College Football Hall of Fame: Who Can Join Ty Detmer from the Non-BCS Ranks?

News broke Monday night that the first guy on my list of "should get into the Hall of Fame" will most certainly be going in today. Ty Detmer was released as the first member of the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame class.

At 11:30 Tuesday morning, we will find out which players will join him in the class of 2012. While we know some of the names from big schools like Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State and USC, a number of smaller school players are candidates to join the ranks of college football's elite.

Eric Dickerson is a guy that many expect to go into the Hall, but he does not headline the small school candidates. That's largely because during his run at SMU, the Mustangs were in one of college football's premier conferences, the SWC.

Running back Paul Palmer from Temple is a name many have never heard of, but he put up big-time numbers for the school in Philadelphia. Tommy Kramer gets the same treatment as Eric Dickerson: He was at Rice, but the SWC was a major league during those days. 

Scott Thomas, Air Force

Captain of the Falcons, this safety was a big-time player in the WAC, back when the WAC was one of college football's most exciting conferences. His four straight bowl trips held more weight in 1980s than it does in today's climate of 6-6 teams still getting to bowls. The All-American safety also helped lead the Air Force Academy to a 38-12 record.

Dick Jauron, Yale

We all know Jauron from his time as an NFL head coach, but before he was a coach, he was a heck of running back in the Ivy League.

Jauron set Yale's all-time rushing record on his way to being named a first team All-American. This was before the big schism that split the divisions into I-A and I-AA, Yale was still playing football at the highest level and though the landscape was changing, Jauron was one of the players who reminded people that the Ivies were still playing ball.

Willie Roaf, Louisiana Tech

Roaf's nickname was "Nasty," and he was one of the premier offensive linemen during his time in the NFL.

Prior to that stellar career filled with Pro Bowls, Roaf was an All-American from LaTech, and he proved that he could play, even though he came from a small school. Roaf was a big, physical tackle who helped lead Louisiana Tech to an Independence Bowl and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy.

Randall Cunningham, UNLV

The most interesting thing about Cunningham? He's listed as a punter on the ballot. Yes, Cunningham, one of the NFL's most dynamic quarterbacks, did punt in college, but he was so much more for the Rebels. The reason for the listing as a punter is that in 1983 and 1984, his sophomore and junior seasons, the quarterback earned All-American honors as a punter.

Being an All-American is a requirement for admission to the Hall of Fame, and even though Cunningham painted his name all over UNLV's record books as a quarterback, his status as an All-American punter is what has earned him a look from the NFF.

Charlie Gogolak, Princeton

We've got another Ivy League player here, with Gogolak as the player who has contributed to the game in the most grand fashion.

Gogolak is the father of the modern kicking game to most folks. He revolutionized place kicking by approaching the ball "soccer style," something that we have all grown used to watching in the modern era of college football. Many people are not aware of that contribution, but much like coaches are praised for their inventive approach to the game, so too should Gogolak.

Without his and his brother Pete's addition to the game, players might still be kicking the ball straight on, and we would not see the swell in distance and accuracy from the place-kicking craft.