So keep in mind that the best way to get published is to ask something that doesn't fit into the above mold.

Finally, I realize that as an SI.com Mailbag author, it is my duty to come up with a creative "gimmick." Grant Wahl has the hilarious Where Are They Now and Separated at Birth. Seth Davis got a lot of mileage out of Radiators songs. I'll stick to football this week but am open to suggestions.

On to the questions ...

During the Fiesta Bowl, Miami missed a lot of opportunities downfield because of Ken Dorsey's poor arm strength. I happen to think the Miami offense will be better off with a quarterback who can throw an accurate deep ball. What do you think?
-- Michael LaCorte, State College, Pa.

Honestly, it makes no difference who plays quarterback for Miami next year. I might as well make my reservations for New Orleans today. I can't wait for a little gumbo and oysters on the half-shell, followed nicely by another national championship for dessert. A nice homecoming gift for Brock Berlin, especially because Rex and Spurrier suck.
-- Dan Schaps, Naples, Fla.

Geez, Dorsey has the audacity to finish his career 38-2 instead of 39-1 and you guys are ready to throw him under the bus. I don't think anyone would disagree that he didn't have the world's strongest arm, but quarterback, more than any other position, is more about intangibles -- poise, intelligence and leadership. Whomever the 'Canes line up under center next year, no matter how talented he is, I doubt he will be able to replicate Dorsey in those areas in his first season as starter.

As for "Broadway Joe" Dan's prediction, having just been in New Orleans for the Final Four, I can confirm that the gumbo is indeed excellent, but there's only one type of Hurricane I'm guaranteed to see on Bourbon Street next New Year's.

Is it true that the ACC has been soliciting membership from Big East members Virginia Tech, BC, Miami and Syracuse to form a 12-team football conference? If so, what would the division look like, and wouldn't this destroy the Big East in football? What happens to the teams left behind? Secondly, would the Big Ten and Pac-10 follow suit to join the 12-team conference alignment? What teams would they get, and does Notre Dame finally join the Big Ten? Looks like the coming of something big in the future! PLAYOFFS!!!
-- Okinawa Marine, Monroe, Mich.

A playoff system is still a long way away, but I don't doubt that conference consolidation is the direction we're headed. It does not surprise me to hear the ACC may have informally approached some of the Big East's schools. The only problem is, their plan would have been more feasible a few years ago, when the Big East was still a football laughingstock. If you're Miami or Virginia Tech, both of whom have reached the BCS title game as members of the Big East, what's your incentive to join a league where you'd have to compete with Florida State every year?

As for other conferences, the Big Ten has made no secret of its desire to add a 12th team but got burned by Notre Dame, which isn't about to give up its lucrative NBC deal and sole ownership of BCS bowl revenue. Some of the Big Ten's other top choices are also Big East schools -- Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Conversely, the Pac-10 is very much about status quo and is not likely to expand any time soon.

You may have covered this previously, but how do you see Tommy Tuberville handling the embarrassment of talent that Auburn returns at the running back position? If the Tigers can formulate a scheme that utilizes all four backs, is there anyone in the SEC (or the nation) that can stop the AU run-based offense?
-- Will Rutland, Gifu, Japan

After weeks of reading e-mails just like this one, I've come to the conclusion that while Auburn's four-headed running back stable (Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, Tre Smith and juco stud Brandon Jacobs) is indeed impressive, only one of them will be able to carry the ball on any given play. That is unless Tuberville lines up all four and has them lateral to one another all the way down the field. The other reason I'm not ready to proclaim Auburn the second-coming of the '85 Bears is that eventually the Tigers will have to throw the ball, which means their most important player may not be any of the four runners but in fact heretofore inconsistent quarterback Jason Campbell.

In Ann Arbor, John Navarre is still the question. Sure, he had a big game against the Gators, but he choked against Ohio State. Can he be the man and lead the Wolverines to Pasadena?
-- Keith Bado, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Why is no one giving John Navarre any props for the Heisman? He's had this team for three years, and I think that it is finally time for him to flourish. Keep your eye on him, and what do you think about my Wolverines?
-- Doug, Port Huron, Mich.

Well, which is it? Is he a Heisman candidate or a choke artist? The main reason you're not seeing Navarre mentioned on any such lists is he hasn't had anything approaching Heisman-like numbers in his first three seasons. But he wasn't exactly shabby last season, either, throwing for 2,905 yards, 21 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. I look at Navarre in much the same light as former Michigan QB Brian Griese, unheralded and oft-criticized his first three years before leading the Wolverines to the national title as a senior.

Not a lot of talk is coming out of Manhattan, Kan., about a national championship. Do you think this year's team could go all the way behind the feet of Darren Sproles and the dual threat of quarterback Ell Roberson?
-- Ryan, Westmoreland, Kan.

There's no question this should be the Wildcats' most explosive offense since Michael Bishop's senior season in 1998. My concern is the defense, which lost seven starters, including cogs Terence Newman, Terry Pierce and Tank Reese. Traditionally, Bill Snyder has had little trouble reloading and producing a top-notch defense year in and year out, so I'm inclined to think he'll do so again. But it's hard to talk too much about national titles when there are so many question marks.

Hey, Stewart. I love your work. As a huge USC fan, I am optimistic about our prospects at QB for next year, as Carson Palmer's potential replacements have been in the system at least two years. With this in mind, does John David Booty have a realistic chance to start next year?
--Matt Sohn, Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Thanks, Matt. Note to prospective Mailbag contributors out there: Take a lead from Matt on how to get published here. I know everyone's excited right now about wonder kid Booty, who, for those who may not have heard, announced last week he will take summer school classes and graduate from his Shreveport, La., high school a year early and enroll at USC in the fall. But there's a reason not too many quarterbacks start as true freshmen, and I would expect Booty to have an even greater learning curve, even if he is the same age as other incoming freshmen. The Trojans already have at least three guys -- Matt Leinert, Matt Cassell and Brandon Hance -- capable of starting next season. I think Booty will have to wait at least a year, unless, as some think, he's the LeBron James of high school quarterbacks.

What do you think are the chances of Virginia being the Iowa of 2003? After blowing away a solid West Virginia team in the Tire Bowl and bringing almost everyone back -- and the additon of Ahmad Brooks -- everything points to an Iowa-like run to a BCS bid, possibly the Sugar Bowl.
-- Stuart Farrell, Richmond, Va.

Wow, when's the last time anyone aspired to be the Iowa of anything? It's got to be a proud day for any Hawkeye who might be reading this. I'd say the Cavs are viable candidates to get that "surprise" BCS berth this season, but I'd argue they wouldn't be nearly as surprising as Iowa, considering they did win nine games last season. They did it with possibly the youngest starting lineup in America, all of which returns, so there's no reason to think Virginia can't be even better, unless perhaps the Cavs drastically overachieved last fall.

What's the preoccupation with the Florida college football teams? It seems every week there is some headline about the 'Noles, Gators or "mighty" 'Canes -- I am not the only person who has seen this and is curious. Kind of biased. Review the previous few weeks and maybe you will agree.
-- Brian Foley, Dayton, Ohio

OK, I'm sorry, but I can't look at Brian's last name without thinking of Matt Foley, Chris Farley's motivational speaker character. You're not going to amount to JACK SQUAT.

If it makes you feel any better, Brian, most of those stories were about Florida State, and they weren't exactly flattering, seeing as they involved an alleged cover-up of a gambling scandal or a receiver facing drug and gun charges. But I also wouldn't be surprised if the Miami/Florida/FSU fascination continues for a while. Besides Nebraska, they're the three most dominant programs of the past 10 to 15 years, and they're going to continue to produce stories, good or bad.

Well, that's all the time we have this week, folks.

Keep those questions coming, and we'll turn this into a nice, entertaining diversion -- for you and me -- during the long wait until kickoff.

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.

To send Stewart a question or comment, click here.

 

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