Character Development: Questions for Creating Character Facts and Personalities

An author who wants to create a realistic character needs to know everything possible about that character, not only to keep the facts straight, but also to understand that character's motivations. While critics often differentiate between a plot-driven and a character-driven story, a writer who does his or her work well will find that the character's motivations will drive the plot, and understanding the character's past is the key to understanding his or her motivations for the present and the future. Asking the character a series of questions not only helps to create a realistic character, but often the oddest or seemingly most random questions will result in new information about the character that can help a writer to overcome writer's block.

Creating a character questionnaire for each major character can lead to richer fiction and greater focus. Following are some sample questions to ask your character. Envision the character sitting in the room with you and telling you about him- or herself. Then fill in the answers to the questions as they are provided. Depending on your character, you might find many other questions to ask that will provide you with an additional understanding of the character and more material for your story.

Super Bowl 2012

FACTS:

1. What is your full name?
2. How did your parents decide on your name?
3. How tall are you?
4. What color is your hair?
5. What color are your eyes?
6. How much do you weigh?
7. What is your birthday (month, date, and year)? (Note: It's important to pinpoint this date so you can figure out details about the character's past and how old he or she would have been during certain events. It might be a good idea to create a character timeline.)
8. What is your father's name?
9. What is your mother's name?
10. What are your grandparents' names?
11. Do you have any siblings? What are their names, birthdates, and birth order?
12. Where were you born?
13. Where were your parents born?
14. Where were your grandparents' born?
15. Where do you live now?
16. Do you have any medical problems, diseases, injuries?
17. Do you have any distinguishing marks on your body (a mole, a birthmark, a missing finger, a tattoo, etc.)?
18. What religion are you, and why?
19. What is your annual income?
20. How much money do you have saved?
21. What kind of house/apartment do you live in?
22. What kind of car do you own?
23. Do you have any pets?
24. When will you be able to retire?
25. Are you married? If so, what is your spouse's name?

(Note: You can make a new character sheet for the spouse if the person is significant and ask that character all of these questions as well. Depending on the main characters in your story, you might also do the same for the parents, grandparents, siblings, children, etc. It might be interesting to ask your characters to describe a specific event that happened to the family to see how they might all describe and respond to it differently).

HISTORY:

1. Where did you go to school?
2. How many times have you moved in your life?
3. When did you move to where you live now?
4. Did you attend college, trade school, etc. and where?
5. What did you study in school?
6. When you were a child, what did you dream of being when you grew up?
7. What jobs have you held and what years? (What does your resume look like?)
8. What is the first historical event you remember? (The Great Depression, Kennedy's assassination, the moon landing, September 11^th)?
9. How did you feel/react to (Princess Diana's death, Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, the Columbine shooting, Michael Jackson's death, the O.J. Simpson Trial, Betty White's 90^th birthday, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, The Super Bowl in 1989, 2004, 2012, etc.)?
10. Who did you vote for in the (1960, 1972, 1980, 1992, 2008) presidential election?
11. What places have you visited on vacation?
12. Have you visited any interesting places for work?
13. Who was your best friend as a child?
14. Who was your best friend in high school?
15. Who was your best friend in college?
16. Who is your best friend now?
17. Who are all of the people whom you have dated?
18. Why did your relationship with each person you dated not work out?
19. What is the worst thing that ever happened to you?
20. What is the best thing that ever happened to you?
21. Who was your fourth grade teacher and what influence did he/she have on you?
22. Who did you take to the prom in high school?
23. What groups, organizations did you belong to in high school, or what sports did you play?
24. How did you meet your current significant other?
25. Who important to you has died in your life and how did you cope with their deaths?

PERSONALITY:

1. What is your favorite color?
2. What is your favorite place to vacation and why?
3. What is your favorite book?
4. Who is your favorite actor?
5. Who is an actor you can't stand?
6. What is your favorite movie?
7. Which movies do you absolutely hate?
8. What is your favorite TV show?
9. What is your favorite food(s)?
10. What is your favorite restaurant?
11. What most annoys you about (your mom, dad, brother, sister, wife, son, daughter, best friend, boss, co-worker)?
12. How often do you exercise? What are your exercise goals?
13. Which of your buttons does your mother (sister, brother, son, wife, girlfriend, etc.) like to push that sets you off?
14. Do you believe it's okay to tell a lie and under what circumstances?
15. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
16. What things might you be asked to do that you hate doing but do anyway (attend birthday parties, weddings, do chores for your elderly aunt, etc.)?
17. Have you ever been arrested and why?
18. Who would you lay down your life for?
19. Who would you really like to tell off?
20. What are your spending habits?
21. Do you enjoy hot weather, or do you prefer colder temperatures?
22. What kind of relationship do you have with God?
23. If you could describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say?
24. If your (best friend, wife, daughter, boss, neighbor etc.) were to describe you in one sentence, what do you think he/she would say?
25. What do you think is the meaning of life?

Hopefully, those are enough questions to get you a start in developing your character. Some of them may be irrelevant, but I suspect a lot of them will trigger more ideas and questions for you to ask.

It's important to spend some time getting to know your character. Hang out with him or her. Envision the person riding in the car with you, spending time with you, going to dinner with you. After all, you might be spending the next several months or years writing about this person, so you want to get to know him or her as well as you can. I find that asking questions and letting the characters answer in their own voices can take a story to new and exciting places and make both the characters and the plot richer as a result. Don't be shy. Ask your characters these probing questions and you'll discover enough about them to fill many books.

Character Development: Questions for Creating Character Facts and Personalities

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

2012 Michigan State Spartans Football Predictions

Michigan has been a powerhouse these past two seasons. It earned a share of the Big Ten title in 2010 finishing the year at 11-2, and won the Legends division last year, finishing 11-3.

Michigan State's success has them among elite company, as are one of just seven BCS schools to have won at least 11 games over the past two seasons. The string of 11-win seasons could very well come to an end in 2012 as they must replace a plethora of offensive stars.

Nfl 2012

Offense

Without a doubt, the loss of quarterback Kirk Cousins will sting as the Spartans will miss his play and leadership abilities. He led Michigan State to rank second in the Big Ten in passing offense last season.

Junior Andrew Maxwell is expected to take over under center, but he won't have the same proven playmakers to throw to that Cousins had last season. Wide receivers B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin and running back Edwin Baker have all moved on the NFL.

Junior running back Le'Veon Bell is the team's top returning receiver. He hauled in 35 passes for 267 yards last year. He also rushed for 948 yards and 13 scores.

Bell has the opportunity to really show his skill this season with four returning starters on the offensive line. However, Maxwell will need to be able to stretch the field in order to keep defenses from loading the box in an attempt to slow down Bell.

Defense

The Spartans are so good defensively that they will have an opportunity to contend for a second-straight Legends division title.

Michigan State welcomes back eight starters from a unit that led the Big Ten in total defense, run defense, sacks and interceptions.

The defense is led by menacing end William Gholston, who plays the run as well as the pass and imposes his will against opposing offenses.

The Spartans are stacked at linebacker with anchors Denicos Allen and Max Bullough. Allen is the team's primary line of defense against the quarterback, having recorded 11 sacks in 2011. Bullogh is the team's top returning tackler, having recorded 89 stops last year.

The secondary looks to be strong as well with corners Johnny Adams and Darqueze Dennard and safety Isaiah Lewis showing potential this spring. Lewis is a big time hitter who also picked off four passes a year ago.

Big Ten Legends Prediction: 3rd Place

The defense will carry this team once again as their offense takes a considerable hit heading into 2012. With their suspect offense, it just seems unlikely for them to get another Legends title. They get a difficult stretch in the new season which will make or break their bid to repeat as division champs as they face Michigan and Wisconsin on the road. They'll also face a Nebraska team at home that defeated them 24-3 last year.

2012 Michigan State Spartans Football Predictions

Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.

Youth Football Is Under Attack, How to Defend Our Game

Defending Our Game

If you haven't been camping out under a rock for the last few months, you know our game is under attack. The game we love and devote so much time to in order that our sons and players can gain the life lessons most of us learned from the game, is being viciously assaulted on many fronts. Some are calling for an out right ban on youth football due to the concussion issue or not allowing kids to play until age 13. One of the major problems in today's society is that perception is reality and that perception is shaped by those who are yelling the loudest and the most often.

Nfl 2012

In all fairness, there are football people who did offer up some kindling to get this firestorm started. The NFL and it's "Bountygate" scandal didn't do the game any favors. While the youth game isn't the NFL, many soccer moms think that youth football is a microcosm of the NFL and what happens in little Johnny's league is just a mini version of what happens in the NFL. We also had some youth coaches who didn't understand how to teach safe blocking and tackling or how to recognize concussions. While those coaches are rare today, their legacy lives on. And like it or not, soccer moms make a lot of decisions on whether little Johnny is allowed to play youth football or not.

As most of you are well aware, Bountygate is the least of our worries. The concussion issue is what is dominating the airwaves these days. Concussion diagnosis and prevention has been a point of emphasis for the last 2-3 years. More fuel to that fire was added when Hall of Fame player Junior Seau died of an apparent suicide last week. Speculation was that his depression and subsequent suicide was caused by concussion issues. The Seau suicide was a tragedy, by all accounts Junior was a solid citizen. However there is no evidence that concussions played a role in his death or even that suicide rates are higher among NFL players than the general population. It should be noted that Samoans have one of, if not the highest suicide rate in the world and the US has a very high suicide rate compared to other developed nations.

Another interesting scientifically verified statistic is that former NFL players live much longer than the general population. Did you have any idea that was a verified truth? Many would have you believe that all these former NFL players break down and die prematurely in their 50's. Well that isn't the case at all, they are OUTLIVING the general population. A study was commissioned by the players union to study this very topic.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh), began it's data collection in 1990 and released its findings in January, 2012. They studied 3,439 players who were in the N.F.L. for five seasons or more. They found a lower death rate among former N.F.L. players than among men in the general population - the institute had expected to find that 625 members of the group it studied would be dead based on estimates from the general population, but instead found that 334 of the retired players had died. Yes, those alive were almost DOUBLE the number compared to the general population. These numbers are amazing considering the number of 300 lb plus players and African-American players who are in the NFL, since these groups typically have much higher early mortality rates than the general population. So the next time someone spouts off that National Enquirer like "stat" that NFL players are all dying prematurely in their 50's, please set them straight with the facts.

When it comes to youth football, again it's an entirely different game. We don't have 300 lb players who can run 4.8 40 yard dashes and who can bench press 225 lbs 35 times. Statistics say that 70% of youth players won't play High School football, let alone be part of the 2-3% that go on to play College Football or be one of the 1 in 20,000- 30,000 to go on to play in the NFL. The NFL is the cream of the cream of the cream of the crop, genetic freaks who have honed their bodies into athletic machines capable of inflicting significant hits to one another. But the NFL players abilities have very little correlation to what the average 10 year old can do with his body and in turn to other players.

Mayo Clinic Study

In fact the Mayo Clinic did a study of 913 youth football players on 42 different teams age 9-13. Back in 1997 they found that "most injuries that occurred were mild and that youth football injuries were uncommon." According to Mayo Clinic spokesman Michael J. Stuart M.D the findings showed that "the risk of injury in youth football does not appear greater than the risk associated with other recreational or competitive sports." Most of the injuries were mild and the most common type was a contusion, which occurred in 33 players. Four injuries (fractures involving the ankle growth plate) were such that they prevented players from No player required hospitalization or surgery. Again scientific fact flies in the face of those who would want you to believe that you are somehow an irresponsible Neanderthal parent if you want your son to play youth football.

Most of us coach youth football because the game did something for us and we want to pass that same thing onto others. We want kids to experience being part of a team, teamwork, perseverance, selflessness, goal setting, commitment, hard work, making friends, being coachable, delayed gratification, humility, grace, overcoming obstacles, competition, having fun and much more. There are people out there who for whatever reason either don't understand what youth football is about, had a bad experience from a "bad apple" program or coach or simply oppose kids learning and embracing some of those traditional character traits listed above. Don't let the haters and naysayers dominate the "debate." Know the facts and Share the data so people can make legitimate and honest decisions about their child's involvement in youth football. An additional footnote, I've coached youth football for over 25 years and not a single one of my players have ever been diagnosed with a concussion from anything they did on the football field.

Youth Football Is Under Attack, How to Defend Our Game

Dave Cisar-
Dave is a Nike "Coach of the Year" Designate and speaks nationwide at Coaches Clinics. His book "Winning Youth Football a Step by Step Plan" was endorsed by Tom Osborne and Dave Rimington. His personal teams using this system to date and has a 132-18 record in 5 Different Leagues.

To Sign up for his free tips and drills newsletter or to view 500 free youth football coaching tips go to: Football Plays

3 Critical Strategies Every Home Based Business Owner Must Use (100% Free)

Are you starting a home based business, but not sure which strategies are a "must" and which ones are simply icing on the cake? Do you find yourself overwhelmed with options, and opinions and aren't sure which areas to implement right away? The good news is, if you are just starting a home based business in 2012, I can honestly say that there has never been a better or more existing time to launch a small startup than right NOW. (and on a bootstrap budget to boot!)

I'm going to give you 3 very simple recommendations on what I would do first.....and simultaneously, I'm going to also tell you what I'd avoid doing as well. (especially considering these are the most common mistakes MOST professionals make when migrating online, or starting something new from scratch as well)

Super Bowl 2012

1 - You MUST have a blog.

But, you've also got to be willing to update your blog often if it's going to be an asset for your business, and NOT an eyesore. There is nothing more off putting for me, as a potential client, than seeing a company blog that hasn't been updated in 3 or 4 months......or super sporadic posting across an extended period of time. The good news? You can literally update your blog with good resources in your area of expertise WITHOUT really having to do much writing at all. Simply find information that meets the needs of your potential readers, write a short excerpt, and then link to the source of the content and you're GOOD to go! Not only will this give you the appearance of "authority" very quickly, the search engines love this sort of liberal linking strategy as well. (I call this the "Google loves sites that love other sites" strategy!)

2 - You need a Facebook Page

Facebook is literally changing the landscape for doing business.....PERIOD. Don't let anyone tell you they're not, either. Did you know that 50% of the advertisers in the 2012 Super Bowl used their Facebook page as the destination page for the ad? That is an unbelievably powerful statistic, made more eye opening by virtue of it being done by biggest brands in the world as well. The truth is, social media content, especially Facebook is so incredibly easy to share and spread, that businesses that aren't reaping the beautiful benefits of viral marketing are losing out in a major league way.

3 - Classified Ad Sites

This is a bit more optional than the 2 above, but you can literally build your entire business on the back of sites like Craigslist, and leverage the many, many millions of readers they get each day. I placed an ad last weekend for a marketing related function and literally got 100 visitors to my site in less than 4 hours, of which 30 signed up to learn more. It took me all of 7 minutes to create the ad and post it, and I can republish it every 3 days simply by pushing a button and hitting renew. Very powerful, and I've worked with clients who have built 6 figure incomes from Craiglist in a matter of 12 months or less.

Remember...

You don't need to spend "big" money on a blog or a Facebook page to have tremendous success. You are FAR better off using a "free" blog than a fancy pants web design, and investing your time, effort and money in creating killer content your readers (and potential clients) will love!

3 Critical Strategies Every Home Based Business Owner Must Use (100% Free)

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2012 St Louis Rams Offseason Needs

People were expecting too much from the St. Louis Rams after they just missed out on a division title in 2010, but to say that they disappointed last year was an understatement. They finished the year with an abysmal 2-14 record, which tied the Colts for worst in the NFL. There is some reason for optimism, however, as they have signed former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher after letting go of Steve Spagnuolo. Fisher's schemes will likely take some time before the players can buy in, but you better believe that they will be more competitive than they were a season ago. The Rams traded away their No. 2 pick to Washington for the No. 6 pick, Washington's first-round pick in both 2013 and 2014 and a second-round pick this year. Here are some of the Rams' big additions and subtractions so far in this young offseason, plus a breakdown of their biggest needs heading into the draft.

Additions:

Nfl 2012

CB Cortland Finnegan

DT Kendall Langford

WR Steve Smith

G Quinn Ojinnaka

DE William Hayes

C Scott Wells

OLB Jo-Lonn Dunbar

DT Trevor Laws

Subtractions:

WR Brandon Lloyd

DT Justin Bannan

C Jason Brown

DT Fred Robbins

CB Ronald Bartell

OLB Chris Chamberlain

G Jacob Bell

Top 5 Needs:

1. Left Tackle

The Rams' top priority this offseason is to address their problems on the offensive line. Starting left tackle Rodger Saffold is better suited at left guard or right tackle, which makes them thin at left tackle if they move him. If Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon doesn't fall to the sixth pick, I think the Rams have to draft Iowa tackle Riley Reiff. If they do decide to go to a different direction, I believe they will no longer find a legitimate upgrade later in the draft or free agency.

2. Left Guard/Right Tackle

If St. Louis is able to upgrade at left tackle, then this need will be far less pressing. Either way, both these positions need to be addressed. Jason Smith has been a monumental disappointment at right tackle, and if they can move Saffold back to his guard spot, then things will be better for the Rams offensively.

3. Wide Receiver

While the Rams need to add some weapons at receiver, that needs to come after they address the offensive line. Once again, if Blackmon is available at the 6th pick, then he is the one player the Rams should pick. If he is not available, however, the Rams have two second-round picks where they can address this need. Wide receiver is one of the rare positions where great players can be had late in the draft.

4. Outside Linebacker

Starting weakside linebacker Chris Chamberlain has moved on and signed with the New Orleans Saints, and the Rams could use an upgrade at the starting strongside linebacker over Brady Poppinga. Jo-Lonn Dunbar was signed in the offseason, but the Rams need to keep looking for help at this spot.

5. Free Safety

The Rams have a number of additional needs, but I believe their next most pressing need is at free safety. Darian Stewart is simply not the answer, as he was dreadful as the starter for the Rams last year. There isn't really any one talent from the draft that could be a difference maker, which will likely force them to bring in a veteran free agent. Either way, the Rams need to make it a priority to find a suitable replacement, because clearly Stewart cannot be the starter.

2012 St Louis Rams Offseason Needs

Click here for the latest odds from the respected site BetFirms.com.

The NFL Without the Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys went from "Next Year's Team" in the late 1960's to "America's Team" in the 1970's with four Super Bowl appearances, including two Super Bowl titles. The Cowboys fell off during the 1980's as the 49ers took supremacy of the NFC and the NFL. After Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys and cleaned house in the organization in the late 1980's, which was heavily criticized, the team went to the bottom of the NFL with a record of 1-15 in 1989. A few years later the new Cowboys, put together by Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones, became an NFL powerhouse once again, and built a team that would go on to win three Super Bowls in four years and resurface the Dallas Cowboys as "America's Team", establishing the Cowboys as one of the elite franchises in the NFL along with the Packers, Steelers, and 49ers (Patriots would later join this list of elite franchises).

Unfortunately for the Cowboys and their fans, the last Super Bowl win came in January of 1996 and the franchise has only won two playoff games since their Super Bowl victory over the Steelers. The Cowboys have basically become just another franchise in the NFL since the mid 1990's and even so the NFL continues to be the dominant sport in the United States. The NFL is bigger than any one player and more importantly the NFL is bigger than any team. In 2008, the New England Patriots lost their super star quarterback and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player for the season because of an injury in Tom Brady during the first game on the season and believe it or not the NFL continued to carry on, the Patriots still had fans in their seats and with back up quarterback Matt Cassel the Patriots went on to go 11-5. Although the Patriots did miss the playoffs that season you could still consider that season a success after losing the best player in the league so early in the 2008 season.

Nfl 2012

Is the NFL better off with franchises like the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots being powerhouses of the league? I would say yes, but whether those teams are any good or not the NFL will continue to shine and it will be the most popular sport in the U.S. It is unfortunate to see that of those five teams, the Cowboys are the only franchise that hasn't recently experienced a deep playoff run or isn't viewed as a team to make a run at the Super Bowl for the upcoming 2012 season, but it is reality and Cowboys' fans everywhere must come to terms with that reality whether they want to or not.

It is important to point out that the only constant since Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys is Jerry Jones. The idea that it is time for the Dallas Cowboys' owner to step down as at least the General Manager has been spoken about for years, but this is another reality that Cowboys' fans must come to terms with, and that is that Jerry Jones is not stepping down as the GM of the Dallas Cowboys. No matter how much Cowboys' fans whine and cry about this matter Jerry Jones can do whatever he pleases with the Cowboys' organization because he is the owner and that will not change anytime soon. Cowboys' fans must hope that Mr. Jones brings in someone into the front office that will help build the Cowboys back into a powerhouse, or maybe that person is already in the organization and just hasn't had the success the Cowboys and their fans are hoping for. Only time will tell. One thing is certain, the NFL will continue to shine as the most popular sport in the U.S. with or without the Dallas Cowboys.

The NFL Without the Cowboys

2012 Texas Longhorns Football Predictions

The Texas Longhorns have endured back-to-back disappointing seasons and now they feel the pressure to get things turned around. The Longhorns failed to make a bowl in 2010 after 5-7 campaign, and had a mediocre showing with an 8-5 record in 2011. They started out well, winning their first four games before losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State derailed their Big 12 title hopes.

Head coach Mack Brown has tallied a 141-139 record at Texas as he enters his 15th season with the program. The Longhorns will have the most experienced team in the conference with 15 starters and 43 lettermen returning. They do not overwhelming expectations nationally, but they have the ability to sneak up on some teams in 2012.

Nfl 2012

Offense

The Longhorns had a poor offensive showing in 2011. They averaged just 28.3 points and 393 total yards per game last year. Their ground game (203 yards per game) was good, but they struggled on the passing attack (only 190 yards/game). Texas started three quarterbacks last year and they need to find that one guy who gives them the consistency they need.

Sophomore David Ash will get the first crack at quarterback despite being less productive than junior Case McCoy last year. Ash threw for 1,068 yards on 56.6 percent completions with four touchdowns and eight interceptions, while McCoy threw for 1,045 yards on 61.4 percent completions with seven touchdowns and four picks. McCoy committed five turnovers in their season-finale last year against Baylor, which prompted Ash to get all of the snaps in their 21-10 victory over California in the Holiday Bowl.

Texaswill have two of its top rushers returning in sophomores Malcolm Brown (742 yards, 4.3/carry, five touchdowns) and Joe Bergeron (463 yards, 6.4/carry, five touchdowns). They will also add the top freshman running back recruit in the country in Johnathan Gray. They might still be young, but this team has the potential to have one of the nation's top backfields.

Questionable quarterback play is what forced the receivers to almost be nonexistent last year, but this unit should be much-improved as their top three receivers all return. Junior Mike Davis (45 receptions, 609 yards, one touchdown), sophomore Jaxon Shipley (44, 607, three touchdowns) and senior Marquise Goodwin (33, 421, two touchdowns) are all expected to make major contributions in 2012. Senior Barrett Mathews will start at the tight end position, but he doesn't offer much in the passing game as he is known more for his blocking than pass-catching ability.

The offensive line should become a team strength in 2012 as four starters will return who have 63 career starts together. Mack Brown claims that the improvement in this unit was like "night and day" in the spring compared to 2011. The one lost starter will be replaced by talented junior college transfer Donald Hawkins at left tackle.

Defense

Texashad arguably one of the best defenses in the country last year. This unit gave up just 22.2 points and 306 total yards per game, despite playing in a conference where many of the most potent offenses in the country played. They do lose three of their top four tacklers from that unit, but return six starters, which should help them pick up right where they left off in 2011.

The Longhorns will feature one of the best defensive end tandems in the country in senior Alex Okafor (58 tackles, 7 sacks, 7 tackles for loss) and junior Jackson Jeffcoat (71 tackles, 8 sacks, 13 tackles for loss). Okafor earned first-team All American honors last year, but in a shocking twist, opted to stay and turned down a shot at the NFL. With a very talented defensive tackle rotation in juniors Brandon Moore and Ashton Dorsey, as well as sophomore Desmond Jackson, this looks to be one of the best defensive fronts in all of college football.

The linebacking corps suffers the biggest blow, as the Longhorns lose their top two tacklers. Emmanuel Acho (131 tackles) was drafted in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns, while Keenan Robinson (106 tackles) was taken in the fourth round by the Washington Redskins. Junior Jordan Hicks (65 tackles) is their only returning starter at linebacker and becomes the leader of this unit. They are loaded with very highly touted recruits, but inexperience might be a recurring issue.

10 very highly touted players will compete for playing time in the secondary heading into 2012. The Longhorns return three starters in the defensive backfield in star FS Kenny Vaccaro (82 tackles, 10 passes defended), sophomore CB Quandre Diggs (51 tackles, 15 pass break-ups, four INT) and junior CB Carrington Byndom (58 tackles, 15 pass break-ups, two INT). Paired up with a very strong defensive line, we could see one of the better pass defenses in the country.

Big 12 Prediction - 2nd Place

Texaswill almost definitely boast one of the best defenses in the country in 2012, but their improvement on the offensive end will be at test of how far they can go. With nine starters back on offense, they will obviously be more productive than they were a year ago. Their rushing attack will once again be very good and they will definitely see some improvement on their quarterback play. Ash and McCoy gained valuable experience last year, and now it's time for one of them to step up and lead this team. They also have a manageable road schedule with Oklahoma State, Kansas, Texas Tech and Kansas State.

2012 Texas Longhorns Football Predictions

Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.