He was known by the blogging community as The Wiz, who run a highly successful blog called The Wiz of Odds. Recently Jay Christensen has stepped out from behind the Wizard’s hat and joined us on this week’s edition of the In The Bleachers Podcast.

In this episode we do talk a little big about the Big XII football conference. After the Big XII talk; Jay, Adam, and I get into a debate on the merits of big BCS Schools not scheduling tough opponents, the reasoning behind why they don’t do it, and what can be done to fix this problem. If you aren’t familiar with the business side of College Football, I suggest you listen.

To listen to the episode you can download it here, or subscribe as described further below.

Remember, if you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedbuner but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS feed. This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for “In The Bleachers” on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way.

Enjoy this week’s episode of In The Bleachers and if you have any questions or comments to the show please email them to inthebleachers AT gmail DOT com.

# 32:DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State

The Verdict:At 6-foot-5, 285-pounds, Arkansas State’s Alex Carrington is the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most under-the-radar defenders in the entire country. An ideal NFL prospect with a quick first step and the ability to overpower offensive linemen at the point of attack, Carrington dominated opposing tackles a season ago, picking up a conference leading 19 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks. What I like about Carrington is that he’s not just a pass rusher, and shows outstanding gap presence and containment discipline against the run. He seldom gets caught out of position on plays, and doesn’t get fooled on inside zone fakes like a lot of physically gifted defensive ends do. His 53 tackles a season ago were the most for a defensive lineman on his team (an impressive fact considering the types of offenses Arkansas State played against), and he has already been named to the Lott and Lombardi Award watch lists for 2009. Likely a mid-round draft pick for 2010, Carrington could become on the hottest defensive names coming out of the college ranks if he has another great season for the Red Wolves.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan] [#36: Boise State DE Ryan Winterswyk] [#35: ULM LB Cardia Jackson] [#34: CMU WR Bryan Anderson] [#33: SJSU DE Carl Ihenacho]

#33: DE Carl Ihenacho, San Jose State

The Verdict:While much of the nation’s attention gravitated towards Spartan defensive tackle and YouTube phenom Jarron Gilbert during the 2008 season, one could make the case that the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Ihenacho began the season with just as good of a start. A fast-twitch defender who comes off the ball with elite quickness, the Nigerian native actually led the WAC in both sacks and tackles for a loss through seven weeks of the season last year, until a thumb injury against Boise State crippled his production through the final five games. Despite missing all of one game and being less than 100% in the final four, Ihenacho (whose brother, Duke, plays linebacker for SJSU) still earned second team All-WAC honors and recorded an impressive 47 solo tackles on the season. While he projects as an outside linebacker on the next level, his outstanding speed (4.7/40) and ability to use his hands make him an intriguing player who could excel as both a pass rusher and a run stuffer.

For the incoming class of freshman, if they have not already reported to school for summer sessions, they will be there within a week or two. In that time they will get acclimated with the rigors of being a student and being to work out with their new teammates. So if you’ve been busy getting your freshman ready for school…here is what you missed in the past week.

What we’ve been working on:

We once again went out and got you another quality guest for the podcast. ESPN’s Bruce Feldman joined us last week to talk SEC and Pac 10 football. The podcast is pretty USC heavy, but when you are annually one of the best teams in the country, who has won 7 straight Pac Ten titles, and have one of the hottest starting quarterback battles going on…well you are going to hear about it. For you SEC fans, Bruce has some interesting thoughts on the SEC West, which should be a fun race to watch this year.

Just so you don’t think we are going to rest on our past accomplishments, Adam and I have another great guest lined up for a podcast which will be ready for your listening pleasure tomorrow morning. We feel bad that we have neglected the Big XII, so tomorrow you will hear Adam and I, along with The Wiz from The Wiz of Odds, discuss the Big XII. On paper it looks as if both the North and South could go down to the wire again when deciding who will play in the Big XII Championship game. Also, we’ll pick his brain about some National News.

Adam has continued to countdown his list of Top 50 Best Non-BCS Players. In his latest installment, Bryan Anderson, a wide receiver from Central Michigan is his choice at #34. Something tells me that Anderson will have a pretty big effect on another player that has yet to be named on this list.

Navy only returns 23% of last year’s offensive yards with potentially NFL bound players Shun White and Eric Kettani gone. Adam sits down and talks with Bobby Doyle about the endless barrage of questions he and the other Navy slotbacks are getting on how they are going to replace 77% of last year’s offense which has now graduated.

For the second year in a row the Big East Conference looks to be wide open. A lot of experts think it is going to come down between Pittsburgh and Rutgers, but neither are very solid under center. Brian talks about which players have the leg up to win the quarterback battles at both schools.

What we’ve been reading:

On a sad note, yesterday was the 3 year anniversary of Randy Walkers passing. Over at Lake The Post they are asking for a moment of silence to remember his passing.

He will go down in history for the murder that he did did not commit, and will be forever known as Nordberg in the Naked Gun movies; but before all of that he was a Heisman Trophy winner. Prolate Spheroid rehashes OJ’s career at USC.

Bruce Feldman picks the top 10 toughest non-conference schedule. A few teams that I mentioned made the list. But one team you won’t find on that list, who is Phil Steele’s #1 surprise team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Adam has talked about reviving a countdown he started last year where he picked the Top 10 potential upsets of a FCS team over a FBS team. Double T Nation has an early preview of the Red Raiders game against the North Dakota State Fighting Sioux. I am fairly certain this game will not make Adam’s list.

The Georgia Bulldogs suffered a heartbreaking and somewhat surprising upset loss to their rival Georgia Tech last year. Paul Westerdawg of the Georgia Sports Blog gives his thoughts on how to defend Tech’s option.

The Quad continues their countdown from 120 to 1. Yesterday they previewed the Navy Midshipmen at number 64.

Annually one of the best offensive line units in the country resides in the state of Oklahoma. The Crimson and Cream Machine previews this year’s crop of linemen for the Sooners.

NCAA Football 2010 comes out for video game consoles on July 14th. Over the Pylon has a sneak peak of Ball State’s Scheumann Stadium and Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium.

When Coach Wannstedt first arrived at Pitt, he was pulling in one good recruiting class after another, but after only going to one bowl game in his tenure, he finds himself still chasing a 82 year old man who is stealing recruits out of his own back yard. Recently, Wannstedt and the Panthers got a commitment from TJ Clemmings, a defensive tackle from New Jersey. But according to Zags Blog and Clemmings he did not commit.

Finally, I leave you with a sign of the Apocalypse. Evan Berry the younger brother of Tennessee safety Eric Berry has verbally committed to the Vols. Did I mention that Evan was 13 years old?

# 34: WR Bryan Anderson, Central Michigan

The Verdict: At 6-foot-5, 213-pounds, Anderson represents one of the most consistent receivers in the entire country, with the senior having already compiled a resume that includes  226 career receptions and 21 career receiving touchdowns (both school records.) A two-time First Team All-MAC selection and a Freshman All American in 2006, Anderson is one of the most multi-faceted receivers in the college game today, with the uncanny ability to transition his game to fit the the needs of any situation on the field. He’s an obvious red zone threat who can be physical against defensive backs when called upon, but he’s also remarkably fluid for his size and shows tremendous precision in his routes despite being such a long strider. Anderson is a player who can both stretch the field and work the interior of zone coverages, making him an almost certain mismatch against whichever defensive personnel are assigned to cover him. A two-time academic All-Conference selection with a 3.31 GPA in biomedical sciences, Anderson’s high football IQ and obvious physical talents make him one of the sleeper non-BCS prospects to watch going into next year’s NFL draft.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan] [#36: Boise State DE Ryan Winterswyk] [#35: ULM LB Cardia Jackson]

#35: LB Cardia Jackson, Louisiana-Monroe

The Verdict:A two-time All-Conference slection at linebacker, Jackson remains one of the most overlooked defensive players in the entire country despite the fact that he has been of one of the most productive. Jackson was the nation’s eighth leading tackler a season ago, averaging an insane 10.6 stops per contest including eight tackles for a loss. A versatile and athletic playmaker, Jackson also has exceptional ball skills and instinctsin pass coverage, as shown by his 13 career interceptions (the highest career total among active FBS players.) A physically imposing player who has already been named to the Lombardi Award Watch List, Cardia gives the Warhawks a chance to compete for the Sun Belt crown going into 2009.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan] [#36: Boise State DE Ryan Winterswyk]

# 36: DE Ryan Winterswyk, Boise State

The Verdict: Boise State and their “gimmicky” offense have gotten a lot of attention over the past few years, but college football fans have a tendency to forget that the Bronco defense remains one of the top units in the entire country, regardless of conference. It all starts up front for the Broncos, who are led by the 6-foot-4, 258-pound junior from La Habra, California. A first team All-WAC selection last year and an honorable menton freshmen All-American during 2007, Wintersyk was a terror for offensive linemen around the WAC last season, recording 11.5 tackles for a loss and 40 total tackles (most for a Boise State defensive lineman.) While he isn’t known for a high sack total or his pass rush ability, Wintersyk plays with tremendous leverage and disruptive force on the line, making him an ideal run stuffer for teams trying to go off-tackle. Not just a ‘high-motor’ player, he’s a fantastic athlete for his size who also shows a real penchant for batting balls down at the line. A possible hybrid player at the next level, Wintersyk gives Boise’s 2009 defense an excellent chance to propel the Broncos to their second BCS bowl game in four years.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan]

He is the author of the book Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting, a Senior Writer for ESPN The Magazine, and has his own Blog on ESPN.com. The man is Bruce Feldman and he joins us in this week’s In The Bleachers Podcast.

A few of the topics discussed in the  45 minute podcast are the emergence of Ole Miss (which could be the surprise team in the SEC), the USC quarterback situation, and how UCLA has the potential to start to out-recruit their rival USC. Bruce gives us his thoughts on every team in the PAC-10 and SEC. This is a podcast you do not want to miss!

To listen to the episode you can download it here, or subscribe as described further below.

Remember, if you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedbuner but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS feed. This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for “In The Bleachers” on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way.

Enjoy this week’s episode of In The Bleachers and if you have any questions or comments to the show please email them to inthebleachers AT gmail DOT com.

#37: DE Albert McClellan, Marshall

The Verdict: At 6-foot-2, 252-pounds, Marshall defensive end Albert McClellan may just be one of the best defenders in Conference-USA. Named to the All-Conference freshmen team during his rookie season in 2005, McClellan was a one man-wrecking crew for the Thundering Herd in 2006 en route to earning Conference-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors. His 19 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks led the conference that year, and coming into the 2007 season it looked as though the athletic junior might become one of the hottest prospects to ever come out of Huntington. A pre-season knee injury derailed those prospects, although McClellan returned last season to record 58 stops and 2.5 sacks despite not being fully recovered. A ‘tweener prospect with elite initial quickness off the line, McClellan commands the respect of offensive linemen whenever he steps out on the field, making him one of the best defenders in any non-BCS conference.

Tomorrow’s Player:We’re taking the day off tomorrow so you can listen to our totally awesome podcast.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau]

The Big East is one of two BCS conferences, where in my opinion, the race is so wide open that up to 4 teams could win the conference and find themselves playing in a BCS Bowl. However, two of those teams, Rutgers and Pittsburgh, have a little uncertainty as to who will be taking the snaps from under center this fall.

Pittsburgh Panthers:
Candidates: Bill Stull, Pat Bostick, & Tino Sunseri

I said this a few times last season, if the Pitt Panthers had a quarterback that was even average, they would have easily won the Big East. With the departure of LeSean McCoy, that need for their quarterback to produce became even greater.

Last year Bill Stull was the starter for the majority of the season, but his play was less than stellar throwing for 2300 yards but 9 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. So why not turn to Bostick? Well Bostick came in with a lot of fan fare, being ranked the #6 quarterback recruit in the 2007 class, but his lack of arm strength and mobility has kept him behind Stull. Bostick also has had trouble not turning the ball over; last year he throw 1 touchdown but had 4 interceptions.

The wild card in this scenario is redshirt freshman Tino Sunseri. Sunseri played locally at Pittsburgh Central Catholic and has a nice upside, but is he ready to be in the spotlight? This is a young qb that is solid in all aspects, will not make mistakes, but won’t exactly take the game on his shoulders and win games for you. This might be exactly the quarterback Pittsburgh needs for the future. I don’t expect Sunseri to win the starting job this fall, but if the Panthers begin a losing streak, the job might be given to him.

I feel that Stull will be the starter come the beginning of the season, however, one of the other two (Sunseri or Bostick) will get some reps.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights:
Candidates: Domenic Natale, Jabu Lovelace, D.C. Jefferson, & Tom Savage

Rutgers fans are really excited for true freshman Tom Savage, but they might have to wait another year for him to crack the starting lineup. Savage was at spring practice, but since he was still enrolled in High School, all he did was watch and attend film sessions. It will be very hard for any QB to unseat an upperclassman by just practicing in the fall.

Natale, a transfer from Michigan state battled Jefferson in spring practice, but neither were good enough to have head coach Greg Schiano come out and say that one was the starter. The other horse in this race, Lovelace, did not practice at all during the spring since he was healing from ankle surgery.

Schiano did state that Natale had the best spring and highlighted that since he did not turn the ball over in the spring game, he had a leg up over Jefferson who has a ton of athletic ability. With the uncertainty of Lovelace’s ankle, and the learning curve Savage needs to overcome, it could very well be Natale’s team to start the season.