I had the television on as background noise while I was breaking down pre-spring depth charts the other night, and I heard a couple of bobbleheads talking about the greatest rivalry in sports.

Duke vs. North Carolina: It's on!

As I began to contemplate my Wednesday-night options — clipping toenails or watching the "greatest rivalry in sports" — the following question smacked me as hard as the reality that is the minimized college basketball regular season (and you people want a college football playoff):

Why can't basketball schools be good at football?

Football powers are starting to figure out the round ball. Run your finger down the final football poll, and count three top-10 schools that also have elite basketball programs: Florida, Texas, Oklahoma.

Now think of the college basketball elite. How many of those teams compete for league championships in football?

The list starts with none and ends with zilch.

Don't think it can't be done, because if football schools can become basketball schools, it can happen the other way, too.

Here are the top basketball schools and their obstacles to joining college football's elite (ranked in order of closeness to becoming a top 10 regular in football).

1. UCLA: Forget about last year's 4-8 record — this team is close to making the turn right now. It took Rick Neuheisel two recruiting classes to show he can go head-to-head with king USC for the elite players in Los Angeles. The Bruins got three offensive linemen (one JC transfer) who likely will start next fall, and if freshman QB Richard Brehaut picks up the system quickly this spring, then he'll start from Day 1 (the quarterback situation in Westwood is that bad).

2. North Carolina: It's not a stretch to say the Tar Heels will be the most complete team in the ACC next fall. What coach Butch Davis has accomplished in such a short time — both on the recruiting trail and in changing the culture of the basketball school — has been remarkable. UNC had a top-10 recruiting class and signed 13 four-star recruits. Watch how quickly those recruits — especially those on defense (see: DE Donte Moss, LB Kevin Reddick) — upgrade this team.

3. Michigan State: No team in this group has more momentum. Mark Dantonio has given Michigan State a toughness and attitude it has lacked for many years, and now he's winning recruiting battles with Big Ten heavies (signed 10 four-star players). MSU must take advantage of Michigan's struggles and move into the league's elite.

4. UConn: What Randy Edsall has accomplished at UConn is nothing short of miraculous. The Huskies won a share of the Big East championship in 2007 despite joining Division I-A just this decade. No BCS conference is more winnable than the Big East, and no one in the league has separated from the pack.

MORE FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College football Section Front

Meyer just chillin' ... sometimes CFT: Oregon players face court, and coach, today CFT: Oregon's James set to make a plea agreement CFT: Surgery sidelines Badgers' Clay for spring CFT: LSU's Toliver apologizes for bar fight CFT: Big Ten wants the Irish to grovel?   Vote: School most likely to join Big Ten? CFT: DB Anderson finally picks a school — Miami Trash Talk: Ex-Nebraska center shows true passion CollegeFootballTalk on NBCSports.com College football Section Front   Add College football headlines to your news reader: