These 128-team projections suggest Big Ten football will take a step back in 2016

Sure, sure, Alabama and Clemson are in the top three. But hello, LSU, what are you doing that high up in Bill Connelly's 1-through-128 2016 team projections? This has been your daily reminder that LSU tried really hard to fire Les Miles.

The formula combines projections based on three big factors, two of which are multi-year recruiting (here) and returning production (here). (The other is five-year team quality.)

Considering how much Ohio State in particular is losing to the NFL Draft, how blandly much of the Big Ten recruited again (its West was by far the worst-recruiting Power 5 division), and how unimpressed all the computers were by AP No. 9 Iowa last year (No. 18 in Massey, No. 22 in Sagarin, No. 24 in SRS, No. 38 in F/+, etc.), would a quiet 2016 for the B1G be that surprising?

Now that I've said that, Michigan will win the national title. Congrats, Big Ten.

Bill's numbers project separation in the big second tier of conferences and the AAC making another run:

Projected conference S&P+ averages:

1. SEC (12.8, up 2.8 from 2015)
2. ACC (9.2, up 2.5)
3. Pac-12 (8.3, up 1.4)
4. Big 12 (7.7, up 2.6)
5. Big Ten (7.0, down 0.4)
6. American (-1.4, up 0.7)
7. Mountain West (-4.5, down 0.3)
8. MAC (-5.8, down 2.2)
9. Sun Belt (-8.3, down 0.8)
10. Conference USA (-8.3, down 0.2)

Bill C.'s 128-team preview series is now underway, starting with the worst team in the country: North Texas. Nowhere to go but up, and it sounds like things will be more fun, at least.

Bill's also doing a Kickstarter for a new book, and the idea is one that you cannot possibly find uninteresting.

Jim Harbaugh's not the only coach who just wrapped up his first full recruiting class. (Yes, I know that's obvious. Bear with me.) How'd he and all the other guys do?

Life is fair. Alabama's taking one of Kentucky's best recruiters.

Just gonna keep harping on the fact that Super Bowl MVP and Texas Aggie Von Miller is a chicken farmer. We assembled some good quotes:

If I called you chicken, it would be like an insult, but if you actually raise a chicken, they're pretty brave. They have probably the most courage out of most animals in the animal kingdom.

Spencer Hall explains the facts of the matter and their ramifications: Texas A&M won Super Bowl 50.

And we're still pretty entertained by this Longhorn Network tweet sent during the Super Bowl.

Also, Texas' DC is extremely bad at using Internet search engines.

Now say something nice about Texas. I like Charlie Strong a lot and hope he wins enough to stay!

And something mean about A&M. No. Won't.

I thought Coldplay was bad until Joey Bosa declared Coldplay to be good, and now I think Coldplay is good.

A USC linebacker and a Stanford quarterback who are training for the NFL together made a Super Bowl bet. So now Su'a Cravens has to get a Fathead of Kevin Hogan scoring on the Trojans.

"A 6'9, 410-pounder scored the biggest touchdown of all time for Team USA vs. Canada." And technically, he's a recruit!