio) leads all teams in the Mid-American Conference with nine draft picks and the league had four first-round draft picks in the last decade, including Northern Illinois' Larry English, pictured above, in 2009.

UB had four draft picks since 2000 in Drew Haddad (2000), Trevor Scott (2008), Jamey Richard (2008) and Niagara Falls native James Starks (2010). CB Josh Thomas is expected to be drafted on the third day of this week’s draft. I re-arranged Rivals MAC chart to show in order of number of draftees:

Miami (Ohio)
Draft picks: 9
Last first rounder: Ben Roethlisberger, QB, 2004

Northern Illinois
Draft picks: 7
Last first rounder: Larry English, LB, 2009

Central Michigan
Draft picks: 7
Last first rounder: Joe Staley, OT, 2007

Toledo
Draft picks: 6
Last first rounder: Dan Williams, DE, 1993

Temple
Draft picks: 6
Last first rounder: Paul Palmer, RB, 1987

Akron
Draft picks: 6
Last first rounder: None

Western Michigan
Draft picks: 5
Last first rounder: Jason Babin, LB, 2004

Ball State
Draft picks: 5
Last first rounder: None

Kent State
Draft picks: 5
Last first rounder: None

Eastern Michigan
Draft picks: 4
Last first rounder: L.J. Shelton, OT, 1999

Bowling Green
Draft picks: 4
Last first rounder: Bernie Casey, WR, 1961

Ohio
Draft picks: 4
Last first rounder: Art Lewis, T, 1936

UB
Draft picks: 4
Last first rounder: None

Also from that story, is the list of the most draft picks among all schools:

1. Ohio State 73
2. USC 69
3. Miami 67
4. Georgia 61
5. Tennessee 60
6t. Florida 59
6t. Florida State 59
8. LSU 55
9. Virginia Tech 52
10t. Michigan 49
10t. Oklahoma 49

The most first-rounders:

1. Miami 26
2. Ohio State 16
3. USC 15
4t. Florida State 14
4t. Texas 14
6t. Florida 12
6t. Oklahoma 12
6t. Tennessee 12
9. Georgia 11
10. Penn State 10

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

---The Fiesta Bowl made a strong case to stay in college football's prestigious Bowl Championship Series, hoping that promises to clean up self-disclosed financial mismanagement, potentially illegal conduct and lax board oversight will be enough to keep it in play.

---Gridiron 365 has UB at No. 113.

---A new NCAA restriction will force AAU tournaments to look for new tournament host sites.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

---Buffalo native Rob Lanier is leaving his position at Florida and returning to Texas where he was an assistant from 1999-01. Lanier replaces Rodney Terry, who left coach Rick Barnes’ staff last week to become the coach at Fresno State. Lanier left Texas to become the coach at Siena, where he spent four seasons before getting fired in 2005. Lanier was then an assistant at Virginia for two seasons before spending the next four at Florida.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)