This is a serious situation, and I'm not going to dance around the subject. We've drafted Air Force in the 11th round of the SB Nation Conference Re-Draft Project.
Here's the rundown for Round 11, and some analysis on the subject.
Round 11
-- Twelve Pack: Purdue
-- Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Texas Tech
-- The Empire: Hawaii
-- Conference TMZ: Mississippi State
-- House of a Thousand Sanctions: Air Force
Complete draft board below, thanks to BC Interruption:
| BCI | BHGP | TSK | BECB | HoS | RCR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. Texas | 2. Florida | 3. Alabama | 4. Ohio State | 5. USC | 6. LSU |
| 2 | 12. Georgia | 11. Penn State | 10. Oklahoma | 9. Florida State | 8. Notre Dame | 7. Michigan |
| 3 | 13. U.C.L.A. | 14. Virginia Tech | 15. Nebraska | 16. Louisville | 17. Oregon | 18. North Carolina |
| 4 | 24. Wisconsin | 23. Miami (Fla.) | 22. Texas A&M | 21. Michigan State | 20. Tennessee | 19. Stanford |
| 5 | 25. Washington | 26. Auburn | 27. Arizona | 28. West Virginia | 29. Syracuse | 30. Arkansas |
| 6 | 36. Duke | 35. Kansas | 34. California | 33. Maryland | 32. Kentucky | 31. Iowa |
| 7 | 37. Clemson | 38. Illinois | 39. UConn | 40. Missouri | 41. Pittsburgh | 42. Oklahoma State |
| 8 | 48. Virginia | 47. TCU | 46. Arizona State | 45. Utah | 44. BYU | 43. South Carolina |
| 9 | 49. Boston College | 50. Colorado | 51. Oregon State | 52. Boise State | 53. Vanderbilt | 54. Georgia Tech |
| 10 | 60. Minnesota | 59. Indiana | 58. South Florida | 57. Cincinnati | 56. N.C. State | 55. Ole Miss |
| 11 | 61. Purdue | 62. Texas Tech | 63. Hawaii | 64. Mississippi St. | 65. Air Force |
Comissioners and Conference names: BCI: Twelve Pack; BHGP: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; TSK: The Empire (working title); BECB: Conference TMZ; HoS: House of a Thousand Sanctions; RCR: The Cult Of Les Miles.
I won't lie to you guys, I was particularly stung by the Big Ten run that occurred in between our picks, with Indiana, Minnesota and Purdue all coming off the board. Minnesota was a team I really wanted in my corner, and their new stadium is absolutely stunning (saw it a few years back while they were building and I was extremely impressed).
With that said, I don't think any of those schools are, in a word, relevant. This is a sports conference and we've built a damn good one. Did you know that Air Force finished 92nd overall in the Directors' Cup in 2011?
Not only does the United States Air Force Academy boast a legitimate football team, but they also accrued points in fencing, track & field, wrestling, mens' gymnastics, and mens' hockey. This is a well-rounded institution.
On top of that? They are a Service Academy. The United States loves its military, and the Air Force is essential to protecting our everyday freedom. These young men and women deserve the national spotlight of playing in the best fake conference in the country.
Air Force provides us with a footprint in Colorado and gives BYU a logical regional rival. I promise you, these guys don't like each other.
With just one spot left in a normal 12-team conference, where should House of a Thousand Sanctions go next? Help us fill out the remaining spot(s) in the comments below. We're not opposed to further expansion.