The man who built BYU into a national power preferred seeing the Cougars in a conference, where they’d always played.

But after hearing the rationale and seeing what followed Wednesday’s announcement – deals with Notre Dame, Texas and ESPN – Edwards called the move a gamble with a lot of upside.

“They’ve got a series with Notre Dame, with Texas, an eight-year deal with ESPN, they’ve got a chance to make it work,” said Edwards, who won 257 games in 29 years in Provo and led the Cougars to the 1984 national title.

“It’s still going to be a real struggle scheduling,” he continued. “And not playing in a conference, if you get off to a slow start that creates a bit of a problem. Before you were still in the hunt for a conference championship. They’re going to have to approach things from a different perspective.

“I had it explained to me what they were attempting to do, and I can appreciate where they’re coming from and why they decided to do it,” Edwards said. “It’s a gamble, no question about it. It has some downside, but I think the upside is going to be greater if they can pull it off.”

Edwards said BYU did its due diligence before notifying the Mountain West Conference on Wednesday it will become a football independent and join the West Coast Conference in all other sports starting in 2011-12.

“It wasn’t a knee-jerk decision,” he said.

Edwards was especially glad about the six-game series BYU will play against Notre Dame through 2020.

“It will be great,” he said. “There’s a lot of similarity between the two schools. They’re both faith-based, both great institutions. They’ve had good football at both places. It’s a good fit.”

Athletic director Tom Holmoe said the decision came down to “access and exposure.” As an independent, BYU can put together a national schedule and won’t have to share its television money. The Cougars also will keep all revenues they earn from bowl games.

Who cares? College football fans are starving right now.

Plus, the opening slate isn’t as bad as it sounds. There are enough enticing matchups to get the juices flowing. Will Dave Wannstedt legitimize Pittsburgh’s preseason hype with a win at Utah Thursday? Who wins Saturday night’s showcase games, North Carolina vs. LSU and Oregon State vs. TCU? And, of course, the Labor Day showdown between Boise State and Virginia Tech has major BCS implications.

But for every one of those tasty treats, there are five rather bland matchups involving overmatched FCS team. Twenty-three teams from BCS conferences will host an FCS school this week.

Let’s not lament the opening weekend’s lack of depth, though. Instead, let’s see we what we can learn from on-paper mismatches.

Numerous national championship contenders, including the top four, Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and Texas, find themselves in exactly those kinds of matchups.  The defending champs host San Jose State, a team that went 2-10 last season. The Buckeyes open against Marshall, which won a bowl game last season, but is breaking in new coach Doc Holliday. Florida hosts Miami (OH), 1-11 in 2009, and Texas heads to Rice, 2-10 in 2009.

Face it – the Tide, Buckeyes, Gators and ‘Horns can name the score. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be signs inside these projected blowouts; signs that show just how legitimate of contenders these teams are.

Former Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry and Washington head coach Don James, two members of the Legends Poll, agree that you can still learn a lot about a team in a game where they’re clearly superior in talent.

“Hopefully, you can answer some questions about some questionable areas of your team,” said DeBerry. “But you don’t want to develop any kind of false sense of security.”

DeBerry and James said you’re looking for organization, execution and discipline. National champions don’t continually false start. They don’t have trouble getting the snap off, and they’re not blowing assignments in the secondary.

They do, however, dominate inferior competition.

Alabama whacked Florida International, North Texas and Chattanooga by an average of 39 points last season. In 2008, Florida hammered Hawaii and the Citadel by an average of 48 points. The most points any eventual BCS National Champion has allowed against a non-BCS opponent is 17. Ohio State thumped Kent State 51-14 on their way to winning the 2003 BCS title.

Any of the big dogs that struggle this week, it’s probably safe to scratch them off your title contender list.

Which was fitting.

Because MacPherson was there when it all began.

Coach Mac was a Denver assistant when the Broncos drafted Little sixth overall in 1967, in the first common AFL-NFL draft. MacPherson saw firsthand how one man can rescue a franchise, change a city’s fortunes.

“He did a great public relations job, got us a new stadium,” recalled MacPherson, who would go on to coach Little’s alma mater, Syracuse.

“When we went there, [head coach] Lou Saban told us one night at dinner, ‘Don’t anybody buy a home.’”

The Broncos were rumored to be moving to Birmingham, Chicago, or elsewhere. Playing with unrivaled passion – he was the smallest back to lead the league in rushing since before World War II – Little attracted legions of fans who eventually approved the expansion of Mile High Stadium.

“Being from New Haven, he was dreaming of going to the New York Jets. Then he has to go to Denver, which is the pits of the AFL at the time,” MacPherson said. “We played in a minor-league baseball park. The coaches were in a quonset hut for an office. That’s the kind of shape we were in.

“But from the moment he got there, he became a salesman. We were able to take good care of Floyd, and he paid us back in spades.

“He saved the franchise and look what happened to it,” MacPherson added, referring to a string of sellouts that continues today. “It’s a great story. It’s a Floyd Little story. To his death, Lou Saban would say, ‘He’s the guy who made the difference.’”

Like many, MacPherson can’t fathom why it took 35 years for Little to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Little retired in 1975 as the 7^th-leading rusher in NFL history. He also was an outstanding receiver, kick returner and blocker. Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham called Little “the most complete back I ever played against.”

“The mystery was why he wasn’t in before,” MacPherson said.

Their relationship grew stronger in 1981 when MacPherson took over at Syracuse. MacPherson suspects Little helped get him the job. Coach “Mac” was a Cleveland Browns assistant when he got the offer.

“There was no application – they called me,” said MacPherson, a Maine native who jumped at the opportunity.

In leading the Orangemen to a 66-46-4 mark, including 11-0-1 in 1987, MacPherson relied heavily on the tradition established by Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Little, a three-time All-American.

“I had Floyd talk to my team five times, whenever he came in,” MacPherson said. “He was there whenever we needed anything. He loved Syracuse for what it did for him. Plus his daughter came to school there, and I was looking out for her.

“That was the nice thing about the Hall of Fame ceremony. There were people from [his childhood in] Connecticut, Denver Broncos people, Syracuse people.

“Once you meet Floyd Little, it’s amazing how he makes you feel like you’ve always known him. That’s a very special guy.”

Top-10 teams. East vs. West. National championship implications.

Now that’s the way to open a season.

When Boise State and Virginia Tech clash Sept. 6 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. (8 p.m, ESPN), Legends Poll member Bobby Ross will be there scouting these BCS title contenders.

“The winner immediately thrusts themselves into the title picture but the loser is still not out of it,” said Ross, who led Georgia Tech to the 1990 national title and the San Diego Chargers to the Super Bowl following the 1994 season.

“The winner goes right to the top of the BCS almost immediately.”

Unlike many powerhouses who tune up for conference play with cupcakes, Virginia Tech and Boise State have shown a willingness to open against like competition. Tech faced eventual national champ Alabama in last year’s Chick-fil-A kickoff in Atlanta, while Boise hosted Oregon, which went on to win the Pac-10.

“Virginia Tech likes to find out where they are as a ballclub real quickly,” Ross said. “Both teams are used to [season-opening showdowns]. They know what has to be done to get prepared.”

Coach Ross gives us his matchups to watch:

Tech’s inexperienced defense vs. Boise’s multiple shifts, formations

The Hokies have seven new starters on defense. And the unit’s signal-caller, inside linebacker Barquell Rivers, is out with a torn quadriceps. His replacement, sophomore Bruce Taylor, is making his first start.

“The Hokies’ defense is very young and very talented, lots of good athletes, but Boise’s offense will give them problems not only with who they’ve got. There’s a lot of movement to their offense and it has a purpose. How is Tech going to adjust to the motion, the shifting, the unusual formations?

“They’re trying to get an advantage numerically at the line of scrimmage, or they’re trying to create a mismatch [on the outside]. And when you throw in the trick plays they come up with, it just adds to the adjustment problems Virginia Tech will have.

“When you start having to think, it slows down your movement. You lose your intensity. Is Tech ready? Bruce Taylor can get ‘em into the right [alignment], but the young players have to adjust. That’s very big.”

Boise’s defensive front vs. Tyrod Taylor

“Can the front seven keep him in the pocket, in the net? That’s huge.

“Some people have got Taylor the fifth-best QB in the ACC – I can’t imagine that. That kid has made such improvement in his throwing, his touch, but he’s still a tremendous scrambler. All you’ve got to do is ask Nebraska about that. They lost the game on two plays in which he scrambled.”

For those who don’t remember, Taylor threw an 81-yard completion, then an 11-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left, to beat Nebraska 16-15 last year. On the game-winner, Taylor escaped defenders for nearly 10 seconds.

“The thing about him is he keeps his vision downfield. That’s changed a lot. And his throwing ability has changed too, for the better.”

Special teams

Playmakers abound.

Boise’s Titus Young took back two kickoffs for touchdowns last year. Tech’s Dyrell Roberts averaged 32 yards per kickoff return, third-best in the nation, and Jayron Hosley returned a punt for a score.

Boise boasts a senior placekicker and punter, Kyle Brotzman, who should be calm under Tech’s rush.

“Boise cannot give Tech any big plays in the kicking game. The big plays they’re able to create in the return game, or with a blocked kick, are a very big emotional thing for Virginia Tech.”

In 283 games under Coach Frank Beamer, the Hokies have blocked 128 kicks.

“When it happens, it ignites their football team and their crowd, and they’re going to have the better crowd by a long shot. Frank is the guy who coaches it, and they do a great job. It’s amazing the things they’ve done in the kicking game.”

Harassing Kellen Moore

“The Hokies have just one starter returning on the defensive line, but they’re very talented. They’re going to have to get good pressure. When you get a passer like that, the only thing that works is pressure.”

Moore threw for more than 3,500 yards last year, with an incredible 39-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s a career 67 percent passer.

“He is without a doubt one of the most accurate passers I’ve ever seen. He’s very calm, very poised, just a heck of an accurate quarterback.

In addition to the quarterbacks, Coach Ross said he’s excited to get a first-hand look at…

Boise WR Austin Pettis: “He’s a tall kid who runs well, has very long arms, excellent hands. Great route runner.” The 6-3 senior caught 14 TDs last season.

Tech RB Ryan Williams: “That kid is special. The most explosive kid I’ve seen in a long time. Great vision, runs really tough, with power. He’s got the whole package.” Williams ran for 1,655 yards and 22 scores last year.

Tech CB Jayron Hosley: The sophomore is expected to start at field corner opposite Rashad Carmichael.

“I know Frank is as high on him as anybody he’s ever had. He was a return specialist last year. He’s very, very talented. But Pettis has the experience and this will be his first start. The matchup between Hosley and Pettis is going to be very interesting.”

Not surprisingly, Coach Ross expects a very tight game.

“Everyone’s talking about Tech losing seven starters from their defense, but they’re very talented, they have good size, they can always run and they’re very tough.

“Both teams are going to be able to run the ball, but I think Tech is the better running team. Both teams are loaded at running back.

“When you get to a game like this, it goes back to the same things all the time. Turnovers, number one. And the kicking game.

“Tech’s inexperience on defense hurts, but the athleticism and the crowd kind of make up for that.

“I think it’s an even thing.”

On average, that’s nearly 10 teams per season that in August are considered among the nation’s best, but are nowhere to be found in January.

“[Preseason rankings] have one real value — it gets us all talking about it,” said College Football Hall of Famer John Robinson, one of 19 members of the Legends Poll. “But I don’t think anybody who votes on it does enough research to say specifically who is going to do what.”

That’s not a knock on the 59 head coaches who vote. Considering the limited information available at this time of year, hitting 60 percent isn’t bad. Basically, preseason magazines and last year’s memories are all the coaches have to analyze.

“You get a summer magazine, but you don’t devour it,” said former Washington coach Don James. “You focus on what is being written about your opponents. Outside of them, it’s hard to know a lot about the other teams across the country.”

Nevertheless, the USA Today Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released Friday, even though more than half of the FBS programs had not yet held their first practice. But, like Robinson said, it gets people talking.

Defending champion Alabama is the overwhelming pick at No. 1. The Crimson Tide received 55 of 59 possible votes, despite having just two returning starters on defense.

Ohio State, Florida, Texas and Boise State round out the Top 5. Those five teams also finished last season in the Top 5.

Alabama and Florida were the only two SEC teams in the top 15, but a total of six made the poll.

“That seems about right,” said former UGA head coach Vince Dooley, whose Bulldogs squeaked in at No. 21. “With 10 returning starters on offense, and two of the best kickers in the nation, I think you could make a case for [UGA] being like 13 or 14.”

The ACC landed five teams in the poll, with No. 6 Virginia Tech leading the way. The Hokies open the season against No. 5 Boise State on Labor Day at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

The Big Ten placed four teams, highlighted by the second-ranked Buckeyes and No. 10 Iowa.  Wisconsin is No. 12 and Penn State No. 14.

“Right now, those are probably the top teams in the conference,” said former Indiana coach Bill Mallory. “And, of course, everyone wants to see what Michigan is going to do.”

Rich Rodriguez’s Wolverines weren’t among those receiving votes.

The Big 12 was next with three teams, all in the Top 10.

“That says a lot about the strength of that league. (No. 4) Texas, (No. 8) Oklahoma and (No. 9) Nebraska are powerful teams,” former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum said.

The Pac-10, Mountain West and Big East each had two representatives in the opening poll.

Click here to view the full poll

USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ Poll: Preseason

(first-place votes)

1. Alabama (55)

2. Ohio State (4)

3. Florida

4. Texas

5. Boise State

6. Virginia Tech

7. TCU

8. Oklahoma

9. Nebraska

10. Iowa

11. Oregon

12. Wisconsin

13. Miami (Fla.)

14. Penn State

15. Pittsburgh

16. LSU

17. Georgia Tech

18. North Carolina

19. Arkansas

20. Florida State

21. Georgia

22. Oregon State

23. Auburn

t-24. Utah

t-24. West Virginia

The announcement has been anticipated all week and is the second in a line of several expected realignment moves from teams in the Big 12.

Legend Bill Mallory says adding Nebraska is a major step for the Big Ten, which is looking to beef up its conference to enhance the Big Ten Network.

“I’m just kind of sitting back, and I wasn’t sure just how it was going to work out,” Mallory said. “I think (former Legends Poll voter) Tom Osborne felt it was a good move. Without question, it will add to the quality of the Big Ten with Nebraska coming in.

“With Nebraska, you’re talking about one of the top programs. Bo Pelini has done a great job getting that program back. I had a chance to see them play Colorado last year and they’re on their way back. It’s certainly going to upgrade the conference, that’s for sure.”

One major question mark for the Big Ten now surrounds the team from South Bend, Ind. Can the Big Ten flex its muscles enough to secure Notre Dame?

“When I was in the Big Ten, we really tried to get Notre Dame,” Mallory said. “But they had that independent mindset. They may have to change.

“There’s been a study done that they would make more money if they would come into the Big Ten. You know, that Big Ten Network is making money. They would do better if they were in the Big Ten.”

Mallory says that Notre Dame has been wrapped up in the tradition of being independent and it may haunt the school this time.

“I heard a comment made by one sports writer and I thought it made some sense,” Mallory said. “With all this happening, if Notre Dame stays independent, they may have a problem with their scheduling. It’s going to really have an effect on them with the BCS.

“They’re going to have to take a hard look, I think, at where they’re going. They may have to reconsider and decide that the Big Ten looks pretty good to them.”

With that, Colorado became the first of six Big 12 schools rumored to jump ship and head west.

Former Colorado head coach Bill Mallory was a bit stunned by the news, but he says Colorado could benefit from the move.

“I had the opportunity to coach at the University of Colorado,” Mallory said. “We used to play Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford and so forth. And if that’s what Colorado wants to do, I think it’s a good fit for them to go to the Pac-10.”

Mallory says that joining the Pac-10 not only benefits the school monetarily, but it works out geographically for Colorado as well.

“Colorado has always recruited the west coast — particularly California — very well for the most part,” he said. “The move should enhance that.”

Another Big 12 North school is expected to formally announce a decision to leave the conference this afternoon. Nebraska is rumored to be joining the Big Ten, a move that will enhance the competitiveness of the conference and the reach of the Big Ten Network.

Once Nebraska leaves, only four Big 12 North schools will remain, and most of the Big 12 South schools are expected to leave next week.

“That’s had to be a hard hit,” Mallory said, “particularly in that North division of the Big 12 with (Nebraska and Colorado) leaving. You just wonder, too, what the heck is going to happen to Kansas and Kansas State.”

It may not keep the Big 12 intact, but over time, we will all adjust to the new collegiate conference landscape. At least that’s what former Texas A&M head coach R.C. Slocum believes.

Slocum was the Aggies head coach in 1994 when the Big Eight joined forces with four schools from the Southwestern Conference — including Texas A&M — to form the Big 12.

“In the back of my mind, when we put the Big 12 together and had realignments around college football,” Slocum said in a phone interview, “I never thought that it would be the last time (conference realignment) would ever happen. Because the same things that drove it back then will continue to drive it. And that is the money.”

The Pac-10 hopes to form the first super conference and establish a television network like the Big Ten Network that will create additional revenue opportunities for the conference and the schools involved.

According to orangebloods.com, who first reported it, the Pac-10 has extended invites to six schools from the Big 12, including Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Colorado.

Slocum says that the driving forces for expansion are “the money, the exposure, and how you can best position yourself to take advantage of the interest by the fans and the interest in seeing the games and the interest in having the good matchups.”

On Wednesday, Nebraska reportedly decided to leave the Big 12 to join the Big Ten after receiving clearance from its board of regents. A formal announcement is expected on Friday.

According to orangebloods.com, Nebraska leaving has doomed the Big 12. The Web site reported that Texas officials gathered their coaching staffs and told them that they tried to save the Big 12 but could not.

“When you go through these things, they’re painful at the time,“ Slocum said. “But, you know, college football will survive, the individual schools will survive. It will take time to see the overall effects of it, what it ends up being.

“As you look at this, back when we went through this with the Big 12, when we combined the old Big 8 conference and the Southwest Conference. There were parts of those leagues that I’m sure a lot of people hated to lose. I know as a long time follower of the SWC and a coach in the SWC, I hated that we had to give that up.

“At the same time, there were a lot of positives about the Big 12. It raised the level of competition, it raised the level of exposure that the teams got. And certainly raised the level of financial support that we got out of television. I think overall, it was good for us, it was good for the schools.”

Slocum says that eventually the coaches at schools in the newly formed conferences will adjust. College football might look different to fans, but the hype will grow and the new matchups will become more comfortable.

“It takes time to develop the familiarity,” Slocum said. “You know, every school around the country has teams that they’ve played for a long period of time. You know those people, you know their fans, you know their teams. But it takes a while to really develop the appreciation for the rivalries — the new rivalries — that comes out of league expansion and people being partners in an enterprise that were not partners for long.

“And when this re-shuffling occurs — if it does in fact occur — then there will be a starting over for some of these schools and it will just take some time for these schools to get accustomed to their new homes.”

Bowden’s storied coaching career came to an end after the 2009 season, but he won’t be staying away from the game for long.

Bowden is now the 19th voting member in the Legends Poll — a top-25 college football poll voted on by such legendary former college football coaches as Vince Dooley, Gene Stallings, LaVell Edwards, John Robinson and, as of recently, Bobby Ross.

“Well, what (the poll is) hoping to do is get some people who are real qualified to vote, and nobody’s got anything involved in it,” Bowden said. “I think it’ll be very accurate. I think you’ll get about as good a pickings as you’re gonna get.”

Bowden brings a wealth of experience to a poll that already includes 13 College Football Hall of Fame inductees. In his 44 years as a college football head coach, Bowden won 375 games, good enough to be the second all-time winningest coach in Division I history.

Bowden, who was also a head coach at Howard College (currently Samford) and West Virginia, only had one losing season during his tenure at Florida State. He guided the Seminoles to 32 bowl games, winning 21. He won national titles with Florida State in 1993 and 1999, along with earning 12 ACC championships.

Finding it difficult to step away from such a successful career, Bowden thinks being a voting member of the Legends Poll will keep him connected to college football.

“Yeah, it sure does, because you have to study it,” Bowden said. “You have to keep up with what’s going on. So it’ll revive (my connection to the game).”

The Legends Poll was formed five years ago by Executive Director Andy Curtin to offer an alternative to the college football polls voted on by current college football coaches or members of the media. Each week during the college football season, Legends Poll coaches are provided DVDs of Division I teams throughout the year which they review and scrutinize in an effort to be the most informed college football poll in the country.

The Legends Poll coaches participate in a weekly teleconference to discuss their picks and argue points pertaining to the teams they’re assigned. Bowden feels the level of college football coaching experience represented by the Legends Poll provides a fair and accurate portrayal of the college football landscape from week to week.

“Well, there are guys that you would respect their opinions and the contacts they have,” Bowden said. “You’ve got men that know what they’re doing.”

He knows exactly what NFL head coaches and front office personnel are going through right now as the start of the 2010 NFL draft is just less than a week away. Ross suspects that most teams have all the draft-eligible players rated by now and are getting into mock drafts to prepare for any possible scenarios that could come up starting with Thursday’s first round.

Ross, however, believes teams in the market for a quarterback have a bit more work to do. With the top quarterbacks available in the draft seemingly neck-and-neck on most teams boards, Ross said there are a lot of great things about each quarterback that teams should be looking at.

The two that have caught the coaching legend’s eye, however, are former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford and former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tebow has drawn a wide range of criticism for his style of play, and there has been much speculation about his chances for success at the pro level. If Ross was still running an NFL team, however, he wouldn’t hesitate to draft the national championship quarterback.

“I would still be very, very high on a guy like Tebow for his intangibles,” Ross said during a phone interview from his Richmond, Va., home last week. “I know everybody’s talking about his release and that type of thing, but that type of guy, his leadership and his contribution to team and all of those things are factors and did weigh in heavily with us (in San Diego and Detroit).

“Character was a huge factor, and he has all of that. I think, what he doesn’t have now, he’ll develop on his own. I would rate him very high in that area, too.”

Tebow has worked on his throwing motion, which is said by many NFL experts to be so low that it would be easy for defenders to knock the ball out of his hand. During his pro day last month, Tebow put his new throwing motion on display, showing that he has made improvements in that area.

Ross said that what sets Tebow apart and makes him worth a high pick is his commitment to making the necessary changes in his game that will put him in position to be a successful quarterback in the NFL.

“There are some that are contributors. He commits,” Ross said. “There’s a difference. I think he has that commitment, and I think that’s very important.

“I’m a huge fan of his. I really am. There’s been very few that have come along that are like him. Because he’s got a couple of mechanics that need to be corrected, hell, all of them have something, you know? Everybody has something.”

Former University of Georgia head coach Vince Dooley agrees. Dooley had a chance to see Tebow throughout his college career as Georgia and Florida play in one of the most storied college football rivalry games each year.

Dooley also got to watch former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford — currently with Detroit after being picked No. 1 overall by the Lions in last year’s draft — and offered a contrasting view of the two quarterbacks.

Dooley said Stafford was more prepared for the NFL because of his physical abilities, but Tebow’s intangibles should cause the NFL teams looking for a quarterback to take pause.

“In the case of Tebow, some question his ability to throw the ball and whether he has a strong arm to throw the ball like a prototype, like Stafford. There’s no question about (Tebow’s) intangibles,” Dooley said. “His delivery is questioned, and there are those kinds of questions out there. But that’s why he may be totally passed up by one and then taken by somebody else that really believes in his intangibles and that he can overcome some of the mechanical shortcomings.”

Ross and Dooley said Tebow’s level of first-year production in the NFL relies on several factors.

“He’ll have to get with the right coach and the right team, and I think that it might marry that way,” Dooley said. “Maybe, on paper, some will ask some questions about him being drafted high, but those that really know him will go ahead and do it despite the fact that, on paper, he might not be the model of who is a first-round quarterback draft choice.”

Bradford is another quarterback who caught the eye of Ross, who coached at Maryland, Georgia Tech and Army before retiring in 2006. Ross had a chance to see Bradford play in person while the Oklahoma quarterback was healthy. Bradford, who is said to be the favorite as this draft’s No. 1 overall pick, struggled with a shoulder injury for much of last season.

Ross, however, said Bradford is clearly the best quarterback available in the draft if he’s healthy.

“One of the most accurate passers I’ve ever seen,” Ross said. “If you had to say anything, he was truly a pro-type quarterback. A classic pro. Big, tall, good arm, live arm, had a good degree of mobility, but the thing that really impressed you about him was his accuracy.

“He usually got the ball to the receiver on the run. To me, that was a key factor, to get someone that accurate. All of them are accurate, but this guy was really accurate.”

Asked if he had to rate the quarterbacks as if he was in a position to draft them, Ross with no hesitation named Bradford, then Tebow, then Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. Ross didn’t get much of a chance to see McCoy, but Ross said he got the impression that McCoy is a top-flight competitor.

McCoy was injured early in the national title game against Alabama and wasn’t able to return to the game.