What was right with the College Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2013 (Dr. Saturday)

No. 75 Orlando Pace (Getty Images)

The announcement of the inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame is usually one of the most controversial events of the spring simply because there are a boatload of great players and only so many spots to be had.

This year, several players who were deserving of a Hall spot because of their fantastic accomplishments finally cracked the code and heard their name called. While all of the nominees definitely deserved to get in, we’re highlighting the five that made the most sense and were perhaps long overdue (note: we’re excluding Frazier since we wrote about him earlier).

Orlando Pace, OL, Ohio State (1994-96): Pace wasn’t already in? That was the sentiment across the country when one of the nation’s greatest offensive linemen (some might claim the absolute greatest) waited 17 years from the end of his collegiate career to enter the Hall of Fame. When his career started, Pace was only the second true freshman to start a season opener for the Buckeyes, was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman. Pace was so adept at putting defensive players on their back that they nicknamed him “The Pancake Man.” He didn’t allow a sack during his final two seasons with the Buckeyes.