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Spring practice looked very different for breakout stars such as Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel and Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, who went from relative unknowns last season to two of the main attractions in college football heading into this season.

Academics or athletics? There was a time when a recruit had to choose one over the other. But the recent success of elite academic programs has proved that you can thrive in both.

Oregon has built a coaching tradition where the Ducks promote from within, and the new guy does better than the old. It has seemed simple, until now. Can Mark Helfrich improve on what Chip Kelly achieved?

You don't have to know an X from an O to understand that the Pac-12 and the entire sport of college football transformed over the past four seasons because of Chip Kelly's brand of football.

From Johnny Football to a goal-line stop in South Bend, these are the moments that defined the 2012 season.

Chip Kelly has dazzled the nation with his spread offense at Oregon, and this offseason he could be asked to take his spread to the NFL. But until an NFL team completely commits to a spread offense, it's unlikely to transfer well to the pros.

In a season defined by disbelief, the unlikely achieved the improbable. Except, of course, that one BCS title game constant.

Do not adjust your calendars. It is only the first week of October. And yet, in terms of college football angst, if measured by the importance of the games of the next four Saturdays, there should be a snap in the air and a turkey in the oven. It will be quite a month for college football.

Oregon's domination of Arizona was stunning but the Ducks might have accomplished more than a big win. They hope they've found the right attitude for the long haul.

Commissioner Larry Scott transformed the Pac-12 from merely an athletic conference into a multimedia empire -- but its football programs seemingly lagged behind. Early upsets by UCLA over No. 16 Nebraska and by Arizona over No. 18 Oklahoma State have provided much-needed on-field credibility.

Oregon and Stanford present the very best the Pac-12 has to offer. But is their best good enough for the BCS? We'll soon find out.

Oregon expects more than rushing yards from record-setting tailback LaMichael James in 2011. The Ducks need him to lead.

Oregon wide receiver Jeff Maehl might not pass the eyeball test, but he keeps proving skeptics wrong.

Only Auburn and Oregon reached the BCS title game. Why did the Tigers and Ducks make it? Let the players and coaches explain how they did it.

His runs and passes will long live in Auburn lore, but Cam Newton brought more than athletic skills to the Plains. He established himself as a leader the Tigers could follow all the way to the BCS title game.

It used to be that defense won championships. With two high-octane offenses in Auburn and Oregon, this year's BCS National Championship Game has parted ways with college football's long-held traditions.