Big Ten 2010-Northwestern Wildcats

2009 Record: 8-5 (5-3)
Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (5th season, 27-23)
Offensive Coordinator: Mick McCall (3rd season)
Defensive Coordinator: Mike Hankwitz (3rd season)
2009 Bowl Game: Outback Bowl, lost to Auburn 38-35 (OT)

Offense: Mike Kafka is out at QB, where he was one of the most productive QBs ever at NU. Enter Dan Persa, who played well in small stints last season. Persa is athletically a perfect fit at the position for the spread read offense. There will be a renewed effort towards the run game, as Kafka had to pass 78 times in the bowl game. The running game will be in the hands of Scott Concannon and Andy Fields on a rotating basis in the one back scheme. Jake Schmidt will also be in the mix. TE Drake Dunsmore caught 47 passes last season, and could end up being one of the top two targets for Persa, along with WR Sidney Stewart. Jeremy Ebert and Demetrius Fields were both role players a year ago, but now both are starters coming into fall camp, and increased production is a must. There are only two returning starters on the line, which will make having an increasingly productive rushing game difficult at best.

Defense: 5 of the front 7 are returning starters, but only one player returns from the starting lineup in the secondary. 196 career starts went away with graduation from this unit as a whole from a season ago, and that experience is hard (almost impossible) to replace in one season. That will be the task in 2010. There is not one starter that goes over 300 lbs on the line, but the LBs are big and athletic. Quentin Davis was the defensive leader at LB a season ago, and he will return to run the D on the field. There will be depth in that group, but the secondary will have questions, as CB Jordan Maybin is the lone returning starter.

Special Teams: Stefan Demos is an ok PK, but was horrible as a punter last season, so he is likely to lose that job in 2010. Brandon Williams will get first shot at the punting duties in fall camp, but has not locked up the job yet.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 @ Vanderbilt, 9/11 Illinois State, 9/18 @ Rice, 9/25 Central Michigan, 10/30 @ Indiana, 11/20 Illinois

Toss Up Games: 10/2 @ Minnesota, 10/9 Purdue, 10/23 Michigan State

Losses: 11/6 @ Penn State, 11/13 Iowa, 11/27 @ Wisconsin

Ohio State is not on the schedule. The Wildcats must steal one of the toss games to bowl qualify, as one of the wins would come against 1-AA Illinois State. Due to strength of schedule, I would suggest stealing 2. It is very possible that the Cats can steal one out of the loss column too, but don't bet on it being against Iowa this season.

Outlook: There is enough athleticism on this team to be better than they look on paper. There are also enough questions on the horizon to see them fall apart. I predict a mid-tier bowl, but this is a high wire act, and the act can end in disaster.

Big Ten 2010-Purdue Boilermakers

2009 Record: 5-7 (4-4)
Head Coach: Danny Hope (5-7, 2nd season)
Offensive Coordinator: Gary Nord (2nd season)
Defensive Coordinator: Donn Landholm (2nd season) and Gary Emanuel (1st season)
2009 Bowl Game: One win/loss away

Offense: It's time to ring in a new QB era at Purdue, but there is a potentially solid player in Miami transfer Robert Marve, who was pushed out of the way by Jacory Harris there. Marve started his freshman year at Miami, and did not post great numbers by any means. However, there is some solid talent there. He has a first tier talent at WR to throw to in Keith Smith. Smith had 91 catches on a 7 loss team last season. The bad news is that he is the only returnee at the position, and the other two spots are not locked down yet. Sophomore Al-Turek McBurse is slotted to become the new tailback, but he is not proven. The line also has three new starters coming in, which will make this transition more difficult.

Defense: The front seven will be a strength due to the experience coming in. 3 starters come in on the line from last season. Ryan Kerrigan was a 2nd team AA last season, and was 3rd nationally in sacks with 13. He also recorded 18.5 TFLs. Gerald Gooden mans the other DE spot, with Kawann Short returning at one of the DT spots. Adam Brockman and Kevin Pamphile will battle for the other spot. 2 LBS return with Joe Holland and Jason Werner will man the outside spots, but there will be a new man in the middle.Dwayne Beckford seems to be the heir apparent at the MLB spot. The secondary is a nightmare, with new starters coming in at all 4 positions.

Special Teams: Carson Wiggs comes back to handle the PK duty, and has a 58 and a 59 yard kick to his credit the last two seasons. He is also lined up to take on the punting job this season, which he has not done at Purdue.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/11 Western Illinois, 9/18 Ball State, 9/25 Toledo, 10/16 Minnesota, 11/13 Michigan, 11/27 Indiana

Toss Up Games: 10/9 @ Northwestern, 10/30 @ Illinois, 11/20 @ Michigan State

Losses: 9/4 @ Notre Dame, 10/23 @ Ohio State, 11/6 Wisconsin

Iowa is not on the schedule. The Boilermakers will have to win 2 of the toss games to bowl qualify, and all of those games are on the road. They will have to win 2 of those because of the date against Western Illinois due to their 1-AA status. Purdue could win 7, but that's questionable.

Outlook: There are some depth issues at some very important spots. That's not saying that some of these new players can't become solid contributors, but there are too many questions to say that Purdue can move to the next level. Danny Hope is working very hard, and it was a miracle that they won 4 games in league play last season. Good things can happen with a lot of hard work.

Big Ten 2010-Penn State Nittany Lions

2009 Record: 11-2 (6-2)
Head Coach: Joe Paterno (45th season, 394-129-3)
Offensive Coordinator: Galen Hall (7th season)
Defensive Coordinator: Tom Bradley (11th season)
2009 Bowl Game: Capital One Bowl, defeated LSU 19-17

Offense: There is virtually zero experience at the QB position in 2010. Kevin Newsome, Matt McGloin, and Paul Jones are fighting it out for the job in fall camp, with only Newsome having ever thrown a pass in a college game. Jones is a true freshman and out performed his competition in the spring. Evan Royster returns as one of the best in the Big 10. He could be the all time rushing leader at Penn State when this season ends, Whomever wins the QB job will have solid receivers to get the ball to.Derek Moye and Graham Zug both return from a season ago. Three starters return on the line, but all three have changed positions, so there will be a source of potential issues.

Defense: Only 5 starters return on D, and one of them is not the 2009 Big 10 defensive MVP. This is a defense that loses Navarro Bowman, Sean Lee, and Josh Hull. Jack Crawford and Ollie Ogbu will have the task of anchoring the front seven during a retolling mode on D. All three LBs will be new starters, which does not bode well. CB D'Anton Lynn will lead three returnees in the secondary, which figures to be a busy group as the front seven will take time to come together.

Special Teams: Collin Wagner is ok from short distances, but sucks outside of 40. P Russell Nye is the leader to grab the P job, but he has never kicked in a college game.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 Youngstown State, 9/18 Kent State, 9/25 Temple, 10/9 Illinois, 10/23 @ Minnesota, 10/30 Michigan, 11/6 Northwestern, 11/20 Indiana, 11/27 Michigan State

Toss Up Games: 10/2 @ Iowa

Losses: 9/11 @ Alabama, 11/13 @ Ohio State

The good news is that Wisconsin is not on the slate. Iowa, Alabama, and Ohio State are though. Penn State, much like Iowa, ought to be ok, but they are not in the same stratosphere as Wisconsin and Ohio State.The other three non-conference games are laughable.

Outlook: The Lions are good enough to win 9, but if the D does not come together early, than they can be in some real trouble. We'll know how good this team can be on 9/11.

Big Ten 2010-Iowa Hawkeyes

2009 Record: 11-2 (6-2)
Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz (81-55, 12th season...83-76 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Ken O'Keefe (12th season)
Defensive Coordinator: Norm Parker (12th season)
2009 Bowl Game: Orange Bowl, defeated Georgia Tech 24-14

Offense: Iowa has a strong group of returning skill players, but the real issue is how good the line will be. The line lost three incredible starters after last season, including AA OT Brian Bulaga. If three new starters (both tackles and a guard) can learn and get it together quickly, this can be one of the best Iowa offenses since Chuck Long and Ronnie Harmon roamed the sidelines and took the Hawkeyes to the Rose Bowl. Rick yStanzi is a solid QB, but he still makes too many errors (15 INTs last season). e needs to learn and grow, because there is nobody to push him right now. There is a three headed monster in the backfield, as Adam Robinson, Brandon Wegher, and Jewell Hampton all come back. Hampton missed last season with an ACL issue, but he is solid. Derrell Johnson-Kulianos and Marvin McNutt will be the top two receivers, and there is some depth with Colin Sandeman and Keenan Davis.

Defense: The line is a strength on D. Adrian Clayborn returns at DE after posting 11.5 sacks a season ago, while Broderick Binns, the other bookend, posted 6 sacks. The tackles are strong and durable as well. The LB corps is inexperienced, but Jeremiha Hunter was second on the team in tackles in 2009. The other two spots are up for grabs, but young Troy Johnson has big things expected of him. SS Tyler Sash joins Clayborn as pre-season AAs for 2010. Nash leads a solid secondary that held passers to a 49.6% completion rate last season.

Special Teams: Daniel Murphy returns to work after tying for the conference lead in FGs last season with 19. Ryan Donahue had 12 punts that went for 50 yards or more last season.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 Eastern Illinois, 9/11 Iowa State, 9/18 @ Arizona, 9/25 Ball State, 10/16 @ Michigan, 10/30 Michigan State, 11/6 @ Indiana, 11/13 @ Northwestern, 11/27 @ Minnesota

Toss Up Games: 10/2 Penn State, 10/23 Wisconsin

Losses: 11/20 Ohio State

The non-conference schedule is not challenging at all. Arizona will be the most difficult non-conference date on the slate. Iowa would have to beat both Penn State and Wisconsin, and hope that the Ohio State-Wisconsin winner is upset by someone else to have a shot at the championship, but stranger things have happened.

Outlook: No worse than a season ago. Iowa stands every chance of nabbing a BCS bid for themselves, but the key to that will be the Wisconsin game. Iowa does not have the skill of the favorites, as they don't really have an answer for a Terrelle Pryor or a John Clay and Scott Tolzien. I think Iowa will have a fine season, they jost don't stack up against the top 2 in the Big 10.

West Virginia Update

It seems that Rich Rodriguez still has some reach into Morgantown, and it's not good. WVU is being investigated for 4 major and 1 minor violation of NCAA rules involving practice time issues. However, these issues also involve ongoings since Bill Stewart took over as head coach. The question that I have is that if the Mountaineers and MIchigan spent so much time practicing on and off of the books, where is all of the hardware that they have to show for it? I guess Allen Iverson was correct...practice doesn't always make perfect.

Florida State Update

WR Jarmon Fortson, who was expected to start for FSU, was booted off of the team today for an "undisclosed team policy violation". The rumore mill is circulating that Fortson allegedly failed multiple drug tests, and that this was the reason for his dismissal. Fortson was supposed to be a key piece to QB Christian Ponder's breakout season. With Fortson gone, it seems that Taiwan Easterling will step forward into the role vacated, with Rodney Smith, a sophomore with one catch, as the number three guy. Looks like FSU just slid one notch down in my book, but Jimbo did the right thing by cutting him loose. Bobby Bowden probably would have mumbled some inanity about the guy deserving a (18th) chance or something of that nature.

Big Ten 2010-Wisconsin Badgers

2009 Record: 10-3 (5-3)
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (38-14, 5th season)
Offensive Coordinator: Paul Chryst (6th season)
Defensive Coordinator: Dave Doeren (3rd season)
2009 Bowl Game: Champs Sports Bowl, defeated Miami 20-14

Offense: Scott Tolzien has quietly become one of the finest QBs in the Big 10. He will not wow you, but he is smart and doesn't make the stupid mistakes that can plague a team. He is very solid. John Clay is a tremendous talent at RB. He may compete with Terelle Pryor for Big 10 MVP and for the Heisman trophy. There is tremendous depth at WR, including Nick Toon, son of Al Toon, one of the best ever at Wisconsin. Nick is a chip off of the old block. He is joined by an amazing group including David Gilbreath, Isaac Anderson, and Kyle Jefferson. The O-line returns every single starter from last season, so the gaudy numbers of 32 PPG and 417 YPG could actually go up in 2010.

Defense: Here is where the Badgers get seperated from Ohio State. There are big holes to fill. 3 of 4 D-linemen are new. DE JJ watt is the lone returnee on the line. All three LBs return, though, so that will be good for a young line trying to gel to know that someone has their back. The problem at LB is health, as both Mike Taylor and and Chris Borland are coming off of serious surgeries. Jay Valai is the unquestioned leader in the secondary, but he'll have to be even better this year, as two new starters will roam the secondary.

Special Teams: Philip Welch (PK) and Brad Nortman (P) both return after solid seasons. They will probably be more important than a year ago, especially NOrtman with the defense not being quite as strong out the gate.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 @ UNLV, 9/11 San Jose State, 9/18 Arizona State, 9/25 Austin Peay, 10/2 @ Michigan State, 10/9 Minnesota, 11/6 @ Purdue, 11/13 Indiana, 11/20 @ Michigan, 11/27 Northwestern

Toss Up Games:10/16 Ohio State, 10/23 @ Iowa

Losses: None

The non conference schedule is a joke outside the Arizona State game A team of Wisconsin's stature should never be playing Austin Peay. As I have said before, the winner of the Ohio State game will win the Big 10. The road trip to Iowa (against a very good team) could be a trap on the heels of the OSU game.

Outlook: If the defense gets right, than the Badgers challenge Ohio State for the Big 10 and a national championship opportunity. If the defense falls from last season's standards, than Wisconsin still wins 10 games. This is going to be a fun season in Madison, so buckle up.

Big Ten 2010-Ohio State Buckeyes

2009 Record: 11-2 (7-1)
Head Coach: Jim Tressel (94-21, 10th season...229-78-2 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Jim Bollman (10th season)
Defensive Coordinator: Jim Heacock (6th season) and Luke Fickell (6th season)
2009 Bowl Game: The Rose Bowl, defeated Oregon 26-17

Offense: It's all about Terelle Pryor. He showed the kind of QB that he is capable of being in the Rose Bowl, and it was scary. Pryor is an amazing combo of speed and size, and now that he has shown that he can be serious about the passing game as well as the running game, you are looking at the lead candidate for the Heisman Trophy. He passed for over 2000 yards and ran for over 700 last season, and that was him being inconsistent. Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey return as the top two receivers. Taurian Washington should be solid as the third receiver, and TE Jake Stoneburner is solid as well, and can block with the best of them. 4 starters return on the offensive line, which means major continuity, which means everyone including Pryor gets better. The only question marks are in the backfield at RB. Brandon Saine and Zach Boren return, but the Bucks can get better. Prized freshman Carlos Hyde could push for major playing time, and is 6-1 and 230 lbs with major speed.

Defense: The D was pretty awesome last season, and 7 starters come back from that group. The strength this season comes from the LB and secondary groups. The D-line returns Cameron Heyward at DE, and he is a beast. He is joined by DT Dexter Larimore, who weighs in at 310. Ross Holman and Brian Rolle return at LB, and were the two top tacklers a year ago, meaning that OSU has a ton of production at LB. Etienne Sabino is the new guy at OLB. Jermaine Hines will be at safety permanently after bouncing around as a S/LB combo player. Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrance both return at CB. Orhian Johnson will be the new starter at safety. The only issue is that there is no depth at the safety spot.

Special Teams: Devin Barclay is a 27 year old senior. He played pro soccer. He'll get a ton of PAT attempts this season. Ben Buchannon is the new punter, and has one entire game of experience. It should not matter.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/2 Marshall, 9/18 Ohio, 9/25 Eastern Michigan, 10/2 @ Illinois, 10/9 Indiana,10/23 Purdue, 10/30 @ Minnesota, 11/13 Penn State, 11/20 @ Iowa, 11/27 Michigan

Toss Up Games: 9/11 Miami, 10/16 @ Wisconsin

Losses: None

10 wins will be easy. Miami basically replaces USC, and that didn't go too well for two years, so the Bucks have a bunch to prove. Whomever wins the Wisconsin game will win the Big 10.

Outlook: The Buckeyes could be headed back to the national championship game, but must overcome the two hurdles on the toss list. If they do win those games, than it will be clear sailing into the BCS title game. If they lose to Miami, but beat Wisconsin, worst case scenario would be the Rose Bowl once more.

Big East 2010-Syracuse Orangemen

2009 Record: 4-8 (1-6)
Head Coach: Doug Marrone (4-8, 2nd season)
Offensive Coordinator: Marrone
Defensive Coordinator: Scott Shafer (2nd season)
2009 Bowl Game: Far, far away

Offense: Ryan Nassib will take over at QB this season for Doug Marrone's team. That's really not a ton to get excited about. RB Delone Carter will return after posting a 1021 yard rushing total in 2009, but he missed the spring game due to an arrest on a misdemeanor assault charge. Of course, he's the lone weapon on the team, so of course he was cleared for fall ball. There is zero depth at the wideout spot, but three starters do come back on the O-Line. This unit is in trouble.

Defense: Derrell Smith moved inside to MLB last season and led the team in sacks. Taking his place on the outside, Doug Hogue racked up 6.5 TFLs against Rutgers. This LB group should be the strength of the Orangemen's defense in 2010. The D-line is not horrible either, as they led a push in 2009 that drove a number 6 ranking nationally in sacks. The safety position is in good shape as well, as both Max Suter and Mike Holmes return for another go. The D will be asked to keep Syracuse close in games as the inexperienced offense will tend to stutter through games.

Special Teams: Ryan Lichtenstein is a solid PK, and he gets better from farther out. P Rob Long was 2nd in the Big East in punting average in 2009. Both of these guys will be leaned on heavily, much like the defense, to support a thin and inexperienced offense.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 @ Akron, 9/18 Maine, 9/25 Colgate

Toss Up Games: 11/6 Louisville

Losses: 9/11 @ Washington, 10/9 @ South Florida, 10/16 Pittsburgh, 10/23 @ West Virginia, 10/30 @ Cincinnati, 11/13 @ Rutgers, 11/20 UConn, 11/27 Boston College

The Orangemen can only hope to steal a game or two, but they are still only in year two of a massive rebuilding project. However, let's be honest, that two game stretch with Maine and Colgate is a complete joke. You don't get better playing teams like that, and hell, Maine is a team that can actually play a trick and beat you. Playing Colgate is just a disgrace.

Outlook: I call them the Orangemen, because that is who they are...not the Orange. Let's start a public boycott of that name right now. Who were they offending? Citrus? Spray tanners? Let's really grow up and get off the name changing kick here. This team is not going to be much better than they were a season ago, and frankly, could be a little bit worse. Marrone is working hard, but this is a direct reflection of the damage that complacency in the 90's has done to this program on a national level, and it could take a really long time to fix.

Big East 2010-Louisville Cardinals

2009 Record: 4-8 (1-6)
Head Coach: Charlie Strong (0-0, 1st season)
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Sanford (1st season)
Defensive Coordinator: Vance Bedford (1st season)
2009 Bowl Game: Not even close

Offense: Well, let's try this again. Remember when the Cardinals were on offensive force and were dominating the landscape with acrobatic aerial attacks? That seems like decades ago, but it was only 4 seasons ago. Now the Cardinals are starting over again. Mike Sanford comes from a failed tenure as UNLV HC. Both he and new HC Charlie Strong worked for Urban Meyer (Strong at Florida, Sanford at Utah). They are likely to bring his style of play to bear to rebuild this offense. It all starts from next to nothing. Adam Froman was a JC AA in 2008, but so far has not managed to even reflect his old self. He'll be pushed by Justin Burke and Will Stein, but Froman fits best in the newly installed spread. Victor Anderson looked awesome in 2008, but lost almost 600 yards off of that total last season. He needs to recover his start status. Bilal Powell and Darius Ashley will push him. There are only 6 scholarship players at WR on the roster. TE Cameron Graham figures to be a top target due to depth issues at WR. All 5 O-linemen have starting experience for the Cardinals, so at least there is depth somewhere.

Defense: Three linemen return as starters for Louisville. That's a good place for Strong to start his rebuilding process on this side of the ball. Almost every job is up for grabs in 2010 for a unit that gave up 371.1 yards per game in 2009. William Savoy and Malcolm Tatum are expected to grab the DE spots out of camp, with Greg Scruggs nailing down a spot at DT. Tim High appears to be the leader at the other DT spot. 2 starting LBs return with Antwon Canidy and Brandon Heath. Junior Dexter Heyman appears to be the leader for the final LB job. The secondary is wide open, with the only guy holding onto his job is CB Johnny Patrick. Darius Ashley and Anthony Conner will fight it out for the other CB spot.Terrence Simien is the leader at SS, while Shenard Holton has taken a lead at FS. Things can only get better, right?

Special Teams: Chris Philpott has a huge leg, and will get a shot to be the primary PK this season. Jim Payne is the new punter, and should represent a huge upgrade from a year ago at the position. The return jobs are wide open, with several players in the race.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/11 Eastern Kentucky, 10/2 @ Arkansas State, 10/9 Memphis

Toss Up Games: 9/4 Kentucky, 11/6 @ Syracuse

Losses: 9/18 @ Oregon State, 10/15 Cincinnati, 10/23 UConn, 10/30 @ Pittsburgh, 11/13 South Florida, 11/20 West Virginia, 11/26 @ Rutgers

This is year one of a major rebuilding job. There are some very difficult games here for Louisville, which is unfortunate, because there are no easy confidence building wins outside of those three games that I have picked them to win. Winning the rivalry game with Kentucky sure would be nice.

Outlook: Charlie Strong was noted to be Florida's recruiting guru. He is going to be put to the test here, and has already scored a couple of nice grabs, including WR Michaelee Harris from the state of Florida. This is going to take some time to build, but I believe in Strong, and he has a good staff. Give it 2 years and Louisville is bowling strongly again. Not so much this year.

Big East 2010-South Florida Bulls

2009 Record: 8-5 (3-4)
Head Coach: Skip Holtz (1st season...72-50 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Todd Fitch (1st season)
Defensive Coordinator: Mark Snyder (1st season)
2009 Bowl Game: International Bowl, Defeated Northern Illinois 27-3

Offense: 9 starters return on offense for the Bulls in 2010., but the squad took a beating when they lost WR AJ Love to a knee injury in spring ball that will have him missing at least half of the season. Dontavia Bogan and Sterling Griffin both have starting experience and will more than fill the void until Love returns from injury. Moise Plancher returns as a 6th year senior after getting a medical hardship to return at RB. He is not nearly the best back in the conference, and there may be a committee approach to RB this season. All five starters return to the offensive line, which should be music to the ears of OC Todd Fitch and QB BJ Daniels. Daniels was very solid replacing injured Matt Grothe last season, and now he is the man.Daniels passing numbers were solid for a partial season, but he rushed for 772 yards to lead the team.

Defense: 7 starters are gone. This is going to be a major challenge for new DC Mark Snyder, the former Marshall HC. Only DT Terell McClain returns on the line, so there is complete rebuilding going on there. Sabbath Joseph is the lone returning LB, and there is virtually no experience elsewhere at the position. Quentin Washington and Kayvin Webster are returning at CB, but both safeties will be brand new starters. This could get scary.

Special Teams: Eric Schwartz and Maikon Bonani are battling it out for the starting PK job going into fall camp. Schwartz started in 2009, but Bonani started in 2008, and did not play due to injury last season. Jason Brockhaus-Kann is the leader to take the punting job.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 Stony Brook, 11/25 Western Kentucky, 10/2 Florida Atlantic, 10/9 Syracuse, 11/13 @ Louisville
Toss Up Games: 11/3 Rutgers, 12/4 UConn

Losses: 9/11 @ Florida, 10/14 @ West Virginia, 10/22 @ Cincinnati, 11/20 Pittsburgh, 11/27 @ Miami

There are some easy wins here, but there are some definate losses as well. The Bulls need to steal both of the toss games to be bowl eligible. Both of those games, if you will notice, are at home. All but one of the losses should occur on the road.

Outlook: The offense will be fantastic, but the defense won't be, and that's the problem. The defense is in complete rebuild mode, and that could cost a bowl bid in Skip Holtz's first season as coach. Jim Leavitt, the only coach in school history, as let go after allegations of abuse by players. Holtz will have rather large shoes to fill, but he should be able to do so without fail.

Big East 2010-Rutgers Scarlet Knights

2009 Record: 9-4 (3-4)
Head Coach: Greg Schiano (10th season, 55-55)
Offensive Coordinator: Kirk Ciarrocca (2nd season) and Kyle Flood (2nd season)
Defensive Coordinator: Bob Fraser (2nd season) and Ed Pinkham (2nd season)
2009 Bowl Game: St. Petersburg Bowl, Defeated Central Florida 45-24

Offense: With only three seniors returning, expect youth to carry the day at Rutgers on offense. One of their solid young players is QB Tom Savage. Savage, a sophomore, passed for 2211 yards and 14 TDs. A lot of people around the country are all fired up about those numbers, but I find them to be a little pedestrian. Same said for RB Joe Martinek and his main backup Rocket Williams. Savage can be expected to put up better numbers in 2010, and has the size and skills to become an NFL QB in a couple of seasons. Mohamed Sanu, another sophomore, should be Savage's main target at wideout. Sanu scored by reception, rush, and pass last season. Senior Julian Hayes should line up at the other WR spot. Art Forst and Howard Barbieri both return at OG, but Forst may be moved to tackle. Expect Antwan Lowery to get a shot at the other tackle spot, but he is coming over from playing defense. Expect a learning curve.

Defense: The defense led the Big East in total defense last season, and ranked 4th nationally in sacks. DE Alex Silvestro is very active and is always in the backfield. DT Scott Vallone was a freshman AA in 2009, and so the front line, with three returning starters (DT Charlie Noonan is the other) should have some solid chemistry. The LB corps is going to be a bit of a weak link, but Antonio Lowery does have starting experience and had 55 tackles in 2009. SS Joe Lefeged returns, as does CB David Rowe, but the starters are new.

Special Teams: Both kickers return from a year ago in San San Te (PK) and P Teddy Dellaganna. Both are solid returns, but neither is spectacular at this time.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/2 Norfolk State, 9/11 @ Florida International, 10/2 Tulane, 10/16 Army, 11/3 @ South Florida, 11/13 Syracuse, 11/26 Louisville

Toss Up Games: 9/25 North Carolina, 10/8 UConn,

Losses: 10/23 @ Pittsburgh, 11/20 @ Cincinnati, 12/4 @ West Virginia

The early schedule is a joke, but pay back is a bitch. Pitt, Cincinnati,and WVU all come on the road in the second half of the season. That's brutal. 7 wins looks like a cinch, but the conference could beat up on the Knights...again.

Outlook: There is a bunch of youth on this football teams at some key positions. The good news is that the young Knights will grow up together. The bad news is that they don't have the experience to pull off the huge wins against more veteran teams. I still see some modicum of success being had in 2010. A bowl game should be very reachable.

Big East 2010-Cincinnati Bearcats

2009 Record: 12-1 (7-0)
Head Coach: Butch Jones (1st season...27-13 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Bajakian (1st season)
Defensive Coordinator: Brad Lambert (3rd season)
2009 Bowl Game: Sugar Bowl, Lost to Florida 51-24

Offense: The offense scored 24 points or more in all 13 games last season. Tony Pike is gone at QB, but unlike the others in the conference, the replacement is no drop off at all from where the team was a year ago. Zach Collaros has never lost a game as a starting QB. Not in high school, and not in 4 games last season while Pike was hurt. Collaros is a demon in the pocket, but is just as dangerous scrambling and running. He should be fun to watch, as the offense won't change a lick under new HC Butch Jones and OC Mike Bajakian. Mardy Gilliard is also gone at WR, but the group of Armon Binns, Vidal Hazelton, and DJ Woods should be phenomenal in 2010. TE Ben Guidugli (brother of former QB Gino) is a fine receiver as well, and is a pre-season AA. Three starters return on the line, and both new starters should be upper classmen.

Defense: The scheme will change to a 4-3 this season, and Jones has promised to spend more time with his unit in 2010 than former coach Brian Kelly did. The defense finished last in the conference in 2009, and in order to attempt to repeat as champs, they'll have to be better. Derek Wolfe (DT) is the lone returnee up front, while LB Dorian Davis is the lone senior starting on defense, and he is not a returning starter from last season. Drew Frey lines up at SS, and is expected to be a leader with this young group of players. Improvement must come from everywhere.

Special Teams: Jake Rodgers will return as the PK this season, but will give up the punting duties. Patrick O'Donnell is the leading candidate for that job.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 @ Fresno State, 9/11 Indiana State, 9/16 @ NC State, 10/9 Miami (Ohio), 10/22 South Florida, 10/30 Syracuse, 11/20 Rutgers, 11/27 @ UConn

Toss Up Games: 10/15 @ Louisville, 11/13 @ West Virginia, 11/4 Pittsburgh

Losses: 9/25 Oklahoma (@ Paul Brown Stadium)

All of these games are winnable for the Bearcats. Louisville comes as a toss only becuase it will be played on short rest after the Miami (Ohio) game. Oklahoma will come to Cincinnati this season, and although I have it down as a loss for UC, don't count them all the way out. They can easily turn the tables on the Sooners.

Outlook: Cincinnati will be a dark horse team for me. The Bearcats should not miss a beat with new coach Jones. Brad Lambert has been coordinating the D for a while now, and he will be working very hard to fix the woes from last season. Cincy can quietly contend to defend their conference title.

Big East 2010-UConn Huskies

2009 Record: 8-5 (3-4)
Head Coach; Randy Edsell (66-65, 12th season)
Offensive Coordinator: Joe Moorhead (2nd season)
Defensive Coordinator: Todd Orlando (6th season)
2009 Bowl Game: Papajohn's Bowl, Defeated South Carolina 20-7

Offense: The Huskies will have a healthy competition at QB in fall camp between Zach Frazer and Cody Endres. Neither one is awesome by any means which makes the Huskies lucky to have Jordan Toddman at RB. Toddman can carry the load, but UConn has the same issue as WVU and Pitt here. They will risk riding their backs too hard to make up for their unstable QB situations. RG Zack Hurd is a pre-season All American, and he leads 4 returning starters on the line. RT Jimmy Burnett, a sophomore, is the lone new face on the line.

Defense: 8 starters return on a very nice defense. The defense, however, seemed to lose steam at the end of the regular season, as they tired of saving games from the under producing offense. The offense must give these guys a break in 2010. The entire D-line returns, and the line also gets depth with the emergence of DE Trevardo Williams. LB Lawrence Wilson is also a pre-season AA, and is the leader of this D. Greg Lloyd will shift from LB to DE this season, but may drop back at times in certain packages. Jory Johnson will be a new face in the starting LB group, replacing Lloyd. Three starters in the secondary will be sophomores this season, which could be problematic against more seasoned receivers around the league at Pitt and Cincinnati.

Special Teams: Dave Taggert returns at PK, and he will be leaned on heavily. The punting job is wide open, but freshman Chad Christen looks to be the leader in the fight so far. Robbie Frey had a 100 yard return for a score in 2009, and will handle kick returns.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/11 Texas Southern, 9/18 @ Temple, 9/25 Buffalo, 10/2 Vanderbilt, 10/23 @ Louisville, 11/20 @ Syracuse, 12/4 @ South Florida

Toss Up Games: 9/4 @ Michigan, 10/8 @ Rutgers

Losses: 10/29 West Virginia, 11/11 Pittsburgh, 11/27 Cincinnati

The schedule is not insanely ambitious by any means. 7 wins are guaranteed, and UConn needs the wins against Michigan and Rutgers to poke past the 8 win mark that they have been stuck at. That's a high asking price, but not impossible. The Huskies will qualify for a mid tier bowl game.

Outlook: UConn has been stuck at the same level for awhile now. They need to get over the hump and move on to the next phase in the program's history. 8 wins a year is great , but there should be passion to move ahead in a very winnable league. Unfortunately, the Huskies are just the 4th best team in an average at best conference.

Big East 2010-West Virginia Mountaineers

2009 Record: 9-4 (5-2)
Head Coach: Bill Stewart (19-8, 3rd season)
Offensive Coordinator: Jeff Mullen (3rd season)
Defensive Coordinator: Jeff Casteel (9th season)
2009 Bowl Game: Gator Bowl, Lost to Florida State 33-21

Offense: 9 Starters return this season, but the most important position of all is a new starter...the QB spot. Jarrett Brown is gone, so enter sophomore Gino Smith. He is unproven, and has a total of 49 passes thrown for his career thus far. It's a big leap of faith going with him, but there is nobody else to turn to, with the exception of Coley White, brother of Pat White, who took a significant number of snaps in the spring due to an injury to Smith. Everything else is set. Noel Devine is a fantastic back, and rushed for 1465 yards and 13 scores last season. Jock Sanders leads the receivers, as he had 72 catches a season ago, albeit it was for a lot of short gains. RT Matt Timmerman will be the lone new starter on the line.

Defense: 9 starters return on the defense as well. Julian Miller is a beast at DE, registering 9 sacks and 14 TFLs a season ago. He will only get better. The inside lineman are excellent and they suck up blocks to allow the edge guys to go make plays. Pat Lazear and JT Thomas are tackling machines at LB, while Anthony Leonard looks to be the lone new starter at LB. FS Robert Sands is the leading returning pick artist, as he had 5 a year ago. Expect that number to climb in 2010. 4 out of 5 members of the secondary return (WVU runs a 3-3-5 set). SS Terence Garvin will be the lone new starter in the backfield, and he will be the youngest of the defensive starters as well.

Special Teams: Tyler Bittancourt is a highly accurate PK, and will likely get more chances to kick with a new QB in play in 2010. There will be a new punter, as Scott Kozlowski took his 44.4 average to graduation. Gregg Pugnetti is the lead candidate to replace him.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 Coastal Carolina, 9/10 @ Marshall, 9/18 Maryland, 10/9 UNLV, 10/14 South Florida, 10/23 Syracuse, 10/29 UConn, 11/20 @ Louisville, 12/4 Rutgers

Toss Up Games: 9/25 @ LSU, 11/13 Cincinnati, 11/26 @ Pittsburgh

Losses: None

The September slate is ridiculously easy until the 9/25 trip to Baton Rouge. The three toss games will tell whether WVU is a championship contender, or a championship pretender.

Outlook: The QB situation is wobbly at best to me, and if you are a WVU fan, you should be concerned. That one position is going to make or break you, because you simply cannot put all of the load on Noel Devine's shoulders, even though you would like to. Don't be too hard on your shiny toy, or else you'll break it. The defense is solid, so I'll look for a lot of low scoring games on key dates, specifically against Pitt and UConn.

Big East 2010-Pittsburgh Panthers

2009 Record: 10-3 (5-2)
Head Coach: Dave Wannstedt (35-26, 6th season)
Offensive Coordinator: Frank Cignetti, Jr. (2nd Season)
Defensive Coordinator: Phil Bennett (3rd season)
2009 Bowl Game: Meineke Bowl, Defeated North Carolina 19-17

Offense: There are five key pieces to this unit. First is sophomore RB Dion Lewis, the projected Big East MVP and Heisman candidate. Lewis rushed for 1799 yards and 17 scores in 2009 as a true freshman. He will be depended on to carry an even bigger load this season because of the second key to the offense is finding a new QB. This appears to be a two way battle between Pat Bostic and Tino Sunseri. Sunseri seems to have the edge, but it seems as if Bostic has been at Pitt forever. The third piece, also a question mark, will be how well the Panthers replace their TE duo. Both TE's from a year ago got drafted into the NFL, so that kind of productivity and talent will leave a huge void in the passing and run blocking games. The 4th piece is how good WR Jonathon Baldwin will be with a new QB after the monster season that he put up in 2009? Baldwin piled up 1111 yards and 8 scores in 2009. The final piece is the puppet master, OC Frank Cignetti, and how well he can pull all of this together. He was a deciding factor with his hire a year ago in how good Pitt finally was on offense. LT Jason Pinkston is a pre-season All American.

Defense: DE Greg Romeus Led the Panthers in sacks in 2009, and is a pre-season All-American. Jabaal Sheard will anchor the opposite DE spot, giving Pitt a solid pair of bookends on the line. Both Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih are new starters in the middle at DT, so teams will try and focus their running strengths against the middle of the line. Max Gruder led the team in tackles at LB last season, but he too is on the outside along with Greg Williams, and the MLB looks to be Dan Mason, another new starter as a sophomore. Both corners are new, but Dom DiCicco and Jared Holley, both safeties, tied for the team lead in picks last season. There are issues here, but also some very good players.

Special Teams: Dan Hutchins handles both kicking jobs, and is a master at neither, but is serviceable and accurate in a basic way. Nothing special.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/11 New Hampshire, 10/2 Florida International, 10/9 @ Notre Dame, 10/16 @ Syracuse, 10/23 Rutgers, 10/30 Louisville, 11/20 @ South Florida

Toss Up Games: 9/2 @ Utah, 9/23 Miami, 11/11 @ UConn

Losses: 11/26 West Virginia, 12/4 @ Cincinnati

There are several difficult games on this slate. Pitt could win 7 games, or they could win 9 or 10. The difficult September slate will tell the story and we'll know by October how good this team can be.

Outlook: Everyone is in love with Pitt this year because of how good certain pieces are. There are also some very questionable pieces here, and I don't love the Panthers as much as the media seems to. Sit and wait.

ACC 2010-Duke Blue Devils

2009 Record: 5-7 (3-5)
Head Coach: David Cutliffe (3rd season, 9-15...53-44 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Luke (3rd season) and Kurt Roper (3rd season)
Defensive Coordinator: Marion Hobby (3rd season) and Jim Knowles (1st season)
2009 Bowl Game: Close, but no cigar

Offense: There are not enough words to authenticate what a huge black hole the QB spot turned into with the graduation of Thaddeus Lewis. Lewis is the all time leading passer in Duke history with 10,065 yards. You don't just find that kind of production on the corner, but it will be Sean Renfree's job to try. Renfree did lead Duke to a win over Army last season when Lewis was hurt, but has only really played in that one game at any length. He also missed most of spring ball with a knee injury. There is no depth behind him. The running game is problematic as well. Jay Hollingsworth, Desmond Scott, and Patrick Kurunwune should be a committee at that spot. The wideouts are strong as Austin Kelly, Donovan Varner, and Conner Vernon all caught at least 50 passes in 2009. LT Kyle Hill, C Bryan Morgan, and RG Brian Moore all return to the O-line, Brandon Harper and Mitch Lederman will battle it out for the LG spot, while Jon Needham, a junior, has basically locked up the RT spot. Expect freshman Josh Snead to get a long look at fall camp.

Defense: The D-line lost a ton of depth to graduation and criminal activities, so there could be issues here. Patrick Egboh returns at DE and Charlie Hatcher is back at NT, but Wes Oglesby is battling Erik Reks for the other DE spot. Expect a fluctuation between 4-3 and 3-4 on defense, and when the 4-3 is being used, Sydney Sarmiento will rotate in at DT. Damian Thornton and Abraham Kromah will return at LB, and it looks like Adam Banks has locked down the open spot on the strong side. Again, depth seems to be a problem. Chris Rwaukamba and freshman Ross Cockrell are expected to man the corners. Matt Daniels returns at S, and Lee Butler will take the vacated spot at the other S position. There is a ton of speed with this secondary, and they had better be ready to give chase with a leaky front seven.

Special Teams: Will Syderwine won the PK job as a walk on last season, but was a pleasant surprise. P Kevin Jones returns after a season in which he ranked dead last in the ACC in punting.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 Elon

Toss Up Games: 9/25 Army, 10/2 @ Maryland, 11/6 Virginia

Losses: 9/11 @ Wake Forest, 9/18 Alabama, 10/16 Miami, 10/23 @ Virginia Tech, 10/30 @ Navy, 11/13 Boston College, 11/20 @ Georgia Tech, 11/27 North Carolina

This is a rough schedule for the Blue Devils. With only one guaranteed win, this season looks to have Duke take a step way back from the progress made in 2009. 4 wins maximum but not likely.

Outlook: Duke did get some good news in the off-season, when David Cutliffe turned down the Tennessee job. A man of lesser character would have left, but he is committed to building a winner in Durham, and recruiting should see a boost because of that move. If a coach is committed, the kids will be too. This season will be a letdown, but Cutliffe is working hard to get a level of consistency at Duke that has not been seen since Steve Spurrier coached there in the 80s.

ACC 2010-Virginia Cavaliers

2009 Record: 3-9 (2-6)
Head Coach: Mike London (1st season...24-5 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Bill Lazor (1st season)
Defensive Coordinator: Jim Reid (1st season)
2009 Bowl Game: Not a chance

Offense: London and Lazor have devised a double tight end set to build a power running game in their first season at UVA. This entire system will be built from scratch, as everything involved with Al Groh's former regime will be thrown out. Marc Verica is the default starter at QB, but he threw the ball horribly when he played in 2008, with an 8-16 TD/INT ratio. Dominique Wallace, Perry Jones, and Torrey Mack will be a RB by committee group, and experience is low all around. 3 starters return on the O-line, while the TEs will have one returning starter (Joe Torchia) and a brand new one to compliment the new set (Colter Phillips).

Defense: Moving up seemed to be the story at spring practice this year. Safeties moved to LB, and LBs moved to DE to try and maximize on speed that is on the roster. Al Groh's 3-4 was scrapped and the 4-3 was installed. Expect a ton of LB blitzing in the new scheme, and I would not be surprised if the Cavs blitzed on just about every down. There will be a huge void of experience in the LB corps, where Steve Greer is the lone returning starter. CB Ras-I Dowling is the leader of this defense, and he is a pure star on a bad football team. Dowling is a pre-season All American.

Special Teams: Robert Randolph returns, which is very good news, as he nailed 17 of 19 kicks a year ago. Jimmy Howell will return to punt as well.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 Richmond, 9/25 VMI, 10/23 Eastern Michigan

Toss Up Games: 11/6 @ Duke, 11/13 Maryland

Losses: 9/11 @ USC, 10/2 Florida State, 10/9 @ Georgia Tech, 10/16 North Carolina, 10/30 Miami, 11/20 @ Boston College, 11/27 @ Virginia Tech

A repeat of 3 wins looks certain. You have to believe that Mike London will not lose to Richmond, as this is his former squad, but it is possible. The Cavs opened with a loss to William & Mary last season, and it wasn't close. VMI and Eastern Michigan should be confidence builders, while USC and the final two games on the road against BC and V-Tech should be confidence crushers.

Outlook: This will be rebuilding 101. Mike London is familiar with UVA, as he is a former assistant. His energy and enthusiasm for this program is through the roof, and he is determined to bring in the fan base. There won't be much to cheer about this season, but London was a whiz at Richmond, so it will be no shock to see success in the next couple of seasons for the Wahoos.

North Carolina Tar Heels

2009 Record: 8-5 (4-4)
Head Coach: Butch Davis (20-18 4th season...71-38 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: John Shoop (4th season)
Defensive Coordinator: Everett Withers (3rd Season)
2009 Bowl Game: Meineke Bowl, Lost to Pittsburgh 19-17

Offense: The QB situation at UNC is highly unstable right now. TJ Yates has been the starter, but has never impressed anyone. He is being pushed hard by redshirt freshman Bryn Renner, who is already acting as if he owns the job. He is a cocky kid with a bunch of talent, where Yates is unsure and doesn't always act like a rock star QB on the field. Shawn Droughn is the starter at RB, but he did little to impress in 2009, only rushing for 567 yards, leaving the running game in uncertainty as well. Whomever the QB ends up being will have solid wideouts to toss the ball to. Greg Little had 62 grabs a year ago, and Erik Highsmith is dynamic. Jheranie Boyd has incredible speed and Dwight Jones is a former 5 star recruit who is just getting his head out of his ass and is starting to produce. The line is solid with 4 starters returning. Freshman James Hurst (LT) is the lone new guy on the line, but do you really want a freshman to be your QB's blind side protection?

Defense: There are very few questions in this group. There are only two new starters, with 9 returnees. That being said, UNC is under investigation for allegations that star DT Marvin Austin has had some involvement with agents, ala Reggie Bush at USC. That could screw the entire focus of the 2010 season up, and this issue will linger right into the season and beyond. All of the LB's return and the secondary returns intact as well for a defense that only gave up just over 17 points per game in 2009. The defense has to be solid again, because it doesn't look like the offense is entirely together.

Special Teams: Junior Casey Barth returns after a fine 2009 season as PK. He hit on 21 of 25 FGs last season, and is establishing himself as one of the top kickers in the country. Grant Scallock is the punter, but is really nothing special. Da'Norris Searcy is the kick returner, but was brand new to returning kicks in college last season, and there was a learning curve.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/25 @ Rutgers, 10/2 East Carolina, 10/9 Clemson, 10/16 @ Virginia, 10/30 William & Mary, 11/27 @ Duke

Toss Up Games: 9/4 LSU (@ Atlanta), 11/20 NC State

Losses: 9/18 Georgia Tech, 10/23 @ Miami, 11/6 @ Florida State, 11/13 Virginia Tech

This schedule is quite difficult with 8 bowl teams from 2009. The Tar Heels will have to pick up 7 wins in order to qualify for a bowl, and that could be a very difficult task with this slate. LSU is a neutral game, but one would expect many Tar Hell fans at the Georgia Dome for this game. The NC State game should be a win, but the Pack gets up for UNC every year, and that game is rarely a gimme.

Outlook: Many people in the MSM (mainstream media) love this UNC team, but I'm a realist, and I think that Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Miami are all better teams than UNC, despite the Tar Heel's potential on defense. The Marvin Austin thing can be a major distraction, the QB situation is anything but settled, and there is next to no real run game. The offense was just horrible at times in 2009, scoring 12 against UConn, 7 against Georgia Tech, 3 against Virginia, and under 20 against Pitt and Duke. That's nothing to get hyped over. Butch Davis has underperformed in my opinion, especially given the recruiting hauls that he has pulled in. He really needs to exceed expectations this season, or people will start to wonder.

ACC 2010-Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

2009 Record: 11-3 (7-1)
Head Coach: Paul Johnson (20-7, 3rd season...127-46 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Johnson
Defensive Coordinator: Al Groh (1st season)
2009 Bowl Game: Orange Bowl, Losto to Iowa 24-14

Offense: The flexbone offense is definately a throwback. Option offenses that are not set up in a spread formation are not exactly the thing these days, but it works perfectly for Paul Johnson at Tech, as it did at Navy and Georgia Southern before that. The offense does lose star FB Jonathon Dwyer, but Anthony Allen is expeceted to do some big things for the Jackets in 2010. at 231 lbs, he'll be a freight train coming out of the backfield. Roddy Jones, Preston Lyons, and Embry Peoples will all compete for the final backfield slotback roles. Tyler Melton returns at WR and should be the primary target for QB Josh Nesbit, but Nesbit will have to become a better passer in 2010. His inability to get the ball downfield is what cost the Jackets in the loss to Iowa. Nebit is a fine rushing QB, though, and when the ground game can control the field, he is fun to watch. There are only two returning starters on the O-Line, and that can be problematic with an option offense. Nesbit was already hurt for the spring, and Jaybo Shaw, his primary backup, transferred to Georgia Southern. If Nesbit is not healthy to start the season, things can bog down in a hurry.

Defense: 7 starters return to a unit that gave up 24 or more points 8 times in 2009. The offense was able to keep up, but this will have to change. Al Groh will bring his 3-4 defense from Virginia, which should allow the front 3 to get put together quickly. Only one starter returns on the line, and that is NT Logan Walls. 3 LBs return, but Anthony Egbuniwe was playing DE at 250 lbs a year ago. He will be used on the edge rush a bunch this season, as he is still adjusting to possibly having to cover in the passing game. Both corner return in Mario Butler and Dominique Reese, abd Jerrard Tarrant has moved to safety from his former CB position. Tarrant has a nose for the football, and should be free to make more plays on the ball at this spot. Mario Edwards is in line to be the other safety.

Special Teams: Scott Blair (PK) and Chandler Anderson (P) are nothing special, but will get it done without flair. Tarrant returned 2 punts for scores in 2010, and is dangerous when handling the ball.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 South Carolina State, 9/11 @ Kansas, 9/18  @ North Carolina, 9/25 NC State, 10/2 @ Wake Forest, 10/9 Virginia, 10/16 Middle Tennessee State, 10/23 @ Clemson, 11/20 Duke

Toss Up Games: 11/4 @ Virginia Tech, 11/13 Miami, 11/27 @ Georgia

Losses: None

North Carolina and Middle Tennessee are the most challenging matches in the win group, as MTSU has shown great success over the ACC in recent years. If The Jackets take down both V-Tech and Miami in back to back weeks, the Jackets could be a ntional title contender themselves. If they lose one or both, it could effect how pumped they will be when they face Georgia at the end of the season during rivalry week. 9 wins are guaranteed, but double digits are attainable, as is an undefeated season.

Outlook: As I have already said, the difference is in the toss up games, and Miami and Virginia Tech come in consecutive weeks. The talent is there to compete, especially if the defense eats up Groh's 3-4 scheme early on. There are question marks, but if everything congeals quickly, look out.

ACC 2010-Virginia Tech Hokies

2009 Record: 10-3 (6-2)
Head Coach: Frank Beamer (24th season, 187-92-2...229-115-4 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Brian Stinespring (5th season)
Defensive Coordinator: Bud Foster (16th season)
2009 Bowl Game: Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Defeated Tennessee 37-14

Offense: 7 starters return in 2010, and talent abounds. Tyrod Taylor started to bust out as a passer as well as a runner at QB in the second half of 2009. Expect a huge season in 2010 from him. Thr running game is going to be unbeatable in 2010. Ryan Williams led the ACC in rushing as a freshman last season, and the Hokies also welcome back Darren Evans, a star that missed all of last season due to injury. They also boast of depth behind that in David Wilson, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry last season, and Josh Oglesby, who is expected to play some FB this season. Jarrett Boykin and Danny Cole lead a deep group of receivers that averaged 20 yards every time they touched the ball in 2009. The middle and right side of the O-Line is all set, but the left side is under retooling, with Nick Becton expecting the start at LT and Greg nosal looking like the winner at LG. This unit will be high powered explosive in 2010.

Defense: The D-line is under construction in 2010. Only one of four returns from last season, and that is DT John Graves. Steve Friday is the front runner at RDE, while Chris Drager looks to start at LDE. The other DT is expected to be a combination of Antwan Hawkins and Kwamaine Battle. Barquell Rivers and Lyndell Gibson will return to lead the LBs with Jeron Gouveia-Winslowlooking to fill on on the outside. Rock Carmichael will be the returning starting corner with Jayron Hosley filling in on the other side. Carmichael had 6 picks last season. Senior Davon Morgan will be the starter at SS, while Eddie Whitley is the frontrunner to win the FS spot in fall camp. There is a ton of speed on this defense, but the front 4 must gel and pressure opposing offenses quickly. Depending soloey on your back seven is like always playing on your heels...you eventually fall backwards.

Special Teams: This group has always been a staple of Beamer Ball. Chris Hazley will be the new PK, and is a walk-on. The last 3 PKs before Hazley have also been walk-ons, but they all played like world beaters. Brian Saunders has won the job as punter. Dyrell ROberts and Jayron Hosley each returned one punt and one kick return for a score in 2009, and will share the load again.

2010 Schedule:

Wins: 9/11 James Madison, 9/18 East Carolina, 9/25 @ Boston College, 10/2 NC State, 10/9 Central Michigan, 10/16 Wake Forest, 10/23 Duke, 11/13 @ North Carolina, 11/27 Virginia

Toss Up games: 9/6 Boise State, 10/23 Georgia Tech, 11/20 @ Miami

Losses: None

No guaranteed losses reside on this schedule, and the winner of the three way battle between VT, GT, and Miami will win the division and play in the ACC title game. The Boise State game is first this season, and will set the tone for how good the Hokie team can be. None of the other teams on this list should cause any great issues for the Hokies in 2010.

Outlook: This may be the best Tech team on 15 years. The offense is definately one of the best ever in Blacksburg, with talent on top of talent everywhere. The defense is inexperienced but will be very fast, which Bud Foster will cultivate in finding ways to attack on every down, which is what Bud Foster does and does well. If Tech wins all three toss ups, they could compete for a national title.

ACC 2010-Miami Hurricanes

2009 Record: 9-4 (5-3)
Head Coach: Randy Shannon (21-17 4th season)
Offensive Coordinator: Mark Whipple (2nd season)
Defensive Coordinator: John Lovett (2nd season)
2009 Bowl Game: Champs Sports Bowl, Lost to Wisconsin 21-17

Offense: There could be trouble on the horizon, as only 4 starters return to this unit. Luckily, one of them is QB Jacory Harris. Harris pumped up 3352 yards passing in 2009 and managed to toss 24 of those passes for TDs. He did, however, manage to toss 17 balls to thte other team, a number that must be reduced for success with an inexperienced offense. Graig Cooper is supposed to be the starter at RB, but was lost to a knee injury, and it is unclear whether or not he will be available to play in 2010. Damien Berry is the second back on the chart, and he averaged 6.6 yards per carry in 2009. If The Canes get them both, than the running game should be set. Only one WR returns as a starter, but there is talent at the position. Leonard Hankerson returns, with LaRon Byrd expected to start at the pther spot. WIth Byrd coming off of the bench in 2009, he and Hankerson combined for 78 catches. They are joined by speedy and talented Travis Banjamin coming off of the bench.Orlando Franklin (LT) and Joel Figueroa (RG) return on the line, and freshman Malcolm Bunch ought to find his way into the mix somewhere. The experience or depth at TE is non-existent, so Harris will have to make do with his solid corps of backs and receivers. Depth is also problematic on the above mentioned O-line.

Defense: This group will be the meat of this football team, with 8 returning starters in the fold. The D-line is set at 3 of 4 spots with DEs Allen Bailey and Andrew Smith both back on the field. Bailey is a beast that weighs in at 288 and runs a 40 in 4.6 seconds. Micanor Regis returns at DT, and Curtis Porter and Josh Holmes will rotate at the other spot. 2 LBs return in 2010 in Colin McCarthy and Sean Spence. Arthur Brown, Jordan Futch, and Roman Buchannon look to compete for playing time, along with freshman Travis Williams, who could translate to safety. The secondary is fast and solid, with Brandon Harris and DeMarcus Van Dyke manning the corners and Vaughn Telemaque manning the SS spot. Sophomore Ray Ray Allen will battle with JoJo Nicolas, Jared Campbell, and Corey Nelms for the FS spot.

Special Teams: Matt Bosher will cover both PK and P duties in 2010. He is one of the best in the country at both spots. He nailed 27 punts of 50 yards or more, and connected on 32 of 36 FGs last season. Miami has to be happy to get him back. Thearon Collier (2 punt returns for scores) and Travis Benjamin should share return duties this season.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/2 Florida A&M, 10/2 @ Clemson, 10/9 Florida State, 10/16 @ Duke, 10/23 North Carolina, 10/30 @ Virginia, 11/6 Maryland, 11/27 South Florida

Toss Up Games: 9/11 @ Ohio State, 9/23 @ Pittsburgh, 11/13 Georgia Tech, 11/20 Virginia Tech

Losses: None

There is no guaranteed loss on the schedule, but that doesn't mean that it's an easy one ouside of Florida A&M. There are 8 bowl participants on the slate, so this is a tough schedule. Miami should probably lose the Ohio State game, but it's hard to say that OSU won't get up for this game, because they will in a big way. Pitt will be a tough draw on the road, and they have Heisman hopeful RB Dion Lewis to tangle with. Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech will both be ACC title contenders, and are in Miami's division, which makes these games must wins.

Outlook: The Hurricanes are not back to the swagger of the thug old days, but they are getting there, minus the thug. It's hard to imagine Miami getting as filthy as they did back in the 80s, but Randy Shannon is building slow and steady, and 10 wins is not an unreasonable expectation this season.

Maryland Terrapins

2009 Record: 2-10 (1-7)
Head Coach: Ralph Friedgen (66-46 10th season)
Offensive Coordinator: James Franklin (3rd season)
Defensive Coordinaor: Don Brown (2nd season)
2009 Bowl Game: Hahahahaha...yeah, right

Offense: Jamarr Robinson has the athleticism that Chris Turner lacked. Robinson rushed for 129 yards against Virginia Tech last season, and James Franklin is going to be running a bunch of spread option plays and formations to try and capatilize on his abilities in 2010. Da'Rel Scott is a solid back, but needs to prove that he is a leader and a star. When Robinson does throw the ball, he has two returning starters to go to in Torrey Smith and Adrian Cannon. The line will be starting three sophomores, which could be a source of issues.

Defense: This unit surrendered 30 or more points 7 times in 2010. It must get better this season if the Terps stand a snowball's chance in hell of becoming a better football team and saving Friedgen's ass. Alex Wujcak (MLB) has 264 tackles over the past two seasons, and the unti must be built around him. The D-line, will be in trouble as it starts 3 sophomores. All three starting linebackers return (one of which is Wujcak). Cameron Chism (CB) is the lone returnee in the secondary, but at least the new guys are all upper classmen in Trenton Hughes, Antwine Perez, and Kenny Tate.

Special Teams: Nick Ferrera started as a freshman a year ago at PK, and nailed 18 kicks, but he missed 7. Accuracy needs to get better. Travis Baltz is back as punter, but he missed time in 2009. He was very good before the injuries, but needs to get back to 100%. If not, than this is a problem area. Torrey Smith is a terror as a return man.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/11 Morgan State, 9/25 Florida International, 10/2 Duke

Toss Up Games: 11/13 @ Virginia

Losses: 9/6 Navy, 9/18 @ West Virginia, 10/16 @ Clemson, 10/23 @ Boston College, 10/30 Wake Forest, 11/6 @ Miami, 11/20 Florida State, 11/27 NC State

Three wins would be an improvement, but not enough of one to save Friedgen from the axe. Miracles will have to be worked here, and anything short of a bowl birth would mean disaster, especially with a new AD coming in. Consider this to be another lost year in College Park.

Outlook: Bad....bad....more bad. There are some promising lights in the Terp lamp, but there is not enough glue here to put this all together in time to prevent the inevitable...another losing season, and a fired coaching staff. If it's any consolotaion to Friedgen supporters...he probably should have been let go after last season's 2-10 train wreck.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

                                                              Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2009 Record: 5-7 (3-5)
Head Coach: Jim Grobe (59-51, 10th season...92-84-1 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Steed Lobotzke (8th season)
Defensive Coordinator: Brad Lambert (3rd season)
2009 Bowl Game: None

Offense: 6 starters return, but one of them is not the legendary Riley Skinner. Skinner has moved on and his replacement should be Skylar Jones, but he will be pushed in fall practice by Ted Stachitas and Brendan Cross. No decision will likely be made until the week before kickoff. Everyone loved Skinner, but he was not the most athletic guy ever to play the position of QB, so expect some new looks as Steed Lobotzke will put elements of the spread option game into the plan in 2010. He certainly has a solid back to make it work in senior Josh Adams, a solid contributor for three years. Brandon Pendergrass will also see some time at RB, and Tommy Bohanon is a power FB. The WR group is solid, and will be the strength of the offense if a decent QB is found. Marshall Williams, Devon Brown, and Chris Givens combined for 20 TDs in 2009. The O-Line is a problem, and only two starters return. There is a severe lack of depth as well.

Defense: Only one starter, DE Tristan Dorty, returns on the D-Line. ajor depth problems may plague the Deacons ability to stop the run or get to the QB. The tackles will be VERY young. Matt Woodlief and Hunter Haynes return at LB, but Joey Ehrmann will be a sophomore starting on the outside. Again, this could be bad. There are three starters returning in the secondary, and safeties Cyhl Quarles and Alex Frye are the strength and the leaders of the defense. Kenny Okoro will be back at CB, and he led the team with 3 pick last season, which isn't much. Production needs to pick up and this unit needs to gel early if Wake has half of a chance.

Special Teams: Jimmy Newman returns as a sophmore to his PK duties. He didn;t turn many heads while only nailing 11 of 17 kicks as a freshman. He did hit all 34 PAT's though, so not all is lost. Shane Popham is an ok punter, but he was hurt in the spring. Not good.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/2 Presbyterian, 9/11 Duke, 10/30 @ Maryland, 11/27 @ Vanderbilt

Toss Up Games: 11/13 @ NC State

Losses: 9/18 @ Stanford, 9/25 @ Florida State, 10/2 Georgia Tech, 10/9 Navy, 10/16 @ Virginia Tech, 11/6 Boston College, 11/20 Clemson

Presbyterian? Really? What happened? Bloomsburg wasn't available? Those other three wins don't come close to doing anything for Deacon fans in 2010, and there is only one toss games that they can get up for. The rest of the schedule is full of easy losses for Wake.

Outlook: Look out for a long season  at BB&T Field. Sounds like a Monopoly Property, doesn't it? Wake just will not have the ability to overcome, and if you look at the losses, that is a brutal slate for the most part. Shoot the schedule maker. Skinner was not the best QB ever, but he'll be hard to replace, and that will drive any success or lack thereof that Wake experiences.

ACC 2010-Clemson Tigers

                                                                         Clemson Tigers

2009 Record: 9-5 (6-2)

Head Coach: Dabo Swinney (13-8, 3rd season)

Offensive Coordinator: Billy Napier (3rd season)

Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Steele (2nd season)

2009 Bowl Game: Music City Bowl, beat Kentucky 21-13

Offense: The Tigers got some good news last month when they found out that sophomore QB Kyle Parker will not be leaving for a baseball contract...yet. He really is the best option at QB for the Tigers, and nobody else is ready to step into the fire. Had he left,, it would have been a calamity. The backfield loses its star in CJ Spiller. Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper are the two backs competing to replace him, and it will probably take both to do so. Clemson uses a three WR set, and only one of them is areturning starter, but that's Xavier Dye, and he is a good one.Terrance Ash and Marquan Moses are expected to fill the other two slots, but there is very little depth beyond them. 4 starters return on the O-Line, which is great news for the new backs and Parker, but again, there is very little depth beyond the starting unit. Injuries will mean trouble. LT Chris Hairston has the size and dynamics to be a dominant LT. Dwayne Allen started some as a freshman at TE, and may be one of Parker's top targets as a receiver in 2010.

Defense: Seven starters return on the defense, which will be good news if any consistency can be found, which was a hard comodity to come by last season. The strength of this unit is on the line and in the secondary, where 6 of the 7 returnees live. The D-Line will be compsed of all juniors and seniors in 2010 in the starting unit. Da'Quan Bowers is the lone returnee at DE, but the DT spots are both back from last season in Jarvis Jenkins and Brandon Thompson. Andre Branch will be the lone new starter up front, and he is a 6-5, 265 lb junior. Both safeties return in 2010, with DeAndre McDaniel manning the strong side, and Rashard Hall setting up at the free spot. Hall is a sophomore. Marcus Gilchrist will be the lone returning CB and will line up on the left side, while Byron Maxwell will line up at the right side.Maxwell is a senior, so expectations should be high. The weakness of this defense is at LB, which could be huge. Brandon Maye is the returnee here. He will be in the middle and should be flanked by Corico Hawkins on one side, and Scotty Cooper on the other. Jonathon Willard, a sophomore, will contend to push any of these guys. Coordinator Kevin Steele will likely try to counter his LB woes by playing a ton of nickel D in 2010, but that defense is not set up to stop the run.

Special Teams: Richard Jackson returns as the PK in 2010. That is good news and bad. Which Jackson shows up this year? Will it be the guy that started out by banging 11 of his first 13 kicks through the bars? Or will it be the guy that finished 9 of 18? That is a huge question with a weak offense probably being on the field at most points. Dawson Zimmerman has talent, but has not strung it together yet at the punter spot.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 North Texas, 9/11 Presbyterian, 10/16 Maryland, 11/20 @ Wake Forest,

Toss Up Games: 10/9 @ North Carolina,11/6 NC State, 11/27 South Carolina

Losses: 9/18 @ Auburn, 10/2 Miami, 10/23 Georgia Tech, 10/30 @ Boston College,11/13 @ Florida State

The Tigers will to win all three toss games to go bowling, as the NCAA will not count the Presbyterian game. That scenario is unlikely at best. Presbyterian? Really? What happened? Slippery Rock wasn't available?

Outlook: Clemson had a decent run in 2009, and it was mostly because of CJ Spiller. He is gone now, and there are no real break away stars left on this roster right now. Someone has to step up and take over. Dye can be the guy, but he will be seeing lots of double teams this season. The LB group also has to step up big time, and Jackson has to make some big kicks. If all of those things happen, than Clemson can go bowling again. I don't predict that this will happen.

ACC 2010-North Carolina State Wolfpack

                                                        North Carolina State Wolfpack

2009 Record: 5-7 (2-6)
Head Coach: Tom O'Brien (16-21 4th season, 91-66 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Dana Bible (4th season)
Defensive Coordinator: Mike Archer (4th season)
2009 Bowl Game: None

Offense: QB is certainly not a problem position at NC State. Russell Wilson passed for 3287 yards (3rd highest total in NCSU history) and 31 TDs (4th nationally). He spent the entire spring playing baseball, which opened up some reps for Mike Glennon. Should Wilson go down to injury, the Pack won't die with him. RB is a bigger question coming into fall ball, as Curtis Underwood, who was supposed to win the job, got hurt. His backup on the depth chart, Brandon Barnes, also got hurt. He busted up his ankle, and because of surgery, may not be ready to start the season. UNderwood should be ready, but James Washington and Travis Leggett (a walk on freshman) will push for playing time. Two of the three starting WR spots seem locked up, as Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer both return from last season, giving Wilson two experienced targets. They combined to catch 17 TDs and piled up 1312 yards receiving in 2009. George Bryan was slated to be the top TE, but was arrested in the offseason, and looks to be off of the team, leaving that slot open. Bryan was second on the team in receptions last season. There are real issues on the O-Line. Only two starters return from a year ago, which will make some problems for a potentially  inexpereinced RB corps, and also for QB Wilson as he needs to get time in the pocket to unleash the rocket.

Defense: While the offense has the potential to be somewhat explosive, the defense has the potential to allow opponent offenses to be the same. Only 4 starters return on a defense that allowed 27 points or more in 8 games in 2009. LB Nate Irving injured himself in a car wreck a year ago, and hwile a lot of people blame the defensive woes on his loss last year, one has to wonder what happened to the rest of the guys? Irving returns this season, and will join Audie Cole and Dwayne Maddox at the LB spots.The secondary brings the other two returning starters. CB CJ Wilson and FS Brandon Bishop come back after starting as freshmen. The two new starters, CB Rashard Smith and SS Earl Wulff, are both sophomores as well. I would not be very comfortable with 4 sophomores starting in my backfield, especially considering that all four D-Linemen will be new starters in 2010. There are three seniors in that group, led by David Akinnyi, who transferred from Northeastern after the Huskies dropped their program after last season.

Special Teams: Josh Czajkowski will return to his PK spot as a senior. He is 4 PATs shy from converting on 76 consecutive, which would tie a school record. The punting duties will be handed off to redshirt freshman Chris Ward, and he has a spring behind him as the starter. TJ Graham will handle the return duties, and he is one of the best in the ACC at that spot.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 Western Carolina, 10/16 @ East Carolina, 11/13 Wake Forest, 11/27 @ Maryland

Toss Up Games: 9/11 @ Central Florida, 10/28 Florida State  11/6 @ Clemson,              11/20 @ North Carolina 

Losses: 9/16 Cincinnati, 9/25 @ Georgia Tech, 10/2 Virginia Tech, 10/9 Boston College

This schedule is not built for success. The losses can all be construed as automatic, leaving only 8 chances for victory. The Pack will have to win 2 of the 4 toss games to be bowl eligible, and while it is possible, I wouldn't call it likely. I see a potential 1-3 run against that group, but not even the game against UCF is a given. 5 wins looks realistic again.

Outlook: Oh boy...this can get sloppy. O'Brien has not exactly caught the world on fire since his mercenary like departure from Boston College. The grass was supposed to be greener in Raleigh than at the Heights, and ever since he has been gone, BC has been better than they were when he was there. I don't see improvement with this roster, even though Wilson is a star QB., and O'Brien should feel some heat after this season.