Posted by Tom Fornelli

It's one of the college football world's worst-kept secrets of the last few weeks, as it was hinted at yesterday -- and Arizona actually had Jeff Casteel's bio on its website on Tuesday -- but the news became official on Wednesday evening. West Virginia's defensive coordinator, Jeff Casteel, has left the program to reunite with Rich Rodriguez in Arizona.

“I have enjoyed my time at West Virginia University, and it’s been 11 great years," said Casteel in a release. "I have coached some outstanding young men, and I would like to thank them for their hard work and dedication. I want to thank the coaches and staff members I have been associated with during my time at WVU for their work and support. The fans also have been great, and I want to thank them as well."

Casteel was on Rodriguez's West Virginia staff from 2001 to 2007, taking over as defensive coordinator in 2002. 

Casteel is not alone either, as West Virginia's also losing two other coaches from its defensive staff to Arizona in cornerbacks coach Dave Lockwood and defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich. Which means that Rodriguez's defensive staff at Arizona is complete and that while Dana Holgorsen's offense seemed to finally figure things out in the Orange Bowl, he'll now have to start over on the defensive side of the ball. 

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J. Darin Darst

Another season gone and another SEC team has been declared BCS Champions.

And after 35 bowl games, it's time to look back and remember some of the great individual performances of the past month. Here are the best in this year's All-Bowl Team:

QB: Geno Smith, West Virginia (Orange): The junior had quite a homecoming in South Florida, setting three Orange Bowl records. He threw for a record 407 yards and accounted for seven total touchdowns (six passing, one rushing) in the Mountaineers' 70-33 thrashing of Clemson. Smith finished 32 of 43 passing, while also rushing for 26 yards on five carries.

RB: Terrance Ganaway, Baylor (Alamo): All the attention was on Robert Griffin, but the senior had quite a game. He rushed for 200 yards on 21 carries and scored five touchdowns -- all in the second half. He scored on runs of 89, 1, 1, 4 and 43 yards.

RB: Stepfan Taylor, Stanford (Fiesta): Another running back in the shadow of his quarterback, Taylor had a strong performance in the loss to Oklahoma State. In his best game of the season, the junior ran for 177 yards on 35 carries, while scoring two touchdowns (1 and 4 yards).

WR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia (Orange): Not to be overshadowed by teammate Smith, the junior receiver had his own amazing Orange Bowl. He set a bowl record with 280 all-purpose yards, including 117 receiving yards on 11 catches. He also recorded four receiving touchdowns. Austin, who was a member of the CBSSports.com All-America Team as an all-purpose player, also finished with a 23.4-yard average on five kickoff returns.

WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State (Fiesta): The junior playing in his final college game, went out with a bang. He had eight catches for 186 yards (23.3-yard average) and scored three touchdowns. Blackmon was a huge part of the Cowboys offense, scoring on catches of 43, 67 and 17 yards.

WR: Patrick Edwards, Houston (TicketCity): In an era of huge offenses, it's only fitting to have three receivers on this year's All-Bowl Team. The senior had one of his best games of the season, catching 10 passes for 228 yards with two touchdowns in the victory over Penn State. Edwards scored on passes of 40 and 75 yards.

TE: Ladarius Green, La.-Lafayette (New Orleans): The senior has had quite a career at Louisiana-Lafayette, but before bolting off to the NFL, Green helped the Rajin Cajuns win their first bowl game. He had five catches for 121 yards and scored on a 20-yard reception.

Offensive Line: Nate Potter (LT), Joe Kellogg (LG), Cory Yriarte (C), Chuck Hayes (RG), Charles Leno (RT), Boise State (Maaco): The offensive line not only blocked for Doug Martin, who ended up with 151 yards rushing, but didn't allow a sack in Kellen Moore's final game of his college career. Potter, Yriarte and Hayes go out with Moore as one of the most successful senior classes in history.

DL: Whitney Mercilus, Illinois (Fight Hunger): In his final college game, the junior recorded five tackles, including three for a loss and 1.5 sacks against UCLA. The Bruins were held to 18 yards rushing and Mercilus was a big reason for that.

DL: Cordarro Law, Southern Miss (Hawaii): The defensive MVP of the Hawaii Bowl led the Golden Eagles with seven tackles, 4.5 for a loss and recorded two sacks.

DL: Mike Martin, Michigan (Sugar): The senior had a strong performance, recording 10 tackles and 0.5 sacks in Michigan's victory over Virginia Tech. The defensive end helped limit the Hokies to just one touchdown.

DL: William Gholston, Michigan State (Outback): The sophomore had a great game against Georgia, recording seven solo tackles, including five for a loss, with two sacks and a fumble recovery.

LB: Kiko Alonso, Oregon (Rose): The junior recorded five tackles, including 2.5 for a loss with 1.5 sacks. But his biggest play of the game was when he intercepted Russell Wilson late in the third quarter, which set up Oregon's go-ahead touchdown. Alonso earned defensive MVP honors from the Rose Bowl for his outstanding play.

LB: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama (BCS championship): The defensive MVP of the BCS Championship game, Upshaw was the leader for the Crimson Tide, allowing LSU to cross the 50-yard line only once. Upshaw finished with seven tackles, including six solo with one sack.

LB: Khaseem Greene, Rutgers (Pinstripe): He led the Scarlet Knights defense with 13 tackles, including seven solo, to go along with three tackles for a loss and a forced fumble in the victory over Iowa State.

DB: David Amerson, N.C. State (Belk): The sophomore added two more interceptions to his total, giving him an ACC record 13 for the season. Amerson also returned one for a 65-yard touchdown and recorded five tackles in the victory over Louisville.

DB: Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt (Liberty): One of the best defensive backs in the SEC went out in style, recorded eight tackles with two interceptions while being named defensive MVP for the game.

DB: Dexter McCoil, Tulsa (Armed Forces): The junior had one of his best career games, recording 10 tackles and two interceptions against BYU. McCoil actually intercepted a third pass from quarterback Riley Nelson, but it was nullified after a Tulsa penalty.

DB: Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama (BCS championship): The leader of the Alabama secondary recorded four tackles, including two for a loss, while shutting down LSU's Rueben Randle in the BCS championship game.

P: Paul Hershey, Ohio (Idaho Potato): The senior had six punts for 300 yards (50.0-yard average), including three inside the 20 (two inside the 10). With 4:23 remaining and Ohio down by a touchdown, Hershey nailed a 49-yarder down to the Utah State 7. That punt allowed Ohio to play the field position game, getting the ball back at their own 39 and scoring the game-winning score with seven seconds remaining.

K: Jeremy Shelley, Alabama (BCS championship): Shelley had quite a redemption game against LSU the second time around. The junior hit five field goals -- 23, 34, 41, 35 and 44 yards in the championship game to help Alabama build a 15-0 lead.

KR: Eric Page, Toledo (Military): One of the best kick return man in the nation, Page returned four kick returns for 153 yards (38.25 avg), including a 87-yard touchdown in the victory over Air Force.

PR: Joe Adams, Arkansas (Cotton): Adams did it again, returning his fourth punt this season for a touchdown, breaking a 51-yarder in the victory over Kansas State.

All-Purpose: De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon (Rose): The freshman had quite a game against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. He rushed for 155 yards on two carries, scoring both times. One of those runs was a 91-yard burst. Thomas also had 125 yards on four kickoff returns, to go along with 34 yards receiving on four catches.

Posted by Chip Patterson

Since Rich Rodriguez was hired as the next head coach at Arizona, is has been widely speculated there would be some familiar faces joining him on the Wildcats' coaching staff. According to a report from the Tuscon Citizen, Rodriguez will announce West Virginia's Jeff Casteel as his defensive coordinator on Wednesday.

Rodriguez indicated in his introductory press conference that he would reach out to former colleagues to join him at Arizona, but did not know if they would be interested in leaving their current posts. Casteel was on Rodriguez's staff at West Virginia from 2001 to 2007, serving as defensive coordinator for the Mountaineers since 2002.

Casteel has reportedly been Rodriguez's top target since his hiring in late November. The defensive coordinator is a West Virginia-native, and his 3-3-5 scheme was a pivotal part of the Mountaineers' three BCS bowl wins since 2005.

Following West Virginia's record-breaking 70-33 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Casteel dodged the questions regarding a potential reunion with Rodriguez in Tuscon.

"You know what I think, the kids have worked hard, they just won 10 games," Casteel said from the Sun Life Stadium locker room. "To put the emphasis on the speculation - I'd rather just focus on what I think the kids deserve and that's what the focus should be on."

Popular belief among the West Virginia media following the conclusion of the game was that Casteel was out, and it was just a matter of time before the announcement was official. CBSSports.com's Patrick Southern suggests that cornerbacks coach Dave Lockwood and defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich may follow Casteel, filling the last two defensive holes in Rodriguez's Arizona staff.

UPDATE: While the school hasn't issued an official release, we're guessing that by having Jeff Casteel on the school's website, it's now about as official as official can get.

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Posted by Bryan Fischer

A few stats of note and records from Alabama's 21-0 win over LSU to capture the BCS National Championship.

- First shutout in BCS title game history.

- Alabama had 384 total yards to LSU's 92.

- LSU crossed the 50 yard line just once, late in the 4th quarter.

- Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr.'s opening kick return vs. Florida gained more yards and points than LSU did this entire game.

- It wasn't until A.J. McCarron's 13 yard scramble with 6:10 left in the 4th quarter that Alabama, as a team, passed Auburn quarterback Cam Newton's total yardage from last year's championship game. The Crimson Tide finished the game with just 55 yards more than Newton had last year and just 27 more than what Oregon's Darron Thomas had in 2011.

- LSU still wound up gaining 10 more yards than Ohio State did against Florida in 2007.

More on BCS Championship

Related links

Recap: No. 2 Alabama blanks No. 1 LSU 21-0 Jacobi: Crimson Tide's defense strong in win Hinnen: Shelley finds redemption Past FBS champions | BCS history LSU: Postgame RapidReports | Blog Alabama: Postgame RapidReports | Blog More bowls: Expert Picks | Full bowl results McMurphy: Alabama is No. 1 in AP ballot BCS Championship game in tweets Rankings: AP | Coaches | BCS NFL Draft: Prospect Rankings | Mock Drafts More SEC coverage with Jerry Hinnen

- Jordan Jefferson's 29 yards passing was the fewest in the BCS National Championship game and second fewest out of all BCS games played.

- This was the first ever shutout in a BCS game, the previous fewest points scored was Florida State's two versus Oklahoma in 2001.

- Georgia Southern gained more yards against Alabama in one game (341) than LSU did in two (331).

- Every recruiting class Nick Saban has had since coming to LSU in 2000 has experienced a national championship.

- LSU will have beaten the Pac-12 and Big East champions as well as the National Champions during the regular season.

- The Tigers will drop to 4-1 in BCS bowls. West Virginia will take over top spot for wins without a loss at 3-0 after their Orange Bowl victory.

- Marquis Maze's 49 yard punt return is the longest against LSU since Javier Arenas' 61yd TD return on Nov. 3, 2007. On Maze's punt return alone, LSU allowed eight times the number of yards they've given up total all season on punt returns.

- The SEC is now 8-1 in the championship game, with the lone loss coming to... the SEC.

- Alabama's defense finished the season by allowing just 106 points. They only gave up nine touchdowns all year, three on the ground and six through the air.

- 2001 Miami allowed 103 points and 2000 TCU allowed 106 in 11 games. Alabama allowed 106 with one extra game and finished the season giving up just 7.57 points per game.

Posted by Chip Patterson

On Monday, the Football Writers Association of America released the 2011 Freshman All-America Team. The group, selected by an 11-person panel of FWAA writers, is made up of the best true freshman and redshirt freshman from the 2011 FBS season.

The panel also names a first-year coach to the FWAA Freshman All-America team. This year's selection was West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen.

USC and Kansas State were the only schools to have two players named to the team, while the SEC and Pac-12 led the way in terms of conferences with five players apiece. Several players from the list below were also named to CBSSports.com's Freshman All-America team, though there are some noticeable differences in the two lists.

Let us know what you think about the group in the comment section below, hit us up on Twitter, or drop a line at the Eye On College Football Facebook page.

OFFENSE
QB - Sean Mannion, Oregon State
RB - Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
RB - Lyle McCombs, Connecticut
WR - Matt Miller, Boise State
WR - Marquise Lee, USC
WR - Sammy Watkins, Clemson
AP - De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon
OL - Reese Dismukes, Auburn
OL - B.J. Finney, Kansas State
OL - Chaz Green, Florida
OL - Kaleb Johnson, Rutgers
OL - Jake Smith, Louisville

DEFENSE
DL - Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
DL - Timmy Jernigan, Florida State
DL - Aaron Lynch, Notre Dame
DL - Marcus Rush, Michigan State
LB - Dion Bailey, USC
LB - A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
LB - Jeremy Grove, East Carolina
DB - Blair Burns, Wyoming
DB - Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern
DB - Quandre Diggs, Texas
DB - Merrill Noel, Wake Forest
DB - Eric Rowe, Utah

SPECIALISTS
P - Brad Wing, LSU
K - Michael Hunnicutt, Oklahoma
PR - Scott Harding, Hawaii
KR - Tyler Lockett, Kansas State

COACH
Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia

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Posted by Jerry Hinnen

The first inevitable sign that a new regime has taken over at UCLA has arrived: roster turnover.

The Bruins announced Monday that three players have departed the program: redshirt sophomore defensive end Wesley Flowers, freshman tight end Raymond Nelson, and junior defensive back Randall Carroll. 

“At UCLA, we have a high set of standards that we expect every student-athlete to adhere to. Unfortunately, these three gentlemen choose not to do so,” new Bruin head coach Jim L. Mora said. 

Flowers and Nelson were dismissed from the program for a violation of team rules, while Carroll "failed to meet UCLA’s academic requirements" and is no longer enrolled at the school. 

Where their on-field impact is concerned, Carroll might be the biggest loss; the one-time star recruit (who Rick Neuheisel once lured away from USC to acclaim) still only collected two tackles this season, one fewer than the ostensible corner earned in receptions as a receiver. Flowers struggled to find the field after several injuries, and though Nelson saw action in eight games as a true freshman, he did not record a reception.

The bigger takeaway is that Mora -- like most coaches tasked with overhauling a stagnant program -- is wasting no time making over the Bruins in his preferred image. Mora has already declared an end to the Bruins' "over the wall" tradition and hired a former NFL player of his, Seattle Seahawks special teams coach Jeff Ulbrich, as the Bruins' new linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. The Bruins only narrowly missed on hiring longtime San Diego Chargers assistant John Pagano as their new defensive coordinator; he was promoted to the same position with the Chargers instead.

Mora's choice at offensive coordinator was more conservative (grabbing Noel Mazzone after his dismissal at Arizona State), but nonetheless, Mora has clearly begun putting his stamp on the program. But dismissing a handful of rule-breaking players and hiring position coaches are one thing--salvaging what had looked like another lackluster recruiting class will speak even more loudly, and it looks like Mora's well on his way to accomplishing that, as well. 

It's still early to say anything's truly changed for the better in Westwood -- if Eye on CFB had existed when Neuheisel was hired, you might have been reading this same post four years ago -- but after developments like the dismissals and NFL-centric hiring approach, it's safe to say things have at least changed.

Want more Bruins football? Follow our CBSSports.com UCLA RapidReports, written by Sean Ceglinsky. 

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

Last winter Notre Dame and USC were locked in a recruiting battle for running back Amir Carlisle. As has been the case on the field for most of the last decade, it was a fight that USC won, as the four-star running back and one of the top high school prospects in the state of California wound up choosing to attend USC.

That's no longer the case. The South Bend Tribune reported on Saturday that Carlisle was transferring from USC to Notre Dame for family reasons. Those reasons being that while Carlisle's father, Duane Carlisle, used to work for the San Francisco 49ers, but recently took a job at Purdue. So in order to be closer to his family Carlisle has decided to leave USC for South Bend.

“It was our intention to stay (in California), but circumstances changed,” Duane Carlisle told the South Bend Tribune. “We’re a close-knit family.

“This definitely was a family decision. It wasn’t just an Amir decision. We felt as though Notre Dame would be the best fit for him for the next four years.”

Carlisle saw limited time during his freshman season with the Trojans, carrying the ball only 19 times and picking up 118 yards. He also caught 7 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. Though in the one game Carlisle saw a lot of time against Colorado, he put up some impressive numbers that helped show why he was so highly-touted coming out of high school. Against the Buffaloes Carlisle had 10 carries for 90 yards while catching 2 passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Due to the transfer Carlisle will have to sit out the 2012 season, but he will have three years of eligibility remaining once the 2013 season begins.

Posted by Tom Fornelli

New Arizona State head coach Todd Graham has received an unexpected and unwelcome surprise. After originally indicating that he was likely to return to Arizona State for his senior season, quarterback Brock Osweiler -- who is 6'8 by the way -- will declare himself eligible for this spring's NFL Draft.

As for why Osweiler had such a change of heart, there's some speculation that it has to do with offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone leaving the program. Osweiler was visibly upset about the departure of Mazzone when discussing Mazzone's influence on him after Arizona State's loss to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

It seems that Osweiler now thinks that he's better off giving the NFL a chance rather than having to learn a new system under Todd Graham in his senior year.

Osweiler's departure is a big blow to the Sun Devils offense. He became the first quarterback in school history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season in 2011, finishing the year with 4,036 yards and 26 touchdowns. More importantly than his production, there's not exactly a lot of experience behind Osweiler on the Arizona State depth chart. Freshmen Mike Bercovici and Taylor Kelly are listed behind Osweiler on the Arizona State depth chart, and the duo threw a grand total of 7 passes for the Sun Devils this season.

There's no doubt that Todd Graham would have preferred to go into his first season at Arizona State with Osweiler manning the helm as both Kelly and Bercovici spent a season on the sideline learning the offense.

Check out where Osweiler, and all the 2012 draft prospects rank on the CBSSports.com draft board, and follow all the news on early entrants here. 

Keep up with the latest college football news from around the country. From the regular season all the way through the bowl games, CBSSports.com has you covered with this daily newsletter. View a preview. Like us? Tell our Facebook page.