By Vince Mullins

Fantasy College Blitz

The most common complaint about new owners playing fantasy college football revolves around the number of teams one must cover, but I think that the exact opposite is true.

Call me a glass-half-full guy, but the opportunity to choose from 120 teams each week puts less pressure on you to nail down a starter at QB and at defense during your draft.

Most NFL fantasy leagues support 12 owners to choose from 32 teams means that if each team were to pick 2 QB or D then 3/4 of the supply is drafted.

If the same tactics apply to your college league, that leaves more the 3/4 of the nation available for you in the free agent pool. Even if you just play the Big Six conferences plus ND then a little less than 2/3 of the pool is still available.

Today I will focus on “value” defenses that should not require an early draft pick nor more than a dollar if your auction. I hesitate to call them all sleepers since there are some strong programs here, but common themes here are a simple September schedule (so some big schools here), strong coaching staff, low team expectations and/or returning studs.

In no particular order, my red dog blitz of defenses for Double-digit rounds of your draft…

USF Bulls - a pathetic September slate finishes up in Florida State but has two FCS teams and a visit to Western Kentucky. No matter who you put in those uni’s that should be enough, but when you add in a great DB tradition and the return of George Silvie and a great freshman/JUCO class this could be the unleashing of hell. In October they do have to face Cincy and West virginia, but both are at home on a short week. I am bullish on the Bulls again, which of course means for the third season in a row that they will disappoint with a surprising loss (like Louisville last season).

Clemson Tigers - a perennial underachieving team that cost another Bowden his job (one more to go) but it will be curious to see how they operate when few are watching. The early schedule is not easy (MTSU, @GT, BC, TCU) but I am willing to bank on the outrageously talented front seven led by tweener Ricky Sapp, 8 returning starters on D and new DC Kevin Steele coming in after an amazing two year run in Alabama. This was a Top 20 defense in the 2008 BlitzIndex, expect the same in 2009.

North Carolina State Wolfpack - first off, this might be the value of the 2009 draft at any position - Wolfpack lead the nation with EIGHT HOME GAMES, including the first four with two FCS teams. Someone forgot to tell Willie Young he could have been a first day NFL Draft pick so he is back to lead a very good D-line under 3rd year HC Tom O’Brien. Nine returning starters back and the experience should help a unit that allowed more then 30 ppg last year. I wondered aloud last season if the ACC was better than it seemed because of all the parity causing lots of losses all around, time to see if that hypothesis is valid.

Ohio Bobcats - My buddy Phil and I took a break from work and discussed which conference has the most head coaches with national titles. He was about to dismiss the MAC until I told him to wait a moment and think - he needed a hint to remember Frank Solich (Nebraska, 2001). Bobcats somehow avoid the usual September “rent-a-victim” road trips and the one very big school on the schedule is Tennessee whose offense likely remains putrid. No byes until November, all the main returners are back who scored 3 TDs and seven returning starters led by LB Noah Keller makes this an excellent value.

Nebraska Cornhuskers - a return to prominence for the Blackshirts? I think so as Bo Pelini and his bro Carl the DC should get some early national press for their hot start. Check the FAU-Arkansas State - @Virginia Tech - Louisiana September schedule. Huskers only return 6 but the one-man demolition crew named Ndamukong Suh anchors the line. There are fewer “legacy” programs with more damaged brand names than Nebraska, so grab some corn late and keep your eyes open for free agent defenses to hedge Big 12 schedule.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights - Phil Steele has the Big R facing the easiest schedule of the BCS conference teams. WIth the graduation of all the main players in an amazing offense will likely keep fantasy focus away from here, better for you as eight starters return on the other side of the ball. I mentioned in my Rutgers preview that I don’t care for the co-coordinator setup in Piscataway, but Howard, FIU and Texas Southern in the six weeks should lead to some big turnover numbers. See the preview also for my full schedule breakdown.

San Diego State Aztecs - while the Mayans get all the cultural focus these days, remember the Aztecs if you really wanna shock your fantasy friends. Fantasyheads know that Ball State’s Head Coach Brady Hoke upgraded his zip code to coach here, but less known is that former New Mexico Head Coach Rocky Long is now running the defense and he has skills. Long blitzes every down and was quickly hired after getting fired in Albuquerque. My quick count is that there are only four good offenses on the tilt. This is the epitome of the “Sleeper” Defense.