West Virginia will face a number of "what ifs" between now and the start of 2012.

The biggest at this point is what conference will the Mountaineers be playing in when the season kicks off in September.

For now, let's assume WVU will be in the Big 12.

So Dana Holgorsen and his score-happy offense should fit right in with teams like Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas and so on.

But if the Mountaineers are going to make an immediate impact in their new conference, some new faces must make a major impact.

Expectations are already high for players like quarterback Geno Smith, receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, and defensive back Terence Garvin.

Now some of these players have already hit the field and had moments of success for WVU, but they were not in the spotlight in 2011.

So maybe these five guys will become key components to West Virginia's first season in the Big 12.

Josh Jenkins, OL

Josh Jenkins was one of WVU's most heralded recruits out of Parkersburg (W.Va.) High School in 2008.

He became a All-Big East performer as an offensive guard, but missed 2011 because of a knee injury suffered in the spring game.

He's worked hard in rehab and a thin offensive line will welcome him back.

With the SEC rematch between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama almost set to be played out in the BCS National Championship, it's time to offer some thoughts and predictions on the game.

Does Tom have a man-crush on Nick Saban? Sort of seems like it, but you'll have to listen for yourself to find out.

The championship game is going to have a tough time living up to the offensive explosions we have see in the other BCS games.

Phil and Tom also talk about the new coaching hire at Penn State, the merciful end to Ohio State's season and so much more.

I actually remember watching quarterback Oliver Luck lead West Virginia to a shocking upset of Florida in the 1981 Peach Bowl.

There was the 1989 Fiesta Bowl when WVU faced Notre Dame with a national championship on the line, and the 2000 Music City Bowl where the Mountaineers defeated Mississippi allowing Don Nehlen to leave a winner.

No Mountaineer could ever forget the 2008 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma, 48-28, after everyone in the nation figured the Sooners would just roll past WVU.

Hey, I even attended the 1989 Gator Bowl when WVU lost to Clemson.

But one West Virginia bowl performance will always stand out as my favorite. no comments

Clearly the national perception is that West Virginia and the Big East don't deserve a spot in the Discover Orange Bowl.

But when it comes to BCS bowl games, West Virginia has a knack for making its critics think twice.

The Mountaineers knocked off Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl, and then turned the trick against Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.

So maybe WVU will find a way to make it three in a row in BCS bowls when it plays Clemson at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 4.

For the Mountaineers to get another upset, it will take some special performances in Miami. Here are five players you need to know before the game kicks off.

Julian Miller, DT

Julian Miller may be 6'4", 268 pounds, but he seems to fly under the radar when the Mountaineers are discussed.

But he's a physical defensive lineman who has a knack for making big plays. He leads the team with three fumble recoveries.

He enters the Orange Bowl with 55 tackles and six sacks. His best game came in a 21-20 victory over rival Pittsburgh, when Miller had nine tackles and four sacks.

Miller is a three-year starter for West Virginia, even though he may be a bit undersized for the Mountaineers' 3-3-5 defense.

Still, he is currently the active career leader in sacks with 27.5.

While the Orange Bowl has a matchup of two three-loss teams, it is also an early look at two teams who could be serious national contenders in 2012.

Clemson (10-3) surprised almost everyone with their quick start and two wins over Virginia Tech, including the thrashing of the Hokies in the ACC Championship Game.

With players like Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and Andre Ellington, it is easy to see why there is a lot of excitement surrounding Clemson, as well as huge expectations.

West Virginia (9-3) had to fight to get into the BCS picture, but it was clear the Mountaineers struggled at times learning a new system.

First-year coach Dana Holgorsen has WVU in the Orange Bowl, and the Mountaineers hope to be playing in the Big 12 next season. Its new conference is glad to have another strong program like West Virginia coming on board. It wouldn't be a surprise to see WVU compete for the Big 12 title next season, especially with all of the talent that should return.

LSU may be loaded with talent, but that shouldn't detract from the outstanding coaching Les Miles displayed this college football season.

If he can get the Tigers to win one more game, Miles will earn his second BCS national championship and beat Alabama and Nick Saban twice in one season.

There aren't many coaches who can make that claim, so Miles' grade for the season is going to be pretty darn good.

How about the other top coaches in 2011?

Let's see.

Chip Kelly, Oregon

Once again, Chip Kelly delivered a Pac-12 championship performance, and the Ducks will get a shot at Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Kelly is 0-2 in BCS bowls, and he could really use a win here.

He was embroiled in some off-field issues with a scouting service, which put a damper on his reputation this season.

Kelly is dinged a bit because Oregon once again lost against a top SEC program (LSU) and lost at home to USC when a possible BCS national championship bid was on the line.

Grade: B

Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech struggled through a losing campaign in 2010, and Paul Johnson set out to get the Yellow Jackets back on track.

Tech finished 8-4, and if you look at just that, you must surmise that he did a lot right.

What I can't get past was the 2-4 finish after opening up 6-0.

Once again, Tech was thumped by rival Georgia, and the Jackets also lost to a downtrodden Miami program.

Grade: B-

Larry Fedora, Southern Mississippi

Larry Fedora parlayed a Conference USA championship and 11-2 season into a one-way ticket to Chapel Hill, N.C.

Fedora will now coach North Carolina, and he nabbed that job on a reputation as being a top offensive mind.

Southern Mississippi did improve a lot in Fedora's fourth season, and the win over Houston in the Conference USA championship game is proof of how good he can be.

Grade: A

Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

Steve Spurrier has a lengthy list of accomplishments from his time with Duke, Florida and now South Carolina.

It would be easy to argue that Spurrier did one of his best coaching jobs this year.

He dealt with the Stephen Garcia situation and the loss of running back Marcus Lattimore to a knee injury, but the Gamecocks still finished 10-2.

Grade: A

To see the rest of the grades go to my Bleacher Report article.

UCLA's hiring of former NFL coach Jim L. Mora created some divisive opinions on the choice among college football pundits and fans.

More recently, Todd Graham's departure for Arizona State after just one season at Pittsburgh was ridiculed by many.

Currently, 18 of the 25 openings in the FBS have been filled. That means there are still seven openings remaining in college football, including one of the game's premier jobs (Penn State).

There are pros and cons to each hire, but which programs have done exceptionally well, and which ones could have done better?

Akron: Terry Bowden

It's just great to have a Bowden coaching in FBS again.

Terry Bowden did some nice work at North Alabama, and the former Auburn coach is getting another shot to prove his skills at Akron.

Was Ohio State's NCAA punishment too harsh or too light? It seems no one can agree, but one thing is clear that Urban Meyer won't be playing for any championships in his first season in Columbus.

How about the BCS National Championship? There doesn't seem to be too much buzz surrounding this SEC/regional game. Is it possible the rest of the nation will tune this one out because they just don't care?

Phil and Tom also take a look at the three bowl games they are most looking forward to watching between now and Jan. 2, as well as look at some of the interesting coaching hires (and some that have not named a coach yet).

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

I'm not trying to say I don't like the NFL playoffs. It's actually the best part of the professional season. But it still doesn't come close to the excitement I feel each college football bowl season.

Watching game after game is what a real football fan should want. Who cares if it's Ohio University traveling 3,000 miles to play Utah State?

It's college football on a night I'd normally be watching another NCIS rerun.

So instead of dozing off on the couch, I feel like the guys in the above photo.

Bowl season...here we come.

Traditional Games

For every complaint about the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl or the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, there is the longevity and prestige that comes with playing in the Orange Bowl or Sugar Bowl.

And of course, there is...

The Rose Bowl

Nothing in the NFL has the tradition of the Rose Bowl.

We've heard Boise State's Chris Petersen voice his displeasure with the BCS and others debate the pros and cons of a rematch in the BCS National Championship.

Enough of that.

It's the system we have and it's time to embrace all 35 bowl games that will begin play on Dec. 17.

To make it a little more fun, let's take the Wynn Las Vegas line on each game and give an early prediction on what will happen against the spread.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

Temple (8-4) vs. Wyoming (8-4)

2 p.m. Dec. 17

Line: Temple -6

Temple had a solid season in Steve Addazio's first season. The Owls played Penn State tough before losing 14-10, and crushed Maryland 38-7. Still, Temple couldn't make the Mid-American Conference Championship Game.