This year was no different in terms of controversy. Computers and rankings aside, there are a couple of small annoyances for me in the bowls this year. 8-4 Temple will not be playing in a bowl game. A team the Owls defeated, Connecticut, will be playing in the Fiesta Bowl vs. Oklahoma for what will be a large pay day for the Huskies. Connecticut won the Big East title with a 5-2 conference record and gained automatic qualifying status. Temple finished third in the East division of the MAC and they will be sitting at home. Temple beat UConn 30-16 in Philadelphia earlier in the season. Does this not scream… stupidity? UConn does not deserve a spot in one of the big games. Don’t even try to question me, you will be wrong. This does not reflect well upon the BCS and its talking heads that think it’s the greatest system in the world. The system did not work in this case. UConn will play Oklahoma. University of Phoenix Stadium will likely be filled with Sooner crimson. UConn and its fans will have to travel across the country to watch the Huskies, who started FBS football in the year 2000 after moving up from FCS.

Despite my gripes with the above, and the fact that an undefeated TCU team will not get to show the world if it’s a legitimate contender for the BCS championship, there are some very good bowl matchups this year. I, for one, am excited about watching Boise State vs. Utah. Boise State deserves a better game than a trip to Las Vegas, but that’s another story for another time. The Boise faithful will undoubtedly fill Sam Boyd Stadium and then some. The game was more enticing before Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn went down with season ending surgery. I predict an angry Boise State rolls in this one.

Another interesting matchup could found in Shreveport, LA where Air Force and Georgia Tech will face off to see who has the better triple option attack. For those that love the option this is a great game. Arizona and Oklahoma State have the potential to bring the fireworks when they face off in the Alamo Bowl.

The best non-BCS matchup of the season is provided by Alabama vs. Michigan State. Michigan State feels it should have been included in the BCS party, sporting an 11-1 record, the same as Ohio State and Wisconsin. Alabama’s shot at a BCS berth was ruined when they blew a 24 point lead to Auburn. Now the two BCS castoffs will face each other in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. And last, another intriguing match up features LSU and Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Two teams who had nice seasons in their respective conference who will face off here.

Happy Bowl Season, everyone. Be sure to join our bowl pick’em league. A link and directions can be found in the forum.

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In other BCS games the TCU Horned Frogs, the only non-automatic qualifier to make the BCS this year, will take on Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. The Horned Frogs are led by senior quarterback Andy Dalton, while the Badgers are led by running backs James White and John Clay, who combined have rushed for nearly 2000 yards on the season. In the Fiesta Bowl the Oklahoma Sooners, who beat Nebraska in thrilling fashion in the Big 12 title game, will take on Connecticut from the Big East. The Huskies, who are ranked 25th in the AP poll and unranked in the BCS and USA Today polls, are making their first BCS appearance after winning the Big East with a 8-4 record. Virginia Tech of the ACC will take on Stanford of the Pac10 in the Orange Bowl. Stanford is led by Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck while Virginia Tech features an explosive quarterback in Tyrod Taylor. In the Sugar Bowl Ohio State led by Terrell Pryor will take on Arkansas down in New Orleans.

Looks to be a wild bowl season ahead of us. There will be close to a 5 week break between now and the BCS title game, but plenty of other bowl games to watch between now and then. Bowl season kicks off on December 18th in Albuquerque, New Mexico where BYU will take on UTEP.

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Oregon: 10-2 (7-2)
Offense: The dismiss of QB Jeremiah Masoli hurt the Ducks, who would have been one of the national title favorites if he was back. Instead Nate Costa and Darron Thomas will compete for the starting job and most likely split time through the year as Costa is a good passer while Thomas is the better running QB. Who ever the QB is will have a lot of weapons around him. Starting with the RB tandem of LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner. WR Jeff Maehl, Lavasier Tuinei, and DJ Davis all return this year as well. The whole offensive line returns as well. LT Bo Thran will lead the line that does a good job in opening holes for the run game along with good pass protection.
Defense: The Ducks are deep in all possessions of the defense and have a lot of speed, but lack size up front. That shouldn’t hurt Oregon again this year. DE Kenny Rowe returns again this year after leading the Pac 10 in sacks last year. The LB corps is the strength of the defense with Casey Matthews and Spencer Paysinger leading the very deep group. The whole secondary returns this year led by former LB Eddie Pleasant, who will play a rover safety possession.
Special Teams: Oregon will have a new K this year in either Alejandro Maldonado or Rob Beard. P Jackson Rice did a good job last year as a true freshman and should be even better as a sophomore. LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner will once again provide big plays in the return game this year.
Overall: Oregon has plenty of talent all over the field. The offense has plenty of fire power all over the field to help the new QB. While the defense will be flying around the field. If a team can line up and pound the ball between the numbers for they could give the undersized defense some issues. One thing head coach Chip Kelley needs to do is get control over the program with respect to getting into trouble. The dismissal of Masoli dropped the Ducks back into the pack of teams that will compete for the Pac 10 title this year.

Stanford: 8-4 (6-3)
Offense: The keys to Stanford’s offense are in QB Andrew Luck’s hands now. After being lead by RB Toby Gerhart last year the Cardinal’s offense is based more on the pass this year with Andrew Luck. Luck looked real good last year and should be just as good if not better this year. He has one solid option in WR Ryan Whalen. WR Chris Owusu has good speed but drops too many balls and sophomores Jamal-Rashard Patterson and Griff Whalen need to have break out years to help the offense. TE Levine Toilolo does provide a nice big target at 6’8”. The group of RB Jeremy Stewart, Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney will work together to replace the departed Gerhart. The line returns four starters from last year which will help out both the run and pass game. LT Jonathan Martin will lead this very physical group.
Defense: The Stanford defense was really bad last year and has a new coordinator in Vic Fangio who will change the scheme from 4-3 to 3-4. NT Sione Fua will fit well in helping stop the run. The rest of the line should be solid as well as it has plenty of depth. The LB corps has some new players in it including Thomas Keiser and Chase Thomas who both started at DE last year. Owen Marecic will play on both sides of the ball, being the lead blocker at FB on offense and LB on defense. SS Delano Howell will lead a secondary that will have to improve a lot in a conference that is very pass happy.
Special Teams: Chris Owusu and Richard Sherman are back again this year returning kicks and punts respectively. K Nate Whitaker is back again this year after a solid season while P David Green may be pushed by Daniel Zychlinski.
Overall: Head coach Jim Harbaugh has a very good offense again this year led by Luck. If some WR can step up it will be even better. The defense is where the issues are. The team needs to be able to stop some teams instead of always being in shoot outs. Some of the changes should help in that the secondary is where the biggest concern is. The Cardinal do have an even schedule with a good mix of tough home and road games. With a better defense Stanford could be one of the favorites in the Pac 10.

Arizona: 8-4 (5-3)
Offense: Arizona’s offense is definitely the strength of the team this year. It all starts in the back field with QB Nick Foles. Foles split time at the beginning of the year in Matt Scott but took over after a few games and helped lead the Wildcats to the Holiday Bowl. After a solid spring he should be even better this year. Foles has plenty of options to pass to, from RB to WR Juron Criner, Bug Wright, Travis Cobb, and David Roberts. The RB corps is very deep as well with Nic Grigsby, Keola Antolin, and Greg Nwoko. Back up QB Matt Scott will also get a decent amount of playing time to change the pace as he is a good duel threat player. The offensive line returns four starters this year led by C Colin Baxter and LT Adam Grant.
Defense: The defense returns only four starters this year, but has had good depth and still should be solid. The line is in pretty good shape, with a lot of depth at end including both DE starters from last year, Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed returning this year. The LB corps area is the big area of concern as there are no starters returning this year. Jack Fischer looks to be the best player out of that group. The secondary returns both CB in Trevin Wade and Robert Golden. There isn’t the greatest depth though which could be an issue.
Special Teams: P Keenyn Crier is looking to rebound from a disappointing year last year and K Alex Zendejas is back as well, but needs to improve his range. Both Travis Cobb and Bug Wright are some very good return man.
Overall: Mike Stoops has quietly built a quality program in Arizona. The Wildcats were a few breaks away from winning the Pac 10 last year. The offense can compete with any in the conference. Even with the lack of returning starters on the defense this year they will still be solid. Having only to travel to Oregon and Stanford this year makes Arizona a dark horse to win the Pac 10. An early non-conference game at home against Iowa will show how good the Wildcats will be.

USC: 10-3 (6-3)
Offense: QB Matt Barkley had a mediocre year last year, but as a true freshman it was actually a decent year. This year he will be looked at to lead the offense. Barkley did show good improvement last year and should be even better after a full off season of work as well. The backfield doesn’t have the big names this year like it has in the past, but it is still very solid. RB Allen Bradford will be the starter and runs well between the tackles. CJ Gable is also back this year. The new flashy RB this year is freshman Dillon Baxter. FB Stanley Havili will also be used a good amount in both the run and pass game. The WR will need a main guy to step up this year now that Damion Williams is in the NFL. WR Ronald Johnson could be that guy. Freshman WR Kyle Prater and Robert Woods will have plenty of opportunities to play as well. The line will be strong with three starters returning, led by C Kristofer O’ Dowd.
Defense: The defense took a step backwards last year, but should be better this year with new defensive coordinator and guru Monte Kiffin. The line should be the strength of the defense with DT Jurrell Casey leading the way as three of the four starters return. The LB corps had issues last year and will be important in the Tampa 2 defense that Kiffin came up with. OLB Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan should be better now that they have a full season of experience as a starter under there belt. MLB Chris Galippo started last year, but struggled and are being pushed by Devon Kennard for the job this year. The secondary has all new starters this year, but does return CB Shareece Wright who was academically ineligible last year. Wright can lead the young secondary.
Special Teams: P Jacob Harfman returns again this year, but the Trojans will have a new K in Joe Houston. There will be a group of players that will try out the return man rule.
Overall: USC was hit hard over the summer by the NCAA with a two year postseason ban and lose of 30 total scholarships over the next three years. New head coach Lane Kiffin has an uphill battle to fight and is know for stirring up some controversy at times. Matt Barkley will be the key to the offense. If he shows some real good improvement USC could challenge for the Pac 10 title. The defense is in real good hands with Monte Kiffin. The defense still will not be as dominate as past were but it can be very good.

Washington: 8-4 (6-3)
Offense: QB Jake Locker is arguably the best QB in the nation. He will lead a Washington’s offense that should put plenty of points on the board this year. WR Jermaine Kearse, Devin Aguilar, and James Johnson provide very good targets for Locker and could even be the top WR trio in the conference. RB Chris Polk had a very solid season as a freshman last year and looks to put similar numbers this year. The line should a good job in both run blocking and pass protection, led by Senio Kelemente.
Defense: The defense is the area of concern for the Huskies this year. The line has some big concerns with the depth of the defensive line. DE Cameron Elisara will lead the thin group. Due to injuries the line could have some issues. The LB corps are in decent shape. LB Mason Foster will lead the group and can put out some bone jarring hits as well. He will have to help in improving the run defense. The secondary returns three starters from a young group last year and still fairly young. There is some good experience though. SS Nate Williams will be the elder statesman of the group.
Special Teams: K Erik Folk is known best for making the game winning kick to upset USC last year, but beyond that he did a solid job throughout the whole season. P Will Mahan is back after a solid season last year as well. Chris Polk and the trio of WR will all share the duty of being the return man.
Overall: Steve Sarkisian has Washington going in the right direction. This is a big year as Jake Locker will be a senior and wants to help lead the Huskies to their first bowl game since 2002. The offense will be able to keep up with any of the top offenses in the Pac 10. The defense is the area of concern, Nick Holt did a good job with a below average last year and should be able to get a lot out of this years defense as well. With a better defense the Huskies could come up and compete for the Pac 10 title.

UCLA: 5-7 (3-6)
Offense: UCLA’s offense isn’t any where near what Norm Chow coached at the USC in the early and mid 2000s. The Bruins offense has had some issues the past few years. QB Kevin Prince will be looked at to lead the team now that he has a year of starting experience under the belt. Prince has two decent starting WR to pass to in Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree. Form Colorado transfer Josh Smith can also provide some speed to that unit. The run game should be good with RB Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Colman along with some solid recruits. The line should finally be in good shape this year with four starters returning. UCLA will use a form of Nevada’s Pistol offense to help kick start the team this year.
Defense: Unlike the Bruin’s offense last year their defense did a solid job last year, allowing the team to get to a bowl game. Unfortunately some of the key players from last year are gone now. DE Datone Jones and LB Akeem Ayers are the only returning starters on the front seven. There was some depth so they aren’t in an awful situation. The lack of returning starters on the front seven doesn’t help with the run defense which had some issues last year. The secondary returns three starters this year, led by FS Rahim Moore.
Special Teams: Both K Kai Forbath and P Jeff Locke return again this year and could be one of the top kicking duos in the conference. Josh Smith will look to help the return game that struggled at times last year.
Overall: The Rick Neuheisel hasn’t been as good as advertised. UCLA fans need to be patient and now is the time for Neuheisel to make his move since USC is in the NCAA’s dog house. This year will not be the year though. The offense still has some issues but should improve. The defense will not be as good as last year and could have some growing pains with some young players high up on the depth chart. A brutal non conference schedule of at Kansas St, vs. Houston, and at Texas will prevent UCLA from going to another bowl game this year.

California: 5-7 (2-7)
Offense: Cal’s run game should be strong once again this year even with dynamic RB Jahvid Best. Shane Vereen showed he can easily replace Best last year after Best was knocked out for the season. The rest of the offense is a concern though. QB Kevin Riley is back for the third consecutive season as a starter, but needs to be more consistent and not have one of those awful games that he is known for having. The WR core has one decent WR in Marvin Jones and then a bunch of ok guys. The Bears did sign five WR in their recruiting class this year. The line returns four starters on the line this year. They will need to work on pass blocking to help Riley. C Chris Guarnero and LT Matt Summers-Gavin will lead the line.
Defense: The Bears lost there top two defensive players in DE Tyson Alualu and CB Syd’Quan Thompson, return only five starters, and have a new defensive coordinator. The line should be ok with out Alualu with DE Cameron Jordan returning along with NT Derrick Hill. Hill could be pushed for his job by Kendrick Price. The LB corps return two starters in Mike Mohamed and DJ Holt. There are also some good LB recruits that came in and will contribute this year. The secondary needs some work after ranking 111th in total passing yards last year. Only one starter returns in S Sean Cattouse.
Special Teams: Once again this year there will be a battle for the K job between Giorgio Tavecchio and Vince D’Amoto. P Bryan Anger is one of the top punters in the nation. Isi Sofele and Shane Vereen with both take their turns as the return man.
Overall: Over the past few years Cal has been the highly regarded nationally at the beginning of the year, but have never lived up to the hype. This year the Bears have a lot of question marks this year and look to be at the bottom half of the conference. The run game will once again be the main part of the offense. The defense will have to play better against the pass if they want to help the team reach a bowl game, otherwise it could be a long season in Berkeley.

Arizona St: 3-9 (1-8)
Offense: Arizona St has had two down years on offense and it doesn’t look much better this season. To start with there is a battle going on for starting QB between Michigan transfer Steven Threet, and Brock Osweiler. Who ever wins the job does not have a lot of proven WR to pass to either. WR Kerry Taylor is the only returning starter, and Oregon transfer Aaron Pflugrad will be looked at to help out the offense right away. RB Cameron Marshall will be the starter but doesn’t have much experience, along with the rest of the RB corps. The line has a lot of question marks other then C Garth Gerhart. One positive is there is a good amount of depth and experience.
Defense: Unlike the offense the defense is in good shape. Starting up front with three starters returning led by DT Lawrence Guy. They should once again be able to stuff the run very well. The LB core returns last years Pac 10 freshman of the year in Vontaze Burfict, who can fly all around the field to make plays. The secondary is probably the area with the most concern on the defense and that is only due to the lack of experience in the depth chart. Other wise they should once again do a good job this year.
Special Teams: Both K Thomas Weber and P Trevor Hankins return this year and will be solid. Omar Bolden and Jamal Miles will be the return man this year.
Overall: Head coach Denis Erickson is on the hot seat in Tempe to have his team perform this year. A tough road schedule does not help either, with trips to Wisconsin, Oregon St, Washington, Cal, USC, and Arizona. The offense will have to come together quickly if the Sun Devils want to have a shot at a bowl game. The defense will carry the team again this year, but as it was proven last year they can’t carry them all the way to a bowl game.

Washington St: 1-11 (0-9)
Offense: The past two years the offense hasn’t been very pretty for Washington St, but this year there is some optimism with seven starters returning this year. QB Jeff Tuel showed some signs of being a good QB last year, and should improve even more this year. He as a decent set of WR to pas to in Gino Simone and Jared Karstetter. JUCO transfer WR Isiah Barton will be looked at to be the deep pass threat this year. The Cougars have a bunch of ok RB that will share carries this year between Chantz Staden, Logwone Mitz, Marcus Richmond, and Carl Winston. Former Cal transfer RB James Montgomery is a wild card coming into the season, if he can come back strong from a knee injury he could be the main RB this year. The offensive line is a work in progress. They will have to do a better job then last year when they gave up 53 sacks.
Defense: The defense has had its own issues in trying to stopping teams. This year the team returns five starters and finally has some good depth and experience. Starting up front DE Travis Long is arguably the best player on this side of the ball and is only a sophomore. LB Alex Hoffman-Ellis was the leading tackler for the team last year and returns again this year. LB Louis Bland could have a big break out year as he seems to always be around the ball when on the field. The secondary should also be better again this year after injuries hit them hard last year.
Special Teams: P Reid Forrest returns again this year and should do another solid job this year. K Nico Grasu is also back and needs to be more consistent this year. There will be a group of players that will compete for the return man job.
Overall: Paul Wulff is going into his third year as Washington St’s head coach and is on the hot seat. His team needs to show a good amount of improvement on both sides of the ball. The offense looks to be headed in the right direction with Tuel under center. The defense also has some good young players that could develop as well. A four or five win season should save Wulff his job. The problem is non of the teams games are guaranteed. The best chance for a win is week two when Montana St comes into town, but that still will be tough as Montana St is a very good team in the FCS level.

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Boston College: 9-3 (5-3)
Offense: Once again this year Boston College will have a QB battle going on this fall. Unlike last year though this battle is a little more competitive and has better QB. Last years starter Dave Shinskie will be competing with Mike Marscovetra, Chase Rettig and Josh Bordner. Shinskie was the leader coming into fall camp and looks to be the starter opening day. He will have to find a new go to WR this year. Colin Larmond looks to be that guy after being a back up the past two years. TE Chris Pantale also provides a good pass catching option. The run game is the Eagles strength on offense and they have their lead rusher from last year returning this year in RB Montel Harris. Harris took a lot of the load last year and would benefit with a more balanced attack this year. The line returns four starters led by LT Anthony Castonzo.
Defense: The defense will once again lead the team this year. The line does have some questions in depth, but good starters. DE Alex Albright and DT Brad Newman will anchor the line. BC has one of the most inspirational stories in there LB corps this year, but also one of the best corps. The return of LB Mark Herzlich from bone cancer is a great story, but he is also a very good player. He was the ACC Defensive Player of the year in 2008. Luke Kuechly was the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year last year and looks to team up with Herzlich to be very productive this year. The secondary returns only two starters in CB DeLeon Gause and FS Wes Davis, but they do have a lot of depth and experience.
Special Teams: P Ryan Quigley is one of the top P in the ACC and could compete with new K Nate Freese for the K job this year as well. Montel Harris and DeLeon Gause will be the main return men this year.
Overall: Going into his second year as Boston College’s head coach Frank Spaziani should once again have a team that will compete for the Atlantic division title and the ACC title. Once again this year it will be the run game and defense that leads the team. The offense will be better this year though with a better passing game making the Eagles even more dangers.

Clemson: 6-6 (3-5)
Offense: QB Kyle Parker’s decision to come back for another year was a big sigh of relief for Clemson. With out Parker this year the Tigers offense could have had some issues. Clemson already has to replace Mr. everything CJ Spiller at RB which will not be easy. The tandem of Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper will be looked upon to pick up Spillers productivity from last year. The WR corps doesn’t have much production back from last year. Xavier Dye looks to be the number one WR this year. TE Dwayne Allen will also provide a good sized target for Parker as well. The offensive line returns four starters, but could be in trouble if there is an injury or two as there is not much depth.
Defense: The Tigers have a very solid line with DE Da’Quan Bowers and DT Brandon Thompson and Jarvis Jenkins. They need to a better job against the run though this year. The LB corps is where the question marks are for the defense. Brandon Maye and Corico Hawkins will battle for the MLB possession and if Hawkins wins the job Maye will most likely be moved to OLB. Clemson did play a lot of Nickel last year and probably will again this year with a solid secondary; led by the very good safety combo of DeAndre McDaniel and Rashard Hall. CB Marcus Gilchrest is also very good as well.
Special Teams: K Richard Jackson needs to be more consistant this year or Spencer Benton could take his job this year. P Dawson Zimmerman also didn’t have the best season last year. Clemson will also have to find a new return man or two now that CJ Spiller is gone.
Overall: Head coach Dabo Swinney did a very good job last year in his first year getting the team to the ACC Championship Game just falling short to Georgia Tech. This year they look like they will take a small step back. Of course the Tigers will miss CJ Spiller and that he did for the team, but the lack of a big time WR will hurt. The defense should once again be good this year. The defensive line and LB need to step up this year and stop the run. A tough three game stretch early at Auburn vs. Miami and at North Carolina will show how good this team really is.

North Carolina St: 7-5 (3-5)
Offense: Just like Clemson fans NC St breathed a sigh of relief when QB Russell Wilson said he was returning to play this year and put his Major League Baseball career on hold. Wilson’s duel threat ability makes him one of the top QB in the conference. The RB corps had some injuries in the spring and brings some questions going into fall camp. Curtis Underwood looks to be the starting RB with some type of combination of Brandon Barnes, James Washington, and Travis Leggett. The WR corps is solid with the return of Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer. TE George Bryan is also a good target as well. The line will be inexperienced on the inside with only tackles Jack Vermiglio and RJ Mattes.
Defense: LB Nate Irving will be back on the field for the Wolfpack for the first time since 2008 after missing all of last year due to injuries from a car crash. The LB corps is solid with Audie Cole, Dwayne Maddox, and Terrell Manning. The line lost all four starters from last year. Northwestern transfer DE David Akinniyi will start at one spot while Audi Augustin at the other. The secondary is young but does have some experience. CB CJ Wilson and FS Brandan Bishop will lead the unit. The whole defense will have to do a better job in allowing the opponents to score less if they want to win more games this year.
Special Teams: K Josh Czajkowski is very good. There will be a competition between Chris Ward and Jeff Ruiz for the P job. The return game is in good hands with TJ Graham again this year.
Overall: NC St will have a good team again this year since Wilson returned. The pass game will be in good shape, but the run game is a question mark. The defense has some big questions on the line but have a good group of LB and secondary. The Wolfpack do have a tough cross over schedule in conference facing Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina.

Wake Forest: 4-8 (2-6)
Offense: For the first time in four years Wake Forest does not have Riley Skinner as their starting QB. Coming out of spring practice Skylar Jones was the leading canidate to start, but has will compete with Ted Stachitas, and Brendan Cross. None of the guys competing for the job have thrown a pass in a college game. Who ever wins the starting job will have a very good trio of WR to throw to in Marshall Williams, Devon Brown, and Chris Givens. The Demon Deacons will most likely run the ball more this year with the good duo at RB in former ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass. The line is shaky this year with not much experience but does have to good pieces in C Russell Nenon and LG Joe Looney.
Defense: Wake will once again have a fast and athletic defense this year. DE Tristan Dorty and Kyle Wilber are good rush ends that should be able to get to the opposing QB a good amount. The LB corps will be strong this year with Matt Woodlief and Hunter Haynes. The secondary returns a good amount of experience but needs to force more turnovers this year. CB Kenny Okoro and SS Cyhl Quarles will lead the secondary in doing that.
Special Teams: Wake will have a solid kicking game again this year with the return of K Jimmy Newman and P Shane Popham. They will also have a good return game with the group of Devon Brown, Alex Frye, and Lovell Jackson.
Overall: Head coach Jim Grobe has done a very good job in his nine years at Wake Forest. It looks to be a down year this year though with an unproven QB and line on the offense and a defense that had some issues last year needing to improve. The non conference schedule is also very tough with games at Stanford, vs. Navy, and at Vanderbilt. To get to a bowl game would be a good year for the Deacons.

Maryland: 3-9 (1-7)
Offense: QB Jamarr Robinson played well at the end of last year after taking over for injured Chris Turner and will look to be a play maker once again for Maryland this year. His duel threat ability will help since the line was very inconsistent last year and could be the same way this year. The run game needs to improve from last year as well. Da’Rel Scott looks to rebound from an injury plagued season last year and should be in a decent 1-2 punch with Davin Meggett. The receiving core is solid with the return of WR Torrey Smith and Adrian Cannon.
Defense: Just like the offense last year the defense struggled just as bad. Allowing an ACC worst 31.1 ppg last year is the first place to start improving. The line is young but does have some experience led by the only returning starter in DT AJ Francis. The LB corps will be the strength of the defense with all three starters returning in Adrian Moten, Alex Wujciak, and Demetrius Hartsfield. The secondary has to improve this year after being 12th in the ACC and 97th nationally in passing yards per game last year. CB Cameron Chism is the only returning starter and did a good job last year. The Terps have a decent combo at S with Antwine Perez and Kenny Tate.
Special Teams: One positive last year for Maryland was the kicking game and both K Nick Ferrara and P Travis Baltz return this year. Torrey Smith will once again be the return man and can provide a spark for the team.
Overall: This is a do or die year for head coach Ralph Friedgen. Last years 2-10 record was not accepted very well by the alumni. The offense will have to be more productive this year and need the line to do a better overall job. The defense is key to whether of not the Terps return to a bowl game this year. If they can make some good strides in improvement this year that would be a big help. Maryland did have its far share of close games last year, but didn’t get the breaks to have them go their way. With a couple breaks here and there Maryland once again could be in a bowl game and save Friedgen his job.

Miami: 10-2 (7-1)
Offense: QB Jacoby Harris showed signs of being a Heisman candidate at times last year and should regain that form this year after having thumb surgery. He will have to cut down his ACC high 17 int from last year though. Harris doe have very good duel threat ability to keep the opposing defenses honest. Harris has a good quartet of WR to pass to in LeRon Byrd, Leonard Hankerson, Travis Benjamin, and Aldarius Johnson. The RB corps are also very deep with Damien Berry and Mike James being the main two backs, with Lamar Miller and Storm Johnson get their far share of carries as well. The wild card in the RB core is Graig Cooper who could be back at some point this season after tearing his ACL in the Champs Sports Bowl. The line is the weak spot on the offense. LT Orlando Franklin and RG Joel Figueroa. It will be interesting to see how highly recruited T Seantrel Henderson is used after decommitting from USC to come to Miami.
Defense: This years Hurricanes defense is one of the top defenses the team has had in the past few seasons. The line is very deep, athletic, and physical with three starters back in DE Allen Bailey, DE Andrew Smith, and DT Josh Holmes. The LB corps is the area with the most concern for Miami. Both Colin McCarthy and Sean Spence are back starting this year but after them there are some questions over the rest of the LB. The secondary is very talented with CB Brandon Harris and SS Vaughn Telemaque returning this year. CB DeMarcus Van Dyke is also back, but needs to be more consistent this year.
Special Teams: Matt Bosher is back again this year to do both the punting and kicking. He did a good job last year and should again this year. The return game does need some help and has plenty of options with all the secondary, RB, and WR depth.
Overall: Head coach Randy Shannon has done a very good job in getting “The U” back onto the national stage and should be even better this year. The offense was real good last year and should be even better this year with Harris now having plenty of experience and quality players around him. The defense will also improve this year and be one of the top defenses in the ACC. Miami does have a tough schedule going to Ohio St and Pittsburgh in non conference play and then the challenge of the Coastal division. Even with the tough schedule Miami is ready to be a top team again.

Virginia Tech: 10-2 (6-2)
Offense: Virginia Tech will have a good balanced attack this year led by QB Tyrod Taylor. Taylor’s duel threat ability keeps opposing defenses in check because you never know when he will break off a big run. The WR corps returns the top three from last year in Jarrett Boykins, Danny Coale, and Dyrell Roberts. All three have a chance of making a big play at any time when they have the ball. The strength of the Hokies offense is the run game though. RB Ryan Williams and Darren Evans are arguably the top 1-2 punch in the nation. Both could be seen on the field at the same time a good amount this year. Evans does return from a knee injury that kept him out all of last year, but should be fine this year. The only question mark on the offense is the left side of the line which will have two new starters.
Defense: The defense has some issues on the defense starting with the line. Only one starter from last year in DT John Graves. DE Steven Friday and Chris Drager do have some experience and should be good, but there isn’t much depth beyond the starters. The LB corps is young but talented and led by LB Barquell Rivers and Lyndell Gibson. The secondary only has one starter returning in CB Rashad Carmichael, but there is some experience in the unit.
Special Teams: Beamer ball has always been a huge part of Virginia Tech’s success and will once again this year. The Hokies haven’t been blocking as many punts and kicks the past few year but look to improve on that this year. Dyrell Roberts and Jayron Hosley are both good options at returner. There will be a new P and K this year. Chris Hazley looks to be the K while Brian Sauders the P.
Overall: Unlike most years when Virginia Tech is led by its defense and special teams, this year the offense will actually lead the team. The offense has plenty of power with Taylor, Williams, and Evans leading the way. The defense does have some issues, but Bud Foster should be able to do a good job in coaching up the unit. The Boise St game will show everyone right away how good the Hokies will be this year. With the game basically being a home game Virginia Tech should win and go on to a good season.

North Carolina: 9-3 (6-2)
Offense: The offense is the key to North Carolina’s season. If it can go from below average at times to average the team will be good shape. The first key to the offense is QB TJ Yates. Yates has dealt with injuries over his career but is 100% now and needs to and should perform better. If Yates doesn’t do well early on look for red shirt freshman Bryn Renner to take over. The Tar Heels have some good WR in Greg Little and Erik Highsmith returning along with 15 of the 16 players who caught a pass last season. The run game should be good this year as well with RB Shaun Draughn back to start and also with a quality back up in Ryan Houston. The line also returns four starters led by LG Alan Pelc.
Defense: North Carolina has arguably one of the best defenses in the nation this year, and probably the best defensive line. The d line has good depth and two very good playmakers in DE Robert Quinn and DT Marvin Austin. All three starting LB return again this year led by seniors Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivan. The secondary also returns all four starters led by CB Kendric Burney and FS Deunta Williams. There is one small issue with the secondary which doesn’t have the greatest depth.
Special Teams: K Casey Barth returns this year and is very accurate along with P Grant Schallock who does a solid job. The return game does need to improve this year though.
Overall: North Carolina is in line for another good season under head coach Butch Davis. The defense could dominate their opponents and scoring on them will be very hard. The offense is the key to the season though. If the offense struggles then it could be a little bit of a down season for the Tar Heals. Heck if the football team has another good season this year and basketball has another bad season North Carolina could become a football school.

Georgia Tech: 9-3 (6-2)
Offense: Paul Johnson’s spread option/flexbone offense will be led by QB Joshua Nesbitt for the third consecutive year. All that experience will serve him will in an offense that has so many reads in a little amount of time. RB Anthony Allen will take over the role as the main back this year. Roddy Jones and Embry Peeples will be the other two starting RB, and both have very good break away speed. The Yellow Jackets did loose their big play WR in Demaryius Thomas, but Tyler Melton and Stephen Hill provide good pass catching options when Georgia Tech decides to pass. The line only returns two starters but does have experience and will be led by C Sean Bedford.
Defense: Georgia Tech brought in a new coordinator this offseason in former Virginia coach Al Groh. Groh is installing his 3-4 scheme to help the Yellow Jackets cause more turnovers and get more pressure on the opposing QB. The line only has one returning starter in NT Logan Walls and there isn’t much depth. The LB corps is solid though with three returning starters. OLB Anthony Egbuiwe and Anthony Barnes are both athletic and can provide a good pass rush along with dropping back in coverage. The secondary is solid with ball hawking FS Jerrard Tarrant leading the way.
Special Teams: Both P Chandler Anderson and K Scott Blair return this year after solid seasons last year. The return game needs to improve some and will have Jerrard Tarrant being the main return man.
Overall: Georgia Tech once again this year looks to control the clock and the ground game. The offense is in good hands with Nesbitt and should be able to pile up the rushing yards. The defense needs to improve this year though and should under Groh. The Yellow Jackets will have a tough time defending their ACC title being in the Coastal division, but have a good chance depending on how the defense does.

Duke: 3-9 (2-6)
Offense: Two thirds of the big three return this year in Kyle Singler and Nolen Smith, but Jon Schyer’s leadership and shooting will be missed. Brian Zoubeck will also be missed… Oh wait this is Duke football we are talking about. David Cutcliffe has done a good job improving Duke’s pass game. This year he will have a new starting QB in Sean Renfree. Renfree does have some experience including leading the team to a come from behind victory over Army last year. He does have some real good targets to pass to this year in WR Donovan Vaner, Austin Kelly, and Conner Varner. The run game was the worst in the nation last year though and will need to improve a good amount to help take pressure off Renfree. The Blue Devils do have the top three rushers back from last year in Desmond Scott, Jay Hollingsworth, and Patrick Scott. The strength of the offense this year is the offensive line who returns four starters from last year. That should help in improving the run game.
Defense: The defense lost three big players in DT Vince Oghobaase, DE Ayanga Okopokwuruk, and CB Vinny Rey. The line is the area of most concern with only one returning starter and doesn’t have much depth. There is a lot of buzz about freshman DT Sydney Sarmiento though. The LB core also only returns one starter in Damian Thornton, but they do at least have some depth and experience. The secondary is the area of strength on the defense. CB Chris Rwabukamba and S Matt Daniels are the returning starters to the unit along with some good depth.
Special Teams: Once a big area of concern Duke finally has a K in Will Snyderwine. The rest of the special teams unit is still shaky though. P Kevin Jones needs to improve this year and the return game needs to help out the offense by setting up better field position this year.
Overall: In his first two seasons David Cutcliffe has done a good job at Duke, including a 5-7 season last year. This year the Blue Devils will take a step back. New starting QB Sean Renfree has plenty of play makers around him and should be able to get some help from the running game. The defense was decent last year and will try not to regress from even with the questions about line. When Alabama comes into Durham on September 18th will be a good test to see how far away Duke is. The team will try to stay relevant until about mid October then all the focus will once again go to the basketball team as they try to defend their National Title.

Virginia: 2-10 (0-8)
Offense: New head coach Mike London will having Virginia going back to smash mouth football this year. London’s offense is based off a heavy dose of the run game. One issue London is facing is almost all new starters in the skill possession areas. QB Marc Verica does have some starting experience and will be the starter by default this year. The RB are inexperienced but all could provide something different. Torrey Mack, Perry Jones, Keith Payne, and Dominique Wallace all look to contribute to the run game this year. The WR do have some experience and will look for Tim Smith to have a break out season. The offensive line fits well in London’s scheme led by returning starters LT Landon Bradley, LG Austin Pasztor, and RG BJ Cabbell.
Defense: The defense will be the strength of the team this year even with switching from a base 3-4 to a 4-3. The line has three returning starter in DE Cam Johnson and DT Nick Jenkins and Matt Conrath. LB Steve Greer will be the leader of the defense and is he only returning starter to the unit. The secondary is the strength of the defense. CB Ras-I Dowling will lead the unit that has some good experience and depth.
Special Teams: There are three players battling for the K job, but Robert Randolph has the inside edge. P Jimmy Howell did a decent job last year and returns again this year. The return game will have a group of players returning the ball until someone steps up.
Overall: Mike London has brought some new life and excitement to Virginia football this year. The first game of the year will be a big one as the Cavaliers host London’s former team in Richmond. This will set the tone for the season a win will be help a lot, while a lost could lead to another long season. There is a lot of rebuilding to do but the hiring of London should pay off in time for Virginia.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Miami over Florida St

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Connecticut: 9-3 (5-2)
Offense: UConn comes into this year with a solid balanced offense coming into this year. The Huskies have two good QB in Zach Frazer and Cody Endres. Frazer will be the starter but if he does go down UConn will be fine with Endres running the offense. A WR does need to step up and be a big play maker though between the group of Kashif Moore, Michael Smith, Isiah Moore, and Malik Generett. TE Ryan Griffin does provide a good target ass well. The run game is still the Huskies bread and butter. RB Jordan Todman is the man guy now that Andre Dixon has graduated. There are a group of RB behind him but if someone can step up and be a good back up that will help. The line lost only one starter from last year and will be led by RG Zach Hurd and C Moe Petrus.
Defense: UConn’s defense returns eight starters this year. Greg Lloyd moves from OLB to DE this year and will be joined by three other returning starters from last year, led by DT Twyon Martin who can stuff the run and pressure the QB. The LB have good experience with four year starters Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson returning this year. Jory Johnson and Andrew Opoku will compete for the other starting spot at LB. The secondary needs to improve from last year. They are young starting three sophomores, but two of them started last years in CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson and FS Jerome Junior.
Special Teams: K Dave Teggart returns this year but needs to be more consistent. The Huskies will have a new P in Chad Christen. The return game will be fine with a rotation of Jordan Todman, Robbie Frey, and Matt Lang.
Overall: UConn rebounded well after the murder of team mate Jasper Harris and look to take the momentum of winning their last four games into this year. The offense will still be a run first scheme, but will have a solid pass game as well. UConn usually has a solid defense and should once again this year. The secondary is the key to the defense, with some improvement the Huskies will have a chance at challenging Pitt for the Big East title.

West Virginia: 9-3 (5-2)
Offense: QB Geno Smith has some starting experience from last year and looks to be the starter this year, but with a broken bone in his foot let Coley White into the picture to compete for the job. The return of play making RB Noel Devine is a big break for West Virginia, as he almost left early for the NFL. Devine will once again have a big work load but will have RB Shawne Alston to run the ball as well, along with FB Ryan Clarke to help with the short yardage situations. WR Joke Sanders is back again this year and can provide the big play. Sanders will be joined by Tavon Austin and Bradley Starks as the starting WR. Four starters return this year led by C Joe Madsen and LT Don Barclay.
Defense: The Mountaineers return nine starters from last years defense that was solid last year. West Virginia runs a 3-3-5 base and have all three line men back in DE Julian Miller and Chris Neild and DT Scooter Berry. The LB core has good experience and depth with Pat Lazear and JT Thomas as the returning starters. The secondary doesn’t have very much depth definitely after starting S Robert Sands and Sidney Glover. If either go down the pass defense may have some issues.
Special Teams: West Virginia have plenty of good options to be a returner between Devine, Sanders, Austin, and CB Brandon Hogan. K Tyler Bitancurt did a good job last year and should once again this year, but will have a new P in Corey Smith.
Overall: Bill Stewart is going into his third season as West Virginia’s head coach and once again fields a team that has a chance at the Big East title and a BCS birth. Who ever he decides will be the QB will have plenty of playmakers around him, led by Devin and Sanders. The defense should be solid in all aspects of the game and help the offense have plenty of opportunities to score. The big plays did hurt the defense last year and less of those would help even more. The Mountaineers will get an early test to see how good they are when they travel to LSU on September 25th.

Cincinnati: 7-5 (4-3)
Offense: Last year Cincinnati’s offence was one of the most high octane offenses in the nation, but lost their leading passer and receiver from that team this year. That shouldn’t slow down the Bearcats though as Zach Collaros takes over Tony Pikes job at QB and did a good job last year in four games that Pike was out. USC transfer Vidal Hazelton will take over Mardy Gilyard’s spot and could put up the same numbers Gilyard’s. The second and third leading WR do return this year in Armon Binns and DJ Woods. TE Ben Guidugli also provides a good target. Don’t sleep on the Bearcats run game either, as they have a good back in Isaiah Pead who averaged 6.7 yards per carry last year. Three starters return this year led by G Jason Kelce and Alex Hoffman.
Defense: Cincinnati’s defense got pushed around quit a bit last year and will be kind of young this year. They are switching to a 4-3 defense and have only one returning starter on the line in DT Derek Wolfe. The LB corps return two starters led by OLB JK Schaffer. The secondary is really young and will need to jell quickly. SS Drew Frey will have to lead the secondary as they may experience some growing pains.
Special Teams: The lose of Mardy Gilyard as a returner hurts but the Bearcats have plenty of depth at WR and RB that there will be plenty of options to take over that duty. K Jake Rodgers did both jobs in punting and kicking and did a decent job. He was better as a K and will do that again this year while Patrick O’Donnell will take over as P.
Overall: New head coach Butch Jones takes over a very talented offense but needs his defense to improve. The offense once again should be able to put points on the board fast and in bunches. The defense is what will hold Cincinnati back. They had issues stopping people last year and are learning a new scheme this year along with being so young. The Bearcats will still be a very tough team to beat but don’t have enough to win there third consecutive Big East title.

South Florida: 6-6 (3-4)
Offense: For the first time in four year USF will start its season without QB Matt Grothe. Grothe has graduated and moved on letting the BJ Daniels era take off. Daniels actually played in 12 of the 13 games last year and started in 9 of them after Grothe got injured. As expected from a young player he had his ups and downs and looks to be more consistent this year, but still use his play making abilities as a duel threat QB. The WR will once again be solid this year but hit with a big loss in spring practice with AJ Love tore his ACL and will miss at least half the season. Dontavia Bogan and Sterling Griffin will be the top targets this year after being third and fourth options last year. Lindsey Lamar has converted to WR from RB and can provide a big play threat. Over the past four years USF’s QB has led the team in rushing. New head coach Skip Holtz looks to change that this year, with the combo of Moise Plancher and Demetris Murray. The line returns four starters this year led by C Sampson Genus.
Defense: The Bulls only have four returning starters back this year. The line got hit the most with DE Jason Pierre-Paul and George Selvie go on to the NFL. DT Terrell McClain is the only returning starter on the line but it does have some experience and a good young talent in DE Ryne Giddins. The LB corps also only returns one starter in Sabbath Joseph. LB Sam Barrington has shown he could be an all conference performer. The secondary has a good CB tandem in CB Quinton Washington and Kayvon Webster. The pass defense was one of the tops in the nation, but will need to run defense to improve this year.
Special Teams: Eric Schwartz and Maikon Bonani will battle for the K job this year, while Justin Brockhaus-Kann is the new P. Faron Hornes and Dontavia Bogan will return punts and kicks respectively.
Overall: New head coach Skip Holtz inherits a good offense who should be able to score and looks to be more balanced this year. The defense is where the issues are. The lack of returning starters does not help. The secondary should be the strongest unit and will have to lead the defense as the front seven breaks in the new starters. The offense is there to challenge in the Big East, but the defense will hold them back.

Rutgers: 7-5 (3-4)
Offense: Last year QB Tom Savage was thrown into the fire as a true freshman and did a very good job and will be even better this year. Savage will miss WR Tim Brown, but does have young star WR Mohamed Sanu to throw to. The Knights do need a complementary WR to step up between the group of Tim Wright, Mark Harrsion, and Julian Hayes. The running game will be solid to help balance the offensive attack led by Joe Martinek. The line only returns only two starters on the line in G Art Forst and C Howard Barbieri.
Defense: Rutgers returns a solid line this year with three starters and a part time player back to start this year. DT Charlie Noonan, DT Scott Vallone, and DE Alex Silbestro all started last year and will again this year. Sack specialist DE Jonathan Freeny is now starting as well this year. The area of most concern for the Knights with only Antonio Lowery returning, but does have a promising new starter in Steve Beauharnais. SS Joe Lefeged will lead a solid secondary this year and will be joined by fellow starter CB David Rowe and some solid young players.
Special Teams: K San San Te needs to step up and have a better year this year after two consecutive ok years. P Teddy Dellaganna will once again be solid and one of the top P in the conference. With a lot of RB depth there are plenty of options at return man.
Overall: Greg Schiano has done a great job making Rutgers a contender in the Big East year in and year out after being the doormat for a long time. The offense has plenty of talent at the skill possessions, but the line is where the question mark is. If the new line can jell well then the offense will be even better. Last years defense was very good and should be just as good this year. With a weak non-conference schedule Rutgers should once again make a bowl game. Tough trips in conference play will cost the Knights a shot at the Big East Title.

Syracuse: 4-8 (1-6):
Offense: Last year Syracuse had some issues scoring and may once again this year. The Orange will have a new starting QB in Ryan Nassib. Nassib did get some experience last year coming into game when last years starter Greg Paulus (LETS GO DUKE!!!!! LOL) struggled. Nassib does not have a lot of WR to pass to, but does have a decent go to guy in Alec Lemon. The rest of the WR corps is mediocre at best and will need to step up. RB Delone Carter was a big part of the offense last year, but got into some trouble with the law and was suspended for spring practice and will have to stay out of trouble to stay on the team. If Carter does get in trouble again Syracuse does have some depth with Antwon Bailey and Averin Collier. The offensive line will be decent with three starters returning led by C Ryan Bartholomew.
Defense: The defense was ok last year and an improvement would help keep the team in more games. The line returns three starters in the 4-3 defense led by DE Chandler Jones. The LB corps is the best unit on the defense with Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith returning. The secondary does have good experience with SS Max Suter and FS Mike Holmes returning, but they will need to improve in stopping the opposition.
Special Teams: One bright spot for Syracuse is the kicking game with K Ryan Lichtenstein and P Rob Long being one of the top duos in the nation. The Orange will have to use a group of players to be return men.
Overall: Last years four wins in head coach Doug Marrone’s first year has brought some hope back to Syracuse football. There is still a lot of building to do though. The offense doesn’t have a lot of depth and will need to produce a lot more this year. But there is some good young stars to build around. The defense will once again lead the team. The run d was very good last year and will hope to put up similar numbers this year. The secondary and pass defense is where the improvement needs to come from. The Orange are still a few years away from a bowl game but at least have some signs of hope to build on.

Louisville: 3-9 (0-7)
Offense: New head coach Charlie Strong is planning on brining in the spread offense that he has seen over the past few years while at Florida. Right now he might not have the players to do that though. QB Adam Froman looks to be the starter again but will get some good compotation from Will Stein, and Dominique Brown. Who ever the QB is will not have a lot of targets to throw to as Louisville has only six WR on scholarship. Josh Chichester provides a nice big target at 6”8’ at least. TE Cameron Graham started last year and could be one of the top targets in the pass game this year. RB is where the strength of the offense is. Victor Anderson returns as the starter this year but have a solid back ups in Bilal Powell, too bad the offense is based on passing the ball more then running it. The line returns three starters led by C Mario Benavides.
Defense: Good thing Charlie Strong’s forte is defense because the Cardinals need some help on this side of the defense. The line will have the most experience with three starters returning in DE William Savoy, DE Malcolm Tatum, and DT Greg Scruggs. They will need to stop the run a lot better this year as they gave up 165.1 rushing ypg last year. The LB corps is the strength of the defense with starting LB Antwon Canady and Brandon heath returning along with some decent depth. The secondary is where the big questions are at. They did a good job last year against the pass but have only one starter returning in CB Johnny Patrick. SS Terence Simien could be an x factor this year after missing last season with a lacerated kidney. Last years number two RB Darius Ashley has been moved to CB to help sure up some depth issues.
Special Teams: K Chris Philpott did a decent job last year and looks to do even better this year, while P Jon Payne looks to help improve the punting game this year. There will be a group of players battling for the job as return man.
Overall: It’s hard to believe that just four years ago Louisville was coming off a 12-1 record and Orange Bowl win. Now after Steve Kragthorpe ran the program into the ground Charlie Strong has a lot of rebuilding to do. The talent cupboard is pretty empty, but one good this is Strong was one of Florida’s top recruiters and should be able to get some good athletes and players to come to Louisville. The offense is not ready for the spread but has enough pieces to run it this year. The run game will carry the team. The defense needs to improve against the run if they want to win more games. It also doesn’t help that last years strength in the secondary is now probably the defenses weakness this year. With a few years of good recruiting classes the Cardinals once again could be battling for a Big East Title and BCS berth.

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Utah: 11-1 (7-1)
Offense: Utah’s run game will be strong once again this year. The NCAA granted RB Matt Asiata another year of eligibility after being injured last year early in the year. He will be part of a tough 1-2 punch with RB Eddie Wide. QB Jordan Wynn goes into his first full season as the starting QB and is a good duel threat QB. Wynn will still be asked to mange the game for the most part, but could become a game changing player if he keeps developing. WR Jereme Brooks will be the top target for Wynn this year. The rest of the WR core is young and will need to grow quickly to help the team have a balanced attack. The line will once again be solid with four starters back to protect Wynn and open up holes for Wide and Asiata.
Defense: The Utes return only four starters this year but will still be very good thanks to such good depth. The line will be the strongest unit on the defense with DT Dave Kruger and Sealver Siliga returning. The LB corps is the area of most concern for Utah after Nai Fotu blew out his knee in the spring and will red shirt. The experience is suspect other then LB JJ Williams who started as a freshman in 2006 before going on his church mission. CB Brandon Burton is the only returning starter in the secondary but does have some good new starters joining him. There is plenty of experience for the secondary to still shut down opponents passing game.
Special Teams: K Joe Phillips and P Sean Sellwood did a good job in their first year of work last year and should once again this year. Shaky Smithson is a good kick and punt returner.
Overall: Utah lost two games by only one possession last year and then got thumped by TCU. The offense should once again be very good and provide plenty of fire power. The defense should take a little step back but is still one of the conferences top defenses. Utah plays a tough schedule once again this year opening against Pittsburgh at home and traveling to Notre Dame and Iowa St. The Utes will be looking for revenge this year when TCU comes into Salt Lake City in possibly the game that decides the conference champion.

Air Force: 9-3 (6-2)
Offense: Air Force’s running attack year in and year out is always up there as the top in the nation, and nothing will change this year. The return of QB Tim Jefferson to lead the Falcons attack helps. Jefferson had some bumps with academics and injuries last year but looks to be smooth sailing now. He makes good decisions whether he is running the option or passing, and can cause nightmares for defensive coordinators with his duel threat ability. Jefferson is joined in the back field with FB Jared Tew and RB Asher Clark. Tew averaged 4.1 yards per carry last year and is able to wear out defenses on the all important FB dive, but also has some nice break away speed. Clark has very good speed but can also run between the tackles. WR Kevin Fogler and Jonathan Warzaeka are good targets in the pass game and solid run blockers as well. The big issue for Air Force is the completely new line this year. As always the line is undersized but very quick. The zone blocking scheme is what makes the system run so smoothly and the new line does have a good amount of experience with it, to help make it a smooth transition.
Defense: Air Forces defense are usually undersized but very athletic and is the same way this year. Last years defense was one of the top in the nation and has some good pieces back from last years team this year. The Falcons run a 3-3-5 system to help adjust the lack of size with speed. DE Rick Ricketts is the only returning starter on the line and will have to help in a group effort to replace the production of departed Ben Garland. The LB core is the biggest question mark for the defense. Andre Morris Jr is the only returning starter and should produce once again. The questions are at OLB with Patrick Hennessey and Ken Lamendola missing spring practice due to injuries. If they cant compete all year there is some depth but not a lot. The secondary was outstanding last year and returns three starters to it. CB Anthony Wright and Reggie Rembert shut down a lot of teams last year and look to do the same thing again this year. FS Jon Davis is a ball hawking safety that will jump at any chance he gets to intercept a ball.
Special Teams: K Erik Soderberg did a solid job last year and is back again this year. Air Force is looking for a new P and Keil Bartholomew looks to be the leading candidate. Reggie Rembert will be the main return man along with shutting down opponents pass games.
Overall: In Troy Calhoun’s first three years as head coach he has taken the Falcons to a bowl game all three years. That trend should continue again this year with all of the leading rushers back to lead the offense. Along with a good chunk of one of the top secondary’s in the nation. If the offensive line can jell quickly Air Force could be challenging for the conference title. The October 2nd game at home against Navy is huge for the Falcons as they try to regain control of the Commander in Chiefs Trophy.

Colorado St: 8-4 (4-4)
Offense: For the first time in head coach Steve Fairchild’s career at CSU he will have a starting QB who is not a senior. Instead he will have either true freshman Pete Thomas or red shirt freshman Nico Ranieri starting this year. Both provide good duel threat ability and who ever wins the job will be asked to be more of a game manager then play maker. The running game is the strength of the Rams offense and is the focal point of it as well. RB Lenard Mason and John Mosure both had time as the starter last year will provide leadership for the possession. While UCLA transfer Raymond Carter and red shirt freshman Chris Nwoke provide some very good depth allowing CSU to go four RB deep. The receiving core is young and inexperienced this year. WR Tyson Ligget and TJ Brocky will have to provide the leadership for the unit. Brocky could also be used in a wildcat package as he was once a QB at CSU. The offensive line is a big question mark this year with only one starter returning in T Paul Madsen. G Jake Gdowski and T Mark Starr at least have some experience so the line isn’t totally green this year, but they will be the key to CSU season.
Defense: Since Larry Kerr has come back to CSU to once again lead the defense two years ago, it has improved both years. CSU returns seven starters on the defense that should help out the young offense. DE Cory Macon returns as a starter on the line this year and will help provide a good pass rush with DE Eugene Danials on the other side. The combination of Guy Miller, Ty Whittier and Nuku Latu should do a good job stopping the run. The LB core is the strength of the defense, led by the athletic playmaker in Mychal Sisson. Alex Williams also returns as a starter this year. The return of LB Ricky Brewer will make the group even better after he served a one year suspension for violating an undisclosed team rule. The secondary will be decent with the return of FS Elijah-Blu Smith and SS Ivory Herd. CB Momo Thomas, DeAngelo Wilkinson, and Marcus Shaw are a decent combo to have. It should be interesting to see how the Rams use S Mike Orakpo, younger brother of Texas star Brian.
Special Teams: K Ben DeLine and P Pete Kontodoiakos both did a solid job last year and are back this year. Momo Thomas and Lou Greenwood will look to add a spark to the return game.
Overall: CSU took a step backwards last year with a 3-9 (0-8) record, but looks to rebound this year. The team will focus on running the ball and playing good defense to help regroup this year. Both should be solid and help out the team. Coach Fairchilds probably wont name a starter until a few days before the opener against rival Colorado. The Rams have a good non-conference schedule to help build confidence and get off to a good start. The key to the season is how quickly the o line can jell. With three of the starters having some experience that should help the line jell quicker. If things go well this year the future could be bright for CSU.

BYU: 7-5 (4-4)
Offense: BYU lost both its star QB and RB from last year and have a good battle going for the starting job at both. QB Riley Nelson backed up Max Hall last year and has a good feel for the offense, Jake Heaps was regarded as the top pro style QB in this years recruiting class and has all of Provo buzzing, and James Lark has played well to make the competition a three man race going into fall camp. Who ever wins the race has solid targets in WR O’Neill Chambers and Jacobson McKay. BYU will have a new starting TE which is also a big part of there offense and there will be a battle for that job between Mike Muehlmann and Devin Mahina. With the dismissal of RB Harvy Unga from school in the spring the Cougars lost a three time 1,000 yard rusher. There was depth behind Unga though. RB JJ Di Luigi and Bryan Kariya will split the duty as Unga’s replacment. One positive for BYU’s offense is that four offensive linemen return led by LT Matt Reynolds.
Defense: BYU’s front seven has some rebuilding to do as only two starters return this year in NT Romney Fuga and LB Jordan Pendleton. The line does get help with NT Eathyn Manumaleuna returning from his church mission this year. The LB core isn’t as luck as there is little experience to fall back on and could be a trouble spot for BYU. The secondary is where the experience is at with three starters returning. SS Andrew Rich will lead the secondary.
Special Teams: K Mitch Payne and P Riley Stephenson both return this year after good seasons last year. One of them has to step up on kick off duties though as both struggled last year. O’Neill Chambers will be the return man again and do another solid job at it.
Overall: Bronco Mendenhall hasn’t faced this much adversity since probably his first year as BYU’s head coach. The offense will not be as powerful as it was last year with a brand new QB and RB this year. Having a veteran line will help the offense a good amount though. The defense could have some issues this year with basically a brand new front seven. Some one will have to step up and get pressure on the QB to let the secondary do its job. A tough schedule will not let the new QB and RB gain confidence as they are thrown right into the fire as the first four games are vs. Washington, at Air Force, at Florida St, and vs. Nevada. BYU fans may have to deal with a few more losses then they are use to this season.

Wyoming: 5-7 (3-5)
Offense: Just like the way Wyoming surprised everyone in the Mountain West so did QB Austyn Carta-Samuels. As a true freshman last year he after three games he was named the starter and took off. Carta-Samuels provides a very good duel threat ability and takes care of the ball. The top three WR from last year return this year in David Leonard, Zach Bolder and Chris McNeil. Head Coach Dave Christensen wants to have a better run game this year, and should with RB Alvester Alexander returning. The line will have a new right side but everyone else returns.
Defense: Wyoming will have a 4-3 base defense this year instead of the 3-4 they had last year. The line lost its top four players from last year, but the Cowboys have moved Josh Biezuns and Gabe Knapton up to DE from LB to help with that problem. The LB core is young but has decent experience and will be led by Brian Hendricks. The secondary returns all four starters that did a decent job last year. The Gipson brothers, Marcell and Tashaun, do a good job at CB and along with FS Chris ProsinskI.
Special Teams: K Ian Watts and P Austin McCoy both return and did a good job last year. With the depth at WR and CB gives the Cowboys plenty of options at return man.
Overall: Wyoming was able to sneak up and surprise everyone in the Mountain West, but wont be able to do that this year. Carta-Samuels will be one of the top QB in the conference and continue to help lead the Cowboys. With an improved running game the offense will be even better. The line is the big question for the defense and will have to step up. The LB and secondary should be able to lead the defense. Wyoming had four fourth quarter comebacks last year and may not be as lucky this year. Wyoming will take a small step backwards this year as teams are better prepared for them this year.

San Diego St: 5-7 (2-6)
Offense: QB Ryan Lindley returns for his third year as a starter for SDSU and needs to improve on not throwing as many interceptions. (16 last year) Lindley does have some of his top targets back in WR DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown. TE Alston Umuolo is also a formable target as well. Head Coach Brady Hoke is ready for the run game to step up and help the offense now. Last years starting RB Brandon Sullivan has moved to FB and Ronnie Hillman and Walter Kazee will split duties at RB. An improved running game will help the team and also take pressure off Lindley. The line returns only two starters led by C Trask Iosefa, but could have three JUCO transfers in at the new possessions so they will at least have some experience.
Defense: The Aztec’s run a 3-3-5 defense and need to be improved from last year to help the team make a bowl game. The line needs to get more pressure on the opposing QB. To help with that Ernie Lawson was moved from NT to DE, allowing Jerome Long to start at NT. JUCO transfer DE Perry Jackson should help as well. LB Miles Burris is the only returning starter at the LB core, but is surrounded by a good amount of experience, just not as starters. The secondary did a good job last year and should again this year. Andrew Preston is the new starter at the “Aztec” possession, which is a S/LB hybrid. CB Jose Perez, S Dey Juan Hemmingsm and S Brandon Davis will help lead the secondary.
Special Teams: P Brian Stahovich had a very good season last year and should once again this year. K Bryan Shields is SDSU new K after transferring from Utah St. The depth at WR provides plenty of options for returner.
Overall: Some people believe that SDSU is ready to take the next step and go to a bowl game this year. If that is the case then the run game and defense are going to have to step up. The pass game is once again in good hands with Lindley, and just needs to have less int this year. A soft early schedule will help the run game and defense grow confidence, but a tough four game stretch at the end of October and early November is just too much this year.

UNLV: 2-11 (1-7)
Offense: New head coach Bobby Hauck is changing UNLV’s offensive philosophy from a spread attack to more pro style down hill running game. First thing Hauck needs to do is decide on a QB. Last years starter Omar Clayton is back and is competing with back up Mike Clausen and Caleb herring. Clayton looks to have a leg up on the competition but no starter was named coming out of spring practice. Who ever wins the battle will have two good WR to throw to in Phillip Payne and Michael Johnson. The run game is the focus of Hauck’s offense and there will be a committee of RB in it this year. The Rebels could use up to as many as five RB in there system this year. The line returns four starters but has to work on the new blocking schemes.
Defense: UNLV’s defense was pretty bad last year and needs to improve a lot. The line needs to get more pressure on the opponents QB, but has only one returning starter in DT Isaako Aaitui. There is not much experience and depth on the line as well. The LB core has good experience and depth, led by Starr Fuimaono and Ronnie Paulo. The secondary was a small bright spot on the defense last year led by CB Quinton Pointer and CB Deante’ Purvis.
Special Teams: UNLV will have a new P and K this year. Ben Jaekle looks to have the edge for the K job. Nolan Kohorst looks to be the P and could challenge for the K job as well.
Offense: Hauck didn’t come into an awful situation at UNLV and does have some good players to build around, but not a lot on the offense that fit his system. The defense is key to how good Hauck’s first season will be. The more they improve from last year the better the Rebels will be. Hauck will still run some spread offense until he gets his players, but it will be a rough first season for him in Las Vegas.

New Mexico: 2-10 (1-7)
Offense: New Mexico first order of business when fall camp starts is deciding on a starting QB. There are five candidates for the job, Stump Godfrey, Tarean Austin, Brad Gruner, Tate Smith, and B.R. Holbrook. Holbrook looked to be the leader coming out of spring practice. The Lobos are also focused on having a better run game this year and return the top three rushers from last year led by RB Demond Dennis. WR Ty Kirk and Bryant Williams will provide good targets for who ever the QB is. The line could be shaky as only the LT Byron Bell and LG Karlin Givens return.
Defense: The strength of the Lobos defense will be the line. DE Jaymar Latchison can provide pressure on the opposing QB as well as stuff the run and will lead the line. Highly touted freshman DT Calvin Smith could get a good amount of playing time as well. LB Carmen Messina is the only returning starter and will have to lead the young group. The secondary had issues last year and could once again this year as CB Anthony Hooks is the only returning starter to a very young group as well.
Special Teams: K James Aho had a good season last year and should have another one this year. New Mexico will have a new P in Ben Skaer. The combo of RB and WR will compete for a job at return man.
Overall: Last year was a tough year for New Mexico and this year may be the same way. The offense will have a lot of questions with a new QB and pretty new line as well. The defense is very young and will need to play better then last year to help out the offence. If the Lobos can win a few games this year and build some confidence for next year that will help. This team is just too young to compete in the tough Mountain West Conference.

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Notre Dame: 8-4
Offense: New head coach Brian Kelly brings in his up tempo spread offense to help regroup the Fighting Irish. QB Dayne Crist has little experience but looks to be a good fit for Kelly’s offense. Crist top targets will be WR Michael Floyd and TE Kyle Rudolph. Armando Allen will be the starting RB. The line returns two starters led by Trevor Robinson.
Defense: The defense is going from a 4-3 base to a 3-4. This switch is made in an effort to stop the run this year. The line has starters back at all positions led by DE Ethan Johnson and NT Ian Williams. The LB core is led by Manti Te’o who had a phenomenal freshman year. The secondary returns only one starter in CB Gary Gray, but had plenty of depth last year and should be fine this year.
Special Teams: There is a three player race for the kicking job between Nick Tausch, David Ruffer, and Brandon Walker, no matter who wins the Irish have plenty of options to kick. P Ben Turk had the punting job all to himself. Notre Dame will use a combination of WR to return punts and kicks this year.
Overall: Notre Dame has a favorable schedule this year and should succeed under new coach Brian Kelly. The offense may have some bumps at times but will be able to wear out opposing defenses. The defense is where Notre Dame has stumbled the last few years but has some pieces to build around to succeed.

Army: 6-6
Offense: QB Trent Steelman did a good job in his first year as the starter in Army’s triple option offense. He should improve now with a season of the offense under his belt and get help from new FB Jared Hassin, who transferred from Air Force. Both slot backs return this year in Jameson Carter and Patrick Mealy to provide speed on the outside. WR Davyd Brooks can provide a big play in the pass game when the Black Knights decide to go to the air. The line has good experience with three starters back this year.
Defense: The defensive lines top returning starter DE Josh McNary missed spring practice due to injury but is set to be 100% for the season. He will provide plenty of pressure on opposing QB. All three LB return this year including defensive leader Stephen Anderson. The secondary ranked third in the nation in passing yards allowed per game last year and has three starters returning this year led by S Donovan Travis.
Special Teams: Kickers Alex Carlton and Matt Campbell could split duties this year depending on if the other is struggling. P Jonathan Bulls returns this year. The return game needs to improve and has plenty of options with depth at SB and WR.
Overall: In his first season head coach Rich Ellerson did a good job of getting Army one game shy of a bowl appearance. Army looks to take it one step forward and get to a bowl game for the first time since 1996. The offense is in good hands under Steelman and the defense did a good job last year. With a favorable early schedule Army should be able to make it to that bowl game.

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Fresno St: 8-4 (7-1)
Offense: Fresno St has always been a run first team and should be that way again, but does have good talent at QB. There is a battle this year for starting QB between last years starter Ryan Colburn and former Fresno St standout David Carr’s little brother Derek. The Bulldogs could red shirt Carr giving Colburn the starting job. Last years national leading rusher Ryan Matthews is gone to the NFL and will need to be replaced. The combination of Robbie Rouse, Michael Harris, and AJ Ellis will have the task of replacing Matthews production. WR Jamel Hamler will be the leading receiver this year. TE Vince Pascoe will also provide a nice big target. The whole line returns this year and should do a very good job.
Defense: Fresno St’s defense will have to improve on stopping the run this year and will be led by DE Chris Carter. Carter will be joined up front by two other starters from last year in DE Chris Lewis and DT Cornell Banks. The LB have two returning starters and will be led by Ben Jacobs. The secondary did a good job last year and has good leadership returning in it, with CB Desia Dunn and SS Lorne Bell.
Special Teams: K Kevin Goessiling returns again and is basically automatic. The Bulldogs will have to find a new P between Matt Darr and Andrew Shapiro. There will be a group of players taking turns at return man.
Overall: Year in and year out Fresno St is always competing for the WAC title and once again this year. The offense should be good and productive as usual. The defense is what will decide how good the team will be this season. If they can stop the run better they may have a shot at Boise. Having Boise at home is a bonus but Fresno doesn’t have enough to match Boise’s offense.

Nevada: 9-4 (6-2)
Offense: Nevada led the nation in rushing last year and returns all the key parts of from last year. Duel threat QB Collin Kaepernick can be a defensive coordinators nightmare, you never know if he will run or pass it. Kaepernick passed for 2052 yards and ran for 1183. RB Vai Taua also returns after a very good season last year and looks to do the same thing as last year. WR Brandon Wimberly will be the main target again this year. The line returns three starters from last year, and have plenty of depth.
Defense: The Wolf Pack’s defense hurt the team a lot last year and now have a new coordinator in Andy Buh. The run defense did a good job last year and will be asked to do the same thing this year. The line will be led by DT Zack Mandonick and DE Dontay Moch. Moch can both stop the run well and get good pressure on opposing QB. The LB corps have a good set of athletes in Brandon Marshall and James-Michael Johnson. The secondary and pass defense is where the improvements really need to come, after finishing next to last in passing yards allowed per game last year. SS Duke Williams and CB Isaiah Frey are nice pieces to build around to start the improvement. Former Utah transfer and QB Corbin Louks should take over the starting job at FS.
Special Teams: Both P Brad Langley and K Ricky Drake return this year and should provide a solid kicking game. The return game has to get better though. JUCO transfer WR Rishard Matthews looks to provide a spark to it.
Overall: Nevada should once again be one of the top rushing teams in the nation. The offense is not the concern for the team, it is the defense. The run defense should be fine but they have to stop teams from passing all over them. Nevada’s offense can easily mach up with Boise and also shorten the game with running it but the defense is too far behind for the Wolf Pack to challenge them.

Idaho: 6-7 (4-4)
Offense: Idaho had a break through season last year and looks to build off it. QB Nathan Enderle returns again this year and looks to be just as efficient as last year when he was 5th in the nation at pass efficiency. RB Princeton McCarty returns as well as Deonte Jackson to provide a nice 1-2 punch. Deep threat WR Maurice Shaw returns along with WR Eric Greenwood. The big question mark for the Vandals is the offensive line which lost four starters including first round pick Mike Iupati. LT Matt Cleveland is the lone returning starter and will have to lead the line.
Defense: The defense will have to improve from last year to help Idaho become a constant winner. They do return ten starters at least so there is a lot of experience. The line will have to get better pressure on the opposing QB. DE Aaron Lavarias and DT Jonah Sataraka. The LB corps might be the best defensive unit on the team led by Jojo Dickson and Paul Senescall. The secondary is the area that needs the most work. They need to pick off more passes and shut down opponents as well. SS Shiloh Keo will lead this group.
Special Teams: K Trey Farquhar and P Bobby Cowan had very good seasons last year and look to build on that this year. Shiloh Keo will return kicks and Justin Veltung will return punts. The punt and kick coverage teams need to improve on not allowing opponents to have such good starting field position.
Overall: Idaho was a pleasant surprise last year in the WAC and looks to build off it. The offense has all the skill position players to keep on doing a good job but the line will decide how good the offense can be. The defense is the key to if the Vandals can continue to be successful. With ten starters back that helps. One thing Idaho cant do this year is sneak up on the competition this year.

Louisiana Tech: 5-7 (4-4)
Offense: New head coach Sonny Dykes brings in a pass happy spread offense and spread guru Tony Franklin to construct it. Louisiana Tech has to decide on a QB first though. The battle is between last years starter Ross Jenkins and Auburn transfer Steven Ensminger. Whoever the QB is will have good targets in WR Phillip Livas and transfers Tim Molton (LSU) and Ahmad Paige (Tennessee). RB Lennon Creer and Lyle Fitte will provide a good 1-2 punch. Three starters on the line return including LT Rob McGill.
Defense: Louisiana Tech’s defense was really good last year, but this year has only four returning starters from that unit. DE Matt Broha is the only returning starter on the line but it does have good depth. The LB corps is probably the best core on the defensive side. LB Jay Dudley will lead the group, but Solomon Randle is a rising star in the group. SS Tank Calais will have to lead a young secondary.
Special Teams: Phillip Livas is a top notch return man and will provide plenty of sparks for the Bulldogs. K Matt Nelson and P Cade Glassgow were decent last year but need to be more consistent.
Overall: Former coach Derik Dooley did a very good job with this team and left it in good shape. It should be interesting to see how the offense does in Tony Franklin’s offense. There will definitely be some bumps along the way but could also put a lot of points on the board. The defense is a little young but should still do well. It might be a little bit of a down season for LA-Tech, but if they can learn quick it could be another good one.

Hawaii: 5-8 (4-4)
Offense: Hawaii’s run and shoot offense wasn’t firing many bullets last season. Definitely in the red zone where they ranked last nationally in red zone scoring efficiency. The return of starting QB Bryant Moniz should help improving that stat. Moniz has some of his top targets back as well in WR Greg Salas, Rodney Bradley, and Kealoha Pilares. RB Alex Green has added weight to help become more of a power back. The big question is the line which returns only one starter. LT Austin Hansen will be depended on to lead a new line with little experience.
Defense: The Warriors front seven has a lot of question marks coming into this year. DT Vaughn Meatoga is the only returning starter in the front seven on a defense that had trouble stopping the run last year. Converted S Aaron Brown will be asked to lead a brand new corp of LB. The secondary is where all the experience is at with all starters returning, led by FS Mana Silva.
Special Teams: K Scott Enos could be pushed by freshman Tyler Hadden for the job, P Alex Dunnachie is back after a decent season. With all the WR and secondary depth there are plenty of options at returner.
Overall: This is a very important season for head coach Greg McMackin. Hawaii needs to show improvement on both sides of the ball. A bowl game would help McMackin in job security.

Utah St: 3-9 (2-6)
Offense: The return of duel threat QB Diondre Borel helps Utah St a lot. Borel can provide nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators. Unfortunately for the Aggies RB Robert Turbin tore his ACL in spring practice. He is hopping to return by October but there are no guarantees. Michael Smith Kerwynn Williams, and Derrvin Speight will try to fill in for Turbin. Top WR Stanley Morrision returns but the rest of the core is young and inexperienced. The line will be solid with three returning starters back.
Defense: The improvement of the defense will show how much better the team will be this year. The line needs to get more pressure on the opposing QB and will be led by DE Quinn Garner. The LB core is very athletic and make plenty of plays led by Bobby Wagner. The secondary will have to improve a good amount this year and will rely on CB Chris Randle and FS Rajric Coleman.
Special Teams: Peter Caldwell could be both the P and K this year, freshman Nick Diaz could take over as the K. There will be a group of guys that compete to be the main return man.
Overall: Utah St made good improvement last year and look to keep building this year. Borel is the key to the offense. The defense with a good amount of improvement could help lead the Aggies to a bowl game. They could be the Idaho of the WAC this year.

New Mexico St: 1-11 (1-7)
Offense: New Mexico St had a tough time with its offense last year and may again this year. The Aggies had a lot of issues at QB this year and are hoping to improve on that this year with new offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar. Going into the fall there is a battle for the starting job between Jeff Fleming, Matt Christian, Tanner Rust, and Andrew Manley. Whoever wins the job will have top WR Todd Lee and Marcus Allen to pass to. New Mexico St might want to stick to the run game while they iron out the pass game. RB Seth Smith had a solid season last year and again should once again be the teams top offensive performer. The line should be steady again this season with three starters returning.
Defense: The run defense has to improve a lot if New Mexico St wants to improve at all as a teams. That all starts up on the line, which returns three starters led by DE Pierre Fils and Donte Savage. The LB need to also pull there own wait by have all new starters at all three sports. JUCO transfer Frank Padillia will be asked to step in and contribute right away. The secondary did a good job last year and returns three starters including all WAC CB Davon House.
Special Teams: P Kyle Hughes returns again this season. JUCO transfer Tyler Stampler will be the kicker. Marcus Allen and Donyan Coleman will return kicks and punts respectively.
Overall: There is still a lot of building to do in Las Cruces for New Mexico St to become a contender in the WAC. At least there is a run game and pass defense to build on.

San Jose St: 2-10 (0-8)
Offense: New head coach Mike Macintyre is getting ride of the spread offense and go to a more two back approach. The Spartans averaged an awful 76.7 rushing yards per game last year and have plenty of work to do. Last years leading RB Lamon Muldrow does return to help the team. Brandon Rutley is a good back up for Muldrow as well and could turn into a nice 1-2 punch. Starting QB Jordan La Secia returns but needs to improve a lot from last year. La Secia’s top targets in WR Jalal Beauchman and Marquis Avery return to help make a balanced attack. The line returns three starters but will have to work on its run blocking.
Defense: The line will have to be rebuilt with little experience and only one returning starter in DT Pablo Garcia. The LB corps is decent but needs some more depth. LB Pompery Festejo will led the group. The secondary is the top unit on the defense which did very well last year. CB Duke Ihenacho will lead it and be looked upon to cause a few turnovers.
Special Teams: K Tyler Cope is back but will have a new P in Harrison Waid. Brandon Rutley will be the main return man.
Overall: New coach Mike Macintyre has his work cut out for him. The offense was a mess last year and needs some guidance. The defense is what will lead the team. A tough first few games doesn’t help the team that could use a few early wins to help its confidence.

The post WAC Preview appeared first on Football Bowl Subdivision.

Central Florida: 8-4 (6-2)
Offense: QB Rob Calabrese will take over UCF offense this year and has a good surrounding cast. The Knights offense might not be at full strength until mid season though. Starting RB Brynn Harvey tweaked a knee injury in the spring and may miss some early games. FB Brendan Kelly will start at RB while Harvey is out. UCF returns a good WR core with Kamar Aiken, AJ Guyton and Quincy McDuffie. The offensive line all has good experience and only has to find a new starter at center.
Defense: The defense is what will lead UCF this year, just as in years past. DE Bruce Miller is the heart and soul of the defense. He once again should be the CUSA Defensive Player of the year and even an All-American. LB Derrick Hallman and Lawrence Young are the returning starters in an experienced LB core. CB Josh Robinson lead the team in int last year as a freshman and should once again be a shut down corner for the Knights deep secondary.
Special Teams: K Nick Cattoi and Jamie Boyle will go into the fall battling for the kicking job. Both need to be more consistent to keep it. P Blake Clingan is once again back and will do a solid job. UCF has plenty of options at return man and will use a rotation of them.
Overall: Central Florida will be lead by its defense once again this year. The pass defense will need to improve some and should with Bruce Miller back again this year to put pressure on the opposing QB. The offense should be solid as well and be able to control the clock and put points on the board.

East Carolina: 7-5 (6-2)
Offense: New head coach Ruffin McNeill is installing the “Air Rad” offense that he use to watch at Texas Tech. Before the ball can be flying threw the air a bunch in Greenville a starting QB will need to be appointed. Dominique Davis and Brad Wornick will battle for the job. Whoever wins the job will have some talented WR to pass to including senior Dwayne Harris. The offensive line gave up the fewest sacks in the CUSA and return three starters from that group. RB Jonathan Williams and Norman Whitley will split time in the backfield this year.
Defense: The only returning starters from last years defense are CB Emanuel Davis and Travis Simmons. McNeill a defensive coordinator at Texas Tech before taking the job at ECU will use a lot of different blitz packages. The front seven will have to mature quickly with very little experience. DT Josh Smith has the most experience of the whole front seven and will be looked at to lead them. Senior LB Dustin Lineback will also be looked at to lead the front seven.
Special Teams: K Ben Ryan is back and should be solid again this year. Matt Millisor and Nathan Przestrzelski will battle for the punting job. The return game will be one of the best with Dewayne Harris returning kicks and Travis Simmons returning punts.
Overall: Ruffin McNeill gets to return to his alma mater and should be a good fit for them. He takes over a very young and inexperienced team, but they do have a lot of talent. The “Air Rad” offense will be tough to stop once it starts to click and McNeill knows a few things about defense as Texas Tech improved every year under him as coordinator. The quicker the young team clicks the better the Pirates will be.

Marshall: 6-6 (4-4)
Offense: QB Brian Anderson helped lead Marshall to a bowl win last year but will have some competition for the starting job this year. Red shirt freshman AJ Graham and Clemson transfer Willy Worn will be competing with Anderson for the job. RB Martin Ward some flashes of greatness at the end of the year last year and will take over the starting job this year. WR is very deep for the Thundering Herd, and includes returning starters Chuck Walker and Antavious Wilson. The line also returns three starters.
Defense: Marshall’s defensive line should be very good this year. DE Vinny Curry and Michael Janac cant get pressure on the opposing QB while DT Brandon Bullock and Delvin Johnson can stuff the run. LB Mario Harvey returns this year and will lead the defense. The secondary also has some very good depth including returning CB DeQuan Bembry and Ahmed Shakoor along with SS Omar Brown,
Special Teams: K Tyler Warner takes over this year, while P Kase Whitehead and returner Andre Booker return.
Overall: New coach Doc Holliday has plenty of good players to work with in rebuilding the program. Marshall once again should be in a bowl game, and could compete for the CUSA championship if whoever wins the QB battle can be consistent and put points on the board.

Memphis: 1-11 (1-7)
Offense: Question marks fill Memphis’s depth chart in almost all the skill possessions going into the fall. New head coach Larry Porter has a lot of holes to fill. To start with there is the QB which is five players deep between Tyler Bass, Ryan Williams, Cannon Smith, Andy Summerlin and Will Gilchrist. Bass is the only one on the roster who has taken a snap in college, but Cannon Smith is the leader in the club house going into the fall. The Tigers also have to find a new starting RB. Lance Smith looks to be the starter but broke his leg in the spring and will be in a rotation with Jerrell Rhodes and Gregory Ray. The WR corp is young but talented and will be led by Jermaine McKenzie and Dejarrius Adams. The only sure thing on the offense is the line which returns four starters.
Defense: Memphis’s defense can’t get much worse then it was last year. New coordinator Jay Hopson has a lot of work to do and not much to work with. One bright spot for the defense though is the return of DT Dontari Poe. He will anchor a line that returns all four starters. LB Jamon Hughes will lead the LB corps as the only returning starter. CB Darius Davis is the only returning starter in the secondary, but all the talk is about Florida St transfer FS Marcus Ball.
Special Teams: K Paulo Henriques will take over FG and PAT attempts this year after just being the kickoff specialist last year. P Josh Booker will take over the punting duties. The return game has to improve and will use a rotation of guys to improve it.
Overall: With all the questions on offense and defense having trouble it could be a long first year for Larry Porter and his staff, along with Memphis fans. But the future could be bright if the players can start to jell now and build for the future. A luck bounce here or there could turn into a 3 or 4 win season but there is still a lot of rebuilding to do.

UAB: 1-11 (1-7)
Offense: UAB returns seven starters from last year but lost last years QB Joe Webb, who carried the team the past two years. The battle on who replaces Webb will go into the fall between David Isabelle, Bryan Ellis, Joe Bento, and Jonathan Perry. Isabelle is the leader so far after spring practice. RB Pat Shed and Daniel Borne will split duties in the back field and both can be big play makers. The Blazers have plenty of options at receiver, led by WR Frantrell Forrest, WR Roddell Carter, and TE Jeffery Anderson. The line will be strong and has good depth in returning all but one starter from last year.
Defense: UAB’s defense was just awful last year and only has room to improve this year. Unlike last year they do have experience at all possessions with eight returning starters. DT Elliott Henigan and DJ Reese will anchor the line that needs to get more pressure on the opposing QB. LB Lamanski Ware will lead the LB corps and have an up and coming star Marvin Burdette playing aside him. The secondary has to improve after being dead last in pass defense last year. UAB is deep at safety with Hiram Atwater, Chase Daniel, and Elliott McGaskin.
Special Teams: UAB has both K Josh Zahn and P Trey Ragland returning this year. Zahn needs to become more consistent this year to help the team out. With all the WR depth there will be a rotation of them at return man this year.
Overall: UAB returns a lot of starters from last year and that should help, but the graduation of Joe Webb hurts the offense. The offense should be able to put plenty of points up on the board and keep the team in the game. The defense is a huge question mark. If they can improve UAB could be close to 500 at best.

West:
SMU: 9-3 (7-1)
Offense: Head coach June Jones is a complete master of the run and shoot offense. In just one year under Jones SMU improved dramatically. Going to the schools first bowl game since receiving the “death penalty” in the late 1980s. Last years offense was young and eight starters return this year. QB Kyle Padron returns again this year after a very successful freshman year. Padron did loose his go to WR Emmanuel Sanders to graduation from last year, but still has plenty of options, including Aldrick Robinson, Cole Beasley, and Terrance Wilkerson. The Mustangs will have a new staring RB in highly touted freshman Darryl Fields. The line should also be solid returning four starters including LT Kelvin Beachum. There is only senior in the starting line up for the offense which could provide a lot of fireworks to the Dallas area this year.
Defense: SMU’s defense did a fairly good job last year and should do the same once again this year. The Mustangs must find a new NT and have two good options in Jimmy Chase and Mike O’Guin. LB Pete Fleps and Youri Yenga will lead the LB corps. The secondary lost some depth and will be tested but under the lead of CB Sterling Moore and FS Chris Banjo it should be fine.
Special Teams: Senior Matt Szymanski returns again to do kicking and punting duties. RB Chris Butler will return kicks, while CB JR McConico will return punts.
Overall: June Jones did a very good job last year with a very young and little experienced team. A year under Jones’ system will help out a lot. The offense should be able to put up plenty of points on the board. The defense should do a good enough job to help lead the team to victory. Having Houston at home this year is huge and the Mustangs should be able to take advantage of that in the game that should decide the West division.

Houston: 9-3 (7-1)
Offense: Houston’s offense once again will be a high powered machine this year behind Heisman candidate QB Case Keenum. Keenum’s choice to return for his senior year made the Cougars on of the early favorite to crash the BCS. Keenum’s favorite target WR James Cleveland returns as well. Cleveland will be joined by Patrick Edwards and Tyron Carrier as returning starters at WR. Houston’s top two RB return this year in Charles Sims and Bryce Beall. The left side of the line will have new starters but the rest of it returns. Having a new left side could be dangerous since that is Keenum’s blind side.
Defense: With all the talk and focus on Houston’s offense the defense has been a let down. New coordinator Brian Stewart takes over the 111th ranked defense from last season. The Cougars are switching to a 3-4 defense and are expecting a lot from JUCO transfer Matangi Tonga at DE. LB Marcus McGraw and Phillip Steward are good athletic LB to have. They will be key in helping improve the run defense that ranked 115th nationally last year. CB Jamal Robinson and Nick Saenz will lead the secondary that did a good job last year.
Special Teams: K Matt Hogan returns this year, while Jordan Mannisto takes over as the punter. Tyron Carrier will once again be one of the nations most electric return men.
Overall: Houston’s offense will be firing on all cylinders once again this year. They will be a lot of fun to watch and see what kind of Keenum numbers can put up. The defense is the key to the team though. If they can improve Houston could be very tough to stop.

Tulsa: 7-5 (5-3)
Offense: Tulsa’s offense had so tough times last year with injuries but comes back at full strength this year with nine returning starters. QB GJ Kinne returns this year after a productive season last year. His top target in Damaris Johnson returns this year as well. Johnson is a threat to make a big play every time he touches the ball. If Oklahoma transfer WR Jameel Owens is granted eligibility for the year he could help the vertical passing game. All purpose RB Charles Clay returns this year as well. The line was very young last year and was hit with injuries, but has four returning starters and plenty of depth this year.
Defense: The defense did a good job against the run last year and have DE Odrick Ray and Cory Dorris returning to the 3-3-5 defense. The LB corps lost a lot of depth and only have one retuning starter in Tanner Antel. The secondary was a big issue for the Hurricans last and needs to improve a lot to help the team out. DeAundre Brown and Dexter McCoil are the only returning starters in the secondary this year.
Special Teams: Damaris Johnson is a dynamic return man and could take it back any time he fields a punt or kick. Both P Michael Such and K Kevin Fitzpatrick return after solid seasons last year.
Overall: Tulsa has a very tough road schedule this year and will have to pull off a win or two to be in the race for the West division title. The offense should be better this year now that they are fully healthy. The defense will decide how good this team can be though. The pass defense has to improve a lot to help the team out. Tulsa will rebound from a disappointing season last year but the tough schedule puts them a little short in the West division race.

UTEP: 7-5 (4-4)
Offense: UTEP’s offense will be led by the run game this year and RB Donald Buckram. Buckram had arguably the best season in UTEP’s history rushing last year and doesn’t look to slow down this year. QB Trevor Vittatoe also returns this year. He will have to improve on throwing less interceptions this year. Vittatoe’s favorite target WR Kris Adams also returns. The rest of the WR are new starters but have plenty of experience. The line also has experience and should do a good job of opening holes for the run game and pass protecting.
Defense: The Miners defense was once again an issue for them last year. The defense couldn’t stop anyone. There is a lot of turnover from last years team as only four starters return. DE Robert Soleyjacks is the only returning starting on the line and will have to get pressure on the opposing QB. All three LB return from last year in Anthony Morrow, Jeremy Springer and Royzell Smith. The secondary has no returning starters, but does have a very experienced SS in Braxton Amy.
Special Teams: UTEP has a lot riding on JUCO transfer Dakota Warren. He will serve as both punter and kicker. There is no experience behind him. Marlon McClure will return both punts and kicks.
Overall: Head coach Mark Price is starting to feel his seat warm up at UTEP and needs to get to a bowl game this year. The offense should be fine and produce plenty of point behind Buckram and Vittatoe. The defense will decide the season for UTEP. If they can improve a good amount from last year the Miners will be going to a bowl game, if not Mark Price may be out of a job.

Rice: 3-9 (2-6)
Offense: New offensive coordinator David Beaty has a choice to make at starting QB to run his spread offense. The competition is between last years starter Nick Fanuzzi, Miami transfer Taylor Cook, and freshman Taylor McHargue. Who ever the starter is will be asked to help the Owls improve from the 111th ranked scoring offense from last year. RB is given a boost as Michigan transfer Sam McGuffie is available to play now. McGuffie and Tyler Smith will provide a nice one two punch for Rice. The WR are decent but the main target for the TBA QB may be TE Vance McDonald. The line will be good, but has to replace both guards.
Defense: Last years defense ranked dead last in point allowed per game last year nationally and has no where to go but up. The Owls run a unique 4-2-5 defense and need the line to get more pressure on the opposing QB. DE Cheta Ozougwu will be looked at to do that job along with Scott Solomon. Rice has new starters at both LB possessions in Trey Briggs and Justin Hill. The secondary will be lead by FS Travis Bradshaw.
Special Teams: P Kyle Martens is back and should be one of the nations best again. Chris Boswell and Brandon Yelovich will battle into the fall for the kicking job. Return man Shane Turner is back again this year.
Overall: Rice had a tough season last year and are looking to improve. The offense got plenty of help from transfers and should be able to score more this year. The defense really can only improve with is good for the Owls. How much both the offense and defense improves this year will tell how successful the team can be this year.

Tulane: 1-11 (0-8)
Offense: The return of QB Ryan Griffin is big for Tulane this year. He looks to be the future of the Green Wave to turn the program around. Griffin lost his top target in WR Jeremy Williams to the graduation and will have to find a new one. WR Casey Robottom looks to be the top receiver this year and is surrounded by a lot of young talent. RB Albert Williams and Payten Jason will split duties in the back field this year. The offensive line returns all but one starter and should be solid.
Defense: Tulane has only three returning starter this year, and all are in the secondary. DE Dezman Moses, a transfer from Iowa, will be looked at to lead the new defensive line. LB Kristofar Rhymes will lead a very young LB corps. The secondary will be solid behind returning starters CB Phillip Davis, FS Shakiel Smith, and SS Alex Wacha.
Special Teams: Tulane will have to find a new punter and kicker as Ross Thevenot graduated last year and did both jobs. Ryan Rome and Jonathan Ginsburgh will take over at kicker and punter respectively. DJ Banks and Casey Robottom will be the return men.
Overall: This is a key year for head coach Bob Toledo. Another loosing season and he may be gone. Tulane’s offense should be fine with a good amount of experience coming back. The defense is a big question mark with a whole new front seven. Tulane will go as far as Ryan Griffin can carry them.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: SMU over Southern Miss

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