CONFERENCE PREVIEWS

ACC PREVIEW

As strong as the ACC supposedly was a year ago, 2006 could mark a decline with all of the talent that has left for the pro ranks. Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College, and NC State all appear to be down, at least on paper. Florida State is the consensus favorite, but no one is ready to award the hardware just yet. The Seminoles kick off the season again in Miami, a place where they have obviously struggled recently. Clemson and Wake Forest have been pegged as the potential surprises. Most of the remaining teams are all viewed to be good, but not great. Meanwhile, Duke might be fortunate to win a single league game once again. From a personnel standpoint, FSU boasts a pair of potential stars in QB Drew Weatherford and RB Lorenzo Booker, while WR Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech might be the league's best overall player. On the defensive side of the ball, no other conference could possibly have lost as many stars as the ACC did. NC State and Virginia Tech were hit particularly hard, as each team loses three all-ACC performers. The Hokies had the nation's best defense in 2005, and the Wolfpack lost all three players to early NFL departure, including top overall draft pick, DE Mario Williams.

BIG EAST PREVIEW

For 2006, the balance of power in the Big East figures to stay with expected frontrunners West Virginia and Louisville. Both of those teams bring back a wealth of contributing players from last year's squads, and will change very little from last year. Look for the Mountaineers and Cardinals to be ranked in the top 15 of most preseason polls. The big battle between the schools, which could decide the league title, goes on November 2nd, in Louisville. After the top two, there is a fairly significant dropoff, with Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Connecticut, and South Florida all expected to battle for third place and be on the fringe for a bowl berth. The Panthers boast one of the league's best QBs in Tyler Palko, and the Scarlet Knights' program has been rejuvenated by last year's postseason appearance. Finally, HC Greg Robinson should have his Orangemen more competitive than last season, but they figure to keep Cincinnati company near the bottom of the standings.

BIG 12 PREVIEW

Texas figures to be the preseason #1 on most major polls heading into 2006. The Longhorns basically get everybody BUT Vince Young back from their championship squad. Oklahoma is expected to be more like, well, Oklahoma too. The Red River Rivalry heats up again on October 7th in Dallas. As usual, that game will probably decide the winner of the Big 12's South Division. Meanwhile, Texas Tech seems to be inching closer to those top two teams each year, and in fact, actually beat Oklahoma in 2005. A&M could be a factor as well, but they come off a disappointing 5-6 season. In the North Division, Nebraska came up huge in the Alamo Bowl win over Michigan. The Cornhuskers will look to unseat Colorado atop the standings. Don't count out Iowa State or Missouri however, as the division appears to be up for grabs again. The remaining teams throughout the league may publicly state their aspirations for bowl bids in 2006, but realistically, they may be relegated to the spoiler role. In terms of other stories to follow, watch closely the QB replacements at Missouri and Texas, as those players will have huge shoes to fill. Also, RB Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma is back for his junior year and is a favorite for the Heisman Trophy. Finally, new coaches take over at Colorado (Dan Hawkins) and Kansas State (Ron Prince).

BIG TEN PREVIEW

Looking ahead to 2006, Ohio State seems to be the pick to hold on to the top spot in the Big Ten. They are blessed with two Heisman Trophy Candidates in WR Ted Ginn and QB Troy Smith. Their main competition figures to come from Michigan, another team loaded with offensive stars, and Penn State, who might drop somewhat, but not so far where it shouldn't be a contender. Iowa, Purdue, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan State are all considered to be a notch below the top 3. On the opposite end of the expectations are Northwestern, Indiana, and Illinois. Keep an eye on that developing trend regarding team that are 9th or worse in one year rising to the occasion in the next, since many experts are high on the 9th place Spartans. Another footnote to consider is that nine of the league's 11 starting quarterbacks are back for 2006. However, despite that, the general consensus is that the conference may take a step back this year, mostly due to massive player losses elsewhere on the field. As usual, the Buckeyes & Wolverines are expected to be battling for the league crown.

CONFERENCE USA PREVIEW

Heading into 2006, this is potentially the most even league in the country. The league should continue to be competitive, but not much threat even to the new BCS qualifying standards. East Carolina, Marshall and SMU should be better than last year, and UTEP, UCF, Houston, Tulsa, Southern Miss and Memphis should be at least as good as they were in 2005. No team returns fewer than 11 starters with Marshall leading the way in that category with 12 returning. Most experts seem to point to a UCF-UTEP championship contest in December, but remember that UCF was coming off a winless season and came very close to winning the title. If that can happen, then SMU and Tulane should have a ray of hope. Rice might lack the talent to pull that type of turnaround, but the other 11 teams should wage a fierce race. What the league lacks in elite teams, it also comes up short on individual stars as well. QB Jordan Palmer of UTEP is probably Conference-USA's most recognizable player and he hasn't entered anybody's Heisman radar that we know of.

INDEPENDENTS PREVIEW

For 2006, much of the same as last year, figures to be in store. Temple appears mired in a swoon from which it may take years to recover. Army is expected to continue to improve as it slowly but surely narrows the gap between it and rival Navy. The Middies, meanwhile, take on a typically soft schedule in their quest for a 4th straight season ending bowl bid. Last, but certainly not least, Irish fanatics are being overcome with anticipation for what is being billed as a potential national championship type of season. Charlie Weis has most of its stars back, including, QB Brady Quinn. If you recall, the media's darlings were greeted with similar expectations in Tyrone Willingham's second season, 2003, only to fall flat on their face with a 5-7 finish. We'll wait with cautious optimism as to whether the Luck of the Irish shines upon South Bend again in 2006.

MAC PREVIEW

Northern Illinois may have been the league's best team last year as shown it the 35-17 defeat of Toledo, but it inexplicably lost to Akron twice, as well as Ball State. The Huskies probably have the best roster heading into 2006, led by prolific RB Garrett Wolfe. They are expected to once again compete heavily with the Rockets in the superior West Division of the conference. Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and Ball State are seemingly improving but remain at least a notch below the two favorites. Meanwhile, Eastern Michigan has a lot of work to do. The same can be said for Buffalo and Kent State in the East Division, where the race for the opposite championship game spot is wide open. Any one of Akron, Miami Ohio, Bowling Green, and Ohio are capable of reaching the title game at this point. The Zips are the defending champs but were actually outscored on the season. The chances for any teams in the conference doing damage outside of league play are minimal.

MOUNTAIN WEST PREVIEW

By all rights, the Mountain West is the best non-BCS conference in the country, so the recent rule changes to allow easier access to the major post season party could pay off handsomely for this league in 2006. That may require a team to go unbeaten again in MWC-play. TCU & Utah are generally considered the frontrunners, and they have proven their ability to compete with BCS-affiliated schools. BYU is perhaps a step below those teams, but with a host of prolific offensive contributors back, the Cougars have the potential to put up points with the best of them. However, they have to play at Utah and TCU so the schedule doesn't favor them. The remaining six teams all seem to have some deficiency in one area or another and don't figure to reach any goals outside of a minor bowl game. In the end, this conference race will probably come down to the October 5th clash in Utah between the Utes, who will have the home field edge, and the Horned Frogs, who are the defending champs and bring back the MWC's most returning starters.

PAC 10 PREVIEW

California, Oregon, and Arizona State all have their sights set on the top spot in this conference in 2006, and with the departures from USC, that goal is certainly more realistic than in the past. Don't go feeling sorry for the Trojans though, as most experts feel they will simply reload the barrel. In fact, they are still ranked in the top 5 of all preseason polls, and are considered the favorite in the Pac 10. Awesome recruiting will do that. Still, Cal is a legitimate threat with star RB Marshawn Lynch leading the way, while Arizona State boasts not one but TWO great quarterbacks, and Oregon should be as good as ever on offense. Ironically, Pete Carroll and the Trojans host all three of those opponents in 2006, so there's a good chance they could go unbeaten in conference play again. Elsewhere, Oregon State could be a sleeper, UCLA will be lucky to match its 2005 success after massive player losses, while Washington State figures to improve on its 4-7 mark after outscoring its opponents last year. Finally, the three other teams, Arizona, Stanford, and Washington aim for bowl bids as they continue to grow in relatively new coaching systems.

SEC PREVIEW

Most experts believe bigger and better things lie ahead in 2006 for this conference. In fact, Florida, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, and Georgia have all been mentioned as potential Top 10 teams. South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas are also expected to make some noise. Again though, it could be all for naught, in terms of the national title picture, if the teams beat up on one another in conference play. The divisions figure to be equally strong, with Tennessee and Auburn perhaps holding an edge in their respective halves as far as scheduling is concerned. Both of those schools play the majority of the "big games" at home in 2006. On the field, QB Chris Leak of Florida should be in for a big season as a senior, and the entire backfield of LSU should be one to watch, as RB Alley Broussard returns from injury and three capable quarterbacks battle for a starting spot. In the end, the addition of another BCS Bowl game should directly impact the SEC in 2006. Expect both the eventual league champion and another team to qualify.

SUN BELT PREVIEW

Ironically, despite three teams tying for the regular season Sun Belt lead, arguably its best team, Middle Tennessee State, was left on the outside looking in. The Blue Raiders were a veteran squad, but lost all four of their conference games by a TD or less. At 4-7, MTSU was the league's only team to outscore its opponents over the course of the year, and figures to be in contention for the conference race in 2006. However, Rick Stockstill takes over the head coaching duties there for Andy McCollum. Joining the Raiders at or near the top should be Florida International, as well LA-Lafayette again. Each of those schools returns at least four players that received all-league mention in 2005. Plus, the Ragin' Cajuns boast perhaps the best offense in the Sun Belt, led by now Senior QB Jerry Babb. However, don't overlook North Texas, who, with a few breaks going its way this year, could be a factor again.

WAC PREVIEW

For 2006, the WAC as a whole returns a high number of starting players, with most of the teams bring back seven or more players on one or both sides of the ball. League brass hopes that type of experience can generate more wins in non-conference play and hence, more bowl bids. Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada are generally considered the favorites coming off strong 2005 campaigns and returning the majority of their production. Boise will find out what life after Dan Hawkins is all about, as he went to Colorado in the offseason. His replacement is former OC Chris Petersen. Elsewhere, Hawaii welcomes back prolific passer Colt Brennan, and San Jose State hopes to continue its resurgence under 2nd year coach Dick Tomey. The rest of the clubs, either short on talent, or experience, need a lot of things to go right if they are to compete in 2006. In other words, this conference looks headed for another top-heavy season.