I had a few funny ideas for articles to write this weekend. I might still do something but truthfully, I ate a bad burrito last night and don't have much energy to do anything. I already filled my obligation at FakeTeams this morning (check it out! It's got a holiday twist from a familiar poem!) and while doing that I couldn't stop thinking about the NFL draft.

What with everything that happened yesterday, I just want to talk about the NFL draft.

What happened yesterday?

Well, you know that Matt Barkley decided not to enter the draft and return to school because while you can sleep with college girls no matter how old you are, it's only cool if you're still in college. Barkley will now get one more year of that. Oh, and the Trojans are probably going to be ranked in the top 5 pre-season, he'll be the number one Heisman candidate, blah blah blah.

Trust me as a person who lives in Southern California, it's all about the "Girls, Girls, Girls" like Motley Crue said.

So that was one major development that happened. Something that rocked the foundation of those NFL teams that need a franchise quarterback like the Seahawks do. Last year, 5 or 6 teams may have solidified themselves at the position enough through the draft to take them out of the running for drafting a QB high this year. So, this was a good year to strike if you're the Dolphins or Seahawks.

I mean, just look at how many teams at the top of the draft DON'T need a QB. That never happens. Last year there were so many talents that it was probably smart for Seattle to wait it out another year when there weren't so many teams looking for a QBOTF. 2012 was a good year for that, but we don't know that 2013 will be.

So, the Barkley news was not really good for the Seahawks in any way. Maybe there is some development where it seems feasible that Barkley could be a Seahawk in 2013, but that's too far down to even predict. Hey, maybe we are lucky and Seattle actually does really suck next year!

What else happened yesterday?

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Field Gulls' Scott Enyeart provides us with a video of Matt Barkley's announcement, complete with a USC marching band flourish at the end. Give it a watch.

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Updating a story from earlier this morning: Matt Barkley has announced that he's returning to USC and will not enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

As many of you already know, USC QB Matt Barkley has called a press conference for today at 1pm to announce whether he'll be entering the NFL Draft or staying in school for another year, with a likely shot at a bowl game and possibly even a National Title with the Trojans. As Rob Staton pointed out, Barkley received a less than favorable evaluation from the Draft committee, even if he was told he'd be a first round pick. He has until 1/15 to officially decide, so the timing of his announcement today could lead us to b

And what this tells us is that "who the hell knows what he'll decide."

Obviously, this decision has some repercussions for the Seahawks; if he declares there's always the outside chance the Seahawks will trade up into the top five and select Pete Carroll's former recruit, and if he stays, well then it pushes other candidates further into the top of the Draft most likely, and makes it more difficult for the Seahawks to find their guy in round one, sitting where they'll likely be sitting.

As we saw this week, as the current Draft order goes, the Colts would be picking first and almost surely taking Andrew Luck. Past that, the Vikings would pick at #2, the Rams #3, Jaguars #4, Browns #5, Buccaneers #6. Rouding out the top ten would be the Redskins, Panthers, Dolphins, and Bills. This pecking order, you have to believe, is at the front of Barkley's mind as he's mulled the decision as is the fact that his blind-side protector Matt Khalil has already declared his intentions to enter the NFL. Regardless, in a few short hours we'll find out what he's going to do.

Our own Scott Enyeart will be at the announcement presser covering the decision, so give him a follow on twitter to stay up on the action and aftermath live. Stay tuned...

Yes, indeed there ARE College Football games on today! Read about them below, then talk about them! It's fun!

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Consider these statistics (all DVOA).

Versus opposing number one WRs, Seattle ranks 6th (-8.7%). Versus opposing number two WRs, Seattle ranks 6th (-19.8%). Versus other opposing WRs, Seattle ranks 10th (-17.4%). Versus opposing TEs, Seattle ranks 16th (+10.0%). Versus opposing RBs (passing), Seattle ranks 32nd (34.9%).

First of all, this is indicative of a linebacker issue. Second of all, generally the worse a QB gets, the more he is going to rely on TEs and RBs in check-down looks. So following this thinking, it appears that Seattle would actually struggle more against worse QBs. One could argue that having faced a line of poor QBs has inflated the Seahawks' numbers against better WRs. I don't really have an answer for this, other than the eye test seems to say otherwise.

This is obviously a little bit tongue-in-cheek. A team isn't usually going to win a football game by always checking down to their tight end and running backs -- though the Seahawks might be the team to try it against. However, my initial point rings clear: the Seahawks have a bit of a linebacker issue.

Part of this could be related to the fact that they gave Aaron Curry five games' worth of snaps, plus K.J. Wright's rookie learning curve. Hawthorne and Hill are both solid to above-average starting linebackers, but they both provide most value stopping the run. Clemons is a terrific pass-rusher, and is at least average against the run, especially for a rush 'backer.

However, once you get these guys in space against a shifty lil' running back, or put them up in coverage against a tight end, weaknesses shine through. I think K.J. will turn into a solid (dare I say excellent?) linebacker, both in run support and in coverage. His length is an asset in coverage, even if he lacked instincts. But I think he has the instincts that, coupled with his athleticism and some veteran savvy, will turn him into a great all-around linebacker.

But the Seahawks' need depth. Hawthorne has had some injury concerns, though nothing too serious. Hill has been supremely reliable when he's actually been on the field, but he is nigh unto 30 (though without quite as much mileage as you might think). Clemons is the Rip Van Winkle of the corps, with far less mileage than most 31-year-old starting NFL linebackers. But he is still 31.

And behind the four starters, depth is questionable. Heath Farwell is a special teams stud, but shouldn't spend much time on the field otherwise. Matt McCoy and David Vobora are decent veterans, but not core starter types. Malcolm Smith, Mike Morgan, and Adrian Moten provide a trio of intrigue, but there's a reason they were drafted in the 7th round or later.

So what do I propose?

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There's not a whole lot of FBS College Football today, but there are still small school games, the Army-Navy matchup, and the Heisman Trophy Gala. Talk about it here!

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There's only one game today, but Saturdays are Saturdays and Saturdays mean College Football.

2012 NFL Draft: Alabama shutdown corner Kirkpatrick could jump into top 10 - NFL - Sporting News
In a year where there are no clear-cut elite senior cornerbacks, Alabama junior Dre Kirkpatrick is viewed as a premier junior corner with a chance to be a top 10 pick if he enters the draft.

2012 NFL Draft: Montee Ball moves into first-round consideration - NFL - Sporting News
Below are four players whose stock changed in conference championship games and the final week of college football regular-season competition.

The Big Picture: Program-changer Griffin my Heisman pick - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com
In the first week of December, there is no player in the country who seems more deserving of the title Most Outstanding Player than a Baylor Bear, Robert Griffin III. The world-class hurdler bolted out of the gate with a spectacular performance in the opening week of the season, carving up an TCU defense that, when we last saw Gary Patterson's team, was winning the Rose Bowl. The Horned Frogs were the stingiest defense in the country in 2010. RG3 lit them up for 50. And he didn't slow down much, if at all, from there.

Scouts keeping close eye on stellar group of under-the-radar players - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
Here are the top 10 underrated prospects scouts believe could wind up as top 100 picks in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Week 14 Rewind: Weeden, Boykin, Keenum leave questions - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
Each week, we rewind the game film to highlight the star-worthy performances that could impact the 2012 draft rankings:

Big Board: Don't doubt Luck as No. 1; Jenkins steps up - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
Scouts want to see consistency throughout the regular season, but strong performances during the postseason can push prospects up the board quickly and even spring board into the all-star game and workout circuit to further elevate a player's draft status.

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Some good games today - who you watching and scouting? CHAT IT UP!