—USC coach Pete Carroll–an avowed disciple of pro-style offenses and defenses–got a healthy dose of college-style medicine against Oregon.  Is it just me, or is Carroll turning into the next Mack Brown/Lloyd Carr/Phil Fulmer?  Meaning, like the programs headed by the aforementioned coaches, USC is laden with talent, but lacking urgency, creativity or dynamism which, of course, eventually leads to head-scratching losses.  There’s only one way to go from here and that’s down, unless Carroll makes some wholesale changes.  But that’s unlikely to happen, since to do so would discredit the philosophy he’s been preaching this whole time. 

—Tony Pike is supposedly close to returning for Cincinnati.  But my question is:  Should Cincy put him back as the starter?  After all, his replacement, Zach Collaros is 2-0 in Pike’s absence and has completed 74.6 percent of his passes and has nine touchdowns with just one interception.  Just sayin’.

—After watching Iowa’s ridiculous comeback against Indiana, I must conclude that the Hawkeyes are the worst 9-0 team I’ve ever seen.  I’m sure Iowa fans don’t mind.

—Is this eye gouging thing really such a big deal?  I’m not defending it and I support some kind of suspension, but isn’t that stuff–and other dirty play–pretty standard for the bottom of a football pile?  Didn’t Brandon Spikes just happen to get caught on camera?

—Mark Richt says he might finally replace senior Joe Cox at quarterback.  I think it’s two losses too late.  The Bulldogs don’t have any major postseason plans, so it’s time to get ready for next year.   With this in mind, they should’ve been giving Logan Gray his shot a couple weeks ago.

—Don’t look now, but Duke is 5-3 and on the verge of a bowl berth, its first since 1994.  But can the Blue Devils find one more win out of the remaining schedule?  UNC, Georgia Tech, Miami and Wake Forest stand in the way.  Still, big props to David Cutcliffe for the job he has done.

—I can’t remember the last time two brothers were as productive as James and Jacquizz Rodgers for Oregon State.  Together, the two average 348 all-purpose yards per game and have scored 21 touchdowns. 

—Quarterback under the radar:  NC State’s Russell Wilson, who is third nationally with 21 touchdown passes.   Quarterback who wishes he were more under the radar:  Jevan Snead, who is tied for the national lead with 13 interceptions.

—As good as Boise State is, I think TCU is the non-AQ team with the best case for a title game berth if it wins out. 

—Updated BCS Picks:

BCS Title Game: Alabama vs. Texas

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Boise State

Rose Bowl: Iowa vs. Oregon

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati

Fiesta Bowl: Penn State vs. TCU

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Miami (-5) over Clemson

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Stanford (-7.5) over Arizona St

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USC (-20.5) over Oregon St

Three Team Parlay $25 to win $150
Miami (-5) over Clemson
Stanford (-7.5) over Arizona St
USC (-20.5) over Oregon St

Dr. Bob thinks USC should put up 40 points and is a good bet ATS. Analysis after the jump.

The computers aren't exactly in love with USC yet -- ranking them 11th. Both human polls (USA Today and Harris) rank USC 4th, enough to keep the Trojans ahead of TCU, but not Boise State, Cincinnati, and Iowa.

1 Florida (6-0)
2 Alabama (7-0)
3 Texas (6-0)
4 Boise State (are...)
5 Cincinnati (you...)
6 Iowa (kidding...)
7 USC (6-1)
8 TCU (6-0)
9 LSU (5-1)
10 Miami (5-1)

USC is the top-ranked 1-loss team. Oregon (5-1) falls just one spot outside the top-10 even with a better computer ranking than the Trojans. Because the computers almost like Arizona (4-2) as much as USC, the Cats land the 22nd spot, despite being ranked 37th and 40th in the Harris and USA Today. If they can hold or improve that spot, it should be a quality opponent for USC to end its schedule with.

If USC wins out and gets hosed, you can bet your ass we'll be doing a second run on the BCS: Beyond Common Sense shirts.

2009 Week 1 BCS Standings

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Penn State (-7) over Illinois

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Alabama (-17) over Kentucky

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Miami (+7) over Oklahoma

Illinois lost to Ohio State 30-0. And over 80% of people on Covers.com are taking Penn State. Florida drubbed Kentucky at Kentucky 41-7. Why should Alabama at Kentucky be any different? Miami is bad ass. Just go their website. Does that look and sound like a team that is going to lose to sissy ass Oklahoma sans Sam Bradford at Land Shark Stadium by more than a touchdown?

Staying away from USC because this Cal grad (Dr. Bob) is jinxing us (after the jump) and we think Barkley pulls out another barnburner that is closer than the spread.

A look at how prognosticators from around the country view this week's games.

Tim Sullivan, New York Post: Ignore what happened last weekend in Eugene. California has had Saturday's game against USC circled on the calendar all season. This is the Golden Bears' day to shine, so give the points and enjoy the ride.

Double D, Boston Herald: Georgia has been a turnover machine in its first four games, with 12 fumbles and interceptions resulting in a turnover ratio of minus-9. Louisiana State has done just the opposite with a turnover rate of plus-7. Take the points and the Bayou Bengals.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Dave Wannstedt is up to his old tricks. His Pittsburgh Panthers are road favorites Friday night against Louisville. This one is easy. Take the Cardinals. In the Pacific 10, Wilner likes UCLA and the points at Stanford.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Hlastradamus is rising. He was 3-2 last week, and with a record like that, you can go anywhere in this world. Except North Korea. Their ruler is funny about uninvited guests showing up. Load up on Northwestern against Purdue.

John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald: Miami's schedule has been particularly grueling, so you have to wonder if it's wearing down the Hurricanes. The pick is Oklahoma, 28-17.

Heisman Pundit: A letdown by Houston? Not going to happen. The Cougars have way too much firepower and will bury Texas El Paso, 49-24.

Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News: Here's another vote for Oklahoma to beat Miami, but the Sooners, minus Sam Bradford, won't cover the number.

Phil Steele: His top 25 forecast calls for LSU to become the latest team to be knocked out of the top 5. Georgia 27, LSU 20.

College Injury Report: A look at who is hurt and who is healthy.

Get the latest college numbers from Doc's Sports. Also check Doc's for the latest NFL numbers.

For complete TV listings, check Matt Sarzyniak's Sports.

Visit the Wiz's Resources page for all your reference needs.

Selections to be added to this post later on Friday as they become available. Please check back.

"We definitely are working very hard to get him better, for him and for the rest of his fans," said Dr. Gudata Hinika, trauma director at California Hospital Medical Center. "So we expect him to be on the football field at some time."

The question is whether that's at USC or in the NFL -- university compliance officials said Johnson could successfully apply for a medical hardship that would grant him a fifth year with the Trojans in 2010, but an NFL scout told the L.A. Times the league has enough film and would only need to get a clean bill on Johnson's recovery. Observers around the program think he's a goner if he recuperates in time to go through pre-draft workouts.

• What's in the pot, Terp fans? Mmmm, head coach. The slow, almost imperceptible simmer under Ralph Friedgen's seat at Maryland the last two years is in full blaze after a 1-3 start that includes a futile blowout at California, a near-miss in overtime over I-AA James Madison, a second consecutive loss to Middle Tennessee State, a turnover-filled debacle at home against equally reeling Rutgers, and now an open inquiry into Friedgen's contract situation by the Washington Post:

But what is Maryland -- and more specifically [athletic director Debbie] Yow -- to do? Friedgen is owed about $4.5 million for the two remaining years on his contract. Regardless of how this season unfolds, buying Friedgen out of his remaining two years is considered unlikely, particularly given economic conditions.

When asked Tuesday if Friedgen would return as coach next season, Yow said: "I will evaluate the status of the program after we play the entire season, not now, with eight games remaining. My focus is on supporting the team and our coaching staff. That focus will continue [until] season's end."

"... at which point we break out the guillotine." Actually, Maryland is an unusual "hot seat" situation because of the clear succession plan from Friedgen to offensive coordinator James Franklin, who could move up somewhat seamlessly with a passing of the torch in place of a messy denouement. But never underestimate Friedgen's ability to pull his feet from the fire: The vultures were out last September, too, and the Terps recovered to win eight and were a touchdown against Boston College away from the championship game in the wide-open ACC. Who else you got in the Atlantic Division?

• Oklahoma! Where the coach plays coy with quarterback plans. Sam Bradford "looked good" again in his second day back at Oklahoma practice Tuesday, according to coach Bob Stoops, who still wouldn't give any indication about the Sooners' plans at quarterback Saturday night at Miami. Bradford has reportedly been splitting first-team snaps with Landry Jones, and Stoops indicated it might come down to a game-time decision against the 'Canes.

Stoops also tentatively suggested during his Tuesday press conference that the obscure NCAA rule keeping OU linebacker Mike Balogun off the field for his senior season "needs to be revisited," but played politician on the question ("It's your question, you're bringing it up, not me, and since you brought it up ...") rather than open up on a bogus clause with barrels blazing.

• The Pinstripe Bowl? Per a press release keep an eye out today for a "MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT" about the rumored bowl game at Yankee Stadium, reportedly featuring teams from the Big East and Big 12. The as-yet-untitled game (at last check, they were going with "Yankee Bowl") is gunning for 40,000 visitors beginning in 2010; a press conference with NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg and various Yankee bigwigs is scheduled for later this morning.

Quickly ... Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond, a four-year starter, is out for the season with ACL, MCL and PCL tears in his right knee, ending his college career. ... Two Texas players, receiver Brandon Collins and safety Christian Scott, are academically ineligible for the rest of the season, but will continue in practice and should be back next year. ... Iowa State defensive end Rashawn Parker, a starter, is out for the season with an ACL tear. ... Iowa's All-Big Ten tackle, Bryan Bulaga, will be back on the line Saturday against Arkansas State after missing three games with a thyroid condition. ... With other high-profile quarterbacks going down all around him, Colt McCoy ain't afraid of no injuries. ... New Mexico's HR department is taking a closer look at Mike Locksley's pugilistic encounter with an assistant coach. ... Division II is moving away from Division I and toward Division III by cutting season lengths and practice times in a number of sports, including football. ... A business is Kansas was ordered to pay more than $600,000 in attorneys' fees and court costs for selling bootleg Jayhawk gear. ... The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's story on Texas Tech's suspension of lineman/captain Brandon Carter drew 10 times the usual page views and comments. ... Video of the "hit" that got Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman suspended for next week's game with Indiana is up. ... And Joe Paterno is not interested in your local angles, Illinois reporters.

2. USC

3. Alabama

4. Texas

5. Penn State

6. Brigham Young

7. California

8. Ole Miss

9. LSU

10. Boise State

On the Cusp:  Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Oregon State, Houston, Miami

Chris Brown: Central Michigan (+13.5) over Arizona.
I like Arizona, I really do. I like what Mike Stoops has done, and within a few years, offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes (son of former Texas Tech legend Spike Dykes and protege of fellow Texas Tech legend, Captain Leach), will be a head coach for a D-1 program somewhere. But, while this game is at Arizona, I cannot justify the nearly two-touchdown spread; in fact, I think the Chippewas will win it outright. CMU has won eight games in each of coach Butch Jones's first two seasons, but more importantly they return 17 starters, none more important than Tim Tebow-lite, quarterback Dan Levour. Levour is a tough, gritty kid, and this is just the type of win over a BCS program to jumpstart his senior year.  More importantly, Arizona should take a step back after losing a lot of talent from last year's squad, and I think that regression will begin in week one.

Matt Hinton: Cincinnati (+5) over Rutgers (Monday).
The line on this one goes as high as 6.5 on some sites, a pretty strong diss to the defending Big East champs. Yes, the Bearcats lose 10 starters from a solid defense that anchored the best team in school history, but Rutgers' losses on offense -- goodbye, leading passer and receiver in school history -- are about as substantial. The Knights also flopped at home last Labor Day, in a loss to Fresno State that looked worse and worse as the year wore on. Put it this way: Cincy returns a substantial percentage of its offense, including the best quarterback in the conference, and Brian Kelly has yet to fall short of expectations in any season as a head coach. Rutgers' offense isn't in very good position out of the gate to exploit the turnover on the other side.

Doug Gillett: Georgia (+4.5) over Oklahoma State.
I realize I'm jinxing my team eight ways from Sunday by even allowing this to cross my mind. But even if the Zac Robinson rumors have no legs, OSU has been experiencing an inordinate amount of personnel turmoil over the last few weeks, and even a Cowboy defense at full strength would be tasked with bouncing back from last year's 94th-in-the-nation performance. As good a coordinator as Bill Young may be, I'm not sure he can yank the handbrake and pull a 180 with that unit in the span of a single game. Georgia's defense didn't play so well themselves during the second half of last season, but the talent and experience are there, and given Mark Richt's sterling record in opponents' home stadiums, I put my faith behind Georgia to make the necessary adjustments and pull out a close win in Stillwater.

Holly Anderson: Miami, Ohio (+15) over Kentucky
Can these be flatly irrational? I'll take the Redhawks over Kentucky, because apparently Dick's Sporting Goods in Lexington doesn't carry Tennessee gear, and to quote a dear Vawl partisan buddy, "After 24 [losses to Tennessee] in a row, you have lost the right to be a [jerk] about it."

Louisiana Tech (+13.5) over Auburn.
Because the Bulldogs are one of those pesky, sneaky upset types to begin with (they knocked off Mississippi State in last year's opener en route to their first bowl win in 30 years) and Auburn is such a completely unknown quantity at this point.

Nevada (+14.5) over Notre Dame.
Because I really like getting emails telling me I'm a religious bigot (despite my Catholic background) for not liking their football team. Keep 'em coming, beautiful people.

• Returned a senior Heisman contender in his third year as a starter at quarterback.
 • Were subsequently exceptional (and balanced) on offense, finishing in the top six nationally in total yards and scoring.
 • Were ludicrously talented: Miami sent eight players up in the '03 draft (four in the first round), and USC had 11 players taken in the '06 draft (five in the first two rounds, all on offense).
 • Went wire-to-wire on top of both major polls entering the bowl game.

And, of course, both lost classics as relatively substantial favorites (Miami -11 over Ohio State, USC -7 over Texas) in the final game.

The superficial similarities between this year's Gators and the '05 Trojans are really startling -- both are coming off championship wins over Oklahoma in Miami and have no competition whatsoever as the preseason favorite -- down to their Heisman-winning, golden boy quarterbacks taking it easy in the classroom. There's also the "greatest ever?" hype that incensed so many fans ahead of the '06 Rose Bowl, and that looms ominously over the horizon if Florida gets out of Baton Rouge unscathed on Oct. 10. The parallels are hardly lost on Pete Carroll, given the task of throwing cold water on the Washington Times' "Tebow greatest?" story on Tuesday:

"Look, I think Tim Tebow is fabulous, but it seems like just yesterday we were having exactly the same discussion about Matt Leinart and along comes Texas and Vince Young. It can all change in the blink of an eye, so I think we have to let it all play out before we evaluate careers."

I'll sign on to that bit of hindsight/foresight, especially if it means we get a game as enthralling as the '03 Fiesta or '06 Rose bowls this January.

Another interesting corollary between '02 Miami and '05 USC: Both had to come from behind for a literally last-second win over a rival in October (Miami survived an upset bid from Florida State on the "Wide Left" kick; USC has the Bush Push at Notre Dame), and both were somewhat exposed in too-close-for-comfort shootouts late in the season against outmanned Virginia Tech and Fresno State, respectively, widely ignored signs of their eventual demise. Just worth keeping in mind if LSU or Georgia takes the Gators to the brink.

About the poll
The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll is made up of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for five players each week. Tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points awarded for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on.  Last year’s Heismanpundit poll was the most accurate in the country, picking five of the top six finishers in the Heisman vote.

Members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Teddy Greenstein and Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Olin Buchanan and Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, J.B. Morris of ESPN the Magazine, Austin Murphy, B.J. Schecter and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, plus Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News.

Chris Huston, owner of Heismanpundit.com, coordinates and also votes in the weekly poll. 

HP’s Thoughts
That Colt McCoy is neck-and-neck with a pop culture phenomenon like Tim Tebow is a testament to the respect the Texas quarterback has built up with Heisman voters.  A second Heisman is no gimme for the Florida quarterback and, as good as last season’s trophy quest was, this one could be a classic.  If any of the top quarterbacks falter, keep an eye on Jahvid Best out West.
 
From a Voter
“Tim Tebow was remarkable in the second half of last season, and that will continue. He’s already proven his ability and as a former Heisman recipient and the quarterback of the nation’s top-ranked team he has to be given all consideration.  Colt McCoy looks like Tebow’s chief rival. He might have won last year if not for a dropped interception against Texas Tech.  Don’t count out California’s Jahvid Best, who’d be an obvious early pick in just about any other year.” — Olin Buchanon, Rivals.com

Heisman Game of the Week
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 20 Brigham Young.  The reigning Heisman winner begins the defense of his crown at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.  Sam Bradford will have a bunch of new linemen protecting him and some new receivers catching his passes.  One wonders if he will pick up where he left off last year or if the Cougars can get him out of his comfort zone.  BYU quarterback Max Hall has a chance to burst onto the Heisman scene, just like Ty Detmer did in a win against top-ranked Miami almost 19 years ago to the day.

Player to Watch
Jahvid Best, California.  Where did all the great running backs go?  The Age of the Spread has made the quarterback position preeminent in the Heisman race, with Reggie Bush the only ball carrier to break through in this decade.  If any back can dazzle the voters and shift attention away from the top quarterbacks, it might be the speedy Best (10.31 100m).  First he’ll have to get by the Maryland defense on Saturday.

This Week in Heisman History
Doug Flutie began his road to the 1984 Heisman as he went 19 of 34 for 254 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to lead Boston College to a 38-31 win over Alabama.  Flutie brought the Eagles back from a 31-14 deficit despite playing the last 20 minutes with an injured left shoulder.

• Day of the darkhorse. The cover curse lived large last year, when three of the five teams featured on the front of Sports Illustrated's regional previews -- Missouri, Ohio State and Georgia -- fell far, far short of national expectations, and a fourth, Southern Cal, was snubbed again by the voters after its fourth loss as a double-digit favorite in three years. Ever the egalitarian doom-bringer, SI turned its attention this year to the underdogs: Of the regional cover boys, Oregon, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Penn State, none is really considered a legit national championship contender of the variety that usually graces the "[Insert team] is No. 1" headline; in this case, none is even projected as No. 1 in its own conference. But given the buzz and potential of those four schools, they are four of the most interesting teams of the season, if nothing else -- and as 2008 proved yet again, those "[Insert team] is No. 1" covers haven't always gone so well, anyway. Right, Keyshawn?

Curse aside, congratulations to Oklahoma State for gracing the cover for the first time in school history, for anything. (Even Barry Sanders didn't make it.) Just, uh, don't let it go to your heads, huh?

• For the affluent sadist ... Speaking of buzz, I don't know how much there is surrounding USC's trip to Notre Dame on Oct. 14 after last year's embarrassing 38-3 blowout in the Coliseum, the Trojans' seventh straight win in the series. The average score of those games: USC 41, Notre Dame 14. Clearly this remains a really sizzling ticket.

No, seriously, it does: According to Forbes, USC at Notre Dame is the most expensive game of the upcoming season, with tickets topping out at $3,500. In fact, SC games account for three of the most expensive tickets in Forbes' top 10, with the Trojans' dates with UCLA ($1,650) and Ohio State ($1,500) also fetching top dollar; only Georgia fans, who'll have to shell out in the neighborhood of $2,000 per home game thanks to staggering donation requirements, will be paying more. By those standards, the actual game of the year nationally, Oklahoma vs. Texas ($1,389) is a steal.

• Bummer, man. Well, no need to hurry back ... The initial verdict on Aaron Corp's "injury" during USC's Monday practice was nothing: He missed all of three plays before returning to the lineup. Turns out, though, it was something: Corp woke up in pain and didn't practice Tuesday, instead "wearing a slight grimace on his face" as backup/freshman phenom Matt Barkley tried to make the most of his COMPETITION TUESDAY with the first team.

Ultimately, this is probably going to look a lot like Mark Sanchez's preseason knee injury last year, which kept Sanchez out of practice for a few days but was quickly forgotten and cost him zero snaps during the season -- Corps is scheduled to undergo an MRI today, even though the X-rays Tuesday reportedly said he didn't suffer any ligament damage. But Corp doesn't seem to have the unassailable grip on the job Sanchez did (Pete Carroll himself brought up the name Wally Pipp and begged out of speculation about the future of the job), and every rep he misses is a chance for Barkley to even an already-narrow gap between him and significant playing time.

• Buckle up for Brantley Ball. Aaaaand speaking of significant playing time, it sounds like Florida has committed to spreading it around, even at quarterback:

GAINESVILLE - Expect to see John Brantley quarterback the Florida Gators in the first halves of games for once -- and not just against cupcakes or in mop-up time.
[...[
"He's starting to earn that right," said Meyer at UF Media Day. "Unless he screws up and starts to hit reverse on that practice field, then we'll back off. "
[...]
"But Johnny, we have to get him ready to go. He's starting to really impress me. ... He's becoming John Brantley, the future star quarterback of the University of Florida. ... It's fun to watch."

Just another step toward eliminating the total Tebow-ness of the offense, of course, but a farsighted one to make Brantley more of a known quantity before the offense is his show in 2010. Unlike Tebow's largely random appearances behind Chris Leak in 2006, Brantley will probably be on a regular rotation, say, the third series of the first half (and a substantial portion of most fourth quarters, in all likelihood).

Quickly ... Much more news on the Florida front after UF Media Day: Athletic director Jeremy Foley has "not seen much negativity at all" about Urban Meyer's big raise. Apparently Foley hasn't been reading the papers in South Carolina. ... Brandon Spikes remains a terrifying human being in basically all respects. ... And Gator quarkback Jeff Demps thinks about a 1,000-yard season, hones his clichés. ... Oklahoma is so short at center for the moment that the Sooners are letting tight end Brody Eldridge handle some snaps, just in case. ... He won't be there long, but Rutgers' All-Big East tackle, Anthony Davis, A href="http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/rutgers/2009/08/11/day-1-camp-notes/">practiced with the second team offense after showing up to camp a little overweight. ... North Carolina signee Donte Moss, an elite, five-star prospect at defensive end, will face "internal discipline" after a misdemeanor arrest for assault stemming from a dorm room fight with a teammate last month. ... Notre Dame receiver Duval Kamara will be sidelined by knee surgery for the next two weeks of practice. ... Ticket sales are up at Pittsburgh, not so much for the Labor Day showdown between Florida State and Miami. ... Texas' own players couldn't even name the Longhorns' leading tackler last year. ... Alabama moved into its new practice digs Tuesday. ... Meanwhile, ex-Bama linebacker linebacker Ezekial Knight, shuffled from the crowded Tide roster last year due to a heart condition, is attempting to resurrect his career at Stillman College. ... I'll go ahead and give this a solid "no." ... Surprise: Lawrence Phillips is found guilty again. ...

Telfort, a 17-year-old Miami native and considered one of the top linebacker prospects in the country, has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — a serious genetic heart condition. USC couldn't clear Telfort to play after examinations by several top heart specialists in Los Angeles and another opinion from the Minneapolis Heart Institute.

Carroll had this to say about Telfort, quoted earlier on Conquest Chronicles:

"This is obviously very difficult news for Frankie, his family and all of us in the football program...but we're very thankful doctors discovered the issue before it led to anything worse."

After losing Maualuga, Matthews, Maiava and Cushing to the NFL, the Trojans brought in a strong haul at the position with Telfort, Jarvis Jones, Kevin Greene and Marquis Simmons. Telfort had been promising in conditioning drills and throwing sessions until his mysterious sidelining a week or so ago. The silver lining is Carroll said USC will honor Telfort's full scholarship. Reports are that Telfort was planning on enrolling in pre-med in the fall.

Illinois–Juice Williams throwing to Arrelious Benn, Jeff Cumberland and Jarred Fayson means that Illinois should have the most explosive offense in the Big Ten this year and one of the best passing attacks in college football.  If Juice cuts his interceptions in half, I think this team wins at least 9.

Clemson–Always an attractive team on paper.  They are strong along both lines and have two of the fastest players in college football in C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford.  If Willie Korn can get his act together at quarterback, this could be a very good team and should win the ACC.

Alabama–I know it seems odd to have a team that won 12 games last year in this spot.  But I don’t think Bama is getting the respect it deserves due to it having only 4 starters coming back on offense.  But I think the Tide will upgrade at quarterback with Greg McElroy and maintain a strong running game with Mark Ingram and the addition of frosh Trent Richardson (who should be a great goal-line back).   And don’t forget a saltier Julio Jones at wide receiver.  This team is a national title contender in my book, especially with such a great defense.

Arkansas–Bobby Petrino is an offensive genius and it is only a matter of time before it shows in Fayetteville.  He has strong-armed Ryan Mallet to work with and some playmakers in Michael Smith, D.J. Williams and Joe Adams as well.  They could be this year’s Ole Miss. 

Auburn–Wherever Gus Malzahn has gone, he’s done wonders his first year.  Auburn should be as stout as ever defensively, so a significant improvement on offense should make the Tigers a bowl team once more.  I think they’ll score an upset or two and get to 8 or 9 wins. 

Michigan–Rich Rodriguez didn’t suddenly forget how to coach.  I think this team has a decent chance to start out 6-1 or even 7-0.  By the time it gets to the teeth of its schedule, it should have a lot of confidence and be able to hold its own against the better Big Ten teams.  By the end of the year, this will be a good team and will be set up for a very good season in 2010. 

Baylor–With Robert Griffin at QB, Joe Pawelek at LB and an improved roster–plus the nation’s most underrated coach in Art Briles–this program looks to be on the upswing.  I foresee a bowl bid for the Bears in 2009.

Stanford–I think this will be the Pac-10’s surprise team in 2009.  I think Andrew Luck is going to end up as one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.  The Cardinal have an excellent power running game going with Toby Gerhart and a hard-nosed defense.   Jim Harbaugh will have Stanford back in a bowl.

Others to watch:  UNLV, San Jose State, Miami (Fl.), Colorado