Mock Trade Deadline

Tuesday's edition of ESPN's College Football Live presented an interesting concept to parallel the time peg created by the Major League Baseball trading deadline - a fictional college football trade market.

Of course, the trades presented on the show mainly focused on the ESPN national darlings and powerhouses, and understandably so. However, the idea got me thinking - what trades would ETS make to improve the Tigers chances entering the 2007 season?

Before we begin, I established these rules:
- Trades may not be conducted within the North division. Trading between the Big 12 North and South divisions is allowed.
- Unnamed recruits can be traded like draft picks.
- The trade partner's needs must be taken into consideration.

That said, as Mizzou's interim GM, here are the offers I put on the block:

1) Mizzou-Arkansas
- Mizzou gets: DT Marcus Harrison
- Arkansas gets: TE Martin Rucker, QB Chase Patton, One 3-star recruit
Analysis: The move gives Mizzou 310 pounds of beef to drop in the middle of the defensive line and shore up the run stopping issues that derailed the Tigers last year. Arkansas gets a better-than-average QB and a premier TE, giving the Razorbacks enough of a passing threat to open up lanes for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. It would be a shame to see T-Ruck go, but it's either Rucker or Coffman - and here's to hoping Coffman will stick around for his senior season.

2) Mizzou-TCU
- Mizzou gets: MLB Jason Phillips
- TCU gets: WR Jeremy Maclin, WR Tommy Saunders, 3-star recruit
Analysis: TCU coach Gary Patterson expressed concern about his receiving corps and Mizzou has receivers to spare. Maclin would offer a risky, but potentially rewarding long term payoff for TCU, and Saunders would provide a sure-handed possession receiver for their BCS run this season. Phillips would provide Mizzou with an athletic middle linebacker to help lead a defense with several question marks in the middle. He and Brock Christopher could hold down the MLB spot until freshman Lake Lambert is ready to go in two years.

3) Mizzou-West Virginia
- Mizzou gets: RB Noel Devine
- West Virginia gets: K Jeff Wolfert, WR Will Franklin, Three 4-star recruits
Analysis: Mizzou gets the Mountaineers' gem of the 2007 recruiting class in exchange for two potential difference makers on WVU's quest for a National Championship game appearance. Devine is the shifty, speedy back that absolutely thrives in the spread offense, but has to sit behind Heisman candidate Steve Slaton for the next two years at WVU. Devine would step in immediately at Mizzou, spelled only by Temple if necessary. Wolfert would be major step up at kicker for WVU, and Franklin would become a reliable target, especially in WVU's misdirection, playaction-happy version of the spread. The 4-star recruits and the entire king's ransom would have to be added for WVU to even consider giving up its star of the future.

4) Mizzou-UCLA
- Mizzou gets: Two 4-star recruits, One 2-star recruit
- UCLA gets: TE Martin Rucker, WR Jared Perry, WR Greg Bracey, 3-star recruit
Analysis: I had to throw in a "mortgage the present for the future" trade just for good measure. Mizzou picks up three recruits from the team ranked No. 2 in the nation for 2008 recruiting by Rivals.com. UCLA completely revamps its aerial attack, turning what coach Karl Dorrell called the weakest part of his team, into one of its strengths. Rucker and Bracey would be one-year rentals, but the addition of Perry and the recruit gives UCLA some semblance of an eye to the future.

5) Mizzou-Shakespeare's Pizza
- Mizzou/ETS gets: Free pizza for life
- Shakespeare's gets: Athletic Director Mike Alden
Analysis: If you could get free pizza in exchange for incompetence, wouldn't you take it? Granted, the football, wrestling and baseball programs have grown under Alden, but I'm running out of ideas and pizza sounds delectable.

I highly coveted several members of Texas' defense, but couldn't figure out any kind of plausable trade - given that Texas is rather solid through the depth chart and has no need for the type of recruits Mizzou would pull. I eyed DTs Derek Lokey/Frank Okam and LB Sergio Kindle (despite the character issues), but found no way to package a trade with even the slightest shred of credibility, even in my own personal fantasy trading market.

So Mizzou fans, what trade would you make? What about fans of other teams - any Mizzou players you covet? How ridiculous are my proposals?