Season Record: 103-41

Mississippi at South Carolina - The Rebels have yet to be tested this year, but they are a top five team for a reason.

Missouri at Nevada

South Florida at Florida State - With Matt Grothe, I would have picked the Bulls. Without him, the Seminoles win easily.

North Carolina at Georgia Tech - Yes, they looked bad against Miami. I'm not giving up on the Yellow Jackets just yet though.

Minnesota at Northwestern

Indiana at Michigan

Buffalo at Temple

Michigan State at Wisconsin

LSU at Mississippi State

Fresno State at Cincinnati

Southern Miss at Kansas - In a huge upset, Damion Fletcher and the Golden Eagles beat the Jayhawks at home.

Marshall at Memphis

Wake Forest at Boston College

San Diego State at Air Force

UNLV at Wyoming

Rutgers at Maryland

UCF at East Carolina

Pittsburgh at North Carolina St

Illinois at Ohio State

TCU at Clemson - In what should be a great game, expect TCU's strong defense to overpower C.J. Spiller and Clemson.

UTEP at Texas

Miami at Virginia Tech - A lot is being made of Jacory Harris' strong start, but all I've seen is lob passes against bad defenses.

Arkansas at Alabama

Akron at Central Michigan

Western Kentucky at Navy

Idaho at Northern Illinois

California at Oregon

UL-Monroe at Florida Atlantic

Troy at Arkansas State

Florida at Kentucky

Colorado State at BYU

Ball State at Auburn

Arizona State at Georgia

Army at Iowa State

UL-Lafayette at Nebraska

Boise State at Bowling Green

UAB at Texas A&M

Middle Tennessee State at North Texas

Toledo at FIU

Miami (OH) at Kent State

Ohio at Tennessee

Louisville at Utah

Arizona at Oregon State

Iowa at Penn State

Vanderbilt at Rice

Notre Dame at Purdue

Washington at Stanford - Riding too much on the high of last week's win at USC, the Huskies are upset by Toby Gerhart and the Cardinal.

Texas Tech at Houston - In a similar situation to that of the Washington-Stanford game, Texas Tech will upset Houston on the road.

New Mexico State at New Mexico

Washington State at USC

Louisville at Kentucky - Louisville beat Indiana State 30-10, while the Wildcats crushed Miami (Ohio) 42-0. Expect the Wildcats to win easily in this rivalry game.

Eastern Michigan at Michigan

California at Minnesota - The Gophers proved me wrong last weekend, winning their home opener against Air Force, but Cal is a legit top-ten team with the best running back in the nation.

East Carolina at North Carolina

Temple at Penn State

Boston College at Clemson - Boston College has been surprisingly impressive in their first two games, but Clemson and C.J. Spiller should win this one at home.

Ball State at Army

Duke at Kansas

Northern Illinois at Purdue

Ohio State at Toledo

North Texas at Alabama

FCS Upset Special - Cal Poly at Ohio

Wyoming at Colorado

Tennessee at Florida

Michigan State at Notre Dame - Both teams are coming off bad, bad losses to Central Michigan and Michigan, respectively. As much as I'd like to go with the Spartans, the Irish have just looked better this year.

Middle Tennessee State at Maryland - After last week's tight game against James Madison, I expect the Terps to come out and avenge last season's loss against the Blue Raiders with an easy win.

Tulsa at Oklahoma - I really want to pick the Golden Hurricanes. I REALLY want to pick the Golden Hurricanes. After losing Sam Bradford and losing to BYU, I think the Sooners could lose to Tulsa, but it's too early in the season to know how much it has affected them. I'll go with the safe pick and Oklahoma.

Nebraska at Virginia Tech - In a mild upset, expect the Cornhuskers to get back into the Top 15 with a big win in Blacksburg.

USC at Washington

Indiana at Akron

Utah at Oregon - The Utes will get knocked out of the Top 25 by Jeremiah Masoli and the Ducks.

Virginia at Southern Miss

UAB at Troy

Arizona at Iowa - The Hawkeyes recovered from an embarrassing lucky win against Northern Iowa to crush Iowa State.

Nevada at Colorado State - Nevada was absolutely destroyed by Notre Dame in the first week, and Colorado State looked good in a win over Colorado. But the Rams struggled against Weber State and the Wolfpack still have Colin Kaepernick.

San Diego State at Idaho

Florida International at Rutgers

Connecticut at Baylor - Robert Griffin III is still the most exciting player in college football, and will lead the Bears to a huge victory.

Southern Methodist at Washington State

Navy at Pittsburgh

Buffalo at UCF

FCS Upset Alert - Elon at Wake Forest - Now, I'm not crazy enough to think that the Phoenix will beat the Demon Deacons, but Elon is one of the top teams in the FCS, and Wake should not take them lightly after what happened to fellow ACC members Duke and Virginia.

Cincinnati at Oregon State

Louisiana Lafayette at LSU

Northwestern at Syracuse

Rice at Oklahoma State

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt gets the edge between these two bottom dwelling SEC teams due to home field advantage.

Utah State at Texas A&M

Florida State at BYU

Bowling Green at Marshall

Iowa State at Kent State

Florida Atlantic at South Carolina

Miami (OH) at Western Michigan - In two games this season, Miami (OH) has yet to score a point.

Air Force at New Mexico

West Virginia at Auburn - Auburn's strong running game will be too much for the Mountaineers.

Georgia at Arkansas

UTEP at New Mexico State

Texas Tech at Texas

San Jose State at Stanford

Hawaii at UNLV

Louisiana Monroe at Arizona State

Kansas State at UCLA

Season Record: 67-25

09/17

Georgia Tech at Miami - These two are almost unquestionably the top squads in the ACC, and they duel it out in Miami on Thursday night football. The Yellow Jackets struggled in the second half against Clemson, but I'm still picking Georgia Tech to win this one.

09/18

Boise State at Fresno State - Boise, who cracked the top ten this week, has one of its tougher tests for the rest of the season at Fresno State, who played Wisconsin to overtime. Don't expect the Broncos to mess around, however, and Boise State will cruise to an easy victory.

I've been very busy, so just a quick run-down of the picks.

North Carolina at Connecticut - The ACC has been very bad so far this year, but I don't trust UConn's offense yet.

Eastern Michigan at Northwestern

Western Michigan at Indiana - Last week, I picked Western Michigan to upset a Big Ten team, and they let me down. Tim Hiller, don't fail me again.

Central Michigan at Michigan State

Stanford at Wake Forest - Stanford is on the way up, but they're not at Wake's level yet.

Syracuse at Penn State

Fresno State at Wisconsin

Duke at Army - Army looked very, very good under first year coach Rich Ellerson, while Duke lost to FCS school Richmond.

Pittsburgh at Buffalo

Iowa at Iowa State

Troy at Florida

Marshall at Virginia Tech

Kent State at Boston College

Arkansas State at Nebraska

Notre Dame at Michigan - Both of these teams looked great last week against quality non-BCS opponents, but expect the dynamic combination of Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson to upset the Irish.

Houston at Oklahoma State

TCU at Virginia

Idaho at Washington - The Huskies will break their dreadful losing streak by handling the Vandals easily.

East Carolina at West Virginia - Neither team looked good against FCS opponents last week, but I give Noel Devine and the Mountaineers the edge.

Louisana Tech at Navy

BYU at Tulane

Texas at Wyoming

Southern Methodist at UAB

UCLA at Tennessee - Lane Kiffin gets his first big win as a college head coach at home against the Bruins.

Mississippi State at Auburn

South Carolina at Georgia - After losing to Oklahoma State last week, the Bulldogs may be without quarterback Joe Cox.

Vanderbilt at LSU

Air Force at Minnesota - The Falcons beat Nicholls State 72-0 last week, and will ruin the opening of the Gophers' new stadium.

Bowling Green at Missouri

Ohio at North Texas

Hawaii at Washington State

Kansas State at ULL Lafayette

Florida International at Alabama

Memphis at Middle Tennessee State

UCF at Southern Miss

Rice at Texas Tech

South Florida at Western Kentucky

Kansas at UTEP

Miami (OH) at Boise State

Tulsa at New Mexico

USC at Ohio State - It'll be tough in Columbus, but the Trojans might only trail the Gators in overall talent.

Purdue at Oregon

Utah at San Jose State

Oregon State at UNLV - In a late night upset, expect the Rebels and Omar Clayton to give even more validity to the Mountain West Conference.

Season Record: 33-12

09/10

Clemson at Georgia Tech - The Yellow Jackets are my pick to win the ACC, and didn't struggle against Jacksonville State. Clemson did well against Middle Tennessee State, but expect Georgia Tech to win.

09/11

Colorado at Toledo - The Buffaloes suffered a humiliating loss at the hands of in-state rivals Colorado State at home last week, but don't expect them to get upset twice. Colorado.

Season Record: 31-10 (For FBS/FCS picks, anything within two touchdowns counts as a win)

Two games today and two games tomorrow.

Mississippi at Memphis - Mississippi is a sleeper national title contender this year. They should have no problem with Memphis. Ole Miss.

Colorado State at Colorado - Colorado has struggled in the Big North recently, but have one of their most talented squads in years this season. Colorado.

Cincinnati at Rutgers - Two contenders for the Big East title duel it out in Piscataway. I give Rutgers the advantage.

Miami at Florida State - This heated rivalry has lost some steam in recent years, but it's still a great game. In an upset, expect Miami to defeat the Seminoles.

San Diego State at UCLA - The Aztecs, one of the worst teams in college football over the past decade, have a new coaching staff coming in led by ex-Ball State head coach Brady Hoke. However, UCLA should come out with the win in this one.

Idaho at New Mexico State - Two of the worst WAC teams take each other on. Idaho for the win.

Alabama at Virginia Tech - Billed as one of the bigger matchups of this month, I don't buy it, especially with Darren Evans' injury. Alabama for the win.

Central Michigan at Arizona - Arizona is definitely the favorite, as a Pac-10 school, but Dan LeFevour and Central Michigan will come out with the win.

Buffalo at UTEP - Buffalo shocked the world by defeating Ball State for the MAC Championship last year. Look for Buffalo to continue that with a win over UTEP.

Maryland at Cal - I really, really want to pick Maryland in this game. Two things are holding me back - I believe in jinxes, and Cal is the better team.

LSU at Washington - LSU got a great recruiting class last year, and should crush Steve Sarkisian in his first game as the Huskies' head coach. LSU.

9 FBS/FCS games, the closest will be Mississippi Valley State against Arkansas State.

San Jose State at USC - The Trojans may have a true freshman starting at quarterback for the first time ever, but they should still beat the Spartans by at least 40. USC in one of the biggest blowouts of the weekend.

Nevada at Notre Dame - In the upset special of the day, expect Nevada and Colin Kaepernick to blow by the Irish defense for the win.

Western Michigan at Michigan - Western Michigan has an experienced senior, Tim Hiller, under center. Michigan has a true freshman, Tate Forcier, starting. Michigan has better athletes, but Western Michigan will come out with the win.

Baylor at Wake Forest - Robert Griffin III is a superstar in the making. For the third upset in a row here, Baylor will beat the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem.

Georgia at Oklahoma State - One of the biggest games of the day, this will go a long towards settling conference supremacy. I love Zac Robinson and the Cowboys' offense, but you always have to side with the SEC defense in this matchup. Georgia in a tight one.

Missouri at Illinois - In one of the tighter matchups of the day, Missouri will struggle with the losses of Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin. Juice Williams and Illinois for the win.

Rice at UAB - Rice lost their two best players from last year (Chase Clement and James Casey) and will definitely have problems this season. Look for UAB to take advantage and get a big win.

There are two FBS/FCS games - Mississippi State against Jackson State and Marshall against Southern Illinois. Southern Illinois has a much better chance.

6:00-7:00

Middle Tennessee State at Clemson - The C.J. Spiller show officially begins at Clemson without James Davis to take away carries. Clemson easily.

Stanford at Washington State - These two programs are going in opposite directions. Stanford and Toby Gerhart will take this one.

Louisiana Tech at Auburn - Auburn hasn't been the SEC powerhouse that it once was recently, but it still is much more talented than the Bulldogs. Auburn in a blowout.

Florida Atlantic at Nebraska - The Cornhuskers enter the season with higher expectations than last year, and should treat the Owls like an FCS opponent. Nebraska for the win.

Connecticut at Ohio - Connecticut has lost a lot from last year's team, including the nation's leading rusher in Donald Brown III, but is still far more talented than the Bobcats. Connecticut.

BYU at Oklahoma - Two high powered offenses take each other on, but Sam Bradford and Oklahoma will come out with the win.

New Mexico at Texas A&M - The Aggies lost almost their entire offense last year, but this is still considered a tune-up game for them. Texas A&M.

Louisana Monroe at Texas - Texas. 'Nuff ced.

Northern Illinois at Wisconsin - The Badgers no longer have P.J. Hill, but they should pound their way to an easy win. Wisconsin.

13 FBS/FCS games. The best shot of keeping it close is Southern against UL-Lafayette.

7:05 and after coming later.

Season record: 4-2

There's only one game tonight, but a boatload tomorrow. Here are the predictions:

Tulsa at Tulane - Tulsa lost a lot of players from last year's high scoring team, but they always seem to score 40 points a game no matter who's on offense. Tulsa with the win.

Saturday's Games:

12:00-12:30

Minnesota at Syracuse - Tim Brewster has done a great job turning the Golden Gophers around, while Syracuse sends ex-Dookie Greg Paulus behind center for the first time since he was in high school. Minnesota fairly easily.

Kentucky at Miami (OH) - Kentucky has struggled at the bottom of the SEC for a while now, but that doesn't mean that they can't beat a pretty bad MAC squad. Kentucky in a tune up.

Navy at Ohio State - Navy has to go to the Horse Shoe and try and take on a top-10 Ohio State squad. The Midshipmen's running attack is potent, but without Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, they have absolutely no shot of keeping it close. Ohio State in a blowout.

Akron at Penn State - Similar situation, except Akron is worse than Navy. Penn State starts out their national title hopes with a easy win.

Toledo at Purdue - Purdue lost Curtis Painter, who was a great quarterback for the Boilermakers, but they have a strong rushing attack in Jaycen Taylor and Ralph Bolden. Purdue in a game closer than they might like.

Western Kentucky at Tennessee - Lane Kiffin's Vols take on the newest addition to the FBS, and will take them to school. Tennessee by a mile.

There are six FBS/FCS matchups in that time slot: Hawaii and Central Arkansas (actually at 1:05 AM tonight), Northwestern and Towson, Michigan State and Montana State, East Carolina and Appalachian State, West Virginia and Liberty, and Iowa and Northern Iowa. Once again, none of these teams have much of a shot, but if I had to pick one, it would be Central Arkansas against Hawaii. Usually I would pick Appalachian State, but Armanti Edwards will not be playing due to injury.

1:00-3:00

All six games in this time are FBS/FCS matchups: Georgia Tech and Jacksonville State, Pittsburgh and Youngstown State, Boston College and Northeastern, Air Force and Nicholls State, Oregon State and Portland State, and Wyoming and Weber State. Weber State is the only one that can keep it close.

3:30 and beyond coming later.

This insanity will be facing Jeremiah Masoli and Oregon tonight.

College Football Predictions for 09/03:

South Carolina at North Carolina State - One of the marquee matchups of the day, the Gamecocks will play the Wolfpack at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN. Russell Wilson is one of the most exciting players in college football, but South Carolina had one of the top three passing defenses in the country last season. South Carolina for the win.

Troy at Bowling Green - A matchup of two of the top quarterbacks from non-AQ conferences (Levi Brown of Troy and Tyler Sheehan of Bowling Green), Troy is the top team in the Sun Belt while Bowling Green is meddling around the middle of the MAC (say that five times fast). Troy easily.

There are four matchups where a FBS school takes on a FCS school - Temple against Villanova, Kent State facing Coastal Carolina, Iowa State against North Dakota State, and Indiana against Eastern Kentucky. None of these FCS teams have much of a shot, but if I had to pick one to make it close, it would be Villanova at Temple. The Wildcats were 10-3 last year, while the Owls went 5-7 and lost their starting quarterback to graduation.

North Texas at Ball State - Ball State was one of the potential BCS Busters last season, going 12-0 in the regular season before losses to Buffalo in the MAC Title game and Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl. While the Cardinals lost All-World quarterback Nate Davis, running back MiQuale Lewis is ready to take the slack and carry the Ball State offense. The Mean Green are on the upswing under new quarterback Riley Dodge, but don't expect them to beat the Cardinals. Ball State in a high-scoring game.

Utah State at Utah - Utah does have a lot of questions this year following their miracle run to a Sugar Bowl win - choosing a starting quarterback, to name one - but that won't be a problem against a very weak Aggies team. Utah in a blowout.

Oregon at Boise State - By far the biggest game of the day, two top 20 teams are pitted against each other on the blue turf in Boise. Last year, the Broncos upset a bruised and battered Ducks team in hostile Eugene, 37-32. This year, expect Boise and Kellen Moore to beat Oregon yet again. The game will be on ESPN at 10:15 PM ET.

Image from weblogs.newsday.com.

Rutgers - Under Greg Schiano, the Scarlet Knights have turned from a perennial cellar-dweller to a contender for the Big East crown. Can they continue the success with huge losses from the last two years?

Key Players Leaving - Kenny Britt, WR - Britt posted his second straight 1,000 yard season in 2008 and left for the NFL Draft a year early. Britt was picked in the first round by the Titans. Courtney Greene, DB - As a four year starter at Rutgers, Greene had 386 tackles and seven interceptions, and was drafted in the seventh round by the Seahawks. Mike Teel, QB - Teel had a very good senior season for the Scarlet Knights, passing for 3,418 yards with 25 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, and was drafted in the sixth round by the Seahawks. Kevin Malast, LB - Malast had 101 tackles in his senior year, his second as a starter. Peter Tverdov, DL - Tverdov had 17 tackles for a loss and 5 sacks in 2008. Tiquan Underwood, WR - Underwood had 1,100 yards and 7 touchdowns his junior year, but only 494 yards and 5 touchdowns his senior year. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Jaguars. Jason McCourty, DB - McCourty (sixth round, Titans) intercepted two passes and was 27th in the country by averaging over 25 yards per kickoff return.

Schiano's School - Greg Schiano was hired as Rutgers' head coach before the 2001 season. In those first two years, the Scarlet Knights went 3-20. The next two years, they went a combined 9-14 and actually won some Big East games. Since then, Rutgers has made four straight bowl games, won three of them, and finished the 2006 season ranked 12th. There is no question that Schiano has transformed the Scarlet Knights from perennially one of the worst teams in college football to a school that is nationally ranked on a regular basis. Schiano has been able to get top recruiting classes to Piscataway, and NFL-quality players like Brian Leonard, Ray Rice and Britt have passed through. Rutgers has lost a lot from last year and the year before, but Schiano always seems to have something up his sleeve.

It Starts Up Front - Rutgers has the top offensive line in the Big East, and that will go a long way in their pursuit for their first-ever conference title. The Scarlet Knights are anchored by left tackle Anthony Davis, who should be a first round pick if he decides to go pro after his junior year. Davis, one of the most celebrated recruits in Rutgers history, was demoted to second team today after showing up to practice overweight. Davis has been named to the Outland Trophy Watch List, and should help true sophomore running backs Jourdan Brooks and Joe Martinek carry the Rutgers' offense.

The Bottom Line - Last year, the Scarlet Knights did not have a strong rushing game. They depended on Teel, Britt, Underwood and a strong defense, and finished the year 8-5. This year, all three of those offensive players are gone, as well as many who contributed to that defense. All that is left two running backs who split time last year and a very strong offensive line. The Scarlet Knights are aided by a weak schedule, but this is not the year that they will win their first Big East crown.

Prediction - 7-5 (3-4), 5th in Big East. After an opening week loss to Cincinnati, the Scarlet Knights beat Howard and Florida International before losing a non-conference game to Maryland. They then beat Texas Southern and lose to Pitt before beating Army. Rutgers finishes out the season with losses to Connecticut and South Florida and wins against Syracuse, Louisville, and West Virginia.

Image from post-gazette.com

Pittsburgh - The Panthers made a bowl in every year from 2000-2004, but did not make another one until 2008.

Key Players Leaving - LeSean McCoy, RB - "Shady" McCoy ran for 1,488 yards and 21 touchdowns in his sophomore year before bolting to the NFL and getting selected in the second round by the Eagles. Scott McKillop, LB - The conference leader in tackles and the Panthers' leader on defense, McKillop had 288 tackles over his final two seasons and was drafted in the fifth round by the 49ers. Austin Ransom, LB - Ransom racked up 89 tackles, including 11 for a loss, in his senior year. LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB - The backup to McCoy, Stephens-Howling had 312 yards and five touchdowns and was picked in the seventh round by the Cardinals. Eric Thatcher, DB - Thatcher had 64 tackles and one interception in his last year as a Pitt Panther.

Stepping It Up Behind Center - Bill Stull is entering his second season as Pitt's starting quarterback, and if the Panthers are to compete in the Big East, he has to play much better. Stull passed for 2,356 yards with 9 touchdowns against 10 interceptions last year, and only had one multiple touchdown game. Against teams like Cincinnati and Connecticut who thrive on takeaways on defense, Stull needs to have better control of the ball. With the losses of McCoy and Stephens-Howling to the NFL, Stull is thrust into the spotlight a little too quick for Dave Wannstedt and the Panthers' liking, and now is his time to perform.

Filling Holes - The departures of McKillop and Ransom leave big gaps in Pitt's defense. One of the Panthers' biggest strengths last year was their ability to stop the run, ranking 29th by allowing just under 125 rushing yards per game. McKillop and Ransom were two of the top linebackers in college football last year, and showed a particular fondness for hitting a running back coming up the middle. When facing top running teams like Navy and West Virginia this year, the Panthers will need to muster up some form of what they had last year in the front seven to compete.

The Bottom Line - Dave Wannstedt is entering his fifth season as Pitt's head coach, and things are not looking good for the Pittsburgh native. Wannstedt is 25-23 with the Panthers, and many Pitt fans are asking for his firing. If the season goes as it looks like it will for Pitt, Wannstedt may soon be looking for a new job.

Prediction - 4-8 (2-5), 6th in Big East. After wins over Youngstown State and Buffalo, the Panthers suffer back to back losses to Navy and North Carolina State. They then beat Louisville before losing to Connecticut and beating Rutgers. The Panthers finish out the season with five straight losses, falling to South Florida, Syracuse, Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Cincinnati.

Image from cstv.com

Louisville - Since joining the Big East in 2004, the Cardinals are 32-17, but only 11-13 under Steve Kragthorpe.

Key Players Leaving - Hunter Cantwell, QB - Cantwell had big expectations coming in to his senior year, but passed for only 2,493 yards with just as many interceptions as touchdowns (16). Eric Wood, C - Wood, one of the top centers in college football for a long time, was drafted in the first round by the Bills. Brock Bolen, RB - Bolen ran for 505 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior season, including an 104 yard game against Kansas State. Adrian Grady, DT - Grady had 41 tackles, including 11 for a loss.

No D - What happens when you take a below average defense and remove five of its best players? The result, as we will find out this year with the Louisville Cardinals, is not good. The Cardinals allowed almost 30 points per game last season, including 41 to Pittsburgh and 63 to Rutgers, and lose defensive linemen Grady, Earl Heyman and L.D Scott, as well as defensive backs Woodny Turenne and Bobby Buchanan to graduation. 29 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks, and five interceptions from last year are leaving with them. If Louisville wants to make an unlikely run at the Big East crown, then guys like senior linebacker Jon Dempsey need to help the defense get to the next level.

Offensive Transformation - For the past decade, the Louisville Cardinals have been a high-flying passing attack on offense. With quarterbacks like Brian Brohm and Chris Redman, it was hard for them not to be. This year, however, they don't have a quarterback who is ready to come in and take the job. NC State transfer Jusin Burke, ju-co transfer Adam Froman, and redshirt freshman Zack Stoudt will be competing for the starting gig, and the Louisville faithful aren't exactly excited about any of them. In the meantime, running back Vic Anderson has to shoulder the load for the Cardinals. Anderson ran for 1,047 yards and 8 touchdowns last year, and it will be up to him to make sure they have any type of offense whatsoever.

The Bottom Line - The Louisville Cardinals and Steve Kragthorpe are in trouble. The Cardinals have barely anything resembling an offense and absolutely no defense, and Kragthorpe is on the hot seat entering his third season as head coach. Since Bobby Petrino left for his coaching tour around the country, the Cardinals have sunk into mediocrity in the Big East. This year, it looks like they will sink even further and perhaps end up in last place, with Kragthorpe looking for a job.

Prediction - 3-9 (1-6), 7th in Big East. After a win over walkover Indiana State, the Cardinals lose to Kentucky, Utah, Pittsburgh, Southern Miss, Connecticut and Cincinnati before beating Arkansas State. Louisville finishes up the year with a loss to West Virginia, a win over Syracuse, and losses to South Florida and Rutgers.

Lutrus looks to lead the Huskies' defense to a conference title. Image from athlonsports.com

Connecticut - The Huskies are entering their 10th year in Division 1-A, and are looking for their third straight winning season.

Key Players Leaving - Donald Brown, RB - Brown ran for an incredible 2,083 yards and 18 touchdowns in his junior year, including 261 yards in the bowl game against Buffalo, before declaring for the draft and being picked in the first round by the Colts. Darius Butler, DB - Butler, who was drafted in the second round by Patriots, played wide receiver, kick returner, cornerback, and took handoffs in his senior year with the Huskies. Cody Brown, DL - Brown had 18 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks his senior year, and was drafted in the second round by the Cardinals. Dahna Deleston, DB - Deleston had 60 tackles and two interceptions, including an 100-yard return for a touchdown in the bowl gamer. Tyler Lorenzen, QB - In about a year and a half as the Huskies' starter, Lorenzen passed for 3,236 yards and 16 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Julius Williams, DL - Williams had 41 tackles, including 14 for a loss, and 7 sacks in his senior year.

What Can You Do Without Brown? Donald Brown was Connecticut's offense last year. Brown led the nation in rushing yards, and put together about 50% of the Huskies' total offense. Jordan Todman, Connecticut's next leading rusher last year, had 296 yards and three touchdowns. The losses of Butler and Lorenzen will hurt, as well, and the Huskies face some major offensive questions coming in to 2009. Zach Fraser and Cody Endres are competing at the quarterback spot, but both of them have under 100 career pass attempts and have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in their career.

Top D - The Huskies, even with the losses of Butler, Brown, Deleston and Williams, will still have one of the top defenses in the country. Scott Lutrus is entering his third year as a starter at linebacker, and has more than 200 tackles in his career with the Huskies. Robert Vaughn is one of the best defensive backs in the country, and after intercepting seven passes in 2007, quarterbacks in the Big East have decided to throw away from him. Jasper Howard, one of Vaughn's fellow secondary players, intercepted four passes last year and returned a punt for a touchdown. Like many teams that struggle on offense, the Huskies count on their strong defense to keep them in games. Don't be surprised if they have a top-10 defense for the second straight year.

The Bottom Line - Luckily for the Connecticut Huskies, they play in the seventh best conference in football (yes, I said it. The Mountain West is better than the Big East). In any other power conference, a team with no quarterback and no running back could never compete. However, the Huskies can survive and possibly thrive on only a strong defense and the will to make a bowl game for the third straight year.

Prediction - 6-6 (4-3), 4th in Big East. After a win against Ohio, the Huskies lose to North Carolina and Baylor before racking up wins against Rhode Island, Pittsburgh, and Louisville. After a loss against West Virginia, Connecticut beats Rutgers before losing to Cincinnati and Notre Dame. A win against South Florida secures a bowl berth, but a loss against South Florida finishes the season.

Cincinnati - After a bad loss to Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, Tony Pike and Cincinnati are looking to prove that they and their conference are for real.

Key Players Leaving - Connor Barwin, DE - Drafted in the second round by the Texans, Barwin had 12 sacks in his senior year. Kevin Huber, P - One of the only punters drafted this year (5th round, Bengals), Huber was seventh in the country with almost 45 yards per punt. Mike Mickens, DB - Mickens had four interceptions and 71 tackles in his senior year, and was drafted by the Cowboys in the seventh round. Dominick Goodman, WR - Goodman had 84 catches for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior year.

Secondary Losses - The Bearcats finished the regular season with an 11-2 record (teams who play Hawaii get to play a 13th game), largely because of their pass defense. With quarterbacks like Pat White, Mike Teel, and Hunter Cantwell (all who have graduated), you could not compete in the Big East without a good pass defense, and the Bearcats' 6-1 conference record proved that they had just that last year. With the losses of Barwin, Mickens, defensive lineman Terrill Byrd, linebacker Corey Smith, and defensive backs Brandon Underwood and DeAngelo Smith, Cincinnati will need some fresh blood to play well and match up to what was one of the top 30 defenses in college football last season.

Unknown Under Center - Most casual college football fans have never heard of Tony Pike. Pike comes in to the year as a fifth-year senior, and is entering his second season as a starter. Last year, Pike played in 12 games and threw for 2,407 yards with 19 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Until a tough outing where he threw four interceptions against Virginia Tech, one of the best defenses in the game, Pike showed consistent improvement through out the second half of the year. His best game was a 309 yard, 3 touchdown performance against Pittsburgh to lead the Bearcats to a 28-21 win. It will help Pike that Mardy Gilyard, who had 81 catches for 1,276 yards and 11 touchdowns, will be returning this year. Look for Pike to get in to the national spotlight as he tears up the Big East.

The Bottom Line - Brian Kelly has transformed the Bearcats from a newcomer in the Big East to a perennial contender. Cincinnati joined the Big East from Conference-USA in 2005, and went 4-7 that year, including 2-5 in conference. Kelly was named head coach before the 2006 International Bowl, and has gone 21-6, including 10-4 in conference, in his two years under the helm. Kelly has finished both of his full seasons ranked in both the AP and Coaches polls, and looks to continue that in a weak Big East this season. His emphasis on efficiency offense and takeaways on defense has worked at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, and now Cincinnati.

Prediction - 9-3 (6-1), 2nd in Big East. After wins against Rutgers and Southeast Missouri State to start off the season, the Bearcats lose a tough non-conference matchup against Oregon State. They then beat Fresno State and Miami of Ohio before losing to South Florida. Cincinnati finishes off the season with wins against Louisville, Syracuse, Connecticut and West Virginia, a loss against Illinois, and a win against Pittsburgh.