ESPN Bruce Feldman Blog

This week's mailbag had a little bit of everything, including some Heisman talk, but we'll start with the conference that is most on the rise in 2009:

From Steve in Chicago: Thanks for the Q&A with Robert Griffin. Since I know you're talking about how they're on the rise if you have to predict what will be the order of the best conferences this season. Is the Big Ten really making its move after some frustrating seasons?

Feldman: I'm not feeling the Big Ten, even though I see Michigan getting a lot better this year and getting back to bowl play. I just don't see one or two top-10 caliber teams there, given all of the talent and experience that both Penn State and Ohio State lost. I do look for the ACC to create a lot of buzz this fall. I expect that league to jump up and actually challenge the Big 12 for the No. 2 slot behind the SEC. I wouldn't be surprised if the ACC Coastal Division rivaled the Big 12 South in terms of quality. The reasons are that you have a Va. Tech program that should be poised to make a national title run and you have a trio of schools with relatively new head coaches that have invigorated dormant programs at UNC, Miami and Ga. Tech. Plus, and this is key, you have a host of teams in this league that took their lumps playing young QBs. Now those quarterbacks have some seasoning and they should flourish.

1) SEC

2) Big 12

3) ACC

4) Pac-10

5) Big Ten

6) Big East

7) MWC

8) WAC

9) C-USA

10) MAC

11) Sun Belt

Two other leagues that I think could make jumps are C-USA -- which could overtake the WAC (Watch out for Houston to make some noise this year) -- and the Sun Belt, which I think has narrowed the gap with the MAC now that the two Florida schools have grown up.

From Jason in Arlington, Va.: It seems you've really been on the Oregon bandwagon lately. I don't get it, they are a good program, but nothing special. Maybe it's East Coast bias, but only one BCS bowl appearance ever. They've got nothing on Virginia Tech or Georgia. I liked your list of emerging powerhouses until I see you put Boise and Ga. Tech on the "just missed the cut" list. Come on, that ain't happening in the next five years.

Feldman: Virginia Tech wasn't always Va. Tech 'til Frank Beamer got there and really elevated the program. I am a big believer in Chip Kelly. The Ducks also have amazing facilities to recruit to and, as I said, there is a cachet to the program now that is playing well with recruits. I'm not guaranteeing any national title, but I think they have a legit shot at becoming a real powerhouse.

As for Ga. Tech and Boise, I mentioned both because right now each club has a very young nucleus. Boise was the youngest winning program in the country, and if you look at those players, it's likely that almost all of those starters who were redshirt freshmen and sophomores won't be jumping early to the NFL because I suspect they aren't those physical prototype guys that scouts tout as first-rounders. I'll be surprised if Boise doesn't win 35 games over the next three seasons. And if the Broncos beat Oregon to start next season, and then run the table, they might be a top-five team.

By the way, one of the best out-of-conference games of the 2009 season, Oregon at Boise State -- a game I believe will have some national title implications -- has been moved to Thursday night, Sept. 3.

From Jason in Corvallis, Ore.: I noticed you had the University of Oregon as one of your emerging powerhouses in a recent column which raised the question of what is Oregon State football's ceiling? Consistent 8-9 win seasons with bowl games like now? 1-2 BCS games a decade? Consistent BCS contenders? or even a National title contender??

Feldman: Mike Riley has done a fantastic job at Oregon State. They also have some great young skill talent to build around with the Rodgers brothers and a vastly underrated DT in Stephen Paea. The challenge is going to be developing depth again.

I expect the Pac-10 is going to be better this year than it was in 2008.

The downside longer range for the Beavers is OSU's facilities aren't on the level of Oregon's and it will be tough to keep up with the Ducks when it comes to recruiting. Also, as the Washington schools develop, which I think they will, especially U-Dub, that will make things a bit tougher, too. Of course, that could also hinder Oregon. I think as long as that coaching staff is in place, winning eight consistently is within reason.

From Josh in Bay Area, Calif.: How would you rate Jahvid Best on a national level? Does he have a real shot at the Heisman or are we just lying to ourselves about it?

Feldman: He's an exciting back. I think he's the most dangerous every-down RB in the country and he finished last season so strong, running for almost 700 yards in the final three games. A few big hurdles for him to navigate in 2009: staying healthy, which has been an issue for him; working without standout center Alex Mack; and producing in big games.

He's not thought of as a big-game back at all right now. Cal played eight opponents that went to bowl games last season: Best was held under 120 yards rushing in seven of the eight and he managed just 25 yards against Maryland and 30 against USC. If he's going to be a serious Heisman candidate, he needs to go for about 150 on the rebuilt Trojans D and probably 150 against Oregon.

I definitely think he has a shot, though. In my mind, he's in that second tier of Heisman hopefuls because there is that first group of three: Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. The next batch has about a dozen contenders and the third level I'd call the darkhorses.

From Ethan in Fayetteville: In your Top Ten Newcomers to College Football article, you said "Ryan Mallet has the strongest arm, outside of JaMarcus Russell, of any quarterback playing football on any level". How do you see Coach Bobby Petrino utilizing this weapon, and why is Arkansas not being mentioned more as a break-out team in the upcoming season? We were 5-7 last season, with 3 loses by a combined 6 points, bring almost everyone back on both sides of the ball, and added a very talented and athletic recruiting class. Why would the Razorbacks not be poised for big things this year?

Feldman: I expect Arkansas to make a run at a bowl game. The Hogs have a lot of promising young talent on both sides of the ball. But I have my doubts about how long Petrino will remain there.

RANDOM STUFF

• So what is up with all of the coaches joining Twitter? One of the latest to sign on is professed "old-school" guy WVU coach Bill Stewart, who says he's doing so for recruiting and fundraising purposes, which is the same reason why most coaches do such outreach things. Anyhow, Mike Casazza has a good story on how this all came about in Morgantown:

"His director of football communications, Mike Montoro, took a Web-based seminar last month about Twitter and started tinkering with an account for WVU football," Casazza writes.

The Twitter angle, as is were, and its link to recruiting, will be interesting to follow as the story explains. WVU's compliance director, Chad Wall, points out to Casazza that "one thing we're also going to have to monitor, because it is open to everybody, is that there's no interaction from others in regard to recruiting."

Casazza writes: "A high school sophomore, for example, could follow Stewart's updates and could even comment on Stewart's page. Stewart can't subscribe to the sophomore's page and can't respond to any comment or question. The immediate issue is not how Stewart will comply, but how others will."

"It's something fairly new and we're all kind of sitting around thinking how we'll do this and what the ramifications are," Wall told Casazza. "It's been pretty good so far, but, again, it's in the early stages and it hasn't been publicized at all. My concern is how things go when the season starts and we go through the new recruiting process."

• An important tenet of Rich Rodriguez's offense is based on this belief: The toughest thing to do in football is to make an open-field tackle. Knowing that, and knowing how much Rodriguez loves to spread defenses, this nugget from Pete Bigelow's Michigan notebook caught my eye, touting diminutive Vincent Smith, a 5-foot-6, 158-pound early-enrollee from Pahokee, Fla., as guy who won't be redshirted.

This scheme loves incorporating these little spark plugs, like a Jock Sanders at WVU.

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