Penn State released its 2009 depth chart today, which informed us that starting right guard Lou Eliades weighs 3010 pounds. (And Joe Paterno thought the 341-pound Brandon Ware had weight problems.)

Starting opposite Eliades at the left guard spot is Matt Stankiewitch, ahead of Johnnie Troutman, who Paterno said "didn't have a good summer." (At least we can assume he was telling the truth that time.)

Other surprises are true freshman Kevin Newsome, listed as the No. 2 quarterback ahead of Matt McGloin; Jerome Hayes, listed as the starting strong-side defensive end and Chris Colasanti, listed as one of the No. 2 outside linebackers. Colasanti was believed to be a potential redshirt candidate before Mike Mauti tore his right ACL on Aug. 16.

Less surprising is maligned cornerback A.J. Wallace backing up Knowledge Timmons on the left side and freshman Gerald Hodges listed as the No. 3 strong safety behind Cedric Jeffries and starter Nick Sukay. It's safe to say that will change at some point this season.

Stephfon Green and Chaz Powell are listed as the kick returners and Drew Astorino is listed as the lone punt returner. We'll see if that changes when opposing offenses are pinned deep in their own territory this season, since former Nittany Lion safety Anthony Scirrotto often returned punts deep in Penn State's territory in case of a fake.

We'll keep our fingers crossed for the speedy 5-foot-7 Devon Smith to sneak his way in there at some point this season.

Here is the complete depth chart.

-Fortuna

2. Penn State
Check The Daily Collegian next week for complete season preview content for the Nittany Lions.

1. Ohio State

Top Offensive Player: QB Terrelle Pryor
Scouting the Offense: The Buckeyes have plenty of holes to fill on an offense that ranked just No. 76 in the nation last season. But the reason for excitement is clear: Pryor. Although he only attempted more than 20 passes once last season, there is enormous hype surrounding the sophomore all-world recruit. If Pryor has matured as a passer, he will be an unstoppable dual threat after he also rushed for 631 yards last year. The losses of tailback Chris Wells and receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline are big, but the Buckeyes should be fine with a combination of Brandon Saine and Dan Herron running the ball and DeVier Posey, Dane Sanzenbacher and Ray Small form a solid trio of receivers.Up front, Michigan transfer Justin Boren will lead the way with talented sophomore center Mike Brewster.

Top Defensive Player: SS Kurt Coleman
Scouting the Defense: Seven starters return to a unit that allowed just 13.9 points per game with the only slip-up being the 35-3 loss at USC. The top three players are gone in linebackers James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, but Coleman (78 tackles, four interceptions) leads what is sure to be another very strong Ohio State defense. The line is experienced and dependable, wile Coleman, Anderson Russell and Chimdi Chekwa lead the Big Ten's top defensive backfield.

Overall Outlook: The league appears to be a toss-up between Penn State and Ohio State, and although the Buckeyes must travel to Happy Valley, they get the edge in overall talent with fewer question marks. If Terrelle Pryor can actually lead the Buckeyes to a revenge win over USC Sept. 12, he will become an instant superstar nationally and probably start to get Heisman attention. The expectations on his shoulders are enormous, but he really has exceptional athletic ability.

-Brown

We've reached the last college football-less weekend of the summer, and with this Friday's list, we take a look at the nation's Top 10 Defensive Players.

10. Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech junior ROV
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Burnett was a big-time playmaker in the Georgia Tech secondary, leading the team with 93 tackles while finishing tied for first nationally with seven interceptions. The ball-hawking junior rover was a third team All-American and is sure to be in the mix again for national honors.

9. Navorro Bowman, Penn State junior OLB
Some off-the-field issues have been a distraction, but when playing, Bowman is a force on the strong side. A 6-foot-1, 230-pound junior, Bowman emerged in the absence of Sean Lee in '08 and led the Nittany Lions with 106 tackles and had 12.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. With excellent range and tacklign ability, Bowman is helping to continue the Linebacker U tradition.

8. Rolando McClain, Alabama junior MLB
The Crimson Tide return nine starters to one of the nation's defenses, and McClain is part of a duo in the middle that will make it nearly impossible for opposing tailbacks to have success between the tackles. At 6-foot-4, 249 pounds, McClain looks like an NFL linebacker and plays like one too. He led 'Bama with 95 tackles and nine tackles for loss and will probably see his numbers increase in '09.

7. Jerry Hughes, TCU senior DE
A potential first-round pick as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, Hughes returned for his senior season after earning Mountain West defensive player of the year and first team All-American honors. Hughes led the nation with15 sacks in '08 and is an absolute force as a pass rusher. He seems like a near-lock to be the conference's top defensive player again.

6. Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma senior DT
Defense is not really a priority in the Big 12, and given the talent on Oklahoma's offense the defense only needs to be average for the Sooners to win. But there are some big-time stars on the unit, led by elite NFL prospect McCoy. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound junior is a disruptive force in the middle and had 6.5 sacks last year.

5. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska senior DT
Defensive tackles rarely post flashy statistics, but Suh is an exception. After a solid first two seasons, the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Suh became a star last year when he led the Cornhuskers in tackles with 76, tackles for loss with 19 and sacks with 7.5. He's a potential top-10 pick in the draft.

4. Brandon Spikes, Florida senior MLB
Spikes could have easily turned pro after helping lead the Gators to a national title, but he decided to return as the leader of a defense that allowed just 12.9 points per game and returns all 11 starters. Spikes is an intimidating presence in the middle at 6-foot-3, 243 pounds, and he led the Gators with 93 tackles and also intercepted four passes. After earning first team All-Ameircan honors, Spikes appears to be the top candidate for the Butkus Award.

3. Terrence Cody, Alabama senior DT
After transferring from junior college, Cody promptly made a name for himself and became a first team All-American. He doesn't put up big numbers, but his statistics are more or less irrelevant. At a mammoth 6-foot-5, 365 pounds, Cody's job is simple as the nose guard: Clog the middle and take up blockers. He did just that last year in anchoring the nation's No. 2 run defense.

2. Taylor Mays, USC senior FS
Mays surprised everyone by returning for his senior season, as he has freakish athletic ability for his big 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame. Mays is like a fourth linebacker on the field at free safety with his ability to hit, and he also boasts excellent range and can make plays anywhere on the field.

1. Eric Berry, Tennessee junior SS
His Heisman campaign is underway, and while he has no shot at the award, Berry is absolutely one of the best overall players in the nation. Berry is excellent in coverage and intercepted seven passes last year, along with making 72 tackles. The SEC's defensive player of the year as a sophomore, Berry has a good chance at repeating while also collecting a Bednarik Award.

*****
Quick Hits:
-The Big Ten is officially out of the Alamo Bowl starting in 2010, as the San Antonio game signed a deal with the Pac-10 to host the league's No. 2 team. The Big 12 is expected to re-sign with the Alamo Bowl soon, meaning the game will basically steal the Holiday Bowl's matchup.

-Jewel Hampton's knee injury will keep him out of Iowa's Sept. 5 opener with Northern Iowa and possibly longer. It could be a significant blow to a Hawkeyes' offense that lost 1,800-yard tailback Shonn Greene.

*****
Video of the Day:
A taste's of Eric Berry tremendous ability to make big plays:

*****
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-Matt Brown

3. Illinois

Coach: Ron Zook (fifth year, 18-30 at Illinois)

Top offensive player: QB Juice Williams, Sr.

Scouting the offense: Two years ago, Illinois had perhaps the most dynamic offense in the Big Ten thanks to a lethal option attack involving Williams and RB Rashard Mendenhall. They could milk the clock and frustrate defenses into long drives, tiring them by game's end. When Mendenhall left, the Illini relied heavily on Williams' arm and legs to outscore teams. Problem was, with no proven back, defenses keyed on Williams. This year, both RBs return for the Illini--but none close to what Mendenhall brought-- and they inherit Florida transfer Jarred Fayson to complement uber-talented WR Rejus Benn on the outside. The Illini have the conference's most explosive aerial attack. But in Big Ten land, the absence of a ground game doesn't add up to conference supremacy.

Top defensive player: MLB Martez Wilson, Jr.

Scouting the defense: Illini fans are hopeful Wilson is comparable to J Leman inside, the former tackling machine who manned the middle during their 2007 Rose Bowl year. They come after the quarterback, and will need to continue to do so with questions lingering in a pass defense that ranked eighth in the conference in pass defense efficiency last year.

Overall outlook: They're the sexy pick to overtake Penn State and Ohio State for the Big Ten's automatic BCS berth. If that happens, one of the more overlooked reasons could be new offensive coordinator Mike Schultz. Williams made the trip out to California with Daryll Clark for the Elite 11 Camp, and I really like what a senior quarterback can add to a team.

-Mink

4. Michigan State

Top Offensive Player: G Joel Foreman
Scouting the Offense: Tailback Javon Ringer received a staggering amount of touches last season, rushing 390 times for 1,637 yards and 22 touchdowns. No one else on the Spartans had more than Andre Anderson and his 26 carries for 97 yards. Anderson, A.J. Jimmerson and Ashton Leggett will be among those likely splitting carries. Also gone on the offense is signal caller Brian Hoyer, who had a somewhat disappointing '08 season with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. Taking over for him will be either sophomore Kirk Cousins or sophomore Keith Nichol. With uncertainty at two key offensive positions and the loss of the man responsible for much of the offensive success last year, the Spartans' offense is difficult to predict.

Top Defensive Player: LB Greg Jones
Scouting the Defense: Eight starters return to the defense, led by Jones -- the conference's preseason defensive player of the year. A tackling machine, Jones recorded 127 tackles, 12 of which were for a loss. Playmakers are lost at safety with Otis Wiley and at end with Brandon Long, but the Spartans have plenty of talent and experience to have a strong season defensievly.

Overall Outlook: Michigan State has become a sleeper pick for the Big Ten title, and although they have made strides under Mark Dantonio, losing Ringer and Hoyer puts big question marks around the offense. The Spartans also struggled in big games last year, losing 45-7 to Ohio State and 49-18 to Penn State. Ringer was such a huge part of the offense that it's a hard to imagine Michigan State moving past either the Buckeyes or Nittany Lions in the league, but it should be another eight- or nine-win season in East Lansing.

-Brown

Minor League Baseball teams are known for their crazy promotions.

Well, the Fort Myers Miracle -- Single A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins -- came up with a very unique idea before the University of Florida put a stop to it.

Wednesday night was supposed to be "What Would Tim Tebow Do?" night at the ballpark before Florida sent a cease and desist note Wednesday morning for using Tebow's name as a promotion.

From David Dorsey of the Fort Myers News-Press:

Inserting the name of Tebow, a devout Christian, in the place of Jesus -- from the popular saying What Would Jesus Do? -- wasn't meant to be malicious, said Gary Sharp, the Miracle's director of promotions.

"We're not mocking Tim Tebow," said Sharp, who came up with the idea in January after the Gators won their second national title in three years. "This is to show how people put others on a pedestal. He's a 22-year-old kid who happens to be a great college football player."

Among the ideas for the promotion, the Miracle initially planned for local resident Timmy Tebo to throw out a ceremonial pregame football throw -- although he didn't show up.

Other ideas, from Naples News:

Festivities included free promise rings to every fan at the game, a ceremonial "jump-pass" to start the game and mock character named "T.T." attempted to walk on water after the top of the second inning.

Other activities that were bounced around when the team was planning the event included a mock circumcision, which would have been meant to play off of Tebow's missionary work in the Philippines.

It wasn't included on Wednesday for obvious reasons.

I think these ideas speak for themselves.

And when Florida put a stop to things, the promotion wasn't completely tossed out the window. Instead, it simply became "What Would T.T. Do?" night.

I look forward to another team trying to top the Miracle now. I can't even begin to think what they'd need to do.

*****
Quick Hits:
-It looks like Aaron Corp's leg injury may have cost him the USC starting quarterback job. The No. 1 quarterback coming out of the spring, Corp lost his job to true freshman Matt Barkley, as Barkley will get the call Sept. 5 against San Jose State.

-Tennessee finally received some good news this offseason, as highly touted true freshman tailback Bryce Brown has been ruled eligible to play by the NCAA.

*****
Video of the Day:
Not college football related today, but with the Minor League Baseball theme, here's a link to one of the most famous manager meltdowns:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZUKHtW7vg

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

5. Iowa

Top Offensive Player: T Bryan Bulaga
Scouting the Offense: With perhaps the best offensive line in the conference, Iowa looks to one of the top tackles in the nation to pave the way for a new starting RB with Shonn Greene gone to the NFL. QB Ricky Stanzi returns and should top last season's numbers of 1,956 yards and 14 touchdowns. Jewel Hampton figures to replace Greene at running back, but he has had knee problems lately. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is the top receiver on the team and could emerge as one of the best in the conference. "DJK" totaled 89 yards and a touchdown in the upset of Penn State last season.

Top Defensive Player: LB Pat Angerer
Scouting the Defense: Last year's defense gave up only 13 points per game and never surrendered more than 27. Angerer and the linebackers form one of the top units in the nation. He notched 107 tackles and added five interceptions last season. The defensive line allowed just 94 rush yards a game last season, but it has to get to the quarterback more. The 19 sacks by the defense was the lowest in the Big Ten. The secondary also looks solid as three starters return.

Overall Outlook: The Hawkeyes may have lost their workhorse from last season in Greene, but the offensive line and the defense could pave the way to double-digit wins if things break right. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to challenging for a Big Ten title is the schedule, as Iowa visits Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State in conference play. Even so, the Hawkeyes are always dominant at home and just a split of those four road games could lead to 10 victories and another New Year's Day bowl game.

-Staats

6. Michigan

Top Offensive Player: RB Brandon Minor
Scouting the offense: With head coach Rich Rodriguez planning on using three quarterbacks for the Wolverines' home opener, there remains no clear starter for the season. The three fighting for the job are Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson and Nick Sheridan. Sheridan played in eight games last season but completed just 46 percent of his passes and tossed five interceptions with just two touchdowns. No matter who takes most of the snaps behind center, Minor figures to lead the offense and should top his 533 rushing yards from last season and will challenge for conference honors. For the QBs' targets, the top three return, but this group won't be confused with past top-notch ones for the school. Perhaps most important is the return of the entire offensive line, which should better last season's stat of 3.9 yards per carry.

Top Defensive Player: DE Brandon Graham
Scouting the defense: The Wolverines gave up at least 35 points six times in 2008 as opponents averaged 28.9 points per game. Graham anchors the line with his 10 sacks last season. The linebackers should be improved from last year as the team's top two tacklers are back, led by Obi Ezeh and his 98. The secondary struggled at times last season, giving up 230 yards per game through the air. New defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, who was the head coach at Syracuse from 2005-2008, should see improvement across the board after last season's unit surrendered the most points in school history.

Overall Outlook: Michigan won't lose nine games again, but it still looks to have a way to go before it returns to the Big Ten elite. The opening two games against Western Michigan and Notre Dame are both in Ann Arbor and will set the tone for the season. If the Wolverines win those two, a 4-0 start is likely. Regardless, Michigan should be back in the postseason in year No. 2 of the Rodriguez era.

-Staats

With sophomore Jacory Harris entrenched as Miami's starting quarterback, the top two backups have decided to head out of town.

From the Jorge Milian in the Palm Beach Post:

"It was kind of strange to me," coach Randy Shannon said of meeting with the two quarterbacks. "Both guys came in and they felt like, looking at the situation we had, they felt like it was better for them to pursue other options."

Redshirt freshmen Taylor Cook and Cannon Smith will both transfer, making it three Hurricanes' quarterbacks to leave since the end of last season. Former starter Robert Marve previously bolted for Purdue.

With the losses of Cook and Smith, Miami is left with just two scholarship quarterbacks -- similar to the situation Penn State was in before Matt McGloin earned a scholarship.

Harris started just twice but split time with Marve, throwing for 1,115 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

But now, what was already a mediocre offense will be in huge trouble if Harris goes down. His backup will be true freshman A.J. Highsmith -- the son of former Canes' running back Alonzo Highsmith. The younger Highsmith was rated a three-star prospect and the No. 47 quarterback in the country by Scout.com.

It's certainly not a promising end to the preseason for a Miami team that opens with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma in its first four games.

*****
Quick Hits:
-The SEC will continue to review its absurd new media policy after several organizations, including the Associated Press and Gannett, have refused to comply with the new guidelines.

-Quarterback Aaron Corp has made a full return to USC practice after breaking a bone in his leg.
From Gary Klein in the Los Angeles Times:

"I can do everything right now that playing quarterback at USC [requires] me to do," said Corp, who was No. 1 on the depth chart entering training camp. "I feel good and it's only going to get better."

*****
Video of the Day:
Adam Taliaferro leads Penn State out of the tunnel before the 2001 Miami game:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

7. Northwestern Wildcats

Top Offensive Player: The offensive line

It's tough to pinpoint one man from this group, but its four returning starters make this the offense's strength. That could come in handy because of Mike Kafka, the turnover-prone senior quarterback who has a knack for running the football. He was second on the team in rushing in 2008, and his 217 yards on the ground against Minnesota last season was a Big Ten single-game record for a quarterback. He'll be throwing to three experienced wideouts in Andrew Brewer, Sidney Stewart and Jeremy Ebert. Still, questions at running back and a lack of star power may keep this offense from moving the ball consistently against the better Big Ten defenses.

Top Defensive Player: DE Corey Wootton

Wotton had 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss en route to a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season. He is on virtually every single preseason award watch list and, if fully recovered from a knee injury suffered in last season's Alamo Bowl, will be a legitimate contender for the conference's defensive player of the year award. The linebackers are solid at best, and the secondary returns all four starters, making it the best part of this defense.

Overall Outlook: Northwestern has improved its win total in each of coach Pat Fitzgerald's first three seasons at the head of the program. Because of a non-conference schedule that ranks right down there with Penn State's on the thrill scale (and because they avoid Ohio State this year), the Wildcats will have an opportunity to match last year's 9-4 mark, although anything more would be miraculous with a team of good but not great players, with the exception of Wootton.

-Fortuna

8. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Top Offensive Player: WR Eric Decker
Scouting the offense: Nine starters return to the offense, and while the Gophers used to be known for their running game, the attention this year is on the prolific passing combination of QB Adam Weber and Decker. With Daryll Clark, Terrelle Pryor and Juice Williams also in the conference, Weber has been overshadowed, but the junior earned second team All-Big Ten honors in 2008 with 2,761 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Meanwhile, Decker caught 84 passes for 1,074 yards and is one of the nation's top receivers. In the backfield, sophomores Duane Bennett and DeLeon Eskridge are expected to share the load. Eskridge was the top back last season, but Bennett returns from a torn ACL and may take the starting job back.

Top Defensive Player: CB Traye Simmons
Scouting the defense: The Gophers' defense ended the '08 season with a rough stretch, allowing 35 points at Wisconsin, 55 points at Iowa and 42 in the Insight Bowl loss to Kansas. The unit is experienced, but the Gophers need more playmakers to emerge up front. The biggest loss is Willie VanDeSteeg, who recorded 10.5 sacks. The tackles are solid with Garrett Brown and Eric Small, but pass rushing threats are needed to emerge. The biggest star is Simmons, a junior college transfer who intercepted four passes and broke up 14 in his first season with Minnesota.

Overall Outlook: Hopes are high for Minnesota in Tim Brewster's third season, as the Gophers improved from 1-11 in '07 to 7-6 and a bowl appearance in '08. The Gophers also open their brand new on-campus TCF Bank Stadium after years in the cavernous Metrodome. Excitement is certainly building around the program and Brewster has recruited well, but a rough schedule that includes trips to Penn State, Ohio State and Iowa and a lack of playmakers on defense will keep Minnesota in the middle of the Big Ten pack.

-Brown

9. Wisconsin Badgers

Top Offensive Player: RBs John Clay/Zach Brown.
Scouting the offense: As usual, the Badgers will rely on the ground game to score. Wisconsin has averaged more than 200 rushing yards per game in each of the last two seasons, and Clay and Brown figure to combine to top the 2,000-yard mark this year. Brown has surged lately and could be the starter. Redshirt freshman Curt Phillips could be the starting QB this season. The signal caller scored three touchdowns in the spring game and although Travis Beckum is gone to the NFL, Phillips has two solid weapons in tight end Garrett Graham and receiver David Gilreath. Protecting Phillips will be three new offensive lineman. Wisconsin surrendered 11 sacks in its last three games of the season in 2008.

Top Defensive Player: S Jay Valai
Scouting the defense: The stop unit gave up 28.4 points per game in conference play last season. With three new starters on the defensive line and just one returning linebacker, the secondary figures to lead the defense. Wisconsin surrendered 196 pass yards a game last year as Valai earned second-team Big Ten honors. On the line, O'Brien Schofield is the top threat to the quarterback thanks to his five sacks from last season.

Overall Outlook: Fourth-year head coach Bret Bielema has seen his record worsen in each of the past two seasons, going just 7-6 last year after winning nine in 2007 and 12 in 2006. But the Badgers should be able to get to a bowl once again thanks to four home games to start the season and a favorable slate that doesn't include Penn State or Illinois. However, Wisconsin figures to miss out on a New Year's Day bowl game for the second consecutive season after going to four straight such games after the 2004-2007 seasons.

-Staats

It appears that the war of words between Florida coach Urban Meyer and his Gainesville predecessor Ron Zook has reached its conclusion.

The exchange began last Friday, when Meyer said the following -- while never actually mentioning Zook specifically:

From David Jones of Florida Today:

"When we first got here five years ago they had freshmen in a separate locker room and it was a bunch of tin lockers over there and they weren't allowed to walk (into the regular locker room). Think about this for a minute: this is a big-time college football program and we had some fights because they treat their freshman like they were non-people.

"'Don't walk through here, we'll kick your tail, we'll shave your eyebrows.' It took us awhile to break that great culture we had here. That was tremendous. You don't win many games, but you beat up freshman and shave eyebrows. Absolutely unbelievable."

Harsh words, from one great recruiter of "non-people" indirectly to another. Meyer then issued a statement Saturday saying he had not meant to criticize Zook specifically.

Meyer and Zook spoke on the phone Saturday and made peace, but Zook released a statement of his own Saturday night.

Again, from Florida Today:

I was surprised to see that, once again, five years later, we're blamed for something else at Florida. But by now I guess I shouldn't be. This one was most disappointing because it implies we didn't look out for our players. From someone who wasn't there at the time. I can assure you I've never, ever been accused of that. I thought I was too much of a players' coach...."

And no one can argue with Zook saying he likes to have fun.

*****
Quick Hits:
-Lane Kiffin has named Jonathan Crompton Tennessee's starting quarterback. A highly touted recruit, Crompton struggled last season, completing 51.5 percent of his passes for 889 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. Crompton beat out junior Nick Stephens, who didn't fare any better in his time in '08 (48.5 percent, 840 yards, four touchdowns, three interceptions). Further complicating matters are the injury problems at receiver, with Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore out until sometime in September and Austin Rogers gone for the season.

-Some people have high expectations for California. Not surprisingly, Jeff Tedford has named incumbent junior Kevin Riley the starting quarterback. Riley split time with Nate Longshore last season, completing just 50.7 percent of his passes for 1,360 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. He bat out 6-foot-5, 237-pounds sophomore Brock Mansion for the job. The Golden Bears' passing offense was mediocre last season, and while there should be some improvement this season, Riley must simply avoid mistakes and get the ball in the hands of dynamic tailback Jahvid Best.

*****
Video of the Day:
Evan Royster's 44-yard touchdown vs. Michigan in '08:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

10. Purdue Boilermakers

Coach: Danny Hope (First year)

Top offensive player: WR Aaron Valentin, Sr.

Scouting the offense: Five starters return on an offense that scored more than 17 points in just three conference games. The Boilermakers must replace QB Curtis Painter and RB Kory Sheets, one of the best QB-RB tandems in school history.

Top defensive player: FS Torri Williams, Sr.

Scouting the defense: DE Ryan Kerrigan is one of the more underrated speed rushers in the conference. And, the defensive backfield should be steady with seniors at all four positions.

Overall outlook: Former coach Joe Tiller left the cupboard bare for his former assistant. Purdue and Indiana's Nov. 21 tilt could very well determine the conference's basement dweller.

-Mink

Note: Over the next five days, we'll be previewing each team in the Big Ten, going from worst to first in our conference power rankings. Today, we start with Indiana and Purdue, and the series will continue with two per day through Friday.

11. Indiana Hoosiers

Top Offensive Player: QB Ben Chappell
Scouting the Offense: With the dismissal of QB/WR Kellen Lewis in the spring, this is clearly Chappell's offense. The athletic Lewis, who set 16 school records, was easily the most talented player on the Hoosiers. That being said, they were only 3-9 last year with him. Chappell, a junior who started three games in 2008, will be protected by an offensive line that returns seven players who saw the field last season. It has made for a solid ground game in Bloomington over the last few years, so that may ease the loss of RB Marcus Thigpen. Chappell, however, does not have much to throw to, especially with former WR Ray Fisher switching to corner.

Top Defensive Player: DE Jammie Kirlew
Scouting the Defense: Assuming his transition goes smooth, Fisher can become an impact corner for a secondary that was decimated by injuries last season, having lost three regulars to torn ACLs. And you thought Penn State was ACL-U. Much like the other side of the ball, the strength of this defense is its line, anchored by Kirlew. The senior from Orlando had 10.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss last season and was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the nation's top defensive end. Greg Middleton returns as well. He had a similar season to Kirlew's in 2007 (16 sacks) and was also a finalist for the Hendricks Award before a sub-par campaign in 2008 (four sacks). The linebackers, meanwhile, should take a hit after losing three-year starter Geno Johnson to graduation.

Overall Outlook: Bill Lynch is in his third year as the head coach of the program after taking over for the late Terry Hoeppner before the 2007 season. He'll have his hands full this year without Lewis and has few other playmakers aside from his pass rushers. Expect a slight improvement from last year's 3-9 squad, but a repeat of 2007's bowl appearance might be asking way too much.

-Fortuna

Sophomore Aaron Corp may have entered USC's fall camp holding the No. 1 quarterback spot, but with a broken bone in his leg, it's entirely possible his entire career path has been altered.

After coach Pete Carroll said Corp needed to return by Tuesday, Corp has eased his way into 7-on-7 drills as he hopes to make a full return to battle true freshman Matt Barkley for the starting job.

With a game at Ohio State in the second week, USC can't afford to go to Columbus with uncertainty at the quarterback position. The Trojans boast three highly touted quarterback prospects in Corp, Barkley and Mitch Mustain, and Barkley has received plenty of praise for how he's run with the first team in Corp's absence.

Carroll is never afraid to play younger players, and after enrolling early, Barkley is probably as prepared as anyone to immediately step into a starting role.

Both guys will probably get a chance to play, but if Corp is not entirely ready, Barkley will get the call and will likely impress coaches with his play.

If that's the case, Corp could be out of luck. That's the problem with so many big-time prospects at the same position going to the same school, as one broken bone could make a very significant impact on the next few years of USC football and leave Corp holding a clipboard as a younger, just as talented quarterback lines up under center.

*****
Quick Hits:
-Perhaps no unit in the country has been decimated by injuries like Tennessee's receivers, and the bad news continues with top returning receiver Gerald Jones suffering a high ankle sprain. Jones will be sidelined for three to six weeks, while Denarius Moore is out until mid-September and Austin Rogers will miss the season. The three players are the Volunteers' top three returning receivers.

-The next "scandal" at Alabama? Julio Jones and Mark Ingram go fishing.

*****
Video of the Day:
Matt Barkley high school highlights, courtesy of Scout.com:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

As the football world knows, Brett Favre is back for another season, this time in Vikings purple and ready to throw darts in the Metrodome.

I checked in with Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark, a long-time Minnesota Vikings fan, to get his reaction on No. 4.

"Yeah, Favre," Clark said. You could tell frustration was ready to foam from his mouth.

"He's really made this football thing into a soap opera, and I really don't like that. I really don't think that was cool.

"Obviously, he's a veteran, and he's a really good player. He don't show up to camp. They gave him a nice piece of change, though. I hope he does well. But it's like, what does your wife have to say about this, man?"

Favre is giving quarterbacks a bed rep. But his prima donna ways aren't making Clark question his fanhood.

Clark, a Youngstown, Ohio native, does root for the Cleveland Browns, too, but he's been a Vikings fan since the days of Warren Moon, his favorite QB of all-time.

"I followed him from the Edmonton Eskimos, to the Houston Oilers, to Minnesota. My dad followed him too, so I wanted to be like my dad. I believed in everything he did. Then [Moon] got traded to the Seahawks. My dad didn't like the Seahawks, so we stayed with the Vikings."

Not long after Moon was traded, Randall Cunningham came to Minnesota. Then, deep-threat Randy Moss was drafted, and Minnesota found themselves in the 1998 NFC title game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Kicker Gary Anderson, who was perfect on field goals all season, shanked a late field goal attempt that would've put the game out of reach.

Atlanta would take possession, drive the field and earn a trip to the Super Bowl.

"My dad was sick, and I was sick about it, too," Clark said. "I really believed had we made it, we would've beaten the Denver Broncos."

-Mink

This Friday's list is a response to the outcry over Penn State's non-conference schedule. While it is certainly one of the nation's worst, some of the other top teams have similar out-of-conference slates.

So, here is a list of the Top 10 teams in the coaches' poll, ranked from toughest non-conference schedule to easiest:

1. Southern California
San Jose State, at Ohio State, at Notre Dame
Because the Pac-10 plays a round robin schedule with nine conference games, the Trojans have just three non-conference games -- two of which are on the road in tough environments. Six of the Trojans' first nine games are on the road, including the Sept. 12 rematch with Ohio State and the Oct. 17 visit to Notre Dame and it's foot-high grass. With trips to face the No. 6 Buckeyes -- which should be a much better game than last year -- and the improved Fighting Irish, USC gets the top spot.

2. Virginia Tech
Alabama (at Atlanta), Marshall, Nebraska, at East Carolina
The Hokies have just one pushover in four games. The trip to the Georgia Dome to face Alabama will thrust Tech into the national spotlight in the first week, and while the Hokies will be favorites in a rematch with Nebraska, it's certainly a test. Finally, they must travel to East Carolina after falling to the Pirates in Charlotte to open the 2008 season.

3. Oklahoma
BYU (at Arlington), Idaho State, Tulsa, at Miami
The season opener at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium should be chalked up as a win for Oklahoma, but then again, no one saw Utah taking down Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The Cougars boast an explosive offense and will be a challenge for the Sooners. The trip to Miami isn't what it once was, but the Hurricanes are continuing to build under Randy Shannon and it will still be a big game.

4. Ohio State
Navy, USC, Toledo (at Cleveland), New Mexico State
Although Navy is solid, Ohio State should cruise through three of the four games. Then there's the home game with USC, where the Buckeyes will try to get revenge for a 35-3 embarrassment at the Coliseum last season. Once again, however, it's arguably the biggest game of the non-conference season, and an Ohio State win would provide a major boost to the Big Ten's profile.

5. Alabama
Virginia Tech (at Atlanta), Florida International, North Texas, Chattanooga
Alabama's stingy defense might not allow a point in the final three games, but at least there's the showdown with Virginia Tech to start the year. This is the second year in a row the Crimson Tide opens the season at the Georgia Dome after a surprising 34-10 blowout of Clemson that set the tone for the rest of the season for both teams.

6. Florida
Charleston Southern, Troy, Florida International, Florida State
The Gators play eight home games, but at least they have the rivalry with Florida State. While, Troy is no pushover, there is still no reason the Gators won't win by 40. And, simply put, the games with FCS Charleston Southern and Florida International may not be suitable for children.

7. LSU
at Washington, Louisiana-Lafayette, Tulane, Louisiana Tech
Washington has been one of the worst programs in the country in the last several years and finished 0-12 last season. While not exactly a tough non-conference matchup, the Huskies should be much improved with a healthy Jake Locker. Outside of that, LSU decided to open its doors to every other Louisiana school aside from Louisiana-Monroe. Louisiana Tech is solid, but those three will all be laughers.

8. Texas
Louisiana-Monroe, at Wyoming, UTEP, UCF
At least the Longhorns decided to travel to Laramie, Wyo., for some reason. UTEP should be solid, but really, none of these four teams will pose any threat to the Longhorns.

9. Penn State
Akron, Syracuse, Temple, Eastern Illinois
We all know about it, and everyone hates it. Four home games, all against bad teams. Penn State didn't use to schedule FCS teams, but now that's changed with games against Youngstown State, Coastal Carolina and now Eastern Illinois. Syracuse was good when the home-and-home series was scheduled eight years ago, but that counts for nothing. The Orange went 10-3 when this game was arranged, and in the last four years combined, the Orange has gone 10-37.

10. Mississippi
at Memphis, SE Louisiana, UAB, Northern Arizona
The Rebels do make an 85-mile journey to Memphis, so at least they have a road game. But the fact that they schedule two FCS teams puts them on the bottom of this list. It's bad enough that so many big schools are scheduling FCS teams. But two? Ridiculous.

*****
Quick Hits:
-Former Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin has finally agreed to a five-year deal with the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The holdout lasted through all of training camp, but now the No. 11 pick in the draft will finally join fellow Nittany Lions Paul Posluszny, Bryan Scott and Lydell Sargeant on the Buffalo defense.

-Illinois cornerback Miami Thomas will miss the season with a torn ACL. It's a situation similar to Jerome Hayes, as Thomas also missed the '08 season when he tore his ACL in the second game. The run of bad luck with injuries also includes off-season shoulder surgery.

*****
Video of the Day:
Some Aaron Maybin Penn State highlights:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

Projected Order of Finish
East Division

1. Florida Gators
Top Offensive Player: QB Tim Tebow, Top Defensive Player: MLB Brandon Spikes
The defending national champions have a Heisman winner at QB, six other starters returning on the nation's No. 4 scoring offense and all 11 starters returning to the No. 4 scoring defense. To say expectations are high in Gainesville would be an understatement. Florida is clearly the favorite heading into the season for a third BCS title in four seasons.

2. Georgia Bulldogs
Top Offensive Player: WR A.J. Green, Top Defensive Player: DT Geno Atkins
The Bulldogs should be terrific defensively, but losing QB Matt Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno is obviously a big concern. To make things easier, new QB Cox will still have a big-time playmaker in Green to throw the ball to. Defensively, the Bulldogs receive a boost from the return of DT Jeff Owens from a knee injury.

3. Tennessee Volunteers
Top Offensive Player: C Josh McNeil, Top Defensive Player: SS Eric Berry
Thanks to Lane Kiffin, Tennessee may be the most talked about team coming off a 5-7 season ever. Although the Vols will likely get back to a bowl game, Tennessee will probably be in for a rude awakening in the third game in their much-hyped visit to Florida. The offense was one of the nation's worst in '08, and QB Jonathan Crompton must improve his decision-making.

4. South Carolina Gamecocks
Top Offensive Player: WR Jason Barnes, Top Defensive Player: OLB Eric Norwood
Steve Spurrier's offense ranked No. 97 in yards per game, and there is a lack of playmakers returning. The offense line struggled all season, while QB Stephen Garcia must become a more mature player, as the offense may revolve around both his arm and legs.

5. Vanderbilt Commodores
Top Offensive Player: TE Brandon Barden, Top Defensive Player: CB Myron Lewis
The Commodores made it to their first bowl since 1982 and beat Boston College in the Music City Bowl despite having the 117th ranked offense. Athletic QB Chris Nickson is gone, and while Mackenzi Adams split time with Nickson last year, sophomore Larry Smith will probably be the top QB.

6. Kentucky Wildcats
Top Offensive Player: OT Zipp Duncan, Top Defensive Player: CB Trevard Lindley
The Wildcats have no elite playmakers and spread the ball around last season, as no receiver had more than 264 yards and no running back had more than 430 yards. Top RB Tony Dixon and top WR Dicky Lyons are gone, but at least plenty of returning players have gotten touches.

West Division
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Top Offensive Player: WR Julio Jones, Top Defensive Player: DT Terrence Cody
Just four starters return to what was a mediocre offense, but at least one of the players back is Jones, who looks like a prototypical NFL receiver. Although plenty of questions remain on offense, the defense should be superb. No one will be able to run up the middle successfully with the mammoth Cody -- all 365 pounds of him -- clogging the line at nose guard and Rolando McClain at middle linebacker.

2. LSU Tigers
Top Offensive Player: OT Ciron Black, Top Defensive Player: FS Chad Jones
The Tigers struggled at QB all season with Jarrett Lee but now turn to sophomore Jordan Jefferson -- who started the final two games. If he develops, the offense could be very potent with Charles Scott and Keiland Williams running the ball and Brandon LaFell at receiver.

3. Mississippi Rebels
Top Offensive Player: QB Jevan Snead, Top Defensive Player: DE Greg Hardy
A trendy pick to make a jump into the nation's elite, Ole Miss beat Florida and Texas Tech last season and hosts both Alabama and LSU. Snead should become a star, while he has plenty of experience around him with eight starters returning on both sides of the ball. Expectations are extremely high in Oxford, but can Houston Nutt's squad live up to the hype?

4. Arkansas Razorbacks
Top Offensive Player: RB Michael Smith, Top Defensive Player: DT Malcolm Sheppard
The Casey Dick era is over, and taking over the reins at QB is strong-armed Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett. Mallett and coach Bobby Petrino should form a great pair, and Arkansas should get back to a bowl with 18 starters returning and the probable upgrade at QB.

5. Auburn Tigers
Top Offensive Player: RB Ben Tate, Top Defensive Player: DE Antonio Coleman
The Tigers struggled offensively all season, with the lowlight being one of their five wins when the Tigers beat Mississippi State 3-2. Tommy Tuberville is gone, and in comes the very surprising hire of Iowa State coach and Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. Tate will be the focal point of the offense, and the Tigers' must get better QB play after starter Chris Todd and Kodi Burns both struggled in '08.

6. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Top Offensive Player: RB Anthony Dixon, Top Defensive Player: OLB K.J. Wright
Dixon's status is still unknown after pleading guilty to a DUI charge, casting further doubt on an offense that scored just 15.3 points per game and is switching to the spread under former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs are in for a rough transition season with only one or two sure wins on the schedule.

SEC Title Game: Florida over Alabama

*****

Although Florida's games with Georgia at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party and the showdown with Lane Kiffin and Tennessee will be interesting, the real drama in the SEC will happen in the West this season.

It appears that a Tim Tebow injury may be the only thing that could stop Florida this season, although even then, the defense would probably be enough to carry the Gators. Florida's biggest roadblock to an unbeaten season is its Oct. 10 trip to Death Valley to face LSU, and it misses both Alabama and Ole Miss on the schedule.

Meanwhile, LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss are in for a very tight race in the West for the right to inevitably face Florida in the SEC title game. The Rebels have the advantage with both the Tigers and Crimson Tide traveling to Oxford, but look for Ole Miss to drop at least one of those games and also get surprised by another team or two -- at South Carolina, for example.

With that prediction out of the way, the SEC West would probably then come down to the Nov. 7 meeting in Tuscaloosa between Alabama and LSU, which is essentially a toss-up. Because of home-field advantage, I'll give Alabama the slight advantage and take Alabama to emerge out of the division -- and then get beaten by Florida for the SEC title again.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Defensive Player of the Year: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Freshman of the Year: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Coach of the Year: Urban Meyer, Florida

All-SEC Team
QB- Tim Tebow, Sr., Florida
RB- Charles Scott, Sr., LSU
RB- Michael Smith, Sr., Arkansas
WR- Julio Jones, So., Alabama
WR- Brandon LaFell, Sr., LSU
TE- D.J. Williams, Jr., Arkansas
OT- Ciron Black, Sr., LSU
OT- Clint Boling, Jr., Georgia
G- Mike Johnson, Sr., Alabama
G- Maurkice Pouncey, Jr., Florida
C- Ben Jones, So., Georgia

DE- Carlos Dunlap, Jr., Florida
DE- Greg Hardy, Sr., Ole Miss
DT- Terrence Cody, Sr., Alabama
DT- Geno Atkins, Sr., Georgia
LB- Eric Norwood, Sr., South Carolina
LB- Brandon Spikes, Sr., Florida
LB- Rolando McClain, Jr., Alabama
CB- Myron Lewis, Sr., Vanderbilt
CB- Joe Haden, Jr., Florida
S- Eric Berry, Jr., Tennessee
S- Reshad Jones, Jr., Georgia

K- Leigh Tiffin, Sr., Alabama
P- Chris Henry, Jr., Florida
KR- Javier Arenas, Sr., Alabama

Top Non-Conference Games
1. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech, Sept. 5 (at Atlanta)
2. Georgia at Oklahoma State, Sept. 5
3. Florida State at Florida, Nov. 28
4. Georgia at Georgia Tech, Nov. 28
5. UCLA at Tennessee, Sept. 12

Top Conference Games
1. Florida at LSU, Oct. 10
2. LSU at Alabama, Nov. 7
3. Florida vs. Georgia, Oct. 31 (at Jacksonville)
4. Alabama at Ole Miss, Oct. 10
5. Tennessee at Florida, Sept. 19

-Matt Brown

Last year's Rose Bowl showcased two teams with very different personalities, with the very laid back USC program and its close to unlimited access taking on Penn State and its much more private, business-like approach.

Penn State fans in Pasadena got plenty of glimpses of USC's team personality with all the jumping around and dancing going on along the sidelines.

And USC is also known for its pranks at practice, the most famous being LenDale White and Pete Carroll in 2005, when White pretended to quit the team and proceeded to throw a dummy wearing a No. 21 jersey off the top of a building.

Tuesday, several Trojans came up with a prank on Pete Caroll, and although it wasn't as elaborate as the White dummy, they still got their coach.

From Michael Lev in the Orange County Register:

Allen Bradford and Everson Griffen were jawing at each other from the start, prompting some of us who cover USC on a regular basis to ponder who'd win a fight between the tailback and defensive end. (The consensus: Bradford, despite a major size disadvantage.)

Sure enough, about halfway through Tuesday's practice, a brawl broke out. Almost the entire contingent of Trojans gathered in a midfield scrum as players shoved one another and coaches tried to separate them. Coach Pete Carroll told Bradford and Griffen they were kicked out practice. Then tailback Joe McKnight told Carroll something:

He'd just been punked.

Whatever one may think of Carroll and USC, the program knows how to have some fun, and the laid back approach has certainly been effective during Carroll's tenure.

A few days earlier at Miami on Sunday, defensive end Adewale Ojomo broke his jaw, according to the Miami Herald.

``He was horsing around in the locker room with a couple players last night, got a little injury,'' Shannon said. ``But it's not a season-ending injury, nothing like that. So, he'll probably be back the first game or the second game.''

Also sustaining an injury: Olivier Vernon, a 6-3, 250-pound freshman defensive end. He was limping heavily at Greentree Field.

``Olivier is a little nicked up, but he should be back probably [Tuesday],'' Shannon said. ``Probably [Tuesday] he'll do a little bit more.''

If the Hurricanes want to "horse around," they should probably take a page out of USC's book and go the fake fighting route.

*****
Quick Hits:
-Oregon coach Chip Kelly has added a new position to the offense: the "tazer." From ESPN.com's Ted Miller:

"According to Coach Kelly," tazer Kenjon Barner said. "It's a position where we could play X, Y, Z or tailback or the R."

-The Big East appears to be the biggest loser in the current bowl shuffle. After already losing the Gator Bowl to the Big Ten, the Big East is now out of the Sun Bowl picture with the ACC kicking it out of El Paso.

*****
Video of the Day:
Another USC practice prank, this one involving Will Ferrell:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

Projected Order of Finish
East Division
1. Buffalo Bulls
Top Offensive Player: RB James Starks, Top Defensive Player: SS Davonte Shannon
Coach Turner Gill is sure to be scooped up by a bigger school soon after leading Buffalo from college football oblivion to a MAC title in just three years at the helm. The Bulls played smart football last season, finishing No. 3 in turnover margin with just six interceptions thrown by Drew Willy. With Starks back running the football, the key to the season is new QB Zach Maynard simply managing games effectively.

2. Akron Zips
Top Offensive Player: G Zack Anderson, Top Defensive Player: CB Miguel Graham
Nine starters return to a very solid offense led by senior QB Chris Jacquemain and veterans up front and in the receiving corps. The key is finding a replacement for 1,300-yard RB Dennis Kennedy and his 17 touchdowns, and the pressure is on J.D. Brookhart with a new stadium opening and three consecutive losing seasons.

3. Ohio Bobcats
Top Offensive Player: WR Taylor Price, Top Defensive Player: MLB Noah Keller
The QB situation remains up in the air between seniors Boo Jackson and Theo Scott. Jackson started most of '08, throwing for 2,355 yards, but Scott -- who won the job last year before a shoulder injury -- is once again vying for the position. Whoever it is will need to limit mistakes after the Bobcats ranked No. 110 in turnover margin.

4. Temple Owls
Top Offensive Player: WR Jason Harper, Top Defensive Player: DE Junior Galette
Temple hasn't gone bowling since the 1979 Garden State Bowl, but after climbing to the five-win mark, a trip to the program's first bowl in 30 years is possible. After playing some as a sophomore, QB Vaughn Charlton redshirted while Adam DiMichele ran the offense in '08. Charlton is mobile and will help a rush offense that produced just 95.2 yards per game.

5. Bowling Green Falcons
Top Offensive Player: QB Tyler Sheehan, Top Defensive Player: SS P.J. Mahone
Gregg Brandon won for two years with Urban Meyer's players before the Falcons slipped into mediocrity the last four. In comes former Tennessee offensive coordinator Dave Clawson to run the show, and he has some talent to work with -- although having just three returning starters on defense is a major concern.

6. Kent State Golden Flashes
Top Offensive Player: RB Eugene Jarvis, Top Defensive Player: DT Sam Frist
Jarvis led the MAC in rushing in '07 but was held back because of injury while QB Julian Edelman stole the show with 1,370 yards in '08. With Edelman out of the picture, it's time for Jarvis to step back in the spotlight and lead what is an experienced team.

7. Miami RedHawks
Top Offensive Player: WR Chris Givens, Top Defensive Player: DT Martin Channels
Former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood steps in this season to try to lead the RedHawks back to respectability after winning just two games in two out of the last three seasons.

West Division
1. Central Michigan Chippewas
Top Offensive Player: QB Dan LeFevour, Top Defensive Player: MLB Nick Bellore
The Chippewas have gone to the Motor City Bowl three years in a row and won the MAC in 2007 and 2008. LeFevour is one of the nation's top QBs and is a terrific dual threat. Ten starters return on defense, but the unit is still a concern after allowing 287.2 passing yards per game, good for second-to-last in the country.

2. Western Michigan Broncos
Top Offensive Player: QB Tim Hiller, Top Defensive Player: OLB Austin Pritchard
LeFevour gets all the hype at QB in the conference, but Hiller has put up some impressive numbers as well. He threw for 3,725 yards, 36 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in '08 and has 8,080 career yards. But just three starters return to a defense that, like Central Michigan, was burned through the air.

3. Toledo Rockets
Top Offensive Player: RB Morgan Williams, Top Defensive Player: ROV Barry Church
After a long run of success, the Rockets have had three consecutive losing seasons. Former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Tim Beckman takes over, and the cupboard is not bare. Williams and DaJuane Collins combined for more than 1,700 yards on the ground, while senior Aaron Opelt is a reliable passer.

4. Ball State Cardinals
Top Offensive Player: RB MiQuale Lewis, Top Defensive Player: DE Brandon Crawford
The defending MAC champions suffer a big loss with QB Nate Davis gone, so look for the offense to go through Lewis. At just 5-foot-6, 193 pounds, Lewis rushed for 1,736 yards and 22 touchdowns. Yards may be tougher to come by, however, with a weaker passing game and four offensive line starters gone.

5. Northern Illinois Huskies
Top Offensive Player: G Jason Onyebuagu, Top Defensive Player: DE Brandon Bice
The Huskies rebounded nicely from a 2-10 season in '07 to an Independence Bowl appearance in Jerry Kill's first year. But what was an experienced team is now young, as just four starters are back on a defense that allowed only 18 points per game. If the defense can rebuild quickly, the Huskies have the potential for a similar 6-6 regular season like last year.

6. Eastern Michigan Eagles
Top Offensive Player: WR Jacory Stone, Top Defensive Player: DE Brad Ohrman
The perennial MAC basement dwellers return 17 starters but are still unlikely to make a big jump. New coach Ron English is a solid hire though, and the offense posted a very respectable 417.5 yards per game. English is a defensive coach but has his work cut out for him with a unite that allowed 35.6 points per game.

MAC Title Game: Central Michigan over Buffalo

*****
Although Buffalo surprised everyone by taking the conference title last season, the West is clearly the stronger division. The MAC champion will likely come out of the Oct. 17 matchup between Central Michigan and Western Michigan, and the Broncos do get the game at home.

Both teams have an excellent quarterback, but LeFevour has the advantage because of his versatility. And although neither defense was good last season, the Chippewas are at least much more experienced than the Broncos now on defense.

The East is much more wide open, and even lowly Temple has a chance to get in the division title race and attempt to make its first bowl trip in 30 years.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Bellore, LB, Central Michigan
Freshman of the Year: Kelly Page, QB, Ball State
Coach of the Year: Butch Jones, Central Michigan

All-MAC Team
QB- Dan LeFevour, Sr., Central Michigan
RB- MiQuale Lewis, Sr., Ball State
RB- James Starks, Sr., Buffalo
WR- Naaman Roosevelt, Sr., Buffalo
WR- Bryan Anderson, Sr., Central Michigan
TE- Madaris Grant, Sr., Ball State
OT- Anthony Parker, So., Western Michigan
OT- Brady Minturn, Sr., Bowling Green
G- Phillip Swanson, Jr., Western Michigan
G- Jason Onyebuagu, Sr., Northern Illinois
C- Eddie Adamski, Sr., Northern Illinois

DE- Frank Zombo, Sr., Central Michigan
DE- Junior Galette, Sr., Temple
DT- Andre Neblett, Sr., Temple
DT- Sam Frist, Sr., Kent State
LB- Nick Bellore, Jr., Central Michigan
LB- Austin Pritchard, Sr., Western Michigan
LB- Archie Donald, Jr., Toledo
CB- Miguel Graham, Sr., Akron
CB- Josh Gordy, Sr., Central Michigan
S- Barry Church, Sr., Toledo
S- Davonte Shannon, Jr., Buffalo

K- Mike Salerno, Sr., Northern Illinois
P- Bern Armer, So., Western Michigan
KR- Jamal Schulters, Jr., Temple

Top Non-Conference Games
1. Central Michigan at Michigan State, Sept. 12
2. Western Michigan at Michigan, Sept. 5
3. Pittsburgh at Buffalo, Sept. 12
4. Central Michigan at Arizona, Sept. 5
5. Colorado at Toledo, Sept. 11

Top Conference Games
1. Central Michigan at Western Michigan, Oct. 17
2. Central Michigan at Buffalo, Oct. 3
3. Buffalo at Western Michigan, Oct. 24
4. Akron at Buffalo, Oct. 17
5. Central Michigan at Ball State, Nov. 18

-Matt Brown

Note: The Afternoon Kickoff has the day off today as I move back up to State College. While it means less content today, it also means we're getting close to the start of the season, and a big increase in football content from us is on the horizon.

Projected Order of Finish
North Division
1. Kansas Jayhawks
Top Offensive Player: QB Todd Reesing, Top Defensive Player:
The gritty Reesing returns to lead the nation's No. 8 passing offense. Three starters are gone up front, but the Kansas offense should keep rolling behind Reesing, RB Jake Sharp and 1,000-yard receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier.

2. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Top Offensive Player: C Jacob Hickman, Top Defensive Player: DT Ndamukong Suh
QB Joe Ganz and his top two receivers are gone, along with RB Marlon Lucky. The Cornhuskers are solid on both lines, especially with Suh -- who is in the discussion for the country's best defensive player after leading the team in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss.

3. Missouri Tigers
Top Offensive Player: RB Derrick Washington, Top Defensive Player: OLB Sean Weatherspoon
A rebuilding year appears likely for Missouri with just nine starters returning and big-time departures on offense in QB Chase Daniel, WR Jeremy Maclin and TE Chase Coffman. However, QB Blaine Gabbert has drawn praise in the preseason, and if he is ready to lead the team from the start, the Tigers could still contend for a division title.

4. Colorado Buffaloes
Top Offensive Player: QB Cody Hawkins, Top Defensive Player: CB Cha'pelle Brown
It's surprising that Dan Hawkins' three years at Colorado have been so mediocre and now is the time to start turning things around. After ranking No. 100 in scoring, the offense must live up to its potential with nine starters return and Cody Hawkins in his third season under center.

5. Kansas State Wildcats
Top Offensive Player: WR Brandon Banks, Top Defensive Player: DE Brandon Harold
Gone is Ron Prince and back in is 69-year-old Bill Snyder after three years away from the job. The early departure of QB josh Freeman is a big blow to the offense, but the main concern for Snyder should be reshaping the defense. Eight starters return, but those eight starters were part of a defense that ranked No. 117 (479.1 yards allowed per game).

6. Iowa State Cyclones
Top Offensive Player: G Reggie Stephens, Top Defensive Player: MLB Jesse Smith
Few thought the Cyclones would lose coach Gene Chizik to an SEC school after a 2-10 season, but Auburn took back its former defensive coordinator. In his place, the Cyclones hired former Auburn defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads. Rhoads has 15 returning starters to work with, but the talent level is clearly inferior to most of the Big 12.

South Division
1. Texas Longhorns
Top Offensive Player: QB Colt McCoy, Top Defensive Player: DE Sergio Kindle
McCoy had a brilliant '08 season, throwing for 3,859 yards and 34 touchdowns. With just two starters gone from the nation's No. 5 scoring offense, the unit should continue to pile up points. If the secondary improves (259.4 passing yards allowed per game), this is a national championship caliber team again.

2. Oklahoma Sooners
Top Offensive Player: QB Sam Bradford, Top Defensive Player: DT Gerald McCoy
Oklahoma averaged more points than anyone in the nation last season at 51.1 points per game. Heisman winner Bradford is back, along with two 1,000-yard runners in Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray. The offensive line must be rebuilt, but the offense should still score at will, while the defense will improve after a mediocre season.

3. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Top Offensive Player: WR Dez Bryant, Top Defensive Player: OLB Andre Sexton
The Cowboys have all the pieces in place to have another big season offensively with QB Zac Robinson (3,064 yards), RB Kendall Hunter (1,555 yards), Bryant (1,480 yards) and first team All-Big 12 OT Russell Okung. If the defense can stop anybody this season under new coordinator Bill Young, Oklahoma State should win double-digit games for the first time since the Barry Sanders era.

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Top Offensive Player: OT Brandon Carter, Top Defensive Player: DE McKinner Dixon
Taylor Potts is the next in a line of QBs who inevitably throw for at least 350 yards every time out. But with just four starters returning to the Red Raiders' run-and-shoot offense, the team is bound to take a small step back from it's 11-2 season -- especially with Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State each returning more experience.

5. Baylor Bears
Top Offensive Player: QB Robert Griffin, Top Defensive Player: MLB Joe Pawelek
After years of irrelevance in the Big 12 basement, things are starting to look up under Art Briles. A dual threat, Griffin had a huge freshman season and has star written all over him. Despite playing in a very tough division, Griffin, Pawelek and 14 other returning starters will be enough for Baylor to earn its first bowl bid since the 1994 Alamo Bowl.

6. Texas A&M Aggies
Top Offensive Player: QB Jerrod Johnson, Top Defensive Player: SS Trent Hunter
While 10 starters return on offense, a usually strong rushing offense finished No. 114 last season. The numbers are sure to improve this season -- especially if the offensive line actually stays healthy -- but the old Wrecking Crew defense hasn't shown any signs of a return to form after also finishing No. 114 last season. It's hard to imagine the Aggies finishing anywhere but sixth in the division, although a strong recruiting class brings hope for the future.

Big 12 Title Game: Texas over Kansas

*****

After a few seasons with Oklahoma, Texas and no one else, the emergence of Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Kansas put the Big 12 into the discussion with the SEC for the nation's toughest conference. The Big 12 South is the strongest division in the country, edging out the SEC West.

The conference is absolutely loaded with quarterbacks. Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Todd Reesing, Zac Robinson and Robert Griffin are all elite quarterbacks, and there is a plethora of talent at the other skill positions too. Oklahoma has a pair of 1,000-yard backs, Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant is the nation's most talented receiver and Dezmon Briscoe of Kansas and Jordan Shipley of Texas are both capable of All-American seasons as well.

If only anyone in the conference played defense. Sure, it's more difficult to play defense when so much talent is present on the league's offenses. But Texas ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 in yards allowed last season. The 342.9 yards per game average was good enough for just 51st nationally. Meanwhile, 11 SEC teams ranked in the top 40.

Defenses were exposed in the bowl games, as Oklahoma's explosive offense was finally held in check by Florida after scoring 55.1 points per game in conference play, while Oklahoma State allowed 42 points to Oregon and Texas Tech allowed 47 to Mississippi.

With so much talent returning, however, the level of defense should improve slightly, while offenses will continue to roll.

Oklahoma State, Kansas and Texas Tech are all very good, but again, the real conference title game is at the Texas State Fair when Oklahoma plays Texas. Of course, the teams finished tied last year and Oklahoma got the national title game trip despite falling in the Red River Shootout, but regardless, the game is sure to have a significant impact on the BCS championship picture.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Defensive Player of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Freshman of the Year: Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M
Coach of the Year: Mack Brown, Texas

All-Big 12 Team
QB- Colt McCoy, Sr., Texas
RB- DeMarco Murray, Jr., Oklahoma
RB- Kendall Hunter, Jr., Oklahoma State
WR- Dez Bryant, Jr., Oklahoma State
WR- Dezmon Briscoe, Jr., Kansas
TE- Jermaine Gresham, Sr., Oklahoma
OT- Russell Okung, Sr., Oklahoma State
OT- Trent Williams, Sr., Oklahoma
G- Kurtis Gregory, Sr., Missouri
G- Evan Eike, So., Texas A&M
C- Chris Hall, Sr., Texas

DE- Sergio Kindle, Sr., Texas
DE- McKinner Dixon, Sr., Texas Tech
DT- Gerald McCoy, Jr., Oklahoma
DT- Ndamukong Suh, Sr., Nebraska
LB- Sean Weatherspoon, Sr., Missouri
LB- Joe Pawelek, Sr., Baylor
LB- Travis Lewis, So., Oklahoma
CB- Cha'pelle Brown, Sr., Colorado
CB- Dominique Franks, Jr., Oklahoma
S- Jordan Lake, Sr., Baylor
S- Earl Thomas, So., Texas

K- Alex Henery, Jr., Nebraska
P- Derek Epperson, Jr., Baylor
KR- Perrish Cox, Sr., Oklahoma State

Top Non-Conference Games
1. Georgia at Oklahoma State, Sept. 5
2. Oklahoma vs. BYU, Sept. 5 (at Arlington, Texas)
3. Oklahoma at Miami, Oct. 3
4. Nebraska at Virginia Tech, Sept. 19
5. Colorado at West Virginia, Oct. 1

Top Conference Games
1. Texas vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 17 (at Dallas)
2. Oklahoma State at Oklahoma, Nov. 28
3. Texas at Oklahoma State, Oct. 31
4. Texas Tech at Texas, Sept. 19
5. Oklahoma at Kansas, Oct. 24

-Matt Brown

In case you haven't heard, Penn State sophomore linebacker Michael Mauti injured his knee in a scrimmage Sunday, and Penn State has confirmed it's a torn ACL, sidelining him for the entire 2009 season.

It's just another in a line of knee injuries for Penn State linebackers, with Paul Posluszny tearing ligaments in the Orange Bowl against Florida State and Sean Lee tearing his ACL during '08 spring practice.

And it even continues in the NFL, where Dan Connor tore his ACL and missed the majority of his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers (Connor is back healthy and recorded a team-high nine tackles Monday night).

Of course, Mauti has not yet reached the level of any of the previous three players, who are all among the all-time greats at Linebacker U. The key word being "yet."

He played in every game as a true freshman, recording 26 tackles and seeing plenty of action on special teams. While, before his injury it appeared that the starting linebackers would be Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman on the outside and Josh Hull in the middle, there was little doubt that Mauti would see plenty of playing time, even if he didn't win the starting job.

The 6-foot-2, 231-pound Louisiana native has outstanding athletic ability and certainly appears to have the potential to become the next great linebacker at Penn State, along with two current teammates who are at that level already in Lee and Bowman.

The combination off Lee and Bowman alone is enough to put Penn State near the top of the nation's top linebacker units, and with an improving Hull and reserves like Nate Stupar, Bani Gbadyu, Mike Zordich, Mike Yancich and Chris Colasanti -- although the latter may redshirt -- it's hard to argue against the Nittany Lions boasting the No. 1 linebacking corps in the country.

The loss of Mauti is without a doubt a big blow, but given the wealth of talent Penn State has amassed at linebacker, it's the "best" position for an injury to happen.

It's possible the injury will have a greater impact on the 2010 season, as Lee and Hull both graduate and should Bowman repeat his '08 success, heading to the NFL a year early will be an option.

This isn't to say that Penn State won't simply reload at linebacker next year even if all three are gone, but Mauti will likely enter a starting role after a year off instead of a year splitting time. And next year, the Lions won't have three weeks to feast on cupcakes at the start of the season. Week two brings a trip to Tuscaloosa for the long-anticipated showdown with Alabama.

As for this year, Mauti's injury is big, but Penn State should have no problem getting through it with so much experience in the starting trio and so much young talent still providing depth.

*****
Quick Hits:
-While week two vs. Alabama next year is as intriguing as a non-conference game gets for Penn State, this year's second opponent just got a little more interesting. Doug Marrone apparently agrees with my post from two weeks ago and has named former Duke basketball point guard Greg Paulus the starting quarterback for Syracuse after a week of practice. It's a smart move, as it is the only thing that could be interesting about Syracuse's season this year. And if the move doesn't pan out, the Orange can't get much worse than they were the last four years anyway (10-37 record under Greg Robinson).

-In a somewhat surprising move, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has named redshirt freshman Kyle Parker the Tigers' starting quarterback. While he has yet to play a down of football, Parker has spent two years as a starter for the Clemson baseball team. Parker beat out sophomore Willy Korn, a highly-touted recruit who completed 26-of-38 passes backing up Cullen Harper as a redshirt freshman in '08. Meanwhile, star class of 2009 recruit Tajh Boyd will redshirt.

*****
Video of the Day:
A week after the Michigan loss in 2005, Penn State took all its frustrations out at Illinois in a 63-10 blowout. Tamba Hali appeared to take all his frustrations out on Tim Brasic in one play:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

Projected Order of Finish
1. Troy Trojans
Top Offensive Player: RB DuJuan Harris, Top Defensive Player: DE Brandon Lang
The defending Sun Belt champs return just 12 starters but are clearly the most talented team in the league. QB Levi Brown had an excellent 15-3 touchdown-interception ratio in eight starts. The defensive front is loaded with playmakers like Lang, DE Cameron Sheffield and LBs Bear Woods and Boris Lee.

2. Arkansas State Red Wolves
Top Offensive Player: RB Reggie Arnold, Top Defensive Player: DE Alex Carrington
A balanced team with productive offensive and defensive units, the Red Wolves have excellent talent at the offensive skill positions and also boast arguably the conference's best player in Carrington.

3. Florida Atlantic Owls
Top Offensive Player: QB Rusty Smith, Top Defensive Player: FS Ed Alexander
In just their ninth year of existence, the Owls have earned back-to-back bowl bids and are poised for another. QB Rusty Smith threw for 3,224 yards last year and leads an offense with eight returning starters. However, the defense is a major concern with the top six tacklers and eight starters gone.

4. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Top Offensive Player: OT Mark Fisher, Top Defensive Player: MLB Danny Carmichael
The Blue Raiders recorded a big win for the conference by defeating Maryland, and this season, a team from the SEC will travel to a Sun Belt school for the first time when Mississippi State plays in Murfreesboro.

5. Florida International Golden Panthers
Top Offensive Player: WR Ty Hilton, Top Defensive Player: CB Anthony Gaitor
After winning no games in 2006 and one game in 2007, the Golden Panthers are headed in the right direction under Mario Cristobal. A team that won five games in '08 returns 16 starters -- 10 on offense -- and has the league's most dynamic player in Hilton. The program's first bowl bid is within reach.

6. UL-Monroe Warhawks
Top Offensive Player: OT Ryan Dercher, Top Defensive Player: MLB Cardia Jackson
The Warhawks went just 4-8 but lost to Arkansas 28-27 and also handed Troy its only conference loss. QB is a big question with the loss of Kinsmon Lancaster, but otherwise, 17 starters return to a team that could finish as high as second in the Sun Belt.

7. UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
Top Offensive Player: C Chris Fisher, Top Defensive Player: LB Antwyne Zanders
The Ragin' Cajuns finished .500 last season and return 16 starters, but having to replace two 1,000-yard rushers in RB Tyrell Fenroy and QB Michael Desormeaux may be too much to overcome. The defense is experienced but allowed 213.3 yards per game on the ground.

8. North Texas Mean Green
Top Offensive Player: RB Cam Montgomery, Top Defensive Player: MLB Tobe Nwigwe
The elite program in the Sun Belt in the first half of the decade, North Texas hasn't won more than three games in a season since a 7-5 2004 campaign. The offense -- with coach Todd Dodge's Son, Riley Dodge, taking over at QB -- should be fine, but the nation's worst defense (47.6 points per game) has to make some progress.

9. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Top Offensive Player: WR Jake Gaebler, Top Defensive Player: OLB Blake Boyd
A two-year transition to the FBS level is complete, and Western Kentucky will play its first season as a full member of the Sun Belt. The Hilltoppers lost each of its five games with Sun Belt foes last season and is a few years away from becoming a legitimate threat in an improving league.

*****
The Sun Belt remains at the bottom of FBS football, but the conference is certainly improving. Troy played competitive games at Ohio State and LSU last season, beat Oklahoma State in 2007 and beat Missouri in 2004. The Trojans clearly remain the class of the league, but the conference's depth is improving.

Florida Atlantic has already been a contender the past two years and won the conference in 2007, while nearby rival Florida International is quickly becoming relevant under Mario Cristobal. Add in Middle Tennessee's victory over Maryland and an improving program at Arkansas State, and the Sun Belt has started to narrow the gap between itself and the other conferences.

Troy's schedule is not as brutal as last year (road games at Ohio State, Oklahoma State at LSU in '08), but two trips to the SEC make an unbeaten season impossible. While the Trojans have the ability to pull off an upset at Arkansas, a miracle would be needed to take down Florida at the Swamp Sept. 12.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Rusty Smith, QB, Florida Atlantic
Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Carrington, DE, Arkansas State
Freshman of the Year: Robert Walker, RB, UL-Lafayette
Coach of the Year: Mario Cristobal, Florida International

All-Sun Belt Team
QB- Rusty Smith, Sr., FAU
RB- Reggie Arnold, Sr., Arkansas State
RB- DuJuan Harris, Jr., Troy
WR- Ty Hilton, So., FIU
WR- Cortez Gent, Sr., FAU
TE- Jason Harmon, Sr., FAU
OT- Mark Fisher, Jr., Middle Tennessee
OT- Kyle Pirtle, Sr., UL-Lafayette
G- Brad Bustle, Sr., UL-Lafayette
G- Tyler Clark, Jr., Troy
C- Chris Fisher, UL-Lafayette

DE- Alex Carrington, Sr., Arkansas State
DE- Brandon Lang, Sr., Troy
DT- Bryan Hall, Jr., Arkansas State
DT- Josh Savidge, Sr. Florida Atlantic
LB- Boris Lee, Sr., Troy
LB- Bear Woods, Sr., Troy
LB- Cardia Jackson, Sr., UL-Monroe
CB- Jorrick Calvin, Sr., Troy
CB- Anthony Gaitor, Jr., Florida International
S- M.D. Jennings, Jr., Arkansas State
S- Josh Thompson, Sr., UL-Monroe

K- Josh Arauco, Sr., Arkansas State
P- Scott Love, Sr., UL-Monroe
KR- Ty Hilton, So., Florida International

Top Non-Conference Games
1. Mississippi State at Middle Tennessee, Oct. 17
2. Middle Tennessee at Maryland, Sept. 19
3. Troy at Arkansas, Nov. 14
4. Kansas State at UL-Lafayette, Sept. 12
5. Florida Atlantic at Nebraska, Sept. 5

Top Conference Games
1. Florida Atlantic at Troy, Nov. 21
2. Troy at Arkansas State, Sept. 26
3. Florida Atlantic at Florida International, Dec. 5
4. Arkansas State at Florida Atlantic, Nov. 14
5. Middle Tennessee at Troy, Oct. 6

-Matt Brown

December and January will have a new look in college football beginning next season.

Playoffs? No, of course not.

But bowl destinations are about to change as the Big Ten takes over New Year's Day and the state of Florida.

The Big Ten is reportedly close to locking up a deal with the Gator Bowl, which in the past few years has matched an ACC team against a team from the Big 12, Big East or Notre Dame.

Should the deal work out, the Big Ten's No. 4 or No. 5 team (rotating with the Insight Bowl) will face the ACC's No. 3 team.

This all comes after the reports that the Alamo Bowl is looking to raise its profile by aligning itself with the Pac-10's No. 2 team instead of the Big Ten's No. 4 or 5. The move would make the Alamo Bowl one of the premier non-BCS games with the Capital One and Cotton Bowls, as it would essentially steal the Holiday Bowl's Pac-10-Big 12 matchup.

Meanwhile, the Big East's No. 2 team is likely headed for Orlando and the Champs Sports Bowl, with No. 3 going to the Sun Bowl in El Paso. Also, Notre Dame would remain in the mix because of its deal with the Big East.

With the losses of the Champs Sports and Alamo, the Big Ten will still need to add another game to host its No. 6 team. In an effort to keep a bowl game in Texas, the Texas Bowl at Houston's Reliant Stadium appears to be a strong possibility for the Big Ten.

Should all of this play out as expected, the Big Ten's bowl lineup would like the following beginning in 2010:
Rose Bowl or other BCS game
Capital One Bowl
Outback Bowl
Gator Bowl
Insight Bowl
Texas Bowl
Motor City Bowl

View Big Ten bowl destinations in a larger map

All of those destinations looks great as an alternative to State College in December or January. Well, except Detroit. Nothing says congratulations on a .500 season like playing a MAC team in Detroit in December.

*****
Quick Hits:
-Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema suspended reserve senior safeties Shane Carter and Aubrey Pleasant at least through preseason for unknown reasons, and each is expected to fight the suspension, according to the Journal Sentinel.

From Aubrey Plesant's father, Garner:

"I hate to say this, but you just can't treat people any old way. I think that is what he (Bielema) is used to doing. Maybe this is how they do things at Iowa.

"And I hate to say that... but I hope the guy comes to his senses. Lawyers have been contacted, and we just want the kids' names cleared."

-Should Washington quarterback Jake Locker's football career not pan out, he has a Jeff Samardzija-like backup plan and has signed with the California Anaheim Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

*****
Video of the Day:
After a near-turnover, a fine drive showcasing the Spread HD against Illinois last season and ending with a touchdown pass to Derrick Williams:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

Note: We're in the midst of rolling out one conference preview every weekday to help give you an overview of the national college landscape and help see where Penn State and the Big Ten fit into the national picture in 2009. Today, we continue with the Mountain West. The series continues Tuesday with the Sun Belt.

Projected Order of Finish
1. BYU Cougars
Top Offensive Player: QB Max Hall, Top Defensive Player: DE Jan Jorgensen
BYU loses its starting receivers from the nation's No. 6 passing offense, but QB Max Hall (3,957 yards) returns, along with 1,000-yard TE Dennis Pitta. With bruising RB Harvey Unga also back, the Cougars should continue to light up the scoreboard.

2. Utah Utes
Top Offensive Player: RB Matt Asiata, Top Defensive Player: OLB Stevenson Sylvester
With two BCS bowl victories in five seasons, Utah has established itself at the top of the non-BCS heap. The losses of QB Brian Johnson and the top three receivers will set the offense back a bit, and the QB situation is still unsettled with true freshman Jordan Wynn leading the race.

3. TCU Horned Frogs
Top Offensive Player: OT Marshall Newhouse, Top Defensive Player: DE Jerry Hughes
TCU has notched 11 wins in four of its last five seasons, typically thanks to one of the nation's top defenses (No. 1 in yards allowed in '08). This season, expectations remain high, but the return of just four starters on defense increases the pressure on steady QB Andy Dalton and the offense. Thankfully for the Horned Frogs, Hughes -- a first team All-American -- returns to wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

4. Air Force Falcons
Top Offensive Player: G Nick Charles, Top Defensive Player: ILB Ken Lamendola
No one caught more than 16 passes for the Falcons last season, but as long as the option attack keeps rolling, it doesn't matter. The Falcons have had two successful seasons under Troy Calhoun, and the talent is in place in the backfield and on the O-line for a third consecutive bowl bid.

5. UNLV Rebels
Top Offensive Player: WR Ryan Wolfe, Top Defensive Player: OLB Jason Beauchamp
After four consecutive two-win seasons, the Rebels improved to 5-7 and have a shot at their first bowl bid since 2000. Junior QB Omar Clayton is emerging as a star, while he has the Mountain West's top target to throw to in WR Ryan Wolfe.

6. San Diego State Aztecs
Top Offensive Player: QB Ryan Lindley, Top Defensive Player: DE B.J. Williams
Given the recruiting base, San Diego State has been a perennial underachiever and hasn't gone to a bowl since 1998. Ball State coach Brady Hoke was a terrific hire, and he brought with him a top-notch coaching staff with offensive coordinator Al Borges and Rocky Long running the defense. The Aztecs' postseason drought won't last much longer.

7. Colorado State Rams
Top Offensive Player: WR Rashuan Greer, Top Defensive Player: OLB Mychal Sisson
Steve Fairchild brought the Rams back to a bowl in his first season with a New Mexico Bowl win over Fresno State. However, with a shaky defense, a new QB and the loss of 1,400-yard rusher Gartrell Johnson, 2009 could be a setback for the new regime.

8. Wyoming Cowboys
Top Offensive Player: TE Jesson Salyards, Top Defensive Player: DT John Fletcher
RB Devin Moore and his 1,301 yards are gone, and with him goes Wyoming's offense. Eight starters return, but the passing game was very shaky last season and the Cowboys must play smarter football after finishing No. 118 in turnover margin.

9. New Mexico Lobos
Top Offensive Player: C Eric Cook, Top Defensive Player: MLB Clint McPeek
Former Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley takes the reigns of a program that consistently went to bowls this decade before a 4-8 season in Rocky Long's final year. Just nine starters return, and with overhauls on both offense and defense, this clearly has the look of a rebuilding season.

*****

Utah's Sugar Bowl upset against Alabama added further credibility to the Mountain West's push for an automatic BCS bid. The Utes, BYU and TCU all finished ranked in the final polls and are all ranked in the preseason coaches' poll. Meanwhile, the Big East boasts zero ranked teams in the coaches' poll.

Those three teams all have a legitimate claim to being the preseason pick in the league, and the only conference losses the teams had last season were to each other. Expect similar results in '09.

But on paper, BYU looks like it has the biggest advantages. The Cougars boast arguably the league's top three offensive players in quarterback Max Hall, running back Harvey Unga and tight end Dennis Pitta, while the Cougars also have a scheduling advantage since both TCU and Utah travel to Provo.

It will be difficult for any of the three teams to qualify for a BCS game, however, as each has very difficult non-conference tests. BYU plays Oklahoma at the new home of the Dallas Cowboys and hosts Florida State, Utah travels to Oregon and TCU plays at Virginia and at Clemson. But should BYU lose to Oklahoma in the opener and run the table the rest of the way, an at-large bid will be possible.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Max Hall, QB, BYU
Defensive Player of the Year: Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU
Freshman of the Year: Jordan Wynn, QB, Utah
Coach of the Year: Bronco Mendenhall, BYU

All-Mountain West Team
QB- Max Hall, Sr., BYU
RB- Harvey Unga, Jr., BYU
RB- Matt Asiata, Sr., Utah
WR- Rashaun Greer, Sr., Colorado State
WR- Ryan Wolfe, Sr., UNLV
TE- Dennis Pitta, Sr., BYU
OT- Zane Beadles, Sr., Utah
OT- Marshall Newhouse, Sr., TCU
G- Shelley Smith, Sr., Colorado State
G- Nick Charles, Sr., Air Force
C- Eric Cook, Sr., New Mexico

DE- Jerry Hughes, Sr., TCU
DE- B.J. Williams, Sr., San Diego State
DT- John Fletcher, Sr., Wyoming
DT- Ben Garland, Sr., Air Force
LB- Stevenson Sylvester, Sr., Utah
LB- Matt Bauman, Sr., BYU
LB- Jason Beauchamp, Sr., UNLV
CB- Rafael Priest, Sr., TCU
CB- Nick Sanders, Sr., TCU
S- Tejay Johnson, Jr., TCU
S- Chris Thomas, Sr., Air Force

K- Ross Evans, So., TCU
P- Anson Kelton, So., TCU
KR- David Reed, Sr., Utah

Top Non-Conference Games
1. BYU vs. Oklahoma (at Arlington, Texas)
2. Utah at Oregon, Sept. 19
3. TCU at Clemson, Sept. 26
4. Florida State at BYU, Sept. 19
5. TCU at Virginia, Sept. 12

Top Conference Games
1. Utah at BYU, Nov. 28
2. TCU at BYU, Oct. 24
3. Utah at TCU, Nov. 14
4. TCU at Air Force, Oct. 10
5. BYU at UNLV, Oct. 10

-Matt Brown

After day off for Penn State media day, the Afternoon Kickoff returns for another Friday list.

Last Friday, I took at a look at the Top 10 Non-Conference Games to watch. This week, we shift gears with the Top 10 Conference Games of the year.

10. Oklahoma State at Oklahoma, Nov. 28
The Texas trip to Oklahoma State (Oct. 31) could also be here, but because of the rivalry, Bedlam gets the nod. The Big 12 South is the best division in college football, and if Oklahoma manages to beat Texas in the Red River Rivalry, it still must get by its in-state rivals in the final game of the regular season. While the Sooners lead the all-time series 79-17-7, this is a different Oklahoma State program.

9. USC at Oregon, Oct. 31
It's been common for USC to drop a game or two it shouldn't -- like Oregon State last year -- but the Trojans have too obvious stumbling blocks in the way of another Pac-10 title. One is the Halloween trip to Eugene, where USC lost its last visit in 2007. Last year was a different story, as the Trojans won easily 44-10. Don't expect a similar blowout this season, and given that Oregon hosts both USC and California, a Pac-10 title is not out of reach.

8. LSU at Alabama, Oct. 10
It's Nick Saban vs. LSU part three, and there is a good chance this one will decide the SEC West. Alabama and LSU's respective games with Mississippi will also be very big, but the edge in importance goes to the Crimson Tide and the Tigers, who played a memorable overtime game -- won by Alabama -- in Saban's first trip back to Baton Rouge last year.

7. Utah at BYU, Nov. 28
TCU at BYU (Oct. 24) and Utah at TCU (Oct. 14) are on the same level as the three games will likely decide the highly competitive Mountain West. Each team is ranked in the preseason coaches' poll, and each has a chance to crash the BCS. But the biggest of the bunch will probably be the in-state Utah-BYU clash, which is the last game of the season for each team.

6. Florida vs. Georgia, Oct. 31 (at Jacksonville)
No one in the country expects anyone but Florida to win the SEC East, and while the Gators are clearly the superior team, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party has provided plenty of drama in recent years, aside from Florida winning last year 49-10. But there is no question the Bulldogs have this one circled on their calendars, and it's certainly one of the toughest games on Florida's road to back-to-back national titles.

5. Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech, Oct. 17
The Hokies won the ACC Coastal showdown last season 20-17 to win the tiebreaker in the division. Although the Hokies are the favorites again this season, the loss of tailback Darren Evans for the season and the Yellow Jackets being in their second year of the triple option should make for a close race. While Miami and North Carolina are improved, the division winner will likely come out of this midseason game in Atlanta.

4. USC at California, Oct. 3
USC has won seven consecutive Pac-10 titles are the favorites for an eighth. A few days ago, I went out on a limb and called for Cal to knock off the Trojans this season and end the run. Cal had just 165 yards of offense in a 17-3 loss last year at the Coliseum, but running back Jahvid Best should have more success this season against a new-look Trojans' defensive front.

3. Ohio State at Penn State, Nov. 7
The last four Big Ten titles have been won by either the Buckeyes or Nittany Lions, and this year might be no different. Last year's conference title came down to a defensive showdown won by the Lions in Columbus, 13-6, and Terrelle Pryor's first visit to Happy Valley will be the highlight of the Big Ten season.

2. Florida at LSU, Oct. 10
Widely believed to be the biggest obstacle for Florida's quest for an unbeaten season, trips to Baton Rouge are always tough. The Gators pummeled the Tigers 51-21 last season, but don't expect a similar result in '09. LSU has athletes to match Florida's, and there is no question Death Valley will be rocking for this one.

1. Oklahoma vs. Texas, Oct. 17 (at Dallas)
Texas took down Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry last season, yet Oklahoma still got the BCS title game nod over Texas and quarterback Sam Bradford beat Colt McCoy for the Heisman. This game will clearly have an enormous impact on both races this season, although maybe this time the winner of the game will get the postseason recognition.

*****
Quick Hits:
-Texas Tech will be without tailback Baron Batch for three to six weeks with an arm injury. The injury could jeopardize his status for the early-season trip to Texas Sept. 19, further diminishing chances of a repeat upset. However, his target date is to return to face the Longhorns. While the Red Raiders are known for their passing attack, Batch ran for 758 yards and seven touchdowns last year in splitting time with Shannon Woods, and he also caught 45 passes for 449 yards.

-Auburn has named Chris Todd as its starting quarterback. The senior split time with Kodi Burns last season, starting five games and throwing for 903 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions in a disastrous transition to the spread offense.

******
Video of the Day:
Michael Crabtree's game-winning touchdown vs. Texas last year:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

Note: We're in the midst of rolling out one conference preview every weekday to help give you an overview of the national college landscape and help see where Penn State and the Big Ten fit into the national picture in 2009. Today, we continue with the Big East. Check back next week for another five leagues, beginning with the Mountain West on Monday.

Projected Order of Finish
1. South Florida Bulls
Top Offensive Player: QB Matt Grothe, Top Defensive Player: DE George Selvie
Can Grothe take the next step? A great scrambler, he has 2,085 career rush yards. While accurate, he must cut down on his mistakes and has struggled with interceptions throughout his career.

2. West Virginia Mountaineers
Top Offensive Player: RB Noel Devine, Top Defensive Player: MLB Reed Williams
While QB Pat White is gone, replacement Jarrett Brown has experience and is also an excellent runner. He and Devine form what remains one of the country's most dynamic backfield tandems.

3. Pittsburgh Panthers
Top Offensive Player: TE Nate Byham, Top Defensive Player: DE Greg Romeus
The loss of RB LeSean McCoy to the NFL is a huge blow, especially for a team with so much trouble at the QB position. Bill Stull and Pat Bostick combined to throw 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last year. However, the Panthers boast the league's top defense.

4. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Top Offensive Player: OT Anthony Davis, Top Defensive Player: MLB Ryan D'Imperio
Rutgers must find a replacement for productive but erratic QB Mike Teel, along with top receivers Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood. Domenic Natale, Jabu Lovelace and incoming freshman Tom Savage will all battle for QB job.

5. Cincinnati Bearcats
Top Offensive Player: WR Mardy Gilyard, Top Defensive Player: SS Aaron Webster
The Bearcats may have the most complete offense in the Big East with Tony Pike back at quarterback. The player to watch is USC transfer Vidal Hazelton at WR. However, the obvious concern is just one returning starter on defense.

6. Connecticut Huskies
Top Offensive Player: C Moe Petrus, Top Defensive Player: FS Robert Vaughn
The Huskies must replace 2,000-yard rusher Donald Brown. Jordan Todman will compete with former second team All-Big East pick Andre Dixon, who was held back by an ankle injury last season, for carries.

7. Louisville Cardinals
Top Offensive Player: RB Victor Anderson, Top Defensive Player: MLB Jon Dempsey
The Steve Kragthorpe era has been surprisingly dismal, with a combined record of 11-13 in two seasons. N.C. State transfer Justin Burke could get the call at QB to replace Hunter Cantwell. Offense will be carried by Big East rookie of the year Victor Anderson at RB.

8. Syracuse Orange
Top Offensive Player: OT Tucker Baumbach, Top Defensive Player: DT Arthur Jones
Doug Marrone inherits a disastrous situation at Syracuse, and the Orange finished No. 114 in offense and No. 101 in defense in '08. The most intriguing thing about the team is the QB situation, where former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus is vying for the starting job.

*****

The Big East is widely considered the weakest of the BCS conferences, and it doesn't help the conference that no teams made it into the preseason coaches' poll top 25. Meanwhile, three Mountain West teams earned recognition.

However, the race for the league title should be exciting. The top five teams all could be argued for the preseason favorite, but every team is flawed. It's very doubtful that an elite team will emerge, as the champion will probably finish 9-3.

West Virginia is probably the safest bet, and Pittsburgh's defense makes it a legitimate contender, but given the wide-open nature of the conference, I'll go with senior quarterback Matt Grothe to lead South Florida to its first BCS appearance. The Bulls are balanced with a productive offense and a defense that finished No. 10 in yards allowed last season. If Grothe can limit his mistakes and the defense carries over the success of '08, it could turn out to be a special year for the Bulls.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia
Defensive Player of the Year: George Selvie, DE, USF
Freshman of the Year: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
Coach of the Year: Jim Leavitt, USF

All-Big East Team
QB- Matt Grothe, Sr., USF
RB- Noel Devine, Jr., West Virginia
RB- Victor Anderson, So., Louisville
WR- Mardy Gilyard, Sr., Cincinnati
WR- Tim Brown, Sr., Rutgers
TE- Nate Byham, Sr., Pittsburgh
OT- Anthony Davis, Jr., Rutgers
OT- Jason Pinkston, Jr., Pittsburgh
G- John Malecki, Sr., Pittsburgh
G- Zach Hermann, Jr., USF
C- Moe Petrus, So., Connecticut

DE- George Selvie, Sr., USF
DE- Greg Romeus, Jr., Pittsburgh
DT- Scooter Berry, Jr., West Virginia
DT- Arthur Jones, Sr., Syracuse
LB- Reed Williams, Sr., West Virginia
LB- Ryan D'Imperio, Sr., Rutgers
LB- Scott Lutrus, Jr., Connecticut
CB- Jasper Howard, Jr., Connecticut
CB- Brandon Hogan, Jr., West Virginia
S- Robert Vaughn, Sr., Connecticut
S- Nate Allen, Sr., USF

K- Jake Rogers, Jr., Cincinnati
P- Rob Long, Jr., Syracuse
KR- Mardy Gilyard, Sr., Cincinnati

Top Non-Conference Games
1. USF at Florida State, Sept. 26
2. West Virginia at Auburn, Sept. 19
3. Miami at USF, Nov. 28
4. Colorado at West Virginia, Oct. 1
5. Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, Nov. 14

Top Conference Games
1. West Virginia at USF, Oct. 30
2. Pittsburgh at West Virginia, Nov. 27
3. USF at Pittsburgh, Oct. 24
4. USF at Rutgers, Nov. 25
5. West Virginia at Rutgers, Dec. 5

-Matt Brown

An updated roster was handed out for media day, so any questions about the freshmen and their number selections have been settled.

Freshmen numbers now known...

No. 2 Stephon Morris, DB...5-8, 182
No. 4 Shawney Kersey, WR...6-1, 187
No. 7 Curtis Drake, WR...5-11, 169
No. 8 Brandon Moseby-Felder, WR...6-2, 170
No. 14 Mike Wallace, DB...5-9, 182
No. 19 Justin Brown, WR...6-3, 208
No. 19 Garrett Venuto, QB...6-0, 215
No. 20 Devon Smith, WR...5-7, 153
No. 22 Steven Hill, QB...6-1, 209
No. 23 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, DB...5-10, 186
No. 24 Malcolm Willis, DB...5-11, 221
No. 25 Derrick Thomas, DB...6-0, 174
No. 26 Curtis Dukes, RB...6-1, 238
No. 31 Nick Delligatti, LB...6-0, 192
No. 34 Christian Kuntz, WR...6-4, 207
No. 35 Pat Zerbe, FB...6-1, 240
No. 47 Jordan Hill, DL...6-1, 305
No. 48 Emery Etter, KS...6-1, 239
No. 58 Adam Gress, OL...6-6, 275
No. 62 Frank Figueroa, OL...6-3, 280
No. 63 Mark Arcidiacono, OL...6-4, 274
No. 64 John Urschel, OL...6-3, 278
No. 75 Eric Shrive, OL...6-6, 298
No. 76 Nate Cadogan, OL...6-5, 285
No. 89 Garry Gilliam, DL...6-6, 245
No. 90 Sean Stanley, DL...6-1, 232
No. 97 J.R. Refice, DL...6-0, 267

Note: Over the next two weeks, we'll roll out one conference preview every weekday to help give you an overview of the national college landscape and help see where Penn State and the Big Ten fit into the national picture in 2009. Today, we continue with the WAC. Check back tomorrow for the Big East.

Projected Order of Finish
1. Boise State Broncos
Top Offensive Player: QB Kellen Moore, Top Defensive Player: CB Kyle Wilson
The Broncos have won six of the last seven WAC titles, and although just 11 starters return, they always seem to have no problem reloading. With Moore back running the offensive show and one of the nation's best defensive backfields, Boise State is the clear favorite to repeat.

2. Nevada Wolf Pack
Top Offensive Player: RB Vai Taua, Top Defensive Player: DE Kevin Basped
The Wolf Pack boasted the No. 5 total offense and the No. 3 rushing offense, and most of the key parts return. QB Colin Kaepernic threw for 2,849 yards and 1,130 yards, while Taua is a highly underrated tailback nationally that rushed for 1,521 yards.

3. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Top Offensive Player: RB Daniel Porter, Top Defensive Player: DT D'Anthony Smith
The Bulldogs used to operate with a wide-open passing attack, but the last few years have been different. Porter rushed for 1,164 yards, while QQB Ross Jenkins attempted just 174 passes and threw for 1,155 yards. With the entire O-line back, look for more of the same with Porter.

4. Fresno State Bulldogs
Top Offensive Player: WR Seyi Ajirotutu, Top Defensive Player: MLB Ben Jacobs
Outside of 2006, Fresno State has been a consistent upper echelon team in the WAC, yet the Bulldogs haven't won a league title since 1999. This year won't be the year things change, especially with almost no experience at QB. The player to watch is incoming freshman Derek Carr -- brother of former No. 1 draft pick David Carr.

5. San Jose State Spartans
Top Offensive Player: WR Kevin Jurovich, Top Defensive Player: DE Carl Ihenacho
A long-time perennial doormat, San Jose State has moved in the right direction under Dick Tomey. A 2006 New Mexico Bowl win is the program's only bowl appearance since 1990. The Spartans missed out despite finishing .500 last year, but the talent is there to get to seven wins and lock up another bowl bid.

6. Hawaii Warriors
Top Offensive Player: C John Estes, Top Defensive Player: DE John Fonoti
Hawaii's normally unstoppable passing attack took a step backwards last year, and the Warriors averaged just 24.6 points per game. Steady but unspectacular QB Greg Alexander takes over full-time with the move of former QB Inoke Funaki to RB.

7. Utah State Aggies
Top Offensive Player: C Brennan McFadden, Top Defensive Player: OLB Paul Igboeli
New coach Gary Andersen has his work cut out for him, taking control of a program that hasn't had a winning record this decade. Sixteen starters return, and improvement starts with improving the offensive line in front of dual-threat QB Dionre Borel

8. Idaho Vandals
Top Offensive Player: G Mike Iupati, Top Defensive Player: DT Faleoga Faumui
Like Utah State, the Vandals also haven't finished .500 this decade. Robb Akey has gone 3-21 in his first two years at the Kibbie Dome, and the key to making progress is playing smarter football and finding some defensive playmakers -- the Vandals finished 114th in turnover margin and allowed 42.8 points per game.

9. New Mexico State Aggies
Top Offensive Player: WR Marcus Anderson, Top Defensive Player: OLB Jason Scott
Given the talent at QB with Chase Holbrook last season, it's somewhat surprising the Aggies finished 3-9. With just 10 starters returning, new coach DeWayne Walker will need some time to buld the program toward its first bowl bid since 1960.

*****
The most dominant teams in their conferences in recent years have been USC and Boise State. Wednesday, I picked USC to finally fall in the Pac-10. However, I might have to be crazy to pick both the Trojans and Broncos (6-for-7 WAC titles) to be dethroned in the same year.

Chris Ault has a lot of talent to work with at Nevada, and the Pistol offense should be extremely dangerous with returning WAC offensive player of the year Colin Kaepernick running the show at quarterback and brusing tailback Vai Taua lining up behind him.

And at Louisiana Tech, Derek Dooley has done an excellent job in two years, and he should have his best team yet with 16 returning starters. If Ross Jenkins get things together at quarterback and becomes more efficient, the Bulldogs have a chance to contend for the league title.

But this is Boise State's title to lose, and if the Broncos can beat Oregon for the second year in a row on opening night, there is a good chance they'll run the table in the regular season for the third time in four years.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Vai Taua, RB, Nevada
Defensive Player of the Year: D'Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech
Freshman of the Year: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
Coach of the Year: Chris Ault, Nevada

All-WAC Team
QB- Kellen Moore, So., Boise State
RB- Vai Taua, Jr., Nevada
RB- Daniel Porter, Sr., Louisiana Tech
WR- Seyi Ajirotutu, Sr., Fresno State
WR- Greg Salas, Jr., Hawaii
TE- Virgil Green, Jr., Nevada
OT- Rob McGill, Jr., Louisiana Tech
OT- Alonzo Durham, Sr., Nevada
G- Andrew Jackson, Jr., Fresno State
G- Mike Iupati, Sr., Idaho
C- Josh Estes, Sr., Hawaii

DE- Carl Inhenacho, Sr., San Jose State
DE- Kevin Basped, Jr., Nevada
DT- D'Anthony Smith, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DT- Mason Hitt, Jr., Louisiana Tech
LB- Ben Jacobs, Jr., Fresno State
LB- Paul Igboeli, Sr., Nevada
LB- Jason Scott, Sr., New Mexico State
CB- Kyle Wilson, Sr., Boise State
CB- Brandyn Thompson, Jr., Boise State
S- Jeron Johnson, Jr., Boise State
S- Antonio Baker, Sr., Louisiana Tech

K- Kyle Goessling, So., Fresno State
P- Kyle Brotzman, Jr., Boise State
KR- A.J. Jefferson, Sr., Fresno State

Top Non-Conference Games
1. Oregon at Boise State, Sept. 3
2. Nevada at Notre Dame, Sept. 5
3. Missouri at Nevada, Sept. 25
4. Fresno State at Wisconsin, Sept. 12
5. Wisconsin at Hawaii, Dec. 5

Top Conference Games
1. Nevada at Boise State, Nov. 27
2. Boise State at Louisiana Tech, Nov. 6
3. Louisiana Tech at Nevada, Oct. 9
4. Boise State at Fresno State, Sept. 18
5. Fresno State at Nevada, Nov. 14

-Matt Brown

Note: The Afternoon Kickoff has the day off Thursday. The four of us will all be attending Penn State football media day Thursday afternoon, so be sure to check Twitter for live updates and check back with the Collegian Web site and the Footblog for more complete updates.

Chip Kelly's coaching at Oregon has been familiar for the last few years, as he served as offensive coordinator under Mike Bellotti the last two seasons.

But his head coaching style? It might take a little bit for the Ducks players to get used to.

Kelly has taken over with a complete no-nonsense approach, and stories are already trickling out as players try to avoid getting on his "list," as Jeff Smith of The Oregonian writes.

According to Smith, Kelly has a "Fright Night Lights" list of players who must do extra, tough workouts when they don't follow rules.

"The next day, you'd walk down the tunnels and see (vomit) everywhere," said Jackson, a junior rover. "People would say, 'Oh, yeah, that was me last night. Don't get on that list, man.' I guess people were throwing up within the first 15 minutes. We want to do everything we can to stay away from that. You just have to take account for yourself so you're not on that list."

Rumor has it, the vomiting didn't occur after the running. Instead, the players were forced to stare at their uniforms for 15 minutes.

But this is pretty interesting to see. This decade, USC has dominated the Pac-10 with basically the complete opposite approach. I'm going to guess we won't be seeing Snoop Dogg or Will Ferrell at Chip Kelly's practices.

If the approach works and the players are buying into it, then there is probably no reason Oregon can't repeat its success last season and win 10 games again. Given that USC, California and Oregon State all travel to Autzen Stadium, it's not implausible for Oregon to win the Pac-10 for the first time since 2001 either.

*****
Quick Hits:
-I covered the whole SEC new media policy debacle yesterday, but for some more thoughts, let's turn to Fanhouse's Clay Travis, who is able to add some legal insights.

-Very bad news for preseason ACC favorite Virginia Tech, as star tailback Darren Evans was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Our former colleague Mark Viera has the story in the Washington Post. A second team All-ACC selection, Evans rushed for 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns. And suddenly, the pressure on quarterback Tyrod Taylor has become even greater.

*****
Video of the Day:
Oregon tailback LeGarrette Blount, who is definitely one of my favorite players to watch in college football:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

Note: Over the next two weeks, we'll roll out one conference preview every weekday to help give you an overview of the national college landscape and help see where Penn State and the Big Ten fit into the national picture in 2009. Today, we continue with the Pac-10. Check back tomorrow for the WAC.

Projected Order of Finish
1. California Golden Bears
Top Offensive Player: RB Jahvid Best, Top Defensive Player: CB Syd'Quan Thompson
With sprinter speed, Best rushed for 1,580 yards and averaged 8.1 yards per carry. The Bears boast also boast a strong defense, and if QB Kevin Riley improves his accuracy, the offense will be difficult to slow down.

2. Southern California Trojans
Top Offensive Player: C Kristofer O'Dowd, Top Defensive Player: FS Taylor Mays
It's time for another round of reloading for the Trojans. Gone is QB Mark Sanchez, but in steps one of three prep All-Americans -- most likely sophomore Aaron Corp. Just three starters return to the nation's top scoring defense, however, expect only a minor setback.

3. Oregon Ducks
Top Offensive Player: RB LeGarrette Blount, Top Defensive Player: CB Walter Thurmond III
QB Jeremiah Masoli emerged as a star toward the end of the year, and he finished with 1,744 yards passing and 718 yards on the ground. Although 1,200-yard rusher Jeremiah Johnson is gone, Blount rushed for 1,002 and 17 touchdowns and is poised for a huge season

4. Oregon State Beavers
Top Offensive Player: RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Top Defensive Player: OLB Keaton Kristick
Like USC, the defense returns just three starters. Unfortunately for the Beavers, they don't have the depth to reload without any growing pains. An offense led by Jacquizz and James Rodgers will be very good.

5. UCLA Bruins
Top Offensive Player: WR Taylor Embree, Top Defensive Player: MLB Reggie Carter
When your ground game is ranked No. 116 in the country, you must get production out of your quarterback. Unfortunately for the Bruins, Kevin Craft threw seven touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Redshirt freshman Kevin Prince will get the nod under center this season.

6. Arizona Wildcats
Top Offensive Player: TE Rob Gronkowski, Top Defensive Player: DE Brooks Reed
The Wildcats finally broke through and earned a bowl bid for the first time in 10 years with an 8-5 record. The talent is there to repeat last year's success, that is, assuming a QB emerges to replace departed star Willie Tuitama.

7. Stanford Cardinal
Top Offensive Player: RB Toby Gerhart, Top Defensive Player: FS Bo McNally
Jim Harbaugh is clearly the right man for the job at Stanford, and the Cardinal has a shot to finally earn a bowl bid for the first time since 2001. The big question is at QB, where touted redshirt freshman Andrew Luck is expected to take over for incumbent Tavita Pritchard.

8. Washington Huskies
Top Offensive Player: QB Jake Locker, Top Defensive Player: DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
Given that the Huskies went winless last season, things can only get better in Steve Sarkisian's first season. After he missed the final eight games last season because of injury, a healthy Locker is the key to turning things around.

9. Arizona State Sun Devils
Top Offensive Player: OT Shawn Lauvao, Top Defensive Player: DE Dexter Davis
The Davis-led defense could be one of the Pac-10's best, but major questions surround the offense. Four starters return to the line, but it's a line that has served as a turnstile for pass rushers the past few years.

10. Washington State Cougars
Top Offensive Player: WR Jeshua Anderson, Top Defensive Player: CB Romeo Pellum
Turning things around after a 2-11 season starts at quarterback and on the line. The line allowed 43 sacks last season, and while running for his life last season, QB Kevin Lopina tossed 11 interceptions and zero touchdowns.

*****
I know what you're thinking. Am I just throwing crazy predictions out there and hoping they stick? Cal ahead of USC?

The Trojans have won an incredible seven Pac-10 titles in a row and have destroyed Big Ten opponents in each of the last three Rose Bowls. They have the best offensive line, best secondary and deepest stable of running backs in the Pac-10. The star quarterback is gone, but another blue chip prospect will take his place.

But USC will get knocked from its comfortable spot atop the league one year. And given the Golden Bears' talent -- and the fact that USC must travel to Strawberry Canyon -- this season sets up as well as any for that to happen.

Both teams will end up playing in BCS games, but it wouldn't be far-fetched for both USC and Cal to finish tied at 7-2 or 8-1 in the Pac-10, with Cal earning the Rose Bowl nod because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Then again, it's entirely possible that USC cruises to a 12-0 season and Cal finishes 8-4.

*****
Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Jahvid Best, RB, California
Defensive Player of the Year: Taylor Mays, S, USC
Freshman of the Year: Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
Coach of the Year: Jeff Tedford, California

All-Pac-10 Team
QB- Jeremiah Masoli, Jr., Oregon
RB- Jahvid Best, Jr., California
RB- Jacquizz Rodgers, So., Oregon State
WR- James Rodgers, Jr., Oregon State
WR- Damian Williams, Jr., USC
TE- Rob Gronkowski, Jr., Arizona
OT- Chris Marinelli, Sr., Stanford
OT- Mitchell Schwartz, So., California
G- Colin Baxter, Jr., Arizona
G- Jeff Byers, Sr., USC
C- Kristofer O'Dowd, Jr., USC

DE- Everson Griffen, Jr., USC
DE- Dexter Davis, Sr., Arizona State
DT- Tyson Alualu, Sr., California
DT- Brian Price, Jr., UCLA
LB- Reggie Carter, Sr., UCLA
LB- Keaton Kristick, Sr., Oregon State
LB- Spencer Paysinger, Jr., Oregon
CB- Syd'Quan Thompson, Sr., California
CB- Walter Thurmond III, Sr., Oregon
S- Taylor Mays, Sr., USC
S- T.J. Ward, Sr., Oregon

K- Kai Forbath, Jr., UCLA
P- Keenyn Crier, Jr., Arizona
KR- Terrance Austin, Sr., UCLA

Top Non-Conference Games
1. USC at Ohio State, Sept. 12
2. Oregon at Boise State, Sept. 3
3. Utah at Oregon, Sept. 19
4. USC at Notre Dame, Oct. 17
5. California at Minnesota, Sept. 19

Top Conference Games
1. USC at California, Oct. 3
2. USC at Oregon, Oct. 31
3. California at Oregon, Sept. 26
4. UCLA at USC, Nov. 28
5. Oregon State at Oregon, Dec. 3

-Matt Brown

The SEC is taking over the world. Or at least it's trying.

From part-time reporters to local TV stations to fans updating Twitter from their seats at a game, the SEC is issuing restrictions on anything it doesn't have a billion-dollar contract with.

The Birmingham News obtained a copy of the SEC's new media policy, and Jason Morton describes all the details.

A few things to highlight from Morton:

The policy, distributed to member schools Thursday and obtained by The Tuscaloosa News on Friday, also places restrictions on TV broadcasts, limiting news stations to clips of no longer than three minutes and allowing highlights for only 72 hours after the conclusion of a game.

Oh, but it goes on to say CBS and ESPN -- which have massive contracts with the SEC -- will be given certain exceptions. So don't worry, even though the local news can't cover it's local team as effectively as it used to, you can always turn to ESPN.

Athletic departments from around the league have expressed concerns about the new rules. Ranging from the wording of the policy -- which, as it now stands, limits credentials to "full-time salaried" employees (many news organizations pay hourly wages, employ part-time workers and use freelancers) -- to the task to implementing its mandates.

Wait a second. I work for a student newspaper and am far from a "full-time salaried" employee. Dose that mean I wouldn't be able to cover my own school if I worked at a student paper in the SEC? I'm sure it will get worked out, but the policy sure makes it seem that way.

A summary printed on the back of each ticket (likely starting next year with football, since tickets for this season already have been distributed) forbids fans from taking photographs or sharing accounts or descriptions of the event.

Does this mean the SEC will prevent sports fans from posting the pictures they take on social network sites like Facebook? Probably not, Smith said.

Watch what you post on Twitter during the game SEC fans, the conference is watching.

The link on the Birmingham News site to the written out policy seems to be broken, but Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue has it all spelled out.

Now, with widespread backlash, the SEC says it will "tweak" some of its policies, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Hey, good news for Collegian reporters who hope to travel to the Penn State-Alabama game next year:

A clause that states a media member must be a "full-time salaried employee" will definitely be changed, Bloom said. "We're dealing in a world with stringers and college media," he said.

Yeah that college media, it sure is a new thing they have to deal with. The Collegian has only been around since 1887. Give the SEC some time, it must adapt to these new media outlets.

I think the absurdity of all of this speaks for itself. We have a major college football conference attempting to monopolize content related to its events and give significant advantages to its biggest business partners.

Obviously, a lot of this stuff can't be enforced. I doubt SEC commissioner Mike Slive is going to be perusing your Facebook to see if you posted pictures from the Tennessee-Florida game.

Either way, they still took the time to put this stuff down on paper.

*****
Quick Hits:
-Detroit Free Press columnist Michael Rosenberg calls Rich Rodriguez out about the Justin Feagin situation.

-And speaking of legal issues at schools in the state of Michigan, Michigan State has reinstated running back Glenn Winston after he completed a four-month jail term for his role in an off-campus fight.

-Ohio State linebacker Tyler Moeller will likely miss the entire season, according to ESPN.com, after he suffered a head injury last month.

*****
Video of the Day:
There is no video of the day because the SEC is watching.

Just kidding. Here's Tim Tebow's famous jump pass:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

Note: Over the next two weeks, we'll roll out one conference preview every weekday to help give you an overview of the national college landscape and help see where Penn State and the Big Ten fit into the national picture in 2009. Today, we continue with Conference USA. Check back tomorrow for the Pac-10.

Projected Order of Finish
East Division
1. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
Top Offensive Player: RB Damion Fletcher, Top Defensive Player: DT Anthony Gray
A perennial C-USA contender, the Eagles haven't won the league since 2003. That could chance in '09 in Larry Fedora's second year as coach, as 19 starters return -- including rising star QB Austin Davis and 1,300-yard rusher Damion Fletcher.

2. East Carolina Pirates
Top Offensive Player: QB Patrick Pinkney, Top Defensive Player: DE C.J. Wilson
The defending C-USA champions have 16 starters returning and will challenge for the league title again after Pinkney was awarded a sixth-year of eligibility.

3. Memphis Tigers
Top Offensive Player: RB Curtis Steele, Top Defensive Player: OLB Greg Jackson
While the Tigers have gone to bowl games in four of the past five seasons, the last three have been in six- or seven-win seasons. The skill positions are excellent and the defense is solid, but a tough draw in the conference slate will be difficult to navigate.

4. UCF Knights
Top Offensive Player: WR Rocky Ross, Top Defensive Player: DE Bruce Miller
The Knights took a major step in the wrong direction, falling from 10-4 in '07 to 4-8 last year and ranking dead last in the nation in total offense with 229.5 yards per game. The return of Ross to the receiving corps after a medical redshirt should help the development of sophomore QB Rob Calabrese.

5. Marshall Thundering Herd
Top Offensive Player: RB Darius Marshall, Top Defensive Player: DE Albert McClellan
Marshall has yet to hit its stride since joining C-USA in 2005. Marshall, McClellan and TE Cody Slate are some of the most talented players in the league, but quarterback play most improve and the defense as a whole is still suspect.

6. UAB Blazers
Top Offensive Player: C Jake Seitz, Top Defensive Player: DE Bryant Turner
The Blazers are improving under Neil Callaway, who enters his third year in Birmingham. QB Joe Webb is an outstanding athlete, as he rushed for 1,021 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. However, cutting down on mistakes after tossing 16 interceptions is a must.

West Division
1. Houston Cougars
Top Offensive Player: QB Case Keenum, Top Defensive Player: CB Brandon Brinkley
The nation's No. 2 offense (562.8 yards per game) has eight returning starters, led by reigning C-USA offensive player of the year Keenum. He threw for 5,020 yards and 44 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, and returning with him are 1,200-yard rusher Bryce Beall and 1,000-yard receiver Tyron Carrier.

2. UTEP Miners
Top Offensive Player: QB Trevor Vittatoe, Top Defensive Player: CB Cornelius Brown
The Miners haven't finished above .500 since 2005, and turning things around will require a big improvement in defense after they finished No. 115 in yards allowed and gave up 37 points per game. However, the offense may be able to out-score everyone but Houston in the league.

3. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Top Offensive Player: WR Damaris Johnson, Top Defensive Player: MLB Mike Bryan
The nation's No. 1 offense (569.9 yards per game) loses its starting QB for the second year in a row. To make things worse, 1,500-yard rusher Tarrion Adams and 1,100-yard receiver Brennan Marion are lost as well. Three players are vying for the open QB job, but the player to watch is highly touted freshman Shavodrick Beaver, who originally committed to Michigan.

4. Tulane Green Wave
Top Offensive Player: RB Andre Anderson, Top Defensive Player: DT Reggie Scott
Tulane limped to a 2-10 record last season and has made just one bowl appearance -- in 2002 -- since its undefeated 1998 campaign. Last year, it didn't help that Anderson and star receiver Jeremy Williams each suffered season-ending injuries in the middle of the season. Their returns provide a big boost to a stagnant offense.

5. SMU Mustangs
Top Offensive Player: WR Emmanuel Sanders, Top Defensive Player: CB Bryan McCann
The first year of June Jones' run-and-shoot attack was a disaster, as SMU finished 1-11 and Bo Levi Mitchell threw 23 interceptions. There is hope for improvement, however, as a plethora of talent returns at receiver, led by Sanders and Aldrick Robinson.

6. Rice Owls
Top Offensive Player: OT Scott Mitchell, Top Defensive Player: FS Andrew Sendejo
It may seem unlikely that a team that went 10-3 last year would slip behind two teams that combined to win three games, but given the talent lost on offense, Rice could be in for a free fall after a surprise season. An explosive offense loses just about every key piece, and the Owls won't be able to win in shootouts like they did last season.

Conference USA Title Game: Houston over Southern Miss

*****

While the East is deep and the West should have three very good teams, it's likely that Conference USA will be a three-team race between East Carolina and Southern Miss in the East and Houston in the West.

East Carolina returns much of its talent from last season's conference title-winning team, but look for the Southern Miss offense to have a big season in the second season under Larry Fedora's system.

But although the Eagles will be explosive, Houston's offense should be able to score at will behind Keenum, Beall and Carrier. While he may not be a household name nationally, Keenum will prove himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Defensive Player of the Year: C.J. Wilson, DE, East Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Shavodrick Beaver, QB, Tulsa
Coach of the Year: Larry Fedora, Southern Miss

All-Conference USA Team
QB- Case Keenum, Jr., Houston
RB- Damion Fletcher, Sr., Southern Miss
RB- Bryce Beall, So., Houston
WR- Emmanuel Sanders, Sr., SMU
WR- DeAndre Brown, So., Southern Miss
TE- Cody Slate, Sr., Marshall
OT- Tyler Holmes, So., Tulsa
OT- Calvin Wilson, Sr., Southern Miss
G- Ryan Hebert, Sr., Southern Miss
G- Cameron Raschke, Sr., UTEP
C- Jake Seitz, Sr., UAB

DE- C.J. Wilson, Sr., East Carolina
DE- Albert McClellan, Sr., Marshall
DT- Anthony Gray, Jr., Southern Miss
DT- Reggie Scott, Sr., Tulane
LB- Mike Bryan, Sr., Tulsa
LB- Greg Jackson, Sr., Memphis
LB- Mario Harvey, Sr., Marshall
CB- Brandon Brinkley, Sr., Houston
CB- Cornelius Brown, Sr., UTEP
S- Andrew Sendejo, Sr., Rice
S- Van Eskridge, Sr., East Carolina

K- Ben Hartman, Sr., East Carolina
P- Ross Thevenot, Sr., Tulane
KR- Darius Marshall, Jr., Marshall

Top Non-Conference Games
1. Virginia Tech at East Carolina, Nov. 5
2. Texas Tech at Houston, Sept. 26
3. Boise State at Tulsa, Oct. 14
4. Virginia at Southern Miss, Sept. 19
5. Kansas at UTEP, Sept. 12

Top Conference Games
1. Southern Miss at Houston, Oct. 31
2. Southern Miss at East Carolina, Nov. 28
3. Houston at UTEP, Oct. 3
4. Houston at Tulsa, Nov. 7
5. East Carolina at Memphis, Oct. 27

-Matt Brown

As Jay Paterno and Tom Bradley are indicating via Twitter, Penn State preseason practice finally gets underway today in preparation for the season opener Sept. 5 vs. Akron.

Media Day is Thursday, and we'll be sure to have plenty of updates via the Collegian Web site, the Footblog and Twitter.

For now, as the team gets going in closed practice sessions, we'll start with position battles to watch during fall camp:

Linebacker
We're still unsure whether Sean Lee will play on the outside or move to the middle, but we may get an answer as soon as Thursday. Should Lee get the nod at middle linebacker, it may open the door for touted sophomore Michael Mauti to move into the starting spot on the weak side, while Navorro Bowman is entrenched on the strong side. Josh Hull is the incumbent in the middle, and his skill set is much more suited to the inside rather than moving outside.

All four are sure to see action -- and it will be difficult to keep Nate Stupar and Bani Gbadyu off the field as well -- but Mauti would likely benefit the most from a move to the middle by Lee.

Hero
The secondary appears to be the biggest question mark heading into the season, and the one position that is most uncertain is Hero. Should A.J. Wallace have his academic issues settled, he and Knowledge Timmons are the likely cornerbacks -- along with plenty of playing time for D'Anton Lynn -- while Drew Astorino is a lock to start at free safety.

However, as many as four players could by vying for the other safety spot. In the recently released media guide, Cedric Jeffries is listed atop the preseason depth chart, followed by Andrew Dailey and Nick Sukay. True freshman Gerald Hodges is penciled in behind Astorino at free safety. However, this will likely be a battle all preseason, and perhaps through the first few games. My early prediction: Sukay.

Offensive Line
Really, there probably isn't too much of a battle going on here. It's probably a safe bet that, come opening day, the starters will be DeOn'tae Pannell and Dennis Landolt at tackle, Johnnie Troutman and Lou Eliades at guard and Stefen Wisniewski at center. Matt Stankiewitch may challenge Troutman at left guard, but Troutman is probably the favorite.

The biggest question is at tackle and who will play on the left side -- Daryll Clark's blind side. Pannell was the second-team left tackle behind Gerald Cadogan as a freshman, while Landolt has started the last few seasons at right tackle after backing up Levi Brown on the left side in 2006. Given his experience, there is a good chance we'll see Landolt shift to the left and Pannell move over to the right side.

Wide Receiver and Defensive End
While we don't know for sure who the starters will be, I'm going to group these two positions together because Penn State rotates so often during the course of a game that who starts may not really matter. At receiver, Derek Moye, Graham Zug and Chaz Powell will probably start, but Brett Brackett, A.J. Price and maybe even a true freshman or two will get on the field.

At defensive end, Jack Crawford seems like a lock to start at right end, while Kevin Latham, Jerome Hayes and Eric Latimore will certainly see plenty of action as well, with either Latham or Hayes starting on the left side.

*****
Quick Hits:
-From the Detroit Free Press, the bizarre story of former Michigan quarterback Justin Feagin getting kicked off the team in July.

Feagin's downfall started with a cocaine deal, detailed in U-M Department of Public Safety police reports. The coke deal ended with a U-M dorm room on fire, a fellow student headed for jail and Feagin back home in Florida.

-According to Sporting News, Ohio State projected starting linebacker Tyler Moeller underwent successful surgery this weekend and will be released from the hospital soon. The injury has not been disclosed, but WCMH-TV in Columbus previously reported he suffered a head injury.

*****
Video of the Day:
Given that it's the first day of practice, here's a short clip sure to pump up Penn State fans:

*****
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-Matt Brown

Note: Over the next two weeks, we'll roll out one conference preview every weekday to help give you an overview of the national college landscape and help see where Penn State and the Big Ten fit into the national picture in 2009. Today, we start with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The previews continue Tuesday with Conference USA.
*****
Projected Order of Finish

Atlantic Division
1. Clemson Tigers
Top Offensive Player: RB C.J. Spiller, Top Defensive Player: DE Ricky Sapp
Five returning starters on the offensive line will pen up holes for Spiller in what should be a big-time bounce back season in his senior campaign.

2. Florida State Seminoles
Top Offensive Player: OT Andrew Datko, Top Defensive Player: OLB Dekoda Watson
QB Christian Ponder must improve his decision making after a 14 touchdown, 13 interception season. Freshman E.J. Manuel could push him for time after the 'Noles finished No. 82 in pass offense.

3. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Top Offensive Player: QB Riley Skinner, Top Defensive Player: DT Boo Robinson
Nine starters return to an offense that ranked 95th in scoring. The Deacons usually win with defense, but the experienced offense behind Skinner will have to make more big plays to counteract the growing pains of a young defensive unit.

4. N.C. State Wolfpack
Top Offensive Player: QB Russell Wilson, Top Defensive Player: OLB Nate Irving
Wilson tossed 17 touchdowns and just one interception to be named first team All-ACC as a freshman. Look for a more pass-heavy offense with question marks at tailback.

5. Boston College Eagles
Top Offensive Player: OT Anthony Castonzo, Top Defensive Player: MLB Mike McLaughlin
Far more important than anything on the field is the health of ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Herzlich, who is currently progressing through treatment for Ewing's Sarcoma -- a rare form of bone cancer.

6. Maryland Terrapins
Top Offensive Player: RB Da'Rel Scott, Top Defensive Player: MLB Alex Wujciak
Just nine starters return to a team that dropped three of its last four regular season games, and although Scott will have a big year, holes on both lines are big concerns.

Coastal Division
1. Virginia Tech Hokies
Top Offensive Player: G Sergio Render, Top Defensive Player: DE Jason Worilds
Everyone's favorite to win the ACC, the Hokies can become an elite team on the national level if sophomore QB Tyrod Taylor has matured as a passer.

2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Top Offensive Player: RB Jonathan Dwyer, Top Defensive Player: DE Derrick Morgan
The first year of Paul Johnson's triple option was a success, and with 10 starters returning on offense, Dwyer and QB Josh Nesbitt should both have monster years running the football.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels
Top Offensive Player: RB Shaun Draughn, Top Defensive Player: DT Marvin Austin
The progress made under Butch Davis in Chapel Hill will continue, although offensive playmakers must emerge with the losses of star receivers Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate.

4. Miami Hurricanes
Top Offensive Player: OT Jason Fox, Top Defensive Player: OLB Sean Spence
Randy Shannon's 12-13 record in two years is a bit surprising, and although the talent level is improving, a brutal schedule -- which includes Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma in the first four weeks -- will be tough to overcome.

5. Virginia Cavaliers
Top Offensive Player: QB Vic Hall, Top Defensive Player: CB Ras-I Dowling
QB Jameel Sewell returns after a year away from the team because of academic issues. Last season's No. 114 scoring offense hopes to be jump-started by his return, along with the full-time move of CB Vic Hall to a Wildcat QB role after he rushed for 109 yards in the '08 finale against Virginia Tech.

6. Duke Blue Devils
Top Offensive Player: QB Thaddeus Lewis, Top Defensive Player: DT Vince Oghobaase
The Blue Devils (4-8) had won a combined four games in the previous four seasons. They're clearly still at the bottom of the pack in the ACC, but David Cutcliffe has the program moving in the right direction.

ACC Title Game: Virginia Tech over Clemson

*****
Last year was supposed to be Clemson's year. Two All-American caliber tailbacks in James Davis and C.J. Spiller, a senior quarterback in Cullen Harper, the ACC's top receiver in Aaron Kelly and an experienced defense made the Tigers favorites to get over the hump and win the ACC for the first time since 1991.

But hopes were shattered immediately thanks to a 34-10 blowout loss to Alabama in the opener. Out went Tommy Bowden after a 3-3 start and in came receivers coach Dabo Swinney midseason. Somewhat surprisingly, Clemson removed the interim tag and Swinney got the job after the season. Entering the '09 campaign, Clemson boasts a much more experienced offensive line with all five starters returning, and tailback C.J. Spiller and receiver Jacoby Ford are the two most electrifying skill players in the league. If the Tigers can get solid quarterback play from either sophomore Willy Korn or true freshman Tajh Boyd, they should rebound from a disappointing year and contend for the ACC title.

For the second year in a row, the league appears to be wide-open -- that is, behind Virginia Tech. And even if Clemson can turn things around, it'll be difficult to knock Virginia Tech off its throne. With a stout defense and nine starters returning on offense, the Hokies should be the class of the league out of the Coastal. The big question in Blacksburg, however, is the development of athletic junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor. While he rushed for 738 yards last season, he also had a miserable 2-7 touchdown to interception ratio. If he develops into the star everyone expects, the Hokies are a top-10 team.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
Defensive Player of the Year: Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech
Freshman of the Year: Bryce McNeal, WR, Clemson
Coach of the Year: Dabo Swinney, Clemson

All-ACC Team
QB- Russell Wilson, So., N.C. State
RB- Jonathan Dwyer, Jr., Georgia Tech
RB- C.J. Spiller, Sr., Clemson
WR- Jacoby Ford, Sr., Clemson
WR- Demaryius Thomas, Jr., Georgia Tech
TE- Greg Boone, Sr., Virginia Tech
OT- Jason Fox, Sr., Miami
OT- Andrew Datko, So., Florida State
G- Sergio Render, Sr., Virginia Tech
G- Rodney Hudson, Jr., Florida State
C- Ryan McMahon, Jr., Florida State

DE- Ricky Sapp, Sr., Clemson
DE- Jason Worilds, Jr., Virginia Tech
DT- Vince Oghobaase, Sr., Duke
DT- Marvin Austin, Jr., North Carolina
LB- Quan Sturdivant, Jr., North Carolina
LB- Sean Spence, So., Miami
LB- Nate Irving, Jr., N.C. State
CB- Crezdon Butler, Sr., Clemson
CB- Ras-I Dowling, Jr., Virginia
S- Kam Chancellor, Sr., Virginia Tech
S- Morgan Burnett, Jr., Georgia Tech

K- Matt Bosher, Jr., Miami
P- Kevin Jones, Jr., Duke
KR- C.J. Spiller, Sr., Clemson

Top Non-Conference Games
1. Virginia Tech vs. Alabama, Sept. 5 (at Atlanta)
2. Oklahoma at Miami, Oct. 3
3. Georgia at Georgia Tech, Nov. 28
4. Nebraska at Virginia Tech, Sept. 19
5. TCU at Clemson, Sept. 26

Top Conference Games
1. Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech, Oct. 17
2. Clemson at Georgia Tech, Sept. 10
3. Florida State at Clemson, Nov. 7
4. Miami at Virginia Tech, Sept. 26
5. North Carolina at Virginia Tech, Oct. 29

-Matt Brown

Just one week from today, the waiting will finally commence.

Crowds will gather, sleep will disappear and overall productivity will take its now annual hiatus.

I'm talking, of course, about the release of Madden.

But, with a week to kill until then, fans and players alike are left to truck-stick their opponents and play virtual GM using stalwart figures such as "QB No. 17" and "RB No. 22."

As fun as I find EA Sports' NCAA Football franchise to be, the game rarely finds much use on my Playstation 3 beyond the mid-August holiday I and every other red-blooded American has come to celebrate.

It must be a subconscious pleasure I take in using named players.

But forget about what I think of playing as nameless characters. What do the "no-name" athletes these games virtually replicate think of, well, being no-named athletes?

I scoured a few tables at the second Big Ten Media Day in Chicago last week to find out...

Indiana's Will Patterson, for one, wasn't exactly overwhelmed by "Indiana LB No. 34."

"I get frustrated because they don't get our roster right, and I don't feel like that rating's right either," Patterson said.

(For the record, "Indiana LB No. 34" checked in at an underwhelming 74 in NCAA 2010.)

Still, the senior felt the alleged gaffe was "a pretty good joke" and wasn't taking it too seriously, something that can't be said for some pros.

"It is what it is," Patterson said. "It's just a video game."

His teammate, Jammie Kirlew, was a little more enthused.

"In a way you would like to get some sort of credit, some kind of award for them using [your name]," the Hoosier defensive end said. "But another sense there's a little kid inside of you that's like, 'Man I'm on a video game, man! How cool is this?'

"This video game is always gonna exist. I can get a copy of it. Even when the Playstation is old I can still go back, play and show my little kid, say I'm on the game, so I mean it's a great thing, but obviously it'd be good to at least get some credit for it."

Minnesota linebacker Lee Campbell called it an "honor" to be featured in the game, even if his name is not shown.

The senior said he has come across little resistance among his peers, who must not see eye-to-eye with Sam Keller.

"I think people feel excited to be a part of if [it]," Campbell said. "I think just to see yourself, to see your number on the video game, personally I think it's exciting."

But the day's best take came from Northwestern defensive end Corey Wootton, who must gain inspiration from Aaron Maybin's Twitter page every morning.

"I kind of expected that they can't use our names and stuff because we're college athletes," the senior said, "but that's just more motivation to make the pros, so you get your name into Madden."

Something tells me the lack of X's and O's from the game's namesake on television screens across the country this season will do little to deter sales.

Personally, only the potential absence of the greatest 1"x3" caricature of a football player ever will disappoint me.

If he never again plays in another game involving humans, however, I won't shed a tear.

-Fortuna

We've reached another Friday here on the Afternoon Kickoff. This week's list gets away from the Top 10 player lists of recent weeks and instead turns to games.

The Top 10 Non-Conference Games of 2009

10. TCU at Clemson, Sept. 26
Perhaps the biggest flop of last season plays host to a TCU team that once again will be one of the best from the non-BCS leagues. Clemson has the talent to rebound from its 7-6 season and challenge for the ACC title, and successfully defending Death Valley against the Horned Frogs is a must to regain some national respect.

9. Nebraska at Virginia Tech, Sept. 19
Virginia Tech won a close contest in Lincoln last season, 35-30, but the Cornhuskers may be in for a tougher test going on the road to Lane Stadium. With 16 starters returning, the Hokies appear to be the clear favorites in the ACC. And the difference between being a good, top 25 team, and an elite team could be the arm of quarterback Tyrod Taylor. This is one of two big early-season non-conference tests for him.

8. Virginia Tech at East Carolina, Nov. 5
East Carolina also visits West Virginia (Sept. 12) and North Carolina (Nov. 19). Now that would be a nice conference schedule for Penn State, wouldn't it (minus the whole playing two road games part...)? The Pirates knocked off both the Hokies (in Charlotte) and Mountaineers to start the season last year, and Virginia Tech now must travel to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for a Thursday prime time clash. Expect some revenge in this one, but the game is definitely an intriguing November non-conference tilt.

7. Georgia at Georgia Tech, Nov. 28
Nicknamed "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate," the annual season-ending clash between the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets had been won by Georgia six straight years until Georgia Tech pulled off a 45-42 upset in Athens last season. The Yellow Jackets piled up 409 rushing yards and attempted just six passes in the game. Can Georgia adapt to Year 2 of Paul Johnson's triple option attack?

6. Oklahoma at Miami, Oct. 3
Not quite the matchup it would've been in the 1980s or earlier this decade, but it's still a big game between two of the nation's most recognizable programs. It's the final game of a four-game gauntlet Miami has to start the season, which includes Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. The last time the Sooners and Hurricanes met, Oklahoma out-gained Miami 411 to 139 and won 51-13. Oklahoma will be heavy favorites again, but the strength of Miami's defense should prevent a 2007-like blowout.

5. BYU vs. Oklahoma (at Arlington, Texas), Sept. 5
To be played in the new home of the Dallas Cowboys, a BYU upset would be an enormous boost to the Mountain West's anti-BCS cause. Expect an offensive shootout, as quarterback Max Hall and the Cougars averaged 34.2 points per game last year and should be even better. Unfortunately for them, Sam Bradford and two 1,000-yard rushers return for an Oklahoma offense that averaged 51.1 points. Although the Sooners have big holes to fill on the offensive line, look for plenty of offensive fireworks in this one.

4. Oregon at Boise State, Sept. 3/Utah at Oregon, Sept. 19
There are four clear teams at the top of the non-BCS heap. We've already covered TCU and BYU, so now we move on to Boise State and Utah. The Broncos and Utes are a combined 3-0 in BCS bowl games, and these should be two great matchups with a talented Oregon squad. The Ducks also dropped their last meeting with each team (37-32 vs. Boise State in '08, 17-13 at Utah in '03).

3. Georgia at Oklahoma State, Sept. 5
Georgia is a difficult team to gauge going into the season. The Bulldogs disappointed in '08 with three regular season losses, and its hard to imagine them improving without Matthew Stafford. On the other hand, they get their entire offensive line back, along with eight defensive starters. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State's high-powered offense will meet something that's tough to find in the Big 12: a real defense. Should be an entertaining game between two teams stuck behind national title contenders in their respective divisions.

2. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (at Atlanta), Sept. 5
Hopefully, this year's opening-weekend game at the Georgia Dome will live up to the hype. Last year, Alabama destroyed Clemson 34-10 to set the tone for the rest of each team's season. Each team is ranked high in the preseason coaches' poll and is the favorite in its division, Alabama's loaded defense will be a huge test for Hokies' quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

1. USC at Ohio State, Sept. 12
Last year's matchup of the year turned out to be a massive disappointment, as USC rolled past Ohio State 35-3 at the Coliseum. While USC will probably enter the Horseshoe as favorites, look for a much better contest this time around. As talented as USC's new quarterback is (whether it's Aaron Corp or Matt Barkley), a trip to Columbus is about as tough as a first road game can be. Also, the importance of this result for the Big Ten as a whole cannot be understated.

Honorable Mention: Florida State at Florida (Nov. 28), Arizona State at Georgia (Sept. 26), UCLA at Tennessee (Sept. 12), LSU at Washington (Sept. 5), Missouri vs. Illinois (Sept. 5), Arizona at Iowa (Sept. 19), Purdue at Oregon (Sept. 12), Colorado at West Virginia (Oct. 1), Florida State at BYU (Sept. 19), California at Minnesota (Sept. 19), USC at Notre Dame (Oct. 17)

*****
Quick Hits:
-Joe Paterno has finally caught on to social networking, as D.J. Gallo and Kurt Snibe point out. A job well done by those guys... and make sure to read all three pages.

-Matt Fortuna blogged about the release of the USA Today Coaches' Poll earlier today. Another important thing to note: three Mountain West teams make the cut, while no Big East squads are in the Top 25. However, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Rutgers take up spots 29 to 32.

-You may remember Armanti Edwards from this. Well, the Appalachian State quarterback will miss the next few weeks after cutting his right foot in a lawn-mowing accident. Ouch.

*****
Video of the Day:
A reminder of what USC did to Ohio State last season -- which was pretty similar in some ways to what the Trojans did to Penn State in the Rose Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqdglLfeEn0

(Going to have to click the link, no embedding available for this one).

*****
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-Matt Brown

Penn State will look to pick up in 2009 where it left off in 2008.

After being ranked No. 8 in the final USA Today Coaches' poll last season, the Nittany Lions check in at the same spot in the same poll with just under a month to go before they kick off their season against Akron on Sept. 5.

The Lions are one of three Big Ten teams to be ranked in the preseason, along with No. 6 Ohio State and No. 21 Iowa.

Big Ten preseason No. 3 Michigan State is second among outsiders looking in, as they are, technically, the 27th-ranked team.

Defending national champion Florida is ranked No. 1, with Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Alabama rounding out the top 5.

Not surprising is the SEC's imprint on the poll, as five teams from the conference are spread amongst the top 13.

The poll was released Friday morning at USAToday.com.

-Fortuna

Some are expecting bigger things out of Notre Dame this season -- or at least big by the Fighting Irish's recent standards.

But that isn't stopping widespread speculation about who the next coach of the Golden Domers will be.

With a schedule loaded with middle of the road opponents and nine starters returning on offense, there is no reason Notre Dame shouldn't improve upon its 7-6 '08 season that ended with a convincing win over a mediocre Hawaii squad. If Jimmy Clausen cuts down on the mistakes, he'll be a very good quarterback, and he has a pair of excellent targets to throw to in Golden Tate and Michael Floyd.

But the ironic thing about the career of Charlie Weis is that he's failed to win without Ty Willingham's players. Sorry Irish fans, can't blame Ty anymore.

Weis is probably under as much pressure to win as any other coach in the country this season, and if the Irish have another subpar season, we'll probably see a new coach on the sidelines in South Bend next season.

As for now, Weis is still the coach and the season has yet to begin. Has there ever been so much talk about the next coach at a school when the current one still has a job?

OK, stupid question for a Penn State beat writer to ask.

More specifically, at a school where the coach isn't expected to retire in the near future.

Florida coach Urban Meyer has constantly shot down the talk of Notre Dame being his dream job -- and obviously he'll say that. Even if it really is his dream job, what's he going to do? Come out and say I want the job when he's coaching the defending national champions and Notre Dame still has a coach in place?

Well, with his new contract in place, Meyer is making it clear that Gainesville, Fla., is his home.

OK we can move on now. Wait, oh, who's next in line for the not-vacant Notre Dame job? Could it be Skip Holtz? You have to love that headline in the News & Observer: "Bad news for ECU."

As much as Weis is on the hot seat, all this talk about who will fill the job he still holds is a bit unfair. I'm not sold on Weis as a college coach who can develop players -- I think he belongs as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. But the Irish certainly have a chance to make strides this season and allow him to keep his job.

With that said, my prediction for Notre Dame in '09 is 8-4. Will that be enough to bring Charlie back? Probably not.

*****
Quick Hits:
-Speaking of Skip Holtz, his father, Lou, says he has no plan to run for Congress out of central Florida. Maybe he's holding out for the Notre Dame job.

-The Palm Beach Post points out that Tim Tebow's bio on the Florida Web site could be the longest in college football history: 3,089 words, nine single-spaced pages in Microsoft Word. I don't know where they get nine from. When I copy the bio straight from the Florida site into Word, it comes out to six pages. Still, point taken.

To compare, Daryll Clark's bio is a mere 790 words and one-and-a-half pages in Word, and it's not updated to include the 2008 season yet.

*****
Video of the Day:
Penn State takes down No. 1 Notre Dame in 1990:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

When Andrew Quarless was recently selected to the Mackey Award watch list, I pointed out that these watch lists mean next to nothing.

I had a blog post prepared ready to take that back and rip the Doak Walker Award to shreds for leaving Evan Royster off its watch list, but ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg beat me to the punch by straightening out the situation.

Apparently Penn State has simply yet to nominate its star tailback.

A seminfinalist for the award -- which is given to the nation's top tailback -- last season, Royster rushed for 1,236 yards and 12 touchdowns and was named second-team All-Big Ten.

So right now, if you look at the list of 45 candidates, you'll see players such as:
-Notre Dame's Armando Allen -- 585 yards, 3 touchdowns rushing in '08
-Texas Tech's Baron Batch -- 758 yards, 7 touchdowns
-UTEP's Donald Buckram - 348 yards, 2 touchdowns
-Toledo's DaJuane Collins -- 700 yards, 5 touchdowns
-Connecticut's Andre Dixon - 37 yards, 0 touchdowns
-N.C. State's Jamelle Eugene -- 442 yards, 2 touchdowns
-Connecticut's Jordan Todman -- 296 yards, 3 touchdowns
-TCU's Joseph Turner -- 577 yards, 11 touchdowns

From the Big Ten:
-Wisconsin's John Clay -- 884 yards, 9 touchdowns
-Ohio State's Dan Herron -- 439 yards, 6 touchdowns
-Michigan's Brandon Minor -- 533 yards, 9 touchdowns

Royster is not currently included on the list, but he most likely will be added according to Rittenberg. This would've been a lot more fun if it evolved into some sort of "Who didn't vote for Tim Tebow" controversy.

So, I'd like to point out again that these watch lists mean nothing. Even if Royster is never added to the list, he can still be a candidate. And somehow, I don't think Donald Buckram has much of a shot at winning.

In other news, the Davey O'Brien Award watch list included Daryll Clark. So there's that.

*****
Quick Hits:
-From Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated, meet Class of 2011 recruit God's Power Offor. Awesome.

Also, Staples gives his list of the top 15 high school nicknames. Included are the Cairo Syrupmakers and the famous Watersmeet Nimrods.

-I've probably said it before on here, but there a few places better to attend a football game than Army's Michie Stadium for the tradition, the history, the scenery, etc. Well, for the first time since a game at Yankee Stadium in 1961, the Black Knights will battle Oklahoma... in a home-and-home series in 2018 and 2020. It's a long way away, but kudos to the Sooners for signing up to travel to West Point.

*****
Video of the Day:
Penn State's game-winning drive at Illinois in '94:

*****
Follow the Footblog on Twitter and comment through your Facebook account by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of each post.

-Matt Brown

Florida coach Urban Meyer received a six-year contract extension and a $750,000 per year raise, making his deal worth a total of $24 million -- $4 million per year -- and taking him through 2014.

With this will come the inevitable complaints about how the University of Florida has been making budget cuts in its educational departments and shouldn't be giving more money to a football coach.

Are the budget cuts a concern? Absolutely. Obviously a football team shouldn't be important than its school's academic mission.

But it's important to note that the athletic department operates separately from the university, and this money doesn't come from taxpayers or take away from any educational programs.

From Joseph Goodman in the Miami Herald:

While departments at UF are cutting expenses, the football program appears to be recession-proof. The University Athletic Association is not subsidized by state funds and produces its own cash flow through private donations, ticket sales and merchandising. In 2007-08, the UAA brought in $106,030,895, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The football program was the main reason.

In case you were wondering, Florida's athletic department revenue ranks No. 3 in the country. Penn State checks in at No. 6 with $91,570,233.

Big-time college football is a big business, and Meyer is the CEO of the Florida program. He's clearly proven himself as one of the nation's top coaches. In four seasons since taking over for Ron Zook (who had three consecutive five-loss seasons), Meyer has gone 44-9 with two national championships, and the Gators are everybody's favorites to win the title in '09.

A successful football program at a big school has a positive effect on the rest of the university, increasing exposure and drawing the attention of prospective students. Maybe it shouldn't be that way, but the application increase at Penn State following the football team's return to the national spotlight probably isn't a coincidence.

Given Meyer's track record on the field, he's earned the raise that pushes him near the top in terms of the nation's highest paid coaches.

*****
Quick hits:
-ESPN unveiled a brilliant new plan to create another tier in college football and establish a relegation/promotion system like the English Premier League. Wait a second. That sounds awfully familiar.

-The Big East released its preseason media poll, and in a bit of a surprise, Pittsburgh came out on top, beating out West Virginia and Cincinnati. The Big East is extremely wide open this year, and given the strength of Pitt's defense, the Panthers certainly have a good shot. But I won't be sold until they get more consistent quarterback play from either Bill Stull or Pat Bostick -- especially with the loss of tailback LeSean McCoy.

To the surprise of no one, Syracuse came in last in the poll. That may be news to Big Ten fans, who are familiar with a conference that only releases the top three teams -- presumably in attempt not to hurt Indiana's feelings every year. At media day, Big Ten coaches also take home T-Ball-like participation trophies that say "You're all winners!".

*****
Video of the Day:
The Michael Robinson-led program-changing drive at Northwestern in 2005:

*****
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-Matt Brown

With preseason practice still a few days away new Syracuse coach Doug Marrone has yet to see Greg Paulus in action at quarterback.

For the sake of the program, he better hope the good things he's hearing about the former Duke guard and prep All-American quarterback prove true.

From Donnie Webb in The Post-Standard:

"I know he's worked extremely hard," Marrone said. "The ability to work hard and process information ... I've never personally been around a college athlete who has worked this hard off the field, in the classroom, on his own. I think he's gotten stronger. He's put on weight. He's gotten faster. I'm excited to see when he goes out there and performs. We're not allowed to watch them perform the skill of football after spring ball."

Marrone said he has not really debriefed his wide receivers this summer to ask about Paulus and his throwing abilities.

"I'd rather just go out there and see it myself," he said. "It would be different if I was here for a long period of time and had ... I don't know if it's (the term) a better relationship ... I just know how a Mike Williams or a Donte Davis, how they perceive someone throwing them the football as well as how I would perceive someone throwing the football. I would rather just go out myself and see it the first day and make that evaluation."

Greg Paulus isn't going to be the savior of Syracuse football. He won't be an All-American, and he won't lead the Orange to a BCS game.

But he is without a doubt one of the most important players to a program in the nation.

Why? For the first time in years, the Syracuse program could generate some buzz.

After Paul Pasqualoni's final year in 2004, the Syracuse program completely collapsed under Greg Robinson -- an NFL, Texas and now Michigan defensive coordinator in over his head as a head coach.

Penn State has no excuses for its abomination of a non-conference schedule this season, but in defense of the Syracuse game, the home-and-home series was added to the schedule way back after the 2001 season, when the Orange finished 10-3.

Since then, the program has fallen off the college football map and become one of the worst BCS conference schools, right alongside perennial doormat Duke.

The Orange went 1-10 in 2005, 4-8 in 2006, 2-10 in 2007 and 3-9 in 2008. At least there's been some variety.

If the season started now, redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib would probably get the nod at quarterback over former starter Cameron Dantley (48.2 completion rate, just 1,298 yards last year). But Syracuse needs Paulus to be good enough to beat out both of them.

The only thing that could make Syracuse's Sept. 12 tilt with Penn State -- and the rest of its season for that matter -- interesting would be every college basketball's fans "favorite" floor-slapping, benched Duke point guard taking the snaps at quarterback.

*****
Quick hits:
-Hawaii coach Greg McMackin received a 30-day suspension and will take a 7 percent pay cut from his $1.1 million salary for his use of a gay slur while describing Notre Dame's pre-Hawaii Bowl chant at WAC media day.

-As long as new UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince doesn't "throw the ball to other people," Bruins linebacker Reggie Carter will be satisfied. Baby steps.

-Also from the Los Angeles Times, USC tailback Joe McKnight wants to play defense. Unfortunately, Pete Carroll says it won't happen and McKnight says "I forget about all the coverages and lock on one person." Sounds like a great plan. Given that USC probably has the nation's top secondary, I'm sure he has a shot.

*****
Video of the Day:
Greg Paulus high school highlights, playing at the Carrier Dome:

*****
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-Matt Brown

It's Sunday. Time to gather around the dinner table, spend time with your family and, per ritual, hear what the boss has to say.

A little background: I asked Joe Paterno about his son Jay's political future on Day 2 of Big Ten Media Days Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

The rest speaks for itself...

"Aww I don't know. When I was a kid growing up, a teenager, after Mass on Sunday, my mother would start cooking and all Sunday we sat around and ate. My old man would get a bottle of homemade wine, put it on the table and everybody, all the kids in the neighborhood, would come in. They taste it, sit around and my dad would agitate everybody. 'What do you think of what Roosevelt is gonna do? What do you think about this?' He was always trying to get us to think, what's going on.

"I got five kids. ... We had a big round table about the size of this. We had one of those things that you twirl around the middle, so we would sit around the table and I'd try to do what my dad did. But you know you only, sometimes you spread what you get.

"My youngest son, he's [32] years old, ran for Congress as a Republican, got his ears handed to him. And the guy he lost to was a really good congressman. Unfortunately, he was a Democrat. But he had a run.

"My next kid is Jay, who is an Obama fan. He organized Obama rallies and things in State College and everything else, and then the democratic group that saw him operate, so they started talking to him about politics.

"My next kid is a radical conservative. He wrote me a long letter when I looked like I was gonna introduce President Clinton when Hillary was running in the primary about, 'How could you? After you've taught us about faithfulness and all of that?'

"The next one is a Hillary Clinton fan coming out her ears, and the last one is married. ... They are the most liberal you ever wanna see.

"So is Jay gonna run for -- who the hell knows?"

It seems like the early start time will be the only thing tempering excitement around this year's Ohio State/Penn State showdown.

"Yeah you wanna have that as a night game, prime time game and what not," Nittany Lion quarterback Daryll Clark said, "but I feel whether it be a 3:30 game or a high noon game it'll bring out the best in both teams."

Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman agreed.

"It's a different focus when you go on the road because you know it's just you," the Buckeye senior said. "You don't have your fans on your side, so I think we get more amped up.

"It's, I wouldn't say a better experience, but it's a more focused experience for us. I relish going on the road and playing at night, or playing on the road just for that matter."

The Bucks/Lions clash on Nov. 7 at Beaver Stadium is already being circled as the game to decide the conference.

That would make sense, given their 1-2 preseason Big Ten rankings and the fact they are the only conference champions of the last four years.

But does being projected No. 2, after winning at the Horseshoe, add fuel to the Lions' fire?

"It's a motivator, sure. We wanna be at the top of the Big Ten by the end of the year," Penn State linebacker Sean Lee said. "But Ohio State, you gotta expect them with all the success they've had in the last few years to be at the top of the Big Ten. You know you're gonna have to compete with them if you wanna win the Big Ten."

Clark loved the fact that Penn State's two wins over Ohio State in the last four years were low-scoring affairs that hinged on single mistakes and game-changing plays.

The fact Clark hails from Youngstown, Ohio, gives him a personal stake in the matchup as well.

"I know of a couple of guys that play for them," Clark said. "Of course [there's] Jim Tressel, whose from Youngstown. I really enjoyed playing against them last year, I just wish I could have finished that game. I still don't remember half of the fourth quarter unless I watch the film, but that does up the ante 10 times more.

"Ohio State is one of the best teams in the country and you always wanna beat those guys. They're a great team."

But don't be so quick to think the recent troubles in Ann Arbor, Mich., have made Penn State part of the league's biggest rivalry just yet.

"Definitely not," Coleman said. "We have a countdown for Michigan. Trust me -- we have reminders of Michigan everywhere we go. Michigan is always in the back of our minds and a game that we need to win. ... I think we gotta treat every game the same, but Michigan is definitely our rivalry game."

So, Joe Paterno, who is Penn State's biggest rival then?

"Right now Akron's our big rival."

-Fortuna