College Football 2011: Bold Predictions For All 120 FBS Teams

Predicting college football has become increasingly harder and harder year in and year out these days.

Parity has become the norm in college football, and while it is great for the overall wealth of the game, predicting each week is tough these days.

But we're still going to try. Whether it is predicting a certain amount of wins, losses, an upset or anything else around a team's upcoming season, we're just going to have some fun and make a stab at a prediction for them.

Should be fun.

The Vandals go into the fall in their fifth year under head man Rob Akey.

Not prone to much tradition and allure in college football, they figure this is their year to make a jump.

Obviously the top player for the Vandals in recent memory was all-world guard Mike Iupati, but he now moves defensive linemen around for the 49ers.

The WAC will be a challenge this year, but look for Idaho to be in bowl contention at the end of the season.

This is the third installment of the Mike Locksley era and last year came with just a 1-11 season.

Locksley has faced an uphill battle in New Mexico.

But this is Year 3 and this has to be the year improvement is shown at New Mexico. Both the offense and defense were horrendous last year and Lucas Reed, a tight end, was the top player on the team.

Locksley needs to find a QB and playmakers at RB and WR, and he must use the spring to find 11 defenders who can tackle.

I think the Lobos can win three games this year.

Mark Huspeth will be doing all he can to change the culture of the program.

In his first year at LL, Huspeth makes the move from Ole Miss.

Renowned as a passing guru and having a great offensive mind, Huspeth will led the Ragin Cajun offense to success soon enough.

But not this year, as they will only win four games.

Some say that Bob Toledo has lost the magic he had while in Westwood leading UCLA.

Others say that Toledo needs better resources to help his program be more competitive.

Anyway you slice it, this has to be the year he gets Tulane to make that big jump forward. Will he do it? We will know this fall. If not, Toledo may be looking for a job next winter.

But that won't happen as I think somehow Toledo wins five games and gets another year.

Hugh Freeze takes over the Arkansas State program and has made a couple coaching changes among the staff.

Most notably for Freeze, an offensive-minded coach, is a change at the defensive coordinator position.

This year, Freeze, as all other first-year coaches do, will have to go through changing the culture and philosophy of the program.

But Freeze has Ryan Aplin and Dwayne Frampton back, and they will light up the scoreboard.

Aplin throws for over 3700 yards this year.

Wyoming only topped out at three games in 2010, but Dave Christensen is working his will on the program this spring.

He is expecting much improvement this season.

It starts with stud running back Alvester Alexander.

Is a 1,000-yard season the goal for Alexander? Yes, he'll actually rush for over 1200 yards, you heard it here first.

Utah State got blown out by Wyoming in the final contest of last season.

The Aggies have been grouchy all winter and spring and are looking forward to the start of the 2011 season.

Gary Andersen hauled in the second-ranked recruiting class in the WAC for the 2011 cycle. Diondre Borel needs to be replaced at QB. 

Look for Andersen and the Aggies to top their win total of last season, fueled by their winter grouchiness.

Dan McCarney comes over from being the defensive line coach at Florida to now being the leader of the Mean Green.

McCarney has his work cut out for him as the program needs new blood.

Yet he seems up for the job and UNT has had a solid spring. He has Lance Dunbar to ride, and McCarney will look to ride Dunbar until his wheels fall off.

Dunbar will lead the Mean Green in rushing yards and receptions this season.

Pete Lembo has taken over the program and has clearly shown he wants toughness.

He has stated that he will look to create recruiting pipelines in Chicago and Detroit going forward.

Lembo is installing a no-huddle offense at BSU, and Keith Wenning and Kelly Page will be leaned on heavily. This could be growing pains type of year for BSU.

I think Lembo will struggle this year trusting both Wenning and Page with the football.

Ron English has had some struggles at EMU, but the former Michigan defensive backs coach and staunch recruiter is hard at work.

At 2-10 last season, English needs to roll up his sleeves and get his defense squared up. The unit is the Achilles heel of the team, as it gave up big play after big play last season.

If English can get his defense to show some improvement, the win number will go up.

EMU wins five games thsi year and barely misses a bowl game.

Did Jerry Kill take the NIU offensive magic with him to Minnesota? We will see.

Dave Doeren is the new chief, as he comes over form Wisconsin.

NIU did have a nine-game winning streak during the 2010 season, which has the returning players confident.

Doeren will bring the Wisconsin way to the program, so look for NIU to be more physical and strong in the trenches.

Chandler Harnish will personally make me look dumb for having the Huskies this low.

Todd Berry will bring in a good recruiting class during the summer, as he got six of his 21 recruits from Arkansas.

The headliner obviously is talented running back Devontae McNeal, who is expected to see time as a true freshman.

Berry needs to get the running game on schedule, and that is the key to this season. If he combines a solid passing game with a better running game, Louisiana Monroe will see another jump.

McNeal runs for over 800 yards and 10 scores as a true freshman.

The Spartans was once a proud program that was on track to being the next Fresno State.

They played the big boys tough and did not back down.

Now they are just trying to merely win some games to be respected again.

They have two receivers that have a wealth of potential in Chandler Jones and Noel Grigsby, and Keith Smith and Vince Buhagiar could be stout at linebacker.

Smith and Buhagiar each top 75 tackles.

Dave Dawson looked at his roster after a 2-10 season last season and realized that BG was getting beat due to a lack of team speed.

So he hit the trail looking for fast football players and went to Florida to sign a third of his recruiting class.

With the incoming speedsters from the Sunshine State, Dawson has encouraged faster play all winter and spring.

He had his strength coaches work more explosion building drills and exercises into the offseason training program.

Look for the Falcons to double their win total from last year.

Darrell Hazel takes over a 5-7 team in Kent State and definitely will look to install the Ohio State way of things for the KSU program.

Four of KSU's five wins were in conference play, which is encouraging.

Hazel did a tremendous job of splitting time between coaching the receivers for Ohio State and recruiting for Kent State in the six weeks leading up to and after the Sugar Bowl.

He will look to get Kent State off to a good start in 2011.

Hazel leads KSU to a bowl game in his first season at the helm.

Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens are battling for the starting QB job, and Tim Beckman needs to make a decision during summer camp.

Both are talented, but a two-QB system is rare, so Beckman must choose.

Dantin seems to be the slight favorite, but Owens will more than likely have something to say about that. This will be a tight race leading all the way up to Week 1.

I think Toledo actually uses a two-QB system this year between Dantin and Owens.

Taylor McHargue is trying to come back from injury in 2009 to regain his position as the starting QB for the Owls.

The only thing is he needs to learn a new offensive system that is varied from what he was accustomed to in 2009.

Scott Solomon is back on the defensive line, where his help is in dire need. He is a playmaker who also missed last season due to injury.

I think he comes back, inspires the defense and makes First team All-Conference USA.

Still a relatively young program, FAU is the fastest program ever to reach a FBS bowl game, and it is still looking to branch out and make its mark around Florida.

With a ways to go to compete with the infamous big three programs in Florida, the Owls have put on their helmets and gone to work this spring.

Led by former Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger, the Owls have embarked on a course that once again has goals set on reaching a bowl game this season.

In which they will achieve.

Sonny Dykes is huge on leadership and stability within his program.

He is now at L-Tech, replacing Derek Dooley, who took over at Tennessee.

Matt Broha, Jay Dudley, Ray Holley, Taulib Ikharo, Matt Nelson, Stephen Warner and Ryan Williams all have been named leaders of the team.

Dykes believes these players are his captains and will lean on all seven of them to lead his program.

Dykes sees his team go through a head scratching season, winning just four contests.

For Don Enos, the spring will be as much about getting the team ready as it is breaking in his new quarterbacks coach Morris Reynolds, receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield and defensive line coach Vinson Reynolds.

The Chippewas have MAC West division title hopes, and will look to go back to the conference championship game.

A bowl game is the ultimate goal, and Enos will certainly have his squad ready to go come the fall.

I think CMU wins the MAC this year.

Ohio has fallen behind not only Ohio State but also Cincinnati as far as Ohio football programs go.

But the Bobcats are still one of the better programs in the MAC, which is known for breeding coaching stars of the future.

Fresh off a second-place finish in the East division in 2010, the Bobcats open the spring looking to top their 8-5 record last season.

Frank Solich has the Bobcats playing solid football.

He will use the spring to build depth and prime his squad for a MAC title run, which they will fall just short of reaching.

Willie Taggart begins year No. 2 for the Hilltoppers, and this should be the year the squad makes a big jump. 

Taggart is stressing toughness, physicality and speed this spring.

Improvement is being made every day so far this spring, which is the goal.

Taggart says the defense is ahead of the offense and he is excited about the overall make up of the team.

The Hilltoppers open up on September 1 versus Kentucky, who they will upset to start the season.

DeWayne Walker has been rumored not to be pleased with the overall support of the football team and available resources to his program, but he will be on the sidelines once again in 2011.

A top-level defensive mind, Walker is trying to build the program into a stalwart in the Southwest.

He views this third season as the potential breakout season for his Aggies program.

Yet, I think with the lack of resources, Walker resigns from NMSU and takes a defensive coordinator job at a bigger FBS program after this season.

Rob Ianello had a rough first year for Akron, going 1-11 and just 1-7 in MAC play.

However, he is a resilient coach who will look to show that mark is not who he is as a head man.

The Zips won their final game last year. The offense needs to be improved.

With just a 4.3 yards-per-play average and a bad running game, this spring Ianello and the Zips offensive staff have come out looking for answers and offensive playmakers to show themselves.

Both top receivers are gone, but the offensive line does return three starters.

Look for Akron to win four games this year and overall be a lot more competitive.

Steve Fairchild needs to come back this year strong, as the Rams went 3-9 last year, including losing their final two games 93-10.

He's been at CSU four years now, and Ram faithful views him as the right man for the job.

Pete Thomas is back, along with four starters up front.

If they can protect Thomas better, a 3,000-3,500 yard season will easily be marked for the talented QB. The secondary needs to mature.

I think Thomas quietly becomes the top QB in the MWC in 2011.

At 6-6 last season, WMU will look to break from the .500 clip in 2011, yet five of their six wins were vs. MAC rivals, which is certainly encouraging.

Jordan White and Juan Nunez must be replaced at receiver, which will be hard pressed for Bill Cubbit.

But year No. 6 also asks for him to improve his secondary.

Surprisingly, I think WMU finishes at .500 for the second year in a row.

Don't let the 33-30 record in seven years at MTSU fool you, Rick Stockstill is one of the top coaches in the business, and he has had offers to take over bigger programs.

He has chosen to remain at MTSU and now must find improvement in his QB play.

Twenty-four picks and a 58-percent completion won't cut it from MTSU QBs. Logan Kilgore and Jeff Murphy will once again be in competition for the job.

The line returns four starters, but the running game has to replace Phil Tanner.

The linebacker core is the strength of the defense, but the secondary needs help and five defensive linemen are gone.

Sorry MTSU fans, but I think poor lingering QB play will cost MTSU a bowl game this year.

I honestly believe Bobby Hauck is the man for the job at UNLV.

He comes from Montana, which is an FCS powerhouse. Last year was the usual tough first year, but this should be the year we see some improvement in Sin City.

At 2-11 last season, Hauck needs to see the most improvement from the offensive and defensive lines. The Rebels were pushed around in the trenches too easily last season.

Hauck gets the Rebels on the right track, winning five games in 2011, building for the future.

Turner Gill is gone and Jeff Quinn starts Year 2 of his reign in Buffalo.

He went 2-10 in his first season but surely will top that mark in 2011.

One of the top offensive coaches in the country, Quinn is a disciple of Brian Kelly and brought the spread offense to western New York.

QBs Jerry Davis and Alex Zordich will have to fight it out this spring, but WR Marcus Rivers and Alex Nuetz return to the offense to round out a strong receiver unit.

The defense was good last year, but 2011 will see all new starters in the backfield. An offensive jump is expected, but the pass defense may be in store for a long season in 2011.

I only see Quinn winning three games tops this season.

Southern Methodist is still known more today as the school that got the death penalty.

But with June Jones, I think, in the near future, that the Mustangs will start to be looked at more for their play on the field.

Jones is one of the top offensive coaches in the game and has brought his wide-open passing attack to the SMU program. He will start to attract top offensive talent on the recruiting front soon enough.

But in regards for this season, look for the Mustangs to top last year's win totla and go to an even bigger and high profiled bowl game.

OK, so I may take some flack from Florida fans for saying this, but I like Steve Addazio's hiring in Philly.

Addazio is a good coach and Al Golden built the Temple program to good standing.

Addazio will have a task of choosing should he infuse his spread option offense or leave the unit in pro-style attack mode. Decisions, decisions.

I think this year he infuses the two, and shockingly gets the Owls to a bowl game with Bill Cosby serving as an honorary coach.

Miami of Ohio has a richer tradition in football than many think, as the RedHawks begin the first year of Don Treadwell's tenure.

Treadwell spent his last stop as the offensive chief for Mark Dantonio at Michigan State.

The Redhawks must show whether they are the GoDaddy.com Bowl-bound team of last year or the one-win 2009 squad.

Treadwell fired all of the staff to bring in his boys to run the team his way all around.

Treadwell must settle on Austin Boucher or Zac Dysert for his starting QB.

But he returns his front seven, and I think five players off that unit makes either first or second team All-Conference.

UAB last year was a team that almost was divided.

The offense lit up the scoreboards, but kept seeing its leads fall due to a Swiss-cheese defense.

Pat Shed, Bryan Ellis and four offensive line starters are back, so the offense should be again 2011.

The defense needs to get better. Fast. UAB could make some serious noise this year, but it all depends on the defense.

UAB could see itself in a prime time bowl game or sitting at home depending on if it stops anybody from scoring.

UAB finishes in the top-5 in every major offensive statistical category in 2011.

Doc Holliday is coming into the second year of his tenure and saw his first year as a year of expected success: He beat teams he was supposed to beat and lost to teams he should have lost to.

Now in year two, Eddie Sullivan, AJ Graham and Cornelius Jones will all have their shots at taking over the QB spot this spring.

Vic Dobson is a sack artist and had 12 last year. He is the hands-down leader of the defense at Marshall.

Dobson finishes this year with 14 sacks and makes several All-American teams.

Ruffin McNeil took his Texas Tech mentality to East Carolina, even the high-octane offense.

He comes into his second spring practice and will look to roll up his sleeves and fix the defense, which is his specialty.

In 10 of 13 games last year, the Pirates surrendered 42 or more points. That's crazy.

His offensive line loses four starters, and he needs to mix and match his offensive front to find five solid players this spring.

A bad defense and green along the offensive line will cost McNeil a bowl game this year.

Years later, for some reason, I've always kept a distant eye on the WSU program, and I'm actually rooting for Paul Wulff. But he's on the hot seat.

WSU does a top job of evaluating players and finding diamonds in the rough.

But bigger schools always wait to see who WSU offers, looks at those players, sees they're good and then steals them away.

Wulf has attached himself to QB Jeff Tuel, and Tuel has been solid for him, throwing for over 2,700 yard.

Tuel tosses for over 3000 yards and gets WSU to a bowl game this year.

Paul Rhoads is 12-13 in his two seasons at Iowa State but enters his third frame with a bit of a giant-killer's rep around the Big 12.

The Cyclones took down Texas and Texas Tech last year and nearly topped Nebraska.

Rhoads has the Cylones in a spread-type offense and base 4-3 look on defense. He needs to improve his offense and its effectiveness.

Jerome Tiller will battle Steele Jantz for the right to take snaps from center this spring, and settling on one will certainly help the offense moving forward.

The Cyclones look poised to notch a couple more upsets in 2011, and one of those will be Texas Tech again in 2011. 

Memphis is in a similar situation as New Mexico is—the Tigers wouldn't be on this list if I didn't firmly believe their head coach could turn it around.

Larry Porter went just 1-11 last year, and many of his losses were wax jobs.

The offensive line stalled the run game to average 2.9 yards per rush. Protecting the passer was nearly as bad. Porter has even heard rumors of a hot seat for him in 2011, but I think he can show improvement this year.

It starts and ends with Ryan Williams. He's the franchise to Memphis, and Marcus Rucker is his main target.

Porter is a good coach who knows how to recruit against the big boys. He will have Memphis climbing up again soon, starting in 2011 as they will win four games.

Lil Wayne came to town for a concert a few weeks and Indiana had a spirited practice as a result of the excitement..

Kevin Wilson has filled out a great coaching staff, and the new blood may be just what the program needs.

Wilson has to find a starting QB between Dusty Kiel and Edward Wright-Baker, but Demario Tandon Doss returning on the flanks help. Wilson also needs to kick-start the running game.

The defense will be overhauled form top to bottom, as they move to a 4-3 scheme this year, so the spring will be used as one big installation period.

5-7 last season, I think they finish at this mark in Wilson's first year, just missing a bowl game, but being more competitive in their losses.

Things are on the upswing at Duke, and while they have a long, long ways to catch up to the basketball squad's allure, Cutcliffe returns Charlie Hatcher and Kelby Brown—two cornerstone players on defense.

Sean Renfree is back at the signal-caller spot, after tossing for 3,131 yards in 2010. But Cutcliffe needs to get him to tone down his turnovers this spring.

David Cutcliffe is just 12-24 at Duke, but could see a jump this year.

Hatcher and Brown play out of their minds all year, leading the Dukies to a lower level-tier bowl game.

This marks the start of the Jon Embree reign in Boulder, and Embree has brought Eric Bienemy back to their alma mater with him.

Bienemy will call shots on offense and certainly have a key hand in the overall recruiting efforts year to year.

Embree has stated that by watching the Buffs on tape last year, they were not a smart or mentally tough team.

He will get Colorado to be more instinctive, smarter and aware of situations down to down, series to series and game to game.

But the move to the Pac-12 proves to be too daunting in year one, which sees the Buffs win just two games again.

Houston could be like a poor man's Stanford this year.

The Cougars have a couple questions surrounding the overall team, but are solid at QB as Case Keenum is back like Andrew Luck is at Stanford.

The NCCA granted Keenum a sixth year of eligibility and is ready to man the wide passing offense yet again.

Kevin Sumlin is 23-16 in three seasons at Houston, and having Keenum back should add some more wins to his record.

The Cougars are a base 3-4 defensive team and will look to rev up their pass rush this year.

Keenum, coming off an injury year in 2010, throws for over 4300 yards this year.

I think James Franklin is a heck of a coach and can get Vandy to a bowl game in the near future.

He inherits a 2-10 squad that only won one game in conference play last year and ended the season losing its final seven contests.

Franklin will use this spring to begin installing his offensive system and seeing what athletes he has on defense.

Franklin even had open tryouts for the team a few weeks ago, encouraging more walk-ons, as the Commodores are a bit shorthanded in numbers.

That will prove to be too much to overcome in his first year as Vandy wins just one game.

This offseason has been a time of bliss for the Black Knights, as they are fresh off their first bowl game since 1996, beating SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl.

The spring is now here, and Army needs to replace four starting offensive linemen.

On defense, the stats look good, but the run defense needs to be improved.

Look for Army to come out of this spring practice with a shored-up run defense and new offensive line for 2011.

I think they beat Navy this year.

Mario Cristobal is a bright coach who has a Red Bull factory worth of energy.

He's a big-time recruiter and is determined to bring FIU to the forefront of Florida and college football.

The Panthers won a bowl game for the first time last year after taking home a piece of the Sun Belt Conference title, thanks to perhaps the best returning offensive threat in the league—receiver Ty Hilton.

I'm concerned about the interior line, though, as Cristobal must replace center Brad Serini and left guard Cedrick Mack.

But look for FIU to take another big step forward in Cristobal's fifth season by finishing second in the Sun Belt and going to another bowl game for the second consecutive year.

Rocky Long is no slouch of a football coach folks, SDSU should be fine minus Brady Hoke.

Long has retooled the Aztecs staff and shaped the program a bit to his liking, but he will look to keep much of what Hoke was doing.

Ryan Lindley is back to toss the rock around again, and Ronnie Hillman will tote it well for SDSU is 2011.

But the Aztecs need to replace their two receivers and refine their bend-but-don't-beak type of defense this spring.

Long doesn't want to reinvent the wheel, only make it better.

Lindley sets the SDSU single season record for yards, touchdowns and passer efficiency.

After four years off, the Miners found themselves bowling last season, but Mike Price must replace QB Trevor Vittatoe, and JUCO transfer Nick Lamaison will be among the players vying for the gig.

Joe Banyard comes back as the top running back on the roster, but receivers must be found this spring.

The defense will be the leadership focus of the team, but the defensive line needs to have a big spring and prove last year was an off-year for the unit.

The Miners finish .500 this year at best.

Bill Blakenship takes over in Tulsa and enters his first spring portion with the program.

But the Golden Hurricane are not down in the dumps, as they won 10 games last year.

G.J. Kinne is back and so is his golden arm (pun intended). Blakenship will look to keep the 3-3-5 defense Tulsa has played in the past, and he will likely keep the spread offense.

All five offensive line starters are back, so this looks like a potential record-setting year for the offense.

Tulsa will likely be in a big-time bowl game in 2011, they're my sleeper team this year and I think they can win 11 games. 

BC lost to Nevada last year in its bowl game after going 7-6 in Frank Spaziani's second season.

The biggest strength of the team is the defense, as Spaziani has kept the tough mentality on that side of the ball.

But BC needs better QB play in 2011 to make a move up the ACC, as Chase Rettig will likely be the starter in 2011.

Montel Harris topped 1,200 yards last year, and he is the engine of the offense.

I think Harris tops 1400 yards this year with 20 total touchdowns..

Troy had a stellar offensive attack last year, but it has two obstacles this spring.

First, the Trojans need to replace Jason Bruce and Jerrel Jernigan, but they also need to get better on defense.

But they return eight starters on defense, and Larry Blakeny has stated that his defensive coaches will use the spring to develop some of the young players on that side of the ball and increase depth.

Top dog in the Sun Belt Conference, Troy is my pick to win the conference again and they will also win a bowl game this year.

Mike Riley enters his 11th season in Corvallis and is coming off a 5-7 season.

The highlight of the 2010 season was the defeat of USC.

But Riley has the Beavers thinking Pac-12 title this year.

They return QB Ryan Katz who, in his second year as a starter, must show he can improve his play. Katz has a strong arm, but he needs to be more accurate and make better decisions.

The defensive line is in solid standing, but the linebacker corps needs to be upgraded.

Somehow, someway, I have no idea, but I think Oregon State wins the Civil War in 2011.

Hard to believe Ron Zook has been at Illinois for seven years now, but the Zookster has, and this looks like a crucial spring for the Illini.

The defense was fabulous last year against the run and only gave up 3.9 yards per rush.

On offense, Jason Ford looks to replace Mike Leshoure, and the offensive line brings back three starters. Nathan Scheelhaase looks like a future star QB and AJ Jenkins is back at receiver.

Martez Wilson and Cory Liuget are gone from the defense. The spring will be used to sprinkle in replacements at various spots and develop depth.

The Zooks will upset Ohio State this year.

Todd Graham inherits a team that went 8-5 last season and will completely change the face of the program.

Gone is the NFL mentality of the program, with a 4-3 defense and pro-style offense. Arriving is a wide-open spread passing attack and a 3-3-5/3-4 defense.

Tino Sunseri is the key; he played well last year, and if he grows even more, then Pitt could score some points with ease in 2011. Left tackle Jeff Pinkston is gone and needs to be replaced.

Chas Alecxih and Brandon Lindsey look to replace former Big East DPOY Jabaal Sheard. All three linebackers are back from the 4-3 scheme and will look to adjust their roles in the defense.

I think Pitt wins eight games again in 2011.

Going 8-5 in his first season, Tommy Tuberville is in his second spring practice down in Lubbock, and he has the Red Raiders on track to compete in the Big 12.

The team is led by QB Seth Doege, who has reportedly looked good in winter workouts.

But Tuberville, who has said the key to college football is having a good defensive line, needs to get his squad's pass rush up and running this spring, as it disappeared at times last year.

Detron Lewis and Lyle Leong need to be replaced at receiver and so does linebacker/defensive end Brian Duncan.

I think the Red Raiders get upset by Iowa State again, but Seth Doege approaches some Texas Tech single season QB records.

Another 8-5 squad, Pat Hill's Bulldogs are back again for the 2011 season.

Derek Carr has a buzz around his name and enters the spring as the likely starter at QB. Hill had a good offense last year, and Carr must be seamless in replacing Ryan Colburn.

Travis returns to the defense at outside linebacker, but the defensive line needs to be developed, as they are young there.

Phil Thomas and Ike Green return to the secondary and easily are the two best players on the back end.

Hill is a great coach and surely will have Fresno State ready come the fall. That's why Fresno State will blow out California in their opening game.

Hawaii took home a piece of the WAC title with Nevada and Boise State in 2010, after winning 10 games.

Greg McMackin is in his fourth year replacing June Jones and runs most of the same stuff as Jones did on each side of the ball.

Bryant Moniz returns to lead the offense, but his skill-position weapons are all going to be new, and the biggest lost is Greg Salas. Hawaii also has to find four new offensive linemen this spring.

The linebackers return, with Corey Paredes leading the way. But the secondary and defensive line need to be retooled around him.

Hawaii usually has receivers littered up and their roster to step in, but the loss of Salas reliability will cost them two games this year knocking their clip down to eight wins.

Ralph Bolden, Keith Smith and Robert Marve both went down with huge injuries last year, but the Boilermakers kept trudging along.

Rob Henry stepped in for Marve, and this spring will see a bit of a competition between the two for the job; Marve likely should win if healthy.

Playmakers are needed at the skill positions. Defensively, the secondary is back, now with a year of experience under their belts. The Boilermakers are mostly young and now will look to make the backfield a strength.

But the biggest hole is replacing defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, who will be a top-15 pick in a few weeks. Kawaan Short will get the first chance to replace Kerrigan.

Purdue's lack of play makers will hurt them on critical downs and in late game situations, thus making the Boilermakers a .500 team in 2011.

We all know the arrangement that Oliver Luck has put Bill Stewart in this year.

But we also all know that if there was one coach who could make this work smoothly, it's Stewart. He's on his last leg as head coach in Morgantown before Dana Holgersen takes over in 2012.

But first, Holgorsen needs to install his system this spring. Wherever he goes, Holgorsen scores points. The offense needs to be tuned up, as the defense carried the team for much of the season and to nine wins.

I think Holgorsen simplifies his system to ensure Geno Smith is comfortable and WVU challenges for the Big East title.

Going 5-7 last season, Jeff Tedford needs to decide between Beau Sweeny and Brock Mansion at QB.

Tedford also has to make sure Ise Sofele is ready to replace Shane Vereen at running back this spring. But on the flanks, Marvin Jones and Keenan Allen return and are among the top duos in the conference.

Cam Jordan and Mike Mohammed are gone on defense, and I am waiting until Viliami Moala shows up so I can really assess the Bears defense for 2011.

No Shane the Train, no Jordan? Cal gets blown out by Fresno State in early 2011 and wins just four games this year.

Dan Persa, Mike Trumpy and Jeremy Ebert all return as QB, RB and WR respectively.

The offensive line was not a strong point last season, as their youth showed at times, but four starters return in 2011.

But Pat Fitzgerald's biggest spring task is shoring up the run defense. It gave up 5.9 yards per play in 2010 and needs a new defensive tackle and Mike linebacker.

The offensive line shows more maturation, allowing Persa, Trumpy and Ebert top a couple single-season records at their offensive positions in NU history.

The Wildcats look like a program that will be a force in the SEC in the coming future.

At 6-7 last season, Joker Phillips has them on the right track.

Phillips has Danny Trevathan at LB, and he's one of the top second-level defenders in America.

Toss in four starters back along the offensive line with Ray Sanders toting the rock, and you see why its high hopes around UK.

While this should be a solid year for UK, I think WKU shocks them to start the season.

At 12-13 and coming into his third season, Doug Marrone will lean heavily on running back Antwon Bailey this year.

Bailey is one of top running backs in the country for 2011.

Marrone has the Orange in a pro-style offense, and he has done a solid job of transitioning the program to his defensive and offensive sets.

Three starters come back on the defensive line, but Darrell Smith and Doug Hogue, the top two tacklers and linebackers, are gone.

Marquis Spurrill is back and showed promise as a freshman. The secondary needs playmakers to emerge this spring.

Bailey rushes for 1500 yards this year and Syracuse finishes in the top 25.

Troy Calhoun is an outstanding coach and has the capability to be a solid coach at a major program.

But every year, you hear him say he's staying at Air Force.

Asher Clark and Tim Jefferson both return in the backfield to fuel the Falcons rushing attack, with Jefferson as a great option QB.

But Calhoun needs to use the spring to find a fullback for his offense, as this is the crucial spot for the option.

Stopping the run is important for the spring period, as the defense, which actually played well in 2010, was a bit leaky against the run in general.

Calhoun gets Air Force to win nine games this year the defense becomes known as one fo the best in the country.

I am a firm believer in Charlie Strong.

He's one of the top defensive minds in football and has the makings of a great head coach. Louisville is in good hands with Strong, and I think he will continue to pilfer talent from around Florida to lure to Louisville.

Strong went 7-6 in his first year and Will Stein returns, but look for true freshman Teddy Bridgewater to try to nab the starting QB spot this spring as a mid-year player.

Strong needs to reestablish the run game, as Jeremy Wright and Victor Anderson need to step up.

Three starters return to the defensive line and two at linebacker, but cornerback Johnny Patrick is gone and needs to be replaced.

Teddy Bridgewater comes in at QB in mid-season as a true freshman and leads the Cardinals back to another seven win season.

Going 6-7 last year, we begin year two of the Derek Dooley era in Knoxville.

The franchise player for Tennessee is sophomore QB Tyler Bray, one of the top young QBs in the country, who has a solid stable of young receivers coming back.

But now it's time for the offensive line to work out the kinks. They were young last year, but now have their feet wet.

If Tennessee wants to make a jump in the SEC East, this unit needs to keep Bray upright and open up holes for 1,000-yard rusher Tauren Poole.

Malik Jackson, a USC transfer, and Herman Lathers are back at DT and LB, respectively, but the rest of the front seven needs to be replaced.

Bray matures and Dolley has the Vols finish higher than Georgia in the SEC East.

Turner Gill went just 3-9 in his first season at Kansas, but year two could see improvement. I

t starts with the QBs. The offense Gill has in Kansas is a spread theme, and the ball just didn't move last year.

Jordan Webb should grab a hold of the job, but the tailback spot is where the focus is on offense, as James Sims is back after a 740-yard freshman season. Three are back along the offensive front.

The defense lost the top two players, but even with Jake Laptad and Justin Springer, the unit was leaky at best.

Gill has been knocked for not instilling toughness in his squads as a head coach; that's why Kansas won't go to a bowl game and will only see four wins at best this year.

Larry Fedora has led Southern Miss to three straight bowl games and comes into year four at 22-17.

At 8-5 last year, the Golden Eagles won five out of eight Conference USA games.

QB Austin Davis is back, as he fits the spread offense Fedora runs well. Ken Hardy ran for 900 yards as a freshman and Desmond Jackson got another 600 last year. Davis also gets his top three receivers back.

The run defense was great for Fedora in 2010, and linebacker Corey Williams and DE Cordero Law are both back to lead the group again.

The secondary returns two starters, including ascending cornerback Deron Wilson.

Southern Miss wins Conference-USA and challenges the 10 win clip in 2011.

At 3-9 last year, Jim Grobe is looking to get Wake Forest back on track in 2011.

He's a solid coach and I expect him to show his prowess this season.

Tanner Price must raise his 56-percent completion rate and make a jump this year. A strong spring would do wonders for his confidence heading into the fall.

Defensively, Kyle Wilbur is back at linebacker, but he needs help around him.

Three freshmen saw action in the backfield last year, and their experience could have the Demon Deacons' pass defense much improved in 2011

However, I think WF wins just five games this year.

Ralph Friedgen is out and Randy Edsall is in for the Terps.

Edsall has called this dream job, and his interest immediately peaked when he learned the job was open.

As he stated, Edsall is fulfilling his destiny at his dream job and will begin this spring looking to see what he has on his roster.

Danny O'Brien almost threw for 2,500 yards in 2010, and he is back along with Davin Meggitt and four offensive line starters.

The secondary should be strong and three are back on the defensive line. Edsall has to find some linebackers to make sure his solid defense continues to grow.

Edsall, who has been uber-energetic and riven this spring, leads Maryland to nine wins this season and the Terps finish in the top 20.

Nick Montana seems to be favorite to win the QB gig, but Steve Sarkisian loves competition, so look for the young Montana to see his seat get hot from other QB's on the roster.

No matter who wins the job, most of their Saturdays will be spent handing the ball off to RB Chris Polk, as he is one of the top runners in the country for 2011.

Jermaine Kearse is back on the flanks and needs help to take double coverage off him.

Alameda Ta'amu, Everette Brown and Ha'oli Jamora will be asked to anchor the defense in the trenches, as two new 'backers are needed.

Nate Williams is gone at safety, but three starters return for Sark and Nick Holt.

Polk leads the Pac-12 in rushing over LaMichael James.

Jerry Kill has the Gophers at this ranking and takes over the once-proud Golden Gophers program coming from Northern Illinois.

He will bring Marquise Gray back at QB this year, as Adam Weber is gone.

A dual-threat type, Gray could spark some upsets for the Gophers in 2011 with Kill's offense.

DeLoen Eskridge and Duane Bennett are back in the backfield, and the receiving unit is stocked with solid talent. But the line needs four new starters to emerge.

As good as Kill is offensively, he needs to fix the problems in the front seven. Spring could see the defense re-tool its run fits.

Overall I think Minnesota could hit the .500 clip this year.

Baylor has almost everything. QB Robert Griffin III is coming back, and he could be a prime player for the Heisman this year.

He can do just about any and everything on the field, and he is a playmaker with the ball.

Five offensive linemen return with experience starting, and Griffin has much of his receiving core intact.

The defense was not up to speed, however, as they rarely had any TFLs nor did they get a consistent pass rush, outside of Tevin Elliot.

Chris McAlister is back at Mike linebacker but needs help to his flanks on the second level. A true, island-type of man corner needs to show himself soon.

Baylor sees Griffin become a major Heisman candidate and he leads the Big 12 in total offense in 2011.

Rick Neuheisel is in the second year of having the Bruins in a pistol offense and even went and hired pistol expert Jim Mastro from Nevada.

Richard Brehaut and Kevin Prince need to step up and take over the QB job. If not, the Bruins will start savior true freshman Brett Hundley in 2011 at some point.

Brehaut has the talent to be a top-flight starter in the Pac-12, but he is playing baseball this spring.

Rahim Moore was the best player on a bad defense, and he is gone to the NFL. The defense needs to be restocked and overhauled this spring.

I just don't see things getting better in Westwood and think this could be Neuheisel's last season at UCLA.

The Golden Knights went 11-3 last year and enter the seventh year of George O'Leary leading the program.

At 45-44 overall, O'Leary has the UCF program on the rise.

Jeff Godfrey is back at QB, but needs AJ Guyton and a few other receivers to emerge and be consistent. Ronnie Weaver and Latavius Murray get to tote the rock behind a line of three returning starters.

Darius Nall and Troy Davis will look to replace Bruce Hall on the defensive line.

Linebacker needs two new starters and Reggie Weams must be replaced in the secondary, but the unit returns the other three starters.

I don't see the 11-win season repeating itself in 2011, but look for Godfrey to get the Goldne Knights to eight wins this season.

Paul Pasqualoni is regarded as a heck of a teacher who really does a great job of developing players.

He has a big plan for attacking the Atlantic region in recruiting and works extremely hard. Expect him to get UConn to a couple more Big East titles.

He'll use this spring to assess his roster and install his schemes, doing so with good teaching. He must replace Jordan Todman at running among a few other players at various position.

The Huskies close out the season with games Louisville, Rutgers and Cincinnati.

Look for them to be finding a groove by then and end their 2011 campaign on a three game winning streak.

Houston Nutt saw his offensive production dip big time last year, and the Rebels finished just 4-8, with 1-7 being their SEC record.

That's not going to cut it for Ole Miss.

Randall Mackey and Zach Stoudt will battle Nate Stanley to replace Jeremiah Masoli at QB, and Jeff Scott and Branden Bolden are back to run the ball behind all five starters on the front.

Pretty much the entire front seven minus one returning starter needs to be replaced in 2011, and the secondary may get exposed this year as the pass rush won't be as good.

There are holes and questions around the Rebels in 2011.

In un-Houston Nutt-like fashion, the Rebels win just four games this year.

The Scarlet Knights will need their trench play to be upgraded in a major way to have a better season than the 4-8 season they had last year.

They got pushed around upfront on both sides of the ball, and this cramped their style all over the field all year long.

Greg Schiano prides his squads on physical play, and last year's Rutgers squad wasn't his signature.

Tom Savage is gone, and Chas Dodd takes over full time as the QB in Piscataway.

He won't be there until the summer most likely, but expect Savon Huggins to be the starting running-back gig when he arrives.

He'll lead Rutgers in total offense as a true freshman.

After going 4-8 last year, this is the second year of Mike London's tenure at Virginia.

The offense actually played well, better than the 2009 squad. But the ACC didn't buy the upstart Cavs' potential as the conference forced Virginia to a 1-7 record.

There are four players to replace Mark Verica at QB, and Perry Jones returns as the team's top returning running back.

Kris Burd is back at receiver and three starters return for London up front.

Five yards a rush and nearly eight yards per pass won't work in the ACC defensively, so this spring will have London and his defensive staff looking for players who play smart, fast and process information quickly on the field.

The Cavs will improve to .500 in conference play this year.

Skip Holtz needs to get more consistent from the notoriously inconsistent BJ Daniels.

Daniels has a wealth of talent, but this needs to be the spring where we see him mature on the field. Demetris Murray is back at running back but only two starters are back on the offensive line.

The Bulls need to find three new defensive line starters and also replace linebacker Jacquain Williams and cornerback Mistral Raymond. But free safety Jerrell Young is back and is an all-conference-caliber defender.

South Florida wins the Big East this year and goes to a BCS bowl.

Zach Collaros looked like a player who could take Tony Pike's job in 2009, but he only had a so-so year in 2010.

He returns to look for his old form this year and is joined in the backfield by 1,000-yard rusher Ike Pead. The line only has two starters back, and DJ Woods needs to replace Armin Binns as the top receiver.

The Bearcats have a strong defensive line, and it will be the strength again, but Jones needs to find out if his secondary can improve from the 4-8 squad of last year.

I think Jones' second year in southern Ohio brings six wins, at least, and he leads his squad to a solid bowl game.

Denard Robinson is back in Ann Arbor, and he was a Heisman front runner for a portion of the 2010 frame.

Brady Hoke will put Robinson in positions to make plays, while Greg Mattison is one of the top defensive minds in football—college or pro.

He will fix that defense quick and Big Blue will be in some games late against teams they shouldn't be.

Robinson is such an extraordinary athlete that the Wolverine coaches are tying to get him to slow down his footwork to stay in sync with the receivers.

Word is Robinson has adjusted well to the new offense and is looking to show off his pocket passing skills in 2011.

I'm calling it right now, Big Blue tops Ohio State this year.

The Wildcats started hot last year but faded down the stretch, finishing 7-6.

Led by Mike Stoops, Arizona is 40-45 overall with him as the head coach.

Last year was a prime chance at making the move up in the Pac-10. As long as Nick Foles is there, the Wildcats have a chance.

At 6'5", 235 pounds, Foles is one of the smartest signal callers in the Pac-12.

Stoops needs to replace both of his safeties and find a new defensive end to get a pass rush. But I think Foles leads the Pac-12 in passer efficiency this year.

James Vandeburg looks to be the prime guy to replace Ricky Stanzi, yet he will get some competition.

Marcus Coker and Adam Robinson are back for the Hawkeyes and will give the new QB some relief as a rushing duo.

Marvin McNutt needs to make the next step as lead receiver and four starters are back on the front.

Adrian Clayborn is gone and so is Karl "The Plug" Klugg off the defensive line. But two good cornerbacks return in Shaun Prater and Micah Hyde.

Coker and Robinson become the rushing tandem in the Big Ten.

The Wolfpack enter the fifth year of the Tom O'Brien regime, and so far they have broken even by going 25-25, They had a pretty good year in 2010.

For 2011, the talk is Mike Glennon. It's time he shows why he was such a big-time recruit coming out of high school, as he is 6'6" and has a cannon for an arm.

I was a big Glennon fan during his recruiting yearm and now it's time we see him on the field.

Russell Wilson likely will be a high pick in the baseball draft soon, and he likely is gone.

This is Glennon's time now, and I expect him to make the most of it by tossing for over 3000 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first full year as a starter.

Bill Snyder came out of retirement to take over the program once again, but he needs to replace RB Daniel Thomas, and QB Collin Klein must step up and take over the QB position.

Like with most teams, their fortunes on defense rest on stopping the run, and Snyder's Wildcats were extra leaky last year. Spring ball will be used to improve the defensive toughness and run fits.

Klein takes over the offensive spotlight and leads the Wildcats to eight wins in 2011.

All Kyle Whittingham has done since Urban Meyer left Utah is go 58-20 in what is now his seventh year as head man in Utah.

The Utes are moving to the Pac-12, and Whittingham will get to show how good he is week and week out in BCS conference from now on.

I think the Utes can step right in and be one of the better teams in the conference. They have to battle Oregon, Stanford and USC now for titles.

Utah finishes third in the Pac-12 this year.

Paul Johnson is 26-14 in three seasons, but last year was his first losing season with the Yellow Jackets. QB Josh Nesbitt and Anthony Allen are gone, but RBs Roddy Jones and Orwin Smth are back, with Stephen Hill back at receiver.

Defensively, again, it's a theme: You must stop the run on defense. Johnson's squad gave up way too many yards on the ground last year, allowing 4.5 yards per carry last year.

This spring, we must see Logan Walls get better at plugging the run at the nose tackle spot.

Georgia Tech hovers around the .500 mark all season long.

Robert Bolden and Matt McGloin were both ineffective last year and must improve for the Nittany Lions to take a step forward in 2011.

The offensive is a solid unit, but not too athletic, hence them not being able to hit too many targets on the second and third levels in the run game.

Derek Moye is back at receiver, and Silas Redd will take over for Evan Royster.

On defense, the spring needs to find players in the front seven who just don't want to be on the field, but want to jump out on tape. They need playmakers...bad.

Penn State wins just seven to eight games this year.

Tyler Lantrip looks like the leader to take the QB job at this point, but he can't possibly take the entire load of offense that Colin Kaepernick did.

Mark Lamford and Mike Ball, who I went to Las Vegas to see play in high school a few years ago, are back to shoulder the rushing load.

Three starters are back on the front, and Rishard Matthews is back at receiver.

The defense was a bit risky in 2010, as they made some big plays and forced 21 turnovers but also gave up seven yards per pass attempt and four yards per rush. But five starters return in between the secondary and linebackers, which bodes well going into 2011.

By season's end, Ball quietly becomes one of the most underrated backs in college football.

Butch Davis' best job may have been last year as the Tar Heels went 8-5, despite missing a bunch of star defensive players, and still won a bowl game.

But now Davis needs to replace QB TJ Yates and also has to get better play from his offensive line.

Dante Paige-Moss and Quinton Coples are back in the trenches for the defense and look like future All-Americans. But the back seven needs players to emerge.

Eight to nine wins this year for UNC. No more. No less.

Eight straight seasons with eight or more wins.

The Midshipmen will put that streak on the line in 2011, and they look like a team that will be ready to go after a ninth straight.

Ken Niumatalolo is an intense, fiery, passionate and most importantly great coach, and he has Navy in the 3-4 defense and triple option as always.

After going 9-4 last year, Ricky Dobbs must be replaced by Ken Proctor, who has not thrown many passes in his career and needs to step up this spring.

Navy should be tough again in 2011, but I think they fall to Army this year.

Matt Barkley returns as the QB in Troy, and Marc Tyler, Dillon Baxter and DJ Morgan figure to round out the running-back stable.

The wealth at receiver is crazy, even though Brice Butler bowed out.

The offensive line is the question, as Tyron Smith will be a professional player in a few weeks, and Kris O'Dowd's experience is gone.

Defensively, the theme of the spring has been to simplify the scheme and not make the players think so much.

Monte Kiffin needs to shuffle his linebackers and find a top-flight corner to replace Shareece Wright. TJ McDonald could be on the verge of being an All-American at safety.

I see no more than eight wins again for USC. 

Bronco Mendenhall is another underrated coach, as he has gone 56-21 since taking over in Provo, and is now in his seventh year.

Mendenhall, who has a re-tooled coaching staff, has noted that his team has great chemistry this year, and that this could be the best defense he's had since he came to Provo.

The Cougars start and end with Jake Heaps in my mind. He's a former mega-hyped recruit and played pretty well at QB last season as a freshman.

Heaps must show this spring that he is developing properly and is ready to take the next step.

BYU moves from the Mountain West to being an independent this year, while Heaps throws for over 3000 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Dabo Swinney has heard some whispers that he is on the hot seat during this past winter and there are even rumors of Rich Rodriguez replacing Swinney in 2012.

But this spring will be about Tajh Boyd's development for the Tigers.

It's time for the QB I watched a few years back on grainy tape and felt was a top-flight prospect to show why I thought so highly of him.

The Tigers did not have a great season last year, going 6-7, but you can't pin that on Parker.

This year, I think Swinney and Boyd help get the Tigers back on track and be a major player in the ACC in 2011.

Clemson finishes either second or third in the ACC this year. 

Al Golden is another coach I have high acclaim for. I think, while he wasn't the sexy pick for The U, he was a rock solid selection to right the ship in Coral Gables.

He's a great coach and has attacked recruiting around South Florida with passion, energy and aggression. Plus, this is The U.

The big stor will be the QB battle between Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris. Harris was a big-time recruit in 2008 but has not been developed.

Neither seems to take of the ball, each have had some pretty rough patches this spring.

Sorry Miami fans, but this is a .500 team in my opinion for 2011.

Aaron Murray has the tools to be an All-SEC player, and incoming running back Isaiah Crowell should be a surge in the running game along with Caleb King.

Orson Charles and Tavares King will look to catch enough passes to replace A.J. Green and Kris Durham.

The defense needs to get better on third down. They stayed on the field way too much, thus wearing down towards the end of the game.

The defense should be improved, but they still will lack third down efficiency, costing Georgia some games.

Seven-eight wins tops for the Dawgs, but I think 2012 will actually be a prime year for UGA. 

Dan Mullen is a top-level coach, and he may have finished off Rich Rodriguez's career at Michigan worse than a Mortal Kombat player.

He has gone 14-11 in two seasons for the Bulldogs. Year 3 should see him rise even more.

An offensive-minded coach, Mullen has Chris Relf back at QB along with RB Vic Ballard and WR Chad Bumphis all back in 2011.

Watch out for MSU in the SEC this year, they could be a dark-horse squad.

Will Muschamp needs to get John Brantley on the same page with new offensive sheriff Charlie Weis.

If not, Jeff Driskel will be seen this year. But let's not forget Brantley is a big-time talent and was a major recruit coming out of high school for a reason.

Muschamp will shift the schemes for Florida more to NFL styles, with Weis on offense and Dan Quinn on defense.

I think we see Brantley put it all together this year and he tosses for around 3000 yards and over 20 scores.

Dennis Erickson is in his fifth year in Tempe and has gone 25-24 so far.

He has the Sun Devils thinking Pac-12 title, as they went through some heartbreaking losses in 2010.

Nine points kept them from being 10-2 and perhaps winning a Pac-10 title in 2010, but this is a new year in the desert.

Erickson will need Brock Osweiler to step up as QB as Steve Threet retired from concussions.

Look for ASU to hover around the Pac-12 title this year, but they will finish third at best.

Going 5-7 is not going to fly in Austin.

Garrett GiIlbert needs to get better and Bryan Harsin and Major Applewhite are now responsible for him doing so.

Cody Johnson and Fozzy Whittaker are awaiting Malcolm Brown to form a top-level trio in the running game.

Case McCoy will take over the QB gig and lead Texas to a seven season in 2011, reserving Gilbert to clip board status.

The Hokies program is like the San Antonio Spurs franchise; they are the model for what a college program should be—consistent.

It's tough to be consistent, but every year we see the Hokies among the contenders for the ACC and in the BCS title conversation at some point.

This year is no different as Beamer's Boys will be a preseason top-25 squad and one of the top teams in the ACC.

Bud Foster may or may not be around for much longer, and the special teams play is always good.

Same ol' VaTech season, they'll be won of the top teams in the ACC and will finish second in the conference.

Bo Pelini has done a great job in Lincoln so far, but the Cornhuskers have gone through the offseason with the bad taste of losing to Washington in the San Diego all winter.

Pelini comes into year four with a 30-12 mark.

The Huskers welcome spring and know that they have Taylor Martinez back. He had a rocky first year with Pelini, but the coach knows he is the top offensive player on the team.

I think Aaron Green can come in and help the offense.

But Cam Meredith and Alfonzo Dennard are among the top defenders in the country, which is trouble for the rest of the Big Ten.

Nebraska will finish second in the Big Ten in their first year in the conference.

The Horned Frogs are preparing for their move to the Big East, as this is their final go around the Mountain West.

Casey Pachall needs to replace Andy Dalton, who will be a middle-round pick in the draft. Pachall will have three new receivers in the lineup for 2011.

Patterson will spend the spring evaluating his secondary, as he loses four starters from his back-end alignment of five defensive backs, in which two of the three safeties align their half of the field for coverage schemes.

A step back happens for TCU as they win "only" nine games in 2011.

The champs may be outside looking in at the top 25, but they could sneak up on people.

I think the Tigers will make a bowl game this year, and Gene Chizik and his staff are a great bunch.

They will be young and likely will not be BCS-bound again, nor will they win the SEC. But Chizik has stocked the roster with two outstanding recruiting classes in his two full years for the Tigers.

Obviously, the big story is who replaces Cam Newton, and Barrett Trotter and Clint Mosey will both fight with freshman Kiehl Frazier for the job.

Quietly, the more pressing matter will be replacing Nick Fairley at defensive tackle.

The Tigers finish just .500 this year.

So, as you know, they need to replace Blaine Gabbert. James Franklin, Ashton Glaser and freshman Tyler Gabbert all will be vying for the gig. Blaine Gabbert used it to make himself a potential top-10 overall pick.

Franklin is a dual-threat type and seems to be the favorite to be the guy.

De’Vion Moore, Kendial Lawrence and Henry Josey all are back as running backs, and all three are starting-caliber runners.

The front seven is the strength of the defense, but this spring, the secondary must emerge as a solid unit, as it lost three starters from last year.

Missouri takes a dip back form 10 wins due to Gabbert being gone, but the front seven powers them to nine.

Dayne Crist is the best QB on the Irish roster, but he needs to heal up his knee and show more command of the offense in year two.

I think he has more talent than Tommy Rees, but the poised Rees is liked by Brian Kelly. 

The defense returns Ethan Johnson on the front and linebackers Manti Te'o and Darius Flemming. Aaron Lynch and Ishaq Williams will look to impact as true freshmen.

Notre Dame somehow finds itself in a BCS bowl as a at large bid in 2011, thanks to better defensive play.

Mike Sherman has broke even at 19-19 in three years for the Aggies, but year four sees him returning a host of players, minus Von Miller.

Sherman has turned the program into an NFL-style operation with a West Coast-style offense and a 3-4 defense.

The defense was excellent last year, allowing just 3.5 yards per rush and six yards per pass.

The Aggies roll into the spring on a six-game winning streak, led by QB Ryan Tannehill. Sherman needs his running game to match his passing game, as he could have an explosive offense in 2011.

Texas A&M finishes in the top at the end of the season.

Going 33-19 through his fifth year, Mark Dantonio has an 11-win season and piece of the Big Ten championship to notch in his belt.

Edwin Baker and Kirk Cousins are his top players on offense at RB and QB respectively, and Le'Veon Bell is a solid backup running back.

DJ Young must be replaced at LT, along with a few other starters on the front.

Defensively, Greg Jones and Eric Gordon must be replaced, and big plays must be emphasized in the spring on defense.

Michigan State finishes third in the Big Ten this year.

Steve Spurrier finally got things going in 2010, with the Gamecocks making an appearance in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.

The offense has two great players in RB Marcus Lattimore and WR Alshon Jeffrey.

Connor Shaw likely will be the QB in 2012 for Spurrier.

On defense, Cliff Matthews and Stephen Gilmore are two of the better defensive players in the SEC and will be joined by all-world No.1 overall recruit Jadeveon Clowney this year.

The Gamecocks win the SEC East and go to Atlanta again.

The Badgers focus is their offensive line, as they recruit toughness and strength and just move targets out of the way in order to have such a high-powered run game.

They lose three starters from last year, but I still think James White and Montee Ball will both likely rush for 1,000 yards this year.

Jon Budmayr and Curt Phillips will compete to replace Scott Tolzien at QB. The defense needs to replace JJ Watt but returns its top linebacker and top-two pass defenders.

Wisconsin wins the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl in 2011.

Ohio State has BCS title aspirations, even though Jim Tressel, Terrelle Pryor, Mike Adams, Boom Herron and DeVier Posey all will be out the first five games.

Braxton Miller and Todd Bauserman will hold down the fort for Pryor.

The offensive line loses two starters, plus Adams, for the first five games, and the receivers need a playmaker to emerge in place of Posey.

Defensively, seven starters are gone, including the entire back end. Being green in the secondary could derail those Big Ten and BCS title hopes.

The off-field distractions will cost Ohio State a potentially great season, as they will only win eight games this year.

David Shaw takes over for Jim Harbaugh, as he left for the 49ers.

Stanford likely will be highly ranked in the preseason polls. Andrew Luck. Period. What else can you say about the Cardinal QB?

Luck is good enough to win a handful of games himself, but this year could be a challenge for him.

First, he had a clean pocket last year, and this year the offensive line loses three starters. But Johnathan Martin and David DeCastro are back and they were both first team All-Pac-10 in 2010. 

Luck also will be without his top-two receivers, but Chris Owusu is back.

All this leads me to predict only eight wins for Stanford in 2011.

Tyler Wilson has shown he is an elite QB himself, and now he has the lead for the Hogs.

Three starters are gone from the line, and DJ Williams needs to be replaced at tight end.

But Wilson, along with a healthy Greg Childs, Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Colby Hamilton, will be pitching and catching all day on Saturdays this fall.

The front seven is loaded with talent, and Tremaine Thomas returns in the secondary. The spring must see the island defenders improve on making interceptions in the passing game.

Arkansas comes close to winning the SEC this year and Wilson is a legitimate Heisman candidate by mid-season. 

How many points will the Cowboys average this year?

If they can replace Kendall Hunter in the running game, look out Big 12.

QB Brandon Weeden and WR Justin Blackmon may be the best QB-WR duo in the country, along with Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles, Weeden threw for over 4,000 yards last year while Blackmon caught 111 passes for over 1,780 yards last year.

Justin Blackmon will win the Biletnikoff award again, while Weeden breaks several all-time OSU QB records and Herschel Sims wins Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

The Noles are on their way back, and this spring starts the full-time EJ Manuel era.

Manuel has his feet wet already, though, as he filled in well for Christian Ponder.

The receivers will be experienced and rock-toters Chris Thompson, Ty Jones and Jermaine Thomas all return along with three starters on the front.

Mark Stoops proved to be Mr. Fix-It with the FSU defense last year and Nigel Bradham and Brandon Jenkins are back again to make plays.

The secondary returns four starters, and the pass defense should be a strength for Florida Sate in 2011, as they will win the ACC and find themselves in the Orange Bowl.

61-5 as a head coach, Chris Petersen sees his name tossed around jobs at bigger programs every year.

Yet he remains happy at Boise State.

He will get to watch the Kellen Moore experience once again this season, as Moore is one of the top QBs in the nation.

Smart and accurate, Moore needs some receivers to emerge this spring, but 1,000-yard runner Doug Martin is back.

But The defense has an astonishing five potential all-conference players returning and that's why this si the year the Broncos go back to the BCS.

The roster is loaded, and I think Zach Mettenberger beats out Jordan Jefferson as QB.

The Tigers were 11-2 with Jefferson, who played well down the stretch, and Jarrett Lee. But I really think Mettenberger has more talent and poise.

Spencer Ware will replace Steve Ridley as the main running back; the offensive line only loses one starter, left tackle Joe Barksdale.

This spring and summer will be crucial as the offense is the main question mark for LSU.

Miles hired Steve Kragthorpe to improve the passing game, and Mettenberger is not coming to Baton Rouge to hold a clipboard in my estimation.

I like LSU, but I think they lose to Oregon to start the season and never get over that loss leading to a sub-par year.

Oregon returns the two players that were the key cogs in the offensive machine that was the Ducks in 2010—QB Darren Thomas and RB LaMichael James.

They will add RB Lache Seastrunk to the backfield and should sizzle again on the scoreboards.

Three starters must be replaced on the line, and Jeff Maehl's timing and accountability will be missed on the offensive flanks.

The defense will use the spring to replace Casey Matthews, Kenny Rowe and Spencer Paysinger, but All-American defensive back Cliff Harris is back, and the secondary should be solid in 2011.

Oregon will be strong again in 2011, but gets upset by Oregon State late in the season to derail BCS Title game hopes.

The Tide can make another BCS and SEC title run this year but they need to find a QB first.

AJ McCarron and Phillip Simms each have their chance to show Saban they are up to the task in the spring. Trent Richardson returns in the backfield, and Marquis Maze is one of the better receivers in the SEC.

But the defense will be the strength. Wow.

Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick are back in the secondary, Dont'a Hightower, Nico Johnson and Courtney Johnson are ridiculous as linebackers, and Jesse Williams should be a rock star by this time next year.

Alabama runs the table, after taking some serious shots in the SEC, but their defense wins them the BCS National Title. 

The Sooners will be just about everyone's preseason No.1 team. They have an elite QB, elite head coach and talent returning.

This year will feature another stellar passing attack with Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles leading the way. Broyles tied a school record in touchdowns last season, and Jones could win the Heisman this year.

DeMarco Murray needs to be replaced, but I think Brandon Williams could come in and do well as a true freshman.

On defense, there is a slew of talent, but the player I love is safety-linebacker Tony Jefferson, who won Big 12's Freshman DPOY in 2010.

Oklahoma runs the table all season long, but loses to Alabama in the BCS National Title game.