NCAA Football 13: Underrated BCS Schools to Choose in Dynasty Mode

When going through dynasty mode in NCAA Football '13 it's much more fun and challenging to play with non-national championship contenders.

Take the Vanderbilt Commodores for instance. The Commodores are for real in 2012. After a building block season in 2011 the program is on the rise in a tough conference with a solid recruiting class coming in.

Let's take a look at Vandy and some other underrated BCS schools worth considering for your dynasty in NCAA '13.

Full view of Scout.com and Rivals.com 2012 recruiting class rankings.

Virginia Cavaliers, ACC Coastal

The Virginia Cavaliers are coming off an 8-5 season in 2011 after going just 4-8 in 2010. As for the 2012 campaign, the Cavaliers rank as the No. 27 (Rivals) and No. 28 (Scout) recruiting class and didn't lose much to the NFL.

Offensively, quarterback Michael Rocco (No. 16) is coming off his first year as a starter where he threw 13 touchdowns to 12 picks and over 2,600 yards with a 60.7 completion percentage. His receiving corps, led by Tim Smith (No. 20) (33 receptions, 565 yards), has potential and running back Perry Jones (No. 33) is dual-threat.

The Cavaliers' defense did lose standout players Cam Johnson and Chase Minnifield to the pros, but linebacker Steve Greer (No. 53) (103 tackles) and Demetrious Nicholson (No. 1) (60 tackles, eight defended passes) will pick up the slack.

Their schedule isn't supremely difficult either. Games at Georgia Tech, TCU, and Virginia Tech are the toughest. On simulation alone the Cavaliers could finish around 8-4.

Purdue Boilermakers, Big Ten Leaders

Going 7-6 in 2011 was an impressive season for the Purdue Boilermakers. The Big Ten was arguably the second-toughest conference last year, and getting wins over Ohio State and Illinois certainly planted a foundation for 2012.

Looking at the upcoming season, the Boilermakers fared well in recruiting at No. 33 (Rivals) and No. 51 (Scout). Obviously not overly impressive by comparison to other Big Ten schools, but Purdue has upgraded.

Quarterback Caleb Terbush (No. 19) has the ability to be a dual-threat player. He threw for almost 2,000 yards with 13 touchdowns to just six picks in 2011. He also ran for 219 yards, thus presenting more mobility than given credit for.

There's also a running back duo in Ralph Bolden (No. 23) and Akeem Shavers (No. 24) who combined for 1,193 rushing yards last season. Defensively, Purdue has one of the top defensive linemen in the nation in Kawann Short (No. 93).

With 17 tackles for a loss last year, Short will be dominant in NCAA '13 and cornerback Ricardo Allen (No. 21) (seven defended passes, 81 tackles) is the secondary playmaker.

California Golden Bears, Pac-12 North

Facing a difficult schedule in 2012, the best option when playing with California in NCAA '13 is to consistently target receiver Keenan Allen (No. 21).

Recording 98 receptions for 1,343 yards and scoring six times in 2011, Allen is a 6'5" playmaker that will out jump any defender in single coverage. The Golden Bears finished 7-6 last season in a tough Pac-12 North and 2012 will be a challenge.

Fortunately, running back Isi Sofele (No. 20) is one of the more underrated players in college football. With over 1,300 yards last year, Sofele can be an elite ball-carrier this season. Cal also brings in a good recruiting class (No. 23 Rivals, No. 34 Scout) but does have some defensive holes to fill.

Mychal Kendricks and Trevor Guyton have both gone to the pros, so winning high-scoring affairs will be needed in NCAA '13. Nonetheless, Cal is still a team that's good for seven or eight wins even in simulation.

Vanderbilt Commodores, SEC East

Vanderbilt may have only gone 6-7 in 2011, however, the Commodores also lost five games by a touchdown or less. Looking ahead to 2012, Vanderbilt has two tough SEC games in South Carolina and Georgia.

The rest are quite winnable, especially with a program that returns running back Zac Stacy (No. 2) (1,193 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns in 2011). Dual-threat quarterback Jordan Rodgers (No. 11) is a solid player to use in the option attack, and receivers Jordan Matthews (No. 87) and Chris Boyd (No. 80) have decent potential (72 combined receptions and 13 touchdowns last season).

Vandy's defense is troubling with Chris Marve and Casey Hayward gone, but corner Trey Wilson (No. 8) (11 defended passes) and linebacker Archibald Barnes (No. 15) (six defended passes, three forced fumbles, 59 tackles) are reliable playmakers.

Reeling in the No. 29 (Rivals) and No. 45 (Scout) recruiting classes, Vandy has the overall talent to compete in the SEC East. With a favorable schedule the Commodores could win as many as nine games in simulation.

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