It’s official — all of it. The NFL released the 2012 regular season schedule this past week, and — according to sources — the Colts have informed former Stanford QB that he will be their selection in the rapidly approaching NFL draft. Confirmations were in abundance this week, as were reactions from #ColtsNation. It’s all here for you in this week’s #HorseBytes!

The 2012 NFL schedule was released on Tuesday in a 3-hour long special on ESPN. It’s always been the philosophy of teams to take their schedules one game at a time, but the broadcasters clearly don’t share the same sentiment. Each of the 16 games on each of the 32 teams’ schedules have already been completely analyzed and ranked in terms of difficulty. According to a league-determined “Strength of Schedule” list, the Colts have the 14th-most difficult schedule and are not expected to perform much better in 2012 than they did in 2011. Jim Irsay encouraged the Colts fan base to be patient as the team rebuilds itself.

Meanwhile, the players sounded off on their latest opponent lineup.

The Colts will play at 1:00 for 15 of the 16 weeks, leaving them but one prime-time contest: a Thursday Night Football showdown with division rival Jacksonville in Week 10. The new matinee lineup will be somewhat foreign for the team. The Colts have had 5 primetime games in their schedule since 2006, when they played 4. But according to Mathis, it’s to be expected, for when you lose 14 games, “you get 1 o’clocked up.”

Speaking of Mathis…the Colts’ new franchise player may also be the newest face to grace the walls of Lucas Oil Stadium. At least, “that’s the rumor.” Looks like Mathis and Waye will replace the Peyton Manning banners that have hung there for the last decade or so. It will be strange at first, but the banners are very deserving. Thanks for the tip, Mr. Irsay.

The other big news of the week, leaked on Thursday, was not quite as surprising, as indicated by NFL analysts Adam Schefter and Trey Wingo. The Colts have apparently informed Andrew Luck that he will be the team’s first selection in the upcoming draft — now less than a week away. Luck is, in my opinion, the obvious choice, and has been for quite some time. I applaud the Colts for easing the young quarterback’s mind so he can enjoy the draft and its festivities with a clear head. The team, including the veteran players, are excited to have him.

Mathis should be a great role model and leader for Luck as he adjusts to the professional league and the pressure that comes with succeeding the greatest quarterback of all time.

Well, the first pick has pretty much already been determined, but if you can correctly guess the other 31 selections in the first round of the draft, you could win a pretty incredible prize from Mr. Irsay. The Colts owner and CEO outlined the specifics of the contest that he alluded to several weeks ago. The winner will get a brand new BMW car in the color of his or her choice, which they will pick out in Indianapolis before meeting the Colts’ No.1 pick (Luck)! Time to get working, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

The Colts Grille doesn’t lie. As of today, there’s only 143 days until the Colts kickoff their 2012 season! Unlike a few months ago, little speculation remains for this team now, so yes, it’s time to get excited. Go Colts! #HorseBytes will be back with first-round draft coverage next week!

Feb 26, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III does the broad jump during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

So, this is the post where I usually run through my mock draft and tell you who I think will end up where in April’s NFL Draft.   However,  the NFL Combine which just wrapped up in Indianapolis has given us the biggest reason to believe there will be a jockeying for positions among the bottom-dwelling teams since the 2011 season ended.  Chief among the developments was the strong showing of Robert Griffin III, who wowed the media and clocked a sub-4.4 in the 40-yard dash.     More than a few times over the weekend,  I heard RG3 invoked in the same breath with Cam Newton.
I still think the Indianapolis Colts will take Andrew Luck at Number 1, but I’m not sure what to do with the St. Louis Rams at Number 2.   To this point, I’ve had the Rams picking an OT at that slot, and they may still look for a lineman in the first round, but not with the second overall pick.   Simply put, Griffin has made that pick a valuable commodity, and the Rams would be silly to simply let him slide down to the Cleveland Browns or Washington Redskins when they could reap big trade rewards for the rights to select RG3.
Heck, I’m not even sure that the Rams won’t take Griffin for their very own.   Sure, they have Sam Bradford in the fold, but  RG3 would come cheaper, and Bradford would be pretty attractive as trade bait himself.   For now, the top of the draft board is in disarray, but I hope we’ll have a better feel in a couple of weeks.

It's combine time again in Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Do you miss the heady days of early February, when Indianapolis found itself at the center of the NFL universe, thanks to the Super Bowl bash heard round the world?   Back then, our city was widely lauded for pulling off a wonderful Super Week, and Old Man Winter certainly was complicit in our grand showing.    Well, we’re in luck again, as the NFL Combine gets underway in earnest today.   On display will be all the young lads vying to wrangle the honors of being the top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Lotsa “Luck” with that one, fellas!  Still, should be another great showcase for our city and this weekend should get the mock draft mill fired up to full heat.