The Pac-10 showed its traditional muscle with 32 players drafted. How does this stack up with other power conferences? The Big 12 and Big Ten had 28 players picked but the talent-rich SEC listed 37 players drafted.

Remember that when the Cougars play Florida State in Provo. The Seminoles had one player drafted, Everette Brown, a defensive end who went in Round 2 at No. 43 overall.

Of note, Florida had three players drafted, which means the 2009 score stands: Kyle Whittingham 4, Urban Meyer 3.

What about the non-BCS folks? The MWC can brag it got 16 compared to the WAC's 10. But the WAC had a player taken higher than the MWC's top pick, Kruger at No. 57 to the Ravens when Hawaii's David Veikune went No. 52 to the Browns.

What's it all mean? The MWC says good-bye to some pretty tough guys. Collie will be missed in Provo and Utah will surely miss Kruger while Smith was simply the best cover corner in the league. TCU takes a big hit losing all that talent that really came on last year even if the Frogmen didn't get rings.

The MWC will be a young league with rookie coaches at New Mexico, Wyoming and San Diego State but there are enough veterans returning like quarterbacks Max Hall (BYU) and Omar Clayton (UNLV) that we'll find plenty of fireworks in 2009.

e-mail: dharmon@desnews.com